Sagoro Autem

The Human male Sagoro Autem was born into a family in which duty, honor, and loyalty to the Galactic Republic were deeply ingrained. His father and grandfather were both Senate Guards, elite protectors of the Republic's legislators. While growing up on the galactic capital planet of Coruscant, Autem naturally joined the Senate Guard himself, graduating from the Senate Guard Academy and beginning a dedicated career, just as his older brother, Venco, already had.

Autem was a skilled Guard with a reputation for honesty, efficiency, and talent. He was partnered with Zalin Bey until she was promoted to the rank of commander; the promotion could have been Autem's, but he declined, wishing to remain active rather than take a desk job. Nevertheless, he was a talented investigator and had the skills for the job. After Bey's promotion, Autem gained a new partner, Isaru Omin. Omin, a Force-sensitive who had been rejected by the Jedi Order due to having been too old when discovered by a Jedi scout, maintained a close working relationship with Autem and served as a confidante.

At some point during his career, Autem found that Venco, also considered one of the Guard's best, had been taking bribes. Autem refused to allow family ties to get in the way of duty and turned his brother in to the authorities, whereupon Venco was convicted and imprisoned. Ever after that, Autem effectively disowned Venco, despising him as a corrupt man who had betrayed his oath to the Republic and sullied the Autem family name.

During his early career, Autem met a woman named Sula, whose family also included multiple Senate Guards. They fell in love and married, producing two children: Reymet—born in 42 BBY—and Lissa, born later. Autem loved his family but was frequently absent due to his job, and he made it clear that he placed the Republic over all other loyalties, including family. In addition, he held his family to his own strict standards of loyalty, discipline, and service. Sula grew to find him distant and unloving, and Reymet, who enrolled in the Senate Guard Academy due to family pressure but held no desire to be a Guard himself, resented his father's absence, strictness, and extremely high standards. Reymet frequently engaged in risky behavior, such as illegal pit racing, and Autem furiously upbraided his son for behavior that could get him kicked out the Academy, regarding him as unmotivated and immature—and in moments of great frustration, idiotic.

Shortly before 22 BBY, Senator Jheramahd Greyshade of the Commonality was murdered, and Autem and Omin were assigned to the case. Greyshade would have been a key vote on the upcoming Financial Reform Act, which intended to address and reduce the corruption prevalent in the Republic, and Autem was reluctant to take on such a politically sensitive case. However, Bey, now his direct superior, felt that Autem and Omin were the men for the job. They reported to the office of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine himself, where Palpatine introduced them as some of the Guard's "most valued members" to Senator Simon Greyshade, Jheramahd's cousin and his appointed replacement. Palpatine assigned the pair of Senate Guards to investigate Jheramahd's assassination and track down the culprits, while Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi and his maverick Padawan Anakin Skywalker would provide security for Simon Greyshade. Greyshade had requested Jedi protection, but Autem was offended, as the protection of senators was traditionally the duty of the Senate Guard. Palpatine cited the swiftly upcoming bill, which could have a profound influence on the emerging Separatist Crisis, as creating a need for extraordinary measures, and Autem could do little but accept the situation despite his dislike of Jedi and their mystical ways.

At the close of the meeting, Autem received a call from Sula. Reymet was pit racing once more, and this time he had taken Lissa with him to watch. Autem knew that a Judicial raid on the pits was planned, and that if Reymet were caught, he would be expelled from the Academy. Autem was unaware that Reymet had in fact already been suspended from the Academy. Autem took Omin with him to the races, where they filtered through the crowd incognito. Reymet was in the air when they arrived, however, and the Judicial raid occurred during his flight. Autem and Omin were unable to get Lissa and Reymet out beforehand, and Reymet attacked a Judicial officer after the officer stunned Riao Siao, Reymet's Felacatian girlfriend, when she resisted arrest. Autem and Omin revealed themselves as Senate Guards and were able to claim priority on Reymet and Lissa, taking them out of custody and freeing them upon their departure from the garbage pit. Autem declined to take Siao, though, whom he despised as enabling his son's irresponsible behavior.

Autem harshly reprimanded his son when he brought him home, telling him his behavior was foolish and risky, and demanding that he buckle down and attend to his studies in the Academy. Sula came to Reymet's defense, but the argument was interrupted by the arrival at their door of Venco Autem, recently released from prison. Autem berated his brother, but was brought up short when Venco told him that he was dying. Autem invited him inside, where Venco informed him that he had an incurable disease. Autem's anger swiftly returned, however, and he dismissed Venco's illness as a possible ploy that would not redeem him from his crimes even if true. When Omin commed Autem with new developments in the case, Autem turned his brother out of the house as he himself left; Reymet was offended at such treatment of his uncle, whom he rather liked, and Sula despaired at Autem's cold and harsh demeanor.

Autem reported to Greyshade's apartment in the 500 Republica building, where a pair of modified droids had attempted to assassinate the Senator, only to be foiled by his Jedi bodyguards. Skywalker analyzed one of the destroyed droids—a protocol droid—and found a strange transceiver. Omin and Autem took the transceiver back to the Senate Guard forensic laboratories for analysis; Omin also reported that a scan of the droid's memory had revealed that it had been shut down an hour before Jheramahd Greyshade's death, which they believed suggested he had been meeting with a shady character. Analysis of the transceiver established a link to Princess Tsian, who had a cybernetic link capable of interfacing with droids; cross-checking her travel history showed multiple unsolved assassinations which corresponded with her visits to various planets. Furthermore, she was currently attending a party in honor of the new Senator Greyshade. The Guards tried to get word to Kenobi and Skywalker but arrived only after the initial attack was made. Autem stunned Tsian as the Jedi battled a swarm of attack droids, and her unconsciousness rendered the droids inoperative. The princess was then taken into custody by the Guard. The Jedi returned Greyshade to his apartments, but on their way were attacked by the Dug assassin Keluda. Kenobi captured Keluda and extracted from him the name of his employer: Venco Autem.

Unbeknownst to Autem, Venco had bribed a prison guard to release Riao from jail, which had impressed Reymet and allowed Venco to manipulate the boy into giving his uncle his Senate Guard access codes. As Reymet's codes had been invalidated due to his suspension from the Academy, he gave Venco his father's access codes, which Autem was unaware that his son knew.

With Venco's name revealed as the mastermind of the assassinations, Autem was taken off the case and sent home. Such inactivity—especially when it was his brother causing the problems—was not Autem's way, however, and he considered himself most likely to be able to take down his brother, who had been one of the Senate Guard's best. Autem stopped by his home, where he found Reymet preparing to leave for Siao's homeworld with her, a trip organized by Venco. When Reymet mentioned speaking with Venco, Autem demanded to know where Venco was. When told of Venco's complicity in the assassination attempts, Reymet revealed all that had transpired. Autem commed Omin with the news that Venco had his access codes, but Omin was busy due to a breakout attempt by Tsian, who had, with assistance from Venco, taken over several droids' programming and was creating a distraction for Venco.

Autem swiftly made his way to the Senate Building's Grand Convocation Chamber, where he arrived just in time to draw a blaster on Venco, who had disguised himself as Greyshade's personal Senate Guard. Venco detached Greyshade's repulsorpod and moved to the center of the chamber, but Autem, in an overlooking pod, did the same with his. Autem ordered Venco to surrender, but Venco told his brother that he was in fact dying, and didn't care about escape. His prison time had changed him into a believer determined to bring down what he saw as a hopelessly corrupt Republic. Autem pointed out that he served not the men, but the principles of the Republic. In the end, the two stared each other down, weapons at their sides, before Autem suddenly raised his blaster and killed his brother.

In conversation with Chancellor Palpatine about the case, Autem covered up for his son, acting as if he didn't know how Venco had accessed his codes. Meanwhile, Autem received a holographic message from Sula, telling him that Reymet was leaving the planet with Riao and that she was taking Lissa and leaving Autem. She also asked him not to interfere with any of them. With his faith in the Republic shattered by Venco's accusations of its corruption and his life ruined by the breakup of his family, Autem acquired a new sense of priorities. When he and Omin went to arrest Reymet—wanted for questioning as an accessory to murder—Autem refused to go through with it. Omin offered to keep him from having to arrest his own son by doing it himself, but Autem drew a blaster on his partner, telling him that he wouldn't let the Republic take any more of his family. Omin reluctantly took Autem himself into custody for his actions, refusing to make allowances for his actions. With Reymet safely off-world, Autem quietly complied.

Autem was made to answer for his decisions and ultimately departed from the service. Later in his life, he claimed that he left by his own will. He retained the respect of many former colleagues, but continued to resent Omin for turning him in, which he regarded as a betrayal. He turned his skills to work as a mercenary, looking for his family at the same time, though he found no trace. Autem continued in this vein for some time until, during a job with a Devaronian, the Devaronian betrayed him and left him for the authorities. He was convicted by the Republic and, by the outbreak of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, was locked in prison on the planet Brentaal IV. That year, a HoloNet News story on the theft of Simon Greyshade's speeder reported that Reymet Autem had been arrested as the thief—though in fact Anakin Skywalker had "borrowed" it during the pursuit of the assassin Zam Wesell. The report named Sagoro Autem as Greyshade's designated guard at the time and cited Reymet as claiming to have visited his father at Greyshade's residence earlier that day.

