Mandalore the Indomitable

"He wants to conquer. I believe he feels a burning need even he doesn't understand."

- Aleema Keto

Mandalore the Indomitable, or Te Kandosii Mand'alor in Mando'a, was a warlord who led the Mandalorian Clans during the Great Sith War. He took his name from his legendary, possibly mythical, predecessor, Mandalore the First.

Biography
While the Mandalorians were looking for worthy foes and begin a honourful crusade, they were led to the Teta system. Mandalore had heard rumors of the military exploits of the Krath's young commander, a fallen Jedi turned Sith Lord named Ulic Qel-Droma. In an effort to get Ulic's attention, Mandalore launched several minor raids within the Krath's territory, culminating in the destruction of an important carbonite smelting station in the Tetan system. In response, Qel-Droma threatened the Mandalorian leader with all-out war lest he surrender swiftly, but Mandalore had another solution in mind. He proposed a duel between the two famous warriors. Ulic was initially reluctant and would only agree after sweetening the deal by convincing Mandalore to swear to become his vassal should he lose.

On the Deep Core world of Kuar, Ulic and Lord Mandalore dueled before their arrayed forces. A long and bitterly fought melee battle ensued, but Mandalore was eventually defeated. Impressed by the Krath Lord's prowess as a warrior and perhaps grateful for being spared his life, Mandalore pledged loyalty to Qel-Droma, thereby allying the Mandalorian Clans with the Sith – a decision that would forever link the two groups in history. In the the following years, the Mandalorians became one of the most potent weapons in the Krath's arsenal. Under orders from Ulic Qel-Droma and his Sith Master Exar Kun, they laid waste to countless worlds and earned the enmity of the Republic and its Jedi defenders.

In the waning days of the Great Sith War, as the Brotherhood of the Sith hovered on the very brink of defeat, a historic struggle known as the Fourth Battle of Onderon took place. The Mandalorians staged a surprise assault against the city dwellers of Iziz and in the skies of Onderon, the native Beast Riders and the Mandalorian's Basilisk war droids fought a frenzied aerial skirmish. Just as the tide had turned in the Mandalorian's favor, Republic reinforcements suddenly arrived in the system. The Republic commander informed Mandalore that his master Ulic Qel-Droma had been captured and demanded the Mandalorians' immediate surrender, but Mandalore's honor would not allow him to concede the battle. Caught suddenly between the incoming Republic fleet and the Beast Riders, the Mandalorian forces were devastated.



Mandalore ordered a rapid retreat to the moon known as Dxun, believing that he could lose the Republic pursuit in its dense jungles. Unfortunately, whilst withdrawing, a Republic frigate fired upon his droid mount and he crashed into the canopy far from friendly aid. Rising from the wreckage, Lord Mandalore was immediately set upon by a pack of the ravenous Beasts of Dxun and in mere moments, he was torn apart and devoured. Initiating a search of the moon's dangerous forests, the remaining Mandalorian Crusaders scoured the landscape for signs of their leader. In a fateful moment, one shocktrooper stumbled across Mandalore's mask hanging, snagged in a patch of nearby foliage. In accordance with the rules and obligations of his people, he placed the leader's mask upon his head and became the new Mandalore, Mandalore the Ultimate, whose legacy would affect the galaxy for years to come.

Appearances

 * Tales of the Jedi: The Sith War