Frater Astrotechnicus
All praise Clippy
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Factorio strikes again
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Governor's Gambit - Star Wars SI into Imperial Governor
- Thread starter Freefaller
- Start date
Factorio strikes again
Battle_Unit_3
Not too sore, are you?
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Even in a galaxy far far away, you can't escape the Factorio crack
Yacov
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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So continues the tradition of putting cruiser in the name of the ship to make it sound more intimidating.
Think of it as a team building exercise for when things really get chaotic.
Bit harder to glamour up than a planetside palace, but Las doesn't care about that anyway.
At the rate a lot of these frontier worlds are going to hit the population of Ugea at the beginning of this fic. That may not sound like much, but the starting population growth is always the hardest.
Looks at the dozens of pirate bases you raid in Star Wars Galaxies. To say nothing of all the bandit groups you fight in that game.
At least this is training these pirates to think the safest way to keep existing is to stay small and don't get too dangerous. Keeps them small time until Imperial forces can get around to them.
Look at the bright side Las. You are getting people to move in from all the other sectors. Just not engaging in the industry you want them to.
"How dare these newcomers take that gig!" My fellow merc in Mola, the sector is burning. There is more than enough work to share.
If you are lacking in specific baking ingredients, might I recommend a lemon tart. You can get it down to about 5 ingredients at the least and besides the sweetened condensed milk most of it can be just eggs, butter, lemons, and graham crackers.
Last edited:
oscar e Sampedro Lopez
Well worn.
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Thanks for the chapter Great story as always
Solconbur
Versed in the lewd.
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I was about to say "Baking issues? Just try Hardtack! It's just flour and water!" But then I saw you're out of flour, and that's like, the big baking tool.
So... F
Zecevic081
Know what you're doing yet?
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Congrats on getting to a semi-good college, study well but take time for yourself. Seen one too many peeps get burned out.
Heidao
Not too sore, are you?
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As prosperity grows, so does the number of those willing to stretch their dirty fingers to snatch it.
The instability of the canon lore is really starting to pick up, and the noticeable resource drain of Palpy's push for his bigger, second Death Star isn't helping matters.
Good to see he finally got his hands on a Golan, orbital defenses are key to relieving the strain of withholding ships to only a defensive role, where their firepower could be used for short sorties. Let's see if he can get mods slapped onto it.
Perhaps he should have his R&D research into automated defense platform arrays. That could be then fed into the research of making bigger, armed comm buoys to act as the main hardlines under the existing infrastructure. It just wouldn't do if all it takes to silence a place is to essentially shoot down a telephone pole.
Those new buoys can then be written off as government/military use only. Even better if the cost is only to cover the Oversector, then even auditors wouldn't complain if it means cleaner dedicated communications. Even Hiral and Kaine would likely throw money into it, if it means secure comms they can oversee.
The instability of the canon lore is really starting to pick up, and the noticeable resource drain of Palpy's push for his bigger, second Death Star isn't helping matters.
Good to see he finally got his hands on a Golan, orbital defenses are key to relieving the strain of withholding ships to only a defensive role, where their firepower could be used for short sorties. Let's see if he can get mods slapped onto it.
Perhaps he should have his R&D research into automated defense platform arrays. That could be then fed into the research of making bigger, armed comm buoys to act as the main hardlines under the existing infrastructure. It just wouldn't do if all it takes to silence a place is to essentially shoot down a telephone pole.
Those new buoys can then be written off as government/military use only. Even better if the cost is only to cover the Oversector, then even auditors wouldn't complain if it means cleaner dedicated communications. Even Hiral and Kaine would likely throw money into it, if it means secure comms they can oversee.
Omake: Battle of Bandit Mine
Yacov
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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celebrate this fic hitting triple digits, have the sixth Omake about of the Tak & Garik adventures.
Omake: Battle of Bandit Mine
POV: Lolwin Doolt, indebted Duros mine owner, Bandit Lair/semi-abandoned mine, Minda-4, Minda system, 2ABY
"Lolwin Doolt, this is your final warning! We have you surrounded! Surrender now and this can all end peacefully!"
A feminine voice resounded throughout the abandoned mine as Lolwin Doolt paced back and forth in what was once his office. The days of wrangling workshy miners to find the seams to pay off his debts were long gone. Now there was only compromises, desperation, and a loudhailer signaling his doom.
"Pulgrun what are we going to do? You said this would be a way to clear my debts, not bring the local garrison down on our heads!"
All the Huralok did was drum his fingers behind what was once Lolwin's desk. After the veins in his mine tapped out far too soon, Pulgrun and his crew offered to pay his interest in exchange for use of his mine. They promised him that none of their activities would be traced back to him. A month in and that was proven to be a load of poodoo.
"Now, now Mr. Doolt. Don't go pinning this all on me. They said they were here for you, didn't they? My lieutenant's… exuberance only exasperated a problem you brought on us."
Exuberance was certainly an understatement. Early this morning a sentry caught sight of the Mynock Pailers' BR-23 courier making a combat landing just half a kilometer from his mine. Pulgrun's lieutenant took most of the crew in an idiotic attack against them hoping to catch them mid-deployment.
First sign of things going wrong was when a couple of bandits went down from shots coming from atop a hill. That scavenged droid armor the crew insisted on wearing to adhere to some sort of unspoken theme proved insufficient. The Pailers kept taking pot shots with their Sporting Blasters causing the rest of the crew to hide behind cover.
Then an Advozse in frakking power armor did a one man assault charge while the scattered fire from the crew's outland rifles just plinked off the shield he was wielding. By the time he got close the bandits were already routing and a few more were gunned down or brought down by the mad Advozse. Now what remained of his new allies huddled in his old office looking to Pulgrun for guidance.
"Bah! We can assign blame later! What matters is how we are going to deal with the Pailers knocking at our door before they finished preparing."
After the disastrous battle outside, the Pailers had begun setting up a cordon around his mine. They had brought in 2 Arrow-23 landspeeders armed with laser cannons, a cargo speeder full on infantry, and even blurrgs. For now they contented themselves with watching us from macrobinoculars and making an hourly pass with that starfighter of theirs to see if we escaped through some side passage that didn't exist. However judging by the thinsuits spotted underneath their uniforms, the Pailers wouldn't be going away anytime soon.
"Relax Mr. Doolt. We have time. The Pailers will not assault us so hastily. They most likely worry we have rigged the mine's stores of blaststicks to collapse the tunnels on them, but we can't do that, can we, Mr. Doolt?"
Lolwin blenched at the possibility. Luckily the stores of explosives were the first thing he sold to hold off the mountain of debt. Pulgrun seemed the right type of desperate to consider the option. Lolwin knew enough about cave ins to know they tended not to stop where you planned them to.
"So are we just going to wait around until we starve? We don't have the supplies built up to withstand a siege! Or worse they could be calling in the Imperial Military!"
The former was definitely more merciful than the latter. He remembers reading about how trigger happy the military around here was in the Edin campaign. Base Delta Zeros got a lot more terrifying if there was a chance of you being on the receiving end.
"It will not come to that Mr. Doolt. What I need you to do is get any mining equipment you have left to arm my men. We will need something stronger than our rifles to get through their boss' power armor. As for the rest of the infantry? That is what our "little surprises" are for. Once the Pailers are trapped in melee, we will attempt to breakthrough the cordon and secure our freedom."
It wasn't the best sounding plan to a novice like Lolwin, but he was willing to follow along. Anything was better than being forced to break his species' lending traditions. That would make him a pariah among his own kind as well as in the business world. Nothing was too much to avoid that type of stigma.
——
POV: Garik Malo
RIV: Protector,
Head of Personnel of the Mynock Pailers, a RII: Alliance Mercenary Company
Certifications: Tracker III, Rescuer I
"Right I want this perimeter airtight. Let's not give Tak anything to give a lecture about alright?"
A chorus of chuckles resounded from the Pailers around Garik. They had all been on a receiving end of one of the Head of Administration's lectures. Usually after doing something boneheaded. Just one more thing to unify the Pailers from the ragtag group they started out as.
"Get those Arrows behind those rocks. I want as much of the body behind stone as you can manage. We only need those laser cannons since the blurrgs can handle chasing down any runners."
It was the first time the Pailers were conducting a siege this large. That had surrounded a building before, but nothing of this magnitude. Hopefully these bandits don't have much reserves of food and water. They might be able to ship in supplies with control of the air, but that still won't do much for morale.
"Boss! Sky Pail's RMD-20 spotted a group heading our way! They got some big wooden box being carried by a repuslorlift!"
A box? Why would the bandits haul out a box into an engagement. Was it filled with explosives or a turret they intended to deploy. Either way once they closer he would direct fire to take it…
Brrrrrr!
"Removing impediments. Wooden or otherwise."
Oh frak. Oh Frak! Garik knows the voice that just sawed its way out of that wooden box. The voice of metal monsters from a state long dead and a war long ended. He still has nightmares from that time Tak showed him a documentary on Separatist occupation protocols to explain why they are not going to use battle droids. No way is he is charging into sawing distance of those things even with power armor on. Frak he can't let his Pailers see him tremble. Give them something else to focus on!
"Arrows! Weapons free! I want all laser cannon fire directed at those droids now! Make sure those melee B2s are hobbled before they reach our lines! Infantry! Hold fire until you can get a good shot on those bandits, then open fire! Everyone else, maintain position and get ready to chase down any runners!"
There! Solid enough plan. Everyone can focus on what they need to do instead of looking at him. Garik just hopes he instilled enough trust and discipline into the Pailers to keep their cool. They had the firepower advantage still, and if they could bring that to bear things should turn out fine. He just needs to project confidence and have it stiffen his Pailers' backbone. Just like back at the ring, Garik. Showboat and strut.
These bandits just signed their death warrants. Using battle droids, Clone Wars era at that, was a big no-no in the Minda system. Once word of a stunt like this spread, they were liable to get hanged by the locals before the government could get ahold of them. Before he would be willing to take prisoners. Now there was no need to capture the already dead. No one is walking out of that mine except their target.
——
"Do they always cry like that when you bring them in?"
Garik stared as the Duros was led away sobbing and blubbering. A skip tracer, a specialist bounty hunter primarily hunting debt dodgers, had come to the Pailers to subcontract. The owner of this mine had been behind on his payments to his fellow Duros and was caught doing some economic sorcery Tak called "using supernumerary posts to inflate the worth of his company for his creditors". The Draag sent to bring him in had noticed armed individuals patrolling when she reconned the place and asked them to ensure the capture went smoothly.
Tak and him had agreed in exchange for a part of the owner's bounty and any bounties these bandits might have had. The Old Vet had decided not renew the Pailers' contract after it ran out. Dewback Diggers had gotten big and sophisticated enough that the council had decided to raise a local police force rather than rely on mercenaries. Side gigs like this were good for building up reserves while we decided our next move.
"Sometimes. Usually the ones who haven't realized how deep a hole they dug themselves in. Thanks for the assistance by the way. Wasn't expecting so many of them."
Neither had Garik to be honest. That defense was hastily slapped together once a Sky Pail spotted the bandits heading their way. The M.P. Hurt Wagon was still mostly in its demilitarized configuration, which meant it lacked the internals needed to quickly deploy their speeders and mounts in a potential combat situation. Still, the infantry had been able to stick to their training. They had suppressed the bandits and kept their heads down long enough for Garik to get among them.
"I am just glad we managed to get reinforcements and the cordon up before they unleashed those droids. Did you see the chainsaws on those things? Separatists must have been taking Spice when they came up with that."
Thankfully they were poorly maintained which meant sustained fire from the laser cannon on an Arrow was enough to take it down. The bandits probably dug them out of the desert near where the old Munificent wrecks were and reprogrammed them. Garik would have to tell Tak back at Dewback Diggers to send a report to the Imperial government. Make sure they didn't miss any other hardware in the last sweep.
"Quite. Speaking of leftovers, this mine seems pretty well dug. The owner might have been lying about how much it was worth, but it is clear he didn't try and cut corners on the actual mining. Shame the veins tapped out early given how well this operation was done."
Yeah this place does look nice doesn't it? Main entrance is large enough to convert into a hanger. The barracks were relatively untouched despite this place being home to bandits for a bit. Even the utilities were large enough to accommodate the whole company.
Space had getting tight and expensive back at Dewback Diggers. Offers were rolling in for the Pailers' piece of the plateau. A new base out of town would allow for a much easier time expanding facilities, even with the extra shipping. A proper garage for their speeders and a larger stable for their blurrgs would be way cheaper than in town.
"Trying to make sure the owner's creditors get as much of their Credits back as possible? Guessing you get a commission for going above and beyond? Well I'll talk with Tak back in town about it."
Maybe those same creditors would be willing to buy their base back in town? Tak had taught him those kind of additions gave wiggle room to tip a deal in their favor. Not like there was much else of value to extract out of this gig given the bandits only had slugthrowers and scavenged armor. Either way that was for the next company meeting to hash out.
Although Garik had a feeling the town's mood would turn against them if they kept their old place and only used it for storage and training. Space was getting to be something to fight over on the plateau, and the Pailers wanted no part of that fight once the security contract ended. Not like either of them wanted to get into the messy politics of the rental market long term. Better to cash out while the price and goodwill were still favorable.
——
Who here remembers the 2 Munificent wrecks that were found on Minda-4 alllll the way back in Chapter 4? My guess is the government probably didn't find every single piece of battle droid that was scattered during and after the crash. Separatist battle droids don't seem so scary in the movies and cartoons when they are fighting magic monks and super soldiers. Right until you realize their occupation protocols involve fielding legions of killer robots armed with radiation weaponry in addition to the standard blasters. Occupations that are usually conducted against civilian populations. Not to mention the recent reminder from the Scarred Hand's little terror campaign.
Also that "one man assault charge" thing wasn't just a metaphor. The Mynock Pailers' group tactics take inspiration from 18th-19th century infantry tactics, just scaled down to a small unit and using sci-fi tech. Mass rifle fire to kill some of the enemy and suppress the rest as cover for the assault unit to go into CQC to break the morale of the enemy position to end the fight quickly. The melee charge was crucial because neither side in the initial battle had powerful enough guns to achieve decisive firepower i.e. the ability to kill a lot of people fast enough to shatter the other side's morale. In the second engagement the bandit force was small enough and the Pailers had brought enough heavy weapons to just mow them down.
Crossposted on SB and SV
Omake: Battle of Bandit Mine
POV: Lolwin Doolt, indebted Duros mine owner, Bandit Lair/semi-abandoned mine, Minda-4, Minda system, 2ABY
"Lolwin Doolt, this is your final warning! We have you surrounded! Surrender now and this can all end peacefully!"
A feminine voice resounded throughout the abandoned mine as Lolwin Doolt paced back and forth in what was once his office. The days of wrangling workshy miners to find the seams to pay off his debts were long gone. Now there was only compromises, desperation, and a loudhailer signaling his doom.
"Pulgrun what are we going to do? You said this would be a way to clear my debts, not bring the local garrison down on our heads!"
All the Huralok did was drum his fingers behind what was once Lolwin's desk. After the veins in his mine tapped out far too soon, Pulgrun and his crew offered to pay his interest in exchange for use of his mine. They promised him that none of their activities would be traced back to him. A month in and that was proven to be a load of poodoo.
"Now, now Mr. Doolt. Don't go pinning this all on me. They said they were here for you, didn't they? My lieutenant's… exuberance only exasperated a problem you brought on us."
Exuberance was certainly an understatement. Early this morning a sentry caught sight of the Mynock Pailers' BR-23 courier making a combat landing just half a kilometer from his mine. Pulgrun's lieutenant took most of the crew in an idiotic attack against them hoping to catch them mid-deployment.
First sign of things going wrong was when a couple of bandits went down from shots coming from atop a hill. That scavenged droid armor the crew insisted on wearing to adhere to some sort of unspoken theme proved insufficient. The Pailers kept taking pot shots with their Sporting Blasters causing the rest of the crew to hide behind cover.
Then an Advozse in frakking power armor did a one man assault charge while the scattered fire from the crew's outland rifles just plinked off the shield he was wielding. By the time he got close the bandits were already routing and a few more were gunned down or brought down by the mad Advozse. Now what remained of his new allies huddled in his old office looking to Pulgrun for guidance.
"Bah! We can assign blame later! What matters is how we are going to deal with the Pailers knocking at our door before they finished preparing."
After the disastrous battle outside, the Pailers had begun setting up a cordon around his mine. They had brought in 2 Arrow-23 landspeeders armed with laser cannons, a cargo speeder full on infantry, and even blurrgs. For now they contented themselves with watching us from macrobinoculars and making an hourly pass with that starfighter of theirs to see if we escaped through some side passage that didn't exist. However judging by the thinsuits spotted underneath their uniforms, the Pailers wouldn't be going away anytime soon.
"Relax Mr. Doolt. We have time. The Pailers will not assault us so hastily. They most likely worry we have rigged the mine's stores of blaststicks to collapse the tunnels on them, but we can't do that, can we, Mr. Doolt?"
Lolwin blenched at the possibility. Luckily the stores of explosives were the first thing he sold to hold off the mountain of debt. Pulgrun seemed the right type of desperate to consider the option. Lolwin knew enough about cave ins to know they tended not to stop where you planned them to.
"So are we just going to wait around until we starve? We don't have the supplies built up to withstand a siege! Or worse they could be calling in the Imperial Military!"
The former was definitely more merciful than the latter. He remembers reading about how trigger happy the military around here was in the Edin campaign. Base Delta Zeros got a lot more terrifying if there was a chance of you being on the receiving end.
"It will not come to that Mr. Doolt. What I need you to do is get any mining equipment you have left to arm my men. We will need something stronger than our rifles to get through their boss' power armor. As for the rest of the infantry? That is what our "little surprises" are for. Once the Pailers are trapped in melee, we will attempt to breakthrough the cordon and secure our freedom."
It wasn't the best sounding plan to a novice like Lolwin, but he was willing to follow along. Anything was better than being forced to break his species' lending traditions. That would make him a pariah among his own kind as well as in the business world. Nothing was too much to avoid that type of stigma.
——
POV: Garik Malo
RIV: Protector,
Head of Personnel of the Mynock Pailers, a RII: Alliance Mercenary Company
Certifications: Tracker III, Rescuer I
"Right I want this perimeter airtight. Let's not give Tak anything to give a lecture about alright?"
A chorus of chuckles resounded from the Pailers around Garik. They had all been on a receiving end of one of the Head of Administration's lectures. Usually after doing something boneheaded. Just one more thing to unify the Pailers from the ragtag group they started out as.
"Get those Arrows behind those rocks. I want as much of the body behind stone as you can manage. We only need those laser cannons since the blurrgs can handle chasing down any runners."
It was the first time the Pailers were conducting a siege this large. That had surrounded a building before, but nothing of this magnitude. Hopefully these bandits don't have much reserves of food and water. They might be able to ship in supplies with control of the air, but that still won't do much for morale.
"Boss! Sky Pail's RMD-20 spotted a group heading our way! They got some big wooden box being carried by a repuslorlift!"
A box? Why would the bandits haul out a box into an engagement. Was it filled with explosives or a turret they intended to deploy. Either way once they closer he would direct fire to take it…
Brrrrrr!
"Removing impediments. Wooden or otherwise."
Oh frak. Oh Frak! Garik knows the voice that just sawed its way out of that wooden box. The voice of metal monsters from a state long dead and a war long ended. He still has nightmares from that time Tak showed him a documentary on Separatist occupation protocols to explain why they are not going to use battle droids. No way is he is charging into sawing distance of those things even with power armor on. Frak he can't let his Pailers see him tremble. Give them something else to focus on!
"Arrows! Weapons free! I want all laser cannon fire directed at those droids now! Make sure those melee B2s are hobbled before they reach our lines! Infantry! Hold fire until you can get a good shot on those bandits, then open fire! Everyone else, maintain position and get ready to chase down any runners!"
There! Solid enough plan. Everyone can focus on what they need to do instead of looking at him. Garik just hopes he instilled enough trust and discipline into the Pailers to keep their cool. They had the firepower advantage still, and if they could bring that to bear things should turn out fine. He just needs to project confidence and have it stiffen his Pailers' backbone. Just like back at the ring, Garik. Showboat and strut.
These bandits just signed their death warrants. Using battle droids, Clone Wars era at that, was a big no-no in the Minda system. Once word of a stunt like this spread, they were liable to get hanged by the locals before the government could get ahold of them. Before he would be willing to take prisoners. Now there was no need to capture the already dead. No one is walking out of that mine except their target.
——
"Do they always cry like that when you bring them in?"
Garik stared as the Duros was led away sobbing and blubbering. A skip tracer, a specialist bounty hunter primarily hunting debt dodgers, had come to the Pailers to subcontract. The owner of this mine had been behind on his payments to his fellow Duros and was caught doing some economic sorcery Tak called "using supernumerary posts to inflate the worth of his company for his creditors". The Draag sent to bring him in had noticed armed individuals patrolling when she reconned the place and asked them to ensure the capture went smoothly.
Tak and him had agreed in exchange for a part of the owner's bounty and any bounties these bandits might have had. The Old Vet had decided not renew the Pailers' contract after it ran out. Dewback Diggers had gotten big and sophisticated enough that the council had decided to raise a local police force rather than rely on mercenaries. Side gigs like this were good for building up reserves while we decided our next move.
"Sometimes. Usually the ones who haven't realized how deep a hole they dug themselves in. Thanks for the assistance by the way. Wasn't expecting so many of them."
Neither had Garik to be honest. That defense was hastily slapped together once a Sky Pail spotted the bandits heading their way. The M.P. Hurt Wagon was still mostly in its demilitarized configuration, which meant it lacked the internals needed to quickly deploy their speeders and mounts in a potential combat situation. Still, the infantry had been able to stick to their training. They had suppressed the bandits and kept their heads down long enough for Garik to get among them.
"I am just glad we managed to get reinforcements and the cordon up before they unleashed those droids. Did you see the chainsaws on those things? Separatists must have been taking Spice when they came up with that."
Thankfully they were poorly maintained which meant sustained fire from the laser cannon on an Arrow was enough to take it down. The bandits probably dug them out of the desert near where the old Munificent wrecks were and reprogrammed them. Garik would have to tell Tak back at Dewback Diggers to send a report to the Imperial government. Make sure they didn't miss any other hardware in the last sweep.
"Quite. Speaking of leftovers, this mine seems pretty well dug. The owner might have been lying about how much it was worth, but it is clear he didn't try and cut corners on the actual mining. Shame the veins tapped out early given how well this operation was done."
Yeah this place does look nice doesn't it? Main entrance is large enough to convert into a hanger. The barracks were relatively untouched despite this place being home to bandits for a bit. Even the utilities were large enough to accommodate the whole company.
Space had getting tight and expensive back at Dewback Diggers. Offers were rolling in for the Pailers' piece of the plateau. A new base out of town would allow for a much easier time expanding facilities, even with the extra shipping. A proper garage for their speeders and a larger stable for their blurrgs would be way cheaper than in town.
"Trying to make sure the owner's creditors get as much of their Credits back as possible? Guessing you get a commission for going above and beyond? Well I'll talk with Tak back in town about it."
Maybe those same creditors would be willing to buy their base back in town? Tak had taught him those kind of additions gave wiggle room to tip a deal in their favor. Not like there was much else of value to extract out of this gig given the bandits only had slugthrowers and scavenged armor. Either way that was for the next company meeting to hash out.
Although Garik had a feeling the town's mood would turn against them if they kept their old place and only used it for storage and training. Space was getting to be something to fight over on the plateau, and the Pailers wanted no part of that fight once the security contract ended. Not like either of them wanted to get into the messy politics of the rental market long term. Better to cash out while the price and goodwill were still favorable.
——
Who here remembers the 2 Munificent wrecks that were found on Minda-4 alllll the way back in Chapter 4? My guess is the government probably didn't find every single piece of battle droid that was scattered during and after the crash. Separatist battle droids don't seem so scary in the movies and cartoons when they are fighting magic monks and super soldiers. Right until you realize their occupation protocols involve fielding legions of killer robots armed with radiation weaponry in addition to the standard blasters. Occupations that are usually conducted against civilian populations. Not to mention the recent reminder from the Scarred Hand's little terror campaign.
Also that "one man assault charge" thing wasn't just a metaphor. The Mynock Pailers' group tactics take inspiration from 18th-19th century infantry tactics, just scaled down to a small unit and using sci-fi tech. Mass rifle fire to kill some of the enemy and suppress the rest as cover for the assault unit to go into CQC to break the morale of the enemy position to end the fight quickly. The melee charge was crucial because neither side in the initial battle had powerful enough guns to achieve decisive firepower i.e. the ability to kill a lot of people fast enough to shatter the other side's morale. In the second engagement the bandit force was small enough and the Pailers had brought enough heavy weapons to just mow them down.
Crossposted on SB and SV
Last edited:
Heidao
Not too sore, are you?
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A thought came to me
Why not, utilize the game app market for research uses. Factory Sim data for efficient factory designs in various environs, base defense/tower defense games to test weapon array placement under horde conditions to stress test deficiencies in where they fall short.
Business Sims where everyone can try their hands at simulated commerce, only to get ganked by Muun kids trying their hands on business without consequence.
Why not, utilize the game app market for research uses. Factory Sim data for efficient factory designs in various environs, base defense/tower defense games to test weapon array placement under horde conditions to stress test deficiencies in where they fall short.
