Earth
United States
Delmarva
Beach City
7:00 PM
March 12th
2015 C.E.
"So, you're not aware of the specific scientific process Greg and Rose used to give birth to you?" Johnathan asked Steven in a questioning tone, as he looked down at him while the two walked back to Steven's house.
It certainly has been one hell of a day for Johnathan. The phone call he had with the President back at Mayor Dewey's house, ended up lasting about two hours, instead of minutes like Johnathan had expected. President Richardson didn't believe Johnathan at first, and it took a little convincing from him and Mayor Dewey to make him at least not consider what Johnathan was saying was bullshit. After that, Johnathan ended up telling President Richardson exactly what he told Mayor Dewey, but in far more detail due to Johnathan wanting the President to know everything about the current situation that has been afflicted upon the United States and the rest of the world.
President Richardson was desperate to know as much information as possible about the Xyzox, as well as the galactic war and the Milky Way Galactic Alliance. Unfortunately however, President Richardson was extremely busy, and he needed to get back to his work that most likely involved damage done to the cities across the East Coast. But, in his desperation for knowledge, President Richardson said that he was going to schedule Johnathan a flight to Washington D.C. when he was available, so they could meet in person. President Richardson also gave Johnathan his direct contact information, so President Richardson could alert Johnathan what day his flight to D.C. was on. The President also just needed to stay in contact with someone as important as Johnathan.
A personal meeting with the President would be just what Johnathan needed, because all the information he has on his H.C.P. about the Xyzox and everything else was vast, and he would be able to give it all to the U.S. Government. Johnathan would also need to help prepare the U.S. military by advancing pretty much everything from their guns to their defenses. But most importantly, Johnathan would have to give them information on Xyzox shielding, and the frequency that was required to take them down. Unfortunately however, gunpowder weapons can't adjust a "frequency," so Johnathan will most certainly have to upgrade their weapons to Railguns, which will be quite easy actually. Railguns were created and produced in the early 21st century, so the technology should be easily available...that is if history hasn't been altered too much.
After speaking with the President, Johnathan and Steven parted ways, as Steven went to go do his own stuff, while Johnathan would go meet up with the technician team that was working on fixing Beach Cities power lines. Once Johnathan got there, he told the men that he was sent by the Mayor to help assist with the power lines, and the men there were totally fine with having another helping hand. Johnathan and the technician team managed to easily identify multiple issues and damaged areas of the power lines with the help of Johnathan. Although the moments Johnathan really shinned, was when he identified even the smallest issues that mostly went unnoticed by the technician team. Anyways, that's how Johnathan spent the most of his day, helping the team out repairing the power lines, and Johnathan could definitely say, that he helped speed up the process. Around 6:40, the men told Johnathan that they could handle it from here, and thanked Johnathan for his generosity. Johnathan could say for certain, that he made some new friends today.
After being dismissed for the day, Johnathan decided to rest his technical thoughts by making a stop at the Big Donut before heading back to the Crystal Tower, where he would ultimately have to put himself in quite a humiliating position in front of the Crystal Gems as he made his apology. Johnathan had played out how he would apologize to the Crystal Gems, especially Garnet, since he stopped talking to the President. He was quite confident in the apology, although he had his suspicions and worries.
Anyways, when Johnathan arrived at the Big Donut, he found that Steven was there, and was talking with Sadie and Lars, who were pretty much preparing to close shop. After a greeting from Steven and Sadie, Johnathan decided to join in on the conversation...which apparently was about all the frozen things in the Big Donut defrosting or melting, and how much trouble it was causing for Sadie and Lars. As a joke, and to brighten up the situation a bit, Johnathan brought up the time when Lars sat onto the melted box of ice cream this morning, and how his jeans butt were stained by the melted ice cream. Johnathan then teased Lars a bit, saying how he tried to sit on it, despite the fact that he knew it was a wet box of melted ice cream! It got laughs out of Sadie and Steven, but Lars just got irritated, not liking how Johnathan reminded him of his stupid mistake. Also, did Johnathan also mention how weird Lars looks for a Human? Perhaps he was some sort of sub-species of Human that exist in this universe? Something like a Neanderthal.
Anyways, with the Big Donut about to close up shop, Johnathan and Steven decided to make their way out of there, and start making their way back to the Crystal Tower. While on their way to the Crystal Tower however, Johnathan decided to ask Steven about his origins, more specifically, the gem where his belly button should be. The rose quartz on Steven belly had been mystifying Johnathan since yesterday, and he wanted to know how it got there. The answer Johnathan received was quick shocking and unbelievable for him. Apparently...somehow, Steven's father Greg, managed to create a child with the Crystal Gem's former leader, Rose Quartz. Johnathan was absolutely dumbfounded on how a organic being, managed to create life with nothing but a hardlight projection, it was absolutely mystifying, and it would be something Johnathan should make sure to note in his field report...a Human-Gem hybrid.
Johnathan then asked Steven if he knew how such a thing was possible, but the only thing Steven knew, was that Rose Quartz had to give her life in order to give birth to Steven, which explained the rose quartz on Steven's belly. But despite that, Steven didn't know anything else, especially the science behind such a process...which Johnathan was hoping he would get. Which now leaves us with the question Johnathan just asked Steven.
