Elia Kane, designated TK-2755 under the Galactic Empire and as Amnesty Officer G68 under the New Republic, was a human officer who served in the Galactic Empire and later one of its remnants led by Moff Gideon as a comms officer and later a spy. During the Imperial Era, Kane trained at the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant before the Empire fell to the New Republic, and eventually joined the remnant forces under the command of Moff Gideon in the Outer Rim Territories.

By 9 ABY, she liaised with an informant on tracking the Force-sensitive infant Grogu and brought news to Gideon when a tracker had been placed on the gunship Razor Crest where the child was being kept. Eventually Gideon's light cruiser tracked the Razor Crest to the planet Tython, destroying the gunship. They reported to Gideon that his dark troopers were ready, and the Moff had the troopers capture Grogu. After, the comms officer joined Gideon in visiting the infant, soon receiving orders to contact Doctor Penn Pershing. The comms officer later alerted the moff to a message from the Mandalorian Din Djarin, who wished to liberate Grogu from Gideon. When the Lambda-class T-4a shuttle designated Shuttle 2743 arrived from hyperspace near the cruiser, Kane acknowledged the shuttle's request to dock but soon ordered the starship to keep clear for deploying TIE fighters. The shuttle failed to comply, and so she ordered the TIEs to keep clear of the launch tube. Djarin and his associates exited the shuttle and engaged the personnel on board.

Kane survived the battle and was captured by the New Republic, and integrated into the New Republic Amnesty Program. However, she remained devoted to the cause of the Empire, and secretly continued to take directions from her superior, Moff Gideon.

Biography

Serving Gideon

Capture of Grogu

During the time of the Galactic Empire, Elia Kane joined the government and trained at the Imperial Academy on the ecumenopolis world of Coruscant. The Empire then fell^[2] in 5 ABY^[5] after losing a war with the rising New Republic.^[6] Kane, though, continued with the Empire's remaining forces, which was made up of remnant factions, and served as a communications officer in the remnant led by Moff Gideon, holding the rank of lieutenant.^[1] She served on Gideon's light cruiser, where she passed the Imperial scientist Doctor Penn Pershing around a hundred times, though the two never got a chance to introduce themselves to one another.^[2]

In 9 ABY,^[7] Gideon was hunting a Force-sensitive infant named Grogu, known to the moff as "the asset." During the hunt, Kane kept in contact with a Mimbanese informant that operated on the planet Nevarro. After the Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin, Grogu's guardian, visited Nevarro with the child, the informant was made to repair on the Mandalorian's gunship, the Razor Crest, and made contact with Kane, confirming that Grogu was still with Djarin. Kane had the informant to install a tracking beacon. When the Mimbanese worker contacted her back to confirm they had done so, she thanked her contact, promising rewards in the "new era." The comms officer then made her way to Gideon, informing him of the news she had received from the informant.^[1]

Gideon's light cruiser tracked the Razor Crest to the planet Tython, where Gideon's stormtroopers fought Djarin and two of his associates, the assassin Fennec Shand and the Mandalorian Boba Fett. The cruiser soon destroyed the Razor Crest while the gunship was parked on the ground. When Gideon asked if his dark troopers had engaged, the Kane reported that the troopers were deploying momentarily, and four dark troopers then flew down to apprehend Grogu at a temple ruin. Once the infant had been taken aboard the light cruiser, the vessel escaped into hyperspace. Kane later joined Gideon as he inspected and taunted Grogu. After the moff had the infant stunned, he ordered the comms officer to send an encrypted message to Doctor Pershing once they exited hyperspace to say that they had gotten a donor for him, Kane acknowledging Gideon's order before they both left the cell.^[4]

The Mandalorian strikes back

Sometime after, Kane, backed by an Imperial gunnery officer, alerted Gideon to a holographic message from the Mandalorian. It was simply a recording by Djarin claiming that Gideon underestimated the value of Grogu and that the infant would be back in the Mandalorian's custody shortly. The Kane and gunnery officer stood aside the table displaying the message as Gideon witnessed it for himself.^[9]

