Iran Ryad Countess Iran Ryad was a Human female Imperial politician and starfighter ace . A career in politics during the reign of Emperor Palpatine saw her become a wealthy and influential individual who could afford to take up starfighter pilot training as a hobby . After the the loss of many skilled Imperial pilots during the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY , Ryad gave up her political career to become a pilot . She used her influence to requisition an advanced TIE / D Defender as her personal starfighter and eventually gained command of Red Star Squadron . Under Ryad ' s command , the squadron began attacking any ships that ventured into Imperial space unannounced . After Ryad was accused of treason , she was hunted down and killed by the Imperial ace Baron Soontir Fel . Biography . A Human female , Countess Iran Ryad forged a career as a politician in the Galactic Empire , giving her a position of wealth and influence . Throughout her life , she developed a fascination not only for military politics , but also for the Imperial Navy and starfighters . The latter obsession encouraged Ryad to seek training as a starfighter pilot , a hobby enabled by her political connections and prodigious wealth . Sometime following the Battle of Yavin , Iran Ryad partook in a skirmish against at least one Rebel pilot . Ryad was defeated in the fight , but managed to escape alive in her crippled TIE Oppressor . Around 3 ABY , the Empire developed the TIE / D Defender , a radical departure for the TIE Series which featured many systems absent from most Imperial starfighters , including both deflector shields and a hyperdrive . The high cost of the starfighter , together with its departure from standard Imperial tactics , made it unpopular and Ryad was one of the few experienced and influential politicians to argue in favor of the new starfighter . In 4 ABY , the Galactic Empire suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Endor at the hands of the Alliance to Restore the Republic . Emperor Palpatine himself was killed , as was his apprentice , Darth Vader . Furthermore , the Imperial Navy suffered heavy losses , including the destruction of the second Death Star and many of its most skilled TIE pilot s . The death of Palpatine saw the Empire begin to fragment , with rival military figures declaring themselves warlords and attempting to establish their own dominions . With the Empire running short of skilled pilots , Ryad abandoned her career as a politician and became an Imperial pilot , in time utilizing her connections to requisition a TIE Defender to serve as her personal starfighter , the " Red Star 1 " . Ryad had the ship modified at a cost of 62 , 500 credits , fitting it with an enhanced shield generator , an improved ion drive for greater maneuverability and advanced fire control systems . The Countess spent over a year leading a flight group of four TIE Defenders on patrols of the Coreward borders of what remained of Imperial space . After a dozen successful patrols , Ryad had scored a high number of kills and became a starfighter ace . Her achievements resulted in her gaining command of her own squadron . Ryad filled Red Star Squadron with like - minded pilots who shared her idea of a zero - tolerance border policy . With Ryad leading the squadron from the " Red Star 1 " , the Imperial pilots relentlessly pursued any starships that entered Imperial space without permission . Throughout her career , Ryad had gained rivals within the Empire , foremost among them being another notable Imperial pilot , Baron Soontir Fel , a veteran of the Galactic Civil War who had remained loyal to the Empire under the rule of Ysanne Isard , the former Director of Imperial Intelligence who served as the steward of the Empire following Palpatine ' s death . Around 5 ABY , Ryad ' s actions led her to be accused of treason and she was hunted down and killed by Fel . Personality and traits . Iran Ryad was an eccentric and influential politician and diplomat with a long - held interest in the military and spacer history . She was not afraid to use either her wealth or connections for personal gain . She used her influence to have herself trained as a starfighter pilot and later to acquire her personal TIE Defender . Although piloting was initially merely a hobby for her , she devoted herself to it and became a skilled pilot and commander who could inspire confidence from those serving under her . Ryad went against conventional ideas on military tactics , favoring the use of the TIE Defender over large waves of unshielded starfighters and advocating a strict border policy in which any unannounced intruders were destroyed . Her beliefs , however , had a high cost and ultimately led to her death . Behind the scenes . Iran Ryad was created by Brian Campbell and Owen K . C . Stephens for the " Starships of the Galaxy " web supplement " More Starships ! " , which was published on Wizards of the Coast ' s website on November 15 , 2001 . In the " Star Wars Galaxies : An Empire Divided " , Iran Ryad was added to the game as a ( NPC ) in Game Update 20 . Rebel players who requested Tier 7 Duty Missions from certain space stations had a chance to battle an elite Imperial pilot during the mission ' s boss stage . One of these pilots could be Iran Ryad . If the player defeated Ryad , the Imperial was not destroyed . Instead , a message was displayed to the player , indicating that they successfully defeated the pilot . The player then received a collection icon which added up to award a badge if they succeeded in destroying all ten of the elite Imperial pilots . However , elite Imperial pilots could also be found flying in various space battles , which took place in the Naboo , Tatoo , and Corellian system . Because Ryad only appeared in the space portion of " Star Wars Galaxies " , originally added with the " " expansion pack , she could normally only be seen inside her respective TIE Oppressor . However , a comm display could appear during the battle , displaying Ryad ' s face . In addition , the collection icon depicted Ryad ' s physical appearance .