Emarr Ottkreg

"We’re under attack." "That’s a common hazard during space battles."

- Ottkreg approaches Admiral Rae Sloane during the Battle of Endor

Colonel Emarr Ottkreg was a human male loyalty officer for the Imperial Security Bureau who was stationed on board the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Vigilance during the Battle of Endor. He was greatly disliked by Admiral Rae Sloane, commander of the Vigilance, and questioned her on her tactics as she gave commands during the battle, viewing the fighting himself on the Star Destroyer's holotank. The Colonel greatly enjoyed watching the destruction of the Rebels on the hologram, but began trying to give orders to the crew once the battle started turning against the Empire. Realising the Empire had lost and that the Death Star II was going to be destroyed, Sloane shot and killed Ottkreg rather than have to argue with him when she ordered a retreat.

Biography
"The rebel assault was doomed from the start. One last insignificant tantrum thrown by their terrorist movement."

- Ottkreg comments on the Battle of Endor as he watches it from the bridge of the Vigilance

Emarr Ottkreg was a human male Colonel from Pondakree who served as a loyalty officer and agent of the Galactic Empire's Imperial Security Bureau during the Galactic Civil War against the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Much to the disgust of its commander Admiral Rae Sloane, he was assigned to the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Vigilance shortly before the Battle of Endor. Unsure if Ottkreg's placement was the result of Galactic Emperor Palpatine's presence on board the Death Star II battle station or paranoia within the ISB, Sloane assigned her Executive officer Nymos Lyle to assist Ottkreg, trusting that he would also keep the agent well away from her.

Ottkreg was still onboard the Vigilance when the Rebel Alliance staged its attack on the Death Star above the moon Endor. During the battle, he made his way to the Star Destroyer's bridge with Lyle and approached Sloane while she commanded her crew. The Admiral led Ottkreg to the forward part of the bridge, so that the crew were less likely to overhear them, after which he questioned her on why the Vigilance was only assuming a defensive position and not attacking the Alliance Fleet. Sloane revealed that her orders had come directly from Admiral Firmus Piett, commander of the Imperial fleet, and beyond that most likely from the Emperor himself. The loyalty officer tried to parse Sloane's comments for disloyalty to the Empire, but was satisfied after she stated that Palpatine's plans were not to be questioned. After the agent asked how Sloane had identified three distant CR90 corvettes during a command, the Admiral brought up the bridges holotank so that Ottkreg could view a holographic display of the battle to better understand it, and also to keep him occupied and less distracting to her.

As Ottkreg keenly watched the destruction of the rebel forces on the holotank, Sloane realised that the fulcrum of the battle would be the fighting occurring on the moon below where the Death Star's shield generator was located and had her crew try and find out what was happening. When she recieved conflicting reports she ordered Lieutenant Habbel to personally contact the bunker for sitrep. This earned a contemptuous glance from Ottkreg, who then returned to the holotank to view more rebel deaths. He was forced to step back from the projection to refocus after Sloane had it changed to an image of the shield bunker, which had just been destroyed. Quickly the holotank was changed back to the full view of the battle, causing Ottkreg to splutter indignation when he saw that the Rebel starfighters were entering the now shield-less Death Star's superstructure.

The loyalty officer began shouting, but Sloane ignored him and ordered that Sapphire Squadron, her ship's contingent of TIE fighters, not pursue the rebels into the Death Star. Ottkreg began to object, but was silenced by Sloane, who then ordered the TIEs to return to the Vigilance. Ottkreg, by this time red in the face, tried to countermand the order and send the TIES in to attack, but Sloane cut him off and reminded him that he had no power to give such orders on her bridge, only to report on what she did. Ottkreg then turned away in disgust, as Lyle tried to change Sloane's mind, but the Admiral would not be swayed and ordered that the Vigilance move to flank position on Piett's Executor-class Star Dreadnought, the Executor. Before the Star Destroyer could reach the Dreadnought however, the Executor was destroyed as it plunged into the surface of the Death Star following the destruction of its command bridge. Remaining calm, Sloane asked for communications from the Death Star itself, but was informed that the chain of command had fragmented after orders had ceased to be given from the Emperor's throne room. Ottkreg refused to believe this was true, but Sloane accepted it and ordered that all remaining Imperial forces form up on her ship. The Colonel then commented that the Rebel coward were retreating as he viewed them on the holotank, at which point Sloane shot Ottkreg dead with her blaster pistol before giving the order for the Imperials to retreat in order to avoid the imminent destruction of the Death Star. His body fell through the holotank he had been viewing and crashed to the floor, rolling over so that even in death he still stared at the holodisplay of the fighting.

Personality and traits
"Another rebel ship destroyed! Easier than bagging lake-divers back home on Pondakree."

- Ottkreg eagerly watches as Rebel vessels are destroyed

Emarr Ottkreg served as a loyalty officer within the Empire, monitoring others Imperials for disloyalty to the Empire, and so when speaking to individuals like Admiral Rae Sloane he would parse their comments for anything he could report on. He himself was absolutely loyal to the Emperor, refusing to believe that Palpatine could have stopped issuing orders during the Battle of Endor and trying to force Sloane to use her TIE fighters to protect the Death Star, despite lacking the actual authority to do so. The power of the Death Star and the idea of using it to destroy Rebel worlds awed him, and he stared upon the battle station's superlaser with greed in his eyes. He considered the Alliance to Restore the Republic a group of fanatics and enjoyed watching the destruction of their ships above Endor, believing that their assault had been doomed from the start. He thought of the assault as a final attempt at resistance before their inevitable extinction, and hoped to one day tell his grandchildren about the day he saw the Rebellion die.

He was greatly disliked by Admiral Sloane, who was disgusted by his presence on board her ship and found it difficult not to provoke him while speaking to him. She believed he lacked any concept of personal space when talking to others. Ultimately, Sloane considered Ottkreg so out of touch with reality, that she shot him in order to avoid dealing with his objections as she ordered a retreat.

Behind the scenes
Emarr Ottkreg was created by author Jason Fry for his short story The Levers of Power, which was released as part of the The Rise of the Empire compilation book published in 2015.

Appearances

 * The Levers of Power