Counselor to the Empire

"As I am the adviser to this group and to the Empire at large, I shall take for myself the title of Counselor to the Empire, serving as an interstitial leader only until Grand Admiral Sloane returns to us."

- Gallius Rax, to members of the Shadow Council

Counselor to the Empire, commonly referred to as Counselor, was the title of the de facto leader of the Galactic Empire at large, established months after the downfall of the Empire at the Battle of Endor. The title was self-proclaimed by Gallius Rax, a male human from the desert planet Jakku who served as Fleet Admiral in the Imperial Navy and to whom the late Emperor Palpatine entrusted the Contingency&mdash;a plan to ensure that the Empire would not outlive Palpatine if he were to be removed from power.

Rax took upon this unprecedented title during a meeting of the Shadow Council, a council he envisioned to govern the shattered Empire from behind the scenes, shortly after his attack on the New Republic capital Chandrila in the year 5 ABY. Rejecting the titles of Emperor and Grand Admiral, Rax claimed that his title was expected to be temporary, and only to advise the Council until the return of Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, public figurehead of the Empire at the time. However, he was actually trying to change the nature of the Contingency to his advantage so he could eventually start a new empire of his own. During the same meeting, General Hodnar Borrum protested the idea, stating that a title not previously seen in Imperial records would leave the Empire "effectively leaderless."

As the Counselor to the Empire, Rax wore a white naval uniform&mdash;similar to the uniform worn by Imperial Grand Admirals&mdash;along with a red cape; acted as the commanding officer of the Imperial forces, most notably during the Battle of Jakku. The title seemingly perished with Rax's death during the battle, as Grand Admiral Sloane took control of the remaining Imperial forces.

Appearances

 * Aftermath: Life Debt
 * Aftermath: Empire's End