Raymond was at a loss for words as he sensed the smuggler move, Leonard producing his lightsaber from wherever it'd been hidden, the jedi's right hand immediately moving to his side, feeling beneath the cloak in search of the tell-tale weapon.

"Mm. Jedi should really wear their weapons somewhere besides their sides. It's getting to be repetitive," Leonard announced as he inspected the weapon with distaste. "You'd think that a man would be more careful in times like these."

A moment passed before Raymond lunged, a hum splitting the air as the jedi dodged aside, sensing the heat of his weapon in the air near his neck, causing him to stop. He could try to use the force to pull it away from Leonard, but the other male seemed to know his way around a lightsaber.

"I wouldn't underestimate me, dear Jedi," the smuggler announced, voice cold enough to make Hoth itself jealous. "I've fought every type of warrior in existence, and I will have no trouble removing your head from your shoulders."

Raymond set his jaw as Kigra prowled around the perimeter of the room, rumbling deep within her chest, obviously unsure of how to respond to her master's change in demeanor. The only thing keeping her from attacking the blind man was because no order had been given for her to do so.

"What do you want?" Raymond finally asked, inwardly kicking himself for not sensing Leonard take his lightsaber. It was a foolish mistake, and now he may pay for it. The mission he'd been assigned would remain incomplete, jeopardizing the plans he'd been let in on. "Credits? To shoot me out the airlock?"

Leonard clicked his tongue, a slight bit of amusement filling him as he tilted his head to regard the taller human. "I can get credits. More than you can give if I hand you over to the Empire," the smuggler paused as he watched Raymond stiffen, smirking now. "But then I'd just be tossed into the cell next to you."

The lightsaber deactivated, allowing Raymond to relax slightly, though he remained on guard. Any chance he got to retrieve his weapon and remove Leonard from the high ground would be acted upon. "Then what is it you want? You must want something."

Another sound of amusement from somewhere in front of him, followed by a disturbance in the air.

Raymond easily caught the weapon tossed back to him, slightly surprised.

"Of course, I want something. I just don't know what it is yet."

The smuggler's words confused Raymond as he clutched his lightsaber tightly in his hands, almost as if he was afraid he'd lose it again if he wasn't careful.

"Purple lightsabers are very rare. The rarest true color from what I know," Leonard stated softly as he studied the Jedi for a moment, head cocking slightly to one side as he thought for a moment. "That would mean you are truly a fallen Jedi. If not the inheritor of your master's weapon."

Raymond tensed up as he listened, the conversation quickly becoming uncomfortable for him.

"Now, who were the few with purple lightsabers? Mace Windu? Siri Tachi? She seems more likely, doesn't she?"

There was a pause as Leonard studied the other, watching him carefully, searching for a sign that he was right.

"Rachi Sitra?"

Raymond clenched his jaw as he replaced his weapon on his hip and fully focused on the smuggler. "Who my master was is no concern of yours. I need to get to Alderaan, and I've paid you to get me there. Unless I need to find another willing to do so without questions?"

There was a laugh as Leonard crossed his arms over his chest. "Not many would transport a Jedi. At least not to where he wants to go. Judging by this reaction, I was correct that Rachi Sitra was your master. You would be trained in Niman and Shien at least. You aren't skilled enough for the Kai-Kan."

Rage threatened to rise as Raymond clenched his fists by his side and struggled to keep himself calm with the anger and guilt warring inside of him, the darkside coming to whisper it's suggestions in his ear again.

It was becoming more often.

"I would ask how you seem to have such an extensive knowledge of the Jedi." Raymond answered darkly.

"I've memorized everything I could about every known Jedi. I always want to be a step ahead of any enemy."

The smuggler's response was vague, and Raymond didn't like it. "How did you get this information? Who are you really?"

Leonard was silent as he studied the blind man, all amusement lost as he turned away. "I will get you to Alderaan. After that, you will owe me a favor." He stated abruptly, turning away to leave the room, Kigra following after him when he snapped his fingers.

Raymond immediately sat himself on the bed, hands gripping the edge so tightly he was sure he was about to break his fingers, eyes shut as he fought the darkness inside of him. It was trying to tear it's way to the surface, to break free and take control.

He'd always been susceptible to the darkside's pull. The Jedi council had been concerned, and refused to graduate him from the rank of Padawan until he had a better hold on it. Rachi had helped as much she could, instructed him whenever an attack came on, but now he had to do it on his own.

Images flashed in his mind, a dance of purple and red light, two forms dodging back and forth as Raymond held his side, completely useless in the fight. He'd been told to flee, but he had hesitated. The was a flash of a familiar face, a look of concern, then it was gone, the sound of a body falling filling the sudden silence.

He should've been the one to die…

He'd killed her.

In the cockpit, a stray hand reached to absently rub an unseen wound, ceasing the movement directly over the chest.

/*\*/*\*/*\*/*\*/*\

The tension aboard the Dark Envy cut the ship in half, Leonard isolating himself to his quarters or the cockpit while Raymond mostly traversed the halls or remained in his rooms. Neither spoke to the other or sought each other out, so it was a surprise for Raymond when the smuggler suddenly confronted him while he was heading for the washroom.

"I'm making a detour."

Raymond stopped mid-step to turn and look over his shoulder in the direction of the voice, the Jedi all but sensing the way Leonard's cold, blue gaze dared him to protest. Instead, the Jedi was confused as he fully turned to face Leonard. "Why?" He questioned.

"Because it's my ship and I decided to."

The cold response truly put Raymond on edge, the Jedi shifting as he reached out with the force to try and pick up on Leonard's emotions. It was a wave of hatred, rage, and resentment that struck against him with full force, the intensity of the turmoil causing the blind man to try and support himself against the wall.

"Don't do that again."

Raymond focused on calming himself before giving a brief nod, silently wondering how the other had known what he'd been doing. "There must be a reason," the Jedi questioned as he slowly straightened back to his full height, "why are we making a stop now, when we're already so close to Alderaan?"

"Something's come up, and I've got to deal with it now. It can't wait." Leonard answered darkly, boots echoing softly as he approached the taller male. "And if you want to get to Alderaan quickly, you have to help me."

Frowning deeply, Raymond's brow furrowed at his travel companion's words. "I thought my payment was sufficient?" He questioned idly.

Leonard gave a bark of laughter, the Jedi finding no amusement in the sound. "Oh, for me it is. But if you don't help me you'll have a ship without a pilot. Either that or the ship will be stripped for spare parts and you'll find yourself on a blade worse than that of an Inquisitor."

The other's words sent a chill through Raymond, the thrum of a lightsaber followed by a flash of red ran through his thoughts, cruel laughter sounding almost immediately afterwards.

Hearing the sharp intake of air, Leonard looked up, focusing more closely on Raymond, noticing the way the Jedi's lower lip quivered slightly, the way he stood – almost like a statue – unmoving and trancelike. "Raymond?" He questioned, unsure of how to respond to the other's reaction.

The sound of his name being spoken pulled Raymond from the dark corners of his mind, the Jedi looking towards the voice again in silence for a moment before dipping his head ever so slightly. "I'll help you," he answered in a neutral tone, reigning in his emotions with a soft sigh. "What is it we're going to do?"

"I need to look into some rumors about someone supposedly seen on Concord Dawn." Leonard answered, voice so void of emotion it almost sounded robotic.

"Why do you need my help then?" Raymond questioned, trying to think back to what he knew about the Mandalorians. From what he knew, it was very rare for the warriors to even let anyone land on their planet or moons, and even then they were suspicious. "If we even get to land, why can't you question them about it?"

Leonard was silent for a moment before speaking. "You will be the ones asking questions. As far as they know, this is your ship and you're a bounty hunter known as Ragnar Palmenz. I've already arranged the necessary documents."

A flicker of nervousness passed through Raymond as he listened to the smuggler in bewilderment. He was a JEDI! Did Leonard forget so quickly? If he landed on Concord Dawn and they found out, he would no doubt be shot down right then and there! Unless of course they were in the mood for entertainment!

"I'm a Jedi. If they find out they will-"

"Execute you, yes everyone knows how Mandalorians feel about Jedi. That is why you will have to give me your lightsaber. I will hide it well enough that they won't find it."

"Who are the rumors about? Why is this person so important?"

"That's for me to know. I'll tell you should it ever become relevant."

Leonard's evasion of his questions was beginning to become frustrating, but Leonard held his tongue and just turned away, wanting to head back to his rooms to meditate when another question stopped him in his tracks.

"Why can't you go see them and ask your questions?" Raymond questioned as he stood in the middle of the hall.

A long stretch of silence followed, almost leading Raymond to believe the smuggler had left, but his life force was still nearby.

"Some questions are best to remain unanswered." Leonard answered in a whisper, voice almost sad as the sound of receding footsteps sounded, notifying Raymond that he was now on his own.

The Jedi frowned deeply as he headed back to his room to meditate. Just what was Leonard trying to hide from him? The smuggler had subtly hinted that he would be imprisoned or killed if he were to do this without Raymond's help, so the Mandalorians obviously didn't think of Leonard any better than they would a Jedi… Perhaps meditating would help him understand.

/*\*/*\*/*\*/*\*/*\

Icy air washed over pale skin, goosebumps tickling the exposed flesh as the tall figure breathed deeply, the cold settling in the stranger's lungs.

Testing the ground with his feet, snow crunched as boots connected with stone.

'Rock and ice…' The stranger mused silently.

He knew this planet.

There was a flash of light followed by warmth, a fire crackling nearby as children's laughter echoed around him, causing a smile to touch slightly blued lips.

A boom sounded, the ground rocking as screams filled the cold air, another explosion knocking the foreigner to the ground as he blindly scrambled for shelter as a whoosh sounded overhead, the backdraft telling just how fast the object was moving.

It was silent now, the only sound being the crunching of snow beneath a handful of booted warriors that rhythmically moved to and from the village buildings.

The steady clanking of droids echoed in the back of the stranger's mind before fading back into the present sound of footsteps over slushy snow.

Two children crying.

Blasterfire.

A single child screaming at the top of his lungs as he thrashed.

A conversation in an unfamiliar language, followed by a thud.

Silence…

Why was it so quiet…?

Echoes of the past laughter teased him.

What had happened here…

"Raymond."

Slowly withdrawing from the deep connection he'd formed with the force, Raymond tilted his head upwards to focus on Leonard. "Yes?" He asked, so terribly quiet.

"We're coming within range of their scanners. You have to get to the cockpit now." Leonard informed him.

Raymond gave a quick nod before pushing himself to his feet, the heavy weight of unfamiliar armor slightly setting him off balance as he did so, the young jedi pausing only briefly to regain his composure before giving a small smile.

"What's so funny?" Leonard questioned as he led the way to the cockpit. He would make himself scarce when the time presented itself.

"It's just interesting how I'm now the one with your life in my hands." Raymond answered nonchalantly, Leonard's annoyance sending a ripple through the force as the Jedi seated himself in the cockpit, fingers gently fingering the controls. He already knew what each one did. He didn't need eyesight to fly a ship, but the Mandalorians can't know that.

"It's both our lives actually." Leonard answered coldly, opening his mouth to continue when the comm crackled to life, effectively silencing him.

"Pilot of the Dark Envy, you're now entering Mandalorian space. State your intentions or we will shoot you down."

Raymond's heart skipped a beat as he glanced up towards Leonard before leaning forwards and activating the transmitter. "Ragnar Palmenz, formerly known as Bralor, seeking a place to stop and refuel. I require some intel as well." He announced, keeping his voice clipped and to the point.

"Occupation?"

"Bounty Hunter."

There was a brief moment of silence before the comm light turned on again. "Dark Envy you have permission to land. While on Concord Dawn you will be accompanied by a guard and expected to adhere to Mandalorian laws and policies. Any infraction will result in your immediate incarceration or execution." The staticky voice announced before cutting out again.

Raymond hesitated and glanced up at Leonard, only to find he was gone. "Understood." He mumbled, placing his helmet over his head, concealing the wrappings that told of his blindness.

Retreating into the force, the young jedi carefully navigated the ship towards the given coordinates, setting it up so it would land automatically. No way did he want to chance slipping up and blowing his cover in any way.

The moment the ship touched down, the comm crackled to life again. "Remain where you are and prepare to be boarded." The crackling voice ordered.

"Affirmative." Raymond responded, unclipping his safety harness before lowering the boarding ramp and deactivating the defense systems.

Heart within his mouth, Raymond crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back in his seat to attempt to hide their trembling, legs overlapping at the ankles as he waited for the Mandalorian warriors to make their appearance. He didn't have long to wait either, the sound of booted feet echoing off the Envy's polished floors reaching his ears and disturbing the force like ripples in a pond long before they arrived in the cockpit.

"Identification."

Raymond gave what he hoped was a lazy salute, moving to snatch up the papers identifying him as a bounty hunter before turning in his seat to hold it out in the direction of the life-forms. He hoped that his movements seemed fluid and not as awkward as it felt.

The silence was unnerving, the only sound being the tapping of a datapad and rustling papers.

"He's clear."

Never before had Raymond heard words as relieving as those, the jedi abruptly standing. "Now that things are in order, who do I need to pay for a refueling?" The young male questioned, voice sounding foreign with the way the helmet filtered out any and all emotion or feeling. "I need to see someone from the Protectors as well."

Raymond didn't even know the meaning of half of what he was saying, the jedi just randomly said everything Leonard had instructed him to do so. It was difficult, since he had no idea about Mandalorian culture or practices, so he wouldn't know how to address one of these 'protectors' and inwardly hoped any slight would be overlooked. Even if Mandalorians weren't known for missing details.

"We'll make sure the fueling gets done. As soon as possible," one of the warriors answered as the paperwork was tossed back onto the nearby console. "I want you off Concord Dawn within the joor."

Raising his eyebrows, Raymond gathered up the papers that had been so callously discarded, setting them aside neatly as footsteps slowly faded down the hall again.

Turning the jedi sensed one remaining life form, leading him to 'stare' for several moments. "And who might you be?" He questioned curiously, though it wouldn't be heard over the synsethization of his voice.

"Shouldn't my clan symbol be enough?"

The question caused Raymond to start, the jedi having no ability to see the symbol, nor would he be able to recognize it if he could. "I prefer names." Raymond answered quickly to avoid causing suspicion.

"Tibur of Clan Grimm," the Mandalorian answered, "I heard that you originate from Bralor, but no longer refer to yourself by their name. Why is that?"

Raymond guessed this Mandalorian was young, mostly due to the uncharacteristic curiosity and how much he spoke. A large contrast from the more seasoned warriors, who were hard pressed to have any sort of conversation with an outsider.

Regarding the other for a moment, Raymond decided silence was the best method, so he just turned away from the other.

"How were you dishonoured?"

The new question caused Raymond to still, startled. Dishonoured?

"The gray of your armor. It's the color of dishonour. The white of pure intention and that specific shade of yellow means quest. It's not hard to read one's most recent chapter in their lives so long as they wear the correct colours." The young Mandalorian warrior stated.

Raymond drew himself up to full height, still not turning to regard the other yet, unwanted memories choosing this moment to resurface, the Jedi's hands tightly clenching.

"I was young. Very young. Trained exactly like every other warrior. Exact same way. Same teachers. Same principles." Raymond stated softly, mind drifting as he recounted his own tale. "But they can't teach you what real combat is like. I was with my mentor when it happened. We were attacked by an opponent far superior than either one of us alone… When he attacked, I hesitated."

Silence fell for a few moments as Raymond attempted to keep control over himself.

"It cost her her life. My actions resulted in the death of my teacher, but my dishonour didn't end there. I fled. I left her body where it had fallen, and couldn't remember where to go in order to retrieve it." Raymond stated, glancing over his shoulder out of habit. "Now I must regain my honor. Until then, I cannot return to my clan, nor to Mandalore."

"Perhaps you can learn from this story, Tibur, if the one telling it wasn't dishonoured. There is no merit to his words." A new voice announced, startling Raymond. He'd been so focused on his loss that he hadn't noticed the presence of the newcomer. He wisely chose to remain silent.

The newcomer turned his attention onto Raymond, looking the supposed bounty hunter up and down for a moment before speaking again. "You wanted to speak with a Protector. I'm here. State your business."

Raymond cleared his throat and glanced towards Tibur before answering. "I'm looking for someone supposedly seen here. A woman that goes by the name of Lyzae." The dark-haired Jedi announced.

"No one here that I know of by that name. Nor has there been any newcomer besides you." The oldest Mandalorian announced dismissively.

Nodding silently, Raymond hesitated before speaking up and stopping the Mandalorian in his tracks. "Have any of you ever heard of the smuggler Leonard Snart?"

Barely had the name left his mouth when a blaster was pulled and held up to his face, Raymond tensing up as he heard blasters powering up all around him.

"How do you know of Leonard Snart?"