Now fully equipped and prepared for their mission, the three Mandalorian Protectors departed the forge and returned to their ship.
"So, Ordo," Tobi said, glancing at Dax. "Weren't you born there, Dax?"
Dax shook his head. "No, my father was from that world. I was actually born here on Concord Dawn."
"Really?" Fennec asked with curiosity.
Despite being close friends with Fennec and Tobi, Dax had never really discussed his past in detail. He had revealed only fragments over the years, mostly keeping his history to himself. He had joined the Protectors shortly after their formation, quickly becoming trusted allies with Spar, Fennec, and Tobi, and establishing himself as an exemplary Protector.
He was a fierce warrior in combat, and Dax made it a habit to catch some sleep whenever he had downtime before missions.
Still, he was their trusted brother-in-arms, and they knew that when the situation became critical, Dax would be right there beside them, blaster ready, prepared to fight.
"Tell me something, Fennec, Tobi," Dax said after a moment of contemplative silence as their ship traveled through hyperspace. "What is Mandalore actually like?"
"Hmm?" Tobi looked at him with surprise. "What? You've never been to Mandalore?"
"No. I've only seen holos of our homeworld."
"How to describe it... I'd say it's all pretense," Fennec said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"Pretense?"
"On the surface, it appears peaceful and prosperous—everything the Duchess has been promoting for the past several years. Clean cities, a model for many neutral systems to emulate. However, she's willfully ignored the underlying corruption. The black market dealers, the growing resistance movements."
"That doesn't sound particularly stable," Dax observed.
"It's not," Fennec shook his head. "I understand she wants peace—believe me, I get that. But attempting to change our fundamental way of life so drastically, so quickly? It's unsustainable."
"We are Mandalorians," Tobi stated matter-of-factly. "Our culture is built on being warriors."
Dax nodded in agreement, understanding the full scope of their predicament. He was well aware that Mandalore itself remained under the control of the New Mandalorians, as they called themselves—people who now claimed to be "pacifist" and "peaceful."
The only reason Duchess Satine had gained power initially was because enough influential families and clans had grown weary of constant warfare and desired stability. Those who supported her were able to swing the political vote in Satine's favor, leading directly to the current situation.
However, it wasn't difficult to see how limited this pacifist sentiment actually was. Only Mandalore itself had embraced this new ideology. All other worlds within Mandalorian space continued following the traditional ways.
While the Protectors had started with only about two hundred members, their numbers had grown steadily in recent months as warriors from various clans—as well as outcasts—joined their cause.
The foundlings represented the future of their people and needed to be protected and properly trained.
"Actually, I heard an interesting rumor before we departed," Fennec said, leaning forward as his two companions focused on him. "Apparently the Duchess's sister refused to support her pacifist cause before the new regime took control of Mandalore."
"Really?" Dax was genuinely surprised by this information. "Do you know who she is?"
Fennec shook his head. "There wasn't time to learn more details. But it suggests her regime isn't as unified as it appears."
"Agreed," Dax and Tobi said simultaneously.
The journey to Ordo was shorter than their previous return trip from their last mission. Once in the system, Tobi piloted their ship toward the clan homeworld from which the entire system took its name.
Ordo was primarily a desert world with minimal vegetation. The main agricultural regions were located near the equator, where most permanent settlements could be found.
Landing outside a small farming community, the Protectors disembarked and headed directly toward the settlement. Few people were visible in the streets, which wasn't necessarily unusual, but they could immediately tell something was seriously wrong.
Market stalls everywhere showed damage, with goods scattered or missing entirely. Houses and other buildings bore obvious signs of vandalism and looting.
As soon as they entered the town proper, several residents spotted them and instinctively reached for blasters at their sides. Though they relaxed somewhat upon closer inspection, one human male recognized them immediately.
"Mandalorians," he greeted with obvious relief. "A surprise, but certainly a welcome one."
"What's the situation here?" Fennec asked without preamble.
"Raiders," a woman replied flatly, looking thoroughly exhausted. "For the past several weeks, the bastards have been terrorizing settlements across Ordo."
"Raiders?" Tobi said, removing his helmet to reveal a clearly visible scowl. "What kind of pirates?"
"Mercenaries, based on their equipment," said the man who had first addressed them, his expression showing obvious disgust.
"They would dare attack Ordo so brazenly?" Dax asked, anger creeping into his voice.
"Where are the warriors protecting this world?" Fennec demanded. "Are there no Mandalorians stationed on this planet?"
"We are all Mandalorians," the woman said, puffing out her chest with pride before deflating moments later.
"But that's the problem," interjected another male voice—this one younger, appearing to be in his late teens.
"What happened?" Dax stepped forward. "How could Ordo, a world we all hold in such high regard, be plagued by common raiders?"
The older male spoke with obvious bitterness. "Those foolish pacifists have been so focused on consolidating their control over Mandalore that the rest of Mandalorian space has been left to defend itself."
All three Protectors tensed with anger at the mention of the New Mandalorians. How could they have allowed this to happen?
They knew that Mandalorian space was effectively divided into competing factions, but it was insulting that mere raiders had become such a persistent problem.
"Where are these pirates located now?" Fennec asked with deadly intent.
"Not far from this settlement. Maybe a few kilometers in that direction," the older male said, pointing toward the left as the Protectors followed his gaze. "See that compound on the hilltop? You'll find them there."
"Understood. Stay inside your homes for safety," Fennec ordered.
"You think we'd be stupid enough to do otherwise?" the woman replied sarcastically.
The others nodded grimly as the Mandalorian Protectors made their way toward the structure atop the hill. As they advanced upward, they found themselves surrounded by tall grass that provided useful concealment for their approach.
They had come to this world searching for clues about their missing comrade, but instead found themselves confronting a group of pathetic raiders who had the audacity to target Ordo.
The three warriors decided these criminals needed to learn a harsh lesson.
The Protectors had been formed to reunite the Mandalorians under a single, legitimate banner as a unified people. Yet here they were on a world of great prestige and historical significance, finding it unable to deal with common mercenaries.
This was how far the Mandalorians had fallen.