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| Who’s Who The Physician to the Galactic Emperor |
The Physician to the Galactic Emperor was head of the Galactic Emperor’s medical household at the time of the final phases of Operation
Shadow Hand in 45 rS; he has only appeared in Empire’s End and Crimson Empire, and was never given a name. In Crimson Empire, the
treacherous Sovereign Protector Carnor Jax described the conspiracy he led against the Galactic Emperor, saying that funds obtained at Jax’s
behest from “those whose appetites for power were left unfulfilled while the Emperor was alive” were used to “persuade the Emperor’s
trusted private physician to secretly sabotage Palpatine’s clones,” introducing a genetic instability that would “trigger a premature aging cycle
and a quick death” (in the words of the New Republic Historical Council’s The Essential Chronology and The New Essential Chronology; note
that both documents misidentify the Physician as “the Byss clonemaster”); it is very likely that this sabotage took place during the brief
interregnum that followed the Galactic Emperor’s death at Da Soocha V in Dark Empire.
The Physician’s first chronological appearance was in Empire’s End, in which he was present for the unconditional surrender of the Gama-Senn
people to the Galactic Emperor after a demonstration of the Galaxy Gun’s firepower; he cautioned the Galactic Emperor to control his
emotions, as his clone body was “aging far too fast.” Examination of the Galactic Emperor’s cellular structure revealed — mirabile dictu — that
it was “in accelerated decay,” and that “calmness can lengthen the lifespan of the clone... anger will only hasten the clone’s destruction.”
Presumably he led the “scientists and physicians” mentioned by the Historical Council as having sought some sort of cure for the degenerative
condition, but seeing that he had been directly responsible for it, it comes as no surprise that no cure was found; because “Jax’s manipulations
had tainted even the genetic source material,” no new clones could be decanted to provide an escape for the superannuating Galactic Emperor.
It was he who suggested that the introduction of “genetic material from a Jedi bloodline” might overcome the necrosis and allow the creation of
new clones; the Galactic Emperor then promptly ordered his second-in-command, Military Executor Xecr Nist, to kidnap the leaders of the
Ysanna tribe on Ossus, who were descended from Jedi Knights from several thousand years ago. The Ysanna shamans were taken to Bast
Castle on Vjun, where a new clone laboratory was scheduled for construction, but the Galactic Emperor soon forgot about this plan, rejecting it
in favor of simply reincarnating in the body of Anakin Solo — Darth Vader’s grandson — on the advice of the long-dead Dark Lords of the Sith
entombed in the necropolis of Korriban, as seen in Empire’s End. The Physician accompanied his master to Onderon, where he attempted to
accomplish this but instead perished for the final time.
Carnor Jax mentioned in Crimson Empire that the conspirators had anticipated the Physician’s death at Onderon, hoping that Master Jedi Luke
Skywalker would have killed him while preventing the Galactic Emperor’s reincarnation. Instead, the Physician and the dark side adept T’iaz
were captured, and the Physician broke down and confessed his part in the conspiracy, only to be overheard by one of the Imperial and Royal
Guardsmen who had also accompanied their master to Onderon.
Some people occasionally suggest that the Physician may be the same person as Sigit Ranth, an Imperial scientist said by Nightsaber: Rebel
Jedi Part II to have “helped create defective clones of the Emperor (thus sealing the Emperor’s second and final fate),” who traveled to
Dathomir in 47 rS “to research some sort of ancient superweapon called the ‘Infinity Gate,’” but “departed when the research team discovered
that there was nothing left of the Infinite Gate’s control center.” At no point was Ranth described as having been a physician (or indeed, any
kind of medical professional), nor was the Physician to the Galactic Emperor ever indicated to have any sort of technical expertise outside the
medical field (to say nothing of the fact that the Physician was last seen in New Republic custody in Crimson Empire). It is highly unlikely
that Ranth and the Physician are the same person; Ranth was probably one of the other members of Jax’s conspiracy, and may have helped
introduce the genetic instability.
The Physician is briefly referred to as “Dr. Yueh” in the non-canonical Invention section’s The Test of Wills. This name is completely
unattested, and has no evidential status of any kind whatever.
Reference:
Shadow Hand in 45 rS; he has only appeared in Empire’s End and Crimson Empire, and was never given a name. In Crimson Empire, the
treacherous Sovereign Protector Carnor Jax described the conspiracy he led against the Galactic Emperor, saying that funds obtained at Jax’s
behest from “those whose appetites for power were left unfulfilled while the Emperor was alive” were used to “persuade the Emperor’s
trusted private physician to secretly sabotage Palpatine’s clones,” introducing a genetic instability that would “trigger a premature aging cycle
and a quick death” (in the words of the New Republic Historical Council’s The Essential Chronology and The New Essential Chronology; note
that both documents misidentify the Physician as “the Byss clonemaster”); it is very likely that this sabotage took place during the brief
interregnum that followed the Galactic Emperor’s death at Da Soocha V in Dark Empire.
The Physician’s first chronological appearance was in Empire’s End, in which he was present for the unconditional surrender of the Gama-Senn
people to the Galactic Emperor after a demonstration of the Galaxy Gun’s firepower; he cautioned the Galactic Emperor to control his
emotions, as his clone body was “aging far too fast.” Examination of the Galactic Emperor’s cellular structure revealed — mirabile dictu — that
it was “in accelerated decay,” and that “calmness can lengthen the lifespan of the clone... anger will only hasten the clone’s destruction.”
Presumably he led the “scientists and physicians” mentioned by the Historical Council as having sought some sort of cure for the degenerative
condition, but seeing that he had been directly responsible for it, it comes as no surprise that no cure was found; because “Jax’s manipulations
had tainted even the genetic source material,” no new clones could be decanted to provide an escape for the superannuating Galactic Emperor.
It was he who suggested that the introduction of “genetic material from a Jedi bloodline” might overcome the necrosis and allow the creation of
new clones; the Galactic Emperor then promptly ordered his second-in-command, Military Executor Xecr Nist, to kidnap the leaders of the
Ysanna tribe on Ossus, who were descended from Jedi Knights from several thousand years ago. The Ysanna shamans were taken to Bast
Castle on Vjun, where a new clone laboratory was scheduled for construction, but the Galactic Emperor soon forgot about this plan, rejecting it
in favor of simply reincarnating in the body of Anakin Solo — Darth Vader’s grandson — on the advice of the long-dead Dark Lords of the Sith
entombed in the necropolis of Korriban, as seen in Empire’s End. The Physician accompanied his master to Onderon, where he attempted to
accomplish this but instead perished for the final time.
Carnor Jax mentioned in Crimson Empire that the conspirators had anticipated the Physician’s death at Onderon, hoping that Master Jedi Luke
Skywalker would have killed him while preventing the Galactic Emperor’s reincarnation. Instead, the Physician and the dark side adept T’iaz
were captured, and the Physician broke down and confessed his part in the conspiracy, only to be overheard by one of the Imperial and Royal
Guardsmen who had also accompanied their master to Onderon.
Some people occasionally suggest that the Physician may be the same person as Sigit Ranth, an Imperial scientist said by Nightsaber: Rebel
Jedi Part II to have “helped create defective clones of the Emperor (thus sealing the Emperor’s second and final fate),” who traveled to
Dathomir in 47 rS “to research some sort of ancient superweapon called the ‘Infinity Gate,’” but “departed when the research team discovered
that there was nothing left of the Infinite Gate’s control center.” At no point was Ranth described as having been a physician (or indeed, any
kind of medical professional), nor was the Physician to the Galactic Emperor ever indicated to have any sort of technical expertise outside the
medical field (to say nothing of the fact that the Physician was last seen in New Republic custody in Crimson Empire). It is highly unlikely
that Ranth and the Physician are the same person; Ranth was probably one of the other members of Jax’s conspiracy, and may have helped
introduce the genetic instability.
The Physician is briefly referred to as “Dr. Yueh” in the non-canonical Invention section’s The Test of Wills. This name is completely
unattested, and has no evidential status of any kind whatever.
Reference:
- Anderson, Kevin J. and Daniel E. Wallace. The Essential Chronology. Del Rey Books, 2000.
- Richardson, Mike and Randy Stradley. Crimson Empire. Dark Horse Comics, Inc., 1998.
- Veitch, Tom. Dark Empire. Dark Horse Comics, Inc., 1991 - 1992.
- Veitch, Tom. Empire’s End. Dark Horse Comics, Inc., 1997.
- Wallace, Daniel E. with Kevin J. Anderson. The New Essential Chronology. Del Rey Books, 2005.
- Wiker, J. D. Nightsaber: Rebel Jedi Part II. Wizards of the Coast, Inc., 2003.
| This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement of any kind is intended. Star Wars and related materials are © Lucasfilm Ltd., which reserves all rights thereto. All original material is © Julius Sykes. Please do not use without permission. |
| This biography was originally added in May 2006. It was republished on 26 April 2007. |