Pandak Symes was a cadet in the Imperial forces (specifically, a male one). He underwent a short period of training at the Academy for Young Imperials situated on Lothal. He was a member of Unit Aurek within squad LRC077. His parents, Colonel Symes and Major Symes, both dedicated their careers to the Imperial Army. Unable to handle the demanding initial orientation, he became one of the first cadets in his group to drop out of the Academy early. He was subsequently replaced by "Dev Morgan," who was later revealed to be Ezra Bridger.
Colonel Symes and Major Symes, who both served as career officers in the Imperial Army, were the parents of Pandak Symes. They held high hopes for Pandak, desiring that he would follow in their footsteps and join the Imperial Military. Some years prior to the Battle of Yavin, Pandak enrolled in the Academy for Young Imperials on Lothal. This was a junior academy, lasting one year, designed to prepare Imperial cadets for additional training at specialized academies located across the Outer Rim Territories. While Pandak himself had little interest in pursuing a military career, he reluctantly agreed to attend in order to meet his parents' expectations.
After his acceptance into the Imperial Academy, Symes was assigned to Unit Aurek, a cell comprised of four members within squad LRC077. Pandak managed to form friendships with fellow cadets Zare Leonis and Jai Kell. However, he was consistently targeted by Nazhros Oleg, who saw him as weak and hoped to pressure him into dropping out of the Academy. During the initial two-week orientation, Pandak participated in frequent running and training exercises. Symes often struggled to keep pace with the other cadets and was repeatedly reprimanded by the drill sergeant Currahee, known for her stringent training methods. Dissatisfied with the harsh and regimented nature of Academy life, Symes planned to withdraw after the orientation period.
Leonis attempted to aid Symes on multiple occasions, often trying to protect him from Oleg, who was known as the squad's tormentor. One evening, Oleg tried to force Symes to give him his fruit bar. When Pandak refused, Oleg mocked the cadet, suggesting that he was not cut out for the Academy and should simply return home. Leonis defended Symes, knocking the fork from Oleg's hand. When Oleg threatened Leonis, Lieutenant Chiron intervened, issuing Oleg two demerits before calling Leonis to his office for a discussion.
As the orientation period neared its end, Symes and his fellow cadets participated in a military exercise. This involved deploying from a Sentinel-class landing craft into a lake. Despite experiencing difficulties with his comlink, Symes and the rest of Unit Aurek successfully landed. The cadets were required to use a navigation system within their helmets to proceed to their designated rendezvous point. After reaching the shore, Leonis assisted Pandak in assembling his E-11 blaster. Oleg taunted Leonis for "babysitting" Symes, but Leonis responded by stating that they were stronger as a unit than as individuals.
The obstacle course's third section required the cadets to navigate across uneven terrain to another rendezvous point, all while under fire from Imperial troops using blasters set to training mode. Cadets who were hit were eliminated. Symes and Kell voted for Leonis to lead the squad, knowing that he cared about his fellow cadets. Following Leonis' orders, Symes and his fellow cadets moved forward in a single-file line. Despite Leonis' effective leadership, Symes was unable to handle the stress of the exercise and suffered a breakdown a few kilometers from their rendezvous point. Despite Leonis' attempts to help him, Symes was unable to continue, forcing the other cadets to leave him behind as they continued to their destination.
After the field exercise, Symes voluntarily withdrew from the Academy for Young Imperials. Oleg celebrated Symes' departure, while Leonis was disappointed that his fellow cadet had given up. Symes' voluntary withdrawal exemplified the Empire's policy of "winnowing out the unworthy" in order to identify the most capable cadets to fill the ranks of the Imperial military.
Pandak Symes possessed less physical strength than his fellow cadets at the Academy for Young Imperials and struggled to keep up with the demanding training regimen. Symes was an unwilling cadet, enrolling in the Academy only to satisfy the expectations of his parents, who were career-driven and wanted him to follow them into the Imperial military. While Symes got along well with Zare Leonis and Jai Kell, he was frequently bullied by Nazhros Oleg, who considered him to be weak. Dissatisfied with his parents' expectations and life at the Academy, Symes had decided to withdraw at the end of the initial two-week program. Despite his lack of physical prowess, Pandak possessed enough skill to win a game of chance cube.
Pandak Symes made his first appearance in Servants of the Empire: Rebel in the Ranks, a young reader's novella written by Jason Fry in 2015. This book is a spin-off connected to the children's television show Star Wars Rebels. His dialogue is presented from the perspective of Zare Leonis, who is the protagonist of the Servants of the Empire series and appears in the Rebels episode titled Breaking Ranks.