Passel Argente/Legends

"Always in service to the Confederacy, my Lord. Always."

- Passel Argente, to Count Dooku

Passel Argente was the Magistrate of the Corporate Alliance and a member of the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars, being on the Separatist Council.

He was a Koorivar, and his homeworld was the planet Kooriva, though he later made his home on Murkhana at the time of the Clone Wars.

Political career
"We will do all we can to protect our assets and intellectual properties."

- Passel Argente



Before the Clone Wars, Argente was both a Galactic Republic Senator and the representative of the powerful mercantile company Lethe Merchandising. As a Senator, he was often criticized for graft and corruption, and used his corporate connections to amass great wealth. Passel Argente was usually accompanied by his aide, a female Koorivar named Denaria Kee. Jerv Riske acted as his bodyguard.

In 27 BBY, he was nearly assassinated on Barlok while negotiating between the Corporate Alliance and Guildmaster Gilfrome over a mining dispute, but was saved by Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth.

Joining the Confederacy
"I am authorized by the Corporate Alliance to sign the treaty."

- Passel Argente

As Magistrate of the Corporate Alliance, Passel Argente was one of the key members of Count Dooku's Separatist movement Confederacy of Independent Systems. He was present at the Separatist meeting on Geonosis in 22 BBY shortly before the Battle of Geonosis. After serving as a Republic Senator during the term of Supreme Chancellor Valorum and during much of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's reign, he abandoned the Republic and joined the Separatist movement with the promise of more wealth, and pledged the Corporate Alliance's forces to support the Separatist cause. Passel Argente funded and marketed both anti-Jedi and anti-Republic propaganda, which helped keep the public in Confederate territory pro-war.

Fiasco on Kamino
At the beginning of the war, Passel Argente briefly headed a plot to oust Count Dooku as leader of the CIS. He pushed for an early attack on the cloning facility at Kamino to be headed by his pawn, the Mon Calamari Commander Merai. He hoped that an early victory there would shut down the Republic's war-making capabilities before the war even began, and that he would be given credit for winning the war, garnering enough political support to overthrow Dooku.

However, both Darth Sidious and Dooku were aware of this plot. They arranged to have the Confederacy's battle plans leaked to Quinlan Vos on the Wheel, through Dooku's agent Tookarti. As a result, the outcome of the First Battle of Kamino was disastrous for the Separatists, and instead of being hailed as a glorious leader, Passel Argente was deemed responsible for the failure and disgraced, which proved to be a fatal setback to his plans for a coup.

Gha Nachkt and Ryloth
"That Wat Tambor is up to something. I know it. The tide is turning, and I know someone's neck has to be in a noose. I know that they are eyeing mine. But I've got horn enough to know better!"

- Passel Argente, to Gha Nachkt



Argente learned that Wat Tambor, the Skakoan Foreman of the Techno Union and a fellow member of the Separatist Council, was planning to move against him. He then traveled to meet with Gha Nachkt, a Trandoshan scavenger, to purchase a droid to act as a spy for him. Gha Nachkt then sold a RA-7 protocol droid to Passel Argente, who was unaware of the spyware programmed into it by Wat Tambor to serve as a spy for him as well. Argente continued to travel for covert business operations to systems such as Ryloth, keeping his spy droid with him. This raised Tambor's interest in conquering the system, sparking the Battle of Ryloth.

Project Instinction
"Time... time... what time now? When can we get moving?''" "Patience, Magistrate. These preparations must be completed with utmost precision. You do not want this grand endeavor to fail, not when we are so close to victory''."

- Passel Argente and Doctor

Later in the war, Passel Argente, with the assistance of Doctor, led an offensive against the Ukians of planet Ukio known as Project Instinction.

Betrayal on Mustafar
"When my new apprentice, Darth Vader, arrives, he will take care of you."

- Darth Sidious to the Separatist Council

After the Separatist Council was moved to Mustafar, Passel Argente was killed by Darth Vader when the Sith apprentice slashed near Argente's neck. The rest of the CIS leadership died with him during Vader's raid on the Separatist command center. Soon after his death, the Corporate Alliance relocated its distribution companies to the Corporate Sector; with the death of Argente, the Corporate Alliance faded into oblivion.

Personality and traits
"This is taking too long. Or... it's happening too quickly. I don't know. I just don't like this!''" "Magistrate, please, try to calm yourself. Here, take your tea." "Why did he have to make it so complicated? So many moving parts. Too many moving parts!" "The droid is doing what it is built to do, Magistrate. You must trust to its programming." "Is the Count still on schedule?" "Yes, his shuttle has entered the system." "I despise waiting games! Despise'' them!"

- Passel Argente and Denaria Kee, during Project Instinction

Behind the scenes
Passel Argente was played by actor Steven Boyle in Attack of the Clones and Marty Wetherill in Revenge of the Sith.

A "passel" is a casual word for "a large grouping of items," and "Argent" is French for "money", as well as an archaic word for "silver". Passel Argente's name, then, roughly means "a lot of money".

Appearances

 * Cloak of Deception
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Outbound Flight
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones novel
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones comic
 * Star Wars: Republic 50: The Defense of Kamino
 * CIS Shadowfeed Year's Start Fete Day Edition
 * The Clone Wars: Discount
 * The Clone Wars: Covetous
 * The Clone Wars: Act on Instinct
 * Secrets of the Jedi
 * Reversal of Fortune
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith comic
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith comic
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader