And here is my latest take:
The last Jedi has vanished. In his absence, a new Imperial power has risen to threaten the galaxy.
Descending into chaos and division, members of the Republic Senate have secretly called upon a daring RESISTANCE to find Luke Skywalker and restore the light of hope to the darkening stars.
Arising from its barbaric hidden stronghold, the IMPERIAL FIRST ORDER hastens toward a village on Jakku, sanctuary of Luke’s faithful disciples who hold the key to the Jedi’s return…
I think that new take works really well, Nev! Implying that the First Order rises specifically because Luke has gone into hiding makes a lot of sense - plus, that adds a really clever twist when you get to TLJ, and you learn that both events stem directly from Luke failing Ben.
You might just want to clarify that “certain/some/several members of the Republic Senate have secretly” blah blah blah, just to make it clearer that Leia & Co. don’t necessarily have the full Senate’s support. (Otherwise, it could be read as if “The Senate has secretly created a Resistance without the First Order realizing.”)
And if I want to be reeeally pedantic, you might be able to more readily hint at Starkiller Base by changing “from its barbaric hidden stronghold” to “from a mysterious hidden base,” to imply that not only does no one know where it is, but also that there’s something more to it than it just being a staging ground. But that’s just splitting hairs.
It’s great to have you back, Nev; take all the time you need!