Ottegru Grey was an agent for the Bank of the Core, who served as Chairman Tannon Praji's bodyguard during the Clone Wars. Starting his career as an undercover agent for the Coruscant Security Force, Grey gained a diverse skill set, becoming talented in both electronic and physical security, and also gaining enough knowledge to become a capable accountant. He eventually grew dissatisfied with his salary at the Coruscant Security Force and joined the higher-paying Bank of the Core.
In his work for the Bank, Grey hunted down embezzlers and miscreants, while also keeping track of funds gone awry. During the Clone Wars he helped protect the Bank from the Confederacy of Independent Systems, who made several attempts to siphon funds. In the late stages of the war, Grey had over fifty agents working for him, which allowed him to serve as Tannon Praji's bodyguard and accountant. However, Grey's true allegiances lay with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, who had him redirect Praji's finances into the Republic's war chest. Following the war, Grey continued to aid Palpatine by diverting Praji's funds into Imperial projects.
Ottegru Grey, a Coruscanti, initially found work with his homeworld's security force. There, he worked as an undercover agent, and became adept at both physical and electronic security. Eventually, greater pay lured him to join the Bank of the Core, who employed Grey's services in hunting down embezzlers and other abusers of the organization's hospitality. He would also be tasked with tracking missing funds. During his time at the bank, Grey also became a skilled accountant, which aided him in his work.
With the advent of the Clone Wars, Grey effectively served the Galactic Republic by doing the Bank of the Core's bidding. He was able to stop several Confederacy of Independent Systems attempts to steal from the Bank, and an attempted break-in by Givin slicers. Following an attempt by Aqualish Confederates to assassinate Chairman Tannon Praji of the Coruscant Ministry of Ingress, Grey was asked to discontinue his direct work for the Bank and serve as a bodyguard for the targeted politician. Praji had, of late, been deporting those hailing from Confederate worlds, making him a popular target for assassins. Therefore, it was expected that the Aqualish attempt would not be unique. By this time, Grey had trained over fifty agents to work under him, so he felt comfortable in leaving the organization. The Bank of the Core offered Grey's services to Praji for a comparatively paltry sum, as the chairman was one of their biggest investors.
Grey had already been a friend of the Praji family, and he settled into his role as bodyguard of the chairman quickly, also serving as the man's accountant. Within his first month of service, Grey saw action: a team of five Zarracine terrorists with the backing of the Confederacy attacked Praji's repulsorlimo while it was in transit. A chase ensued, and Grey battled the terrorists in a bout of aerial fisticuffs. Three of the attackers fell to their deaths, and the bodyguard was able to apprehend the other two, delivering them into Republic custody. Despite Grey's apparently faithful service to Praji, his true loyalties were with Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Shadowing Praji everywhere, Grey assessed the chairman for the Chancellor, and deduced that Praji was not likely to be helpful in Palpatine's continued bid for unlimited political power.
He instead suggested that Praji's coffers be siphoned, a suggestion made easier by the fact that Grey was maintaining the chairman's finances. In doing so, the bodyguard secretly channeled funds into Palpatine's war chest. The money would not totally go to the war effort, however: the Supreme Chancellor used some of it to pay off the gambling debts of Galaxies Opera House owner Romeo Treblanc. Praji knew nothing of the deals, but the financial maneuvering came full circle when Grey, and by extension, the chairman, were offered an executive box at the opera house for a lifetime, free of charge.
Grey, Praji, and several guests at the performance of Squid Lake in 19 BBY.
The Opera House would become a favorite of Praji's and he would conduct much of his business there. Following the Battle of Coruscant, during a performance of Squid Lake at Galaxies, Grey was introduced to Onara Kuat, an influential figure hailing from Kuat. She was having difficulties with her sector's senator, Giddean Danu, whose pro-Jedi, anti-Palpatine politics clashed with her own ideals. Without being specific, Grey inferred that all Kuat had to do was remain loyal to Palpatine, who would eventually weed out the opposition.
The Clone Wars came to a close in 19 BBY, but Grey remained at Praji's side in its wake. He would continue to divert funds, giving them to the Imperials for help in financing certain projects. The money would also be used to provide work for non-Human laborers. Praji had no inkling that the laborers would in fact become slaves, and that their budgeted salaries were instead used to finance other Imperial operations.
Though he appeared to be a loyal servant to those he worked for, Ottegru Grey's allegiances were ambiguous to others, as he appeared loyal to different individuals simultaneously. As he took on his new role as Praji's bodyguard, he masked his loyalties through friendship and apparent commitment. He gradually became talented in a variety of fields, allowing him to serve multiple purposes for his clients. In working for Palpatine, he was aware of the Chancellor's political maneuvering, and he understood that the Chancellor would have a way of evading his more vocal opponents, though Grey was never too candid about the facts. Grey's skill at working covertly allowed him to successfully "manage" Tannon Praji's accounts under his client's nose, diverting finances into projects that the chairman knew nothing about.
Ottegru Grey first appeared in George Lucas' Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, portrayed by Roger Guyett. Guyett's character was at first an unnamed extra, until his backstory was fleshed out through Hyperspace's "What's The Story?" feature. The name "Ottegru Grey" was provided by Nathan O'Keefe, who used an anagram of "Roger Guyett." The character's story was developed by Hyperspace members Zack Bossan and "magicofmyth2." Their entry was used, almost verbatim, in 2008's The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia. O'Keefe later utilized the character in his 2009 article, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji.
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Praji on Hyperspace