Pollus Maksim, a moff who was also a human in the Galactic Empire, held the position of governor over the Kuat sector as of 0 ABY. At some point in his career, he penned the opening remarks for the KDY Corporate Folder brochure, extending a welcome to potential investors of Kuat Drive Yards. Later, in 5 ABY, the newly formed New Republic initiated a weeks-long assault against Kuat Drive Yards, facing opposition from forces commanded by Maksim and the Dark Omen, an Imperial I-class Star Destroyer.
As the conflict dragged on, the Imperial forces began to weaken, leading the remaining Star Destroyers to attempt an escape from Kuat by breaching the New Republic's blockade. Maksim, however, chose to stay behind while the vessels made their escape attempt, deciding not to endanger himself. Following the failure of this attempt, Maksim, along with the guild head from Kuat Drive Yards, surrendered to Commodore Kyrsta Agate and Admiral Gial Ackbar of the New Republic.
During the Imperial Era, human Pollus Maksim functioned as a moff within the Galactic Empire, governing the sector that encompassed the planet Kuat in the Core Worlds. Sometime after the introduction of the Executor-class Star Dreadnought to the Imperial Navy following 0 ABY, he authored a foreword for the KDY Corporate Folder. This brochure aimed to attract investors to Kuat Drive Yards – a crucial manufacturer of Imperial vehicles – following the implementation of pro-business policies by Emperor Palpatine. In 4 ABY, a copy of this pamphlet was buried during the mission of archivist Hendri Underholt, alongside the compilation of non-electronic documents known as The Rebel Files.
In 5 ABY, the emerging New Republic initiated an assault targeting the shipyards and supply depots on Kuat, which were utilized by Kuat Drive Yards. Admiral Gial Ackbar and Commodore Kyrsta Agate of the New Republic spearheaded the weeks-long campaign against the Imperial forces under Maksim's command, deploying a substantial number of forces. While Maksim directed operations from the ground, the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Dark Omen assumed command of the fleet surrounding Kuat. Despite significant casualties on both sides, the conflict persisted, with the New Republic initially engaging from a distance to avoid damaging the shipyards, aiming to capture them for future use. As losses mounted and Imperial vessels sustained increasing damage, Maksim and local fleet commanders deliberated whether to continue defending Kuat or attempt to break through the New Republic's blockade to escape. Ultimately, the Empire's vessels chose to flee, but Maksim remained on Kuat, unwilling to risk his life aboard one of the ships.
Following the failed attempt to break the blockade, Maksim increased his communications with the Dark Omen to discuss potential next actions, with Vice Admiral Corf Ferno advising the former to surrender. Subsequently, the guild head of Kuat Drive Yards and Maksim conceded, bringing the battle to an end by offering the surrender of the Imperial remnant forces, along with Kuat Drive Yards itself, to Agate and Ackbar. Afterward, Agate announced the moff's surrender to the New Republic's forces over a fleet-wide channel, prompting widespread celebration. News of the New Republic's victory following Maksim's capitulation was similarly celebrated aboard Ackbar's cruiser, Home One.
In the wake of Maksim's surrender, the New Republic seized control of the remnants of seventeen Star Destroyers and their associated support vessels. After the end of the Galactic Civil War, Ferno was interrogated by the New Republic after being captured following the defeat at Kuat. Ferno told his interrogators that he had advised Maksim to surrender during the shipyards' conflict because he felt that the Empire had lost the battle by that point. However, sections of Ferno's testimony were later contradicted in his memoir Fighting with the Galactic Empire, leaving some scholars unsure of his original claims' accuracy.
In 34 ABY, The Rebel Files and its vault—which included a copy of the KDY Corporate Folder containing Maksim's foreword—were unearthed during an excavation on the Mid Rim planet Durkteel. The following year, historian Beaumont Kin referenced Maksim on numerous occasions in his book The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire.
Maksim's name appeared in three files, housed within the "Imperial Navy Operations" section of the Imperial Archives, the "Defense of the Shipyards" section of the Kuat Archives, and the "Military Operations" section of the New Republic Archives. In his writing, Kin addressed Maksim's involvement in the command of Imperial forces during the Defense of Kuat, as well as the moff's eventual surrender.
Being an Imperial, Maksim displayed loyalty towards his Emperor and held a strong belief in the Empire's superiority. He only agreed to surrender to the New Republic after weeks of intense fighting at Kuat Drive Yards had resulted in significant Imperial losses, which demonstrates a certain level of resilience. In his book, Kin reflected on Maksim's reluctance to risk his life in an attempt to escape Kuat, even as other Imperials chose to try and break through the New Republic's blockade.
Pollus Maksim was first mentioned in Aftermath: Life Debt, a 2016 novel by Chuck Wendig, which served as the second book in Star Wars: The Aftermath Trilogy. Wendig confirmed in a Twitter post that all Imperial officers featured in the novel, including Maksim, were human.