Chapter 144: The Secret Base Part 4
Research Station Beta, PU-9623, January 29th, 2000 (Earth Time)
"We're not using people as test subjects!" Adora snapped at Beta.
The bot's projection frowned. "But how else do you suggest we develop the technology necessary to recover your friend? As I explained, since Queen Taweret had ordered the experiments' parameters changed, we have made no progress with the recovering part of the project."
"We'll find another way!" They had to! And they would! "We'll get Entrapta and Sam working on this. And Hordak."
"I am not familiar with any of these people," Beta replied.
"Smartest women in the galaxy," Jack commented. "Except for Hordak, of course."
Beta cocked her head sideways and looked at Jack. "If Hordak is not as smart, why would she be included in the research?"
"I meant he's not a woman," Jack explained.
"Ah."
"He has experience with transporting people into other dimensions," Adora said. That was how Hordak had arrived on Etheria while it had still been trapped in Despondos. Oh. "We'll also have to go through the databanks on Etheria that remained from Light Hope." She clenched her teeth at the thought of Light Hope's actions, Mara, and everything else that had gone so wrong.
"Light Hope? I am not…"
"...not familiar with that person, yes, yes," Jack cut in.
"She was a bot like you," Adora explained. "She transported me from this dimension into Despondos when I was a baby."
"Oh. Another like Alpha and myself?" Beta perked up. "And you have access to her data about dimensional travel?"
"We don't know. She was destroyed during the war against Horde Prime," Adora said. "But she wasn't in control of a research station like you and Alpha are."
"And yet she managed to transport people to and from other dimensions? We must recover as much of her data as possible! This could massively advance our research here!" Beta nodded eagerly. "And, of course, this could be crucial for recovering your friend."
Yes, of course - Adora should have thought about this immediately! Mara had been able to transport the entire solar system of Etheria into Despondos! Adora should be able to recover Catra. Especially if she had the power from restoring magic to this world at her disposal.
But she didn't know how to do it. She bit her lower lip. If she tried this and failed, wielding the power of a world's magic, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Then I can't fail, she thought, nodding again - before remembering what Beta had said about not failing experiments. Maybe…
"Adora?"
She blinked. "Yes, Glimmer?"
"You were kinda… zoned out." Glimmer smiled a little weakly.
"Sorry!" Adora matched her smile. "I was… thinking about alternatives." She shook her head. "First, we need to contact the others. And quickly." Before something else went wrong.
"You could use the dimensional gate projector to deal with Taweret's guards," Beta suggested. "The coordinates of their base are known. And this would net us more data about dimensional travel, potentially facilitating your friend's recovery."
What? Send more people into another dimension? Even if they were working for Apophis, that would be cruel. Even if, once they could save Catra, they could save everyone, it would be…
"Our friends are also in that base," Jack reminded her. "We don't want to accidentally transport them into another dimension, do we?"
Right. Adora shook her head. "We're not using the dimensional gate projector on anyone."
"That will severely hinder our research into recovering your friend," Beta said.
"We'll manage," Glimmer told her.
"Yes, we will." Adora looked at the others. "If we can't contact the others, then we'll have to clear the base ourselves. The guards still haven't tried to contact Taweret, so they haven't been caught."
"Using a transporter requires an active transporter as a destination," Beta told them. "Otherwise, the energy used will be released in an uncontrolled and usually highly destructive manner."
"We're aware of that," Jack said. "Don't worry."
His smile was a little too toothy. It reminded Adora of… She didn't want to go there. "Let's go," she said. "Jack, stay here."
He didn't like that. Not at all - his expression told her that. She understood, of course; she wouldn't want to stay back when they were going to save Catra. But he was the only other 'First One' here with them, and while Adora didn't think Beta would betray her, there was just something about the bot that made her wary.
And judging from the glance Jack sent at the bot before he nodded, he felt the same.
"Yeah, right, sure."
"Let's go!" Glimmer was already moving.
Two minutes later, they were at the ring transporter, and Bow was checking the controls.
