Chapter 74: Going Home Part 6
Bright Moon, Etheria, December 30th, 1998 (Earth Time)
Samantha Carter was feeling good when she returned to their quarters in the palace. They had made great progress at the Stargate. If everything else went well, they would have it operating tomorrow. Just in time to return to Earth for the New Year. Unfortunately, the party wasn't on New Year's Eve, or Sam might have been tempted to tell Entrapta that they needed to take an extra day or two to test the gate…
"Hi, Sam!" Daniel greeted her from behind the stack of tomes he had borrowed from the palace archives.
Teal'c nodded at her without rising from his meditative position.
And the Colonel…
"Jack had to talk to Glimmer, I think," Daniel told her. "He's been gone for… two hours?" Daniel blinked at his watch. "Wow! Time flies."
Two hours? That was a long time for a meeting with Glimmer. It must be important, then. But… "He didn't ask you to come with him?" she asked.
"What?" Daniel looked up from his notes. "No. Why?"
Because if whatever the Colonel wanted to talk about with Glimmer was so important as to take two hours would be important enough to drag Daniel with them for his insight.
Or Sam herself, she added, clenching her teeth a little. Sure, she was doing crucial work at the Stargate, but she was also an officer in the Air Force and the Colonel's Second-in-command; she would have expected to be consulted or informed at least.
"Did he tell you what it was about?"
"No…" Daniel frowned. "Come to think of it, he said it was a minor thing when I asked if he needed me to come along."
Oh? This was getting more and more suspicious. Either the Colonel was hiding something, or something had happened that had delayed him. Sam wasn't quite sure what would be worse. "Maybe we should look for him. It's almost dinner time," she said. She didn't bother with using the radio; it didn't work inside the palace, and the Colonel hadn't a communicator tapping into the Etheran commnet. Which was an oversight they needed to correct, actually.
"Do you think something happened to him?" Daniel asked, standing up again.
"Do you suspect enemy action?" Teal'c rose gracefully and grabbed his staff weapon.
Apparently, she couldn't fool her friends. Sam shook her head. "I'm sure it's nothing like that." She certainly hoped so. But they knew from Glimmer's own stories that the palace wasn't as safe as it should be - or should have been; they had improved the security after the war. Still…
The door opened, interrupting her thoughts.
"You didn't have to walk me back to my room," the Colonel said as he entered. And behind him…
"But I wanted to," Castaspella said, smiling. "And it was the least I could do for you."
"Well, don't… Ah. Already finished at the Stargate, Carter? What's the status of it?" The Colonel cocked his head as he looked at her.
But he was a bit too quick to ask for a report. And with an outsider in the room and the door open? He was hiding something.
"Ah, hello, Captain Carter. Daniel. Teal'c." The sorceress smiled at them all. But she stayed at the door. Next to the Colonel. And she turned back to him. "I'll see you at dinner. And afterwards."
"Yeah, sure." He nodded quickly. "And, ah, thanks."
"Oh, I should thank you. For this opportunity."
What opportunity? Sam almost glared at the Colonel as the woman left and the door closed. But you didn't do that to your commanding officer. Nor did you demand an explanation in such a situation.
"What's going on, Jack?" Fortunately, Daniel was as curious as Sam was.
"Oh, nothing. I just had some questions about magic, and Glimmer referred me to Castaspella." The Colonel shrugged.
"Oh?" Daniel cocked his head to the side. "What kind of questions?"
"The kind of questions that are private," the Colonel replied with a frown. "Which I'm not going to talk about." He sounded quite firm.
Daniel recoiled a little at the answer - and probably at the tone as well. "Oh, sure…"
Sam nodded. The Colonel didn't want to talk about whatever this was about. That meant that pushing him would not only be rude but pointless as well.
But it also meant that she really wanted to know what was going on. For… several reasons. The Colonel wasn't afraid of magic, but he didn't like it either, so whatever made him seek the advice of a sorceress had to be important. Important enough for his second-in-command to be informed.
And the obvious interest Castaspella had shown… Sam really wanted to know if that interest was directed at whatever this was about - or at the Colonel.
O'Neill had made Sam mad. Catra was sure of that. Sam wasn't glaring at him, but she was… a little distant, yet paying close attention to him during dinner. And to Castaspella. Who, in turn, was talking to the Colonel quite a bit more than usual, although mostly about magic. Which was kind of odd for the human. She was sitting across him on the table as well, now that Catra thought of it - not quite as close to Micah and Glimmer as usual.
"It's jealousy, then," Catra whispered.
"Hm?"
Catra turned her head and grinned at Adora. "Sam's jealous of Castaspella."
"What?" Her lover blinked, then stared at Sam and Castaspella. Three. Two. One. "But… is Castaspella even interested in Jack?"
Catra shrugged. "Ask Glimmer?" She didn't think the sorceress was actually interested in O'Neill that way, but stranger things had happened.
"But…" Adora shook her head. "Should we talk to her?"
"Sam? Or Castaspella?" Catra asked.
"Uh…" Adora winced. "Either would be embarrassing if we're wrong."
"Yes." Catra didn't think she was wrong, but it was also funnier to just let things go on. Maybe this would be the push that Sam obviously needed to admit she was in love with her commander.
She tilted her ears a little to better listen to Castaspella and O'Neill, but Castaspella was still talking about how great magic was. And how versatile a sorceress could be. It sounded almost as if she was advertising Mystacore, but she should already know that Earth was the last planet where sorcerers needed advertising - the humans, at least those countries not ruled by lunatics, wanted anyone able to work magic they could get.
And O'Neill, for all he didn't like magic, was far too smart and pragmatic to scorn magic used by allies. So, why was he looking like he would rather be fighting off a Goa'uld attack? Because of Sam? Possible.
But before Catra could think of a way to get to the bottom of this without making anyone mad at her - or not too mad at her - Glimmer spoke up. "So, we might need to either ask a Tok'ra to visit Etheria or get a Goa'uld prisoner for a while. It seems there are a number of princesses who not only fail to understand the danger we face but doubt that the Goa'uld are real."
"Yes, I heard." O'Neill was very quick to respond - maybe a bit too quick. He was hiding something.
But everyone was now chiming in.
"They are fools, and we shouldn't even give them the time of the day, much less risk a Goa'uld escaping, just because they are being stupid," Mermista said.
"We should show them what we are facing if only so they'll be on the lookout for Goa'uld infiltrators," Netossa objected. "We can't afford any kingdom being taken over like that - if they gain a foothold…"
Spinnerella, of course, nodded in agreement.
"How would they manage that?" Glimmer retorted. "We control the gate."
"But if we introduce the rest of Etheria to the Goa'uld - or the Tok'ta - some might seek them out," Perfuma said. "And they might push even more for sharing access to the gate."
"We should put it into space!" Entrapta suggested. "We control access to space! And while there are some technical hurdles to overcome, we already know it's possible since the Goa'uld use gates on their ships. We could also build a space station - maybe we could build it inside Adora's plant!"
"It's not my plant."
"You made it."
"I had to use the magic power before something went wrong. More wrong."
"Still yours."
"I don't think we should put the gate into orbit," Glimmer said. "We can't effectively use our powers there."
"Or spells," Castaspella added.
"And I think some of the princesses who are currently trusting us might grow a bit more suspicious - it's one thing to have it on Etheria inside a base, but another if we moved it to a ship in space," Micah pointed out. "Sweet Bee would have an easier time decrying it as an attempt to completely control the gate."
"Well, we do want to control the gate," Catra reminded them. You couldn't leave such an asset to others - it would endanger the entire world and damage the war effort.
"Not if it makes us more enemies on Etheria," Micah told her.
Catra shrugged. As long as they didn't have the military power to be more than nuisances…
But Adora was nodding in agreement with the king. "Yes."
Typical.
"We could use magitech to secure the gate in space," Entrapta suggested.
"I can't use my spells like that," Castaspella protested.
