Laurita Tohm Laurita Tohm was a male Human Imperial Cadet who graduated from the Raithal Academy on Coruscant and was promptly promoted to Lieutenant of the Galactic Empire . In 19 BBY , Tohm became involved in the Gentis coup , but unlike his classmates , he sided with Darth Vader and the wounded Emperor Palpatine , helping to save the latter by taking him to the Jedi prison known as The Prism . Having been promoted to the rank of Commander , he subsequently wrote a report on the incident . Impressed by his actions during the coup , the Emperor promoted him again to the rank of Admiral . Once Vader learned that Palpatine considered Tohm to be a worthy successor , however , he murdered the young Admiral , not willing to face him as a rival in the future . History . Early life . As a boy , Laurita Tohm lived with his extended family in a mining facility . His parents were tibanna gas miners , enlisting Tohm with small tasks . One day , during the Clone Wars , representatives of the Confederacy of Independent Systems came to the family ' s home and decided to destroy the facility . Tohm was lugging a tool kit when he discovered his parents tied to the gas mining equipment , explosives places around them . His mother told him to run , but in his shock , Tohm had barely turned away when the explosives went off . He lost his left arm all the way to the shoulder , as well as his left eye , and was scarred all along the side of his face and body . Both of his parents , his four brothers , his two aunts and three uncles , and nine cousins died in the attack as well , leaving Tohm orphaned and alone . Graduation . Some time later , Tohm joined the Raithal Academy , never allowing his disabilities to slow him down . In 19 BBY , a few months after the rise of the Galactic Empire , Tohm graduated from the Academy at the top of his class . Though he was teased by his fellow cadets , such as his friends Shens and Caul Gentis , his constant studying was what propelled him to the role of valedictorian . The cadets came to the planet of Coruscant , part of six different academies from around the galaxy who came to the capital in order to be part of the first graduating class of Imperial officers . Their training — like that of the Empire ' s clones and other military personnel — had been accelerated from the usual years to only a few months . Many important Imperial figures were in attendance , including Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine . General Gentis , hero of the Clone Wars and Tohm ' s personal hero , presided over the brief ceremonies , and awarded Tohm the rank of lieutenant for his excellence at the Academy . He took Tohm by the shoulder after promoting him and briefly asked him about how his deformities impacted his excellence , then told him to keep up his superior work . Tohm then attended a celebration gala at Shens and Caul ' s behest , though he was nervous about his appearance and claimed to want to do an analysis of the First Battle of Geonosis . Caul assured him that the young women in attendance wouldn ' t mind his looks , either focusing on his uniform or feeling sympathy for his condition . Tohm reluctantly agreed , thinking that at least he could meet superior officers during the event , but Headmaster Gentis surprised the trio , telling Tohm that his new assignment had already arrived . Tohm was to become a part of a secret project being undertaken by Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin ' s fleet , and Tarkin would be arriving within a week to collect all of his new recruits . Gentis then ordered Caul and Shens to make sure Tohm stayed out of harm ' s way — their first order as officers , and one that Tohm would not fully grasp until later . With drinks in hand , Caul and Shens brought Tohm to a nearby security center and revealed a platform full of prototype TIE / LN starfighter s . Tohm balked at the idea of flying one , but Caul pointed out that Tohm , like the rest of them , always dreamed of being a pilot , and that he knew Tohm could fly the fighter . Tohm relented , believing that he could use the experience professionally , but once inside , the engines would not start . He looked to his friends , who could not meet his gaze , and they told him that this was done to keep him out of trouble for the night . Tohm demanded answers and that they let him free , but Shens had sliced the locking mechanism , and they told him that he ' d be free in a few hours , and that everything would be over by then . The Gentis coup . Tohm initially assumed that they were playing a prank on him , not suspecting any other motives , yet determined to escape from the fighter nonetheless . He quickly and expertly engaged the ejection seat on the fighter , which launched him high above the cityscape — just in time to witness the true intentions of Gentis and his classmates . Explosions rocked the cityscape for kilometers around , eliminating seventy - two Imperial targets within minutes . The officer ' s club , various stormtrooper garrisons , the Comm Towers , and a supply depot were all destroyed . Tohm landed on Imperial Plaza , which had become ground zero in the battle that erupted , as " terrorist " forces swarmed through the city streets , fighting with the Empire ' s clone forces . The stormtroopers were losing the battle , and Tohm was saved by a stormtrooper who pulled him behind cover . The trooper demanded some sort of chain of command until Tohm pointed out the appearance of Darth Vader himself . Vader was leading stormtrooper reinforcements , cutting down their attackers on all sides with his lightsaber . As the terrorist forces fled , Vader threw a large piece of broken stone atop several enemy soldiers , crushing them beneath its weight . Tohm requisitioned a blaster from a trooper , then rushed into the battle , still not realizing the source of the attacks . One enemy , his body crushed , grabbed Tohm ' s ankle as he passed and asked for help . Tohm bent and removed the man ' s mask , revealing him to be his friend Shens . Shens told him that Gentis was orchestrating the attacks in an attempt to assassinate Palpatine , and asked Tohm to join them out of loyalty . He told Tohm that the coup was because Gentis knew that Palpatine would carelessly waste their lives in his warmongering , but Tohm demanded to know why he wasn ' t recruited . Shens told him that it was because he always stood out too much , but begged him to stand with them now and kill Lord Vader . Tohm thought for a brief moment , then told Shens he should have been asked earlier , before shooting his friend in the head . Vader approached , and Tohm bowed to him , telling the Sith Lord that his loyalty was not to Gentis , but rather to Vader and the Emperor . Vader simply told Tohm to follow him . As the pair made their way from the plaza , another explosion tore through the nearby buildings , unleashing a powerful necrotic virus known as Aorth - 6 . Dozens of Imperials , including Royal Guardsmen , were killed by the aerosolized virus , which liquified them from the inside out . Tohm donned a breathing device that he had taken from the TIE fighter when he ejected and followed Vader inside . Though one of Palpatine ' s guardsmen claimed that the Emperor was dead , Tohm and Vader found him still alive , bleeding from the mouth and nose . Palpatine was using the dark side of the Force to keep the virus at bay , but was losing the battle even with his formidable powers . Moff Trachta appeared , and Vader accused Trachta of being in league with the conspiracy , but the Moff vehemently denied it . Trachta told Vader that they needed to get the Emperor into hiding ; fear of his power was the only thing keeping the Empire together . Once Palpatine agreed , the trio escorted the Emperor to a secret hangar below the Imperial Palace , where they loaded him aboard a stealth transport . The Ghost Prison . Once safe , Trachta revealed that Gentis had pretended to want to meet the Emperor in order to present his most prized students , but instead unleashed the virus . He urged them to move the Emperor immediately , fearing Gentis ' s troops and discovery by his slicers , and cautioned against underestimating Gentis . Tohm then interjected , saying that Gentis had done all this because he was tired of losing his students . Trachta pointed out that Gentis must not have trusted Tohm , but that he didn ' t either , and he pointed his blaster at the back of Tohm ' s head . Before he could pull the trigger , Vader grabbed Trachta ' s wrist , knocking the weapon from his grasp . As he crushed Trachta ' s cybernetic arm beneath his own mechanical grip , he made it clear that he was in control . Trachta suggested that they hide the Emperor on Kessel or in The Maw , but Tohm pointed out that any Imperial system might be compromised , due to Gentis ' s influence . Vader then remembered of a place he had once heard of , but he needed more information , and took Tohm to the ruined Jedi Temple in order to get it . While they were gone , Gentis ' s engineers sent a command to every droid within five kilometers to kill any Imperial officer they saw . Dormant Jedi training droids activated within the temple and attacked Tohm and Vader with their lightsabers . Tohm held his own in the battle , taking out several of the droids with his blaster , but it was Vader ' s mastery of the Force which allowed them overcome their attackers . Vader then led Tohm into the High Council Chamber and called up a holorecording of a High Jedi Council meeting that Anakin Skywalker had attended . As he watched , Tohm was baffled to find the Jedi — whom he ' d never even seen before — " arguing like children " . Skywalker demanded to know what happened to the