Elin Garza

Elin Garza was a Human female who served the Galactic Republic as a General in the Republic Army during the Great Galactic War against the reconstituted Sith Empire. During the war, she helped found an elite special forces division of the Republic Military and assisted in the training of the division's soldiers. 
After the signing of the Treaty of Coruscant, Garza began opposing the new reality of the Republic under the harsh terms of the armistice that allowed the Sith to reign unopposed over the galaxy, where she was often accused of ordering covert assaults on Imperial holdings in galaxy.
==Biography==
===Great Galactic War===
Elin Garza was born in the year 3696 BBY on the Galactic Republic's capital of Coruscant. When the Great Galactic War began with the resurgent Sith Empire in 3681 BBY, Garza forged her identity credentials at the age of 15 in order to enlist in the Republic Military. She soon reached the rank of lieutenant and was awarded the command of an entire platoon in the 45th Infantry Division. In 3673 BBY, Garza's unit was shot down on Bomodon during the Great Galactic War, where she met Republic Strategic Information Service agent Marcus Trant and fought a ten-month campaign to liberate the planet from the Empire. She later married Trant but divorced him two years later, and her second husband was a navy captain named Joron Tal'vor.
During her career, she was awarded a number of commendations, including the Medal of Valor, the Silver Crescent, the Mark of Dedication, and the Chancellor's Service Medal. When the resurgent Sith Empire launched a full-scale assault on the Republic, Garza served with distinction, and helped to found a elite special forces division of the Republic military.
===Cold War===
However, in 3653 BBY, the Republic and the Sith Empire signed the Treaty of Coruscant, marking an official end to the conflict.The Old Republic, Threat of Peace Act 1: Treaty of Coruscant In the years that followed, Garza was accused numerous times of ordering covert assaults on Imperial holdings throughout the galaxy.
One such incident occurred on Ando Prime. After learning of an Imperial offensive on the world, Garza sent Havoc Squad to cut it off. The squad was forced to call for rescue, but Garza's attempt was stopped by the Senate. It turned out that Garza had not had the Senate's approval for the first Ando Prime mission, and the senators refused to allow her to risk another war with the Empire. Havoc Squad managed to get home on its own, but this incident left a deep scar on its members.
By 3643 BBY, during the Cold War, Commander Harron Tavus led members from Havoc Squad to defect to the Empire. The only Havoc member to have stayed loyal to the Republic was a newly transferred sergeant, now promoted to lieutenant and new Havoc Squad commander. Garza summoned the new Havoc to Coruscant to eliminate Tavus' underworld assets on the planet before going after the traitors. Garza made it clear to Havoc that the mission is to be taken under complete secrecy, including non-disclosure to non-SpecForce personnel. After Havoc finally tracked down all the Havoc traitors, Garza promoted the Havoc CO to the rank of Captain.
However, Garza was forced to cut Havoc's shore leave short when they received intelligence about a new Imperial superweapon, codenamed Gauntlet. She dispatched Havoc to Tatooine to extract an undercover SIS agent with the intel. Once it was determined that the Gauntlet could fire through hyperspace, a joint military initiative was formed. However, Garza felt that Havoc needed to be brought up to full strength, and dispatched the squad to recruit two new members crucial to the mission, Tanno Vik on Balmorra, and Sergeant Yuun on Hoth, as well as extract the Safecrackers on Quesh.
===Second Galactic War===
Once Havoc succeeded in destroying the Gauntlet, Garza promoted the CO to the rank of major. Unfortunately, their victory was not without repercussions. The Gauntlet's destruction incensed Imperial General Arkos Rakton, who declared outright hostilities against the Republic. His first move was capturing a group of Republic-aligned heads of state, forcing their respective planets to allow Imperial forces to bypass their borders to assault Republic holdings. Garza had Havoc infiltrate the space station where the hostages were being held.
====Turning the Tide====
After Havoc successfully rescued the hostages, as well as made an enemy out of Rakton, Garza deployed Havoc to reinforce the Republic offensive, starting with extracting the Dagger Wing, a disavowed Republic fighter wing imprisoned on Belsavis for a botched mission that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Imperial citizens on Fest. Regardless, Garza felt that the Republic needed Dagger Wing, as starfighter pilots of their caliber were in short supply.
Secondly, Havoc was dispatched to space station A-77 to liberate POWs. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a trap set by Rakton, though Havoc survived the encounter.
Lastly, was the planet Voss, where Senator Evran was withholding thousands of Republic soldiers from the war effort for fear that the Empire would attack Voss again. And as he had Supreme Chancellor Dorian Janarus' complete confidence, even Garza couldn't overrule him. Thus, Havoc was forced to eliminate any Imperial invasion vectors, making the overall Republic military presence unnecessary. Havoc proceeded to foil Lord Torius' plan to utilize the stolen ZR-57 orbital strike bomb to hold Voss-Ka hostage.
Though the Republic had more than enough strength to turn the tide of the war, Garza was forced to recall Havoc Squad to Coruscant for a Senate inquiry into the squad's activities. Meeting at the spaceport, Garza reveals that the inquiry is a sham. It is being held by Senator Grom Zian, who is in fact a paid agent for the Empire. It is Rakton's intention to use Zian to suspend Havoc, allowing the war to turn in his favor. Luckily, the SIS had gathered evidence proving Zian's ties. Garza ordered the Major to attend the hearing and present the evidence, but avoid anything that could validate Zian's accusations.
====Battle of Corellia====
After Zian was arrested, Garza contacted Havoc via holo, revealing that she's transferred to Corellia, where the Empire and Republic are committing a significant amount of forces to fighting. Upon rendezvousing on the founding Republic planet, Garza introduced the Major to CorSec officer and former SpecForce, Locke, and civilian Captain Phaeris, who have both agreed aid the war effort. Garza told Havoc that their objective is to storm Bastion, the center of Republic military operations, which Rakton captured during the initial Imperial invasion. But to get there, they need a landing zone for Phaeris' group of smuggler to deploy their troops. Garza sent Havoc to capture the Imperial-held landing zone where the smugglers' ships are docked. But after Havoc secured the landing zone, Locke called the squad to plead them to stop the Imperial attack on the residential districts. However, Garza suggested that Havoc instead divert to capture the lightly-guarded dropships, but she left the overall decision to the Major. Havoc chose to save the civilians.
Havoc then deployed to Labor Valley to rally resistance cells to retake a factory. Afterwards, they rendezvoused with Garza and Locke at a safehouse in Axial Park. Garza explained they need a safe landing zone, which she's chosen to be the Corellian Museum of Starships. However, a famous warship, the Lucky Lancer, was parked there. Garza felt it better that it'd be destroyed, though Locke refused to have a symbol of Corellia heritage destroyed. Instead, Havoc chose to escort volunteer pilots to move the ship out of the way.
Rendezvousing in the government district in a Drall library, Garza gave Havoc instructions to infiltrate the Bastion. First, they had to jam its communications then commandeer an Imperial crawler tank to slip in, take out the main gate so the Safecrackers and 53rd Armored Platoon could begin the main assault. The attack proceeded flawlessly and Havoc managed to defeat and capture Rakton.
Garza reunited with Havoc on Coruscant, where the newly elected Supreme Chancellor, Leontyne Saresh, was present to commend the squad. To Garza's surprise, Saresh announced her intention to trade Rakton back to the Empire in exchange for thousands of POWs. Garza politely protested the decision, reminding the Chancellor of the countless deaths Rakton has caused in his campaign. Saresh stated that while they cannot help the dead, the living they can help. The Major chose to support the decision.
After the meeting's conclusion, Garza expressed her disapproval. But even with this setback, she informs the Major that the war with the Empire is far from over and the war is moving towards Ilum.
====Battle of Ilum====
Garza was part of the war council gathered on Ilum after Darth Malgus' announcement of a New Empire. Though Fleet Admiral Numinn believed that Malgus would only focus on the Imperial loyalists, Garza reminded him of Malgus' crimes during the Sacking of Coruscant.
