Birth of the Jedi

Prologue

It is a time of fragile peace.

After 500 years of bitter interstellar war, representatives from all major systems in the galaxy have come together in a bold move to form a new Republic. Although unstable in its infancy, the new Republic promises to bring peace to a galaxy that has been ravaged by conflict since the invention of light-speed travel inspired the imperial aspirations of every armed tyrant in the known universe. Still, tensions run high and efforts at peace are threatened by the lingering ambitions of those who believe they can use the new Republic to further their own quest for interstellar control.

Meanwhile, on the isolated moon of Rios circling a desert planet on the far edges of the Outer Rim, a small tribe of religious clerics has chosen to turn their backs on the technology that has brought so much suffering to the galaxy and instead explore the uncharted regions of the mind. By seeking absolute serenity away from the conflicts of the material world, they believe they can perceive the presence of an all-powerful Force that flows through all living things.

Although the Clerics of Rios reject outside interference, they have agreed to allow a diplomat from the new Republic to visit and learn about their culture, reporting what he observes to the newly elected Senate. While the rest of the galaxy wrestles with mounting tensions that could re-ignite intergalactic war, no one suspects that the peaceful Clerics of Rios are uncovering secrets which threaten to plunge the entire galaxy into neverending darkness . . . .