Gar Stazi

"I will surrender, Admiral, when I can no longer fight!"

- Admiral Gar Stazi, speaking to Grand Admiral Morlish Veed at the Battle of Caamas

Gar Stazi was a Duros admiral serving the Galactic Alliance Remnant in 137 ABY. He served as its Supreme Commander and lead the Alliance from the bridge of his personal flagship, the Scythe-class battle cruiser Indomitable. To maintain his fleet's ability to attack the Sith, Stazi regularly sought spare parts, supplies, new recruits, and even tried to capture major Imperial warships to bloster his fleet.

Before the Sith-Imperial War, Admiral Stazi was a prominent Alliance officer, commanding the Core Fleet. His actions at the Battle of Caamas preserved a portion of the Alliance to continue the fight, as well as made him a legend among the Imperial officers he faced in battle.

Biography
"I think it's a trap. I think we were fed the intelligence."

- Admiral Gar Stazi, speaking to the Alliance Triumvirate two days prior to the Battle of Caamas

Command during Sith-Imperial War


As early as 130 ABY, Duros Admiral Gar Stazi was the commander of the Galactic Alliance Core Fleet. A prestigious command, the Core Fleet was assigned the crucial role of defending Coruscant and other key Core Worlds. Due to his role as defender of the Alliance capital, Stazi was present during a critical meeting of the Alliance Triumvirate. At the meeting, the Triumvir's Gial Gahan, Nu Toreena, and Bail Antilles listened to a proposed plan for ambushing Emperor Roan Fel at Caamas by recently promoted Rear Admiral Piers Petan. Based on intelligence that Petan had, Fel was scheduled to meet with representatives of the Hapes Consortium and Chiss Ascendancy to discuss plans for joining forces against the Alliance.

Gial Gahan was opposed to the ambush, on the advice on Jedi Master Kol Skywalker. Skywalker argued against sending Alliance forces to Caamas, stating that the New Jedi Order believed that it was an Imperial trap. Stazi agreed with both Skywalker and Gahan as well, expressing his opinion bluntly to the Triumvirate that Caamas was a trap.

However, Petan's arguments swayed the third Triumvir, Bail Antilles. Fearing that the Alliance was slowly bleeding away star systems, Antilles agreed to approve Petan's plan. Still wary of the battle plan proposed by Petan, Stazi confided to his friend and fellow officer Jaius Yorub that he planned to cover the Alliance rear and keep means of escape open for the fleet.

During the Battle of Caamas, Stazi watched his worst fears become true&mdash;the Empire had ambushed the combined Alliance fleet. As the battle raged, any hope of Jedi aid was dashed when news was received that the Jedi Order thwarted a Sith feint near Coruscant. While the Jedi's action was successful, their forces were now out of position to link up with the Alliance at Caamas. Late in the battle, Grand Admiral Morlish Veed, possessing the advantage, called on the Alliance fleet to surrender. Feeling the situation was hopeless, Alliance Admiral Borasco called on all of his forces to accept the terms.

Refusing to surrender, Stazi instead called on any forces willing to follow his lead. Other Alliance commanders such as Admiral Nict of the Pride of Corellia, an old friend of Stazi's, responded to his call. Stazi led the remnants of the Alliance fleet in a fighting withdrawal&mdash;keeping his remaining ships together. His performance at Caamas made him a legend among the Empire.

Opposition to the Sith Empire


By 137 ABY, Stazi lead the Galactic Alliance Remnant. During the seven years prior, Stazi maintained a campaign of harassment against the Sith-led Empire. Over time, his attacks proved to make his forces more of a threat to the Sith, rather than less of one. Stazi led these attacks from the bridge of his personal flagship, the Scythe-class battle cruiser Indomitable.

In addition to numerous battle cruisers and escort vessels, Stazi's fleet also included one of the galaxy's most elite starfighter units&mdash;Rogue Squadron. Led by Weequay Commander Jhoram Bey, the Rogues flew the Alliance's CF9 Crossfire starfighter. In addition to the standard duties associated with fighter pilots, some Rogues were periodically assigned to supply runs, such as Monia Gahan.

While no worlds could risk openly supporting the remnants of the Galactic Alliance, some did offer it substantial covert support. Mon Calamari, longtime supporter of the the Alliance and it's predecessors, the New Republic and Rebel Alliance, supplied Stazi with spare parts, supplies, bacta, and new recruits. This helped keep Stazi's fleet combat ready, though supplies were increasingly tight due to similar actions undertaken by Roan Fel's Loyalist forces on Bastion.

Meeting on the Wheel
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Admiral Stazi. You're a legend among us, you know."

- Captain Mingo Bovark

As the Sith continued to tighten their grip on the galaxy, the need for a more unified opposition to their rule became apparent. Already engaged in his own actions against the Sith, Emperor-in-exile Roan Fel decided to approach Stazi with an offer of alliance. Fel dispatched an Imperial fast frigate under Captain Mingo Bovark to meet with Stazi. Stazi chose to directly represent the Alliance Remnant during a meeting held on the space station known as the Wheel. Stazi did not to travel to the Wheel on his flagship the Indomitable, instead choosing a Galactic Alliance frigate. Arriving at the Wheel aboard a shuttle, Stazi's only companions were three Alliance soldiers. These solider were unarmed due to restrictions in place by the Wheel's administrator, Pol Temm.

As the meeting commenced, Stazi expressed his reluctance to join Fel's loyalist forces, maintaining that he had little to offer the remnants of the Galactic Alliance fleet. He further pointed out that both the GA Remnant and Fel's forces were often competing for the same scarce resources. However, the revelation that Fel had captured Bastion convinced the Admiral that discussions of an alliance were valuable. Bastion provided something that the Alliance didn't have: a safe world from which to launch strikes at Krayt's Empire. As such, both Bovark and Stazi commenced negotiations.



However, other factors prevented an alliance between Fel and the GA Remnant. Sith assassin Jor Tolin had been disathced to the Wheel by Darth Maladi in an effort to find Cade Skywalker, the last known surviving Skywalker and son of Jedi Master Kol Skywalker. Unbeknownst to the Sith, Morrigan Corde, alterego of Nyna Calixte, also had a vested interest in finding Cade. It was while searching for Cade on the Wheel that Corde discovered the meeting between Stazi and Bovark. After saving Tolin from a gang of criminals, she convinced the Sith agent to work with her to sabotage the conference.

Using advanced technology known as FIDO, which attached itself to Borvark's Nu-class shuttle, Tolin and Corde managed to order Bovark's Imperial shuttle to open fire on Admiral Stazi's shuttle. Warned of the attack over his personal comm unit, Stazi assumed the entire confernece was a elaborate Imperial ruse. Revealing a vibroblade he managed to hide in his sleeve, Stazi thrust at Bovark. He was prevented from harming Bovark due to the timely arrival of Imperial Knight Antares Draco, who used a Force Push and threw Stazi against the wall. Arriving on the scence with guards of his own, Pol Temm instructed Bovark to leave the Wheel, forbiding him or any other of Fel's forces to ever return. Admiral Stazi was allowed to return to his shuttle, departed the station.

Battle of Mon Calamari
"Only one choice is left to you now -- surrender or be destroyed. Which will it be, Stazi?"

- Admiral Dru Valan

Sometime after the disasterous meeting on the Wheel, Gar Stazi learned about the Imperious, a new advanced class of Star Destroyer. Under construction at the Mon Calamari Shipyards, the warship was larger and more powerful than the Empire's Pellaeon-class Star Destroyer. Always in need of additional forces to carry on his opposition, Stazi planned to capture the Star Destroyer and add it to his fleet.

Intel was provided to him by Rogue Squadron pilot Monia Gahan, courtesy of her uncle and longtime Stazi friend, Gial Gahan. Despite the risk that the operation posed to his fleet, Stazi put into motion his plan to capture the Imperious. The former Triumvir had been supplying the Alliance with supplies ever since the end of the Sith-Imperial War. Gahan planned to access the central computer of the shipyard's defensive system and shut them down moments before Stazi's fleet appeared. This would allow Alliance forces to board the Imperious, disable it's skeleton crew, and flee the system before any Imperial forces could arrive.

However, Admiral Dru Valan of the Outer Rim Third Fleet was waiting for him. Expecting that Stazi would try to capture the Imperious, Imperial stormtroopers were ready for both Gahan's sabotage attempt and the Alliance commandos. With both efforts foiled, it appeared that Admiral Stazi and his fleet were trapped between the defense systems on Mon Calamari and Valan's Imperial fleet.

Personality and traits
"The Galaxy is more important. If I were to fall, the battle must still go on. No one being can be more important than the cause."

- Admiral Stazi to his aide, Captain Jaius Yorub

Described as wily and determined, Admiral Gar Stazi was considered a successful fleet commander. His fighting withdrawal from the debacle at Caamas made him a legend with Imperial commanders, as well as revered by those that served under him. Seven years of fighting the Sith-controlled Empire gave Stazi little patience, as well as a distrust of Imperial motives, evidenced by his reluctance to trust Roan Fel's representative during negotiations on the Wheel. This was also echoed by Alliance personnel like Rogue Squadrom commander Jhoram Bey, who warned his subordinates not to keep the admiral waiting for critical information.

Committed to defeating the Sith, Stazi made clear to the officers and crew serving under him that no one individual was more important than the cause- freeing the galaxy from the tyranny of the Sith.

Behind the scenes
Admiral Stazi was created by John Ostrander, writer of the Star Wars Legacy comic series. He first appeared in the Trust Issues story arc, and later in Star Wars Legacy: Indomitable. In his first appearance, he was drawn by Colin Wilson. In his subsequent appearances, Stazi was drawn by Omar Francia. Jan Duursema has said on the Dark Horse message boards that Stazi's name is pronounced STAH-zee.

Gar Stazi was the first Galactic Alliance character specifically named in Legacy. Prior to his appearance, the only hint or mention of the Alliance in the Legacy series was a brief mention of the CF9 Crossfire starfighter and the Galactic Alliance Core Fleet. Stazi is one of only four Duros admirals developed in the Expanded Universe. The other three were also affliated with the New Republic/Galactic Alliance- Darez Wuht, Tarla Limpan , and Kir Vantai.

Appearances

 * Star Wars Legacy: Trust Issues
 * Star Wars Legacy: Indomitable

Notes and references
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