Foga Brill/Legends

"We are heading for a rendezvous with, and I quote verbatim, 'The gallant and eternally vigilant patrol destroyer Tobay of the Grand Imperial Navy of the Constitutional Protectorate of Prakith, in grateful and loyal service to His Glory, the potent and courageous governor for life, Foga Brill."

- Taisden

Foga Brill was an Imperial Moff who turned warlord after the Battle of Endor, establishing the Constitutional Protectorate of Prakith. Originally the Director of Investigation for the Galactic Republic's Judicial Department, Brill adopted the ideals of the New Order with zeal after Palpatine established the Galactic Empire, becoming moff of the newly-colonized Prakith system. Brill's hard work and harsh rule kept order and established the Empire's presence on Prakith.

After the Emperor's death in 4 ABY, Brill fortified Prakith and established his own micro-empire, defended by a strong planetary defense fleet. He ignored all entreaties from rival factions, only temporarily lifting Prakith's isolationist policies to join the Emperor Reborn's unified Imperial faction during Operation Shadow Hand. After the Emperor's final death in 11 ABY, Brill returned to Prakith and shut it off from the wider galaxy, throwing his state into poverty and desperation. He was murdered by his beleaguered naval officers in 18 ABY, and Prakith joined the New Republic.

From Judicial to warlord
Foga Brill was a Human male who served the Galactic Republic as a member of the Judicial Department. During the Republic's last throes of existence, Brill was the Judiciary's Director of Investigation, coordinating the pursuit of criminals across the galaxy. In 19 BBY, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine instituted the Declaration of the New Order, reforming the Republic as the first Galactic Empire. Brill embraced this Imperialization, seeing the order imposed by Palpatine upon the galaxy as a welcome deterrent to the lawlessness Brill had spent his career fighting. He quickly moved to secure his place in the new Empire; the Deep Core was advertised as a lucrative career opportunity, and Brill was convinced. Given the title of moff, Foga Brill became governor of recently-colonized Prakith, one of many Imperial fortress worlds in the Deep Core and the headquarters of Palpatine's Inquisitorius. Moff Brill put great effort in establishing the New Order on Prakith, ruling without mercy. He insisted that a strong Imperial Naval presence be maintained at Prakith to fend off any external attacks.

Palpatine perished aboard the second Death Star during the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, and the crippled Empire slowly began to fall apart. Some Imperials pledged allegiance to the new Imperial leaders on Coruscant, but others turned warlord and established their own personal mini-empires. After news of the events at Endor finally reached the Deep Core, Brill took the latter course, fortifying his holdings and declaring himself leader of the Constitutional Protectorate of Prakith. Unlike many other warlords, Brill made no attempt to expand his territory, merely ensuring that it was properly safeguarded; his insistence on a powerful planetary defense fleet proved useful in this regard. Though Brill's region technically fell under the jurisdiction of Grand Moff Gann of Sector 5, which encompassed the Prakith system, his naval forces were paid by, and thus answered to, him alone.

Brill's protectorate remained isolationist, ignoring repeated overtures from Imperial center and rival warlords; his primary concern was bulwarking his system against any attacks from the fledgling New Republic. Prakith underwent a period of reform: Brill's planetary defense forces became the Grand Imperial Navy, with all ships emblazoned with both the navy's insignia and the governor's personal crest; planetary law and order became the mandate of the paramilitary Red Police; and scrip was predominately used in lieu of Imperial Credits. Taking on a slew of grandiose titles, Brill ruled from Prakith's capital Prak City. A reign of terror began, with much of Prakith's populace forced to toil in foundries and silt mines to sustain Brill's defensive operation; others, like vagrants from the cities of Prall and Skoth, were executed en masse. Conscription was introduced, though Brill guaranteed the protection of draftees' families as an incentive for loyalty; since naval service was favored to mining, most draftees were content to serve in any case. The looming presence of Citadel Inquisitorius and the remaining Inquisitors also served to keep the world's citizens in line. Brill was also known to take bribes from wealthy families.

Decline and mutiny
Brill did adopt his tactics for a time in 10 and 11 ABY. During what was dubbed Operation Shadow Hand, the Emperor Reborn united Imperial warlord factions in a final offensive against the New Republic. Deciding to emerge from his military and political isolation, Foga Brill joined the unified Empire, committing all of his relatively meager resources to the cause. Palpatine was slain for the final time on Onderon in 11 ABY, and the Empire once again descended into bedlam and internecine conflict. Brill retreated to his stronghold of Prakith, continuing his defensive policy and effectively quarantining the system in anticipation of a large-scale New Republic invasion. On account of Prakith's heavy fortification, such an attack never came, the New Republic preferring a campaign of attrition to open military attacks. Though Grand Moff Gann retained nominal power over Prakith, Brill continued to rule himself.

Cut off from the rest of the galaxy, Prakith descended into a state of poverty, barely able to sustain its unrelenting defensive operations. Local scrip was practically worthless: bullion and goods were preferred, though were only available to the upper class. With the Grand Imperial Navy in serious disrepair, any ship Brill could get his hands on was amalgamated into the fleet; officers were ordered to seize any trespassing vessels, and captains who succeeded in this task were personally recognized by Brill. In 16 ABY, Brill's fleet lost two ships, Ors Dogot's Bloodprice and Voba Dokrett's Gorath, sent to commandeer a mysterious ship, the Teljkon Vagabond, that had exited hyperspace close to Prakith. The two Prakith navy vessels were destroyed by the Vagabond, further weakening Brill's beleaguered navy.

By 18 ABY, Brill was one of few surviving warlords; the New Republic annexed many of the independent fiefdoms established by Brill's rivals, while Imperial Admiral Daala had executed thirteen prominent warlords at Tsoss Beacon in 12 ABY. Additionally, Brill was the only surviving Deep Core warlord of any note, Delvardus and Harrsk having been among Daala's victims. However, Brill's own condition mirrored that of his failing dominion, and the governor began to succumb to paranoia. Prakith's desperate populace longed to break free from tyranny, and a mutiny was planned. In 18 ABY Foga Brill was betrayed by a cabal of his officers, who killed him and attempted to broker peace with the New Republic. The Prakith system was then integrated into the New Republic and reconnected with the rest of the galaxy.

Personality and traits
"For the glory of Prakith and in service to our beloved governor, Foga Brill, I commit this vessel to the fight before us!"

- Voba Dokrett, captain of the Gorath

Foga Brill was a wily man, thin and gaunt, with graying hair. Hard-working and diligent, Brill spent much of his life maintaining order, first for the Republic's Judicial Department and later for the Empire. His work for the Judicials was a source of frustration for Brill, who essentially saw his pursuit of criminals as wild bantha chases, so he embraced the Empire's harsher policies on law and order. After establishing his Constitutional Protectorate, Brill took an ever firmer stance on order, creating his own military police force to keep Prakith's population in line; undesirables were dealt with severely and with a minimum of fuss.

Brill was an opportunist, always willing to take decisions for personal gain. With the Empire's colonization came a career opportunity, which Brill took enthusiastically, falling for the Empire's promises of wealth and power more completely than most. During the final years of his crumbling military state, Brill advocated the theft of any civilian ships discovered within his territory so as to relieve his depleted navy. He also saw the opportunity to exploit his position for material gain, taking bribes from wealthy families on Prakith.

Although Brill achieved less notoriety and amassed far less territory than many of his rival warlords, in the end he proved a shrewd leader and gave them a lesson in survival. Brill ignored all entreaties from his fellows, most of whom proved themselves to be distrustful allies, and he did not engage in the squabbles over territory that weakened many warlords' position. He was cautious and pragmatic, content to consolidate his territory with no delusions of grandeur about defeating the New Republic or becoming an emperor. Thus, while most remaining warlords in 12 ABY met their end at Daala's convocation at Tsoss Beacon, Brill's insistence on isolation and defense spared him. However, the Prakith governor was not averse to adapting his strategy when it was prudent: Brill threw his lot in with the reunified Empire in 10 ABY, knowing it had a strong chance of success. When it failed, he was content to revert to type.

Brill's taste for the grandiose did belie his pragmatism to some extent. He renamed his planetary defense force the Grand Imperial Navy and emblazoned them with his own personal crest. Ships in the navy conducted any communications with other vessels ostentatiously, referring to Brill as "the potent and courageous governor for life." Brill also gave himself the title of "His Glory."

"His Glory" was well known for his cruelty between the Battle of Endor and his death, and it gained him more notoriety than his military strength. Fear of Brill's Red Police ensured the acquiesce of Prakith's people, and he kept his navy in line with the threat of demotion to mining duties, and guarantees of safety for crew members' families. This proved effective, with Brill's force showing motivation and hard-work; Captain Ors Dogot was sympathetic towards Brill, feeling that such oppressive tactics were the only realistic course available to the governor. Over a decade after the Constitutional Protectorate's founding, Brill still had the regard and loyalty of his captains. Eventually, however, they could no longer endure Brill's harsh policies and leadership, knowing he was the obstacle to an easier life under the New Republic.

Brill also spent much of the later period of his life deep in paranoia. He barricaded his forces in the Prakith system waiting for an extensive New Republic attack that never came, and this took its toll on his condition.

Behind the scenes
Foga Brill was created by Michael P. Kube-McDowell for The Black Fleet Crisis trilogy, receiving brief mentions in Shield of Lies and Tyrant's Test, both published in 1996. He was subsequently referenced in Daniel Wallace and Kevin J. Anderson's The Essential Chronology in 2000. Brill's backstory has since been expanded by Rodney Thompson's Byss and the Deep Core (2005) as well as Daniel Wallace and Jason Fry's The Essential Atlas (2010).

Appearances

 * Shield of Lies
 * Tyrant's Test