The next day came too soon for Catra's liking. Vader had gotten her up early, so they could do their training in the morning. He still got on her case about not using the force during their spar, but she hadn't collapsed right after, so she considered that a win.

Vader had then walked her through making tea for their visitor. It was odd, doing something so mundane in the middle of everything. Adora used to do these kinds of things with her when they had been too small for the grueling training that had taken over later. The more time she spent here, away from the Horde, away from Adora, the more she found she missed those moments.

Catra finished setting out the cups. They were an odd design, tall but thin, with only a small base for them to settle on. The saucers curved up like the petals of a flower to cradle the cups, stabilizing them so they wouldn't fall over. Gold designs covered the lip of the cups in flowing patterns. They were elegant and reserved, fit more for royalty than a man living out of a ship.

"You know, I wouldn't have pegged you as a guy that would own a tea set," Catra said as she set down the matching pot, steam curling from its spout.

"They were a gift," Vader said.

Catra's head snapped up to look at Vader. He was hunched over one console on the ship, once again fiddling with something. Not wanting to continue that conversation. She shrugged her shoulders, switching to a different line of questions. "So, why did you only give me two cups?"

She had seen that there were at least four cups in the set. Vader had opened the box in front of her before floating out the two cups and pot. He tucked it back underneath a counter that ran along one side of the main room.

Vader turned to look at her before reaching up to tap at his mask, "This mask, this suit, is what keeps me alive. I can not remove it."

Catra stiffened, her tail whipping behind her. The mechanical breathing she had gotten so used to, now rang in her ears. The rhythmic in and out, forcing Vader to breathe, forcing him to live. A part of her cringed at the fact she never thought to ask about it before.

"How?" Catra asked.

"My own foolishness," Vader said. "I allowed fear and anger to cloud my judgment. And this was the price."

It was a non-answer. A popular choice for Vader when answering personal questions. Skirting around the question while turning it into some life lesson or warning.

It was getting on Catra's nerves.

Though she wasn't quite ready to confront him directly. As Catra's connection to the force deepened, she could feel the rage he contained. It was a cold, roiling thing that was tucked deep away in his presence. And she had no wish to be the one he unleashed it on. So far, he seemed to hold it close. Never tapping into it around her, even when she would quip back at him, or question his teachings.

Vader's voice broke through her swirling thoughts, "Our guest should be here soon. I must warn you she is… different from most."

"Pretty sure that describes most of the people here right now," Catra said.

"Be that as it may, I request patience on your part," Vader crossed his arms. "She has been here on Etheria longer than most. Before the planet was plunged into Despondos."

Catra shrugged her shoulders as she leaned into the ship's console. "So she's old. Not like I have anything against her. Why worry about it."

"You will see. I simply ask that you keep what I said in mind. She has more wisdom to offer than most here."

Catra rolled her eyes. From the way Vader talked about this guest, she was sure they were like them. Force-sensitive. She was sure she could handle them.

A clatter of falling machinery escaped the forward hold. Catra's ears swiveled towards the sound as she twisted her body to see what was going on. A quick tap from Vader through the Force and a raised hand stilled her though.

"Oh, sorry about that dearie," an aged, raspy voice called out. It laughed lightly. "Seems my eyesight gets worse by the day. At this rate, I'll go blind by the end of the year."

An old woman hobbled around the corner. She leaned heavily against a pockmarked wooden broom. Wide eyes, magnified by comically thick glasses, roamed over every inch of the space before her. Golden rings jangled together on her wrist, keeping the large sleeves of the purple robes from falling over her hands.

"You really need to do something with this space, Little Ani," the woman said, waving her arms about. She pointed at Vader with her broom, "Bring a little life on board. It's far too dreary here."

Catra nearly choked as she held in the snicker that threatened to escape her lips. Not even Perfuma had been this informal with Vader. She found it hilarious that someone she was sure could intimidate Weaver and Hordak could be called Little Ani.

Vader's head turned towards her as she coughed into her hand to hide her smirk. There was a faint twinge of amusement in his presence, though something about the conversation also poked the ball of rage. He turned back to the old woman.

"Madam Razz, we have discussed this," he said. "This is a ship. Not a place to throw up tapestries."

"Bah," Razz waved a jangly hand at him. "You're too focused on what a thing is rather than what it represents." She leaned her broom against the center console before hopping up onto a stool that Catra had set out. "This is your home. A place of healing and rest. Even I feel more anchored here. It should reflect that."

"If this is my home, should I bring up how you decorate yours?"

"It has character."

"Is that what messes are called here?"

"Bah," More jangling. "No respect for your elders. Tell me, is this how you treat all your guests?"

"Only the ones that stick around."

A chuckle escaped Razz's lips. She blinked when her eyes landed on the tea set laid out before her. "Is that a Nubian blend?"

"It is," Vader said with a wave of his hand. He sat opposite of Razz, stiff as a board even as he settled down. "Please help yourself."

Razz stretched out her hand. The pot floated upwards, then poured out the tea into both cups. As the pot settled back to the table, the cup replaced it in the air. It met Razz's hand, and she took a languid sip, her eyes shutting and a quiet hum of satisfaction escaping her.

"Still the best tea you can find," she said after another sip. "Even after this long."

"It is still owned by the same family last I heard," Vader said.

Razz chuckled, "That does not surprise me. The Naboo were always tied closely to their traditions." She blinked again before turning to Catra, staring up at her with eyes full of surprise. "And who is this new face?"

Vader answered, "My apprentice."

There was another blink from the woman. Then she tilted her head back and let loose a loud cackle of amusement. Catra scowled at the laughing woman, folding her arms as her ears pinned back against her head from the harsh sound. She let out a soft growl, which seemed to quiet Razz once more.

"Oh dearie," she said, a soft lilt to her voice. "It's not you I'm laughing at." She pointed to Vader. "I knew when your Master landed on this planet, that he would send ripples through the future. I just wasn't expecting a change of this size!"

Catra's brow furrowed. "Um… What?"

Razz continued speaking as if she hadn't heard, "Shows me for not expecting it. Honestly, the future former second in command of the Horde, teaming up with the past second in command of the Empire! Who in their right mind would expect an ironic twist like that?"

Vader tilted his head as he looked at Catra. "That is interesting. I did not know my apprentice was important to this planet."

"She still is, if not more so now."

"Alright, can both of you stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Catra said with a growl Her tail curled around her leg.

Razz hopped off her stool and hobbled across the room. She stopped in front of Catra, looking up at her with uncomfortably large eyes. Catra's gaze flicked over to Vader. He still sat there, the only movement being a nod of his head.

"You are here," Razz said, drawing Catra's attention once more. "Just as She-Ra is linked to the planet, so are you with Adora. Enemies, friends, more. Forged together in the Heart of Etheria. Your destinies lie together, though you must choose where they lay."

Every inch of Catra's fur stood on end as Razz spoke. The force swirled around them, adding to her unease. She wasn't sure she could identify the scattered emotions she was feeling. Destiny had never been kind to her. Shadow Weaver knew Adora was destined for great things. Though that had usually been a way to push Adora farther and drag down Catra.

That Adora's and Catra's destinies were tied together, though. That thought had never crossed her mind. Adora didn't need her. She had left to follow her destiny. Why would their lives be tied together at all? Maybe if Catra had stayed with the Horde. But now, learning under Vader out in the woods?

As these thoughts ripped through her head, Catra mustered the most intelligent response she could. She burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry, but really?" Catra said once her laughter had died down. "Adora and I have nothing to do with each other anymore. She left."

Razz whirled on Vader, "Have you been teaching her nothing?" Bristles met Vader's helmet as she whacked him with her broom.

"I have been teaching her plenty," Vader said, either not caring about the broom attacks or purposely ignoring them. "You know my aversion to using the force in such a way."

"That is no excuse." Razz had stopped hitting him, though she still kept the broom pointed in his direction. "It is an important part of understanding the force. It cannot be neglected."

"Then perhaps an expert, such as yourself, could teach her."

