Conan Antonio Motti

"This station is now the ultimate power in the universe."

- Conan Antonio Motti

Conan Antonio Motti was the Chief of the Imperial Navy who held the rank of admiral aboard the Death Star during the Galactic Civil War. Motti was extremely confident in his viewpoint that the Death Star was invulnerable, believing that the Rebel Alliance posed no threat to the battle station. He was even bold and arrogant enough to openly question Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader for his failure to discover the location of the Rebellion's secret base during one meeting in the Death Star. For this, Vader Force choked him. Despite Motti's unshakable faith in the Death Star, the Rebel Alliance&mdash;which had obtained a copy of the Death Star blueprints&mdash;managed to find a weak spot in the station's defenses, and succeeded in destroying it during a battle above the Death Star, killing Motti.

Biography
"Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Lord Vader. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion has not helped you conjure up the stolen data tapes, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the Rebel's hidden fort&hellip;"

- Motti, before being Force choked by Darth Vader

Conan Antonio Motti was a human male who hailed from a wealthy and powerful family in the Outer Rim. A native of Seswenna, Motti became an officer in the Imperial Navy, eventually rising to the rank of Rear Admiral, commanding the Star Destroyer Steel Talon. Six years after the end of the Clone Wars, he was a member of the Joint Chiefs. By this time, he was considered by Emperor Sheev Palpatine to be a potential candidate for the newly-created position of Grand Moff, which eventually went to Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, and was also considered a rival to the head of the Naval Intelligence Agency, Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit. After Rancit's death during the Berch Teller campaign, he received a promotion from the Emperor. Thirteen years later, he served aboard the Death Star, a planet-destroying battle station, and served as an Admiral and Chief of the Imperial Navy.

The Alliance to Restore the Republic managed to obtain a copy of the technical readouts of the Death Star. The Rebel corvette carrying the stolen plans was captured by Darth Vader, but the plans themselves eluded the Dark Lord. During a meeting of the Joint Chiefs aboard the station, he argued with General Cassio Tagge of the Imperial Army over the effectiveness of the Death Star and the threat of the Rebellion in the Galactic Civil War. Tagge felt that the Rebel Alliance posed a threat to the battle station, whereas Motti was confident that the superweapon was invincible. Tagge also feared that the growing Rebel movement would gain sympathy in the Imperial Senate. However, the two were interrupted by Tarkin, who informed the officers present that the Senate had been recently dissolved by the Emperor himself.

The regional governors would now have direct control over systems, and the planets would not dare step out of line due to fear of the Death Star. However, Tagge continued to insist that the Rebellion was dangerous, especially if they had obtained a copy of the Death Star plans. Though Darth Vader&mdash;who had recently arrived to interrogate Princess Leia Organa&mdash;admitted that the plans were in the hands of the Rebellion, he proclaimed that soon the Empire would have them. Motti then boasted of the Death Star's power, claiming that it was the preeminent power in the galaxy. However, Vader rebutted this claim, warning Motti not to underestimate the power of the Force. Motti mocked Vader, insulting his devotion to the Force, alleging that it had not helped him recover the stolen Death Star plans or locate the Rebels' hidden base. In response, Vader simply Force choked him, relenting only when ordered to do so by Tarkin.

When the Death Star arrived near Organa's home planet of Alderaan, Motti informed Tarkin prior to Vader's return with the Princess in his possession. Tarkin threatened to destroy the planet if she did not reveal the location of the Alliance's base, and Organa informed them that the base was on Dantooine. Tarkin then ordered the Death Star's superlaser to fire when ready, shocking the princess. He felt that this would be a demonstration that would terrify the rest of the galaxy&mdash;fear would keep dissidents in line. A group of Rebels managed to make it aboard the Death Star, and succeeded in freeing Organa from her cell. They then fled in their ship, the Millennium Falcon. Imperial stormtroopers had placed a tracking device aboard the starship earlier, however, and the Empire was able to track the freighter to the Rebel base on a moon of the planet Yavin, which was located in in the Outer Rim.

A battle began between the Imperial and Rebel forces above the Death Star. When several X-wing fighters proved adept at evading the station's defenses, Vader manned his personal TIE fighter and attacked them. He began picking off the surviving fighters one by one, but Tarkin nevertheless began to worry that the Rebel attack posed a danger. However, the Alliance was aware of a flaw in the Death Star&mdash;a small, uncovered thermal exhaust port leading directly to the station's main reactor. Against all odds, and much to Tarkin's surprise, a Rebel X-wing piloted by Luke Skywalker succeeded in flying through the trench where the exhaust port was located, and successfully fired a pair of proton torpedoes into the shaft, causing the Death Star to explode, instantly killing all those on board, Motti included.

Personality and traits
"Any attack made by the Rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, no matter what technical data they've obtained. This station is now the ultimate power in the universe! I suggest we use it."

- Motti

Motti was loyal to Grand Moff Tarkin and held a rivalry against Vader. The admiral believed in the infallibility of the Death Star, feeling that any attack made by the Rebellion against the station would be a useless gesture doomed to fail. According to Leia Organa, Motti enjoyed one of the largest egos in the galaxy.

Behind the scenes
Motti first appeared in the film Star Wars, released in 1977. He was played by Richard LeParmentier, who was credited as "General Motti." Richard LeParmentier has stated that he is pleased to be remembered as Motti, and that he considers it an honor to have been part of Star Wars. LeParmentier was producing an animated fan film called Motti Now, in which Motti survives the Battle of Yavin and abandons the Empire.

Appearances

 * Tarkin
 * Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope
 * A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy
 * Darth Vader 1: Vader