Rumor: Details About The State Of The Galaxy Post-ROTJ

By: Benjamin Hart

The Force Awakens has captured our imaginations on many different levels. Not only are we looking forward to catching up with beloved characters like Han, Luke & Leia, and learning more about the new characters, but also getting to know the state of the Galaxy far, far away at this point in the timeline. This film picks up approximately 30 years after the events of Return Of The Jedi, and we can assume much has happened in that period of time. Our friends at Making Star Wars have released a "macro" timeline of events that take place between the Battle Of Endor and the Battle Of Jakku, which is said to be a pivotal battle between The Empire and "The New Republic" a year after Endor. Most of this information may not even be mentioned in The Force Awakens, but if it is indeed true it will certainly play into setting up what we see in the film. Of course if you don't want to know anything, you may want to stop reading now. This is your official SPOILER WARNING:

• Coruscant was in chaos, Grand Vizier Mas Amedda attempted to keep the Empire together by any means necessary.

• The Imperial chain of command was is in disarray; no one knew exactly which superior officer they were supposed to follow or what the consequences for doing so might be.

• Several powerful people tried to declare themselves Emperor; the rank and file didn’t really care much for those declarations any longer.

• Pretenders to the throne used their forces to fight one another and chaos ensued.

• The Anoat sector was cut off completely.

• The Rebel Alliance secured several systems and set up bases there in relative peace with minor resistance.

• The Rebel Alliance proclaimed itself the New Republic by this time.

• The New Republic was established in the Hosnian System.

• One year after The Battle of Endor the galaxy was still embroiled in all-out war, however.

•  Emperor Palpatine was praised as a martyr by many and young and untrained Imperial Cadets were sent to the front lines in his name.

• Many battles for Naboo were fought in the year after Palpatine’s death.

• The capital of Naboo, Theed, was well protected and stable.

• Imperial sympathizers tried rallying at Naboo because it was Palpatine’s homeworld. The planet was still relatively wealthy and healthy.

• The Empire repeatedly tried to invade Naboo, but every attempt was thwarted.

• The New Republic celebrated its victory in liberating Naboo by the third battle.

• Sondiv Sella served the New Republic beside Mon Mothma and Leia Organa.

• The New Republic had a provisional galactic senate with elected representatives established.

• Imperial laws were rewritten by the New Republic to be more benevolent and just.

• Democracy was returning.

• Worlds polluted by Imperial strip mining were being rebuilt; there were also slavery reparations.

• One year out, Jakku was seen as a worthless world.

• There was strategic value in Jakku for one power-hungry Moff who wanted to win back the sector.

• General Carlist Rieekan, a leader of the New Republic, sent a team out to capture a Star Destroyer christened Inflictor, over Jakku.

• The Battle of Jakku took place in the stars, in the sky, and on land.

• The Battle of Jakku was the largest battle since the Battle of Endor.

• The New Republic gained an advantage through better tactics, despite the Empire outnumbering them vastly.

• The Captain of The Inflictor decided to follow protocol and scuttle the ship rather than surrender it.

• The ship then crashed to the surface of Jakku.

• One month after the Battle of Jakku there were no longer any large-scale battles by the Empire and they vanished into a nebula.

• Having gathered their forces for a counterattack and established a new chain of command, Imperial vessels within Core and Inner Rim areas stayed within borders defined by a treaty, waiting to erupt at any moment.

This is very, very interesting. Making Star Wars points out that the "Inflictor" is most likely the Star Destroyer we see in the opening shot of the second trailer, or it might even be a Super Star Destroyer. They also suggest that Sondiv Sella is the parent of Korr Sella, a character that is rumored to be played by Masisie Richardson-Sellers in Episode VII. You may also notice some similarities to EU/Legends material, such as the Rebel Alliance becoming the "New Republic".

What I really like about this is that that these facts are being established with the hindsight of both the future and the past, something previous Star Wars stories, such as Legends books & comics, did not have. The inclusion of Mas Amedda is a great connection to the Prequel Trilogy, while obviously the events that transpire on Jakku will ultimately pave the way for what we see in the Sequel Trilogy.

We will file this one as a rumor for the time being, but if and when it's confirmed by Disney or Lucasfilm we will certainly have a lot of awesome Star Wars content to enjoy when these stories are eventually told.

Source: Making Star Wars

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