Coh Veshiv

"A man of my rank deserves a cruiser to properly convey my importance. After all, that black-hearted lackey has a Star Destroyer under his personal whim. While I see no need to divert a Star Destroyer, a cruiser really isn't so much to ask, is it..."

- Imperial Advisor Coh Vishiv complains about his mode of transportation. Coh Veshiv was a Human male Imperial Advisor who oversaw the Darpa sector and Bormea sector, as well as the Ringali Shell, by 0 BBY. A former Senator, Veshiv was a master at discovering hidden secrets and blackmailing people, and used his talent to raise in the ranks of the Galactic Empire until he was part of Emperor Palpatine's Inner Circle. In 0 BBY, Veshiv left the planet Coruscant on a tour of the sectors he oversaw on the CR90 corvette Empire Forever after he irritated Palpatine. In 0 ABY, around three months after the start of his tour, Veshiv was kidnapped by the Alliance to Restore the Republic allied privateering crew of the former Imperial EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Far Orbit prior to his departure from the world of Esseles, after they convinced Veshiv to board the frigate under the false pretense of being an Imperial vessel. Veshiv was then handed over the Alliance.

Biography
"In other news, Imperial Center Security has announced the sudden and tragic death of Imperial Advisor Coh Veshiv in a space accident."

- Imperial HoloVison reporter Ashii Nermani contributes to the covering up of the capture of Veshiv.

Coh Veshiv was a male Human from a planet with plant life on it, and was heavily involved in the politics of the Galactic Empire. Prior to the Imperial Senate's dissolution in 0 BBY, Veshiv was a Senator. However, Veshiv built his career past this using an art he was a master at: the art of blackmailing. Veshiv used the secrets of other Imperial political members that he had discovered and traded favors for his silence. Using his skills at this art, Veshiv soon became a powerful member of the Imperial Court on the Imperial capital world of Coruscant, and rose to become an Imperial Advisor in the Inner Circle of Emperor Palpatine's court.

As an Imperial Advisor, Veshiv was responsible for the Darpa sector and the Bormea sector, and represented the Ringali Shell in the Imperial Court. The Advisor was also kept busy keeping the Moffs and Grand Moffs up to date with the Emperor's wishes. Veshiv reported certain secrets to Palpatine, who found the Imperial Advisor subtle and amusing. In 0 BBY, Veshiv inadvertently irritated Palpatine. During a search to find dirty secrets about one of the Grand Admirals, the Advisor discovered illegal transfers of money. After the Grand Admiral was not intimidated by Veshiv's blackmailing, the Advisor told Palpatine of these transfers. However, Palpatine was the one who had requested the Grand Admiral to use those diverted funds for top secret research on starfighters. Palpatine, who was annoyed at Veshiv for damaging the covert operation, had high ranking Imperial Advisor Sate Pestage send Veshiv away from Coruscant.

Veshiv was sent from Coruscant and started an inspection of the areas he looked after. For the inspection, Veshiv used the Empire Forever, a CR90 corvette under the helm of Captain Annance which had much of its interior room changed to recreational space for Veshiv. The Empire Forever also had an arboretum which housed plant life native to the Advisor's homeworld, and though it had been modified for speed and durability, was ordered to avoid combat to protect Veshiv. In 1 BBY, Veshiv and the Empire Forever arrived at the planet Esseles, almost three months after the start of the inspection tour. By then, Veshiv, who was unsatisfied with the corvette, had made multiple requests for a larger ship. Veshiv had also managed to annoy Annace, who was a patient man.

After three days stay at Esseles, the Empire Forever and Veshiv prepared to leave from jump point 180:45:115, near a Golan III Space Defense NovaGun, Platform 8127/121. However, prior to Veshiv's departure, the Imperial EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigate Far Orbit arrived near Esseles, and Captain Dhas Fenoep Vedij of the Far Orbit hailed the Empire Forever and offered to ferry around Veshiv for the next part of his journey, sending the orders he had received to do so to Annance. After Veshiv was informed of the transfer, he and his two aides Vestig and Pich, along with his group of veteran stormtrooper bodyguards, were transported to the Far Orbit by Veshiv's personal Lambda-class T-4a shuttle Myrenia.

