Cal Omas

"I think a Chief of State who's just won a war against an implacable enemy might have a lot of currency with the Senate and the people."

- Luke Skywalker

Cal Omas was a male Alderaanian who served as the last Chief of State of the New Republic, and the first of the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, of which he was a founder. He began his service in galactic affairs when he joined the Alliance to Restore the Republic following the destruction of his home planet. He succeeded Leia Organa as Senator of the People of Alderaan in the New Republic, and served in that position for several years, until Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya's suicide on Coruscant during the Yuuzhan Vong attack on the capital.

Omas's peers in the Republic elected him as Fey'lya's successor, and although the New Republic would soon become the Galactic Alliance, the Alderaanian's leadership would see the end of the destructive Yuuzhan Vong War. However, peace was a rarity in the galaxy, and not more than five years later, trouble brewed in the Unknown Regions. The Dark Nest Crisis would not only pose problems to the Alliance externally, but would also create a rift between the government and the Jedi. Omas himself clashed, on several occasions with Jedi such as Kyp Durron, Kenth Hamner, Jacen Solo, and even Luke Skywalker himself. Though the rift was eventually healed, the wound would be opened up again in due course.

When the Alliance was faced with the threat of secession by the Corellians, Omas found himself accosted from all sides. Jacen Solo teamed up with Supreme Commander Cha Niathal, and began chipping away at Omas's government. The Chief of State could do little to retaliate, but when his opposite number in the Corellian government, Dur Gejjen, contacted him for peace talks, Omas saw an opportunity. However, his efforts to work with the Corellians to remove Niathal and Solo were disrupted by soldiers acting on Solo's orders. The upstart Solo then had Omas arrested, and he and Niathal replaced the Alderaaniaan as Joint Chiefs of State. To add insult to injury, Solo told young Ben Skywalker that Omas was responsible for the death of Mara Jade Skywalker (who Solo himself had killed). Ben did not believe Solo, but he considered killing Omas to get near to Jacen, breaking into his prison cell. Before he could, however, Omas told Skywalker of Solo's duplicity, and then deliberately fell on Skywalker's saber, bringing the young man to the resolution he sought, and allowing him to regain the trust of Jacen Solo. He was survived by his daughter, Elya Omas.

Early service
Cal Omas served with distinction in the Rebel Alliance during the Galactic Civil War, following the destruction of his home planet of Alderaan. Like many idealistic survivors of that world, he devoted himself fully to the Rebellion. He served in the Rebel military for several years under the Mon Calamari Admiral Ackbar, and after the major Rebel victory at the Battle of Endor, went on to become a politician in the New Republic. He was elected to the Senate by the survivors of Alderaan in 11 ABY, following the selection of Leia Organa Solo as the new Chief of State. After the ascension of Borsk Fey'lya as Chief of State in 23 ABY, Omas was selected to serve on the Advisory Council, becoming one of the more moderate and few pro-Jedi members in the body, a stance that made him a rarity.

Yuuzhan Vong Invasion
Around the time that the Yuuzhan Vong invaded in 25 ABY, Omas, along with Senator Triebakk of Kashyyyk, supported Luke Skywalker's proposal of a new Jedi Council. Soon enough, however, Coruscant grew more and more aware of the scope and destructive potential of the Vong, and following the Battle of Ithor, where the Jedi Knight Corran Horn was blamed for the ensuing devastation, the New Jedi Order found themselves under the scrutiny of the government. In spite of this, Omas continued his support of Skywalker's Jedi.



His stance constantly put him at odds with Chief of State Fey'lya, who was convinced that the Jedi had a vendetta against the Bothans. In the first year of the war, based upon intelligence from Talon Karrde, Omas recommended that a defense force be assigned to Corellia, but was outvoted. The war, however, went poorly for the Republic. The Vong cut a swathe towards the core, and eventually, Coruscant itself fell. Omas went missing during the evacuation, and the wavering Republic feared for the worst, especially the Jedi he had vehemently supported.

Fey'lya had sacrificed himself, and the Republic was in disarray, on the run as it had been in the heyday of the Galactic Empire. However, Omas had escaped the chaos on Coruscant, and had managed to flee with a minimum of fuss. He made his way to Mon Calamari, where he was reunited with the remainder of the Advisory Council.