"The transporter in the Goa'uld base is active," he reported.
Adora nodded and drew her sword. "Send me up first." She could handle staff weapon blasts from an ambush. The others couldn't. "Give me a minute to get clear before you follow." And to clear the room if necessary.
Glimmer frowned at her but didn't argue. Bow nodded, and Atak straightened. "Yes, Goddess!"
Then Bow pushed a button, and the rings rose around Adora. She took a deep breath and tensed. If this was a trap…
The world shifted, and she appeared in the base transport room - surrounded by her friends, all of them aiming their weapons at her.
"Uh… Hi! Sorry for being late!" She smiled at them.
Apophis's Base, PU-9623, January 29th, 2000 (Earth Time)
Samantha Carter lowered her weapon and nodded at Adora. And tried not to feel slightly annoyed at the fact that her plan to get the coordinates for the transporter had just been rendered redundant. "What happened?"
"Adora! You're back!" Entrapta. "How are the others? Did you find the base?"
"Yes, we did," Adora replied. She lost her smile, though, Sam noticed. "We captured Taweret, dealt with her guards and secured the research station. But we lost Catra - Taweret used an experimental gate projector to transport her into another dimension, and we need to get her back!"
Sam drew a sharp breath. Lost in another dimension? The odds of Catra surviving that weren't good. Not at all.
Entrapta gasped. "Like Angella?"
Sam winced. Glimmer's mother had sacrificed herself to stabilise an interdimensional portal that had threatened to unravel reality.
"We don't know. Not yet. Things are different," Adora said as she left the transport area. "The others are fine. Ah! We also met Atak - he's a former guard for Apophis who deserted them and joined us." She winced. "He, ah, worships me."
Sam glanced at Teal'c. That was his area of expertise. Well, Jaffa deserters, not the religious part.
"I see." Teal'c slowly nodded. "He was on Saqarra then when we raided Apophi's palace?"
"Yes!" Adora nodded, then checked her watch. "The others should arrive shortly."
As if they had waited for a cue, the rings rose again, and the rest of Adora's group appeared. Except for the General, though.
"Jack's, ah, keeping an eye on Taweret and Beta, the bot controlling the station" Adora must have noticed Sam's reaction.
"Like Alpha?" Daniel asked.
"A bit too much like her, yes," Adora said, wincing. Then she straightened. "So! We've reestablished contact with the fleet. We can coordinate our attack on the base with the strike at Apophis's ships in the system."
"We've temporarily sabotaged their security centre," Sam informed them. "But that won't last."
"We don't need much time." Adora checked her watch again. "We'll take over the security centre; there should be a working FTL communicator there so we can contact Jack and the fleet and coordinate our attacks." She looked at Atak. The Jaffa was staring at Teal'c. Both nodded after a second. "Teal'c and Atak take the lead. Once we have taken the security centre, Sam, Entrapta, Daniel and Sha're guard it while we attack the rest of the base," Adora went on. "Everyone got that?"
"Yes," Sam said in unison with the others.
"Alright! Let's go!"
They followed Teal'c and Atak out of the room and quickly reached the security centre from which some smoke was still escaping. Despite that distraction, one Jaffa noticed them. His alert was cut down by Teal'c shooting him with a staff weapon, but the rest of the guards whirled and grabbed weapons.
It didn't do them any good, though - Adora charged ahead and smashed into them before they could form a line, continuing into the security centre.
Atak and Teal'c finished off the survivors before Sam could line up a shot. Adora had been more brutal than usual, Sam noticed as she stepped past the crushed and blown-up bodies. Sam did not doubt that Catra missing was the reason for that.
Inside the security centre, the smoke was on a nuisance level.
Adora finished the last guard as they entered and turned toward them. "Contact the fleet and Jack. Tell the fleet to initiate the attack so they strike in three minutes."
Sam didn't quite run, but she made sure to get to the comms first, then opened channels to the General and the Task Force.
She reminded her to stay professional when talking to the General and informed him of the plan before contacting the fleet.
Meanwhile, Entrapta had taken over the FTL scanners, and while Adora led the others out and Daniel and Sha're stood guard at the entrances, Sam watched the display of the system and Apophis's guard fleet while she mentally counted down.
Almost on the mark, the first wave of the frigates dropped out of hyperspace and immediately engaged the enemy. A few seconds later, the display was filled with emergency alerts and damage notices, followed by Ha'taks disappearing.
No surprise there - a Horde frigate outclassed a Ha'tak, and even with the frigates serving as troop transporters and their escorts hanging back, the task force significantly outnumbered the enemy. The outcome was never in doubt. One by one, the Goa'uld ships blew up or were crippled under the coordinated fire.
The two Ha'taks in orbit were no exception - the one in geostationary orbit over the base was literally shot to pieces that burnt up in the atmosphere while the remains of the one above the pole crashed into the main landmass of the planet.
And then the second wave, transporting the troops, moved in, entering the planet's orbit, shuttles detaching and heading down.
Sam didn't think they would arrive in time to contribute to the taking of the base. But they could secure it so Sam, Entrapta and Bow could start looking into what experiments the research station had been running - and figure out how to undo them and get Catra back.
Unknown Location, January 29th, 2000 (Earth Time)
"Catra!"
Catra's ears twitched, and she drew back a little at the venom in Adora's voice. Her lover didn't show any relief at having found her - or any worry. "Ah… yes?" She managed to smile a little and started to raise her hand to wave. "It's…"
In the blink of an eye, Adora was in her face, one hand gripping her wrist like a vice.
"...me-OW!" Catra hissed through clenched teeth and resisted the urge to claw at Adora's arm. "Adora! What are you…"
"No more!" Adora buried her fist in Catra's stomach.
Eyes wide open, Catra coughed, almost folding around the blow. What the…?
"No more talking!"
The hand that had been holding her wrist now closed around her throat, preventing her from breathing. Catra gripped Adora's wrist with both hands but couldn't budge it.
"No more hurting!"
I don't know - I'm hurting badly right now. Catra would have laughed at her own thought if she'd had the breath for it.
"No more fighting!"
Don't claw her! Catra told herself as she struggled to loosen Adora's grip enough so she could breathe.
"It's over! You lost!"
No. Please. Adora… Catra moved her lips but couldn't talk. Couldn't get her throat free. Could only stare at Adora's furious - no, scornful - expression as she slowly started to fade.
And she couldn't help wondering if she deserved this.
When Catra woke up, her first reaction was surprise that she was still alive. Or was she? Then she felt the pain. Her throat, stomach and wrist hurt. Breathing hurt. She coughed, which hurt some more, and tried to breathe as softly as she could as she gingerly touched her throat with her good hand. Damn, Adora had really put the hurt on her.
She looked around. She was in a large room. In a force field inside a large room. And the style of the room…
"Bright Moon," she whispered, wincing at the pain.
She was in a cell in Bright Moon.
But how? And Adora… She had been wearing the wrong uniform. And… she had acted so… Was she in some alternate universe, as Sam and Entrapta had speculated about sometimes? Or… Had she somehow been transported back in time to the Horde War? And displaced to Etheria? Was that even possible?
Of course, it is possible! This was a First Ones research station. She scoffed at her own doubts, then clenched her teeth at the pain. Damn. If she wasn't dead - she still wouldn't rule that out - then she had come damn close. And at the hands of Adora. An Adora, at least. Not her Adora. Her Adora wouldn't do that to her. Not even if Catra deserved it.
She slowly got up, wincing at the pain in her lower body. Her fur would hide bruises, but she would still feel them. She hoped she wasn't bleeding internally. Though… If she had been taken prisoner, wouldn't Bright Moon's healers have looked her over? If only to ensure she didn't die before she was interrogated? Or judged?
But wouldn't they have fixed her throat, at least? She used her good hand to check her uniform. Of course, they had taken all the gear she'd been carrying. But they had left her the armoured uniform. Not that it would do any good against Adora.
