Mandalore

Mandalore

Astrographical Information

Region: Outer Rim

Sector: Mandalore

System: Mandalore

Orbital Position: 5

Moons: 2, one called Concordia

Grid Coordinates: P-13

Physical Information

Class: Terrestrial

Atmosphere: Type 1 Breathable Oxygen Mix

Primary Terrain: Forests, jungles, deserts, seas, grass plains (Forest, mountains, oceans, tropics, desert, cityscape, etc.)

Points of Interest: Keldabe (planet's capital), Kelita River, MandalMotors tower

Societal Information

Indigenous Species: N/A

Immigrated Species: Taung, humans, various other

Primary Language(s): Mando'a

Faction Affiliation: Neutral

Defense Rating: Level 5

JediRP Canon History:

Mandalore, or Manda'yaim in the tongue of its people, is the adopted homeworld of Mandalorian culture. It has been the site of several culture clashes under several leaders: first, Joreel Ordo, then Vihk Ahzinger. The Death Watch, or Kyr'tsad, wrested control of the system in large part under Hadrian Augustus for a time. When ShadowFett took over, he purged the influence of the Death Watch from the planet. A Sith by the name of Ab'ki with a personal vendetta against the family of Mirdala Ad'Goran brought forces a million strong to bear on the Mandalore sector, and forces led by Fett and Mirdala (including Mellanie Devanus, Kalyani Wartide, Aryian Darkfire, Tresha Ad'Nort, Tros Ardell, and a veritable army of NPCs 4 million strong) mounted a war effort to repel her.

((Summary compiled by Jaina Jade Skywalker. Thank you!))

The Planet of Mandalore was nestled on the Outer Rim of the Galaxies, away from the political and military campaigns of the Factions of the Core Worlds. The Planet itself was filled with life, rainforests and jungles dominated the land masses on the planet with small deserts along the equator, with large oceans around the planet. The planet is home to some wild beasts which dominate the jungles and rain forests. Most known of these beasts was the Mythosaur a beast that was as large as a small city and walked freely on the planet. These beasts were made extinct by Mandalore the First, though their legacy lives on as the Crest of the Mandalore Clans.

The planet of Mandalore has, and always will be, home to the Mando'ade or Mandalorians for those not familiar to the language of Mando'a. Mandalore is the capital planet of the Mandalore Clans. Though the Mandalorians occupy other planets, they consolidate their power here. However, in recent times the Mando'ade have gone leaderless, aimless, without direction. The throne of Mandalore remained unseated, though Mandalore's helm was possessed by another who for the time had chosen another path awaiting the right moment to rise up and serve his people.

The time was soon approaching, soon the Mandalore Clans would be reunited.

(Delete)

Sanj's ship landed in a forest on Mandalore. The Jedi stepped out and looked around, he loved forests, they always managed to calm him down. He decided to practice his force abilities before his trials took place so he would be ready for anything. He found a branch that was lying around and began to levitate it. He moved it around and then tried to move it faster for some ten minutes. Sanj then decided to lift something heavier, the ship he was riding. He focused on it, and tried to lift it. It was noticeably harder than anything else he had tried. He could see the ship getting about 2 inches above the ground, but it wasn't good enough. He kept working for about 10 more minutes until it was 5 feet in the air. He then slowly moved it around. He decided he had done enough with that skill and slowly placed the ship down.

He then decided to work on running and made his way around the woods. He felt the wind hit his face, he felt free. He slowly stopped and then decided to try something new, force jump. It was the same concept as force run but of course involved jumping, not running hence the name. He would try to jump onto the nearby tree he tried at first and only jumped a little higher than normal. He tried seven more times before he completed the task. He then found a nice spot to sit down and meditated.

The Mandalorian Ship belonging to the new Mandalore, Joreel Ordo, exited hyperspace over the Mandalorian capital planet of Mandalore. The planet was populated by many cities but none in the whole of the Mandalorian Sector was as grand as the capital city, Keldabe. The center of all Mandalorian political power, economic power, and military might. Each new Mandalore has come to this planet at one point or another and called it home, and it was time Joreel did so as well.

When Ordo was a boy on his namesake's planet he remembered his father, then only a Mandalorian Lord and representative of their clan to Mandalore himself making frequent journeys to Keldabe. Occasionally Joreel would tag along and wander about the capital city finding all sorts of artifacts in the city which caught his eye. The magnificent beskar'gam that was produced in the bustling marketplaces. The spaceport where Mandalorian raw and manufactured goods were sold across the universe, helping fund the giant military machine the Mandalorians had created for themselves. The fond memories brought a smile to his face as the ship descended toward the planet.

The decline was fast and Ordo plotted his course for a landing pad at the capital building of Keldabe, one which when Joreel's father had become Mandalore he had arrived on many of times, it was a place only for the Mandalore of the time, and at this moment it was Joreel who had come to that honor. The landing pad was available, and within a few moments the StarViper landed on the pad.

