Canderous Ordo

"I think I need something more than killing and fighting in my life. I need a purpose or something like that."

- Canderous Ordo

Canderous Ordo, later known as Mandalore the Preserver (Te Taylir Mand'alor in Mando'a), was a Mandalorian of Clan Ordo who fought in the Mandalorian Wars from 3,976 BBY to 3,960 BBY. While serving with the Mandalorian Neo-Crusaders, he participated in several battles, earning significant glory and prestige with his bold tactics and leadership. Despite their many successes, the Mandalorians were decisively defeated by Republic forces under the command of the Jedi Knight Revan, and Ordo was among the survivors who were forced to give up their weapons in unconditional surrender. The Mandalorians scattered across the galaxy and Ordo began working as a mercenary, eventually settling on the planet Taris. Under the employ of local crime lord Davik Kang, Ordo encountered his former enemy, Revan, although Ordo did not recognize him, as Revan was suffering from amnesia and now served as a Republic soldier.

Having grown bored of his life as an enforcer and eager to seek new challenges, Ordo decided to join the Republic soldier and left Taris, traveling with Revan and his companions to Dantooine for a meeting with the local Jedi Council. Revan, who was retrained in the Jedi ways, was given the task of finding the location of the Star Forge, an ancient superweapon being used by Darth Malak's Sith Empire. Ordo accompanied Revan on his mission, confident that he would find new challenges along the way. Contributing his experience as a warrior and commander, Ordo helped Revan throughout his journey, content with having found a task worthy of his efforts. When Revan finally regained his memories and revealed his true identity, Ordo remained loyal and declared that he was proud to serve alongside such a formidable warrior. After Darth Malak was defeated and the Star Forge destroyed, Ordo, along with Revan and his companions, were honored by the Republic for his role in the conflict.

After the conflict, Ordo reclaimed the mask of Mandalore with Revan's help and became the first leader of the Mandalorians since their defeat in the war. Revan soon regained memories of a threat in the Unknown Regions and left known space, instructing Ordo to restore the strength of the Mandalorians in preparation for his return. Ordo then began the arduous task of reuniting the scattered clans and rebuilding their military power. While reestablishing the Mandalorians, Ordo encountered another former opponent from the Mandalorian Wars, Meetra Surik, also known as the Jedi Exile. After learning that Surik was being hunted by the Sith Triumvirate, Ordo decided to aid her in gathering the Jedi Masters who had survived the Sith assassination campaign in order to prevent the Sith from regaining their power. While traveling with Surik, Ordo continued recruiting Mandalorian clans and was instrumental in helping Surik defeat the Sith Lord Darth Nihilus. After Surik eliminated the Sith Triumvirate, Ordo parted ways with her and awaited Revan's return from the Unknown Regions, keeping the Mandalorians ready for war.

Early life
"I was one of the best youth warriors in clan Ordo in my time."

- Canderous Ordo

The Human male Canderous Ordo was born to the Clan Ordo on the Mandalorian planet Ordo, and grew up during an age of significant breakthroughs in Mandalorian technology, when the Basilisk war droids were being perfected. In those days, young warriors would prove themselves in real combat with unknown opponents on a number of worlds. Ordo underwent his verd'goten, the traditional Mandalorian rite of passage that marked the transition into adulthood at the age of thirteen, and received the privilege of piloting his own Basilisk. Ordo remembered almost every battle he participated in, including his first, an eighty kilometer plunge through the atmosphere of an opposing planet on the back of a Basilisk war droid, dodging self-guided projectile and beam weapons, with barely any armor protecting him. During that battle, he gained considerable honor for his achievements, and became part of the most promising young warriors of his clan.

Following the defeat of the Mandalorian Crusaders and their Sith allies during the Great Sith War in 3,996 BBY, he was recruited by Mandalore the Ultimate into the Neo-Crusaders to serve as a battle tactician rather than a foot soldier. Sometime before 3,963 BBY, Ordo and a party traversed the asteroid belts of the Crispin system in order to hunt the pirates and smugglers that used the frozen methane gas shells of the main belt for cover. Ordo targeted a small asteroid with a thermal detonator, causing the outer layer of frozen gas to explode and destroy the hidden ships. However, the asteroid then started rotating and firing thermal projectiles that easily melted through Mandalorian armor, mysteriously fleeing before the Mandalorians could counter-attack. They tracked the vessel towards the galactic rim only to abandon their search when the ship went beyond the borders of the galaxy.

Mandalorian Wars
"You had us outnumbered five to one. You had more ships, more troops, more supplies and the Jedi on your side. And we still made the Republic tremble before we fell!"

- Ordo, to Carth Onasi

By the time of the Mandalorian Wars, Ordo had attained the rank of commander and helped lead the Mandalorian's aggressive assault. For thirteen years, before they would invade the Galactic Republic in 3,963 BBY, the Mandalorians stockpiled resources from the worlds they conquered just outside Republic jurisdiction. Ordo participated in countless battles of the wars, one of the most notable being the First Battle of Althir, in which he defeated an Althiri fleet ten times the size of his own and earned the command of an entire part of his clan. During the battle against the Althiri, Ordo's initial plan was to make a feint at flanks of the Althiri fleet in order to draw them out and weaken their formation. Ordo planned to have the bulk of his forces attack from the rear and defeat them. However, when the Althiri let their fleet split in two, leaving their center exposed, Ordo took advantage of the situation, breaking formation and eliminating the enemy commander, putting a quick end to the battle and avoiding further losses. However, in abandoning his position, Ordo left part of his own forces vulnerable and they suffered great losses. The sole survivor of that stand, another Mandalorian named Jagi, believed Ordo to be a glory hunter, and was determined to have his revenge.

During the Mandalorian Wars, the Mandalorian forces were widely feared and hated for their indiscriminate and brutal tactics, which in many cases resulted in the complete destruction of some worlds. Though Ordo did not enjoy wiping out worlds for its own sake, it was his belief that the tactics the Republic used when the Mandalorians finally did enter their territory, like setting their bases inside major cities, left Mandalore little choice but to raze whole worlds such as Serroco in provocation. Ordo expressed his disappointment with the weakness of the Republic forces and viewed their tactics as cowardly. Even when the Republic finally took action, the brutal efficiency of the Mandalorian advance overwhelmed Republic defenders and they continued cutting a swath into Republic territories. With the Republic on the brink of defeat, a Jedi Knight named Revan and his followers disobeyed the Jedi High Council's orders for neutrality and took command of the Republic war effort. In Revan, Ordo finally found the worthy opponent and challenge he was seeking. Ordo was greatly impressed by Revan's tactics, many of which were similar to those of the Mandalorians in their efficiency. With Revan's leadership, the war soon began to shift in favor of the Republic. Revan's ferocity, tenacity, and subtlety earned him a great deal of respect from Ordo. Despite the continual losses the Mandalorians faced against Revan's forces, Ordo was pleased with having found a conflict worthy of his skills, even as the Mandalorians were pushed to the edge of defeat.

At the close of the conflict, Ordo was among two fleets that filled the space around Malachor V, where the Mandalorians had committed all of their forces in a last attempt at defeating the Republic. Ordo and the rest of the Mandalorians were unaware that Revan had intentionally lured them to Malachor V as part of a trap. With the fleets engaged, a Jedi General in command of the Republic fleet activated the Mass Shadow Generator, a superweapon which destroyed a large portion of both fleets and devastated the surface of the planet. Ordo was among those outside the scope of the superweapon who were able to escape the mass shadows and survive the battle. In 3,960 BBY, the Mandalorians surrendered unconditionally, with Mandalore having been personally slain by Revan while the others were stripped of their weapons and armor and sent into exile in the Outer Rim. At some point before the end of the Mandalorian Wars, Ordo married Veela, a fellow Mandalorian, but he left his wife behind when he left Clan Ordo and went into exile. With nothing to call his own but the honor of having fought in the war, Ordo became a mercenary and wandered the galaxy looking for further challenges. He eventually ended up on the planet Taris, enforcing for local Exchange boss Davik Kang, but soon found his new job ill-suited him, offering no challenges worthy of his skill.

Jedi Civil War
"I'm someone you don't want to get on the bad side of."

- Ordo, to Revan during their initial meeting in the Taris Lower City

One year after the end of the Mandalorian Wars, while Revan took up the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith and started his own crusade against the Republic, Ordo became the most famous Mandalorian mercenary in the Taris sector. By 3,956 BBY, he had been fighting across the galaxy for forty standard years. Ordo had become increasingly dissatisfied with his life as Kang's enforcer, a career which he viewed as monotonous and without honor. Acting as little more than hired muscle, Ordo typically carried out simple tasks requiring little of his talent, such as threatening uncooperative clients who owed Kang money or salvaging useful equipment from Taris' Undercity. Unhappy with the mundane nature of his current life, Ordo longed to find new challenges and opportunities which would allow him to use his skills.

