An unidentified liege ruled the agriworld Ukio during the Clone Wars. The world was apparently being targeted by the Confederacy of Independent Systems, prompting the Galactic Republic to dispatch a task force led by Jedi General Keelyvine Reus to Ukio, to ensure that the planet was well defended. The liege met with Reus's Padawan learner, Tyzen Xebec, and proceeded to demonstrate his planet's shield generator complex to the Padawan's clone trooper commander, Ganch. During the inspection, a Confederate battleship entered the area, and covered a portion of the sphere with an obscuring agent, preventing any sunlight from reaching the sensitive Ukian crops.

Panicking, the liege coordinated with the Republic to temporarily lower a portion of the shield, in the hopes of dissipating the obscuring agent. Although the gambit was successful, it also allowed a Confederate incursion team, led by the tactician known only as "Doctor" to land on Ukio and initiate Project Instinction. The Doctor's technology sent living beings within its proximity into a violent frenzy, the liege included. Although the Doctor was eventually stopped by Xebec, and the crisis averted, the liquid state of events on Ukio had caused its stocks to plummet. The liege was ousted, as Magistrate Passel Argente of the Corporate Alliance purchased a controlling interest in the planet, and placed it under Confederate control.

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 The Jedi team 1.2 Battleground 2 Personality and traits 3 Behind the scenes 4 Appearances 5 Notes and references

BiographyEdit

The Jedi teamEdit

When the Clone Wars broke out, the Galactic Republic came to suspect that the Confederacy of Independent Systems was targeting Ukio. To that end, a task force commanded by Jedi General Keelyvine Reus was dispatched to the agriworld, to make sure that the Ukian defenses would hold. The liege and his assistant, Destor, waited for an inspection team at a landing pad. Destor checked the security, and when he was sure that the area was clear, the liege welcomed the clone troopers, who were led by a Padawan, the Zabrak Tyzen Xebec. The liege was taken aback by the youth of the Zabrak, who personally welcomed Ukio, which had seceded briefly before the outbreak of war, back to the Republic. The liege was prompted to comment on Xebec's apparent inexperience, but Destor quickly interjected, suggesting that the liege was impressed with the young Jedi. The Ukian was curious as to whether or not the clone troopers took umbrage at being subordinate to one so young, but their leader, Commander Ganch, revealed that they were in fact technically younger than Xebec.^[1]

The Padawan instructed the liege to allow his men to complete a thorough and full inspection of the planetary shield generator. The liege was only to happy to, as the Ukians were proud of their defensive technology, but when Xebec then informed him that he would be talking with the farmers and workers, the liege questioned the wisdom of his actions. The Padawan, however, was adamant that he would have to know the people of a given world if he was to understand it. The liege was then led away by Ganch, and began the inspection tour. At the Ukian shield generator, the liege expounded upon the various security measures in place that ensured that the planetary shield would permanently remain in effect. The Commander was impressed, and then startled by a herd of charging gigaun outside the generator complex. The liege calmly explained that the creatures were harmless, and that their subsonic calls caused the Ukian grain to germinate—hence, they were essential to the ecology of Ukio.^[1]

BattlegroundEdit

The complex soon received an orbital alert, and soon, the planet fell into darkness as black, cloud like substance obscured the sun. In no time, communications were jammed, infuriating the Overlord, as they would not be able to work in darkness. Soon, a faint transmission came in from the Republic flagship—Generals Reus and Kit Fisto were in holo conference, along with Admiral Dron. Reus informed the liege that the Confederacy had deployed an electro-magnetic and photosensitive material onto the planetary shield. The substance would cling to the shield, and follow Ukio's orbit around its sun, perpetually blocking out the sunlight. This sent the Overlord into a panic—the sensitive Ukian crops would be destroyed without the proper sunlight. Despairing, he suggested that they briefly drop the planetary shield, in an attempt to allow the cloud to disperse. Both Reus and Ganch advised against the action, as it was likely precisely what the Confederacy was after.^[1]

