- "This is Alton Kastle for the only news you need: the HoloNet News!"
- ―Alton Kastle's catchphrase
Alton Kastle was a human male journalist who worked as a broadcaster on HoloNet News on the planet Lothal. As a broadcast journalist, he helped spread propaganda for the Galactic Empire, including propaganda about Wookiees and local unemployment rates. The Leonis family sometimes watched news broadcasts by Alton Kastle. While Leo Leonis believed the Imperial line, both Zare Leonis and Tepha Leonis came to learn that Kastle was a stooge who often delivered news that was either carefully manicured truth or entirely fictitious.
Biography[]
Imperial propagandist[]
Alton Kastle was an Imperial broadcaster who was based on the planet Lothal during the Age of the Empire. In 6 BBY, he reported on the Westhills massacre. Kastle claimed that insurgents had destroyed mining equipment and attacked Imperial surveyors in the Westhills, forcing the Empire to send in troops to restore order. In truth, Imperial forces under Lieutenant Piers Roddance had opened fire on a sit-in demonstration by disaffected farmers who had lost their lands to an Imperial mining project. Zare Leonis and his friend Beck Ollet knew the truth but did not tell his parents, who accepted Kastle's account.[4]
Between 5 BBY and 4 BBY, Kastle served as a newscaster for several Imperial HoloNet News reports including Lothal's new Imperial Registration Program,[5] the suppression of a Wookiee revolt on Kashyyyk,[6] reduced unemployment rates,[7] the Empire's new affordable housing program,[8] and a ban on unauthorized mining.[9] While many Imperial citizens on Lothal like Leo Leonis accepted Kastle's reports, others like Leo's wife Tepha Leonis and son Zare regarded his reports as carefully manicured truths or fabricated propaganda designed to portray the Empire in a positive light.[10]
Fictitious reports delivered by Kastle helped drive Corwi Selgrothe, a onetime colleague of Kastle's, to find the Rebellion and seek out the truth.[11]
Combating the Spectres[]
After the Spectres rebels Ezra Bridger and Garazeb Orrelios attacked an Imperial Troop Transport and rescued Imperial prisoners including Morad Sumar, Marida Sumar and their Aqualish servant, Kastle issued a spin report claiming that the rebels had attacked innocent workers. Kastle's HoloNet transmission was then hacked by a broadcast from the rogue Senator Gall Trayvis claiming that the Jedi Master Luminara Unduli was being imprisoned on Stygeon Prime.[12] On the fourteenth anniversary of Empire Day, Kastle delivered a news report announcing that the holiday was commemorating Emperor Palpatine's creation of the Empire. His broadcast was hacked by a transmission by Gall Trayvis calling on Lothalians to boycott the annual Empire Day celebrations.[13]
Later, Kastle delivered another news broadcast deriding the Lothal City Capitol Building in Lothal's Capital City as a bygone relic. This was quickly shadowed by a coded transmission from Trayvis instructing the Spectres to meet him at the Old Republic Senate Hall. Unknown to the Specters, Trayvis was an undercover agent provocateur working with the Empire to root out and destroy rebel operatives. The rebels narrowly escaped a trap set by Imperial Security Bureau Agent Kallus and Minister Maketh Tua, who were acting under orders from Governor Arihnda Pryce.[14]
After the Spectres escaped the Imperial trap, Kastle hosted an interview with Trayvis, who publicly rededicated himself to serving the Empire. Trayvis also denounced the Spectres as violent extremists who had appropriated his message and placed a bounty on them. In response, the Spectres devised a plan to hijack the Imperial Communications Center near Jalath to give their side of the story.[1] During the Siege of Lothal, Kastle gave a news report claiming that the Spectres had assassinated Tua. In reality, the Spectres had been trying to help Tua escape and Kallus had bombed her shuttle and framed the rebels.[15]
Galactic Civil War[]
- "The daughter of renowned Admiral Garrick Versio of the Imperial Security Bureau and famous artist Zeehay Versio may be a traitor to the glorious Empire. Captain Iden Versio been recorded as spouting lies about the Empire and inciting violence, denouncing the brave subjects of the Death Star battle station who lost their lives while she survived. This is not in keeping with the behavior of the highly decorated captain hitherto, but the words are damning. She is slated for an immediate court-martial. Hero of the Empire Admiral Nasha Garvan will prosecute, while the specialized legal-analyst droid HM-12 will provide proper defense as required by Imperial Navy law."
- ―Alton Kastle
In 2 BBY, Alton Kastle delivered a news broadcast denouncing the former Senator Mon Mothma for her allegedly treasonous speech condemning Emperor Palpatine's complicity in the Ghorman Massacre. This broadcast was picked up by the Spectres, whose ship Ghost was in deep space. Shortly later, the Spectres, who were now part of Phoenix Cell, helped escort the rogue senator through the Archeon Nebula to the planet Dantooine.[17]
Following the death of Kanan Jarrus[18] in 0 BBY,[19] Alton Kastle issued a propaganda broadcast claiming that the Rebellion's efforts on Lothal was lost with the death of their leadership. He then announced that Governor Pryce had organized a parade to commemorate the Imperial leadership's efforts to defeat the "extremists" and that all citizens were required to attend the parade.[18]
A few months after the Battle of Yavin, Kastle delivered a broadcast reporting on the apparent treason of Imperial Captain Iden Versio, who made disparaging remarks regarding the Death Star and the Galactic Empire as a whole. In reality, Versio's comments were part of a ruse to embed herself into the ranks of a Partisan cell calling themselves the Dreamers.[16]
Personality and traits[]
Alton Kastle was a human male broadcaster who lived during the Age of the Empire. He was known for his impeccable dress[20] and familiar, comforting voice.[4] While Kastle was popular with many pro-Imperial citizens, dissenters like Zare Leonis regarded him as an Imperial stooge who distorted the truth and made up lies.[10] Kastle was a staunch Imperial loyalist and regularly denounced the rebels as criminals[12] and traitors.[17]
Equipment[]
Because of his affiliation, Kastle wore a gray-blue variant of the Imperial uniform, complete with black boots, belt, and gloves. However, he wore an Imperial media badge rather than a military rank plaque,[21] had a Holonet News patch under the left shoulder, and carried two code cylinders on the right side of the chest.[22] Alton Kastle was noted for being impeccably dressed.[20]
Behind the scenes[]
Alton Kastle's voice first appeared in 2014, in the HoloNet News tie-ins to Star Wars Rebels. Alton Kastle was misidentified as Alston Kastle on two occasions in the young readers novel Servants of the Empire: Edge of the Galaxy that was released in October 2014. He was voiced by Steve Blum, who also voiced the rebel character Garazeb Orrelios.
Appearances[]
Sources[]
- Rebel Journal by Ezra Bridger
Star Wars: Card Trader (Card: Inception - Star Wars: Rebels - Signature - Alton Kastle)- Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded
- Alton Kastle in the Databank (backup link)
- HoloNet News in the Databank (backup link)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6
Star Wars Rebels — "Call to Action"
- ↑
HoloNet News in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ HoloNet News Special Report: Rise in Citizen Reporting Results in Captured Criminals (article) (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Servants of the Empire: Edge of the Galaxy
- ↑ HoloNet News Report: Imperial Registration Program (article) (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ HoloNet News Report: Wookiee Revolt Quelled on Kashyyyk (article) (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ HoloNet News Special Report: Lothal Jobless Rates Hit All-time Low (article) (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ HoloNet News Special Report: Empire Ensures New Affordable Housing on Lothal (article) (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ HoloNet News Breaking News: Unauthorized Mining Operation Halted (article) (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Servants of the Empire: Imperial Justice
- ↑ "Heroes of the Rebellion" — From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Star Wars Rebels — "Rise of the Old Masters"
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels — "Empire Day"
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels — "Vision of Hope"
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Battlefront II: Inferno Squad
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Star Wars Rebels — "Secret Cargo"
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Star Wars Rebels — "DUME"
- ↑ The epilogue of the Star Wars Rebels episode "Family Reunion – and Farewell" occurs after the end of the Galactic Civil War, which Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates to 5 ABY, while Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition establishes that the Liberation of Lothal occurs prior to the Battle of Yavin, which marks the end of 0 BBY, according to Galactic Atlas. Lothal's liberation takes place between the Star Wars Rebels episode "Wolves and a Door" and the "Family Reunion – and Farewell" epilogue, between which Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy establishes there is a five-year gap. Therefore, in order to maintain the aforementioned five-year gap that ends no earlier than 5 ABY while still preceding the Battle of Yavin, the Liberation of Lothal must take place in 0 BBY. As the episode "DUME" takes place prior to "Wolves and a Door," it must also take place around the same year.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Droids in Distress book
- ↑ "Call to Action" Trivia Gallery on StarWars.com (backup link) (Slide 3)
- ↑ "Call to Action" Concept Art Gallery on StarWars.com (backup link) (Slide 7)
