Herrit

"I must once again respectfully request that you tell Lord Vader to stop killing my men....If he doesn't want to talk to them, can't the man say no like anybody else?"

- Major Herrit, in a communique to Emperor Palpatine

Major Herrit was an officer with Imperial Intelligence. His responsibilities included gathering information on both enemies and potential allies of the Galactic Empire, and sending these profiles to such leaders as Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader.

Shortly after the Battle of Yavin, he was responsible for gathering brief intelligence profiles on Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa which were sent to Emperor Palpatine himself. Sometime before the Battle of Hoth, he also profiled several bounty hunters, including Boba Fett, Bossk, Dengar, IG-88, and Zuckuss in a profile sent to Darth Vader. At some point, he also profiled every member of The Fatal Visionaries, as well as their ship, The Fatal Vision.

Despite being entrusted with these important intelligence-gathering duties, Herrit and his staff had a troubled relationship with Lord Vader. In one incident, while Herrit was researching a dossier on Luke Skywalker, Vader killed some of Herrit's agents who tried to ask him questions about the Force. Herrit complained to the Emperor about Vader killing his agents at least twice.

Herrit also carried out counterintelligence operations against the Alliance to Restore the Republic. In one such mission, he had every Imperial installation in the Rolion Sector report a separate malfunction. Since Imperial cryptographers had previously broken the Rebel codes used in Rolion Sector, Imperial Intelligence was able to intercept the transmissions which mentioned that a target code-named "Understar" was undergoing gravitational fluctuation malfunctions. Herrit was thus able to indentify the target as a communication station in Fara's Belt, allowing Imperial TIE fighters to wait in ambush and destroy an entire squadron of Rebel B-wings in the ensuing battle.

He was also involved with Obo Rin's project to write a Catalog of Intelligent Life in the Galaxy. Herrit worked under Darth Vader and Lieutenant Pandur in this matter, which eventually led to his downfall.

Though Herrit admitted that Rin's work on the project appeared compentent, Herrit became suspicious of Rin's activities. Herrit was concerned about Rin's expense accounts, which by the time the first installment of the Catalog was ready to be sent to Lord Vader had ballooned to nearly one million credits. The major also ran a background check on Rin, and discovered that Rin's credentials as a sentientologist were dubious. Among other things, Rin claimed to be Director of Sentientology at the Academy at Sab Rufo, even though Herrit's information made it appear that neither the Academy nor Sab Rufo existed. Herrit sent these findings to Darth Vader, and instructed the Office of Budgetary Control to withhold payment to Rin. It was Major Herrit's opinion that Imperial Intelligence or experts from the Imperial Bureau of Resource Research would have been better suited for the project.

Instead of being commended, Herrit was reprimanded by Lord Vader's aide Captain Solistein. Solistein did not refute Herrit's findings in detail, aside from a claim that Vader had visited Sab Rufo. Solistein, on Vader's authority, insisted that Rin be reimbursed and allowed to continue his work. Solistein also told Herrit to assist Rin in obtaining a Duinuogwuin corpse for dissection, noting that Vader had "suggested" Herrit handle the matter personally.

Herrit died during that mission, allowing Rin to produce the Catalog of Intelligent Life in the Galaxy, Revised Edition without interference.

Behind the scenes
Major Herrit is mentioned in both editions of Galaxy Guide 4: Alien Races. In the first edition, the communique Herrit sent to Darth Vader is included. The reply from Captain Solistein sending Herrit after a Duinwuoguin cadaver is also included.

In the second edition, however, both communiques are omitted. Instead, correspondence from Obo Rin is quoted which mentions Herrit's death.

Herrit's rank of Major conflicts with other sources which say that Imperial Intelligence officers did not hold military ranks.