Carlist Rieekan / Legends Carlist Rieekan was an Alderaanian general who , throughout his life , served the Galactic Republic , the Alliance to Restore the Republic , the Alliance of Free Planets , the New Republic , and the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances . He joined the Republic ' s Judicial Forces at the age of seventeen before serving in the Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars . With the advent of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine ' s ascension to Emperor and the installment of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY , Rieekan immediately rejected the new regime . Instead , he chose to serve the Royal House of Alderaan as a civilian tactician , before becoming one of the founding members of the Alliance to Restore the Republic , a rebellion against the rule of the Emperor . When the Imperial Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin brought the Death Star superweapon to bear on Alderaan , Rieekan was at nearby Delaya . He received a massive influx of distress calls and requests for evacuation , but hesitated to aid Alderaan , as he felt that his involvement would have implicated Alderaan at large as having ties to the illegal rebellion movement . Within minutes , Tarkin ' s battlestation fired its superlaser , destroying Alderaan in flash . Rieekan was shattered , and blamed himself for the disaster , as he felt his hesitation had cost many Alderaanians their lives . The incident took its toll on Rieekan , as he became an overly morose and paranoid man . He was later tasked with command of the Alliance ' s Echo Base on Hoth , and also worked closely with the pilot Luke Skywalker ' s Rogue Squadron unit . Over the years , Rieekan collaborated with the Alderaanian princess , Leia Organa , and his insistence on thorough security and evacuation measures after the destruction of his homeworld proved instrumental to the Alliance when Lord Darth Vader ' s Death Squadron moved against Echo Base . Rieekan later oversaw Haven Base on Arbra , and would go on to serve as Minister of State and Director of Intelligence for the New Republic , the Alliance ' s successor state . The general eventually retired , only to be brought back into service during the Yuuzhan Vong War , during which he aided in the failed defense of Coruscant . Biography . Early career . Carlist Rieekan grew up on the peaceful world of Alderaan and left at the age of seventeen to join the Galactic Republic ' s Judicial Forces , which was an unusual choice for an Alderaanian . Demonstrating strong leadership skills , Rieekan quickly rose through the ranks and joined the Officer Candidate School . There , he befriended other idealists such as Jan Dodonna , Adar Tallon , and Crix Madine . He later came to serve in the Army of the Republic , where his keen grasp of tactics and , once again , his leadership skills impressed his superiors . When Supreme Chancellor Palpatine declared himself Emperor in 19 BBY and transformed the Republic into the Galactic Empire , Rieekan chose to stick to his beliefs and refused to serve the new regime . He instead served the Royal House of Alderaan as a civilian tactician , and then helped found the Alliance to Restore the Republic , an organization dedicated to throwing off Palpatine ' s hold on the galaxy . In his new role , Rieekan found himself once again amongst like - minded individuals , many of them hailing from Alderaan . The destruction of Alderaan . Rieekan found himself surprised that the Royal House of Organa , rulers of his home planet and vocal pacifists , were themselves allied with the Alliance . He was pleased to find out that Viceroy Bail Organa and his daughter , Princess Leia Organa , were actually members of the Rebellion . Rieekan felt the need to keep his connection to the Alliance secret , but was subsequently placed in charge of covert operations in the Alderaan system . In 0 BBY , he found himself personally inspecting a new satellite transmission station that was in orbit over Delaya , a sister planet of Alderaan . During his inspection tour , the Empire ' s new superweapon , the Death Star , entered the system , causing mass panic on Rieekan ' s homeworld . He was hard - pressed to keep up with the flood of incoming calls , requesting evacuation and aid , but there was no weapon capable of disabling or halting the superweapon . Furthermore , Rieekan felt that a mass evacuation would show the Empire that the people of Alderaan were aware of the Death Star ' s ability to destroy entire planets . With that in mind Rieekan decided to sit tight , and hope that the Death Star ' s presence was just a bluff . Within minutes however , the Death Star ' s superlaser was activated and fired at Alderaan , completely obliterating the planet . Thrown into a state of despair and guilt , Rieekan resolved to never underestimate just how far the Galactic Empire would go again . Since there was little he physically could do , Rieekan blamed himself for the catastrophe . Some time after the incident , Rieekan was promoted to the rank of General . General . Following the destruction of the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin , Rieekan began assisting various refugee movements across the Alderaan sector , bringing them to Delaya . The general specifically operated in the capital city of Leilani , and was assisted by a young man named Kiro Chen , who hoped to join the Alliance . The planet itself had began to suffer — as the Alderaanians had decided to move all of their industry off their home planet and onto Delaya itself , the planet ' s income stemmed primarily from exports to Alderaan itself . Compounding the problem was the fact that new factories had been built recently , which worried the General . Prime Minister Gresh Manaa and his deputy , Var Lyonn had sworn to aid Rieekan ' s refugee efforts , but there were groups amongst the planet ' s inhabitants that believed in keeping Delaya ' s resources for the Delayans . Rieekan later requested that Princess Leia Organa join him to help sway the refugees towards the cause of the Alliance . He himself had been called for an operation in the Orus sector . When the princess did arrive , she did so with an entourage that included her friends Han Solo and Luke Skywalker . The general personally picked Organa up from the spaceport , and later talked with her privately in his landspeeder , while her retinue traveled in another vehicle . Rieekan aired his suspicions to his fellow Alderaanian — Manaa ' s men had been continually following him , closely observing his interactions with the refugees . They then arrived at the Delayan Whisperpines Hotel — opulent accommodation imposed on Organa by the government , and Rieekan opened up to the Princess over his regret that he was unable to act when their homeworld was destroyed . Organa assured him that he was not to blame in any way , shape or form , and reminded him that had he indeed been able to act , he would have likely revealed ties between Alderaan and the Alliance . Outside the hotel , Rieekan and Organa were met by Chen , who enthusiastically welcomed and applauded the princess . As Rieekan informed them that he was to depart for the Oren sector , he spoke privately with Organa once again as she offered him more words of encouragement . He advised her to be wary of Manaa , but also to watch out for Lyonn , who was the real power - broker on Delaya . Rieekan then returned to the spaceport , and departed . His suspicions were later proved to be well founded , when Lyonn had Organa kidnapped . The princess was rescued by Skywalker , Solo , and Solo ' s first mate Chewbacca , as well as the ex - Jedi Padawan Ferus Olin , and Alliance operative Tobin Elad . It was later discovered that Elad was in fact X - 7 — an Imperial agent tasked with assassinating Skywalker . Later , a prisoner of the Alliance , Div , was kidnapped from his Yavin 4 . Skywalker attempted to rescue him , but was apparently spirited away by the kidnappers as well . Organa approached Rieekan , insisting that they rescue Skywalker , but the general could not advocate a fool ' s errand . The princess took umbrage at this , but Rieekan claimed that he meant no insult . Skywalker and Div were later recovered by Olin . Rieekan later met with Olin and several other members of the Alliance , among them Yavin base commander Jan Dodonna , to discuss what the ex - Jedi knew . Olin had been observing the movements of Palpatine ' s enforcer , the Lord Darth Vader , and had determined that X - 7 , whose memories had been erased , was trying to determine his former identity . The ex - Jedi proposed that the Alliance slice into computers that would be accessed by X - 7 , and plant false clues for the agent , hoping to convince him that he was in fact one of Olin ' s and Div ' s late friends , Trever Flume . Rieekan was skeptical that the Alliance would be able to field such an operation , but Olin ventured to do it himself , as he deemed that he was more than capable of the task . The operation was a success , and X - 7 participated in an Alliance mission to Belazura . Rieekan assured Div that X - 7 ' s participation in the mission would go ahead as planned , and the operation was a success , resulting in the destruction of an Imperial garrison . During the mission , however , X - 7 betrayed the Alliance and had to be killed by Olin . Trouble in Shelsha . By 0 ABY , Rieekan had a variety of secret bases set up throughout the Empire , one of which served as a key Alliance military base following the evacuation of the Yavin 4 base . The general commanded the base , which eventually played host to Mon Mothma , leader of the Rebellion , herself . At the time , the Alliance was having trouble gaining a foothold in the Shelsha sector due to infighting amongst its member groups and other cultural issues . As a result , they had been forced to evacuate a listening post on Teardrop . Meanwhile , Mothma and Rieekan had been contacted by Yeeru Chivkyrie , leader of the Shelsha - based Alliance member group Republic Redux . Chivkyrie had a proposal that he believed would serve as a great benefit to the Alliance , although he would not clarify what it , not through the HoloNet or encrypted transmissions . What Mothma and Rieekan did know was that Ydor Vokkoli , leader of Freedonna Kaisu and Thillis Slanni , leader of Shining Hope , both centralized in the Shelsha sector , were strongly opposed to Chivkyrie ' s idea . So strong was their dissatisfaction that they threatened to pull out of the Alliance , should Mothma agree to Chivkyrie ' s mystery plan . In addition , Republic Redux was the smallest of the three groups , preventing the Alliance from effectively complying with the Adarian Chivkyrie . He himself would not be allowed to convince the other leaders of his plan , as he was from the second - tier of Adarian society . The only way the other leaders could be convinced , Rieekan deduced , was if someone from a higher tier was sent to negotiate with them . The selected location was Chivkyrie ' s home , Makrin City , Shelkonwa , but the diplomats sent would meet with him in an uninhabited system . Leia Organa was chosen to meet with the Adarian leaders , and Rieekan requested that Han Solo and Luke Skywalker join her — since the mission was to be low - profile , the general ruled out the use of Alliance ships and what he deemed " obvious Alliance personnel . " While Skywalker was eager , Solo bristled at what he perceived to be Rieekan labeling him as someone not totally committed to the Alliance ' s cause . Nevertheless , he agreed to accompany the princess , after Mothma and Rieekan had sorted out the final details with the Adarian leaders . In spite of the fact that Solo was not completely respectful towards the general , Rieekan held him in high regard as a natural leader and a skilled fighter . At some stage afterwards , Rieekan was met with odd news : a shipment of Alliance weapons that was traveling , disguised , along a supply line through Drunost had been attacked by the BloodScar swoop gang , who were in turn fought off by a group of stormtroopers . In the aftermath , the stormtroopers had not searched the shipment , which had been disguised as farming equipment , nor had they questioned Porter , the Alliance agent supervising the shipment . Organa suspected that the Imperials might have tracked Porter afterwards to find out where his destination was , but Rieekan had received a report from Casement , another agent working on Drunost , stating that no one had tracked the supplies . Alliance agent Targeter also confirmed that no one had been tracking Porter . Nevertheless , Organa suggested shutting down the supply line , but due to the increased amounts of piratical activity in the Shelsha sector , Rieekan thought that opening a new line would be impossible . Since the BloodScar group alone could not be responsible for the widespread criminal activity in Shelsha , Rieekan sought to investigate just what was going on amongst the fringe groups in the sector . Pulling Captain Solo from the Shelkonwa mission , he chose the Corellian to do the reconnaissance , and Organa suggested that Skywalker accompany him . While the Tatooinian balked at the prospect of not going with the princess of the Shelkonwa mission , he agreed to the plan . With that , the general set about retrieving names and places for the pair to investigate , before sending them to meet with Porter on Drunost . As it turned out , the two missions were interconnected : the pirates had been working for Governor Barshnis Choard , who had been planning , for two years , to have the Shelsha sector secede from the Empire . The pirates were to take over key Imperial installations across the sector when the opportunity arose . Meanwhile , through his chief administrator , Vilim Disra , Choard had contacted Chivkyrie , claiming that Shelsha would join the Alliance if the Alliance would defend the sector against the inevitable Imperial reprisal after the secession . The plan did not come to fruition , though , as Disra reported Choard ' s treachery to Lord Darth Vader . As a result , Rieekan no longer had to deal with Chivkyrie ' s " proposal , " although the Alliance ' s position in Shelsha had not improved . Organa was briefly captured by the Empire , but was saved thanks to the efforts of Solo , Skywalker , and Chewbacca , as well as the Hand of Judgment — a group of rogue stormtroopers who had been the ones defending Porter ' s shipment from the BloodScars . Working with the Rogues . General Rieekan began to collaborate with Rogue Squadron , commanded by Luke Skywalker , shortly after the unit ' s foundation . One such early mission involved dispatching the squadron to Barkhesh , where an Alliance shuttle was to pick up supplies from the local resistance movement . The resistance ' s convoy , however , had to pass through Imperial forces , and so Rieekan had Rogue Squadron clear the way for them . The mission was a success , and the general was pleased , as the new supplies would help the Alliance recuperate after the loss of their base on Yavin . For their next mission , Rieekan dispatched Rogue Squadron to Chorax , where the Alliance transport " Nonnah " had crashed , carrying soldiers and stolen Imperial equipment . The general tasked the squadron with locating the downed ship . When they did , the general dispatched a shuttle to pick up the stranded crew — however , the Rogues were met by Imperial resistance , and Rieekan soon received reports that the " Nonnah " itself was under attack . Nevertheless , the mission was a success , and those aboard the " Nonnah " were safely extracted . Following the rescue of the " Nonnah " crew , Rieekan was contacted by Crix Madine , who was now an officer within the Imperial Army . Madine wished to defect to the Alliance , and planned to meet with Rieekan in Coronet City , Corellia . Rieekan , along with Rogue Squadron , traveled to Coronet , where Rieekan met with city officials in the Coronet Capitol Tower . During the meeting , Coronet City fell under Imperial attack . The Rogues engaged the Imperial forces , and during the battle , they were contacted by Madine , who was hiding in the Tech Center . As Rogue Squadron defended the Tech Center , Han Solo and the Wookiee Chewbacca , friends of Skywalker , arrived in the freighter " Millennium Falcon " to aid in the defense of Coronet . Rieekan had a shuttle brought in to evacuate Madine , while another shuttle and the " Falcon " evacuated the Capital Tower . As soon as the two ships were away , Imperial bombers destroyed the capital building . As Madine offered his services to the Alliance , the general vouched for his old ally ' s credibility . It was Rieekan ' s input that convinced Mon Mothma that Madine was not a security risk . Shortly after his defection , Madine and Skywalker led Gold and Rogue Squadron respectively during the Liberation of Gerrard V . The Imperial governor was looting the planet , and its inhabitants yearned for independence . Rieekan tasked Rogue Squadron with escorting Madine ' s Y - wings as they attacked the yachts that were looting the cities . Although the mission succeeded as planned , the Alliance also gained defector Kasan Moor during the engagement , an elite TIE pilot who had served in the 128th TIE Interceptor Squadron . Moor was able to provide the Alliance with the location of several key Imperial installments , including a small Imperial construction yard on Balmorra , responsible for the construction of TIE starcraft and Imperial walkers . Rieekan dispatched Rogue Squadron , which now included Moor in its ranks , to strike against the facility , crippling it without actually destroying it . The general monitored his pilots ' approach the facility , advising them to eliminate several of the scanners the Imperial forces had installed along the canyon leading to the factory . Once they were destroyed , Rieekan gave Rogue Squadron the go - ahead to attack the base . Skywalker and his men were able to adequately cripple the Imperial construction yards , and return home . The intelligence provided by Moor continued to serve Rieekan well , as it also allowed Rogue Squadron to strike against an Imperial Enclave on Kile II , which was serving as a base for all of the Imperial Navy ' s movements in that sector . Once Skywalker and his men had been able to successfully bomb the enclave , Rieekan contacted them directly , congratulating them for a job well done . Following that , Rieekan and Rogue Squadron began to wage a campaign against the forces of Moff Kohl Seerdon . It was the general ' s belief that Seerdon was consolidating his forces as preparation for a strike against the Alliance ' s bacta supply , and so Rieekan had his forces try and impede Seerdon ' s advance before his plans could come to fruition . One operation involved sending a group of commandos to Fest , where they were to steal several AT - PTs from the Imperial Weapons Research Facility there . The commandos met resistance while trying to escape however , and the general was forced to call in Rogue Squadron , who had recently been sabotaging Seerdon ' s operations on Taloraan . Skywalker and his pilots helped the commandos get to safety in their stolen AT - PTs , and destroyed the Weapons Research Facility while doing so . Seerdon responded with an assault and blockade of one of Chandrila ' s cities . The general sent both Rogue Squadron and a supply train of supplies to the planet , in the hopes of aiding the beleaguered city . The train was attacked while " en route " , but Skywalker and his men were able to fend off Seerdon ' s aggressors until it reached the city . Subsequently , the city was evacuated by the Alliance in shuttles , which were in turn escorted by Rogue Squadron . Soon after , Rieekan received reports that Thyferra , home to bacta production , had fallen under attack by Seerdon ' s forces . At the time , Rogue Squadron was busy destroying an Imperial installation on Sullust . The general hurriedly recalled the pilots , and immediately dispatched them to Thyferra . In the ensuing battle , Skywalker and his pilots were able to thwart Seerdon ' s efforts to halt the flow of bacta , and were also able to kill the moff himself during the operation . Continued conflicts . When an Alliance refugee stopover point on Nentan was