Author's Notes: Thanks for the comments. I'm trying to work them in, but I've started shaping the story now. I've decided I want it chock full of Mandalorians and HK assassin droids. However, I won't skimp at all on th e philisophical stuff either.

I'll also make a few things about the back-story clear. I'm writing under the assumption that Revan was a light-side male, and that he had to slay Bastilla to get to Malak. I'm also writing under the assumption that the Exile was a dark-side female. I'm also writing under the assumption that much of the cut content still existed in the game (like the droid factory quest on Telos, for example). I'll try to catch you up when I refer to cut content, but if something is confusing you when I refer to the Exile's actions or companions, that's possibly why.

Chapter 1:Captured

Our story begins during the second Mandalorian wars. With the absence of Jedi, the Republic was in a fragile state, and its enemies saw this as an opportunity to overthrow the democratic government. The newly restored Mandalorian order of Dxun, led by Mandalore Canderous Ordo, was the first to strike. He led his armies, in an alliance with Onderon's monarch, King Vaklu, into head on battle to reclaim the honor of the Mandalorian people, and free Onderon from "continued unwelcome Republic interventions."

The thing that ultimately saved the Republic was likely Mandalore's employment of the HK series assassin droids. Their blood lust knew no bounds, which often left them "inadvertently" slaying Republic soldiers in cowardly, excessively violent ways. It put them on ends with Mandalore's goals, and he was forced to remove them from his service.

HK-series assassin droids are programmed to kill, and don't look kindly on commands that conflict with that programming. The only non-violent programming they have instructs them to obey their masters and allow no harm to come to their masters or themselves. With Mandalore no longer in charge of them, they were free to destroy him with extreme prejudice.

Thus the second Mandalorians wars turned so that they excluded the Republic as a battle between the Mandalorians and the assassin droids, with Onderon a reluctant ally to the Mandalorians. That is not to say the Republic was entirely uninvolved. The assassin droids' base of operations was on Telos. Telos, as you'll know if you studied your histories correctly, was a staple world to the Republic at that time. In fact, Darth Bodon's final wholesome act before being corrupted by Darth Traya was to aid the restoration of Telos. The Assasin droids also operated on several other Republic controlled worlds, meaning that the battle was often on the Republic's front door. They couldn't help but be involved a little.

Still, the father of our generation of Jedi did not come from the Republic; not immediately anyway. He was, of all things, a Mandalorian. At the beginning of our story, he is a foot soldier in the Mandalorian infantry.

"FOR MANDALORE," he screamed, announcing his presence to the HK-51 droids that littered the valley below. General Jason Fett had ordered his troops to begin the full assault that would eventually come to be called, "The Blood-for-Oil Massacre." And the father of the modern Jedi, known then as Heran Tuttock, was eager to feel the thrill that comes in battle.

"Exasperated Query: Did you hear something?"

"Explanation: My censors have picked up a throng of Mandalorian foot-soldiers running down the mountains. It is likely they are attempting to enter our base."

"Mockery: I'm a Mandalorion! I'm going to consume my energy running down the valley for a melee attack when blaster fire would be much more effective!"

The assassin droids turned on their guns, warming them for the impending slaughter.

The Mandalorians organized their military government to give Mandalore as much control as possible. Mandalore is at the top of the army pyramid, followed by seven regional generals, to whom he gives his orders. Each regional general has seven militia generals beneath him, who has a differing number of colonels below them, and so on down the ranks. Commands are passed from Mandalore like waves through the ranks, with each army behaving as Mandalore commands them. Although this does give the Mandalorians a brilliant military leader in charge of all combat, it does often leave them making mistakes, such as rushing down a valley into a series of land mines set to protect the assassin droids' military base.

12 Mandalorians died by treading on land mines. Their brethren, seeing their fallen comrades, quickly altered their strategy. Not their pace; just their strategy. They tread in places where the landmines had already been set, and fired their blasters toward the ground immediately in front of them before treading on. This gave the assassin droids the added advantage of having enemies that aren't firing on them. Their guns ready, the HK droids began to fire on their prey.

Mandalorian armor is heavy enough that only 6 were killed by the fire, 12 disabled, and 35 wounded in all before they were close enough to begin theirmelee strike. Hean Tuttock was the first to make it over. He leaped into the air, jumping over top the assassin droid immediately in front of him, slicing him across the skull as he went. He jabbed his Vibroblade into the would be stomach of the droid immediately behind the one he had previously sliced, and whipped out the duel blasters he carried with him. He fired on any droids in sight, although this proved less fatal than his blade had. He heard one sneaking up behind him. Quickly, he withdrew his blade from the defeated assassin droid and swung at the one behind him.

Suddenly, black. He'd felt this before. Although he was too young to have fought in the first Mandalorian war, he had been knocked out several times in the battle circle. He tried to resist, but unconsciousness overcame him.

Heran awoke in a prison cell, dazed, and apparently chained. He had been stripped of his armor, weapons and other possessions, left with only his undergarments. He struggled to break free, but he was currently too weak to break his chains.

"Observation," said the droid watching him, "I have been watching you dream. It is a most curious thing to behold. For some reason, you lament the loss of life.

"Explanation: It is curious because I was led to believe that Mandalorians understood that joy can only be achieved at the expense of other lives.

"Query: Are you dysfunctional?"

Heran lifted his head. It was a surprisingly difficult task, revealing that he was unfed. He must have been out for days.

"What's it to you, droid?"

"Explanation: You are my prisoner. As such, it is my duty to extract what information I can from you and then destroy you. If you have no information to extract, I would very much like to skip to the second part."

"I will give you no such pleasure, droid. I am a Mandalorian. I will die in the heat of battle; not in a cell."

"Irritated Response: Your wish to die can be easily granted. All I need from you is the location of your Mandalore."

The droid was obviously toying with him. I should toy back, Heran decided.

"Don't you know anything, droid? Mandalore commands his armies from Dxun."

"Rebuttal: That is not so. We have captured the base and Dxun, and Mandalore was not there."

"You must have the wrong base then."

"Irritated Rebuttal: Onderon's moon has been purged of Madalorian presence. You are aware of this. That is why you attacked us here. Another more... fragile of your companions has revealed the details of your operations here."

"You lie."

"Irritated Exclamation: He died before we were able to extract the location of your leader. Our need to extract that information is the only reason I am not torturing you now.

"Interrogation: Where is your leader, Mandalorian?"

Heran spat on the droid.

"Depressed Declaration: It is obvious you know more than you are telling me. I will return when my superiors realize that your death is more important than that information."

The droid left, muttering something about, "organic impotence." Heran dropped his head, in order to conserve his energy for his escape.

A female voice spoke from the distance. "You're a Mandalorian?" it asked. Heran didn't lift his head, but he still managed to give a resounding, "Yes."

"I've read about your people," the unidentified female said. "You're supposed to have a code of ethics based entirely around battle. I assumed that meant the more death, the more glory."

"That is a gross oversimplification," Heran spat. "True, Mandalorians don't see death with the same gravity as most people, but neither did the Jedi. Still, it is obvious the Jedi valued life.

"Mandalorians view life as something to be preserved, but also as something to be challenged. Life unchallenged is life wasted. Our goal is to challenge our lives through battle, and provide others the same opportunity."

"There are things far more challenging than battle," the female announced.

"Yeah, like what? What could possibly be more challenging than survival in the cross hairs of an Aratech scope?"

"Query: Who are you addressing?"

The droid had come back, this time bearing food. Heran was appreciative of his captors' willingness to provide both the time and the nutrition he would need for his eventual escape.

"Threat: If you do not answer, I may inadvertently cause you the harm I so dearly wish to inflict upon you."

"I'm talking you your other prisoner. Why haven't you shut her up? How do you know she hasn't told me all your plans?"

"Contradiction: I assure you, there is nobody here but you and me. If we had other prisoners to extract information from, you would be in far more pain."

Heran was confused. He wasn't starved enough to be having hallucinations. "I heard someone in the cell next to mine."

"Wishful Query: Are you sure you are not dysfunctional? Please inform me if your are insane; I would very much like to blast you open."