Important The Squeeze

[Véhemen]

The Squeeze
Paying the Tax Man

The chamber was quiet save for the soft whir of suspended globes drifting lazily in the air, each one a projection of a sector's fiscal data. Numbers spun. Supply flows blinked. The war effort, eternal and ever-hungry, flickered in graphs of red and gold.​

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Darth Malvorr leaned forward, clawed fingers steepled beneath his chin. “Véhemen’s domain has grown fat in the shadows. He’s avoided the cost of loyalty for too long.”​

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Across from him, Darth Relus gave a dry laugh. “He calls it fortifying the frontier. I call it hoarding.”​

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“They sit on worlds rich with resources and barely contribute a fraction of their due.” Malvorr gestured and one of the globes expanded; the territory of the Zula Dominion coming into view. The many assets of the Dominion glinted like diamonds across a dozen systems and many worlds.​

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“Too remote to matter, too proud to beg for aid. A small fleet and army. No political allies of note. Véhemen has his Lords and his Sith, but if the Empire calls for tithe, what choice does he have?” Relus tilted his head. “He’ll comply.”​

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“And if he doesn’t?” asked Malvorr.​

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“Then we remind him that the Sphere of Civil Administration does not make requests" responded the older, Darth Relus.​

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Malvorr smiled thinly, sending a command flickering through the holo-display. One by one, Zula’s known holdings began to turn red.​

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“Let’s see how long their little Dominion endures when it’s starved of the wealth that feeds it.”​

---

The Sphere of Civil Administration is putting pressure on the Zula Dominion to contribute more resources to the Imperial war effort or else face the consequences. Naturally, Darth Véhemen will expect those who serve him to make a contribution, and those with the broadest shoulders to make the greatest contribution.

If the powerbase fails to pay the required tithe, Malvorr and Relus will make sure they face significant consequences. However, should the Dominion pay more than expected, it's possible that those within Civil Administration who might be more favourable to the Zula Dominion will reward their efort.

Here’s how it works:

• This is an opportunity donate old or unused assets (personnel, businesses, ships, etc.) that no longer serve a purpose or aren’t fun to use anymore. This will help create opportunities for others to potentially step into those gaps, building their own assets and creating new roleplay opportunities.
• You will not lose any wealth rating for donating assets. Though obviously the asset must be removed from your dossier.
• If an asset was acquired recently and was intended for a future Wealth Rating increase, it should not be donated. This is about trimming older assets and if you give an asset away that is part of a new wealth rank request, it won't be counted.
• There are potential rewards for donating, though not guaranteed. Recognition, favour, protection, and plot opportunities may come to those who play along.
• Those without assets to donate will have other options. For example if your character is a poor Operative with just a few assets, we're not expecting you to give those up (unless you want to) and will instead offer additional routes to contribute.
• You can resist paying. If you feel your character would not pay up, or only make a token gesture, this is entirely valid - but there will be consequences! Unless they can wriggle out of them...
• Consider this a storytelling opportunity not just a task. How would your character react to the unreasonable demands of the Empire squeezing your characters wealth. What might they say or do to wriggle out of it?

This is a great moment to refresh your powerbase and help the whole guild tell a story about Imperial pressure and Sith politics. Who folds? Who resists? Who profits?

Current Tithe Level

Below is the current tithe level. This will be updated on a semi-regular basis.

Tithe Level​	Consequence​	Current Position​
Failed Tithe (<50,000)​	The powerbase faces dire consequences as the Sphere of Civil Administration turns its wrath upon it. The Dominion will be choked of resources and experience many months of economic setbacks.	​
Minimum Tithe (50,000 - 59,999)​	The powerbase manages to pay the minimum required tithe, but it fails to garner support from the wider Sphere of Civil Administration. The Dominion experiences short-term economic setbacks from the loss of wealth.	​
Large Tithe (60,000 - 69,999)​	The powerbase is able to pay a much larger tithe than was expected, impressing sympathetic members of the Sphere of Civil Administration. The Dominion experiences short-term economic benefits as additional resources and trade are sent to it.	​
Huge Tithe (70,000+)​	The powerbase is able to pay far above and beyond what was expected, allowing sympathetic members of the Sphere of Civil Administration to send significant resources and trade to the Dominion.	84,300​

Q. My character has a low wealth rank, do I need to sacrifice the few assets they have?
A. Although everyone is expected to contribute, it might be possible to negotiate a lesser payment if your character only has a few assets - if any. This should be explored in-character interactions.