Upon landing Joreel felt a familiar presence, his padawan learner from his time as a Jedi Knight. Though he was not anywhere near the city, somewhere farther away. Joreel waited a few minutes and conjured the Force to him formulating a message for his padawan.

”

Sanj heard his master and broke from his meditation. He unfolded his legs and stood up, he was ready for anything that would be thrown at him. Sanj walked into his ship and flew over the trees until he reached the city.

He stepped out and made his way into the building that Joreel was in. He walked in and used the force to locate his master. He walked into the elevator and pushed in the floor Joreel was in. On the next floor he was met by an obnoxious man chewing gum.

”œNames Phil, you?”

Ordo looked to Sanj who had seemed to have matured over time once again. The galaxy moved too much these days, and the Padawan would soon be as gifted, or leveled to the point where in the eyes of those who look at status, as his master. Joreel felt a tinge of guilt at not becoming a Jedi Master, but felt that leaving when he did was most appropriate. He stood up and moved closer to Sanj.

"It is time to begin your trials Sanj, to become a Jedi Knight, an honorable rank to the Jedi Order. The first test for a Knight is one of knowledge. So tell me Sanj, do you know the Jedi Order's creed, its code, the thing which you lie to die for each day?"

Sanj listened to Joreel's question, he was sure he had seen the code somewhere. He went back through his thoughts and tried to remember where he had seen it and what it was. Sanj then remembered when he was on Helix; he had seen it written in one of the books in the library. Sanj then slowly said the code ”œThere is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity.”

Ordo was only slightly disappointed, Sanj had done well to remember the old code and not the new code. Either way the principles were the same, but in the newer Jedi Order some rules of attachment are not as strictly bonded as are some of the other codes of the old Jedi Order. Joreel realized he had no point in caring about which one Sanj had remembered anyhow. He was a Jedi, and could be a damn good one too if he put more effort into it. It was a shame in the long run the new Mandalore would have to betray that order, with force more than likely.

"Very good Sanj, you have passed the first trial of knowledge of the Order, but now you must show your knowledge of the Force," Order said as he stood up his palms out and at the ready for the match of Force powers to begin. The former Jedi Knight focused his strength and had the force aid him in creating a massive shockwave which he sent rocketing toward Sanj's chest. The blast would knock a normal man 50 yards minimum, thus for Sanj it should only knock him back a few feet at best. If he was truly ready to be a Jedi Knight he would be able to best Ordo at least one time here.

The Mandalorian grabbed a hold of the force a bit more in preparation of a counter attack. This would be a duel of the mind, and its connection to the Force, hopefully the Jedi Padawan could withstand it.

Sanj let out a deep breath when he heard that he had passed the first trial, he was glad that he didn't fail epically on the first trial. He would have really hated that. The Aruzan called the force when he heard this was a test of the force; it was a pretty obvious decision.

The ripple had caught Sanj slightly off guard and it pushed him back about a foot and a half and had caused him to loose his balance. He quickly regained his footing and started to fight off the rest of the attack with the aid of the force. Sanj realized how far he had come. Not too long ago he was just some parentless kid living in the streets and now he was a Jedi. It had always been some kind of a dream to him, no matter what he had heard about them Sanj always looked up to the galactic peacekeepers.

Time seemed slower for him, a second was like an hour now. He had to think of a counter attack, many possibilities popped into his mind and he had to get rid of the stupid ones and the ones he thought wouldn't work. Sanj focused the force on his master's legs and he sent a sort of spin at them. Its goal was to flip him on his side and temporarily immobilize him. The attack was chosen due to it hopefully being unpredictable enough to catch Joreel off guard.

Joreel's Mandalorian mind came to fruition and tactical advantages over his young protege flushed to the forefront of his mind. The Jedi Knight however, would not throw all his strength at the young man. It would be cruel and unjust. Ordo was one step away from being named a Jedi Master before his defection from the Jedi Order, and his power in the Force was enough to show that it would have been just a title change. The Force called to him and Joreel was prepared for round two of this battle of the Force.

Sanj had gotten quick with the Force, using it admirably to attempt and disable the Mandalorian. Upon contact Ordo threw as much Force energy into his legs to keep him from spinning out of control, and it caused the leader of the Mandalorian clans to spin to one knee, slightly dazed from the cyclic motion the Padawan had sent upon him. Though it was hardly the end.

Joreel called upon the Force once more and the energy pulsed around the room grabbing various objects of inconsequential nature from around the room and tossing them systematically at the Padawan. If he were truly ready, he would battle this with the Force, and then with strength. A Jedi Sentinel cannot always rely on the Force for power against the enemies of the Jedi Order, and with a Lightsaber at their side, the Sentinel can become a honed weapon, not an expert like the Guardian, but truly capable in both practices making them deadly to Sith in the long run.

The first three small statues of mythosaur skulls came unhinged from the wall and hurtled at the Jedi, and Ordo hoped he was able to pass this test.

