Catra slid to halt from her running in a small clearing in the Whispering Woods. The whole op had gone to shit faster than she could have predicted. Her company of horde soldiers were probably still running away tails between their legs. Shadow Weaver would be furious.

Adora had left.

Catra lashed out her claws gouging deep lines into the nearest trunk. A scream ripped from her throat as she continued her assault on the tree. It wasn't fair, how could her best friend, her only friend leave her. How could she let her?

Adora was gone.

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. She wiped away the few tears still on her face, matting the fur around her eyes.

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, fists 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. She had broken their promise.

Khooh Puuhr

Catra's ears swiveled to the unnatural sound. Nothing in the forest had sounded like that so far. It echoed out of the darkness between the trees.

Khooh Puuhr

She squinted into the darkness of the forest. Even with her enhanced vision, it was hard to see more than a few feet in front of her. The shadows seemed to grow longer pressing into her, threatening to drown her. Was Shadow Weaver here? Had she found Catra?

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.

She still wasn't prepared for what she saw.

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 wrap himself in the dark.

Shiny black armor covered every inch of his frame. Even his head was covered, a skull-like mask looming over her, black lenses reflecting Catra's fear back at her. A large black cape was draped over broad shoulders and seemed to blend into the ground. The only light came from a small panel covered in blinked buttons and switches.

She stumbled back, bumping into a tree behind her.

"What is a Horde soldier doing this deep in these woods," He said his voice rumbling over Catra. Simultaneously quiet and loud, it grated against her ears.

The bark of the tree dug into her back. Every instinct inside her screaming to run. Yet, she found herself unable to move, fear holding her in place. She was sure if she ran the man would catch her again.

"I would assume you were part of the attachment that just raided the village?" A turn of his armored head toward the direction of the 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?" She said, cursing how her voice wavered.

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 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. Was he part of the rebellion? He didn't seem to fit in with their sparkly, clean image.

"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. She kicked out as her feet left the ground. "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 smothering her as she rose in the air. 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 in her chest 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 to brace herself against a tree, 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 rang in her ears loud enough she had to fight the instinct to pin them against her head. She wasn't scared now, she could fight him off. She wasn't scared.

A chuckle, deep and foreboding, reverberated around her, "But you are. You are terrified now. I can feel it." Catra's breath hitched in her chest. "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 sidestepped everything with a cool, collected grace.

"Your anger makes you reckless," He caught her foot and threw it to the side. The force of his throw causing Catra to stumble as she tried to not fall over. "It serves you poorly." As she 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 as she tried to move them. The world swam around her 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 flames roared clearing her head enough 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, The flames now burning in her chest 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."

That stopped Catra's progress. She stared at him her brow furrowing, "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 run across very few like you." He focused once more on her. "Like me."

"I'm not like you."

Another chuckle, lighter than before. "You and I are more alike than you could imagine, young one." His voice almost seemed soft, or amused, Catra couldn't 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 dying at 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... artificial," 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 conversation has been, minus the whole killing me thing." She flinched inwardly, sometimes she hated being a smartass. "I got better things to do than 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 catgirl even as she halted once more at the sound of his voice. "You ally yourself with those who care not for reaching their potential, but instead follow blindly those who steal their power."

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

"Because it can always be stolen again," His arm extended, 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," She spun around placing a hand on her chest, as she stalked forward eyes narrowing. "But that means nothing to me. I have no power."

His head tilted, arms crossing as he leaned back, "Is that what you were told. Then how did you break free from my grip?"

Catra had no answer for him. 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 would not be quenched now.

"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. Her skin tingled, and she could feel every breath as she took them. Something hovered just beyond her senses, causing her ears to twitch in anticipation.

"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."

Catra found herself, almost being guided through the steps by the flames. Like they were eager to show her something. Something she needed to feel. That she had been kept from for years. She was unprepared for what that was.

The planet pulsed beneath her feet.

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

Light enveloped her from every direction, cradling her like a stream that she was floating on.

Catra didn't even realize she had closed her eyes as she drank in this new sense. She still turned toward the man, curiosity pushing her to 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 still felt empty. 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 than 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 honestly judge someone's name unless it could rile them up. Though she didn't want to push her luck with the now named Vader. "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 anyway?"

"You are powerful in the force," Vader said, seemingly impervious to Catra's glare. "And the only untrained force-sensitive being I have found on this planet. I would be remiss if I did not offer... " He trailed off, once again staring off past Catra, into something only he could see.

"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 guidance," 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 as 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. Even with whatever this new feeling was, she was no match for the woman. Shadow Weaver never seemed afraid of anything anyways. 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.

Slowly, the noise of the woods returned. She hadn't noticed till now, how silent it had gotten. Though whether that was because of Vader, or a by-product of his loud breathing, Catra couldn't tell.

Catra's mind swirled as she thought over Vader's offer. She knew she would have to go back to the Horde for the moment. At the very least to make sure Shadow Weaver didn't come out to find her. But once that was done.

She had a lot to think about.