Imperial remnant (Core and Inner Rim)

"In the month since the Battle of Jakku, the Empire has attempted no further large-scale offensives. Sources report all Imperial vessels within the Core and Inner Rim staying within the boundaries defined by the treaty. A few prominent members of the Provisional Senate have speculated that the New Republic's war with the remnants of the Empire has finally come to an end and that a final surrender may be imminent. However, in her address today, the chancellor warned that all planets should remain on high alert, and the New Republic Starfleet should be kept on a war footing for the foreseeable future."

- A news holo a month following the Battle of Jakku

The Imperial remnant was a rump state, that formed from the dissolution of the Galactic Empire upon the signing of the Galactic Concordance with the New Republic. Composed of Imperial holdings in the Core and Inner Rim, the formal Empire existed only as a shadow of its old self. As such, elements of the Imperial Navy that were still loyal to the state were confined to the newly predetermined boundaries in the Core and Inner Rim. This led to the establishment of a successor that represented the diminished power that the Empire once had in those regions.

Background
"If an Empire cannot protect its Emperor then that Empire must be deemed a failure. It collapses not only because its central figure is gone, but because it must not be allowed to remain!"

- Emperor Sheev Palpatine, to Gallius Rax

Following the Galactic Empire's fragmentation in the aftermath of the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, the Galactic Civil War began to tip in the favor of the Rebel Alliance. With Emperor Sheev Palpatine killed and the second Death Star destroyed, the Empire became leaderless. The loss of both the Emperor and the Imperial Ruling Council above Endor resulted in a massive power vacuum, leading to a number of admirals, moffs, and other warlords either trying to seize control for themselves or seceding from the Empire entirely. Although Grand Vizier Mas Amedda tried to maintain order within the leadership, the aftermath of the Emperor's demise left him with little real power. As a result, the Empire almost completely fragmented within weeks due to the lack of a single leader.

Several months after the Battle of Endor, Fleet Admiral Gallius Rax managed to unite a portion of the old Imperial Navy into a single force, effectively declaring himself the new leader of the Empire and establishing an advisory council to run it, making Grand Admiral Rae Sloane its public face. Unbeknownst to his associates, Rax secretly intended to carry out a contingency order given to him by the late Emperor himself, which would see the Empire being completely disassembled. Amassing his united armada above the Inner Rim world of Jakku, he planned on luring the navy of the recently established New Republic to the desert world so that both fleets could destroy one-another in one climactic battle. His plan was thwarted by Sloane, even though the Empire was ultimately defeated.

Rise of the remnant
Shortly after the Battle of Jakku a treaty was signed between Amedda and Chancellor Mon Mothma of the Republic, marking an official end of the war. Despite this, the conflict would not truly die down for some time. In order to prevent the Empire from regaining a foothold in the galaxy, a series of stipulations were set in place in accordance with the conditions of the treaty. Subsequently, noncombatant functionaries within the old Imperial government were given conditional pardons provided they complied with the articles of the Concordance. As a result, the Empire quickly became a rump state and its centralized government disbanded. A new government was established by the New Republic on the capital world of Coruscant led by Ammeda, although, in reality, the former Grand Vizier was little more than a puppet, making the provisional government a client state of the New Republic's newly asserted hegemony.

After the formation of the provisional government on Coruscant, the borders of the Empire's reorganized ascendancy were drawn, as determined by Mon Mothma, thereby denoting the constraints of Imperial sovereignty. These new borders, which conditionally allowed what remained of the Imperial leadership to peacefully co-exist with the New Republic, were ultimately confined to most of the Core Worlds and the Inner Rim, both regions that were historically loyal to the Old Empire. Despite that, Coruscant would not fall within these boundaries, with the provisional government remaining a vassal state of the New Republic under the rule of Mas Ammeda. Several other Core Worlds would fall under New Republic control as well, such as Hosnian Prime, which would eventually become capital of the New Republic. Those other Core Worlds that did not fall under remnant jurisdiction would ultimately join the new galactic government.

While all noncombatant functionaries who served in the old Imperial government were given conditional pardons, provided they acted by the articles of the Galactic Concordance, the still living Imperial officials who refused to surrender were branded as war criminals.

Heeding reluctantly to the provisions of the agreement, all Imperial forces and starships retreated within the new boundaries that were determined by the Galactic Concordance. Unlike other Imperial factions that continued to fight the New Republic with no regard for the peace treaty, the remnant adhered to the constraints by halting the training of stormtroopers, the closing of Imperial academies, and agreeing to keep all vessels within the remnant's borders. Despite the relatively sizable naval presence, these stipulations heavily regulated what remained of the Empire's military-industrial complex, greatly limiting the remnant's ability to wage war.

Tensions arise
Although the Imperial remnant in the Core to the terms of surrender, a great deal of resentment between the Republic and certain Imperial hardliners remained. These remnants of the Empire entered into a cold war with the Republic that would last for years. While the remnant in the Core maintained peaceful relations with the New Republic, many rogue military elements of the Old Empire would eventually retreat into the Unknown Regions, where a new state was eventually formed, existing separately from the rump state in the Core.

Military
The remnant was initially established to distinguish the domain to which the defeated Imperial military would be allowed to operate following the disbanding of the Empire's central authority. The Galactic Concordance, therefore, allowed the armed forces of the Galactic Empire to remain an established military unit. However, due to both the defeat at Jakku and the division of the ascendancy as a whole, the fallen Empire's once-unchallenged military was much weaker than it had once been. Although the Concordance called for all Imperial forces to retreat into remnant space, some rogue warlords refused, along with the illegally established faction that became locked into the cold war with the New Republic. In spite of all this, loyal portions of the Imperial Navy adhered to the terms of the Concordance and confined themselves to the predetermined boundaries. In turn, the now-reduced Imperial Navy would exist as the region's dominant military force. Despite the presence of these Star Destroyers throughout the Core and Inner Rim, they did not attack the Republic, as the remnant maintained a peaceful co-existence with the reigning galactic government.

Whereas the more aggressive hardliners refused to accept pardons, those Imperial officers who agreed to the New Republic's strict stipulations were not branded as war criminals. While the Imperial Navy remained confined to the region, the requirement that it close down its Imperial academies meant that no further Stormtroopers could be trained, although this did not necessarily apply to standard infantry. Still, despite the established presence of a remnant military, the stipulations placed upon it from the New Republic made it difficult for the faction to renew the Empire's campaign against the former Rebel Alliance.

Appearances

 * Lost Stars