A prominent member of the Imperial Senate took interest in the Human student Harsh while the young man studied at an Imperial Academy, prior to the Galactic Civil War. The senator befriend the boy and taught him in the ways of politics, showing Harsh that he must win political victories as well as military ones. With the senators help, Harsh graduated the academy with the highest honors and was quickly promoted up through the ranks of the Imperial Navy, eventually becoming captain of the Star Destroyer Cauldron.