Well we know that no matter what the Republic exists until it becomes the Empire. What I would personally like to see would be the Empire conquers a good portion of the Republic, maybe all the way to the core worlds, and then the Republic would have to push them even further back. But I figure that at some point, some way, the Republic and Empire merge. Hmm..Maybe both sides end up so devastated by the war that they have to merge in order to survive.