A short while later, the Kane was at her terminal when the Lambda-class T-4a shuttle designated Shuttle 2743 arrived out of hyperspace near Gideon's cruiser under pursuit from the Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft Slave I. The comms officer noticed the starships on her scanners and heard as Bo-Katan Kryze requested emergency docking. The Kane acknowledged the request, believing that Kryze was an Imperial pilot, and Gideon ordered for TIE fighters to be launched. The comms officer advised Shuttle 2743 to stay clear of the cruiser's launch tube where the TIEs were deployed. As TIE fighters deployed to engage the Slave I, the shuttle failed to change course from the launch tube, and so Kane insisted that the vessel must keep clear until the fighters have deployed.^[8]

The pilot belayed Kane's order, stressing that the Shuttle 2743 was under attack, and so the comms officer gave orders over comm that the launch tube be cleared immediately. The hangar soon stopped deploying TIEs shortly thereafter to allow the shuttle to land, the Slave I breaking pursuit and escaping in the meantime. In reality, the shuttle carried Djarin and his allies, who gunned down personnel in the hanger. While Kane consulted her console, Gideon ordered the activation of the dark troopers and departed the bridge. Djarin's associates soon reached the bridge, eliminating the defending stormtroopers and officers.^[8]

Integrated into the Amnesty Program

Impromptu reunion

Kane survived the assault from Djarin and his allies, who ultimately seized control of Gideon's cruiser and handed the moff over to the New Republic. The comms officer also fell into the New Republic's custody, which put her through their Re-Integration Institute. Kane then entered the New Republic Amnesty Program, being given the title "Amnesty Officer G68," and resided in an apartment in Amnesty Housing.^[2] however Kane secretly remained loyal to the Imperial cause and in service of Gideon^[3] At some point, she began sneaking out of the residence, and the bounds she was allowed in, visiting a Shipyard Depot where retired Imperial Star Destroyers were kept. One day, Doctor Pershing, who had also fallen into the hands of the New Republic, was transferred from the Re-Integration Institute to be a part of the Amnesty Program. In doing so, he was given a talk at the Galaxies Opera House, where he discussed his work on cloning to an audience of aristocrats. Kane herself joined the audience in the midst of the talk.^[2]

Later on, Kane sat at a table in courtyard at Amnesty Housing, having drinks with amnesty officers G27, M34, and M40. While they socialized, Pershing returned to the residence from the opera house. M34 greeted the doctor and welcomed him to Amnesty Housing, introducing himself as well as Kane and the other two officers. Kane and Pershing recognized one another, the latter remarking that he had not expected to see anyone from Gideon's cruiser. M34 had not known "G68" had worked for Gideon, and G27 and M40 passed on rumors they had heard about what had happened to the moff. Kane claimed that she tried not to think about her former superior anymore, going on to commend the New Republic's rehabilitation program and the opportunity it gave her. As a result, M34 had the group toast to the New Republic.^[2]

Pershing took a seat with the other amnesty officers, Kane asking the doctor if he had taken in the sights on Coruscant. She offered to show him around when he had the time. G27 asked Pershing what he missed from his days in the Empire, the scientist mentioning the yellow travel biscuits from the Imperial ration packs. Kane confirmed M34's remark that those could not be found in the Core Worlds, adding that she preferred the red biscuits. M40 jokingly critiqued her taste for the food, and the group continued to banter about it. That night, Kane got a box of yellow travel biscuits she had acquired from the destroyers in the Shipyard Depot and anonymously delivered them to Pershing's apartment.^[2]

The set up

Later on, Kane and Pershing visited Coruscant's Monument Plaza, where a number of holograms and pavilions were operating. The pair got glowing treats and walked through the plaza.^[2]

As Pershing was experienced frustration by the Republic's limitations on his genetic research, Kane led Pershing to a retired Imperial Star Destroyer docked on the surface of Coruscant where he could recover a mobile lab to quietly undertake his research. There, she introduced herself with her full name as Elia Kane. As they departed the ship they were arrested by Republic security, Kane turned on Pershing and delivered him to the Republic for reconditioning using a Six-O-Two Mitigator,^[2] a type of Mind Flayer^[10] that they claimed was repurposed to break the Imperial indoctrination. As the procedure began she requested to remain in the observation room, calling Pershing a friend, and when she was left alone she dialed up the strength of the mind flayer significantly,^[2] erasing Pershing's memories in the process to keep Gideon's cloning experiments safe from being exposed to the New Republic.^[3]

