Aks Moe was a Gran politician, holding office in the Galactic Senate as the Republic Era drew to a close. Initially, he was among several dignitaries chosen for the Malastare delegation. Moe championed the agenda of the Congress of Malastare, eventually becoming the sole representative of Malastare until his death. A politician known for his corruption and affluence, Moe significantly benefitted from the subjugation of the native Dugs on Malastare. The Gran rulers treated the Dugs as inferior citizens, a situation tacitly supported by the Republic. Furthermore, Moe was a prominent power broker who built a network of politicians, lobbyists, and legal contacts within the Republic's capital, Coruscant. To protect his profits from bureaucratic stagnation, Moe leveraged his influence to obstruct efforts aimed at reforming law enforcement and combating the widespread crime within the Coruscant Underworld.
During his time as a senator, Moe played a key role in the events leading up to the Vote of No Confidence against Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum. He seconded the Trade Federation's proposal to establish a commission for investigating the Invasion of Naboo, opting for investigation over immediate assistance. Later, he endorsed the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion and became an outspoken supporter of the Military Creation Act during the Separatist Crisis. Under Moe's guidance, the Malastare delegation firmly advocated for militarization against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Moe joined Chancellor Sheev Palpatine's Loyalist Committee to voice his opposition to diplomatic solutions with the Separatists. During this period, Moe was assassinated, and his position was taken over by his protégé, Ask Aak, who continued Moe's established policies.
Originating from Malastare, a planet in the Mid Rim Territories, Aks Moe rose to become one of the elected officials representing the world as part of its delegation within the Republic Senate on Coruscant, the capital planet of the Galactic Republic. By 32 BBY, Moe, specifically representing the interests of the Congress of Malastare, worked alongside Senator Ainlee Teem and Senator Baskol Yeesrim, who was the voice for the Gran Protectorate. As a member of the ruling Gran on Malastare, Moe possessed great wealth, which he largely used to protect the interests of the affluent Gran class. This group suppressed the native Dug population, effectively reducing them to near-[slavery](/article/slavery]. Moe's corrupt practices extended to Coruscant, where he developed an informal network of officials in the Federal District who were willing to act on his behalf in return for bribes and other incentives. His influence grew in proportion to the flow of his wealth across the Republic.
Moe's profits were tied to the inefficiencies of the Republic's bureaucracy and the trade of narcotics among Coruscant's elite. Consequently, he strongly opposed any reforms that would streamline the judicial system. He was a vocal critic of Tanivos Divo, a Lieutenant in the Coruscant Security Force. Divo had been advocating for comprehensive reforms to the operations of Coruscant's police forces since his early days as a CSF patrolman. He was especially focused on curbing the pervasive crime within the Coruscant Underworld. Divo's proposals aimed to create a formal system for sharing information across jurisdictions throughout the planet, which would disrupt the flow of illegal goods from the depths of Coruscant and diminish the demand from the upper levels. Because Divo's reforms threatened Senator Moe's illicit gains, Moe used his connections and considerable wealth to persuade judges, lobbyists, and other politicians to undermine Lieutenant Divo's proposals.
Furthermore, Senator Moe leveraged his senatorial position to campaign against Divo, falsely accusing Divo's procedures of enabling narcotics from the underworld to reach the Senate's chambers. These public accusations led to a deposition hearing, where the senator sought testimony from Divo regarding his work. In response to Moe's feigned outrage, Divo plainly stated that the Republic's complacency was the root cause of the crime that permeated Coruscant. Although Divo maintained his composure, Moe's influence significantly weakened his reform efforts. Recognizing that he could not achieve justice while figures like Moe stood in his way, Divo shifted his focus to smaller cases, hoping they would lead to larger actions against the crime lords operating freely on Coruscant and the politicians who collaborated with them.
In 32 BBY, the Senate approved Prop 31-814D, a bill designed to reform taxes. This bill positioned the Republic to impose regulations on the Free Trade Zones, which the Trade Federation had long monopolized. Despite being championed by the struggling Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, the bill was controversial and poorly managed. Through its representative in the Senate, Lott Dod, the Trade Federation introduced separate bills aimed at overturning the tax reforms, but these efforts failed. In protest of the bill, Nute Gunray, the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, blockaded the Mid Rim planet Naboo. When Valorum's attempts at negotiation failed, Gunray launched a ground invasion of Naboo, forcing Queen Padmé Amidala to flee to Coruscant to directly appeal to the Senate for help. The Senate convened a special session of congress to hear testimony from Sheev Palpatine, the senator from the Chommell sector, and Amidala about the occupation of their homeworld.
