Chapter VI: Hanging in the Balance
LORD HORDAK'S JOURNAL
29th DAY IN THE TWENTITH YEAR IN MY CONQUEST OF ETHERIA
Most of Eternia is now under my control and soon Horde Prime will be freed then the Cosmos will tremble before his awesome power.
The Eternians have been demoralized, their King is dead, he still lies, and without a leader many have defected to Horde Rule allowing us to take control with little to no resistance.
Only a few minor colonies on the very border of civilization remain to be conquered, other than that all of Eternia is under Horde control.
Despite these victories, there have been defeats, Marlena escaped her fate, Queen Angella's forces stormed the prison and though my forces subdued them, they still managed to free the queen and despites sending my best efforts I have still not found where on Eternia she is hiding, but it is only a matter of time before the rock she is under and crush her like the pest she is.
However, there is hope, according to my informants, Marlena was seriously wounded in a battle recently, and Angella needs supplies to treat her, meaning she will have to come out of hiding.
I will order my men to place a tracking device on her, allowing me to follow her to the Coalition's base and finally root out this annoying resistance movement once and for all!
While Angella is my current threat, I must not forget that He-Man and She-Ra are still out there along with the apostate Keldor and one day they will return, but when they do I will be ready as I have had my forces place laser cannons across the the planet with the majority of them near Grayskull, so that I can do away them as soon their ship is spotted.
The Coalition can fight until their last solider is killed and the blood of their troops runs throughout the planet like a river; they can look to the sky in hope but not even He-Man and She-Ra can save them from Horde Prime, whose return is near I can feel it, and crush them like the inscets they truly are!
QUEEN MARLENA'S JOURNAL
25th DAY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST YEAR OF SKELETOR'S ATTEMPT TO ENTER CASTLE GRAYSKULL
This maybe my last journal entry, a few days ago Hordak's cronies attacked a nearby village. The Coalition defended it the best they could but in the end it fell to the Horde.
During the firefight I was mortally wounded, Queen Angella flew me back to the base, but the equipment at the base was outdated and she we would need to go several miles into a large city to find new equipment. However if she was to leave, Hordak could use that as an opportunity to track her and find the base.
"Marlena, you need that equipment, I won't let you die," she said as she took my hand. I don't know if it was my state of mind or just the lighting in the room but she did look her namesake - an Angel.
"Angella…," I began to say until she quieted me.
"Please Marlena, I know what I'm doing it's the only way," she said told me, even though we had just met a couple of times, she treated me like an old friend whom she met long ago.
I knew when she said that it was pointless to argue and let her go. I watched anxiously as she left the room, I knew she was a capable warrior but I still had feeling that something bad was going to happen.
I hope to Kalion that she returns safe and sound, and that feelings of dread are nothing but my nerves playing tricks on mind, but something tells me that will not be the case.
QUEEN ANGELLA'S DIARY
29th DAY IN THE TWENTITH YEAR OF THE HORDE'S CONQUEST OF ETHERIA
With Queen Marlena's life in the balance, I did the only thing I could do - go retrieve the equipment necessary to save her life.
She protested at first, saying it was too dangerous but saving her is worth the worth the risk.
After making sure Marlena was resting comfortably, I left the base and took to the skies in search of the equipment needed to save Marlena's life.
I flew through the skies for many hours, about halfway there I felt something hit my leg, I stopped and landed for a second, I looked at my leg and found a dart right above my left ankle. I thought it was odd, I saw no sign of Horde Activity but just to be sure I did a quick check of the area and took to the skies again.
After three hours, I reached the town where the equipment was located, but before I could get to the clinic, I was ambushed by Mantenna and some Horde Troopers.
"Going somewhere?" Mantenna taunted as he ordered his Horde Troopers to surround me, I could tell that there was going to be a battle but I did not have the time to fool around, Marlena needed me.
"If it's a battle you want bug brain, than a battle you will get," I threatened as I drew my gold and jewel encrusted sword called the Sword of Uriel.
The troopers advanced on me but I made quick work of them. Finally after about 20 minutes of fighting it was down to me and Mantenna.
"You're done for!" he said as he blasted me with his stun beam at me, I tried to block but I wasn't fast enough the beam hit my left wing.
I knew with my wing stunned, I could not fly, but I also I knew that I had take care of Mantenna and head back to the base and help Marlena.
Quickly, my mind thought up a plan, "Hey bug face you couldn't hit the broadside of barn!" I shouted at Mantenna hoping draw his attention.
"Oh yeah! Watch this!" he shouted as he aimed at me, I drew my sword and deflected his blasted back at him knocking him out cold.
"Now to get the equipment," I said to myself as I raced to the clinic and retrieved the equipment and left.
I wish I could fly, it would be the quickest way to get to back to base but with my injury that was out of the question so I ran as fast as I could hoping to reach the base in time.
I ran for several hours, a few times I had to stop and rest for awhile, "I'm getting too old for all this running around!" I said to myself as I stopped to catch my breath. After a moment I was rested up and ready to go!
After about three hours, I reached the base but standing between me and the entrance was Hordak and his cronies, how did they knew about the base, then it hit me the dart. They must have had some sort of tracking device in that dart and were tracking my movements!
"You are defeated Angella, I have finally won!" he boasted as magically produced his sword and lunged at me.
"Never!" I said as I drew my sword and countered him, I didn't have time for this I needed to get to Marlena before it was too late.
"Eternia is mine!" he shouted as our swords clanged, he was determined to win, but that was an option that I would not let happen!
"You were defeated by the Magi and by King Grayskull the Great and so I shall I defeat you Ralabad!" I shouted as I tried to knock his sword from his hand.
Hordak's eyes blazed with a demonic fury as he unleashed a barrage of attacks on me until he was successful in knocking my sword from my hand. He then kicked me in the stomach and shouted "HOW DARE YOU CALL ME THAT! RALABAD IS DEAD, DO YOU HEAR ME DEAD! THE NEXT TIME YOU CALL ME THAT NAME YOU WILL DIE!" he spat at me, his voice filled with cruelty and hatred!
I slowly got up and retrieved my sword, "It is you whose time is up," I said as I lunged at him. We fought for another hour until I had knocked his sword from him. "It is over," I told him as I pointed my sword at his heart.
"Never!" he said as he turned prostheic arm into a blaster, shot me knocking me unconscious and escaped.
When I came to, I wondered what had happened, I felt like I had been knocked out of the sky, it was then I realized what had happened and left to find Marlena.
I raced into the room where I left her, the color was sucked out of her face, she was going in and out of consciousness and clammy to the touch, she was sweating profusely and extremely weak, I had no to waste if she was to survive.
She opened her eyes as far as she could and whispered, "Angella, Hordak has found the base," I could tell she was dying and wanted to set up the equipment so I could save her but Marlena took my hand and said weakly, "It is too late for me, but promise me that you will fight to save Eternia and tell my children that I…," after that she closed her eyes and died.
"I will, you have my word," I told her, even though I had known her for a short time I had felt that I had lost an old friend. Even though I was sad that she died I knew she was at peace and reunited with Randor. I hope when I leave this world that I am reunited with my darling husband King Ambriel.
Later that day, after I removed the tracker from my body, I gave Marlena an Angellian funeral. I buried her by the base and to make sure Hordak would never find the tomb I only wrote the letters 'MRA' which stands for Marlena Regina Aeternia or 'Marlena Queen of Eternia.'
"Farewell, Marlena," I told her as I placed a flower by her grave and left to help repair the base.