Chapter 32: The Interview Part 2

Earth Orbit, Solar System, September 12th, 1998 (Earth Time)

"Oh, my! I never expected to do an interview in space!"

Catra raised her eyebrows at the outburst from the CNN journalist.

Mr Pullmann - he hadn't asked them to call him Bob, unlike in his latest interview - stared through the windows on Darla's bridge, shaking his head before he turned to face them. "You know, it looks exactly like on the picture I've seen, but it's so different if you're seeing it in person."

"Really? That is weird," Entrapta spoke up. "Are you sure that this isn't just an emotional bias?"

Pullmann blinked. "Ah… Actually, that is what I was talking about."

"Ah! So it wasn't because of inferior optics." Entrapta nodded, satisfied, then turned around and started to dictate her findings into her device.

Pullman blinked again.

Glimmer cleared her throat. "So, do you want to do the interview on the bridge or in the lounge?"

"We would also offer the hold, but it's also serving as our laboratory, so that's not going to work well," Entrapta added, looking up and letting her hair handle her device.

That didn't seem to unnerve Mr Pullmann, Catra noted - he had prepared for this, of course. Or had been prepared. That made her wonder if his awe at the sight of space was an act as well.

"I think the bridge will do nicely. The throne makes for a nice background," he replied.

"Throne?" Glimmer frowned.

Catra chuckled. "That's not a throne. That's the Captain's Chair."

"Yes!" Entrapta piped up. "Darla is She-Ra's ship, and when Mara, Adora's predecessor, was in control of it, she wasn't a Princess. Well, as far as we know - there probably were princesses back then, but we don't have any definite records about She-Ra's status. Especially since Mara was a foreigner."

"Oh." Pullman nodded. "I know you should never ask a lady about her age, but… how old is Darla?"

"About a thousand years, give or take a century," Entrapta replied as Pullmann's eyebrows rose. "But we completely restored her and brought her up to modern standards."

"Yes." Adora nodded. "Darla's the equal of any other ship in her class now."

Catra knew Darla was now actually better than any other ship in her class that they knew about, but there was no need to share that information. So she shrugged. "She still looks ancient, of course. But I doubt that we could fool anyone like we did in the war."

Pullman, as expected, perked up at that. "Maybe we could talk about that during the interview?"

"Of course," Adora said. "Although you'll understand that we can't go into every detail - we're still at war."

"Oh. Do you expect there to be more alien spies on Earth?"

"It's just good practice not to share potentially crucial intel," Catra told him.

"Loose lips sink spaceships, huh?" He smiled.

"Something like that," Glimmer said. "Although usually, it's Sea Hawk who sinks ships."

"And sings," Catra added.

Pullman frowned just a little but didn't ask who Sea Hawk was. Too bad - Catra would have loved explaining.

"So, let's start?" Adora said. "What about the Earth as a background?" she pointed at the seats lining the wall below the window. Just as Melissa had suggested.

"It's your ship," Pullman replied.

"Then let's get set up," Adora said. "We have the camera prepared."

"It should be compatible with your system - just from watching your program, we didn't hack your systems to check," Entrapta said. "But once you upgrade to full holographic projections, you can use the recording for that as well."

"Ah. Good to know - although that will probably take a while. No one in the United States, or on Earth, has a holographic system," Pullman said.

"Well, that should change once you start upteching. Until then, you could run both systems in parallel - I thought about a way to do that if you're interested in some outlines."

Adora coughed.

"Oops. Sorry - we didn't start the interview, and I'm already questioning you instead of the other way around. Sorry!" Entrapta beamed at him.

Pullman smiled. "Oh, no - I like it when an interview feels more like a discussion than an interrogation."

"Oh, yes. In a discussion, people don't get annoyed if you keep slipping out of your cuffs."

And there he was confused again. Catra still wasn't entirely sure that including Entrapta in the interview was a good idea, but it seemed to be working for them so far.

"So, let's take our seats," Adora said. "The camera's here."

"I wanted Emily to record it, but she doesn't fit into the bridge," Entrapta added. "Emily's my best bot. She's a modified assault bot with reinforced armour plate and a stronger blaster. I'll introduce you after the interview."

Pullmann's smile didn't slip, but his eyebrows rose again. "I'm looking forward to it."

And then they sat down. Adora and Glimmer in the middle, flanked by Catra and Bow, with Entrapta on Bow's other side and Hordak next to her. And Melog next to Catra.

"So, we're here, floating above Earth," Pullman started, "in Darla, Princess She-Ra's personal spaceship. And I think everyone knows Queen Glimmer of Bright Moon, She-Ra, Princess of Power, Queen Entrapta of Dryl, Catra, Bow, and Hordak. And Melog. I'm Bob Pullman, for CNN."

