Samuel Tomas Gillespee Samuel Tomas Gillespee was the head of a small but respected smuggling group . He was a well - known criminal with a reputation as a con - artist and not always paying the pilots under his employ . However , he was known for treating his crew fairly , and as a result , he had a number of competent pilots and techs working for him . He was a friend of Talon Karrde , both having started their businesses at around the same time . Around 9 ABY , Gillespee had retired to the planet Ukio after almost thirty years of smuggling . While enjoying his retirement , Ukio was attacked by the Galactic Empire under the command of Grand Admiral Thrawn . Gillespee barely escaped the world in his freighter , " Kern ' s Pride " , and immediately set about rebuilding his smuggling operation , hoping to fight the Empire on his own terms . During this operation , Gillespee reunited with Karrde and joined his Smugglers ' Alliance , organizing the first meeting on Trogan . When the meeting was attacked by the Empire , the newly formed Alliance decided to join the fight against the Empire . As a result , Gillespee ' s fleet of twenty ships was present at the Battle of Bilbringi , the climactic battle of the Thrawn campaign . Biography . Early life . Samuel Gillespee began his career as a young man , working as a smuggler . His operations were run from " Kern ' s Pride " , a modified Corellian Engineering Corporation CR90 corvette . He made a name for himself by flying along the Kessel Run . However , the exploits that made him famous were mostly the result of the pilots under his employ . Gillespee was an unskilled pilot that worked better as an administrator , claiming that his lack of ability was all due to bad luck . Gillespee was notorious for abandoning the Kessel system with his partner ' s cut of the profits , an action that he claimed later to be a simple misunderstanding that he eventually straightened out . The start of Gillespee ' s criminal activities coincided with the start of information broker Talon Karrde ' s activities , and the two were friends of one another . Over the next thirty years , Gillespee used the " Kern ' s Pride " to enact several raids , smuggling runs , and other assorted missions . Although his ship began to build up a wealth of battle scars and systems malfunctions , Gillespee refused to abandon it , believing that its faults reminded him of himself . Additionally , he kept a hidden smuggling compartment next to his personal cabin aboard the ship . Gillespee was known to reconfigure the ship once a year based on the operations he was involved in at the time . Early in his career , he met Shirlee Faughn as a teenager , and enjoying her polite demeanor and friendly sense of humor , he took her into his crew . When she became familiar with the smuggling trade , Gillespee promoted her to his second - in - command , a position she held until her her mid - forties . Additionally , in his early days , Gillespee met Rappapor , a Bith pilot who became one of his closest friends . The two friends downplayed their relationship , but they were always there to bail each other out of bad situations . During the Galactic Civil War , Gillespee was known to aid the Rebellion in engagements . He refitted his ship several times in this capacity : as a troop transport to bring Rebel troops to new battlefields , as a passenger liner to move refugees , and as a medical ship to transport wounded Rebel soldiers . After nearly thirty years in the smuggling business , and into his middle age , Gillespee retired to the small agricultural world of Ukio in the Outer Rim Territories . The smuggler ' s business had been quite successful , and he was able to purchase a profitable piece of land on the planet . Gillespee ' s estate was on a large area of land , and allowed him to stay out of galactic affairs , hoping to abandon his old life and relax . Out of retirement . In 9 ABY , a resurgent Galactic Empire under the command of Grand Admiral Thrawn began to attack the New Republic . During this campaign , Ukio came under attack . The planet fell incredibly quickly , and Gillespee was only barely able to escape his homestead and get off - planet in his freighter . In his retirement , Gillespee had been unable to part with the " Kern ' s Pride " , and he kept it nearby even in his retirement . This decision allowed him to escape Ukio , despite the quick conquest of the planet by the Empire . Thanks to help from Rappapor and Faughn , Gillespee was a few steps ahead of stormtroopers that overran his land and began to turn the area into a crop farm to feed the growing Imperial war machine . During his escape , Gillespee viewed Thrawn ' s clone stormtroopers manning roadblocks , and was sufficiently disturbed by the Imperial ' s use of clones in their war against the Republic . Now with a grudge against the Empire , Gillespee restarted his smuggling business and decided to seek out other smugglers who had a grudge against the Empire . With a force of twenty ships , headed by " Kern ' s Pride " , Gillespee made his way to the planet Chazwa , hoping to make contact with someone who could put him in touch with the smuggler , Brasck . Upon reaching the system , Gillespee met up with the " Wild Karrde " and came into contact with Talon Karrde . The two old friends spoke about the increased Imperial presence , and Karrde let Gillespee know that he was planning to organize a meeting of smugglers to discuss the Imperial problem . Gillespee agreed to meet with Karrde on Tragon in eight days times and agreed to spread the word of the meeting to other willing smugglers . However , unknown to Gillespee , " Kern ' s Pride " had been pursued by a pair of " Lancer " - class frigates to the Chazwa system . Upon escape from Ukio , Gillespee was now wanted by the Empire . The two Imperial ships zeroed in on his freighter , but Karrde used his ship to distract the pursuing Imperials . Gillespee thanked Karrde for his help , just as his old friend was joined