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Governor's Gambit - Star Wars SI into Imperial Governor

Reader mode
Okay, main question: what are the obstacles to clawing more coaxium out of the planet it's on? Extraction, refinement, or transport?

I think the best short-term solution might be to cut a deal with one of the galactic megacorps. I know Las has used the Guild to keep them out, but needs must when the devil drives. Unless Las can somehow finagle an exemption out of Vader, he's going to have to choose a least-bad option.
 
abrandentport4 said:
@Starseeker That was why I was focusing on General Veers, who, one way or another, would probably know about things like the LECA or the stormwalker as an Imperial Army officer who, at least in legends, was the one who came up with the idea of the AT-AT for use on the world of Jabiim, he then had to create a doctrin for use outside of the original use case
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Ah, you're right.
I somehow missed Veers in your comment because he got overshadowed by Vader.
Veers would indeed have a reason to look at Myto ground units, although he would have to convince Vader if the necessity.
 
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The solution to his problem is fraud, blackmail ,bribery , corruption and piracy

He needs to falsify the records to show that he is meeting his quotas , bribe the auditors and officials in charge of validating those records , blackmail mail , implicate or distract the local ISB , hire pirates and raiders to steal shipments to justify the shortfall in deliveries while blaming the security failures on Vader commandeering huge parts of the fleet which will stop any investigation flat

This is not sustainable but the MC only needs to buy time until the battle of Yavin when the empire will collapse

This will easier and cheaper and more doable than trying to meet the empire's unreasonable demands
 
Freefaller said:
As for Las's section, its that classic exposition. I figured I'd end it without him having a solution, because I feel like a lot of these problems end up having a solution within the same chapter and then the next few are just about how that solution is implemented, and I don't really want that for this. Gonna make Las sweat for something, the lazy bastard.
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Eh, my bet would be that he already has at least four ways to close that gap - not counting simply asking his local ISB asset to check up on his superiors affairs.

If it really is just the coaxium Palpys Paper Pushers are interested in, call them out on feasability, stuff the gap with hopefully still somewhat decently stocked Droid factories and set the next poor schmuck the Navy sends to load strategic material to really learn of Myos privateer problem - Vader was ever so gracious to deliver a fun excuse to the ISB as to why an imperial Flotilla was bum rushed right outside sector borders.

'You see Ser, my Naval Capacity was recently rather diminished by Lord Vader, Ser - I couldn't possibly open up such a vital ressource like Coaxium to brigants and other neer'do - wells by pointlessly assigning already patroling vessels to a Task Force that was planned by the best and brightest of Naval Command, Ser.'

' … to shreds you say, Ser? I won't believe it! We will henceforth double- nay, TRIPPLE - the patrols of the corridor that was attacked and - … another Sector you say, Ser ? Well I knew of the possibility of course, Ser, even updated the Grand Moff on that explicitly, regularly!'

'-…would you like my personal com logs for your investigation to that end, Ser?'

Also: Myo bonds for the wealthier parts of the populus for Short Term Cash, just remember that they might become a liability when Endor happens and structure them accordingly.
 
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Considering the Myto sector was under Confederacy control during the Clone wars, there's probably some droid factories in the region, if so he could reactivate them and use them for mining and exploration.

Edit: Hell there's probably some droid stockpiles in the region too, hundreds of thousands to millions of droids sitting in long forgotten storage facilities. That'd probably be enough to help fix the fuel problem.(there's probably a few forgotten fuel depots too for that matter)
 
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Droids are a no no guys, it's only been 20+ years since the galaxy suffered Palpatine's orchestrated murder tide of droids that devastated the Mid and Outer Rim planets through the CIS.

That's why characters like The Mandalorian, Din Djarin has a hatred for droids, even when he made a friend like IG-11. Las suffered a lot of flak when he pushed for droids at the shipyards, even when they were to be assistant workers to the flesh crew. So he's screwed on the criminal workers but he'd be more screwed if he uses droids. Cause while criminals can be seen as getting what they deserve, droids would be seen as taken the working man's potential jobs
 
Thanks for the chapter Great story as always.
Empire: Triple the production immediately!!
MC: Sir is physically impossible.
Empire: Or you do it or I will find someone else who will!!
MC: (what he wishes to say)Sure, call me when you find this motherfucker magician that create factories with a handwave!
MC: Yes sir(immediately start planning how to avoid the quota)
 
Las could always go with the most insane option: being honest with the public. Normally this would be political and literal suicide for most Imperials, but Las isn't most Imperials.

Host a public address. Go full disclosure with the entire sector, say Las has been forced with the tripled quota by the higher ups in the Empire (although not those exact words), emphasize how Las has always fought hard to keep taxes low in Myto, yet the demands the wider Empire has placed on them will require temporary, yet extraordinary measures to meet that quota.

This might actually work for a variety of reasons.

Las does enjoy wide sector support unlike most Moffs. He might be able to have the sector's population willingly take the extra burden to get the coaxium production up if Las can rally the public and spend a lot of the goodwill he has accumulated over the years. The wealthy in Myto are well aware Las kept the taxes down, and might be willing to accept a one time tax in these extraordinary times with some grumbling only. The people will think the measures are temporary because the Empire is going to win, Las knows the measures are temporary because the Empire is going to lose. Giving a tangible number to shoot for would also be better received than just asking for constantly more.

Going full disclosure also places a majority of blame away from Las if he can say the right words. It is not Las' fault, it is the higher ups in the Emprie that is placing this burden on them. Now Las cannot outright say that without getting a visit from the ISB, but he can subtly imply it if he structures the speech well. This may not be good for the Sector's loyalty towards the wider Empire, but it will insulate Las from a lot of the blowback harsher measures will generate. If Myto is going to be cut off from the Core anyway, might as well have them take some heat for the quota.
 
Btw, one of problems of Death Squadron is Anakin forgetting that it isn't Clone Wars, and ground battle isn't "Fine, I, Ahsoka & Rex go do some zany scheme that 'will obviouly work, because Tactical Droids are barely smarter than B1s they lead', while rest of 501st then clears afterwards remains of enemy forces"
 
Fefebr said:
All three. It takes time to build the infrastruture necessary to meet the demands of the Empire. Just get more people working on it is not a solution.
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Yeah, right now he's in a situation where the Empire is demanding triple the tithe of fuel and materials. They probably know they've screwed him cause they want the stuff yesterday, and they know he doesn't have the infrastructure and labor force to carve through his vast untapped resources.

So even if he throws criminals, droids or both at the problem, they want it processed and refined. So that would mean opening his turf for the Corpos and Guilds to send in more equipment and men to work, and if that's not enough he'd need to outsource the other Moffs who'll want a cut of the process.
 
1 year, that's how long Las needs to hold out

Luke only stayed for 1 month with Yoda after Hoth before running off to Cloud City to lose his hand to his dad, then a full year or so to rescue Han from Jabba, before they prep for Endor.

By then, the triple load tithes would speed run plenty of the DS2's construction.
 
Freefaller said:
Publicly, the Battle of Hoth had been a resounding success. Rebel forces routed, their base destroyed, thousands dead. It seemed a perfect victory.

But the numbers told a different story. An empire that had just won such a grand victory does not immediately triple down on war material demands. An empire that has just eradicated a major base of its enemy does not demand triple the production from its sectors in such short timeframes.
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I guess the rebels turned Hoth into Finland and made the empire bleed for every inch.
 
Heidao said:
Droids are a no no guys, it's only been 20+ years since the galaxy suffered Palpatine's orchestrated murder tide of droids that devastated the Mid and Outer Rim planets through the CIS.

That's why characters like The Mandalorian, Din Djarin has a hatred for droids, even when he made a friend like IG-11. Las suffered a lot of flak when he pushed for droids at the shipyards, even when they were to be assistant workers to the flesh crew. So he's screwed on the criminal workers but he'd be more screwed if he uses droids. Cause while criminals can be seen as getting what they deserve, droids would be seen as taken the working man's potential jobs
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Here's the thing, the hate is mostly for combat droids(and assassin droids), others are more casual or non-existent. As we see them in widespread use in both Disney and Legends.

So if he changes their exterior, and programming they should be good, and he could easily say that the droids are A) there to do the most dangerous work(their mining star ship fuel, that can't be safe), and B) They will only be temporarily active until the human employee amount is filled.

That alongside him explaining the increased demands of HighCOM, should help smooth over any edges.
 
AdrianXIV said:
Btw, one of problems of Death Squadron is Anakin forgetting that it isn't Clone Wars, and ground battle isn't "Fine, I, Ahsoka & Rex go do some zany scheme that 'will obviouly work, because Tactical Droids are barely smarter than B1s they lead', while rest of 501st then clears afterwards remains of enemy forces"
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Fun fact, it's a little different in legends

All clone war era clones(Jango clones) were super soldiers, they were stronger, faster, tougher, smarter, etc. just to a lesser degree to other fictional super soldiers. It's one of the reasons the Empire still used clones post Kamino rebellion, though 501st were still Jango clones, just old ones.

Though, here it seems a little bit desperate, Vader wanted to use his plan like canon but Ozzel fucked it up, and the rebels had access to greater ground, and space forces compared to the original battle which caused them to experience greater resistance than expected, so he wanted to get rid of the Rebellion's ground defences before they ruined the attack.
 