Q. Can someone else pay for my character?
A. Absolutely, if your character can negotiate a deal, then another may pay on their behalf. This is a good opportunity to see how much influence your character has.

Q. What happens if my character refuses to pay?
A. They will face the consequences of that decision.

Q. Can I donate a newly acquired asset, for example can I roll for one and immediately donate it?
A. Yes, although this is not really in the spirit of the initiative, it's an option. We'd much prefer people get rid of things that no longer represent the core concept of their powerbase.

Q. What happens to donated assets, do they continue to exist under new ownership?
A. In most cases you can imagine the assets are dissolved; stripped for parts and shipped back into the heart of the Empire. The only exception to this might be things that are too big to be sent off.

Q. What rewards will I get?
A. Maybe nothing at all, maybe something. We don't want to say anything up front to avoid meta-gaming, instead just play your character and worry about what they get out of it later.

Q. How do I donate?
A. To encourage roleplay rather than simply sending Discord messages, this must be done in-game through a meeting with those appointed to handle tithe payments by the Dark Lord.

Q. What is the deadline for this?
A. When the pesky Darth's from Civil Administration decide it's time to come and claim their booty.

 

[Véhemen]

The Squeeze
The Measure of Obedience

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Across the Zula Dominion, the work was well underway.​

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Agents of the Sphere of Civil Administration, adorned in black with crimson trim, moved through spaceports, corporate halls, and planetary outposts with sealed orders and quiet authority. Titles changed hands. Manifests were signed. Assets, factories, refineries, transports, databanks were collected and catalogued.​

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Some holdings were stripped clean, their resources loaded onto freighters bound for the Imperial core. Others were claimed intact, handed over to Imperial administrators who would run them not for the Dominion’s glory, but for the Empire’s gain.​

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In the cool silence of an administrative observatory, Darth Malvorr watched the reports scroll past on a terminal screen.​

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“So generous,” he murmured, the edge of a smile creeping onto his face. “They’ve given far more than we projected. Véhemen’s Dominion is bleeding willingly.”​

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Across the chamber, Darth Relus did not share the mood.​

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“It’s too much,” he said sharply. “A show of strength. If they meet the demands so easily, people will start asking why they were ever targeted.”​

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Malvorr’s gaze remained fixed on the glowing stream of data. “Because we wanted them to fail. That was the point.”​

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Relus folded his arms, lips drawn tight. “And now? Véhemen looks competent. His Lords and Servants look loyal and shrewd. The whole Dominion appears efficient under pressure. We’ll be seen as petty bureaucrats who overreached and were humiliated.”​

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Malvorr finally turned to him, expression unreadable. “Then we ask for more.”​

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Relus blinked. “More? We’ve already taken holdings from half his Lords and many Sith.”​

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“If the Dominion is so abundant,” Malvorr said smoothly, “then clearly it has more to give. Let’s find the bottom of their vaults.”​

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Relus narrowed his eyes. “And if they give again? If they somehow manage to meet the new demands?”​

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Malvorr smiled at last, sharp and glinting. “Then we set the expectations so high… they can never buy their way out.”​

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He turned back to the data streams, already preparing the next decree. “Eventually, even Véhemen’s pride will crack. Or his patience.”​

​

---

So generous were some members of the powerbase, it seems the Sphere of Civil Administration has upped the ante. Although the powerbase has given up more than it's fair share, what was previously considered a Huge Tithe has now fallen to the Minimum Tithe.

Those who already paid the tithe need not pay again, so it's up to those who have not yet paid their fair due to decide the fate of the Dominions finances.

 

[Véhemen]

The Squeeze
Humilation and Failure

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The chamber was dim, lit only by the blue-white glow of projected data and the low hum of status glyphs cycling across the walls. Darth Relus stood with his back to the central display, arms tightly folded, eyes narrowed in silent fury.​

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“We were supposed to humiliate him,” he snapped. “To prove that this little Dominion was bloated, undisciplined, and ripe for stripping. Instead-…”​

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“Instead,” Malvorr interrupted, “we have received more assets in the last month than we anticipated receiving in a year. Refineries, manufacturing lines, even art galleries gifted, as if they were eager to demonstrate obedience.”​

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Relus turned sharply. “Obedience? No. That was a statement. They're parading loyalty, weaponising it. And the rest of the Sphere sees it.”​

