The Lost Queen

"I don't like what our captain is doing." Second Officer Gydwa snapped, and boatswain Kaert rolled his eyes.

"You never like what our Captain does. When we won the pile of gold, you also complained..." They will stand in front of Veska and he added. "We both know that you are more concerned about her successes than her failures, because you dream of her chair. I respect that, but it doesn't mean I'll side with you for no apparent reason.

They were in the ship's canteen. Theoretically, Free Captains could not forbid their crew members from discussing whatever they liked, including complaining about the captain, but the practice was such that many of them were eager to suppress any signs of dissatisfaction, usually very brutally and preferably in person. Their captain, however, was not a paranoid person sniffing out conspiracies everywhere, which was her great advantage. He also knew that Gydwa would be much less understanding in her place. That's why he steadfastly stood by them and the Captain, even if she had been acting quite strange lately.

"She attacked that girl and dragged us into a fight with her allies... and ours too. They damn near killed us! Is this what normal people do?!" Gydwa growled, glaring at him with her one eye.

"We are Pirates. This excludes normality. I remember bad old Krush Purpleeye. When his team lost the match, he first shot their coach, and then kidnapped members of the opposing team and cut off their left leg and right arm. And he was killed by Sin-Ko, who was a fan of the opposing team. And this was only the beginning of the Great Steelball War. What Moonshadow did is still within the norm. The girl took the sword from her and did not want to give it back. She even brazenly lied that about not having that blade, although she summoned him right afterwards..." he didn't finish because Gydwa interrupted him.

"And then she almost destroyed our ship! What the fuck possessed her to attack the fucking demi-goddess and hero of the Galaxy!" Veska drawled. It was realy strange indeed. He never thought he would witness a sword fight with a cruiser. And actually a winning one. He was a simple pirate, if there was such a thing. He didn't sign up to fight someone who looked and acted just like Iomadae's avatar.

"It was a mistake, I admit. But our captain didn't know about it either. Maybe our captain didn't know the true power of this sword, or didn't know that the girl was capable of wielding it. There are countless possible answers." Boatswain explained carefully. Veska snorted.

"The Captain better start giving them to us, and for now we found out that she is a fucking queen, although even she seemed surprised by it." Veska said, clenching her fists angrily. Kaert shrugged.

"She wasn't the first to take up piracy after losing the throne, and she won't be the last. Famous Lord Antares has commanded the Fearless Armada for over twenty years. And he probably still believes that he will regain his throne. Our captain probably believes this too. However, this works to our advantage. If she could get her back... As her crew, we would be rich beyond imagination."

Second Officer Gydwa looked at him skeptically.

"First she had her stupid war with the Azlanti. This made us a mortal enemy to the most powerful empire known, because she had to take revenge. Just because I'm a Vesk doesn't mean I have anything against the Star Empire. Let them talk nonsense about human supremacy and oppress non-humans. I don't care! Okay, we made some money on them, gained some fame and contacts, but at what risk? But okay, I can digest it. But now she has plunged us into her old conflict over the crown. With a kingdom that defeated Horde Prime , a Tyrant who left a trail of dead planets in his wake and ruled for millennia... What chance do you think we have against someone like that? With the most powerful country in this part of the galaxy."

Kaert leaned back in his chair and folded his fingers into a pyramid.

"This might be a bit of a problem, I admit. However, no one becomes a pirate expecting a simple, safe life. We expect to face dangers that would make ordinary people shit their pants. I don't know about you, my dear Gydwa, but I am aware of what a dangerous profession I have chosen. The truth is that most of us will die in combat or end up behind bars or thrown out of an airlock. We agree to this because it is a wonderful, exciting life that will be filled with deeds that are both glorious and wicked. We will rise above the gray crowd of ordinary bread eaters. And if we die in the process... fiend's blood! We will all die someday, but we have a chance get a prize that ordinary yeast paste eaters can only dream of. And the greatest reward of all awaits us, the crew of the terrible Merciless, commanded by Captain Moonshadow. Think, my dear Gydwa. Our captain is no ordinary pirate, we always knew that. Certainly the current rulers of Etheria have enemies. If we play the situation properly, we can overthrow the queen and take power... We are a bunch of bastards, hardened in battles with the Azlanti , who are not afraid of anything. And don't forget about Reh-zar and his wonderful ship. If thanks to him we get our captain the sword that gave the power that that girl used, we regain her throne, we take control of the second Starstone and we are in possession of this ship, then it is certain that Moonshadow will become the Queen of the Free Captains."