myriad prisoners he had captured over the course of the war , but the Council told him that he was chasing rumors and nothing more . Skywalker persisted , saying that he would get the truth from then - Supreme Chancellor Palpatine , but Obi - Wan Kenobi calmed him , though Skywalker still left angry . The Jedi Masters further discussed the topic after Skywalker left , revealing that the secret prison was a tightly - kept secret , even from the Chancellor and the GAR . The Jedi believed that the Republic Security Force couldn ' t contain the Force - users , cyborgs , shape shifters and others that they had captured , and that once the war was over , they would then receive fair and open trials . Kenobi was displeased , but obeyed the Council ' s wishes , still asking that he be allowed to visit the prison himself . Master of the Order Mace Windu revealed the prison ' s location and urged Kenobi not to take Anakin . When Kenobi agreed , Vader flew into a rage , destroying the Council chambers and shouting that the Emperor had been right , that they had been plotting against the two of them from the beginning . He then urged Tohm to remember that the Jedi believed in too many ambiguities , when there was only the Empire , and everyone else . With their new information , the Imperials left for the Diab system , where the Prism was hidden . Over the course of the three day journey , Tohm attempted to connect with the Force , and even tried to pull his blaster toward himself , but Trachta walked in on his attempt and told him it would be unwise to discover any Force - sensitivity at that point . Tohm tried to make excuses for what Trachta had seen , but the older soldier was uninterested . The two then recounted the tales of their mutual disfigurations to one another ; Trachta had been tracking a Dark Jedi Padawan who had fallen in league with Count Dooku during the Clone Wars , but when he cornered the Padawan , he threw a thermal detonator at Trachta and his clones , incinerating the man ' s arms , eyes , and ruining his respiratory system . Trachta then commended Tohm on several qualities that it seemed Vader valued greatly , such as Tohm ' s ability to mask his emotions , yet asked him if two men — such as Gentis and Vader — both claim to serve the Empire , which of them was a traitor ? Tohm replied that whomever tried to kill the Emperor , but Trachta retorted that a traitor is only thus if he fails . Though electrical storms at Diab caused their sensors to malfunction , Tohm was able to find the Prism , and they landed quickly . The Imperials were greeted by a bewildered Jedi Master and a force of security droids , but Vader cut down the Jedi before she knew what was happening , and all three quickly dealt with the droids . They brought Palpatine to the prison ' s medical center , where they were able to staunch the disintegration of his body . Tohm then accessed the prison ' s databank , learning that there were two - hundred and eight prisoners held there , with over half for them arrested by Anakin Skywalker . Tohm didn ' t think it could be true , but Vader told Tohm that Skywalker was an impressive Jedi . Tohm asked what happened to Skywalker , and Vader said that he had killed him , then telling Tohm to wipe the system clean . Trachta , however , wanted to find a particular prisoner , and had Tohm help him locate the individual . It turned out that the Padawan who had so terribly disfigured Trachta was imprisoned there , and the cyborg decided to spend several hours beating and torturing him to death , and had Tohm seal them in together . Later , Tohm approached Lord Vader with an idea . Knowing that they couldn ' t trust any Imperials they might contact , Tohm believed that he could raise an army a different way — if Vader would allow him to release all the prisoners . Ghost Prison Riot . Vader amended Tohm ' s idea , and rather than simply releasing the prisoners , he forced 207 of them to fight one another , as well as Tohm and himself , for the right to serve the Empire . The fighting that erupted was brutal , with bodies accumulating quickly . Tohm was attacked by a Separatist , General Ur ' Loach . The general had wrapped his long tongue around Tohm ' s neck and was attempting to draw him into his large maw , a move that he was known for — beheading his enemies with his own teeth . As Ur ' Loach knocked the blaster from Tohm ' s hand and prepared to kill him , another Separatist , Shonn Volta , pulled Tohm ' s blaster toward herself and shot Ur ' Loach through the mouth , killing him and saving Tohm ' s life . Tohm thanked her , but she told him that it was a self - serving act , and that if they worked together , they ' d both live and he could pardon her sentence . In the end , only thirty - three prisoners survived in fighting condition , and Vader ordered Trachta to tell the survivors what it meant