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There was a long pause. The distant murmur of a comms unit flickered and died.​

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Relus lowered his voice. “There’s already talk. Whispers in the Division of Sector Oversight that we miscalculated and have been made to look foolish.”​

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Malvorr said nothing.​

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“And worse,” Relus continued, voice bitter, “Darth Seran requested the report metrics. Velzhar is asking questions. They smell blood. If they move against us in the Sphere they will find many allies willing to exploit our lapse of judgement.”​

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Malvorr’s expression darkened. “Let them try.”​

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“You’re not listening.” Relus stepped closer, his voice low. “Our mutual friend will not be pleased. They expected humiliation, not this. This was meant to tighten our grip, not loosen their leash.”​

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Malvorr exhaled slowly, then turned to the console. “Then we adjust the pressure.”​

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Relus blinked. “We already demanded a much higher tithe. They paid it.”​

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“Then we demand ten times,” Malvorr said coldly. “We invent tariffs. Inspections. Licensing disputes. Make them explain every credit, account, and signature. If the Dominion insists on meeting expectations…”​

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“…we simply make the expectations impossible,” Relus finished grimly.​

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Malvorr nodded, face hard as durasteel. “Eventually, they will falter. Or overreach. And when they do, we will be waiting with the knives already drawn.”​

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A hiss sounded at the edge of the chamber; the quiet, mechanical breath of a sealed door opening without signal.​

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Both turned.​

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A wave of silence followed as Darth Lakis entered.​

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He moved with the slow, assured step of one who expected no challenge. His deep crimson armour caught the low light in oily sheens, the runes carved along the plates glinting faintly. But it was the mask that drew the eye; twisted metal in the shape of a sneering face, its lower jaw melted into a permanent leer.​

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Neither Malvorr nor Relus had summoned him. That alone was cause for concern.​

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“Lakis,” Malvorr said carefully. “We weren’t informed of your arrival.”​

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Lakis’s voice echoed, cold and metallic. “No. You weren’t.”​

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Relus straightened, folding his arms. “This matter is well in hand; it’s not your concern.”​

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“You made it my concern,” Lakis replied. “When your petty ambitions strengthened the reputation and standing of a fringe powerbase, upsetting the balance of power in the sector.”​

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Relus bristled. “We were following process. Extracting the required tribute. If anything, we should be rewarded!”​

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“You were fanning a flame,” Lakis snapped. “And now it has embarrassed us all and given succour to a worthless band of wretches that should know their place by now.”​

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He turned back toward the door, where Darth Seran now stood, silent and composed.​

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“Effective immediately,” Lakis continued, “oversight of the Zula Dominion’s transfers to the Empire will fall to Darth Seran. You will surrender all audits, figures, and ongoing operations.”​

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Relus's voice rose. “This is an overreach!”​

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Lakis’s gaze cut through him.​

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“This is containment! You have made yourselves look like fools, but if you are removed from your positions, the rest of us will not share in the shame.”​

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He paused, letting the weight of that hang in the air.​

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“Darth Seran will see that the Dominion is rewarded for its loyalty and in doing so, place a leash on Darth Véhemen’s expansion.”​

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Lakis turned to leave, Seran falling into step beside him.​

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“One more misstep,” he said, not looking back, “and your positions will become untenable.”​

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The door sealed behind them with a hiss.​

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Malvorr and Relus stood alone in the flickering light.​

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And for the first time, the reports stopped scrolling.​

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---

​

Darth Malvorr and Darth Relus have failed in their attempts to embarass Darth Véhemen and his servants. By forwarding far more resources to the Sphere of Civil Administration than was ever expected, the powerbase has humiliated the Dark Lords and won the favour of their rivals.

Although those responsible for the Tharin sector remain wary of the growing power of the Zula Dominion and its leader, they are left no choice but to reward such loyalty. Though it remains to be seen whether the reward will be a prize worth having...

In the meanwhile, Darth Malvorr and Darth Relus have some explaining to a mutual friend to do, and it doesn't seem they will be happy....

 

[Véhemen]

The Squeeze
Two edges, one Dominion

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From: Darth Véhemen
To: Powerbase
Subject: Domimion Immigration
Encryption: Highly Restricted

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The Empire has saw fit to reward our economic efficiency by sending a large number of immigrants to help settle the Dominion. This new population will not only help our industries grow today, but accelerate the long-term growth of the Dominion. It is imperative that they are properly assimiliated.

