Peccati Syn Peccati Syn was one of the twelve original Grand Admirals of the Imperial Navy . Raised as a devout Sacred Way follower , the young Syn was forced to abandon his religion under Imperial oppression . He joined the Empire to fill a spiritual void , rising through the ranks thanks to his tactical expertise and energetic devotion . After becoming a Grand Admiral in 2 BBY , he fought with distinction in the Galactic Civil War aboard his flagship , the " Fi " . When the Empire began to fragment after the Battle of Endor , Syn again searched for a new source of spiritual inspiration , and found one in the Church of the Dark Side on Coruscant . While officially remaining part of Sate Pestage ' s faltering Imperial regime , Syn ' s true loyalty was with the Church and its Prophets , and most of his time was spent on Kashyyyk , the residence of his spiritual guide , Merili . When the New Republic launched a major offensive against Imperial - controlled Kashyyyk eight months after Endor , Syn was embroiled in a tactical confrontation with Admiral Gial Ackbar . Ultimately , the Grand Admiral lost the duel ; he died when his ship was vaporized in orbit . Biography . Ascension . The male Human Peccati Syn was born on the planet Taris into a deeply religious family , who devoutly followed the pacifist , karmic religion known as the Sacred Way , and its Holy - Book . His parents instilled in him the belief that , should he adhere to his religion ' s tenets , he would reach a glorious , idyllic afterlife , and Syn lived a happy , devoted childhood . However , soon the Galactic Empire began to enforce its prohibition of religion on his homeworld . Some , such as the Verpine " Pera " on Aduba - 3 , ignored the mandate and continued to practice , but Syn complied . After such a faith - oriented youth , Syn was left spiritually barren , and , bereft of other options , turned to the doctrine of the New Order to fill this religious vacuum . He ardently internalized the Emperor ' s dogma and enlisted in the Imperial Navy , carving out a name for himself . In 2 BBY , Syn was one of twelve men elevated by Emperor Palpatine to the newly created and highly prestigious position of Grand Admiral . His appointment surprised many in the Empire as there were numerous admirals with comparable service records . Syn ' s ascension coincided with the beginning of the Galactic Civil War , and he fought the Rebel Alliance with devotion to duty and tactical acumen . He named his flagship " Fi " , after the High Galactic word for " son " used by Sacred Way clergymen . Syn became close friends with fellow Tarisian Admiral Foga Brill , whom he helped attain governorship of the Deep Core planet Prakith . Imperial fragmentation . Syn ' s exalted Empire began to deteriorate after the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY , in which Emperor Palpatine and his enforcer Darth Vader perished , along with the second Death Star and the Super Star Destroyer " Executor " . Many Imperials , including some of Syn ' s Grand Admiral colleagues , turned warlord , seizing personal dominions , but Syn continued to defend his areas of operation and complied with the orders coming out of Coruscant . Former Grand Vizier Sate Pestage was technically Interim - Emperor , though he vied for control with the Imperial Ruling Council and Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard , among others . One of Pestage ' s acts was to sanction the establishment of the Church of the Dark Side on Coruscant ; overseen by the Prophets of the Dark Side , it preached the renewal and regeneration of the Empire . Like the hordes of spiritually - starved citizens on the Imperial capital , Syn took to the church fervently , even converting his friend Foga Brill to the religion ; no sooner than his Imperial religion had become untenable , a ready - made replacement had cropped up . In truth , the Church was a sham headed by Imperial Intelligence impersonators , founded by Pestage and Lord Cronal in a desperate attempt to strengthen the former Vizier ' s weakening clutch on the Empire . Nevertheless , Syn was rejuvenated , and while he publicly supported Pestage ' s regime , his true loyalty lay with the Prophets . The Grand Admiral even attempted in vain to hearten his dispirited colleague Ishin - Il - Raz , lending him a copy of the sacred book " Secrets of the Dark Side " . Demise . Syn operated out of Imperial - controlled Kashyyyk , the base of Prophetess Merili . Merili was one of the few genuine Prophets working within the Church of the Dark Side , and she became Syn ' s spiritual advisor . Entrenched in the church ' s doctrine , Syn vowed not to turn his back on another religion , and served the church ' s ends along with " Fi " and its crew . Eight months after the Battle of Endor , the New Republic embarked on an ambitious offensive into Imperial territory , led by the Mon Calamari Admiral Gial Ackbar . Kashyyyk was targeted ; Ackbar brought his New Republic Defense Force fleet to bear against Syn ' s in orbit over the planet . Assured by two Bothans who claimed to be working for the Imperial warlord Treuten Teradoc that reinforcements were being sent from the Greater Maldrood , Syn engaged Ackbar ' s fleet , unaware that the Bothans were actually New Republic agents and had sabotaged two of his Immobilizer 418 cruisers . Locked in a one - on - one tactical confrontation with Ackbar , the Grand Admiral , fighting with his