Bail Antilles

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Bail Antilles was the Senator of the Alderaan Sector prior to and during the events of the Invasion of Naboo. He was also a Prince on his homeworld. Antilles was a member of the influential House of Antilles. Campaigning to combat corruption in the Senate, Antilles was also the chairbeing of the Internal Activities Committee. He was also leader of one of the two main factions of the Senate in his time, the Core faction, being mostly opposed by the Rim faction led by Ainlee Teem of Malastare.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Legacy 2 Personality and traits 3 Behind the scenes 4 Appearances 5 Sources 6 Notes and references 7 See also 8 External links

[edit] Biography

In his native planet Alderaan, Bail Antilles was a Prince by birth. He also joined galactic-wide politics by becoming the Senator of the Alderaan sector in the Galactic Senate.^[2]

During the last years of Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum's administration, Senator Antilles was a known supporter of the Chancellor. At that time, the Senate was mostly divided in two factions: The Core faction, led by Antilles and traditionally supporting Valorum; and the Rim faction, opposed to Valorum's measures and using Senator Ainlee Teem of Malastare as spokesbeing. Both Teem and Antilles were considered plausible successors to Valorum by many, including the Chancellor himself.^[3]

Corruption was rampant in the Senate during this time, but Antilles joined a reduced group of Senators (also including Horox Ryyder of Gravlex Med, Yarua of Kashyyyk and nominally Palpatine of Naboo) who took public measures to end corruption. As such, Antilles was the chairbeing of the Internal Activities Committee of the Senate for several years.^[3]

He also had two aides, during the last days of his service: Liana Merian and Agrippa Aldrete, both indigenous to Alderaan.^[4]

In 33 BBY, the Trade Federation, a shipping interest that monopolied the trade routes Outer Rim Territories, suffered the attacks of the Nebula Front in several sectors and asked the Galactic Republic for help. The Chancellor proposed a taxation of the previously free trade zones, a solution that the Federation disapproved. The Federation representative in the Senate, Lott Dod, suggested that alternatively the Trade Federation could increase their own security expenses, thus not needing the protection of the Republic. Dod's idea was supported by Ainlee Teem,^[3] but Antilles protested, as it could endanger the stability of the already dangerous Outer Rim.^[1][3] Antilles suggested instead that the Trade Federation simply avoid the dangerous areas; this was not to the liking of representatives of the planets there. As the problem was considered tricky, a summit was arranged to discuss it later. Antilles, along with Ryyder, still attempted to meet privately with the Chancellor before that moment.^[3]

Soon afterward, the Nebula Front attempted to assassinate Valorum and injured him. Antilles obtained proofs of the Front's involvement and, along with Senator Com Fordox of Corellia, paid the recovering politician a social visit. Later, a recovered Valorum thanked Antilles for his interest by consulting him (along with other aides, Ryyder and Palpatine) about a hostage situation.^[3]

While working on a diplomatic crisis among Alderaan and its neighbor planet Delaya, Antilles was approached by Senator Orn Free Taa of Ryloth. As a member of several Committees, Taa had discovered that a shipping corporation, owned by relatives of Finis Valorum and with interests in the trade routes that Valorum wanted to tax, had received an important investions and would profit from the new laws Valorum was trying to pass — something that suggested corruption. Taa had tried to find the origin of the money, but he lacked the proper authorization. Taa asked Palpatine about this, and Palpatine had suggested Taa to turn to Antilles. Antilles accepted to investigate the situation, discovering a false venture capital consortium and, hidden under it, a false banking account from Coruscant that moved an amount of aurodium ingots apparently linked to the Trade Federation. This suggested that the Federation had given Valorum the ingots to seal a secret pact. Antilles reported his discoveries to Taa, who in turn revealed them to Palpatine discreetly.^[3]