Before the populations arrives, I require each group has a world designated for them. It is possible for multiple groups to be sent to the same world, but each group must be sent as a whole and not split up.

The Lord Seneschal shall oversee this matter, but I will permit the governors and vicreoys to decide which group is sent where. If they cannot agree on this matter, then the Lord Seneschal herself may decide.

Do note that I require a suitable population is sent to Zula IV, one that shall please me and see our capital world grow.

- V -

The Broken Link

Population: ~2,000,000
Profile: Former criminals, pirates, dissidents, smugglers, and black marketeers
Species: 65% Human, 10% Twi’lek, 10% Togruta, 5% Zabrak, 10% Other
Demographic: 85% Adults, 15% Children

Description:
Once the dregs of Imperial society, these individuals were drawn from prison planets, forced labour camps, and underworld zones across the Outer Rim. Their crimes range from smuggling spice and weapons, to fomenting civil unrest, piracy, and unauthorised slicer activity. The Empire’s official line is that these “unfit elements” are being granted a final chance to serve the Empire, far from the capital on the fringes of society.

A loose confederation of groups, what binds them is a fierce streak of independence and survival instinct. Many are career survivors who thrived under no authority but their own. Some seek redemption, others simply another opportunity to run rackets or establish criminal networks anew.

Pro: Resourceful, fiercely independent, many have trade, survival, or mechanical skills.
Con: Organised crime and factional rebellion are real threats if left unchecked. May struggle to integrate properly and gravitate more to the like minded groups and exacerbate existing problems.

The Defeated

Population: ~1,000,000
Profile: Former Republic soldiers and officers with their families
Species: 60% Human, 10% Cathar, 10% Duros, 10% Zabrak, 10% Other
Demographic: 60% Adults, 30% Children, 10% Elderly and Infirm

Description:
Veterans of campaigns lost to the Empire, these men and women were taken as prisoners of war or forcibly demobilised. They were given the option of helping to settle the frontier in exchange for sparing their lives. Their arrival is well-organised and orderly, they march in neat lines, observe hierarchy, and build encampments with near-military efficiency.

Despite their discipline, they hold no true loyalty to the Empire. The older generation still sees the Sith Empire as their enemy. The younger generation may yet be moulded. Much will depend on how they are treated, and whether their commanders begin to rise again as figures of resistance.

Pro: Trained, orderly, capable of building disciplined civic communities.
Con: Ideologically opposed to the Empire, may become a nucleus for rebellion and/or likely connection points for Republic interests.

The Duskwalkers

Population: ~600,000
Profile: A nomadic tribal culture emerging from the frontier and Wild Space
Species: 30% Mirialan, 25% Human, 15% Rodian, 10% Near-Human, 20% Mixed
Demographic: 50% Adults, 40% Children, 10% Elderly

Description:
Wearing beads of bone and cloth dyed in starless grey, the Duskwalkers are a spiritual and tribal people with no homeworld. Their original home was lost to hyperspace collapse or radiation storms, depending on which tale you believe. For generations, they wandered from derelict stations to forgotten moons, maintaining old rites, preserving songs, and burying their dead in airless voids.

They have chosen now to settle, weary of drifting. Their society is built on oaths, firelight councils, and stories passed between generations. While culturally insular, they are adaptable and brave. Imperial officials find them difficult to regulate but not inherently hostile.

Pro: Self-reliant, spiritually grounded, excellent in hostile or rural environments.
Con: Resist integration, slow to trust authority, prone to settling disputes through clan justice, potentially dangerous to Imperial civilians.

The Children of Ash

Population: ~800,000
Profile: Displaced victims of disaster and war, scattered and impoverished
Species: 50% Human, 20% Twi’lek, 10% Togruta, 10% Zabrak, 10% Other
Demographic: 40% Adults, 45% Children, 15% Elderly

Description:
From famine on Zareen V, to the volcanic death of Varcon's crust, to orbital bombardment on Letora, the Children of Ash are survivors of ecological and military catastrophe. Their flight has been endless. Driven from ruin to ruin, they are desperate for rest, food, and permanence.

They arrive half-starved, eyes hollow, their possessions carried on their backs. Disease, malnutrition, and trauma weigh heavily upon them. Yet, many of them once worked as farmers, builders, and dockworkers. They know how to build, if only they are fed.

