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| “ | Tech: The Imperial transport Echo hijacked was assigned to the Advanced Science Division. Hunter: Never heard of it. Tech: That is because it is a clandestine operation. There are no records on its location or its purpose. All I could find on it was the chief scientist in charge, Dr. Royce Hemlock. An officer expelled from the Republic science corps due to his unauthorized and unorthodox experiments. |
„ |
| ~ Tech to Hunter about the Advanced Science Division. |
| “ | The progress we are making in the field of cloning, is of great importance… to the Emperor. | „ |
| ~ Hemlock on his progress in the Advanced Science Division. |
| “ | What I am working on is beyond your understanding. Something so valuable to the Empire, it makes me indispensable. | „ |
| ~ Hemlock to Rampart about Project Necromancer, |
The Advanced Science Division are the secondary antagonists of Star Wars: The Bad Batch. It is a clandestine research and science division of the Imperial Science Bureau. It is headquartered within a highly classified base within Mount Tantiss on the planet Wayland. Their Chief Scientist, Dr. Royce Hemlock, led Project Necromancer. A secret clone research project with the goal of creating a suitable vessel for Emperor Palpatine.
Biography[]
The Advanced Science Division was originally founded as the Republic Science Corps. Dr. Royce Hemlock worked as an officer but was expelled for his unorthodox and unethical experiments. In 19 BBY, The Science Corps was reformed into the Advanced Science Division under the Galactic Empire. Dr. Hemlock was appointed as its chief scientist.
The division was headquartered in a medical laboratory on Setron. There, Hemlock began experimenting on Clone Troopers imprisoned within the facility and collected their blood samples to determine their M-count levels. Hemlock also created slither vines, an experimental bioweapon which broke its containment and overran the facility, forcing the staff to evacuate and destroy the base.
Soon after, the Division moved their operations to a secret base on Weyland. After the Empire destroyed Tipoca City, Nala Se was transferred to the facility to work on Project Necromancer for Dr. Hemlock. Se became the chief scientist and was essential to Hemlock’s objective to create a suitable vessel for Emperor Palpatine to achieve immortality. Hemlock also assigned bounty hunters, such as Cad Bane, to abduct Force-Sensitive subjects from around the Galaxy. Many of the subjects would be identified as young children and placed inside the vault for experiments. Hemlock also gave the bounty hunters a scanner device that measures the M-count level. Hemlock also fitted himself with Clone Commandos as his personal bodyguards. A few Clones were trained and brainwashed into a unit of fanatic soldiers, tasked with assassination and other covert operations. In order for Hemlock’s operations to remain secret, Hemlock put various protocols in place to keep the base a secret. The coordinates to the base were confidential and known only to him. He used Science Vessels to transport personnel and any imperials who needed to visit the base.
Eventually, Nala Se became disillusioned with The Empire and refused to follow Hemlock’s orders, causing the projects to stall. Hemlock consulted the Kaminoan prime minister Lama Su for a way to force her to work for him. Su informed Hemlock of Nala Se’s close relationship with a defective clone named Omega. Su also informed Hemlock of Clone Force 99 and how they went rogue and took Omega with them. Hemlock had a former member of the squad, Crosshair, interrogated on their whereabouts, but when the Clone refused to cooperate, Hemlock gleefully tortured him. Hemlock was eventually contacted by Ciddarin Scaldback, who was hosting Clone Force 99 in her parlor and outs them to the Empire. Hemlock arrives on Ord Mantell City and successfully captures Omega as leverage to Force Nala Se to continue with her experiments.
With Omega imprisoned, Nala Se is forced to continue working on her experiments, with Omega serving as her assistant. Se also has been secretly destroying Omega’s blood samples to protect her. After testing the specimens in the vault, Hemlock becomes displeased that the M-count was severely diminished during the transfer. He warns her about the consequences of delaying progress and threatens Omega.
Shortly after, Emperor Palpatine visited Tantiss to tour the facility and monitor Hemlock’s progress. Meanwhile, Omega and Crosshair plan an escape from Tantiss. Hemlock sends the Lurca Hounds after them and detains Nala Se after deducing she aided in Omega’s escape. Dr. Karr discovers that Nala Se has been disposing of Omega’s blood samples and realizes Omega yields a positive M-count transfer. After Omega and Crosshair commandeer an Imperial Shuttle, Hemlock orders it to be shot down, but rescinds this order, after Emerie informs him of Omega’s high M-Count. Seeing Omega as a valuable asset, Hemlock notifies all Imperial forces around the Galaxy to hunt her down and also deploys his Clone Assassins to find her.
