CumioNimon 6, as its name might suggest, is known for its near constant rainstorms on most of the planet. As such, most of the planet is made up of oceans and marshes; not the best for Kindergarten construction or colonization. It was however, the perfect spot for a data transmission tower, which rose high above the marsh trees. The tower was largely left alone, but on this rainy day a group of individuals was huddled at its base.

"Any luck yet?" Lars asked, clutching his cape close to his shoulders. While his body didn't suffer from as many hindrances as a normal human, ice cold rain was still rather unpleasant.

Hunched over the console, Rhodonite furiously typed at a terminal embedded in the massive yellow spire.

"Just another second," the fusion responded, "Luckily my old codes still work." A short chime rung from the monitor and text lars didn't recognize began appearing.

"We're in!" Rhodonite exclaimed. The human captain didn't recognize any of the squiggles on screen, but Rhodonite's eyes darted over them like he would a children's book. The Rutiles walked over and skimmed their eyes over the text as well.

"Any new bounties?" Left Rutile asked.

"Or tech reports on those drones?" Right finished.

Rhodonite was quiet for a minute before responding

"Nothing in the Yellow matrix indicates that our bounty has gone up." Rhodonite explained, before adding, "although Emerald has apparently gone down from a captain to an admiral." That got a chuckle from the group. "But," the fusion continued, "no information relating to us has changed."

"And the drones?", Lars asked.

"Nothing on them either," The fusion responded, her lower eyes flicking way from the screen, "But if they really did belong to White Diamond it makes sense they aren't on the Yellow Diamond servers."

"Can we check the White Diamond servers?" One Rutile asked.

"Will your codes work?" The other followed up. Rhodonite looked at the twins with her trademark nervousness.

"I doubt it…" her lower arms fiddled with the fringe around her shoulders as she examined the monitor. Cautiously, she rhythmically tapped the keypad until the screen changed from yellow to white.

Any form of satisfaction was dashed as the screen turned red and released a high pitched alarm

"AHHH" Rhodonite exclaimed, furiously slamming down on the small control board. After a minute or so of swearing and typing the sirens of the swamp fell silent.

"... Well:" right Rutile said.

"Could've been worse" the other Rutile finished. Rhodonite sighed, her lower arms caressing her upper arms sadly. Lars moved up to the fusion, patting her gently on the arm comfortingly.

"You did your best," the revived human sad comfortingly, "we can always try again at another station."

The fusion sighed before responding.

"I guess…" she managed to mutter as the three and a half rebels made their way through the marshes.

Somewhere in the Cosmos

Carnelian was pretty pissed. In her prime she would have been done with almost a dozen shatterings.

Now, however, she was stuck watching anime with the Cubics.

She and Cubic 193 were about to pick a new show to watch when another Cubic (279, if Carnelian remembered right) began chirping for her attention.

"My Brutality," Its heavily synthesized voice called out, "we have discovered a a breach in the White Diamond servers"

Carnelian quickly straightened herself, casting a long shadow over the command deck.

"When and where?" was all she said.

"CumuloNimbon 6, about 5 clicks ago"

"Ready the warp drives"

Carnelian's wicked grin was audible.

*back on CumuloNimbon 6*

Rhodonite was grumbling t herself as she, Rutile, Rutile, and Lars made their way back to the ship.

"There's no need to feel bad, Rhodonite," Rutile said, giving her fusion friend a pat on the back.

"We can always try again at another terminal, right captain?" Rutile finished, looking to Lars as they walked on.

The human smiled and said, "Yeah, don't worry, Rhods, this isn't the first time any of us have messed up, and it probably won't be the last."

Rhodonite visibly wilted at this.

"Aaand, that was the wrong thing to say, OK!" Lars went on, now visibly sweating even through the constant rain. "Look, I just mean, just cause something went wrong now-"

Whatever comfort Lars was trying to say was interrupted by a massive KATHOOM as a large, geometric, blindingly white ship appeared in the sky.

"...Shit," the human muttered as the large diamond rooted itself in the ground. A single pitch black rectangle formed on its surface. Two massive massive rounded mechanisms that were quickly recognized as Cubics exited the doorway, saying nothing.

Then she emerged.

Not much of here was visible. Her uniform was in shades of gray, except for the blinding white diamond on her chest. A white hood covered her face, and as connected to an equally white cape, flowing and evenly colored, with a soft blue at the ends

"Well, well." A gruff voice sprung from the cloak as it came closer, "This is what Yellow Diamond's elite has had trouble with? Pathetic."

