Trade Federation

The Trade Federation is a fictional organization featured in the Star Wars film franchise. It first appeared in the 1999 prequel film Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and was peripherally seen in the two sequel films Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. As the primary antagonists featured in The Phantom Menace, the Trade Federation were also featured in all of the adaptations of the film including the Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novelization, the Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace comic book adaptation and the Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace video game. Additionally, the Trade Federation made extensive appearances throughout the Star Wars Expanded Universe, notably in the novels Star Wars: Cloak of Deception, the two Darth Maul-related novels, Star Wars: Darth Maul - Saboteur and Star Wars: Darth Maul - Shadow Hunter as well as the Star Wars: Darth Maul comic book limited series published by Dark Horse Comics.

Description
The Trade Federation was a powerful interstellar commerce guild founded by several colony worlds around 350 BBY. The most prominent members of the organization were the Neimoidians who were the unwitting puppets of the Sith Order, who used the Trade Federation for their own nefarious purposes. The Trade Federation was one of the largest and most powerful megacorporations in the Galactic Empire, so much so, that they actually earned themselves a seat within the Galactic Senate. The Trade Federation operated under a directorate led by a Viceroy. One of it's many subsidiaries was the Baktoid Armor Workshop, a manufacturing firm that formed the militaristic branch of the Trade Federation's interests supplying them with aerial and ground assault vehicles as well as the B1 and B2 series battle droids developed by Baktoid Combat Automata.

The Trade Federation played a vital role in the ultimate collapse of the Galactic Republic and the rise of the First Galactic Empire. Controlled by the mysterious Sith Lord Darth Sidious, the Trade Federation established a blockade around the planet Naboo in 32 BBY, which ultimately led to the Invasion of Naboo. During the Clone Wars, the Trade Federation, led by Viceroy Nute Gunray, aligned themselves with the Confederacy of Independent Systems and remained with them until the end of the war. With the formation of the First Galactic Empire, Emperor Palpatine dissolved the Trade Federation and absorbed their resources under his control to help finance the Imperial infrastructure.

History
Section not yet written.

Notes & Trivia

 * The Trade Federation is available as a playable faction in the 2001 video game Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds.