Virar Needa Virar Needa was an Imperial lieutenant , and cousin of Captain Lorth Needa of the " Imperial II " - class Star Destroyer " Avenger " . Virar joined the Imperial Military at a young age , enrolling in the Imperial Academy . However , Virar ' s career went steadily downhill after his cousin ' s failure during the Battle of Hoth , though Needa knew it could have been worse ; he was one of few members of the family whose life was spared . However , he was assigned to maintain the orbital mirrors in space above Coruscant , a position many saw as extremely demeaning , and which was generally saved for those who had failed or embarrassed the Empire in battle . Needa , however , saw it as an honorable cause , and performed it to his utmost ability . Those operating the mirrors were so distrusted by their superiors that they had no control over where the satellite traveled ; this fact was taken advantage of when the New Republic used Needa ' s mirror in 7 ABY in their efforts to liberate Coruscant from Imperial control . Needa and his men did not initially realize what was happening when their mirror was used to boil a reservoir on the surface of Coruscant , intended to cause a storm which would bring down the planet ' s shields and leave it exposed to an attack . After realizing what was happening , Needa ordered his men to take up arms , but after seeking counsel with another member of the crew , they decided to serve the New Republic , who were now the legitimate rulers of Coruscant . Biography . Virar was a member of the Needa family , and , like his cousin Lorth Needa , entered Imperial service . Around 2 ABY , he was attending the Imperial Academy . In his youth , Virar was not particularly ambitious , and no one thought that he was headed in the direction of greatness . When his cousin — the captain of the " Imperial II " - class Star Destroyer " Avenger " — failed to capture the " Millennium Falcon " during the Battle of Hoth , almost the entire Needa family was executed on the vengeful orders of Darth Vader . Though Virar ' s life was spared , his career was destroyed . He was placed in charge of OSETS 2711 , an Orbital Solar Energy Transfer Satellite above Imperial Center . Some people considered this the worst possible job in the Imperial Navy ; Lieutenant Needa had to share a single sleeping quarters with five other men . Needa , however , considered it a noble duty , spinning a cocoon of self - delusion that allowed him to perform his menial assignment with the utmost efficiency and enthusiasm . For example , while most OSETS officers would shirk the task of maintaining traffic observation logs , Needa made it his hobby , cataloging every single starship that he saw exiting hyperspace . He hoped to be able to provide Imperial Center with information that could be used against the New Republic , which he , like many Imperials , still derisively thought of as " Rebels . " Ironically , these meticulous logs later proved valuable to the New Republic in the search for Lai Nootka . After having spent four years " riding the mirror , " Needa was on duty when Rogue Squadron took control of his station from the computer center on the ground . They realigned the satellite to heat up a large water reservoir , creating a terrible thunderstorm that brought down the planet ' s shields , in anticipation of an invasion attempt by Admiral Ackbar and the New Republic Defense Fleet . While the others on the satellite displayed immediate alarm , Needa assumed that nothing was amiss , and managed to persuade the others that the unusual commands being sent to the station were merely part of some secret Imperial project . He felt honored that " his " satellite had been selected for such an important task — this was the higher - ranking Imperials ' way of repaying him for his unswerving loyalty to the Imperial cause . He told his fellow crew members they would be rewarded beyond their wildest dreams for the part they played in the top - secret operation . When the lights went out on the planet below him , he convinced himself that there was still nothing wrong . Those officers on the ground responsible for the power failure would be punished , and he would be the Empire ' s obvious choice to replace them . This carefully constructed house of sabacc cards would soon come crashing down , as the New Republic fleet jumped into the Coruscant system and commenced their liberation of the throne world . The Rebels were commanding two Imperial Star Destroyers captured at the Battle of Endor , which Needa recognized as the " Imperial II " - class " Accuser " and the " Imperial I " - class Star Destroyer " Adjudicator " . Although he was happy at having been able to identify the two vessels , Needa still had a feeling of unease . It took a moment to dawn on him that the ships he had identified no longer belonged to the Empire , and in fact their presence meant the Rebels were attacking . Needa abruptly ordered the satellite ' s personnel to battle stations , before being reminded that OSETS 2711 had no battle stations . All he could do was sit in terror and wait for the Rebels to destroy him , while his fellow crewmen , completely non - fazed , casually played cards . One of Needa ' s crewmen , Cadet Pedetsen , suggested that Needa could spin a story about his cousin ' s supposed Rebel sympathies , which he had naturally confided only to Virar , to ingratiate himself to Coruscant ' s new rulers . Needa and the OSETS crew did nothing as the station was used to burn a hole into one of the Imperial Golan III platforms , an event which helped reduce casualties on both sides . OSETS 2711 survived the battle , and the crew continued their roles upon the mirror after the Rebels took control . Personality and traits . Virar Needa was not overly ambitious in a practical sense , but he held a lofty view of his menial duties in orbit around Imperial center . Where most would have dreaded " riding the mirror " for several years , Needa thought of it as an honor , and did the very best he could . He thought he was extremely loyal to the Empire , and that his efforts were being closely monitored and had been coveted by Imperials in ranks superior to his own . Needa held the deluded opinion that he and what he did was of utmost importance , but in truth the Empire didn ' t trust him enough to actually allow him to make use of the mirror , leaving that to others on the planet ' s surface . Despite the fact it was considered an equal fate to death by many , Needa quite enjoyed serving on the station , and preferred to look at Coruscant from above than to be down on the surface . His crewmates interacted with him with a sort of bemusement , and never took his various eccentricities seriously . Needa was also somewhat socially awkward , and often mistook his crewmates ' jokes as serious comments . Virar was very decisive , making decisions of great import without delay , though he was always open to suggestion , and had no qualms about accepting the ideas of one of his subordinates , as demonstrated during the New Republic ' s taking of Coruscant , where he was persuaded against attacking the New Republic ' s fleet . Behind the scenes . Virar Needa was created by " Star Wars " author Michael A . Stackpole for " " , where he served as a form of comic relief .