Eli Vanto was a human male who initially served as an ensign in the Imperial Navy during the era of the Galactic Empire. For several years, Vanto served as a translator, aide, student, and protégé of the Chiss known as Thrawn, who became a rising star in the Imperial Navy. Vanto served alongside Thrawn in several Imperial military operations against smugglers and insurgents. Due to his close friendship and loyalty to Thrawn, Vanto's promotion was overlooked for several years by the Imperial military hierarchy which despised aliens and looked down on Wild Space outsiders like Vanto.