Note: The first post contains info on the main three factions currently: The Jedi Order, the Galactic Republic, and the Sith Empire. More will be forthcoming in subsequent posts about the other factions. The Jedi Order is an original article by me, but the sections on the Republic and the Sith are heavily excerpted from Wookieepedia, with a few minor edits/additions. Please see Wookieepedia for the full articles.

Current Year: 21,402 FE (Founding Epoch), 3,653 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin)

The Jedi Order: The Jedi have existed for approximately 10,000 years longer than the Republic, and have existed since the unprecedented discovery of the Force’s true potential on Tython about 32,000 years before the present. It is only in relatively recent years that the Jedi Council has begun imposing stricter standards on the Order, rules such as acceptance of apprentices no older than 4 years old, separation of a Jedi from his/her family, and prohibitions on falling in love or starting a family. These relatively new ideas tend to be associated with Jedi closer to the core, and probably just as numerous, if not more, in this era are “frontier Jedi,” those who train apprentices starting well into their teens or adult years, Jedi lovers, and entire families trained to use the Force. Although plenty of tragedies involving Jedi leaving the Order to serve the Sith have been accounted, there are enough losses of Jedi from both traditions that no clear right or wrong can be said to exist. The Council has not attempted to impose strictures on other traditions of Jedi, for fear of losing even more to the Sith. The following are just a few Jedi schools of thought, a small fraction of the possibilities. All are considered Jedi, carry lightsabers, and are granted special privileges in Republic space, but not all abide by the exact same ideology.

• The Baran Do Sages: The sages of Kel-Dor initially performed many farseeing rituals for those in power, leading them to become powerful officials in government themselves. When Dorin joined the Republic, most Kel-Dor youngsters were sent to become Jedi, and the tradition has fallen into relative obscurity, as it is popularly believed that the Jedi possess a fuller understanding of the Force. Nevertheless, some still cling to the old ways, and those who do find the most skilled and powerful tradition of seers in the galaxy. Baran Do sages are known to be able to see into the future, and have been involved in the prevention of many disasters.


• Coruscanti School: A great number of Jedi students selected at a young age come to Coruscant, capital of the Republic, for training. These Jedi are given strict controls, taken from their family, living in a monastic setting, and given a set of rigorous training regiments daily from youth and throughout the rest of their lives. Many drop out and return to their families, prohibited from using the Force to manipulate or harm others, but those who succeed become some of the Republic’s strongest and most stalwart defenders. This school creates the greatest number of experts in the use of the lightsaber. Jedi at this school are forbidden from having romantic relationships, and tend to adopt the haughty and holier-than-thou attitudes of the Coruscanti themselves, although the highest masters of the Order strive to be humble, accessible, and calm.


• Tython School: The first sages, philosophers, and monks hid themselves away in seclusion on Tython, an entire planet mysteriously strong in the Force. Since Tython’s rediscovery, this school is dedicated to scholarly study, meditation, and a secluded existence. Known also as the “ivory tower” school of Jedi discipline, it includes traditional scholars as well as monks bent on self-deprivation and monastic asceticism. Rather than be conscious of the living Force, the Tython school strives to study the most powerful types of Force beings, and it is also the school most active in archiving events and Force phenomena in powerful Jedi holocrons.


• Living Force Disciples: Disciples of the Living Force try to stay connected to daily events, and often choose to live in crowded areas, seeking to be one with the conscious beings around them. They tend to be more animated, free-spirited, and passionate than their coreward counterparts, but have produced some of the wisest and most devoted Jedi around. One famous example was Master Sifus Kand, who was fond of drinking and revelry, and believed he could only achieve a true understanding of the Force while drunk. Other living Force disciples have been known to take lovers, raise families, stay connected with their families throughout their training, and participate in festivals celebrating the jubilation of being Force-sensitive, rather than trying to lead a harsh and ascetic life. Though many notable instances of defection to the Sith have occurred from this school, there are high enough incidences of turning to the darkside elsewhere that these “frontier Jedi” have earned the respect and validation of their comrades, though they do still clash with their coreward brethren from time to time.