discovered by the Empire , Rieekan was called in to oversee the evacuation . By this time , the Nentan bunkers were at full capacity , and there were not enough transports to evacuate both the military personnel and the refugees . Several soldiers volunteered to stay behind as the Imperials closed on the base , but Rieekan found that solution to be unacceptable . Bren Derlin , a Human who had been serving with the general for some time , offered Rieekan an alternative solution . Derlin , along with a group of " expendable " soldiers , hid amongst some of Nentan ' s ruins as the Imperials landed and advanced towards the now - abandoned Alliance bunkers . As they did so , they left their landing craft relatively undefended , leaving them free to be hijacked by Derlin and his men . As a result , Nentan was successfully evacuated , and Rieekan , pleased , promoted Derlin to the rank of major . Afterwards , Rieekan saw action on a variety of disparate worlds . In the aftermath of Nentan , Rieekan became the theater commander of the Alliance High Command base . When the Alliance administrative base at Dankayo was discovered by the Empire , Rieekan ' s people there were fortunate enough to learn of the impending Imperial attack in time to mount an evacuation , which Rieekan oversaw . The evacuation was , for the most part , a success , and no casualties were sustained . However , several vital datapacks remained intact , and they were retrieved by the Imperial transport " Elusive " . Rieekan realized that if the datapacks were to reach Imperial Intelligence , Alliance activities in three sectors would be jeopardized . With that in mind , he had his men destroy the " Elusive " . In addition to the destruction of the " Elusive " , Rieekan oversaw many operations that crippled Imperial Intelligence . One such operation saw Rieekan dispatched to the city Tiems , where the general ' s forces destroyed a power station and liberated several thousand Alliance personnel who were being held captive there . However , as Rieekan and his men prepared to be evacuated , his transports were delayed by Imperial starfighter action , and so the general was forced to defend the landing zone from a heavy Imperial counter - attack . Rieekan ' s knowledge of Imperial tactical doctrine , however , inspired him to lay a trap for his enemies . Since the doctrine suggested that the weakest part of an enemy line should be attacked with full force , and that upon breaking through the Imperials should move quickly to secure the rear positions of their enemies to obstruct retreat , the general had two of his regiments hide behind the main line — one in a nearby forest , one over the other side of a river . As such , when the Imperial forces attacked the weakest part of Rieekan ' s line , which he knew to be the center , his troops fell back , and the Imperials gave chase . They were then ambushed by Rieekan ' s hidden regiments , causing the Imperial general to delay any further attacks until his air support arrived . By that time , however , Rieekan ' s forces had been able to evacuate . Rieekan later filed an After Action Report on the engagement , and his command of strategy was later used as an instructional tool in surface combat tactics by General Madine . At some stage , Rieekan also took on the role of a mentor , briefly instructing Lieutenant Risiev Credal in the art of tactics . This instruction was augmented by prior teachings from other Alliance officers such as Beryl Chiffonage , Pashna Starkiller , and Vanden Willard . Together with Chiffonage , Credal had developed Attack Pattern Delta , which the general believed would be effective against Imperial walkers . Following the Evacuation of Yavin , General Jan Dodonna was believed dead . As a result , Rieekan was appointed as his successor in the role of Alliance operations commander . The choice was deemed a natural one , as the Alderaanian had consistently shown skill in keeping his men alive . When an Alliance Intelligence cell on Brosi came under threat of detection due to the blatant actions of the Brosin Underground against the Corporate Sector Authority , Rieekan voiced his concerns . The Alliance agents , who were working in Brosi ' s zinsian processing facilities , had attempted to make contact with the Underground , to little or no avail . Since there was still the risk of CSA discovering the Alliance cell , Rieekan requested that agent Abil Filorin make more attempts to contact the Brosan Underground . Further concerns came in the form of Risiev Credal , who had apparently turned traitor . Rieekan worried that Credal , if he had indeed defected to the Empire , would reveal the location of the High Command base , as well as any planned tactics to be used in the event of an attack . Echo Base . When the Alliance relocated its main base to Hoth , Rieekan served as theater commander in charge of all land and naval forces in the Hoth system . At the time , a considerable bounty had been placed on the general ' s head ; enough to buy a moon in the Core Worlds , or even an entire planet in the Outer Rim Territories . As soon as he was given command , the general devised an evacuation plan that could be put into effect as soon as possible . Meanwhile , the general put his men to work , ensuring that Echo Base was as safe as possible . Rieekan ' s concerns were numerous , ranging from the planet ' s freezing temperature , to the fact that the planet hosted no other sentient life — an Imperial scan of the world would quickly enough reveal that the Alliance was hiding there . The constant meteorites emanating from the Hoth asteroid field pelted the planet , preventing the general from knowing if a scout ship or a probe droid were approaching the planet or not . Kem Monnon , chief of the Alliance Corps of Engineers , had been instrumental in establishing Echo Base , and approached Rieekan , asking for permission to explore Hoth further — the general acquiesced , as it was possible the venture would grant he Alliance strategic advantages . While overseeing construction Rieekan assigned historian Voren Na ' al menial tasks . Na ' al was there chiefly to chronicle events as they happened , but he was more than willing to oblige Rieekan and aid in the building of the Alliance ' s new home . The general placed Major Derlin in charge of the base ' s security and operations ; the major ' s assignment proved to be a wise choice for Rieekan , and the decision was a popular one . Rieekan began amassing a comprehensive collection of data on the area that the Rebels were using for refuge . Recovered by Alliance Survey Team Theta was a personal recording by smuggler Jonox Forb , who had initially scouted the location and had intended to call it " Snowflake Base . " Forb ' s recording was one of the many items that Rieekan kept in his personal collection . He also collected a report by Corporal Vyn Rolado on the taming of the tauntauns . When problems arose when as the tauntauns became agitated while around droids , Rieekan sought to work with the instincts of the animals , rather than against them . To eliminate any agitation and competition amongst the captive mounts , Rieekan made sure that only female tauntauns were kept for service . When properly tamed , the tauntauns served Rieekan ' s men well , allowing them to go out on patrols as the T - 47 airspeeders were still being adapted for the cold . Eventually , Princess Organa arrived at the base , and acted as a morale - boosting figurehead to the personnel . Rieekan also found her useful , as she was a skilled tactician . Upon arrival , despite complimenting the general ' s work on the base , she expressed concern for her friends , Luke Skywalker , Han Solo , Chewbacca , and C - 3PO , who were aboard the waylaid " Millennium Falcon " . Some time later , controller Toryn Farr reported that the " Millennium Falcon " was making its approach to Hoth , although it was being followed by an unidentified ship . Solo explained his tardiness , mentioning that they had been forced to stop on an uncharted world to make repairs . However , the unidentified ship remained in the system , and approached Hoth itself . Organa , furious at Solo ' s complacency , sent the Corellian back out to engage the unidentified craft . The ship later proved to be owned by the pirate captain Raskar , who was later driven away from the planet without discovering Echo Base . Shortly after welcoming a fleet of refugees from Habassa II , Rieekan announced to Organa that Echo Base was fully operational . Discovered . Hoping to prevent another incident like Alderaan , the general made sure that Echo Base ' s defenses were as good as they possibly could be . He culled traffic to and from the system down to just long - range fighter patrols and necessary shipments , and in doing so made sure that the existence of the base remained a closely - guarded secret . To allay his earlier concerns , he had a planetary - class shield generator installed at the base , which could repel any orbital bombardment . To prevent anyone from giving away Echo Base ' s location , the general denied permission for any ship to leave the base until the shield was fully operational . As yet another precaution , Rieekan had tauntaun and snowspeeder patrols sent out frequently , to check the general vicinity of the base . Trenches were dug around Echo Base , and heavy laser turrets installed . The general also ordered the installation of heavy blast doors at the base ' s northern and southern entrances . As a final measure , a v - 150 anti - orbital ion cannon was brought in — the cannon was powerful enough to disable a Star Destroyer in orbit . Despite the abundance of defensive measures in place , Rieekan knew full well that he would not be able to stop a full - scale Imperial assault . Instead , they were there to delay the Empire , and allow the Echo Base personnel to escape with minimum casualties . The general accepted the fact that the Empire were more than likely going to discover Echo Base , and so he was always prepared to order an evacuation . To take stock of the situation , Rieekan held a staff meeting , attended by Organa and Lieutenant Commander Skywalker , amongst