Business Sims where everyone can try their hands at simulated commerce, only to get ganked by Muun kids trying their hands on business without consequence.
Watching
Not too sore, are you?
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Did they buy the Nebulon-B from the company that made it or is this one of the ships they salvaged from the scrapyards like the rebels did?
Thanks, I still hate it.
Andrew1993
Not too sore, are you?
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Yeah same i dislike it, truth be told it feels like it would have been simpler to just build Victory 1 or Victory 2s rather than a boondoggle of a prototype. So the fact that it may just be a one off prototype sounds better. Anyway thanks for the update
TheDerangedOne
As stated on the tin, mildy insane.
- Joined
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That or Satisfactory(3D Factorio).
Vlaadd17
A source of cringe and so-so jokes.
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I would think that lars have that kind of personality that would force him to put his office near the lifepods, rather that at the random place with a window...
Oh, well. At least he can enjoy the good view without fear of some random sniper shooting him off.
Oh, well. At least he can enjoy the good view without fear of some random sniper shooting him off.
PepeDeLosPalotes
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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Tftc
SwaffleWaffle
Versed in the lewd.
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Only some random ship shooting him. Unless the person spacewalking has something like a lightsaber to use to cut through his window. Or a disruptor weapon. Or a decent amount of things, actually.
A Young Girl's Quest for Rain
SwaffleWaffle
Versed in the lewd.
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A Young Girl's Quest for Rain:
Mandalore was a dry, hot, and dusty place. It wasn't always like this, according to historical records, but it's been that way for decades - longer than Mab Fryze has been alive. And it hasn't gotten any better because of stupid, hardheaded Mandalorians doing stupid things and making stupid amounts of collateral damage. Honestly, sometimes she thinks some of her people don't need helmets to protect themselves, but rather to protect everyone else from their bad ideas leaking out.
What Mab was doing wasn't a bad idea. It would be a bad idea if she hadn't done unholy things to an astromech until it could do the right weather simulations, or if she didn't have scanners pointed at her target to make sure that there wasn't anything too fragile near her target, or if she didn't have explosives rigged to blow the comet apart before it goes into the atmosphere. But she did have those things, and so she would make it fucking rain. And not rain shrapnel, ash, nuclear fallout, or plasma, but water.
Her father, Victor Fryze, might have objected, but he had taken her comatose mother out of the sector to try and get her medical attention from the kind of facilities which no longer exist on Mandalore. The Myto Sector, or something like that. Mab wasn't paying much attention, because she was at the time too busy making plans for the ship her father was leaving in system: the old Republic Tugboat which the family once used to salvage and tow ships around the system. Which the family hadn't used in a while.
Once she flew it up the gravity well and scoped out a good target, she had to find and then acquire the package she would drop on Mandalore, a big ol' comet which was totally fine for her to take, as nobody else was using it. It looked a bit bigger than the virtual comet she used in her simulations, and took her just a bit longer to tow over to orbit over Mandalore, but a bit of extra water wouldn't hurt, right? If the people on Mandalore couldn't handle a bit of rain, they didn't deserve to be called Mandalorians, and thus were undeserving of human rights - at least that's something some of her uncles would say. She didn't quite agree with their bigotry, but the people on Mandalore were tough these days - surviving their collective idiocy was an impressive feat.
She had a bit of a problem getting the comet to slow down and get into the right orbit, but she was smart and left a bit of leeway in her plan for exactly such a thing like that. She didn't think she'd use so much of it, but clearly her unconscious self was even smarter than she was. Her astromech, Ice Cube, beeped at her in a disapproving tone , somehow sensing her smugness, and her eye twitched. Oh, she had been talking to herself again.
"Okay, fine, you also get some credit, but I made you into what you are today, and thus your credit is my credit. And if you disagree, you are free to challenge me to a duel later, or something", she retorted. Take that, you smug snarl of circuits! That would get him to back down. Right?
"Anyways, shut up, we're in the final stretch - be a good droid and help me with this"
Ice Cube beeped in amusement, and declined to help. Leaving her to do the final drop of the comet on her own. This was fine, she was a smart mandalorian, one who was good at math which didn't involve weapons or ammunition, and this was almost the same as the simulation anyways. So, as she orbited around towards the target, she began using her ship's big strong tractor beams to push the comet down. Not too fast, and not too slow, as overshooting or undershooting might annoy some Mandalorians. And an annoyed Mandalorian is a potentially lethal threat - especially to her, as she wasn't really that much of a fighter, at least compared to her fellow Mandalorians.
Then, as the comet was heading down towards the target in a beautiful arc, it broke apart far sooner than planned, and spread out. Apparently she wasn't just going to overshoot or undershoot, but do both at the same time. She might still be ok though.
She watched the icy fragments further break apart and boil as they fell, and she realized that she may have chosen a comet that was a bit too big. The explosives she had earlier placed on the comet then went off, making an even more beautiful picture.
As the deed was done, and then some, she decided to head home as fast as she could, and set her course for Concordia. The flight back was silent - she would say too silent, but space was supposed to be silent, right? Rather than lingering in her guikt and anxiety, she pulled out her PDA to see what she had missed on her long water-hauling trip. She had received messages from one of her friends, asking where she was, as there was apparently a massive storm happening in the patch of desert she said she was going on a trip to as a cover for her research for the mission. At least, the messages started with concern for her. They progressively became accusations, and demands to know what she had done, which was just hurtful. Tita-nia had no proof she was involved! The fact that she was correct in this case was irrelevant.
Back home, Mab stretched her limbs and yawned.
"Alright, Ice Cube, time to go to bed. Well, I get to go to bed, you have the recharge port in the closet."
Not hearing any response from Ice Cube, she looked back to see that he has somehow attached a robotic arm to himself, which was wielding a Beskad.
"What the fuck!?", she very reasonably and calmly stated. There was no squealing going on at all, and she resented the accusation! From who? The force or something. Whatever that voice in her head was called. Ice Cube beeped at her again, slowly, insistently, before slowly rolling towards her. While holding a Beskad.
"Oh hell no! Nope. Nope-nope-NOPE," she noped verbally before noping out physically, walking briskly towards her house, which didn't seem quite close enough all of a sudden. She heard the whir of Ice Cube's wheels raise in pitch and come closer. She tactically retreated into the house - she might have technically run away but that was just semantics.
She did not escape, and in a matter of moments she was repeatedly bonked on the head with the flat of her own Beskad by her astromech while in the foetal position in front of her garage door. Ice Cube beeped again, demandingly, patiently, maliciously, and for a moment she considered trying to run away again until she resigned herself to doing what Ice Cube said. A tear ran across her face - no, it was a rain drop! Or so she tried to tell herself. She wasn't very convincing.
"… I am an idiot. I am an idiot. I am an idiot. I am an idiot…"
This continued on for a while before Ice Cube let her go. Mab's head hurt for days afterwards. … she really shouldn't have upgraded Ice Cube so much.
Mandalore was a dry, hot, and dusty place. It wasn't always like this, according to historical records, but it's been that way for decades - longer than Mab Fryze has been alive. And it hasn't gotten any better because of stupid, hardheaded Mandalorians doing stupid things and making stupid amounts of collateral damage. Honestly, sometimes she thinks some of her people don't need helmets to protect themselves, but rather to protect everyone else from their bad ideas leaking out.
What Mab was doing wasn't a bad idea. It would be a bad idea if she hadn't done unholy things to an astromech until it could do the right weather simulations, or if she didn't have scanners pointed at her target to make sure that there wasn't anything too fragile near her target, or if she didn't have explosives rigged to blow the comet apart before it goes into the atmosphere. But she did have those things, and so she would make it fucking rain. And not rain shrapnel, ash, nuclear fallout, or plasma, but water.
Her father, Victor Fryze, might have objected, but he had taken her comatose mother out of the sector to try and get her medical attention from the kind of facilities which no longer exist on Mandalore. The Myto Sector, or something like that. Mab wasn't paying much attention, because she was at the time too busy making plans for the ship her father was leaving in system: the old Republic Tugboat which the family once used to salvage and tow ships around the system. Which the family hadn't used in a while.
Once she flew it up the gravity well and scoped out a good target, she had to find and then acquire the package she would drop on Mandalore, a big ol' comet which was totally fine for her to take, as nobody else was using it. It looked a bit bigger than the virtual comet she used in her simulations, and took her just a bit longer to tow over to orbit over Mandalore, but a bit of extra water wouldn't hurt, right? If the people on Mandalore couldn't handle a bit of rain, they didn't deserve to be called Mandalorians, and thus were undeserving of human rights - at least that's something some of her uncles would say. She didn't quite agree with their bigotry, but the people on Mandalore were tough these days - surviving their collective idiocy was an impressive feat.
She had a bit of a problem getting the comet to slow down and get into the right orbit, but she was smart and left a bit of leeway in her plan for exactly such a thing like that. She didn't think she'd use so much of it, but clearly her unconscious self was even smarter than she was. Her astromech, Ice Cube, beeped at her in a disapproving tone , somehow sensing her smugness, and her eye twitched. Oh, she had been talking to herself again.
"Okay, fine, you also get some credit, but I made you into what you are today, and thus your credit is my credit. And if you disagree, you are free to challenge me to a duel later, or something", she retorted. Take that, you smug snarl of circuits! That would get him to back down. Right?
"Anyways, shut up, we're in the final stretch - be a good droid and help me with this"
Ice Cube beeped in amusement, and declined to help. Leaving her to do the final drop of the comet on her own. This was fine, she was a smart mandalorian, one who was good at math which didn't involve weapons or ammunition, and this was almost the same as the simulation anyways. So, as she orbited around towards the target, she began using her ship's big strong tractor beams to push the comet down. Not too fast, and not too slow, as overshooting or undershooting might annoy some Mandalorians. And an annoyed Mandalorian is a potentially lethal threat - especially to her, as she wasn't really that much of a fighter, at least compared to her fellow Mandalorians.
Then, as the comet was heading down towards the target in a beautiful arc, it broke apart far sooner than planned, and spread out. Apparently she wasn't just going to overshoot or undershoot, but do both at the same time. She might still be ok though.
She watched the icy fragments further break apart and boil as they fell, and she realized that she may have chosen a comet that was a bit too big. The explosives she had earlier placed on the comet then went off, making an even more beautiful picture.
As the deed was done, and then some, she decided to head home as fast as she could, and set her course for Concordia. The flight back was silent - she would say too silent, but space was supposed to be silent, right? Rather than lingering in her guikt and anxiety, she pulled out her PDA to see what she had missed on her long water-hauling trip. She had received messages from one of her friends, asking where she was, as there was apparently a massive storm happening in the patch of desert she said she was going on a trip to as a cover for her research for the mission. At least, the messages started with concern for her. They progressively became accusations, and demands to know what she had done, which was just hurtful. Tita-nia had no proof she was involved! The fact that she was correct in this case was irrelevant.
Back home, Mab stretched her limbs and yawned.
"Alright, Ice Cube, time to go to bed. Well, I get to go to bed, you have the recharge port in the closet."
Not hearing any response from Ice Cube, she looked back to see that he has somehow attached a robotic arm to himself, which was wielding a Beskad.
"What the fuck!?", she very reasonably and calmly stated. There was no squealing going on at all, and she resented the accusation! From who? The force or something. Whatever that voice in her head was called. Ice Cube beeped at her again, slowly, insistently, before slowly rolling towards her. While holding a Beskad.
"Oh hell no! Nope. Nope-nope-NOPE," she noped verbally before noping out physically, walking briskly towards her house, which didn't seem quite close enough all of a sudden. She heard the whir of Ice Cube's wheels raise in pitch and come closer. She tactically retreated into the house - she might have technically run away but that was just semantics.
She did not escape, and in a matter of moments she was repeatedly bonked on the head with the flat of her own Beskad by her astromech while in the foetal position in front of her garage door. Ice Cube beeped again, demandingly, patiently, maliciously, and for a moment she considered trying to run away again until she resigned herself to doing what Ice Cube said. A tear ran across her face - no, it was a rain drop! Or so she tried to tell herself. She wasn't very convincing.
"… I am an idiot. I am an idiot. I am an idiot. I am an idiot…"
This continued on for a while before Ice Cube let her go. Mab's head hurt for days afterwards. … she really shouldn't have upgraded Ice Cube so much.
"Legally, It's A Light Freighter"
SwaffleWaffle
Versed in the lewd.
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- Aug 17, 2023
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- 1,009
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"Legally, It's A Light Freighter"
SS-54
Production Information
Model: SS-54 light assault gunship
Manufacturer: Botajef Shipyards
Type: Gunship
Cost: 110,000 Credits
——
Technical Specifications
Length: 24.19 meters
Maximum atmospheric speed: 800 kph
Engine unit(s): Incom HA-980a H/O ion engines (2)
Hyperdrive rating: Class 2.0
Armament:
Complement: Varies, based on modular configuration
Crew: 2-3
Passengers: 6-10
Cargo Capacity: 30 tons
Consumables: 2 weeks
——
Usage
Availability:
——
Description
"Sure, it's a light freighter, if you count body bags for bounties as freight"
"By the motive force! This is surely a miracle from the omnissiah, a sign of his favor of the Mard, the Moff, and the Myto Sector. Oh, uh, anyways, I think we should buy a lot of these. These could help meet demand. And cut that first part out of the record." - Guild sourcing specialist suspected to be a former member of a mod gang
The discovery of the legal status of the SS-54 assault ship as that of a Light Freighter was met with extreme enthusiasm by many guild members, especially newer ones who are not yet licensed to purchase ships which are legally gunships.
Design
"It's definitely a gunship. I know it, you know it, Bill knows it, Mola knows it. Let's call it a light freighter anyways. After all, who are we to go against imperial law?" - Lead analyst for the SS-54 "light freighter"
It's important to note that, due to the modularity of the design, it actually can work as a light freighter, albeit a well armed one. Given these trying times, better armed light freighters would likely boon to the security and prosperity of the sector
The SS-54 light freighter has been tried and tested by mercenaries and bounty hunters, who hold it in high regard due to its perceived simplicity, reliability, and versatility.
The primary weapons of an SS-54 are its two twin ZX7 laser cannons, mounted below the prow of the ship on one turret each, which can be independently aimed and fired. This may not seem like much, but a relatively high rate of fire and level of power can be sustained for a long period without issue, one of the reasons for its reputation for reliability.
Conclusion
"I love it. I love it so much, I wish we had another shipyard just to make more of these" - Guild worker sharing a common view on the SS-54
The SS-54 is not only a good and reliable ship, but its modularity, versatility, and legal status take make it a superb choice for many guild-registered mercenaries.
——
Recommendation
Comments about acquiring more shipyards to construct SS-54 "light freighters" quickly went from idle speculation to serious evaluation when it was discovered that Botajef Shipyards, the designer and manufacturer of the SS-54, have a currently abandoned auxiliary facility in the Mako-Ta system called the Mako-Ta Space Docks. Further investigation into the Mako-Ta Space Docks is suggested, along with the viability of acquiring them in a similar manner to how Moff Mola acquired the Rothana Heavy Engineering assets which now comprise the Mard. In addition, it is plausible that pirates have taken up residence there to make their Ambuscader Class Corvettes. Thus, the securing and acquisition of the Mako-Ta Space Docks would accomplish a number of goals.
SS-54 Light Assault Gunship Light Freighter
Production Information
Model: SS-54 light assault gunship
Manufacturer: Botajef Shipyards
Type: Gunship
- Due to a quirk of imperial bureaucracy, it's actually legally classified as a Light Freighter, allowing many to purchase it even if they would not normally be allowed to purchase a Gunship
Cost: 110,000 Credits
——
Technical Specifications
Length: 24.19 meters
Maximum atmospheric speed: 800 kph
Engine unit(s): Incom HA-980a H/O ion engines (2)
Hyperdrive rating: Class 2.0
- Backup Class 12 Hyperdrive
Armament:
- Forward twin ZX7 laser cannons (2)
- Aft dual laser cannons (1)
Complement: Varies, based on modular configuration
Crew: 2-3
Passengers: 6-10
Cargo Capacity: 30 tons
Consumables: 2 weeks
——
Usage
Availability:
- Widely available across the Rim, most common near Botajef, as it is produced at Botajef Shipyards
- If Eriadu is the Coruscant of the Rim, Botajef is the Kuat of the Rim, and has a fitting amount of production,
- Military Gunship
- "Light Freighter"
- Mercenaries
- Bounty Hunters
——
Description
"Sure, it's a light freighter, if you count body bags for bounties as freight"
"By the motive force! This is surely a miracle from the omnissiah, a sign of his favor of the Mard, the Moff, and the Myto Sector. Oh, uh, anyways, I think we should buy a lot of these. These could help meet demand. And cut that first part out of the record." - Guild sourcing specialist suspected to be a former member of a mod gang
The discovery of the legal status of the SS-54 assault ship as that of a Light Freighter was met with extreme enthusiasm by many guild members, especially newer ones who are not yet licensed to purchase ships which are legally gunships.
Design
"It's definitely a gunship. I know it, you know it, Bill knows it, Mola knows it. Let's call it a light freighter anyways. After all, who are we to go against imperial law?" - Lead analyst for the SS-54 "light freighter"
It's important to note that, due to the modularity of the design, it actually can work as a light freighter, albeit a well armed one. Given these trying times, better armed light freighters would likely boon to the security and prosperity of the sector
The SS-54 light freighter has been tried and tested by mercenaries and bounty hunters, who hold it in high regard due to its perceived simplicity, reliability, and versatility.
The primary weapons of an SS-54 are its two twin ZX7 laser cannons, mounted below the prow of the ship on one turret each, which can be independently aimed and fired. This may not seem like much, but a relatively high rate of fire and level of power can be sustained for a long period without issue, one of the reasons for its reputation for reliability.
Conclusion
"I love it. I love it so much, I wish we had another shipyard just to make more of these" - Guild worker sharing a common view on the SS-54
The SS-54 is not only a good and reliable ship, but its modularity, versatility, and legal status take make it a superb choice for many guild-registered mercenaries.
——
Recommendation
Comments about acquiring more shipyards to construct SS-54 "light freighters" quickly went from idle speculation to serious evaluation when it was discovered that Botajef Shipyards, the designer and manufacturer of the SS-54, have a currently abandoned auxiliary facility in the Mako-Ta system called the Mako-Ta Space Docks. Further investigation into the Mako-Ta Space Docks is suggested, along with the viability of acquiring them in a similar manner to how Moff Mola acquired the Rothana Heavy Engineering assets which now comprise the Mard. In addition, it is plausible that pirates have taken up residence there to make their Ambuscader Class Corvettes. Thus, the securing and acquisition of the Mako-Ta Space Docks would accomplish a number of goals.
Last edited:
Chp-102
Freefaller
Not too sore, are you?
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2023
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- 283
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Chp-102
1.12 ABY
Marv Delninian
Braxant
Marv's mind spun as his eyes scanned up and down the page before him, numbers and figures making little sense. At best he could tell that the sector wasn't doing well. Production numbers were down, and he was certain that even those were being fudged. He simply wasn't proficient enough to figure out who was fudging the numbers and how.
Taking a step back, he rubbed his eyes and sighed. He really didn't like his current position.
When the Governor-General had taken his position, he'd started making connections and inroads with all the various conglomerates and upper class families closer to the Mid-Rim. He'd seemed to outright ignore the Muuns, but given the Core generally didn't like them, it was somewhat understandable.
Eventually, the Governor-General had made friends with Marv's parents. The Delninian family were the primary industrial magnates of Ord Tessebok, right next door to Ord Mantel. While Tessebok wasn't as rich as Mantel, it had less of a crime problem, and the Delninians industries were nothing to scoff at.
Marv's parents had been some of the first to make moves on the new Governor-General. They'd entered a political alliance of sorts, being one of Hiral's primary supporters in the region. And for their loyalty, they were given the Braxant sector.
Or, more specifically, Marv was "gifted" the pleasure of running the Braxant sector. Honestly, he wouldn't have minded normally. A position of decent power, the ability to laze around and indulge for the rest of his life, it was perfect! And, it would get his family off his ass for never doing anything.
Of course, he wasn't a fool. He knew he was chosen because his siblings were all in important positions, and his parents didn't trust his extended family one bit. He was literally the last viable option.
And the Braxant sector was a mess. The military was the strongest thing around, and it was also a constant drain. He'd downsize if he could, but pirates were everywhere. Systems were either underproductive or simply too small to be of any use. And he was certain the various Governors were undereporting yields.
But Marv, for all that he would readily admit to being something of a lazy, spoiled brat, was no fool. His best bet for fixing this mess was finding competent people he could trust. But there were none he could trust, so instead he turned to those who he could trust not on a personal basis, but on the basis of knowing what it was they valued.
Moff Mola. The story of the Myto sector's economic boom had been all the rage recently. More than that, it had been made clear that the Moff was not one to care for politics. He seemed to care only for economic success. He'd achieved that through his Guild.
And that was the opportunity. Marv quickly took a seat as his desk, his hands flying over his terminal as a message was typed out. A request for a meeting with his fellow Moff for discussion over the expansion of the Guild into the Braxant sector.
Marv, as he always told himself, was no fool. The Guild would essentially have major control within the Braxant sector, limiting his own power. But Mola was a major ally of the Governor-General. Meaning combined with his focus on economics and disdain for politics, he wouldn't abuse his power, at least not in any way Marv would care about. So long as he wasn't ousted from his position and got to keep lazing around in luxury, he couldn't care less.
The Guild had dragged the Myto sector into prosperity. If it could work even a fraction of its magic on the Braxant sector, Marv's parents wouldn't annoy him about it, and he could keep living his life as he pleased.
–
Las
The holo projector bathed my new office in its stark blue glow, the blue light ensuring I would stay awake despite the day having been tiring enough.
"As it stands, the sector is making more than enough money to fund expansions to the Navy and Army. Especially since the Office of Sector Acquisition is looking into more shipyards."
"But we simply lack the trained personnel." Continued Ife, her hologram nodding. "Most local troops come from PDF training centers and aren't exactly up to snuff."
"Agreed. Even the Auxiliary units are outperforming other locally recruited, if only because their more motivated." Sector General Zulitra looked tired, even through the hologram, but that was a common enough state of being for people on our level. At least, those who actually did their work.
"Then we have only one real option. Setting up our own academies. We can't exactly rely on an influx of troops from outside the sector." I replied, numbers scrolling across my terminal screen. "From what I can tell, I can have a dozen smaller academies set up within 4-5 months. Around 6 more for fully trained personnel from what I'm seeing."
Zulitra shook her head. "No, that's too long. We need more bodies now. Cutting the curriculum down to just basic training and a few others can get it down to 4 months, maybe 5 max. They can learn on the job afterwards."
"I'm not against it, but is that dip in quality really worth it?"
Ife snorted at that. "It would be an improvement, actually. Aside from a few PDF academies like the ones on Minda and Edin, most PDF troopers turned military are so bad that barely any ever make it to any officer position. Like the General said, even the Auxiliary units are better, and they get the worst gear and training available."
I hummed to myself, running the numbers. The budget had stabilized, but despite having literal billions of credits at my disposal, they were quickly being drained. My time as Moff had made it plainly clear that the only reason the sector made this much money was because they didn't spend any on infrastructure for frontier worlds, or any place without any immediate benefits for investment.
Now, I was organizing the spending of billions for supply deliveries, infrastructure subsidies and more. Well, to be accurate, I was reserving that much money. I still had to ensure the Governors would actually use the subsidy money correctly and not just launder it into whatever vice gripped their heart. Regardless, it meant that the sector wasn't as flush with cash as it had once seemed to be.
"Considering the average Academy output, size and more. I can allocate some funds for the creation of some two dozen academies. Though they won't offer the full range of training a normal one would have, I'm sure they could meet demand. But it'll take time to set them up. Not to mention getting instructors."
Here Zulitra looked pensive. "What about those Mandalorians? While I don't exactly trust a bunch of mercenaries, they are highly skilled and could fill some instructor positions until we get more."
"Makes sense." I reply, looking through average Imperial Academy output numbers. 24 new academies would, if they were full academies with all the bits and bobs, output somewhere around 200-300,000 troops annually. I could, at best, get half of that with these new ones, considering they would be training as they expand. If only we could get the training times lower…
"What if we change the curriculum?" I ask, interrupting the conversation the two were having about the ratio of Navy to Army academies needed.
Taking their silent looks as an invitation, I continued. "When I was in the Officer course in the Eriadu Academy, a large chunk of the curriculum focused not on strategy, tactics or logistics, but on loyalty to the Empire. If we cut down on those sections, we could increase output."
At this, I could see both their faces scrunch up a tad. It was understandable. On one hand, I was pretty sure all three of us weren't die hard Imperial zealots. Zulitra seemed more loyal to stability, Ife to whatever ladder she could climb, and I didn't care for it myself. But talking out loud about this kind of stuff was cutting it a little close. Thankfully, I had a solution.
"Of course, loyalty has to be ensured. Soldiers can be rotated out for extra lessons when time permits. But as it stands, we need soldiers and sailors now, and if we can cut down the academy time, it means we get more bodies sooner rather than later."
At this, I could see them both start to nod. They just needed a decent justification.
"However, the ISB and COMPNOR won't be particularly happy with this, you know. That Lieutenant Bree is a shifty one, he's stayed in his position for quite a while. If he sees this and decides it's not loyal enough, it could spell trouble for us all." Said Zulitra.
