Detritus (The Axe of Calax)

Chapter 1

Hordak lorded over a machine which held a large stone double edged axe the length of a doorway suspended in an anti-gravity field. As Hordak read the scientific readouts on the consol, he was bored by the computers assessments. There was nothing in particular about the large weapon that deemed it of any real significance save for its sheer size. However, the size of the weapon was simply created to fit the enormous grip of its previous owner Calax. Furthermore, the stone material was incompatible to be fused with the station Detritus as it had no real metal components.

A voice asked Hordak," Do you wish me to ionize the weapon?"

Hordak was not a collector of artifacts or even weapons. Unlike his replacement overlooking the Horde campaign on Etheria Hordor who a collector of many rarities as well as the current proprietor of Detritus itself. Hordak might as well hang on to the axe if for no other reason as a bargaining chip for Hordor.

Hordak simply told the intelligence of Detritus," Negative."

The voice of Detritus tried to answer back but all that came forth was static.

Another glitch in the system thought Hordak to himself. The glitches seemed to be a sporadic occurrence ever since She-Ra escaped Detritus. For just before She-Ra was whisked away on the same hyper-linked transport beam that had initially brought her to Detritus an energy burst was being built up in her accursed sword that she wields. Hordak noticed that during She-Ra's manifestation of her powerful so-called Starburst of energy many minute power disruptions were taking place throughout Detritus. The power disruptions were widespread even at matrix levels. This meant that they were especially hard to detect or well fix.

The voice of Detritus finally came back on to answer," Affirmative."

A thought occurred to Hordak that after She-Ra had escaped Detritus her bio-signature must also completely disappeared from the memory banks of Detritus. Hordak had not asked any follow up questions to Detritus since then about its memory of She-Ra's bio-signature; so maybe that particular glitch had been fixed. After all, Detritus had a deep memory bank, so maybe her whereabouts had been retrieved.

So, curiously Hordak asked," I would like you to initiate a search for She-Ra."

The voice did not answer back right away...though after a minute...the voice answered, "I need more information..."

Hordak simply repeated," She-Ra."

Then after about another minute in length the voice asked," Who is Shera?'

Hordak then corrected the intelligence," No, not Shera...her name is She-Ra."

The memory of She-Ra had not been retrieved yet by Detritus thought Hordak to himself. This was an opportunity for him to try something out. It had been a long time since Hordak had tried to connect with Horde Space. This was because of his own bio-signature being in constant detection of Detritus, so any attempt on his part to connect with Horde Space would be detected.

It was far too tempting for Hordak not to try as he reached out to connect with his portion of Horde Space. Thats when Hordaks white pointed right ear fashioned itself into a gray looking circular looking dish. For as long as the voice remained silent to Hordak used the earpiece transmitter which began to pulsate a red light where the hole of the ear used to be.

Suddenly the lights of the room Hordak was in went off. The only lights remaining was the lights on the console of the machine which suspended the double-bladed stone axe as well as the pulsating light in Hordaks right ear.

Then when the light in the room came back on, so did Hordaks red light in his right ear go out as was well his ear was transformed back to normal.

The voice blurted out," Arrival of the Barge is imminent in 3,000 Parsecs."

A stymied Hordak realizing that his hypersonic signal could also be detected by the Barge along its way to Detritus.

"How come I was not identified before the Barge departed for Detritus?", Hordak blurted out!

The voice answered, "There was a delay in my retrieval of the Barges signal."

Of course, there was a delay thought Hordak before he asked the voice, "What is the purpose of the Barges visit to Detritus?"

The voice answered," Horde recruit exchange."

A suspicious Hordak asked the voice about the recruit being delivered because it was unusual that there would only one transferred one recruit.

"Identify the new recruit aboard the Barge enroute to Detritus.", Hordak demanded.

The voice answered, "Unable."

Hordak feeling as if an imminent threat was approaching Detritus grabbed for the large double-edged axe in its examining hatch! Hordak then carried the oversized axe with both of his black gloved hands on its shaft as the weapon leaned over his broad left shoulder.

"Alert Force Captain Dragstor that I am heading his way.", Hordak told the voice of Detritus as he departed the room where his long black cape trailed behind him.