Gydewa responded with mocking laughter.

"We don't even know if Reh-zar will be able to repair his ship..."

Then Kaert smiled broadly, because he knew something that his companion did not.

"Reh'zar reached the ship . He managed to get this ship going. In a few weeks he will arrive here with his ship. It's a Colossus-class ship. It's called Bloodstone."

"This insult requires blood. A lot of blood. The whole bathtub... No, the pool. Yes, the whole pool. And he will drain their blood through a straw. As thin as a juice box," thought First Officer Tonado as he stomped furiously on the Captain's Bridge. His wonderfully wonderful captain sat in her chair reading the repair reports. For several days now, since meeting that wicked, lying sword wench. Not only did she rob her, but she also lied straight out! But at least she admitted that the captain was a queen. True enough, she was already a queen to him, great and powerful, but now it turned out that she was a royal queen. His little, but great Skittemander heart beat faster. He mentally swore to himself that he would be willing to sacrifice his life to overthrow this odious usurper and regain his captain throne.

There was also the matter of that treacherous Aristocrat and her vile entourage. As soon as the Captain returned to the ship she was hurt, scared and confused. She didn't tell anyone who she was fighting, but there was no doubt that they were overwhelmingly outnumbered, probably two hundred to one. And they had tanks and combat robots. Nothing else would have made her run away. But this army had to be led by this Lady Cala, and she was helped by this cat lady. The blonde girl with the weed in her hair must have been behind this ambush. Already at the first glance he noticed that she was evil because of her cruelty and veganism! It was clearly visible that she was Azlanti. If it weren't for her disgusting weeds, he would have cut her into pieces. A small cube, from which he later made bigos! Yeah it is. And he will add her weed to the pot.

After the fight, Captain did not speak to anyone and did not explain anything to anyone. Some of the crew didn't like it. He heard many of them muttering angrily, especially Gydwa. He knew he should keep an eye on her, or even both. He just had to keep an eye on the captain, and he couldn't get them out of his head yet... He'll have to learn that eventually.

"Reh-zar will arrive soon with his ship." Captain Moonshadow finally broke the silence. Skittermander felt a pang of regret in his heart. Reh-zar was his captain's partner, as well as his previous first mate. However, he stayed in the place where they found this wreck, which they found out about thanks to the same Azlantean ship that had a map with the location of this damned Etheria. No, not damned it was the kingdom of his wonderful Lady Captain, it couldn't be damned, it simply had lost its rightful ruler. The Azlanti had begun the process of repairing this wreck, so Reh-zar only had to supervise the entire process.

"That's a great news!" he exclaimed, trying to sound as happy as possible. He saw that his Captain's eyes smiled and she stroked his head with her live hand.

"My brave Tonado. Sometimes I wonder what I would do without your passionate heart. You don't have to worry about your position. Reh-zar will command Bloodstone, you will remain my first officer. My right hand."

He looked down and said with guilt in his voice.

"I'm not worried about ceasing to be First Officer, I'm just worried about not being with you, my lady! I will never abandon you!"

In fact, Captain Moonshadow was the first person to show him true kindness. When he was still a half-witted Skittermander cub, he accidentally boarded a freighter. The captain treated him like a stowaway and forced him to work off the debt, which, however, kept growing because the captain added food and accommodation to it. He worked there for several years, mainly as a cleaner, with no hope of freedom. Eventually, the ship fell victim to pirates who took the Skittermander aboard. Not much has changed for Tonado. He still had to work as a deckhand, all he received was basic combat training. It turned out that he had talent, although he had no way to use it. However, one day they came across Captain Moonshadow, who saw how they treated him. After what the Azlanti did to her, she hated slavery, so she demanded that the captain free him. When he refused, she killed him and took the Skittermander aboard. From that moment on, he swore that he would serve her as long as he had breath left in his chest.

