Rogue One [Speculation] Snoke-Tarkin (Rogue One)

I know there's huge stretch to have Tarkin as Snoke with the destruction of DS1. HOWEVER, with the focus of Rogue One being on the gathering of plans and intel of the station. Couldn't there have been a special design with the command overbridge that allowed Tarkin to have escaped? Could that detail appear in Rogue One.

It's evident that with the new canon there's been a huge highlight casted upon the Grand Moff by Disney. It could've been just a lead into Rogue One, but Force Awakens seems to have the hints thrown at someone in the original trilogy, who saw the rise and fall of the empire and was behind the scenes manipulating it all.

My initial thoughts were Plaeguis...seemed to have fit the bill.

But, here's a stretch that got me thinking on Tarkin.

1) Tarkin initiative (Vader comics) - evidently an AI programming initiative fielded by the polygot from Eriadu. How did this tie into Order 66 - clone chip implants?

2) The Daily Mail's interesting line on that Rogue One will reveal that GMT created Vader...hmm, was there a connection in Tarkin's research and his complete fearless approach with Vader. Only problem is that he should've completely known that Anakin was Vader - refer to Tarkin Novel. But, the burns were nasty...and leads to a third point.

3) Rebels TV show: Why did Tarkin take Kanan to Mustafar? What was the special knowledge that he had on the Force...Jedi and maybe Vader. It was his unique order to take Kanan that planet...to what end?

4) His knowledge of crystals and mining...It was needed for the death star and is a plot line in rebels touched upon. As a scientist, his approach to the Force and abilities were maybe more of a research basis (see Dr Cylo and Vader comics ) he could've cheated death, and set back away from Palpatine until the timing was right after the empire started to crumble.

Tarkin was noted as being special by Palpatine in the Tarkin novel and being only 3 degree arc of separation between the three's home planets in the outer rim.

Perhaps, there was more to the seemingly lesser member of the "Dark Triumvirate" Tarkin than his bigger than life persona...Palpatine thought so...and so has Disney.

 

Darth Vader: He is here.
Governor Tarkin: Obi-Wan Kenobi? What makes you think so?
Darth Vader: A tremor in the Force. The last time I felt it was in the presence of my old master.
Governor Tarkin: Surely he must be dead by now.
Darth Vader: Don't underestimate the Force.
Governor Tarkin: The Jedi are extinct, their fire has gone out of the universe. You, my friend, are all that's left of their religion.
[answering a comm signal]
Governor Tarkin: Yes?
Voice over comm: We have an emergency alert in detention block AA-23.
Governor Tarkin: The Princess? Put all sections on alert.
Darth Vader: Obi-wan *is* here. The Force is with him.

Now...one could easily argue that Tarkin was implying just the jedi but to me when he says "religion" he is implying the FORCE. This to me says he has no idea Palpatine is a force user and that he himself is not a force user.

It has been established that Snoke is strong with the dark side of the force yet here we have Tarkin suggesting that Vader is the only one left practicing that "religion"

 

I never got the impression that Tarkin was big on Feeling.
He's cold, small minded officiousness.
He's the Blandness of Evil.
Not saying that to knock the character. Cushing does it well

 

Tarkin: "Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances..."

With that, and the fact they show Tarkin's mug, on the Death Star, the shot before the Death Star blows up....I pretty much think he's dead.

-C

 

Andy Serkis explicitly said that Snoke is a NEW character in the GFFA. Tarkin is NOT a new character. End of story.

 

If this gains any traction this could become the sequel trilogy's 'Sideous is a clone of Palpatine' theory.

As in, bonkers to the extreme. Please let's not go there. I lived through the first one.

 

Knowing Snokes love of holograms, maybe Tarkin on the Death Star was a hologram the whole time!

 

In the novel Tarkin, the final chapter has the following scene:

"...The Outer Rim is yours to oversee-- and with it, Grand Moff Tarkin, the whole of the mobile battle station project...For once the battle station is complete you will the ultimate power in the galaxy." - {Palpatine, Tarkin Red, In Tooth and Claw}
Tarkin's gaze moved from the Emperor to Vader and back again. "I don't believe that will ever be the case, my lord."

