Governor's Gambit - Star Wars SI into Imperial Governor

[Yacov]

Omake: LEERROOOOY JEENKIIIINS!

POV: SK-215, veteran Stormtrooper, hinterlands outside of Edinspire, Edin

SK-215 glowered at the civilians trying to play soldier. He didn't spend 10 years as a Stormtrooper just to be tied down by barely trained militia. They mocked the profession by having to rely on these PADs and poor facsimiles of proper Stormtrooper armor to even come within a fraction to their elite standards.

This showed in them having brought two hundred troops in comparison to SK-215's elite unit of fifty. They hadn't even bother to segregate their units by gender. Their discipline and unit cohesion must be in shambles.

Some of the civilians had even tried to talk to SK-215 after the briefing, revealing their lack of training. What naive fools! Don't they know our communications are monitoring to prevent such frivolous and distracting wastes of time?

Officially, this was to be a joint operation to "foster cooperation between local forces and newly stationed Imperial troops". Personally, SK-215 thought this might be some back scratching going on between the Captain and the Governor. Family ties do still hold in the Imperial military as our blood makes us strong.

Still, this was the Captain's orders. It was the core of Stormtrooper doctrine to always follow and complete their superior's orders. Shame it was costing some of SK-215's pride to babysit these civilians on this operation. At least this will help shake off the men's rust from being stationed at Scarif.

The target was an outpost of pirate scum. True to their nature they have set up in Dump Basin, an area where all the planet's previous power brokers would dump their toxic waste. They probably thought the pools of toxins and fumes would protect them.

The initial advance after disgorging from the K79-S80s lasted until the sentries spotted our freshly polished white armor. Suppressing fire was swiftly given even a the cost of a few pained grunts behind SK. Eventually his unit made it to the outpost wall.

Looking back SK could only shake his helmet in disappointment. The civilians were still hunkering down dragging both their and his wounded to give treatment. He could see one stormtrooper desperately grasping at his blown open helmet trying to keep the bad air from getting in.

Truly only the Stormtrooper Corps had the strength of will to do what was necessary to achieve the mission. While the civilians wasted their time trying to save lives, SK and his men prepared their grappling hooks for the real work of claiming the walls.

As they climbed the outpost's wall SK thought he'd heard a snap. Probably one of the grappling hooks got corroded from the fumes. No matter, it is on that trooper's failure to maintain his equipment.

SK's men quickly dispatched the sentries once they finished their ascent. The courtyard was secured shortly after due to securing the high ground. Their connected HUDs and training allowing them to coordinate their fire with lethal precision.

Taking up breach formation in record time they broke into the main building. Opening the door revealed a burst of blaster bolts emerging from the opening. Suppressing fire and detonators silenced the deluge.

Sparing a moment to notice a trooper clutching his leg, SK ordered the rest of his men forward to clear the structure. From there it was a textbook example of an Imperial assault. Having secured every room, SK gathered his unit.

"Sound off! How many have fallen behind?"

The chorus of cries had revealed that number had been seven. An acceptable outcome for a skirmish of this size. Truly none could compare to the might of the Stormtrooper Corps.

——
Stormtrooper doctrine: great at winning individual fights, not so great at long term force retention. Part of the reason you don't want your entire army comprised of assault troops. That ignoring battlefield casualties thing is actually a core part of Stormtrooper doctrine.

Crossposted on SB and SV

 

[Yacov]

Omake: Traditonal Thinking

POV Governor Fotz, Duradun, Myto Sector

Fotz glared out the reinforced window as she surveyed her domain. Not even Duradun's gorgeous ocean view could keep the latest setback in her inevitable rise to prominence from weighing on her mind.

Fotz's application to join that new Guild making waves around the Myto sector had been rejected. Her august charisma proved insufficient for them to recognize her as one of their betters. They even had the gall to use the excuse that her planet had "unfriendly business practices".

Really! Does that upstart Las not know she is Governor Fotz? Her innovative agrarian reforms were praised by the sector capital for her commitment to sustainability. Demolishing those wasteful green spaces and redirecting the Khil's exuberance away from the unstable tourism industry towards productive and reliable aquaculture was lauded as a stroke of genius.