Angered, the liege rounded on Ganch, and reminded him that if the crops were destroyed, he and his Republic would have nothing left to defend. Reus consulted Captain Pharl McQuarrie as to whether opening the shield would disperse the cloud—he confirmed that such an action would prove effective. The General gave the liege clearance to drop a small area of the shield, the same size as the disturbance, in exactly fifteen minutes, for as briefly as possible. The timing was essential, as it would allow the Republic fleet to get in range of the Confederate presence as the shield was opened, which would in turn allow Dron's forces to prevent the enemy from penetrating Ukio's atmosphere. As ordered, the liege had the shields dropped on schedule, effectively dispersing the cloud.^[1]

Demanding a status report when the shields were raised, the liege received confirmation from his technicians, and sunlight was restored to Ukio. However, a new issue had arisen—the gigaunts were stampeding off their usual paths and onto the crops. The liege despaired once more, and was shocked, given that the gigaunts had never strayed before. Commander Gaunch rapidly departed the complex at the liege's behest, to get a first-hand look at the disturbance. Realizing that they had averted one crisis only to enter another, the liege was thrown into a rage, and be brought his ceremonial staff crashing down on a control panel. The problem was eventually averted when Padawan Xebec found the source of the disturbance—neural scrambling devices that caused living beings within their proximity to go berserk. Xebec and General Reus were able to destroy the devices and defeat the Confederate commander, T-series tactical droid known as the "Doctor".^[1]

As the Republic forces recuperated after the battle, the liege was ousted from his office. Angered, he declared that his last official act would be to formally remove the Republic presence from his world. He confronted Generals Reus and Fisto, and demanded that they immediately depart. The turmoil surrounding Ukio during the battle had lowered the planet's stocks so severely, that Corporate Alliance Magistrate Passel Argente was able to purchase the world's economy wholesale. As a result, although the Republic had won a tactical victory, the Confederacy gained control of the planet.^[1]

Personality and traitsEdit

The Ukian liege referred to troublemakers as "riff-raff," and was loathe to have them present when he welcomed the Republic's inspection team. He also disliked his assistant Destor's glum demeanor, and encouraged him to take on a more positive attitude. When he discovered that the inspection team was to be led by a young Zabrak, he was taken aback, but Destor managed to avert any potential cause for insult. The liege was also a curious being, as he was interested in the concept of clone troopers being subordinate to one as young as Padawan Xebec, although technically the clones were younger than the Zabrak. The liege was proud of Ukio's defenses, but was unsure that Xebec should interact with the farmers and workers of Ukio.^[1]

The liege was sent into a panic when the Confederacy blacked out Ukio's sun by applying their electro-magnetic substance onto the planetary shield. He despaired when he was informed of the perpetual eclipse would have to endure—the Ukian crops were high-maintenance, and sensitive as a result. The loss of any sunlight would spell disaster for his people—a prospect that angered the liege. He was willing to sacrifice the security of his planet by opening the shield, purely to save the Ukian crops, as he felt they were more important. When that particular crisis was averted, the liege was instantaneously beset with a new one—the gigaunts were stampeding across the crops, uncharacteristically. This sent the liege into a frenzied, violent rage, and he responded by viciously destroying equipment in the shield generator complex. Although his newfound violence was attributed to Confederate neural devices, the liege remained furious even after the battle had ended, as he was ousted from his office due to the turmoil surrounding Ukio. As a final, punitive measure, he decided to have the Republic and the Jedi leave Ukio immediately.^[1]

Behind the scenesEdit

The liege first appeared in the webcomic The Clone Wars: Act on Instinct, written by Pablo Hidalgo and published in 2009. He was introduced in the sixth installment of the comic.

AppearancesEdit

• The Clone Wars: Act on Instinct (First appearance)

Notes and referencesEdit