The Republic Schism

The Republic Schism describes a conflict in which sentiments towards the Jedi and all force users declined, causing a split within the New Republic Senate.

History
The downturn of opinion upon the Jedi Order began during the opening year of the peace treaty between the New Republic and Imperial Remnant. As the militaries slashed their budgets, (due to no war), the Jedi Order became relied upon more and more for their negotiatory skills and role as mediators. However, the fledging Order was still not ready for such a responsibility and soon enough the Jedi were faced with more crisis' than their numbers could manage. Aeon-old disputes flared through long rivalries between neighbouring systems. Disaffected New Republic and Imperial personnel tried their hands at continuing their own personal war in mockery of the treaty and the border disputes grew more frequent by each passing day and so the galaxy began to question the effectiveness of the Jedi.

Sowing the seeds of discontent, an organization spawned throughout the mostly lawless systems and within the main problem centres where authorities were struggling. The V-Initiative spread like a cancer across the galaxy, citing the failures of the New Republic and Jedi Order. The Imperial Remnant for the most part remained unaffected by the terrorist organization, but it was not exempt entirely as several operations struck Remnant territory.

The New Republic could do little as the Jedi Order did not fall under their juristiction and so relations between the two organizations became harder to maintain. Cooperation for joint NR/Jedi projects became messy, mainly through the lack of Jedi knowledge and through beauracratic red tape. The Jedi heading off to do their own thing whilst the New Republic did something else - leading to utter failure on eradicating the V Initiative threat.

Meanwhile, the Imperial Remnant itself grew concerned to the relationship between the New Republic and Jedi Order. They believed the Jedi were a fat bargaining chip, or a proverbial lightsaber that the New Republic could hold over anyone elses heads and plans were prepared in order for the Remnant to counteract with it's own trained force-users. These plans quickly became shelved upon discovery of Jedi operating illegally within Remnant territory.

Things came to a head to when Zayri Cresh was caught within Imperial space without authorization, but also at being located within the sector of a secret Imperial base. Several other Jedi also became incriminated through confession of the Jedi and the resultant political backlash was something the New Republic could ill afford. Allowing the Jedi, who to most of the galaxy were representatives of the New Republic, to be executed would only have degraded the already limited Jedi effectiveness and most importantly tarnish the New Republic itself when Outer Rim systems were already swaying to their affiliation. So they negotiated with the Remnant for an alternative solution.

The negotiation was headed by Supreme Moff Sevrus, who knew that handing the Jedi over - as he wished to do - would be the end of his political career unless it somehow benefited the Remnant. The Registration Act was born - where upon all Force Users would be required to register within territories of all participating governments. This would allow the Jedi to fall under the justice system like any other normal citizen and would prevent the New Republic from not even knowing where it's own Jedi were. The vote passed through the Senate, as the alternative would have been to hand over many Outer and even Inner Rim worlds to the Imperial Remnant and to have allowed two key trade routes to fall under Imperial rule. In some ways, the Act would benefit the New Republic too in finally allowing it to actually govern the Jedi Order itself and bring a calm to the populace who once again had been growing concerned to what the Jedi thought as necessary action.