Naagloshii

"A Shadow Marshal is the darkness between the stars, the monster in the night, the invisible hand that guides all matters. We remain out of sight and out of mind, and walk as shadows, until such time when open force is required to secure victory, and even then you cannot be completely sure what you witnessed. That is why we are dreaded, why you can never stop us. Cut off a head, and we shall merely acquire several more."

- Mysha So'Chi

Shadow Marshals comprised those Ash'rak both blessed and cursed, as they were able to perceive the metaphysical energies of the. For a Ash'rak, being sensitive to the Force was not something which boded well, as those capable of manipulating it's energies were notoriously unstable, commonly developing destructive tendencies and being seduced by the dark side. Further more, any Ash'rak able to become a Force practitioner was usually very powerful, which could make them very difficult to bring down when they inevitably turned to the dark side. Ascribable to this, Ash'rak children who exhibited a greater than average midi-chlorian count were always taken from their parents; originally, they were destroyed without any attempt at rehabilitation, but the Ash'rak rapidly came to consider this a waste of potentially valuable weapons, and so instituted a program to attempt the training of these children. This resulted in the first generation of Shadow Marshals.

Throughout their childhood, those deemed to be capable of wielding the Force were trained, conditioned, and tested repeatedly at a Enclave Temple, a specially designed military base with the sole intent of producing stable and controllable Force-sensitive commandos. Predominately, those special children taken to a Enclave Temple adjusted to their new lives relatively quickly, discovering the rewards for obedience and success and the dangers of failure and seduction to easy power. Occasionally, however, a cadet would either reject their conditioning or suffer a break in resolve, at which point they were destroyed before they could become violent.

For the majority of their existence, the Shadow Marshals were loyal to Darth Azazel, who first established the method of training them and personally oversaw the instruction of the first generation of Marshals. When the Great Purging broke out, they were utilized to extraordinary effect by the Sith Lord, securing many victories for the Ash'rak which would otherwise have been impossible, and gaining a reputation across the galaxy as Azazel's Dark Side Adepts; however, they did not utilize their passion to fuel their power, and thus did not rely upon the dark side of the Force. This did not entail that they were similar to the Jedi Order, as they did not demonstrate remorse for killing or pursue knowledge and harmony with the galaxy. Rather, they were tentatively identified by the as, as they utilized their abilities often for destructive ends, but did not follow the dark side and had no alligence with the ideals of the Jedi themselves.

Nevertheless, the Shadow Marshals were considered similar to the Jedi Order in many ways; this was primarily because they valued life, advocated logicality, and pursued progression of knowledge, although as a way of increasing their efficiency as killers, and also because they advocated peace and tolerance. However, Shadow Marshals did not attempt to be galactic benefactors, and they closely guarded their knowledge, resources, and technology from outsiders, even other Ash'rak. Despite adhering to a strict law of nonintervention, they would help or at least offer help if they witnessed a criminal or atrocious act, at least when it did not interfer with their duties. When Azazel's psychological stability began to deteriorate in the later years of the Purging, which resulted in the Sith Lord issuing numerous questionable decisions, the Shadow Marshals, who had already been theorizing that perhaps eliminating all sentients but themselves from the face of the galaxy would not bring about a utopia, recognized that their master and mutual leader had become unfit to lead, and so set about a carefully developed plan to bring about his end.

This plan came to conclusion at the Battle of Anakaa, where a contingent of Shadow Marshals stationed aboard Azazel's flagship, led by their defacto leader Mysha So'Chi, sabotaged the ship's point-defense grid, which allowed an assault team commanded by Nihlus Nryik and including over a dozen Jedi to slip aboard the vessel. In the following battle which began between Nihlus and Azazel, just as Nryik was wounded and literally at Azazel's mercy, as things seemed to be going from bad to worse, Marshal So'Chi covertly moved behind Azazel, and concealing his intent from the Force, stabbed his master through the heart with his own blade, a fatal blow which caused the Sith Lord's death moments later. With their plan having succeeded, the Shadow Marshals took command of the Ash'rak military, claiming that Azazel had been killed by the Jedi.

