Chapter Seven: In This Together
"This is your objective," Glimmer said. She had managed to procure a picture of Mara's crashed ship in the desert. "You might remember it as the place Hordak holed up in back when Horde Prime kicked him out. I asked you two here for one reason: we need a ship."
Peridot and Bow both looked at one another, neither of them expecting a mission of this caliber. "So…we're supposed to go out into the desert, find this ancient decrepit ship…and fix it? Just like that?" asked Bow. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not doubting our abilities or anything, but that seems a bit beyond us."
"I hate to say it, but this seems like something more Entrapta's speed," said Peridot. She knew how much Bow missed her–she even missed her a little herself. They had been Science Buddies once, after all.
Doubtful though they were, Glimmer had complete confidence in them. She teleported next to Bow. "Bow, what are you talking about? You know more about First Ones technology than pretty much anyone else I know! And First Ones tech is basically just Gem tech–Peridot, you're an expert on that."
She opened her mouth to refute this, but couldn't. "I suppose that is technically true. But Bow does have a point. That ship crashed years ago, how are we supposed to get it running in time for…whatever it is you have planned?"
"If I may…" Bow and Peridot both jumped, though they tried to hide the fact. Hordak had been so quiet, they had forgotten he was in the room. "I have become something of an expert in First Ones tech as well. I could provide assistance, should these two require it."
Though Glimmer agreed, neither of them did. "Of course–Bow, Peridot, you will be joined by Hordak. I'll also be sending a company of castle guards with you, in case you should run into any trouble."
"You mean if trouble comes with us…" Bow said under his breath. Hordak clearly heard him, but chose not to react. "He's helped us before, but how do we know he won't run off the moment we fix the ship?"
"That's what you're for," Glimmer said. "Even if he does go rogue, he doesn't have his tech, he doesn't have his armies–he shouldn't be much of a match for you and your arrows."
Part of Bow was flattered by just how much confidence Glimmer had in his abilities, but another was wary of how much she had in Hordak. "Still… Okay, fine. I don't like it, but I trust you."
She nodded. "I trust you too." She turned to her new assistant. "Keep them out of trouble. And don't cause any yourself."
"Why would I do anything to ruin our partnership?" said Hordak. Bow swore he saw a slight smirk on his mouth as he stepped out of the room. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get this ship up and running."
While Bow may have been skeptical, Peridot shared none of his trepidation. "Alright. Let's see what I can do!"
Before he followed after them, Bow turned back to Glimmer to ask about a suspicion of his. "Why now?" he asked. "We have different ways of getting around. Other ships, not to mention the warp network. So why are you suddenly interested in repairing Mara's ship?"
"I…" For a moment, Glimmer considered lying to him. She was worried that if he knew her intentions, he'd reveal her plan to Adora, which would complicate things. "I'm trying to stop the New Horde. And the only way to do that is to go after their leader."
His suspicions were confirmed. "You're going after Catra," he said. "Does Adora–"
"No, she doesn't, and I'd like to keep it that way!" Realizing she had snapped at him, Glimmer quickly composed herself. "Sorry, I… She doesn't know. But you know her history with Catra! If I told her, she'd probably try and convince me there's another way, that we'd somehow be able to talk to her! But we can't. They may have been friends once, but whoever Adora was friends with back then, that's not who Catra is now."
Sympathetic, Bow approached her. He raised a hand, but stopped just short of putting it on her shoulder. "And who is she now?"
"Someone willing to destroy the world out of spite," she growled. "And because of her, my mom is dead. She can't be reasoned with! That's why Adora can never know about this. Because she'd never agree to kill…to do what needs to be done."
Glimmer had always had an aggressive streak, but this was a side of her Bow had never seen. "Is that why you're doing this?" he asked. "For revenge?"
"To save the universe." She walked back up to her throne, sitting down. "For now, don't tell anyone about this. Not Steven, not the princesses, and especially not Adora. Can I have your word on this?" Bow was silent. "Can I?"
