The Officer Who Stood Up to Darth Vader and Palpatine

When we think of someone challenging Vader and Palpatine, a short list of opponents comes to mind. Perhaps Obi-Wan and Luke head the list. But what about a non-Jedi or non-Force-sensitive character? We do have an instance when an Imperial officer stood up to Vader and the Emperor. This character is not widely known, and his story is quite interesting. 

Who Stood Up to Vader and Palpatine?

During the early days of the Empire, we find an Imperial officer who defied Vader and Palpatine. On the cruiser the Obedience, formerly called the Defiance, Commandant Pell Baylo dared to be so bold. 

For almost 50 years, Baylo had been in charge of the Defiance Flight Training Institute for the Republic and then the Empire. Although Commandant Baylo continued his training program under the Emperor, he did not truly believe in it. He longed for the days when he was truly in charge of his training program and plotted against Palpatine. 

How Baylo became the officer who defied Palpatine and Vader is conveyed in the short story “Orientation” by John Jackson Miller, published in Star Wars Insider 157. In the story, Baylo leads a training exercise on the bridge of the Defiance, as it was called then. He conducted this “battle-time simulation for the cadets” while traveling from Coruscant to Ryloth.

Both Vader and the Emperor were on board, but Vader was on the bridge watching over Baylo and observing his orders. Vader distrusted Baylo and sensed something was amiss, including that Baylo cared the most about his training school, not the Empire.

Vader was right–this officer was plotting to crash the ship into a star.

The Plot Thickens

As Pell Baylo gave orders for the hyperspace route to the Outer Rim planet Christophsis, Vader grew more suspicious since the navigator disagreed with Baylo’s intended route. Next, Baylo had been called into a meeting with the Emperor, at which he was informed that his “Baylo School” would be combined with another training center on Corellia. 

Baylo surprised the Emperor by rejecting this plan. Further, he denounced the Empire and offered to resign. We can imagine Palpatine starting to laugh at Baylo’s response.

We can watch the action in this video and note key details about how the plot against the Emperor unfolded. For one, before the meeting, Vader and Baylo stood in a face-off with one another on the bridge, with Baylo daring to ask, “What Vader even was to the Emperor?” Vader replied that Baylo would “do well” if he never found out. 

Two, Vader spoke with the navigator and found out that her calculations were correct, and Baylo’s were way off. Hence, he knew a plot was underway before going to the meeting.  

Third, another standoff between Vader and Baylo occurred outside the meeting room (Baylo’s office)–reflecting two times that Baylos stood up to Vader. Fourth, after Palpatine informed Baylo of the plans for his beloved training school, Baylo simply said, “No.” A reply which took the Emperor and Vader by surprise.

Once Palpatine asked Baylo to repeat himself, the latter went on to explain how he would not give his ship over to the Emperor’s command. He further explained how this ship was intended for the Republic Navy, boldly claiming the Empire was illegitimate. 

From there, Vader informed Palpatine of Baylo’s plot to crash the ship into the star of Christophsis. Vader also let both of them know that he had stopped this assassination attempt. Baylo gave one more rant about the corruption of the Empire and how it ruined the navy. 

As may be expected, Vader then Force-choked Baylo, quickly ending his life. Yet, the Emperor would have preferred to have kept him alive to use Baylo to his own ends, including making him watch the demise of the Navy. Palpatine also wanted Baylo to witness his ship, the Defiance, melted down into metal for “cafeteria trays.” 

What Do Baylo’s Actions Tell Us?

By taking a stand against Vader and Palpatine, Baylo joins the list of more powerful adversaries. Luke directly challenged both of them, and Obi-Wan took on Vader. Who else dared to defy them?

Fans are quick to point out how Kirak Infil’a outmatched Vader. Yet, Infil’a was “an absolute beast who eventually left the Jedi Order” and became enormously strong with the Force. In comparison, Pell Baylo only possessed the will and determination to face off against Vader and Palpatine.

Mace Windu, Vader, and Rey have challenged Palpatine, but they too are among the most skilled Jedi. We may place Baylo more along the line of the Rebellion resistance, but up front in his face.

Mon Mothma and Cham Syndulla are among those whom Palpatine despised in the Rebellion for their challenging ways. Each personally stood up to the Emperor. Mothma showed that “action could be taken to take a stand against him”, while Syndulla forged the Free Ryloth Movement. 

Baylo’s actions put him in league with these Rebels and even could be seen as equally Luke’s defiance but without the Force to back him up.

The Officer Who Stood Up to Vader and the Emperor

Onboard the cruiser the Defiance (or Obedience), Commandant Pell Baylo stood up to Vader and the Emperor. His challenge to them is even more impressive because of the lack of extra-human powers to support his actions. He provides a tale of resistance the Rebels would be proud of.