The Mountain, Colorado, United States, Earth, September 13th, 1998 (Earth Time)

"...and I'm just saying - the Marine Corps has the experience when it comes to landing operations and boarding ships. We're the obvious choice to expand into space-based landing operations and security on spaceships."

Jack O'Neill rolled his eyes as he stepped into the lift - he could do that; he was a Colonel, Warren was a Major. And the commander of SG-3 was a Marine. Of course he'd claim that the Marines were the first choice to go into space. "No one has any experience with space-based landing operations," he replied.

"But the fundamentals are the same - we're used to living on ships for lengths of time, landing on hostile shores… the Army isn't used to that."

Jack shook his head. "It's not the same. Space is different." Otherwise, might as well let the Navy take over.

"Really? And you're not just saying this because the Navy's trying to take over space-based forces from the Air Force?" Warren asked.

Jack snorted. "It's the same for them - they have no experience in space."

"But they have experience with submarines. Which are pretty close to spaceships."

That was a good argument, actually. But Jack would be damned if he'd let such a thing influence him when it came to defending Air Force turf. "Stargate Command is an Air Force program - we've got the most experience with aliens, alien technology, other planets - you name it, we did it."

"I recall SG-3 being Marines," Warren retorted.

"You're honorary Air Force." Jack grinned at Warren's scowl. "But yes, in a pinch, I'd take the Corps over the Army. You're more used to operating on a thin supply line."

"Good. This is going to be bloody. Very bloody," Warren said. "I've got calls from every officer I know or have heard of about Stargate Command. And I've been called in for a meeting with the top brass."

Jack snorted. "Of course it's going to be bloody. The service that gets to control the American space forces will dominate the armed forces. The Navy is looking at becoming obsolete in short order." Once spaceships were on the horizon, the Navy would lose all relevance - who wanted or needed aircraft carriers if you had spaceships? Or missile cruisers? Or destroyers?

"They will suffer so many cuts, the Coast Guard will have a bigger budget," Warren said.

Jack chuckled. Served the Navy pukes right.

"On the other hand, if they get to expand into space, the Air Force's done for," Warren went on.

Jack clenched his teeth to avoid cursing. Warren was correct - if the Navy became the space force, they would get all the shiny new space fighters. The Air Force would lose out - hell, they might even get folded back into the Army, to provide close air support and transport or something. "That won't happen," he said. "We've got both the Space Command and Stargate Command. We've got too much experience." And personal contacts with the Etherians. "You'd have to be an idiot to throw that away."

"That never stopped Washington," Warren said. "And Space Command? Really?"

Jack shrugged. General Naird and his bunch of nerds didn't have any real experience with aliens or combat, being glorified satellite handlers. But they were Air Force Space Command. And with Stargate Command apparently being put under United Nations control, the Air Force needed every little bit of help.

They reached their floor - the canteen. Where the television would be showing the first-ever interview with the Etherians. Warren and Jack entered and moved to the front, where Daniel waved. "I saved us a table!" he said.

"I'll be sitting with my guys," Warren said, nodding and walking over to SG-3 in the corner.

Jack sighed as he sat down. "So… what are the pundits saying about this?"

Daniel shrugged. "Mostly nothing."

"But in many, many words." Jack chuckled.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed. "Their use of words was very inefficient."

"That's because they are paid to talk," Carter said.

Jack nodded. "And if they don't talk at length whenever they can, people might question their salaries." But he didn't want to discuss budgets again. "So… does anyone have the inside scoop?" He looked at Daniel and Carter.

"No," Daniel said. "I know they've been preparing for this with consultants, but that's all."

"Entrapta sounded quite optimistic about their preparations," Carter added.

"Well, it's not live at least," Jack said. "So, whatever is being broadcast won't be too bad."

His friends didn't seem to share his optimism. "CNN won't accept too much editing," Daniel said. "If they accept any at all."

Carter nodded. "Entrapta didn't mention anything about final approval."

Great. Jack wished the canteen would serve alcohol. He had a feeling that he'd need a stiff drink soon.

Earth Orbit, Earth, Solar System, September 13th, 1998 (Earth Time)

"It's starting!"

Adora couldn't help feeling that Catra sounded far too cheerful about this. Or far too confident about the interview. Adora didn't share that confidence. She was sure she had done something wrong. Mr Brown had been a bit… diplomatic after watching the recording. And Julie had been terse. And Melissa had stuck to comments about their body language, makeup and clothes. But if it was truly bad, wouldn't they have said something? Or kept Entrapta from handing the recording over to Mr Pullman?

"Good!" Entrapta, of course, was happy as ever as she used her hair to lift her over the back of the couch she had installed in the hold and plopped down in front of the huge television screen she had constructed for the occasion. "I made popcorn since I was told that that is the traditional meal to eat while watching this!"

"I think popcorn is for watching entertainment," Bow commented as he took a seat on the second couch.

"This certainly should be entertaining," Catra said. "Come on, Adora! It's starting!"

Adora glanced at Glimmer, who sighed, obviously also not as confident as the rest of them, and joined her lover on the third couch.

Hordak, carrying a huge tray loaded with Earth drinks of all kinds - Adora wondered if he needed his armour's servos to lift it - arrived just as the logo on the screen faded, and they saw a studio with Mr Pullmann seated behind a big desk.

"Good evening, America! I'm Bob Pullman," he said - even though his name also appeared in a small band at the bottom of the screen, "and I'm here to present the first in-depth interview with our visitors from the planet Etheria."

"So they did count the questions we were asked in Switzerland as an interview!" Entrapta nodded.

"Not necessarily," Hordak retorted. "They might just want to stress the personal aspect."

"Shhh!" Bow hissed. "It's starting!"

And indeed, once more, the screen changed - this time to a view of Darla's bridge, every one of them lined up, with Earth visible behind them and Mr Pullman on the right side, facing them. And their names and titles appeared below them on the screen.

"Queen Glimmer, Princess She-Ra, Princess Entrapta, Mr Bow, Miss Catra, Mr Hordak, Melog, thank you for granting me an interview. I am aware that you are terribly busy with politics and the war, and I appreciate that you made time to answer the questions of the public." Mr Pullman nodded with a smile.

"Oh, think nothing of it!" Adora said. "We appreciate the opportunity to explain more about ourselves. You should never blindly trust people, after all, right?"

Adora winced. Her smile looked forced - but she had been so nervous!

"Honesty is the best policy, or so you said, right?" Mr Pullman asked.

"Yes!"

"I don't want to pry, but that sounds as if this stems from personal experience." The man leaned forward with an earnest expression on his face.

"Ah… Yes, we've had experiences with betrayal and lies." Adora nodded earnestly. As did Catra, although with a scowl on her face.

"But also with misunderstandings based on a lack of reliable data!" Entrapta piped up - she was sitting on the edge of her seat, her hair moving around her. "Once I thought I had been abandoned in the war, but my friends thought I had been killed, so they didn't send a rescue mission while I was waiting."

"Oh?" Mr Pullman tilted his head, eyebrows raising. "That sounds like a harrowing experience, But you obviously survived."

"Yes! And I met Hordak and Catra through it!" Entrapta replied. "Although I had met Catra before, at the Princess Prom."

"Which is a ball for all the Princesses and Princes of Etheria, held every ten years," Glimmer cut in. "It is the most important event in international politics and diplomacy."

Adora saw herself reaching over and squeezing Catra's thigh before her lover could say that she had blown it up. Catra might be doing it because she still felt guilty about it or because she liked to grandstand or a bit of both, but this wasn't the time for either.

"Which brings us to the first topic. Etheria." Mr Pullman nodded. "It is a planet ruled by princes and princesses, right?"

"Yes," Glimmer told him. "There are over a hundred kingdoms of various sizes."

"And you're the queen."

"The traditional title for the ruler of Bright Moon is Queen," she said. "But that doesn't mean I have a higher rank than Princess Entrapta. We're both sovereign rulers of our respective kingdoms."

"Yes! Although Dryl is much smaller than Bright Moon, and I'm not an Elemental Princess," Entrapta cut in. "My magic power is my prehensible hair while the Elemental Princesses control the elements - well, after a fashion."

"But we're all equal in the Alliance," Glimmer said.

"Speaking of equality," Mr Pullman spoke up again. "You are undoubtedly aware that on Earth, absolute monarchies are very rare nowadays. Most countries are democracies. Are there any democracies on Etheria?"

"Not really," Bow spoke up. "Not on a kingdom level, at least. Many villages elect their leader or mayor, but that's often the son or daughter of the previous leader. And of course, pirates elect their captains, but I don't think they count." He grinned before growing serious again. "The rule of princesses and princes goes back to before the Age of War and has never been seriously challenged on Etheria. Part of the reason for that is, of course, tradition at this point, but in the past, it was likely based on the fact that all princesses and princes have a magic talent."

"That sounds as if it would be very difficult to replace a princess with a democratically elected representative," Mr Pullman said.

"Well, certain kingdoms do rely on the magical power of their ruler. Like Mermista's control over the Seagate, which keeps Salineas safe. Or Perfuma's control over plants, which feeds her kingdom," Bow said.

