Zann Consortium

The **Zann Consortium** was formed at some point prior to the Battle of Yavin by Tyber Zann, the movement spread corruption throughout the galaxy and at some point, allied itself with the Black Hole Gang and established an affiliation with Jabba the Hutt and learned much from the corpulent gangster. The Consortium then decided to place one of their main bases of operation at Hypori. In order to place the Zann Consortium into a place of power, Tyber ordered the assassination of an Imperial Governor. Through a series of racketeering operations promptly set up followed by a series of raids on Mandalore. These would give the Consortium a modest supply of funds and ships while power was quietly being built up. During the Galactic Civil War, the group would sabotage and interfere with both rebel and Imperial affairs, amassing considerable power and wealth while becoming a major nuisance and even threat to both the Empire and the rebellion. While Zann was battling both sides of the war, he also had a rivalry with Jabba, leading to a conflict between the two criminal factions across the galaxy. The conflict between the Consortium and Jabba would come to a stalemate with a treaty stating that while any of Hutt space or Zann's territory was left alone, there would be no more bloodshed.

The factories on Hypori would now churn out second generation Droideka's such as the Sentinel and the Oppressor variants. The Zann Consortium would continue to operate behind the scenes, establishing their presence on multiple planetary systems across the galaxy. The Zann Consortium gained most of its technology through its affiliation with the black market, and its Defilers, which were known for traveling to hostile systems and setting up illegal outposts which promoted piracy and sabotage. They dealt extensively in slaves, particularly on the planets Sullust, Kashyyyk, Dac and Naboo, some of which were used as cannon fodder during Consortium ground operations. Kidnapping of Imperial and rebel officials was not beyond the Consortium, including highly valued assets. Zann became obsessed with gaining revenge on the Empire and following the Emperor's death at the Battle of Endor and hearing that he had stored his fortune in private vaults. Planning to rob them, Zann decided to scout the wreckage of the second Death Star, reasoning that it in most cases it was Imperial standard procedure for sensitive data pods to be ejected before they were destroyed.

Tyber commanded a small fleet and rummaged through the remains of the Death Star in orbit around the moon of Endor. After engaging Rebel Alliance forces in the area, he found a data pod revealing that the *Executor*-Class ship the *Annihilator* held the whereabouts of Palpatine's vaults. Shortly after the Battle of Endor, Tyber assisted a pirate ruler Eleodie Maracavanya in capturing the *Annihilator* a Super Star Destroyer. Zann proceeded to uncover the information stored within the memory banks, to locate the vaults and steal billions of credits, technical data spanning for decades, and priceless works of art, thus ensuring that the Consortium expand to Galactic levels. After getting the information (or at least some of it), Tyber left the ship for the pirates. With a vast amount of money in their control, the Zann Consortium fleet had began to expand beyond their limits and become more powerful than ever, because of the money and also the death of Jabba the Hutt. But the time of the Consortium and their power would not last, as a few years following the Battle of Endor, the fleet and the Consortium itself would be defeated.

## Structure of the Consortium

### Consortium Leadership

The responsibilities of leading the Zann Consortium fell on its founder, Tyber Zann, who led his criminal syndicate along with a select few others he deemed trustworthy. The group spread influence from the Zann Consortiumpalaces, large buildings used by the Zann Consortium underworld organization built on worlds with a strong Consortium presence, and served as the center for Consortium monetary dealings there. Though the Zann Consortium possessed a surprisingly well-equipped and organized military force, they generally preferred to use guerrilla warfare tactics or criminal activities to gain influence.

### Armed Forces

The Zann Consortium used a powerful army to gain victory during battles on land. They used either black market technology or their own, depending upon the conditions. One particular means of income was offering military protection to planets that wanted no part in the on-going Galactic Civil War. They also extorted money from miners. The Consortium also constructed Palaces on various worlds which served as its financial centers. With access to the black market, Zann had several unique technology at his disposal, including combat droids and stealth generators that allowed undetected movement on the ground or in the stars. The Zann Consortium also hired bounty hunters such as Bossk and IG-88 to eliminate certain targets in order to further their influence.

#### Defilers

**Defilers** were the "undercover agents" of Tyber Zann whom he dispatched to various systems to promote piracy and sabotage, moreover known as "corruption". They were the primary agents of the Zann Consortium, an underworld consortium and crime syndicate. Defilers would travel to rebel and Imperial systems during the Galactic Civil War and would sabotage bases, set up connections with the black market, set up slave camps, steal credits, etc. Throughout the war, defilers became a substantial source of stress and frustration due to their constant raids. Essentially, what they were most familiar for was spreading the influence of Tyber Zann. Defilers were made up of many different alien species, trained and conditioned to serve Tyber Zann above all others and concealed under a distinctive uniform of red armor.

#### Droid Works

The **Zann Consortium Droid Works** was a droid manufacturing enterprise operated by the Zann Consortium led by Tyber Zann. The Droid Works was a blending of Clone Wars-era Geonosian technology and new enhancements that allowed the production of droids such as the new and improved Droideka models including the Droideka Opressor and the Droideka Sentinel units. The majority of these factories were underground, allowing the droids to be moved around through tunnels that exited to the surface. Like most Consortium structures, the Droid Works was well defended with armor and a deflector shield generator. The automated repair droid, also known as the vehicle repair station, was an on-the-spot repair facility for combat situation,s equipped with a variety of tools to allow repairs of nearly any vehicle.

#### Heavy Vehicle Factory

The **Zann Consortium Heavy Vehicle Factory** was a modular structure within Tyber Zann's underworld empire. They were built with to be created on a planet relatively quickly, however, with defenses in mind which included built-in armor and a shield generator. They were similar to the Zann Consortium Droid Works in that they were well shielded from most types of weaponry. When fully functional, these factories can produce a wide variety of vehicles which included their plasma tanks, assault tanks, transports, and Missile Attack Launchers. Another heavy weapon developed was the Proton Torpedo Turret which was a turret fitted with four proton torpedo launchers, used to attack from a fairly long range and were especially effective against infantry.

### Naval Forces

The Zann Consortium used starfleets in space combat, utilizing both black market technology as well as their own. Most of these were built at space stations used by the Zann Consortium, which were the equivalent to Imperial space stations and rebel space stations. Some of the most vital naval assets were armed with a plasma cannon that were capable of delivering lethal blows. They could also be armed with pulse cannons and other light defenses, which could be heavily upgraded beyond their original specifications. One notable space station was located in the Gaulus Sector, specifically close to the Ryloth system. Ships incorporated into the fleet are more often than not stolen or procured through illegal means and customized to meet the needs of the Consortium with ship including transports, fighters, corvettes, frigates, and capital ships.