Chapter 1

The throne room was almost empty, as always. Catra had never once seen Lord Hordak fight – she had rarely even seen him stand – but for whatever reason he felt no need for guards. Perhaps it was just for intimidation, the cold implication that he could destroy whoever stood before him in a heartbeat without any assistance. Of course, Catra was quite sure that those had been Shadow Weaver's tactics as well, and the witch had gone down like a crippled bird in the end. But she doubted that the same would go for Hordak - even with Scorpia, a full squad of troopers and a battalion of Entrapta's modified combat drones behind her. In the end, Shadow Weaver had never been the power behind the throne. Both power and throne belonged only to Hordak.

Approaching the raised dais, Catra bowed smoothly then straightened up. She repressed an involuntary shudder as blank white eyes glowed at her from one of the throne's arms – it was only Imp, but those eyes were too much like those of Shadow Weaver's mask. She wondered why the little spy was here, though she guessed that it was part of the reason she'd been summoned. That suggested a disciplinary matter then, hardly what Catra would consider worth her time.

"Lieutenant." The single word was the first acknowledgement of her presence that Hordak had given her. The Horde leader sat in his customary slouch, as if he was already bored by the interview that had barely begun.

"Lord Hordak," Catra replied with a deferential dip of her head. "I serve at your command. What are your orders?"

For a moment, red eyes watched her impassively as if Hordak was weighing her up. Catra held his gaze, albeit without the resentful defiance she had once shown Shadow Weaver. The Horde leader demanded respect, but his second in command was not expected to grovel.

"It has come to my attention that the princess of Dryl has become a liability," Hordak said finally, with as much emotion as he might have discussed the weather. "You are to dispose of her."

Despite herself, Catra flinched as if her tail had been caught in a door jamb. For a moment she wondered if she had heard him correctly. "Lord Hordak you… you want me to get rid of Princess Entrapta?"

"I want you to kill her, Lieutenant," he replied dispassionately. "I cannot risk her falling back into the hands of the Rebellion."

"But…" Catra looked away as her mind raced, trying not to listen to the little voice that told her yet again that she should have left with Adora when she had the chance. Catra hated that little voice even more than she hated Shadow Weaver. Gathering her composure, she started again. "Lord Hordak, I don't understand. How could the Rebellion get their hands on her when she's here?"

Rather than respond, Hordak looked at Imp instead. The small creature smirked at Catra, then tipped its head back as its jaw dropped open.

"Fright Zone log, day 73," Catra felt her hackles rise as Entrapta's voice came from Imp's wide, motionless mouth. "I should really head back to Dryl and pick up some tools, maybe check on the robots? Ooo, I could bring some back here so Emily can have some friends! And I could also tell the other princesses that they suck for leaving me here, though it worked out for the best. Maybe? Probably. Eh, it's on them anyway." As Imp fell silent, Hordak extended one long-nailed finger to scratch the creature's head, and it made a soft chirruping sound of appreciation.

"Do you know why the Rebellion has never attempted to retrieve Princess Entrapta?" Hordak asked, his tone making it clear that the question was rhetorical.

"No, Lord Hordak," Catra replied, truthfully. "I thought – I guessed anyway – that she wasn't as important to them as Princess Glimmer and Bow."

"They believe that she is dead," Hordak continued. "Otherwise they would certainly have attempted to rescue her. If they were to find out she is alive, it would invite direct retaliation just as the abduction of the princess of Brightmoon did. If she is actually dead then we will have no such tiresome problems. And the Princess Entrapta knows far too much about our technology to be permitted to leave here alive in any case."

"Then we can stop her from leaving." It took a conscious effort for Catra to keep the desperation from her voice. 'I don't want to' had never been an acceptable excuse for Shadow Weaver, and Catra knew it would be even less effective now. "We can put her back in a cell."

"And you are certain that would contain her, Lieutenant?" This time Hordak's question sounded genuine, and Catra almost gave an affirmative response… until her mismatched eyes fell back on Imp. The little spy was smiling at her – encouragingly even - its blank eyes gleaming. And Catra remembered that she'd spoken to Scorpia about the futility of keeping Entrapta confined. More than once. If she said yes now, Catra was willing to bet that the next stolen words out of Imp's mouth would be her own complaining that Entrapta was loose yet again.

"No, Lord Hordak," Catra admitted eventually. The cold dread in the pit of her stomach removed any satisfaction she might have felt at the disappointed look on Imp's face. "But I know Entrapta can still be useful to the Horde! I can talk to her; I can make sure she stays…" She fell silent as Hordak made an impatient gesture towards Imp and the creature opened its mouth once more.

"But my lord, I can assure you that recovering Adora will be of critical importance," Even now, when the witch was powerless and helpless in a cell, Shadow Weaver's voice made Catra's tail bush. "Once we have her back I can alter her mind to ensure her loyalty-" Imp's recording cut off suddenly – no doubt at the point where Hordak had interrupted the sorceress. Feeling cold sweat prickle along her spine, Catra forced herself to meet his gaze. There was no disapproval there – yet – merely cold indifference. That was worse.

