While I like Martial characters more, the history of Taris draws to that option more then anything else, especially given my love of the KOTOR games/era.
Righto, near as I can tell (unless I'm miscounting somewhere, in manual tallying to mix the plans and vote-by-line ones) it is Taris/Female as our winning vote. I'd let it run a bit longer, but I won't likely have time to write on Sunday and it's slowed down enough to feel confident in the result.
I will attempt to get the next post up tomorrow, time willing.
I don't know what else I expected. This is a very, very long way from home. One city planet is never like another. Or so I've heard. Can't say I've ever been this far into the Core. Force, they really are desperate, aren't they?
With a heavy sigh, you brought a hand up to cover your green eyes. Bright sunlight reflected off ancient towers and flashing airspeeders. Everywhere you looked, the signs of a rich and affluent Core World stared you in the face. There wasn't any dirt or debris on the winding streets. Each building was lovingly maintained and shone with the gleam of wealth. This was a world that had not seen war in centuries. A world that could spend all the credits it had wanted on looking the part of a Galactic center. On some level, you doubted that Coruscant even looked this nice. After all, Coruscant was a working capital and center of everything.
Alsakan could afford to make itself look nice and pretty, when it was always playing second fiddle to Coruscant.
"Nothing like home, is it? I'm given to understand that your homeworld is..." Bail Organa spoke up, sitting next to you in your speeder. The dark-skinned man was haggard, rings beneath his eyes and his short hair unkempt. As if he hadn't slept in days.
Considering the situation, I can believe he hasn't. Smiling slightly, you shrugged at his question. "Taris is a shadow of what it once was. No need to be polite about that, Senator. Certainly it lacks the beauty of Alsakan. Though..." Rolling your eyes at a particularly blinding advertisement plastered on a skyscraper, you continued. "I'm missing the rustic charm of it all."
Organa chuckled, softly, and nodded back. "I can't say I've ever been to Taris, but I have seen enough of the Rim to know what you mean. Sometimes there is something to be said, for living a simple life without any of the constant action in the Core. I know I prefer the calm of Alderaan's plains to--"
The man cut himself off, and you knew why. Mentioning Coruscant, which might as well have been a second home, was still hard on him. No one was really prepared for what had happened, were they? You certainly weren't.
"Anyway," Organa coughed, running a hand through his hair. Centering himself. "Are you prepared for what's coming? All of this is very...different for all of us. I can't imagine what it's like for you, to be made Chancellor like this." Smiling self-deprecatingly, the Senator looked down at his lap. "All because none of us want that kind of power now. Not after what happened with Palpatine."
"Interim-Chancellor."
"What?" The Senator looked at you, eyebrow climbing his forehead.
You just smirked, and waved a hand at him. "I said, 'Interim-Chancellor'. While I'm honored you chose me- and terrified all the same -this is nothing more than a temporary position. We do need elections later, don't we? I wouldn't want to become another Palpatine. Not when that madman came so close to ending everything."
The smirk slowly slid from your face, when you spoke the name of the late Chancellor. You clenched your fist in your skirt, even, as a flash of rage came over you. Amedda was doing everything in his power to cast the Jedi's killing of Palpatine as a 'petty religious squabble, because the Jedi can accept no competition in their religion'. It was working, too, damnit. Even in the rump of the Republic. No one knew what a Sith was, and that was largely the fault of the Jedi declaring victory over the Sith after Ruusan. Why bother teaching anyone about an enemy that was finally defeated?
Like every other goddamn time the Sith were 'defeated' eh? You'd think they'd learn. Taris never forgot. How could we, when our world still has ruins from Malak? When we're still finding unexploded ordinance in the Undercity and the ruins, even thousands of years later? No. Taris remembers. I remember.
"Sorry about that, Senator." You forced your hand to smooth out, and shook your head. A weak smile directed at the concerned visage of Organa. "Thinking about the Chancellor and the Empire doesn't do me any favors. You'd be surprised what Taris remembers, even if everyone else has forgotten. You should head out there sometime, or to Telos. Gives you another perspective on the Galaxy." Looking thoughtful now, you shook your head bemusedly. "Scratch that, I'm going to have everyone in any leadership role visit Taris and Telos. I want you all to see what my home is like, and see how the Corporations and their lackeys ruined Telos worse than Malak ever did."
Organa, to his credit, winced softly. "Not a bad idea. I feel that we all let the Core blind us a bit to what happens on the Rim. I've seen a bit myself, and it wasn't really easy. Ryloth was especially bad, from what I remember. You have my support in that matter, at the least."
Nothing more was said, until your speeder reached the Alsakan Capital Building. Until proper accommodations could be made for the rump Senate, meetings were going to be held in the towering spire. As evidenced by the flock of speeders coming in for landings, all over the various landing pads. Senators of every conceivable species- those that had any power, anyway -milled about and were clearly waiting for something. That something...
...could only be you.
