The Second Emperor Campaign, also called the Second Emperor Crisis, was the expansion and reunification of the loyalist Galactic Empire that began about a year after the Battle of Endor. It was done on order of Ken Palpatine, the recently-discovered grandson of the deceased Emperor Palpatine, and the new Galactic Emperor.
Background[]
All hail the grandson of Palpatine, the rightful Emperor!
—Supreme Prophet Kadann
In 4 ABY, what was originally planned to be the trap that would destroy the Rebel Alliance, turned out to be a major defeat for the Galactic Empire. The Battle of Endor saw the demise of Emperor Palpatine, his chief enforcer, Darth Vader, as well as the destruction of the second Death Star and the dreadnaught Executor. The doomed Death Star and Executor took many of the brightest young officers of the Imperial Navy to the grave with them. The fleet regrouped near Annaj following the battle, where Captain Gilad Pellaeon suggested an attack on the Rebels at Endor, but Admiral Blitzer Harrsk, another survivor of the battle, refused. Taking his forces with him, Harrsk retreated to the Deep Core and became the first renegade Imperial warlord. Many officers of the Imperial Military soon went down that path as well. Over the next year, the reformed Rebellion, the New Republic, gained much territory, as the Empire began to fracture and fall apart. Grand Vizier Sate Pestage, the deputy of the dead Emperor, ordered all forces on the defensive, despite the fact that the Empire still had military superiority over the Rebels.
Among the many who went rogue, some made a bid for the Imperial throne itself. One of the most notable was Trioculus, a three-eyed mutant who claimed to be the son of Palpatine. Backed by the Central Committee of the Grand Moffs, he declared himself the new Emperor, though the majority of the loyalist Empire and other warlord factions did not recognize the claim. For a time, Kadann, the Supreme Prophet of the Prophets of the Dark Side, recognized this claim. However, Trioculus was stopped by the New Republic, and was killed, in early 5 ABY. Since that failed, Kadann then decided to instead try to get Ken, a young boy who was an actual grandson of the Emperor, to join him. He intended to use Ken as a figurehead while he and the Imperial Ruling Council were actually in control. Going to him on Yavin 4, Kadann got the young Palpatine to join him, by revealing to him his true heritage. Ken agreed, being seduced with promises of power and prestige, which satisfied his ambitious personality.
Ken Palpatine, the rightful heir to the throne.
They then travelled to Imperial Center (what Coruscant was called at the time), where Kadann presented the young Palpatine to the Grand Vizier, Director of Imperial Intelligence Ysanne Isard, and the Ruling Council, telling them that the boy was the rightful heir to the Imperial throne. When Palpatine left the room, the Supreme Prophet told them that since he was only twelve years old, the young Emperor would only be a figurehead, in essence. The Council and other officials would have the real power, as his advisors. It was unknown whether Kadann genuinely meant it, or he was simply saying whatever was necessary to get them to accept the young Palpatine's bid to the throne. Regardless, the advisors on the Council and the other military officers and government bureaucrats accepted the Supreme Prophet's proposal, and Palpatine was publicly coronate the following day (sparking much tension for the New Republic and the warlords). However, they would cherish their powers for a short time: shortly after the coronation, Palpatine came to the Council and told them that they would answer to him, not the other way around. Then, adding on to their shock, young Palpatine had Grand Vizier Pestage executed for treason, due to his ordering of Imperial forces on the defensive, which lost the Empire much territory. He then gave orders to the military to prepare for an offensive.
The campaign[]
The first strikes[]
An Imperial fleet at the Battle of Corsin.
Emperor Palpatine's ordered offensive began several days later. However, before beginning to fight the New Republic, the young ruler agreed with his military advisors that they needed to destroy or rally the warlords to their cause. He sent an open message to many of the warlords, telling them to join him or be "severely punished" for treason. Many of the more minor renegades hurried to Imperial Center where they pledged their allegiance to his cause. However, the better established ones, such as Admiral Harrsk, Warlord Zsinj, and Grand Moff Ardus Kaine refused to bow down to the "young tyrant", as Zsinj put it. On the Emperor's orders, the Imperial Navy attack Zsinj's territory. Under the command of Admiral Uther Kermen, a loyalist fleet routed the warlord's forces at the Battle of Bogden. Zsinj himself was not present, but a large force of his military was. To set an example, the young Emperor ordered the captured prisoners to be executed for treason. Its loss showed Zsinj that he would not tolerate such dissent, and showed the New Republic that he was not to be underestimated. The Republic considered allying some of the warlords to first end his reign before moving against them.
In response to the new threat, the New Republic launched an attack at Chazwa, an Imperial fortress world in the Inne Rim. Initially, the Republic defeated small flotilla in orbit (as most of the ships there moved out, to take part in offensive operations). The New Republic Army began facing the outnumbered Imperial Army troops in a lengthy battle on the surface. However, upon hearing of the attack, the Naval Command dispatched a fleet to the planet, under Admiral Teren Rogriss. The fleet destroyed the New Republic ships in orbit, taking them by surprise, and deployed reinforcements to the besieged garrison. The Republic forces were then routed. The victory was heavily propagandized by the Emperor's regime. Following the battle, Palpatine ordered the general staff to plan two offensives: one against Zsinj and another against the New Republic. Shortly after the battle at Chazwa, an Imperial fleet began another attack against the forces of Zsinj. His fleet amassed near Corsin, preparing for a raid into Imperial space. However, he anticipated an Imperial attack, which was highly successful. Zsinj's armada at Corsin was destroyed in an ambush by Admiral Kermen's fleet. As the Empire learned, it was only a distraction.
The destruction of the Iron Fist.
Zsinj, aboard his personal Executor-class Star Dreadnaught, the Iron Fist, raided the shipyards at Kuat, in an attempt to capture the Razor's Kiss—a recently completed Executor-class dreadnaught. With two of them, Zsinj would have been able to make many more gains against the Empire and New Republic. However, the Razor's Kiss was manned by a skeleton crew, and fought back with the other ships of the Kuat defense fleet against Zsinj's fleet. Reinforcements arrived, and dealt heavy casualties to Zsinj's forces. The warlord retreated to Serenno, where his fleet regrouped. Imperial forces followed him, and a battle commenced above Serenno. It saw the destruction of Zsinj's flagship, however, the warlord himself escaped alive in an escape pod. It was captured, and Zsinj was brought to Imperial Center. There, he was publicly executed by orders of the Emperor, who also have a short speech on the crimes that the warlord committed before having him executed. The majority of Zsinj's fleet fell in to the hands of the Empire, and much of his territory did as well. However, the New Republic also rushed in an attempt to grab territory.
Push to the Rim[]
The Rebellion is beginning to unravel.
—Grand Moff Nigel Nivers
The Imperial forces besieging Xartun.
An offensive began against then forces of the New Republic in 6 ABY. A world called Xartun, whose governor chose to join the Republic, was besieged, and completely taken over. An Imperial and Republic fleet fought each other over Felucia, but both took heavy casualties and withdrew. Later, Admiral Ackbar failed to take Centares, in a three-way battle between the Empire, Republic, and remnants of Teradoc's Greater Maldrood faction. It ultimately ended up in the hands of the Empire.
See also[]
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