VS.
Author: GodzillavsRayquaza
Word Count: 3475
—————————————————————
Descending through the atmosphere of Dathomir was a single ship. A small, unsuspecting shuttle with a grey coloration sailed towards the ground. Three fins forming a triangle stabilized it, until it reached a low altitude. The two lower fins began to shift upwards, stopping once they nearly touched the top fin, allowing the shuttle to land unhindered.
One would be confused why such a shuttle was on this world, near one of its jungles. The lack of damage or dirt on the vessel suggested it rarely saw hardship. It stuck out like a sore thumb against the blood-red sky and wild landscape, which on a planet like this, was often a death sentence. Few ever came to Dathomir. For it was a savage and harsh world, such that many saw the crimson sky as the perfect representation of the world. If the myriad of ferocious predators did not tear visitors apart, the culture of deadly warriors with access to strange, dark powers often would.
But as the shuttle landed upon a hill, its hatch opening and touching the ground to act as a ramp, its passengers did not fear Dathomir.
For they were far more horrific than anything the planet could offer.
First came eight figures covered head to toe in armor and robes of bright crimson, the only departure from the bright coloration being the black visor over the eyes. They each held a grey staff. Marching out of the vessel, they took position in two flanks of four.
The Royal Guards stood stoic as the black boots of the next arrival clanked against the ramp. Out stepped an armored man. Not an inch of his skin was uncovered by the dark suit which sustained his life. A rounded helmet subtly turned back and forth as he surveyed the landscape, face hidden by an intimidating mask.
When Darth Vader reached the bottom, he turned as another figure made his way out. Black robes shrouded him, the only thing visible being a decrepit, pale face marred by wrinkles. Yellow eyes glared out from sunken sockets.
Despite ruling over the entire galaxy, few knew much about Emperor Palpatine. Even Vader, who without a doubt had been the closest person to him for decades, still had sizable gaps in his knowledge of the man he had pledged to serve. And the emperor would have it no other way. To know someone was to have power over them.
Which was why he hoarded all the knowledge he could, like a thief with his bounty.
Vader’s voice, warped into the synthetic baritone that struck fear across the galaxy, broke the silence. “Master, will you finally divulge what has brought us here, or must I wait longer to discover why you have put us on the same world as the creature?”
“Not completely, Lord Vader.” Palpatine responded. “But I will offer you this information.” He casually lifted a hand towards the jungle, palm flat.
A distant tree, eighty meters tall, began to shift away from them. With the sound of cracking wood ringing out, it was ripped apart near the base like an invisible hand had broken it. A cacophony rang out as it smashed whatever was in its path, sending several other trees careening to the ground, before finally hitting the ground. It sounded like a hammer striking. Even from their lofty position, they could hear animals scattering in panic. Along with the rumbling of something massive shifting its weight deeper inside.
“It is to test this invader to my domain!”
The Sith Lords were talking about a strange cyborg entity that had been sighted in the galaxy and wreaking havoc recently. It moved from world to world, decimating cities and other kinds of settlements, before fleeing back into space. Estimates placed it at 120 meters tall. The invader was bipedal, with colossal blades instead of hands. A single, red visor was where eyes would usually be. A strange looking creature, but its appearance was not the oddest thing about it.
It moved through space at faster than light speeds without using hyperspace. Its technology did not match any known within the galaxy from what eyewitnesses had reported. It was an anomaly, most likely from outside of the galaxy.
And to Vader, it was obvious his master was greatly interested in this.
Above the canopy of the jungle rose a colossus. A Rancor, though not a normal one. It had the same stocky build, hulking arms, and ferocious, tooth filled maw. But instead of the light brown skin found on a typical member of the species, it was pale grey. Sizable horns jutted out from its face, making it look even more menacing than usual. Even amongst Bull Rancors, this individual was a behemoth.
He roared to the heavens, sending even more of the foliage collapsing with his waving arms. It began stomping through the forest, causing further chaos.
“Well, you have awoken a particularly large Bull Rancor, making it even more aggressive than its species usually is.” Vader replied. He turned to his superior. “I assume you already had this scouted out beforehand.”
“Yes, the presence of this exceptional member of the species was already known.” Sidious responded.
Before the apprentice could continue the conversation, a shrill, mechanical cry rang out. All eyes fell upon the swiftly approaching alien, his blades held before him as he flew. The Bull Rancor turned to face the interloper, howling in rage.
“You were waiting for it to land on a world with a creature on its scale before making a move.”
The emperor nodded. “Yes, ever since reports came in of it butchering a Krayt Dragon on Tatooine. I’ve been interested to see it in battle.”
Vader remained silent as they watched the colossi close the distance between each other. He knew questions would get him nowhere for now, so he would join his master in watching the spectacle.
Stopping its flight, Gigan landed before the Rancor. Smacking the ground, the grey beast rushed forward. The cyborg’s eye flashed before a red line of energy shot out, soaring towards the native predator. The Rancor stopped his charge in shock, but it was too late. The laser split apart into dozens of streams, all of which detonated in a cluster.
Staggering back, the predator yelped. Burns marred his hide. Flailing, he tried to regain his bearings, but the cyborg was on the offensive before he could. Gigan’s scythes slashed at the leathery skin, ripping through it to shed blood. Bashing aside the colossal blades, the beast rushed forwards, swinging his claws across the alien’s shoulder. Sparks flew from the impact, and this was the extent of the attack’s effects. Gigan kicked the Rancor in the stomach, jabbing the bladed foot in. The Bull Rancor gripped the limb before pulling it free, revealing the ichor now painting the foot. With a grunt of effort, he lifted Gigan into the air, earning a shriek of surprise from the killing machine.
The apex predator slammed the invader on the ground, sending out a shockwave that flattened trees. Gigan cried out, the fins on his back filling with pain as they took the brunt of the impact. The Rancor lifted his foe into the air once more. Suddenly, the alien’s tail lashed forward, revealing itself to be tipped with three spikes, the outer two forming a prong. It latched onto the beast’s wrist, digging the center point in. The Rancor released his grip, reaching for the tail.
Gigan activated his thrusters, sending him flying backwards. The Rancor cried out in shock as he tried to stay standing, his feet digging into the ground. It was not enough, and soon the beast hit the ground, leaving him at Gigan’s mercy. The cyborg dragged his foe’s face through the dirt, laughing as trees shattered beneath him.
“Look at it, Lord Vader. Every single part of its body has been converted into a deadly weapon.” Sidious marveled.
“Indeed, and it has been given a personality to match. Are we sure this is not the invention of some ancient Sith, finally awoken after ages in dormancy?”
“None of the Holocrons I have scoured mentioned anything like it, though most of the teachings of the ancient Sith Lords have been erased...” The emperor replied, genuinely curious about the suggestion of his apprentice. “No, surely I would have sensed that by now if it was connected to them.”
“My lord, I can barely feel the force within it. This thing is barely organic beneath the layers of machinery.” The armored Sith Lord stated, who could not help but think of his own situation.
Gigan pulled his tail away, leaving the Rancor to skid for several meters through more of the beast’s homeland. He groaned, shakily trying to stand up. Planting his hands on the ground, the apex predator began to push himself up.
The Rancor’s face was in the dirt once more as Gigan dropped onto him from the air, planting his foot on the back of the beast’s head. The shrill cry of the cyborg mocked him.
Palpatine began to laugh. “Yes, this invader is barely organic. But feel this malice! That was not programmed, this creature has always been cruel!” Vader said nothing, nodding in agreement. His master was planning something with the cyborg, and he was getting closer to figuring it out each moment.
Gigan stared down at his prey, contemplating his next move. He could pierce its spinal cord now, ending the vulnerable creature’s life. It was so tempting, to just wedge his blade into the base of the neck, end the struggling beneath him.
With a burst of adrenaline, the Rancor pushed himself up, sending Gigan staggering back. Throwing an arm backward, the apex predator forced the cyborg back further with a strike. The alien was not upset by the development, for he was about to decide to continue the battle anyway.
Turning, the Rancor swung his massive arm, clubbing its hand against Gigan’s head. The cyborg sliced his foe across the stomach, but instead of making the beast reel back, the tearing of his skin only made the predator more vicious. The Rancor grabbed his attacker’s arms, pushing them away and twisting them. Gigan cried out, struggling as he tried to free himself. The Rancor kept applying pressure, trying to make a limb break.
To the beast’s horror, the buzzsaw on the alien’s torso revved to life, turning from a row of spikes into a silver blur. Gigan lunged forward with a cry, grazing the predator’s chin with the blades. The Rancor let go, blood streaming down from the bottom of his face, a groan leaving his rancid mouth.
Gigan thrust his arms out to the sides, eye flaring with light before releasing a laser. Instead of splitting apart into a cluster, the Laser Knife remained a solid beam, blazing into the Rancor’s pale, leathery skin. The beast stumbled back, roaring out in pain. He put his hands over his stomach to try and shield the blast, causing a burn to form on them as well.
The stream of red energy faded, Gigan ceasing power to it. The predator whimpered, smoke curling off his hide. Pointing his scythes forward, the cyborg let out a mocking screech. From the sides of the blades shot forth wires, which wrapped around both of the Rancor’s arms, growing taut.
Buzzing filled the air once more, making the beast flinch. Gigan’s saw was at full speed. The alien laughed, before pulling back with his scythes, the movement making the Rancor skid forward against his will. Dirt parted before his feet, leaving two trenches. He tried to step back, straining his muscles to overpower the cables, but Gigan just pulled again, drawing him ever closer to the spinning blades.
Why was this happening to him? One moment, peaceful slumber with a full stomach. The next, horrid agony inflicted by a nigh-incomprehensible foe. If he had known this is what would have happened, the beast would have ignored the falling tree and merely tried to sleep again.
The Rancor’s thick hands gripped the cables dragging him to a bloody end. Turning his body, he lifted, causing Gigan to cry out in shock as he was pulled off the ground. Adrenaline coursed through the predator’s veins, giving him the strength needed to slam the cyborg against the ground.
Decimated trees flew like cast aside splinters. Gigan’s call filled the forest, making the bystanders wince at the piercing screech. The Rancor began clawing at the cables, trying to pry them free. His own talons hurt him, but he kept at it. Hooking his fingers underneath them, hurried on by the wires shifting once more, he snapped them free. They fell to the ground, sliding along the dirt as they were reeled in.
Far away, Gigan began to stand. The Rancor charged forward, fists pounding against the ground like an extra pair of feet. Piles of wood shards and foliage fell from the cyborg’s body as he rose, an irritated hiss leaving his mouth. He looked up to see the charging Rancor, who shook the earth with each thunderous step. The alien’s eye began to glow, gathering power to scourge the creature once more. Only, he underestimated the Rancor’s speed.
Lunging forward, the beast swung a haymaker across the alien’s face, sending him tumbling to the ground. Gigan screeched in shock, flailing on the ground. The Rancor let out a baritone yell, before beginning to bash both meaty fists against his downed foe. The crash of his blows rang out across the forest, punctuated by Gigan’s cries of protest.
“Lord Vader,” Palpatine began. “Do you think this cyborg is being controlled? It is clear that it is no natural creature, so someone must have built it.”
The armored Sith was silent for a moment, contemplating. “No, it has not displayed behavior to suggest so. No planets of strategic importance have been struck, and it has not stayed on any one planet long enough to suggest an attempt at colonization.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” The hooded emperor replied. “He has acted erratically thus far.” The next words he spoke piqued Vader’s curiosity. “Perhaps, directionless.”
Metal began to dent beneath the pounding blows of the Rancor. Sparks flew from between panels of alien steel. The beast did not know or care if there would be anything edible within his foe, he still took pleasure in battering the cyborg. He ignored the cries of his foe, intent on hammering away until the thrashing stopped.
Pain began to be flooded out by fury within Gigan’s cybernetic brain. He could sense his foe’s swelling joy, see it in the minute changes on his face. Luck was all that had carried his foe to this point. Even as more metal on his side contorted and twisted, Gigan felt no fear.
Only anticipation at seeing the look on the stupid beast’s face.
Turning his head, he fired his Laser Knife, the beam searing into the Rancor’s thigh. Flesh melted and peeled away. Even with adrenaline flowing through him, the Rancor could not power through this. Yelping, he backed away, trying to get away from the beam.
Gigan cackled as he took off into the air, righting himself. Two slits on his chest opened, releasing buzzsaws that flew towards the Rancor. Still disoriented from the anguish on his thigh, the predator made no effort to stop the projectiles from slicing at his sides, leaving weeping wounds. He fell to one knee, bellowing as he planted both hands on the ground.
The buzzsaws did not continue forward, instead curving around to fly back at the Rancor. They left another set of matching wounds. The Rancor looked up at his attacker, tears dripping from the beast’s eyes. Gigan just laughed harder, watching as the blades turned around once more, aiming higher up.
The Rancor let out one last, pleading roar before one of the projectiles soared into his open maw, the other slicing across his throat. The back of the beast’s throat burst as the now crimson saw exited. Gurgling, he went limp, spilling his blood across the fields. Now without a target, the buzzsaws flew towards their master once more.
“Vader, grab its attention for me.” Palpatine casually commanded with the wave of a hand.
As a nearby boulder began to float, the armored Sith Lord holding out an arm, he spoke once more. “I figured that was why you had set this all up. If you wanted to just destroy it, you would have waited until it was on a planet we could write off before bombarding it from orbit.”
“Of course,” Sidious replied as his disciple hurled the rock like it weighed nothing. “This cyborg is far too interesting to just obliterate.”
“Do you truly think you can control this?”
“If I was not absolutely sure, I would have it destroyed exactly as you said.” Sidious replied, grinning as the boulder struck Gigan. The alien’s head snapped towards them, his bladed projectiles slotting back into their places as this happened.
Gigan’s advanced optic sensors honed in on a hilltop, with several heat signatures upon it. The rock had barely stung, but he refused to let miniscule creatures insult him. Firing up his jets, he flew into the air, soaring towards them.
Darth Vader’s hand hovered over his lightsaber, ready to grab and activate it at any moment.
“Do not worry my disciple,” Palpatine reassured him. “This shall be quite simple.” Vader did not move his hand, not because he doubted his master, but because he did not like taking chances. Already, he was plotting out how to take down such a foe. He would need to be fast, using his relative size to his advantage to strike tactical points on its body.
The Emperor’s Guard remained still, not letting any emotion be known. Vader doubted they were scared simply because Sidious was not scared. If he could not sense their life energy, he would likely join many others in the conspiracy theory that they were droids.
Gigan fired his laser, which split apart into a myriad of explosive streaks. Palpatine raised his hands, creating a translucent shield around him, his subordinates, and his ship. Vader did the same, adding his power to the Force Barrier. The energy rays detonated around the hill, some of the shockwaves reaching the barrier and attempting to break through. Palpatine’s face contorted in strain, but to his delight, his shield held once the chaos faded. He and Vader dispersed it.
Gigan landed before the hill, staring down at the gathered group. Now he was very curious, signified by the tilting of his head. A cloaked figure stepped forward, undeterred. The cyborg raised a scythe, ready to bring it down upon the fool stepping towards him.
Darth Sidious yelled as he thrust both hands forward, sending mighty streaks of blue lightning coursing forth. The Sith Lightning struck Gigan, surging along his metallic body. Howling, the cyborg tried to bring his arm down and crush the Sith Lord. As the azure electricity continued crawling across him, he found he could not do so.
Sparks flew from the wounds on the alien’s side as he seized, beginning to slouch in his stance. Internal functions were going haywire. “Kneel before me!” Gigan heard from the figure electrocuting him. He fell to one knee, feeling his stomach churn at his own cowardice. Just… anything to stop the anguish.
Palpatine ceased his Sith Lightning, the corners of his wrinkled lips rising in a smile. “You serve me, and the Galactic Empire, now.” He yelled, voice booming despite his age and the clear fatigue settling on him. “But do not worry, you shall have many opportunities to indulge in your sadism.”
Smoke still rose from the alien’s body. Gigan looked up, staring at the human giving him orders. He was conflicted. Part of him had sought order, a guiding hand to direct him to his victims. But freedom had been so alluring, unbound by commands and free to do whatever he wished.
But, given how he had not continued trying to attack, it appeared that he already had his decision.
Slowly rising to his feet, Gigan bowed his head, keeping his scythes low. He let loose a chirp, kneeling once more.
Palpatine cackled. “Yes! Those rebels shall pay for destroying my ultimate weapon! The galaxy will tremble before you, my war machine!”
Darth Vader made no comment. His excitement at gaining such a powerful asset was tempered by two factors. The first was that it was unpredictable, only held to their side by the promise of blood to shed. If the enemy’s blood ran dry, what stopped the alien from turning on them?
The second was that he could not shake the feeling that he was staring into a dark mirror of himself.
Spoiler:
