Firmus Piett / Legends Firmus Piett was a Human male who was the last admiral of the Imperial Navy ' s Death Squadron , Darth Vader ' s personal fleet of Star Destroyers . Coming from humble beginnings on the backwater Outer Rim world of Axxila , Piett began his naval career with the Axxila antipirate fleet . Though his posting was not notable , Piett ' s creativity , dedication and integrity made his home sector the safest in the Outer Rim . Piett made an extraordinary number of arrests and suppressions of smugglers and pirates , and his record earned the attention of high - ranking officers on Imperial Center . His star rising in the Imperial Navy , Piett was given the captaincy of the " Imperial I " - class Star Destroyer " Accuser " , seeing service at the Battle of Turkana before being picked out to serve in Vader ' s Death Squadron , which prowled the galaxy searching for Rebel Alliance headquarters . When command of the fleet ' s flagship , the Star Dreadnought " Executor " , became vacant , Vader selected Piett to fill the post . As captain of the " Executor " , Piett relentlessly searched for the hidden Alliance base while secretly undermining his superior , Admiral Kendal Ozzel . At the Battle of Hoth , Ozzel was summarily executed by Vader for incompetence , allowing Piett to swiftly step into the high admiral ' s role . Though he was criticized for his swift ascent to the top of the command chain , Piett set himself about his task with enthusiasm , though he feared that he would meet the same fate as Ozzel . He made several potentially fatal blunders soon after his promotion but was able to shift blame as he had done in the past . Following the failed capture of Luke Skywalker at Bespin , the " Executor " was taken back to Imperial Center , leaving Piett to command the " Accuser " once more . In 4 ABY , though , Piett was once again on the bridge of the Star Dreadnought , commanding the Imperial fleet in the Battle of Endor . Piett perished in the battle when an RZ - 1 A - wing interceptor piloted by Arvel Crynyd rammed into the " Executor " bridge . Biography . Early career . Firmus Piett was born on the Outer Rim ecumenopolis of Axxila during the late Republic Classic era . After the corporate interests that controlled the Ciutric Hegemony declared for the Confederacy of Independent Systems , Piett ' s family was among the so - called " Free Axxilans " who relocated to Halmad . From his teenage years , Piett sought a military career , and he entered the Naval Academy of the Quelii sector , graduating just days before the Clone Wars came to an end in 19 BBY . Due to the fact that he had no connections with the Core Worlds , Piett ' s naval career was mired by his background and he was forced to work in his native sector , the backworld Ciutric Hegemony . With the Declaration of a New Order and the ensuing Imperialization of the galaxy , the Axxila antipirate fleet became a task force of the Imperial Navy . For decades , the antipirate fleet ' s patrols had illegally enriched themselves by ignoring smugglers and pirates , but Piett refused to do so . His record with the fleet was flawless , and he made a tremendous amount of " arrests and suppressions . " Piett had the good fortune to enter the service shortly after the reform - minded Moff Pensar Luc became the Hegemony ' s governor . Luc assigned Piett to a new task force staffed by trustworthy officers and directed them to crush piracy in the region . Piett ' s reputation for integrity rapidly took him through the ranks , reaching the rank of lieutenant by 13 BBY , at the age of twenty - six . He soon assumed leadership of the Axxila trade enforcement operations , making the Ciutric Hegemony one of the safest sectors in the Outer Rim , He received various commendations for his actions , and carefully cultivated his contacts in the Core Worlds , going as far as to reshape his Outer Rim accent in favour of the clipped tones of a Coruscanti . Piett ' s record and experience caught the eye of Lord Darth Vader . Instead of feeling a sense of pride in his new patronage , however , Lieutenant Piett remained only cautiously optimistic as many of his superiors were choked to death through the Force by Darth Vader . During this time , Lieutenant Piett noticed how Vader grew increasingly obsessed with hunting down the newly - formed Rebel Alliance . He was also aware of Vader ' s secret project on Kamino and how it diverted vast resources from the Imperial fleet , including at least one " Imperial I " - class Star Destroyer and several of the new terror