Razz's eyes narrowed at Vader. He still sat unmoving, though Catra was sure he had a smug look under his helmet. His presence was practically radiating with it. Razz whacked him once more for good measure.

"Fine, but I won't be forgetting this," she whirled away, mumbling under her breath. As she passed, she poked Catra's side with her broom. "Come along now dearie, Razz had much to teach you."

Catra shot a look at Vader. He waved a hand at her as he stood, "Go, there are some things even I cannot teach you. And she is right. It is important for a more complete view of the Force."

"What she said,'' she cursed the way her voice cracked. "That's… It doesn't mean anything, right?"

Vader's presence washed over her, soothing the swirling emotions that threatened to overtake her. He placed a hand on her shoulder as he spoke. "Razz has a unique view of the force. More than likely, her words are true. Though it does no good to dwell on them, they will cloud your judgment if you let them."

"But-"

"The future is always in motion. Focusing on what might be, will leave you unbalanced. Trust in the force and stay focused on the moment." Vader turned as he gave her shoulder a light push. "Now go. It would be best not to keep Madam Razz waiting."

Catra nodded, taking a breath as Vader's footfalls faded deeper into the ship. She wouldn't let what Razz said get to her. Adora was gone, and Catra was here. She didn't see that changing soon.

She found Razz outside the ship, near the edge of the clearing. The glowing lights that were unique to the Whispering Woods surrounded the old woman. They danced in the half shade of the trees.

Razz didn't look behind her as she waved a knobbly hand at Catra. "Come, come. Sit, so we can begin."

As Catra approached, the lights swarmed around her. They bounced off of her like they were eager for her attention. Warmth spread from wherever they touched. Razz held a hand out, letting a few of the lights settle into it.

"Beautiful aren't they?" Razz said. She chuckled, turning her hand over and letting the lights spill out back into the air.

"Yeah sure," Catra batted one away from her nose before it could make her sneeze. She had enough teasing about that growing up.

Razz sighed and shook her head, "You aren't looking properly. These are pure manifestations of the force. That is how you must look at them."

With a roll of her eyes, Catra let herself sink into the Force. The world opened up to her as it usually did. The dancing lights were still there, visible to her even with her eyes closed. Strings of light, a web that spread deeper into the woods, bound them.

"Ok, yeah, I see your point," Catra said as she let the force slip back out of her focus.

"Good," Razz nodded her head. "There are many things that the force reveals. Learning to turn to it without thought is often difficult." She sat on the ground, gesturing to a spot next to her in the grass. "Come sit. Let us get started."

Catra joined her on the ground, speaking as she lowered herself, "What are we even doing? You and Vader were pretty vague back there."

Razz waved her off, "We will get to that, but first, what has your Master told you about the Force?"

Catra opened her mouth to respond but quickly drew a blank at what to say. In the month she had been here, Vader had taught her a lot of things. Many uses of the Force. But he rarely spoke about the Force itself. Catra hadn't asked either.

A quick poke to her side broke Catra out of her thoughts. Razz broom returned to her lap.

"That tells me all I need to know, dearie," she said.

Catra bristled, "It's not like I don't know anything."

"I didn't say that." Razz shook her head, a soft smile on her face. "I'm sure your Master has been teaching you plenty. However, I suspect he is more focused on practical lessons."

Catra placed an arm on her knee, using her hand to hold her head up. She stared at Razz with a bored expression, "So what? Is this the part where you tell me the Force connects everything?" She rolled her eyes. "I can already feel that when I meditate."

Razz chuckled, "While that is certainly correct, it is not the complete picture." She closed her eyes as she transitioned to humming softly, "The Force doesn't just connect everything together. It is part of it. The Force is life. You cannot have one without the other. Take away the force, and life withers and dies. Take away life, and the force ceases to exist."

"And what does that have to do with what you said?"

That earned her another poke in the side. "It applies to everything. Every force user, from Jedi to Sith. From the Ang-Tii to the Baran Do Sages learned this concept at the base of their teachings. Though they diverged from there."

Catra's head snapped up at the word Jedi. It had slipped her mind with all of Vader's training. But she remembered now. Obi-Wan had said Vader had once been a Jedi. Now was her chance to find out.

"What's a Jedi?" She said, blurting out the words as if the question might disappear from her mind again.

Razz blinked at her, "You don't know." When Catra shook her head, Razz fell into another cackle. "That man, I see what he was trying to do."

"What's that?"

"Your Master has a personal bias towards both the Jedi and the Sith." Razz's cackled subsided to sparse chuckles. "I do not know all the details, just what I've been able to see since he came to this planet." She waved her hand, dismissing the train of thought. "But that is not my story to tell. I can tell you about the Jedi and the Sith. Or at least, the versions of them from my time."

Catra leaned forward, ears perking straight up. "Why both?" She asked.

"Because they are more connected than any other teaching of the Force," Razz held out her hand. "They came from the same place." She twisted her hand, showing off both the palm and back of it. "Two sides, born in direct opposition to one another. The peacekeepers and the conquerors. Both paths your Master has walked."

The lights gathered around Razz's hand as she spoke. They formed crude images of sword-wielding figures fighting. Neither side gaining any advantage over the other. As Catra watched, the lights between them changed. Growing darker or brighter as more figures were cut down by their opponents. Only to reassembled themselves and join the fight once more.

"For thousands of years, the Jedi have pushed back against the darkness of the Sith. It is a conflict that will never truly end."

"And Vader? You said he walked both paths?"

Razz poked her again with the broom. She tried to bat it away, but it had already returned to Razz's lap. "It is still not my story to tell. But yes, your Master walked both paths. He still bears the scars of that time."

Catra rubbed her arms, feeling the small spiderweb of scars that laced across them underneath her fur. Her thoughts also turned to Vader's suit. That was a tangible scar. Was that what Razz had meant?

"Focus dearie," The broom crept forward, causing Catra to go cross-eyed as the handle touched her forehead. "You spend too much time up here, trapped in your thoughts."

Catra growled and successfully shoved the broom handle away, "Well, maybe I have a lot to think about."

"Do you?" Large eyes took up Catra's vision as Razz leaned forward. "Or do you only think you do?"

"Is there a difference?"

"There is, but we are widely off-topic," Razz's eyes wavered, unfocusing as she stared out above Catra's head. Lost for a moment in a dream-like state. She shook herself, breaking through whatever held her. "I apologize. It seems my time here is growing short."

"What? Why?"

Razz tilted her head at her, a wry smile on her face, "Enjoying my company that much, dearie?" She chuckled at Catra's stammered denials. "It is quite alright. I will tell you why, because it ties into what I told you on the ship."

The surrounding air grew thick, the lights stilling in their patterns. Catra could feel the Force surge around them. Once again, her fur stood on end at the strange sensations. She stayed where she was, though. This was why she was out here with the old woman, after all.

"Long ago I was trained by the Ang-Tii," Razz said. "They taught me how to Flow-Walk."

"What's that?"

"Patience," Razz poked her with the broom again. "We are almost there. Now, when I first used this ability, I was warned of its dangers. Which I, of course, ignored. As a result, I am now stuck in time."

"So, that's how…" Catra trailed off as Razz nodded. "I didn't know that kind of thing was possible."

"Oh dearie, anything is possible with the Force."

The wind blew through the trees, filling the clearing with the sounds of rustling leaves. Morai landed on Catra's head, disturbing the girl's thoughts.

"What you said, was true then?"

"It was. And it wasn't. You were originally destined for much pain. Much heartache. Though that future is no more since you met Vader. Now, I am not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure?"

"Time is always moving, changing." Razz's eyes became unfocused once more. "I won't know the full extent of the changes till I leave. Even then… I won't be in any state to discuss it."

Catra stood, dislodging Morai with her sudden movement. "No! I want answers. I need to know-"

"Trust in the Force, and trust Adora. Otherwise, that pain, that suffering. It will completely consume you now."

Catra sucked in a breath, halted in her rant just as surely as if someone had slapped her.

"She left."

Razz nodded, "Yes, she did. But have you? By this point previously, you would have both left each other. Now though? That you must decide for yourself."

Catra stomped back onto the ship. The conversation with Razz had devolved until the old woman was nearly incoherent. Rambling on about Mara, She-Ra, and a heart, whatever that meant.

She found Vader in the main hold of the ship. Various droid bits, from the skeletal droid he kept in the back, were strewn about. Sparks flew from the piece he was working on, reflecting onto his black helmet and illuminating him in an orange glow.

"Why haven't you told about the Jedi or Sith," Catra's words came out more biting than she meant them. The conversation with Razz having left her emotions a turbulent storm.

"Because I would not have you follow either path," He said, rising from his work. "The Jedi were fools, too blind to see what was happening in front of them. The Sith… The Sith ways bring nothing but suffering."

Catra huffed and leaned against the wall, "Razz said you walked both paths?"

"I did."

"And you're not going to teach me either?"

"No," He set aside the tool he was using. "I am teaching you how to use the Force. What path you walk will be your own. I will offer advice and guidance from experience. But I will not spout long-abused philosophy at you."

"Good, never liked lectures anyway." Catra looked down at the droid parts. "So… Razz was interesting."

"She is." Vader used the force to clear one box before taking a seat. "I assume she mentioned her time with the Ang-Tii."

"Yeah, and something called Flow-Walking. What is that? She kinda went," Catra gestured at her head, using a finger to create small circles just above her temple. "Kooky before she really finished explaining."

Vader paused for a moment before responding, "It is a technique solely used by the Ang-Tii and those they taught. It is not something the Jedi or Sith would teach. It allows the user to ride along to currents of the Force to view other times."

"She really can see the future then?"

"In a manner of speaking," Vader said, "As you continue your training, you may even find yourself catching glimpses of what may be. Though I would warn you. Put little stock in these visions. Keep focused on the moment, not caught up in what may come to pass."

Something about the way he said it, Catra guessed this was part of the advice from experience that Vader had talked about, "But what she does is different, isn't it?"

Vader nodded, "Flow-Walking allows the user to be physically present in the future or past, even allowing changes to be made if one were to push hard enough. Though the Ang-Tii restrained themselves to merely observing. It is why they are as insular as they are, only teaching those they deem worthy."

"She said she was stuck in time? What does that mean?"

"From what I understand, while on Etheria, she pushed too far into the currents of the Force and got lost in them. Now, she is between two moments in time. Unable to do more than wait for them to converge as they would naturally. It is why she has been here for a thousand years since the planet was plunged into Despondos."

A shiver ran down Catra's spine. She definitely would not try to learn Flow-Walking now. Not that she was thinking about it before, but the idea of being able to see the future, or even change the past?

The possible consequences were too high.

She rubbed her face, trying to wipe away evidence of her still swirling thoughts. Razz, bringing up Adora, had affected her more than she cared to truly admit. Somehow, Adora still pulled on Catra, even this far removed from her.

"I'm going to go meditate," she said, pushing away from the wall. "Or maybe work on those movements you gave me, I don't know."

"Your thoughts are troubled?" Vader said. Catra nodded even as she turned away from him. "As I said before, I will be here to offer advice and guidance when you need."

He returned to his work, once again picking up the tool he was using. Catra left, returning to the clearing so she could attempt to clear her mind. It didn't work as well as she thought it would. She went to bed sore and exhausted, though her thoughts still centered on Adora.

A/N: Hey y'all. It's been a while hasn't it. Kinda lost the flow for this fic for a while. I've still been writing, just working on other projects. But a recent She-Ra fic binge, inspired by a friend who sent me a bunch of fics, gave me some new inspiration. That also lead to me editing some of the previous chapters as well as writing this new one. With that note, if its been a while, or you feel like seeing what changes I made, I would encourage you to read at least chapter 4. That one had the most changed and added to it. It's not a lot, nothing severally plot changing, but definately needed to be mentioned. Anyway, hope you enjoy the new chapter, and I'll see you in the future.