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Vess Kogo was a Human male Emperor's Hand. After his mother was injured as a bystander during a Rebel protest against Imperial taxes on the planet Hanofar, Kogo developed a burning hatred for the Rebellion, which he fueled with the dark side after becoming one of Emperor Palpatine's Hands. As an agent of the Emperor, Kogo often carried out missions requiring little subtlety but a substantial amount of destruction. His obsession with the Rebel Alliance often caused him to take detours during his missions, during which he pursued agents of the Rebellion in acts of vengeance.
Biography
Vess Kogo was a Force-sensitive Human male who lived during the period immediately surrounding the Battle of Yavin, when the Rebel Alliance was still an unorganized effort conducted by many disparate groups. After the Empire began taxing the citizens of the planet Hanofar, one Rebel group conducted a protest that soon went out of control. This incident ended in the injury of many innocent bystanders, including Kogo's mother. Kogo blamed his mother's injury on the Rebellion and developed an extreme hatred for the group.[1]
Vess Kogo and Mara Jade
Kogo was soon recruited by Emperor Palpatine to serve as one of his Emperor's Hands, a secret group of Force-sensitive operatives loyal only to the Emperor. Palpatine used the dark side to fuel Kogo's hatred of the Rebellion and turned him into a killing machine. Like the other Emperor's Hands, Kogo thought that he was the Emperor's only operative and swore complete loyalty to him. Palpatine often used Kogo for missions requiring pure force, but Kogo sometimes deviated from his objectives to hunt down agents of the Rebellion, a habit that once almost ended in him failing the Emperor. Sometime shortly after the Battle of Yavin, Kogo came into conflict with a group of individuals affiliated with the Rebel Alliance.[1]
Personality and traits
Vess Kogo was a ruggedly handsome young man with deep black hair and a disarming smile, all physical traits that he used to seduce enemy female agents.[2] He harbored a deep hatred for the Rebellion and often diverged from his assigned mission in order to hunt and kill Rebel operatives and sympathizers. This obsession never caused him to fail the Emperor in his assigned duties, but at one point he came close to doing so. Palpatine never used Kogo for subtle missions, but when he required pure mayhem and destruction, he often turned to the young Hand.[1]
Powers and abilities
Under the tutelage of Emperor Palpatine, Vess Kogo learned to augment his hatred for the Rebellion through the use of the dark side. Although he received the same training in advanced combat and espionage as the other Emperor's Hands, Kogo was notably more developed in his Force talents than some of the others, including Mara Jade. Despite serving the Emperor for a shorter amount of time than Jade, Kogo possessed the potential to surpass her in almost every area. Kogo was proficient in many Force abilities in the realms of Alter and Sense, including affect mind, telekinesis, telepathy, Force valor, and Force fear. He often carried a blaster pistol and a vibro-ax with him on missions.[1]
Behind the scenes
Vess Kogo was first referenced in the 2001 Rebellion Era Sourcebook written by Bill Slavicsek, Steve Miller, and Owen K.C. Stephens. In 2008, he was given an entry in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia by Steve Sansweet.
Sources
- Rebellion Era Sourcebook (First mentioned)
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia