Separatist Alliance

In the decades prior to the Clone Wars, the Galactic Republic was seen by many as a failing government, plagued by corruption and mindless bureaucracy that stifled the voices of many constituents represented in the Galactic Senate. Secession grew during the period following the Invasion of Naboo, and the commerce guilds and trading corporations became disillusioned with the Republic after the law was passed to place taxation on all trade routes to outlying star systems. Into this critical situation stepped Count Dooku, a former Jedi who had become disillusioned with the Republic and the Jedi Order that served it. This charismatic figure stirred up anti-Republic sentiments on many worlds, paving the way for a rebellion against the government. A loose affiliation of separatists was formed, with Dooku at their head, pushing for a new government to take the place of the stagnant Republic. Eventually, this movement established itself as the **Separatist Alliance**, a body formally opposed to the Galactic Republic.

The members of the Separatist movement included the Corporate Alliance, Trade Federation, Commerce Guild, InterGalactic Banking Clan and the Techno Union. Although the Republic recognized that many of its member worlds were in rebellion, it refused to formally acknowledge the existence of the Separatists as their common government, deeming that doing so would legitimize it. Unknown to the Republic, Dooku was also Darth Tyranus, apprentice to Darth Sidious, who had previous ties with the Trade Federation ordered the Invasion of Naboo. Under the guise of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine of the Republic, Sidious had used Tyranus as the public leader for the Separatists in the Sith plot to destroy the Jedi Order and transform the galaxy. The secessionist movement that began twenty-four years before the Battle of Yavin would lead to a political crisis in which tensions escalated between the newly-formed alliance and the reigning Galactic Republic.

Twenty-two years before the Battle of Yavin, the Separatists and the Republic went to war using their respective military forces the Separatist Droid Army and the Republic Clone Army, resulting in a pan-galactic conflict for the first time in a millennium. The following three years would see the Clone Wars wage across the galaxy with the Separatists rapidly attempting to bring the Republic to its knees. Towards the end of the conflict, the Confederacy suffered several major defeats in the Outer Rim Sieges as the end of the war approached. After Dooku's death, the Separatist Council was executed on Mustafar by Darth Vader under the command of Darth Sidious. With the subsequent shutdown of the Droid Army, the organization rapidly collapsed as the war came to an end. Following the end of hostilities, trade groups that had supported the cause were nationalized, and most of its remaining star systems rejoined the successor state of the Galactic Republic, the Galactic Empire, whether voluntarily or under threat.

## Separatist Leadership

### Separatist Council

The **Separatist Council** was a governing body made up of the leaders of wealthy, influential galactic trade groups that backed Count Dooku’s Separatist Alliance, supporting it with warships, droid armies and a steady stream of credits. Its members included the Trade Federation’s Nute Gunray, the Corporate Alliance’s Passel Argente, the InterGalactic Banking Clan’s San Hill, the Commerce Guild’s Shu Mai, the Techno Union’s Wat Tambor, Poggle the Lesser of Geonosis, and Senators Po Nudo and Tikkes. The members of the Council participated actively during the war, leading brigades of battle droids against the forces of the Republic, though mainly to further their own ends. Shortly after the death of the Separatist public leader, Dooku, the Council was placed under the personal protection of General Grievous, Supreme Commander of the Droid Army, and now leader of the Separatist Movement and the Council. The entire Council was slaughtered by Darth Vader on Mustafar, bringing an end to the Clone Wars.

### Separatist Parliament

The **Separatist Senate**, was the civilian legislature that governed the Confederacy of Independent Systems, representing thousands of its member worlds during the Clone Wars. When Count Dooku founded the Confederacy twenty-four years before the Battle of Yavin, the swathes of sectors and star systems seceding from the Galactic Republic formed their own congressional assembly to oversee the Separatist state. A number of the appointed delegates, having served as members of the Republic Senate prior to their secession, continued to represent their constituents in the Confederacy. Although the voices of the Senate gained a role in state matters, various elements of the Separatist hierarchy often rendered them ineffective. The corporate interests on the Separatist Council also made governmental decisions, and Dooku himself who was secretly the Sith Darth Tyranus, who manipulated situations to ensure that pan-galactic war continued for the purposesof the Sith.

