I’ve always thought of the Emperor’s Royal Guards as silent statues in red armor. They stood in the shadows, never speaking, never moving unless ordered. But there was a time when two of them stepped forward and followed Darth Vader into danger. Their story began with an explosion inside the Emperor’s throne room (took place in Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #02)
The Bomb That Shook The Palace
A device had been planted inside Palpatine’s throne. Vader sensed it, lifted the chair with the Force, and hurled it out of the chamber just before it exploded. The Emperor lived, but the throne room burned.
Vader called the Royal Guard to him. “You swore to protect the life of the Emperor. You have proven yourselves incompetent.” He raised one of them with the Force and threw him through the window, his body falling into the city below. Then Vader spoke again: “Or worse, you have conspired against the Emperor, and the Empire.”
Two Guards stepped forward. “Take our heads as payment for our deficiency.” Vader didn’t strike them down. Instead he gave orders: “Your loyalty is noted. You and you, evacuate the Emperor. You, stay and take charge. Make sure no one knows what happened here. The two remaining—come with me.”
Into The Shadows Of The Cult
Palpatine had warned Vader about a forgotten enemy, the Heinsnake Cult. They had once been thought destroyed, but evidence showed they were behind the recent attacks.
Vader, with the two Guards, followed a lead to a cantina. The room was filled with noise and laughter, but then a man began to choke. Vader stepped from the shadows, and the Guards stripped open the man’s shirt. The symbol of the snake was burned into his chest.
Before Vader could question him, the assassin triggered an explosive. The cantina erupted in flames. Vader shielded the Guards with the Force and pulled them clear of the destruction.
Their search took them to deep space. A Venator-class Star Destroyer drifted in ruin. Its hull had been torn apart by a single massive beam. Against the Guards’ warnings, Vader left the shuttle and entered the wreck himself. He found logs that revealed the source of the weapon: a nearby moon.
When they landed on its surface, they saw escape pods scattered in the dirt, but no survivors. Vader studied the ground and told the Guards the crew had been ambushed and devoured.
The Cost Of Loyalty
A beast appeared from the shadows, striking with massive claws. One Guard was crushed under its weight before he could draw his weapon. Vader ignited his lightsaber and cut the creature down in one strike.
Another lizard-like predator emerged. Vader threw his saber into its mouth, waited, then ignited the blade inside its throat, cutting through its head.
The last Guard continued at his side. They pressed deeper, unaware that an ninth assassin was following them. He waited until the Guard drifted a step behind. Then he struck, killing him in silence.
The story of Vader and the final Guard doesn’t end here. With both companions dead, Vader was left to face the assassin and uncover more of the Heinsnake Cult’s secrets. You can continue to read the next part in Darth Vader and the Ninth Assassin #03.
