Leonia Tavira

"I would apologize for the means used to get you here, but you'd never accept it, and I never apologize."

- Leonia Tavira

Leonia Tavira was a human female who became the youngest person to achieve the rank of Moff in the Galactic Empire, an achievement all the more remarkable considering that she was a woman.

Biography
Leonia was born into poverty on the planet Eiattu VI, sometime between 18 and 12 BBY. The fear of returning to poverty would drive many of her schemes later in life.

At the age of sixteen she became the mistress of the planet's Grand Moff, Tharil Tavira. After Tavira's wife died under mysterious circumstances&mdash;though some rumors claimed Leonia had a hand in those "mysterious circumstances"&mdash;Leonia married Tharil. Shortly before the Battle of Endor, Tharil suffered a stroke. After fighting for mobility to free him of paralysis, he took a blaster to his head, rather than live as a "pathetic cripple," though again rumors persisted of Leonia's involvement with Tharil's death. Whatever the cause, Leonia readily took her late husband's place as Regional Governor, continuing to sign her reports as "Moff Tavira," as Tharil had. Imperial Center never realized the transition.

She soon entered into a relationship with Harran Estillo, the presumed heir to the throne of Eiattu, through whom she controlled the People's Liberation Battalion in order to play them off against the aristocratic ruling council, the Priamsta. In fact, the putative "Prince Harran" was an impostor, an Imperial agent, and the true heir was Rogue Squadron pilot Plourr Ilo. When the Imperial forces on Eiattu were defeated, the impostor's identity was revealed, and Tavira fled the system in a single Imperial shuttle, laden with booty.



Tavira subsequently retained some influence on Eiattu through continuing contacts with Imperial agent and leading Priamsta member Count Arian Laabann, but although she continued to use the Imperial rank of Admiral, she lost control of her former forces, allying herself instead with Kavil and his pirate organization, Kavil's Corsairs. Through Count Laabann, she hatched a plan to capture Princess Leia Organa Solo on a visit to Eiattu, who she hoped to use to win favor with Director of Intelligence Ysanne Isard&mdash;though in reality, her agents inadvertently captured Leia's decoy, Winter, who later escaped Tavira's custody. Later, she attempted to double-cross both Sate Pestage and Ysanne Isard, but Isard's intervention foiled Tavira's plot.

At some later point, she joined forces with High Admiral Treuten Teradoc, and acquired the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Invidious, which she used as her flagship. Centered around this, she formed and led the Invids, a loose coalition of pirate bands. Tavira was also able to use the Jensaarai to protect her from and alert her of detection, making her raids all the more successful.

Following the Battle of Dac, Tavira, operating out of Suarbi 7/5, also known as Susevfi, coerced the Jensaarai into kidnapping Mirax Terrik Horn by threatening to destroy the Jensaarai's people. This led to Corran Horn initiating a search for his wife, and the Jedi trainee soon fell into Tavira's trap. Leonia's actions, including the destruction of Harmzuay, further enhanced her fearsome reputation and brought the Jensaarai even more under her control as they grew more fearful that she would make good on her threat to destroy the people of Susevfi, though her Invid operations suffered when Horn disrupted activities on Courkrus. Eventually, Horn and Luke Skywalker launched a raid on Tavira's fortress on the Suarbi moon. No longer able to fully control the situation, Tavira attempted to destroy the moon to kill the Jedi, but her fleet was confronted by the Backstab and Errant Venture. Corran then used a powerful mind trick to frighten Tavira into believing that a large New Republic fleet, including the Executor-class Star Dreadnought Lusankya and the Sun Crusher, was arriving in the vicinity, and she fled into hyperspace.

Her whereabouts or operations after losing control over the Jensaarai are unknown.

Behind the scenes
There is some confusion as to Leonia's rank, as while Tharil Tavira is said to have been a Grand Moff, she is only ever named as a Moff.

Most depictions of her in The Warrior Princess show her with the rank insignia appropriate for a Grand Moff, although in two frames she wears instead a rank badge similar to those of ordinary Moffs at the start of the Empire, and a cover shows her with a third insignia, different again.

Her position as Admiral in subsequent storylines may reflect the status of High Admiral held by most Moffs and Grand Moffs, although she subsequently eschews her Moff's rank insignia&mdash;really the insignia of military rank associated with the role of Regional Governor&mdash;for the badge of a senior Admiral.

Appearances

 * X-wing Rogue Squadron: The Warrior Princess
 * X-wing Rogue Squadron: In the Empire's Service
 * X-wing Rogue Squadron: Masquerade
 * X-wing Rogue Squadron: Mandatory Retirement
 * X-wing: Isard's Revenge
 * I, Jedi
 * Star Wars: Union