Governor's Gambit - Star Wars SI into Imperial Governor

[Orangeduke38]

I can see this resulting in a future where the Myto-sector ends up becoming the economic heartland of the Imperial Remnant to the despair of Moff Las Mola, while the Braxant-sector ends up as it's political center with both sectors ending up producing the most elite Troopers and Officers of the Imperial forces. I can see a future where starship production on all levels and the best Naval Officers and Ratings comes from Myto, while the best Ground Officers and Troopers come from the Braxant-sector and because the Myto-sector ends up having the most shipyards they instead pivot towards the production of better Ground warfare equipment and vehicles.

Click to shrink...

Even though the Guild and Mola has expanded the industrial sector by a couple orders of magnitude its still a bit player on the galactic stage the only thing that will gradually change that is the former Rothana yards. Even locally Velcar industrially outstrips the entire Guild by multiple orders of magnitude. Its industrial abilities are only really a thing because trade has been gutted and its near the bottom for supply priority. Can they now do plenty of things? Yes, but most of that is still held together with shoestrings and would fall to pieces if they had a conventional fight on their hands. Our local academies will probably become locally known for selling seats to pdf soldiers and officers from tiny worlds without their own but even establishing good enlisted training facilities will take a long time. It also wouldn't surprise me if the Empire has corralled most of the officer training into the Core so it can be better controlled.

 

[Yacov]

Omake: Overpopulation Mitigation Two-Parter

Omake #1: Squattie Scrapple

POV: Favau Nus, Twi'lek Street Food Seller, River Squat, Felteos, Myto Sector

"Scrapple! Come get your scrapple here! Hot and cheap!"

Favau's calls rang out in the pre-dawn, hoping to catch the attention of her fellow Squatties meandering about in their pre-work routines. Splashes and drips were a constant background of the Squat that had become her home. The marshy public land down river of Felteos' capital city had been selected to become available for occupation for the refugees that were being diverted here every month. Partly out of the Governor's "magnanimity". Partly because the ground was too wet and unstable for permanent structures without significant investment. Keeps the Squattie labor close by without taking up any truly valuable land for future developments.

Many of her fellow Squatties no doubt would probably have preferred to continue on to Dubrillion, the old sector capital, just a few systems further down the Veragi Trade Route. The more developed a planet was, the better the social services they would be able to take advantage of was the hope. At least a food and water shortage would be unlikely to ever be a concern with that amount of people and importance. However recent sector policy has encouraged the destitute, both internal and external, to move to lower population worlds to facilitate economic development. When the galaxy went to the Rancors, the waves of incoming refugees got put through the same system.

"Hey there Favau! How's my favorite Twi'lek? Keeping your head above water after getting plopped down in this runoff of a Squat?"

Refugee convoys that arrived to a major world in Myto without the proper documentation were offered a small escort and a new destination along with a bit of compensation to the captains for the inconvenience. Most captains took the deal rather than argue with the sector authorities and risk potentially losing their compensation and ending up in the red for the trip. That meant people without a flimsitrail got diverted from landing at the developed worlds and instead were sent to a frontier worlds to "find their fortune". Sometimes these new destinations would not have the resources to prepare for such a glut of new migrants, which would lead to Squats like the one Favau lived in to spring up. There were even wild rumors of Squats being built on the roofs of buildings for extra housing on some worlds.

Temporary housing in Favau's Squat was typically about a dozen square meters per person built on top of some discarded or donated synthecrete out of pieces of bi-state memory plastic, local foliage, tarp, and scrap metal. Interiors tended to have a portable water jug, some small appliances and a light or two hooked up to a battery, a few pieces of fiber-grown furniture, a collection of unreturned cans from the Daily Ration for storage or a makeshift alarm system, and a collection of plastene cutlery. Most slept on cots sold cheap by the government so they can keep above any water that leaks in. Not exactly a secure place to store physical valuables, but most either acquired a lockbox, installed a simple lock in the possible entrances, or get a sealable pot, stash it in a remote part of the river a ways away where someone was unlikely to stumble upon it, and put a large rock on top.

