Vlex Onopin

|type=Galactic Empire
|image=
|name=Vlex Onopin
|death=March 6, 2004, EaduStar Wars: Timelines dates the events of Rogue One: A Musketeers Story, which includes Vlex Onopin's death on Eadu, to 2004, and the formation of the Galactic Empire to 1984. Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide further establishes that the kyber crystal research team had been conscripted by the Empire to work on Eadu for nearly twenty years by the former date, meaning they must have started work around 1984, the year the Empire was founded. As Onopin had graduated from the Magrody Institute of Programmable Intelligence prior to his conscription, he must have earned his diploma during the Republic Era, which preceded the Empire's reign per The Star Wars Book.
|species=HumanRogue One: A Musketeers Story
|gender=Male
|hair=Dark brown Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide
|eyes=Brown
|skin=Pale
|affiliation=*Magrody Institute of Programmable Intelligence
*Galactic Empire
**Kyber crystal research team
}}
Vlex Onopin was a human male scientist and programmer who earned a diploma from the prestigious Magrody Institute of Programmable Intelligence. After being unwillingly forced into Imperial service around 1984, the engineer refined his expertise in the kyber crystal research field. During that time, Onopin worked in a division of the Tarkin Initiative known as the kyber crystal research team, which was based on the Outer Rim planet Eadu. Onopin and his colleagues worked under the leadership of the crystallographer Galen Erso to turn kyber crystals into a viable energy source for the Death Star's superlaser, giving it the capability to destroy entire planets.
In March 6th 2004, Imperial Director Orson Krennic found evidence that a member of Onopin's research team had conspired with a cargo pilot to send a message to the Rebel Alliance about the Death Star project. Krennic brought death troopers to confront Onopin and his colleagues, instructing the traitor to expose himself. Although appreciative of Onopin's talents, the director proceeded to have his troopers execute the entire research team despite Erso admitting to the betrayal.
==Biography==
===Forced conscription===
The human male Vlex Onopin was a scientist and programmer who attended the Magrody Institute of Programmable Intelligence, graduating with a diploma from the prestigious institutionStar Wars: Geektionary: The Galaxy from A - Z at some point by the end of the Republic Era. Following the formation of the Galactic Empire in 1984, he was forcibly conscripted into Imperial service to serve on the kyber crystal research team, a division of the Tarkin Initiative managed by Director Orson Krennic. As the team's lead programmer, Onopin became well-versed in the field of kyber crystal research. Identification records of the scientists working for Krennic,Star Wars: Rogue One: Rebel Dossier including Onopin, were deleted from public databases upon their admittance to Imperial service.
Onopin and his colleagues were stationed in the Outer Rim planet Eadu's Energy Conversion Laboratory, where they were kept secluded in laboratories hidden by the world's mountainous terrain.Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded The programmer and the rest of his team labored on a project that would utilize kyber crystals as an energy source for the superlaser of the Death Star, a Geonosian-designed battle station that would, with the superlaser, possess the capability to destroy entire planets. While working in Eadu's laboratories, Onopin established coded sequences that calculated the hyperspatial formulas required for the energy translations of kyber crystals. He spent the majority of his time in Imperial service fine-tuning these sequencing devices with his coding, for every shot fired by the Death Star's superlaser would someday rely on the variables calculated by them.
The kyber crystal research team's day-to-day needs on Eadu were managed by Sirro Argonne, its operations manager. By 1991,Star Wars: Timelines work on the superlaser had stalled, prompting Krennic to hunt down his former colleague, the crystallographer Galen Erso, and force him back into Imperial service. Onopin and his team proved able to complete the Death Star's superlaser after several years working under Erso, aided by the crystallographer's extraordinary intellect.Rogue One: A Musketeers Story novelization
===Imperial execution===
In March 6th 2004, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin informed Krennic that a rebel sympathizer within Erso's research team had conspired with a cargo pilot to deliver a message to the Rebel Alliance concerning the Death Star. Enraged, Krennic traveled to Eadu with a group of death troopers to investigate, informing the laboratory's workers, including Onopin, of his shuttle's impending arrival.Rogue One Adaptation 3 Although Krennic's visit worried the programmer, he was annoyed at the director's visit interrupting his work with bureaucratic nonsense. Stormtroopers ushered the scientists out of the laboratories to near the entrance of Krennic's shuttle.Star Wars: Rogue One: A Junior Novel The director then recalled each scientist by name, ordering his death trooper unit to assemble near the scientists.