@Aeroeng, to my knowledge, that is a load of crap; the clones were "just" incredibly well trained to the point that a "basic shiny" clone would be as well trained as Earth's special forces, with the grand army's special units being even better
 
I'm seeing a lot of suggestions for how to meet, or fake meeting, the new quotas, but I have another suggestion. Solve the root problem: Myto having a large source of Coaxium. Instead of having empty shipments 'stolen' by 'pirates' or 'rebels', just quietly pass along that Myto sector's brand new and very vulnerable (because Vader took like, half their navy) mining efforts are about to ensure the Empire has plentiful fuel for the foreseeable future. And then sit back while the rebels destroy the refineries and solve all his problems. No more coaxium quotas, and all the support for getting his defense budget sorted out he could want.
 
The Kijs said:
I'm seeing a lot of suggestions for how to meet, or fake meeting, the new quotas, but I have another suggestion. Solve the root problem: Myto having a large source of Coaxium. Instead of having empty shipments 'stolen' by 'pirates' or 'rebels', just quietly pass along that Myto sector's brand new and very vulnerable (because Vader took like, half their navy) mining efforts are about to ensure the Empire has plentiful fuel for the foreseeable future. And then sit back while the rebels destroy the refineries and solve all his problems. No more coaxium quotas, and all the support for getting his defense budget sorted out he could want.
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And then Las will either float in the air for a few seconds before his neck snaps or become very acquainted with a lightsaber, cause he'd get a personal visit from Vader for "His incompetence" in failing to safeguard the Empire's assets.

This final year is gonna be the year he's gonna be under the most scrutiny, and the most remembered by both sides. Cause he is a very productive Moff in a rising sector, and he is going to be a big contributor in the eyes of both that will shape how he's going to be treated at the end.

New Republic might label him a kind but diehard Imperial, and Kaine if he survives to become a warlord in this AU, will do so in kind. Las might only survive if Darna and the other Rebels observing can vouch he isn't hang worthy.
 
AdrianXIV said:
Given Veers Sr'.s PoV and fact that Ozzel was canonically executed for incompetence after Battle of Hoth, it seems that Ozzel failed to utilize "new assets from Myto Sector" (TIE/Ms & Arbiters) effectively.

Well, let's hope that newly-ranked-up Admirał Piett will not repeat that mistake.
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Wasn't admiral piett that fella who died at endor because he couldn't figure what to do with out a bum hanging over head for him to kiss. Or was he the admiral who said someone important died in battle and turn tail and ran away in a battle that could have been won?
 
abrandentport4 said:
@Aeroeng, to my knowledge, that is a load of crap; the clones were "just" incredibly well trained to the point that a "basic shiny" clone would be as well trained as Earth's special forces, with the grand army's special units being even better
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To be absolutely fair, it's Legends. The entire point of Legends is that they're well... legends. How true each story is in SWL is ambiguous, that's the point.
 
@Shadowwarp, where exactly do you get that idea? What is now called Legends was previously known as the Expanded Universe. The only part of the Expanded Universe that was in-universe treated as a legend was the original Marvel/Star Wars comic series. Many species were treated as legends, such as the TOF, the Nagai, Ssi-ruuk, and the Ysanna, as an example
 
Cursed Idea: What do you think about making "unmanned LECAs", to do something like this (0:27-0:40) during "space battles":

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Omake: Mytoan Keeps

An Analysis of the Mytoan Keeps of the early Post-Yavin Period By Dreton Hurgo

Introduction

The Mytoan Keep exemplifies the cultural shift in population of the Myto Sector compared to other populations under the Empire's influence. Brought about by a unique set of circumstances, these low tech and cheap fortifications continue to pop up across the landscape of growing worlds. In this article I will be attempting to explain the origin, design, and cultural impact of this architectural and defensive trend.

Origin

Three main factors led to the creation of Mytoan Keeps. These are an increase in raid activity from criminal elements, a trend of planetary economic decentralization across the Sector, and a loosening of strict Imperial control in local matters.

Denizens in the Myto Sector had ample motivation to look into constructing fortifications. Motivation that was primarily provided by the increase in pirate and syndicate activity looking to take advantage of the economic boom ongoing in the area. As the communication network in the Myto Sector grew stronger and more robust, systems were able to exchange greater amounts of information and between a wider ranging audience. This wider audience included the smaller civilian populations outside of main planetary cities who upon communicating with similar populations and reading news reports, realized the frequency of the pirate raids in the previous years and that they were likely the main targets for future ones. These raids generally had the goal of seizing economic wealth in quick attacks rather than destruction, devastation, or sieging. This goal shaped the defensive strategy of the future Keeps as they were not expected to withstand orbital bombardment, ground artillery fire, or sustained assault by a modern military.

Myto's economic boom that drew the pirates in the first place also provided the means with which to defend themselves. Unlike most economic upturns in the Imperial era, the resulting wealth was not solely concentrated to a few locations on a few planets. Moff Mola's policies seemed to emphasize a "rising waters lift all boats" approach when it came to public investment. This mindset was spread to Governors around the sector, especially ones who had their predecessors removed by the Moff. A more spread out distribution of public spending allowed villages and towns to begin to generate wealth and obtain access to the resources necessary for building projects. Credits were gathered from local governments, communally collections, and even the occasional private donor to be put towards what would be known as Mytoan Keeps.

However the above two circumstances would mean nothing without a change in Imperial regulatory thinking. Under most Imperial leaders, attempting to build a fortification outside of direct Imperial control would result in its swift destruction and collective punishment being forced upon the population. Moff Mola instead promoted a more open hand policy with his government rather than a tightly closed fist most are used to. Allowing local populations to manage many local issues and even elect thueir own representatives. This way of thinking influenced the Governors subordinate to Mola to follow suit and allow outlying area more freedom to manage their own affairs. Local defense ended up being one of those gray areas that allowed the Keeps to be built.

Background and Preparation

Mytoan Keeps are a local response to a Sector wide problem. Rampaging pirates and the bands of mercenaries chasing them made villages and towns nervous. Fearing their recent good fortune would be taken from them, many local communities decided to invest in fortifications to store their wealth and persons in the event of someone came to pillage them. There was variation between Keeps, but most of them followed similar design themes due to similar purposes, cost of material, or ease of construction.

When picking a location, most communities chose to build their Keeps close to make evacuations easier, but a bit distant from the community proper to avoid potential land disputes. Rarely is a Keep built within a community center unless the land was owned by a single individual. However sometimes residences and businesses would spring up around the Keep after it was built in an attempt to ensure safety.

Material wise most builders of Mytoan Keeps use plascrete and inexpensive metals such as copper, iron, and cheap steel over more expensive and harder to acquire materials. The thinking was building a Keep out of cheap and readily available materials would allow it to be maintained far more easily in times of crisis where supply lines for better materials may be stretched, blocked, or requisitioned. These materials are often sourced on world or from asteroids around the system to avoid outside dependence. While permission is sought from the planetary government, builders prefer to rely on private companies the local area has contacts with, even if a cheaper government source is available. Cheaper being relative as most of the material is readily available for bulk orders given its ubiquity.

Design

To understand the design of Mytoan Keeps, let us explore an example of a "typical" Keep from entrance to back with the most common design features. Note that while this example is typical, Keeps can vary based on wealth, culture, terrain, and availability of resources.

On the outside Mytoan Keeps often went for a squat and rectangular plascrete structure. There is a noted preference to avoid utilizing existing cave systems in order to reduce the chance of wildlife or potential alternative entrances comprising the Keep's defenses. The height was often kept to a single story above ground with the rest of the Keep being built underground.

At the entrance of most Mytoan Keeps lies the main door and entryway which takes up the entire above ground section of the Keep. The main door is usually an over 4 meter tall blast door of common metals with as much thickness as the resources of the builders can allow. The large size of the door allowed for an equally large entryway to move large amounts of civilians into the Keep in a short amount of time. This blast door tended to be locked and unlocked via mechanical means rather than any form of electronic means. Such a door often required raiders use relatively high grade or a high quantity of explosives to fully remove once the blast door had finished sealing. This decision demonstrates a theme going forward of utilizing large amounts of simplistic methods over a smaller amount of more sophisticated technology.

Past the blast door and main entrance, the hallway rapidly dwindled into cramped tunnels. Arches are used as a way to ensure stability which give the passageways a more formal feel. These tunnels are the main paths throughout the Keep. The paths are often kept intentionally confusing for outsiders to navigate. Often directions could only be discerned (without sufficiently specialized technology) via a series of signs and symbols known only to the builders and the local population the Keep was meant to protect. Children of these local populations are often taught these symbols and their meanings via children's stories and proverbs so they can remember how to navigate in times of emergency.

Traversal between floors beyond the initial entryway to the underground section tend to be only be done via ladders rather than elevators or repulsorlifts. These ladders are often just solid metal handles built into the walls of the Keep. A sealable hatch is often placed on the top of each ladder to be sealed once all the civilians have made it into the lower floor. Dummy hatches leading to solid plascrete are sometimes constructed to further confuse and delay raiders.

A series of lockable doors pepper these passageways throughout the keep. The locks on these doors are kept simplistic and cheap, desiring quantity over quality. The cheapest example is doors barred with metal bars on the inside, while wealthier builders mimic watertight doors on archaic aquatic vessels. Regardless of sophistication, their purpose of delaying and frustrating enemy raiders remains the same.

At the core of Keep past all the defenses lies the civilian shelter. This area of the Keep will be reinforced against collapse to the highest degree the builders are capable of. Accommodations for the sheltered are often spartan. Bedding is often no more than a section carved into the wall like a catacomb. What a Keep lacks in comfort it makes up for in utility. Stockpiles of preserved foods are enough for weeks at the Keep's estimated capacity. Air and water filtration systems are rugged and dependable enough to provide for the sheltered, if not with pleasant quality. Medical facilities are prioritized for whatever wounds and ailments are typically sustained in a raid.

At the center of the shelter is the Keep's most valued system, the highest quality distress beacon the builders can afford. The distress beacon is kept attached to its own separate generator and both are meticulously maintained to ensure it can function when needed. Laxity or incompetence in this task is often met with ridicule to outright ostracization by the community. There is often such care for the stored supplies that communities would rather swallow their pride and beg the local government for food relief before dipping into the Keep's stored food.

It is noted that throughout this tour there was no mention of offensive defenses such as turrets or droids. This is intentional on the builder's part. Most Mytoan Keeps are built with little to no offensive measures against its attackers. This is done for a few reasons. One is Mytoan Keeps are not designed to drive off attackers, only to keep the civilians safe until the attackers leave of their own accord or outside reinforcements sweep them aside. Two the lack of offensive measures ensure Imperial authorities have less reason to deny a Keep's construction or to seize the fortification after its construction. Any offensive action will usually be conducted by armed civilians and only if the Keep's shelter was in danger of being breached.

Effectiveness

How does a Mytoan Keep function as a defensive fortification? Against most modern militaries a Mytoan Keep would be little more than a mild inconvenience. A sustained barrage of artillery or bombs and the entire structure would eventually cause the Keep to suffer at least a partial collapse. Even attempting to capture the Keep intact would only delay the inevitable given the lack of ability to cause casualties among the attackers.

However most Mytoan Keeps are not built with military level conflict in mind. Rather they are built to protect minor civilian populations against pirates and other light forces with the intent to pillage their community. Against non-military forces that value speed and traveling light, a Mytoan Keep presents a more difficult challenge. The average pirate band might have the grenades and fusioncutters sufficient to work their way to the Keep's shelter eventually. However that still would involve organizing the band, going to each individual obstruction, and still trying to navigate the myriad of tunnels to reach the civilians they intend to ravage.

All this effort takes time, and time is the most precious commodity for raiders and those defending against them. Every hour they spend trying to breach the Keep is another hour for reinforcements notified by the Keep's distress beacon to arrive. Most raids throw up their hands after a minor attempt at the Keep before going back to content themselves on sacking a now empty settlement before the planet's defenders arrive. Truly frustrated raiders may fire their ship's weapons at the Keep. However a momentary barrage is often insufficient to breach the core of the Keep, allowing the Keep's reinforcements to dig the civilians out from the half collapsed fortification if needed.

Cultural Significance

It is important to explain the cultural value a community with a Keep places on the fortification. In their mind they are the periphery of a periphery. A transient group amidst a Sector under constant threat of annihilating their community. The void is stalked by predators who seek prey such as them to devour for their own cruelty.

A Myto Keep may not be the heart of a community, but it still holds a place of importance as a place of communal safety. Every local knows of the Keep and their duty should the time to utilize it come. Annual drills are organized and conducted without external prompting to ensure the population is ready for an attack. Families raise their children on stories and proverbs regarding the Keep and how it will shield them from harm.

To a Mytoan Keep community the Keep represents their final redoubt. Their last bastion of safety should fire and violence descend upon them. Not Guild mercenaries they pay for fleeting protection, not a distant planetary government with dozens of higher priorities than them, the Keep is with them and it will be there regardless of circumstance. It might not preserve all their wealth in a raid, but it is their best shot in preserving their lives, the true treasure of the community.

In response to this value, a Mytoan Keep and its layout is a jealously guarded secret by its community. Tourists and researchers are turned away at the slightest request to study one. Any attempt to sneak in will see one caught and often tried as a potential saboteur or spy without outside intervention (as this author was made personally aware). Government inspectors are allowed in at the most grudging reluctance and often verbal promises are extracted to keep information on their defenses out of potential enemy hands. Even government subsidies and grants for building a Keep offered to garner popularity may be refused by these communities who see building one as a private and communal endeavor.

Conclusion

Small scale architecture can often be an overlooked subject when it comes to cultural history. Particularly when it comes to minor defensive works that are rarely involved in major battles. Nevertheless one can understand much of the mindset of local communities in the Outer Rim by what they attempt to provide themselves safety.