Permanent housing was being built elsewhere allowing Squatties to apply for a place, return their public lot in the Squat to the government, and receive a small amount of compensation for any development they did on it. The stream of refugees meant the Squat was populated and the government always had folks looking to be put in the empty lot. Only the truly desperate or those being hunted by the Empire lacked a bed and some small comforts in a Squat.

"Doing pretty well for myself Keego. At least the water where we live is running instead of being stagnant."

Situation was still better than her old DuraShelter in her tent settlement along a defunct sewer line back on Hylkytavara. Less scrutiny from the Empire but a lot of folks were sleeping in literal gutter water. No one needed to fill out flimsiwork to pitch up a tent there if one paid the protection fees, but there was little incentive for those topside to give them anything more than scraps and contempt. Yet for all that supposed freedom all it took was one wacko with a flame jar and the Empire was putting the boot down before the smoldering stopped. Luckily she was able to drain her savings to hop on a passing freighter out of the Quelii sector that was heading along the Salin Corridor before war on the "Revolt" was officially declared.

From there it was just a matter of linking up with one of the refugee convoys heading down the Veragi route into Myto. The convoy's plan was to hide on plain sight as a small merchant flotilla after crossing the sector border hoping they could make it past the few systems to reach Dubrillion. Unfortunately the convoy got caught by Mytoan authorities almost immediately after jumping into Quintaxus. Captains elected to take the compensation and divert to make their passengers Felteos' problem to deal with. None of the refugees saw even a single Credit from the captains for the convoy failing to reach its intended destination. Captains promised they would take them to Myto and they met that goal as far as they were concerned.

It wasn't like the Felteos' government left the Squatties completely on their own. Water tanks were installed so the Squat can fill their jugs with clean water for home use instead of dirty river water. Still don't have public power lines, but the government had a building with publicly accessible fusion generators and subsidized small solar panels on sale to charge their batteries so they could keep their appliances and lights at home on. Raised bridges made getting around safer and relatively drier. Even had public transit in the form of a speederboat service to bring Squatties from the slums into the city proper for work or other business. The driver was in an armored cage to prevent hijacking of course.

"Great, mind if get some scrapple? Construction work is going to wear me out and I want to save my Daily Ration from the Community Commissary for dinner."

Keego was eyeing the meaty slice like a starving gutkurr as it slapped on the plate. Squatties like him made the scrapple business survive well enough. Folks didn't want to eat nothing but the bland Daily Ration and the Commissary's prices stopped being generous once they felt you had met your nutritional needs for the day. Some workplaces didn't even have something to heat up food, so folks would eat the jellied shaak cold on what Processed Grain Unit they got for the day. Course some swear it tastes better that way, but Favau considered them crazy.

Either way, it gave room for peddlers like Favau to earn some Credits selling fresh food to keep their lights on. Plenty of peddlers chose to forgo applying for housing in the prefabs so they could stay close to their clientele. Moving to a new neighborhood was a hassle, and there was no guarantee that they could build up a social network that could match the one she had now. Case in point Keego slapping down a few Credits before snatching up the plate before digging in.

"Really tearing into that aren't ya? Going to need more than some jellied shaak and nutritive milk to keep your strength up earning a living. Unlike the jelly, my scrapple is always hot and has never seen a can."

Squatties earned their Credits either by peddling, constructing yet more prefabricated housing to keep the Squats from growing out of control, working in one of the outlying farms, doing day labor gigs posted by the IGCPP, courier work, or getting a service job in one of the city's businesses. If the Governor hadn't redirected the droids to other industries, unemployment in the Squats would be even higher. Probably got a tax break from the Moff for it, but it was still appreciated. Certainly beat the mudlarking most of her neighbors did to feed themselves back on Hylkytavara.

