Long live the Empire

"Long live the Empire."

―Moff Gideon^[1]

"Long live the Empire" was a phrase used in the Galactic Empire during the Imperial Era^[2] and New Republic Era.^[1]

After being recruited into the Inquisitorius in 19 BBY,^[3] former Jedi Barriss Offee met with the Fourth Sister, Marrok, the Grand Inquisitor and the Eleventh Brother, who would bowed to the arrival of Sith Lord Darth Vader. Kneeling before their master, the Grand Inquisitor gave praise to the newly-formed Empire's longevity by saying the phrase, which was echoed by Barriss after she donned her new helmet.^[4] Sometime between 9 BBY and 2 BBY,^[5] Admiral Thrawn said this statement after deploying a portion of his fleet to the planet Corvus at the disposal of its magistrate, the newly recruited Morgan Elsbeth, to begin her operation.^[6] In 5 BBY,^[7] a member of the Imperial Senate shouted "Long live the Empire" during Senator Mon Mothma's speech against the Public Order Resentencing Directive.^[2] After the Imperial Military liberated the mining planet Chorin from the grip of pirates, the citizens of Chorin City hailed the longevity of the Empire and the life of its ruler during a victory parade that was attended by Captain Tarl Sokoli.^[8]

In 9 ABY,^[9] an Imperial Gozanti-class Assault Carrier was attacked by Lady Bo-Katan Kryze's Mandalorian resistance on the moon Trask. A captain of the Gozanti-class Assault Carrier contacted his superior, Moff Gideon, requesting reinforcements. Gideon declined the captain's request and ended their transmission by saying "Long live the Empire." The captain responded in kind and attempted crash his starship to prevent its capture by the Mandalorians.^[1] The phrase was used again by Gideon during a meeting of the Shadow Council, to which the other members — including Captain Gilad Pellaeon and Commandant Brendol Hux — repeated it in unison.^[10] General Hera Syndulla of the New Republic Defense Fleet quoted the phrase sarcastically during her briefing with the Senate Defense Council after a skirmish with Imperial sympathisers at Facility 301G, noting that those who hailed the continued longevity of the Galactic Empire were not the kind of people that the New Republic was looking to recruit.^[11] Grand Admiral Thrawn, used the phrase again aboard the Eye of Sion, as he finished his commendation on Ahsoka Tano, before making an extragalactic hyperspace jump during his escape from the planet Peridea where Morgan perished.^[12]