The Hutt Cartel (de facto), Hutt Space / Empire (de jure)

"Ohta su marvalic plesodoro."
- Common Hutt phrase, roughly translating as "Let them marvel at our splendour."

POLITICAL INFORMATION

• Type of government: Crime syndicate
• Head(s) of State: Supreme Mogul
• Current Head of State: Supreme Mogul Wakka
• Head(s) of Government: Hutt Ruling Council
• Current Head(s) of Government: Whichever Kajidic is dominant
• Commander(s)-in-chief: Grand Admiral
• Current Commander-in-chief: Supreme Mogul
• Executive branch:
  • Hutt Ruling Council
• Legislative branch: Each Kajidic governs itself independently
• Judicial branch: Each Kajidic governs itself independently

SOCIETAL INFORMATION

• Capital: Nal Hutta (de jure); Nar Shaddaa (de facto)
• Official language: Huttese
• Currency: Galactic Credit Standard (commonly); Hutt peggats

HISTORICAL INFORMATION

• Date of establishment: c. 25,200 BBY
• Planet of founding: Varl

NOTABLE MEMBER PLANETS

• Nal Hutta (capital)
• Nar Shaddaa

OTHER

• Notable members:
  • Grogga (crime boss)
  • Zorbo (crime boss; Zorbo Consortium)
  • Kalen "Rex" Vickers (smuggler; runner)
  • Reave (mercenary)

OVERVIEW

The Hutt Cartel is the dominant criminal and economic power within Hutt Space, functioning as a loosely unified syndicate composed of rival Hutt clans known as Kajidics. While Hutt Space is recognised in law and diplomacy as a sovereign state, real authority rests not in central institutions but in the shifting balance of power between these clans. As such, the Cartel operates de facto as a criminal confederation rather than a conventional government.

The Supreme Mogul serves as a symbolic and practical focal point for inter-clan stability, arbitrating disputes and representing collective Hutt interests when unity is advantageous. However, the position is contingent upon strength, wealth, and fear; a Supreme Mogul’s authority persists only so long as rival Kajidics find compliance preferable to conflict. Below this level, governance is entirely decentralised, with each Kajidic enforcing its own laws, punishments, and commercial codes.

Economically, the Cartel exerts influence across vast swathes of the Outer Rim through smuggling, slavery, spice trafficking, arms dealing, gambling, and mercenary contracting. Even where Hutt Space holds no formal jurisdiction, Hutt-backed enterprises often dominate local markets through coercion, corruption, or strategic partnerships. Nar Shaddaa, though not the legal capital, has become the Cartel’s operational heart: a galaxy-spanning hub of trade, vice, and information exchange.

Relations with recognised galactic governments are pragmatic rather than ideological. The Hutts maintain treaties, ceasefires, and commercial agreements where profitable, while remaining openly hostile to any sustained attempts at regulation or moral reform. This flexibility has allowed the Cartel to endure the rise and fall of republics and empires alike, emerging from each era diminished or enriched, but never eradicated.