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Mee Deechi

Mee Deechi

Biographical information
Homeworld	Umbara^[1]
Died	c. 21 BBY,^[2] Coruscant^[3]
Physical description
Species	Umbaran^[4]
Gender	Male^[3]
Hair color	White^[3]
Eye color	Grey^[3]
Skin color	Pale^[3]
Chronological and political information
Era(s)	Rise of the Empire era^[3]
Affiliation	Galactic Republic^[3] Galactic Senate^[3]

[Source]

"You shouldn't make speeches like that. It's unpatriotic."
"The only thing I find unpatriotic is your warmongering."

―Senator Deechi and Senator Amidala, conversing during debates over war funding^[src]

Mee Deechi was an Umbaran male who lived just prior to the dawn of the Galactic Empire. Deechi hailed from the shadowy Umbaran homeworld of Umbara and served the planet as its delegate in the Senate of the Galactic Republic. During the Clone Wars between the Republic and the separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems, Deechi became a strong advocate for the funding and enhancement of the Grand Army of the Republic and a staunch critic of his anti-war colleagues. Around 21 BBY, the Umbaran joined with the pro-war Kaminoan senator Halle Burtoni to campaign for a bill that would authorize an order for five million more clone troopers to join the Grand Army. The two were opposed by Bail Organa of Alderaan and his anti-war coalition, but ultimately prevailed, winning the required number of delegate votes to approve the order.

In the immediate aftermath of the vote, Organa's ally, Rodian senator Onaconda Farr, drafted and proposed a piece of counter-legislation designed to drastically reduce the Republic's military budget and halt the production of clone troopers. Deechi was recognized as an opposition leader during the debates over the budget-reducing legislation, and worked closely with Senator Burtoni to defeat Farr, Organa, and their allies, Senators Padmé Amidala, Mon Mothma, and Lolo Purs. An embittered Senator Purs murdered Farr shortly before the vote on the bill, but escaped notice for a number of days. Several members of the legislation's support bloc suspected foul play on Deechi's part due to the political strife between the two, but the Umbaran only held occupational ill will towards the late senator. When Purs came to suspect that Deechi had information on her involvement in the crime, she ambushed him in his senate office and fatally stabbed him in the chest.

1 Biography
- 1.1 Political prosperity
- 1.2 Intrigue, investigations, and assassinations
2 Personality and traits
3 Behind the scenes
4 Appearances
5 Sources
6 Notes and references
- 6.1 In other languages

BiographyEdit

Political prosperityEdit

Amedda: "Let us now vote on Senator Burtoni's bill to fund five million additional clones."

Mothma: "The opposition to this bill must be allowed to speak first!"

Deechi: "Unfortunately, Senator Organa is nowhere to be found."

―Vice Chair Mas Amedda and Senators Mon Mothma and Mee Deechi^[src]

Mee Deechi was an Umbaran male who lived during the final decades before the rise of the Galactic Empire. During this period, he pursued a career in galactic politics and ultimately gained a position as the representative of his species' homeworld of Umbara in the Senate of the Galactic Republic.^[5] Deechi held the office of senator of Umbara while the Clone Wars between the Republic and the separatist Confederacy of Independent Systems raged, during which time he worked out of his office in the Republic Executive Building on the capital world of Coruscant. During the conflict, the Umbaran became a staunch pro-war advocate and supporter of the newly-created Grand Army of the Republic^[3]—positions that made him a close ally of the Kaminoan Senator Halle Burtoni, who held similar views on governance and military action.^[6] Conversely, Deechi's militarist rhetoric repeatedly brought him into conflict with Rodia's senator, Onaconda Farr, who reversed his previously pro-war positions after his world was nearly claimed by the Confederates early in the conflict.^[3]

Around 21 BBY,^[2] Deechi and his colleagues were embroiled in discussions over troop surges and the adverse financial strain that waging a pan-galactic war had on the Republic's economy. In response to the rising economic fears, the opportunistic Senator Gume Saam^[7] of Tibrin^[8] proposed a a bill that would allow for the Republic to open new lines of credit with the InterGalactic Banking Clan to fund the surges, while simultaneously deregulating the banking industry as a whole. After the issue was postponed several times, it was finally brought to a vote, but only after the anti-war Senator Padmé Amidala of Naboo announced that the Separatist Parliament was suing for peace. Amidala's attempt to use the peace initiative to derail the financial reform bill nearly succeeded, as many senators were prepared to agree that the potential for peace negated the necessity for further war spending. However, just as voting commenced, Confederate demolition droids broke into a Coruscant power generator control room and detonated themselves, causing explosions throughout the Galactic City and a massive blackout. The attack incited outrage from Deechi's fellow senators, who approved the deregulation of the banks and the continued funding of the war.^[7]

