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Governor's Gambit - Star Wars SI into Imperial Governor
- Thread starter Freefaller
- Start date
Notsae66
Fleisch und Stahl, Feuer und Blut
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Honestly, considering he's deliberately adding a dangerous vulnerability to his schedule, I'd expect someone to try to assassinate him during a ride, forcing him to use his prepared ship and the plan to become nonviable. He's inheriting the Empire, especially if he doesn't want it! Ol' Sheev's ghost would never let anyone sit happily on his throne, thus Las being absolutely out of his mind with terror at the prospect might amuse him enough to stay dead for awhile longer. Probably not, but a man can dream.
Yacov
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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Random Theory-crafting: The Potential Fate of Fringe Rebel Alliance Groups Post-Endor in the GG Timeline
Intro
Another little thought rabbit has taken hold. This time looking into how various fringe groups within the Rebel Alliance may react after the Emperor bites it. One key thing to remember is that the Rebel Alliance is a very different and separate entity than the New Republic despite the latter claiming to be a successor to the former. The RA is more akin to a decentralized movement attempting to unify and coordinate various anti-Imperial groups. While the NR is a state with a government, defined borders, and all the desire for consolidation and centralization that comes with that. Beyond the 1sts through 5ths on the ground and the Reds and Phoenixes in the sky and void, there are probably hundreds of little groups, cells, and underground networks with their own cultures and agendas distinct from the central RA forces. "Rogue" actors were tolerated and oftentimes encouraged by the RA (to a point) while the NR could and did often frown upon deviation from state policy and control.
Rebel groups outside of what will be New Republic territory are an interesting subject to consider. As the news of Endor gradually spreads, it is going to lead to a lot of Rebel groups deciding now is the chance to start an uprising to take advantage of the resulting Imperial pandemonium regardless of what the core of the wider Rebel Alliance movement wants. These local groups might not care about the wider picture when the local Imperials are seemingly collapsing right in front of them.
It will be extra inconvenient timing if for instance, the emerging NR government decides to hold off expanding in a specific cell's direction or worse, redirect the cell's support and funding to other areas of interest or towards internal policies. Turns out a government anchoring its legitimacy on civilian (and internal interest group) support tends to place relief programs for thousands of citizens in their own territory higher in priority than funding a couple dozen insurgents out on some remote world beyond their territory, who knew. Once the NR is founded, former Rebel Alliance cells outside their borders are going to face some difficult choices if they aren't part of the initial "in crowd" inside of what ends up being core (not necessarily Core, although there will be overlap) NR territory.
What happens if the seemingly inevitable local collapse of Imperial forces after the Emperor's death doesn't occur? What happens if the expected internal and external support for the local uprising doesn't materialize? These potential factors combined with Imperial signs of weakness immediately after Endor provided a perceived opening are going to result in a variety of likely fates for Rebels off the NR's beaten path.
Integration into the New Republic
This is arguably the best outcome for any remote Rebel cells. They stage their uprising and either succeed at overthrowing the local Imperial government against all odds, or fail and a sufficient number of Rebels get away. The former outcome likely sees the new government send word back to the New Republic and integration into the NR's borders to enjoy benefits from their new distant overlord such as a minuscule amount of political representation, paying NR taxes, and being very low on the priority list for aid from the wider NR. The latter result likely sees the defeated Rebels fleeing to NR territory to escape Imperial retribution and obtain shelter.
Now the fleeing remnants result can have some potential knock on effects. Namely these Rebellions in Exile are likely to start agitating and lobbying within New Republic space to send forces to liberate their homes from Imperial rule. These lobby groups are probably going to be disunited, probably not work well together, and advocate their single issue within the New Republic Senate whenever they can. They are going to oppose slowing down the war against the Empire and its successor states since it leaves their people out in the dust. They are probably going to be in the opposition to the ruling coalition most of the time as the ruling coalition is likely to have a lot of Core folk who are not going to be keen on spending the resources to liberate some dirtball in the Outer Rim.
Death
This is another common, but less good fate for a bunch of these localized uprisings against the Empire. Namely the Rebel cell and their local allies stages their uprising, the Imperial forces rally or just not break immediately, and the uprising gets massacred because the Imperial forces still have way more firepower than them. This leads to most of the Rebels dying or being captured and their civilian supporters facing brutal retaliation whenever a link to the uprising (real or imagined) is uncovered.
The real question is the local population's reaction to the failed uprising since the Rebels are no longer in any position to do any further actions. Maybe they interpret it as martyrdom and it ends up being a rallying point for future dissent against the Empire. Maybe the massacre is effective in dissuading the population from whatever cause the local Rebels were advocating for such as a return to an old form of government. Maybe the Empire's response is so successful in its objectives that the population not only gets cold feet for local dissent, they end up hating the wider Rebellion and the New Republic for bringing the Empire's wrath upon them. This is going to be awkward should the NR send any agents afterwards to try to rekindle further anti-Imperial movements. Why should they believe the NR when they got massacred the last time they did?
Going to Ground
This middle of the road outcome can stem from either the local uprising being defeated, but not completely wiped out, or the local leaders of the uprising decide to be cautious and not trigger the uprising after Endor. Either way they keep a low profile, maybe pull back on a few of their ongoing operations, and continue to build their strength. Not causing an immediate problem, but maintaining aspirations of overthrowing the Imperial government. Not really a final outcome as much as a continuation of the status quo.
Going forward this outcome has the local Rebel cell remaining an ongoing problem for the Imperials as they remain either too entrenched, fortified, or more likely too hidden for the Imperials to deal with permanently. With the chaos of the Post-Endor period, circumstances are likely to slide into the local Rebel group's favor. The local Imperials are likely distracted dealing the collapse of the chain of command and dealing with whatever warlord or "legitimate government" they now answer to. All this chaos is going to give room for the local Rebels some room to arm themselves, increase their numbers, and just make themselves an absolute nuisance for the Imperial government using their likely outdated and patched together forces. Local Rebel cells like these are likely to maintain at least some positive relations with the New Republic and would likely provide them extensive local support show the NR try to take the system.
Burnout
The Burnout outcome has the local Rebels suffering a large enough loss of faith or morale that the entire network dissolves and most decided to fade back into the general population. This can be due to a variety of factors. Lack of support or contact from the wider Rebellion or the New Republic for long periods, mounting losses during or even before the post-Endor uprising is launched, things not immediately getting better after the Emperor dies, supplies drying up due to the galaxy being thrown into chaos from the Empire's fall, or just fatigue from doing this Rebel thing for up to two decades or more. The Emperor's death represents a great chance to get off the Rebel ride as technically the Big Bad has been defeated. Whether your local goal has been met or not, the threat that united all these disparate and varied groups, a dominant Empire, is now in the decline. Many of the less committed Rebels with not much stake in the fight are more likely to take this path and attempt to return to their pre-Rebel lives.
Burnout gives the possibility of these local Rebels finding a different path than just continuing to fight the Empire as they once did. Maybe they open up a cantina or a repair shop. Maybe they wallow in poverty and despair after giving everything to the Cause. Maybe they live a fugitive's lifestyle until finally getting busted by the Imperial authorities or a bounty hunter. Maybe they get picked up by a plucky group of fresh Rebels later down the line who visit to strip up more trouble as the grumpy uncle character. Either way, burned out ex-Rebels are not that much of a problem for the Empire in the short term.
Loyalty Shift
This is arguably the worst outcome for the wider Rebellion and the New Republic. Where going to ground keeps the faith, and burnout has disillusionment turn to apathy, a loyalty shift has that disillusionment turn to anger. How dare the Rebellion abandon them when they needed them! How dare the Rebellion not show up to support their uprising! How dare the Rebellion deceive them into thinking they could win with their numbers! How dare the New Republic try to claim victory when their local cell is still shedding blood, sweat, and tears! How dare etc, etc, etc. Whatever the reason, the local Rebels are disillusioned and frustrated to the point they cut their ties with the Rebellion or the New Republic, but still retain the will, training, and the equipment to keep fighting whomever they want to fight. This opens the doors to serving other masters, or even themselves.
A common option for these ex-Rebels is going full criminal. Banditry, brigandage, piracy, joining up with a syndicate, or another form of criminal activity to support themselves. The same skills that made them effective as Rebels will make them effective in the Underworld. Dodging Imperial authorities and dodging other forms of authorities are not that dissimilar after all. This is going to be an option I imagine a good portion of pro-Rebel smugglers are going to take once the Rebellion transforms into the New Republic and "go legit". Smugglers were criminals before and during their time in the Rebellion, not too out there that they would just keep doing what they were already doing. Other insurgents may have been raiding Imperial caravans and convoys long enough that it is all they know how to do only now with Rebel training and what funding they received. Without the cause of the Rebellion to restrain them, these insurgents may start going after "softer" targets to keep themselves fed and well supplied to the detriment of everyone else. Also there is always the lure of getting paid lots and lots of Credits in exchange for violence and other indiscretions. Times get tight enough around the galaxy and people are going to get tempted to follow who has the money.
Another loyalty shift could be towards the Empire. Now most Rebels would get executed or tortured, then executed for trying to defect to the Empire. However there are examples where known ex-Rebels have been employed by the Empire. There have also been cases of unknown Rebels being employed by the Empire. The local Imperial government often doesn't actually know every Rebel within the local Rebel network. Not like any sane applicants are going to put "Rebel" on their resumes for an Imperial job. These ex-Rebels are going to be very effective at hunting down other Rebels if they manage to stay in their employer's good books.
Then there are the independents. The local Rebel cells who break off to just do their own thing while not going full criminal. The main variation is going to be whether or not they succeeded in their local uprising. If these now ex-Rebels succeed in overthrowing the local Imperial government, they may look around, say "screw the New Republic, got mine", and start their own mini-empire under their control. If the ex-Rebels didn't succeed in an uprising, well now there is a rogue army or fleet that is better trained and equipped than most PDFs wandering around the immediate area and all the problems that come from that. This rogue force could go mercenary, become criminals down the road, join up with one of the new statelets that forms after the Empire's fall and wants a bunch of trained and well equipped troops for their military, or find a softer target and just take over that in order to make that their new base of operations.
Regardless of where their new loyalties lie, militant ex-Rebels are a huge problem for the New Republic. This is because no matter how much the NR disavows the actions of these now ex-Rebels, some of the bad press from their actions is still going to blow back on the NR by association. It is not going to be a good look if Z-95s and Y-wings bearing Rebel iconography start strafing merchants and killing innocent civilians, no matter who now owns the starfighters. Even worse if they intentionally do it under the guise of the Rebellion in order to lure folks into a false sense of security. They still got their old codes and uniforms to sell the deception after all.
Another issue for the New Republic concerning ex-Rebels is the potential information security risk. An ex-Rebel unconcerned with his previous comrades can tell all sorts of juicy secrets about the Rebels to their new masters, or the highest bidder. Codes, ciphers, prominent figures, tactics, operating procedures, etc. Even though the Rebel network was compartmentalized, there is still enough general knowledge for any defector to do some real damage. Then there are stories of the ex-Rebel's previous actions while they were in the Rebellion's employ. If an ex-Rebel mouths off that the Rebellion was the one that for instance, blew up a major piece of infrastructure and caused widespread utility failures across an entire planet, suddenly that planet may view the New Republic that spawned from the Rebellion in a far less favorable light. If the New Republic can't get a lid on these potential leaks, theirpropaganda public relations department are going to have their hands and hand-equivalents full.
Conclusion
It is easy to assume that the transition from the Rebellion into the New Republic was seamless and total. That whatever cells were left outside of New Republic territory kept the faith, loyally and patiently waiting for their superiors to come and subsume them into the new galactic hegemony. However I much more enjoy seeing the fall of the Empire and rise of the New Republic as a time of chaos, confusion, and conflict in priorities and politics. Where the New Republic is forced to shed and abandon some of its Rebel character and fringe elements in the name centralization and standardization. Folks are always going to be left behind during a major transition of a galaxy spanning organization. If the New Republic crawls out weaker or stronger but more fractious after Endor, that number of cells they are forced to abandon or that abandon them may be higher than canon or legends. A weaker or more fractious New Republic might struggle more to unite its varied allies, "warlords", and factions. Even if these abandoned or abandoning Rebels remain at most minor bit players on a galactic scale, their stories and fates could still be interesting and impactful on the local scale.
Crossposted on SB and SV
Intro
Another little thought rabbit has taken hold. This time looking into how various fringe groups within the Rebel Alliance may react after the Emperor bites it. One key thing to remember is that the Rebel Alliance is a very different and separate entity than the New Republic despite the latter claiming to be a successor to the former. The RA is more akin to a decentralized movement attempting to unify and coordinate various anti-Imperial groups. While the NR is a state with a government, defined borders, and all the desire for consolidation and centralization that comes with that. Beyond the 1sts through 5ths on the ground and the Reds and Phoenixes in the sky and void, there are probably hundreds of little groups, cells, and underground networks with their own cultures and agendas distinct from the central RA forces. "Rogue" actors were tolerated and oftentimes encouraged by the RA (to a point) while the NR could and did often frown upon deviation from state policy and control.
Rebel groups outside of what will be New Republic territory are an interesting subject to consider. As the news of Endor gradually spreads, it is going to lead to a lot of Rebel groups deciding now is the chance to start an uprising to take advantage of the resulting Imperial pandemonium regardless of what the core of the wider Rebel Alliance movement wants. These local groups might not care about the wider picture when the local Imperials are seemingly collapsing right in front of them.
It will be extra inconvenient timing if for instance, the emerging NR government decides to hold off expanding in a specific cell's direction or worse, redirect the cell's support and funding to other areas of interest or towards internal policies. Turns out a government anchoring its legitimacy on civilian (and internal interest group) support tends to place relief programs for thousands of citizens in their own territory higher in priority than funding a couple dozen insurgents out on some remote world beyond their territory, who knew. Once the NR is founded, former Rebel Alliance cells outside their borders are going to face some difficult choices if they aren't part of the initial "in crowd" inside of what ends up being core (not necessarily Core, although there will be overlap) NR territory.
What happens if the seemingly inevitable local collapse of Imperial forces after the Emperor's death doesn't occur? What happens if the expected internal and external support for the local uprising doesn't materialize? These potential factors combined with Imperial signs of weakness immediately after Endor provided a perceived opening are going to result in a variety of likely fates for Rebels off the NR's beaten path.
Integration into the New Republic
This is arguably the best outcome for any remote Rebel cells. They stage their uprising and either succeed at overthrowing the local Imperial government against all odds, or fail and a sufficient number of Rebels get away. The former outcome likely sees the new government send word back to the New Republic and integration into the NR's borders to enjoy benefits from their new distant overlord such as a minuscule amount of political representation, paying NR taxes, and being very low on the priority list for aid from the wider NR. The latter result likely sees the defeated Rebels fleeing to NR territory to escape Imperial retribution and obtain shelter.
Now the fleeing remnants result can have some potential knock on effects. Namely these Rebellions in Exile are likely to start agitating and lobbying within New Republic space to send forces to liberate their homes from Imperial rule. These lobby groups are probably going to be disunited, probably not work well together, and advocate their single issue within the New Republic Senate whenever they can. They are going to oppose slowing down the war against the Empire and its successor states since it leaves their people out in the dust. They are probably going to be in the opposition to the ruling coalition most of the time as the ruling coalition is likely to have a lot of Core folk who are not going to be keen on spending the resources to liberate some dirtball in the Outer Rim.
Death
This is another common, but less good fate for a bunch of these localized uprisings against the Empire. Namely the Rebel cell and their local allies stages their uprising, the Imperial forces rally or just not break immediately, and the uprising gets massacred because the Imperial forces still have way more firepower than them. This leads to most of the Rebels dying or being captured and their civilian supporters facing brutal retaliation whenever a link to the uprising (real or imagined) is uncovered.
The real question is the local population's reaction to the failed uprising since the Rebels are no longer in any position to do any further actions. Maybe they interpret it as martyrdom and it ends up being a rallying point for future dissent against the Empire. Maybe the massacre is effective in dissuading the population from whatever cause the local Rebels were advocating for such as a return to an old form of government. Maybe the Empire's response is so successful in its objectives that the population not only gets cold feet for local dissent, they end up hating the wider Rebellion and the New Republic for bringing the Empire's wrath upon them. This is going to be awkward should the NR send any agents afterwards to try to rekindle further anti-Imperial movements. Why should they believe the NR when they got massacred the last time they did?
Going to Ground
This middle of the road outcome can stem from either the local uprising being defeated, but not completely wiped out, or the local leaders of the uprising decide to be cautious and not trigger the uprising after Endor. Either way they keep a low profile, maybe pull back on a few of their ongoing operations, and continue to build their strength. Not causing an immediate problem, but maintaining aspirations of overthrowing the Imperial government. Not really a final outcome as much as a continuation of the status quo.
Going forward this outcome has the local Rebel cell remaining an ongoing problem for the Imperials as they remain either too entrenched, fortified, or more likely too hidden for the Imperials to deal with permanently. With the chaos of the Post-Endor period, circumstances are likely to slide into the local Rebel group's favor. The local Imperials are likely distracted dealing the collapse of the chain of command and dealing with whatever warlord or "legitimate government" they now answer to. All this chaos is going to give room for the local Rebels some room to arm themselves, increase their numbers, and just make themselves an absolute nuisance for the Imperial government using their likely outdated and patched together forces. Local Rebel cells like these are likely to maintain at least some positive relations with the New Republic and would likely provide them extensive local support show the NR try to take the system.
Burnout
The Burnout outcome has the local Rebels suffering a large enough loss of faith or morale that the entire network dissolves and most decided to fade back into the general population. This can be due to a variety of factors. Lack of support or contact from the wider Rebellion or the New Republic for long periods, mounting losses during or even before the post-Endor uprising is launched, things not immediately getting better after the Emperor dies, supplies drying up due to the galaxy being thrown into chaos from the Empire's fall, or just fatigue from doing this Rebel thing for up to two decades or more. The Emperor's death represents a great chance to get off the Rebel ride as technically the Big Bad has been defeated. Whether your local goal has been met or not, the threat that united all these disparate and varied groups, a dominant Empire, is now in the decline. Many of the less committed Rebels with not much stake in the fight are more likely to take this path and attempt to return to their pre-Rebel lives.
Burnout gives the possibility of these local Rebels finding a different path than just continuing to fight the Empire as they once did. Maybe they open up a cantina or a repair shop. Maybe they wallow in poverty and despair after giving everything to the Cause. Maybe they live a fugitive's lifestyle until finally getting busted by the Imperial authorities or a bounty hunter. Maybe they get picked up by a plucky group of fresh Rebels later down the line who visit to strip up more trouble as the grumpy uncle character. Either way, burned out ex-Rebels are not that much of a problem for the Empire in the short term.
Loyalty Shift
This is arguably the worst outcome for the wider Rebellion and the New Republic. Where going to ground keeps the faith, and burnout has disillusionment turn to apathy, a loyalty shift has that disillusionment turn to anger. How dare the Rebellion abandon them when they needed them! How dare the Rebellion not show up to support their uprising! How dare the Rebellion deceive them into thinking they could win with their numbers! How dare the New Republic try to claim victory when their local cell is still shedding blood, sweat, and tears! How dare etc, etc, etc. Whatever the reason, the local Rebels are disillusioned and frustrated to the point they cut their ties with the Rebellion or the New Republic, but still retain the will, training, and the equipment to keep fighting whomever they want to fight. This opens the doors to serving other masters, or even themselves.
A common option for these ex-Rebels is going full criminal. Banditry, brigandage, piracy, joining up with a syndicate, or another form of criminal activity to support themselves. The same skills that made them effective as Rebels will make them effective in the Underworld. Dodging Imperial authorities and dodging other forms of authorities are not that dissimilar after all. This is going to be an option I imagine a good portion of pro-Rebel smugglers are going to take once the Rebellion transforms into the New Republic and "go legit". Smugglers were criminals before and during their time in the Rebellion, not too out there that they would just keep doing what they were already doing. Other insurgents may have been raiding Imperial caravans and convoys long enough that it is all they know how to do only now with Rebel training and what funding they received. Without the cause of the Rebellion to restrain them, these insurgents may start going after "softer" targets to keep themselves fed and well supplied to the detriment of everyone else. Also there is always the lure of getting paid lots and lots of Credits in exchange for violence and other indiscretions. Times get tight enough around the galaxy and people are going to get tempted to follow who has the money.
Another loyalty shift could be towards the Empire. Now most Rebels would get executed or tortured, then executed for trying to defect to the Empire. However there are examples where known ex-Rebels have been employed by the Empire. There have also been cases of unknown Rebels being employed by the Empire. The local Imperial government often doesn't actually know every Rebel within the local Rebel network. Not like any sane applicants are going to put "Rebel" on their resumes for an Imperial job. These ex-Rebels are going to be very effective at hunting down other Rebels if they manage to stay in their employer's good books.
Then there are the independents. The local Rebel cells who break off to just do their own thing while not going full criminal. The main variation is going to be whether or not they succeeded in their local uprising. If these now ex-Rebels succeed in overthrowing the local Imperial government, they may look around, say "screw the New Republic, got mine", and start their own mini-empire under their control. If the ex-Rebels didn't succeed in an uprising, well now there is a rogue army or fleet that is better trained and equipped than most PDFs wandering around the immediate area and all the problems that come from that. This rogue force could go mercenary, become criminals down the road, join up with one of the new statelets that forms after the Empire's fall and wants a bunch of trained and well equipped troops for their military, or find a softer target and just take over that in order to make that their new base of operations.
Regardless of where their new loyalties lie, militant ex-Rebels are a huge problem for the New Republic. This is because no matter how much the NR disavows the actions of these now ex-Rebels, some of the bad press from their actions is still going to blow back on the NR by association. It is not going to be a good look if Z-95s and Y-wings bearing Rebel iconography start strafing merchants and killing innocent civilians, no matter who now owns the starfighters. Even worse if they intentionally do it under the guise of the Rebellion in order to lure folks into a false sense of security. They still got their old codes and uniforms to sell the deception after all.
Another issue for the New Republic concerning ex-Rebels is the potential information security risk. An ex-Rebel unconcerned with his previous comrades can tell all sorts of juicy secrets about the Rebels to their new masters, or the highest bidder. Codes, ciphers, prominent figures, tactics, operating procedures, etc. Even though the Rebel network was compartmentalized, there is still enough general knowledge for any defector to do some real damage. Then there are stories of the ex-Rebel's previous actions while they were in the Rebellion's employ. If an ex-Rebel mouths off that the Rebellion was the one that for instance, blew up a major piece of infrastructure and caused widespread utility failures across an entire planet, suddenly that planet may view the New Republic that spawned from the Rebellion in a far less favorable light. If the New Republic can't get a lid on these potential leaks, their
Conclusion
It is easy to assume that the transition from the Rebellion into the New Republic was seamless and total. That whatever cells were left outside of New Republic territory kept the faith, loyally and patiently waiting for their superiors to come and subsume them into the new galactic hegemony. However I much more enjoy seeing the fall of the Empire and rise of the New Republic as a time of chaos, confusion, and conflict in priorities and politics. Where the New Republic is forced to shed and abandon some of its Rebel character and fringe elements in the name centralization and standardization. Folks are always going to be left behind during a major transition of a galaxy spanning organization. If the New Republic crawls out weaker or stronger but more fractious after Endor, that number of cells they are forced to abandon or that abandon them may be higher than canon or legends. A weaker or more fractious New Republic might struggle more to unite its varied allies, "warlords", and factions. Even if these abandoned or abandoning Rebels remain at most minor bit players on a galactic scale, their stories and fates could still be interesting and impactful on the local scale.
Crossposted on SB and SV
AdrianXIV
Not too sore, are you?
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I feel that WEB might be mistaken by some people as such "Empire-employed ex-Rebel Rebel-Hunters", given that they're Mindanese "secret black ops group" that uses Rebellion-style tactics
Heidao
Not too sore, are you?
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Still halfway listening to this through my text to speech, but we have to consider first which "canon" is the author taking?
Are they taking the OG Legends with the Yuuzhan Vong or Disney's train wreck?
Cause we can finagle a survival path for him with the former but he's screwed on the latter. The eventual Warlords that form in the former can see him carve out a line to protect Myto as he joins either side, by the Rey-verse timeline can see him being used to fight the New Republic in the grand smokescreen so Palpy can bust out his pocket fleet of planet killer star destroyers.
Chp-124
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Freefaller
Not too sore, are you?
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Brior Ouga
Maximus 3-A
Maximus System
3.6 ABY
Brior stumbled through the door of his family's hab-unit, sighing in relief at the cool air that washed over him.
A smile soon formed as his son rushed from deeper within the hab.
"Hey there little Mynock!" he greeted, sweeping the babbling toddler up in his arms. "How was your day?"
His response was half-formed words and plenty of spit flying every which way.
"I see, I see..." Brio nodded seriously, turning towards the living room to see his wife standing there, smile radiant. Trila was a twi'lek, lean and muscled from a life lived working in dockyards and construction zones.
"Our son has quite a lot to say, Trila. Apparently customer service has been subpar."
Her smile was stunning, sending through him a surge of energy.
"Well, the customer has been quite cranky, you see. He's been disturbing the staff all day."
She reached out a hand, lightly pinching one of their son's cheeks, still plump and blubbery with youth.
An equally plump hand swatted hers away, an almost insulted look crossing his young face.
"It seems our dear customer is in need of a nap." Briar responded, handing him off to Trila.
As she put their son to sleep, Brio bruised himself with removing his work gear. A cubby in the laundry room of the hab held Trila's gear as well as his own. It was clean, if small, much like the rest of the hab.
Standardized fare, these habs. Pre-built, simple, provided by the colony. Once expansion became viable they would be torn down in favor of proper apartments and housing. While the colony promised to give all current colonists new homes, he was confident they'd be able to afford a better place in a few years time.
Brior, alongside Trila, worked at the local tibbana gas refinery, while they lived planetside on the gas giant's third moon. Maximus 3-A. A good name, even if the original name of the system had been Gluteus Maximus. The Survey Corp had a lot of jokesters who took great pleasure in getting to name systems they discovered. Thankfully the administration cut it down to just Maximus.
The work was dependable and well paying, even if the security measures could be a bit of a pain. It was understandable though, given the military used the gas extensively.
Moving to the kitchen, he picked up a plate of reheated food Trila had left him, and considered himself incredibly fortunate.
From poverty on Ord Mantel to a good job and great living standards on a brand new colony was an incredible leap.
When his son was born, he feared he and Trila might lose their jobs, given both of them worked. But instead, they were given parental leave. Both of them.
Who'd ever heard of such a thing!?
Now, they took shifts in turn so one of them could always be home with their son. Soon, he'd be old enough for the colony daycare.
And that was another thing. A daycare!
On Ord Mantel, where the lines between gangs and government were blurry at best, a daycare sounded like an obvious slaver front. Not that many bothered with fronts out there.
Briar and Trila had been skeptical at first, but time had proven them wrong.
Taking a seat at the kitchen table, he placed his PDA before him while he began to pick at his meal.
An unappealing nutri-bar was first, standard fare for colonists. The colony wasn't quite self-sufficient in terms of farming just yet, and so imported these to ensure people were properly fed.
Next to it was a sandwich, shak meat topped with a local berry sauce between two slices of bread from that new bakery in town. Apparently the moon held some pretty interesting grains, turning the bread a dark orange with purple swirls.
Finally, a small treat. A little chocolate bar. Sweets weren't so common on the colony, given they were all imports. But families tended to buy them in small amounts, and the colonial administration handed them out during annual festivals to celebrate growth.
On his PDA, he flipped through various screens before settling on an instructional video he'd started watching during his lunch break. It was a Guild video covering various classes and educational programs they offered. Specifically in regards to trades such as his own.
He hoped to take advantage of the Guild's subsidized classes for new colonists. If he could get a promotion or two, it would be great. Trila had always wanted to open a mechanics workshop, after all.
As he ate, a soft weight pressed on his back, two blue-green muscled arms snaking around his neck.
They didn't speak, simply sinking into one another's presence.
A few minutes in, Brior opened his mouth to speak, when an alert from his PDA distracted him.
[SECTOR-BROADCAST]
Briar and Trila shared a concerned look. The only time they'd seen such a broadcast was during the holonet outage.
Trila sat in the chair beside him while Brior opened the broadcast.
The screen flickered, a telltale sign of a holonet live-feed being established, before it stabilized into a clear image.
A podium sat on a raised platform, lights illuminating the area in contrast to the darkening sky behind it.
Looming above the platform stood a tall, sharp tower. Its drab grey was draped in Imperial white and Guild gold, long banners fluttering softly in the wind.
Between the platform and tower stood a dozen pillars, each a dozen meters tall. They glowed softly with light, emanating from the miniscule writing on each.
It was this detail that told Brior where the broadcast was coming from.
Minda. He'd heard about it from a friend who visited on vacation. Each pillar was a memorial, holding the names of those who died in defense of the sector.
At the podium stood a figure. The Moff.
He'd clearly seen better days. Dark rings hung under his eyes, and his shoulders were slumped ever so slightly. His hair was messy, clearly unkempt over at least the past few days. Even his uniform was rumpled, if only a tad.
The Moff raised a steaming mug of something to his lips, taking a long sip before setting it down.
"People of the Myto Sector," he started, eyes scanning the crowd. "I come to you with unfortunate news."
"I have been informed by my superiors that, as a consequence of increasing desires for security from the greater Empire, all material and security-related quotas must be tripled."
A gasp could be heard rushing through the crowd. Briar and Trila's hands found each other's as they watched with growing anxiety. Nothing good ever came of the Empire's demands for more.
"Thankfully, our hearty workers and robust economy means many of these quotas can be met with little to no expansion."
The Moff paused for another sip of his drink. "However, this will cut a deep gash into the sector government's funds. As a consequence, we will have a harder time restoring the navy to its former strength."
"This will create openings for pirates once more, which in turn would put our citizens at risk and slow trade at such a stressful time."
Here, the Moff stared directly into the camera. Eyes narrowed, serious, his large scar illuminated clearly.
"As such, I make a request of the citizens of this sector. The Sector Government will be creating a Mytoan-Bond. I implore those who have the money to spare to purchase these bonds so as to fund the protection of your fellow citizens."
He bowed. Not a deep bow, nothing subservient, barely noticeable — but his head dipped at least 15 degrees, his shoulders hunching a little as he did so.
"Thank you for any and all support you send," he said to the crowd.
It was a different kind of shocking.
While Brior had only been in the sector for a little while — a few years at most — he'd come to know of their leader's eccentricities. Not the maddening kind, nor the kind where they did strange, unpredictable things. No, the Moff of the Myto Sector was a bureaucrat, and he was a bureaucrat in a way no other Imperial officer he'd ever met was.
He simply did his job.
Apparently there was a name for this. The Mola-Shock — for immigrants arriving and being utterly baffled that the leader of their sector simply did his job.
He was not a particularly charismatic individual, nor did he portray an image of unparalleled strength. By all accounts he seemed like a normal person, which was exactly what was strange about it.
Imperial leaders tended to be corrupt, cruel, or completely mad. Often some combination of the three. It was an oversimplification, but it was a trend found in the higher echelons that all who watched a few broadcasts learned quite quickly.
Even then, Brior wasn't sure anyone ever expected the Moff to give anything resembling a bow towards his people.
It made him wonder sometimes if he wasn't in some sort of wonderland, a dream of some kind, and that at any moment he could wake up back on Ord Mantel, back in the slums, back in poverty and despair.
The broadcast continued from there into interviews. Reporters came up and asked questions of the Moff. Many were variations of the same few questions. How much will taxes be increased, if at all? How will this affect the economy? How will this affect the military? Will this delay one infrastructure project or another?
The Moff answered each and every one.
"Taxs will rise only on certain products and industries that can afford the extra expenses. The average citizen will not be overly affected, though you may want to cut back on imported luxuries for the meanwhile."
"This will strain the economy. While we are working hard to minimize the damage and ensure life continues as it did previously, there will be negative effects. You can expect travel and the general cost of living to rise as trade slows down. I encourage all to seek solidarity and help with your local communities. Pool resources, help one another, and cut down on living expenses."
"Major infrastructure projects will be put on hold for now. These include our hyperspace beacon network project and our logistics station network project, among others. We hope to resume these projects once things settle down."
"I am also in negotiation with neighboring sectors for mutual assistance agreements. As we have an excess of resources in some needed sectors, we plan to trade those for military reinforcements and other forms of assistance. These negotiations are still ongoing, and as such I can't promise success, but rest assured we are doing everything in our power."
"To expand on the bonds, we are looking for outside creditors, so as to not place the entire burden on the people. The Muun Banking Clans have agreed to purchase bonds, and others are in consideration. Bonds will be set at an interest rate of 6.5%, due to the current security crisis. Once its over, that will drop down to 3%."
The Banking Clans. Brior wasn't so sure about them.
He banked locally, of course — a credit union that had sprung up on the colony, Guild-backed. But he had friends with investment portfolios through those banks, and they spoke highly of their professionalism.
Brior wasn't so sure. The closest thing to real banks back on Ord Mantel that would ever serve someone of his social status had been loan sharks with a few fancy pieces of paper that made them a bank. So perhaps it was his prejudice against large institutions speaking.
Regardless, he wasn't sure what the banks wanted out of the sector. But if nothing else, he trusted that the Moff knew what he was doing.
Eventually the broadcast ended with the Moff reiterating his call for all those who could, to purchase bonds for the security of the sector. A set of instructions appeared on the broadcast screen, showcasing how and where to go to purchase them.
Once the broadcast was over, the two of them sat there for a minute, staring at the blank screen and the reflection in it.
Eventually they turned to each other and nodded at once.
They had some cash to spare. And the mechanic shop could wait.
Their sector needed them.
–
Las
Within the space station I called home sat a room. Said room held a circular table, though circular wasn't quite the right word for it — it was too angular, built with sharp edges and dull colors like everything else the Empire built.
There was only one seat, my own. But as I sat down, projectors around the table flared to life, and three holographic projections appeared before me. They were Moff Moew, Moff Callron, and Moff Delninian — the rulers of three neighboring sectors, and the only ones who had agreed to meet at all.
I was surprised to see that Moff Callron had joined at all. He was a capricious man, very much unlike his now-deceased father, whom I had met briefly earlier in my career. His response to the holonet crisis had been rude, to put it one way.
Moff Moew was a different case. She was shrewd in her dealings. Her sector was not the richest nor the most powerful, but it was not poor or weak by any stretch of the imagination. She was, however, the kind of person to ensure that every deal made was as beneficial to her as possible, regardless of the consequences for everyone else. There's a reason I didn't take her deal during the crisis, after all.
The final person was Moff Delninian of the Braxant Sector. He was perhaps the only one I might call anything close to an ally, given how closely our two Guilds worked. Our economies weren't entirely intertwined — that felt like an easy trap to fall into, the security such a thing promised being quite tantalizing.
However, the downsides of integrating such large economies so quickly would be incredibly dangerous and foolish to ignore. Still, our two economies did grow closer slowly over time, strengthening one another. So it was him I would likely be counting on as the only person in the room — well, not actually in the room, of course — who would be willing to act in my interests, if only because our interests were so economically aligned.
"You called us here for a meeting," said Callron. "I don't have all day."
He was brisk and rude as always, his mustachioed face twitching in annoyance. Not for the last time, I dearly wished his father was still alive and in control. He had been a much more reasonable individual.
Moff Moew gave a light, dainty laugh, and I almost wanted to applaud her. It was the most real-sounding fake laugh I had heard in a while. She must have been taking lessons — it was certainly an improvement over the last time I'd heard her attempt one.
"Why, my dear Tyron, no need for hostilities." She turned to address the room at large. "I called us here together to address the shared concerns we all have. The demands of the Empire as of late have been quite strenuous. I believed it would be beneficial for us to come together and assist one another in our respective times of need."
This was a surprising move from her. It had been one I myself was considering — after all, we all needed things, and we might have things the others needed. If she was the one making this proposal, she must have been in more trouble than I thought, though I wasn't sure of the nature of it. I would have to do some research on her sector to understand what exactly was being demanded of her.
It must have been serious. Or this meeting was a trap.
Still, this was a good thing. It saved me the effort and political capital of proposing it myself. Political capital wasn't something I was immensely interested in keeping, but it had a way of coming back to haunt me when I lacked it.
"So you finally show your weakness," replied Callron.
"And yours," she replied. "I know your sector is severely lacking in the kind of production the Empire demands — just as we all are in our own ways. Yet we each excel in others."
She didn't look at me when she said that. But I knew what she was talking about. While I may not have kept tabs on exact production numbers across the sector, I did know that my sector outpaced its neighbors by quite a lot. This so-called alliance could very easily be a ruse to gain access to my resource wealth while giving relatively little in return. I couldn't have that.
"I see," said Delinean. "I too have been having some problems with these production numbers. I don't even have the factories for some of the things being asked of me."
Tyron looked like he wanted to object, but it was clear to everyone he had no basis to stand on. His sector, while having an older and more entrenched administration and a larger population than average, was not rich enough to project the strength he clearly wished for. Finally, he ground out the word "fine," and we moved on.
The negotiations were tense. No one quite wanted to admit what they were lacking in — or at least, Moff Moew and Moff Callron were not so keen. Moff Delninian and I were more open about it.
I suppose it comes with being well-adjusted individuals.
Still, the negotiations took multiple days. Between meetings, I fielded individual calls from Delinian and Moew, each offering their own individual deals. Callron made no such attempt, not that I expected one.
By the third day, we had something resembling an agreement.
Callron would provide excess medical production to Delinian in exchange for weapons production. Moew would provide Callron with excess mineral extraction in exchange for excess agricultural products.
I would provide everyone with excess tibanna gas and TIE fighters, in exchange for spare patrol vessels which I sorely needed.
The four of us sat there, on that third day, each of us looking something akin to being satisfied with our dealings. Well, three of us, Callron perpetually had the look of someone who'd just smelt a fart.
Of course, it was during this relatively peaceful time that all four of us had aides whisper breaking news into our ears. How they did it at the same exact time, I'm not entirely sure. I suspect they were colluding to be as theatrical as possible.
Still, we looked at one another in unison, understanding blooming across our faces. Production quotas would be rising once more.
Kuat had just been attacked.
–
Yo. more stuff. The first section is there to show the life of the average Mytoan immigrant. Most move in because of the promise of the new colonies. To them, they owe the sector everything, and are more than willing to buy a shit ton of bonds.
Second segment is a little weaker, but does what it needs to do. Gets negotiations going to showcase how Las is getting around things, and touches on Ringbreaker.
Didn't bake anything this time, spent all my time playing Stalker and now Zero Company. And also college. Gonna be there a lot more with 5 classes so some updates might be slower/shorter.
-Freefaller
Maximus 3-A
Maximus System
3.6 ABY
Brior stumbled through the door of his family's hab-unit, sighing in relief at the cool air that washed over him.
A smile soon formed as his son rushed from deeper within the hab.
