Marja Lang

Marja Lang, an Imperial female Human administrator, was stationed as the Vice-Governor on the planet of Gandle Ott in the Kathol sector. She was a dedicated bureaucrat and staunch supporter of Imperial ideals. However, Moff Kentor Sarne, the sector's leader, secretly detached his territory from the Empire after the Battle of Endor and declared himself a warlord. He then began to foster a personality cult among his forces, demanding absolute loyalty to himself. Lang, due to her unwavering allegiance to the Empire, was excluded from this inner circle.

In 8 ABY, New Republic forces ousted Sarne and liberated his capital, Kal'Shebbol. Sarne fled, taking most of his forces with him, and stopped at Gandle Ott to resupply. He claimed to be assembling a large fleet to combat pirates and Rebels in the sector, concealing his recent defeat. After his departure, the citizens of Gandle Ott discovered that Sarne had taken most of the Imperial personnel stationed on the planet, including the planetary governor, and the local defense force. With the Governor gone, Lang became the highest-ranking Imperial official present and assumed the title of Acting-Governor.

With the Imperial command structure largely gone, Gandle Ott descended into chaos. The Bank parliament, the civilian government that had governed the planet before Imperial rule, began to reclaim power. General Herron Dade, the commander of the planetary militia and the highest-ranking native-born official, began positioning himself to vie for the long-abolished presidency. When NewsNet courier droids brought news that the New Republic had driven Sarne from Kal'Shebbol, Lang began consolidating her power among the remaining Imperial forces and sent subspace messages to the Empire requesting reinforcements. Lang hoped to be officially appointed governor of Gandle Ott. The civilian authorities, fearing New Republic attention, indicated their willingness to negotiate with the galactic power.

A few days after Sarne's departure, the New Republic CR90 corvette FarStar arrived in orbit around Gandle Ott, pursuing the Moff. The vessel was permitted to land at Montrol Spaceport, and Lang, along with Stanfeld Duffit, the Mayor of Montrol City, several politicians, and an honor guard, went to the spaceport to formally greet the New Republic representatives. Upon arriving, Lang discovered that the spaceport's security force intended to arrest the FarStar crew for piracy. A standard check of the ship's registration and Bureau of Ships and Services permits identified the FarStar as stolen Imperial property. Unbeknownst to Lang, Montrol City's BRT supercomputer, CUTH-BRT-92-X3, had been corrupted by Sarne with instructions to delay any New Republic pursuit. To that end, CUTH-BRT-92-X3 altered the records to flag the FarStar as stolen. Lang quickly resolved the issue and formally welcomed the FarStar delegation, led by the ship's commanding officer, Captain Kaiya Adrimetrum, to Gandle Ott. She then invited the senior staff to join her at the Imperial Plaza Hotel, where they would stay at the government's expense for the duration of their visit. Before leaving the delegation at the hotel, Lang invited them to an informal breakfast with her and the Imperial Cabinet.

Among the FarStar delegation that Lang encountered was Jessa Dajus, a former Imperial Intelligence agent who had served in Sarne's forces. Dajus had fallen out of favor with the Moff and was discovered by New Republic forces in his detention cells, where she claimed to be a shuttle pilot. When the FarStar mission was authorized, Dajus was allowed to join the crew as a tactical advisor. Lang had previously met Dajus when she was serving with Sarne, but she did not reveal this publicly. Lang planned to speak with Dajus alone to determine if she was truly sympathetic to the New Republic or if she was playing her own game.

On the second day of the FarStar's visit, the delegation accepted Lang's invitation and joined her and the Cabinet for breakfast. Several hours later, Lang joined General Dade at the Ceremonial Mushroom Cutting, where he symbolically declared Gandle Ott's renunciation of ties to the Empire and its pursuit of self-governance. Dade was the focus of attention for the gathered media, and Lang struggled to conceal her boredom during the ceremony. On the third day, Lang hosted a private lunch for the FarStar delegation and her key supporters. After several days on the planet, during which diplomatic relations were established between Gandle Ott and the New Republic, the FarStar departed to continue its mission.

Marja Lang was a stout, short woman with blonde hair worn in a long braid. Generally even-tempered, Lang could be both charming and intimidating when necessary. Although she disliked dealing with the New Republic, she recognized the wisdom of treating them as equals and was polite and civil to the delegation. A lifelong bureaucrat, Lang was well-versed in the workings of the Imperial government and possessed knowledge of businesses and other cultures. She was proficient in operating communications and security equipment and wore an Imperial uniform while on duty. She carried a datapad and a personal comlink.

Marja Lang was first introduced in Death Is Remotely Possible, a roleplaying adventure published by West End Games in 1995 as part of The DarkStryder Campaign. During the adventure, players must contend with CUTH-BRT-92-X3's attempts to hinder the FarStar's pursuit of Sarne, which manifests in various ways, including near-fatal traffic accidents and the deployment of an assassin droid. Lang, along with Dade, is one of the officials to whom the players can report these incidents, along with their suspicion of CUTH-BRT-92-X3's involvement. Lang takes the information seriously, investigates the matter, and uncovers the protocol modifications made to the unit by Moff Sarne. CUTH-BRT-92-X3 is taken offline, and technicians are employed to restore the droid to its normal state. Because the players can speak with either Lang or Dade, this article does not specify which official receives the reports.