The Galactic Republic: Formed approximately twenty-one millennia ago with the signing of the Galactic Constitution, the Galactic Republic has heralded an unprecedented era of peace and liberty in the galaxy. The Republic was begun by the Core Founders, who included several key political players, and other important worlds to the military, commerce, medical, diplomatic, and philosophical fields. Among others, the known founder worlds were Alderaan, Alsakan, Anaxes, Axum, Brentaal, Caamas, Chandrila, Corellia, Coruscant, Duro, Esseles, Humbarine, Kuat, Rendili, Rhinnal, Shawken and Tepasi, and perhaps Corulag and Kaikielius. The founding fathers, all of them human, were immortalized in the Avenue of the Core Founders on Coruscant. The House of Tagge, the Kuat family and the Praji family were distant descendants of the Core Founders.

Shortly after the formation of the Republic, the Perlemian Trade Route was mapped, linking Coruscant to Ossus, and bringing the Jedi Knights into the Republic. Over the next millennia, the Corellian Run was mapped, linking Coruscant to Corellia and beyond. The wedge defined by the two trade routes became known as "the Slice." Since the stretch of hyperspace galactic-west of Coruscant was anomaly-ridden and impassible for then current Republic technology , the government expanded eastward, instead. The Core Worlds' portion of the Slice was known as the Arrowhead, and soon the Republic expanded into the Colonies.

At first, the government on Coruscant wished for slow expansion, despite its promotion of hyperspace exploration. However, against the government's wishes, the membership of the Republic boomed for its first millennium of existence, mainly due to worlds wishing to join as protection against the Hutt Empire. In 25,000 BBY its capital had officially become a galactic hub.

Around 12,000 BBY, Contispex became Supreme Chancellor. He and his descendants belonged to the theocratic Pius Dea cult that would control the Republic for the next 1,000 years. These fanatic Supreme Chancellors sanctioned "crusades" against rival alien sects in the Rim. After 11,000 BBY the cult may have violently dissolved. The tensions from the fallout of the crusades would deepen the rifts between the Core Worlds and those of the Rim, which Emperor Palpatine would exploit during his reign millennia later.

Around 9,000 BBY, Blotus the Hutt became Supreme Chancellor and ruled the Galactic Republic for 275 years during the Rianitus Period. Unlike most other Hutts, Blotus was a distinguished and just ruler. At least by 7,308 BBY, the Galactic Standard Calendar was fixed.

In 7,003 BBY, the Second Great Schism occurred when a group of fallen Jedi discovered a Force technique that could alter lifeforms. This started the centuries-long Hundred-Year Darkness, which saw the creation of monstrous creatures, most notably the serpentine Leviathans, which drew life-energies into blister-traps on their backs. At the Battle of Corbos in 6,900 BBY, the Jedi crushed the rebellion and banished these fallen Jedi from known space. However, the fallen Jedi discovered Korriban, a desolate world inhabited by the relatively primitive but unusually Force-sensitive Sith people.

Peace has been threatened in recent years by the Sith Empire, cutting out a swath of the Republic that constitutes about a half of the galaxy’s developed star systems.

The Sith Empire: The beginning of the Sith civilization began in the year 100,000 BBY where a race of red skinned beings evolved on the planet Korriban. They lived a barbaric yet strangely harmonious existence which was filled with constant warring between the various divided nations on their world. During their pre-industrial age in 30,000 BBY, the inhabitants of Korriban fought off an incursion from the Killiks. It was only the rise of King Adas did the Sith become unified under his iron rule and he was declared the Sith'ari; the supreme being. It was he who first formed a Sith Empire in the year 28,000 BBY where his reign lasted for three centuries. This relative stability of this empire was first challenged in 27,700 BBY when the Sith were visited by the Rakata. These aliens of a distant empire attempted to lull the ancient Sith King into their confidence by providing him the knowledge to create Holocrons. However, their true motivation of conquest quickly became apparent. This led to King Adas bringing the full might of the Sith Empire to bear on the Rakata and he succeeded in driving them away from Korriban but at the cost of his life.

