Bail Prestor Organa

Senator Bail Organa was the First Chairman and Viceroy of Alderaan, a hero of the Clone Wars, and the head of the Royal Family of Alderaan. An influential politician, he was a loyal Senator who commanded the ear of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine himself. A member of the Loyalist Committee, Bail Organa was deeply concerned with the stability of the Republic during the Separatist crisis. He realized that drastic measures were required if the Separatists continued to push the galaxy to the brink of war. While he recognized the need for the Senate to take ownership of the newly discovered Kamino clone army, he knew it was a political impossibility. Though it was not his recommendation, he stood by and watched as Palpatine was granted emergency powers to save the Republic from this dire threat.

It was with great dismay that he watched the Republic transform during the war years. The Senate willingly relinquished more executive powers to Chancellor Palpatine, all in the name of increased security. To criticize such actions would result in being branded a traitor, so Bail was careful to conceal his misgivings. He spoke of them only in a small audience of like-minded Senators.

In clandestine gatherings, Senators like Giddean Danu, Padmé Amidala, Terr Taneel, Chi Eekway, Bana Breemu and Fang Zar voiced their concerns. Alert to the likelihood that Palpatine would not give up power once the Clone Wars ended, Organa and Senator Mon Mothma were already putting proactive plans into motion. They envisioned an organization dedicated to preserving the ideals of the Republic, one that drew membership from idealists within the Senate but operated outside of the Senate chambers. Though they skirted around the word in these early tentative days, Mothma and Organa were planning rebellion.

During the Clone Wars, Organa grew to become a friend to influential Jedi Masters including Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda. When the Jedi were branded traitors to the Republic, and the Jedi Temple was attacked by an elite force of clone troopers, Bail Organa came to investigate the carnage. Thinking that his position in the Senate afforded him some measure of authority, Organa tried to get to the bottom of the assault. Instead, he was shooed away by the implacable clone troopers, who told him a Jedi rebellion was afoot. Bail left the blazing temple, not before witnessing the clone troopers shoot a young Padawan attempting to escape the destruction.

Realizing that all the Jedi were at risk, Bail attempted to contact Kenobi and Yoda. He homed in their respective distress signals, collecting Yoda from Kashyyyk and Obi-Wan from Utapau. Their clone ranks had turned against them. Organa then received an urgent call from Coruscant; the Chancellor was calling an emergency session of congress. Aboard his starship, he returned to the capital, secretly taking Obi-Wan and Yoda aboard so they could investigate the situation in the Temple.

In the Senate, Bail barely arrived in time to hear Chancellor Palpatine declare himself Emperor. His worst fears came to pass. The Republic was dead, replaced by a dictatorship.

When Kenobi's apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, succumbed to the dark side, Organa hid one of Skywalker's twin offspring in the high court of Alderaan. Bail and his wife had been looking to adopt a child, and he came to raise and love young Leia Organa as his own child.

Leia followed in Bail's political footsteps, becoming the youngest member of the Imperial Senate. Leia also decided to support the Alliance, using her diplomatic immunity to smuggle supplies and information to Rebels. Together, the Organas uncovered crucial technical information about the Empire's greatest weapon, the Death Star.

Bail sent Leia on a mission to locate Obi-Wan Kenobi and recruit him into the Alliance to help face the Death Star challenge. Leia failed, and her mission was eventually picked up by Luke Skywalker. Bail Organa was killed when the Death Star destroyed Alderaan.