Order of the Jedi Bendu of the Ophuchi

"The chosen people deserve to be free. They deserve to be free to serve and to protect the common people of this galaxy under my protection."

- Yahweh

The Order of the Jedi Bendu of the Ophuchi was an ancient and noble monastaic peacekeeping organization dedicated to serving and protecting the people of the Ashlan Expanse and the Old Republic until a schism broke it apart fifteen thousand years before the rise of the Galactic Empire. The Jedi Bendu were named after The Skywalker, the founder of the order whose true name was Jedi Bendu, and the Ophuchi, the people he led in the exodus from Had Abaddon. Before it's decline, the order was unified through its belief in Yahweh, the God of the Universe, and his omnipotent presence that the founder of the order The Skywalker referred to as the Force of Others. Wielders of this mystic energy and signature long swords, the Jedi Bendu were revered as guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy.

Solving major crisis' such as the Kal'Shabbol Civil War and the conflict with the minions of Xendor Taral, the Jedi Bendu had come to be trusted above all else by the citizens of the Republic. In the final year of their rule, they challenged the legality of many programs set up by Supreme Chancellor Contispex. In order to end the threat to his rule, Contispex manipulated many on the Council of Masters into reforming their code into a more loyal system. However, two council members, Zios Malachor and Adena Qel-Droma, spoke out. Qel-Droma eventually gave in to the new reforms that gave birth to the Jedi Order, but Malachor and his followers fled to the Ashlan Expanse and formed the Bendu Order on Kal'Shabbol.

A very religious people, the Jedi Bendu had an ancient set of prophecies that had been written by The Skywalker in the years before his death. The descendants of Jonathan Bac, first Supreme Chancellor of the Old Republic and one of the strongest Jedi Bendu supporters, went on to fulfill many parts of the prophecies. After the creation of the New Jedi Bendu Order, many of their people also went on to fulfill the prophecies.

The Skywalker and the Exodus
"Serving as your foe on behalf of God is the last thing I ever wanted, brother."

- The Skywalker

On Had Abaddon, the family of the royal King Melchizedek had ruled over the world for hundreds of years in a long lasting and beloved dynasty. Melchizedek had two sons, the eldest of whom would succeed him when he passed on. His eldest son, Achab Tahrea, was the natural son of the monarch and his wife while his youngest son, Jedi Bendu, was adopted after they found his crashed escaped pod twenty kilometers from the palace. They raised him like a son and Jedi Bendu and his adopted brother felt as if they were true brothers.

For nineteen years, Jedi Bendu and Achab Tahrea grew up side by side. As adopted brothers, though considering themselves true brothers due to their closeness, they went on numerous expeditions and adventures together throughout the planet. However, during one expedition when he was nineteen years old, Jedi Bendu and Achab Tahrea came across a slave labor camp. When they returned to the palace, they asked their father who the slaves were and he told them that they were nothing but hermits, demons who had shown strange powers and frightened the citizens of the planet. It was the King’s intention to use them as slaves in the cities surrounding the palace so a closer eye could be kept on them.

The idea of the people being slaves did not sit well with Jedi Bendu, as he knew full well that he had also seen himself perform strange feats and had felt as if he had those same powers. One early morning, Jedi Bendu packed only a few belongings and left the palace without telling a soul. For months, he wandered through the plains until he arrived at the base of Mount Sky. However, he turned back. Before climbing the mountain he had always wanted to climb, he would have to speak with the slaves.

When he arrived at a slave camp a week later, he infiltrated the individual areas and disguised himself as a slave. He spoke to one of the elders who told him that they were members of a tribe called the Ophuchi. The elder spoke about their religion, how they had been granted an extraordinary gift by their God. The elder looked in Jedi Bendu’s soul, seeing that he too had the God-given power. When he learned of their religious tales, he felt angry and sad that his own people were to be used as slaves.

One fateful morning, his chance came. One of the guards became angry with a slave for no apparent reason and beat him to death. Jedi Bendu watched what happened, furious that it had come to it. In his anger, he killed the guard. However, the other guards and the other slaves saw what he had done. To avoid persecution, he fled the camp and was chased for weeks to the bottom of Mount Sky. When he began to climb, the royal guards, and his angered brother, turned back as they knew the mountain would kill him faster than they could.

Jedi Bendu was determined to not be killed by the mountain’s fury. He had hoped that he would be able to rescue his people from persecution, but in the end he found himself persecuted. Convinced that the answers were somewhere on the mountain, he continued his climb. During his ascent, Jedi Bendu was confronted by two aspects of the great power. The first power, a lighter side, allowed him to bathe in righteousness and nobility. He named this aspect the “Ashla”, a word that meant “bringer of hope” in the ancient Ashlan language. However, the second aspect was the life-taking one. It quickly responded to what the Ashla had done and called out to Jedi Bendu. He named it the “Bogan”, a word that meant “bringer of death” in the ancient Ashlan language. The Bogan sought him out in an effort to twist his mind into doing evil deeds, increasing the energy of death in the galaxy. However, the Bogan had not yet learned the ways of seduction, so it could only try to compel Jedi Bendu to comply. Jedi Bendu refused, proclaiming that he did not fear the Bogan and would not betray the Ophuchi to personal temptations. The Bogan tempted him until he reached the peak, at which point it realized it failed and quickly diminished its strength. This act brought balance to the great power, giving the Ashla its rightful title as the true way.