Pro: Eager for a future, able-bodied and willing to work. Grateful.
Con: Require immediate shelter, food, healthcare, and rehabilitation. Strong likelihood of bringing alien afflictions with them if not properly treated or quarantined in the short term.

The Fruits of Success

Population: ~300,000
Profile: Loyal settlers from the Imperial heartland, selected for skill and ideological purity
Species: 100% Human
Demographic: 70% Adults, 25% Children, 5% Elderly

Description:
Hand-picked from the inner worlds, this group includes mid-level functionaries, teachers, civil engineers and technical specialists. They have been dispatched to help "civilise" the Dominion, a gesture of goodwill and oversight.

Clean, educated, and well-fed, they are often unused to hardship or diversity. They carry a sense of entitlement and ideological arrogance. Some may see themselves as stewards or even rulers of the Dominion’s "backward" fringe worlds.

Pro: Skilled, organised, and ideologically loyal.
Con: Culturally elitist, prone to tension with local customs and rougher elements. Likely to have connections in the wider Empire to which they express their disagreements and displeasures with the Dominion.

The Path of Drosuun

Population: ~250,000
Profile: A quasi-religious movement devoted to balance through suffering and insight
Species: 40% Togruta, 30% Human, 10% Nautolan, 20% Other
Demographic: 50% Adults, 30% Children, 20% Elderly

Description:
Founded by the prophet Drosuun, a blind Togruta who claimed to see "beyond the spectrum of light," this movement has grown across the Mid Rim. It teaches that only by enduring pain and bearing witness to truth can the galaxy be reborn.

They bring no weapons. Their robes are grey, their speech slow and poetic. Many offer healing, insight, or agricultural expertise, believing work to be a sacred act. But their strange beliefs challenge the Sith philosophy, and they draw many converts.

The Empire has decided to settle the group on the fringe of the Empire and let them be someone else’s problem.

Pro: Peaceful, healing, community-focused, may bring calm to restless regions.
Con: Spread unorthodox philosophies. Could become spiritually subversive, especially if they start recruiting and draw more Imperials into their numbers.

The Gilded Remnant

Population: ~200,000
Profile: Former exotic slaves, entertainers, gladiators, tutors, and servants
Species: 30% Twi’lek, 20% Human, 10% Zeltron, 5% Hapan, 35% Other
Demographic: 85% Adults, 10% Youth, 5% Elderly/Maimed

Description:
Once property of the infamous Lord Veth Malzar, a decadent noble whose death dissolved his holdings, these individuals were famed throughout the Empire for their beauty, elegance, and performance. Trained in dozens of arts, from massage to seduction to assassination, they were the crown jewels of Imperial vice.

Now, they have no master and the Empire has saw fit to send the population off to the frontier. Some seek to build new lives in the Dominion. Others see an opportunity to become powerful in their own right, using what they were taught, not just to please, but to manipulate.

Pro: Highly skilled, charismatic, and socially influential. A boon to courts and salons.
Con: Dangerous. Trained in subtle dominance. Will seek power if not carefully overseen, and has dangerous contacts outside the Dominion to leverage. Political struggle.

The Velmari

Population: ~100,000
Profile: A displaced merchant clan with wealth, ships, and a complicated past
Species: 40% Duros, 20% Human, 15% Twi’lek, 10% Gran, 5% Muun, 10% Other
Demographic: 60% Adults, 25% Children, 15% Elderly

Description:
The Velmari were once trade princes of the Expansion Region, operating vast convoys between lawless worlds. Accused of tax fraud, relic smuggling, and information brokering, they fled the Republic with as much as they could carry.

Now they seek a new charter under Dominion protection, offering access to their fleets, trade networks, and business acumen. But their loyalty is transactional. Their honour, negotiable. They will enrich your coffers or poison your courts.

Pro: Immense trade potential, wealth, and black market access.
Con: Untrustworthy. Will exploit loopholes, undermine law, and buy influence relentlessly. May upset market balances in hostile manipulation schemes.

Spoiler: OOC Notes

• Groups may not be split up
• If there's no consensus between the Governors and Viceroys, the Lord Seneschal will decide the outcome.
• Once the selections are made, a dice roll will determine which planet is gauranteed the Con for their group.
• All other groups likely come with a mixture of positives and negatives which governors may use to flesh out their planets stories according to their own will.
• You have until the end of the month.
• This is not the last thing that will come of this plot, you can perhaps expect further "rewards" to follow, especially for the lower ranks.