Chapter Three: A Minor Shift
Three days. The New Horde had laid siege to Ophidia for three days, and had made no progress in capturing the planet. Catra seethed as she looked over their war map, embarrassed that such a backwater planet was able to resist them so well. None of the other planets they reached had done so–but then, those were left over from the days of Horde Prime's empire. Many of them, realizing the Horde had returned, were more than happy to join in Catra's crusade of conquest. But not the Snakekin.
"Has that scientist of yours returned yet?" asked Emerald, strangely far less concerned about how long the battle had raged for. "Cybertroop battalion 13 isn't responding, I want her to give them a looking-over."
Frustrated, Catra looked over at her. "You've got scientists of your own," she said. "Why can't you just get one of your Peridots or whatever to have a look? Why does it always have to be Entrapta?"
Emerald shrugged. "I trust her more with them. She's the one who made them, after all." This wasn't entirely true, but Entrapta was the one responsible for commandeering the Cybertroops and other such machines for New Horde use. "Besides, the vast majority of my Peridots are from Era-2. They wouldn't know a mainframe from a motherboard," she said bitterly.
"Whatever. Anything that'll finish this fight and get us out of here works with me," Catra said, sulking over to a nearby window. "What's the point of this giant ship if one stupid planet's not gonna go down?"
"The Supermassive is among the most powerful Gem dreadnoughts ever designed," Emerald said, her eyes narrowing. "I can't be blamed if it is not used properly."
Interrupting this tension-filled moment, Entrapta walked through the doors. "Hello, I'm back!" she said, chipper as ever. "I got some soil samples! Anyone want to hear all about them?"
"Oh, good, the prodigy of Dryl is back," said Emerald, rolling her eyes. "I don't suppose you made any useful discoveries on that expedition of yours?"
"Useful for scientific applications? Most definitely!" she answered. "Useful for this battle? Not so much…" She sat down at the table in the room's center, looking over a datapad filled with her findings. "Did you know the Snakekin actually have more in common biologically with lizards?"
Catra groaned as she laid her head against the glass. "I blame you for this!" she said, pointing at Emerald. "You of all people should've known this planet would be a disaster to conquer! You were in charge of, like, seven galaxies for millions of years, and you chose this place!?"
"First of all, I wasn't in charge–that was the Diamonds," Emerald said. "Which is exactly what I aim to fix with this New Horde. And second, I chose this planet because it was relatively defenseless! As I said before, I can't be blamed for the incompetence of certain other members of this organization!"
"Your ship, your units, your guidance–do I really need to say more?" asked Catra.
"Why, yes, how about your leadership?" Emerald retorted.
Entrapta raised a hand, once again halting their arguing. "I know! What if we found some powerful First Ones artifact to give us an edge? We could send someone back to Etheria to go get one!"
Emerald and Catra glanced at each other. "Did…did you have a specific one in mind?" said the latter.
"No, but I could check my files for anything." She looked through the datapad. "Let's see… We already did the staff, this one didn't work, this one isn't real…Aha! Here it is, the Heart of Etheria!"
"And, what does this 'Heart of Etheria' do?" asked Emerald.
"No idea!" said Entrapta. There was a short, unimpressed silence. "Okay, that's not entirely true. I may not know where it is, what it is, what exactly it's supposed to do, but apparently, it's super powerful! I've only found a few mentions of it, but they're all talking about it like it's incredibly dangerous, only used as a last resort. Sounds useful, yeah?"
They had to admit, it did sound useful to have the Heart of Etheria with them. Catra brought up the major snag: "How exactly are we supposed to get it if you know nothing about it?"
"Easy: based on the mentions of it in ancient First Ones writing, I've mapped out several possible locations where it could be!" She showed them a map of Etheria, with a number of highlighted areas. "We can just send out a group or two to check 'em out and report in on what they find!"
As Catra examined the map, Emerald placed a hand on her shoulder. "Catra–er, excuse me, Empress Catra, may I speak with you a moment?" She pulled her aside. "Surely you can't be considering this! We have better things to be doing now than going off on a wild goose chase for some mythical trinket!"
