Maarisa Zsinj, a Human female hailing from Chandrila, held the rank of admiral within the Republic Outland Regions Security Force and participated in the Clone Wars. Following the conclusion of the conflict, Zsinj maintained her allegiance to the newly formed Galactic Empire under the leadership of Palpatine, formerly the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. Ultimately, Zsinj turned against the Empire, which had marginalized her, commandeering the Star Destroyer Retaliation and embracing the life of a pirate. Her life came to an end at the hands of her own son and former apprentice, Zsinj, who sought to advance his position within the military hierarchy.
Born on Chandrila, a planet situated in the Core Worlds, Maarisa Zsinj was the daughter of Human parents during the height of the Galactic Republic. Sometime during her younger years, she married a mechanic from Fondor, and they had a son, Zsinj—who, adhering to his father's cultural traditions, did not have a first name. Maarisa Zsinj distinguished herself as an admiral within the Outland Regions Security Force of the Galactic Republic, earning the moniker "Ace of the Spacelanes" due to her exceptional abilities. She served as a mentor to her son, who served under her during the Clone Wars. When Palpatine, who was then the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, transformed the government into the Galactic Empire at the end of the war, Zsinj chose to remain loyal to him. Zsinj then took on the role of an Imperial admiral, commanding the Venator-class Star Destroyer Retaliation. However, as the Imperialization process intensified, female officers faced discrimination, leading to Maarisa Zsinj's gradual demotion to less important roles. As time went on, the Retaliation was scheduled for decommissioning, and her son offered to assume command. Appalled by her son's opportunism, Maarisa Zsinj refused to relinquish control of her ship. She made the decision to steal the Retaliation and begin attacking government vessels in an attempt to combat what she perceived as Imperial corruption. Consequently, the Empire branded Zsinj as a pirate. Because he was intimately familiar with her tactics, her own son was assigned the task of defeating her, with the incentive of receiving the Victory-class Star Destroyer Iron Fist, which was slated for retirement. Although initially hesitant to commit matricide, the younger Zsinj eventually suppressed his emotions and embarked on a relentless campaign that resulted in his mother's death. Maarisa Zsinj's Imperial service record was expunged, and her previous rank of admiral was erased from the records. Years later, as he faced his own impending demise in 8 ABY, audio recordings from one of the enemy ships picked up what his final word was: "Mama," echoing his very first.