Ba'kif

Ba'kif, previously known as Stybla'ba'kif and his core name Labaki during his time as a member of the Stybla family, was a Chiss male who served as the Supreme General of the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet and was a member of the Defense Hierarchy Council of the Chiss Ascendancy.
==Biography==
===In the Stybla Family===
Before being promoted to the rank of flag officer, Ba'kif has been a member of the Stybla family and known by the name Stybla'ba'kif with the core name "Labaki." He developed a close friendship with Mitth'oor'akiord, who would later become the Patriarch of the Mitth family.
===Thrawn Intervention===
Just after Ba'kif was appointed General, he recommended that Mitth Aristocra Mitth'urf'ianico should recruit a Chiss named Kivu'raw'nuru, or Vurawn, to the Mitth family. Ba'kif suggested Vurawn be transferred to the Taharim Academy on Naporar after his acceptance to the Mitth. Vurawn would adopt the new name of Mitth'raw'nuru (Thrawn).
During Thrawn's training at the Taharim Academy, he falls underneath an inquiry from Colonel Wevary. He is accused of cheating on a patrol craft simulator test, scoring a 95 (a score never before seen at Taharim). Thrawn's simulation proctor, Senior Cadet Irizi'ar'alani (Ziara), was also brought into the matter. After hearing the evidence laid before her, Ziara asks for a luncheon break to consider the facts, which is granted. After leaving the hearing room, Ziara goes into an empty classroom and calls the office of Ba'kif. When the receptionist answers, Ziara asks if the general can spare a few moments of his time for this matter.
Ba'kif agrees to help. As the meeting resumes, and everyone notices Ba'kif's presence. They are all shocked, but the Irizi representative, in particular, is suspicious that Ba'kif is there to cover for Thrawn. Ba'kif asks if Thrawn - who has logged two hundred hours on the patrol craft simulator - if he is ready to operate a real patrol craft. After prompting from the Irizi representative, Ba'kif explains that he and Ziara have found a way to resolve the issue: performing an exercise, in real life, that matches the simulation parameters. Colonel Wevary agrees to the exercise, and Ba'kif prepares an observation launch and the patrol craft for the simulation.
Ba'kif and the other 5 observers are stunned when Thrawn is able to replicate his performance in the simulation. He was able to manipulate his ship's movement in such a way that made him disappear from all three of the enemy patrol crafts' sensors, allowing him to achieve such a high score. After Colonel Wevary ends the inquiry, Ba'kif commends Ziara for her instincts and prompts her to trust in them.
===Hunting Lioaoin Pirates===
Thrawn, now a Junior Commander in the Expansionary Defense Fleet, brings a proposal to Ba'kif, in which he believes that the Lioaoin government is responsible for recent pirate attacks on Chiss shipping lanes at Schesa and Pesfavri. Thrawn had witnessed similarities between Lioaoin ships and the involved pirate ships on a previous mission to Bardram Scoft. Ba'kif presses Thrawn on his ability to distinguish the connection between the two types of ships, but Thrawn reiterates his confidence. Ba'kif, having spoken with Ziara (who had witnessed Thrawn's abilities for herself), assumes that Thrawn is correct in his assessment. The two discuss future Chiss punishment of the pirates. Ba'kif presents concern that Lioaoi might be an innocent, noting that the pirates could have rented the ships from the Lioaoi or received them from a common manufacturer. Thrawn clarifies that he would be able to tell the difference between the enemy and friendly ships. Ba'kif corrects Thrawn's wording, stating that non-Chiss species and governments are to be considered as neutrals, not friends. Thrawn also promises to take no punitive action if he cannot distinguish the pirates from the Lioaoi ships. Ba'kif, noting that the pirate threat outweighs the threat of Thrawn's operation failing, allows Thrawn to proceed with his proposal. Thrawn requests three ships for the mission. He finds that the pirate ships are operating at the Lioaoin heartworld, convincing him that the Lioaoi are behind them. He is able to trick four pirate ships into following him to the Chiss Kinoss system, where Mid Captain Ziara brings their destruction.
In a meeting after the attack, Ba'kif scolds Thrawn and Ziara for violating the Ascendancy preemptive strikes protocols. Ba'kif states that there is only circumstantial evidence that support the theory that the Lioaoi are controlling the pirates. He also reminds Thrawn that the Lioaoin Regime have officially denied any involvement. Thrawn still wants to prove his theory and asks to obtain direct evidence by spying on the Regime as a civilian, but Ba'kif snaps and tells Thrawn that no further action is to be taken against the Lioaoi. On another note, Ba'kif reveals to Thrawn that he is being promoted two ranks, from Junior Commander to Senior Commander, for his planning and success in the pirate attack. He also tells Ziara that she is being promoted a rank, from Mid Captain to Senior Captain. Ba'kif dismisses Thrawn, as he wants to talk privately with Ziara. In this conversation, they discuss Thrawn's lack of political shrewdness. Ba'kif tells Ziara that Thrawn needs a guiding hand if he is to be successful. He informs her that she is being given the command of the patrol cruiser Parala and that Thrawn is to be her third officer.
