Sidrona

Sidrona, a sentient male being, possessed a stature slightly below that of the average Human, distinguished by his gray-blue skin. His physique was characterized by a stocky build and a large head adorned with tentacles around his mouth. He lived during the zenith of the Galactic Republic, existing more than four thousand years prior to the Battle of Yavin. Renowned for his compelling oratory skills, Sidrona ascended from a senator within the Galactic Senate on Coruscant to the esteemed position of Supreme Chancellor, concurrently holding the title of "President of the Senate." He enjoyed amicable relationships with both the Republic's Minister of Defense, Netus, and Jedi Master Vodo-Siosk Baas.

His time in office coincided with a string of terrorist attacks targeting Republic shipyards. Throughout the galaxy, an unidentified force was systematically assaulting ship construction facilities, looting partially completed vessels and leaving few survivors in their wake. The Republic was shaken by these assaults, prompting the Senate to authorize a task force, under the command of Admiral Orley Vanicus, to intercept the pirates during their next raid and bring an end to their activities. Despite persistent rumors suggesting that a rogue member of the Jedi Order was orchestrating and leading these attacks, Sidrona, a staunch supporter of the Jedi, refused to acknowledge the possibility. Sidrona placed his faith in Vanicus and his fleet to neutralize the terrorists, and the Senate denied the Jedi Order's request to intervene and address the alleged rogue Jedi themselves. However, the Jedi Masters, concerned by the persistent rumors and believing them to have merit, dispatched Vodo-Siosk Baas to persuade the Senate to reconsider its decision and allow the Jedi to take action.

Upon landing his ship, Baas, accompanied by Jedi Knights Dace Diath, Shoaneb Culu, Qrrrl Toq, Cay Qel-Droma, Nomi Sunrider, and Tott Doneeta, was greeted by Sidrona and Minister of Defense Netus. While Baas expressed his regret that they were meeting under such circumstances, Sidrona was quick to assert that he believed the Jedi Masters' concerns were premature, citing the lack of concrete evidence to support the rumors of Jedi involvement. Baas, however, countered that he had reason to believe the rumors were more than just speculation. Their conversation was interrupted by a member of Netus's staff, who delivered a message from Admiral Orley Vanicus: the leader of the terrorist attacks was identified as Ulic Qel-Droma, a Jedi Knight, and he was planning an assault on the space station at Kemplex Nine. In response, Vanicus had deployed the majority of the Republic Navy to intercept Qel-Droma.

However, the attack on Kemplex Nine proved to be a diversion, orchestrated by Ulic Qel-Droma to draw Republic forces away from his true target: Coruscant, the galactic capital. Vanicus had fallen directly into his trap. Baas's Jedi escorts sensed the impending attack through the Force, but there was no time to prepare. Qel-Droma's forces emerged from hyperspace and immediately launched a siege on Coruscant. Sidrona and the Jedi began to flee the landing pad, which had been targeted by Qel-Droma's raiders, resulting in the destruction of Baas's ship. Meanwhile, Netus ordered his staff to assemble whatever defenses they could muster. Escorted to safety by Republic soldiers, the group of ten, consisting of Sidrona, Netus, and the Jedi, found themselves amidst carnage and battle. Mandalorian Basilisk war droids descended upon the planet's streets, but the Jedi managed to prevent them from harming Sidrona and his companions. Baas instructed Netus to find a route to the Republic war room, where he believed the fate of the battle would be decided.

The group eventually secured a repulsorlift vehicle capable of accommodating all the Jedi, as well as Sidrona and the Minister of Defense. However, their journey to the war room was hampered by numerous Mandalorian foot soldiers. The Jedi successfully fought their way through them and sensed that Qel-Droma himself was present at the war room. As they approached their destination, the Mandalorian and Sith forces withdrew entirely, leaving Qel-Droma exposed in the war room. Sidrona hoped that the Jedi could apprehend him, allowing the Senate to put him on trial as a cautionary example. Upon reaching the war room, they avoided direct confrontation, as the Jedi used the Force to subdue Qel-Droma. Sidrona expressed his gratitude to Baas for capturing the rogue Jedi, decreeing that Qel-Droma would face trial and confidently predicting that he would receive the death penalty.

