Nute Gunray

Nute Gunray was a Neimoidian male who served as a stint Minister of the Trade Federation until he rose in power after the Stark Hyperspace War in 44 BBY, eventually becoming Viceroy of the Trade Federation. In 32 BBY, Gunray participated in the occupation of Naboo with the Federation Army to settle a trade dispute that began in the Galactic Senate. With the help of Darth Sidious, Gunray invaded the planet to end the trade dispute and secured all facilities in the capital of Theed. He attempted to force the incumbent Queen of Naboo Padmé Amidala to sign a treaty to make his invasion legal, however she refused and the Siege of Naboo continued. The Trade Federation soon surrendered to Naboo forces following the Battle of Naboo. Gunray was taken to the Galactic Republic capital on Coruscant to be charged with acts of war.

During the Separatist Crisis that following the Invasion of Naboo, Gunray confronted former Jedi Master, Count Dooku, who began a separatist movement that opposed the Republic. Dooku, who secretly was Sidious's Sith apprentice under the name of Darth Tyranus, helped him through his four trials in the Supreme Court, and soon after the trials, Gunray retained his position as Viceroy. The Trade Federation, under Gunray's command, joined Dooku's separatist movement and Gunray was named Head of the newly formed Separatist Council and so formed the Separatist Army. Gunray, along with Dooku and his master, Sidious, formed the Confederacy of Independent Systems which opposed the Galactic Republic in a three-year war known as the Clone Wars that followed after two years of the Separatist Crisis.

During the Clone Wars, Gunray tempted Onaconda Farr, the senator of Rodia, with an offer to join the Separatists and receive the aid and protection for Rodia that the Republic had failed to provide, in exchange for Farr luring Senator Amidala to the planet and handing her over to him. Gunray's plan ultimately failed and he was captured by the Republic and given to Jedi Master Luminara Unduli and Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano. Dooku sent his Dark Jedi apprentice, Asajj Ventress, to rescue the Viceroy from the Republic forces. Stationed inside the Republic Star Destroyer, Senate Commando Faro Argyus released the Viceroy and met up with Ventress in Argyus's cruiser. Argyus was betrayed and murdered by Ventress, however, in a fit of rage over his arrogance.

In 19 BBY, the Separatist Council was moved to the volcanic planet of Mustafar from the sink hole planet of Utapau, after Separatist General Grievous became leader of the CIS after the death of Dooku. Following the death of Grievous at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi Nute Gunray became the new leader of the separatists. Gunray along with the other Separatist leaders were betrayed by Darth Sidious after he sent his new apprentice, Darth Vader, to Mustafar to end the war. Gunray was the last council member to be killed by Vader's lightsaber, which had ultimately brought an end to the Clone Wars and fragmented the CIS into various Separatist holdouts, in which they were represented by various ununited warlords across the galaxy.

His legacy continued well beyond the Clone Wars, as the Galactic Empire extinguished the remnants of the CIS, with the droids and their organic supporters still fighting the civil war. The last organized separatist resistance against the New Order was put down on Mustafar during the Dark Times. Years later, the last unorganized separatist resistance was finally defeated during the Galactic Civil War on Geonosies, therefore finally ending Nute Gunray's legacy. Although the Separatist Droid Army was no longer a threat during the Post Imperial Era, the ununited droids that remained formed their own societies and were no longer slaves to any masters.

Text and facts from the “Nute Gunray/Legends” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.