Balkin

Balkin was a Human male Stormtrooper Commander who served Grand Admiral Thrawn's Empire of the Hand as the commander of its 501st Legion. In 8 ABY, Balkin attended a strategy session aboard the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer Admonitor over the Unknown Regions planet Quethold. During the session, he discussed alien warlord Nuso Esva's remaining forces and Quethold's native Quesoth species with Stromma Council Liaison Nyama, who insulted the bald man after he asked if the Quesoth Midli caste was loyal to their Queen. As Balkin and Thrawn had promised that the stormtroopers of the 501st would be able to defeat the Quesoth Soldiers—which Nyama considered impossible—the liaison withdrew the Stromma from the Empire's service.

Shortly after, Imperial Line Lieutenant Dramos Sanjin commented to Stromma stormtrooper Puriv that Imperial Senior Captain Voss Parck would kill them both if Balkin did not hear that Puriv and Sanjin had not followed Nyama's directive before him. Shortly after, Thrawn launched an attack on Quethold's Red City in an attempt to kill Esva, during which Balkin reported to the Grand Admiral that Sanjin had lost two of his men.