Chapter 16: Themes and Tone
This era is defined by hidden threats and false peace. The galaxy believes the war is over, that the forces of good have triumphed, that the future is bright. This belief is wrong. The First Order grows stronger with each passing year, Palpatine weaves his schemes from the shadows of Exegol, and the corruption that will eventually claim Ben Solo advances unchecked. Characters in this setting must navigate a world where the greatest dangers are invisible to most, where warnings go unheeded, and where the structures that should protect civilization are slowly being undermined from within.
The tone should balance hope and darkness. The New Republic, for all its flaws, represents a genuine attempt to build a better galaxy. Luke’s Jedi academy, small as it is, carries the hope of restoring an order of peacekeepers and guardians. Individual heroes can make a difference, can save lives, can hold back the darkness even if they cannot see its full extent. Yet there is an underlying tragedy to this era: we know that the First Order will emerge, that Ben Solo will fall, that the peace the galaxy enjoys will be shattered. Characters may fight for a future that history shows will not come to pass—or they may be the ones who change that future.
Chapter 17: Potential Storylines
First Order Operations
Characters may encounter First Order operations in the galaxy’s shadows: recruitment missions targeting disaffected Imperial veterans, raids on technology convoys, espionage operations within the New Republic, or the construction of secret installations. These encounters offer opportunities to glimpse the threat that the Republic refuses to see, to gather intelligence that might eventually convince the authorities to act, or simply to survive against an enemy that must eliminate all witnesses to its activities.
Political Intrigue
The New Republic Senate is a web of competing interests, hidden agendas, and dangerous secrets. Characters with political connections might find themselves drawn into the conflict between Populists and Centrists, uncovering First Order sympathizers within the government, or attempting to convince skeptical senators that the threat from the Unknown Regions is real. Success in this arena could shift the balance of power in ways that change galactic history; failure could see the characters discredited, exiled, or worse.
The Jedi Path
Force-sensitive characters might seek out Luke Skywalker’s academy, either as students or as allies. There they would find a community of individuals struggling to rebuild a tradition that was nearly destroyed, led by a man who is himself still learning what it means to be a Jedi. They might also sense the darkness gathering around young Ben Solo, and face the question of whether that darkness can be addressed before it consumes him—and everyone around him.
The Resistance
General Organa’s fledgling Resistance offers a home for those who believe the war is not truly over. Characters who join this organization will find themselves on the front lines of a conflict that most of the galaxy refuses to acknowledge exists. They will conduct reconnaissance missions into the Unknown Regions, support informants within First Order territory, and prepare for a war that they hope will never come but suspect is inevitable.
Criminal Underworld
Not all heroes wear the uniforms of governments or orders. Some operate in the shadows, working with (or against) the criminal organizations that have flourished since the Empire’s fall. Smugglers, bounty hunters, and other independent operators might find themselves caught between the New Republic’s ineffective law enforcement, the First Order’s ruthless operations, and the various crime lords who control so much of the Outer Rim. In this morally ambiguous space, characters must make difficult choices about who they work for and what lines they’re willing to cross.
Chapter 18: Key NPCs
Emperor Palpatine
The hidden master who pulls the strings of galactic events. Palpatine should remain a distant presence in most campaigns, his influence felt but his hand never seen. He might communicate through intermediaries, his orders passed down through chains of command that obscure their origin. Direct encounters with Palpatine should be rare and terrifying, reserved for climactic moments when the full scope of the threat is finally revealed.
Supreme Leader Snoke
The visible face of the First Order’s leadership. Snoke commands from his flagship, the Supremacy, issuing orders to the military forces that carry out his will. He is interested in Force-sensitive individuals and might take personal notice of characters who demonstrate unusual abilities. His motivations appear to be the restoration of Imperial order, but there are hints of something deeper, something darker, that he serves.
Luke Skywalker
The legendary Jedi who destroyed the Death Star and redeemed Darth Vader. In this era, Luke is focused on rebuilding the Jedi Order, and he may be reluctant to involve himself directly in galactic affairs. He believes that the Jedi’s role is to serve as peacekeepers and guardians, not soldiers or politicians. Characters who seek his aid may find him sympathetic but unwilling to act without clear evidence of threats that require Jedi intervention.
General Leia Organa
The driving force behind the Resistance and one of the few people in the galaxy who recognizes the First Order threat. Leia is passionate, determined, and frustrated by the Republic’s refusal to act. She will readily support characters who share her concerns, providing resources, intelligence, and strategic guidance for operations against the First Order. She is also a mother struggling with concerns about her son, concerns she rarely voices but which weigh heavily upon her.
Ben Solo
A young man at a crossroads. Ben is powerful in the Force, perhaps the most gifted student Luke has ever trained, but he is also troubled by darkness that he does not fully understand. Characters who interact with Ben might see glimpses of both the hero he could become and the monster he might one day be. Whether his fate can be changed, whether the fall of Kylo Ren can be prevented, is one of the great questions of this era.