Siege of Mandalore

The Siege of Mandalore occurred late in the Clone Wars following the events of the Battle of Sundari. Former Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano worked with Lady Bo-Katan Kryze to track down the fallen Sith Lord Darth Maul to Mandalore. While unable to participate in the battle, Jedi Generals Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi granted Tano a Republic invasion force, led by Clone Commander Rex, to capture Maul and free Mandalore.

Prelude
"Go back to your Republic and tell them what has happened." "That would likely lead to a Republic invasion of Mandalore!"

- Bo-Katan Kryze and Obi-Wan Kenobi

Lord Maul established a vast criminal syndicate known as the Shadow Collective following his return to the galaxy, formed from various crime groups including the Mandalorian Death Watch. While Maul had great aspirations for galactic conquest, his ally and Death Watch leader Pre Vizsla was only interested in using Maul's syndicate to usurp the New Mandalorians and return Mandalore to its warrior heritage. Shortly after Maul and his forces overtook Mandalore, Vizsla betrayed Maul and his brother, Savage Opress, and imprisoned them. Vizsla went on to remove Duchess Satine Kryze from power and ruled as Mandalore's new leader.

Maul and Savage escaped from prison and freed former Prime Minister Almec to serve as their puppet leader after Vizsla was dispatched. Maul then challenged Vizsla to an honor duel, the victory of which would rule Mandalore. Vizsla accepted and dueled Maul, eventually being overpowered. Maul beheaded Vizsla with his own Darksaber and claimed it as the new ruler of Mandalore. While some members of Death Watch bowed to Maul, Bo-Katan Kryze and others refused to accept an outsider as their ruler.

Narrowly escaping Maul's wrath, Bo-Katan led a resistance group against the Shadow Collective. They freed Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had been lured to Mandalore to free Duchess Satine―his previous ally and sister to Bo-Katan―only for Maul to kill her in front of Kenobi out of revenge. Bo-Katan then helped Kenobi escape off-world so that he could inform the Jedi Council of what transpired. Kenobi warned that news of Maul's presence on Mandalore would lead to a Republic invasion. Bo-Katan accepted this if it meant removing Maul from power.

Outcome

 * Republic victory
 * Darth Maul captured
 * Death of Minister Almec
 * Galactic Empire occupies Mandalore

Behind the Scenes
The Siege of Mandalore was first mentioned in the animated TV series, Star Wars Rebels, when Captain Rex reflects on his service alongside Ahsoka Tano. The event was first implicated in the Season 5 episode, "The Lawless," of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and was the focus of a Mandalore story arc originally written for the end of Season 8. These episodes were released on Disney+ as part of the seventh and final season of the series. Part of it appeared as a flashback in the novel, Ahsoka, released in October 2016.

Maul's capture was depicted differently in the book than in the series. Maul originally met Tano on the plaza where they exchanged insults and dueled, only for Tano to trap Maul in a ray shield. In the episodes, Maul encounters Tano in the throne room where he offers Tano to join him in defeating Darth Sidious. Tano refuses and the duel continues onto Sundari's upper rafters, where she suspends Maul in midair with the Force while the Mandalorians and Clones capture him.

The Siege of Mandalore is the fourth and final major battle of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars series (the previous three occurring on Umbara, Geonosis, and Ryloth).

Episodes

 * "Old Friends Not Forgotten"
 * "The Phantom Apprentice"
 * "Shattered"

Books

 * Star Wars: Ahsoka