Admirals

Fleet Admiral Firmus Piett

Fleet Admiral Firmus Piett was a human male native to Axxila, a sparsely-populated terrestrial planet located in the galaxy's Outer Rim Territories. He served as an Imperial Officer in the naval forces of the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War. As a true Imperial Loyalist he believed the Navy could complete any task given to them which made him distrustful of mercenaries, bounty hunters and other third parties.

Critics of Firmus Piett claimed he only rose to such high a rank because Darth Vader had such a low tolerance for failure but this is untrue for 2 reasons. 1, it fails to account for how Piett was able to stay in the position for so long and even gain rank, and 2, because it is well documented that Vader chose to crew his ships with some of the finest available, disregarding their politics and background. Vader considered Piett's abilities to rival that of the Emperor's Grand Admirals.

Rising to the rank of Fleet Admiral until his brave death serving his Emperor during the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY. The Rebel pilot, leader of Green Squadron and coward, Arvel Crynyd, in an RZ-1 A-wing interceptor, performed a suicide bombing into the Executor Class Star Dreadnought's command bridge, killing everyone in the room and causing the Super Star Destroyer, trapped in the battle station's gravity well, to crash into the DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station.

Some accomplishments include

• Made a record number of arrests of pirates and smugglers in the Axxila antipirate fleet early in his career, helping to end the endemic corruption that plagued the area.
• His command turned the Ciutric Hegemony into the safest sector in the Outer Rim.
• Replaced Xamuel Lennox as Commander in the Pakuuni sector in the aftermath of the Battle of Turkana.
• As a junior officer under the command of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, Piett attended the planet Jelucan's introduction ceremony into the Galactic Empire. It was conquered eight years after the Clone Wars.
• Held command during the Battle of Comantira in 4 BBY, and showing great consideration to those below him, Piett delayed their planned departure which allowed a late shuttle to dock. On that shuttle was an officer, Corleque. Saving his life and granted Piett the unending respect of Corleque.
• In 3 ABY, under Admiral Kendal Ozzel, Firmus Piett was made Flag Captain and was assigned to The Executor. Their mission was to find and destroy the Rebel Alliance's secret base.
• Also in 3 ABY, Piett was the first to acknowledge the Viper Probe Droid XJ9-CS14 of Project Swarm was the best lead they had in finding the Rebel Base. Correctly asserting it contained intel indicating the Rebel Alliance had a presence in the Hoth system based on images of a shield generator and he made sure to do this in the presence of Vader. A high risk and bold move as it was challenging his CO Admiral Kendal Ozzel.
• The gambit paid off as he was proven right. Ozzel was released of his command and life when he failed to catch the Rebels off guard by coming out of hyperspace too close to the planet. Leaving Piett to be made Admiral by Darth Vader on the spot.
• Knowing the enemy well, Piett correctly recognized the ship of Luke Skywalker as being affiliated with the Rebellion as opposed to Crimson Dawn during the attempted auction of Han Solo in carbonite.
• Destroyed the War Cruiser Dark Syndicate for stepping out of line.
• During the “Scourge of the Droids”, Admiral Corleque, while commanding the flagship of 5 Star Destroyers, was given orders from Mas Amedda to fire upon the Executor in an attempt to stop the spread of the droid virus. However he refused to do so because of his respect for Admiral Piett, who he knew was in command on it. Shortly after, the Scourge had infested the flagship that refused to fire. Piett generously gave them 4 additional seconds to reach the escape pods before destroying the ship and perhaps saving the galaxy! There were no survivors.
• Admiral Piett played a significant part in the moves and counter moves in luring the Rebel Fleet into a trap above Endor.
• Piett eventually rose to the rank of Fleet Admiral and served in Imperial Navy High Command.
• Commanded the Imperial Fleet in his Super Star Destroyer the Executor at the “Battle of Endor” under direct instruction from Emperor Palpatine himself.

