Kane Griggs Kane Griggs was a male from the frozen planet of Kerensik in the Botor Enclave . Griggs eventually traveled off - world to attend an Imperial university , where he studied politics and planned on living a comfortable life as an economist . However , he cared little for Imperial ideology or outside conflicts . During his first year at the university , Griggs met an Alderaanian student named Marfa Thorbin and formed a close relationship with her , eventually proposing marriage to her . Thorbin accepted and returned home to Alderaan to tell her parents , but she was killed when the planet was destroyed by the first Death Star . Soon after the Battle of Endor , Griggs quit his job at the Botor Income Ministry and joined the New Republic Defense Fleet to avenge Thorbin . In 10 ABY , Griggs served aboard the liberated New Republic " Imperial II " - class Star Destroyer " Emancipator " as a navigator and participated in the Battle of Calamari . Biography . Early life . Kane Griggs was a male born and raised on the frozen planet of Kerensik in the Botor Enclave . Winter was the only season that Griggs ever experienced until he went off - world to study at an Imperial university . Griggs studied politics at the school , and like many of the other political science students , he hoped for a safe and comfortable bureaucratic job . Griggs was apathetic toward the Galactic Civil War and only objected to a few of the New Order ' s policies . He was more interested in becoming an economist than focusing on his service to the Empire . In his first year at the school , Griggs experienced the autumn season for the first time , which he found pleasantly colorful . One day while walking back from a lecture , counting leaves , he ran into a fellow student — Marfa Thorbin . As the two picked up each other ' s books and began chatting , Griggs offered to buy Thorbin a cup of chav . Though initially embarrassed at his clumsiness , Griggs was surprised to learn that Thorbin was also counting the leaves . Thorbin explained that she grew up on Alderaan , where she experienced many different seasons . She told Griggs that she hoped to be an aquatic xenologist and one day explore ocean worlds . Griggs and Thorbin ended up in two of the same classes together and began a friendship as study partners . They communicated with each other over winter vacation , and once they met again in the spring semester , they reveled in the new season . Over the years , their friendship became love , and eventually Griggs asked Thorbin to marry him . Thorbin accepted , and the pair set a date for the wedding while Thorbin returned home to tell her parents . Thorbin , however , was killed in 0 BBY when the first Death Star destroyed Alderaan , and the pair never had their wedding . New Republic service . Griggs spent the next few years working for the Botor Income Ministry until the Rebel Alliance announced their victory over the Empire at Endor and formed the New Republic . Griggs quit his job and joined up as a recruit in the New Republic Defense Fleet , motivated by his love for Thorbin and hatred against the Empire for her loss . Though some doubted his usefulness aboard warships , Griggs was content with the life he lived in the New Republic . He eventually fell in love with and married another woman and fathered a child . By 10 ABY , after the resurgence of the reborn Emperor Palpatine , Griggs was serving as a navigator aboard the " Emancipator " , an " Imperial II " - class Star Destroyer captured by the New Republic . While the " Emancipator " was en route to the planet Calamari , Griggs was ordered by General Lando Calrissian , commander of the " Emancipator " , to plot a course two degrees from the source of a recently intercepted Imperial transmission displaying the devastation of the planet . Griggs acknowledged that the " Emancipator " navicomputer could make such a course adjustment . He then proceeded to participate in the Battle of Calamari , where he fought against the Empire ' s World Devastator s . Personality and traits . While at the university , Kane Griggs planned on living a peaceful life and attempted to stay as far away as possible from conflicts such as the Galactic Civil War . He cared little for the Empire ' s policies and focused primarily on his studies . He found the autumn season incredibly interesting and was fascinated by the different colors the leaves changed to . Griggs ' s emotions often influenced his actions , such as after Marfa Thorbin ' s death , when he was motivated to join the New Republic out of his love for her and hatred of the Empire . If asked why he started fighting for the New Republic , Griggs would cite many reasons but leave out Thorbin , whom he considered his biggest reason of all . Griggs was proficient in astrogation , capital ship piloting , and repulsorlift operation . Behind the scenes . Kane Griggs first appeared as a minor background character in the of the 1991 – 1992 " Dark Empire " comic book series written by Tom Veitch and illustrated by Cam Kennedy . His background was greatly expanded upon in the 1993 " Dark Empire Sourcebook " by Michael Allen Horne . Griggs has since been given brief entries in numerous encyclopedic sources over the years , such as the " Star Wars Encyclopedia " , " The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia " , and the second and third editions of " A Guide to the Star Wars Universe " .