Royce Hemlock

Royce Hemlock, a human male, began his career as an officer within the science corps of the Galactic Republic. His unorthodox experiments led to his expulsion. During this time, he made the acquaintance of Nala Se, the Kaminoan Chief Medical Scientist, whose abilities he greatly admired. Eventually, Hemlock encountered Emerie Karr, a female clone derived from the bounty hunter Jango Fett, who subsequently became his assistant.

Around 18 BBY, Doctor Hemlock assumed the role of chief scientist of the Advanced Science Division, tasked with working on the Imperial cloning program at an Imperial medical laboratory located on the planet Setron. There, Hemlock initiated experiments on clone troopers stationed at the facility, including clone cadets. His research involved collecting blood samples in pursuit of an individual capable of supporting a successful midi-chlorian count transfer without specimen degradation, all as part of Project Necromancer. In addition to his work on Project Necromancer, Hemlock also engineered slither vines, an experimental bioweapon. These vines eventually breached containment and overwhelmed the facility, compelling Hemlock to evacuate and order an bombardment of the site to eradicate the plants.

Shortly after the Setron incident, Hemlock relocated his operations to Tantiss Base on the planet Wayland. Following the Empire's attack on Kamino, Chief Medical Scientist Doctor Nala Se was transferred to the facility, where she was forced to contribute to Project Necromancer under Hemlock's direction.

As part of the project's scope, certain elite bounty hunters were assigned to capture individuals exhibiting elevated M-counts. These individuals were then delivered to Tantiss Base for Hemlock's research. He also managed a secret program aimed at conditioning select clones into assassins for carrying out assassinations and other covert operations.

Not long after Nala Se's arrival at Tantiss, Hemlock visited the Kaminoan scientist, who was confined to a cell due to her refusal to participate in any of the Empire's cloning initiatives following the destruction of her civilization. While Hemlock acknowledged Se's expertise in cloning and expressed regret over the events on Kamino, he criticized her reluctance to utilize her skills for the betterment of the galaxy and to serve the higher purpose of Galactic Emperor Palpatine. Se remained steadfast in her refusal, aware of the objectives behind his experiments. Hemlock issued a threat to the Kaminoan before departing, leaving her to contemplate her decision. Subsequently, Karr approached Hemlock, informing him of the loss of communication with transport 904, a science vessel scheduled to arrive at Tantiss with resources for the cloning program. Hemlock instructed the recovery teams to initiate a search. He inquired about any other Kaminoans who might have been taken off-world before the destruction of Tipoca City, to which Karr confirmed that Prime Minister Lama Su remained in custody on Coruscant. Hemlock ordered Su's transfer to Tantiss.

Later, Karr informed Hemlock that transport 904's asset, a cloned Zillo Beast, had been successfully recovered and secured within Mount Tantiss. As Hemlock proceeded towards the base's docking bay with Clone Commander Scorch to receive Su, he was informed by the clone commando that all witnesses to the Zillo Beast had been detained and would be dealt with accordingly. However, Scorch also noted the presence of a rogue military vessel during the operation. Hemlock tasked Scorch with locating the vessel as Su arrived. Hemlock informed Su that he was facing challenges in securing Se's cooperation, offering Su his freedom in exchange for guidance on how to persuade Se to cooperate. Su revealed the existence of the young female clone Omega, who held significance for Se. Intrigued, Hemlock invited Su into the facility, indicating that they had much to discuss.

Following an incident on Barton IV, which resulted in the death of Lieutenant Nolan, the clone commando CT-9904 "Crosshair" was brought to Tantiss Base. Upon entering the operating chamber, Hemlock remarked on Crosshair's rapid recovery despite his critical condition upon arrival. Hemlock informed Crosshair that he was not being sent for punishment, as he viewed the killing of Lieutenant Nolan as a display of initiative, but rather to offer him a second chance in exchange for locating Clone Force 99, Crosshair's former unit and current associates of Omega. Crosshair surmised that Hemlock desired Omega, prompting Hemlock to commend the clone's intelligence. Crosshair asserted that the squad would never relinquish her, but Hemlock dismissed his concerns, stating that Omega was a clone and therefore Imperial property. Crosshair claimed ignorance of the rogue clones' whereabouts, but Hemlock countered that, as their former comrade, Crosshair possessed knowledge of their operational methods and thought processes. When the clone refused to cooperate further, Hemlock summoned an IT-O interrogation droid to torture the clone until he yielded. As the interrogation droid commenced its torture of Crosshair, Hemlock was notified by Doctor Scalder that one of their transport ships departing from Balmorra had been attacked, and the prisoners aboard had escaped. Hemlock instructed Karr to inform him when Crosshair was ready to talk and then left the room.

