Star Wars Destiny Chronicles: Imperial Warlords -- Natasi Daala and the Deep Core Warlords

IMPERIAL WARLORDS, PART VI

Natasi Daala

   Heiress to a feudal family on Irmenu, Natasi Daala was only an infant when her entire family was overrun and killed by a rivaling dynasty. A member of the rival family took pity on baby Daala and smuggled her off-world to Botajef, where she was raised at an orphanage by Renatasian nuns.

    In 3 BBY, Daala was accepted into the Academy of Carida and rose to be a loyal and effective soldier of the Empire. Upon graduating, she came to serve as a protegee for Grand Moff Tarkin, who saw potential in her and helped her elevate to the rank of admiral at a young age. To keep her hidden from other Imperial leaders, Tarkin placed Daala in command of the Maw Installation, where she was forced to maintain permanent radio silence.

    While Tarkin would eventually perish, Daala would not be aware of his demise until eleven years after the Battle of Yavin, when the Maw Installation was visited by agents of the Crimson Empire. Hoping to keep the Maw Installation out of enemy hands, Darth Vorath had sent these agents to recruit Daala into his Empire, albeit keeping her unaware of the Sith's involvement due to her mistrust of Force-users.

    Seeing a chance to accumulate power, Daala agreed to join the Crimson Empire and was sent into the Deep Core to unify the warlords stationed there and unite them. This, of course, was merely a means for Vorath to clear the game board of rogue pieces, and in 12 ABY, Daala assassinated the thirteen warlords at Tsoss Beacon.

    For the next thirteen years Daala would continue to serve the Crimson Empire. In 17 ABY, she commanded another group of warlords in the Deep Core in order to distract the New Republic from the Empire's activities. In 25 ABY, she participated in the Imperial-Sith War and presumably took part in the Battle of Coruscant. Her fate following the battle is unknown, as she was not among the Imperials who dissented with Admiral Pellaeon's forces, and her ship was not among the known casualties.

Superior General Delvardus

Lord High Admiral Harrsk

The Brothers Teradoc

Star Wars Destiny Chronicles: Imperial Warlords -- The Grand Admirals

THE GRAND ADMIRALS

Thrawn

    One of a very small number of aliens to hold a high position in the Galactic Empire, Mitth'raw'nuruodo -- better known by his core name Thrawn -- hailed from the Unknown Regions, on a icy world known as Csilla. Distinguished by his blue skin and glowing red eyes, Thrawn struck an intimidating figure, which was backed by a calculating mind, making him a valuable asset to the Empire.

    Exiled from the Chiss Ascendancy, Thrawn was admitted into the Empire by the Emperor himself, having met Thrawn before the Clone Wars as Darth Sidious. Thrawn quickly ascended through the ranks and was soon made the thirteenth Grand Admiral, although his status as such remained a secret for a time. At some point, he was assigned to the Unknown Regions, where he remained until receiving word of the Emperor's demise at Endor.

    While Grand Vizier Pestage struggled to keep his hold on the Empire, Thrawn emerged from the Unknown Regions and gradually made his presence known. Taking control of the forces that had formerly been under Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax's control, the Grand Admiral soon had control over a large majority of the Imperial forces, effectively making him ruler of the Empire.

    While Pestage, Isard, Trioculus, and others vied for control, Thrawn served as the primary threat for the New Republic. In time, as more warlords fell, more Imperials ended up flocking to Thrawn and joining his growing Empire. In 6 ABY, the Grand Admiral was prepared for an invasion on the Core Worlds, which the New Republic had recently gained control of.

    However, little did Thrawn know, he was not the only warlord out for conquest. The Sith Lord Darth Vorath had recently reemerged from his slumber and was preparing a galactic takeover himself. As such, he could not afford Thrawn getting in the way. But rather than be rid of the Chiss, Vorath instead saw the Grand Admiral as a potential asset. Through the clone Palpatine he had created, Vorath dissuaded Thrawn from undertaking the invasion and instead drew his forces to Byss, where they joined the Dark Empire under the reborn Emperor.

    Just as Vorath had anticipated, Thrawn quickly saw through the deception that was the Dark Empire and, on the eve for a planned assault on the New Republic, led a secession from the Dark Empire, taking those who were not loyal to the clone Palpatine. While the Dark Empire fell apart, Thrawn and his forces were led to Dromund Kaas, where they were greeted by the Crimson Emperor, representative of the Sith that were now their masters.

