Trade Federation/Legends

"We have become caught in a dispute you're all well aware of, which began right here with the taxation of trade routes, and has now engulfed our entire planet in the oppression of the Trade Federation!"

- Senator Palpatine

The Trade Federation was an organization that was founded in 350 BBY as an association of business and trade groups, and which grew to dominate entire star systems.

History
The Trade Federation was a shipping corporation that protested the taxation of Free Trade Zones&mdash;the Trade Federation invaded the planet Naboo to try to end the taxation.

It was orginally controlled by a directorate, and later an Executive Board, the latter of which was led by a commanding Viceroy.

Neimoidians were very influential in the leadership of the Directorate, though the Federation only became a Neimoidian monopoly in 33 BBY, when six other members of the Trade Federation Directorate died, leaving only Nute Gunray. He proceeded to fill up the vacancies with his Neimoidian puppets, some of whom later comprised the Occupation Council that took control of Theed City after the Naboo invasion.



Shortly before the Battle of Naboo, Nute Gunray became the Viceroy of the Trade Federation. He was manipulated by Darth Sidious who ordered him to invade Naboo. He also allied the droid armies of the Trade Federation with the Confederacy of Independent Systems just before the Battle of Geonosis.

The Trade Federation's fleet was largely made up of Lucrehulk-class converted freighters. The Executive Board was unwilling to spend more credits (being the thrifty businessmen they were), and chose to convert their enormous commercial freight carriers into formidable, two-mile long warships, complete with shields, turbolasers, and military grade communications arrays. Also, the Trade Federation struck deals with numerous species, like the Colicoids and the Xi Char, to construct massive armies for the Federation.

In addition, even in the long awaited and profitable enterprise of battle, the Trade Federation warcraft were still manufactured inexpensively. Unwilling to spend more money on droid brains, the Trade Federation Executive Board proceeded to control their massive armies from a single central control computer aboard a Lucrehulk-class Droid Control Ship. In addition, Pammant Docks provided the Trade Federation with massive Providence-class carrier/destroyers, such as Invisible Hand.



The Neimoidians who ran the Trade Federation received their organizational skills from running mass hives and fungus farms on their homeworld of Neimoidia and the three Neimoidian purse worlds, Cato Neimoidia, Deko Neimoidia, and Koru Neimoidia.

The Trade Federation maintained a sizable monopoly on interstellar trade and held considerable sway in the Galactic Republic, even managing to gain a seat in the Senate on the same level as a member world, represented by Lott Dod. In particular, they held maps of hyperspace routes closely rather than sharing them, enabling them to cement their hold over trade routes. Only the Jedi and the Office of the Chancellor were able to maintain maps of similar quality.

With Nute Gunray's death at the hands of former Jedi Anakin Skywalker, the Trade Federation fell. Acting Viceroy Sentepeth Findos signed a peace treaty with the Empire the day that the Clone Wars ended, giving all of the Federation's resources to Palpatine's disposal to help him build the Galactic Empire. Trade was nationalized by the time of the Battle of Yavin.

Associations
"The Trade Federation cannot function without its head. Neimoidians don't think for themselves. Without the viceroy to command them, they will cease to be a threat."

- Padmé Amidala

Notable members

 * Tok Ashel: Commander of the Cartao Expeditionary Army.
 * Plure Barron: Commander.
 * Trade Baron: Trade Federation officials.
 * Lott Dod: Senator of the Trade Federation in the Galactic Senate during the Blockade of Naboo.
 * Lott Dod's financial officer: Finanical officer to Senator Dod.
 * Daultay Dofine: Captain of the flagship Saak'ak during the Blockade of Naboo.
 * Lushros Dofine: Captain of the CIS flagship Invisible Hand at the end of the Clone Wars.
 * Jull Dremon: Gunner.
 * Sentepeth Findos: Acting Viceroy after the rise of the Empire.
 * Dif Gehad: Master Creator of the Cartao Expeditionary Army.
 * Rute Gunnay: Aide to Viceroy Gunray and Rune Haako.
 * Nute Gunray: Viceroy and former Senator in the Galactic Senate during the Stark Hyperspace War.
 * Rune Haako: Settlement Officer and aide to Nute Gunray.
 * Hask: Leader during the Stark Hyperspace War.
 * Tey How: Communications officer aboard Saak'ak during the Blockade of Naboo.
 * Toat: Trade Federation official on Maramere.
 * Siv Kav: Vicelord.
 * Mik Regrap: Trade Baron.
 * Harro Ruuk: Commander on Maramere.
 * Nap Lagard: Ship Commander.
 * Gilramos Libkath: Aide and contract-scribe.
 * Hath Monchar: Deputy Viceroy prior to the Blockade of Naboo.
 * Budmle Otbor: Trade Federation's primary representative on the planet Sucharme.
 * God Takrab: Trade officer during the Blockade of Naboo.
 * Sil Unch: Communications officer in the Trade Defense Force
 * Marath Vooro: Customs Vizier throughout the Clone Wars and shortly after the rise of the Empire.

Battle droids

 * B-1 battle droid
 * Droideka

Organic forces

 * Neimoidian Warriors
 * Neimoidian Home Defense Legion

Starfighters

 * E-STAP droid starbomber
 * E-STAP Advanced Droid Starbomber
 * E-STAP Shielded Droid Starbomber
 * Scarab-class droid starfighter
 * Vulture droid starfighter
 * Advanced Droid Starfighter
 * Light Droid Starfighter

Ground units

 * AML
 * AAT
 * AST
 * HAG
 * HAG-M
 * HAML
 * HHAG-M
 * Heavy AAT
 * Heavy STAP
 * MAF
 * MTT
 * MUT
 * MVR-3 Speeder Bike
 * PAC
 * STAP
 * STAP-2
 * Heavy STAP
 * Speeder Platform
 * Bio cannon

Aquatic units

 * Manta-class droid subfighter
 * Gunboat
 * Mini-sub
 * S-TRN
 * Submarine
 * Sub-carrier
 * Aqua Transport

Aerial units

 * LAATAK
 * Mechanized Assault Flyer
 * S-AAD
 * S-HAAD

Capital ships

 * Cargo Hauler
 * Heavy Munitions Cruiser
 * Lucrehulk-class battleship
 * Lucrehulk-class core ship
 * Lucrehulk-class Droid Control Ship
 * Neimoidian trader
 * Providence-class carrier/destroyer
 * S-CRS
 * S-DST
 * S-FRG
 * S-HCRS
 * S-HDST
 * S-HFRG
 * S-LFRG

Support craft

 * C-9979 landing craft
 * Neimoidian Transit
 * Sheathipede-class shuttle

Behind the scenes

 * The Trade Federation may well be modeled after the British East India Company, which possessed an amazing amount of politcal power in the Western world in the nineteenth century. The Company was so influential, it was actually able to dictate where Great Britain's government sent their troops.


 * The Trade Federation's creation date was a creation of Michael Potts. He selected the date of 350 BBY based from available information, and was pleasantly suprised when his fellow Star Wars Fanboy Association member Ann Margaret Lewis used Timetales as a reference point when writing The Essential Guide to Alien Species, and therefore established this date within continuity.

Appearances

 * The Stark Hyperspace War
 * Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter
 * Cloak of Deception
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars: Starfighter
 * Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
 * Star Wars: The Clone Wars
 * Star Wars: Clone Wars
 * Labyrinth of Evil
 * Reversal of Fortune
 * Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
 * Republic HoloNet News Special Inaugural Edition 16:5:24 in Star Wars Insider 84