No pressure, eh? Well. I'll never get anything done if I can't deal with a little pressure.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"I apologize for the suddenness of this." That was a redheaded woman, dressed in the finest white dress that money could buy. Her (relatively) youthful features staring with a hint of concern at how you chose to dress in a much simpler suit and skirt in black. "I'm afraid there was no other option that we could all agree on. You understand this, I'm sure."
You resisted the urge to roll your eyes. "No offense taken, Senator Mothma. I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did without dealing with surprises."
It took all you had to not comment on how, even if she was better than most, the woman was still Core through-and-through. From her fancy dress, to her accent, to the way she looked at you. She may not even realize it, and you weren't sure if that made it better or worse. At least Organa was better about that, probably because he spent a good deal of time helping on the front of the War. You understood that Amidala, missing from this meeting, was even better. She may dress like Mothma, but she was not afraid to get right into the thick of things.
There was a woman you could respect.
Oh well, nothing for it. I knew this when I agreed to the job. "At any rate, where do we begin? Senator Organa told me a bit on the way here, but I'm not sure exactly what we're working with here. Who do I have to support me? What are we going to do about the Empire or Confederacy? I need to know this, if I'm going to do my job well. Wouldn't want to fail on my first day at work."
Maybe it was a poor attempt, but you tried to bring a little levity to the room. Organa gave you a strained smile, while Mothma simply raised an eyebrow. The only one to outright chuckle at your bad joke was a bearded man, sitting in the back with his feet planted on the conference table.
"Good one, kid. I think you're the only one who understands what you signed up for." The man chuckled again, lifting his feet off the table to climb to his feet. He walked over to you, and took your hand in a firm handshake. "Garm Bel-Iblis, at your service. It's nice to have someone else around who isn't stuck-up in their own---"
"Senator Iblis!" Mothma snapped, sounding scandalized by his words.
The Corellian just shrugged, and gave you a side-wink with a small smirk. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Work together and all that. Just speaking my mind, Mon." He stepped back, and you couldn't help but giggle a bit yourself.
"You may be a Core-worlder yourself, Senator, but I think we'll get along just fine." You smiled at him, and Iblis returned the expression with a lazy salute. Turning away from him, you looked back at Mothma and Organa. "Right. I know I'm a bit out of the loop on a lot of things, so we should probably figure that out first. Anything you want to tell me, before we start work?"
Mothma sighed heavily, her eyes drifting between you and Iblis, before she focused entirely on your face. "The Republic is in chaos. I don't believe this is a surprise to anyone in this room, but it must be said. We're still struggling to identify who is loyal to democracy, and who has joined the Empire. I would not be surprised if several border worlds have jumped to the Confederacy, either."
From the way she looked at you when she said that, narrowed eyes and challenging expression, she expected you to know better. Oh boy, she was one of those then. "Just because I live in the Rim, you think I know what goes on out there?" At the little flinch confirming your theory, you grumbled a bit under your breath about entitled Core-worlders.
Garm Bel-Iblis laughed his ass off at that sentence, the man clearly enjoying watching Mothma squirm. Organa just sighed and rubbed his brow, the apparent peace-keeper between the little group.
"I can't say you're wrong, mind you," Your voice was dry, when you spoke again. Green eyes narrowed, just a tad. "I do have connections in the Rim that I doubt many of you do. But I can't say for sure how much that actually helps. I can guarantee you that some worlds that were neutral were leaning towards the Confederacy before Grievous started rampaging across the Galaxy. If the Senate out there decides to denounce his actions now that he's dead?" You shrugged helplessly, shaking your head. Even on Taris, there was some sympathy for the Confederacy's cause. "I wouldn't be surprised if some worlds jumped to their side. Maybe not many, but some."
"What about the Empire?" Organa asked, his voice a little wary.
To that, you could only shrug. "Without knowing more about what Amedda will do, I can't say. I can tell you that even the planets loyal to the Republic weren't exactly fond of the Core. If he acts like Palpatine, I don't think many of them would be eager to join the Empire..." You almost felt bad, at how Organa and Mothma began to smile. Iblis, on the other hand, met your eyes and knew what you were about to say. "...but Eridau will happily join, and they have almost as much clout out there as Taris does. More importantly, if the Clones are loyal to the Empire, all those ships and troops out on the Sieges can just as easily go and force worlds to join."
It was a bit sad how the two Senators deflated, Organa blowing out a heavy breath. He knew better than Mothma, after all, what the Rim was like. "I see...well, we work with what we have. I believe it is time we brought the rest of the Council in and began working out our situation. We need to examine our options and make plans. The sooner we can consolidate everything, the sooner we can prepare for what may become an even larger war."
"I sincerely hope not. The Galaxy has suffered enough from this conflict." Mothma scowled a little, shifting in her seat. "i hope that we can come to a peaceful accommodation, in the long run."
Iblis snorted, "Doubt that will happen. Amedda's a snake who won't give up power now that he has it, and the same could be said for most of the corrupt idiots still in their little Empire. I'd say we need to be ready to fight for our rights, and for that, I think it is a damn good thing we brought in someone from the Rim. We'll need every bit of help we can get." With that, he looked at you, eyes narrowed to flints. "I hope you're up to this, kid, because we need you to be."