Internal conflict

When Captain Carson Teva, received a message from High Magistrate Greef Karga, about Pirate King Gorian Shard's attack on Nevarro, he went to the New Republic's offices on Coruscant and made his way to the office of Colonel Tuttle, Kane came in to ask if the colonel needed anything from the commissary. Tuttle chose to ask Kane about Nevarro, and Teva made note of the pin on her uniform linking her to^[11] the Amnesty Program, which comprised of former Imperials^[2] that had been captured^[11] and put through a reintegration program.^[2]

Kane brought up Nevarro's position as an independent planet. Despite Teva arguing that they could not leave the planet defenseless, Tuttle brought it up that the backlog of requests from New Republic member-worlds had priority, questioning whether intervening with pirates on an independent planet was worth the resources they had. The captain, though, brought up the reports of Imperial activity related to Moff Gideon^[11]—a warlord^[12] who had been captured by Din Djarin and his allies not long before and handed over to the New Republic—and argued that they could be linked to the pirate invasion. Tuttle called Teva's claim a "leap," but the pilot answered with how Gideon had never made it to his trial^[11] at the New Republic Tribunal.^[2]

With Tuttle trying to bounce over his claims, Teva requested authorization and backup to deal with the pirates on Nevarro. Kane then stepped in, suggesting that Nevarro's leaders needed to understand why joining the New Republic was valuable. Teva called it suffering and said it was an Imperial way of thinking, but the amnesty officer argued that Nevarro needed a "new perspective" to see the light. The captain told Kane that her sort did not see the light, citing that she had been captured, though the ex-Imperial called it liberation. After Tuttle concluded that they would see if they could allocate any additional assets to Teva's matter, the captain warned him that something dangerous was happening and that they needed to act before looking over to Kane and leaving the office, and asked the help of Din Djarin and his Mandalorian tribe.^[11]

Informing Gideon of Nevarro

Some time after Nevarro's liberation, Kane visited a back alley in a busy entertainment district in Coruscant. There, she rendezvoused with a Viper probe droid dispatched by Moff Gideon, which she activated via voice command to relay a message to him. After informing Gideon of the pirate siege on Nevarro and the Mandalorians' successful repelling of the invaders, a tip which frustrated the Moff as a united Mandalorian resistance would be a threat to his base on Mandalore, Kane quickly left the scene.^[3]

Personality and traits

A human, Elia Kane had an athletics build, light skin, black hair, and brown eyes. She frequently spoke with Gideon and her associates with a neutral expression and voice.^[1] When speaking with a Mimbanese informant, the comms officer kept her voice hushed and urgent, promising the informant rewards in the "new era." When Shuttle 2743 failed to stay clear of the cruiser's launch tube, Kane insistently ordered for the shuttle to stay clear, shouting as she did so, but gave in when the pilot failed to comply.^[13]

Equipment

Kane wore the standard uniform of an Imperial naval officer, including an Imperial kepi and two code cylinders attached below each shoulder. She wore a rank insignia plaque on her left breast with two red bars above two blue,^[1] which signified the rank of lieutenant.^[14] The officer was also armed with a SE-14r light repeating blaster which she wore on her right hip.^[1] After she joined the New Republic Amnesty Program, she began wearing an Amnesty uniform.^[2]

Behind the scenes

Milestones and conception

Elia Kane first appeared in "Chapter 12: The Siege," the fourth episode of the second season of Jon Favreau's 2019 Disney+ television series The Mandalorian, directed by Carl Weathers^[1] and released on November 20, 2020.^[16] Credited as "Comms Officer," she was played by Katy O'Brian.^[1] Her full name and title of Amnesty Officer G68 were revealed when O'Brian reprised the role in "Chapter 19: The Convert," the third episode of The Mandalorian's third season which was directed by Lee Isaac Chung^[2] and released on March 15, 2023.^[17]