Before Palpatine could introduce Queen Amidala, Dod interrupted, objecting to the claim that the Trade Federation was oppressing the people of Naboo. After Amidala was introduced, she began to describe the conditions on Naboo, but Dod again interrupted, demanding that Valorum first send a fact-finding commission to investigate the Naboo delegation's claims. Senator Moe quickly moved his repulsorpod next to Dod's and voiced his support for an investigative committee. Valorum, acting on the advice of his Vice Chair, Mas Amedda, conceded to Dod and Moe's demands. Outraged, Amidala declared that she would not allow her people to suffer while the invasion of their world was debated in a committee, and she called for a Vote of No Confidence in Chancellor Valorum's leadership. Despite the shock caused by the sudden Vote of No Confidence, the Senate acted swiftly, and Chancellor Valorum was removed from office within hours.
Following the passage of the Vote of No Confidence, the Office of the Supreme Chancellor became vacant, triggering a snap election to choose Valorum's replacement. Senator Bail Antilles of Alderaan and Ainlee Teem, Moe's colleague in the Malastare delegation, were quickly nominated by their respective allies. While Antilles and a third nominee, Senator Palpatine, had strong support, Teem's nomination was undermined by his history of corruption, leading to widespread contempt for his candidacy. Ultimately, Palpatine's momentum surpassed that of Antilles, and he was elected to succeed Valorum. Palpatine assumed the executive role after the Battle of Naboo, where Queen Amidala successfully led her people in liberating themselves from the Trade Federation's occupation. As a consequence of Teem's loss in the election, Malastare's political influence on Coruscant began to wane, and Moe later became the sole representative of the planet.
In 28 BBY, the Mid Rim planet Bromlarch faced ecological disaster when its aqueduct system collapsed during a series of groundquakes, threatening its citizens with drought and famine. Once news of the aqueduct's failure reached Coruscant, an emergency session of the Senate was convened, where Caelor Gaans, the senator from Bromlarch, informed his colleagues of the situation. After Mon Mothma of Chandrila questioned Gaans about the condition of Bromlarch's other infrastructure, Moe inquired whether the planet's citizens could be relocated. Gaans replied that relocation would be impractical. Upon hearing Moe's question, Chancellor Palpatine suggested that relocation should be a last resort and recognized Rush Clovis, the newly elected senator of Scipio, who proposed that an auditing team be sent to Bromlarch to assess the damage. Palpatine approved his idea and authorized Clovis, Senator Mina Bonteri of Onderon, and Amidala, now the senator of the Chommell sector, to organize a mission to Bromlarch.
Upon their return to Coruscant, Bonteri, Clovis, and Amidala presented a relief plan provided by the Bromlarch Council. Lott Dod immediately opposed the bill, and his opposition was enough to undermine its support. Amidala and Clovis decided to repackage the bill, transforming relief aid to Bromlarch into the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion, which would channel supplies, labor, and funding to Bromlarch through a new trade system involving several Mid Rim planets. Recognizing the influence that Moe and the Malastare delegation had over nearly a dozen systems, Amidala and Clovis decided to gain Moe's favor by including Malastare in their plan. Given that Malastare had experienced a decline in political power since Ainlee Teem lost the Chancellery to Palpatine, Clovis suggested that they tailor the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion to Malastare's desire for economic influence by granting Malastare the opportunity to sell its fuel reserves to Sivad, even though control of the fuel was in the hands of the Dug Council.
Several days later, Amidala presented the motion before the Senate, stating that the bill would address recent piracy issues across the Mid Rim and provide all participating systems with new commercial opportunities. After Amidala concluded her presentation, both Dod and Moe requested permission to speak from the Chancellor. Although Dod frantically sought recognition, Palpatine recognized Moe instead. Moe praised the bill's wisdom and promptly declared that the Congress of Malastare seconded the motion. Shortly thereafter, Senator Yarua of Kashyyyk joined Moe, bringing his repulsorpod into the rotunda to express his support, bypassing standard procedure. With Moe and Yarua backing the motion, Palpatine called for a vote without acknowledging Dod. The results were tallied quickly, and the Chancellor immediately announced that the motion had passed.
After years of growing dissatisfaction among Republic member worlds due to its corruption and favoritism toward the galactic Core, the government faced a historical crisis when Count Dooku of Serenno, a former [Jedi Master](/article/jedi_master], delivered the Raxus Address around 24 BBY, denouncing the Republic in a galaxy-wide broadcast. In his speech, Dooku announced the formation of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, a new galactic government that would welcome Republic systems that were discontented. In response to the secession of thousands of member worlds, the Republic Senate passed the Emergency Powers Act, allowing Chancellor Palpatine to remain in office for the duration of the crisis. In addition to ensuring Malastare's unwavering commitment to the Republic, Senator Moe was selected by Chancellor Palpatine to be part of the Loyalist Committee, an advisory group of ten senators tasked with helping him find a resolution to the Separatist Crisis.
