Tal Anavere Tal Anavere was a female Ho ' Din with an abiding passion for art . Alive during the Galactic Civil War , Anavere witnessed the Galactic Empire ' s policies crushing free expression in numerous star systems , particularly among primitive cultures for whose art she bore a particular affinity . Those policies led Anavere to revile the Empire and drove her to support the Alliance to Restore the Republic . Anavere established herself as an art dealer who traded pieces created by important members of the Imperial bureaucracy . She used her influence with such clients to extract intelligence that she passed on to the Alliance . In the period between the battles of Yavin and Endor , Anavere had begun to use addictive Ho ' Din herbal tea s to exert greater influence over her marks . The technique raised some concerns for General Airen Cracken of Alliance Intelligence , but he allowed her to continue working for the Alliance due to her ongoing effectiveness . Biography . Tal Anavere was a female Ho ' Din , born around the year 70 BBY . She developed a passion for galactic art , with a particular affinity for artworks from pre - technological civilizations . Under the regime of the Galactic Empire , Anavere witnessed the artistic traditions of primitive cultures in many star systems curtailed or destroyed by Imperial slavery or domination . Believing the policies of the Empire crushed freedom of expression , Anavere became a con artist , gambler , and thief , eventually affiliating herself with the Alliance to Restore the Republic . As a Rebel operative , Anavere operated as an art dealer and specialized in trading artworks created by important members of the Imperial bureaucracy — there being no market in the Empire for her preferred , pre - technological art forms . Many of those Imperials , jaded by the experience of individuals purchasing their art simply to curry favor , came to trust Anavere as she made them feel their works were being purchased by individuals with a genuine interest in the pieces . Anavere used her positions of trust to gather intelligence for the Rebel Alliance , but she also took more direct action to remove bounties placed on Rebel heads and arrange amnesties . Anavere avoided reprisals from the Empire by utilizing multiple aliases , erasing records of her previous activities and , on occasion , faking reports of her own death . In the period between the Battle of Yavin in 0 ABY and the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY , Anavere established an art gallery , " Sophistication , " on Obroa - skai , a planet known for its massive library database . She also began using slightly addictive blends of Ho ' Din herbal tea s on her Imperial marks to increase her influence over them . That technique came to the attention of Airen Cracken , a general and member of Alliance Intelligence . Cracken was one of several high - ranking Alliance members who expressed reservations over Anavere ' s use of herbal teas ; however , Cracken respected her abilities enough to include a file on the Ho ' Din in his datafile on useful Alliance operatives . Personality and traits . Tal Anavere was a Ho ' Din , a reptilian sentient species native to the planet Moltok in the Atrivis sector and distinguished by tresses of vibrantly - colored head tendrils . Anavere lacked morals and had little respect for sentients , whether alive or dead ; her sole concern was for art . Her passion for art eventually spawned a hatred for the Galactic Empire , as she witnessed numerous examples of free expression crushed by its policies . However , when dealing with Imperial clients , Anavere was effective in hiding that emotion , and she was able to convince many Imperials that their talentless artworks were genuinely appreciated . The Ho ' Din was described as a " very unpleasant being " in her Alliance file , but despite that , Cracken continued to sanction her activities . Skills and abilities . Anavere was knowledgeable about different cultures , art , and herbal medicine , and was skilled enough botanically to cultivate addictive strains of herbal teas . The Ho ' Din was a gifted bargainer , con artist , and gambler , and was adept at knife fighting . Equipment . In addition to operating her own art gallery , Anavere possessed a datapad containing information on galactic art history , a deck of sabacc cards , a jeweled Rodian ceremonial dagger , and a collection of herbal teas . On at least one occasion , Anavere wore a loose - fitting , light - colored dress and a scarf . Behind the scenes . Tal Anavere was created by Chuck Truett for the 1994 West End Games publication " Cracken ' s Rebel Operatives " , a supplement to . An illustration by Mike Vilardi accompanied her one - page entry in the book .