Governor's Gambit - Star Wars SI into Imperial Governor

[Yeetboi]

This is either a rebellion sabotage or just plain incompetence from the imperials. The fact that it's a perfect 50/50 on the options is concerning.

 

[ActionJHW]

Considering the previous mention of Imperial Intelligence looking into them there is a pretty decent chance they are getting their communications fucked with whilst Imperial Intelligence pulls something.

 

[Frater Astrotechnicus]

Why can't we have nice things in this galaxy far far away

 

[Stelarwand030]

(((OOC, not my best omake but an Imperial Spy would definitely overthink the conversation. Watch Las fail upwards!)))

The young lady in red and white sighed. She had been hoping to get more out of the Moff. She had expected bad pick up lines, expected him to boast about his sector's military strength, but he chose to discuss taxation policy. Even if he was not attracted to her, he should have been more willing to talk to her about something less benign. After all, everyone should knew who she was. As much as she sometimes hated the fact that her heterochromia gave her away in field work, it was undoubtedly useful in being noticed. She had expected asking for favors, asking for a date, maybe asking to be left alone, but he had done none of those. He was completely nonplussed and wanted to discuss economics. Pulling up the dossier on the Moff, she noticed that he intended to focus almost to an absurd amount on economics, and generally let other people handle the other aspects of his sector. Though the presence of non-humans in nearly all corners of his administration was alarming, his focus on economics did bear fruit.

She then realized something. He was talking to well known Imperial intelligence agent about economics. What was he trying to tell her about? Granted, she generally did not care much about the administrative aspects of her work but perhaps that was a mistake. Pulling up a spreadsheet, she began to cross check the reports with the treasury reports. She frowned. While she had expected some discrepancies, she had not expected to find them that quickly. She was not a forensic accountant, so if this was what a cursory review did, perhaps she should bring this up the chain. A week later, she was in formal military dress kneeling before his Imperial majesty.

"Your highness, I am concerned with some of our accounting numbers. A moff brought it to my attention, and I believe he is correct to be concerned. As such, I would reque -" Palpatine raised is hand. She stopped talking.

"You are a faithful servant. You have earned enough trust that if you believe something should be looked into, it should be looked into. What specifically do you require of me?" Palpatine requested.

"My lord, clearly the man is an economic savant. He has somehow governed a backwater of a planet into a productive one and his sector appears to be undergoing the same transformation. Given his esteemed rank and loyalty, I thought it would be best if you order him to do an audit for the benefit of the Empire," she explained.

"Granted. You are dismissed," the Emperor ordered.

Three weeks later, in the Moff's office...

"What do you mean I am doing an audit of the entire Empire!" Las yelled.

"The order comes from the Emperor himself. Apparently you impressed someone on your last trip to Imperial Center." Zyx commented.

"Is there any way to get out of this?" Las aswked.

"Sorry bro. The orders came from the Emperor himself. Sometimes the reward for good work is more work," Zyx replied.

"But I wanted to take a vacation..." Las whined.

Click to shrink...

I can see it now las does such a good job that he finds enough money to build nine death stars and hundreds of executors and tens of thousands of Star Destroyers.

 

[Gordian_Knot]

Maybe it's just me, but most of it lacks that star wars vibe, that lived in mechanical aesthetic. It's either too clean, too realistic, or too dirty in a way that's more post-apocalypse than star wars.

Click to shrink...

What about those big droid minibosses from Force Unleashed?

Could maybe rework them into something piloted?

 

[Saethyr]

Also, been trying to find mechs that actually fit star wars and holy shit is it hard. Nothing seems to fit aesthetically, and the two I used for Yulitra's POV previously were not what I consider particularly up to snuff. Maybe it's just me, but most of it lacks that star wars vibe, that lived in mechanical aesthetic. It's either too clean, too realistic, or too dirty in a way that's more post-apocalypse than star wars.

Click to shrink...

Try to look at Front Mission, and Mecharashi, the game was basically Front Mission for majority of it's development cycle, or Heavy Gear.
Other than that... Battletech? Out of hundreds of mechs there you'll probably find something that fits. On that nore also check Matt Plog's DeviantArt, he is one of official artist for BT.

 

[Sir Borks-a-Lot]

What about those big droid minibosses from Force Unleashed?

Could maybe rework them into something piloted?

Click to shrink...

Wouldn't that be just the Dark Trooper project in a different incarnation?

