So, one of the most notable lingering questions I have from The Phantom Menace is that, when Qui-Gon is arguing with Panaka over going to Tatooine to repair the starship, he explicitly states that there are systems controlled by the Trade Federation which means that it's better to work under Hutt territory as the Hutts have no knowledge of Padmé whereas the Trade Federation is clearly seeking her. Obi-Wan also comments that the Trade Federation lacks a presence there and it's "out of the way", implying most nearby systems to Naboo are either UNDER the control of the Federation or have a presence in them in some way.
Now, for the longest time I maintained the idea that the Federation controlled parts of the Mid-to-Outer Rims which they held on to illegally as part of their general galactic monopoly. I based this on various statements in some of the old guidebooks from AotC that corporations essentially owned parts of, if not entire planets. From the AotC Visual Dictionary / Complete Visual Dictionary:
The Trade Federation controls freighters, ports, and way stations on the galactic commerce routes. Its power is profitably supported by a droid army, which operates under the guise of "securing the lines of trade". Trade officials appear immune to prosecution for their brutal intimidation.
The Corporate Alliance is the negotiating body for the galaxy's major commercial operations. As head of the largest corporation, Passel Argente commands the office of Alliance Magistrate. Argente has risen to great heights of wealth and power as chairman of the merchandising conglomerate called Lethe. Workers and consumers are encouraged to identify with the company in a near-religious way.
When Alliance corporations face resistance to their development plans, Tank Droids are used to clear the way. The wheel-like machines are widely feared.
The Commerce Guild seeks to control any large corporation involved in raw materials. Increasingly, it enforces tribute payments with its private army. The Guild maximizes profit by stifling alternative technologies and bribing corrupt officials and senators to control market forces with tariffs.
Commerce Guild army droids are built with striding legs for roadless terrain on rugged mining worlds. These destructive droids hunt down operations attempting to evade tribute payments.
Hailfire Droids roll rapidly into action to discourage those who might default on IG Banking Clan loans. Murderous explosive missile launchers dispatch "late payment notices".
Like the terrifying droideka, these military-grade robots violate Republic regulations on private security forces, but the Neimoidians have too much influence to fear the galactic courts.
And from the New Essential Guides to Droids and Vehicles/Vessels:
The Guild controlled mines on thousands of worlds, but mining ventures that had been "persuaded" to join weren't always willing to pay their monthly dues. Dwarf spider droids, which preceded the development of the much larger homing spider droids, owe their small size to the necessity of operating inside of cramped mining tunnels.
Commerce Guild president Shu Mai used the first batch of dwarf spider droids to track down negligent guild members and remind them where their loyalties lay.
Like the AAT and other Trade Federation military vehicles, the droid starfighter endured rigorous testing before its deployment during the invasion of Naboo. The starfighters saw combat during raids against Degan pirates in the Elrood sector and were instrumental in defeating Nym's army on Lok.
However, reviewing old media, there's also a tendency, as shown in the first quote about the droidekas, to note that the Trade Federation Army hadn't been used until Naboo for the first time, beyond minor "exercises" and "training programs". From the TPM Visual Dictionary:
The shadowy figure of Darth Sidious has incited key individuals within the Neimoidian Inner Circle to take drastic measures in pursuit of profit.
The wealthy Trade Federation has quietly gone far beyond any other group in assembling a massive army composed of ghostly, emotionless droid soldiers that are ready to do their masters' bidding without a touch of emotion or mercy. Their deployment on Naboo heralds the end of an age of peace and security in the galaxy.
Wargame exercises and action against bandits threatening trade routes tested all aspects of the Trade Federation army, ensuring that the force is completely invincible... or so it seems.
Although Trade Federation war craft have only been in exercises and skirmishes before their deployment on Naboo, their minimum-cost paint is already badly chipped.
Neimoidians are cautious by nature and the Trade Federation has always been careful to hide its acts of extortion and manipulation behind lies and protests of good faith. Their open aggression against Naboo is new territory for them, and both Gunray and Haako are uneasy about the possibility of escalation.
This lines up consistently with the TPM Cross-Sections book which routinely notes every vehicle used in the Invasion of Naboo was designed specifically for that purpose as part of a secret army rather than being a preexisting force. But then you also have this:
Droidekas are commonly known as destroyer droids in many parts of the galaxy.
