Separatist Council

"Our friends from the Trade Federation have pledged their support, and when their battle droids are combined with yours, we will have an army greater than any in the Galaxy."

- Count Dooku

The Separatist Council, also known as the Council of Separatists, the Separatist Union, or the Leadership Council, was the legislative branch of the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars, the conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy itself, which was seeking to leave it. Sith Lord Count Dooku originally summoned wealthy businesspeople and politicians to the planet Geonosis, where they formed a pact wit a common goal: to create a "new" governing body for the galaxy and obliterate the Republic. The members of the Council participated actively during the war, leading brigades of battle droids against the forces of the Republic, though mainly to further their own ends.

During the course of the war, bounties were placed on the Council members' heads, which led to their rendezvous at the planet Belderone. Shortly after, however, the public leader and Head of the Council, Dooku, died at the hands of the young Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. The Council was placed under the personal protection of General Grievous, Supreme Commander of the Separatist Droid Army, and now leader of the Separatist Movement and the Council. The Council members, along with Grievous, were relocated to the planet Utapau due to security issues, but were discovered by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and an armada of clone troopers.

Sith Lord Darth Sidious ordered the Council relocated to the planet Mustafar&mdash;a wise move, considering a large battle erupted shortly after their departure. The Council departed, and Grievous was killed by Kenobi in the midst of the battle. Nute Gunray became Head of the Council, and he and the rest of the corporate conglomerates were placed in charge of the Confederacy. Darth Sidious sent Skywalker, by now christened the Sith Lord Darth Vader, to eliminate the Confederacy's remaining leaders. It was on Mustafar that the members of the Separatist Council were massacred one by one by the vengeful Sith Lord.

Pre-War and Geonosis
"The Banking Clan will sign your treaty!"

- San Hill

With Count Dooku's political ambition to create a separate galactic body opposite the Galactic Republic, the dominant galactic government of the time, many of the galaxy's largest financial and political benefactors decided to join Dooku's movement under the lure of free trade zones. These included Nute Gunray, Viceroy of the Trade Federation; Passel Argente of the Corporate Alliance; Wat Tambor, the foreman of the Techno Union; Poggle the Lesser of Geonosian Industries; and Shu Mai of the Commerce Guild. These individuals and several others were summoned to the planet Geonosis, where they would formally join the Separatist Movement and organize an army to destroy the Republic. Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi arrived on Geonosis before being captured and imprisoned, though he discovered Dooku's plot before being apprehended. Anakin Skywalker and Senator Padmé Amidala promptly proceeded to Geonosis in an attempt to rescue Kenobi, though were also apprehended by bounty hunter Jango Fett shortly after their arrival.

The Council attended the trial of Amidala and Skywalker shortly before the duo and Master Kenobi were sentenced to death in the Petranaki arena. The Jedi and the Senator managed to survive, however, and were reinforced by approximately 200 Jedi and a large number of clone troopers. This battle started the Clone Wars, sealing the fate of the newly formed Separatist Council and ensuring that their loyalties lay with Dooku.

The War, Belderone and Utapau
"What world will accept us now?''" "''If none offers, Chairman, then I will take one"

- San Hill and Grievous on finding a new haven

Throughout the course of the war, the members of the Council were held on a very loose leash; they were free to do as they pleased&mdash;though their numerous plots and escapades proved to be more of a hindrance than a help, at least in Dooku's mind. Nute Gunray continued to attempt to assassinate Padmé Amidala, though unsuccessfully, and attempted to hold his citadel on Cato Neimoidia. Wat Tambor and Passel Argente spied on each other, while San Hill and Shu Mai attempted to hold Muunilinst and Felucia, respectively. Queen Miraj Scintel of Zygerria, however, now a Councilor, abused her position on the Council to make slave trade easier and far more profitable for her organization. She invited fellow Council members Wat Tambor and Shu Mai to a live auction on her homeland and territory, Zygerria, eventually enslaving Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. When ordered to kill her new bodyguard, she disobeyed, which led to her death at the hands of Count Dooku.

Bounties were also placed on the Separatist Council member's heads by various high-ranking officials within the Galactic Senate, none of which proved any fruit.

In the final stages of the Clone Wars, the Council was to hide in the Outer Rim on General Grievous's orders, due to Republic victories at Separatist strongholds in major CIS systems, such as the Battle of Felucia, where Shu Mai attempted to poison the planet's water supply and barely escaped with her life. Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray traveled to Cato Neimoidia before it fell to purge his citadel of any remaining treasures he "could not live without," before Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Plo Koon took the system. In his haste to evacuate, Gunray accidentally left his Mechno-chair behind&mdash;which held vital Separatist information and holo-transmissions regarding the Council's whereabouts. Gunray and his assistant Rune Haako arrived at Grievous's ship, Invisible Hand, to find that Grievous had already uncovered the Neimoidian's fumble.

A quick change of plans was made, and the Council was moved to the planet Utapau. Before Grievous's death, Darth Sidious ordered Grievous to send the Council from Utapau to Mustafar, supposedly to keep them safe from the Republic, as troops lead by Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi were soon to storm the sinkhole planet. However, the Council was doomed to die on Mustafar. Grievous briefed the Council on their travel arrangements shortly after Kenobi arrived; Kenobi was, however, able to eavesdrop on Grievous and the Council, though he let the Council members' retreat before challenging Grievous. Clone Commander Cody soon arrived, bringing Republic clone troopers with him, and engaged the battle droid forces. In the midst of the skirmish, Kenobi killed Grievous.

