"So I take it Entrapta is busy today," Scorpia asked, sitting at their usual chair.

"I've requested Entrapta not take part in anymore of these... sessions," Hordak growled, "If it were up to me, I would not have returned at all. However... Entrapta believes I have problems with... anger management... that she feels is disruptive to our work."

"I see," Scorpia said, writing down on their notepad, "When do you think your anger issues began?"

"I do not see my emotional state as an issue," Hordak replied, "I see it as a perfectly rational response to an aggravating situation."

"Which is?" asked Scorpia, quickly writing down another note.

"Being trapped on this primitive world for decades," Hordak reported, "Expending every effort to build an empire worthy of my brother, only to find out everything I did has brought nothing but shame to me and my people."

"Yes, that is a good place to begin," said Scorpia, "Why don't you tell me about what happened after you first arrived on Etheria?"

"Very well," Hordak began, "I had just been demoted for attempting to hide my... 'quirks'... from Horde Prime. I was sent to pilot with a squadron of one man fighters for a major confrontation with an enemy fleet. We were little more than cannon fodder to be shot down by their defenses while our destroyers moved into firing position. During the battle, my ship was caught in an unknown spacial anomaly that transported me here. My ship had crashed on this planet and I was stranded. Protocol dictated that I report my position and situation to the rest of the Horde and await recovery."

"I'm assuming protocol did not include single handedly attempting to take over an entire planet," said Scorpia, writing down another note.

"No, it did not..." Hordak grumbled, "My signaling equipment could not reach my brothers. At the time, I assumed it was damaged in the crash and looked for a means to repair it. My search brought me to the Scorpions of Horror Hall."

"I guess they didn't take kindly to an alien creature crashing his spaceship into their backyard," said Scorpia.

"Actually, the Scorpions were very accommodating," said Hordak, "They were convinced I was a political refugee from a government that had betrayed me, and took me in as one of their citizens. Eventually, I would need them to fight and kill those who would harm me, but for the time, I settled for food and shelter. It was in Horror Hall where I had begun work on repairing my ship. Progress was very slow due to the... deficient... level of technology that existed on the planet at the time. I had lacked even the most basic necessities for my work, electronics, computers, indoor plumbing... I had to face the facts, these people were borderline savages and they were lucky to have me. I certainly wasn't there by choice. But I knew then to return home that I would need to take drastic action to turn this kingdom into something worthy of the Horde. Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself."

"Mmm-hmm," hummed Scorpia when their pen suddenly snapped in half, "Whoops!"

"It is interesting that you would take that form to interview me today," Hordak chuckled, "It was that very princess that proved to be the key to my rise to power. A new child had been born in the royal family who was diagnosed with the crimson plague. It was a simple bacterial infection, but very deadly to the ignorant primitives of this world. And there I was with the only cure. A small dose of penicillin from my standard issue medical kit and the newborn would be saved. If she didn't receive it... well..."

"So you gave the girl the medicine, right?" said Scorpia nervously as they placed the notepad in their bag.

"Eventually..." answered Hordak, "I gave the royal family my terms. If I were to save the child, I would need an army, I would need their runestone and I would take the child's life for my own to ensure their loyalty. They would be under new management and I had already foreseen numerous changes I would have to make. Of course, their patriarch did not hesitate to save his granddaughter. The Scorpion King of Horror Hall gave me his entire kingdom... for a single pill."

"Wow, now that is what I call a con job," Scorpia gasped with admiration.

"It was necessary," explained Hordak, "The runestone was the perfect power source for my work and I would need to update and industrialize Horror Hall's military in order to procure the equipment and resources I needed to complete my repairs."

"So what happened to the other Scorpions?" asked Scorpia.

"They left shortly after I took over," said Hordak, "To where, I did not know or care at the time. I had everything I needed from them."

"If that's the case," Scorpia asked, "When did the whole taking over all of Etheria and wiping out the other princesses start?"

"When I realized how easy it would be," Hordak said, "The Etherians I saw were living in a medieval nightmare ruled by a caste of ignorant children who had no concept of the power they held. I wanted to show them all a better way of life. An Etheria with the wonders of the Horde's science and technology, where one's place in life would be determined by their merits and not by the circumstances of birth. An Etheria not for the incompetent tyranny of their inbred feudal monarchies, but for the ruthless command of the smartest, the strongest and most capable."

"In other words, you," Scorpia translated.

Another small chuckle came from Hordak's lips.

"And that was my folly, wasn't it?" Hordak realized, "I had forgotten my place. I wanted so desperately to prove myself to Horde Prime, to show him I wasn't a failure, that I had not even considered the ramifications of my actions until it was too late. I am no ruler. I had allowed a fortunate accident to convince me I was better than I actually was. I allowed myself to be manipulated by people I knew to be traitors and liars. With a technologically superior force, I couldn't even defeat a small gang of hormonal teenagers armed with swords and arrows. By all metrics, I *am* a failure, nothing more than a defective copy who didn't even know how to die properly."

"So the person you are really angry with is..?" Scorpia encouraged.

"Shadow Weaver," stated Hordak as though what he said was obvious, "Clearly, everything that has gone wrong can be traced directly to her incompetence. Also, Catra. She is... the worst."

~*~

DT's Notes

Hordak, Session 3
- Hordak is back, I don't see Entrapta though
- H0sTiLE To TrEAtMANT siNcE LASt sEssioN, STiLL WorTH bElNg AbLE To rEAD EMotioNAL rESpoNse
- ComForT iN ANgEr, LaNg TErM issuE?
- DeMoTED To mEAT sheIld, LoW sElF CoNFlDENcE?
- LiFE lN HorDE reSuItlng iN beIiEFs oF oWN RaCiaL sUPEriorTy, C0lonialisT attItUdeS an*large blotch of spilled ink*
- How does Scorpia write with those stupid things on her arms?
- Okay, basic jist of things. Hordak is in denial about his internalized self loathing and is projecting that anger onto others.