The Empire

The Empire is established as the galaxy's governing power, having replaced the Galactic Republic "a few long years" earlier. Its rule is marked by rising anti-alien sentiment, local garrisons that govern by force, probe droids and stormtroopers keeping watch, and the "sudden disappearance" of anyone who speaks against it. It has branded the Jedi Order traitors and destroyed it. Characters refer to a "supposed Jedi coup" in which the clone troopers turned on the Jedi "like someone had flipped a switch" — an official account that Damika, Deklaen, and Quinel all privately reject.

The Empire is also described as enormously wealthy. When the two slicers sabotaged Star Destroyers under construction at Kuat Drive Yards, the Empire publicly blamed the failures on "faulty drive cores" rather than admit its systems had been sliced.

Tracking the slicers to the colony world of Ghauba, the Empire commits overwhelming force — three Star Destroyers, stormtroopers, and TIE fighters — which Quinel reads as "a statement" rather than a proportionate response. Over roughly eight hours its forces massacre Outpost City in a systematic, methodical slaughter, then subject the entire planet to a "Base Delta Zero" orbital bombardment that glasses the surface and kills its roughly 55,000 to 60,000 inhabitants. As the droid Dez observes, the Empire "does not accept losses" and instead makes examples: the slicers were effectively dead already, yet the world is destroyed anyway to send a message. The attack orphans Tammea.

Even above Bespin at Cloud City, the Empire is a visible presence, with Imperial cruisers hanging in orbit — a reminder that, in Quinel's words, "they're everywhere these days." According to Garaath, however, the Empire "got what they came for" at Ghauba and is probably not actively hunting Tammea, likely assuming everyone connected to the slicers died in the bombardment.

The Empire releases official footage characterizing the Ghauba atrocity as a crackdown on insurrectionists harboring known terrorists. The footage makes no mention of Tammea or the Misfit Stray, and there is no indication the Empire is aware Tammea survived.

The Empire remains largely offstage but continues to loom over events. Its Ghauba propaganda is discussed as an instrument of control and example-making — framing the massacre as the colonists bringing their fate on themselves rather than as the Empire's own atrocity. The crew's forced destination, Taris, is described as undergoing slow, ongoing reconstruction under Imperial oversight, which makes the prospect of Imperial involvement the crew's explicitly stated worst-case fear as their already-dangerous job unfolds.