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"Our friends from the Trade Federation have pledged their support, and when their battle droids are combined with yours, we shall have an army greater than any in the galaxy."
―Count Dooku, to the council on Geonosis[2]

The Executive Separatist Council,[1] also known simply as the Separatist Council,[5] was a governing body, led by Count Dooku, within the Confederacy of Independent Systems. It was made up of a number of Separatist leaders from the various major powers that backed the Separatist cause during the Clone Wars, including the Trade Federation, the Techno Union, the Corporate Alliance, the Commerce Guild, and the InterGalactic Banking Clan.[2] The entire Council was betrayed by Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who had them slaughtered by his new apprentice Darth Vader on Mustafar at the end of the war in 19 BBY, bringing an end to the Confederacy leadership.[3]

History[]

"The Banking Clan will sign your treaty."
"Good, very good."
―San Hill and Count Dooku[2]

Before the Confederacy of Independent Systems was founded, Count Dooku of Serenno secretly allied with major galactic corporations, including the Techno Union, Commerce Guild, and Trade Federation. While joining the Count was a risk, becoming one of the Confederacy's founding corporations offered them special privileges, and the chief privilege was that the corporation would gain a seat on the Council.[6]

SepCouncilGeonosis-AOTC

Dooku and the Council meet on Geonosis prior to the Clone Wars.

In 22 BBY,[4] the Council members were present on Geonosis and planned with Count Dooku to combat the Galactic Republic.[2] Senator Rogwa Wodrata attended the meeting as well.[7] By the time of their meeting, the Trade Federation of Viceroy Nute Gunray had pledged their Droid Army to Dooku, and the other corporations decided to do the same.[2] The Council provided funding, warships, and droids to the CIS.[8] Despite the corporate leaders making a business deal with Dooku, they were also willing to maintain deals with the Republic: to such companies, the coming Clone Wars were a chance to make money off of both sides.[9]

During the Clone Wars, the Council acted as the secret group behind the civilian Separatist Senate, which dealt with civil matters, with the Council dealing with military matters and funding. Its members were mostly fueled by self-interest and greed.[5] The Battle of Coruscant in 19 BBY[4] saw the death of Count Dooku, which unbeknownst to them, was orchestrated by Darth Sidious in order to lure Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side. Following the battle, the Council members were placed under the protection of General Grievous. Acting on orders from Lord Sidious, Grievous ordered the Council to relocate to the volcanic planet Mustafar in the Outer Rim Territories. The Council members left Utapau just before a battle broke out on the planet between the Republic and the Confederacy, which resulted in Grievous' death at the hands of Skywalker's mentor Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Soon afterwards, Sidious told them through a hologram that his new apprentice Darth Vader would take care of them, unaware that he had really sent Vader to kill them because he had no further use for any of the Council members. With the Republic transformed into the Galactic Empire and the Council wiped out, the Confederacy collapsed with the deactivation of its droid armies.[3]

Powers[]

The Executive Separatist Council was the advisory[4] and quasi-governing body of the Confederacy, overseen by the Head of State-Count Dooku,[3] despite the Separatist Senate being the official legislative body,[6] but was in practice, mostly was ignored by Dooku, who had been granted emergency wartime powers.[10]

Members[]

The council consisted of several Separatist leaders:

These leaders were also helped by various aides, including Rune Haako, Cat Miin, Sun Fac, Denaria Kee,[2] Rute Gunnay,[3] an unidentified Purkoll citizen,[12] and Nank Tun.[3]

Behind the scenes[]

"Because something that's really come to light in The Clone Wars series is that George sees it as Separatists, Republic, and then in the middle is big business. The corporations. […] That all needs to come to light with Nute Gunray, Wat Tambor, San Hill, Passel Argente, all those guys and explaining who the Separatist Council is that you see in the films, versus the Separatist Senate, versus the Trade Federation and the guilds. The Commerce Guild, the Trade Federation, the Techno Union. That's why we have all those guys we've invented that have nothing to do with the Council that you see. Because in the EU, its always been seen as the Trade Federation are Separatists, but that's not true. Obi-Wan Kenobi witnessed a business deal going on. And in the business deal, he saw those corporate leaders telling Dooku they're going to sell him arms and sell him droids to build an army. That doesn't mean that those corporations don't also have deals with the Republic to give them arms, but it got blanketed in all the media that it was very black and white. But the Clone Wars is anything but black and white, as we know."
Dave Filoni, on the relationship between the corporate leaders on the Separatist Council and the corporations themselves[9]

In Revenge of the Sith, an unidentified Separatist is seated next to Tikkes on Utapau. Without any speaking lines or focus on the character, however, it is not clear if this Separatist was part of the Separatist Council or merely an aide.[3] Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group noted that the character was shot into the scene as a separate stage element, but he has never been able to find a name for the character, nor still photographs from that shoot.[13]

Appearances[]

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

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