Berch Teller campaign In 14 BBY , former Galactic Republic Intelligence officer Berch Teller led a failed rebel campaign against the Galactic Empire . Teller and his rebel cell were secretly aided by Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit , who shared Teller ' s antipathy towards Moff Wilhuff Tarkin , who was in charge of the Empire ' s secret Death Star project . Teller and his cell stole Tarkin ' s personal starship " Carrion Spike " which they used to attack several Imperial facilities across the galaxy . Tarkin teamed up with Darth Vader to stop the insurgents , exposing Vice Admiral Rancit ' s collusion with Teller ' s cell . After exposing and executing Teller , Tarkin defeated the insurgents during the a battle near the Gulf of Tatooine . With the defeat of Teller ' s insurgents , Tarkin was promoted to Grand Moff and Governor of the Outer Rim Territories . Seeking retribution against Tarkin , Teller made a failed assassination attempt on the Grand Moff ' s life . Prelude . During the final year of the Clone Wars , Captain Berch Teller was a Republic Intelligence station chief stationed on the Gotal moon of Antar 4 . He helped train and organize Gotal and Koorivar loyalist partisans who mounted an insurgency against the Separatist forces stationed on Antar 4 . Following the establishment of the Galactic Empire , Imperial forces under Wilhuff Tarkin launched a violent purge known as the Antar Atrocity which saw the arrest and killings of many Koorivar and Gotal loyalists . Media coverage of the Antar Atrocity triggered widespread public outrage throughout the galaxy . In response to public outrage , Emperor Palpatine reassigned Tarkin to overseeing pacification operations in the Western Reaches . Rising to the position of Moff , Tarkin later became the commander of Desolation Station and Sentinel Base , the bases servicing the top - secret Death Star project . Tarkin replaced Vice Admiral Dodd Rancit , who was reassigned as Deputy Director to the Naval Intelligence Agency , a subdivision of Imperial Intelligence . Teller perceived his reassignment as a demotion and resented Tarkin ' s position in the Empire . Tarkin ' s central role in the Antar Atrocity sparked some of the earliest resistance against the Empire . Outraged by the brutality of the Antar Atrocity , Berch Teller formed a rebel cell . This cell ' s members included the outspoken dissident journalist s Anora Fair and Hask Taff , the Gotal starship pilot Salikk , the Koorivar munitions and surveillance expert Cala , and the former Mon Calamari Knight Artoz , and the former Republic Intelligence contractor – turned information broker Knotts . While Teller was serving as head of security at Desolation Station , he encountered Rancit . Sharing a resentment for Tarkin , the two men decided to work together . In 14 BBY , Teller and his group embarked in an insurgent campaign against Tarkin . Their plan involved stealing the Moff ' s personal starship " Carrion Spike " , which was fitted with an advanced hyperdrive and stealth technology that allowed it to travel throughout the galaxy undetected . Teller ' s cell intended to use the " Carrion Spike " , a symbol of Imperial power , against the Empire by targeting Imperial facilities along the Perlemian Trade Route and disrupting convoys transporting material to the Death Star project . Seeking to advance his own position in the Imperial hierarchy at Tarkin ' s expense , Rancit used his intelligence and underworld connections to supply the dissidents with proscribed armaments , communications jammers , and confiscated Separatist materiel including droid starfighter s and a modified " Providence " - class dreadnought ; which was assembled by the Tenloss and Crymorah syndicate s at shipyards in the Bajic sector . History . Baiting Tarkin . Equipped with Separatist weaponry and communications equipment , the dissidents tried to use a fake holotransmission claiming that Rampart Station was under attack in an attempt to lure Moff Tarkin and his forces away from Sentinel Base on the desolate Sentinel moon . Sensing a trap , Tarkin took his " Venator " - class Star Destroyer " Electrum " on a microjump to the edge of the Sentinel moon ' s system . The dissidents ' " Providence " - class dreadnought exited hyperspace only to be ambushed by the " Electrum " and its starfighter escorts . Though the former Separatist carrier managed to escape into hyperspace , the Imperials managed to capture several former Separatist droid starfighters . While attending a meeting of the Ruling Council on Coruscant , Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader were assigned by Darth Sidious to examine a captured communications cache on the former Separatist world of Murkhana . The Imperial Security Bureau ' s Deputy Director Harus Ison believed