<sub>"At morut'yc naak, tsikador par akaan" - To secure peace, ready for war.
- Mand'alor Haar Kom'rk be Kyr'am</sub>

One of the dominating powers of the galaxy by sheer military might, the Mandalorian Republic is one that stands ill at ease with the other sucessor states. Seen as tense business partners by the Empire and even then in secret, as little more than brigands holding the old Republic hostage by the Alsakani and of course as a stubborn bastion of defiance by the Hutts still sore from their loss, it can be easy to see why they have few proper allies. Especially when the Corellians have their say. With the steady building up of forces, spurred on by the words of their Mand'alor towards a glorious future, there have been many claims that the Mandalorians are gearing up for a Third Great Crusade. Such claims haven't entirely dismissed either, though the Paladin has been notoriously dismissive of the other powers in the galaxy beyond a simple "Do not challenge Mandalore."

What brought about such a state is altogether more complicated though, as while most will point to the death of the "usurpers" Maul and Oppress, the events that set in motion the creation of the Mandalorian Republic and the rise of the Paladin began centuries before. Always a culture that had venerated war, there had been outliers who felt that their people were on the verge of yet another great purge just as had happened after the Mandalorian Wars. This came shortly before the Republic took premptive action against them, laying waste to the Mandalore sector, reducing much of their homeworld to wasteland and instigating an extreme societal shift. Many of the more traditional elements of their people took to Concordia to rebuild and lay low, stewing in their resentment for their lost glory all the while pacifists took over.

Great cities were constructed upon Mandalore's surface, in part to show the skills of a nonviolent people as well as for their own survival for what the Republic had done. Over the years the exiles became more and more embittered, with some coming to despise the pacifist faction for their spurning of their ancient beliefs and culture. Others though saw things far differently. When they looked upon the gleaming cube-cities, they saw for themselves that to be Mandalorian could be something more than just wandering mercenaries. It had been thousands of years by that time since the great crusades, and their people though always hardy and well known throughout the galaxy for their skill… They had been betrayed too many times and worn down by the constant warring.

Eventually the warring sentiments within the exiles came to a head. Jaster Mereel and his supercommando codex was to be the way forward for their people, a chance to prove to the galaxy that they weren't just roaming savages killing and taking whatever they pleased. It was to be a way of reconciling with their pacifist bretheren, people who were still kin to many of them. Yet disagreements became conflicts, conflicts became a full blown civil war. And like all conflicts involving the Mandalorians, the Jedi were called in to intervene. By all rights it was a disaster for both sides, wearing down what little numbers they had left to fight with. The True Mandalorians and Deathwatch bloodied each other for nearly twenty years until yet another betrayal came at the hands of the Republic and its protectors.

Through a cunning ruse, the Jedi were called in to intervene, and rather than take the side of the reformists, they had been led to believe that it was actually them who were the ruthless killers. The fighting was short lived and ended with the losses of many of the most influential members of the movement, and those who did not perish went into hiding knowing how the Deathwatch would treat the survivors.

One of those survivors though would arise to enact their revenge and right the wrongs of not just the True Mandalorians, but all Mandalorians. Just a child at the time, the Paladin had watched both of his parents perish in the closing days of the Civil War, their farm burned to the ground by Deathwatch shortly after the Jedi came through. It was all his grandfather could do to keep him safe, falling back and blending in with the pacifists back on Mandalore in Keldabe city and trying to preserve all he could of their movement. Growing up with the Supercommando Codex and around the so-called civilian populace of Mandalore, this gave the Paladin the perspective needed to begin formulating a more ideal society. One where those who did not wish to fight could have safety, to indulge in more benign arts and progress their culture and society. A republic of their own, where the clans would form the backbone of their military and prove to the galaxy once and for all that the Mandalorians were more than just war given form.

The opportunity came when the Paladin was barely into his 20's at the beginning of the Clone Wars. Instability had come to Mandalore, the Deathwatch was once more instigating for war and their duchess was putting herself into danger more and more by needlessly provoking them. All the while she continued to advocate for the neutrality of Mandalore among a council of other systems wanting no part of the conflicts. It was that neutrality though that would ultimately invite other threats into their midst. While they parried words with the Republic, fended off the CIS' advances and tried to stay on the good side of both, a reminder of what began the war arose in the shadows of Keldabe. Thought to have died on Naboo when he was tossed into the reactor core by Qui-gon Jinn and Obi-wan Kenobi, the Iridonian who served as the sith lord Sidious' darth had clawed his way back and was seeking to try and prove himself again to his master. To do that though, he needed to make a show of power, and how better than to do what the sith had done for millenia.

Looking back, none could have known the secret alliance between Maul and Pre Viszla, nor have predicted the extent of their plans or the violent end of the affairs. For months the Deathwatch had been showing themselves as a terror upon the New Mandalorians, those who had vowed to a more peaceful life and paid for it in their own blood. Countless attacks, bombings and sabotage led to the dispatching of Jedi to Mandalore in an effort to assist Duchess Satine with quelling the unrest. All this despite the strained relations between the Republic and Mandalore. What changed things though were the quiet and resolute words of a master on the council, who cautioned against turning their back on those who chose values over alliances. Qui-gon Jinn was the one who voted to dispatch Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the planet to aid Satine, in part due to the former's reputation as "The Diplomat" as well as knowing full well the close ties he had with the Duchess.

