Governor's Gambit - Star Wars SI into Imperial Governor

[averagejoe32]

Fair enough, but the fact that the Tie Phantom exists proves the idea is feasible. It's just a matter of casting a wide enough net in regards to potential means and methods to make it happen.

Click to shrink...

Given that the Empire had to crack open a planet to make that happen, and that basically rendered Stygium Cloaking Devices into Star Wars equivalent of archeotech post-destruction, I'm not sure Tie Phantoms are the best example there.

 

[OrderedOrb]

Given that the Empire had to crack open a planet to make that happen, and that basically rendered Stygium Cloaking Devices into Star Wars equivalent of archeotech post-destruction, I'm not sure Tie Phantoms are the best example there.

Click to shrink...

True, but what I mean is that they aren't the ONLY example. Given time and incentive to do so humanity has found new ways to reverse engineer or synthetically produce many things. Hell, in WW2 we cound out how to make synthetic rubber and plastic because the natural sources were unavailable or couldn't keep up with demand. Given time, resources and incentive to.do.so, I can certainly see the techies at Mimda coming up with new methods of cloaking tech.

 

[RedDeadShyguy]

Just realised after playing a bit but Star Wars Alliance Rebellion for Empire at War is an absolute unit of a mod with some really silly things in it that wouldn't look out of place in an actual RnD facility, not an imperial RnD group unless you made something like this after all.

I'll see about posting some images of other units I come across.

 

[Bbob]

The thing with the Tie Phantom is that it literally turned the craft invisible, but it's a small fast moving space fighter, it doesn't need to be invisible it just needs to not show up on sensors or at least have a presence small enough to not get noticed or filtered out.

 

[Yacov]

Omake: A Report on the Theoretical MSDF Auxiliary Unit: The Verndari Heavy Troopers

Introduction

With the integration of Minda-2's native population into the Empire, the question of how to form a PDF to defend the planet was one of the natural next steps. Eventually it was determined that since the MSDF was a defense force for the Mindan system as a whole, that any non-Imperial army or naval formations raised on Minda-2 would fall under their jurisdiction and therefore be their responsibility.

The result of this conclusion was the creation of the Vendari Heavy Troopers. A third line formation to improve cohesion and coordination between the local national militaries and the Imperial military. This planetary formation was mainly tasked with defending Minda-2 from external and internal dangers against Imperial assets and civilians, engaging in search and rescue operations, and hunting down the enemies of the Empire who sought to find a haven in Minda-2's jungles.

Armor

Some debate was held to determine how to armor the Verndari. it was eventually agreed that the Swamp Trooper armor for Imperial Army troopers would serve as the base for the Vendari Heavy Troopers.

After the armor's design and some samples were procured, the Mindan R&D, being an old hat at designing infantry armor, quickly designed a cheap resize and refit package to fit the Vendari's larger frame. The result was something less capable than the Generalist Mk. 2 Stormtrooper armor, but still an improvement over what the Imperial Army enlisted had to work with.

These days the armor suits are well liked by the Vendari Heavy Troopers. The extra environmental protections and increase of the armor's range of motion compared to the Swamp Trooper armor were the biggest positives listed.

Note: There has been a trend of various stylizations, paint jobs, and touch ups that have left many an armorer frustrated. The reasons given by Heavy Troopers are often to show cultural ties or to blend into the environment better. The increase in discipline from forbidding these alterations was determined by Command to not be worth the loss in morale as long as said alterations were kept within reason and didn't impact the armor's performance or recognition as Imperial armor.

Main weapons

There was a short but fierce argument over what the main armament for the Vendari Heavy Troopers would be. Given the jungle terrain and other close combat engagements they would often have to deal with, a standard blaster rifle was ruled out. A blaster shotgun was proposed, but eventually the proposal faltered and a blaster carbine was chosen as the main blaster type.

Looking through what was easily accessible in the nearby Sectors' stores, the military planners eventually came across the DLS-12 Heavy Blaster Carbine. These things were highly popular at the end of the Clone Wars and the Republic purchased them by the freighter load. However most of these weapons would never see the frontlines as the war ended shortly after their purchase.

Unfortunately the carbine fell out of favor with the rise of the Empire. The heavy firepower did not make up for the bulkiness when used by the average sentient. This left large stores in Imperial armories that persist even after two decades of auctions being held to try and get rid of the excess stock.

It was hoped that the Vendari's larger frame would make wielding the normally cumbersome carbine easier for them. In addition diverting excess stockpiles to a minor and less suspected PDF formation would allow for more storage space for more advanced and preferred weaponry.

Heavy/specialist weapons

Although the standard armor and weapon had been chosen, questions still remained over what specialists to assign the Vendari Heavy Troopers and what to equip them with. A blaster carbine is not suited to tackle every challenge a trooper squad would face after all.

It was determined early in the debate that a heavy trooper squad should probably have a heavy weapons specialist. The main weapon chosen for this role was the FC-1 Flechette Launcher.

The weapon weighed in at 20 kg and was deemed appropriate in engaging in a wide variety of combat situations due to its dual ammo types. The anti personnel rounds were referred to as "swarm reaper" rounds while the anti vehicle rounds would known as "giant killer" rounds. These names were given due to how often the heavy weapons specialist use them on Minda-2's native fauna.

——

Although the DLS-12 carbine might have a higher rate of fire than the average blaster pistol, there is something to be said for having a role dedicated solely to suppressing fire. The main weapon of this heavy gunner role was a bit difficult given the close quarters nature of the Heavy Troopers.

The procurement officers finally settled on the Underslung Rotary Blaster Carbine for the role. What the light repeating blaster lacked in accuracy due to only being able to be fired from the hip, it made up in rate of fire and sheer suppression potential.

Note: It was determined by Command that wielding two Underslung Rotary Blaster Carbines at once did little to increase the combat effectiveness of an individual heavy gunner. This has not stopped reports of heavy gunners attempting to duel wield them from cropping up. Please report any further sightings to your superiors.

——

The Vendari came in with a request for a melee weapon with which they could utilize their combat knowledge and experience gained prior to their integration into the Empire. The request was deemed sensible by Command and the weapon chosen was a mass production version of the Force Pike.

The Force Pike was relatively light for a two handed weapon at 7 kg. Those with experience and skill can use a Force Pike effectively can often deal rapid and precise strikes.

Those who wield Force Pikes among the Vendari Heavy Troopers are known as Vendari Spear Troopers. They are usually recruited from the more rural communities on Minda-2. Respected for their CQC skills and bravery in battle, a Spear Trooper will often be seen leading a given ambush or a charge.

Note: While throwing the Force Pike may no longer automatically result in disciplinary action, failure to retrieve said Force Pike after utilizing it as a ranged weapon does still carry fines and other consequences.

Sub weapons

Given the lower tech level and varied cultures of Minda-2, it should come as no surprise that a variety of unique cultural affiliated weapons exist on the planet. These traditional Vendari weapons, although inferior to Imperial made equivalents, carry significant morale value to the Vendari Heavy Troopers.

As a result, Command has giving permission to utilize these weapons provided the Heavy Trooper in question can demonstrate enough mastery to not bring down the combat effectiveness of their squad. This is taken by the Heavy Trooper in question as a challenge to improve the mastery of their chosen weapon even further in order to prevent it from being taken away.

Significant amounts of a Heavy Trooper's off time may be devoted to training with their chosen weapon or obtaining upgrades for it. This is seen as a benefit by Command as it focuses the Heavy Trooper's attention towards better serving the Empire.

——

Given the tight quarters Heavy Troopers find themselves in, most if not all carry a hunting knife as a holdout weapon and a utility tool. Although give the larger frame of the Vendari, it can appear to most sentients to be a small short sword in size. Engraving the handle of the knife is common practice among the Heavy Troopers. One can often find specialists who do custom engravings close by where the Heavy Troopers are stationed.

——

One of the more uncommon weapons in the Vendari Heavy Troopers' arsenal was the RL-40 stun net launcher. This is meant to provide the Heavy Trooper with a dedicated range stun option they lacked with most of their other weapons.

This weapon is usually kept by an officer or a chosen Heavy Trooper in a squad. However further RL-40s may be distributed to Heavy Troopers should an objective of a mission include the live capture of prisoners or fauna. The Heavy Troopers' themselves view the RL-40 more as a tool for hunting rather than a weapon.

——

One of the more unpopular weapons in the Vendari Heavy Troopers' arsenal is the humble blaster pistol. Given its status as an emergency holdout weapon, there is no standard model. Usually a Heavy Trooper is given whatever blaster pistol is available in the armory.

The source of this unpopularity is the Vendari's distaste for the look, size, and lack of firepower of most blaster pistols. They are seen as weapons for children and weaklings due to their diminutive size and capability when compared to a Vendari's frame.

This prejudice is compounded by the fact that a lot of budget conscious quartermasters for the Vendari formation see the DLS-12 as the answer to most if not all situations a blaster pistol could be useful for. This results in the quartermasters acquiring the cheapest and least powerful blaster pistols in order to save costs, reinforcing the bias among the Heavy Troopers.

A Heavy Trooper being seen wielding a blaster pistol in combat can be a source of mockery by one's fellow Heavy Troopers, despite Command's discouragement of the practice. It is to the point that some Heavy Troopers will resort to their hunting knives or even their fists when deprived of their main weapons rather than pulling out their pistols.

Note: Command's stance on the matter is clear. Despite the leeway given in other matters, every Heavy Trooper must possess a functioning blaster pistol in good repair in their kit. Officers who are found to have multiple Heavy Troopers under their command without blaster pistols during inspection will be punished alongside their squad.

Conclusion

National Vendari formations are still present on Minda-2, and Imperial formations like Stormtroopers still patrol and guard the more vital Imperial installations. However, the Vendari Heavy Troopers are increasingly becoming the main face for the Imperial presence on Minda-2. It is hopeful that the Heavy Troopers will eventually come take over a majority of duties currently being done by the former two.

——

This is the result of the jungle warfare debate in the thread and imagining what a PDF for the Vendari using Imperialized tech could possibly look like. Turns out it is a mix of scrambling due to unexpected third line procurement order, "techno barbarity", soldiers being soldiers, and digging through old Imperial stockpiles like they were bargain bins at a thrift store looking for gear that is either cheap, in large quantities, and/or from brands that have fallen out of Imperial favor like Golan Arms.

Crossposted in SB and SV

 

[Vengeful-Astartes]

behold the carrot and the stick.

 

[Freefaller]

Chp-66

Garpastealap Hath
Minda System, Ugea, Accordia, Imperial Island

Garpastealap Hath, known around the office as Garp, was busy.

Very busy.

Ever since the Governor left to go deal with that kerfuffle on Minda-2, Garp had been left to deal with the busywork as Chief Secretary.

And wasn't that a promotion!

Garp had come to Minda from Muunilist to pursue his dreams. His dreams of fashion!

Muun culture was a strict thing to say the least. Business, money, and any other fiscal, high-paying career was the goal of just about every living being on the planet.

Everything was about money and merit. Or, more accurately, a person's merit in making money.

Garps family had been fairly influential on Scipio, the Muun homeworld, and Garp's great-grandparents were sent to Muunilist to establish more of said influence on the most prominent Muun colony.

His parents had pushed him the same way they pushed their other children, and how they themselves were pushed to work harder, study harder.

