The sins of your brothers

They flew through the drift and Rosie felt happier than ever. She finally found friends who liked her. Even the itel, who at first looked at her like a Warg, after a few days won over to her. They played games, they trained, and she tried to help with the drill alarms, though she wasn't always successful, she wasn't a technician, and she didn't know how the ship worked. But she knew that no matter what she did, she would never quite be one of them. They had something in common that he would never fully understand. Alatar was always nervously checking that all the ship's security features were active. Lilka had to sleep with the light on, and Itel spent hours studying the reports of activity of the Swarm, but also other things she didn't fully understand. And then there was Eti, a strange Feline girl, so different from her, and at the same time she felt that she was very close to her. She couldn't understand why, but it was...

Days passed, full of pleasant routine. Even helping Dr. Quin didn't bother her, but Ysoka seemed preoccupied with her work, though she also had the impression that she was somehow frightened. After training with Lady Cala, she was ashamed to leave her cabin, fearing others would accuse her of hurting the aristocrat. She really didn't want to do it. Just after the first exchange of blows, she suddenly awoke to see Lady Cala lying against the wall. She was afraid that she had murdered an noblewoman, and she didn't even know how she had done it. This had never happened to her before, even when she beat up the one who was picking on her, she didn't lose her consciousness. "Does it have anything to do with me forgetting who I am? Did I do something so terrible that I didn't want to remember it?" she thought. Dilayla was amazed and Eti delighted with her display of skill. Even Itel had stopped looking at her indulgently, now she was only suspicious. It terrified her. She promised herself that she wouldn't fight in training anymore. She would love to never fight anyone again, but she was aware that during such an expedition it might be impossible.

Fortunately, Lady Cala didn't hold it against her. She was such a good person full of compassion and mercy, so it was no wonder that she forgave her. After all, she had hired Miss Daisy despite her dark past and had treated her like a member of the family, almost like a mother. Rosie, after that night confession, felt strange in the company of a dark sorceress. That woman did something very terrible, summoned a creature from the darkness that not only scarred her face, but changed it in a terrible way. She also knew that this was only part of her story, that the worst she hadn't told her anyway. Whenever she was around a dark elf, she wanted to assure her that she would not reveal her secret to anyone. In fact, she wasn't sure if the woman cared. She was gloomy and very resigned. When she wasn't with Lady Cala or teaching the young crew members, she was copying drawings of some flowers. At that time, Ireanis, this not so talented, but very cheerful elven sorceress, tried to befriend her. At first Miss Daisy wasn't very polite in rejecting her, but Ireanis was stubborn and eventually started bringing in some liquor that seemed to be made in a laboratory. Seeing this, Miss Daisy murmured softly.

„Good old moonshine from the technical department." she laughed bitterly.

Rosie didn't like the gloomy woman drinking so much. Even less so that she usually did it surreptitiously when no one was looking. But she didn't know what she could do. She wanted to talk to someone about it. Maybe with Lady Cala? But she was ashamed to speak to the aristocrat after what she had done to her. Maybe will ask Eti. She was pretty sure that the other girl had been eavesdropping on her conversation with Miss Daisy, so that wouldn't amount to revealing a secret, would it?

The drift flight was weird. She had always felt better than anyone else the tremors of all the ship's mechanisms. In this strange magical place, however, everything vibrated completely differently. Normally she had trouble falling asleep due to the vibrations, but in the drift she felt calm, as if she were at home, in a familiar and safe place. She wondered where it was coming from, maybe before… before she got lost, she traveled a lot through space? Though some said that her capsule may have come from before the discovery of drift. She didn't understand much of it.

They arrived at the first planet three days after leaving Saltmarsh. They went above its orbit and began scanning it. On the bridge screen, they saw an ordinary planet covered mostly with blue oceans and a few greenish-brown lands.

"Alatar, are there any signs of life there? Inteligent one?" Bina asked him.

"No, I can't see anything..." Dragonkin replied. But then Arkan-tar instructed him to enter some new parameters that would detect if there were cities here and plot it on the map, which immediately turned red, indicating the remains of ancient settlements. Everyone stared at the map in disbelief, except for Wrongdak, who looked down sadly.

