It has been over 40 years since the Clone Wars ended, but peace has eluded the Republic.
The Jedi Order library details much of the history of recent times, but much more, only exists in the minds of those involved. Though tempted to side with the Sith Lord that had twisted his will for years, Anakin Skywalker stayed his hand, and allowed Jedi Master Windu to execute the Grand Chancellor for his crimes against the Jedi and the Republic. After Palpatine's death, the separatist alliance fell apart. A search of the former chancellor's records found the leaders of the separatists gathered on Mustafar, where they were quickly rounded up by the GAR. In three years time - the war would be over; the last pockets of resistence stamped out.
These years would be very difficult for Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker. Unable to reconcile the actions of Master Windu - which were naturally accepted by the Jedi Council and the Senate - Anakin grew increasingly furious with the Jedi order in the weeks following Palpatine's death. Insisting time and again that they had acted wrongly and committed what was tantamount to murder, Skywalker conceeded that Palpatine was an evil man, a Sith, but felt his death was improper. He should have been tried for his crimes. In private, despite his knowledge of the man's evil, Anakin had harbored much love for Palpatine.
As his outrage festered, he began to view the Jedi Order as corrupt, hypocritical, and impartial - and in an impassioned speech in the council chambers, one-month after being declared a hero of the Republic, he renounced the code of the jedi and announced his long-time marriage to Padme Amidala, senator of Naboo. The resulting scandal was short-lived, though it ended Padme's nomination as the new Chancellor - though she privately confided in many friends that it was an honor she truly did not want to begin with. Throwing her own support behind her friend and fellow nominee, Alderaan Senator Bail Organa, the new Chancellor Organa was soon elected and began the slow task of rebuilding the Republic.
Padme resigned her senatorial seat, and returned to Naboo with her husband and former jedi. Her pregnancy was still private knowledge. The couple built a home and set about the task of raising their twin children, who were born healthy and happy. Despite many visits by his old friend, Obi-Wan Kenobi (who knew of the children but kept it to himself), to convince Anakin to re-join the order - Skywalker refused. For him, the Jedi Order was dead.
Neither he nor Padme were surprised when their children began to show force sensitivity at an early age - but Anakin was astounded at how strong the force was with them. To prevent them from hurting themselves and others, he took it upon himself to train them in the use of their abilities - despite fervent protests from Padme, who believed they should be taken to a Jedi Temple for training; that their destiny was to serve the Republic as Jedi. Anakin refused to allow the "tainted" jedi to influence his children.
This began the rift between the couple, which grew over the next several years, as Anakin's loathing of the Jedi grew to turn him into an embittered man with negative views of government and democracy, things Padme still championed in her heart. Fearful of her husband's influence on the twins, and seeing their power grow day by day - their mother finally secreted them away from Naboo shortly before their seventh birthday, to the Jedi Academy on Coruscant. There, much to her surprise, they were accepted for training. Their clear power with the force, coupled with the "jedi training" they'd already recieved, was enough for the council to accept them. Neither child would see their parents ever again.
Anakin's discovery of his wife's "betrayal" and the "loss" of his children thew him into a fugue of mental anguish and raw anger. He couldn't bring himself to harm Padme, but in a violent rampage that left their home ablaze, Anakin left Naboo for Coruscant, in an attempt to reclaim his children. After a bitter argument with Obi-Wan Kenobi on the steps of the Jedi Temple, Anakin was stopped from entering by Mace Windu. The two engaged in a duel in front of the media and a growing crowd of on-lookers. Anakin won the battle, but was pulled back by Padme pleading for what was best for their children. Mace would take the opportunity attack the former Jedi when his back was turned, cutting off his artificial hand. Anakin would leave Corsucant without his children, his lightsaber, and his hand.
Anakin would disappear among the stars; but Padme would return to Naboo, dedicating herself to a life of service starting medical centers for the empoverished and providing humanitarian aid for the downtrodden. She would also be called to help negotiate on behalf of the Republic in peace talks. This would be her path for decades.
Several months before the invasion of the Yuuzhan Vong, Padme would contract a mysterious illness that no one could explain. The best medical staff, Jedi, and healers could do nothing for her. It drug very hard on her children.
Jedi Master Luke Skywalker seemed to be greatly pained by her death more than his sister. He fell into a deep depression and isolation, blaming himself for not being able to save her. After spending weeks researching in the Jedi Archives, one morning, Master Skywalker simply disappeared. His quarters were found empty, the Jedi Archivist Jerrec was found slain, and an ancient Sith holocron - from the era of the old Sith wars - was found stolen. Despite months of searching, the order was unable to uncover any clues to the whereabouts of Luke Skywalker.
Five years have now passed, and your heroes have been summoned to audience chambers to meet with Jedi Master Leia Skywalker. As a member of the Jedi Council, a noted diplomat, and a powerful Jedi, the heroes are surprised and honored to be meeting with her. There, they also meet with General Crix Madine, head of the Republic Military Intelligence branch, who takes pains to ensure their conversation will be one of secrecy... there is finally a lead on the location of Luke Skywalker and they will be sent to track down the rogue Jedi Master.