I rubbed my chin, feeling the slight itchiness of stubble. I'd been swamped with work lately and hadn't gotten around to shaving. Maybe I should grow out a beard, it might make me look older and more respectable.
"Right, that's a potential problem. With the galaxy seemingly up in flames and the Civil War in full swing, the ISB is looking for wins wherever they can find them. So how do we spin it?"
Its here that Ife spoke up. "We let them in."
Both of us stared at her, confusion evident. Let them in? The whole point was to keep the crazies out!
"We let ISB agents supervise. And each agent will want their academy to be the one that works, because of them, of course. So we have our own people do the actual work, make good numbers, and then let the agents take the credit. And once numbers are acceptable, we instate the full, longer curriculum that makes them happy and they leave."
Mulling it over, it was a sound plan. The ISB was a den of snakes, all trying to climb over the corpses of their fellows. Playing into that would work great, though likely only in the short term. The longer the ploy goes on, the more likely an agent is to decide they actually want to exercise their supreme authority and change things around instead of just accepting the credit.
"Seems sound. We'll have to plan it out more thoroughly, but I trust you two to get your preparations done. I'll see about setting aside the needed funds."
The rest of the meeting was mostly focused on the Auditor Program. It was kept small, highly trained, and the first class had finished. Now, they had been set loose upon the Sector, sent to worlds with high amounts of wealth, entrenched families, and the kinds of people who consider bribes to be the status quo. It would take time, months and months for even a single Auditor and their team to be ready to make an arrest, but that was the point.
A slow, creeping fear where you don't know if the new hire is there to spy on you or not. Combined with the fact that every arrest would be very purposefully public, suffice it to say news would spread.
Eventually, the meeting ended, and as the blue glow of the holograms faded into the more varied colors that made up the many markers and stat sheets on my sector map, I was left alone in my office once more.
Annoyance
Rats don't count.
Indignation!
–
Wanted to toss a quick one out there. I got only 2 classes this semester (other two I needed were full before I was even eligible to apply!) so I'm only in class twice a week. And today was 5 hours straight of classes with no break, and both teachers are the no screen kinds of luddites, so I spent quite some time just writing up plans for future chapters, so y'all can expect some more of that.
Well, not that much. Crimson Desert drops on the morrow and I'm going to sink my entire youth into the game. So we'll see how long it takes me before I remember I write at all.
Burn bright, Starfarer
-Freefaller
1.12 ABY
Marv Delninian
Braxant
Marv's mind spun as his eyes scanned up and down the page before him, numbers and figures making little sense. At best he could tell that the sector wasn't doing well. Production numbers were down, and he was certain that even those were being fudged. He simply wasn't proficient enough to figure out who was fudging the numbers and how.
Taking a step back, he rubbed his eyes and sighed. He really didn't like his current position.
When the Governor-General had taken his position, he'd started making connections and inroads with all the various conglomerates and upper class families closer to the Mid-Rim. He'd seemed to outright ignore the Muuns, but given the Core generally didn't like them, it was somewhat understandable.
Eventually, the Governor-General had made friends with Marv's parents. The Delninian family were the primary industrial magnates of Ord Tessebok, right next door to Ord Mantel. While Tessebok wasn't as rich as Mantel, it had less of a crime problem, and the Delninians industries were nothing to scoff at.
Marv's parents had been some of the first to make moves on the new Governor-General. They'd entered a political alliance of sorts, being one of Hiral's primary supporters in the region. And for their loyalty, they were given the Braxant sector.
Or, more specifically, Marv was "gifted" the pleasure of running the Braxant sector. Honestly, he wouldn't have minded normally. A position of decent power, the ability to laze around and indulge for the rest of his life, it was perfect! And, it would get his family off his ass for never doing anything.
Of course, he wasn't a fool. He knew he was chosen because his siblings were all in important positions, and his parents didn't trust his extended family one bit. He was literally the last viable option.
And the Braxant sector was a mess. The military was the strongest thing around, and it was also a constant drain. He'd downsize if he could, but pirates were everywhere. Systems were either underproductive or simply too small to be of any use. And he was certain the various Governors were undereporting yields.
But Marv, for all that he would readily admit to being something of a lazy, spoiled brat, was no fool. His best bet for fixing this mess was finding competent people he could trust. But there were none he could trust, so instead he turned to those who he could trust not on a personal basis, but on the basis of knowing what it was they valued.
Moff Mola. The story of the Myto sector's economic boom had been all the rage recently. More than that, it had been made clear that the Moff was not one to care for politics. He seemed to care only for economic success. He'd achieved that through his Guild.
And that was the opportunity. Marv quickly took a seat as his desk, his hands flying over his terminal as a message was typed out. A request for a meeting with his fellow Moff for discussion over the expansion of the Guild into the Braxant sector.
Marv, as he always told himself, was no fool. The Guild would essentially have major control within the Braxant sector, limiting his own power. But Mola was a major ally of the Governor-General. Meaning combined with his focus on economics and disdain for politics, he wouldn't abuse his power, at least not in any way Marv would care about. So long as he wasn't ousted from his position and got to keep lazing around in luxury, he couldn't care less.
The Guild had dragged the Myto sector into prosperity. If it could work even a fraction of its magic on the Braxant sector, Marv's parents wouldn't annoy him about it, and he could keep living his life as he pleased.
–
Las
The holo projector bathed my new office in its stark blue glow, the blue light ensuring I would stay awake despite the day having been tiring enough.
"As it stands, the sector is making more than enough money to fund expansions to the Navy and Army. Especially since the Office of Sector Acquisition is looking into more shipyards."
"But we simply lack the trained personnel." Continued Ife, her hologram nodding. "Most local troops come from PDF training centers and aren't exactly up to snuff."
"Agreed. Even the Auxiliary units are outperforming other locally recruited, if only because their more motivated." Sector General Zulitra looked tired, even through the hologram, but that was a common enough state of being for people on our level. At least, those who actually did their work.
"Then we have only one real option. Setting up our own academies. We can't exactly rely on an influx of troops from outside the sector." I replied, numbers scrolling across my terminal screen. "From what I can tell, I can have a dozen smaller academies set up within 4-5 months. Around 6 more for fully trained personnel from what I'm seeing."
Zulitra shook her head. "No, that's too long. We need more bodies now. Cutting the curriculum down to just basic training and a few others can get it down to 4 months, maybe 5 max. They can learn on the job afterwards."
"I'm not against it, but is that dip in quality really worth it?"
Ife snorted at that. "It would be an improvement, actually. Aside from a few PDF academies like the ones on Minda and Edin, most PDF troopers turned military are so bad that barely any ever make it to any officer position. Like the General said, even the Auxiliary units are better, and they get the worst gear and training available."
I hummed to myself, running the numbers. The budget had stabilized, but despite having literal billions of credits at my disposal, they were quickly being drained. My time as Moff had made it plainly clear that the only reason the sector made this much money was because they didn't spend any on infrastructure for frontier worlds, or any place without any immediate benefits for investment.
Now, I was organizing the spending of billions for supply deliveries, infrastructure subsidies and more. Well, to be accurate, I was reserving that much money. I still had to ensure the Governors would actually use the subsidy money correctly and not just launder it into whatever vice gripped their heart. Regardless, it meant that the sector wasn't as flush with cash as it had once seemed to be.
"Considering the average Academy output, size and more. I can allocate some funds for the creation of some two dozen academies. Though they won't offer the full range of training a normal one would have, I'm sure they could meet demand. But it'll take time to set them up. Not to mention getting instructors."
Here Zulitra looked pensive. "What about those Mandalorians? While I don't exactly trust a bunch of mercenaries, they are highly skilled and could fill some instructor positions until we get more."
"Makes sense." I reply, looking through average Imperial Academy output numbers. 24 new academies would, if they were full academies with all the bits and bobs, output somewhere around 200-300,000 troops annually. I could, at best, get half of that with these new ones, considering they would be training as they expand. If only we could get the training times lower…
"What if we change the curriculum?" I ask, interrupting the conversation the two were having about the ratio of Navy to Army academies needed.
Taking their silent looks as an invitation, I continued. "When I was in the Officer course in the Eriadu Academy, a large chunk of the curriculum focused not on strategy, tactics or logistics, but on loyalty to the Empire. If we cut down on those sections, we could increase output."
At this, I could see both their faces scrunch up a tad. It was understandable. On one hand, I was pretty sure all three of us weren't die hard Imperial zealots. Zulitra seemed more loyal to stability, Ife to whatever ladder she could climb, and I didn't care for it myself. But talking out loud about this kind of stuff was cutting it a little close. Thankfully, I had a solution.
