After the death of the Emperor at the Battle of Endor, the Empire fell into disarray, crumbling into a babble of confusion, fear and panic. Many high ranking Imperial officers and Governors began to carve out their own spheres of influence from the Empire's remains, and small civil wars broke out as Moffs battled over boundaries and borders. A few of these Warlords even dared to title themselves as the "New Emperor". Each fragmented faction would fail one by one. Only those that joined forces managed to stand a chance.

Not far from the borders of the New Republic, several of these splinter groups did finally unite and began to show promise of stability. However, finding someone with the charisma, ability, and vision enough to fill a leadership role proved difficult at best. Several had their turn: Grand Moffs, Grand Admirals, even those bold enough to claim the title of "Emperor". None could quell the turmoil that still had a stranglehold on the Empire's remains.

Around 2 years after the defeat at Endor, the Empire was wrestled into the hands of a mysterious former Admiral turned Warlord- Bacharan Valak. Valak had maneuvered himself politically into position, swiftly eliminating any potential enemies and rivals to secure his place in the Empire's leadership role. Under his leadership, territory was taken, battles were won, and the infastructure of the Empire itself was forged back into something more akin to Palpatine's own governmental structure. Warships were built, and more fragments of the former Empire began pledging their alliances to this rapidly growing force in the galaxy. The last known Super -class Star Destroyer came into Valak's possession, which he aptly christened the Palpatine.