Wookieepedia:Featured article queue/April 29, 2010

Venka was a Human male officer in the Imperial Navy during the height of the Galactic Civil War. A native of the Imperial throne world of Coruscant, Venka had a spoiled childhood, raised the son of a wealthy industrialist. Venka attended one of the oldest military training academies in the Core Worlds, where his many connections helped him graduate at the top of his class.

After the Empire's catastrophe at the Battle of Yavin, Venka was one of many non-commissioned officers promoted to fill the hole of many of those considered the Imperial Navy's best lost in the destruction of the Death Star. Venka's academy connections earned him a prestigious assignment to the Super Star Destroyer Executor, the personal flagship of the Lord Darth Vader. During the Hoth campaign of 3 ABY, Venka served as a lieutenant on the Executor ' s bridge, under the command of Captain Firmus Piett.

Upon Vader's execution of Admiral Kendal Ozzel, the Executor ' s commanding officer, during the Battle of Hoth, the Executor ' s admiralty passed to Piett, although Piett denied Venka a similar promotion to captain, saying the remainder of the Hoth campaign would be a test of Venka's command abilities. Venka secretly detested Piett for this, but he nevertheless resolved to do his job the best he could. At the conclusion of the Hoth campaign, which ultimately saw the escape of the Rebel Alliance and Luke Skywalker, Vader's son, Piett finally granted Venka his promotion to captain.