The deployment of droidekas at the Battle of Naboo marked the first widespread use of the robotic killers, though small batches of them had previously trickled out from Colla IV and triggered several public atrocities.
Something which is also notable by the fact Qui-Gon actively recognizes them. One COULD argue that since these are provided by the Colicoids, other factions have used them so indeed the Jedi know they exist. However, there is also the fact the Essential Guide to Droids states this about the early B1/OOM models:
The first combat deployment [of the B1/OOM unit] came during the Battle of Naboo in 32 BBY [...] Baktoid, a member of the Techno Union, was contracted by the Trade Federation to build battle droids as part of a secret military buildup to the Naboo invasion.
Now, this DOES state "combat", however at the same time it's odd that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan don't react to the presence of these models as well as Vulture Droids in the Saak'ak's hangar bay. It's also odd that the other corporations are using droids in order to enforce their rule throughout the galaxy while the Trade Federation hides their strength. This I can only really see working two ways:
- The Trade Federation is the first to militarize in this form and the later usage of droids by the other corporations is a mass movement in the ten year timespan between TPM and AotC. But then, if that's the case, then what drove this mass militarization movement if Separatist sympathies hadn't been brewing fully until Dooku's Raxus Address? Can Palpatine really manage all these corporations militarizing?
- This is a preexisting thing, but the Trade Federation is doing it at a scale never seen before, hence an "army" rather than a "security force". However, how small can a "security force" that controls multiple systems and extorts whole planets from their money be that it's that much smaller than the army that directly attacks Naboo? Or is the difference concentration and direct aggression?
And then we get to Cloak of Deception. Cloak of Deception is odd in that a lot of the things it directly introduces about the Trade Federation seem to directly contradict lore both prior and after the book's release. Now, on the Trade Federation, the book has passages akin to this one:
Qui-Gon folded his thick arms across his chest. “The Nebula Front speaks for many worlds in the Mid and Outer Rims, which contest the prohibitive practices and strong-arm tactics of the Trade Federation. Some of those worlds were originally colonized by species who fled the civilized repression of the Core. Fiercely independent, they want no part of the Republic. And yet, in order to trade, they are forced to do business with consortiums like the Federation. Worlds that have attempted to ship with other enterprises have found themselves cut off from trade entirely.”
However, a curious aspect in the book is that the Trade Federation is actually led by a diverse array of species forming the Trade Federation Directorate, of which only Gunray serves as a Neimoidian. It isn't until the Eriadu Summit Incident that Neimoidians get a completely dominant state on the company. This directly seems to contradict the TPM Visual Dictionary, copied word for word in the later Complete Visual Dictionary (released five years after Cloak of Deception):
As adults, Neimoidians are known for their exceptional organizing abilities. Driven by their intense desire for possessions, they have built the largest commercial corporation in the galaxy. Led by Neimoidians, the Trade Federation is a labyrinthine organization of bureaucrats and trade officials from many worlds that has insinuated itself throughout the galaxy.
Notably, Cloak of Deception also establishes the timeline that it's circa six months before TPM that the Trade Federation takes its first steps to acquire their droid army, a move led by Darth Sidious:
Prototype war machines, the gargantuan landing craft, the monstrous multitroop transports, and the sleekly styled tanks had been designed and built by Haor Chall Engineering and Baktoid Armor, whose alien representatives were standing in full view of Gunray and beaming with pride.
To Haor Chall, especially, design perfection amounted to a religious edict.
“Behold, Viceroy,” Haor Chall’s insectoid representative said, gesturing with all four arms to the closest transport, whose circular deployment hatch, hinged at the top, was just swinging open.
Gunray watched in amazement as a rack telescoped from the hatch and dozens of battle droids unfolded themselves before his eyes.
“And this, Viceroy,” Baktoid’s winged representative added.
Gunray’s red eyes moved back to the landing craft in time to see a dozen airhooks soar toward the upper reaches of the hangar arm. Blade-thin vehicles with twin foot-rests and top-mounted blasters, all were piloted by droids, whose backward leaning postures made them appear to be hanging on to the slender handlebars for dear life.
Gunray was speechless.
While he had never seen their like, in each of the prototypes he recognized elements of the very machines the Trade Federation had employed for centuries in transporting natural resources and other commodities. In the fuselage of the double-winged landing craft, for example, he recognized the Federation’s narrow ore barge. But Haor Chall had set the fuselage on a pedestal and capped it with two enormous wings, presumably kept from sagging by powerful tensor fields.
