Merillion Tarko Merillion Tarko was a Human male baron hailing from the Core World of Anaxes . Coming from a family that possessed ties to the Galactic Republic ' s government and military , he attended the Anaxes Citadel , from which he graduated with the highest honors . When the Clone Wars broke out between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems , Tarko was quickly assigned to a Republic flagship . By the conclusion of the war and the birth of the Galactic Empire , he had embarked on a fast rise to positions of power . With the assistance of Governor Wilhuff Tarkin , Tarko ascended to the rank of Moff and assumed control of Imperial operations on the planet Cato Neimoidia . He established his headquarters in the bridge city of Tarko - se , which he had renamed after himself . The Baron profited greatly from his ventures on the Neimoidian purse world , which included the operation of casinos and the management of a successful slave trade . Using his new - found wealth , Tarko constructed a for - sport - and - profit gladiatorial arena on Cato Neimoidia . The Rebel Alliance eventually learned of the Baron ' s slaving activities , and Jedi General Rahm Kota launched an unsanctioned assassination attempt on Tarko during a Rebel reconnaissance of Cato Neimoidia . Kota was captured during the mission and forced to compete for seven straight days in the gladiatorial stadium . Word of Kota ' s capture eventually reached Starkiller , a clone of the Sith Lord Darth Vader ' s former apprentice who had fought alongside Kota . Starkiller traveled to Cato Neimoidia to rescue the General , confronting Tarko in the process and defeating the majority of his forces spread throughout Tarko - se . As a last - ditch effort , Tarko released the massive Gorog to deal with both Jedi , but the plan backfired when the Gorog broke free from the arena and devoured the Baron . Biography . Rise to power . Born on the Core World of Anaxes , the Human male Merillion Tarko hailed from a lineage with ties to both the military and government of the Galactic Republic . A baron , Tarko attended the Anaxes Citadel , a massive government complex on Anaxes that housed , among other things , training schools . He graduated from the Citadel with top honors . The timing of his graduation coincided with the start of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY , which pitted the Republic against the breakaway Confederacy of Independent Systems . Tarko was assigned to one of the Republic ' s flagships immediately after the war ' s outbreak . The war ended three years later , in 19 BBY ; simultaneously , Supreme Chancellor Palpatine reorganized the Republic into the Galactic Empire . Tarko embarked on a meteoric rise to power in the wake of the Empire ' s formation . His ascension through the ranks concluded when he was granted the title of Moff , on the urging of fellow Moff Wilhuff Tarkin . Potentate of Cato Neimoidia . Following his promotion , the Baron took control of the Empire ' s outpost on the planet Cato Neimoidia . He oversaw the Neimoidian surrender of a sinkhole - spanning bridge city on the planet ; he later renamed it " Tarko - se " after himself and established his headquarters in the city . He began incorporating elements of Neimoidian dress into his Imperial officer ' s uniform and used a Neimoidian mechno - chair as a throne . Over time , he even came to speak Basic with a Neimoidian accent . In his position as overseer of the Imperial outpost on Cato Neimoidia , Tarko operated a successful slave trade . The Baron ' s business venture provided the Empire a source of manual labor to be utilized in the construction of facilities on worlds occupied by Imperial forces . Tarko gave the best of his stock to high - paying Imperial officers , selling the remainder to criminal elements , such as the Hutts . Tarko also opened casinos on - planet and used the wealth they generated to erect a gladiatorial arena that played host to combat matches for profit in addition to sport . At the stadium ' s dedication , the Baron spoke about Cato Neimoidia ' s " delicate transition " to a protectorate of the Empire , knowing that the population had many concerns with the Empire ' s handling of the situation . He made it clear that violence against Imperial forces was inexcusable , before announcing that several insurrectionists would be participating in the arena ' s opening matches . Tarko ' s activities eventually drew the attention of the fledgling Rebel Alliance , which gathered data on the Baron ' s activities and the strength of his headquarters ' s defenses — intelligence that ultimately proved to be inaccurate . In 1 BBY , the Alliance dispatched Captain Juno Eclipse and the crew of the Nebulon - B frigate " Salvation " to Cato Neimoidia to observe Tarko ' s defenses in action , a mission that coincided with an assassination attempt on the Baron led by Jedi General Rahm Kota and his commando squad . The Baron ' s forces proved to be too much to handle for the Rebels , who had not expected heavy resistance . After a brief engagement , the " Salvation " was compelled to retreat when Imperial reinforcements arrived , and Kota — the only survivor of his squad — was captured . Tarko , observing from a skybox , forced Kota to compete against various beings and creatures within the gladiatorial arena , but the Jedi continually managed to best his opponents for seven days straight . Starkiller ' s