Demetrius Zaarin

Demetrius Zaarin was an ambitious officer whose lust for power and prestige was unsatisfied even by his appointment as Grand Admiral at New Year Fete Week two years before the Battle of Yavin. A brilliant strategist and a gifted scientist, Zaarin was apointed head of Starfighter Research and Development, and soon began work on a new model of TIE fighter, the TIE Advanced.

However, just as Darth Vader concluded dealing with the treachery of Admiral Harkov, Zaarin launched a coup d'état, attempting to kidnap the Emperor, and hold him aboard Zaarin's flagship, HIMS Glory. Vice Admiral Thrawn's Star Destroyer arrived in time to drive Zaarin off, but he and his forces escaped unscathed, and thus began a lengthy and costly operation under Thrawn's command to stop him. His plans to install himself as dictator foiled, Zaarin retreated to the Outer Rim, where he stalemated Thrawn (recently appointed Grand Admiral to replace Zaarin himself). Finally, his technophilia proved to be his undoing, as he could not resist stealing the modified cloak-capable corvette Vorknkx; when he attempted to flee into hyperspace with the cloaking shield enabled, it malfunctioned catastrophically – due to sabotage arranged by Thrawn himself. Zaarin was killed instantly in the resultant explosion.