Grebleips/Legends

Grebleips was the Senator for the planet Brodo Asogi in the Galactic Republic from the years leading up to the Battle of Naboo until shortly after the formation of the Galactic Empire. When, in 32 BBY, Queen Amidala of Naboo called for a Vote of No Confidence in Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, Grebleips and his delegation were present, joining the fracas that ensued throughout the Grand Convocation Chamber. Shortly before the Clone Wars, Grebleips funded an extragalactic survey. As the war neared its end, he became part of a Delegation of 2000 legislators who filed a formal protest against Valorum's successor, Palpatine, for actions they perceived as unconstitutional. When Palpatine turned the Republic into the Galactic Empire, Grebleips was arrested by Imperial Intelligence on charges of conspiracy and treason, for plotting with the Jedi Order to remove Palpatine from office.

Biography
For a number of years before the Battle of Naboo in 32 BBY, Grebleips represented his home planet of Brodo Asogi as a Senator in the Galactic Republic. In the Galactic Senate's Grand Convocation Chamber, Grebleips was stationed in a repulsorpod between the Ishi Tib and Swokes Swokes delegations. The Senator kept a delegation of two to three other members of his species in tow. In the days following Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum's announcement of a summit to discuss the taxation of trade routes in the Outer Rim Territories, Grebleips and his delegates joined the throngs of Senators and representatives who waited in the Senate Building's public corridors to entreat the Chancellor for a moment of his time. Within a year the taxation crisis had escalated, and faith was weakening in Valorum's ability to deal with it. In 32 BBY, Grebleips attended a meeting of the Senate at which Queen Amidala of Naboo spoke on behalf of her people, asking for help regarding a recent invasion of her world by the Trade Federation. Valorum attempted to defer the motion to a committee, and Amidala called for a Vote of No Confidence in his leadership. After conferring amongst themselves, Grebleips' delegation joined the fracas of the gathered Senators. The vote was ultimately successful, and Palpatine of Naboo was elected as Valorum's successor.



In 22 BBY, Grebleips made headlines with his funding of an extragalactic survey. Later that year, the Clone Wars broke out, and the Senate granted Palpatine even more power to deal with the crisis. As the war went on, a number of legislators in the Senate grew concerned over the amount of power Palpatine was gathering, and his subversion of the Galactic Constitution. When Palpatine enacted a new system of regional governors to administer the Republic in 19 BBY, Grebleips and almost two thousand other legislators, calling themselves the Delegation of 2000, filed a formal protest in a session of the Senate. It was not successful; after the Jedi Order attempted to remove him from power, Palpatine exterminated them and declared the Republic a Galactic Empire, with himself as Emperor. Along with 62 other Senators, Grebleips was arrested by Imperial Intelligence, charged with conspiracy and treason for plotting the Jedi coup.

Behind the scenes
"If even E.T. has fallen to Emperor Palpatine, the galaxy is in dire straights [sic] indeed."

- Who's Who in the Delegation of 2000

As George Lucas was making Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, his friend and colleague Steven Spielberg suggested he include a member of E.T.'s species&mdash;from Spielberg's film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial&mdash;as a background character; Spielberg himself had included a character in a Yoda costume in E.T. Three members of E.T.'s species were placed in the movie in a shot of the Galactic Senate, as an Easter egg. When James Luceno wrote Cloak of Deception, he expanded on the in-joke by naming the character of Grebleips&mdash;"Spielberg" spelled backwards&mdash;and giving him the homeworld of Brodo Asogi, a name given to E.T.'s planet in the spin-off novel E.T.: The Book of the Green Planet. HoloNet News took the references to E.T. further, adding a brief note about Grebleips funding an expedition outside the galaxy. Members of the Brodo Asogi delegation appear in the background of Star Wars Republic 61: Dead Ends, seemingly as another Easter egg appearance, but it is not identified whether any of them are Grebleips.

Appearances

 * Cloak of Deception
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

Notes and references
Grebleips Греблипс