Osvald Teshik

Osvald Teshik, a Human male, achieved the esteemed position of Grand Admiral within the Imperial Navy. Widely recognized for his strategic brilliance, he was among the initial twelve individuals handpicked by Emperor Palpatine for the rank of Grand Admiral, an event that occurred two years prior to the pivotal Battle of Yavin. As Grand Admiral, Teshik held dominion over the Imperial Center Oversector, a sprawling space region encompassing the galactic capital, Imperial Center, along with all fleets assigned to the extensive oversector.

In the year 0 ABY, Teshik received orders to retrieve Imperial Advisor Coh Veshiv, who had been taken captive by the Rebel privateer frigate known as the Far Orbit. His failure to both rescue Veshiv and subdue the renegade captain of the vessel resulted in Palpatine dispatching him to the Hapes Cluster with inadequate resources to engage the Hapan Royal Navy. Barely surviving the conflict, the Grand Admiral was left adrift in space until an Imperial snoopship recovered him. As a consequence of the injuries sustained during this battle, seventy-five percent of his body necessitated replacement with cybernetic parts. This transformation led to widespread rejection, as many viewed him as a feeble and repulsive cyborg.

Four years following the Andalia incident, Teshik was present on the second Death Star during the Rebel Alliance's attack on the battle station. As the battle's momentum shifted against the Empire, he narrowly escaped the Death Star before its destruction, continuing the fight from his flagship, the Star Destroyer Eleemosynary. For a duration of four hours after the remaining Imperial forces retreated into hyperspace, Teshik relentlessly battled the Rebels until concentrated ion cannon fire disabled his Star Destroyer. Captured by the Alliance, he was condemned to death for crimes against galactic citizens. Teshik responded to his captors with mocking mechanical laughter, warning them that their struggle was far from over.

Biography

Grand Admiral

Elements of Teshik's forces participate in a parade over Anaxes.

Osvald Teshik, a Human male, existed during the era of the Galactic Empire. While his family had deep roots in the Sirpar Hills of Anaxes, a planet, Teshik spent his childhood summers on Kallistas, gazing at the stars at night. Later in his years, he became an admiral in the Imperial Navy, earning a reputation as a skilled strategist. In 2 BBY, Emperor Palpatine promoted Teshik to the newly created rank of Grand Admiral. As one of the twelve Grand Admirals, he reported directly to the Emperor and led the Imperial Military. Palpatine considered Teshik a crucial and trustworthy Grand Admiral, entrusting him with the Imperial Center Oversector, which included the Empire's capital and its wealthiest worlds like Anaxes. This role gave him command of the fleets attached to the galaxy's most vital oversector, including the Azure Hammer Command, which featured the Whelm, an Executor-class Star Dreadnought, and fifty-seven other capital ships. Teshik took his responsibility for safeguarding the Core Worlds very seriously, but Azure Hammer Command and the Anaxes Citadel, the governmental center on Anaxes, only answered to him until the Battle of Yavin.

In 0 ABY, the privateer Nebulon-B frigate Far Orbit abducted Imperial Advisor Coh Veshiv from a space station above Esseles. Because Esseles was within Teshik's jurisdiction, Palpatine ordered him to retrieve Veshiv. The Emperor threatened Teshik with execution if he failed to eliminate the ship and its captain, Dhas Fenoep Vedij. When Teshik failed to rescue Veshiv and kill Vedij, Palpatine ordered him to attack the isolationist Hapes Consortium with insufficient resources as a warning to other Grand Admirals. Teshik was given command of the Shepherd, a Pursuit-class light cruiser, and a small fleet of eight gunships and two TIE fighter squadrons before being sent to Consortium space.

Upon reaching Hapes, Teshik was ordered to proceed to Andalia to attack the Hapan fleet. The Hapan Battle Dragons and Nova-class battle cruisers easily overwhelmed Teshik's forces. After the Shepherd was damaged, Teshik sealed himself in a vac suit and was ejected into space through a hull breach. After regaining consciousness, he had a vision of the galaxy's past and future. He was later rescued by an Imperial snoopship sent by the Emperor to observe his doomed mission. Teshik was severely injured, requiring seventy-five percent of his body to be replaced with cybernetic parts. Despite remaining a Grand Admiral, he faced abuse and discrimination due to his extensive cybernetics, leading him to suppress his emotions.

Battle of Endor and death

At Andalia, Teshik barely survived an encounter with the Hapan navy.