"Right, because we're so busy losing to a single planet full of lizards!" said Catra, pushing her away. "Look: Entrapta's a lot of things, but one of those things is reliable. Watch." She walked back over to her. "And you're sure about this? You're absolutely certain that this Heart of Etheria thing can help us?"
"Of course!" Entrapta said. "I'm willing to stake my entire reputation on it! If there's something to find, you'll find it here!"
"Good." Catra turned to Emerald. "Put together a team: I'm leaving in twenty minutes." She then headed for the door, having made up her mind.
Emerald was not prepared for her sudden departure. "W-what!? Just like that, you intend to abandon your conquest!?"
"Who said anything about abandoning it?" she replied. "You're still here, aren't you? Just keep these stupid snakes busy while I'm gone, and when I get back with the Heart of Etheria–and I will–we'll show them who's boss. Do you think you can manage that?"
"Of course!" said Emerald, not about to let her pride be slighted. "Hurry after that Heart of yours, though–I can't promise this resistance won't be crushed beneath my heel by the time you return!"
"I'm sure it will be," Catra muttered. "Just keep an eye on her until I get back, alright?" she said to Entrapta.
The purple-haired scientist saluted. "Can do, Empress Catra!" She then went back to her datapad. Soon, she was alone in the room, both of the others having gone to prepare for the mission to Etheria. Unseen, her eyes flickered red for the briefest of moments, 'her' smile becoming a smirk for just as long.
Despite having been living out in the Crimson Wastes for a few weeks now, a place where one must be hardened by the sand if they wish to survive, not much had changed for Kyle. Despite his new tattered attire and very slight tan, his muscles remained about the same, as he struggled to lift a large crate into a cart. Rogelio eventually helped him out.
"Thanks," he said, wiping his face clean of sweat. The large lizard patted him on the back as he went to pick up more crates. "What exactly are we doing here, again?"
Lonnie was doing her part to load up the cart as well. "You heard the man. We pack up before the princesses arrive, find somewhere else to hunker down, and prepare for when Catra gets back. Simple?" Another cart was full: a few more Horde troopers climbed into it, as a local Crimson Waster drove the beasts pulling it down the road.
"But…are we really sure she's coming back?" asked Kyle. "You saw how quickly she left when she got the chance. Ever since those Gems showed up–no, even before that, Catra's been acting strange.
A snarl from Rogelio.
"Rogelio's right," said Lonnie. "That wasn't strange; that's just how Catra is. She's wanted to lead the Horde since we were all little, and now that she can rule not just Etheria, but all those other planets? Of course she'd jump at the opportunity."
Taking a break from loading, Rogelio offered another hiss.
Kyle shook his head. "I don't either."
Resisting the urge to glare at them, Lonnie sighed. "Of course she's coming back. Etheria's her home, no matter how much she hates it. Even with all those other worlds, I don't have any doubt she wants to see it conquered herself. She'll be back. I don't know how long she'll take…but she will be back."
The three heard their commander approaching before they saw him, tipped off by his unmistakable footsteps that all but shook the ground. They looked up to see the towering stony figure looming over them; "You've stopped loading," Callix said grimly.
"Force Captain Callix!" Kyle exclaimed nervously. "We were just, ah, taking a break! Y'know, to avoid heat stroke and all that!"
When Callix didn't answer, Lonnie spoke up. "Can you blame us? We've been doing the same thing for weeks: traveling from camp to camp in the sweltering heat with no end goal in mind, no response from the boss, and nothing to show for it! A few minutes of cooling off after all that is more than warranted."
Kyle flinched as he expected Callix to yell, but he only grunted, walking away. "Don't take too long," he said. "We need to be out of here by nightfall." They stared as he left, clearly unused to his demeanor.
Callix roamed through the settlement, observing the progress his troopers were making in packing up. His path soon took him into the shade of a building, where a large, tentacled woman sat, pouring water over herself. Though many Horde members weren't used to the desert heat, she seemed to be taking it particularly poorly.
"And how are you holding up?" Callix asked, seating himself beside her.
She shot him an annoyed glance, albeit one accompanied with a smirk. "It's hotter than the boiler room of a Horde steamship out here, and I have to splash myself every few minutes to avoid drying out. How do you think I'm holding up?"
All Callix said to this was "Mmm." He leaned back, observing the soldiers busy at work. "I overheard some of the troops discussing Catra just now. They're beginning to wonder if she's abandoned us."
"Wouldn't put it past her," Octavia said. She pointed to her left eye, which was hidden under a patch. "Y'know, she's the one who did this to me. I'd respect her a lot more for it if she ever followed up on her threats."
"So, you believe she has abandoned us?" asked Callix.
She shrugged. "Right now, I can't say anything more than 'probably.' I definitely think she did, but who knows? She's surprised me before…in both good and bad ways."
"If that really is the case," Callix added, "perhaps we were mistaken to follow her rather than Hordak."
Octavia scoffed. "No, that's one part of this arrangement I don't regret." She got to her feet. "Who knows where he's gone to now, but if I ever see Hordak again, nothin's gonna stop me from pounding his face in! Great, now I want a fight!" She began pacing anxiously.
Getting up as well, Callix tried to rein her in. "Calm yourself. There will be plenty of fighting once we are able to regroup, but for now, we must leave this place before the princesses–"
"The princesses are here!" called a lookout. Callix, Octavia, and many others turned in the direction of the shout, seeing the tell-tale dust of skiffs approaching in the distance. But what really tipped them off that it was the Princess Alliance was the shape in the air above them, no doubt that of She-Ra's flying horse.
"How is this possible? They shouldn't be here so soon!" shouted Callix. "Someone must have informed them of our location!"
"I blame Grox," muttered Octavia. "That shady little lowlife…"
"Change of plans. All troops, prepare for battle!" With Callix's order, the Horde members dropped what they were doing, leaving the supplies for their weapons. The citizens of the town closed their windows and locked their doors, knowing that a fight was coming. Armed with all manner of scavenged stun batons, staffs, swords, blasters, and anything else they could find, the soldiers waited for their enemies to arrive.
Once the party was in range, those with projectile weapons opened fire. The skiffs split up, circling the town, while She-Ra descended from above. She leapt from the back of her mount, crashing into the ground with the force of a meteor, sending the nearby troopers flying. The second wave engaged, only to be met with her sword.
Hidden inside an empty building, a trio watched the fight, waiting for the right time to strike. Well, some of them were. "Look at her!" Kyle said in a hushed shout. "She's tearing through our best guys–and she's alone! What happens when her friends show up?"
"Who cares? She's still just Adora!" said Lonnie, ready to rush out and engage her. "We know how she fights, so it's just a matter of attacking at the right moment!"
"Do you really think you can defeat her?" asked Kyle. "Actually…a better question would be, do you think we should defeat her?"
Rogelio growled.
"Exactly. She was our friend, but that was before she threw her lot in with the princesses," Lonnie replied. "She's an enemy of the Horde, and we have to–Aw, great!" In the time they were waiting, the battle had begun in earnest, with not only the other princesses, but the Crystal Gems joining the fray as well. "Look what you did, Kyle!"
"Me!? How did I do this!?" he asked.
"You distracted me!" Lonne groaned in frustration. "Nevermind! C'mon, let's find another angle. We can't just wait in here all day."
"Why not?" Kyle asked as the three of them snuck out of the building. They could see Octavia fighting with Huntara, as well as Bismuth and Topaz fighting back to back. Frosta was tearing through what little armaments they had, so they decided to go the other way. Slinking through the shadows, they didn't notice Callix engaged in battle with Hordak on one of the rooftops.
Hordak darted around the former Force Captain with his new wings, while Callix attempted to strike him with a massive hammer that was tipped with a drill. "So, you've finally come crawling from whatever hole Catra banished you to!" he said, swinging wildly. "Don't worry about going back, I'll put you back underground myself!"
"Arrogant as ever, Callix," Hordak said, nimbly dodging his strikes. "You must be truly desperate for conquest to throw in your lot with the likes of Catra!"
"At least Catra makes no bones about what she wants!" Callix smashed through the rooftop with one mighty smash, almost sending his opponent down. "She never hid her desires for conquest behind some self-righteous revolutionary propaganda! She may use us as tools, but she doesn't pretend to care about us!"
