Mothra was a male official serving the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War. As a Tax Inspector, he had several run-ins with the smuggler Roark Garnet. On one occasion, while attempting to perform a customs inspection, Garnet pretended to have contracted a potential fatal infection, the Merthian lung infection. Mothra, not wishing to contract the malady, retreated from the encounter. Sometime later, Mothra was promoted to the position of Associate Governor. After running into Garnet once more, he made it clear he knew that the smuggler's former illness had been a hoax, and ordered an aide to keep a close eye on Garnet.