The Jedi Order (Morsian sect), later known as the Morsian Jedi Order or the New Jedi Order, was a new sect of the monastic Jedi Order that had been recently destroyed in 19 BBY. Their emblem followed the original Jedi Order emblem structure, with their emblem front and center. However it was in green and black, the typical colors of the Morsians, as well as having a small emblem of the Morsian Empire in honor of their kindness at giving refuge to the Jedi who would go on to form the Order. The old emblem of the Galactic Republic was also on the emblem, in memory of the Republic the Jedi once served. The words 'Morsian Jedi Order' were written in both Aurebesh and Old Morsian.
The Order followed the original ideas and ideals of the Jedi Order, being based around the light side of the Force, peacekeeping and helping the more unfortunate citizens of the galaxy. The Order operated from Morsian Imperial Space in the Morsian sector, where they knew they would be safe, starting anew from their sanctuary. They modified the Order, however, based on their early recruits. Jedi were now allowed to marry and have children, with their families allowed to stay in a town near to the Jedi Temple district, and if their children were Force-sensitive they were admitted to the Order.
While the Order was originally secretive to hide from the Empire, at its fall the Order announced itself to the galaxy, attracting more Jedi-in-exile from across the galaxy with some bringing with them their own sects and followers. Due to the Order's growing scope and size, it renamed itself from being a sect to a fully-fledged new Jedi Order, based completely within the Morsian Empire. The Order expanded its operations from beyond the realms of the Morsian Empire into the wider galaxy, resuming the same roles that the Jedi had twenty-five years prior.
History[]
Pre-foundation[]
At the end of the Clone Wars in 19 BBY, Darth Sidious executed Order 66 to turn the Clones against their Jedi generals, effectively ending the Jedi Order. The Morsian Empire offered the Jedi sanctuary on the Morsian Protectorate Planets within the Morsian sector providing the Jedi followed Morsian law and didn't cause trouble. Many Jedi accepted the offer in desperation and fled to Morsian space, with various Jedi settling on the assorted planets that best suited them. While initially wary of the Morsians, they realized after a year or two of safety that the Morsians truly did give them a way out of being killed. The Jedi settled down on the various protectorate planets, creating a new life for themselves, safe from the new Galactic Empire.
Foundation[]
After several years of safety, the Jedi started to contact each other from the protectorates with the idea of starting a new Jedi Order. They spent some time agreeing on what planet to found it on and whereabouts on it to construct their first temple. They finally settled on the planet Undulis in the country of Icenia where they obtained planning permission from the local government, as they still had to follow Morsian laws under their agreement of safety, so planning permission had to be obtained before anything could happen. After this, they started work on a temple and built a small one for their needs, officially founding the Order in 14 BBY.
Early Jedi recruitment[]
After founding the Order, they managed to quietly spread word across the galaxy in the hopes of attracting other Jedi who were in exile from the Empire who could join their ranks. This succeeded in reaching the ears of many Jedi and those who had not started to make their own sect travelled to Morsian space in secret to join the Order, swelling their ranks with old Jedi Masters, Knights, and Padawans, some of whom brought their own learners or families if they had settled down after surviving the Jedi purge. Their families started a small village nearby to the new temple, where they stayed while their husband or wife stayed mostly at the Temple.
After the fall of the Empire[]
The Order became more open and known after the fall of the Empire in 5 ABY, no longer having to fear Imperial retribution or hunting down by Sith Inquisitors. More Jedi travelled to Undulis to join the Order, some of them disbanding their own sects in other parts of the galaxy to bring all their followers and Jedi to the Morsian sect, further increasing the ranks of the Jedi. The Temple underwent several expansions as the number of Jedi increased, resulting in several support buildings for the Temple, expanding the area into the Jedi Acropolis. During this time, the Order also renamed itself into the Morsian Jedi Order, no longer deciding to pursue their original aim of restoring the Jedi on Coruscant but instead starting anew from Morsian space as a new Jedi Order. In 7 ABY, the Morsian Jedi Master Urde Ra'akdoon joined the Order along with two Jedi he had saved during Order 66, helping to boost the Order's popularity with the Morsian people now that a Morsian had joined it.
