Trade Federation Crisis

The Trade Federation Crisis, also known as the Mad Viceroy Crisis, was a major political and military crisis which occurred in 900-901 ARR between the Galactic Republic and the Trade Federation. The Crisis began with the Attack on Koto-Si, which inflicted serious causalities on the Trade Federation's leadership and resulted in a period of leadership consolidation, leading to Trade Viceroy Gat Monchar assuming more autocratic power and centralizing control of the Trade Federation in the hand of Neimoidians.

Background
Political friction between the Trade Federation and the Galactic Republic began in early 900 ARR. Trade Federation Senator Dofine, pushed an aggressive Trade Federation-centric agenda focused on trade agreements favorable to Federation interests. The situation became more highly charged as Senator Dofine, unable to motivate significant support for his efforts, became interestingly anti-Republic. With the Trade Federation beginning to propagate theories that the Republic was controlled by specific and corrupt Core-ward interests.

Over a period of several months a number of diplomatic incidents involved the Trade Federation clashing with various Republic members, in an increasingly bellicose manner. Contemporary observers believed that the Trade Federation was maneuvering for increased political representation for its interests in the Republic.

Koto-Si and Consolidation
The tone of the situation changed dramatically with the attack on Koto-Si. The Trade Federation leadership had been gathering to discuss the situation when an explosion killed all those present, including the vast majority of the Trade Federation's political and military leadership. Trade Viceroy Monchar was not present at the time of the attack and he was quickly moved to a secure local where he directly appointed replacements for those killed at Koto-Si, almost invariably Neimoidian and exclusively non-human. He also took steps to remove existing humans from positions of power within the Trade Federation.

Almost immediately following the attack an organization known as the Galactic Independence and Freedom party began to support political campaigns against the Republic throughout the Galactic Mid and Outer Rim. This organization because to propagate the Trade Federation's narrative of the attack, using its affiliated entities across the Rim. Protests against the Republic and the supposed conspiracy lead by Chancellor Ghast, almost exactly mirroring the position and tone of the Trade Federation's official mouth pieces.

Republic Investigation
Almost immediately the Trade Federation took control of the investigation and began pushing a narrative of events which placed a conspiracy within the Republic as responsible for for the attack. A Republic Senatorial Guardsman, one 'Lieutenant Brendon', was implicated in the attack and his presence was used as factual basis for the development of the Trade Federation's theories. However, facts quickly emerged that challenged the narrative put forward by the Trade Federation. Multiple sources placed Lieutenant Brendon on Coruscant, lightyears from Koto-Si, at the time of the attack, while records showed that individuals from the Trade Viceroy's office and acting one order originating from his office were responsible for rapidly changing the security arrangements for the Koto-Si Conference.

The Official Republic Investigation also uncovered that funding and strategic level direction for the Galactic Independence and Freedom Party (GFIP). A report from Hutt Space also indicated that several agents belong to the Trade Federation altered their operations prior to the attack. This was collaborated by a report from Bothan Space which analyzed Trade Federation Cyber activities and their investigation after the attack. Respectively it indicated that cyber activity at taken place prior to, and after the attack, with the majority of the activities having been efforts to hidden previous alteration, and that the the investigation was more focused on the destruction of forensic evidence rather that its recovery.

Ultimately the Republic Investigation concluded that the attack on Koto-Si was an inside job, perpetrated by the Trade Viceroy. A crime that amounted to treason against the Republic.

Trade Union Crisis
The crisis rapidly spiraled, with the Trade Federation releasing list of demands to the Galactic Republic, which included the resignation of the Supreme Chancellor, a reduction of taxes, the addition of Rim located bodies to major ministries, and constitutional reform, including provisions for increased authority in the Rim. While some of these provided fertile ground for the GIFP, it ultimately proved divisive. Significantly a number of labor organizer began to become alarmed by the increasing centralization of Trade Federation regime, its deteriorating relationship of the Republic, especially given the accusations made by the Republic investigation, and a trend of utilizing droid labor. The Trade Federation Spacers Union began to emerge as the most powerful labor union in the Trade Federation, with dissatisfaction festering on Druckenwell, Nessem, Cularin, and elsewhere across the Trade Federation. The Trade Federation Spacers Union (TFSU) rapid mustered it own list of demands, calling for the resignation of the Trade Viceroy, increases in pay, and institutional venues for addressing grievances.

The Republic Strikes Back
The Republic and the Supreme Chancellor responded to the activities of the GFIP in the Rim with a state tour visiting several Rim worlds, giving speeches and addressing the situation. During these tours the Chancellor directly refuting claims of a cabal of Core-worlds steering the Republic, and re-stating the findings of the Republic investigation into the Koto-Si attack, without directly naming the Trade Viceroy. He further placed blame on the situation on faction who were manipulating and distorting the process of the Republic of selfish reasons.

The Druckenwell Conference
Following the continuing deterioration the Trade Federation hosted another conference, this one on Druckenwell, to discuss the issue of secession from the Republic and the formation of new Confederacy. Reports made by several Republic members indicate that the Trade Federation were quiet insistent and were willing to do some arm twisting to get people to attend. This increased the dissatisfaction with the Trade Federation in the Rim, undermining what was considered the Trade Federation's base.

The Conference also caused issues within the Trade Federation, with the Techno Union become disenchanted with the secessionist direction. This fissure would continue to and ultimately lead to the separation of the Techno Union from the Trade Federation. The World of the Cularin also terminated the Cularin Compact with the Trade Federation.

