Iving Creel

Iving Creel
Biographical information
Born	Years prior to 31.5 BBY
Descriptive information
Gender	Male

Warning: This infobox has missing parameters: parents, pronouns, children, siblings, partners, families, feathers and unrecognized parameters: era

"How will I plead you?"

―Iving Creel

Iving Creel was a famous Pleader on the planet Concord Dawn during the early years of the Galactic Empire. Circa 13 BBY, Creel visited an imprisoned Journeyman Protector—Boba Fett, going by the name Jaster Mereel—who had been detained after murdering a corrupt fellow Protector. Although Creel admitted that the murdered man had been a disgrace to his office and uniform, he expressed to Mereel that he had no right in killing him. Nevertheless, Mereel believed himself to be justified in his actions and told Creel to plead him unrepentant for the crime, despite the Pleader's warnings that he would be facing exile and perhaps even execution. After Creel defended Mereel at his murder trial, the court stripped Mereel of his belongings and exiled him from Concord Dawn.

Biography

"You're Iving Creel. I've heard of you. You're rather famous."
"No one wants it said you were not treated fairly."

―Jaster Mereel and Iving Creel

Iving Creel, born years prior to 31.5 BBY, was a Pleader of the legal system of the distant planet Concord Dawn during the early years of the Galactic Empire's dominion of the galaxy. In that capacity Creel defended those accused of crimes, earning himself some measure of fame.

During one early morning in the year 13 BBY, Creel entered the jail cell of a recently imprisoned Journeyman Protector of Concord Dawn going by the name Jaster Mereel, in reality the young bounty hunter Boba Fett. Mereel, who had killed his fellow Journeyman Protector and superior officer, Lenovar, for raping his wife, was facing exile and potential execution for his crime. Having come to hear Mereel's desired plea, which he would then announce before the body presiding over Mereel's case, Creel was surprised to hear from the indignant young man that he would stoically be pleading unrepentant. Indeed, Mereel felt himself justified in killing the other Journeyman Protector, a corrupt man whom even Creel regarded as a disgrace to his uniform.

Regardless of Mereel's stated belief that the murdered man had it coming, as Creel explained to him, he had no justification in killing him. Creel proceeded to urge Mereel to swallow his pride and apologize for the crime, otherwise, he warned, Mereel would likely be executed himself for angering the ruling body. Although Mereel again explained that he only regretted that he had not killed the man sooner, Creel urged him one last time to think upon his choice before exiting the jail cell with the unrepentant plea obtained.

Before Creel left, however, Mereel flashed him a strange grin and stated bluntly that one must not love life too much, because everyone eventually dies. Creel found himself remembering that strange smile at odd moments throughout the remainder of his life.

Creel defended Mereel in his murder trial. For the murder of a fellow Journeyman Protector and his unrepentant plea, the Concord Dawn trial court stripped Mereel of all that he owned and exiled him from the planet. Boba Fett later went on to become known as the most notorious bounty hunter in the galaxy.

Personality and traits

"You can't love life too much, Pleader. Everyone dies."

―Jaster Mereel

When Pleader Iving Creel visited Jaster Mereel's cell to hear the younger man's plea for killing a fellow Journeyman Protector, Creel was taken back by Mereel's demeanor. Not only did Mereel not rise to greet Creel when he arrived, the discourtesy of which visibly disturbed the elder Creel, but the arrogant way in which Mereel examined Creel annoyed the older man and made him feel as if he were the one facing a trial court.

Mereel's stark disregard for the murder initially perturbed Creel, who strongly urged the boy to simply apologize to the court in order to do what he could to save his own life. When Creel resignedly accepted Mereel's unrepentant plea and warned that he was likely facing his own death, Mereel retorted to the Pleader that he should not love life too much, for death would eventually befall everyone.

Behind the scenes

The character of Iving Creel was created by author Daniel Keys Moran for the short story The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett, appearing in the 1996 anthology book Tales of the Bounty Hunters. However, the character who would later be identified as Creel was first mentioned indirectly as Jaster Mereel's "pleader" in the 1995 reference book The Essential Guide to Characters. While the character only appears fleetingly across two pages within Moran's story, he did receive individual entries in the 1998 Star Wars Encyclopedia and the 2000 third edition of A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, albeit mistakenly listed in both under the name "Irving Creel," and the later 2008 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.

Appearances

• The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett (First appearance)

Sources

• The Essential Guide to Characters (First mentioned) (Indirect mention only)
• A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Third Edition (as "Irving Creel")
• Star Wars Encyclopedia (as "Irving Creel")
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Notes and references

In other languages

• Deutsch