## Separatist Benefactors

### Trade Federation

The **Trade Federation** was a interstellar shipping and trade conglomerate during the waning years of the Republic, one so powerful that it had its own representatives in the Senate. The Federation grew to dominate entire Star Systems and all major trade routes, and possessed an formidable private military and droid army. Trade Federation would often force planets into exclusive contracts, which in several circumstances gave them their ability to blockade several planets and control system politics. By the last decades of the Republic, it had evolved into a powerful commerce guild, trade cartel, megacorporation, and lobbying group in its own right as a association of business and trade groups, with a commercial trade fleet. Towards the end of the Republic, it would become increasingly dominated by commerce-savvy Neimoidians. Its immense influence made it the favored pawn of a Dark Lord Darth Sidious, who manipulated Viceroy Nute Gunray to stoke dissatisfaction in the systems the Federation controlled, sowing seeds for war that'd destroy the Republic. One of the wealthiest corporate groups in their galaxy, they controlled most interstellar shipping passing through rim territories.

Viceroy Nute Gunray's secret affiliation with the Sith led to the blockade and invasion of a peaceful planet of Naboo and cause a crisis in the Republic government in protest against increased taxation, although their occupation was thwarted by Queen Padmé Amidala and her forces. After their defeat on Naboo and Viceroy Nute Gunray escaped imprisonment, the Trade Federation and numerous other megacorporations sided with Count Dooku's Separatist movement out of fear of nationalization by the Republic, pledging droid forces to the Separatist Alliance, and the Federation fought a Republic and Jedi armies throughout the Clone Wars. Again under a Lord Sidious' influence, the Federation played a major role in the Clone Wars, and its large droid army and fleet formed the core of their CIS military. During the Clone Wars, the Trade Federation secretly signed on as a member of Dooku's organization, though representatives in the Republic senate tried to deny this while lobbying for even greater power. By the end of the war, Sidious betrayed Gunray and orchestrated the CIS' defeat, and the Trade Federation was dissolved and nationalized by an Sith Sidious' newly-formed Galactic Empire.

#### Hoersch-Kessel Drive Inc.

**Hoersch-Kessel Drive, Inc.**, also called the **Hoersch-Kessel Driveworks Inc.** company was a successful and an well-known starship manufacturer that produced such vessels as a *Lucrehulk*-Class LH-3210 cargo freighter and *Munificent*-Class star frigate. The manufacturer was an influential business during the days of the Old Galactic Republic, and was a subsidiary of this Trade Federation and produced numerous vehicles for this Trade Federation, including their *Lucrehulk*-Class battleship. Hoersch-Kessel Drive Inc. helped produce starships for an confederacy of Independent Systems along with the Free Dac Volunteers Engineering Corps, which included a *Recusant*-Class Light destroyer and *Munificent*-Class star frigate. In a attempt to make HKD more profitable, its owners closed down this corporation, shutting down factories and design divisions. This did drive many designers and engineers away from the corporation, weakening this company.

### Techno Union

The **Techno Union** was an commerce guild comprised of an large coalition of high technology firms formed primarily of heavy manufacturing concerns. The Techno Union lobbied the Galactic Senate on behalf of the members' interests and attempted to ensure fair commerce between members. In time, a Techno Union would grow to include galactic shipping magnates to further ensure the free flow of goods. During the Crisis leading up to the Clone War, the Techno Union was one of the first to pledge the support to a newly formed Confederacy of Independent Systems, and went on to be one of the major suppliers of starships, battle droids, and other weapons for the Separatist cause during the Clone War. During this time, the group was led by Foreman Wat Tambor. They were responsible for a design of many of the droids used by the Separatist Droid Army, including the B1 and B2 battle droids. Techno Union claimed neutrality in the Clone War, and were even represented by Senator Gume Saam in the Senate, but in deeds continued to support the Separatists cause. They also created many research and development projects for the CIS ranging from weapons to experiments. After the war ended and Wat Tambor was slain Techno Union was dissolved and absorbed by the newly formed Galactic Empire.

