Clan Nerak

Clan Nerak was a Mandalorian clan active during the Third Galactic War. During that period, Nerak was younger than many other clans and struggling to find its place in Mandalorian society. At one point, a rising young warrior named Ballag seized power in the clan, killing the leader after suffering what he considered a grave insult. Ballag claimed that the insult had constituted a legitimate challenge under Mandalorian tradition, but some people considered him a murderer.

In an effort to improve his poor reputation, Ballag led Clan Nerak into fights with other clans. Around 3626 BBY, he led an attack that killed a young warrior of the venerable Clan Shale. The Arbiter on the planet Geonosis, Jekiah Ordo, intervened. He summoned Ballag along with Arla, leader of Clan Shale, and ordered them either to settle the feud with a duel or drop the matter. Ordo further stipulated that the loser's clan would be destroyed, a rare but not unheard-of measure in Mandalorian justice.

Members of both clans, with a great crowd of onlookers, gathered in the Mandalorian arena on Geonosis to witness the unusually high-stakes duel. Arla stood her ground as Ballag launched a series of showy attacks that wounded his enemy but wore him out. Then she struck back, pinning him with a bayonet and disarming him. But rather than kill him and doom Clan Nerak, Arla asked the Arbiter to declare the fight a draw. The clan was saved, but Ballag had lost their respect. Very soon after, he fell from power and Nerak had a new leader.

Text and facts from the “Clan Nerak” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.