Sanj's tactic had worked enough to delay his opponent for a couple of seconds he knew it wouldn't be able to do the full effect from the beginning. He got himself ready for another attack from his master when Joreel regained his footing.

Sanj focused on the statues and began to stop them from hitting him. He could feel the strain of the work, though they were still coming at him. He could feel the incoming projectiles slowing down, but the fight wasn't over yet. Beads of sweat were beginning to form on Sanj's forehead, but he was almost done.

The statues came to a complete halt when it was about 5 inches away from him, now he had to complete the counter attack. He moved the stone statues around his master, and they were separated in thirds. The mythasoare statues were 6 feet away from Joreel until he launched them at him, he made sure it was only powerful enough to hurt; maybe break a bone at best.

((Sorry, it's shorter than I like.))

From within the cockpit of a small Chiss fighter, a lone figure watched as the planet of Mandalore slowly spun in space. His fingers danced lightly across the controls, each move precise and controlled as he began to enter coordinates for the Clawcrafts autopilot to bring him to the planets surface. Crossing his arms, he watched as the planet of the Mandalorians, his planet, grew larger across his viewport. Reaching down into a crevice next to his seat, the Mandalorian soldier drew his A280 blaster rifle to his lap, and slapped a fresh power pack in. As the Clawcraft, entered the atmosphere, the warrior donned his helmet, once again covering the crimson eyes and blue skin that were native of his birth people. But he was no longer of the Chiss. He was Mandalorian. He had been banished from the Ascendancy for his aggressive tendancies and the thinking that striking first was more prudent than waiting to be attacked. Upon his banishment, he was taken in by a family of Mandalorians, taught their ways, and soon accepted that he belonged to these people. He had been born a Chiss, only to be accepted by what many would see as their complete opposite. But that was the past. Now he had answered the call of Mandalore, his leader. He would do whatever was necessary to restore his adopted people to their former glory.

As his fighter landed on a small landing pad, he was quickly ushered toward the capital building. As he walked through the halls of the capital building, he took in each individual as well as his surroundings. Although he completely trusted those around him, it had become second nature to look for hostile intentions and exit strategies. As he observed those others who wore the armor of his people, he noticed that he was one of the few to combine the colors of black and dark blue. His adopted father had told him that some Mandalorians wore certain colors to indicate values, black represented justice, while blue represented reliability. These were traits that Aschen valued above all others. Soon he was asked to wait for Mandalore to speak to him, so the Chiss Mandalorian took a seat and awaited his new leader.

Sanj had effectively neutralized his masters use of telekinesis by using us own faith in the Force to stop and counter with his own movements. Ordo thought the attacks his Padawan was sending his way were weaker than he believed a Padawan should be capable of. Only about halfway through Sanj's counter attack did the Mandalore realize why. Sanj cared for his master and did not wish to inflict harm upon him. Joreel was pleased he had not led his Padawan down his path and that he would stand independent of other Knights by being truly dedicated to the Jedi ideals.

Ordo used the Force quickly and aburptly gathering as much as he could and using a burst of power to grab each of the incoming stones and bones in an instant before setting them back gently at their previous locations. Once the room had settled the Mandalorian ex-Jedi sat at his seat of power and relaxed himself and looked to Sanj, leaning forward to speak to him.

"You are a fine Jedi Sentinel Sanj, and the rank of Knight is within your reach, however there is one last test," began the former Jedi Knight, "in the forests of Mandalore there lies a few of a thought extinct species. Dangerous to the last these creatures have killed many and could easily kill a Padawan learner. You are to find and kill one of these beasts, bring back it's skull as proof."

The Mandalore dismissed Sanj and let him get to his mission when he was confronted by one of the men announcing another had awaited the audience of the Mandalore. Ordo was happy with this information and asked for the man to be brought in.

The guardsmen of the capital came from Mandalore's chambers and looked to the man with the black and dark blue beskar'gam.

"Mandalore will see you now brother."

((Sanj get creative, the beast you will be facing is a mythosaur, the thought extinct symbol of the Mandalorians. 1200 words minimum))

Tilting his slightly in acknowledgment, Aschen rose to his feet looked towards the chambers of Mandalore. Leaning his rifle against the wall near his chair, the blue skinned Mandalorian made his way towards Mandalore.

"Mandalore."

Standing at rest, Aschen awaited his first orders from a true leader.

Sanj listened to his master, he was happy to hear that he was close to finishing his trials, but the next task and his jaw nearly dropped. A Mythosaur? he thought; I thought those were extinct. He decided to just nod before he walked out of the room. He walked back into the elevator and luckily; no one else was in the elevator with him.

The soon to be Jedi knight walked out of the building and ran as fast as he could across the planet with the aid of the force. He slowed down once he reached the forest area of the planet. He then climbed up a tree; he'd have a better view if he moved by the trees. Sanj began to jump by tree to tree, it was fun and easy, unless of course he slipped or missed a tree.

