Ledre Okins, a Human male, held the rank of admiral within the Imperial Navy during the time of the Galactic Civil War. He was known as a stickler for the rules, and his position was earned through unwavering dedication to the Empire and obedience to orders, instead of daring actions or strategic brilliance. His dedication caught the attention of Emperor Palpatine, who would often task Okins with leading groups of fleet commanders who were not adhering to Imperial protocols. Okins made sure to report everything he saw back to the Emperor.
In 3.5 ABY, soon after the Battle of Hoth, the Dark Lord Darth Vader gave Okins the responsibility of overseeing the destruction of a secret Rebel Alliance shipyard located in the Vergesso Asteroids. He did this from Vader's personal flagship, the Super Star Destroyer called the Executor. Okins successfully commanded a fleet that included the Executor and three Star Destroyers, resulting in a major victory against the Rebel shipyard, where they destroyed hundreds of ships.
Okins' life ended two years later, in 5 ABY, when he was defeated by New Republic Admiral Willham Burke. Burke was a key figure in the New Republic's campaign to reclaim the Imperial capital planet of Coruscant after the Emperor and Vader's deaths at the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY. Their conflict, which took place along the Perlemian Trade Route, ended when Burke deceived Okins into splitting his forces by sending a portion to the Pindra system. This allowed Burke to defeat Okins at Colla, marking a significant victory for the New Republic.
During the Galactic Civil War, Ledre Okins served as a high-ranking admiral in the Imperial Navy. He achieved his high rank through years of unwavering loyalty to the Empire. Okins' ascent was not due to political maneuvering or powerful allies seeking to exploit him; instead, he distinguished himself through consistent competence and strict adherence to orders. His allegiance was solely to the Empire, making him older than many other admirals in the upper ranks of the Imperial Navy.
Emperor Palpatine took notice of Okins' steadfast loyalty and saw him as the ideal subordinate. The Emperor frequently assigned Okins to lead small task forces to eliminate pirates or conquer planets. Okins often oversaw fleet commanders who had disregarded Imperial regulations, and any officer serving under him knew that their actions would be reported back to the Emperor.
On occasion, Okins was even assigned to assist some of the Emperor's most trusted advisors, such as the Dark Lord Darth Vader, to ensure that the Emperor's directives were followed. Shortly after the Battle of Hoth in 3 ABY, Vader returned to the Imperial capital planet of Coruscant aboard his flagship, the Super Star Destroyer Executor, to report to the Emperor about his encounter with his son, Luke Skywalker, on Bespin's Cloud City. Vader brought Okins with him so that Admiral Firmus Piett, the Executor's commanding officer, could remain with the Imperial Death Squadron, Vader's fleet, to continue the Empire's pursuit of the Rebel Alliance.
In 3.5 ABY, Okins was on Coruscant when the Empire discovered a thriving Rebel shipyard in the Vergesso Asteroids, which had been operating undetected. Despite his own preferences, the Emperor assigned Vader to personally oversee the shipyard's destruction. Vader believed that any competent officer could handle the task, so he chose Okins to accompany him in command of the Executor for the mission. Outside the Imperial Palace in Coruscant's Imperial City, Vader instructed Okins to assemble a task force in preparation. The Executor would be supported by the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer Avenger and two Victory II-class Star Destroyers, named Victory 1 and Victory 2.
About a standard week after receiving the assignment, Okins and the Executor arrived in the Lybeya system of the Bajic sector, where the Vergesso Asteroids were located. The Rebel shipyard, situated on a massive asteroid and housing hundreds of docked starships undergoing repairs, seemed like a straightforward operation. However, Vader ordered Okins to open fire immediately to avoid any mistakes. Before Okins could engage the shipyard, several Rebel capital ships emerged from behind the asteroid, presenting a more significant challenge than anticipated.
The Rebel capital ships included two EF76 Nebulon-B escort frigates, which had once belonged to the Empire. Okins noted to an irritated Vader that at least the stolen frigates, originally designed to support Imperial starfighters, would not be deploying any TIE Fighters. However, the Rebel frigates then launched a dozen X-wing fighters, much to Okins' annoyance. He ordered the Executor's TIE operations officer to scramble their own fighters, not wanting to waste the Executor's firepower on such small targets. Despite Okins' reservations, Vader was drawn to the presence of Rebel fighters and decided to join the battle in his custom TIE interceptor, leaving Okins in charge of destroying the shipyard.
