Paltr Carvin Paltr Carvin was an Imperial general and Tribune who briefly ruled the Galactic Empire in 5 ABY . A member of the Imperial Ruling Council , Carvin seized control after Sate Pestage was accused of treason and fled Imperial Center . Working with Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard , Carvin put out a warrant for Pestage ' s arrest , and as a result the former Grand Vizier was captured on Ciutric IV . Carvin appointed Admiral Delak Krennel to retrieve Pestage and bring him back to Imperial Center , but the ensuing evacuation of Ciutric prevented that . Pestage had been rescued by New Republic agents , but the agents themselves had been forced to stay on the planet due to the presence of the Interdictor Star Destroyer " Binder " . Krennel initially failed to take control of the situation , however , turning it into a fiasco . Meanwhile , Isard had Carvin ' s closest colleagues assassinated , before having the general himself arrested . As control over the Empire was wrested from his grasp , Carvin was taken to the " Lusankya " prison facility , where he was to be reconditioned to serve Isard loyally . Biography . Ascension . A general in the Imperial Military , Paltr Carvin was appointed to the Imperial Ruling Council at some stage around 5 ABY . After Emperor Palpatine ' s first death at Endor in 4 ABY , the council and Grand Vizier Sate Pestage became embroiled in a brief power struggle for control of the Empire , with Pestage eventually taking the Imperial throne for himself . The council , eager to overthrow Pestage and take the reins of the Empire themselves , became informally allied with Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard , who acted as a neutral intermediary between it and Pestage . Following the disastrous Battle of Brentaal IV , the council , headed by Carvin , was summoned to a meeting by Isard . She insinuated that Pestage had entered into a pact with the New Republic and intended to effectively turn the Empire over to them . Specifically , Isard suspected that Pestage had met with Leia Organa on Axxila and had subsequently given orders to let her escape the planet . Carvin was dubious , and when Isard informed him that she had obtained incriminating data files from " confidential sources " he accused her of being a liar . Isard did not balk at the accusation , and instead insisted that her prime interest was state security . Musing over her report , Carvin surmised that the council would have to rule in Pestage ' s stead , if what Isard said was true . Council member Challer was quick to caution the general , however , and went on to question Isard . The director requested that the council strip Pestage of power and put an end to his treason , and Carvin complied with her request . As a result , Isard was given " carte blanche " to ground ships in order to prevent Pestage ' s escape from Imperial Center . Meanwhile , Carvin and his tribunal charged the Grand Vizier with treason , put out a warrant for his arrest , and assumed control of the Galactic Empire . Since Carvin headed the tribunal , he effectively ruled the Empire . In his new position as Tribune , Carvin began sporting the rank insignia of an admiral . Despite the curfew , Pestage was able to escape to Ciutric IV , but was subsequently placed in custody by Governor Brothic . Isard prepared to send her own men to " recover " him , to apparently stand trial on Imperial Center . Carvin would have none of it , however , and ordered Isard to have her people merely secure Pestage and not transport him . At the same time , he had Admiral Delak Krennel travel to Ciutric IV in the Star Destroyer " Reckoning " , to fetch Pestage personally . Isard protested at first , and then requested permission to personally observe Pestage ' s retrieval . Carvin was incredulous , questioning Isard as to whether she actually had any responsibilities to attend to on Imperial Center itself . He and his colleagues denied Isard permission , ordering her to leave the task to Krennel and attend to her duties on the capital . The director disobeyed the tribunal , however , and sent her agents to Ciutric IV . Simultaneously , Republic commandos attacked the planet and broke Pestage out of custody . Both Krennel and Isard ' s men had failed to stop the enemy , but the participation of the Intel Director ' s Interdictor Star Destroyer , " Binder " — which was able to prevent ships from entering hyperspace — had kept the Republic from escaping and had forced them to retreat to the wilderness of Ciutric IV . Fall . Carvin and the tribunal placed sole blame for the fiasco on Isard ' s shoulders and fiercely upbraided her for disobedience . The general warned the director that if she did not cooperate with the tribunal in the future , her career under their rule would be stopped short and abruptly terminated . Carvin then provided Krennel with more fighters with which to smoke the Republic agents out , but the TIE craft were subsequently destroyed by Rogue Squadron . Because of the tribunal ' s criticism of her actions and with her position as Intelligence Director in jeopardy , Isard decided to accelerate her timetable for the elimination of the council . While Krennel was engaging Rogue Squadron over Ciutric , Isard was eliminating the tribunes , one by one . She had her agents assassinate Tribunes Challer and Plumba , alarming Carvin . Yet before he could act , Isard sent Royal Guards to apprehend him . The general was beaten by the guards before being brought before the triumphant Isard . He could do little more than cry treason , helpless before the director . Isard planned to make Carvin serve her as she stepped into his role as ruler of the Empire , but the general insisted that he would not cooperate . The director was not fazed at all , as she was confident that a stint in the " Lusankya " prison facility would make the general change his mind . With that , Carvin was hauled out of Isard ' s presence and taken into captivity . Personality and traits . A power - hungry man , Paltr Carvin was eager and quick to take Sate Pestage ' s role when the Grand Vizier was accused of being a traitor to the Empire . He was , on occasion , pulled back into line by his colleagues , such as Challer , but was essentially considered to be the head of the Empire following Pestage ' s departure from Imperial Center . His leadership initially inspired confidence in others , such as Delak Krennel , but he would later shift blame to cover his own mistakes , shaking the faith some people had in him . Carvin thought Ysanne Isard insignificant and was quick to deflate her arguments during meetings . The feeling was mutual on Isard ' s end — the Director of Imperial Intelligence considered the general a fool . Carvin was quick to shoot down Isard ' s request to travel to Ciutric IV and , together with his colleagues , mocked the director by reeling off a list of objectives she had failed to accomplish . Later , when beaten and bloodied before Isard , he remained defiant and refused to serve her , although she was confident that the " Lusankya " prison facility would help change his mind . Behind the scenes . Paltr Carvin made his first and only appearance in " " , the final story arc of the " " comic series . " Mandatory Retirement " was written by Michael A . Stackpole and penciled by Steve Crespo .