She almost snorted but managed to control herself before she hurt her own throat some more. She was standing on a mattress. Just like she liked it - thin and solid, not like the fluffy pillows that Bright Moon's people called beds. But was that a kindness, or did her captors think it would be uncomfortable for her? Adora should know better than that, should she?
If this was a sign that her lover still cared about her… She smiled at the thought. Then frowned at her own foolishness. That expression on Adora's face… There had been no love. No care. No regret. Only judgement.
And Catra deserved to be judged. Especially if she was back in the Horde War. The things she had done…
The door sliding open interrupted her thoughts. She turned, clenching her teeth at the pain in her stomach and trying not to show it as she faced whoever had entered.
Adora. Or maybe She-Ra was more appropriate.
Catra swallowed - which hurt - as the other woman approached the force field. "Hey, Adora," she said without thinking.
She earned a glare and a deep scowl in return. "The Queen will see you. Don't even think of trying to escape."
She wasn't stupid. This might not be a dungeon, but the odds of escaping She-Ra here, and in her present state, were too low to risk it. If she was even going to try, of course. It wasn't as if she was innocent. And she had nothing to flee to - certainly not the Horde.
"The Queen? Glimmer?" Catra asked as Adora reached out and deactivated the force field.
"What? No. Queen Angella, of course!"
Oh, fuck!
Research Station Beta, PU-9623, January 29th, 2000 (Earth Time)
"Enjoyed taking over the base, Carter?" Jack O'Neill grinned when he saw her enter the command centre, hiding his relief. Getting split up - unintentionally, even - was always bad. If Carter had gone missing… Well, she hadn't. But if she had, Jack would probably have reacted… badly.
"Sir." She nodded at him. Curtly. But he thought he caught a smile there. Good.
"Oh! This is a nice laboratory!" Entrapta said as she joined them. "Like Alpha! Did you standardise your research stations, Beta?""
The projection slightly turned. "Within reason. Depending on a station's purpose, customised equipment and layouts are required."
"Of course!" Entrapta nodded. "And this station was made to research interdimensional travel! How fascinating!"
"Yes." Beta barely nodded. "I hope that with the change of command, serious research can finally be resumed."
"Of course! We will do science to save Catra and the others!"
Jack winced. Entrapta's enthusiasm paired with Beta's attitude was a concerning combination. They'd have to keep an eye on them. Carter would be on the ball, though - he could trust her.
"Jack!" Daniel smiled at him. "Troops are landing and taking control of the base."
"I know, Daniel," Jack replied, nodding at the communication console. "I'm following the chatter."
"Oh, of course." Daniel looked a little sheepish for a moment. "You're going up, then?"
Jack hesitated a moment. He wanted to go up and handle the landings, but someone Beta accepted as its superior had to stay here. Just in case. "When Adora relieves me." On the other hand, Adora wasn't completely herself right now, with Catra missing. If the bot pushed the right buttons, things could turn bad as well. He'd have to trust Bow and Glimmer to handle her if that should be the case.
"Taweret." Sha're walked towards the force-field-thingie that kept the snake prisoner.
The snake glared at her. "Amaunet. You're working with the Tau'ri."
"No." Sha're's smile reminded Jack that she wasn't the sweet girl who had fallen for an awkward archaeologist on Abydos any more. "I am Sha're."
The snake bared her teeth. "That won't fool…" She trailed off as her eyes widened, glancing at the others in the room. "You're the host?"
Sha're nodded. "I am free once more."
The snake drew back a little before narrowing her eyes. "How? You would be… The Tok'ra!"
Jack pressed his lips together. That was the kind of information the snakes really shouldn't have. If Taweret escaped and told Apophis that they were working with the Tok'ra, that would complicate things. Although Taweret had also seen She-Ra in action and knew that she was a First One. Well, the snake wouldn't be allowed to escape anyway.
"Amaunet is still alive. If you wish to survive, you will cooperate," Sha're said. "If you kill your host, you will share their fate."
"The Tok'ra don't take prisoners - they kill us!"
Sha're shook her head. "You can see Aumanet yourself."
And now the snake would know that the Tok'ra weren't calling the shots in this alliance. Well, if it was to save the poor girl serving as the host of the snake, that was OK.
Jack ignored the small voice in the back of his head telling him that the host was apparently a true believer and might turn traitor on them. This wasn't how the Alliance did things.
"Can you modify the force fields so Taweret cannot hear us?" Carter asked.
"I can," Beta replied, then looked at Jack.
Right. Of course. Jack rolled his eyes. "Yeah, do that."
A moment later, the force field turned slightly opaque. "The prisoner cannot hear or observe us any more," the bot announced.
Beta could have done that before, Jack knew. And he was sure that the bot was smart enough to think of it - or suggest it, just as it had made suggestions before. So, why hadn't it done so? Was this a ploy to ensure Taweret knew too much to be allowed to live? Or some sort of twisted test to judge how smart they were? In case Beta had another option to take over the lab?
Whatever the answer, they couldn't trust the bot. Not too far, at least. It had an agenda.
"So…" Entrapta glanced up from where she had been staring at one of the holoprojectors serving as screens. "You have a projector that transports a target area into another dimension. And you can vary the size of the target area and deploy it within a long range - not enough to reach another planet in the system, but if this planet had a moon, you could reach it."
"That is correct," Beta said.
"And you have been using it as a weapon against ships and were researching a way to install it on a ship," Carter added.
"Yes."
"But you're struggling with the side-effects destabilising the ship itself as the dimensional breach weakens the fabric of reality." Entrapta nodded. "It's not much of a structural problem unless you dial up the power used, but it wrecks the crystal matrices controlling the portal - and most electronics. And since the target area is variable, you can't install fields to block that interference because the field projectors don't have that range."
"Yes." Jack wasn't sure, but Beta looked more attentive now. "You have experience with this technology."
"Well… kinda? I helped build an extradimensional portal. But it wasn't stable, so the first test run kinda almost destroyed the entire world." Entrapta looked a bit sheepish. "We haven't done much work in that area since that. It was deemed too dangerous."
"Until now." Beta smiled.
Jack frowned. He really didn't like that smile.
Apophis's Base, PU-9623, January 29th, 2000 (Earth Time)
"We've finished taking control of the base, Ma'am!"
"Thank you, Major." Adora nodded with a smile. Her smile slipped at the thought that if Catra were here, she'd make a comment that the base was already secure and the landing forces had just to walk into the base and reach the key locations. Depending on her mood, it would be a quiet whisper to Adora or a comment to the Major in charge of the troops - well, under Jack, of course; those were his people.
But since Catra was missing, Major Martin merely nodded again - Jack had drilled all his people to avoid saluting in the field even though anyone could pick out Adora as the leader here - and left for his command post.
That left Adora to check the reports from the task force. They had secured the planet's orbit and finished boarding the enemy ships that hadn't been destroyed outright in the battle. Fortunately, the Jaffa in the crippled ships hadn't managed to blow up their vessels to deny them to the Alliance, but as far as Adora could tell from the first reports, the reason for that success was that the task force's frigates had destroyed the main reactors of the ships in question at the same time the engines had been hit. That probably meant that repairing the ships wouldn't be cost-efficient unless the Alliance wanted a Ha'tak for a special operation. Operating Goa'uld ships would also strain logistics for no real gain, and if you refitted them with Alliance tech, you might as well just build a new ship.
But that wasn't important right now. The system was under Alliance control, as was the planet - not that there was anything to control except for the base and the research station, anyway. And the camp they were setting up for the freed slaves, though that would take a while.
Still, things were in hand. And communications had been restored as well, though as soon as they used the portal to get Catra back, their comms would be down again. Well, if they didn't figure out a way to shield their regular communicators from the effects of the projector, they would just have to replace them again.
Anyway, it was time to get Catra back. Or, Adora corrected herself, to start getting her back. She looked at the soldiers in the security centre. "I'm returning to the research station. Major Martins is in command."
"Yes, ma'am!"
