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"Alright, we're waiting on Miss Ginger and the Jedi to get their vessels into position...The moment they do we are engaging as fast as possible," Archaras said, glancing at his screens and hoping they would get into position ASAP...

Yolee qued the comm on Vera's ship. "We're all set here."

(Enter:Mandalore)

While Elladan Kenet made preperations for his eventual assault on Garos IV, a rather interesting turn of events was about to take place. With Kathleen refueling at Duros and Detre busy elsewhere, the chiss found another ally in a rather strange place: right under his nose.

"Sir, I have a priority one message from an incoming vessel. Correlian make; seems to be a YT-2800, with some non-typical modifications," Sven called from the nearest comm unit. "Hailing signature is the Crucible."

"Acknowledged," the self-appointed commander replied. "Let's here it."

Gradually, the chiss's private holocomm came on, revealing a tall Mandalorian decked to the most in heavy mandalorian battle garb. One could spot no less than three rifles, two pistols, a disentergrator, a belt of thermals, and a vibroknnife. "Commander Elshae'ken'etnuruodu, this is Mandalore the Crusader. I demand direct conference with you."

"You already have it," Elladan answered. "How can I help you.... Mandalore?"

"Yes, Mandalore. I've come to claim my right."

"Your right?" the chiss asked, intrigued. "I was under the impression there were already two Mandalores, one too many. You're a third? This is preposterous."

"I assure you, I am he. Let me aboard."

The chiss looked to Sven, then nearby to his lone Mandalorian guard, who was temporarily replacing Detre. "Give him clearance. I'll meet him in the hangar."

It was all over the feed within minutes. Mandalore the Conquerer was challenged to the battle circle, and everyone expected him to lose. No amount of treason would give him would he was about to earn.

A day after he arrived, the new Mandalore publically announced his challenge to Mandalore the Conquerer, and challenged him to the Battle Circle. Shorlty after, the two enemies were brought before the Council to verify his claims.

"You demand battle circle of the d'armanda?" the council head asked, warily weighing the two men before him, one in full armor, the other minus his helment.

"I vore his challenge," the Conquerer replied. "If he has business, let it be carried out."

"Glad to hear he accepts death," the other added.

"You're willing to accept this?" the councilor asked.

"How can I not? To deny would remove what Ka'rta I have left."

"If there is any!"

"Silence!" one of the others asked. "You're want for vengeance is understandable, but it will not be easily sated. Mandalore the Conquerer has wronged us greatly, and he has earned his death."

"However," the leader added. "His death is not ready to be carried out."

"Osik!" the Crusader exclaimed. "He is Mir'osik!"

"Udesii! He will receive his punishment." The elder Mandalorian turned to the conquerer, who's gray hair was greased with worry. "He will die after his need is carried out."

"What need?" they both demanded.

"A simple task," one of the others answered. "We've received the reports from Dxun. They are willing to return to the Aliit when the Conquerer is publically executed and shamed. We believe, however, he has not earned death in battle. We want you, therefore, to assume a task for us."

"What kind of task?"

"Some reports have indicated that the Mandalorians who masterminded the rebellion, as well as your beloved enemy, still lives. We want you to find them and end the threat. In return," she turned to the Crusader. "He will be given ultimate shame. You will have your fight with him, and you will all but kill him. A prisoner will be replaced with his body, and will receive the glorious, traitorous public death he has not yet earned, to apease the masses. When his job is done, he will return to us for his own execution in the prisoner's place, bereft of all honor. Is that fine?"

The man didn't like it one bit. "How can we trust him to return?"

"We'll have our commandos watch over his movements if need be. None but us will know his identity, and pending he lives through his penance, his life will be forfeit to you."

At this, he relented. "Fine. The D'armanda can have his trial and execution. All I want is his armor. Dump the corpse on some planet for all I care, but he loses his armor and weapons."

"Then it is done.'

Two days later, the holonet feed was invited to the public ceremony in Mandalore Square. The vast, stone plaza was the sight of the magnificent Tribute Alter, where hundreds of thousands of d'armanda and enemies were publically executed. Before the vast pedestal was the ancient Battle Circle, the first one, or so the scholars claimed. It was said that on this spot, in the year 7000 BBY, that Mandalore the First conquered Mandalore and brought order to the warring clans.

Now it would be the testing grounds between two rival mandalores, one alleged, and one traitor.

"He who has the most honor will demand the weaponry," Head Councilor Troja stated to the watching masses. "Mandalore the Crusader."

The new warrior stepped forward, decked in all his armor, and with all of his weapons. He set aside his disruptor pistol and blaster rifles, and then pulled out his final rifle and set it in his arms. "He can use whatever he wants. The traitor will lose regardless of what I use."

The other man nodded, and pulled out his blaster carbine and his gauntlet blades. His own disruptor lay disguarded long ago in prison. "Fine."

The two circled each other for several moments, the crowd jeering at both as they stared each other down. Moments later, MtConquerer lunged. The Crusader simply dodged to the side and leveled his blaster at the man's chest and pulled the trigger. The elder man took the hit with a grunt, as he swiped with his blade and nearly decapitated the other. However, the younger man had the benefits of added strength and reflex, and easily dodged the bold move, while leveling a blow at the man's arm. "Pathetic."

"Don't mock me!" The older mandalore lunged again, and nearly took off the man's arm, armor and all, but the man simply ducked, and plowed through the man, flipping him over, and leveling another shot at his chest. "Agh..."

"I expected more from a Mandalore. Methinks you stole the title from that poor fool you incinerated on Dxun. I'm sure he'd love to see you die."

"I will not die!" The man offered a rifle shot, but the Crusader simply dodged and shot the man's rifle with his blaster, disabling it.

"Oh, I think you will. These good Mandalores came to see you die, and they will."

The two continued battling for several minutes, exchanging taunts and blows, but it soon became obvious who the winner was. In a final clash, MtConquerer lunged, and was quickily grappled into a his PWRGRIP arms, where his helment was clenched off like a nutshell, and was shot point-blank with a neural-poison, effectivelly paralyzing him. Once the man was stunned, the victor stripped off the man's armor like a kaminoan clawfish shell. He then held the limp body for everyone to see. "Behold your d'armanda!"

With nomore effort than it takes to toss a ragdoll, he threw the man faceforward into a trashpile. Unbeknowingst to the audience, a covert droid-replica servant took the unconscious Mandalore and replaced it with the barely alive doppleganger. The Crusader fetched the look-alike, with everyone not knowing for the worse. With hardly any regard, he hauled the man up to the execution area and strung him up by vibrocords. "By this act, I proclaim myself Mandalore the Crusader! I have beaten your leader, and claimed his title."

With no respect, he lifted the man's helment, the prized visor of Mandalore the Conquerer, and crushed it in his fist. "I demand all Mandalore heed my demand, obey their Mandalore, and here my call to arms! We will root out these d'armanda, kill them all, and end this rebellion once and for all!"

And so the execution of Mandalore the Conquerer began. The man was tied up by his hands and feet, and stripped naked, and whipped to near-death. He was then burned alive, his screams tearing through the plaza like raging venom snakes. Next, his innards were let loose, and thrown out to awaiting predators in a cage. Then his heart was ripped out of his chest, and his head decapitated, and the rest of his body torn to pieces and hauled to each corner of the city, and eventually the Empire.

The traitorous death Mandalore the Conquerer could not quite earn.

Zell openned up a comm to the Aldera Ballet"This is Zell, whats going on?"He asked. He hadn't known it would take Graan this long to fix the ship, and now that it was, he was probably to late for any sort of help.