Nute Gunray

Nute Gunray, a Neimoidian male, was a business executive and politician who served the Trade Federation conglomerate, first as its senator in the Galactic Republic Senate and later as its Viceroy, during the final decades of the Republic Era up until his assassination. Alongside his allies, Gunray rose to prominence after the ill-fated Eriadu Conference left a power vacuum in the Federation's leadership. Secretly backed by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, Gunray—who had already secured the title of Viceroy of the Trade Federation—took control of the conglomerate while Lott Dod took the seat in the Senate.

In 32 BBY, Sidious and Gunray manufactured a scenario where the Federation would blockade the planet Naboo with their fleet after the passage of legislation detrimental to the Federation's profits, secretly a ruse for Sidious' alter ego, Naboo's Senator Palpatine, to be elected Supreme Chancellor of the Republic. In the ensuing invasion, Gunray tried coercing Queen Padmé Amidala into signing a treaty legitimizing his occupation, but she refused, instead escaping the planet with the help of a Jedi Knight and his Padawan that Gunray had earlier tried to assassinate, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Before long, Queen Amidala returned to Naboo and repelled the Federation invasion, after which Gunray was arrested and taken to Coruscant to face charges. After four trials in the Supreme Court, Gunray was found not guilty, and he managed to retain his assets and titles.

Bitter at the Republic, Gunray allied himself and the company with Count Dooku, a former Jedi Master, and he pledged Federation military support to the Confederacy of Independent Systems. In return for his investment, Dooku helped Gunray orchestrate a failed attempt on Amidala's life, who had since become a Republic senator. As Kenobi investigated the attempted assassination, he discovered the Separatist droid factory on Geonosis, and Gunray watched from afar as the Republic Kaminoan clone army arrived and engaged the Confederacy in the First Battle of Geonosis.

After the outbreak of the Clone Wars in the aftermath of the battle, Gunray became a crucial member of the Confederacy and he attempted to bring the world of Rodia and its leader, Onaconda Farr, into the Separatist cause while simultaneously ending Amidala's life. Though the plot failed and he was taken into Republic custody, Gunray managed to escape his cell with the help of Asajj Ventress, Dooku's Sith assassin. After three years of warfare, the Confederacy found itself in disarray following the deaths of Dooku and cyborg Supreme Commander of the Droid Army, General Grievous. Following the end of the Clone Wars, surviving Separatist Council members, led by Gunray, sought protection on Mustafar from the Republic and led the defeated Confederacy but they were eventually betrayed by Sidious, who had them murdered by Darth Vader. Gunray was the last to be killed by Vader's blade, pleading for his life, which ultimately brought a final end to the Clone Wars. The Galactic Empire then nationalized the Trade Federation and official Imperial records stated that Gunray had taken his own life after he realized there was no chance of a Separatist victory.

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