Sarn Shild, a human male, held the position of Moff in the Baxel sector of the Outer Rim Territories and Hutt Space prior to the Galactic Civil War. Despite his rank, Shild did not stringently enforce the laws of the Galactic Empire within his jurisdiction. He frequently accepted "gifts" from influential Hutts, choosing to overlook the illicit operations of their clans'. However, this arrangement dramatically shifted in 4 BBY when Emperor Palpatine, concerned about growing dissent on numerous worlds, mandated that the Moffs suppress the illegal arms trade. Consequently, Shild instructed Admiral Winstel Greelanx, who commanded his fleet, to launch an attack on the Y'Toub system, the location of the Hutt homeworld of Nal Hutta. Shild's strategy was to make a severe example by destroying Nar Shaddaa, often called the "Smuggler's Moon" of Nal Hutta. The Hutt Grand Council initially attempted to bribe Shild into calling off the assault, but upon his refusal, they turned to Greelanx. Greelanx, already under orders to sabotage the attack as part of a scheme to undermine Shild, accepted the Hutts' offer. During the ensuing Battle of Nar Shaddaa, a fleet of smugglers, led by Mako Spince and Han Solo, compelled Greelanx to retreat. As a result, Shild was summoned back to Coruscant, the Imperial capital, to account for his failure. Rather than face the Emperor's anger, the Moff chose to commit suicide.
Following the rise of the Galactic Empire in 19 BBY, the Empire reorganized the Outer Rim Territories bordering Hutt Space into distinct sectors, each governed by a designated Moff. Sarn Shild was appointed to the position of Moff over the Baxel sector, which also included oversight of Hutt Space. He had access to a discretionary fleet, commanded by Admiral Winstel Greelanx. Because the most advanced Imperial vessels were assigned to fleets closer to the Core Worlds, Shild's fleet consisted of older ships, primarily tasked with controlling pirates and smugglers within the sector. Even though Hutt Space was officially part of the Empire and therefore subject to Imperial law, the Empire largely permitted the multitude of illegal activities occurring there. The Hutts maintained firm control over their territory and exerted considerable influence in the sectors bordering their space through the bribery of many newly appointed Moffs. Shild, in exchange for ignoring the Hutts' illicit actions, accepted numerous "political contributions" and "personal gifts" from powerful Hutt clans, enabling him to live a luxurious lifestyle. Shild owned several residences on different planets, including a lavish penthouse on Coruscant, the Imperial [capital](/article/capital-legends]. His opulent headquarters on Teth, the capital planet of the Baxel sector, was staffed by numerous organic and [droid](/article/droid-legends] servants.
In 4 BBY, Shild brought Bria Tharen, a young woman, into his household as his apparent mistress. In reality, Shild had no romantic interest in Human women and used Tharen solely as a status symbol to impress other Imperial officers. Tharen lived in Shild's residence, managing his household staff and acting as a confidante to the Moff. However, unbeknownst to Shild, Tharen was secretly an undercover agent gathering intelligence for the Corellian resistance. Shortly after an uprising on Rampa 2 resulted in the deaths of several Imperial troops before the Empire suppressed the rebellion and captured the rebels, Shild traveled with Tharen to Coruscant to attend a conference focused on law and order. As a response to the recent uprising, Emperor Palpatine commanded the Moffs to rigorously suppress the illegal arms trade within their respective sectors to further reinforce Imperial authority, authorizing the use of lethal force if necessary. During a formal press conference, Shild publicly announced his intention to halt the flow of illegal weapons and drugs originating from Hutt Space and appealed to all loyal subjects within his sector for their support.
To dissuade Shild from taking action against them, Jiliac Desilijic Tiron and Jabba Desilijic Tiure of the Desilijic clan hired Han Solo, a smuggler and former lover of Tharen, to deliver a message and a collection of gifts from the Hutt Grand Council to the Moff on Coruscant. Shild agreed to meet with Solo at his penthouse but rejected the bribe, stating clearly that he could no longer protect the Hutts. Although he was willing to spare the Hutt homeworld of Nal Hutta in exchange for the Hutts' cooperation and the cessation of their criminal activities, Shild informed Solo of his intention to make an example of [Nar Shaddaa](/article/nar_shaddaa-legends], Nal Hutta's moon, which was commonly referred to as the "Smuggler's Moon" because of the extensive smuggler operations there. As Shild concluded the meeting, Tharen entered the room, leading to a brief reunion between her and Solo. Although Solo was distressed to see Tharen as Shild's "mistress," neither he nor Tharen revealed their past relationship to the Moff.
