Smuggler's Guild (Classic Journeys Era)

The Smugglers' Guild was one of the two major Guilds that formed part of Fagin's Riches, operating out of Tomin Kora in pre-Kretonian times. It and its sister guild, the Pirate's Guild, served as the foundation for Lord Fagin's economic and political dominance in the region that was then known as the Fringe.

Established by the original Lord Fagin in 2593, the Guild's purpose was to centralize all illegal cargo transportation in and out of the Fringe under the control of Fagin's Riches. Smuggling was common in the Fringe, where there was little concept of interstellar law and no organized police or military force (outside of Fagin's own Elite Guard) and once the Guild began operation, most smugglers either joined it or faced the possibility of serious reprisals.

The Guild provided its smugglers with access to considerable resources, and generally provided ships that were modified for speed and maneuverability rather than firepower, although a few of its vessels were well armed. Guild ships also came equipped with special sensor-shielded cargo holds that were designed to fool any potential customs searchers. Members of the Guild also had access to special safehouses and contacts spread throughout the galaxy, and to the Guild's secret headquarters in Freewheeling on Tomin Kora. It was not uncommon to find Guild ships docked at Nephthys Station, and anyone looking to contact the Guild could usually do so there.

The Smuggler's Guild was less aggressive and violent than the Pirate's Guild, and its members emphasized their ability to find and transport anything, anywhere, no matter how rare it was or how illegal. It was also not uncommon for Lord Fagin to utilize the Guild for special operations, including salvage and search operations. It was a Smuggler's Guild vessel, the Courser, that was sent to locate the Diamond Lil, a cargo ship believed to have been disabled carrying a cargo of valuable polydenum. It was also a Guild ship, the Zephyr, that was tasked with finding Lord Fagin a new hideout after the destruction of his Tomin Kora palace, ultimately locating the unwelcoming planetoid of Odysseus.

The Guild was run by a Guildmaster who directly reported to Fagin's majordomo, and who was responsible for all Guild operations. Two Guildmasters of note include Leopold VanMahr and his immediate successor, John Falkenberg.

VanMahr, who captained the Courser, was killed in 2650 after discovering the true identity of the man who called himself Lord Fagin. Members of VanMahr's crew then rebelled against Fagin and orchestrated the assault that led to the destruction of Fagin's Tomin Kora palace.

Falkenberg, commander of the Zephyr, restored order to the Guild for a brief time after VanMahr's death, and ran the Guild from 2650 to 2651. When Lord Fagin's majordomo, Grim, began to question Falkenberg's loyalty over his reluctance to turn over Jest'liana Warren, formerly of the rebellious Courser crew, he arranged an attempt on the Guildmaster's life that left him in a coma. Falkenberg's crew then rebelled against Fagin and went into hiding, leaving the Guild again in disarray.

The Smuggler's Guild was ultimately destroyed by the Kretonians in 2651.