Gifts

Raiden Skywalker stood staring at the gift presented to him. Two gifts intact. The first was a new arm. Cold black metal, accented with gold comprised it's form. Beskar and durasteel he was told. As close to Lightsaber resistant as exists. But this was a Mandalorian arm, so it was not what it seemed. Secret compartments and launchers hidden beneath the surface. A fine replacement.

The next gift was a new blaster. It had a similar colouring of black metal and gold highlights. But the durasteel handle was a light grey, and would crack a skull Raiden was sure. He lifted the blaster in his left hand. Feeling the grip in his hand. It fit perfectly, but using his left hand was strange to him. But he could hardly use his right any longer.

"So what do you think?" Bo-Katan asked nervously.

"They are perfect thank you." Raiden responded a grateful smile adorning his face.

"There is one problem though." She seemed disappointed in herself as she said it.

"What is it?" He asked worried

"To fit everything into the arm we had to make unusual adjustments." She said still avoiding the problem at hand.

"Of course if you're against it we could get you a more simplified version." She continued on

"Bo, that's enough, just tell me calmly." Raiden said to her and she blushed as he called her Bo.

"It's just....to power them you need a Kyber Crystal, and we'll we saw you had two spare Lightsabers....." she began then trailed off. Spare Lightsabers? Raiden was confused for a moment until he remembered the two Lightsabers he took from the Night-Sisters.

"That's what you were worrying about?" He asked with the laugh causing her to blush yet again, embarrassed she's tried to slap Raiden on the back of the head but he just swerved away from the hit.

"Don't laugh! I was worried it would be against your delicate Jedi sensibilities!" She retorted

"Well let's put this new arm on." Raiden said, exited to have two arms again, even if it had only been a week he missed the thing.

A doctor came in followed by two assistants and they began running tests and attaching the arm. Apparently it was constructed in a way that it can be easily altered to fit him as he grew. As Raiden sat there Bo-Katan started listing the auxiliary housed in the robotic limb. A fibre wire, a burst light, a weak EMP, a disk blade, a Vibroknife and a secret compartment that housed a third gift she said she would give him later.

"Now we add the power source." The doctor said while gesturing to where the Kyber Crystal would go, motioning for Raiden to place it in.

Using the force Raiden dismantled the blue Lightsaber he pulled the crystal from inside and guided it to the arm. It clicked into place and suddenly he could feel. He flexed his arm and it moved. It was fluid, like an extension of himself. Bo-Katan was ecstatic as she grabbed his cold metal hand. But it was wrong. He could feel but it was muted. Like he was getting poked but was wearing seven layers. I suppose that's just the price he'd have to pay.

"Thank you, so much." Raiden said taking her in his arms and twirling her around, both laughing as they do.

"I am sorry to interrupt, Young Padawan but the Council Memvers have arrived." Raiden instantly placed Bo-Katan down and turned.

The view that greeted him was a strange one. He had the face of an aged man, pointed ears and a bushy grey beard that covered his wrinkled skin and fell down to his chest. He had a slender torso that resembled that of a human but from his torso sprouted four arms. Each arm tipped with three clawed fingers. In place of legs he had a serpentine tail covered in white and purple scales. He wore a grey robe and in his hand was a great staff. It was large and had four indents. The staff was topped by a large Kyber Crystal.

"Master Greyhame, right away." Raiden said embarrassed by how he was found.

"Lady Kryze, I thank you." He said bowing. He placed the green Kyber Crystal from the other Lightsaber into his new Blaster and holstered it before leaving.

Master Greyhame was the Jedi Master that first reached Mandalor after Raidens arrival and they had bonded this last week as he spoke to him on the force. They walked through the Dukes estate until they reached the room given to the Jedi by the Duke. Entering Raiden saw many familiar faces. Grandmaster Yoda, Master Windu, Master Jinn, Master Dooku, Master Koon and Master Ti.

"Master Greyhame, my thanks, you have" Yoda said to the old Jedi who didn't even scratch his age.

"And you Padawan Skywalker." Windu began stoically before a smile emerged on his face.

"It's been too long." He finished with a nod that Raiden returned.

"We shall reunite later but first you must tell us your tale." Qui-Gon said with a happy look in his eye.

And so Raiden told them, he spoke about how Luminara was killed and how he was abducted and put through dark rituals, about how he was manipulated, how he fought the Mandalorians on Dathomir and how Luminara appeared to him and cleared his mind as she cleansed the Lightsaber. He told them about how he learned the Mandalorian fighting style before using it against his once manipulators to ensure she could not affect his mind again. Then he told about his ordeal on Mandalor and the loss of his arm and the destruction of his Lightsaber. At the end of his tale the assembled Masters had a pondering look on their faces.

"He fell to his emotions." Master Shaak Ti announced as if it was clear what should be done, it was as Raiden feared.

"Yes an abused child, on a cruel planet got angry while his manipulator beat him, are you surprised." Dooku's voice responded sarcastically

"More importantly he overcame the darkness." Qui-Gon said rushing to Raidens defence.

"He has undergone a very stressful ordeal, I saw we bring him back to the Jedi Temple to heal, physically and physiologically." Plo Koon suggested, ever the voice of reason.

"It is clear that Padawan Skywalker went to a dark place within himself, but he had been truthful, how can we punish him for having survived such a harsh experience." Windu said defending Raiden which surprised Dooku who would not have expected such an action from the strict Master.

"Yes, a dark place you went to Young Skywalker, yet drag yourself back to the light you did, for that, I am proud." Yoda said and it was final, he would be welcomed back to the Temple where he would heal and grow.

After the meeting he was approached by Yoda. The small green Jedi now only reaching his waist. He hobbled forward with his can and motioned to Raiden who knelt so he was eye level with the older Jedi.

"Grown you have, tall for one so young, hmm" The Grandmaster said poking Raiden with his walking stick.

"Or have you shrunk Master." Raiden responded with a sly grin.

"A cocky shit, you have become, yes." Yoda responded amusement lacing his voice as he ripped a hair from his head with nothing but the shift of his finger.

"Until the morning, to say your goodbyes, you have." He said over Raidens shout of pain and then he left laughing as he did so.

Then Raiden was approached by Windu. The middle age Jedi Master was arguably the greatest duelist in the order. Definitely the better Sith fighter as his combat style uses your opponent anger against them, but in pure Lightsaber skill, many would say Dooku precedes him.

"Young Skywalker, may I tell you a story." He asked and it caught Raidens interest

"Please do Master." He responded

"When I became a Padawan I felt a tug through the force, I followed and it lead me to a planet in the Outer-Rim" He began his tale

"There were these strange stone beasts, I thought them to be dangerous and so I engaged one in combat, defeating it." He continued

"More came and I readied my blue Saber, but they didn't fight, they sat in the rubble of thier friend and made sorrowful noises." It was clear the story weighed heavy on the Jedi and so Raiden remained silent and let him continue.

"I knew then what had happened, I had given into my emotions, embraced the dark and I didn't notice these were nothing but peaceful creatures." He continued

"I tried to fix my mistake, but he had been destroyed, I found a way to communicate with these 'beasts' as I called them, but they were more civilised than most on Coruscant" Raiden could see true sadness in Windus eyes.

"They forgave me, took a purple Crystal that was once their friends eye and gave it to me." He ignited his Lightsaber as he said this

"I have confronted the darkness myself Skywalker, they guided me back to the light, let me do the same for you." Raiden could tell he was offering as much for himself as he was for Raiden but he wasn't about to turn down the offer.

"I would appreciate that Master Windu." Raiden responded in thanks to the offer

"When we return to the Temple I would teach you Vaapad, to use your own and your opponent anger and dark side energy to serve the Light." He offered before bowing and taking his leave.

