Planning and preparations
„Please. Here are your new glasses." said the Rebel soldier named Sune, smiling friendly to them. "I don't know if they will be as good as yours, we don't have such good technology here as yours, but we did everything we could. We installed something similar in your helmet. It's a pity we didn't have this in the past, because we had a deaf girl here and she had to leave because she couldn't hear what was being said to her. Although maybe it's better. She was finally adopted... I wonder what's happening to her now? I would like to meet her someday." concluded the soldier and they left to take care of his own business. Their scuad stood outside their ship, waiting to depart. Eti stood next to Sparkling Paw, who smiled cheerfully at everyone and tried to say something.
„Do I sound similar?" she looked questioningly. Itel slowly nodded her head, and Alatar and Lilka made the okay sign.
„Roughly so... They didn't hear your voice much, but they did a very good job." said Eti. Sparklepaw's voice was a little deeper, a little more mature. Ita was more feminine... She liked it.
„Thanks. It's nice to understand what others are saying to you and to be understood... I mean, Eti understood me, but it's nice to talk to others... I'm not saying it's bad to talk to Eti, but now I can talk to everyone." said the white-haired girl, blushing. Itel approached her, and slowly, so that Sparklepaw noticed.
„I'm also happy to talk to you, Rosie... „ The elf said and smiled sadly, but in a friendly way. The shooter understood that it was mostly her fault. They weren't together with Itel, but actually they were… Why were the feelings so complicated? The fight was easier. You would target someone, press the trigger and someone would go to sleep. And emotions... Nothing was easy with them. They were like fire, untamed and impossible to control. They warmed the soul, but could easily burn it, leaving scars that could not be healed, or even completely consumed it, leaving only ashes... She regretted that she had hurt her friend. Itel didn't deserve what happened to her, but not that she "broke up" with her. In fact, she should have done it already, she unnecessarily allowed the elf to delude herself that there could be something between them. They were friends, Itel was one of the first people she met after she was freed from Jantar and Lady Ka. They cared about each other. Together they risked their lives and fought against those who stood in their way. But she couldn't give her her heart, because Itel's heart actually belonged to her hatred. Anger pierced her through and through, like a hunter's pike piercing a wild beast. She should help her friend heal these wounds, but she had no idea how. She should ask Sparklepaw, she knew about feelings, but she was part of the problem.
Sparklepaw… Rosie… She didn't know how to describe how she felt about her. She liked her very much. She wanted to stay with her as long as possible. Watch her smile full of joy. Smelling her scent, touch her skin. Kiss me. Yes! She would like to kiss her and even more! She would like to see her without clothes. Touch her. Make love to her. She has always liked girls and only girls. In addition to Itel, she slept with several Others, such as the daughter of Doctor Sidonius . But she had never felt with anyone what she felt with Rosie. Did she love her? Could someone like her love a monster, someone? She was an Assassin , a murderess created to kill and enslave those too weak to resist her will. She was the daughter of a tyrant, a monster who had the lives of millions of beings on his conscience. What was worst of all, she was not only his daughter, but someone, or something, created in his image, just like this Catra. Only the other one didn't know the truth. The Lord Admiral was a skillful manipulator who deceived millions . Will he be able to do it with that girl? Will she become a puppet dancing to his tune or will she be like a fly in a spider's web? Or maybe she won't care at all. She heard the whispers of the Rebels and felt their eyes on her. She saw anxiety, fear, and sometimes hostility in them. Her sister was raised in Horde, in military barracks, trained from childhood to be an ideal soldier, under the supervision of Grimmy. There was a secret in it that no one wanted to tell her, or maybe she was afraid to find out because the truth might be too painful to accept. Since childhood, he was best friends with the Blonde, Adora , who had the power to become this Big Girl. and then everything changed. Her sister became Hordak's right hand and led the war until she was kidnapped by Crooked Face and there something terrible happened to her, although from what she understood, she had already suffered a lot before... But now she wants to marry this cool Blonde. Only for reasons she didn't understand, Scar wanted to fight her. Actually , she liked the Scar. There was the same fierceness in her as Itel... Maybe she should hook up with the Elf? She had two boyfriends ... but she also liked girls, and Itel liked boys, so why not the four of them can live together?. The blond guy was very nice. He reminded her a little of her sister's fiancée and a little of Sparklepaw. It's hard to say why. Maybe because he was nice and had this weird sword…
„Hello... „ she heard the timid one and Blonde Boy came out from between the buildings... I'm talking about the basilisk.
„Hey Blonde Boy. What's up? Are you coming with us?" she asked, and Sparkypaw added.
„I can now speak in a way that you can understand me. I will tell you about Absalom ! This is a wonderful place! „ „ the former intern liked Blonde Boy very much, although in a quite innocent way. Well, they were both similar. Seemingly charming and delicate, but deep down they are as hard as Tempered Steel. Upon seeing him, Toshi squealed and flew to the boy. He liked him too. Alatar, Itel, and Lilka greeted him as well, though the red-haired girl tried to look down at him like a seasoned orc warrior would a young one, even before the "Great Test" or whatever she thought orcs did. Considering that Blonda was over a head taller than Lilka, it was quite a feat..
„Well, that's what I'm wondering about. We haven't been getting along very well with Lonnie lately, but Rogelio keep Eye on her... and for Scarlet. I'd like to talk to you for a moment. And then I'll see... And Itel, Lonnie wants to talk to you." he said, and the Elf nodded and went to talk to Scar. "Aha, so something is brewing..." She thought with satisfaction. When they were alone, Blonde Boy looked around as if he wanted to know if no one wanted was listening to them and asked
„Eti, could we talk about your sister for a moment?" he looked down.
„But what should we talk about? Now I know everything." she exclaimed, looking at her metal hand . There was a strange, anxious tension all around.
„No, you don't know everything. You must know the truth... „ he whispered and began to tell her the story of her sister and her life in the Horde.
Itel knew she should feel honored to be invited by the Comrade General. She respected this woman. She accomplished what she will never be able to do. She led the uprising against tyranny... Well, it wasn't actually tyranny and the uprising was not supported by the inhabitants of the planet... She guess that was the problem... She had no idea that she would get them into such a mess cursed by devils and demons. It wasn't Rosie's fault. How could the girl know that Antares was such a bastard. Millions believed in his nobility, why would an intern who didn't know her true name think otherwise. It was her companions who hid the truth from her, even Dilayla, who seemed to be trustworthy. Besides, there was no way they could prevent the Lord Admiral from arriving on this planet. Catra was the main reason he was here.
It wasn't Shadow Weaver's fault either. The Dark Sorceress did what seemed best at the time... And perhaps it was. The People's Rebellion was the safest place for them to hide from the Father of the two cat girls at the moment. No, she was to blame for everything. If she hadn't come up with the idea of breaking into the castle, they would have been able to roam the planet freely as long as they were careful, gathering allies and warning others about the Lord Admiral. She had burned all the bridges behind them and they had to take shelter here... But what could they do now? They didn't know how much Catra and the rest of the queen's court trusted Antares , and according to Scarlet's words, they treated him with cautious kindness, but that was a few days ago, and Antares was a patient man who was able to bend to his will with perseverance and built his legend perfectly. Has he already managed to convince everyone that he is the hero they have always been waiting for? The father she always dreamed of. They must enlist the help of Lonnie and her rebels, although they had no idea what the General was actually planning. Now maybe she'll learn something.
They were in the command room. Scarlet, Shadow Weaver, Lonnie, and her officers were here . She recognized Grizzol , and the others introduced themselves as Cobalt , Octavia. Sune, the head of the technicians, and Doctor Moors were also there, although no one wanted to be near the Brain in the Cylinder, which she wasn't surprised at all, because even she, a girl who had experienced the horror of a Swarm invasion, was terrified by this individual. In addition to them, there was Lonnie and Kyle's boyfriend named Rogelio, two guards in expensive armor, and a creature called the Imp, who looked a bit like the smallest of the devils, but upon closer inspection she decided that he was more clone than hellspawn. As everyone sat down, she was surprised to see that everyone, even Dr. Moors, was staring at her with curiosity mixed with suspicion. It was a surprisingly embarrassing feeling. She may not have had social anxiety like Eti, but being the center of attention was very embarrassing .
„Well, now that we're gathered here, it's time to discuss our plan." Lonnie said and began to describe their plan. Most of the rebels were to carry out mock attacks on border posts and government buildings. Nothing really serious, just a few simple acts of vandalism, without getting into a fight with the princesses' forces. This way they could distract Catra and reassure her that Brihghtmoon was safe while the rest of them were supposed to attack the party, where some of them were supposed to cause a ruckus and announce the formation of the People's Alliance, while the other group was supposed to get into the castle to break into castle database, install a worm there, which she herself suggested, because the Rebellion members' knowledge of computers was limited and... There were differences of opinion what nex. Lonnie insisted on the idea of kidnapping Entrapta, the former Lady of the castle they were staying in and a brilliant inventor, in which Doctor Moors supported her, and Shadow Weaver opposed it with Scarlet's support. The Dark Sorceress intended to meet with Hordak, the former leader of the Horde and husband of Entrapta , and a few of her other allies, whose names she did not provide. She wanted to warn them about the Lord Admiral and other threats of the Galaxy, but she wasn't going to reveal exactly what she wanted to talk to them about. No one was going to take sides in this discussion. No one here liked or trusted Shadow Weaver, but from what she could see, the Brain in the Cylinder didn't have much sympathy of the Rebel either. She herself had to admit reluctantly that she liked the idea of a gloomy Elf better. She understood that the greatest threat to everyone was the Lord Admiral and kidnapping some princess was a waste of time. At first she didn't speak, watching the argument, but eventually she decided that this meeting would never end, so she spoke up.