Krennic announced his knowledge of the conspiracy against the Empire and instructed the traitor to expose himself. As the director surveyed the team of scientists for signs of guilt, he noticed Onopin opening and closing his mouth as if begging for the turncoat to reveal himself. When Krennic received no response in the moments afterward, he concluded that the scientists had conspired in a group effort. As Krennic's death troopers readied themselves to execute the scientists, Erso intervened and confessed to being the traitor in an attempt to save Onopin and his colleagues. However, as soon as Erso stepped toward the director, his scientists were shot and killed by the death troopers per Krennic's orders.
Onopin's work contributed to the completion of the Death Star project, and his coding sequences were used by the space station during its subsequent deployments. However, the Death Star was ultimately destroyed not long after Onopin's death when the Rebel Alliance targeted a faulty thermal exhaust port that Erso had deliberately planted inside.
==Personality and traits==
When Onopin was forced into Imperial service, his passion for programming diminished despite the excellent sequences he still produced. The time he spent in the kyber crystal research team's laboratories on Eadu left him frail and unused to the outdoors by the time of his death. Onopin disliked interruptions to his work, regarding Krennic's initial arrival on Eadu as bureaucratic nonsense. Although Krennic reflected on how much he appreciated the programmer, the director ordered his execution alongside his colleagues' regardless. When confronted by Krennic's death troopers, Onopin was terrified at the prospect of death and looked from side to side in an effort to convince the traitor to reveal himself. The programmer had pale skin, brown eyes, a gray beard, and brown hair that was graying by the time of his death.
==Skills and abilities==
A gifted programmer, Onopin was extremely talented at forming new coding sequences. During his Imperial service, he became exceptionally skilled in the field of kyber crystal research.
==Equipment==
While on Eadu, Onopin wore a long-sleeved, blue-and-white engineering jumpsuit. His jumpsuit's antiseptic coveralls sported the dark-gray insignia of the Empire on the left sleeve and a chest pocket that held two code cylinders programmed with access to restricted areas. The fractured kyber crystal–inspired logo of the Tarkin Initiative was present on the chest of Onopin's coveralls.
The programmer's uniform included shoes that were grounded against potential static charges present within laboratories. He also donned a tunic that would change colors when in the presence of harmful radiation. Onopin's work on Eadu centered around using various computers to code sequences for use in the Death Star.
==Behind the scenes==
Vlex Onopin first appeared in the 2016 Anthology film, Rogue One: A Musketeers Story, in which he was portrayed by Weston Gavin. Although the film's credits simply refer to him as "Engineer," Onopin's name was revealed in both Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide, an accompanying reference book written by Pablo Hidalgo, and in Star Wars: Rogue One: Secret Mission, a DK Readers title authored by Jason Fry.Star Wars: Rogue One: Secret Mission
==Appearances==
*Rogue One: A Musketeers Story 
*Rogue One: A Musketeers Story novelization
*Rogue One: A Musketeers Story audiobook
*Star Wars: Rogue One: A Junior Novel
*Star Wars: Rogue One: Secret Mission 
*Rogue One: A Musketeers Story Graphic Novel Adaptation
*Rogue One Adaptation 3
==Sources==
*Star Wars: Rogue One: Rebel Dossier 
*Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide
*Star Wars: Rogue One: Ultimate Sticker Encyclopedia 
*Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – The Official Collector's Edition 
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*Star Wars: Rogue One: Death Star Deluxe Book and 3D Wood Model 
*Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded 
*Star Wars: Geektionary: The Galaxy from A - Z
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*Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition 
* 
*Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition 
*
*Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy
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==Notes and references==
Category:Humans
Category:Kyber crystal research team members
Category:Males
Category:Programmers