#### Baktoid Combat Automata

**Baktoid Combat Automata** was a company that manufactured battle droids, with an majority of its products becoming part of this Separatist Droid Army. It was the sister company to Baktoid Armor Workshop, both of which were owned by the Techno Union and contracted with the Trade Federation. Its factories at Geonosis and other worlds had cranked out countless battle droids for the Separatists during the Clone Wars. Although both companies shared similar origins and a boards of directors, the two companies were otherwise distinctly dissimilar. While Baktoid Armor Workshop was more of an public business specializing in creating the vehicles and large weapons, Baktoid Combat Automata operated more in secret, providing the Trade Federation with illegal droids and smaller blaster weapons for the Droid Army. This company was effectively wiped from existence when the Clone Wars did end and this Techno Union was absorbed by the Empire.

#### Baktoid Armor Workshop

The **Baktoid Armor Workshop** was a company responsible for the production of weapons, vehicles and droids used by the Trade Federation during the Invasion of Naboo, and later the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars against the Galactic Republic. In order to build an secret army, the Trade Federation provided Baktoid with funding for a complete line of ground assault vehicles and transports, and with Trade Federation support, Baktoid began work at several new craft. During development of these vehicles, the company made a conscious effort to adhere to their unified design style, resulting in a line of vehicles reminiscent of large and dangerous animals. This Baktoid design tended to be heavily armored, with delicate or important components placed in secure, well protected areas near the rear of the craft. Early vehicles were rarely made with weapons, but had possessed weapon emplacement allowing combat modification.

#### Geonosian Industries

**Geonosian Industries** was a Geonosian company controlled by Poggle the Lesser during the time of the Clone Wars. It was responsible for manufacturing thousands of battle droids and other Geonosian-made weapons for the Confederacy of Independent Systems. It was also a subsidiary of the Techno Union. The Gordarl Weaponsmiths and the Huppla Pasa Tisc Shipwrights Collective both fell under umbrella at Geonosian Industries. Baktoid combat automata's subcontracted Geonosian Foundries were also likely part of the greater company. Throughout the course of the Clone War, Geonosians pledged their planet's factories to the Confederate cause, resulting in the creation of new battle droids and weapons for the Confederacy. The Separatists activities led to two major Battles of Geonosis, both of which ended with the Republic victory and resulted in their Separatist retreat from Geonosis as the world had fallen into the hands of Galactic Republic.

#### Colicoid Creation Nest

The **Colicoid Creation Nest** was an primary droid manufacturing company at Colla IV active during an era of the Clone Wars. The Colicoid Creation Nest was operated by their Colicoids, who developed their destroyer droid products in their own image. The Nest company also designed the Droid tri-fighter used during the Clone Wars. Divisions of the Colicoid Creation Nest included Colla Designs and Phlac-Arphocc Automata Industries. One of their notable products created by the Colicoids was Droideka droid, which was designed by carnivorous Colicoids of Colla IV, who were displeased by the limitations of Baktoid Combat Automata's basic B1 Battle Droids, and chiefly manufactured on their home planet. Other products produced by the company during the Clone Wars were the Pistoeka sabotage droids, the *Trident*-class assault ships, and many other of powerful Battle Droid variant products to be used by an Confederacy of Independent Systems.

#### Haor Chall Engineering

**Haor Chall Engineering** were a Droid and Starship manufacturing company founded by an fanatic polytheistic religious order of the Xi Charrians that devoted itself to high-precision manufacturing, and to that end, they'd founded Haor Chall Engineering. The insectoid Xi Charrians then worked at cathedral-factories on the planet of Charros. They had designed the *Vulture*-Class Starfighters, which they built in their cathedral factories. In this company in which their zealots worked tirelessly to produce the experimental starfighters and engine technologies. Haor Chall Engineering was one of the more unusual manufacturers, creating cathedral factories. Shortly before Naboo invasion, Trade Federation had contracted Xi Char to create some of the vehicles and droids used during this conflict. During the Clone War, company products were used by the Confederacy, until the Republic sent the military to destroy the factories on Charros, crippling this company.