to serve the Empire . Trachta informed them all that their crimes were now forgotten , but their reasons for committing them were not — they would now serve an institution not beholden to the " selfish " senators of the Republic , nor the Jedi Order . The prisoners knelt before Trachta and the others , yet Volta remained standing . Vader commanded her to kneel as well , but she instead asked why the prisoners were needed . Vader took his lightsaber from his belt , but Tohm stepped in front of the Dark Lord , telling Volta that they had been betrayed , and that with her service she may become an Imperial or even go free . Volta accepted , and knelt before the pair . Trachta then told the survivors that their training would begin that night . As they left , Tohm encountered a survivor , N ' won Raines . Raines was a cyborg , his body in shambles , yet he reached out for Lieutenant Tohm , begging for help . Tohm brought this to Vader ' s attention , hoping to help the wounded cyborg , but Vader felt no such pity . He ordered Tohm to execute Raines . Tohm placed his blaster against Raines ' s head , with the cyborg feebly attempting to put out his hand to stop him , but Vader ordered Tohm to save his ammunition and handed the lieutenant a metal pipe instead . Tohm apologized to Raines , and as Raines once more vainly tried to reach out , Tohm beat the cyborg to death . Immediately afterward , Tohm ran into a medical bay where Trachta was being seen to by a medical droid , and became ill . As Tohm vomited , disgusted by the act he had committed , Trachta recognized that the young man had clearly done something horrible for Vader . Trachta then urged Tohm to consider following him instead of Vader , claiming that the Sith Lord only knew how to make followers , whereas Trachta could train Tohm to be a leader . Tohm later asked Volta , the Force - sensitive sniper , to meet him again , standing on a platform outside the prison . There she expertly shot the heads off of five 2 - 1B surgical droids while talking with Tohm , who was reading her prison files for the mission records he was compiling . Volta angrily informed him that the prison ' s records were not complete , and told him of the terrible things the Republic and the Jedi had done to her and her loved ones . Tohm then told her that he had wanted to be a pilot too , like Volta ' s father , but that he no longer could . He then suddenly realized that Volta ' s experience with hyperspace study may allow them to save Tarkin from the trap Gentis had lain . Retaking Coruscant . Tohm and Volta used her hyperspace expertise to find Tarkin while he changed hyperspace lane s at the nexus of several trade routes . Successfully finding and hailing his vessel , the Imperials and freed prisoners secreted themselves within Tarkin ' s shuttle . As they landed , Volta told Tohm to stay close to her . Gentis amassed his cadets to greet Tarkin ' s shuttle , planning on finally cementing his hold on the Empire . Tarkin disembarked along with his stormtroopers , but was immediately surrounded by the cadets . Gentis confronted Tarkin , wanting him taken alive for interrogation , and told him his reasons for the coup . Tarkin was unapologetic , not caring about the hundreds of innocent cadets who had died under his command . When Gentis told Tarkin that his own sons had been killed by the policies of the Emperor , he was told by Vader that he would see them again soon . Gentis looked up in horror as Vader emerged from the shuttle alongside Tohm , Trachta , Volta and rest of the deadly ex - prisoners . Though Gentis ' s forces outnumbered the attackers by eight to one , there was no accounting for the disparate skills Vader ' s group brought to the fight . Vader himself unleashed a violent Force wave while the prisoners slaughtered the cadets . Tohm ' s former friend , Caul , ordered Koh , a demolitions expert , to hit their attackers with grenades , but Volta shot Koh before he could throw the armed explosives , which detonated in the midst of the cadets . Caul retreated among the scattered and wounded cadets until he heard Tohm call out to him . Thinking that Tohm was still on their side , he was happy to see him , but Tohm shot him in the stomach , killing him . Gentis saw his son fall and ran to his side , horrified that he ' d lost his final child . As he cradled Caul ' s body in his arms , unable to believe that he was dead , Tohm backed away , disconcerted with what he ' d done . Gentis begged for Caul not to die , then promised to keep his son safe . Suddenly , he was wracked with Force lightning , attacked by the Emperor himself . As he screamed and clutched his son to his chest , his body was ravaged by Palpatine ' s dark side power , and he was left a charred husk . Tohm looked down on his former hero ' s face , which now looked eerily like his own . A young Admiral . In