Bertroff Hissa

"&hellip;to my fellow grand moffs, and to the grand admirals, other officers, stormtroopers, bounty hunters, slavelords, and slaves, I bid you all Dark Greetings!"

- Grand Moff Bertroff Hissa

Bertroff Hissa was a near-Human Imperial Grand Moff who was the leading figure in an attempt to overthrow Ysanne Isard as the head of the Galactic Empire in 5 ABY. Of both Human and non-Human blood, Hissa operated out of the Kessel system during the Galactic Civil War, becoming allies with Trioculus, a three-eyed slavelord. After Emperor Palpatine's death at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Hissa founded the Central Committee of Grand Moffs, who installed Trioculus as their figurehead, claiming he was the son of Emperor Palpatine.

The only person barring Trioculus's ascension to Emperor was Kadann, the Supreme Prophet of the Dark Side; gaining his dark blessing was integral to Hissa's scheme. Although Kadann initially gave Trioculus his dark blessing, he soon rescinded it, claiming the title of Emperor for himself. Trioculus was initially thought to have been killed by the Prophets, though he survived, and along with Hissa and the other Moffs began plotting as to how he would regain his throne. Trioculus, however, was killed by members of the Rebel Alliance, leaving Hissa and the Moffs to face the wrath of Kadann alone. The Supreme Prophet sentenced him to a slow and painful death, though before his execution could take place, Hissa was taken to the fourth moon of the planet Yavin, where Kadann was searching for the Lost City of the Jedi. Hissa was killed when Kadann sent him on a reconnaissance mission into a possible location of the city, which was in fact a decoy, filled with molten lava.

Early life and career
Born to a Human father and a Sephi mother, Bertroff Hissa hailed from the barren, uncharted planet of PL-40112-CE-021105, located within the Wild Space region of the galaxy. His parents, a couple of former political agitators and counter-culturalists, had decided to migrate there in their quest for a "simple and natural" life. Because of his isolated upbringing, the young Hissa became something of a loner, not forming friendships easily. However, his life changed forever when he first encountered the Galactic Empire, a galaxy-wide autocratic government led by Emperor Palpatine. At that time, a delegation of Imperial surveyors came to the planet, led by Commander Panaka, a dark-complexioned Human from the world of Naboo. The offworlders inadvertently awakened a group of Rozzum. Those interdimensional creatures had been dropped there long ago by the Order of the Terrible Glare, a violent splinter group of the Jedi Order formed during the Pius Dea crusades. Although the Imperials came with many speciesist biases, the Rozzum were more horrifying than any other "alien" they had witnessed in their lives. In that situation, both the Imperials and the natives of PL-40112-CE-021105 joined forces to combat the monsters. Hissa and his parents were also conscripted into the ranks by order of Commander Panaka. The improvised alliance between the Empire and the Near-Humans was triumphant, but only Hissa and Panaka survived the struggle. Following that victory, Hissa began a long and unlikely career within the Galactic Empire's ranks despite its xenophobic and Human supremacist nature. While in the Imperial Military, Hissa faced crushing prejudice for his Near-Human status, although Panaka fought for the alien and supported him up until the latter's promotion to Moff of his native Chommell sector.