A series of investigations followed, the jedi being led on a merry chase across the system and back. All the while, the Paladin had been preparing, for rumors were spreading of a "Shadow Mand'alor" gathering forces, and this was precisely the opportunity he was waiting for. Things would escalate rather swiftly however, for Darth Maul was impatient in his desire to challenge his former master, and Viszla had seemed wary of him. In a bold move, the sith had taken Sundari with loyal Deathwatch forces, declaring himself Mand'alor and commanding the loyalty of the people.

There was but one problem with his edict, as another laid claim to the title and openly challenged him to it. Going only by "The Challenger" he had come as Maul was on the verge of executing Satine before her people. At first he had thought to refuse, but it was clear that to do so would lose all of his followers, so he ignited his lightsaber and the battle was begun. With only the beskar cladding him, the Paladin fought Maul openly in the sight of not just the Deathwatch, but all Mandalorians. The pride of Mandalore was at stake, and more than that, there was a message that needed to be sent. Each blow from the sith was swatted aside and rewarded with the crunch of bone beneath a beskar fist. It was like the ringing of steel being forged, each strike tempering the people in heart and mind. Declaring out to the people his victory, The Paladin was born through battle with the death of Maul, this time permanent.

The victory was short lived though, as while he had proven himself a champion of his people, the Deathwatch and New Mandalorians both knew nothing of "The Challenger" aside from his strength and skill. For some that was enough, and they bowed before their Mand'alor. Others voiced their dissent, among them the Duchess and Obi-wan, who had arrived midway through the fight and told not to intervene by allied Mandalorians. Loudest of all though, was Pre Viszla himself, come to claim the title and finally have the power to start his crusade. Just like Maul though, the battle was short and violent. Unlike Maul though, Viszla was given the choice to yield. Each blow struck cracked his armor, years of isolation and rebellion having worn it down. With each sundering strike, the Paladin demanded he yield, and with each one the warrior refused. Eventually Pre lay still, his breath haggard and labored, his only movement to beckon his victorious opponent to hear his last words. None know truly what passed between the two, except that when it came time to put Viszla to rest he was given full honors and sent off on "His final patrol, the long walk into the dark."

After the succession of the Mand'alor was settled there was still much to be decided, and uncertainty among the people. Two usurpers had just been violently removed, two who had no love for the duchess and had been right on the precipice of killing not just her but her Jedi allies as well. Now a man stood there with fists painted in their blood and turning to look upon them. It would have been no surprise had the Paladin decided to simply kill both Satine and Kenobi right where they stood. What was one though, is when he came forward and offered his hand instead to Satine in cooperation. Though it would be formalized within the months afterward and representation for clans and houses decided after a year had passed, that was the moment where the Mandalorian Republic had formed…

<sub>"When we came in the early years, during those first Crusades you know, it was easy to just stroll through those sectors. The breadbasket of the galaxy as it was called. You could take a blind shot into hyperspace and hit an agriworld, and if you didn't then the planet didn't have anything worth conquering. For almost the entire history of the Republic, the people in those sectors were taken advantage of, asked to feed the Core with everything they had, and when inevitably someone decided to come in and take it… Where was the Republic? Where were they during our Crusades? So you wonder why it is, that when someone finally comes by, when someone finally tells them they are worth saving, and that they can match whatever the Core throws at them; They willingly give everything to an Emperor who rules through force.

Make no mistake mando'ade, if war was to come between Mando'a and the Empire, it would be one which would bleed us dry. For every one of ours, though we outmatch them in skills and training, they have a hundred willing to die for their Emperor. This is a people that have long been ignored in the galaxy, and with the Renkar Imperium, they now are a power that is to be respected and watched carefully."
- Ash'ad</sub>

Twenty years has come and gone in peace for much of the galaxy, a period of rebuilding, stabilization and an attempt at returning to life as it was. This came in the wake of the Coruscant Armistice, where the nascent powers that would come to dominate the galactic community today agreed to a cessation of hostilities with the CIS. Corellia, Alsakan and Mandalore all stood present and chose to end the Clone Wars, returning to their territories to shore up their defenses and prepare in the event Grievous decided the treaty was not worth honoring. An event that never happened because of the one party that refused to attend. The Eighth Systems Army.

When the general order of retreat was signaled, there were instances across the galaxy where entire fleets had been unable to respond and so remained where they were instead of risk running into the CIS. Such is how most powers came to be, through the settling of the Republic military and integration into local governments. Some places became hotspots, rally points of sorts, and of them Ord Mantell was the most well known. Already the galactic north had seen the most intense fighting during the Clone Wars, and so had a large concentration of the Open Circle Fleet and the Grand Army present. As Coruscant fell, those elements rallied instead to the defense of the ORD under at the time, Admiral Jira Renkar. Renkar was the kind of man that people rallied to, one who spoke rarely, but respectfully and stood by his words. Through his determination to not take one step back, not only did the Eighth push back the CIS, but they chased them from sector to sector bleeding parts the entire way.

