As part of the Sith Grand Plan, the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious sought to secure his influence on Nute Gunray, the viceroy of the Trade Federation, and, in 33 BBY, saw an opportunity on the Outer Rim planet Dorvalla. Two rival mining companies on Dorvalla, InterGalactic Ore and Lommite Limited, had been sabotaging the other's Lommite ore shipments, a conflict to which Sidious sent his Sith apprentice, Darth Maul. Maul exacerbated the conflict through covert sabotage and deception, causing both companies to lose transports, thus inhibiting their ability to deliver ore to their buyers. As a result, Lommite Limited Executive officer Jurnel Arrant proposed that the two companies to merge to become Dorvalla Mining, and arranged for the Trade Federation to represent Dorvalla in the Galactic Senate and receive exclusive shipping and distribution rights to Dorvalla's ore. Gunray discussed the developments with Sidious, who assured him that their business with Dorvalla was not over.
With the rise of the Nebula Front's militant wing under Havac (Eru Matalis), the Front decided to hire the notable mercenary Arwen Cohl and his team to engage in actual violent confrontation against the Trade Federation and its allies.
The damage done to the Federation was physically small—it lost several droids, one of thousands of bulk freighters, a cargo of lommite ore that was recovered, and a shipment of aurodium, the most valuable item on the freighter.
However, both Cohl and the Nebula Front's militant wing gained new-found respect in the eyes of those oppressed by the Trade Federation, and were viewed with a new sense of urgency by the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order (whose Knights, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, had been present at the attack, albeit undercover).
The newly-perceived dangers of the Front inspired Viceroy Nute Gunray to order militarization of Federation ships and the Galactic Senate to consider taxation of trade routes in response, both of which led to the Eriadu Trade Summit—which itself led to the Blockade of Naboo.
In addition, the stolen aurodium later found its way into the InterGalactic Bank account of Finis Valorum, an event that sparked a scandal and paved the way to ease his removal from office.
- The Official Star Wars Fact File65
- The New Essential Chronology