Sanj kept jumping from tree to tree for about 5 hours with no luck. He looked up at the sky and noticed that it was getting dark out; he'd have to set up a camp. He made a circle of rocks to outline where the fire would be. He was able to gather the wood faster with the help of the force. Once the wood was collected, he grabbed two more sticks and rubbed them together to start a fire. Now that the fire was started, he had to pitch a tent. Sanj gathered more branches and formed a tent that resembled a beaver dam. The Jedi then fell asleep.

Sanj had a nightmare that night. He was relaxing on a beach on a planet he wasn't sure of. The sand was soft and the water was warm and a light greenish blue color. Then all of a sudden, there was an eclipse. He looked up to see a fleet of star destroyers blocking out the sun. TIE fighters were coming down from the skies in the thousands and began firing on everyone on the beach though they were targeting him. The beach was burning now and all of the civilians had been killed, because of him. Sanj ran as far away from the beach as he could until he was in a forest. TIE fighters were still swarming around him like gigantic flies. They fired at a nearby tree that collapsed on the Aruzan and broke both of his leg. Pain shot through his entire body and he let out a loud scream. He was now surrounded in a puddle of his own blood. One TIE landed and a storm trooper walked out, he then walked up to Sanj and stomped on his hand, shattering all of the bones in his fingers. The trooper then chuckled and removed his helmet revealing his that was his own; he then said, ”œYou will never win Sanj. No matter how hard you try you'll always fail.”

Mandalore looked to the newcomer at his throne and was surprised to see a Chiss as a Mandalorian. Their race was known for serenity and calculated decisions.The Mandalorians are an honor bound society that thrives on the emotion and thrill of battle. He must have been an outsider to his people, but welcomed here for his ideology. Ordo shrugged off the thought and opened his mouth.

"Aschen Skirata I assume, I have heard of you, the only Chiss in the Mandalore Clans, quite a feat if I say so myself. I am very honored to have you here befo....."

But Joreel was interrpted as Sanj entered his throne room, dirty from battle, and and with his trophy of the last trial literally in hand.

"Aschen, if you don't mind, I have unfinished business with Sanj here, I will return to our conversation in a bit."

Ordo looked to the carcassed head of the Mythosaur that Sanj had brought with him. Joreel had never seen a creature quite like it, and he knew immediately why the Taung, the ancient and forefathers of the Mandalorian people, had hunted them out. They were obviously dangerous, and by Sanj's condition they had an immense power with them, strogn in the Force more than likely, and tactful with their brute strength. Standing at his throne, Joreel smiled and walked from his throne.

He stepped in front of Sanj, grabbing the mythosaur head and using the Force lift it to a place where it was not just laying on the floor, not mounted, but on a table out of sight. It was not belonging in the ceremony to take place, and Ordo wanted this moment to be grand both for him and Sanj. Ordo grabbed his lightsaber and rose it to his face, not ignited, but the hilt in hand, ceremonial, and awaiting the next step.

"Kneel," commanded Joreel.

As soon as Sanj had done this, Joreel continued and ignited the lightsaber before him allowing its blue light to flow in front of him. Mandalore looked to the blade, and admired it, and looked upon it longingly. He knew this would be his last pupil for the Jedi Order, and his last time he could even call himself a Jedi Knight. He grieved his past moementarily and then spoke once again.

"In times of old, the Jedi Master would cut the braid of the Padawan, a braid which symbolized the mastery of the Jedi Arts over time with various knots and colors attached to it, when the Padawan was Knighted. If there was one to cut Sanj yours would be cut, but instead I wm going to go classic here and present you as a Knight of old."

Mandalore had the Lightsaber come to each side of the Padawn, never touching him, but coming close.

"I pronounce thee, Sanj, as a Knight of the Jedi Order."

Ordo smiled and deactivated his lightsaber and offered his hand getting up.

"Congratulations, comrade, now go off to the Jedi Council and see what they have for you, perhaps you will be the teacher now. But before you go I have a small gift."

Ordo pressed a button on his gauntlet and a man entered the room with a set of cyan with black underarmor beskar'gam the Mandalorian Armor, the strongest in the galaxy and a symbol of true power.

"This set of armor will be your protector for many decades, it will not wear out, and the iron within will even deflect Lightsaber strikes. This is yours to take and to wear in honor. Treat it well, you will be one of few Jedi to ever wear a set.

Sanj was so happy that he was now a Knight, his training was complete and he'd be able to learn more complex tecniques and powers in the force. He'd also be able to trian a padawan and teach him everything he knew. Sanj stood back up after Joreel knighted him and took the armor. He looked at it, he believed that it would be able to block a lightsaber blow. The newly apointed Jedi Knight then said to Joreel, "Thank you master, I won't let you down."