And Garp studied. He studied engineering, mathematics, finance, everything. He wasn't particularly talented by Muun standards (which are an order of magnitude above the galactic standard) but he worked hard. His future was incredibly promising.

And he hated it. Garp didn't know if the rest of his family hated their lives and hid it like he did, but he didn't care at that point.

Day in, day out, his life was nothing but studying and work. The worst part? He didn't even mind doing work. Once he actually got into a career, it wasn't horrible.

What was horrible was having nothing else. Being told that he could have nothing else, because that would distract him from what mattered for the family.

The one thing that kept him sane since childhood was the holonet. He would watch a series called Dra Gongo's Galactic Fashion, which explored fashion from across the galaxy. It even visited some planets in the Mid and Outer Rim! Once it ended, he rewatched every episode for years, and scoured the holonet for other fashion shows and the like.

As a child, it ignited a passion within himself. He, like most Muun, saw the beauty in money and numbers, but he saw more in fashion.

An aesthetic that couldn't be quantified. Something that resonated with his soul.

Something his family didn't agree with.

So, he left. The money, the power, the chains. And he came out to the Myto sector.

The Mindan Trade Fleet had passed by Myto offering job opportunities, so he took one and made his way to Minda. It was better than nothing, and he could always go elsewhere.

And once he got there? More work. But not overwhelming work.

Of course, his skills earned him promotions in the oddly meritocratic structure of Minda, and eventually, once Oioro was made head negotiator, Garp was promoted to Chief Secretary.

Admittedly, for all that he was 'Chief', he had few people working under him, and mostly just shared the workload with the Governor. It was a title made to justify the workload and the pay raise that came with it.

So, there he sat, dealing with that workload. The Governor usually took around half of the work, so Garp was swamped with it. Requests for funding, reports on the nearly complete shipyards, reports from the now nearly fully staffed Council, and more flooded his terminal.

He had even been given permission to approve R&D's little pet projects, within reason. Most had been rejected due to their inherent foolishness, but he allowed them to use the sims to play with this 'New-Class' Ship Project. Children needed toys after all.

This was on top of his regular duties, part of which was working with the propaganda department. With the shipyards closer to completion everyday, workers had to be drawn in, and he played a part in the propaganda posters and ads that were sent out.

It had him working through his lunch break, which greatly annoyed him. On the tram to work that morning he'd had an idea for a coat made of cascading geometric metal panels of sorts, based off of the tribal headwear the local Tula people use. He was looking forward to refining the idea on his PDA's 3d modeling app.

Still, he was making good progress. Taking a sip of some locally made tea and checking the clock, he could safely say he'd be done before nightfall.

Then, a message came through.

From Major Koran. Thornes Major.

At the same time, a message arrived from Commander Grant's secretary.

He could already feel the headache building, but he opened them anyway. He had to get that paycheck, the best threads aren't cheap after all.

The Major's message was about Augir. Rebels attempted to sabotage the refinery there, but were stopped. They escaped, and now Thorne had put the city under martial law, locking the entire city down to stop the rebels from escaping.

The Commanders message was asking the Governor to deal with this, as Thorne refuses to acknowledge the Commander's authority in this matter.

Garp sighed, pulled up his comms app, and messaged the Governor. He would surely love to hear about this.

He would likely have to meet with Thorne once more. What should he wear though? Something more intimidating, yes? Not overtly, but to showcase that he had power. Darker tones, then. Some armor plating, maybe? No, that seems paranoid. Perhaps shoulder pauldrons. A better hairstyle would be needed, something to remove the bags around his eyes…

So long as he didn't wear a helmet.

Garp liked helmets.

The Governor made him hate them.

-

Diplomacy sucks major ass.

Especially when I have to consistently break the news to every nation/tribe of importance that yes, we are conquering you, and no, you cannot fight back.

The amount of times I've had to order a turbolaser barrage is annoying. The amount of assasination attempts is also annoying. They never get anywhere near close, but that doesn't mean it's fun to then go back, look the person who ordered them in the eyes, and tell them they don't get to sit on their little thrones anymore.

Minda-2 has a surprising number of nations. Some old empires existed like a thousand years ago, but they collapsed and left a shit ton of smaller nations bickering around.

Made it easier to conquer, to be frank.

Honestly though? They got a fairly good deal.

Most of the nations would be allowed to continue as they are, with their own laws and cultures and such, so long as none went to war with each other, and they all paid their taxes. In resources, since their currencies were worth jack-shit to the Empire.

Surveys had been and were still being conducted to determine what resources would be useful. Some native plants had medicinal properties that were being studied, but it would take longer to determine what was useful to the Empire.

On top of that, they have to send people to get educated. A few schools were being set up to see how Verndari children learned and adapted to Basic. Their vocal structure was similar enough to allow for it. From there, who knows.

It wasn't much on the surface, but all of that took a month and a half.

Now, I left behind a suitable garrison, a competent Commandant, and my hopes that the natives would rebel after I ran away.

Now, as my shuttle started the flight back to Ugea, I caught myself up on things I had missed.

The shipyards were but a month from completion, which was good.

The Guild was expanding to other systems, with 4 new systems having joined, which was good.

And…Nox. Fucking Nox.

Governor-General Nox Vellam. Put in charge of the Bright Jewel Oversector after Vanko 'retired' due to some manipulated books, he failed to find the Rebel Alliance's base on Yavin quick enough.

Because of that, some worlds were given to Vader.

And now, he was trying to kill Vader for some random fucking reason.

Thankfully, it seems that Moff Hiral is keeping loyal and not doing some stupid bullshit, so I have little to worry about.

What I do have to worry about is Ardus Kaine. Future leader of the Pentastar Alignment. And current Grand Moff of Oversector-Outer, which now covered Bright Jewel as well.

In fact, it covered most of the Outer Rim. Probably why Nox was given the title of Governor-General instead of Grand Moff, but I digress.

He was going around and inspecting each sector. Agents of his were sent to every sector, with the Grand Moff himself inspecting those sectors deemed most important.

Which Myro might be considered. Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully not.

I sighed, laying the PDA back on the coffee table. I was too tired for this right now.

A message beeped onto the screen.

I checked it.

"Thorne did WHAT!?"

-

Hi there folks! Sorry if it's not my best work, but I've got too much going on IRL to write any compelling dialogue right now. Bio-Anthro is kicking my ass, plus a lot of other stuff. And a lot of V-Rising with my friends. Honestly, the game could do with more ARPG elements, feels kinda stiff as it is.

Regardless, chapters will be few and far between compared to before, and especially compared to the daily uploads way back when.

As always, feedback and commentary is appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

-Freefaller

 

[sxeron10]

Damn you, Thorne!

You truly live up to your name, don't you?!

 

[OrchiSucks]

Gary is so fun. He's literally overqualified for his job and has a fashionista soul. He's the reason why Lars and Darna are drowning in drip and I'm here for his fabulous works to set fashion wildfires across the Galaxy, given Lar's coat and Darna's outfit. Also good for him. Pursuing a passion and a career he loves instead of conforming to societal expectations or family and peer pressure and succeeding....I eager watch Gary's side hustle as the personal fashion designer for Govenor Molas and his staff.

 

[Rakdos92]

Garp liked helmets.

The Governor made him hate them.

Click to shrink...

That's a shame. I wonder what was the tipping point for Garp to loathe helmets.

 

[OrchiSucks]

That's a shame. I wonder what was the tipping point for Garp to loathe helmets.

Click to shrink...

Las's poor design choices and lack of design and color coordination.

 

[ThedudeManBro]

Typical imperial. When nettled, uses hammers judiciously like the UNGA BUNGA he is.

Other options are for sissies and rebels. Are YOU a rebel, boy?

 

[Vlaadd17]

Isn't thorne in the right here? Logical step to do lockdown and declare martial law if there is a terrorist attack on the city?

Like, immagine similar thing happened in US or do know, france. Big boom in major industrial center with terrorist shooting everyone and setting things on fire. Declare martial law, say don't go outside to civilians and let loose national guard and fbi.

Cant see why everyone hates thorn. He is doing his work, and does so successfully or half secsesfully.

 

[Yacov]

Of course, his skills earned him promotions in the oddly meritocratic structure of Minda, and eventually, once Oioro was made head negotiator, Garp was promoted to Chief Secretary.

Click to shrink...

Garp would actually make a really good traditional secretary. Especially with his love for picking out outfits.

So, there he sat, dealing with that workload. The Governor usually took around half of the work, so Garp was swamped with it. Requests for funding, reports on the nearly complete shipyards, reports from the now nearly fully staffed Council, and more flooded his terminal.

Click to shrink...

Good to see Las has a full team behind him, and it is still barely enough.

Most had been rejected due to their inherent foolishness, but he allowed them to use the sims to play with this 'New-Class' Ship Project. Children needed toys after all.

Click to shrink...

Woohoo! New ship incoming. I imagine it is going to be some blend of CEC, Rothanan, and Mindan design philosophy.

The Major's message was about Augir. Rebels attempted to sabotage the refinery there, but were stopped. They escaped, and now Thorne had put the city under martial law, locking the entire city down to stop the rebels from escaping.

The Commanders message was asking the Governor to deal with this, as Thorne refuses to acknowledge the Commander's authority in this matter.

Click to shrink...

Isn't thorne in the right here? Logical step to do lockdown and declare martial law if there is a terrorist attack on the city?

Click to shrink...

It probably has to do more with Thorne not being willing to acknowledge anyone else's authority on the matter. Meaning they are trying and failing to mitigate Thorne's actions.

Thorne is an ISB agent so he technically has the right, however refusing to coordinate with the Mindans means he probably intends for more "traditional" methods for dealing with the matter of a city "harboring" Rebels.

Diplomacy sucks major ass.

Especially when I have to consistently break the news to every nation/tribe of importance that yes, we are conquering you, and no, you cannot fight back.

Click to shrink...

It always sucks when the natives have delusions of independence. The Empire just hadn't gotten around to them yet.

The amount of assasination attempts is also annoying. They never get anywhere near close, but that doesn't mean it's fun to then go back, look the person who ordered them in the eyes, and tell them they don't get to sit on their little thrones anymore.

Click to shrink...

I wonder if Las acted like a sneering Imperial during those speeches or a foreman giving a noncompliant worker a pink slip? Either way it demonstrates the Empire's power.

Wait until the Vendari realizes Las is the one who determines whether or not they classify as sentient under Galactic law. Ask the Ranat how bad things can get when you are hit with the even the semi-sentient designation.

Minda-2 has a surprising number of nations. Some old empires existed like a thousand years ago, but they collapsed and left a shit ton of smaller nations bickering around.

Made it easier to conquer, to be frank.

Click to shrink...

On one hand, plenty of old ruins and cultural artifacts to plunder. On the other, probably not much in the way of high tech stuff given the Vendari's current tech level.

Governor-General Nox Vellam. Put in charge of the Bright Jewel Oversector after Vanko 'retired' due to some manipulated books, he failed to find the Rebel Alliance's base on Yavin quick enough.

Because of that, some worlds were given to Vader.

Click to shrink...

I wonder who is going to be put in charge of those worlds? Vader isn't really ruler material, let alone for a bunch of worlds at once. They technically don't count as a whole new oversector. If only there was a place full of talented administrators nearby.

