Riyo Chuchi

Riyo Chuchi was a female Pantoran politician who represented the moon Pantora in the Senates of the Galactic Republic and its successor state, the Galactic Empire, from the Clone Wars to the early reign of the Empire. Young, insecure, and timid at the start of her career, Chuchi grew into an outspoken and strong leader during the Clone Wars, upholding her ideals and challenging her enemies in efforts to maintain a fair and just government. By the time of the Empire, Chuchi resolved to use her position of power to protect the rights of the former soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic, which had been comprised of commissioned clone troopers. Hoping to defend and represent the voiceless in the Imperial Senate, Chuchi positioned herself as a roadblock to the Empire's early plans for military expansion.

When first elected to represent her people in the Republic Senate, the idealistic Chuchi was marginalized and treated as a mouthpiece by Pantora's belligerent and militaristic Supreme Chairman, Chi Cho. When the Pantorans learned that one of their protectorate planets, Orto Plutonia, was inhabited by the primitive Talz, Chuchi was forced to balance her loyalty to the Pantoran Assembly and the Republic as Cho prepared for war with the Talz. Overcoming her fealty to Cho, who was fatally wounded in battle, Chuchi negotiated peace with the Talz tribal leader Thi-Sen, ending Cho's One-Day War. Forging a mutually respectful relationship with Cho's successor, Notluwiski Papanoida, Chuchi returned to the Senate as a stronger politician. Together with Papanoida, Chuchi later helped resolve a dispute between Pantora and the Trade Federation, culminating in her successfully forcing the Federation to lift a blockade from their world.

At the end of the Clone Wars, the Republic was transformed into the Galactic Empire, and Chuchi continued to serve in the now-Imperial Senate. As the Empire sought to transition away from Republic-era assets, Chuchi became a strong supporter for the clone troopers of the former Republic Military and opposed the Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill, which would force their discharge. Chuchi found an enemy in the bill's strongest supporter, Admiral Rampart of the Imperial Navy, however, but uncovered evidence that Rampart had taken part in the destruction of the Kamino cloning facilities to make the clones obsolete. Despite being targeted for assassination by Rampart, Chuchi was able to present evidence of Rampart's crimes to the Senate, leading to his arrest, but her efforts to stop the bill's passage backfired when Emperor Sheev Palpatine manipulated the situation to push for the replacement of the clone armies with conscripted stormtroopers. After her help in uncovering the truth about Kamino, Chuchi assisted with the Clone Underground.

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