Lott Dod

Lott Dod was the male Neimoidian senator of the Trade Federation, representing the trade conglomerate's interests in the Republic Senate. Dod held this position from as early as 32 BBY, when the Federation invaded the Mid Rim world Naboo in response to taxation on trade routes. When Naboo's queen, Padmé Amidala, came to the Republic capital Coruscant to call upon the Senate to send much-needed aid to her beleaguered people, Dod made every effort to block Amidala's pleas, claiming that there was no proof to back up her accusations. Before the Senate could do anything about the Naboo crisis, Amidala returned to the world and oversaw its liberation, disgracing the Trade Federation and its Neimoidian leaders.

Despite the scandal, Dod continued to represent the organization in the Senate, even during the Separatist crisis that culminated with the Federation aligning with the breakaway Confederacy of Independent Systems. When the Clone Wars erupted in 22 BBY, the Neimoidian senator claimed that the Federation's resources were being co-opted without the approval of its governing board. However, Dod's true allegiance was to the Federation and the Confederacy; in his palace on Cato Neimoidia, he conspired with fellow Senator Rush Clovis and Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser in Confederate dealings early on in the war, a plot uncovered by Senator Padmé Amidala&mdash;the former Naboo queen.

Early life
"We recognize Delegate Lott Dod, representing the Trade Federation."

- Supreme Chancellor Valorum

The male Neimoidian Lott Dod was born on the Neimoidian homeworld Neimoidia. By 33 BBY, Dod had become an influential member of the Trade Federation, a trade conglomerate that dominated countless of star systems and possessed its own private army. Eventually, he became the senator of the organization, representing the Federation's interests in the legislative body of the Galactic Republic. Dod's skill in political maneuvering would served the Federation well; the Neimoidian's use of filibusters and manipulation of internal strife within the Senate would prevent others from uncovering the truth behind the Federation's deceptive moves throughout the galaxy.

The taxation of trade routes
"We submit that the senate does not have the right or the authority to enact taxation of the outlying trade zones. This is nothing more than a ploy to break up our consortium." "It was the Trade Federation who opened the hyperlanes to the outlying systems, who risked the lives of its space-faring captains to bring formerly primitive worlds into the Republic, and new resources into the Core." "Now we learn that we are expected to defend ourselves against the mercenaries and pirates who masquerade as freedom fighters, merely to enrich themselves at our expense. We come before you asking for aide, and instead become the victim of an indirect attack."

- Senator Lott Dod, protesting the Senate's refusal to give aid

Around 33 BBY, the Trade Federation was beginning to suffer from terrorist attacks launched by the Nebula Front, an organization opposed to the Federation's domination of the trade routes. The Front scored a victory against the Federation above the lommite mining world of Dorvalla, where it succeeded in destroying the freighter Revenue and stealing a shipment of valuable aurodium. The Federation, fearing that the attack would be the first of many, decided to petition the Senate for assistance, as its defense forces were insufficient to deal with the threat. Republic Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, fully aware of both the situation and the Federation's questionable dominance of the supposedly-Free Trade Zones, brought the organization's request to the Senate during a session. Valorum did not want to give the "bloated" Federation more power, however, so he proposed that worlds within the Free Trade Zones&mdash;currently represented by the Federation in the Senate&mdash;should leave the Federation and instead join the Republic as full members. This move, if implemented, would cause the trade routes in the area to become subject to taxation, something the Federation did not want to deal with.

Senator Lott Dod, unhappy with Valorum's proposal, was the first to react. Detaching his Senate pod from the wall of the Grand Convocation Chamber, Dod was recognized by the Chancellor and allowed to speak his protests. The Neimoidian was offended by what he considered to be an indirect attack against the Trade Federation; he argued that the Senate lacked the authority to tax the trade zones and was attempting to break up the Federation. Dod also stated that should the Senate refuse to intercede with the Nebula Front on the Federation's behalf, the governing body should at least give the trade consortium the appropriate means so it could defend itself. Several other senators joined in, inserting their opinions into the debate. Finally Valorum, on the written advice of Senator Palpatine of Naboo, proposed that the some of the revenue from the taxation would be used as financial assistance for outlying worlds. When this did not satisfy everyone, Palpatine suggested that a trade summit be held on the Outer Rim world of Eriadu to continue the discussion and eventually finalize the issue.

Dod attended the Eriadu summit alongside Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray and the other members of the Trade Federation Directorate. After arriving on the world, Dod informed Gunray of Senator Palpatine's stance as a potential ally of theirs after the viceroy inquired as to the man's identity. The two Neimoidians, dressed extravagantly, were flanked by their security droids as they walked with the rest of the Directorate. Dod stood by silently as Gunray and the others engaged in conversation regarding Chancellor Valorum and the impending taxation legislation. Unbeknown to Dod, Gunray had entered into an agreement with the Sith Lord Darth Sidious&mdash;the Sith persona of Senator Palpatine&mdash;that would see the Neimoidians firmly in control of the Federation. To this result, Sidious had supplied Gunray with an additional battle droid, a commander, that would ultimately "malfunction" and assassinate the non-Neimoidian members of the Directorate. When the droid was added to the other security droids guarding the Neimoidians, Dod told Gunray that he thought they had only brought twelve, not thirteen, droids. But Dod did not question the matter further, and he let it drop after his casual remark. The Federation delegation entered into the summit chambers and took their seats, with Gunray making note of Dod's location.

Before Valorum could begin his opening remarks, a Human page approached Gunray and informed him that a plasma leak had been detected in his shuttle's engines, a security matter that he needed to tend to immediately. Dod asked the viceroy whether or not he should remain with the rest of the delegation, but Gunray told him to come along to handle any legalities that should arise. After they departed, blasterfire erupted within the chamber, prompting the remaining members of the Directorate to active a force field that had been set up around their seats. Though successfully shielded from outside attacks, the Directorate members had trapped themselves inside, vulnerable to Sidious's thirteenth droid. When the time came, the commander and the twelve other droids unleashed a volley of blaster bolts that killed the remaining Directorate members as the other members of the summit helplessly watched in horror. When the two Neimoidians returned, security agents initially prevented them from entering the hall; after learning of the events, they did not protest when technicians utilized field disruptors to deactivate the droids. Because of their diplomatic privileges, the pair left Eriadu without responding to any inquiries. The Republic launched an investigation into the incident, and when asked about the thirteenth droid, Dod said that both he and Gunray had been puzzled by its presence. The Republic also concluded that the reasons for the Neimoidians' absence from the massacre was legitimate, albeit somewhat mysterious, as whoever had contacted security about the plasma leak had disappeared by the time of Gunray's and Dod's arrival.

Invasion of Naboo


In 32 BBY, the Trade Federation blockaded and invaded Naboo as a means of protest against the taxation of trade routes. However, the move was not conceived by the Neimoidians; rather, they were instructed to do so on the advice of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, their mysterious benefactor.

Separatist crisis
"He's probably calling it an outrage, [and] thinks that the Skyway Flyer company has a long history of anti-Neimoidian sentiment, and has evidence that the transit company is horning in on Trade Federation markets."

- Senator Orn Free Taa, joking about Dod's speeder accident

In 22 BBY, during the Separatist Crisis, scientists from the University of Sanbra discovered unicellular microbial life on PDC3141-02, a Mid Rim planetoid, previously believed to be devoid of life, used for the disposal of toxic waste produced by corporations. The University managed to get an injunction stopping further dumping on the planetoid, but news of the injunction came too late for the crew of the Spotty Conveyor, a Trade Federation scow transporting radioactive waste from Federation-owned industrial worlds. With failing radioactive shields and not enough fuel to leave the system, the six-being crew was faced with a perilous situation. Dod and the Federation lobbied for the injunction to be removed, hoping to allow the scow to deposit its cargo and leave the system. Dod called the situation outrageous, and even said that the centuries of dumping on the planetoid may have played a part in nurturing the lifeform.

Not long after the PDC3141-02 incident, Dod was traveling along skylane T-534D of the Fobosi District in an airspeeder when a malfunctioning Skyways Flyer automated pubtrans flitter, traveling down T-534D in the wrong direction, forced several commuters&mdash;including Dod&mdash;to collide with a water silo in their attempts to avoid the flitter. Dod was injured in the accident, and he was hospitalized at the Fobosi District Medcenter. Though somewhat disfigured from the collision, he was listed as in stable condition and had to undergo bacta therapy and reconstructive surgery. According to a HoloNet News report, Dod's lawyers intended to sue Skyways Flyer for the accident.

Despite his injuries, Dod continued to serve as the Federation's representative in the Senate. Some of Dod's contacts were used by the Trandoshan Crovessk, chief executive officer of the Revessa Global Shipping, in his appeal to the Senate asking for representation for Trandosha in the governing body. After a Republic courier ship was fired upon by droid starfighters in Andoan space, Senator Rasit Brun of Rintonne accused the Federation of supplying the Aqualish with military hardware. From his recuperative ward, Dod responded to Brun's accusations during a Senate session, calling the senator's insinuations outrageous. Dod's statements caused the session to dissolve into a series of orderless arguing.

Around this time, Coruscant health officials began quarantining Neimoidians newly arrived to the world because of the species's notoriety for carrying the Brainworm Rot disease. This move likewise outraged Dod; he saw the segregating as just another act of laying blame on the Neimoidian people for something that was not their fault. Senator Orn Free Taa of Ryloth made a joke about Dod's speeder accident on the Amberdawn morning show; though Taa later apologized for the move, Dod was still offended by the "outrageous" joke. Dod eventually recovered from his injuries and returned to his full senatorial duties.