Sanj began to walk out of the room and then said before leaving, "Good luck master." he then said with a smile, "Try not to get eaten by a table." Sanj walked out of his masters thrown room, he knew he would see him again. He was definatly sad to leave though, he was the closest thing to a father he ever had. He walked out of the building and got onto his ship Sanj then put on the armor his master had given to him. After everything was on he put his jedi robes over the armor and then sent a message to Joreel Goodbye master. His ship then went into space.

((Bye man and thanks for all the fish.))

When Sanj left the premises of the Mandalorian Capital, the Mandalore stopped for a moment and felt one last tinge for his past before moving forward with his life, and looking to the blue pigmented Mandalorian before him and stepping forward from his seat of power to come to side by side with the man. It was not common for Chiss to be seen outside their CEDF territory in the Unknown Regions, but when they did they were the renegades of their society, and to find one in the clans makes perfect sense.

When Mandalore was directly in front of the member roof the Skirata Clan he then began to speak to him again.

"We have need of the native clan of this planet to free those of our brothers. I have been in contact with a remnant of our brothers on the planet of Onderon, the homeward of clan Bralor. It is the first step in a long line of planets we will be taking back from the scum who have had our heritage submerged."

Mandalore put his hand on Aschen's shoulder and looked to him sternly.

"Will you stand and fight amongst us, to take back what is rightfully ours in this galaxy, and reunite the clans?"

”œOf course, Mandalore. Uniting the clans should be our top priority. It is the only way we can reclaim the strength that was once ours.”

”œThen let us depart Aschen Skirata, and let us wage war, I will guide you to the planet and place where we shall make our headquarters on Onderon until the capital of Iziz is in our hands.”

Allowing a small nod break his otherwise cool and emotionless exterior, the Chiss Mandalorian solider followed his commander from the capital building. After watching Mandalore depart the planet and enter the atmosphere, Aschen turned and made his way towards his own personal ship. As he neared the Nsiss Clawcraft, he ran his hands over the gleaming silver hull. Since his days in exile, this ship had always been with him. It had saved him from several scrapes that he could only swear the ship was alive. Climbing into his cockpit, he fired up the ignition sequence and felt the rumble of the ships engine fire. Within moments, the Clawcraft had obtained the atmosphere. Tipping his wings toward Mandalore in a salute, Skirata fired his hyperdrive and shot towards Onderon.

Huge booming noises sounded near the atmosphere as several large cargo ships shifted from hyper space to normal flight overhead the planet of Mandalore. Their mass was threatening, but before the group of Mandalorians landed near what seemed to be a fairly large settlement of their own, they hailed the nearest comm tower and requested clearance of a sort.

The officers granted clearance to Vihk and his men tentatively as the proof of his Mandalorian heritage was in question, but upon exiting the ship there were no further questions. Vihk stood about as high as body would suggest, and limped only slightly even though large drips of blood could be seen oozing from his right leg. The surrogate Mandalore looked as straight faced as ever though and wore his beskar'gam proudly as he confidently and quickly hobbled to the front of the settlement. A great number of Mandalorians were stationed here with their armor and health to hold them. I need to restock, re-fuel, man-up and get a little more first-aid he thought as more sharp pain shot through his leg with no effect written across his face. The officers at the door could smell the decay off of Vihk's armor and asked the men of their business.

Vihk looked stone faced at the other Mandalorian and said, "war". The word simply fell from his lips, but sent an explosive catalyst to any active Mandalorian that could hear it. "Do you have any speakers or something that can broadcast to the entire settlement?" Vihk asked quickly with sweat running down his face. The officer aside him pointed off to a corner broadcast tower not too far away, but it still took a time for Vihk to hobble his way there. Now that active adrenaline and action did not stream through his veins, pain became more apparent and the warrior was less able to push through it. Vihk's low timber brought upon by an atmospheric rasp, drew the entire camp from their immerse activities and in one moment pushed a decree into the large group of Mandalorians whether they expected it or not.

"Su'cuy gar! Mandalorians. If you all have not heard, we are at war with the Rebel Alliance" said VIhk with a rather heavy yet much needed breath/sigh"... All I need from you is to for you to help us complete our preparations and come with us if your feet are of the right discourse to walk on this tough ground. We are sorry to hurry the request, but the dalliance must be brief for the purpose of masking our presence here and hopefully drawing them off our trail. They will check here relatively soon, so if we do not leave we will surely be defending our remaining home from the Republic."

Massive forces rolled out, armor glinting underneath the sunlight. Mandalorians warmed their ships, preparing for destinations and the now full hulls of the cargo ships bristled with new life burgeoning upon their cold metal and within their holds stood not only Mandalorians but a great deal of Mandalorian iron. Thousands of Mandalorians along with the carriers, fighters, and cargo ships they brought started prepping for a long journey and although sad to leave their home behind many of them knew that they would be coming back.

Vihk swallowed his pride and moved on with the plan. Although the pill was particularly big and the new Mandalore thought that a stand at their home-world would be perfectly welcome, they simply did not have the forces to capsize the Republican giant that was racing at their heels. It was his fault and his judgement that ultimately drew the movement, but to have the weakness of complacent, stodgy citizens spitting in your face? It was just too much to bear for Vihk who seemed the most reasonable of the bunch.

