Jedi Order (ESW)

The Jedi Order, also referred to as the Knights of the Light, were a monastic order dedicated to studying and preserving the Force, specifically the. They were founded in, during the years of a major unified galactic government, and maintained operations throughout the tenure of the government, known as the Galactic Republic. The Jedi Order also spawned the orders of the Sith and the Dark Crusaders. The Jedi Order derived from the Ashta Matha Order, an ancient Tythonian based organization that started from an agreement between Republic soldiers and Tythonian monks. The Order moved from being called Ashta Matha to the Jedi Order after the liberation campaign the Knights used to free many worlds.

The Order moved to after a conflict between the Dark Crusaders and the Jedi resulted in the tainted destruction of their monastery. Several millennia later, during, the Jedi moved to Coruscant after the destruction of Ossus at the hands of the Sith. The Jedi Order went through four periods of near annihilation at the hands of the Sith...almost being eliminated during the, , and Great Galactic War.

Formation
The Jedi Order was founded in during a Republic peace conference on, a member world of the government and a system in the  region of the galaxy. A war was waged between the Tythonians and the Republic over a sacred section of land. The Republic retreated and proposed a peaceful truce; the Tythonians agreed and returned to the Republic as a willing partner. During the negotiations, the Republic discussed the possibility of leaving a police force to prevent another faction from invading the sacred land, but the Tythonians refused citing their monks as a more than capable force. At the behest of the veterans on the Republic side, they requested the idea of a few soldiers joining the monastery to learn about learn about a "Force", a rumored supernatural power the monks used defeat the Republic. They willingly obliged the request and allowed a few soldiers to join the monks. The Republic saw the truly peaceful nature of the monks and asked if the monks would also be interested in spreading their ideals and maintaining order not only on their world, but also throughout the entire galaxy. A sort of "peace corps". The Tythonian monks agreed to this when they saw how dedicated to peace the Republic was. The Republic considered the possibility of controlling the monks for their own purposes, especially if the rumors about the Force were true. They thought they had the power of an advanced army on their side and deemed their requests worth the risk.

The Republic set the agreement in motion by paying for the construction of the Ashta Matha Monastery, Ashta Matha meaning "peacekeeper" in Tythonian. The monastery housed eight Sangha "enlightened sage" monks and up to 300 Muni "sage" monks. The monastery was built next to the revered Tythonian river Kreyoto, which meant "peaceful tide." The monks maintained a large communication grid in order to remain in contact with the system's people and the Republic government. The Republic would often call upon the monks to settle disputes because they had the aid of a mysterious entity that they called the "Force". Soldiers gave accounts of the monks altering conversations with their captors during the war, healing wounded comrades and soothing prisoners through this energy field. The Republic came to the conclusion that this "Force" could help settle disputes with less then amiable foes.

Creation of the Lightsaber
During the Order's many raids and liberation missions, the galaxy at large started to call them Knights and Crusaders. This led the Ashta Matha into changing their name to the "Knights of the Light." A few years later, they changed it to the Jedi Order, with the bulk of the members being called Jedi Knights, as Jedi meant "crusader" in Tythonian Basic. They each utilized an energy staff as their primary weapon. The energy staff consisted of an electrical charge that would shock the adversary into submission; however once the became the primary form of protection galaxy-wide, over that of the sword or staff, the Knights had to find a weapon that could counter the blaster more effectively.

The Jedi Knights discovered a large crystal cave on Tython and utilized the crystal's energy to form a solid beam of light. The focusing of the crystal's energy created a physical bar of light that became exceptionally hot and full of energy. The Knights discovered that the bar could cut through almost any object except other forms of energy, like s or s. Though the bar could not cut through or absorb a blaster bolt, it could deflect it.

