Katelyn Mathis 
Katelyn continues her exploration of the force with a deep-dive into the Je’daii Order
“In the light, there is a darkness and in the darkness, a light. It is the way with us all. Be a prisoner of neither Bogan nor Ashla. Strive to live in balance. As Tython itself teaches us, it is dangerous to do otherwise. And the danger is there—always.”
The ancient Je’daii Order was in existence from 36,453 BBY to 25,783 BBY. Based on Tython, a planet strong with the Force, the Je’daii strived to live in balance between the light and the dark, Ashla and Bogan, named for the moons that orbited the planet. Bogan was a moon steeped in the dark side, and those who fell to it were exiled there. Ashla was the moon on the light and those seeking balance often made pilgrimages there.
The Order’s ancestors arrived on what it called the Tho Yor. The Tho Yor were eight pyramid-shaped ships that arrived on Tython and spread out around the planet. These ships had originally been spread out across the galaxy on planets like Dathomir, Kashyyyk, Manaan, Ando Prime, and Ryloth. The ships traveled the galaxy, picking up more Force Sensitive beings of all races, including Noghri, Talid, Wookiee, Selkath, Miraluka, Twi’lek, Sith, and many others. (Keep in mind the Sith were a species before they were known as the enemy of the Jedi.)
These species spread out across the planet and Formed the Je’daii Order to better study the force. They took their name from the Dai Bendu language. The Bendu symbol became referred to as “the Je’daii Star” and is actually one of the most well-known symbols in all of Star Wars. The eight-spoked symbol became the symbol for the Galactic Republic. A slightly different version was used by Sidious during the Empire era.
Force-sensitive individuals were brought to Tython for training, much like the traditional Jedi. Since Tython was a planet to strong in the Force, and it’s inhabitants were all Force-sensitive, children born on the planet that was not Force-sensitive were essentially exiled when they became of age.
In 25,793 BBY the first ship to enter the atmosphere since the Tho Yor crashed on Tython near one of the temples, Anil Kesh. The only survivor of the crash was a man named Xesh who carried a weapon called a Forcesaber. Until this time, the Je’daii carried swords of durasteel, referred to as Je’daii swords. They also carried traditional weapons, such as blasters. Shortly after Xesh’s arrival, the Rakata Infinite Empire invaded Tython as the Je’daii constructed Forcesabers for themselves. The Rakata were eventually repelled and left the system. But the Je’daii would never be the same.
Forcesabers are considered a dark side weapon. Each time a Je’daii used a Forcesaber they would fall more to Bogan and out of balance. Those that held to the light broke from those who pulled to Bogan and a civil war ensued, lasting for ten years. In the end, those that fought for the light prevailed but wished to create a new Order, the Jedi. Since the war had ruined the planet, many of the Jedi left and formed a new headquarters on Ossus where they eventually joined the Republic and became the Order we all know them to be.
Explore The Balance Series and learn more about there Force here.
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Katelyn Mathis is a Senior Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. She is a passionate Star Wars fan and is the go-to source for Force Knowledge. Follow her on Twitter @ForceKnowledge where she uses the force frequently!
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Katelyn Mathis is a Senior Staff Writer for The Future of the Force. She is a passionate Star Wars fan and is the go-to source for Force Knowledge. Follow her on Twitter where she uses the force frequently!
