Galactic Republic News Network: To Mandalore or not to Mandalore? That is the question.
"Hello to all our viewers out there, this is your host Jonas Worden of the Galactic Republic News Network, the largest holonews network in the galaxy, bringing you our top story today! Reports from the Outer Rim state that at a recent gathering of Mandalorian Clans, a decision was made to name Darth Cain the next Mandalore."
"For those of our viewers who are unfamiliar with the term, the title of Mandalore is used to denote the recognized leader of all Mandalorian warrior clans. According to history professors and linguists at the University of Coruscant, the title of Mandalore originates from the Taung word Mand'alor which in Galactic Basic translates to 'sole ruler'. The Mandalorians themselves originate from the now extinct Taung species whose ancestors were driven off of Coruscant. The title of Mandalore saw its first use some near 7000 years ago when the aptly named Mandalore the First led the conquest of the world that is currently named Mandalore today."
"Our on the field reporters asked for commentary from members of the Clans and what led to this decision."
"One Jenit Sulla, leader of Clan Sulla, and known follower of Darth Cain, gave her answer. 'I remember Darth Cain once remarking upon the current state of my fellow Mandalorians when I spoke to him of the degraded state of my people. A far cry from our glorious battle hardened selves, my fellow Mandalorians have become nothing more than exiles from our own homeworld. Our great lord said that it was quite the shame, but that unless a great change came over my people, it was best to leave things be. At first I was frustrated with him. I thought how could he just mean to leave my people like this! Weak, leaderless, bereft of honor and pride! But then I realized something. Our lord had said 'unless great change came'. It took me some time to ponder over his words, but once I realized what he meant, I understood his meaning. Looking back now, I was a fool to not realize it sooner. He wanted me to become that great change! So, I took it upon myself to gather the Mandalorians under my command and seek out each of the exiled Clans. I told them of the illustrious campaigns waged by our lord Darth Cain against the Hutt ge'hutuun (1), and of how they could find honor and glory once more by joining the Dark Lord's crusade! Once they understood how fighting alongside Darth Cain in his war against the chaos of the Outer Rim could return us to glory it seemed only logical that the next step was to declare Cain Mandalore. Who else would be worthy of such a title?'"
"Questions were also asked as to how the infamous terrorist group known as the Mandalorian Death Watch would respond. Once more Jenit Sulla provided her response. 'The Death Watch? Those worthless sithspawn? Who cares about them? They lost to kriffing pacifists. Pacifists! Fighting a pacifist is like taking candy from a baby. Except at least a baby will cry and squeal when you do it. But pacifists just lay there and take it. Or do their 'non-violent protests' -feh. And that's what the Death Watch lost Mandalore to! Now all they do is hide away and prey on weaklings or conduct pathetic little terrorist attacks. Those mir'shupla (2) don't deserve to even be acknowledged as Mandalorian! I would wipe out those di'kutla (3) myself if I ever encounter them! If only Jaster Mereel's True Mandalorians hadn't lost to them.'"
"Duchess Satine's government on Mandalore was also reached for comment. This is what Prime Minister Almec had to say, 'This action by the exiled warrior clans does not represent the feelings of the Mandalorian people. We have made great efforts to promote peace and cooperation with the greater galaxy and move past our violent history. This new 'Mandalore' has no authority on our world. And his actions are entirely separate from Duchess Satine's.'"
"Duchess Satine also gave her own commentary on the matter, 'This Darth Cain and his followers represent the very thing I have been striving to move our people away from. This man allows for the broadcast of public executions and has started a new war in the Outer Rim against the Hutts! Though I share in his disgust for slavery and the criminal Hutt families, Darth Cain's actions show him to be barbaric in nature. I do not nor will I ever support war. Regardless of the cause.'"
"Our team tried to reach Darth Cain for commentary regarding his rise to the position of Mandalore. Here was Darth Cain's response while he was eating breakfast, 'How did you people get on my ship?' When asked about how he felt to be selected as the new Mandalore this is what Cain had to say, 'Say what?'"
"And that ends this news report. Now, on to our next story. Senator Ainlee Teem of the Gran Protectorate of Malastare, member of the Rim Faction, and prominent member of the unofficial Core World Corruption Investigation Committee has been found embezzling donation funds for the use of hired escorts…"
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Pre Vizsla, leader of the Death Watch snarled in anger as he listened to the latest Galactic Republic News Network broadcast.
"That bitch! She calls me di'kutla! She's di'kutla!" Pre Vizsla knocked over a table as he thought back to what Jenit Sulla had said about the Death Watch.
"What does she even know? She hasn't had to endure the humiliation of being banished from our own homeworld. Just for sticking with the traditions that our people originated from! For following the true path that all Mandalorians should aspire to! Unlike us, that Sulla and her clan have the support of an entire army! We have to struggle to support ourselves, like true warriors!" Pre paced around his private study.
"Sulla is just a spoiled little sheb'urcyin (4)." Pre spat. Mandalorians had worked with the Sith countless times in the past. Sometimes as allies, other times as mercenaries. But never direct subordinates. And certainly never by acknowledging a Sith as Mandalore!
"She's gone and turned our people into Sith pawns (5)! She's sold our people out for a little bit of favor from her master. Like a pet! I mean seriously? Cain's not even mandalorian!" Pre Vizsla wanted to take every clan leader that had voted for Cain and throttle them for their stupidity.
'And she gives praise to Jaster Mereel!' the man who'd wanted to hobble all true warriors by making them follow that idiotic Supercommando Codex. True warriors should smash aside all obstacles towards their path to greatness. And the weak deserve nothing but contempt and annihilation if need be.
"But this isn't over! Not by a longshot! I will be Mandalore, not that shabuir (6) Darth Cain!" Pre Vizsla got to work, activating a holoprojector.
"Ah, Pre Viszla, have you had time to consider my proposal?" the hooded figure of Darth Sidious, tinged blue by the hologram projector, appeared before the leader of Death Watch.
Kneeling before the image, Pre Vizsla gave a smirk. Jenit Sulla wasn't the only one who had the support of the Sith. And unlike her, he wouldn't become their pawn.
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Duchess Satine huffed, a frown on her face, as the Galactic Republic News Network broadcast ended. She'd had a great many headaches to deal with since the warrior clans had decided to name Darth Cain the new Mandalore.
Even thinking about that man infuriated her. Satine could not fathom why the galaxy seemed so obsessed with him. The man was a brute! Though Satine would not claim a high degree of familiarity with the Sith, she knew enough to recall how monstrous they had been in the recorded histories. And so far Cain was proving himself to be the violent maniac the Jedi portrayed the Sith as.
The man went hither and yon swinging his lightsaber as though he were on a crusade. Oh, he made a big show of going on about ending the slave trade; taking down the Hutt crime families, tackling piracy, and supporting poverty stricken Outer Rim worlds, but Satine saw through all of that. Darth Cain used that all as an excuse for satisfying his desire for violence. One need only look at that ghastly battleship of his, the Invincible, and the massive army he wielded for proof. The Invincible alone broke every regulation set down by the Ruusan Reformations. And now he'd assumed the title of Mandalore! That horrid title which carried its own dark and blood soaked history.
'Darth Cain can posture all he wants, he shows his true colors by claiming that title.' Satine thought.
If Cain truly cared for people of the Outer Rim, he'd not be waging a bloody campaign of conquest against the Hutt Cartels! Oh sure, some may say the Hutts deserved it, and others may say that violence was the only way to combat the Hutts. But those people would be wrong! Violence only begets violence. And in the chaos, innocent people would inevitably be caught up. How many bodies would pile up, how much blood would be spilled, how many worlds burnt to cinders before Darth Cain ended his war? If he ever ended his war. Satine was familiar enough with these types of people to know that they would never find their urge for violence satisfied.
In Satine's eyes, Cain had other options he could have taken. The Sith Lord could have worked with the Jedi to see the Hutts brought to trial and imprisoned over their numerous crimes. Cain could have worked to improve the lot of those in the Outer Rim by increasing education, setting up healthcare, tackling the economic disparities and poverty that kept the Outer Rim weak and inspired piracy, smuggling, black markets, drug-trafficking, slavery, and numerous other crimes. Instead he chose the path of a warlord.
'No matter. I will do what I can for those suffering from Cain's ruthless war. The people of the Outer Rim need someone who will fight for them now more than ever.' the Duchess of Mandalore's face was one of grim determination as she made plans for how to help those who would doubtless suffer from Darth Cain's lust for battle.
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(1): ge'hutuun: mandalorian for bandit, villain, petty thief - can also mean a serious criminal you have no respect for - abusive
(2): Mir'shupla: mandalorian for brain-damaged
(3): Bi'kutla: mandalorian for useless, stupid, worthless
(4): sheb'urcyin: mandalorian for sycophant, toady, butt-kisser
(5): Pre Vizsla, of course, remains unaware of how many times the Sith have used the Mandalorians as nothing more than pawns. Mandalore the Ultimate and Mandalore the Lesser being the biggest examples. And of course, the modern example of Sidious and Dooku using Jango Fett to clone an entire army.
(6): shabuir: mandalorian for an extreme insult - *jerk*, but much stronger
All the mandalorian words I used come from mandoa.org
I hope I managed to capture Satine well. I personally disagree that pacifism works so I'm biased against her, but I admire the ideals of those who believe in it. And I also admire that Satine stuck to her guns, regardless of all the pressures from outside that would have made it tempting for her to compromise. She tried to provide safety from the violence of the Clone Wars and I can't blame her for not wanting to be involved in them. I think she does make good points regarding the foolishness of the Clone Wars.
But I also condemn Satine as well, because under her leadership Mandalore was plagued with terrorist attacks, corruption, and crime. Then, Satine's government failed, required Galactic Republic invasion, and ended up under Galactic Empire occupation once Palpatine enacted his plans for the galaxy. The New Mandalorians failed, and Mandalore went back to their warrior ways.
Of course, some of Satine's government failures were outside of her control, like the Death Watch finding Darth Maul who helped them take over. Or the chaos of the Clone Wars making trade difficult with Mandalore.
But when Satine's senator for the Galactic Senate was a Death Watch spy, her choice for governor for the moon where she exiled all the Mandalorian warrior clans was the leader of Death Watch, her Prime Minister becomes head of the black market and ends up poisoning school children; I have to start to wonder if Satine had the capacity to pick the proper people to run her government. Or if Satine was even capable of making a functioning government.
Then of course there was the complete inability of her police and security forces to handle the criminal gangs, though again they were being led by Darth Maul, so maybe that's unfair.
Anyways, hope everyone enjoyed this news report.
Also, wanted to add if there is anyone who wants to use the Galactic Republic News Network to make their own posts, feel free to do so!