The Sangha monks, now called "Jedi Masters", taught the old Muni monks, now the "mainstream Knights", how to deflect the bolts with the newly created weapon. The Sangha Monks learned how to deflect the bolts themselves during a training exercise when the monks re-enacted a senario where a group of thugs trained blasters on them. The objective was to disarm them and avoid getting hit with only the lightsaber as a weapon. Most of the monks were quickly stunned by the blasters, one of the monks decided to try and use his energy beam as a shield that would absorb the bolt. When the next bolt came his way he brought the blade between it and himself; to his surprise the sword did not absorb the bolt, but deflected it back. He lost the exercise, but the monks trained extensively on their deflecting techniques, which eventually led to the. The lightsaber replaced the electric staff as the weapon of the Jedi Order by. The lightsaber also brought along delusions of grandeur in a sect of the Jedi Order; the renegade knights would prove to be a problem for the Jedi for years to come.

Schism
The complete separation of the Jedi and the renegade Jedi occurred in. After the invention of the lightsaber, the Jedi Order split into two distinct factions that advocated two different ideologies. One, the traditionalists, wanted the Jedi to remain in its current role as peacekeepers where it had thrived for many millennia. The other faction believed that the Jedi would have been better served to take a more militant role in galactic affairs.

The dispute became so intense that they eventually engaged in combat. The Jedi and the renegade faction fought on many battlefields along Tython's surface, including inside the Ashta Matha Monastery. The result of the battle was the crippling of the renegade effort. Seventy percent of their forces were killed in the battle, as well as the destruction of the Jedi Monastery.

The newly christened "Dark Crusaders" fled the planet for an unknown destination. The Jedi also abandoned their home planet in favor of the world. The Jedi built a new monastery on the system, and expanded upon the blueprint of the original monastery designs, by adding a massive library and archive wing. The wing would be known as the. The library would encompass every aspect of learning, from Republic history to history about a minuscule system in the. The library stored every document throughout the course of Republic and galactic history, from the to the founding of the Jedi Order to the present day. It held the most sacred of Republic and Jedi documents and artifacts, including holograms and holocrons. The Jedi wanted it to become the authority on galactic history and the definitive repository of that history. The library was named one of the Seven Wonders of the Galaxy.

The vast amounts of information the library contained were sorted in various different ways, depending on age and importance. Most of the data was contained on reader tapes and holographic media, although some of the more ancient knowledge was stored on traditional paper scrolls and books. Although the ancient books and scrolls were eventually translated onto electronic forms, the Chamber of Antiquities still preserved the physical evidence of the ancient writing for historical purposes.

The library also held knowledge forbidden to the Jedi which, the Chief Librarian, had decided to keep. The Jedi Master's reasoning was that all knowledge—even knowledge of evil—would be useful in the defense of justice. Only those who had been approved by the Jedi Council, as well as Odan-Urr, were allowed access to these holocrons, and even then they were only permitted to do so under strict supervision.

The Jedi established a second location, or academy, on Coruscant in 5,000 BBY during the. This was to stay closer to the Republic capital for political reasons, and to protect the senators from the threat of the Dark Crusaders during the war. Coruscant was attacked by the Crusaders, but the group was repelled, and their threat was essentially extinguished once they went into hiding a few years later.

Ossus Destruction
During the height of the in 3,996 BBY, Dark Crusaders, led by, visited Ossus to recruit new members to their cause. While there, he entered the Chamber of Antiquities, slaying Odan-Urr to get to one of the holocrons. Afterward, Ossus became a battlefield for the Jedi and Republic army, which eventually defeated the Dark Crusader Empire. Meanwhile, a supernova was threatening to devastate the planet. Exar Kun tried to gain access to the library before the destruction of Ossus, but was prevented by the collapse of the foyer leading to the library. After Ossus had been evacuated, the supernova's shockwave damaged the system severely.

First Jedi Purge
All of the Jedi moved to the temple located on Coruscant after the destruction of Ossus. Many of the artifacts and items located in the Ossus temple, including things from the Great Library, were transplanted into the Coruscant temple. Soon after the Great Sith War, a succession of short lived conflicts arose; the, the and the  (a collection of many minor conflicts) all took place right after the Great Sith War. The Mandalorian Wars were finished by Jedi Knight on. Immediately afterward the Jedi Civil War began, and this time the Jedi were devoid of Revan's help, as he was on the attacking side. Near the end of the war Revan defected back to the Republic and defeated the Sith and his former apprentice.

