The Mistryl Shadow Guards were an exclusive group of mercenary soldiers, all of whom were Human and female. Originating from Emberlene, their homeworld, these warriors were dispatched to earn funds to aid their planet's struggling communities. The Shadow Guards' history is marked by a sorrowful and prolonged narrative, rife with treachery, avarice, fury, and devastation, tracing back to the initial fall of Emberlene.
Emberlene, in the three years preceding its destruction, wielded its power and riches to conquer neighboring worlds. Dozens of planets within their sector were subjugated, their wealth plundered, and anything deemed valuable but unportable was obliterated.
The remaining planets in the sector came to the conclusion that inaction would lead to their own demise under Emberlene's armies. By combining their resources, these planetary governments contracted a mercenary force to defend them. This mercenary army launched a swift and devastating assault, crippling Emberlene's military and reducing the planet's infrastructure to ruins. Subsequent firestorms and aerial bombardments of populated zones effectively neutralized the Emberlene threat, plunging its populace into extreme poverty.
In the years following this devastation and initial recovery, the Eleven Elders chose to fabricate a narrative from the ashes of this catastrophe. From their earliest years, the citizens of Emberlene were taught that long ago, during the early years of the Galactic Empire, before resistance was fully suppressed, Emperor Palpatine ordered Emberlene's destruction as a warning to others. Emberlene, once a prosperous and beautiful world, had made it clear that it answered to no one. Fearing the planet's growing strength and influence, the Emperor dispatched his forces to obliterate Emberlene as an example to those who dared defy Imperial rule. This fabrication was designed to foster loyalty and pride among the Emberlene people, as well as a false sense of duty within the Mistryl ranks.
Since that time, the Mistryl offered their services as mercenaries, seeking to generate sufficient income to support the millions of refugees left in the wake of their planet's destruction, while harboring deep resentment for the Empire's supposed role in the tragedy.
At a certain point, Loruna Scathe departed from the Shadow Guard, establishing a competing organization known as the Azure Cabal, which vied with the Mistryl Shadow Guard for mercenary contracts.
The Shadow Guards were sometimes hired by the Smugglers' Alliance, and in 11 ABY, a pair of them assisted the Alliance in seizing control of the Spice Mines of Kessel, later fighting against the Death Star prototype when it attempted to destroy the planet.
Typically, the Shadow Guard operated in compact teams, each under the command of a leader known as the Team Prime. In 0 BBY, Manda D'ulin's team comprised six warriors, including herself, Karoly D'ulin, Pav D'armon, Shada D'ukal, Sileen and Cai, along with two heavily armed starfighters, the Skyclaw and Mirage.
When a larger contingent was needed, multiple teams could be summoned. For instance, Team Prime D'ulin planned to assemble a squadron of twelve ships to escort the Hammertong convoy. Conversely, Mistryl sometimes traveled in master-apprentice pairings, and individual warriors could be contracted for extended periods as bodyguards. Following the disbandment of Manda D'ulin's team, Shada D'ukal journeyed across the galaxy with her trainee, Dunc T'racen, aboard the freighter The Fury, prior to becoming Mazzic's bodyguard, a role she maintained from at least 9 ABY until her departure from the Shadow Guard to become Talon Karrde's lieutenant in 19 ABY.
Consistent with their fabricated history of Emberlene's destruction by Imperial forces, the Mistryl asserted that they would never work for the New Order. However, when this aversion conflicted with a lucrative opportunity, they often disregarded this animosity, whether out of convenience or necessity.
While the Guard were always dangerous, the Shadow Guard excelled particularly in close-range combat. They received thorough training in various martial arts disciplines and possessed extensive knowledge of weaponry. Their training encompassed the use of hold-out blasters and vibroblades, as well as more specialized armaments like hand claws, shock whips, and zenji needles.
The Mistryl were renowned for their exceptional stealth and ability to remain undetected. They had access to an extensive database containing profiles of galactic citizens. When the need arose, a guard could quickly utilize one of these profiles to assume the identity of that individual, facilitating either close proximity to a target or a swift escape from an area.