Ali Tarrak Ali Tarrak was a female Nami who became the leader of her species during the Galactic Civil War . Under her leadership , the Nami captured a prototype of the TIE / D Defender from the Galactic Empire around 3 ABY . She was eventually captured and sent to Coruscant . Biography . Tarrak ' s leadership had the benefit of excellent timing . The Empire was locked in a secret , but brutal , struggle against a rogue Grand Admiral , Demetrius Zaarin , who had developed a deadly new starfighter that outperformed even Lord Vader ' s TIE Advanced model . Zaarin had fled to the Outer Rim after destroying most of the Empire ' s TIE Advanced and TIE Defender production facilities , such as factory station ZA - 13 . The Empire ' s loyalist forces were fully engaged in recovering single starfighters from the attacks as best they could , which provided Tarrak the perfect opportunity to steal a specimen . Tarrak ' s raid actually piggybacked off the actions of a separate group of pirates , the Rneekii , who were somehow able to snare loyalist forces in an elaborate ion cannon trap . It is implied , though not stated , that Zaarin supplied the Rneekii with information needed to set up the trap . Regardless , Nami raiders boarded and captured Imperial craft carrying a single TIE Defender unit , and hyperspace to safety with it . Tarrak also acquired the TIE Defender project ' s lead scientist after the Rneekii pirates ransomed him to the highest bidder near the Kiilimaar system . Tarrak knew the Empire would be the highest bidder , so she devised a plan with Imperial traitors under Zaarin ' s command . When the Empire went to Kiilimaar to pick up the scientist , Tarrak ' s forces attacked the Immobilizer 418 cruiser " Red Claw " carrying the scientist , disabling its hyperdrive using electromagnetic pulse technology . The " Red Claw " ' s commander called in two Imperial corvettes for reinforcements . The first was to take the scientist to safety , the second would bring a team to repair the " Red Claw " . However , Zaarin sent in one of his own corvettes masquerading as the first , there to pick up the scientist , and claiming the second was delayed . One of Zaarin ' s strike cruisers provided cover for the corvette as it escaped with the scientist . Zaarin then handed the scientist over to Tarrak , presumably under the assumption that she would produce TIE Defenders to use against the loyalist Imperial forces . Exactly what he stood to gain from this is uncertain — it is possible that Zaarin did not have factory facilities in the Outer Rim , and the Nami ' s factories could help compensate for that shortcoming . Whatever the agreement between them , it is clear the Nami began construction of TIE Defenders , and it is likely that Tarrak reneged on it . She planned to sell some to the Rebel Alliance , a move that would almost certainly have outraged Zaarin , who continued to be staunchly anti - Rebel even during his own coup . However , it appears Zaarin was either powerless or unwilling to cross Tarrak ' s will , as he takes no further steps to stop her sale . The Emperor , seeing the significance of the situation , and hoping to stop proliferation of the powerful starfighter , dispatched one of his best commanders to disrupt the deal , Grand Admiral Thrawn . Thrawn oversaw the development of a new Imperial assault craft , the Missile Boat , which was specifically developed to counter the TIE Defender . The Missile Boat was still an experimental craft , relying on a powerful tractor beam and a heavy warhead payload to immobilize and destroy enemies . It was a dramatic break away from the pattern of simply increasing the speed , cannons , and maneuverability - as seen in TIE Interceptor , Advanced , and Defender development . Thrawn ' s forces captured Tarrak ' s Strike Cruiser before it could send any TIE Defenders to a Rebel " Carrack " - class light cruiser . Admiral Thrawn ' s Star Destroyer , the " Grey Wolf " , followed fleeing Nami forces to Tarrak ' s TIE Defender factory space station , whereupon he gave the now - famous order to Ace pilot Maarek Stele : " For the greater glory of the Empire , destroy everything ! " The new Missile Boat took out the remaining Nami TIE Defenders , and the Star Destroyer " Grey Wolf " ' s TIE / sa bomber destroyed the factory . All Nami structures , down to the last mine , were destroyed . During the final assault on the factory , Tarrak made a bold escape attempt , leaving the factory in a Corellian Transport with the lead scientist as a hostage . She even dared to threaten Thrawn , sending the message " Cease your attack or your precious scientist dies ! " However , Thrawn successfully called her bluff , assuring Tarrak that such an action would guarantee her own death . Ultimately , Tarrak spared the life of the scientist , as Assault Gunboats came out of hyperspace in her path and immediately disabled her vessel . After her capture , Tarrak was sent to Coruscant , where she would be trained to serve the Emperor . Deprived of their production centers and their leader , the Nami species sank back into obscurity , and Thrawn ' s later triumph over Zaarin ensured Imperial supremacy in the region . The Emperor gave Thrawn Zaarin ' s former place in his Inner Circle shortly after his victory over Tarrak , and the successful containment of a potentially uncontrollable TIE Defender proliferation .