    For the next fourteen years, the Crimson Empire remained in hiding in the Sith Worlds. Thrawn was rarely seen after this, preferring to remain in his study. The Sith offered several times to promote him to Supreme Commander, but Thrawn declined them each time. Beginning to doubt Thrawn's loyalty, Vorath sent his Shadow Hand Darth Nemesis to kill Thrawn lest he become a threat to his Empire. Upon being confronted by Nemesis, Thrawn committed suicide via thermal detonator, destroying his study and preventing the Sith from learning of the secret he had been harboring for over forty years: the Empire of the Hand.

    During his early days with the Empire, Thrawn had been tasked by the Emperor to chart out the Unknown Regions, an area of the galaxy he understood better than anyone in the Empire. During this time, he made contact with the Chiss Ascendancy, who had been dealing with a number of mysterious threats since exiling him. Realizing the wisdom in Thrawn's strategies, several Chiss ended up joining Thrawn and from this union -- between Chiss and Imperial -- a new Empire was formed, dedicated to bringing order to the Unknown Regions and eliminating any threats that arose from it.

    Darth Vorath and his Sith were oblivious to the existence of this Empire -- indeed, they had little knowledge of who Thrawn was or where he had come from. Vorath had simply regarded him as little more than an asset for his own empire. When Thrawn perished, the Empire of the Hand lost its leader and guidance and most of its forces ended up being absorbed by the Chiss Ascendancy. However, some of its numbers managed to join the Imperial Remnant, which was at the time led by Thrawn's longtime follower Gilad Pellaeon.

    Despite its premature collapse, the Empire of the Hand still lived on through its ideals, which gradually bled into both the Imperial Remnant and the Chiss Ascendancy. With the decrease of xenophobia, more non-humans were recruited by the Remnant and a healthy relationship was maintained Chiss Ascendancy, with Chiss liaison Kras'ori'kallv even being appointed to the Moff Council.

    In 41 ABY, the Moff Council was executed by the dark warrior Kylo Ren, who took control of most of the Imperial Remnant forces and brought them to the Unknown Regions, where they were folded into the First Order. What this means for Imperial ties with the Chiss remain uncertain, as does the true purpose of the First Order and its goal.

Martio Batch

Nial Declann

Octavian Grant

Josef Grunger

Ishin-Il-Raz

Afsheen Makati

Danetta Pitta

Peccati Syn

Miltin Takel

Osvald Teshik

Rufaan Tigellinus

Demetrius Zaarin

    Hailing from Coruscant, Grand Admiral Demetrius Zaarin headed the Empire's development and research of starfighter technology. From Zaarin's think tank came such vehicles as the TIE Advanced and the TIE Defender. As time went on however, he became dissatisfied with the way Emperor Palpatine was running the Empire and saw himself as a more effective and suiting candidate for Emperor.

    Following the death of Prince Xizor and the collapse of Black Sun in 3 ABY, Zaarin seized on the opportunity this presented him and made his move against the Emperor. He attempted to abduct Palpatine from Imperial Center only to be defeated by Darth Vader and Vice Admiral Thrawn. After a series of attacks against TIE production facilities, Zaarin was ultimately defeated by Thrawn and met his end when his corvette, the Vorknkx, malfunctioned.

Rae Sloane

Star Wars Destiny Chronicles: Imperial Warlords -- Legacy of Palpatine

LEGACY OF PALPATINE

    When the throne of the Galactic Empire was vacated, many tried to claim it for themselves, with little to no success. However, some Imperials refused to believe their beloved Emperor had perished and instead attempted to assert the belief that His Imperial Majesty lived on. Most of these claims were simply to benefit their perpetrator in an attempt to seize the throne for themselves, but some were genuine. Regardless of his ultimate fate, the legacy of Palpatine was a major factor in guiding the future of the Empire after Endor.

Her Imperial Majesty

    Records of His Imperial Majesty's heritage are scarce to say the least. Sixty years before the Clone Wars, House Palpatine was recognized as one of Naboo's most ancient families, although it was not as prominent as some of the other houses. However, by the time of Sheev Palpatine's final term as Supreme Chancellor, all traces of the family's existence had been erased. Only those old enough to have remembered the ancient House knew of it and they had been sworn to secrecy.

    As those closest to Palpatine -- such as Magister Hego Damask -- knew, all direct relatives of the future Emperor had been murdered at Sheev's own hand, from his parents to his siblings. However, even though Palpatine inherited all of his family's assets, his was not the only claim to such inheritance. Behind his family's back, Sheev's father Cosinga had had an extramarital affair with the sister of a Naboo aristocrat. This adulterous union had spawned a child, who was quickly whisked away from Naboo when word spread of Cosinga Palpatine's death, fearing that Bon Tapalo, Naboo's recently elected monarch and opponent to Cosinga and his mistress' brother, had been the one behind his death and would soon go after all of his enemies.

