SWGB civilizations
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This information on SWGB civilizations is taken from from the Battlegrounds Databank
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Galactic Battle Grounds Civilizations
Galactic Empire
For thousands of years, the Old Republic ruled the galaxy, attempting to bring together hundreds of star systems under a democratic rule. Unfortunately, the massive Republic became bloated and corrupt over time, leading to discontent and suspicion among its subjects. Unable to maintain control in the galaxy, the Republic found itself at odds with the massive Trade Federation and other groups. Capitalizing on this discord and conflict, Emperor Palpatine rose to power. He took complete control of the government and instituted the so-called New Order, under the pretense of ending the Old Republic's corruption. However, his true agenda focused on total domination of the galaxy. Under Palpatine's rule, the Old Republic was transformed into the Empire, a tyrannical and oppressive government that attempted to enforce order and loyalty through force and fear. Alien races were eradicated or enslaved, entire industries and star systems were nationalized, and terror became a way of life. Slavery was rampant throughout the Empire, and social injustice flourished. Even the Jedi Knights, the last beacon of light in a rapidly darkening galaxy, were pursued and murdered during this dark time.
To further solidify his position, Palpatine surrounded himself with powerful minions, including the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader. Eventually, Palpatine even abolished the Imperial Senate, allowing his loyal Moffs to rule portions of his domain as regional governors. Imperial stormtroopers, anonymous soldiers totally loyal to the Emperor, became his shock troops and enforcers on rebellious worlds. Entire systems were frightened into compliance by the massive Star Destroyers, Super Star Destroyers, and orbital battle stations produced by Imperial forces. Most terrifying were the Death Stars, mobile superweapons capable of destroying entire planets.
The Empire began to falter at the Battle of Yavin, when the Alliance forces managed to destroy the first Death Star. Imperial forces enjoyed a brief revenge at the Battle of Hoth, but the combined might of the Rebels brought an end to Palpatine and his government at the Battle of Endor.
Unfortunately, small remnants of the Empire remained scattered throughout the stars. Five years after the Battle of Endor, Grand Admiral Thrawn gathered these forces for an assault on the New Republic. He failed, but a year later, the reborn Emperor threatened galactic peace. Again, the villain was defeated, but the last factions of the Empire remain a constant danger in the age of the New Republic.
Gungans
The original inhabitants of Naboo, the Gungans are a secretive species found in the thick swamps of their homeworld. An amphibious species with flexible, cartilaginous skeletons, Gungans are generally adept warriors and skilled artisans. They place great emphasis on personal responsibility, loyalty, and courage.
Gungans have several distinct races. Boss Nass, for example, is an Ankura Gungan, while Jar Jar Binks is an Otolla Gungan. Long before the Battle of Naboo, the rare and ancient Ankuran lineage allied with the Otollans, who had constructed Otoh Gunga. Although the Ankura Gungans, such as Boss Nass, have unique features, most Gungans are tall and lanky. They have long, muscular tongues, partially retractable eyestalks, and four-fingered hands. Their large, strong teeth are designed for crushing tough shellfish, which form a staple of the Gungan diet. Two long earlobes, known as "haillu," are used for displays of aggression, friendship, and fear. The amphibious Gungans have nostrils that seal when they enter the water and nictating membranes covering their eyes. They also boast compound lungs, allowing them to breathe both air and water, along with well-padded kneecaps and powerful calves and legs for increased swimming speed. However, because they are so well-adapted to their watery environment, their skin dries easily in hot and arid climes. A Gungan's skeleton is composed of resilient hard cartilage, which is far more flexible than bone and allows for a wide range of physical movements. Standard family units consist of a mother, father, and several children, which hatch from eggs.
Gungan settlements can be found throughout the Naboo swamps, although many are constructed underwater in large lakes or bayous. Outside of the sprawling Otoh Gunga, Gungans live in a variety of settlements, all united by treaties and agreements. Because of their long isolation, they are suspicious of the Naboo, who have a much different culture. Although traders on the fringe of Gungan society interact with the Naboo, many Gungans have never encountered humans.
The Gungans worship a pantheon of deities, many of which preside over nature. According to Gungan mythology, these gods live in Ossorus, a beautiful underwater city protected by enchanted sando aqua monsters and giant Gungan warriors astride their loyal kaadu. The principal Gungan deity is Oma-Oma, who is revered in legends as the creator of all life on Naboo.
