Raymus Antilles

For other uses, see Antilles.

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"The war will go on without me. It won't without you."

―Raymus Antilles, to Leia Organa^[src]

Raymus Antilles was a human male from Alderaan. During his time in the service of the House of Organa, he captained the CR90 corvettes Tantive III and Tantive IV. Antilles was killed in action during the secret mission to Tatooine while trying to protect Princess Leia Organa from being captured by Darth Vader.

Biography

Early life

Antilles-SWE — A younger Antilles circa 19 BBY.

A human male, Raymus Antilles hailed from the influential and peaceful planet of Alderaan.^[3] He was schooled in diplomacy and became a capable starship pilot. Eventually, he came to work for the House of Organa, being entrusted to transport its members across the galaxy. As such, he served in the command staff of Senator Bail Organa, husband to Queen Breha of Alderaan.^[1] Towards the end of the Clone Wars, Antilles piloted the CR70 corvette Tantive III for Bail.^[7]

Imperial Era

"Our last master was Captain Antilles, but with what we've been through, this little R2 unit has become a bit eccentric."

―C-3PO, to Luke Skywalker^[src]

During the fall of the Galactic Republic and the early days of the Galactic Empire, Antilles was captain of the Tantive III. He was present when Bail saved Jedi Masters Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi from the Great Jedi Purge. After the birth of Padmé Amidala's twins Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, Antilles was given charge of Amidala's two droids, R2-D2 and C-3PO, and was instructed to wipe the latter's memory.^[7] Antilles knew that Leia was Bail's adoptive daughter and over the years began to serve her as well as her father, but did not know the truth about her birth parents.^[source?]

Early rebellion

A year after the fall of the Republic, Antilles was present when former Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano broke onto the Tantive IV and into Bail's quarters to discuss joining the rebellion. Concerned about Bail's safety, Antilles abruptly entered Bail's quarters with a security team whilst he was talking to Tano, but Bail assured him that she was a friend. Shortly after, Antilles was having a conversation with Bail in the Tantive IV's mess hall, when Tano approached the pair to devise a plan to help her remaining friends on the moon Raada. Once signaled by Tano, Antilles and the Tantive IV, along with several other transports and A-wings, traveled to Raada to help evacuate the farmers on the moon from Imperial occupation.^[5]

Over the following years, Antilles carefully steered the Tantive IV through countless Imperial blockades and checkpoints, always able to avoid suspicion and detection. Antilles also served alongside Toshma Jefkin for years, sharing many close encounters with Imperial forces.^[8]

Galactic Civil War

Escaping Scarif

"Your Highness, the transmission we received. What is it they’ve sent us?"
"Hope."

―Princess Leia and Captain Antilles after the latter receives the Death Star plans^[src]

Antilles hands over plans — Antilles rushes the Death Star plans to Princess Leia shortly after the Battle of Scarif.

Still a servant of the Organas, Antilles proved himself an extraordinary leader, as he broke through countless Imperial blockades to get supplies to the Alliance to Restore the Republic. He continued to serve Princess Leia, after she succeeded her father as Senator of Alderaan.^[9] Like few others save her adoptive father, the princess came to trust and rely upon Antilles to the point she insisted of ensuring his family was well provided during his time by her side.^[8]

In 0 BBY, the Rebel Alliance went to Scarif to steal the plans to the Death Star, an Imperial battle station equipped with a superlaser capable of destroying planets.^[10] Prior to leaving for the battle, Antilles warned Organa about the possibility that the Empire could track them down by detecting any trace of an abnormal hyperspace wake, having a very bad feeling about the mission, but Organa insisted to go.^[8]

During the Battle of Scarif, the Rogue One squad succeeded in stealing the Death Star plans and transmitting them to the Profundity before the Imperial security complex was all but destroyed by the superweapon's laser under the orders of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. Antilles was given the plans to the Death Star after Darth Vader's attack on the Profundity and immediately rushed the plans to the princess as they escaped into hyperspace aboard the Tantive IV.^[10]

Mission to Tatooine

"We intercepted no transmissions! This is a consular ship! We're on a diplomatic mission!"

