Chapter Twenty: Point of Origin

"Engine?"

"Ready to go," said a Rutile.

"Thrusters?"

"All systems green!" said Rhodonite.

"Super lightspeed thingy?"

"...Do you not know how ships work?" asked Lars.

"Great! Team, prepare for takeoff!" Adora pointed towards the sky, more than prepared for whatever awaited her at Light Hope's coordinates. Although a bit nervous as well, her excitement overrode her trepidation.

The First Ones ship that had belonged to Mara ascended into the air, leaving the ground far behind. "Inputting coordinates," said Padparadscha, feeding the computer the numbers that Adora knew by heart. A holographic image of a planet appeared, accompanied by a ring around it indicating the facility's orbit.

"Location confirmed: Primus," said a pleasant computer voice. "Destination: Research Facility #2102. Hyperspeed ready."

Adora's birthplace now had a name: planet Primus. Or Research Facility #2102, in orbit around Primus. Either way, she was elated to have a name to put on her original home. But little did she know, she wasn't the only one who knew it.

The crackle of static alerted Carnelian that something was nearby. "Hey, boss! I'm picking up some sorta transmission here!" she called, gaining the attention of the rest of the expedition. "Another ship's comin' into orbit!"

The others scanned for the source of the signal, locking on to the ship in question. "Well, look at that," said Karikon. "Seems to be First Ones in origin. Seems to be broadcasting down towards Brightmoon."

"Intercept it," Catra ordered. "I want to know exactly where she's going."

Silently wondering if Catra knew more than she was letting on, Crita did as she asked. Her suspicions seemed to be confirmed when they heard the voice of Adora. "Glimmer…I know we haven't exactly seen eye to eye lately, but it felt wrong to leave without letting you know where we're going. Apparently, it's a planet called Primus. I've never heard of it, but it's got some sort of First Ones base there or something." Catra silently instructed the others to make note of this. "I honestly don't know what to expect. Will my family be there? Would they even recognize me? Who was I supposed to be before I became Adora? I guess I'm just…kinda nervous."

There was a long pause that followed. Carnelian was about to suggest adjusting the frequency, but Catra shushed her.

Adora soon continued. "I guess this just feels…wrong without you and Bow. Everything's been changing so much recently, and I know it isn't my fault, but sometimes I wonder if…if I'd done something differently, then Angella…" She trailed off once more, and they could hear the sounds of her crewmates talking in the background.

Even though she was his enemy, Sqalish couldn't help but feel a little bad for the girl. "Should we pursue?" he asked.

Reasoning that they had already gotten everything they could from her transmission, Catra agreed. "Set course for Primus," she said. "But wait until we're out of scanner range before jumping."

"You sure you're up for this?" asked Lars, noticing how upset Adora had suddenly become. "We're alright with heading back if you want to postpone, right guys?" Words of assent from the Off-Colors.

But Adora refused to give in. "No, I'm alright. Just nerves, that's all." She laughed anxiously. "You know how it is, going to meet your long-lost family who may or may not even exist!"

Lars didn't know, but figured he understood her fears. "Well, if you think you're ready, so are we. Ensign Rutile? Engage the hyperdrive!"

"Since when did we make ensign?" one Rutile twin asked to her sister, who shrugged. Nevertheless, they prepared the ship for its jump, launching the First Ones vessel towards its destination.

But they would not be the only ones to make the jump. As soon as Mara's ship had vanished from sight, Catra's shuttle made the preparations to follow. The planet Primus was on their star-maps, so all it took was a matter of locking on, and they sped off as well.

"Hope you're ready for me, Adora," Catra drawled, ready to end their feud once and for all.

Double Trouble really needed to sell this performance. Not for the purpose of convincing Emerald–they could probably just phone it in, and the Gem would be none the wiser, so focused was she on having her revenge. No, this one was entirely for themself, and the fact that this moment was make-or-break regarding Modulok's master plan.

Their Entrapta guise as flawless as ever, they worked up a believable sweat by running through the ship's halls, before bursting into Emerald's quarters as Entrapta was known to do. "Emerald! Big news!"

The Beryl nearly fell out of her chair, turning to angrily face 'her.' "How many times have I told you not to barge in here!?"

"Sorry, but this is important! Crucial, even!" said not-Entrapta. "Catra found the Heart of Etheria! We have to go after it, immediately!"

"What?" Emerald stood up. Her momentary elation at the news was soon dampened by the following statement. "And why isn't she bringing it back here? Why do we have to give up our assault on Ophidia to do her job for her?"

The answer wasn't exactly a lie, but it was just as exhilarating for Double Trouble to say. "That's the tricky bit: the Heart is big, way too big for her to take with her. Plus, there's also the matter of it being buried beneath Brightmoon Castle. So, we talked for a bit, and decided that a project like that was best left for the Supermassive. She's waiting for us to launch the attack as we speak!"