Often considered primitive by outsiders, the Gungans have actually achieved a level of technology that far outstrips many other cultures. Gungan technology is founded on the use of organic materials and they "grow" many of their vehicles, weapons, tools, and even structures. Almost everything the Gungans manufacture is hand-crafted to some extent, so that no two bongos look alike.
It is believed that the Gungans first mobilized for war when threatened by the semi-intelligent bursas, monstrous creatures that attacked Gungan settlements on a regular basis, long before the Naboo arrived. The Gungans assembled a "grand army" to meet this threat, eventually driving the bursas into extinction. Later wars were fought between various Gungan tribes led by power-hungry warlords. The most notorious Gungan warlord was Rogoe, who was ultimately defeated by Gallo. With the defeat of Rogoe, Gallo was able to unite all of the Gungan tribes, becoming the first true "Boss."
Because the Naboo are entirely peaceful, the Gungans now have no real enemies. However, they maintain a large army for protection against large predators and out of tradition. The army utilizes several weapons based on the strange, Gungan energy balls. The energy balls, which are composed of electrified goo encased in an organic membrane, can be launched from Gungan catapults, atlatls, and cestas.
The Gungan Grand Army is the species' primary fighting force. Composed of soldiers from all of the Gungan settlements on Naboo, the Grand Army can only be rallied by the reigning Boss. In battle, several well-trained generals command their own groups of soldiers.
The majority of the Gungan Grand Army's troops are militiagungs, or part-time soldiers. They are relatively inexperienced, but fight with conviction and courage. Because the Grand Army is only loosely organized, the militiagungs supply their own gear and clothing. They are trained to use cestas and atlatls to hurl energy balls at the enemy, and they can defend themselves with personal shields. The cavalry units sit astride trained kaadu. On the battlefield and during maneuvers, the Grand Army's generals use horns, whistles, and gestures to convey orders and commands. Although certainly assembled to fight, most of the Grand Army's fantastic technology revolves around defending the troops. The army utilizes large shield generators, mounted on fambaas, which combine to protect several legions from blaster fire and heavy artillery.
The Gungan Grand Army had not been called to battle for almost 100 years when the Trade Federation decided to invade Naboo. After forming an alliance with Queen Amidala, Boss Nass agreed to organize the army to help the humans battle the droid forces. However, the conflict posed a major threat to the Gungans: When Queen Amidala warned Boss Nass that many Gungans could die during the battle against the Trade Federation, she was not underestimating the Gungan Grand Army. Rather, the Queen realized that the Gungans would need to place themselves in harm's way in order to create a convincing diversion. With its advanced technology, expendable droid troops, and staggering firepower, the Trade Federation should have overwhelmed the Gungan diversionary force on an open battlefield. That the Gungans were able to resist capture for quite some time is a testament to their prowess.
As many Gungan generals are quick to point out, the Battle of Naboo is not typical of Gungan tactics. Very few Gungan commanders would have attacked the Trade Federation forces head-on. In fact, before Queen Amidala arrived to plead for a Naboo-Gungan alliance, leaders like General Ceel and Captain Tarpals were already planning retribution for the Trade Federation's attack on Otoh Gunga. According to their schemes, the Gungans would start a campaign of guerrilla warfare, launching hit-and-run strikes on Trade Federation forces and then vanishing into the swamps. These plans were scuttled when Boss Nass agreed to provide the Queen with a significant diversion.
In order to attract the Trade Federation's attention, Nass called upon all available members of the Gungan Grand Army. Two thousand soldiers came from every Gungan village and city, with only a few militiagungs remaining behind to protect Gungan territory should the Queen's plan fail. Nass also rolled out heavy Gungan catapults, which he hoped would stall approaching Trade Federation forces, and authorized the deployment of the large Gungan shield generators. With the Grand Gungan Army assembled, Boss Nass ordered a steady march toward Theed.
General Ceel planned to position much of the army atop Shaak Ridge , a row of hills south of Theed and north of the Gallo Mountains. From this tactical high ground, Ceel hoped to decimate enemy vehicles with the army's catapults and take out advance troops using squads of trained atlatl and cesta snipers. Unfortunately, the Trade Federation reacted more quickly to the approaching army than the Gungans had anticipated. When the Gungan army entered the valley of the Great Grass Plains, Ceel's scouts spotted a mile-long line of Trade Federation AATs advancing over the hills. The general ordered an early halt. Although remaining in the valley meant that the catapults would have reduced effectiveness, Ceel knew that the Gungans' proximity to the swamps would at least allow for a quick retreat .
In fact, the Trade Federation had planned to pin the Gungans in the valley. Led by OOM-9, the droid army moved quickly from Theed with the express purpose of capturing Shaak Ridge. Once AATs and support MTTs secured the Ridge, the main body of the army prepared to descend into the Great Grass Plains valley. Meanwhile, additional Trade Federation forces attempted to flank the Gungans from the east and west. OOM-9 calculated that the flanking maneuvers would wipe out the Gungans. Fortunately, the pirate Nym and the mercenary Vana Sage routed one flanking group, while a unit of RSF resistance soldiers under the leadership of Lieutenant Gavyn Sykes destroyed the other.
Once the Trade Federation army neared, the Gungans made every effort to keep the attackers at bay. At General Ceel's command, Captain Tarpals ordered the activation of the Gungan energy shields, which protected the Grand Army from AAT attacks. When it became obvious that the AATs could not penetrate the shields, OOM-9 pulled the tanks out of catapult range and deployed his foot soldiers. Arranged into units of fifty-six, the battle droids emerged from the MTTs and advanced on the shields. Behind the battle droids, AATs, droidekas, and reserve transports crept closer.
The moment the droids passed through the shield bubble, General Ceel launched a counterattack. Using cestas and atlatls, the Gungans disabled wave after wave of battle droids. Unfortunately, the Trade Federation forces concentrated their fire on the shield generators, eventually destroying the Gungan equipment and disabling the shields. OOM-9 pushed his AATs forward to finish the Gungan Grand Army.
While catapults slowed the AATs, the militiagungs clashed with the battle droids in close-quarters combat. Wielding their cestas as staffs and their atlatls as clubs, the Gungans clobbered dozens of droids. But General Ceel quickly realized that the battle had been lost. The advancing AATs would soon bear down on the Gungans, and the dangerous droidekas had already claimed many lives. Ceel reluctantly ordered a full retreat. Gungan cavalry mounted on kaadu rescued the wounded, while the most courageous Gungans stood their ground to provide others time to escape. Amid the chaos, the Gungans managed to destroy a few additional AATs, but these victories came too late.
OOM-9 assumed that his flanking forces would stop any retreat, but these smaller armies never arrived and over half of the Gungan Grand Army managed to reach the swamps. Battle droids and droidekas surrounded the remaining Gungans, including General Ceel, Captain Tarpals, and General Binks. By this point, the Grand Army's command structure had completely collapsed. While some Gungans realized that surrender was their only option, others braced themselves for a final fight. In the end, neither would be necessary: Just as the Trade Federation closed around the last of the Gungans, and PK units scoured the battlefield to recover blaster rifles and droid parts, Anakin Skywalker destroyed the Droid Control Ship. Without the ship's signal, OOM-9 and the rest of the battle droid army became inert.
Although Boss Nass and General Ceel would not call the Great Grass Plains Battle a stirring victory, all Gungans are proud of the Army's efforts on the battlefield. Five hundred and forty-three Gungans lost their lives, but the "distraction" ultimately led to the liberation of Naboo.
Since the Battle of Naboo, the Gungans have become a much more open society. They now interact with the Naboo and are even beginning to become involved in matters outside of their homeworld. Under Boss Nass' leadership, the Gungans have also reached the stars and colonized the Naboo moon of Ohma-D'un.
Rebel Alliance
Founded in the early days of Emperor Palpatine's rule, the Rebel Alliance (more properly known as the Alliance to Restore the Republic) was a small band of idealistic and heroic soldiers who joined together to oppose the Empire's tyranny and ultimately bring peace and freedom to the galaxy.
The resistance movement against the Empire can trace its roots to the Imperial Senate, where a handful of politicians began plotting in secret to topple Palpatine's rule. Eventually, Palpatine exposed these "rebels" and launched a campaign of terror against them. Many dissidents were arrested or murdered, but Senators Mon Mothma and Garm Bel Iblis, both influential and vocal opponents of the Emperor's "New Order," managed to escape. They disappeared into hiding, only resurfacing briefly to meet with Senator Bail Organa on Corellia. At the clandestine meeting, the trio agreed that only an armed insurrection could stop Palpatine. Soon after, Mothma drafted the Declaration to Restore the Republic, which officially founded the Alliance.
