A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....
S T A R W A R S
Shadows of the New Republic
“This Senate has, rightfully, abolished the practice of forced labor in New Republic prison facilities. This then raises a question: are we to send or execute every boot that served the Empire, including myself? There is a simple option, one that provides purpose to those of us misled by Palpatine and war criminals like Tarkin and Yularen while providing much needed protection to those still suffering under the rule of disparate warlords who have refused to answer for their crimes: a temporary reinstating of the of the Grand Army of the Republic.
For many of us, the Imperial Navy served as a means of mobility and a way to learn new trades. It provided structure and stability, and many of us joined believing we could serve our fellow man. But we were beaten into subservience and threatened by the Imperial Security Bureau into compliance. The Imperial Navy under the direction of Tarkin was more focused on instilling fear in every system than it was serving its stated purpose. We no longer have an ISB, nor a Tarkin, nor an Emperor. We can do what we originally enlisted to do: bring some semblance of peace, not through fear and submission... but through justice.
Once we bring down every Warlord, every former admiral and general who has an active warrant, I will be back here before you all again to ask you to disband the Grand Army. For we will have a First Order, and an only order: to drag these monsters from their dens and before our tribunals, so that they may face the will of the people!”
Decades after the destruction of the second Death Star, the galaxy has entered a time of relative peace and stagnation. The Imperial Remnant remains a grave threat in the Outer Rim, with various Star Destroyers and their admirals acting as roving warlords. The Republic has chosen to deny further conflict, with renewed threats of separation from worlds in the mid rim forcing the reformed Senate's hand in disbanding most aspects of the Republic military in recent years. A fledgling Jedi Order has been re-established on Yavin IV, though many Jedi continue to pursue their own interests in the galaxy at large. Smugglers and Mercenaries, who would have been criminals in the days of the Empire and the Old Republic, have become lifelines for those in need. The only military personnel in service are Republic Rangers, highly trained soldier-pilots who patrol popular space lanes.
Of course... this tentative peace was never bound to last. Republic Intelligence believes that the fractured Imperial Remnant are beginning to rally behind a new banner. Rumors circulate of rogue force users with no connection to the Jedi Order. Crime families exploit weak and vulnerable systems while waging open war against each other. Rumors have even circulated that new Star Destroyers have emerged for the first time in decades... bearing the colors and and insignia of the Republic.
In the midst of it all, an aspiring Jedi and a Scrapper cross paths in the Outer Rim. The Jedi is searching for an old acquaintance, a fellow student of the Order. He enlists help in completing his trial, unaware of the dangers they are about to uncover.
Of course... this tentative peace was never bound to last. Republic Intelligence believes that the fractured Imperial Remnant are beginning to rally behind a new banner. Rumors circulate of rogue force users with no connection to the Jedi Order. Crime families exploit weak and vulnerable systems while waging open war against each other. Rumors have even circulated that new Star Destroyers have emerged for the first time in decades... bearing the colors and and insignia of the Republic.
In the midst of it all, an aspiring Jedi and a Scrapper cross paths in the Outer Rim. The Jedi is searching for an old acquaintance, a fellow student of the Order. He enlists help in completing his trial, unaware of the dangers they are about to uncover.
State of the Galaxy
This story begins in the New Republic, circa 21 ABY (as formally established in the New Republic Calendar). While the death of Emperor Palpatine and the destruction of the Second Death Star have led to a formal reinstatement of the Republic senate and the repealing of the Emergency Powers Act, peace is never quite so simple. Many Imperial officers were arrested or turned themselves in, with the Trials of Alsakan being a cultural turning point for the Galaxy… and not entirely for the better. Many Imperial Admirals, Generals, and Stormtroopers were still MIA or governing over systems in the Outer and Mid-Rim. The Rebel Alliance was largely dissolved with the death of the Emperor and the formation of a new Senate, leaving no standing army to deal with the remaining Imperial threat.
That is, until Gallius Rex proposed a solution.
The former Moff proposed a reinstatement of the Imperial Navy with a largely reduced budget, using the same political language that formed the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Instead of placing military powers directly into the hands of a single Chancellor, the Senate would form a subcommittee to manage its affairs. Once all of the Imperial war criminals with active warrants were brought in to answer for their crimes, the Grand Army would be dissolved through a Senate vote.
In the meantime, another force was created through Senate vote that would focus on handling smaller galactic crimes where overwhelming military force would be inappropriate or unwelcome. The New Republic Rangers are composed primarily of former rebels with “clean records” compared to their insurgent counterparts. They serve in the fringes of space in designated space stations and localized outposts, meant to serve as aides to local law enforcement as needed.
And so, 10 years after the Trials of Alsakan, the First Order is down half its fleet due to catastrophic engagements with the Imperial Remnants and excessive micromanagement by the Senate Subcommittee on Military Affairs (SSMA). Grand Admiral Gallius Rex has garnered significant support as a political figure, even managing to maneuver his way into a Senate seat and garnering a secure voting block of “liberated” systems. A recent bill to appease the Core Worlds and Mid-Rim has begun the process of formally disbanding the First Order despite Senator Rex's opposition. New Republic Rangers, while marginally effective at keeping mercenaries and criminal enterprises at bay, have struggled with the manpower and red-tape needed to target their Most Wanted prospects.
At the fringes, systems are exploited by either Remnant warlords or gangsters from the Crimson Dawn or Hutt Cartel. Others attempt to live solitary lives, in self-imposed exile or out of fear of the rest of the galaxy. The tensions of the Empire linger even after the death of its leader. Fear runs rampant, and fear is where darkness festers.
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