The rise of the Empire
At present
"The core worlds are as busy as ever, I gather," Cerena said, thoughtfully. "But out here on the Outer Rim, it's hardly surprising that travel and commerce is slowing down. The Empire is tightening its grip, raising taxes from here to Sluis Van. The 'civilised' citizens of the Empire are frightened by the Empire's talk of 'rebel insurgents'. They buy into the Empire's propaganda placing the blame for piracy and generic crime on the Rebel Alliance. And so, commerce shrinks coreward, along the safe, established trade lanes, and planets like Rudrig get left out in the cold."
Order 66 and the Great Jedi Purge
"I suspect that the Emperor was concerned that the Jedi would block his rise to power. That's why we were accused of colluding with the Separatists. It's sad how many people seem to believe that propaganda."
"I don't believe it, and neither should any rational thinking being. The Jedi protected the Republic for millennia. Why would w-- why would they suddenly turn on it? It makes no sense to anyone who knows anything of what the Jedi stood for."
"You heard what Erdric said - the Empire persecuted the Jedi: framed them, vilified them, hunted them down. I believe it's out of fear. For some reason, the Emperor hates and fears the Jedi. Perhaps he believes that the Jedi would be able to bring an end to his reign, and disperse all the power he coveted and hoarded to himself during and after the Clone Wars - putting it back in the hands of the people he claims to 'protect'.
"Oh, we still have the Imperial Senate, but anyone can tell that it's a shadow of its former self, an empty bureaucracy that debates matters endlessly in an attempt to cover its own impotence. The Emperor is the one who makes the final decisions - the only authority that matters. The Senate is just a sham, a formality."