"...Okay," Bow eventually relented. "For now, I'll keep it between us. But sooner or later, whether you want her to or not, Adora's going to find out about this. Would you rather tell her yourself, or have her find out you hid this from her?"
She sighed angrily. "Adora's my friend. I trust her…just not with this."
Bow turned to leave. He glanced back at Glimmer once more time, and then was gone. Meanwhile, Glimmer reflected on his words. Was this really something worth risking Adora's trust over?
It wouldn't come to that. She would make sure it wouldn't. And even if it did…well, Catra would be gone. And that was worth it.
It was most likely because of the tension that nobody really spoke during the voyage there. Their skiffs raced across the desert once again, thankfully not running into any trouble on the way there. They found that the ship had remained undisturbed, possibly due to Hordak's reputation.
Peridot's feet hit the sand first. "Okay! Let's get to work–you guys start unloading the materials, we'll case the ship for damages. Bow, why don't you and Hordak handle the outside, I'll check the interior." Having apparently elected herself foreman of the project–foreGem–she walked inside.
"Guess she'll handle that," Bow said. The guards began unpacking the raw materials they had brought along, as well as their tools. Bow grabbed a box of them and went to work, ready to (reluctantly) follow Hordak's lead.
Seeing as he operated out of the ship for almost two years, Hordak was the most familiar with its damages. "The ship is mostly intact," he said, "mostly due to its impressive armor. That said, the propulsion systems are in disarray. We should focus our efforts there."
Bow pried off a panel from the ship's engines, revealing that its internal workings were indeed shredded. "Yeah, that seems about right," he said, brushing some sand out of the wiring. "This might take a while."
"Nonsense. We both know what we're doing. As long as we work together, this will be mere child's play." Hordak prepared some tools of his own, getting to work right away.
Just because Bow didn't trust him was no reason not to be civil. "Nicely put," he said, joining his partner-for-the-moment. "If there was one good thing that came out of the Horde, it was your guys' teamwork. From what I could tell, you all worked pretty well together."
It might have been a trick of the light, but he could have sworn he saw Hordak smile–a genuine one. "You can thank your old friend for that. Before Entrapta came along, I was much less outgoing. I stayed holed up in my sanctum, obsessed with finding a way out of Despondos. But once she came along…" He looked away. "Nevermind. We should focus on the task at hand."
"She…really was your friend, huh?" This whole time, Bow had been convinced that Entrapta had been tricked into joining the Horde. And even if she had, that Hordak saw her as little more than an asset, something to aid in his conquest. But you couldn't fake fondness like that, even if there was a reason to. "I guess you two are pretty similar. You're both smart, you like machines, you're both…purple." In truth, Bow wasn't entirely sure why the two of them considered each other friends, or even if Entrapta reciprocated.
Apparently, Hordak was just as confused by this as he was. "What she saw in me, I may never understand. But for whatever reason, she saw value in me." He looked towards the sky. "Wherever she is now, I can only hope that she remembers me fondly."
Wherever she was, Catra and Emerald were likely nearby. "Is that why you gave Glimmer the idea to fix the ship?" Bow asked. "You miss her, and you want to go after her."
"Catra has beguiled her," he said. "I have nothing but admiration for Entrapta, but she is easily led astray. Emerald as well–their honeyed words have, for lack of a better phrase, entrapped her. I am the only one who can save her."
"Uh…whatever you say." In reality, Bow was certain Entrapta had made her decision. If she truly felt that way towards Hordak, wouldn't she have come back of her own free will? That said, Catra had convinced her to join the Horde…
"You care for Queen Glimmer, don't you?"
Bow was taken aback by this question. "Uh, wha? Y-you mean, like, you and Entrapta? Or like…something else?"
Hordak rolled his eyes. "I will never in my life understand the trappings of adolescence. You have known her since you were young, correct? And, in this time, you have grown fond of her–more than just a friend. Am I wrong?"
"Well…you're not wrong wrong," said Bow. "H-how about we just get to work. We should probably focus on the task at hand, right?"
Another grin from Hordak, but this one was much more noticeable. "Indeed. Let us get to work."
Meanwhile, as they repaired the ship's exterior, Peridot worked her charm on the inside. Despite crashlanding here so long ago, it was in surprisingly good shape–those First Ones must really have known what they were doing. Her first order of business was getting the bridge up and running, having crawled through a panel underneath the controls. "Aaaaaand…that should do it!" She climbed out, inserting the panel back into place. "Sometimes I even surprise myself!"
Understandably, the ship's controls were quite a bit older than anything she was familiar with, but they were similar enough to Gem tech for her to work her way around. She was soon able to find the startup, filling the bridge with light once again.
"Yes! Power restored!" she said, pumping her fist. "Now, let's see here…" Peridot ran a quick diagnostic on the systems to see what was and what wasn't working. "Weapons and shielding look good. Propulsion should be up soon, hyperdrive shouldn't be that hard to fix. Neither should the onboard computer. Navigation's working fine, though…oh, it uses the Reticulan method."
The Reticulan method was a somewhat-outdated means of interstellar wayfinding, by which the galaxies were imagined as 2-dimensional spaces. Most Homeworld Gems had some knowledge of this method, even if more accurate ones had largely displaced it. Peridot brought up a visual of numerous surrounding galaxies, all transposed on a giant grid.
Near the corner of the screen, there was a blinking line, above which was written a phrase in Eternian. The language was just similar enough to Gem for Peridot to make it out: something along the lines of 'input coordinates.' It was then that something clicked in her mind, remembering just how the Reticulan method worked. "AH! Adora's number! It is coordinates!" She wracked her brains trying to remember what it was. "Okay, Peridot, c'mon…"
Thanks to Peridot's mind for details, the numbers soon came to her. Nine numbers, three groups of three: exactly how the Reticulans found their way around. First, she put in the numbers three, seven, and eight. Out of all the galaxies on the chart, this was able to single out one of them.
Next, she put in four, nine, and two. The chart zoomed in on a single star, being orbited by a handful of planets and comets. From what Peridot could tell, and what she remembered from her time as a Kindergarten technician, none of the celestial bodies here were particularly valuable. They were all uninhabited, and they didn't possess any usable resources. That said, a lot could change in a few thousand years.
Finally, the next numbers were five, five, three. This singled out one planet of the bunch, seemingly as unremarkable as the others. Peridot was about to dismiss it as a dead end, when something suddenly came up. A blinking red light appeared above the planet's surface, indicating something in its orbit. Text appeared reading 'Eternian facility detected. Unknown serial number.'
"This…this could be what Light Hope was telling Adora," Peridot said. "Where she came from. Could it be… No, that would be impossible." She put the thought out of her mind, or at least tried to. She didn't want to get Adora's hopes up, but it was entirely possible the First Ones weren't as gone as they were thought to be.
As it stood, though, she knew too little to make a definitive conclusion. She'd make a note of this to tell Adora later, but right now, she had to get to work. She headed outside to see how Bow and Hordak were progressing.
Micah led Scorpia through the jungle; the distance traveled wasn't terribly long, but they moved slowly to avoid drawing any unwanted attention. Together, they might have been able to handle any beasts that came their way, but the commotion was sure to alert the people they were trying to sneak up on.
"How much further?" Scorpia whispered. "This island can't be that big, right?"
"Bigger than you'd expect," replied Micah. He held out his staff to stop Scorpia in her tracks. "Alright, we're here. Try not to fall to your death."
She pushed aside the bushes in front of them. "Why would I–Woah! You weren't kidding!" A sizable cliff sat before them, overlooking what appeared to be a village. From what could be seen at this distance, there were a fair bit of huts surrounded by walls of wooden spikes on all sides. There was some movement within, but the people were too far away to make out clearly. "That's been here this whole time?"
"And that's not even half of the people Hordak's sent here over the years," said Micah. "If what you said about Hordak being gone really is true, perhaps it's for the best, regardless of what kind of leader this Catra person is."
Scorpia tried not to think about that too hard. "So, what's the plan?" she asked.
Micah lay down on his stomach near the cliff's edge. "Sundown's in less than an hour. We slip in under the cover of darkness, and take Black hostage. From there, we force him to fly us back to Brightmoon. Problem solved!"
"Uh, yeah, sounds simple enough." Scorpia blinked, as a strange noise filled the air. She looked around for a source, but saw nothing. "You hear that?"
He looked around as well, even more confused than her. "No. Hear what?"
"Some kinda…I don't know how to describe it. Almost like feedback. Y'know that high-pitched whining sound? You sure you can't hear that?"
Before Micah could answer, something landed on a leaf next to Scorpia. Some kind of bug, colored bright red and with yellow wings. Thinking this was the source, she reached out to touch it. Before she could, Micah tapped her claw with his staff. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he warned.
She moved her claws away, still looking at the insect. "Huh? Why not?"
"Scraper beetle," Micah said. "They may look pretty, but their bites are no joke. If there's enough of them, they can strip their prey to the bone in seconds. Good thing there's only one of–" His eyes suddenly went wide.
Scorpia covered her ears as the feedback sound resumed, though Micah was unaffected. He pulled her to the ground as another noise, a cacophonous buzzing, filled the air. Also filling the air was a swarm of scraper beetles that burst out of the foliage, quickly surrounding them. Scorpia was considering making her escape down the cliff, but the way off there had been covered too.
The swarm, rather than attacking them directly, instead seemed to be interested only in corralling them. It soon became apparent why, when two figures stepped out of the tent. One had bluish skin and pointed ears, while the other was a normal human except for having four arms, but both of them wore decrepit Horde uniforms. They stood before the two, aiming wooden spears at them.
They alone probably wouldn't have been much of a threat for either of them, but the bugs made them hesitant to act. "Woah, hold on there, guys!" said Scorpia. "We're all Horde here, there's no reason to get all stabby! Just call off your bugs, and we can talk this out."
Her proposal was met by raspy laughter–not by the two guards, but by someone else in the underbrush. "There is no longer any Horde on this island, girl. Beast Island is the domain of the Mutants!" Another figure emerged. He too was dressed in worn and broken Horde soldier armor. His helmet was cracked at the bottom, revealing a wide grin full of jagged yellow teeth, as well as his pale white skin. The glass on the top half was cracked as well, giving the visor the appearance of a bug's eyes. "And you two are trespassing!"
"Well, good to see you too, Gideon," said Micah.
Scorpia looked down at him. "Friend of yours? Er, former friend?"
He gave her a strange look. "No, that's… Right, I didn't… He's the one I told you about. Black. Force Captain Gideon Black."
(Former) Force Captain Gideon Black hissed like an angry cockroach. "That name no longer applies to me! Thanks to Modulok's blessing, I am now Mosquitor! And you will address me as such!"
Now that he had revealed his name, Scorpia looked closer, seeing that he was covered in bugs. Various ants and flies crawled in and out of his armor, much to his nonchalance. She also noticed he was holding out his hand, seeming to control the scraper beetles like a conductor. "So, are you like…the bug princess, then?" she asked.
Although he groaned in annoyance, he ignored her question. "Modulok asked me to bring you alive, and I will. But my children would like to feed…and you can live without your limbs, yes? So perhaps now you would like to walk back to our village."
Micah watched the beetles warily, but didn't seem worried. "We've done this song and dance before, mosquito boy. With all the times you've trapped me before, what makes you think this time will be any different?"
Mosquitor cackled again. "Because this time, we have a very special visitor!"
Another noise filled the air, this time a loud mechanical hum. A large object passed by overhead: a ship. A personal cruiser of some kind, covered in pitch black armor. Scorpia and Micah watched it descend down to the village, where six legs extended towards the ground, giving it the appearance of a huge insect as it landed.
"You see?" continued Mosquitor. "This time, you can run away as much as you like, but you will not get far! This time, Modulok is here to see to your capture himself!"
Scorpia exchanged a worried glance with Micah. She didn't know what this Modulok guy was capable of, but with how concerned the King of Brightmoon was, she wasn't liking their chances.
