Corporate Sector Authority

The Corporate Sector is a remote territory located at the end of the Hydian Way hyperspace route. Encompassing approximately 30,000 stars at the rimward edge of the Tingel Arm, this region of space is controlled exclusively by the Corporate Sector Authority. The CSA is not a poltical state, rather it is an independent corporation dedicated to exploiting the resources of the Sector for the profit of its members and shareholders without the interference of governmental restriction.

Chartered under the rule of Palpatine, the Authority's self-determination comes at a significant price. In exchange for its autonomy, the CSA is required to contribute a percentage of its profits and products directly to the New Order, thus fueling the Imperial war machine. This support of the Empire along with a history of valuing their profit margin above all else has created much friction between the CSA and other high-minded organizations like the New Republic. However, despite any distaste they may hold for the CSA's practices, the galactic powers that be still rely on the Corporate Sector as a driving force in the interstellar economy.

History
The engines of commerce and industry have always been powerful forces in the galaxy, fueling the development of star systems and expanding the reach of civilization. In the Old Republic, despite their positive progressive effects, the interstellar megacorporations did not always coexist peacefully with governments. As the corporations of millenia past grew, they faltered beneath numerous levels of governmental restriction and bureauacracy or, worse yet, used their vast resources to circumvent the law entirely. In an effort to free Republic lawmakers and corporate moneymakers from their differences, the Expansionist Region, a vast expanse of unclaimed space beyond the colony words and inner rim, came to be a bold social experiment. Entire systems were made available for purchase and given over to direct corporate control. Freed from the interference of local goverments and with corporate activities overseen directly by the Republic Senate, it was believed that prosperity would follow quickly, and, to the outside observer, it did.

The Expansionist Region generated huge profits for the companies that invested there; however, the common citizens of those worlds and the planets they dwelled upon suffered terribly. Without local governments to protect the people and preserve planetary resources, corporations burned through both at an alarming rate in their single-minded pursuit of profit. Entire planets were strip-mined, their fragile ecosytems forever devasted. Laborers toiled away under deplorable working conditions, crushed beneath their employers' bottom line. By clamping down on the flow of information out of the region and a generous application of lucractive bribes, the corporations were able to keep the Senate's attention focused elsewhere.

Eventually, information regarding the Expansionist Region's secret plight got out and the Senate stepped in. Two centuries before the rise of the Empire, planetary governments were established in the region and control was handed over to them. To placate the corporate interests, several hundred systems were set aside and designated to be a new area of corporate controlled space. Carefully selected for their remoteness and lack of native sentients, these systems became known as the Corporate Sector and now form the core of the modern territory. To avoid repeating the mistakes made in the Expansionist Region, the Republic established a military presence in the area. The official mandate of the Republic's Corporate Sector fleet was to maintain order within the fief. Unofficially, it was also responsible for guarding the planets and their populaces against corporate abuse. Despite the more restrictive climate and the costs of relocating, most large companies did move their operations to the new free enterprise zone and enjoyed great profit.

When Palpatine rose to power, the opportunity presented itself for even greater corporate advancement. A group of wealthy plutocrats, representing the largest and most powerful galactic corporations, struck a deal with the new Emperor. In exchange for a percentage of the profits and materials generated within the region, a new Corporate Sector Authority would be founded. Controlled by representatives of the sponsoring corporations, the CSA would be given authority over an expanded Corporate Sector totalling approximately thirty thousand systems and granted almost complete autonomy. It would be empowered to act as the exclusive land lord, employer, and military of the region, managing and exploiting the Sector's resources without interference (so long as the Empire received its payments on time). Of course, this arrangement did not sit well with all Imperials, mostly the Moffs denied their slice of the valuable systems, but, the large and steady flow of credits into the Imperial treasury ensured that their objections had little effect.

The death of Palpatine and the decline of its Imperial allies has shaken the Corporate Sector's hold on galactic commerce. Some CSA sponsors have drifted from the Sector, moving their operations into the New Republic or other territories. A number of independent businesses have sprung up, claiming portions of markets both new and old. The Authority goes on, expending as much effort on enticing these new and old corporations into the Corporate Sector as it does attempting to bankrupt those that refuse. Regardless of the changes to the galaxy's political landscape, the Corporate Sector remains an important cornerstone of the interstellar economy. The engines of commerce and industry continue to churn away.