(AN: I apologize to all of you who have been waiting so long for this chapter update. I've been terribly busy with an art portfolio. Also, something specifically for this chapter, wasn't too sure about the fuel the vessels use, so I improvised. If anyone can give me resources for the correct or more realistic fuel, please note me :) Enjoy.)

There lied vast space before them. Colors, strings and tangles of stars… all morphing away behind them as they shot through thousands upon thousands of kilometers of the empty vacuum.

Raven sat in the pilot seat, turned towards her mechanical hound. "The hits barely skimmed through your armor."

Mech nodded his head slowly. Raven took her fingers, feeling the marked damage of the blasters on Mech's metal coat. The metal had already cooled off from the heat of the lasers. The troopers' aim was not quick enough to strike through and hit any important parts in Mech's system. Only a few stray shots had barely scalped the sides of his chest plate and shoulders.

"Nothing I can't touch up and fix later." Raven smiled, patting Mech on the top of his head.

The ship's coordinates were set automatically to their destination. But where…?

"Naboo…" Raven breathed, looking back to the navigation monitor. "Sounds like a nice place…"

Mech looked over to the visual image of the blue planet on the screen. "It once was one of the largest republics in the galaxy. Use to be a lush, peaceful and gorgeous place to live. Now the Empire has reshaped it. The whole planet became a harvest sight for plasma, a very valuable energy resource, strictly for the Empire's use. However, it is only the cities, the outskirts and the plains that were remodeled… the swamps and seas were left untouched and preserved for the natural wildlife."

"Good thing I had so much of the galaxy information installed in you. So you think we will be safe to hide here?"

Mech blinked and nodded. "The harvest sights are still in use but hardly any Empire activity comes through the planet's atmosphere anymore. Hardly any citizens live there now."

"Do you know how many Imperial troops are positioned there?"

"That, I do not know… classified. I can guess not many since the amount of vessels that come in and out of the city is 80% cargo ships."

Raven leaned forward on her crossed legs, her hands supporting her chin. "I trust Darth Vader knows this is a safe place."

The ship roared and ripped through the air current as it passed through the planet's atmosphere. Thick cloud cover surrounded them, blocking the front windows of the vessel. Raven squinted her eyes through it, waiting to see any clear sight of land. Suddenly a large lake formation appeared below them, surrounded by a lush swamp. Raven could see Vader's TIE landing several meters away, just as her ship began to slow and descend towards the ground.

Hssssssss

The ship's door opened and the walk ramp came down. The steam of hot carbon dioxide puffed out of the pores of the ship.

Just as the two emerged out of their ship, Raven saw her master had already begun to walk towards them. His body seemed stiffer than normal.

"Is this the place?" Raven asked.

Vader did not answer. Just as he made it next to them, he began to peer off into the trees of the swamp. "We will make shelter there. The natives shouldn't bother us."

Raven was about to look towards the destination he has assigned them, when a structure caught her eye. She saw a beautiful stone house nestled on the edge of a cliff on the opposite side of the lake. Vines, moss and other plants had already grown around it, securing it in this cozy blanket, slightly hiding it from obvious sight. It had a balcony extending out of it which probably casted a wonderful view of the entire landscape.

"Master… what about that place? Is it safe? Maybe we could stay there.."

"No." He answered. She was a bit stunned by his quick response, especially since he didn't even look to see the place she was suggesting.

"But… why n-"

"I said, no." His voice was now cold and sharp.

Raven froze up and dared not say any more. She turned back to the structure one more time. It looked so peaceful and welcoming. Perhaps… he had seen the structure on their way in? And he knew that there might be something unsafe about it?

Vader was now striding towards the trees. Raven then turned to follow him. "Come along, Mech." She said.

Her hound broke its eyes away from the house on the cliff and trotted after the young girl.

…

That late day, the two worked to move their ships deep into the trees for cover. They also spent time putting together a shelter big enough to protect them from the natural elements.

This gave Raven plenty of practice using the Force to move large objects. Vader tried to explain to her that the size really didn't matter in an object, all that mattered was one's concentration. She struggled at first to move in her cargo ship, and even moving tree branches around.

They had set up a decent shack shaped structure, supported by a large boulder. They sat in the dark, with a fire glowing in the middle of them.

"Thank you, Mech." Raven said. His laser eyes made it easier to start a fire.

Vader still remained stiff and quiet. His mind, Raven could sense, was way out there, pondering and concentrating on other things.

"Master, I thought you said we shouldn't be using our connections with the Force too much… in case the Emperor is looking out for us."

Vader did not reply immediately. "I have to keep touch with the Force. It keeps me calm and focused."

Raven nodded slowly, gazing at his masked face. The light from the flames made a warm, glowing reflection on his face. It was very captivating.

Suddenly, Vader stood up and walked out, grumbling angrily to himself. Raven frowned. I didn't make him mad, did I?

After he was far off in the forest, alone, Mech turned to look to his creator. "I've been doing some thinking, Raven."

Raven turned, listening.

"That structure that was over by the lake… was once the home of the Senator and Queen of this planet, before the Republic turned into the Empire. There has been several resourced evidence that it was also the place that she had affairs with a Jedi knight."

Raven's eyes firmed as she listened more intently. "Affairs?" Jedi's did not seem like the type to be involved in scandals.

Mech continued: "That Jedi was also suppose to be the Chosen One."

Raven gasped softly. "You mean Anakin Skywalker..."

Mech nodded.

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked her hound.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the reason Darth Vader is so on edge is because of this history. He is a Sith Lord. Perhaps he knew of the Chosen One."

"If he did, he probably didn't like him much…" Raven put her hands tightly together and rested them on her knees. She leaned forward, resting her mouth and chin on her hands as she thought.

"I'm curious to know if Skywalker had a connection with Lord Vader… but I have a feeling it would be a bad idea to bring it up…"

Mech nodded again, agreeing.

Several minutes had passed by and Mech had laid himself down and turned himself off into sleep mode. Raven found a stick and began poking the fire softly, watching sparks to dance wildly around the thick smoke.

Loud footsteps snapping on twigs and brush came from nearby. She jumped a bit, but then saw the outline of Vader emerge into the light. He sat himself back down, holding some things in his clenched hands. Raven was about to ask when he held one of them out to her. The smell of blood immediately rushed to her noise.

"Here. Cook this and eat."

Raven hesitated and took what ever it was into her hands. It was scaly and had large, glazed eyes.

"Thank you.." She said quietly. She took the stick she already had and stabbed through the creature. She then held it over the fire. "What about you? How are you going to eat?"

"I won't be able to without a hyperbaric chamber…"

Raven looked over at him with a concerned look. "How long can you last without food?"

"Long enough…" Vader said, his voice still sounding cold.

Raven looked down at the fire, becoming silent.

"I will need your help changing out my respirator's filter. I can make it last for several days if I don't do too much physical activity."

"How many clean filters do you have on you?"

"Two more, not counting this one." He said, revealing that that was what he had in his other hand.

Raven bit her lip, worrying even more. "Will... that be enough time to train here?"

"Only if you stay productive and not waste my time."

That struck something painful in her. She was not expecting such hostility. What was wrong with him..?

"Master… if you don't like this place, why did you bring us here?"

Vader's fists clenched tightly and his rubber gloves squeaked against themselves.

Raven waited anxiously for an answer.

"The Emperor knows I don't like this place. It will be the last place he would think to look."

Raven frowned a bit. "Wouldn't it be a place he would think to look, because you have some sort of association with it?"

Vader did not reply. Raven felt her whole body lock up, as he stared a cold look through his mask and right into her body.

"This place is too painful for me. He wouldn't think I'd ever return."

"…Sorry," She whispered softly.

Vader turned away now, not even wanting to look at his apprentice anymore. His aura was pulsing with black rage. He was trying so hard to contain it.

Raven looked back to her dinner, turning the stick around slowly to make sure it all was well cooked. Once the outside of it looked smoked enough, she brought it away from the flames and held it aside.

"Wot must I work on the most?"

Vader was still staring out into the darkness, practically ignoring her.

"Master, is there anything I can do to speed up the training?"

"Right now, I just want you to be quiet and concentrate with the Force." He practically growled at her, still not looking back toward their campsite.

Raven frowned, a little bit of anger swelling inside her. His attitude was starting to irritate her. Her fist had started to clench the stick tightly until her hand shook.

Wait… Is he doing this on purpose?

She flashed a suspicious look back to Vader. He still did not look back. He did not even reach out to her with the Force. It actually felt like he was avoiding her aura.

Raven took in a deep breath, holding in her frustration and brought the creature to her face. She felt it on her lip to see if it was still hot, and then took a nip of it. Tasted lean. Almost like frog. She began to feast on it, taking in heaping bites of juicy meat. She didn't realize how hungry she had been. She looked up again, and found Vader had still not moved from his original spot. She could not reach him with her mind; he was still blocking her out. So she angrily forced her attention back to her meal.

She ate in the silence; the silence that was slowly becoming bitter and awful under the weight of a fearful struggle.