„Maybe we'll steal the sword. You know, the magical one that allows Adora to become this big girl with a sword. Apparently she gained power when she found him, so if we take him, then... „ she said, convinced that she had come up with a brilliant plan that would reconcile everyone and solve the problems, but when everyone looked at her and in the eyes of many of them she saw lenient interest, she felt that the beginning of brown.
„Adora used to need a sword to become She-Ra, but now she no longer needs it, she uses it. She broke it the moment the heart was activated. Now she can become her without his help." Lonnie explained with a hint of impatience in her voice.
She's heard this story before from this Aricorn Swiftwind , but she didn't believe him. The rest, however, accepted it as true.
„And even if they did, well, only the First Ones could activate it, and I don't think anyone here knows any other representative of this ancient civilization, unless I don't know something. „ said Doctor Moors , and she had the impression that he was alluding to something, but what? Is he implying that Rosie was of this species? This idea was both ridiculous and disturbing.
„It's actually not such a stupid idea." Scarlet interjected. "The sword is still kept in Brightmoon and is treated as a Kingdom Treasure, a priceless souvenir whose loss can have great symbolic significance. Besides, it's still a powerful artifact of the First Ones. Even if it has been cracked, it may hold many secrets that are still not known."
„Didn't Entrapta examine him thoroughly?" Lonnie asked with surprise in her voice, and the younger sorceress shook her head.
„Adora told Entrapta not to examine him, but she didn't insist on her opinion. They are both too aware of potential threats... „ she said in a thoughtful tone and looked at Doctor Moors . "Would our allies be willing to examine it?"
The brain in the Cylinder thought for a moment, then spoke carefully.
„Yes, it will definitely interest them. I even think that the knowledge they would gain from it would enable them to launch a certain ship hidden among the ice... „ he said, and she had the impression that some invisible exchange of words had taken place between him and Lonnie.
„Giving such an Artifact to Mi-Go is not a good idea. Shadow Weaver said sharply. Lonnie looked at the Dark Sorceress and spoke to her in a soft, thoughtful voice, without the anger and irritation usually heard when she spoke to a disfigured woman.
„This is still the best possible solution. All the alternatives... It doesn't matter... Itel, what do we have to be prepared for when it comes to the Lord Admiral?"
Only after a moment did she realize that it was her that the General had addressed and she blushed again. 'Do they take me for an expert on the Lord Admiral...' she thought and realized that they were actually right. She had been collecting information about this man for years and knew more about him than many statesmen and stateswoman who proudly called themselves the nation's chosen ones. She felt a sudden surge of confidence and began to tell all she know.
„He is ruthless, he will do anything to achieve his goals, but he is also cunning. He cares about public opinion... Because, you understand, he's not like your Horde Prime, in the galaxy you can't attack someone like that without a reason, especially if you're not as powerful as Azlanti or the Swarm. His army, at least the main part, is very disciplined and serves him faithfully, for which he repays them by paying them well and protecting them from the justice system and all enemies. The most dangerous are the Void Orphans. They are orphans raised by a fleet, mainly of wars with the Swarm" she looked at those gathered in the council hall and understood that for these former cadets or those who commanded them, what she said had special meaning. „There are still his jackals. These are bandits and murderers released from prisons, whom he rules with an iron fist and uses them as cannon fodder or to do dirty work... It was once commanded by an Elf, but Uncle Eti killed him and now they are probably commanded by Lady Ka, a Jantar clone just like Bina, the woman who took care of us… „ she mused darkly, because they had not heard from her since they left the wasteland. They didn't know if he was alive or in the hands of that monster Antares and her fucked up sister. She had been unkind to her lately, she didn't listen to her orders and commands, even though she only cared about them... „Besides, you can expect absolutely anything." She continued for a long moment of gloomy silence. – Cyber Ghouls, Vesks, Rogelio's crazy relatives, war mages, Drow assassins and dragons... One dragon, a gigantic and ancient red wyrm named Lady Sorrowflame, serves the Lord Admiral." she sighed and drank some water. Everyone thought about her words for a few moments, and then a tall boy with blue hair walked into the command room and said a few words in her ear, and Lonnie smiled.
„The Empress of Eridani comes to Etheria. If we manage to kidnap her, we will force Glimmer to negotiate and make concessions. Listen, this is the plan. – Comrade General looked truly happy for the first time since she met her.
