Spy / Legends Spies were individuals that were trained , and sometimes hired , to perform espionage , the practice of obtaining information from rivals or enemies for a military or political advantage . Spies were employed to obtain secrets such as plans or formations of enemy troops . The primary mission of a spy was to collect information , not to fight . Although some spies were skilled in combat , most tried to avoid being detected altogether . The Bothan species was well known for being especially good at spying through the Bothan Spynet . Both the Rebellion and the Empire practiced spy usage during the Galactic Civil War . The Yuuzhan Vong extensively spied out the galaxy prior to their invasion . History of espionage . Spies during The Great Galactic War ( 14 BTC / 3 , 660 BBY ) . The Sith Empire hired Spies during the Great Galactic War . After a succession of defeats generated by the Sith during the War , ended by the Battle of Bothawui , the Sith Emperor changed his strategy to ensure victory : Imperial Intelligence . Their goal was to gain the control and loyalty of the Mandalorians . The Imperial Diplomats at first sent invitations to the Bounty Hunters and the crackpots of the Outer Rim , to join the war efforts . Not a lot of them answered positively , most of them remained neutral . To gain the loyalty of the Mandalorians , the Sith Emperor hired spies . The spies infiltrated the arenas where Bounty hunters and such others brawlers fought in the Outer Rim . The Empire infiltrated the arenas as trainers , patrons , and Gladiators . Imperial Intelligence had noticed a strong Gladiator and made him the puppet of their plans . The Sith Spies drugged and weakened his enemies to make it stronger than any others participants of the Geonosis Arena . The groans of Imperial Intelligence became the spectators acclamations : " Mandalore ! Mandalore ! " The Gladiator claimed the title and became the New Mandalore . He Summoned his people and allied them to the Imperial war effort . However , Mandalore obeyed Imperial Intelligence . As the puppets of the Sith , the Mandalorians declared war for a Second Time against the Jedi . They also prepared a blockade of the Hydian Way that later would be broken by a group of smugglers lead by Hylo Visz in 7 BTC . Secession Movement . After tracking Jango Fett to Geonosis , Obi - Wan Kenobi infiltrated a Geonosian structure and found the Separatist leaders and Count Dooku scheming to secede from the Republic , using their droid armies as martial back - up . Kenobi was able to send this vital information to the Jedi Council on Coruscant , leading to the start of the Clone Wars . The First Death Star Plans . Prior to the events of the Battle of Yavin , Princess Leia uploaded stolen plans for the Death Star to R2 - D2 before her imminent capture by Darth Vader . These transmissions had been procured from several different sources , including Rebel mercenary Kyle Katarn . Along with the plans was the famous hologram message for Obi - Wan Kenobi pleading for his return . The Second Death Star Plans . The Bothan Spynet managed to secure the plans to the Second Death Star , an event during which , famously , " many Bothans died … " The plans showed that the Death Star was indestructible until shield generators on the moon of Endor were effectively shut down . Thus , the Rebel Alliance was able to effectively attack the new , unfinished but deadlier , Death Star by a ground assault . Despite heavy losses , they were successful and the second Death Star was destroyed , along with the Emperor . Zsinj campaign . Zsinj was notorious for employing Imperial intelligence assets in his period of warlordism . He had agents throughout not only the New Republic , but its fleet as well . However , Zsinj suffered heavy defeats from another quasi - spy organization - Wraith Squadron , and especially from a former member , Lara Notsil , who pretended to defect but actually was a spy and saboteur . The Yuuzhan Vong Intendants . While their function was originally bureaucratic , the Yuuzhan Vong of the Intendant caste made extensive use of espionage prior to their massive invasion . Chief among their spies was Nom Anor . Ultimately , their use of espionage allowed them to gather massive amounts of intelligence on the galaxy without their machinations ( although they would detest the use of that word ) being detected . Yuuzhan Vong spies were active and a very real danger throughout the entire war . They also used organizations such as the Peace Brigade and treacherous senator Viqi Shesh to gather intelligence . In terms of counterespionage , on some occasions , New Republic Intelligence and its successor , would feed known Vong spies false information . Luke Skywalker and Wraith Squadron were also able to infiltrate the captured Coruscant and learn valuable information about the Yuuzhan Vong presence there .