The Cadesura disaster, also referred to as the catastrophe on Cato Neimoidia, was a bombing event that transpired in Zarra during 22 BBY. Zarra served as the capital city of the planet Cato Neimoidia. This catastrophe involved the complete separation of the entire Cadesura district from its mooring structure on the bridge city, causing it to plummet to the ground below, which led to thousands of deaths. This event took place weeks into the Clone Wars, a galactic war between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Although Cato Neimoidia had declared its neutrality in the war, so had the Neimoidian-controlled Trade Federation, whose leader, Viceroy Nute Gunray, was a prominent Separatist. It was alleged that he led an extremist faction whose beliefs did not reflect the Federation's overall stance.
Following the disaster, representatives from both the Republic and the Confederacy were dispatched to Cato Neimoidia to conduct an investigation. Asajj Ventress, a Dark Acolyte and Separatist emissary, aimed to amplify Neimoidian resentment towards the Republic. Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Master representing the Republic, encountered Ruug Quarnom, a Neimoidian Royal Guardswoman, who joined Kenobi in the investigation. The Jedi and his new partner discovered that weaponry from both the Republic and Separatist factions had been employed in the bombing. This led them to the conclusion that a third party, manipulating both sides of the conflict, was responsible for the attack.
In the year 22 BBY, a political schism within the Galactic Republic came to a head. This schism concerned the breakaway Confederacy of Independent Systems, and it escalated into open warfare between the two factions. This conflict, which marked the first galaxy-wide war in a millennium, became known as the Clone Wars. A significant figure within the Separatist movement was Nute Gunray, who held the position of Viceroy in the Trade Federation, a powerful Neimoidian megacorporation. Despite Gunray's involvement in the Executive Separatist Council, the Federation officially maintained a neutral stance in the conflict. They asserted that Gunray led a radical, splinter faction whose views did not represent the corporation's overall perspective. This neutrality also extended to the planet Cato Neimoidia, which served as the location for the Federation's headquarters.
The Clone Wars had been secretly orchestrated by the Sith, an ancient order that harnessed the power of the dark side of the Force, as part of a larger scheme to dominate the galaxy. The two Sith Lords behind the conflict, Darth Sidious and Darth Tyranus, were publicly known as Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine of the Republic and Head of State Count Dooku of the Confederacy, respectively. These two Sith regularly engineered situations to ensure the war continued to escalate, thereby thwarting any attempts at a peaceful resolution. Consequently, the Sith shifted their focus to Cato Neimoidia in order to further exacerbate tensions between the Republic and the Separatists.
The Neimoidian species had a complex relationship with the Galactic Republic. Their inherent psychological disposition led them to meticulously calculate risks, which contributed to a prevailing stereotype within the Republic that they were all avaricious, amoral merchants and bankers. While the Trade Federation was highly esteemed within Neimoidian society due to its role as their primary voice on the galactic stage, Nute Gunray and his associates embodied every negative Neimoidian stereotype imaginable.
The Cadesura district, a culturally significant area within Zarra, the capital city of Cato Neimoidia, became the target of an attack. Bombs were strategically placed throughout the district, utilizing munitions from both warring factions in the Clone Wars, including personal-scale versions of Separatist blazer bombs. Viceroy Gunray had visited Cadesura just an hour prior to the bombing.
Upon detonation of the bombs, the Cadesura district was severed from the bridge city's main structure and plunged towards the surface of Cato Neimoidia. More than three thousand civilians were present in Cadesura at the time, resulting in a death toll of approximately three thousand two hundred. Units from the Neimoidian Royal Guard were immediately deployed, including Ruug Quarnom, a former commando in the Neimoidian Defense Legion, and her less experienced colleague Ketar Nor. Medical personnel and nearby civilians also rushed to the scene to provide assistance.
Government personnel of the Republic on Coruscant received news of the attack almost immediately after it occurred. This news prevented Chancellor Palpatine from personally attending a ceremony at the Jedi Temple that was to recognize the promotion of several new Jedi Knights. Count Dooku asserted the Separatists' innocence in the attack and challenged the Republic to send Palpatine to Cato Neimoidia in person to prove their lack of involvement. An agreement was reached, in which Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi journeyed alone to Cato Neimoidia to conduct an investigation, without any contact with the Republic or the Jedi High Council for the duration.
During his investigation, Kenobi encountered Quarnom, but he also faced opposition from Asajj Ventress, a Dark Acolyte and Dooku's apprentice, who radicalized Nor and falsely accused Kenobi of crimes related to the bombing. Through their collected evidence, Kenobi and Quarnom discovered the nature of the weapons used in the attack and concluded that a third party was attempting to manipulate both sides of the conflict. Kenobi's former Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, realized that Kenobi was in danger and disobeyed orders to come to his rescue. Together, they escaped Cato Neimoidia to bring their evidence back to the Republic. Quarnom was arrested for treason after being implicated by Nor, after which the Sith attempted to secretly eliminate her. However, the two Jedi discovered that she was in danger and rescued her from battle droids that had been sent to kill her.