Following the conflict - the war conducted by a collaborative Jedi-Republic force against the Mandalorians - and the subsequent waning of Mandalorian culture after the Mandalorian Excision, the group known as Aka'liit (also known as the Mandalorian Faithful in Galactic Basic Standard) came into being. This group consisted of Mandalorians who were determined to uphold their warrior traditions. The Faithful established a clandestine network involving representatives from various clans, ensuring the transmission of the Resol'nare and Mandalorian historical knowledge to the next generation. Within a single generation, the Faithful selected the initial leader in a succession of 'True Mandalores', to whom they secretly pledged their loyalty. This era was termed ba'slan shev'la by the Faithful, signifying their decision to withdraw from public view and prepare for a future opportunity to retaliate against those they deemed Faithless. Their warriors were called Alor'a Aka'liit (the Vanguard of the Faithful.) Around 200 BBY, the Faithful began to perceive the schemes of the Ithullan as a potential danger, which spurred a campaign against their world. The near extinction of the Ithullans, however, was not universally supported within Aka'liit. This event is considered to be the genesis of the division that ultimately led to the separation of the True Mandalorians and the Death Watch. The schism inside the Faithful became definitive with the appointment of Jaster Mereel as Mandalore. His concept of the Mandalorians as primarily highly compensated mercenaries was unacceptable to those who would eventually form the Death Watch.