Governor's Gambit - Star Wars SI into Imperial Governor

[TheManW/oAPlan]

Are the former slavers becoming slaves, or did I misinterpret that? Just with the language about how the former slaving governors are becoming slaves in all but name? The line below also suggests this as well, considering most of them are spending life in prison.

slavery is only permitted for non-sentient aliens, and prisoners

Click to shrink...

I do not know if this was intentional by the author or by Las, but it does seem ironic.

 

[Zecevic081]

I feel like we are close to the second death star
Wakes up the next morning to get the message the emperor is dead

Click to shrink...

He's got a good 5-ish years left. SDS destruction was 4BBY.

 

[Deathwings]

He's got a good 5-ish years left. SDS destruction was 4BBY.

Click to shrink...

Don't you mean ABY ?

 

[Yacov]

Omake: C2W Blaster Pistol

Production information

Manufacturer: Guild of Commerce, Production and Protection

Type: Light blaster pistol

Cost: 700 Credits new, 450 Credits used

——

Physical and technical specifications

Size: Small

Weight: 0.8 Kg

Capacity: 50 shots

Range: 20 meters optimum, 65 meters maximum

——

Usage

Availability: Licensed

Roles:

• Personal Defense Weapon

Affiliation:

• Concerned urban civilians
• Private Investigators
• Law enforcement agencies with small budgets

——

Description

"Looking for a bit of protection in these trying times? Apply for a civilian level blaster license for a renewed sense of safety!"
Applicationsmaytakeuptotwotofourweekstoprocess.Approvalwillbedependentonavarietyoffactorsincludingbutnotlimitedtolegibilitycriminalhistoryandpatriotismindexscore.
- Ad by the Imperial Blaster Owners Association.

The C2W (or Concerned Citizen's Weapon) is a recent production from the Guild of Commerce, Production, and Protection in the Myto sector. Marketed as a personal defense weapon for the loyal Imperial urbanite, this blaster never found much success outside this niche. This underwhelming pistol nevertheless garnered a modest following in Imperial civilians in cities across the sector.

Design

"When someone pulls out a C2W it is a threat. A threat to bring in every seccer in a five block radius down on our heads." - Smuggler on the detriments of using a C2W for criminal activity.

The C2W is considered a midway point between a hold-out blaster and a blaster pistol. This middle ground came at the cost of lower range, power, and fewer shots compared to a standard blaster pistol. The urban and confined environments the blaster was designed for was hoped to mitigate the range issue. This blaster was mainly intended to defend the user from low level criminals or packs of stray animals.

Light and decently compact. Its size and weight can make it easier to carry and not get caught on clothes or other obstructions when hastily drawn from a holster or a hand bag. Although definitely not to the degree of say a blaster modified for a gunslinger. The worst one is going to get is something caught on the partial trigger guard, but it is fairly easy to shake loose.

The C2W is fairly stable with a grip that is well-fitted and comfortable for the average sentient. A smooth trigger and the low power of each shot allow for low recoil despite the short barrel of the blaster. These decisions did little to improve the range of the blaster which remained below the standard for a blaster pistol.

The C2W's shape was designed to intimidate the ignorant and the inexperienced. It is also purposely designed to make significant noise when fired to frighten the user's attackers be they sentient or non-sentient. This makes the C2W unsuitable for more subtle occupations that would want to avoid drawing attention. However if one actually wants to notify all local law enforcement in several blocks that a blaster has been fired and they should head in that direction, then the C2W is certainly going to do a good job of informing them.

Sales

"Great. Another Cry To Win rookie thinking their hot stuff." - Veteran Guild Member mocking a rookie trying to register with a C2W.

Once the first batch of C2Ws hit the market, it made a small, but noticeable splash. Citizens worried about the rising pirate activity resulted in a minor surge of orders in the first few weeks after release. The low power of the blaster made it easier to obtain a license than most other blaster pistols while also not being as restricted as hold-out blasters. Initial reports were rosy and there were talks of expanding production.

Despite a strong showing in the beginning, orders began to drop off after the first few months of good news. While the C2W did well enough among civilians inside of cities, it often faltered in other areas. Rural populations preferred applying for longer range hunting blasters or just bought blasters without a license. The Imperial Military and PDFs considered the blaster a silly toy for ignorant civilians. The same held true among private mercenaries such as the Guild who had access to far better options and would often mock rookies who showed up with one. Criminals and Rebels thought the C2W was a death sentence if they ever had to fire it, so the Underworld never made much effort to acquire them.

Talks of expanding production lines stalled and the C2W was designated a low priority product by the Guild. However sales of the blaster never truly stopped and the weapon retains a following among the civilian blaster community. These days the C2W remains on the shelves of weapon stores as an option for frightened civilians seeking something to make them feel safe. The C2W will never win much glory on a battlefield, but it does its job of being a reassurance to civilians and giving them a bit of protection against muggers and feral animals.

——

Meet the C2W, a blaster interesting due to its circumstances as much as its design. A civilian handgun made in the during the Galactic Civil War for Imperial civilian populations that are trusted enough to be armed. The Empire as a general rule does not want to arm a civilian population. Just one more example of why the Minda system and the Myto sector as a whole is a strange place.

For an image I was going to use something like a standard Glock, but then I saw the S333 Thunderstruck double barrel magnum and fell in the love with the goofy design. So just imagine that, but a bit larger, with one barrel instead of two, a pistol instead of a revolver, and the chamber being a power pack. A funny situation where the Star Wars version is saner than the real life inspiration.

Crossposted on SB and SV

 

[Freefaller]

Chp-99

Moff Surrde
Braxant Sector
ISD-II Ironhand

Surrde stared out into the black of the void. Its immeasurable darkness was kept separate from him only by the glass of the bridge.

Officers rushed around him on the bridge, tension palpable in the air. Orders spoken in rushed whispers, dials and knobs twisted and turned with sweaty fingers, and displays watched with eyes that darted around the room.

But Surrde only stared, silent, a wall of stillness in a sea of barely controlled chaos. Eyes rarely blinking, hands steady behind his back. Even his mind lay free of the chaos.

For in his mind, it was already over. All he'd done, all he'd sacrificed. Lost in sheer foolishness.

A spark of anger threatened to flair up, but he quashed it. This was no longer the time to rage at his mistakes. No, soon it would be the time to do what he was born to do one last time.

"Sir! Multiple hyperspace signatures detected!"

It was time to do battle.

Before him, he saw an Imperial taskforce jump into hyperspace. The gleaming hulls of half a dozen star destroyers, complemented by dozens of support ships.

To his side, a junior officer approached him cautiously.

"Sir, we're outnumbered. Maybe it would be best if we su-"

He fell to the ground dead, a large plasma burn marrying his head. Surrde holstered his pistol, eyes having never left the fleet approaching him.

"Deploy the TIE's, and engage the forward deflector shields. I want all turbolasers focused on the lead ship."

The bridge's pace redoubled in fear, and Surrde stayed still even as the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air.

–

Aren Hiral

"Sir, Surrde has been confirmed dead. His flagship has been destroyed."

With that single sentence, Hiral felt relief unknown to him until that point. Surrde's entire debacle had threatened everything he'd worked towards. All those late nights smooth talking magnates and bribing officials would be gone.

"And why was no attempt at an arrest made?" he asked. It didn't matter to him, but the ISB wanted him alive and if they didn't even get a chance, it might cause problems.

"He refused to surrender, sir. The taskforce leader decided it was easier to simply destroy the ship."

Aren nodded. A simple but plausible explanation, and one that actually had nothing to do with him! That would do wonders to keep the ISB from sniffing around.

Regardless, as the holo call cut and Aren returned to planning, his mind turned towards piracy. A growing problem across the oversector.

He would have to see about assigning more of the oversectors forces to the Mid-Rim worlds. He was making inroads with incredibly wealthy magnates there that had connections to the Core Worlds. If he played his cards right, he could get himself in the room with some Core World elite.

Oh, he could just smell the power!

–

Surrde was dead, and yet I felt no real relief.

You'd think I would, but his death was all but guaranteed. I'd already won, the punishment for him losing was simply delayed.

Therefore, I felt no relief for the inevitable. Instead, I only felt stress at the problems before me.

Piracy had been increasing across not just the sector but the oversector. This was a known problem, something I'd been working towards solving. The future hulls the R&D team was working on would be an efficient solution once ready, but they weren't ready. The team hadn't even finished a full blueprint of the prototype, much less anything ready for production.

In the meantime, forces across the sector were spread thin as is. Especially with the 9.6 million slaves that were in the process of being freed, suffice it to say that the sector was in no way prepared to handle another piracy wave.

Thankfully, the previous wave seemed to have been artificially caused by the slavers. Which meant another spike likely wouldn't happen any time soon.

But piracy was still rampant and slowly but surely on the uptick. That was a problem. Even with the underworld connection through Governor Murr we couldn't keep control of the flow.

I leaned back in my chair, letting out a sigh. If I could count how many times I'd sighed that deeply since I found myself here, I wouldn't. The sheer amount would probably indicate bad things for my health.

A ring from my terminal brought me back, the blinking light indicating a call was being transferred from my secretary to me.

Checking the caller ID, it was Darna. I wondered idly if she needed help settling into her new role as head of the Guild, given that she'd given up her Vice-Governorship of Edin for it. Edin had exhausted its immediate usefulness to her while the Guild just kept growing, so it was an obvious jump for her.

But then I remembered I was thinking about Darna, and quickly banished any thought of her asking for help. She was incredibly stubborn about some things and would only ever ask for help if she felt it was truly dire.

"Hey Darna. What's up?"

"Sir, I've got news. The Guild has come into contact with multiple Mandalorian clans that wish to sign up wholesale with the Guild. I've taken the liberty of getting into contact with the heads of each clan in order to see if longer term contracts could be gained. They could be incredibly effective in our anti-piracy efforts."

I hummed. She was right. The Loyu family I'd hired a couple years back had been incredibly useful throughout their time, and they had only been three mandos in a single armed freighter. If I could get these clans to stick around, provided they behave, the utility would be very welcome.

"Alright. I'll authorize the beskar permits for as much as they have with them. Also, give them special Guild status if they take on the contracts. No sense in leaving them with substandard gear-"

"-that would be wasted on worse mercenaries. Makes sense. I'll see what we can dig up. Should I give them any authority over local Guild patrols to enhance their capabilities? I'm of the belief that it would be useful-"

"-but they haven't exactly proven themselves trustworthy. Fair enough. Hold off on that for now, but get them the gear if they accept the contracts. Even if they don't, give them the beskar permits anyways. Best to keep them in the sector."

"Of course."

From there, we chatted some more. Mostly about the goings on in the sector, though we tacitly avoided anything remotely related to HAVEN just in case the line was tapped. Those sorts of talks were reserved for encrypted messages and in person meetings.

It was nice talking to Darna. She'd been my first secretary and knew me sometimes better than I knew myself. Not to mention we were both so busy we rarely got to speak outside of work anyways.

When all that was finished, I got back to work, reading over the meticulously written reports my new secretary had prepared for me.

My new secretary, Roius, was an interesting man. Older than me by at least a few decades, he was quite competent. He kept schedules nice and tidy, dealt with superfluous problems before they reached my office, and was overall just good at his job.

The problem that some found with him was his status as a cyborg. The cybernetics were obvious. Not just an arm and a leg, but the neural implant running around his bald head were plain as day.

Honestly, to many he would be considered more controversial than having an alien secretary, because even his status as full blooded human didn't save him from the derision thrown against cyborgs.

Thankfully, I'm the Moff of this sector, meaning unless someone above me has some sort of serious problem with it, they won't bother me, and those below me can't do anything about it, and I get to enjoy the benefits of a cyborg secretary.

Which mostly includes the myriad of fun facts he just happens to have stored about any and everything.

For example, did you know that swoop gangs are statistically the least likely type of criminal organization in the galaxy to commit violent crimes? Yeah, apparently they tend to mostly be full of teens and err more on the side of illegal racing and vandalism with the occasional robbery. Very interesting.

The rest of the day was not of any particular interest. While the piracy problem was always there in the background, I had few options arrayed before me to solve the problem that would not cause significant problems elsewhere. So for now, I could only keep things working while I tried to come up with a solution.

I busied myself with reports from the former slaver worlds instead. While freeing the slaves was a slow and arduous process that took up much time, there was some good news.

The new Governors of these systems had all of course immediately joined the Guild, and given their current situation were given special status by the Guild and myself. In light of the significant stress they were currently under they got to pay fewer taxes, got priority shipping in many industries, and grants galore to kickstart proper business.

It wasn't a perfect fit, but it worked well enough. It would take some 4 or so months for the systems to be back on their feet with all the slaves processed, though it would likely take months after that for the systems to be properly growing economically in any real way.

Ironically enough, the Auditor Program which I had created to specifically counter this sort of thing had yet to finish training its first class before the entire problem was over and done with. Still, the Auditors would be useful. The former slaver systems still had plenty of corruption and crime, even with a clean uppermost management. The Auditors would be invaluable in helping purge the rot and let the systems flourish.

–

Jir Mola
Accordia

Looking at herself in the mirror, Jir smoothed out the final wrinkle in her new uniform.

The light grey was slightly different from the uniform she used to wear as Commandant, which itself tended to be on the beige side. It was also distinctly different from the more formal dark black or white uniforms she wore to more special occasions.

The uniform itself, despite the grey, was remarkably different from standard Imperial faire. Jir had been given a choice between different styles, with distinct variants for colder and warmer weather.

Carefully, she checked herself over for any imperfection. First impressions were important after all, and she refused to show up on her first day at this job with anything less than a perfect, spotless uniform.

She'd had students lose points for less. It was a signifier of sloppiness, after all.

Finally, she adjusted the pin on her breast pocket, ensuring its golden shine wasn't marred in the slightest. She found it ostentatious, especially compared to the uniform, but such things were irrelevant in the long run.

Below it sat her name tag. Jir Coru. Coru being the last name given to Coruscanti orphans from her sector of the Galactic City underbelly. She could've kept using the Mola name. She was still technically married to Dornun, and she was normally one to use every advantage she had.

But Mola was a name now best associated with her son. And her pride refused to let her use her connection to him to make her way up the ladder. Thankfully, it was easy enough to change the name on her paperwork considering Imperial (technically Republic) records from back before her marriage still existed, making the process easy.

Before leaving her apartment, she made one last quick sweep of the area. It was as spartan as always. The camera she'd bought for cheap was hidden in a discrete corner, disguised as part of an electrical panel, surveying the room.

Another sweep, this time checking her hidey holes where money and other potential valuable items were kept hidden. All good.

Once outside, she swiftly turned around. As the automatic door slid closed behind her, she held out a tiny strand of string, letting it fall into the gap betwee the door and wall. As the door closed shut, it caught the string mid-fall, keeping it trapped an inch above the ground.

Now if someone entered her apartment, the door would open and the string would fall. And upon returning home, by checking she would know.

From her apartment, she made her way through the crowded halls of the megabuilding. She instinctively dodged through the crowds, never allowing her pristine uniform to come into contact.

Around her shoulder was a matte black bag. It was sleek, professional, and carried all she needed for the day.

Within it there were four ration bars, two of which would satiate her from the start of the workday to lunch, and from there until she left for home. Both her PDA's sat there, one given by her employers for work purposes and the other her personal PDA, one of the few items of significant value she bought due to the sheer utility.

Finally, within a side pocket of the purse the opening of which was accessible without opening the purse itself was a hidden holdout blaster. Registered, of course.

The unregistered one stayed at home, just in case she ever needed a blaster that couldn't be tracked.

Eventually she made it to the skyway platform nestled in the center of the megabuilding. The trains were near silent and already elevated, and as such allowed megabuilding residents to easily access public transportation. It also made her choice of locale more efficient considering both the cheap price of the apartment and her access to transport.

As some children rushed by, giggling to themselves about some inane topic and swinging around a large plushy of that lizard creature her son kept around, she instinctively tightened her grip on her purse. She knew full well how sly pickpocketers could be, and she would not fall prey to one.

Mentally shaking off the paranoia of her underworld upbringing, she stepped onto the skyway train, subconsciously finding her way to an advantageous position. There were no real winning spots on a train car, but from her quick mental judgements she determined that the spot she had chosen was filled mostly with children and the elderly, far easier to deal with in case things went badly.

Soon enough, the train deposited her in the center of the city. Gleaming towers of metal sat next to veritable castles of stone. A million styles of architecture went hand in hand with the myriad of styles of clothing and creatures that roamed the streets.

Once again, Jir dodged through the crowds, deftly ignoring merchants crying out about their cheap wares and parents scolding their children for running around. The noise faded into the background, her ears filtering out anything that didn't immediately seem important.

Eventually, she found her way to the entrance to her new workplace. The building itself was stout, wider than it was tall. Its brutalist design and grey duracrete walls, combined with its location in the city marked it as one of the first buildings built during the city's expansion.

Staring up at the banners flowing from its walls, adorned with the same insignia on her pin, Jir allowed herself a slight smirk.

She would rise the ranks and prove herself, of that there was no doubt.

But first, she had to make it.

As Junior Member Success Liaison Jir Coru of the Imperial Guild.

–

Aight, so I messed around with some image editors before realizing that I could just use an AI for the Guild insignia, since it's a relatively unimportant thing. No worries, any art used for anything like characters, ships and more will be real art, either something I commission, find online or make myself if I ever get there.

As for the chapter, I think it's aight. I'm not super good at ending arcs, but frankly speaking I could think of no other way for the slaver arc to end. Surrde is an absurd blustering man but he also is someone who, despite his failings, does what he does for battle. I can't see him accepting his fate or ever letting the enemy board his ship.

As for Jir, yeah I decided to have her become a Guild employee. After all, what better way to prove to Las she was right than to rise to the top of the organization he built himself? Her success of course will be dependent on her actions, so who knows. Maybe Darna finally has some real competition for her position as Guildmaster.

Lateral raises are painful, but my disdain for my chub is stronger! Keep lifting, fellow brochachos.
-Freefaller

 

[GrimmKenway8646]

As Junior Member Success Liaison Jir Coru of the Imperial Guild.

Click to shrink...

Oh dear, I have no idea if this is gonna be a good thing but I know that it will be a headache for our dear Moff. Let's see what happens next.

For example, did you know that swoop gangs are statistically the least likely type of criminal organization in the galaxy to commit violent crimes? Yeah, apparently they tend to mostly be full of teens and err more on the side of illegal racing and vandalism with the occasional robbery. Very interesting.

Click to shrink...

For a second you had me thinking that instead of exterminating crime within the sector, they were gonna make the only viable criminal group be a literal syndicate of swoop gangs. But thats just me liking crack fics.

 

[RageKnight]

She spent so long climbing from the lower sectors of the hive world that she never noticed that she reached the surface years ago.

 

[TRm]

I liked the finishing each others' sentences part with Darna

 

[readsalot]

Her success of course will be dependent on her actions, so who knows. Maybe Darna finally has some real competition for her position as Guildmaster.

Click to shrink...

Heh that would be fun to see.
Looking forward to the next chapter

 

[Eniotna]

As Junior Member Success Liaison Jir Coru of the Imperial Guild.

Click to shrink...

Who wants to bet she's going to climb up the ranks until she's the head of the guild?

 

[trudny1]

I do wonder how Jir will react to a different Imperial culture here (on how everything is run).

 

[TheDerangedOne]

Who wants to bet she's going to climb up the ranks until she's the head of the guild?

Click to shrink...

She's going to try for that at the very least... but I'm betting on some drunken breakdown with her co-workers helping her re-evaluate her life happening before she achieves it.
Her son, and by extention The Guild, probably has her face and new identity flagged regardless of how sneaky she thinks she's being at the moment.

 

[Nisiris]

Can't help but find Jir most enjoyable of family to read, her mother methods aside, given her past it's not surprising she knows how to climb from the lowest point, which just proves how competent she is.

 

[Mistroz]

Excellent chapter.

 

[AldariSiradla]

May you serve with distinction Jir Coru.
For in this regime, merit matters.
And exemplary service will be rewarded handsomely.
And I hope you can see that you have soared and finally touched the surface...
Rather than living beneath the dirt and grime of the lower levels.

 

[krahe]

Man, living in the Coruscant unverhive as an orphan sure fucked up mama Mola somewhat fierce

 

[Stelarwand030]

Before him, he saw an Imperial taskforce jump into hyperspace.

Click to shrink...

Jump from hyperspace. These are entering the system not leaving it.

 

[PepeDeLosPalotes]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Yacov]

It was time to do battle.

Before him, he saw an Imperial taskforce jump into hyperspace. The gleaming hulls of half a dozen star destroyers, complemented by dozens of support ships.

To his side, a junior officer approached him cautiously.

"Sir, we're outnumbered. Maybe it would be best if we su-"

He fell to the ground dead, a large plasma burn marrying his head. Surrde holstered his pistol, eyes having never left the fleet approaching him.

Click to shrink...

Here we the see the signs of the coming warlord era after Endor. Even after being outed as the mastermind of the assassination, Surrde can still muster Star Destroyers worth of firepower through fear and intimidation.

"He refused to surrender, sir. The taskforce leader decided it was easier to simply destroy the ship."

Click to shrink...

Well that is one irreplaceable Star Destroyer gone. Probably any others as well.

Regardless, as the holo call cut and Aren returned to planning, his mind turned towards piracy. A growing problem across the oversector.

He would have to see about assigning more of the oversectors forces to the Mid-Rim worlds. He was making inroads with incredibly wealthy magnates there that had connections to the Core Worlds. If he played his cards right, he could get himself in the room with some Core World elite.

Click to shrink...

Well that is going to be bad for the Outer Rim sectors in the oversector. At least it will give Las an excuse to continue building up his forces if Hiral is moving the traditional defenders away.

When all that was finished, I got back to work, reading over the meticulously written reports my new secretary had prepared for me.

My new secretary, Roius, was an interesting man. Older than me by at least a few decades, he was quite competent. He kept schedules nice and tidy, dealt with superfluous problems before they reached my office, and was overall just good at his job.

The problem that some found with him was his status as a cyborg. The cybernetics were obvious. Not just an arm and a leg, but the neural implant running around his bald head were plain as day.

Click to shrink...

I kind of want to see Roius' POV when he looks into Las' administration and learns a lot of bureaucracy was done physically with physical reports.

The new Governors of these systems had all of course immediately joined the Guild, and given their current situation were given special status by the Guild and myself. In light of the significant stress they were currently under they got to pay fewer taxes, got priority shipping in many industries, and grants galore to kickstart proper business.

Click to shrink...

Imagine having an economic downturn and the Empire lessens your taxes and provides economic development aid. Wild place this Myto sector.

Within it there were four ration bars, two of which would satiate her from the start of the workday to lunch, and from there until she left for home. Both her PDA's sat there, one given by her employers for work purposes and the other her personal PDA, one of the few items of significant value she bought due to the sheer utility.

Click to shrink...

You would think Jir would have some savings built up even with her pension potentially getting taken away. Maybe it was spent surviving the chaos of post-Yavin and getting to Minda? Or this is Jir being prideful or some other thing.

 

[Heidao]

Suurde's dead

Hiral's pleased

Everyone walks away witha pat in the back

Now only the present threat of pirates and slavers trying to fill the void in the market are pouring in.

Perhaps, it might be prudent to form a few task groups to free roam between the sectors, using the coming Mandos to act as scouts while on their jobs hunting down the criminals. They'll do their hunts, and if their investigations have them come up on an outpost or a full base, one of the closest task groups can be signaled in to bombard them. Might as well add incentives for the Mandos to consider calling for help, than to try and take them on. A balance of while they could gett bounties and spoils, there'd be a considerable flat sum for the call in, even more if the opportunity to collaborate for captures and a portion of spoils as another thing to consider.



Mom was the original boogieman, but more on the irrational once she was so far away and then downright silly when he became a Moff. But one that's understandable considering her life and mindset shaped by it, she fought to get out of that hole and she doesn't want to be in a position that would send her back in.

A respectable hustle, but marred by having her kids accessory to keeping the hole farther away

Well at least she's moving on, but I'm looking forward to seeing her continuing to go about with her core world paranoia, while watching the peace in the worlds her son touched and feel totally uncomfortable by it

 

[Watching]

Piracy had been increasing across not just the sector but the oversector

Click to shrink...

I guess the Zan consortium is making moves?

 

[Freefaller]

You would think Jir would have some savings built up even with her pension potentially getting taken away. Maybe it was spent surviving the chaos of post-Yavin and getting to Minda? Or this is Jir being prideful or some other thing.

Click to shrink...

She does have savings, it's just that she's defaulted back to a more survivalist mindset. She refuses to spend credits on things she feels are unnecessary or lack utility in some manner.

 

[sperance]

Who wants to bet she's going to climb up the ranks until she's the head of the guild?

Click to shrink...

I doubt it. The methods she used to climb the Imperial ladder wouldn't work in the Guild. If anything, I think she'll stall in a middle manager position and eventually have a breakdown over how her "proven" methods are failing her.

In addition to that, narratively speaking, if Jin succeeds in become leader of the Guild, then that validates her actions. I won't say it won't happen, but it would be a very weird turn for this story to go "Actually, the abusive mother willing to kill her own son was right all along".

 

[ExFelineServer3]

Haha! Mugwuffin Plushies have arrived in story!
Her way of making certain her servant/companion keeps getting her nice things.

 

[vtkun]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Rustic]

You know there are a few martial races that would actually fit in pretty well in lars domain. The one I was thinking of specifically was the transdoshins. They also have sorosuub fighters which is a cheaper fighter that actually works pretty well great for auxiliary fighters in high traffic areas. It not only a cheap stop gap measure. Lars is a good paying client.

The older transdoshins would make for good q ship captains. Right neighborhood all of that.

 

[Yacov]

Omake: Veers Home for Deprived Youths

POV: Teris, orphan, Veers Home for Deprived Youths, Ugea, Minda System

Teris woke up and stifled a growing yawn. He lived in a room with three other children and wanted to enjoy the privacy that came with being the only one awake. Enjoying the warmth of his grov fur blanket and the quiet of the early morning. The Pathline Inc. logo barely visible in the still dark room.

Yet all good things must come to an end. The rest of his fellow orphans awoke and began bicker and squawk while preparing for their days. As a rule no one looked at each other while changing since some people were embarrassed of any scars they might have. Breaking it did more than attract a caregiver's ire.

Just a couple more years in this place and he'll be out of here and maybe even get his own room. Teris had been having thoughts like that as his Age Out Day loomed in the back of his mind like an ambiguous, but always present specter. However until that event came it was time for another day at the Home. Slipping on his coarseweave outfit, Teris made his way to the cafeteria for breakfast.

"Hey there Teris! Got any plans for your free time this week? I promise I won't spread it around."

Teris rolled his eyes at Mefta as he sat down with his buckweat squares in shaak milk. His friend was one of the biggest gossips in the whole orphanage. Always trying to gather information no matter how useless it was. The other kids joked that she must be descended from a long line of infochants. Those same kids got a smack from him if they said it to her face.

"Before or after morning chores? Mola knows you won't find me tardy."

Mefta's snort made his jest apparent. Tardiness from the morning chores was one thing the Home swiftly punished. Slow steps sink starships was what the caregivers kept saying. Teris had no desire to stand in the hallway for hours just because he wasn't there to fold the laundry.

"Tetris the cool kid doing all his chores? What's next? Planning to get perfect attendance for the weekly lecture?"

That got a chuckle from Tetris. He might not want to be punished, but he wasn't a caregiver's pet. Lesson time may be mandatory, but the weekly lecture was not. Sure every time the SAGEducation lecturer came around to discuss current events we were encouraged to attend, but the fact that attendance was optional meant that some kids chose to have more free time. Most kids still attended because the shirt, pants, or socks stamped with the Imperial crest they gave away to kids who stayed the whole time was comfier than coarseweave.

"If you must know, today is Range Day with the Thunder Scouts. I finally get to move on from gun safety to actually firing our Air Pistols."

Teris was an avid fan of the Minda system's youth program funded by the Sub-Adult Group. Every ward of the state is automatically enrolled in the program and is expected to attend at least once a month, but Teris went there much more frequently. There was always so many fun things to learn that would be helpful for living in the Outer Rim. He already had his scout badges for primitive cooking, camping, ration making, Imperial history, herbalism, rock and tree climbing, money management, and flimsiwork filling.

Last week the reservist in charge of the group told Teris that his scores on the safety test were good enough to start practice. Sure it would be stationary targets to start and he couldn't fire without direct supervision, but it was still going to be wizard! Totally worth staying up late going over his notes again and again. Pretty soon he could go for his hunting and butchery badges. Maybe he can even sign up for the local Junior Field Target League.

"Alright, alright. Stop your gushing. No need to start jumping on me while I am eating. Still, with how much the government is putting towards us, might as well take advantage while we can. We will be expected to pay it back in the future."

Despite how cynical Mefta could be, she had a point. Everyone who was brought in on the older side knew the score. When the gifts get big enough, it is not generosity, it is an investment. They all agreed there was no need to tell the young ones about it when they still had a decent chance of getting adopted. Still Teris also knew this place was better than being on the streets, or worse getting snatched off the streets. Compared to that a soft bed and a roof over your head every day wasn't half bad. Even with whatever strings were attached.

Pretty much everything Teris and others had was given to them by the government or a ranking Imperial, so at least he knew who held the debt. He still remembers when the caregivers told him the Credits to found the orphanage came from a donation from the Sector Admiral of all people. Apparently she was an investor in a company called Pathline Inc. and she wanted part of her investment to go into the company's charity fund.

"Speaking of the future, what are your plans for when you leave the Home? I was thinking of eventually joining the Exploration Corps, go out and explore the Rim you know."

Mefta looked at Teris like he had grown a second pair of eyes. Sure he could be a bit bull headed at times, but he can be introspective if he wants to. Maybe not for boring things like homework, but when it is interesting he can use his head.

"Finally planning ahead, are we? Well I hope you have a plan for paying for all the gear and lessons you'll need. As for me I was planning to join the Guild as a junior receptionist. Just thinking of all the juicy gossip I could hear makes me giggle."

The Guild huh? Might be worth looking into as a backup option. He is going to need some Credits for his cool scout ship and all his gear. He had been planning to join the Mindan Reserve team on the side in order to get training and some contacts. Teris might want to explore, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't return to defend his home.

"Actually I was thinking Pathline to start off with. Get that debt squared away early on and get the education through their new hire program. Working the shipping routes should get me the experience I need to look good when I apply for the Corps."

Pathline was new in the business world, and that meant it was always on the lookout for new talent. Teris might have been to afford a fancy prep school, but the arcade downtown had a flight sim pod. The pod boasted "ultra-realism" and it was often free because most kids avoided it after they crashed for the third time. Combine that with some outdated flight manuals he checked out from the local library and he felt like he had a decent shot of getting in the program.

"You know that every young Ugean hotshot not going into the military might be gunning for that program right? Ah who am I kidding, you have always been weirdly lucky when it comes to this sort of thing. Remember when you managed to accidentally get dragged into a AT-ST Training Program during our field trip to the academy a few years back?"

Apparently security mixed up the ID badges they were handing out to the kids. Instead of directed him to their designated lunch room it sent him to an open walker with an automated message telling him to get in. Teris wasn't never one to turn down a bit of fun. Apparently the guards watching had trouble differentiating the ages of children and Teris had always been a big kid. They didn't figure out Teris wasn't supposed to be there and also underaged until after he destroyed his fifth trainee target droid. He probably could've passed if they let him finish. Well worth the wrath of the caregivers and three months of no dessert and extra chores.

The two of them spent the rest of breakfast reminiscing about the Teris' Best Field Trip Ever. Age Out Day was looming in the future. However with friends like Mefta only a PAD call away, it didn't feel that scary anymore.

——

Welcome to the Mindan orphanage system. Only somewhat less morally questionable than the Imperial kinder-blocks. If HAVEN is going to be letting in any child with shackle bruises and an implant scar onto Ugea, then they have to go somewhere. Leaving them unsupervised is just asking for a Rebel Recruitment Agent, dashing smuggler, or Jedi fugitive to snatch them up in their iconic light freighter.

Also I wonder if Ife ever regrets giving Darna access to her savings and signing all that paperwork for the Pathline Inc. business back in Chapter 60? "Benefiting the Empire" is a phrase that gives Darna a pretty broad remit of how to use that money. This is the same woman who used Imperial resources entrusted to her to found a clandestine abolitionist organization after all.

Nah Ife probably doesn't bother looking too closely at what's going on as long as her investments are making her Credits. At least any donations were most likely tax deductible so it probably broke even come end of the fiscal year.

Crossposted on SB and SV

 

[Freefaller]

1.11 ABY
Myto Sector

The flames rose high into the night sky, silhouetting the crumbling buildings from which they rose.

Above the flames and smoke, gliding through the night sky like a phantom, a Kom'rk-Class fighter/transport hovered, moving in lazy circles around the area.

Gor Tralis checked his surroundings, his helmet's filter protecting him from the smoke and ash as his eyes scanned the area.

Movement in the corner of his vision prompted him to turn, spotting a pirate crawling from the wrecked buildings. A quick pull of the trigger ensured the movement stopped.

Returning his attention to the fire, he couldn't help but wince. Dria would be on his ass about this, of that he was certain.

As the Kom'rk made to land, he turned around. On the ground lay his captive, some pirate captain whose name he couldn't remember. Grabbing the unconscious Quarren by jacket, he started dragging him towards the transport.

As its door opened up, Dria Tralis stepped out. Her head turned towards the fire, its orange glow reflected in her helmet. It was the only unpainted part of her armor, the pure beskar shining in contrast to the blue and green their clan often wore.

Some grumbled about it, but ultimately none actually cared. It was their mothers final gift, after all.

"Really, Gor? Did you have to burn it down?" She said, turning to him with arms crossed.

"Well…I got excited?" He said sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders. It was the truth, if nothing else. He'd gotten too carried away during the fight and used a rocket. How was he supposed to know the room he shot it into was the armory!

"Your 'excitement' cost us the entire base! Thats at least 3000 credits from the Guild, if not more!" She exclaimed, helping him drag the captured pirate into the ship.

"Look, I'm sorry! But they had one of those scrap-made LECAs and it startled me!" It had come out of nowhere, all sharp metal and blazing guns and he'd panicked. And missed. Thankfully, the thing had collapsed on its own, faulty wiring and rusted limbs making for a poor combat vehicle.

Dria didn't respond, but he could feel the disappointment from behind her helmet clear as day. And it was understandable, all things considered.

When the Tralis clan had migrated to the Myto sector, they'd quickly been given long term contracts by the local Guild. The entire clan got 50,000 credits every quarter for expenses, plus individual salaries for each warrior. And, on top of that, extra payouts for things like capturing or destroying pirate vessels, capturing pirate leaders, bases, salvage and more.

That pirate base alone would've been at least 3k, which wasn't much but the base itself was really small and shoddily built. They only would've gotten 3k because that's the minimum payout the contract allows for. Thankfully, they'd gotten the leader, who was worth hopefully around double.

The problem lay in that Clan Tralis, or as they were known in the Guild, the Tralis Security Company, wasn't the only Mando clan in the sector anymore.

Two others, Clans Ridra and Wulvo followed suit soon after, bringing far more members with them. Now, the three clans totaled some 500 Mandalorians total, and Clan Tralis only made up 100 of them.

That meant that the Tralis Security Company had to work twice as hard to make as much money as the others. Alor Tralis, leader of the Tralis Clan, had been painfully honest in his assessment of the Imperial system. It was a cutthroat place, and Clan Tralis could not be left behind.

Personally, Gor thought the Alor was overreacting. The sector wasn't exactly small, and there were mercenary companies with over twice the number of members as all the Clans in the sector combined.

Instead of voicing his opinion out to Dria, he instead focused on his PDA. It was a nice contraption, and the system they were in had recently had one of those new comm beacons installed, meaning easy access to the holonet.

With practiced ease, he navigated to a new forum, one created not long after the Clans had moved to the sector.

The Mando-Myto forum was a place where the Mandalorians, especially the younger warriors, posted about their experiences. Some asked questions about the sector, others posted interesting things they discovered, and more.

One warrior from Clan Wulvo had bragged about getting down and dirty with one of native species of the sector, a Verndari. Unsurprisingly, they were human compatible, but many species were.

The fact the warrior was out of commission for three weeks because he couldn't walk straight was the funniest follow up post he'd ever seen.

But the thing the forum was used for above all else was bragging. Showing off their kills, bragging about rank advancement in the Guild, flexing their new ships and guns. To be honest, it made Gor envious.

The top post of the day was a picture from a member of Clan Wulvo. It showed a brand new starfighter, the Shallows-Class interceptor design recently released by Abyssal Industries. It was fresh off the production lines, equipped with all the bits and bobs needed to protect convoys and hunt pirate freighters. On its side, the Wulvo Tactical Solutions name was plastered next to the Clan Wulvo symbol.

Meanwhile, Clan Tralis was still making do with the ships they brought from Mandalore and some armed freighters they were buying. They simply lacked the manpower to take on more pirates, and the Alor was being conservative with the funds in case of emergency.

At least the dividends from this job meant he would finally be able to afford his own landspeeder. A new one, with blasters on it.

–

1.11 ABY
Myto Sector
Arkia Prime

Juna Briardi was scared. She'd been scared for much of her life, however, so it was odd for this fear to be any different.

But it was.

Ever since she was 11 years old, she'd been a slave on Arkia Prime. Her parents had been killed in a pirate boarding action on their freighter, and she'd been sold to the Hutts, who sold her to the Empire.

And ever since then, she'd known fear. A constant, low, settled dread. For some time she'd thought it to be apathy at her situation. But eventually, she called it what it was. Fear, hidden behind a layer of apathy.

Even a 'good' day was simply a day in which she waited for the other shoe to drop. And recently, there had been a string of 'good' days.

For the past month, things had been different. All the slaves had been taken from the work yard. Instead of building machines or mining, they'd been relocated to new quarters and given new, clean clothes. Bunks of some sort. Better than sleeping on the floor, if nothing else.

But the dread was still there, slowly mounting. Other slaves were being taken out of the bunks, in small groups. They weren't seen again.

Juna didn't know what was happening, didn't know why they were being taken, didn't know why they had new bunks and clothes and better food, but she didn't trust it. She feared it.

And she did nothing. What else could she do? She hadn't been able to do anything for years now. So, she did nothing.

And one day, it was her turn.

The intercom buzzed, calling out a series of names, hers included. Moving with the group, she exited the bunks and made her way down the hall.

A faceless monolith of white plasteel, a Stormtrooper, met them at the end. Without a word, they gestured for the group to follow them.

Soon, they were standing in a line. Once she reached the end, she found herself in front of a booth, behind which was a man in an Imperial uniform.

"Juna Briardi, yes?"

She nodded.

"Ok. Please place both hands, palm down, in the scanners please."

Doing as she was told, the scanners whirred for a second while the man kept talking.

"So, the charges of conspiracy against the Empire you were imprisoned for were found to be false. As such, you are being freed. In order to assist in your transition back to free life, the sector government has placed a new program in order. This program will provide you housing, education, work, pay, and more. You are also entitled to anywhere between 5-40 acres of farmstead land, assuming you go through the proper processes and certifications."

He paused to take a breath, during which Juna decided to ask a question.

"W-what about mercenary work?" Her voice was meek from years of abuse, but the fire in her soul was anything but.

The man looked slightly annoyed at being interrupted, but answered regardless. "Mercenary work requires certification with the Guild. It is not part of the reintegration program. The fastest way there would be through an already existing mercenary company or by joining the Imperial Auxiliaries, serving for a few years, then leaving to go solo."

In her mind, Juna was already making plans. The reintegration program would keep her stable, get her the education she needed. Then, she'd go to the Guild. Take the classes. And make the pirates pay.

After a long day of being walked through paperwork, and a shuttle ride off of the cursed planet that was Arkia Prime, Juna Briardi felt something new that she hadn't in a long time. Something that peeked from behind the curtain of fear that had dominated her life.

Hope.

–

Hope was the only thing that kept me going.

Specifically, I was really hoping the asshole across from me would drop dead. But unfortunately that wasn't going to happen.

"-and you see, such disruptions in the security of supply chains means it will be more costly to ship our hyperdrives, thus requiring an increase in the cost." The man across the table from me smiled, his greasy demeanor pissing me off even more.

He was a representative from KDY, from whom we bought hyperdrives and other advanced parts to build our KDY derivative ships. He was here to renegotiate prices on hyperdrives and other parts due to the galaxy wide increase in piracy.

The problem? Not only did he refuse to speak directly with Oioro because she's an alien, he had the fucking balls to demand a meeting with me, face to face, on the spot. While I was in a meeting with some Muun bankers.

Then, he walks in, plops down, and starts talking with the most sleazy voice I've ever heard and it takes every ounce of will power not to wring his greasy little neck. Instead, I compose myself and respond.

"Well, such a thing is understandable. Piracy is a rising problem across the galaxy."

The representative's smile widens a fraction. Prick.

"As such, it would be cheaper for us to simply start procuring our hyperdrives and navigational computers from elsewhere. We've had a good relationship with CEC for a while now, anyways."

