- "KDY has enjoyed a long and celebrated history. Now with the Emperor's pro-business reforms taking hold, we are confident that our best days lie ahead. On behalf of everyone at KDY, we hope you enjoy your stay."
- ―A foreword by Pollus Maksim in the KDY Corporate Folder
Pollus Maksim was a human moff of the Galactic Empire who governed the planet Kuat's sector by 0 ABY. At some point, he wrote a foreword for the KDY Corporate Folder brochure welcoming investors to Kuat Drive Yards. In 5 ABY, the nascent New Republic led a a weeks-long assault on the Kuat Drive Yards against the forces commanded by Maksim and the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Dark Omen.
During the extended struggle, Imperial forces began to falter and the remaining Star Destroyers tried to flee Kuat by breaking the New Republic's blockade of it. Maksim opted to remain behind as the vessels made the attempt, unwilling to risk his life. Not long after the attempt's failure, Maksim and the guild head of Kuat Drive Yards surrendered to New Republic's Commodore Kyrsta Agate and Admiral Gial Ackbar.
Biography[]
Defense of Kuat[]
- "All New Republic forces, I have just accepted the surrender of the Kuat Drive Yards from Moff Maksim. I repeat: we have accepted their surrender."
- ―Kyrsta Agate, over a New Republic fleet-wide channel
The human[1] Pollus Maksim served as a moff in the Galactic Empire during the Imperial Era, governing the sector containing[3] the Core Worlds[4] planet Kuat.[5] At some point following 0 ABY's introduction of the Executor-class Star Dreadnought to the Imperial Navy,[6] they wrote a foreword in the KDY Corporate Folder, a brochure welcoming investors to the Kuat Drive Yards—a vital Imperial vehicle manufacturer—following pro-business reforms by Emperor Palpatine.[4] In 4 ABY,[7] a copy of the pamphlet was buried during the archivist Hendri Underholt's mission alongside the compilation of non-electronic documents known as The Rebel Files.[4]
Maksim surrendered Kuat Drive Yards to the New Republic following a weeks-long fight.
In 5 ABY,[8] the nascent New Republic launched an assault on the shipyards and supply bases of Kuat utilized by Kuat Drive Yards. The New Republic's Admiral Gial Ackbar and Commodore Kyrsta Agate led the weeks-long campaign against the Imperials under Maksim's command, deploying a significant number of forces.[3] As Maksim commanded from the ground, the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Dark Omen took control of the fleet surrounding Kuat.[2] The conflict continued despite heavy losses[3] on both sides, with the New Republic initially engaging from a distance to avoid damaging the shipyards so they could capture them for later use. As casualties rose and Imperial vessels sustained increasing amounts of damage, Maksim and local fleet commanders discussed whether to continue defending Kuat or to try to break the New Republic's blockade to flee. Eventually, the Empire's vessels chose to flee, though Maksim remained on Kuat as he did not wish to risk his life aboard one of the ships.[2]
Surrender to the New Republic[]
- "Command of the Empire's forces at Kuat fell largely to Moff Pollus Maksim, though control of the fleet itself appears to have fallen to the Dark Omen."
- ―Beaumont Kin, The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
Pollus Maksim surrendered the Kuat Drive Yards to the New Republic (emblem pictured).
When the blockade breaking attempt failed, Maksim intensified communications with the Dark Omen to discuss next steps, with Vice Admiral Corf Ferno advising the former to surrender.[2] The guild head of Kuat Drive Yards and Maksim then conceded and ended the battle, offering the Imperial remnant forces' surrender, along with Kuat Drive Yards itself, to Agate and Ackbar.[3] Afterward, Agate announced the moff's surrender to the New Republic's forces over a fleet-wide channel, prompting much celebration.[5] News of the New Republic's victory following Maksim's capitulation was similarly celebrated aboard Ackbar's cruiser, Home One.[3]
In the aftermath of Maksim's surrender, the New Republic took control of the remnants of seventeen Star Destroyers and their assorted support vessels.[2] Following the end of the Galactic Civil War, Ferno was interrogated by the New Republic following his capture after the Kuat defeat. Ferno told his interrogators that he had advised Maksim to surrender during the shipyards' conflict because he felt that the Empire had lost the battle by that point. However, sections of Ferno's testimony were later contradicted in his memoir Fighting with the Galactic Empire, leaving some scholars unsure of his original claims' accuracy.[2]
Legacy[]
- "As it became apparent that the breakout was doomed, communications intensified between the Dark Omen and Moff Maksim and resulted in the surrender being issued."
- ―Beaumont Kin, The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
Beaumont Kin wrote about Pollus Maksim's participation in the Defense of Kuat in The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire.
In 34 ABY,[7] The Rebel Files and its vault—which included a copy of the KDY Corporate Folder containing Maksim's foreword—were discovered during an excavation on the Mid Rim planet Durkteel.[4] The following year,[9] the historian Beaumont Kin mentioned Maksim in several instances in[2] his[10] book The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire.[2]
Maksim was mentioned in three files, which were stored in the "Imperial Navy Operations" section of the Imperial Archives, the "Defense of the Shipyards" section of the Kuat Archives, and the "Military Operations" section of the New Republic Archives. In the work, Kin discussed Maksim's involvement in commanding Imperial forces during the Defense of Kuat and the moff's eventual surrender.[2]
Personality and traits[]
- "There appear to have been numerous discussions between Moff Maksim and the local fleet commanders as to whether it was best to defend the shipyards or to attempt to break out through the blockade and escape. Eventually the latter option was chosen, with the surviving vessels attempting an escape while Moff Maksim would remain behind, unwilling to risk his life aboard one of the Star Destroyers. The attempt to break through was a desperate one."
- ―Beaumont Kin about the Defense of Kuat in The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
As an Imperial, Maksim was loyal to his Emperor and confident in the Empire's supremacy.[4] He was only willing to concede to the New Republic after several weeks of fighting at Kuat Drive Yards had resulted in heavy Imperial losses, showing a degree of resiliency.[3] In his book, Kin reflected on Maksim's unwillingness to risk his life in an attempt to flee Kuat, despite other Imperials choosing to try to break the New Republic's blockade.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
Pollus Maksim was first mentioned in Aftermath: Life Debt, a 2016 novel written by Chuck Wendig as the second installment in Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy.[3] In a Twitter post, Wendig confirmed that all Imperial officers featured in the novel,[1] which included Maksim,[3] were humans.[1]
Appearances[]
- Aftermath: Life Debt (and audiobook) (First mentioned)
"Blade Squadron: Kuat" — Star Wars Insider 168 (reprinted in Star Wars Insider: The Fiction Collection Volume 1) (Mentioned only)
Sources[]
- Star Wars Helmet Collection: Death Star Trooper Databank A-Z: Davish Krail–Kuat Drive Yards
- Star Wars: The Rebel Files (Deluxe edition only)
- Star Wars Helmet Collection: B-wing Pilot Weapons & Uniforms: Blade Squadron
- "The Battle of Endor and the Fall of the Empire" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Star Wars: Battles that Changed the Galaxy (Indirect mention only)
- Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3
Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) on Twitter (post on July 31, 2016): "Yes!" (backup link) (screenshot) (In response to: "Probably a stupid questino [sic], but I need confirmation: every Imperial officer seen or mentioned in Life Debt is human, right?")
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 Aftermath: Life Debt
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Star Wars: The Rebel Files (Deluxe edition)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2
"Blade Squadron: Kuat" — Star Wars Insider 168
- ↑ The KDY Corporate Folder included in the deluxe edition of Star Wars: The Rebel Files features the Executor-class Star Dreadnought as a current product of the Kuat Drive Yards. As Star Wars: Timelines dates the introduction of the Executor-class to the Imperial Navy to 0 ABY, the brochure must have been released after that point in time.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Star Wars: The Rebel Files establishes that the in-universe The Rebel Files was buried during a mission concurrent to the Battle of Endor and rediscovered thirty years later. As Star Wars: Timelines dates the battle to 4 ABY, The Rebel Files's vault must have been uncovered in 34 ABY.
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines
- ↑ Star Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire states that thirty years have passed since the end of the Galactic Civil War and months have passed since the Battle of Exegol. As Star Wars: Timelines dates the end of the war to 5 ABY and the Battle of Exegol to 35 ABY, the in-universe The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire must have been published in 35 ABY.
- ↑ Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary
