Viqi Shesh

"Politics is a practical profession. If someone has what you need, then you do business with him or you go without. And frankly, I've always been more interested in business than politics."

- Viqi Shesh

Viqi Shesh was a New Republic Senator from Kuat who lapped up the taste of power and committed treason against the New Republic during the Yuuzhan Vong War.

Biography
Viqi Shesh's family had been heavily involved with Kuat of Kuat, however, his operations collapsed after the Battle of Endor, and the Sheshes were forced to look elsewhere for power. Viqi Shesh was elected to represent the Kuat Sector in the New Republic Senate in approximately 21 ABY. She had at least two telbuns with her on Coruscant, with one serving as her senatorial aide.

Viqi Shesh was known as a supporter of the Jedi, and was popular with the public. However, her ambition drew at least one person to compare her to Palpatine during his days as a senator. She was a member of the Council on Security and Intelligence at the start of the Yuuzhan Vong War.

Yuuzhan Vong War
"..he got a real good look at Your Senator Shesh. He had a real strong reaction. Negative"

- Jaina Solo

It became apparent to Viqi Shesh months into the Yuuzhan Vong War that the New Republic would ultimately fail in its attempts to stop the Yuuzhan Vong, so while she praised the actions of the Jedi in the Senate&mdash;getting herself appointed to the New Republic Advisory Council and placing herself at the head of SELCORE&mdash;she funneled treasonous information to the Yuuzhan Vong and Peace Brigade, including the location of Yuuzhan Vong spy/defector Elan, alerting Nas Choka of the trap at Corellia, and regularly meeting with the Yuuzhan Vong Executor Nom Anor in his guise as Pedric Cuf.

After the first year of invasion, Shesh was also responsible for the selection of the invasion of Duro by the Yuuzhan Vong. The senator additionally ordered her agents to attack Leia Organa Solo, the administrator of SELCORE activities on Duro, while she was recovering from wounds inflicted by Warmaster Tsavong Lah. For these actions, Shesh was forced to meet the Senate's Corruption Panel, and was thereby suspended from the Senate for her attacks on Organa Solo&mdash;her political career barely rescued by the apparent suicide of her Staff Chief, Victor Pomt (who had actually been murdered on orders of Shesh herself).

However, that was not the end for Senator Shesh. She clawed her way back into the New Republic Military Oversight Committee, hoping to get herself elected to Chief of State by assassinating the current Chief of State Borsk Fey'lya&mdash;but Leia Organa Solo was onto her.

While Coruscant fell around her in 27 ABY, Shesh was caught on camera trying to kidnap Luke and Mara Skywalker's baby, Ben, and killing Leia's bodyguard, Adarakh. She was declared a traitor to the New Republic. Viqi Shesh was captured by the Yuuzhan Vong after her unsuccessful kidnapping attempt, but her political wit kept her alive. This was accomplished by slyly giving the Warmaster the idea that the rejection of his new limb was part of a conspiracy against him by the Shapers, which she didn't know the truth of, but created to buy time to make her escape. Fortunately for Viqi her conspiracy theory was later given merit when it was revealed by Nen Yim that the shapers were conspiring against Lah. To reward her Warmaster commissioned her to search for Jedi infiltrators on Coruscant with a warrior named Denua Ku and a pair of voxyn.

Endgame
"How about that. I got my wish."

- Mara Jade Skywalker

Shesh and part of the Yuuzhan Vong warriors first encountered not Jedi Knights, but Lord Nyax, a deranged, cybernetic Dark Jedi, who killed almost all of the party, with Ku and Shesh fleeing. Shesh retrieved a beckon call that took her to a home with an escape vessel.

Shesh nearly escaped onboard the transport Ugly Truth, but was surrounded by Mara Jade Skywalker, Luke Skywalker,Tahiri Veila, and members of Wraith Squadron, as well as Yuuzhan Vong warrior Denua Ku. Realizing she would be deprived of the only thing she cared about&mdash;power&mdash;she declared that only one person could kill her, and it was not a Jedi or a Yuuzhan Vong.

And with that, Viqi Shesh leapt to her death, plummeting between Coruscant's starscrapers.

Ironically, Shesh's suicide was unneeded, as Supreme Overlord Shimrra planned to appoint her as President of the Peace Brigade. Even worse, Shesh's betrayal was all for naught, as Kuat itself soon fell to the Yuuzhan Vong shortly after her death.

Appearances

 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
 * Balance Point
 * Edge of Victory I: Conquest
 * Recovery
 * Edge of Victory II: Rebirth
 * Star by Star
 * Dark Journey
 * Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
 * Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand
 * Destiny's Way
 * Ylesia
 * The Unifying Force

Notes and references
Viqi Shesh Viqi Shesh