And now, he was trying to kill Vader for some random fucking reason.

Thankfully, it seems that Moff Hiral is keeping loyal and not doing some stupid bullshit, so I have little to worry about.

Click to shrink...

Moff Hiral is probably waiting for the smoke to settle before trying to usurp Nox's position. Whether he succeeds or not, Nox isn't staying in that chair for long.

 

[Vlaadd17]

Thorne is an ISB agent so he technically has the right, however refusing to coordinate with the Mindans means he probably intends for more "traditional" methods for dealing with the matter of a city "harboring" Rebels.

Click to shrink...

Egh, still don't see a problem.

Failed to coordinate with local authorities... Like... Alright. Terrorist tried to blow up a factory, they failed and escaped. What should you do? Lock dawn the damn city immediately and call for a martial law, or wait ten to thirty minutes to get a permission for that?

He is literally the guy who tries to save the day , the cop acting right, disregarding stupid politician who think about voters and other shit. Only this time, we see it from the politician perspective , and not from the 'cop' perspective

As for him being well... Oppressing, empire bad, tirany and all that things resulting in tensions rising and earning spite from locals... I doubt it.

Like rebels/terrorist launched multiple attacks on elected by people representatives, alongside planting explosives and trying to poison water reservoirs.

Just by killing representative live TM alone should warrant total lockdown and martial law. People would understand.Hell, people themselves would ask for it.

Minda is rich prosperous planet with literally zero oppression. Now comes terrorists rocking the boat. I can see normal people from the streets asking "what are you doing to prevent such attacks? What steps are taken to protect us? Capture rebels?"

In this situation they would not only accept some 'oppression' and loss of liberties, i could see them demand just exactly that.

Si literally can enact couple of opresing laws for 'stability and security of their society' and earn ovation just as big as the original. I could totally see that.

And the most fun part? i also could see that once the crisis is gone, normal people still asking to keep some of those laws around, just in case , to prevent similar shit.

P.s yes, thorn is racist... Spiciest? Humancentrist, and generally cruel. Yes.

But would it be better for some naive idealistic imbecile to take his place? Or corrupt incompetent inbred from the core?

 

[Sam I Am]

Throne is too used to Governors and Imperial leaders bowing donw before the ISB, but Las isn't gonna let that shit fly because he isn't a tyrannical moron Hell bent on using fear to cow the populace.

Besides, the problem with using Martial Law to attempt to capture terrorists is that terrorists disguise themselves as civilians, so they'd need to check literally every single civilian they find suspicious. It certainly won't help that Thorne and his Stormtroopers are gonna be suspicious of everyone.

Really, they most likely try and intimidate everyone when they don't need to. Minda and Edin are probably gonna have the most loyal, cooperative citizens the Empire has to offer; All they need to do is ask the citizenry if they saw anything, if they did see something, then what, and act on that information (if it is actionable).

Them again, Thorne is operating on experience at this point, so he hasn't experienced a cooperative world like this one before. All the other planets he's been set to have probably been uncooperative and stuff.

 

[Talimancer2]

Isn't thorne in the right here? Logical step to do lockdown and declare martial law if there is a terrorist attack on the city?

Like, immagine similar thing happened in US or do know, france. Big boom in major industrial center with terrorist shooting everyone and setting things on fire. Declare martial law, say don't go outside to civilians and let loose national guard and fbi.

Cant see why everyone hates thorn. He is doing his work, and does so successfully or half secsesfully.

Click to shrink...

No, declaring martial law and locking down an entire city is rarely the correct solution which is why when there have been terrorist attacks in (for example) the US, UK and France the government rarely declared martial law.

 

[Andrew1993]

Honestly, im half expecting las to clash with thorn and it to get out that the Governor is fighting and ISB agent for the citizens of Minda, leading to said citizens violently dealing with said terrorists

 

[Talimancer2]

Thorne is basically doing the typical imperial thing of massively overreacting to anything the rebels do and causing more issues than he's solving

 

[Vlaadd17]

No, declaring martial law and locking down an entire city is rarely the correct solution which is why when there have been terrorist attacks in (for example) the US, UK and France the government rarely declared martial law.

Click to shrink...

Well, maybe, but in US, UK, and france we don't have spaceships and flying speaders. We have cars, so closing/blocking roads/puting down police post would serve just fine.

But in SW? where every second knows how to drive flying spreader, and you have hundreds, or even thousands of those around... Closing airlines and implementing no flying zones so rebels won't hijack a space ship and fly into sunset is pretty much logical action?

It would be more surprising if they didn't do exactly that.

 

[Abba is the best]

P.s yes, thorn is racist... Spiciest?

Click to shrink...

I've looked for the right answer to that question quite often and the answer has come to me in the form of my best friend's warhammer 40k obsession... its Xenophobe (works for litterally any type of alien, it can be used for someone who hates people alien to a nation aka foreigners, or litterally people who are an alien species)

 

[vtkun]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Scholar of Time]

@Freefaller It was good, it was compelling, and it set up the next chapter nicely while providing necessary dramatic tension & humor. It's an Empire Strikes Back chapter, and we love it for the character detail

 

[Mistroz]

excellent chapter, wonderful job.

 

[oscar e Sampedro Lopez]

Thanks for the chapter. Great story as always

 

[Talimancer2]

Well, maybe, but in US, UK, and france we don't have spaceships and flying speaders. We have cars, so closing/blocking roads/puting down police post would serve just fine.

But in SW? where every second knows how to drive flying spreader, and you have hundreds, or even thousands of those around... Closing airlines and implementing no flying zones so rebels won't hijack a space ship and fly into sunset is pretty much logical action?

It would be more surprising if they didn't do exactly that.