Vihk could get a rough head count of no more than 5,000 or more men that were staying behind for practical purposes and Vihk wished them all luck. Mandalore appointed an officer to take charge of the regiment defense force and asked for them to ready themselves for a possible attack, so in the end their charge seemed simple and they all agreed that no word would be sent to anyone as to the whereabouts of the other Mandalorian forces. Vihk spent some more time planning out certain things for the Mandos to be ready for and told them that if they were not attacked, to instead re- supply and rearm themselves to meet up later should the need be required

Their pride was strong and their skills were toned so Vihk hoped they would have Mandos to come back to if the war soured, but right now there was no telling how long it would take, especially if the Republic wasn't willing to negotiate anything.

It seemed even politics reflected the Mandos as ruthless chattel that slaughtered like barbarians, but just because battle ran heftily through each Mando'ade's mind and body, their pride and hunger eternal, it was not a fact that their lust was for blood. The Republic refused to see reason though and thus treated the Mandos like dogs. The Republic brought diplomatic simplicity to a population where there wasn't any; a population that believed in trial... In hardship. These thoughts all echoed simultaneously in his ear as Vihk slowly walked towards the docking platforms to address the Mandalorians before take off. He sounded off in the native tongue to speak true to Mandalorian ears.

"My fellow Mandalorians, the Republic offered us a chance for peaceful cohabitation with the people of Iziz and although we obliged their attempt at wrangling the Mandalorian pride, our agreement was thoroughly thrashed when their own began taunting and firing at us without regress. The populace began riots against us, and shot at our people, but we still remained stoic. It was hard to bear for my men - for me - to see what had become of the feared and proud Mandalorians. So, upon one riot where a good Mandalorian was shot down in cold blood for pretending he wasn't a warrior to soothe the minds of pretentious citizens, another shot was traded from our side and from then the situation grew until our obvious situation stood at its point not." Vihk finished as he looked upon the masses of Mandalorians before him and heaved a comm in his right arm through what seemed like a slightly painful labor. The wounds were still fairly gruesome, but their healing process had begun and the pain would be almost nothing by the time the ships reached their destinations. Then Vihk sighed deeply...

"The plan is fairly simple, but I need all commanding officers to hear this. Me and the remnant 5000 infantry units from Onderon will be heading to Narshadaa and making a place for ourselves to lie low and restock because not only is our force in horrible need of new equipment, but our force's beskar'gam is also running admittedly low. As for the fully armored Mandalorians however, as you number in the ten thousand range, you will be in charge of yourselves. It will be Ba'slan shev'la. . I know the phrase as well as you all, and I know that now is not the time, but we must suffer this ordeal for a time until we are all wanted and needed on the same battle field. We will keep the comm channel closed but accessible upon access code so all Mandalorian parties can connect and others cannot, but for now it is for the best. I would ask that the departing Mandalorians take all of the fighters because the remaining Mandalorians will work with the Mandal Motor's company and the supplies we have left over to move our base along and keep it fortified. Our stronghold should be enough to keep the Rebels at bay and since I have spoken to Mandal Motors they should be sufficiently convinced that our needs are greater than that of universal trade." Then, with a heavy heart, the new Mandalore breathed for a moment and took in his responsibility as their new leader...

"I know Joreel's time as Mandalore was brief and although we honored his agreement with Onderin Starlisk, the Admiral didn't come to an understanding. He was or at least his officers were thorough in making us the subject of a bias of prejudice. Well, I for one am tired of their bull shit. We have honor in battle...

(the Mandalorian people shout Honor back in Mando'ade)

We have pride in our people!

(the Mandalorian people shout Pride back in Mando'ade)

but most of all, we hold truth in blood! And Sweat! I know that Joreel is by all intents and purposes the Mandalore of our tribes, but he abandoned us when we needed him most. So, as acting second in his entourage, I hereby claim the title of Mandalore until Joreel chooses to show his face once more!

I have no armor to stand by and no banner to wave, but I stand proud, knowing that I am Mandalorian. Now, if you wish to take your path away from us and leave us to our "destruction" then know that you abandoned your people. Those who wish to stay on this move towards action however, embrace it... For Mandalore! FOR THE MANDALORIANS!!!"

A roaring crowd answers Vihk as he issues the call for every ship to take off and leave.

[defensive layout of the Mandalore Capital city of Kaldeb]

- a 20 foot, three layer (each layer about 5 feet wide compressed into 3.5) thick durasteel plated wall covering the circumference of the city with the only working gates in the front.

- Each corner of the wall was retro fitted with a large anti-air gun (composing 4 in total on the walls)

- Each wall had about an 8 foot wide walkway with large metal attachments to the top of the wall on both sides, providing coverage from any troops on the top of the wall from ground troop fire, but keeping holes within the attachment so fire could be returned.