the aftermath of the battle , all those who had been loyal to Gentis were rounded up and executed without trial . Tohm himself oversaw the executions , allowing the bodies to pile atop one another as a warning to all who had betrayed the Empire . The Emperor rewarded Tohm for his service by being promoted to Admiral , and given a command in the Outer Rim Territories . Trachta was rewarded as well , promoted to Grand Moff as well as the new Headmaster of the Imperial Academies . Unknown to the surviving ex - prisoners who had helped to save the Empire , as they were celebrating their victory and impending reward , the Imperials that they had fought beside were at that moment trying to determine their fates . Trachta believed that they owed the prisoners a debt of gratitude , and that they should honor their promises to them . Vader thought that they should all be executed , to prevent them from becoming enemies in the future . Tohm created a third option , and the prisoners were told they would be set free but they had to exile themselves to the Corporate Sector . Before they left , they were met by Tohm , Trachta and Vader , and the details of their release were once more gone over . Nax Cirvan agreed to all of the parts of the deal , and Trachta wished him luck . As the ship ascended over the Coruscant cityscape , it detonated , killing Cirvan and all those aboard . Tohm and Vader had betrayed the agreement , as well as Trachta , who was horrified by the dishonorable massacre . He railed against Tohm and Vader for their duplicity , but both men were unapologetic . Tohm lied to the cyborg , telling him without emotion that the old ship must have malfunctioned . Trachta , disgusted , left Tohm to Vader ' s care , no longer willing to try to take the young man under his own wing . In addition to his promotion to Admiral , Tohm managed to secure a pardon for Volta , sparing her the fate of the rest of the prisoners . She was given the rank of captain , and Tohm asked her to serve under his command while they met in his new apartment . Tenderly touching the burned side of his face , Volta told him that she would be honored . Like the prisoners , Tohm was also unaware that powerful men were discussing his fate . The Emperor told Vader that he admired much about the young admiral , and that should Vader ever die , Palpatine believed that Tohm would be an able successor . Death . Tohm then received an invitation from Vader , and met the Sith Lord upon a balcony high above the city . Vader asked if Volta had accepted her new position , and Tohm excitedly told his new mentor that the two of them would be leaving the following day . Vader then told Tohm that he had only one more lesson for the young man , and Tohm again grew excited , telling Vader how much working with him had meant . Vader then hefted Tohm by his uniform and told him that one should never accept the existence of rivals . Tohm pleaded with Vader , but the Dark Lord was unmoved , and threw Tohm from the balcony , sending him plummeting miles down into the depths of Coruscant . Personality and traits . Laurita Tohm ' s most prominent traits were his ambition and his drive to succeed . His desire for success was great enough to overcome the devastating accident he suffered during the Clone Wars , which left him blind in one eye , disfigured , and with only one remaining arm . His initial dreams of being a pilot destroyed by his disfigurement , he endeavored to instead become the most successful naval officer that he could be , and succeeded in graduating as valedictorian from the Raithal Academy . When it came to voicing his opinion , he did not shy away even from the presence of Darth Vader or Trachta . Due to his deformities , Tohm was insecure about his appearance , especially around members of the opposite sex . When it came to social activities , he was easily convinced by his friends , while he took personal charge in academic or military situations . When talking to Shonn Volta on manners of her military record or their plans to save Coruscant , he was bold , but became embarrassed when confronted with her tragic history and especially her hints at attraction to him . Tohm was incredibly loyal to the Empire . Even when faced by the betrayal of his best friends and his personal hero , Headmaster Gentis , Tohm ' s loyalty did not waver . Instead , he created a new hero for himself in the personage of Vader . During their time together , Tohm attempted to show both his abilities and loyalty to Vader in any way he could , even committing acts — such as murder — that he found horrific . His admiration for the Dark Lord manifested itself in his wish for Force - sensitivity , and would ultimately be his undoing . Trusting Vader implicitly , he had not learned the lesson that Gentis ' s betrayal could have taught him , and instead was murdered by his hero .