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Trade Federation

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this group was formed during the Old Republic, some 350 years before the Battle of Yavin, to monitor and maintain the delicate balances of power between the growing economies of the Core Worlds and the developing worlds of the remote Outer Rim Territories. Ostensibly, they were the policemen of commerce for the Old Republic, working to ensure fairness and mediate disputes between merchants and transport providers. The Federation became large enough, and powerful enough, to maintain a seat in the Galactic Senate as if they were a populated planet. Many outlying systems aligned themselves with the Federation, rather than requesting direct representation in the Senate, because it was a more expedient way to develop trade with the Core Worlds. However, the Trade Federation - controlled by the Neimoidian race - was inherently weak, and soon found itself under the control of Darth Sidious during the years leading up to the Clone Wars. A series of political maneuvers led to the Old Republic's taxation of trade routes in the galaxy, which took away much of the control and profit realized by the Neimoidians. In an attempt to force the repeal of the tax law, and under the control of Sidious, the Trade Federation threatened the world of Naboo by blockading all trade to and from the planet. The blockade was eventually broken during the Battle of Naboo, but the Federation had already outlived its usefulness to Sidious, who abandoned them when they could no longer control the situation. In the aftermath of the Naboo blockade, the Trade Federation's warfleet and its military personnel were absorbed into the Old Republic's own defense forces, and the Federation itself was restricted in its ability to do business. The Republic ordered the immediate downsizing of the Federation's droid forces, but many of these combat automatons were simply resold to Federation holdings. Nute Gunray, the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, survived imprisonment and maintained control of the Federation. However, he felt betrayed by Darth Sidious and so threw his support to Count Dooku and the Separatists. In the wake of the Clone Wars and the establishment of the New Order, the Trade Federation was absorbed into the Empire and Imperialized when Sentepeth Findos signed a treaty with the Empire. His assumption of power was questioned by other members of the Federation, who vowed to fight against any Imperial opposition. These small groups of resistance were eventually eliminated, and the Trade Federation ceased to exist.