Unreviewed The Rules of Commerce

[Credit Wizard]

T H E - R U L E S - O F - C O M M E R C E ​

• Intent: Make the Trade Federation equivalent of the Rules of Acquisition
• Image Credit: Headers provided by Kalantha , Force in Focus - Wat Tambor, Datacron Picture
• Canon: Not Canon
• Permissions: No Permission for Submission
• Links: The Trade Federation | 900 ABY | |:| Rules of Acquisition |:| Rulonom Laborr

• Media Name: The Rules of Commerce
• Format: Holobook
• Distribution: Inter-Planetary
• Length: Long
• Description: The Rules of Commerce is a holobook written by Rulonom Laborr , the retired Viceroy of the Trade Federation of Planets. It is not a motivational text or a glance into physiology, it is meant as a step-by-step guide to economic warfare, legal manipulation and the treatment of all galactic affairs through the lens of net profit and net losses.

• Author: The Trade Federation | 900 ABY |
• Publisher: The Trade Federation | 900 ABY |
• Reception: Laborr's holobook can be considered a rather controversial work. Among hyper-capitalists, megacorp executives, and certain Hutt kajidics, it is a revered, almost sacred text, praised for its unflinching honesty. To the major galactic powers, the Force Orders and systems victimized by Trade Federation practices, it is considered a dangerous and evil piece of propaganda that lays bare the monstrous ideology behind corporate greed.

The Rules of Commerce
The holobook is structured around a multi-layered data core, organized for maximum referential clarity and strategic utility. This includes:

• Interface & Interactivity: The holobook version features a stark, minimalist interface. Data is organized into a master table of contents, cross-referenced with financial appendices and annotated case studies. Selecting a data point launches supporting holographic flow-charts, profit/loss projections, or contract excerpts.
• Core Components:
  • Doctrinal Axioms (e.g., foundational philosophies, definitions of profit, asset classification)
  • Operational Case Studies (e.g., analysis of blockades, corporate acquisitions, hostile negotiations)
  • Bureaucratic Protocols (e.g., meeting structures, liability delegation, datawork obfuscation)
  • Financial Appendices (e.g., predictive algorithms for pacification costs, depreciation schedules for droid armies)

Volume I: Foundation (Axioms 1–50)

Spoiler: Rules of Foundation

Volume	Axiom #	Axiom Text
I: Foundation	1	Profit is the ultimate measure of all things.
I: Foundation	2	A contract is a weapon. Wield its clauses with precision.
I: Foundation	3	Politics are a marketplace. Votes are a commodity.
I: Foundation	4	Loyalty is a fiction created to lower security costs.
I: Foundation	5	Sentient resources are inefficient. Automate wherever possible.
I: Foundation	6	A credit withheld from taxation is a credit earned.
I: Foundation	7	Never negotiate from a position of weakness; redefine the negotiation.
I: Foundation	8	Charity is a strategic allocation of resources for future market access.
I: Foundation	9	Tradition is an obstacle to efficiency.