After succeeding in both of his tests of faith and determination, Jedi Bendu reached the top of Mount Sky. As far as he knew, he was the only man to have ever done so. When he looked down upon the plains of the planets, he watched as the sun set below the horizon. He then heard a deep voice coming from above him. As he looked up, he saw a face form within the light of the Ashlan Nebula. Jedi Bendu knew at once that it was the voice of God.

God spoke to Jedi Bendu and told him to remove his shoes, as he tread on holy ground. Jedi Bendu obeyed, then waited quietly. His heart beat fast and he covered his face with his cloak to avoid being stung by the harsh cold, though along with the cold he felt a strange warmth. God finally spoke and introduced himself as Yahweh, the God of the Universe spoken of by the Ophuchi. Yahweh had heard the groans and cries of his people who were enslaved by the royal family and tasked Jedi Bendu with rescuing him. When Jedi Bendu asked how, Yahweh told him that he would have to find a way to lead the chosen people off of Had Abaddon and into the Promised Land, a planet called Kal’Shabbol.

Jedi Bendu did not believe in his own ability to lead the people of Yahweh into their new home, but Yahweh assured Jedi Bendu that he would always be with him. Jedi Bendu still did not want to go back to the capital. He continued making some excuses, but Yahweh had an answer for every one. Finally, Jedi Bendu accepted his task and was dubbed by Yahweh as one of his prophets. From that day forward, Jedi Bendu would be known as “The Skywalker”, as he was the only mortal man to ever walk on the holy ridge of Mount Sky and live to tell the tale.

As The Skywalker made his way down the mountain, he knew he could not return to his family unprotected, especially after murdering one of the guards in the Ophuchi slave camp. He stopped near the metal deposits in the mountains, gathered the strongest alloy he could find and created a fire to forge himself a sword. When completed, the long blade was named Excelsior and would forever be synonymous with The Skywalker.

When The Skywalker returned to the capital, he learned that his adopted father had passed away and that Achab Tahrea had become the King of Had Abaddon. This worried The Skywalker, as his brother was far more arrogant than their father had been and had supported their father’s move in holding the Ophuchi as slaves. Despite the risks involved, he requested an audience with his brother and it was immediately granted, despite the supposed crimes he had committed.

When he was brought before his brother, The Skywalker explained who Yahweh and the Ophuchi and said that Yahweh had promised to give those who were blessed with his power a home of their own. The Skywalker then told his brother that he was the one who was tasked with bringing them to their promised land. Therefore, he formally requested that all of the slaves be turned over to him. Achab Tahrea refused, saying he knew nothing of such a God and would certainly not do what he said. He then ordered that the slaves be prepared for their assignments so they could be shipped out across the world within the following days.

At first, The Skywalker was in despair. When he was brought back to his prison cell, he managed to disable the guards before the doors were locked and slipped out into the nighttime plains. There, he shouted for Yahweh’s attention, telling him just how worried and disappointed he was. Yahweh formed a face within the Ashlan Nebula once again and swore that his promise would be kept. Because Achab Tahrea would not obey him, however, Yahweh vowed that many hard lessons would be brought upon the monarchy. It would also allow the Ophuchi to realize the unlimited power he possessed.

Though reluctant to unleash terrors upon the world he had called his home for two decades, The Skywalker returned to the capital, armed with Excelsior, and told his brother that if he did not obey Yahweh and set free the Ophuchi, all kinds of misfortunes would behalf the capital city and the surrounding areas. Despite the threat, Achab Tahrea simply laughed and refused to pay any attention to the grim warnings.

The Skywalker returned to the main Ophuchi encampment and spoke to the twelve people who were most attuned to Yahweh’s omnipotent presence, which The Skywalker had named the ‘Force of Others’, and told them about the plagues that Yahweh had planned to unleash. The twelve were grateful that they had a future that was within site, but they were more amazed by the fact that The Skywalker had actually spoken with Yahweh on the mountain. Before leaving, The Skywalker proclaimed the twelve to be the “Twelve Sons of The Skywalker”, stripped them of their slave names and gave them new names. The names were Adam, Josiah, Somus, Shamus, Malachor, Ussej, Anakin, Luke, David, Matthew, Andrew and Benjamin.

The Skywalker and his twelve “sons” returned the capital and watched as Yahweh kept his promise. First, the rivers ran red with blood. Second, frogs came jumping out of the foul waters and hopped everywhere, into the houses, the beds, the ovens. After the frogs, The Skywalker and his sons returned to Achab Tahrea who said he would allow the Ophuchi to leave so long as the frogs were gone. With The Skywalker’s word, the frogs disappeared. However, as soon as the trouble was over, his brother laughed and called him a fool for believing him.

After Achab Tahrea broke his word, Yahweh sent stinging, whining gnats and fat buzzing flies. Each time, Achab Tahrea promised that if the plagues were to disappear he would let the Ophuchi go. Every time the plagues disappeared, Achab Tahrea laughed and changed his mind. Animals were killed, storms brought destructive hail and a plague of hungry locusts came like a black cloud and devoured the crops, but Achab Tahrea still refused. Then, the land was plunged into darkness for three days. Still, Achab Tahrea said no.

