Tem Eliss Professor Tem Eliss was an Iyra sentientologist who worked in the University of Sanbra ' s Sentient Studies Department . His book , " The University of Sanbra Guide to Intelligent Life " , was considered too pro - alien for COMPNOR , and made him a fugitive from the Galactic Empire . It was rumored that he went on to join a Rebel Alliance cell . Biography . Early career . Tem Eliss a male Iyra who was a native of his species ' homeworld of F ' tral , although he was raised among the stars rather than in the oceans and was not immersed in Iyra culture . Largely as a result of his upbringing , Eliss was unlike most of his kind ; he spent decades studying sentient species and their cultures , becoming a noted scholar and one of the most respected and well - known sentientologist s in the galaxy . Eliss eventually became the head of the Sentient Studies Department of the University of Sanbra . Known as a demanding but fair teacher , Eliss was one of the most popular instructors within his department and had an office on the university ' s campus . At one point , Eliss , then a professor , was operating out of the Cultural Studies department of the Advora Learning Center on Riflor when the city was struck by one of the planet ' s frequent earthquakes . Eliss , who had only been on Riflor for a few weeks , was en route from the other side of the planet at the time of the earthquake ; his shuttle was commandeered to search for survivors , and the academic found himself participating in the relief effort , serving as an emergency medic . In the process , Eliss gained many insights into the culture and personalities of the Advozsec . Fugitive from the Empire . Eliss became infamous for his disregard of the protocols of the Galactic Empire , and he landed in trouble for anti - Imperial rhetoric on more than one occasion . This came to a boiling point when , upon the request of the faculty , Eliss was preparing " The University of Sanbra Guide to Intelligent Life " , which he intended as an aid to travelers , merchants , and others who frequently came into contact with new cultures and species . Eliss believed that achieving his goal for the document required him to honestly state facts without regard for their political implications ; the " Guide " deviated significantly from the doctrines of the Galactic Empire and included findings that criticized Imperial policies regarding sentient rights . COMPNOR loyalists on Professor Eliss ' staff notified COMPNOR Sanbra sector monitor Bront Autin of the impending publication of the guide and its failure to adhere to Imperial doctrine , and Autin recommended detaining and questioning Eliss to COMPNOR Executive Director Kem Tija . Eliss ultimately made his " Guide " available on public channels before fleeing the university to avoid imprisonment for releasing data deemed inappropriate by the Empire , taking all of his research material with him . As Eliss fled Sanbra , Professor Mankuskett and a changeling in the guise of a Nikto accompanied him away from the campus to the quiet landing pads south of the Shoapy Hostel , where a squad of COMPNOR officers blocked the roadway . By impersonating a Human Imperial officer , the changeling was able to move Eliss and Mankuskett through the roadblock and to their ship . COMPNOR officials detained several students for questioning in an apparent attempt to determine whether Eliss harbored any sympathies toward the Rebel Alliance , although all were released within hours . Thirty - seven Sanbra hours after his escape , the fugitive Eliss arrived at a Priapulin colony on Krinemonen III , a small outpost in the Mon Calamari Shipyards . Eliss slowly disseminated " The University of Sanbra Guide to Intelligent Life " through the HoloNet from his hidden place of exile on Krinemonen III , and the " Guide " began appearing on student communication nets three weeks after his disappearance . Eliss ' publication of the first draft of the " Guide " shocked the academic community and attracted attention from fellow scholars , as well as from proponents of free speech . The renegade Eliss transmitted at least one entry of the " Guide " from a HoloNet node in Hutt Space , where he was believed to have studied all of the Hutt servant races to test his theories concerning Hutt genetic and cultural manipulation . It was also rumored that Eliss established contact with a Rebel Alliance cell and joined the group . Later life . Eliss was still alive after the signing of the peace accords between the Empire and the New Republic , and he revealed the details of his escape from Sanbra into temporary exile 25 years after said escape . By the time of the Yuuzhan Vong invasion , Eliss had returned to Sanbra , where he witnessed a Nosaurian aide ' s reaction to news that her homeworld had been devastated by the Vong . Personality and traits . Tem Eliss was a gifted scholar and an amiable being , unlike most Iyra ; the species possessed a reputation for being egotistical , condescending , and obnoxious . Many representatives of Iyra culture disliked Eliss for keeping company with members of other species .