By this point, Revan's Sith Empire had achieved countless victories against an already battered Republic. Revan himself had since been betrayed by his Sith apprentice Darth Malak and captured by the Jedi. The Jedi Council then re-wrote Revan's memories and programmed him to serve the Republic as a soldier. The war had even spread as far as Taris, and the Republic warship Endar Spire was destroyed by Malak's forces over the planet. Ordo was not aware of the fact that the amnesiac Revan had been aboard the Spire and was one of the few survivors along with Carth Onasi, a Republic captain who had served in the Mandalorian Wars. Ordo actually encountered Revan while carrying out a job collecting payment from the local gang known as the Black Vulkars for Kang in the Lower City, although he did not recognize his former opponent. Ordo was soon sent on a salvage mission by Kang into the Undercity, where most of the Republic escape pods had landed. Ordo was reluctant to lead Kang's inexperienced men into the Undercity, and was frustrated upon finding that the pods had already been stripped of anything valuable by local gangs. While continuing the search, his group was ambushed by rakghouls, deformed mutants native to the Undercity. While fighting off the rakghouls, Ordo encountered Revan once again, who was also attempting to reach the escape pods in search of Bastila Shan, the Jedi Knight who had been in command of the Endar Spire. With Revan's aid, Ordo's group successfully fought off the rakghouls, although Kang's men sustained significant casualties. Ordo informed Revan of his findings at the pods before leaving and advising Revan to do the same.

After the botched salvage mission, Ordo decided he was done working for Kang and began preparations to leave the planet by stealing Kang's personal starship, the Ebon Hawk. He soon found leaving Taris would be more difficult than he originally thought, as Malak was blockading the planet while he conducted his own search for Republic survivors. The only way to pass the blockade was with the correct launch codes, which could only be obtained from the local Sith garrison. Ordo purchased the utility droid T3-M4, which was capable of bypassing the garrison's security, but knew he was too well-known to personally storm the base and left the droid at the shop until he could come up with a better plan. He soon found his solution when he heard that Revan had successfully rescued Shan from captivity, wiping out the Black Vulkars in the process. Impressed by his recklessness and skill in battle, Ordo chose Revan for his plan to bypass the blockade and escape Taris. Ordo met with Revan in Javyar's Cantina in the Lower City and offered him a deal; he asked that Revan retrieve the launch codes and in exchange, he would get them into Kang's compound in order to steal the Hawk. Revan agreed, and Ordo gave him instructions to obtain T3-M4, who could get him past base security.

Working with Revan
"Whatever you are fighting, it will be worthy of my skill."

- Ordo, to Revan

Ordo then waited for Revan to obtain the launch codes, and soon heard about his attack on the Sith garrison. Revan and Shan soon returned with the codes and Ordo took them to meet Kang. Ordo vouched for Revan, stating that he was a potential employee for Kang's operations, which gave the group free reign in the Exchange base. Ordo led the group to Kang's personal hangar just as an impatient Darth Malak ordered Taris bombarded. Unfortunately for Ordo, Kang and another one of his enforcers, the bounty hunter Calo Nord, were also hoping to make their escape, and Revan and Ordo were forced to deal with them first. After Kang was killed, Nord attempted to set off a thermal detonator, but was crushed by debris as the bombardment continued. Ordo narrowly escaped with the rest of Revan's companions aboard the Hawk as the city was leveled around them. Having seen more combat and excitement than he had in years, Ordo resolved to continue traveling with Revan and contribute his experience to the group. The group decided to meet with the Jedi Council on Dantooine next, as Shan needed to report on recent events, as well as her concern over how Revan's memories and Force-sensitivity seemed to be gradually returning. The Council decided to re-train Revan in the Jedi ways and assigned him the task of finding the Star Forge, a superweapon being used by Darth Malak against the Republic. During the journey, Ordo aided Revan with his tactical insight and experience in combat, although he often disapproved of Revan's more compassionate actions.

While searching for the Star Forge, Ordo often regaled Revan with tales of his past battles, and would later explain that he hoped to continue finding battles worthy of his skill while traveling with Revan, something he could not do under Kang or any other employer. Ordo also expressed his opinion of the Republic's weakness and believed that the galaxy would have been in much better hands under Mandalorian rule. Ordo also kept a supply of stimulants and offered them for use by the rest of the crew, although he personally disdained using such devices. As part of their goal of locating the Star Forge, Ordo traveled with Revan in search of a series of Star Maps, each of which held a partial set of coordinates to the Star Forge. This journey took them to the worlds of Tatooine, Kashyyyk, Manaan and Korriban, and the crew fought against near-constant interference by Malak's forces.

