Huoba Neva Huoba Neva was a female Sullustan , and the daughter of a SoroSuub Corporation Executive Board member . Neva attended the Imperial Academy , graduating fourth in her class . However , her status as a female non - Human severely stunted her progression through the ranks . After several years of being passed over for promotion , and growing dissatisfied with the Galactic Empire ' s treatment of non - Human species , she was contacted by Sian Tevv . A political agitator and member of the Sullustan resistance movement , Tevv convinced Neva to defect to the Rebel Alliance . Neva found acceptance within the Alliance ' s ranks , and served both it and its successor state , the New Republic , with dedication . The elimination of an Imperial - backed insurgency in the Illoud system earned her commendations and the command of the EF76 Nebulon - B escort frigate " Rebel Star " , making her the youngest Sullustan warship commander in the New Republic Navy . Captain Neva died during a mission to rescue the crew of the " Imperial I " - class Star Destroyer " Liberator " from Coruscant in 10 ABY , which had been damaged by Imperial forces while on a scouting mission to the galactic capital . As the " Rebel Star " emerged from hyperspace , it collided with battle debris in orbit around the planet with the loss of all hands . Biography . An Imperial career . Huoba Neva was the daughter of a member of the Executive Board of the SoroSuub Corporation . She excelled in team games and sports , and her academic qualifications — along with her parent ' s prominent position within SoroSuub — earned her a place at the Imperial Academy . Although accepting of SoroSuub ' s support , she wanted to get by on her own merits , seeing the Academy as a challenge and an opportunity to test her skills and capabilities . Being both non - Human and female , she knew that she would have a difficult time climbing the ranks of the Imperial Navy , which was dominated by Human males . However , Neva — like all Sullustans — had been taught that if one worked hard enough at achieving a goal , and deserved it , then that individual would be rewarded for their work . Neva was confident that if she applied herself , then she would attain her career targets . At the Academy , Neva majored in command school and weapons systems , studying with a fierce determination . She graduated fourth in her class , and was commissioned as an officer in the Navy . However , other officers regarded her as a " token non - Human " within their ranks , disregarding her aptitude , skill , and training . Despite a spotless record and political reliability , Neva never attained her goal — the command of a starship . Initially , she had set her sights on commanding a scout ship or other combat vessel , but as the years passed , she watched lesser officers promoted over her . Eventually , after a period of three years without a promotion , she realized that she had had enough . The Empire was not a meritocracy . Her experience with the Imperial Navy showed her that not all beings and organizations subscribed to the theory that her and her fellow Sullustans followed , and she began to wonder whether her — and SoroSuub ' s — commitment to the Empire was misplaced . Defection and acceptance . Neva ' s dissatisfaction with her career had not gone unnoticed ; Sian Tevv , a leading Sullustan diplomat and high - ranking member of the Sullustan resistance movement , had been watching her career with great interest . When it became apparent that her commitment to the Empire was faltering , he ordered his aides to approach Neva . They offered Neva the chance to defect and join the Rebel Alliance . Neva was unsure at the beginning ; she was not a revolutionary , and she had no real interest in politics . However , she was a soldier , and she believed that if the Empire would not give her the chance to use her training and abilities to the fullest , then the Alliance would . She defected to the Alliance at the height of the Galactic Civil War , at a time when SoroSuub was still a pro - Imperial company . Neva served the Alliance , and later , its successor state , the New Republic , which was formed following the Alliance victory at Endor in 4 ABY and the death of Emperor Palpatine . She proved to be a capable naval commander , as well as an accomplished special forces operative and ground forces commander . At some point , she led a mission to counter an Imperial - backed insurgency in the Illoud system , an assignment that earned her several commendations and made her feel as if the transition from Empire to Republic had been truly worth it . She was subsequently promoted to command the EF76 Nebulon - B escort frigate " Rebel Star " , becoming the youngest Sullustan warship captain in the New Republic fleet . Final mission . In 10 ABY , a resurgent Galactic Empire , led by Emperor Palpatine — who had been resurrected through the combination of the dark side of the Force and cloning technology — took the New Republic ' s capital of Coruscant , forcing the Republic into retreat . One of the Republic ' s " Imperial I " - class Star Destroyers , the " Liberator " — commanded by General Lando Calrissian and Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker — was assigned to spy on Imperial movements in the Coruscant system . During the mission , the vessel was caught in the middle of a battle between two Imperial forces , who had descended into civil war following their conquest of Coruscant . The " Liberator " was badly damaged , and crashed onto the surface of the planet . A rescue mission was assembled to extract the surviving crew ; the " Millennium Falcon " captained by Han Solo , and Captain Syub Snunb ' s " Antares Six " joined Captain Neva ' s " Rebel Star " in attempting the mission . As the small force sped through hyperspace , the " Falcon " navicomputer registered spatial turbulence at their re - entry coordinates , which was caused by a large amount of wrecked ships and battle debris from the recent conquest of Coruscant , and warned Neva and Snunb appropriately . Decamping from hyperspace , Solo realized that the density of wreckage would be too much for the frigates following him to handle ; his wife , Leia Organa Solo , subsequently ordered the ships to change vector and go through a larger gap in the debris . Neva believed that the " Rebel Star " could make it through the wreckage behind the " Falcon " , and stuck to her course . However , she had miscalculated . The " Rebel Star " collided with the wreckage of a Star Destroyer , vanishing in a ball of flame . Neva was killed in the collision . Despite the loss of the " Rebel Star " , the " Falcon " and " Antares Six " were able to complete their mission and rescue the surviving crew of the " Liberator " . Personality and traits . Huoba Neva was a perfectionist , and was determined to excel at whatever she chose to do . She firmly believed in the Sullustan view that if individuals worked hard enough , wanted something hard enough , and deserved to have it , then they would attain it . Despite being politically well - connected , Neva wanted to succeed — or even fail — based on her own merits and never relied on the favors of others . She had a strong connection to her family , and kept a holocrystal of them with her at all times . Neva entered the Imperial Academy , viewing the military as a challenge , and aspired to become a distinguished officer with a command of her own . However , due to her status as a female non - Human , she was constantly passed over for promotion in favor of less - talented officers . The situation vexed her , calling into doubt her belief in her Sullustan outlook , until she joined the Rebel Alliance , and subsequently , the New Republic , despite having no prior taste for rebellion or politics . She reasoned that if the Empire refused to use her talents as a soldier , then the Alliance would . Neva ' s decision to defect was justified by her experiences within an organization that recognized and rewarded her skills and talents with a command of her own . A capable soldier , Neva was comfortable in command of both naval and ground units , and had experience as a special forces operative in addition to her training in starship command systems . She was trained with both blasters and blaster artillery , and in melee combat . Neva specialized in fleet tactics , and was able to pilot both space transports and capital ships , and was trained in the use of their weapons and shield systems . Her technical training included the programming and repair of computers , the programming of droids , and the use of security systems . Neva was known to gamble , and she had knowledge of alien species , other cultures , planetary systems and the workings of a bureaucracy . Equipment . Despite being an officer in the New Republic Defense Fleet , Houba Neva wore a Rebel Alliance uniform while on duty . She carried a hold - out blaster and a comlink . Behind the scenes . Huoba Neva was introduced and killed in the of " Dark Empire " in 1991 , written by Tom Veitch and illustrated by Cam Kennedy . The character was later expanded on in an entry in the " Dark Empire Sourcebook " published by West End Games in 1993 , which established her as a female Sullustan . In 1994 , the character was also present in the opening scene of the audio adaptation of " Dark Empire " , where Neva was given a masculine , Human - sounding voice . Neva was also one of the Rebel Alliance characters featured in the video game " " , receiving a mention in . Huoba Neva is referred to as a male in the latter publication . " Rebellion " is , to date , the only source that has physically depicted Neva . In 2001 , " " included a list of character names that AI players could be assigned . Huoba Neva was included on the list , and an AI player using the Rebel Alliance could be randomly assigned the name . In Sullustese , " Huoba " is a male name meaning " powerful " and " Neva " means " legal council . "