Favau had kept herself out of the muck back then by buying up old vegetables from restaurants topside for resale down below, so getting back into the peddling business here wasn't too hard. Government set up a place for small loans so she didn't need to try find any loan sharks. Next they wanted her to show she knew how to not poison people and then gave her a fancy hunk of metal and permission to start selling. From there it was a matter of scrounging up a plate that heated up well and sourcing the ingredients. One of her friends got work in a slaughterhouse which gave her an in for some cheap unused meat. After that she just needed some buckwheat from the Commissary and she was open for business. As Keego handed back the plate she noticed a poorly wrapped bandage underneath one of his sleeves.

"Hey Keego, what's that you got on your shoulder? Didn't run afoul of a patrol of Orderlies did ya? Maybe should hit up the clinic before it festers."

The Orderkeeper Program was Myto's answer to places like the Squats. Round up some of the new arrivals that they think they could trust, put em through an accelerated training program, and send em out with a local sergeant to watch em keep the other new arrivals in line. Apparently that trust didn't extend to giving em lethal weaponry, so the chance of death by the law was limited. Those that thought that made them soft were swiftly corrected by a sap glove wrapped fist to the face.

The squads of Orderlies weren't too bothersome. Didn't ask for bribes or charge arbitrary fines like the gangs that ran protection back at the tent settlement. Kept things stable so Favau hadn't needed to use her shiv for more than a showpiece on a few occasions. Orderlies seemed to be paid well enough that they followed the Governor's policy of treating the Squats with the light hand. If the things started getting out of hand, the government still could pump out swarms of Orderlies or send in the heavier guns. It was in everyone's interest in the Squats to make sure that need never arose. Too many stories around here of what happens when the Empire felt irritated.

"Nah, just a scrape from work yesterday. Didn't notice it until I got back to the Squat. Was going to catch an earlier boat and spend the extra Credits to go to one of the fancier clinics in the capital. Just to make sure.

Speaking of keeping order. You hear the Empire making a right mess of things over in the Gaulus sector? Apparently Ryloth made a big fuss and the Empire is stamping down a lot harder than usual. Might be getting a lot more Twi'leks on Felteos in the near future."

For void's sake. Favau needs Twi'leks from Ryloth like she needs a leak in her roof. Her parents left all those decades ago to get away from all that turmoil and slavery. Last thing she needs is people bringing old and new grudges into her Squat. Especially if it is another fanatic with a flame jar looking to fight for against the Empire, this time screaming about a "Free Ryloth". That would put a target on her back for her Lekku alone if nothing else. She had a good thing going here and didn't want to see another home burned to the ground.

Still, maybe she is being a bit too pessimistic about this. Lot of these theoretical folks are going to be fleeing from having their homes burned down just like she did. If they can keep their heads down she wouldn't be too opposed to show them the ropes. With some extra hands to help, she can go from selling scrapple in the streets to selling scrapple in her own restaurant.

"Maybe, but that's for future Favau to worry about. Now be off to your fancy clinic so I can get this plate washed for the next customer. Better to make sure there is enough Credits for today than worry about anything that comes next."

——

Omake #2: Orderkeeper Kit

Production information

Manufacturer: IGCPP

Type: Infantry/law enforcement kit

Nicknames: Orderlies, Bully Boys, Swarmers, Stormtroopers Without a Budget

Cost: 1,200 Credits

Technical information

Articles:

• Blast vest (250 Credits)
• Running boots (30 Credits)
• Easy Breathing breath mask (50 Credits)
• Plastene shirt and pants (30 Credits)
• 1 pair of SC-401 stun cuffs (100 Credits)
• 2 pairs of Biodegradable Binders (150 Credits)
• Nacht-5 smoke grenade (25 Credits)
• Padded hat or cap in the style of the precinct's choosing (50 Credits)
• Earbud comlink (200 Credits)
• Sap gloves (50 Credits)
• DEMP Ion Pistol (250 Credits)
• Stun baton (15 credits)