The Crisis Deepens
The first signs of a worsening Crisis was how the Trade Federation attempted to handling the Trade Federation Spacers Union. The central regime created it own union, the New Federation Union, and offered significant incentive for becoming a member, while simultaneously attempted to undermine the TFSU. Reports from TFSU indicate that the Trade Federation attempted to disrupt the growth of the TFSU by bribing members to leave it with they targeted it leadership with bribes, blackmail, and threats. This was followed by the arrest and interrogation of TSFU and the deployment of battle droids to ships, warehouses, and factories controlled by the Trade Federation. With the Trade Federation acting increasingly on the basis of it own conspiracy theories, workers became increasingly on guard, and willing to take action.

Thus as the Trade Federation tried to tighten its grip many TSFU leaders were able to flee Trade Federation space, starting a period of protests known as the 'Sit and Park', where roughly ten percent of the entire Trade Federation merchant fleet was parked beyond the reach of the central government. With the initial efforts by the Trade Federation to bring in strike breakers were generally unsuccessful and met with overall scorn.

Faced with a huge loss of revenue the Trade Federation formulated a stronger response. Armed ships with extra crews and battle droids were deployed to recover the striking ships while political pressure was brought to bear. While moderately successful these actions did not improve the overall solution. Several standoffs developed between these armed ships and the Planetary Defense Forces of Republic Members who supported the strikers, with a fire fight developing on Arkania. With poor worlds unable to stand-up to the might of the Trade Federation, several 'hub worlds' able to resist the Trade Federation began to host concentrations of striking vessels. Domestically reports of strikers disappearing or their families being threatened future tarnished the perception of the Trade Federation.

Relations with the Republic bottomed out when Trade Federation Senator Dofine opened dialogue on a 'Future Relationship' with the Republic, that included demands the the Republic hand over trillions of credits worth of infrastructure, and recognize the legitimacy of the Confederacy. Maintaining that their were 'liberating' the Rim and represented a popular movement the Trade Federation Senator as confronted by several other Senators, resulting in a heated exchange that ultimately saw the Trade Federation delegation ejected from the Senate Chambers.

Militarization and Independence
Ejected from the senate the Trade Federation nonetheless continued to pursue its agenda of creating an independent state in Rim. Following through on Druckenwell Conference they announced the constitution and formation of the Confederacy. Popular support this was noticeably absent as no attendees signed the constitution, leaving the Trade Federation as the sole member of the new state.

A new state that now seemed unstable. Data emerged that over seventy percent of the merchant capacity of the Trade Federation been converted to military usage while more than industrial capacity had been converted to military production. This revelation furthered destroyed public support for the Trade Federation, and sparked the Shipping Renaissance of the 900s.

Relations between the Confederacy and the Republic continued to implode when former Senator Dofine was killed after an altercation on the Senate steps, and as the Trade Federation resorted to economic pressure to sure up the membership of their Confederacy. Their efforts continued to be a doubled edged sword as the Techno Union decided that their interests were better served independent from the Trade Federation, and cut their ties with the organization.

Confidence in the Confederacy was hobbled by the limping end to the TFSU strike. Facing a situation in which their was no positive outcome with the Trade Federation, the striking workers generally finding employment in one of the variety of new shipping corporations, and the ships entire being slowly reposed by the Trade Federation, or 'salvaged' in are variety of ways.

Military Conflict
The situation came to a head when the Republic Judicial Force and detachment of the Kuati PDF entered the Neimoidian System in the galactic core. Despite the focus of the Trade Federation, the Neimoidian system is located in the core, near the Kuat system, and it was in this system that Trade Federation was concentrating its militarization efforts, withe seven massive Lurcehulk type cargo ships in the yards for the conversion to formidable battleships.

A closing engagement ensued as neither side was willing to back down and a general engagement developed. With the bulk of the Trade Federation still in the yards, the Judicial Force was able to assert itself militarily. As the Trade Federation force scattered hundreds of droid fighters were ordered to conduct ramming runs on the Republic fleet, destroying a star destroyer and crippling two cruisers, and covering the withdraw of Trade Federation fleet behind the shields of Neimoidia and the flight of three fast cruisers bearing the Trade Viceroy out of the system, toward Cato Neimoidia.

Following the battle a series of strike destroyed all seven of the battleships in the yards, and the yards themselves, crippling the military power of the Trade Federation and the Neimoidia system, effectively ending the conflict.

Conclusion and Aftermath
The battle of Kuat ended the Trade Federation Crisis by ending the military capacity of the Trade Federation to threaten the Republic, and with their economic power significantly degraded, the independent shipping boom was making already making good on the damages to the galactic shipping industries. Within the next several months new leadership would emerge on Nessem, and begin to reverse the policies that lead to this crisis.

Republic occupation of the system would linger on for several months, and final peace would no be negotiated for some time. Several worlds would remain independent for years to come, but many quickly returned to the ranks of the Republic. Neimoidia would undergo a period of military rule before a new stable state would emerge.

Relations with the Trade Federation would rapidly normalize under the Nessem regime and the Trade Federation would return to its traditional place within the Republic.

A final peace treaty would live fallow for may years, until talks were broached with the Neimoidian Star Empire. These talks ultimately lead to the Neimodians rejoining the Galactic Republic, with a representative from the NSE being elected as the Supreme Chancellor in 909 ARR.

Legacy
This crisis was one of the defining events of the early tenth century after reformation. It dramatically altered the dynamic of politics of the epoch and changed the shape of both the Republic and Galaxy at large. It is directly responsible for several states which would develop in the ensuing years. The Neimoidian Star Empire would emerge following the split of the Trade Federation from the Neimoidian worlds. The break-up of the Trade Federation allowed to many nations change the situation in their favor. Loronar's effort to re-establish the Cularin Compact with itself in the place of the Trade Federation, is perhaps the most obvious example. In the Republic, the constitutional reform of 901 ARR can perhaps be partially credited to this crisis. The fragmentation of some parts of the Rim, also contributed to the conditionally that allowed for the Cronese Crisis.