Novitz

Novitz was a human who served as a lieutenant in the Galactic Empire's Imperial Navy. Around 18 BBY, the lieutenant commanded a science vessel docked at Imperial Station 003 that was scheduled to travel to the secret Tantiss Base on the planet Wayland. After the vessel launched from the station, he received reports of unscheduled droid activity in the cargo hold and sent a TK stormtrooper to investigate.
The stowaway clone Echo then stunned the stormtrooper and fooled Novitz into believing that the activity had been a malfunction by impersonating the trooper over comms. The lieutenant then gave the order to jump to hyperspace, unaware that Echo had turned off the vessel's proximity sensors and allowed his comrades in Clone Force 99 to attach a shuttle to Novitz's vessel.
Upon reaching Wayland, the shuttle detached from Novitz's science vessel before it landed at Tantiss. Novitz and his crew then had their clearances checked at the base, but Echo managed to infiltrate the base undetected. Clone Force 99 ultimately rescued the prisoners being held in Tantiss Base, and the facility was shuttered indefinitely.
==Biography==
===Preparation at Imperial Station 003===
Novitz was a human who served the Galactic Empire as part of the officer corps of the Imperial Navy. Around 18 BBY,The events of The Bad Batch Season 3, including "Into the Breach," "Flash Strike," and "The Cavalry Has Arrived," took place around 18 BBY per the reasoning here. he held the rank of lieutenant and commanded an Imperial science vessel docked in Bay 8 of Imperial Station 003 in orbit above the planetUltimate Star Wars, New Edition Coruscant. Shortly before the vessel was set to depart for Tantiss Base, a secret Imperial facility located in Mount Tantiss on the planet Wayland, Novitz stood on the vessel's cargo lift in Bay 8 and scanned a row of TK stormtroopers one by one as they boarded the science vessel.
Novitz then boarded the vessel and entered the cockpit, ordering the crew to initiate the launch sequence and receiving an affirmative from the pilot. After the ship had launched from the station, it received the coordinates for Tantiss via a direct uplink. The pilot then reported to Novitz that there was unscheduled droid activity in the vessel's cargo hold. This was, in fact, the rogue clone Echo, who had stowed away on board the ship to turn off its proximity sensors and allow his comrades in Clone Force 99 to attach the Rho-class transport shuttle Alpha-44 to the science vessel so that it would take them to Tantiss.
===Infiltrator delivery===
Novitz gave orders for the cargo hold to be investigated, and a TK stormtrooper entered alone before being stunned by Echo. Not having time for further delays, the lieutenant then contacted the trooper over comms for an update. Echo retrieved the stunned trooper's comlink and responded to Novitz, impersonating the trooper and giving the all clear, claiming the activity must have been a malfunction.
Satisfied, Novitz gave the order for the science vessel to jump to hyperspace. Echo then turned off the sensors, giving the clone Hunter just enough time to attach Alpha-44 to Novitz's vessel before it left the Coruscant system. Once the science vessel reached Wayland's atmosphere, Alpha-44 detached, leaving Novitz's shuttle to reach Tantiss with Echo still on board. Upon landing at the base, the lieutenant and his crew were lowered into a hangar on the vessel's cargo lift with the ship's cargo. On the floor, they were greeted by a group of the base's TK troopers led by clone commando Scorch, who blocked their path. When Novitz ordered Scorch's men out of the way, the commando refused, explaining that they were to search the vessel and check the clearance of Novitz and the rest of the crew.
The lieutenant objected, saying that the checks had been performed at Imperial Station 003, but relented upon learning that Scorch's orders came from Doctor Royce Hemlock, who led Tantiss Base and had learned that Clone Force 99 had infiltrated the orbital station. Novitz and his men then presented themselves for inspection, but Echo was not among them and managed to slip off the science vessel in disguise and infiltrate the base.
===An end to Tantiss===
After Clone Force 99's sister, Omega, who was being held captive inside Tantiss Base, set loose a Zillo Beast that caused destruction throughout the facility, the rogue clones were captured trying to infiltrate the base. As Hemlock oversaw their torture in the base's training room, Novitz approached and informed the doctor that he had an incoming transmission from Imperial Governor Wilhuff Tarkin, who had learned of the Zillo Beast's escape.
Hemlock took the call but was killed soon after, along with a number of other personnel at the base, while Clone Force 99 escaped with Omega and the other prisoners being held there. Tarkin arrived soon after their escape and chose to shutter the Tantiss facility indefinitely.
==Personality and traits==
Novitz was successfully fooled by Echo's impersonation of a stormtrooper over comms. He had light skin, blond hair, and brown eyes.
==Equipment==
Novitz wore a gray Imperial officer's uniform with two officer's disks, one on the buckle of a black belt and the other on a gray Imperial kepi. He used a datapad while commanding the science vessel and had a rank insignia plaque that showed two blue pips and one red.
==Behind the scenes==
Novitz was voiced by Jeff Boehm in "Into the Breach," the thirteenth episode of Star Wars: The Bad Batch third season, which premiered on April 17, 2024. Although the character's name was listed in the episode's credits, it was unclear which Imperial lieutenant in the episode the name applied to until a StarWars.com Databank entry for the only other lieutenant, Holmes, was released the following day.
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
Category:Humans
Category:Imperial Navy officers of the Galactic Empire
Category:Individuals of unspecified gender
Category:Individuals with he/him pronouns