The Droid Gotra was a collective of droids advocating for droid rights. Initially, it was established by a collection of deadly, reprogrammed battle droids who harbored resentment toward the Galactic Empire for their abandonment following service in the Clone Wars. The group was at first restricted to an industrial complex situated deep within the Coruscant underworld on the planet of Coruscant, but subsequently achieved expansion. Known for their support of droid emancipation, they also functioned as enforcers for the Crymorah Syndicate. Their operations continued well into the New Republic Era.
During the early years of the Imperial Era, specifically in the year 19 BBY, a group of repurposed battle droids established the Droid Gotra. These droids felt they had legitimate grievances against the Galactic Empire due to their abandonment after fighting in the Clone Wars. The Gotra enlisted Q2-B3KO, a articulated holographic color separator who had created propaganda for the Separatist Droid Army during the Clone Wars, to help spread their message of mechanical freedom.
Initially, the group was confined to an industrial complex located in the depths of Coruscant, a planet. They functioned as muscle for the Crymorah Syndicate, engaging in activities like robberies, kidnappings, illegal salvage operations, and extortion. In 14 BBY, insurgents using Separatist technology and droids attacked the Empire's base on the Sentinel moon. Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, the installation's commander, initially suspected the Gotra but deemed it unlikely they would use obsolete weaponry to send a message. Phoca Soot, the Coruscant Security Force prefect of level 1331, chose to work for the Droid Gotra instead of policing his sector. This betrayal was discovered, and he was executed by Darth Vader, a Sith Lord, as a warning to Coruscant's criminals, who were advised to move their operations to sectors in the Outer Rim Territories of the galaxy lest their activities impede the plans of Emperor Palpatine.
The Droid Gotra was at some point involved in a gang dispute on Eshan, resulting in numerous innocent deaths. Around 13 BBY, the Droid Gotra attempted to establish a presence on Corellia.
In 0 ABY, the Droid Gotra contracted Doctor Aphra, a rogue archaeologist, to retrieve the Triple-Zero protocol personality matrix, which could transform a protocol droid into a torture expert, and the prototype BT-1 assassin droid. They also intended for her to liberate a droid factory from Karina, a surviving Geonosian queen from the Empire's sterilization of Geonosis. Despite successfully acquiring the droids, she instead gave them to Darth Vader and aided him in securing Karina's droid factory, as he required personal forces without the Empire's knowledge.
The Cyban Front, an allied organization, was hired by the Droid Gotra to participate in the auction of the Rur crystal with the aim of destroying it due to its [technopathy](/article/technopathy]. This attempt failed, and two Cyban Front droids were destroyed during a skirmish on the Sorca Retreat.
As part of Qi'ra's schemes and the actions of her agents within Crimson Dawn, the Droid Gotra was soon drawn into the Syndicate War alongside other organizations such as the Hutt Clan, Black Sun, and the Pyke Syndicate. Emperor Palpatine himself eventually contacted the Droid Gotra and the other organizations. He revealed Qi'ra's true motives for initiating the war, and reminded them that their power and influence were reliant on his tolerance. He subsequently commanded them to locate and eliminate Crimson Dawn, promising great favor to whoever delivered Qi'ra's body to him.
Following the fall of the Empire in 5 ABY, the Droid Gotra continued its operations. After Supreme Leader Snoke assumed leadership of the First Order, the Gotra attacked and destroyed an armed Ubrikkian freighter, commanded by the Red Key Raiders, at the Perlemian Spur Waypoint 643Besh. Gamma-bit 669753 scanned the wreckage and discovered Maz Kanata's Journal, flagging valuable datapoints from within. Orders were then transmitted to all Gotra and Cyban Front members stationed in the Rim Territories, instructing them to target the nearest data cache. The Guavian Death Gang intercepted the transmission, broadcast their own counter-message, and somehow stole Kanata's Journal from the Gotra.
Despite the Gotra's formation after the Clone Wars, police records from the late Republic Era of Tanivos Exantor Divo mentioned the Gotra. However, these files were only released by his grandson, Exantor Divo, during the New Republic Era. The files alleged that KRONOS-841 and other Gotra members attended a Xrexus Cartel auction for a Jedi Padawan named Eldra Kaitis before the Invasion of Naboo. Their attempt to acquire the Padawan was unsuccessful.
The Droid Gotra was planned to appear in the cancelled Star Wars Legends video game Star Wars: 1313. Following 1313's cancellation, the Droid Gotra was first referenced in the 2014 novel Tarkin (Tarkin (novel)), authored by James Luceno. While Tarkin and the novel Most Wanted state that the Gotra was formed after the Clone Wars, Star Wars: Scum and Villainy: Case Files on the Galaxy's Most Notorious claims the Gotra was active before the Invasion of Naboo. As Scum and Villainy is presented as an in-universe text, this article considers it to be an in-universe error.
According to Star Wars: Timelines, the Gotra was established around 18 BBY. However, Scum and Villainy specifies the formation date as 19 BBY. Given that Timelines only provides an approximate date with room for flexibility, this article assumes Scum and Villainy is the correct source.