units . In an intercepted personal correspondence belonging to Piett , he mentioned how Vader executed several officers because of their failure to prevent the escape of his " most prized test subject . " Piett feared that his rise through the ranks would inevitably lead to a command under the Sith Lord . Due to the high mortality rate of the officers who served directly under Vader , Piett requested a transfer to the Coruscant Defense Fleet before more promotions brought him within closer proximity to Vader and his utter lack of tolerance for failure . Captaincy of the " Accuser " . Despite his efforts to escape Vader , Piett was singled out by the Supreme Commander , who around 1 BBY selected the Axxilan as captain of the " Imperial I " - class Star Destroyer " Accuser " . After Imperial Intelligence detected a concentration of Rebel warships around the planet Turkana in the Pakuuni sector , the " Accuser " was one of ten " Imperial " - class Star Destroyers committed to eliminate them . Captain Piett ' s " Accuser " provided primary support for Captain Xamuel Lennox ' s " Tyrant " at the Battle of Turkana . Lennox ordered the launch of TIE / sa bombers to target the engines of the seven Mon Calamari Star Cruiser s orbiting the planet , with TIE / LN starfighter s and TIE / IN interceptors operating in support . However , the Rebel warships launched three squadrons of BTL Y - wing starfighter s and two squadrons of the new T - 65 X - wing starfighter s in response . Piett attempted to warn Lennox of the threat posed by the X - wings ' advanced capabilities , but Lennox did not modify his tactics , confident in his superior numbers . Displaying comparable maneuverability to the TIE Fighters and protected by heavy deflector shields , the X - wings closed with the TIE Fighters and Interceptors and left the less - maneuverable Y - wings free to attack the TIE Bombers . Believing that Lennox ' s actions had cost the Empire victory , Piett positioned the " Accuser " to fire its turbolasers along the bombers ' attack path , vaporizing many Y - wings and allowing a single TIE Bomber squadron to deliver its payload , knocking out the engines of an MC80 Star Cruiser . By this point , however , the X - wings had neutralized nearly all of the Empire ' s TIE Fighters and were closing to help the Y - wings destroy the remaining TIE Bombers . Piett ordered the whole task force to close to full weapons range , but without a starfighter screen , they were unable to prevent the Rebel X - wings from launching a proton torpedo strike against the Star Destroyers " Formidable " and " Ajax " , severely damaging both vessels . Captain Lennox then ordered the task force to retreat . Piett prepared a mission report in the aftermath of the battle , recommending the deployment of larger numbers of TIE Interceptors when facing Rebel X - wings in future , and also advocated the use of tractor beams to snare and slow down small , fast - moving targets and assist Imperial gunner s . He also recommended the removal of Captain Lennox from command of naval operations in the Pakuuni sector , and submitted a campaign plan for Operation Strike Fear , the Empire ' s reprisal for the defeat , with the report , declaring his readiness to command the operation . Service with Death Squadron . In the aftermath of the Battle of Yavin , Vader selected Piett to serve with Death Squadron , his personal fleet of Star Destroyers blockading Yavin 4 . Piett served under the fleet leadership of Admiral Amise Griff , who commanded from Vader ' s flagship , the " Executor " - class Star Dreadnought " Executor " . Several months after the Battle of Yavin , the " Accuser " came across the planet of Kabal , which was claiming neutrality in the Galactic Civil War . Since the Empire considered neutrality insolent , the captain had the " Accuser " attack Kabal . Among the craft fleeing from the planet was the " Millennium Falcon " , a ship with known Alliance connections . Piett ' s fighters pursued the Rebel craft , until it entered the general vicinity of a collapsed dwarf star . Not willing to risk his ships near such an unstable entity , Piett had the fighters return to the " Accuser " . On approach to the Rebel base at Yavin 4 , Piett was on board the " Executor " when it fell under attack from Rebel pilot Vrad Dodonna . Seeking to curry favor with the Dark Lord , Piett personally congratulated Vader when Dodonna ' s attack failed . Dodonna would later perish when he attempted to ram the " Executor " . During the Evacuation of Yavin , in which the forces of the Galactic Empire drove the Alliance to Restore the Republic out of their hidden fortress , Admiral Griff perished in an accidental collision . Griff ' s position of Death Squadron ' s admiral was filled by Captain Kendal Ozzel . Piett projected an unflappable demeanor and took a no - nonsense approach to operations , which won him command of the " Executor " in Ozzel ' s place . At some point , Piett and then - Admiral Ozzel observed a fleet gathering that included large squadrons of TIE Advanced starfighters , several " Bellator " - class Star Battlecruisers , " Allegiance " - class heavy Star Destroyers , " Imperial " - class Star Destroyers , and " Procursator " - class Star Destroyers . An early assignment saw the crews of the " Executor " and the Imperial Star Destroyer " Avenger " sweeping the sensor - baffling Black Widow Nebula for the Star Destroyer " Eradicator " and a courier corvette under the command of Captain Sodarra . During the search , the freighter " Millennium Falcon " entered the area , and the " Executor " ordered it to heave to . Piett and a customs team of spacetroopers were ferried to the ship in a spacetrooper shuttle . As the troopers swept through the ship on their inspection , Piett questioned the freighter ' s captain , Han Solo , on whether he had encountered the corvette or the " Eradicator " . Solo had not , and mentioned that his flight had originated on Ord Mantell . When the customs sweep revealed that the ship was all but empty , Piett ' s curiosity was piqued , wondering how the pilot of an empty freighter would have money to fritter away on Ord Mantell . Solo began to suggest bribing Piett , which infuriated the Imperial to a degree that he had the freighter pilot and his first mate , the Wookiee Chewbacca , thrown in the " Executor " brig . The pair would later escape custody . Captaincy of the " Executor " . For several years , Piett and his crew searched for the new Alliance base following the rout at Yavin . The bulk of the Rebels were able to escape capture or death during that battle , and had established a new base of operations somewhere in the galaxy . As captain , Piett personally oversaw the ship ' s staffing , handpicking officers such as future - Commander Gherant . Piett began to learn the workings of Death Squadron ' s chain of command and had heard about Vader ' s execution of unsatisfactory officers . The captain swore to himself that he would not fall prey to the Dark Lord ' s wrath by making a simple blunder . As Death Squadron ' s hunt for the Rebel base continued , Piett came to despise Admiral Ozzel : the Admiral was alternately impetuous and languorous , and had a habit of ridiculing his subordinates ' ideas and findings to protect his position . Piett regarded Ozzel as incompetent in his command and completely unsuited for the task of ridding the galaxy of the Rebellion , whom Piett saw as next - generation Separatists . It was generally perceived that Admiral Ozzel had as much power over the fleet as Vader did , but Piett knew better and took to studying his superior officer , so as to capitalize on the admiral ' s blunders . In doing so , he earned Ozzel ' s ire , but found a way he could ascend in rank . In 1 . 5 ABY , Piett was temporarily stationed at the Emperor ' s Retreat on Naboo , before being transferred to Dathomir . There , an outbreak of Imperial bioweapons Project I71A had been reported . A Quarantine Zone had been set up , and further reports were stemming from the Research Facility , telling of the outbreak . Piett tasked an Imperial operative with retrieving a sample of the virus from the Quarantine Zone for further study . He also charged the operative with rescuing any survivors amongst the scientists and exploring the facility itself . Once the operative had completed his goals , and saved the embattled scientists , Vader himself contacted the operative , congratulating them . Piett then rewarded them with a Flare - S swoop . Vader , in the years following the Battle of Yavin , learned that the man who had destroyed the first Death Star was in fact Luke Skywalker , his son . In the hopes of converting Skywalker to the dark side of the Force , Vader became obsessed with tracking down the young Rebel , devoting much of Death Squadron ' s time and resources to the hunt . In 2 ABY , Vader received a transmission from Governor Bin Essada of Gyndine , who claimed that Captain - Supervisor Grammel , who oversaw Imperial operations on Circarpous V , had captured Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker . Grammel had also come across intelligence of a powerful stone , the Kaiburr crystal , that could enhance one ' s usage of the Force . The idea of possessing the crystal and the Rebels was attractive to Vader , and so he ordered Piett to take the " Executor " to Circarpous V . The ship was operating at peak efficiency , but Vader warned the captain that he would tolerate no delays . Upon reaching Circarpous V , the Dark Lord was unable to acquire either the Kaiburr crystal or the two fugitives . Vader would not be deterred however , prompting him to set up a trap on Verdanth . A Viper probe droid , connected to the " Executor " via a cybernetic link , transmitted a distress signal and waited for Rebels to come across it , hoping to attempt a " rescue . " Sure enough , the probe did detect a Rebel presence , but it was only a pair of droids . Piett , disappointed at the news , informed Vader , but the Dark Lord was confident that more entities would be lured to the scene . Eventually , Luke Skywalker and Han Solo reached the planet , prompting Vader to activate the cybernetic link . Using the Force , Vader attempted to extract the location of the Rebel base from Skywalker , but failed . In 3 ABY , Death Squadron resumed its search for the Rebel base . Finally , a Viper probe droid reported that it had found a possible candidate in the Hoth system . Knowing that Admiral Ozzel would dismiss the finding , Piett waited until Lord Vader was on the bridge of the " Executor " before alerting his superior . Ozzel predictably passed the discovery off as a hidden smuggler base or something similar , but Vader was convinced that it was the Alliance base and the location of Skywalker . Acting on the captain ' s advice , Vader ordered the " Executor " to the Hoth system . The admiral had been made to look a fool , souring him in Vader ' s eyes just as Piett had planned . At the same time , the Axxilan had made himself appear sharp and calculating , gaining him a small degree of favor . Admiralty . Ozzel brought the fleet out of hyperspace close to the Hoth system in hopes of surprising the Rebels before they could organize their defenses . However , it alerted the Alliance to Death Squadron ' s presence . The commanders of Echo Base raised their energy shield , preventing the planned bombardment of the base by the Imperial fleet . Vader was outraged that Ozzel ' s tactical blunder forced him to take the base via a potentially costly ground operation . He promptly contacted Ozzel and Piett and choked Ozzel to death with the Force . As Piett watched , Vader ordered him to prepare a ground assault and use the fleet to blockade Hoth . To Piett ' s surprise , Vader also gave him a field promotion to high admiral before Ozzel ' s body had even hit the floor . Piett ' s first act as high admiral was to have his predecessor ' s corpse disposed of . With Captain Venka now in command of the " Executor " , junior officers formed betting pools on Piett ' s life expectancy , since Vader ' s admirals tended not to last very long in the role . Nevertheless , Piett dedicated himself to his task . General Maximilian Veers and Blizzard Force were able to overcome the Rebel defenders during the Battle of Hoth , but many enemy craft made it through the blockade . After landing on the planet , Piett briefly toured the remains of Echo Base before informing Vader that seventeen Rebel ships had been destroyed while trying to flee . Vader cared little , since his primary target was the " Millennium Falcon " . With that ship and its crew of Han Solo , Leia Organa , C - 3PO , and Chewbacca as bait , Vader was confident he could lure Luke Skywalker into a trap . As such , Vader ' s only concern was for the " Millennium Falcon " , and he cared little for the outcome of the battle itself . The " Executor " set off after the " Millennium Falcon " , pursuing it away from Hoth , but the Alliance craft sought refuge in the system ' s asteroid field . Piett was concerned that the field ' s debris would cause significant damage to Death Squadron ' s cruisers , but Vader was undeterred . Making his report , Piett became one of the few people to ever see the Dark Lord ' s head unmasked . TIE / sa bombers were dispatched to try and force Captain Solo out , while the rest of the fleet swept the system , but their efforts were to no avail . The new high admiral was given little time to relax , however , as he received a transmission from Emperor Palpatine himself . The Emperor demanded to speak to Vader , and as Piett informed Vader , he was ordered to move the " Executor " out of the asteroid field , in the hopes of sending a clear transmission . To Piett ' s distaste , Vader summoned a group of bounty hunters to the " Executor " in order to make use of their services in locating the " Millennium Falcon " . The admiral was particularly disturbed by the presence of the ruthless and infamous Boba Fett . Piett was confident that Death Squadron could and would find the craft , and his faith seemed to be well invested when a report from the " Imperial II " Star Destroyer " Avenger " claimed that they were in pursuit of the " Millennium Falcon " . Pleased , he alerted Lord Vader , only to learn shortly afterwards that the ship had disappeared after what appeared to be a suicidal attack on the " Avenger " . Terminating the " Avenger " captain , Lorth Needa , Vader ordered Piett to disperse the fleet along several trajectories in the search for the " Millennium Falcon " . The Dark Lord was not pleased , and made no hesitation in conveying his mood to the fearful Piett , who was sharply reminded of his predecessor ' s fate . Following the dispersal of Death Squadron , Vader received a transmission from Fett , who had located Solo and the " Millennium Falcon " on Bespin ' s Cloud City . Vader subsequently ordered Piett to take the " Executor " there with all due haste . Upon reaching the floating city , Piett sent a team down to sabotage the " Millennium Falcon " hyperdrive unit , preventing the Rebels ' escape if they were to find their way out of Vader ' s trap . Meanwhile , Vader ' s men captured Solo , Organa , Chewbacca , and C - 3PO . Vader eventually returned from the city empty - handed , despite the fact that Skywalker had taken the bait . Eventually , the " Millennium Falcon " made its way away from Cloud City , with the " Executor " trailing close behind . At Vader ' s behest , he ordered Lieutenant Cecius to ready the boarding party , before ordering the activation of the Star Destroyer ' s tractor beam . To Piett ' s surprise and fear , the " Millennium Falcon " successfully made the jump to lightspeed . The high admiral ' s error would have been fatal at any other time , but Vader was too conflicted since Skywalker , his son , had refused to join him . Following the Bespin debacle , Piett filed a report on Vader ' s actions , which was eventually read by the Emperor himself . Around this time , Piett sent a group of Imperial agents to the planet Almas in the Cularin system , to investigate reports of Alliance activity there . The Battle of Mygeeto . Piett became a legend within the Navy for his survival after Bespin . Though he became known as an admiral so valuable that even Vader would not execute him , Piett sensed that he had been saved more due to something at work within Vader ' s mind than his own accomplishments . He was notably transferred from Vader ' s flagship several times , though he always found his way back to the " Executor " . Sometime after the development of the TIE / D Defender , a Rebel base was discovered on Mygeeto . Vader took the " Executor " there , leaving Piett in charge of starfighter command . The admiral first sent out a squadron of fighters to determine the Rebel presence in the area , before learning that the Alliance was sending their own scout ships to investigate the " Executor " position . Piett personally briefed one pilot in particular , updating him on the status of the campaign . He sent the pilot and his wingmates after the Rebel scout ships , which were located in Zuborte Ma , the Mygeeto asteroid field . Though the scout ships were destroyed , the Rebels sent a fleet to attack the " Executor " , hoping to preemptively stave off a possible attack on the Mygeeto base . Piett scrambled fighters to defend , with his craft decimating the force of GR - 75 medium transports , CR90 corvettes , and EF76 Nebulon - B escort frigates . The individual pilot he had been briefing distinguished himself , leading the admiral to recommend the ace to Vader . The Dark Lord eventually led the attack on the base , routing the Alliance and claiming the planet in the name of the Empire . When Vader returned to Imperial Center with the " Executor " , Admiral Ledre Okins was given temporary command on the recommendation of Emperor Palpatine . Piett was briefly transferred back to the " Accuser " , from which he carried out the work of Vader ' s Death Squadron . At some stage , Piett culled himself a personal adviser from the pilot corps : TIE Fighter ace Chiraneau . Months after the Bespin incident , Piett was ordered to take an unpredictable