The Mandalorians (Part 1)

Known in their native language as Mando'ade, or ''Children of Mandalore'', the mandalorians were a traveling group of clan-based people consisting of multiple species and genders.

In their early days, mandalorian culture revolved mostly about fighting and battle, with war being a source of distinction and pride. The leader of the Mandalorians is known as the ''Sole Ruler'', or Manda'lor which was translated to mandalore in Galactic basic.

Though their allegiance was solely to their own culture, the mandalorians always sided with those factions that benefited their own interests the most (in major conflicts). Throughout history, they frequently allied themselves with the Sith, with one of the most notable examples being the Sith Lord Exar Kun, most likely because they had an innate disliking of their counterparts the Jedi. But they would not hestitate to side with the Sith's arch enemies if the cooperation mutually benefited both parties

Later on, the Mandalorians would move away from their warmongering ways. Most warriors would then become bounty hunters and mercenaries, offering their skills to various factions and individuals in the galaxy, if they were prepared to pay dearly. However, the main body of mandalorians would side with The Alliance to Restore the republic 3 years after the first death star was destroyed and continued to serve them through their transition to the New Republic and eventually the Gallactic Alliance

"Here's why you can't exterminate us, aruetii. We're not huddled in one place—we span the galaxy. We need no lords or leaders—so you can't destroy our command. We can live without technology—so we can fight with our bare hands. We have no species or bloodline—so we can rebuild our ranks with others who want to join us. We're more than just a people or an army, aruetii. We're a culture. We're an idea. And you can't kill ideas—but we can certainly kill you."
- Mandalore the Destroyer

The Mandalorians began as the humanoid Taung species from the planet Coruscant. Intense fighting with the thirteen Human nations of Coruscant known as the Battalions of Zhell began millennia before the Republic, and when a volcano nearly wiped out the humans and clouded the skies over Coruscant, the Taung came to call themselves the ''Dha Werda Verda'' or the Warriors of the Shadow. Despite the volcano's devastating effect, the Taung were eventually driven off Coruscant and took refuge on the world of Roon. Led by the warlord who called himself Mandalore the First, they would conquer another planet in the Outer Rim in 7000 BBY, which they named Mandalore after their leader. The Taung took on the name Mandalorians and were seen by many as the most skilled fighters in the galaxy, thriving in battle. These Mandalorian Crusaders were known for their use of cutting-edge weaponry and their adherence to a strict code of honor, and wore armor known simply as Crusader Armor that differed from one soldier to the next

For millenia, Mandalore's new inhabitants would not stray far from the Mandalore sector, instead going on a series of further conquests to capture the worlds of Ordo, Gargon, and Shogun that were also in the same system. When the Mandalorians came to the nearby Mandallia, though, the Mandallian Giant natives not only repelled the invaders' assault, but many came to join the Mandalorian culture, having impressed the Mandalorians with their strength and prowess. But nearly three milennia after Mandalore's conquest, at a point some 4000 years prior to the battle of yavin, the Mandalorians began to expand their ongoing crusade outward and engaged the Nevoota species in a conflict that would lead to the extinction of the Nevoota and the idolization of war in the Mandalorian culture, personified as the destroyer god, Kad Ha'rangir. Around 4000 years before the battle of Yavin, the Mandalorians were led by a new Mand'alor, Mandalore the Indomitable, and in their continuing campaign of expansion, the Mand'alor led raids on planets such as Iskadrell and Basilisk.

However, with the invasion of Basilisk, their exploits were brought to the attention of the republic and the jedi, who sent a relief force to aid the Basilikans in the defence of their homeworld, but to no avail. The mandalorians outnumbered the natives and would eventually overrun their positions. In a scorched-earth'esque move, they poisoned the planet in an effort to render it unusable for the conqueors, in which they succeeded. However, the mandalorians did manage to secure a sizable number of Basilikan War Droid, which they would use to great effect in their later conquests

Seeking further conquests, the Mandalorians set their sights on the Empress Teta system, conquering the rocky world of kuar for use as staging grounds. When the Mandalorians destroyed a carbonite smelting facility, they caught the attention of the fallen jedi knight Ulic Qel-Droma (who had taken control of the 'Krath' that ruled the sytem). Qel-Droma challenged Mandalore the indomitable to a duel, which the Mand'alor lost. After admitting defeat, the mandalore swore fealty to the Sith Lord and subsequently allied the mandalorians with Qel-Droma's cause and his master, Exar Kun.

During their alliance, the Mandalorians assisted Qel-Droma in targetting strategic objectives such as Foerost Shipyards, with its capture meaning that they now had a sizable flotilla of around 300 republic ships at their disposal. Following this capture, the alliance managed to send the republic on a false lead, which allowed them to move an entire invasion fleet to coruscant. The invasion was botched as Qel-droma was betrayed by a Krath witch who ordered the retreat of his forces, causing him to be alone on the planetside.
The Mand'alor subsequently organised a rescue party with Qel-Droma's master Exar Kun, which succeeded.

