Ars Veruna

"Where the Neimoidians should be grateful to Senator Palpatine for proposing the summit, they are instead furious. Everything is in place for launching the blockade.''" "Almost everything. First, there is the matter of our revenge." "Shall I task Maul to pay Veruna a visit?" "''I intend to see to him personally."

- Darth Sidious and Darth Plagueis

Ars Veruna, formally styled as His Royal Highness, King Veruna of Naboo was a male Human who was the last known King of Naboo in the waning days of the Galactic Republic. Secretly murdered by Darth Plagueis, he was also the predecessor of Queen Amidala.

The Election of 65 BBY
King Veruna, a relation to the Earl of Vis and a member of House Veruna, succeeded Bon Tapalo as King of Naboo in 46 BBY. He was the confidant of Tapalo before Tapalo's rise to the throne in 65 BBY. Veruna contacted Hego Damask, secretly the Muun Sith Lord Darth Plagueis, and Damask Holdings for the possibility of an alliance regarding the plasma reserves. Sometime later, Damask and his fellow men came to Naboo to formalize their agreement. Damask Holdings also ensured that Tapalo became the King of Naboo with Veruna as governor.

King of Naboo
"Before the election of Queen Amidala, the King was planning to tap additional plasma reservoirs in the Gungan areas. He contracted with an offworld mining company to do the surveys, and was prepared to go to war with the Gungans if they resisted. He abdicated the throne before putting the plan into action." "Abdicated. A curious way to put it."

- Darth Maul and Maris Magneta, one year after Veruna's death

In 52 BBY, Veruna attended the funeral of Senator Vidar Kim's family who died in an airspeeder crash. After the funeral, he briefly spoke with Ambassador Palpatine&mdash;who was secretly Darth Sidious&mdash;on how Naboo could oppose the Trade Federation. But that would have to wait until Hego Damask helped Veruna become King.

After Veruna ascended to the throne in 46 BBY, one of his first acts of power was to form a Naboo space corps, which he said to Senator Palpatine would scare the Trade Federation away from the planet. Veruna then grew to hate Damask, remarking to Palpatine that the Gran Senator Pax Teem did him and Damask's enemies all a favor in 52 BBY by "forcing him into an early retirement." Veruna, due to Palpatine's goading, also was bold enough to mount an attack with the aid of the Black Sun in an attack on Damask's residence on Sojourn. Damask survived and escaped, making a communication to the stunned Veruna.

Not long after a political scandal envolving Veruna's conduction of foreign policy broke out, the monarch abdicated his throne and was succeeded by Padmé Amidala. A sheer coincidence, Veruna abdicated the crown at the time that the Eriadu Trade Summit commenced. Hiding in the Western Reaches of Naboo, he was discovered by Darth Plagueis and Sidious, who enacted a plan to kill Veruna. Sidious suggested that they send Darth Maul, but Plagueis wished to attend to Veruna personally.

Plagueis traveled to the Western Ranges of Naboo with his droid 11-4D and silently broke into Veruna's bedroom, waking the old man. Sitting across from him, Plagueis manipulated the limited amount of midi-chlorians in Veruna, slowly killing him. In actuality, Veruna's death was in fact a means to get the Neimoidians angered enough to attempt to invade Naboo as per the Grand Plan.

After death
"You know, like even a fourteen-year-old girl could run the planet better than King Veruna."

- Ian Lago on Veruna's reign

Captain Maris Magneta, who had been the head of Veruna's security force, stepped down following Veruna's death and was replaced by Quarsh Panaka. It was partly the mystery surrounding Veruna's death that led Panaka to create the idea of a decoy for Queen Amidala, a measure of protection that she would continue to use well into her stint as Senator.

Veruna's reign, although coinciding with the opening up of Naboo to the outside galaxy, was not fondly remembered by the people of Naboo, and as a result, legislation limiting monarchs to two four-year terms was passed. Also during Veruna's reign, Kwilaan Starport was constructed in the city of Keren. Ironically, Veruna was succeeded by the popular Queen Amidala, who had popular support to serve past these two terms, though she ultimately refused.

One year after his death in 32 BBY, the Zabrak Sith apprentice Darth Maul had learned from Magneta that Veruna was mysteriously killed by the Muun Hego Damask, who was known to be an ally to his master, Darth Sidious. This led Maul to believe that Damask was a Sith Lord in reality and that Palpatine was disobeying the Rule of Two, keeping him only as an assassin and not as a true apprentice.

Personality and traits
"Is Veruna ready, Sidious? I'm concerned that he might be as uncontrollable as the Yinchorri, and that a more malleable leader would better serve our interests." "It may not be necessary to remove him, Master. Like Gunray, he favors wealth over honor." "Then nudge him, Darth Sidious. And let us see which way he leans before we decide his fate."

- Darth Plagueis tells his apprentice to reveal the corrupt Veruna's true nature.

Ars Veruna was a very ambitious man regarding politics. However, he also was wary of the Sith, to the point that, shortly before being murdered by Darth Plagueis, he stated that no matter how desperate he may have been, he would never have allied himself with Hego Damask (the public identity of Darth Plagueis) had he known beforehand that he was a Sith Lord.

Appearances

 * Darth Plagueis
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Star Wars Episode I Journal: Queen Amidala
 * End Game
 * Star Wars: Republic 61: Dead Ends
 * Star Wars Episode I Journal: Queen Amidala
 * End Game
 * Star Wars: Republic 61: Dead Ends
 * Star Wars: Republic 61: Dead Ends