newfound spiritual resoluteness , did his best , with no concern for his personal well - being or that of his crew . Ultimately , the New Republic outfought their Imperial counterparts , and Ackbar won the tactical duel . The Mon Calamari Star Cruiser s " Home One " and " Maria " , commanded by Ackbar and Captain Verrack respectively , caught Syn ' s Star Destroyer — now named the " Silooth " — in a crossfire and destroyed its bridge with a volley of proton torpedoes , taking with it Syn , his crew , and Merili . The Church did not outlast the late Grand Admiral for long , and soon after wresting control of the Imperial remnants from Pestage , Ysanne Isard reinstated freedom of religion , legalizing the Sacred Way . Personality and traits . Peccati Syn had fair skin , blue eyes , and graying hair . His life was marked by his single - minded devotion to whatever cause he joined . As a youth , he never strayed from the Sacred Way , and experienced his happiest and fondest times in life . When the time came to replace that religion with the New Order , however , he did so with similar devotion , serving with distinction , despite the fact that the Empire ' s ethos clashed strongly with that of the Sacred Way , which preached pacifism and divine retribution for sins . Syn , however , did not forget his roots , naming his flagship after a word used by the Sacred Way ' s clergymen when addressing laypeople . After the collapse of the Empire as known and cherished by Syn , he again found solace in another religion , this time the Church of the Dark Side . The church was a fake , though , and Syn himself was duped . Unlike many of his peers , Syn did not join the Imperial Navy out of self - importance or barbarity , but rather out of a perceived necessity , in the absence of virtually any other religious organizations . Although his lofty rank initially took many by surprise , Syn demonstrated his tireless , dutiful work and skill in the war against the Rebel Alliance . After Endor , even having lost faith in the Empire , Syn made no attempts to claim a personal fiefdom , and for the rest of his life remained ostensibly loyal to Coruscant . Peccati Syn was far less morally bankrupt than many of his colleagues , who committed atrocities with the aim of gaining power or prestige , or to fulfill personal ambitions . Until his final engagement at Kashyyyk , he went into battle with concern for the well being of his subordinates , while he even attempted to coax Ishin - Il - Raz , an extremely unpopular fellow Grand Admiral , out of his depression ; meanwhile , many of his Imperial peers were clashing over disputed territories and scheming in shadows . Syn was also close friends with Admiral Foga Brill , with whom he enjoyed holding theological debates — Syn helped Brill gain a governorship , and eventually coaxed him into joining the Church of the Dark Side . Behind the scenes . Grand Admiral Syn was created by Kevin J . Anderson and Daniel Wallace for " The Essential Chronology " ( 2000 ) , where his defeat to Ackbar is briefly mentioned . His name and title appeared in the 2001 video game " " as a leader for the Imperial faction in standard matches . Syn was briefly mentioned again in Wallace ' s " The New Essential Guide to Characters " ( 2002 ) , before Wallace expanded upon the character ' s history with co - author Abel G . Peña in " " , published in " Star Wars Insider 66 " ( 2003 ) , wherein his first name is established . " Who ' s Who " was originally due to appear in " Star Wars Gamer " magazine , but after " Gamer " cancellation , it was moved to " Star Wars Insider " , sans gaming statistics . The move also necessitated the article to be condensed ; as a result , some of the Grand Admirals ' biographical information was cut , though Syn ' s remained mostly intact . The cut content revealed that Syn renamed his flagship " Silooth " after a type of Sithspawn ; although originally cut , " The Essential Guide to Warfare " ( 2012 ) confirmed that the ship was called this at the time of Syn ' s death . The Grand Admiral has also been referenced in Wallace ' s " The New Essential Chronology " ( 2005 ) and " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " ( 2008 ) . The Italian word " " peccati " " means " sins " in English , while " syn " bears similarity to " sin " . This is an intentional pun on the part of " " coauthor Abel G . Peña , who is conversant in Italian . Cut content . Syn ' s future pointed to him becoming a " Pera " upon reaching adulthood , but after the Empire intervened and Syn was told to discard his beliefs , this dream was forgotten . Instead , he became a Grand Admiral , but in the course of his campaign rooting out Rebels during the Galactic Civil War , his conscience was tested . His guilt at abandoning his beliefs prompted him to turn a blind eye to atrocities being committed within the Empire in the name of religion , like in the case of the Yevetha or Dim - U . When the Empire began to crumble , Syn was reminded of morbid stories about Chaos from his childhood , and was quick to turn to the newly founded Church of the Dark Side . As a devotee of the Prophets , Syn regained his childhood happiness ; he symbolically renamed his flagship " Silooth " , after a type of Sithspawn , to represent his new faith . During the Second Battle of Kashyyyk , Syn saw himself defending the church , not the Empire — he died a happy man , fighting for a cause he could believe in .