Garm Bel Iblis and Mon Mothma began actively recruiting individuals, planets, and even entire systems for the Rebellion. The Rebels were joined by hundreds of pilots, soldiers, technicians, and officers who wished to see the Empire fall. Meanwhile, Bail Organa and his daughter, Princess Leia Organa, covertly aided the Alliance while maintaining their positions within the Senate. Princess Leia eventually secured the plans to the Death Star, a dangerous superweapon capable of vaporizing an entire planet. Darth Vader, the Emperor's Sith apprentice, pursued and captured Leia, but the princess had already set events in motion that would ensure the Death Star plans reached the Rebel Alliance.
Charged with locating and crushing the Rebels, Vader interrogated Princess Leia, to no avail. Grand Moff Tarkin, the mastermind behind the Death Star, then threatened to destroy Leia's homeworld of Alderaan unless she revealed the location of the Alliance's secret base. Princess Leia seemingly relented, but Tarkin unleashed the Death Star anyway in order to test the battle station's superlaser and engender fear in all who would oppose the Empire. Billions died with Alderaan, including Bail Organa. This proved a serious setback to the Alliance, as Organa was instrumental in mediating disagreements between the militant Garm Bel Iblis and more subtle Mon Mothma. After Bail Organa's death, a rift divided the two remaining leaders and Bel Iblis soon abandoned the Alliance. In hindsight, however, the destruction of Alderaan may have also been the Empire's greatest mistake for it galvanized the Rebels; previously unaligned systems, now horrified at the Empire's wanton evil, flocked to join the Alliance.
The first major conflict between the Alliance and Imperial forces occurred at the Battle of Yavin. During the clash, Rebel pilot Luke Skywalker succeeded in destroying the Death Star, killing Grand Moff Tarkin and many other Imperial leaders in the process. The Empire would have its revenge three years later at the Battle of Hoth, when a contingent of Imperial forces led by Darth Vader, General Veers, and Admiral Piett invaded the ice planet Hoth and overtook the Alliance's secret Echo Base. Numerous Alliance soldiers and pilots lost their lives during the clash, but the bulk of the Alliance personnel managed to escape.
A year after the Alliance's defeat on Hoth, the Alliance organized a massive offensive in order to attack the Empire's new Death Star. As the Alliance fleet massed near Sullust, a small strike team led by General Han Solo descended to the forest moon of Endor to destroy the second Death Star's shield generator. Although it was soon discovered that the Death Star attack was part of an elaborate plan by the Emperor to ambush the Rebels, the timely intervention of Endor's Ewoks and brilliant leadership ensured an Alliance victory. Palpatine perished aboard the second Death Star and his death crippled the Empire. The Rebel Alliance quickly evolved into the New Republic, the galaxy's current ruling body.
During the height of the Galactic Civil War, the Rebel Alliance was composed of several informal divisions that included pilots, technicians, and others who aided the cause. Perhaps no other group sacrificed more for the Alliance than its highly-trained infantry, who fought bravely against impossible odds and in every conceivable terrain. Throughout the Civil War, the Alliance ground troops were called upon to defend their fellow Rebels with only outdated artillery and a handful of well-used BlasTech DH-17 blasters. Yet the Rebel infantry units managed to strike major blows against the well-armed Imperial troops during both the Battle of Hoth and the Battle of Endor.
The soldiers assigned to the Rebel infantry served a variety of functions during the Galactic Civil War. First and foremost, they were stationed at every Rebel base as a last line of protection against invading Imperials. On Hoth, for example, they established defensive trenches equipped with Golan Arms DF.9 anti-infantry batteries and Atgar 1.4 FD P-Tower antivehicle artillery units to stall an onslaught of AT-ATs and other Imperial forces. Rebel infantry members also served aboard some Rebel starships to protect important crew members. In some instances, they were assigned patrol, scout, and sentry duties. The most skilled Rebel troops became elite commandos. Under the leadership of General Crix Madine, these commandos attacked sensitive Imperial installations to further the Alliance's cause.
Royal Naboo
Heralded as one of the galaxy's most enlightened human cultures, the Naboo built their great civilization from humble beginnings. Over the centuries, the Naboo have evolved from simple colonists to artists, scholars, and inventors.