"Your faithfulness is one of the few certainties in this terrible world. Now I'm going to talk to Tirin. Keep an eye on everything, my brave first officer." she said, and then moved to the navigator's room. As he watched her go, Tonato once again vowed that he would get this She- Ra and cut her to pieces!

Tirin stared at maps of the region, calculating drift coordinates. The local maps and star atlases they had obtained before they had to leave Ikarus were accurate, and she learned a lot from them, but they were completely unsuitable for Drift travel, so she had to enter all the data manually. It didn't bother her. After all, she was good at navigation and always liked to be useful. Of course, no one on this ship had ever made her understand that she was useless, that she was a failure, unlike at the camp, although she was never sure how much of that was due to Moonshadow. The captain of the pirate ship had always been kind to her, even back then in the camp. She had no reason to do so. After all, she was one of the ones who hurt her. She was Azlanti.

Sensors detected Captain Moonshadow's approach, so she stood up and opened the door to let her in. She always moved slowly and carefully, although her fragile, crippled body was hidden in bionic armor, so it was in no danger. Captain Moonshadow stood in the doorway, smiling at her under his mask. She always smiled when she saw her, even in the camp when she was suffering so much. Once they were free, she told her that she reminded her of her daughter. If any of the guards had heard this while the captain was in captivity, she would have been severely punished. After all, Tirin was a pure-blooded Azlanti, even if so miserable, and Moonshadow was only an non-human prisoner, albeit a slightly more valuable one. The navigator did not know who the captain's daughter was, except that the pirate loved her very much. Moonshadow herself didn't remember her, neither her face nor her name. Just her laugh and her hair color. So much had been taken from her… She tried her best to replace her, just as the Captain was replacing her mother she never knew.

"How are you feeling, my dear?" asked the captain, sitting in the chair. She took off her mask because here, in the Navigation Room, which was also Tirin's cabin, the oxygen content and pressure were also increased. The navigator's lungs were even more damaged than Moonshadow's, and even numerous cybernetic changes did not help her much. One day she might replace her lungs with completely artificial ones, but as long as she was in the armor, and she usually didn't leave it for days, it was fine. Without this armor she felt helpless, and to be honest, she was helpless.

"I feel good, Captain." she replied in a quiet, hoarse voice. She smiled, even though her face was obscured by the breathing apparatus. The captain stroked her dark purple curls tenderly.

"It's a pity that we stayed on Ikarus for such a short time. Maybe if we stayed there longer, you could come out and look around the place. It was really nice there." there was sadness in the pirate's voice. The thought of going out into the open, under the open sky on a planet she didn't know, made her shudder. She didn't like leaving the ship, and the open spaces on the planets terrified her. She preferred the vastness of space a hundred times more, at least it was pure, untainted by what it had distorted her body.

"I've been looking at the maps and I think it would be best if we looked at a place called Wherever. Supposedly, those who were escaping from Prime's watchful eye once hid there, but now it is a free and open port. It doesn't say Wherever that there were pirates there, but I guess that goes without saying." she said, trying to change the subject. Captain Moonshadow listened to her and nodded.

"This might be a good place, we'll learn the language there, the crew will have some fun and the mood will improve. It'll be all right." said the pirate. There was silence for a moment, until finally Tirin asked.

"What actually happened there? In Clytemnestra."

Captain Moonshadow thought for a few minutes. She seemed to be deep in thought, or perhaps in memories. She didn't remember much, but sometimes new memories of the life she had lost forever came back to her. Maybe not? She was not the life of the party and found it very difficult to overcome her overwhelming shyness. But she was a good listener and she learned something about what happened there in the city.

"I have no idea. For a very long time I thought about this moment, I longed for it, even dreamed about this moment. Until finally my dreams came true... Everything happened completely differently than it was supposed to. This girl... She was completely different than I expected. She should have been a vile, vile traitor, someone who would run away in terror or beg on her knees for mercy, but she wanted to give in, like someone who has been tormented by past mistakes for many years. But the first moment she saw me, her eyes lit up with pure joy. Tears ran down her face... Those who betray their friends are not happy to see them. Nor do they risk their lives against a warship to save the city's inhabitants. I'm only sure of one thing. My name is Angela... It even fits, don't you think?"