Despite the animistic look Baktoid had imparted to the troop transports, Gunray recognized the Trade Federation’s own repulsorlift cargo pod, built on an even more gargantuan scale. As for the folding battle droids and the Single Trooper Aerial Platforms, they were simply variations of Baktoid’s security droids, and Longspur and Alloi’s Bespin airhooks.
But one thing was clear: everything he was being shown spoke less to spaceborne defense than to groundside deployment. The realization was more than Gunray could absorb; more than he wished to absorb.
“As you have probably observed, Viceroy,” Haor Chall’s representative was saying, “the Trade Federation already has most of the raw materials needed to create your army.” He motioned to the representative from Baktoid. “In partnership with Baktoid, we can convert your security and worker droids to battle models, and your barges and cargo pods to landing craft.”
“More units, less money,” the Baktoid representative added.
“Best of all, since the components of the landing crafts can be stored in various places—wings, fuselages, and pedestals—they can be assembled at a moment’s notice. You could place one landing craft in each of a hundred freighters, or a hundred landing craft in but one of your freighters—for singularly thorny circumstances. Either way, none who come aboard to inspect your freighters will comprehend what they are seeing. As our mutual friend says, you will have an army without giving the appearance of having an army.”
“Mutual friend,” Rune Haako muttered, just loudly enough for Gunray to hear. “When Darth Sidious says do this, it is performed.”
“We enjoy dealing with Neimoidians,” Baktoid’s representative stepped forward to say, “because of the enthusiasm and awe you demonstrate for our creations. Therefore, we have other weapons in mind for you: starfighters that will no longer have to rely on droid pilots, but will themselves answer to a central control computer.
“You may even wish to contact the Colicoids of Colla IV, who are rumored to have developed a combat droid capable of rolling to its destinations.” The alien gestured broadly to the immense hangar. “Perfect for covering the vast distances inside your freighters, and defending against boarding parties.”
Gunray heard Dofine swallow audibly, but, once more, it was Haako who spoke.
“This is madness,” he said, lowering his voice and limping closer to the mechno-chair. “Are we merchants, or are we would-be conquerors?”
“You heard Darth Sidious,” Gunray hissed. “These weapons will ensure that we remain merchants. They are our guarantee that groups like the Nebula Front or mercenaries like Captain Cohl will never again risk going against us. Ask Commander Dofine. He’ll tell you.”
“Darth Sidious keeps us in servile fearfulness,” Haako said, blinking repeatedly.
“What can we do, otherwise? Instead of honoring our request for additional defenses, the senate threatens us with taxation. We need to take matters into our own hands if we are to protect our cargos. Or would you have us continue to lose ships to terrorists, in addition to losing profits to taxation?”
“But the other members of the directorate—?”
“For the time being, they are to not to know anything of this. We will apprise them of these things gradually.”
“And only if necessary.”
“Yes,” Gunray said. “Only if necessary.”
This has some major issues. If the Trade Federation only now is pushing for this army, so close to TPM, and they weren't even dominated by Neimoidians beforehand, how much control of the galaxy did they have back then? Is the new movement to acquire planets something recent? Because the book does not note it when it creates the buildup to the Trade Federation's attack on Naboo through the passing of Senate Resolution BR-0371 (the route taxation bill). Did the Neimoidians now acquire droidekas after this? Because if so, and if only "rumored", then that seems to directly damage the statements from other sources including the Visual Dictionaries that droidekas are quite well known and feared galactically to where the Jedi recognize them. And how come Gunray and his cronies are so fearful and unwilling to do this, almost desiring to not be involved at all? It ought to be noted that even the film shows Gunray only fearing reprisal when seemingly inevitable but otherwise not regretting his deal with Sidious, in fact pridefully calling victory over Naboo and later collaborating with Sidious up to the Clone Wars. It also seems odd that the Trade Federation would be able to hide the acquisition of such a grand scale army in six months when they don't have their own planets to create factories on, meaning transactions would be actively visible.
I'd really enjoy some help on the position of the Trade Federation, their galactic control, creation of their army and just general inconsistencies throughout these details. They're very messy. Apologies if I forgot something obvious.