A long time ago, in a galaxy that I protected, there was a single power that couldn't be rivaled. For a thousand generations, the Republic stood above everything else, a wide reaching government that gave peace and security to its citizens. Even to thousands of worlds that weren't under the jurisdiction of the Republic, there was always hope that if problems arose, that if help was needed, the Jedi would come no matter what.
As I look at this time that I'm in, with Sith, Witches, Imperial forces, and many more nefarious forces, the people of this Galaxy may not believe that at one point the worst threats that were dealt with were the occasional planetary disputes, perhaps even a person who would try to become a warlord or create a criminal empire.
True, Black Sun was active during that time, but they were far from being considered, at least by me, to be a threat, despite their limitless resources and mercenaries. It was a golden age for such a long time, yet when the the existence that the Sith were alive, that they were somewhere in the Galaxy, everything seemed to change about what would happen.
The Clone Wars only made it worse as the galaxy fell into a war, and as Jedi became generals, we could only watch as masters and apprentices, brothers and sisters, friends and mentors fell left and right, whether to the blade or to the blaster. It seemed evil had risen up again, striking at the Republic and the Jedi with a fervor not experienced in close to a thousand years. Even I admit there were times where I wondered if it would be stopped, if we could be victorious.
However, when I look at my past and at the events of the present, the threats we face are no different, that evil hasn't changed...
Fear is still the motivation of the Sith; division the preference of Imperials; chaos the sanctity of the witches. The stars may burn out, planets may break apart, but the beliefs and emotions used by these forces haven't changed in thousands of years. I doubt they'll ever will, but the question is not if it will change, but what we, as Jedi, can do to stop it. The power we have, the craft that we hone, is something marvelous, but are we simply fighting against a rising tide?
If the Jedi Order was almost destroyed by a Sith Master who subtly influenced everything, how will we fare against hundreds of powers who are spending all of their time trying to undermine the Jedi Order and gain more power?
As I look at this time that I'm in, with Sith, Witches, Imperial forces, and many more nefarious forces, the people of this Galaxy may not believe that at one point the worst threats that were dealt with were the occasional planetary disputes, perhaps even a person who would try to become a warlord or create a criminal empire.
True, Black Sun was active during that time, but they were far from being considered, at least by me, to be a threat, despite their limitless resources and mercenaries. It was a golden age for such a long time, yet when the the existence that the Sith were alive, that they were somewhere in the Galaxy, everything seemed to change about what would happen.
The Clone Wars only made it worse as the galaxy fell into a war, and as Jedi became generals, we could only watch as masters and apprentices, brothers and sisters, friends and mentors fell left and right, whether to the blade or to the blaster. It seemed evil had risen up again, striking at the Republic and the Jedi with a fervor not experienced in close to a thousand years. Even I admit there were times where I wondered if it would be stopped, if we could be victorious.
However, when I look at my past and at the events of the present, the threats we face are no different, that evil hasn't changed...
Fear is still the motivation of the Sith; division the preference of Imperials; chaos the sanctity of the witches. The stars may burn out, planets may break apart, but the beliefs and emotions used by these forces haven't changed in thousands of years. I doubt they'll ever will, but the question is not if it will change, but what we, as Jedi, can do to stop it. The power we have, the craft that we hone, is something marvelous, but are we simply fighting against a rising tide?
If the Jedi Order was almost destroyed by a Sith Master who subtly influenced everything, how will we fare against hundreds of powers who are spending all of their time trying to undermine the Jedi Order and gain more power?