Using the remains of the enemy craft, the once primitive Sith were propelled into the space age and were armed with the power of the Dark side of the Force. Using these newly acquired traits from the Infinite Empire, the newly formed Sith Empire conquered other nearby worlds which became part of Sith Space with their capital being relocated from ancient Korriban to the neighboring world of Ziost. A number of pure blooded Sith also established a library-temple on the world of Krayiss Two in 14,000 BBY where they slumbered and their spirits continued to haunt the temple for the next 10,000 years. The reign of this empire was short lived, however, as it dissolved into civil war after the death of King Adas leaving his people regressing into a more primitive state. This civil war was initiated by Dathka Graush in 7,000 BBY which left most of the cities of Korriban in ruin. With the death of Adas led to a group of Sith priests of the Kissai caste interpreting it as a sign to reject the Dark Side dominated beliefs of their people. Labeled as heretics for their actions, these Sith were later banished and settled the planet Tund where they formed the Sorcerers of Tund. The planet Arkania also fell under the dominion of the Sith and in 7,000 BBY, they established a library known as Veeshas Tuwan on it.

Around the year 6,900 BBY, exiled fallen Jedi—fleeing from the Battle of Corbos, which concluded the Hundred-Year Darkness—landed on Korriban, a desolate world inhabited by the relatively primitive but unusually Force-sensitive Sith people. Upon arriving, the Dark Jedi attempted to subjugate the Sith and take whatever knowledge they possessed. This led to the Sith attempting to protect their secrets but failed due to the superior training and technology of the invaders. Using their training in the Force, the fallen Jedi amazed the Sith, and elevated themselves to god-like status on Korriban, becoming the rulers of the Sith people. Over the next two thousand years, interbreeding occurred between the Fallen Jedi and the Sith by means of Sith alchemy which led to the term "Sith" being used to identify not only the original inhabitants of Korriban, but also their fallen Jedi masters. This intermingling between the two races went across hundreds of generations that was made between the Dark Jedi and the High Priests which led to the creation of hybridized offspring from this union who became the new ruling class of the Sith. Thus was the Sith Empire born, with nearby Ziost becoming the capital, while Korriban became a sacred mausoleum-world. One of the first Sith Lords of this new empire was Ajunta Pall.

In circa 5,000 BBY, the isolation of the Sith was broken when two young hyperspace explorers called Gav and Jori Daragon stumbled upon Korriban by accident while they attempted to establish a hyperlane in an effort to expand their trade options. However, the feuding Sith had little interest in peaceful trade with the Republic and instead the pair were captured as spies whereupon they were imprisoned on Ziost whilst they awaited interrogation. By this point in their history, the Sith held little memory of the Republic who lived in distant regions of space compared to them. This saw Ludo Kressh and his conservative allies claim that the two travellers were the precursors of an invasion of their territory whilst his rival Naga Sadow held the view that the Republic offered new lands to conquer. In secret, Sadow also believed that focusing on conquest of the Republic would unite the strained factions of the Empire and distract the populace of the political problems they faced in their native territory. A tribunal of Sith rulers later sentenced the Daragon's to death but Sadow secretly had them rescued and sheltered at his own isolated fortress. However, he left behind evidence to suggest that the rescue attempt was done so by Republic agents and used this to galvanize the Sith Council by exploiting on their fears as well as their doubts. The Daragons proved to be the perfect scapegoats for Sadow who convinced comrades that an invasion was imminent and that they needed to conduct a pre-emptive attack against their enemy.

Whilst the Daragons were kept at his fortress world, Ludo Kressh began to uncover signs that Sadow was responsible for freeing the two alien intruders. Thus, he gathered forces loyal to him in order to assault Naga Sadow's domain in order to expose him as a traitor and schemer. This was partly also an attempt by Kressh to take the mantle of leadership of the Sith Empire. However, this all fell into Sadow's plan as he was well prepared for his rivals "surprise attack" and in the resultant chaos; he convinced Jori Daragon to abandon her brother in order to escape into Republic space. Intending to warn the Galactic Republic of the dangerous Sith Empire; she fled in Starbreaker 12 at which point Sadow unleashed his own hidden forces that annihilated Kressh's with Ludo's own flagship being destroyed thus seemingly killing him. In the aftermath, Naga Sadow declared himself as the new Dark Lord of the Sith and revealed that he had secretly placed a transmitter on Jori Daragon's vessel thus allowing the Empire to trace her journey into Republic territory. After consolidating his forces, Sadow gathered his armies of bloodthirsty Massassi warriors in preparation of the upcoming invasion. Despite the little intelligence he had of his enemy, the Sith Empire's vast invasion force moved through the Daragon Trail into Republic space. Alongside the Dark Lord was his Sith apprentice Gav Daragon whereupon they sent their armada to follow his sisters tracking beacon leading to the surprise Sith onslaught starting at the Koros Major system.