Okins led the Imperial task force in eliminating the Rebel resistance and obliterating the shipyard, destroying hundreds of Rebel vessels and thousands of troops, securing a major victory for the Empire. After the assault, the Executor immediately returned to Coruscant so that Vader could attend to his other responsibilities.
Okins continued to serve as admiral during the chaotic period following the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, where the Rebel Alliance dealt a decisive blow to the Empire, resulting in the deaths of both the Emperor and Darth Vader, and the fragmentation of the Imperial Navy. In the months after Endor, the New Republic began its campaign to reclaim the galactic capital, Coruscant, facing opposition from various Imperial warlords who had carved out territories from the fractured Empire. By 5 ABY, Okins, still loyal to the fragmented Empire, had established a base at Colla IV, an Imperial fortress world in the Inner Rim near the Perlemian Trade Route.
The New Republic's advance toward Coruscant led to a campaign between Okins and elements of the New Republic Third Battle Group, commanded by Admiral Willham Burke, who was tasked with isolating Imperial Warlord Treuten Teradoc from the Core Worlds. Their forces first clashed in the Chazwa system, leading to a series of raids and feints that ended with Okins' death. Burke tricked Okins into diverting a critical part of his fleet to Pindra, where it was caught in a grav trap set among the system's asteroids, allowing Burke to destroy Okins at Colla. This victory allowed Burke to advance further Coreward along the Perlemian Trade Route and link up with New Republic forces at Brentaal IV.
Ledre Okins was the quintessential Imperial Navy officer, adhering strictly to regulations. He advanced through the ranks not through daring or tactical brilliance, but by following orders and doing as he was told. Despite being one of the oldest admirals in the Imperial Navy's upper echelons, Okins appeared even older due to his years of dedicated service.
His adherence to the rules was evident during the attack on the Rebel asteroid base in the Bajic [sector](/article/sector-legends]. When facing Rebel starfighters, Okins chose to deploy his own fighters to conserve firepower, even though he had the overwhelming advantage of the Super Star Destroyer Executor. He also expressed concern about Darth Vader's decision to personally join the dogfight in his fighter, considering it tactically unwise, but deferred to Vader's command. Okins was outmaneuvered by Admiral Willham Burke during the New Republic's advance toward Coruscant, tricked into dividing his fleet, which led to his destruction at Colla.
Okins never felt manipulated by the Emperor. He viewed his service to the Emperor as simply fulfilling his duty to the Empire, believing that loyalty meant following orders, not pursuing personal agendas. He believed that ignoring orders would undermine the chain of command and prevent the Emperor's will from being carried out. Okins considered his role in that chain essential, regardless of how minor.
Okins possessed extensive knowledge of planetary systems, capital ship tactics, and fleet maneuvers. He was skilled in astrogation, capital ship piloting, communications, and sensors, and had technical proficiency in computer programming, repair, and security.
During the assault on the Vergesso Asteroids, Admiral Okins wore the standard Imperial officer's uniform aboard the Executor. At other times, he sometimes did not wear the uniform's cover. His equipment included a blaster pistol, comlink, and datapad.
Admiral Ledre Okins was introduced as a minor character in the May 1996 novel Shadows of the Empire, written by Steve Perry. The June 1996 Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook, by Peter Schweighofer, provided a brief background for Okins as one of the Emperor's lackeys in the Imperial Navy. Ray Lederer created the sourcebook's illustration of Okins, which was the character's first canonical depiction. An Imperial officer with a mustache resembling Okins is seen with Darth Vader on the Executor's bridge during the Vergesso Asteroids assault in the Shadows of the Empire Ertl minicomic. Based on the corresponding details, this article identifies this character as Okins.
The Okins character was later featured in the September 2009 The Shadow Syndicate expansion set of the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game. The "Admiral Okins" card featured the first confirmed color illustration of the character, created by Kieran Yanner. The character's first name, "Ledre," was created for the April 2012 sourcebook The Essential Guide to Warfare, co-written by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart, which also established Okins' death after the events of Shadows of the Empire.