### InterGalactic Banking Clan

The **InterGalactic Banking Clan** also known as a **InterGalactic Bank Clan** or **IG Banking Clan** and often abbreviated to **IGBC** or **IBC** or simply known as **Banking Clan**, was one of the most powerful and influential commerce guilds in the galaxy and the most important organization in the Outer Rim. Its name likely referred to extragalactic influence as it was known that their banking clan controlled assets as far as halfway between the galaxy and a nearest satellite galaxy. The Banking Clan had during the Clone Wars joined the Separatist Alliance, and its chairman, San Hill, was given a place in the Separatist council. Additionally, the Sith Order was heavily involved with the Banking Clan, secretly manipulating the organization. The Banking Clan itself officially was neutral in the war, still conducting business with the Republic, though at exorbitant interest rates. As a result of their alliance with the Separatists, the IBC was at the verge of bankruptcy as a Clone War neared its close. Senator Rush Clovis exposed the corruption of the leading Core Five and became the head of the bank, though following the invasion at Scipio, control of their entire organization was placed under the jurisdiction of the office of current Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine of the Galactic Republic, effectively nationalizing the banks.

#### Muunilinst Banking Clan

The **Muunilinst Banking Clan** was a division of the InterGalactic Banking Clan based on an Banking Clan colony world Muunilinst which was inhabited by members of the Muun species. At the outset of the Clone Wars, San Hill, chairman of that Muunilinst Banking Clan, secretly allied the commerce guild with Separatist movement leader Dooku's Confederacy of Independent Systems, donating the IG-227 *Hailfire*-Class Droid tanks to a growing Separatist Droid Army and helping fund construction of the early in development Death Star I battle station superweapon. Even after control of Intergalactic Banking Clan was ceded to the Office of the Supreme Chancellor, the Muunilinst Banking Clan continued supporting the Separatists and became entrenched on planet Mygeeto, an Banking Clan stronghold. However, a newly formed Galactic Empire nationalized their assets after Hill was unceremoniously executed by the Dark Sith-Lord Darth Vader at Mustafar.

### Commerce Guild

The **Commerce Guild**, sometimes known as the **Commerce Guilds**, was an organization active in the final decades of the Galactic Republic. Like the Trade Federation, Corporate Alliance and the InterGalactic Banking Clan, the Commerce Guild had its own security force. This Commerce Guild was also politically powerful as it was economic and had several corrupt planetary officials, senators, and industrial spies in its fold. In the final decades of the old Galactic Republic their Commerce Guild's leader was Presidente of the Commerce Guild Shu Mai, who was present in a meeting of Separatists leaders on the Outer Rim planet of Geonosis which saw the birth of their Confederacy of Independent Systems. Shu Mai knew that support of the Separatists would be treason against the Galactic Republic, but she could not resist the lure of promised wealth. Shu allied the Commerce Guild with this Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars, and supplied armies of battle droids to the Droid Army and starships to the starfleet. Following the execution of Shu Mai at Mustafar by Darth Vader, the trade conglomerate made up of major commercial entities had ceased to exist, their last holdings were absorbed by Empire as it was imperialized. Their guild was known for pressuring small companies to join.

### Corporate Alliance

The **Corporate Alliance** was one of the galaxy's powerful conglomerate commerce trading guilds active during the last decades for the Old Galactic Republic. It was the negotiating body for several of their galaxy's largest commercial firms. Headquartered at Murkhana City, Murkhana, the members wielded large financial and economical influence, making the Corporate Alliance a wealthy and influential member of Galactic Republic's Senate. Members and consumers alike were encouraged to identify with the Corporate Alliance in a near-religious way. In the last years of an Old Republic the group was led by the Koorivar Magistrate Passel Argente, and during this time their Corporate Alliance would pledge its forces resources including warships and deadly tank droids to an Count Dooku's Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Secessionist Movement, earning the Magistrate place on their Separatists Council during the Clone Wars, as well as representation in the Separatist Parliament by Senator Voe Atell. At the conclusion of this war, Passel Argente was killed at Mustafar yet the Corporate Alliance was able to survive the Clone Wars and the transformation of a Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire, unlike other Confederate affiliated groups that were shut down and imperialized by the Empire.