She walked - even though she wanted to hurry, running would have sent the wrong message to the soldiers - to the transporter room and told the officer in charge there: "Take me to the research station."
"Yes, ma'am."
A moment later, she was back in the station and on the way to the command centre. She passed a set of guards - Campbel and Isa - and entered the room.
"Supreme Commander Adora, you've returned!" Beta addressed her. "Research Station Beta is at your disposal."
Adora frowned. The way everyone else was glaring at Beta before looking at her was a sure sign that something was wrong. "So… what's going on?" she asked.
"Beta insists on using people as test subjects!" Sam blurted out.
What? Hadn't Adora made it clear that they wouldn't use people for their experiments?
Beta nodded. "Without using appropriate test subjects, the odds of recovering your friend are significantly reduced. I've explained this, but your subordinates do not accept it."
"We can use bots as test subjects. And animals," Sam said.
"Neither bots nor animals are an adequate substitute. The experiment requires a sapient mind to align with the target dimension," Beta retorted.
"What?" Adora also stared at Beta. "But you've used it on ships!"
Beta nodded. "When used as a weapon system, such as against ships, recovering the targets afterwards, or ensuring that they were not destroyed in the process, wasn't a consideration. Unlike when transporting people."
"Doesn't sound as if recovering the 'test subjects' was a priority either," Jack commented.
"Not under the prior commander," Beta said.
"But why do you need a sapient target?" Entrapta asked. "Don't you just connect two dimensions? We didn't need anything like that when we created the Portal."
"And Mara transported an entire solar system to an alternate dimension," Adora pointed out.
"That is very impressive. Any data from her experiment would be critically important for our research here," Beta commented.
Adora shook her head. "All the data was destroyed in the process. Now explain why you need people as test subjects."
Beta hesitated a moment, and Adora narrowed her eyes. That was suspicious! Then Beta inclined her head. "The projector does not target alternate dimensions directly. It uses a different dimension to reach them. One that is very receptive to alterations caused by people's thoughts. Only sapient beings can be prepared for this."
"That makes no sense!" Sam objected. "Why would you set things up like this? We've checked the data - the computer controlling the projector is perfectly capable of selecting alternate dimensions. You don't need to go through this hypothetical transfer dimension."
"The First Ones who built this station set the parameters for the experiment," Beta replied. "I lack the authorisation to change them."
"Well, so Adora can change them, right?" Jack said.
Beta turned to look at Adora. "Doing so would render the goal of recovering your friend impossible since she went missing in the original target dimension."
"Oh." Entrapta blinked.
Adora clenched her teeth. She couldn't abandon Catra. But she couldn't sacrifice others to save her, either. What should she do? What could she do?
"Why did the First Ones pick that special dimension?" Bow asked.
Beta didn't answer him.
Adora frowned. "Answer the question, Beta."
"Very well." Beta almost seemed to sigh. "This research station was built to find an alternate way to ascend."
Adora blinked. What?
Research Station Beta, PU-9623, January 29th, 2000 (Earth Time)
"Ascend?" Samantha Carter hadn't heard this term before - not in relation to alternate universes.
"What is that?" Adora asked a moment later.
"To ascend is to reach a higher plane of existence, leaving this universe behind. According to my data, ascension grants the subject undergoing it great knowledge and power and eternal life," Beta replied. "However, the process has strict requirements - mental, spiritual and evolutionary. And once ascended, the subject cannot interact or influence this universe ever again."
"That sounds like the kind of promise made by a cult leader - if there's no way to report back, no one can prove it's a scam," the General commented.
Sam had to agree - this seemed to be a rather questionable process.
"It doesn't sound very different from what several major religions on Earth proclaim," Entrapta pointed out.
"That's different," the General snapped.
"How so?" Entrapta asked. "Many of them seem to promise a life in paradise after death."
"The existence of Ascension has been proven, and the process has been observed many times - most of the Ancestors of the First Ones ascended," Beta said.
"If it exists and works, why do you need an alternative?" Daniel asked.