    Traveling closer to the Core, the child grew up in relative seclusion, eventually having a family of their own. Eventually, sixty years after the House Palpatine massacre, Ederlathh Pallopides was born as the remote great-niece of Emperor Sheev Palpatine. The Emperor was aware of this relation and, rather than see her as a potential threat to his rule, believed she would prove a valuable asset in years to come. However, whatever plans he had for her failed to come to fruition when he was vanquished during the Battle of Endor.

    During the power vacuum that ensued, young Pallopides fell under the wing of Admiral Betl Oxtroe. In 7 ABY, three years after her great-uncle's demise, Pallopides was brought to the New Republic's attention as Admiral Oxtroe presented them with a proposition: the Empire would be reformed into a constitutional monarchy with Pallopides as its Empress. However, Ederlathh would only be a symbolic figurehead, with New Republic authorities acting as Imperial Advisors and thus placing the Empire under joint Imperial-Republic rule.

    Before the New Republic could reach a decision regarding this proposal, Admiral Oxtroe was murdered by a Noghri assassin, presumably sent by Grand Admiral Thrawn. As such, Oxtroe's dream of a New Galactic Empire fell through and Pallopides fell back into obscurity. Her current status and whereabouts remain unknown; some think she may have fallen victim to Darth Vorath's machinations, as he desired to remove any chance of Palpatine returning or those loyal to him posing a threat to the Sith. In reality, the great-niece of His Imperial Majesty lives on in seclusion, her plans -- if any -- unknown.

Son of Palpatine

    Pallopides was not the first to claim heritage to the Emperor, although she was the first legitimate one. Two years prior to Admiral Oxtroe's proposition, a three-eyed man emerged from the spice mines of Kessel with the bold claim that he was the son of Palpatine himself.

    Before Trioculus entered the stage, there had been rumors of the Emperor spawning a three-eyed mutant son. However, Trioculus was not this child but rather the result of an experiment. Growing up an abusive life on Kessel, Trioculus had attained the title of Lord Overseer and fallen in league with Grand Moff Bertroff Hissa, who saw an opportunity in the wake of Palpatine's death. Using Trioculus as a figurehead, Hissa and his fellow Grand Moffs sought to retain their power by touting Trioculus' alleged heritage.

    However, many Imperials were doubtful of Trioculus' claim, chief among them the false Supreme Prophet Kadann, head of Emperor Sate Pestage's Church of the Dark Side. Kadann maintained that the "true" Emperor, according to his visions, wore the fabled glove of Darth Vader and used its dark side energies to rule the galaxy. Hoping to win the support of Kadann and other irresolute Imperials, Trioculus sought out the glove of Darth Vader and retrieved it from the debris of the second Death Star.

    Unfortunately for Trioculus, he was unable to control the glove, powered by a Sith amulet, and he ended up creating a fake glove that he wore instead. Despite this, Kadann did not give his blessing until he forced Trioculus to admit that he was not in fact the son of Palpatine. Once Trioculus had dropped the facade, Kadann named him Emperor.

   By this time, Director Ysanne Isard of Imperial Intelligence had taken control of the central Imperial faction. As many Imperials had begun to flock to Trioculus both due to his claim and because so many Grand Moffs and Grand Admirals were backing him, Isard realized she needed him out of the picture before he could threaten her own claim to the throne. With the help of spies planted within Trioculus' faction, Isard was able to leak crucial data to the New Republic (anonymously, of course), allowing them to be aware of his plots well in advance.

    In due time, the New Republic was able to defeat Trioculus and his empire. The false Kadann was killed by Grand Admiral Afsheen Makati and the Church of the Dark Side collapsed as a result. As for the rumors of Palpatine's mutant son... during the "Trioculus affair," the New Republic was made aware of the existence of a man named Triclops, who had been kept prisoner on Kessel by Trioculus. Upon further investigation, it was theorized that Triclops was born from an experiment that implicated Palpatine's genetics, thus making him the "true" son of the Emperor. 

    Triclops' current whereabouts remain unknown, having escaped captivity into the dense jungles of Yavin 4, never to be seen again....

The Emperor Lives

    Beyond familial connections, some Imperials attempted to take control of the Empire by perpetuating the claim that Palpatine had not in fact perished at Endor and instead lived on, albeit weak and unable to return to public view.

    Among the earliest of these claims was Governor Adelhard, who locked down the Anoat sector and isolated his people from news of what had went down at Endor. With the help of an insurgent network led by a nameless smuggler, the New Republic was able to disperse the Iron Blockade and drive the Imperials out of the sector.

