Governor's Gambit - Star Wars SI into Imperial Governor

[Saethyr]

I can see the hologram of the proposed ship shining above

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Eh, Harrower's hull was never a problem. Hell, slapping an ISD-style superstructure on top is even counterproductive.

using smaller armored vehicles like repulsorlift tanks and a few of the cheaper AT-DP's for walker versatility

Click to shrink...

The thing is though, some planets have atmospheric conditions that prevent the use of repulsorcrafts, like Jabiim. Repulsorcrafts are also completely useless against shields, like the one in Ep.1.
So cutting out all walkers in favor of repulsorcrafts is detrimential.

Blech, either round down to 90 or up to 100, logistics runs better on solid numbers! You can easily file a form to order ten batches of ten tie fighters, but nine batches of ten plus two extra? No good, round those squares, level out that number!

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Not all of those would be snub-craft, it's the total capacity. Realistically it would be something like 60 fighters, 20 bombers and 12 shuttles. Or 10 shuttles and 2 Xg-1 gunboats.

 

[Shadowwarp]

So cutting out all walkers in favor of repulsorcrafts is detrimential.

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tbf I'd that's probably what the AT-DPs are for. I'd also imagine most planets in the sector don't really have that concern, otherwise it'd be a factor they'd be working around.

 

[Mistroz]

Excellent chapter.

 

[OrderedOrb]

Remove that stupidass bigtarget of a Imperial-style bridge, and we're good.

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I agree. It might be an iconic look, but that extended up and out bridge is the worst combination of an eyesore and an easy target.

 

[Morkail]

And we draw ever closer to the death of the emperor and what happens afterward, and I don't think his little sector will just join the rebels they might just go there own way.

And if he holds general elections expecting his sector to join the new republic, well I bet they elect him president of there own little empire.

 

[TheLibrarianOfWorlds]

I've finally caught up, and all I have to say is this is perfect

 

[Yacov]

Eh, Harrower's hull was never a problem. Hell, slapping an ISD-style superstructure on top is even counterproductive.

The thing is though, some planets have atmospheric conditions that prevent the use of repulsorcrafts, like Jabiim. Repulsorcrafts are also completely useless against shields, like the one in Ep.1.
So cutting out all walkers in favor of repulsorcrafts is detrimential.

Not all of those would be snub-craft, it's the total capacity. Realistically it would be something like 60 fighters, 20 bombers and 12 shuttles. Or 10 shuttles and 2 Xg-1 gunboats.

Click to shrink...

Speaking for bombers, is there a TIE variant developed for hitting planetary targets like bases and vehicle columns? The closest I could find was the Lancet Aerial Artillery or the TIE Bomber. The LAA had trouble hitting mobile targets, and the TIE Bomber seems more suited as a bomb dropper than anything precise. Might be some room for a close air support variant of the TIE to support the AT-DPs now that shields are back on the menu.

 

[Freefaller]

Chp-93

1.10 ABY
Ord Mantel
Ord Mantel City

There are few things I hate in life. Many things I dislike, sure. But hate? Few.

Formal events are one of those things.

Stuffy atmosphere, the laughs of people with more money than sense. The fact that I have to keep this super fake plastic smile on for the most part. My jaw hurts, man.

But I had to do it, so I was going to do it.

Looking around, I take a slow sip of my drink, letting my eyes scan the party.

It was hosted in the capital of Ord Mantel, which was both the capital of the Bright Jewel Sector, and the Oversector of the same name. A decently prosperous world, with some deep docks in orbit.

Honestly, in some ways it was a downgrade from Dubrillion, but I understand Hiral's logic. Ord Mantel has a lot of older influence and power, given that it's situated in the Mid-Rim portion of the Oversector. And Hiral was nothing if not a ladder climber.

Throughout the room, I caught sight of many important figures. Well, important by local standards. The magnates and corporatists and royals here were nothing in the core.

Some, however, stood out to me. Moff's Moew, Surrde and Ecressys of the Obtrexta, Braxant and Velcar sectors. These were more known quantities, since at least I was fairly sure Ecressys had nothing to do with the slavers coalition.

Moew and Surrde were unlikely as well, but I simply didn't have enough info and both seemed more internally focused.

But the others were all suspicious. There were nearly 30 Moffs present, myself included. All there not just to meet with Governor-General Hiral, but someone worse.

The Grand Moff.

Ardus Kaine had finally decided to show up to the northern edge of Oversector Outer, and so Hiral had organized this party.

A full blown gala. Every Moff in the oversector, on top of all the top military commanders and business magnates.

Both Ife, as Sector Admiral alongside Sector General Zantara were here with me, as they were the highest military commanders in the Myto Sector.

The gala itself was held in Ord Mantell City, within the old Republic capital building. Instead of tearing it down, the Empire had just slapped some imperial flags on it and called it a day. The inside had also mostly kept its more local aesthetic and such, though the Imperial computers, flags and stormtroopers certainly stood out.

Scanning the room, I didn't spot Hiral at all. He was likely greeting the Grand Moff separately, hoping to later show up with him in tow and look all connected and such. It was realistically the only reason he was throwing this party anyways, as a direct way of showing off to the Moffs and VIPs of the Oversector that he had big boy connections. After all, he'd risen to power surprisingly quickly and needed to make connections fast.

I took another sip of my drink, some fruity concoction that at least wasn't alcoholic, though it did taste awful. There is such a thing as too much sugar, and this is certainly it.

"Ah! Moff Mola!" Exclaims a loud voice, prompting me to turn around. Before me stands a tall, muscled man with broad shoulders, an impressive beard, and a large blaster pistol at his hip. The pale skin of his hands are riddled with small scars.

"Moff Surrde. A pleasure to meet you." I say in return, holding out a hand. He grabs it, shaking boisterously even as his hand unwittingly crushes my own. I stop myself from wincing, however. He seems almost genuine, but at the same time this could be an act, in which case showing pain would be a bad thing.

"To you too, my compatriot. I just wanted to thank you personally. Back when he was Moff, Governor-General Hiral promised me an order of ships that, if I've heard correctly, were only possible because of the shipyards you run. Impeccable work, if I may say so. The logistics on these variants are easier than ever!"

"Thank you for the praise, friend. The logistics aspect was one of the largest concerns going in, as the Outer Rim rarely leaves room for easy replacement parts. It's also reduced production costs by some amount, so the yards can make more for less." My response is friendly, controlled. He seems happy, loud, and overall not very Imperial.

On one hand, it could be his real personality. There are over a thousand Moffs, so it's not impossible. On the other hand, it could also be a calculated act.

"Of course! An army marches on its stomach after all. If only the Imperial logistics chain was better out here. It's truly a mess, and is a constant interference. I can only hope the new Governor-General sees fit to rectify this."

"I feel the same." I replied. "The logistics have gotten bad enough in some spots that I've had to spend great amounts of capital setting up new factories in the sector just to keep things going. However, with the rebel conflict heating up, it's no surprise things are slowing down."

"Truly, the rebels are the bane of the empire. No good scum who I just wish I could clash with, but alas. The rebels I fight are nowhere near what I've heard of the larger Rebellion. No, the ones I fight are often disappointing. They brandish primitive slug throwers and armored farming equipment and yell at me about taxes and treatment. None of them have the same fire in them that would be so thrilling to face off against. They end up simply being targets to demolish from orbit. Sad, truly."

Ah. There's the Imperial I was missing. Before I could formulate some kind of response, he seems to catch someone's eye.

"Ah! Moff Callron!" He says, waving another man over. This man is far older, dark skin wrinkled like a prune. What few tufts of hair remain are so white they seem to have died before the man himself.

"Moff Surrde? Why, what a pleasure my friend." His voice seems, well, I wouldn't call it weak by any means. He has a surety in him, if nothing else. The kind of iron only found in those who've lived long enough to harden. The voice is still very raspy, as though the air rushing out is tearing his throat out as well.

Turning to me, he extends a wrinkled hand. "Moff Mola, if I'm not mistaken? Very nice to meet you."

"And you, Moff Callron." I return, shaking his hand in return. My mind races for information about the man before me.

Garret Callron ruled the Clacis sector, home of Gwori Revolutionary Industries. It was a former CIS manufacturer that had been nationalized like all others. I'd considered buying the yards, since they were small and not very profitable at the time. Unfortunately, they had no plans of selling any time soon, nor did I wish to work out how much it would cost to ship them, considering they were all ground based installations.

Some small talk ensues, though nothing super serious. I get the feeling that Callron is testing the waters, minor probes at best. I'm a relative unknown, and the old timer wants to see if I'll rock the boat or not. I try to make the best impression that I won't, if only to keep people off me. Surrde doesn't seem to pick up on any of it, barreling through the conversation like a bull, another story of razing farms or killing pirates to tell.

He had a story for every single scar on his hand. I'm pretty sure most of them were fake, because no way that tiny one was anything more than a papercut. Flimsi-cut? Doesn't matter, his bravado was obvious.

It was around then that Governor General Hiral and the Grand Moff appeared, walking down the steps of the fourth floor to greet the guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the Bright Jewel Oversector. Thank you so much for making the time to come out here. Our main guest of the evening, Grand Moff Ardus Kaine, has some words he would like to say."

That was when Ardus Kaine stepped onto the podium. He was an older man, likely somewhere in his mid to late 40's, perhaps even his early 50's. He had a strong jaw, slicked back hair, and a face marred with frown lines. But most importantly, he stood with the presence and authority of Grand Moff.

The speech he gave was boring and unimportant. He spoke of basic things, of ensuring the Empire's greatness, doing our duty, and so on. During that time, I reviewed what I knew of the man.

From info I could get my hands on, he was actually born in the Braxant Sector, the one controlled by Surrde. He had been an ally of Palpatine during the Republic era, and that had continued on into the Imperial era. After Tarkin's death, he was given Oversector Outer to administrate.

As for what I know of him through my metaknowledge, it's quite interesting. Ardus Kaine didn't want to be a politician, and only does what he does out of some insecure need to please his dead father, if I remember correctly. He's not a human supremacist, and more importantly for my situation he sees his assignment as an insult, as he'd prefer to be in the Core with Palpatine.

He sees the Outer Rim as a dead end assignment, which for me is great. If he doesn't like his position, he will work to leave it, to gain favor, etc… which means he will focus on whatever is most likely to gain him favor and power, which coincidentally has nothing to do with this part of the galaxy.

Rebel activity will be his bread and butter, what with his Scourge Squadron, and he will likely spend his time trying to hunt them down. Sure, some attention will be paid towards administration and such, but to Kaine? He doesn't want to be here, and has the means and will to leave.

So, as I'm not paying attention to the Grand Moff, my eyes catch sight of Hiral. A stormtrooper is whispering in his ear, and I can see as his expression tightens. Something's happened.

He seems to give an order and reasserts his facial expression, back to happily neutral.

Then, the speech is over. I, like everyone else, gave some applause. A polite amount, as expected. The Empire only liked an uproar of cheers when it was the masses, not the upper echelons.

The Grand Moff starts making his way through the crowd, meeting with Moffs and their tagalongs. I give my fair share of side-looks and stares, essentially blending in with most others without being overbearing or annoying about it. Blend in with the mediocrity of everyone else's ambitions.

During this time, Ife makes her way over to me, and we exchange glances, knowing both of us had gathered info to be shared later on. Instead of talking about that, we instead speak about more casual topics. In my mind, I kept a mental mapping of where the Grand Moff was. By now, he was behind us, where most of the guests were.

Or, at least as casual as someone like Ife can conceive of. It was almost entirely the logistics of the Sector Group she now commanded. The stuff she could talk about in public at least. The set up for the future cleanup of corruption throughout the army and navy were things best spoken of in private.

As this happened, her eyes roamed the room. I knew Ife was ambitious, and likely scouting potential contacts. I wasn't worried, however. Ife was ambitious but also a head smarter than most other Imperials. Betrayal wasn't something she would come to easily, as latching onto me was a surefire way of climbing the ranks and staying higher up.

But then she stopped, her eyes narrowing. I followed her gaze up to the galleries above, railing lined walkways that held art pieces and long, flowing curtains emblazoned with the Imperial Crest. On one of the walkways, behind one of the curtains stood a figure. Not a Stormtrooper, but someone in far darker clothes, almost blending in with the shadows. Their hands were raised…

My mind caught on just as Ife started moving. Her blaster ripped out of its hidden holster, her mouth already open, screaming-

"Assassin!" She yelled, pistol firing the first shot. I moved back, hand going towards my pistol. The Grand Moff, standing not far behind me, is doing the same as his guards move to shield him.

My body was moving automatically, following the training Kaela had given me. My torso turning to a 45 degree angle, meant to create a smaller profile while allowing me to shoot and move. My feet were already taking me backwards.

Then a shot rings out. Not a blaster weapon, but the loud bang of a slugthrower.

A millisecond after the shot rings out, I feel what's almost like a punch, a heavy sensation. It seems to drag along my chest, a flash of heat following in its wake as the breath is knocked out of my lungs.

I stumble back, just barely catching myself, the world reorienting itself before I notice the waves of blaster bolts inundating the gallery. The figure is hit dozens of times, going down in seconds.

The world returns to normal as I feel the fading heat. Looking down at my uniform, I notice a scar across the metal. It was the triangular metal mesh, integrated with the standard Imperial uniform. The same one I'd worn to the Guild meetings, made custom by Garp. The metal itself seemed to have been gouged as though something had cut a shallow canyon into it.

The bullet. It must've grazed me. But if it didn't hit head on, then…

Looking around, I spot the Grand Moff, perfectly fine. But then, on the ground.

Ife.

I rush to her side, hands moving to steady the flow of blood pouring from her side. Ripping my gloves off, I shove them into the gap the wound created before continuing. The slug had torn a jagged furrow into her side as it tumbled widely after ricocheting. It wasn't just a gash, but a large laceration ripped down the side of her torso, visible through the jagged canyon in her uniform. Blood was everywhere, no matter how much I applied pressure

"Medic!" I cry out, focused entirely on keeping her wound closed. I applied pressure, using both hands to try and keep the wound as closed as possible, putting all my body weight into it. Her eyes are closed shut, tightened out of pain. Her breath has slowed down, deep measured breaths likely meant to shut out the pain.

As I work to hold the wound closed, hot blood soaking my hands, I feel and hear a crack beneath me. A louder grunt of pain leaves her mouth, and belatedly I realize the slug must've glanced one of her ribs, and my weight just broke it.

Before I can react or try and relieve the pressure, her own hands come up to reinforce my own, keeping the bleeding localized. Her training must be instinctive, choosing to conserve blood over her ribs.

As the situation settles into a tense sort of monotony, I can't think of anything to say. Even basic comforts refuse to leave my tongue.

Because even in this scenario, among the chaos, a part of me can't keep the politics out of this.

Does this make me look weak in front of the other Moffs? Caring for others in the Empire can be a death sentence, even a friend. At my current level, assassinations are practically expected, and companions are just alternative targets. Yet, I can't afford to lose Ife, who is both competent and trustworthy. Shit.

In under a minute, a medic has arrived, taking over with bacta patches and proper medical equipment. Not long after, a repulsorlift stretcher is brought, and Ife is carted away to the medical bay.

I stand as soon as they take her, as staying might be seen as something worse by the other Moffs. Weakness of some kind or another, who knows.

My mind has a million thoughts running though it, but as I look around the room, seeing the other Moffs in the area as Stormtroopers sweep the room, I focus on only one thing.

I need to seem strong to these people, or they're going to eat me alive.

–

Ardus Kaine

Kaine's heart was still pounding, but he kept his back straight and his face imperious. It wouldn't do for the Grand Moff to look scared, after all.

As stormtroopers swarmed the building, he stayed in the central room where the attempt had happened. A show of confidence the other Moffs and many magnates followed, if only to try and impress him.

These troopers that now entered he recognized as his own, after all, not the clearly incompetent ones that the Governor-General employed. If they were competent, they wouldn't have let an assassin get so close.

Scanning the faces of those around him, he saw the hints of fear in their faces. Though Moff Surrde, ruler of Kaine's own home sector of Braxant, seemed almost disappointed. His blaster was still hanging from his hands. Given the man's reputation of bloodthirstiness and overall enjoyment of combat, he was likely sad there weren't more enemies to kill.

Yet, to the side, he caught sight of the Moff who'd been grazed by the assassin. He had stopped to help the woman who'd taken the brunt of the damage, helping pack her wounds with his own gloves. Valiant, but it could also be taken as a sign of weakness, almost. Her pips had shown her to be a Sector Admiral and nothing more.

Despite this, as the man stood, gash running through the metal of his clearly altered uniform, his face was stoic. The effect was only pronounced by the coating of blood on his hands.

Walking up to him was Moff Surrde once more, blaster now back in his holster.

"That's quite the gash there, comrade! That slug must've just grazed you, Moff Mola. Quite lucky!" The large man exclaimed, large hand patting the smaller Moff on the back. It barely made him budge.

"Yes, well, it's the price I pay for survival." The now named Moff Mola said simply, wiping his blood soaked hands on his uniform. "I do hope the price my Admiral paid was not too low. I'd hate to have to replace her this early in her career."

"Oh? Is she promising?"

"Decently. If nothing else she follows orders. Good help is so hard to get these days."

"Tell me about it!" And that set off Surrde, who started to tell a story about incompetent officers and extrajudicial executions.

And through it all, Moff Mola remained as steady as before, calmly wiping his hands, not a hint of pain or fear.

In a sense, Kaine saw a kindred spirit. A pragmatist. Yet at the same time, a small bud of fear welled within him. One that was always there, whispering to him.

This wasn't just a fellow spirit. This was a fellow spirit with either incredible control over his emotions, or few at all. A man with no fear.

And what is that if not a threat.

Thankfully, he was just a single Moff in the ass-end of the galaxy. And once Kaine and his new Scourge Squadron destroyed the Rebellion, he would be back in the Core, where he'd always belonged.

Turning away, he started to listen to a stormtroopers report on the security situation, mind already jumping back to potential perpetrators. After all, someone had just tried to kill him.

That had to be repaid.

–

Yo. Slaver arc is ramping up. As for Kaine's POV, from what I can tell he's not actually a character. As in, there are no books or novels or games or shows or anything in which he is an active character with speaking lines.

So, I read through his wookiepedia article to get clues on his character, and it's decently comprehensive but with only a few quotes from Essential Guides and old sourcebooks, I could only approximate what he might sound like.

As for the fear thing, the articles state he has a deep seated insecurity, a fear of the power he chases in a sense. It's why he created the alignment, because he'd rather rule a small stable kingdom instead of chasing a more unstable power. So I figure this comes out internally as fear that he masks. Of situations, of people. He sees a little in Las what he fears, someone like him who, unlike him, lacks the fear that fuels/is created by his own insecurities. Now, we know that ain't true at all, but he doesn't. Not that he'll think about it much, given he's a busy man. Hope I got it right.

Homemade banana bread is baller
-Freefaller

 

[UndeadLord22]

Time to invest in some personal force-shields

 

[Yacov]

Turning away, he started to listen to a stormtroopers report on the security situation, mind already jumping back to potential perpetrators. After all, someone had just tried to kill him.

That had to be repaid.

Click to shrink...

Funnily enough I don't think the assassins were after Kaine, but Las. However I am sure Las won't say no to permission to purge the slaver conspiracy. Let Kaine keep thinking this was an attempt to kill him.

 

[ZLnon]

It's Star Wars and she wasn't killed instantly, so I'm hoping Ife makes a full recovery. Sucks that she got shot, and that Las is gonna get pushed into the spotlight when all he wants is anonymity. His office is only getting smaller.

 

[readsalot]

And through it all, Moff Mola remained as steady as before, calmly wiping his hands, not a hint of pain or fear.

In a sense, Kaine saw a kindred spirit. A pragmatist. Yet at the same time, a small bud of fear welled within him. One that was always there, whispering to him.

This wasn't just a fellow spirit. This was a fellow spirit with either incredible control over his emotions, or few at all. A man with no fear.

And what is that if not a threat.

Click to shrink...

Heh Las, you got one more potential problem. That retirement/faking death is going to difficult…..more difficult than before

 

[ActionJHW]

I get the feeling that is wasn't the rebels who did this assassination attempt as Las was the one targeted. Coin toss as to whether it is the slavers or some other corrupt Imperial faction angry for him rocking the boat.

 

[AHHGKS]

I would not be surprised if Las gets Garp to design some armored uniforms for his trusted, competent officers. That should help keep his subordinates alive, since the Rebellion might just decide to take pot shots at Las and his people.

tftc!

 

[Solconbur]

"Thankfully, it just Grazed, you, Huh?" Bullet Literally deflected off his hidden chest armor.

 

[Gordian_Knot]

It's Star Wars and she wasn't killed instantly, so I'm hoping Ife makes a full recovery. Sucks that she got shot, and that Las is gonna get pushed into the spotlight when all he wants is anonymity. His office is only getting smaller.

Click to shrink...

Between Bacta and Cybernetics, as long as you actually get to a doctor you're probably going to be fine.

 

[GradeTheAuthor]

I get the feeling that is wasn't the rebels who did this assassination attempt as Las was the one targeted. Coin toss as to whether it is the slavers or some other corrupt Imperial faction angry for him rocking the boat.

Click to shrink...

No absolutely. Ironically outside that insane offshoot version that did go after him, most rebels actually would probably be the least likely to target him. Honestly, and I know people have brought it up before, but it would be so funny if everything he has done including here where he shows genuine care for a subordinate leads to him becoming the New Republics emperor. Outside of humor value honestly everything points to it happening here. He's actually smart, pragmatic but deep down empathetic, efficient and has shown his skills in making a efficient government. If he actually wanted it I actually think he's one of the few people in universe who kinda deserves it especially since most canon main characters wouldn't really want to.

 

[Wratus]

Ahhhhh Kaine the man that will create this "little" slice of warlord territory after the second death star explodes... a territory in which Las is most likely for a time gonna end up being the main ship manufacturer for.

Spoiler: Pentastar Alignment/Imperial Remnant territory

 

[Lapiver]

No absolutely. Ironically outside that insane offshoot version that did go after him, most rebels actually would probably be the least likely to target him. Honestly, and I know people have brought it up before, but it would be so funny if everything he has done including here where he shows genuine care for a subordinate leads to him becoming the New Republics emperor. Outside of humor value honestly everything points to it happening here. He's actually smart, pragmatic but deep down empathetic, efficient and has shown his skills in making a efficient government. If he actually wanted it I actually think he's one of the few people in universe who kinda deserves it especially since most canon main characters wouldn't really want to.

Click to shrink...

Would he really want to?
Both the Canon and Legends New Republic fell back into incompetenece, corruption and infigthing rigth after the victory over the Empire.
With what he knows of the future he should stay away from that and build up his own realm. Maybe absorb a few sectors bordering his own.

What is really funny to me, is him still thinking his followers will let him run away at any point.
I suspect he will be made to lead a part of the imperial remnant. Wich will reduce the infigthing after the emperors death and put more pressure on the New Republic.
Not that the Emperor will stay dead, he survived both in Legends and Canon.
Modern Canon just made everyone more retarded and the plot more convoluted.

 

[Felius]

Time to invest in some personal force-shields

Click to shrink...

They do have some defrosted ancient people, so maybe one of them have the schematics. If I recall correctly, personal bubble shields that are safe for (non-droid) users are los tech. The ones they currently have apparently emit lethal levels of radiation, so "personal scale" shields are only in droids, like droidekas, and maybe in very heavy power armor that almost qualify as vehicles.

Either way, it'd be useful, but I'd say it's probably a long term investment. Instead, I'd say that better low profile armor is a better immediate investment; They already started with that mesh integrated with the uniform; Improve that and it should reduce the risk of this sort assassination a lot, as well as the chances of collateral damage.

That or start using "cerimonial armor" to all events.

 

[noblej7]

To my knowledge and i could be remembering wrong without double checking. Didn't Kaine form the most long lasting warlord faction of imperials that eventually consolidated into THE Imperial remnant forces because all the others were so backstabbing and infighting and warmongering? Eventually being part of the faction helping make a peace treaty with the new Republic ending the war between imperial and Republic forces officially like 13-20 years or so after the battle of Yavin? Dude was a defensive turtle that outlived his peers and only stuck his neck out for thrawn and emperor using his clone bodies. Unless I've got names mixed up again. It was the Northern/ northwest imperial outer rim sector that ironically became the last remnant imperial government and military in legends after all

 

[Watching]

You know, I think it might be time to bring back personal shields, yeah they kinda lost the arms race against blasters and would only block maybe 1 or 2 shots before burning out but that should be enough to react to an assassin with a slug thrower.

Moff's Moew

Click to shrink...

Please change his name to Moff Meow.

 

[Lapiver]

They do have some defrosted ancient people, so maybe one of them have the schematics. If I recall correctly, personal bubble shields that are safe for (non-droid) users are los tech. The ones they currently have apparently emit lethal levels of radiation, so "personal scale" shields are only in droids, like droidekas, and maybe in very heavy power armor that almost qualify as vehicles.

Either way, it'd be useful, but I'd say it's probably a long term investment. Instead, I'd say that better low profile armor is a better immediate investment; They already started with that mesh integrated with the uniform; Improve that and it should reduce the risk of this sort assassination a lot, as well as the chances of collateral damage.

That or start using "cerimonial armor" to all events.

Click to shrink...

I think the personal shields needed a special mineral, that was only found in limited quantity and only in one region of space. It was fully used up during the wars against the Sith Empire. Kinda like Beskar, it was just used by everyone and not just one group, so it got depleted faster.

 

[Nisiris]

Why does Mola remind of of Ainz skeleton boy from Overlord from the way he is misunderstood?

 

[Gotenks]

well, The myto sector is really next door to braxant sector, (The imperial remnant capital) Chances are that the Myto sector is definitely going to stay imperial for the long term, add the major industry for outer rim standards, and if Canon isn't derailed, he's on track on being one of the key members of the moff council at the very least.

But as of now he hasn't needed to deal with named characters. If the plot armored rebels come knocking, or insane imperials (Looking at you, Daala) looks like insta-loss.

 

[lusians]

Time to invest in some personal force-shields

Click to shrink...

Already exist but they iradiate user

 

[Impatient_Quill]

Time to invest in some personal force-shields

Click to shrink...

By lore those spike cancer rates even if you just keep them on during combats you anticipate happening. Pretty sure Mola would die within a decade if he was using one consistently.

 

[Abba is the best]

They do have some defrosted ancient people, so maybe one of them have the schematics. If I recall correctly, personal bubble shields that are safe for (non-droid) users are los tech. The ones they currently have apparently emit lethal levels of radiation, so "personal scale" shields are only in droids, like droidekas, and maybe in very heavy power armor that almost qualify as vehicles.

Click to shrink...

I May be misremembering fanon from the EU, but i recall it being said somewhere that energy production, blaster (gass) and shielding tech improved massively over the centuries unitill it reached a critical point.

That being the point where powering the portable shields enough to make them able to withstand the most common quality of blaster fire, produced deadly (or at least unacceptable) amounts of radiation when powered enough to stop the most common level of blaster fire.
(Remember that star wars shielding tech can simly change quality/durability based on how much energy is being supplied)

Also i can confirm the power armors thing, we see that in one of the clone commando novels, where the clones could carry and use full coverage personal shields because of their commando suits designed to handle the radiation.

 

[Yacov]

Omake: The Petty Debt Crisis

The History of The Petty Debt Crisis in the Myto Sector By Jiro Namagidir

Introduction

The Myto Sector took the Post-Yavin era by storm. Increased military patrols, economic development, and the rise of institutions like the Guild led to great wealth being attracted to the Sector. One would be forgiven that these rising tides were lifting all boats.

Unfortunately as history has shown, not every government makes decisions in line with their long term interests. A small category of worlds across the sector were led more in line with the exploitative economic policies common to other sectors at the time. These policies eventually culminated in the Petty Debt Crisis.

Aspects of Petty Debt Governorships

So what were these policies that led to the Petty Debt Crisis and why did Governors enact them? The main source can be attributed to a mindset cultivated among some Imperial circles. The belief that planetary governorships existed for Imperial taxes first, the Governor's personal enrichment second, and anything else a distant third. Treating their assigned postings more as a fiefdom than a position of stewardship as many other Myto sector Governors did. When viewed from that perspective, the following policy decisions in to make a twisted sort of sense.

Over specialized economies

Governors of what would later be called Petty Debts Worlds (or PD Worlds for short) tended to follow a similar economic model. They would be assigned a world, identify the most profitable or most influential good on that world, then dedicate most of the economy to producing that good to the detriment of all other industries. These specialized goods were often raw resources like a particular mineral or farmed plant so that the Governor could more easily direct as many sentients to work as possible in order to maximize output.

This method did have some benefits. It allowed these worlds to use their often minimal resources on their most profitable industries. Unemployment on PD Worlds was often low due to the favored industry always looking to expand and hire more workers. Bureaucracy was able to be kept small as there was just one main industry to keep track off. Taxation was also simplified as when almost everyone is working in the same sector in similar jobs, tax rates could be imposed more or less uniformly. If one were only to consider the positives, one could be mistaken for thinking this was a sound economic model.

Unfortunately there were also severe downsides to the level of overspecialization PD Worlds engaged in. While specializing in one good allowed for worlds to export a lot of that good, it also drastically increased import needs as other domestic industries suffered. The PD Worlds' economies were also rendered incredibly brittle. Prone to boom or crash with the fluctuating prices of their chosen good. All these factors capped the growth of PD Worlds while leaving them vulnerable to financial instability.

Lack of Economic Investment

As PD Worlds were focused on producing a singular good, other aspects of their economy suffered. Governors spent minimal budget on things like social services and utilities not directly involved in the world's main industry. In their minds, it appears any part of their planet not dedicated towards their favored industry was a waste of funds.

This left both the private and public sector anemic outside the extremely bloated exception. Utilities like water and power suffered chronic stoppages. Independent businesses received next to no government support or were even suppressed under the justification of "stealing workers". Environmental damage also spiked as any regulations were quickly removed in the name of increasing profits. These factors led to a rise of food shortages and health crises breaking out across PD Worlds.

That being said, it is not like the entire budget could be dedicated to the world's main industry. The second largest item on the budget on most PD Worlds was often listed as "discretionary spending" in some form or another. As one can imagine this item did little to promote economic development on PD Worlds beyond luxury import businesses.

Poor Debt Management

With PD Worlds entirely beholden to the wider commodity market, it comes to little surprise that they suffered from chronic debt issues. What tended to happen was that the price of the specialized product would fall, causing an increase in the World's debt. Then prices would inevitably rise, but the Governors would use the profits to double down on investing in the main industry rather than paying off the previous debt. This led to a vicious cycle of consistently growing debt and deficits that would ultimately culminate in the Petty Debt Crisis.

Who owned the debt also resulted in problems. Governors of PD Worlds would often force their citizens to purchase "Patriot Bonds". Failure to purchase these bonds would often result in consequences varying from loss of employment, losing access to public services, to outright imprisonment for "suspicion of disloyalty". A citizen could not even hope to cash in their bond as they would often have them "annulled" as punishment for a minor crime.

What credit Governors couldn't acquire from their citizens would come from increasingly suspicious sources at increasingly rising interest rates. These deals often involved certain remote tracts of land on the PDs Worlds put up as collateral. This final part of the loan agreements would be what ended up dooming a majority of PD Govenors once these transactions came to light.

Asset Seizing

Citizens of PD Worlds had difficult lives. Forced to work in an industry with a singular company that paid little and was also the government. Food prices were often high even on Agriworlds as farmland was being used to produce cash crops for export. Most were kept in a state of poverty teetering on outright destitution and a social safety net was nothing more than a fantasy.

Yet somehow Governors of PD Worlds managed to make things worse. Personal debt was a fact of life for sentients on PD Worlds as they struggled to make ends meet. Governors would use this debt as a justification to seize both person and property at blasterpoint. Entire neighborhoods were cleared out to make way for yet another personal project for the Governor. This constant upheaval heavily discouraged private saving and investment as most saw little reason to put Credits toward a future that could be taken away so easily.

Loyalty Purchasing

With policies such as these, how did Governors of PD Worlds keep ahold of their positions? How did they avoid some staging an uprising against their rule? This was mainly accomplished through a practice referred to as Loyalty Purchasing.