"And I think a lot of princesses would be suspicious if we moved the gate to a location where their powers don't work," Glimmer added. "No, the gate has to stay on Etheria."
Catra nodded. A spaceship might be more secure in some ways, but that wasn't counting magic being used - and that was one of Etheria's biggest advantages.
You had to play to your strengths if you wanted to win.
"...and are you really sure won't you reconsider? You do have a significant potential for magic - no inherent powers, as far as we can detect, at least, but you could be a powerful sorcerer, should you get training."
Jack O'Neill pressed his lips together and tried not to show his annoyance. Castaspella meant well. He knew that much. Or was pretty sure. But she was a sorceress and didn't seem to get that he wasn't as crazy about magic as she was. Jack wasn't going to learn how to cast spells; he was a soldier, not a wizard. Or sorcerer, or whatever they called it here. He was much too old to change careers like that, anyway. Even if he wanted to change tracks. Which he didn't.
But making her understand that without offending her was becoming a bit of a chore. He tried again, shrugging as he leaned back on the couch in her room. "That may be the case, but I can't exactly drop out of the war just to start learning cantrips."
"Cantrips?" She cocked her head to the side, frowning a little as she adjusted her seat across from him.
Damn. He should have never played the game. "Spells. Minor spells." Daniel would be proud of him for that explanation.
"Ah." She nodded with a smile. "You know, it's quite interesting to see that after a thousand years without magic, and, apparently, a significant part of your people trying to eradicate sorcerers, so much of your magical tradition survived."
He'd have to tell Daniel to check what exactly Etherians were told about Earth. But that could wait. He grinned. "Ah, you know how it is with popular culture. Kids always want the thing they can't have. Alcohol, magic…"
To his relief, she nodded. If he had to explain the United States's drinking age again to someone from Etheria - or Europe… But then she frowned. "Although I wonder. Is that why you seem so reluctant to learn magic? Because so many in your society scorn magic and those who practice it?"
Of course not! As if he would let some zealots dictate his actions! He shook his head. "No. But I am too old to change gears like that. And, not trying to sound arrogant, but I think I am much more useful for the war by doing the job I've been doing for twenty years instead of spending the war learning magic." On Etheria, in a flying city, away from his team and Earth.
"Well, while I doubt that anyone can confidently predict how long the war will take, I don't think you would have to spend the entire time learning magic." She smiled widely at him, and Jack couldn't help feeling slightly concerned. "You have such a great potential for our art, no doubt thanks to your First Ones ancestry, I am sure you would not take that long to learn enough spells to become a competent sorcerer!"
He didn't want to become a sorcerer! And pointy hats looked silly, in uniform or out of it. But saying that would sound silly. And irresponsible. And would end with him explaininjg more of Earth's pop culture featuring magic. He shook his head again. "But that would still take me out of the war for a year or two. Longer if the Air Force sends me to teach magic to others afterwards." And they would. Maybe he would get a tour of duty on the frontlines, to get practical experience, but then he'd end up teaching magic to others. That was how things were done in the Air Force, and while it worked well, Jack wasn't looking forward to spending his career doing that instead of leading his team.
And the woman still didn't relent. "Well, I could think of worse teachers than you, to be honest, Jack."
Why did he have to tell her to call him Jack? He should have realised that she'd do it without trouble after spending so much time with Glitter and the others - Etherian royalty didn't act like Earth royals.
"You might not be an experienced sorcerer, but your experience as a soldier certainly would have granted you the wisdom younger students - and older sorceresses as well, in some cases - often desperately need."
"Yeah, I'm not sure I'm a role model for ethics." He grinned, baring his teeth. "I'm a bit too much of a pragmatist." At least according to Etherian standards as embodied by Adora and her friends. "So, anyway, let's focus on fixing my little problem, so no one's going to raise a small army of little kids with my potential but none of my supposed wisdom? I was a pretty dumb kid when I started as a soldier."
"I have trouble imagining that, Jack." She chuckled and folded her hands in her lap.
"Well, easily manipulated instead? I believed a lot of things I should have known better." And wasn't that the truth!
