CLAN BEDU
One of the more elusive Mandalorian clans is Clan Bedu.
At first glance, the members of Clan Bedu are almost indistinguishable from any other Mandalorian. It is only upon closer inspection that one may realize they are unique.
Those of Clan Bedu do not paint their armor according to personal taste or with the symbolism many other Mandalorian's attribute to the color of their armor. Always at least two-toned, Members of Clan Bedu paint their armor to be camouflaged. It often matches the wilderness of the planet they are currently on, or the colors of the city they are in. The bare no crest on their armor, instead wearing a simple necklace with the clan symbol, a leaf from an unknown tree, around their necks, under their armor.
They always carry a long-rifle, most typically a slug-thrower. This rifle is custom made by every member of Clan Bedu upon their coming of age. No two rifles are exactly the same, and they can be as much of a work of art, as they are a deadly weapon.
What makes those of Clan Bedu stand out most however, at least upon first glance, is the fact that not a single member of the clan uses a jet-pack. While jet-pack use is not universal among Mandalorians, few clans completely eschew their use the way Clan Bedu does.
The members of Clan Bedu prefer the use of stealth above the mobility offered by jet-packs. They prefer attacking from a distance, and are among the finest long-rage snipers in the galaxy. That is not to say they are not lethal and mid or close range, they often carry other weapons upon their person besides their rifles, but it is at long range that the skills of Clan Bedu shine. Often they have taken their shot, eliminated their target, and vanished...without being seen.
Members of Clan Bedu take pride in their abilities as marksman, and their ability to go unseen by others.
With that said, they are also one of the more conservative Mandalorian Clans. Rarely do members of Clan Bedu remove their armor or helmet in front of strangers. It is not forbidden, but it is rarely done.
Also of note about Clan Bedu are their prized varactyls. Acquired generations ago, the Bedu have bred their varactyls into a distinct breed, simply known as Bedu Varactyls. Smaller than the Utapaun Varactyls the are descended from, the Bedu Varactyls have been bred for endurance and speed, as well as intelligence and loyalty, most Bedu prefer to travel upon their varactyls rather than speeder. Those that travel the galaxy often do so in customized freighters, large enough to bring their personal varactyl with them.
The varactyls form deep bonds with their riders, to the point they may refuse any other rider, and will viciously defend their rider to the death. It is not unusual for a Bedu Varactyl to starve to death after the lose loss of their rider. The Bedu themselves tend to be very protective of their varactyls, and have refused all offers from outsiders to purchase them.
I had the privilege to enjoy a week among the Bedu within their main compound of Bedu, the planet they call home and from which they take their name. Their clan head, who was granted the title of chief, was willing to answer some, though not all of my questions. This was only possible as I was returning Chief Telcontar's son, Will, home after he had been captured and sold by slavers.
The Bedu are raised alongside their varactyls, often forming a close bond with one in particular before the beast accepts them as their rider. Aside from marksmanship, and stealth, the children of the Bedu are often trained in knife and sword combat, as well as field-craft, and tracking. They tend to prefer slug-throwers as their noise can be suppressed, and there is no bright bolt of light to give away their position. Even at closer rangers, they tend to prefer slug-throwing pistols as opposed to blasters, like their rifles these are often custom made by the Bedu in question.
Chief Telcontar allowed me to examine his personal rifle.
It was a long rifle, 180 centimeters in length, including a built in suppressor. It was a heavy weapon designed to fire a 13mm round. Breach loaded, it could only be hold one round at a time, but it was robust enough to double as a club. The butt and stock were inlaid with silver in a branching, leafing, design I cannot find words to adequately explain.
In contrast, though I did not get the opportunity to examine it, Telcontar's wife, Liv, carried a shorter (though only in comparison to her husbands rifle), triple-barreled rifle.
These were just the two rifles I got to personally see up close. In a practical shooting competition, I saw breech-loading, bolt-action, revolving, and semi-automatic rifles used, of varying calibers, and even one muzzle-loaded rifle. A few rifles even had beskar bayonets permanently attached to them.
Aside from the shooting competition, I was permitted to see a varactyl race, which proved to be a very popular event among the Bedu themselves. Telcontar expressed regret that he could not show me his personal varactyl in action since, as chief, he was forbidden to compete in the race as accidents can and did occasionally happen. He still had no problems boasting of Abelard, as he had named his varactyl.
He claimed that the Bedu preferred the use of varactyl to jet-packs because of the fact a varactyl could sense danger better than they themselves could. The companionship when traveling along was also helpful.
Before I left the Bedu Clan, I was gifted a slug-throwing pistol, made by Telcontar himself, to express his thanks for the rescue of his son. I doubt I will ever actually use it, as I find my lightsaber to be a weapon I am much more comfortable with. But it is still a beautiful weapon that I felt unable to turn down for fear of offending the chief. Double barreled in the over/under style, it is only about 30 centimeters long, with pearl grip handles inlaid with a mosaic design. A breach loader, it holds only the two shots in each barrel, both chambered in 13mm.
Since I doubt I will ever have need of it, and it is unseemly for a Jedi to accept such a gift for themselves, I have decided to give the weapon to the Chief Archivist, to be placed in the Jedi Archives.
This clan began as my thoughts on what Ranger's, from many fantasy genre's would become if transplanted into the Star Wars universe. I ended up using elements from several sources, such as The Rangers Apprentice series of books, my knowledge of the Bedouin people (specifically their Jezail rifles), and my own thoughts on what Rangers should be like, in adapting Rangers into the Star Wars universe