However, as many Warriors had never trusted them at all, they only gained the command of a small portion of the Naval Starfleet and Army, with those who had refused to follow them fleeing to Mozia, the last bastion of power for the Ash'rak after the fall of their homeworld. When the Battle of Mozia saw a massive joint fleet of NRDF, Imperial Navy, and Corporate Sector Authority war vessels appearing from hyperspace, the Ash'rak defenders, only at half strength following the splite of power at Anakaa, were able to put up a valiant defense, but were eventually overwhelmed by the, for once, superior strength of the joint fleet. Just as the battle was wraping up, however, the Shadow Marshals, along with their loyal fleet, jumped into orbit. They did not wish to do battle, though, and instead offered something which surprised even the Jedi-a peace treaty. Although many of the military commanders in the joint fleet believed the offer to be a last desperate attempt at a trap, Nihlus Nryik did not sense deception, and chose to meet with Mysha So'Chi, at that point the Marshal's commander, upon the planet's surface. And so, after very nearly twenty-four hours of debate, conditions for a peace treaty were agreed upon, with the document being formally written up and signed by all parties the very next day.

Ever since what would come to be known as the Treaty of Mozia, the Shadow Marshal's covertly helpful efforts have been credited as perhaps the most deciding factor of the war, depending upon a storyteller's viewpoint of the war itself.

Origins
"Officially, you will only be a persistent rumor."

- Azazel to trainee Shadow Marshals

Soon after Grammaton Technologies began it's breeding project, Darth Azazel, although he believed that his new soldiers would be superior to anything the galaxy could throw at them, realized both that a prominent amount of the work of eradicating the galaxy of depravation and subversion would have to be done from the shadows, and that situations would plausibly arise throughout the coming war which would necessarily require a covert, dextrous touch, something beyond what regular infantry troops, no matter how well trained, could be expected to handle. So, imputable to the already psychical domination which he held over Teatriarch, Azazel was able to gain the permission and resources he required to select and work on a class of elite commandos, comprised of those Species UX5 units which demonstrated sensitivity to the Force. The result of this endeavoring was a order of almost unbeatable soldiers, who would come to be known as the fearsome Shadow Marshals.

Although many of Grammaton's executives considered the investment of time and resources needed to train and produce an elite type of Species UX5 soldiers was unnecessary, Teatriarch's word was held as unarguable among the corporation, and so Azazel was allowed to work on his private project unmolested. By picking through a series of personnel files easily provided to him by Grammaton's need to categorize and organize everything, he was able to thin the crowd of potential candidates, selecting only those who exhibited both Force sensitivity and greater than normal self-reliance and astuteness. Though this process took longer than he had originally planned, which resulted in merely twenty-four candidates, which had managed to pass his initial inspection, able to proceed onto his actual training regimen, though the Sith Lord felt that the trade-off of numbers was necessary to ensure that only the very best and most capable of his children would be trained as his apprentices. When Azazel presented his special soldiers to Grammaton's Executives, more as a means to show off than anything else, they were so impressed with his work that many of them, who had held doubts about him before, dismissed their dubiousness, which only made things easier for Azazel when he finally moved on his plans to initiate a coup of leadership.

When the Sith Lord began his Great Purging in earnest, the newly called Shadow Marshals were the very first units deployed against the galaxy at large, especially the Imperial Remnant and New Republic; for the first few days of the Purging, the Marshals undertook various covert missions, disrupting military supply lines, sabotaging war factories, installing viruses within the defense networks of various worlds, and assassinating important leaders, resulting in many commanders of the various defenders being taken out of the picture even before the actual assault began. The Marshals were also responsible for smuggling numerous biological weapons and exlosive decives onto several worlds, which were then detonated while Azazel's main attack force concentrated on more important theaters of operation. By the time the various worlds directly in Azazel's initial focus of firepower were able to figure out that they were under attack and launch an organized defense, they had already been overwhelmed.

However, ascribable to the inexperience of Azazel's army, and despite his expert leadership, several minor victories were scored by the defenders early on, which allowed many planet's populations to be saved from Azazel's charge following the first attacks. Although their initial charge was very successful, Azazel and many of his commanders had underestimated the sheer survival instinct of many of the enemy, particularly those opponents from the Jedi Order and Mandalorians. When the Marshals were first deployed against the Jedi Temple, they were able to eliminate several dozen of them, but many of their own number were cut down in the resulting fighting to retreat, once the greater attuned and skilled Masters arrived on the defense, such as Luke Skywalker and Nihlus Nryik. Despite their superb training and incredible powers, the Marshals suffered perhaps greater casualties than their infantry counterparts, as they where almost always deployed on extremely difficult and dangerous assignments, with little backup or chance of escape.

Throughout the Great Purging, there were multiple different opinions of the Shadow Marshals on both sides; Nihlus Nryik advocated hunting down and either converting or utterly destroying all Marshals across the galaxy, as he believed them to be the greater threat. Others considered them very dangerous indeed, but chose to focus their efforts on holding the frontal assault at bay, which they could even then barely manage. Even among the Ash'rak, the effectiveness and loyalty of the Marshals was controversial. Some of Azazel's Warriors respected their dedication and skill, as well as their willingness to sacrifice themselves without question, while other Warriors exhibited great suspicion and distrust towards them, believing the loyalty of a spy to be questionable at best. Further more, as the Marshals began to develop a respect for both the Mandalorians and Jedi during the later years of the Purging, this distrust was only reinforced. Some even went so as to accuse them of being sympathizers, despite there being no evidence of any treachery or disobedience among them.

