Penn Pershing

Biography

Early life

Doctor Penn Pershing, a human male hailing from an unspecified planet, harbored aspirations of becoming a researcher from a young age. His mother practiced medicine in their hometown, and he would often spend time in her office, envisioning a sophisticated research facility. Pershing held his mother in the highest regard. His fascination with cloning stemmed from her passing due to cardiac arrest during his youth. Pershing was convinced that her death could have been averted if organ cloning had been readily available on his home planet. He then resolved to dedicate his life's work to preventing similar unnecessary losses for others.

Acquiring the child

As he grew older, Pershing was coerced into serving the Galactic Empire as a scientist and member of the Imperial Officer Corps. Following the Empire's downfall, Pershing continued his work within an Imperial remnant under the command of former Moff Gideon. While stationed on Gideon's light cruiser, Pershing frequently encountered Communications Officer Elia Kane, though he never learned her name. Around 9 ABY, Pershing was dispatched to Nevarro, where he collaborated with an individual known as "the Client" in an attempt to secure a Force-sensitive child named Grogu. Pershing's mission was to study Grogu's connection to the Force. The Client posted a bounty on the infant through the Bounty Hunters' Guild, attracting numerous hunters to accept the contract. Among them was Din Djarin, who had a meeting with the Client and four stormtroopers.

After the Client welcomed Djarin, Pershing unexpectedly joined the meeting, prompting Djarin to quickly draw his weapons. The doctor recoiled and apologized for startling the bounty hunter, while the four stormtroopers kept their weapons trained on Djarin. The Client then de-escalated the situation and instructed the stormtroopers to lower their weapons, after which Djarin took a seat and listened to the Client's description of the job. When the Client mentioned that the hunter could provide proof of termination instead of bringing the infant in alive, Pershing interjected, protesting that termination was not what they had previously agreed upon. However, the Client dismissed the complaint, claiming he was "simply being pragmatic."

A scientist spared

Djarin successfully located the infant and delivered it directly to the Client and Pershing. Upon seeing the infant, the pair eagerly approached, with the Client first verifying its identity using a fob and Pershing scanning it to ensure its health. Pleased with the infant, the Client paid Djarin while Pershing escorted it from the room. Once Djarin was gone, the Client and Pershing argued about the infant, with the Client demanding that he simply extract the material they needed from the Child, even if it resulted in its death. Pershing refused, reminding the Client that they had orders to deliver it alive, after which the Client warned Pershing that he could no longer guarantee his safety and departed. Pershing would extract a small amount of blood from the Child to be used for his project.

Djarin later had a change of heart and returned, storming the installation where Pershing was working on Grogu. After battling his way through several stormtrooper guards, Djarin blasted open the door to the room where Pershing was working. A stormtrooper inside shot the bounty hunter, but the bolt ricocheted off his beskar armor. Djarin then killed the trooper and shot an IT-O Interrogation Unit while Pershing begged for his and the child's lives. After the scientist explained that it was only because of him that the baby had not been killed, the bounty hunter took the baby and left, sparing Pershing's life.

Failed operations

Pershing continued his service to Moff Gideon and continued his experimentations. Within the Imperial base on Nevarro, he experimented on volunteers, injecting Grogu's blood into their systems. While initial results appeared promising for a period of two weeks, the bodies ultimately rejected the blood, resulting in fatalities. Pershing was unable to continue his work due to the depletion of the Child's blood supply. Recognizing the difficulty in obtaining more blood with such a high "M-count," referring to the midi-chlorians, he recorded a hologram message for Gideon, admitting his failure but assuring him of eventual success. Three days later, Din Djarin returned to Nevarro, where he, Greef Karga, and Marshal Cara Dune discovered Pershing's recording. The group subsequently evacuated the base after setting the reactor to self-destruct, resulting in its destruction.

Capture

Following Grogu's abduction by Moff Gideon, Pershing was being transported aboard Shuttle 2743 when the ship was attacked by Boba Fett in Slave I and disabled by Fett's ion cannon. Mistaking the attack for pirates, Pershing suggested fighting back, but the co-pilot refused, stating he didn't have a death wish. When Djarin and his mercenary ally Cara Dune boarded the shuttle, the co-pilot held a blaster to Pershing's head, emphasizing the clone engineer's importance to Gideon and the New Republic, although Pershing confirmed to Djarin that Grogu was alive aboard Gideon's light cruiser. After provoking Dune with remarks about the destruction of Alderaan, she fatally shot the pilot. Pershing's ear was grazed by the blaster bolt, leaving a small wound.