Emerald's mild irritation was easily eased by the prospect of such a powerful weapon being so rife for the taking. "So, all we have to do is level the castle…"

"...and the Heart will be ours!" Entrapta finished. "Of course, I can understand if you're hesitant to leave Ophidia behind, considering how much we've expended on our campaign–"

"Right, you stay here and monitor the situation," Emerald ordered, already heading off to the command bridge. "Once I have the Heart of Etheria, this planet's defenses will mean nothing! Even the Diamonds themselves will crumble before the New Horde!" She burst out into cackling laughter, which Double Trouble happily joined in. "I'm serious. Get down to the surface immediately!"

Entrapta saluted. "Will do, boss!" She left her 'boss' behind, smirking as she made her way to the hangar. That had gone even better than they thought it would! Not only had Emerald taken the bait hook, line, and sinker, but she had given Double Trouble the perfect excuse to stay behind! All that was left was to contact their real boss, and inform him that everything was proceeding according to schedule.

The hangar was almost entirely empty, as most of their manpower was fighting on or near the planet's surface. Emily, hooked up to her harness and ready to be deployed, beeped as she saw her not-creator approaching. It was lucky she had been brought into the fold straight from the get-go, otherwise she could have compromised their entire plan.

"Well, hello there!" said Double Trouble, their eyes momentarily turning their original red. "Are you excited to see Entrapta again? Hmm?" The mech's front opened up, accompanied by a few joyful chirps. "I'll assume that's a yes," they said as they climbed inside.

Just as the mech disengaged, dropping down towards the planet, the Supermassive began to turn around, heading for Etheria. Double Trouble silently wondered if Emerald really would be able to defeat She-Ra all on her own, even with the gigantic ship. An intriguing thought, but the winner of that little tussle didn't matter too much in the long run. They tuned Emily's radio to their secret channel.

"Yes, yes, what is it?" came Modulok's irritable voice. "Entrapta was just about to show me the fruits of her labors."

Double Trouble smirked. "In that case, you'll be happy to hear this! Emerald is on her way to Etheria as we speak! She should keep those princess types busy while you work your magic."

Although Modulok didn't have the most expressive face even when they could see it, they were just certain he would be beaming with pride if he could be. "Excellent work, Double Trouble. I will inform our agents of her imminent arrival. Now all we need to do is wait for Adora. Return immediately." He ended the communication.

As Emily continued rocketing towards Modulok's Ophidia base, Double Trouble allowed themself a moment to be proud of themself…more than usual, at least. They leaned back in their seat, wondering just how Modulok would get by without such an essential follower.

"Who was that?" asked Entrapta, not looking up from her project. The disc-shaped device was almost complete, and she was excited to finally learn what it was for.

"Oh, just a business associate," Modulok said absently, walking over to examine the device. Mantenna and Leech hung nearby, watching Entrapta as closely as ever. "More importantly, I understand you're putting the finishing touches on my design? I am surely just as excited as you to see it in action!"

Took the words right out of her mouth. "You bet! Ah…so, what exactly does it do? I mean, obviously it's a way to combine several disparate energy sources, but is there a particular reason you need to do that?"

Modulok's face was always hard to read, even after all this time of working with him. "I discovered some ancient First Ones ruins some time ago," he explained. "Try as I might, even with all my resources and intellect, I just could not manage to access the inner chamber. But now, thanks to you, I will finally be able to discover just what lies beneath that sealed door. How lucky I was to be found by such an expert on First Ones technology!"

Entrapta couldn't help but beam at the compliment. "Aw, Moddie, you're too kind! But really, I'm the lucky one here. It's so nice to finally have a friend who's just as interested in science as I am! …Who doesn't end up leaving me, at least." She looked away sadly, but her reflection lasted only a moment before she continued working.

Although Modulok twitched slightly at her nickname, he retained his sympathetic tone. "I can't imagine why anybody would want to leave someone as bright and charming as you. In any case, I certainly have no intention of leaving you behind. In fact, I am looking forward to the many projects we'll be working together on in the future."

Entrapta paused. Did she really want to stay here with Modulok? Was she willing to leave her friends and home behind? The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. The Horde was no longer for her. Bow and Peridot likely hated her guts, Hordak and Scorpia had disappeared, and Catra and Emerald only saw her as an asset. "I…I'd like that," she said. "I'd like that a lot."

Before they could bond any further, Double Trouble entered the room. "Now, hold on a moment! I put up with your antics because you were useful, but don't think about taking my spot as Modulok's favorite!" They glared at Entrapta for a moment, before snickering playfully upon seeing her reaction. "C'mon, show us what you've been working on!"

