Disclaimer: I don't own She Ra!

Title: Bird Song

Summary: Catra finds herself pulled between two forces when Scorpia is enlisted into a mission that will get her killed- her ambitions, and her refusal to break a promise.

…

Well I didn't tell anyone, but a bird flew by.
Saw what I'd done.
He set up a nest outside, and he sang about what I'd become.

Catra's mouth is hanging open as she exits into the hallway, an irritated quip about meetings on the tip of her tongue, only to find it empty. Scorpia's scent is still fresh, and she follows it down and around the corner. Scorpia wasn't driven like the average soldier, didn't want to scramble to the top or die trying. She just wanted to make friends and draw and it shouldn't worry her that she wandered off, it shouldn't, and if she picks up the pace it's because she's pissed at not having her typical escort, that's all.

It's not hard to find Scorpia. She smells like the Black Garnet- metallic and heady and it's like that sticky oil film you get on your skin, only it's in Catra's nose. She's also talking- to Kyle, of all people.

"Huh," she's saying, rubbing the tip of a claw along her chin thoughtfully. "So that's what it means. Thanks for the help!"

Kyle swallows and nods. He's visibly sweating. It's hard to say if he's scared of Scorpia or just anxious about being called out by a Force Captain or both. Kyle's kind of a wreck like that. "S-sure thing."

Catra's claws slide out, digging into her palms. Somewhere, deep inside, there's a child in her heart, and it's screaming mine mine mine, you can't have her, she's my friend. It's stupid. Scorpia's loyal to a fault, and she clearly likes Catra. Catra trusts her for that, enough so to bring her up to speed on her numerous plans. Plans that, in the wrong ears, could easily get Catra in a whole lot of trouble.

Scorpia isn't her.

That doesn't stop Catra from stalking over to them, her tail winding around Scorpia's waist as she glared Kyle down. "Don't you have something better to do, cadet?"

Kyle lets out a little 'eep' and salutes. "Yes, ma'am, Second-in-Command Catra! My apologies!" He turns and shuffles off. Catra's surprised he got up the guts to not sprint.

"Nice guy," comments Scorpia, but Catra relaxes at the way her face brightens at her tail. Scorpia knows not to touch it by now, but the fact that its touching her makes her over the moon. "Sorry about that, Catra. I got a little confused about Horde terminology."

Catra's nose wrinkles. "You could've just asked me."

"I know, I know." She awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "But I know you get super bored at meetings, and I didn't want to bug you."

Well, shit. What can Catra say to that?

"Whatever."

The next time Catra catches her, it's Lonnie she's talking to. Catra wants to step out like she did before, but Lonnie is a lot stronger than Kyle, and the last thing she needs is rumors of some cadet getting a hit in on her.

God, she hates Lonnie.

Scorpia is gesturing vaguely, and Lonnie is leaning away, like Scorpia's claws worry her. If the Princess notices, she doesn't call her out on it. "I just figured it'd only be fair to give you guys an out, that's all."

Lonnie scowls. "We're not cowards. Not like Adora."

Catra wants to smack her. No one is allowed to say Adora's name. Not if she has anything to do with it. Only Catra was allowed to spit her name like it was a curse, to rake her claws across her smug face. She was the one betrayed the most. She's the one who earned it.

"I understand," Scorpia says, far more patiently than Catra would've. "But this isn't just some random battle. I'm not gonna ask you and your friends to follow me when you don't even like me, let alone respect me."

Lonnie doesn't argue Scorpia on her point. She just shrugs. "We all knew we were goners the moment Adora left. Rogelio and I can hold our own, sure, but a troop is nothing if it's missing members. At least we got far enough to go at The Drop, y'know?" She attempts a smile. "They put fallen names on a wall in main square. That's pretty dope."

Catra takes a half-step back, eyes wide. Not The Drop. Anything but The Drop. It's a dead zone in the middle of Etheria- no Horde group that's gone there has ever come back. She claws at her throat, trying to find the air to call out, to challenge them. It doesn't come.

Scorpia smiles back. It's far more genuine. "Whoa, that is pretty cool! Maybe, if we get far enough, they'll even put little pictures next to our names!"