Wherever had been a hidden place for decades. Partly because those who ran the place were reluctant to share the secret of its location, and not everyone who came here was allowed to fly away. However, the truth was that the most important factor that saved this place from annihilation at the hands of Horde Prime was the fact that those who stayed here posed no real threat. True rebels usually stuck to conquered planets, trying to stay close to the center of power in order to wage their unequal fight against an empire that stretched across the known universe. They usually died in the end without achieving anything significant, forever forgotten by history. However, the inhabitants of Wherever chose a different path. They just wanted to hide and somehow survive in the empire by feeding on its waste. It did not bring them glory, but it ensured safety and allowed them to enjoy a semblance of freedom that other inhabitants of the Empire had not even dreamed of. However, when She-Ra destroyed Horde Prime, a real sea of new possibilities opened up for those who lived here. There weren't many deep space ports in the Empire, and almost all of them existed solely to serve the needs of the Navy and the clones that served there. Wherever was that one exception. It may not have been the great interstellar port of the pre-Horde stories, but it could be a place for trade and needs that the clones had never dreamed of, at least until the fall of their Big Brother. There were bars and inns where crews could relax from the hardships of space travel. A marketplace where you could buy goods from all corners of the former empire, and even a few brothels and casinos for those looking for more thrills.

The station's authority had changed, but not completely, and relative order was still maintained with an iron fist. This helped in trade, after all, without any law it was impossible to trust partners and conduct business. At the same time, Wherever remained completely independent of the revived planetary governments. Everyone could come here without fear of being prosecuted for crimes committed on one of the Planets. Traders and famous cyberneticists from Icarus came here. There were also visitors from Aquarius selling strange devices, as well as visitors from Eridani selling potions. Sometimes even Horde Ultimate's subjects came here, although they preferred not to flaunt their origins. There were even inhabitants of the legendary Etheri ahere a few times, bringing with them incredible stories about magic and sorcery.

Skrad was a Goblan from Aquarius. And he was proud of it, although being a representative of his not very tall people required strength of character, but he never lacked it. He spent most of his life operating wells and trading water, surprisingly dangerous activities on his home planet. When Horde Prime was annihilated, a new source of income appeared. Alcohol, previously banned throughout the Empire, became widely available. Skrad has always been interested in brewing drinks, although so far they were only herbal infusions, and after the liberation it turned out that he had a real talent in this field. When a representative of his clan became ambassador to Etheria, the clan council decided to send him here to use his unique skills. He made his money selling a liqueur made from bitter Gresh berries and bought a bar from Iron Bone, the former owner, who decided to return to Icarus. Soon after, he met Hares, a beautiful deerwoman from Etheria and former apprentice of Mystacor . Thanks to her, he learned about magic, in many different senses. He smiled to himself as he cleaned the glasses, because he was planning something special for today. He made a traditional crown from flowers that was given as an engagement gift. Today he would discover new forms of magic, he was sure of it.

Suddenly, a large and menacing-looking group entered the bar. They were dressed in purple clothes and carried weapons and armor of excellent quality. Among them was a strange multi-handed creature with a pirate hat, a slyly smiling Saihe , and a tall lizardman that looked like Waste of Etheria. However, what attracted the most attention was a tall woman with a crystal mask covering the lower half of her face. She looked intimidating. She had an aura of authority around her worthy of true authority. He had no idea where they came from, but he was sure it wasn't any place he had heard of.

As the tall woman approached him, he sighed. This day was looking quite good.

Captain Moonshadow had had a constant, pounding headache ever since she met that girl. She felt as if her whole world, everything she took for granted, had collapsed again. She was once again that lonely lost woman who woke up in the hospital. This time, however, she had no intention of letting anyone hurt her. She wasn't helpless this time. Former Captain Moonshadow, commander of the terrible Merciless, Scourge on Azlanti!

But she was also Angela, and even Queen Angela. Reh-zar often suggested that she might have been of high birth because she had manners and a way of speaking befitting a true lady. She always laughed off these words, because if she were someone important, someone would try to find her instead of leaving her in the hands of Azlanti... Although, if she came from Etheria ... The locals had no idea about the existence of the Star Empire, they probably couldn't even imagine a country, that would combine such great culture and technological advancement with such unspeakable and senseless cruelty. Perhaps they really didn't know she was alive. What happened to her must have had something to do with the Starstone. Did she know where he was? He definitely needs to get her sword back, that hasn't changed. But how to get it back?

