It's been nineteen years since the Declaration of a New Order, and as far as the average citizen knows, there is nothing but peace and prosperity. The Confederacy of Independent Systems have long since been defeated, leaving the galaxy unified under one rule again. The Jedi Order, who started the Clone Wars to destabilize the galaxy in the first place and help give them the opportunity to seize control of the Galactic Republic, have largely been purged. And while there are some misguided youths who would dare rise up against the Empire, in the end, they are always snuffed out by the Empire's seemingly infinite number of armies and fleets.
Again, this is as far as the average joe is aware of. Now imagine you're some nerf herder on a backwater planet like Dantooine. You don't have much going for you, and maybe you're feeling patriotic or like going on an adventure, so you decide to join the Empire! You don't know that the Emperor is a dark lord of the Sith, that the Jedi were really innocent and you haven't seen enough of the galaxy yet to realize that the Empire, at it's core, is really an authoritarian regime who will crush even the slightest sign of dissidence. Maybe you've heard whispers of rebellion, maybe somebody's tried to warn you about the truth, but what do they really know? They're a rebel, or at least a supporter of the rebellion! Why would you believe the word of a terrorist over the government? Or maybe you didn't have a choice. You're a smuggler, you're neck deep in debt with the Hutts, and you've seen just enough to know the Empire is a little oppressive. But it's either spend a life on the run from bounty hunters who want to kill you or join the Empire, where maybe you'll be safe. OK Sure, maybe you'll see some combat, but the rebels aren't too much of a threat... right?
Of course nineteen years after the establishment of the Empire, there's a lot going on. Both Alderaan and the Death Star have just been destroyed, the Imperial Senate is being dissolved and the Rebel Alliance is on the move. Our characters will be Imperial TIE pilots fresh out of flight school, and over the course of the RP, will be learning about the true nature of the Empire and become rebel defectors. But even after learning the truth, there's always the possibility that maybe our characters will still think the Empire is justified in it's actions, and will stay in Imperial service, possibly under some notion that we'll be fixing the Empire's problems from within.
Having just watched Rogue One, and largely influenced by this little gem, I've been absolutely dying for a starfighter-oriented RP set during the original trilogy. I'd be happy to let other people sort of co-moderate the RP, because if it isn't obvious already too, I don't have a clear story plotted out for the RP, but only some directions for us to drive towards. It'll be based on what characters are made, and what actions are taken during the RP, that I imagine some sort of plot will be improvised. I'd also like to keep the number of players in the RP sort of small, maybe five people at most. This is because from past experiences, large group RPs always end up being bogged down because of how many people we're waiting for, and people tend to lose interest while waiting for so long for their turn.
