Par Lankin

Par Lankin held the position of Moff within the Imperial forces, specifically in the Lambda sector; he was a Human male. After the [Battle of Endor](/article/battle_of_endor/legends], he became one of the many Imperial warlords, maintaining authority over his designated territory. Despite General Airen Cracken from New Republic Intelligence consistently reporting on the dangers Lankin posed, the New Republic refrained from launching an attack. Reports indicated that Lankin, along with his subordinate, Governor Serdif Tount of the planet Rintonne, had assaulted and conquered at least three worlds recently acquired by the New Republic. By the year 8 ABY, Lankin had lost his grip on the Lambda sector, which ceased to be his personal domain.

Despite never posing a significant threat to the New Republic, Lankin was a skilled commander and tactician. His abilities were respected by General Airen Cracken, who even offered a substantial bounty for his capture. While Lankin generally kept his activities private, he was known to enjoy hunting on Xandil VII.

Biography

Born in 50 BBY on the planet Desstious, situated within the Lambda sector, Par Lankin was a Human male. Upon reaching adulthood, Lankin joined the ranks of the Galactic Empire as an officer. As a Captain in the Imperial Navy, Lankin participated in the [Noolian Crisis], fighting against Aqualish Separatist holdouts in 18 BBY. He later ascended to the position of Moff, effectively the sectorial Governor of the Lambda sector. This sector held considerable strategic value for the Empire, boasting numerous heavy industry planets and shipyards, all under Lankin's direct authority.

Following the death of Galactic Emperor Palpatine at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Lankin, along with several other high-ranking Imperial officers, sought to seize control of their respective territories, acting independently rather than as representatives of the Emperor. These officers became known as warlords, and initially focused on accumulating military resources in preparation for future conflicts. A report from Dirk Harkness to New Republic Intelligence General Airen Cracken, just six months after Endor, already identified Moff Lankin as one of the warlords establishing their own independent domains. A subsequent report by Captain Baden Lathe of the Analysis Bureau noted that warlords like Lankin and Admiral Gaen Drommel controlled relatively fewer resources compared to more successful warlords such as Zsinj and Grand Moff Ardus Kaine.

After the New Republic military addressed the Nagai threat in 4 ABY, their focus shifted towards reaching the capital planet Coruscant without uniting the warlords against them. The Republic Admirals opted to isolate the weaker warlords within their own territories. Following the isolation of warlords Utoxx Prentioch and Delvardus by the Republic fleet, and after establishing a new headquarters on the planet Moorja, the Republic Admirals briefly scrutinized Lankin and the Lambda sector before proceeding towards Glom Tho and Kalarba.

In 5 ABY, during a meeting between Princess Leia Organa of the New Republicmet and Moff Quarsh Panaka at Hosk Station, Panaka inquired whether Lankin had surrendered or joined the New Republic. Organa replied that Lankin's activities were restricted to the planet Rintonne.

Lankin maintained control over the Lambda sector for an additional three years, without any intervention from the New Republic. He provided his subordinate, Governor Serdif Tount of Rintonne, with Stormtroopers and Army troops to maintain control over the civilian population. In return, Tount assisted Lankin in launching raids against several New Republic planets, successfully conquering three of them by 7 ABY. Rintonne effectively became a fortress world for Lankin's territory. Lankin was also known to employ the services of Rodin Baem, an Imperial spy who worked for various warlords.

General Cracken conducted several military operations within the Lambda sector and observed that Lankin's soldiers displayed courage, refined skills, and high morale, which Cracken attributed to having a potentially insane commander. Cracken also noted that Imperial patrol starships had been detected by patrol droids monitoring recently conquered planets lacking fortifications. Cracken submitted reports emphasizing that Lankin was assessing the response times of these worlds and preparing to attack their vulnerable assets. Despite Cracken's warnings, the New Republic chose not to take preemptive action against Lankin. Nevertheless, Cracken offered a substantial bounty for Lankin's capture.

By 7 ABY, the Lambda sector was no longer under Lankin's complete control, and he never posed a genuine threat to the stability of the New Republic.

Personality and traits

Moff Lankin was of short stature, standing at only 1.60 meters tall. General Cracken regarded him as cunning and a capable commander of his Imperial forces. Lankin was also a skilled tactician, specializing in fleet operations and capital ships. He typically carried a comlink, a datapad, and a hold-out blaster.

Lankin was a private individual who generally remained within his personal palace. However, he occasionally enjoyed hunting expeditions in the Equatorial Reserves of the planet Xandil VII.

Behind the scenes

Moff Lankin's first appearance was in Bill Smith's roleplaying guide Wanted by Cracken (1993), published by West End Games. The book featured an illustration of Lankin by artist Mike Vilardi. Lankin was presented as a non-player character designed to challenge the player characters, and was mentioned in the entries for Serdif Tount and Rodin Baem. Lankin received brief mentions in two other roleplaying supplements: Cracken's Threat Dossier (1997) and the article Recon & Report: The Journey to Coruscant in Star Wars Adventure Journal #2 (1994). His defeat was outlined in The Essential Atlas (2009), and his role in the Galactic Empire's early conflicts was established in The Essential Guide to Warfare (2012).

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