SECOND BATTLE OF MANDALORE:
HOW IT ENDED
The Liberation of Mandalore was a costly victory for the Mandalorian Union. When they set out from Myrkr, they knew there would be no turning back. Clan Australis knew their part, and they fought with courage and honor to defend their homeworld, and draw the Sith Empire into a costly battle. Their sacrifice allowed the Union to slip behind enemy lines, and strike directly for Manda’yaim itself.
Fighting was fierce, and many lives were lost on both sides as the Union first secured orbit, and then began their landing. From the beginning, they were met with stiff resistance. Hundreds of warriors were lost before they even set foot on Mandalore, and in the following hours, many hundreds more would be lost. The garrison of Sith Imperial soldiers and the traitorous Death Watch made the Union pay for every inch of ground they took. Countless heroes rose during that day, and many legends fell on the bloodied sands of their homeworld.
There were many setbacks. The Union push on the Beskar Mine built by the Sith faltered under intense pressure, ending with the death of the Union Commander there, Sidiqq Ordo. The main assault on Sundari, the former capital of Mandalore fractured into multiple different theaters, as the sudden arrival of outsiders threw the Union into disarray. The appearance of the Sith Emperor himself on Mandalore brought a wave of terror across the assembled ranks of warriors, and a massive beast fit for the tales of old wreaked havoc among Union forces.
In the end, this changed little.
The Beskar Mine fell to the might of the Union. The outsiders were countered. The Sith Emperor himself withdrew from the conflict, taking with him monstrosities that could have killed many thousands of Mandalorians. The hydra was engaged in a titanic duel by Adenn Kyramud. All of these fights waged around a duel at the outskirts of the city. Here, Kreslin Westwind, Warmaster and leader of the Mandalorian Union, challenged and fought the false Mand’alor, Teyn Gratiir. Kreslin was severely wounded, but he defeated the Mand’alor, and claimed the helmet and title for himself, becoming Mand'alor the Reclaimer.
With the fall of Teyn, the remaining resistance across Mandalore began to crumble. In the capital, warriors like Kes Stag led the charge against the remaining warriors of Death Watch, and those who did not surrender were cut down. The Supercommandos of House Jaster, among them Joti Johayc and Talon Richwood, and supported by the might of Krieg brought by Darsch Vizsla broke through the remaining Imperial forces around Sundari. At the mine, the disorganized Union forces were able to muster around the outsider Siv Dragr, who had come to Mandalore for personal reasons. The mine could not be taken, and in the end, was destroyed.
In the still burning ruins of Sundari, Kreslin gathered the remaining warriors of the Mandalorian Union, and proclaimed the Liberation of their homeworld. It was not a complete victory though. Telis, the former ruler of occupied Mandalore escaped with a vial of the hydra's blood, promising that the threat there is not over. Myrkr, home of Clan Australis, fell as expected, and many of the valiant warriors that held the line gave their lives to ensure the Union’s victory elsewhere.
The Liberation of Manda’yaim was a costly victory for the Mandalorian Union, but now they stand on a free world. Now, they look to the future of rebuilding their nation and people, and preparing for the next war that is inevitable to come.
This article was written with the approval of the MU and TSE, to conclude the stories of the rebellion that did not have time to be completed. We thank everyone who took part in the Beskar Falls Rebellion, and look forward to the next great stories we will write together.