The Dark Lord was well aware that his forces would be insufficient in combating the Republic Navy but made use of the element of surprise to aid him and for a time, it worked. The Koros system fell to the Sith's might and the Empire's naval forces spread through the Koros Trunk Line to assault the shipyards at Foerost whereupon the Sith moved to assault Kaikielius, Metellos, Basilisk, Shawken and ultimately Coruscant itself. The Sith armies on Coruscant managed to march across the Legislative District and onto the steps of the Senate Hall itself where they were fought off by the defending Jedi forces. At Koros Major, the Sith proved relentless and unpredictable in their attacks which was necessary due to Sadow's limited knowledge of this region of space which led to the Republic not faring well in this conflict which became known as the Great Hyperspace War. Unknown to the Republic, Sadow had stationed his Sith Meditation Sphere around Primus Goluud where he employed Sith magic to create illusionary phantoms that made the Empire's enemies believe that the Sith had far greater numbers.

After learning of the Sith magic being used in the war, the Republic became emboldened to strike back against the Empire. This saw them being reinforced from the naval base at Anaxes which they used to push back the Sith armada to their beachhead at Koros Major. Their combined forces pushed towards Primus Goluud where they attacked the Empire's forces present in the region. By this point, Gav Daragon had turned against his Sith master but Sadow had tricked him into being left behind on the Meditation Ship leading to Daragon dying at the hands of the retaliating Republic fleet. His act of betrayal against Gav Daragon also turned the young explorer against his master and he revealed to Empress Teta the hyperspace coordinates of the Sith Empire's territories. In an effort to destroy his enemies, Naga Sadow used his own Sith technology to cause the Primus Goluud star to erupt into a supernova whilst he made his escape back to Sith Space with what few forces he had left.

When Naga Sadow returned to the Sith Empire, he was greeted by an unexpected figure - his rival Ludo Kressh, who had not died in their earlier battle but was warned by his spies of the assassination attempt. Showing no mercy, Kressh's forces mercilessly attacked Sadow's battered fleet before they could recover and declared them traitors. However, Naga Sadow's forces fought with wild frenzy as they had nothing to lose, leading to both sides being devastated as a result at the Second Battle of Korriban. Kressh himself was killed when one of Sadow's battleships rammed into it, at which point the fleets of the Republic arrived and attacked the weakened Sith forces. The Republic forces decimated the remaining Sith fleets and brought about the downfall of their Empire in the resultant crossfire. In a final desperate gamble, Sadow gathered what few followers he could and fled from the battlefield whilst being pursued by Republic ships. Utilizing Sith sorcery, he had his lone warship fly through the Denarii Nova and caused solar flares that destroyed his pursuers.

The Sith Empire was broken as a result of their devastating assault on Sith space, although, unknown to the Republic, Sadow had in fact escaped in the struggle. He later fled to Yavin 4 in his single Derriphan-class battleship which was buried on the moon while the Dark Lord's Massassi created Temples for their master.

The current Sith emperor is currently believed by the Jedi Order to be of a different lineage from these past Sith Lords. Many struggles have occurred, and the modern Sith have attempted to destroy the Force spirits that have sought revenge upon them (Master Ovair being one prominent example of a Sith infiltrator of the Jedi Order that was attacked by a former student possessed by such a Sith spirit). The modern military of the Empire has been constructed by Grand Moff Vaiken and his successors during the past thousand years or so (circa 4,000-3,000 BBY).