Grand Moff
Eventually, Hissa ended up promoted to Grand Moff, being one of the few aliens within the Empire to ever reach that rank. He likewise learned that most of his peers aboard the "Moffship," especially Grand Admiral Rufaan Tigellinus, were xenophobic of aliens. The latter in particular claimed he was allergic to the even the merest whiff of alien blood. As such, Hissa's origins, due to his rarely discussing his past, were largely unknown, though his jaws made clear to the Imperials that he was of part-Human part-alien descent, with razor-sharp teeth and tapered ears, the former of which he had personally filed down specifically to intimidate others. Both due to his unusual features and his highly classified past, rumors also circulated that he either possessed Devaronian or Pau'an genetics, or otherwise was a Twi'lek who had lopped off his own brain tails. Hissa had not only encouraged these rumors, he in fact started them. He had a receding hairline, though his dark eyebrows were extremely bushy, and he had a thick beard on the end of his chin. Hissa was one of few non-Humans to work his way up through the ranks and achieve a powerful position in the Galactic Empire, eventually becoming the Grand Moff of a sector in the Outer Rim Territories, which included the planet Kessel, where Hissa operated from. He made several enemies during his time as Moff, among them Rufaan Tigellinus, who despised Hissa due to his alien origin, and sought to have him discredited. However, Hissa managed to keep his position, and was one of few Imperials to report directly to Emperor Palpatine. During his time on Kessel, Hissa became a close friend of a three-eyed slaver named Trioculus; impressed by the man's loyalty and dedication to the Imperial cause, Hissa aided him in becoming Lord Overseer and Supreme Slavelord of the Kessel spice mines. By the end of the Galactic Civil War, Hissa held considerable influence with the other Moffs, and was generally looked up to. Another close personal friend of Hissa's was Quorl Matrin, an Imperial governor who represented the Gordian Reach. Matrin referred to Hissa by his nickname, "Troff," and often performed impersonations of his superiors, to Hissa's amusement. The two kept in contact even when Matrin was away, such as when he went to the planet Stenos to study the Stenax species. Matrin intended to keep Hissa up to date during his expedition, including his difficulty getting the attention of natives, though their relationship ended soon after the trip began, as Quorl was ripped to pieces by the Stenax.

Struggle for power
"We were in desperate need of a new leader. We couldn't keep fighting among ourselves, warlord against warlord. The lower-ranking officers and common stormtroopers knew there were rumors that a three-eyed son existed who had a legal right to his father's throne. And so&mdash;" "So you decided your new leader had to be a man with three eyes. Someone the grand moffs thought they could trust. One who could claim to be the Emperor's son without arousing suspicion."

- Grand Moff Hissa and Supreme Prophet Kadann discuss the Moffs' plans

In 4 ABY, Emperor Palpatine and his enforcer, Darth Vader, were killed in the Battle of Endor, leaving a massive power vacuum in the ranks of the Empire. Many successors to Palpatine were put forward, with former Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard eventually gaining the backing of most of the remnants of Palpatine's Empire. Hissa and many of his fellow Moffs, however, sought to retain their power, and formed the Central Committee of Grand Moffs in an attempt to steal power from Isard, with Hissa being made the Committee's leader. Stationed on their own Moffship, the Committee included such senior Moffs as Muzzer, Thistleborn and Dunhausen. Hissa's former enemy, Rufaan Tigellinus, was one whom many saw as a potential leader in place of Hissa; in response to this threat, Hissa presented Tigellinus with a demeaning offer&mdash;a place on the Committee&mdash;knowing the man would be executed if he refused. Tigellinus's friend, Moff Vilim Disra, manipulated him, telling him to refuse. When he did so, Hissa and his fellow Committee members reacted with fury and had him killed, while Disra took his seat and the majority of his assets.

While many Imperials sided with the Committee of Grand Moffs, the majority remained loyal to Isard. The Moffs knew of the existence of an heir to Palpatine's throne: his three-eyed son, Triclops, whom he had rejected and banished to the spice mines of Kessel. Many rumors surrounded Triclops, and Hissa and his fellow Moffs knew that if they had him as a figurehead, they would gain the support of much of the Imperial forces, and would be able to overthrow Isard and claim rule of the galaxy. There were, however, many complexities about installing Triclops as the new Emperor; the three-eyed man was thought to be insane, and Hissa knew he would slowly destroy the Empire. Thus, Hissa kept Triclops's existence secret, and brought Trioculus, his old ally from Kessel, into the fray.

Another three-eyed mutant, Trioculus was a far more suitable Emperor in the Committee's minds; he lusted for power, and the Moffs knew that if they made him the public leader and showed unswerving loyalty towards him, he would allow them to make his decisions. If Trioculus was put forward as a candidate, it would allow the committee true power, and the man would arouse little suspicion by claiming to be Palpatine's son. They also fitted him with implants, which could give the illusion of Force lightning, further evidence that Trioculus was Palpatine's son. However, the Prophets of the Dark Side, led by an impostor of Supreme Prophet Kadann, had made a false prophecy, stating that the new Emperor would wear the glove of Darth Vader, which had reportedly survived the destruction of the second Death Star above Endor. The prophets held considerable influence during Palpatine's reign, so, although they recognized Trioculus as the new Emperor, Hissa and the Moffs decided to search for the glove, hoping to receive Kadann's dark blessing.