The Naboo's history begins about 3,950 BBY , on the planet Grizmallt, with the rise of Queen Elsinoré den Tasia. To begin her reign, Tasia introduced a new age of exploration and colonization. Under her rule, Grizmallt spent the next several decades launching hundreds of expeditions into the wilds of space. Most of these missions failed, the colony ships destroyed or lost as they searched for habitable worlds far beyond the known hyperlanes. In the final days of her life, Queen Tasia personally sponsored the last such expedition. With the blessing of a famous Jedi Master, the colony ship Beneficent Tasia and its support starships, Constant and Mother Vima, left Grizmallt in search of fortune and glory. The expedition targeted the galaxy's dangerous southern quadrant, then home to a handful of settlements. On Grizmallt, Queen Tasia's dying wish was that this last expedition would find a home deep within undiscovered space. Shortly after she perished, however, the Beneficent Tasia also went silent.
The inhabitants of Grizmallt assumed that the Beneficent Tasia had been lost, but the starship did, in fact, survive the many hazards of unknown space. Although severely damaged and unable to contact Grizmallt, the expedition eventually reached Naboo's orbit. As if guided by Tasia's last wish, the settlers discovered that Naboo was a pastoral, peaceful world rich in natural resources and quite capable of supporting human life. In approximately 3,900 BBY, the Grizmallt colonists officially landed on Naboo.
Within weeks of their arrival, the settlers encountered the Gungans, the planet's native sentient species. Although immediately distrustful of one another, neither species attacked the other, and the humans were allowed to establish their first settlement without incident. Over the next several decades, the settlers slowly spread across the planet's largest landmass, building cities and villages to support their growing numbers. The human colonists kept to the grassy plains and ocean coastlines, only occasionally treading into Gungan territory. Despite this, tension between the humans (who had now taken to calling themselves the Naboo after their new homeworld) and the Gungans remained strong.
Life on Naboo did not prove particularly difficult and the colonists soon found that they had a great deal of time for the arts and sciences. They established an electoral monarchy, built beautiful cities such as Theed, and maintained a peaceful culture that advocates education, the arts, ecology, and scientific achievement. The planet is a respected member of the Republic and its leaders are viewed as well-educated and socially adept.
The Naboo are rigid pacifists. As a result, conflicts between Naboo communities and with the Gungans are non-existent. And, while the Naboo research and invent a wide range of new technology, this rarely extends into weapons of war. The Naboo recognize the need to defend themselves, but most combat vehicles and weapons have been imported from other systems; the Naboo then modify this equipment to suit their needs and protect the environment.
Unfortunately, although generally well-educated, the Naboo are somewhat naïve and consider their comfortable way of life as a birthright. In addition, many Naboo once viewed the planet's other sentient species, the Gungans, with some suspicion and prejudice. Specifically, the Naboo believed that the Gungans are barbaric and less intelligent because they maintain a warlike culture. Fortunately, most of these prejudices dissolved when Queen Amidala and Boss Nass brought the two species together during the Battle of Naboo.
While the Naboo were not nearly as active in the Republic as other systems, they did maintain a presence in the Senate before the rise of the Empire. In 52 BBY , the Naboo elected Senator Palpatine to the Galactic Senate; in time, he would become Supreme Chancellor and one of the most powerful men in the galaxy.
Naboo and its populace were thrust into the galactic consciousness in 32 BBY when war erupted with the Trade Federation. Angry over the Republic's new policy to tax the Free Trade Routes, the Trade Federation singled out peaceful Naboo, Palpatine's homeworld, for a devastating blockade. Under the leadership of Nute Gunray and Rune Haako, the Trade Federation held Naboo captive, finally launching a full-scale invasion of the planet. The Naboo were ill-equipped to defend themselves against such an attack, although several resistance groups did emerge to fight the Trade Federation forces.
Despite the efforts of the Royal Security Forces, the Trade Federation easily captured the capital city of Theed. However, Gunray could not imprison Queen Amidala, who was rescued by Jedi and taken to Coruscant. Appearing before the Galactic Senate, Amidala called a Vote of No Confidence in Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum; soon after, Valorum was deposed and Palpatine was elected in his place.
