Sei Taria/Legends

"What's on the agenda for this afternoon?" "You have a meeting with Adi Gallia, then a follow-up meeting with Bail Antilles and Horox Ryyder. After that, you are meeting with the representatives of the Corporate Alliance and the trade delegation from Ord Mantell. Then&mdash;"

- Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum and Staff Aide Sei Taria

Sei Taria was a female Human Staff Aide to Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum. She helped him with his agenda and with menial details of the bureaucracy and procedures that went with his position. She also had a personal team of "troubleshooters" for delicate matters.

Through her career, Taria helped Valorum manage the reception of visiting dignitaries such as Baroness Omnino of the Vena system. She also provided him with support and technical help when he organized a blockade to the planet Yinchorr. Later, she collaborated in the process of taxation of the free-trade zones and went with Valorum to the failed Eriadu Trade Summit. When Valorum swore to end with the terrorist organization The Flail, they answered by assaulting Taria.

Taria also went to the Coruscant Opera with Valorum in a public relation movement that prompted rumors about a possible romantic relationships among them. She had also been linked to Kinman Doriana, aide to Senator Palpatine, because Palpatine had been close both to Valorum and to Taria&mdash;to the point of being Taria's personal model. When Valorum was ousted as Chancellor, Taria chose to abandon public life. Rumor said that her replacement, the Umbaran Sly Moore, had blackmailed Taria to force her retirement.

Political ascent
Sei Taria was a Human female from the planet Spira who was born before 37 BBY. By that year, she had begun a political career in the Galactic Republic, wherein she was employed by the Office of the Supreme Chancellor on the galactic capital planet of Coruscant. Taria worked directly for Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum as an administrative aide, a position in which she researched the procedural reguations of the Republic's bureaucracy and assisted Valorum in confirming and following them. She additionally accompanied him on many diplomatic missions, attended official meetings of the Galactic Senate, and occasionally publicly spoke on the Chancellor's behalf. The two became romantically involved, and rumors of their affair reached the ears of others on Coruscant. In her position, Taria was a considerably wealthy woman.

In 37 BBY, Baroness Omnino of the planet Vena undertook a diplomatic mission to Coruscant. Valorum hoped to convince her to join the Republic, thereby providing Coruscant with resource shipments from her home system. To prepare for Omnino's visit, Taria took precautions to ensure that the Baroness was not followed to the capital world by the radical Vena Isolationists, who had marked their ruler for assassination. Taria offered Omnino a Jedi escort, but the offer was refused. She nevertheless arranged for Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn to pose as one of the Senate Guards who awaited the arrival of the Baroness's starship on a Coruscant landing platform.

As the ship touched down, Taria and Valorum also stood on the platform, where they discussed Omnino's possible motivations behind coming. After their guest disembarked, she was greeted by Valorum just before one of her bodyguards was fired upon by a traitorous Senate Guard. The rebel fled and was killed while trying to escape from Jinn's nearby Padawan, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Jinn and Kenobi were later dispatched by the Jedi Council to investigate the assassination, and they discovered that Omnino had used a mind control device to influence the killer as part of a plot to usurp the leadership the Republic and discredit the Jedi, who she blamed for the death of her husband.

Four years later, the Yinchorri species staged an uprising against the Republic due to the manipulations of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who hoped that the war would both kill Jedi and check the Yinchorri's warlike ways. Several battles occurred between Jedi and Yinchorri forces, and Chancellor Valorum proposed to the Senate an embargo of Yinchorr. While it was under consideration, Taria and Valorum attended a Senatorial gathering at the 500 Republica tower in the apartment suite of Palpatine, Senator of Naboo. Palpatine was a close political ally of Valorum's; however, unbeknownst to the galaxy, he was in fact Darth Sidious, the mastermind of a plot to seize control of the Republic. The Sith Lord greeted his guests, and Taria deviously complimented him on his choice of attire and his modesty. Palpatine then led them into the crowd of guests, and, after receiving a drink, Taria left her companions and began to converse with the wife of Senator Bail Antilles of Alderaan.

Valorum was ultimately forced to call in many political favors in order to see the trade embargo passed. He and Taria met with a group of Senators in a restaurant, where the Chancellor ensured that he could count on their votes. They promised their support, and Taria brought Valorum a datapad, which he used to converse with Jedi Master Yoda and share the news. Valorum also sent four attack groups of the Republic's Judicial Forces to assist the Jedi, and the Yinchorri were defeated. Taria continued to follow Palpatine's rising star in the Senate, and she grew close to the charismatic Senator. Taria viewed him as a mentor and learned much from him. Rumors persisted that she was romantically involved with Palpatine's aide Kinman Doriana.

Eriadu
Taria then went with Valorum the Coruscant Opera to watch a Bith-only performance of "The Brief Reign of Future Wraiths. He had chosen to go with her because most Senators were making public appearances with attractive young companions, but nevertheless this event raised rumors about a possible romantic relationship between Valorum and Taria. When they reached their seats, other Senators there waited for Taria to sit before doing so.

During that time, Valorum had proposed a tax on the until-then free trade zones in exchange for allowing the Trade Federation the increase in permissible armament that they had repeatedly requested. This was a controversial question, and Valorum's agenda became more cramped than Taria had ever seen; nonetheless, she helped Valorum to manage his constant meetings. Taria also took the time to study the taxation bills herself.

Valorum and Taria left his office among a crowd of people wanting a piece of his time. At this point, the terrorist organization Nebula Front made an attempt against the life of Valorum. Jedi Masters Qui-Gon Jinn and Adi Gallia saved Valorum's life, but the Chancellor was severely wounded and taken to the nearest medcenter. Taria hurried to his side, administered the security to his room and restricted and received the visitors&mdash;including a personal friend of her, Senator Palpatine of Naboo. Valorum eventually recovered and went back to his office, still with Taria. The aide then guided Jedi Masters Mace Windu and Yoda there for a private conference with Valorum.

