Cha Niathal

Niathal was born before 4 ABY. As a child during the later years of the Galactic Empire, she retained memories of seeing images of Emperor Palpatine around Mon Calamari and witnessing Darth Vader in parades on the HoloNet. However, her recollections of life under the Empire were limited.

Later in life, Niathal joined the New Republic Defense Force and actively fought against the Yuuzhan Vong during their invasion of the galaxy. Following the reorganization of the New Republic into the Galactic Alliance, Niathal continued her service in the Galactic Alliance Defense Force, progressively climbing the ranks. She achieved the position of Fleet Admiral and became the primary advisor to Supreme Commander Gilad Pellaeon.

In 40 ABY, as tensions escalated between the Galactic Alliance and Corellia due to Corellia's demands for greater autonomy, Niathal participated in all meetings concerning Operation Roundabout as an advisor to Admiral Pellaeon. She was a key figure in devising the peace talks, led by Pellaeon, aimed at appeasing Five World Prime Minister Aidel Saxan and allowing both the Alliance and Corellia to avoid war. However, Saxan's assassination during the talks and the subsequent outbreak of the battle of Tralus officially initiated hostilities. Niathal also contributed to the decision to remove Matric Klauskin from his leadership role in the Second Fleet.

Upon Pellaeon's resignation as Supreme Commander, Admiral Niathal assumed the position, harboring ambitions to replace Cal Omas as the Galactic Alliance Chief of State. As Supreme Commander, Niathal entered into an alliance with Jacen Solo, the head of the newly formed Galactic Alliance Guard and a Jedi Knight. Following the Battle of Hapes, she and Cal Omas requested that the Jedi High Council promote Solo to the rank of Jedi Master for his actions during the battle. However, Grand Master Luke Skywalker sensed that Niathal was the driving force behind the request, even though Omas supported it. Despite this, the Council denied the promotion of the Admiral's ally.

As the conflict intensified, other star systems, reminiscent of the Separatist Crisis and Clone Wars of the Old Republic, began to secede from the Galactic Alliance. Corellia's allies, including the Five Worlds and their supporters, became known as the Confederation.

After the blockade of Corellia by the Galactic Alliance was broken by Bothan and Commenorian forces, and following the decisions of Adumar, Bespin, and Fondor to join the movement, The Confederation disseminated false information suggesting that the Supreme Commander of their military would be chosen at a secret meeting in the Gilatter system.

Taking the bait, Jacen Solo formulated a four-step plan to ambush the supposed meeting. First, Jedi in StealthXs would enter the system undetected and relay information to the Alliance fleet. The fleet, under Niathal's command, was assembled from various task forces scattered throughout the Mid Rim. Instead of moving entire fleet groups, which would alert Confederation intelligence, this approach allowed the Alliance to maintain the element of surprise. This is likely why Admiral Niathal commanded the battle from the Galactic Voyager, Admiral Gial Ackbar's renowned command ship. Elements of the Ninth Fleet were also part of the task force. In the third step, the fleet would move into the upper atmosphere of Gilatter VIII and remain hidden from enemy sensors until the StealthXs signaled. Solo himself decided to infiltrate the resort satellite in disguise to maximize the damage to the Confederation command structure.

Disguised as Najack and accompanied secretly by Lumiya, the Colonel's Sith Master, Jacen infiltrated the election ceremony, posing as members of the Ession Freedom Front. Meanwhile, the Confederation force, assumed to be preparing for a military strike against the Alliance, continued to gather in the system. Upon reaching the election room, Solo found no one of significance present. Shortly after, Turr Phennir appeared on a hologram screen, revealing that the information Jacen had acted on was false. Phennir had been elected as Supreme Commander the previous day during the real election. Phennir gloated that Niathal's command had been led into a minefield. Fortunately for Phennir, Jacen visualized the mines and warned Luke Skywalker, who was part of the StealthX force. Skywalker then warned Admiral Niathal.

