Force-Users in the Galaxy
Force-Users in the Galaxy
Of the galaxy's countless inhabitants, only a few beings are Force-sensitive. They have the ability to concentrate and sometimes bring about their will by subconsciously tapping into the Force. They have the potential to learn Force skills and powers, although only a fraction ever will.
Most Force-users in the Republic were trained at the Jedi Temple by Jedi Masters. However, during the reign of the Empire, the Emperor and Darth Vader expended a great deal of time and effort exterminating Force-users. Young Jedi had to hide their presence from the Empire lest they be hunted down by the Emperor's servants and assassins.
The only surviving Force-users generally fit into one of the following categories: • Those who somehow hid from the Empire. This would include Jedi such as Yoda and Vima-Da-Boda (from Dark Empire). • Those from isolated planets and cultures. These beings may study the Jedi way, or they may know some other means of using the Force, such as the "spells" used by the Witches of Dathomir or the mystic way of the Tyia. • Those who were too weak or unstable to be a threat to the Empire. This would include the quixotic Jedi character template, Halla (from Splinter of the Mind's Eye), and Joruus C'baoth, the mad Jedi who guarded the Emperor's storehouse at Mount Tantiss. • Force-users completely in thrall to the Emperor. This includes beings such as Darth Vader, Mara Jade, and the Emperor's Dark Side Adepts (from Dark Empire). • Force-users held captive by the Empire. While some eventually escape, most face a horrid existence. The Empire's motives in holding such beings vary: some are used for experiments in the Force, while in other cases the Emperor siphons off their life energies to support himself. Still others may have some Jedi knowledge that the Emperor wishes to pry from their minds. Vima-Da-Boda and the Jedi Corwin Shelvay were once held by the Empire but managed to escape its clutches.
Most Force-users will be of a relatively low level of ability. Any characters above those skill levels have been exceptionally careful in avoiding the attentions of the Empire… or they may be servants of Palpatine.
In the era of the New Republic, Force-users are more numerous, but they still tend to be of a low level of ability since there are so few teachers. Some train under Luke Skywalker, while others learn what can be passed down from aging instructors and what is recorded in the few remaining texts and datatapes.
However, despite the New Republic's acceptance of Force-users, the remnants of the Empire (and many other groups) have a keen interest in using Force-users to accomplish their own ends.
Source: REUP:148