Mining Guild

"So you're part of the Mining Guild, then?"
"No, not actually. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed, which is advantageous for everybody since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves."

―Leia Organa and Lando Calrissian, regarding Cloud City^[15]

The Mining Guild, also known as the Galactic Mining Guild, was a powerful network of miners that harvested and controlled natural resources throughout the galaxy. Initially a part of the Commerce Guild, it was aligned with the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars before collaborating with Galactic Empire during its reign.

History

Creation and Clone Wars

The Mining Guild's early strongholds included worlds like Empress Teta, a significant supplier of carbonite with ties to early hyperspace exploration. Through the exploitation (and sometimes, the instigation) of interplanetary upheaval, the guild expanded its influence over several millennia, eventually growing to control the galaxy's resources.^[6] Desler Gizh Outworld Mobility Corporation was part of the guild.^[16] The guild eventually became a part of the Commerce Guild.^[1]

By the start of the Clone Wars, the Mining Guild exerted control over the Tetan monarchy^[6] and dominated billions of young, nameless, metal-rich planets in the spiral arms of the galaxy.^[17] Along with various other galactic conglomerates, including the Commerce Guild, the Mining Guild chose to side against the Galactic Republic and with the Confederacy of Independent Systems, forcing its member worlds such as Empress Teta to follow in its footsteps.^[6] After the Separatists were defeated and the Republic transitioned into the Galactic Empire,^[18] the guild escaped Imperial reprisals by swearing fealty to Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine.^[6]

Imperial Era

"Fuel thieves. Alert our sentries. Protect the shipment at all costs!"

―Yushyn —

▶️ (file info)^[19]

During the Imperial Era, the Mining Guild openly collaborated with the Galactic Empire, offering raw materials to the Imperial war machine at discounted prices.^[6] In exchange, the guild was permitted to use a modified variant of the Imperial TIE/ln starfighter.^[20] The guild was also able to maintain control over its own mining operations instead of losing that control to the Empire.^[15] The Mining Guild protected spice mining on the planet Kessel, the origin point for most of the galaxy's spice supply.^[21] The mines themselves were worked by slaves of the Pyke Syndicate^[22] or Empire, which also played a role in Kessel security.^[23]

In 3 BBY,^[24] the Guild ran an Asteroid Belt Gas Refinery located on a small planetoid, where they extracted Clouzon-36 gas. However, that facility was discovered by the Spectres, a crew of anti-Empire freedom fighters, who stole its fuel for the rebellion and destroyed the complex.^[19] Despite the loss of that Clouzon-36 refinery, the Mining Guild remained powerful.^[14]

The Mining Guild sent agents to patrol and represent its interests in the spice mines on Kessel in order to make sure the it got its cut of the profits.^[25] In 10 BBY,^[26] agent Yorsh Manted^[25] was present during the Raid on Kessel and ensuing slave revolt.^[22]

The Mining Guild regularly patrolled the Sereeda Waypoint, a hyperspace waypoint located in their claims territory.^[11] In 2 BBY,^[27] the Spectres once again clashed with the Guild, this time in the Sereeda, as they had to momentarily come out of hyperspace there and recalculate their jump. The Guild deployed two TIEs and demanded the rebels pay the hyperspace toll, however the Spectres destroyed the fighters and jumped back into hyperspace.^[11]

Mining Guild Surveyor XW2 — A Mining Guild surveyor piloting a TIE/mg starfighter.

After being rejected by the Bounty Hunters' Guild and the Grand Hutt Council, General Davits Draven of the Alliance wrote to Senator Mon Mothma about being potential allies with the Mining Guild, claiming, that while the Mining Guild operated under the Empire, it was more of a convenient relationship, not an ideological one. At the time of the later, the Alliance was investigating Mining Guild operations on Ord Mantell, Raxus Prime, The Wheel, Vergesso, the Ring of Kafrene, Smuggler's Run, Takodana, and Nar Shaddaa.^[7]

Cloud City, a tibanna gas mining operation in the atmosphere of the planet Bespin, was able to keep its activities small and avoid being part of the Empire or the Mining Guild. This was to the advantage of its customers, who did not want to gain attention.^[15]

Era of the Resistance

"That is the moon of Kyzring. It's loaded with carnium, an energy-rich metal that powers half this sector. The Mining Guild has been digging into this moon for years. They take what they can use, and whatever's left, well…you see for yourself."

―Poe Dameron, to Rey^[9]

By the rise of the First Order and the creation of the Resistance, the Mining Guild was still active, and, according to the Resistance, was not what it once was. Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo believed that this allowed the stronger possibility that the Mining Guild would accept a partnership with the Resistance.^[7]

By the time following the Battle of Crait during the war between the First Order and Resistance, the guild had been mining the moon of Kyzring, which was rich with carnium, for years. The guild would take what it could use, and Poe Dameron recounted this information to fellow Resistance member Rey while on a training mission.^[9]

Equipment

"Those TIEs have been modified. They're not Imperial."
"Well, they're acting like it."

―Sabine Wren and Kanan Jarrus^[19]

MiningGuildSentry-SWZ — A Mining Guild used *Aurore*-class freighters and TIE/mg fighters to patrol their territory.

Thanks to its association with the Empire, the Guild was allowed to use a special variant of the Imperial TIE fighter modified with a yellow color scheme and 2 notches out of the wings.^[20] For more security purposes, the Mining Guild also used yellow Aurore-class freighters^[11] and X4 Gunships.^[7] On Lothal^[8] in around 1 BBY,^[28] the Mining Guild utilized ore crawlers for the scouring of the terrain for raw materials,^[8] as well as Mining Guild excavation drillers for large scale operations.^[29] For security on the crawlers, yellow IG-RM droids with weak audio receptors were used.^[30] The Mining Guild also used phase connectors.^[31]