Clone Wars
War eventually broke out between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems in 22 BBY on Geonosis, and the Republic became aware of the Federation's involvement in the Separatist alliance. However, Senator Dod denied this fact, stating that Federation resources had been co-opted by the Confederacy without the permission of the Federation's governing board. The truth of the matter was that Dod knew of his organization's active involvement with the Separatists&mdash;and even the senator himself was involved in dealings with the Confederacy. To strengthen the Separatist's droid army, Dod entered into an agreement with Geonosian Archduke Poggle the Lesser and Senator Rush Clovis of the InterGalactic Banking Clan, another pro-Separatist organization claiming to remain aligned with the Republic. In handing over his assets to the Banking Clan for use in the construction of a new droid foundry on Geonosis, Dod would be rewarded with considerable wartime profits. However, the Jedi Order had begun to suspect Clovis's Separatist sympathies, and they decided to send Senator Amidala, the former queen of Naboo, to spy on the Banking Clan senator in hopes of uncovering his true loyalties. To this effect, Amidala accompanied Clovis to the Neimoidian purse world Cato Neimoidia, where he was to collect on a business transaction with the Trade Federation. In reality, Clovis would be finalizing his deal with Dod.

Upon their arrival at Lott Dod's palace, Amidala and Clovis were greeted by the Federation senator. Dod expressed his surprise at Amidala's arrival, but nonetheless welcomed her after an exchange of their mutual beliefs in second chances. While Amidala was led to her guest chambers, Dod and Clovis ventured to a lower level of the palace to further discuss their deal. Dod expressed his concern over Amidala's presence, whom he correctly believed was spying on Clovis. Faced with an increased risk, he and Poggle the Lesser&mdash;who had emerged from the shadows&mdash;attempted to negotiate a greater profit from the venture. Clovis strongly disagreed, as Dod had become too indebted to the Banking Clan to begin asking for a larger stake. But the trio was forced to cut the negotiating short as Amidala approached. Poggle retreated into the shadows upon her arrival, and Dod watched silently as the two senators conversed before departing. When the pair was out of earshot, Dod and Poggle discussed the possibility of using Amidala to their advantage, as Clovis had an affection for her. The Neimoidian decided that with the Naboo senator dead, Clovis would be more susceptible to agreeing to their demands, so he planned to poison Amidala.

Dod caught up with his fellow senators before dinner and offered a toast to their friendship. The Neimoidian senator discreetly applied poison to the brim of Amidala's glass. In taking a sip, Amidala unknowingly swallowed the poison. The trio proceeded to dinner, after which Dod departed. Amidala used this opportunity to accompany Clovis on a tour of the palace. When they reached the lower level, Amidala distracted Clovis long enough to secure the hologram containing the coordinates to the new droid foundry. However, before she could depart Cato Neimoidia, she collapsed in Clovis's arms. Knowing the symptoms to be those of a poison, Clovis confronted Dod with his knowledge. The Neimoidian told him of Amidala's true reasons for accompanying him to the world; Clovis confirmed this by finding that the data on the droid factory had been stolen. After confronting Amidala, he decided that he would enact a trade: he would retrieve the antidote from Dod in exchange for the stolen data. Holding Dod and his aides at blasterpoint, Clovis obtained the antidote, but failed to retrieve the data before Amidala fled the planet with the antidote. Dod, accompanied by B1 battle droids, approached the stranded Banking Clan senator and calmly requested that they have a word with each other as the droids trained their blasters on Clovis.

Portrayal
Senator Lott Dod first appeared in the novelization of 1999's Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. In the film, he was played by Silas Carson and voiced by Toby Longworth. On October 16, 2009&mdash;over ten years after Episode I's release&mdash;Dod was featured as a major character in "Senate Spy," an episode in the second season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In the episode, he was voiced by Gideon Emery.

Possible appearance in Attack of the Clones
In 2002's Attack of the Clones, a Neimoidian wearing clothing similar to that of Dod appears alongside Viceroy Gunray on Geonosis, spawning a debate as to who the Neimoidian was. The end credits for the film identify the Neimoidian as Lott Dod (as portrayed by Alan Ruscoe), but the Neimoidian does not resemble Dod&mdash;in voice or appearance&mdash;from The Phantom Menace. A series of HoloNet News articles published before Episode II's theatrical release seem to establish a speeder accident, followed by reconstructive surgery, as the reason for his altered appearance. The behind-the-scenes explanation for this is that Daultay Dofine's mask from Episode I was given to David Healey, who actually portrayed the Neimoidian in Episode II (the voice was provided by Christopher Truswell). However, the confusion over the character did not stop there.

Because the Neimoidian utilized Dofine's mask, it was believed that he would be made into a new character, named Gilramos Libkath, after Gillian Libbert and Kathryn Ramos. This name was also applied for the Neimoidian in Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary. But this was not the end of the issue; though Gilramos Libkath was later used as an actual Neimoidian in Boba Fett: Hunted, it would be established that Libkath did not appear on Geonosis. Rather, as Leland Chee revealed, Lucasfilm's official verdict is that the Neimoidian who appears alongside Gunray on Geonosis is not Dod, but Rune Haako. More recent sourcebooks, like Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, also identify this character as Haako. As for Dod, the senator has since appeared in The Clone Wars series looking much like he did in The Phantom Menace.

Appearances

 * Cloak of Deception
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novel
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace comic
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace junior novel

Notes and references
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