After Djarin enlisted the help of the Mandalorians Bo-Katan Kryze and Koska Reeves, Pershing provided them with crucial intelligence for their raid on Gideon's cruiser, including Grogu's location and the presence and power-up time of a platoon of third-generation dark troopers. During the raid, Djarin used Pershing's code cylinder to access the brig and to seal the cargo bay housing the dark troopers.

The Amnesty Program

A second chance

After betraying Gideon, Pershing was taken into New Republic custody. He was admitted into the New Republic's Re-Integration Institute and subsequently the New Republic Amnesty Program, a rehabilitation program designed for former Imperials, where he was given the designation "Amnesty Scientist L52." Pershing was relocated to Coruscant, a prominent planet in the New Republic, and housed within an apartment at Amnesty Housing. He was taken aback by the number of former Imperials participating in the program. He was assigned a position in the New Republic archival office, where he archived datacards under a lab technician who was unaware of the extent of Pershing's expertise. Shortly after arriving on Coruscant, he delivered a speech to a large audience at the Galaxies Opera House, recounting his past life and research in cloning, while acknowledging the wrongs he had committed in service to the Empire. Unbeknownst to him, his speech was observed by Elia Kane, who had infiltrated the Amnesty Program as an undercover agent for Gideon, and the lab technician, who learned of Pershing's skills from the speech.

Following his speech, Pershing found himself walking with and describing his work to another individual, only to be pulled aside by a woman who was inspired by his story. As the woman inquired about his work for the New Republic, Pershing found himself surrounded by a group of Coruscant socialites who mocked the Outer Rim, with one man even struggling to differentiate between the Empire and the new government. While a Mon Calamari, overjoyed to have the doctor on the side of the New Republic, wished him well, Pershing felt uncomfortable being the center of attention among the socialites. Afterward, Pershing took a taxi back to Amnesty Housing, using the ride as an opportunity to thoughtfully observe Coruscant's cityscape.

Pershing's contemplation was interrupted by the taxi droid pilot, who congratulated the doctor on joining the Amnesty Program and attempted to recommend the Skydome Botanical Gardens, until Pershing nervously reminded the droid to focus on the sky lane ahead. The droid complied but continued suggesting sites for Pershing, including the Galactic Museum and Holographic Museum of Extinct Animals, until they arrived at Amnesty Housing, where Pershing made his way through a housing block into a central courtyard. As he continued his walk, Pershing shyly glanced at a group of fellow residents, one of whom, Amnesty Officers M34, noticed Pershing was a new addition to the program thanks to his pin. Pershing was called over to join them for a drink by M34, who welcomed Pershing to Amnesty Housing and introduced the doctor to M40, G27, and G68, whom he recognized as Elia Kane, the communications officer whose name he never learned despite both working under Moff Gideon, much to his surprise.

Pershing's surprise at seeing a fellow member of Gideon's crew, which Kane had not revealed to the others she had been part of, sparked a minor discussion between M40 and G27 about what happened to the moff, but Kane changed the topic by claiming herself to be a willing servant of the New Republic. Pershing was soon given a glass flask by M34 and joined them in a salute of "Long live the New Republic" after a moment's delay. Pershing took an anxious sip and joined the group's concrete picnic table, where Kane offered to show him around Coruscant's major sights when he wanted. Pershing was then caught off-guard when G27 asked if he missed anything about the Empire but did divulge that he missed yellow travel biscuits from Imperial ration packs, kicking off a discussion amongst his new neighbors that made him smile. While in bed listening to information on his new home planet of Coruscant, his doorbell rang, and upon opening it, he discovered a black Imperial box filled with yellow travel biscuits.

While at work in his New Republic archival office cubicle the morning of the next Benduday, Pershing, who found himself falling behind on his archival work, was approached by the lab tech, who delivered a new tray of datacards for archival and mentioned having seen Pershing's speech. The lab tech expressed surprise that Amnesty Program had him working in the office, which Pershing promised was no issue. Before the tech could respond, the conversation was cut off when an R-series mail droid dropped off more datacards for the doctor, resulting in the lab tech leaving Pershing to get back to his duties.

Befriending Kane

That evening, Pershing visited Monument Plaza with Kane, passing by its sights and many other visitors as they enjoyed frozen, glowing treats. As the two talked about their experiences on Coruscant, Pershing expressed doubt that the New Republic would appreciate his scientific pursuits enough to allow him to continue researching cloning, but Kane suggested he continue anyway, reminding Pershing that blindly following orders is what got them into their current position. The two then walked to the peak of Umate, where Kane convinced Pershing to touch the mountain's top, getting him in trouble with a security droid. Laughing, the duo left, and Kane offered to buy Pershing a Photon Fizzle.

