Lin Pao
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 Supreme Commander Lin Pao (archival image) | |
| Gender: | Male |
| Affiliation: | Free Planets Alliance |
| Rank: | Vice Admiral (at time of picture) later Fleet Admiral |
| Flagship(s): | Santa Isabel |
| Occupation: | Alliance Fleet Supreme Commander |
| Status: | Deceased |
Fleet Admiral Lin Pao (Japanese: リン・パオ; Chinese: 林帕歐) was supreme commander of the Free Planets Alliance fleet during its first battle with the Galactic Empire, the Battle of Dagon, in the Dagon Starzone in 640 UC (331 IC / 3440 CE).
Contents |
History
Lin Pao was the Supreme Commander of the Free Planets Star Fleet in the first battle of the Alliance–Imperial War.
Born in 603 UC (294 IC / 3403 CE), Lin Pao was known as a shameless womaniser who loved to drink, as well as being a gourmand. These traits were viewed in a negative light by the nearly ascetic Alliance leadership of the time. He was, however, also known as a genius strategist. (Legend of Galactic Heroes Volume 1: Dawn)
He held the rank of vice admiral during the Battle of Dagon. His flagship was the Santa Isabel.
In 640 UC (331 IC / 3440 CE), he fought the first fleet battle of that war against Grand Duke Herbert. Herbert's fleets were soundly beaten, though the Grand Duke escaped to return to Odin. In the battle, Lin Pao was aided by chief of staff, Yūsuf Topparol. The two proved to complement each other very well despite having very different personalities and a certain dislike of each other, which they kept away from their military duties as much as they could.
Before the battle, he observed - rather prophetically - that if the Alliance fought off the incoming invasion, the following war would be a devastating one, lasting generations. Perhaps partly because of this, he was sarcastic towards those who used high-minded arguments without considering the very real cost in lives that the coming war would mean. (Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden, The Chronicle of the Battle of Dagon)
Lin Pao was promoted to Admiral after the Battle of Dagon. He was then made Fleet Admiral at the age of 40, a feat rivalled only by Topparol himself, and unsurpassed until 746 UC (437 IC / 3546 CE), when Bruce Ashbey was posthumously promoted to the same rank.
After his military service, Lin Pao retired to a quiet civilian life and spent the rest of his days firmly away from political circles.
Appendices
Appearances
- LOGH:
- 'Julian's Journey, Mankind's Journey' (archival image)
Name Variations
- Pao Lin (Novels)
LaserDisc/DVD character-design differences
Lin Pao, along with Yūsuf Topparol, saw a dramatic change in character design with the DVD re-release. Both characters were given larger and arguably more masculine facial features.
