So, my players have been playing as bountyhunters and mercenaries during the Galactic Cival War for a long time now and they feel that they would now like to play as fully fledged Jedi Knights. After asking them they all feel that it would be really cool to experience the Clone wars.

I’ve been wondering how to set this up and I need some second opinions on this:

I’m thinking I’m gonna let them start in about 18 or 19 BBY playing as padawans (about 16 years), getting shipped out into the war. Being padawans this represents their low XP and their limited skills. They get to go on a few adventures and experience large-scale battles, some space combat, possibly some diplomacy etc. depending on what sort of characters they’ve created. During one mission, order 66 will happen and their clone troopers will suddenly turn on them, forcing them to escape and hide.

After this point I’m a little conflicted about what to do. I would like them to go into hiding on their own. Then give them a very large XP-reward and let about 14 years pass and then have them meet up again, now in 5 BBY. At this point they will be on Knight-level and adults (about 30 years old). If I do this they also get to experience some of the Galactic Cival War, seek out some artifacts or a teacher, maybe join the rebels or even play some adventures in combination with some of their old characters.

I’m a bit conflicted, it feels a bit weird to say “And then 14 years passed. What have you guys been up to?” It feels like I'm forcing them to skip a lot of character growth. But if I let them continue playing straight after order 66, is there much to do at that point other than hiding? Isn’t it more exciting and more to do during the Galactic Cival War?

Campaign 1 is your Clone Wars idea. It doesn't all have to be war zone either, there was plenty of espionage, political intrigue etc. Then Order 66 happens.

You could run an entire campaign of exploration in the outer rim or wild space as they first flee then try to remain hidden. Occasional close calls with the Imperials keeps them on their toes. But the true focus would be the Force testing them, putting them through their final trials. Ultimately they build up enough equipment to go "off the grid" and locate an isolated world that's perfect for hiding...

Then you skip 10 years to a chance encounter with a rebel scout ship, campaign 3 is your AoR Rebels inspired campaign.

If you choose to do the bulk of years skipped, I'd suggest encouraging them to pick their light saber specialization from their class list and during that time frame pick a second (for free?) specialization they actually want to play. Now they have a reason to be a Shadow even though there's no way the Shadow's as an organization would exist.

Just cuz they're hiding doesn't mean they're sitting in a hole.

They're seeking out their old contacts to get help (and getting betrayed by them?).

They're carrying on with that mission they had been tasked with to find and secure that ancient Sith Holocron (cuz you can still fight even if the Jedi are no more).

They're helping found the Rebellion.

They're sick of being hunted, and hunting down that Inquisitor who's on the planet.

They're flying out into the Unknown Regions to find that fabled Nexus to start a New/Different Jedi Order.

They're doing awesome, heroic stuff, well beyond the scope of what might be suggested by the media was going on.

I'm playing in a game similar to this idea right now, we were on a mission when order 66 happened. We saw had to escape from the army, then decide where to go, who can you trust and more important how to survive. We got to space station to find work and decided to head to the outer rim away from both sides of the battle. It is kinda of turning in to a Homestead game. Our group normally causes too much trouble to stay in one place long, so once we hear the Republic or the Separatists are too close than we will move on to our next location.