As soon as Veshiv arrived on the ship, he started complaining that he wanted a cruiser, not a frigate. Once the EF76 entered hyperspace for Veshiv's next destination, the crew of the Far Orbit turned on Veshiv and his escort. Unbeknownst to Veshiv and the others, the crew of the frigate had become privateers for the Alliance to Restore the Republic after mutinying against Imperial control of the Far Orbit. After intercepting an Imperial transmission that pinpointed the location of Veshiv, the Far Orbit and its crew had decided to try to capture the Advisor. As the crew attempted to take Veshiv, the stormtrooper guards fought back, trying to go for the bridge to send for help. This caused a firefight to erupt in the corridors of the vessel. In the end, the crew overwhelmed Veshiv's guards, and they captured the Imperial Advisor.

Veshiv was sent to the brig, and he told the crew of the Far Orbit many Imperial political secrets that were useless to them in exchange for his continued health. Veshiv was eventually handed over to the Alliance for a ransom of undefined10,000.

After the loss of Veshiv to privateers, the Imperials dedicated resources to finding and eliminating the threat of the Far Orbit. Palpatine was angry at Grand Moff Osvald Teshik, who commanded the oversector that contained Esseles, for letting Rebel allied privateers take Veshiv, and sent Teshik on a suicide mission to the world of Andalia. To cover up the disappearance of Veshiv, Imperial HoloVision reported that Veshiv had died after his shuttle hit a stray asteroid while he was on the inspection tour. Imperial HoloVision also stated that the Empire had yet to find a replacement for Veshiv.

Personality and traits
"She was reported in the Esseles system two days ago. She has captured Imperial Advisor Coh Vishiv, a valued and loyal servant of our master."

- Imperial Advisor Sate Pestage informs Captain Vocis Kenit that the Far Orbit captured Veshiv. Veshiv was vain, and both gluttonous and consumptive. The Advisor was in a bad physical state, with an unhealthy pallor and overall bad health. Possessing a sharp mind and memory, Veshiv was knowledgeable in the secrets of the Imperial Court. Obsessive about the secrets of others, Veshiv had a particular talent in discovering secrets, improprieties, and embarrassing facts about other Imperial political members. Veshiv was also a master at blackmailing, and used this and the secrets he discovered to rise in political rank. He would usually use a lesser secret to start the extortion, before eventually revealing how he knew more important things. In exchange for his silence on certain secrets he knew, Veshiv would receive favors from those he blackmailed.

After being sent away from Coruscant on the Empire Forever, Veshiv was annoyed that he was on a corvette, which was not any better than the ships that transported Veshiv when he was a Senator. The lack of an important vessel to transport him sat uneasily with Veshiv; Pestage had actually arranged this as an insult. Upon finally receiving a better ship than a corvette, he immediately complained that it was a frigate and not a cruiser. Self centered, Veshiv was considered annoying by most people, including Annace and even the crew of the Far Orbit. A coward, Veshiv sweated as the battle was fought on the Far Orbit.

Behind the scenes
Coh Veshiv was first mentioned in 1998's The Far Orbit Project, by Timothy S. O'Brien. The book was a supplement to West End Games's Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game and was a sequel of sorts to the previous publication Pirates & Privateers, carrying on that book's theme by following the privateering vessel Far Orbit. Capturing Coh Veshiv was the third outlined mission in the book. Released later in 1998, the Star Wars Encyclopedia contained an entry for Veshiv. The Advisor was also mentioned in The Essential Guide to Warfare, written by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart and published in 2012.

Although the mission in The Far Orbit Project suggested that players lure Coh Veshiv onto the Far Orbit, players could capture him any way they wanted. The book outlines two different ways the battle over Veshiv could be fought, depending on when the crew tries to capture Veshiv after he is on the Far Orbit. If the players attempt to seize Veshiv prior to when they enter hyperspace, it is possible for the Myrenia and her pilots to warn the Golan III space station and the Empire Forever of the Far Orbit true colors. If a warning is released, the Golan III and the CR90 would attempt to stop the frigate. However, if the crew jumps on Veshiv after they enter hyperspace, the shuttle cannot warn them. This article assumes that they entered hyperspace before trying to seize Veshiv.