===Nikardun Strife===
After an attack on Csilla, the Nine Ruling Families convened with Ba'kif to discuss their next steps. Ba'kif deduced that the attack was meant to distract the Chiss Ascendancy from an event that had already occurred. During the meeting, an aide of Ba'kif's located Senior Captain Mitth'raw'nuruodo "Thrawn" on Naporar.
Ba'kif and Thrawn traveled to the Dioya system in hopes of examining the wreckage of a refugee ship. They deduced that, due to the damage pattern destroying the ship rather than demobilizing the ship, the attacking force had not been pirates. As Thrawn and Ba'kif prepare to board the ship, the shuttle pilot expresses doubts that they will find anything useful inside. Ba'kif, on the other hand, believed that they would all be surprised at what they may find on the ship. Ba'kif and Thrawn donned boarding suits and boarded the drifting craft. Aboard, they find dead bodies and come to the conclusion that the vessel is a refugee ship. Ba'kif anticipates that developing a task force to find the origin of the ship will be difficult because of the present state of the Chiss Syndicure. Thrawn volunteers himself for this investigative work, requesting his former ship, the Springhawk, Thrawn's command of the Springhawk was removed by decision of Supreme Admiral Ja'fosk and the Defense Hierarchy Council, following a politically tenuous campaign against the Vagaari pirates. Due to the recent rise of agitative moves at the border of Chiss space, the Springhawk is currently set to join Admiral Ar’alani’s task force against the Paataatus. Without evidence, many in the Syndicure have blamed the Paataatus for the attack on Csilla, and Ba'kif believes that, through this Syndicure anger, he can get Thrawn back in command of the Springhawk. Thrawn asks to board the ship early to observe its crew, but Ba'kif decides that Thrawn may as well be in command and states that he will get Ar'alani's approval. Ba'kif also confirms to Thrawn that he will be given a sky-walker for his investigation. Ba'kif then leads Thrawn to the aft sections of the refugee ships to investigate further. Soon after, Ba'kif is successful in lobbying Supreme Admiral Ja'fosk to grant Thrawn command status of the Springhawk.
During subsequent missions, Thrawn would learn of the nation responsible for attacking the refugee vessel at Dioya: the Nikardun. Thrawn is able to capture a Nikardun vessel before returning to the Ascendancy for repairs. During a meeting with Thrawn and Ar'alani in his Csilla office, Ba'kif discusses the military ramifications of Thrawn's actions, claiming that the capture of the Nikardun vessel would fall under the general heading of a preemptive strike. Thrawn and Ar'alani counter by claiming that the Nikardun attacked the Springhawk first. Ba'kif still thinks that the Aristocra would see it as a preemptive strike, and theorizes that some in the Syndicure may want the Ascendancy to return the stolen ship. The group discusses the next course of action: investigating the Lioaoi. Thrawn established a connection between the Nikardun and the Lioaoin Regime when investigating the stolen Nikardun ship and believes that the Lioaoi have allied themselves with the Nikardun. Thrawn requests to go to the Lioaoin Regime to investigate, suggesting for Ba'kif to issue a directive to the Expansionary Defense Fleet personnel (Ba'kif, now a Supreme General, is no longer in direct control over the Expansionary Defense Fleet). Then, Syndics Thurfian and Irizi'stal'mustro (Zistalmu) arrive to talk with the group. They rebuke Thrawn's actions at Rapacc to be unauthorized and eventually ask if Ba'kif plans to send Thrawn to investigate the Lioaoi. Ba'kif defends Thrawn's suspicion that the Lioaoi are working with the Nikardun, but the Syndics have made up their minds. In fact, they have arranged for Thrawn and Ar'alani to accompany ambassador Boadil'par'gasoi (Ilparg) on a mission to the Tower Dimension capital world of Urch. This would keep Thrawn far away from Lioaoin space.
At Urch, the Vigilant encounters at attempted capture from Urchiv-ki, Lioaoin, and Nikardun ships. To demand answers, Thrawn and Ar'alani head to the Lioaoin heartworld to demand answers. There, they find an alliance between the Lioaoin Regime and the Nikardun. Thrawn decides to head to the Garwian Unity, where he would ask for help with reconnaissance concerning other nearby worlds and their affiliations with the Nikardun. Ar'alani agrees to send him to the Garwian Unity capital world of Solitair, and makes plans to pick him up at the Vak Combine homeworld of Primea. When Ar'alani returns to the Ascendancy, Ba'kif holds a meeting with her, where Thurfian and Zistalmu again berate her for allowing Thrawn to insert himself amongst the Garwians (Thrawn previously had a bad history with them). Later in the conversation, Ba'kif asks Ar'alani how she plans to retrieve Thrawn from Primea. The conversation turns to Ar'alani's current role as temporary caregiver. Ar'alani explains that she has been selected by Mitth'ali'astov (Thalias), sky-walker Che'ri's current caregiver who is on the mission with Thrawn, to be the substitute caregiver. Thurfian demands for a new caregiver to be brought aboard the Vigilant, due to Ar'alani's more pressing duties as an admiral. Ba'kif agrees to let Zistalmu's wife (a former caregiver) to be brought aboard the Vigilant to act as caregiver when Ar'alani was busy with her other duties. When the syndics leave, Ar'alani expresses her frustrations, as she wants to follow through to her promise to Thalias. Ba’kif states that he had no other choice, citing that Zistalmu would have stalled the Vigilant’s departure if he and his wife were not allowed to be apart of the retrival mission. They discuss that Thalias is not actually an official caregiver. Ba'kif mentions that Thurfian personally authorized her aboard the Springhawk and that he did not mention her lack of official status in the conversation, theorizing that he has a personal interest in keeping her aboard as Thrawn's sky-walker's caregiver.