Instead of ordering a retreat, Niathal ordered the fleet to proceed into the grid, knowing that abrupt course changes would attract more mines. The Anakin Solo and other outlying ships microjumped into the battle. She instructed the second-tier capital ships and starfighters to form up behind the leading capital ships and enter the minefield. This disrupted the carefully planned Confederation assault, leading to a disorganized conflict. However, Jacen Solo, en route to the Anakin as his family engaged Lumiya and Alema Rar on the resort satellite, angrily observed that the Alliance fleet lacked coordination, missing several opportunities. Forces milled about without purpose, a frigate retreated unnecessarily, and a damaged Bothan Assault Cruiser was not destroyed due to missed opportunities.

The Confederation declared the battle a major victory, while the Alliance claimed that despite the subterfuge and favorable odds, they failed to decisively defeat Niathal and Solo.

As the war progressed, Omas had limited options for retaliation. When Dur Gejjen, his Corellian counterpart, contacted him for peace talks, Omas saw an opportunity. Meeting with Gejjen on Vulpter, he requested the neutralization of Jacen Solo, head of the Galactic Alliance Guard, and Cha Niathal, Supreme Commander of the Galactic Alliance Defense Force. In return, Corellia would rejoin the Alliance, and hostilities would cease. Gejjen agreed, but as he left the meeting, he was fatally shot by GAG sniper Ben Skywalker. Although Omas returned to Coruscant safely, he found himself isolated.

Upon learning of Omas' secret talks with Gejjen, Solo determined that the Chief of State was unfit to serve. He studied galactic law and lobbied for more power, which the Senate granted. Eventually, he gained the authority to remove political leaders, including the Galactic Alliance Chief of State.

Jacen Solo exploited a legal loophole to enter the Chief of State's office with a GAG escort, including Sergeant Wirut and Trooper Limm. Solo arrested Omas, who responded with icy indifference in front of the soldiers but verbally attacked Solo after they left, calling him a "power-crazed…little jerk". The stated reason for the arrest was Omas' secret negotiations with Dur Gejjen, but the Justice Department did not file charges until much later.

Cha Niathal, now the acting Chief of State, declared herself and Solo joint Chiefs of State. In Galactic Alliance memos, Niathal and Solo were referred to as "JCOS-1" and "JCOS-2," respectively. They declared their junta legal and temporary, promising rapid elections after the conflict ended. They sealed off the Chief of State's office, stating that only duly-elected representatives could occupy it. Although the move initially shocked many senators and citizens, Niathal's speech to the Senate and Solo's meeting with protesters largely quelled major disputes, and the populace generally accepted the change.

While Niathal genuinely believed the coup was legal and temporary, Solo had other plans. He had been seduced to the dark side of the Force by Sith Lady Lumiya and intended to seize permanent control of the Galactic Alliance to enforce his vision of galactic order. Soon after the coup, he murdered Mara Jade Skywalker, his aunt and Luke Skywalker's wife, and became the Sith Lord Darth Caedus.

Niathal was among the dignitaries who attended the funeral of Mara Jade Skywalker. In the following weeks, Caedus lost the Jedi's support and branded them traitors. Niathal ordered Admirals Darklighter and Bwua'tu back to the Core in case the Confederation attacked Coruscant, while Caedus engaged the Wookiees, who had allied with the Jedi, over Kashyyyk. Caedus, realizing that Niathal was too good a tactician to overlook the chance to eliminate her rival and weaken the enemy, narrowly escaped with his forces.

Following the Battle of Kashyyyk, Admiral Niathal sent her intelligence analyst General Tycho Celchu on a secret mission to locate the Jedi and request their return to the Galactic Alliance. Celchu located Luke Skywalker and the Jedi Order on Endor and relayed Niathal's request. Skywalker refused, fearing that it could leave the order at Caedus' mercy. However, Skywalker reiterated his support for the Galactic Alliance, stating that the Jedi would return once Caedus was removed from power and that they still trusted Admiral Niathal.

