Brightmoon's war room seemed emptier now, without Glimmer or Adora. The princesses that were left sat around the oblong table with Queen Angella at its head. Bow sat opposite her, hands clasped on the back of his neck, his head resting against the cool crystal. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, waiting for what he was going to say.

Bow was used to being relied upon. Glimmer needed him often enough, his support becoming second nature to both of them. The long-set dynamics of their friendship were the main reason they got constantly picked for missions despite Angella's reservation about her daughter fighting.

It was so ingrained that when Adora had made their duo a trio, Bow had tried to fill the same role for her. It was what he knew. But there had been a problem. Adora wasn't Glimmer. A fact, it seemed, he was only coming to grip with now that they were both gone.

Gone.

The word sent a shiver down Bow's spine. He hadn't been fast enough to provide Adora with proper backup. Lonnie would have blasted him to nothing if Adora hadn't messed up her aim. And by the time he had dug himself out of the rubble, the Horde ship was barely a speck on the horizon, far out of range of his bow.

"So what's the plan?" Mermista said, breaking through the tension that had built. The way her fingers drummed out an anxious beat on her upper arm belied her half-lidded stare. "Have we even heard from the Horde at all?"

"Yes," Angella said. "They offered terms for Glimmer's return."

"What about Adora?" Perfuma asked, echoing the thought tumbling through Bow's mind. He lifted his head to see Angella look down at the table. Her mouth pulled down into a frown, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"They haven't mentioned her."

Bow looked up sharply. "What?"

Angella's eyes rose to meet his. "In my, admittedly short, correspondence with the Horde, they have not mentioned Adora. Even when directly questioned."

Bow's head fell back down on the tabletop as Perfuma spoke. "Wha- Why? She's just as much a princess as Glimmer?"

"Probably because of her once being a Horde soldier," Entrapta said as she fiddled with something between her crossed legs. "They would see her as a traitor before anything." She looked up at the silence that followed that statement, her eyes darting around. "Was… Was that a secret? She was wearing an older Horde flight jacket. I thought it was obvious."

"I wasn't a secret. Though we were not advertising that detail," Angella said. "I didn't want her past marring the good she was doing."

"So you just kept the fact that She-Ra used to be a part of the worst conquerors Etheria has ever seen?" Mermista stood from her spot to lean over the table. "That's kinda an important detail."

"Is it though?" Perfume said, her eyes darting between Mermista and Angella. "Has she done anything but help us since she showed up?"

"That's not the point. We were the ones letting her into our kingdoms."

Bow slammed his fists on the table as he stood, startling everyone. "Would you rather we hadn't come? What would have happened then? She was the only one who could have repaired the gate in time." He locked eyes with Mermista, pinned her down with a glare. "You wouldn't have a kingdom anymore if it wasn't for her."

They all stared in silence at Bow after his outburst. Usually, it was Glimmer making impassioned interruptions, not him. But he couldn't hold his tongue anymore. Not when his friend was being talked about like that.

"Commander Bow is correct," Angella said as she nodded at him. "It hardly matters at this point. Adora has more than proven her loyalty to our cause."

Bow narrowed his eyes at Angella's words. "So what are we going to do about getting her back then? We can't just leave her or Glimmer with the Horde."

Angella sighed and looked down, avoiding Bow's gaze. "Unfortunately, with the Horde's refusal to set a price for Adora's return, there is little we can do. I am already prepared to pay Glimmer's price."

"Which is?"

"Me."

Bow exploded out of his seat again, Mermista doing the same. "No!" They both shouted. They shared a glance before Mermista gave him a nod to let him continue, though she did not sit back down.

"I understand you would have reservations-"

"Reservations?" Bows glare caused most of the others in the room to shift uncomfortably in their seat. Except for Angella, who matched his glare with her usual detached demeanor. "This isn't just a reservation, this is denial. We do not use other people as bargaining chips." He pointed an accusing finger at her. "That was a rule you established during the first Princess Alliance. And we are not breaking that now."

"I cannot just leave my daughter-"

"The probability that the Horde will honor their agreement is low, almost nil," Entrapta said. "The fact that they also have She-Ra decreases those odds even further."

"See! The science princess agrees with us," Mermista pointed at Entrapta, who had already returned to her distracted tinkering.

"Then what exactly would you suggest?"

"Rescue mission." Both Mermista and Bow said together. They once again shared a glance which gave Angella enough time to stand as well.

"Absolutely not. We cannot afford-"

"We couldn't afford you giving yourself up," Mermista said. "What makes this different?"

"You would be risking-"

"We need to take risks," Perfuma stood as she spoke. "If we hadn't taken risks in the past, where would we be?"

"This is different!" Angella shouted. The three of them stepped back from her outburst. "You would be heading into the heart of enemy territory. We have only basic intel about the Fright Zone. Nowhere near enough or either a covert mission or a full-out assault. Maybe if we still had Adora, she could have given us that intel. But as it is..." she trailed off, slumping back down into her seat in a way Bow had never seen from her before.

Both Bow and Mermista followed suit, staring down at the table as well. Perfuma, however, stayed standing, her brow furrowing and jaw working. She looked up and in a small tentative voice said, "What if we had someone who would give us that information?"

"What are you thinking of kidnapping one of their own?" Mermista asked with a smirk. "Didn't think you'd be one to go for a plan like that."

Perfuma's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "No, I would never-" She stopped herself to close her eyes and push out a breath. After a moment, she opened her eyes, glancing around the table with a newfound determination. "I might know someone who used to be part of the Horde."

A shocked silence fell as they all digested that information. Even Entrapta had stopped her tinkering. Angella leaned forward, steepling her fingers over the table as she regarded Perfuma. "Please go on."

Perfuma nodded, smiling slightly. "Well, I'm sure most of you know Vader."

Bow felt a chill at that name. The few interactions with the man had left him on the wrong foot nearly all night. Everything from the mask to the reverberating breathing set his nerves on edge. But if he was being honest with himself, most of his unease came from superficial things. Vader was already friends with Perfuma, and Adora seemed to get along with him before the dance descended into chaos.

"He was your guest at Princess Prom, right?" Entrapta had leaned forward and would have been invading Perfume's personal space if not for the table between them. "The one with the portable iron lung?"

Angella tilted her head to the side. "An iron lung?"

"It's a device to help someone breathe, but a portable one?" Bow's brow furrowed as he looked over at Entrapta. "You sure? I thought it was just a respirator of some sort."

Entrapta shook her head, her eyes still gleaming with excitement, "I'm about eighty percent sure. It was too regular for normal respiration. Of course, without taking it apart, I wouldn't know for sure, but considering that might kill him, it wouldn't be a recommended course of action. I also think he has prosthetic legs, though they would be more advanced than anything we have here-"

"Alright, we get it. Tall, dark, and scary is interesting to you," Mermista said, cutting off Entrapta. "Was Vader part of the Horde?"

Both Perfuma and Entrapta shook their head, though Entrapta spoke first. "I doubt the Horde would develop technology like that. It might be possible, but wouldn't match their modus operandi."

"Besides, he crash-landed in his ship about seven years ago," Perfuma's statement caused Entrapta to squeal as she hopped back and forth on her feet. "I was actually talking about his new apprentice."

"Crash landing on a ship doesn't mean he's not from the Horde," Bow said.

"He told me..." Perfume swallowed and wiggled in place, her eyes darting around the table. "He told me he came from outside Despondos."

"Fascinating!"

Angella ignored the outburst from Entrapta. "You said you think his apprentice is from the Horde?"

"Yes," Perfuma nodded before her brow furrowed, her mouth turning down into a small frown. "At least I think so. She talked the same way Adora did about the Horde. I thought nothing of it at the time."