Views and aims[]
The sect's ultimate aim was to restore the Jedi Order as the religious peacekeeping body of the galaxy and restore the Republic to its place as governing body of the galaxy. Through its early years, the Order mostly focused on creating a safe haven for Jedi and Force-sensitives who came to the Order for protection. As the Order expanded and realized that the Morsians would protect them, this aim grew to starting on the path of restoring the Jedi Order and Republic, with the Order members training a new generation of Jedi and teaching them the ways of the Force and the path of the light. They continued to hold these ideals until the growing fall of the Empire, when these views shifted.
As the death of the Empire became apparent and closer to everyone in the galaxy, the Order realized that they didn't have to restore the Jedi Order as it was but could instead start fresh with a clean slate. As such they renamed from being just a sect of the old Order into a brand-new Order, built from scratch on the foundations of the old Order, deciding to shift their aims to fixing the original problems with the Jedi Order that had caused it to fall in the first place. This new Order decided to keep Undulis as their base of operation, making it their homeworld, and started to make the Jedi Order from scratch with a new vision of both old and new values.
Beliefs[]
The sect originally believed exactly what the old Order believed in, which was peace and unity. Following the Jedi Code, they were monastic and peaceful, believing in diplomacy, having no attachments, and dedicating their life to the Force. Like the Jedi before them, the Force was above everything, and every minute of the day was spent learning and harnessing it. They also believed that detachment from emotions and relationships was required in order to remain neutral in the Force. Likewise, fear of death was replaced with the belief in the Force that if they trained enough, they could become one with it.
After the Order was founded and more and more Jedi arrived from across the galaxy with their followers and often their family, their beliefs changed to accommodate them, and started them on the long road of becoming their own Jedi Order. They realized that, with the arrival of these Jedi and their families, attachment was not a cause to fall to the dark side. In fact they decided it was the opposite of it, and allowed both marriage and familial attachment, giving Jedi the freedom to start their own families and have children of their own who might become Force-sensitive and thus Jedi themselves. Emotions were a part of the natural order of things, and despite what the Jedi had tried in the past, that couldn't be changed or removed. As such emotions were, rather than cut out, studied and harnessed to increase the Force abilities of the Jedi.
Throughout its foundation and growth, however, the Order remained constant in its belief in diplomatic solutions with violence as a final resort. Despite all they had seen though the Clone Wars, the Order never wavered on this belief and continued to teach this to its followers and members, placing the saving of lives always above the taking of life. Lightsaber combat was still focused on defensive or non-lethal applications, however the Order also realized the need to understand military command and how army life operated, as its members realized that a part of the Order's downfall came from their lack of military knowledge when they were called on to command armies in the Clone Wars. As such the Order occasionally trained with the Morsian Army units on the planet, typically the Icenian Armed Forces, so their members understood the basics of unit command and operations of an army.
The ranks and emblems of the order
Ranks[]
Follower[]
A Follower of the Order was just that, a follower. They were typically not Force-sensitive and were often the wives, husbands, mothers, fathers, or any other relations of members of the Order who lived near to the Temple. They could also be general religious followers of the Order who were also not Force-sensitive but still believed in the Force and what it stood for.
Youngling[]
A Youngling was the lowest rank of the Jedi Order and was for children who were admitted into the Order. Younglings were very young Jedi who stayed in the Temple and were trained in all aspects of the Jedi way of life, including how to harness their Force powers, how to use a lightsaber, and how to uphold the Jedi morals and code of law.
Padawan[]
A Padawan was the next stage up for a Jedi, where they were assigned a Master or Knight who could further train them in a better setting than a Jedi classroom. Their Master would teach them more advanced Force powers and how to further enhance their understanding of it. They also instructed them on further lightsaber training including how to duel a fellow lightsaber-wielding opponent.
Knight/Legionary[]
A Knight, also called a Legionary, was a graduated Padawan who upon finishing their training had to overcome some trials set by the Council to then become an independent Jedi Knight. The Knight was the basic rank of the Jedi and showed that they had completed their training. From here, they could go on independent missions, take up their own Padawan or do general Jedi duties such as training Younglings or work around the Temple. The rank was also called a Jedi Legionary as a nod to the Morsians who gave refuge to the Jedi in the first place.