Mytoan Keeps and what some of my peers refer to as the Primitivist Imperial style represent a noteworthy example of the Mytoan culture and how it diverges from standard High Human and Fringer cultures more common in Outer Rim during the Imperial Era. It is through these roots that we may draw conclusions about the state of Mytoan culture in our current time.

——

You see Las? You see what allowing the peasants to have surplus income can lead to: passive civilian fortification. If you couldn't tell this is an exploration of what the small communities in the Myto Sector might be spending all those untaxed Credits on. Las may be more interested in using Imperial resources for their protection, but this is still the Outer Rim, so defenses are going to be a top spending priority for these people. The fact a "stone and steel" fortification is still useable in a sci fi setting where the enemy have spaceships and ortillery is a bit funny to me. Felt like a neat way to further differentiate Mytoans from your standard Imperial culture.

I was inspired by coastal forts, Soviet fortifications, and the Cold War private bunker and bomb shelter craze. Wouldn't exactly blame the Myto Sector's populace getting a bit bunker crazy given the their recent Sector and galactic history. A mix of Fringer independence and Imperial brutalist design to set the architecture apart from its peers.

If you are wondering about the title, I have a book about WWI that was written pre-WW2. Things are titled without knowledge of the future, and Yavin seemed like it would be treated as the big galactic event of the era, right until Endor hits. This was written in universe during that little between period, hence post-Yavin.

Crossposted on SB and SV
 
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Chp-123 New
Chp-123

Ril Baagoss
Hoth
3.4 ABY

The thrum of his X-Wings engines did little to calm Ril's nerves. Even as he was surrounded by his squadron, even as the sound of the anit-orbital cannons rang through the tundra, even as he knew that the evacuation was proceeding on time, his hands still shook.

Not much. Just a little. Certainly a noticeable improvement from when he'd started some 5 odd years ago.

Out in the white of the blizzard, he saw little. Only his sensors and the pre-mission briefing told him what was near.

Behind him, B-Wings. A new model of ship, some of the first to be made apparently. He'd heard the techs complaining about maintenance all month, so clearly they weren't exactly fit for mass production.

Not that the Alliance could mass-produce much of anything.

Ahead of him was the enemy force. AT-AT's were the main target, hulking war machines with more armor and firepower than any land-based vehicles they had on hand. That's what the B-Wings were for.

His job was to keep the TIE's off the B-Wings. Easy. He'd blown up dozens of TIE's. They were practically made of flimsy.

The thought didn't stop his hands from shaking.

"Enemy TIE fighters inbound. Shell-Squadron, keep them off our bombers!"

But just the same, shaking hands or not, he had a job to do. Pushing the throttle forward, he advanced towards the enemy.

Soon, the first TIE was within visual range, ripping out of the blizzard with its characteristic speed directly ahead of him. Within a second, he fired a burst and pivoted out of the way.

Yet, he heard no explosion. His targeting computer confirmed a hit, but was still tracking the fighter.

A second later, someone else answered his question.

"They've got shields!" The message was quickly followed by the telltale explosion of a fighter. Ril barely paid attention to the following confirmation of a downed friendly as he turned hard.

His turn landed him on the tail of a different TIE. The previous one was still on him, but he had at least a second and a half. So, he held down the trigger this time, letting a veritable stream of red streak forward.

Instantly he recognized the blue shimmer that appeared around the impact points, crackling as the shield tried its best to hold out. But after the sixth landed shot it gave out, and the seventh and eighth ripped the TIE to shreds.

But he'd taken too long. Just as he started his own evasive turn, the other TIE caught him, green death splashing his rearward shields. Still, he managed his turn, dumping more power to engines in order to lose the TIE in the storm.

Across the battlefield, the same dance played out. His squadmates were surprised at first. Shields on a TIE fighter? Since when has the Empire ever spent more than a half-credit on TIE's?

Some paid for this surprise. Two down already. Ril didn't remember their names, but Shell-squadron was new. Pulled together from a dozen near-dead squadrons from across the region.

It was a consequence of their cockiness, to be honest. Resources had started to become less scarce. Success after success had emboldened a not-insignificant number of cell leaders. Now, they were down a half dozen major cells because of foolish mistakes.

Had the Mid-Rim not taught them anything?

Ril supposed it didn't matter to him. At least, not at the moment. He could ruminate on politics later. Right now, he had a job to do.

It took nearly twenty minutes to clean up the enemy TIE's. Twenty minutes was a long time for an engagement of this scale.

Shell wasn't the only squadron there, of course. Across the valley multiple squadrons clashed with TIE's while B-Wings and other bombers made their way towards their targets. But twenty minutes?

Sure, Shell wasn't Rogue Squadron, but that was absurd.

However, even with their victories in the skies, the situation on the ground only worsened.

