Severed [She-Ra 2018]

V: Rebellion

The ship's alarm was blaring, red lights flashing along the web of corridors. Clad in a stolen spacesuit that was decidedly not her size, Entrapta clutched the detached arm cannon of a sentry bot in her hands as she ran behind Hordak. He knew where he was going, and as long as she followed him, they would not get lost.

They had run into trouble almost from the outset. As soon as one sentry caught sight of them, the alarm was raised, and at almost every turn more bots and Horde clones appeared to block their way. The speed at which the message sent was incredibly impressive. They needed to be quick to have any chance of leaving before Horde Prime himself could get involved.

Since Hordak was disconnected from the Hivemind, he was in no danger of Prime possessing him from a distance. The drawback was he could not see his brothers' movements to maneuver out of their way. This didn't discourage Entrapta. Hordak could still access the computer monitors and open any doors shut against them. He would also be able to activate the ship they would use for their escape.

They had reached a large brightly-lit door and Hordak came to a stop. Entrapta knew this must be one of the hangar bays. As the barrier came down, she grew starry-eyed with amazement. "Incredible!"

The hangar was lined with spacecraft of various sizes. Two were absolutely colossal. Glossy white, they made the wide room look small, and dwarfed the smaller craft lined on either side. These smaller ships were long and needle-like, aligned like two rows of spears. Only a thin shimmering field stood between the ships and open space. At the edge of the bay, the far wall opened to reveal a vast blanket of luminescent clouds and inky black interspersed with countless pinpoints of light.

Entrapta almost swooned at the prospect of exploring one of the larger ships. She cried out in surprise as Hordak grabbed her arm and pulled her to the side, a laser blast missing her head by inches.

"Focus," he hissed.

That was when she noticed the bots. The two ships nearest them were open, and rows of armored robots were emptying from the boarding ramps. There were at least thirty blocking the way. Entrapta risked a look back and saw five Horde clones enter the hangar. They were surrounded.

"What is this foolishness, little brother?"

Hordak stiffened, turning to join Entrapta as they faced the line of clones. The lead Horde clone drew back his hood and flashed a predatory smile.

"So, the poisonous weed has truly corrupted you," Prime drawled as he came forward. "There is nowhere you can go that I cannot reach, nowhere you can hide that I cannot see. It is useless to fight."

He walked several steps closer, and Entrapta leveled her cannon at his chest in an effort to keep him back. Prime laughed, still looking at Hordak.

"But I am merciful. I will give you one final chance to return to my good graces." He turned his glowing eyes to Entrapta. "Destroy her, and all will be forgiven."

Entrapta's eyes met Hordak's. Surely after everything he would not turn on her now. Hordak was hesitating, and the longer he stared at her, the more afraid she became. Her deepest fears came welling up to the surface. He was risking everything for her, but she wasn't worth that. Entrapta's hands shook as she realized this was the end. She would not fight Hordak. She couldn't.

Then Hordak smiled at her. It was a small grim smile, but it was enough, and in that moment nothing else mattered.

"No," he said firmly, turning to Prime. "I will not."

Prime's eyes narrowed to two green slits.

"Entrapta is my friend," Hordak went on. "She has given me freedom, and I will never again submit to your will!"