 

[AdrianXIV]

Do Kaela is in any way inspired by "this guy"?

https://warhammer40k.fandom.com/wiki/Kaela_Mensha_Khaine

 

[DeviantSix]

Good chapter, nice to see Grant in action and Las having become a Doctor.

The Holonet going out is interesting, especially given the spread of it. Likely a rebel attack, dunno if this happened in lore or if this is something entirely cooked up.

Speaking of them though, has there been any signs so far of how the changes with the Mid-Rim Offensive have impacted the Civil War? I recall that the Ackbar and the Rebellion managed to recognize the issues at hand sooner and keep secure more troops and ships that would've been lost, but I don't know if the lasting effect's come up so far.

Also, how has Luke faired with the Engineer-type PDA he got his hands on a long time ago? Would be interesting to see how things might have changed a bit there, and if there's a possibility that he may swing by Minda, or at least the Myto Sector, in the future before Endor strikes.

 

[Civil Reader]

Her food slammed the door open, cheap metal bending under her armored heel.

Click to shrink...

Food fights where much more serious a long time ago.

 

[Heidao]

Hoo boy, Las thinks it's just bad connection but Grant's POV says it's within system. So it's across the sector and potentially along the neighboring sectors.

Looks like the boot we expected to eventually fall, has come. Now it's a matter of seeing who it is, is it the pirates, the rebels or actually a raid from rival moffs coming for a smash n grab of tech with a bit of scorched earth to cover their tracks and to flip off at Las so he'd be too busy recovering.




I would like to submit to entry, the APU from Matrix, a mix between the armored OG design without the stupid limb locked system and the refurbished model with its arm linked control system.

The LECA makes sense for the stormtroopers, as they're an elite mobile strike force, that is complimented by its modular nature and speedy package.

The Imperial Army as seen in Solo, are there for massed open warfare, whereas Stormtroopers will maneuver to reach positions for precision strikes, the Army is there to take up the role of the Clone Troopers. This difference in usage means the army requires a sturdy and devastating weapons package that can stay with them. The APU modified to this universe's tech, would neatly fill that role, like how the LECAs are speeding around like F-22s, the lumbering and solid APU would be their A-10. Either outfitted to go BBBRRRRRR or BOOM with all the lasers or cannons.

 

[Gordian_Knot]

Wouldn't that be just the Dark Trooper project in a different incarnation?

Click to shrink...

Not exactly a problem if it is.

Dark Troopers are dangerous and the galaxy is fortunate that that program never saw mass deployment to the Empires benefit.

 

[Yacov]

Yet, despite this, I was firmly of the belief I'd never wish to return. Sure, I was walking away from the place a Doctor of Political Science, and the only thing the planet had really taken from me was money and time.

Click to shrink...

Huh, I wonder how many Moff and Imperial civil leaders actually have an education? I mean one related to their current position. Some might have received a nobility based education, but that is not the same thing as a university based one.

So my solution? Subsector capitals! These roaming administrative centers would exist for the purpose of ensuring taxes were paid, mediating trade and political disputes between governors, and auditing subsidy money to ensure it was being used properly.

Click to shrink...

As for who runs these things? Well, as far from career politicians I could find. They would be paid generously, and their finances monitored extensively to ensure they weren't taking bribes. Them, and all those working there, would not be from that subsector at all to ensure few if any local connections.

And most of all, they would be on mandatory rotation. No more than 3 years in any given subsector for the higher leadership, 6 years for lower workers. Meant to prevent corruption. Of course, information from these rotations would be given to the next rotation to ensure continuity of information flow and that the next workers knew what they were dealing with coming in.

Admittedly, if this was a tool of direct governance, it would be a poor one. But it's not, its duties are well defined and narrow enough that the scope won't overwhelm them. They exist to take a load off of the capital's shoulders by helping locals deal with local problems.

Click to shrink...

Ah yes, Satrapies. Those are great for ruling distant territories and potentially expanding beyond the sector. Great idea Las.

The reports were clear that production of essential goods like food, water, fuel and more were still well within projections, capable of sustaining a population roughly double the sector's current ~500 million.

Click to shrink...

Better start stockpiling. Once the Galactic hegemony collapses those stockpiles are going to be needed to sustain your galactic neighbors from the inevitable famines and droughts. Starving neighbors are hostile neighbors.

