Grebleips
Biographical information
Homeworld	Brodo Asogi[1]
Physical description
Species	Grebleips' species[2]
Gender	Male[1]
Skin color	Tan[2]
Chronological and political information
Era(s)	Rise of the Empire era[1]
Affiliation	Galactic Republic[1]

[Source]

Grebleips was the male alien 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 was to fund an extra-galactic survey, according to the HoloNet News. As the war neared its end, he became part of the 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, Imperial Intelligence arrested Grebleips on charges of conspiracy and treason for plotting with the Jedi Order to remove Palpatine from office.

BiographyEdit

For a number of years before the Battle of Naboo in 32 BBY, the male Grebleips represented his home planet of Brodo Asogi as a senator in the Galactic Republic.^[1] In the Galactic Senate's Grand Convocation Chamber, Grebleips was stationed in a repulsorpod between the Ishi Tib and Swokes Swokes delegations.^[2] The Senator kept a delegation of two to three other members of his species in tow.^[2][3] 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.^[3] 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.^[2]

In 22 BBY, Grebleips made headlines with his intention to fund an extra-galactic survey.^[4] Later that year, the Clone Wars broke out, and the Senate granted Palpatine even more power to deal with the crisis.^[5] 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.^[6] 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 under a new charter, with himself as Emperor. Along with sixty-two other Senators, Grebleips was arrested by Imperial Intelligence, charged with conspiracy and treason for helping plot the Jedi coup.^[7]

Personality and traitsEdit

Grebleips responded to Queen Amidala's Vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Valorum by lifting his arms.^[2] The Senator would later on join the Delegation of 2000 protesting Chancellor Palpatine's emergency powers.^[7] Grebleips had tan skin and no hair.^[2]

Behind the scenesEdit

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—from Spielberg's film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial—as a background character;^[8] 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—"Spielberg" spelled backwards—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.^[9] 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 clear whether any of them are Grebleips.

AppearancesEdit

• Cloak of Deception (First identified as Grebleips)
• Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (First appearance)
•  Senator Grebleips to fund Extragalactic Survey—HoloNet News Vol. 531 50
• "Republic HoloNet News Special Inaugural Edition 16:5:24"—Star Wars Insider 84

SourcesEdit

•  Phone Home on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
• "Episode I Easter Eggs"—Star Wars Insider 48
• The Official Star Wars Fact File 104 (SEN 1, Galactic Senate of the Old Republic) (Picture only)
• "Who's Who in the Delegation of 2000"—Star Wars Insider 85
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
• "Classic Moment"—Star Wars Insider 128
•  Galactic Senate in the Databank (content now obsolete; backup link on Archive.org)
•  Galactic Senate in the Encyclopedia (Picture only)

Notes and referencesEdit

External linksEdit

•  Grebleips in The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia (backup link on Archive.org)