Election of 28 ABY
"With sorrow for our countless dead, but with hope for our future. With sadness for the many who have fallen, but with confidence in the many who have taken their place&hellip; I accept the Senate's nomination to be Chief of State of the New Republic."

- Cal Omas, inauguration 28 ABY

Omas was one of the candidates to replace Fey'lya as the new Chief of State for the New Republic. Unlike the previous elections for the position, where the candidate selected won by large margins, the election promised to be a closely fought match. His primary opponent, Fyor Rodan of Commenor, immediately placed himself as the candidate who wanted to end the war&mdash;without any help or advice from the Jedi. Omas made his view clear&mdash;he fully intended to work with the Jedi to win the war. Two other candidates emerged as well: Cola Quis of Ryloth, who planned to get an early lead in the polls, and Ta'laam Ranth of Antar 4, who clamored for a large block of voting support not to win, but to decide the outcome of the election.

Omas began meeting regularly with Jedi Masters Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade Skywalker, who supported him for the position. This was due to, in part, fact that Omas had actually served with the Alliance during the Galactic Civil War gave him great weight amongst veterans of that particular war. The Jedi, however, knew that actively influencing voting might prompt cries of "foul play" from Rodan, and decided to let Omas handle the situation himself. Nevertheless, Rodan decided to make the Jedi an issue, suggesting that the government cut their funding and cease support of their exploits.

During the initial round of voting, Omas was behind Rodan by several points. After receiving the endorsement of Cola Quis of Ryloth, Omas and Rodan were in a dead heat. It was help from Talon Karrde and Lando Calrissian, who used their considerable clout to convince additional senators to support Omas, that finally gave the Alderaanian a majority. Learning of this, the Yuuzhan Vong dispatched spies to assassinate the favorite for the position of Chief of State, although their plans were foiled by Mara Jade Skywalker. Closing in for the kill, Omas offered Ranth a seat on his Advisory Council as Minister of Justice, which secured the votes of Ranth's pent up majority. As a result, 85% of the senators elected him to succeed as the new Chief of State.

Creation of the High Council
"The new head of state, this infidel Cal Omas, permits his subordinates such freedom?"

- Shimrra Jamaane

Seeking to solidify the connection between the Jedi and the Republic amidst the chaos of flight, Omas worked with Luke Skywalker to form the High Council, a governing body composed of six Jedi and six non-Jedi. The High Council immediately began planning ways to turn the tide of the war against the Vong, with debate focused around the use of the Alpha Red virus, a powerful weapon capable of destroying all Vong-based life.

Following the advice and counsel of retired Admiral Ackbar, Omas and his current Supreme Commander, Sien Sovv, readied the reforming New Republic Defense Force for battle, intent on swinging the war into the Republic's favor. Following the major victory at the Battle of Ebaq 9, the New Republic and their Jedi allies finally managed to gain the upper hand in the war. The Chief of State promised Master Skywalker that the Alpha Red program would not be deployed, unless as a last resort.

Birth of the Galactic Alliance
"Confine the Senate to its proper sphere, for one thing. It should legislate and supervise, not try to run the administration from day to day. A truly independent judiciary would curb their more ambitious maneuvers. A new federalism, that properly defines the boundaries between the Senate and the regimes on the various planets."

- Cal Omas, on the Galactic Alliance

Chief of State Omas realized that a new government was needed if the galaxy was to survive the horrors of the Yuuzhan Vong War. During the early stages of the invasion, political infighting and weak leadership led the New Republic to a great number of defeats. He realized that the cumbersome organization of the New Republic could not withstand the pressures of the galactic war. As a result, he instituted a massive reorganization and streamlining of the government. Named the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, or Galactic Alliance for short, it began the long task of bringing the galaxy back together. Even with all these governmental reforms, the problem of the Yuuzhan Vong remained. Omas guided the Alliance as its membership grew to include the Imperial Remnant, as well as other worlds that had been isolated once the war began.