Qel-Droma was incarcerated, and the Senate promptly arranged a trial, held within the grand Senate Hall on Coruscant. As the senators gathered, clamoring for Qel-Droma's blood, the shackled Qel-Droma was brought before them. Sidrona served as the prosecutor and primary speaker, delivering a concise speech outlining the accused's crimes, labeling him a traitor, and condemning the young Human for betraying the Jedi Order and its code. He then demanded to know how Qel-Droma would plead. However, Qel-Droma remained defiant, refusing to plead with the Senate, denouncing them as fools and puppets of tradition, and declaring that his Sith Empire would obliterate their achievements and abolish the Senate.

As Qel-Droma insulted the senators and the Chancellor, his brother, Jedi Knight Cay Qel-Droma, rushed toward the podium. He implored his brother to remain silent and allow him to attempt to convince the senators of Ulic's innocence, but the former Jedi refused. Cay persisted, informing the Chancellor and his colleagues that Ulic had performed many commendable acts for the Republic, fighting in the Beast Wars of Onderon and the Freedon Nadd Uprising, but that he had been traumatized by the death of his Jedi Master, Arca Jeth. Nevertheless, the senators remained resolute in their desire for Qel-Droma's execution, and the man on trial himself ordered his brother to cease his attempts to help him. As the Qel-Dromas argued, the Senate Hall's doors were forced open by another being, Dark Lord of the Sith Exar Kun, Qel-Droma's master.

Kun confidently strode into the chamber, accompanied by a contingent of his Massassi warrior bodyguards and Mandalorian Crusaders, including Mandalore the Indomitable. He used the Force to prevent the senators from speaking or moving, although Sidrona remained unaffected by the Sith spell. The Jedi, also immune to Kun's powers, engaged his warriors in combat, but Kun's primary target was the Chancellor. He instructed Qel-Droma and Mandalore the Indomitable to occupy the Jedi while he advanced toward Sidrona's podium. He ascended the steps until he stood on the same level as the Chancellor, who pleaded with the Senate Hall's security guards for assistance. However, everyone in the chamber was incapacitated by Kun's sorcery.

Sidrona attempted to defend himself, swinging his metal staff at Kun, but the Dark Lord of the Sith easily deflected the blow with his Sith amulet, sending the staff flying from the Chancellor's grasp. Kun then attacked him, seizing his head and using the power of his Sith amulet to force Sidrona to repeat Kun's anti-Senate, anti-Republic rhetoric. In excruciating pain, and with fluid rapidly seeping from his head, the Chancellor declared to the assembly that the Senate was obsolete, ineffective, and would be irrelevant during the coming golden age of the Sith. During this display, Kun plunged his fingers into the back of the Supreme Chancellor's skull and into his brain before releasing his grip on Sidrona, who was by then deceased, and throwing him to the ground.

Kun left Sidrona's body on the podium, but Master Vodo-Siosk Baas arrived moments later. He engaged Kun in a duel, but the Dark Lord of the Sith ultimately prevailed and killed the Krevaaki Jedi. Kun and Qel-Droma subsequently denounced the Senate and the Republic, asserting that the Brotherhood of the Sith controlled the galaxy. Ultimately, Kun was defeated, and by the time of the Mandalorian Wars forty years after the death of Sidrona, he had been replaced.

Sidrona was a dedicated supporter of the Jedi Order. During the initial phases of the Great Sith War, he resisted the notion that a single, rogue Jedi Knight was spearheading the attacks against the Republic. He and his fellow Senate members prevented the Jedi from intervening until conclusive evidence of Jedi involvement emerged. Sidrona possessed exceptional charisma and public speaking skills, and he was not one to engage in idle conversation. During Baas's meeting with Sidrona and Netus on Coruscant, he immediately addressed the pressing rumors of the rogue Jedi leading attacks against the Republic. He also demonstrated his strong oratory abilities during Ulic Qel-Droma's capture and subsequent trial. However, Exar Kun was able to overcome his resistance and manipulate him, ultimately leading to Sidrona's demise.

Sidrona was conceived by Kevin J. Anderson for The Sith War, a part of the Tales of the Jedi comic series. He made appearances in issues two and three of The Sith War. Anderson and Daniel Wallace referenced the character in The Essential Chronology, referring to him simply as the "President of the Senate." However, Ulic Qel-Droma's StarWars.com Databank entry identifies him as "Supreme Chancellor." Sidrona was first formally named in Straight from the Horse's Mouth: A Guide to the Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Universe, Part 3, an article published in Star Wars Insider 28 in 1995.

Confusion initially arose regarding the character's identity, with many mistakenly believing him to be Netus, a distinct character.