Goldfinger swallowed hard as he stared deep into the abyss that was the Shadow Guard's eye. So cold, so merciless, it was as if the man had forgone pity altogether. Of course Auric feared death; he always had, and he always would. He had always been so safe in his ivory tower, surrounded on all fronts by the best guns in the galaxy. But now? Now his fortress was more like a prison; no where to run, nowhere to hide
"I...You...You would" He muttered, sweating regardless of his protection
"You're going to kill me, aren't you?"
Gone was the confidence of a man in control, dominating a putrid world with a golden fist. There was no hope of them completing the Gold-Run for him now- not with the end approaching so quickly
Then, a crash
"He wont touch you, Goldfinger-San"
Hit mumbled, finally floating through the shattered glass. He had abandoned his folded arm stance, now assuming one of a traditional boxer, knuckles raised in front of his hunched bow. His legs were shoulder width apart, now standing on the floor as opposed to on the air. Yet, despite this, he bore the same, cold posture, with eyes oh so similar to Shaitan's
"And he's not the only one willing to pull the trigger"
Hit cracked his neck, before speeding across the room at near super sonic speeds. Papers, booklets and files alike were flung into the air, caught in the wake of the Master Assassin's lunge. He was now mere centimeters away from the Shadow Guard, anticipating the strike that was about to come against his boss.
But it would never come
The world around Hit seemed to fade into glass, every image blurring into a translucent design. The scotch seemed to freeze mid spill, and the airborne papers seemed to remain in the air, suspended like the leaves of an invisible tree. All was suspended in a single second, or at least, a fraction of one-
By fully mastering his Ki, the Master Assassin was able to freeze time for 0.2 seconds...and at super sonic speed, that was all he needed.
He plunged the joint of his finger deep into the Shadow Guard's neck pressure point as hard as he could without simply igniting his nervous system. With the warrior's head flying backwards, Hit followed up his strike, punching Shaitan in the base of his spine. When time unfroze, he would find his forehead making a new friend known as 'The Ground'
The first thing that Shaitan remembered was the following.
'What an utter waste of power.'
He couldn't see it, but he could sense it. Something done, perhaps it was how this figure was able to go that fast? Perhaps not. If he could go that fast naturally, then whatever he had done would not have been needed. And if he needed that edge to ensure he was down, Shaitan's opinion would have been lower then was already decided.
And then darkness.
Darkness was familiar.
The sound of breathing echoed in his mindscape.
Hooooo-pah......Hooooo-pah.
He grimaced and opened his eyes.
Cold, metal straps lashed him to a table, Shaitan's first memory after being captured being the Dark Lord himself. Lord Vader, staring down at him as though he was a faintly interesting distraction. Hasulf- No. That was not his name. Alias. Who was he? He was a....A....Healer? Yes, a healer. Too much healing, that was what got him captured. His mercy was his undoing and then the Empire came for him.
"You will learn to be a weapon for the Emperors will."
"I will sooner die, Sith."
"Perhaps that could be arranged."
Merciless and foreboding, the Dark Lord left his captive to his thoughts.
-------
"Mercy has no place in the Dark Side."
Another lash of the vibro-whip, cleaving to the bone. Shaitan didn't scream, he had long since lost use of his voice at this point. The pain was just another part of the process as he stared with eyes unseeing. His captor continued as he continued to whip.
"Your friend is now dead. As an example to the rest of you. Anything less then total ruthlessness will not be tolerated. The Shadow Guard has no use for weakness, least of all from a long-dead order collapsed under its own corruption."
------
The sound of clashing weapons. Live blades, practice. Those who lose limbs it is considered no loss, if they were that weak. Shaitan down's his opponent with a trip and points the blade to his throat. A smattering of applause.
He reaches out to assist his opponent up.
And screams as his arm is slashed off from the elbow up.
No mercy....Not to an enemy.
-----
Time is fluid here. No sense of months passing nor years. He hasn't seen the sunlight nor felt the breeze since he could remember. There is only darkness now, filling his heart. He kills all his practice opponents now and he has devoted himself to his new world. Vader watches, pleased with the progress made.
But in his heart, there exists a chink of light and in that light, there is life. Vader knows this, is familiar with this symptom.
There is only one way to eradicate it for good.
-------
The landscape was beautiful and pristine, but the Shadow Guard had no eye for such things.
Currently, he was here for a singular purpose. One penultimate to everything, including his own existence.
To hunt and slay Jedi.
He was a Jedi, once. That much they allowed him to remember. Why, the Shadow Guard has never known. Is it a way to reaffirm power over him? Was it to serve as a reminder that his old life was behind him? Or perhaps it was merely a twist of fate and the will of the Force? He may never know, but then again he is not required to know anything. Merely obey.
He is one of the many who was captured by Vader. Twisted, ruined and subjected to tortures as myriad as they were ingenious. There is only the Dark Side now. Which he serves wholeheartedly, in service as one of the many dreaded Shadow Guard of the Empire.
But in quiet times and odd moments, he wonders if he was a good Jedi.
And whether or not his past self would have reacted in horror at what he had become.
No matter. His Master calls.
He is not required to know.
Only obey.
There she is.
She meditates near a lake, a waterfall adding to the idealistic scene and for a moment, he freezes in uncertainty. Its a hesitation that barely registers, much as a falling plastic plate registers on a scale that records earthquakes.
But it was there.
He stares at her hair, shimmering white and flowing and notes the aesthetic pleasing nature of it. And as he stares, the Jedi begins to tie it up into a topknot. She speaks lightly, as though it was a normal conversation and she was being called to dinner.
"This is a beautiful world, isn't it Shadow Guard? Do you remember beauty?"
"No."
Its a modulated voice, flat of any emotion. The Shadow Guard leans on his pike and makes no move to attack as she continues her preparations. Her expression is hidden, but her voice is sad.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I can't imagine what sort of tortures you must have gone through...What you must have endured. You're not the first of your kind to find me....There were others. Each one I slew when they gave me no choice otherwise....But I have a feeling about you."
She rose to her feet gracefully now and turned to look at him.
-Sweat and oil and blood, screams fill the air. Explosions dot the skies like a grim parody of a fireworks display as two children hide in a foxhole, holding hands as they grit their teeth and wait out the battle-
"I know you....Don't I?"
Silence greeted her, the only sign the Shadow Guard was affected at all being the grip on his pike, tight enough to make the leather creak. She began to step forward, light as a pixie as she whispered.
"Don't be afraid."
-'Don't be afraid. You can do this!' Its a field hospital, full of the dead and dying. Droids and medical figures rushed back and forth, overwhelmed. The two Padawans are there. Older now, her hands on his as they rest upon the chest of a wounded soldier. They were children yet with the demands of the war, forced to channel their gifts to do what they could. Fear shook the hands of the boy, felt through their shared touch and she smiled as despite that, he did what he could. Her happiness at his success was one of the better memories of the war-
She looked up, eyes unafraid of the helmed gaze staring back at her as she smiled sadly.
"
Its me....Don't you remember me?"
-'Don't you remember?' Another tent, this one a mere quick-fabricated construct as rain poured outside and a soaking wet Padawan scowled, hands on her hips as she tapped her foot. The other, a dark haired teen with a book looks discomforted as he struggles to remember what it was, that had her so angry and come here in the first place through the rain. Letting him panic a few seconds more, she finally giggled. 'Its your birthday! C'mon-' Giving the boy no time to say no, she grabbed his hand and yanked him off into the rain. No war, no trouble...Simply two teenagers having fun playing and splashing like schoolchildren.-
"Its Esther."
Even the surroundings have faded to silence, Esther standing before the Shadow Guard, hands reaching out to the helmet. He makes no move to stop her as she finds the clasps and seals and undoes them.
The helmet falls to the ground.
The face is that of her friend.
The visions were true. It was him! And crying, so happy she could burst she moves to embrace him.
"Shaitan!"
The sound of a lightsaber fills the air.
And from Esthers back, the glowing red blade hums as Esther chokes, eyes wide with shock...And then sorrow and acceptance. She lets go and as she falls, her body vanishes and becomes one with the living force.
For the first time, a chink in the armor of the Shadow Guard is seen. His eyes widen in shock, his hand drops the murder weapon as though it burned as he grabs her clothing. Despair overtakes him....He realized what he had done. What he had become.
Not every Jedi was slain during the purges.
Those were just the lucky ones.
Otherwise, they became like him. Twisted, ruined and turned against friends willingly. Like now.
He grabbed the lightsaber and prepared to ram it through his heart.
"Shaitan?"
And time once more, stood still as he turned in shock. Esther in all her glory stands, a smile on her face and in the guise of a Force Spirit. There is an etheral side to her now as sympathetic, she glides her fingers across his cheek, noting the tear that fell and smiled sadly.
"Don't. Its alright....I knew this would happen. And what has happened has been beyond my wildest dreams. You're free now...My death the catalyst for breaking the control over you. What you do with this freedom is up to you. Oh Shaitan...You have so much to do and there are many trials before we meet once more. Whether you do so or stay where you are? Its your choice. I'll be watching you....Goodbye my friend."
She sighed and as he reached out his hand, she vanished as though she was never there.
The birds sang in the trees and the lake was as idealistic as before. As though it didn't care whether or not something as quick as murder occurred.
Shaitan grabbed the lightsaber and returned his helmet back in place.
Striding away, he activated his comm.
"My lord?"
"My task is done. Target at these coordinates."
And later as his transport flew away, Shaitan watched as from orbit the Star Destroyer blasted where he knew the waterfall and lake would be...An expression of hatred for what had happened and what he knew would soon occur. His Master was calling for him.
And there was so much yet to do.
The door opened as a stormtrooper pair saluted.
"My lord-"
Their screams echoed far down the corridor.
The Shadow Guard was through.
And sweeping out of the room, he left the cooling bodies behind as he fled the Empire once more.
-----------
In the waking world, Shaitan would be unconscious.
@Cromartie Sarkissian @Thuro 116 Pendragon @BarrenThin @Gibbons @Whoever