The girl there summoned him. She just didn't remember doing that before. The image of that sword was burned into her memory as if by hellfire. However, she was sure that it was completely material. She felt its glow on her face... But still, this Adora, this She-Ra, wielded him. She was able to summon his power. She knew that just anyone couldn't do it, only those who were worthy. If this girl was worthy, it meant she wasn't that traitor, or at least not that perfidious. Perhaps she was somehow forced to abandon her... and take her sword from her. In the Azlanti labor camp, she learned that even good people can do terrible things. She was the best example of this herself. She did terrible things in her war with Azlanti and sometimes harmed innocents, although she tried to avoid it as much as she could. Perhaps she too was forced to abandon her and take her sword away… In that case, she could forgive her…. Of course, only if he returns this wonderful blade to its rightful owner. This was an indisputable fact.

It was also an indisputable fact that Lady Cala was not who she claimed to be. Or rather what she looked like. No one fought that well, was that fast and strong. And absolutely no one would take a direct flareshot to the face. But the worst thing was her look, cold and cruel , like a soulless creature. Every time she was hurt, she smiled with pure joy. Thanks to magic and the latest medicines, her wounds were already healed, but she was still in shock... And those kids... They were fighting on the side of this Adora against her crew... She didn't blame them either, after all, she wanted to hurt the woman they had grown to like without any a reason, at least one they knew... and besides, that cat girl saved her life with that gunshot that would have taken another creature's leg... She was sure it couldn't have been anyone who did it. They probably did not know the aristocrat's true identity, although from what she had already noticed, Eti treated Lady Cali with contemptuous dislike. There was also this Miss Daisy. She constantly felt like she knew her from somewhere, but if she was the queen, who could that woman be? Especially since she lived with a creature like Lady Cala…

As Tirin suggested, she went to Wherever. The advice turned out to be very accurate. The very fact that they ended up in this place had a great effect on the morale of the crew. They needed some entertainment. She knew that because of her recent behavior, she had lost a lot of the trust they had previously had in her. She knew very well that getting him back wouldn't be that easy, especially since she stopped trusting herself. Then, in Clytaimestra, she was overcome with unspeakable fury when the girl said that her sword was broken, she must finally get it back, but that was no reason to order the city to be shelled. She lost control, in the worst way possible. During her war with the Star Empire, she never went so far as to attack innocent civilians, even if they were Azlanti. She murdered representatives of the regime and soldiers of the Aeon Guard without blinking an eye, or sentenced them to slow death in the Gardens of the Long Death, but she had never crossed a certain line... Until now. This journey unleashed a darkness in her that she couldn't control.

Tonado, as fanatically devoted as ever, cleared the way for her. Skitterman was ready to shield her from being shot with his own breast. She turned, looking back, and saw Tirin looking at the gadgets at the stand. She was petite, even in the strange, suit-like armor Reh-zar had bought for her. She had pale skin, almost white, and navy blue, translucent hair unusual for Azlanti. The color of her hair was the result of contamination, or perhaps rather infection, that she fell victim to in early childhood. It was similar with their eyes, which were a uniform, crimson-blue color. Her body was a breeding ground for fungi and parasites that could only be contained thanks to the achievements of modern medicine. She liked the girl and was honestly glad she was finally off the ship. She was afraid to go out into the open, especially under the open sky, which was understandable for someone who grew up on a planet where going outside protected buildings could involve terrible suffering. However, in her case it was probably due to an accident that she barely survived when she was a small child. Luckily, Wherever was located in a huge cave carved inside the moon, which calmed the girl down. Tirin and Tonado aroused protective feelings in her, and together with Gozamund, they were the only crew members she trusted. Unfortunately, in case of any friction between her and the rest of the crew, the girl was the one who would most likely suffer the most. She had to be even more careful what she was doing now, lest Tirin become an accidental victim of an outburst of discontent because of her mistakes.

