Mas Amedda/Legends

"Enter the bureaucrat."

- Palpatine

Mas Amedda was a male Chagrian and the Vice Chairman of the Galactic Senate during the administrations of Chancellors Finis Valorum and Palpatine. Amedda served during the Clone Wars and continued to serve under the self-proclaimed Emperor Palpatine.

Biography
"Order! We shall have order!"

- Mas Amedda

Early life
In the years prior to the invasion of Naboo, Mas Amedda served as a senator in the Galactic Senate, representing his homeworld of Champala. He considered himself an honest politician and strove to voice the wants and needs of his people in the Senate.

Amedda was a member of the Rim faction led by Orn Free Taa, and as such, was successfully nominated by Taa to be elected to the position of Vice Chair in 33 BBY. His main duties were to provide Taa's faction with a means of control over Chancellor Valorum, who had been weakened by a debacle at Eriadu and a scandal involving money laundering. The support of Valorum's policies in the Senate degenerated, which effectively paralyzed the Chancellor's government.

Palpatine, as his alter-ego Darth Sidious, once sent Darth Maul on a mission to eliminate Amedda because he was gaining political power and could potentially stand in the way of Sidious' plan. Palpatine's need for Amedda's death, however, evaporated when Palpatine became Chancellor.

The invasion of Naboo
The following year Mas Amedda presided over the motion of a Vote of No Confidence in Valorum's leadership, as requested by Queen Amidala of Naboo following Senate inaction in response to the invasion of Naboo. Mas knew he couldn't become Chancellor himself, but he hoped to be able to manipulate the future Chancellor in order to aid the galactic populace. Then-Senator Palpatine claimed to Queen Amidala that Mas Amedda, like other politicians, was under the payroll of the Trade Federation; this remains unconfirmed.



Separatist Crisis
Following Palpatine's election, Amedda continued to serve as Vice Chair for the duration of Palpatine's term as Chancellor. Mas fed his ideas to Palpatine, and they would wind up being used by the Head of State. But Palpatine was truly manipulating the Speaker. During the Separatist Crisis, the Military Creation Act was highly debated by the Senate. The discovery of a droid army on Geonosis, a clear threat from the Separatists, meant that action needed to be taken. Amedda was the first to suggest that Palpatine be granted emergency power&mdash;a suggestion taken into consideration by Representative Jar Jar Binks.

The Clone Wars
Amedda continued to serve during the Clone Wars, remaining in office even after the declaration of the Galactic Empire, acting as Palpatine's representative in the Senate. He was responsible for taking care of Palpatine's collection of Sith statues and decorations, having a fondness for antiques, presumably receiving a staff from the collection. This role included traveling to Yavin 4 to search for Sith relics; Amedda instead returned with some piranha beetles which delighted the Emperor. Following the Empire's formation he became one of the first members of the Inner Circle. Mace Windu suspected he might be Darth Sidious, but discovered his folly when the real Darth Sidious&mdash;none other than Palpatine himself&mdash;revealed himself and killed the Jedi Master.



Mas Amedda was also present when Grand Master Yoda barged into Palpatine's office and the two dueled. He, however, did not witness the duel, having left before the first blow. Following the duel, Amedda was present with Palpatine in a Senate pod during the clone shock troopers' search for Yoda. He was then told by the Emperor to tell Captain Kagi to prepare his shuttle for departure to Mustafar.

The Empire
He continued to serve after the formation of the Galactic Empire, but his position was far less important than it had been in earlier years. Palpatine kept both Amedda and the Umbaran Staff Aide Sly Moore at his side, appointing them both to the original Imperial Interim Ruling Council.

Behind the scenes
Mas Amedda was played by Jerome Blake in The Phantom Menace, David Bowers in Attack of the Clones, and by both Blake and Bowers in Revenge of the Sith.

He appeared in the episode Duchess of Mandalore of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. He was voiced by Stephen Stanton.