Following that, the Sith returned yet again in the Dark Wars. The Dark Wars started during the, from 3,955 BBY until 3,951 BBY. This purge saw nearly the entire Jedi Order disappear from the galaxy; the Order publicly disbanded and most of the survivors were killed by the Sith.

A former Jedi known as the, who had been cut off from the Force and exiled by the Jedi Council after joining and Revan, sought out the remaining councilors who were in hiding, in an attempt to form a group to defeat the threat of the Sith Triumvirate, who were threatening to annihilate the Jedi completely. She found on,  on  and  on. The three former Councilors then met with the Exile once again on Dantooine. They decided to once again exile her, as well as sever her completely from the Force, as they felt she was a threat to all living beings around her. As they attempted to,, the Exile's mentor, killed them, and after revealing herself as the third Sith Lord, Darth Traya, she left the Exile on Dantooine. The Exile's revival corresponded with the Sith attack on the Republic, and she traveled to to fight the Sith Lord. The Exile defeated Nihilus on his flagship above Telos, before traveling to Malachor V to kill Traya and, the two remaining Sith Lords. The major conflicts of the Dark Wars were finished after the destruction of the Sith Triumvirate.

Eventually, the Exile trained her companions in the Force and these beings, known as the Lost Jedi, would, as Darth Traya prophesied, come together to re-establish another Jedi Order. Apart from them, who were yet to become true Jedi, there were only two known Jedi left in the Republic space by the end of the Battle of Telos IV—, and.

Galactic War & Ruusan
Around three hundred years after the purge, the Order was struck another devastating blow as the Crusaders had returned to the galaxy. The Crusaders went for the victory very early on and attacked Coruscant. They planned on sacking Coruscant, which would essentially force the Jedi and the Republic to surrender. The sacking of Coruscant failed and they were forced to retreat with only the partial destruction of the Jedi Temple to use as a morale boost. The Crusaders eventually lost the war to the Republic and were forced into hiding again.

Nearly a millennia and a half later in 2,000 BBY, the Crusaders started what many believe was their last effort to destroy the Republic and the Jedi. The lasted one thousand years, the last century of which was known as the. The war concluded on with the destruction of all of the Crusaders, except for Killick Orslan. The victory for the Republic came after sacrificed himself to cause the destruction of nearly every living being on Ruusan. He caused, a Crusader, to activate his and wipe out the rest of his forces. The marked the end of of the Crusader threat, according to many historical sources, including the Jedi archives.

The war also caused the, which gave more power to the Senate, and caused the disbandment of all military in the Republic and Jedi Order, as well as caused the Jedi Order to change several traditions; some of the changes within the Order dealt with the number of Padawans a single Jedi Knight was allowed to have (one), centralized Padawan training to Coruscant, placing themselves under the supervision of the Chancellor of the Republic and the , and selecting Jedi initiates from birth.

Tython
Tython was the birth-world of the Jedi Order. The system became the home of the first Jedi Monastery, back when the Jedi were established as the Ashta Matha. This world was established as the foundation of the Order because the Tythonian Monks, which knew of the Force to a limited extent, merged with a portion of the Republic military as part of a peace agreement between the two factions after a full-scale war. The world would remain the headquarters for the monastic order, from 11,374 BBY until the Schism of 7,000 BBY, when the Dark Crusaders split from the mainstream Jedi Order.

Tython was located in the, but was removed from galactic politics, which occurred on Coruscant. Ashta Matha's role during this time period was that of liberators or crusaders. It was this role that caused them to be known for their current demonym, the Jedi Knight, instead of being known as a Tythonian.

The Jedi thought that Tython had been tainted by the dark side during the Schism in 7,000 BBY so they abandoned this location, they also left because their monastery was razed to the ground. Tython was reestablished as a Jedi Academy location sometime after 7 BBY.