others . Echo Base was nearing its ultimate completion , but the Alliance was still having trouble adapting to the climate . The general , however , was sure that their situation would improve once Commander Arhul Narra ' s vital supply convoy arrived . During the meeting , Rieekan was taken aside and informed that Narra ' s fleet had been destroyed of Derra IV . The commander had also perished in the conflict . Returning to Skywalker and Organa , who had been joined by Captain Solo and his co - pilot Chewbacca , Rieekan informed them of Narra ' s death and the loss of the convoy . The general then promptly promoted Skywalker to commander , and informed him that no resupply meant no snubfighter reinforcements — Rogue Squadron was to be Echo Base ' s only aerial defense . When a storm raged around Echo Base , Rieekan issued an order that no one was to leave its confines , lest they succumb to the bitter cold outside . The general ' s men then detected an energy source on the sensors , although it disappeared soon after due to the storm . Rieekan consulted Organa , and then decided to wait until Skywalker and Solo , who were out placing sensors , to return , before closing the base ' s shield doors . The general supposed that whatever was out there might show up on the sensors once again . Captain Solo then returned , and approached Rieekan , stating that he had to leave Hoth . This was due to the fact that he had a bounty on his head , and needed to pay off the crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure in order to remove it . Rieekan understood Solo ' s position , but regretted his need to depart nonetheless , and he had even considered giving the Corellian an honorary officer ' s commission . Skywalker failed to report back to base , however , and Solo disobeyed Rieekan ' s command that no one was to leave the base when he set out into the storm on his tauntaun . Solo did not return that night , and so the next morning , the modifications to the airspeeders had been completed , and Rieekan authorized Rogue Squadron to set out and find their lost comrades . The pair were rescued , Skywalker having been savaged by a wampa ice creature . By that time , Rieekan felt that it was unsafe for any ship to depart the system until the base ' s energy field was online , and so Solo ' s departure from Echo Base was delayed . Shortly after Skywalker ' s rescue , Rieekan received reports that Echo Base was under attack by one of the ice creatures . Although the attack was subdued by the Echo Base staff , the general deduced that the creatures had evolved to register at sub - life heat levels , and so his men adjusted their equipment accordingly . Rieekan then received a report that an unidentified object was detected near Echo Base . The discovery demanded the general ' s personal attention . One of Rieekan ' s staff , Wyron Serper , was monitoring the object , and was able to pick up its communications . The protocol droid C - 3PO overheard the transmission , and stated that it was not an Alliance code . The droid even went so far as to suggest that the transmission was an Imperial one . Solo , who was present by this time , decided to go out and investigate with the help of the Wookiee Chewbacca . As they departed , Rieekan dispatched Rogues Ten and Eleven to Echo Station 3 - 8 , where they were to attack the unidentified energy source . Solo assured the general that he could handle the situation , however . When Rieekan did not hear from Solo for some time , Organa urged him to dispatch snowspeeders , but at that moment the captain called in . Solo discovered that the unidentified object was an Imperial Viper probe droid . Rieekan immediately realized that they had been discovered , and he immediately ordered an evacuation of Echo Base . Knowing that the Imperials would act quickly and send an attack force as soon as possible , he put his evacuation plan into motion , and began implementing the strategies he had devised with Organa . Sure enough , Lieutenant Romas Navander reported that Lord Vader ' s Death Squadron had entered the system , and blockaded the planet . Rieekan , acting fast , had Navander reroute all power to the energy shield , before having his men mobilize to repel an Imperial ground assault . The general prepared to utilize a delaying defense tactic that would allow the majority of the Alliance personnel to escape the base , but knew that in doing so , he was effectively sending many of his men to their deaths . It was a difficult decision for the Alderaanian , but as he had resigned himself to the fact that the base would not be evacuated before the Imperials arrived , it was one that he was able to make nonetheless . The Battle of Hoth . To begin with , Rieekan lowered Echo Base ' s shield momentarily , and had his ion cannon fire on the blockade , essentially creating a hole in the Imperial line . The hole was big enough to allow one transport to escape at a time , and Rieekan seized the opportunity . Meanwhile , the forces of General Maximilian Veers landed on the planet , and began their advance towards Echo Base . Rieekan received a direct report from Colonel Ledick Firest , at Outpost Beta , who announced that Veers ' force consisted of walkers . The colonel initiated Evac Rearguard Action 101 , giving Firest command of five companies of defense troops , and the snowspeeder - equipped Rogue Squadron . Firest noted that it would not be enough to stave off Veers for long , but it was all Rieekan had . Rieekan also ordered that Outpost Beta be evacuated , as the Imperials would be able to easily detect the Alliance presence there . The general personally directed Commander Skywalker and Rogue Squadron , who were flying snowspeeders , to Outpost Beta , to engage the Imperial element that had landed nearby . Despite the fact that he knew Skywalker and his pilots faced daunting odds , it was the only way the general could delay Veers ' approach . When it became evident that the tactic of protecting two transports at a time was no longer tenable , Rieekan consulted Organa , who agreed . Rieekan and Organa agreed to initiate accelerated launch procedures , and the general gave the order to launch patrol . Commander Skywalker was shot down during the battle , but was able to rejoin the fight on foot . Command of Rogue Squadron fell to Wedge Antilles , who offered to pick the grounded Skywalker up , but Rieekan ordered him not to , as he determined that Antilles would likely lose his own life in the effort . Instead , Antilles recounted Skywalker ' s actions to the general , as the commander single - handedly brought down an AT - AT with nothing but his lightsaber and a grenade . When it became evident that the Imperials were attempting to breach Echo Base ' s south entrance , Rieekan contacted Skywalker , who was now mounted on a tauntaun , directly , and rerouted him to the base ' s defense . As Rieekan had predicted , Veers ' first target was Echo Base ' s shield generators . As soon as they were destroyed by the enemy general , Rieekan gave the order for all Alliance forces to retreat . Contacting Rogue Squadron directly once again , the general ordered Skywalker and his men to return to base , switch to X - wing fighters , and cover the escape of the remaining transports . He then gave the pilots orders to move directly on to the rendezvous point . With the defensive shield down , Lord Vader and his men were able to land near the Alliance installment and storm it . Despite this , Rieekan ' s men were able to slow the attackers long enough to ensure that most of the Echo Base personnel escaped . The strategy was a costly one , however , and the Alliance suffered devastating losses . Rieekan also contacted Col Serra , the commander of Renegade Squadron , ordering his unit to destroy databanks with sensitive information in the control room to prevent it from falling into enemy hands . Renegade Squadron did that , and Serra placed explosive charges throughout Echo Base in order to destroy it along with the Imperials once the evacuation was complete . Rieekan himself was aboard the last of the transports , from which he directed Rogue Squadron in their escort duties as they faced waves of TIE fighters . Despite the onslaught of enemy craft , Rieekan ' s transport was able to escape Hoth safely thanks to the efforts of Rogue Squadron and Renegade Squadron , who were the last squadron to evacuate from Hoth before the explosion of Echo Base . While protecting the last transport , the Renegades managed to hold off Darth Vader in his TIE Advanced and steal a prototype TIE Defender for study . Although Rieekan was able to make it to the rendezvous with the Alliance fleet above the galactic plane , he feared for the safety of his staff , some of whom had not been so lucky . One such staff member , Controller Farr , had , along with several other Rebels , been rescued by the bounty hunters Zuckuss and 4 - LOM , who delivered Farr and her compatriots to the frigate " Redemption " . Eighty - four Rebels had been taken to a Rebel stronghold on Darlyn Boda by the bounty hunters , and a further eighteen were presumed alive back on Hoth . Upon arrival , Farr attempted to introduce the general to 4 - LOM , but the droid was more concerned with the well - being of his partner , who was in a critical condition due to a mishap on an earlier mission . Meanwhile , Alliance Command instructed Rieekan to promote Farr to the rank of commander , for her efforts in aiding her comrades in the wake of the Battle of Hoth . During the promotion ceremony , held aboard the " Redemption " , Rieekan also presented Farr with an award of merit . They later discussed plans to rescue the Rebels stranded on Hoth . Another transport that had failed to reach the rendezvous point was the " Treasure Trove " , which was off by 36 hours according to Major Derlin . The major also reported that the fleet barely had enough blaster gas to supply the ships present , much less those still to arrive . In response to the news , Rieekan dispatched agents aboard the light freighter " Out Runner " to determine the location of the " Treasure Trove " . Although when discovered , the ship was crippled , Rieekan ' s agents were able to retrieve the blaster gas the " Treasure Trove " had been ferrying . Following the rout at Hoth , Rieekan was given intelligence of a possible Imperial installation in The Maw . Rogue Squadron was dispatched to investigate ; the general advised them to be wary of any shield generators set up around the perimeter , as well as any hostile Imperial forces in the area . Wedge Antilles , who led the mission , was able to lead his pilots into the installation , which was in fact a prison . During the attack , a group of Rebels who had been captured on Hoth , led by pilot Karie Neth , broke out of the prison , and were aided in their escape by Rogue Squadron . During the operation , the Imperial installation was also destroyed . The escapees and Rogue Squadron were then able to return to Rieekan and the fleet . Haven Base . Following the rout at Hoth , Rieekan was placed in the Alliance military administration , from which he could plan overall campaign strategies against the Imperials . However , he found himself hard - pressed to find a new base for the Alliance . From the fleet , he sent out Leia Organa and C - 3PO to investigate one potential world for a new base , and Luke Skywalker was send with R2 - D2 to find another . Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian were tasked with locating Captain Solo , who had been captured by the bounty hunter Boba Fett in the wake of Hoth . While they were out searching , Rieekan received a dispatch from the late Captain Maraba Tev that contained the technical readouts for a new Imperial battlestation in the vein of the Death Star — the " Tarkin " . Recalling all scouts , he briefed his troops aboard the fleet ' s main frigate as to the " Tarkin " potential power . Concerning Rieekan was the fact that the " Tarkin " lacked the design flaw that General Dodonna had so ruthlessly exploited three years prior at Yavin . As a result , he was forced to devise a new plan , in which a team of commandos would infiltrate the superweapon and destroy it from within . Specifically , Rieekan hoped that Skywalker , Organa , Chewbacca , R2 - D2 and C - 3PO would volunteer for the task , as they had been aboard the original Death Star and survived . Skywalker agreed , and they departed aboard the " Millennium Falcon " for Hockaleg , over which the " Tarkin " was being built . The mission was successful , and the " Tarkin " was swiftly destroyed before it could cause any significant damage to the Alliance . Eventually the Alliance set up a new base on Arbra , which also became Rieekan ' s new center of operations . There , the Alliance Fleet held station , but Organa felt that there was a need to hide the ships from potential Imperial sensor sweeps . As per standard Alliance procedure , she suggested hiding the fleet in the chromosphere of Arbra ' s sun , Arbran . To protect the fleet from the extreme heat , five Kerts - Bhrg generators were brought in . When properly aligned , the generators would create a durable shield in the shape of a pyramid , within which the fleet would be held . Once under Arbran ' s corona , the fleet would be in constant orbit . To keep the pyramid in orbit , the top - mounted control generator would be outfitted with a thruster . Rieekan accompanied Organa on the control generator as the plan was enacted . Entry into the chromosphere went as planned , but shortly afterwards sensors indicated that several small Imperial ships were approaching the system . Leaving command of the generators to Captain Kavel Mesa , Organa , Rieekan , and all non - critical personnel on the generator departed for Arbra on a special shuttle designed for traveling through the sun ' s corona . As the ship made it through the corona , they were contacted by C - 3PO , who was supposed to have been on the shuttle itself . The protocol droid reported a malfunction in the generator ' s systems , and that the crew had all been rendered unconscious . He went on to state that the malfunction was of a severity that would potentially cause the generator to stop working , which would result in the subsequent loss of the Alliance fleet . In addition , the command generator ' s top - mounted thruster was beginning to lose power . To make matters worse for the Rebels , the Imperial scout craft — four TIE Fighters , entered the system at that moment . Rieekan gave the order for the shuttle to hide behind the nearest moon , allowing the general to observe proceedings unnoticed . With apparently nothing to find , the Imperial fighters began to leave the system , allowing Organa and the general to devote their attention to the situation in Arbran . Although C - 3PO and his counterpart , R2 - D2 were attempting to resolve the issue themselves , Organa gave the order for the shuttle to re - enter the chromosphere , in the hopes of being able to save the fleet in time . One of the crewmembers , however , reported that they were too late , and that according to estimates , the fleet would have already entered the chromosphere unprotected . To Rieekan ' s and Organa ' s surprise , though , C - 3PO reported that they had been able to save the fleet by draining power from a EF76 Nebulon - B escort frigate directly into the control generator . Some time later , Commander Skywalker was charged with the murder of pilot Shira Brie , theft of Alliance property , and desertion from the ranks . He was placed before the Triad of Judgement — made up of Rieekan , Organa , and General Duron Veertag . The evidence was brought before them : during an operation against an Imperial armada , Skywalker had suddenly shot down Brie ' s craft , presumably killing her . Unable to explain his actions , and instead attributing them to the Force ' s guidance , Skywalker was stripped of his rank , and held at Haven Base . He later escaped , and fled to Shalyvane , Brie ' s homeworld . Information gleaned there that threw Brie ' s past into doubt led him to Krake ' s Planet , where he uncovered evidence that Brie had been an Imperial agent , which was then brought to Haven Base . The Triad found the evidence satisfactory , and cleared Skywalker of all charges . The New Republic . Following the Battle of Endor , the Alliance became embroiled in the Bakura Incident , in which both the Alliance and the Empire did battle with the Ssi - ruuvi Imperium . Rieekan ' s staff compiled a great deal of tactical and strategic data during the engagement , which would prove invaluable to historian Voren Na ' al as he compiled his report of the incident . Shortly afterwards , the Alliance to Restore the Republic was reformed into the Alliance of Free Planets . During the Nagai - Tof War , a contingent of the Alliance fleet stationed at Endor was returned to Haven Base under Rieekan ' s command . When the New Republic was formed , Rieekan sat on the New Republic High Command . Republic historians , hoping to dispel the Imperial propaganda surrounding the Battle of Hoth , turned to Rieekan ' s collection of information on the events that had taken place there . Several parts of the general ' s collection , dubbed the Rieekan Historical Collection , were reprinted by the historians . In 7 ABY , Rieekan was instrumental in planning the campaign that resulted in the capture of Coruscant . The following year , the New Republic was forced to wage war with Warlord Zsinj , who controlled roughly a third of the known galaxy . As the war persisted , Leia Organa was sent to the Hapes Consortium , to request the aid of the Hapan s . The Hapans , who had kept their borders closed for three millennia , sent their tentative agreement three months later , in the form of sixty - three gifts from each of the worlds of the Consortium . Rieekan , along with Mon Mothma , Alderaanian Council president Threkin Horm , and several others watched the presentation of the gifts in the Grand Reception Hall from the Alderaanian diplomat ' s balcony . Joining them late was now - General Han Solo , who had been participating in the campaign against Zsinj . Later that year , Solo was able to defeat Zsinj at the Battle of Dathomir . The Thrawn Campaign . In 9 ABY , during the Thrawn campaign , the Imperials moved against Coruscant . Since Admiral Ackbar was away , Admiral Hiram Drayson was left in command of the planet ' s defense , while Rieekan watched over proceedings in the Imperial Palace ' s war room . An alert was sent to the sector fleet , and shortly thereafter , the planetary shield was activated . Immobilizer 418 cruisers entered the system , blocking all traffic to and from the planet , and they were followed an escort of " Dreadnaught " - class heavy cruisers . One of the first targets hit by the Imperials was the out - orbit relay station , so whether or not the alert to the sector fleet had been sent was unknown . Shortly thereafter , " Imperial I " - class Star Destroyers entered the system , deployed fighters , and moved to engage Coruscant ' s defenses . In response , Drayson deployed his own fighters . Rieekan was joined at the war room ' s command console by Leia Organa Solo , to whom he quickly explained the situation . Organa Solo believed that the attack wasn ' t merely a feint by Grand Admiral Thrawn to lure the sector fleet , due to the destruction of the relay station ; Rieekan agreed . Drayson had the planet ' s defensive ion cannons fire at the Star Destroyers — an effort looked upon with disdain by Rieekan , as the destroyers were well out of range , and the ion blasts had just as much chance of hitting Coruscant ' s own defensive platforms as they did any of the Imperial craft . Lamenting Drayson ' s inability to match Thrawn tactically , Organa Solo sought a quick replacement , and left Rieekan ' s side . While she was gone , Drayson continued to lose ships to Thrawn ' s onslaught , and the Republic ' s outlook was poor at best . Organa Solo eventually returned with General Garm Bel Iblis , who promptly took over proceedings . He was able to greatly improve the situation , until readings from the Imperial flagship , " Chimaera " , led him to believe that Thrawn was deploying cloaked ships . More worrying was the fact that the " Chimaera " and the other destroyers appeared to " all " be repeatedly launching what seemed to be cloaked craft . Bel Iblis ordered his men to fire along the projected trajectories of the cloaked craft , but as soon as he did , the frigate " Evanrue " was struck by an unseen item . Suspecting that the cloaked items were not necessarily ships , Bel Iblis had his ships fire along their trajectories with ion cannons , in order to disable the cloaking devices and divine just what they were hiding . Thrawn , anticipating Bel Iblis ' actions , had his turbolasers fire at a few of the cloaked objects , destroying them before they could be revealed . The Star Destroyers stopped " deploying " the cloaked objects , and departed the system . The objects were soon discovered to be asteroids — two hundred and eighty - seven of them . Rieekan was dismayed at the number , due to the fact that they now hung in Coruscant ' s orbit and , if the planetary shield was deactivated , they would be allowed to plummet to the surface , killing millions . Bel Iblis , however , suspected that Thrawn would not be able to afford that many expensive cloaking devices , but Rieekan insisted that he had seen it on the sensor board , therefore it had to be true . Bel Iblis was not satisfied , however , and he asked Drayson whether or not a launch could be faked with a Star Destroyer ' s tractor beam . The Admiral said that it was , but explained that it would be impossible to determine which of the launches were legitimate and which ones were feigned . Effectively , even though the enemy had departed , Coruscant was under siege . Some time later , the Stardust plan was formulated : ships would disperse brilliant dust around Coruscant ' s orbit , and then fire negative ion beams into the field of dust , charging all the particles with the same polarity repelling them from one another . The turbulence caused by the cloaked asteroids would then show up clearly on the sensors , allowing the Republic to pinpoint their location . Rieekan and Drayson met in the war room to observe the plan in effect , and they were soon joined by Bel Iblis and Organa Solo . The first field of dust was dispersed , yielding no results , and suddenly Rieekan lamented the earlier loss of Bel Iblis ' Crystal gravfield trap at Svivren , as the devices were highly useful in detecting cloaked ships . A second attempt at the Stardust plan failed , but on a third try , turbulence , and with it , a cloaked asteroid , was detected . As Drayson sent his ships after it , however , it self - destructed . Organa was pleased that at least one was found , but Rieekan exuded his usual grim pessimism . Over the following weeks , Drayson was able to destroy twenty more asteroids , and eventually , they received evidence from smuggler Talon Karrde that Thrawn had only ever deployed twenty - two asteroids , including the one that he had destroyed . With that news , Coruscant was able to lower its planetary shield , the siege ended . Thrawn ' s campaign came to a halt when he was assassinated during the Battle of Bilbringi , and his forces were forced to retreat , ending their harassment of the Republic . Dead emperors , possessed Jedi , and crooked Calamari . In 10 ABY , Coruscant fell to a revitalized Galactic Empire — many of the Republic ' s military officers had perished , and both Rieekan and Madine found it difficult to find adequate replacements . The Republic was forced to make Pinnacle Base on Da Soocha V their center of operations . There , Rieekan worked with Generals Jan Dodonna and Wedge Antilles to coordinate High Command . Later that year , Luke Skywalker had surrendered himself to Imperial custody , and his sister , Organa Solo , began to fear for him . She was able to convince Han Solo , now her husband , to take her to the Deep Core , where Skywalker was being held . Rieekan joined Mon Mothma in seeing the Solos off , and as they departed in the " Millennium Falcon " , the Chief of State mentioned to the general that the future of the New Republic lay with the Jedi Knights , and as such , if Skywalker was lost , the Republic was lost . Skywalker was eventually recovered , and the galvanizing force behind the Empire ' s revival was none other than Emperor Palpatine , returned in a clone body . Palpatine was killed for the final time on Onderon , crippling the Empire once more . One of Rieekan ' s duties within the New Republic was , along with his colleagues , to sit in on the New Republic Senate . In 11 ABY , he was present when Luke Skywalker petitioned for the Senate to endorse his search for Jedi candidates across the galaxy , and to endorse his proposal for a new Jedi academy . Both petitions were successful with the Senate . Some time afterwards , Captain Han Solo returned from a mission to the Kessel , during which he had stolen a superweapon , the Sun Crusher from the Empire ' s Maw Installation . The Sun Crusher had the ability to destroy entire worlds , and so Rieekan and his colleagues decided that it was never to be used by the Republic . Once Skywalker had established his Academy , one of his students , Kyp Durron , turned renegade , and stole the captured Sun Crusher . Using it , he destroyed the Cauldron Nebula , where the Imperial Admiral Natasi Daala had been hiding her fleet . He had also destroyed the Imperial world of Carida , home to the Academy of Carida , much to the horror of some of Rieekan ' s colleagues . Durron eventually surrendered himself , and was brought before Rieekan , Mothma , and their colleagues . Rieekan admonished Durron , but Senator Hrekin Thorm called for the young man ' s death . Mothma , however , decided that Durron ' s fate should lie with Skywalker , and so the young man was sent to the location of the Jedi Academy , Yavin 4 . Skywalker ultimately decided that Durron should not be punished , as he had been acting under the influence of long - dead Sith Lord Exar Kun . When Mothma stepped down from the role of Chief of State later that year , Leia Organa Solo stepped into the role , and in turn , Rieekan took Organa Solo ' s former role of Minister of State . Two years later , in 13 ABY , there was a leak in the Council . Information was being passed onto both Admiral Gilad Pellaeon of the Imperial Remnant , and Imperial moffs such as Shargael and Getelles . Rieekan suspected that the informer was someone in the ascendant Rationalist Party of Nam Chorios . He even entertained the possibility that it was Senator Q - Varx of Mon Calamari , although Organa Solo was skeptical . The Chief of State later traveled to Nam Chorios to meet with the leader of the Rationalist Party , Seti Ashgad , who had requested that the New Republic intervene in a local matter . Rieekan and Admiral Ackbar received a message from their Chief of State , confirming that her expedition had been a success . Soon after , Rieekan fell gravely ill , and slipped into a coma . Later , however , it was revealed that Organa Solo had been kidnapped by Ashgad on Nam Chorios , and had uncovered a plot in which Q - Varx had conspired with Ashgad , with the intent of poisoning Rieekan . The Minister had not been poisoned to death purely because it would have allowed the Council to immediately appoint a successor — in a coma , however , he was easily replaced by the Mon Calamarian . The conspiracy was foiled , Ashgad was killed in the Battle of Nam Chorios , and Q - Varx was subsequently tried for treason . The fact that the Minister had recovered was the only thing that prevented Q - Varx from being given the death sentence , but Rieekan did not return to his post , and was succeeded by Mokka Falanthas after two years of service . Director of New Republic Intelligence . By 16 ABY , Rieekan had been appointed Director of New Republic Intelligence . That year , Viceroy Nil Spaar of the Yevetha n Duskhan League came to Coruscant for talks with Chief of State Organa Solo . Rieekan could not be present for debriefing session with the Chief of State during a break in the initial talks , but his role was filled by Admiral Drayson . Spaar opted to stay on his ship the " Aramardia " , which was docked at Eastport , while the talks were in session . He failed to reach any sort of diplomatic solution or agreement with Organa Solo , despite over a month of discussions . At one point , Spaar canceled his sessions with the Chief of State for three days in a row , arousing suspicion . Rieekan ' s people at Intelligence had been able to ascertain that the Viceroy had only left the " Armardia " once — and stayed at a diplomatic hostel for just over two hours . Organa Solo held another staff meeting , to discuss Spaar ' s movements . On that day , the director received word that visitors had boarded the " Aramardia " that day — Senators Tig Peramis , Hodidiji , and Cian Marook , who were all disenchanted with Organa Solo ' s government . The three of them had stayed for over two hours , with Marook having left first . Rieekan made a discreet inquiry towards Marook ' s staff , and learned that the senators were , in fact , invited to the " Aramardia " . During the meeting itself , Admiral Ackbar inquired as to whether or not the director had been able to find out just who Spaar was meeting , but Rieekan had been unable to discover this . The admiral demanded to see a list of those staying at the hostel , but Rieekan was already ahead of him , having produced such a register and sent it to everyone cleared for the current meeting . Rieekan also divulged his newly - learned intel regarding the three senators . Organa Solo asked whether or not the senators had been in contact with the Yevethans all along , but Rieekan did not know , and instead suggested that Spaar ' s negotiations were indeed over — he had met with some of the Chief of State ' s most vocal critics , as well as some of the candidate legations at the hostel , which to Rieekan pointed to a breakdown in the talks . The meeting was interrupted when the " Aramardia " made an uncleared departure from Eastport , causing damage to other craft docked there , as well a number of casualties . With this new move on Spaar ' s part , Rieekan recommended to Organa Solo that she place the Home Fleet on alert . Ackbar interjected and insisted that they do