Rufaan Tigellinus

Biography

Grand Admiral

Rufaan Tigellinus, a Human male, was a well-known figure in the media, a charismatic member of the Imperial Court, and a highly regarded strategist who served as a fleet admiral in the Imperial Navy for a considerable duration. During New Year Fete Week in 2 BBY, Emperor Palpatine established the rank of Grand Admiral, appointing Admiral Tigellinus and eleven others to his esteemed "Circle of Twelve." Tigellinus' reputation was such that his appointment faced minimal opposition within the Galactic Empire. The newly appointed Grand Admiral leveraged his authority to enhance his standing within the Imperial Court, cultivating a substantial following.

In the years preceding the Battle of Yavin, Tigellinus commanded the Star Destroyer Avatar. During this period, he endeavored to capture the Poss'Nomin pirate Reginald Barkbone, who had been raiding numerous star systems spanning from the Outer Rim Territories to the Colonies. Tigellinus and the Avatar pursued Barkbone across multiple sectors, but the pirate's Star Galleon, Robber Baron, consistently evaded capture. In his ship's log, Grand Admiral Tigellinus pledged to eliminate Barkbone, a record that was later submitted to Grand Vizier Sate Pestage as part of an Imperial Security Bureau report compiled by Commander Maximillian Seerdon. Around the same time, an alien named Thrawn joined the Imperial Navy, achieving the rank of captain. Tigellinus, a staunch proponent of Humanocentrism, held Thrawn in contempt and sought ways to remove him.

Several months following the disastrous Battle of Yavin, Admiral Tigellinus began to exert considerable influence in Imperial Court politics on Coruscant. He formed an alliance with Lord Alec Pradeux, an Imperial Advisor believed to be close to Emperor Palpatine, and rapidly established a significant faction. In late 1 ABY, Tigellinus attempted to garner support for his protégé, Gerald Weizel, in his bid to become the governor of the planet Chandrila. On 36:9:4, the media reported that Weizel had secured the backing of Moff Jamson Caglio, a pivotal development in Tigellinus' ascent, as Caglio had been a staunch supporter of Tigellinus' rival faction led by Traeda, and gaining his support was viewed as a major stride toward the center of power. Concurrently, Admiral Tigellinus sought to recruit Moff Vilim Disra, a figure with strong ties to Grand Moff Traeda but who had recently fallen out of favor with the Emperor, into his faction. The media closely monitored the situation, and journalist Alendar Jarvis of the New Order Progressive published a report on Tigellinus' progress.

Admiral Tigellinus, along with Grand Moff Traeda and Moff Jaan, presided over the New Year Fete Week festivities in the Emperor's absence, as the sovereign was engaged in Imperial affairs in the Deep Core. Shortly thereafter, Thrawn, now an admiral, entered Imperial politics. Tigellinus maintained a deep-seated animosity toward non-Humans and resented Thrawn's encroachment on his territory. He befriended the alien admiral, intending to betray him later.

Approximately six months later, Tigellinus was inducted into the Order of the Canted Circle, an exclusive, ancient, and highly selective social organization. The Order rarely admitted more than eleven members at a time, but Tigellinus was the thirteenth member added since 5 BBY, making his invitation a surprise to the media. It underscored Tigellinus' rising prominence that he was chosen over numerous prospective members, each a respected leader in the Imperial government, many of whom had been awaiting an invitation for several years. Tigellinus donned the traditional black velvet robe of the Order during his public induction ceremony at the Skydome Botanical Gardens. Later that evening, a private ceremony was held at an undisclosed location, and Tigellinus became a fully-fledged member of what was regarded as one of the most prestigious social clubs in the galaxy.

Tigellinus' joining the Order was somewhat overshadowed by the induction of Thrawn, who had returned to Coruscant after an extended trip to the Outer Rim, several months later. Rumors circulated that the Emperor had personally requested that the Chiss admiral be invited, but his invitation was still considered remarkable, as he was the fourteenth member and a non-Human. Tigellinus was incensed and attempted to use his influence to prevent Thrawn's joining, but to no avail. Although he did his best to conceal his actions to maintain his facade with Thrawn, the media presumed that Tigellinus was leading the opposition.

Grand Moff

Around the same time, Grand Admiral Tigellinus' pursuit of greater power received a significant boost when the Supreme Commander, Darth Vader - one of his primary rivals on Coruscant - departed the capital to lead Death Squadron in the Outer Rim, a deployment that the media anticipated would last for a considerable period. Tigellinus met with Vader just days later as part of his duties, during the unveiling of the latter's flagship, the Star Dreadnought Executor, the first of its kind, near Kuat. Tigellinus, Vader, Thrawn, and several others flanked Palpatine during the unveiling ceremony.

