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Five Families

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this was the name given to the five clans of Cestians that controlled the Cestus Cybernetics corporation - as well as their society's government - during the last years of the Old Republic. For many generations there had been just four families, until Caiza Quill made a bold move to have his own family elevated in status. By delivering labor contracts and easing the dissent that had grown among the X'Ting during their subjugation by Cestus Cybernetics, Quill had earned himself a position on the leadership council. He also gained the favor of the original four families, who agreed to have his own family added to their numbers. Unfortunately, Quill's actions ensured that the X'Ting would be enslaved to the offworlders who ran Cestus Cybernetics, and he was quietly reviled for having sold his own people to the corporation. The Families formed the primary ruling body on Ord Cestus, controlling even the Regency. Each of the families was responsible for a different aspect of commerce on Ord Cestus, dealing with research, energy, manufacturing, sales and marketing, and mining. The director of each branch served as the leader of their respective clan, and often believed that they ruled their domains by divine privilege. When the Clone Wars came to Ord Cestus, when Count Dooku used the threat of combat-programmed JK-series droids to force the Old Republic into a rash move against the Cestians, the Five Families found themselves powerless to maintain their own control of the planet. When the warship Nexu was dispatched to force them into submission, many members fled to their secret bunker hidden in the Kibo Plateau. However, their location was discovered by Thak Val Zsinj and the ARC trooper known as Jangotat, who managed to reorient the Nexu's weapons to fire on the bunker. In a single stroke, the bunker was destroyed and the Five Families were nearly wiped out. The few survivors were left to squabble amongst themselves over their personal plans for power. In the meantime, G'Mai Duris and the X'Ting clans began to take over the facilities once owned by the Five Families, once again assuming control over Ord Cestus.