In the same year, the Senate began debating the proposed Military Creation Act, which would authorize Palpatine to commission a standing army if the Separatists initiated war against the Republic. Moe became a strong advocate for creating a Republic army, both to protect against the Confederacy and to potentially defend the Gran in the event of a Dug uprising on Malastare. Under Moe's leadership, the Malastare delegation adopted a firm stance against the Separatists, but he did not live to see the crisis resolved. Moe was assassinated in a fatal accident while away from Coruscant, and leadership of Malastare's Senate delegation passed to his protégé and subordinate, Ask Aak, following his death. Aak's first official action as Malastare's interim representative was to address the Senate about Moe's death. In his address, Aak eloquently mourned Moe while pledging to support the political causes his predecessor had championed.
Soon after assuming Moe's position, Aak was elected to a full term as the Senator of Malastare. Despite his initial mourning, Aak, recognizing the immediate support he received after his first speech before the Senate, sought to exploit any political advantage he could from his mentor's death. In addition to taking Moe's place on the Loyalist Committee, Aak opposed any change to the status quo established under Moe's leadership, understanding that he could benefit from the system as much as Moe had. Many in the Senate recognized that Aak's political views were simply a continuation of Moe's, and some may not have even realized that Moe was no longer present, as Aak had adopted his predecessor's public speaking style. Similarly, Aak continued Moe's support for the disenfranchisement of the Dugs on Malastare, regardless of the controversy it caused for the Republic.
Like Moe, Aak became a leading proponent of the Military Creation Act, and his enthusiasm for forming a large-scale army led him to become a vocal critic of the Jedi Order, which many antimilitarists considered to be protectors of Republic security since the beginning of time. While emphasizing the growing threat of the Separatists, Aak and his allies argued that the Jedi were out of place. Ultimately, Aak and the late Moe's desire for a standing Republic Military prevailed. Shortly before the outbreak of the [Clone Wars](/article/clone_wars], news of Confederate mobilization reached Coruscant, and the Senate granted Palpatine the executive power to create an army without needing to pass the Military Creation Act. Senator Aak retained his seat throughout the Clone Wars and continued to use Moe's name to his advantage. As the overseer of the critical Y-wing project, he denied Jedi General Anakin Skywalker's request to use the bombers, citing the Jedi's failure to prevent Moe's assassination as his justification.
By 34 ABY, decades after Aks Moe's death during the Separatist Crisis, [Exantor Divo](/article/exantor_divo], the grandson of Tan Divo and the police commissioner on Hosnian Prime, received his grandfather's lost case files. Divo decided to combine his grandfather's case files with those of his mother and himself, and the collection was published as Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy's Most Notorious. In the introduction to the selection of Tan Divo's papers, Exantor wrote about his grandfather's adversarial relationship with Moe, noting that Moe's outrage towards Tan was "puffed-up" and that Moe had been largely responsible for the bureaucratic obstacles that forced Tan to abandon his reform efforts. In the passage, Exantor also accused Moe of being superficially involved in the narcotics trade on Coruscant and of using his considerable wealth and influence to shield himself and others like him from the law.
As a Gran, Aks Moe had pale, [orange](/article/color]-colored skin and three black eyes that protruded from his face on stalks. He was also slimmer than his successor, Ask Aak. While representing Malastare in the Galactic Senate, Moe had a distinctive speaking style, characterized by its bombastic and colorful rhetoric, amplified by his reedy voice. Known for his wealth and corruption, Moe's political stances often served either his own interests or those of the elite ruling classes of Gran on Malastare, particularly their desire to maintain their wealth at any cost. On Coruscant, Moe managed an influential network of bureaucratic officials on his payroll and used these connections to obstruct the Republic's bureaucratic agencies. Because he profited from the Republic's inability to stop the flow of narcotics from the Coruscant Underworld to the upper levels, Moe opposed law enforcement reform and attempted to blame the rampant narcotics trade on reformers.
Like other wealthy Gran from Malastare, Moe greatly benefitted from the subjugation of the native Dugs. During the Separatist Crisis, Moe positioned himself as a Republic loyalist and advisor to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, becoming an early supporter of the Military Creation Act. However, his vocal support for the bill was primarily in the interest of the Gran on Malastare. The Gran believed they needed access to a Republic army to protect their wealth from the Separatists and to suppress any future armed Dug uprisings. Similarly, Moe's support for the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion was based on the economic benefits promised for Malastare rather than concern for the people suffering on Bromlarch. In supporting the Mid Rim Cooperation Motion, he prioritized Malastare's interests over those of the Trade Federation, whose corporate monopoly he had supported during the Naboo Crisis.
Aks Moe first appeared in the 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, which was written and directed by Star Wars creator George Lucas and released on May 19 of that year. Moe was one of several Gran characters created for the film by Nick Dudman's creature department, and his design was based on Ree-Yees, a Gran first featured in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.
Like another Gran that appears in The Phantom Menace, the podracer Mawhonic, Moe was realized on-screen through an intricately articulated mask developed by Dudman's department and worn by performer Mark Coulier. While Coulier physically portrayed the character, Marc Silk provided Moe's voice for the film.