Once the taxing routes had been approved, Antilles, in his role as Internal Activities chairman, informed Valorum of charges of corruption filed against him and represented the prosecution in the subsequent Supreme Court inquiry. With Valorum's reputation in stake, both Antilles and Teem campaigned to replace him.^[3] Antilles remained the Senator of Alderaan during the following galaxy-wide crisis, that involved the Trade Federation invading the planet Naboo.^[1]

After Valorum was removed from office via a vote of no confidence, Antilles, Teem and Palpatine were nominated to succeed Valorum in the following election. Palpatine won the election.^[5][1] Bail Antilles resigned from the Senate shortly afterward, and he was succeeded by his relative-by-marriage Bail Prestor Organa.^[1]

Antilles assumed that Palpatine had been chosen because he projected an image of both rigidness and sincerity but, as he would later reveal to Bail Organa, at that time the Galactic Senate only wanted to remove Valorum from his seat.^[6]

Bail Antilles also accompanied Bail Prestor Organa to the retirement ceremony of Horox Ryyder,^[7][1] Antilles's former political ally.^[3] The celebration was informal, but Ryyder had been careful to invite his personal friends in politics, including Antilles.^[7]

[edit] Legacy

After his death, Antilles would be remembered in the following centuries. By the time of the Sith-Imperial War, one of the members of the Galactic Alliance Triumvirate was also named Bail Antilles.^[8]

[edit] Personality and traits

Bail Antilles was a tall, dark-haired Human male, whose physical features were considered attractive by other members of his species.^[3]

Although hard-working, dedicated and efficient in no little measure, Antilles was considered short-sighted: As the representative of one of the Core Worlds, Antilles gave preference to the problems of the Core Worlds, giving little attention to the Outer Rim Territories—or so it was said.^[3] He was a well-known politician, appearing in the HoloNet along with other figures such as Sei Taria.^[9]

Antilles enjoyed drinking Gizer ale and had a favorite restaurant near the Courts Building of Coruscant.^[3]

During his time in Coruscant, Antilles visited the Coruscant Opera House, like many other politicians of the time. Antilles was known to have assisted to a representation of The Brief Reign of Future Wraiths, performed by a Bith company.^[3]

Antilles disliked Senator Orn Free Taa of Ryloth, suspecting he was a corrupt being. However, Antilles did his best to hide his apprehension when meeting with Taa, listened to his words and checked the truth about them later.^[3]

[edit] Behind the scenes

Bail Antilles was portrayed by Adrian Dunbar in The Phantom Menace, although he was originally cast in the separate role of Bail Organa.^[10] When the part was recast for Attack of the Clones, Dunbar's likeness instead became Bail Antilles. However, all his scenes were cut before the movie's release.

"Bail Antillies" was the name of Leia's father in Star Wars 2: Six Against the Galaxy.

The name Bail Antilles first appeared in the second draft to the film that would become A New Hope. He was an Aquillian Ranger, and part of the resistance against the Empire. He is present at Yavin 4 and serves as co-pilot and gunner when Luke Skywalker attacks the first Death Star. He is renamed Wedge Antilles in the fourth draft.^[11]

[edit] Appearances

• Cloak of Deception (First appearance)
• Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (Mentioned only) (appears in deleted scenes)
•  Senator Horox Ryyder Retires—HoloNet News Vol. 531 48
• Labyrinth of Evil (Mentioned only)

[edit] Sources

• Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace: Illustrated Screenplay
• Star Wars Episode I Who's Who: A Pocket Guide to Characters of the Phantom Menace
• Hero's Guide (Picture only)
• The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film
• Star Wars Annual 2009
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
•  Alderaan in the Databank
•  Agrippa Aldrete in the Databank
•  Bail Antilles in the Databank
•  Liana Merian in the Databank (Indirect mention only)
•  Bail Organa in the Databank

Senator of Alderaan Sector
Agrippa Aldrete[12] ← —32 BBY[1] Bail Organa[1] →

[edit] Notes and references

[edit] See also

• House of Antilles

[edit] External links

•  "Mistaken Identities" - "Keeper of the Holocron's Blog", Leland Chee's StarWars.com Blog