Judge's History
Judge was drowning in the fathomless depths of Nebula�??s gaze, feeling as though he was a photon that had found its last refuge in the darkness of her eyes. He hadn�??t seen his partner for nearly a million years, but she hasn�??t changed a bit. Judge could delight in the sight of Nebula forever, but...
�??...She will perish, sink into oblivion. It�??s destined, and so it shall be...�?�
His hands gently brushed against her shoulders, and he inhaled deeply, the sensation making him giddy. Nebula stepped forward, embracing Judge.
�??...She shall die by your hand, Judge. You are chaos, and she? She is order. You shall do what you must one day. Such is your path. Better to stop this never-ending cycle now, once and for all...�?�
Her warm breath flickered in tiny droplets of condensation on his armor. He felt as though his heart had stopped, as though to not to scare away the moment.
�??...Yes, I am a god, but I am neither good, nor evil. I do not decide fates. I simply channel them in the right direction. Just accept it as a given...�?�
Their breath faltered, and their lips found each other. And yet, the bitter memories kept haunting the Judge, even in their moments of deepest intimacy.
�??You aren�??t listening to me, Judge. Well then, I�??ll fulfil your right. Your Last Word shall be granted. It only gives you three attempts. Alas, it shall do nothing but prolong your suffering...�?�
The Judge cast one more glance at Nebula, gently putting his arm around the sleeping woman�??s shoulder. Then, nervously jerking his hand back, he decided, and left their warm home. Except that he was unable to run away from his thoughts.
�??Curse cruel fate, and all that was destined! Curse the gods and their cunning speeches!�?� cried the Judge as he stepped outside. �??What use is there in their revelations? They only make everything more difficult than it already is!�?� He left the planet in a few minutes, desperately longing to forget it all, ignore the warnings, and come back to Nebula. All because she had already died more than once...
Few are aware that the Keepers themselves are mere pawns played by fate. The Judge might be a protector of gods, but his role in this flow of life is far from pleasant: he is destined to be his own boundless love�??s killer. Only, Nebula is blissfully unaware of what�??s going on. Last time, an Ion Cyclone cast by the Judge in the heat of a battle missed its target and struck her down. Prior to that, Nebula had been killed by a shot that ricocheted off the Judge�??s armor, and before that, she had slipped from a cliff on Ganoda while trying to save him. One way or another, he was related to all three deaths. Each time, the Judge fell back on his Last Word, his right for one wish a Keeper may ask of the god he protects. He used this right for an opportunity to resurrect his beloved. He only had three attempts, though, and all of them were used up.
The Judge literally fled from Nebula, afraid of giving fate a final chance to doom them both. Faster than light, he charged toward the Cradle of Beginnings with the intent to bargain for one last wish, to beg HIM for one... But the god had disappeared! His mouth twisted in a bitter grin, the Judge realized what he had to do: signal Nebula, and hurry out in search of the runaway god.
�??Laughing at my expense, fate, aren�??t you? Making me suffer for your own enjoyment?�?� he almost growled. �??I won�??t let you. Not now, is that clear?�?� With those words, the Judge sent the signal and set off toward Nebula.
And again, battle and constant searching for days, weeks, and months. Together, the couple tried to find the lost god, only to find each other and lose control in the rare moments of intimacy they both desired so much...
One day, the fatal hour came. One of the many laser beams shot by the Judge was scattered and reflected by the crystals on the planet Palan multiple times, piercing through Nebula�??s armor as though it was paper. The Keeper�??s blood, thick and blue, gushed from her body and onto the gray sand. The young woman�??s eyes rolled back, her breath growing weak and coarse. �??Nebula!�?� cried the Judge, shaking the body slumped over his hands. �??I never wanted to kill you, but I don�??t know how to thwart my fate. My greatest wish is not to become your murderer! And yet it is never to be granted...�?�
His head low, the Judge succumbs to bittersweet reminiscence. A series of memories flashes before his eyes. A day when they raced through the asteroid clouds... That one time when the Judge accidentally touched Croochul�??s ancient remains, turning the rare find to ashes... Dancing in the shine of Arathan�??s many moons, escaping from Goll�??s dungeons... The two of them had gone through so much together! Could it be that it was over for good?
�??You can�??t escape your fate, Judge. Don�??t even try...�?�
Suddenly, the young woman stirred and opened her eyes, beaming a sly smile at the Judge. �??D�??you know what I asked for in my Last Word?�?� Nebula stroked her armor, which showed no sign of damage or blood. �??I asked for your greatest wish to come true! This time, you were honest as you had never been before!�?� Hearing Nebula�??s laugh, the Judge snapped out of his bewilderment. He laughed too, and tightly embraced his beloved.
When they left the galaxy in an hour, hand in hand. Drunk with joy, the Judge could think only one thing, over and over: �??Well now, Fate! Shall we play another round?�?�
