You don't actually have to know the story. We've had a lot of people join mid-campaign; it is never built so that you have no idea what is going on unless you've literally read the whole thing beforehand.
Assuming you know what Star Wars is (I have this vague memory you are a fan...), explaining the setting will take five minutes. And heck, as far as the Dark Side goes, you even have an edge with any plotlines referring to the old days.
Sure thing:
I can summarise the Dark Side plot pretty quickly though
- Kuylen has long since disappeared. The Dark Siders are now a various bunch of fallen Jedi and outsiders banding together for survival.
- A sinister Republican organisation known as 'The Bureau' is operating secret death squads inside Republican space that are hunting down all Dark Siders; they have driven out or killed Dark Siders near any point of civilisation
- The Dark Siders live in a secret base just outside Republican space that they 'inherited' from its previous owner after an 'eventful' story.
- They have recently been working for a mysteriously powerful female Dark Sider known as Lady Adelmo. However, they are not on friendly terms with her
- Adelmo seems to be searching for something known as the 'Syphar N Kalar', reputed to be an ancient weapon of the Sith but actually a ludicrous myth from any rational perspective.
- It now seems that, at some point, Kuylen was interested in this as well (Galder/Rex has a vague memory that he looked up the term whilst on Avalar), and recent events suggest Kuylen is still alive.
The group is now debating/split over whether they should throw their lot in with Adelmo, try to find Kuylen or go for this mythical weapon themselves.
Note that the Dark Siders and Jedi no longer play together but they are in the same continuity (the Jedi are looking into this Adelmo person also) and will meet again one day.
It does not necessarily have to be clearly defined at first. You can come up with ideas, or I can, or Rex can do it in story form.
Only two things are important:
1. Since the Bureau formed, you will have had to run away from Republican space
2. You have become aware of the existence of a Dark Side hideout. including a couple of people you knew back at the day.
You coming back in would simply be a matter of the point you found the hideout and came back into the group. I'd need a suitable point in the story but that's not TOO far off.
Okidokey!
There are always two types of people with rules though- those that like to read big detailed explanations and then play... and those who do better learning by doing and use the rules thread only as a reference during play.
Bottom line- no need to understand it all before play starts! Though going through character creation may be helpful. You can always ask for help there as well.