Omas, however, didn't forget those fighting on the front line. He personally commended the Orange Panthacs, a battalion of B2 super battle droids, for fending off a Vong force of Fire Breathers from their homeworld of Mantessa. Thanks to the Jedi that he continually championed, the living planet Zonama Sekot was found. Discovered to be a seed of the Vong homeworld Yuuzhan'tar, it was brought to Coruscant during the Alliance's reclamation of the ecumenopolis. Omas accepted Warmaster Nas Choka's surrender on the Ralroost during the aftermath of the battle, since Supreme Overlord Shimrra Jamaane had been killed planetside by Luke Skywalker. The war was over, and it was up to Omas to maintain peace in the Alliance.

Post war, 30-35 ABY
Omas continued to serve as Chief of State, but he found his relationship with the Jedi strained. He too, was suffering from stress and age, and the formerly easy going and lighthearted Omas became a frustrated and angry man. And although he and the Alliance had previously survived one of the most destructive conflicts the galaxy had ever seen, new threats arose, seeking to tear apart Omas's government.

Troubles with the Jedi, the Chiss, and the Killiks
In 35 ABY, Omas was contacted by the Chiss Ascendancy. An ambassador, Aristocra Mitt'swe'kleoni, met with him on Coruscant, and demanded to know what a group of Jedi were doing meddling in Chiss frontier affairs. Omas had no prior knowledge of the situation, and his bewildered response prompted the Chiss to see Luke Skywalker at the New Jedi Temple. There Omas discovered that Skywalker and the Jedi also had no knowledge of these Chiss affairs. Seeking to take control of the situation, Omas personally dispatched Skywalker to investigate.

It was determined that the awry Jedi were in fact the survivors of the Mission to Myrkr, and that they had become Joiners in a Killik nest near the Chiss frontier. They had been called there by Raynar Thul, a Jedi previously thought lost, along with the Dathomir Nightsister Lomi Plo, and the Dark Jedi Welk. The Killiks were being manipulated by the Dark Nest, who were forcing them to expand into Chiss space with the help of the Jedi. Jacen Solo, acting on initiative, saw that the Killiks were under threat from Chiss retaliation, and enlisted the help of Queen Mother Tenel Ka Djo of Hapes to lend military aid.



This enraged the Chiss and, by osmosis, Omas. Relationships with the Ascendancy had already been shaky, and the military presence of a Galactic Alliance member had the potential to blossom into war. Seeking to avert such an outcome, Omas personally journeyed to the Jedi Academy on Ossus to confront Master Skywalker and his Jedi High Council. He interrupted a conference between the Council and a group of Ithorian refugees led by Waoabi to make his demands, and prompted heated debate between Council members. Omas, fed up, threatened to cut funding to the Jedi if they refused to comply with Alliance demands, only to be met with Jacen Solo asserting that the Jedi served the Force alone. Now furious, Omas continued to claim that the Jedi were bonded to the Alliance, but stopped when Leia Organa Solo provided a compromise to the situation. She proposed that the Killiks migrate to Woteba and thirteen other planets in the Utegetu Nebula, as opposed to pushing into Chiss space and provoking confrontation. In exchange, however, for possession of Woteba, Organa demanded that the homeless Ithorians be given Borao, instead of having it in the hands of RePlanetHab. Organa made this point due to the fact that she had already hoped to give Utegetu to the Ithorians, but had believed the Killik matter more pressing. Omas saw this as a viable option, and decided to let the Jedi Order be, for the time.

The Swarm War
This would not pass easily, however, and when the Killiks started causing problems in the Utegetu Nebula, Omas barred the Ithorians access to Borao. Whilst Leia Solo negotiated with UnuThul, Omas attended the funeral of Admiral Sien Sovv. Sovv, and two hundred members of his staff had perished when a drunk Vratix accidentally rammed his personal transport. At the funeral, Omas was required to place the last block, and orate a small tribute to Sovv, using exactly the same number of words as the late admiral's age in standard years. During his speech, he alluded that the Killiks were responsible for Sovv's death&mdash;although it had reportedly been an accident, findings from Jedi Master Horn led Omas to believe otherwise. His patience was being stretched thin with the Killiks, and the matter was not remedied, in Omas's eyes, by the Jedi, who constantly diverted blame away from the former natives of Alderaan. The Chief of State entered into yet another confrontation with the Jedi at the funeral, and ordered that Master Luke Skywalker contact him as soon as possible.

