Bail Antilles (Galactic Alliance)

"What the Rear Admiral says is true&mdash;the Alliance is slowly bleeding to death."

- Bail Antilles

Bail Antilles was a human politician of the Galactic Alliance. By the time of the Sith-Imperial War, he was a member of the Triumvirate, the organization in charge of the Galactic Alliance government. He was also the father of Lieutenant Ona Antilles.

Prelude to war
"Of the Triumvirate, Gial Gahan supported the Jedi&mdash;as usual&mdash;while Nu Toreena was already in Petan's camp. She always went for the quick fix. Bail Antilles was the only undecided player."

- Gar Stazi, recalling the politics of the Triumvirate

Bail Antilles was a Human male who came from a family that was dedicated to governmental service. Prior to 130 ABY, he became a politician in the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances, a constitutional federation of member worlds and allied autonomous states. At some point, he sired a daughter, Ona Antilles. Antilles's personal charisma, connections, and family name allowed him to rise through the governmental ranks, and he eventually became a member of the Galactic Alliance's ruling Triumvirate. On the Alliance's capital world of Coruscant, Antilles served alongside the Mon Calamari Gial Gahan and the Ithorian Nu Toreena, all three of them having been elected by the Galactic Alliance Senate. Each Triumvir worked individually with specific government offices and advisory councils, and the three often consulted with members of the Alliance-allied New Jedi Order. A majority was required before the Triumvirate could make decisions or set policies, and the level-headed Antilles often cast the deciding vote.

The Triumvirate faced a crisis in the year 127 ABY. The Jedi had been working with the Yuuzhan Vong&mdash;a species hated and feared by the galactic community due to a war of conquest they had initiated a century prior&mdash;to restore ravaged worlds with Yuuzhan Vong terraforming technology in an effort called the Ossus Project. The project was secretly sabotaged by the mysterious One Sith, however, and lethal mutations began to occur in the terraformed worlds' populations. The galaxy was outraged, but the Jedi convinced the Galactic Alliance to stand behind the Yuuzhan Vong. When the Galactic Empire called for retribution and declared war on the Alliance, Antilles, Gahan, and Toreena found themselves leading their government through the Sith–Imperial War.

Alliance's end
"Whatever our misgivings, we must chance the opportunity we've been given. Combined fleets under Rear Admiral Petan will make the strike at Caamas."

- Bail Antilles casts a decisive vote

As the Empire exploited the failure of the Ossus Project to draw new worlds into its influence, the Alliance lost system after system, as well as vital military support. Although many of the military plans concocted by Antilles and the Triumvirate during the war failed, the Empire struggled against the Force abilities of the Jedi. However, one year into the conflict, the Sith emerged from hiding and entered the fighting on the Empire's side. By 130 ABY, factions within the Alliance felt that their organization was grievously suffering and sought a quick end to the war. When Rear Admiral Piers Petan received intelligence that Emperor Roan Fel would be covertly meeting with representatives of the Hapes Consortium and Chiss Ascendancy in orbit of the planet Caamas, he came before the Triumvirate on Coruscant with a plan: send all available ships to Caamas, capture or kill Fel, and force a peace upon the Empire.

Also present at the meeting were Jedi Master Kol Skywalker and Admiral Gar Stazi, both of whom expressed a belief that the intelligence had been planted in order to lure the Galactic Alliance Core Fleet away from Coruscant and into a trap. Gahan stood by the Jedi and cast his vote against the action while Toreena supported Petan, which left the decision to Antilles. He reluctantly obliged, believing that they had to chance the opportunity despite their misgivings. The Battle of Caamas was indeed a trap, and the Alliance fleet was defeated while the Sith attacked the Jedi present on a defenseless Coruscant. Petan surrendered to Imperial Grand Admiral Morlish Veed, which brought the war to an end. The Empire took control of every Alliance member world, and the Galactic Alliance ceased to exist. The Empire preserved the Alliance bureaucracy, adapting the existing political and governmental services for its new regime; although the Triumvirate was retained, Antilles and his comrades were quickly replaced with loyal Imperial bureaucrats. The Triumvirate became an executive body at the command of the Emperor.

Emperor Fel was soon afterward usurped from his throne by the Sith Lord Darth Krayt and sent into exile. Lord Krayt's Empire was challenged by Admiral Stazi, who had escaped from Caamas and formed the Galactic Alliance Remnant, and Ona Antilles served Stazi as a lieutenant. Bail Antilles died at some point prior to 137 ABY, by which time Ona no longer thought of him.

Personality and traits
"Admiral Stazi, what do you think?"

- Antilles seeks Gar Stazi's advice

Bail Antilles was able to rise through the Galactic Alliance's political ranks due to his family name, connections, and personal charisma. As a member of the Triumvirate, he was known to carefully consider all options and not behold himself to any particular organization or policy. Antilles was considered level-headed, and he often provided the swing vote between the Jedi-allied Gial Gahan and the quick–fix–seeking Nu Toreena. When deciding whether or not to attack the Empire at Caamas, Antilles considered the opposing viewpoints of both Piers Petan and Gar Stazi before ultimately choosing to risk the attack&mdash;Antilles felt that the Alliance, bereft of support from a number of systems, was slowly bleeding to death.

Behind the scenes
Bail Antilles was introduced to Star Wars canon by John Ostrander and Jan Duursema, authors of the comic series Star Wars: Legacy. He first appeared in a flashback in the series' twentieth issue, which was penciled by Omar Francia and released in February 2008. Further information on the character was provided in 2009's Legacy Era Campaign Guide, written by Rodney Thompson, Sterling Hershey, and Gary Astleford.

The name "Bail Antilles" has a long history in the Star Wars franchise, having first appeared in George Lucas's 132-page rough draft of the original Star Wars film, completed in May 1974. The character was eventually renamed Bail Organa, and a different Bail Antilles was later mentioned in the 1999 film Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Legacy 20: Indomitable, Part 1
 * Star Wars: Legacy 42: Divided Loyalties