Case in point. Fotz spotted yet another Shad'ruu war barge from her patrons come to visit her domain. No doubt come to fill their cargo bays with Duradun's galaxy renowned fish and "land squids". Honestly, those Khil learn to walk on two feet and suddenly they think they are equal to a pure blooded Imperial, those arrogant cretins.

Her patrons were so impressed with Duradun's quality that they even offer Fotz gifts. Those Dunelizard medium fighters would do wonders in defending Duradun's borders in the black. Covering such minor tasks would free up her TIEs to engage in crucial objectives such as finding and bombarding unsanctioned domiciles in Duradun's few archipelagos.

Thinking about fighters brought Fotz back to her current predicament. She had hoped to replace her aging Bayonet with one of those Gladiators Minda was rumored to begin building. Unfortunately jealously towards Fotz's brilliant methods of governance had stymied those efforts.

Nevertheless, Fotz had secured alternatives means to acquire cruisers. Thankfully her patrons had come through for her yet again. They had informed that they could acquire not one, but five cruisers through their contacts for a fraction of the price of a Gladiator.

Let those fools prance around with their mere Gladiators. Her new ships had taken the worst the Clone Wars could have thrown at them and came out sparkling like new. Soon they will stand in awe at Governor Fotz's mighty fleet spearheaded by her invincible Citadel Class Cruisers!

——
This Omake spawned by the debate over the past while in the thread about cruisers. How Las could have missed such an obvious choice as the ILH-KK Citadel-class civilian cruiser, I don't know. Pirates tremble at its 36 meters of grit and determination.

Crossposted on SB and SV

 

[Yacov]

Omake: Succession Salon

POV: Lady Foljoll, Dubrillion, Lady Foljoll's beachside estate, afternoon

"Here is your vintage Algarian Wine, Lady Foljoll."

Lady Foljoll took the tiny glass drink from the bowing pool boy. Her Twilek servant had always had the most impeccable timing, and appearance. Having that tailor make traditional swimwear of Ryloth was worth every credit.

"I say Lady Foljoll, what do you think of Moff Hiral's ambitions?"

Thoughts of disporting with the servantry put aside, it was back to the main topic of the gossip this afternoon. Hiral thought he was being subtle, but everyone properly connected and with a care for politics knew he was aiming to rise above his current station. Perhaps what happened to Moff Wasti showed him the dangers of stagnation.

"Whether the Moff succeeds or fails, Madam Offesco, I fear we will be looking for a new Moff soon, and all the chaos that brings."

Wasti's swift removal had caused no end of short term problems. Back door deals to be renegotiated, bribes and "gifts" to be sent, favorable patrol routes for the Fleet to be arranged, events to organize in the new Moff's honor. Foljoll's Artist Association had made a mint booking all the sudden venues.

Plenty of the Families of the sector had scrambled to maintain their existing influence, while even more looked to usurp their rivals. No one was looking to go through all that business again. This made a candidate with a known policy accompanied by a smooth transition from the previous regime something welcomed by most.

"True, true. As much as I would prefer a more local and prestigious candidate, that Mola boy seems to Hiral's chosen successor."

Madam Offesco's humph did little to hide her disdain. She was the type of woman who would only embrace a candidate firmly under her high heels. It was no surprise the Offescos would especially dislike Las becoming Moff. Their family had their fat fingers in luxury food production across the sector.

There wasn't a dinner party or banquet that they didn't help cater. The food industry had always been in a position of high esteem in Dubrillion. Going all the way back to the Sacking, as any Offesco will recount at the slightest prompting.

However the rise of Minda and their freeholder style of agriculture changed things. Suddenly the traditional slave plantations on the worlds of Offesco's allies seemed inefficient and unfashionable in the face of Minda and Guild's productivity through free labor and industrialization. That the Offescos' efforts to snake their way into the Guild have been consistently stymied probably only caused their frustrations to mount.

"Ah yes Governor Las. Proper stock from Eriadu I heard. Not any family of true significance, but that may change after the pruning the other Families in the Galactic South suffered at that debacle on Yavin."

Whether through shrewd manipulation or sheer dumb luck. The Mola matriarch and the Governor's sisters were all noticeably absent from Yavin despite it being Tarkin's pride and joy. Even Captain Shal, who was embroiled in scandal as a result, was given a slap on the wrist and sent to the Mola stronghold in Minda.

"I suppose it's better than a lowborn or worse, an alien. Speaking of stock, did you hear of the latest news from Minda? A whole new species has been discovered on one of their life bearing worlds. Some people have all the luck I say. A whole new source of farm tools for the fields falls right into the Molas' laps."

Lady Foljoll nods, agreeing with the sentiment if not the delivery. The Empire might give a freer hand in espousing humanity's superiority, however Las and his Guild took a more… multicultural approach. Never know when a word said loosely might be picked up by bent ears.

"I-I heard that there is over half a million of this new species down there. That's going to push Minda even further if they can integrate them."

Miss Omis had finally deigned to join the conversation. Although her reluctance was understandable. Every salon season, the dowagers and matriarchs always picked a pretty young thing to use as a chew toy. Miss Omis had the misfortune of being this year's victim.

"Half a million is not an insubstantial number. Add in all that growth Minda has undergone and that system will have already reached 1/20th the size of Dubrillion and still have room for more."

It was an impressive rise in such a short period. Whether Minda would keep growing at that rate would remain to be seen. Although if Las can play sector politics well, who knows? Perhaps Dubrillion can finally have a proper peer in the sector.

"I suppose that means you will join the gaggle of fawning dandies and dainties sucking up to the up and comer, Miss Omis? The Omis family have mastered the art of having one's hat in their hands."

Offesco's remark was scathing, but not inaccurate. The Omis were New Blood, not even three generations since their debut to high society. They always tried championing improving the standard of education in the sector. Willing to bow and scrap at any foot or hoof that had a chance to fund their projects. Unfortunately such projects often dried up in credits when the sponsors grew bored of it after a year or two.

"W-well, the Omis have been in talks about our world joining the Guild. The requirements are not too burdensome for us, a-as we actually pay our workers."

Was that actually an attempt at a retort? Oh that was just precious. It might have been a tad more impactful if Miss Omis didn't trip over her words. Although judging by Madam Offesco's complexion, the quality of the insult was not a factor.

"Listen here you little bint! Las' light hand will bring ruin to his realm! Anarchy is about to descend upon Minda due to him being unwilling to muzzle and leash those non-sentients like he is supposed to!"

Lady Foljoll's couldn't help but sigh as the Madam stormed off. Madam Offesco was always too harsh on the peons, and that's why Lady Foljoll invited these two to her estate this afternoon. She had seen photos of the new species, and they look adorable. Perhaps she can secure another servant for her collection. They would look lovely with a giant pink bow.

Filing away the day's freshly won bit of blackmail, she turned to the stunned and stammering little morsel. Resting her hand on Miss Omis' shoulder like her mother always used to do.

"Now that was a fair bit of excitement. Are you alright? Madam Offesco can be a bit heated about her family's business."

The shivering little animal took the perceived reassurance to collect herself. Taking a deep breath to regain her wits.

"Yes Lady Foljoll, I just hope this won't cause trouble for my family. We really need the Guild's support and the coming meeting can't have any issues."

Ooooh, look at that dejected face of despair. Lady Foljoll supposes she could lend Mrs Omis her support in making introductions. If only to get her family to stop yammering at every gathering they attend and store up another hook for the day.

"I would be happy to assist, Miss Omis. Consider it a way for this host to make up for a guest being exposed to such unpleasantness. Speaking of which, let's have something to wash it down. Pool boy!"

Besides, this could be her chance to get in the good graces of the coming regime. Art and education do go hand in hand after all.

——
A look into how the Sector's movers and shakers might be reacting to Las' potential Moffhood. Star Wars' upper class is very generationally concentrated. The main Rags to Riches story we get in the setting is Anakin, and he spends most of the prequels being manipulated, seduced, or verbally smacked down by people with millennia of lineage behind them. Is it any wonder he goes around killing the same kind of people when he's in his Vader phase?

Crossposted on SB and SV

 

[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