Following the failed invasion, the mandalorians were ordered to capture the royal palace on the planet onderon. During the battle, the onderonians managed to get a distress call out to the republic who sent an enormous fleet to render aid. The mandalorian fleet was destroyed and Mandalore the indomitable was now alone on the planet's surface. He orderd his forces to retreat to the neighbouring moon of Dxun that was covered in dense forests in which he intended to lose the republic pursuers. On the way there, the Mand'alor's personal war droid was shot down and crashed in the jungle of Dxun, away from the rest. After pulling himself from the wreckage, he would come to fight the vicious beasts that lived there. In spit of putting up one hell of a fight, Mandalore the indomitable fell to the beasts. His armor and mask would be discovered by a Mandalorian crusader, who picked it up and, in keeping with Mandalorian tradition, assumed the mantle of the next Mand'alor

During the next twenty years, peace prevailed and the galaxy began to slowly recover from the damage inflicted during the war, entering an era of rebuilding and renewal known as the Restoration Period. On the Mandalorian side, the new Mand'alor, going by the title of Mandalore the Ultimate, undertook the task of rebuilding the Mandalorian clans that had been greatly diminished in the war. With many of the original Mandalorian species, the Taung, now dead, Mandalore the Ultimate aggressively expanded his recruiting efforts, welcoming members of all alien descent into the Mandalorian culture. In an effort to help cohesion and uphold order among the motley ranks, a new generation of more uniform armor was implemented at the suggestion of the Mand'alor's closest advisor, Cassus Fett, thus forming a powerful new generation of warriors known as the Neo-Crusaders.

Decades after the Great Sith War, Mandalore the Ultimate launched a campaign into the Outer Rim, on the edge of Republic space. Conquering several independent planets outside of the Republic's interests, the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders were able to amass a clan territory larger than that ruled by the Hutts in the short span of a decade. In their rampage they attacked the homeworld of the Cathar species and committed a planetwide genocide, effectively killing 90% of its population. As more and more worlds fell to the Mandalorians, their strength increased drastically and around 3964 years before the battle of Yavin, they struck out in fulll force against the republic, with onderon being the first major world to fall. The planet serrocco was the second to be conquered, after the republic foolishly chose to place their defences around populated areas thinking the Mandalorians would not attack innocent civilians. Mandalore the Ultimate saw this as a great insult and opted to nuke the republic forces out of hiding, causing innumerable civillian cassualties.
With the Republic paragon of Alderaan being their next target, they amassed their forces on the planet Jebble. But the assistant of a Mandalorian Scientist came into the possession of the infamous muur talisman, which made him accidentally release a devestating plague that caused the Neo-Crusaders to be turned into feral Rakghouls. In order to prevent further spread to different worlds, Cassus fet ordered the base on Jebble to be destroyed via Nuclear bombardments.

"I don't know your name—but I take up your cause. I will not remove your mask until there is justice—until the Mandalorians have been defeated once and for all." - Revan, after taking up the mask of an unknown Mandalorian female who was executed after defying Fett's to carry out the Cathar genocide.

The Mandalorians seemed on the verge of victory, with the Republic outmatched and overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity of the Mandalorian tactics. Finally, when the Jedi Revanchists unveiled the true events of the Cathar genocide in a tragic vision, hundreds of Jedi followed the Knights Revan and Malak into the war against the Mandalorians, no longer able to stand back and watch without action. Revan proved to be an extremely capable commander in the field, masterminding a string of military victories, and rose swiftly through the ranks of the Republic Military; with his new-found authority to spearhead the Republic war effort, Revan spurred the all-but-defeated Republic Navy to push the Mandalorians back. In relatively short order, the Mandalorians were forced off of Taris, driven from Dxun and even Cassus Fett's victory at Jaga's Cluster could do little to halt the Republic's growing momentum. The year 3960 BBY would usher in the ultimate battle of the Mandalorian Wars, as Revan forced a confrontation with the Mandalorians in orbit over Malachor V. Drawing upon the dark side energies of Malachor, Revan faced off against Mandalore the Ultimate in single combat, slaying the Mand'alor. The experimental superweapon known as the Mass Shadow Generator was activated by one of Revan's Jedi Generals, destroying the Mandalorian fleet, but at the cost of a significant amount of the Republic fleet as well. With their fleet in ruins and their leader dead, the Mandalorians transmitted their unconditional surrender.

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If you guys remain interested in the story of the Mandalorians, I will do another part! Until then, cheers!

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