Click to shrink...

Right, but declaring martial law is very different to that. A declaration of martial law is an announcement that the civil government is no longer in charge of the city, the military (or in this case Thorne himself) has taken over.

No fly zones and searches of vehicles leaving the city is pretty normal and people would probably accept it. What Thorne is also probably doing is enforcing strict curfews and anyone on the streets after a certain time gets 'disappeared'. Combine that with barricades on the roads out of town, military raids on literally anyone they think might have thought some anti-imperial thoughts and various other forms of heavy handed enforcement, the way the Empire does in other systems.

 

[Yacov]

Omake: A Compromise of Ideals

POV: Governor Inhabilis, Nequam Prime, Nequam system, Myto sector, Governor's Office

"So Governor Inhabilis, do we have a deal?"

The Governor struggled not to glare at the alien. This was aided by staring at the stack of flimsi that felt like it was sucking out his soul. The howling bitter winds outside his office window a correlation of his mood. He struggled to dredge up a smidge of gratitude.

"The Empire appreciates the Guild's assistance in this small matter."

It was a small matter to the Empire, but it was a crisis to him and the planet of Nequam. This world was settled because of rumors of Borium had attracted the interest of the Empire. Unfortunately after years of prospecting under his leadership, not a trace of the mineral was found.

"Now about what we will want in return for Nequam becoming a Guild-affiliated world."

And here's the catch. Despite styling themselves as an Imperial organization, these parasites were still just the Trade Federation disguised in an Imperial surcoat. If it wasn't for Nequam's need, Inhabilis would not be caught dead working with these cretins.

His Grandfather was one of the first captains to fight those corporate parasites when they sought to bring ruin to the Core. His mother was the first one to fire upon those perfidious Jedi when they tried to escape in shuttles after their failed coup on Coruscant. The commendation his mother received in the mail from the Emperor himself is still mounted above the fireplace in their family home. Yet now here he is, seeking out those same breed of disloyal and two-faced curs his family fought so diligently against for support.

"Spare me the platitudes and name your price for preventing my people from starving."

That was the issue that had crippled Inhabilis' governorship. Resupply for Nequam had been suffering crippling delays as of late. The Imperial captains had spouted excuses about Nequam being "low priority" and "too far from well patrolled routes". No doubt his rivals were enjoying every moment of his planet's suffering. Jealousy born of talks of elevating the family to be Barons of the Empire.

Efforts were made to deal with the matter locally. However, Nequam's frequent cold snaps and dry spells made any attempts to grow food outside of hydroponics unsustainable. Not to mention the botanist in his government had explained to him the soil fertility for foodstuffs on Nequam could be described as barely above that of a barren asteroid.

The situation had gotten so bad that he had to rely on these… legitimized smugglers. Even though it goes against everything his family instilled in him to offer commercial interests leverage over him in any way.

"No need to be upset. Your encouragement of competition and free labor among the mining operations will make the transition easier."

Hmph. As if Inhabilis cared for the "Free Market" the Guild ranted about. He had let the riff raff scuttle around freely. However that was only because they would cover ground more efficiently looking for Borium than they would organized under his direct control. His Head of Resources explained to him that you couldn't just command miners to dig in the dirt like one commanded soldiers to dig trenches and expect the same results.

Nevertheless, Inhabilis always remained poised to seize the land on any claim the moment a vein of Borium was detected. At least the extraction of those lesser minerals helped keep the lights on. Unfortunately the recent lack of ships, both Imperial and private, had made trading those minerals for supplies more difficult.

"I imagine you will be wanting control of the Hfredium exports?"

The meager yields of Hfredium were the only reason Nequam had what little good graces from the Imperial government it did. Controlling the Quota Mineral on Nequam would give the Guild far too much influence on the planet. Yet if it kept his planet and the people under his protection alive…

"Oh no. We would never dream of interfering with the Imperial Quota. Too much attention from the Empire for our Conglomerate's tastes. Although we wouldn't mind if you requested assigning some Quality Control Analysts to ensure requirements are met. No what we are after is to be Nequam's first choice for your Exonium exports."

Exonium? Sure there was more than enough of that stuff on Nequam, but it wasn't anything special. One of the first cost saving measures his corps of engineers proposed when resupply started slowing was to switch to using a local produced fuel for power and heating. Even the heater in the corner of his office ran on Exonium. What was their game?

"That's it? You are just after a fuel that is easy on the scrubbers?"

Perhaps there was a use for Exonium Inhabilis was unaware of. He was no miner or geologist. His limited study of minerals only extended to what could be helpful for the Imperial military. Any commercial applications for what Nequam extracted was more for the civilians to deal with. As long as it kept bringing credits and food, Inhabilis could not care less about the specifics.

"Of course, Exonium as a fuel would be desirable among some of Orgon Conglomerate's clientele. If we could secure a source of it within the Myto sector it would benefit us. We would even be willing to dedicate a portion of holds to ship all that Chalcopyrite you have been digging up to pump up your export numbers."

Now Inhabilis knows this vixen is trying to butter him up. Export numbers were just behind tax numbers in what an Imperial bureaucrat looks for when reviewing a planet. That the holds would be filled with relatively unprofitable copper would go right over most of their heads.

He could always pull out of the deal and try to find those buyers to sell the Exonium himself. However trying to get into the sector fuel market would take time, and Nequam needs food now. Bowing to alien merchants will bring shame to his family. Yet it was the lesser shame compared to failing in his Empire given duty.

"That would be acceptable. If you are willing to assist in the delicate matter we discussed previously."

Really the Jikun Cartel should have been easily dealt with by the Imperial garrison. Unfortunately by the time they had revealed their true colors they had used their guises as a mining company to abscond with one of Nequam's few AT-PTs. Every day the Cartel rode around in the heaviest military vehicle on Nequam sporting their Blue Mynock logo was a challenge to his authority.