by his small fleet of ships which quickly turned the tides on the Imperials . However , Gillespee had also predicted the Imperial tail , and his group of ships also appeared in the system , pinning the Imperials between the two smuggler fleets . The Imperials fled from the engagement , and Gillespee and Karrde left the system in short order . Smuggler ' s Alliance . Eight days after their encounter above Chazwa , Gillespee met Karrde at the Whistler ' s Whirlpool Tapcafe on Trogan . The two smugglers set up in the mostly abandoned business and checked the area for possible spies . Gillespee ' s people found that the local Imperial garrison was quiet , leading to suspicion that a possible ambush might be planned for the meeting . However , Karrde dismissed this possibility , claiming that at least the tapcafe could be easily defended from attack . Gillespee and Karrde ' s invited guests arrived to the meeting skeptical of Karrde ' s motives . Gillespee took Karrde ' s side as the information broker explained that they should ally against the Empire , providing military intelligence to the New Republic . Although the present smugglers appeared to agree that the Empire was cutting into their business and making it hard to stay neutral , they argued fiercely over the dangers and implications of aiding the New Republic . Just as it seemed that the smugglers would not agree to aid the New Republic , the meeting was ambushed by an Imperial force led by Lieutenant Reynol Kosk . The smugglers were forced into a firefight , leading to the defeat of the Imperials , but the death of Gotal smuggler Lishma . The unprovoked attack caused the smugglers at the meeting to instantly side against the Empire , creating the Smuggler ' s Alliance , dedicated to aiding the New Republic in the coming conflict . Gillespee joined Karrde on the planet Hijarna , setting up a rendezvous at the Fortress of Hijarna to coordinate info drops that could be forwarded to the New Republic . The Alliance was coordinating their efforts to find the Imperial ' s primary cloning facility , but was having difficulty pinpointing the world . As the search continued , Gillespee let Karrde know that his fellow smugglers were losing patience with the hunt . The spying work was paying considerably less their smuggling operations , and the loss coalition of smugglers was threatening to break apart . Gillespee let Karrde know that some of their allies , specifically the smuggler , Par ' tah , were getting job offers from the Empire , and they were seriously considering taking the contracts . Karrde offered to pay salaries , but Gillespee scoffed at the offer , knowing that his old friend did not have the funds to pay off all their operations . However , Karrde decided to covertly put the Smuggler ' s Alliance on the New Republic ' s payroll , having his slicer Ghent hack the Republic system , placing their members under contract to the Republic . Amused by Karrde ' s tactics , Gillespee agreed to continue working inside their loose alliance against the Empire but could not guarantee that the other smugglers would continue working under Karrde . Loose alliance . As the Smuggler ' s Alliance continued to secretly work against the Empire , their efforts were noticed by Grand Admiral Thrawn . Niles Ferrier , an Imperial stooge who had organized the ambush on Trogan and infiltrated himself into the Smuggler ' s Alliance , began to work with Thrawn to pull apart the alliance from the inside . Ferrier used his Defel bodyguard to plant evidence on the " Wild Karrde " that implicated Karrde in organizing the ambush on Trogan which had started the Smuggler ' s Alliance . The smuggler , Mazzic , one of the preeminent members of the alliance had also come to the same conclusion after a run - in with Grand Admiral Thrawn . Angered by possibly being manipulated by Karrde , Mazzic brought along several enforcers to a scheduled meeting on Hijarna . Mazzic bringing soldiers to a routine meeting immediately upped tensions among the group . Gillespee attempted to calm the nerves of the group and ascertain why Mazzic was being to hostile , but he was told to be quiet as Mazzic used force to make his way onto Karrde ' s ship . True to Ferrier ' s intentions , Mazzic and another smuggler , Ellor , recovered a datapad that fingered Karrde as the man behind the Imperial ambush . Gillespee , suspicious of the false information , aided Karrde in drawing suspicion to the conveniently placed datapad . Mazzic , who was convinced that Karrde had betrayed the group , let the two men speak , but they were continuously interrupted by Nile Ferrier , who slowly began to say too much . Unable to keep his mouth closed , Ferrier revealed information about the ambush that only the person who had set up the attack could have possibly known . The gathered smugglers quickly turned on Ferrier , now revealed as the Imperial spy within their midst . Ferrier was able to escape the confrontation by wielding a thermal detonator , holding the group hostage until he was allowed to escape the meeting . However , as Ferrier attempted to escape in his ship , starfighters under Mazzic ' s command chased down the traitor and destroyed his ship , killing him . Fully committed . Ferrier ' s betrayal caused the members of the alliance to recommit to opposing the Empire . Mazzic , Gillespee , and Karrde met up at a cantina to discuss their next move . Karrde ' s informants had put together news of a major New Republic strike Tangrene in order to capture a crystal gravfield trap array which could be used to locate cloaked asteroids being used to blockade Coruscant . Karrde brought the information to Gillespee and Mazzic and suggested their alliance plan its own raid on the Bilbringi Shipyards at the same time , seizing the crystal gravfield trap there so they could sell it to the New Republic . Gillespee brought his small fleet to the Bilbringi system alongside the ships of his fellow smugglers . The smugglers planned to raid the shipyards , seize