route from system to system , in hope of finding the Alliance Fleet . Since the chance of success for that tactic was very low , the admiral suspected that Palpatine had something else in mind . Death at the Battle of Endor . Several months later , once again on the " Executor " , Piett was given command of the substantial Imperial fleet amassed at Endor to trap the Alliance and defend the Death Star II , after ferrying Vader to the incomplete battlestation to oversee the final phases of construction . Piett ' s nephew , former Rebel Sarkli , was also present to serve alongside the garrison on the forest moon . Operations and preparations at Endor , overseen in part by the " Executor " , went smoothly until the shuttle " Tydirium " attempted to land on the forest moon . The ship was transmitting an older , though still legitimate , Imperial code , sowing seeds of suspicion in Piett ' s mind . Vader soon took notice of the issue and ordered Piett to allow the shuttle to land , assuring his admiral that he would personally deal with the occupants . The shuttle was eventually revealed to have been carrying an Alliance strike team , who had the intent of destroying the Death Star ' s shield generator on the forest moon . The shield generator was the battlestation ' s main line of defense , and its eradication would leave the Death Star vulnerable to attack . Palpatine , acting through Vader , sent the fleet to the far side of Endor , in order to hide it from the enemy fleet when they arrived . Shortly afterwards , the Alliance Fleet entered the Endor system , prompting Piett ' s armada to come out of hiding . Pitted against the renowned Mon Calamari Admiral Gial Ackbar , Piett ' s forces blocked the Alliance ' s escape vector , while his fighters were dispatched to engage their Alliance counterparts . Piett was given direct orders from Palpatine to not directly attack and engage the Alliance craft , and so his fleet began to suffer from enemy General Lando Calrissian ' s tactic of having the Alliance capital ships engage the Star Destroyers at point - blank range . Due to this , Piett ' s performance as a commander and a tactician was greatly hindered , and the Death Star could no longer use its superlaser against the enemy craft , since they were now nestled up against the Imperial cruisers . When the Death Star ' s shield finally fell , many of the Alliance starfighters swept into the battlestation ' s superstructure , with a swarm of Imperial craft in pursuit . Ackbar ordered a concentrated assault on the " Executor " and the Star Dreadnought lost its bridge deflector shield when two fighters destroyed the portside generator . Concerned , Piett ordered his crewmen to amplify the " Executor " defensive fire , but it was too little , too late . As Piett relayed this order , an RZ - 1 A - wing interceptor piloted by Arvel Crynyd was struck by turbolaser fire and spun out of control . Crynyd managed to regain what little control he had and went straight for the bridge . Gherant saw it coming and screamed that it was too late . Piett whipped around , saw the incoming fighter and reflexively dived for cover as the A - Wing slammed into the " Executor " bridge . The craft promptly exploded and obliterated the bridge , destroying it and killing Piett , Gherant , and the entire bridge crew . The foundering vessel , trapped in the Death Star ' s gravity well , plummeted into the battlestation in a gargantuan fireball . The Battle of Endor was eventually lost by the Empire , with Palpatine dying his first death at the hands of the redeemed Anakin Skywalker , who also perished . Personality and traits . Firmus Piett , in his admiralty , garnered himself a set of detractors who claimed that he only achieved the rank because Darth Vader had such a low tolerance for failure . This was not exactly true : Vader chose to crew his ships with the Empire ' s finest officers , regardless of their politics and background . Apart from Thrawn , Vader chose not to utilize Palpatine ' s Grand Admirals , since Piett displayed talent that rivaled them anyway . He was , however , hindered in moments of great restraint , as displayed at the Battle of Endor . Unable to attack due to the Emperor ' s orders , Piett ' s fleet was eventually decimated by the Alliance craft . Piett had a reputation for great integrity , ending the endemic corruption that had plagued the Axxila antipirate fleet early in his career and making a record number of arrests of pirates and smugglers . Under his command , the antipirate fleet turned the Ciutric Hegemony