May the 4th Be With You: A Rebel PSA Story

Han the Solo MSP found himself once again at the feet of JabbaPSA, the PSA platform that had promised to grow his MSP into its own empire, all at a low cost. What Han hadn't realized at the time was the hidden fees that went with the tier that he thought he could afford, if only just barely. Buried deep in the contract he readily signed was a clause about an initiation fee. Han thought that he would be paying only 500 credits a month, a number that was already steep for his MSP, but now JabbaPSA was demanding 200,000 credits or the contract would be revoked, and his data along with it. For a Solo MSP like Han, his data was everything. Han wasn't expecting a hidden cost so steep, and now it had landed him in the situation he was currently in. It was enough to make his head spin when he thought about it.

"Look, Jabba, I don't have the money for the initiation fees, but I'm trying to get it. Some of my customers, they don't pay on time, and I'm not a large enough tech pilot; I can only take on smaller customers on the fringes of the galaxy. My ship is barely holding together as it is," Han said, knowing he would get little sympathy from the PSA giant before him.

Han listened as JabbaPSA spoke in the corporate language that had always made him feel like he didn't belong in this part of the galaxy. "He says that you have until the end of the pay period to get the money or you're out," One of JabbaPSA's lackeys said to Han as though he wasn't intelligent enough to understand what was happening.

Just like that, JabbaPSA decided that the meeting was over, and the ultimatum had been given. Han pulled himself together, ready to go find Chewie, his trusted and only tech that he sent out on missions to get their clients' ships up and running again. Now he would have to tell his long-time partner that he might not be able to pay him, or worse. The din inside the cantina was beginning to become claustrophobic. Han couldn't think about his next moves, let alone hear his own thoughts over the constant chatter and blaring music being played. The cantina had once been a place Han came to when he wanted good food and to unwind from a long day; now it was tainted by JabbaPSA's meeting.

Just then, Han felt a tug on his sleeve. Han turned and found a mysterious old man who he hadn't seen before, and he stood out among the crowd in the cantina. "I believe I have what you may be looking for, my friend," The old man said without any context.

"Yeah? And what do you know about what I need?" Han replied. The old man told him that he knew he needed help, and that his data, along with his whole solo operation, was at risk.

"There are others out there, just like you, who are avoiding the grip of the Empire PSAs, who care little about you or your livelihood. There are rebels who have made an open-source community, banded together, and share their knowledge openly," The old man told Han.

"Look, old man, whoever you are, that sounds real nice and all, but I have a serious situation, and holding hands with these rebels, as you call them, isn't going to help," Han replied.

The old man chuckled to himself, "I think that this community has more to offer than you might think. The MSPs there are just like you, individuals, and small teams that don't quite fit in with what the Empire PSAs want, and can't afford what the other PSA giants like JabbaPSA offer you. Even signing a contract could mean delaying the growth of your crew, just to use their interface and tools that often fail you in your time of need."

The old man was looking at him—no through him. He somehow knew exactly what Han was dealing with.

"Ok, say I'm interested, how would I find these rebels of yours?" Han asked.

"Listen to the whispers all around you; you might be surprised by how many rebels there are hiding in plain sight. You need only to hear them," The old man said before walking out of the cantina, leaving Han wondering if there was more for him beyond being at the beck and call of the credit-hungry giants who only seemed to care about their share.

When the old man finished speaking, there was a beep-doop-weeep that came from behind him. The old man turned. "Thank you for sending those invoices, Workflow-D2, you know how I hate that part of the business," He said, as he smiled knowingly at Han.

Han looked at the small automation droid following the old man. An automation droid was something that he had never hoped to afford. If these rebels had automation droids, even small ones, that could be the start of something completely new for Han and Chewie with their Solo MSP.

Han began to feel something in his chest. He wanted more than the struggle of what he had now. He wanted a ship that ran smoothly, with a crew to fly with it. He wanted a billing cycle that closed in twelve parsecs, and not the three months it currently took. Most of all, he wanted automation droids, like Workflow-D2, that would take the heavy lifting off his already tired back. He wanted to get out from JabbaPSA's thumb and finally have the resources to grow his Solo MSP. A real shot at the business.

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Today, May 4th, is the official release of AlgaPSA 1.0!

No initiation fees. No 200,000-credit surprises. No bounty hunters at the door if you decide to leave. The Solo plan starts at $49 a month, built for the Hans of the galaxy who just need a real shot.

May the 4th be with you, MSPs!