Outside of the moon sized scrap heap that was Detritus the faint signal sent out by Hordak by way of his modified ear transmitter made its way farther into space. Whether the signal would be intercepted by the Barge was uncertain as of yet. However, Hordak's original intent was for his signal to be picked up by another ally of his amongst the stars.

The recently titled Force Captain Dragstor was wearing a wireless mind simulator helmet while his body was splayed out on a long table. The mind simulator itself was linked to the intelligence of Detritus whereby it could project virtual simulations into the mind of its wearer. Interestingly enough Dragstor's body was positioned the way he would be as a high-powered mobile vehicle while atop the table just as in his mind he was in that virtual mode of functionality.

Dragstor initially wanted to make a simulated battle between him and the recently arrived She-Ra. Unfortunately, when She-Ra had escaped Detritus, so too did any prior knowledge of her vanish from the intelligence that controlled Detritus. So, a frustrated Dragstor was reliving his last battle in the arena against his formal rival for Force Captain, Calax. There was no real thrill to be had during what was his 9th engagement against Calax in the virtual landscape. Dragstor's true thrill was taken away from him when the real She-Ra had escaped Detritus. All Dragstore could do was race rings around Calax in the virtual arena of his mind just as he had initially done in the original arena. Though as Dragstor was about to smash into the rear heel of Calax in virtual reality in order to bring the stone giant to his knees for the 10th time today his simulation was paused.

The voice of the intelligence addressed Dragstor simultaneously in the virtual as well as the real world," Your guest: Hordak has arrived. You will need to end this simulation in order to greet him."

"Then do it.", an irate Dragstor hissed through his silver cupped face plate covering his mouth.

The voice asked Dragstor,"What would you have me do?"

Dragstor who was now sitting on the table began to remove the spiraled wireless simulation helmet from over his smooth blue helmet. Though before an annoyed Dragstor could reply to the voice of Detritus the doors leading into his room slid apart revealing the aforementioned Hordak who was outlined by a reddish glow behind him.

"Shut off the simulator.", Dragstor spoke through his silver face mask where above the mask two yellowish gaunt eyes shown through a small port. The gaunt yellow eyes besides the tuff leathery burnt brown flesh of Dragstor were the only assessable images of the man inside the vacuum sealed blue body suit.

Hordak rested the large stone double edged axe on the side of the entranceway wall before commenting," The Barge is coming to take you away from me. It will be arriving soon."

An anxious Dragstor stood to attention before a slowly approaching Hordak who then stopped to admire the young warrior before him.

The ever-observant Hordak noticing the mind simulator helmet on the table as well as the ever-ready Force Captain ascertained," Who or what were you battling before my arrival?"

Dragstor answered without hesitancy," Calax, I was doing a number of battle simulations against my former rival."

"I can admire your tenacity, though why were you battling an opponent whom you had already beaten? Quite handedly I might add.", Hordak asked.

Dragstor answered sharply," My original opponent was to be your chief rival She-Ra. So, I substituted her nonexistent profile in the simulator to Calax. I thought of new ways in which to battle him. "

Hordak raised his chin pristinely while correcting the brash take from his student," I would never call She-Ra a rival of mine for I have no equal. Though she is a revered as well as worthy opponent."

Hordak then came closer to Dragstore in order to peer into his yellow eyes at closer range.

Hordak felt a trembling of rage that shook Dragstor's body. There was also a humming sound emanating from Dragstors, like a motor.

"You are eager to fight. Good. For a fight may be coming your way by way of the Barge.", Hordak mentioned almost casually.

"I am still revved up from my virtual battle in the simulator. I had been in virtual battle for a long time before your arrival.", Dragstor explained.

Hordak brandishing his blood red fangs was most pleased by Dragstor's ever readiness.

"I want to let you in on a secret.", Hordak began," I knew from the moment that I pitted you against Calax that you would prevail. What surprised me was not you're beating Calax but at how decisively you had done it. You tore Calax apart with the precision of a surgical knife. It was magnificent. Though before you let my praise of your prior battle for Force Captain go to your head, I'll let you in on another secret. You would have stood no real chance against She-Ra, she would have humbled you if she had not flown the coup in the way that she had."

Dragstor's head rattled intensely at Hordaks disclosure to him.