"Two kingdoms, actually, since the Fright Zone still needs her help," Glimmer said.

"Ah. So, if people would turn against their princess, they would lose their help?"

"Yes," Hordak said without hesitation. "Not unlike the Earth custom of granting special privileges to the rich in the hope that they will share their money with the poor, I believe."

Mr Pullman's smile grew a bit blander in response, and he leaned forward. "Do you think that the position of rich people on Earth is comparable to princesses on Etheria?"

Hordak looked as if he didn't understand the question. "I just said that, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did." Mr Pullman nodded.

"It's similar," Adora spoke up. "As a princess, you have responsibilities. You have power but also a duty to use it well. Especially as a ruling princess. You have to protect and help those who need it."

"Noblesse oblige?" Mr Pullman asked. "Privilege entails responsibility?" He smiled. "With great power comes great responsibility?"

"Of course!" Glimmer agreed, nodding emphatically. "That is what the princess alliance is all about."

"It's also a defence pact," Hordak added.

"Yes," Glimmer told him, looking a little annoyed. "But at its core, it's about using your power to protect your people - and everyone else."

"Let's come back to the comparison of princesses to rich people on Earth," Mr Pullman said. "Or, to be precise, to rich people. Do you need to be a princess to be rich on Etheria? How does the economy work?"

"That depends on how you define 'rich'," Bow replied. "There are many merchants and other people who are wealthy, but the differences between them and the other people aren't as large as on Earth." He frowned. "As far as the economy goes… I'm not an expert, that would be my brother, Count, but Etheria has a much smaller economy. And it's not quite as industrialised."

"Yes," Catra chimed in. "The Horde's factories were a major advantage in the war. The Alliance couldn't match their production."

"We did pretty well in blowing up the tanks and bots," Glimmer said with a toothy smile.

"Only once She-Ra appeared," Catra shot back.

Bow coughed. "Anyway, one difference I spotted is that more of the economy is run by the kingdoms. There are lots of farmers and artisans, but most of the big projects are controlled by the princesses and princes."

"A state-controlled economy?"

"Of course," Hordak spoke up again. "How could you efficiently run a kingdom if you didn't have control over its production? Salineas would have fallen far sooner if they had been producing merchantmen instead of warships during the war."

"That sounds like a planned economy," Mr Pullman said. "That was attempted on Earth a few times, but with mixed results."

"You probably lacked the data to properly plan," Entrapta said. "That happened to me a few times - I had built so many bots, I couldn't use all of them. And the Horde ran into supply issues when it built too many tanks and not enough transports."

"Oh. You're talking about a war economy," Mr Pullman said.

"Yes?" Adora tilted her head. "We are at war, after all. Well, we were recovering from the war against the Horde when we heard about the Goa'uld, but we were quickly back on a war footing."

"Something Earth hasn't done," Catra added. "Despite being at war with the Goa'uld."

"Well, we weren't even aware of being at war with them," Mr Pullman replied. "Most of Earth, at least."

"Yeah, we were very surprised when we heard that," Entrapta said. "But now that you know, you can spin up war production!"

"That's for the government to decide," Mr Pullman told her. "But let's talk about the war some more. You were fighting the Horde on Etheria for decades, or so I've heard."

"Yes," Glimmer said. "My parents were founding members of the Princess Alliance. That was before I was born, after the Horde had taken over the Scorpion Kingdom and started its conquest of Etheria."

"It was the first such alliance since the Age of War," Bow added. "And the largest in recorded history. There were temporary alliances since then, but none involving so many princesses."

"And it barely managed to slow down our advance at the start," Hordak said. "Despite my preparations having been, in hindsight, insufficient."

"You mean you underestimated us," Glimmer retorted.

"Pardon me," Mr Pullman said. "But you fought each other?"

"I created and led the Horde on Etheria!" Hordak said. "I introduced its technology to Etheria - although since I was alone and had to rebuild my tech base by myself, my means were limited."

"Which was a very good thing," Bow quickly said. "Otherwise, you might have conquered Etheria for Horde Prime."

Hordak scowled. "Yes, as it turned out, I was misguided. Manipulated and exploited."

"You weren't the only one," Catra said.

"But it all worked out in the end!" Entrapta patted Hordak's thigh with her hand. "We came together and beat Horde Prime!"

"Yes," Adora said, nodding emphatically. "Once Horde Prime's fleet arrived, everyone fought him, and we won."

"You allied with former enemies? Even the leader of the Horde?" Mr Pullman sounded surprised.

"I was the leader of the Horde on Etheria. Until Horde Prime made it very clear that there was only one leader in the entire Horde - himself. And that we others were merely vessels for his will." Hordak scowled. "He tried to wipe out my consciousness, but I defied him."

"And you beat him," Entrapta said.

"Adora did kill him," Catra pointed out.

"We all worked together," Adora said. "And yes, we took in everyone who wanted to change. I was a former Horde soldier myself."

"You were a cadet. You never led the Horde," Catra cut in. "I did."

"You got better," Adora shot back. After a moment, both of them laughed.

Mr Pullman looked… very surprised.

The Mountain, Colorado, United States, Earth, September 13th, 1998 (Earth Time)

Samantha Carter suppressed a groan while on the screen, Adora started to explain how they grew up and how they 'split up temporarily', with Catra making snarky remarks.

The Colonel didn't hold back. "For Crying out loud!" he muttered. "Why did their consultants let that go through?"

"Probably because if they tried to hide that, it would have been revealed anyway, possibly at the worst moment?" Daniel speculated. "You know that Adora isn't the best at hiding something like that."

Or anything. Sam agreed with the assessment. Anyone expecting Adora to hide anything about her relationship with Catra was a fool. "I concur."

"Yeah, yeah, she's all for being honest - but I bet that 'reformed conquering warlords' wasn't the public image the Etherians were aiming for," the Colonel said.

Teal'c tilted his head. "Why would they not aim for such a revelation? As I was told, and have seen on television, the people of the United States love repenting sinners."

The Colonel winced. "Yeah, but repenting sinners usually don't joke about their sins. Not on television, at least. They do that repenting thing."

Sam had to agree.

"...and then we saved her and returned to Etheria to fight Horde Prime," Adora finished her - quite edited, Sam knew - story.

"Now that's a story!" Pullman was smiling widely again. "So, not only did you recruit former enemies during the war, but after you won, you incorporated them into your countries?"

"Not quite," Glimmer spoke up. "Scorpia restored her kingdom, the Scorpion Kingdom, that the Horde had turned into the Fright Zone. And she decided to join the Alliance."

"She decided to join Perfuma," Catra commented with a grin.

Adora frowned. "I am sure that Scorpia would have joined the Alliance even if she weren't together with Perfuma. It was a sound decision, given her experiences."

"Well, you said that she defected during the war on Etheria. But what about the Horde soldiers who didn't defect to the Alliance during the war?" Pullman asked. "Weren't you concerned about what they would do - and what they had done?"

"If they want to change they still deserve a second chance," Adora said. "Everyone deserves the chance to change. Just because you made mistakes in the past doesn't mean you should be damned forever."

"And there weren't many die-hard Horde soldiers - most of their troops defected before the end," Glimmer replied. "Horde Prime made it clear that he didn't really care for anyone but himself. Not at all. Not even for his clones."

"Yes," Hordak said. "And with Horde Prime dead, my brothers were, for the first time in their lives, free to make their own decisions. So it was easy to recruit them."

"We didn't 'recruit' them," Adora protested. "They joined us because of WrongHordak and Priest."

"WrongHordak was our first friend from the Horde," Entrapta explained. "We saved him when we saved Catra. Priest saw She-Ra eradicate Horde Prime and decided to worship her. And many followed his example."

"When you say 'worship', what exactly do you mean?" Pullman asked.

"Uh… exactly, that, worship?" Adora said with a strained smile.

"They consider her a goddess," Catra added with a smirk.

"I didn't ask for it! And denying it doesn't work!"

"And this 'Priest' would be in command of the ships currently orbiting Earth?" Pullman's smile looked fake now.

"Yes!" Entrapta nodded. "And the rest of the Fleet currently stationed outside the Solar System. We didn't want to scare you accidentally by bringing all the ships. And their numbers might distort the night sky, which might affect the work of your astronomers."

"I see." Pullman nodded. "And, speaking of space and war fleets, you first heard of the Goa'uld when a team from Earth accidentally landed on your planet, right?"

"Well, they arrived through a Stargate, so they didn't technically land, but yes," Entrapta said.

"You'd never heard of them before?"

"Melog did," Catra said, pointing at the big cat next to her seat. "Their people knew them and what they were. We almost fought SG-1 because they felt the larva inside Teal'c."

Sam winced, and the Colonel cursed. That hadn't been widely known yet. Teal'c wasn't showing any reaction, but Daniel looked worried.

"Teal'c?" Pullman asked.

"Yes." Adora nodded. "He defected from the Goa'uld and joined Stargate Command."

"And he carries a Goa'uld inside him?" Pullman was leaning forward.

