Governor's Gambit - Star Wars SI into Imperial Governor

[Nickjr104]

to get back on my last post I wonder if the rebellion gets info on las and his family would some of the more extreme factions think that if they try to kidnap his mom that they might get him to either join up for her protection or if he will lock down the entire sector to look for her. which if it does happen i can see create rumors that he is a mommas boy.

I totally see Las not wanting to do anything but having to show face if only to keep the population from trying rip the sector apart with them thinking if he loses his mom he might end up going full tyrant or because they like Las so much that an attack on his family is basically an attack on the whole sector. it would be funny if he tries to send them credits to keep his mom away except they misunderstand it somehow or his mom thinks it's him paying for ransom to get her back safely which somehow works but she feels insulted at how small the payment was when it really wasn't.

 

[Venerable Ro]

I'm seeing this and the most hilarious thing that comes to mind is if Las' pension he gave her is enough to set her up in mansion, (probably an idea by his dad/sisters to keep her out of trouble and their hair) so People think he basically forced his mother into retirement only to put up in the sweet life. thus somehow creating rumors that he Loves his mother and wants nothing more then for her to relax. but Jir keeps having Political parties in hopes of being able to make connections again. but everyone who visits keeps on saying how great her son is and how she must be proud to be able to retire with her son paying for everything. They are also visiting in hopes of making connections to Las by his mother which she her self is using to try and make connection again.

Click to shrink...

The ironic thing is that she actually went all the way back to her Coruscant sublevel roots instead of doing the stereotypical "spurned elite" thing, getting the cheapest flat she could find and filling the pantry with dehydrated noodles. Basically "I'm out of a job, that means it's time to spend no money until I can get a new job."

I think it's hilarious, she's decided to just start over from the beginning and claw back her professional/social status through sheer drive and a frightening level of administrative excellence. It'll blindside anyone who thinks she's just another pampered Coreworlder, and when the shoe eventually drops everyone will "realize" that she's where Las gets it from.

 

[Filehej]

The ironic thing is that she actually went all the way back to her Coruscant sublevel roots instead of doing the stereotypical "spurned elite" thing, getting the cheapest flat she could find and filling the pantry with dehydrated noodles. Basically "I'm out of a job, that means it's time to spend no money until I can get a new job."

I think it's hilarious, she's decided to just start over from the beginning and claw back her professional/social status through sheer drive and a frightening level of administrative excellence. It'll blindside anyone who thinks she's just another pampered Coreworlder, and when the shoe eventually drops everyone will "realize" that she's where Las gets it from.

Click to shrink...

Give her 5 years and Las is going to do surprise pikachu face when she takes the guild over through sheer determination and drill sergeant energy.

 

[paxus22]

huh I could see momma mola rising high in the guild and spreading it 10x faster and 20 stronger lol.
I wonder if any career imperials would rally to her?

 

[Nickjr104]

The ironic thing is that she actually went all the way back to her Coruscant sublevel roots instead of doing the stereotypical "spurned elite" thing, getting the cheapest flat she could find and filling the pantry with dehydrated noodles. Basically "I'm out of a job, that means it's time to spend no money until I can get a new job."

I think it's hilarious, she's decided to just start over from the beginning and claw back her professional/social status through sheer drive and a frightening level of administrative excellence. It'll blindside anyone who thinks she's just another pampered Coreworlder, and when the shoe eventually drops everyone will "realize" that she's where Las gets it from.

Click to shrink...

the history books will write down that Las and his mother were inspirations to each other to keep pushing themselves for the people that were under them. she will probably be one the few members of his family that gets more then a chapter or a foot note in the books. like I see the other members mostly getting the " they were related to Las" treatment except maybe Las' pilot sister who will probably have more recognition beyond just they were related to Las.

Like the others will likely at most be mentioned beyond being related to them be kind of being locked to what ever academy they end up setting up or inspiring. Like the ISB sister will be referenced in espionage focused academies. but Las' Pilot sister would likely stand out beyond your standard Imperial Naval academies as she will probably be used as propaganda to remind the people that Las has his family joining the military. Kind of like Belgian royal family during WWI who had their king on the front lines, their queen as a nurse and their 13 year old prince as a messenger who would often find himself on the front lines when it came to deliver messages to the front.

