Wait, Was Even Grand Moff Tarkin In The Dark About Palpatine’s Resurrection?

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Bad Batch episode season 3, episode 10

Summary

• Tarkin is unaware of Project Necromancer on Tantiss which has been kept classified even from the high-ranking Grand Moff.
• Palpatine’s distrust of those within the Empire’s ranks led to hiding the project, with Hemlock overseeing it without Tarkin getting to know the details.
• Grand Morr Tarkin may eventually discover the truth when and if Hemlock is defeated by Clone Force 99, possibly gaining control of the project himself.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch has revealed that Grand Moff Tarkin was intentionally kept in the dark regarding Emperor Palpatine’s resurrection plans. With the work having already begun during the Dark Times, Palpatine’s Project Necromancer is currently being overseen by the Advanced Science Divisions’ Doctor Royce Hemlock. To that end, it seems as though Hemlock no longer has to answer to Grand Moff Tarkin despite his high ranking within the established Imperial hierarchy.

In The Bad Batch season 2, episode 10, Hemlock answers a call from Grand Moff Tarkin who naturally has several important questions for the Imperial scientist regarding his work. However, Hemlock provides very few answers. To that end, here’s why Tarkin isn’t aware of Project Necromancer or what it’s for, as well as the likelihood that he’ll eventually learn about it soon before the events of A New Hope.

Tarkin Has No Idea What Hemlock Is Doing On Tantiss

Project Necromancer Is Highly Classified

For all of Tarkin’s power and influence as the Empire’s Grand Moff, it appears not even he has clearance to know about Hemlock’s work and its great importance to Emperor Palpatine. Despite his attempts to offer assistance and questioning Hemlock about his requests for even more funding, Tarkin is kept in the dark about Palpatine’s resurrection plans. That said, he does warn Hemlock about the cost of failure given how much resources are being given to the Advanced Science Division and Hemlock’s facility on Mount Tantiss.

Ultimately, the most likely reason why Tarkin isn’t in the loop ties back to Palaptine’s earlier appearance in The Bad Batch season 3 and his meeting with Hemlock. Confirming that there would be those within the Empire itself who would see Palpatine and Hemlocks’ work as “an abomination”, it’s clear that Palpatine had very little trust concerning his dark plans for the future. To that end, this likely includes Tarkin hence Palaptine’s orders to keep the facility and Project Necromancer hidden and secure from all eyes. It’s a true Imperial black site unknown even to the Empire’s signature Grand Moff who answered only to Palpatine himself.

Was Tarkin Ever Told About Project Necromancer?

There’s Still Plenty of Time To Find Out…

Although Tarkin might not know about Project Necromancer yet, there’s still plenty of time for him to discover the truth about the work being done on Tantiss between the events of The Bad Batch season 3 and A New Hope. To that end, perhaps the potential demise of Hemlock opens the door for Tarkin to take control of Project Necromancer. This would be similar to when Tarkin assumed control over the Death Star from Director Krennic in Rogue One.

Palpatine’s resurrection plans would certainly align with the Star Wars canon’s “Tarkin Initiative”, an Imperial think tank founded by the Grand Moff connected to weapons development and more military research to expand the Empire’s power. That said, this assumes that Tarkin would be on board with Palpatine’s intention to prolong his life via unnatural means to maintain his power indefinitely. Either way, it’s rather notable that one of the most powerful Imperial leaders in the Star Wars canon under Palpatine had no idea about the Emperor’s resurrection plans for the future.