Some failures include

• Incorrectly surmised the Millennium Falcon had been destroyed in an asteroid field based on the amount of damage our ships had sustained. Commodore Rae Sloane's personal investigation into the Falcon's possible continued existence was confirmed when a mynock with carbon scoring was found. Earning her command of the Vigilance.
• Tasked with disabling the hyperdrive of the Millennium Falcon while it docked at Cloud City, his orders were followed but insufficiently. Allowing a droid to fix the problem before tractor beams could ensnare the famous ship.
• Vader once ordered Piett to lock on to his position and fire all of the Star Destroyer's ventral turbolasers immediately but Piett questioned the order and so was choked into compliance.

Applicable Lesson

• Statistics show the unlikely will inevitably happen. When dealing with the enemy, proof positive confirmation is needed before their deaths can be accepted as fact. Use DNA to confirm where possible.
• Detailed instructions in critical moments ensure those under you do precisely what is expected of them and you. If your life depends on crippling a machine, do not employ subtlety. Crush its systems beyond repair.
• Questioning an order is worse than hesitating. When a direct order is given, no matter how lucid it may seem, follow it and all direct orders.

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Grand Admiral Rae Sloane

Grand Admiral Rae Sloane is a human female from Ganthel, in the Core Worlds region of space. She was a cadet in the Empire's naval academy on Prefsbelt, a Lieutenant at the Defiance Flight Training Institute and a ranked boxer. As a naval officer in the Galactic Empire she played a large part in its survival in the aftermath of the Battle of Endor. Sloane rose through the ranks of the Imperial Navy quickly, commanding the Star Destroyer Ultimatum by the age of 30.

During the Battle of Endor, Rae Sloane served as a Vice Admiral in the Imperial Navy and commanded the Star Destroyer Vigilance.

After Endor Sloane attained the rank of Grand Admiral, seemingly the highest ranking officer, and was appointed the public face of the Empire under the authority of Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax, the actual head of the Empire at the time, as he ruled from behind, using Sloane and her Shadow Council. Sloan eventually killed Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax and in the Unknown Regions has been building something new.

Some accomplishments include

• While an Imperial cadet at the Defiance Flight Training Institute, Sloane disrupted Commandant Pell Baylo's attempt to assassinate Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader.
• Rae Sloane later became a Commander in the Imperial Navy and served as the executive officer aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Executrix, Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin's then new flagship.
• Sloane was pulled into the Gorse Conflict while escorting Count Denetrius Vidian to the planet Gorse. She then foiled a plot by Vidian to destroy Gorse's moon Cynda and its thorilide reserves in order to enrich himself. This earned her permanent command of the Star Destroyer Ultimatum.
• Sloane managed to stop Rax from destroying Jakku along with the Imperial Fleet.

Some failures include

• Following the Empire's defeat at Endor, Sloane organized a secret Imperial meeting on the planet Akiva called the Imperial Future Council. It was attended by some of the highest ranking, still living beings, in the Empire. While they squabbled amongst themselves an insurgency from the capital Myrra rose up, led by the Rebel Norra Wexley and New Republic forces under Admiral Ackbar attacked. Grand Moff Valco Pandion and Imperial financier Arsin Crassus were killed while General Shale and the Emperor's Advisor Yupe Tashu were captured by New Republic forces. The summit had been staged by Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax with the objective of eliminating rivals to his succession over the Empire but Sloane bears responsibility by not seeing through this rouse.
• Initiated peace talks with the New Republic on Chandrila, only to discover she was being used and the meeting's true purpose was a trap, masterminded by Gallius Rax for a sneak attack on the New Republic. When Sloane objected to Rax's methods, her attaché, Adea Rite, tried to assassinate her as her loyalties lied with Rax. Failure in multiple ways. Agreeing to “peace talks” with an enemy who wants you dead. Did not realize she was being used by Rax. Failure to eliminate Mon Mothma and others once the fighting has started.

Applicable Lesson

• Rebels will stop at nothing till all of the Empire is dead. Meetings of persons of importance, require secrecy and the numbers to defend them. Use secure holographic communicators, for optimum security transmissions should come from empty space with scans running.
• Surround yourself with people you can trust the motivations and actions of, even your enemies.