Timeline 3: The Return of the Mandalorians

Well, I said that there would be another timeline (or, to be more precise, Sean did). But first we have the first three pages of the second act of the Threat of Peace comic. Here is the official news:

The tenth issue of Threat of Peace™ marks the start of the second chapter of the story, taking us to the embattled world of Balmorra where Republic forces are receiving word that the planet has been ceded to the Sith Empire under the terms of the Treaty of Coruscant. Even as the local commander shares his withdrawal orders with his troops, Jedi Knight Fortris Gall shrugs off his orders to rescue a squad of captured Republic soldiers.

Check out the latest issue of Threat of Peace now.

Seems like they're pressing home the news that you can dual wield lightsabers (which they also did at the E3 demonstration as several sources report). I wonder where this will go.

But of course the biggest news today is the new Timeline, titled "The Return of the Mandalorians". Here is the official news:

The Keeper of the Jedi Archives has entered a new holorecord. Continuing his investigation, Master Gnost-Dural delves deeper into the history of the galaxy after discovering that the blockade that Hylo Visz helped end was a result of the actions of the new Mandalore.

BTC 8 – During a Republic resurgence in the Great War, a bold young warrior rose to fame in the Gladiatorial arenas on Geonosis. Adopting the ancient and infamous title of Mandalore, this young leader amassed an army of Mandalorian mercenaries and bounty hunters. The new Mandalore led his forces to form a blockade and challenge the Jedi Order, effectively turning the tide of the war back in the Sith Empire’s favor.

Watch the third Timeline holorecord, The Return of the Mandalorians, narrated by actor Lance Henriksen.

You can also download a high resolution version of this video.

The timeline talks about how the blockade that the smugglers broke through got formed in the first place with the rise of a new Mandalore leading a new army of Mandalorians. Here is the full text:

MANDALORIANS.

TRAINED FROM BIRTH TO FIGHT IN BATTLE, THEIR BODIES ARE HONED INTO KILLING MACHINES.

THESE INDEPENDENT WARRIOR-NOMADS HAVE CHALLENGED THE JEDI FOR CENTURIES.

THE MANDALORIANS EMBRACE CONFLICT AND ADMIRE STRENGTH. BUT THEY ARE DIFFERENT FROM OUR DARK COUNTERPARTS. THEY ARE NOT LIKE THE SITH.

MANDALORIANS BELIEVE CONFRONTATION IS REQUIRED FOR GROWTH — ON THE PERSONAL, AS WELL AS THE CULTURAL LEVEL.

WAR IS THE MANDALORIANS’ WAY OF LIFE. COMBINED WITH THEIR THIRST FOR CONQUEST, IT MAKES THEM UNDENIABLY DANGEROUS.

HOWEVER, WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEIR COMMITMENT TO SELF-IMPROVEMENT IS NOT UNLIKE OUR OWN…

AND THERE IS EVEN SOMETHING RESPECTABLE ABOUT THEIR RUGGED SENSE OF HONOR.

BUT THEY ARE NOT OUR FRIENDS.

THE MANDALORIANS’ ALLEGIANCE TO OUR ENEMIES HAS COST US DEARLY.

AFTER THE SITH EMPIRE’S INITIAL ONSLAUGHT, STAR SYSTEMS CONTINUED TO FALL, UNTIL THE JEDI FINALLY MANAGED TO STOP THE ENEMIES’ ADVANCE IN THE MID RIM.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES, THE REPUBLIC SENATE BREATHED A SIGH OF RELIEF.

BUT IT WAS SHORT-LIVED.

IN THE ARENAS OF GEONOSIS - A YOUNG GLADIATOR HAD RISEN TO PROMINENCE, CALLING HIMSELF THE NEW ‘MANDALORE’ - A TITLE UNCLAIMED FOR CENTURIES - A TITLE RESERVED FOR THE GREATEST WARRIOR IN THE GALAXY—A WARRIOR WORTHY TO LEAD THE MANDALORIANS.

THOUGH IT HAD BEEN CENTURIES, THE DESCENDANTS OF THE ONCE-PROUD CULTURE HAD NOT FORGOTTEN THE LEGENDS OF THE MANDALORES WHO HAD GONE BEFORE.

SPREAD FAR AND WIDE, WORKING AS MERCENARIES AND BOUNTY HUNTERS, WHEN THE NEW MANDALORE CALLED, HIS LOYAL SUBJECTS CAME.

MANDALORE’S CALL WAS SIMPLE — TO CONFRONT THE GALAXY’S GREATEST CHALLENGE AND FIGHT THE LEGENDARY KNIGHTS OF THE JEDI ORDER.

AMASSING AN ARMY OVERNIGHT, MANDALORE PLANTED HIS FORCES IN THE PATH OF THE HYDIAN WAY TRADE ROUTE — CUTTING OFF THE REPUBLIC’S MOST CRITICAL SUPPLY LINES.

WE WERE INITIALLY HESITANT TO PULL BACK FROM THE BATTLE WITH THE SITH IN THE OUTER RIM—BUT AFTER SEVERAL PLEAS FROM THE SENATE, THE SUPPLY CRISIS COULD NOT BE IGNORED.

THE JEDI ORDER ANSWERED THE NEW MANDALORE’S CHALLENGE — WE ATTACKED THE BLOCKADE.

OUR ORDER WAS DEFEATED QUITE PROFOUNDLY…

THE MANDALORIAN BLOCKADE HELD STRONG UNTIL THE DAY INTREPID SMUGGLERS TOOK THEIR SHOT AT THE MANDALORIANS, AND MANAGED TO RESCUE THE REPUBLIC.

MANDALORE WENT ON TO LEAD MANY OF HIS FOLLOWERS TO SEEK NEW CHALLENGES WHILE OTHERS AGAIN STRUCK OUT ON THEIR OWN.

THE TRUE ENIGMA IN THE RESURGENCE OF THE MANDALORIANS WAS THE RISE OF THE NEW MANDALORE HIMSELF.

I WILL ENDEAVOR TO FIND CLUES TO THIS ENIGMA FOR MY NEXT REPORT.

Of course, now we'll get still more threads in the official forums with people thinking that Mandelorians will be the next class (undoubtedly supposedly as a balance to the Trooper), completely ignoring that the text clearly lists Bounty Hunters as part of these Mandelorians (and that Bounty Hunters are a clear balance for the Trooper), but they'll probably continue to do that until all classes are known.

And speaking of which, I do get the feeling that another class is hinted here. At the very end you see a Mandelorian with two men in uniform. Two men who, I have little doubt, are imperial intelligence agents. Something that seems even further strengthened when you realize that the next timeline point (and thus the next update we'll get) has the following description (emphasis mine): "Frustrated by a series of republic military victories, imperial intelligence adopted new tactics to force an end to the war." And as the image shows it hints at the next update. So it seems similar in hinting at the next class as the hint of the Smuggler class did two timeline updates ago.

Anyway, it is a nice update and I do enjoy hearing Mr. Lance Henriksen talk.


[EDIT]

The old timeline videos (and this new one) are available as downloadable videos now. Open the links for these images below to go to the video and then use the download link on the video menu to download it: