Berisse Sai, a female human, held the rank of officer within the Imperial Navy during the era of the Galactic Civil War. Post-graduation from the Imperial Academy located on Lothal, she formed a bond with Ciena Ree, another officer. Sai's service included time with the Death Squadron aboard the Devastator, an _Imperial_-class Star Destroyer, and later on the Executor, an _Executor_-class Star Dreadnought. Her life ended during the Battle of Endor when the Executor was destroyed, resulting in her death.
Born in 20 BBY, Berisse Sai completed her studies at the Imperial Academy on Lothal just a year prior to the Battle of Yavin. While serving as a Lieutenant aboard the Imperial-class Star Destroyer, Sai became friends with Lieutenant Ciena Ree, a Jelucani graduate of the Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant, promising to show her around the Star Destroyer. After hearing about the destruction of Alderaan, she expressed sympathy to Nash Windrider, an Alderaanian Imperial officer, noting that his entire planet had become traitors.
Following the Death Star's annihilation, Sai and Ree received orders to pilot a Gozanti-class freighter to the Yavin system, meet with Darth Vader, and transport him back to the Devastator. Their commander instructed them to maintain secrecy about their mission and to only break radio silence if Lord Vader commanded it. During the hyperspace voyage, Berisse questioned Ciena whether they were expected to fly to the completely silent Death Star without questioning it.
Ciena replied that it would become clearer upon arrival. Sai then introduced herself as Berisse, and Ciena reciprocated. Upon exiting hyperspace, they discovered the shattered remnants of the Death Star, destroyed by Luke Skywalker, a Rebel Alliance starfighter pilot. After intercepting a signal from Darth Vader's TIE Advanced x1, Berisse assisted Ciena in connecting the docking tube to the top of Vader's TIE fighter.
Upon boarding the freighter, Vader instructed Ciena and Berisse to remain in the hold for the rest of the journey. He then assumed control of the freighter for their return to the Devastator. During the return trip, Berisse apologized, commenting that Vader could be a bit intimidating at first. When Berisse mentioned being frightened by his respirator, Ciena cautioned that he might be listening to them. Berisse remained silent for the remainder of the trip.
Some days later, while Berisse was resting in her bunk, Ciena brought up Windrider's distressed state. Berisse believed that Ciena was preoccupied with Nash as a distraction from her feelings for Thane Kyrell, a fellow Jelucani officer. Ciena denied having any romantic feelings for Thane. Berisse countered that she had noticed Ciena's attraction to Thane during her free hours. When Ciena returned to the topic of Nash, Berisse replied that he was working extra shifts to keep himself occupied. Berisse supported Ciena's idea to invite Thane to play grav-ball.
Two years after the Battle of Yavin, Berisse, along with Nash and Ciena, were reassigned to Vader's flagship, the Super Star Destroyer Executor. Berisse's birthday occurred shortly before the Battle of Hoth.
Following the escape from Cloud City, Berisse, Ciena, and Nash convened. When Ciena inquired about why people would join the Rebellion, Berisse dismissed them as outcasts and robbers who resented conventional society. When Berisse and Nash questioned her motives for raising the issue, Ciena confessed that she was still affected by Thane's supposed suicide. Berisse and Nash were unaware that Thane had joined the Rebel Alliance. When Nash expressed disbelief that Thane would commit suicide, Berisse explained that they were all affected by the destruction of the Death Star.
After Nash pressed Ciena for more details about Thane, Berisse suggested that something had occurred on his homeworld of Jelucan. Nash pointed out that Thane had been physically abused by his father Oris Kyrell, mentioning that he had seen scars on his back. Berisse then left, allowing Ciena and Nash to spend time together.
Leading up to the Battle of Endor, the Executor was deployed to the Hudalla system. During this time, Berisse observed that Ciena had been in a bad mood for the past three weeks. Ciena was upset that her mother, Paron Ree, had been falsely accused and imprisoned for embezzlement. Despite their close friendship, Ciena did not confide in Berisse because of her friend's unwavering loyalty to the Empire. While waiting, Berisse assisted Ciena during a flamethrower training exercise by controlling the holographic visuals. Shortly thereafter, the Executor exited hyperspace in the Hudalla system and encountered a large Imperial fleet. Both Berisse and Ciena were surprised. The Imperial fleet had been sent to lure rebel starfighters into an ambush, resulting in a dogfight.
Following the dogfight, Berisse and her comrades were sent to the Endor system, which housed the second Death Star. Berisse, Ciena, and Nash were among the hundreds of Imperial personnel invited to greet Emperor Palpatine. Before the Emperor's arrival, Berisse expressed excitement but worried that their view would be obstructed by the large crowd. While traveling to the hangar in a turbolift, Ciena voiced her shock that the Empire had constructed another Death Star. In contrast, Berisse viewed the existence of the second Death Star as a positive development and marveled at how long it had taken to build. When Ciena expressed skepticism, Berisse retorted that they had to rebuild the Death Star to honor the memory of Imperials who had died during the Battle of Yavin. She commented that the existence of the second Death Star would end resistance to the Emperor's rule and cause the Rebellion to dissolve. Nash supported Berisse's arguments and reassured Ciena that rebuilding the Death Star would send a clear message to the rebels that their luck had run out and that the Empire was the only galactic authority. While Nash was speaking to Ciena, Berisse reminded her comrades to move into position to await the arrival of the Emperor's shuttle.
During the Battle of Endor, Berisse died when the Executor collided with the second Death Star and exploded. The battle also resulted in the deaths of the Emperor and Darth Vader, shifting the momentum of the Galactic Civil War against the Empire. Berisse's comrades, Ciena Ree and Nash Windrider, survived the battle and participated in the Battle of Jakku, the Empire's final stand against the New Republic, the successor government established by the Rebel Alliance.
Berisse Sai was a woman of human descent from Lothal, characterized by her tan complexion and sturdy build. She possessed dark, lustrous hair meticulously styled in tight braids. Berisse cultivated friendships with her fellow Imperial Navy officers, Ciena Ree and Nash Windrider. She enjoyed spending time with them, frequently suggesting gatherings at the local cantina. She was aware of Ciena's affections for Thane. Berisse was known for her penchant for telling jokes, some of which were unsuitable for Ciena's parents. Nevertheless, Ciena felt at ease confiding in her, recognizing her as helpful, empathetic, matter-of-fact, and practical. Berisse's relationship with Ciena became strained after Ciena's mother, Verine Ree, was falsely accused of embezzlement. Berisse grew uneasy with Ciena's sour moods. Ciena found herself unable to confide in Berisse, fearing that Berisse would question her loyalty to the Empire.
Berisse was deeply committed to the Empire and regarded the rebels as outcasts and robbers who could not integrate into mainstream society. She later attempted to justify the existence of the second Death Star by asserting that it would quell resistance to the Empire and that its construction would honor the memory of fallen Imperials who had perished during the destruction of the first Death Star. Despite their differences, Ciena was deeply saddened by the loss of her friend Berisse.
Berisse Sai made her debut in Lost Stars, a young adult novel authored by Claudia Gray as part of the Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens series.