Mandalore had supposedly renounced its violent past, exiling the unrepentant warriors to die on the moon Concordia. But the Republic discovered that Mandalorian warriors were once again active in the galaxy – and Obi-Wan Kenobi uncovered a conspiracy by the terrorist group Death Watch to overthrow the pacifist Duchess Satine.

The secret leader of Death Watch, Concordia’s Governor Pre Vizsla, had allied himself with Count Dooku – but chafed at the Separatist leader’s insistence that his group wait to attack Satine. The alliance splintered, and Death Watch became a band of nomadic brigands, despoiling planets such as Carlac.

Death Watch’s success began with its discovery of an escape pod containing two nearly frozen Sith warriors, Darth Maul and Savage Opress. Maul convinced Vizsla to commit his warriors to an alliance of criminal organizations known as the Shadow Collective.

The Shadow Collective conquered Mandalore, with Vizsla replacing Satine as the planet’s ruler. But his triumph was short-lived. Maul dueled him for leadership of Death Watch, killing him and taking over the group. This coup was resisted by Bo-Katan’s Nite Owls, whose followers battled Maul’s for control of Mandalore.