Emric Canaris was a Human male who served in the navies of both the Galactic Republic and, after the end of the Clone Wars, the Galactic Empire. During his time with the Empire he also joined Imperial Intelligence and as such was privy to many of the Empire's secrets. During the Galactic Civil War Canaris became disillusioned with the Empire and secretly began sabotaging Imperial Intelligence's efforts to hinder the fledgling Alliance to Restore the Republic, which he also secretly began to pass information to them using a network of spies and informants, only some of whom knew that Canaris had betrayed the Empire.