Satrap Isstra Dirus, a male governor on the planet Akiva, existed during the final years of the Galactic Civil War. His reputation was built upon his extreme corruption, coupled with his slavish devotion to the Galactic Empire. Isstra's residence was a sprawling palace located in Myrra, Akiva's capital city. As Admiral Rae Sloane prepared to depart Akiva, Isstra desperately begged her to save him from the wrath of an angry mob. Sloane, however, dismissed his pleas with a physical blow. After killing two of Isstra's personal guards, she declared that he was no longer valuable to the Empire.
During the Age of the Empire, Isstra Dirus functioned as the Satrap of the Akivan city of Myrra. He actively supported the Galactic Empire, diligently enforcing their laws and collecting taxes on Akiva. This collaboration resulted in significant financial contributions from Imperial corporations directly into his personal wealth. Akiva, under his governance, gained notoriety as a planet within the Outer Rim Territories suitable for hiding illicit funds and acquiring illegal goods, including slaves. Isstra resided in a lavish opulent palace in Myyrra, protected by guards distinguished by elaborate red plumes on their helmets and wielding long vibro-pikes.
In the months following the Battle of Endor, Satrap Dirus played host to an Imperial emergency summit on Akiva, attended by key figures such as Admiral Rae Sloane, Grand Moff Valco Pandion, Imperial Adviser Yupe Tashu, General [Jylia Shale](/article/jylia_shale], and the Imperial financier Arsin Crassus. Dirus personally welcomed his guests as their shuttles landed on an elevated platform above his palace. Following their arrival, Satrap Dirus offered a buffet dinner as refreshment. Admiral Sloane had convened an Imperial Future Council to strategize about the Empire's future, considering the military gains of the New Republic, which succeeded the Rebel Alliance.
When Norra Wexley, a starfighter pilot from the New Republic, and her team initiated a widespread revolt in Myrra by broadcasting New Republic propaganda emphasizing the Imperial summit, Satrap Dirus obeyed Admiral Sloane's command to expose the Avenue of the Satrapy by opening the curtains. Dirus instructed two of his female servants to perform this task. Subsequently, Isstra and his Imperial associates observed a massive crowd of citizens advancing towards the palace. Consequently, Sloane directed the Imperial delegates to evacuate Myrra immediately.
Later on, Admiral Sloane downed a TIE fighter that had been commandeered by Norra. Norra ejected from the crippled fighter, which then crashed into the side of the Satrap's Palace. As Admiral Sloane and her group finalized their departure plans aboard Crassus' luxurious yacht, the Golden Harp, Isstra desperately pleaded with Sloane to take him with her to escape the mob's potential cruelty. However, Sloane, after thanking him for his service, signaled two of her stormtroopers to drag him back to the entrance. When two of Isstra's guards attempted to intervene, the stormtroopers swiftly eliminated them. Dirus remained behind, weeping beside the dead bodies of his guards.
Following the rebellion on Akiva, the remaining satraps of Akiva came to the realization that the Empire had abandoned them. Facing an uprising from the Akivan population, they ceded some of their authority to the New Republic.
Isstra Dirus was a handsome, tall man distinguished by wrinkles on his face. Both the people of Myrra and the Galactic Empire viewed him as a despicable sycophant, necessary for maintaining the Imperial presence on Akiva. He was fundamentally selfish and greedy, showing little concern for his subjects and focusing primarily on enriching himself. Isstra's home was an opulent palace in Myrra, the capital of Akiva. Isstra, fearful of his own people, begged his Imperial benefactors to take him with them. However, Admiral Sloane refused his request, believing that he was no longer useful to the Empire.
Isstra Dirus made his debut as a minor villain in Chuck Wendig's 2015 novel, Aftermath.