Breaking free

A robed figure stalked through the darkness of Dathomir. Their features were masked in shadow from their hood. They seemed to blend into the shadows in which they walked as their black robes billowed in the darkness. Suddenly they stopped. Their head snapped towards a sound in the distance and they tensed like a caragor that's found it's prey.

It was a Mandalorian that drew the attention of the shadowy figure. He was large and covered in bulky armour. A jet pack is attached to his back and a large repeating rifle clasped in his armoured fists. The shadow was a hunter, and this was its prey. From beneath the hood of the hunter two orbs flashed green. Their eyes were full of power and hatred as recognition ignited behind the glowing orbs.

The shadow knew this Mandalorian, knew him from years prior when he uprooted the shadows life. The shadow dropped from the overcrop where it stood falling to silent feet just a few steps behind its armoured foe. Quickly and quietly it stalked forward. This man, no this BEAST had caused so much pain for the shadow.

The shadow thought about inflicting an unmeasurable amount of pain to the large warrior. But reason overcame its emotions. The figure understood that shadow was its greatest ally in this mission and to engage with this one Mandalorian would compromise the rest of the rest of the mission.

With its mind decided the shadow reached into its robes and pulled out a black cylinder. It fit the hand of the calloused shadow perfectly as the shadow moved into position. Cloaked in shadow and silent as the night, the figure kicked the back of the Mandalorians armoured leg, sending him to his knees with a thud.

Quickly the figure positioned the black hilt beneath the Mandalorians chin and ignited it. A light green blade erupted from the top of the cylinder and it pierced the skull of the downed Mandalorian. The pale green blade was different from other Lightsaber blades. It crackled with excess power and seemed unstable, this problem was soon solved as two shorter blades burst from the sides acting as a vent for the excess power.

In the green glow of the Lightsaber illuminated the features of the shadowy figure. He was a young man. His face was sharp and angular yet had a distinct look of youth, while lacking all the innocence. He was much younger than his height portrayed but even with his features exposed he looked much older than he really was. If someone was to guess his age they would say 14 maybe even 15 but in reality he was only 9 years old. His growth exponentially hastened by rituals years prior.

His deep blue eyes glint with happiness as he he felt a weight lift from his soul. It was done at last, she was avenged. But young though he was, he was a hunter and he had more prey. With the sentry disposed of he could enter the caves and be done with these Mandalorians at last.

He traveled through shadow and darkness unseen until he found himself at the beginning of a cave system. There were three ships and many objects and training courses. This wasn't just a Mandalorian camp it was where Death Watch takes the children with the most potential to train, for Dathomir was a harsh place, and to make strong steel you must plunge it into the depths of flame.

Still cloaked in a black cloak the shadow entered the caves. He soon found himself at a divergence. Trusting in the Force he searched his feelings. Forward would lead him to the forge, and their leader. Right would lead to the children. Left to the warriors. His path was clear. He lifted his hand to the right side and gestured slowly to the roof before suddenly lowering his now clenched fist, rocks and rubble followed the path of his hand, crashing to the floor. Then he turned right.

He entered a long, narrow room, more like a hallway. Lining the walls were eight cylinders that acted like beds for the Mandalorians. The beds would extend out of the wall and retract in. Currently seven Mandalorian warriors were bustling after being awoken by the cave in. They hurried to put on their beskar. Some had only their chest pieces on while some had only their bracers. Only one was fully armoured and it was her that noticed the shadowy figure first.

"Stop intruder!" She ordered from behind her helmet but the figure didn't stop instead he kept his steady pace.

"I said stop!" Again she ordered and this time he did.

"Raise you hands!" She ordered as the other Mandalorians put their helmets on and grabbed whatever weapon was closest.

The figure raised his right hand high above his head with his palm facing the Mandalorians. They ordered him to raise his other while pointing their weapons at him. He slowly took his left hand from his robe and presented it to them. But this time it wasn't empty. Clutched on his hand was a Mandalorian helmet.

Immediately the fully armoured Mandalorian fired her blaster rifle at the intruder but they made no contact. The helmet soared from his hand thudding into the chest of a Mandalorian sending him crashing into the wall with his chest caved in. As he did this the hooded man brought his raised hand across his body using the force to tare the beds from the walls and send them crashing into the Mandalorians.

Two were crushed beneath the avalanche of metal and electronics and as they were left dying beneath the rubble a green blade erupted at the entrance, drawing all the Mandalorians attention. He stalked forward slowly as blaster fire beat down against him but it was ineffective as he spun his blade in circular motions sending all the fire back. One of the warriors who hadn't put on his chest piece fell to a deflected blaster bolt.

Now with only three remaining the shadow clad figure smiled. These were the most armoured Mandalorians and they would lose the greatest challenge. The fully armoured woman dropped her rifle and drew her vibrosword and a small blue shield burst from her gauntlet. Before using her jet pack to soar towards her opponent.

Her direct collision course was interrupted with nothing but a hand gesture by the hooded man. She crashed into the wall of the room and with another hand gesture she was was trapped beneath a piece of scrap metal. The hooded figure turned around to find a man crawling from under the destroyed beds. But before he could be finished another man jumped at the intruder wielding nothing but a vibroknife.

The Mandalorian was stopped midair by his outstretched fist. It was as he was suspended in air and the breath was forced from his lungs that he knew who this was. The Mandalorian was there four years ago, he watched as Torig Vizsla dropped the green Jedi. He was also there was a boy of only five years nearly killed them all with just a hand gesture. And he'd come back to finish the job.

Raiden dropped the dead body and turned back to the man climbing out from the rubble as he did so he saw a woman at the back of the room searching for a weapon. The man who crawled from the rubble now held a pistol and pointed it at Raiden. He fired twice. The first was deflected to the roof, the second was blacked by Raidens empty right hand. With the same hand he summoned the blaster to him.

Raiden Skywalker pointed the blaster at the power box on the wall, in an attempt to get rid of the light. The woman at the edge of the room tried to stop him. She sent a grapple from her bracer that pulled his hand, making him miss, she then raised her rifle and took aim. But she never fired as Raiden severed the wire from the grappling hook with his Lightsaber and fired upon the blaster in her hands destroying it before he finally shot at the power box covering them all in darkness.

The male Mandalorian thrust his arm forward were he last saw the intruder and from his gauntlet flame erupted. The fire partially illuminated the room and it was this momentary light that allowed the fully armoured Mandalorian, who had freed herself from the metal, to see the dark figure behind the man sending forth the flame. She tried to warn him but was too late as green lightning erupted from Raidens finger tips.

The lightning illuminated the cave again but the two other Mandalorians could only watch on in horror as the man was fried by the Force lightning. After Raiden stopped the room again filled with an all encompassing darkness. The remaining Mandalorians shifted nervously feeling the ground for any kind of weapon but finding none until again the darkness was broken by green light.

The fully armoured Mandalorian watched as the green Lightsaber cut down her friend. It was the only source of light as Raiden twirled it lazily as he stalked down towards her. She searched for anything that could work as a weapon but found nothing until finally he stood in front of her. Then she remembered. She raised her arm. And fired.

A missile exploded from her bracer, if it hit Raiden it would kill her too, but she cared not. As long as it killed this monster of shadow and death. But it didn't hit Raiden. It stopped only inches from the gauntlet. Suspended in air it stayed as Raiden addressed the woman.

"Tisk tisk, that was close wasn't it?" He asked

"Krif off!" She shouts and it would be her last words as Raiden brings his blade down on the rocket causing it to explode. Using the Force Raiden protected himself and amplified the power making sure he was safe but utterly destroying the final Mandalorian.

Raiden left the room and found himself back at the divergence. He knew he should turn towards the forge to find the Mandalorian leader but his feelings told him he should exit and so he left the caves back to the small grove. He saw the training equipment and the Mandalorian ships again but his eyes were drawn to the Mandalorian warrior.

He stood facing the cave opening. His armour was thick and his weapons destructive. On his back was a small golden jet pack and a vibrosword. On his belt was a pistol and hammer. He also had a repeating blaster trapped to his back and in his hands was a sniper. On his head sat the most interesting Mandalorian helmet Raiden had ever seen. It was golden and had strange horns on top of it. But Raiden had little time to appreciate the armour as the Mandalorian raised his sniper.

Three high powered shots flew from the blaster as Raiden exited the cave. One after the other they were deflected. The Armourer dropped the sniper at his feet and lifted his repeating blaster. He took aim and unleashed. At this Raiden began to run, twirling his Lightsaber as he does, this deflects all the blaster fire to his sides leaving him unharmed. Raiden was nearly in range when the gun overheated, steam erupted from vents along the side as the Armourer took a thermal charge from hhis belt and threw it at Raiden.

Raiden stopped the blaster midair but was unprepared for the explosion and it sent him skidding backwards. The explosion created a cloud of smoke and dust, from the dust cloud came more blaster fire. The angle caught Raiden by surprise and hit his shoulder but he quickly began deflecting the rest.

As the dust cleared Raiden found his opponent at last. He flew through the air, his repeating pistol in his hand showing no signs of overheating. With aid from the force Raiden flung himself into the air towards his opponent. He swung with his Lightsaber but his opponent was easily able to dodge with the jet pack. But Raiden wasn't done, still in the air he twisted and swiped again at the Mandalorian, making contact.

The slash would kill almost any opponent, but this was a Mandalorian in full beskar. Sparks erupted from his chest piece but no lasting damage was dealt. But still Raiden wasn't ready to quit and so he channeled all his emotions through himself and out his fingers in the form of Force lightning. The green lightning cracked through the sky and struck the Armourer causing his blaster to explode and sending him falling to the ground.

The Armourer struggled to his knees as Raiden slowly approached. Once standing the Mandalorian reached to his back and unsheathed his vibrosword. Raiden smiled as its signature hum filled the air, now it would be a sword fight, something Raiden was sure to win because the Armourer was out of gadgets and tricks. Or so he thought.

From the leg of the Mandalorian shot a spinning wire. It made contact with Raidens legs binding them together and tripping him up. Raiden fell to his back and his Lightsaber fell from his grasp. Raidens hands reached out in an attempt to call his Lightsaber to him but another spinning wire shot towards him, this time from his gauntlets and trapping his hands.

The Armourer stood over him and raised the vibroblade high ready to strike, but Raiden wasn't ready for his life to end. His legs stuck out with power and fury bringing the Mandalorian down on top of him. With his hands bound he wrenched the vibrosword free and threw it to the side.

The Mandalorian was disoriented and without a weapon so was unprepared for the strong elbow that Raiden threw into the side of his helmet. His armoured head snapped to the side from the force and Raiden capitalised by slamming both his hands into the helmet after. Then grabbing his neck with this bound hands he turned so Raiden now sat on top of the Armourer.

Raiden began pounding against the Mandalorian. Slamming the helmet with his firsts and his elbow. This continued for an entire minute until the visor cracked. The inhuman amount of strength required to break a beskar helmet caused the Armourer to surge with fear. This fear fuelled him.

His head shot up slamming into Raidens nose. Then his fist slammed into Raidens side. His other hand rose also but it wasn't to punch. From the bracer a blade extended getting dangerously close to Raiden before he blocked it. Swiftly positioning his bound hands he used the extended blade to cut them free. Then slamming his now free hand down onto the bracer he destroyed part of the blade's mechanics. He lifted the now lose beskar blade and plunged it into the shoulder of the Mandalorian.

The Armourer screamed in pain as he raised his other hand, this time flame burst from the gauntlet not a blade. Raiden covered his face with his arms to block the flame, and it worked, his face was unburnt but his cloak was aflame. He used the force to jump backwards, his robe falling of in a swirl of fire and his Lightsaber hilt sailing through the air to his hands.

He used the Lightsaber to free his legs as the Mandalorian made it to his feet. Using a grappling hook he pulled his vibrosword to him and took an offensive stance. Raiden took no stance, with his Lightsaber held calmly at his side. His face portrayed confidence as he stared down his armoured foe. And it was confidence well earned.

Raiden dominated the duel. His Lightsaber was a flurry of green and the Armourer was barely able to keep up. Many times Raiden barely glanced off the armour, right were there were gaps, but it seemed the Armourer was lucky as every strike missed flesh only hitting the beskar.

The Armourer had been on the back foot the entire duel and I'm an attempt to get ahead of his opponents he made a desperate slash, one that cost dearly.

The slash was parred and a blow dealt to his leg getting past the beskar and singeing his flesh. He dropped to one knee and held his vibrosword up to block. Raiden entered a blade lock with the Mandalorian but his position offered greater leverage and his blade inched closer and closer to his opponents head. Soon the cross guard of his Lightsaber scraped along the eye of his helmet.

The Mandalorian warrior searched deep in his soul for the strength to continue and he found it. Screaming in pain he rose and again attempted to slash. But despite his desperate attempts, it was in vain. Raidens Lightsaber beat down upon the Armourers vibrosword, he aimed for a specific position every time and soon that area of the vibrosword began to glow and warp. Nothing was truly Lightsaber resistant.

Again the entered a blade lock, but this time the Armourer had a trick up his sleeve. Reaching down to his belt he grabbed a basket hammer and slammed it into the glowing area of the vibrosword. It shattered sending small blade fragments into Raidens arms. He used the distraction to fly around not the sky. But Raiden wasn't as distracted as he though.

A green blade clipped the back of the jet pack and the Mandalorian swerved out of control before crashing into the ground. Raiden approached the downed Mandalorian. He called his opponents hammer to him as he stood behind him. Bringing the hammer down on the jet pack it bent and cracked as it fell off his back. Raiden made his way to the front of the Armourer and placed his blade at his neck.

"Any last words?" He asked softly

"Yo-" he died quickly, with his last words still in his throat.

"Daddy!" A young voice cried as Raiden felt a a hammer crash against his leg.

He turned to find a young girl, in her hand was her fathers hammer. Other children stood behind her, many younger but much more afraid. Raiden raised his his Lightsaber and the green light reflected in the young girls eyes.

"Skywalker!" Came a familiar voice

Time froze as Raiden turned to find Luminara. But she was different. He could see right through her and she had a blue tint to her image. But she was just like the day she was taken from him. She walked closer and held him in her arms. She took his Lightsaber from his grasp.

"What has she done to you?" She asked softly as tears filled Raidens eyes.

"This is a cursed weapon, made from crystals that were once mine." She continued

"And you were about to use it to strike down a child." She didn't shout but spoke softly as one would a child who'd made a simple mistake.

"But you can make it right." She told him while using the force to cleanse the Lightsaber and she put her hands on either side of Raidens head driving out the manipulations of the cruel witch and freeing him at last.

Now Raiden looked at the young girls eyes and saw the green reflected in them. It was darker now, like a kyber crystal and not like the spirit ichor. But it wasn't the light he focused on in her eyes it was his own reflection. And he was horrified.

"Girl can you use that ship?" He asked pointing to one of the Mandalorian ships.

"I can." A boy from behind called out but others just remained silent and glared at him.

"Then go." Raiden ordered. The young girl dropped the hammer and grabbed the helmet of her father but they didn't leave.

"I SAID GO!!!" He shouted and the scurried off towards the ship.

Soon Raiden would board one of those ships and be gone from this planet, but first.

HE HAD VENGEANCE