arrival . Word of Kota ' s capture eventually reached the cloning facilities of Kamino , where the Dark Lord Darth Vader was finalizing the training of his cloned apprentice , Starkiller . Starkiller , however , rebelled against Vader and fled Kamino in the Sith Lord ' s personal TIE fighter , journeying to Cato Neimoidia to rescue Kota . Upon the craft ' s arrival at Tarko - se , a Neimoidian aide to the Baron assumed that Vader was piloting the TIE fighter and informed the Baron that the Sith Lord had arrived . Tarko and a contingent of stormtroopers traveled to the landing platform , intending to greet Vader , only to find that the visitor was not the Dark Lord . Starkiller questioned Tarko on Kota ' s location , but the Baron revealed little information , instead asking the man to recite the sector ' s security clearance codes as he slowly gripped his blaster . When Starkiller failed to do so , Tarko and his men opened fire ; the Baron soon fled after Starkiller cut down many of the soldiers . As the apprentice tore through the Imperial forces scattered about the city , the Baron observed Starkiller ' s progress from safety , occasionally using a public address system to threaten and taunt the intruder . Tarko became impressed with Starkiller ' s skill ; he wondered how the apprentice would fare in the gladiatorial arena and even offered the man a life of luxury if he competed in the stadium . Having defeated everything that the Baron threw at him , Starkiller arrived at the stadium and relieved Kota of his arduous seven - day - long match . Enraged , Tarko ordered that the massive Gorog be released to deal with the two individuals ; a Neimoidian aide ' s protest about the creature ' s untested restraints fell on deaf ears . Starkiller managed to momentarily defeat the Gorog , destroying the arena ' s supports and sending both it and the creature into the sinkhole below as Kota confronted the Baron within his private skybox . The General slew Tarko ' s Neimoidian aides and , with help from Starkiller , defeated the Baron ' s stormtrooper guards . Before either could kill Tarko , the Gorog grabbed hold of the skybox to arrest his fall . The impact caught all three combatants off guard , throwing Tarko to the floor and dislodging his throne from its restraints . As the throne slid toward the skybox ' s shattered window , it caught the Baron , dragging him out of the chamber with it . Tarko tried to save himself from certain death , to no avail . Screaming in fear , the Moff became the Gorog ' s last meal as he fell into the beast ' s open mouth . Personality and traits . In his position as the potentate of Cato Neimoidia , Moff Tarko believed that he possessed an aura of authority . Over time , the Baron adopted Neimoidian culture as his own ; he began dressing like the world ' s inhabitants and even spoke Basic with a slight , yet noticeable , Neimoidian accent . Tarko , in return , left his own mark on Cato Neimoidia — he renamed a captured bridge city in his own honor . He valued the city ' s architecture more than he valued the lives of the stormtroopers defending it . Tarko profited greatly from his business ventures on Cato Neimoidia ; the operation of casinos and a slave trade gave the Baron a decent on - the - side line of credit that funded his massive gladiatorial arena . Tarko used the arena to eliminate dissenters to Imperial rule , allowing them to fight only with their preferred weapon of sedition — their words . The Moff was capable of defending himself when needed ; Tarko carried a blaster pistol for protection and occasionally fought alongside stormtroopers in combat , though the Baron would flee when the odds were against him . Upon Starkiller ' s arrival in Tarko - se , Tarko was initially impressed with the cloned apprentice ' s skills , although he became angered when Starkiller ignored his offers to end their hostilities and continued to cut through the city ' s defenses en route to the gladiatorial stadium . Tarko ' s rage reached a fatal apex when he ordered the Gorog to be released to deal with the intruder , ignoring a frightened Neimoidian aide ' s concerns that the arena might not be able to properly restrain the beast . Starkiller defeated the creature , but not before the Gorog made a last meal out of the Baron . Behind the scenes . Baron Merillion Tarko first appeared in the novelization of the 2010 video game , " " , before going on to appear in the game itself . He was voiced by Dee Bradley Baker , who also voiced the bounty hunter Boba Fett in the game . Prior to both the novel ' s and game ' s releases , Tarko was featured in a character profile on " The Force Unleashed II " official website . Initial designs for Tarko saw him as varying types of aliens or a former crime lord , but these concepts were dropped in favor of either an Imperial or a Neimoidian , given Cato Neimoidia ' s status as an Imperial - occupied planet . Game designers described the Baron as a villain with a strong dislike for the world ' s inhabitants , " but who is willing to do anything as long as he ' s paid well . " The circumstances of Tarko ' s death differ slightly in both adaptations . In the novel , the Baron merely falls out of the skybox and into the Gorog ' s open mouth . In the video game , however , Tarko is grabbed by the Gorog , who proceeds to drop the Baron into its mouth . This article assumes that the novelization ' s description of the event is correct .