Sarkli Sarkli was a Human male captain in the Galactic Empire ' s Stormtrooper Corps during the Galactic Civil War . A member of the elite storm commando s , Sarkli was Admiral Firmus Piett ' s nephew and one of the Empire ' s best spies , even finding audience with Emperor Palpatine . Prior to his involvement in the Empire , Sarkli was an X - wing starfighter pilot for the Rebel Alliance , flying under Commander Luke Skywalker in Red Squadron . Sarkli was among the Rebel force that assisted in the evacuation of the Alliance ' s Yavin 4 base , and later assisted in the operation to extract Imperial defector Tycho Celchu from the planet Dantooine . Sarkli , who was known for his big ego , eventually defected to the Empire during a rebel defense of the planet Ralltiir . During his time with the Empire , Sarkli disrupted Rebel plans to free Alliance prisoners of war from a facility orbiting the planet Bakura , eventually being tracked to the planet Geonosis by the Rebel starfighter unit Rogue Squadron . He managed to survive this encounter , and was later assigned to the forest moon of Endor , where he guarded the shield bunker protecting the superweapon Death Star II . Sarkli would ultimately be killed during the Battle of Endor by General Han Solo of the Rebel Alliance , who infiltrated the bunker with a team of Rebel operatives . Biography . Life under the Rebellion . Sarkli , a Human male , was born prior to 0 BBY as the nephew of Firmus Piett , an Admiral under the galaxy ' s governing body , the Galactic Empire . Sarkli was eventually pit against his uncle ' s side during the Galactic Civil War when he was recruited by the freedom - fighting movement known as the Rebel Alliance sometime around the Battle of Yavin . Following the destruction of the planet - destroying superweapon , the Death Star , during that battle , Sarkli took the place of fallen Rebel starfighter pilot Biggs Darklighter , flying under the X - wing starfighter unit Red Squadron . During one of the routine raids on the Alliance ' s base on the moon Yavin 4 conducted by Imperial forces , Sarkli accompanied pilots Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles with the mission of defending the Rebel transport " Luminous " . Sarkli provided an aerial defense of the Great Temple while Skywalker and Antilles extracted General Jan Dodonna and Lieutenant Bren Derlin , who were trapped inside . Sarkli ultimately saved the group from a pair of Imperial scout walkers in the main hangar bay . Sarkli later accompanied Red Squadron to a meeting with Tycho Celchu , a Rebel sympathizer wishing to defect from the Empire . However , when Celchu ' s rendezvous point on the planet Dantooine was compromised by Imperial storm commando s , the meeting was quickly converted into a rescue operation . Commander Skywalker took it upon himself to infiltrate the makeshift Imperial camp to rescue Celchu , ordering Sarkli and the rest of the strike team to wait with the ships . During Skywalker ' s absence , the team was wiped out by a sudden Imperial ambush , leaving Sarkli the only survivor , who reported what was happening to Skywalker when he and Celchu were arriving back to the landing area . Defection to the Empire . Sarkli later took part in a Rebel operation to save a group of scientists holed up by a team of storm commandos in a city on Ralltiir . Although Sarkli initially flew with Red Squadron during the mission and helped stem the flow of Imperial reinforcements , he used the battle as an opportunity to defect to the Empire , surrendering himself to a storm commando convoy . Sarkli quickly made a name for himself in the Empire , becoming captain of a storm commando unit . Sarkli also became a renowned spy , even finding personal favor with Emperor Palpatine . Following the Battle of Hoth , Sarkli interfered with a Rebel rescue mission over the planet Bakura . Piloting an Imperial escort carrier , he boarded and destroyed a Rebel transport carrying several Rebel prisoners of war rescued from the orbital detainment facility before fleeing to Geonosis . He lured the pursuing Alliance fleet into an ambush in the Geonosian asteroid field , where he engaged in combat former wingman Wedge Antilles . Sarkli ' s escort carrier sustained critical damage during the fight , forcing him to retreat to the planet ' s surface in an escape pod . Antilles pursued Sarkli into the Geonosian canyons , where Sarkli attacked him using a LAAT / i gunship . Using a single E - Web blaster cannon stolen from an Imperial stormtrooper , Antilles damaged Sarkli ' s gunship , causing it to careen into one of the canyon walls . Battle of Endor and death . Sarkli managed to survive the incident , and was later present on the superweapon Death Star II over the forest moon of Endor during Darth Vader ' s visit to the station in 4 ABY . Sarkli was later assigned to the shield bunker on the sanctuary moon , commanding a storm commando sentry unit . His unit failed to prevent a Rebel strike team led by General Han Solo from entering the bunker and planting explosives . In a last ditch effort , Sarkli confronted Solo with a blaster rifle and attempted to block his escape from the exploding bunker , with Solo telling him that the Empire was finished , and Sarkli had chosen the wrong side . The two men simultaneously tried to kill each other and retreat from the bunker . Sarkli ultimately received a fatal wound from Solo ' s blaster near the main entrance after a short skirmish through the hallways , falling to Solo despite his skill with a blaster . His uncle , Admiral Piett , would die in the same battle when Rebel pilot Arvel Crynyd careened his starfighter into the bridge of the flagship " Executor " . Personality and traits . Sarkli had a large ego , one which would ultimately lead to his defection from the Rebellion . During his time under Red Squadron , he was not as respected as pilots such as his commander , Luke Skywalker , who was sometimes credited with Sarkli ' s successes . During the Empire ' s raid on Yavin 4 , General Dodonna overlooked Sarkli ' s heroic actions in saving them from two Imperial walkers in the main hanger bay , instead claiming he owed his life to Skywalker . He also often felt restrained by his commander ' s orders , and vocally expressed dismay at being ordered to stand down from battle on Dantooine . Moments before his ultimate defection to the Empire on Ralltiir , Sarkli claimed a person of his own skill was above the Rebellion . As an Imperial , Sarkli viewed the Empire as a peacekeeping entity , and the Rebellion as an inhibitor of that peace . His commitment to the Empire ' s cause , going as far as to having no qualms with killing his former allies , led him to become one of their most valuable assets , and he was considered a master spy . However , despite his abilities with a blaster , he was never able to best his former allies in the Rebel Alliance , ultimately meeting his end by challenging his former teammate Han Solo . Behind the scenes . Sarkli ' s first appearance in " Star Wars " canon was in the sixth film as a nameless Imperial officer during the Death Star II hangar bay scenes . In 2000 , the " Star Wars " Customizable Card Game named Sarkli and established him as a highly commendable spy and relative of Piett who found favor with Emperor Palpatine . Sarkli ' s character was fleshed out in the LucasArts video game " " , voiced by Robin Atkin Downes . He initially appears as an ally and wingmate to the player in the missions " Revenge of the Empire , " " Defiance on Dantooine , " and " Defenders of Ralltiir " before becoming the game ' s primary antagonist . The first time the player fights him during the mission " Relics of Geonosis " , Sarkli pilots a salvaged Republic gunship and is shot down by the player with an E - web cannon . He is fought a second and final time in the final mission of the Endor campaign , " Triumph of the Rebellion . " The player , as Han Solo , engages in a firefight with Sarkli ( who is donning storm commando armor ) while escaping the burning bunker on Endor . Several images found on T - bone ' s Star Wars Universe website show that Sarkli was meant to appear in at least two more scenes in " Return of the Jedi " . The first four images show Sarkli and other Imperial officers heading toward the Death Star ' s hangar bay to greet Palpatine upon his arrival . The last two images show an extended version of the Emperor ' s arrival , with Sarkli visible on the penultimate photo . Stock footage of scenes from " Return of the Jedi " was later added into the special edition of . Although the extra playing Sarkli can be seen during Darth Vader ' s return to the " Executor " , that does not necessarily make Sarkli canonically appear in the film . Non - canon storyline . Sarkli is present during the non - canon exploits of fallen Jedi Knight Galen Marek ' s clone , the Dark Apprentice , in the Infinities expansion of the LucasArts video game " " , voiced by Jaron Monroe . The Dark Apprentice is tasked with countering the Rebel attack on the shield generator on Endor to keep the second Death Star secure , killing the Wookiee Chewbacca , Princess Leia Organa , and Han Solo , the latter being Sarkli ' s would be murderer . After the death of Organa , Emperor Palpatine orders Captain Sarkli to lead his men in a mission destroy the Dark Apprentice . A fleet commanded by Sarkli is seen enclosing around the Dark Apprentice before the game cuts to black . Sarkli ' s name is misspelled as " Sarcli " in the mission ' s end credits .