Sander Delvardus

"I'm not sharing my glory."

- Sander Delvardus

Sander Delvardus was an admiral in the Galactic Empire who became an independent warlord after the Battle of Endor. Delvardus originally served under Grand Moff Ardus Kaine, but after the death of Emperor Palpatine at Endor, he broke away from the Empire and formed the Eriadu Authority, an Imperial splinter faction. Delvardus succeeded in claiming part of the Rimma Trade Route before being forced to retreat to the Deep Core, where he joined forces with Palpatine, who had returned in a clone body. After the final death of Palpatine in 11 ABY, Delvardus again set out on his own and continued to build up his forces, which included the Super Star Destroyer Night Hammer.

In 12 ABY, Delvardus traveled to a conference at Tsoss Beacon with twelve other Imperial warlords. There, Admiral Natasi Daala proposed that the warlords ally to defeat the New Republic. However, they refused to unify, as they were hesitant to share their resources with the other warlords. Delvardus, for his part, saw the rest of the warlords as his rivals and did not want to share the glory that he felt awaited him when he defeated the New Republic. Daala responded to their decision by executing all of them, Delvardus included, with nerve-gas.

Biography
"I cannot leave the Empire in the hands of fools like you."

- Natasi Daala, to Delvardus and the other Imperial warlords

Sander Delvardus was a Human male  and an extended member of the Tarkin family who served the Galactic Empire under Grand Moff Ardus Kaine in the Seswenna sector. After the death of Emperor Palpatine at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Admiral Delvardus refused to follow Kaine as he formed the Pentastar Alignment, his break-away government. Instead, Delvardus became one of the first Imperial warlords, forming the Eriadu Authority, a splinter faction of the Empire, and at some point took the title of Superior General. Gaining a number of supporters, he moved Coreward from Eriadu, his headquarters, and was able to claim the Rimma Trade Route from Eriadu to Yag'Dhul, as well as a portion of the Hydian Way hyperlane. He also developed a rivalry with the competing warlord Moff Utoxx Prentioch. However, it was not long before he lost the approval of the ruling families on Eriadu. Whereas the families were content for Delvardus to defend the Eriadu system, he sought to invade the Core, an objective that also lost him support of the Imperial ace pilot Shea Hublin. However, Delvardus' ambitions were counteracted by the New Republic, a fledging galactic government that opposed the Empire, and under the command of Admiral Firmus Nantz, the New Republic First Fleet drove Delvardus' forces from the world Glova, which constrained the Superior General's influence, by preventing him from linking up with Imperial units in the Elrood sector and the Minos sector. Nantz pressed on, and Devardus had a run-in with New Republic Forces at the planet Moorja, which resulted in the destruction of Delvardus' Praetor Mark II-class battlecruiser Thalassa at the hands of a fleet of EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigates supported by BTL Y-wing bombers, although he himself managed to survive. In 5 ABY, Delvardus tried and failed to take control of the world Sullust; he was defeated by the Sullustan New Republic captain Sien Sovv, despite receiving aid from a reluctant Shea Hublin.

In the aftermath of his defeat at Sullust, Delvardus lost a series of battles on the borders of his territories, and the warlord fled to the Deep Core. There, he began construction of an Executor-class Star Dreadnought named the Night Hammer, though construction of the Super Star Destroyer cost a great deal. Delvardus eventually allied himself with Palpatine, who had used the Force technique of essence transfer to return in a clone body. In 10 ABY, when Palpatine launched Operation Shadow Hand, his strategy to regain control of the galaxy, Delvardus attacked the Core planet Metellos, where a New Republic fleet was stationed. The New Republic vessels were destroyed, and Delvardus then unleashed an orbital bombardment on the planet, killing over five billion people. After the final defeat of Palpatine in 11 ABY, Delvardus struck out on his own. Using a small, abandoned desert world far from its system's sun, Delvardus built up his forces and continued construction on the Night Hammer, taking Colonel Cronus as his second-in-command.

In 12 ABY, Delvardus was one of thirteen Imperial warlords summoned by Admiral Natasi Daala to Tsoss Beacon for a conference. Daala proposed that they ally themselves together, creating a mighty force that could bring down the New Republic. However, the warlords, Delvardus included, were not receptive to the idea. Delvardus remarked that he would not share his glory and felt that it was merely an attempt by Daala to seize power for herself. When Delvardus rose to leave, Daala triggered a switch, locking the doors in the conference room. She then informed them that the doors would remain locked for three hours, during which time she hoped the warlords would come to an agreement.

However, the thirteen warlords failed to come to a deal, refusing to let their rivals share any of their war matériel and the triumph that they felt awaited them. Angered, Daala released nerve-gas into the room. As the doors remained locked, and she and her ally, Gilad Pellaeon, were the only ones with breath masks, the warlords had no way to escape certain death. Struggling to stay conscious, Delvardus assembled a crude yet deadly knife from several of the medals that he wore. He attempted to stab Daala but collapsed and died before he could reach her.

With the warlords dead, Daala became the Supreme Commander of the United Warlord Fleets. She traveled to Delvardus's fortress, with several stormtroopers carrying his dead body on a frame. Informing Cronus that he would have one hour to decide if he wished to ally with Daala or be destroyed, Daala left both Delvardus's body and a holocube containing a recording of the meeting at Tsoss Beacon outside his fortress. Cowed by Daala's show of force, Cronus agreed to join with her, presenting the Night Hammer to her command.

Personality and traits
"I've heard enough. This is just a poorly disguised power grab."

- Sander Delvardus, to Natasi Daala

Delvardus was determined not to ally himself with any of the other Imperial warlords following the Battle of Endor. He did not want to divide any of his resources with them and felt that none of them deserved to share the glory that awaited him when he triumphed over the New Republic. Delvardus was very confident in himself and his ability to defeat the New Republic, despite being outmanned and outgunned. Daala believed that Delvardus, like all the other warlords, was a fool for his extreme self-confidence and staunch refusal to ally with the other warlords for the good of the Empire. Delvardus in turn believed that Daala's attempt to unify the warlords was nothing more than a thinly veiled power grab. When she poisoned the warlords, Delvardus's last act was forming a knife out of his medals and insignias, planning to stab Daala so that he could have revenge on her for unleashing the deadly toxin.

Delvardus had white eyebrows and brown hair. Daala considered him tall and skeletal-looking.

Behind the scenes
Sander Delvardus was created for Kevin J. Anderson's novel Darksaber, wherein he served as a minor character. Later reference books, such as Coruscant and the Core Worlds and The Essential Atlas, provided further information on him, including a first name, which was revealed by The Essential Atlas.

Appearances

 * Darksaber