"Yes, a larva. That's how the Goa'uld breed, you know," Entrapta explained. "They put a larva inside one of their Jaffa, where it grows over several years until it is mature, at which point it gets a host, usually a human, and the Jaffa gets a new larva. The Jaffa depend on the larva for their immune system, you know? I would have thought that that was a defect, but the Goa'uld made the Jaffa that way so they had to stay loyal." She frowned. "They could have had their loyalty just by being nicer, I think."

"That sounds… horrible, actually," Pullman said.

"Yes! Not only do they enslave people, but they also use them as hosts, trapping them in their own bodies, and treat their soldiers as slaves and incubators." Glimmer nodded with a grim expression. "They are as bad as Horde Prime was. As soon as we heard about them, we knew we had to fight them."

"Yes," Adora agreed. "Such evil can't be tolerated. They already oppress countless people and they want to conquer everyone else - and they have destroyed worlds like Horde Prime did."

"Not on the same scale or using the same means," Entrapa added, "but for the dead people it works out the same, I think."

"So you think everyone needs to fight the Goa'uld?"

"Of course," Adora said. "If you don't fight them, they'll destroy you. They'll wreck your cities, kill your people and raise your children as their brainwashed slaves. Together, we can beat them and free their slaves!"

"That seems logical." Pullman nodded. "Although something seems a little strange. If the Goa'uld are such a threat, and you're used to working with former enemies, why are you so hesitant to form an alliance with Earth? Or at least with the United States, since you've been working with Stargate Command for a while already?"

Sam winced again. She was certain that many Americans wouldn't like the answer.

Earth Orbit, Earth, Solar System, September 13th, 1998 (Earth Time)

"Now comes the best part!" Catra grinned. Adora groaned, and Catra patted her arm. "Honesty is the best policy, right?"

On the screen, Adora raised her chin with that adorably determined expression of hers. "That actually ties back to our history. When Hordak was stranded on Etheria, he was welcomed by the Scorpion Kingdom and taken in as a shipwrecked stranger. And in a few years, he had taken over the kingdom, turned it into the Fright Zone and started to conquer Etheria."

"It wasn't quite as simple," Hordak cut in. "The rulers of the Scorpion Kingdom didn't just take me in out of the goodness of their hearts - the princesses were interested in my technology. Especially my weapons. Without their support, I couldn't have formed the industrial base for the Horde on Etheria."

"I'm sure they didn't want to conquer Etheria," Glimmer said.

"But a little border adjustment?" Catra grinned.

"Anyway!" Adora raised her voice a little. "We want to limit our technology to countries that we can trust not to abuse our help to conquer their neighbours - or attack us."

"And you don't trust the United States?" Pullman raised his eyebrows. "Your actions with Stargate Command seem to indicate a close relationship."

"We trust SG-1," Adora replied. "They're our friends. But that doesn't mean we trust everyone else in their country." She wrapped an arm around Catra's shoulders. "I mean… they wouldn't have let us into the army just because we love each other! How can you trust a country with such… such…"

"...such prejudices," Bow finished for her. He nodded with a serious expression. "I have two Dads. That wouldn't be possible in your country - it would be illegal. They couldn't marry. They couldn't have my siblings or me."

"But that doesn't mean that the USA would turn on you - the United States isn't in the business of enforcing their own morals on others," Pullman retorted. "Least of all their allies. Just look at Saudi Arabia or Kuwait."

"Well, a lot of your people seem to disagree," Glimmer said with a frown. "They call for our murder." She shook her head. "Yes, they are supposed to be a minority - but what kind of ruler would tolerate such demands when trying to form an alliance? What kind of ruler would let his subjects plot their supposed allies' death?"

"And it's not just the hostility - it's the insanity of it," Catra added. "We haven't done anything to them. Just because Adora and I are in love…" She blushed a little. "...apparently is enough of a reason for them to demand that we should be killed."

"Yes!" Adora nodded emphatically. "It's so insane! Completely crazy! What does it matter if we're both women? We love each other! We want to be happy together! Perhaps… form a family sometime in the future!" She blushed. "Just like everyone else! Why would that be wrong? We're not harming anyone!"

"We're not trying to 'make people gay'," Bow added with a scowl. "We're not telling anyone to stop loving their partner or partners."

"Unlike your people," Catra added.

Pullman frowned at that. "Well, as you said yourself, those people calling for violence are a tiny minority…"

Catra snorted. "A minority who can legally plan our death in your country."

"That's not entirely correct. Actually planning a murder is illegal."

"But telling others to murder people isn't against your law. Marrying your love is, though - if they're the same gender as yours." Glimmer crossed her arms over her chest. "That sounds insane to me."

"We just want the same as everyone else," Adora repeated herself: "Being happy with our love. Why are so many people against that? Why should that be illegal?"

