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| Galactic Empire | |
| Political Information | |
|---|---|
| Type of Government |
Authoritarian Empire |
| Founding Document | |
| Constitution | |
| Head of State |
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| Head of Government |
Regent |
| Commander-in-Chief |
Supreme Commander |
| Executive Branch |
Imperial Inner Circle |
| Legislative Branch |
Council of Moffs |
| Judicial Branch |
Procurator of Justice |
| Societal Information | |
| Capital | |
| Official Language | |
| Currency | |
| National Holiday | |
| Anthem |
Imperial March |
| Historical Information | |
| Formed From | |
| Date of Establishment | |
| Date of Fragmentation | |
| Date of Reorganization | |
| Policy Information | |
| Allies |
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| Enemies | |
| Exodus Information | |
| Faction Coordinator | |
- "Under the Empire's New Order, our most cherished beliefs will be safeguarded. We will defend our ideals by force of arms. We will give no ground to our enemies and will stand together against attacks from within or without. Let the enemies of the Empire take heed: those who challenge Imperial resolve will be crushed."
- — Excerpt taken from the Declaration of a New Order
The Galactic Empire of the Exodus Boards is currently one of the most powerful regimes in the galaxy, matched only by its longtime rival, the New Republic. Following the Battle of Corellia, the two governments formed an uneasy truce to deal with the Xen’Chi threat which has continued to be honored after the war ended.
The Empire has essentially followed the same path as it has in canon, at least up until the Battle of Endor. From there the Empire’s history has differed quite a bit. Even after the loss of several regents, fluctuating borders with the New Republic, and suffering through political infighting, the Empire continues to be a dominant force in the galaxy.
Only with the rise of Emperor Damascus and then the regentship of Grand Admiral Thrawn has the Empire come so close to reclaiming its former glory. Although weakened from the aftermath of Corellia and the war with the Xen’Chi, the will of its people has never been stronger.
The Galactic Empire is currently ruled by the Imperial Regent and Supreme Commander Grand Admiral Thrawn. Fleet Admiral Gilad Paelleon is his right hand man that helps run the day to day operations of the Empire.
Thrawn has adopted many policies that were enacted under the regentship of James Ardin. Though still authoritarian, the Empire now operates with a slightly softer and more honorable hand. Random arrests, and the terrorizing of its own citizens is no longer the policy of the authorities.
An alien in a human dominated government, Thrawn has many enemies in the Imperial hierarchy, especially among the Moffs. Many of his policies, such as a greater acceptance of women and aliens, does not sit well with the traditional ruling class that prospered during the days of Palpatine and Damascus.
In order to consolidate power and maintain control over an often times unwieldy bureaucracy, Thrawn has placed loyal members of the Imperial Navy in many positions of power. The Armed Forces, and the Navy specifically, are the most influential and powerful faction in the Imperial hierarchy. This has led the Moffs to scheme with the objective to undermine Thrawn and his policies. There is great tension within the Imperial hierarchy because of it.
The Empire and New Republic are still partners in a truce that Thrawn and Leia Organa-Solo signed before the Xen’Chi War. The truce is an uneasy one, as a common enemy no longer unites them. Tensions rise between the two on a daily basis. The Empire and Jedi have also signed a non-aggression pact, which guarantees neither will work against the other in matters of war or politics.
Astrography[]
- "The Empire reaches far and wide, and is made up of countless individuals who all strive for the same overall goal: stability."
- — Ars Dangor
The Galactic Empire's territory at its peak consisted of some one and a half million member and conquered worlds, as well as sixty-nine million colonies, protectorates and puppet states spread throughout the entire galaxy, stretching from the borders of the Deep Core to at least Wild Space. Emperor Palpatine sent Grand Admiral Thrawn on a mission to bring the rule of the Empire to the Unknown Regions. The Grand Admiral set up a command post at a fortress on Nirauan and from there brought the rule of the Empire to the uncharted regions of the galaxy, creating the Empire of the Hand.
The original name of the Empire's capital world was Coruscant; however, it was renamed Imperial Center by the Empire. Few outside the Empire's government used this name, and upon the capture of the planet by the New Republic, the name "Coruscant" was readopted. Even after the Empire retook the planet, the name of Imperial Center was largely forgotten, with most Imperials content to call it Coruscant again.
After the Battle of Endor, large sections of the galaxy threw off Imperial occupation and became New Republic members, which was further sped up by a constant war with the Republic and internal strife from various factions within the Empire itself. The Empire's territory didn't really stabilize until it obtained strong leadership under Grand Admiral Thrawn and signed a treaty with the New Republic in order to combat the mutual threat of the Xen'Chi.
Following the war, the Empire controlled a modest, if still impressive, slice of the galaxy, with many influential planets under its flag. The most notable of these was Coruscant, but other important worlds such as Muunilinst, Anaxes, Chandrila, Grizmallt, and Rhinnal among others helped to make the Empire as strong a player in galactic affairs as the New Republic despite controlling a much smaller area of the galaxy. The Imperial Ministry of Tourism also likes to point out that nearly half of the surviving wonders in Vicendi’s The Twenty Wonders of the Galaxy can be found within Imperial borders.
Society and Culture[]
The culture of the Galactic Empire tends to be ascetic and minimalist. Even after the death of Palpatine and the formation of a more progressive Empire under Grand Admiral Thrawn, many of these aesthetics remain a standard.
Arts and Media[]
The role of art and media in the Galactic Empire is primarily didactic; cultural expression as an instrument for inculcating New Order ideology. However, even during its heyday, the Empire was not particularly brutal in the suppression of artistic culture, as it was and remains primarily interested in military and political dominance.
Holodrama is used quite extensively by the Empire as a form of propaganda and recruitment. Many Imperial holofilms glorify the New Order and are blatantly propagandistic, such as Win or Die, depicting the heroism of a boy who ardently supports the New Order in spite of his parents' opposition, or Sacrifice at Endor, in which Emperor Palpatine is portrayed as a benevolent savior and the hero of the Battle of Endor.
One of the most notable pro-Imperial music bands are The Emperor's New Clothes, favored by the Imperial Board of Culture. The band is opposed by anti-Imperial Red Shift Limit, of which all albums remain banned by Imperial authorities to the current day. The premier orchestra of the Empire is the Imperial Symphony Orchestra.
The official sport of the Empire is wegsphere, a competitive game invented by SAGRec, a division of COMPNOR, that could be considered one of their greatest successes. While wegsphere was originally introduced as a sporting activity for COMPNOR members, it became surprisingly popular through the galaxy, spreading to thousands of worlds. The Empire also maintains an official shockball team known, fittingly, as the Royal Shockball Team.
Religion[]
Under the Galactic Empire, Anti-Jedi sentiment was a government policy, which meant that people were discouraged to believe in the Force. But it was not just the Jedi that suffered. All Force-sensitives were targeted. Despite the established anti-Jediism of the New Order, many in the Imperial government were aware that Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader were Force users, but only a few knew that they were Sith Lords.
Although this sentiment has lessened over time, especially with the advent of the high profile relationship of Imperial hero Delth Ardin to Jedi Master Kalja Sairu Leidias and the resulting non-aggression pact Thrawn forged with the Jedi Order, there still remain many with prejudices against Force-users and Jedi in particular.
Xenophobia[]
- "When have I ever shown myself to be intolerant of species indifferences? Yes, our army is human, I am human, and most of my advisers and military officers are human. But that is merely the result of circumstance."
- — Palpatine
The Empire's New Order emphasized Human and, to a lesser extent, humanoid supremacy, with other alien species were designated as "Non-huMans". The Empire practiced the policy of "Human High Culture", based on Humanocentric beliefs of Humans being inherently superior to other species. Many Non-human species were subjected to slavery when many important anti-slavery laws, which were ratified during the reign of the Galactic Republic, were removed from the Imperial Charter. The Empire essentially legalized slavery in Imperial Decree A-SL-4557.607.232. As a result, the vast majority of the government officials were composed of Humans, with only rare exceptions like Grand Admiral Thrawn climbing in the ranks of the military.
While the Empire was unquestionably xenophobic, there is little to suggest that the Emperor himself was. The Sith Order was in no way xenophobic, with much of its foundations in the humanoid race of the Sith species, and many of the greatest Sith Lords were either alien or half-breed. In fact, it is believed that the privy councilors and advisers that filled Palpatine's court and ran the Empire on a day-to-day basis were the xenophobes, and applied Human High Culture on their own accord. Palpatine simply used xenophobia to cull loyalty from his fellow Humans, while using everyone regardless of species in general. Indeed, many of the Emperor's loyal Dark Side Adepts, like Hethrir, Ja'ce Yiaso and Gwellib Ap-Llewff, were not Human.
Numerous high-ranking Imperial politicians and military personnel such as Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, Grand Admiral Ishin-Il-Raz, Grand Admiral Danetta Pitta, and many others were known for their Humanocentric attitude. The most prominent Imperial xenophobe was Grand Vizier Sate Pestage who considered all Non-huMans to be nothing more than worthless "animal waste".
Slavery[]
During the rise of the Empire, slavery was given a degree of legitimacy with the issuance of Imperial Decree A-SL-4557.607.232. Non-Humans and Human critics of the New Order alike were rounded up and enslaved en-masse for work on such projects as the Death Star or secret projects like the Omega Project. The Empire frequently found different uses for different species; species like Wookiees, Yuzzem, and Talz were exploited for their strength, others like Mon Calamari and the Givin were used for their famous ship-building skills, still others like the Quarren, Ugnaughts and Mustafarians were enslaved for their mining skills, and in a more specific case Kaminoans and Kallidahins were enslaved for their cloning skills. The Empire also frequently ignored the trade of Twi'lek girls, who were enslaved for their beauty.
This institution was finally outlawed when Grand Admiral Thrawn became Regent, who did away with Imperial Decree A-SL-4557.607.232 as part of his reformations. However, while this made overt slavery illegal, it didn’t banish similar practices such as indentured servants or bonded labor. Likewise, forced conscription has remained legal within the Empire and can be instituted at any time if recruiting drives fall short.
Chauvinism[]
A high degree of male chauvinism was also seen in the Empire's government and military. Combining the rampant misogyny with the alien persecution, the Empire was often referred to as having "Non-huMan policies". Unlike the Empire’s xenophobia, many notable exceptions to the acknowledged male chauvinism abounded, including Director Ysanne Isard of Imperial Intelligence and Admiral Natasi Daala. The sexist policies that plagued the Empire encouraged Major General Tessala Corvae to establish the Firebird Society to prove that females were effective and capable soldiers for the Imperial Military.
An End to the Policies[]
After Palpatine’s death and the decline the Empire in general, these xenophobic and chauvinistic attitudes largely fell by the wayside through the necessity of reduced recruitment numbers. This was secretly helped along by agents of Oremin who had as one of their primary objectives to remove such ideas to create a stronger Empire. By the time Grand Admiral Thrawn took power, most Imperial officers who celebrated Human High Culture were either dead or not in influential positions anymore. However, the legacy of the Empire’s earlier policies was strong and hard to forget, ensuring that women and non-Humans in the the Imperial bureaucracy and military continued to be a (growing) minority.
Important Factions within the Empire[]
[]
The most influential faction within the Galactic Empire, Grand Admiral Thrawn has used the Navy to consolidate his rule of the New Order. As Regent, Supreme Commander, and Grand Admiral, Thrawn is the head of the Navy. He leaves the day-to-day operations of the Navy to High Admiral Gilad Paelleon.
The flagship of the Imperial Navy is the only known Decimation-class Super Star Destroyer, the Principality, which is under the command of Admiral Rosion. It is located at Coruscant and protects the Imperial capital.
The Imperial navy is slowly rebuilding after suffering severe losses during the Xen’Chi War. Thrawn is dedicating most of his resources to rebuilding the Navy which is progressing nicely.
The main Imperial Naval Bases and shipyards are located at Bastion, Yaga Minor, Bilbringi, Coruscant, Anaxes, and Byss. It also has a working relationship, including a fleet guaranteeing protection, with Kuat Drive Yards.
Fighter Command is under the auspices of the Imperial Navy. The Empire’s signature squadron is Ghost Squadron, commander by Khal Arunson. The 181st and Sabaac Squadron are also considered elite.
Unlike many branches of the Empire, the Imperial Navy has based its headquarters at Anaxes instead of Coruscant due to the planet’s long distinguished naval history. It still has offices on Coruscant for ease of communication.
Imperial Army[]
The army has mostly stayed out of politics, and serves Grand Admiral Thrawn loyally. However, there are rumors that the Moffs have placed loyal officers in the higher ranks of the Army. Thrawn believes those rumors to be unfounded.
Imperial Intelligence[]
Imperial Intelligence is separate from the Imperial military and is dedicated to collecting information from foreign governments. It is often viewed as the internal rival to the larger Imperial Security Bureau. It is currently under the charge of Director Maezal Voss.
Imperial Intelligence, also known as the Ubiqtorate in some circles, was at its strongest under the leadership of Emperor Damascus. A former Director of the Ubiqtorate, Damascus used it as a tool to consolidate power, and strike fear into his enemies. During his reign, Intelligence basically swallowed up both the ISB, and the ISS. They used them as secret police, and as a personal tool of Damascus.
As it stands now, Imperial Intelligence is still formidable in its intended role, but all its extra power and influence was stripped by Thrawn when he took command. Its primary role is to gather intelligence outside of the Imperial sphere of influence, and perform some counter-intelligence operations against foreign adversaries.
Upon taking the title of regent, Thrawn appointed a career Imperial bureaucrat outside of the traditional Intel community to run the organization – Maezal Voss. He succeeded in stripping away the excesses from the days of Damascus and refocused it on its intended purpose. He is quite loyal to Thrawn and shares his ideology.
While Intel has its own assets, individuals trained for assassination, espionage, sabotage, and other delicate operations – any special forces personnel must come from the ISS. The ISB also watches Intel procedures closely, and keeps them out of internal Imperial affairs. This separation of power prevents another consolidation of power by Imperial Intelligence.
Likewise, Imperial Intelligence no longer has its own ships at its disposal. It must work with Naval Intelligence, which reports to Thrawn, for use of ships. Admiral Gregory Dreskul, a trusted ally of Thrawn who helped him take command from Damascus at the Battle of Corellia, is Captain of the Mark 2 Star Destroyer Insidious, and is the ranking officer in Naval Intelligence.
Imperial Security Bureau[]
The Imperial Security Bureau is considered a civilian organization and part of the Committee for the Preservation of the New Order (COMPNOR), and therefore is not part of the Imperial military. The ISB is charged with internal security, counter-intelligence, and investigation. It was formed from the Internal Security Bureau that was established in the wake of the Clone Wars. It is often viewed as an internal rival to the Imperial Intelligence agency.
The ISB was used by Damascus as an internal secret police, to eliminate his enemies and consolidate power. It was the most feared asset he had at his disposal during his reign. Thrawn appointed Admiral Dolomar Daktren as head of the bureau with the mission to return it to its original mission, and strip it of the excesses under Emperor Damascus. He has largely achieved those goals.
Imperial Special Services[]
The Imperial Special Services Division, knows as the ISS, is the most elite special operations force within the Galactic Empire. It has troops and ships at its disposal to execute the most delicate tasks as directed by Grand Admiral Thrawn. It currently only has an interim leader, but Thrawn is rumored to be naming a new Director soon. The new Imperial Knights and Imperial Royal Guard program are under the auspices of the ISS. Though powerful, the ISS doesn’t hold near the resources it did at its peak.
A secret department created by Emperor Palpatine, the ISS was the division tasked with black ops and other special assignments known only by those highest in Imperial Circles. Technically under the auspices of Imperial Intelligence, it was more or less an independent entity. Damascus and his Institute were technically part of the ISS.