Eventually, Ordo was inadvertently reunited with his former comrade Jagi, now a Hutt-employed mercenary. Still bearing a grudge against Ordo for what he saw as abandoning his men during the Battle of Althir, he challenged Ordo to a duel in the Dune Sea of Tatooine to answer for his choices. Ordo would not stand the insult and was determined to kill him so that his honor would remain unblemished. Revan insisted on accompanying Ordo to the duel site, and managed to convince Jagi that Ordo had saved many more lives with his choice despite the death of Jagi's unit. Shamed by his actions and having lost his purpose in life, Jagi committed suicide, greatly shocking and traumatizing the normally stoic Ordo. Despite this, Revan's actions had earned Ordo's loyalty, and Ordo expressed his gratitude for Revan's help.

At one point during their travels, the Ebon Hawk was ambushed by Admiral Saul Karath of the Sith Navy and taken aboard the Interdictor ship Leviathan. Revan, Onasi and Shan were split from the rest of the crew and detained separately for interrogation, but the three arranged for another crew member to release them. After being set free and releasing the rest of the crew from their cells, Revan, Onasi and Shan went to the bridge to deal with Admiral Karath and the tractor beam which originally captured them while the others followed Ordo to secure the Ebon Hawk. Fighting his way to the docking bays, Ordo's leadership got the rest of the crew to the ship with no casualties, and they escaped as soon as Revan and Onasi returned.

After escaping the Leviathan weapons range, Revan explained to the crew that he had encountered Darth Malak when heading back to meet with the crew, and that Shan had been captured while giving Revan and Onasi a chance to escape. Revan then confessed that Malak had informed him of his true identity as a former Jedi Knight and Sith Lord. Ordo was pleasantly surprised, and his loyalty remained unchanged due to his high level of respect for Revan's prowess in the Mandalorian Wars. Proud to serve with such a powerful warrior, Ordo expressed his willingness to follow Revan anywhere he commanded. Ordo continued traveling with Revan, their search soon leading to the planet of Rakata Prime in the Unknown Regions, where the Star Forge was located. Revan and his team boarded the Star Forge as the Republic fleet launched an assault on the Rakatan superweapon. Fighting his way through heavy Sith resistance, Revan succeeded in rescuing Shan and slaying Malak in single combat. With Malak's defeat and the triumph of the Republic, Ordo was awarded the Cross of Glory along with Revan and his companions for his part in the defeat of the Sith.

Mandalore the Preserver
"I brought them here, gave them a purpose. The galaxy will be ours again, I promise you. That is the future."

- Mandalore, to Kreia on the future of the Mandalorians

In the peace after Malak's defeat, more of Revan's lost memories started to resurface, and he began to remember a threat he had encountered in the Unknown Regions. Realizing that the galaxy in its current state stood no chance at repelling an invasion, Revan began preparations to strengthen the Republic before leaving to confront the threat himself. Revan decided to call upon Ordo's aid once more in order to gather the scattered Mandalorian clans and restore the strength of the Mandalorians to support the Republic. While Ordo did not think the clans as they were could reunite any time soon, he agreed to seek out Clan Ordo with Revan in order to help them find Mandalore's mask, which would convince the Mandalorians of the legitimacy of Ordo's authority. Though Ordo suggested that they round up their old crew for one last adventure, Revan decided to only bring T3, for everyone had their own commitments, especially with Bastila being pregnant.

Revan and Ordo traveled to the Outer Rim ice world of Rekkiad, where the Mandalorian clans had already come together in search of Mandalore's Mask. Due to the animosity some Mandalorians still had towards Revan, Ordo advised he travel under an alias and refrain from using his lightsaber. Upon tracking down his clan, Ordo received a warm welcome from his clan mates, although his wife Veela still bore some resentment for what she perceived as his abandonment of her and the clan after the war. With the information from Revan's recently returned memories, Clan Ordo was able to pinpoint the location where Mandalore's Mask was hidden, and Ordo slowly began to reconcile with his wife. However, Revan was forced to use his lightsaber during a battle with a rival Mandalorian clan and Veela was able to discover his true identity.