The morning after the attack, the Senate reconvened to discuss the Republic's response to the bombing of the generator and the Separatist peace initiative. With the exception of Amidala and several of her allies, nearly every delegate argued against the accord and instead demanded that the Senate use their new lines of credit to fund an expansion of the military. Halle Burtoni proposed an emergency appropriations bill that would use loans from the Banking Clan to purchase five million additional clone troopers^[9] from her homeworld of Kamino^[10]—a measure that Deechi strongly supported.^[3]^[9] When Amidala tried to reassert that there were indeed members of the Confederacy who were still interested in peace, the Umbaran interrupted her, suggesting before the entire Grand Convocation Chamber that the senator from Naboo might have treasonous relationships with Separatist agents. The tactic worked, and the debate devolved into a shouting match between senators who were lambasting Amidala as a traitor and the few who supported her. Although Supreme Chancellor Palpatine attempted to calm the legislators, he was cut off by an incoming transmission from the Confederate Head of State Count Dooku, who informed the Senate that, in light of an alleged Republic attack on a Separatist senator, the peace initiative was off the table.^[9]

In the fight to support Burtoni's bill, Mee Deechi was joined by Edcel Bar Gane^[9]^[11] of Roona^[12] and Orn Free Taa^[9] of Ryloth,^[13] as well as Tarnab senator Mot-Not Rab, Quarren senator Christo, and Human senator Zinn Paulness.^[9] The motion's popularity was also bolstered by attacks on opposition delegates carried out by bounty hunters under the employ of the Sith Lords Darth Tyranus and Darth Sidious, both of whom wished to see the war continue. Although it appeared that the support bloc was going to win outright,^[9] Senate Vice Chair^[14] Mas Amedda agreed to allow opposition leader Bail Organa^[9] of Alderaan^[14] time to speak before the full congressional assembly prior to the final vote. On the day of the vote, the Senate convened in anticipation of the Alderaanian's presentation, but Organa did not arrive—instead, he was being rushed to a hospital after nearly being killed in an attack from a pair of bounty hunters. Mee Deechi was unaware of his colleague's predicament, and as such, requested that Amedda supersede his previous decision and allow the Senate to vote on the bill without hearing the opposition arguments. The Vice Chair resisted for a time, but eventually acquiesced after Deechi silenced^[9] Chandrillan^[14] senator Mon Mothma's calls for Organa be given more time. Just as they were about to begin, however, Senator Amidala took to the floor, speaking in Organa's place. The anti-war advocate made an impassioned call for peace,^[9] and the Senate was sympathetic to her plea^[15]—even Deechi and Burtoni were stirred to applause. Despite Amidala's efforts and the support her speech garnered,^[9] the bill passed, and the order for five million clone troopers was placed.^[16]

Intrigue, investigations, and assassinationsEdit

"Ono had a secret meeting at the docks under the derrick major the night before he died."
"And you just happen to know about this meeting how?"
"Oh, I was having Ono followed. Just because I respected Ono, doesn't mean I wasn't trying to get dirt on him."
"Of course."
"The point is, a clandestine, off the books meeting under the cover of darkness... perhaps that location holds some clue."