Training
"What, just one of you? Don't you people always travel in neat little pairs?"

- Anonymous Ash'rak Warrior to a Shadow Marshal

Every Ash'rak possessed some level of inherent Force sensitivity. For over ninety-nine percent of their population, however, this sensitivity only resulted in a modest enhancement to the perception of the metaphysical energies of the world and a understanding of other being's emotional states. Occasionally, though, approximately one out of every million Ash'rak was born with a degree of sensitivity to the Force which rivaled that which was exhibited by many Jedi Masters. With the ability to fully dominate others and accomplish extraordinary destructive exploits, majorly beyond anything an ordinary Ash'rak could ever hope to be capable of, these unique children were an extreme threat to any Clan, and so were thought to be destroyed immediately after detection. Secretly, however, they were in fact taken in by the nearest Enclave Temple, where they would be screened through a series of numerous tests, with survivors being allowed to began the two to three decades in length program which would transform them into some of the most dreaded soldiers in the known galaxy.

Subjected through a battery of psychological conditioning from a very young age and believed to be destined for death, young Shadow Marshals were held within the bowls of a Enclave Temple for several years, where competent professionals would observe them daily and introduce them to various aspects of the outside world, while simultaneously watching them for any signs of psychological deterioration. For those deemed to be incapable of being rehabilitated, the immediate oblivion of a shot to the heart was often the only reward, although a minority of those who failed the initial conditioning process were known to held underneath lock and key, where they could be experimented upon by the Temple's scientists. Throughout this conditioning period, the children also received a ordinary education of reading, arithmetic, biology, history, and other basic lessons.

Almost every Marshal who survived through the rehabilitation period commonly suffered through extreme stress, chronic nightmares, and some barely noticeable psychological quirk. Though usually harmless, these quirks could often result in an unusual amount of bloodthirstiness for a majority of the trainees, referred to as their "inner demon", which could have catastrophic effects on a mission if not kept in check. This inner demon could be compared to a split personality, although the Marshal was in full control of their body at all times, except when the carefully constructed barriers against such a break collasped, and did not at any given time perceive another being's voice within their own minds.

Following this period, martial and physcial education would be added to a Shadow Marshal's schooling program. At this point in their young lives, Marshals would become the killing machines of which they were notorious. Although typical infantry lessons where given, such as weapons handling, marksmanship, and survival training, lightsaber combat, Juda'Ka'So instruction, and developing bare Force sensitivity into an effective method of performance enhancement took precedence over other training. After successfully proving themselves in training for another decade, Shadow Marshals customarily took on a last test, as part of graduation, in which they would be expected to fight and kill a fellow trainee from their class, with whom they had no doubt become close with, as they braved through training together.

When the survivor emerged from the battle victorious, they would be provided with all essentials to finally construct a lightsaber, and would be outfitted with their very own suit of Spectre Armor. After this graduation ceremony, each graduate would be apprenticed to a veteran Marshal, a custom which began when Mysha So'Chi assumed command of the Shadow Marshals. Although every Marshal who managed to graduate from their training had already demonstrated extraordinary aptitude, they had absolutely zero experience, and so having them apprenticed to a veteran ensured that they were able to travel the galaxy on various assignments and gain experience, both of combat and the galaxy itself, while remaining underneath the watchful eyes of a experienced practitioner.

Codex of Conduct
Similar to the Jedi Order, a Shadow Marshal had to do more than merely adorn hemselves in Spectre Armor and carry a lightsaber. Though they were often thought of as deceitful and traitorous enigmas, every Shadow Marshal was actually required to adhere to a composition of ten codes, which guided every decision they made throughout training and later in life. All Shadow Marshals were expected to follow the Codex, and those that disregarded the guidelines outlined in it were commonly executed or exiled, depending upon the severity of the wrongdoing.


 * Loyalty-A Shadow Marshal must remain loyal to both fellow Marshals and the ideals of the Shadow Marshals as a whole. Any Marshal who will not demonstrate such loyalty is a major threat and must be eliminated, before they can turn against the Shadow Marshals or do harm to the Ash'rak as a whole.


 * Bravery-A Shadow Marshal must be willing to risk themselves to accomplish assigned goals. Taking on the risks of combat is necessary to defend one's honor and the Ash'rak as a whole, and a coward cannot be trusted.


 * Strategic Knowledge-A Shadow Marshal must keep themselves apprised of current events, both locally and across the galaxy. Failure to demonstrate such simple knowledge can prove to be a liability when carrying out a mission in enemy territory.


 * Dilligence-A Shadow Marshal must be consistent and prepard to completely devote themselves to the ways of the Marshals. This includes training, both of self and others, maintaining weapons and equipment, studies, and assisting fellow Warriors where needed.


 * Trustworthiness-A Shadow Marshal must be able to gain the trust and confidence of fellow Marshals. If not, then they can never be allowed to conduct any missions, or given any duties important to the Shadow Marshals or Ash'rak as a whole.


 * Good Health-If a Shadow Marshal fails to maintain themselves at the very best that any Ash'rak is capable of, then they have failed the Marshals already. A Shadow Marshal that cannot perform at the very best of expected capability cannot aid fellow Warriors in battle.


 * Responsibility-A Shadow Marshal must remember every duty and obligation entrusted upon them. Failure to do so risks both themselves and the Shadow Marshals as a whole.


 * Ingenuity-A Shadow Marshal must be able to think outside of the reasonable and orthodox. If a Marshal follows a straight line from start to finish, it becomes easy for any enemy to predict a Marshal's course and plans.


 * Remembrance-A Shadow Marshal must ascertain wholly from past mistakes and failures. Failure to remember history and what it teaches will doom a Marshal to repeat such mistakes time and again, and prevent them from learning the wisdom of how not to repeat such failures.


 * Gifted Speech-A Shadow Marshal must always have control over voice. This includes controlling tone when disguised to prevent discovery, and when speaking to fellow Marshals and Warriors. A Shadow Marshal that cannot speak with confidence and charisma cannot fight or lead with it, either.

Armor
Shadow Marshals wore Spectre Semi-Powered Infiltration Armor, often abbreviated simply as Spectre Armor. Forged through Sith Alchemy, Spectre Armor was comprised of a form-fitting, black bodysuit enshrouded by a layer of mimetic polyalloy. The bodysuit itself covered a Marshal's entire body from head-to-toe, essentially encompassing them within a protective carapace, and was able to stop most energy bolts and projectiles. The bodysuit was also very resistant to ruptures and flames, at least to a required degree.

The bodysuit served as a sensor mesh and hazardous expedition garment. At the same time, the polyalloy outer covering acted as the primary armor component, providing energy absorbation and kinetic buffering comparable to any expensive powersuit. The polyalloy provided a Shadow Marshal with both sophisticated chameleon qualities, as it could rapidly exchange it's shape and colors to match it's surroundings, and the option of switching clothing even without access to a wardrobe.

The polyalloy featured numerous defensive applications as well; when hardened sufficiently, it could block the intense blade of a lightsaber or even deflect several close hits from vehicle-grade heavy weapons, and when allowed to soften sufficiently, it could entrap most attackers when they punched or kicked the Marshal, basically holding them at close range where they could be more easily dispatched.

The mask portion of Spectre Armor also provided a Shadow Marshal with a sophisticated respirator and enhanced imaging device. This allowed a Marshal to brave poisonous atmospheres and biological attacks which would otherwise have felled them, as well as perceive the world around them through various other spectrums, aside from the Ash'rak's natural nightvision and ordinary color, as most other species perceived the galaxy.

Weapons
The customary personal weapon of the Shadow Marshals has always been the. As such a versatile and powerful weapon, the lightsaber was naturally the choice of armament for the Marshals, who possessed a degree of mastery with the blade that was easily comparable to that of the Jedi. Although every Shadow Marshal constructed a unique blade themselves as part of graduation, each of them were required to include various pragmatic components within the weapon. This partial standardization included a dual-phase feature, bifurcating cyclical-ignition pulse, for use underwater, and a stun feature which could allow the blade to basically be transformed into a shock prod, either for sparring use or when a target needed to be captured alive.

Depending on mission parameters, blaster rifles, slugthrowers, explosives, and other ranged munitions could be equipped as well. Except for Neophytes, every Shadow Marshal also carried a backup saber, pistol, survival equipment, and comlink. Dissimilar to ordinary troops, however, personal equipment would vary considerably, with a Marshal's lightsaber the only assuredly commonplace weapon amongest them, but they usually traveled light, with only a singular utility belt's worth of appratuses, similar to the Jedi's methods. Lastly, a Marshal's Spectre Armor could also serve as a close quarters weapon, forming stabbing blades and razor sharp claws capable of ripping enemies to shreds.