House of Organa

And here she comes, the shining jewel in the Organa crown.Lord Tion on Leia Organa

The House of Organa, also known as the Royal House of Alderaan, the Royal Family of Alderaan, or simply House Organa, was an Alderaanian Noble House that dated back to the earliest days of Alderaan's colonization. Throughout history, the Organa dynasty was the one that ruled over their homeworld the longest. Throughout several millennia of existence, the House Organa sired many well-known figures of the pan–galactic politics. Two of its most renowned scions were Viceroy Bail Prestor Organa and his adopted daughter, Princess Leia Organa. Following the destruction of Alderaan in 0 BBY, the name of Organa died out.

History

Origins

In the few centuries that followed the fall of Infinite Empire, the Humans developed sleeper ships. Aboard those transports, groups of Human colonists left Coruscant, the purported fountainhead of their species. By 27,500 BBY, their ships had established colonies on various planets, including Alderaan.^[13] Organa ancestors were among the first to settle that new world, and they played a pivotal role in the formation of the Galactic Republic some 2,500 years later.^[14] In the following millennia, Founding Day was celebrated in memory of the foundation of the House of Organa.^[15]

The newly-founded Alderaanian society opted for a political system in which a reigning monarch was chosen by and among a number of noble dynasties. House Organa was one of those bloodlines, along with House Panteer, House Ulgo and House Alde. As one of the larger houses, the Organa family took smaller, like-minded ones under its protection in exchange for their fealty and support.^[16]

Jedi Civil War

But the Organa family were powerful rivals of the Ulgos. Some think they were the ones who hired Selven, then they tried to have bounty hunters kill her to keep the secret from coming out.Zax the Hutt

Despite its habit of producing heroes, the history of the Organa family had not always been honorable. At some point before the end of the Jedi Civil War in 3956 BBY, the Organas rivaled a Tarisian branch of House Ulgo, and were believed to have hired the assassin Selven for the assassination of the entire Ulgo family. The Organas later placed a price on Selven's head, supposedly to tie up loose ends.^[17]

Great Galactic War

I am Duke Charle Organa, lord of House Organa and heir to the chalcedony star.Charle Organa

In the following millennia, the Organas remained firm supporters of the Republic, believing in patient negotiation rather than aggression. When Senator and Crown Prince Gaul Panteer announced Alderaan's independence, many Alderaanians were shocked. After the deaths of both Gaul Panteer and Queen Silara Panteer prior to the Alderaan Civil War, House Organa, with Galactic Republic backing, made one of many claims to the throne of Alderaan. After the futile attempts to secure the throne diplomatically, House Organa and other prominent houses took matters into their own hands, resulting in the Civil War. Duke Charle Remmot Organa, the patriarch of the House at the time, remained the fiercest ally of the Republic on the planet, determined to restore the peace on his homeworld.^[14]

Twilight years of the Republic

In 32 BBY,^[18] the House of Organa was a part of the Alderaan Ascendancy Contention against the House of Antilles, which ended with a marriage between the families.^[4]

Leia-ROTScomic — Queen Breha, Bail Organa and their foster daughter Leia in 19 BBY

Before ascending as Prince, First Chairman and Viceroy of Alderaan, Bail Organa served as the Senator of Alderaan in the Galactic Senate. He was a contemporary of Padmé Amidala of Naboo and Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.^[1] Together with his wife Breha,^[5] a member of the House of Antilles,^[19] Bail adopted Leia, the daughter of Padmé Amidala and Anakin Skywalker.^[5] The adoption was common knowledge in the court, but even as an adopted daughter Leia took on the title of Princess and became the rightful heir.^[20] Therefore the blood lineage continued only via Nial Organa.^[7]

Before and during the time of the Clone Wars, the Organa family maintained a vineyard that produced white wine. A favorite of Bail Organa, he kept the beverage at hand in his wine cabinet at his Coruscant apartment.^[15]

At some point prior to the Galactic Civil War, the House of Organa planned an alliance with House Vandron from the Senex sector. However, the planned marriage between Tia Organa and a Vandron noble was cancelled following a scandal.^[7]

Like every Alderaanian royal family, mythology held that the House of Organa was protected by Grimtaash the molator.^[21]

Family tree

Behind the scenes

"Ogana" was originally the name of a desert planet in the first draft of the script of A New Hope, which was called Utapau in the rough draft. In the The Star Wars: Story Synopsis, it was called Aquilae, but became a distinct world in later versions. By the second draft, Utapau had become the planet that would be called Tatooine in the final script, and Ogana Major was what became "Organa Major" in the third draft and Alderaan in the final script. Organa became Princess Leia's surname in the third draft and that remained the case when her homeworld became Alderaan.^[22]