Unfortunately facing an AT-PT with a PX-10 and a few speeders that made up Nequam's common patrols was too risky. To say nothing if Inhabilis wound up losing yet another PT in the effort to take out the first. He lacked the political pull and the leeway to obtain Imperial reinforcements, so private contractors it was.

"Worry not Governor. I assure you the mercenaries on our payroll will be the picture of discretion you wish for. I am glad we can come to this amicable agreement. We will reach out later for further details on your planet's membership. You made the right choice."

Inhabilis could barely hold back from lashing out in wounded pride as the Guild personnel left his office. The only balm to this meeting was imagining the look on their faces once this temporary arrangement concluded. This war will end with the Empire's triumph, and the Imperial supply shipments will resume to his world. Then he can alter the deal to his leisure, and make them pray he doesn't alter it further.

Inhabilis rubbed his hands together imagining his inevitable rise. He will be next in line to bring honor and glory to his family and the Empire. Once the Emperor deals with the Rebellion, he would have the leeway to deal with the Guild as he saw fit. Yes, things were going to look up for Inhabilis, and nothing was going to get in his way.

——

POV: Broker Tyla of the Orgon Conglomerate

"Broker Tyla if I may? What makes Exonium so important that we must fill our holds with unprofitable copper? Isn't just another form of fuel?"

Tyla turned to her subordinate with a wide grin. Leaning in close to dissuade any listening devices.

"It isn't just a form of fuel. It is a clean burning form of mineral fuel. That might not be valuable in regular Imperial space, but in Guild space? Governor Inhabilis might as well be sitting on a Nova Crystal mine.

This stuff burns so clean that it is practically regulation proof. A tourism world like Dubrillion? Waved in with a smile. An agriworld with regulators so strict you can't use a HK Ion Drive without a certificate for your Collector Coils? You could dump this in their aquifers and they wouldn't bat an eye."

"So we're scamming the Governor and this world?"

"No, no, no. I said we will be assisting with the planet's problems and I meant it. We'll be paying for an upgrade to their star port, sponsoring new clinics, a hospital, a technical school, giving them preferential food shipments, and access to the best mercenaries, geologists, equipment specialists, and community liaisons we can get on our payroll.

Let no one say the Guild doesn't take care of those running their resource extraction. We can't secure a monopoly under Guild rules. So we are going to glad-hand these yokels from this forgotten backwater with so much Guild prosperity that they won't even think twice before offering Orgon first pick of their harvests of ore."

The subordinate could only blink at Tyla's enthusiasm. She looked as giddy as a school girl getting ready for her first date.

"You seem really into this project Broker."

Tyla's flash of teeth went practically supernova. Giving her subordinate further confirmation of Tyla's glee.

"Can you blame me? If we exploit this opportunity right, Nequam will be a crown jewel of our Conglomerate. Every Guild world in the sector is going to want to top off their energy reserves with Exonium. We could supply so much clean energy to this sector that the Empire might make us junior sub-partners of Project Celestial Power!"

Tyla was rubbing her hands together at the thought of the potential profit and prestige. This deal is going to put her and the Orgon Conglomerate on the map. Imagine it, her name as a footnote in a galaxy spanning report. Yes, things were looking up for Tyla, and nothing is going to get in her way.

——
Between the Rawmat Shortage, the increased quotas, and the Empire moving to a (more) war focused economy, plenty of small worlds are going to be left to decline. This is usually exploited by Rebels, criminal gangs, and other unsavory groups to spread their malign influence. The Guild has the potential to be a pro-Imperial faction able and willing to take advantage of this opportunity to… lobby for preferential treatment.

Crossposted on SB and SV

 

[None of your bee wax!]

That's a shame. I wonder what was the tipping point for Garp to loathe helmets.

Click to shrink...

It was the nose.

 

[Freefaller]

Chp-67

Kaela Grant
Minda System, Ugea, Accordia, Imperial Island

Kaela's office used to be quite spartan.

The walls were often bereft of any decoration, there was no rug, and the only other seating aside from the desk were two chairs set off to the side.

Recently, that had started to change.

A shelf had been placed to the side of the room, and on it large sculptures.

They weren't very good. A rough approximation of a TIE fighter. A Stormtroopers helmet. A stick that looked vaguely like an E-11 if you squinted.

On her desk sat the smaller projects. Cups, knives, rough humanoid figures. They littered her desk, a basket full of shavings in a corner and a vibro knife sitting on the desk.

One that Kaela desperately wanted to use to gut that miserable WORM-

Internally, she leashed the beast. Thorne wasn't here right now, after all. And even if he was, killing him then impaling his corpse and parading it across the city would have very negative consequences for all involved.

Still, it was hard. After all that FOOL dared invade her territory.

She had understood it at first. The ISB is better suited to rooting out the more insidious parts of the rebellion like the ones that they were dealing with, while her own forces were geared towards security and assualt.

But then, he declared martial law in Augir. Without consulting her. Without consulting the Governor.

Thorne was here as a hunter-killer group. An investigative team. And yet, he has increasingly operated independently of her and the rest of the Mindan Imperial apparatus.

And now he's locked down Augir. Augir! 3rd largest city on the planet, and the second largest refinery in the system!

The beast raged again, and she found herself agreeing with it. She had accepted him onto her territory because he offered skills and expertise she lacked. But he turns around and does THIS!

Her clenched fist slammed into the desk with a boom, the light metal denting under her rage.

For a moment, the cage seemed primed to open.

Her hand grasped the vibro knife so hard the handle creaked, but she focused herself.