After the total darkness, Achab Tahrea flew into a rage and told The Skywalker and his sons to leave forever, as he never wanted to see them again. The Skywalker said that there would come a time when they would no longer have to see each other, but that Yahweh first had one final plague that would eventually cause Achab Tahrea to let the Ophuchi go. Achab Tahrea doubted it, but The Skywalker revealed that at midnight all of the first born children of Had Abaddon who were not Ophuchi would be killed. Achab Tahrea was the first born child of his family, so he knew full well that he would be dead at midnight. Because of it, he allowed the Ophuchi to leave the planet.

The Skywalker sent his sons around to all of the slave encampments on the planet and he himself traveled to the main one closest to the capital. Once at the encampments, The Skywalker and his twelve sons told the Ophuchi to gather what items they could. When they were finished, whole families came pouring out of their tents, making their way to the appointed meeting place just outside the capital city. When they all arrived, The Skywalker spoke to them of how they would be journeying to the Promised Land and how Yahweh would forever watch over them.

As they approached the small space yard, Achab Tahrea had second thoughts about allowing the slaves to leave and led his soldiers after the Ophuchi. When they grew closer, the Ophuchi realized that they were being followed and sped up. However, Achab Tahrea and his men arrived and The Skywalker told his brother that he had promised that they would be set free. Achab Tahrea did not wish to see bloodshed, so he challenged The Skywalker to a duel to the death. If The Skywalker won, the slaves would leave. If Achab Tahrea won, the slaves would stay.

As the duel to the death began, the Ophuchi boarded the ships in the space yard and the Had Abaddon troops moved away. The duel was fierce and brutal, though it was quick, for Excelsior held the power of Yahweh within it and quickly overpowered Achab Tahrea. The Skywalker killed his brother and the soldiers were aghast. Wanting to avenge the life of their king, they chased after The Skywalker. However, he was able to make it onto the lead ship with his twelve sons. The ships lifted off and, due to their primitive nature, the flames that erupted from the engines engulfed the nearby soldiers and incinerated them. With that, the vessels took off and they set a course deep into the expanse. Though they did not know the precise location of Kal’Shabbol, they knew that Yahweh would lead them there.

The Promised Land
After forty days in their vessels, The Skywalker and the Ophuchi arrived on Kal'Shabbol. Having been the first to set foot upon it in thousands of years, they began constructing their first monastery that would also serve as the religious home of The Skywalker. After construction was complete, The Skywalker sat down upon his newly created alter to pray. However, what he saw was unexpected. He began seeing flashes of a man fighting with a blade made of pure energy and light, something that The Skywalker referred to as a “laser sword”. It took him years to interpret it’s meaning, but eventually he was able to decipher it and called it the Prophecy of the Voyager.

During this time, the twelve sons of The Skywalker gathered together and knew that it was time to formalize their people into a religious order rather than just a tribe of people. They decided that, as the strongest, they would be the masters of this order and they would be the twelve members of what would be known as the Council of Masters. Knowing they needed a name for their order, they decided to honor both the legacy that The Skywalker had created for them and their own tribe of people. Therefore, they called themselves the Order of the Jedi Bendu of the Ophuchi, though the short name would be the Jedi Bendu. The Skywalker could not help but be touched by this.

As the years went by, The Skywalker had many more visions of many more people. It took him years to decipher each one, but there was one that took him longer than the rest. He called it the Prophecy of the Son of the Suns and he simply could not break through it. As he was becoming ill, he feared that he would never crack the mystery that was the prophecy. Finally, he reached his deathbed. He told his children that they and their descendants would go out among the stars and create what would later be called the Order of the Whills. The Whills would follow the Jedi Bendu to dwell within the light of the Ashlan Nebula. On the fourth planet, he said, they would record the continuing saga of the Jedi Bendu and a great Republic that would last for thousands of generations once it was created. Just before he passed, he realized the meaning of the prophecy and urged his children to write down what he said so it could be recorded later on. He realized that the Whills would be sustained by their task until a dark shadow crossed over them, but eventually a savior would arise from the land of the twin suns and rescue them from the abyss.

Kal'Shabbol Civil War
""Peace in the Force of Others" was all it said."

- The Valley Medicine Man

After The Skywalker’s death, his children and their followers decided not to immediately search for the Whills, but rather to extend their hand across the plains of Kal’Shabbol and, if possible, set up a civilization there and, later, the entire Ashlan Expanse. Despite what they originally thought, there was a small tribe of people living on the planet deep within a valley at the bottom of the mountains. The Jedi Bendu called the area the Valley of the Shadow of Death and forbid its members from entering into it.

The group that lived there was introduced to the way of the Force of Others by the Council of Masters, but what began as a simple fascination soon turned into greed. The valley’s Medicine Man gathered his people and told them about the “kingdom of the mountains” that held a “treasure buried deep beneath the stone”. The people of the valley swore that they would have the treasure for their own.

When the Jedi Bendu told them that they would share their knowledge with them, the people of the valley became enraged and slaughtered a great number of the Jedi Bendu in a brutal conquest that lasted for seven months. When they finally found their “treasure”, they realized that the knowledge was about peace in the Force of Others for eternity. Ashamed of their actions, they deeply apologized for their actions before committing a ritualistic suicide.

When the Jedi Bendu thought upon what had occurred, they realized that they needed to fulfill the mandate that The Skywalker had set for them. The children of The Skywalker took the greatest of Jedi Bendu and set out to find the Whills within the Ashlan Expanse. Their journey took them to the previously lost world of Brodo Asogi and, when they arrived, they knew immediately that they had found the Whills. However, they were not like what they had expected. The Whills were only one meter tall with brown, clammy skin, glowing fingers and glowing hearts. The Whills were also somewhat Force Sensative, having basic telekinetic and telepathic abilities.

The Whills did not resist when asked to follow the Jedi Bendu, as they said it had been pre-ordained long before by the God Yahweh, who they assumed had told The Skywalker about it. Some Whills, however, opted to remain behind on Brodo Asogi to continue their exploration of space. The Jedi Bendu and the rest of the Whills agreed and those who decided to leave made their way to Ashlan Four with the children of The Skywalker.

Order of the Whills
"They will accept their destiny and follow you to dwell in the light of the Ashlan Nebula. On the fourth planet, they will record our continuing story."

- The Skywalker

After months of travel, the Jedi Bendu and the Whills arrived on Ashlan Four. Once they arrived, they immediately began construction on a great monastery that would house the small creatures until they were told to do otherwise. During that time, Shamus came to see just how deeply religious the Whills were. They not only accepted their destiny and mandate, but in his eyes they did so willingly without any hesitation.

Once the monastery was complete, Shamus shared with the Chief of the Whills everything he and the Jedi Bendu knew about the Force of Others, and vice-a-versa. Each of them learned much from the other and Shamus soon shared with the chief the Prophecies of The Skywalker. The chief took them, telling Shamus that someday they could be put to good use.

When the exchange of information was complete, Shamus and the chief began working on setting up what they referred to as the Order of the Whills, the more organized group that would be dwelling within the light of the Ashlan Nebula. They both believed that there should not be a hierarchy, but rather each Whill should be equal except for one, that one being the Chief of the Whills. However, they both agreed the power the Chief of the Whills would hold would be minimal, at best. The current Chief of the Whills was allowed to stay in his position, one he would hold until the day he died.

Once the Order of the Whills itself was set up, Shamus and the Chief knew that they would have to begin on what they were destined to begin. They put together a large, blank book, a book that they came to call the Journal of the Whills. The first page of the Journal contained the words creation myths of their people, the exodus from Had Abbadon and the words of The Skywalker that stated how the Whills would tell the story of the Jedi Bendu and the future Republic and how everyone would share its story.

When the Journal of the Whills was finally set up and the first stories of The Skywalker and the Jedi Bendu were documented, Shamus and the Jedi Bendu knew that they would have to return to Kal’Shabbol to begin the expansion of their own order. Shamus said goodbye to the Chief of the Whills, who told him that the Jedi Bendu would always be honorary members of the Order of the Whills. With that, the Jedi Bendu left, leaving the Whills to themselves for thousands of years.

Dawn of a Republic
"We would be proud and honored if the Jedi Bendu were to become the guardians of peace and justice in our new Republic."

- Jonathan Bac

For seventy-five thousand years, the Jedi Bendu extended their reach and wisdom across the galaxy, making their way further and further into the center. They saw the rise and fall of many governments and tyrants, including the Infinite Empire and Xim the Despot. They also oversaw in the building of the monarchies on the worlds occupied by Alderaan and Corellia, those monarchies being known as the Organian Empire and the Corellian Empire. Despite their names, they were monarchies rather than tyrannical regimes. Though the Alderaanians and the Corellians had many differences, the Jedi Bendu were able to help maintain the peace between them.

However, over the centuries the two worlds became fierce rivals and, eventually, fierce enemies. The other major governments within the galaxy had all joined together in a Coalition of Planets, though Alderaan and Corellia had both refused to join as they wanted to maintain their sovereignty to protect themselves from their enemies. Eventually, the conflict erupted into a full scale war between the two rivals. The Coalition of Planets begged the Jedi Bendu to get involved, though they said they could only help negotiate.

Early on in the war, the Jedi Bendu immediately made a friend out of Alderaanian Admiral and Ambassador to the Coalition of Planets Jonathan Bac. With the help of Bac, the Jedi Bendu launched an investigation that found that the two warring factions were in fact being fed false information and rumors and had been manipulated into going to war by the Anarchic Brotherhood of Planets, a lose organization of anarchists that reluctantly banned together in an attempt to prevent the drafting and signing of a galactic charter and the creation of a galactic government. With the blessing of the Jedi Bendu, Bac teamed with the Corellians and they destroyed the Brotherhood.

After Alderaan and Corellia officially became a member of the lose federation of governments, they recommended that Bac be given the right to draft a charter, as they believed that he would be best equipped to do so. They also saw an aura of prophecy surrounding him, feeling that he would somehow be indirectly involved with the Prophecies of The Skywalker. After much deliberation, they spoke to him about how they felt his descendants would fulfill one or more of the prophecies that The Skywalker had spoken of. Though flattered, Bac was far too humble to believe that anyone in his family would be a prophetic figure.

After the drafting of the Galactic Charter, the date for the signing of it and the official founding of the Galactic Republic was set. Each government, including the Jedi Bendu, was given one vote as to who would be the Supreme Chancellor of the newly formed Republic. The Jedi Bendu did not put any of their own up, but instead gave Bac the second vote he needed and he was elected Supreme Chancellor. When the founding came, Bac was the first to sign the charter and the first to address the galaxy as the first Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. The first thing he did in his speech was to thank the Jedi Bendu for everything they had done for the galaxy. In his speech, he also formally requested that the Jedi Bendu take on the mandate of guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. They accepted the Supreme Chancellor’s proposal and were given permission to build a monastery on Coruscant near the chambers of the Galactic Senate.

The First Schism
"Zhol kash dinora. Ja’ak."

- Xendor Taral

For the centuries that followed, the Jedi Bendu officially took on the mandate of guardians of peace and justice in the Galactic Republic. Jonathan Bac passed away, as did dozens of Supreme Chancellors, Jedi Bendu Masters and Jedi Bendu High Masters after him, though the mandate remained. The Jedi Bendu felt peace, as did the Republic, for the first time in many years. However, that peace would be tested by one of their own.

The Jedi Bendu discovered a young Human boy living in the slums of Kashi and recognized his potential. The boy’s name was Xendor Taral and they brought him to the Great Jedi Bendu Pyramid, the main monastery of the Jedi Bendu Order, on Coruscant. The monastery had all but replaced Kal’Shabbol, and after a time the Ashlan Expanse became a thing of memory as the main work of the Jedi Bendu was in Republic space.

The Force of Others was strong with Xendor and his teachers immediately recognized his potential, though they also recognized the inherent darkness within him that he manifested itself during his short upbringing on his homeworld. For a time, he was one of the strongest of the Jedi Bendu but he began to use his powers for evil, taking on the teachings of the Bogan to reinforce his Jar’Kai teachings in combat. Because of his dark studies, he was exiled by the Council of Masters and all but forgotten.

Decades later, however, there were rumors of Xendor’s return as one who had become more powerful than any other user of the Force of Others of the time. Jedi Bendu began leaving the order and the council feared that Xendor was somehow involved. More rumors began to surface about the creation of a group called the Legions of Lettow, a group that practiced the art of the Bogan with Xendor as their Supreme General. They were referred to as the “minions of Xendor”, ready to die at his command and on his behalf as they recognized the power he could offer them.

In the years that followed, dozens of hit-and-run attacks were carried out by the Legions of Lettow against Jedi Bendu holy sites and important Republic sites, including the Galactic Senate itself. For a time, it seemed as if the Senate was preparing to bow down to Xendor’s demands. However, the tactic began to fail. The Council of Masters assumed that those arrogant enough to join Xendor for conquest grew tired of guerilla tactics and longed for a true war. Ten years after the rumors of Xendor’s return first surfaced, the Legions of Lettow got what they wanted.

Xendor led his people to Coruscant where they prepared to launch an all-out war against an unsuspecting Republic and Jedi Bendu Order. Using the power of something he called a Kaiburr crystal, Xendor traveled to the Jedi Bendu Pyramid and engaged the Council of Masters. During the duel, Xendor felt the fall of many of his warriors and quickly realized the battle had been a failure. Refusing to allow himself to run away from a fight, Xendor continued his fight against the council but was struck down. His final words were in a language that he had learned in the Unknown Regions that he had called “Sith”.

The remaining Legions of Lettow were arrested or they escaped arrest from the Republic. The incident helped the Jedi Bendu realize that they should never grow complacent, as they never knew when danger would be lurking, and that there would always be those who disagreed with them and their ways. After rebuilding the damage done by the Legions of Lettow, the Jedi Bendu peacefully returned to their mandate as guardians of peace and justice in the Republic.

The Final Schism
"We have been told to either submit to the new way or find our own. I have chosen the latter."

- Zios Malachor

Ten thousand years following the conclusion of the Unification War, many things began to change when a corrupt bureaucrat named Contispex was elected Supreme Chancellor. He had his own beliefs of the past and wished to shape the Jedi Bendu Order in the image he desired. The Jedi Bendu challenged the legality of many of his actions, and he vowed to end the threat to his rule as Chancellor. Through a great deal of manipulation of the Jedi Bendu Council of Masters, he was able to place Zoz Appenkee into the seat of High Master of the Jedi Bendu. High Master Apenkee also agreed with Contispex’s views, hence his appointment.

Appenkee spent years amending the Jedi Bendu Code and the history of the formation of the order, offering what he claimed to be evidence from worlds such as Ossus. Therefore, the Jedi Bendu followed him, believing themselves to have been wrong for so long. However, two Jedi Bendu Masters on the council disagreed with objected each step of the way. These Jedi Bendu were Zios Malachor and Adena Qel-Droma. They were able to convince one hundred fellow Jedi Bendu of what was happening and they formed a non-violent resistance movement.

