He thinks he knows what is right for everyone, which is why he will never back down.
—Jedi Master Nin
Signet Mezzileen was the Human Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic during its waning years. Serving as Senator of Coruscant, he was elected as Chancellor at a young age and continued to serve in the post for over seventy years. Although his initial popularity allowed him to serve more then the standard two terms in office, he later held the Republic in his iron grip in order to remain in power. This brought him into conflict with the Jedi Order, which he later expelled from Coruscant, forcing it to flee to Ossus, sparking open conflict between his forces and those of a Jedi-aligned coalition.
Biography[]
Lead-up to war[]
It is too late to turn back now. The Republic is sick. It is dying, and I am the one that will save it, and no Jedi, Wookiee or anyone else is going to stop me.
—Signet Mezzileen in a speech to the Senate
Born into a wealthy and influential Coruscanti family, Mezzileen went from one prestigious school to the next, excelling in many fields and achieving degrees in Philosophy, Law and Politics. At the young age of twenty three he succeeded his father as Senator and quickly rose up through the ranks of the Core Party and became its candidate for the post of Supreme Chancellor. Following the disastrous administration of the current Chancellor and numerous scandals in the other parties, Mezzileen was elected with a huge majority. His expert handling of the government and the economy ensured his continual re-election several times.
However over the years Mezzileen became twisted by power and began to clamp down on any possible political opponent or rebel dissident across Republic space, using the newly re-established Republic Army to do so. At first the new era of peace and stability in the Republic led many to overlook Mezzileen's heavy-handed tactics and he continued to instigate his policies without opposition. By the time people realized the true extent of his actions, he was too powerful for even the Jedi Order to challenge. The Jedi entered into an uneasy alliance with Mezzileen in the hopes of trying to curb some of the excesses in his regime.
Using a mixture of advanced medicine and sorcery administered by the Tetan witch Ugra, Mezzileen managed to preserve his life until he was late into his nineties. However, after seventy years of his rule many worlds were on the brink of open rebellion, with the Jedi doing their best to end the protests peacefully before Mezzileen's elite troops moved in to crush them. When a series of riots instigated by the Democratic Republican Party on Coruscant led to a full-scale battle between the rioters and Coruscant Police, Mezzileen had large swathes of the population arrested. When a delegation of Jedi led by Grand Master Yoda tried to intervene, Mezzileen ordered their arrest and had the Jedi Temple besieged. Due to the incompetance of General Behn-Kehn-Mehn, the Jedi were able to flee to the recently re-established Temple on Ossus. Mezzileen had Behn-Kehn-Mehn transferred in disgrace and dispatched Admiral Gor Koon with a Republic fleet to surround Ossus.
As Mezzileen prepared to celebrate his one hundredth birthday, an alliance of worlds sent ships to Ossus and broke the blockade. Mezzileen then proceeded to arrest the representatives of these worlds and then any Senator who voiced any support of the Jedi, including his leading opponet Merix Valorum. As more worlds joined the Jedi Coalition, Mezzileen gathered his forces for all-out war against the rebels.
War Leader[]
Following Koon's successful attack on Gyndine, Mezzileen dispatched him and Ugra to pursue a Coalition fleet led by Merix Valorum's brother Persus. After a series of battles, they were defeated and Ugra returned to Mezzileen's side while he gave Koon command of defending the Core.
Later the Coalition toppled Mezzileen's ally Vy Hu'ro form his position of power in Bothan Space and the war swung the Coalition's way as it cut off the Republic from the resource worlds of the Outer Rim. After Merix Valorum was freed by Coalition forces, Mezzileen prepared for an attack that he hoped would devastate the Coalition and bring an end to the war. This attack came with a devastating strike first at Roche, and then at Kashyyyk, which resulted in the death of the leading Coalition Admiral Argst Perdel.
However the Coalition refused to give up and after luring the Republic fleets into the Outer Rim they launched a devastating strike at the shipyards of Kuat. This victory not only resulted in the destruction of the shipyards but also led to the death of the Dark Lady Ugra, whose hold over Mezzileen was what had kept the Chancellor going. As the war drifted towards its inevitable conclusion Mezzileen withdrew himself from public affairs, leaving control of the government in the hands of his deputy Harza Klim.