Also, been trying to find mechs that actually fit star wars and holy shit is it hard. Nothing seems to fit aesthetically, and the two I used for Yulitra's POV previously were not what I consider particularly up to snuff. Maybe it's just me, but most of it lacks that star wars vibe, that lived in mechanical aesthetic. It's either too clean, too realistic, or too dirty in a way that's more post-apocalypse than star wars.

Click to shrink...

Might I recommend looking into the ARCHAX. It is a real life mech made for the ultra wealthy. That being said a coat of mass produced metal, replace the wheels with feet, an Imperial paint job, and some grime and I could see it fitting in Star Wars.

There is also always good old VOTOMs if you want an example of cheap mass producible army mechs. If you are looking for the springy semi-toy like nature a bit like the AT-series, Iron Harvest mechs could also serve well as a base. A Smialy or a Lowca with some polish, the World War engines swapped with fusion engines, and being given blasters and missiles wouldn't look too out of place in Star Wars.

 

[Dragonslayer2000]

Also, been trying to find mechs that actually fit star wars and holy shit is it hard. Nothing seems to fit aesthetically, and the two I used for Yulitra's POV previously were not what I consider particularly up to snuff. Maybe it's just me, but most of it lacks that star wars vibe, that lived in mechanical aesthetic. It's either too clean, too realistic, or too dirty in a way that's more post-apocalypse than star wars.

Click to shrink...

Mayhaps I might interest you in some of Obsolete's Mechs?

Spoiler: Mechs

 

[Patg765]

The Vital Suits from Lost Planet have a bit of a Star Wars feel to them

Spoiler

Alt link to the source in case Imgur shits the bed

 

[Battle_Unit_3]

Dear God not the internet!

 

[AdrianXIV]

Honestly, LECAs give me vibes of "manned version" of ADVENT MECs from "X:COM 2"

https://xcom.fandom.com/wiki/ADVENT_MECs

 

[Psychic_Duck]

Well it's either the Rebels, the Pirates or Imperial "Intelligence" playing silly buggers, I'm not worried though our boy Las will sort it out once he's back, maybe make an intranet for internal system/sector use.

As for Mechs, You can't go wrong with Armored Core, either AC's or MT's/Normals, both are solid for what you want, alternatively make Titans from Titanfall, top tier mech right there.

 

[Watching]

Aside from that, the funding increase born from an increased tax base which itself was born from the economic boom had born fruit!

Click to shrink...

Myto sector is sprinting towards an economic golden age like it's the 1920s while the rest of the galaxy is suffering from the Death Star recession.

"I see, General. It's understandable. And the state of the sector army isn't acceptable. Once funding permits, which shouldn't be too far in the future, Army academies will be opened, or already existing academies will be expanding to provide you with a better stock of officers."

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I guess the imperial army could use some more funding and a revamp. Maybe the forces in sector will find their own niche/doctrine that's different from the galactic standard?
Las is probably gonna have to fund them out of his own administrations pocket when the imperial army gets officially disbanded though.

The economic tracker. It'd stopped. Each price was frozen solid on the screen, not changing an inch.

A second later, the screen flashed.

CONNECTION LOST

Click to shrink...

Oh, that's not a good sign. Well, I guess we could add backup space internet in sector as another mega project Las can per-sue. Maybe based on the CIS shadowfeed?
If this outage is galaxy wide then this will screw with the economy on top of the ongoing recession isn't it?

Also, been trying to find mechs that actually fit star wars and holy shit is it hard. Nothing seems to fit aesthetically, and the two I used for Yulitra's POV previously were not what I consider particularly up to snuff. Maybe it's just me, but most of it lacks that star wars vibe, that lived in mechanical aesthetic. It's either too clean, too realistic, or too dirty in a way that's more post-apocalypse than star wars.

Click to shrink...

Huh, is it really that hard? I mean, one of the walkers in Star Wars is literally just a Flak88 bolted onto a pair of legs.

 

[EzordCyborg45]

The Holonet being down is bad, but that shouldn't effect secure military and administrative communication channels since they would run on an independent system. A short term blinding whilst Las' people try to figure out what happened.

Might be a smash an' grab or going for a specific target. Maybe a Moff in transit perhaps. This is the only time he is away powerbase for an extended period of time. Enough for a capture or interception mission to be planned on route.

 

[RoyalTwinFangs]

Maybe it's just me, but most of it lacks that star wars vibe, that lived in mechanical aesthetic.