Crosshair soon attempted an escape, but was thwarted by a toxic gas upon entering Terminal 3. Hemlock then entered the terminal, inhaling the toxin deeply without any adverse effects before informing Crosshair that the toxin was his own unique formula, to which he had developed an immunity. Following the failed escape attempt, Crosshair was returned to the operating chamber.

Hemlock later informed Governor Wilhuff Tarkin via hologram that the attack on the transport above Balmorra was regrettable but ultimately insignificant, although Tarkin remained concerned about the potential compromise of Tantiss Base's location due to stolen data. Hemlock assured Tarkin that various protocols were in place to prevent such a breach, stating that the Advanced Science Division was more focused on the circumstances surrounding the transport's targeting. Tarkin suspected that the leak originated from rogue clones still within the Imperial Army, noting a growing number who had begun to question their orders. This prompted Hemlock to reiterate his opinion that problematic clones should be sent to him for alternative deal with them. Intrigued, Tarkin informed Hemlock that he expected a comprehensive briefing on his thoughts at the upcoming summit before concluding the transmission.

Hemlock subsequently returned to the operating chamber where Crosshair was held, but the clone remained silent. He attempted to entice Crosshair with the prospect of freedom in exchange for assistance in locating the rogue clones, but to no avail. Annoyed, Hemlock instructed Karr to increase the injection level of the interrogator droid, smirking as the droid resumed its work.

Hemlock would soon attend the summit at Governor Tarkin's compound on Eriadu. Upon his shuttle's arrival at the docking lane, Hemlock disembarked and was escorted by two Imperial shock troopers to the command center. Upon entering, Hemlock found Tarkin and several other officers already awaiting his arrival. Tarkin remarked on Hemlock's lateness, to which he responded that pressing matters had required his attention.

As the summit commenced, General Hurst Romodi advocated for a phased, widespread deployment to ensure a secure military presence across all sectors. Tarkin disagreed with Romodi, elaborating on his reasoning before inquiring about the progress of the Advanced Science Division's cloning research. Hemlock affirmed the research's critical importance to the Emperor and expressed eagerness to build upon Kaminoan research. Tarkin questioned the timeline for these advancements, noting the substantial funding requests. Hemlock responded that science could not be rushed before adding that he had found a new purpose for the decommissioned clone troopers, whom he described as test subjects to aid in his research as a solution that solves a number of problems.

When Romodi inquired whether the clones had consented to his experimentation, Hemlock asserted that the clones were Imperial property and their consent was not required. Romodi cautioned that many members of the Imperial Senate were advocating for clone rights, and the exposure of Hemlock's secret operation could jeopardize other clandestine Imperial endeavors. Hemlock dismissed Romodi's concerns, stating that the location and details of his operation were highly classified and beyond the scrutiny of the Senate and the general public. Admiral Barton Coburn then voiced his concerns, noting that the clones were cunning warriors who were loyal to the end, adding that he had personally fought alongside them for many years. He questioned the willingness of his peers to cast the clones aside, asking what would happen to any clone who discovered the truth of what was happening and took up arms against the Empire. Tarkin added that the clones were very unpredictable at times and had even adopted a concerning level of individuality due to being under the leadership of the Jedi Order. Hemlock told the Admiral that some clones already had begun to revolt, and Tarkin backed him up, stating that any clone uprisings would be answered with swift and unilateral action. As the group moved on, Hemlock listened to Commander Orson Callan Krennic of the Imperial Weapons Division begin to report the status of Project Stardust.

Unbeknownst to Hemlock and the others, Clone Force 99, along with rebel leader Saw Gerrera and members of his Partisans, had infiltrated the fortress. Gerrera and the Partisans planted several detonators on the lower levels of the fortress in an attempt to destroy it and kill Hemlock and the officers. Meanwhile, Clone Force 99 was attempting to discover the location of Tantiss Base by planting a homing beacon on Hemlock's shuttle. The facility was placed under lockdown, sealing off the command room from the rest of the compound for the protection of Hemlock and the others. Shortly afterward, Gerrera and the Partisans escaped in a Nu-class shuttle, detonating the hanger bay and destroying all the other shuttles as they left, including Hemlock's. Clone Force 99 were also able to escape, although one of their members, Tech, sacrificed himself to allow his squad to make it out.