„I told you there's nothing there. That you will find only death here..." said the white-skinned alien.

„Judging by the degree of urbanization and the amount of radioactive elements and it must have been an advanced space civilization, albeit without interplanetary travel abilities. About three billion people lived there." Verthani's voice sounded exaggeratedly formal.

„Nobody survived?" Bina asked in a voice full of horror.

„No one technologically advanced, although perhaps someone is hiding in the wilds. However, they have lost their entire technological base, and recreating civilization will be much more difficult due to the lack of readily available resources such as coal and oil." Ilemshaw said. Silence fell. Rosie walked over to Wrongdak and took his hand to comfort him.

"Nothing... We're moving on," said Bina.

The next few days passed in a slightly more nervous atmosphere. Everyone tried to behave as before, but it was not possible. Arkan-tar was exaggeratedly cheerful, and Rechiza was darkly thoughtful. The young crew members tried to show off that they didn't care about the discovery of the ravaged planet, but she knew it must have been a shock to them. Especially itel, who seemed to feel guilty about getting everyone on this journey. When Bina passed by her, she looked away. The captain of the ship seemed concerned about what they encountered. Dilayla became very protective of her and Wrongdak. She tried to encourage them to train and spend time with the rest of the crew. She liked the mercenary, she was protective of her like a sister. She said she used to have a sister, but she lost her to Horde invasion. She wasn't entirely sure, but she didn't think he was telling her the whole truth. But she was brave and strong, although for unknown reasons she did not like Lady Cala ... But fortunately she made friends with Wrondak, who now needs so much support and help. He seemed to feel guilty about what his brother had done…this Horde Prime. She couldn't imagine someone so evil. Eti once asked this, and she looked away and said.

"I've known a few similar… or almost as bad. One was Binah's father, Jantar, and the other... The former ruler of a certain planet. He... dropped bombs on his own people... Never mind, she said in a strangely gloomy mood.

Four days later they reached another planet. It once seemed to be more technologically advanced than the previous one, but even then it was almost completely devastated. But they managed to pick up one message.

„This is shelter two hundred and thirty-two. We're probably the last one. Our planet got attacked by the Galactic Horde. They defeated us and enslaved. Horde Prime, its only ruler, promised us peace and mercy, but gave us only suffering. And then, after twenty years, they decided to destroy us. For no reason. We were simply deemed unworthy of the Light of Horde Prime. That we belong to the dark. He killed everything he didn't take. Hundreds of thousands went with him, chipped. We're hiding in an old shelter, but we're running low on supplies. We don't know if we'll survive outside. If anyone can hear us, please help us. And by no means trust Horde Pime. Everything he says is lies. Everything." and then the message looped.

Everyone looked at Bina with a silent question. The captain, however, closed her eyes and said.

„It's an old transmission. There's probably no one there. But you know, nature has rebuilt itself. Birds are chirping, fish are splashing. It's fucking awesome". she said firmly. Wrongdak hid in the shadows as if it were his fault.

„I… I'm so sorry. So much."

Then Lady Cala smiled softly at him.

„It's not your fault. No one can be held responsible for the deeds of his brothers." Dilayla, Eti and, surprisingly, Miss Daisy looked at the aristocrat suspiciously.

- Verily, you are not responsible for the sins of your brothers.

They reached the next planet three days later. This time Rosie felt the atmosphere on the bridge was grave. Everyone already knew what awaited them here.

„I detected activity on the planet. There's some small power source there, some kind of outpost, a survivors' shelter. I turn on. Dragonkin said.

„No, do not do that!" the white-skinned alien shouted, but Alatar triggered the signal.

„Do not be afraid. Embrace the light of Horde Prime. Until now, you have lived in the darkness to which your wicked leaders and false gods have condemned you. But Horde Prime's mercy knows no bounds. Receive his light. Renounce darkness. Open your minds to his truth. He will drive the shadows away. Cast out Shadows! Horde Prime sees everything. Horde Prime knows everything." and this message also looped. Everyone was silent for a moment in consternation. Finally, Arkan-tar broke the silence.

"Does it seem right to me, didn't he speak in Wrongdak's voice?"

Dilayla nodded and said.

„They're clones. Why are you surprised. It not Wrongdak fault. Oh gods That Prime was talking same bullshit to us, on the Minitar.

Bina shuddered.

„This fucker was talking bigger shit than my father, who was a bit of a crazy son of a bitch." she said and laughed uneasily.

„Please… - Wrongdak said, and everyone jumped. They looked at the stranger, who was kneeling. Emily was hugging him. Streams of tears ran down his face. - don't turn it on again. I don't want to hear his voice. Never again…"

She played Clash with Eti and was impressed with the girl's skills. She has been fond of playing games since she was a child. Even in the Isles of Sorrow, the ability to play Go was highly prized. She always outplayed her sisters. Stormheart was never smart enough, and Midnight Mask was always too confident to win with her. They hated her for it, as for many other things, though the time for real hatred came later. In Mystacor, it was an important element of social life. Over the tables soteric mysteries were discussed, alliances and friendships were made, and positions plotted, and in her day the struggle for office was ruthless, or so it seemed to her. But for her, it was also about feeling triumphant. She has always loved competition, fighting for victory and seeing her rival defeated. She wanted to feel better, stronger than her rivals… Until she finally started playing the real game, where real beings were mepples and life or death was at stake. But even in the Fright Zone, she didn't deny herself this pastime. It wasn't hard to convince Hordak to introduce board games as one of the training elements. She was supported by the Usurper King and his daughter, so she got the right funds without any problems. The king's granddaughter was one of the first cadets she tried this training method on, though of course the old king didn't live to see that moment...

She has had many partners at the table since then. Hordak was a good player, but he was easily angered and hated to lose, though of course he always hid that fact. Scorpia only liked to play to be with others. She wasn't interested in the game, but the players. She quickly decided that paying attention to her was a waste of her precious time. And then it was Adora and Catra's turn, so the Scorpion princess was completely put aside. Adora… she always did everything with absolute focus and dedication. She even played board games as if she were carrying out some extremely important mission, the success of which depended on the happiness of her friends ... Actually, she wasn't too wrong. Catra was often scolded for Adora's failures. Unlike her "Best Friend," she hated to play. Now, after all these years, she realized it was her fault. When she wanted to, she could be a great teacher, demanding but also understanding, able to bring out the best in students. Oh yes, when she wanted to. For Catra, she had nothing but anger and contempt. She couldn't find the patience to explain to this lively young girl how to play properly and enjoy it. Catra had always felt constrained by rules and regulations that hampered her clever mind. At the time, she believed that her charge was simply too lazy to impose the discipline needed to develop her strategic skills. But she knew that when she played cards, she could outplay anyone. Wasn't that a signal that her charge hid much more than she could see in her? Twice she made the mistake of letting her conceit and contempt obscure the truth about her students. He won't make the same mistake this time.

Eti was something else. She was undoubtedly of high intellect and liked to plan strategically. Like Hordak, she was better at abstract and context-free games, but unlike the former self-proclaimed ruler of Etheria, she was able to think outside the box and didn't get angry whenever things didn't go her way on the board. She was absolutely focused on the game and sometimes felt that the more the girl let herself be consumed by the competition, the more her personality changed. She becomes colder and more determined. It bothered her, but more and more things about this girl were a mystery to her. Starting from her hand. At first she thought it was just a rather unusual prosthetic, possibly magical. But this was an artifact of the First Ones that was, all too literally, in the hands of a teenage girl. It reminded her all too well of the sword that Adora had found… that had called her to become a tool and a weapon… Who was this girl going to become. "The Punishing Hand. It sounds ominous, and yet the First Ones liked beautiful-sounding euphemisms, didn't they, Light Hope?" she thought as she took down the spearman. They played Clash in variant what the girl called "Old Kingdom Rules," which made the game more dynamic and aggressive. It was an interesting variation, because the slower variations of this game. Then Eti beat her rider.

„Nice move. And clever." She praised her.