The ISS was made public in 9 ABY by Admiral Maxwell Gandel to help consolidate his power as Regent. With the authority of the Empire’s leader behind them, the ISS quickly became a force to be reckoned with. Used by Gandel and Ferval, and later Damascus, the ISS was extremely successful in operations of a sensitive nature, and striking fear in its enemies. During Gandel and Ferval’s reign, the 105th fleet was created, along with Pandora and Hamunaptra Station, to be the power behind the ISS. They used a variety of chemical, biological and other nefarious agents to achieve their goals.
Upon Emperor Damascus’ ascension to the throne, the ISS became even more powerful as Damascus used them to take out his political enemies without hesitation under orders from Imperial Intelligence. By the time of his death at the Battle of Corellia, the ISS had become very pervasive in all aspects of the Empire. It was feared by all, and operated as a virtual private Navy and Army within the Empire, with no rules to govern it.
Thrawn realized the danger of the organization, and tasked the new head of the ISB, Dolomar Daktren to deal with the unchecked power of the ISS. Even though it was thought by some to be an impossible task, Daktren was able to strip the ISS of its excess and recreate it in its current form.
The Imperial Knights[]
The only sanctioned force users that operate within the Galactic Empire, this new division was sanctioned by Grand Admiral Thrawn and placed under the auspices of the ISS. It is highly regulated by Grand Admiral Thrawn and the ISS and not allowed much independent power, or leeway to pursue its own agenda. Colonel Maximilian Gerhard is in charge of the unit.
Imperial Royal Guard Program[]
Grand Admiral Thrawn also reconstituted the Imperial Royal Guard program. To what purpose, other than protecting the Regent, is unknown. It was recently believed that the Royal Guard's Commander, Darth Nox, was making some major reforms to both the command structure, among other things.
Oremin[]
An organization so large and extensive that it qualifies as a small government in itself, Oremin was first started by Grand Admiral Reng Kasr in 3 BBY. Although Oremin’s goal is to preserve and endorse the more noble ideals of the Empire, namely the ways it has improved on the rotting Galactic Republic, it operates independently of the Empire and is not controlled by anyone in the government.
Oremin operates largely in secret although it has become better known following the Xen’Chi Invasion; few, however, have any true idea of the immense scope of Oremin’s undercover operations. This is done to keep anyone in the Empire from abusing the resources Oremin has at its disposal and to prevent those who would want to destroy it from knowing where to strike.
The Moffs[]
The old ruling guard and bureaucrats of the Empire still hold much political and economic sway in the Empire. The Navy needs the Moffs and the political class to handle many of the everyday things needed to run a Galaxy spanning Empire. The Moffs work and cooperate with Thrawn because he is the current Regent. That does not mean they approve of his holding of the Title, or his leadership style.
The Moffs hope to return to the days of Emperor Damascus or Palpatine when their excesses were not only allowed, but encouraged. They quietly spread their influence and work against Thrawn in internal Imperial disputes. Their sphere of influence is centered around Bastion, where they rule with very little influence from Thrawn. It’s there that they plot to once again become to dominant ruling class in the Galactic Empire.
Important People Within the Empire[]
Delth Ardin: The face of the Imperial military and the Empire, Delth only holds the rank of Commander, but that is by his own choice. A step brother of the well-remembered Regent James Ardin, Delth often handles the most delicate matters of personal important to the Imperial hierarchy. Thrawn wishes to install Delth in a position of political importance in the New Order, but so far the soldier has been resistant to his overtures.
Maezal Voss: The Current Director or Imperial Intelligence, Voss is much more of a bureaucrat than a schemer, and takes pride in keeping Imperial Intelligence focused on its mission. Loyal to Grand Admiral Thrawn, he is considered by competent by most in High Command.
Admiral Gregory Dreskul: The head of Naval Intelligence, he uses the Imperial Star Destroyer Insidious as his base of operations. Considered a rising star in the Navy and Grand Admiral Thrawn’s esteem, many are watching his career and loyalty closely.