Ossus
The Jedi abandoned Tython in 7,000 BBY because of the Schism that caused the Dark Crusaders to leave the order, and the Jedi felt that the conflict had tainted the grounds of the planet with the dark side forever. They also left because their monastery was razed to the ground. The Jedi moved to the Outer Rim world Ossus, to keep track of the Dark Crusaders that left known space, and to protect the new settlers and unstable governments on the burgeoning Outer Rim. The Jedi were even commissioned to scout out new worlds, help establish settlements on those worlds and map routes to the.

The Jedi created an archive wing complete with a library. The Jedi created it in hopes of learning from past mistakes, and to help teach the Padawans and apprentices better. They wanted the library to be known as the definitive repository of knowledge and lore. They went to great lengths to obtain the founding documents of Jedi Order and the Republic from the government, and collected holocrons from all over the galaxy. They even created a vault for forbidden knowledge, which showed their dedication to collecting all forms and levels of knowledge. The library was soon dubbed the "Great Library of Ossus" and one of the "Seven Wonders of the Galaxy".

Its role as being the main sanctuary of the Jedi Order was extinguished in 5,000 BBY when the Jedi built a temple on Coruscant land given to them via the Republic government. The Republic gave it to them to fulfill their perceived need of protection and to fulfill the request the Jedi wanted (more involvement in political affairs). Not long after its completion, the Dark Crusaders invaded Coruscant only to face defeat. The Jedi also favored the location because the Jedi Temple on Coruscant was built on a strong that strengthened their bond to the  and enhanced their serenity, contemplativeness and calm.

The Ossus temple was destroyed by a supernova created by Exar Kun in 3,996 BBY during the Great Sith War. Many artifacts in the temple, including the library, were brought to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

Coruscant
After the destruction of Ossus in 3,996 BBY during the, all of the Jedi moved permanently to the Temple on Coruscant, making it their lone settlement in the Republic for years. The library archives increased immensely with the inclusion of the archives from the Great Jedi Library on Ossus. The Temple was temporarily abandoned during the First Jedi Purge in 3,954 BBY, and when it reconvened five years later, the Jedi created the room to serve as a quick and efficient way to recall the Jedi in case of urgent developments. The rebuilding and recovery effort to repair the Temple after the official reconvening lasted until 3,885 BBY.

The Temple and the Jedi Order were almost destroyed again during the in 3,653 BBY, but the Jedi were able to repel the Sith attackers. The attack led to the Galactic War (not to be confused with the Great Galactic War) which lasted another thirty years. The was constructed within the temple in  to relieve the Jedi of the stresses of war and from the allure of the dark side. It was the first peace-centered construction within the temple since its construction over 1,300 years before. The Jedi Library, as well as the temple itself, underwent massive expansions in, , 2,019 BBY and 1,000 BBY, which stood as the current incarnation of the temple until 17 BBY. After many years of conflict, the First Republic Dark Age and the Ruusan Reformation, the galaxy fell into a long state of peace. The Jedi would fully concentrate and consolidate their operations within the Coruscant Temple, which resulted in the closing of most of their remaining off-world training academies.

Dantooine
The was a secret Jedi training center located on. The Enclave was the oldest and longest running of the academies the Jedi had established. The Enclave consisted of several levels, the first of which included a council chamber, sparring rooms, and dormitories, while the sub-level consisted of common rooms, classrooms, and a medical bay, as well as an archive room only accessible by Jedi Masters. The Enclave was built upon a courtyard, which led out into Dantooine's plains. At the center of the building was a circular open-air room, with several trees at the center of a walkway.

The Dantooine Jedi Council held its meetings in a small council chamber, similar to the one on Coruscant. This room remained the meeting place of the council until at least, when the council had moved to a larger, low-ceiling round room on the ground level with no windows. The academy shut down sometime after the Ruusan Reformation, when the Order decided to consolidate its ranks and lower the dark side conversion rate.

Telos IV
was the second longest lasting academy in the Order and also served as a location for the, which survived the academy purge. It was temporarily kept on, while the surface of Telos IV was being repaired. Once the restoration of Telos was completed, the academy moved onto the planet's soil. After the Ruusan Reformation, this academy was also disbanded and absorbed into the Jedi Order on Coruscant.