### Free Dac Volunteers Engineering Corps

**Free Dac Volunteers Engineering Corps** also called **Quarren Free Dac Volunteers Engineering Corps** or **QFD**, was an starship manufacturer faction active during the Clone Wars made primarily of Quarren Separatists that countered the Republic-loyal Mon Calamari Shipyards. They were most notoriously known for producing an starship *Providence*-class dreadnought warship. This QFD was primarily comprised of Quarrens, a speciesnative to the planet Dac, who had allied themselves with their Confederacy of Independent Systems. They had a partnership with the shipwright business called Pammant Docks, and factories located on the world of the same name. They had factories on the Quarren colony world of Pammant where they constructed the *Providence*-class carrier/destroyers at Pammant Docks. The General Grievous' flagships, the *Malevolence* and *Invisible Hand* were also built there by the company. The QID company had shipyards at the Commerce Guild water planet Minntooine where they cooperated with Techno Union and Hoersch-Kessel Drive, Inc. to produce *Recusant*-class light destroyers. Their organization had fled Dac after the Mon Calamari summoned Galactic Republic military forces to intervene in the world Dac's civil war with the Confederacy of Independent Systems Quarren.

### Quarren Isolation League

The **Quarren Isolation League** was a pro-Quarren Confederate organization based on the world of Dac that allied itself with the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars, a group that believed their Quarren should not be ruled by the Mon Calamari monarchy. It was led by such influential Quarren as Chieftain Nossor Ri and politician Tikkes, who believed the Mon Calamari royal heir, Lee-Char, was too young to inherit the throne. They had received the backing of Separatists ambassador Riff Tamson, the previous royal King's secret assassin, who sought to exploit their League to conquer all Mon Cala. While Quarren had before seldom bothered with representation in the Republic's government, for the last years prior to secession, the Quarren exclusively represented their planet in the Galactic Republic's Senate. Riff Tamson spearheaded an attack on the Mon Calamari flanked by their aqua droids, *Trident*-class ships and later Hydroid Medusas. Although they defeated the Mon Calamari Guard, their Republic and Jedi allies, then the Gungan Grand Army, Lee-Char convinced Nossor Ri to turn on Riff Tamson after that Karkarodon revealed he made a deal with Dooku to take control of the planet. After Riff Tamson was killed, Lee-Char was crowned king with Mon Calamari and Quarren backing.

## Separatist Military

The **Separatist military** was the military force of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and it consisted of its military assets aligned against the Galactic Republic during the Separatist Crisis and the Clone Wars, with the two main branches including the Separatist Droid Army and the Separatist naval forces. The Separatist military consisted of an an amalgam of military forces from the various allied organizations within the Alliance such as the army of the Techno Union, which was placed at the disposal of the Separatists. In addition to the standard battle droids as their infantry other worlds also provided military units such as Umbara's militia, Zygerria's royal guard, and several Kage Warriors. The Confederate Head of State held supreme authority at a civilian level as Commander-in-Chief, while military authority was chiefly under the purview of the Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies, General Grievous. The military was dissolved when the Separatist Council was slaughtered by Darth Vader at the order of Darth Sidious, and a command was given for most of the droid forces to be shut down.

### Separatist Army

The **Separatist Droid Army** was the ground army force of the Separatist Alliance during the Clone Wars, part of the Confederate military. The army was mostly built by Baktoid Combat Automata and led by the alien cyborg General Grievous. Perhaps the largest droid army ever assembled, the army of the Separatist greatly outnumbered the clone soldiers of the Republic by far. The army was cobbled together from the droid soldiers of the Commerce Guild, the Corporate Alliance, the InterGalactic Banking Clan, the Techno Union, and the Trade Federation. Though the Confederacy made use of a wide variety of droid soldiers, the most notable among these were the B2 Super Battle Droids and the B1 Battle Droids, which saw combat in countless battles during the war.

### Separatist Navy

The **Separatist navy**, known more commonly as the **Separatist fleet**, was the naval division of the Separatist military during the Clone Wars. It was created during the height of the Separatist Crisis to bring a means of defense against the Galactic Republic. The capital ship fleet was augmented by its legions of starfighters, which were composed largely of Droid Tri-Fighters and, in particular, *Vulture*-Droid Starfighters. The backbone of the navy was comprised of a relatively small number of capital ship classes, led by the *Invisible Hand* until its destruction at the Battle of Coruscant. The Confederate Navy was also home to some experimental  superweapons, with the most notable example being the massive *Malevolence*, a heavy cruiser equipped with a pair of ion pulse cannons designed to disable Republic capital ships.