Meeting on Kessel
"We have gathered here today to mark a new beginning. The destruction of our latest Death Star was but a temporary setback. The Rebels have yet to see the full fury of our power and our might. We are developing even more advanced weapons, and when we are done, we shall rule the entire galaxy and crush the Rebel Alliance."

- Hissa at the Imperial convocation on Kessel

Hissa and his companions called an Imperial meeting at Kessendra Stadium on Kessel, where they unveiled the new Emperor in front of dozens of high-ranking Imperials. Hissa greeted the large audience, which was made up of many individuals of varying Imperial ranks. He told them that the Emperor's death, Vader's death, and the destruction of the Death Star were nothing but minor setbacks; the Rebels had yet to see their true power and might, and with new weapons on the horizon, Hissa's Empire would destroy the Rebel Alliance and rule the galaxy. To the attendees' great surprise, Hissa announced that Palpatine's line continued, and presented to them Trioculus.

Immediately, however, people began to question Trioculus's right to rule. An Imperial Royal Guard told them that Admiral Josef Grunger had proclaimed himself the new leader of the Empire, though Hissa and Trioculus were unfazed, with the three-eyed slavelord telling the congregation that he would soon deal with Grunger. Another questioned Trioculus, noting that he did not possess the glove of Darth Vader, and thus could not have received Kadann's blessing. Furious at their doubt, Trioculus used his implants to electrocute them, instantly gaining the fear and respect of many other members at the meeting. With many admirals and Moffs pledging their allegiance to Trioculus and the Central Committee of Grand Moffs, Hissa and the mutant departed the stadium, triumphant.



Although many now recognized Trioculus as Emperor, Hissa was left with a difficult situation. Receiving Kadann's blessing would gain them many supporters, and the Prophets themselves would be powerful allies to have. Yet should another find the glove and present it to the Supreme Prophet, then the Committee would lose their power and credibility. Hissa was determined not to let that happen, and knew that he must find the glove before anyone else did. It was, though, a difficult task. They had probe droids search the Moddell sector, while every Imperial loyal to Hissa was on the lookout for the glove.

While their agents were working non-stop in the search for Vader's glove, Hissa and the other Moffs met with Trioculus in his mansion on Kessel. The mutant wanted a new secret base of operations, and asked the Committee for their input. This experience was new to them, as neither Vader nor Palpatine had cared for their opinions. After several suggestions, Hissa stumbled onto something Trioculus supported: Hoth, where the Empire had defeated the Rebel Alliance two years earlier. As they ordered every warlord and admiral loyal to them to take their troops to Hoth, Grand Admiral Miltin Takel, in a spice-induced haze, told Trioculus he was acting hastily. Trioculus stunned Takel, while Hissa executed his superior's unspoken order, shooting Takel with his side-arm.

The elusive glove
"Find me the glove of Darth Vader!"

- Trioculus speaks to Hissa and the other Moffs

Several days passed, and the glove had yet to be located. Hissa and Trioculus were growing worried&mdash;the only reported sighting was in fact a droid hand, something that was of little use to the two males. Finally, they discovered the location of the glove: Mon Calamari, the ocean planet of the Mon Calamari species. Captain Dunwell had been sent by the Empire to hunt the local Whaladons, who were considered a delicacy by the Committee. Dunwell had discovered what he thought was wreckage from the Death Star, and had seen a glove through his team's x-ray surveys. Hissa and Trioculus traveled to Calamari immediately, where Dunwell showed them the x-rays. Although the Death Star exploded on the other side of the galaxy from Calamari, the debris had passed through a black hole, and found itself on the ocean floors of Calamari. After convincing them it was the glove, Dunwell transported them to the wreckage in his Whaladon-hunting submarine.

They eventually reached the wreckage, and Trioculus retrieved the glove alone, while Hissa remained with Dunwell in the submarine. Trioculus soon returned, and the glove fit his hand perfectly. Meanwhile, Luke Skywalker and Admiral Gial Ackbar had traveled to Calamari in an attempt to free the Whaladons, and had spotted Trioculus on board Dunwell's submarine. The Jedi's submarine was captured by Dunwell's vessel, though Skywalker managed to infiltrate it and set it to self-destruct. Trioculus and Skywalker fought, though Skywalker's Jedi powers proved too strong for Trioculus; Luke subdued him, before fleeing the ship. With just two minutes left on the countdown, Hissa and Trioculus fled in an escape sub, leaving Dunwell behind&mdash;he had been spying on them, and learned that Trioculus was not who he said he was. They eventually escaped and, although they almost perished and were forced to leave Dunwell to die, the mission was ultimately successful, as they had recovered the glove.

With the glove now successfully secured, Hissa and Trioculus journeyed to the space station Scardia in the Null Zone, to gain Kadann's dark blessing and acceptance of Trioculus as the rightful heir to the throne of the late Palpatine. In truth Kadann was an impostor, and was incapable of making a single prophecy&mdash;he got his information from a series of spy networks, and often made sure his prophecies came true, happily resorting to bribery, sabotage and treachery to do so.

The Lost City of the Jedi
"I think you should send those Rebels an ultimatum&mdash;a warning so terrible they won't be able to ignore it."

- Hissa suggests a possible scheme to Trioculus, intended to force the location of the Lost City of the Jedi from SPIN

They met with High Prophet Jedgar, who led them to Kadann. Hissa announced that Trioculus was Palpatine's son, though Kadann saw through the lie. The Grand Moff and his friend conferred together; Hissa knew of Kadann's network of spies, and told Trioculus that the man knew everything and thus could not be deceived. At Hissa's urging, Trioculus agreed to reveal their secrets and plans to Kadann, knowing that any attempts at deception would not be successful. They told Kadann everything, including Hissa's reasons behind installing Trioculus as the Emperor. Kadann understood, and was not angry at them for lying to him; they showed him the glove and asked for his blessing, though the Prophet had yet another vague prophecy. He told them that there was a Jedi Prince in the Lost City of the Jedi on Yavin 4 that could destroy him. Trioculus vowed to track down and kill this Jedi Prince, and Kadann gave him his dark blessing.



Hissa and Trioculus were tasked with a difficult objective. Although Kadann had given them a vague pointer as to where the city was situated, it would take days to find it, and the supreme prophet suggested they find the Jedi Prince as soon as possible. Together, the two men formulated a plan: they would issue the Senate Planetary Intelligence Network an ultimatum so terrible that the Rebels would have to give them the location of the city, which Trioculus was sure they would know. They sent masses of probe droids to the moon, locating SPIN's base of operations. Having done so, they sent a droid, armed with a self-destruct mechanism, into the Rebels' meeting place, with such leaders as Mon Mothma, Ackbar, Leia Organa, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo present. Hissa and Trioculus watched the proceedings in orbit, through minute cameras installed on the droid. They witnessed the Rebels attempting to destroy the droid, which evaded their every move. After several moments watching the pandemonium in the Rebel chambers, Trioculus made a statement to SPIN, telling them that unless they told him the location of the Lost City of the Jedi within twenty seconds, the droid would detonate, killing them all. In truth, neither Skywalker nor the others knew where the city lay, so they desperately tried to destroy the droid before it could destroy them. Trioculus's plans were foiled, however, when Skywalker destroyed the droid with his lightsaber. Trioculus was unfazed, though; he and Hissa had a back-up plan, and he had found his "future wife," Leia Organa, whom he had instantly fallen in love with.

Hissa had hundreds of Imperial vehicles burn down the forests of Yavin 4, which were barring them from locating the "round wall of green marble" that Kadann had described. It would, however, have unforeseen consequences for Trioculus and his allies. Although he had kept quiet about it previously, Vader's glove was having detrimental effects on the mutant's health. His eyesight had slowly deteriorated until he was unable to see, and Hissa searched for a cure. The Empire had captured a Ho'Din healer named Baji during their purges of the forests, and brought him before Hissa and Trioculus, hoping he would be able to cure their leader's eyesight. The Ho'Din provided them with a temporary cure of kibo seeds, though his stock was running low, and the Empire was currently burning down the rest of the kibo plants. Desperate, Hissa's master climbed into Baji's home to snatch the remainder of the seeds, though he returned with heavy burns to the skin. He eventually decided to shed the glove, having his droid create a replica, though he kept it with him at all times.