„What happened to us Emily." he said to his friend and the Droid chirped in response. He smiled at her and added. "You know, it turns out Shadow Weaver is alive, Catra and Eti have a father, Rosie can throw tanks, and we joined the Rebellion. What happened to us." he smiled, although he didn't feel happy. For the first time in the many years since he had been freed, he felt completely helpless. He felt like everything was getting out of his hands. When they landed on Etheria, he was sure that he would make everyone happy with good news. About the fact that Glimmer's mother is alive, that Catra has a sister, that he met Mara's descendant and that the galaxy not only has not been ravaged by the Horde, but is also full of beauty. And now he was traveling with the most hated woman on the planet, who was once again taking care of a group of kids, not only Bina's one's , but also her former cadets. He didn't say why these young people did not want to enjoy peace, but continued to fight against those who saved their world. But he has to be here, he won't let them get hurt, not again. While he was there, most of the former cadets ignored him, and then they started looking at him closely and suspiciously, as if he was up to something... It would be ridiculous if it weren't so sad... And problematic. It made it difficult for him to get close to them, and without it, keeping them safe wouldn't be easy. At first he inspected the ship, as the young crew members were now busy and distracted, but it didn't take long, especially since Mr. Ilemshaw was helping him with it. Then he tried to help the former cadets, but they didn't trust him and wouldn't let him help them until Lilka intervened. Bina's wards were held in begrudging respect, probably due to their familiarity with Shadow Weaver, so when the red-haired girl invited him into the kitchen, no one stopped her. She took a few buckets of peeled potatoes and said that now she would prepare a real Ork potato cake for everyone. He had no idea that Orcs ate cakes or potatoes in general, but he didn't know much about Orcs at all, having never met one before. Lilka ordered the potatoes to be peeled and boiled, and then they mashed them with onion and bacon. Then she put the whole mass into several huge cake tins, an inheritance from Entrapta's ancestors, and ordered them to bake. When everything was almost ready, she ordered them to be taken out and placed on top of the crispy, goat cheese and minced meat, and then baked again for a while. The dish was delicious, tender on the inside and crispy on the outside. Everyone liked it, so no one protested when Lilka declared that she would bake a real orc cheesecake and appointed him her assistant. He liked cooking, although he didn't have many opportunities to do so, so he happily agreed. Thanks to this, no one protested when he volunteered to participate in the mission. He was currently standing next to the warehouse in a rebel outfit made especially for him.
„Listen Emily... I think you should stay here." he said, and the Droid began chirping indignantly. "I know you can handle it. You've handled worse situations, but... I think you're being too conspicuous. There is no other Horde droids like this, in fact I haven't seen any other droid in Brightmoon. Besides, it's good to have someone waiting for us here.„ He said and hugged his friend, he hoped it wasn't goodbye.
As he walked towards the ship, he encountered Itel also heading towards him. The elf looked happy, which made him happy. After the fight with Itel and the breakup with Eti, in fact he didn't even know that the girls were together, she was very depressed and he was starting to worry about her, but recently they reconciled.
„You know, Wrongdak, you don't have to participate in this mission. I know you will fight against your old friends. I don't quite understand why I'm taking part in all this." she said and he shook his head.
„No... I should be with you. You saved me, even though you actually gained nothing from it. Now I have to protect you as best I can." he said in a serious voice, and the Elf asked.
„From the Lord Admiral's men or from her."
His only response was a sad smile.
When they reached the ship, they found that Kyle was already waiting for them. The boy was serious and looked a bit guilty. Itel frowned, but smiled at him and said.
„You're coming with us, just like Lonnie, Rogelio , Imp and Miss... Shadow Weaver."
The boy nodded as if he didn't care much about the mission. He just sighed and said.
„Eti wants to talk to you."
The elf looked concerned.
„Has something happened to Et?" There was fear in her voice.
„ Nothing at all and a lot. Kyle said and looked down.
They headed towards the cat girl's cabin. Eti was sitting on the bed, stroking Tonshi and looking ahead. She seemed strangely thoughtful, even distressed.
„Eti... Has something happened?" Itel asked, even more scared than before. The cat girl ignored her and asked, her voice duller than usual.
„Is this all true? About my sister and Grimy ... Shadow Weaver... About how she treated her... „ she looked at him.
„I didn't know her then. They set me free at the end of the war, and I only know what I was told. But yes, she hurt her a lot and everything that boy said is true."
The girl let out a short, broken laugh.
„You know, I can't even hate her for it. The part of me, the part that burns cold, is even glad that someone had a life as fucked up as I did. Shadow Weaver was Catra's Lady Ka, or Lady. Ka was my Shadow Weaver... I can't hate her because she hates herself... Did you say yes? – she said to Itel, who blinked twice.
„What?" she asked , and the cat girl explained.
„Well, for Scar mariage proposal."
The elf laughed and nudged Eti, and the atmosphere lightened a bit, but he knew enough about emotions to know that it wouldn't end that easily.