Hordak looming over Dragstor repeated what he said when he entered the room," The Barge is coming, as well it may hold a dire threat to me."

Dragstor came out of his silence only to ask, "What does this mean?"

"I believe that you as well as Mosquitor and Mastodon will be spared. Though with no certainty can I really guaranty you of this. So, you must be ready for whatever the Barge is bringing for that is what I am prepping for. That is all I can tell you."

"If you have no certainty in what the Barges threat will do to me or my fellow warriors how can you have known with such certainty that I would not have prevailed against She-Ra?", Dragstor questioned sharply.

"Experience", Hordak answered Dragstor in one-word before offering up more detail, "I have suffered numerous defeats from She-Ra, while some were merely setbacks some were much more severe in their scope. Furthermore, none of you would be a match for She-Ra single handedly. You have no idea of what kind of power She-Ra draws from. Though my intent was not for you to physically best her in combat. I wanted you to feel her might in order to test your capabilities against her raw power. I wanted you to understand what you were truly up against when you lost to her. So, you could learn by understanding what I learnt after a time."

Hordak waited for Dragstor to ask the question though when his disciple did not Hordak answered for him," She-Ra's great weakness has always been her inability to be merciless. I can recall countless opportunities where she could have ended me once and for all. Yet she spared me which only allowed me to redouble my efforts again at a later time. She-Ra's lofty disposition of showing me mercy allowed my campaign on Etheria to survive as well as flourish. It mattered not how ruthless I was, She-Ra would show me mercy an act that is punishable by death on HordeWorld."

"Then She-Ra would never have never survived on Polarides.", Dragstor scoffed with certainty.

"It is unfortunate that you did not do battle against She-Ra for if you did then your pride would truly have been tempered. A lesson that I wished could have been imparted on you before your departure from Detritus. Though now I must go to wait for the Barge in my control room. I expect that you will consult with Mosquitor and Mastadon Man in order to update them on the Barges imminent arrival.", Hordak explained.

Dragstor nodded approvingly, while Hordak answered, "Very good, your first act as Force Captain. When you are done gathering your subordinates meet with me in the control room."

Abruptly, Hordak proceeds to exit Dragstors chambers, where on his way out he gathers up the large stone double blades axe once belonging to Calax. Where the bright red light shown outside the entranceway transports Hordak back to the control room.

While in another space, an apparent voidness of shadow leaves nothing to behold of the figure trapped within it. This figure, who's body is unseen in the void of darkness speaks out a name," Shadow Weaver, my mistress...can you hear me?"

The voice of the figure stays silent in the solitude, waiting for a reply. Until a slender female figure dressed in a drab crimson cloak emerges within the pitch-black void.

The cloaked figure whose form is virtually as unseen amidst the dark void as the figure who called to her answers," Long Shadow, my knightly assassin, have you found the chamber of the Horrorsaur?"

The voice of Long Shadow answers his mistress," Yes, I have done what you have asked of me. I have found the chamber where the Horrorsaur has been encased inside of. Though while I am immersed in the darkness of shadow along the narrowest of spaces alongside the chamber. My awareness is also kept in the dark of when this so-called Barge will arrive at its destination. How will I know when to act if I have no idea of when this ship arrives at its destination?"

Shadow Weaver's keen yellow eyes within her crimson cloaked hood narrow as she states," Your sword will always keep in tune with Horde Space. The sword will alert you when the Barge has used Horde space to enter the space around Detritus in the Outer Rim. So, you must always be in tune with your sword. Though only when are you certain that the Barg has connected itself to Detritus can you try to make contact with Hordaks location."

The voice of Long Shadow replies capitally," Then I severe the connection of the cryogenic chamber of Horrorsaur to unleash it upon Detritus."

Shadow Speaker replies harshly, "Only when the Barge has docked with Detritus! The Barge must be connected with Detritus so that the creature can destroy Hordak along with his prison cell. Though not before the three recruits board the Barg for departure. Hordor made it very clear that he wants the warriors that Hordak trained transported back to Etheria."

"Understood.", an obeying Long Shadow replies.

Shadow Weaver then begins to fade away as she comments," I await your return on the Barge after you have successfully completed your objective."