Tigellinus and Thrawn were among several high profile individuals absent from the Shaldania Parade at the start of Coruscant's New Year Fete Week on 38:F1:1. While their absence was officially attributed to assignments elsewhere in the Empire, Galaxy News Service reported that both admirals' factions in the Imperial Court were vying for more powerful positions. Tigellinus soon implemented his plan to ensure that Thrawn fell out of favor in Palpatine's Court. He betrayed the alien admiral, who ultimately became unwelcome not only on Coruscant, but throughout the entire Empire. Thrawn was exiled to the Unknown Regions, and Tigellinus was believed to have achieved a major victory. In reality, the Chiss commander's fall from grace was orchestrated by the Emperor for his own secret purposes. Tigellinus also developed a dislike for the brutal tendencies of Delak Krennel, the violent–but–effective captain of the Star Destroyer Reckoning, and in an effort to both rid himself of Krennel and to antagonize Thrawn, Tigellinus had Krennel exiled to the Unknown Regions to serve under the Chiss.

Shortly thereafter, Tigellinus determined that he was better suited to governing regions than protecting them, and he leveraged his considerable political influence to secure an appointment as Grand Moff. He had many allies, but he also clashed with several of his fellow Grand Moffs, including Bertroff Hissa, a near-Human Moff. Tigellinus had a somewhat adversarial relationship with Vilim Disra, whom he had once courted, but Disra's assistance to the Grand Admiral-turned-Grand Moff was invaluable. With Disra's support, Tigellinus gained control of the Imperial Center Oversector, considered one of the most strategically important sectors in the galaxy.

In 3 ABY, on 38:5:11, the Emperor tasked Tigellinus with leading an investigation into the affairs of Jerrod Maclain, the governor of Brentaal, who had been accused of corruption and "behavior unsuitable for an Imperial diplomat." Tigellinus' appointment greatly surprised Imperial Court observers, who considered him too important and influential to be assigned to such basic investigative duties. However, Alec Pradeux, his longtime ally, informed the media that Palpatine's choice of such a prominent figure merely underscored the gravity of the situation. Tigellinus addressed the media regarding the impending investigation, expressing his suspicion that those who had betrayed Maclain were involved in a plot to usurp his power. He also assured the media that Maclain was a loyal servant of the Empire and that Tigellinus would conduct as thorough an inquiry as possible.

After Palpatine and his top lieutenant, Vader, perished at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, the Empire descended into chaos, and many sought to claim the Emperor's former power. Tigellinus continued to defend his territories while awaiting the emergence of Palpatine's successor. Eventually, Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard emerged as the new leader of the Empire, although numerous others coveted power and opposed her. A group of Moffs, led by Grand Moffs Bertroff Hissa, Dunhausen, Thistleborn and Muzzer, formed the Central Committee of Grand Moffs, which openly opposed Isard and claimed the throne for their ally, Trioculus. Given his prior power and influence, Tigellinus was seen by many as a natural leader of the Committee. However, Hissa, Tigellinus' enemy from his early days as a Grand Moff, presented him with a degrading offer: he could become a member of the Committee, but nothing more. Hissa orchestrated events such that, should Tigellinus refuse, he would be executed. Acting on the advice of his trusted colleague Disra, Tigellinus declined the offer, and Hissa and his allies killed him. Disra's machinations allowed him to seize Tigellinus' assets and take his place on the Committee.

Personality and traits

Rufaan Tigellinus was a highly ambitious and driven individual, known for his charisma, political acumen, and tactical abilities. His ambition propelled him to the highest echelons of Imperial politics, making him one of the Emperor's most trusted subordinates. However, others, such as Darth Vader, held the Grand Admirals in low regard. Tigellinus was adept at forging alliances that would advance his rise to power, a skill he demonstrated repeatedly throughout his career. Alec Pradeux and Vilim Disra, both political powerhouses, were two friends who significantly aided Tigellinus in establishing himself in the Imperial Court. He employed unscrupulous methods to achieve his goals, such as befriending Thrawn with the intent of betraying him, solely because the admiral was not Human. Despite this, Tigellinus was easily manipulated by Disra, whose treachery led to Tigellinus' downfall. He was also remarkably persistent, relentlessly pursuing the pirate Reginald Barkbone through numerous systems and vowing to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the events surrounding Governor Maclain.