―Antilles' final words, to Darth Vader^[src]

However, Vader's flagship, the Devastator, followed them. Antilles and Leia learned from the ship's technicians that their damaged vessel was giving off a special signature that allowed the Empire to track them, confirming Antilles' fears. Still worried about the princess' security, Antilles asked Leia to use one of the escape pods, but chief petty officer Corla Metonae as the Tantive IV was still flying under a diplomatic flag, the Empire would not dare to board them, but Antilles really doubted that could happen given the importance of what Rogue One had stolen from Scarif and that Darth Vader had been dispatched to retrieve the plans. With little time left, Antilles returned to his quarters and attempted to write three letters, one for his wife, and two for his daughters, but he was never able to find the words. When the ship exited hyperspace, the Devastator was not far behind.^[8]

The ship was captured in the Tatoo system.^[2] Realizing that the ship was lost but that he could still save the princess, Antilles searched desperately for Organa after asembling his security forces until he found her with R2-D2. Antilles asked Organa to escape in a pod, but she refused to leave. Wanting to end his life like he lived it, by fighting, Antilles rushed down the hall and started to shoot at his enemies. The captain was able to kill several stormtroopers before three of them tackled him and identified him as the ship's captain. Antilles was then brought to Darth Vader, who had boarded the corvette.^[8]

Upon being notified that the Death Star plans weren't on the main computer, Vader asked Antilles what they had done with the plans while strangling him. A loyal guard to the princess, the captain protected Leia's identity, assuring the Sith Lord that they had received no transmissions because the Tantive IV was a consular ship on a diplomatic mission, leading Vader to ask Antilles where the ambassador was in that case as Antilles desperately fought for air.^[2] As he began to lose consciousness, Raymus Antilles found himself strangely hopeful. Acknowledging that his life had come to an end, Antilles hoped before expiring that Leia would find a way to escape and deliver the plans to the rebellion so they could destroy the Death Star.^[8] The Dark Lord then tossed Antilles' lifeless body to the side after the unsuccessful interrogation.^[2]

Personality and traits

A loyal servant to the royal family of Alderaan, Raymus Antilles was a level-headed captain entrusted by Bail Organa's command staff.^[1] Antilles' main priority was the safety of Bail Organa and his family, willing to break with a security team into Bail's quarters to protect him if he felt that there was any danger.^[5] Antilles was very dutiful to Organa, as demonstrated when the Viceroy entrusted him with wiping out the memory of C-3PO.^[7]

In the years leading up to the Galactic Civil War, Antilles continued to serve the Organas by being entrusted the safety of Princess Leia Organa.^[1] When it became clear that the Empire would soon find them, Antilles was more concerned about the princess' safety than his own, having warned her previously of the dangers of the mission and asking her to leave the Tantive IV with an escape pod. As captain, Antilles was willing to go down with his ship if necessary.^[8] A brave man, Antilles remained loyal to the princess and the rebellion to the end, refusing to reveal her identity to Darth Vader and even lying to the fearsome Sith Lord, who strangled him to death.^[2]

Antilles loved and cared for his family. Shortly before his death, Antilles tried to write three letters for his beloved wife and their two young daughters, whom he had barely seen, with two of them destined for his daughters to see once they grew up to tell them that while they would grow up without him to their side, it wasn't because for the lack of his love for them, but because he loved them so much that he was determined to give everything to ensure they could live the life they deserved. By this point, Antilles realized that the most bitter irony of war was that his greatest acts of love for his family were the very ones that kept him apart from them.^[8]

Raymus Antilles was a human male who stood 1.88 meters^[4] and had Light skin, brown eyes and brown hair.^[3]

Behind the scenes

Raymus Antilles was played by Peter Geddis in the 1977 original Star Wars film Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope.^[2] Rohan Nichol later played Antilles in the 2005 film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith.^[7] Tim Beckmann then played Antilles in the 2016 Star Wars Anthology film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.^[10]

For Antilles' appearance in Revenge of the Sith, director George Lucas proposed Denis Lawson, who played Wedge Antilles in the original trilogy, to appear as Antilles as Jeremy Bulloch had a cameo playing Jeremoch Colton. Lucas cast Nichol, his original choice, after Lawson turned down the offer.^[source?]

Nichol suffered an accidental shaving incident leaving a noticeable nick on his chin that would not stop bleeding prior to filming for Revenge of the Sith. After apologizing to George Lucas for the blemish, the latter jokingly responded that the character "must have gotten it in the Clone Wars".^[11]