Admiral Dolomar Daktren: The Director of the Imperial Security Bureau, he is charged with maintaining internal security within the Empire. His main charge from Grand Admiral Thrawn was eliminating the corruption from the Damascus regime, which he has largely done.
Colonel Maximilian Gerhard: The head of the Imperial Knights, he has an extraordinary record that led Thrawn to trust him to create this controversial group.
History[]
From the bloated carcass of the Galactic Republic, an ambitious politician named Palpatine carved the Galactic Empire, a New Order of government meant to sweep away the injustices and inefficiencies of its predecessor.
A New Order[]
The galaxy has known empires in the past: systems and fiefdoms of space controlled by ambitious autocrats. All pale in comparison to the New Order that Palpatine built from the Republic's rotted foundations. During his ascent, some spoke of the remembered glories of empires past, of the Kitel Phard Dynasty that united the Atrisian system ages ago, or of Empress Teta's unification of the Koros system. These wistful recollections never foretold the despotic turn the Empire took.
To ensure control over the populace, the Empire dismantled the galaxy-spanning HoloNet. With this public forum of information exchange now in the hands of the military, the Emperor was able to funnel the immense taxation revenue required to keep the HoloNet active into building his war machine. Furthermore, Imperial control of free information ensured that only the New Order agenda propagated throughout the galaxy, and dissenting voices were all but silenced.
Immense corporations aided and abetted the Empire's rise, in exchange for unprecedented freedom of operation. Many of these companies were nationalized -- Imperialized -- in the process, resulting in a huge influx of capital resources for the Empire.
Palpatine disbanded the senate during the Galactic Civil War, citing the Rebellion as an emergency situation that required direct intervention. He formally handed over power to regional governors and sector moffs -- roles these power-hungry officials had already been enjoying for years under his rule.
The results of the military buildup soon became apparent, as the first Imperial-class Star Destroyers lumbered out of the Kuat Drive Yards. This was just the start, as new and more potent weapons of war and subjugation were developed by the Emperor's cronies. Upon suggestion of Grand Moff Tarkin, a ruthless governor, the Empire adopted its "doctrine of fear." Rather than expend the resources required to subjugate every planet in the galaxy, the Empire would instead make visible its power in one potent display that could be targeted towards any treasonous world. Fear would keep the systems in line, posited Tarkin. The outcome of his vision was a terrifying era of superweapon development, the first of which was the Death Star project.
The Empire's structure was a bewildering array of crossed authorities, all ultimately answerable to Palpatine himself. This ensured that only Palpatine could speak with absolute authority, while his underlings carefully watched their words and actions. The Imperial advisors and COMPNOR (the Coalition for the Preservation of the New Order) effectively controlled the massive Imperial bureaucracy. The Imperial moffs and grand moffs wielded authority over their sectors and regions, including control of the military in their various areas of influence. The local systems governors reported directly to their moffs, and had control of all Imperial forces garrisoned within their system. Imperial Intelligence reported directly to the Emperor, as well as to specific sector moffs.
The Emperor had devised his perfect vision of government with himself as Supreme Ruler of the galaxy. However, he also designed a system that could not function effectively without him. Through the Force, his dark will drove the Imperial starfleet, unifying it in combat, and through his political machinations, he created a system that left no obvious heir to the Empire. As a result, the Empire splintered after the Battle of Endor, breaking apart into smaller groups that warred amongst themselves in bids for power.
Civil Wars[]
The New Republic was quick to take advantage of the Imperial infighting after Endor, taking territory from a military force that struggled to function without Palpatine’s will to drive and guide it. However, the Empire was still able to secure some major victories, such as destroying the military might of the Red Star Alliance, which had been a thorn in its side.
The pressure to find a new leader eventually became too much as the massive government fell into all-out civil war and split into three sides. The main war was fought between Intelligence Director Esran Croft and Anasara Bansari, but many old guard Imperials also banded under the leadership of James Ardin.