"...I hope I am too."
Because what else could you say to that, as Organa waved in what was your 'Council' of advisors...
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
Credit Reserve: 100,000
Credit Income: 10,000
Martial:The Republic is a mess. While it would be wrong to claim that the Clones were the only ones fighting- however nice of a propaganda tool that was -they had made up a very large majority of combat units. Non-Clone units, those that had no Clones at all, largely made up back-line and support units. Supply guards and the like. Not all the Clones had stayed loyal to Coruscant, but it was an impossibility to figure out how many had stuck with their Jedi Generals and the Republic. Beyond that, only the loyal Planetary Defense Forces could be relied upon. Figuring out this mess would take time.
Pick One
Clean up the Mess: You have no idea exactly what the Republic has to work with right now. Alsakan's forces are in orbit, Taris is behind you, but what else do you have? Shipyards? Fleets? Armies? You don't know, and your advisors need to spend time and effort figuring it out. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Identify what forces and resources the Republic has to offer.
Scout For Leaders, Jedi Can't Do Everything: In lieu of relying on the Jedi, considering...well. You must identify what leaders the Republic can rely on. Men like Yularen, if he is loyal, are the kind of men you have need of now. This could be easier said than done, however, and you can't guarantee you will find anyone without serious effort or training to weed out the less skilled or political appointments. Time: One Turn, Potential Repeatable. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 7,000. Effect: Search for skilled military minds to lead the Republic's forces. Leaders identified ????
Star Destroyers or Star Cruisers or...?: The Republic military will need to standardize on some form of ships. It would be easiest to continue using existing designs, however, Kuat is almost certainly going to stay with the money. The Empire. Another option would be to rely on Rendili, as they are showing signs of staying with the Republic. Perhaps other worlds with shipbuilding traditions could be brought in as well... Time: One Turn, Potential Repeatable. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 12,000. Effect: Begin efforts to select a standard capital ship for the Republic, begin spreading feelers to shipyards willing to work for the Republic.
Stewardship: At least you know what to do in this regard. Maybe not as well as you'd like, what with this being a Galactic government, but still. Taris had prepared you for many things, and most prominent among them was running a government. You could only hope that carried over to help here. The Republic needed a stable hand at the helm, and you may just be the best option for that. At least, that was what the Council told you.
Pick One
Set up a Government: The Republic Senate was a mess of conflicting priorities at the best of times. This was not the best of times. While it was easy to say that anyone still in the Republic was united, that was only in opposition to Amedda's seizure of power. It would not take long for old rivalries to start again, if you weren't careful about it. Perhaps the best option is to rework the Government while you have the chance? Set up new offices, new posts, new organizations...you doubted that people like Mothma or Organa would complain about spreading out the power of the Chancellor like that. Time: Two Turns. Chance of Success: 70%. Cost: 15,000. Effect: Set up a new working government for the Republic...or at least the framework for one. No one expects this to be quick or easy.
Organize, Organize, Organize: One of the keys to running a government of any scale is in organizing and delegating. While not as drastic as outright restructuring the government would be, you need to figure out how to settle things down a bit. If there was one thing you had learned from Taris, it was how to do that. Where to begin though... Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 80%. Cost: 8,000. Effect: Organize the mess that the Republic government was left in. Not nearly as effective as a ground up rebuild, yet much faster...hopefully.
Economics 101: The Republic economy was already teetering on the brink towards the end of the War. Or what seemed like the end. With the further sundering of the system, it was even more dire of a situation now. Trade routes needed to be reestablished, governments needed to be contacted, banks needed to be shored up. Taking out loans or sending out bonds could work, but it was only a bandaid on a critical situation. Even if you wanted to expand the military or fortify the borders, you can't do that without money...however much the Corporations bug you on a personal level. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 75%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Emergency measures to bring the Republic economy away from a crashing halt. ????
Learning: With the mess the Republic is in, this is relatively low priority for you at the moment. Not even your advisors disagree. However, even now, there are still needs for research and development. Lessened needs, perhaps, yet needs nonetheless. You just had to prioritize more than you might otherwise need to. Resources were strained enough. Though...maybe...it was worth a shot.
Pick One
Clones. Loyal or Brainwashed?: Some of your advisors are...cautious about bringing in Clone defectors. There's a certain belief that they would never have turned on the Jedi so easily, if there wasn't something prompting it. A prime suspect is a concept of some form of mind control, coded into their DNA. Another group are convinced that the Clones just followed orders blindly, no matter what the orders happened to be. Neither side agrees with the others, and it is at least worth checking out. For your own sanity if nothing else. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 6,000 Effect: Figure out why the Clones turned on the Jedi, and if you can reasonably trust any of the ones still loyal to the Republic.
Research and Development: While there is little real desire to focus on new technologies at the moment, it can only help in the long run to outdo the Empire and the Confederacy. The Republic will never have the raw manpower of the Confederacy's droids, nor the mass shipbuilding of the Empire. Perhaps the strength for the Republic lies, instead, in technological superiority. Form a dedicated Research and Development Team to find out. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 80%. Cost: 12,000. Effect: Form a dedicated R&D team, potentially unlocking new Tech Tiers at a faster rate, as well as new Technology options.
Old Wounds: The Deep Core hides many mysteries, past the veil of criss-crossed Hyperspace lanes. Empress Teta has remained loyal to the Republic and has become a base of operations for potential expeditions into the Deep Core. There are legends and myths of things in this region that would scare even the modern Galaxy. It is a risk to be sure, but perhaps you could find something useful in there? Certainly the Jedi wouldn't mind if you found their old Homeworld... Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 60%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Prepare for Deep Core Expeditions in search of relics of days gone by. Also bases safe from the Empire. Potential ???? in the future.
Diplomacy: In this new Galaxy of three Powers- well, not counting the Hutts and the like -the need for diplomacy has become ever more prominent. The Empire has rebuffed all real attempts at a dialogue, and likely views the Republic as a bunch of traitors living on borrowed time. For now, at least. However, sending out feelers to other groups is a possibility. Bringing the remaining neutral worlds into the fold before the Empire or CIS can scoop them up. Perhaps try the Unknown Regions...though that would probably require exploring it first. And, of course, the Rancor in the room. The Confederacy has sent out hesitant calls for dialogue, and you are...curious.
Pick One
Confederate Diplomacy: While neither side is exactly a fan of the other, especially considering Taris' defiance to Confederate designs, the CIS has shown an interest in opening talks with the Republic. Perhaps out of a desperation in knowing they still had to deal with the Outer Rim Sieges and the knowledge their military was in an even sorrier state than the Republics, in a lot of ways. Regardless of the reason, the Confederate Senate has requested an Ambassadorial Office on Alsakan to talk over...many things. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 100%. Cost: 5,000. Effect: Allow the Confederacy to open discussions with the Republic. Future ???? options available.
No one likes the Hutts, until someone needs the Hutts: While absolutely no one is fond of the idea, and Amidala is livid at the prospect, there is the option of contacting the Hutt Cartels. Some connections already exist from Skywalker's actions during the war, and these could be pulled on. Furthermore, the Hutts are traditionally neutral, so long as no one steps on their own tails. Disgusting as the idea may be, setting up diplomatic channels may allow for trade deals down the line or for support in the Rim. You'd feel like taking a week of hot showers in one day, though. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 75%. Cost: 8,000. Effect: Open channels with the Hutts, formal or otherwise. Potential risk with those who hate slavery and the Hutts on principle. Potential rewards in credits and resources.
Minor Powers of the Galaxy, UNITE: There are several regions of the Galaxy that are, at best, somewhat neutral in the Clone Wars. The Gree, the Hapans, the Mandalorians. Each of these groups are not much on their own, possibly excepting the Hapans as no one really knew what they could do. However, the Republic is hardly in a position to look away from potential allies. Attempt to open up channels with the smaller powers of the Galaxy. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 75%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Feelers are spread out to the minor powers in the Galaxy. ????
Intrigue: The need for spies has always been a pressing need. No one liked admitting to it, but that fact had always remained. With the splitting of the Republic, it became even more necessary. Someone had to know what the Empire was doing past the border. Someone had to have an idea of where the Confederacy would move next. And, of course, someone had to track down where the Jedi were planning on setting up now that Coruscant was lost to them. So many fires...so little time.
Pick One
Rebuild Republic Intelligence: Armand Isard remains loyal to the Empire, probably for the power it offers him. Republic Intelligence is a crippled shell of its former self, with assets vulnerable to being plucked out by the Empire releasing their information and locations. Even the codes are no longer secure. It is the work of a lifetime to rebuild everything to what it needs to do. Too bad you don't have that much time, eh? Time: Two Turns. Chance of Success: 85%. Cost: 15,000. Effect: Rebuild Republic Intelligence into something resembling its former self. This is a process that cannot be rushed more than it already is.
Call Up the Spies: While the codes are still valid, it may be prudent to call up anyone that the rump Intelligence organization considers loyal to the Republic. Warn them to go to ground and try to return to safe worlds. No point in wasting their lives until something better can be set up. Spies are cheap. GOOD spies are priceless. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 60%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Bring back as many of the good spies as possible, hopefully saving lives and experience for later.
Many Bothans Died for This Information: Until we can be certain who is loyal and who is not- chief among these, we must find Master Zey -the Republic uses what is available. The Bothan Spy Net is infamous in the Galaxy for their skills and finesse, however, they are loyal to the Bothans first and foremost. To gain their favor, concessions will likely need to be made. The best spies in the Galaxy don't just work for free, or for anyone who comes asking, after all. At least not the good ones. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 80%. Cost: 8,000. Effect: Gain access to low-tier Bothan Spies and set up a working relationship with Bothawui.
Personal Actions: Sometimes, a more personal touch is needed. Sometimes you just need to get away from it all. In both regards, it helps to have some time set apart for yourself. Even if that times ends up becoming less and less 'your' time. The sacrifices leaders need to perform, sometimes...
