Swedishduck

Tion'ad hukaat'kama? Who's watching your back?

(Tee-ON-ahd HOO-kaht-KA-ma. Hukaatir - to protect, cover, shield; tion'ad - who, interrogative.)

“If you've played Republic Commando, you'll know that phrase - in English, anyway. You might even have the t-shirt, as they say. Knowing that your buddies will keep an eye out for your safety - and that you'll do the same for them - is fundamental reassurance for any soldier, and the Mando'ade are no exception.

Instead of the word back, though, they use kama. That's the leather belt-spat or half-kilt from traditional Mando hunting dress and that was later adopted by the ARC troopers and some commanders in the Grand Army. Fi might mock the garment as a "skirt", but it's rather like laughing at a Scottish regiment for wearing kilts - it's not a good idea. Really, it isn't.

Apart from looking classy and giving a guy a certain swagger, the kama is also handy for protecting the legs against jetpack downwash and shrapnel on the battlefield. Okay, GAR armour is pretty tough, and maybe they don't actually need it these days. But, as Ordo says, it looks kandosii.

So kama has almost become a Mando synonym for backside or back. You really want your buddies to watch your kama for you. Even if they do call it a skirt. They're only jealous.”

KAREN TRAVISS, STARWARS.COM, 2006

“The ancient kama were made of thick leather, and designed to protect the back of a soldier's legs, where armor would impede his movement.

The kama continued to be functional and useful as the supercommandos incorporated jet-packs into their weaponry. The down-splash from a jetpack was tailored to avoid burning off a soldier's legs, but still, the occasional down-draft or unexpected movement could result in burning @$$ and that was painful and to be avoided.

Finally, the last evolution of the kama had light blaster-shielding, capable of warding off stray projectiles, and most important, hot pieces of shrapnel. The Mandalorians were more and more becoming front-line soldiers-for-hire, and found themselves leading charges across alien battlefields.

Under artillery fire, they need protection for their legs from random bits of debris and shrapnel (obviously, not much can protect you from a direct hit) and the kamas worked like a charm.”