Their anti-orbital weaponry could only slow the Imperial advance, not stop it. In the distance, through the rare gaps in the blizzard's wall of ice, he spotted Imperial dropships disgorging more and more forces. Not just AT-AT's, but more. Tanks, repulsor-craft, infantry carriers.

All protected by a thick black swarm of TIE fighters. Even if they weren't shielded, it would be a bloody fight. One Ril knew the Alliance couldn't afford at that point.

Over the comms, he was informed of the next phase of their plan.

"The base is nearly evacuated! All squadrons, reposition and escort our evacuation ships off-world!"

From there, Shell squadron ripped around, pivoting back towards the base. A cursory look at the base revealed the extent of their situation.

Every hangar wide open, empty of anything of importance. Even now as the final freighters left, people were dragging any technology and weapons they could carry with them. Someone even grabbed what looked to be the caf machine.

Ril wasn't sure why'd they do that. The caf it made was awful.

Upon reaching the base, they were directed upwards, towards the evacuating ships already in movement.

The familiar sight of GR-75's and other similar freighters appeared before him, racing away on modified engines.

"Enemy TIE's incoming! Shell squadron, defend transports 5 and 8!"

Again Shell squadron pivoted, forming up on an intercept towards the incoming TIE fighters. The fighters up ahead looked strange, and it put him on edge. First shielded TIE's and now a new type all together?

Instinctively, he redirected some power towards shields.

As they engaged, he lined up a shot with the first fighters. But as he pulled the trigger and watched the shots streak out into the void, the TIE did something new. It twisted.

Its engines quite literally twisted, sending it into a downwards spin. He turned to follow, lining up a second shot as he flew in behind it.

That was when it twisted again. But not the engines this time. No, this time, it was the cannons.

Suddenly, his ship was rocked with laser fire, shields falling, and he pulled up, pushing his engines to the max to avoid the enemy fire.

That was when the warning came over comms.

"All units! We've identified the enemy TIE's as Whirlwinds! Intel labels them threat level BLACK! GET OUT OF THERE!"

Shit. That was bad. Ril wanted to run. He knew it wasn't the right thing to do, but by the Force he wanted to run.

Duros such as himself had, under their ribs, two small sacs. When stressed, they filled with acid. And right now, Ril's gut was near bursting. He wanted nothing more than to activate his hyperdrive and get out.

Instead, as he heard his fellow rebels die over comms, he knew he couldn't. Whipping back around, redirecting what little shield power remained to thrusters, he flew back into the frey.

Ahead of him was another Whirlwind, tailing a friendly. Its side was to him, gun turrets blocked by its wings.

He held down the trigger, watching with glee as the shots connected, enemy shield rippling blue.

Then the wings folded down, and the turret aimed at him.

Ril Baagoss saw green, and thought of retirement.

Ril Baagoss saw green, and thought of nothing.

–

Las
3.5 ABY

A gentle turn of the controls smoothly tilted the ship to the left, deftly avoiding the asteroid.

"This is an insulting speed. I demand we race forward."

"No."

I ignored Myr'thos's continued rants about how it was 'uncouth to move so slowly' and focused on navigating the asteroid field.

I was once again back in my executive shuttle, my personal ship. I loved it dearly, and had learned the basics of flight back in my days as Governor.

Recently, I'd picked it back up again. This time, however, it wasn't for leisure.

See, I'd been plotting, planning, scheming. On how to fake my death.

Well, the deaths of myself, Mugwuffin and Myr'thos.

The plan itself was fairly smart, if I do say so myself.

I decided to start flying my ship through the field, with escorts nearby of course, under the excuse of 'leisure' rides. I would continue to do this with decent amounts of regularity, in order for it to become routine.

In the meantime, using Myr'thos as a proxy, I would purchase and have hidden a ship, a highly modified light freighter, within the asteroid field.

It was unfortunate that my previous one was to be left forgotten down on Minda, but it was simply the way of things.

One day, not long after the destruction of the death star, maybe a month or two to really let the chaos ramp up, I'd take a ride in the asteroid field.

And then my ship would explode. Myr'thos, Mugwuffin and I would eject beforehand, of course, but the ship would explode quite violently. Then, using our spacesuits and boost-packs, we'd make our way over to the ship and quietly leave before anyone could get there.

Of course, this hinged on me ditching my escorts so they weren't around to see my freighter running away. That's where Myr'thos would come in.

"You have no tact! I am an esteemed individual of high standing. The least your craven self could do to accommodate me is increase the speed of this blasted vessel."

"If you want to go so fast, why don't you get your own ship? I prefer the slow and steady pace."

They scoffed. "If 'slow and steady' is your preferred pace, it is no wonder you remain alone. The sector's line of succession is in dire straits it seems."

