Sander Delvardus

Sander Delvardus, a male Human, became part of the Tarkin family of Eriadu through his marriage to an heiress. He subsequently joined the Imperial Navy, a branch of the Galactic Empire's military. Despite being married, Delvardus became known as a womanizer, having affairs at numerous spaceports. After being promoted and given command of the Star Destroyer Brilliant, the newly appointed captain requested the role of naval overseer for the Rimma Trade Route. Delvardus was in love with Seledra-Zin, a refugee aid worker on Clak'dor VII, and wished to position the fleet under his control near her planet. His request was approved, placing him under the command of Grand Moff Ardus Kaine within the forces of Oversector Outer.

The relationship between Delvardus and his mistress was turbulent, marked by frequent arguments. During one such incident, Delvardus allegedly struck her with a dynamic hammer, resulting in a [coma](/article/coma-legends] for Seledra-Zin. Overwhelmed by guilt and grief, Delvardus, now holding the rank of Admiral, had a suspended-animation casket installed in his quarters aboard the Brilliant. The pursuit of a cure for Seledra-Zin became his all-consuming obsession.

Following the death of Emperor Palpatine at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Admiral Delvardus chose not to follow Kaine in forming the Pentastar Alignment, his secessionist government. Instead, Delvardus became one of the first Imperial warlords, establishing the Eriadu Authority, an Imperial splinter faction, by seizing planets along the Rimma Trade Route and the Hydian Way. On Vondarc, Delvardus acquired a significant force of All Terrain Armored Transports and other walkers, leading him to create the title "Superior General." This conceit did not endear him to the army officers under his command, including General Maximilian Veers. Over the next few years, Delvardus captured planets with advanced medical technologies, desperately seeking a way to revive Seledra-Zin.

Delvardus developed a rivalry with Moff Utoxx Prentioch, a competing warlord whose territory bordered Delvardus's. However, he soon lost the support of the ruling families on Eriadu. After his attempts to cure Seledra-Zin failed, Delvardus began expanding Coreward, securing the Rimma Trade Route as far as Yag'Dhul. While the Eriadu families were content with Delvardus defending the Eriadu system, his Coreward expansion was unacceptable, costing him the support of the Imperial ace pilot Shea Hublin. However, Delvardus's ambitions were thwarted by the New Republic, a fledgling galactic government opposing the Empire. Under Admiral Firmus Nantz, the New Republic First Fleet struck at Abraxas, demonstrating their power and effectively containing Delvardus and Prentioch within their territories. This tactic succeeded, and Delvardus guarded his borders until the First Fleet drove his forces from Glova, preventing him from linking up with Imperial units in the Elrood sector and the Minos Cluster. Nantz continued his advance, and Delvardus had a run-in with New Republic forces at Moorja, resulting in the destruction of his Praetor II-class Star Battlecruiser Thalassa by EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigates and BTL Y-wing bombers, though he survived.

In 5 ABY, Delvardus's forces were defeated at Yag'Dhul by Nantz's forces. While Nantz pushed Coreward, Delvardus attempted to exploit the situation by assaulting Sullust to retake the world. He was defeated by Sullustan New Republic captain Sien Sovv, despite receiving reluctant aid from Shea Hublin. Reinforcements sent by Nantz along the Rimma Trade Route launched attacks on Delvardus's border holdings at Sanrafsix, Kabal, Clak'dor, and Sluis Van. Delvardus lost every engagement, prompting him to abandon his Eriadu holdings and retreat to the Deep Core. Establishing his new capital on Kampe, a small, deserted desert world far from its system's sun, Delvardus engaged in a war of attrition with the other warlords. There, he began constructing an Executor-class Star Dreadnought named the Night Hammer, though the Super Star Destroyer's construction was costly.