Click to shrink...

Have you tried the Scopedog from VOTOMS? Or the Tau Battlesuits?

 

[saylin021]

Chp-112

Las

The rest of our time on Coruscant was oddly peaceful. A dinner in a private booth at The Pinnacle and plenty of rest in a hotel orders of magnitude nicer than any accommodation I'd ever lived in was a pleasant way to end the trip.

Yet, despite this, I was firmly of the belief I'd never wish to return. Sure, I was walking away from the place a Doctor of Political Science, and the only thing the planet had really taken from me was money and time.

But that didn't change the fact that it felt slimy on an almost spiritual level. Maybe it was the Force bond with Mugwuffin, maybe it was just my preconceptions of the place, but it was almost as though every surface was covered in a thin coating of lies. The glitter only served as a cover.

Stepping foot back into the Vigil was in a weird sense comforting. Even more comforting was sitting in my quarters and reviewing the reports sent back from the Myto sector.

Things had gone surprisingly well since I'd been gone. A part of me feared I'd return to ash, but if these reports were correct things were moving smoothly.

Darna, as Guild Headmistress, was putting a great deal of interest in helping build the BGES up. The report stated she wished to create more economic prosperity by ensuring the sister guild was well built and efficient.

I was certain once I returned, an encrypted report would detail exactly how many spies and she'd embedded all throughout the BGES. And then another report from Thorne on how he curtailed her worst habits, then another from Darna complaining about Thorne and so on.

If not for the extremely secretive nature of our operations, I'd force the two of them to attend some sort of HR team building exercise or something. As it is, I'll just have to maintain their stupidity.

Aside from that, the funding increase born from an increased tax base which itself was born from the economic boom had born fruit!

Ever since I'd taken the seat of Moff, I'd been inundated with work. And it wasn't all sector development. Oftentimes I was dealing with disputes between Governors. I was dealing with minutia that frankly speaking was inefficient.

What made it worse was that I wasn't massively familiar with the cultures of those subsectors. I wanted to tour the sector properly, visit every single world and get something akin to a read on them but with so much work it wasn't really a viable option for me.

So my solution? Subsector capitals! These roaming administrative centers would exist for the purpose of ensuring taxes were paid, mediating trade and political disputes between governors, and auditing subsidy money to ensure it was being used properly.

Essentially, it would take a load off of the work I and others at the capital deal with on the daily.

Each would have an escort element, Arbiters not yet retrofitted to newer standards. This gave the older models something to do other than sit around in sector with a far reduced pirate presence. And it's not as though these sub-capitals would be juicy targets, since they aren't carrying around precious cargo.

The vessel to carry each sub-capital was to be a Strike-Class Cruiser. An unusual ship in the Imperial line up, and not the first choice. Originally, it was to be Imperial Complexes towed through hyperspace given they are capable of space flight.

However, it was deemed cheaper to simply design an in-house administration module for the Strike-Class. Especially since it shared many parts with its sister ship, the Eidolon-Class which itself was a modified Strike-Class design.

These administrative models would expand the living quarters to more comfortably accommodate the expanded crew, alongside adding extensive offices to give said crew the ability to do their jobs effectively.

As for who runs these things? Well, as far from career politicians I could find. They would be paid generously, and their finances monitored extensively to ensure they weren't taking bribes. Them, and all those working there, would not be from that subsector at all to ensure few if any local connections.

And most of all, they would be on mandatory rotation. No more than 3 years in any given subsector for the higher leadership, 6 years for lower workers. Meant to prevent corruption. Of course, information from these rotations would be given to the next rotation to ensure continuity of information flow and that the next workers knew what they were dealing with coming in.

Admittedly, if this was a tool of direct governance, it would be a poor one. But it's not, its duties are well defined and narrow enough that the scope won't overwhelm them. They exist to take a load off of the capital's shoulders by helping locals deal with local problems.

Anything past that isn't what they're paid to do, and I will never ask a worker to do more than their job requires without compensation.

A few more reports were read through, though nothing of massive importance. Subsidies were going well, staggered as they were and requiring thorough auditing. Immigration was on the rise, with people coming in from neighboring sectors after finding job opportunities on planets with growing economies.

The reports were clear that production of essential goods like food, water, fuel and more were still well within projections, capable of sustaining a population roughly double the sector's current ~500 million.

After all the reports, however, was a meeting.