that the communications cache was evidence of a potential plot to incapacitate the Imperial HoloNet . The communications cache had purportedly been found by the Koorivar ISB asset Bracchia and his ISB case officer Stellan . In truth , Vice Admiral Rancit had deliberately leaked intelligence about the communications cache to Military Intelligence , who passed them on to the ISB . This was part of Rancit ' s plot to lure Moff Tarkin to Murkhana so that the Teller ' s cell could steal the " Carrion Spike " . Playing into the conspirators ' hands , Tarkin and Lord Vader traveled aboard the " Carrion Spike " to Murkhana . While the two Imperials were inspecting the cache and questioning Bracchia , Teller ' s cell used a false holotransmission to lure Sergeant Crest and his stormtrooper s away from the corvette . The dissidents then fled offworld . Pursuing the shipjackers , Tarkin and Lord Vader forcibly commandeered the Sugi crime lord Faazah ' s personal starship " Parsec Predator " . Thought the dissidents disabled the ship ' s communications and slave system , Tarkin and Vader were able to track the stolen ship using a paralight tracker and the Sith Lord ' s meditation chamber . Tarkin suspected the theft of his starship was linked to the attack on Sentinel Base and the Murkhana communications cache . Hunt for the " Carrion Spike " . Pursuing the " Carrion Spike " , Tarkin and Vader followed the ship into the Fial system . With the Imperials hot on their trail , the insurgents did a jump to Galidraan . Using the " Carrion Spike " stealth system , Teller ' s cell attacked the Imperial station orbiting Galidraan III , damaging the station and destroying several V - wing and Aggressive ReConnaissance - 170 starfighter s . Vader and Tarkin caught up with the " Carrion Spike " and engaged in a dogfight but their ship " Parsec Predator " was disabled . The insurgents also jettisoned Vader ' s meditation chamber and destroyed the system ' s hyperspace buoy . Despite the insurgents ' escape , the Imperials managed to inflict significant damage on the stolen " Carrion Spike " . Continuing their " campaign of destruction " , Berch Teller ' s cell attacked TaggeCo ' s mining facilities on Lucazec . To inspire resistance against the Empire , Anora Fair and Hask Taff transmitted holovid s of the group ' s raids . In response to the " Carrion Spike " attacks , the Empire deployed the Imperial Navy to protect key Imperial installations and facilities along the Perliemnian Trade Route and the Hydian Way . Vader and Tarkin regrouped aboard the Star Destroyer " Liberator " where the Sith Lord Vader received his personal Eta - 2 Actis - class light interceptor from the Empire . Studying the shipjackers ' travel patterns , Tarkin speculating they were working with the warship that attacked Sentinel Base . Due to the " Carrion Spike " unique fuel requirements , Tarkin speculated that the ship would travel to either Gromas in the Perkell sector or Phindar in the Mandalore sector . However , Vice - Admiral Rancit had warned Teller and his cell to stay away from Gromas . Teller used a fake Imperial uniform , rank plaque insignia , and command cap disk to pose as the Imperial Commander Abel LaSal to obtain the fuel cell s from a tanker docking above Phindar . Before they could finish refueling , Tarkin and Lord Vader arrived aboard the Imperial escort carrier " Goliath " with a squadron of V - wing starfighters . Unaware of Teller ' s identity , the tanker dispatched a squadron of ARC - 170 starfighters to intercept Vader ' s fighters . Before Tarkin could fire proton torpedoes at the stolen freighter , the " Carrion Spike " used its cloaking system to disappear from the scanners before jumping into hyperspace . The escort carrier ' s missiles instead hit the oil tanker and the ARC - 170s . Vader , who had issued the command , took responsibility for the resulting collateral damage . Despite evading Tarkin and Vader , Anora was unable to transmit more holovids since the Empire had suspended HoloNet service to most of the Mandalore sector . However , Teller reassured her that they just needed to reach one to trigger a snowball effect . Meanwhile , Phindar authorities determined that the tanker had been destroyed by an explosive device concealed inside fuel cell . As a result , Tarkin realized that the dissidents had intended to draw them into a trap . After receiving intelligence that the " Carrion Spike " was heading to the Expansion Region , Rancit convinced the Emperor to deploy interdictor cruisers from the Deep Core Security Zone to safeguard Imperial installations on Lantillies , Cartao , Ice Station Beta on Anteevy , Taanab , and Garos . Uncovering a conspiracy . After uncovering an Imperial paralight tracker aboard the " Carrion Spike " , Teller transmitted fake coordinates