She-Ra-tober Announcement Post
Fanfic #1: Rainbow
Fanfic #2: Tattoo
Fanfic #3: Evening
Fanfic #4: Purring
Fanfic #5: Leaf Pile
Fanfic #6: Sunset
Fanfic #7: Warm
Fanfic #8: Abandoned
Fanfic #9: Workout
Fanfic #10: Embarrassing
Fanfic #11: Drunk
Fanfic #12: Future
Fanfic #13: Canoe
Fanfic #14: Sleep
Fanfic #15: Rope
Fanfic #16: Kiss
Fanfic #17: Robots
Fanfic #18: Aquarium
Fanfic #19: Grandparents
Fanfic #20: Suit
Fanfic #21: Heart of Etheria
Fanfic #22: Prisoner
And now, here is my Day 23 fanfic.
Just right for the season of fall.
Roman Empire
For centuries the empire had stood.
Conquering and growing.
Destroying what it could not absorb.
Subjugating all to the will of Prime.
It was not built in a day.
Yet, on this day, it would be shaken to the core.
The empire would fall.
Because of one person.
And some friends she made along the way.
---------------
Starla was smiling and animated as she spoke to the group of about a dozen tired and ragged-looking people, some young, some old, but all with expressions of hopeful desperation.
"We've been to worlds where the fight against Horde Prime is alive and well! And they're making a difference!"
A young woman with short green hair stood up. "But Prime has been conquering planets for hundreds of years! His army is huge!"
Tallstar stepped up to join her sister.
"But it's small compared to all of us together. And Prime's army is spread thin and now mostly concentrated around Etheria, where the threat to him is greatest."
An older man with a long beard and red bandana circling his head spoke up. "But in all these years, his Empire has only grown stronger."
Starla spoke with confidence. "The larger it's become, the more difficult it is for Horde Prime to control."
"And his pride makes him vulnerable," Tallstar pointed out. "He doesn't expect rebellion like we're planning."
Starla spread her hands to her audience. "Believe us. No empire can last forever, and Prime's empire is ready to fall. Now is the time."
A voice behind them made them turn.
"I've got it!"
The two sisters joined their brother across the room.
Jewelstar sat on the floor with a partially-dismantled Horde drone saucer in his hand. Wires trailing from it connected with a data pad.
He set the drone down carefully and gestured to it.
"I've been able to isolate the code within the drone's communications circuitry, and I can hack Prime's entire communication network from here and broadcast. . . for probably about 15, maybe 20 seconds. That's all we'll get."
Tallstar nodded. "Good."
Starla smiled. "it'll be enough. You're amazing, big brother!"
She gave him an awkward hug, and he grinned self-consciously, looking at all the people observing.
Starla let go. "So. Ya ready?"
"Yes." Jewelstar looked from one to the other of his sisters. "You?"
Tallstar nodded. "Let's do it."
Starla nodded back. "Okay. Let's light this thing up!"
She turned to her audience and motioned them to follow.
"You'll want to watch this!"
She led them just outside the mouth of the cave, where Jewelstar had carried his equipment and was arranging it.
It was nearly evening time, and four huge bone-white spires dominated the landscape at varying distances from them.
Tallstar stood in front of Jewelstar, watching him complete some connections as he integrated a wire from the data pad with his electronic left eye.
He looked at his sister intently and nodded, pressing a control on the side of his eye.
The people with them gasped as enormous holograms suddenly and quickly built themselves up in layers at the tops of the spires.
Four gigantic images of Tallstar!
She took a deep breath and began to speak.
We are the Star Siblings, calling you to join us.
And her words were echoed in booming clarity from the heights of the spires.
The Rebellion against Horde Prime has begun!
. . .
On another world, where the suns were blazing daylight, groups of slave workers stopped and listened to the towering figure above them: defiant and confident.
Throughout the empire, his hold is crumbling, and it won't stop until he is defeated.
. . .
Back by the cave, Jewelstar pressed a button on the side of his eye, activating a recording, as the voice continued.
We know this because our leader is She-Ra, and her magic is the one thing Prime fears.
The recording, magnified in enormous holographic form, was of a young woman with long, blond hair tied in a ponytail. Fierce in her determination to raise an archway of rock inside a mountain, she suddenly emanated a blinding light from her body, transforming her briefly into a mighty warrior princess, with power sufficient to compress and crystalize the solid rock!
. . .
On yet a different planet, rebels who already had weapons stood emboldened by this message and image of hope.
Tallstar's voice continued.
Remember She-Ra's name, and join her fight!
. . .
Tallstar, impassioned, shook her fist in the air as her brother switched the visual of the broadcast back to her through his electronic eye.
"For your homes, your people and your freedom! Now is the time! Fight--!"
Suddenly, she hesitated as the echo of her voice halted, and a new voice replaced it.
Do not be deceived, my children. For Prime sees all and knows your hearts!
Horde Prime's image in massive stature had replaced Tallstar's on all of the spires.
But it didn't matter.
It was already starting, as people gathered in bands and descended from the neighboring and distant hillsides against an advancing force of bots.
Do not turn from the light to join those who are lost.
Ignoring the booming voice, Starla gestured to the people around her. "See! It's happening! Come on!"
And her siblings and the others drew weapons, running to aid the ones who had begun to fight back.
----------------
Horde Prime, Emperor of the Known Universe, stood watching an array of multiple screens.
The Rebellion was spreading.
From Etheria . . to Aquarii . . . to Eridani . . . and beyond.
He frowned in determination.
Then smiled bitterly with his thoughts.
Such acts of defiance were futile.
For the Light of Prime would always prevail.
The Heart of Etheria would be his very soon.
With it, he would utterly extinguish the blasphemers.
And even if it meant that his empire was to burn, then so be it.
Let it burn in a cleansing fire.
He would build it himself.
