Mee Deechi/Legends

Mee Deechi was an Umbaran male politician during the waning years of the Galactic Republic. Deechi hailed from the shadowy Umbaran homeworld of Umbara and served the planet as its delegate in the Galactic Senate. During the Clone Wars between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Deechi became a strong advocate for the funding and enhancement of the Grand Army of the Republic and a staunch critic of his anti-war colleagues. In 21 BBY, the Umbaran joined with the pro-war Kaminoan senator Halle Burtoni to campaign for a bill that would authorize an order for 5,000,000 more clone troopers to join the Grand Army. The two were opposed by Bail Prestor Organa of Alderaan and his anti-war coalition, but Deechi and his allies ultimately prevailed, winning the required number of delegate votes to approve the order.
In the immediate aftermath of the vote, Organa's ally, Rodian Onaconda Farr, drafted and proposed a piece of counter-legislation designed to drastically reduce the Republic's military budget and halt the production of clone troopers. Deechi was recognized as an opposition leader during the debates over the budget-reducing legislation, and worked closely with Burtoni to defeat Farr, Organa, and their allies, Padmé Amidala, Mon Mothma, and Representative Lolo Purs. Purs, bitter over Farr's past misdeeds, murdered her Rodian colleague shortly before the vote on the bill, but escaped notice for a number of days. Several members of the legislation's support bloc suspected foul play on Deechi's part due to the political strife between the two, but the Umbaran only held occupational ill will toward the late Senator. When Purs came to suspect that Deechi had information on her involvement in the crime, she ambushed him in his Senate office and fatally stabbed him in the chest.
==Biography==
===Political prosperity===
Mee Deechi was an Umbaran male who lived during the final decades before the rise of the Galactic Empire. He hailed from his species' homeworld of Umbara, where he lived as a member of one of the top ten social castesThe New Essential Guide to Alien Species states that only Umbarans in the top ten social castes were permitted to leave the planet. Deechi's presence on Coruscant during "Pursuit of Peace" and "Senate Murders" indicates that he was a member of one of these high castes.—a high role, given that Umbaran society was comprised of nearly one hundred castes.The New Essential Guide to Alien Species Because of his standing, Deechi was permitted to pursue a career in galactic politics. He ultimately gained a position as the representative of his species and his homeworld in the Senate of the Galactic Republic. Deechi held the office of senator of Umbara while the Clone Wars between the Republic and the separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems raged, during which time he worked out of his office in the Republic Executive Building on the capital world of Coruscant. During the conflict, the Umbaran became a staunch pro-war advocate and supporter of the newly-created Grand Army of the Republic—positions that made him a close ally of the Kaminoan Senator Halle Burtoni, who held similar views on governance and military action.Star Wars: The Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia Conversely, Deechi's militarist rhetoric repeatedly brought him into conflict with Rodia's senator, Onaconda Farr, who reversed his previously–pro-war positions after his world was nearly claimed by the Confederates earlier in the conflict.
In 21 BBY, Deechi and his colleagues were embroiled in discussions over troop surges and the adverse financial strain that waging a pan-galactic war had on the Republic's economy. In response to the rising economic fears, the opportunistic Senator Gume Saam of TibrinThe Unknown Regions proposed a bill that would allow for the Republic to open new lines of credit with the InterGalactic Banking Clan to fund the surges, while simultaneously deregulating the banking industry as a whole. After the issue was postponed several times, it was finally brought to a vote, but only after the anti-war Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo announced that the Separatist Parliament was suing for peace. Amidala's attempt to use the peace initiative to derail the financial reform bill nearly succeeded, as many senators were prepared to agree that the potential for peace negated the necessity for further war spending. However, just as voting commenced, Confederate demolition droids broke into a Coruscant power generator control room and detonated, causing explosions throughout Galactic City and a massive blackout that shut down the power in the Senate Building itself. The attack incited outrage from Deechi's fellow senators, who approved the deregulation of the banks and the continued funding of the war.
The morning after the attack, the Senate reconvened to discuss the Republic's response to the bombing of the generator and the Separatist peace initiative. With the exception of Amidala and several of her allies, nearly every delegate argued against the accord and instead demanded that the Senate use their new lines of credit to fund an expansion of the military. Halle Burtoni proposed an emergency appropriations bill that would use loans from the Banking Clan to purchase 5,000,000 additional clone troopers from her homeworld of Kamino—a measure that Deechi strongly supported. When Amidala tried to reassert that there were indeed members of the Confederacy who were still interested in peace, the Umbaran took his repulsorpod onto the Senate floor and interrupted her, suggesting before the entire Grand Convocation Chamber that the Senator from Naboo might have treasonous relationships with Separatist agents. The tactic worked, and the debate devolved into a shouting match between senators who were lambasting Amidala as a traitor and the few who supported her. Although Supreme Chancellor Palpatine attempted to calm the legislators, he was cut off by an incoming transmission from the Confederate Head of State Count Dooku, who informed the Senate that, in light of an alleged Republic attack on a Separatist senator, the peace initiative was off the table.
In the fight to support Burtoni's bill, Deechi was joined by Senators Edcel Bar Gane of Roona and Orn Free Taa of Ryloth, as well as Tarnab Senator Mot-Not Rab, Quarren Senator Christo, and Human Senator Zinn Pauless. The motion's popularity was also bolstered by attacks on opposition delegates carried out by bounty hunters under the employ of the Sith Lords Darth Tyranus and Darth Sidious—the alter egos of Count Dooku and Chancellor Palpatine, respectivelyStar Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary—both of whom wished to see the war continue. Although it appeared that the support bloc was going to win outright, Senate Vice Chair Mas Amedda agreed to allow opposition leader Bail Prestor Organa of Alderaan time to speak before the full congressional assembly prior to the final vote. On the day of the vote, the Senate convened in anticipation of the Alderaanian's presentation, but Organa did not arrive—instead, he was being rushed to a hospital after nearly being killed in an attack from a pair of bounty hunters. Deechi was unaware of his colleague's predicament, and as such, requested that Amedda supersede his previous decision and allow the Senate to vote on the bill without hearing the opposition arguments. The Vice Chair resisted for a time, but eventually acquiesced after Deechi silenced Chandrillan Senator Mon Mothma's calls for Organa to be given more time. Just as they were about to begin, Senator Amidala took the floor, speaking in Organa's place. The anti-war advocate made an impassioned call for peace, and the Senate was sympathetic to her pleaStar Wars: The Clone Wars Comic 6.20—even Deechi and Burtoni felt the need to applaud her effort. Despite Amidala's efforts and the support that her speech garnered, the bill passed, and the order for 5,000,000 clone troopers was placed.
===Intrigue, investigations, and assassinations===
Although Burtoni's legislation was approved, Amidala and her allies chose not to surrender in their fight for a diplomatic end to the war. To that end, she and Onaconda Farr drafted a piece of counter-legislation that would negate the troop increase by slashing the Republic's defense budget. Deechi considered the effort to be unpatriotic, and so led the opposition to the bill; in this battle, he stood opposite his political rival, Farr. Although the Umbaran Senator had public opinion on his side, he wanted to ensure that he would be able to use any weapon possible against Farr's coalition. As such, he arranged to have the Rodian followed so he could gather information on any of his opponent's inappropriate dealings or politically damaging activities. Deechi's pursuit did eventually yield results, and it was revealed to the Umbaran that Farr had secretly traveled to the docks under the derrick major on Coruscant to meet with an unknown contact.
The following day, Deechi attended a session of congress wherein Amidala spoke before the Grand Convocation Chamber on the benefits of a reduced military budget and the dangers of further warfare. As the Naboo congresswoman finished her presentation and exited her repulsorpod platform, Deechi met her in the Senate Rotunda's hallway and spoke with her about the bill. The Umbaran asserted that views like those she had expressed in her speech were dangerous and counter to the best interests of the Republic. In response, Amidala accused Deechi of warmongering before leaving to celebrate with her allies. During that celebration of Amidala's well-received speech, Farr collapsed and died, the apparent victim of heart failure. Deechi later attended his old rival's funeral services on a Coruscant landing pad, where the Rodian was eulogized by his friend and aide Silood before the body was transported back to Farr's homeworld of Rodia for final burial.
After the services, Deechi met with Burtoni in his office to enjoy a bottle of Domaine de la Maison sur le Lac wine. The two were interrupted by Senators Organa and Amidala, who had recently learned that Farr's death was the result of poisoning. The two anti-war senators suspected that either Deechi or Burtoni might have had a hand in the crime, as Farr was one of their strongest political opponents. Both the Umbaran and Kaminoan scoffed at the idea—Deechi respected Farr as a worthy adversary, while Burtoni recognized that the Rodian's anti-war rhetoric was useful for the purposes of raising funds for her propositions. Before Amidala and Organa left his office, Deechi provided them with the information on Farr's clandestine meeting at the docks under the derrick major the evening before his death. The two left to investigate that location for clues, leaving Deechi in his office. That night, the Umbaran was confronted by Rodian Senator Lolo Purs—an aide, pupil, and successor of the late Onaconda Farr. Purs, previously an Associate Planetary Representative,Star Wars: The Clone Wars: New Battlefronts: The Visual Guide had come to resent Farr for his decision to bring the Confederacy to her homeworld of Rodia earlier in the war, and so sought to remove him from office by murdering him. Although she initially escaped suspicion, she eventually learned that Deechi was aware of Farr's meeting at the docks, which Purs had arranged in the hope of intimidating her mentor out of the Senate. Intending to prevent the Umbaran from ever revealing her guilt, Purs stabbed Deechi in the chest with a dagger, killing him.
The Umbaran Senator's body was discovered by Amidala and Organa upon their return from the docks. Purs' manipulations initially led the Coruscant Security Force inspector Tan Divo to believe that Burtoni was the culprit, but later revelations brought the Rodian's crimes to light. Purs was arrested for the murder of both Deechi and Farr, and in the days following the upheaval, the bill to reduce the Republic's military spending was defeated in the Senate. After Deechi's death, his homeworld of Umbara withdrew its support for the Republic, choosing to secede and ally with the Confederacy of Independent Systems.
==Personality and traits==
Mee Deechi was cold and methodical—as was common for his species—but was also possessed of a passion for nationalistic pursuits. He proclaimed himself to greatly value the importance of patriotism, although his opponents in the Senate perceived this to be a front for his intent to profit from the pan-galactic Clone Wars. As the senator for Umbara and a fierce supporter of the war, Deechi took up the flag of militarism and supported several pieces of legislation that would help to either expand the Grand Army of the Republic or continue the war with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. These positions helped the Umbaran to foster a close working relationship with Senator Halle Burtoni, who held an influential position as the representative from the clone trooper homeworld of Kamino.
Unlike Burtoni, who loathed her political adversaries, Mee Deechi respected opponents, but enjoyed intimidating them through ruthless political games, such as those he played with Onaconda Farr. This predisposition was very much a part of Umbaran culture, in which social advancement was dependent on deception, assassination, and subterfuge. Deechi was also a talented political opportunist, able to turn many of his colleagues against Senator Padmé Amidala during the debate over the Confederate peace initiative by suggesting that her insistence on peace was rooted in her friendships with enemy leaders. Later, during the debate over Burtoni's clone trooper appropriations bill, the Umbaran and Kaminoan worked in tandem to block the opposition from speaking against the legislation. Although they were ultimately unable to prevent Amidala's rousing speech, both of the war hawks offered cordial, albeit reluctant, applause for the Naboo Senator.
Deechi wore his white hair combed back and possessed pale white skin, broken by his gray eyes and gray facial markings around his eye sockets. During his time in the Senate, he wore an angular gray chestplate and collar over a charcoal-colored jumpsuit, an outfit known as an Umbaran silk tunic. Deechi spoke Galactic Basic Standard with a heavy accent, and like several of his fellow senators, he enjoyed Domaine de la Maison sur la Lac wine. Deechi was also notably sarcastic, much to the chagrin of Amidala during the events surrounding Farr's death.
==Behind the scenes==
Mee Deechi was first introduced in Star Wars canon in "Senate Murders," the fifteenth episode of the second season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series. The show aired on March 19 of 2010 and featured Deechi's death. The character returned to the series for the third season episode "Pursuit of Peace," which aired on December 3 of 2010. In both episodes, Deechi is voiced by Gideon Emery.
A deleted scene from "Pursuit of Peace" has Deechi threatening Amidala, attempting to pressure her into voting for the military appropriations bill on the basis of the fact that the bill would open a trade route near Naboo. Deechi further tries to intimidate Amidala by stating that if she votes against the bill, her people would see that she does not have their best interests in mind.Star Wars: The Clone Wars The Complete Season Three, "Jedi Temple Archives" Blu-ray feature for "Pursuit of Peace"
==Appearances==
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==Sources==
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*Star Wars: The Clone Wars Character Encyclopedia
*Star Wars: The Clone Wars: New Battlefronts: The Visual Guide
*Star Wars: The Clone Wars Official Episode Guide Series 1 & 2
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*Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Episode Guide
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==Notes and references==
Category:Galactic Republic senators
Category:Males
Category:Umbarans