Lahek Gril

Lahek Gril was a male Umdal and one of the last Tetrarchs of Mezlagob.

Born on Ommol in 13 BBY, Gril grew up in a family dominated by military heritage. He entered the Tetrarchy Navy as an officer when he came of age, serving ten years and winning the respect of his superiors for his cool willingness to do anything necessary for victory. When he left the service he had received the notice of the Xoquon sector's ranking admiral and was recommended for a civilian post within the military administration.

With his military connections, Gril was able to arrange contracts with influential munitions manufacturers, coordinating bribes between the two sides and accumulating additional wealth for himself. His negotiating prowess and collection of powerful friends secured him a position as civilian advisor to the governor of Baes. By the time he turned fifty in 37 ABY, he had been appointed governor of out-of-the-way Synno. He built his wealth further with careful skimming of tax money, and was able to buy enough influence to secure a more prestigious governorship of Dolomir.

It was Gril's rule over Dolomir and his staunch support of the government's policies that cemented him in the attention of the Tetrarchs. He cultivated a deliberately close relationship with the reigning Umdal Tetrarch, who spoke of him highly and often to his colleagues. When the Tetrarch died in 74 ABY, the Tetrarchs weighed Gril against the Umdal governor of Ommol and the Human governor of Vall`to. Gril's military and civilian supporters pulled strings and called in favors for him, and he was finally voted into the vacant seat.

After having a few political opponents assassinated and steering some wealth toward his main allies, Gril settled into ruling the Tetrarchy. During his decades in leadership he was favored by the military for his staunch support of them, steering friends and allies into leadership positions. He also cultivated support among his fellow Umdals by continuing the long-standing policy of diverting wealth and tax revenue to the planet, and by steering some production away from Baes and Tizgo V to Ommol. He also led a call for the creation of more shock tanks to pacify dissent and conquer new worlds with fewer casualties to the Tetrarchy.

In the late 80s ABY, Gril began to work behind the scenes with Mezzel aide Idiian Gundo. The two shared many political philosophies, and when the Mezzel Tetrarch died in 91 ABY, Gril convinced his fellow Tetrarchs to vote Gundo into the position. Gundo and Gril were close allies in the leadership, and Gundo's support of Dronos aide Dourshe led Gril to poison the reigning Dronos Tetrarch to open a spot for Dourshe himself. Gril trusted Gundo's judgment enough to later vote for Pexereca Tainer's installation in the leadership as well.

The beginning of the Great Liberation incensed Gril, who was angered by the Tetrarchy's defeats at Quadia and Yin. He expected an easy victory for the Tetrarchy after the Battle of Hudrel and was caught entirely by surprise when the Golden Empire surged back to win the Battle of Tizgo V. When Tariun Sakaros successfully conducted a raid on Ommol that destroyed the shock tank factory, Gril's was the loudest voice calling for a defense-oriented strategy, defending key systems in the Mezlag and Vall`to sectors.

When Dourshe and Admiral Garyth Quorr were killed at the Battle of Vall`to, Gril agreed to Idiian Gundo's request to appoint Mezlagob's governor, Catel Embri, to the vacant seat, agreeing that a Mezzel was more likely to be useful in wartime than another Dronos. However, he delayed the vote for another Tetrarch when Pexereca Tainer was assassinated, beginning to suspect Gundo and Embri were planning to stack the Tetrarchs with Mezzels; once they had three, he was sure they would arrange for Gril's own death.

Before a suitable non-Mezzel replacement could be found, the Golden Empire arrived at Mezlagob. In the "Battle of Mezlagob", the Tetrarchy fleet surrendered without a fight. Gril had monitored the Empire's shadowfeed into their communications network from the beginning of the war, and he knew that Rin Sakaros had made the Tetrarchs her personal targets. When the Queen commanded the Tetrarchy forces to seize the Tetrarchs for her judgment, Gril knew the end had come. Refusing to surrender himself to the soldiers pounding on the door of his quarters, he put a blaster pistol in his mouth and pulled the trigger.