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- "This is the chieftain of Clan Varad. Whoever you are, you've challenged the wrong ship!"
- ―Mavrix Varad
A battle that occurred during the Cold War between the forces of the Sith Empire, the Jedi Order, Galactic Republic, and the rogue Mandalorian Clan Varad. The battle was the culmination of both galactic powers' effort to stop Clan Varad from raiding their settlements using a hijacked advanced Valor-class cruiser, the Allusis from the Republic shipyards at Fondor.
Prelude
- "At least that idiotic peace treaty hasn't made you soft. This might be a decent fight after all!"
- ―Mavrix Varad
During the time of the Cold War between the Galactic Republic and the resurgent Sith Empire, a highly militant Mandalorian clan cut its ties with the rule of Mandalore the Vindicated. Clan Varad, lead by its chieftain, Mavrix Varad found that the proxy war between the two galactic powers was tedious and unbecoming of Mandalorian heritage for war and conflict. A veteran of the Great Galactic War, Mavrix sought to sow chaos and violence once again. With his clan, he was able to commandeer an advanced Republic warship called the Allusis while it was being refitted in the Fondor Shipyards. Taken with ease due to the warship's minimal crew, Clan Varad used the ship to raid defenseless star systems in the Outer Rim. The clan's ruthlessness and hunger for bedlam would be seen throughout this rampage as they would extort worlds for tribute, only to jettison their plunder of armaments, medical supplies and food into space. Both Imperial and Republic forces tried to stop this rampage by sending their ships but was met with defeat due to the Allusis' advanced construction.
Battle
The drop pod containing the strike team bored through the Allusis' hull
- "You're good, but you're not Mandalorians. The harder you hit us the tougher we get!"
- ―Mavrix Varad
In a final bid to capture the ship, both forces called upon their most noted strike teams into action. While the Allusis was refueling in a remote depot in the Tamarin sector, both Imperial and Republic forces engaged the resting warship. Their strike teams forcefully entered the Allusis with drop pods, breaking through the cargo deck where the team faced down several of the clans' squads of battledroids and foot soldiers.
Venturing towards a control room for the cargo deck, the strike team met and fought with Clan Varad's beastmaster, Braxx and his salky hound cohorts who had barred the way forward by activating the area's shields. After a lengthy battle, the battlemaster was defeated and the shields deactivated, the strike team continued their trek but was met with heavy resistance from the clan's forces.
Midway through the battle before reaching the command deck, the strike force encoutered a squad of Mandalorian mercenaries, namely Tiru, Lothor, and Kandon. Known collectively as Battle Team Royal, through Mavrix's constant chatter on the Allusis' internal comm system, the strike team's engagement with them was short-lived as they were unknowingly killed by the arrival of the opposing faction's own boarding party.No alliances were made that day to end Clan Varad's reign of terror, and so the opposing forces engaged to fight as the capture of the Allusis and its promise of power was the true prize, the Empire seeking to seize it and The Republic wanting to keep it. The battle between the parties endured while the factions' contingent of ships continued to harass the Allusis and each other. The strike team would finally strike a blow to the opposing squad by killing one of its members, but found the distress this caused was aiding in their enemies' effort. The strike team rallied and finally defeated the opposing boarding party through a tactical strike. The team moved forward, descending through an elevator that led to the launch control deck while meeting only light resistance.
Heavy resistance
Upon reaching their destination, the strike team approached a nearby access panel from where they disabled the security locks of the ship and dealt with Mandalorian engineers working at a nearby airlock. From there, the strike team was retasked to take control of the Allusis, a mission that would mean facing down the Clan chieftain on the bridge of the ship. The team would once again face heavy resistance in the form of advanced turrets, Mandalorian tech commandos and a clan veteran named Gil. Gil was able to hold his own against the strike team, but his skill with the blade were not enough, formidable as they were, to see him through to the end of the battle. With his lieutenants defeated, most of his clan dead or captured, Mavrix Varad stood waiting for the strike team goading them through the comm system.
When the team reached the clan chieftain's location, they found him standing ready for battle. As they engaged, Mavrix used his jetpack to escape their attacks whilst enabling the Allusis' internal defense turrets to augment his own standard array of Mandalorian weapons. As the battle went on, Mavrix would continue to verbally harass his enemies with taunts of inferiority concerning the war and the teams' ability to mobilize against him. After the destruction of the turrets, the strike team focused their attacks on the fleeing chieftain and in doing so defeating him. With Mavrix defeated the strike team commandeered the ship and safely departed for their capitol world.
Aftermath
- "This is a good death. I'll see you in hell..."
- ―Mavrix Varad
The Mandalorians suffered the loss of the clan Varad, absorbing survivors of the battle into other clans. They also kept their reputation with the Empire as allies, a pact that seemed to remain intact due to their continued service to Empire in following events. It also helped that the Mandalorians assisted in finding Clan Varad, an act justified by the rogue clan's declaration of Akaan'gaan.
Behind the scenes
The Battle for the Allusis is part of Star Wars: The Old Republic Flashpoint Mandalorian Raiders. During the flashpoint the player has a choice to capture the Mandalorian engineers (light side option) or jettison them into space (dark side option).
The flashpoint is available to both factions in the game, as such, the victory conditions are not set in canon and thus the aftermath of the battle is limited to secondary observations. If an Imperial player finishes the flashpoint, The Allusis is captured and taken to Dromund Kaas, the Empire acquires its wealth of technology and Republic knowledge, the survivors of Clan Varad are taken in by other Mandalorian clans and the fealty of the Mandalorians are hardened. If a Republic player finishes the flashpoint, the Allusis is taken back to Coruscant to be repaired and after which is to be assigned to help rebuild where it used to sow terror.
Appearances
- Star Wars: The Old Republic (First appearance)
Sources
Mandalorian Raiders on The Old Republic Holonet (backup link) (content now obsolete; original version (old/flashpoints/mandalorian-raiders) not verified!)
Notes and references