Their efforts to find the Lost City ended in failure, and the Jedi Prince, named Ken, was taken in by Luke Skywalker and the other members of SPIN. Hissa and his master vowed to destroy the Rebels, and put a bounty on Ken.

A shift in power
"There is no place for whatsoever in Kadann's plans for Trioculus. Nor shall there be for you, unless you kneel at once and pledge your undying loyalty to Kadann as your only true leader!"

- High Prophet Jedgar announces Kadann's usurpation of power

Although they had yet to capture the elusive Jedi Prince, Hissa and Trioculus began to operate separately for a time, with the Grand Moff focusing on capturing Ken, while Trioculus sought to win over Princess Leia. Hissa even pinned up advertising for the bounty onto walls personally, and was doing so in the Mos Eisley cantina when Zorba Desilijic Tiure returned from his lengthy prison sentence on the planet Kip, searching for his son Jabba. Hissa told him what had happened, that Princess Leia Organa had strangled him during the Battle of the Great Pit of Carkoon one year previously. Happy at the pain he had caused the Hutt, Hissa departed Mos Eisley, acting alone while Trioculus furthered his own means.



While Hissa was absent, Trioculus furthered his efforts to capture Princess Leia and make her his own. Ken was taken captive by Zorba, while Trioculus managed to kidnap Princess Leia. Zorba wanted to punish the Alderaanian for the murder of his son, while Trioculus wanted to get his hands on the Jedi Prince. A trade-off did not suit each of the men's needs, and ultimately Trioculus's stormtroopers fought with Zorba's forces, resulting in Trioculus being encased in a slab of carbonite on Bespin. The Moffs, though, had a plan.

Zorba had become the Baron Administrator of Cloud City, so he commanded the entire Cloud City police force. The Chief of the Cloud Police, however, was Imperially-aligned, and contacted the Moffs with the location of the carbonite-encased Trioculus. They formulated a plan, and, under cover of darkness, transferred Trioculus's body onto their Imperial Strike Cruiser. Hissa was delighted when his master was brought on board, but before they could free him from the carbonite, High Prophet Jedgar arrived on the Scardia Voyager, demanding Trioculus's body be handed over to the Prophets of the Dark Side.

Hissa was perplexed, as Kadann had already given Trioculus his dark blessing. Yet Jedgar was adamant, and told Hissa that Kadann no longer recognized Trioculus as Emperor. He ordered the Moff to pledge his allegiance to the Prophets, and when Hissa refused, the High Prophet produced a file of the Moff's activities, thicker than the rest of the Moffs' files combined. He showed Hissa just one page, and the Humanoid swore an oath of allegiance to Kadann. Jedgar had the block of carbonite transferred to his ship, and had Hissa accompany him on a mission to the planet Duro. The Grand Moff had no knowledge as to why they were going to Duro, as Kadann was barring the Committee from accessing top-secret information. The Supreme Prophet had staged a coup, and was now in complete control of the Empire.

Debacle on Duro
"I lost my arms and legs in what you might call an industrial accident, your Lordship."

- Hissa tells Trioculus of the incident on Duro



En route to Duro, Hissa's ship encountered the Millennium Falcon, a vessel owned by Han Solo, hero of the Rebellion. Seeing an opportunity to gain favor with Jedgar and the Prophets, Hissa had his most skilled gunners fire on the ship, and although they caused damage to the ship, Solo was able to outmaneuver them and escape to Duro's surface. They landed on Duro, and Hissa finally learned the reason for their visit&mdash;Triclops had escaped, and Jedgar needed to recapture him. Meanwhile, Kadann had Trioculus's block of carbonite destroyed on his space station, giving the Prophets complete power over the Central Committee of Grand Moffs.

They did not know where Triclops was, though they knew he would be unable to escape the valley where his asylum was located without any form of vehicle. Using a massive drill, they broke through the roof of a cavern, where they encountered several of the prominent members of the Rebel Alliance, as well as Triclops and Ken, the Jedi Prince. Noticing Ken, Jedgar ordered Hissa to take the boy hostage; the Grand Moff did so, forcing Luke Skywalker to halt his attack. Skywalker dropped his weapon at Hissa's demand, though Triclops, who had joined the Rebels, used his third eye to conjure a strong magnetic force, which pulled Ken away from Hissa. Triclops then approached Hissa, hoping to take his revenge for the Moff's part in having him locked up. However, before Triclops could do him any harm, Hissa fell into a pool of acidic liquid which had leaked from Tiercam Dam. With the valley crumbling around them, the Imperials and Rebels fled, leaving Hissa practically alone, screaming in pain at the affects of the acids.

