Named after their infamous homeworld, the Mandalorians were a race of fearsome warriors. From humble beginnings on their planet in the outer rim, the Mandalorians spread the gospel of war throughout many neighboring systems. They soon garnered the reputation as the most dominant race in their corner of the galaxy, until their quests for glory and lust for battle brought them face to face with the Jedi.
While initially crippled due to their lack of understanding of the Force, the Mandalorians would not be deterred from defeating their new rival. The Jedi and Mandalorian conflicts created an explosion of military advancements that forced the already-dominant Mandalorian race to develop fighting styles that could directly combat force users. The advancements made during this period, especially the iconic Mandalorian armor, would later define the legacy of Mandalore long after their downfall.
Even though the Mandalorians were fierce people, thousands of years of war had decimated their supremacy. After the era of The Old Republic, the Mandalorians slowly faded into a mere shadow of what they once were. While some believed that Mandalore should disown their past reputation for war and violence, others believed that choosing this new path would lead to their demise.
Prior to the events of the Naboo blockade in The Phantom Menace, which was the catalyst used by the Sith to gain control of the galaxy, an entity shrouded in darkness planted the seed of revolution in a powerful sect of Mandalorians. Ignited by the desire to resurrect their old culture, warring clans incited a civil war amongst the Mandalorian people. While their leader — and soon to be Duchess of Mandalore — Satine Kryze, was able to repel the uprising of the warrior clans resulting in their exile to the planet Concordia, she could not prevent the inevitability of future conflict. Her strategy to squash violence would only play into the hands of the ominous figures manipulating events from the shadows.
Under the cover of the distraction of the Clone Wars, a ruthless Mandalorian named Pre Vizsla rose to power under the guise of the Death Watch. This group of Mandalorian radicals attempted to regain power that the other warrior clans failed to attain during the Mandalorian Civil War. Desperate to gain control, they aligned themselves with the disgraced Sith Assassin, Darth Maul, in order to create violent conflict in Mandalore.
Since Satine Kryze promoted pacifism, she would not advocate for fighting violence with violence. After continued conflict caused numerous deaths, Satine’s perspective became unpopular. Pre Vizsla promised the Mandalorians victory against their adversaries which Satine could not. With a new lack of confidence in Mandalore’s leadership, Death Watch asserted that their methods would end death and destruction on Mandalore. However, this plan proved futile and resulted in Death Watch disbanding and fleeing their home to become mercenaries.
Unfortunately, with no warriors left to defend Mandalore, the planet was susceptible to more conflict, as the Galactic Republic died and Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power neared completion. With the Galactic Empire under control, the iconic armor of Mandalore would be all that remained of the great Mandalorian people…or so the galaxy thought.
Battered and defeated, the warrior clans of Mandalore remained hungry for their return to power. Legend told of a single Mandalorian warrior named Tarre Vizsla who became a Jedi and developed the dark saber which was capable of conquering Mandalore and uniting all clans by whoever wielded it. The descendants of Mandalore knew that if they were able to wield its power, their disgraceful lives as mercenaries would end. The grueling decades under Imperial rule only hardened their resolve to find this lost artifact.
After the battle of Yavin, when the Empire was distracted with fighting the Rebel Alliance, a strange Sith arrived on Mandalore to find remnants of the scattered clans, desperate for redemption. He said he was of the ancient Sith…recalling the glorious wars of the Old Republic and the powerful alliance they once held together. He spoke of a darkness that was coming and that the galaxy would fear their might once again. He offered the Mandalorians a chance at restoring their legacy; an offer they couldn’t refuse. Believing they would be great warrior people again, they aligned themselves with the ancient Sith, awaiting the sound of a coming war. For years, they filled their ranks in secret until the words every Mandalorian heart longed to hear rang throughout the galaxy: Emperor Palpatine is Dead. Now was their time. For honor. For glory.
Tales of the Sith is a fan-fiction series that surrounds the events of Mike The Marine’s award-winning fan film, The Dark Resurgence, that creates an alternate Star Wars timeline after the events of Return of the Jedi. Sign up for my email list to receive updates on future episodes and narrative films.
Tales of the Sith: Episode II - The Rise and Fall of Mandalore
Written by Mike The Marine and Rodney Mosley