Additional Equipment

• Various simple utility tools (25 Credits)

Usage

Availability: Licensed

Role:

• Cheap and mass producible law enforcement kit
• Keeping order within newly founded settlements and refugee camps
• Allow Governors to deploy a show of force and presence without the costs involved in deploying a Stormtrooper garrison

Affiliation:

• Low rank Imperial law enforcement
• Deputized refugees, migrants, and local poor
• The poorer sections of settlements
• Brutish and unsophisticated law enforcement

——

Description
"The Orderkeeper Program. Utilizing your excess of bodies to police itself." - Unused tagline for the Orderkeeper Kit that was scrapped by the IGCPP marketing department for being too blunt.

The Orderkeeper Kit was an equipment kit designed for the Orderkeeper Program. This program was meant to train and deploy new law enforcement personnel as quickly as possible to deal with rapid increases in population. While unpopular, the Program has provided quick injections of manpower to cover up holes in precincts left open by the recent refugee influx.

Design
"A deputized civilian in some Orderkeeper Kit ain't that useful when the blaster bolts start firing, but it is still another set of boots on the beat for the price of a blaster rifle and a few dozen Credits a day. Now if only we didn't have to assign an officer to drag them all around by the earbuds." - A Police Commissioner's private remarks on the Orderkeeper Program.

Focus on an Orderkeeper's equipment was placed in minimizing administrative or logistical delays. The Orderkeeper Kit is kept to minimal cost and lethality to accomplish this. A vast majority of equipment is what a civilian would have access to. The only exception was the DEMP Ion Pistol which is in plentiful supply given its prior use and present obsolescence in the Imperial Army. This exception was made primarily due to droids and their resistance to intimidation tactics.

Despite their relatively lacking firepower, the Orderkeeper Kit places an emphasis on communication, coordination, and survival. Every Orderkeeper is required to wear an earbud comlink and keep in constant contact with their precinct station. The Orderkeeper Program heavily encourages staying in groups and calling for help at the first sign of any potential confrontation. Their blast vests hopefully granting them enough time to notify the wider precinct and their smoke grenades and running boots to escape the danger if they end up in over their heads.

Training
"Yesh, if only there was a way to not have law enforcement cadets not have to do all this firearm and lethal weapon certification. Wait a minute. I have an idea." - Reported instance of the beginning of the Orderkeeper Program. Disputed as libel.

Training and requirements for Orderkeepers was cut down to what was viewed as the bare necessities. Candidates were selected among the civilian population. New arrivals or those without any existing ties to where they will be deployed were preferred. Physical ability tended to be valued over intelligence. Criminal history was a detriment, but not an outright dealbreaker. Education was not much of a factor besides being able to speak clearly and understandably while also being able read and write in Basic.

Orderkeepers have a reputation of being brutish and unsophisticated law enforcement. This reputation exists for a reason, even if it is a bit unfair to the their intelligence. Orderkeepers rarely receive enough training to preform more than the "start shit, get hit" method of maintaining the peace. They are meant primarily to do patrols, stand on street corners, and secure crime scenes while their handlers and detectives from their precinct perform the investigation and other complicated aspects of law enforcement.

This focus on simplicity made the Orderkeeper Program unpopular with Myto Imperial leadership in all but the most under pressure precincts and planets. These expedited deployments also necessitated a more experienced handler be assigned to Orderkeeper patrols to keep a close watch in order to prevent any possible missteps or temptations for malicious behavior.

Conclusion
"Hurry up with that lock! Orderlies will be on us any moment!" - Criminals suffering from the increased law enforcement presence in a refugee camp.

While not effective at more than policing unarmed civilians, the Orderkeeper Program has proven a useful temporary measure when dealing with refugee populations. As the refugee crisis shows no signs of slowing down, the Orderkeeper Program is becoming a more attractive option to patch up holes in law enforcement coverage.

——

A look into the living situation of a frontier world undergoing a bit of overpopulation and the quick and dirty temporary solutions used to mitigate it. Despite Moff Mola's focus on caring for the people, worlds in the Myto sector still only have so much infrastructure and population capacity. So sudden influxes of sentients are likely to still cause emergency housing situations that lead to slums like the Squats forming. Slums aren't exactly going to have restaurants everywhere. Shelf life and nutrition are going to take precedent over things like taste and variety when a government has to feed more people than they planned for. Favau's street food thrives in that variety desert environment. Her customers want something fresh, so are consciously not looking too closely at where she is sourcing the meat.

Inspiration for life in the Squats was a report on squatting and the urban poor in Phnom Penh in Cambodia that was done up in the early oughts. Figured it might be good baseline for slums in Star Wars and Sweet Frak was that a depressing depiction of destitution to read. Then I increased the Squats' access to utilities and social services to make their situation less bleak than its inspiration due to future tech and Moff Mola's policies on social support and anti-corruption. The standard of living for a Squattie is still lesser than an average Mytoan, but it is still possible to survive and better one's lot in life unlike other slums in Star Wars. Because this is the Myto sector where even the slums are less terrible than a lot of the rest of their peers in the galaxy.

As for why Favau doesn't like Ryloth, she actually has never been to the planet. All her biases come from what her parents told her, who had a very strong motivation to trash talk the place to ensure she never tried to visit her homeworld. Her dislike of the Twi'lek Resistance on the other hand. Look I don't want to name names or assign blame. I do not have proof Cham instigated this uprising in a fit of impatient short sighted nationalistic hubris to free Ryloth when he thought he had an opening and got millions of his species killed. However this uprising does sound like one of his plans or at least a plan he and his movement would be fervent and vocal supporters of. "You frakkers tried fighting the Empire, weren't able to back it up, and got us all massacred" may not be a rare view of Cham's movement among Twi'leks right now. Especially with the Twi'lek diaspora outside the sector who are now likely getting targeted for assumed association.

Also the Orderkeepers. Yeah the Orderkeeper Kit and Program started as just a little add-on that ballooned into its own thing making this is a two-parter. I designed the Orderkeepers to provide that wave of bodies that can be deployed to ensure order similar to garrisoning a bunch of Stormtroopers in a city/planet, only with none of the training or budget. This isn't too terrible an idea as Stormtroopers do tend to take a long time to train and eat up substantial amounts of the Imperial budget. Orderkeepers on the other hand are basically equipped like Victorian era British bobbies upgraded to the Star Wars tech level for that retrofuturism look Star Wars likes to have. While they might not be the best alternative to Stormtroopers for peacekeeping, they are cheap and relatively easy to implement on short notice which is a major point in their favor. The main issue is having the infrastructure and personnel to keep a close eye on the Orderkeepers to prevent abuse or corruption. Luckily Stormtrooper doctrine already wrote the book on implementing the needed level of surveillance with decades of practice.

Finally here is the Felteos Daily Ration as a bonus:

The Felteos Daily Ration includes:

• 1 can of Jellied Shaak: Shaak meat broth rendered into jelly with vegetable protein straws encased within. Meant to be one of an average sentient's 2-3 daily meals. Made to be eaten cold or heated back into a liquid meal.
• 1 Processed Grain Unit in canned, bar, or biscuit form.
• 1 serving of nutritive milk in a can
• 1 Gelfruit Bar
• 1 potable water ration in a pouch
• 1 plastene multi-utensil

Alternative options available based on dietary needs of a species. Available at Community Commissaries, food pantries, and precinct cafeterias on Felteos to provide a daily meal for those in need.

Crossposted on QQ and SV

 

[PepeDeLosPalotes]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Spartanking118]

this is one of my favorite stories. Unfortunately my job makes me unable to sit down and read often. Is there any chance this story could be placed in fanfiction or WebNovel so I could listen to the story while working?