Ducking underneath one of his swings, Hordak grabbed hold of Callix's hammer. "And where has that honesty put her in your eyes?" With a single punch, he smashed through the stone of Callix's chest, halting him. He pulled out a glowing green crystal, and Callix's body fell to the ground.
In Hordak's hand, the crystal spoke. "It matters not what I think of Catra," he said. "Truth be told, I despise her almost as much as you. But the Horde needs a leader to exist. When you disappeared, she filled that void, kept us alive."
"You seem to think I abandoned you," Hordak said. "Then where is your new leader? Off gallivanting with her new friends while you are left to rot in the desert. She admits her callousness, but does that truly make her a better leader than I?"
"Anyone is a better leader than you!" While he was speaking with Callix, Hordak didn't know the Force Captain's body had risen, until it struck him from behind. The impact made him drop the crystal, which was pulled back into the body's chest. Callix's eyes glowed now that he was whole again. "I will ensure that your tyranny never plagues the Horde again!"
Hordak stood up, wiping some blood from his lip. "A noble sentiment–perhaps there is hope for you after all." He ran back in to reengage.
As the battle continued raging on the ground, the trio kept to relative safety. "I don't know if this is the best idea," Kyle said. "We're outnumbered, we're outmatched, we're being outmaneuvered–I think we should focus on escaping!" Rogelio growled, apparently agreeing.
"Enough complaining, both of you!" Lonnie snapped. "If we run away now, we'd be no better than deserters! And I don't care who's in charge–Hordak, Catra, Callix–they all feel the same way about deserters!"
"But…who's battle are we really fighting? Ours, or Catra's? Hordak at least gave us a reason to fight, but what now? Do we really care about…" Kyle hesitated to say a negative word about one of his old friends, but the sentiment was there.
Lonnie was getting heated now, bearing down on Kyle. Rogelio stood between the pair, ready to defuse the situation if needed. "We don't have time to be thinking about this right now!" she shouted. "Like it or not, we're with the Horde, and right now, our people need us! So are you just going to spend all day complaining, or are you gonna take action!?"
"I…you're right," Kyle said. "All of this…I think I can finally see why Adora left. If this is the Horde I've spent my whole life trying to be a part of, then I don't want anything to do with it anymore." He stepped back, dropping his weapon.
For a moment, it seemed that Lonnie was about to strike Kyle with her staff. She growled, only to turn around and charge into the fray, going right up to the largest opponent she could find: a towering armored figure wielding a similarly giant sword. Both Kyle and Rogelio ran after her.
This massive warrior, He-Man, turned around after being struck by Lonnie from behind. "Huh?" He blocked her next attack with his sword, only for several more like it to follow. None of them affected him in his new form, but Lonnie kept at it.
"You think you can just come here and tear us apart that easily!?" she yelled, only still standing thanks to Steven's reluctance to hurt anyone. "We're the Horde! We run this planet, and we'll still run it when you're…when…" She finally began to slow down, both recognizing that her attacks weren't doing anything, as well as Kyle's declaration sparking something.
"Lonnie!" Kyle and Rogelio ran out to her aid, weapons in hand. "Hurry, we can still make it to safety!" They were fully prepared to fight off Steven, or at least attempt to, if it meant saving her, only to find that the two of them weren't fighting at all. Lonnie had dropped her weapon, while Steven had sheathed his. "Huh?"
She looked over at them, then at Steven, and finally threw her arms up. "What are we doing here, guys?" she said, exhausted. "What are we even still fighting for? Wh-what do we have to gain? Why do we suddenly owe so much to Catra of all people?"
"That…sounds like something you might wanna talk about," Steven said. "Not now, but maybe once all the fighting's done." A battle still raged around them, as the other Horde members had not given up just yet.
"You were right," Lonnie said to Kyle. "You were right all along. We should be fighting for something we care about. A cause we're behind. And whatever vanity project Catra's cooking up this time sure isn't it." She took off her armor, letting it fall to the ground. "I don't know about you two, but I'm leaving the Horde behind."