„As painful as it is, sometimes the sacrifice of individuals is necessary to protect the majority". Eti said in her calm, slightly colorless voice. She frowned upon hearing that sentence. It didn't suit her. It sounded like she was quoting someone. It happened to her sometimes, , she spoke then as educated, or at least pretended to be. Just… why? Usually the girl behaved like someone brought up on the street, or even in the wild. She was like the poor kids she'd oversaw in the Fright Zone, but wilder and more untamed. "Just like Catra... Just like her sister." She started using the word in her mind in relations to the girl. It seemed very appropriate, after all, they were so similar ... "But also different. Catra was like a pyre flame, so hot it could incinerate anything it touched. But such embers quickly burn out, leaving only black ashes. Eti was a cold flame, glowing blue like sparks in her eyes. An icy fire that kills all life. Why do these thoughts come to my mind? What's happening here?"

And these words. Once upon a time she would have agreed with them, but now? After everything she's been through? After the suffering and despair she has condemned others to in the name of her dark desires and ambitions... Never more…

„Miss Daisy? They're calling you to the bridge. Rosie said smiling. She shook her head, trying to get out of these strange thoughts.

„I'm coming. Later we will finish the game Eti." she asked the feline girl, who also started to get up.

"I'm comming to, Sparkle hand. I hope now we will vote whether we throw Odora through the airlock. – said Eti cheerfully, and the white-haired girl rolled her eyes. She liked Rosie and was glad that the two girls liked each other. It is a pity that the deaf woman had such sympathy for Lady Cala, unfortunately, she could not warn her of the danger her "ward" was.

She regretted her honesty that time on the roof, but after hearing what fate befell Angela, she just had to get drunk. Rosie started treating her differently from then on, but to her surprise, she didn't push her away, and even seemed to sympathize with her. It was so ridiculous that she wanted to shout to the girl what a monster she was. But she knew that if Rosie found out, she would hate her. And rightly so, because she deserved nothing else,

The white-haired girl also seemed to be hiding a secret. She had defeated Lady Cala in hand-to-hand combat, and even if only because she surprised her ward, it was an incredible feat. She could only hope Lady Cala didn't want revenge, because there was nothing she could do about it.

On the bridge were Bina, Arkan-tar, Alatar, Lady Cala and Wrondak, who seemed to be downcast. At first she hated him, if only because he reminded her of Hordak. But he was so different from him that she simply couldn't hate him the way she hated her former superior, and after what had happened to him after listening to Horde Prime's insane speech, she felt genuinely sorry for him. "You have become weak and soft Shadow Weaver, and you must be stronger than ever before. For Catra and Adora… For Mikah and Glimmer… For Asindesa," she chided herself mentally.

Angela's face appeared on the screen… No, Captain Moonshadow face. She looked away because she didn't want to see what had happened to the former queen. Who she has become.

„Hello, my dear. We just came out of the drift and picked up a signal that should be of interest to you."

Wrongdak tensed, and Bina covered her face with her hand.

"Just please don't let this be any more of that Prime light crap or my vein will burst." The woman with burgundy hair grunted.

"It's… something a bit different." Much fresher. My navigation and communications specialist says it's no more than a year old."

A genuine and happy smile appeared on Wrongdak's face. She herself had to put in a lot of effort to keep an impassive face. She guessed they both expected to see more or less the same thing.

„Okay, come on." Bina said with a sigh.

Both she and Wrongdak received something they absolutely did not expect.

A Drow woman dressed in costly red robes with the golden symbol of the Horde appeared on the screen. She held a long silver-and-gold staff with a bat-wing symbol at the end. Her surroundings were shrouded in shadow. She raised her cane and spoke softly, with sadness in her voice.

„We live in an age of darkness."

She moved aside and their eyes revealed the body of a clone, with three eyes on one side, lying on his back, covering the wound in his chest with his hands. Above him loomed a silhouette half-shadowed in crimson, a great sword in his hand.

„Our Lord, Great Horde Prime was... murdered." The drow's voice broke and tears streamed down her cheeks. "He sacrificed his life to prevent the Lady of Chaos from using a terrible weapon that would kill us all." then the body flashed with a bright light pushing away the ominous silhouette. The animation was static, but clearly emphasized the message

„His light shone upon all who had faith in their hearts." the previous scene disappeared and another image appeared before their eyes, this time it showed a clone in gold red robes, whose face was covered with scars. Behind him hovered the half-transparent form of Horde Prime, its glow illuminating the clone.

„Horde Ultimate became his chosen one. It was upon him that the essence of his radiance flowed… his spark. But not only on him." Lines of other clones appeared around the Horde Ultimate, the farther away they were, the more modestly dressed. Farther still were members of the other races, all bearing the new golden symbol of the Horde.

„Anyone who feels its glow in the heart can prove it by faithful service and devotion. It doesn't matter if they are older or younger brothers, closer or more distant cousins. Each of you can carry the light of Horde Prime within you just like his chosen one and the prophet of Horde Ultimate. We must stand together united not only against heretics and traitors, but also against the forces of chaos that, though weakened by our Lord's sacrifice, still lie in wait to...

The previous image disappeared, and more figures began to appear. Their silhouettes were shrouded in black, crimson, and purple, their faces hidden in shadow. The first was a woman with mauve-pink hair, her face contorted into a ghostly smile, her hand burning with purple flame. Beside her stood a hunched, man with murderous look.

„Beware of the Witch Queen, whose dark magic brings death, and her Huntsman, who will rip out your hearts and bring them to his mistress to devour."

Then a long-haired woman appeared, surrounded by thorny vines, blood was dripping from the thorns. Next to it stood a huge creature with pincers, shrouded in electrical discharges.

„Beware of the Lady of Thorns, who will nourish her gardens with your dead bodies. Beware the Lady of Thunder, whose unbridled rage brings death and destruction.

Then a white-haired woman in armor appeared, holding a spear and a steel net with spikes in her hands. A pink-haired woman appeared next to her, razor-sharp bits of obsidian and bits of metal circling around her.

„Beware of the Lady of War, whose cunning mind only seeks to thwart our efforts to bring peace to the galaxy, and beware of the Lady of Storm ready to strip your bones from your flesh and turn your land into a wasteland.

Then there was a woman holding a trident floating on a spiral made of black water, and beside her stood a man holding a torch and smiling madly.

„Beware the Lady of the Dark Waters! She will drown with polluted waters what her lover the Marauder will not plunder and incinerate."

Then a strange female appeared, with tentacles growing from her head, and at her feet knelt a clone with red eyes and clumsy mechanical limbs. Beside it stood a monstrosity made of ice, blood, and stone.

„Beware of the mind eater who seeks to turn you into cybernetic nightmares as she did the Fallen, the villain whose betrayal nearly enabled our enemies to win. Beware of the Ice Bane that will freeze your blood to ice... But above all..."

Now a figure towering above all appeared. A woman with long fiery hair who wielded a blood-dripping sword in her hand. She rode a death-pale steed, and by her side on four legs stood a monstrosity resembling a hybrid of man and cat. He had one golden eye and one blue eye.

„Beware of the Lady of Chaos, who rides a palehorse, beside whom the Shadow Beast walks and Hell follows them."

The figures disappeared and the drow reappeared.

"Remember, you are the light of Horde Prime. We must all unite around Horde Ultimate together. Let our light cast out shadow."

The communiqué ended and everyone digested it in silence. Wrongdak stood with an extremely dumb face, but she had no doubt that she looked not much better. "It was good, way better than anything I've come up with." Alatar broke the silence.

„Eti, this Shadow Beast will start to compete with you." Dragonkin said.

The feline girl snorted.

„Draky, you must have too many teeth." she growled strangely gloomy. Concerned, Bina glanced at the girl.

"It's… it's all lies." There is no Horde Prime glow. He's gone and there's nothing left of him. They… My brothers. Everyone can be free." cried the pale-faced stranger.

„Some people are so afraid of freedom that they would rather die for the one who enslaved them. I know something about that." – said Bina

„The war is not only about territories and resources, but also about hearts and minds. If you get them, victory is yours." Eti said in a strange, not her voice.

"Yes, neither you, Hordak, nor I, nor even Horde Prime could understand it. War is not only not converted obedient soldiers. Truth and Lies can also be weapons." She looked at Lady Cala, who was staring curiously at Wrongdak. "Especially a Beautiful Lies"