2133, The Beginning and End of the Trade Federation (III)
Thus, the Trade Federation had once truly been the largest economic entity in the entire Milky Way Galaxy, or at least the second largest. Moreover, it controlled the lifeblood of the Outer Rim Territories. One could say that the Galactic Republic's rule over the Outer Rim Territories had in fact only been possible through the Trade Federation.
That was why, like the InterGalactic Banking Clan, it had been one of only two entities able to place bets on both sides during the Clone Wars without being purged—because these two entities were simply too massive. One monopolized the Milky Way Galaxy's financial industry, while the other monopolized transportation throughout the Mid Rim and Outer Rim of the galaxy.
Compared with those two, organizations such as the Corporate Alliance and the Merchant Guilds were simply not truly comparable.
It was precisely because of this that the Trade Federation had been exploited by Darth Pregas and Darth Sidious, becoming the fuse that ignited the countless conflicts in the Mid Rim and Outer Rim Territories.
That was why everyone reacted as they did when Darth Vader proposed taking action against the Trade Federation.
Because this proposal was both feasible and unfeasible.
It was feasible because the Trade Federation's headquarters was located on Balmorra, while the Neimoidian homeworld, Neimoidia, as well as their major colonial and Wealth Worlds—Kato Neimoidia, Deko Neimoidia, and Cato Neimoidia—were all located in the Core Worlds.
In other words, the Galactic Republic could strike those places with a mere wave of its hand.
The Trade Federation's headquarters had not originally been on Balmorra, but in the Outer Rim Territories. Later, as its power grew ever greater, it moved its headquarters to Coruscant. Then, as the Separatists became increasingly powerful and war