I: Foundation	10	The only legitimate use of force is the protection of assets.
I: Foundation	11	Emotion is an accounting variable, not a guiding principle.
I: Foundation	12	All things have a price. The art is in discovering it.
I: Foundation	13	A monopoly is not a market condition; it is the only logical endpoint.
I: Foundation	14	Goodwill is an intangible asset. Depreciate it quickly.
I: Foundation	15	A promise is a debt without collateral.
I: Foundation	16	Bankruptcy is not a failure; it is a strategic liquidation event.
I: Foundation	17	The customer is a variable in a profitability algorithm.
I: Foundation	18	Never spend your own credits when you can spend an investor's.
I: Foundation	19	A loss leader must always lead to a greater capture of market share.
I: Foundation	20	The best product is the one with the highest markup, not the highest quality.
I: Foundation	21	Supply should always be constricted to meet demand, never exceeded.
I: Foundation	22	A brand is a shield against accountability.
I: Foundation	23	Quality control is a cost center. Minimize it.
I: Foundation	24	A warranty is a suggestion, not a guarantee.
I: Foundation	25	Planned obsolescence is a form of future revenue assurance.
I: Foundation	26	A patent is a temporary monopoly, granted by the state. Exploit it fully.
I: Foundation	27	A trade secret is a perpetual monopoly. Guard it absolutely.
I: Foundation	28	The value of a name is directly tied to its credit rating.
I: Foundation	29	Reputation is a currency that can be devalued overnight. Do not hoard it.
I: Foundation	30	An exclusive contract is a wall around your assets.
I: Foundation	31	A partnership is a shared liability.
I: Foundation	32	A handshake agreement is worth less than the air used to convey it.
I: Foundation	33	Always be the first to define the terms of any agreement.
I: Foundation	34	The fine print is where the true agreement resides.
I: Foundation	35	A signed document is a captured system.
I: Foundation	36	Verbal assurances are non-binding and therefore valueless.
I: Foundation	37	The longer a contract, the more places to hide unfavorable terms.
I: Foundation	38	Ambiguity in a contract is a feature, not a bug, if it favors you.
I: Foundation	39	The law of averages guarantees profit over time. Volume is key.
I: Foundation	40	A sunk cost is a lesson, not an investment.
I: Foundation	41	Sentimentality is a drain on the balance sheet.
I: Foundation	42	Nostalgia is a accounting error for time misspent.
I: Foundation	43	History is a list of previous market conditions, irrelevant to the present.
I: Foundation	44	Innovation is only valuable if it can be patented and monetized.
I: Foundation	45	Research is a expense. Development is an investment.
I: Foundation	46	A discount is a reduction in profit. Frame it as a "value add."
I: Foundation	47	A sale is not complete until the funds are cleared and cannot be recalled.
I: Foundation	48	Debt is a tool. Too little is inefficient, too much is dangerous.
I: Foundation	49	Leverage multiplies gains and losses. Always calculate the odds.
I: Foundation	50	Liquidity is survival. Illiquid assets are graves.

