One of many upstart Imperial officers, Motti excelled in his devotion to the Empire and little else. While it is true that he can claim many impressively successful missions, most of these were of a routine nature to begin with and therefore, like his entire career, overrated.

One of the rewards for his loyalty was the assignment to aid and protect Grand Moff Tarkin, as well as to form the third man in the Death Star’s command triumvirate, whose other members were Tarkin and General Tagge. Upon assignment to the Death Star project, Motti had his first run-in with Lord Vader. As Vader was "merely" the Emperor’s adviser on the project and thus not a part of the direct chain of command, Motti had little regard for the ebon-armored "flunkie." That Vader openly spoke of mystical Force and the ancient Jedi Knights further downgraded Motti’s opinion of him, reducing him to a confused dottering sorcerer as far as the young admiral was concerned.

With Palpatine covertly funding the Death Star project, Tarkin and Motti came to the forefront of the project. No longer concerned with placating politicians, their ruthless ambition had free rein.

Motti believed in strength, both military and personal. He held no regard for Vader and his "sorcerer’s ways." To him, the only reality was power, and power was personified in technological wonders like the Death Star. The Force, as he was heard to point out on numerous occasions, was but an ancient religion and the magic associated with it a hoax. Even after Vader provided him with a lesson in "faith," Motti remained stubbornly against the mystical, intangible nature of the Force.

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