The renamed Jedi Order fought back, attempting to expel the non-believers from their order. The Supreme Chancellor resulted to somewhat violent means, attempting to forcibly arrest the one hundred loyalists for treason. Qel-Droma attempted to make a stand against him and his men, though she came to realize that the insurrection was pointless and would achieve nothing.

Malachor and the others decided to leave the known galaxy and travel into the Unknown Regions, hoping to re-locate the mythical world of Kal'Shabbol. Qel-Droma declined to go with them and Malachor tried for days to get her to reconsider, though it was to no avail. Before the Jedi Bendu could leave, Malachor watched as Qel-Droma was kidnapped by the Supreme Chancellor’s men and put into a cryogenic sleep. Though he had wanted to help her, he knew that he could not risk the lives of his people. Therefore, they boarded their ships and made a fast getaway out of Republic space. They would not be re-discovered as the Bendu Order until shortly after the conclusion of the Great Territorial War.

Path
Becoming a Jedi Bendu required the most profound commitment and an astute mind. First and foremost, one must have been raised within the Ashlan Expanse or, later, within the aforementioned area or the planets occupied by the Galactic Republic. The Jedi Bendu would rarely seek what they thought of as outsiders for training. They firmly believed that anyone who had experienced worlds outside of their jurisdiction would have been tainted by a plague of corruption that could not be rectified.

A Jedi Bendu’s life was one of sacrifice. Those who showed an aptitude for the Force of Others began their training in life no later than their thirteenth birthday in the Great Jedi Bendu Pyramid on Coruscant. From the beginning, they were expected to always keep a strong sense of self-discipline, faith and prayer in their lives. Emotions such as hatred, anger and fear were expected to be used only at the proper times. Emotions such as kindness, compassion and love were expected to be used at all times. Unlike the Jedi of later years, they did not believe those emotions to be self-destructive, but rather healthy when used properly as they would not build up and unleash themselves in great quantities at the wrong time. Because of this, very few Jedi Bendu ended up walking the path of darkness. Those who did were simply selfishly seeking power.

As a padawan, a Jedi Bendu would be taught the powers of the Force of Others, the intricacies of the Ashla and the Bogan, the history of the galaxy and the philosophies that all Jedi Bendu lived and died by. They would be taught the art of the sword, though that would not be until later in their training. The leaders of the order felt that the more one knew about philosophies and powers, the more naturally the student would be able to perform with a sword.

When a student did, in fact, reach the point in their training where they would use a sword, they would be required to use far greater focus. Students would practice the rubrics of swordplay against other students with soft blades. Due to the weight of the weapons, they would need heightened awareness to condition their attunement to the powers of the Force of Others.

At the end of training, those who were ready to be promoted to Knighthood would be faced with the challenge of completing the Trial of Wills and the Trial of Fear, two rigorous ordeals that would test the student physically and mentally. Then and only then would they become a Bendu Knight. All of the aforementioned information would have been given to a hopeful when they were beginning their training and if they felt that they could not rise to the challenge, they would be allowed to turn back without anyone thinking less of them. If they were up to the challenge, their training would begin and their names would be added to the Holy Book of Names.

Religion
The religion practiced by the Jedi Bendu was much like the later religion of the Bendu Order, both very different from that of the Jedi Order. The Jedi Bendu recognized and worshiped Yahweh, the God of the Universe that dwelled on a planet called Heaven in another dimension of space and time. Yahweh was the omnipotent presence that was also called the Force of Others, the power used by the Jedi Bendu, Jedi, Bendu and other factions that practiced the arts of the Bogan.

Yahweh had spoken to a man named Jedi Bendu on the highest peak of Mount Sky on Had Abaddon and dubbed him The Skywalker, as he was the only man who was able to walk to the peak of the mountain and live to tell the tale. Yahweh also allowed his chosen people, those being creatures sensitive to the Force of Others, to manipulate his divine power for good and noble deeds. However, once he allowed the good and righteous to access his power, it opened the door to allow the darkness of the galaxy to tap into it. This led to the creation of groups such as the Sith Empire and the Dark Guardians of Lettow.

Many Jedi Bendu and non-Jedi Bendu alike were known to have challenged the existence of Yahweh. Though it was universally recognized that the Force of Others did exist, many did not believe that The Skywalker spoke to Yahweh because, as they put it, “no God in our existence would be foolish enough to allow mere mortals access to his unlimited power”. Such claims were always dismissed by Jedi Bendu and religious scholars.

Despite recognizing that The Skywalker did speak to Yahweh on Mount Sky, many Jedi Bendu Masters did recognize the truth about the passing on of stories. They spoke of how in situations where a collection of stories reached far into the past, the historical truth could have been blended with myths, legends, propaganda, inaccuracies, mistakes, omissions, additions and interpretations. They believe it to be an important park of their task to separate fact from fiction in the early accounts. Regardless, it was nearly unanimously agreed by Jedi Bendu and scholars alike that the tales told by the proclaimed “sons” of The Skywalker were more or less accurate.

Another major difference between the Jedi Bendu and the two orders that it spawned was that the Jedi Bendu did not have any form of official code. Instead, the order utilized a set of sacred prayers that spoke of Yahweh, The Skywalker and various other religious events and individuals. The prayers would later be recognized, and added to, by the Bendu Order. The Jedi Bendu believed that having a code, regardless of whether it was a set of rules or a prayer, would be too restricting for its members. Therefore, they allowed them to practice the official prayers or their own personal prayers whenever they saw fit.

