Mas Amedda

Mas Amedda was a Chagrian male politician who hailed from the planet Champala and served the chancelleries of Finis Valorum and Sheev Palpatine during the final decades of the Galactic Republic Era. A Chagrian with impeccable political skills, Amedda rose to the position of Vice Chair of the Republic Senate during Valorum's tenure, which was hampered by corruption accusations. During the Naboo conflict, Amedda played all sides against each other, serving both Valorum and Palpatine. While Valorum was removed from office via a Vote of No Confidence, Amedda swore allegiance to Palpatine, Valorum's successor as Chancellor, in order to politically survive, and Palpatine eventually confided in the Speaker that his political persona was merely an alter ego—in truth, he was Darth Sidious, a Dark Lord of the Sith.

Amedda served as one of the Chancellor's closest advisors during the Separatist Crisis. Amidst a debate on creating an army, Amedda duped Gungan Junior Representative Jar Jar Binks into proposing a successful motion to the Senate that would give Palpatine executive emergency powers. This allowed the Chancellor to organize legions of clone troopers from Kamino into the Grand Army of the Republic, sparking the Clone Wars against the nascent Confederacy of Independent Systems. During the war, Amedda led the Strategic Advisory Cell and supported Palpatine in his decisions as a wartime leader. As the war came to a close, Palpatine enacted Order 66, which had the clone troopers turn on their Jedi Generals and assassinate them, and, with Amedda by his side, created the first Galactic Empire. In the chaotic repercussions that shortly followed, Grand Master Yoda confronted Sidious with Amedda in attendance. After the two engaged in a lightsaber duel, Amedda officiated a ceremony outside of the burned Jedi Temple, in which he burned lightsabers that had belonged to fallen Jedi.

Amedda was rewarded for his loyalty to Palpatine as an advisor, and prospered under the Empire, serving as the Grand Vizier in the Imperial Ruling Council and overseeing the vast Imperial bureaucracy. As one of the most respected figures in the fascist government, and as Palpatine disappeared from public view, military leaders heeded Amedda's summons on behalf of the Emperor, while governors dreamed of being thought worthy of his attention. Amedda resided mostly on the throneworld of Coruscant but occasionally retreated to the planet Byss, where he drew up plans for the Empire's New Order.

After the Emperor was killed at the Battle of Endor during the Galactic Civil War against the Alliance to Restore the Republic, Amedda held little real influence and was reduced to nothing more than a mouthpiece for the civilian administration of the Empire and had no actual control over the military, being forced to serve as a figurehead for Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax and his self-styled regency. Following the Battle of Jakku, the Empire collapsed, enabling Amedda to surrender to the New Republic on Chandrila. As democracy returned to the galaxy by the restored Republic, Amedda led a powerless provisional government as its nominal leader on Coruscant. Amedda was remembered by galactic history as a weak-willed sycophant of the Emperor.

Text and facts from the “Mas Amedda” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.