Catra was mad, no she was furious. The whole op had gone to shit faster than Catra could have predicted. Her company of horde soldiers were probably still running away tails between their legs. Shadow Weaver would be furious.

Adora was gone.

Catra lashed out her claws gouging deep lines into the nearest trunk.

Adora was gone.

Catra screamed, her voice making no dent in the oppressive nature of the woods.

Adora was gone.

It wasn't fair, how could her best friend, her only friend leave her. How could she let her.

Catra leaned against the tree she had scarred. Tears threatening to escape her eyes. No, she wasn't weak, she couldn't be weak. Being weak was what got her into this mess. She wasn't strong enough to drag Adora back with her, instead falling to Adora's new friends. The tears escaped anyways, proving how weak she was. She couldn't even control her own body.

She slumped down, letting herself sit on the forest floor. She had to control herself before she returned to Shadow Weaver. Make sure she showed no weakness to her. That would just make her punishment worse. Her hand wiped away the few tears still on her face.

The forest seemed oppressively loud at this moment. Catra's ears twitched at every sound, half expecting Shadow Weaver to suddenly appear. That would be just like her, she seemed to know when Catra was weakest, and was always able to dig in the knife deeper.

The other half kept expecting Adora to show up. She always seemed to know as well. Though Catra always enjoyed Adora's company during those times, more than Shadow Weaver's. Adora made things better. Made them hurt less.

Adora seemed to care.

Adora had left her.

Catra stood up, fist clenched as anger started to flare in her chest. It was Adora's fault. She had left her. She always said she would be there, and she left. It was her fau-

Khooh Puuhr

Catra's ears swiveled to the unnatural sound. Nothing in the forest had sounded like that so far.

Khooh Puuhr

Her body twisted towards the sound. It was close.

Khooh Puuhr

She squinted into the darkness of the forest. Even with her enhanced vision all she saw was darkness. It pressed into her, threatening to drown her.

Khooh Puuhr

"Who's there?" Her voice sounded small and frightened. She gritted her teeth and put more force behind her next words, "Show yourself!"

Khooh Puuhr

It was behind her.

Catra whipped around, claws out and teeth bared. The fur on her tail had fluffed out, and she had crouched down in a ready position.

That had been a mistake.

She nearly stumbled backwards at the sight of what towered over her. The figure behind her was large. Much larger than anyone Catra had ever seen, with exception of the thing Adora had turned into. But unlike She-ra, who was almost the definition of 'bright as the sun', this figure seemed to have the darkness of the forest surrounding it. No, the darkness seemed to come from it.

The figure was covered in shiny black armor. Even it's head was covered, a skull like mask staring back at her. A large black cape was draped over broad shoulders, and seemed to blend into the ground. A small panel was affixed to its chest with switches and light adorned on it.

"What is a Horde soldier doing this deep in these woods," His voice rumbled out. Simultaneously quiet and loud, it grated against Catra's ears.

She backed up a step, unsure whether to run, or stand her ground. The armoured man made no move to stop her.

"I would assume you were part of the attachment that just raided the village?" A turn of his armored head toward the direction of said village was the only movement from him.

Catra swallowed, Then bared her teeth and stood upright. She wouldn't be intimidated by him. He was just a man. He wasn't Shadow Weaver.

"What if I was?" Dammit her voice still sounded small.

His head turned back to her, and she nearly folded under the unrelenting gaze. "I would question the need to attack an undefended, civilian target, to the point of complete destruction."

That raised Catra's cackles, Adora had said the same thing. "They stood against the Horde, so we showed them their place," She growled the words out.

"So you tread on those that defy you," The man still hadn't moved. The darkness, though, wrapped around Catra, who found herself fighting to draw a breath in. "Not considering the reasons why, or the innocent life wasted."

Catra was now officially terrified. With Shadow Weaver, she could always see when she was being punished. That red lighting had become commonplace in Catra's life. Now though, there was no lighting, no inky blackness. Just an invisible hand around her throat, and an impenetrable wall of darkness lifting her off the ground. Her struggling did nothing, there was nothing to struggle against. Though at least this was less painful. She wouldn't mind dying like this. She would never have to face Shadow Weaver this way.

She would never see Adora again though.

That thought sparked something in her. A small flame of, something Catra couldn't describe. It was warm, and grew in strength as she focused on seeing Adora again. She stoked those flames till they were a raging inferno. Then she pushed. A wave of nothing struck out against the force that was holding her. She collapsed, greedily drinking in the air around her.

The man's cape fluttered in the breeze Catra had created. The darkness that had surrounded him, was less oppressive now. "Most… Impressive," the man moved closer to Catra. Each step measured and precise even as Catra scrambled to her feet, still gasping for breath.

"What.. what was that?"

The man didn't answer, instead asking a question of his own, "What is your name?"

Catra bit her tongue, stopping the ready made retort that she would have usually given out. If she wanted to survive, it would be best to avoid the invisible hand again. "Catra," She said, putting as much venom and spite into the answer as she could.

He was close enough now that Catra had to crane her neck to look into the black lenses set into the mask. The machine like breathing ringing in her ears now. She wasn't scared now, she could fight him off. She wasn't scared.

A chuckle, deep and sinister, reverberated around her, "But you are. You are terrified now. I can feel it." Catra's eyes widened. "But your determination stems from something else…"

"Get out of my head."

"Stop yelling your thoughts," The man replied so quickly it threw Catra for a loop, giving him more time to speak. "I could hear you before I made it to this spot. Your rage, your fear, your… pain"

"Shut up!" Catra lashed out, her claws meeting… nothing. The man had simply leaned to the side avoiding her attack. She stepped forward this time, using her other hand to claw at him. Once again he moved to the side, taking a step back in time with hers. She growled and launched multiple attacks using her claws and feet simply trying to land one blow against him. Nothing landed. He wasn't even trying, even as Catra started panting from the effort, he side stepped everything with a cool, collected grace.

"Your anger makes you reckless," He caught her foot and threw it to the side. "It serves you poorly." As Catra tried to recover from the block, his hand waved through the air in a laissez faire fashion. Catra found herself careening towards a tree. Thrown away by the same force that had wrapped around her neck earlier. She collided with a meaty thwack and once again collapsed to the forest floor. "I find your training… lacking."

Pain lanced her side as she gasped for the breath that had left her. Her arms and legs felt heavy and her head swam. She felt like she was moving through syrup as she crawled to her hands and knees, only to see shiny black boots taking up her vision. She had to get out of here, she couldn't die here. Not before she saw Adora again.

"Who is Adora?"

The flame roared and she managed to gasp out, "Don't hurt her."

"That was not an answer to my question."

"I won't let you hurt her," She glared up at him, her green and blue eyes flashing as she continued her effort to stand.

"That is not my intention," He knelt to the ground, his black lense halting the progress Catra had made in standing up. "I'm merely curious about the one who draws out your latent force ability. It is intriguing."

Her eyebrow furrowed, "My… What?"

"Your lack of knowledge does not surprise me," His head turned away from Catra to the surrounding forest. "In my time here I have not run across one such as you." He focused once more on her. "One like me."

"I'm not like you."

Another chuckle, less sinister than before. "You and I are more alike than you could imagine, young one." His voice almost seemed soft, or amused, Catra couldn't really tell which. "But I am talking about something more. We are sensitive to the greater Force around us." He gestured around with his hand, Catra's gaze following the gesture.

"Yeah, that still doesn't explain what you mean," She felt a bit braver now. Now that she had a bit more confidence in not dieing this moment. She stood, and the man did the same. "Do you mean magic? Cause I don't have any of that."

"The magic here is limited... artifical," Was that disgust from him? "The force is not limited by anything except by those who use it."

Catra took a step back, "Listen as great as this converstion has been, minus the whole killing me thing." She flinched inwardly, sometime she hated being a smartass. "I got better things to do then listen to weird, magic talk." She turned away from him and started to walk away.

"Why do you hold yourself back?" He still had not moved from where he stood. Only his head had followed the cat girl even as she halted once more at the sound of his voice. "You ally yourself with those who care not for reaching their own potential, but instead follow blindly those who steal their power."

"Power is power," Catra responded. Shadow Weaver would aprrove of that sentiment. "What doees it matter if it's stolen?"

"Because it can always be stolen again," His arm extend, the black gloved hand clenching as he spoke. "They fear losing their power, because they took it themselves."

"That's a great idea and all," Placing a hand on her chest, Catra took a step forwards, eyes narrowing. "But that means nothing to me. I have no power."

His head tilted, arms crossing as he leaned back, "Then how did you break free from my grip?"

No answer came from Catra. She had never done anything like that before. The flame in her chest still sparked though. Whatever she had done, awakened something within her, and it didn't seem to be dying anytime soon.

"Focus on it," The man's voice nearly startled Catra. "Let it fill you."

"I thought I told you to stay out of my head," Despite the growl of her word Catra did as she was told. The flames roared higher, and as they did she let them spread throughout her body. Warmth filled her being. Deeper than anything she had felt before. She felt like she was finally alive.

"Good," The man's voice had changed. Gone was the mechanical timbre that infected it before. It was smooth and comforting. "Now… stretch out, beyond yourself. Let the force flow through you."

Despite the logically confusing instructions she was being told, Catra found herself, almost being guided through the steps by the flames. Like it was eager to show her something. Something it had been waiting to show her. She was unprepared for what that was.

The planet pulsed beneath her feet.

The trees thrummed as they drank in the sunlight far above.

Various pinpricks of light danced around her, showing her where life was flourishing.

Catra didn't even realise she had closed her eyes as she drank in this new sense. She still turned toward the man, curiosity making her act. Light and dark mixed in him, a walking contradiction to the world she was seeing for the first time.

Her eyes opened, and the world returned to what she had known. The flame died down in response, though it no longer flickered. It stood ready for her call, a strong flame deep in her chest. She wanted more of it.

The man's voice, once again cloaked in its mechanical nature, reached Catra's ears, "You did well."

That was more praise then Shadow Weaver had ever given her. Even in her best moments, all she ever got was contempt. "Who are you?"

There was a long moment between her question and his answer. Catra crossed her arms, her eyes never wavering from the man's masked face.

Finally, an answer was volunteered, "You may call me… Vader."

"That's it," She lazily gestured with her hand, eyes half lidded. "Just Vader? Nothing else?"

"I believe your name, Catra, is much similar."

"I mean yeah but, I'm just me ya know," She pointed a finger at Vader. "You got the whole, black, brooding, scary powers thing going on."

"My name is mine," Vader looked away. "It is the one I chose."

Catra shrugged, she wasn't one to to honestly judge someone's name… unless it was funny in her opinion. "Fair enough," Catra braced herself, unsure of her next move.

"You seem conflicted," Vader's attention had turned back to her.

"Stay out of my head," Catra growled out. "And why do you care anyways?"

"You are powerful in the force," Vader said, seemingly impervious to Catra's glare. "And the only other force sensitive being I have found on this planet. I would be remiss if I did not offer... "

"Offer what?" Despite the nonchalance in Catra's voice her head was swirling with thoughts. Was this how Adora had felt before. She had spoken about finding answers before she left. About feeling compelled to find them.

"Training… and answers," Vader extended his hand towards Catra, open and inviting. The flame sang to her to take his hand. It was almost pleading in its insistence to follow this path. Catra's hand extended in turn. She was almost touching Vader's hand when a stray thought halted her.

Shadow Weaver would be furious. Not only would Catra have failed her by not bringing Adora back, but now she was thinking of staying away herself. She might come looking for Catra. To punish her like she'd always done when Cara failed.

Her hand closed into a fist, just short of Vader's.

Vader had no outward reaction beyond tilting his head, "You are afraid of something."

Catra's eyes narrowed as she stared at her now shaking fist, "Shadow Weaver." She whispered the name, not truly wanting to divulge herself to Vader.

"The one who rules over you with her stolen power." His hand retracted, disappearing into the cloak surrounding him. "She holds you back, because she is afraid of what you could become."

That confused Catra. Shadow Weaver never seemed afraid of anything. And what did Vader mean by stolen power.

"I will give you time to decide," Vader turned away, his large strides taking him quickly away from Catra. "Find me when you are ready, and we will begin your training." He disappeared into the trees leaving Catra alone once again.