Tarkin had to have known the relationship between Vader and Palpatine. He might've been a skeptic with more of a scientific view of their "Religion". It will be interesting to see what Dr. Cylo will continue to do in the Vader comics - there could've been some shadow projects (Dr. Cylo - inferred that Vader should respect him for all that he did for him - Grand General Tagge inquired further, but dismissed by Cylo - See Vader Comics) that were commissioned by Tarkin to replicate Force usage. Perhaps, Tarkin was playing a ruse all along with the hopes of obtaining a personal power that Vader and the Emperor had - consider it a muted power struggle game of psychopathic murderers at the helm of a Triumvirate (Tarkin - Red, In Tooth and Claw). The Emperor seemed well aware of Tarkin's power thirst in the short story of Bottleneck.

In the Empire as on Eriadu, it was a predatory and 'Darwinistic' environment. Tarkin kept climbing the precarious ladder without so much of a glitch (mind you the novel takes place 5 years after ROTS and 10 years before Rebels). With this time span, there seems to be plenty of lore to fill up the spaces leading up to ANH. The Tarkin Initiative, Kyber Crystals, Order 66 chips, Dr. Cylo's experimental prodigies, Tarkin's involvement with creating Vader (hinted by the Daily Mail), Tarkin's order to take Kanan to Mustafar (Rebels) and maybe a feature of the Death Star plans with an escape pod - could be laced with some details in between canon lines that Snoke (all though a new character/persona - could still flesh out into a character we saw somewhat all the while in the OT and PT).

Maybe, Tarkin was looking at an artificial way of obtaining power...

Plenty of plot gaps for certain - but I'm thinking it could be an entertaining way to connect and expand upon some hints (or intrigue) being dropped all around in the TV show, comics and books.

 

Okay, a common trick in TV shows... at the end of New Hope, Tarkin is standing confidently on an observation deck of the Death Star, when BOOM. It explodes.

What if he was actually standing all that time in Death Star TWO? Huh? The classic editing trick. Just do a little Special Edition addition. The DS explodes, Tarkin says "Phew, lucky I was here overseeing the construction of this second one", and we pull back to show the half built DS2.

 

S.R. Hadden: First rule in government spending: why build one when you can have two at twice the price

 

Actually, redundancy is the core of good governance. Without backups and contingencies, you're vulnerable. That's why governments should not be run like businesses.

So yeah. Two Death Stars made a lot of sense!

 

One thing is for certain; Tarkin has received a lot of interest in character development with a book and additional scenes in Rebels, Clone Wars, and Rogue One.

Leia's remarks in TFA and a natural antagonism there would point to Tarkin. Why would Plagueis concern himself with resurrecting an empire and Leia? Palpatine remarked in the book, Tarkin, that his former master would've mocked a political involvement.

Remember Palpatine shrouded himself and his abilities. Others could've done the same.

To me, it's a huge ramp up to Tarkin being Snoke. Rebels the novelization, the scene with Tarkin, Kanan, Kallus and the Inquisitor - Kanan notes to himself through the Force that the Inquisitor emanates the Dark side, but Tarkin is purer in evil. Vader threatens the Lothal Minister Tua with Tarkin in season 2's opening.

All signs point to a careful construction to a surprise revelation about Snoke.

 

Never mind talking about where all these signs are pointing. They're not even signs.

 

http://screenrant.com/star-wars-who-is-snoke-theory-tarkin/

Several bloggers are making cases for the theory as well.
Makes for an interesting twist.

 

One of the biggest wastes of website space I have read in a long, long time. So convoluted and dumb that I have difficulty believing that someone could have decided to publish it.

 

GregMcP wrote

Knowing Snokes love of holograms, maybe Tarkin on the Death Star was a hologram the whole time!

A hologram pinching Princess Leia's cheek?