Samuel Tomas Gillespee led a small, yet highly regarded smuggling organization. Known in the criminal underworld, he had a con-man's reputation and was infamous for sometimes neglecting to pay his pilots. Despite this, his fair treatment of his core crew earned him loyalty, resulting in a team of skilled pilots and technicians. He shared a friendship with Talon Karrde, their ventures having begun around the same period. Around 9 ABY, after nearly three decades in the smuggling trade, Gillespee retired to the planet of Ukio.
His retirement on Ukio was interrupted when the Galactic Empire, under the command of Grand Admiral Thrawn, attacked the planet. Barely escaping Ukio aboard his freighter, the Kern's Pride, Gillespee resolved to rebuild his smuggling operation, aiming to confront the Empire on his own terms. During this endeavor, he reconnected with Karrde and became a part of his Smugglers' Alliance, facilitating their initial meeting on Trogan. Following the Imperial attack on that meeting, the Alliance collectively decided to actively oppose the Empire. Consequently, Gillespee's fleet of twenty vessels participated in the Battle of Bilbringi, the decisive engagement of the Thrawn campaign.
As a young man, Samuel Gillespee embarked on his career path as a smuggler. His operations were based on the Kern's Pride, a modified Corellian Engineering Corporation CR90 corvette. He established his reputation by navigating the treacherous Kessel Run. However, his fame stemmed largely from the skills of the pilots he employed. Gillespee, a less skilled pilot, excelled as an administrator, attributing his lack of piloting prowess to mere misfortune. Gillespee gained notoriety for departing the Kessel system without sharing profits with his partners, later claiming it was a simple misunderstanding that he eventually rectified. The inception of Gillespee's criminal activities coincided with the beginning of information broker Talon Karrde's enterprise, forging a friendship between the two.
For the next three decades, Gillespee utilized the Kern's Pride for numerous raids, smuggling operations, and various other missions. Despite the ship accumulating battle damage and system failures, Gillespee remained loyal, seeing its imperfections as a reflection of himself. He also maintained a concealed smuggling compartment adjacent to his personal quarters on the ship. Gillespee was known to annually reconfigure the ship to adapt to the operations he was currently involved in. Early in his career, he encountered Shirlee Faughn as a teenager, and impressed by her polite demeanor and friendly sense of humor, he welcomed her into his crew. As she became well-versed in smuggling, Gillespee promoted her to second-in-command, a role she held until her mid-forties. Furthermore, in his early years, Gillespee befriended Rappapor, a Bith pilot who became one of his closest confidants. While they downplayed their connection, they consistently supported each other in difficult situations. During the Galactic Civil War, Gillespee was known to provide assistance to the Rebellion in various engagements. He repurposed his ship multiple times for this purpose: as a troop transport for Rebel soldiers, as a passenger liner for refugees, and as a medical vessel for wounded Rebel soldiers. After almost thirty years in the smuggling world, and reaching middle age, Gillespee retired to the small, agricultural world of Ukio in the Outer Rim Territories. His smuggling business had been lucrative, allowing him to acquire a profitable piece of land on the planet. Gillespee's estate, situated on a vast area, allowed him to distance himself from galactic affairs, hoping to leave his past behind and find peace.
In 9 ABY, a revitalized Galactic Empire under the leadership of Grand Admiral Thrawn initiated attacks against the New Republic. During this campaign, Ukio was attacked. The planet quickly fell, and Gillespee narrowly escaped his homestead and the planet aboard his freighter. Despite his retirement, Gillespee had been unable to part with the Kern's Pride, keeping it close by. This decision proved crucial, enabling his escape from Ukio despite the Empire's swift conquest. With the aid of Rappapor and Faughn, Gillespee managed to stay ahead of the stormtroopers who overran his property and began converting the area into a farm to support the Imperial war effort. During his escape, Gillespee witnessed Thrawn's clone stormtroopers manning roadblocks, deeply unsettling him due to the Imperial's use of clones in their war against the Republic. Now harboring a grudge against the Empire, Gillespee revived his smuggling operation and sought out other smugglers who shared his resentment. Leading a force of twenty ships, with the Kern's Pride at the helm, Gillespee journeyed to the planet Chazwa, hoping to connect with someone who could introduce him to the smuggler, Brasck. Upon arriving in the system, Gillespee encountered the Wild Karrde and reunited with Talon Karrde. The two old friends discussed the growing Imperial presence, and Karrde informed Gillespee of his plan to organize a meeting of smugglers to address the Imperial threat. Gillespee agreed to meet Karrde on Tragon in eight days and to spread the word about the meeting to other willing smugglers.
Unbeknownst to Gillespee, a pair of Lancer-class frigates had pursued Kern's Pride to the Chazwa system. Having escaped Ukio, Gillespee was now a wanted man by the Empire. The two Imperial ships targeted his freighter, but Karrde used his ship to divert the pursuing Imperials. Gillespee expressed his gratitude to Karrde, just as his old friend was joined by his small fleet of ships, quickly turning the tide against the Imperials. However, Gillespee had anticipated the Imperial pursuit, and his group of ships also appeared in the system, trapping the Imperials between the two smuggler fleets. The Imperials retreated from the engagement, and Gillespee and Karrde promptly left the system.
