The Alien Who Truly Ran The Empire

The Menace Behind The Phantom

By Culture SlatePublished 4 years ago • 3 min read

The Galactic Empire was known for its humanistic policies and mostly being dominated by humankind. While never official, many of the Empire's policies do have an anti-alien, pro-human bias. However, despite all that, one of the most powerful beings in the Empire, someone who held power over the likes of Tarkin and could make or break their careers, was Mas Amedda, Grand Vizier of the Galactic Empire, close Advisor of Emperor Palpatine, and one of the most influential people in the Empire.

Vice-Chancellor To Grand Vizier

Mas Amedda started his political career as the Vice-Chancellor of the Republic under the reign of Chancellor Valorum. During this time, he was essentially just another bureaucrat in the senate, tending to the day-to-day duties of running the Republic. Essentially he was Vice President for those of us in the real world. He retained this role during Palpatine's time as Chancellor, but it would seem that the wily bureaucrat knew that the current Chancellor was indeed a Sith Lord.

With this knowledge, Amedda was part of Palpatine's inner circle to destroy the Republic and replace it with an Empire. During Revenge of the Sith, he was there when Palpatine executed Order 66 and proclaimed himself Emperor. His loyalty was rewarded with a prize second to none. Becoming the Grand Vizier of the Empire and Palpatine's right-hand man. During this time, Mas Amedda's time as an administrator was used to great effect.

As the Grand Vizier, Amedda had direct access to the Emperor in ways that only Vader himself had. Not even people like Tarkin would have this type of access. He held the keys to the Palace. Running the day-to-day of the Empire with the Imperial Ruling Council. With such power, the governors and Moff's would have to go through him to have the Emperor's ear. Which was something he held as a top advisor. So what he lacked in military loyalty and tactical power, he made up for in influential power.

Mas Amedda, in particular, was manipulating events during the construction of the Death Star, being a go-between Tarkin and Orson Krennic for control of the station. As someone who had the Emperor's ear, he allowed people to see him and get his blessing on specific projects. That was a power that not many people have.

So much so that Amedda was allowed to know of Palpatine's power on Exegol and the Sith Eternal. But, although it appeared, he did not know that the Emperor had a plan to live…forever.

Fall Of An Empire

With Palpatine's death came the end of Amedda's power.

Mas Amedda technically was the de-facto Emperor when Palpatine died, being the one who could run the day-to-day functions of the Empire. However, he had little real power. All power that he did have died with the Emperor.

During the first year after Endor, Amedda was virtually a puppet under the heel of Consular Gallius Rax and the largest Remnant that had the most resources of the Empire. He was pretty much an administrator to make sure that the day-to-day was running smoothly, and that was about it. Finally, however, he was contacted by Mon Mothma so that he could surrender the Empire.

Freed by the rebels on Coruscant, he could regain control of the Empire enough when Rax was defeated and surrendered to the New Republic, thus ending the galactic civil war. He was allowed to rule Coruscant under a puppet government-supervised heavily by the New Republic. What his life was like afterward has yet to be written.

However, Mas Amedda is a controversial figure in the galaxy, as the alien who truly ran the Empire.

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