    Similarly, Captain Lerr Duvat of the Star Destroyer Torment dismissed the news as Rebel propaganda and acted on the order to commence Operation: Cinder as if it was straight from the Emperor's mouth. Whether or not the message Duvat received had indeed been a posthumous command from the Emperor remains uncertain. Ultimately, the Rebels were able to put a stop to Operation: Cinder before it could destroy Naboo, Palpatine's planet of birth.

    Six years after Endor, there was the clone Emperor that emerged to take control of the scattered Imperial forces. Of course, this had all been part of a Sith plot in an attempt to weed out Palpatine loyalists and eliminate them, preventing them from opposing Darth Vorath. When the Dark Empire was defeated in 11 ABY, most of its forces retreated to Ord Cantrell. However, some rogue elements still remained. 

    Among these were four members of the Emperor's Royal Guard, who used a hologram of their departed master to rally dissenters who had not fallen in with the Dark Empire or the Sith. Known as the Second Imperium, this faction maintained secrecy for a time, hiding from the Sith's notice. Among its recruits was a disillusioned Dark Jedi named Brakiss, whom was put in charge of the Imperium's Shadow Academy. In 23 ABY, the Second Imperium made its move against the New Jedi Order. However, it wasn't long before Brakiss realized that the "Emperor" was nothing but a hoax and decided to turn against the Royal Guards who had deceived him, executing three of them before destroying the Shadow Academy, taking himself with it.

Star Wars Destiny Chronicles: Imperial Warlords -- Dark Empire / Crimson Empire / Restored Empire

IMPERIAL WARLORDS, PART III

The Dark Empire Remnant

    The sudden death of the clone Emperor left a major power vacuum in the Dark Empire. Between this and the secession of several Imperial forces led by Grand Admiral Thrawn, this left the Dark Empire vulnerable to an attack by the New Republic following not long after their failed attack on Coruscant. With no means to fight the Republic, the Empire evacuated Byss and fled from the Deep Core.

    Retreating to the Outer Rim, the Dark Empire established temporary command on Ord Cantrell, where the members of the Ruling Council attempted to select a new leader and rebuild their power base. As head of the Ruling Council, Burr Nolyds was considered a natural shoo-in, but was despised by the Moffs, particularly Darius Onneir. Despite this, Nolyds remained in command of the Dark Empire until he was mysteriously assassinated two months later.

    Shaken by this event, the Council promoted Councilor Xandel Carivus to replace Nolyds, figuring him to be a spineless coward whom they could easily manipulate. What they did not know was that Carivus was the one responsible for Nolyds' death, having made a deal with a mysterious benefactor to ensure his rise to power. Unbeknownst to Carivus however was that his "ally" was purposely trying to destabilize the Dark Empire to ensure they would not pose a threat to Darth Vorath's Empire, which Thrawn had defected to.

    To this length, Carivus' benefactor secretly increased tensions between the human and non-human members of the Ruling Council by killing each. This eventually led to Carivus disbanding the rest of the Council and declaring himself Emperor. This enraged Baron Ragez D'Asta, whose daughter had been imprisoned by Carivus, and he unleashed his fleet on Ord Cantrell. With the help of Moff Onneir and ex-Royal Guardsman Kir Kanos, Carivus was overthrown and executed.

    Under the leadership of Moff Onneir, the remnant relocated to Bastion, where it would remain for the next fourteen years until its demise at the hands of the New Republic.

Ennix Devian and the Restored Empire

    Born and raised in the alien slums of Abregado-rae, Ennix Devian was selected from the Imperial Security Bureau for special training under Darth Vader, becoming a personal assassin for the Emperor himself. Following the Battle of Endor, Devian, disillusioned with the Empire under Sate Pestage, formed the Kaarenth Dissension, which was dedicated to restoring the "True Empire of Palpatine".

    To create the effect that his empire was the "true" one, he seized control of an incomplete Worldcraft and fashioned it as a new Death Star, placing it somewhere in the Moddell sector. After this Death Star was destroyed by the New Republic (with the aid of a Star Tours StarSpeeder), the Kaarenth Dissension fell under the radar, briefly resurfacing in 8 ABY before retreating again.

    By 13 ABY, the Kaarenth Dissension had renamed itself the Restored Empire. With the collapse of the Dark Empire (and unaware of the fledgling Crimson Empire on Dromund Kaas), Devian felt ready to take on the New Republic and restore Palpatine's vision. Unbeknownst to him however, his faction had been infiltrated by a number of Imperials from Darth Vorath's Empire. Under Devian's nose, these infiltrators sabotaged many of his plans, such as stalling an assassination attempt on Senator Leia Organa Solo and her children as well as preventing him from acquiring zinethium, which he planned on using to blow up the New Republic capitol on Coruscant.

    Just as Devian became suspicious of what was going on, he was confronted in his throne room by former Royal Guardsman Kir Kanos, who had been recruited by the Sith to execute Devian. After a long, fearsome duel, Kanos succeeded in executing Devian. As a result, the Restored Empire collapsed and ended up being folded into Vorath's Empire. It remains unknown if Kanos ended up joining as well or remained an independent agent.

Crimson Blood: Espaa Valorum's Tale

   Stretching back to the days of the Old Republic's restoration following the New Sith Wars, the Valorum family has been one of the most prestigious families in the galaxy... at least until it all came crumbling down with the failure of Finis Valorum, penultimate Chancellor of the Old Republic.

   Overwhelmed by the legacy of his forebears, Finis had failed to effectively stop the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo and was voted out of office. For the next decade, he became the target of many an assassination attempt -- both at the hands of the Separatists as well as his successor Sheev Palpatine. With everyone but some select Senators against him, Finis had only one ray of light in his life: his son Espaa.

    Espaa's exact parentage remains a mystery to some genealogists. While he certainly carried Finis' blood, the identity of his mother has been up for debate. Many suspect Sei Taria, a staff aide whom was rumored to have been in an affair with Finis while others believe him to have been born from a brief marriage the elder Valorum once had.

   Regardless of his heritage, Espaa Valorum's existence was not a secret to the Empire. Unbeknownst to the public, Espaa had actually been serving in the Senate Guard since shortly before his father's tenure as Chancellor, continuing to serve under Palpatine who kept close watch of him. When the Empire came to power, Espaa was made a member of the Emperor's Royal Guard, loyal to the man who had disgraced his father.

    After Palpatine's demise, Espaa fell under the service of acting Emperor Sate Pestage only to enter the radar of Darth Vorath, a Sith Lord who was working towards rebuilding the Empire for his own use. Promised the idea of restoring his family's name, Espaa easily fell under Vorath's sway and was installed as a puppet ruler for the so-called "Crimson Empire", which would eventually become the restored Empire once Vorath had weeded those still loyal to Palpatine.

   Alas, Espaa's dreams were never realized as, once Vorath had everything in place, he no longer had need of a puppet and eliminated Valorum without second thought and took control of his Empire. Meanwhile, across the galaxy, a Finis Valorum was sworn in as Chief of State of the New Republic...

Star Wars Destiny Chronicles: Imperial Warlords -- Warlord Zsinj / Empire Reborn

Okay, I'm ditching the "Files" narrative as some of the details I want to include probably wouldn't be known by some Alliance officer.

IMPERIAL WARLORDS, PART II

The Empire of Warlord Zsinj

   The son of a Fondorian mechanic, the man simply named Zsinj decided to follow in the footsteps of his mother and became an officer in the Imperial Navy. Quickly rising through the ranks, Zsinj was named the first Warlord of the Empire after leading a successful campaign against his mother, who had become a pirate and worked against the Empire. He was also made Grand Moff of the Quelii Oversector and used his power to quarantine the planet Dathomir.

   After the Battle of Endor, Zsinj struck out on his own and built his own domain in the Quelii Oversector. The New Republic left Zsinj's domain alone for the first few years of its existence, instead focusing on greater threats such as the loyalist Empire still under the Imperial Ruling Council as well as other, more dangerous warlords. In time however, Zsinj's ambitions simply grew along with his empire, as those who had once followed Sate Pestage and Ysanne Isard were now falling under his banner. In 7 ABY, Zsinj made his first strikes against the New Republic, attacking major fortress worlds such as New Alderaan.

   In response to these attacks, the New Republic organized a fleet commanded by General Han Solo to hunt down Zsinj. With the help of Rogue and Wraith Squadrons, the Solo Fleet was able to counter Zsinj's tactics with innovative maneuvers. After narrowly escaping several engagements with Solo's forces, Zsinj eventually retreated to his hidden base on Dathomir, only to fall into conflict with the Hapan Royal Fleet.

   By 8 ABY, Solo was increasing all efforts to find Zsinj, not only out of personal vendetta but also as a result of the disappearance of Solo's son Ben. Han suspected Zsinj to be the one behind his son's vanishing and was determined now more than ever to find the warlord. After learning of Zsinj's location on Dathomir, Solo traveled to the planet and performed a strafing run on the Iron Fist, Zsinj's flagship. He then deployed concussion missiles onto the Star Destroyer's bridge, destroying the ship and killing the warlord.

