S ' man S ' man was a commander in the Alliance to Restore the Republic who served as one of the chief mission planning officers on the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser " Independence " during the early stages of the Galactic Civil War . He was involved in planning many successful missions for the Alliance during this time , including the destruction of the Star Destroyer " Invincible " , ending the Imperial offensive known as Operation Strike Fear , and the search for the Death Star . His role often saw him working closely with members of Alliance High Command , including General Jan Dodonna and Admiral Gial Ackbar . Biography . Early career . S ' man joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic early in the Galactic Civil War . At nearly 2 . 1 meters in height and close to 135 kilograms , S ' man was considered large for his species . Rumors which later circulated among Alliance personnel claimed that S ' man ' s size had precluded him from becoming a starfighter pilot and that he had studied tactics and taken a role as a mission planner to remain involved with starfighter operations . Whatever his reason for becoming a mission planner , by 0 BBY S ' man held the rank of commander and was one of the chief planning officers aboard the Mon Calamari Star Cruiser " Independence " . S ' man worked closely with members of Alliance High Command in strategic planning , becoming particularly close to General Jan Dodonna and Admiral Gial Ackbar , and he was frequently involved in briefing the " Independence " pilots prior to missions . He was credited with planning many of the Alliance ' s early successes . Operation Strike Fear . Shortly after the Battle of Turkana in 0 BBY , the Alliance received intelligence indicating that the Galactic Empire was planning a major offensive . In response , General Dodonna and his staff aimed to strengthen their own position and uncover the Empire ' s plans . S ' man briefed the pilots aboard the " Independence " , informing them of the upcoming campaign ' s goals and the mission plan for its first operation , the recovery of the defecting CR90 corvette " Bixby " . Captain Nogdra of the " Bixby " revealed that the Empire was using the Dellalt system as a staging point for Operation Strike Fear . S ' man selected Lieutenant Keyan Farlander for a reconnaissance mission to the system . Before long , Alliance High Command decided the time had come to pursue General Dodonna ' s stated goal of seeking new allies . To this end , they planned to assist the Sullustans in their fight against the Empire , in the hopes of bringing them into the Alliance . The Rebels had learned that Sullustan prisoners were being transferred from Sullust to Coruscant and planned a raid to rescue them . In order to prevent the Imperials panicking and killing the prisoners , it was decided to send a single BTL Y - wing starfighter to disable the convoy craft , before a " Lambda " - class T - 4a shuttle arrived to rescue the prisoners . S ' man considered the plan too risky and initially opposed it , but he eventually called Captain Hamo Blastwell and Lieutenant Farlander to a private briefing on the mission . Impressed by Farlander ' s performances so far , S ' man selected him for the mission and instructed Blastwell to oversee his preparations . The mission was a success and helped gain support for the Alliance on Sullust . The alliance with the Sullustans soon paid off . Sullustan technicians worked with General Crix Madine to devise a plan to put an end to Operation Strike Fear by destroying the Empire ' s lead ship , the " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer " Invincible " . The plan called for the Rebels to steal an Imperial explosive device as it passed through a deep space transfer zone and to smuggle it aboard the Star Destroyer . Before beginning the operation , S ' man led a meeting of senior Alliance Starfighter Corps pilots and support personnel , including the recently promoted Captain Farlander and Captain Blastwell of Red Squadron , Captain Ernek Marskan of Blue Squadron and General Dodonna ' s staff officer , Commander Lagrane , to plan the theft of the explosive . During the meeting , the group studied the transfer zone ' s defenses and planned suitable hyperspace jump points . Search for the Death Star . Although the destruction of the " Invincible " brought an end to Operation Strike Fear , the Alliance soon got word that the Empire was developing a major new weapon . Following his escape from Stars ' End prison , Rebel Captain Samuel Raider revealed that Wookiee slaves were being transported to a secret Imperial construction project . S ' man briefed the pilots on an operation to rescue the Wookiees , which Raider would command . The Alliance eventually discovered the nature of the Imperial weapon , a battlestation known as the Death Star . During the search for the superweapon , Lagrane recommended Farlander for a psychological evaluation after the pilot showed increasing signs of stress which culminated in his failure to report for a mission debriefing after the death of his wingmate , Breth Gart , who had been killed during the early stages of the battle of Kalla VII . S ' man was reading the medical droid ' s report in his office when Farlander arrived and requested to be sent on assignment . Though S ' man initially refused the pilot ' s request and was prepared to ground him , Farlander used the Force to persuade the commander to let him fly on a raid against the EF76 Nebulon - B escort frigate " Priam " . Personality and traits . At nearly seven feet tall , S ' man was a large individual . His size could be imposing and Keyan Farlander felt small in comparison and likened the experience to talking with a giant . However , S ' man was widely respected by those he worked with . His tactical expertise and many successes brought him close to General Dodonna and Admiral Ackbar , and he could easily restore order during mission briefings with a raised hand . S ' man was generally serious and had a cautious attitude . Following Rebel victories , he reminded the pilots aboard the " Independence " not to get too confident and that the Empire still had the advantage , and he was opposed to sending Farlander alone on what he considered a risky mission to assist the Sullustans . Behind the scenes . S ' man was created by Rusel DeMaria for the 1993 book " " , which presented the story of Keyan Farlander , the player character in the game " " . In the book S ' man is heavily involved in mission planning and briefs Farlander and the other pilots on several missions . In the game , however , mission briefings are given by Admiral Ackbar .