Now it was my turn to scoff. "First of all, my position is not hereditary. Second of all, my romantic life is perfectly healthy and I will tolerate no accusations towards the opposite."

"I spend much of my waking life at your side, and so I know full well that not a single consort, concubine, or whore of any species or gender has graced your bed."

"Well–"

"Your hand doesn't count."

"...my imagination is a potent thing."

A laugh broke out over the comms before quickly being smothered, and I felt a bloom of satisfaction.

See, I'd kept my escorts on open comms 'just in case' something happened. By making jokes and having Myr'thos complain about the speed on the regular, I could ensure an alibi of sorts.

On the day of my plan, I would 'give in' to their demands and speed up significantly. My shuttle was decked out to hell and back, and could easily outspeed my escorts.

This would allow me to get to my freighter. And when questioned as to why I would suddenly do this, my escorts would remark on the fact that Myr'thos and I had this same argument every time.

It was a perfect plan. Honestly, it was my only plan right now. Everything else I was planning for was far more complex.

That damned quota was going to be the death of me. I was trying everything I could, but it wasn't enough.

All my usual plans weren't enough. I was used to moving around existing things. I was used to having time. I was used to not being the center of attention.

Now I was the only coaxium producer this side of the Oversector, and the pressure was on. The industry couldn't scale fast enough without accepting unneeded deaths. Which would reflect poorly on myself.

I was considering less legal methods. Moving empty shipments, having outbound shipments 'raided', etc… but none of that could work on a large enough scale without far too much risk. At best it would help me stall things out.

Not to mention the blowback that was inevitable no matter what I did. Production was being pumped across the sector for just about any and all things military or military-related. People were going to be working harder hours for longer, and I couldn't spare the money needed to pay them a proper extra compensation. Only enough to keep people in the black.

Automation was too expensive as an alternative, and people would resent losing their jobs. Not to mention anti-CIS sentiment was high in the region. Especially after the Hand prominently used droids in their terror attacks.

So I needed to pump production sector wide, alongside meeting an impossible coaxium quota, and keep the people from jumping me.

I had no idea what to do, and to avoid thinking about it for a little bit, I decided to switch to a different problem. The Navy.

So, I called Ife.

The first thing I noticed as her holo sprang up was that she looked haggard. The holo on my ship was of high quality, none of that awful glitching or pixelated fuzziness. Meaning I could see the bags under her eyes, the tenseness in her shoulders.

Was the job getting to her?

"Good evening, Admiral. I'm calling for a rundown of your naval situation. Have the mercenaries acquitted themselves well?"

The Guild couldn't solve my coaxium problem, but it could help patch the gaping hole left by Darth Vader's little spree of greed. Mercenaries and Guild vessels were now helping take hold of some of the Navies duties, interspersed among regular patrols to stretch our forces farther.

"They've managed. While not quite as professional as I'd hoped, the mercenaries have proven competent and capable in lower roles. However, they aren't enough to return back to our previous state." Responded Ife.

"I see. That's as good as it's going to get for now. Our production capacity is being diverted towards exports, so I can only get you an Arbiter a month right now."

She sighed, and it was a deep thing. Her shoulders seemed to almost fall slack before they launched back up into position as though they had almost fallen asleep and were now trying to stay awake.

Clearly, something was getting to her. What could it–oh shit.

I'd forgotten about Hoth.

"Admiral. I want you back on Minda for an evaluation."

Her eyes widened in shock, fear clear within. "Sir, I'm not–"

"You're not getting demoted. You are getting a break, however. It's clear to me you aren't in the best mental space at the moment."

"Respectfully, sir, I'm–"

"--going to come to Minda, speak with a mental health counselor, and take a week off with your girlfriend. I will not have my top naval officer buried under the current workload in such a state."

She had some fight left in her, that much was clear, but it fled the moment I mentioned time off with her girlfriend.

HAVEN kept tabs on her and Shal, given their respective positions and Ife's importance to the sector, and by all accounts they didn't get much time together. I was practically dangling a juicy steak in front of her.

"...understood, sir."

"Oh stop moping Ife, you'll be fine. Just remember to speak honestly about your feelings, and use protection!"

Her cheeks darkened, and her mouth opened in shock, and I cut the call on the spot. Funnier that way.

Though…speaking honestly. Now that could work…

–

Hallo. Been binging Vintage Story after the absolute peak that is Torched by RubixRaptor ended. Shits addicting man. Love getting gored by 10,000 Drifters.

As promised, here is the Rebel POV of the battle. Not my best but I figure it gets the point across. The Rebels got more stuff out of Hoth, the Empire still kicked their shit in, and some poor fucker got slimed by a Whirlwind doing its shenanigans.

-Freefaller
 
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