"General Zantara. Good to see you."

"And you, Moff Mola. Was your trip successful?"
"Considering I'm Doctor Las Mola now, yes, thank you. Now, the meeting request stated a desire for more funding towards the army."

Yulitra's hologram flickered for a second, the connection not the best in transit. We were half a galaxy away, and honestly I found it incredible that we could even communicate. The wonders of this universe would never cease to amaze me.

"Congratulations, sir. And yes, I do believe the Sector Army requires greater funding."

Her hologram disappeared as a series of charts and diagrams took her place. At a glance, they indicated readiness levels and average equipment age.

"As it stands, the Sector Army is not up to snuff. While individual governors outfit their troops as they see fit, the wider army apparatus is pockmarked at best in terms of readiness. The pirate surge has seen the vast majority of engagements be on a naval level, and most ground engagements therefore utilizing Stormtrooper forces. Army engagements outside of that showed far worse outcomes."

Another graph. This one made the data clear. Casualties for army engagements with pirate forces were noticeably higher than those with Stormtrooper forces.

"While this can partially be attributed to incompetence in the officers, the effect of shoddy equipment and lackluster training cannot be ignored. With the pirate surge mostly over, the importance of the sectors naval forces has dropped somewhat. I believe that funding that was used to accelerate naval development can now be redirected towards the army for the same purpose."

Ah, now I get it. No wonder Ife wasn't on this call.

"I see, General. It's understandable. And the state of the sector army isn't acceptable. Once funding permits, which shouldn't be too far in the future, Army academies will be opened, or already existing academies will be expanding to provide you with a better stock of officers."

I pause here, pulling up sector funding tables from my PDA while the hologram switches back to Yulitra herself.

"As seen here, the extra funding for the navy is no small amount. Much of that funding is now be allocated towards refitting and revamping the original, flawed Arbiter's. However, upon such completion a naval audit will be done. The funds freed will therefore be allocated as needed. I'll be sure to send some of that your way, though as always a proper audit of that money will be expected every month, as always."

"Of course, sir."

"Oh, and try to keep as many military procurement contracts in-sector as possible. It works best to invigorate the local economy."

"I will try, sir. But the local military contractors are not up to standard. Multiple companies have contacted me in an attempt to acquire contracts for new walker types, and none have been anything more than expensive wastes." Her eyes narrowed slightly at that part, shoulders ever so slightly tensing before relaxing once more.

"That's…not ideal. Alright, how about this. I'll send an order over to the Mindan labs. They'll get into contact with you and you can try to hash out what they can build for you. Then you can take whatever tech they magic up and contract its construction out to local factories. If the skunkworks down there are good at anything, it's making entirely new vehicles out of ones we already produce."

"Understood, sir. I'll work closely with them and the administration to choose the best manufacturers. Also…'skunkworks', sir?"

"Ah, just a nickname. From an old story, older than both of us I reckon. Regardless, I wish you luck, General Zantara. Be sure to keep in contact with the Navy to ensure their ships can properly carry the new units."

"Of course, sir. Good day, and safe travels." With that, the hologram blinked from existence, its glow disappearing with it and leaving the room dark.

A second later, the lights flickered on. A swig of coco sent a jolt of energy through my tiring frame and I turned back to my temporary desk. Mugwuffin lay curled in that lizard-cat-tree of hers she refused to part with for anything more than a day.

The terminal flashed back on, as reports came streaming back in. Including a real time data stream that kept a tab on the sector's economy. Prices for all goods lined up and down, changing in miniscule amounts in real time as factors changed.

I started reading through the reports, lamenting that it would still take another month at least to fully implement the subsector capital plan.

As I got lost in fiscal allocation and more, I noticed something from the corner of my eye.

The economic tracker. It'd stopped. Each price was frozen solid on the screen, not changing an inch.

A second later, the screen flashed.

CONNECTION LOST

Huh. Well, shitty wi-fi is a problem even in Star Wars I guess.

–

Kaela Grant
Rykeeor System


Lighting flashed through a dark sky, though no rain fell. The lower atmosphere was too hot for that during these months.

Kaela approached the door before her. It belonged to a tall building, a skyscraper. Rykeeor had just enough people in the system to justify a large capital city with buildings this size.

LAAT/le security gunships hovered above while additional security forces encircled the building. Lights shone on its every surface, ensuring none could exit.