Amidala returned to Naboo with a powerful entourage that included the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi; a former slave named Anakin Skywalker; Jar Jar Binks, a Gungan outcast; the Queen's loyal handmaidens; and Captain Panaka, Amidala's faithful and courageous personal bodyguard. With Jar Jar's help, Amidala found the Gungans and forged a peace with their ruler Boss Nass. Under Nass' leadership, the Gungan Grand Army marched against the Trade Federation while the Queen's Royal Security Forces launched a raid on Theed. Amidala herself captured Nute Gunray, while the Space Fighter Corps attacked the Trade Federation's Droid Control Ship. Skywalker struck the final blow, destroying the Droid Control Ship. The planet was finally free, and the Naboo and Gungans had, at last, forged a powerful alliance.
Even after their war with the Trade Federation, the Naboo remain pacifists. They maintain only a small army of volunteer soldiers known as the Royal Security Forces. The RSF includes the Space Fighter Corps that employs sleek N-1 starfighters as their vehicle of choice. The RSF's Security Guard is largely responsible for keeping the peace in major cities, such as Theed, while the Palace Guard is charged with protecting the King or Queen and the royal court. During combat situations or emergencies, RSF ground forces deploy a small cadre of vehicles, including the Gian and Flash speeders.
Trade Federation
Founded three hundred and fifty years before the Battle of Yavin, the Trade Federation was originally intended to represent merchants and traders throughout the galaxy. However, over time, it became one of the most powerful forces in the galaxy and a dangerous threat to peace and freedom.
Composed of officials from numerous systems, the Trade Federation was always considered greedy and immoral. Using its ever-increasing wealth, the organization focused on seizing major trade routes, knowing that ownership of these spacelanes gave the Trade Federation tremendous political and economic power. By fourty years before the Battle of Yavin, the Trade Federation effectively controlled every known Old Republic trade route and hundreds of dependent systems.
Thirty-two years before the Battle of Yavin, at the urging of Senator Palpatine of Naboo, Supreme Chancellor Valorum began a campaign to diminish the Trade Federation's power. As a result, the Galactic Senate passed Resolution BR-0371, a seemingly innocuous law that imposed a tariff on all major hyperspace trading routes throughout the Outer and Mid Rims. The resolution was a resounding success because all income from the taxation of the so-called "Free Trade Zones" would be used for relief and development of the outlying systems. But because the Trade Federation dominated the Free Trade Zones, the corporation was the hardest hit by the new legislation. In the months after the resolution's passage, the Trade Federation's profits decreased dramatically.
The Trade Federation responded immediately to the threat of BR-0371. While the Trade Federation Senator Lott Dod argued vehemently against taxation, the corporation's Executive Board began planning a bold counterstrike. Under the leadership of Viceroy Nute Gunray and his lieutenant Rune Haako, the Trade Federation began constructing a massive secret army. Striking deals with Baktoid Armor Workshop, Haor Chall Engineering, and even the Colicoid Creation Nest, the Trade Federation stocked its cargo vessels with powerful battle tanks, deadly droid starfighters, hordes of battle droids, and menacing droidekas. After testing this army on Lok and other Outer Rim worlds, the Trade Federation prepared for war.
Six months after the passage of BR-0371, the Trade Federation struck at Naboo, Senator Palpatine's homeworld. On Gunray's orders, a fleet of Trade Federation battleships created a blockade around the peaceful world to prevent the import and export of goods. The blockade lasted several weeks and the Naboo's plight became desperate as necessary supplies dwindled. When the Senate still refused to overturn BR-0371, the Trade Federation finally unleashed its secret army and invaded Naboo. Gunray planned to capture the capital city of Theed and force Queen Amidala to sign a treaty granting the Trade Federation ownership of the planet.
Gunray's plan fell apart when the Jedi Knights intervened in the crisis and rescued Amidala. Soon after, the Battle of Naboo erupted, pitting the Trade Federation against the combined might of the Gungan Grand Army and the Naboo Royal Security Forces. While the Gungans distracted the Trade Federation Army, the Queen and her loyal RSF soldiers recaptured Theed. In the chaos, Naboo's Bravo Flight managed to launch an attack on the Trade Federation's vital Droid Control Ship. Anakin Skywalker destroyed the DCS, rendering the Trade Federation's army harmless. Nute Gunray, the overseer of the invasion, was taken into custody, but avoided any serious punishment and soon returned to his prominent role within the organization.
