Rhodes, an admiral in the Galactic Empire's navy, possessed the rank to command a Star Destroyer. Following Luke Skywalker's communication with the Empire regarding the theft of Imperial assets by the Tech Masters of the junk planet Trionak, where he and Leia Organa were stranded while trying to recover the stolen Rebel Alliance transport Nema, Rhodes was dispatched to Trionak. Upon arrival, he initiated a bombardment of the planetary shield encircling the planet.