Around five months after the Clone Wars opened, Separatist leader Shogar Tok led an insurrection on Brentaal IV, taking over Autem's prison in the process. This was followed by a Republic counterattack under four Jedi Generals. Autem and his fellow prisoners took advantage of the battle to stage a prison riot. While Autem, the Zeltron Lyshaa, and the grief-crazed Wookiee Ryyk furiously battled Tok's guards, Jedi Master Shaak Ti and a group of Republic clone troopers soon afterward arrived at the prison, where they hoped to take refuge after the Republic forces were devastated by a set of shielded ion cannons that they had believed to be disabled.

With the aid of Ti and her troopers, Autem and the others defeated the prison guards, although several of the troopers were killed. Also in the prison was Jedi Master Quinlan Vos, a spy for the Republic in solitary confinement under the alias Korto Vos, who was rescued by Ti. Autem, Lyshaa, and Ryyk were conscripted by Ti to join her, Vos, and the single surviving clone in infiltrating Shogar Tok's fortress. When Autem and Lyshaa objected, Ti promised them their freedom in exchange for their assistance. The three prisoners thus agreed.

They set off through the sewers to access Tok's fortress, where they found a scrange. During battle with the beast, Ryyk was killed, reducing the infiltration team even further. Once out of the sewers, the team split up, with Ti and Lyshaa departing to capture Tok, the clone being assigned to destroy the fortress's shield generator, and Vos and Autem aiming to destroy the ion cannon. The success of even one group would allow the forces of Jedi Master Plo Koon—who had withdrawn from orbit following the surprise ion cannon attack—to score a victory when they returned four hours after their departure to renew the attack.

The forces of Jedi Master Agen Kolar, who had allowed himself to be captured, were being processed and imprisoned, rendering the fortress was a flurry of activity. Vos was discouraged by this, but Autem saw it as an opportunity. Vos and Autem, whose clothing was little different from the informal gear of Tok's troopers, approached a security checkpoint masquerading as captors of the clone trooper. Autem was able to use his knowledge of guard customs to belligerently bluster past the checkpoint when his authorization was questioned; afterward, he revealed to Vos that he had been a Senate Guard. After this checkpoint, the clone split off.

Autem and Vos were able to reach their target, and Autem stood guard while Vos rewired the guns to overload their power supply. Just as Vos finished, however, Tok's guards arrived and captured the saboteurs. They discovered the first layer of Vos's sabotage and undid it, but a backup layer went off, destroying the cannons. Meanwhile, the clone gave his life to destroy the shield generator, and Ti captured Tok despite treachery from Lyshaa. Vos used the Force to disarm his and Autem's captors, blowing his cover and revealing himself as a Jedi, much to the dismay of Autem, who still considered Jedi a bad luck charm. Autem and Vos fought their way out, freeing Kolar's captured troopers as Koon attacked. The Separatists were completely routed.

Autem received his freedom as promised and, vowing to keep Vos's secret, left Brentaal IV with no clear plans. Though he still disliked Jedi, his attitude had softened somewhat toward them. Within approximately seven months, Autem had listened to the counsel of an old friend, Captain Jan Dodonna, and joined the war. He signed up with the Republic Navy; his sense of duty to the Republic ran too deep to abandon it in the midst of a fierce war, even after his earlier disillusionment.

By the last six months of the war, Autem had risen to the rank of captain, commanding a small fleet from a Venator-class Star Destroyer in orbit over Saleucami, where Senior Jedi General Oppo Rancisis and Jedi Generals Quinlan Vos, Ausar Auset, K'Kruhk, Sian Jeisel, Aayla Secura, A'Sharad Hett, Xiaan Amersu, Xeltek, Durnar, and T'Bolton attempted to take the capital city, where the Separatists were growing an Anzati-trained clone army of Morgukai. Autem provided fleet support but was unable to do much directly, as a powerful and well-shielded planetary ion cannon held his fleet away from the capital. He did, however, develop strong working relationships with the Jedi Generals, including Vos, whom he already knew. When supplies arrived to the fleet from Coruscant, Autem attempted to get them planetside in order to help refugees, but he was only able to get a limited amount to the surface. He reported as much to Master Rancisis via hologram.

