How does Andor fit into the Star Wars Universe?

As Andor begins, this point in time it’s been about 14 years since Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dissolved the Republic and became Emperor Palpatine, ruler of the Galactic Empire, as we saw in Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith. Since then, Imperial forces have been gradually transitioning from peacekeepers to occupiers in the territorial outposts they once promised to protect.We are fast approaching the pinnacle of the Imperial Era, when its iron grip on the galaxy is at its strongest. As is typical of any totalitarian regime, the Empire has reached its tendrils into every aspect of public life. Even corporations are monitored by tactical security forces who report directly to the Empire. Constant surveillance is a part of everyday life and getting caught on the wrong side of the authorities, or even being suspected of being not fully on board the Emperor’s train, could get you hauled away and executed as a traitor.There are some areas, however, where the Empire wields less power than others. Its domain is centralized within a few core planets, spreading out to an inner rim, mid rim, and outer rim. The farther away from the core, the less Imperial presence you’re likely to encounter, which not only allows for crime syndicates to thrive, but also creates a fertile breeding ground for a growing resistance movement.

The Rebel Alliance won’t officially be formed for several years, but that doesn’t mean everyone is happy to be living under Imperial rule. Some folks are actually starting to do something about it. There are isolated groups of insurgents throughout the galaxy, especially in the mid and outer rims, where the Empire has less control. They’re mostly guerrilla fighters, operating independently on their home worlds or nearby systems. These include Saw Gerrera’s Partisans, who appeared in both Rogue One and the Rebels animated series. Though they share the same goals of restoring the Republic their methods are considered too extreme to be accepted by more moderate factions.During the year Andor is set there are two important figures working toward building a formal opposition movement. One of them is Senator Bail Organa, who has been keeping tabs on underground rebel activity through a network of intelligence operatives using the code name Fulcrum. The other is Senator Mon Mothma, who hasn’t yet given up on the idea of democracy and is trying to change the system from within as a member of the Imperial Senate. To protect her interests she outwardly supports the Empire, while secretly organizing those fighting against it. It’s around this time that Senators Organa and Mothma set out to unite the independent cells of the resistance under a single banner, which will eventually become the Alliance to Restore the Republic.

At the end of the Clone Wars the Emperor accused the Jedi of treason and activated Order 66, which compelled the clone troopers to execute any Jedi on sight, but that was just the beginning of the Jedi purge. During the following years the Empire continued its propaganda campaign, turning the public against the Jedi and making it illegal to harbor and assist them. Where threats didn’t work, the authorities offered rewards for tips leading to their capture.Under the leadership of Darth Vader, agents of the Imperial Inquisition hunted down the last remaining Jedi and eliminated them, one by one. They were also tasked with finding any force-sensitive youths and either recruiting them to the dark side or eliminating the threat altogether. A handful of Jedi were able to evade the Empire during this time—including Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Ahsoka Tano—but the order is widely thought to be extinct. There are also other mostly peaceful religious orders of force users who aren’t Jedi scattered throughout the galaxy, including monks like Chirrut Imwe in Rogue One. The Empire doesn’t actively hunt them unless provoked, but they don’t exist in great numbers either.

Although most people don’t realize it, the galaxy is actually under the control of the Sith during the Imperial Era. The core philosophy of the Sith religion involves harnessing strong emotions like anger and fear into absolute power. They also believe that true peace can only be achieved through control and domination, which happens to match the totalitarian goals of the Empire. That makes sense, since Emperor Palpatine is the supreme leader of both, though his alternate identity as Darth Sideous is still a secret to everyone but a handful of his most devout followers. As his apprentice, Darth Vader is the most visible Sith lord within the regime, and he reports only to his master. The ranks of the Sith order consist mainly of the Inquisitors, who operate above the law while they carry out the Emperor’s will. There is some push and pull among those who believe more in the power of the regime itself than the superstitions of an ancient cult. They don’t last long, and those who question Vader’s methods in his presence soon learn that he doesn’t react well to criticism.