Lars' hand went to his hip, where he kept a stone club carved to out of the stalactite he took from Homeworld.

The cloak figured simply laughed.

"Really," she said, a red shimmer coming from her hood. "You think a rock like that can stop ME?"

Lars Stepped forward, grimacing but somehow confident all the same. He began drawing his stone club before a thin arm tapped his chest.

"Lars," Rhodonite's voice was shaky as usual, but somehow a confidence pierced her fear. "Let me save you this time."

"Rhods'..." the human's voice was cut off as the fusion stepped forward. The cloaked figure said nothing at first, but the group could feel that she was sneering under her hood.

"What do you want with us?" Rhodonite asked as she shifted her posture in an attempt to be more intimidating.

"Simply put," the unknown gem responded, "I'm here to capture you. Whether you give yourself up or resist I'm gonna pummel you, so I'd pick the option where I hit you less."

Rhodonite's bigger hand clenched.

"No" it came out as a whisper, but her stance was all the cloaked gem needed.

"Challenge accepted", her cloak shifted, revealing a massive red arm. With a snap of a finger the Cubics shifted and opened, creating an electric field around Rhodonite and herself.

"Rhodonite!" Lars and the Rutiles said simultaneously as they electric pulse came between them and the fusion. The Rutiles stepped back, knowing what would happen should they touch it, but Lars moved forward. However, as soon as his hand came within an inch of the electricity it began to burn and tingle, as if he stuck a fork in a wall socket. He quickly jerked his hand away, having an idea of what would happen should he proceed.

The enemy gem stepped forward, grabbing the clasp of her cloak and throwing it off.

Her skin was a deep red, and her arms bulged with muscle as they moved. Her deep crimson hair, only slightly lighter than her skin, was a pixie cut, which struck the Off Colors as strange for a quartz. She had a round, somewhat plain face, with the exception of a round, red gem with a hexagonal cut where her right eye should be.

"I am Carnelian, an elite quartz of White Diamond's special forces." she began, her gem glowing a blinding scarlet. "And I'd just like to thank you for the beating I'm about to give."

With that, she charged forward, her left arm covering her gem. Rhodonite let out a startled cry as she dived to the left.

Just in time, it would seem, as the moment the fusion hit the ground, Carnelian swung her arm, weapon now in hand. What was briefly a long, red staff of energy quickly expanded until a spiked hexagonal club took shape.

As soon as the weapon took proper shape Carnelian turned, club overhead. Rhodonite again moved quickly. Where she had been but mere seconds ago was now a deep crater as the massive weapon impacted the ground.

Rhodonite rolled to her feet, bringing her thinner arms to her face. She kept them there for a moment before they glowed a soft red. As soon as she saw this she quickly clapped her palms together and flicked her left hand forward, in a way Lars thought was reminiscent to dealing cards.

But what came from her hand was not cards, but a thin red disc. It whined through the air towards Carnelian, who brought up her club in defense. When the disc made contact it gave slightly before exploded into a wave of heat. The quartz was forced back a few inches before righting herself. She said nothing, but grinned wildly as she charged again.

The battle continued like this for a time; Carnelian rushing forward, Rhodonite getting out of the way in the nick of time to throw a disc of heat. But it was abundantly clear that Carnelian was the more skilled fighter; for every attack that Rhodonite sent forth the quartz not only batted it away but counter-attacked.

It didn't take long for Rhodonite to be visibly exhausted. All the while Carnelian had barely a scratch. She leaned against her club, a look of boredom on her face as she scratched at the edge of her gem.

"Look, this was fun for a while, but this is growing dull," Carnelian remarked, shouldering her club, "so let's move on to the part where you go 'poof'"

There was no theatrics to Carnelian's charge as she moved. Rhodonite moved to the left, but Carnelian caught on, shifting as she came close and kneeing the fusion in the side. The timid gem crumpled to her knees.

"Rhodonite!" Lars called out, trying again to intervene, but as soon as his fingers crossed the threshold of barrier, electricity coursed through his body. The human didn't even have time to scream before he fell back, unconscious.

"Captain!" The Rutiles cried out as they rushed to him. He didn't look outwardly hurt, but the shock had taken a lot out of him.

The two fighters looked over at the scene.

Rhodonite silently gasped, a hand coming up to her mouth.