"Hey there little Mynock!" he greeted, sweeping the babbling toddler up in his arms. "How was your day?"
His response was half-formed words and plenty of spit flying every which way.
"I see, I see..." Brio nodded seriously, turning towards the living room to see his wife standing there, smile radiant. Trila was a twi'lek, lean and muscled from a life lived working in dockyards and construction zones.
"Our son has quite a lot to say, Trila. Apparently customer service has been subpar."
Her smile was stunning, sending through him a surge of energy.
"Well, the customer has been quite cranky, you see. He's been disturbing the staff all day."
She reached out a hand, lightly pinching one of their son's cheeks, still plump and blubbery with youth.
An equally plump hand swatted hers away, an almost insulted look crossing his young face.
"It seems our dear customer is in need of a nap." Briar responded, handing him off to Trila.
As she put their son to sleep, Brio bruised himself with removing his work gear. A cubby in the laundry room of the hab held Trila's gear as well as his own. It was clean, if small, much like the rest of the hab.
Standardized fare, these habs. Pre-built, simple, provided by the colony. Once expansion became viable they would be torn down in favor of proper apartments and housing. While the colony promised to give all current colonists new homes, he was confident they'd be able to afford a better place in a few years time.
Brior, alongside Trila, worked at the local tibbana gas refinery, while they lived planetside on the gas giant's third moon. Maximus 3-A. A good name, even if the original name of the system had been Gluteus Maximus. The Survey Corp had a lot of jokesters who took great pleasure in getting to name systems they discovered. Thankfully the administration cut it down to just Maximus.
The work was dependable and well paying, even if the security measures could be a bit of a pain. It was understandable though, given the military used the gas extensively.
Moving to the kitchen, he picked up a plate of reheated food Trila had left him, and considered himself incredibly fortunate.
From poverty on Ord Mantel to a good job and great living standards on a brand new colony was an incredible leap.
When his son was born, he feared he and Trila might lose their jobs, given both of them worked. But instead, they were given parental leave. Both of them.
Who'd ever heard of such a thing!?
Now, they took shifts in turn so one of them could always be home with their son. Soon, he'd be old enough for the colony daycare.
And that was another thing. A daycare!
On Ord Mantel, where the lines between gangs and government were blurry at best, a daycare sounded like an obvious slaver front. Not that many bothered with fronts out there.
Briar and Trila had been skeptical at first, but time had proven them wrong.
Taking a seat at the kitchen table, he placed his PDA before him while he began to pick at his meal.
An unappealing nutri-bar was first, standard fare for colonists. The colony wasn't quite self-sufficient in terms of farming just yet, and so imported these to ensure people were properly fed.
Next to it was a sandwich, shak meat topped with a local berry sauce between two slices of bread from that new bakery in town. Apparently the moon held some pretty interesting grains, turning the bread a dark orange with purple swirls.
Finally, a small treat. A little chocolate bar. Sweets weren't so common on the colony, given they were all imports. But families tended to buy them in small amounts, and the colonial administration handed them out during annual festivals to celebrate growth.
On his PDA, he flipped through various screens before settling on an instructional video he'd started watching during his lunch break. It was a Guild video covering various classes and educational programs they offered. Specifically in regards to trades such as his own.
He hoped to take advantage of the Guild's subsidized classes for new colonists. If he could get a promotion or two, it would be great. Trila had always wanted to open a mechanics workshop, after all.
As he ate, a soft weight pressed on his back, two blue-green muscled arms snaking around his neck.
They didn't speak, simply sinking into one another's presence.
A few minutes in, Brior opened his mouth to speak, when an alert from his PDA distracted him.
[SECTOR-BROADCAST]
Briar and Trila shared a concerned look. The only time they'd seen such a broadcast was during the holonet outage.
Trila sat in the chair beside him while Brior opened the broadcast.
The screen flickered, a telltale sign of a holonet live-feed being established, before it stabilized into a clear image.
A podium sat on a raised platform, lights illuminating the area in contrast to the darkening sky behind it.
Looming above the platform stood a tall, sharp tower. Its drab grey was draped in Imperial white and Guild gold, long banners fluttering softly in the wind.
Between the platform and tower stood a dozen pillars, each a dozen meters tall. They glowed softly with light, emanating from the miniscule writing on each.
It was this detail that told Brior where the broadcast was coming from.
Minda. He'd heard about it from a friend who visited on vacation. Each pillar was a memorial, holding the names of those who died in defense of the sector.
At the podium stood a figure. The Moff.
He'd clearly seen better days. Dark rings hung under his eyes, and his shoulders were slumped ever so slightly. His hair was messy, clearly unkempt over at least the past few days. Even his uniform was rumpled, if only a tad.
The Moff raised a steaming mug of something to his lips, taking a long sip before setting it down.
"People of the Myto Sector," he started, eyes scanning the crowd. "I come to you with unfortunate news."
"I have been informed by my superiors that, as a consequence of increasing desires for security from the greater Empire, all material and security-related quotas must be tripled."
A gasp could be heard rushing through the crowd. Briar and Trila's hands found each other's as they watched with growing anxiety. Nothing good ever came of the Empire's demands for more.
"Thankfully, our hearty workers and robust economy means many of these quotas can be met with little to no expansion."
The Moff paused for another sip of his drink. "However, this will cut a deep gash into the sector government's funds. As a consequence, we will have a harder time restoring the navy to its former strength."
"This will create openings for pirates once more, which in turn would put our citizens at risk and slow trade at such a stressful time."
Here, the Moff stared directly into the camera. Eyes narrowed, serious, his large scar illuminated clearly.
"As such, I make a request of the citizens of this sector. The Sector Government will be creating a Mytoan-Bond. I implore those who have the money to spare to purchase these bonds so as to fund the protection of your fellow citizens."
He bowed. Not a deep bow, nothing subservient, barely noticeable — but his head dipped at least 15 degrees, his shoulders hunching a little as he did so.
"Thank you for any and all support you send," he said to the crowd.
It was a different kind of shocking.
While Brior had only been in the sector for a little while — a few years at most — he'd come to know of their leader's eccentricities. Not the maddening kind, nor the kind where they did strange, unpredictable things. No, the Moff of the Myto Sector was a bureaucrat, and he was a bureaucrat in a way no other Imperial officer he'd ever met was.
He simply did his job.
Apparently there was a name for this. The Mola-Shock — for immigrants arriving and being utterly baffled that the leader of their sector simply did his job.
He was not a particularly charismatic individual, nor did he portray an image of unparalleled strength. By all accounts he seemed like a normal person, which was exactly what was strange about it.
Imperial leaders tended to be corrupt, cruel, or completely mad. Often some combination of the three. It was an oversimplification, but it was a trend found in the higher echelons that all who watched a few broadcasts learned quite quickly.
Even then, Brior wasn't sure anyone ever expected the Moff to give anything resembling a bow towards his people.
It made him wonder sometimes if he wasn't in some sort of wonderland, a dream of some kind, and that at any moment he could wake up back on Ord Mantel, back in the slums, back in poverty and despair.
The broadcast continued from there into interviews. Reporters came up and asked questions of the Moff. Many were variations of the same few questions. How much will taxes be increased, if at all? How will this affect the economy? How will this affect the military? Will this delay one infrastructure project or another?
The Moff answered each and every one.
"Taxs will rise only on certain products and industries that can afford the extra expenses. The average citizen will not be overly affected, though you may want to cut back on imported luxuries for the meanwhile."
"This will strain the economy. While we are working hard to minimize the damage and ensure life continues as it did previously, there will be negative effects. You can expect travel and the general cost of living to rise as trade slows down. I encourage all to seek solidarity and help with your local communities. Pool resources, help one another, and cut down on living expenses."
"Major infrastructure projects will be put on hold for now. These include our hyperspace beacon network project and our logistics station network project, among others. We hope to resume these projects once things settle down."
"I am also in negotiation with neighboring sectors for mutual assistance agreements. As we have an excess of resources in some needed sectors, we plan to trade those for military reinforcements and other forms of assistance. These negotiations are still ongoing, and as such I can't promise success, but rest assured we are doing everything in our power."