From Coruscant, Shild and Tharen traveled to Velga Prime, a planetoid known for gambling, before returning to Teth. Shild summoned Greelanx to his office and instructed him to recall the fleet to Teth to begin preparations for an attack on the Y'Toub system. Shild sought to avoid completely crippling the Hutts and had received instructions from Palpatine to spare the Besadii clan, who supplied slaves to the Empire. Therefore, he ordered Greelanx to blockade the Hutt worlds of Nal Hutta and Nar Hekka until the Hutts agreed to full customs inspections and a permanent Imperial military presence. However, the Moff was not satisfied with merely stopping smuggling operations from Nar Shaddaa, and he ordered Greelanx to execute a Base Delta Zero operation against the moon, completely leveling its surface and eradicating all life.
Approximately one week later, Shild and Tharen joined a small group of high-ranking officials to observe the departure of Greelanx's fleet for the Y'Toub system. During this time, the Moff confided in Tharen that his actions were not solely motivated by fulfilling the Emperor's directives. Once the Hutts were firmly under his control, Shild intended to use their wealth to strengthen his own military forces. With the Emperor's attention diverted elsewhere, Shild saw an opportunity to expand his power in the Outer Rim and even considered seceding from the Empire.
However, unbeknownst to Shild, less than a day after he ordered Greelanx to assemble the fleet, the admiral had received a secret message from the Moff's superiors on Coruscant, instructing him to ensure the mission failed. Having failed to bribe Shild, the Hutts approached Greelanx, and he agreed to sell them his battle plan, seeing an opportunity to orchestrate his own defeat. Armed with Greelanx's plans, a group of smugglers led by Solo and Mako Spince organized a fleet to defend Nar Shaddaa. The Battle of Nar Shaddaa resulted in the loss of several vessels in Shild's fleet before Greelanx ordered a retreat.
Greelanx was found dead soon after the battle, and Shild was summoned back to Coruscant to face an inquiry board regarding the failed attack. Rather than confront the Emperor's wrath, Shild chose to end his own life in his home on Teth. Shild's suicide became a major news event, and the Moff's memorial service was broadcast throughout the Empire. Tharen later suspected that Palpatine had orchestrated the entire situation to discredit Shild and eliminate a potential rival. Shild was succeeded as Moff of the Braxel sector by Moff Yref Orgege.
Sarn Shild was a tall, slender Human male with a pale complexion, sleek black hair meticulously styled with oil, and a delicate, pointed mustache. He wore a krayt dragon pearl earring in one earlobe. Shild was a well-liked politician and an effective public speaker, but he was also characterized by arrogance, ambition, and corruption. During his time as Moff of Hutt Space, Shild shielded the Hutts from intense Imperial scrutiny in exchange for substantial bribes from influential Hutts, which allowed him to maintain a lavish lifestyle. Shild's romantic preferences did not include Human women, a secret he attempted to conceal by employing Bria Tharen to pose as his mistress. Shild consistently treated Tharen with respect and often confided in her. However, his pride prevented him from considering her opinions. After Emperor Palpatine instructed Shild to halt the flow of illegal weapons and drugs from Hutt Space, Tharen noticed a shift in his personality. Shild began openly discussing his intentions to leverage the Hutts' wealth to strengthen his own power and his desire to separate the Outer Rim Territories from the Empire, even contemplating overthrowing the Emperor. Following the defeat of his fleet at the Battle of Nar Shaddaa, Shild realized the attack had been a mistake and could not recall why he had ordered it, as if he had been possessed. Tharen later theorized that the Emperor, perceiving Shild's ambition and popularity as a threat, had used the Force to manipulate Shild into orchestrating his own downfall. Facing certain death at the Emperor's hands for his failure, Shild chose to take his own life.
Sarn Shild was a character created by author A. C. Crispin for the 1997 novel The Hutt Gambit, the second book in a trilogy of novels centered around Han Solo. While Shild died during the events of The Hutt Gambit, he is mentioned in Rebel Dawn (1998), the third book in the series, as well as in James Luceno's 2000 novel The New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse. Shild also received entries in A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded (2000) and The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia (2008). Rebel Dawn confirms that Shild committed suicide, while The Hutt Gambit leaves it ambiguous whether Shild ended his life with a blaster shot or by consuming poison.