Worried, however, that the Killiks were getting out of hand, Omas dispatched Nek Bwua'tu and the Fifth Fleet to blockade the Utegetu Nebula, in an attempt to hinder Killik expansion. Master Skywalker had journeyed to Woteba to try and pacify UnuThul, but was held captive. No one informed Omas of this, and so when Jedi Knight Leia Organa Solo and her master, Saba Sebatyne attempted to break through the Utegetu Blockade, Omas had them detained. Hoping to secure the situation, he met with the Jedi Masters of the Advisory Council, as well as Masters Horn and Kyle Katarn. There, he continued to debate, heatedly, about the role of the Jedi in the Alliance. He was informed of Skywalker's situation, and in turn, he told the Masters of Organa Solo's arrest. Seeing an opportunity to keep the Jedi on a tighter leash, he requested that one of the Masters take charge of the order in Skywalker's absence, an idea that deeply offended Master Durron. Omas cannily suggested to Katarn that Master Horn take charge, since Horn was more sympathetic to Omas's and the Alliance's plight. Horn rose to the task, but this only further enraged Durron and Omas's detractors in the Jedi. With the Jedi Order effectively under his thumb, the Chief of State was free to deal with the Killiks in his own way.

Skywalker was able to escape Woteba, and upon his return of Ossus, he declared himself Grand Master of the New Jedi Order, and allowed Horn to return to his normal duties. Omas, however, no longer trusted Skywalker or any of the Jedi, and so enlisted Zakarisz Ghent to bug the Grand Master's office. The hapless slicer was, however, caught in the act, and he identified Omas as the one who had given the order, further lowering the Chief of State in the eyes of the Jedi.

The Utegetu Blockade blossomed into the Swarm War, and when Thyferra was taken by the Killiks, Omas and the Jedi decided to set aside their differences. Skywalker conceded that the Jedi needed to serve the Alliance as well as the Force, and together with Omas, and Supreme Commander Gilad Pellaeon, a plan was devised to restore the government on Thyferra. In due course, the Jedi were able to end the war, defeating the Killiks and appeasing the Chiss, although the unwieldiness of the whole crisis led Skywalker to remove all Jedi from the Advisory Council, believing that they had no place in politics. It is not known whether this pleased or angered Omas, but either way, Skywalker's hopes that the Jedi would detach themselves from politics would go unfulfilled.

Confederation-Galactic Alliance War
"In these times, a smile from a Jedi is a hopeful sign."

- Cal Omas, speaking to Grand Master Luke Skywalker, 40 ABY

Though the galaxy would exist in relative peace in the following years, not all of its members were satisfied. Corellia, in particular, began questioning its obligations to the Alliance, challenging trade and military laws. In 40 ABY, it was suspected that the Corellians were gearing up for all-out war, and in response, Grand Master Skywalker dispatched Jacen Solo and Ben Skywalker to deactivate the deadly superweapon Centerpoint Station. Their efforts damaged the station, however, it would still be functional, should repairs be made.

Seeing that war was on the horizon, both the Alliance and the Corellians entered into peace talks on neutral Toryaz Station. Supreme Commander Pellaeon met with Corellian Prime Minister Aidel Saxan on the station, but an attack orchestrated by the Dark Lady of the Sith, Lumiya, caused the death of Saxan and the failure of the peace talks. Knowing that the Alliance could not be seen as weak, Omas sent in the Second Fleet to blockade the Corellian system. The Corellians, however, would not let this stand, and launched a counterattack, marking the beginning of the Confederation-Galactic Alliance War.

Thrackan Sal-Solo, Saxan's successor, had been assassinated by the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett, which could have been a blessing, seeing as how Sal-Solo had been the one fanning the flames of war in the first place. But the man who replaced him, Dur Gejjen, proved to be even more trouble. Coupled with the fact that Pellaeon had resigned following the declaration of war, Omas found himself in a difficult situation. The Alliance failed to make a dent in the enemy forces, and found themselves hard pressed to keep certain worlds in the Alliance. Even on Coruscant, security saw a breakdown, leading to the commission of the Galactic Alliance Guard. The GAG, as it was commonly called, was headed by none other than Jacen Solo, though Mara Jade Skywalker had been Omas's first choice. Solo created yet another front from which Omas had to defend himself; the man had been one of the most public of the Chief of State's detractors during the Dark Nest Crisis. Pellaeon's successor, Cha Niathal, was also dissatisfied with Omas's leadership, leaving the Chief of State virtually friendless in the military. Omas considered asking the Senate for Emergency Powers, much like Palpatine, the last Supreme Chancellor of the Old Republic had, but whether this proposal was shot down in the Senate, or Omas himself decided against it is not known.

