Within the Galactic Empire's Imperial Navy, Balanhai Savit held the rank of Grand Admiral, one of only twelve individuals to do so. He was a male human. Hailing from a well-known musical family on Coruscant, Savit benefited from his family's extensive political connections and his own artistic abilities, which aided his rise through the ranks. By 1 BBY, Savit commanded the Third Fleet of the navy, operating from his flagship, the Star Destroyer named Firedrake.
Secretly, Savit opposed both Project Stardust and the Death Star battle station. He took covert actions aimed at impeding its construction. After Grand Admiral Thrawn uncovered Savit's treachery, a skirmish erupted between Thrawn's flagship Chimaera and elements of the Third Fleet. Savit was ultimately defeated, taken into custody, and ultimately met his end through execution.
Balanhai Savit, a male [human](/article/human], came from a family celebrated for their music on Coruscant. Their cultural significance ensured considerable political awareness of Savit. Savit was himself a talented composer, conductor, and performer. During the Republic Era, he showcased his piece To the Stars at a cultural gala hosted by his mother, later expanding it into a full opera. His performances garnered attention from notable figures like Governor Grazlos and Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, leading some to attribute his naval commission to his connections within the Coruscanti elite. However, he grew weary of the political machinations he saw as inherent to the Galactic Republic.
Sometime before 13 BBY, he created the grand Imperial Fanfare, which became widely used within the Imperial Navy.
Following the transition of the Republic into the Galactic Empire, Savit joined the Imperial Navy and eventually achieved the prestigious rank of Grand Admiral, assuming command of the Third Fleet. He used the Star Destroyer Firedrake as his flag, with Captain Boulag as his direct subordinate.
Savit eventually learned of Project Stardust, an Imperial project involving the construction of a massive superweapon capable of destroying entire planets. He even discovered the secret name of the battle station: the Death Star. Savit believed the Death Star project was a wasteful allocation of resources that could better serve the Imperial Navy, and he foresaw its vulnerability to attack. He was not alone in these concerns among the few Imperials aware of the project; Generals Jylia Shale and Cassio Tagge also openly opposed "Tarkin's folly," though Shale's career suffered as a result. Savit kept his concerns private, but his disapproval grew into a desire to prevent the Empire from wasting its resources.
Savit developed a plan to collaborate with pirates in the Esaga sector. He arranged for Imperial contractors to steal turbolaser components and other supplies destined for the Stardust project. Using staged gralloc attacks on their freighters as cover, Savit's pirates would simulate hyperdrive failures and vanish from their transfer point in the Kurost sector. The Empire would assume these disappearances were accidental, while the freighters would secretly meet in nearby star systems to unload the stolen goods. Simultaneously, Savit's Third Fleet would conduct anti-piracy operations in the Esaga, providing a facade for Savit's dealings and eliminating rival pirates. To further conceal his involvement, Savit communicated with the pirates using the G77 encryption, a code accessible only to the twelve Grand Admirals. By 1 BBY, Savit's thefts had significantly hampered the progress of Stardust.
The delays to Stardust led Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin to request a meeting with Emperor Palpatine and other high-ranking officials on Coruscant. To Savit's dismay, the Emperor unexpectedly moved the meeting to the Firedrake. Savit's flagship was located in the Sev Tok system, which was considered a more convenient location, especially for Grand Admiral Thrawn, who was busy with the Lothal campaign in the Outer Rim Territories. However, both Savit and Thrawn suspected political motivations behind the change.
Although Savit knew of Thrawn's accomplishments, this was their first encounter. Along with Savit, Thrawn, and Tarkin, the meeting included Orson Callan Krennic, the director of the Death Star project, to address Krennic's Project Stardust, and the Emperor, who attended via hologram. The meeting focused on the supply-chain issues plaguing Stardust, which Savit had secretly orchestrated. While Thrawn suggested Savit was better suited to handle the problem given his familiarity with Governor Haveland's gralloc issues, Tarkin argued that Savit had other priorities and recommended Thrawn take charge of the logistics. A challenge was proposed: if Thrawn could resolve the gralloc problem within a standard week, his TIE Defender program would receive funding previously allocated to Stardust.
After the meeting, Savit escorted Thrawn back to his shuttle. He mused on the alien Grand Admiral's imposing presence but also his political naiveté, evident in his lack of awareness of the conflict between Krennic and Tarkin. Savit feigned assistance to Thrawn by providing information about the grallocs, secretly hoping that the Chiss's investigation would divert attention from his own operations without actually solving the problem.
Savit's betrayal was revealed during the skirmish against the Third Fleet. During the conflict, Thrawn offered Savit a chance at redemption by assisting them against another threat, but Savit declined. ISB Major Dayja Collerand boarded the bridge and placed Savit under arrest. He was later executed for his treasonous actions.
Being a member of a prominent musical family on Coruscant, Savit was acutely aware of his family's standing and conveyed this in his interactions, viewing any veiled threats against them as unacceptable. As a musician, he possessed skill as a composer, conductor, and performer, dedicating himself to his art in a manner reflective of his leadership style in the Imperial Navy.
Despite Savit's expressed contempt for the political infighting within the Empire (which he dismissed as "ridiculous nonsense" akin to the Old Republic), he also fancied himself skilled at manipulating the political landscape, as demonstrated in his dealings with Krennic and Tarkin. He took pride in his rank as a Grand Admiral and considered himself superior to civilian officials like Governor Haveland. He generally extended professional respect to other high-ranking military officers, though his regard for Thrawn was influenced by humanocentrism. Savit was known as a highly competent and efficient officer, although Tarkin believed he lacked Thrawn's tactical acumen and problem-solving skills.
Savit's personal criticisms of the Death Star's construction stemmed from his conviction in the supremacy of the Imperial Navy, favoring the expansion and enhancement of the fleet through initiatives like Thrawn's TIE Defender program. This conviction ultimately led him to betray the Empire, working against the battlestation's construction, and ultimately to his downfall. Nonetheless, he believed that someone would eventually discover a way to destroy it.
Balanhai Savit is a character in the 2019 novel Thrawn: Treason, authored by Timothy Zahn.