His eyes widened a fraction, and I could understand why. This deal wasn't particularly important, but the rivalry between KDY and CEC was. After all, they were, bar none, the two largest ship manufacturers in the galaxy, and losing a deal to CEC was not a good look for this loser's career.

"Well, now, let's not be too hasty! I'm sure CEC is experiencing the very same problems! Why, as a long time customer, I'm sure the company would be willing to cut a deal!"

Before I can respond, the timer I'd set on my PDA rings. 10 minutes. "Good", I responded to him, silencing the timer with a swipe of my finger. "Now, the details of such a deal can be finalized with the head of the Office of Sector Acquisitions. I have a meeting to return too."

From there, I leave the meeting room and return to my office, leaving him behind for Oioro to properly take care of. This whole human centrist thing was really getting on my nerves.

Regardless, I eventually made my way back to my office.

"Apologies," I said to my guests. "A representative from KDY was causing a great fuss and refused to work with my head negotiator just because she isn't human."

"Ah, we are well aware of the intricacies of dealing with certain core world attitudes" one said.

"Of course. Now, to get back on topic, the reason I called you here today is for the stability of the Imperial credit."

Muun's don't have eyebrows, but if they did they would be raised quite far. Despite their shock I continued.

"The populace is losing trust in the Empire, and with that trust in the Credit. Especially in the Outer Rim. While the Guild and other systems have ensured that the credit remains stable within the Myto sector, I can't do so for the rest of the Oversector and beyond."

"Ahh" replied one Muun, a man by the name of Jucax Kreq "I see. You wish to use the reputation of the Banking Clans to help stabilize the credit in this region."

"Correct" I said, tapping some buttons on my terminal to activate the holo projector in my desk. From it appeared graphs and bars, detailing the Credits strength. Much of the data was pulled from the stock exchange on Clok, the economic center revealing plenty of information about the credit's power.

"As it stands, people are losing trust in the credit, and while the effects are manageable for now, there's a good chance it won't stay like that. I want to work with the Banking Clans to preemptively mitigate that risk."

Jucax nodded, eyes scanning the data. "While I cannot accept on the behalf of the Banking Clans, I can bring the full plan to those who could."

From there, we hashed out a rudimentary scheme. It was simple. The Banking Clans would be allowed to open branch institutions across the sector, operate their own private security forces with loosened restrictions on armaments and size, and would be given stakes in Imperial extraction sites of vital resources like Tibanna gas. They wouldn't be given control of those resources, only a decent amount of the profits.

I wasn't a fan of the deal, to be completely honest, but I knew I didn't have that much of a choice. As the Empire fell closer and closer to destruction, the Imperial Credit became more and more unreliable. In the Core it was fine, but the Rim was a different matter altogether.

Now, to be fair, this wasn't the final version of the deal, far from it. It would go back and forth, with Oioro and her team doing much of the work in order to more properly hash things out and ensure both sides were getting what they wanted.

I was only directly involved in the negotiations at all because I was fully aware that , as it stood, this was a big deal. I needed to show up myself to show I was serious about this.

When the meeting finally ended and the bankers were escorted out, I got straight back to work. The comms beacon project had been going well, implemented in phases as the sector's finances were sorted out. Already there was visible economic improvement.

Where before companies had to make stockpiles of inventory due to uncertainty. Unless their system had a relay (and most didn't) they relied on much slower comms travel or courier ships. That meant they didn't know who wanted what, and in what amount. So they stockpiled inventory so as to never be caught with nothing to sell.

Now? They knew exactly what customers wanted and in what quantities. Countless credits in goods simply sitting in warehouses doing nothing. Now? All that capital was becoming liquid again, surging throughout the economy. Warehouse districts were slowly being repurposed for other things as less space was needed for long term storage.

Not to mention prices were down across the board as the previously stored goods were sold at cheaper prices to get rid of needless inventory. Prices would rise again to more stable levels, but right now to many it felt nice to pay less for the same thing.

Regardless, I could see the writing on the wall. As the liquid capital started to flow, it would lead to factory expansions, new products and more. An economic boom that would last a least a year or so before reaching a new level of stability. Unemployment would drop as companies look for more skilled workers.

Of course, that would leave those who worked the low skill warehouse jobs without a job. Not a massive problem, as the Guild could step in with training for the trades and other certifications, and shuttle tickets to more frontier worlds in need of workers.

Not unlike what was being done with the former slaves. The process was still slow, as despite a month having passed only a tenth of the slaves had been fully processed. Sure, the process itself was getting more efficient as people figured it out, but it would still take quite some time. And, if nothing else, it meant that the new influx of people would happen over time, instead of me having to deal with ten million new citizens all at once.

Finally, as the last task of the day, I took a gander at the reports from HAVEN. Overall, nothing important to note.

The Mando Clans, sorry, 'Security Companies', were being given bounties for slaver and pirate bases that HAVEN had previously identified but lacked the resources or reach to deal with. Honestly, the Mando's were perfect for HAVEN. They were effective, efficient, always held up their end of the bargain, and rarely said no to a contract.

More than that, they worked in small teams meaning they were harder to track and could be in more than one place. It was perfect.

While I doubted it would be enough to rid the sector of pirates, it would help stem the tide. Especially as reports of rising piracy across the oversector made their way to me. The Governor-General was pulling more resources towards the Coreward sectors and it was sure to cause chaos.

But, if nothing else, the Myto sector would be prepared to weather the storm.

–

Yo. Made chocolate/cinnamon cookies. Didn't burn em this time.

Other than that, I'm decently proud of this chapter. Is it my best work? Prolly not. But I think it's better than plenty of other chapters.

Keep it real, mi amigos.
-Freefaller

 

[cosmicfox]

As the Empire fell closer and closer to destruction, the Imperial Credit became more and more unreliable.

Click to shrink...

Why do I get the feeling that once the dust settles, our boy will end up Emperor, or at least Head of State of the Remnants? The reward for good work is... more work.

 

[Arrowthorne]

Congrats on the big 100 chapters. Hers hoping for another 100 in the future.