Pillars of Strength
In the eyes of the Jedi Bendu, they did not believe they fought for peace. Much like Jedi from millennia later, they believed that it was only a slogan and was as misleading as any other slogan. The Jedi Bendu fought for the survival of civilization, as only civilization created peace. They fought for justice because justice was the fundamental bedrock of civilization. As a Jedi Bendu High Master once said, an unjust civilization was built upon sand it would not long survive a storm. Because of those beliefs, the strength of the Jedi Bendu’s organization rested on five major principles:


 * Self-discipline
 * Knowledge
 * Divine Faith
 * Prayer
 * Attunement to the Force of Others

When used correctly, effectively and efficiently, the five major principles and pillars of strength would allow a Jedi Bendu to solve any problem and overcome any obstacle they could think of facing. After the schism that broke the order apart, the Bendu adopted the principles and the Jedi adopted them yet changed it to conform to their own beliefs.

Hierarchy
Jedi Bendu Hopeful - A Jedi Bendu Hopeful was one who was no older than thirteen years of age who showed a great sensitivity to the Force of Others. When one became a Jedi Bendu Hopeful, they met with the Council of Masters and, eventually, only the High Master who would then determine whether or not they would be accepted for training. If accepted, the High Master would instruct them on where, when and with whom they would begin their training. If they were not accepted, they would be allowed to return to their lives. They would never be able to request training again. Very rarely would a candidate be turned away.

Jedi Bendu Padawan – The first stage of Jedi Bendu training. A Jedi Bendu Padawan would be taught the powers of the Force of Others, the intricacies of the Ashla and the Bogan and the history and philosophies of the Jedi Bendu. A padawan would also be taught the art of the sword, though that come in later stages of training. At the end of training, a padawan would be faced with the challenge of completing the Trial of Wills and the Trial of Fear, two rigorous ordeals that would test them physically and mentally before ascending to the level of Jedi Bendu Knight.

Jedi Bendu Knight – Only after completing the two trials and being deemed worthy by the Council of Masters could one become a Jedi Bendu Knight. The Knights of the Jedi Bendu were the guardians of peace and justice in the Galactic Republic and the Ashlan Expanse. Although a knight would have completed the great bulk of his or her training, he or she would still study the ancient texts found within the Jedi Bendu Archives and would continue to receive some instruction on more challenging forms of philosophy and powers from the Jedi Bendu Masters. Should they have been called upon to do so, a Jedi Bendu Knight would have taken on an apprentice of their own.

Jedi Bendu Master – After the successful training of a padawan, along with the completion of another Trial of Wills and Trial of Fear, a Jedi Bendu Knight would be considered for ascendancy to the level of Jedi Bendu Master. However, there was a limited number of master positions, one for each sector within the Galactic Republic. If the Council of Masters deemed a knight to be a resourceful and innovative leader within the order and that he or she was truly ready to be exposed to a higher calling, they would appoint that knight a Jedi Bendu Master. Jedi Bendu Masters did not reside with the Great Jedi Bendu Pyramid, though they often visited it. They resided within a major world within the sector they were chosen to oversee and led weekly religious services. They would also help the citizens of the worlds with any problems they needed assistance with. Should a Jedi Bendu Master have shined above the rest of his or her peers, he or she would have been considered for a seat on the Council of Masters.


 * Council of Masters – The Council of Masters was the governing body of the Jedi Bendu made up exclusively of wise, experienced masters and two High Masters. Very few masters were invited to serve on the council and one’s seat lasted until death or resignation.

Jedi Bendu High Master – Though the Council of Masters was primarily a group of equals, two would serve above the rest. Those were the two Jedi Bendu High Masters and there would only be two at a time, generally one male and one female. A High Master would be chosen for a life term upon the death or resignation of his or her predecessor and served as the co-leader of the entire organization. They were responsible for all training and religious activities within the order. They also acted as the political liaisons to the Galactic Senate and the Supreme Chancellor.

Jedi Bendu Saint – An honor given posthumously to very few High Masters, and occasionally a Master, Sainthood was by far the highest honor any Jedi Bendu could ever hope to achieve. Despite this, it was rarely thought about or spoken of in public. Sainthood was given based upon the achievements of a High Master or a Master during their life, and those achievements would have had to be extraordinary. The only true criteria was that a candidate brought about a major shift in any facet of the day to day life of all Jedi Bendu and that they had the love, respect and trust of all Jedi Bendu.

Culture, History and Knowledge
After the Unification War and the pledge to serve as the guardians of peace and justice in the Galactic Republic, the Jedi Bendu adopted a historical and cultural hierarchy. Many Jedi Bendu ended up specializing in history, the Force of Others and order itself, producing invaluable knowledge for the thousands of years between the war and the schism. After the schism, the Jedi immediately adopted this hierarchy, though the Bendu did not adopt it until after the Great Sovereign Crusades.