"I trust you are aware just how much you currently sound like your predecessor, Lieutenant." Hordak stated, a faint edge of irritation creeping into his voice. "Do not make me regret my choice of successor. I made you my second in command not only because you have produced satisfactory results so far, but also because I believed you had the strength and discipline to obey my commands without question. Do you understand?"

Taking a deep breath, Catra exhaled slowly through her nose. Hordak was right. She had made her choice long ago, when she had walked away from the chasm in the First Ones temple after throwing that damned sword into it. Adora's pleading voice hadn't changed things then, and Entrapta wasn't Adora. "Yes, Lord Hordak," she replied, this time with no hesitation.

"Good." Hordak acknowledged with a slight nod. "I am aware that Force Captain Scorpia may cause problems," he continued. "I no longer need her to keep her family in line but she is still a resource worth keeping. I would prefer this to be done in such a way that does not compromise her loyalty."

"Understood, my lord. I'm sure I can arrange that." Sensing that the briefing had reached its end, Catra bowed.

"See that you do," Hordak flicked a hand towards the door as he spoke. "Dismissed, Lieutenant."

Turning quickly, Catra left the room. She wanted to run, but both pride and the knowledge that Hordak was watching made her walk with a dignified – if rapid – stride. But instead of heading back to her chambers – Shadow Weaver's former abode – Catra kept going until she came out onto the balcony where she had once found Adora wearing a new Force Captain insignia. It seemed a hundred years ago now.

Closing the door behind her, Catra moved to stand at the handrail and gaze out at the indistinct blur that was the horizon. Planting both elbows on the rail, she buried her head in her hands as she tried to clear her mind and think objectively.

'You should have left with Adora,' the hated little voice whispered. If it had possessed a neck, Catra would have wrung it.

oOo

The small navigator's cabin in the raiding ship was cramped, but given that Catra had sent the four troopers she'd brought with her to wait below decks until the alarm was sounded, it was the only place she could get some privacy. So far things had not gone exactly to plan, and that worried her.

"If you're going back to that First Ones temple, then I'm coming too," Scorpia said stubbornly, claws crossed over her chest. "I saw what it did to you last time."

"It'll be fine," Catra snapped back, feigning outrage. "I handled it before, I can handle it now. Besides, I'll have a squad of troopers and Entrapta. I'm pretty sure she can deal with the tech."

"What if she makes it worse and everything tries to kill you even harder?" Scorpia countered. "Like that time she turned all her tech in Dryl evil."

"That is a possibility," Entrapta put in from where she was swinging on her hair, apparently taking no offence from the implication that she might kill them all. "Given that the entire facility is First Ones tech, it would be a lot more lethal than the situation was in Dryl. I guess I better leave Emily here just in case."

Catra sighed heavily, knowing that she was beaten. If she insisted that Scorpia stay behind – given that she had no good reason to do so – it would only make her suspicious when she came back without Entrapta. "Fine," she growled eventually. "But you better do exactly what I say."

So now here she was, hunched over a desk as the ship – one of the ones Entrapta had optimised for greater speed and stealth – sped towards what was left of the Whispering Woods. Laid out in front of her were three objects – a long, thin-bladed knife, a tightly sealed ceramic vial and one of Adora's archer friend's arrows. A proper one, not a stupid trick one. If she did this right then nobody would ever know the truth. Nobody but Catra herself, and she could live with it. She would have to.

Lifting the vial – which was marked with multiple hazard symbols – Catra put one thumb against the cap but hesitated just before opening it as the doubts returned. She already knew that what she'd planned wasn't the right thing to do, not by a long shot. But as far as her own welfare and authority was concerned, it was the sensible thing to do. And Catra didn't have a choice, at least not if she wanted to go back to the Horde anyway.

Of course, she could always keep going. Through the Whispering Woods and on to Brightmoon where she could surrender to the Rebellion. Even after the battle, Catra was sure that Adora would still plead her case to their queen. Adora was just like that. She would probably even be happy to see her. The claws of Catra's free hand gouged into the desk at the thought, digging up long splinters of wood instead of flaying skin. Of course Adora would be expecting her to come crawling back, wasn't that what pets were supposed to do?

The metallic clink as her other hand slapped down against the desk with the vial under it snapped Catra back to the present with a jump. The ceramic it was made of was the same material that was used for ballistic armour, so it certainly wouldn't break that easily. But the thought of its contents gave Catra pause. Even knocking the lid off could be hazardous – back in the Fright Zone she had foolishly given it a curious sniff and had been unable to smell anything for hours afterwards as the sensitive membranes in her nose burned.

The vial held enough powerful neurotoxin to kill everyone on the ship three times over in a matter of minutes. A thin coating on the tip of the slender dagger would work in seconds if said dagger was plunged into someone's back. They would most likely be dead – with very little pain, probably before they even knew what hit them – before they hit the ground. Then it would simply be a case of replacing the dagger with Bow's arrow, and as far as anyone need know Entrapta had been killed by the Rebellion.