The siege continued on this track for five months, killing Xeltek, Durnar, T'Bolton, and Auset before an underground tunnel network was discovered that allowed the Jedi to infiltrate the Separatist compound. Rancisis was then slain by Separatist commander and Dark Jedi Sora Bulq, eliminating his battle meditation and masterful planning from the Republic's forces. Vos instead devised a plan which let Secura and himself infiltrate the compound and sabotage the shields while the other ground and space forces led a diversionary attack.

Vos launched the attack and successfully disabled the shields, but Autem's fleet was still overwhelmed by the ion cannon, which ran off of a separate power source. He was near to calling a retreat when Jedi General Xiaan Amersu deliberately crashed her critically damaged starfighter into the cannon, sacrificing herself to destroy it. Autem made sure her life was not wasted, moving his fleet into position and beginning bombardment of the Separatist facilities as soon as friendly troops were out of the area. His orbital bombardment devastated the Separatist base and ended the Morgukai threat.

In 19 BBY, shortly after the conclusion of the Saleucami siege, the war came to an end, and Supreme Chancellor Palpatine declared that the Galactic Republic would be reformed into the Galactic Empire. Two weeks after the New Order was proclaimed and the Jedi—enemies of the new government—purged, Autem was summoned to an audience on Coruscant with Palpatine, along with dozens of other captains of the Imperial Navy. Autem stood beside his old friend Jan Dodonna, who informed Autem that he had been retroactively credited as "the" hero of Saleucami in Imperial propaganda now that the Jedi were enemies of the state. Autem did not care for unearned credit, but there was little he could do. Palpatine appeared before the audience, proclaiming the treachery of the Jedi and reinforcing the message of the New Order. He further announced that resignations would not be accepted at the time and that reviews of fitness for command would be conducted. He also introduced his new second-in-command, Darth Vader, who executed Captain Jace Dallin in order to make an example when Dallin questioned the guilt of the Jedi.

Autem was greatly disturbed by these developments. He had never intended to make a career of the Fleet but to stay only for the duration of the crisis, and was less than thrilled by Vader's summary execution of Dallin. Dodonna warned him to watch what he said, however, as the Empire had little toleration for dissent and many willing informers.

Autem felt the need for solitude and rented a hotel room instead of returning to his barracks. He was contemplating his situation when an urgent knock came at the door: his former partner Omin. Autem admitted him, but was bitter and hostile toward Omin for having turned him in five years before. Omin had vital news, however: the Senate Guard had received a copy of a list of Imperial officers slated for a purge, and Autem was among them. No reason was given, but Omin speculated that it could be related to Autem's outspoken character or his criminal history. Regardless, Imperial stormtroopers were on their way to arrest Autem. Under the New Order, Omin had a new set of priorities and still considered Autem to be a friend. As Imperial troopers entered the hotel, Autem fled to the roof and from there to the Coruscant undercity while Omin stayed behind to delay the soldiers. After Omin was captured and executed by Darth Vader, Vader hired three bounty hunters to find Autem.

Autem dodged patrols in the undercity until, taking refuge in a cantina, he spotted the Bothan Ch'ord Sy'fon, who owed him a favor. Autem converted that favor into passage off-world aboard the Scimitar of Kelso that night at no cost and no questions asked. He lingered until it was time to set out for the ship, then began to make his way there. He was ambushed en route by the Shistavanen bounty hunter Severian. However, Severian was attacked by Tartuta, another one of the bounty hunters. The Dug hoped to steal Severian's kill and chopped off the Shistavanen's hand before sending him plummeting into an urban chasm. Tartuta then turned to Autem, but was taken down by a shot from the third hunter, Evan Hessler. Hessler remained in the shadows, however, leading Autem to conclude that one of his own stray shots had downed the Dug.

Autem was nearly at the Scimitars docking bay when he was attacked yet again by Severian, who had recovered from his amputation and fall. Autem was able to stab him to death with one of Tartuta's short blades, which he had appropriated. After that battle, however, he was waylaid a third time, now by Hessler. Hessler held his blaster rifle to Autem's head and forced him to watch Vader and a squad of troopers waiting for him around the transport—Sy'fon had sold Autem out. Autem was preparing to go out fighting when Hessler took off his mask and revealed himself as none other than Reymet Autem. Reymet had made use of the contacts that Venco had given him to start a career as a smuggler and information broker, keeping an eye on his father. He had gotten wind of the termination order and used the Hessler alias to gain the bounty assignment.

