The Daimyo was the ruler of a territory in the city of Mos Espa—and had nominal authority over the desert planet Tatooine—that was maintained through the allegiance and tribute of vassals, such as government officials and proprietors. The title of Daimyo was held successively by the crime lords Jabba Desilijic Tiure, Bib Fortuna, and Boba Fett.
Daimyo of Mos Espa and Tatooine overall was a position of powerful status on the planet.
The title of Daimyo was self-appointed; the holder of this title was generally responsible for enforcing laws, maintaining order, and protecting property. Additionally, the Daimyo was a crime lord who controlled businesses and government officials, and received tribute from vassals.
The Daimyo could also grant audiences to their vassals. A less powerful Daimyo relied on alliances with other crime families in order to preserve their status.
Jabba Desilijic Tiure was a Daimyo for centuries; his majordomo Bib Fortuna succeeded him briefly after his death.
The Hutt Jabba Desilijic Tiure ruled a criminal empire during the Republic Era and the Imperial Era as a daimyo and crime lord. Having spread his operations and influence across the Outer Rim Territories, and earning great wealth and riches out of various criminal activities such as smuggling and slave trading.
Jabba was harsh, and would demand endless tributes from various local factions and governments on Tatooine in order to keep them in line. These vassals, out of fear, would not dare challenge the ruthless crime lord. Many of Jabba's captains accrued wealth and riches under the Hutt.
Following Jabba's demise, his majordomo Bib Fortuna seized power and amassed servants and slaves of his own. Jabba's former captains quickly left when Fortuna claimed to be the heir. Fennec Shand claimed that Fortuna was a "terrible leader" with no legitimate claim on Jabba's throne. This resulted in the captains attempting to take his place, but were thwarted by Fortuna's guile and treachery.
Fortuna's reign ended when he was killed by Boba Fett; a former bounty hunter who worked with Jabba's syndicate as well as the Galactic Empire. Fett swore to kill Fortuna for betraying him.
Boba Fett killed Fortuna in order to become the new Daimyo of Mos Espa.
In the aftermath of Fortuna's death, Fett founded his own criminal empire as the self-proclaimed Daimyo of Mos Espa and Tatooine. Unlike Jabba and Fortuna, Fett intended to rule through respect, though the people initially did not like the change of power and did not respect him. Fett accepted payments of tribute and vowed to bring order to the Worker's District of Mos Espa. The office of Mayor of Mos Espa lacked real power and was therefore subordinate to the Daimyo. Unlike Fortuna who enriched Mayor Mok Shaiz in an effort to hold onto power, Fett attempted to assert authority over the mayor by exacting tribute from Shaiz. The water-monger Lortha Peel offered to double his tribute to the Daimyo in exchange for protection against a street gang that had been stealing his water inventory. Instead, Fett hired the gang after Drash and Skad informed him about the unemployment and profiteering in his district. Fett also instructed Peel to lower his prices or relocate his business to Mos Eisley.
Fett's rule was initially challenged by the arrival of The Twins, who wanted to claim Jabba's territory through kinship. Fett initially refused to cede his lands, so they sent Krrsantan to kill him. Krrsantan failed in his task, so the Twins apologized by giving Fett a rancor. They stated that the mayor had promised the planet to the Pyke Syndicate, not wanting to start a war over a worthless "rock". Initial attempts of negotiation failed, with Fett agreeing to Vanth's reinforcements in return for eliminating the spice trade. This caused Jabba's captains betraying Fett, as they did not approve of his rule in the first place similar to Fortuna. The Pykes attempted to make their presence known on the planet by bombing Sanctuary and hiring Cad Bane to intimidate the people of Freetown.
This resulted in a battle in Mos Espa that ultimately resulted a victory for Fett. As Fett stood up for his people against the Pykes, they were grateful for his protection and began to respect him.
The palace was the fortress of the Daimyo.
Daimyos resided in a large palace on the fringes of the Northern Dune Sea in Mos Espa. The structure was a fortress, with a defensive design that focused primarily on protection from attack. It was once a monastery that belonged to the B'omarr Order, a religious community who believed in isolating themselves from all physical stimuli to enhance their mental powers. The earliest parts of the monastery were underground, and included a mine.
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