Delvardus eventually allied with the resurrected Emperor Palpatine, who had used the Force technique of essence transfer to return in a clone body. In exchange for his loyalty, Palpatine promised Delvardus the resources to revive his comatose love. In 10 ABY, as part of Operation Shadow Hand, Palpatine's plan to regain control of the galaxy, Delvardus attacked Metellos, a Core planet with a New Republic fleet. After destroying the vessels, Delvardus initiated an orbital bombardment, killing over five billion people. After Palpatine's final defeat in 11 ABY, Delvardus once again struck out independently. On Kampe, he rebuilt his forces and continued constructing the Night Hammer, with Colonel Ivan Cronus as his second-in-command. The Night Hammer's construction drained nearly all of Delvardus's credits, but he believed it was the only way to bring the other warlords under his control. He had a special sterile medical chamber built into the ship's bow to sustain his comatose love. It was even rumored that the ship's name was an oblique reference to the event that led to Seledra-Zin's condition.

In 12 ABY, Delvardus was among thirteen Deep Core Imperial warlords summoned by Admiral Natasi Daala to Tsoss Beacon for a conference. Daala proposed an alliance to create a force capable of defeating the New Republic. However, the warlords, including Delvardus, rejected the idea. Delvardus agreed with the need for unification but believed it should be under his command. He stated that he would not share his glory and believed Daala was simply seeking power for herself. As Delvardus attempted to leave, Daala locked the conference room doors, stating they would remain locked for three hours in hopes that the warlords would reach an agreement.

However, the thirteen warlords failed to reach an agreement, unwilling to share their resources or the triumph they anticipated. Angered, Daala released nerve-gas into the room. With the doors locked and only Daala and Gilad Pellaeon possessing breath masks, the warlords were trapped. Struggling to remain conscious, Delvardus fashioned a crude knife from his medals, intending to stab Daala, but he collapsed and died before reaching her.

With the warlords dead, Daala became the Supreme Commander of the United Warlord Fleets. She traveled to Delvardus's fortress, with stormtroopers carrying his body on a frame. Informing Cronus that he had one hour to decide whether to ally with her or be destroyed, Daala left Delvardus's body and a holocube containing a recording of the Tsoss Beacon meeting outside the fortress. Intimidated by Daala's display of power, Cronus agreed to join her, surrendering the Night Hammer. Daala used the vessel as her flagship, renaming it "Knight Hammer." During the ship's destruction at Yavin 4, where Daala attempted to destroy the newly formed Jedi Praxeum, Seledra-Zin was killed, still inside the medical chamber.

Sander Delvardus was a tall, pale, and gaunt man with brown hair and white [eyebrows](/article/eye-legends]. He had a square jaw with a prominent cleft. During his Imperial career, Delvardus was known for having numerous affairs, despite being married into the prestigious Tarkin family. However, his true love was Seledra-Zin, not his wife.

Delvardus was known for his volatile temper. He once struck Seledra-Zin in a fit of rage with a dynamic hammer, but was then consumed by remorse after the incident left her in a coma, becoming obsessed with finding a way to revive her. It was said that he would have sacrificed his entire warlord holdings for her recovery. This obsession drove him to conquer planets with advanced medical technology and reaffirm his loyalty to the resurrected Emperor, who promised to help her in exchange for his service.

The warlord had a flair for the dramatic. His construction of the Night Hammer stemmed from the belief that only a grandiose symbol and weapon of destruction could force the other warlords to submit. He also wore numerous medals and claimed grandiose titles like "Superior General."

Delvardus was determined not to ally with any other Imperial warlords after the Battle of Endor. He refused to share his resources and believed he alone deserved the glory of defeating the New Republic. Delvardus was extremely confident in his ability to defeat the New Republic, despite being outnumbered and outgunned. Daala believed that Delvardus, like the other warlords, was foolish for his extreme self-confidence and refusal to unite for the good of the Empire. Delvardus, in turn, believed that Daala's attempt to unify the warlords was merely a power grab. However, Delvardus did agree that the warlords should unite, but under his command. When Daala poisoned the warlords, Delvardus's final act was to create a knife from his medals and insignia, intending to avenge himself on Daala for unleashing the deadly toxin.

Sander Delvardus was created for Kevin J. Anderson's novel Darksaber, where he appeared as a minor character. Subsequent reference books, such as Coruscant and the Core Worlds and The Essential Atlas, provided additional information, with The Essential Atlas revealing his first name. On December 17, 2013, Delvardus was featured in the second installment of The Imperial Warlords: Despoilers of an Empire article series, written by Abel G. Peña and Daniel Wallace.