"Ah, yes. Well, you will be welcome at Mystacore whenever you wish, should you reconsider your decision. Now, let's see how you react to a modified sealing spell. Please step into the circle I've prepared - I doubt we'll need the containment, but it's better to be safe than sorry."
And wasn't that reassuring! Still, Jack stepped into the glowing circle full of runes on the floor, trying not to think of ending up as some red mist or stains on the walls, courtesy of a magic mishap.
Or what Carter might be thinking - she hadn't looked happy at all when Castaspella had dragged him off after dinner. He snorted. Maybe staying on Etheria and learning magic in a flying city wouldn't be that bad - it would get him out of explaining things to his second-in-command…
Bright Moon, Etheria, December 31st, 1998 (Earth Time)
"This is an outrage! A blatant attempt to exert control over the entire world! Mark my words: This will not stand! The other kingdoms won't let it!"
When Adora had met Princess Sweet Bee, the other woman had always seemed to be composed and, well, in control of herself and the situation. Granted, she had only met her twice before, once at the Princess Prom, and then only in passing, and yesterday, at the diplomatic meeting with Glimmer and the other members of the Princess Alliance, but even though Sweet Bee had left no doubt that she wasn't happy with the Alliance's policies, she had stayed polite and, well, Catra called it snooty, and Glimmer called it aristocratic.
But the princess wasn't looking very snooty or aristocratic right now. Nor very composed. She was glaring at them like pretty much every instructor had glared at Kyle whenever her friend had screwed up. As if to confirm Adora's thoughts, Sweet Bee slammed the palms of her hand on the conference table and leaned forward, scowling at Glimmer.
Who met her eyes with a glare of her own. "Noted. Is there anything else you wish to address?"
Adora could see how the other princess was clenching her teeth - the jaw muscles twitched noticeably. "The Stargate belongs to all of Etheria! It is our birthright!"
"Yes," Glimmer nodded. "But the safety of Etheria takes priority. So civilian use of the Stargate will be restricted until further notice."
"You don't have the authority to decide that! You don't rule or represent Etheria!" Sweet Bee slammed her palms on the table again.
"We represent the Princess Alliance. The ones who saved Etheira before - three times," Glimmer retorted. "And we'll do so a fourth time."
Three times? Adora frowned for a moment.
"Three times?"
"We defeated the Horde, Horde Prime, and stopped the Heart of Etheria from destroying the world," Glimmer explained.
Sweet Bee scoffed. "You claim you saved the world. But we only have your word for it - and I see your 'defeated' enemies amongst your ranks."
"And the remains of Horde Prime's flagship in orbit, as well as the stars in the sky," Catra added. When the princess turned to scowl at her, Adora's lover flashed her fangs in an insufferable grin.
"You can deny it as much as you want, but it doesn't change the facts," Adora spoke up before Catra could get into a spat with the princess. "We are fighting a new war, against an Empire that spans the galaxy, with enemies who can take over people's bodies to control them. Unrestricted travel through the Stargate is too dangerous."
"Of course, if you wish to join the Princess Alliance and do your part in defending our world…" Mermista trailed off with a shrug and a smirk that was rather undiplomatic, in Adora's opinion.
And in Sweet Bee's opinion as well, at least judging by her expression. "You will not get away with this! Etheria is not yours to rule!" she spat. "Many kingdoms are fed up with your arrogance!"
"The same kingdoms that were happy to let the Princess Alliance fight and bleed against the Horde while they sat back?" Glimmer scoffed as well.
"Please!" Perfuma spoke up with a strained smile. "I know you don't like it, and I understand your reasons, but we have good reasons to restrict travel through the gate."
"Just as you have good reasons to consort with the Horde?" Sweet Bee scoffed with a sneer.
Perfuma gasped, and Scorpia rose. "Hey, now, that sounds… Well, it sounds like you have a problem with me, not Perfuma."
"I have a problem with the Princess Alliance trying to rule Etheria just as the Horde tried," Sweet Bee retorted.
"But we don't!" Perfuma protested. "We don't want to rule Etheria!"
"Are you seriously comparing us to the Horde?" Glimmer looked angry now - and she was standing as well.
"You're trying to force your policies on the entire world, and you use Horde troops, Horde bases and Horde spaceships." Sweet Bee shook her head.
"Waste not, want not," Catra cut in with a smirk.
Adora frowned at her, and her lover shrugged in return.
"The Princess Alliance isn't the Horde!" Perfuma looked angry. "We've restored the Scorpion Kingdom! We're healing the land! We're not trying to conquer you!"
"You act as if you already did!" Sweet Bee spat. "But we're not your subjects! We're sovereign princesses! And we will fight for our rights!" She turned around, then looked over her shoulder. "You'll hear from us!"
"At the next Princess Prom at the latest!" Catra said before the princess left the room.
Adora sighed. "That could've gone better."
"No, it couldn't have," Glimmer disagreed as she sat down. "She was set on this. The only way we could've avoided this was to give in to her demands."
"They're scared of us," Perfuma said.
"If they were scared, they wouldn't have made such demands," Mermista objected. "They wouldn't have dared to insult us like that if they truly believed we wanted to conquer them."
That sounded… well, kind of logical. "But they still believe we want to rule Etheira," Adora pointed out. "Or dominate it."
"Yes. And that can't be helped unless we dissolved the Princess Alliance," Glimmer said. "As things are, we represent the biggest army on the planet as well as the most powerful princesses."
"They could join us if they want access to the Stargate," Spinnerella said. "But that would force them to fight. And they don't want to fight."
"Too cowardly to join, but not cowardly enough to just accept our policies." Catra shrugged. "Well, that's been dealt with. Let's go check the status of the Stargate?"
As everyone rose, Adora couldn't help feeling that it wasn't as simple as Catra made it sound. But there was nothing else she could do about it right now. Letting everyone use the Stargate was too dangerous.
Gate Area, Near Bright Moon, Etheria, December 31st, 1998 (Earth Time)
"Everything reads OK - within expected safety margins. Main processing unit is working at peak efficiency. We're ready for testing!"
Samantha Carter nodded in response to Entrapta's enthusiastic report as she double-checked the results of her own readings. Her numbers confirmed the same thing: they had beaten the odds and replaced the Stargate's missing D.H.D. ahead of schedule - significantly so.
"So, I guess that means we can now go home again? Unless the gate turns the bot into a pretzel, that is?"
"Yes, sir." She suppressed a scowl as she faced the Colonel - she wasn't in the mood for his humour right now. Not because he had spent the evening with Castaspella, of course! She didn't really think that he was having a secret tryst, as Daniel had worded it, with Glimmer's aunt. The Colonel wouldn't do that on a mission. Or at all, she added to herself. But that he wasn't revealing why he was meeting with the woman - whose obvious interest in him, in turn, might not be merely professional or platonic? That didn't sit well with her. Not that she had pressed the issue; you didn't do that to your superior unless it was an emergency. And he would have evaded the question anyway. But she would have expected a bit more trust.
"Ah, good." He looked a little taken aback, then cocked his head to the side and looked at the gate. "I can't wait to get home. Slumming it in a palace just doesn't compare to good old Stargate Command."
"Really?" Entrapta peered at him, sliding her visor up. "You prefer your quarters at your base to the palace guest rooms? Did you tell Glimmer that? Because we could have refurbished your room!"
"Ah…"
"The Colonel was joking," Sam told her friend. "The guest quarters are lovely and perfectly comfortable." She glanced at the man in question, who, after a moment, nodded.
"Yeah, sure."
"Good!" Entrapta made a note on her multitool. Probably in her social data file. "So… ready for the test?
"Will it hurt?" the Colonel quipped.
"The bot isn't wired to feel pain," Entrapta told him, completely serious. "And we know from experience that travelling through the Stargate doesn't normally cause pain anyway. So, it won't hurt."
Sam narrowed her eyes at the Colonel, and he winced a little. He really should know better than that by now. "Ah, OK. So, by all means, proceed!"
"OK!" Entrapta turned and called out: "Test-Bot-2! Get ready!"
"Wasn't the last test-bot a twelve?" the Colonel asked in a low voice.
"That was a spy-bot," Sam told him. "Spy-Twelve. This is a dedicated testing bot."
"And what happened to Test-Bot-1?"
"Destructive testing to calibrate the sensors," Sam told him while she entered the address for Earth.
"Ah."
The gate started spinning, and the chevrons became locked one after another. The vortex formed as it should as well. "Stable wormhole established," Sam reported.
"All systems nominal," Entrapta replied. "Camera feed established. Test-Bot-2, go!"
The bot walked up the ramp, then through the gate - and down the ramp in Stargate Command. Sam checked the sensors. "No deviations from the standard parameters."
"It works as expected!" Entrapta cheered. "Now we can easily travel back and forth between Earth and Etheria!"
"Nice." The Colonel nodded and clapped his hands together. "So, we can go home as soon as the bigwigs return for the official sendoff."
"'Bigwigs'?" Entrapta asked.
By the time Daniel had explained - in detail - the term and its origin, Glimmer and the others had arrived.
Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, Unites States of America, Earth, December 31st, 1998
"The entire leadership of the Princess Alliance is coming to our New Year's party?" General Hammond repeated himself while he and the other generals were staring at SG-1.
Samantha Carter stood a little bit straighter in response as the Colonel replied: "Yes, sir."
"And how did that happen?" General Haig asked.
"Well… apparently, they like parties?" The Colonel smiled. "No, really, we were at dinner with them, the party came up, and it turned out everyone assumed that the invitation to Glimmer, Adora and the others included all of them. We didn't correct them since, well… they were very enthusiastic. They were already talking about dress codes and such." He shrugged. "It seemed rude to tell them that they weren't invited. So, in the interest of diplomacy and good relations with our strongest allies, we didn't."
Hammond sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. Sam knew the feeling.
"I see." Haig nodded.
"This is an outrage!" Sidorov, who looked as if he'd wanted to send SG-1 to the next gulag, or at least the arrest cells, bellowed. "You didn't have the authority to invite a diplomatic party!"
"They kind of invited themselves. By accident," the Colonel retorted. "But if you want to revoke the invitations, we can go tell them that."
"That would be a faux pas," General Petit commented with a slight smile. "I am sure we can accommodate a few more guests at our party."
"Yes," Hammond said. "The security measures were already increased since we knew we would be hosting three princesses. A few more shouldn't be an issue."
The Colonel winced. "Ah, yes, speaking of accommodations - we'll also be hosting a magical talking flying horse. So, best not serve horse meat."
For the first time, Sam was treated to the sight of the entire Stargate Command Council blinking.
Explaining Swift Wind took much longer than their original report had taken.
Gate Area, Near Bright Moon, Etheria, January 1st, 1999 (Earth Time)
Catra snorted as she watched Frosta try not to fidget. The princess was so excited - or nervous - about going to Earth, yet also desperately trying to appear aloof and collected. And failing at that. "It's just a party," she muttered to herself, shaking her head.
"Hm?" Adora turned her head to look at her. "What did you say?"
"Nothing," she said. "Just… well, we've been at so many events on Earth, it's nothing special any more, but for them, it's something else." She nodded at the rest of the group waiting in front of the gate.
"They've never been on another planet," Adora said with a smile. Which then turned into a wince. "They've never been to Earth."
Ah. Catra suppressed another snort. Her lover was nervous as well - worried about how the rest of the group would behave on Earth. Especially Swift Wind. "You briefed them. Thoroughly." It had taken Catra back to their days as Horde cadets, when Adora had tried to cover every little detail and potential problem whenever she ran a briefing.
Adora blushed a little, but her mood didn't improve. "I'm sure I forgot something, something important…"
And not everyone had been paying attention. But Catra didn't say that. She shrugged instead. "As long as they behave as if they were at the Princess Prom, things will be fine."
"I know…" But Adora still worried. Catra could tell.