to make it appear that they were traveling to the Obroa - skai system in the Inner Rim . To throw the Imperials off - scent , Teller got the broker Knotts to sell a shipping job to the crew of the YT - 1000 freighter " Reticent " . In response , Tarkin assembled various Imperial warships including the Star Destroyer " Executrix " and three Interdictor vessels — a Detainer CC - 2200 , a CC - 7700 frigate , and a prototype Immobilizer 418 cruiser — to interdict the stolen ship . Instead , the Immobilizer ' s gravity well projector s malfunctioned , yanking out the " Reticent " and several civilian transports including the MC80 star cruiser " Stellar Vista " . The " Stellar Vista " collided with the Detainer CC - 2200 , killing 1 , 100 civilians . While the Imperial frigates rendered assistance to the civilian ship , Tarkin ordered the interdictors to negate the field so that they could use tractor beams to grab the lifeboats . The incident in the Obroa - skai system generated considerable media interest due to the presence of civilian holovids and media teams . The damaged " Stellar Vista " and the Detainer CC - 2200 were towed away for repairs while the Immobilizer was returned to the Corellian Engineering Corporation for reassessment . Despite failing to capture the " Carrion Spike " , the Imperials managed to destroy the Lux - 400 yacht " Truant " , which was wanted for smuggling . In addition , Imperial forces also seized the " Reticent " and interrogated its crew including its Koorivar captain . Under interrogation , the captain admitted buying the freighter from Knotts , who also instructed him to travel to the Obroa - skai system . After questioning the captain ' s Sy Myrthian navigator , Vader learnt that the Sugi smuggler Faazah had obtained a supply of custom fuel cells prior to Tarkin and Vader ' s visit to Murkhana . Tarkin also investigated the dissidents and learnt that several members including Teller , Anora , Hask , and Knotts had been present on Antar 4 during the Antar Atrocity . He also determined that Teller had bluffed his way into obtaining the Phindar fuel cells by posing as Commander LaSal . Meanwhile , Darth Sidious investigated the source of the Murkhana communications cache . After interrogating both Bracchia and his ISB handler Stellan , the Emperor learned that someone Military Intelligence had relayed the information to the ISB . Further investigations revealed that the dissidents had been supplied with confiscated warship modules , Separatist weapons , communications equipment , and intelligence on Imperial facilities from Imperial assets with high clearance . Having thrown the Empire off scent , Teller ' s cell attacked an Imperial facility an Nouane , a client state system in the Inner Rim . However , the facility was heavily fortified due to Vice - Admiral Rancit ' s precautions and the " Carrion Spike " only managed to inflict minimal damage before fleeing into hyperspace . Following the failed Nouane attack , Teller and his fellow dissidents determined that Vice - Admiral Rancit had betrayed them . They fed him with false intelligence that the " Carrion Spike " was going to attack the Imperial Academy on Carida in the Inner Rim . The dissidents escaped onto another ship and set the " Carrion Spike " on autopilot to Carida . To cover his tracks , Rancit ordered the " Secutor " - class Star Destroyer " Conquest " to destroy the " Carrion Spike " . However , Vader had discovered Teller ' s collusion with Teller ' s dissidents and confronted him aboard the " Conquest " . After asserting control over his crew , the Sith Lord ordered that Rancit be placed in an escape pod . As a final insult , Rancit was ordered to transmit the order to destroy the pod . Last stand at the Gulf of Tatooine . Having recovered the " Carrion Spike " , Tarkin decided to put an end to Berch Teller and his dissidents . Teller and his cell returned to their modified " Providence " - class dreadnought , which lay in wait behind a barren moon in a star system Coreward of the Gulf of Tatooine . Continuing their campaign against Moff Tarkin , the dissidents decided to ambush a convoy of starships transporting materials to the Death Star project . This convoy was scheduled to revert to realspace at the edge of the system before traveling by sublight to the Imperial marshaling station at Pii . From there , the supply ships would be escorted to Sentinel Base and finally Geonosis . Before his death , Rancit relocated the convoy ' s escorts to safeguard Imperial installations along the Perlemian . By the time Tarkin arrived aboard the " Executrix " , Teller ' s ships and droid starfighters had already ambushed the convoy . Despite the cargo ships and transports drawing together to allow the escort gunboats and frigates to fashion a defensive circle , the