Viqi Shesh

"Politics is a practical profession. If someone has what you need, then you do business with him or you go without. And frankly, I've always been more interested in business than politics."

- Viqi Shesh

Viqi Shesh was a New Republic Senator who lapped up the taste of power and committed treason against the New Republic.

Biography
Viqi Shesh's family had been heavily involved with Kuat of Kuat, and as his operations collapsed after the Battle of Endor, the Sheshes were forced to look elsewhere for power, with Viqi being elected to represent Kuat Sector in the New Republic Senate from approximately 21 ABY. She had at least two telbuns with her on Coruscant, with one serving as her senatorial aide. She was a member of the Council on Security and Intelligence at the start of the war.

It became apparent to Viqi months into the Yuuzhan Vong War that the New Republic would ultimately fail in its attempts to stop the Yuuzhan Vong, so whilst she praised the actions of the Jedi in the Senate&mdash;getting herself appointed to the New Republic Advisory Council and placing herself at the head of SELCORE&mdash;she funneled treasonous information to the Yuuzhan Vong and Peace Brigade, including the location of Yuuzhan Vong spy/defector Elan, alerting Nas Choka of the trap at Corellia, and regularly meeting with the Yuuzhan Vong agent Pedric Cuf.

After the first year of invasion, Shesh was also responsible for the selection of the invasion of Duro by the Yuuzhan Vong. The senator additionally ordered her agents to attack Leia Organa Solo, the administrator of SELCORE activites on Duro, while she was recovering from wounds inflicted by Warmaster Tsavong Lah. For these actions, Shesh was forced to meet the Senate's Corruption Body, and was thereby suspended from the Senate for her attacks on Organa Solo&mdash;her political career barely rescued by her Chief of Staff's apparent suicide.

However, that was not the end for Senator Shesh. She clawed her way back into the New Republic Military Oversight Committee, hoping to get herself elected to Chief of State by assassinating residing Chief Borsk Fey'lya&mdash;but Leia Organa Solo was onto her.

While Coruscant fell around her in 27 ABY, Shesh was caught on camera trying to kidnap Jedi baby Ben Skywalker and killing Leia's Noghri bodyguard. She was declared a traitor to the Republic. Shesh was captured by the Yuuzhan Vong after her unsuccessful kidnap attempt, but her political wit kept her alive. Tired of her manipulatory activities, the Warmaster commissioned her to search for Jedi infiltrators on Coruscant.

"I got my wish."

- Mara Jade Skywalker

Shesh nearly escaped onboard the transport Ugly Truth, but was surrounded by the likes of Mara Jade Skywalker, Tahiri Veila, Luke Skywalker, and members of Wraith Squadron, as well as Yuuzhan Vong warrior Denua Ku. Realizing she would be deprived of the only thing she cared about&mdash;power&mdash;she declared that only one person could kill her, and it was not the Jedi or the Yuuzhan Vong.

And with that, Viqi Shesh leapt to her death, plummeting between Coruscant's starscrapers.

Ironically, Shesh's suicide was unneeded, as Supreme Overlord Shimrra planned to appoint her President of the Peace Brigade. Even worse, Shesh's betrayal was all for naught, as Kuat itself soon fell to the Yuuzhan Vong shortly after her death.

Behind the scenes
Viqi Shesh may have been named for Vichy France, a government formed during World War II that collaborated with Nazi Germany, in a similar manner to how Shesh collaborated with the Yuuzhan Vong.

Appearances

 * Dark Tide I: Onslaught
 * Agents of Chaos I: Hero's Trial
 * Agents of Chaos II: Jedi Eclipse
 * Balance Point
 * Recovery
 * Star by Star
 * Enemy Lines I: Rebel Dream
 * Enemy Lines II: Rebel Stand