In the years following the Battle of Naboo, the Trade Federation remained a formidable power in the galaxy. Although most of its initial army had been dismantled, the Trade Federation quickly formed new alliances and began rebuilding its military might. At one point, the Trade Federation even formed an elite assassination corps in a failed attempt to exact revenge on the Jedi. Twenty-nine years before the Battle of Yavin, the Old Republic ordered the Trade Federation to disband its military, but the corporation never fully complied with this directive and maintained a secret army.
When the Confederacy of Independent Systems was formed twenty years before the Battle of Yavin, the Trade Federation found a suitable place to align themselves with others who opposed the rulings of the Galactic Senate. Using Nute Gunray’s hatred for Queen Amidala of Naboo, the cunning CIS leader Count Dooku lured the Trade Federation into joining the secessionists by promising the assassination of Amidala, now serving as a Senator. Although they had not yet publicly supported the CIS because the assassination attempts had failed, the Trade Federation leaders and a considerable portion of its military forces where present on Geonosis during the first battle of the Clone Wars. Now the secret hand of the Trade Federation had been revealed and it had no alternative but to join the CIS in the burgeoning war efforts against the Republic.
Wookies
One of the most respected - and feared - species in the galaxy, Wookiees are towering, fur-covered humanoids native to Kashyyyk. Well-known for their strength and bestial fits of rage, Wookiees are also intelligent, loyal, and trusting. Among the species, bravery and honor are considered paramount.
Kashyyyk, the Wookiee homeworld, is a lush planet covered in trees. The Wookiees occupy the upper reaches of these vast forests, building their homes high atop the branches of towering wroshyr trees. Most Wookiee cities consist of hundreds of huts connected by wooden platforms, bridges, and ropes. However, while Wookiees may appear primitive, they are actually quite comfortable with technology and can easily learn to pilot starships, repair machines, and wield advanced weaponry.
An average Wookiee grows to more than two meters tall and lives several times the lifetime of a human. Aside from their great strength and keen senses, they possess regenerative powers and can recover from serious wounds within days. They also have retractable claws, although these are used only for climbing trees and are never exposed during combat.
Wookiees speak Shyriiwook, a language consisting of grunts, growls, roars, hoots, and screeches. They can understand other languages, but have limited vocal capability and can only speak their own tongue.
The Wookiee species is psychologically stable and has a deep connection to nature. They love their homeworld and have a deep affinity for animals, plants, and other components of the natural world. Wookiees can also be strongly attuned to the Force.
Wookiees place great value on morality, courage, compassion, and loyalty. Very few Wookiees willingly betray their friends or families, although Vargi, Chewbacca's brother-in-law, once aided a group of slavers trying to enslave the denizens of Kashyyyk. Typical of their beliefs is the Wookiee life debt, an oath of fealty extended to anyone who saves the life of a Wookiee. When Chewbacca was rescued from slavers by Han Solo, he extended this oath to his savior and has risked his own life countless times to protect his friend. Finally, Wookiees feel that they are honored by their own deeds, and thus they do not care for medals or other material symbols of bravery or achievement.
Although not necessarily warlike, Wookiees can be fierce warriors and deadly opponents, especially when angered or threatened. Kashyyyk does not have a standing army, but Wookiees will rally to protect one another, and families often join forces to repel various threats, including Trandoshan slavers. Legendary are the stories of the Wookiee berserkers, who are capable of single-handedly defeating a legion of Imperial stomtroopers or a cadre of highly-paid mercenaries. While Wookiees are capable of producing and using and wide range of weapons, they generally prefer to carry hand-crafted bowcasters or ryyk blades into battle.
Unfortunately, the Wookiees' fabled strength became a commodity during the Galactic Civil War. The Empire, hoping to use the Wookiees for slave labor, tried to imprison the entire planet. Working with Tradoshan slavers, the Empire captured thousands of Wookiees. Those Wookiees who escaped the Imperial slave pens managed to form a resistance movement and launched several effective counter attacks, ensuring that the Empire never took complete control of the planet.
Throughout the Galactic Civil War, Wookiee innovation and desperation led the species to invent several new weapons of war to combat the Imperial threat. As with many other aspects of their technology, the Wookiees combined materials from their natural surroundings with advanced technology to produce a number of effective "deterrents," including catapults and battering rams. Mounted troops, skilled assault soldiers, and the brave Wookiee berserkers continually attacked Imperial installations on Kashyyyk, chased away slavers, and fought valiantly to free their imprisoned brethren.
