Tai-Lin Garr, hailing from the planet of Gatalenta, served as a senator representing the New Republic following the Galactic Civil War. This male politician belonged to the Populist faction within the Galactic Senate. A longtime ally of Leia Organa, a celebrated figure from the Rebellion and a prominent Populist senator, Garr was sworn into the Senate immediately upon its formation. Alongside Organa, he stood as one of the few senators with continuous service since the Senate's inception in those early years.
Two and a half decades after the New Republic solidified its position as the sole legitimate galactic authority, the Senate found itself divided into competing political factions, primarily the Populists and the opposing Centrist party. Garr and his supporters advocated for greater autonomy for individual worlds, while the Centrists championed a robust central government backed by a powerful military. To manage the escalating tensions between these factions, the decision was made to elect a First Senator, a symbolic leader tasked with restoring order to the fractured government.
Initially, the Populists rallied behind Leia Organa's candidacy. However, she was ultimately compelled to withdraw from the election after Centrist senator Ransolm Casterfo publicly revealed her true parentage. Garr was then nominated as her replacement to represent the Populist party, but tragically, he was assassinated by Arliz Hadrassian before the election could take place.
Tai-Lin Garr, a senator for the New Republic, was a representative from his home planet of Gatalenta. He was among the initial members of the newly established Galactic Senate on Chandrila in the aftermath of the Battle of Endor. Over the subsequent twenty-four years, he maintained his position as a Senator. While stationed on Hosnian Prime, he aligned himself with the Populist faction, which championed the preservation of significant sovereignty for individual worlds. Tai-Lin delivered a speech during a ceremony dedicating a Jelucani fogstone statue to honor the memory of the late Bail Organa, a key founder of the Alliance to Restore the Republic and the adoptive father of Leia Organa, a prominent figure within the Populist faction and a former leader in the rebellion. Following the ceremony, he was a guest at a banquet hosted by the Populist senator Varish Vicly.
Following the successful passage of a motion by the Centrists, a rival faction advocating for a stronger galactic government and military, which led to the Senate's decision to create a powerful new role known as First Senator, Tai-Lin and several other Populists gathered at Varish Vicly's residence. He expressed his deep concern over the vote, attributing it to the persuasive influence of Leia's Centrist ally, Ransolm Casterfo, a junior senator representing Riosa. Despite his initial reservations about the First Senator position, he encouraged his fellow Populists to consider running for the office to prevent a Centrist from assuming the role. Ultimately, he nominated his friend Organa for First Senator.
Several days later, Tai-Lin Garr and Leia were en route to the Senatorial conference building for an early breakfast meeting. When Leia voiced her reluctance to serve as First Senator, Tai-Lin reassured her that she was the most qualified Populist candidate. Upon Leia expressing her desire to spend more time with her husband Han Solo and son Ben, Tai-Lin understood her feelings and inquired if she had ever considered following her brother Luke Skywalker's path by becoming a Jedi. Leia responded by emphasizing that her career lay in politics.
Upon entering the building, they were greeted by Vicly. Before they could begin their meeting, Leia discovered a handwritten message on her napkin urging her to "Run." Leia evacuated the building just before a bomb detonated, destroying half of the conference building. Tai-Lin and Leia escaped unharmed, but Varish sustained multiple broken bones. In the aftermath of the "Napkin Bombing," the Populists and Centrists began accusing each other of orchestrating the attack.
Senator Tai-Lin later attended a Senate hearing convened to consider Senator Organa's nomination for First Senator. The hearing was overshadowed by Casterfo, who revealed that Leia was the daughter of the notorious Imperial enforcer Darth Vader. When Leia reluctantly confirmed the truth of this allegation, the Senate erupted in turmoil. While the majority of the Senate turned against Leia, Tai-Lin and Varish were among the few who remained steadfast in their loyalty to her. As Varish recited the entire New Republic constitutional passage affirming that no one should be punished for the transgressions of their parents, Garr proposed a motion calling on his fellow Populists to reaffirm their respect and loyalty for Leia's individual achievements.
Garr later visited Organa's office to offer her comfort. While expressing his sympathy, he also conveyed to Leia that she should have confided in him or Varish about her parentage. With an angry mob protesting outside, Leia explained that the public outcry was precisely why she had kept her secret for the past twenty-four years. Tai-Lin countered that it would have been safe to share this information with her closest friends and allies in the Senate. Nevertheless, he asserted that Leia should never have allowed the Populists to nominate her as their candidate for First Senator. He feared that Leia's mistake had jeopardized the Populist cause. Despite this, he reaffirmed his friendship with Leia.