Pick One
Personal Touch: Sometimes, you just need to have that extra attention on something. You choose to use your time on a specific action, in the hopes that helps. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 100%. Cost: None. Effect: Add your Full Stats to a single Action (ie, Stewardship for Stewardship).
Meet the Council: You aren't going to work well with your new friends, if you don't bother to know them. Perhaps spending some time meeting those working with you will help in the long run? It certainly couldn't hurt. Time: One Turn, Repeatable. Chance of Success: 80%. Cost: None. Effect: Forge a working relationship with members of your Council.
The People Need You: Elected you were not, and you never let anyone forget you are an 'Interim' Chancellor. Least of all yourself. Perhaps scheduling a press conference, or just a speech, will help you relate to the people you are expected to lead. It isn't as if someone on some random city on a Mid-Rim world knows your name or anything about you, after all. Time: One Turn, Repeatable. Chance of Success: 80%. Cost: None. Effect: Introduce yourself to the Republic at large. Potential gains in long-term stability may result in ????.
AN: Phew...took longer than intended. Sorry about that. Headaches and sleepiness and getting dragged along to things that tired me out on Sunday. All conspired to keep me from getting this up. But she's up now, so there's that
First time doing options like that, though, so it may be a bit rough around the edges. Hopefully everything works there.
(also: This is a pre-Rebellion Mon Mothma. She's...not the most tactful or experienced (as in, experienced in life outside the Core) person yet. Though, even then, she's my least favorite of the founders. Especially her Canon-version, who is a complete moron. IMO, at least. Naive to an extreme at absolute best.)
Anyhoo, let's get this underway.
VOTE BY PLAN 24 HOUR MORATORIUM FOR DISCUSSION
(I would do 12 hour, but as I'm posting this at 1am (central) time...figure I'll give a bit more time for people who, like me, are soon to be (or already are) asleep )
Reasoning: We need to preserve as much sapient capital as possible. At the same time, we have a top tier Corellian general already, and Sky confirmed in private that leaders don't give action economy.
That's martial and intrigue.
Government: we probably want to do it properly, or focus economy first. We have three turns of runway (~50/T) so we can theoretically afford to focus on doing it right. But at the same time, I doubt we'll improve our credit income without that action, and we'll be up a Nerf's rear end if we don't have money. We probably have the worst economy of the three right now, so at the very least, we should keep it above zero. Thus, Economy first, unless someone convinces me of Synergy.
Learning: Yeah, clones. We need that military up stat. We don't have the money for R&D.
Diplomacy: Confederacy. We need to end our part of the Clone Wars ASAP.
Intrigue: I like having spies. Let's keep it that way by keeping them alive.
Personal: All of these are good. We can try for an economic overflow, I suppose. Working relationships are good as well, but they're unlikely to greatly sway DC for balance reasons (the classic CK2 stat+% power creep). Finally, addressing the people early is a good idea, to stabilise things. I say we do that next turn, for Rebuild Government synergy.
[K] Plan: A Rebellion is Built By People
Clean up the Mess: You have no idea exactly what the Republic has to work with right now. Alsakan's forces are in orbit, Taris is behind you, but what else do you have? Shipyards? Fleets? Armies? You don't know, and your advisors need to spend time and effort figuring it out. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Identify what forces and resources the Republic has to offer.
Economics 101: The Republic economy was already teetering on the brink towards the end of the War. Or what seemed like the end. With the further sundering of the system, it was even more dire of a situation now. Trade routes needed to be reestablished, governments needed to be contacted, banks needed to be shored up. Taking out loans or sending out bonds could work, but it was only a bandaid on a critical situation. Even if you wanted to expand the military or fortify the borders, you can't do that without money...however much the Corporations bug you on a personal level. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 75%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Emergency measures to bring the Republic economy away from a crashing halt. ????
Clones. Loyal or Brainwashed?: Some of your advisors are...cautious about bringing in Clone defectors. There's a certain belief that they would never have turned on the Jedi so easily, if there wasn't something prompting it. A prime suspect is a concept of some form of mind control, coded into their DNA. Another group are convinced that the Clones just followed orders blindly, no matter what the orders happened to be. Neither side agrees with the others, and it is at least worth checking out. For your own sanity if nothing else. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 6,000 Effect: Figure out why the Clones turned on the Jedi, and if you can reasonably trust any of the ones still loyal to the Republic.
Confederate Diplomacy: While neither side is exactly a fan of the other, especially considering Taris' defiance to Confederate designs, the CIS has shown an interest in opening talks with the Republic. Perhaps out of a desperation in knowing they still had to deal with the Outer Rim Sieges and the knowledge their military was in an even sorrier state than the Republics, in a lot of ways. Regardless of the reason, the Confederate Senate has requested an Ambassadorial Office on Alsakan to talk over...many things. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 100%. Cost: 5,000. Effect: Allow the Confederacy to open discussions with the Republic. Future ???? options available.
