The Executive Separatist Council, also known simply as the Separatist Council, was a governing body, led by Count Dooku, within the Confederacy of Independent Systems. It was made up of a number of Separatist leaders from the various major powers that backed the Separatist cause during the Clone Wars, including the Trade Federation, the Techno Union, the Corporate Alliance, the Commerce Guild, and the InterGalactic Banking Clan. The entire Council was betrayed by Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who had them slaughtered by his new apprentice Darth Vader on Mustafar at the end of the war in 19 BBY, bringing an end to the Confederacy leadership.
Before the Confederacy of Independent Systems was founded, Count Dooku of Serenno secretly allied with major galactic corporations, including the Techno Union, Commerce Guild, and Trade Federation. While joining the Count was a risk, becoming one of the Confederacy's founding corporations offered them special privileges, and the chief privilege was that the corporation would gain a seat on the Council.
Dooku and the Council meet on Geonosis prior to the Clone Wars.
In 22 BBY, the Council members were present on Geonosis and planned with Count Dooku to combat the Galactic Republic. Senator Rogwa Wodrata attended the meeting as well. By the time of their meeting, the Trade Federation of Viceroy Nute Gunray had pledged their Droid Army to Dooku, and the other corporations decided to do the same. The Council provided funding, warships, and droids to the CIS. Despite the corporate leaders making a business deal with Dooku, they were also willing to maintain deals with the Republic: to such companies, the coming Clone Wars were a chance to make money off of both sides.
During the Clone Wars, the Council acted as the secret group behind the civilian Separatist Senate, which dealt with civil matters, with the Council dealing with military matters and funding. Its members were mostly fueled by self-interest and greed. The Battle of Coruscant in 19 BBY saw the death of Count Dooku, which unbeknownst to them, was orchestrated by Darth Sidious in order to lure Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Side. Following the battle, the Council members were placed under the protection of General Grievous. Acting on orders from Lord Sidious, Grievous ordered the Council to relocate to the volcanic planet Mustafar in the Outer Rim Territories. The Council members left Utapau just before a battle broke out on the planet between the Republic and the Confederacy, which resulted in Grievous' death at the hands of Skywalker's mentor Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Soon afterwards, Sidious told them through a hologram that his new apprentice Darth Vader would take care of them, unaware that he had really sent Vader to kill them because he had no further use for any of the Council members. With the Republic transformed into the Galactic Empire and the Council wiped out, the Confederacy collapsed with the deactivation of its droid armies.
The Executive Separatist Council was the advisory and quasi-governing body of the Confederacy, overseen by the Head of State-Count Dooku, despite the Separatist Senate being the official legislative body, but was in practice, mostly was ignored by Dooku, who had been granted emergency wartime powers.
The council consisted of several Separatist leaders:
- Nute Gunray - Viceroy of the Trade Federation
- Wat Tambor - Foreman of the Techno Union and Emir of Ryloth
- Poggle the Lesser - Archduke of Stalgasin hive
- San Hill - Chairman of the InterGalactic Banking Clan
- Shu Mai - Presidente of the Commerce Guild
- Passel Argente - Magistrate of the Corporate Alliance
- Po Nudo - Senator of Ando and leader of the Hyper-Communications Cartel
- Rogwa Wodrata - a former Republic senator
- Tikkes - Senator of Mon Cala and the Quarren Isolation League
These leaders were also helped by various aides, including Rune Haako, Cat Miin, Sun Fac, Denaria Kee, Rute Gunnay, an unidentified Purkoll citizen, and Nank Tun.
In Revenge of the Sith, an unidentified Separatist is seated next to Tikkes on Utapau. Without any speaking lines or focus on the character, however, it is not clear if this Separatist was part of the Separatist Council or merely an aide. Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group noted that the character was shot into the scene as a separate stage element, but he has never been able to find a name for the character, nor still photographs from that shoot.