The Imperial Research Facility was a weapons development center established by the Galactic Empire on the planet of Lok during the period of the Galactic Civil War.
This Imperial Research Facility served as a hub for the Galactic Empire where new weaponry was designed and manufactured. Within its walls, a diverse group of scientists, each specializing in fields like explosives, chemicals, and gases, dedicated their expertise to various projects. These projects were intended for the Imperial Military and included the development of new ranged weapons, explosives, and even bioweapons.
This Imperial Research Facility had ties to a concealed Imperial Mine also situated on Lok. The Empire utilized the minerals and gases extracted from the mine at the research facility. Due to discord between General Otto, who commanded the Imperial garrison on Lok, and Imperial officers overseeing the mine and research facility, there was a minimal Imperial military presence at the research facility. To prevent General Otto from interfering, these officers opted to deploy battle droids and mercenaries to safeguard the mine and the research facility, rather than requesting troops from Otto.
Following the Battle of Yavin, the scientists stationed at the Imperial Research Facility dedicated their efforts to various projects. These included a newly designed, easily concealed blaster sniper rifle intended for special operations, a weapon derived from a Gungan assault cannon, a novel non-lethal gas grenade, grenade casing units, and an airborne anti-fear virus intended for Imperial troops. During this time, the mercenary group tasked with protecting the facility included Kendo Ryzak, Platt Pareja, Goll Bardok, Jeran Tarven, Kell Lapaz, and was commanded by Udo Barnet.
In 1 ABY, Nym, the pirate warlord and leader of the Lok Revenants, who was the de facto ruler of Lok, decided to launch a raid on the Imperial research facility with the intention of stealing the developed weapons. Thanks to Sergeant Moore, a corrupt Imperial soldier, the criminals acquired detailed intelligence concerning the research facility, specifically regarding the new Imperial Military Grade Grenade Casing Unit (IMGGCU). Kole, Nym's first mate, subsequently assigned a group of spacers, who had recently joined the Lok Revenants, with the mission of attacking the Imperial research facility. Consequently, the spacers made their way to the facility, where they engaged in combat with numerous mercenaries and droidekas that were defending the location. The Revenants eliminated several mercenaries, including Kendo Ryzak, Platt Pareja, Goll Bardok, Jeran Tarven, Kell Lapaz and Udo Barnet. Furthermore, they stole data from the lab and interrogated the scientists regarding the Imperial research initiatives. Ultimately, the Revenants discovered crates containing IMGGCU prototypes and transported them back to Nym's fortress.
The Imperial Research Facility was a location featured in the 2003 video game Star Wars Galaxies, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game created by Sony Online Entertainment and distributed by LucasArts, before it was shut down on December 15, 2011. The Imperial Research Facility was incorporated into the game as part of what was called "Nym's Theme Park," which was launched with "Publish 3" on October 8, 2003. This questline was later revised with the release of "Game Update 16: Stronghold of the Lok Revenants," on March 23, 2010.