Taking a deep breath, Catra exhaled slowly, nervously rolling the vial under one finger like a fidget toy. Once they reached the Whispering Woods it would be easy enough to claim that the arrow had been shot from the cover of the trees. And it would be perfectly feasible for Catra and her squad to be unable to find a single shooter who knew the woods like the back of their hand. With any luck they might even encounter some rebels – Catra was sure that Scorpia would be out for blood after this. So much the better, Catra knew that the Force Captain was fond of Entrapta and seeing her dead at the hands of the Rebellion would only strengthen her loyalty to the Horde. Hopefully that would mean Catra would never be asked to deal with Scorpia as well.

This was for the best. Maybe if she kept telling herself that, she might start believing it.

The sound of footsteps outside nearing the cabin made Catra jump, the vial shooting out from under her finger and ricocheting back off the wall to hit her chest then fall to the floor. Kicking it into a dark corner, Catra hid the arrow in her shirt and turned to face the door as it opened. It would be either Scorpia or Entrapta, and both of them would have questions if they saw her with a vial of neurotoxin. The fact that most of the outside light was blotted out by the figure in the doorway confirmed that it was the former.

"That's us nearing the woods," Scorpia had to stoop slightly to enter the cabin, her head brushing the ceiling as she straightened up. "We'll be there in five minutes." She paused as she looked at Catra, her expression concerned. "Hey, are you okay? You look rough, is it the speed the ship's going? Took me a while to get used to it too."

"No," Catra replied, more sharply than she'd intended. go away Scorpia go away Scorpia go away Scorpia go away "I was just thinking about what… what happened in the temple last time," she lied. "It messes with your head. Makes you question what you're doing."

"Hey, I'm sure we can handle it together," Scorpia said reassuringly, one claw twitching as if she was about to pat Catra on the shoulder before remembering the personal space rule. "Besides, we've got Entrapta this time; she's good with this stuff."

"Unless she makes it worse and everything tries to kill us even harder?" Catra reminded her with a sardonic grin.

"Well yeah," the Force Captain admitted, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. "But let's try and stay positive."

"Let's also try not to get snuck up on by rebels," Despite all of Catra's doubts, her next words came out smoothly, without so much as a quiver to give her away. "Can you go to the stern and keep watch for anyone trying to sneak up behind us? They know we'd be expecting them to attack from the woods so they might try to surprise us." The stern was a good eighty feet from the prow of the ship, with the engine room and generator block between them. There was no way Scorpia would be able to see what was happening at the front of the ship. Not until Catra called her anyway.

"No problem Catra, if they try it we'll be ready for them." Ducking under the doorframe, Scorpia turned and headed towards the stern. Catra waited for her footsteps to fade, staring out across the starboard rail that the cabin faced. She could see the dark line of the Whispering Woods arcing away into the distance. She hated those woods. If she had just listened to Adora when they'd rode the stolen skiff out here and turned back to the Fright Zone instead of going in…

Slamming the door closed, Catra turned back to the desk and the knife. This was where not listening to Adora had gotten her. She couldn't stop now.

Moments later the door opened again and Catra stepped out, turning towards the prow. The knife was in a hidden sheath at her belt, the arrow was tucked inside her shirt. As she'd expected, Entrapta was leaning precariously over the handrail by the bowsprit, anchored in place by her hair as she spoke excitedly into her voice recorder.

"…seems to be regrowing at an exponential rate. I should really have researched the Whispering Woods more, I knew that they protected Brightmoon but knowing that there's an entire First Ones temple in there suggests that was unintentional – the woods' true purpose is to protect the temple, not Brightmoon. And the fact that the woods moved – or at least used to – suggests that there is some sort of gestalt consciousness controlling them, most likely from the temple itself. This is going to be fascinating!" The princess didn't notice as Catra padded up behind her, tail switching in agitation as her ears flattened back against her skull.

"I know you're not a bad person Catra, you don't belong with the Horde!"

With a low snarl, Catra lunged forwards, locking one arm around Entrapta's neck in a chokehold to cut off her cry of shock and pulling her close. In a single quick movement she drew the knife, thrust it into Entrapta's back below the girl's right shoulderblade then twisted it sharply and pulled it out. It was back at her belt in less than five seconds as Catra felt Entrapta stiffen against her with a strangled gasp, her recorder falling to the deck. Slackening her grip for a moment to retrieve the arrow from her shirt, Catra waited for Entrapta's breathing to stop as the venom took effect.

Instead, the technician's hair slid between them and shoved her away with surprising force as Entrapta stumbled free with a shriek of pain. Catra stared at the princess in equal shock – her vocal chords should have been paralysed by the venom. All of her should have been paralysed by the venom! The neurotoxin…

…was still in its vial in the dark corner that Catra had kicked it into. She'd forgotten it.

Shit.

A/N: Hello darkness my old friend, I've come to talk with you again... While I do think Catra could easily have a Zuko-style redemption arc, I also think she could end up going full Azula and turning on her only friends. Doesn't mean she has to be happy about it though. And thanks to Rinney for once again proof-reading and not complaining when bombarded with bits of random fanfiction at odd hours of the morning/night.