Carnelian laughed.

"I can't believe he actually tried to pass through!" She gasped, "And he's your leader?! Hilarious!"

"Captain…" Rhodonite whispered. She got back to her feet, her gems glowing a soft red. Carnelian's laughter died down as she saw her opponent get up.

"You're still in one piece?" the quartz's hefted her to her shoulder. "I guess fusion makes even frail gems like pearls made of sterner stuff."

"Shut up." Rhodonite's voice had a hardness that made both the Rutiles and Carnelian shocked.

"What did y-" Carnelian began, but stopped as Rhodonite's chest gem began glowing brighter.

"You can attack me all you want; I'm used to it at this point. But I won't let you hurt my captain!"

The fusion brought her upper arms to her chest and, as the light reached its brightest, summoned her weapon.

The Rutiles had never seen Rhodonite's weapons before. Since they spent most of their time in hiding their had never been need. All they knew was that she had at least two weapons; her Pearl's and her Ruby's. The duo imagined that Rhodoite's weapon would be something delicate like her, a sword, or perhaps a spear.

So it goes without saying the giant warhammer was unexpected.

It's staff section was as long as the fusion wielding it, carved with a simple spiral pattern going across it. The head was a solid cube of red-pink metal, an elaborate diamond design etched into both sides. Both the front and back were carved to resemble diamonds, giving it a dangerous point.

As she summoned the weapon, Rhodonite teetered to the right; it was clear she didn't summon her weapon often. She quickly grabbed the lower part of the handle with her lower arm and righted herself.

Carnelian stared at the fusion for a second before her manic grin returned.

"Well, well, welly well well. Look who's been holding out on me." she sneered.

In a blur the quartz charged, but Rhodonite didn't dodge this time. Instead she swung her hammer to intercept her opponent's club. The massive weapons impacted, halting Carelian and knocking Rhodonite back. But the fusion quickly used the momentum to swing her hammer even harder at her opponent.

Carnelian blocked, but the force behind the swing and the pointed form of the weapon dug into the club. With a muted CRACK the top third of the weapon broke off, cracks spiderwebbing down the remainder.

"Lucky hit" The amusement that had been in Carnelian's voice vanished in an instant, her gem glowing. The broken club faded away as she began to summon a new club.

But Rhodonite didn't let her. This fight had been going on long enough for her and she had had enough of this cocky quartz. She quickly flicked a disc of heat at Carnelian's face. She dodged, but as she shifted to the right the fusion saw her opening.

She charged.

A few seconds passed, the only sound the pouring rain.

The Rutiles looked on in horror and awe.

Rhodonite was doubled over, visibly exhausted.

Carnelian looked down at the fusion.

Then the quartz looked at the hammer embedded in her side, the pointed head no longer visible.

Whatever comment she wanted to make was drowned out by the muted explosion of her form being poofed.

The two drones that created the electric field frantically came forward, breaking the barrier. Rhodonite raised her hammer in defense, but the machines ignored her, choosing to grab the deep red gemstone that landed in the marsh.

Once they obtained their boss' gem they rushed to their vessel. Rhodonite contemplated stopping them, but decided her friends were more important. She could hear the ship lift off as she walked over to her friends.

"Is captain Lars okay?" she asked, dissipating her weapon in soft pink light.

The Rutiles knelt there in stunned silence for a moment before Right Rutile responded.

"U-uh, yeah, I think he'll be fine," she explained, "the captain's made of sterner stuff. But Rhodonite, that was-"

"That was AMAZING!" Left Rutile cut her other half off, "I mean, I've seen you make your hands glow but I had no idea you could use it as a weapon!"

"And Rhodonite, you summoned your weapon!" Right joined in, Left's excitement infectious. "I never would have thought you'd use something so powerful!"

"Aw, you guys." Rhodonite blushed, scratching the back of her head with her upper arm. However, before the fusion could get to flustered at the praise, she leaned down and hooked her lower arms under Lars' shoulder.

"We should probably get the Captain back to the ship," she explained, hefting the unconscious human up and leaning him against her shoulder.

"Okay!" The Rutiles called out simultaneously, hooking Lars' other arm over their shoulders.

"I can't wait to tell Fluorite and Pads what happened!" Left remarked as they began moving. Right simply nodded, a giddy look on her face.

Rhodonite blushed once again as the group made their way back to their ship.

I'm trying

For the love of God, let it be known that I am trying