When the clan finally succeeded in recovering Mandalore's Mask, Veela and a few other members of the clan insisted on killing Revan for what he did to the Mandalorian people and begged Ordo to side with them. Ordo refused to turn on his friend and was forced to kill his wife in the ensuing firefight. Before parting ways with Ordo to continue his search for the Sith Empire, Revan revealed to him the truth about Mandalore the Ultimate and his Sith allies; the Sith had been behind the Mandalorian Wars all along, and had tricked the Mandalorians into invading as a test of the Republic's strength to help them plan for their own eventual invasion. And if the Sith were to return, they would either destroy the Mandalorians or manipulate them into aiding their long blood feud with the Jedi. With this revelation, Ordo then claimed the mask and took on the title of Mandalore the Preserver, promising to reunite the Mandalorian clans and stand with the Republic against the Sith should they return.

As Ordo journeyed to reunite the Mandalorian clans, he met an ailing Taung who declared himself to be the true Mandalore, and claimed that the man known as "Mandalore the Ultimate" was a pretender to the Mandalore title. Before dying, this nameless Mandalorian consigned his armor to Ordo, asking him to preserve their traditions. Ordo took the armor for himself, and incorporated the mask given to him by Revan. After absorbing the Taung's clan into Clan Ordo, he returned to the Mandalorian outpost of Dxun, one of the four moons of Onderon to begin reuniting the Mandalorians. Only a select few knew the identity of the new Mandalore, as he never took off his armor and helmet in the presence of others, not even while sleeping, according to rumors. Making Dxun his base of operations, the new Mandalore continued the arduous task of restoring the clans to prominence. He found his recruits in all walks of life, serving as mechanics, scouts and mercenaries for clients across the galaxy. Inspired by Ordo's vision of the return of Mandalorian influence, countless clans banded together and joined him on Dxun.

Approximately three years after Revan gave Ordo the task of reuniting the Mandalorians, Ordo encountered another figure from his past in the Mandalorian Wars, Meetra Surik, also known as the Jedi Exile. Surik was one of the many Jedi who had joined Revan against the wishes of the Council and led the Republic fleet during the final battle at Malachor V. In the years since Revan's departure, the Republic had continued to weaken in the aftermath of fighting costly wars against the Mandalorians and the Sith. The Sith, led by a new triumvirate of Sith Lords took the opportunity to quietly regain their power, eventually culminating in a devastating strike which eliminated most of the Jedi remaining in the galaxy. Surik was one of the few survivors and was in the process of tracking down the Jedi Masters who had gone into hiding since the purge.

Her search for Jedi Master Kavar led to Onderon, which was currently under blockade by military forces loyal to Onderonian General Vaklu, who was attempting to assert Onderon's independence from the Republic by cutting off all contact. Surik's vessel soon came under attack by Vaklu's forces, and damage inflicted during the battle forced her to land on Dxun. The sensors of the Mandalorian camp picked up the Surik's arrival, and Ordo was curious as to why she was in possession of the Ebon Hawk, a vessel that had last been seen with Revan. Determined to find some answers, Ordo had Mandalorian sentries meet Surik and her companions outside the camp and lead them to him. Ordo recognized Surik and decided to observe her in order to learn her intentions. When Surik requested transport to Onderon, Ordo agreed to take her on the next supply run under the condition she proved she was not going to be a liability. By accomplishing various tasks for the Mandalorians in the camp Surik gained quite a reputation among his warriors, and Ordo decided she had proved her worth.

Travels with Meetra Surik
"I am Mandalore, leader of the Mandalorians. I will help you fight your battles and plan your strategy. But I will not be your errand boy. Find some other lackey to do your bidding."

- Mandalore, to Meetra Surik

Ordo held up his end of the bargain and began preparing his shuttle for travel to Onderon. During his preparations, Ordo was confronted by one of Surik's companions, the mysterious Jedi Master Kreia. She revealed that she had also been Revan's teacher long before and now asked for his loyalty to Surik. Ordo was initially angered by Kreia's lack of respect toward his people, whom she dismissed as broken and scattered, but she also expressed her esteem for the loyalty he had shown to Revan and promised to answer why her old apprentice did not take Ordo with him when he left for the Unknown Regions, as long as Ordo kept Surik safe. Ordo was perplexed that the old woman knew about him and Revan, and resolved to keep a close eye on her in the future.