In concept art for the officer, artist Brian Matyas made most his designs of the character with the Imperial officer's uniform having subtle tweaks. In one, he played around with a red palette Imperial officer's uniform for the character, not knowing whether it was a new concept. In another, the artist gave her a hat that mixed the design of those worn by officers of the Galactic Empire and the First Order as well as hats from Soviet-era Russia.^[15]

Casting and production

According to O'Brian, she auditioned with no knowledge of what the role was for, with fake scripts being used for the audition itself, as the production was extremely secretive. She was cast for her role, without being called back for another audition, around a year prior to the release of "Chapter 12: The Siege" and her scenes were filmed in the US state of Georgia between December 2019 and February 2020, her final shoot being among the last scenes filmed. O'Brian claimed that she received her lines the night before as a secrecy precaution, and her Imperial uniform was one of the original costumes used during the filming of the Star Wars original trilogy.^[19]

O'Brian added that while the name of Grogu, which had not yet been public, was in her script, she would choose to refer to "Baby Yoda" with different names in her mind like "Crouton" as Grogu would not stick for her. She found the Mandalorian set to be easier to work within, as it was a closed set with no external noise. Producer Dave Filoni gave the actor context to their role as a lieutenant and the props she was given. O'Brian fantasised her prop code cylinders as two lightsaber daggers.^[20]

The crew also gave O'Brian a thick gameboy-looking prop,^[19] which was a communicator prop^[20] from the original trilogy,^[19] to be the device she used to communicate with^[20] the Mimbanese informant.^[1] However, the console was used instead as director Weathers thought the prop was too big to use.^[19] In filming that scene, the actor spoke with a cardboard cutout of Din Djarin, with the light of the hologram being generated by a lightbox which O'Brian found very bright when the cutout was removed.^[20]

She also worked closely with Moff Gideon's actor Giancarlo Esposito, even meeting his children when they visited one day. O'Brian also begged her way into meeting the puppet and robotic models for Grogu. Upon the release of "Chapter 12: The Siege," O'Brian received widespread support from her fans and the LGBT community, which she is a member of.^[19] According to O'Brian on Twitter, during filming of The Mandalorian she walked onto her scenes resounding "The Imperial March" in her head, which she matched the tempo of.^[18]

After her return in The Mandalorian Season 3, O'Brian claimed that she had been surprised about her return, as she thought her character was dead after the Season 2 finale.^[21]

Appearances

• The Mandalorian Season 2 Junior Novel
• The Mandalorian – The Graphic Novel of Season 2
• The Mandalorian — "Chapter 12: The Siege" (First appearance)
• The Mandalorian — "Chapter 14: The Tragedy"
• The Mandalorian — "Chapter 15: The Believer"
• The Mandalorian — "Chapter 16: The Rescue"
• The Mandalorian: The Rescue
• The Mandalorian — "Chapter 19: The Convert" (First identified as Elia Kane and Amnesty Officer G68)
• The Mandalorian — "Chapter 21: The Pirate"
• The Mandalorian — "Chapter 23: The Spies" (First identified as TK-2755)

Sources

• Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian — "Making of Season Two"
• Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy (Picture only)
• The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season Two
• Sam Witwer, Matt Lanter, and Katy O'Brian Set Course for Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022 on StarWars.com (backup link)
• The Mandalorian | Season 3 Teaser Trailer on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)  (Posted on StarWars.com)
• Bounty Hunting Highlights: 5 of Our Favorite Moments from The Mandalorian - "Chapter 19: The Convert" on StarWars.com (backup link)
• Mando Download: "Chapter 19: The Convert" on StarWars.com (backup link) (Picture only)
• Mando Download: "Chapter 23: The Spies" on StarWars.com (backup link) (Picture only)
• "Star Wars: The Mandalorian Season Three Companion" — Star Wars Insider 222
• Star Wars: Unlimited — Shadows of the Galaxy (Card: Scanning Officer) (SWUDB backup link)
• Moff Gideon in the Databank (backup link) (Picture only)

Notes and references