The McDucks are startled, shocked, and confused by Boone's words. Even Penumbra is confused. They all sit quiet, looking, the Toppats none-too-happy at all, scowling at the Moonlander.
Boone sighs and sits down to explain. "It was at the start of the Moonvasion, when the Moonlanders were destroying Earth's defenses. Our Orbital Station was one of the first things they targeted. They fired on the station, ripping it to shreds and causing a core meltdown. A few of the crew and members were able to evacuate. A few, I must make clear. The loses were... catastrophic. There were two thousand, two hundred and fifty members on that station when the Moonvasion started. By the end of the day, we barely got two hundred back. We lost three-quarters of our members in that one instant. It was the single worst loss of life in Toppat history. The rest of us on the ground regrouped with the survivors and carried out a guerrilla war against the Moonlanders, the thought of vengeance for our fallen brothers and sisters keeping us going. We went so far as to form a truce with the military." Boone explains.
All but the Toppats are shocked, a look of sympathy in the eyes of them. They were aware the orbital station was destroyed, and more than two thousand died. But, the Moonlanders had done it!? They had thought the Moonvasion was practically bloodless! Everyone had! Even Penumbra.
"And then, they surrender and give up as quickly as they attacked. But, instead of returning to that dismal grey ball of dust, they stay here. They come here, to OUR planet, to try and occupy us. They imprison countless innocence. They ransack our land and homes. They destroy that which we held dear. And they threaten and kill those we care about. And then everyone acts like nothing fucking happened. No trials. No punishments. Nothing but petty forgiveness. Well, we know what happened. We've mourned the loss of our comrades every single day since then. We will never forget what they did. And we will never forgive them for it. You hurt a Toppat, you shall incur the wrath of the entire Clan." He declares, a look of hate on his face unlike anything any have seen, and if looks could kill, Penumbra would be dead a million times over.
The McDucks are horrified by this revelation, but try to add reason. "L-look, I know what they did was wrong, but, come on, their leader lied to them. He tricked them! They thought they were doing the right thing!" Della tries to defend, but Boone scoffs.
"Oh please, the whole 'following orders' bit has no effect on me. Never has. You think I feel sympathy for them being gullible idiots who let themselves be led to slaughter, both as perpetrators and victims? Well guess what, I don't. Zero. They LET themselves be lied to. They let themselves believe such lies. And what did it get them? Two hundred and forty thousand miles from home and no way to get back, barely even feeling like fools." He snarls.
Webby and Louie are getting a bit afraid of Boone, as they have never seen this side of him. In all their interactions with him, he always seemed so kind and caring. Tough and serious, yes, but never terrifying to the point it'd probably scare Magica into being good!
"Look, I get you are upset but, you can't just blame them! I am partially to blame as well... I'm the one who, well, gained their trust, sorta betrayed them by accident, and gave them the plans to build the rocket." Della tries to reason.
Boone looks at Della with an unmoved expression. "Tell me, who brought you back to their city? Who allowed you to rebuild your rocket in the center of it, using the grand statue as a scaffold? Who convinced you to hand over the plans to the rocket moments before you departed?"
Della was startled. How the hell did he know all that. But before she can ask, Boone continues.
"Who sarcastically suggested the Moon Landers go with you to earth because of their fascination with your stories, resulting in them honestly wanting to go only after that suggestion?" As his scowling gaze slowly turns towards Penumbra. "Who challenged what you said about not being able to take them despite being 'Della Duck', nearly making the Moon Landers think you hated them? Who managed to dishearten the Moonlanders so much, that you chose to try to take them all to earth with you anyways?" As his questions become obviously semi-rhetorical, as he then asks one final question, staring into Penny's soul practically. "And who do you think activated the emergency launch on your rocket, forcing you to leave before the others could join you, resulting in the perception of betrayal?" As he reveals that he knows every. Single. Thing.
That one question makes Penny's jaw drop in disbelief as the others, especially Della, look at her in shock. "How did you-?"
"Penny? I-is that true?" Della, near-heartbroken from that final question/revelation, knows Dewey had jokingly said stuff on that one Dewey Dew Night, and initially believed it, but Dewey saying he was just messing around and Penny calling back had stopped those thoughts. But, all of this? From the one who saved her and her family at least twice?
Trapped with no way out, Penumbra sighs and comes clean. "Della, I never meant for any of that to happen. Up until you repaired my spear, and even somewhat after you did, I did not trust you at all, and was just trying to protect my people and dispose of who I thought was an evil enemy agent. The suggestion of them going with you was in spiteful jest, to try and make them lose faith in you, because I truly did think you were some evil spy." She explains as Della realizes the hatred and attempts to kill her may have been real after all, the realization and horror on her face. "After repairing my spear, and showing the good in you, my intentions were solely to protect my people. I simply feared for them, thinking you would get them killed." She takes a breath. "So, while you slept, I carried you to your rocket, and I activated the emergency launch. I thought if I could send you back to your home and family, that would be the end of it, and no one would get hurt..." As Penny gets frustrated. "Then, as I watched you off with Lunaris, that traitor shot himself in the arm, and told my people, who had been brought out by the commotion, that you had betrayed them, that you were a spy, and that earth planned to invade the Moon. He then stated, with the plans that he got before you left, they would build a fleet to invade earth first. He used you to give my people, who, unlike him and I, were not warriors, a reason to fight: betrayal. I had played right into his plans, and in my quest to protect my people, I-"
"Put them in more danger than you ever thought they were in initially, out of a mix of fear and jealousy." Boone interjects, getting a sour look from Penumbra.
"How did you even know all of that?!" Penumbra demands.
"Because, one, it is good to know your enemy better than they know themselves. I had men interview and get information from every Moonlander and get the whole story. They didn't like it, but knew it had to be done. And two, I'm not an idiot. I put the pieces together, and figured that was the most plausible course of events." Boone states.
Della looks at Penny, slightly heartbroken and feeling somewhat betrayed, eyes welling up with tears.
Penumbra looks back and sighs. "When I helped your brother escape, we discovered Lunaris had been planning for a long time to find a way to invade earth, all of which had failed. You crashing on the moon seemed to have been a blessing to him, as he knew if it could get someone from earth to the moon, it could get him from the moon, to earth." Realizing she is heavily to blame for the events of the Moonvasion, understands where Boone is coming from, given he is also just trying to protect his people. "I had thought Lunaris was insane for allowing you into our city. That he was too trusting of you. Now I know that he knew what he was doing all along, far more than I ever thought I did." Penumbra looks at Della, having a saddened look, tears about to form. "I am sorry, Della Duck." She bows her head and looks away from Della.
Della looks at Penny. She felt betrayed. She had thought Penny liked her back the entire time. Penny had warned her of the Moonvasion. Penny had prepared to sacrifice herself to save her and her family. And now, to learn Penny, the one she saw as her best friend, hated her initially? It broke her heart. But, she understands. A person would do anything to protect those they care about. Be it die, or kill...