 

[Yacov]

Omake: Homesteader's Day

POV: Jimbobio, second son and 18th generation Dantooine farmer, 1st generation Ugean farmer, Village of Bending Reeds, Rolling Greens area, Ugea

A distant cry of a Gorak greeted Jimbobio as he stretched his back. His gaze meeting the Imperial flag waving in the morning breeze. Getting up early in the morning always required him to pop something right. The wife and kids would be sleeping in after they all stayed up late for the eldest's birthday. However work on a farm was never truly done. He gave one last stretch before reaching his home's charging unit.

"Oi Asper! Wake up! Time to do the early morning chores!"

The ASP labor droid unfolded in a facsimile to Jimbobio's stretches. Asper had grown on the family since settling on the farm. Couple of years can generate a lot of fondness even for animate objects. Kids always got worried when something went wrong with him, insisting Jimbobio take him to "the droid doctor". They seemed more attached to the droid than the animals on the farm at times.

"Right I'll need to check on the crops while I gather everyone else. You make sure no critters have gotten into the fields and the plants are doing well, ya hear?"

Jimbobio watched Asper trundle off before making his way to the garage they installed on the side of the house. It wasn't really a proper garage, more a small shed they built to keep the rain and wind out. However it was sturdy enough that they felt safe storing the farm's single vehicle and the farm tools in there. Mounting the farm Commuter Gravsled, Jimbobio made a quick trip to the second residence on his property.

When the first harvest had come in, Jimbobio had opted not to start paying the principal on his loan. Interest was cheap enough that he felt comfortable investing more into the farm while saving the rest in case an opportunity popped up. That opportunity came when one of his neighbors, a lone city slicker, decided to quit the farming business halfway through their harvest. Apparently they underestimated how much physical labor was involved in farming and fell behind schedule. Probably thought he could leave everything to the droid the program gave them. Plenty of their crops in their fields still looked only half grown. The quitter had applied for the bare minimum of land, which Jimbobio swooped in to snatch up.

One business plan and loan application his wife had helped write up later and Jimbobio's family owned both the meagre plot and a small portion of the hills beyond it. The family used the time after post-harvest tilling to clear the old crops and begin converting the fields into pastureland. The homestead prefab was turned into a workers cottage with a bit of rearranging and some utility work done. After that he contacted the Rolling Greens Unemployment Office on his farm's PAD to put out an ad. It did not take long to start seeing applications.

"Morning everyone! Who's ready to start another beautiful day of farm work?"

Groans replied as the farm workers Jimbobio hired were still getting the sleepers out of their eyes. Might sound weird to some that folks were looking for work on another person's farm when land was so abundant. However running a farm and working a farm were two different things. Some sentients are going to be more suited for the latter than the former. Especially if they ain't willing or able to go through the Homesteader Program.

That being said the deal wasn't all bad for the hired farm workers. Some only came for a busy season, others wanted to stay year round. Some were working to earn enough to buy a farm of their own. Others were saving a nest egg to pay for higher education and to have something to subsist on during their studies. Then again there were others who just wanted an honest day's work without having to deal with all the commitment and flimsiwork that came with owning.

"Right! Finish up your morning routines and then head out to your assigned plots. Don't give me a reason to replace you with droids now."

As for why Jimbobio would hire an organic over just buying another droid like Asper? Well it just seemed right to offer folks a chance to earn their daily bread, like he had been offered. Providing for others is what farmings all about, even if it ain't the most profitable way of doing things. That being said, the subsidies the government offered for hiring people over droids helped salve the sting of lost profits a bit. He figured the government came to the conclusion that they couldn't tax droids as frequently as they did organics.

There's also the fact that Jimbobio saw bringing in more folks into Bending Reeds as an investment in its future. The village was new and the residents were still only in the hundreds. There were few buildings outside of the Main Street with the cantina, a general store, a clinic, a government services building, and some utilities. The dozens of folks living in the town proper were still outnumbered by the surrounding farm households. More folks around town means more customers at next week's farmers market, more attendees watching the Shaak Rodeo every month, and more laughs every evening at the cantina. Droids don't got much use for vormfruit, rodeo tickets, or a mug of wheat beer after all.

"Rikkada, you're on Gorak duty. Hope you ready to go up on down those hills."

Goraks were an interesting critter. The Alderaanians brought it with them when they set up that enclave of theirs. Now his family weren't bird raisers, but the man he bought it from swore by them and offered a small batch for cheap. Jimbobio put their coop in the hills and his flock had grown to a respectable forty birds. Made it a pain to track one down when it got loose, but the birds seemed to enjoy the terrain.

Numbers were getting high enough that he was considering selling the meat and eggs rather than just growing the flock more. Animal products generally sold more than crops weight wise. Jimbobio could look into seeing if he could swing a contract with the enclave next time he visited Rolling Greens with the wife and kids. Give them a taste of nostalgia. Speaking of nostalgia…

"Gortex you are on Bol duty. Remember to be gentle like I showed you and they won't be a bother while you milk them."

One of the proudest moments for Jimbobio is when he got to pick up four dairy Bols from the starport. His family had a few back on the farm on Dantooine and the kids always said they missed the taste of fresh Bol milk in the morning. Converting the additional farm property into pastureland for livestock was the cornerstone of his business plan. He had primarily been thinking of raising Bols when he proposed it.

Judging by the sales numbers when Bol milk had been introduced, he made the right decision. If they can secure some regular orders among the wholesalers when the novelty wears off, the farm is set. Maybe his contact on Voss would be interested given Bol numbers were down on Dantooine again this year? Bols were pretty popular on the export market after all.

"Vravraro you got a history of working with Shaaks. So I trust you know what to do today."

The Shaaks were more a placeholder in Jimbobio's plan. A way to make his proposal more appealing to the local bank. Personally he didn't particularly care for the animal. However they were popular on Ugea and sourcing the animals and know how was trivial. Plenty of places were willing to take Shaak products so finding a buyer was simple with his certifications. No sense in keeping the land fallow when it could be put to productive use.

However just because people on this planet like Shaaks doesn't mean Jimbobio wanted to ranch them long term. He made sure to source mature Shaaks with a few years left in them for a discount. They would last long enough for him to get more Bols. Either he would import more dairies or get a stud to grow his herd the natural way. The thought of having a proper and growing herd brought a smile to his face.

"Suwanwa, you'll be with me with the crop fields. Asper has already gone ahead and the kids will be showing up late today. Still, we should be able to get everything done in time for a late lunch."

Working the fields was far easier than the farm's first year. No clearing stones or pulling up deep roots. Just good soil and a new supply of Gorak litter to spread around. Saves on having to buy more manure from the Homesteader Program. Jimbobio just glad they managed to expand the refresher in the workers cottage to accommodate the needs of four full grown adults working a farm.

"Right see you all at lunchtime. Let's make this another great day!"

So began another day on Jimbobio's farm. Growing alongside dozens of farms around the new village of Bending Reeds. Yet another village extending out across the landscape from the initial settlements turned cities of Ugea. As the world continues is transformation from frontier to a fully inhabited world.

——

A look back at the dirt level at how Jimbobio's life on Ugea is going after two years. As much as there is a population boom in the cities, there is probably also a similar population boom in the rural areas as well. Farm work doesn't have to require a higher end degree. Some farming certificates can be earned a lot faster than say a doctorate and a large portion of incoming migrants are going to be familiar with the industry. Leading to more sentients heading to the countryside to continue doing what they know how to do to earn a living.

I can see Ugea's government encouraging this trend. The more the rural population expands, the more of its still plentiful unpopulated wilderness gets converted into taxable rural communities. Ugea's form of government with its local representatives is built to handle that kind of decentralization better than most of its contemporary Imperial planetary governments. Not to mention it is easier to build new towns, infrastructure, or mining when there is already an existing community there to draw manpower from. Especially when that community has a landless population that is used to hard labor.

Also for all some people romanticize the single homesteading family taking care of the entire farm themselves, farming more often than not includes more than just blood relatives once it grows past a certain point. There is going to be that class of non-landowning farm workers springing up as farms consolidate, hire more hands, and seek to become more efficient. Population density per individual farm is going to go up as a result. Trying to replace them all with droids would take a monumental amount of effort and probably not worth it in the early stages of agriculture.

Crossposted on SB and SV