Free-traders were independent, small-time merchants. They traveled the galaxy as they wished, trading commodities by buying and selling goods, and were always on the lookout for a good deal. A free-trader considered their starship to be their home and transport.[1]
As the Galactic Empire tightened its rule on the galaxy, free-traders found themselves squeezed and faced with more restrictions as more and more tradeable goods became illegal. Some free-traders found themselves borrowing money from crime lords to remain operational, or took to smuggling illegal cargos.[1]
