Walex Blissex

Walex Blissex
Descriptive information
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Height	1.94 meters
Hair color	Black
Chronological and political information
Affiliation(s)	Galactic Republic Alliance to Restore the Republic New Republic

Warning: This infobox has missing parameters: parents, pronouns, masters, apprentices, skin, children, siblings, type, partners, families, cyber, feathers, mass and unrecognized parameters: hideb, era

Walex Blissex was an esteemed starship engineer.

Biography

Galactic Republic

"She is a remarkable vessel. With the engineering breakthroughs we tackled developing her, she's just the start. She's a real sign of things to come."

―Walex Blissex

Walex Blissex was a starship engineer who designed all kinds of craft, from starfighters to battleships. Despite his inability to operate a computer, he was always aided by assistants and his daughter, Lira. In 22 BBY, Blissex was working at Kuat Drive Yards, with the title of Project Engineer. He designed and developed the Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor, a small craft purpose-built for use by the Jedi Order. Blissex was proud of his craft, and joined in the unveiling on Kuat with Senator Risi Lenoan, and Jedi Knights Adi Gallia and Aayla Secura. Blissex took this opportunity to speak to HoloNet News.

In the waning days of the Galactic Republic and the Clone Wars, Blissex designed the Victory-class Star Destroyer for Rendili StarDrive. The craft was considered to be among the best of its kind, and although it saw limited use by the Republic, it would be a mainstay of the Galactic Empire fleet in the future. Blissex himself was never comfortable with devising war machines, but he acknowledged the need for them to keep the peace.

When Supreme Chancellor Palpatine made his grab for power in 19 BBY, Blissex chose to disappear from the galactic spotlight. He was idealistic, and he vehemently disagreed with Palpatine's policy of using weapons of mass destruction to police his new Galactic Empire, but he understood the threat that the Emperor posed to his safety. Rather than be forced to do that which he believed wrong, Blissex became one of the founding members of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Despite this, his daughter married Imperial Governor Denn Wessex of the Reglim Sector, and took her father's intended place in the Empire. She designed the Imperial I-class Star Destroyer, working from her father's designs for the Victory I-class.

Most importantly, however, he was the mind behind the Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter, that would be the predecessor of the Empire's TIE Fighter.

The Rebel Alliance

File:Walex Blissex2.jpg

Walex Blissex.

Blissex served the Alliance faithfully as an engineering advisor, but he inconsolable rift between him and his daughter affected him greatly. Although he intended to amend their relationship, Lira did not. Eventually, Blissex learned from Denn Wessex that his daughter was apparently dying. Wessex pleaded with Blissex to make the trip to the Reglim Sector to see Lira, but Alliance High Command was skeptical. Labelling it a trap, they cautioned Blissex, but the esteemed engineer insisted that he was of no use to the Empire, and that he would make the trip no matter what.

Alliance High Command was still not satisfied, and so General Crix Madine dispatched two of his agents, Rexellian Marshall and Kan Deans to watch over Blissex. Wessex arranged to have Blissex picked up from Kwenn Space Station by the Subjugator, which would be traveling under the ruse of a supply stop. Upon reaching Kwenn, Blissex, Marshall and Deans were all thrown in the Subjugator's detention cells, ready for interrogation by the fit and well Lira Wessex. Lira had devised the trap, as her designs for the Imperial-I-class had never been able to match the quality they would have reached at her fathers hands.

During the interrogation, the Subjugator fell under attack from Task Force Starfall, who had no knowledge that Blissex was onboard. During the battle, both ships recieved heavy damage, but the Subjugator was crippled. Captain Kolaff set the Subjugator to self-destruct just as the Rebels would make their second attack with a code known only to Lira and Blissex. During a power blackout, Marshall and Deans liberated Blissex from an interrogation droid. The trio then made their way through the burning body of the Subjugator, while being antagonized by Kolaff. Blissex's knowledge of his own ship design was critical in guiding the small group through the ship, but his comrades soon discovered that he did not know how to operate a computer. Deans, however, was able to discover Kolaff's plan, and that Lira, who was on board, had been the one who trapped Blissex. The engineer was devestated at the news, but was given little time to console himself.

Marshall and Deans were able to defeat Kolaff in an AT-ST duel, but Lira and a squad of stormtroopers arrived to stop them and Blissex from escaping. As the assailants attempted to kill the Rebels, the droid complement of the Subjugator, abandoned by their masters, attacked Lira and the stormtroopers, buying Blissex time to escape. The members of Task Force Starfall picked up the trio, and Lira too was able to depart before the Subjugator exploded. Despite this, Blissex assumed that Lira had died in the explosion, leaving him no opportunity to reconcile their relationship. Heartbroken, Blissex returned to active service.

Following the Battle of Yavin, General Jan Dodonna realized that the Alliance needed a starfighter that could match the TIE Fighter for speed and maneuverability. He approached Blissex, and together they developed the RZ-1 A-wing interceptor. Though Mon Mothma was initially skepitcal, she gave in to the now-popular Dodonna, and the craft was developed. For research, Blissex and Dodonna examined the sleek ships of the Tammuz-an space navy, such as the R-22 Spearhead. Mothma, however, refused to adequately fund the project, forcing Blissex to get the maximum output for the lowest amount of input. Putting his skills to good use, Blissex was able to successfully assemble the RZ-1, using components so common that they could be found anywhere in the galaxy, without sacrificing any performance whatsoever. Due to his service to the Alliance, he was given the honorary rank of general.

In 4 ABY, Blissex was present aboard the Home One, in preparation for the climactic Battle of Endor. Blissex's expertise in the field of Star Destroyers gave him particular call to be present for the battle, as the Alliance would face a large amount of them over the Sanctuary Moon. In particular, Blissex provided the B-wing pilots with calculations and reccomendations that would lead them to destroy one Star Destroyer during the battle, and damage several others. Ironically, one of Blissex's A-wing starfighters would destroy the Executor, which was designed by Lira. The Endor briefing would prove to be one of the last times Blissex was seen in public.

When the Alliance gave way to the New Republic, Blissex retired from active service. Several years later, his friendship with Jan Dodonna would bring him back into the military fold. Blissex became a part of Dodonna's "Grey Cadre," which served as a council of military advisors to the New Republic High Command. Amongst the battle hardened veterans that made up the group, Blissex was the most quiet and reserved of the lot.

Blissex later designed the Republic-class Star Destroyer for the New Republic.

Appearances

• New Jedi Starfighter Unveiled — HoloNet News Vol. 531 #47 (content now obsolete; backup link)
• Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (First appearance) (Retcon)

Sources

• Imperial Sourcebook (First mentioned)
• Star Wars Sourcebook
• Rebel Alliance Sourcebook
• Starfall
• Classic Adventures: Volume Five
• Crisis on Cloud City
• The Official Star Wars Fact File 121
• The Official Star Wars Fact File 130
• The New Essential Guide to Characters
•  Star Wars Customizable Card Game — [[Unknown set: No set defined!]]
• A-wing starfighter in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
• Jedi starfighter in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
• V-wing starfighter in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
• Imperial Star Destroyer in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
• General Jan Dodonna in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)