Tigellinus was a staunch proponent of Humanocentrism and harbored a deep disdain for non-Humans and near-Humans. Upon learning of Thrawn, then a captain in the Imperial Navy, he vowed to deal with the Chiss and ensure that his Imperial career was short-lived. He later betrayed Thrawn, and his animosity toward the alien was not a closely guarded secret. Tigellinus also clashed with a near-Human, Bertroff Hissa, on numerous occasions while serving as a Grand Moff. The open contempt Tigellinus displayed toward Hissa was not forgotten by the Sephi Grand Moff, who later orchestrated Tigellinus' demise.

Behind the scenes

Rufaan Tigellinus was created by Paul Sudlow for Galaxywide NewsNets, a recurring series of articles featured in the Star Wars Adventure Journal. He first appeared in issue eight, published in November 1995, and made frequent appearances until issue fourteen, some of which were written by Peter M. Schweighofer. Tigellinus was the third named Grand Admiral, a rank that first appeared in Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy. The other two were Thrawn, who first appeared in Heir to the Empire, and Josef Grunger from The Glove of Darth Vader.

Tigellinus went unreferenced for many years. He was not mentioned in Daniel Wallace and Kevin J. Anderson's The Essential Chronology, released in 2000, which detailed the ultimate fates of many of the Grand Admirals. Wallace referenced the character in 2002's The New Essential Guide to Characters. Later, he and Abel G. Peña expanded Tigellinus' history and backstory in the character's bio in Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals, published in Star Wars Insider 66. Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals was originally intended to appear under the title Dirty Dozen: The Imperial Grand Admirals in an edition of Star Wars Gamer Magazine, but the magazine was canceled and the article was moved to Star Wars Insider, resulting in the removal of much of the original content. Some of this cut content, such as Tigellinus' Star Destroyer, Avatar, has since been referenced by other sources and deemed canon. The remaining content is summarized in the next section. In addition to the cut content regarding his life, the original draft also included roleplaying game statistics, including Tigellinus' equipment: a blaster pistol, a comlink, his code cylinder, a pendant of the Order of the Canted Circle, and an Imperial-class Star Destroyer named Avatar. Daniel Wallace later posted the equipment list for each of the Grand Admirals on his StarWars.com blog. Tigellinus has since been mentioned in The New Essential Chronology, Underworld Appendix: Swoops, Spice, and Wretched Rogues and Barely Tolerable: Alien Henchmen of the Empire.

In Galaxywide NewsNets from Star Wars Adventure Journal 14, Tigellinus is inexplicably referred to as a "Grand Moff," despite all previous NewsNets articles giving him the title of "Grand Admiral"—a demotion. Peña and Wallace established that Tigellinus decided to become a Grand Moff around the time of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. However, there has been some confusion among fans as to whether Tigellinus retained his rank or if a new Grand Admiral was appointed, as Palpatine wished for there to be twelve Grand Admirals at any one time. Peña stated on the StarWars.com message boards that, in his view, it was possible for Tigellinus to hold both positions, at least informally, because of his political influence. In 2008, Tigellinus received an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia by Stephen J. Sansweet, Pablo Hidalgo, Daniel Wallace and others.

Cut content

Tigellinus rapidly ascended in Imperial Court politics, amassing a large following. He quickly drew people into his sphere of influence, and those who opposed him soon found their careers ruined. Disra, Tigellinus' mentor, advised him to "know your enemies as intimately as friends." Thus, when Thrawn, whom Tigellinus considered an alien freak, became involved in Imperial politics, Tigellinus did just that. He helped Thrawn gain admission to the Order of the Canted Circle, where he consistently undermined the alien's influence and turned the Order against him. Thrawn possessed considerable intellect, which few could match. Tigellinus managed to do that and more, orchestrating—or so he believed—Thrawn's banishment. Tigellinus gave Thrawn credit, claiming he played the game well, but was very confident in his own intellect.

Tigellinus held his fellow Grand Admirals in low regard. He saw some as utterly incompetent, others as talented military strategists lacking tact or guile off the bridge, and he was quick to identify the character flaws of many of his peers. Tigellinus relished a challenge, and after Thrawn's exile, he saw none in the ranks of the Grand Admirals. However, when he looked at the Grand Moffs, he saw many worthy adversaries—Ardus Kaine, Kentor Sarne and Nivers—so he became a Grand Moff himself.