The Vigilant is attacked at Primea by the Lioaoi, and the Springhawk and Vigilant are sent to the Lioaoin heartworld to retaliate. After returning, Thrawn had a conversation with Ba'kif, in which they discuss the next steps in countering the threat of the Nikardun. Thrawn suggests that he go on another data gathering mission to determine if there are other worlds that have been able to resist the Nikardun. Ba'kif would agree to this mission, but warns Thrawn that he is not only risking his own life but also the lives of Thalias and Che'ri, who would accompany him on the proposed mission. Ba’kif prepared the necessary supplies and ship for Thrawn’s mission.
After Thrawn's return from this mission, he would send Thalias and Che'ri to the Vak Combine to return a Vak patrol craft Thrawn had stolen to escape the system. However, Yiv would capture them and would send an ultimatum letter to the Chiss Ascendancy. Ba'kif would attend a Syndicure emergency hearing with Supreme Admiral Ja'fosk, Ar'alani, and Thrawn, where they would decide to attack the Nikardun to retrieve the captured sky-walker. The Chiss defeated Yiv and the Nikardun forces at Primea, and a subsequent hunt of the remaining Nikardun forces was greenlit by the Syndicure. Ba'kif tasked Thrawn with a special mission: return to Rapacc and make sure the Nikardun at that system were defeated.Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good
===A New Mission for Thrawn===
During this mission, Thrawn would travel to the world of the refugees found in the Dioya system (nicknamed Sunrise), where he, along with the Grayshrike, commanded by Senior Captain Xodlak'in'daro (Lakinda), would battle and defeat an unknown Battle Dreadnought. After the battle, Thrawn would return to the Ascendancy, where, at the request of the Syndicure, Ba'kif would give Thrawn and the Springhawk a new mission: explore rumors that the Paataatus Hiveborn have allied themselves with a group of Vagaari pirates. These rumors were, in actuality, an attempt by Thurfian and Zistalmu to get Thrawn away from the spotlight with the Nikardun. During a meeting with Thrawn and Samakro, Samakro would ask Ba'kif to confirm the rumors that Thrawn had acquired an artificial gravity well generator during his previous campaign against the Vagaari. However, Ba'kif would refuse to give anything away. Ba'kif also planned for the Grayshrike to secretly return to Sunrise to investigate further.
This campaign would eventually lead to a mysterious conflict between three Chiss family fleets, the Springhawk, the Grayshrike, and a group of mysterious alien gunboats at the planet of Hoxim. Upon the Springhawk's return to the Ascendancy, Ba'kif held a meeting with Samakro to try to gain more information about the incident. However, Samakro would refuse to elaborate, citing the Chiss sky-walker protocols, which forbade any officer from discussing any mission that involved the ship's sky-walker to anyone, regardless of their knowledge of the sky-walkers' existence.
==Personality and traits==
A blue-skinned Chiss male, Supreme General Ba'kif both admired the tactical genius of Senior Captain Thrawn and saw the officer's political ineptitude. Ba'kif was capable of making "soothing noises" to mollify politicians of the Chiss Syndicure even as his thoughts dwelled on tactical matters and strategic planning. Ba'kif was steadfast about enforcing the separation of powers between the Syndicure and the Chiss Defense Force, taking opportunities to "remind" the civilian leaders that only the Defense Hierarchy Council had authority over the military.
==Behind the scenes==
Ba'kif first appeared in the 2020 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, written by Timothy Zahn as the first novel of Star Wars: The Ascendancy Trilogy. In that trilogy, Ba'kif serves as a mentor, benefactor, supporter, and occasional detractor of the trilogy's titular character, Thrawn.
==Appearances==
*Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising 
*Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good 
*Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil 
==Sources==
*Star Wars: Timelines 
==Notes and references==
Category:Admirals and generals
Category:Ascendancy military flag officers
Category:Chiss
Category:Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet officers
Category:Defense Hierarchy Council members
Category:Individuals with he/him pronouns
Category:Males
Category:Naporar residents
Category:Stybla family