Mofference
"Kadann hates us because we were loyal to Trioculus to the very end. But with Trioculus as Emperor, at least we had influence and shared the rule of the Empire."

- Moff Thistleborn speaks with Hissa and the others at the Mofference

Trapped in the acid, Hissa lost his arms and legs; abandoned by Jedgar and the Prophets, he was saved by a solitary stormtrooper, who pulled him out of the bubbling acid minutes before it consumed his entire body. The Grand Moff was fitted with mechanical arms&mdash;taken from a malfunctioning JMM assassin droid&mdash;though his legs were unable to be fitted with replacements, so he was confined to a hoverchair for the remainder of his life. Furious at his abandonment at the hands of Jedgar, he called a Mofference with his fellow Committee members on their Moffship in orbit around Tatooine, to discuss how to gain their revenge on the Prophets who had stolen their power. Many rumors were surfacing; among them, that Kadann planned to disband the Committee and demote each Moff, assigning them unsavory duties on backwater worlds.

Their meeting, however, was soon interrupted; MD-5, Trioculus's old personal droid, entered, telling them that Zorba's the Hutt's personal starship, the Zorba Express, was in range of their tractor beams. With the approval of the other Moffs, Hissa had the Moffship pull in the Zorba Express, hoping to exact their revenge on the Hutt gangster.

The few loyal stormtroopers they had boarded the ship, taking Zorba and his Barabel bodyguard Tibor hostage. Hissa however, soon smelled carbonite, and had the ship thoroughly searched. They soon found Trioculus, encased in a block of carbonite. Zorba had left but a replica in the Cloud City museum, fooling the Empire while he kept the real block close to himself. They unfroze Trioculus, and Hissa spent several minutes informing him of all that had happened while he was unconscious. Trioculus then threatened Zorba with death, though the Hutt made a deal with Hissa and Trioculus: he would give them Princess Leia in return for his freedom. Leia was located on the Zorba Express; Trioculus asked for her hand in matrimony, though she immediately refused. He forced her into marriage regardless, hoping to gain favor by killing Zorba. He had the Hutt thrown into the sarlacc pit, though this simply repulsed Leia further.



Trioculus wanted the marriage to take place as soon as possible; Hissa was to read a passage from the Dark Book of Imperial Justice before marrying them aboard the Moffship. SPIN, however, had caught wind of Leia's kidnapping; before the wedding could take place, Skywalker, Solo and Lando Calrissian replaced Leia with a Human replica droid. The Leia Organa HRD was indistinguishable from the real Leia, and neither Hissa nor Trioculus noticed that anything was amiss. The wedding began as planned, with Hissa reading from the Dark Book of Imperial Justice, though soon the Leia Organa HRD displayed its advanced weaponry, shooting a laser bolt at Trioculus's chest. Hissa immediately fired at the HRD many times, destroying it, though Trioculus was badly injured.

Hissa and MD-5 worked hard to save Trioculus's life, though they knew he would not remain alive for much longer. On his deathbed, Trioculus warned Hissa, who had remained loyal to him all along, of Kadann, saying he would stop at nothing to destroy and discredit the Moffs. Hissa especially was in danger, as he had been the most loyal to Trioculus, and had disobeyed the Prophets. The former Emperor asked his friend to kill Luke Skywalker before passing away. He was cremated, his ashes sent on pods in all directions of space.

Death
"No, Kadann, noooooo!"

- Bertroff Hissa's death

Zorba, meanwhile, had survived his visit to the Sarlacc's innards&mdash;one of very few things the Sarlacc found indigestible was Hutt meat. Desperate for revenge on Hissa, he traveled to Scardia to meet with Kadann, telling him of the Moff's treachery. The Prophets' network of spies had already discovered this, and several Star Destroyers were on the lookout for the Moffship. Kadann was also looking to find the Lost City of the Jedi, hoping to find the secrets of the Jedi Knights and to destroy the Rebellion.



