Governor-General

Ranulph Tarkin, Governor-General of the Seswenna sector

"Governor-General? You've come up in the galaxy, cousin."

―Han Solo, to Thrackan Sal-Solo

Governor-General was a political title used throughout history by individuals governing a galactic sector. Within the Galactic Republic, it was used by an individual to govern a sector under state of emergencies.

History

Galactic Republic

"There was the Sector Governance Decree, which appointed regional and planetary governors for each sector and system. This decree made the military system of Governor-Generals ubiquitous and permanent, creating a new power structure that would lead to the Senate being sidelined and ultimately disbanded."

―Kol Skywalker

The role of Governor-General was created during the Ruusan Reformation in 1000 BBY, as part of a re-organization of the Republic's military forces. Governor-Generals were appointed at the behest of the Republic's Supreme Chancellor, and their role was to co-ordinate military action with the senator of a distressed sector in times of crisis.

In 57 BBY, the human Ranulph Tarkin was appointed by Supreme Chancellor Thoris Darus as the Governor-General of the Seswenna sector in order to deal with the breakdown of order across the region. This appointment resulted in the militarization of the sector and the creation of the Republic Outland Regions Security Force. Ranulph Tarkin's cousin Garvedon later assumed the position in 54 BBY after Tarkin became a member of the Galactic Senate.

During the Clone Wars, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine appointed Governor-Generals to each sector within the Republic, to help direct Republic's campaign against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The Governor-Generals greatly improved the effectiveness of the contribution of the Planetary Security Forces to the Republic's war effort. During the later stages of the conflict, Palpatine's Sector Governance Decree turned the wartime system of Governor-Generals into a permanent class of regional governors. These Governor-Generals later became the Moffs of the Galactic Empire. As these governors totally controlled military forces within their sector, they eclipsed the role of the senators in military affairs. During the reign of the Empire, the title of Governor-General was still used, somehow ceremonially, to designate Imperial sector governors.

Corellian sector

"Sal-Solo is the leader of a large political faction on Corellia, and has been elected governor-general of the Corellian sector."

―Nom Anor

One noticeable exception in the Republic's Governor-General system was the Corellian sector. In the Corellian sector, the position of Governor-General was a title that was permanently in use over centuries by the individuals who governed the sector. After the abolition of the Corellian empire, the Diktat of Corellia traditionally assumed the position of Governor-General of the Corellian sector in addition to its role of Head of State of Corellia. The Governor-General of the Corellian sector was de facto the commander-in-chief of the Corellian Defense Force.

Micamberlecto, Governor-General of the Corellian sector prior to the Corellian Crisis

During the Imperial Period, the Corellian sector became an Imperial client state. The Diktats were allowed by the Empire to continue to hold their title of Governor-General but their duties and prerogatives outside the Corellian system were taken over by the Imperial Grand Moff of the Corellian sector.

After the fragmentation of the Galactic Empire and the fall of the regime of Diktats, the Corellian sector joined the New Republic that appointed a Governor-General to rule both Corellia and the Corellian sector in the name of the New Republic. The first Governor-General, Micamberlecto, was assassinated by Corellian separatists during the Corellian Crisis. He was then replaced by Duchess Marcha of Mastigophorous. The latter remained in office until the Yuuzhan Vong War. At that time, the appointed Governor-General system had been adjusted into a more democratic status. Marcha was voted out of office by a vote of no confidence. The Corellian nationalist Thrackan Sal-Solo was later elected Governor-General of the Corellian sector.

Years after the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, the Galactic Federation of Free Alliances eventually normalized its administration of the Corellian sector by abrogating the appointed Governor-General position and leaving the worlds of the sector elect their own rulers.

Appearances

• "Tests of the Godking" — Star Wars Campaign Pack (First appearance)
• "Tests of the Godking" — Classic Campaigns (Republished)
• Scoundrel's Luck
• Jedi's Honor
• "Elusive" — No Disintegrations
• Ambush at Corellia
• Assault at Selonia (Mentioned only)
• Showdown at Centerpoint (Mentioned only)
• The New Jedi Order: Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
• The New Jedi Order: Balance Point (Mentioned only)
• The New Jedi Order: Recovery
• The New Jedi Order: Ylesia
• Legacy of the Force: Betrayal (Mentioned only)

Sources

• Star Wars Campaign Pack
• Classic Campaigns
• Cracken's Threat Dossier
• Rules of Engagement: The Rebel SpecForce Handbook
• Star Wars Encyclopedia
• The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons
• A Guide to the Star Wars Universe, Third Edition, Revised and Expanded
• The Essential Chronology
• The New Essential Guide to Characters
• "Making a Full Recovery" (original article link) on Wizards.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
• Coruscant and the Core Worlds
• Geonosis and the Outer Rim Worlds
• The New Essential Chronology
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• The Essential Atlas
• Corellia in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link)
• The Essential Guide to Warfare
• The Essential Reader's Companion
• "A Certain Point of View: The Death Star Coup" — Star Wars Insider Special Edition 2014
• Suns of Fortune
• Galactic Architecture 101 and the History of Centerpoint Station on StarWars.com (article) (content now obsolete; backup link)

Notes and references

In other languages

• português