Czerka Interstellar

**Czerka Interstellar** is a corporation formed by the former leadership and staff of Czerka Corporation after the company was nationalized by the Galactic Republic in 3638 BBY in the aftermath of the crisis on CZ-198. A legally distinct entity from Czerka Corporation, Interstellar was able to operate due to several loopholes in Republic law, and maintained the CI-004 Research Facility on the moon Dxun. By the time of the Galactic Civil War, Czerka Interstellar had reformed again, into Czerka Arms, and by 1000 ABY, the Corporation had once again changed names to Czerka Interstellar.

## History

### Great Wars

During the time of the Jedi Civil War, Czerka, under the leadership of President Pollard Seario, allied itself with the Sith; it supplied the contemporary Sith Empire armies and the Sith supplied exclusive trade rights on conquered planets. Because of this, and earlier behavior, Czerka gained a reputation as an unethical opportunist.

Not all of Czerka's enterprises at this time were successful; indeed, many became financial disasters. An example of this was its operation of and involvement in the Wookiee slave trade, which, although illegal in the Republic, was made possible by legal loopholes concerning Kashyyyk's location. This lucrative market was ended when the visiting Revan, along with his Wookiee companion Zaalbar, helped instigate a revolt: the Wookiees then proceeded to drive the company from the planet. Czerka sought to conceal the setback through a public announcement that it was “scaling back” regional operations but was met with skepticism; the deaths of so many personnel led to questions regarding their “reassignments” which Czerka refused to answer.

Another failed Czerka enterprise at this time was the claim it laid to the planet Tatooine. Responding to enthusiastic surveys, several outposts, including the town of Anchorhead, were built and mining operations begun. To its subsequent dismay, Czerka became another in a long line of companies deceived by Tatooine's inferior, quickly corroding ore. Nevertheless, such an investment had been made that officials were unwilling to close it down, and the sale of ore from Tatooine continued. Customers and investments declined, and marauding bands of natives also proved a source of trouble for the corporation. Revan became involved here as well when the administrator of Anchorhead hired him to butcher the local tribes of Sand People. The amnesiac Jedi, unknown to his employer, deftly avoided this by negotiating a reduction in attacks with the tribes' chieftain. From the native dewback, company scientists also attempted to breed “war dewbacks” that were larger and more aggressive than their easily domesticated cousins. Although the scientists eventually succeeded, the project was written off as a failure when the test herd broke out of its enclosure and rampaged through the research facility. Eventually, however, Czerka did depart Tatooine, abandoning their sandcrawlers and their settlements.

Other enterprises included a work colony at Dreshdae on the ancient Sith homeworld of Korriban. Czerka supplied freighters and supplies to the local Sith Academy in accordance with its Sith alliance.

In the years after the war, Czerka sought to ingratiate itself with the victorious but shaken Republic through involvement in the reconstruction effort of Telos IV. The deal was this: Czerka supplied workers and investment in return for exclusive exploitation of Telosian resources, including rights to any abandoned war matériel. Success, it was hoped, would bring the company similar contracts on other reconstruction projects. Czerka, however, clashed with the Ithorians running the project and the Telosian branch, in alliance with the local Exchange, acquired control of several restoration zones—all of which soon were ruined. But if not for the intervention of the Jedi Exile Meetra Surik, Telos might well have followed.

By the time of the Cold War, the proxy conflict between the Sith Empire and the Galactic Republic, Czerka was noted to have diversified businesses ranging from consumer food products to military weapons. It owned multiple star systems, employed numerous billion individuals and had representation in the Republic Senate. It was also unique, being able to negotiate trade agreements with the Hutt Cartel and independent worlds, crossing political borders with impunity to generate staggering profits. Whatever one may have thought about Czerka Corporation's business practices, no one could afford to simply stop doing business with them.

After the company was nationalized by the Galactic Republic in 3638 BBY in the aftermath of the crisis on CZ-198, a legally distinct entity from Czerka Corporation, Czerka Interstellar was able to operate due to several loopholes in Republic law, and maintained the CI-004 Research Facility on the moon Dxun.