The Supreme Prophet did not take long to locate the Moffs; he captured them and put them on trial in his space station above Scardia. Accused of treason against the Empire, Moffs Thistleborn, Dunhausen and Muzzer pleaded guilty, though Hissa denied the charges. He shouted that he should be treated like an Imperial war hero, as he had lost his limbs on a mission for Kadann, and that Zorba's testimony should not be trusted. Kadann made a prophecy of the result, and gave it to the jurors, telling them not to let it influence their decision. They found the Moffs guilty, though they proclaimed that Hissa was the guiltiest, and that he should be punished accordingly. While Kadann gave the other Moffs sentences on harsh worlds, he sentenced Hissa to a slow and painful death. The Grand Moff would be starved, and then, at the brink of insanity, served a meal of parasite-infested biscuits. The parasites would then slowly eat him from the inside out, until he was dead.

Before he could even comprehend his fate, Hissa was taken to Yavin 4, where Imperial spies had apparently located the Lost City of the Jedi. Soon, however, Kadann began to doubt the accuracy of his information, and sent Hissa&mdash;chained to his hoverchair&mdash;down into the city to see if it was safe. His suspicions were proved correct; the Grand Moff was soon met with a gush of molten lava, and died instantly.

Personality and traits
Moff Hissa was a scheming individual, and often went behind others' backs in order to further his own means. Extremely power-hungry, Hissa refused to be a small-time player under Ysanne Isard's rule, forming the Central Committee of Grand Moffs and creating yet another schism during the post-Endor Empire. Yet even after the formation of the Committee, Hissa craved more power, installing Trioculus as a figurehead Emperor, while he and the other Moffs held the true power within the Empire. Although he often operated behind his allies' backs, Hissa was very loyal, to both the Empire and his fellow Moffs. Strangely, he also had great respect for Trioculus&mdash;who was in truth nothing more than Hissa's puppet&mdash; staying loyal to him when it would have been easier to simply side with Kadann and accept his rule. The two may also have empathized with each other, as they were two of very few non-Humans to reach significant positions within the Humanocentric Empire. Despite essentially using him to further his own power, Hissa was extremely helpful to Trioculus, and attempted to cater for his every need, be it taking him hunting to reduce his stress, assisting him in courting Princess Leia, or finding him a cure for his eyesight.

Hissa was also quite brave, however, and was the only Moff to stand up to Kadann and deny the charges brought against him. He also risked persecution by a multitude of individuals when proposing Trioculus as the true leader of the Empire, among them Ysanne Isard and the Prophets of the Dark Side.

Behind the scenes
"Rich and I had long ago written backgrounds for Trioculus and Hissa, but LFL unfortunately nixed their inclusion in this series. I'm just as sad as you."

- Abel G. Peña

Bertroff Hissa was created by Paul and Hollace Davids for their Jedi Prince series of books, where he served as one of three major villains. Although the events which take place in the books are marginalized by the rest of the Expanded Universe, Hissa was mentioned in Star Wars Insider 66, The Essential Guide to Characters and Star Wars Gamer 1, which also provided his first name.

In the 20 Most Memorable Moments of the Expanded Universe, an article featured in Star Wars Insider 83, "the Villainy of Emperor Trioculus and Grand Moff Hissa" was labeled as the fourth "goofiest moment" in the EU.

Bertroff Hissa and his right hand man, Trioculus, both had backstories created by Abel G. Peña and Rich Handley, which were due to appear in Aliens in the Empire, but these were cut by Lucasfilm before the article was published. Their backstories eventually appeared in the Star Wars: Blogs article Barely Tolerable: Alien Henchmen of the Empire.

Although Hissa's hybrid status had been mentioned as early as the second edition to A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, his non-Human part of his species had never been elaborated on besides being part-alien. It wasn't until the release of Barely Tolerable: Alien Henchmen of the Empire that Hissa's alien part of his heritage was firmly identified as Sephi.

Appearances

 * The Glove of Darth Vader
 * The Lost City of the Jedi
 * Zorba the Hutt's Revenge
 * Mission from Mount Yoda
 * Queen of the Empire
 * Prophets of the Dark Side