In her other hand was a wooden disk. At first, she nearly hacked into it with the knife, yet slowly her cuts became more methodical. More careful. The Imperial Sigil slowly forming on the disk.

As the knife flowed through the wood like butter, it calmed her. The cage stayed firmly closed.

And as it did, her mind calmed with it, now in a better place to truly think.

She couldn't kill him, and lacked the connections and skills needed to arrange an 'accident'. So, how to get rid of him?

She could wait for the Governor to return. He was an economically driven man, and would likely be at odds with Thorne for this.

No, that wouldn't do. Thorne was sent by the Moff, and the Governor would have little recourse there.

And Thorne's decision was logical as well, the same one she might've made, so she couldn't point to it as incompetence.

So how to be rid of him?

That's when it dawned on her.

Thorne wasn't a permanent fixture. He was here for a specific assignment. He was here to root out the rebels. If the rebels were caught, he would leave.

So, all she had to do was find the rebels. The very rebels she admitted she lacked the skills to catch.

What was that word the Governor liked? Ah yes…

"Fuck…"

-

1
Minda System, Ugea, Augir

The hovertruck trundled along down the road, moving through the city's many side streets.

Augir was a blatantly industrial city. While Accordia had towering buildings, skybridges, train tracks crisscrossing entire districts, and markets that spread miles, Augir had industry.

Everywhere.

Pipes ran in every direction. If you looked into the sky, half the ships you spotted were cargo shuttles carrying ore in and out. There were more cargo trains than commuter ones.

The refinery spit out so much dust and gas that, a few years ago, they installed large air purifiers everywhere across the city. Large, smooth towers that looked alien in such a rough city.

Now, the refinery was better, cleaner, but the purifiers stayed there. Made the air some of the freshest on the planet. A harsh contrast to the city's looks.

The hovertruck trundled along, gliding smoothly down the road. Soon, they left the central city. The organic roads of the original city's construction gave way to a more uniform grid.

The buildings looked newer, many being modular habs. A stark contrast to the rough, utilitarian design of the metal buildings in the city center. Many there still had the signs of old air filtration systems and airlocks.

Some people still wore filter masks as a habit.

Here, however, in the newer parts of the city, things were different. There was more color, but the ruggedness endured.

Patches of greenery stood out, at times seeming completely forced into the area.

Of course, 1 never saw any of that.

1, instead, was hidden away in the truck's cargo container. Huddled into the cramped space with 2 and 3, while a nameless, faceless contact drove the truck.

Soon, the truck came to a stop, and 1 heard the sound of talking. They weren't set to stop this early.

A checkpoint.

With Agent Thorne having locked down the city mere hours ago, it had been a possibility that checkpoints would have been set up, but not this quickly. At least, not within the city itself.

Then, a click. The container was being opened.

1's hand inched towards his blaster, flicking it to stun, but otherwise kept still. 2 and 3 did the same.

They were hidden in the farthest reaches of the container, behind walls and walls of things.

A flashlight ripped through the darkness, and for a few tense moments no one moved an inch.

Then, the lights went off, and the door was closed.

Soon enough, the truck was back on the road, heading to the Warehouse district. Named as such for the titular warehouses.

An incredible amount of mass came in and out of the city each day, and there needed to be someplace to store it in the meanwhile.

Eventually, the truck came to a stop, and they exited.

Each of them wore the same outfit. Dark leathers with similarly dark armor plating and tactical vests. Armed with generic blaster rifles found on just about any pirate or smuggler, yet tuned and refined to compete with military grade weaponry.

Their helmets were smooth, simple, and fitted with air filtration hardware.

As generic as it could get. No one would be able to tell them apart from any other secret kill team. Which, of course, was the point. SWEEP couldn't afford to be exposed, certainly not by their dress code.

Before the team was a warehouse, one of many, unassuming in the veritable sea of warehouses that stretched for miles.

1 nodded to the others, before doing a final check on his silencer.

It was functional.

Lining up beside the door, they prepared to breach, communicating solely through handsigns. They only ever spoke when needed, and did so through voice modifiers embedded in their helmets.

Still, despite the lack of comradery, 1 found himself remembering his time as a Commando. Hitting the Seppies where it hurt.

Regardless, he had a job to do.

They scanned the door. No traps, no bombs.

Lifeform scanner went next. 10 people.

1 counted down.

3

2

1

Breach.

The loudest sound they made was when they kicked down the door. As they entered, 1 scanned the area with his eyes, marking every potential target.

The warehouse was filled with more droids, at least 50 that he recognized as B1 and B2 battle droids. Thankfully deactivated.

As the rebels scramble to their feet, many covered in bacta patches and bandages, likely from their recent run in with Thorne's men, 1's team is already firing.

Blaster shots aren't the loudest thing in the world. With silencers? Scarily quiet.

Rings of blue flash across the warehouse, stunning every rebel in sight.

1 nails a few, while 2 covers his flank.

3 starts sweeping the side rooms, the occasional flash of blue signaling their success.

5 minutes after breaching, the warehouse was quiet. A few quick hand signals between the team, and they busy themselves with cuffing the rebels and preparing them for transport.

With the checkpoints still active around the city, they would have to go to a different safehouse and delay extraction. They couldn't risk getting caught, not now. The truck wasn't big enough to hide all the bodies.

And they needed those rebels alive.

Dead men tell no tales, after all.

-

Hi there folks! I wanted to toss this out there. May have noticed I've stopped with chapter titles. As much as they might be fun, 65 chapters is tiring.

Also, I wanted to properly introduce SWEEP! Darna's totally-not-a-secret-police group!

As always, feedback and commentary appreciated.

Thanks for reading!

-Freefaller

 

[NavigatorNobilis]

Damn, Darna is even doing the police state better than that hack Thorne.