The Bad Batch returned to their old base of operations, namely Cid's Parlor on the planet Ord Mantell. While the medical droid AZI-3 tended to their wounds, Cid betrayed them to the Empire. Hemlock and several Venator-class Star Destroyers arrived shortly after Cid informed Wrecker of her betrayal. While Omega and AZI fled, Wrecker was quickly taken prisoner by Hemlock and his clone commandos. Hunter confronted Hemlock, who told him he was outnumbered. He thanked Cid for her assistance, giving her the payment before ordering her to leave. Omega and AZI silently watched from above as Hunter was surrounded. Hemlock offered to spare Omega's life if Hunter and Wrecker both surrendered to him. He then tossed Hunter Tech's damaged goggles as a "gift." After threatening to kill Wrecker if Hunter did not stand down, Hunter relented, placing down his DC-17 blaster pistol and allowing the clone commandos to place stuncuffs on him. A clone commando reported to Hemlock that the girl was not in the parlor's office, to which Hunter replied that she was long gone.

As Omega and AZI fled Cid's Parlor, Hemlock led his troops and prisoners though the streets of Ord Mantell. As Omega fired her Zygerrian energy bow at the convoy, Hemlock instructed his clone commandos to lower their weapons while he addressed Omega. Omega demanded he release Hunter and Wrecker, but Hemlock offered a trade. If she surrendered, he would spare her friends. He claimed Nala Se needed Omega's help. Hunter said that the Kaminoans were all dead, but Hemlock assured him that Nala Se was alive and well cared for, as Omega would be. Omega rejected Hemlock's offer, but, even as Hunter tried to warn her, Scorch snuck up from behind and stunned her. Hemlock then ordered his troops to search the city for Echo and bring all three of them back to Eriadu, so Tarkin could interrogate all of them personally.

While AZI and Echo hijacked an All Terrain Armored Cannon, Hunter and Wrecker freed themselves, using the diversion to escape from their captives. Simultaneously, Scorch carried an unconscious Omega as he and several clone commandos followed Hemlock to his shuttle and departed Ord Mantell. The Bad Batch attempted to thwart Hemlock's departure, but his remaining forces prevented them from rescuing Omega.

Upon Hemlock's shuttle's arrival at Mount Tantiss, they were greeted by a contingent of clone commandos escorting Scalder and Nala Se. Hemlock told Scalder and the commandos to escort Omega to Emerie to care for her injuries. Meanwhile, Hemlock spoke with Nala Se, reminding her Lama Su spoke highly of her attachment to Omega. He told her to start working on Project Necromancer and make it possible when she said what Emperor Palpatine sought was impossible as Omega would suffer if she did not.

The Bad Batch would eventually arrive on Tantiss Base due to the assistance of former Vice Admiral Edmon Rampart, the man who brought Se and the captured technology from Kamino to Tantiss Base at the order of Governor Tarkin, who told and brought them to Imperial Station 003 over Coruscant. When Scorch informed him of the intrusion, Hemlock immediately had starfighters scrambled to patrol the airspace. The patrols eventually ran into the stolen shuttle and managed to shoot it down. Hemlock then had foot patrols scour the surrounding area, knowing that the rogue clones were likely alive. The patrols were not able to capture the clones, but they did find Rampart, who was thrown into a cell.

After assigning a TK stormtrooper squad to guard the vault, Hemlock decided to speak with Rampart, who was insistent that the folly of letting rogue clones discover the location of Tantiss Base would anger Emperor Palpatine. Hemlock mocked him for failing to understand how clones think even after all the time he spent on Kamino; he had long anticipated that the Bad Batch would eventually find Tantiss to recover Omega and was certain they would fail. A confused Rampart asked why Hemlock was so determined to keep the young clone, so Hemlock hinted that Project Necromancer made him indispensable to the Empire unlike the former leader of Project War-Mantle.

After leaving Rampart, Hemlock went down into the vault, only to discover that Omega and the other children incapacitated Doctor Scalder and escaped through a weak point in the walls. Hemlock would later tell this to Karr when she entered the vault with a disguised Echo. As he vowed to punish Scalder for letting children get the better of her, suddenly the room violently shook. Scorch then reported that the Zillo Beast had broken containment. As Hemlock left to contain the situation, he ordered Karr to recover Omega at all costs, unaware that she was planning to turn on the Empire. Soon enough, Hemlock's forces were unable to stop the Zillo Beast Omega had freed as it wreaked havoc and broke out of the facility, and Hemlock ordered patrols to track the Beast down. The doctor later activated four more clone assassins to help CX-2 capture the rogue clones.

