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Commerce Guild

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this was one of the largest shipping conglomerates given a trade franchise during the last decades of the Old Republic. The Commerce Guild was established to obtain raw materials and ensure that they were made available to the entire galaxy, but at prices which were established and maintained by the Guild. Membership in the Guild was taken quite seriously, and smaller corporations who chose not to join were harassed and bullied into bankruptcy or membership. The Commerce Guild was also one of the loudest supporters of the Trade Federation, following on the Federation's coattails whenever legislation involving trade was mentioned in galactic politics. When the Federation was defeated at the Battle of Naboo, the Commerce Guild's leadership saw its chance to step in and fill the power void. Through overt manipulation of the Republic and covert activities - such as the niobarium pollution of Vorian Four - the Commerce Guild solidified its position of power shortly before the Clone Wars. In order to protect its investments, the Commerce Guild borrowed from the Trade Federation's ideals and developed its own droid army. It then threw its support to Count Dooku and the Separatists, but chose not to become openly involved in the growing conflict with the Old Republic.