Eight days after their encounter above Chazwa, Gillespee met Karrde at the Whistler's Whirlpool Tapcafe on Trogan. The two smugglers established themselves in the mostly deserted establishment and surveyed the area for potential spies. Gillespee's team discovered that the local Imperial garrison was unusually quiet, raising suspicions of a possible ambush planned for the meeting. However, Karrde dismissed this possibility, asserting that the tapcafe could be easily defended from attack. Gillespee and Karrde's invited guests arrived at the meeting, skeptical of Karrde's intentions. Gillespee supported Karrde as the information broker explained the need for an alliance against the Empire, providing military intelligence to the New Republic. Although the present smugglers seemed to agree that the Empire was disrupting their business and making neutrality difficult, they debated fiercely over the risks and implications of assisting the New Republic. Just as it appeared that the smugglers would not agree to aid the New Republic, the meeting was ambushed by an Imperial force led by Lieutenant Reynol Kosk. The smugglers were forced into a firefight, resulting in the defeat of the Imperials, but also the death of Gotal smuggler Lishma. This unprovoked attack compelled the smugglers at the meeting to immediately unite against the Empire, forming the Smuggler's Alliance, dedicated to assisting the New Republic in the upcoming conflict.
Gillespee joined Karrde on the planet Hijarna, setting up a rendezvous at the Fortress of Hijarna to coordinate the transfer of information to the New Republic. The Alliance was focusing its efforts on locating the Imperial's primary cloning facility, but struggled to pinpoint its location. As the search continued, Gillespee informed Karrde that his fellow smugglers were losing patience with the hunt. The intelligence work was proving less profitable than their smuggling operations, and the loose coalition of smugglers was on the verge of dissolving. Gillespee told Karrde that some of their allies, particularly the smuggler, Par'tah, were receiving job offers from the Empire and were seriously considering accepting them. Karrde offered to provide salaries, but Gillespee dismissed the idea, knowing that his old friend lacked the funds to compensate all their operations. However, Karrde decided to secretly place the Smuggler's Alliance on the New Republic's payroll, tasking his slicer Ghent with hacking the Republic system and placing their members under contract to the Republic. Amused by Karrde's tactics, Gillespee agreed to continue working within their loose alliance against the Empire but could not guarantee that the other smugglers would remain loyal to Karrde.
As the Smuggler's Alliance continued its clandestine operations against the Empire, their efforts caught the attention of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Niles Ferrier, an Imperial agent who had orchestrated the ambush on Trogan and infiltrated the Smuggler's Alliance, began collaborating with Thrawn to dismantle the alliance from within. Ferrier used his Defel bodyguard to plant evidence on the Wild Karrde implicating Karrde in organizing the ambush on Trogan that had initiated the Smuggler's Alliance. The smuggler, Mazzic, a prominent member of the alliance, had reached the same conclusion after an encounter with Grand Admiral Thrawn. Enraged by the possibility of being manipulated by Karrde, Mazzic brought several enforcers to a scheduled meeting on Hijarna. Mazzic's decision to bring soldiers to a routine meeting immediately heightened tensions within the group. Gillespee attempted to calm the situation and determine why Mazzic was acting so hostile, but he was silenced as Mazzic used force to board Karrde's ship. As Ferrier intended, Mazzic and another smuggler, Ellor, discovered a datapad that identified Karrde as the mastermind behind the Imperial ambush.
Gillespee, suspicious of the fabricated information, helped Karrde shift suspicion towards the conveniently placed datapad. Mazzic, convinced that Karrde had betrayed the group, allowed the two men to speak, but they were constantly interrupted by Nile Ferrier, who gradually revealed too much. Unable to restrain himself, Ferrier disclosed information about the ambush that only the person who had planned the attack could have known. The gathered smugglers quickly turned on Ferrier, now exposed as the Imperial spy among them. Ferrier managed to escape the confrontation by brandishing a thermal detonator, holding the group hostage until he was allowed to leave the meeting. However, as Ferrier attempted to escape in his ship, starfighters under Mazzic's command pursued the traitor and destroyed his ship, killing him.
Ferrier's betrayal spurred the members of the alliance to rededicate themselves to opposing the Empire. Mazzic, Gillespee, and Karrde convened at a cantina to discuss their next course of action. Karrde's informants had uncovered information about a major New Republic strike on Tangrene to capture a crystal gravfield trap array, which could be used to locate cloaked asteroids being used to blockade Coruscant. Karrde shared this information with Gillespee and Mazzic and proposed that their alliance plan its own raid on the Bilbringi Shipyards simultaneously, seizing the crystal gravfield trap there to sell to the New Republic.