"Fulfilling the requirements is challenging, and the Ascension itself is a lengthy process," Beta told him. "My creators wished to facilitate it. Another goal was to find a way to reach the higher planes without eliminating the possibility of returning to this universe."
That sounded like the Ancients might have had doubts about the entire process despite Beta's claim that it was proven to work, in Sam's opinion.
"Well, according to one of Earth's religions, finding enlightenment is supposed to be a process that takes several lives," Daniel said. "And, err, this sounds like a similar process. There might be shared roots, actually, for the concepts."
The General snorted. "So, the First Ones didn't want to abandon all earthly desires to ascend, huh?"
"I cannot comment on my creator's goals except for what I was told," Beta replied.
"I'll take that as a 'yes', then."
"Jack!"
"I'm calling it like I'm seeing it."
Daniel shook his head at the General. "You can't just assume that the Ancients were like us - they had a vastly different and more advanced culture. You shouldn't project our own morals and way of thinking on them or you'll make incorrect assumptions."
"Didn't seem like they were too different from us," Glimmer commented.
"Well, technologically, they were far ahead of us," Entrapta said.
"We're talking about their morals," Glimmer retorted. "They were willing to destroy Etheria to beat Horde Prime."
That was something many humans would have done as well, Sam had to admit. Some would have done it just to deny the world to the enemy. But Daniel was also correct - they couldn't just treat the Ancients as humans with better technology.
"Did you send Catra to those 'higher planes of existence'?" Adora asked.
Sam glanced at her and winced - her friend looked like she wanted to break something. Maybe Beta.
"No," Beta replied, seemingly unaware of the tension. "The experiment is still in the early stages. The dimension focused upon shares some characteristics with the higher planes of existence, according to our data. Mainly, that sapient minds can easily influence and shape it when exposed to it."
Sam frowned. She couldn't help doubting this.
Bow asked: "Why would sapience be required for that?"
"Lesser life forms are ruled by instincts and emotions. In order to ascend, you have to overcome both," Beta said.
"That sounds like straight out of a self-help book," the General said.
"It has been verified through experimentation, General O'Neill," Beta told him.
"I wonder what kind of experimentation that was," he retorted.
"Do you wish to access the data?"
"Ah… maybe later." And now he looked sheepish.
But Sam understood the reaction - some of the Ancients' experiments were beyond the pale. And she still hadn't heard a good reason for not using animals as test subjects. "But even if you need sapient minds to influence the dimension, you could use animals to test the transporting process."
"They would not deliver any new data. In order to retrieve a test subject, the projector relies on finding them through the changes they effect in the dimension compared to the base parameters."
"You're using their effects on the environment to find them?" Bow asked. "Like, tracking their steps?"
"It's a crude approximation, but essentially, yes," Beta replied.
"Well, finding Catra shouldn't be hard then - she tends to leave a huge impact wherever she goes," Glimmer joked.
Adora didn't laugh, though. "What is the problem then? Why do you need more test subjects?"
"While we have managed to track such changes, we have not yet managed to find a test subject to recover. The current hypothesis is that the process of tracking them takes too long to lock on to them."
Entrapta cocked her head. "I think we need to see the data for that."
Sam nodded in agreement.
Unknown Location, January 29th, 2000 (Earth Time)
"You know, I'm not going to run," Catra commented, trying to sound far more confident than she felt, when Adora grabbed her upper arm and all but dragged her towards the throne room.
"Yeah, right."
Catra suppressed a wince at the cold tone. "It would be pointless, wouldn't it? With you here, surrounded by guards, in the middle of Bright Moon…"
"That never stopped you before!"
That was true. The stupid things Catra had done in the past… "I've changed," she replied.
Adora scoffed in return. "I know you. You won't ever change."
Catra pressed her lips together and tried not to show how that hurt. This wasn't her Adora. She had to remind herself of that. She was in some alternate dimension or whatever. Her Adora knew her. Loved her.
She tried to shrug while they turned a corner. "I changed my hairstyle."
Catra almost stumbled when Adora stopped walking and turned to look at her. "That doesn't change anything!" she spat before turning away and continuing on.
