Betl Oxtroe was one of a select few female officers to ascend the ranks of the Imperial Navy, becoming an admiral. After the Galactic Civil War entered a second phase in the wake of Emperor Palpatine's death at Endor in 4 ABY, Oxtroe remained loyal to the Empire under Sate Pestage as many senior officers broke away to establish themselves as warlords.
A proponent of peace, Oxtroe attempted to broker a truce between the New Republic and the remnants of the Galactic Empire. She proposed the creation of a parliamentary monarchy with eleven-year-old Ederlathh Pallopides, a distant grand-niece of Palpatine, as a possible head, in return for immunity for Imperial Military personnel. Admiral Oxtroe died at the blade of a Noghri assassin before the first round of secret negotiations with the New Republic were completed, and the idea was forgotten.
Betl Oxtroe was an admiral of the Imperial Navy during the Galactic Civil War, one of few high-ranking women in the armed forces of the Galactic Empire. In 4 ABY, Emperor Palpatine was killed by the Rebel Alliance during the Battle of Endor. The Empire fell to pieces, with swaths of Imperials turning warlord and establishing their own dominions in various parts of the galaxy. Meanwhile on Imperial Center, Palpatine's successors advocated the continuation of the war with the Rebels, who had reformed into the New Republic. Despite the fragmentation, Oxtroe and her forces remained loyal to the Empire proper under the command of Sate Pestage, alongside other officers such as Uther Kermen and Gilad Pellaeon, and she was responsible for the defense of several fortress worlds in the Core and Colonies.
Admiral Oxtroe was one of the few Imperial proponents for a peace process with the New Republic, espousing a parliamentary monarchy that would unite both sides of the conflict. In 7 ABY, Oxtroe made secret entreaties to the New Republic, hoping to open talks of establishing such a system. Palpatine had a distant grand-niece, Ederlathh Pallopides, who Oxtroe proposed as a possible heir to the late Emperor. Pallopides was just eleven years old, so she would act as a mere figurehead; the New Republic Provisional Council would have control, playing a similar role to the former Imperial Advisors under Palpatine. In return for what Oxtroe saw as Imperial concessions, the Provisional Council would give amnesty to the Imperial Military. The New Republic was open to negotiations, and talks began in earnest.
Many Imperials did not want peace accords, furthermore the reborn Emperor Palpatine was preparing for his return, while Grand Admiral Thrawn was hiding in the Unknown Regions, waiting for the right time to strike at the New Republic. Thrawn commanded a species of fierce warriors known as the Noghri; a Noghri assassin killed Oxtroe before the first round of talks had concluded, and the idea was not pursued. New Republic historian Voren Na'al suspected Thrawn's hand in the Admiral's death, but had no evidence. Ultimately, the remnants of the Empire and New Republic continued to wage war for over a decade, until Gilad Pellaeon and Ponc Gavrisom signed accords in 19 ABY.
Betl Oxtroe was one of a few women to achieve a high rank in the Empire. Females, though accepted into Imperial Military forces, were almost never given promotions, and Natasi Daala was the first woman to achieve the rank of admiral. Despite facing this uphill struggle, Oxtroe was promoted to that same rank, making her the joint highest-ranking woman in Imperial service.
Oxtroe wanted peace after Palpatine's death and was not averse to communicating with the New Republic, unlike most of her colleagues; she did not defect, however. Instead, Oxtroe put forth an innovative plan to make peace while still maintaining some semblance of the Empire she served.
Betl Oxtroe was created by Michael Allen Horne for the Dark Empire Sourcebook, published in 1993, and later referenced in the multi-author The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia in 2008. In 2012, she received a mention in The Essential Guide to Warfare by Jason Fry and Paul R. Urquhart.
Oxtroe was briefly mentioned in an early draft of Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals, written by Daniel Wallace and Abel G. Peña. Originally due to be published in Star Wars Gamer magazine under the title Dirty Dozen: The Imperial Grand Admirals, after the cancellation of Gamer the article was renamed and condensed to be published in Star Wars Insider 66.
In the earlier draft, Oxtroe is established to have been a member of the Order of the Canted Circle, a Coruscanti secret society, created by Paul Sudlow for Galaxywide NewsNets in the Star Wars Adventure Journal 9. An unwritten order rule dictated that no more than eleven members could be inducted within each decade, but Oxtroe's ordination was the twelfth of the decade starting 5 BBY. Grand Admirals Rufaan Tigellinus and Thrawn had become additional exemptions by 2 ABY.
- Dark Empire Sourcebook
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Essential Guide to Warfare