Political power was kept in the hands of a small group of elites which used the Imperial Military to suppress any hint of dissent. These elites were not necessarily chosen by merit or lineage, but rather those elevated were sentients the Governor could charm or intimidate into complete obedience. In fact most cultural and traditional interest groups that existed prior to the Governor's appointment were ruthlessly oppressed to prevent a potential rival power bloc.

These elites were kept in line through a stream of selective benefits and gifts. Housing in separate and comparatively opulent communities, large quantities of luxuries unavailable to the rest of the population, and exemptions from the toil and taxation the rest of the world was saddled with. Everything the unfavored were deprived of, the favored got heaped upon them.

Governors of PD Worlds formed a collection of sycophants completely reliant on them and invested to suppressing the rest of the world. This patronage was dependent on keeping the Governor's favor and enacting his will, lest they be cast into the destitute masses below them eager to tear them to shreds. This fear of the lower classes resulted in most governments and elites on PD Worlds collaborated fully with the Governor's policies that led to the Petty Debt Crisis in order to maintain their precarious status.

This did not mean said upper classes were unified. Factions beneath the Governors formed using the same methods of patronage to spread their influence. Power struggles would often take place that would see departments and institutions undergo frequent quiet purges that left them beholden to the ascendant faction but weakened over the long term. Faith in your faction was always greater than faith in the overall government on PD Worlds.

Sector Wide Reactions

Naturally this rapid accumulation of debt and sliding decline did not go unnoticed by the wider sector. Despite efforts to suppress their financial situation, eventually news of these worlds' potential bankruptcy had spread. Other worlds and players in the sector began to take notice, and action.

The most immediate outside group to interact with the Crisis was the Constellation of Power. A cooperative of neighboring systems that banded together focused on producing power cores at below out of sector import rates. The CoS made cores for buildings, appliances, and industrial equipment to support the economic boom throughout the sector. This industrial concern took the Petty Debt Crisis as a chance to expand their markets.

The CoS adopted a strategy of selling cheap, quality power cores and their accompanying machines to all sections of society in nearby PD Worlds in exchange for significant quantities raw resources being produced there. The elites wanting to maintain their lifestyles and producers wanting to improve their output, accepted. This led to a further focus on raw resource production and away from domestic industrialization as they became new markets reliant on the CoS.

The sector government also did not sit idly by while these worlds slid into financial ruin once it noticed the direness of the situation. However the sector government's awareness of the severity of the Crisis was delayed by the actions of the previous Moffs. The negligence of Moff Tarry, and the focus on ladder climbing of Moff Hiral, meant the building Petty Debt Crisis progressed went relatively unnoticed by the Myto's institutions until Moff Las assumed the office.

Once reports finally reached the Moff's desk, Myto's government was left with an uncomfortable choice. While some of the debt was owned by illegal or otherwise fraudulent lenders, a large portion was owned either by local companies, offworld companies, or through bonds held by the planet's population. Allowing the debt to remain as is would cripple the planetary governments' budget for decades to come. However canceling the debt too recklessly would ruin lender confidence on the local level at minimum and could even damage the reputation of financial credibility Moff Las had been painstakingly cultivating.

After removing the Governors for gross incompetence in their duties, an order was issued for an emergency audit of the afflicted worlds to get proper estimates of the damage. While the debts were substantial for the small planets, it was comparatively minor to a sector. As such a restructuring of the Petty Debts was declared with the sector government acting as a guarantor. This not only reassured creditors that they would eventually get their Credits back and reduces interest rates, but also gave the sector government immense leverage over the PD worlds in the coming years.

In order to help PD Worlds recover, Guild resources were dispatched to begin development programs on those worlds in order to stabilize them at minimum. However upon arrival Guild personnel found they had little to work with as both the private and public sector had been gutted by the Petty Debt Crisis and the decisions that led to it. Unfortunately the legacy of overspecialization has resulted in estimates of former PD Worlds lagging behind their neighboring contemporaries for decades to come.

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A lot of people would assume a time of sector wide prosperity would encourage smart financial decisions. A lot of people also underestimate how short sighted political leaders can be. Plenty of governments in history being given a chance for long term prosperity decide to immediately kneecap themselves in exchange for some benefit for those in power.

That fact the political culture the Empire encourages this kind of short term prioritization among its elite only increases the likelihood. Figured I would give Las some nearby examples to reference for that book on the Empire's shortcomings he is writing.

Crossposted on SB and SV

 

[Zoolimar]

Time to invest in some personal force-shields

Click to shrink...

They cost astronomical sums of money in the current galaxy after all easily accessible mineral deposits that allowed for man-portable shields were exhausted during KOTOR era.