Pullman cleared his throat. "Well, many of the more conservative people in the United States - and elsewhere - think same-sex relationships are immoral."

"Why?" Entrapta leaned forward. "There has to be a reason for that. Murder is wrong because you kill innocent people. Stealing is wrong because you take what isn't yours. Conducting experiments with new high-explosives in your laboratory instead of in the desert or a bunker is wrong because you risk hurting others in the castle if something goes wrong." She nodded. "But who would get hurt if my friends marry each other?"

Pullman didn't like those questions, Catra thought, but he was back to smiling politely. "Well, some people think that allowing such marriages would encourage such marriages - and would set an example for impressionable teenagers."

Catra snorted. "You don't want your people to have loving relationships and families?"

"A lot of the conservatives in the United States consider same-sex relationships a sin. They don't want people to sin. Or be tempted to sin."

"That makes no sense," Entrapta said.

"Would they rather have their family be unhappy?" Bow asked. "Why would it matter if you have two Dads or two Moms, or a Mom and a Dad? What matters is whether or not you love your family and care for them! And that doesn't depend on your gender!"

Pullman cleared his throat. "Well, as I said, those who advocate for violence are a tiny minority, and those who think your relationships should be illegal are also a minority according to our last polls."

"If they're a minority, why can't you change the laws? That's how democracy works, right? The majority sets the laws!" Catra said, staring at Pullman. "So, if you can't actually change your laws, doesn't that mean that those people aren't a minority?"

"And that is why you fear they would turn on you?" Pullman asked.

"It's one of the reasons," Glimmer replied. "How can we trust people who hate us just because we're not following their religion? People who are trying to force their views on others by outlawing relationships they don't like? If they're willing to force everyone like us in your country to be unhappy, why wouldn't they do that to everyone else if they had the power to conquer Earth?"

"We've read about your religious wars and conquests," Bow added.

"Those were hundreds of years ago," Pullman replied. "No one is calling for a crusade any more."

Catra scoffed. "I think some people in your country would disagree about that."

"Anyway, that's why we won't share our technology with a country we cannot trust to at least accept us as we are," Adora said. "But there's another reason for that. Those people who want us gone just because we love each other, because they think others could see us and realise that they have the same feelings, they don't know how much pain and misery they cause. Catra and I, we were orphans, raised in the Horde by a… manipulative woman."

Catra leaned into her love. Shadow Weaver had a lot to answer for.

Adora took a deep breath. "She left us ignorant of what love was - we didn't realise what we were feeling for each other. As a result, we hurt each other, very much. We almost killed each other - we almost doomed our world over this." She raised her chin. "We don't want anyone else going through this pain. And that is why we won't share our technology with any country where people can do this to each other."

"Legally, that is," Bow added.

"Yes." Adora stared at the camera. "Because you cannot trust someone like that - someone who can't be happy if you're happy with your love. We know this."

The Mountain, Colorado, United States, Earth, September 13th, 1998 (Earth Time)

Jack O'Neill closed his eyes and sighed. The Etherians didn't pull punches. "I thought they had some PR weenies advising them," he muttered.

"They do, yes," Carter replied.

"Then why did they just push every damn button of the conservatives?" Planned economy, monarchy, being worshipped as a god, gay marriage… He looked around - a number of the soldiers watching the interview looked angry.

"They haven't talked about magic yet," Daniel unhelpfully pointed out.

"I'm sure that'll happen as well," Jack told him. "But seriously? I thought they wanted to play nice with the conservatives!"

"I believe that they realised that the more extreme members of the conservatives are a hopeless cause and decided to appeal to the moderates," Teal'c commented.

Jack blinked and stared at his friend. Political commentary from Teal'c?

"I had ample time to watch television since our return, and I decided to educate myself on the domestic politics of the United States." Teal'c nodded.

Ah. Which was kind of worrying. But the interview went on.

"Let's address another subject that is controversial: Magic," Pullman said. "There have been several reports that you are planning to 'return magic' to Earth. Could you elaborate on this?"

"Well, it's simple," Adora said. "About a thousand years ago, the First Ones stole magic to power their superweapon to destroy Horde Prime - and they planned for a lot of collateral damage. They were stopped by my predecessor, Mara, but she couldn't return the stolen magic. Since we defeated Horde Prime, we've been working to return magic to the various planets." She smiled. "It's slow going, especially with the war, but we'll get there. And once we have won the war, we can use the Stargate Network to visit the affected planets more easily and much more quickly."

"Those planets which haven't been destroyed by Horde Prime," Glimmer added with a frown.

"So… you carry magic with you and then release it?" Pullman asked.