====Last days of service====
Due to Havoc Squad's accomplishments, Supreme Commander Jace Malcom assigned them to the front lines instead of covert SpecForce. In hopes of creating a replacement for Havoc, Garza assembled Eclipse Squad, composed of six volunteers augmented by Rakata technology salvaged from a genetics laboratory on Manaan used by the Order of Revan. At first Eclipse showed no ill side effects, until they pre-emptively massacred two hundred people at Fort Klemark on Altair 9, their implants driving them mad and making them think there were enemies all around them, and went rogue.
Garza tracked Eclipse to Rishi on the hunt for the Revanites. She also learned that Havoc Squad was also on the planet without official orders and made contact with her squad, revealing the Eclipse debacle. She requested Havoc's assistance in luring out and terminating Eclipse Squad, stating that the implants have made them beyond redemption. After the deed was done, Garza informed Havoc that she would have to face the consequences of her actions for Fort Klemark and predicted that the Senate would most likely strip her of her uniform and throw her in prison. Before parting ways with Havoc, she shared one last salute with the Major.
==Personality and traits==
By the time of the Great Galactic War, the Human female Elin Garza was recognized as one of the most experienced officers in the Republic's army. She was renowned for her genius at both military tactics and strategies, and possessed an almost-flawless record of operations. However, she was not beyond controversy; Garza owned a reputation for being ruthless and without compromise, such as when she ordered Havoc Squad to execute Krell's supposed cyborg victims, not even willing to chance that Krell was bluffing. She claims that they have to be heartless and make morally questionable decisions so that the citizens of the Republic won't have to. Despite this, few doubted the General's willingness to assure that the Republic was victorious. Garza had, at this point, been married and divorced three times. Garza was political rivals with the Supreme Chancellor Dorian Janarus. She despises politicians repeatedly interfering in military matters, preferring to keep them on a need-to-know basis. Particularly, she blames them for the previous Havoc Squad's defection, even though the blame was equally on her for ordering the Ando Prime mission without their approval.
==Behind the scenes==
Elin Garza was introduced on the official site prior to the release of the PC video game Star Wars: The Old Republic. She received an entry in the "Biographies" section of the website's Holonet feature, where messages written in Aurebesh state "The Senate is suspicious", "Ando Prime" and "divorced three times". She is voiced by Kate Weiman in the game.
During the encounter with Garza on Rishi in Shadow of Revan, the player has three options to respond to Garza's actions regarding the Eclipse Squad. The light side option is to threaten to denounce her and testify against her, in which case Garza predicts that she will be escorted to a comfortable prison cell. The neutral option is is to tell Garza that she's on her own, in which case Garza will admit that her military career is over, but will muse that she might be able to join the Coruscant Police. The dark side option is to offer to cover up the truth by suggesting that Eclipse Squad were Revanites, in which case Garza will state that she will transition into the SIS and will be back to running ops within a year.
During the flashpoint "The Nathema Conspiracy", if the Outlander is a Trooper who made the choice to ally with the Sith Empire during the War on Iokath, Garza will seek revenge on them and join the Order of Zildrog led by Vinn Atrius, only to be sacrificed as fuel to awaken Zildrog by GEMINI 16 on Nathema. If the Trooper remained loyal to the Republic, they will encounter Imperial General Essith instead, while the other classes face antagonists from their own class stories.
==Appearances==
*The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance 
*Star Wars: The Old Republic 
*The Old Republic—The Lost Suns 1 
*Star Wars: The Old Republic: Rise of the Hutt Cartel 
*Star Wars: The Old Republic: Shadow of Revan
*Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire 
*Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Eternal Throne 
==Sources==
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*Star Wars: The Old Republic Encyclopedia 
==Notes and references==
==External links==
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Category:Coruscanti
Category:Females
Category:Humans
Category:Individuals with she/her pronouns
Category:Republic Army generals
Category:Republic Special Forces personnel