The pair boarded the younger Autem's ship and set out for the Outer Rim, where they planned to go underground and meet up with Sula, who had never truly fallen out of love with Autem, and Lissa, both of whom had remained in contact with Reymet. Autem had escaped, and gained another chance with his family in the process.

Sagoro Autem had light brown hair, brown eyes, and light skin. One of his defining personal characteristics was his exceptional loyalty to the Republic. He was raised in a family with a tradition of service, dedication, and responsibility, and sought to continue that tradition. To him, they were sacred ideals. The Republic stood for civilization, order, and justice, and to Autem, it was a proud task to uphold those values. He placed the Republic above personal concerns—including his family, though he did sometimes bend rules to protect his son Reymet. Autem turned against his brother when he found that Venco had betrayed the Republic, and he also placed his work above more routine commitments to family. He was frequently absent while on cases and caused his wife and son to feel disconnected from him.

Autem's faith in the Republic was deeply shaken by Venco's indictment of its corruption. Autem began to realize that the Republic might not have been as great as he had supposed. Combined with the departure of his wife and children, he rearranged his priorities and placed his family first; by the time of the Clone Wars, his loyalty to the Republic had at least outwardly crumbled. Imprisonment on Brentaal IV made him even more bitter. However, that spark was never fully extinguished, and Jan Dodonna was able to talk him back into serving his government in a time of crisis. While that sense of duty did not die, it did not remain as strong, with Autem intending only to serve for the length of the crisis rather than restarting a career with the Republic.

Autem was also a demanding man who insisted that his family and everyone else live up to his high standards of service. He expected that his family would understand his putting the Republic first and do the same, and he could not understand why Reymet would not want to be a Senate Guard. It was not until his family left him that he began to reconsider those standards.

Another characteristic of Autem was his dislike of the Jedi Order. He disliked their mystical nature and didn't trust them, putting his faith in traditional detective work over unconfirmable Jedi hunches. They were overrated in his opinion, and as likely to impede the proper pursuit of a case as they were to solve it. By the time of Autem's imprisonment, he considered them bad luck, as his cooperation with Jedi on the Greyshade case had not exactly turned out well for him. His rescue by Shaak Ti and Quinlan Vos, however, softened his stance, and Autem began to consider that Jedi, or at least some Jedi individually, might be decent, helpful individuals, though he still did not care for the Jedi overall. By the end of the war, Autem was working cooperatively with several Jedi, including Masters Quinlan Vos and Oppo Rancisis, at Saleucami.

The character of Sagoro Autem was created by John Ostrander for use as a protagonist, alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, in the Star Wars: Republic comic series story arc Honor and Duty. Ostrander reused Autem as part of the supporting cast in Jedi: Shaak Ti and again in the Star Wars: Republic: Siege of Saleucami story arc. Republic 78, also written by Ostrander, was the first issue to feature Autem as the sole protagonist. Currently no author but Ostrander has used the character. In Jedi: Shaak Ti, Sagoro Autem's name is occasionally misspelled as "Saguro Autem."

There are various conflicting sources for the time placement of Honor and Duty. The interior covers of the three individual issues state, "The events in this series take place approximately 23 years prior to Star Wars: A New Hope" while, within the arc itself, the time frame is clearly identified as eight years after the Battle of Naboo, or 24 BBY. This later date corresponds with references in Loyalties, which identify the events of Honor and Duty as being five years earlier than that story, which takes place in 19 BBY. However, the trade paperback of Honor and Duty and Loyalties identifies the arc as taking place three years prior to Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, or 22 BBY. The StarWars.com Databank and The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia give yet another time, nine years after the Battle of Naboo or 23 BBY, as does Star Wars: The Comics Companion. As yet, no official explanation has been given.

Another conflict regards Autem's appearance in Senate Speeder Thief Arrested, a story included in Volume 531, Issue 56 on the HoloNet News website. The story takes place in 22 BBY, after the events of Honor and Duty, and claims that Autem is still a Senate Guard and still living with his family. This contradicts the events of Honor and Duty, as well as statements made by Autem in Jedi: Shaak Ti. As the claims in the story are based on statements made by Reymet Autem while under arrest, this article treats them as false testimony.

Autem's eyes are consistently brown-colored in all sources except Loyalties, in which one panel shows him with blue eyes, and in Honor and Duty, in which they generally are brown but are occasionally colored gray, especially in close-ups of his eyes and face.

• Star Wars: The Comics Companion
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia