In time, we eventually made it.

It was the largest outpost, one could see several Mandalorians surrounding it.

Looking at us with strange looks, it was clear we weren't welcome here.

Surprisingly, nobody dared to stop us, they simply moved out of the way.

I couldn't see the expression on their faces, as the vast majority of them, wore helmets and looked exactly like each other.

The ones that didn't wear helmets, most of them looked human and others were alien.

I think I saw a Zabrak or Zeltron?

It was hard to tell from a distance, they were humanoid after all, I, however, did see a Twilek, that whilst humanoid, still bore noticeable differences.

As I entered the camp of their Leader, I saw a middle-aged man, he was quite bulky and wore heavy armour.

There were a fair amount of scars on both his face and armour, with a growing beard and rough look, he looked like a seasoned war veteran.

He looked to me, as if expecting me and asked, "Ah, Sith, are you here to finally pay for the incident?".

I decided to reply, "No, rather, I challenge you on the basis of honour".

I decided to do so, as I knew that I would likely have the advantage, I was much younger and had the Force on my side.

The surrounding Mandalorians all shook, the Leader looked to me with a strange look and replied laughing, "This old bag of bones, isn't your match...."

There was a moment of silence before he began to speak once more, though in a deeper and regretful tone, "However, recently, one of our have gone rogue..."

"Rogue?". Mandalorian lived as a culture, like the Empire and the Republic, as long as their idea existed, they would live on forever, even the Hutt Cartel couldn't boast of living as a culture, they were, after all, only had Hutts as their leaders.

The Leader replied, "One of our finest, a Commander, hearing of our response to simply stop giving you soldiers, rather than declare war, decided that we weren't real Mandalorians".

He took a deep breath and continued, "Thus, he got his squad and several dozens that believed in his ideas."

I asked, "Can't you yourself deal with a renegade Commander?".

He sighed and replied, "Those several dozens were an entire third of our forces, about sixty or so men. We're left with about just over a hundred."

I was worried, I probably couldn't take on sixty Mandalorians, but another question lingered. "What about the other Mandalorian Commanders? Surely there are more than two hundred Mandalorians on Tatooine!?".

The Leader looked to me and said, "Of course, but, their Leaders are of the same rank as me, only Mandalore can command them or myself".

"But, Mandalorians will still fight together, if the renegade Commander is able to get enough support, even if I don't help him, I won't be able to help you".

I decided to then ask, "Then, what do we do?".

He replied, "We have to strike quickly if you manage to sneak inside his base and strike him down, his movement will have gained little to no power, and we can use the excuse of him defecting, as a justifiable reason to do so."

I asked, "How will I do so exactly?".

The Leader then laughed and said, "Sith, that is your own problem, not mine".

I realized, what he said was true.....

I then decided to leave, and as I left with my back towards the Leader, he spoke, "The renegade's Commander's name is Ryke Jon, he's a good kid, just disillusioned, spare him if you can."

I took a deep breath and continued, as soon as we got outside of the area, Tarvis spoke to me, "My Lord, I have a plan!".

I was surprised, but I asked, "Lieutenant, explain your plan".

He spoke to me eagerly, "I suggest challenging Commander Ryke to an honourable duel, do so under the Empire, and he will have to accept".

A good idea, though the middle-aged Leader might be able to dodge it as there was no enmity.

If it was with Commander Ryke, he would have to accept it, otherwise, it would be a show of weakness in front of his followers.

Walking on, we saw some sand people, but when they saw us, they immediately ran.

Jawas were also common, they travelled, near, but not close to us, as did some Imperial transports.

Eventually, we made it to a small base, there were plenty of Mandalorians there, it was a small base and it didn't seem to fit in everyone.

There, I shouted out, "Commander Ryke! I come to you on behalf of the Empire!".

A young man came out, he seemed to be only the age of Tarvis, maybe my age actually.

His armour seemed new and just cleaned, I could see a fire in his eyes, at the same disgust towards me.

He spoke in a mocking tone, "Sith.... The Empire says you are one to be feared by many".

I replied, "The Empire, speaks the truth, the Sith embody the truth".