   Following the death of their leader, Zsinj's forces remained active for a time, albeit without direction. Some folded in with the Dark Empire that was fledgling in secret, while others fell in with other operating warlords. Zsinj's chief rival, Treuten Teradoc, was able to claim most of his fleet and declared himself High Admiral of the Mid Rim.

Lord Hethrir and the Empire Reborn

   A native of the planet Firrerre, Hethrir was taken into the Empire and handpicked by Darth Vader for training as a Dark Jedi. Excelling his master's expectations, he was given the title of Procurator of Justice and put in charge of the Empire's criminal justice system. When the Empire fell, Lord Hethrir was already prepared for the event and led his followers into hiding. 

   From Crseih Station, Hethrir began building his army. Benefiting from the slave trade by supplying the thousands of prisoners he had kept on the station, Hethrir was able to buy armament from the gangster Reelo Baruk. Several Imperials fell under Hethrir's sway, including Admiral Galak Fyyar, who helped him outfit a fleet. Alliances with others warlords, such as Admiral Blitzer Harrsk, were also sought to help consolidate their presence in the galaxy.

   In 12 ABY, Hethrir recruited the fallen Jedi Desann to his cause, making the Chistori his right-hand man and giving him the task of building an army of Dark Jedi to combat Luke Skywalker's restored Jedi Order. Meanwhile, across the galaxy the Empire Reborn set up installations and facilities under the New Republic's nose. At some point, the Sith of Darth Vorath became aware of the Reborn's activities but decided to leave them be, so long as they did not interfere with their own plans.

   After a series of encounters with two New Republic commandos -- Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors -- Desann was able to procure the location of the Valley of the Jedi and took his Dark Jedi to Ruusan, where they used the Valley to bolster their powers, becoming the Reborn. Meanwhile, after learning of the Empire Reborn's existence from Katarn, the New Republic set out to investigate their activities, neutralizing their connections to Reelo Baruk.

   Despite this, Lord Hethrir decided it was time to make his first move against the Republic by launching an attack on the Jedi Praxeum. By destroying the Jedi, Hethrir hoped to use it as platform to bring his empire to prominence. With Desann and Admiral Fyyar at the head, the Reborn forces were sent to Yavin 4.

   Unfortunately for Hethrir, the attack did not go as planned. Having infiltrated the Reborn's flagship before it launched from Cairn Installation, Kyle Katarn was able to alert the New Republic to the Star Destroyer's location, and Admiral Fyyar was destroyed with his flagship before it could make it to Yavin. Katarn then headed for the Jedi Praxeum, which Desann and his Dark Jedi were already attacking. With Katarn's help, the Jedi were able to defeat Desann and his army.

   After this major setback, Lord Hethrir retreated from the public eye, burying himself in his study to conjure up a new plan of action. Two years after the failed attack on Yavin, Hethrir was contacted by a Dark Jedi named Tavion Axmis. Axmis had been an apprentice of Desann's who had given the location of the Reborn's flagship to Kyle Katarn and fled to escape punishment from her master. Hethrir was about execute Axmis for her treason until she showed him an artifact she had purchased from a merchant on Commenor: the Scepter of Marka Ragnos, an ancient Dark Lord of the Sith. 

   Seeing a new window of opportunity opening before his eyes, Hethrir tasked Axmis with finding the Tomb of Marka Ragnos and resurrecting the ancient Sith in the hopes that it would give the Empire Reborn the leverage it needed against the Jedi and the New Republic. Unbeknownst to Hethrir, Axmis had already been planning on doing just that and had only informed him at the behest of one of Darth Vorath's Sith. Despite providing Axmis with additional resources, she was soon defeated by the Jedi Jaden Korr, who also destroyed the Scepter of Ragnos, entrapping the ancient Dark Lord within his tomb forever. Shaken by this second setback, Hethrir was still not ready to admit defeat. 

   Setting his eyes on children to kidnap and indoctrinate into his empire, he soon discovered that Senator Leia Organa Solo would be visiting a nearby system, accompanied by her three children. Knowing that the grandchildren of Darth Vader were sure to be strong in the Force, Hethrir was about to send his spies to retrieve them... only to be stopped by Darth Vorath.

   Although Vorath had allowed Hethrir to build his empire without incident, he had only done so because it provided the New Republic with a large enough distraction while he built his own empire. Now that the Empire Reborn had lost most of its army, Vorath no longer saw it as something worth keeping; and he especially could not allow Hethrir to kidnap the Solo children, as he was also aware of the power they held. Rather than simply kill Hethrir however, as that would attract too much suspicion, Vorath instead broke the Procurator's mind, driving him mad. The Sith then left Crseih Station while Hethrir's madness prompted his followers to disband, not wishing to follow a crazy emperor as well as lacking the desire to press onward in his steed.

