Governor's Gambit - Star Wars SI into Imperial Governor

[Dantaliens]

Cad Bane shows up in the Book of Boba Fett series having been hired by Boba's enemies to stand against him since Boba laid claim to Tatooine

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Ahh so it did get retconed for recent show, few years ago that was what majority assumed was cannon

 

[Mistroz]

Excellent chapter.

 

[Nickjr104]

Ahh so it did get retconed for recent show, few years ago that was what majority assumed was cannon

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I mean even after their duel in book of boba fett they kind of hint that cad might be still alive.

 

[Mistroz]

Excellent chapter.

 

[Yacov]

Omake: Meat Lockers and Microfilm

POV: Kerr Kelen, in front of a newly franchised Shaak Strips and Races, Globobia, Myto Sector

"Welp, that's the last of the equipment. You good setting it up on your own?"

Manager Kelen gave a firm nod to the Jarell. This moving company was known for dumb labor. He didn't trust them to do more than move loads. Even if the moving company had a suspiciously glowing recommendation from an Imperial Governor. The fact they hired primarily Guineo affirmed Kelen's lack of trust. Poor fellas never got the chance to get a good education before having to make their way in the galaxy. It always saddened him when people were dealt a bad hand in life.

"My employees will be more than enough. Some of them are from another location, so they know their way around the equipment. Now here, a reward for being so efficient with the unloading. No word getting around to our competitors and Varanus' Busters may have more work from Shaak Strips and Races in the future."

What Kelen did trust them to do is be dumb labor, not look inside the crates they were moving, and not ask too many inconvenient questions. Breaking that part of the contract would hurt them far more than him, but it would still be an embarrassment. The boss finagled his tentacles in a way that suggested a warm smile, or a vicious grin. Hard to tell. Nevertheless the moving company loaded up and sped off with professional haste.

"Alright, I want everything from the kitchen to the Meat Locker in working condition by 1700 sharp for opening day tomorrow! Let's get moving!"

Kelen's employees unleashed a groan that could be heard across the lower rungs of society. Something all middle managers fed on as parasites to the working class. Perfect. He was going to be the bestest manager ever.

——

"Tri! How goes the set up?"

The once resting Twi'lek snapped to attention with an uncomfortable quickness. A speed born of the constant threat of displeasing the shouter. Kelen tried not to think about it. Appearances had to be maintained in public and he didn't want anyone outside to see him wince.

"All the kitchen appliances just got installed. Condenser units ready to cook when we open tomorrow. Really wished you could have let the Busters take care of some of the heavier stuff."

Kelen knew he was running his employees rather hard. That his employees had undergone the training necessary to move and install everything didn't stop the guilt. It was just he hated standing here "supervising" when he should be on his knees helping them. Someone who treats their subordinates as disposable has no defense when their boss treats them the same way.

However it was all for a good cause and they all knew it when they took this job. Middle managers could be lax, they could be incompetent, but no one ever expected them to be kind. Start being too nice and it might start spawning the wrong rumors. If he was to maintain his cover, some light poor treatment of his employees in public was needed to keep up the mask.

"And what of the Meat Locker? Ready to accept tomorrow's shipment?"

Tri nodded before leading Kelen into the back. The storage room was freezing and looked like any other back of a restaurant. At least those that didn't deal solely in "processed" ingredients. Logically he knew it was cheaper and people couldn't afford better, but the thought of someone paying their hard earned Credits just to get served that slop disgusted the service provider in him. Only proper food for proper Credits for his customers!

"Brrr. Really wished the we could and gone for thicker uniforms. Definitely don't keep warm enough when the temps drop."

Now that they were out of potential sight Kelen offered Tri his manager's coat on instinct, but she refused. Tri moved a lightweight box and tapped a code in a keypad that wasn't installed in the building until recently. A hidden staircase opened up leading to a room that wouldn't look out of place in a military base. The S2R safehouse and monitoring station was the true heart of the restaurant.

"We needed to keep the uniforms light Agent Tri. We needed them unobtrusive enough so it would be easy to put armor over them when required. Now Agent Duo, status update."

Agent Duo stood up from her chair to give Kelen a salute. Agents Tri and Duo were in the same training batch, and it showed in the warm smiles they gave one another. In private of course. They barely acknowledged each other when on the job.

"Sir! Just finished setting up the monitoring equipment. Venting some of cold storage's cooling into the server room is really helping. Credentials let us have discrete access to the satellite network without issue. Should have a decent infiltration of the system's HoloNet by the end of the week!"

Always good when things are progressing ahead of schedule. Agent Duo was a fantastic slicer even before we got our hands on her. Now with the resources at our disposal no one in this system is going to be out of her reach. Agent Tri ruffled the head of the Lepi woman.

"That eager to finish up and serve drinks to our clientele? I didn't know you had that side of you."

Hissing came from Agent Duo's lips. Perhaps it would be better to remind them to be professional. However it had been a long day, and Kelen was going to be enough of a no good boss during store hours. The reason for this sports bar business model was to cover up potential suspicions by keeping people distracted with the alcohols and a focus on mounted sports entertainment. He never had an alcohol before, but he knew how popular and muddling they were from his fellow sentients in arms.

"It is supposed to be just a sports bar. The customers are going too busy gawking at Swoopdueling to leer at me. You're lucky you will be mostly in the kitchen, Tri. Besides at least you got a nice cover name for this operation. With a cover name like Dyadia everyone here is going to assume me parents named be for my big ears, or my front teeth."

Alrighty then, this is starting to get out of hand. Any further and these two will continue long into the night. They'll be spending enough long nights here if they ever get a priority search order or need to use the detainment room in the back of the safehouse. Clapping his hands, Kelen drew their attention back to the status report.

"Okay enough banter. How is Agent Quad setting up the servers?"

The Kler'terrian was supposed to be handling the "supplemental" electronics being installed in the building. Kelen's Agents would keep an ear out as well, but being able to listen and store information digitally would prevent mistakes if someone misremembers something in their post-shift report.

"Both the main and backup storage server are set up and isolated. A slicer won't be able to access either unless they infiltrate the safehouse itself, and at that point we have bigger problems. She also got the bugs set up ahead of time while placing traps for the fleshy ones."

Excellent! Kelen has to remember to praise Agent Quad for her work ethic when he gets the chance. Keeping employee morale high is an integral part of being a manager. Not in public of course, he has to keep reminding himself of that. However that doesn't mean he can't share his real feelings in private.

Ooooo, maybe Kelen could scold Agent Quad for placing the bug traps too visibly while they are in the kitchen. Loudly enough that a conveniently open door can let some of it slip into the customer's ears. He'd have to check if that is okay with her first. Kelen didn't want to hurt her feelings after all.

"And I assume Agent Sept is finished unloading and checking over the weapons?"

The sheepish grin told Kelen that no, Agent Sept hadn't made as much progress as Agent Duo. Their Askajian weapons expert always did have a love for blasters bordering on the unhealthy. At least that meant their DD6s would be ready should they ever be activated.

Realistically they would likely stick to low level monitoring and occasionally providing infrastructure for outside agents to utilize. The whole point of Project S2R was quietly keep track of the mood and rumors in city districts containing populations with a history of civil unrest. The day-to-day would be gathering data to compile into weekly reports to be sent up the chain to be put in graph or database somewhere.

At most they would head off a planned riot or two, maybe pass along info from loose lipped criminals to the authorities. Little chance of them bagging something like an elusive Recruitment Agent, but that was what more elite teams are for. Not like their work wasn't just as important to safeguarding the Empire, as he keeps reminding his Agents during his weekly pep talks.

"Right, tell Agent Sept to be out by closing time. She has to report to her apartment and establish her identity on this world. Then you all can report five minutes before opening so I can yell at you in public for not being ten minutes early like we planned during our last Bad Boss Treatment Planning Session.

Let's make this place unremarkable Agents. T wants our operation seeded and rooted by the end of the year. I expect the S2R Division to be the least talked about division ever. Dismissed. Have a great rest of your evening everyone."

With the Guild's access combined with the Security Bureau's expertise, Shaak Strips and Races should be in the process of opening all across the sector by now. The flimsiwork trail depicting it as an inconsequential franchise with just the right combination of permits and Imperial benign inattentiveness to spread quickly. Serving customers, drawing eyes, and ready to answer the Empire's call at a moment's notice.

——

One of the culminations of HAVEN and ISB collaboration. Nobody expects your favorite restaurant to be an Imperial front! Or a cartel front. Or a mafia front. Or a Rebel fron… you get the idea. To be fair, if everyone is doing it, then the idea must have some merit. The Moff's intelligence network has to expand somehow and why not go with a classic?

Writing Manager Kelen was an interesting experiment. For this job they wanted someone who can act like an insufferable manager without being an insufferable manager. Someone who can yell at their "employees" with zero malicious intentions conveyed. The result was Kerr Kelen, quite possibly the nicest person currently working for the ISB. To an almost unsettling degree.

Crossposted on SB and SV

 

[SwaffleWaffle]

The Spartans in Halo were originally developed to combat insurgents. Given the rebel problem in the Empire, and how nonexistent the scruples of many in it are, I imagine that something like the Spartan program probably exists or is being developed somewhere, relying on kidnapped children trained and augmented from a young age into perfect weapons.

I imagine something like the Spartan III's might be closer to whatever's produced, given how relatively cheap they and their armor are compared to the Spartan II

 

[Doombringer]

The Spartans in Halo were originally developed to combat insurgents. Given the rebel problem in the Empire, and how nonexistent the scruples of many in it are, I imagine that something like the Spartan program probably exists or is being developed somewhere, relying on kidnapped children trained and augmented from a young age into perfect weapons.

I imagine something like the Spartan III's might be closer to whatever's produced, given how relatively cheap they and their armor are compared to the Spartan II

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Have you heard of the Dark Trooper program?

 

[SwaffleWaffle]

Have you heard of the Dark Trooper program?

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I've heard of it but I don't really know the details.