Such was how an Empire was born. Upon the anvil of Ord Mantell Jira Renkar forged the Eighth, Ninth and the reinforcements that had rallied to his call into the first of the Imperial Army and Navy. At first it was to be a way to protect the people of the ORDs and surrounding sectors, by establishing a governing presence in the absence of the Republic and with absolute rule. Those initial days, The Founding as it is often fondly referred to by those veterans in the service, that was when the heart of the empire was laid bare. Jira and his command staff wanted nothing more than to drive the CIS back and restore the Republic, to protect the people of the northern sectors. Yet when the Corellians so easily turned away from the burning husk of Coruscant, they watched as what had once been the mind of the Republic simply ignoring the plight of the common man. When the Alsakani bent the knee to Grievous and the CIS, so willing to become a puppet state and enforce rule for them, that was the beating heart ripped from the chest of the galaxy. Though nothing stung as bad as when they watched as even the Mandalorians chose to stand to the side and remain "neutral" even as they kept the Republic-In-Exile on their homeworld.

It was on that day 6BBI(16 years before Re-Synchronization, or 16BRS), that the Empire knew who their allies were. They would stand alone against the CIS. They would continue the fight that others were either too weak or too cowardly to fight. An iron fist descended upon the northern sectors as when news of the Republic's shattering and the end of the Clone Wars came many felt it was time to accept it. Emperor Renkar and the newly formed Shadow Council refused outright to allow those worlds to fall into Grievous' hands. From system to system, sector to sector they secured every world they could any way they could. Some accepted eagerly, for rarely in history had the Republic had any interest in truly protecting them or letting them prove themselves. Glee Anselm was one of those worlds, the Nautolans though 'represented' in a way at the Senate had always been made to share with the Anselmi who often squandered their vote just to spite them. With the Emperor's word given and swiftly held to, the Nautolans had their place within the Empire and without having to share their world. Many of the old ORDs also fell in quickly, most volunteering as many able-bodied citizens to the rapidly forming military as they could.

Other worlds though were less… Compliant. Some had to be taken either from the CIS occupation or simply by the unwilling inhabitants. It is a stain on the Empire's honor for sure, as rumors abound of what goes on beyond their borders, the isolationist policy they hold towards diplomacy not helping. Those who manage to escape and defect speak of enforced conscription, where most worlds have to contribute half their population to the military in order to combat the growing number of threats all around them. Only a select number of planets are exempt from this policy, and only for what they contribute willingly to their Empire. Worse than merely conscripting people without choice though, is what happens to those who refuse. Nearly a dozen worlds exist off the charts and under heavy guard, serving as prison worlds where their dissidents, seditionists and any who refuse the rightful rule of the Emperor are put to hard labor sentences. And those are the lucky ones.

When the Empire formed, they too had many Jedi in their ranks. Among them one of the hardliners Ki-Adi Mundi who felt as if the Republic hadn't done enough to protect the citizens of the galaxy. Though it had never been expressed as much openly, that discontent had been stirring into bitterness until Jira Renkar gave him an opportunity. An opportunity to form his own order, one that would not be beholden to millenia old codes that did nothing to serve the people. A chance to do more than simply sit back and react. Together with a few others such as Kit Fisto, the Shadow Council was formed. It was meant to be an order that operated in the shadows quite literally, that answered only to the Emperor and enacted his will. They would go out and ensure the integrity of their empire and cull any threat before it necessitated a reaction.

Very quickly they too lost sight of what had made the Republic a beacon of Light and Justice. Though unlike the Emperor who laments at what must be done and holds himself accountable for each misdeed, these Jedi have all become more than that. Force Sensitives are abducted in mass, many conveniently enough right after their medical registration with the Empire. Those who speak too strongly against the new order often find themselves "talked to" by the Shadow Council, often to recant themselves the very next day and praise them both with all their heart. The other orders have insinuated that they are Dark Jedi in all but name, that they have used the Force as a weapon and are no better than their enemies for doing so. They of course counter with the adage of "The end justifies the means." Neither side will ever come to agreement, but in the end they are just a symptom.

The real issue is that though the Empire has plentiful food to keep their people fed, and an active service population that outnumbers even the Mandalorian Republic by at least three fold, they have lagged behind in technology and lack in allies. Few want to associate with them due to the rumors of tyranny unchecked in their borders, of how they abolished any form of senate and bow to absolute rule. Those who do actually treat with them often do so in secret, or are not even in the known galaxy. The Ascendancy fall into the latter category and have actually formed a full alliance with the Empire despite their own rampant xenophobia, sharing technology with them that has helped them catch up just that little bit. How exactly the two came together remains a mystery, though it has something to with The Battle of Ilum ten years ago. Few are aware of this however, as most assume the Chiss to actually be Pantoran refugees that chose the Empire over the CIS.