That's weird, Catra thought. Adora had acted as if she hadn't noticed Catra's hairstyle before. Of course, it was just a new hairstyle - and she had lost her Horde headgear, couldn't forget that - but still… Catra would have noticed any change in Adora right away. And had as soon as she had seen this Adora.
Maybe this Adora didn't care enough about Catra to pay attention to such details. That hurt a bit more.
Maybe she's not as obsessed with you as you are with her? Maybe she has finally realised how worthless you are? a voice that sounded like Shadow Weaver whispered in the back of her head.
Catra clenched her teeth and hissed under her breath. She wasn't worthless! And Adora wouldn't do that!
Adora snorted. "Realised you can't escape, huh?"
Catra pressed her lips together. Adora had misunderstood her reaction. But she wasn't about to correct her. "I realised that from the start," she replied.
Adora just sneered in return.
They reached their destination before Catra could think of anything else to say. The guards at the entrance stepped to the side and opened the doors, revealing the throne room, and Catra had to suppress another hiss.
Angella was sitting on her throne, Glimmer standing at her side, both wearing… full regalia, was the term, probably. A dozen guards lined the carpet leading to the throne. And most of the Princess Alliance seemed to be clustered on both sides of the throne. Bow, Perfuma, Mermista, Spinnerella, Netossa and Frosta, who was still a preteen brat. No Entrapta, though. No Scorpia, either, but that was to be expected. Yeah, this must be before the portal. So…
Catra froze as she spotted another figure there, back in the corner to the side, flanked by two guards.
Shadow Weaver.
"What's she doing here?" she hissed halfway to the throne.
"Silence!" Adora spat.
She wasn't going to stay silent! Not with that snake in the room! But Adora tightened her grip on Catra's upper arm and pulled her along.
As soon as they reached the throne, Adora pushed Catra ahead. "I've brought the prisoner!"
"Thank you!" Angella smiled at Adora before scowling at Catra. Like everyone else here.
Catra clenched her teeth and straightened. She couldn't lose her temper. Not here. She had weathered worse. Those weren't the princesses she knew, anyway. Unless this was the past, of course. She focused on Angella and bowed her head. "Your majesty."
"Catra."
Catra suppressed a wince at the icy tone. So much scorn in a single word! "Yes." She swallowed a quip about not wearing out her name. She had to be diplomatic. This wasn't her world. Not her Adora.
Angella sniffed and went on. "The leader of the Horde. The woman who commanded the invasions of our kingdoms. The fool who almost destroyed the entire world in her crazed lust for power!"
Catra flinched - she had done that. And more. She swallowed, then straightened again, She could man up to her past. "Yes."
"You admit it."
"No point in lying." Catra managed to shrug. "I know what I did."
"And you're proud of it!" Angella spat.
"What? No!" Catra shook her head. "I'm not proud of it."
"Liar."
Catra jerked - Shadow Weaver had spoken up. She had forgotten about the woman's presence for a moment.
"I know you," Shadow Weaver went on. "You're full of pride even if the only thing you've achieved is hurting people."
"You don't know me!" Catra spat.
"I raised you." Shadow Weaver glided forward. Even with the mask, Catra knew she was sneering at her. "I know you better than you know yourself. I know what a failure and disappointment you are."
"I'm not a failure!"
Catra only realised that she had taken a few steps towards the miserable old witch when Adora's hand closed around her arm again. It took all of Catra's self-control not to curse at Shadow Weaver. She was better than that.
"Enough. You've admitted your guilt. We will decide on your punishment." Angella nodded at Adora. "Please take her back to her cell."
Catra's eyes widened. That was far too quick! "Wait! I'm not the Catra you know!" she blurted out. "I'm from another dimension!"
Adora didn't stop dragging her away, but when Catra looked over her shoulder, she saw Angella gasp and stare at her.
"You've got the wrong Catra!"
Adora snorted at that. The entire Alliance present laughed. Except for Angella. The woman didn't say anything and just kept staring at her until the doors closed behind Catra and Adora.