 * Jedi Bendu Archaeologist – A Jedi Bendu Archaeologist was one who had specialized in gaining historical knowledge through archaeology by being sent on expeditions across the known galaxy and other points of interest within the unknown regions of the galaxy.


 * Jedi Bendu Historian – A Jedi Bendu Historian was one who had specialized in chronicling the history of the galaxy from the beginning of recorded time to the schism that broke apart the order. A Jedi Bendu Historian knew virtually everything there was to know about the past.


 * Jedi Bendu Librarian – A Jedi Bendu Librarian was one who had specialized in administrating the vast scrolls and journals of knowledge. The Jedi Bendu Librarians were in charge of all Jedi Bendu archives and libraries across the galaxy.


 * Jedi Bendu Sage – A Jedi Bendu Sage was a Jedi Bendu Master who had dedicated themselves to the mysteries of the Force of Others. The Jedi Bendu Sages had deep insights into the philosophies of the Force of Others. They were highly skilled users of many powers of the Force of Others. Many times, a Jedi Bendu High Master would call upon his or her own personal sage for guidance.

War and Diplomacy
After the Ashlan Civil War, the Jedi Bendu decided that it would no longer participate in wars as fighters as they believed it went against their role as guardians of peace and justice. While some argued that to be a guardian of peace and justice one would have to fight to defend those two ideals, the majority of Jedi Bendu, for most of the orders existence, believed that peace and justice could be attained through diplomacy and negotiation on their part. Though their negotiations were sometimes blunt in nature, they never resorted to violence in doing so.

The Jedi Bendu did not see another war after the Ashlan Civil War until the Unification War and the formation of the Galactic Republic. In that conflict, they chose not to fight and instead offered counsel to the Organian Empire and the Corellian Empire, the two warring factions. Not choosing sides, they offered their advice to both and attempted to help them see past their differences and forge the unprecedented federation of planets.

Despite not fighting as soldiers in the conflict, it was through the investigative efforts of a group of Jedi Bendu that the Coalition of Planets was able to discover that the Anarchic Brotherhood of Planets had been manipulating the war. The Jedi Bendu watched as the Brotherhood was defeated and did not disagree with the course of action that the Alderaanian and Corellian armies took.

The Jedi Bendu were able to maintain the peace and justice for ten thousand years before the schism without seeing the rise of a single war, though there were minor inevitable conflicts. The one conflict they allowed themselves to fight in was against their own former disciples. When Xendor Taral brought his Legions of Lettow against the Jedi Bendu, the Council of Masters ordered them to be brought to justice and the Legions, along with Xendor, were brought to justice. It was the final conflict the Jedi Bendu took part in.

Prophecies
The Prophecies of The Skywalker were a set of writings that foretold the coming of kings, rulers and other legendary figures throughout history. From the time of the exodus off of Had Abaddon to his death on Kal'Shabbol, many visions came to The Skywalker which led him to write eight distinct prophecies that would span over one hundred thousand years and multiple galaxies. He wrote them within his own sacred journals and they were eventually some of the first entries of the Journal of the Whills after the establishment of the Order of the Whills.

The coming of many noteworthy figures in history was prophesied by The Skywalker before his death. Such figures include Ussej Padric Bac, his descendants, Carden Mannux, Darth Bane, Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker and Patrick Keylan Bac, a man who lived on Earth after the Jedi Bendu were forced to exile themselves there.

Because such notable figures in history were prophesied by The Skywalker, the prophecies themselves gained galactic attention over time. Had it not been for the efforts of Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker and Ussej Padric Bac LXIV, they would not have seen the light of day for thousands of more years as it was the reunification of the Jedi Order and the Bendu Order into the new Jedi Bendu Order that allowed them to be published for the galaxy-at-large to read and cherish.

Behind the Scenes

 * The Jedi Bendu were created using the limited information given by George Lucas in the original drafts of The Star Wars about The Skywalker and the formation and philosophies of the Jedi Bendu.
 * The name "Jedi Bendu of the Ophuchi" comes from a thirteen-page story treatment for Star Wars written by George Lucas in May, 1973. On a handwritten piece of notebook paper, Lucas described Star Wars as telling "the story of Mace Windu, a revered Jedi-bendu of Ophuchi who was related to Usby C.J. Thape, a padawaan leader to the fame Jedi".
 * The basic information about The Skywalker confronting the Light Side and the Dark Side and dying with his twelve children by his side is based off of The Journal of the Whills by Brendan J. Whalberg.
 * Yahweh is the same Judeo-Christian God worshiped on Earth.
 * The exodus off of Had Abaddon is based upon the Biblical Book of Exodus.
 * The Kal'Shabbol Civil War is based upon the song One Tin Soldier.
 * The Whills are the same species as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
 * The Coalition of Planets that formed during the Unification War is an homage to the Coalition of Planets that preceded the United Federation of Planets in Star Trek: Enterprise.

Appearances

 * The Beginning: The Legend of The Skywalker
 * The Beginning: The Legend of the Jedi Bendu
 * The Beginning: Dawn of the Republic
 * Shadows of the Jedi: The Legend of Ussej Padric Bac
 * Shadows of the Jedi: The Legend of Ussej Padric Bac II
 * Shadows of the Jedi: The Legend of Ussej Padric Bac III
 * Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Beginning