Within the Galactic Empire, even the powerful and privileged families of the Core Worlds were like this. What the planets elsewhere faced went without saying.
There were also some second-tier yet still immensely powerful, deeply rooted noble families in the Inner Rim Territories, but these families became the finest prey for the top aristocratic houses. Annexation, acquisition, destruction, absorption—every conceivable method emerged one after another.
As the top aristocratic houses of the Core Worlds poured out vast wealth to satisfy Palpatine's greed, they naturally chose to shift their own conflicts elsewhere. The Inner Rim became the best target.
Under such frenzied actions, the nobles of the Inner Rim had no choice but to submit. They attached themselves to the top houses of the Core Worlds, using their own resources and foundations to maneuver among several different houses, squeezing out the tiniest space for survival.
They loudly denounced their plight in the Senate, hoping to find a solution, but no one paid them any heed. Every greedy pair of eyes in the Senate had already regarded them as the most delectable prey.
Even more despairingly, the Inner Rim nobles did not even qualify to forge ties with Emperor Palpatine! They could only seek out Sector Governors and faction leaders for help, then choose a somewhat dignified posture as they were devoured bit by bit.
The only difference was how long they could struggle before being eaten, and whether they could leave themselves even a mouthful of scraps. After that, they needed to consider how to win their new masters' favor and make their own lives a little easier.
And what of the Mid Rim Territories? Those could no longer even be called noble houses; they were merely relatively developed planets. The planets of the Mid Rim Territories had completely lost all