Call Up the Spies: While the codes are still valid, it may be prudent to call up anyone that the rump Intelligence organization considers loyal to the Republic. Warn them to go to ground and try to return to safe worlds. No point in wasting their lives until something better can be set up. Spies are cheap. GOOD spies are priceless. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 60%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Bring back as many of the good spies as possible, hopefully saving lives and experience for later.
The People Need You: Elected you were not, and you never let anyone forget you are an 'Interim' Chancellor. Least of all yourself. Perhaps scheduling a press conference, or just a speech, will help you relate to the people you are expected to lead. It isn't as if someone on some random city on a Mid-Rim world knows your name or anything about you, after all. Time: One Turn, Repeatable. Chance of Success: 80%. Cost: None. Effect: Introduce yourself to the Republic at large. Potential gains in long-term stability may result in ????.
Clean up the Mess: You have no idea exactly what the Republic has to work with right now. Alsakan's forces are in orbit, Taris is behind you, but what else do you have? Shipyards? Fleets? Armies? You don't know, and your advisors need to spend time and effort figuring it out. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Identify what forces and resources the Republic has to offer.
Scout For Leaders, Jedi Can't Do Everything: In lieu of relying on the Jedi, considering...well. You must identify what leaders the Republic can rely on. Men like Yularen, if he is loyal, are the kind of men you have need of now. This could be easier said than done, however, and you can't guarantee you will find anyone without serious effort or training to weed out the less skilled or political appointments. Time: One Turn, Potential Repeatable. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 7,000. Effect: Search for skilled military minds to lead the Republic's forces. Leaders identified ????
*wince*
Anything longer than a couple of hours of moratorium tends to cut down on the number of voters drastically in my experience. You're more likely to have a well discussed plan of course, but you'll definitely have less people interacting.
*wince*
Anything longer than a couple of hours of moratorium tends to cut down on the number of voters drastically in my experience. You're more likely to have a well discussed plan of course, but you'll definitely have less people interacting.
(I would do 12 hour, but as I'm posting this at 1am (central) time...figure I'll give a bit more time for people who, like me, are soon to be (or already are) asleep )
And we appreciate it I have gotten into the unattractive habit of staying up to 2:30-3 am because thats when most of the stories i follow update. god damn authors always being night hawks or on the other side of the planet
We are in a very precarious position with two major enemies who are thankfully still reeling and as disorganized as us right now. We need to get a good foundation down now and start to minimize our losses and shore up our military and tactical position.
[]Clean up the Mess: You have no idea exactly what the Republic has to work with right now. Alsakan's forces are in orbit, Taris is behind you, but what else do you have? Shipyards? Fleets? Armies? You don't know, and your advisors need to spend time and effort figuring it out. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Identify what forces and resources the Republic has to offer.
----This entire situation is FUBAR and we need to know what we are going to war with
[]Set up a Government: The Republic Senate was a mess of conflicting priorities at the best of times. This was not the best of times. While it was easy to say that anyone still in the Republic was united, that was only in opposition to Amedda's seizure of power. It would not take long for old rivalries to start again, if you weren't careful about it. Perhaps the best option is to rework the Government while you have the chance? Set up new offices, new posts, new organizations...you doubted that people like Mothma or Organa would complain about spreading out the power of the Chancellor like that. Time: Two Turns. Chance of Success: 70%. Cost: 15,000. Effect: Set up a new working government for the Republic...or at least the framework for one. No one expects this to be quick or easy.
----While Set up a government takes us a turn longer it is for the best for us to get it done with as soon as possible to cut problems we could have in the near to mid future off at the knees.
[] Clones. Loyal or Brainwashed?: Some of your advisors are...cautious about bringing in Clone defectors. There's a certain belief that they would never have turned on the Jedi so easily, if there wasn't something prompting it. A prime suspect is a concept of some form of mind control, coded into their DNA. Another group are convinced that the Clones just followed orders blindly, no matter what the orders happened to be. Neither side agrees with the others, and it is at least worth checking out. For your own sanity if nothing else. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 6,000 Effect: Figure out why the Clones turned on the Jedi, and if you can reasonably trust any of the ones still loyal to the Republic.
----We need to know what is going on with our troops NOW
[] Confederate Diplomacy: While neither side is exactly a fan of the other, especially considering Taris' defiance to Confederate designs, the CIS has shown an interest in opening talks with the Republic. Perhaps out of a desperation in knowing they still had to deal with the Outer Rim Sieges and the knowledge their military was in an even sorrier state than the Republics, in a lot of ways. Regardless of the reason, the Confederate Senate has requested an Ambassadorial Office on Alsakan to talk over...many things. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 100%. Cost: 5,000. Effect: Allow the Confederacy to open discussions with the Republic. Future ???? options available.
---- Confederate diplomacy allows us to shore up our lines and shift most of our units to deal with the empire, who once gets it shit figured out is most likely going to try and steamroll us.
[] Call Up the Spies: While the codes are still valid, it may be prudent to call up anyone that the rump Intelligence organization considers loyal to the Republic. Warn them to go to ground and try to return to safe worlds. No point in wasting their lives until something better can be set up. Spies are cheap. GOOD spies are priceless. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 60%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Bring back as many of the good spies as possible, hopefully saving lives and experience for later.
