- "The Commerce Guild and the Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku and are forming a—"
- ―Obi-Wan Kenobi, in a holographic transmission before he was captured on Geonosis
The Commerce Guild, also known as the Commerce Guilds, was a large-scale interstellar conglomerate active in the galaxy. It included agricorps, retailers, service providers, and the Mining Guild, among other commercial entities, and was a primary competitor of the Corporate Alliance. The Guild was headquartered on Felucia, but was largely controlled by the Gossams of Castell.
During the Clone Wars, the Commerce Guild, like many other interstellar conglomerates, lent its covert support to the Confederacy of Independent Systems, earning it representation in the Separatist Senate and the quasi-executive Separatist Council. Nevertheless, after the Separatists were defeated and Presidente Shu Mai was killed by Darth Vader on Mustafar, it reversed course and supported the Galactic Empire.
History[]
The Commerce Guild, sometimes referred to as the Commerce Guilds,[8] was a conglomerate formed when[10] several galactic-scale corporate organizations such as agricorps, retailers, arms manufacturers, shipbuilders, service providers, and the Mining Guild[2] banded together in a desire for safety, and to ease trade.[10] It became headquartered on Felucia, but was controlled by the Gossams of Castell.[2] In the time before the First Battle of Geonosis,[8] it became one of the five most powerful companies in the galaxy,[11] and Shu Mai—a Gossam who was only concerned with power, wealth, and status—used aggressive and unscrupulous tactics to increase her power in the Guild. Ultimately, no one stood in her path to become presidente of the Commerce Guild.[12]
Despite being a competitor to the Corporate Alliance,[2] the Commerce Guild joined the Alliance as well as several other conglomerates in pledging its support and its army to Count Dooku and his Confederacy of Independent Systems shortly before the outbreak of the Clone Wars,[8] joining in their effort against the Galactic Senate as long as they were not openly involved in the Confederacy's affairs during the early period.[11] Presidente Mai sat on the Separatist Council for the duration of the conflict,[1] while Amita Fonti represented the Guild in the Separatist Senate.[13] Although the Guild was not an open backer of the Confederacy, Mai's OG-9 homing spider droids were deployed to fight in the war.[12]
In 19 BBY,[14] the Separatist Alliance was defeated and Mai was killed by Darth Vader on Mustafar. Despite her death,[15] the Guild continued to operate after the war, working with the new Galactic Empire. The Commerce Guild's representative in the Imperial Senate was a major supporter of the Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill.[9] Agents of the Guild attempted to purchase the Phylanx Redux Transmitter during an auction on Cantonica.[16]
Appearances[]
- Star Wars: Galactic Defense (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones (First appearance)
- "This is Obi-Wan" — Meet the Galactic Heroes
- Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade (Mentioned only)
- Inquisitor: Rise of the Red Blade audiobook (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Corruption" (Mentioned only)
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Heroes on Both Sides"
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "A Friend in Need"
- Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- Star Wars: The Bad Batch — "The Clone Conspiracy"
- Star Wars: The Bad Batch — "Truth and Consequences"
- Tarkin (Mentioned only)
- Tarkin audiobook (Mentioned only)
- Obi-Wan 4 (In flashback(s))
- Victory's Price (Mentioned only)
- Victory's Price audiobook (Mentioned only)
- Last Shot (Mentioned only)
- Last Shot audiobook (Mentioned only)
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ultimate Star Wars
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 Rise of the Separatists
- ↑ Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Corruption"
- ↑ Star Wars: Complete Locations
- ↑ Dwarf Spider Droid in the Databank (backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Galactic Defense
- ↑ "Grievous Intrigue" Concept Art Gallery on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Star Wars: The Bad Batch — "The Clone Conspiracy"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Star Wars: Build Your Own R2-D2 36 (Droid Directory: Spider Droids)
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "War Win(ner)s" — Star Wars - The Official Magazine 84
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Star Wars Character Encyclopedia, New Edition
- ↑ The Clone Wars Episode Guide: Heroes on Both Sides on StarWars.com (content now obsolete; backup link)
- ↑ Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
- ↑ Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
- ↑ Last Shot