Search for Mandalore's Mask

In 3960 BBY Jedi Knights Revan and Malak hid the ancient ceremonial war mask, Mandalore's Mask, in the Sith Lord Dramath the Second's tomb on the Outer Rim planet Rekkiad. Six years later the surviving Mandalorian clans—left over from their war with the Galactic Republic—gathered on Rekkiad to search for the Mask, the key to their honor and power. The redeemed Jedi Master Revan, under the alias Avner, and Mandalorian mercenary Canderous Ordo journeyed to Rekkiad to aid Clan Ordo in the search.

During the search Revan—led by his memory of when Malak and him were last on Rekkiad—persuaded Clan Ordo to move into Clan Jendri's territory in search of the mask. They set up camp and were attacked the next morning. Outnumbering Clan Ordo two to one, Jendri's forces attacked their campsite while their Basilisk war droid pilots razed the battlefield from above, pinning down the invaders. Veela Ordo, Canderous' wife, led her clan into battle, while Revan deduced Clan Jendri's strategy and created a diversion using his lightsaber to attack the Jendri's Basilisks. His diversion allowed six Clan Ordo pilots, including Canderous, to make their way safely to their own Basilisk mounts. Revan managed to damage one of Jendri's Basilisks and slew the pilot when he flew back around to get a bead on the Jedi Master. During the distraction Canderous and five other pilots of Clan Ordo got their Basilisks into the air and proceeded to attack the remaining Jendri pilots. Quickly realizing that they were outnumbered, the remaining Jendri pilots abandoned the battlefield and the battle was quickly turned into a rout. Some of the remaining Jendri troops broke rank soon after and those that remained were slaughtered by Clan Ordo.

Clan Ordo celebrated their victory late into the night, building a funeral pyre for the fallen, honoring their memories through songs and a feast, and grieving for their fallen comrades. The following day Revan—led by another memory—narrowed down the location of the mask to one of the Twin Spears, a pair of columns of ice several kilometers tall, with flat plateaus on top.

They climbed the spear and when they reached the top, Revan and Ordo found the entrance to the secret chamber and the tomb of the Sith Lord Dramath the Second and investigated the chamber. They found Mandalore's Mask inside Dramath's sarcophagus. Shortly after finding the mask, Ordo's wife Veela Ordo and five Mandalorians ambushed him and Revan. Veela revealed that she knew Revan's identity and pleaded to Ordo that he break his loyalty to Revan and reclaim his place in Clan Ordo as their leader, and his rightful place at her side. Ordo stated that he couldn't break his loyalty to Revan and pleaded to Veela and the others to stand down. With neither side backing down, Veela and her Mandalorians opened fire on Revan and Ordo. With no other choice left, Ordo and Revan fought for their lives. After a brief firefight Revan and Ordo were forced to kill Veela and the five other Mandalorians.

After finding the mask the next day Revan told Ordo about how the Mandalorian Wars truly began and of how an emissary of the hidden Sith Empire manipulated Mandalore the Ultimate into invading the Galactic Republic. After telling Ordo the story Revan told him that he didn't know the identify of the Sith nor what he was after, but he did know that the Sith knew the Mandalorian invasion would fail and that the war would destroy the warriors. Ordo speculated that if the Sith were planing another invasion, they would be forced to come through Mandalorian space first and that the Sith were trying to get rid of the Mandalorians. Revan agreed that it was possible but also mentioned that the Sith could have been trying to twist the beliefs and culture of the Mandalorians in hopes that they would join them. Revan then asked him to stay behind, become the new leader of the Mandalorians and protect the remaining Mandalorians and the Republic from the threat of the Sith. After hearing Revan out Ordo donned the mask and proclaimed himself Mandalore the Preserver and vowed that he would restore honor and glory to his people.

The search for Mandalore's Mask first appeared in Drew Karpyshyn's novel The Old Republic: Revan, which was released on November 15, 2011.

• The Essential Reader's Companion