The Uprising, alternatively called the Resistance, represented an insurgent movement. This group challenged the Galactic Empire within the Anoat sector, situated in the Outer Rim Territories, following the Battle of Endor. Its origins trace back to the actions of Imperial Governor Ubrik Adelhard. Upon learning of Emperor Palpatine's demise at Endor, Adelhard imposed a lockdown on his sector, thereby establishing the Iron Blockade. The Uprising's ranks were composed of civilians, bounty hunters, assassins, gangsters, and smugglers. The Alliance to Restore the Republic maintained a limited presence in the Anoat sector when the blockade was put in place. The blockade effectively trapped almost all Alliance members, preventing them from communicating with the broader Alliance. While these trapped rebels offered support to the Uprising, the majority of its members operated independently, without direct contact with the main Rebel Alliance.
After Emperor Palpatine had ruled his Galactic Empire for twenty-three years, his own apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, killed the malevolent Emperor during the Battle of Endor. In addition to the Emperor's death, the Alliance to Restore the Republic destroyed his DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station battle station. When the Imperial Governor learned of Palpatine's death at Endor, he established the Iron Blockade and locked down the Anoat sector. The governor, aided by Commander Bragh and his heavily-armored Purge Troopers, began to eliminate anyone who opposed his blockade.
A few months after the blockade began, a young smuggler from the mining world of Burnin Konn rapidly gained prominence in the smuggling world. The Smuggler discovered a recorded message from Leia Organa, the Princess of Alderaan and a prominent figure in the Alliance, during a raid on Imperial facilities located on Nar Hypa. This message informed the galaxy about the Empire's defeat at Endor and Palpatine's death. Following this discovery, the Smuggler, Riley, and their associates were deemed public enemies and were targeted by Bragh's Purge Troopers. Motivated by a desire for revenge against the Empire, the Smuggler and Riley embarked on a quest to find powerful allies.
The Ivax Syndicate, a criminal organization led by Voras the Hutt, was the first group the siblings successfully persuaded to join them. Subsequently, the Smuggler engaged in negotiations with representatives from the Noble Court, a group of exiled aristocrats who were in hiding from the Empire. The Smuggler gained favor with Her Majesty, the head of the Noble Court, after eliminating the renegade Earl Alner. Her Majesty then agreed to combine her forces with the Syndicate to fight against Adelhard and Bragh. Eventually, the Kouhun, an initiatory order of assassins, contacted the Smuggler. Despite initial reluctance, the young hero ultimately recruited the Kouhun into the burgeoning resistance movement. This unlikely three-way alliance became known as the Uprising.
Despite their significantly different ideologies, the nobles, criminals, and the cult of assassins shared a common goal of eliminating the Empire, and they all rallied around the promising Smuggler. The newly formed Uprising decided that kidnapping Commander Bragh would give them leverage over Governor Adelhard. To achieve this, their first joint operation involved arming the Noble Court's ceremonial Throneships. Without this armament, they would be unable to defeat Bragh's Imperial-class Star Destroyer. To this end, the Smuggler established three campsites on the frozen planet of Hoth, where the icy plains were scattered with the wreckage of military ships. In addition to several turbolaser batteries, the Uprising also managed to recover a rare and unstable stardrop torpedo.
Deathstick, the leader of the Kouhun, devised the plan to kidnap Commander Bragh. Deathstick leaked information that the Smuggler and Riley would be hiding in the ruins of Anoat city, setting up an ambush. The Kouhun leader anticipated that Bragh would initially dispatch his troopers to deal with the Smuggler, but would eventually be compelled to personally lead his men to the surface. At that point, the Kouhun assassins lying in wait would spring their trap, killing the troopers and capturing Bragh. Meanwhile, the rearmed Throneships of the nobles would be prepared to engage Bragh's Star Destroyer in orbit.
Unbeknownst to the Smuggler and the other members of the Uprising, Riley made a deal with Bragh: in exchange for amnesty for herself and her sibling, the Empire would be allowed to capture the leaders of the Noble Court and the Kouhun. Bragh's men executed the trap on Anoat and captured Her Majesty and several Kouhun assassins, including Loathe. While Riley insisted that her plan was the only way to remove their death mark, the Smuggler felt responsible and sought the help of Tam Bastion, the leader of the Rebels in the sector, to free their allies, sending him Princess Leia's recording.
Bastion stated that their allies were likely being held in the Crypt, a high-security Imperial prison, heavily guarded, located on a lifeless moon of Pujool. Bastion and the Smuggler developed a plan to broadcast Leia's recording sector-wide as a diversion. The resulting chaos would divert Imperial attention from the Crypt, providing the Smuggler with a sufficient window to break in and free their allies. With technical assistance from the Rebels, the Smuggler utilized Cloud City's comm array to infiltrate Imperial networks and broadcast the Princess's message of freedom. Riots soon erupted on several planets, including Delphon and Council.
Following the broadcast, the Smuggler reconnected with Riley, who decided to support her sibling in the rescue mission. In a series of attacks on several compounds on Pujool, the Smuggler garnered support from the Kouhun, the Noble Court, and the Trade Spine League to free as many prisoners as possible, including Her Majesty. Shortly thereafter, Riley and her sibling located a command compound on Pujool where Bragh was undoubtedly waiting for them. The Smuggler traveled to the compound to confront Bragh and defeated him. Governor Adelhard appeared via hologram and, with Bragh's death, assured the Smuggler that the Empire would relentlessly hunt down the Uprising to ensure the Emperor's legacy endured.
At Cloud City, the Smuggler convened the leaders of the Trade League, Ivax Syndicate, Noble Court, Kouhun, and the Rebels. Despite their differences, they recognized that their cooperation at the Crypt was the key to their success. The Smuggler convinced them that forming a formal Uprising and working together was the only way to liberate the sector from the Empire's rule. All faction leaders agreed to join, and Bastion suggested a location for a potential base.