She woke drenched in sweat. She felt around in the dark in sheer panic. A hand grabbed her wrist.

"Settle down."

"Sorry… I thought that dream was real."

Her mind still lingered over the nightmare. She was struggling against some shadowy figure on a ship. A vast window that revealed the stars was to her left. No light had come into this room; accept for the faint purple glow of her weapon. The being she was feinting off was lurking in the dark... somewhere… waiting for her guard to drop. Suddenly, it had grabbed a hold of her and she felt a high jolt run through her body just as she woke back in the swampy shelter. The fire had gone out hours ago. Everything was so dark.

Vader had reached up and grabbed his apprentice once he noticed she was struggling in her sleep.

"The dream was not real."

Raven let out her breath deeply.

"You must learn to control your thoughts. Be more aware."

"Sorry, Master."

He let her hand go viciously. She could hear his breathing becoming deep with frustration.

"Rest. Go back to sleep."

Raven settled back down on the tarp they had brought from the cargo ship. She struggled to relax her mind. She did not want to face that figure again.

How can I distract my mind?

She opened her eyes again and looked over where Vader would be in darkness. She could think of him…

Her heart started to beat quickly. No I couldn't… not here.

Her senses started to pick up his emotions in response to her thoughts. She heard him shift slightly in dark. Her teeth clenched.

He could hear her, couldn't he? Bloody hell… How could she have forgotten that if he was this close to her, her thoughts were practically being spoken allowed to him; as if her voice was amplified on loud speakers; as if his ear was pressed against her breasts and he was listening to the loud pounding of her heart.

This made her think of him close to her body. Touching, tightening. Tensing.

"Stop." He said, irritated.

She shook her head, her body burning with embarrassment. Fuck, fuck, stop it! She told herself.

Just go to sleep…. Go to sleep…

She closed her eyes tightly and began to breathe in deeply, mediating on the thoughts of just jumbled colors in rays of patterns. Soon the bright vapor of the Force was among it and the very energy caressed her face softly. Calm. Just be calm.

The light began fading and she went back into the dark dreaming world.

…

Where was she? Something felt different.

There she stood in the swamps. Yes, the very same swamps they had taken shelter in. And there he stood before her.

'Concentrate.'

She looked up into his masked face. They stood far apart, almost 2 meters away, as if they were stanched to spar.

'Wot are you going to show me?' She asked him, almost on instinct.

Vader nodded slowly. 'First, do you know where we are?'

She was confused at first. Weren't they in the swamps? She thought she remembered waking up that morning in the shelter. And he announced that they would quickly begin some new training. Didn't he?

'No, you did not wake up this morning. You did not hear me tell you about training.'

'So this is a dream…'

Vader nodded.

'This is going to save us a lot of time by training you in your sleep, but at a cost… you will become physically and mentally exhausted. You will literally have no time for real rest. You have to use all of your concentration and endurance to make it through.'

Raven tensed nervously.

'Can you do it?'

'I don't know.'

'I don't want to hear that answer.' His presence began to overwhelm her head.

'I promise to try as hard as I can.' She reassured him.

'That is still not what I want to hear.'

'But-' Her eyes became wide as her voice was cut off. His presence was now physically upon her, pressing down on her chest. She struggled to focus, but he was heightening her senses to the max. Her vision was becoming hazy and her nerves were firing out of control. What was he doing to her?

'Don't make me overcome you. You have to believe you can do it.'

The Force around her was grabbing her, pulling her as well as pushing. She felt pleasure and pain hitting her at all different angles at once. It was too much…

'Stop..'

'Not until you concentrate.'

'I am! Please…'

'I know you can do better.'

'Vader, Stop!'

He was standing in front of her, his chest against hers. Her head was arched back as far as it could go so she could stare wide eyed into his masked face. She could feel the veins on her neck pulsing and her hormones firing crazy commands inside her mind. She shook her head, fighting it. Somehow she could sense he was smiling down at her. Was he gaining pleasure by watching her flail at his mercy…?

'You disappoint me.'

'No...' Her teeth gnashed together. She felt rage bubbling underneath the ecstasy and the pain.

'Are you really weaker than I thought?'

'No!' She managed to force her hand away from his mental grasp and grabbed a hold of one of his arms. She clenched it tightly and instinctively. She didn't mean to cause him harm… But…

She looked down at where she had grasp him. She focused on his arm she was squeezing under his suit. It wasn't flesh. It felt… like a metal skeleton. Just like Mech….

She glanced back up in slight shock. The pain had lifted. And Vader stood there, still and calm, allowing his apprentice to still clasp him in her grip.

'You see… you can do it.'

She narrowed her eyes back up at him. 'You did that on purpose…'

She heard a chuckle escape his respirator. 'That does not matter, so long as I can bring the strength out of you. Anger is that strength… as well as your most important ally.'

'I don't like it…' she growled.

'Indeed. Which will help the training even more.'

Raven looked down at her feet bitterly. She felt her consciousness becoming lost in the rage. Her vision was becoming dark. She was waking up… She couldn't stay under.

…

She awoke with a gasp. When she felt her air choking her, she let out several violent coughs. She rolled on to her stomach, coughing more.

"Breathe. You are not choking."

She stuttered a bit more until she breathed normal again.

"Our training is going well so far. But it's just begun. Get up."

Raven slowly stood up and looked about. Vader was standing outside their shelter. He was gazing at her, impatiently.

Raven's eyes hardened and she stepped out, facing her master.

"You ready?"

"Ready for w-"

The red light saber had come swinging down at her. She only had enough time to react and dodge his attack.

"Wot the fuck!" She yelled, groping at her belt for her weapon.

"Don't just stand there like a fool!" Vader bellowed at her, as he swung at her again. She managed to jump over the attack and land perfectly on her feet this time. "Defend yourself!"

Raven finally grabbed firmly on her ancient light saber and extended the glowing, purple blade in front of her. Vader's saber came down on top of it, and the two weapons hissed angrily as they popped and fizzed.

The light of red and purple reflected brightly against the black mask staring down into her eyes. His breathing was becoming quick and deep.

He was looking into her, and she knew it. This filled her with rage and fear. You're reading me… you're opening me up and stripping me bare and reading me.

In response, she felt his smile through his mask. His strength was overpowering hers. He leaned in close and sneered; practically spat in her face. "Prepare yourself, my Apprentice. I'm about to break you down, destroy you and rebuild you."