   Following this, Hethrir was not heard from again until fourteen years later, when he was found on Belderone by Toah Jarsan's clone. Having received professional help for his madness, Hethrir was sane enough to tell the clone Toah of a secret he had kept from the entire Empire Reborn: the existence of Waru, the mastermind behind the Glorian Empire. Waru had been pulled from his universe by the intense disturbances in the Force Hethrir had caused with his torturing of prisoners and had served as a living conscious for Hethrir. 

   After learning all of this, the clone Toah went on to form a Dark Jedi Order to one day fight against the Glorians. Meanwhile, Hethrir lived the rest of his years on Belderone, eventually passing away in 31 ABY. 

Star Wars Destiny Chronicles: Imperial Warlords -- Pestage / Isard / Rax

   This series of bios are written to tie in the Canon and Legends aftermaths of the Empire into my fan universe. 

IMPERIAL WARLORDS, PART I

GAI File IW-001 (Major Kals Vaddus, 27 ABY)

   With the recent (and hopefully last) fall of the Empire, it has fallen onto me to lead the mission in keeping track of all the loose ends we have on the Empire. Many Imperials have risen over the past two decades, all vying for control of the Emperor's scraps. While most of them have been either eliminated or put into custody, rumors are starting to spread of some of these warlords still being active. Despite the best efforts of the Imperial Remnant to put these fears to rest, the Galactic Alliance has tasked me in uncovering what I can of all major figures within the Empire so that we can follow any and all possible threads and vanquish the threat of the Empire once and for all.

   Each of these files shall detail three of the Empire's most fearsome warlords, documenting their history, their rise to power, and their current status (if it is known). This is all compiled from an assortment of documents, files, and hearsay from Alliance and Imperial members alike.

Sate Pestage

   Much of Sate Pestage's past remains shrouded in mystery. What little is known is that he was born in the city of Dalpona on the Outer Rim world of Ciutric IV. Ever since Palpatine's election as Senator of Naboo, Pestage had served as the future Emperor's right-hand man, becoming one of his chief advisers when he was elected Supreme Chancellor. 

   When the Empire came into power, Pestage was named Grand Vizier and oversaw the many bureaus, ministries, and other offices of the Galactic Empire. In many ways, he was the figurative ruler of the Empire, as Palpatine had gradually withdrawn from the public eye, ruling the Empire through Pestage.

   After the Battle of Endor, which saw to the Emperor's demise, control of the Empire naturally went to the Grand Vizier, the next highest rank after the Emperor. Rather than seek revenge against the victorious Rebel Alliance, Emperor Pestage instead went on the defensive, fortifying Coruscant and the other Core Worlds.

   Unbeknownst to Pestage, those he thought were his closest allies were secretly working against him. Behind his back, Director Ysanne Isard of Imperial Intelligence was conspiring to take the throne for herself. She manipulated Pestage into making moves against the New Republic that only proved to weaken his hold on the Empire, sowing a lack of confidence among the members of the Ruling Court.

   Between Isard's manipulations and the growing armies of the various Imperial warlords that had risen across the galaxy, Pestage was forced to turn to the New Republic for help. Meeting with Leia Organa in secret, the beleaguered Emperor offered to leave Coruscant defenseless for the New Republic to retake it in exchange for sanctuary. While Organa agreed to take him on for the deal, she was unable to secure support from the Provisional Council, as many suspected it was a trap.

   Upon returning to Coruscant, Pestage was put on trial for treason, as Isard had found out about his dealings with the New Republic. After the Tribunal found him guilty, Pestage managed to escape arrest and fled to his homeworld of Ciutric IV. However, shortly after arriving, he was placed under custody by Governor Brothic, who had heard of the warrant placed on the dethroned Emperor's head.

   With Pestage gone, the Empire's hold on Coruscant became more and more slippery. Various sectors broke out into riots. While the Ruling Court struggled to maintain order, they sent Admiral Delak Krennel to retrieve Pestage. Isard secretly made a deal with the admiral, promising to make him Emperor if he found Pestage and brought him to her. At the same time, the New Republic sent their forces to rescue Pestage from Ciutric, hoping that it would provide the message that they would not treat their enemies the way the Empire did.

   While the Republic succeeded in freeing Pestage, they were prevented from leaving Ciutric IV by the arrival of Admiral Krennel's forces. After weighing his options, Pestage decided to betray the New Republic and sent their battle plans to Admiral Krennel. The New Republic were still victorious against the Imperial forces and able to get off Ciutric. However, it wasn't until after they were away that they realized Pestage had ran off from them.

