Metatheran Cartel One of the main power groups in the Cularin system in the time leading up to the creation of the Empire , the Metatheran Cartel was a trade organization similar to the Trade Federation . It was formed when two member species of the Trade Federation , the Caarite s and the Filordi , split off during the blockade of Naboo ( 31 BBY ) , fearing the consequences of the failure of that operation . The Caarites were the instigators of this split . History . The Metatheran Cartel chose the Cularin system as the starting place to build up their own power base , opposing the Trade Federation and inviting the Sullustans and other species to operate in Cularin . The Trade Federation was busy with the Naboo blockade , but hired pirates to harass Cartel shipping . This conflict was known locally as the Trade Wars . When word spread of the Federation ' s loss at the Battle of Naboo , the pirates believed they would not be paid and changed sides due to an offer of the Cartel . This ended the conflict . Despite breaking off from the Trade Federation , it wasn ' t a philosophical split . In addition to having legitimate business concerns , the Metatheran Cartel employed many similar tactics as the Federation . Nevertheless , as soon as the Cartel had strengthened its hold on Cularin , it turned against the piracy using patrol ships . They could not , however , stop the piracy altogether . The Cartel made both legitimate and illegal business , ignoring their own trade regulations : They dealt with other interests , including SoroSuub Corporation and Sienar Fleet Systems , offering them partnership with preferential trade status , but not membership in the Cartel ; they hired , sponsored and pursued smugglers to obtain illegal goods and to handle competitors ; they hired pirates to attack smugglers and opposed businesses . The leaders of the Cartel pursued their individual agendas , not worrying about the Cartel ' s long - term goals . There was no central business organization within the Cartel , so individual Cartel leaders could end up working at cross - purposes accidentally , with speakers trying to repair the P . R . debacle later . The Cartel , while centered on Cularin , also opened offices in the homeworlds of its member species , Filordis and Caarimon . In Cularin , the Cartel was based in the platform city of Tindark , which was also the base of their allies of SoroSuub Corporation . The Cartel owned a part of the local spaceport , and rented landing platforms . Some people believe the Cartel used Trade Federation droidekas instead of patrol officers to keep local security . The initial face of the Cartel was the Metatheran envoy to the Cularin system , Velin Wir . Wir had built a base in the Cularin jungles in secret from Cularin ' s residents . Though the base was soon revealed , Wir engaged in illegal activities , such as hiring pirates to steal from the competition and cutting down ch ' hala tree s . A resistance group came together on Cularin , fearing that the Cartel would be just like the Federation , and gathered together proof of Wir ' s actions . The Cartel suspected something was amiss , and had armed guards patrolling the streets of Gadrin and Hedrett . They also tracked the resistance to their secret base and attacked it with a Caarite hit squad in reprisal for some secret data the resistance had stolen . The resistance attacked the jungle base to gain two final files containing evidence , and Velin Wir was killed during the attack . Wir was declared to have been acting on his own as a rogue , and his replacement Thurm Loogg spent much of his time as envoy trying to live down that public relations debacle . One of Loogg ' s first tasks in Cularin was to attempt to negotiate reestablishing offices on the surface of Cularin after Velin Wir ' s actions destroyed any trust the Cartel might have had . Governor Barnab Chistor of Gadrin ordered a vote but , after a vote ended in a tie , ultimately refused his petition . Loogg than presented a warship as a gift to the people of Cularin , claiming it as a gesture of goodwill , but probably was an attempt to buy his way back into their good graces . Soon afterwards , the Metatheran Cartel was contacted by The Cell , a faction of Nirama ' s criminal Organization unhappy with Nirama ' s personal policies . The Cell wanted to oust Nirama and ally with the Cartel , the most powerful trading force in the Cularin system , to create a business monopoly and exploit the available resources , including native Tarasin s as slaves , in ways that Nirama opposed . However , the Cell was discovered and disbanded by Nirama before that could happen . Cartel representatives , including Loogg , attended to the SoroSuub Anniversary celebration , 31 BBY in Genarius . The Cartel disturbed SoroSuub ' s Miim Te ' Suub annual speech by overimposing their logo over him . Te ' Suub got furious and heatedly argued with Loogg , with the mediation of attending diplomats and Jedi consuls . The uniform of the Cartel ' s security forces consisted of dark gray flight suits with a design of four silver stars placed on the left breast . Officers were distinguished by red bars on their collars . During the years before the Clone Wars , the Human Tobb Jadak infiltrated the Cartel while on a mission for the Republic Group .