BALK1 BALK1 was the designation of an Imperial Viper probe droid that was captured by the New Republic and repurposed for their use . After the New Republic became suspicious of Imperial activity on the planet Akiva , the probe droid was sent to gather data . It discovered that two Republic A - wings previously sent to the system had been destroyed and that communications were blacked out on the planet itself , but could not confirm Imperial presence . This was not enough to prompt a full attack on the system by the New Republic , but a message sent by the captive pilot Wedge Antilles later confirmed the presence of the Empire , who were then chased from the system by a New Republic fleet . Biography . The Viper probe droid designated BALK1 was created by the droid manufacturing company Arakyd Industries and initially served the Galactic Empire , before being stolen by the New Republic and subverted for their own use . Several months after the Battle of Endor , the New Republic received intel from an Imperial informant known to them only as the Operator which claimed that a number of high ranking Imperials were meeting at a secret summit on the planet Akiva . Not immediately trusting the intel , Fleet Admiral Gial Ackbar sent two A - Wing starfighter s to Akiva , as the planet was already on a list of locations that the Republic planned to search for the pilot Wedge Antilles , who had gone missing while scouting in the area . When the two fighters did not report back or return from Akiva , Ackbar ordered that BALK1 be sent to investigate what had become of them . The droid was transported in the " Carrack " - class light cruiser " Oculus " to the remains of the comet Kinro , where it was launched from the ship by Ensign Deltura and science officer Niriian . Upon leaving the ship , BALK1 immediately began transmitting atmospheric data back to the " Oculus " whilst heading toward Akiva , which was visible from the " Oculus " . After six hours of traveling the probe droid reached its destination and began scanning the Akiva system . It found no Imperial ships in the system , but was able to identify molecular remnants that confirmed confirm that the two A - wings had been destroyed there . Upon learning this Ackbar ordered Deltura to have the droid ping Akiva ' s comm relay , but BALK1 was unable to make contact with any relay due to an Imperial communications blackout on the planet below . The news worried Ackbar , but was not enough to prompt immediate action at Akiva . Antilles , who was alive and being held prisoner on Akiva , later managed to send a message to the New Republic confirming the Imperial presence on Akiva . A New Republic fleet traveled to the system and successfully defeated the Imperials there , forcing the surviving Imperials to flee the system . Characteristics . As a Viper probe droid , BALK1 possessed five spider - like limb s attached to a body with a dome like head and a set of retrothruster s which it could use to maneuver itself in space . When the droid was moving within space it retracted them into its body and only extended them when stabilised . A set of antenna located in the droids head could also be extended while it was stable , and were designed to take measurements . The droid was capable of scanning a star system to a molecular level and identifying molecular components with enough detail to establish the make of a destroyed vessel they originated from . Dentura and Niriian controlled the droid remotely from a " Carrack " - class cruiser located in the same star system , and received data and encrypted communications from the droid which sounded like a strange song when played aloud . Behind the scenes . BALK1 first appeared in the novel " Aftermath " , which was written by Chuck Wendig and released in 2015 .