Death of the Council
"The war is over. Lord Sidious promised us peace! We only wanted&mdash;"

- Nute Gunray's last words to Darth Vader

The Council established their makeshift headquarters in the Klegger Corp Mining Facility after being sent to Mustafar by Darth Sidious. Upon Grievous's death at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Council became directly in control of the Confederacy, and began by monitoring the Outer Rim Sieges, which they were mostly losing. Sidious then tasked his new Sith apprentice, Darth Vader, with the assassination of all ten Council members, as well as their aides, when Sidious no longer had any need for the Separatist Movement. With Sidious's puppets, the Jedi and the last remaining Separatist, dead, Sidious would have little opponents to challenge his rule as Emperor.

Vader swiftly traveled to Mustafar, and once inside their hidden command center, was greeted by Gunray and the other council members. Vader trapped the Separatist leaders in their own war room and conference room before murdering the leaders methodically, killing Poggle the Lesser, Cat Miin, San Hill, Shu Mai, Rute Gunnay, Po Nudo, his Shi'ido aide, Tikkes and Passel Argente in the War Room, and proceeded to the conference room. There, he killed Rune Haako, Wat Tambor, and, finally, Nute Gunray, whom Vader held a grudge with for Gunray's attempts to assassinate his secret wife, Amidala.

The Command Center was later host to a duel between Lord Vader and his former Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, where Kenobi saw the Council's bodies and the length of the terror his former pupil had created. With the death of the Council, the Clone Wars officially came to an end, bringing about the age of the Galactic Empire.

Post-War
For at least two months following the war's end, Palpatine maintained that the council members' final fates were unknown, using the possible threat of their return to justify his military expansion. However, it is known that Rogwa Wodrata was not on Mustafar when her comrades were slaughtered by Darth Vader, but was presumably killed later.

Many of the businesses involved in the Separatist Movement faded into oblivion after their Head's death, while others were forced to turn their assets over to the newly-formed Galactic Empire. The IG Banking Clan, however, survived the incident, though they were much less profitable then they were before the War.

Powers
The Separatist Council was the governing body of the Confederacy. It was headed by a Head of State-Count Dooku. Should the Head of State be assassinated, the Supreme Commander (General Grievous) would take control. The Council leaders held equal voting power, but should both the Head of State and Supreme Commander be incapacitated, the Council member with the largest economic investment to the war would become acting head&mdash;namely, Nute Gunray.

Though the Council members were able to contribute to the war effort in almost any way they pleased, they were required to follow orders given by Count Dooku or Darth Sidious, the Sith conspiraters behind the war. Miraj Scintel, slave trader and Queen of Zygerria, was unable to follow her superior's orders. She was promptly killed by Count Dooku for her misconduit.

Composition
The Council was composed of representatives of Separatist-allied worlds and quasi-government entities. It was chaired by a Head of State.

The members of the Council were as follows:


 * Count Dooku&mdash;Head of State of the Confederacy of Independent Systems
 * General Grievous&mdash;Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies
 * Nute Gunray&mdash;Viceroy of the Trade Federation
 * Wat Tambor&mdash;Foreman of the Techno Union
 * San Hill&mdash;Chairman of the InterGalactic Banking Clan
 * Poggle the Lesser&mdash;Head of Geonosian Industries, Archduke of Geonosis
 * Shu Mai&mdash;Presidente of the Commerce Guild
 * Passel Argente&mdash;Magistrate of the Corporate Alliance, Senator of the Fakir sector
 * Po Nudo&mdash;Head of the Hyper-Communications Cartel, Senator of the Dufilvian sector
 * Tikkes&mdash;Head of the Quarren Isolation League, Senator of the Calamari sector
 * Rogwa Wodrata&mdash;Senator of the Mahka sector
 * Miraj Scintel&mdash;Queen of Zygerria
 * Unidentified Separatist

Aides

 * Rune Haako (Nute Gunray)
 * Rute Gunnay (Nute Gunray and Rune Haako)
 * Gilramos Libkath (Nute Gunray)
 * Cat Miin (Shu Mai)
 * Shu Mai's aide (Shu Mai)
 * Denaria Kee (Passel Argente)
 * Atai (Miraj Scintel)
 * Sun Fac (Poggle the Lesser)
 * Poggle the Lesser's aides (Poggle the Lesser)
 * Aqualish senatorial aides (Po Nudo)
 * Unidentified Shi'ido aide (Po Nudo)
 * Unidentified Aqualish aide (Po Nudo)

Senators of the Galaxy who joined the cause

 * Tyreca Bremack&mdash;Senator of Agamar and the Lahara sector
 * Dodra F'ass&mdash;Senator of Clak'dor VII and Mayagil sector
 * Corlissi Ludar&mdash; Senator of Sluis Van and Sluis sector
 * Esu Rotsino&mdash; Senator of Abrion Major and Abrion sector
 * Daggibus Scoritoles&mdash; Senator of Yag'Dhul and the Givin Domain
 * Vien'sai'Malloc&mdash;Senator of Devaron

Appearances

 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones junior novelization
 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds: Clone Campaigns
 * CIS Shadowfeed Year's Start Fete Day Edition: Dooku's Address to the Confederacy
 * Star Wars: General Grievous
 * Star Wars The Clone Wars 4: Slaves of the Republic - Chapter 4: Auction of a Million Souls
 * Star Wars The Clone Wars 5: Slaves of the Republic - Chapter 5: A Slave now, a Slave forever
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Evasive Action: Reversal of Fortune
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith / comic / junior novel
 * Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader
 * The Last of the Jedi: Master of Deception
 * The Last of the Jedi: Master of Deception

Notes and references
Rat der Separatisten Consejo Separatista Совет сепаратистов Separatistrådet