"To expand on the bonds, we are looking for outside creditors, so as to not place the entire burden on the people. The Muun Banking Clans have agreed to purchase bonds, and others are in consideration. Bonds will be set at an interest rate of 6.5%, due to the current security crisis. Once its over, that will drop down to 3%."
The Banking Clans. Brior wasn't so sure about them.
He banked locally, of course — a credit union that had sprung up on the colony, Guild-backed. But he had friends with investment portfolios through those banks, and they spoke highly of their professionalism.
Brior wasn't so sure. The closest thing to real banks back on Ord Mantel that would ever serve someone of his social status had been loan sharks with a few fancy pieces of paper that made them a bank. So perhaps it was his prejudice against large institutions speaking.
Regardless, he wasn't sure what the banks wanted out of the sector. But if nothing else, he trusted that the Moff knew what he was doing.
Eventually the broadcast ended with the Moff reiterating his call for all those who could, to purchase bonds for the security of the sector. A set of instructions appeared on the broadcast screen, showcasing how and where to go to purchase them.
Once the broadcast was over, the two of them sat there for a minute, staring at the blank screen and the reflection in it.
Eventually they turned to each other and nodded at once.
They had some cash to spare. And the mechanic shop could wait.
Their sector needed them.
–
Las
Within the space station I called home sat a room. Said room held a circular table, though circular wasn't quite the right word for it — it was too angular, built with sharp edges and dull colors like everything else the Empire built.
There was only one seat, my own. But as I sat down, projectors around the table flared to life, and three holographic projections appeared before me. They were Moff Moew, Moff Callron, and Moff Delninian — the rulers of three neighboring sectors, and the only ones who had agreed to meet at all.
I was surprised to see that Moff Callron had joined at all. He was a capricious man, very much unlike his now-deceased father, whom I had met briefly earlier in my career. His response to the holonet crisis had been rude, to put it one way.
Moff Moew was a different case. She was shrewd in her dealings. Her sector was not the richest nor the most powerful, but it was not poor or weak by any stretch of the imagination. She was, however, the kind of person to ensure that every deal made was as beneficial to her as possible, regardless of the consequences for everyone else. There's a reason I didn't take her deal during the crisis, after all.
The final person was Moff Delninian of the Braxant Sector. He was perhaps the only one I might call anything close to an ally, given how closely our two Guilds worked. Our economies weren't entirely intertwined — that felt like an easy trap to fall into, the security such a thing promised being quite tantalizing.
However, the downsides of integrating such large economies so quickly would be incredibly dangerous and foolish to ignore. Still, our two economies did grow closer slowly over time, strengthening one another. So it was him I would likely be counting on as the only person in the room — well, not actually in the room, of course — who would be willing to act in my interests, if only because our interests were so economically aligned.
"You called us here for a meeting," said Callron. "I don't have all day."
He was brisk and rude as always, his mustachioed face twitching in annoyance. Not for the last time, I dearly wished his father was still alive and in control. He had been a much more reasonable individual.
Moff Moew gave a light, dainty laugh, and I almost wanted to applaud her. It was the most real-sounding fake laugh I had heard in a while. She must have been taking lessons — it was certainly an improvement over the last time I'd heard her attempt one.
"Why, my dear Tyron, no need for hostilities." She turned to address the room at large. "I called us here together to address the shared concerns we all have. The demands of the Empire as of late have been quite strenuous. I believed it would be beneficial for us to come together and assist one another in our respective times of need."
This was a surprising move from her. It had been one I myself was considering — after all, we all needed things, and we might have things the others needed. If she was the one making this proposal, she must have been in more trouble than I thought, though I wasn't sure of the nature of it. I would have to do some research on her sector to understand what exactly was being demanded of her.
It must have been serious. Or this meeting was a trap.
Still, this was a good thing. It saved me the effort and political capital of proposing it myself. Political capital wasn't something I was immensely interested in keeping, but it had a way of coming back to haunt me when I lacked it.
"So you finally show your weakness," replied Callron.
"And yours," she replied. "I know your sector is severely lacking in the kind of production the Empire demands — just as we all are in our own ways. Yet we each excel in others."
She didn't look at me when she said that. But I knew what she was talking about. While I may not have kept tabs on exact production numbers across the sector, I did know that my sector outpaced its neighbors by quite a lot. This so-called alliance could very easily be a ruse to gain access to my resource wealth while giving relatively little in return. I couldn't have that.
"I see," said Delinean. "I too have been having some problems with these production numbers. I don't even have the factories for some of the things being asked of me."
Tyron looked like he wanted to object, but it was clear to everyone he had no basis to stand on. His sector, while having an older and more entrenched administration and a larger population than average, was not rich enough to project the strength he clearly wished for. Finally, he ground out the word "fine," and we moved on.
The negotiations were tense. No one quite wanted to admit what they were lacking in — or at least, Moff Moew and Moff Callron were not so keen. Moff Delninian and I were more open about it.
I suppose it comes with being well-adjusted individuals.
Still, the negotiations took multiple days. Between meetings, I fielded individual calls from Delinian and Moew, each offering their own individual deals. Callron made no such attempt, not that I expected one.
By the third day, we had something resembling an agreement.
Callron would provide excess medical production to Delinian in exchange for weapons production. Moew would provide Callron with excess mineral extraction in exchange for excess agricultural products.
I would provide everyone with excess tibanna gas and TIE fighters, in exchange for spare patrol vessels which I sorely needed.
The four of us sat there, on that third day, each of us looking something akin to being satisfied with our dealings. Well, three of us, Callron perpetually had the look of someone who'd just smelt a fart.
Of course, it was during this relatively peaceful time that all four of us had aides whisper breaking news into our ears. How they did it at the same exact time, I'm not entirely sure. I suspect they were colluding to be as theatrical as possible.
Still, we looked at one another in unison, understanding blooming across our faces. Production quotas would be rising once more.
Kuat had just been attacked.
–
Yo. more stuff. The first section is there to show the life of the average Mytoan immigrant. Most move in because of the promise of the new colonies. To them, they owe the sector everything, and are more than willing to buy a shit ton of bonds.
Second segment is a little weaker, but does what it needs to do. Gets negotiations going to showcase how Las is getting around things, and touches on Ringbreaker.
Didn't bake anything this time, spent all my time playing Stalker and now Zero Company. And also college. Gonna be there a lot more with 5 classes so some updates might be slower/shorter.
-Freefaller
krahe
Experienced.
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2013
- Messages
- 2,693
- Likes received
- 43,191
Rebels going big or going home, huh. And a lot of them don't have a home anymore
AldariSiradla
Spirit Boy, Police Girl
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2018
- Messages
- 5,472
- Likes received
- 70,314
I can't believe myself for reading the name...
Meow.
Looks like the belts need to be tightened a tad.
Things are going to get rough before it gets better for now.
And every citizen...
Is doing their part.
ArcanaVitae
Well worn.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2021
- Messages
- 8,364
- Likes received
- 123,386
The quality of life and culture in this sector is just so different from the rest of the Empire. The rest of the galaxy is basically hellish on average, so a government that's actually functioning and doing it's job is basically paradise to them.
This really goes to show why people like him as a leader, he's not insanely ruthless or charismatic but he tells it as it is, obviously is doing his best to do right by the people, is doing his job with a lot of competency. So when the holy shit the quota has been tripled would usually be met with he's going to but the boot down on us, they know that Mola wouldn't do that and they actually want to get invested into this bonds stuff.
Working with other people is pretty tricky in the Empire, the whole only able to do so with a few people and it's still shaky shows that really well.
This really goes to show why people like him as a leader, he's not insanely ruthless or charismatic but he tells it as it is, obviously is doing his best to do right by the people, is doing his job with a lot of competency. So when the holy shit the quota has been tripled would usually be met with he's going to but the boot down on us, they know that Mola wouldn't do that and they actually want to get invested into this bonds stuff.