Despite Omas's dislike of Solo, he and Niathal recommended to Grand Master Skywalker that the young man be promoted to the rank of Jedi Master, based on a throwaway allusion by Master Kyp Durron. Skywalker claimed that Solo lacked the maturity, which confused Omas. He had been led to believe that Solo was one of the foremost Jedi of his time, in terms of sheer Force aptitude, and it was not uncommon for younger Jedi to receive the promotion. Nevertheless, Skywalker stood his ground, and Durron claimed that he had only suggested Solo's promotion to comply with a foible of Jedi custom.

The machinations of Jacen Solo
"You obnoxious, power-crazed, ludicrous little jerk."

- Cal Omas to Jacen Solo, 40 ABY

When the Battle of Gilatter VIII ended without victory for either side, minor conflicts started popping up all over the galaxy&mdash;some new, some old. The Sepan Civil War, a conflict that had been pacified by Admiral Harkov nearly forty years earlier, broke out again, using the Confederate/GA conflict as an excuse. Hard pressed to stop both these smaller conflicts and the larger one, Omas began to consider alternate methods of resolution. Five World Prime Minister Dur Gejjen clearly thought the same way, and contacted Omas to discuss terms. The meeting was to take place on neutral Vulpter, and was supposed to be top secret, but Jacen Solo illegally had his GAG tap the Chief of State's office, and so was aware of the meeting. Without contacting Omas, he planned to have Gejjen assassinated on the barren Deep Core world, and would also have the meeting bugged.

Even without the knowledge that Solo was planning to kill Gejjen, Omas was at his wits' end with the GAG leader and Niathal. Both of them constantly went over his head and bullied him into military entanglements, and in Omas's opinion, were more trouble than they were worth. Meeting with Gejjen on Vulpter, he requested that Solo and Niathal be neutralized, and in return, Corellia would be accepted back into the Alliance and hostilities would cease. Gejjen agreed, but as he walked away from the meeting he was felled by a head shot from the GAG sniper&mdash;Ben Skywalker. Panic ensued, and although Omas was able to return to Coruscant safely, he now found himself utterly friendless.

Last days in office
"Would you water the plants while I'm away, please? I'm afraid I'm under arrest."

- Cal Omas, speaking to his security guard while being detained by the Galactic Alliance Guard, 40 ABY

Though no one openly blamed the Alliance for the assassination, it was certainly alluded to. The war was no closer to resolution, and Omas found himself even more stressed than usual. He continued as he had before, oblivious to the manipulation by his detractors that would soon see him out of office.

Upon learning that Omas would have had him "removed" if Gejjen had survived, Solo decided that the Alderaanian was no longer fit to serve. He began studying galactic law, and began lobbying for more power, which the Senate gave him. Eventually, he had the required power to oust Omas. Striding into the Chief of State's office with GAG escort, Solo arrested Omas, who responded with icy indifference in front of the soldiers. When they had left, however, he verbally accosted Solo, labeling him a "power-crazed&hellip;little jerk". Apart from that minor outburst, he went quietly, leaving Solo to place himself and Niathal as joint Chief of State.

Death
"There is no Alliance. It died with Cal Omas."

- Luke Skywalker to Jacen Solo

Ironically, one of Solo's first acts as Chief of State would be to murder his aunt, the Grand Master's wife&mdash;Mara Jade Skywalker. However, the murder had not been planned, and Solo was not presented the opportunity to cover his tracks. Ben Skywalker, Jacen's apprentice and Jade Skywalker's son, at first suspected, and then began to believe that it was indeed Solo that had killed his mother. However, upon contacting the Joint Chief of State, he was told that Omas may well have been the one responsible. It was no secret that Omas was disenchanted in regards to the Jedi, and had often tried to outmaneuver them in a time of crisis. Solo also played a recording of Omas discussing an attack on Luke Skywalker with an unknown person, to add weight to his arguement.