He replied, "I am Commander Ryke, and I ask you Sith, are you like the Imperial dogs? Afraid and unwilling to fight against us?".

I put my hands together and looked straight at him and said, "Commander Ryke, if you're like that, then I challenge you to an honourable duel, if I win, the Empire will play tenfold, if I lose, you will join the Empire".

Commander Ryke smiled and replied, "You will not fight me, but rather, a brother...."

Suddenly appearing, there was a trandoshan taller than two metres and carrying a vibroblade, almost as large as himself.

I asked mockingly, "Does the great Commander Ryke, fear the Sith? The crusaders of the Empire?".

Commander Ryke didn't speak, but rather the trandoshan did in his tongue, "Sith, I am an orphan due to your war the Republic, your people will pay for displacing me from my family!".

Thankfully, I grew up, learning languages, though most species spoke Galactic Basic Standard, trandoshans spoke in their own tongue, as did wookies and some rodians.

Aridal, however, seemed surprised and didn't know what was happening, Tarvis however, seemed to understand it.

He screamed and he ran towards me, I got out of my lightsaber and told Aridal and Tarvis, "move back".

They did so, I got my lightsaber ready, I stood still, as he tried to slice me, it was as if time froze, I simply blocked his attack with my lightsaber.

Because of that, his vibroblade simply was sliced through.

The trandoshan tried again and again to attack, but I simply used the lightsaber to block, until his vibroblade was only now a stick.

He then tried to punch me, but I dodged and got beneath him, but, I put my lightsaber off.

And I put it to his stomach and the trandoshan froze in fear.

I took this chance and said loudly, "A single flick of my lightsaber switch, and you would die, but such a warrior like yourself, should be serving the Empire".

I backed off and looked at Commander Ryke, then the trandoshan asked, "Sith, why did you give me mercy?".

"Tell me, trandoshan, when was the last time you killed?".

The trandoshan replied, "Last month, I slew a beast, a small size, unworthy, but the only one".

I smiled inside and said, "Such a small beast is impossible to brag about, do you not wish to fight against many to earn on the behalf of the Scorekeeper?".

The trandoshan asked, "Scorekeeper....Why does it sound so familiar....My family!"

In trandoshan tongue, nobody else except for me, and I think Tarvis and Commander Ryke understood that.

I looked to Commander Ryke and asked, "Will you join the Empire? Or perish, stuck on this desert planet, what can you do here Mandalorians?".

Some of the Mandalorians cheered, and I continued, "What honour is there to be found here? Among the criminal and pirate scum, surely you are better than them!".

More Mandalorians shouted and I said, "Are you simple mercenaries, or Mandalorians?".

Everyone cheered and Commander Ryke looked to me and said, "Sith, you have proven your worth with your victory against my brother, and you have shown your honour with your speech, but I will not work under Imperial dogs, if it is in battle I go, a glorious and honourable one I will go in".

The Mandalorians themselves cheered once more, and Commander Ryke seemed to be more mature, I then replied, "As it should be......"

He then tossed to me a medallion while saying, "Sith, give this to War Leader Yonte, they and myself, will immediately depart to join the Empire!".

I replied, "Moff Yeron, isn't like those other Imperial dogs, he is no foolish Planterary Governor, on my name, Shaange, I can assure you, that it is better to die gloriously and honourably for the Empire than to simply stay on a desert planet".

Then departing, I went to the Leader, who is actually War Leader Yonte, as I did, I came to him and said, "War Leader Yonte, I have returned and here."

War Leader Yonte looked to me in surprise, but also worry as he asked, "Sith, I suppose, he didn't agree."

"No, rather, I have convinced him to join the Empire, staying on this desert planet doing nothing is a waste".

War Leader Yonte smiled and looked to me saying, "Indeed it is, I wonder why you are here...."

I didn't say anything, as he himself said something, "Anyway, thank you Sith, Commander Ryke, will definitely serve the Empire well...."

Looking at each other, for a few seconds, I simply left, and the day had almost passed.

Tomorrow, I would go to the Jundland Wastes to the Oasis, by myself.

But, first I would speak to Moff Yeron.