THE DARK AGES OF THE REPUBLIC! After nearly a thousand years of war between the Republic and the Sith Empire both were on the brink of collapse. THE SITH, though exponentially increased in number, were divided against one another, as the various warlords and self-proclaimed Dark Lords fought each other for supremacy. THE REPUBLIC, for its part, was a pale shadow of what it once was. By this time mineral mines ran dry, corporations failed, and the Republic's borders began to shrink for the first time since the Cold War as colonies were abandoned to the Sith advance and the economic collapse. Law and order suffered as THE JEDI found themselves overstretched. The collapse of the HoloNet and interstellar commerce and the general downward spiral of the Galactic Republic continued unabated. Jedi were forced to assume greater leadership, commanding the Republic military, and even becoming Supreme Chancellors, despite the public opinion against them.

Much of the Republic's former territory was in the hands of independent, self-proclaimed SITH WARLORDS. These warlords squabbled over the dying embers of the Sith Empire, and while they remained divided, the Republic was given some respite. Some Jedi would attempt daring raids within Sith-held territory, but for the most part the Republic made no attempt to regain its lost worlds. Against the Sith threat, other members of the Jedi Order began quests to rout entire systems of Sith influence and purge those who's sought to enslave or exploit the citizens of the Republic. Standing as these systems' last line of defense, these individual Jedi became celebrated and quickly came to hold political might. As their constituent worlds came to appreciate their service, these Jedi became barons or kings of entire systems and sectors, taking up the title JEDI LORD.

Establishing castles and manors as their formal residences, these Lords created a formal hereditary system, passing down their titles to their offspring for several generations. The peaceful regions of space stood as islands of light in the darkness created by the Sith, and even Coruscant and the Galactic Senate was presided over by Jedi Supreme Chancellors. During this time, THE JEDI HIGH COUNCIL competed directly with THE JEDI GRAND COUNCIL which consisted of Lords from across the galaxy.

Wary of the growing power and popularity of the Jedi Lords, the Jedi High Council attempted to groom their own champion against the Sith—SKERE KAAN, born a commoner on Coruscant before being discovered by the Jedi Order and trained in the ways of the Force at the Jedi Temple. Sophisticated and knowledgeable of economic policy and fleet command, Kaan became a Jedi Knight and a beacon for hope among members of the Jedi High Council who hoped to finally destroy the reformed Sith Empire which had been plaguing the Galactic Republic for nearly two centuries.

Having perfected the art of battle meditation, Jedi Kaan was considered a valuable asset by the High Council, despite his radical belief that the Republic and the Jedi were responsible for the anarchy which plagued the galaxy. In an effort to moderate Kaan's extremist views, the High Council awarded him the title of Jedi Master. Seeing the High Council as overbearing, Kaan led a group of loyal Knights away from Coruscant and defected to the Sith. Out of the ashes of the Sith Empire, Kaan reorganized the Sith into THE BROTHERHOOD OF DARKNESS, over 20,000 strong. In an attempt to end the internecine feuds that had torn their Empire apart, Kaan ended the tradition of a sole Dark Lord of the Sith and recognized each and every claim to the title by the rival warlords. Kaan forged his alliance with the creed of "Rule by the Strong" and "All are equal in the Brotherhood of Darkness."

Foreseeing the threat of Kaan, now known as THE DARK ONE, and his newly organized Sith, Jedi Master and Lord HOTH organized a force to combat the Brotherhood. Lord Hoth created THE ARMY OF LIGHT, an army made up of the forces of the Jedi Lords, Knights loyal to Hoth, and what remained of the Republic military. Now the Army of Light and Brother of Darkness fight one last bitter war for the fate of the entire Galaxy...