"You sure she's still not a part of the Horde?" Mermista asked. She sat up in her chair. "For that matter, we still haven't confirmed this Vader guy isn't either. He certainly looks the part."

"Considering they were the ones that killed the twelve Horde soldiers after Adora, Bow, and Glimmer left, I doubt either of them had connections to the Horde. Remaining or otherwise." Perfuma was glaring at Mermista now, though it came out as more annoyed than actually angry.

Bow remembered when the three of them had gone to Plumeria. It had been nearly four months ago now, though it felt like a much shorter time had passed. It was Adora's first mission, and it had shown. She had still been unsure of how she would fit in with the rebellion, but by the end, she had taken charge. Especially after the fighting was done. She had directed the Plumerians in a few basic tactics, teaching them drills with staves, which seemed to fit their peaceful attitude.

She had called them back a few days later, and what they had found was chilling. The soldiers Perfuma was talking about had been slaughtered. A few had holes in their chests, many more had missing limbs or deep burns that looked like a high-powered plasma cutter had cut them. Four of them were embedded nearly a foot into the ground, their armor crushed around them. Perfuma hadn't told them who had done it, just that a friend had come through and told her they met some resistance.

One of the stranger things about that day was something Adora discovered. She had gone into the main building of the Horde camp to check and see if the machine that had been poisoning the plants was still there. She had dragged Bow and Glimmer in with her a moment later. Something had compacted it to a third of its size, though no sign of extra machinery that could have down something like that. It almost looked like someone had grabbed it and simply crushed it in their palms. Considering what Bow had seen at princess prom with Vader holding up the ceiling, he had a good guess who had done it now.

He was just glad they didn't seem to be fighting against the rebellion.

"Do you think they would be willing to help?" Angella asked.

Perfuma bit her lip, her gaze flicking down to the table. "Possibly. I know it wouldn't hurt to ask."

"You are correct, it wouldn't hurt to ask." Angella took a deep breath, once again slipping on the mask of a ruler. "Is there anything else you can tell us about either Vader or his apprentice?"

"He's powerful," Bow said, the image of the floating chunks of ceiling and the cracked floor underneath Vader's knee flitting through his mind. "Like possibly on the level of Mermista or Perfuma."

Angella tilted her head. "He has magic."

"Maybe." Entrapta had recovered from her outburst. "It didn't look like any magic we've seen, though. No glow like with runestone-based magic, and no glyph's or chants like sorcery." She turned to Bow. "Though I don't know where you're getting your power scale. While holding up a ceiling is impressive, we would need more data to make a definitive conclusion."

Angella held up a hand, silencing Entrapta's rambling. "And his apprentice? She is the one we would try to convince to help us with this endeavor."

"I think she's a magicat," Perfuma said. She was still looking down at the table and so didn't notice the way Angella's eyes widened. "Vader told me her name... Cat- Catra, I think."

There was a loud crash as Angella's chair was thrown to the floor as she jumped up to cross the room. By the time everyone had recovered, she was at Perfuma's chair. "You are sure that was her name?" Perfuma nodded, but Angella shook her head. "No, I need to hear you say it. Say that you heard the name Catra."

"I did," Perfuma said, her voice firm. "Vader called her Catra."

Angella staggered back, her eyes wide as she looked past Perfuma to something none of them could see. She spun around and paced back to her chair, absently righting it again while muttering under her breath. Bow exchange a look with the other three princesses.

None of them had seen the Queen like this before. She always kept on an air of detachment that often drove Glimmer insane. Bow had fewer problems with it. He had read enough memoirs from old kings and queens to have a small idea of what they dealt with, and why many of them choose to use masks like that.

"You're Majesty? Are you ok?" Bow asked.

Angella closed her eyes at Bow's words and steadied herself against her chair. "I am fine, Bow." She walked over to the large arched door and knocked twice. It opened, and a guard stepped through, their large armored robes billowing on the floor as they stood at attention. "Please wake Captain Sea Hawk and have him prepare his ship as soon as possible."

