Samuel Tomas Gillespee

Samuel Tomas Gillespee was the head of a small but respected smuggling group. He was a well-known criminal with a reputation as a con-artist and not always paying the pilots under his employ. However, he was known for treating his crew fairly, and as a result, he had a number of competent pilots and techs working for him. He was a friend of Talon Karrde, both having started their businesses at around the same time. Around 9 ABY, Gillespee had retired to the planet Ukio after almost thirty years of smuggling.

While enjoying his retirement, Ukio was attacked by the Galactic Empire under the command of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Gillespee barely escaped the world in his freighter, Kern's Pride, and immediately set about rebuilding his smuggling operation, hoping to fight the Empire on his own terms. During this operation, Gillespee reunited with Karrde and joined his Smugglers' Alliance, organizing the first meeting on Trogan. When the meeting was attacked by the Empire, the newly formed Alliance decided to join the fight against the Empire. As a result, Gillespee's fleet of twenty ships was present at the Battle of Bilbringi, the climactic battle of the Thrawn campaign.

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