Gilramos Libkath

Gilramos Libkath, a male of the Neimoidian species, originating from the planet of Neimoidia within the Colonies Regions of the galaxy, found himself deeply entrenched in the affairs of the Trade Federation during the final years of the Galactic Republic. This organization, a powerful trade cartel and megacorporation largely controlled by Neimoidians, saw Libkath serving as both an assistant and Contract-Scribe to its Viceroy, Nute Gunray. Circumstances led to Libkath's exile from his homeworld, and by 27 BBY, he had taken up residence on the desert planet of Tatooine in the Outer Rim Territories. Despite this forced relocation, the Contract-Scribe maintained his connections with the Trade Federation.

Upon arriving on Tatooine, Gilramos Libkath carved out a niche for himself within the criminal underbelly of Mos Espa, a sprawling spaceport city. He would abduct younglings and homeless children, referring to them as his "children." In exchange for providing shelter and protection from the dangers of the streets, "Master Libkath" coerced these young individuals into committing thefts on his behalf. To maintain control, he implanted devices in their hands, designed to release deadly toxins into their bodies if they attempted to leave the planet. Those who failed to meet Libkath's expectations or disobeyed his commands were sold into slavery or forced into indentured servitude. Among his many victims was Ygabba, the daughter of Gab'borah Hise, a chef native to Tatooine.

Libkath's audacity extended to stealing shipments of weapons and spice belonging to Jabba Desilijic Tiure, the formidable Hutt crime lord who controlled Tatooine. These stolen goods were then sold to Libkath's former associates within the Trade Federation. By this time, the Federation had aligned itself with the Separatist Confederacy, a coalition advocating for the secession of planets from the Galactic Republic. These brazen acts of defiance earned Libkath the unwavering animosity of the Hutt.

Driven by a desire to eliminate the meddlesome Neimoidian, Jabba dispatched two bounty hunters to deal with Libkath in 22 BBY: a young Human named Boba Fett and the formidable Gen'Dai warrior Durge. However, "The Master" was heavily guarded, rarely appearing in person and instead communicating with his network of thieving children through holographic transmissions. He also maintained a personal contingent of battle droids to defend against potential attackers.

Despite their constant attempts to undermine each other, the bounty hunters eventually located the Neimoidian's secret hideout. Catching Libkath by surprise, they cornered him within the wreckage of a heavily damaged Theed cruiser. Fett struck Libkath twice in the head with a brick before stealing his miter. As Libkath attempted to escape, Durge fired upon a crate of weapons, triggering an explosion that engulfed the Neimoidian's lair. "The Master" and all of his battle droids perished in the ensuing inferno, while Fett successfully escaped the burning hideout aboard the derelict Theed cruiser, taking the enslaved children with him. The Neimoidian's miter was presented to Jabba as proof of his death. Jabba then unceremoniously tossed the miter into a fire, allowing the flames to consume the last vestige of Gilramos Libkath.

Reflecting the typical Neimoidian physique, Libkath possessed a tall and slender frame, a characteristic attributed to the higher gravity on their home planet of Neimoidia. His elongated, noseless head and orange eyes, a result of his species' iron-based sclera pigmentation, reminded the young Boba Fett of Tatooine's twin suns. In contrast to many of his kind, Libkath exhibited a sickly pale complexion. These features, combined with his gnarled hands, instilled fear in his young slaves. To further accentuate his imposing height and intimidating presence, Gilramos Libkath donned a tall, crown-like black miter and a set of shimmering deep-blue robes. He shared similar physical attributes and fashion preferences with other prominent Neimoidians, including Captain Daultay Dofine, Settlement Officer Rune Haako, and an unnamed representative of the Confederacy during the Battle of Muunilinst. Libkath's voice was notably deep, resembling a low, yet smooth hiss. Like all Neimoidians, Gilramos Libkath was excessively vain, placing immense value on his hat, which he considered a symbol of power and social standing.

For a Neimoidian, Libkath demonstrated a surprisingly strong grip, capable of restraining the young Boba Fett. Despite being only ten years old at the time, Fett had already undergone basic Mandalorian combat training. The Neimoidian also possessed the ability to project bolts of red lightning from his hands. However, it remains unclear whether this was a genuine manifestation of the Force, specifically Force lightning—suggesting Libkath was Force-sensitive—or simply an elaborate illusion, similar to the one employed by the self-proclaimed Emperor Trioculus approximately thirty years later. Although Fett witnessed the Neimoidian unleashing a barrage of crimson lightning, he could not determine the source of this power.

The character of Gilramos Libkath was initially conceived as the Neimoidian seen alongside Nute Gunray on Geonosis in Attack of the Clones and in CIS Shadowfeed Dispatch 14:10:05 Edition featured in Star Wars Insider 71. His name was derived from costume supervisor Gillian Libbert and production controller Kathryn Ramos. Libkath was also identified by name in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary.

However, the published script for Attack of the Clones attributed Libkath's dialogue to Rune Haako, a character who had previously appeared with Gunray in Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, while the movie credits identified him as Senator Lott Dod, another Neimoidian from the earlier film. Nevertheless, the Neimoidian depicted in Attack of the Clones bore little resemblance to either Haako or Dod in appearance or voice. Lucasfilm's official explanation was that Rune Haako's original mask had been misplaced between the two movies, and Daultay Dofine's mask was used for his character instead.

Ultimately, despite his initial identification as Gilramos Libkath, it has since been firmly established that the Neimoidian accompanying Gunray on Geonosis was indeed Rune Haako. With the release of Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, the mislabeled image featuring the two Neimoidians was corrected to reflect this change. Regardless, this retcon did not prevent Gilramos Libkath from being established as a distinct character in Boba Fett: Hunted, the fourth installment in a series of young adult novels chronicling the early adventures of Boba Fett.