When Leia later addressed the Senate to acknowledge her ancestry as the daughter of Vader and to withdraw her nomination for First Senator, Tai-Lin defended Organa when the Centrist Senator Lady Carise Sindian questioned the character of Leia's brother, Jedi Master Skywalker. Unbeknownst to most, Lady Carise was a covert agent of the First Order who was secretly undermining the Republic. She had orchestrated the exposure of Leia's parentage and manipulated Casterfo into discrediting Leia. Addressing the Senate, Tai-Lin vouched for Luke's character and his contributions as a member of the Rebellion. Subsequently, the Senate granted Leia a leave of absence from her senatorial duties.
Following Leia's mission to Sibensko, which exposed Rinnrivin Di's cartel's ties to a paramilitary group known as the Amaxine warriors, Tai-Lin attended an event at Varish's residence. He spoke with Leia and discussed the Senate's recent decision to grant Organa a hearing regarding her investigation. Given Casterfo's vote in favor of her speaking, he voiced his concerns that Casterfo was setting her up for failure, considering his role in revealing her parentage. Leia reassured him that she no longer had any secrets to conceal.
Leia then vouched for Casterfo and shared with Tai-Lin his crucial role in her investigation. When Garr commented that Leia had more faith in Casterfo's honor than he did, she replied that she was uncertain. At that moment, Varish announced to the other guests that Tai-Lin would be the new Populist nominee for First Senator. The Populist senators then spent the next hour congratulating and conversing with Tai-Lin. When Leia had the opportunity to speak with him, he revealed that he had nominated himself for First Senator to render the role inconsequential and to prevent a Centrist from occupying the office.
Ten days later, Tai-Lin commenced his first campaign rally in one of Hosnian Prime's parks. He was accompanied by Leia and Varish. While Tai-Lin was engaging with the crowd, he was shot in the heart by Arliz Hadrassian, the leader of the Amaxines, who sought revenge for the events on Sibensko. Hadrassian then killed herself before she could be apprehended. Leia rushed to the aid of the fallen Tai-Lin, only to discover that he had passed away.
Following Tai-Lin's assassination, the Senate unanimously declared an official period of mourning for the deceased senator. Several of his Populist colleagues, including Leia and Varish, attended a memorial service to honor his memory. Most New Republic senators and the media believed that Arliz Hadrassian was the primary instigator behind the Napkin Bombing, the Amaxines, and Rinnrivin's cartel. In reality, his assassination had been orchestrated by Lady Carise as a means of eliminating a formidable Populist opponent and discrediting Casterfo, who had incurred her wrath for supporting Leia during her final Senate address. She then fabricated evidence linking Casterfo to Hadrassian, thereby implicating him in the death of Tai-Lin Garr and the Amaxine warrior crisis. Upon discovering Lady Carise's actions, Leia persuaded the Elder Houses to strip the aristocrat of all her titles. Disheartened by the Senate's complacency and infighting, Leia established a paramilitary organization called the Resistance to safeguard the New Republic.
Originating from the planet Gatalenta, Tai-Lin Garr was widely recognized within political and social circles for his exceptionally calm disposition and his signature scarlet cloak. As a committed Populist, Tai-Lin Garr firmly believed that individual member worlds should retain the majority of sovereignty within the New Republic. He harbored suspicions towards the Centrists, who advocated for a stronger central government and military. Despite his staunch opposition to the Centrist proposal for First Senator, he later campaigned for the position to prevent a Centrist from holding it and to diminish its significance.
Tai-Lin was a devoted friend to Leia, holding her in high regard for her contributions to the Rebellion and the New Republic. Like Varish, he believed that Leia should not be stigmatized for the crimes committed by her father, Darth Vader. However, he was disappointed that Leia had not informed him about her true parentage. As a Populist, he felt that her revelation had damaged the Populist cause. Tai-Lin also held great respect for Leia's brother, Luke Skywalker, a former rebel who had become a Jedi Master, and defended his character on one occasion.
Tai-Lin Garr made his first appearance in the 2016 novel Bloodline, penned by Claudia Gray.