"Of course, loyalty has to be ensured. Soldiers can be rotated out for extra lessons when time permits. But as it stands, we need soldiers and sailors now, and if we can cut down the academy time, it means we get more bodies sooner rather than later."
At this, I could see them both start to nod. They just needed a decent justification.
"However, the ISB and COMPNOR won't be particularly happy with this, you know. That Lieutenant Bree is a shifty one, he's stayed in his position for quite a while. If he sees this and decides it's not loyal enough, it could spell trouble for us all." Said Zulitra.
I rubbed my chin, feeling the slight itchiness of stubble. I'd been swamped with work lately and hadn't gotten around to shaving. Maybe I should grow out a beard, it might make me look older and more respectable.
"Right, that's a potential problem. With the galaxy seemingly up in flames and the Civil War in full swing, the ISB is looking for wins wherever they can find them. So how do we spin it?"
Its here that Ife spoke up. "We let them in."
Both of us stared at her, confusion evident. Let them in? The whole point was to keep the crazies out!
"We let ISB agents supervise. And each agent will want their academy to be the one that works, because of them, of course. So we have our own people do the actual work, make good numbers, and then let the agents take the credit. And once numbers are acceptable, we instate the full, longer curriculum that makes them happy and they leave."
Mulling it over, it was a sound plan. The ISB was a den of snakes, all trying to climb over the corpses of their fellows. Playing into that would work great, though likely only in the short term. The longer the ploy goes on, the more likely an agent is to decide they actually want to exercise their supreme authority and change things around instead of just accepting the credit.
"Seems sound. We'll have to plan it out more thoroughly, but I trust you two to get your preparations done. I'll see about setting aside the needed funds."
The rest of the meeting was mostly focused on the Auditor Program. It was kept small, highly trained, and the first class had finished. Now, they had been set loose upon the Sector, sent to worlds with high amounts of wealth, entrenched families, and the kinds of people who consider bribes to be the status quo. It would take time, months and months for even a single Auditor and their team to be ready to make an arrest, but that was the point.
A slow, creeping fear where you don't know if the new hire is there to spy on you or not. Combined with the fact that every arrest would be very purposefully public, suffice it to say news would spread.
Eventually, the meeting ended, and as the blue glow of the holograms faded into the more varied colors that made up the many markers and stat sheets on my sector map, I was left alone in my office once more.
Annoyance
Rats don't count.
Indignation!
–
Wanted to toss a quick one out there. I got only 2 classes this semester (other two I needed were full before I was even eligible to apply!) so I'm only in class twice a week. And today was 5 hours straight of classes with no break, and both teachers are the no screen kinds of luddites, so I spent quite some time just writing up plans for future chapters, so y'all can expect some more of that.
Well, not that much. Crimson Desert drops on the morrow and I'm going to sink my entire youth into the game. So we'll see how long it takes me before I remember I write at all.
Burn bright, Starfarer
-Freefaller
cmrdpm
Know what you're doing yet?
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Ahh it is always exciting when a new chapter drops. Seeing The Guild expand out of our moff's sphere of influence is interesting, it's starting to look more like a real dual power move for the empire more broadly. Can't wait for the empire to fall and Las to become to become a subject of his former secretary :p
Also minor typo there:
Also minor typo there:
Heidao
Not too sore, are you?
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Watching as Las accidentally creates the Schola Progenium.
At the the mention of laxing loyalty courses and the ISB, I too said "Let them in". It would be the perfect combination of getting troops up to muster quickly, and the ISB gets to play spy and rat catcher, and possibly points of recruitment and spy insertion.
This might actually add an extra smokescreen for Las' protection. His governance model that contradicted the Tarkin doctrine at the start turned heads, but once they saw the credits rolling and the tithes arrive on time and in full, he was given a pass. His aggressive yet smooth expansion on industrial and spaceship construction through his Guild, let him pass when it was clear that the economic and political apparatus was merely there for money, not some laundering scheme.
And now the snakes in the ISB will set up nests to root out rats, and as Las' sector churns out excess troops and sailors everyone needs, people from other sectors will flock to fill the population gap, feeding the ISB with more paths to follow if they catch suspicious people and trace back their path.
At the the mention of laxing loyalty courses and the ISB, I too said "Let them in". It would be the perfect combination of getting troops up to muster quickly, and the ISB gets to play spy and rat catcher, and possibly points of recruitment and spy insertion.
This might actually add an extra smokescreen for Las' protection. His governance model that contradicted the Tarkin doctrine at the start turned heads, but once they saw the credits rolling and the tithes arrive on time and in full, he was given a pass. His aggressive yet smooth expansion on industrial and spaceship construction through his Guild, let him pass when it was clear that the economic and political apparatus was merely there for money, not some laundering scheme.
And now the snakes in the ISB will set up nests to root out rats, and as Las' sector churns out excess troops and sailors everyone needs, people from other sectors will flock to fill the population gap, feeding the ISB with more paths to follow if they catch suspicious people and trace back their path.
oscar e Sampedro Lopez
Well worn.
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Thanks for the chapter Great story as always
Blackmagic1
Not too sore, are you?
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So this is how he gets promoted because literally everyone hands him power because they don't see him as political but hyper focused on the economy thus by the time they are crowning him the emperor everyone who has been fighting for any bit of core power will find he is now their boss because he lowkey controls the entire logistics of his new empire.
Yacov
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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And this is where Mola's reputation for competence and incorruptibility starts paying dividends. Mola is a known factor for someone to get things done, and now other Moffs (even if it is just a nepobaby one) are looking to him to fix things.
Considering the "non-compliants" in the Braxant sector are apparently primarily armed with slugthrowers, I am sure the Guild mercenaries will do just fine. They might even consider it a vacation from all the well armed pirates going to Myto for that trade wealth.
As for the Guild Companies, all that lack of investment by the previous Moff means there are probably a lot of untapped resources to exploit.
Darna and her tendencies for shadow power: "Oooh gimme gimme gimme!"
As an aside: The idea of a lack of Imperial reservists and having to train recruits from scratch is kind of funny to me. Mostly because I think the big four armies of the original two trilogies probably didn't have many reservists given they were made up mostly of droids, clones, Rebel cells, and the Empire. They definitely understood reserves, second and third line formations, and recruitment, but I don't think they ever got the idea of building up a pool of half-civilian half-soldier reservists to quickly replace combat losses and raise new formations hammered down.
The first two didn't so much train recruits as manufacture them. Hard to be a reservist when you are built from birth to be a soldier. These manufactured recruits were then quietly disposed of at the end of the war. Like the galaxy just had this galaxy spanning war and when the next one rolls around almost none of the low level veterans are still around because they were melted down or their accelerated aging caught up with them.
The Rebels' situation was so slap dash and decentralized that organizing a reservist force was probably rare. Their recruiting standards so low that practically anyone could be a soldier and the situation was often so desperate that those that wanted to fight were immediately pushed into combat after a bit of training. It got slightly better during the New Republic, if only because of all the formations and cells that were stood down after things calmed down a bit.
One would think the Empire would be the exception, but then the ISLMO was a thing and a lot of the soldiers weren't allowed to leave the military legally. Also the Empire had a much longer training period than the Rebels given all the propaganda courses that got stuffed in. It is kind of hard to build up a reservist force when your training regime requires you to spend months indoctrinating every recruit and then you keep your soldiers in the field indefinitely until they die, desert, or defect.
It is almost like all these factions' militaries stem from a galactic hegemon that disbanded most of their military for a thousand years and forgot a lot of institutional knowledge. That and the PDFs probably served as pseudo-reservists for these armies to replace combat losses with. However most of the PDFs were probably small and were more like a National Guard primarily focused on domestic stability. So once they were completely tapped military forces had to start from scratch because most planets hadn't seen sustained war in a few centuries. Reminder that the Clone Wars lasted only one to a couple of years on most planets.
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Shane.W
Not too sore, are you?
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How far is the Guild to spread into the Outer Rim before things go tits up? Las could probably get the old CIS factory's up and running again to produce weapons for him if he tries.
If I remember correctly Las's sister complained about MI being cut out, so he could try to get them to run checks on the academy's he is making, to get in good with them for when thing's kick off.
If I remember correctly Las's sister complained about MI being cut out, so he could try to get them to run checks on the academy's he is making, to get in good with them for when thing's kick off.
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Psychic_Duck
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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Sasuga Las-Sama, truly he is a genius that surpasses all others, who else would be worthy of claiming the thrown once the Emperor slips off his chair and into the bottomless vent shaft that is in his room for some reason... they really need some OSHA in the Empire, so many health and safely violations.