----Call up the spies allows us to save some assets and hopefully deny the Empire the ability to get to them. Even if they just go to ground and decide to retire thats better for us than for the Empire to get them or the Confederacy to flip them.
[] Meet the Council: You aren't going to work well with your new friends, if you don't bother to know them. Perhaps spending some time meeting those working with you will help in the long run? It certainly couldn't hurt. Time: One Turn, Repeatable. Chance of Success: 80%. Cost: None. Effect: Forge a working relationship with members of your Council.
----Meet the council is needed ASAP to help figure out who we need to work with and who we are going to need to work around. We can do a press conference latter when we dont have a million and one things to deal with.
Actually, shouldn't Corellia also be an option for yardspace apart from Rendilli and Kuat? The CEC is likely the only peer to KDY in shipbuilding capacity in the galaxy given how Humbarine was decimated by Grievous and Dac has not developed to the degree it did post-Yavin. Corellia as a sector is also staunchly pro-Republic as seen by their senator being in the cabinet.
[X] Clean up the Mess: You have no idea exactly what the Republic has to work with right now. Alsakan's forces are in orbit, Taris is behind you, but what else do you have? Shipyards? Fleets? Armies? You don't know, and your advisors need to spend time and effort figuring it out. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Identify what forces and resources the Republic has to offer.
[X] Economics 101: The Republic economy was already teetering on the brink towards the end of the War. Or what seemed like the end. With the further sundering of the system, it was even more dire of a situation now. Trade routes needed to be reestablished, governments needed to be contacted, banks needed to be shored up. Taking out loans or sending out bonds could work, but it was only a bandaid on a critical situation. Even if you wanted to expand the military or fortify the borders, you can't do that without money...however much the Corporations bug you on a personal level. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 75%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Emergency measures to bring the Republic economy away from a crashing halt. ????
[X] Clones. Loyal or Brainwashed?: Some of your advisors are...cautious about bringing in Clone defectors. There's a certain belief that they would never have turned on the Jedi so easily, if there wasn't something prompting it. A prime suspect is a concept of some form of mind control, coded into their DNA. Another group are convinced that the Clones just followed orders blindly, no matter what the orders happened to be. Neither side agrees with the others, and it is at least worth checking out. For your own sanity if nothing else. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 6,000 Effect: Figure out why the Clones turned on the Jedi, and if you can reasonably trust any of the ones still loyal to the Republic.
[X] Minor Powers of the Galaxy, UNITE: There are several regions of the Galaxy that are, at best, somewhat neutral in the Clone Wars. The Gree, the Hapans, the Mandalorians. Each of these groups are not much on their own, possibly excepting the Hapans as no one really knew what they could do. However, the Republic is hardly in a position to look away from potential allies. Attempt to open up channels with the smaller powers of the Galaxy. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 75%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Feelers are spread out to the minor powers in the Galaxy. ????
[X] Call Up the Spies: While the codes are still valid, it may be prudent to call up anyone that the rump Intelligence organization considers loyal to the Republic. Warn them to go to ground and try to return to safe worlds. No point in wasting their lives until something better can be set up. Spies are cheap. GOOD spies are priceless. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 60%. Cost: 10,000. Effect: Bring back as many of the good spies as possible, hopefully saving lives and experience for later.
[X] The People Need You: Elected you were not, and you never let anyone forget you are an 'Interim' Chancellor. Least of all yourself. Perhaps scheduling a press conference, or just a speech, will help you relate to the people you are expected to lead. It isn't as if someone on some random city on a Mid-Rim world knows your name or anything about you, after all. Time: One Turn, Repeatable. Chance of Success: 80%. Cost: None. Effect: Introduce yourself to the Republic at large. Potential gains in long-term stability may result in ????.
Total Cost: 46,000 credits Remaining Reserve: 54,000 + 10,000 from turn 2 income (may increase if our Economic policy works)
S/N: My only divergence from A Rebellion Is Built By People is approaching the neutrals instead of the CIS. I personally prefer drawing on the SW equivalent of Babylon 5's League of Non-Aligned Worlds. We might alienate Republic worlds that suffered during the Clone Wars if we offer an olive branch to the CIS immediately.
However, I recognize that the aforementioned minor powers are a mixed bag. The Hapans offer a strong military, but their current Queen Mother is Ni'Korish, a notorious Jedi hater, and Godoka and Eresh help us when we try to recruit Jedi while relying on her forces. (Her daughter is arguably worse - Ni'Korish wished she could slaughter Jedi, while Ta'achume murdered her older son, Isolder's first fiancee, Isolder's wife Teneniel Djo, and a ton of other people.)
The Gree have weird but advanced technology, but we'll only get the best out of them if we chose to make an R&D section - and you'll notice I went for economy first.
Finally, the Mandalorians offer the best reward since they'll probably give us a bonus with the clone troopers - in Legends, many deserters fled there - but they also threw their lot in with the CIS during the Clone Wars, which is probably a point of friction.
