Imperial Remnant (SWAU)

The **Imperial** **Remnant**, known alternatively as the **Remnant** or the **Interregnum** (and officially the **Galactic Empire**), was the continuation of the Galactic Empire in the outer reaches of the galaxy. Following the death of the Emperor, and exacerbated by the fall of the Imperial City, the Empire fragmented and slipped into over a decade of warlords fighting over the scraps of what remained, with nobody being able to succeed Emperor Palpatine to the throne. It was unified by Artorias Fel after executing and unifying the holdings of the squabbling warlords, launching the successful Orinda campaign with the help of Gilad Palleon, who acted as the official Supreme Commander. After some years of stagnated gains, the Remnant and the New Republic signed the Bastion Accords, an armistice agreement that left whatever systems each side had in control to them. The armistice was always a temporary measure however, and both sides began arming themselves and were locked in a Cold War, waiting for the time when the war will begin again.

The Imperial Remnant referred to both the entirety of the galaxy under the rule of the multitude of Imperial warlords, and the unified entity under Artorias Fel and Gilad Palleon that lasted until the crowning of the new Fel Dynasty. All throughout this time, the remnant was known in its own borders as simply the *Galactic Empire*, and adhered to the tenants of the former Emperor Palpatine's New Order, with the exception of the slavery and anti-alien policies. The military was composed of the Imperial navy and army, with a separate Stormtrooper Corps. The Imperial Remnant's war machines consisted of traditional Imperial vehicles such as star destroyers, TIE starfighters, and Imperial walkers. For much of its history, the Council of Moffs held the most (theoretical) power, with the Supreme Commander being *primus inter paris* within the council, however in practice the Supreme Commander was able to exercise more influence over both the council and the military as a whole, and overtime, thanks to Fel's efforts to unify the Imperials and the Fel Knights' leadership in battle, Artorias Fel commanded the most respect among the army and the citizenry. In 18 ABY, the position of head of state was created in order to establish the remnant as a proper political regime rather than a military government, and Artorias Fel filled the position.

The Remnant in its final form was created in 12 ABY when Artorias Fel and his knights executed the thirteen most prominent warlords and unified their holdings, appointed several Moffs and partnered with Vice Admiral Gilad Palleon in order to ensure loyalty to Fel's regime. Officially, Fel and his knights were co-equal with the Moff Council, but in reality Admiral Palleon, who was elected Supreme Commander by the Moff Council, and Artorias had similar visions of the Empire and had partnered to ensure that this vision came into being. This unified Imperial leadership allowed the Remnant to launch a wildly successful offensive into the Orinda sector, as well as amalgamating the various remaining Imperial factions in the Outer and Mid Rims. The successful organization and battlefield deployment of force-users, as well as the New Republic's inability to effectively deal with the insurgency thanks to Senate deadlock and a variety of other issues plaguing the new regime, allowed the Remnant to make significant gains, and by the time the Jedi Order organized a counter-offensive, public support for continued war dwindled as conscription was tabled at the Senate, and the New Republic signed an armistice with a few territorial changes.

A tense relationship existed between the Empire and the New Republic in peace time. Each side envisioned an eventual conquest of the other, yet after decades of continuous warfare, neither side could hope to actually accomplish this. As such, a galactic civil war had been supplanted by a cold war, with each side building up their strength and undermining the other via proxy wars and propaganda campaigns. The Empire focused on training new Fel Knights, investing in Imperial Intelligence, subverting the New Republic by forging alliances with neutral systems, and preparing the Imperial citizenry for war by instituting mandatory military service.

## Organization

The Imperial Remnant was organized similarly to the old regime; there was an authoritarian leadership that believe in the tenants of the New Order, yet it lacked an actual Emperor. In the early years of the unified remnant, authority officially rested with the Council of Moffs, who elected a Supreme Commander and had the authority to order the fleet into military action. However, as Gilad Palleon had significant influence in the military thanks to his popularity with those under his command and being the mastermind behind the most successful victories against the New Republic, the Moff Council was slowly supplanted by the post of Supreme Commander, and later the position of head of state, which became the de facto leader of the Empire. By 19 ABY, after the signing of the Bastion Accords, Artorias Fel was head of state of the Imperial Remnant and held the most power. The position of Supreme Commander became Grand Admiral, which was still officially elected by the Council of Moffs. The Fel Council became the most important advisory council to the head of state, and by 34 ABY, Artorias Fel had told the Moff Council that he considered their consensus to be a mere formality when they raised their objections to joining the Galactic Alliance.