Everyone say hello to the newest Tooka OC, Stowaway! Scorch found her hiding in a LAAT and decided to keep her. She’s got a nasty attitude and only likes Fixer - who is the only Delta that doesn’t like her (he’s allergic and she knows it. She wants him to suffer).

@loth-cat-nation Not Rat, but I thought you might be interested in this girl!

I've noticed an uptick in people reading the Republic Commando books and people not knowing that there are actually 3 short stories connected to the books. 2 of them are important to the story and are definitely worth checking out. I just wanted to make a list to make it easier for people, especially since I know a lot of people are here after the game and want more clone stuff. I'll keep the description brief with no major spoilers.

Tale of the Aiwha Pod by Ryan Kaufman

This story is not important, but it's a fun story about Kaminoan mythology and why the Commandos are called Pod Brothers.

Hard Contact by Karen Traviss

The 1st book in the series and the first appearance of Omega Squad. Omega Squad is assigned on their first mission after the devastating blow of Geonosis.

Targets by Karen Traviss

The 1st important short story. Follows Omega Squad working a job with the Coruscant Security Force. The first appearance of Kal Skirata and Ordo. Good Fi moments.

Triple Zero by Karen Traviss

The 2nd book in the series. Follows Omega squad and Delta Squad through their Black ops mission on Coruscant. First introduction to The Null Arcs (as children), Walon Vau, and Mereel (adult). Good Sev moments.

Odds by Karen Traviss

The 2nd important short story. The first appearance of Prudii. Centers around Prudii and Atin infiltrating a Separatist droid factory. Explains how big the droid army actually is, their weaknesses, and how they found Greivous on Utapau. Good Atin moments.

True Colors by Karen Traviss

The 3rd book in the series. First appearance of A'den, Jaing, Sull, and Fenn Shysa. Omega Squad find information that waivers their loyalty to the Republic.

Order 66 by Karen Traviss

The 4th book in the series. It's about the events that lead up to Order 66 and how Omega Squad responds to it and the aftermath. Good Scorch moments.

501st by Karen Traviss

The 5th and final book in the series. Follows Clan Skirata and their adjustment to the rise of the Empire and how they survive without the Republic.

Imperial Commando #2

The last book in the series was never published, but Karen Traviss did give a brief summary of what would have happened in the book. She posted, "How would you have wrapped up Imperial Commando #2 if you hadn't pulled out of it?" to her blog in 2015.

Want to know what happened to Clan Skirata 60 years later?

“Verd ori’shya beskar’gam” translates to “a warrior is more than their armor.” Armor is an integral aspect of being Mandalorian, but it isn’t the only thing, certainly not the end all be all, and I think that… people… have lost sight of that. Being Mandalorian is about more than just wearing armor. You don’t stop being a Mandalorian once you take the armor off. Mandalorians throughout Star Wars history emphasized a level of hyper-competence both in and out of armor, on and off the battlefield. But even then, I don’t think this is solely about war or combat.

I don’t know that all Mandalorians are soldiers, mercenaries, or hunters. I can’t imagine all Mandalorians take up a trade in combat, although the ability to if the need arises has to be there, regardless of their profession. We know some Mandalorians are farmers, artisans, mechanics, engineers, business owners, cooks, metalsmiths, armorsmiths, I’m sure there are even Mandalorian artists and whatnot. But that doesn’t mean that martial capabilities are gone from their life. It’s an important part of being a Mandalorian, if not for active combat, then at least for preparedness, protection, and defense. They are a warrior culture, after all. Not to mention they have traditional rights of passage involving martial prowess. It’s not something that can be discarded from their lifestyle and culture, and still consider themselves Mandalorian.

It isn’t even just about that, though. Again, you don’t stop being a Mandalorian once you take the armor off. You need to hold close to heart the philosophies, ideals, morals and values, the cultural ethos of the Mandalorians. It’s a mindset and a way of life. It doesn’t start and end with a set of armor. That idea is something that has been heavily overlooked by both Lucasfilm/Disney (esp a certain someone) and fans alike, I think.

I think this is a really important thing to bring up, because the laws and ideas surrounding culture and identity is what separates Mandalorians from the rest of the galaxy, it’s what distinguishes a *Mandalorian* from someone who simply wears armor. This is one of the main reasons why I’m so adamantly against the Children of the Watch, or really any of Filoni’s/Favreau’s version of “Mandalorians.” Because it so blatantly either contradicts or discards major aspects of Mando lore that have been built up and established for decades. The tendency to “black and white, no nuance” and “basic, surface level” everything in Star Wars has got to stop. Filoni’s MO fr. Disney, too, yea. Disnify. Disney-ify. I don’t know.