Before she could think of what else to say to calm down her lover, Swift Wind trotted over to them. "What a glorious day! To think we'll travel farther than any other horse has ever gone before! To a world full of horses!"
"To a base without any horse in it," Catra told him.
Swift Wind ignored that. "And I had a thought, Adora!"
"Yes?" Adora tensed a little.
Catra did so as well.
"There are as many horses on Earth as there are people on Etheria. A planet's worth!"
Oh, no, he couldn't…
"Yes?" Adora hadn't caught up yet.
"So, what about giving them a planet of their own? Where they can live free? Except for those who depend on humans, but there could be some humans there taking care of them. But imagine: a world full of horses, for horses!"
Adora blinked. "Uh… a colony of horses?"
"Yes!" Swift Wind nodded enthusiastically.
"Ah… I don't think we have the logistics and resources to handle such a colony." Adora smiled weakly. "I'm sorry."
"Oh." Swift Wind looked crestfallen.
"And if we give the horses a colony," Catra managed to say without scoffing at the absurdity of it, "then everyone else will want one as well. Not to mention that we'd have to find a planet first where horses could live."
"And the, uh, ecological balance might be a problem," Adora added. "You'd have to ask Perfuma about that, but just moving lots of horses to a new planet is not easy. And on Earth, some horses starved when they escaped into the wilderness for lack of food."
"Oh." Swift Wind frowned again. "You're right. It would have to be a planet full of grass-covered hills and plains." He nodded. "I'll ask her about that." He turned around and trotted over to the other princess.
Catra smirked as she gleaned at her lover. "Nice dodge."
"It's the truth," Adora shot back.
"And now Perfuma has to explain things to Swift Wind." Catra watched, her ears twitching, as the horse approached the princess, who was fiddling with Scorpia's dress.
"It's not his fault," Adora said. "He didn't get an education when I, ah, changed him. So, he had to learn things by himself."
Ah. Catra hadn't thought of that. "And where did he learn?"
"In Bright Moon. They have the facilities, but…" Adora shrugged. "It's a very spotty education so far."
"Ah." That explained a few things. But it didn't make things any easier. She turned her attention - and her ears - back to Perfuma's explanation.
"...and so I can't just make grass grow - sooner or later, there will be too many horses for the planet's capacity, and then they will start starving until there is a balance. But it's a dynamic balance, not a static one. As the numbers of horses fluctuate, so does the amount of grass available since they influence each other, and…"
Swift Wind didn't like what he was hearing. That was obvious.
"Yeah, nature's brutal," Catra mumbled as she tuned the lecture out.
"What did you say?" Adora asked again.
But before Catra could explain, Entrapta spoke up. "Alright! Everyone, get ready - and stay in the marked area, don't get closer to the gate - we're about to dial Earth!"
"Finally!" she exclaimed with a grin. "I've been waiting for this all day!"
"You were napping all day," Glimmer commented with a snort while they watched the gate spin.
"I'm a soldier; I learned to sleep whenever I can," Catra retorted with a smirk.
"All day?"
"What can I say? I'm an overachiever."
They laughed as the wormhole stabilised and the gate to Earth opened.
"Time to celebrate a new beginning!" Perfuma announced, setting a foot on the gate with Scorpia.
Everyone cheered.
Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado, Unites States of America, Earth, January 1st, 1999
"...and these are Perfuma, Princess of Plumeria, and Princess Scorpia of the Scorpion Kingdom."
Jack O'Neill had to suppress the urge to add 'she's the one who throws tanks for fun' to Glimmer's introduction. It didn't seem necessary, anyway - he could see how the generals were eyeing the smiling woman. Except for Haig, who didn't seem to be fazed at all, all of them, even Hammond, looked at least a little wary when they greeted her. Although that might be because Scorpia, with her pincers and her stinger, poised above her head, looked the most alien of all the princesses. Of course, Catra had fur, cat ears and a tail as well, but her claws were usually hidden, and she didn't look as if she could throw a tank around.
"Thank you for inviting us!"