into one of the safest sectors in the Outer Rim . He was also intolerant of those who did not meet his high standards , especially Admiral Kendal Ozzel , whom he saw as dangerously mercurial and incompetent , and hated the Empire ' s reliance on bounty hunters . Like many Imperial Loyalists , he regarded the Rebel Alliance as being little more than next - generation Separatists , little better than those that had forced his family to flee Axxila before the Clone Wars . He was not above personal ambition , however , and cultivated contacts throughout the Imperial Navy to overcome his Outer Rim birth , recommended the replacement of Xamuel Lennox as commander in the Pakuuni sector in favor of himself in the aftermath of the Battle of Turkana , and schemed to supplant Admiral Ozzel as the commander of Death Squadron . Despite what looked like a flawless service record , Piett did make a number of mistakes and blunders throughout his career . What set him apart from his colleagues and allowed him to climb the chain of command was his ability to divert blame onto others . Piett was also a far more creative individual than some of his more by - the - book colleagues , and was adept at both political maneuvering and appeasing his superiors . In addition to his political and military skills , Piett could understand Huttese and speak Basic . When Piett reached the rank of admiral , he realized that it was not quite the best of positions after all , as his mistakes would have more severe consequences . However , his knack for avoiding Vader ' s anger enabled him to keep the post longer than he otherwise might have . He allowed himself a degree of confidence , and had faith in the Navy ' s ability to complete its task . To that end , he was derisive of third parties such as bounty hunters and mercenaries , believing that the Navy could do any job just as well . Behind the scenes . Admiral Piett first appeared in the of , one month before the release of the film on which it was based . In the film , the character was portrayed by Kenneth Colley . Piett was not originally going to appear in " Return of the Jedi " , but fan mail supporting the return of the character convinced George Lucas to rehire Colley and write several new lines of dialogue for him . In playing the role , Colley chose not to play a single attitude , but instead attempted to evoke the humanity of Piett ' s character , something that the actor ultimately believed made audiences react so strongly . In the rough draft for " Return of the Jedi " , penned by Lawrence Kasdan , there are several differences regarding Piett ' s role in the film , in comparison to the shooting script . Instead of being stationed over Endor , the Imperial fleet is instead positioned over Had Abbadon . " Grand Moff " Jerjerrod arrives aboard Vader ' s command ship , and waits for Vader inside the Dark Lord ' s communications chamber . When Vader demands to know where Jerjerrod is , Piett directs him towards the chamber , where all surveillance devices have been disabled . Later , the Rebels are able to blow up a communications dish on Had Abbadon , and as alarms wail on the command ship , Piett informs Vader that all communications have been disabled . He also tells Vader that a large Rebel force is incoming . Vader directs Piett to take the fleet and defend the Death Stars under construction over the Green Moon . Vader also instructs Piett to send more troops down to the moon to reinforce the beleaguered General Veers , while the Dark Lord plans to take Luke Skywalker to see Emperor Palpatine . Piett ' s death remained largely the same for the finished film . For " " , Piett was voiced by Rupert Degas . Over time , the character has become a favorite amongst fans , due to his unusual longevity . In 2002 , Piett was given the first name " Firmus " in Daniel Wallace ' s " The New Essential Guide to Characters " . Wallace derived the name from the word meaning " strong " or " reliable . " In " Scoundrel ' s Luck " , a non - canon story path has Han Solo accuse Piett of asking for a bribe during his inspection of the " Millennium Falcon " . The accusation forces Piett to leave Solo be , as opposed to his arrest of Solo in the canon storyline . According to " The Essential Guide to Warfare " , Piett was born in 39 BBY , and " " states that he became a lieutenant around 1 BBY . However , the " New Essential Guide to Characters " also claims that Piett was 26 years old when he became a lieutenant , meaning that he would have received his promotion around 13 BBY instead of 1 BBY .