Arkania and Taris
The Arkanian enclave was deemed a disaster from the very start. The conditions of the planet made it very difficult to land or to even travel. The snow and cold made it difficult for the academy to receive supplies and impossible to grow them. The system was also a former Sith stronghold and steeped in the dark side. This eventually corrupted several Jedi and started the. Several Jedi Masters from Coruscant came to, after it cut off contact and subdued the traitors. The survivors were sent to the other three remaining academies, one at the time. The Jedi vacated the academy and left it to the elements to destroy. The official closing was announced in, a decade after its founding.

was the second oldest academy created by the Jedi Order, but closed due to poor enrollment rate, and due to the condition of the planet. The planet was deteriorating quickly because the major lanes shifted and because of   during the Jedi Civil War. The Order folded its Taris academy in.

After many years of conflict, the First Republic Dark Age, and the Ruusan Reformation, the galaxy fell into a long state of peace. The Jedi would fully concentrate and consolidate their operations within the Coruscant temple, which resulted in the closing of the Dantooine and Telos IV training academies.

Hierarchy
Grand Master - The highest rank a Jedi could receive and was the leader of the Jedi Order. Yoder Gree was Grand Master of the Jedi Order at one point.

 - Very few Jedi were invited to serve on the Jedi Council, the governing body of the Order. The Council was made up of Jedi that the Order deemed as the wisest and most experienced of Masters. All seats were permanent with exceptions for death, resignation, and in some cases for the greater good of one's planet. Jedi Masters, or in some cases Jedi Knights, were invited to the Council, it was not forced upon a Jedi, nor was it mandatory to accept the position. Mason Quarrell and Pup Kickto were Jedi Council members.

Jedi Master – A Jedi Knight who showed great understanding of the Force and managed to instruct a Padawan and train them successfully to the level of a Jedi Knight. This title could also be achieved through the performance of extraordinary deeds. Otah was a Jedi Master.

Jedi Knight – A disciplined Padawan could become a fully-trained Jedi once they completed the. The known trials were, but were not limited to: the Trial of Flesh, the Trial of Courage, the Trial of Skill and the Trial of Self. There were a few exceptions to the rule: Nubolo Corno and Scott Borek were a few Padawans that became Knights without doing the Trials. It usually involved the death of a Master just before the apprentice's trial or if they completed a difficult task in excellent fashion.

 – A young Jedi who was apprenticed to a single Jedi Knight or Master. Padawans were chosen by their Masters at a young age, almost always in the apprentice's pre-teens. They had a long braid of hair behind their right ear to signify their rank.

 (Youngling or "Jedi Hopeful") – A Force-sensitive child who was removed from their family at a very young age to be taught by older Jedi in groups called clans. They were taken as infants after the Ruusan Reformation in order to prevent the Inititate from being ruled by their emotions. They were the lowest ranked beings in the Jedi Order, and were not officially affiliated with the Jedi during this stage in their career.

Retired ranks
Sangha- An enlightened sage, they were the equivalent of the Jedi Order's Jedi Master rank. Eight of the Sangha were chosen to lead the Jedi, and they were seated on what was considered the precursor to the Jedi Council.

Muni- A sage in the Ashta Matha Order, they were the equivalent of the Jedi Knight of the Jedi Order. They were not considered enlightened like their peers the Sangha. They formed the main group of the order, and they were the "true Crusader Knights" as the Muni were the ones to liberate and visit worlds. This rank was retired once the Ashta Matha changed into the Jedi Order.

Special ranks
Chancellor's Knight- The rank was used to distinguish the Jedi Council member who acted as the liaison and special assistant to the Supreme Chancellor. They reported on the deliberations of the Jedi Council meetings to the Chancellor and the Jedi relayed instructions and information from the Chancellor to the council. They had special privileges to sit in on both council meetings and meetings of the Chancellor. They were also allowed to be present on the Chancellor's platform when Congress was in session.

