Funeral of Cha Niathal

In a move suggested by Chief of Starfighter Command Merratt Jaxton in 43.5 ABY—who was secretly a member of a conspiracy to overthrow Galactic Federation of Free Alliances Chief of State Natasi Daala—Daala planned to bring former Galactic Alliance Admiral Cha Niathal to the galactic capital of Coruscant to stand trial for dereliction of duty during the Second Galactic Civil War. Daala's motives were political: she hoped to improve her public image by proving that the government was not being particularly unfair in its dealings with the Jedi Order.

By putting Niathal on trial, she hoped to show that military officials were receiving the same treatment as Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker had received—the Galactic Alliance had previously exiled Skywalker from Coruscant for dereliction of duty for failing to prevent Sith Lord Darth Caedus' fall to the dark side during the Civil War. Daala knew that the charges against Niathal were weak and thus believed that she would be easily acquitted. Although Niathal pretended to agree to Daala's terms, the former Admiral decided to avoid the shame of the trial; she committed suicide by pumping carbon monoxide into her aquarium. Niathal's assistant found her the following morning upon Alliance emissary Elyas Caran's arrival, and her death was quickly reported to Daala.

Daala was shocked and disturbed by Niathal's suicide, and the former Admiral was brought to Coruscant for her funeral, which was signed off by an individual who used the name of Coruscant Security Force "Captain Koltstan"—although a later investigation showed that no "Captain Koltstan" existed in the Secutiry Force. Much of the public blamed Daala for Niathal's death, and several civilians attending the funeral made signs that accused Daala and even called for the Galactic Alliance to pull out of Niathal's homeworld of Mon Calamari. Daala's aide, Wynn Dorvan, also reported to the Chief of State that the Coruscant Security Force believed the threat level against Daala was too high for her to safely attend the funeral, and she reluctantly agreed to watch the procession from inside her office.

The funeral procession began at the Mon Calamari Embassy on Coruscant, passed Medway Avenue, and finally arrived at the Plaza of the Founders near the planet's political district. Niathal was carried in a casket with a transparisteel top, and the Galactic Alliance Navy Drum Corps, which played a percussion arrangement of the Alderaanian air 'Tialga Hath Fallen', rode in barges directly behind her. Following the Drum Corps was a long line of dark airspeeders housing ambassadors, officers, and other beings who had personally known Niathal. Also in the procession was Imperial Remnant Head of State Jagged Fel, whose vehicle was followed by that of the Mon Calamari Embassy. Journalist Javis Tyrr narrated the funeral for the HoloNet broadcast, and when the Procession reached the Plaza of the Founders, Tycho Celchu, former General of Galactic Alliance Starfighter Command, gave the eulogy for Niathal while a hologram commending her was played.

After the funeral, public sentiment toward Daala continued to worsen, but she decided nevertheless to continue with her harsh political methods, particularly in her dealings with the Jedi Order. However, Daala was eventually ousted from her position of Chief of State.

The funeral of Cha Niathal appeared in Aaron Allston's Fate of the Jedi: Backlash, his second installment and the fourth novel overall in the Fate of the Jedi series.