"Oh, no!" Entrapta shook her head. "That's not how it works. You can't store magic like that - well, you could, if you had the right crystal matrix, but it would be very hard to transport, and releasing it wouldn't return magic to the planet, not in the way that matters. Magic is constantly generated on life-bearing planets. Or it should. Anyway, the First Ones kind of shunted the magic generated off to collect it to power their weapon. It's a very complex and fascinating piece of magic engineering, actually. The possibilities if we could duplicate the basic mechanics…" She coughed. "Anyway, so, once you dismantle that shunt, the planet's magic is available again for the people on it."

"The natural order restored," Glimmer added.

"So, you claim that until a thousand years ago, magic was real on Earth? And then we lost access to it?" Pullman raised his eyebrows.

"Exactly," Entrapta said, nodding.

"We have no records of magic," Pullman retorted.

Bow frowned at that. "You have such records - we saw them. People turning into animals. Or controlling the weather or the sea. Flying through the sky."

"Healing the sick," Adora added. "Magic's all in your history."

"Those are myths," Pullman replied. "Are you claiming that those are historical records?"

"Well, a lot of historical records turn into myths over time when primary sources get lost or forgotten, linguistic drift happens…" Bow shrugged. "We experienced that on Etheria as well, and we have excellent archives in Bright Moon."

"Of course, a number of the recorded magic events and miracles might be the result of Goa'uld technology used to impress people," Entratpa said. "That wouldn't be magic, of course - the technology is completely different. But Earth magic is totally real - Adora can restore it."

"Many people think magic is evil," Pullman said cautiously.

"They're wrong," Adora replied bluntly. "Magic isn't good or evil, it's like… technology."

"You can use it for good or evil," Glimmer added. "Like everything else. And many people want magic back, according to the news. I heard there's going to be a formal petition from various people."

"Various indigenous people," Bow added. "Magic is an important part of their religion."

"I see. But many people are also concerned that 'restoring' magic would create inequality. Some people would be able to use magic, others wouldn't. That would create a huge power imbalance." Pullman tilted his head. "People fear that this would lead to a magical monarchy being imposed on Earth."

"They're wrong," Glimmer repeated Adora's words. "Or they're lying. You already have power imbalances and inequality. Some of your people - or countries - are vastly more powerful than the others. Magic wouldn't change anything about that - not fundamentally."

"It would just add another variable, so to speak," Bow said.

"A huge variable," Pullman insisted. "The ability to… to heal the sick is huge."

"Incorrect," Hordak spoke up. "On average, a sorceress is no real threat to a trained soldier. Few have the talent and discipline to even learn magic that can make a difference on the battlefield, and fewer still amount to a threat that can't be dealt with by a squad or two of soldiers with armour support. Even princesses, who, thanks to their innate magic, don't have to study for years to learn how to cast spells, are rarely powerful enough to turn the tide on the battlefield by themselves."

"Yes!" Entrapta nodded. "My own magic talent is prehensile hair - very useful for lab work or housework, but I couldn't really do anything on the battlefield that a net launcher and some other weapons couldn't do as well. The elemental princesses are the exception since they are bonded to runestones, which Earth lacks." She smiled. "So, you don't have to fear that, once magic is restored, princesses are taking over. Not that we know if you'll even have princesses, mind you!"

"I see. But if magic is as weak as you say, why should it be restored in the first place if people oppose it?" Pullman asked. "They might be wrong, but their fear and loathing are real. Why should you ignore their wishes?"

"Because it's the same attitude we already covered," Catra said with a sneer: "Some people think magic is evil, so they don't want anyone else to use it."

"That's selfish and stupid," Glimmer added.

"Magic is a natural part of Earth - your birthright. It was stolen from you by the First Ones," Adora said. "Why should a part of you get to decide that no one can get it back? If you don't like magic, you can just not use it. But you shouldn't try to forbid others from using it! It's not any more dangerous than one of your guns."

"I see." Pullman nodded. "You've certainly made your position clear about that. Now, I already mentioned concerns that your arrival and magic might lead to the imposition of magical monarchies on Earth. You've explained your view of how with power comes responsibility - or duty. But what's your view of democracy?"

"Well… it's certainly an interesting concept," Glimmer said very diplomatically. "We don't have much experience with it. But if it works for you, then that's good for you."

"It's just that it doesn't seem to work for you as well as it should," Adora added.

"Yes!" Bow nodded several times. "Like when the majority wants something, but it doesn't matter because they're controlled by the minority."

"Or manipulated by your rulers," Catra said.

Jack closed his eyes once more. "Here we go again." The Etherians were going for a full sweep, it seemed.