Unexpectedly, Sith assassins assaulted the Mandalorian camp before they could launch, having tracked Surik to Dxun. With the aid of Surik and her companions, Ordo repulsed the initial intrusion before accelerating the shuttle launch and leaving the remaining Sith for his Mandalorian forces to deal with. After arriving in the city of Iziz, he directed Surik to an acquaintance of his, Doctor Dhagon Ghent, whom he thought was in contact with Kavar. Though Ghent was being held by local authorities as a suspect for the murder of Captain Sullio, an officer of the Onderonian military, Ordo and Surik were able to prove his innocence after investigating the individuals and evidence around the crime scene. In gratitude, Ghent arranged for a message to be smuggled to the Iziz Royal Palace, where Kavar was hiding under the protection of Queen Talia.

While traveling in Iziz, Ordo and Surik found that much of the populace was divided between supporting the policies of Queen Talia and those of General Vaklu. As Talia's cousin, Vaklu held ambitions of gaining control of Onderon and was covertly undermining Talia's rule. While Surik disagreed with Vaklu's questionable morality, Ordo was impressed with his tactics and ambition, and voiced his opinion that Surik would be better off supporting the general. They additionally encountered another veteran of the Mandalorian Wars, Captain Bostuco, who had fought the Mandalorians during their occupation of Onderon. Ordo took offense at Bostuco's claim that the Onderonian military forced the Mandalorians off-world, and insisted that the Jedi were responsible, while also stating that Mandalorians never gave ground to any Onderonian soldiers. Eventually Kavar responded to the message and agreed to meet with Surik. Ordo was delighted to meet the Jedi Guardian, whose tactical and combat prowess was renowned among the Mandalorians. They assumed Kavar would have led the Republic forces in the Mandalorian Wars, although Kavar ended up opposing Jedi intervention in the conflict. General Vaklu's forces soon interrupted their meeting, forcing Ordo and Surik to return to Dxun. Before departing, Kavar promised to contact Surik again. Upon their return to Dxun, Ordo decided to join Surik against the Sith in order to prevent their influence from spreading, as well as to search for more Mandalorian clans. After joining Surik's group of followers, Ordo journeyed to the worlds such as Nar Shaddaa, Dantooine, and Korriban as part of Surik's continuing search for the Jedi Masters.

After some time, Kavar sent Surik another message, requesting her aid against General Vaklu, who had since launched a military coup to seize power from Queen Talia. While Ordo respected Vaklu's ambition, he agreed to support Queen Talia once he learned that Vaklu's forces were receiving aid from the Sith. Returning to Dxun once again, Ordo was informed that the Mandalorian camp's sensors had picked up a large amount of Sith activity on a different part of Dxun. Surik split her crew into two groups, with some of her companions leading Mandalorian forces to destroy the Sith presence on Dxun while Surik herself planned to return to Onderon to help Kavar and Talia. On Dxun, Surik's group and the Mandalorian forces found that the Sith were massing around the ancient tomb of a Sith Lord, and were using the area's dark side energies to bolster their power. The Mandalorians and Surik's companions were successful in defeating the Sith forces in the tomb, subduing many high ranking Sith in the process. Meanwhile, Surik made use of a Basilisk War Droid provided by Ordo to travel back to Onderon. The Basilisk's presence had a significant effect on the morale of Vaklu's troops and helped Surik in her effort to break through the siege of the Royal Palace. With Kavar's help, Surik was ultimately successful in defeating Vaklu and rescuing Talia.

Later on, Ordo distinguished himself in the Battle of Telos IV, leading his forces alongside Carth Onasi, now an admiral of the Republic Navy, in engaging the Sith fleet led by the Sith Lord Darth Nihilus. Believing that the Republic's forces were insufficient to drive off the Sith assault, he rallied his Mandalorians to bolster the defense of Telos IV, confident that his soldiers were superior to any force the Republic had available. He boarded Nihilus' flagship, the Ravager, with his troops and met the Sith Lord in battle together with Surik and Nihilus' former Shadow Hand Visas Marr. With their coordinated effort, the Sith Lord was slain, depriving the remaining Sith forces of leadership. Ordo also arranged for several proton bombs to be set on the ship, which obliterated the Ravager, enabling Onasi's forces to eliminate the surviving vessels. After Nihilus' defeat, Ordo's suspicions towards Kreia were proven to be validated as she revealed her true identity as the Sith Lord Darth Traya. Ordo joined Surik in pursuing her to Malachor V, although he was reluctant to return to the site of the Mandalorian's greatest defeat. Surik was successful in defeating Darth Traya and Ordo parted ways with her soon after, continuing his task of restoring Mandalorian power.

Legacy
"Many men will volunteer to die, but few will be patient in the face of pain."

- Attributed to Canderous Ordo

According to predictions made by Kreia, Ordo's future would be one still full of battle. As a result of these battles and Revan's order to reunite the Mandalorians, Ordo and the Mandalorians would eventually reclaim some of their former power and reestablish the Mandalorians as a significant faction in galactic affairs. Ordo's success in reuniting the scattered clans was instrumental in bringing the Mandalorians back to prominence after their defeat in the Mandalorian Wars.

Approximately three hundred years after Ordo traveled with Revan and Surik, the Mandalorians became divided over which faction to support in the Great Galactic War. While most Mandalorians followed an Imperial puppet Mandalore and supported the resurgent Sith Empire, a faction of Mandalorians led by Jicoln Cadera stayed true to Ordo's legacy and believed the Mandalorians should support the Republic. Cadera and his faction were eventually destroyed by Mandalore the Vindicated, who had slain the puppet Mandalore the Lesser. True to Darth Traya's predictions, Ordo eventually fell in battle, and his skull somehow wound up in the possession of the Sith Empire sometime prior to 3,641 BBY. A smuggler eventually came across the skull on an Imperial ship during the Cold War, and noted signs of a large piercing wound that presumably was the cause of death.

Clone trooper Null-11, an Advanced Recon Commando in the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars, was nicknamed "Ordo" by Kal Skirata in honor of the legendary Mandalorian warrior. Around the rise of the Galactic Empire, MandalMotors ground military branch created a heavy assault vehicle comparable to an AT-AT walker, dedicating it the Canderous-class assault tank in honor of Ordo.

Personality and traits
"My name's Canderous of the Mandalorian clan Ordo. I've been fighting across the galaxy for 40 of your years. For my people it's the honor and glory of battle that rules us. It's through combat that we prove our worth, gain renown and make our fortunes."

- Canderous Ordo, to Revan

As befitting of the ideals the Mandalorians sought to uphold, Ordo lived for battle. In addition, Ordo lived his life seeking honor, which he believed could only be achieved through conflict with a worthy foe. In his youth, Ordo possessed dark hair, which later began to turn gray from the stresses of a life devoted to combat. He was always impressed by a show of force, and was an advocate of combat before diplomacy. Ordo respected Revan for his aggressive tactics during the Mandalorian Wars, and felt no regret or anger about being bested by such a proficient foe. His driving personality traits were best described as ambition, discipline, aggression, and loyalty. Ordo tended to speak in a gruff, serious manner, and was typically very blunt in expressing his opinions and thoughts. When prompted by others, Ordo was often willing to share stories of his role in various conflicts, taking pride in his related tales of his success. Whenever he encountered war veterans, he would usually ask them about the battles they fought in or what their opinion was of the Mandalorians, hoping to hear accounts from his former opponents. He often displayed disappointment when he found that many on the Republic's side did not share his fondness of the past. As Ordo found that most did not see the past conflict the same way, he became disillusioned after the defeat of the Mandalorians. He once expressed this feeling to Revan, explaining that he felt he was no longer the Mandalorian he once was.

While Revan and Ordo gradually became friends, Ordo maintained a professional stance and always referred to Revan as his employer. Although he originally only intended to ally himself with Revan as a means of escaping Taris, his respect for the former Sith Lord continued to grow as he accompanied him, even before he learned of his true identity. Despite the fact that he had become distant from his people and culture while serving Davik, Ordo still held true to the ways of the Mandalorians and chose to remain amongst the crew of the Ebon Hawk under the belief that their adventures would bring much needed glory and honor to his heavily diminished pride. Even though he was quite distant to the rest of Revan's companions, Ordo slowly came to respect the programmed persona of Revan. Despite providing Revan with stimulants when asked, Ordo personally felt that a true warrior should develop their own strength and did not require such aid. When it was discovered that the amnesiac Jedi was indeed Darth Revan himself, Ordo was, unlike the rest of his companions, greatly pleased. Ordo willingly pledged his loyalty and allegiance to the former Sith Lord, firmly believing that his service to Revan would bring him all the battles and glory he sought.