Working with other people is pretty tricky in the Empire, the whole only able to do so with a few people and it's still shaky shows that really well.
Athain
Fanfic Addict
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Oh, that's big.
AdrianXIV
Not too sore, are you?
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Collectors
Not too sore, are you?
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Personally if it takes longer for stuff to be written, thats fine the amount here means no one new would be bored and if you're taking time to have fun outside of writing than even better. Take the time to enjoy the process.
Pixulior
Not-Invincible Composer
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If the Empire keeps getting in the way like that, maybe it's time to begin looking at breaking off, look for like minded sectors and build a new faction. Like the CIS, but without being controlled by banks and megaconcerns.
Heidao
Not too sore, are you?
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In terms of overall stats, our Boi had wisely stacked his growth to encompass as many sectors of trade and production as possible. Whereas everyone else pre-anti-slavery had foolishly spec'd into specialty products, repeating the folly of medieval fiefs.
The irony that his lack of greed and corruption gave him the capital to fund his projects, but creates a disconnect with his fellow moffs to cultivate social and political capital. So while he's bowing his head and calling for warbond purchases, the others are burning their reserves of favors just to have this talk. They just know he's not as sharp they in the game of politics, and set their sights on him to fill in for their shit infrastructure.
We have to consider more on what's happening in the background. Only these three are on call? Nonsense, the others are drowning and have already huddled up to who can help OR they're already dead and swapped out for someone new who's now panicking in their new position.
In the meantime, civilians are gonna be chattering and passing off their own comparisons of how things are going between sectors on the net. If people find out it's just slightly higher taxes, reduced trade and warbond purchases, where in other places the moffs had bumped up taxes, reduced food down to emergency rations or mass starvation. More will flock to Myto.
And holy crap, Kuat.
That was supposed to be a post Endor invasion where even the ships still being built were thrown into combat
The irony that his lack of greed and corruption gave him the capital to fund his projects, but creates a disconnect with his fellow moffs to cultivate social and political capital. So while he's bowing his head and calling for warbond purchases, the others are burning their reserves of favors just to have this talk. They just know he's not as sharp they in the game of politics, and set their sights on him to fill in for their shit infrastructure.
We have to consider more on what's happening in the background. Only these three are on call? Nonsense, the others are drowning and have already huddled up to who can help OR they're already dead and swapped out for someone new who's now panicking in their new position.
In the meantime, civilians are gonna be chattering and passing off their own comparisons of how things are going between sectors on the net. If people find out it's just slightly higher taxes, reduced trade and warbond purchases, where in other places the moffs had bumped up taxes, reduced food down to emergency rations or mass starvation. More will flock to Myto.
And holy crap, Kuat.
That was supposed to be a post Endor invasion where even the ships still being built were thrown into combat
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aokway
Puppet with a gun is #1 causer of all problems
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to early
will die
be patient
ya gotta wait until the force based embodiment of fury allows himself to kamikaze then you make your faction
cause
he WILL find out
the force is just THAT strong in him
and neither las nor you are that guy compared to him
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frozone
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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Just wait until after endor when central authority breaks down then u can leave
Watching
Not too sore, are you?
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Isn't white and gold the high republic era colours?
I Wonder if the alliance managed to succeed in their attack in this timeline?
Xx_BoneIdle_xX
Versed in the lewd.
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Multiple times:
I feel there is some typo with the name here but I am not sure which is the correct one...
DeusFerreus
Things and stuff.
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"busied"
ScarredPunLover
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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Who knows, maybe Brio/ar injures himself a lot when removing his gear
Yacov
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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A twi'lek working heavy industry. Surprised she is lean and not bulky. We know from Ryloth's senator during the clone wars that twi'leks can get fat. Maybe it is just her specific profession.
I feel the need to remind people that a lot of people in the Outer Rim live in "non-habitation intended locations". Attics above houses or businesses, utility rooms, a closet in a starship converted into a bed, a collection of tents in outside of a residential area like in the sewer system. A whole fab for a single family is likely better conditions sentients are living in. The Outer Rim as a whole has a lot of available land for these sentients, it just lacks developed land.
Well that is certainly job security, as long as the real security remains able to fend off potential raiders. Dubrillion had tibanna refining in their system too if I recall. Guess losing the position of Sector Capital along with the Moff's policies means they can't try to quash any other systems getting into that market.
I imagine a lot of parents are giving the talk to reluctant kids of "there are plenty of folks outside the Myto Sector who would love to eat those nutri-bars and vegetables". The fact they are completely right and probably have first hand experience of that hunger does little to persuade the children.
So being able to import chocolate as an average citizen is one heck of a privilege. Not just the price, but the availability and access to goods.
Yeah this is a shock not just because of the Empire, but also because of the Republic. Before the Moffs and the Governors there were the Senators and their political allies leading these sectors. Someone sitting down and just doing the flimsiwork without aggrandizement is one heck of a shift compared to the last decades if not a whole centuries for some of these people.
Myto Sector citizens: "Oh no we can't import chocolate and the latest PADs."
Other Outer Rim Sector citizens: "Oh no we can't import food and water!"
This may lead to further self sufficiency by systems as trade slows. Las was already laying the groundwork for such sufficiency and the slowing down of trade is only to encourage such programs further.
Artisan and other small scale industries are likely to pop up. People in the sector are already used to having certain goods decide to make it themselves at a lower volume and higher cost now that availability may be drying up to meet the lingering demand for those certain goods in the system.
Buying Myto-Bonds may sound like a patriotic sacrifice on the surface now, until you realize the secondary bond market is a thing and Endor is around the corner.
The galaxy is heading towards a political collapse and revolution. That level of instability and governments using extreme debt measures is going to scare the confidence out of investors. Said investors are going to start highly valuing safe investments far away from political instability.
Enter the Myto-Bonds. A stable bond from a politically stable sector that has a strong and reliable financial history. A bond acknowledged and invested in by the Banking Clans, the foremost financial experts in the galaxy. Suddenly Myto-Bonds become a safe haven for portfolios under assault from both Imperial and New Republic military and financial policies as the galaxy tears itself apart.
This is likely to be reflected in the price of an issued Myto-Bond rising rapidly, even above its principal value. The value of a Myto-Bond isn't the dividends investors receive, it is knowing that an investor will receive those dividends reliably in a galaxy gone mad.
This may lead to Myto citizens getting a return on their Myto-Bonds far above what they expect if they sell them at the right time which may further raise wealth per capita across the sector. They have little reason not to sell since they live in the Myto Sector, and therefore at insulated from a lot of the political instability going on in the rest of the galaxy. Trila might be getting that mechanic shop and then some.
The consequences of lack of investment are making themselves known. Other sectors may have larger populations and longer histories, but Las' investment programs appear to be far more rigorous. That higher prosperity and wealth is going to keep attracting entrepreneurs and immigrants, draining them from neighboring sectors around Myto.
Wonder if these commercial alliance will endure past Endor? These trade ties are going to be something the other Moffs are going to be relying on, especially after Endor.
Also it looks like Mindan TIES are spreading out of the sector. That is going to go a long way to suppressing pirates and Rebels in those sectors.
AdrianXIV
Not too sore, are you?
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Well, this is bad news for Rebellion, given that it may mean potential increase in amount of locations where Whirlwinds can be encountered.
HonorBoundFate
Making the rounds.
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None of them are. Las simply can't get this guy's name straight.
OriginalTaste
Slaanesh is a misunderstood Disney Princess
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The wiki says this op failed. I wonder what the hell happened for the Rebels to succeed here. Did they refurbish a few asteroids and decided to LARP as 40k Orks or what? Like, how? It's fucking Kuat.
Deathwings
Questionable French Guy
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Isn't there a mission in the Zann Consortium campaign of Empire At War where Tyber attacks Kuat not long before Endor ? Maybe it was him, rather than the Rebellion.
AdrianXIV
Not too sore, are you?
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I feel that in this case, between what Tyber stole & Arbiters/Whirlwinds, Rebels will prefer latter