Following a proposal by Palpatine, Valorum arranged the Eriadu Trade Summit on the planet Eriadu to discuss the issues of the trade proposal. Valorum, Taria and the rest of his entourage traveled to Eriadu and spent the nights in Lieutenant-governor Wilhuff Tarkin's mansion. While they were received with pomp, Taria kept her menial tasks taking care of small details. They then traveled to the Summit hall, where the Nebula Front staged a new attack. Taria noticed a shootout over the building's dome and screamed, attracting public attention. The Jedi took care of the terrorists and captured their leader, Havac. However, the Summit ended prematurely and in failure.

Taria and Valorum returned to Coruscant, where the Chancellor was harassed by journalists in the public corridors of the Senate Building. Taria blocked their questions giving the first official answers, and arranged a later official statement. Once they were in a private office, Valorum thanked her, but she insisted that they should write down the statement right away. They were interrupted by Senator Bail Antilles, who entered the office with an official escort to arrest Valorum on charges of corruption.

Valorum's fall
Still under suspicion, Valorum was released and returned to his activities as Chancellor, but he knew that his days in public office were numbered. Wanting to do something good with his time, he publicly swore to capture all the members of the terrorist organization known as The Flail before the following Senate meeting. The Flail answered by sending him death threats and by physically assaulting Taria.

Taria employed some "troubleshooters" she trusted for delicate matters. She asked them to travel to a Trade Federation brokerage house on Corulag, contact a specific person and buy a packet of information paying with some antique coins she provided them with. However, a male functionary in Valorum's staff discovered this business and betrayed the Republic for personal profit behind Taria's back. The functionary notified Taria's enemies of the deal, and told them about the details of the coins.

Taria's enemies then killed her contact and framed the troubleshooters under charges of industrial spionage. The troubleshooters were tracked by security agents of the Federation and by bounty hunters, who hone in on the rare metals of the coins to find them. They managed to go back to Coruscant. There, Taria's innocence was proved when the security leak was discovered.

Around this time, Taria accompanied Valorum to an official meeting of the Senate. She seated to Valorum's left on the Chancellor's Podium of the Grand Convocation Chamber; Mas Amedda, the Vice Chairman of the Senate, was to Valorum's right. During that meeting, Valorum was confronted by a Motion of No Confidence by Queen Amidala of Naboo, leading to his almost immediate ousting. Valorum was quickly voted out of his position as Chancellor, being replaced by Palpatine.

After this event, Taria chose to leave political life, discontinuing her role as aide. Rumor said that the Umbaran Sly Moore had blackmailed Taria into retirement, removing Taria from public office so that Moore herself could raise to her position, but this was never proved. Nonetheless, Palpatine had new aides, and Moore held a role similar to Taria's.

Personality and traits
"Yes, Chancellor. Every precaution was taken. But since the Baroness has been marked for assassination by the Vena isolationists, it is regrettable that she rejected a Jedi escort."

- Sei Taria

Sei Taria had brown hair, brown, oblique eyes and a skin that shared color with the burrmillet grain. During her time as Staff Aide, Taria was a petite, young woman, and she was considered attractive by the Senators.

Having a personal fortune, she fancied expensive septsilk robes to go to official Senate meetings. She favored the burgundy color for her dresses. She also carried a wrist comlink with record function with her. She had a personal team of troubleshooters she trusted, but she resorted to Senate guards or Jedi Knights when she was to provide an official escort to a visiting dignitary.

Taria was known to respect Valorum and, beyond her official duties, she publicly spoke on his behalf. For years, Taria was one of Valorum's closest collaborators. Taria sometimes, but not always, accompanied Valorum to receive important visitors on the Senate Landing Platform.

Taria was also a personal colleague to Senator Palpatine, and viewed him as her personal mentor and her model instead of choosing Valorum, because Palpatine had greater political skills. Taria learned a lot from Palpatine. Palpatine was on a first-name basis with Taria, although she addressed him as "Senator." Palpatine and Valorum were also close, and it was rumored that Palpatine's personal aide Kinman Doriana and Taria had a romantic relationship.

Behind the scenes
"I had a walk-on role for a major film - Star Wars, Phantom Menace, as Sei Taria (Assistant to the Chancellor of the Universe- Chancellor Valurom [sic] - Terence Stamp) Director: George Lucas. Year 2000. [sic] I had signed autographs in the UK, Holland, Germany, Japan."

- Kamay Lau's resume at at StarNow talent directory

Sei Taria first appeared in the movie Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999, George Lucas). She was played by Kamay Lau. While Sei Taria does not appear in the novelization of the film, she is graphically depicted in the comic adaptation. A faceless, background character intended to be Taria also appears in the second issue of the manga adaptation; in this case, Taria is to the right of Valorum in the Chancellor's Podium, while Amedda is to his left. In all the other representations, including the film, Amedda is to the right of Valorum and Taria is to his left.

Canon sources do not specify Taria's age. In Cloak of Deception (taking place in 33 BBY), she is said to halve Valorum's age; however, Valorum's birthday is not specified either. The actor playing Valorum, Terence Stamp, was sixty years old at the time of The Phantom Menace, but that does not necessarily mean that his character was exactly that age too.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Darth Plagueis
 * Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan: Last Stand on Ord Mantell 1
 * Jedi Council: Acts of War 4
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novelization
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace PhotoComic
 * Star Wars Manga: The Phantom Menace 2
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3
 * Star Wars Manga: The Phantom Menace 2
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3