After taking up the mantle of Mandalore the Preserver, Ordo led the reunited clans with strict discipline, reflecting his views of the Mandalorian ideals. In choosing Dxun as his base of operations, Ordo forced the Mandalorians to deal with the violent jungle on a daily basis in addition to the typical brutal training. His troops respected him implicitly, often displaying a willingness to die rather than face public shame at their failure, and obeyed his orders without question. He maintained his strong focus on honor as a leader, and would not aid Surik until she proved her worth among the Mandalorians. As a leader, Ordo always kept a calm and collected demeanor, even when leading troops into battle. When events did not unfold according to plan, his experience enabled him to adapt to new circumstances. One of Ordo's most prominent traits was his loyalty, both to the Mandalorian way as well as to those he followed. Years after Revan's departure, Ordo's loyalty remained undiminished, and even when he did not agree with Surik's decisions, he never did more than briefly express his opinion before following her lead.

Equipment
"I've fought countless battles–ones most didn't walk away from. The wounds add up–and even the implants are all that keeps me going sometimes. I may have been stronger in my youth–and stupider–but now I've got to rely more on my armor, my weapons, and my cunning."

- Ordo, to Meetra Surik

As a fully trained Mandalorian soldier, Ordo could resist Jedi mind tricks, as his experience on the field of battle allowed him to shrug off most mind-affecting effects; fear-inspiring Force powers and weapons which would normally incapacitate most combatants had minimal effect on Ordo. He possessed great physical and mental stamina as well as strategic and tactical skills, which he demonstrated on numerous occasions both in war and as a mercenary. During the Jedi Civil War, his cybernetic implants were limited but allowed him to regenerate minor wounds and recover far more quickly than normal. His regenerative ability also allowed him to briefly enter a catatonic state in order to heal more severe injuries.

As of 3,951 BBY, however, his implants included selective ability boosters that Ordo could activate as needed without fear of damage, giving him temporary increases in areas such as strength and stamina. His weapon of choice from the latter part of the Mandalorian Wars onward was a prototype heavy repeater that never saw general production. However, when he became leader of the Mandalorians, he was known to wield a common repeating blaster rifle. Also, during that time, he donned Mandalorian battle armor which he kept in exceptional condition. The years of combat began to take their toll on Ordo in his later years, and he revealed to Surik that his weakening body had become increasingly dependent on his armor and implants to function. Despite his aging, Ordo never shied away from combat, and continued to lead his troops from the frontline.

Behind the scenes
Canderous Ordo is a playable character in the computer and video games Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, although he is credited as "Mandalore" in the latter. He is voiced by John Cygan in both games and was created by BioWare. Although his birth date is unspecified due to the lack of canon sources on Mandalorian time measurement, Ordo was set to be sixty-three Mandalorian years old as of 3,951 BBY. His name can be loosely translated in Mando'a to 'kando,' meaning 'important, weighty' and 'ruus' or 'rock'. With a Force alignment score of 30, he is the only playable organic character to have a default dark side alignment. He and the Wookiee bounty hunter Hanharr are the only organic party members in The Sith Lords that can't be trained in the ways of the Force. Game files include a Mandalore model without the helmet that is never used throughout the actual game. However, in one particular cut element, Surik can ask T3-M4 if he knew Mandalore, in which T3 and Surik react as if T3 is showing a hologram, but the droid actually displays nothing.

Due to game mechanics, Ordo's canonical presence during any point in both games where he is not a required companion is uncertain. While traveling with Surik, Ordo can meet other Mandalorian clans on Dantooine and Nar Shaddaa. With the aid of Surik, Ordo can convince the two groups to join his forces on Dxun. However, not all the Mandalorians immediately submit to Ordo's authority, and Esok, the leader of a group of Mandalorian mercenaries stationed on Dantooine, will attempt to usurp the title of Mandalore and engage the player in combat. Since the player has free choice in choosing the order in which they visit each planet, Ordo's presence during these encounters is uncertain and therefore of ambiguous canon status.

In the non-canonical dark side path of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Ordo is the only non-droid party member who joins the reborn Darth Revan without question, save for Bastila Shan, who has already fallen to the dark side. Should Revan fail to persuade Jagi during the duel in the Dune, Ordo will be forced to kill Jagi and his henchman personally. In addition, a dark-sided Surik in The Sith Lords impresses Ordo, causing him to trust her more and to eventually discuss his journeys with Revan more freely. In the Knights of the Old Republic Campaign Guide supplement to the Star Wars Roleplaying Game, Ordo's title as Mandalore is revealed as Mandalore the Preserver. The Real-time strategy game Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption contains a reference to Ordo in the form of the Zann Consortium's Canderous-class assault tank. The assault tank also appears in the Fate of the Jedi novel series.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan
 * Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords
 * Star Wars: The Old Republic
 * Republic Commando: Triple Zero
 * Order 66: A Republic Commando Novel
 * Imperial Commando: 501st