more — he had ordered the destroyer " Brilliant " to fire on the " Armadria " should the need arise . When the Chief of State questioned this , Rieekan explained that Spaar ' s ship was still within Coruscant ' s planetary shield , and had the potential to cause a lot of damage . Organa Solo ' s aide , Alole , was unable to make contact with the ship , and so Ackbar conjectured that the move was meant to further embarrass the Chief of State . Although Organa Solo was reluctant to agree , she had the fleet and ground defenses put on alert . The " Armardia " remained airborne under the planetary shield for several hours , with the " Brilliant " following it continually . Spaar later made a broadcast from the ship , claiming that Organa Solo had conspired to attack him , and that the Chief of State had sent spies into the Koornacht Cluster , home to the Yevethans . The broadcast would in turn bring about the Black Fleet Crisis . In the midst of the ensuing crisis , a new issue was brought to Rieekan ' s attention : an expedition , devised by Admiral Drayson , to investigate the mysterious Teljkon Vagabond , a large an alien craft of Qella origin . Colonel Ejagga Pakkpekatt , leader of the expedition , had requested some of the Qella genetic material in preparation for his mission . In turn , the director had enlisted the services of the Obroan Institute for Archaeology . The expedition was eventually launched , and the first contact with the craft had been disastrous , resulting in the Vagabond entering hyperspace with a Republic boarding party , headed by Lando Calrissian , still onboard . Pakkpekatt required more resources to pursue the Vagabond , and so he sent a request to Intelligence . The issue was brought up in a Council on Security and Intelligence meeting , and Senator Krall Praget , the council ' s chairman , suggested that they close the books on the expedition , as it had failed . Rieekan was opposed to this , since Calrissian and his team were still on board . The director also suggested that it was likely Calrissian was still alive , despite the fact that a gauntlet from his contact suit had been found , undamaged . Rieekan was backed up by Senator Cair Tok Noimm , who insisted that Calrissian his team , which included Baron - Administrator Lobot of Cloud City , as well as the droids R2 - D2 and C - 3PO , were highly valued friends of the New Republic . In response , Calrissian ' s involvement was brought into question by Senator Amamanam ; Rieekan claimed that he were representing the Fleet Office . Arguments flared once again in the meeting , over the value of Pakkpekatt ' s proposed recovery mission . The director proposed a solution : as Calrissian ' s contact suit would only serve him for a limited amount of time , added to the fact that Calrissian was likely to do whatever he could to impede the Vagabond ' s movements over the next several days , Rieekan suggested that he allow Pakkpekatt to continue his search for fifteen days . Noimm , in turn , suggested that the requested additional ships be sent as aid , but both Rieekan and Praget were opposed , and instead the director looked to downsize their commitment to the search , since in his view the New Republic already had assets aboard the Vagabond . Rieekan was later forced to terminate Pakkpekatt ' s search , as hostilities flared between the New Republic and the Duskhan League in the Farlax sector . The colonel contested the director ' s orders , however , and contacted him shortly after the termination was issued . Pakkpekatt argued vehemently , but Rieekan could not be swayed , emphasizing the need for the search craft in the Farlax engagements . The colonel protested , and requested that he be considered missing , as he felt he could not serve Rieekan properly if he were reassigned with the knowledge that Calrissian ' s team was still missing . Taken aback by Pakkpekatt ' s conviction , the director allowed the colonel to retain Calrissian ' s yacht , the " Lady Luck " , as well as three additional volunteers . Rieekan also required that Pakkpekatt report on any substantial developments . The Black Fleet Crisis . In the wake of a Duskhan League strike against Doornik - 319 , Rieekan helped Chief of State Organa Solo set up a message to Viceroy Spaar , by having units of his own broadcast from the Koornacht Cluster ' s perimeter . Rieekan joined Organa Solo , Admiral Ackbar , Commodore Han Solo , Administrator Nanaod Engh , Chair of the Senate Behn - kihl - nahm , and Minister of State Mokka Falanthas for the broadcast , in which the Chief of State , addressing Viceroy Spaar , as well as the Yevethan governments and forces , decried the Duskhan League ' s violent attacks against the inhabitants of the Koornacht Cluster , and insisted that they relinquish their new holdings , cease their advances and release all prisoners taken . The New Republic initially received no response from the Yevethans , despite transmitting the Chief of State ' s message daily . Six days later , Admiral Drayson recovered footage from Doornik - 319 , indicating that the Dushkan League were continuing their occupation of the planet . Rieekan later viewed this footage at the Chief of State ' s residence , along with the other members of the government who had been involved in the earlier broadcast . The director agreed with Commodore Solo ' s observation that Spaar was calling Organa Solo ' s bluff . After some deliberation , the Chief of State decided to blockade Doornik - 319 , and had the agreement of all those present . As such , General Etahn A ' baht and the Fifth Fleet were dispatched to Doornik - 319 . There , he engaged the Yevethan forces , but was defeated , forcing a New Republic retreat . As the crisis ground on , Commodore Solo was captured by the Duskhan League , and Rieekan was required to file a report on the incident . Later , Paqwe diplomat Belezaboth Ourn was outed as a Yevethan spy , and it was alleged that his actions had led to Solo ' s capture . He turned himself over to the New Republic authorities , and provided them with the device he used to communicate with Viceroy Spaar . Rieekan , however , discovered that Ourn did not have the connections to know about Solo ' s movements , and that during interrogation , the Paqwe made it evident that he was not even aware of the commodore ' s capture . The director then came to the conclusion that there was another Yevethan spy in the government . Rieekan ' s men also inspected the communications device , and determined that it was of Imperial make . When the director brought his discoveries concerning the second Yevethan spy to the attention of Organa Solo during a staff meeting , Admiral Graf suggested that it could be one of the three senators who visited Spaar during his time on Coruscant . Rieekan was already looking into to possibility , launching investigations into Senators Peramis , Marook , and Hodidiji . He then informed Organa Solo of the new intelligence on the communications device . Although the Chief of State wanted to know if the director would be able to use this new - found knowledge to find more of the devices , Rieekan had another idea — start a campaign of disinformation by keeping Ourn in contact with Viceroy Spaar . As an attempt to break Spaar ' s silence , Ourn was instructed to pass on that Organa Solo did not believe that the Duskhan League had captured her husband , the commodore . Spaar , in response , broadcast a message to Organa Solo from the bridge of his dreadnought the " Pride of Yevetha " on Channel 81 of the HoloNet , reserved for diplomatic use . In it , he claimed to have unified with the " Grand Imperial Union , " headed by Moff Tragg Brathis . Organa Solo questioned the validity of the " Grand Imperial Union , " and Rieekan informed her that the message had gone out to the entire system , essentially making the contents public . Administrator Engh pointed out that the message was not in fact intended for the government , but to strike at the hearts and minds of the populace . The Black Fleet Crisis was eventually resolved at the Battle of N ' zoth , in which resulted in the defeat of the Duskhan League and the death of Viceroy Spaar . Additionally , Pakkpekatt ' s mission came to an end when Jedi Master Luke Skywalker rescued Calrissian and his team from the Teljkon Vagabond . In the wake of the Black Fleet Crisis , Rieekan retired . The Yuuzhan Vong War . With the advent of the Yuuzhan Vong War , Rieekan returned to service , and headed the Coruscant Planetary Defense Force . Once again , the Alderaanian held the rank of general . In 27 ABY , a disturbance in Coruscant ' s passenger lanes attracted Rieekan ' s attention . A flight from Rogue Squadron , headed by Colonel Gavin Darklighter , was moving to inspect the freighter " Sweet Surprise " , and had ordered them to stand down , but the ship continued its approach . Rieekan contacted Han Solo , who was following the " Sweet Surprise " in the " Millennium Falcon " . Solo proceeded to expound upon his past dealings with one of the crewmembers , Plaan , a Weequay , and his generally suspicious dealings , including refugee - selling . Rieekan then contacted Darklighter , and ordered him to not allow the " Sweet Surprise " within the mine shell that had been deployed around Coruscant . The ship was later boarded , and revealed to have been carrying Jedi - hunting Yuuzhan Vong - engineered voxyn , intended for deployment on Coruscant . Some time afterward , Rieekan was contacted by Chief of State Borsk Fey ' lya , and they discussed the involvement of the New Jedi Order in the ongoing war . Fey ' lya had been decidedly hostile to the Jedi over the course of the war , but as the tide had turned against the New Republic , the Bothan had no choice but to reverse his stance . In addition to discussing the matter with Rieekan , Fey ' lya also contacted Generals Wedge Antilles , Garm Bel Iblis , Admiral Traest Kre ' fey , and others . They all attended via hologram as the Yuuzhan Vong Nom Anor addressed the New Republic Senate , and called for the blood of the Jedi . Fey ' lya , in response , announced his change of heart . The Yuuzhan Vong responded with an all - out attack