Due to Nala Se’s confinement, all of her projects have halted. In order to speed up progress, Hemlock promotes Emerie to Chief Scientist and introduces her to the children vital to Project Necromancer. Some time later, Wilhuff Tarkin questions Hemlock on the impact Tantiss is having on Imperial resources. Hemlock says that the funds are for projects that are of personal interest to Emperor Palpatine. Tarkin then warns him that if his operations fail to yield results, it would not bode well for him.
Omega was eventually recovered by CX-2 and taken back to Tantiss. Hemlock imprisons her in the vault with the rest of the children. Omega manages to steal a small surgical tool from Emerie while she is testing her and hides it in her sleeve. She uses it to pry open the walls leading to the dumbwaiter. Meanwhile, Clone Force 99 break out The Former Vice Admiral Rampart out of imperial prison and stowaway on the science vessel heading to Tantiss. Scorch informs Hemlock of this potential breach and receives orders from the doctor to dispatch starfighters to monitor the airspace. When the fighters engage a rogue shuttle, Scorch activates the laser cannon to shoot the shuttle down into the Jungle.
Under Hemlock’s orders, Scorch searches the science vessel for any intruders. Unbeknownst to him, Echo snuck onboard as a disguised stormtrooper and escapes off the shuttle undetected. Emerie learns about the intrusion and leaves Dr. Scalder in charge of the children. Amidst the chaos, Omega crawls into the dumbwaiter system and discovers the Zillo Beast. Clone Force 99 head towards Tantiss base and engage a Dryax, Rampart is lost in the chaos and is captured by Imperial Forces. Echo reveals himself to Emerie and convinces her to help him free Omega.
Scorch informs Hemlock of Rampart’s capture and begins to interrogate and taunt him. Omega and the children reprogram a droid to sedate Dr. Scalder and free the Zillo Beast to scatter Hemlock’s forces. Hemlock and Scorch later learn of their escape and orders Dr. Karr to find them. Scorch then informs Hemlock the Zillo has fled into the jungle. In response, Hemlock awakens several CX-troopers to deal with Clone Force 99. The rogue clones are captured and incapacitated within the training room.
Omega and the children are spotted by Stormtroopers, but they are rescued by Echo. Emerie takes the children to the island of Pabu, while Omega and Echo stay behind to free their brothers. Meanwhile, Hemlock subjects the squad to electrical torture in an attempt to convert into CX-troopers. Hemlock then leaves to answer a transmission from Tarkin. The governor informs Hemlock that the Emperor is concerned about the Zillo’s escape and the fighting going on at Weyland. Hemlock claims he has the situation under control, but Tarkin is skeptical and announces he will be arriving soon.
Omega and Echo free the other clones along with Nala Se and Rampart. The clones agree to help them free Clone Force 99, while Nala Se goes to her former laboratory to destroy Hemlock’s data on Project Necromancer. Rampart then holds her at gunpoint and forces her to tell him everything about Project Necromancer.
Echo and the liberated Clones march toward the CX Vault and are engaged by CX Troopers. Omega infiltrates the training room and manages to free an unconscious Wrecker’s restraints, but is caught by Hemlock before she can do anything else. Hemlock then unleashes a poisonous gas into the room to incapacitate the clones.
Back in the laboratory, Rampart plans to use the secrets to blackmail the Empire into restoring him to his former rank and shoots Nala Se on the spot. As Se’s corpse collapses, She drops a live Detonator, which kills Rampart and destroys Hemlock’s data. As Scorch informs Hemlock about this, Wrecker breaks free of his restraints and throws a large chunk of the machine holding him down to Free Hunter and Crosshair. Omega tries to escape but is caught by Hemlock and Scorch. Hemlock links a pair of cuffs to his arm to Omega, while attempting to flee with her. Echo and Wrecker manage to defeat all of the assassins, while Hunter and Crosshair go after Omega.
As Hemlock attempts to escape on a Starship, Hunter and Crosshair shoot out its engines, causing it to crash into the jungle below. Scorch attempts to engage them but is swiftly shot down. Hemlock holds Omega at gunpoint and threatens to take her off the bridge with him. However, Omega uses the surgical tool she had kept in her sleeve to stab Hemlock in the thigh, who recoils in pain and raises his arms and the binders. This allows crosshair to shoot the binders, freeing Omega, and allowing the two clones to shoot Hemlock dead as his corpse falls off the walkway, depriving the Advanced Science Division of its leader.
Tarkin would eventually arrive and is informed of Hemlock’s death. He orders for Tantiss to be indefinitely shut down and has all remaining funds and assets relocated to Project Stardust. It is unknown what happens to the Advanced Science Division afterwards, but Hemlock’s work on Project Necromancer would later be revived under Brendol Hux during the New Republic Era.