When the Rebel Alliance finally defeated the Empire, Kashyyyk, long a member world of the Old Republic, became an important addition to the New Republic.
Clone Campaigns Civilizations
Confederacy of Independant Systems
The Confederacy of Independent Systems is a collection of thousands of systems and corporate entities united by former Jedi Master Count Dooku against the rule of the Galactic Republic. Dooku, who had abandoned the Jedi Order around thirty-two years before the Battle of Yavin, returned from his self-imposed exile twenty-four years before the Battle of Yavin to begin organizing groups that opposed the Galactic Republic, which he viewed as corrupt and ineffective. After quickly gathering thousands of systems to his cause, Dooku began negotiating with various corporations, such as the Trade Federation, in the hopes of using their private armies to bolster the secessionists’ military might.
In just two years, Dooku had built a powerful secessionist movement backed by the financial support—both privately and publicly—of many powerful institutions, including the Corporate Alliance, InterGalactic Banking Clan, Commerce Guild, Trade Federation, and Techno Union. Twenty-two years before the Battle of Yavin, Dooku held a meeting between leaders of these groups on Geonosis, where they officially founded the Confederacy of Independent Systems and began mobilizing a massive droid army. This meeting was interrupted by the appearance of Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, his apprentice Anakin Skywalker, and Senator Padmé Amidala, all of whom were captured by the Geonosians and sentenced to death by Count Dooku.
But just as the three traitors were about to be executed, Mace Windu led one hundred Jedi into the Geonosis Arena in a daring rescue mission. Dooku gave the order to kill the Jedi, and his military secession from the Republic truly began. Just as the Jedi were on the brink of total defeat, the clone army of the Republic arrived and engaged the surprised CIS forces. The secessionists were quickly scattered and were ultimately ordered to retreat by Dooku himself. This conflict became known as the Battle of Geonosis, which was the start of the Clone Wars.
Though the first battle of the Clone Wars was a defeat for the Confederacy, it was a victory for Count Dooku, who started the war with ulterior motives. He was in fact working secretly for the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious. So the mighty corporate powers and the numerous disgruntled systems of the Galactic Republic were actually just tools, used by the Sith during the war to weaken the Republic and destroy the Jedi.
Galactic Republic
A democratic union of millions of star systems that lasted for more than 25,000 years, the Galactic Republic spread peace and prosperity throughout the known galaxy. However as time passed and the Republic’s size grew, it eventually became too unwieldy for the Senate to oversee and the Jedi Order to protect. Corruption spread wildly, weakening the Senate and causing dissent among many systems and corporate interests.
Thirty-two years before the Battle of Yavin, the first signs of the Senate’s ineffectiveness surfaced when it proved unable to protect peaceful Naboo from the Trade Federation. The corporation blockaded the planet, followed soon after by a full-scale invasion of the pastoral world. During the subsequent political maneuverings, Supreme Chancellor Valorum was quickly ousted, and replaced by Senator Palpatine from Naboo. Despite Palpatine’s leadership, over the next decade Senators became more and more corrupt and in response, the Confederacy of Independent Systems was born. The ranks of the CIS quickly grew, causing the Senate to endlessly debate the idea of forming an army to protect those systems that remained loyal to the Republic.
But it wasn’t until Senate Representative Jar Jar Binks from Naboo put forward a motion to give Supreme Chancellor Palpatine emergency powers that the first army of the Republic was organized. Led by Jedi Master Yoda, the clone army of the Republic descended into an arena on Geonosis to save the last surviving members of a Jedi strike force led by Mace Windu, thus starting the Clone Wars.
In the turbulent years following the Clone Wars, the Galactic Senate lost a great deal of power to the Supreme Chancellor’s office, paving the way for the eventual rise of the Emperor. Under the Emperor’s rule, the Republic became the Galactic Empire, an oppressive government designed to rule the galaxy through fear. Although the Senate remained in place for some time after the Emperor’s ascent to power, it was eventually disbanded shortly before the Battle of Yavin. Following the Empire’s defeat at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance founded the New Republic in an attempt to recapture the ideals of the galaxy’s original ruling body; since that time, the former Galactic Republic has become more generally known as the “Old Republic.”
