buddy-x-wing said:

which all brings about a bigger question, is the Galaxy aware they under Sith rule?

I'd say no. from what we hear in the OT, few people seem to believe the Jedi/Sith were ever real to begin with. Like Han says "...I've never seen anything to make me believe in one all powerful force." Which makes no sense when you take the prequels into account. Han would have been 5 years old when this galaxy wide Clone War broke out and Jedi seemed to be everywhere.

Which all brings about a bigger question: Is everyone in the galaxy really THAT forgetful? Less than 20 years before ANH, Jedi were everywhere and everybody knew about 'em and trusted 'em and saw them preforming miraculous tasks day in, day out. Then, suddenly, everyone either forgets about the whole thing or claims they never believed anyway and then everyone lets a evil looking and sounding monster-faced Sith lord takeover rule of the entire galaxy without pause.