She left the navigator behind and, together with her officers, entered a bar called "Drink to the End". Inside, she was surprised to see Goblin. They were a ubiquitous species, with incredible ingenuity in creating machines from scrap and garbage, but she'd never heard of any of them running a bar, although then why not, goblins drank alcohol too. However, this one seemed to be much more focused than its brethren and had noticeable nostrils, which could indicate a hint of gnomish or halfling blood. He seemed clearly intimidated by the sight of her, which was good because it would make the conversation easier. She needed information. She stood over him and ordered something stronger. Drinking a strong alcohol through a straw took some caution…she didn't want to choke, and asked.

"What do you know about Etheria?"

The bartender raised one eyebrow and smiled slightly as he replied.

"That its inhabitants are nice, but they can be tough and it's better not to pick on them if you value your skin."

"I noticed," she thought wryly, but continued to ask in a gentle voice

"I wanted to learn more about this planet."

The goblin became lost in thought and looked at the captain searchingly and finally said.

"My girlfriend is from Etheria, she knows a lot more about it than I do." he turned and called a woman named Hares . After a while, a woman with roses came out of the back room, smiling cheerfully and wiping her hands.

"What's the matter, honey?" she asked, then looked at her and froze. She opened her eyes wide.

"Who are you!? Take off your mask!" he will exclaim with a mixture of fear and hope. Tonado jumped on the bar and was about to threaten her with his blades, but she signaled him to stop and took off her mask. Hares took a deep breath, fell to her knees and said with joy.

-"Queen! My Queen... Are you alive? We all thought you were dead... That's when the portal opened." she sobbed. Captain Moonshadow put her mask back on and looked at the horned woman, then asked curiously.

"Portal opened? Explain please."

Hares looked surprised.

"You do not remember? That was when they took the Sword of Protection and…"

"Sword? My Sword? Where is it now!" she interrupted her mid-sentence. There was lust in her voice. Hares looked at her with confusion.

"Your sword? After all, it was Adora's Sword... And it was broken…" she exclaimed anxiously. The captain felt the icy claws of terror tightening around her heart. She remembered the words telling her to retrieve the sword if she wanted to remember her old life. These words rang in her ears, it felt like they would burst her skull. The world around her turned red, as if shrouded in the glow of ghostly eyes. She shook her head and pursed her lips. Ti didn't matter anyway. All that mattered was getting his sword back.

"You're lying!" she roared and jumped behind the bar. She grabbed the terrified horned woman by her clothes with a metal hand and pressed her hand surrounded by a solarian flare to her face.

"Tell the truth Where is the sword! Do you serve the invader?" she shouted. She saw her crew staring at her. The bartender tried to grab his gun, but Gydwa grabbed his arms and dragged him out from behind the bar, then pinned him to the floor.

"Invaders? You mean Hordak ?! After all, I have always served you faithfully. I was a student who came to Brightmoon with a group of sorcerers. For a few days I helped create the magical protections of your room, but I didn't do very well, and that's why I'm here. You do not remember?" Hares asked, her voice breaking.

"Sword… Hordak… Where can I find them!" she demanded, feeling like a headache was about to split her brain.

"Hordak is now on Beast Island. I don't know what they did with the remains of the sword. Maybe they gave them to Entrapta to examine them... Then it's on the Island too..."

When she heard Entrapta's name, she felt a sharp pang of sadness and pity. She knew this person and had feelings for him, but for some reason she was in the company of an Invader, this Hordak . Never mind. She came out from behind the bar and looked at her officers. They were confused, even Tonado. Gydwa exchanged glances with Kaert . She was aware that she had lost control of herself again. She looked around, there were only two customers in the bar and they were very careful not to be noticed. This time the situation might not have been so bad, but they had to be careful. The authorities of this place will not take kindly to the fact that someone starts fights and intimidates entrepreneurs.

"Bind everyone here. Tonado, you'll be guarding the doors and telling everyone the bar is closed due to plumbing problems. Meeting on deck in six hours." she said in a low voice.

"Queen… Please… Return home … Glimmer is waiting for you there."

She turned and looked at the woman. Glimmer. That was her daughter's name. She looked at her hands and shuddered. She couldn't remember what kind of person she used to be, but she was definitely different from the Scourge of Azlanti. Better.

"Queen Angela is dead. She died in the Azlantean labor camp. There, Captain Moonshadow was born. She is the Queen of Shadows. Nobody More." she said and left the bar more lost than ever.