- There were 6 more anti aircraft guns positioned within the city at varying levels of elevation and placement.

- MandalMotors had its own bout of turrets on the top of its structure, but they were placed on the four corners and were not as powerful as the anti aircraft guns.

- Along with the normal ships requisitioned from Mandal Motors there are ships for conventional purposes held by Mandal Motors being modified for a specific mission.

- Mandal Motors is working on a specific high grade explosive based on somewhat simple materials so the design can be duplicated many times. They plan on using parts of ships, barrels of hazardous chemicals and other hazardous things in combination to for a potent mix for the right kind of boom.

- There was a high powered shield running all over the city to keep from the first blight of attack. The structures are made from roughly the same material as the walls only not as dense.

- Underneath each structure and Mandal Motors are basement like structures that serve as sufficient bomb shelters.

-5,000 fully armored and equipped Mandalorian soldiers:

+ home field advantage

+ urban fighting experience

A small unmanned probe arrived at the outskirts of the Mandalore system. Its fuel already expended by its journey through hyperspace, it simply coasted through space, bent on a suicidal collision course with one of Mandalore's moons. Giving off no significant emissions and passively sampling the space around the planet for signs of activity, detecting it would have been a task bordering on impossible”¦ at least until it sent off an encrypted hypercomm transmission approximately one second before its journey ended.

Considering how brief the transmission was, it was unlikely that the Mandalorians would detect evidence of its passage””especially considering that it smashed into one of their homeworld's moons like a very expensive meteorite.

Fear.

Zcuth felt this for the first time in a long time as he stood upon the walls of Kaldeb, his blaster rifle slung over his right shoulder as his hazel eyes scanned the area before him underneath the T-visor of his Mandalorian Shock Trooper Armor. Surveying the sky above as well, he found that nothing out of the ordinary was present. This was perhaps the most unsettling thing for the young Mandalorian, after all, what was the most frightening thing other then battle, if not the calm before the storm?

He shivered. It was dusk, now, and his shift would be over soon. The stars were coming out, bringing their vast array of colors that were painted across the blackened sky above like some grand mural in a great art hall. Zcuth took off his helmet and slung it under his left arm, revealing a very short version of cropped brown hair that nearly receded underneath his head's skin, so small was their length.

Zcuth took a deep breath as he looked upon the sky above with his own eyes. Abandoned here by fate, sentenced to a very possible death, Zcuth and the rest of the Mandalorians would march to it anyway, if that were the case. The Mandalore had ordered them to do so as he went off and restocked and resupplied their forces, and so with hearts of iron, the 5,000 Mandalorians had dug their heels into the ground and waited for whatever fate had to send their way. It would indeed be a battle worth remembering, thought Zcuth. If the rumors were true, the Republic would bring entire legions of men and ships alike to bear upon them, and when the dust would clear, there would be likely not much remaining of either side. But Zcuth somehow had begun to fantasize about how if he made it off this planet alive, or if they had somehow managed to beat off the invasion, that he would do his best so that the Mandalorians would never be left leaderless again.

Things looked black now, but it was better that they stood here, as brothers and sisters, as a family and a race, then to have been scattered about the stars like rocks in a great, big pond.

And so, letting out one more sigh, Zcuth heard the snap-hiss of his helmet as he fitted it back on his shoulders and went back to his duty.

--=== Incoming Comm call to Mandalore ===--

"Hello, this is Mandalore speaking and I sure as hell hope I have Mandalorians left to speak to... Zcuth? Zcuth!" Mandalore yelled fruitlessly although he know there may have been no way to directly see if he was listening. "If you are listening to this comm, I want you to do two things. I want to you tell the other Mandalorians that for the time we must go into hiding; we are not running away, but separating for a time as to prove strategic in this endeavor and leave our enemies dumbfounded as to our presence.

However, I would like it if you came to Nar Shadaa and spoke with me. We have much to discuss and if everything goes well we will have a Mandalorian future to invest in as time progresses." Vihk said with a slightly positive inclination. However, you need to instruct the other Mandalorians to go... They don't all have to leave Mandalore because some habitation may prove useful, but the problem is they will detect large bodies of troops assembling on the surface and if the Rebels even cared they would amass a force and slowly wipe us out. If we spread ourselves thin we have a better chance of all surviving and in the future re inhabiting Mandalore and finding new planets to settle on. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck on getting here and see if you can't hit up Mandal Motors and tell them to stop mass producing armaments, while simultaneously grabbing a fighter for yourself... Your choice..."

((you can choose any Mandalorian fighter class ship --- located I believe int he Mandalorian Guide thread, or use your own...))

--=== Incoming Comm call to Mandalore ===--

Zcuth sat in front of the communications console, "How's this thing work again?" he said, his dark-green, emerald helmet on the desk of the console in front of him, it's visor polished so bright that it reflected the flashing buttons of the computer like an obsidian mirror.

The comms officer, who was armored in yellow Beskar'gam (with his helmet off as well, tucked under his right arm), replied irritably, "Green button, red button, blue button, then press ENTER and you should be good. Make sure to make your voice loud and clear, we're trying to do some repairs to the sound systems right now, so it might crackle in some parts of the city."

Zcuth nodded and entered the sequence slowly and cautiously, making sure to not activate some other form of communication that might alert them to Republican presence. Once he was sure that the sequence had been entered correctly, he hit the ENTER key and spoke into the microphone that jutted out of the console, clearing his throat before he spoke, emotion poured into his voice, recalling the way he felt when he heard the message directed to him only an hour earlier,

"Attention brave Mandalorian defenders of Keldeb. Hear me," he said, pronouncing the city in it's Mandalorian name which meant 'stronghold', "Mandalore himself sends his greetings from another battlefield, and calls to us. He tells us to make our leave, to scatter to the far reaches of the galaxy, to seek our own battles for now. We are to bide our time in the nooks and crannies of the universe, to arise when the beacon is lit once more. To assemble and overwhelm the galaxy as we did before, and will do, in the years to come. So I ask you, vode of the Mandalorian race, go forth and conquer with your own endeavors! Whether it is on Nar Shadaa with Mandalore himself, or in the Unknown Regions hunting down the most savage beast you have ever laid eyes upon with your bare hands, go. Go with honor. Go with conquest. Go with Mandalore. Else we become Cuy'val Dar! Else we become like the Republicans that hound after us! Honorless! Lifeless! Go. While we are still Mando'ad. Mando'ad draar digu brothers and sisters. Go in victory."

Zcuth then picked up his helmet and stood up, nodding to the communications officer, who nodded back. Walking past him, Zcuth exited the communications array. Though things had previously been busy and loud with the noises of soldiers marching here and there, armorers crafting weapons in the foundries, and massive anti-aircraft guns swiveling here and there, training their sights on the smallest speck of dirt, there now fell over an utter silence as they all attempted to comprehend what had just been said to them. And although the Mandalorian war effort had been reduced somewhat, there still remained the Mandalorian war machine, and the heart and soul of that machine. And Zcuth was always sure that there would always be that machine.

* * *

Above the planet, in the cockpit of an Alpha-3 Nimbus-class V-wing starfighter, Zcuth looked before the controls and sighed. Now was the hard times. The times when he would need to prove himself in the fires of blood and honor.

Let them come. he whispered, The weak are thinned and only the strong survive. Such is the law of the universe.

And with that, Zcuth put on his helmet with a snap-hiss and punched in the coordinates to Nar Shadaa, using a list that was stored in the ship's navicomputer. Although Zcuth didn't know much about flying starfighters, he had spent some time in a flight simulator before on Mandalore, and it was enough to make the next step.

The next step on the road of a thousand.

As quiet as a shadow a ship slipped out of hyperspace and reverted back to real space. The pilot, a dashing young man, dressed in the clothes of a civilian, gazed out at the landscape before him.

Great, more jungles. Always jungles and rain forests.

On some level he actually loathed jungles. Yet he pushed aside his dislike for such things as he entered mandalorian airspace. He destination was Keldabe

He had no issue, circumventing the lack of official channels to go through. Soon he found himself on a prepaid docking pad and about to exit out into the big city.

"Guess its showtime. Better go get the droid."

The Mandalorian home world stunk of green life; its essence of tranquil complacence sickened the droid as most organic life normally did, but as a formal lapdog, his steps carried him closer behind his newest pseudo master. HK-52's Onyx black armor melted from the shadows, ushered by the chattering of his sapphire ampules and the sound of Desmond's voice; a small communication had been idly sent to the droid, but for now he ignored it and looked at Desmond from his flank, watching him say, "... go get the droid."

Snide Remark: "Well... I wasn't aware I needed fetching, but... If you prefer, I will go back into the ship and let you fetch me Master, if that is what you wish."

The droid took a look around for a few moments however and scouted the area. It wasn't his initial priority function, but the droid's sensors worked like crazy and updated him on every aspect they could gleam from their specialized tasks.

A HUD display popped in the middle of the droid's view, but it was vital information so he didn't seem to care.

Inside the droid's head piece and inaudible to the outside world, a small tinny version of his own voice played out the statistics:

City Name: Keldabe, capital of Mandalore and the Mandalorian people

Primary source of trade: Artillery, weapons and aircrafts supplied by Mandal Motors.

Only recently discovered to be abundant in any rare ore, naturally and...

...processing...

The planet is devoid of humanoid lifeforms aside from Desmond and humanoid indigenous beasts.

The droid looked speculative... Why on earth would there be no sentient lifeforms? What could make the entire population abandon their planet so abruptly?

Curious Observation: "Master, I am a little suspicious as to this planet we are walking on... My scans indicate that there is no sentient life on the planet, aside from you of course, but... Can such a thing be so?"

HK-52 walked slightly up beside Desmond and looked once more at the desolate city...