Classified Trade Federation Archives Part I

by WinterSolitude90

New Republic Intelligence liberated these classified files from a long forgotten Trade Federation mainframe on a remote Island on Nemoidia. They are classified formal inquiry records conducted by the companies Internal Securities Division that details the events leading up to the invasion of Naboo and their relationship with the shadowy Darth Sidious.

***Classified Trade Federation Internal Affairs Report***

Corporate Internal Intelligence Division Report # 44728A

Location: Orbit of Alaris Prime aboard the Vuutun Palaa.

Subject(s):Nute Gunray

Rune Haako

"Lord Sidious"

Incident Report: Records indicate that the initial incident in question occurred during the formal inquiry on the companies' failed attempt to establish operations on Alaris Prime. During the inquiry a holonet feed was established between the Viceroy in charge of the Alaris Prime operation and the Directorate board on Nemoidia. Viceroy Gunray stated to CII (Corporate Internal Intelligence) that during a brief signal interruption while the holocall was in progress a file was downloaded to his console. The Message header stated it was to be read in private and the sender was listed as a "Benefactor".

Viceroy Gunray provided a full transcript of the file he received to the Corporate Internal Security Division (CISD) the transcript has been provided in this report.

C.I.S.D. TRANSCRIPT #44728T1

Sender: Unknown (Alias: Benefactor)

Recipient: Viceroy Gunray

"Greetings Viceroy, I offer my condolences on your organization's loss of Alaris Prime. The world looked as though it could have been a promising candidate for your companies' legendary ore mining operations. I imagine your board of directors is most unhappy with your failure to root out a few primitive wookiees. I find that surprising myself given that your Company has been maintaining a substantial private army of illegal war droids and military grade munitions. I am willing to wager I have your attention now so let me tell you more about myself. I am a high ranking Republic official who has contacts in the Strategic Information Service. I have had agents tracking your companies' malfeasance for some time now and I have stacks of reports detailing your colossally unethical business practices ranging from insider trading, to racketeering, to slave trafficking, illegal weapons manufacturing, illegal genetic research…the list goes on and on. I have some pull in the Senate and the courts so I've been able to keep all this dirty laundry out of the hands of the Republic Ministry of Justice but that can change very easily so I suggest you think about your next actions very carefully. I want to speak to you directly. Do not try to sic your security forces on me and do not disclose the contents of this message to anyone. Contact me via this holo-number [REDACTED] don't keep me waiting.

Incident Report (Continued):

Subject Gunray stated that he immediately contacted the CISD which sent the file to CII. While the file's origins where being analyzed in the days after initial contact an incident occurred on Nemoidia. The Gunray estate was breached by an unknown assailant, the Viceroy was still on a return trip from Alaris Prime during the incident's timeframe. For this report a transcript of the initial on-the-scene report by CISD has been included.

CISD Transcript #44728T2

Security Incident Report # 7254

Location: Gunray Estate, Nemoidia

Status: Resolved without loss of corporate assets.

At approximately 1500 hours Standard Galactic Time a squadron of B1 security droids and two CISD Operatives entered the Gunray residence to investigate a call for assistance made by Estate security. Upon entering the estate CISD agents reported that the estate had been broken into. There were 14 deceased staff members in various parts of the estate. The bodies where collected and sent to a nearby medical center where their causes of death was determined to be from severe burns and multi-organ failure from exposure to high voltage electrical currents. Full autopsy reports are as follows: [REDACTED]. After several sweeps by CISD and posting of additional security it was determined that the unknown assailant had apparently fled the scene before CISD could respond. An investigation was opened and additional security was assigned to all senior members of the directorate board. CII concluded that the message was authentic and determined that black level priority was necessary to find and eliminate the assailant at all cost. Assets were subsequently dispatched to investigate suspected perpetrators in the Republic diplomatic corps and the Hutt Cartel.

Incident Report (Continued)

Subject Gunray stated that he and his attaché chose to remain on board the Vuutun Palaa until CII could identify the anonymous sender. Approximately 5 standard days after the incident on the Gunray estate a communique' came through on the Viceroy's private holonet channel in a conference room on the Vuutun Palaa. Internal sensor logs aboard the ship recorded the ensuing conversation between Subject Gunray and the suspected assailant who identified himself as a "Lord Sidious". The contents of the sensor log have been included in this official report.

Vuutun Palaa Internal Sensor Log/Deck 42/Conference Room C-27/Duration: 22:43

Gunray: 'This is Gunray'.

Lord Sidious: 'I told you not to reveal my message to you, did you receive my gifts? I left them scattered around your home on Nemoidia'.

Gunray: 'Who are you? And what do you want from me?'

Lord Sidious: 'I want your cooperation'.

Gunray: 'You are brazen; do you know that Internal Intelligence is on your trail as we speak?'.

Lord Sidious: [Laughing] ' I would advise you to call them off, any additional shot fired would just be wasted resources on your expense report.'

Gunray: 'This isn't the first time a republic official has tried to blackmail this company, we haven't gotten in trouble so far because people who meddle in our affairs tend to disappear, and you'll be no different.'

Lord Sidious: 'What if I told you if you comply with my requests I will make sure that your company has complete financial control over the major hyper-lanes?"

Gunray: '.And just how are you able to make a promise like that?'

Lord Sidious: 'Because I am Lord Sidious..[Pause].. that name doesn't mean anything yet but it will soon. Viceroy, you can either comply with me and make your shareholders very happy or you can defy me and rot in a Belsavis prison with the rest of your ilk.'

Gunray: [Pause] '…what do you need from us…?'

Lord Sidious: 'I need you to use your influence with the Board of Directors to persuade them to utilize your organizations' extensive private military to blockade a planet…the same planet who initiated the motion to tax your precious hyperlanes.'

Gunray: '…The senator from Naboo is the one who introduced that bill, but you cant honestly expect us to blockade an entire planet, it's illegal..'

Lord Sidious: [Interrupts]..'It's a legal form of protest, and since when does the Trade Federation care about the legality of its actions?'

Gunray: 'I still fail to see how such a blockade would benefit you.'

Lord Sidious: 'My interests lie in with the planet's sovereign, more than that you do not need to know, all you do need to understand is that I will return the favor by making sure that no tax will ever be levied against your companies use of the major trade lanes'.

Gunray: 'So you're using us for some political power play.'

Lord Sidious: 'I am offering you a deal to serve your own interests whilst helping me serve mine. It is a mutually beneficial relationship. As I said before if you choose not to be complicit with my directives I'll expose every illegal act the Trade Federation ever had a hand in. I am sending a few classified files that I liberated from your corporate mainframe as proof'.

Gunray: [Long Pause] '…I will have to consult the board'

Sidious: 'Contact me when you have reached a decision, my offer will not be available for long'.

[Channel Closes]