The Imperial Civil War

### Performers

Galactic Empire, Palpatine's Loyalists, Rebel Alliance, Confederacy of Independent Systems

### Date

November 23rd, 2553 - December 27th, 2557

### Location

Core Worlds, Orion Belt, Mid Rim, Outer Rim, Nova Expanse (Formerly Unknown Regions)

Following the Death of Emperor Palpatine at the Battle of Endor and Moff Ral Fel subsequently taking the throne, a great divide formed in the Empire. Over his years of service, Fel had gained favor with a great many imperials. His new policies also brought about less oppressive practices and more equal treatment to imperial citizens. However, there were many who remained fervently loyal to Palpatine and the design of his rule. They saw an alien taking the throne along with the “bastardization” or outright removal of former doctrines as treason and promptly organized into outright hostilities against the reforming Galactic Empire. Those loyal to Fel responded in kind. By December of 2553, the Empire was as much at war with itself as it was with the Rebel Alliance. Even with their defeat at the Battle of Endor, the Rebellion continued to grow stronger as their military became larger and more organized. This three-way conflict would see those taking part in it scrambling for supporters and sections of space to call their own. The Empire held much of the Core Worlds and large chunks of the Orion Belt, including Fel’s prized Fulcrian Reach. The Palpatine’s Loyalists, as they now called themselves, laid claim to most Imperial territories in the Mid Rim and sections of the Orion Belt. The Rebellion meanwhile maintained a substantial presence in the Outer Rim and found great success liberating territory in the Mid Rim and Orion Belt.

### **Mid-war Uncertainty**

Although the Empire had made significant gains against the Loyalists and Rebels through new military developments, they were still fighting a battle on two fronts. This turned into three fronts in late 2555 with the Confederacy of Independent Systems reemerging from the Outer Rim fringes. Once thought defeated, the newly led and rebuilt Seperatist Alliance saw an opportunity to reestablish itself while the Empire was weakened. Seeing as they had similar goals, the Rebellion formed an alliance with the CIS under the agreement that the Seperatists could remain independent once the Rebels secured power. Fel quickly realized that prolonged conflict against all three groups jeopardized the Empire’s chances of survival. In the end, he saw the Imperial reunification and longevity as more important than victory over their old enemies. On June 25th, 2556, Fel would agree to peace with the Rebellion and Confederacy, offering to hand over the core worlds in exchange for keeping any owned territory in the Orion Belt and continuing to operate as it was barring any hostilities. The Rebels and Separatists would agree to this conditional peace and the Empire would gradually recede from Coruscant and other Core territories. Though the handing over of these worlds was a great loss to the Empire overall, Fel had spent the better part of his rule as Moff until now building up and developing the other areas of space he controlled. This led to the Imperials still possessing a strong, if considerably diminished, economy and infrastructure. This treaty would finally mark the end of the Galactic Civil War.

### **Symbolic Conclusion**

As a means to end their own war as quickly as possible, while also easing tensions with the new powers, the Empire would work with the Separatists and Rebels to assimilate or eradicate what remained of Palpatine’s Loyalists. The Loyalists, who’d fared worse than the Empire as the civil war went on. Now able to bring its full might to bear on the traitors, the Imperials would chase the Loyalists into the Unknown Regions. On December 25th, 2557, this campaign would come to a climax with the Battle of Illum, the largest remaining Loyalist stronghold and where they would make their last stand. In this historical engagement, Fel would personally lead the Imperial fleet with his Executor II-class Star Dreadnought Monarch against the Loyalist fleet led by the Eclipse-class Star Dreadnought. Fel would ultimately win this symbolic clash of titanic vessels and proceed to eliminate or capture whatever remained of the traitors in a ground battle rivaling that of Hoth. Two days later, the Imperial Civil War would officially end, the Empire would reclaim Illum, and continue to expand into supposedly uncharted regions while stamping out any minor Loyalist holdouts that remained.