Nute Gunray

> "I am not signing your treaty until I have her head on my desk."
>
> ―Nute Gunray speaking to Count Dooku about Senator Amidala

**Nute Gunray** was a male Neimoidian who served as the Viceroy of the Trade Federation. He was manipulated by Darth Sidious to blockade the planet Naboo. Gunray invaded the planet but was eventually beaten by Queen Amidala. Gunray was then put on trial. However, the outcome of the trials was the consequence of a fine, which was insignificant next to Gunray's almost limitless wealth. Gunray remained Viceroy and ten years later, he let the Federation join the Separatist Alliance, making him a leading member of the Separatist Council. Throughout the war, Gunray was imprisoned by the Galactic Republic but was freed by Asajj Ventress. Gunray was later sent to Mustafar, where he was killed.

## Biography

### Blockade of Naboo

In 32 BBY, Viceroy Nute Gunray was manipulated by a Sith Lord named Darth Sidious into blockading the small planet Naboo. Supreme Chancellor Valorum sent two Jedi to go and negotiate with Gunray and hopefully end the blockade. After the Jedi arrived, Gunray's protocal droid, TC-14 informed Gunray and Captain Dofine that the ambassadors were Jedi. Panicked, Gunray contacted Sidious, who told the Viceroy to dispose of the Jedi and invade Naboo. However, the Jedi survived and attempted to make their way onto the bridge. Luckily for Gunray, several Droidekas arrived and chased the Jedi away.

### Invasion of Naboo

Gunray's droid army invaded Naboo and after capturing Theed, Gunray and his aide, Rune Haako went down to the planet. In order to make the invasion legal, Gunray tried to make Queen Amidala sign a treaty. After she refused several times, Gunray had a squad of his droids to transport her to a detention camp. However, she was rescued by the same Jedi and left the planet. Gunray and Haako contacted Sidious, who told them that his apprentice, Darth Maul, would find and capture Queen Amidala.

As the invasion progressed, Gunray formed an Occupation Council, who helped him keep control of the planet. Queen Amidala and the Jedi soon returned to the planet in an attempt to stop the invasion. Amidala and a squad of her guards entered the palace, planning to capture Gunray. However, they were captured by droids and brought to Gunray, who tried to make her sign the treaty once more. But Amidala's decoy arrived and Gunray, believing she was the real queen, sent most of his droids after her. This allowed the real Queen Amidala and her squad to overpower the remaining droids and capture Gunray, Haako and his Occupation Council. Soon after, the droid control ship was destroyed and the invasion ended.

### Trials in the Supreme Court

After the Naboo Crisis, Nute Gunray spent the next four years of his life undergoing trials in court for his crimes. His lawyers worked hard to make sure that he wasn't found guilty. Gunray was trialed four times and Rune Haako, seven. Both Neimoidians escaped with no charges except for legal fees.

### Separatist Crisis

Ten years later, Gunray agreed to join Count Dooku's Separatist Alliance, under the agreement that he had Amidala killed. Gunray later attended the execution of Amidala, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi on Geonosis. However, the execution was put to a stop as Mace Windu and countless Jedi arrived and saved them, with the help of the Republic's clone army. The Separatist droid armies attacked the Republic's army and the Battle of Geonosis began. Gunray and the Separatist Council retreated into their war room. Gunray later fled in his shuttle. This battle ended the Separatist Crisis and was the start of the Clone Wars.

### Clone Wars

#### Capture

##### Arrival on Rodia

Sometime after the Battle of Geonosis, the senator of Rodia, Onaconda Farr, appealed to Gunray for help after Rodia was attacked by pirates. Gunray agreed to send supplies to Rodia in exchange for the capture Padmé Amidala. Farr was a close friend to Amidala and called for her to come to Rodia. Amidala was escorted to Rodia by her protocol droid, C-3PO and Gungan, Jar Jar Binks. When Amidala arrived on Naboo, she and C-3PO were captured.

When Gunray arrived, his plans hit an obstacle when Jar Jar accidentally fooled Gunray's battle droids by making them believe he was a Jedi. During the chaos, Amidala and C-3PO were able to escape their imprisonment and contact the Republic for assistance before they were captured again. Gunray called for a trio of droidekas to execute Amidala and the protocol droid. However, before the execution could happen, Binks and a Kwazel Maw monster burst out of the swamp and overpowered the battle droids.

Gunray attempted to flee to his shuttle, which was destroyed by the monster. Soon after, Gunray was held at gunpoint by Amidala. When Farr arrived, he revealed that he and Amidala had planned to trap Gunray. The Neimoidian was then arrested by Republic clone troopers who arrived moments later.

##### Escape

Gunray was transferred to a Republic Star Destroyer named *Tranquility*, which would transport him to Coruscant, where he would be put on trial. Due to his high status and power within the Separatist ranks, Jedi Luminara Unduli and Ahsoka Tano, along with a squad of Senate guards led by Captain Argyus and a clone trooper squad led by Commander Gree, were dispatched to guard Gunray.

In response to Gunray's capture, Count Dooku and Darth Sidious dispatched Dark Side assassin, Asajj Ventress to rescue Gunray. While in captivity, Gunray was interrogated by Unduli and Tano. When Gunray refused to co-operate, Tano threatened to kill the Viceroy. Not long after, Separatist forces attacked *Tranquility* and Ventress, as well as Separatist droids boarded the ship.

Unknown to the Jedi, Captain Argyus was a traitor hired by Dooku to free Gunray. Argyus overpowered the Senate guards and freed Gunray from his cell. While Ventress fought the Jedi and caused havoc throughout the ship, Argyus and Gunray fled into a *Consular*-class cruiser and fled *Tranquility*. Ventress soon joined the pair and murdered Argyus by impaling him with her lightsaber. She then greeted Gunray.

#### Assisting Count Dooku

After his escape, Gunray participated in a plot to lure Jedi Master Kit Fisto and his former Padawan, Nahdar Vebb to the lair of General Grievous. A hologram of Gunray was used to deceive them by making the Jedi think that he was in the lair himself. When they confronted his hologram, Gunray laughed as he welcomed them to their doom.

#### Working with Cad Bane

Darth Sidious ordered Gunray to lend bounty hunter Cad Bane several battleships from the Federation fleet. When Gunray contacted Bane via hologram, he was furious to learn that Bane had lost four of Gunray's ships in a battle. The Viceroy demanded compensation and Bane informed him that Sidious would compensate the Neimoidian after Bane opened a Jedi Kyber memory crystal.

Not long after, Bane reported his success to Gunray. The Viceroy offered to send him a rescue ship if he disclosed the data from the crystal. However, Bane refused. The bounty hunter escaped as the last of Gunray's fleet was destroyed.

#### Last days of the war

By the end of the war, the Separatist Council was being transferred from planet to planet. By the time they had been transferred to the Outer Rim world of Utapau, the Council had a meeting with General Grievous, who informed them that they would be sent to the volcanic planet of Mustafar for their safety. Despite Gunray expressing his doubts in Grievous' ability to keep them safe, Grievous sent the Council to their shuttle.

Shortly after the Council arrived on Mustafar, they were contacted one final time by Darth Sidious, who informed them that his new apprentice, Darth Vader, was coming to reward them for their efforts.

### Death

When Darth Vader arrived, Gunray greeted the Sith Lord. However, Sidious had betrayed the Council, after they had outlived their usefulness. Vader ignited his lightsaber and began cutting down members of the Council. Gunray was the last Separatist standing at the end of the slaughter. He begged for mercy, telling Vader that Sidious had promised them peace. However, the Neimoidian was killed mid-sentence.

## Appearances

* Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (First appearance)
* Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars film (In flashbacks)
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Supply Lines (Mentioned only)
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Rookies (Mentioned only)
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Bombad Jedi
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Cloak of Darkness
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Lair of Grievous
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Cargo of Doom
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars - The Zillo Beast (Gunship art only)
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Senate Spy (In flashbacks)
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Sphere of Influence (Mentioned only)
* Star Wars: The Clone Wars - Hostage Crisis (In flashbacks)
* Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith
* Darth Vader 7 (Appears as corpse)
* Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures - Luke vs. Emperor Palpatine - Rise to Evil (In flashbacks)