The guard bowed. "As you command, your Majesty." They spun on their heel and marched out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Angela turned back to the group, eyeing all of them before moving around the table to the doors on the other side. "I would suggest you all get ready. It would be best to leave immediately."

"So you're approving us to go talk with Vader and... Catra?" Bow asked, pausing slightly at Catra's name. It sounded familiar to him, though where he heard that name before eluded him at the moment.

"Yes," Angella said as she opened the second door. "And I will be coming with you."

The walls of Glimmer's cell were a dark, rusted red. The acid green force-field that was acting as the door added to the gloom of the room, casting flickering shadows into the hard corners of the cell. Pipes crisscrossed the ceiling, with unknown liquids of suspect coloring dripping down on the floor.

She had woken up here. The last memory she had was of meeting Scorpia in a hallway on the way back to the main hall. She had just resolved to apologize to Bow when she ran into the estranged princess. Then nothing. Not even a recollection of how Scorpia had knocked her out, though she suspected the scorpion tail she kept curled behind her had something to do with it.

Heavy metal manacles weighed down her arms. They crackled with red lightning that surged through her body whenever she tried to teleport or make her glitter burst. There was no chance of escape using her power until they came off. Which wasn't liking to happen soon, considering no one had come to see her the entire time she had been awake.

The bed was the most uncomfortable thing she had ever tried to rest on. The ground was a better option in so many ways. She had folded up the thin blanket, though it did nothing to protect her from the hard metal surface, and they hadn't given her a pillow either. Not that it would have mattered. Glimmer found herself quite incapable of sleep at the moment.

She sighed and pushed herself up, letting her legs dangle over the edge of the bed. It was high for her, made for people with more bulk and height. A walkway floated down in front of the cell with Scorpia standing on it. She carried a tray with what looked like a pile of brown mashed foodstuff. They locked eyes and Scorpia gave a half-hearted smile, to which Glimmer responded with a full-hearted glare.

"What do you want, Horde scum?" Glimmer asked. Best to start the confrontation. Keep some amount of control over the situation, since there were so many things right now she didn't have control over.

Scorpia grimaced, her eyes flicking down the tray of slop in her hands. "I, uh... Came to give you your rations..."

Glimmer noticed the badge on the other girl's chest and snorted. Adora had taught them all the Hordes insignias and ranks. "Didn't think being a Force Captain came with such great perks as dealing with the prisoners. Did you just get lucky, or does someone have it out for you?"

"Uh, I volunteered?"

Glimmer raised her eyebrow at the fidgeting woman. "So you want to spend time with us lowly prisoners, then? Or am I just that special? Tell me," She stood marched over the force-field, pinning down Scorpia with her glare which seemed to work, even though she towered over Glimmer by a good foot, "Does the Horde make it a habit of stabbing everyone in the back or just me?"

Scorpia's eyes widened, and she shook her head, "No, no, I don't think."

Glimmer laughed, "Really, you're so good at it though, caught me by surprise." She kicked at the ground. "So when are they executing me." She glanced at the tray of brown goop. "I'm guessing after lunch, then?"

"No, well-" Scorpia stopped speaking and shook her head again. "The plan is to get your mother here first, then kill you both. End the war in one act."

Glimmer opened her mouth, but the ready-made retort died on her lips. Her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed over her chest. "Why tell me this. Wouldn't it be better to leave your prisoner in the dark?"

The large woman shifted on her feet as she cast a furtive glance to the side. She reached over and hit a button on a panel that was out of Glimmer's view. A small slot opened in the force-field and Scorpia shoved the tray full of food through. It almost slipped out of Glimmer's hands as she fumbled to catch it.

"Listen, I know you have no reason to trust me." The slot closed as Scorpia took a step back. "I've seen enough, I'm done. I want to help you and Adora get out."

Glimmer's eyes widened. She hadn't known Adora was here. When did she get captured? Was she trying to rescue Glimmer when it happened? That sounded like Adora, especially these days. "You took her too?" She growled out.

Scorpia nodded, then jumped back as Glimmer threw her tray against the force-field before throwing herself at it. Green electricity lanced over her body, mixing with the red lightning from her bracer as she instinctually tried to teleport away. She cried out and dropped to the ground as the pain rolled over her, leaving her limbs tingling like they had just fallen asleep.

"No, no, don't do that," Scorpia said, flailing her claws about, like that would do anything now. "Just, please, I don't want you hurt..."

"Then you shouldn't have put me in here, horde scum." Glimmer spat out a bit of blood from her bit tongue.

"I know, I know," Scorpia sighed and curled into herself, holding her claws close as she kicked at the metal floor. "I've been thinking a for a while now, and recent events have changed things-"

"What events?"

Again, Scorpia shook her head. "Can't fully explain right now. Just... I knew Adora- Well, I knew of her, before she left. Catra too..." She closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath. "I'm done. Done pretending we're the ones in the right. Done watching good people get hurt."

"So glad you had this crisis after you kidnapped me."

Scorpia winced. "I know the timing isn't great-" Glimmer scoffed. "But better late than never, right?"

Glimmer eyes narrowed. "Alright, suppose I go along with this." She stood, brushing off her tattered dress, even though it was beyond ruined. "What's the next move?"

"Eat your food," Scorpia said as she pointed at the flipped-over tray. 'Or... well..."

"You hid something in the food, I get it," Glimmer waved off her concerns. "Then what?"

"We wait." Scorpia made a shushing motion with her claw as Glimmer opened her mouth to protest. "Just a few hours. Gotta get the timing right. You can sit tight till then."

"What about Adora?"

"I'm still working on that. Shadow Weaver has her in her chambers..." Scorpia trailed off as Glimmer's eyes widened and flicked to something behind her. "And... She won't appreciate the fact that you've thrown your food about." She stepped forward, thrusting her claw at Glimmer. "You'll eat what you're given or go hungry."

Glimmer scowled and stepped forward, sticking her nose in the air. "I'd rather starve than eat anything the Horde gives me."

A dark chuckle reverberated around them as Lonnie stepped up beside Scorpia. "Having trouble with the prisoner, force captain?"

A high, strained laugh escaped Scorpia's mouth. "No, no trouble. Not for me, at least. If the princess doesn't want to eat, that's not my problem."

"I suppose not," Lonie said as a crooked smile split her lips. Dark smoke curled out of her black eyes. Purple veins spread from the corners of her mouth, giving her face a sickly appearance. "Not up to your standards, princess?"

Glimmer scoffed. "Believe me, I could make a list."

"I don't doubt it." Lonnie's head tilted to the side as she looked around the small cell, pacing in front of Scorpia. A small frown graced her lips, which was far better than the unnatural smile she sported earlier. "You know, I have to give your rebellion credit. I don't think I've seen many of your people down here."

Glimmer's eyes flicked to Scorpia, who gave a quick shrug. "Thank you?" She furrowed her brow as Lonnie continued to pace in front of the force-field. "Not what expected to hear while captured by the Horde."

The corners of Lonnie's mouth twitched upwards. "I know we haven't given you the best impressions." She smirked at Glimmer. "You know what it's like... Out on the battlefield, emotions run high as we fight for our lives. Plus." She stopped pacing, turning to face Glimmer as she shrugged. "We are on opposing sides."

Glimmer snorted. "So what? Is this that respect amongst soldiers thing? Considering you stabbed me in the back to capture me, you can cut the crap."

Another chuckle emanated from Lonnie, setting Glimmer's nerves on edge. She had never heard Lonnie sound like this. Usually, there was a lot of yelling and harsh words. Not this calm malevolence.