the crystal gravfield trap , and then use their fleet to punch their way out of the system before the Imperials could stop them . Gillespee stayed aboard the " Etherway " during the operation , acting as co - pilot to Aves , Karrde ' s chief aide . The freighter , under the alias , " Garrett ' s Gold " infiltrated the shipyards and prepared for a coordinated attack with the other smugglers who had gained access . As the operation began , Gillespee questioned Aves about Karrde ' s absence from the operation . Karrde had made his way to Coruscant to coordinate with Ghent , hack into the Republic computers , and place the Smuggler ' s Alliance under the Republic ' s payroll . Aves defended Karrde ' s absence , briefly assuaging Gillespee ' s fears that Karrde may have betrayed them to the Empire . Battle of Bilbringi . As Gillespee and the rest of the Smuggler ' s Alliance prepared their assault on the shipyards , they were interrupted by a massive Imperial force jumping into the system . Gillespee and the other smugglers immediately sensed betrayal , but they quickly agreed to go out in a blaze of glory . However , before they could form up to attack the much larger Imperial fleet , it became apparent that the Imperials had no knowledge of the planned smuggler raid . The information about the New Republic attack at Tangrene had been misinformation , and the Republic attack was actually planned for the Bilbringi Shipyards . The smugglers found themselves caught in the middle of a massive showdown . Unable to break off the operation , the smugglers decided to complete their mission . As the battle raged around them , the smugglers enacted their plan , seizing the crystal gravfield trap and formed up to punch their way out of the battle . Aves , who had contacted General Wedge Antilles immediately before their attack , organized the exit point at a weak point being defended by Golan II platforms . By coordinating with the New Republic , the smugglers ensured that incoming Republic forces would cover their exit as they attacked from the opposite side . Aves and the " Etherway " survived the escape from Bilbringi , indicating that Gillespee was able to survive the engagement . Personality and traits . As a young man , Gillespee showed his daring by smuggling along the Kessel Run . However , Gillespee was an unskilled pilot , and unknown to persons outside his organization , he never touched the controls of his freighter , preferring to delegate responsibility to the skilled pilots that he surrounded himself with . Although known as not being a very competent pilot , Gillespee preferred to blame his inability on being innately unlucky . As a smuggler chief , Gillespee had a reputation as a con artist , and in his early days , had stolen the profits from a pilot who worked with him on the Kessel Run . However , despite this reputation , he was known to only con those that had already been planning to do the same to him , and he made sure that the individuals in question were eventually paid something . In his long career , Gillespee built up a reputation as a tough but fair employer , paying his subordinates as much as he felt they deserved . Gillespee preferred filling an administrative role in his smuggling business , and he developed a healthy level of respect from his subordinates . This was the result of treating his crew well , and he was able to attract many competent technicians and pilots to his side . Gillespee had a friendly personality and enjoyed surrounding himself with those of a similar nature . In this vein , he was the most common target of his friend Rappapor ' s practical jokes . By the time of the Thrawn Campaign , Gillespee was middle - aged and beginning to show his age . His subordinates noted that he always looked tired and had developed a paunch . Although well - known as a smuggler , Gillespee was eager to retire when he had gained the necessary funds . He saw his smuggling enterprise as simply a business and was reluctant to get involved in greater galactic politics . He had no moral objection to working for the Galactic Empire if the price was right . However , he was known to work with the Rebellion , and even used the " Kern ' s Pride " as a medical ship to evacuate wounded rebels . When his peaceful retirement was interrupted by Imperials , Gillespee ' s stated neutrality was challenged . He decided to oppose the Empire and sought out like - minded individuals . Although he was afraid of the might of the Empire , he still believed that the battle was still worth fighting . Behind the scenes . Samuel Tomas Gillespee was created by Timothy Zahn for use in the final book of his Thrawn Trilogy , " The Last Command " . Gillespee worked as an ally to Zahn ' s earlier introduced character , Talon Karrde , and the two worked together through the last book to topple the Empire . Gillespee ' s backstory was fleshed out in the West End Games sourcebook , " The Last Command Sourcebook " , which was included in the later compilation , " The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook " . In West End Games sourcebook , Gillespee is described as an older man with a paunch , and his illustration shows him to be clean - shaven . However , in the comic adaptation of " The Last Command " , Gillespee appears as a skinny man with a black mustache and stubble . Following his appearance in the Thrawn Trilogy , Gillespee was referenced in several sourcebooks which served to summarize his appearance in " The Last Command " . New information on Gillespee was not revealed until two articles in " Star Wars Gamer " magazine . " The Smuggler ' s Alliance " in " Star Wars Gamer 3 " summarized his appearance in the Thrawn Trilogy , and " Ships of the Smuggler ' s Alliance " in " Star Wars Gamer 4 " described Gillespee ' s personal ship , " Kern ' s Pride " and revealed that he had aided the Rebellion before his retirement on Ukio . In 2004 , " The Official Star Wars Fact File " contained a feature on Gillespee in issues 127 and 129 .