A simple scan of the door revealed two life signatures beyond it. Guards there to make sure none entered through the service entrance.

The Beast snarled, hungry. She complied.

Her food slammed the door open, cheap metal bending under her armored heel. The first guard snapped up, blaster moving to track her.

But he was too close. Her fist lashed out, his neck snapping as she twisted her body behind the new corpse. The second guard was already firing, panicked, every bolt of red finding purchase either on the walls or on his friends body.

A blast of green burned through his skull, the shooter a stormtrooper already moving into the hallway. Their matte black armor seemed to absorb the light itself as they and three others moved to cover the hallway.

By then, Kaela was already moving forward. Around the corner, six more lifesigns. Four in the hallway, another two in an adjacent room. Grabbing a grenade from her chest, she activated it and moved.

Around the corner, her blaster fired. It slammed into the knee of the first man, a mere meter from her. She kicked him forward, the movement putting him into his allies line of fire.

One second.

Her blaster was already up. One shot to the head of the one she kicked. As the force of the blast tilted his head back, it opened up a shot onto the second one. One more trigger pull, one more corpse.

Two seconds.

The third is moving away, body twisting to run. His friend is the opposite, bulky Gamorrean frame hoisting a heavy blaster. Her eyes track the barrel's trajectory. A step to the right just as he pulls the trigger sends a stream of red just inches past her. Her own shot doesn't miss, slamming into heavy blasters trigger.

Three seconds.

A second shot slams into the Gamorreans shoulder as his mouth opens in pain and anger. A third lands in his mouth, blasting out the back of his skull. A fourth shot is sent into the neck of the one running, right in the gap between his helmet and chest piece. The door to her left is opening.

Four seconds.

Her foot lashes out, connecting with the woman opening the door. The grenade is tossed in after her, Kaela slamming the door shut with the same arm as she walked past it.

Five seconds.

An explosion rips the door off its hinges, cracking the wall across from it as it lands. The other troopers follow up behind her as she stalks forwards.

The Beast hungers, and now for the first time in months she's been given the chance to slate that hunger. The newly installed Governor of Rykeeor had requested assistance in a purge of meticulously documented criminal elements, and Kaela was both experienced and more than happy to comply.

The hallway opened up into a larger room, some kind of cafeteria. A dozen lifesigns at least.

Her troopers flanked her, taking cover as the blasterbolts flew. Kaela instead got low, grabbing the end of the metal table before her and pushing it upwards.

Armed with her new mobile cover, she pushed it forward, the metal screeching on the ground as she fired from around it.

The Beast hadn't always been there. Once, when she was very little, she remembered a time where it wasn't. But that had been so long ago, it felt like a dream.

A disarmed ganger came at her, vibroblade in hand. A simple chop disarmed his blade and broke his wrist, then the same hand grabbed his head and slammed it through one of the tables legs.

And for so long, the Beast had simply been a fact of life. For a while, she'd even assumed everyone had their own Beast, and that they must've been far better at keeping it in check.

Her foot kicked the falling vibroblade up while her blaster turned a man's eye into ash. She caught the blade in her other hand, deftly throwing it into the spine of a ganger trying to crawl away. A few new gangers tried to join the fight, busting into the cafeteria through a separate hallway only to be gunned down by her troopers.

But now she knew they didn't. For a little bit, she thought maybe Myr'thos had one. But no. They were their own Beast. She was…different.

Another Gamorean, this time with a vibroaxe, charging from around the corner as she moved towards the exit. A bolt to the leg sent him down, her armored boot following soon after, leaving only the rough idea of a head.

She'd kept going to therapy, even after her mandated period was up. It felt nice to be able to simply speak about her life, and not have an endless parade of disgusted looks and whispers sent her way. And there she'd learned a few things.

The next hallway started filling with corpses fast. Gangers burst from doorways only to be gunned down by the troopers. One shot for most, two or three for those with armor or heft.

The Beast was not her. At least, not entirely. It couldn't be. After all, the Beast hungered for only one thing. But she hungered for more.

At the end of the hallway, a scrap built LECA frame trundles out, slapped on rotary blasters spinning up in preparation. Only to find an implosion grenade plopping down before it.

The Beast always snarled at woodworking. As though the knife she used to shape wood should be thrown into someone's jugular. As though the wood should be turned to a bludgeon or spear instead of a building.