Ardin took the middle ground, holding the moderate faction in check and letting Croft and Bansari destroy one another. He put the Empire back together under his leadership and reluctantly, only after the behest of the Moffs, created the title of Regent and became the de-facto head of the Empire and Supreme Commander of the Navy. Ardin then took the battle back to the New Republic, which had opportunistically continued to steal territory from the warring Empire.
The fighting was fierce with the New Republic forced to declare martial law and seek new allies to deal with the renewed Imperial offensive. The war became a virtual stalemate, with systems trading hands frequently. Only when the New Republic was able to take Coruscant from Ysanne Isard was a truce declared between the two superpowers. With a semblance of peace settling over the galaxy again, Ardin took on the title of Grand Admiral and then unexpectedly disappeared.
Admirals Maxwell Gandel and Raken Ferval stepped up to fill the power vacuum, deciding to jointly rule the Empire and resume the war with the New Republic. The renewed offensive was brief but devastating with the new Regents resorting to chemical and biological attacks to achieve their goals. Ferval was eventually assumed killed in battle and Gandel would end up going insane before disappearing with his prized headquarters, Pandora Station.
Once again without leaders, the scattered Empire was all but defenseless as the New Republic once again pressed forward and acquired more territory. Other groups also took advantage of the chaos within the Empire, most notable among them a terrorist by the name of Tainer. The terrorist was eventually captured by Banner Ton and put on trial for his crimes against the galaxy, but an even more remarkable event was the return of James Ardin to the Empire, spurred by the capture of Tainer.
Things appeared to shaping up for the Empire with the return of Ardin, but tragedy struck during the trial with Tainer and Ardin being assassinated. The Empire was again thrown into civil war and although Admiral Kyle Marion stepped up to assume the regency, he lacked the force of leadership to bring together the disparate Imperials.
Recognizing that the Empire would never be able to win the war with the New Republic as it stood, Marion sought to forge a peace treaty with the other government. The deal would have ceded the entire core to the New Republic, but also promised to establish a lasting peace. On the eve of the signing, Marion was assassinated through the machinations of Intelligence Director Damascus, who then declared himself emperor.
Unified Once More[]
Damascus was able to succeed where the previous leaders of the post-Endor Empire had failed, reuniting the majority of the Empire under his leadership. With a force of will not seen since Palpatine, and a sharp increase in military might, including the construction of a third Death Star, the Empire was able to take back the worlds it had lost in the core, including Coruscant, and push the New Republic to the brink of destruction.
The war would come to a head at the epic Battle of Corellia as Damascus sought to eliminate the New Republic and its allies once and for all. Although the battle still ended up becoming a decisive victory for the Empire, the price paid for it was high, mainly due to the interference of an entity known as GAIT. The fierce fighting saw the Imperial Navy lose many of its ships as well as the third Death Star. Damascus himself was also killed during the battle by Delth Ardin and a clone of James Ardin.
With the threat of GAIT looming on the horizon, Grand Admiral Thrawn assumed command of the Empire and declared himself regent. Thrawn then negotiated a truce with new Chief of State Leia Organa Solo shortly before the outbreak of the Xen’Chi Invasion.
With a new enemy ruthlessly attacking the galaxy, and the Empire still weak from its war with the New Republic, the Imperial forces had no choice but to follow Thrawn in order to survive. Despite the strategic deployment of the Empire’s remaining forces, the Xen’Chi quickly spread throughout the galaxy and were only stopped from toppling the Empire at Coruscant by Thrawn himself.
In need of allies, the Empire found it from a previously unknown source, former Grand Admiral Reng Kasr, who had been thought to be dead since before the Battle of Yavin, but was in fact quite alive and in charge of a powerful organization known as Oremin. Kasr offered to lend Oremin’s resources to help in the Empire’s struggle, bringing with him not only valuable war materiel, but new technology as well. This would culminate in the creation of the Rogue Fleet, which would take the lead in the counterattack against the Xen’Chi.
The Empire also found other allies, its former enemy, the New Republic, and a mighty Outer Rim government known as the Black Star Confederacy. With Grand Admiral Thrawn leading the combined fleet personally, the Xen Chi were vanquished and peace was returned to the Galaxy.