I like that a lot too. I think your new ‘rising shadow’ is better than ‘darkening stars’. I’ve just rewatched Starlight/Rekindled/Ascendant and would still advocate for explaining that the Republic is demilitarised, because that really hangs over the whole trilogy (especially TROS, where no Republic fleet comes to their aid), but I appreciate it’s a complex thing to get across. I appreciate that Starlight includes the scene which gives the context that it’s largely Leia who’s behind the Resistance, and the Republic is hesitant, but it’s still a little odd that no military joins for the final conflict. Either way, it does work as is.