On the other hand, Catra also never looked as happy as Scorpia - the princess was beaming at everyone when she wasn't looking around the gate area like a tourist. And she was a striking sight, in a black dress that fit her like a glove and wouldn't have looked out of place on a catwalk in Paris.
"Yes!" Perfuma, her arm hooked into Scorpia's, wearing a light green dress that complimented Scorpia's somehow, nodded with a smile as wide as her… consort's? Wife's? "It's an honour to be able to attend your celebration! We're looking forward to taking part in such an important event."
That was a bit too much praise for a New Year's office party - especially one held in a military base for the soldiers stuck on duty over the holidays. Jack glanced at Glimmer, who kept smiling politely, then at Adora. The princess was wincing a little, and next to her, Catra was grinning. So, probably a misunderstanding that Adora felt guilty for and Catra found funny. Business as usual, then.
Jack stopped grinning, though, when he noticed that Hammond was glancing at him with a slight frown. That wasn't his fault! He'd had more important things to do than explaining the finer point of an office party to the Etherians! If anyone, it should have been Daniel!
But Glimmer was already moving to introduce the next couple. "Mermista, Princess of Salineas, and Sea Hawk."
Hammond didn't say 'the Smuggler' in return, but Jack was sure - pretty sure - that he was thinking it.
"It's a great adventure!" the man in question, dressed quite flamboyantly, exclaimed.
"Ugh. Behave," Mermista, who apparently had also gone to great effort in picking her pearl-studded dress, added with a scowl before smiling at the generals. "Thank you for having us. I'll make sure he won't set fire to anything."
"I would never! We're underground, after all!"
Sea Hawk's comment wasn't as reassuring as the man probably thought. Jack decided to impress upon Siler that they should double-check the smoke detectors.
"Princess Frosta of the Kingdom of Snows."
"Greetings." The teenage princess nodded with such seriousness, it made her look even younger than she was. At least in Jack's opinion.
But the girl was the sovereign leader of one of the largest kingdoms of Etheria. And could freeze you in a block of ice with a thought. And the generals greeted her with the utmost courtesy. Well, except for Sidorov, who went through the motions and said the words but couldn't quite keep the sneer off his face. If the man kept this up, then the formal diplomatic event scheduled to follow the party would have some grievances to deal with. And they would blame Jack for it; he was sure. Even though it hadn't been his idea to let Stargate Command handle the party even after the entire Princess Alliance announced their intention to attend.
"Princess Netossa and Princess Spinnerella of the Alliance."
Not ruling princesses, in other words. Still the Etherian version of generals. But the government - governments, actually - preferred to err on the side of caution and just treated all of them as sovereigns. At least etiquette didn't require you to bow. That would have felt wrong - you didn't bow to anyone in your own home. At least in Jack's opinion.
"King Micah of Bright Moon. My father. And Castaspella of Mystacore, my aunt."
Jack kept smiling and reminded himself that the sorceress was helping him - had helped him already. Even though she made no secret of her opinion that Jack should become a sorcerer himself. Under her tutelage. In a magical flying city. But she wasn't pushy. Well, not as pushy as, say, Anise.
And Micah and her were old enough to be taken seriously even by Sidorov, which facilitated matters.
"Swift Wind."
And there was Jack's biggest problem.
"Faithful mount of She-Ra, linked by a sacred bond, and liberator of horses everywhere!" the horse boasted as he stepped forward, wings flaring - and sending a few sheets of papers in the back flying. "Greetings, people of Earth!"
Someone must have shown him cheesy science-fiction movies! Jack was sure of it. He kept his thoughts off his face, though.
Unlike the rest of the people in the room, who were more or less openly staring at the magical talking flying unicorn.
Except for Haig. The damn limey merely nodded as if Swift Wind was a normal guest.
Of course, as a British officer, he probably was used to dealing with eccentric blue bloods.
Well, Jack had a feeling that even the general's composure would be tested before the party was over. It would be funny if Jack wasn't going to be held responsible for it.
Even if it wasn't his fault at all!