### Imperial Era

Some time after the next Republic defeat of the Sith, Czerka, perhaps wanting to disassociate itself from its past, changed its name to Czerka Arms. Czerka sold their products freely during the days of the Galactic Republic, for example, selling Czerka Outland Rifles to the Kaleesh during their war with the Huk. They signed an exclusivity contract with the Galactic Empire when it rose to power. However, Czerka munitions made their way to aftermarket sales from warehouses, despite the official stance of the company. One example of this was the Czerka ZX miniature flame projector used by the bounty hunter Boba Fett.

During the Galactic Civil War, Czerka was on the list of legitimate targets for Rebel privateers. When the New Republic replaced the Galactic Empire, Czerka ended its contract with the Empire and offered its products once more to the galactic market, even going so far as to actively pursue production contracts with the New Republic. Czerka maintained its position as the third-largest weapons manufacturer in the galaxy, superseded only by BlasTech and Merr-Sonn. Czerka produced some energy weapons, but found a niche in the manufacture of non-blaster personal weapons and “non-standard” munitions, such as flame projectors, vibroblades, and slugthrowers.

Czerka Arms would again adopt the Czerka Interstellar name centuries later, at the same time adopting their ancient logo. Their headquarters were moved to Taris. At some point Czerka Interstellar founded a subsidiary, Czerka Mining & Industrial, which aimed to succeed where its prior endeavors had failed and focused especially on deep space mining.

## Reputation and Ethics

Czerka, at least in its earlier days, was widely known as a successful, if unscrupulous, corporation. Illegal and unethical revenue-generating practices were tolerated, sometimes encouraged, by its sectoral officers so long as the flow of credits was uninterrupted and word did not leak out. Likewise, the politics of its customers were overlooked for the sake of lucrative markets. Furthermore, as might be expected in such a corporation, rumors spread of profiteering; particularly that Czerka officials had allowed starvation of colonists when their high prices were not met. This distaste did not, however, compromise Czerka's income.

During the Old Republic Era, Czerka was a sponsor of the Hutt-run death game, Huttball, supplying many of the death traps used in the popular sport. One of Czerka's most foolhardy projects was the creation of the HK-51 assassin droid, modelled after HK-47. A large shipment was purchased by the Sith Empire, but disappeared somewhere over Belsavis.

Czerka also engaged in the illicit slave trade. During the Jedi Civil War, Wookiees from Kashyyyk, regarded as savage brutes because of their animalistic speech and appearance, were a prime source. Violent resistance by the Wookiees reinforced this belief. Nevertheless, negotiations with the usurper Chuundar led to a mutual aid agreement in which Czerka supplied him with weapons with which to enforce his rule and he supplied Czerka with slaves. As previously described, this agreement was ended when Revan aligned himself with Chuundar's deposed father Freyyr and encouraged a revolt. Chuundar was killed, and Czerka evicted.

On Telos IV, Czerka's illicit actions came to light and caused repercussions for the whole corporation. Under the effective leadership of Jana Lorso, encroachments were made into the Ithorians within Chodo Habat's reconstruction team's sphere of influence. Alliance with the Exchange and deft exploitation of Telos' own laws enabled Lorso to steadily marginalize the Ithorians. The arrival of Meetra Surik changed this. Befriending Chodo and his herd, she gathered information which exposed Czerka's activities.

## Notable Products

* IC-5060b Enforcer Corvette: a modern military warship available on the open market but also used heavily by Czerka itself
* ZK7-series combat droid: a model of combat droids available on the open market but also used heavily by Czerka itself

## Trivia

* The sources used to create this article seemed to conflict about what name the corporation used at different times, so the writer used the one that seemed more versatile.
	+ There's a slight possibility that the author didn't understand the sources, but it's unlikely.
* In Galactic Legends, it was almost impossible for the Corporation to exist on Korriban, so the headquarters were placed on Taris.