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 to Darth Plagueis

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

Biography
King Veruna, a relation to the Earl of Vis and a member of House Veruna, succeeded Bon Tapalo as King of Naboo. He was the confident of Tapalo before Tapalo's rise to the throne in 65 BBY. When Hego Damask, the Muun Sith Lord Darth Plagueis came to Naboo for the plasma reserves, Veruna, along with Tapalo sponsored the idea. After Veruna ascended to the throne, one of his first acts of power was to form a Naboo space corps, which he said to Senator Palpatine (Darth Sidious) would scare the Trade Federation away from the planet. Veruna quickly abdicated his throne and was succeeded by Padmé Amidala. A sheer coincidence, Veruna abdicated the throne 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 travelled 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 mean to get the Nemoidians angered enough to attempt to invade Naboo as per the Grand Plan.

Captain Maris Magneta, who had been the head of Veruna's security force stepped down following Veruna's death and was replaced by Panaka. It was partly because of the mystery surrounding Veruna's death that lead 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 Veruna's former security chief Maris Magneta that Veruna was 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.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: 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