Jedi General- During wartime the rank was given to all Jedi ranked Knight or higher. The rank allowed the Jedi to command the Republic military directly and made sure the Jedi could bypass all conflicting orders from lower ranked officials. They only needed to report to the Senate and the Chancellor. In times of extreme distress it even allowed the Jedi to take the Chancellor into custody, if the Senate deemed it necessary.

Archivist- Were in control of the. They maintained the archives, and kept them in working order. They had the power to deny anyone access to the Archives bar the Jedi Council. The archivists, along with the Jedi Council, were the only beings allowed to enter the restricted holocron chamber. The Head Archivist led the team of archivist Jedi. All archivists were Jedi Masters and the Head Archivist was almost always seated on the Jedi Council.

Special Forces Worker- They were Padawan Jedi that were not granted apprenticeship before the age cut off, or if they did not have a master to train them. They worked in the Jedi Services division, mainly in the Agricultural corps.

Teacher- They trained the Jedi initiates in groups and were responsible for the early development of nearly all Jedi, and for shaping the younglings. They prepared the younglings for apprenticeship as well.

Medic- They worked in the medical division of the Jedi Order. They used the labs for medical tests and advancements by synthesizing new vaccines and healing techniques. They were mainly used during wartime, similar to the Jedi General rank.

Notable Members

 * Yoder Gree- Yoder Gree was a Jedi Master of the Jedi Order. He led the Jedi for over two hundred years, from 250 BBY to at least 17 BBY. He was known for being the presiding leader of the Jedi during the discovery of alleged Scott Borek.


 * Otah- Was the Jedi Master that discovered Yoder Gree on Kashyyyk in 321 BBY.


 * Mason Quarrell- A Senior Jedi Council member and Sicemonite Prince during the reign of Yoder Gree as leader of the Jedi Order. He was trained by Yoder Gree and became the second ranked Jedi in the Order, only behind his former Master. He was noted for being the youngest Jedi to reach and for being the former title holder of the youngest Master ever. He declined the opportunity to train Scott Borek.


 * Scott Borek-The reputed Chosen One of Jedi lore. He was a Jedi Knight during Yoder Gree's tenure as Grand Master. He was noted as an object of controversy in the Jedi Order, the argument pertaining to his status as the Chosen One. He was a veteran of the Great Galactic War and the former Padawan of Will-Tye Ford


 * Will-Tye Ford- The Jedi Master that discovered Scott Borek on Corellia. He went on to train Borek until 23 BBY.

Jedi Code
The Code was not necessarily a strict set of rules, but a general set of guidelines that Jedi were encouraged to keep in mind as they went about the business of the Order. The official code, which was created by Odan-Urr, is as follows:

"There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force."

- Jedi Code

Numerous Jedi teachings interpreted and expounded on the Code in subsequent millennia. These rules, created and embraced by the Jedi Masters, were essential tools in a Jedi's growth. In them, Jedi were encouraged to overcome personal obstacles such as pride and materialism, to understand their small yet important place in the galaxy, and to give every being and point of view equal consideration.

Behind the scenes
The Jedi Order had many influences, from titles to other religious influences. The term means "the monastic Sangha of ordained Buddhist monks or nuns." It is a term for monks of a monastic order, which the Sangha play in the Jedi Order. The term is a term for a sage or monastic in Buddhism and Jainism, which the Muni in the Jedi Order play. The Ashta Matha of the Jedi Order are influenced by the. The Ashta Mathas of Udupi are a group of eight mathas or monasteries established by Sri Madhvacharya the preceptor of the Dvaita school of thought.

The term Jedi Knight in this Jedi Order means "Crusader Knight" this was a reference to the from the Middle Ages that attempt to liberate the Middle East, specifically the  area, from  control. The Order was influenced by the and by the Jedi Order presented by  in his.

Ironically, the fate of the Jedi academy on Arkania is the fate of Taris in the Star Wars. The Taris in this universe suffers a different fate than that of its EU counterpart.

Appearance

 * Dreams are for Wookiees
 * Retribution
 * Knight Blindness