Hemlock had the clones being held in captivity, personally watching Hunter being electrocuted. He ordered the voltage stopped, and Hemlock told him that during their last encounter, he lost a squad member. As such, he told him that he would lose another member, but Hunter defiantly told him that he was the one who was going to die before Hemlock had the voltage resume. Governor Tarkin contacted Hemlock in regards of the Zillo Beast getting out of control and that Tantiss Base was under threat which resulted in him deciding to visit the secret facility with his fleet to give his assistance due to Emperor Palpatine being most concerned, despite Hemlock's protest that he had the situation under control. Echo and the other freed clones soon began fighting Hemlock's stormtroopers, while Omega worked to free her brothers. Hemlock was able to catch her, claiming that the clones' loyalty to each other was their weakness, but Omega had freed Wrecker in time, who then helped Hunter and Crosshair out before entering the fight with other clone assassins.

Along with Scorch, Hemlock flagged a CX Dagger vessel to try escaping the facility, but it was shot down by Crosshair before the two clones killed Scorch. With few options, Hemlock threatened to kill Omega as he positioned himself on the edge of the railing, knowing that she would fall alongside him if he was shot. With his attention focused on the clones, Omega managed to stab him, allowing Crosshair to shoot the shackle binding them together. The two clones then fatally shot Hemlock multiple times who fell off the railing. Tarkin's fleet arrived after the clones escaped and he found various wings of Tantiss Base heavily damaged from the Zillo Beast's escape, Hemlock and several troopers of the Advanced Science Division dead, and the databanks destroyed by Se so she could save Omega. Governor Tarkin felt Hemlock's failures had costed the Empire enough and posthumously punished him by ordereing Captain Bragg to shutter the secret facility indefinitely and redistribute all funding and remaining assets to Project Stardust.

Despite Hemlock's death causing Governor Tarkin to posthumously punish him by ordering Project Necromancer to be discontinued with the Imperial cloning program in favor of Project Stardust, it back into prevalence during the New Republic Era. An Imperial remnant in the Unknown Regions continued the work on Project Necromancer with its leader Commandant Brendol Hux assuming leadership in Doctor Hemlock's place. During a meeting of the Shadow Council, Brendol brought up Project Necromancer and explained how its cloning capabilities would introduce new leadership into the Imperial Remnants after the Chiss warlord Grand Admiral Thrawn returned since it would give him time to deliver on completing Hemlock's lost research.

Despite presenting a composed and seemingly polite demeanor, Hemlock was, in reality, a deeply disturbed individual. He possessed an ambitious and highly focused mindset, eager to dedicate himself to the Imperial cloning program. He readily employed intimidation and the threat of torture to coerce those who opposed the Empire into compliance. Hemlock maintained a measured tone and often remained composed. He directly oversaw Imperial projects that involved experimenting on clones and developing bio-weapons. He regarded the decommissioned clones he held captive as mere test subjects, subjecting them to numerous painful experiments that often proved fatal. While this view was not universally shared among his peers, including several high-ranking individuals within the early Imperial leadership, Hemlock disregarded the individuality of clones, viewing them solely as Imperial property. Consequently, he reveled in any opportunity to torment those who had defied the Empire, both mentally and physically. Despite this, Hemlock's assistant, Doctor Karr, credited Hemlock for having taken her under his wing due to the potential she believed him to have seen in her. Hemlock, in return, considered Karr highly capable.

Hemlock aspired to the position of scientific minister, seeking to gain the Emperor's favor by dedicating himself to Project Necromancer. His methods were so extreme that Emperor Palpatine believed that many of his fellow Imperials would consider his experiments to be abominations if they were exposed. Hemlock admired the ruthlessness of others, as he expressed to Crosshair in regards to the commando's insubordination and execution of his own commanding officer. Hemlock had no qualms with kidnapping children from across the galaxy to fuel his research.

Royce Hemlock was a human male characterized by dark brown hair neatly slicked back, blue eyes, and light skin. Hemlock exhibited a tendency to hold and tend to his left hand, which was concealed by a glove.

Royce Hemlock made his debut in the second season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode "Metamorphosis," with Jimmi Simpson providing his voice. However, his appearance was initially hinted at in a post by Sean Kiner as part of a series of cryptic tweets that alluded to upcoming Bad Batch episodes. Although the post was intended as a pun on Hemlock's name, the image used depicted the incorrect plant.