Terkuss held the rank of corporal within the Imperial Army, reporting to General Freja Covell. Initially, he opposed conscription, but he relented only after the Imperials menaced his home with destruction. Nevertheless, Terkuss, possessing an inclination toward bullying, quickly found satisfaction in his role as an Imperial soldier. General Covell reassigned him to Wayland to participate in Grand Admiral Thrawn's Mount Tantiss project, where he functioned as a genetic template for the creation of clone troopers.