The path beyond was clear. The squad crammed themselves into an elevator, shooting themselves up to the highest floor. After all, the problem was at the top.

As the doors opened up before her, two things happened at once.

First, her team moved forward, blasters raised as a horde of gangers turned to the elevator, weapons in hand.

And second, her comm rang with a message from her second in command.

"Ma'am, something's gone wrong. The local holonet seems to be down, I can't get a signal out of the system."

Truth be told, by the time her second finished that sentence, Kaela was too covered in blood to care.

–

Honestly I was legit considering the Imperial Complex from Lothal as the subsector capital, but then I did some research on how many people it takes to administrate such a small amount of duties for a region with tens of millions of people and its surprisingly little, like at max 1-1.2k people, though apparently in the EU its closer to 400-700.

As for the Strike-Cruiser, I realized it was kind of the perfect option. Armed enough it's not defenseless in a fight. Modular so no big interior retrofit. It's an Imperial design, so no having to fiddle with Republic ships and older parts that aren't made anymore. And it's a sister to the Eidolon, which is already produced in sector and likely shares a decent amount of parts, making it cheaper and logistically easier.

Second real action sequence, this time in CQC. Different tone for sure, since Grant is far calmer and in her element. Quite proud of it, since before this and the TIE scene a few chaps ago my action scenes were drier than a 30 year marriage.

Also, been trying to find mechs that actually fit star wars and holy shit is it hard. Nothing seems to fit aesthetically, and the two I used for Yulitra's POV previously were not what I consider particularly up to snuff. Maybe it's just me, but most of it lacks that star wars vibe, that lived in mechanical aesthetic. It's either too clean, too realistic, or too dirty in a way that's more post-apocalypse than star wars.

Also, I made some more stuff. Chicken cubed and seasoned with that classic paprika/cumin/salt/black pepper/garlic/sugar mix, alongside pasta with some sauce just hits so good. Then for dessert, a triple whammy of cinnamon sugar cookies the first day, a chocolate chip pizookie (pizza cookie) the next day though I fucked up the salt on the syrup so it was kinda ass, then white choco chip cookies tonight. God I love my life.

Keep cooking good looking! Unless you're ugly, then keep doing it but not where I can see.

–Freefaller

Click to shrink...

Firstly, why look for Mecha when you've already mentioned the perfect one?

The TIE Walker is perfection.

Also, that sentence that uses 'born' 3 times could use some work. Also I think some of them should have been 'borne' and 'bore'.

 

[Yacov]

Omake: Dlazblaster Carbine

Production information

Manufacturer: Delkanor Munitions (member of BGES)

Type: blaster carbine

Nicknames: The Garbage Gun, The Hand Firework, The Blaster With Alcoholism

Cost: 500 Credits (10 Credits a power pack)

Physical and technical specifications

Size: Small

Weight: 2 Kg

Capacity: 40 shot per Shrud gas power pack

Range: 40 meter

Rate of fire: 120 rounds a minute (if no malfunction occurs)

Usage

Availability: Licensed

Role:

• Poor quality, but available blaster

Affiliation:

• Low ranking BGES mercenaries
• Braxant Locals

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Description
"Look if you want blasters in the Braxant sector, Delkanor is the way to go. Even if they tend to be malfunctioning pieces of slag." - An independent mercenary advises a rookie on getting a firearm at the tail end of the Braxant Blaster Drought.

The Dlazblaster carbine represents the Braxant Sector's slow climb back from its technological regression. A low yield blaster using low grade blaster gas. Nevertheless this weapon shows how much a Sector can endure and recover once its leadership changes.

Design
"Why does your blaster always smell faintly of booze and burnt vomit?" - A comment from a sentient with a sensitive nose about the Dlazblaster's unique aroma after firing.

The Dlazblaster was designed by Delkanor Munitions, a founding member of the BGES. Specializing in larger weaponry and some mining equipment contracts. The dearth of blasters during Moff Surrde's reign caused them to begin researching a variant of blaster gas that could be produced cheaply and locally. Their research concluded and refineries were online shortly before the end of Surrde's term and life. The mix would be come to be known as Shrud gas.

Shrud gas is a mix of ingredients either already in Delkanor's supply chain or could be easily acquired in the Braxant Sector. Its primary ingredient was solid fuel slugs used in beamdrills that were liquified, heavily diluted, and then evaporated. The other two main ingredients were a bit more novel compared to conventional mixes. Chemicals harvested from the bile extracted from the pellets of Buffle Hens were added to improve the power of its bolts to below mediocre levels. Acquisition was simple due to the Buffle being a common livestock on some agriworlds in the Braxant sector. Finally some Edicetus brand 140 proof absinthe to give the mix some much needed stability and shelf life. Further research being done to deal with the smell after using Shrud gas is ongoing.

Delkanor then built an economical blaster around the use of its newly invented gas. Mostly because using Shrud gas in other blasters was considered a waste of a good blaster. Shrud gas tended to produce thin bolts so a carbine design was settled on. Gas was kept in a drum-like blaster power pack which was inserted into the bottom of the Dlazblaster. Braxant's low level of industrialization and technological advancement necessitated a more uncomplicated design. Components were kept cheap and easily made with a focus on quick fixes over long lasting use. Overall the Dlazblaster was a cheap carbine that performed below the galactic standard. However it was cheap and available, two things that made it attractive in the Braxant Sector during the early ABYs.

Performance (Issues)
"The Dlazblaster is a great way to learn trigger discipline. Mainly because if you don't exercise it, you might end up losing that trigger finger." - Advice on how to use a Dlazblaster.

While the invention of a new blaster gas is a notable achievement, utilizing the Dlazblaster as its testbed and flagship product had left the carbine with a myriad of issues. Users of a Dlazblaster were encouraged to keep a Blaster Repair Kit on hand to prevent a malfunction from cascading into lasting damage. To the blaster or the user.

For one Shrud gas has tended to overheat more frequently than standard gas mixes. This was not helped by the subpar quality of the components used in the Dlazblaster's construction. Attempting to fire an entire power pack of ammunition at once was unlikely to succeed without some malfunction happening. This did not stop some from trying anyway and potentially losing a hand. Thankfully the low yield of Shrud gas made these explosions mostly survivable, especially given the pack was usually low on gas when the blaster went off.

Speaking of explosions, the Dlazblaster also had an issue where the remnants and byproducts of Schrud gas had a tendency to build up in the gas chamber without more frequent clearing than standard. This build up had nasty habit of igniting whenever the XCiter ever got too hot from overheating. These usually small ignitions were barely noticeable until they eventually wore down the chamber. Most users recognize the wear and swap out the chamber before anything goes wrong. Those that don't tend to meet a similar fate as those in the above paragraph.

To further discourage holding down the trigger, the Dlazblaster had a nasty kick despite the low power of its bolts. This can lead to the barrel jerking erratically without an iron grip on the weapon, further decreasing the weapon's lacking accuracy. Typical firing was done in bursts with two hands from the hip to minimize spread. Precision shooting wasn't too common given the weapon's low power being insufficient to secure a kill in one shot.

Conclusion
"It's over Officer Plainclo Thesman! My boys got you surrounded with Dlazblasters ready to fill you full of holes!" - Rodian Holodrama villain Furjo Bfangafika in the Plainclo Thesman action series.

Delkanor's experimentation reminds the galaxy that when a sector was hit hard, it can attempt to recover with surprising vigor. However that doesn't make the Dlazblaster carbine and its Shurd gas anything more than an attempt to fill the void until more standard blasters take over the market again. Still, if one wants some light suppressing fire on the cheap, the Dlazblaster is at least affordable on most budgets. As long as one ignores the lingering smell after every firefight.

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This is my exploration into the examples of blaster weapons that are made below normal galactic standards. We see mainly galactic brands like BlasTech in most Star Wars media, but there probably exists a quality/ubiquity level below that at the sector or sub sector level. The Dlazblaster looks like a sketchy TEC-9 with the long magazine replaced with a drum shaped blaster power pack you slap on the bottom. To further cement Braxant's status as Myto's poorer and more suspect sibling.

As for Shrud gas, there exists hundreds of blaster gas mixes in Star Wars and some of them have some pretty wacky ingredients. Like the one that adds berries and Morodin slime secretions for that extra kick. With how gutted Braxant's blaster market is, it leaves room for the less… appreciated mixes to gain some market share. This particular mix comes from researching strange things people have tried to make gunpowder out of and trying to come up with similar ingredients for the Star Wars galaxy. Old gun smoke tended to smell like rotten eggs due to high sulfur content in old gunpowder, and that was before some people tried adding brandy and manure byproducts to the mix.

Crossposted on SB and SV