insurgents ' nimble droid starfighters were able to inflict significant damage . The dissidents ' forces included a EF76 Nebulon - B escort frigate , multiple droid tri - fighter s , and four starfighters . While the " Executrix " starfighters took on the enemy fighters , the " Executrix " opened fire on the Nebulon - B frigate , destroying it . With the battle turning in the Empire ' s favor , Teller escaped on a Z - 95 Headhunter with the help of his comrades , who stayed behind . The " Executrix " then disabled the enemy carrier ' s shields and master control computer . Imperial reinforcements arrived in the form of the Star Destroyers " Compliant " and " Enforcer " . Stormtroopers then boarded the ship and captured the dissidents including Anora Fair , Hask Taff , Knoff , and Artoz . Aftermath . The rise of Tarkin . Following the defeat of Berch Teller ' s cell , the Empire spent the next three weeks interrogating the captured dissidents . Though the ISB advocated public executions , the Emperor instead had them secretly executed to deny them martyrdom . While the details of Rancit ' s death were kept secret , his death sent a clear warning to the Imperial intelligence community that no rank or position was a guarantee of privilege or exemption from punishment . In addition , the Empire also punished several warehouse workers and salvagers who had supplied materiel to Teller ' s cell . Several scientists stationed at Desolation Station who violated their security oaths were also punished . The Empire also targeted the members of the Tenloss and Crymorah syndicates who had outfitted the dissidents ' warship . The Emperor also instituted a reorganization of the Imperial bureaucracy . Naval Intelligence was folded back into Imperial Intelligence with Colonel Wullf Yularen replacing the late Rancit as deputy director . Harus Ison was reassigned to the Ubiqtorate while Admiral Nils Tenant was promoted to Joint Chief . Other Ruling Council members including Conan Antonio Motti and Tagge were also promoted . In return for his services , the Emperor promoted Tarkin to the newly - created position of Grand Moff and appointed him Governor of the entire Outer Rim Territories . Tarkin was also regarded as a hero by the media and developed the Tarkin Doctrine to justify the Empire ' s military expansion into the galaxy . As Governor of the Outer Rim , Tarkin ' s purview included the secret Death Star project . To maintain the project ' s secrecy , Tarkin tightened security restrictions and labor movements at Desolation Station , Geonosis , Sentinel Base , and the various marshaling stations . Tarkin also increased military patrols in the surrounding space and issued orders for pirate s and smuggler s to be eliminated on sight . Imperial forces later tracked down Teller ' s Headhunter starfighter to Christophsis but found no sign of the future . Teller later traveled to Tarkin ' s homeworld of Eriadu and attempted to assassinate the Grand Moff on the grounds of a wildlife reserve called Carrion Plateau . However , he fell into a pit trap . Tarkin left his nemesis to climb out of the pit before nightfall . Legacy . Despite the defeat of Berch Teller ' s insurgency , resistance against the Empire would see the emergence of several rebel cells throughout the galaxy including Phoenix Cell . Some time after Teller ' s campaign , the early Rebel Alliance saw Teller as a prime example of how counter - propaganda would be useful , and that if it weren ' t for him , the galaxy would not be aware of the Antar Atrocity . In 2 BBY , these rebel cells under the leadership of former Senator Mon Mothma declared publically the Alliance to Restore the Republic . Over the next several years , rebel operatives including the Spectres and Saw Gerrera ' s Partisans uncovered evidence of the Empire ' s secret Death Star project including the Sterilization of Geonosis and the shipment of kyber crystal s . In 0 BBY , the discovery of the Death Star ' s existence led the Alliance to mount a daring heist to steal the Death Star plans from the Imperial complex on Scarif ; marking the start of the Galactic Civil War . Despite sustaining heavy casualties , the Alliance managed to escape with the plans aboard Prince ss Leia Organa ' s starship " Tantive IV " . The Emperor ' s dissolution of the Imperial Senate and Grand Moff Tarkin ' s use of the Death Star to destroy Alderaan set the stage for the events of the Battle of Yavin . During that climatic battle , Tarkin was killed when the rebel pilot Luke Skywalker fired a proton torpedo down the Death Star ' s thermal exhaust port , destroying the superweapon . Behind the scenes . The Berch Teller campaign serves as the main conflict of James Luceno ' s 2014 novel " Tarkin " , the second book in a new line of Canon adult novels published by Del Rey .