During a parole check-in, Pershing was asked by a parole droid about his overall wellbeing and his feelings toward the New Republic. After answering, Pershing asked if he would be allowed to continue his research recreationally. The droid informed him that his research would be prohibted under the Coruscant Accords, Section 13, subparagraph seven, as it involved cloning and genetic engineering. Upon leaving the check-in, Pershing came across Kane in the Amnesty Housing courtyard and informed her that he was thinking about continuing his research, mentioning that he would need supplies and a mobile lab station. After offering some encouragement, Kane stated that she knew of a place to get a mobile lab station, but that it would require them to leave their designated perimeter. Out of fear of being forced to return to the Re-Integration Institute, Pershing declined, though Kane asked that he think about her offer after some sleep.

Disillusionment

In the morning, while at work in the archival office, Pershing brought to the attention of the lab tech that the equipment he was archiving was all coded to be destroyed. The lab tech confirmed, and when Pershing suggested that he would be of more use demonstrating how the Imperial technology described in the datacards could benefit the New Republic, the lab tech explained that they were very behind on inventorying the Imperial disposal yards and were also simultaneously decomissioning the Alliance Fleet. They informed Pershing that he would need authorization from the department to access the information, potentially through submitting a C-1023 request, though they were unaware of anyone from the Amnesty Program ever making such a request and was unsure it was even possible. Pershing gave in, and the lab tech reassured him that his work was truly helping the New Republic.

In a following parole check-in, Pershing hesitated when asked if he felt anger or resentment toward the New Republic or any of its representatives. He asked the parole droid if their primary objective was to help the Republic above all else, which the droid confirmed. Pershing left the check-in and headed to Kane's apartment, where he took her up on her offer to retrieve the mobile lab station the following night.

Betrayal

The next day, a Taungsday, Pershing, no longer wearing his Amnesty Program uniform, spoke to himself in a mirror, convincing himself that what he was about to do was for the good of the Republic. After sunset, Pershing and Kane arrived at a Coruscant train station and sneaked through an entry gate to board a train. During their train ride, Kane revealed that they were headed to a scrapyard to acquire a mobile lab station from a decommissioned Imperial ship. The doctor was skeptical of the plan; nevertheless, he remained committed. Shortly after their conversation, a pair of police droids entered their car and began requesting tickets from passengers. Kane told Pershing to follow her, and the two walked to the other end of the car, opened the door, and jumped to the next car. The droids followed until the pair reached the end of the train. Kane told Pershing they were going to jump and asked him to trust her, timing their jump until right before the train arrived at the Shipyard Depot station and landing on an inflatable pad.

The duo then proceeded across a long bridge to a decommissioned Imperial-class Star Destroyer, and Kane hotwired the door panel so they could enter. They navigated the hallways of the ship to a labratory, discussing their pasts working on the same ship and formally introducing themselves along the way. Once in the labratory, Pershing began packing up equipment before hearing a loud noise. Kane stood watch at the doorway until Pershing was finished, and the two left back down the hallways. However, they stopped upon noticing lights and voices on the other side of a doorway and quietly ran in the opposite direction, exiting the ship and crossing the bridge again. Once they reached the other side, a spotlight was shown on them, and Pershing was placed under arrest by New Republic personnel, with Kane revealing she had betrayed the doctor and taking his equipment.

Waking up in a bed attached to a device, the scientist was informed by a Mon Calamari technician that Kane had already filed a report detailing the incident, and that he was simply here for help overcoming his Imperial indoctrination. Pershing recognized the device he was hooked up to as a Mind Flayer, but the technician stated it was a Six-O-Two Mitigator, a type of Mind Flayer with low voltage. He panicked, stating that they were going to wipe his mind, though he was reassured that was not the case, and the procedure began with a low voltage as Kane watched from behind a window. However, being left alone in the room under the pretext that she wanted to see her relapsing friend recover, Kane turned up the voltage drastically, putting Pershing in noticeable pain, and wiped his mind. As a result, Pershing was given emergency medical assistance. In the file created in the aftermath for the New Republic Archives, in which Pershing was referred to as Amnesty Scientist L52, it was indicated that the Mind Flayer had malfunctioned.

Legacy

During a later gathering of the Shadow Council of Imperial warlords, Moff Gideon, a member of the council, confirmed that Pershing had been captured by the New Republic and that his research was lost for the time being. The Moff then denied allegations that he had held Pershing on Nevarro to work on cloning experiments.