―Deechi and Organa discuss Farr's death^[src]

Although Burtoni's legislation was approved, Amidala and her allies chose not to surrender in their fight for a diplomatic end to the war. To that end, she and Senator Onaconda Farr drafted a piece of counter-legislation that would negate the troop increase by slashing the Republic's defense budget. Deechi considered the effort to be unpatriotic, and so led the opposition to the bill; in this battle, he stood oposite of his political rival, Farr. Although the Umbaran senator had public opinion on his side, he wanted to ensure that he would be able to use any weapon possible against Farr's coalition. As such, he arranged to have the Rodian followed so he could gather information on any of his opponent's inappropriate dealings or politically damaging activities. Deechi's pursuit did eventually yield results, and it was revealed to the Umbaran that Farr had secretly traveled to the docks under the derrick major on Coruscant to meet with an unknown contact.^[3]

The following day, Deechi attended a session of congress wherein Senator Amidala spoke before the Grand Convocation Chamber on the benefits of a reduced military budget and the dangers of further warfare. As the Naboo congresswoman finished her presentation and exited her repulsorpod platform, Deechi met her in the Senate Rotunda's hallway and spoke with her about the bill. The Umbaran asserted that views like those she had expressed in her speech were dangerous and counter to the best interests of the Republic. In response, Amidala accused Deechi of warmongering before leaving to celebrate with her allies. During that celebration of Amidala's well-received speech, Senator Farr collapsed and died, the apparent victim of heart failure. Deechi later attended his old rival's funeral services on a Coruscant landing pad, where the Rodian was eulogized by his friend and aide Silood before the body was transported back to Farr's homeworld of Rodia for final burial.^[3]

After the services, Deechi met with Senator Burtoni in his office to enjoy a bottle of Domaine de la Maison sur le Lac wine. The two were interrupted by Senators Organa and Amidala, who had recently learned that Onaconda Farr's death was the result of poisoning. The two anti-war senators suspected that either Deechi or Burtoni may have had a hand in the crime, as Farr was one of their strongest political opponents. Both of the Umbaran and Kaminoan scoffed at the idea—Deechi respected Farr as a worthy adversary, and Burtoni recognized that the Rodian's anti-war rhetoric was useful for the purposes of raising funds for her propositions. Before Amidala and Organa left his office, Deechi provided them with the information on Farr's clandestine meeting at the docks under the derrick major the evening before his death. The two left to investigate that location for clues, leaving Deechi in his office. That evening, the Umbaran was confronted by Lolo Purs—an aide, pupil, and fellow senator of the late Onaconda Farr. Purs had come to resent Farr for his decision to bring the Confederacy to her homeworld of Rodia earlier in the war, and so sought to remove him from office by murdering him. Although she initially escaped suspicion, she eventually learned that Deechi was aware of Farr's meeting at the docks, which Purs had arranged in the hope of intimidating her mentor out of the Senate. Intending to prevent the Umbaran from ever revealing her guilt, Purs stabbed Deechi in the chest with a dagger, killing him.^[3]

The Umbaran senator's body was discovered by Amidala and Organa upon their return from the docks. Purs' manipulations initially led the Coruscant Security Force inspector Tan Divo to believe that Senator Burtoni was the culprit, but later revelations brought the Rodian's crimes to light. Purs was arrested for the murder of both Deechi and Farr, and in the days following the upheaval, the bill to reduce the Republic's military spending was defeated in the Senate.^[3] After Deechi's death, the senator's homeworld of Umbara withdrew its support for the Republic, choosing to secede and ally with the Confederacy of Independent Systems.^[17]

Personality and traitsEdit

"That was quite a moment, my dear."
"Thank you, Senator Deechi."
"Oh, it wasn't a compliment."

―Senators Deechi and Padmé Amidala, after the latter gives a speech supporting the discontinuation of clone trooper production^[src]

Mee Deechi was cold and methodical—as was common for his species—but was also possessed of a passion for nationalistic pursuits. He placed great value on the importance of patriotism, although his opponents in the Senate perceived this to be a front for his intent to profit from the pan-galactic Clone Wars. As the senator for Umbara, Deechi took up the flag of militarism and supported several pieces of legislation that would help to either expand the Grand Army of the Republic or continue the war with the Confederacy of Independent Systems. These positions helped the Umbaran to foster a close working relationship with Senator Burtoni, who held an influential position as the representative from the clone trooper homeworld of Kamino.

Deechi respected Onaconda Farr, but liked to intimidate his opponents and played ruthless political games.

Deechi had white hair, grey eyes, and grey facial markings around his eye sockets. He wore an angular grey chestplate and drank Domaine de la Maison sur la Lac.

Behind the scenesEdit

Deechi was voiced by Gideon Emery, who voiced fellow Senator Lott Dod earlier in the season. His name was misspelled as "Deechee" in the episode guide for "Pursuit of Peace."