Later, Caedus approached Niathal with his plan to seize Centerpoint Station. His attempt to control the superweapon failed. The Jedi and their allies destroyed Centerpoint Station and rescued Allana, the princess of Hapes and Caedus' daughter, whom he had kidnapped to coerce the Hapes Consortium into supporting the Galactic Alliance after Hapan Queen Mother Tenel Ka Djo turned on him at Kashyyyk. Lieutenant Patra Tebut, an officer on the Anakin Solo, unknowingly allowed a Jedi strike team led by Skywalker aboard, believing their shuttle was Celchu's. Discovering this, Caedus killed Tebut in a fit of rage, injuring Captain Kral Nevil, a friend of Niathal's. Appalled, Niathal confronted Caedus about Tebut's murder and realized she could no longer support him. She began collaborating with the Jedi in secret.

Knowing that Tebut's death had damaged his reputation, Caedus decided to retake Fondor to restore his prestige. Niathal saw this as an opportunity to overthrow Caedus and secretly contacted Luke Skywalker on the Alliance blockade of the world. During the battle, Niathal offered the Fondorians a chance to surrender, which they accepted. However, Caedus continued the attack, determined to make an example of Fondor. Niathal, using her position as Supreme Commander, relieved him of command for disobeying the laws of war and ordered the Alliance fleet to disobey him. Unfortunately for Niathal, she was less popular than Caedus in the military, and two-thirds of the fleet remained loyal to him. With the majority of the fleet under his command and having gained the support of the Imperial Remnant after Tahiri Veila assassinated Grand Admiral Pellaeon, Caedus branded Niathal a traitor. Her hopes of overthrowing Caedus dashed, Niathal was consoled by Nevil's defection to her side.

The remaining Alliance forces loyal to Caedus were eventually repelled from the Fonder system by Imperial Admiral Natasi Daala, her Maw Irregular Fleet, and a force of Mandalorians. Luke Skywalker negotiated with Niathal for her to use Fondor as her base of operations for her faction of the Galactic Alliance, forming a united front against Caedus.

Niathal and her depleted fleet fought Nek Bwua'tu at the Second Battle of Roche alongside Daala, but he defeated them both. Caedus left Bwua'tu in charge while he battled the Jedi and their allies at Shedu Maad, but his forces were defeated, and he died at the hands of his sister, Jedi Knight Jaina Solo. With Caedus dead, the Jedi Coalition rejoined the Galactic Alliance. The Imperial Remnant also joined them, and the Confederation surrendered, ending the war.

After the war, Niathal retired peacefully. However, in 43.5 ABY, Daala—now Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance—decided to bring Niathal back to Coruscant for trial on charges of dereliction of duty and allowing Caedus' rise to power. Daala sympathized with Niathal; the decision was a political move suggested by General Merratt Jaxton to prove to the public that she treated civilians and military personnel equally. Daala also believed Niathal could easily escape or reduce her charges.

However, Niathal disapproved of Daala's decision, believing she had made no mistake since Caedus' actions were unforeseeable. Still, she told Daala she would come to Coruscant, but she had no intention of doing so. Without telling anyone—even her assistant—she ran a carbon monoxide gas line into her aquarium, killing herself painlessly. When Daala's emissary, Elyas Caran, arrived the next day, he found Niathal dead with a suicide note. Niathal's death was reported to Coruscant, causing Daala great sadness.

Chief Daala granted Niathal a funeral with full military rites. The service was held on Coruscant and included a massive funeral procession broadcast over the HoloNet. Daala had not authorized the procession; the Galactic Alliance Security officer who signed off on the order was fictitious. Despite appearing on Most Hated lists recently, the public sympathized with Niathal after her suicide, while Daala's approval ratings suffered. Wynn Dorvan remarked that Daala wanted Tahiri Veila to suffer during her trial due to the anger caused by Niathal's death. While with Nek Bwua'tu, Daala reflected that Niathal, along with Pellaeon, was among the many friends she had lost.

Admiral Niathal was a dedicated military professional devoted to preserving the Galactic Alliance. She was also a skilled tactician who demonstrated her abilities in numerous conflicts. Known for her sharp reprimands and cold demeanor, Niathal was also sympathetic to those who fought alongside her, as shown aboard Bounty. She later showed sympathy after speaking with Kral Nevil, realizing it would be terrible if his wife lost both her husband and son, and for the crews of the minelayers she betrayed to Skywalker, leading to their deaths.