I also understand that opening a channel to the CIS not only appeals to players who wanted to command the faction, but offers a straightforward benefit. From an in-universe perspective, the CIS is also doing the same as the Republic - gathering allies and resources. Once the faction feels secure enough, it will become less interested in opening diplomatic channels. Opening a channel to them as early as possible can forestall the resumption of hostilities.
All in all, this has been a very interesting start, and I'm looking forward to the next installment.
*wince*
Anything longer than a couple of hours of moratorium tends to cut down on the number of voters drastically in my experience. You're more likely to have a well discussed plan of course, but you'll definitely have less people interacting.
Sky just hit the hay, and he'll be doing a physical chore come the morning on his end, which always takes a lot out of him because of his asthma. I assume he set a long moratorium period to give himself time to recover his strength.
Sky just hit the hay, and he'll be doing a physical chore come the morning on his end, which always takes a lot out of him because of his asthma. I assume he set a long moratorium period to give himself time to recover his strength.
In that case I recommend that @Skywalker_T-65 make sure to signal when the moratorium is over with a post that will register on the alerts feed. That's the best way to mitigate the attritional effects of long moratoriums.
@AlphaDelta I think your plan takes 2 Martial actions, when we can only take one.
Anyway, this is my first time helping to construct plans for a quest, so: fun! What's not fun is keeping track of credits & balancing the budget. First off, I largely agree with [] Plan Rebuild, Refit, Re-Arm, Re-Think. Those Martial, Diplomacy, and Intrigue actions are the most time-critical ones and have a clear edge over the other ones available. None of the Learning options are particularly important, in my opinion, but going for clones is always interesting! I'd also support R&D, but not Old Wounds.
What I'm not sure about are the Stewardship and Personal Actions. For Stewardship, I'm wavering between Set up a Government and Economics 101, because the Republic-in-Exile is super fragile in both legitimacy and money/resources. I'm tentatively leaning towards Set up a Government, due to the CIS diplomacy option. In order to negotiate from a viable position, ensuring we have a viable state government is paramount in order for the talks to be taken seriously. It takes two turns, so I think starting now is essential for that framework to be there during talks, even if it is incomplete.
I am... not a fan of reaching out to the Minor Powers now. Instead of negotiating with a single entity, we have to approach several, with different needs & conflicting interests, for much lesser gain than potentially establishing a truce with the CIS, and maybe even trade! The most pressing concern is to make sure the big powers will not move against us, since I'm confident the minor powers won't harm us if we leave them alone for a few turns. Besides, what do we even have to offer them?
As for Personal Actions, Meet the Council or The People Need You? I am genuinely unsure which to take. The former synergizes well with Set up a Government, while the latter reassures the people & worlds at large about our legitimacy immediately. Both stabilize the Republic-in-Exile in the short & long-term. I'm trying to think of what will best benefit our reorganization & consolidation efforts, and I think Meet the Council wins out? Especially if we're talking to the Confederacy, I want us to know our Council, listen to their opinions, and thus inform our diplomats & ambassadors accordingly.
Yeah, actually, I agree with all of [] Plan Rebuild, Refit, Re-Arm, Re-Think.
Total cost is 46,000 credits, which is the exact same amount as [] Plan: A New Beginning.
Clones. Loyal or Brainwashed?: Some of your advisors are...cautious about bringing in Clone defectors. There's a certain belief that they would never have turned on the Jedi so easily, if there wasn't something prompting it. A prime suspect is a concept of some form of mind control, coded into their DNA. Another group are convinced that the Clones just followed orders blindly, no matter what the orders happened to be. Neither side agrees with the others, and it is at least worth checking out. For your own sanity if nothing else. Time: One Turn. Chance of Success: 90%. Cost: 6,000 Effect: Figure out why the Clones turned on the Jedi, and if you can reasonably trust any of the ones still loyal to the Republic.
Wait. The Clones would not have turned on the Jedi with Palpy's death. Only the Supreme Chancellor has the Authority to initiate Order 66, that was the point of him accumulating Executive Power.
Amedda does not have the power to initiate it as Speaker of the Senate even if he stepped up as Interim-Chancellor.
Wait. The Clones would not have turned on the Jedi with Palpy's death. Only the Supreme Chancellor has the Authority to initiate Order 66, that was the point of him accumulating Executive Power.
Amedda does not have the power to initiate it as Speaker of the Senate even if he stepped up as Interim-Chancellor.
I mostly agree with [] Plan Rebuild, Refit, Re-Arm, Re-Think. First big push should be towards figuring out what we have and diseganging from Empire institutions.
Something to keep in mind is the last action, meeting the advisors vs giving a speech to the populace. I believe it might be better to have less efficient top level leadership this turn while also reasurring the citizenry - it's crazy times over there and we need people believing in the RIE.
I have gotten into the unattractive habit of staying up to 2:30-3 am because thats when most of the stories i follow update. god damn authors always being night hawks or on the other side of the planet 
