Lasre Dardano was the political rival of Admiral Corlen. Dardano was responsible for the construction of Whisper Base, a secret Imperial listening post on Onderon. Fearing a coup from Corlen, the chief military officer within his sphere of operations, Dardano viewed the base's construction as a matter of internal security. Dardano intended to use the facility's Signal Intelligence (SigInt) array to spy on Corlen and his agents. Others in the Galactic Empire were unaware of the base's existence.
Dardano was responsible for the construction of Whisper Base
Dardano perceived Jyrenne Base—a more significant Imperial facility located nearby and operated by Corlen—as an asset for its frequent traffic, which concealed the presence of Whisper Base, and as a source of intelligence on Corlen. Verala Mishar served as an agent of Dardano's, making regular visits to resupply Whisper Base, while other agents made reports to Dardano from the base's SigInt array. Dardano maintained at least one spy within Admiral Corlen's ranks. The Moff kept a shuttle on-base, though it was not registered as a local craft.
Data from Whisper Base's SigInt array led Dardano to believe Corlen was hiding a major secret. Shortly thereafter, Whisper Base was compromised by Rebel agents. Dardano—determined to keep both the installation's presence and capture a secret—prepared for a counter-attack. Dardano sought to retake the base personally out of fear of Admiral Corlen's spies. To that end, the Moff hired elite mercenaries with a history of discretion to bolster his forces.
Dardano deployed a shuttle of scouts to the jungle
Dardano sent a number of loyal, handpicked scouts to investigate the base's defenses and ultimately inform what forces the Moff would later bring to bear. Their extraction point, a clearing in the jungle, allowed for a Lambda-class shuttle to land while arriving and departing with the appropriate forces. Dardano was unable to obtain a shuttle for the duration of his scouts' mission, leading to a narrow window for extraction.
Corlen ultimately learned of Whisper Base, its capture, and Dardano's counter-attack, warning the Rebels that had taken the base of Dardano's intentions.
Dardano maintained a number of handpicked scouts
Lasre Dardano had an ongoing rivalry with Admiral Corlen and was fearful that the other man may incite a coup. Dardano accordingly had Whisper Base constructed as a matter of security, using the listening post to spy on Corlen and his operatives.
Dardano was clever, cunning, and arrogant. The latter trait lead the Moff to underestimate the Rebel operatives who hijacked Whisper Base. This hubris also led him to assume the Armored Fist was effectively invulnerable to any infantry weaponry, leading him to order a retrofit of its armament with anti-air weaponry. Dardano also relied exclusively on those trusted, maintaining handpicked scouts and bodyguards as well as hiring mercenaries with a track record of discretion. Similarly, he kept the existence of Whisper Base a need-to-know secret among his fellow Imperials, fighting to maintain its secrecy even after its capture by launching a counterattack.
Dardano brought a TIE bomber with a modified proton bomb to Whisper Base.
Moff Dardano carried a disruptor pistol and a vibroknife. He kept an unregistered shuttle located at Whisper Base. Dardano did not anticipate a need for interrogation tools at Whisper Base.
Dardano owned the Armored Fist, a decommissioned, mildly-damaged All-Terrain Armored Transport. He also brought a modified TIE/sa bomber for his assault on Whisper Base as a method of destroying the outpost should his forces prove incapable of capturing it.