against the galactic capital . As the enemy approached Coruscant , the enemy Warmaster , Tsavong Lah , began utilizing ships filled with captive refugees from conquered worlds to shield his own craft . Admiral Sien Sovv , who was charged with leading the defense of Coruscant , was unwilling to destroy such craft , while General Bel Iblis was more willing to make such sacrifices . As such , Sovv was forced to attend a senate meeting via hologram , in which Fey ' lya declared that he would be replaced by Bel Iblis as overall commander of the defense . Rieekan disagreed with the move , and had his hologram stand by Sovv ' s in the senate chamber , as did those of several other senior officers in the military , such as Admiral Kre ' fey and Commodore Brand . The Yuuzhan Vong continued their approach , however , and began to approach Coruscant ' s surface . Rieekan commanded ground forces , and issued orders to surface artillery . Although they were able to inflict damage on the incoming forces , the battle , and Coruscant itself , was lost . The New Republic retreated , leaving the planet to be overrun by the invaders , and Chief of State Fey ' lya committed suicide by blowing up half of the Imperial Palace , killing many of the Yuuzhan Vong by doing so . As the Republic retreated , Rieekan , working alongside General Bel Iblis and Lando Calrissian , was able to delay the invasion long enough to allow many evacuation transports to depart the capital in safety . With the New Republic smashed at Coruscant , it was forced to reform itself into the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances , which was centralized at Mon Calamari . From there , the war against the Yuuzhan Vong continued to be waged . In 29 BBY , Rieekan attended a meeting aboard the cruiser " Ralroost " , along with Supreme Commander Sovv , Admiral Kre ' frey , Grand Admiral Pellaeon , Generals Antilles , Bel Iblis , Farlander , and Cracken , amongst others , including Han and Leia Solo , and their daughter Jaina . During the meeting , intelligence from spies on occupied Coruscant , or Yuuzhan ' tar as it was now called , was discussed , as well as the newly - discovered Yuuzhan Vong plans to strike at Mon Calamari . The Alliance was able to rally to the defense of their new capital , however , and defeat the enemy at the Defense of Mon Calamari . The new victory spurned the Alliance on towards a dramatic strike against Coruscant itself . The Galactic Alliance and numerous other factions from across the galaxy were able to liberate the galactic capital , and in the ensuing conflict , brought about the death of Supreme Overlord Shimrra Jamaane . Rieekan was still aboard the " Ralroost " , and along with many of the military personnel present for the earlier meeting , in addition to Chief of State Cal Omas , was present for the Yuuzhan Vong surrender , presented by Warmaster Nas Choka . As a result , the Yuuzhan Vong War was brought to a close . Personality and traits . Rieekan was perceived by his men to be a grim and stern man , who was in a constant state of worry and concern . The general was in fact , quiet and unassuming . Initially , he had been an optimist , but after blaming himself for the destruction of Alderaan , he became morose and grim . Even in the ensuing months , memories of the event haunted him . He fought because he felt it was his duty to avert and potential disasters or tragedies that might occur in the future , even though he did not particularly want to . Rieekan tried to make sure that he never risked the lives of those under his command , and decided to act with aggressive caution following the Alderaan incident , when he once would have acted with confident subtlety . He never put his emotions on display , and instead constantly retained his determined demeanor . While commanding at Echo Base , Rieekan ' s grim and downbeat mood was misunderstood by most , but engineer Ken Monnon possessed a complete understanding of the general ' s past , and would not tolerate any complaints about Rieekan ' s demeanor from his men . After the evacuation of Hoth , Rieekan would continued to be haunted further , by the deaths of the Alliance soldiers who had made the ultimate sacrifice as Echo Base was evacuated . Following the liberation of Coruscant , Rieekan grew more optimistic , and a visual change in his demeanor was noted by his colleagues . He stuck by his ideals , and lived by them , which led him to gravitate towards fellow soldiers with similar mindsets . Rieekan possessed natural leadership skills , which allowed him to rapidly rise through the ranks of the Judicial Forces . He disagreed with Palpatine ' s policies to such an extent that he felt a need to do significant damage to the New Order . Rieekan also admired Viceroy Bail Organa , hailing him as a trustworthy man . The general felt grief for Organa ' s loss during the destruction of Alderaan . Later , when Rieekan was in the Coronet Capital Tower as it was being attacked by Imperial forces , he was genuinely more concerned about the lives of the innocent people within , rather than his own . Rieekan was a strong and able tactician , and had been so from an early age . His vast knowledge in that area made him a highly effective base commander . He was not amused by flippancy , but while he did not always agree with men like Captain Han Solo , he could still acknowledge that they were genuinely good people . In return , he was perceived as a good soldier . Rieekan cared for his men — so much so that he once privately admitted that he " bleeds when they bleed , and dies when they die . " Even though he was able to make sacrifices , he never found the task of sending men to their deaths easy . As such , Rieekan would personally wish his troops good luck as they ventured into combat . Later in his career , faced with an expensive recovery mission when the Teljkon Vagabond entered hyperspace with Lando Calrissian aboard , Rieekan was loathe to abandon an ally of the New Republic purely because the operation would be expensive . Later , Rieekan was taken aback by Colonel Pakkpekatt ' s adamant insistence that he find and assist Calrissian when he was stranded on the Vagabond . Although Rieekan usually was strict with his orders and mandates , he relaxed the rules slightly for Pakkpekatt , and warned the colonel not to try his patience . Rieekan was noted as a man who spoke infrequently , but whenever he chose to offer his opinion on a given matter , it was usually an opinion worth hearing . The general once commented on the " modus operandi " of the Katarn Commandos , who were answerable to the New Republic Chief of State , but were allowed to determine specifically how their missions were conducted internally . Rieekan ' s summation was that the process was like " tossing a nest of fire wasp s into a bursa ' s lair and seeing what happens next . " He was also incisive — during the Black Fleet Crisis , he was able to divine Viceroy Spaar ' s intentions based on his actions quicker than Chief of State Organa Solo could . The general was respected amongst the command hierarchy , with people such as Admiral Ackbar holding the belief that they could rely on him for support in testing times . Rieekan would demonstrate his support for his fellow officers in such cases as Supreme Commander Sovv ' s disciplinary hearing at the hands of Chief of State Fey ' lya during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of Coruscant . In addition to his military skills , Rieekan could also understand Basic , Huttese , Ithorese , Mon Calamarian , Shyriiwook , and Sullustese . Behind the scenes . General Rieekan first appeared in Donald F . Glut ' s of Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan ' s script for . In the film itself , Rieekan was portrayed by Bruce Boa . The role was later taken by Merwin Goldsmith for Brian Daley ' s radio drama adaptation of the film , and the character was then voiced by Neil Ross in the video game " " . For that game ' s sequels , " " and " " , the role was taken by Dan Barton . If the player shoots down far too many allies , escorts , or convoys during a mission , the mission will end with Rieekan calling Luke Skywalker back to the Rebel Base so he can discuss with Luke privately on the nature of Luke ' s tactics on the battlefield . Rieekan has made several appearances in the Expanded Universe , where the character was given his first name of " Carlist , " in the sourcebook " " , first published in 1989 . Rieekan also served as a player character in the games " Assault on Hoth " and " The Battle of Hoth " . The character makes a brief appearance in the non - canon comic issue " " , where an alternate set of events to those depicted in the film of " The Empire Strikes Back " are shown . Rieekan ' s role is greatly reduced , with the most significant changes affecting his character directly being the death of Luke Skywalker from the wampa attack , and the subsequent funeral , which distracts the Alliance from the Imperial approach . In the issue , Rieekan and Echo Base are caught off - guard by the Imperial assault . Inconsistencies . Several inconsistencies have cropped up in regards to Rieekan ' s appearances in various adaptations and Expanded Universe works . A plot summary of " The Empire Strikes Back " included in a for the film states that Rieekan is killed during the Battle of Hoth . In " " , Rieekan ' s lines during his initial interaction with Han Solo are given instead to Major Derlin . Later in that same comic line , for , an aging man identified only as the " General " briefs Organa and Skywalker on a mission to Kabray Station . Although no other generals had briefed the characters in post " The Empire Strikes Back " issues before other than Rieekan , the character ' s lack of identification makes Rieekan ' s appearance in the issue only possible , not certain . For the " Dark Empire " audio drama , Rieekan ' s lines from the comic are instead given to Mon Mothma , and in the comic adaptation of " The Last Command " , Rieekan ' s lines are given to Admiral Drayson . For the " Rebellion Era Campaign Guide " , Rieekan ' s entry is erroneously illustrated with a picture of Crix Madine .