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The Guild being important enough to also take place in the capital city of the Sector capital world is also an achievement.It turned out to be that Garps fashion show was on Dubrillion just a day before the next Guild meeting. It was even in the same city!
Honestly, the fact that he got into a show in Dubrillion's capital city, and so close to the Imperial Center as well is quite impressive
Other Guild leaders: "Oh Force! The entire Mid Rim is descended into full blown war!"It was also convenient, considering the meeting. Which I wasn't looking forward to at all.
The original plan was to have a meeting 3 times a year, every 4 months. With extra meetings being called in case of some sort of dispute, major problem, or other potential considerations.
Of course, the Rebels Mid-Rim Offensive was one such problem. It hadn't spread out here, and likely wouldn't. However, many of the Myto sectors out of sector business connections were in the Mid-Rim, or used Mid-Rim trade routes, so the Guild was convening to discuss policy and the like.
Poor Garp getting the "Why aren't you doctor yet?" talk.Taking a closer look, I see Garp among the group, chatting with the other Muuns. Making my way over to them, their conversation grows louder.
"...fail to see the economic opportunity in this endeavor." I catch the tail end of a particularly tall Muuns sentence as I enter auditory range. Catching Garps gaze, I see what I can only guess is relief flash across his eyes.
Why do I get the feeling the Guild and the Myto sector is going to get more support from Muunilinst banks going forward? It must be a surprise to have an Imperial leader that they can actually talk to. Not to mention Las' excellent use of credit. He's practically a banker's dream client by current standards given they had been working with characters like the CIS and Palpatine up to this point.I'll be the first to admit, I squealed a little on the inside. Do you know how many people talk to me about economics? No one!
"Oh in some respects certainly. However, the Guild has been built with specific protections in place to ensure that mega corporations don't gain as much power. Giants like the Trade Federation are examples of how such entities can wreak havoc on local economies. After all, I don't want to end up like the Ferros Sector did under the Federation."
His eyes widened back up again. "The Ferros Disaster. I've lectured on that topic. A prime example of monopolistic failure."
My grin widens. "Exactly! That's why the Guild focuses on smaller companies and diversifying opportunities. Sure, there can be efficiency problems, but it's worth it for the stability."
Las is going to be heralded as an economic and strategic genius by those in the know isn't he?I smile. "True, subsidizing these contracts for merchants and sec-companies does have a risk, but I tell you what. This conflict won't last 10 months. I bet it won't last 5."
And it wouldn't. While the Alliance started their Mid-Rim Offensive stronger than I thought, they were making the same mistakes. They were trying to fight the Empire on even ground when they were nowhere near even. In canon the Offensive started in 1ABY, and ended in 3ABY. However, by the end of 1ABY it was no longer called an Offensive.
It was called a retreat.
Which meant that in around 5-6 months, the Alliance would be on the backfoot, more likely to lose territory than gain it. The threat would diminish, and security companies would start reducing premiums.
It was a guaranteed win.
Knowing your subordinates passions and the people under you well enough to recognize their art pieces is one heck of a good boss signal.Then came Garps piece. Now, they weren't announcing whose piece was whose. But when a human woman stepped out onto the walkway wearing a dress made of interlinked, chainmail style equilateral triangles, I knew it was Garps.
By the Void we have fashion power armor now. Somehow it is going to make as much money as the combat power armor. I can hear the Tapani Nobles screech for it from here.Or a full suit of power armor that was incredibly lithe, looking more fit for a ballroom than a battlefield.
Your sacrifice will be remembered.Did not write this eating peach cobbler, unfortunately. I did write this instead of my school essay, so there's that. Take solace that I'm sacrificing my education for the entertainment of strangers on the internet.
Truly, we live in the strangest timeline.
Have I mentioned before how much I LOVE your omake's? Adding so much from the Legends continuity does so much to make the setting feel like a real and massive galaxy instead of the version pushed by Disney and Filoni where everything revolves around the same small concentrations of characters an elements.Omake: J-0 Tough Droid
Production Information
Manufacturer: Guild of Commerce, Production and Protection
Class: Labor Droid and Sentry Droid
Degree: class five droid
Cost: 2,800 credits new
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Technical Information
Height: 1.75 meters
Sensor Color: Green
Plating Color: Cast Iron Black
Equipment:
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- A Heavyweight EV shaped Head
- Binary comlink
- Reinforced Humanoid Torso
- Medium sized droid battery
- 2 medium loader droid arms with a Triple-Opposing Midweight Pincher
- Heavy-Lifting Weighted Legs
Description
"Cybot is making millions supplying the shipyards. Why don't we get in on the action?" - Recording of a Guild meeting before Project Tough was green lit.
The Guild J-0 Tough Droid is a cheap, but rugged class five droid. Initially produced by the Guild to take advantage of the deluge of orders for droids by the Mindan government for its shipyards. However, the Guild decided against trying to produce a more costly maintenance droid and compete with the procurement contracts of larger corporations. Rather, the Guild aimed to design a general purpose labor droid to play up local pride and low logistical costs to snatch up some of the smaller contracts.
Design
"Oh frak, I think that bot broke my nose. It won't stop bleeding."
"You got in a fight with something that had solid metal for arms. What did you expect?" - two former patrons of Figpa's Cantina after antagonizing the owner and their J-0.
The J-0 Tough Droid was designed to be cheap and competent muscle whether that be labor or melee. The J-0 was primarily made of cast iron, copper, bronze, aluminum, and small amounts of steel. While unable to stand up to blaster fire or arm wrestle a Wookie, those metal limbs can still bring most unarmed sentients to the ground.
A combination of a medium sized battery and low energy components allow the J-0 to operate to perform long hours of operation before needing to recharge. This allows a J-0 to work alongside organic workers for a whole shift in addition with helping with the opening up and closing down.
The J-0 reinforced head unit bares some visual similarities for the EV-series supervisor droid. However the J-0 lacks the sophisticated electronics and programming to have the same level of sophistication (or violently sadistic tendencies) as the MerenData financial disaster. This has not stopped some droids from turning around and heading the opposite way when they see a J-0 walking in their general direction.
Programming
"On it master, no need to say it twice. Unless you want me to critique your butchered pronunciation of Binary."- J-0 with its typical programming quirk back talking its master.
Like most Labor Droids, the J-0 is programmed to do a wide variety of manual labor needed at warehouses, construction sites, and industrial facilities. This programming is fairly advanced for a general labor droid. Suffering little in the way of coding errors or loss of productivity. The J-0 could preform the job of multiple lesser droids, which its designers hoped would make up for its increased cost.
The advanced programming was intended to allow the J-0 to operate as a coworker role alongside its organic compatriots rather than just another industrial machine. It also allowed for multiple J-0 units to work smoothly together when assigned to group tasks as long as the task is not too advanced.
In addition the J-0 was programmed to do double duty as a Sentry Droid. Unimpressive close quarters combat protocols were added to the J-0's programming to ensure it could defend itself if the intruder was not willing to leave voluntarily. When the J-0 engages its self defense protocols, it favors using its Pinchers and strength to grapple and throw its opponent out of the premises, or use its metal arms as improvised clubs to batter them until they submit or leave the designated area.
These skills along with its durable casing allowed the J-0 to deal with most unskilled and poorly armed threats such as pest animals or drunk sentients. Enabling the droid to perform low level patrol duties with some programming tweaks like being a bouncer at a cantina or patrolling a warehouse or small factory after hours. Plenty of owners will set their J-0's to patrol their facilities at night after a quick recharge once their day's work shift is done.
The J-0 notably does not contain any programming for using blasters. This was done in order to keep the J-0's class five designation and avoid being labeled a battle droid. Attempts to add ranged capability or even general weapon use to a J-0's programming have achieved lackluster results even compared to a B1.
The J-0's more sophisticated programming did lead to some quirks without regular memory wipes. The J-0s tended to develop a gruff and irritable personality. This tendency seems to be embedded deep into the J-0's code which made it too costly to remove, much to the frustration of its designers.
However the droid will still follow its owner, even if it will grumble at every opportunity. This surprisingly results in smoother integration alongside organic workers due to a sense of empathy at the droid complaining about "management". Most owners of a J-0 see this as an acceptable drawback to having a more competent mechanical worker that can earn the trust of their organic workers.
Another notable quirk that occurred over time is the J-0's propensity for being dramatic when engaging its self defense protocols. This manifested in the older J-0s playing certain kinds of recorded music whenever they engaged a threat based on what tasks they were assigned.
J-0s assigned to more confrontational duties like being a bouncer would blare high energy music from action holofilms. While J-0s doing late night sentry duty at a warehouse may start playing music from horror holofilms when they spot a trespasser. This has done little to assure naysayers that claim J-0 has some EV programming in it.
——
Figured I would try my hand at designing a droid. With how industrialized the Minda system is getting it would probably only be a matter of time. Props to the old and antiquated 1998 Star Wars: Droidworks game for the droid parts and metals.
Crossposted on SB and SV
Remember the PvP FPS rule: "If you want to look cool? KDA matters. If you want to win? Teamwork matters."Also got BF6. Medic gameplay. Popping smoke and sliding into a revive makes me feel like a hero. Almost enough to ignore the fact that I get killed like 5 seconds later every time anyways.
You are playing Medic and actually doing Medic stuff.Also got BF6. Medic gameplay. Popping smoke and sliding into a revive makes me feel like a hero. Almost enough to ignore the fact that I get killed like 5 seconds later every time anyways.
Lone pronoun: was a sentence lost here or not?It was a medium sized system with decent industry and population, nothing really to write home about. She
Galbrena seems decent enough, though in my current situation after getting Ciaconna from a rerun to help complete my Cartethiya team over Sanhua has left me without enough Astrite to justify it.Been playing WuWa. Pulled Galbrena on my 4th ten pull, but my Echoes are shit so her DPS is pretty low. Still good tho.
Got to make your fellow governors feel important after all. This is not a smugglers alliance where they all meet in some shady cantina.The Guild meeting hall was the same as always. Covered in precious metals, taller than it had any need to be, and chock full of paintings and carved murals that were probably worth more than most penthouse apartments.
That is okay, Coruscant is an economic sinkhole that eats bulk freighters of food a second and has prices high enough to bankrupt a planetary ruler just by staying a week.On Minda that is. A penthouse somewhere like Coruscant is the same as some planet's GDP.
So the Guild is up to a third of the sector in membership. Once you hit a half then things are going to snowball even more due to peer pressure. That is when you are going to start being able to unofficially dictate policy in the sector.Slowly but surely, the remaining members filed into the building. A total of around 60 Governors of various worlds across the sector, totalling around a 3rd of all the systems in the sector. Well, inhabited systems, that is. There were at least a thousand more discovered but uninhabited systems.
Given the stunted mental maturity of some governors, this is probably necessary. Although I imagine most of those are not in this meeting.We were looking at her because she was next to be the Guild speaker. After the first meeting, where we were all just talking, it was decided that each meeting should have a speaker, who would organize the meeting and keep everyone on topic. Since I acted in that manner last time, since I started the Guild, I was out for the next meeting.
I would've preferred to just have one, but then everyone would want to be the speaker, so we have to pass the torch around like little kids.
Since everyone had an assigned seat, it was simply decided that the position would move counter-clockwise.
Ah yes, mega corporations doing mega corporations things. The fact they are not cutting the Governor in on the deal shows how little they think of the sector. Also, note there no complaints about pirates or syndicates, so that's a win."These prices have become too much for my system to bear. Gas mining is already hard enough to get going with such a small population, but now I have to deal with outrageous price increases? Already I have corporations breathing down my neck for exploitative exclusive contracts!"
Others murmur in agreement. A common problem for many poorer systems. Rich in resources, but lacking the population to exploit them, corporations roll in, getting exclusive contracts and bringing in outside labor, doing nothing for the local population and stalling the Governors political abilities, meaning no rising the ranks.
The only people who want the conditions for slums to form on their planet are short sighted idiots. The kind of people who think they can just bulldoze the slums and that "solves" the problem."That's not the only problem. With these price increases, jobs are being cut to save money. I've got an increase in poverty rates system wide, and its causing problems everywhere else."
This also got agreement from many richer worlds. Most richer worlds had growing poverty problems as wealth inequality grew. Regardless of their desire to fix said problems, the fact was that no one wanted slums or the homeless wandering about.
So pictured them all as Wookiees? Got it.All eyes turned to me, but I remained unfazed. I had long since conquered my fear of public speaking and general speachifying. My secret?
I just imagine them naked! Works every time.
Yes, just "officiate" the "founding" of a "department" and allocate the "budget" to handle internal migration within Guild "borders". All technically independent of the Sector Government."It seems to me you both have the solutions to each other's problems. One has too many people, the other not enough. While there might be some complications in creating proper training programs and building housing, it seems to me that those with larger homeless or poor populations could simply offload them onto those systems without the population to properly expand. Obviously, the efforts would need to be staggered and properly planned to avoid complications, but it could work."
A beep. "The Chamber recognizes Governor Vale of the Dorrin system."
"How would such an initiative be funded, then? You cannot truly expect those of us who have no such problems to pay for something like this?"
Beep. "The Chamber recognizes Governess Theen of the Larnak system."
"Well you wouldn't have too. Those of use who participate could contribute to a separate fund, overseen by a dedicated committee. Sure, systems like my own wouldn't be able to match the funds of richer systems, but we could offer preferable contracts, or pay the difference in funding back later once our economies are stronger. At the end of the day, we're just solving each other's problems."
Not letting the mega corps, the slavers, and the syndicates in certainly helps. Also the people that join the Guild are people already predisposed to mutual assistance. Add in the fact that said mutual assistance doesn't end up blowing up in their faces like most Imperial organizations at this time, and it starts a feedback loop.This discussion went on for another hour, with person after person speaking up on problems with the idea, solutions, and everything in between. There was a surprising lack of politicking though, as I would've expected. Sure, this was an economic alliance, and everyone benefitted from the whole system working well, so there was less incentive to screw each other over.
But to see an entire hour worth of actual, proper debate over a topic? Without a single insult thrown around?
If the Republic's Senate had been half as behaved, the Clone Wars never would've happened.
So basically short selling the security contracts. At least the security firms will have hassle free contracts with guaranteed payouts at the end. I can only imagine the reneging and "Imperialing" some non-Guild governors are going to do to avoid paying the high rates."Soon, likely within the next 5 to 6 months, they will find themselves overstretched. They are a guerilla group pretending to be a conventional army and it will backfire on them. So, I have entered into risk-guaranteed contracts with multiple security firms, where they will lower their rates to normal for the duration of 10 months. If the average rates on premiums do not drop for other similar companies across the galaxy, then once the time is up I will pay them the lost potential revenue."
Who knew cataloging and sharing reliable information with your fellow Imperials was convincing? Why don't Imperials do it more often?That was what really opened the flood gates. Over the next two and a half hours, everyone, and I mean, everyone discussed the proposal. A few other ideas were tossed up there, but lacked either the equitability or potential benefits of my own idea.
The biggest hangup people really had was the risk. Of course, I was more than happy to share all my sources, which were meticulously gathered from the most reliable sources I could find on the subjects. Of course, considering this is the Empire, reliable isn't the best word to use, but they were all I could get my hands on.
Got to make your fellow governors feel important after all. This is not a smugglers alliance where they all meet in some shady cantina.
That is okay, Coruscant is an economic sinkhole that eats bulk freighters of food a second and has prices high enough to bankrupt a planetary ruler just by staying a week.
So the Guild is up to a third of the sector in membership. Once you hit a half then things are going to snowball even more due to peer pressure. That is when you are going to start being able to unofficially dictate policy in the sector.
Also if even a fifth of those uninhabited systems has easily habitable planets, then the Myto sector has enough space to double in size and still have room for more. Remember that when all the refugees start rolling in. You don't need the settled refugees to be profitable, just sustainable
Another thing, "uninhabited" probably just means "uninhabited by galactically recognized species and civilizations". There could hundreds of thousands of sentients in the Iron Age tech level and the planet could still be classified as uninhabited due to not being detected. See the Vendari for an example of species on "uninhabited planets".
Given the stunted mental maturity of some governors, this is probably necessary. Although I imagine most of those are not in this meeting.
Ah yes, mega corporations doing mega corporations things. The fact they are not cutting the Governor in on the deal shows how little they think of the sector. Also, note there no complaints about pirates or syndicates, so that's a win.
The only people who want the conditions for slums to form on their planet are short sighted idiots. The kind of people who think they can just bulldoze the slums and that "solves" the problem.
So pictured them all as Wookiees? Got it.
Yes, just "officiate" the "founding" of a "department" and allocate the "budget" to handle internal migration within Guild "borders". All technically independent of the Sector Government.
Not letting the mega corps, the slavers, and the syndicates in certainly helps. Also the people that join the Guild are people already predisposed to mutual assistance. Add in the fact that said mutual assistance doesn't end up blowing up in their faces like most Imperial organizations at this time, and it starts a feedback loop.