They looked at one another, before following suit. Two more breastplates landed in the sand. "That…feels a lot better," Kyle said. "And not just because those were really stuffy." The three shared a brief laugh.
"Steven! What's going on?" asked Adora, rushing over. "Are you okay? I saw you just standing there, and I thought…" She paused when he pointed out the trio standing beside them. "Wh–guys? What are you doing here?"
They looked up, a bit startled to see her. "Adora!" said Lonnie. "We're fighting a battle, what's it look like? Well, not anymore, actually."
"We're following your example," added Kyle. "Looks like the Horde's just not for us. Not this one, anyway."
"That's…wow," Adora said. "Not sure I know what to say. Except that the Princess Alliance would be happy to have you." She approached, extending a hand.
"We'll think about it," Lonnie said.
Meanwhile, Callix and Hordak had demolished several buildings in their clash, mostly due to the former. Hordak was not one to go down easily, and while he packed a punch, it was difficult to take on someone made of rock. "You were once the one who had the entire Horde at your beck and call–where is all that might now?" He swung his hammer, the drill on the end tearing through the concrete and stone of the city. "Is that why you have thrown in with these princesses and desert bandits? Because you've finally realized how weak you are?"
"Far from it!" Hordak lunged, flying over one of Callix's strikes to deliver a kick to his head. "My body has never been stronger, and my resolve has grown to match! And unlike some of us, I do not hide from my enemies in the desert! Not anymore!" He swept his opponent's legs out from underneath him, attempting to wrest away his hammer as he fell.
Callix kicked Hordak away, quickly getting to his feet. "Useless!" he shouted, throwing him to the ground with a punch. He raised his hammer, preparing to finish him off with one last strike. "And now, at long last, Etheria will be free of the old Horde!"
But before he could bring it down, something stopped him. Hordak couldn't tell if it was a sensation, a vision, or something else entirely, but it seemed to be something only Callix was experiencing. He staggered back, nearly dropping his hammer. He let out a surprised cry as a familiar pinkish light began to shine from inside of him.
Hordak moved away, beginning to expect what was coming. More and more beams of light breached Callix's body, growing more intense. With one more shout from him, he was burst from the inside, pebbles and bits of rock raining on the nearby area. In the place where he stood was Glimmer, holding Callix's true body in her hand.
"Certainly an impressive entrance," said Hordak. "Have you ever defeated any of mine this way?"
Glimmer didn't look up. "I didn't do that to save you." She held up the green crystal. "You. You work for Catra, right? Where is she?"
Laughter from the crystal. "And you expect me to answer you why? Because you've bested me, once, in combat? I never bowed to the princesses even before the Horde came along. I will not start now." Some of the rock pieces began to levitate off the ground, preparing to coalesce.
Not content with this answer, Glimmer squeezed the crystal, causing the rocks to shift erratically. "I'm not playing games!" she snapped. "Catra! Where!? Tell!"
"Do not mock me!" Callix grunted, pained. "Even if I was aware of her location, I would never divulge such information to the likes of you! You princesses have no claim to this planet! Imprison us if you must, but know that I will never–Arrgh!"
Callix had cried out in pain due to Glimmer throwing him to the ground, proceeding to drive her staff down on top of him. "Alright, fine, don't bow. But I'm not going to imprison you if you don't start cooperating real. Soon. Oh, and another thing: I'm not a princess. I'm a queen, and that's something you have Catra to thank for! Not get talking, or else!" She pressed the staff down harder, earning more pained groans from Callix. Hordak watched, impressed with her ruthlessness.
"Glimmer, stop!" Bow appeared, steadying Glimmer's hand. "You don't need to do this. The fight's done, it's over."
"It's not over!" Glimmer protested. "Not until Catra pays for everything she's done! Not until…until…" She looked around, seeing the town in disarray from their fight. Most of the townsfolk were unharmed, but many had been put in danger from the battle. The Horde troopers had either surrendered or been captured. "You're right. It's over."
Bow picked up Callix's crystal core, and placed a hand on Glimmer's shoulder. "We'll stop Catra. Okay?" he assured her. "Just not like this. But we will find a way. I promise."