The boy did not believe Solo; however, he still set out to murder the former Chief of State, so as to get close to the new Joint Chief of State. Omas, who was under house arrest, had taken a leaf out of his predecessor's book, and had rigged a bomb to explode should his heart stop beating. Young Skywalker, after a brief engagement with a security droid, ventured into the former Chief of State's quarters, but Omas got the drop on him. At first, Omas had the advantage as he held the Jedi at gunpoint, but Skywalker swiftly used the Force to disarm him. The Alderaanian was disappointed that it was not Solo himself that had come to kill him, and upon Skywalker's revelation that he sought to avenge his mother's death, Omas was shocked. Using the Force, Skywalker detected that Omas's surprise was genuine, and that it was Solo who had killed Jade Skywalker. He and Omas also deduced how Solo had made the recording. As it happened, one of Solo's GAG personnel had started "confiding" in Omas, who had borrowed her comlink so he could bid his daughter goodbye, since he knew he was not to live much longer. It was this audio that had been used to fabricate the evidence against Omas by combining actual sentences that he had said, taken out of context.

Omas was told by Skywalker that his death was to be faked, but he realized such deception would not fool Jacen. When he understood this, Omas grabbed his fallen blaster and began firing wildly at Skywalker, deliberately missing him. The Coruscant Security Forces were attempting to break into the office, without success. Eventually, Omas cornered Skywalker, and deliberately fell on the Jedi's lightsaber, committing suicide. Apologizing to Skywalker, he explained that his wild retaliation and death as a cover was the only way his plan would work. The young Jedi was able to escape the building before the grenade detonated, and left with the knowledge that his mentor was dangerously unstable.

Personality and traits
Cal Omas was a reactionary man. It took the destruction of Alderaan for him to see the error of Palpatine's way, the Yuuzhan Vong invasion for him to see the flaws of the New Republic, and his own ascension to Chief of State to see the shortcomings of the Jedi. Before the retaking of Coruscant, Omas was also known as a good-natured man, with a sense of humour and the ability to accept when he was wrong. However, he would clash with them constantly after the Liberation of Coruscant. He was quick to anger, but loathe to compromise, as he demonstrated time and time again in meetings with the Jedi Council. Omas was of the opinion that the Jedi should serve the Alliance wholly, a view not shared by the Jedi themselves.

At first, Omas was known to be on the front line, serving in the Galactic Civil War, and later, staying on Coruscant when the Vong took it. But during the Swarm and Alliance/Confederation Wars, respectively, Omas was very rarely close to any of the combat. He retained the diplomatic skills that had originally elevated him in the eyes of his peers, negotiating successfully with the Chiss, but his skills failed him with the Corellians. He was also willing to secure victory for his people at dire costs, even considering the use of the biological weapon "Alpha Red" during the darkest hours of the Yuuzhan Vong War.

Behind the scenes
Cal Omas was created for the New Jedi Order book series, where he first appeared in the preliminary installment, R. A. Salvatore's Vector Prime. The character would continue to make fleeting appearances in the series until Walter Jon Williams' Destiny's Way. In this novel, Omas was elected as Chief of State of the New Republic, which would eventually lead to him being a major character in later novels. In Troy Denning's Dark Nest Trilogy, Omas was turned into a political antagonist for the Jedi, a change that would last through to the Legacy of the Force series. In 2007's Inferno, Denning killed off the Omas character following his arrest in Karen Traviss's Sacrifice.

Appearances

 * Vector Prime
 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
 * Balance Point
 * Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
 * Destiny's Way
 * Ylesia
 * Force Heretic I: Remnant
 * Force Heretic II: Refugee
 * Force Heretic III: Reunion
 * The Unifying Force
 * Dark Nest I: The Joiner King
 * Dark Nest II: The Unseen Queen
 * Dark Nest III: The Swarm War
 * Betrayal
 * Bloodlines
 * Tempest
 * Exile
 * Sacrifice
 * Inferno