Next he was approached by Shaak Ti and Plo Koon both offered little words only welcomed before departing. The he was approached by Dooku and Qui-Gon. The Padawan and the Master walked together, Dooku saying few words only promising to speak later. Qui-Gon however took him in his arms.

"Raiden!!! Thank the force!!!" He cried as he held him

"I have missed you." Raiden responded

They sat together for a while speaking about what they had missed, Qui-Gon spoke about his new Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, a boy a few years older than Raiden and they spoke about how Qui-Gon had a task by the Council to remain on Mandalor to ensure the rising tension don't rise even more and result in a war.

Now free of the Council and having spoken with the Masters makes his way back to Bo-Katan. He finds her in us room waiting, along with Satine. The elder sister smiles when he enters but behind her eyes is a strange look. Raiden knew why, she had seen the video recovered from the ship. Satine was an absolute pacifist, she despises all forms of violence and to see him kill all those people had shaken her. But she was happy her sister was safe and her friend relatively unharmed.

"Satine, Bo." Raiden called out to them as he entered.

"Hello Raiden." Satine answered simply while Bo-Katan jumped from her seat and ran to him, grabbing his arm.

"What happened?" She asked urgently

"I'll be leaving for the Temple in the morning, I don't know if I'll see you all again." Raiden said to the two girls sadly.

"If you're going then I have to give you your last gift." Bo-Katan said with a deep conviction but Satine just seemed confused.

"There was another gift?" She asked her sister but Bo-Katan just waved her off and began leading Raiden away.

She lead him through the estate, deep into the vaults and passed the vaults into the great forge. The estate sat atop the largest beskar mine on Mandalor and the sound of miners echoed throughout the forge. Bo-Katan lead Raiden past the forge deeper to a secret chamber. There was a much smaller forge there, the same size as the one Raiden used to forge his equipment on Dathomir.

"I asked father to get me the best craftsman on Mandalor, then I searched our archives for our most well kept secret." She said as she presented the object to him.

It looked like the hilt to a sword but it had to blade. Raiden took it in his hands it was made of black metal at the cross guard and the pommel but the grip was rancor leather. The handle was six inches and fit well in one hand. The top looked like it had an emitter similar to to a Lightsaber but different. The emitter was slim unlike any lightsaber Raiden had seen.

"Years ago Clan Kryze fought a war with Clan Vizsla. We Raided their home and took information and riches, both have been passed down for generations." As she said that she took the sword hilt back and took a necklace from her neck.

"Amount the spoils was the prototype plans for the Darksaber and this necklace." Then Bo-Katan took her necklace, held it over the hot forge for a moments before smashing it with a hammer.

The necklace cracked and splintered leaving a single black glowing gem. Raiden was entranced as the crystal emitted light and absorbed it simultaneously. Then Bo-Katan opened part of the hilt and placed the crystal inside before handing it back to the speechless Raiden.

Raiden held it reverently before igniting it. A 27 inch long blade erupted from the hilt, black in colour and with a high pitched screech. It was edged and formed a point at the end. The blade was ringed with white and it felt perfectly balanced as Raiden twirled it lazily. He extinguished the blade before turning to Bo-Katan who stood staring patiently to hear his reaction.

"Bo, I don't know what to say it's perfect." He said as he stared into her deep blue eyes.

"Then don't say anything." She responded

She took the hilt from his hand softly and grabbed his metal arm by the wrist. Opening the secret compartment she placed the blade inside the arm before closing it. She ran her fingers along his metal palm. A blush spread across her face as she tucked a lick of her fiery hair behind her ear and looked at their feet.

"Than yo-" his thanks were interrupted by Bo-Katan suddenly leaning in and placing her soft lips on his. Raiden was overcome with emotion as he pushed back against her lips for only a moment before they separated.

"Just something to remember me by" she said finally before rushing away leaving a confused and smiling Raiden behind.

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For the arm think Winter Soldier Gold/Black arm

For the sword think the shape of a Gladius (Roman sword)