So basically short selling the security contracts. At least the security firms will have hassle free contracts with guaranteed payouts at the end. I can only imagine the reneging and "Imperialing" some non-Guild governors are going to do to avoid paying the high rates.
Who knew cataloging and sharing reliable information with your fellow Imperials was convincing? Why don't Imperials do it more often?
I made brownies last night where I replaced the eggs (still too damn expensive) with apple sauce.Made this while eating homemade sugar cookies. Used bread flour instead of all purpose. Makes em chewier, but it aint bad. Think I messed up the butter portion, cause its coming on a little too strong.
either an extra word, or missing rest of a sentence
Reminds me of a guy I saw on TV once.Holy shit, how did they afford that? How did she get in? I've got to ask Myr'thos what kind of Sith fucking alchemy they used because that sounds so absolutely fucking impossible its not even funny.
It took me way too long to realize this is not part of the story but an authors notesMade buttered noodles. Fucked it up somehow. Used actual unsalted cooking butter instead of the fake butter.
Nah, something is definitely up with those immigration rates.Almost all are…Sullustan. Not a whole lot of them, but of the recently accepted families, nearly 60% were Sullustan.
Strange…but nothing of concern. If they got accepted, it's because they have valuable skills, so there shouldn't be any problems.
Given how you put the fear of the Force in Kabbas in the last meeting, I am sure there is no room for misunderstandings.Only to get a call as soon as my ship entered the system. Seeing that it was Representative Kabbas from the Shipyard Workers Assembly, informally the Union, I answered quickly.
It was always a good idea to keep on the good side of your workers, after all, and being seen as proactive in the relationship is conducive to that.
That pause was definitely not ominous and stress inducing on Kabbas' end.For a second, I sat there flabbergasted. Construction companies? Connections?? Then I remembered that offhand comment I made about wishing there were more construction companies I could contract to expand the population.
Corporations are going to loathe and fear her. At least Las has a good gatekeeper for Corporations trying shenanigans.Composing myself, I replied quickly. "Thank you, Representative. Please send their contact details to the head of the Office of Planetary Contracts and Acquisitions, please. She'll handle the rest."
The department head was, of course, Oioro. After her stellar performance fleecing KDY, I put her in charge of negotiating just about every contract private entities made with Minda. Darna had her own people over on Edin.
I am sure this isn't the start of a massive wave of migration. People don't tend to migrate towards places that already have ethnic enclaves do they? Sullust only has what, at least a billion people?Just as he left, I got a report on my PDA about rising immigration in the system. Nothing unusual, and we usually end up turning many away due to housing concerns, but there's been a recent uptick in accepted immigrant families.
Almost all are…Sullustan. Not a whole lot of them, but of the recently accepted families, nearly 60% were Sullustan.
Strange…but nothing of concern. If they got accepted, it's because they have valuable skills, so there shouldn't be any problems.
Ugea having a city tourism industry when Dubrillion is around the galactic corner is insane. Guess Minda has reached interesting small city status.All of these requirements made construction a tad more difficult, but in the end I think it was worth it. Some people had started visiting Accordia on vacation because of it.
And the mish-mash of cultures as well. The fusion food here is insane.
A reminder for all the power Las has, he still isn't paying himself well. If his finances get leaked, I can imagine his public support will somehow skyrocket even more.And where there wasn't a rug or carpet, there shone an exorbitant hardwood floor polished to a mirror-like sheen. Every table was made by some famous designer, every piece of furniture worth more than quadruple my salary.
Says the leader of two systems and founder of a sector spanning business alliance.
It could be far worse Las. Her hair could be in a rectangular Nova Sundari-style, or put into solloops.My gaze locks onto the aforementioned pride and joy while digging up information from the dossier. Gloriana Dragnati was a young woman a few years my senior, around 4 or so, sporting her fathers tanned skin, if just a shade darker from her mothers side. With long, curling, practically neon red hair, it provided quite the contrast.
Regardless of her choice of hair dye, the dossier had more interesting things to say about her, though her father beat my mind to recollect the information.
When you try to get your daughter a powerful husband and she winds up with a successful career in a rapidly growing sector.Regaining my composure, and ignoring whatever bullshit her father was talking about, some dinner plans or whatever, I focused entirely on her.
"Miss, how would you like a job?"
"...Huh?"
Send Myr'thos, I am sure that will go well.Instead, I'll just have an investigative team dispatched to ensure things get smoothed over.