Four years later, Teshik, along with Grand Admirals Nial Declann, Miltin Takel, and Afsheen Makati, accompanied Emperor Palpatine to the second Death Star as it was being built above the Forest Moon of Endor. The Rebel Alliance, aware of Palpatine's presence, attacked the battle station, believing the Imperial fleet was scattered. However, this was a trap set by the Emperor. The Imperial fleet, under Admiral Firmus Piett on the Star Dreadnought Executor, engaged the Rebels. When the ambush failed and the Death Star was critically damaged, Teshik tried to escape but was trapped under a fallen column. Only one person, a construction worker, stopped to help him. This act of kindness moved Teshik, restoring his lost compassion.

After escaping, Teshik boarded his command ship, the Star Destroyer Eleemosynary. With the Emperor, Darth Vader, and Grand Admiral Declann dead, and Grand Admirals Takel and Makati fleeing, Teshik took command of the remaining Imperial forces and continued the fight against the Alliance Fleet. He fought the Rebels alone after the remaining Imperial fleet fled under Captain Gilad Pellaeon of the Star Destroyer Chimaera. After four hours of intense combat, ion cannon fire disabled Teshik's flagship. The Alliance captured Teshik, tried him for "inhuman atrocities committed against the citizens of the galaxy," convicted him, and sentenced him to death. Before his execution, Teshik laughed mechanically and recounted his experiences at Andalia, warning the Rebels that their fight with the Empire was far from over. Teshik was among the few Imperials executed for war crimes by the New Republic, the Alliance's successor.

Personality and traits

Osvald Teshik was known for his confidence and compassion, rare traits among high-ranking Imperial officials. He was dedicated to the Imperial cause, taking his command of Imperial Center Oversector seriously, and possessed a strong military mind. He could hold his own against superior forces, refusing to surrender even when facing overwhelming odds, as seen in his battles with the Hapan navy and the Alliance Fleet. In both cases, he suffered personal losses: he lost seventy-five percent of his body against the Hapan fleet, and he persevered against the Alliance Fleet despite the hopelessness of the situation. His Academy training often influenced his actions.

During his near-death experience at Andalia, Teshik had a vision while adrift in space. He saw "beings made of light" and battles from the past and future, convincing him that warriors merge into an otherworldly collective after death. He concluded that conflict was inevitable and that individual struggles were part of a larger war.

His cybernetic replacements were also notable. He had a red prosthetic right eye, wires entering his skull and throat, and metal plates on his forehead. However, due to the Empire's discrimination against the weak and disabled, Teshik was ostracized and reviled. This led to a hardening of his heart and a loss of compassion, which he only regained when freed from the fallen column on the second Death Star. He also questioned Palpatine's motives for being Emperor and for saving him, stating that "being Emperor was its own why."

Behind the scenes

Osvald Teshik was first mentioned in 1998's The Far Orbit Project by Timothy S. O'Brien, published by West End Games. His backstory was developed in 2003's Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals by Abel G. Peña and Daniel Wallace. Abel G. Peña considers Teshik, along with Captain Xamuel Lennox and Maarek Stele, a Force-sensitive TIE pilot, to be one of his "good" Imperials, "making the best of ethically impossible circumstances." Peña intended Teshik's story to be tragic. Teshik was included in 2008's The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.

Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals was originally planned for Star Wars Gamer as "Dirty Dozen: The Imperial Grand Admirals" before the magazine's cancellation. The biographies in Dirty Dozen and Who's Who are similar, but the final version removed the Imperial-class Star Destroyer designation for his flagship, the Eleemosynary. Additional information that was cut is described below.

Cut content

Teshik was unwavering in his loyalty to the Empire. His mission to eliminate the Far Orbit crew also involved securing the spacelanes from Vedij's plundering of the Ringali Shell, a region with several populated star systems. Failure would have resulted in his execution. After his reconstruction as a cyborg with a built-in blaster cannon, Teshik did not become a droid-hater like Beilert Valance or resent organics like Kligson. At his execution, his artificial laughter was deeply saddening to the Rebels present.

Inconsistencies

There is conflicting information on when the Imperial retreat was ordered during the Battle of Endor. Who's Who states it was hours before Teshik's capture, while The New Essential Chronology says Captain Gilad Pellaeon ordered it after Teshik's flagship was disabled. The Essential Guide to Warfare supports the former, stating Pellaeon and the fleet fled four hours before Teshik's capture.

While The Essential Guide to Warfare clarifies the timing, it introduces an inconsistency regarding Teshik's homeworld. The prologue suggests he spent his youth on Kallistas, implying it is his homeworld. However, later in the book, it is implied that his family had lived on Anaxes for generations. This article attempts to reconcile these details.

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Appearances