"I never said I respected you, princess," Lonnie said, practically spitting out the last word. "Just your rebellion. You know, the actual soldiers out there."

"I fight just like everyone else-"

"Doesn't make you a soldier, princess." She halted and turned to face Glimmer, her hands resting behind her back as she stared the princess down. "You may fight with them. But no matter what you do, you'll always be different from them."

Glimmer growled, getting as close as she could to the force-field as she glared at Lonnie. "I don't how that's true. I'm fighting with them, putting my life on the line just like everyone in the rebellion."

"Except you don't. You have your powers, your status. Hell, your boyfriend is more like a soldier than you are." A sneer twisted Lonnie's lips. "You're not like the rest of us."

"Pretty sure that smoke isn't just for show."

"I earned this!" Lonnie shouted, her nostrils flaring as she stepped forward, smoke pouring out of her eyes now. Black, oily magic pooled in her hand. Glimmer stood firm against her anger, clenching her fist as she returned Lonnie's glare. After a moment, the magic in Lonnie's hand dissipated as she shook it off. "Come on, Scorpia, we have duties to attend to."

With that, she spun on her heel and walked away. Scorpia followed softly, after giving the spilled food tray one last glance. They disappeared with the walkway as it dropped below Glimmer's line of sight.

She waited, making sure she was fully alone before her shoulders slumped and she sat down on the metal slab. A shaky breath escaped her lips as she clenched her hands to keep them from trembling. A few deep breaths settled her nerves.

Her eyes settled on the turned-over metal tray and she bent over to pick it up. The food that had been stuck to it fell to the ground with a squelch. Her nose wrinkled at the smell. It wasn't as bad as the brown appearance would suggest, but it still didn't smell like food. A plastic bag was attached to the tray, bits of food still sticking to it. She pulled it away from the tray and threw that back in the pile of food.

The bag contained a folded piece of paper and a small metallic object. She opened the bag and pulled everything out. The object dropped solidly into her hand as the paper bounced and tumbled to the bed. She turned the object over in her hand, revealing four buttons. The corners of her mouth turned down and her brow furrowed at the object. It was a remote of sorts, though she didn't know what it controlled.

She pressed one button and screamed as her manacles surged, red lightning spreading across her body. With a clatter, the remote fell to the floor as Glimmer spasmed on the bed. The lightning subsided after a minute, only the barest crackle of electricity was emitting from the manacles. At least now she knew what the remote did.

The remote laid on the ground, taunting her, as she bent down to grab it. A closer examination of the buttons had her slapping her forehead and groaning. One button had a symbol that comprised a circle with a single line in it. Bow had explained to her once about why that was the power symbol. She barely remembered most of that lecture, but she recognized it.

The manacles let out a high-pitched whine as she pushed the button. They were still locked onto her wrists, but when she pooled her magic in her hand, lightning didn't course through her. Excitement bloomed in her chest until the ball of purple, sparkly magic flickered and died.

She tried again, and the ball lasted longer, but still died out. Whatever the lightning had done to her needed longer to wear off, hopefully. The paper was next in her investigation. She groaned loudly as she unfolded it. Instructions for the remote we inscribed on its surface, along with instructions for what to do next.

According to what she assumed Scorpia had planned, she would be stuck in this room for a few more hours. That would be when the shift change took place. There were a few other instructions, and with nothing else to do, Glimmer sat down to memorize them.

A/N: Hey, y'all, hope you enjoyed the new chapter. Lots of setups plus, the first time we've seen Glimmer! I don't know why I haven't had her in the story yet, besides the fact that this is mostly Catra's tale, but here she is!. Also, for anyone who reads my stories on here. I've recently started a new project. Unfortunately, doesn't have the appropriate character tags. So if anyone wants to check out a Mass Effect/Arcane crossover it is only being posted on my Ao3 profile. There is a link to my Ao3 profile in my bio if you're interested. As usual, comments are welcomed and kudos are appreciated. I'll see you in the future.