The Empire-in-exile, also referenced as the "true" Empire, the Imperial Remnant, the Fel Imperium, or the Bastion resistance by the Galactic Empire of Darth Krayt, represented a resistance movement established in 130 ABY. This movement maintained its allegiance to Emperor Roan Fel in the aftermath of the One Sith coup.
During the events of the Second Imperial Civil War, the Empire-in-exile asserted its position as the legitimate continuation of the Fel Empire and sought to reclaim formal authority from Galactic Emperor Darth Krayt, ultimately forging alliances with both the Galactic Alliance Remnant and the New Jedi Order. Following the fall of the One Sith on Coruscant, the Empire and its allied factions established the Galactic Federation Triumvirate.
As the Sith–Imperial War drew to a close, Roan Fel was preparing to establish his governing body on Coruscant. However, after a few days, Darth Krayt, the leader of the One Sith, arrived accompanied by Lords Nihl, Wyyrlok, and Maladi, exposing their deception to Emperor Fel, assassinating his body double, and seizing the throne for his own.
The actual Emperor Fel managed to survive the assassination attempt, and after spending seven years as a fugitive, he arrived on the planet Bastion, where he re-established the Fel Empire. Throughout the subsequent months of resistance, an increasing number of Imperial military units defected to his territory, leading to the acquisition of additional, previously lost, territories. His administration even sought to create an alliance with the Galactic Alliance Remnant, although the meeting was sabotaged by Jor Torlin and Morrigan Corde, agents working for the Empire. Consequently, Stazi harbored distrust towards Fel's Imperials, and the latter were prohibited from entering the Wheel.
The initial instance of cooperation between the newly formed allies occurred during the Battle of Ralltiir, where the alliance nearly faced its demise when a Fel loyalist, Admiral Edouard Fenel, threatened to open fire on defenseless lifepods in an attempt to compel the Sith-aligned Coruscant Third Fleet to surrender. Admiral Stazi exerted every effort to prevent the Fel loyalists from resorting to the enemy's tactics, nearly engaging them in open combat, while also making it clear to Emperor Fel that the Galactic Alliance fleet was allied with, and not subservient to, the Empire-in-exile.
Shortly thereafter, the New Jedi Order consented to collaborate with Admiral Stazi, even intervening to thwart an assassination attempt against him. Emperor Fel also made arrangements to secretly convene with Jedi representatives on the planet Agamar.
At the conclusion of the war, the Fel Empire was integrated with Darth Krayt's Empire. The Fel Empire became an integral part of the new governing structure, known as the Galactic Federation Triumvirate, which comprised K'Kruhk, Marasiah Fel, and Gar Stazi.
In the wake of the Sith coup, the Imperial Armed Forces underwent a division between those who remained loyal to Krayt and those who supported Fel. By 130 ABY, the Stormtrooper Corps had been consolidated with the Imperial Army, a process that occurred during the era of the preceding state, the Fel Empire. Elements of the Army and Imperial Navy served Fel; however, their forces were significantly smaller and lacked the capability to mount an offensive for the majority of the Empire-in-exile's existence, until the Battle for Coruscant. The Navy employed a range of vessels, including Pellaeon-class Star Destroyers, Ardent-class fast frigates, and Predator-class fighters. In contrast to Palpatine's original military structure, they permitted non-Humans to join their ranks. Admiral Edouard Fenel and General Oron Jaeger were among the commanders who served the Empire-in-exile, and numerous Sith loyalists ultimately defected to their cause.