After the Battle of Exegol, historian Beaumont Kin wrote a history book detailing the history and aftermath of the Empire, titled The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire. In it, he critiqued the use of Mind Flayers by the New Republic, referencing Pershing's medical file as an instance where the machines appeared to malfunction, indicating that Elia Kane's role in the incident had never come to light.

Personality and traits

The scientist

Penn Pershing, a human male, had a height of 1.7 meters, equivalent to 5 feet and 7 inches. In his youth, no one was more admired by Pershing than his own mother. The origin of Pershing's deep interest in the field of science stemmed from the unfortunate passing of his mother. Her heart failure, which organ cloning could have potentially prevented, motivated him to dedicate himself to the study of cloning, driven by the desire to spare others from experiencing similar heartache. He was a scientist, characterized by his anxiety, who found himself working for both the Empire and Gideon's remaining forces solely due to coercion. The Client believed that his eagerness was greater than his sense of caution. He firmly held the belief that the pursuit of knowledge represented the most valuable decision in life.

Pershing was also prone to fear, particularly when confronted by armed Mandalorians. Socially, Pershing could also be quite awkward, especially when in the company of sophisticated individuals. Following a blaster bolt that grazed his right ear, Pershing developed a nervous habit of touching the resulting scar, a gesture he exhibited during his address at the Galaxies Opera House. Life on Coruscant was preferable to Pershing compared to his experiences in the Outer Rim, although he suspected that the Rim was worse than most places.

Relationship with Gideon and Grogu

Pershing displayed a strong desire to learn about Grogu and was dedicated to his work. However, he came to believe that the research he conducted for Gideon was being twisted into something cruel and inhumane. While maintaining a respectful tone in his communications with Gideon and assuring him of his commitment, he harbored private feelings of disdain towards the moff, perceiving him as a desperate individual driven by a thirst for power. Pershing's assessment proved accurate: Gideon's aim was to consolidate power over the divided Imperial Remnant for his own benefit, concealing his cloning experiments from other prominent warlords. Pershing came to regret the research he had done for Gideon.

Unlike the Client, who was prepared to obtain Grogu at any cost, Pershing aimed to prevent any harm to the child. Despite being immediately contradicted by the Client, he informed Djarin that Grogu needed to be returned alive. Upon Djarin's return of the asset, Pershing resisted the Client's demands to do whatever it took to extract the necessary material, emphasizing that they had explicit instructions to keep the child alive. This decision ultimately saved Pershing's life when Djarin returned to rescue Grogu, as the Mandalorian recognized Pershing as the only one in the facility who had tried to protect him. He fundamentally maintained a belief in the original intentions of his research and believed that the New Republic could utilize it for beneficial purposes. Ultimately, however, he placed too much trust in Elia Kane.

New Republic patriot, "friendship" with Elia Kane

Pershing felt an immense sense of gratitude for the second chance granted to him by the New Republic, even though he hesitated briefly before joining in a chant of "Long Live the New Republic" with his fellow amnesty program participants. Nevertheless, he quickly developed a sense of camaraderie with his former Imperial colleagues after an initial period of unease. He also silently concurred with M38's observation that the Empire would never have implemented a similar program. Although he was initially willing to accept any assignment offered by the New Republic, even when his lab tech colleague suggested that archival work was beneath his capabilities, he became increasingly eager to prove his worth to the New Republic. Kane took advantage of his eagerness.

Equipment

As a scientist in service to the Empire, Pershing was seen wearing an Imperial scientist officer's uniform, along with a pair of tinted, round plasspecs. The black belt that was part of his uniform featured a compartment containing a concealed tracking device. After becoming a participant in the New Republic Amnesty Program, Pershing began wearing an Amnesty uniform, complete with a red and black pin.

Behind the scenes

Pershing's debut occurred in the first episode of The Mandalorian, a Disney+ television series from 2019 that premiered on November 12, 2019. Omid Abtahi played the role. The design of Pershing's uniform is reminiscent of the attire worn by Galen Erso and his fellow scientists in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and the symbol displayed on his right shoulder drew inspiration from the emblem worn by clone troopers on Kamino in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones. Brian Matyas drew inspiration from Nazi scientists for the character's overall appearance, including his hairstyle and posture, aiming for a clean and simplified aesthetic. Jon Favreau, the writer and executive producer of The Mandalorian, believed that glasses were the appropriate choice for the character's appearance, although Doug Chiang, the design supervisor, initially had reservations about the idea. In "Kamino Lost," the season one finale of the 2021 animated series Star Wars: The Bad Batch, a medical officer named Scalder, who is wearing a uniform similar to that of Doctor Pershing, approaches the Kaminoan Nala Se.