Volume II: Expansion (Axioms 51–120)

Spoiler: Rules of Expansion

Volume	Axiom #	Axiom Text
II: Expansion	51	A competitor is a resource pool that has not yet been acquired.
II: Expansion	52	Litigation is a cheaper form of warfare.
II: Expansion	53	The value of a system is its resources minus pacification costs.
II: Expansion	54	Regulations are barriers to entry for smaller competitors.
II: Expansion	55	A vast bureaucracy is a defensive fortification against accountability.
II: Expansion	56	A rival's failure is your opportunity. Accelerate it.
II: Expansion	57	Espionage is market research by other means.
II: Expansion	58	Acquire, never invent. It is cheaper.
II: Expansion	59	A struggling business is a ripe target for asset stripping.
II: Expansion	60	Never buy a company for its brand; buy it for its customer list and real estate.
II: Expansion	61	A hostile takeover is simply an unsolicited restructuring proposal.
II: Expansion	62	A board of directors can be persuaded, or replaced.
II: Expansion	63	A proxy war is an investment in a future puppet government.
II: Expansion	64	A blockade is a reassessment of shipping logistics.
II: Expansion	65	A "protection service" is a recurring revenue stream.
II: Expansion	66	Piracy is an unlicensed competitor. Eliminate or acquire them.
II: Expansion	67	Smuggling is duty-free shipping.
II: Expansion	68	A trade route is a artery. Control it.
II: Expansion	69	A shipping lane is a tangible asset.
II: Expansion	70	A port is a fortress. Own it.
II: Expansion	71	A customs official is a gatekeeper. Own them.
II: Expansion	72	Tariffs are a weapon to be wielded against foreign goods.
II: Expansion	73	Subsidies are free credits from the state. Maximize them.
II: Expansion	74	A government grant is non-repayable capital.
II: Expansion	75	A bailout is a reward for strategic failure.
II: Expansion	76	Bankruptcy protection is a legal shield from creditors.
II: Expansion	77	A shell corporation is a mask for your operations.
II: Expansion	78	Off-world accounts are essential for financial privacy.
II: Expansion	79	Insolvency is a strategic position, not a financial one.
II: Expansion	80	Always have a scapegoat subsidiary for illegal ventures.
II: Expansion	81	A competitor's product recall is a marketing opportunity.
II: Expansion	82	A industrial accident is a chance to acquire assets at a discount.
II: Expansion	83	Environmental damage is a future liability. Delay payment indefinitely.
II: Expansion	84	A public scandal is a distraction from quarterly earnings.
II: Expansion	85	The media is a tool to shape perception. Use it.
II: Expansion	86	Bad publicity is still publicity. Monetize it.
II: Expansion	87	A celebrity endorsement is a high-risk, high-reward investment.
II: Expansion	88	Social status is a currency that can be exchanged for access.
II: Expansion	89	A political donation is an investment with a variable return.
II: Expansion	90	Lobbying is the fine-tuning of legislation for profit.
II: Expansion	91	A senator is a high-value asset requiring constant maintenance.
II: Expansion	92	A judicial ruling is a market correction.
II: Expansion	93	A war is a sector-wide liquidation event.
II: Expansion	94	War profiteering is sound business strategy.
II: Expansion	95	Surplus military hardware is a product line.
II: Expansion	96	Mercenaries are short-term security contracts.
II: Expansion	97	A droid army is a depreciating asset.
II: Expansion	98	A clone army is a recurring personnel expense.
II: Expansion	99	Pacification is the process of converting resistance into compliance.
II: Expansion	100	Rebellion is a market disruption.
II: Expansion	101	Insurgents are unlicensed competitors.
II: Expansion	102	A martyr is a brand that cannot be controlled.
II: Expansion	103	Propaganda is marketing for a new political reality.
II: Expansion	104	A conquered populace is a new consumer base.
II: Expansion	105	Reparations are a startup cost for a new administration.
II: Expansion	106	Infrastructure damage is a future construction contract.
II: Expansion	107	Reconstruction is the most profitable industry.
II: Expansion	108	Disaster relief is a market-entry strategy.
II: Expansion	109	Famine creates a seller's market for food.
II: Expansion	110	Plague creates a seller's market for medicine.
II: Expansion	111	Fear is the greatest driver of demand.
II: Expansion	112	Security is a product you sell, not a service you provide.
II: Expansion	113	A panic is a market fluctuation. Capitalize on it.
II: Expansion	114	A crisis is an opportunity to rewrite the rules.
II: Expansion	115	Chaos is a ladder.
II: Expansion	116	Order is a platform for commerce.
II: Expansion	117	Stability is predictable profit.
II: Expansion	118	The past is irrelevant. The future is a derivative to be traded.
II: Expansion	119	The present is a transaction.
II: Expansion	120	The galaxy is a market. Conquer it.

Volume III: Bureaucracy (Axioms 121–200)

Spoiler: Rules of Bureaucracy

Volume	Axiom #	Axiom Text
III: Bureaucracy	121	Delegate authority, but never liability.
III: Bureaucracy	122	The objective of a meeting is to establish consensus for a pre-made decision.
III: Bureaucracy	123	Public Relations is the art of framing asset protection as humanitarian aid.
III: Bureaucracy	124	The most secure secret is buried under layers of datawork.
III: Bureaucracy	125	Profit from every outcome, including loss.
III: Bureaucracy	126	A memo is a weaponized document.
III: Bureaucracy	127	The minutes of a meeting are the official reality. Control the droid.
III: Bureaucracy	128	Data is the new currency. Hoard it.
III: Bureaucracy	129	Information asymmetry is power.
III: Bureaucracy	130	Knowledge is an asset. Ignorance is a liability in your competitors.
III: Bureaucracy	131	A secret is only valuable if no one else knows it.
III: Bureaucracy	132	Compartmentalization is the key to operational security.
III: Bureaucracy	133	Need-to-know is the principle that minimizes risk.
III: Bureaucracy	134	A loyal employee is one with golden handcuffs.
III: Bureaucracy	135	An ambitious subordinate is a threat. Channel their ambition.
III: Bureaucracy	136	Promote incompetence in rivals. Promote loyalty in allies.
III: Bureaucracy	137	A sycophant is useful for morale, dangerous for advice.
III: Bureaucracy	138	A whistleblower is a faulty component. Dispose of them.
III: Bureaucracy	139	An audit is a weapon. Wield it against enemies.
III: Bureaucracy	140	An accountant is a soldier on the front lines of finance.
III: Bureaucracy	141	A lawyer is an artillery piece.
III: Bureaucracy	142	A lobbyist is a precision-guided missile.
III: Bureaucracy	143	A secretary controls access. They are the gatekeeper.
III: Bureaucracy	144	A middle manager is a shock absorber for failure.
III: Bureaucracy	145	An executive is a figurehead. They must be magnificent and malleable.
III: Bureaucracy	146	A board member is an investor. Their loyalty is to their dividend.
III: Bureaucracy	147	A shareholder is a necessary nuisance.
III: Bureaucracy	148	A quarterly report is a work of fiction with legally required footnotes.
III: Bureaucracy	149	Creative accounting is a art form.
III: Bureaucracy	150	A tax haven is a sovereign state's gift to commerce.
III: Bureaucracy	151	A loophole is a feature of the legal code.
III: Bureaucracy	152	Compliance is optional if the fine is less than the profit.
III: Bureaucracy	153	A warning is a cost-benefit analysis.
III: Bureaucracy	154	A cease and desist is an opening negotiation.
III: Bureaucracy	155	A lawsuit is a business transaction conducted in a courtroom.
III: Bureaucracy	156	A settlement is a calculated loss to avoid a greater one.
III: Bureaucracy	157	A non-disclosure agreement is a gag order you pay for.
III: Bureaucracy	158	A non-compete clause is a wall around a former asset.
III: Bureaucracy	159	A severance package is the price of silence.
III: Bureaucracy	160	An exit interview is an intelligence-gathering operation.
III: Bureaucracy	161	The org chart is a map of power and influence.
III: Bureaucracy	182	A demotion is a public humiliation to encourage resignation.
III: Bureaucracy	183	A transfer to a remote outpost is a slow-acting poison.
III: Bureaucracy	184	A promotion is a increase in responsibility and a decrease in freedom.
III: Bureaucracy	185	A title is a cheap form of compensation.
III: Bureaucracy	186	A corner office is a gilded cage.
III: Bureaucracy	187	Perks are substitutes for salary increases.
III: Bureaucracy	188	A bonus is a incentive for achieved results, or a bribe for future ones.
III: Bureaucracy	189	Profit-sharing is a myth to encourage productivity.
III: Bureaucracy	190	A stock option is a bet on the company's future, paid for with present labor.
III: Bureaucracy	191	The stock price is the only true measure of a company's health.
III: Bureaucracy	192	A dividend is a apology for a stagnant stock price.
III: Bureaucracy	193	A merger is a hostile takeover with better publicity.
III: Bureaucracy	194	A acquisition is a cannibalization of a weaker entity.
III: Bureaucracy	195	A corporate restructuring is a purging of inefficiencies.
III: Bureaucracy	196	Downsizing is a necessary pruning of dead weight.
III: Bureaucracy	197	Outsourcing is the exportation of liability.
III: Bureaucracy	198	A franchise is the replication of a successful model without the overhead.
III: Bureaucracy	199	A trademark is a legally protected identity.
III: Bureaucracy	200	A legacy is the final line on a balance sheet. Ensure it is in the black.

Penned in 903 ABY, "The Rules of Commerce" was the final work of Rulonom Laborr composed not in the halls of power but in the quiet seclusion of his forced retirement. Pushed out from his position as Viceroy of the Trade Federation in a quiet coup by the Neimoidian Faction lead by Lodd Grimmin

This abrupt end, however, did not breed a desire for vengeance. Instead, it provided a moment of stark clarity. From his unique vantage point, Laborr observed the same cyclical patterns of rise and fall: ambitious enterprises blossomed, only to be crushed by larger conglomerates or to collapse under the weight of their own naive principles. He saw the galactic economy not as a game to be won by a single player, but as an ecosystem that was perpetually out of balance, stifling true growth and innovation.

He came to believe that the Federation's greatest downfall and his own was a propensity for myopic greed over sustainable, strategic prosperity. His purpose was to arm the next generation of entrepreneurs, the small planetary syndicates and the fledgling shipping cartels, with the unvarnished truths of galactic commerce that he had learned through costly experience.

He intended to give them the tools not merely to compete, but to survive and flourish in an arena dominated by predatory giants and bureaucratic quagmires. He detailed the realities of economic warfare, legal manipulation, and corporate strategy not to encourage malice, but to provide a defense against it.