Chapter Thirteen: Ambushed


"So, what have you managed to find out?" Glimmer asked. She waited in her throne room, speaking to a figure on a holographic viewscreen. Hordak stood to her side, viewing the figure as well from just out of her sight.

Hessonite was on the other end, speaking with the queen from the bridge of the Crystallon. "Well, not entirely. We looked through our scan logs, and no unidentified ships were seen entering Etherian airspace when Catra would have arrived. However, considering the location of the first sighting, combined with the length of time before her arrival at the Fright Zone, I believe we may have calculated where she will head next."

Glimmer raised an eyebrow at this assertion. "And how exactly did you figure that out? We don't even know why she came back, why do you think you do?"

Another figure pushed Hessonite out of the way: Demantoid. "Actually, Your Highness, it was simply the matter of calculating the most likely probability." One of her mechanical hands turned into another screen covered in countless equations. "Given the time passed between each location, as well as possible landing zones, reasons for arriving, and potential motives, I have narrowed down her three likeliest locations to head next. I will send a map marking these locations to you shortly."

Admittedly, Glimmer was somewhat impressed. "And you figured all of this out in a matter of hours?" Hordak would have been similarly impressed, if not for the fact that the accuracy of these calculations had not yet been verified.

"A matter of one hour–around fifty minutes," Demantoid said casually. "Though, are you certain you want this matter to remain discreet? The commander of the New Horde personally arriving on this planet seems like it would be cause for concern."

"That's exactly why I want this to stay under wraps," she said. "Could you imagine the panic that could result if this got out? For the time being, I want as few people to know about this as possible, got it? So don't go spreading the word."

Demantoid was then, in turn, pushed aside by Pyrope. "No promises, princess! We have quite a lot of Gems on board, and quite a few of them can be a bit nosy." She shot a glare at someone offscreen, likely Duchess. "Are you certain you do not need our help?"

"No, you all keep an eye on Emerald," said Glimmer. "If she makes any moves, let me know immediately. I'll handle things with Catra out here."

Hessonite pushed the other two out of the way. "You can count on us, Your Highness. Sending you the report now." She pushed a button, and then the screen closed. Glimmer and Hordak were then alone once again.

Next, the map in question appeared in their place. Both of them looked it over–three places were marked where Catra would likely head to next. Each one had a time listed next to it, likely the moment when Catra would arrive. "And why exactly would Catra go back the same way she came?" Hordak asked about one of these.

"I don't know, but Peridot tells me she's one of the smartest Gems on our side. If this is what she's figured out, then I'm willing to believe it. Now there's only the matter of figuring out which one of these places she'll be…"

Hordak examined the map. "I doubt she would be bold enough to head straight for Brightmoon," he said, noticing that one of the spots was in that direction. "Most likely, she would continue heading north, getting some distance from potential pursuers. That would be the smartest course of action."

"We can't risk missing her just because we assume where she's going," Glimmer said. "Demantoid narrowed it down to three locations for a reason. I don't like it…but we'll have to recruit some others to bolster our forces. We'll deal with the fallout once we have Catra in our custody." She stood up from her throne, heading for the door. "C'mon. Let's get the gangs together."


"Now, we don't know what these Horde insurgents are capable of," Glimmer said, briefing the others, "but we have to assume they're just as dangerous as the ones we've faced in the past. Hessonite informed me that they were sighted at three locations, which is where you'll all be sent to investigate. Hordak has already marked the locations on the speeders' maps. Any questions?"

Just beyond Castle Brightmoon, just about everyone in the Princess Alliance was present, as were the Crystal Gems. "Um, yeah, how come I'm not going?" asked Adora. Glimmer had been adamant that only three groups were to depart, leaving many of their members behind. "If these guys really are that dangerous, shouldn't this be an 'all hands on deck' situation?"

Glimmer stepped down from her speeder. "I need someone to stay back and protect Brightmoon," she said, which wasn't entirely a lie. "I can't discount the possibility that this is all a setup to leave us vulnerable. But between you, Bow, Steven, and the Gems, I'm sure this place is in good hands." Without so much as a second glance, she stepped back on. "Team one, you're heading to Salineas. Team two, just outside of Brightmoon's borders. We're heading to the Fright Zone. Now go!"

Team one, consisting of Bismuth, Lapis, and Peridot headed off. Team two was made up of Mermista, Perfuma, and Frosta, and they sped towards their destination as well. Team three was Glimmer herself and Hordak, with Topaz as well. "This is my first official mission since joining the Crystal Gems…I won't let you down!" said the fusion.

"Of course you won't. From what I have heard, you are more than capable, Topaz," Hordak assured her. "Those traitors won't know what hit them, should a fight be necessary." Topaz was flattered by his faith in her, beaming quietly as the speeder sped on.

Back at Brightmoon, everyone watched as the three teams faded into the distance. "Well, this was utterly pointless," said Jasper, returning to the castle. "Come on, we aren't done yet," she told Steven.

Steven looked uncomfortable, sharing a glance with Connie. However, though it was clear he rather wouldn't, he followed after Jasper, much to Connie's concern. Her sentiment was shared with the other Gems.

"Is it just me, or is Steven spending way too much time with her?" said Amethyst. "Like, I get that he wants to get better with his He-Man stuff, but it's starting to seem like he's obsessed."

Pearl sadly watched him leave. "I think that's because he is. Ever since he lost his powers because of Spinel, I've noticed he's been a lot more withdrawn. I'm worried he thinks he's useless without powers."

"Mmm," Garnet said, nodding. "Someone needs to talk some sense into him before something bad happens.

Connie sighed. "We can try…but what if he won't listen?"

As the Gems faced one way, Adora faced the other, watching the speeders vanish over the horizon with Bow. "Should…should we talk to her?" she asked.

"We've been talking to her," Bow replied. "What else is there to say? We're all sad that Angella's gone, but she was her mother. We feel bad too, but we can't know how she feels right now."

"That doesn't mean she has to push us out!" Adora said. "I mean, you've noticed it too, right? She's just been so distant lately! And I think I know why."

Bow started, looking away anxiously. "Y-you do? Why's that?"

Adora's eyes narrowed. "Hordak. He glued himself at her side the moment Angella disappeared. I know he's technically on our side now, but…don't you think it's weird that her change started around the time they started working together?"

Bow remembered his conversation with Glimmer, and his later one with Hordak. "Uh…yeah. No, that does make sense. But, I, uh, I don't think it's all Hordak. She's hurting, Adora, and the only way she thinks she'll feel better is by taking down Catra–ah, and the New Horde."

"No, it's gotta be Hordak, I just know it," said Adora. "There's no way he isn't just using her to take the New Horde for himself. C'mon." She headed back to the castle as well.

"Huh? What are you up to?" Bow asked, following her.

"We've got some investigating to do," she said. "If Hordak's hiding something, there might be some evidence of it somewhere in the castle. It's time we did a little snooping around!"

He followed after her, not liking where this was going. "Adora, wait! You can't just go looking through Glimmer's things!" But his pleas fell on deaf ears, as she was determined to save her friend from herself.


"So, what's the plan now, boss?" asked Carnelian, trudging through a swamp just beyond Salineas' border. "How're we supposed to find the Heart of Etheria here?"

Catra growled. It wasn't enough they had to wade through a disgusting swamp to avoid capture, but her teammates just had to be oblivious. "First step, rendezvous with the others," she said. "We'll meet back at the ship, head back to the Supermassive, and tell Entrapta what we found. Now that we know what the Heart of Etheria is, getting to it should be much easier, at least in theory."

A large object moved through the water, and stood up, revealing it to be Sqalish. "With respect, we know where the Heart is, not what it is. And furthermore, are you sure finding it is such a good idea?"

"And what exactly do you mean by that?" Catra asked, shooting him a glare. "We need every advantage we can get at this point. Adora's got an entire planet of Gems on her side now."

"I simply mean that the Heart of Etheria is likely more dangerous than we thought," he replied. "The center of the planet itself? That sounds more important than we initially thought. Not to mention how anxious Entrapta seemed about it. I'm worried us going after it will open up even more troubles than we have."

She huffed angrily. "And when did you start caring about trouble?"

Sqalish was about to respond, but Carnelian beat him to the punch. "When they became his problems!" she said. He groaned, but something caught his attention before he could retort. He dove down into the water, racing ahead of the other two. "Hey, what gives? Did I strike a nerve?"

The vibrations he felt in the water soon proved his point. He hurried back, surfacing when he reached them. "Someone is coming. Hide!"

"'Hide?'" said Carnelian. "Who's so tough that we have to hide from–" Catra elbowed her. "If you say so, boss. But let's call it 'taking cover' instead." She hid behind a large nearby tree. Catra climbed to the top of one, while Sqalish submerged once again.

The merman's suspicions were soon confirmed, as the hum of a skiff soon gave way to the vehicle itself. It passed over the swamp, moving just slowly enough to indicate that its occupants were looking for something. As it drew closer, two of the three realized that they were quite familiar with the ones upon it.

"This should be where they are," said Perfuma, looking all over for any sign of their targets. "I hope Glimmer knew what she was talking about."

"Of course she does!" Frosta shot back. The skiff slowed to a halt right where the three were hidden. "She wouldn't have sent us out here unless she was sure there was Horde around!"

"I-I know, I just meant that I hoped she wasn't mistaken!" Perfuma said quickly. "I'm sure she knows what she was talking about, but everyone can make mistakes, right?"

Mermista tried to calm the situation down before it turned into a feud. "They might not even be here, remember?" she said. "We're just here to see if they are, right? So, let's keep looking, just in case."

Peering out from her hiding spot, Carnelian looked at Catra, shrugging as though to say 'What do we do now?' Catra, knowing the princesses' search of the area would be thorough, took a deep breath and lowered herself under the water. She gestured to Sqalish, pointing at the skiff. He knew what to do.

Sqalish made his way over to the vehicle, quietly extending his tentacles to infiltrate the underside. Moments later, when the princesses tried to start it up again to be on their way, they found that it refused to move.

Frosta smacked the controls, to no avail. "C'mon, you dumb thing, get moving!"

"It's probably all this swamp stuff worked its way inside this thing somehow," said Mermista, looking down in disgust. "All these slimy plants and filthy water… Someone's gonna have to go down there to clean it out."

Preparing to step down into the water, Frosta decided against it at the last second. "I dunno, that water looks pretty deep. I-I'm not scared, I just don't want to get dirty, that's all!"

"But Mermista, isn't water your specialty?" Perfuma pointed out. "Besides, you've dealt with dirty water before. Remember the Fright Zone sewers?"

Mermista shuddered. "More than I'd care to."

Her gaze fixed on them like a hawk from her perch, Catra was prepared to launch the ambush. The princesses were distracted, their only means of transport had been sabotaged, and help was presumably miles away. Moments before she could pounce, however, she was startled by a sudden noise in her ear. Her communicator rang, signifying a call from the other team.

The sound alone probably wouldn't have tipped off the princesses, but Catra's sudden flailing from being caught unawares certainly was. Thinking it was just a bird, Perfuma looked up to the tree, seeing a figure watching them. "Look, up there!" she shouted, alerting the others. Knowing the jig was up, Catra leapt down to the ground, just as Perfuma tried to grab her with the tree's branches.

"Welp, so much for that," mused Carnelian. "Ah, screw it! Cannonball!" She leapt out from behind the tree, crashing into the skiff. All three princesses were thrown into the water, but recovered quickly.

"Ugh, seriously?" moaned Mermista, as she was cast into the filthy swamp. She had little time to dwell, as tentacles suddenly shot up from below, dragging her under the surface. She formed her tail, breaking free from Sqalish's grip and darting after him.

Frosta fired icicles in Catra's direction. "That's Catra!" she exclaimed. "What's she doing here!?"

"I have no idea!" Perfuma brought the trees' roots to the surface, flailing them around to try and locate her. "There's no way Glimmer knew, right? She'd have told us if she knew!"

"Look out!" Frosta saved the two of them with an ice wall, as Carnelian hurled the skiff towards them. It crashed into the wall, destroying them both. "There goes our ride!"

As Catra dodged her opponents' attacks, her teammate tried getting through to her. "Catra? Hey, Catra, are you there?" asked Karikon. "We've been trying to reach you for hours! We think we've got some crucial information about the Heart of Etheria!"

Yeah, so did they. "Now really isn't the best time!" she replied, slicing through icicles with her claws. "Can't this wait until we get back to the ship!?"

"Uh, I guess, but Bluebird said we should call you now. See, we met this old lady, who said that the Heart was super dangerous. I think it's some kinda superweapon."

"Oh, you think!?" Catra watched as Sqalish was thrown out of the water by a massive geyser conjured by Mermista, and Carnelian was tangled in vines. "Look, just put Bluebird on."

As Catra dashed over to help her team, the sound of the communicator being tossed could be heard. "Catra! Good to hear from you after so long," said Bluebird Azurite. "Has your side of the mission been successful?"

Catra sliced through vines, holding onto Carnelian when the water tried to grab them. "You could say that. I think we have what we need–get back to the ship, and we'll meet you there."

"Will do! We'll be there in no time!" said Bluebird, hanging up. "Good to hear she has things handled."

Bluebird, Karikon, and Crita were hiding as well, just on the edge of the Whispering Woods. "Aren't you going to ask if she needs help?" asked the latter. "It sure didn't sound like she had things handled."

The Gem brushed her off. "Ah, you're underestimating our Empress! She's just fine with the other two. Besides, we have a mission of our own to focus on…"

From their spot in the woods, they could see much of the goings-on at Castle Brightmoon. In particular, Steven sparring with Jasper. He was quite a bit larger than Azurite remembered, but that gemstone was unmistakable.

"You sure this is a good idea?" asked Karikon. "He looks a bit…bigger than I was expecting. And I've heard the horror stories about Jasper. Are we really up to the task?"

"That remains to be seen," Bluebird grumbled. "Just follow my lead. If we do this right, Steven Universe will be completely helpless against our assault…"