Chapter 4

                                    

                                          
Mermista, Perfuma and Glimmer lay chained up and highly sedated on the forest floor. Once the princesses had been singlehandedly subdued by Adora, the Horde had invaded Plumeria within a matter of hours.
Catra had put Grizzlor in charge of the advancing troops. While he seemed to have a newfound respect for the Force Commander after her victory, Catra was very aware of who had directed Mermista to her and she wanted the Force Captain as far from her as possible. 
Meanwhile, Octavia had been badly hit by Glimmer's axe and had been sent back to Salineas with all the other casualties for medical attention. Scorpia had taken her place and was now personally guarding the unconscious princesses. Catra had noticed she kept hovering over Perfuma... 
The feline's suspicions were interrupted by a call from Hordak. Catra answered with a tired sigh:
"Yes, Lord Hordak?"
"Catra! Where are you? Status update – now!" Catra fought the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she smiled and said:
"I'm in the Kingdom of Plumeria. I'm pleased to report that the Horde was victorious in its conquest. Again." Hordak's eyes went wide with surprise. He then suddenly began to laugh. It was one of the worst sounds Catra had ever heard:
"This...this is incredible! Well done, Force Commander! I knew I was right to promote you!" Catra blushed from the compliment but quickly regained her composure:
"Thank you...I've actually got more good news for you! We captured three princesses during the battle!" Hordak gasped, causing Catra to swell up with pride. He then frowned, muttering:
"Show me." Catra quickly turned the screen so he could see the princesses lying on the grass in front of her. Scorpia, who had been brushing some hair out of Perfuma's face, quickly stood back up and gave both Catra and Hordak an awkward smile. Hordak ignored her and growled:
"I see. I'm impressed that you captured the water princess. She will be of much use to us. Bring her back to the Fright Zone." Catra raised her eyebrow. Hordak continued:
"The princess of Plumeria is also a very significant catch, though I feel it would be more beneficial to ransom her...You better bring her back too." Catra cleared her throat, finally asking:
"Lord Hordak, do you want me to come back to the Fright Zone?" Hordak ignored her question and continued with his assessment, chuckling evilly:
"You recaptured the princess of Brightmoon? I must say, she's turning into quite a liability for the Rebellion! Maybe we should just send her back to them?" Catra frowned, saying:
"I wouldn't be so sure of that...She did more damage than the other two. Octavia's seriously injured because of her." Hordak took a moment to process this information before asking:
"Force Captain Octavia's injured? Where is she now?" Catra turned the screen back to face her:
"I sent her back to Salineas, along with all the other casualties. We sustained heavy losses in the battle." Hordak frowned in concentration:
"I'll send more reinforcements tonight. Leave Force Captain Grizzlor in charge and return to the Fright Zone with all three of your prisoners. We have much to discuss." Catra wanted to argue with her boss – she had genuinely hoped that once she left the Fright Zone as an officer she would never have to return. But Catra never got what she wanted.
"Yes, Lord Hordak." As she ended the call, Adora walked up to her. After saving Catra, she had become oddly quiet, not moving from the embankment where the princesses were currently lying. Now she slowly approached the feline: