Bombing of the Treitamma Political Center

OnALegendsArticle

"I mean, everyone thought you died on Anchoron."
"In a very real sense, I did. The Emperor wasn’t quite able to kill me at Anchoron, but he might just as well have done so. He took everything I had except my life: my family, my profession, even all future contacts with mainstream Corellian society. He forced me outside the law I’d worked so hard to create and maintain. Forced me to become a rebel."
―Han Solo and Garm Bel Iblis, in 9 ABY[5]

The bombing of the Treitamma Political Center was committed by the Galactic Empire under the direction of Armand Isard for the purpose of assassinating Corellian Senator Garm Bel Iblis. The senator's family were killed, but Bel Iblis was outside the building at the time.

Prelude

Senator Garm Bel Iblis of the planet Corellia was suspicious of the dealings of[6] Supreme Chancellor Palpatine[7] during the waning years of the Galactic Republic. Suspecting that Palpatine was a force for evil, the charismatic senator worked to undermine his support in the Senate with some successes.[8] However, Bel Iblis's actions caused him to lose influence,[6] and Palpatine declared himself Emperor in 19 BBY.[7]

The Corellian senator did not hide his disdain for the Emperor and continued working discretely to undermine the Empire.[9] Palpatine later decided to have Bel Iblis killed.[5] By 0 BBY,[3] At the direction of Armand Isard, a thermal detonator was planted at the Treitamma Political Center on the planet Anchoron, where Bel Iblis was due to give a speech. The senator travelled to the world with his wife Arrianya Bel Iblis and[2] their two daughters.[1] Tensions between the two parents had grown in the preceeding months due to Arrianya's staunchly pro-Imperial values and faith in the Emperor.[2]

The bombing

Garm Bel Iblis happened to be outside of the political center to meet with "Aach," an agent of fellow senator Bail Organa. The explosion killed dozens or hundreds, including Arrianya and both of her[2] and Garm's daughters.[1]

Aftermath

Bel Iblis felt that the Emperor had taken everything from him and driven him to become a rebel.[5] Following the loss of his family, the politically maverick senator became more withdrawn, sullen, and thoughtful.[8] His aide Sena Leikvold Midanyl helped Bel Iblis overcome his grief.[10] The majority in the galaxy believed Bel Iblis to have been killed,[11] which Palpatine did not deny to intimidate his opponents.[9] Many Corellians mourned his loss.[1] The senator also founded the Corellian Resistance using his own finances.[12] He continued seeking assistance from Mothma and Organa,[9] and, like the former, worked to recruit others to the Rebel cause.[11]

In 9 ABY,[13] the Corellian Rebel Han Solo met Bel Iblis and was surprised to find that he had survived[5] the bombing.[2]

Behind the scenes

The Empire's attempt to kill Garm Bel Iblis on Anchoron was first mentioned in the 1992 Thrawn trilogy novel Dark Force Rising, written by Timothy Zahn.[5] It made its first appearance in Part 1 of the short story "Interlude at Darkknell," also written by Zahn and published in 1999 in the anthology Tales from the New Republic.[2] The explosion was first identified in Armand Isard's entry in 2008's The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.[14]

The 2012 The Essential Reader's Companion by Pablo Hidalgo dates the events of "Interlude at Darkknell" to 0 BBY, but acknowledges that its events are difficult to place, as the narrative portrays Bel Iblis learning about the Death Star, which he had already seen in person as portrayed[3] in the 2008 video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.[15] Other aspects in the short story, such as the age of Corran Horn, indicate that the story takes place in 0 BBY.[3] The 2009 Rebellion Era Campaign Guide[11] and the 2014 Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook placed the bombing that killed Bel Iblis's family prior to the signing of the Corellian Treaty in 2 BBY.[1]

The The Last Command Sourcebook, written by Eric S. Trautmann and published in 1994, referred to Bel Iblis's presumed death on Anchoron but stated that his family was instead killed shortly after the establishment of the Empire[8] which took place in 19 BBY.[7] Bel Iblis's opposition to Palpatine led him to direct his anger towards the Corellian senator, and, shortly after declaring himself Emperor, having Bel Iblis and his family captured[8] by stormtroopers.[16] Garm was forced to watch his wife and children be executed, although he managed to escape. Later, he refused to explain how he did so.[8] The Essential Guide to Characters, written by Andy Mangels and published in 1995, stated that the arrest of Bel Iblis's family took place on Anchoron.[6] Bel Iblis's entry in the StarWars.com Databank,[17] which was reprinted in The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, stated that the Empire exeuted his family while forcing Garm to watch.[18]

Appearances

Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Star Wars: Age of Rebellion Core Rulebook
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 "Interlude at Darkknell" — Tales from the New Republic
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Essential Reader's Companion
  4. ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 360 ("Graskt")
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Dark Force Rising
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Essential Guide to Characters
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 The New Essential Chronology
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 The Last Command Sourcebook
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 The Force Unleashed Campaign Guide
  10. ↑ Databank title Midanyl, Sena Leikvold in the Databank (original site is defunct)
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Rebellion Era Campaign Guide
  12. ↑ The Essential Guide to Warfare
  13. ↑ The Essential Reader's Companion places the events of the Thrawn trilogy, which includes Han Solo's meeting with Garm Bel Iblis, in 9 ABY.
  14. ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 117 ("Isard, Armand")
  15. ↑ Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
  16. ↑ Star Wars Encyclopedia
  17. ↑ Databank title Bel Iblis, Garm in the Databank (original site is defunct)
  18. ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. Bel Iblis, Garm, p. I ("68")