    What befell Pestage after this is anyone's guess. Shortly after the incursion at Ciutric, it was reported that Admiral Krennel had murdered every last member of Pestage's family, leading the New Republic to presume that he had killed Sate Pestage as well. However, in 10 ABY, rumors of a clone Pestage living on Byss surfaced, leading some to belief that the Pestage on Ciutric had also been a clone. So far nothing further has been uncovered, and as far as even the Imperial Remannt is concerned, Pestage is as good as dead.

Ysanne Isard

   Ysanne Isard was born into a family of wealth and influence on Coruscant approximately eight years before the outbreak of the Clone Wars. She idolized her father Armand, who served as Director of Imperial Intelligence for most of the Empire's reign. As his daughter quickly became one of Intelligence's top field agents, Armand began to fear Ysanne would one day usurp him and attempted to have her eliminated by sending her on a suicide mission. Ysanne failed the mission however but was able to get back at her father by uncovering evidence that he was plotting to overthrow the Emperor. In short time, Armand Isard was executed and Ysanne was made Director of Imperial Intelligence.

   After the Battle of Endor, Isard served as an adviser to interim Emperor Sate Pestage, although she desired the throne for herself. Conspiring with the Ruling Council, she was able to manipulate Pestage into losing his power, leading to him making a deal with the New Republic. When Pestage fled from arrest, the Council sent Admiral Delak Krennel to retrieve the former Grand Vizier. While the Empire was preoccupied with Pestage's retrieval, Isard tracked down the ruling members of the Imperial Court and assassinated all but one of them, General Paltr Carvin, whom she had imprisoned on her flagship, the Lusankya. With this done, as well as with Pestage's supposed death at Krennel's hand, Isard was Empress in all but name.

   Her reign was short lived however. By the time she had assumed power, a vast majority of the Imperial fleet had fallen under the commands of various other warlords across the galaxy, chief among them Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax. Knowing that it was only a matter of time before the New Republic retook Coruscant, Isard attempted to create a virus that would reneder Coruscant a sick world. However, this project was sabotaged by Rax's spies and Isard fled from Coruscant when the New Republic attacked.

    Fleeing to Thyferra, Isard named herself a warlord and supported a political coup on the planet. In 7 ABY, Rogue Squadron made battle against Isard's forces and were able to take Thyferra and the Lusankya. While Isard was at first presumed to have been killed in the process, she was actually able to escape and go into hiding. She resurfaced two years later and provided the New Republic with the locations of the Lusankya prisoners, hoping to distract them long enough for her to steal the Lusankya back and join the Dark Empire in the Deep Core. However, her plans were cut short when she was killed by NR Intelligence agent Iella Wessiri. 

Gallius Rax

   Very little exists on Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax's background. He first appeared on the Imperial Navy roster in 15 BBY, holding the rank of commander. His reports were said to be marked "Eyes Only" for Colonel Wullf Yularen and bypassed those of even the most venerated of fleet officers. He was awarded several medals during his service, including the highly prestigious Hero of the Empire and Emperor's Will medals. By the time of the Battle of Endor, he had attained the rank of Fleet Admiral.

   Set on building a new empire, Admiral Rax began weeding out those whose loyalties he knew were in question. Posing as "the Operator", he fed the New Republic with intelligence on vulnerable Imperial routes and galactic leaders likely to secede from the Empire. He then orchestrated an emergency summit at Akiva, leading the New Republic there to attack them. All of the members of the summit were killed save for Admiral Rae Sloane, whom Rax had promoted to Grand Admiral and made her the public face of his Empire.

   Unbeknownst to all who served him, Rax was secretly following a contingency plan allegedly given to him by the Emperor: if Palpatine were to fall, Rax was to make sure the Empire fell with him, as punishment for failing to protect him. This all came to fruition at Jakku, where Rax pitted them against the New Republic's forces, knowing that they would fail.

   The Battle of Jakku was a long and tumultuous conflict for both sides, which Rax oversaw from his base, the Observatory. Halfway into the battle, participating admirals on both sides received a message from a mysterious contact*, who told them of Rax's deception. As a result, both admirals ordered their ships to fire upon the Observatory, killing Rax. The surviving Imperial forces then fled from Jakku, eventually joining forces with Grand Admiral Thrawn.

   With the Battle of Jakku won, along with their earlier victory at Coruscant, the New Republic declared the Galactic Civil War to be over, although conflicts with pocket Imperial domains would still occur for the next five years until the emergence of the Dark Empire.

   *Many Intel agents, as well as the admirals in question, have suspected that this contact was one of Darth Vorath's Sith, as Vorath would have undoubtedly seen Rax's plan as a major blow to his own plans.