Master[]
A Jedi Master was the next rank up from a Knight/Legionary. A Jedi Master had served the Order for many years and often had at least one Padawan of their own. Being a Master meant the Jedi had mastered both their Force powers and lightsaber combat, being adept at both as well as having excellent diplomacy skills. Masters were revered by the Order and were seen as the 'elite'.
Council Member[]
The role of Council Member was one of the most prestigious roles a Jedi could obtain, having a seat on the council that guided the Order in its direction. Being a master was a prerequisite to even be considered a place and the number of council seats was limited. The Jedi chosen must have shown outstanding features that other Masters had not, such as excellent diplomacy skills or the slaying of a Sith Lord. A Morsian Jedi always had a seat on the council as a council member, as a nod to the kindness of the Morsians towards the Jedi in the first place.
Grand Councilor[]
The Grand Councilor was the leader of the whole Order, being the highest rank a Jedi could obtain. The Grand Councilor had to deal with any issues facing the Order and was looked to for guidance by all, both within and outside of the Order. The rank was hard to obtain, and the member carried their responsibilities until their death, whenever that may have been.
Training[]
Jedi were trained from being a Youngling, taught how to use the Force and lightsaber as well as how to uphold the Jedi Code. Younglings were typically trained by Knights/Legionaries or Masters, who had the experience and knowledge to impart on the Younglings as well as more time than a Council Member to teach them.
At the end of their Youngling training, they were taught how to build their own lightsaber, though the usual source of kyber crystals were unavailable to the Order at the time of its foundation. As such, crystals were formed from glass and various other metals found within Morsian space, as to avoid having to reveal the Order to outside sources as they ordered in special gems or resources. These metal/glass crystals worked just as well to create lightsabers, and Mors itself had black crystals that could work in lightsabers, giving the Order a diverse range of blade colors. This marked the Youngling's passing from Youngling to Padawan.
As a Padawan, they were trained further in mostly Force and lightsaber techniques. Their Master taught them how to properly duel a lightsaber-wielding opponent as well as how to harness their abilities and focus their minds. The Padawan would also be taught how to be diplomatic and the correct etiquette of a Jedi, to aid them in their diplomatic missions.
The Order would also occasionally train with the Morsian Army units stationed on the planet, such as those units of the Icenian Armed Forces. This not only helped teach the Jedi the basics of command and leadership, but also helped to train the army on how to deal with rogue Jedi and Sith.
Responsibilities[]
Outside of those orders given by the council, members had a duty to teach peace and serenity to its followers, other members, and to the surrounding settlements to the Jedi Acropolis. They also tried to act as peacekeepers in settlements and as diplomats, though these excursions were often blocked or complained about by local police forces and diplomats alike on Undulis.
As the Order became larger, more well known, and bolder, its members were tasked with recovering Jedi information and relics from across the galaxy. Members were also tasked with training other Jedi as well as searching for more Force-sensitive beings across the galaxy, with the aim of persuading them to join the Order.
The typical equipment of a Jedi
Equipment[]
Like all Jedi, those of the Morsian sect would carry with them a lightsaber and hologram projector, as well as a communicator as standard. They may also carry a pouch for Galactic Credits or local currencies, or have a couple of personal effects on their utility belt which also carried a variety of equipment for longer missions.
Dress code[]
The Order followed a basic dress code that all its members tried to follow. They wore the traditional Jedi robes, though these could be interjected with their traditional, native dress if they so desired. On each shoulder was the emblem of the Order and a colored band which identified what rank of the Order they were. A long cloak was also often worn alongside it, again with the emblem on each shoulder of the cloak.
Artifact collection[]
The Order also doubled as a museum and collection of Jedi and Sith artifacts from before the fall of the Jedi Order at the end of the Clone Wars. Various Jedi who joined the Order over its early years brought with them their belongings they managed to save and keep safe from the Jedi Purge, bringing them with them when they travelled to join the Order. After joining the Order, these Jedi realized that they didn't need to keep their belongings hidden anymore so often donated them to the Order for safe keeping and display as cultural and historical artifacts. They would occasionally have non-Jedi or Sith artifacts that were still to do with the Force and Force-sensitive culture, though these were few and far between.
Notable artifacts[]
- Urde Ra'akdoon's Jedi master's lightsaber
- Urde Ra'akdoon's Sith master's lightsaber
- Morsian Army lightsaber
- Various kyber crystals
- Various Jedi holocrons
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