"So," Catra starts, leaning her chin on the back of the office chair Entrapta loves to spin in. It reeks of her even now, long hairs sticking to the back like glue. She wonders, idly, if it hurts when the Princess sheds. "What do you know about The Drop?"

Entrapta stops her blowtorch and pulls her mask and goggles up. "Never heard of it."

"Scorpia hadn't either. I overheard her talking to Kyle about it."

"Who?"

"The wimpy cadet."

"Ahhhh, him. He's not much of a specimen, but he does have a habit of carrying small, shiny rocks in his pockets. They're quite pretty." The Princess turns to her fully, which is how Catra knows she means business, sitting on a lump of hair. "It could very well be a misnomer."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Slang," she said. "Scorpia and I were both raised with completely different vocabularies than the average Horde soldier." Entrapta pulled a small metal ball out of her pocket. One poke and the map of Etheria shimmered in a hologram above it. "Point it out for me?"

Catra does. It looks weird even there, covered by the shade of the mountain nearby. Catra's never been, but she's heard stories of jagged rocks and massive, empty spaces of dust and rot from battles.

"Ah," Entrapta breathes, closing it. "Well, then. This could be a problem."

"You know it, then?"

"Oh, yes. We call it Micah's Plunge." Entrapta pulls out a recorder, then hesitates to hit the button, which scares Catra far more than anything else. Entrapta hates going off-the-record. "It's where one of the first battles for Etheria took place. King Micah died there- as a result, Bright Moon has become very protective over the land." Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why? Are you-"

"Not me. Scorpia."

"Oh."

Catra massages her brow. Scorpia can't do this. She isn't allowed to. There's no way she's going to let her go to her actual, literal death over a bit of land that has next to no resources and is only being fought over because it got attached to a man with a fancy title who probably went out like a wuss anyway.

No one's going to leave her ever again. That was the whole point of being made Second-in-Command.

"Shit," Catra says eventually. "They're purging my old squadron. And Scorpia got put in charge."

Entrapta's hair slowly lowers her to the floor, as if she was afraid the strands would give out on her. She set her hands on her knees and took in a deep breath. "I, uh... I always wondered- wanted. I always wanted to do a study on the five stages of grief." Her voice is shaky as she pulls out yet another recorder. "I just never suspected I would be the subject."

Catra stands up. The very tip of her tail is twitching. "Fuck that. I'm gonna tell Hordak to call it off."

"You really think he will?"

"Yes."

"I can't do that, Second-in-Command Catra."

Catra considered her options. This was an outright refusal, so pressing would probably only get her into trouble. Backing out would mean Scorpia... no. Nope. Not allowed. She lowered her head closer to the floor, ignoring the hot shame flourishing in her cheeks. "Please reconsider, Lord Hordak. Scorpia has proven to be very useful. Her loyalty and strength are of great use to the Horde."

"She is quite loyal," he replied, stroking that little gremlin thing. "But her heart is not into her work. I do not doubt that she could be swayed into the rebellion very easily, and the info she holds would be very damning in Bright Moon's hands." He paused, studying her. Catra didn't look up. "I know you are fond of her, Catra-"

"Sir, I would never let my personal attachments get in the way of-"

"Save it. Personal attachment is inevitable. It's a weakness every soldier has inside. The real test is what you do when those attachments are threatened." Hordak tapped his metal claws on the chair, drawing her eye. "Shadow Weaver was too sentimental toward the traitor, and it was her undoing."

Catra bared her teeth. "Shadow Weaver deserved what she got. Scorpia is easy to control. I can-"

"That's my point. Too easy." To her horror, Hordak stood. A million scenarios flashed behind her eyes as he came closer, most of which were violent, but all he did was rest his palm on the back of her head. "I understand how you feel, Second-in-Command Catra. But if you wish to keep that title, I would suggest considering this a test of your loyalty to me." Catra shuddered. "Let Scorpia go, Catra. She is easy to replace."

Her eyes felt hot and wet, but she rapidly blinked that away. She could only imagine what punishment she'd receive from crying. If Hordak was anything like Shadow Weaver, it'd be too kind to expect him to just kill her.

"Yes, sir."

Author's Note: Kicking this three-parter off with a bang! This is mostly just a Catra character study, fiddling with her ambitions and fears and what makes her do what and the like.

-Mandaree1