Gillespee brought his small fleet to the Bilbringi system alongside the ships of his fellow smugglers. The smugglers intended to raid the shipyards, secure the crystal gravfield trap, and then use their fleet to force their way out of the system before the Imperials could intervene. Gillespee remained aboard the Etherway during the operation, serving as co-pilot to Aves, Karrde's chief aide. The freighter, operating under the alias Garrett's Gold, infiltrated the shipyards and prepared for a coordinated attack with the other smugglers who had gained access. As the operation commenced, Gillespee questioned Aves about Karrde's absence from the operation. Karrde had traveled to Coruscant to coordinate with Ghent, hack into the Republic computers, and place the Smuggler's Alliance on the Republic's payroll. Aves defended Karrde's absence, briefly alleviating Gillespee's fears that Karrde might have betrayed them to the Empire.
As Gillespee and the rest of the Smuggler's Alliance prepared their assault on the shipyards, they were interrupted by a massive Imperial force jumping into the system. Gillespee and the other smugglers immediately suspected betrayal, but they quickly resolved to go down fighting. However, before they could organize to attack the much larger Imperial fleet, it became clear that the Imperials were unaware of the planned smuggler raid. The information about the New Republic attack at Tangrene had been disinformation, and the Republic attack was actually planned for the Bilbringi Shipyards. The smugglers found themselves caught in the middle of a massive showdown. Unable to abort the operation, the smugglers decided to complete their mission.
As the battle raged around them, the smugglers executed their plan, seizing the crystal gravfield trap and forming up to break through the battle lines. Aves, who had contacted General Wedge Antilles immediately before their attack, coordinated their exit point at a weak spot defended by Golan II platforms. By coordinating with the New Republic, the smugglers ensured that incoming Republic forces would cover their exit as they attacked from the opposite side. Aves and the Etherway survived the escape from Bilbringi, indicating that Gillespee was able to survive the engagement.
In his youth, Gillespee demonstrated his audacity by smuggling along the Kessel Run. However, Gillespee was a subpar pilot, and unbeknownst to those outside his organization, he never operated the controls of his freighter, preferring to delegate that responsibility to the skilled pilots he surrounded himself with. While known as not being a very competent pilot, Gillespee preferred to blame his inability on being innately unlucky. As a smuggling chief, Gillespee had a reputation as a con artist, and in his early days, had stolen the profits from a pilot who worked with him on the Kessel Run. However, despite this reputation, he was known to only con those that had already been planning to do the same to him, and he made sure that the individuals in question were eventually paid something. Over his extensive career, Gillespee cultivated a reputation as a demanding but equitable employer, compensating his subordinates as much as he believed they deserved.
Gillespee favored an administrative role in his smuggling business, and he earned a considerable amount of respect from his subordinates. This was because of his fair treatment of his crew, enabling him to attract numerous competent technicians and pilots to his side. Gillespee had a likable personality and enjoyed being around those who were similar. In this vein, he was the most common target of his friend Rappapor's practical jokes. By the time of the Thrawn Campaign, Gillespee was middle-aged and beginning to show signs of aging. His subordinates noticed that he always looked tired and had developed a paunch.
Although he was a well-known smuggler, Gillespee was eager to retire once he had accumulated sufficient funds. He viewed his smuggling enterprise as simply a business and was hesitant to become involved in broader galactic politics. He had no moral qualms about working for the Galactic Empire if the price was right. However, he was known to work with the Rebellion, and even used the Kern's Pride as a medical ship to evacuate wounded rebels. When his peaceful retirement was disrupted by Imperials, Gillespee's stated neutrality was challenged. He decided to oppose the Empire and sought out like-minded individuals. Despite his fear of the Empire's power, he remained convinced that the fight was worthwhile.
Samuel Tomas Gillespee was conceived by Timothy Zahn for inclusion in the final installment of his Thrawn Trilogy, The Last Command. Gillespee acted as an ally to Zahn's previously introduced character, Talon Karrde, and the two collaborated throughout the book to overthrow the Empire. Gillespee's backstory was expanded upon in the West End Games sourcebook, The Last Command Sourcebook, which was later incorporated into the compilation, The Thrawn Trilogy Sourcebook. In the West End Games sourcebook, Gillespee is depicted as an older man with a paunch, and his illustration shows him to be clean-shaven. However, in the comic adaptation of The Last Command, Gillespee is portrayed as a skinny man with a black mustache and stubble.
Following his appearance in the Thrawn Trilogy, Gillespee was referenced in several sourcebooks that served to summarize his role in The Last Command. No new information on Gillespee was revealed until two articles in Star Wars Gamer magazine. The Smuggler's Alliance in Star Wars Gamer 3 summarized his appearance in the Thrawn Trilogy, and Ships of the Smuggler's Alliance in Star Wars Gamer 4 described Gillespee's personal ship, Kern's Pride, and revealed that he had aided the Rebellion before his retirement on Ukio. In 2004, The Official Star Wars Fact File included a feature on Gillespee in issues 127 and 129.