With the four of them waiting expectantly, Entrapta proudly put the finishing touches on the device. "I hereby present, the Modulok-Entrapta brand type-four First Ones energy siphon receptacle mark one!" She held up the device, which resembled a thin disk around a meter across. Multiple wires extended from the edge, retracting into the machine with the press of a button in the center. "With this baby, up to fifteen different energy sources can all be routed to the same destination! Not too bad for only a few weeks' work at most, if I do say so myself!"

"'Not that bad?' Entrapta, this is truly a work of art!" Modulok said, taking the device to examine it. He held it gingerly as he inspected it, exuding reserved excitement as he did so. "I believe I speak for everyone here when I say you are truly an invaluable part of this team!"

"Does that mean we're ready to go?" she asked, barely able to contain herself any longer.

For an agonizing amount of time, Modulok considered whether to bring her along. "I suppose it wouldn't be fair to do this without you," he said. "All of you, come along: it is finally time for my lifelong project to come to fruition!"

Mantenna and Leech were as unreadable as ever, while Double Trouble clapped politely. Entrapta, meanwhile, cheered enthusiastically, hopping with joy. "At last, we can unlock the secrets of the First Ones! But, uh, what kind of secrets are we going to be unlocking, exactly?"

Modulok smiled. "I'm not sure–that's why they're secret!" He gestured for the four of them to follow, leading them to his portal generator. "But before we return to Etheria, there is something I must take care of. Please bear with me, it should only take but a few moments…assuming my other associates have done their jobs."

Swirling energy filled the frame, manifesting into a portal. "I hope you're prepared for what comes next!" Double Trouble told Entrapta cryptically, vanishing into the gateway. She simply shrugged it off, moving to go after them, but heard something from outside. A faint beeping, very familiar, coming from outside of the cave.

"Something on your mind?" asked Modulok. "If you'd rather, you are more than welcome to stay here."

The prospect of missing out on her achievement put all thoughts of her old friend out of her mind. "Nope. Don't start without me!" She bound forward to jump through the portal. Behind her, a satisfied Modulok followed, accompanied by his pair of monstrosities. In the silent cavern, the beeps continued.

Emily had been excited to see the real Entrapta, but not it seemed like she couldn't even hear her. She peered in through the entrance, quietly hoping she hadn't been forgotten in favor of her master's new friends. Where exactly could they have gone?

"Here we are: Research Facility #2102!" said Lars, as Mara's ship decelerated out of hyperspeed. The large First Ones space station hovered in orbit around planet Primus, a world almost entirely blue. Adora immediately began scanning both the station and the planet for any signs of activity, any sign of her people. "Is there anywhere we can dock?"

"Yeah, there's a hangar right here, but…" said Rutile, trailing off uncertainly. "It's open and ready for us. Like we were…expected," her twin continued.

This normally would have put Adora on edge, but her mind was occupied by other things. "Light Hope!" she exclaimed. "O-or my parents! They're waiting for me!" She excitedly pointed at the open hangar. "Quick, land already!"

Despite their trepidation, the Off-Colors eased the ship into the docking bay. "Try hailing the station, see if anyone answers," Lars suggested.

"Triiied aaalreeeady," said Fluorite. "Nooo aaansweeer."

Mara's ship came to a stop, the hangar completely empty. There was a notable lack of ships or people, not that this deterred Adora, who raced out as soon as the doors opened. "Man, this place is a ghost town. Ship. Station," said Lars, thoroughly creeped out. "Are you sure you got those coordinates right?"

"Positive!" said Adora. "I mean…sure, it has been a while." Her enthusiasm dimmed slightly as the certain prospects became apparent. "It's not like it's impossible nothing happened while I was gone. …But there should still be something here! Even if everybody left, there should still be evidence, right?"

The others made their way off the ship, also feeling the sense of foreboding the station held. "What exactly happened?" Rhodonite wondered aloud. "Can you see anything, Pads?"

Padparadscha sparkled as she used her past vision. "I see…hmm. Someone is waiting for us, but I can't tell who."

"It has to be Light Hope. It has to be," Adora said, heading further into the station. She only stopped when Lars grabbed onto her shoulder.

"Hang on!" he said. "We don't know who or what is waiting for us in there! At the very least, we should all stick together."

"Yes," Padparadscha agreed, "especially since Catra just arrived."

"See, Catra's here, which means we–What!?" shouted Lars, just as another ship appeared just outside the station.

The Horde shuttle had just come out of warp, seemingly having locked onto their signature. None of them had any time to react as it landed next to their ship, but not before ramming into the vessel as an act of spite. "B-but how did they know how to find us!?" shouted Rhodonite.

It didn't matter now, as they were already there. The shuttle's doors opened, and the squadron emerged. Adora recognized them from their attack on Brightmoon: the scorpionkin with a giant gun, the mer-man, the sorceress, the Carnelian, and Bluebird Azurite. And lastly, Catra climbed out of the ship, flanked by her warriors, and grinning maliciously at her prey.

"Hey Adora."