"I'm afraid that's all I know." Steven said in a rather regretful tone, as he walked alongside Johnathan.
"That's no problem. When I have the time I'll have to ask the Crystal Gems about it...as awkward as that'll be. Speaking of the Crystal Gems." Johnathan explained to Steven, shrugging off the issue, before he looked up at the balcony of Steven's house and saw the Crystal Gems doing what looked like having a conversation, completely unaware of Johnathan and Steven's presence.
Upon seeing the Crystal Gems, Johnathan began getting nervous and feeling quite awkward about approaching them. It was a somewhat similar feeling a person would have when approaching their crush. He was never really good with apologizing to people, and despite all the time he's had to improve, it just seemed like it was something that couldn't really be fixed. But Johnathan knew he was going to have to do it, and there was no avoiding it.
"Let's get this apologie over with so we can move on to more important things." Johnathan said to himself and Steven in a annoyed tone, as he began walking towards the staircase leading up to Steven's balcony, with Steven right behind him.
But as Johnathan was going to begin climbing up the stairs, he heard Amethyst say something that caught Johnathan's interest, causing him to stop in place, before raising his hand slightly above him, signaling Steven to stop.
"So what if she shows up with more? I say we just mash them all!" Amethyst declared in a aggressive tone, as Johnathan got into a position below the balcony that would allow him to listen without the risk of detection. Steven also seemed to have taken interest in the conversation, as he to followed along with Johnathan.
"It's not just the Robonoids. According to Lapis, she's going to have back up." Garnet pointed out to Amethyst, as she stood in place.
"Who knows what she's going to have! We won't stand a chance against their weapons. But, if we could somehow get Johnathan to assist us, we would most certainly be at even odds." Pearl pointed out to the other two in a organized tone, as she put her left foot behind her right foot in a more relaxed stance.
Johnathan perked up upon hearing Pearl mention his name, as Steven looked towards Johnathan with a interested look on his face. Johnathan was now growing suspicious, Johnathan had never had the chance to ask them about things such as this "Peridot" and "Homeworld," but Johnathan had an idea that this whole conversation had something to do with the two. Is this what Pearl wanted to talk about with him and the rest of the Crystal Gems? He had no idea about the situation, and he certainly wasn't going to support either side until he gets farther information. For all he knows, he could be helping the wrong people.
"It's not just the Robonoids Pearl. She's coming with other Gems!" Garnet announced in a rather frustrated tone. She has seen Johnathan in combat, but she certainly has no idea if he's capable of taking on so many Gems at once. Hopefully, Peridot didn't bring to many.
Johnathan was getting sick and tired of just standing here and listening to their conversation about using him. He needs to confront them about this entire issue. So Johnathan began making his way towards the staircase, signaling Steven to follow him, which Steven did exactly so.
"Says who!? Who cares! What does Lapis even know!? Even if she brought other Gems, Johnathan would probably easily just shatter them all! You've seen him in cooommmBAAAAAT!" Amethyst pointed out to Garnet in a aggressive tone, before she then noticed Johnathan and a Steven standing behind Pearl and next to the stair case, as Steven had a straight look on his face, while Johnathan sat there with his arms crossed and a eyebrow raised in suspicion.
Pearl and Garnet clearly noticed Amethyst's strange behavior, and looked behind them, where they were greeted with the same sight Amethyst saw, and Johnathan didn't look pleased. Pearl just hoped he wouldn't flip out again, who knows how much he heard. But judging from the look on his face...he heard enough.
"HHHHHEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYY!" Amethyst greeted Johnathan and Steven in a forced tone of voice, her voice cracking the process, as she walked up to the two.
"Look who it is! It's Johnathan and Steven!" Amethyst pointed out to Pearl and Garnet once again in a forced tone, as she used her arms and hands to point towards them in a very exaggerated way, as she walked up to the two.
"Our best friends Johnathan and Steven!" Amethyst declared, as she put her arms around Steven and Johnathan, a little uneasy while doing it with Johnathan due to what happened this morning, as well as Johnathan's intimidating structure in general.
"What are you doing here buddies?" Amethyst asked Johnathan and Steven in a forced curious tone, as she alternated between looking at the two.
"I...live here?" Steven stated in a weired out tone, pointing out the obvious to the Gems.
"Amazing response Steven." Johnathan told Steven in a blank yet proud tone, as he looked away from Amethyst and towards Steven.
"Is everything okay?" Steven asked the Crystal Gems in a clearly confused tone, as he looked over towards Garnet and Pearl, Johnathan doing the same with a suspicious look on his face.
"Of...course!" Pearl told Steven in a reassuring tone, a forced smile now gracing her lips.
"In fact! We were just about to play...cards!" Garnet pointed out to Steven in a forced reassuring tone, as she looked over towards Pearl to make sure she got the idea.
"YES! Car-"
"Cut the crap you three. Me and Steven overheard exactly what you were talking about. Now, how about I get some answers as to why-" Johnathan was suddenly interrupted mid-sentence by what sounded like the sound of power being restored. Not surprisingly, Johnathan's senses didn't betray him, as the lights inside Steven's house were turned on, the lights shinning through the windows in the ever darkening sky.
Johnathan emitted a single chucke, as he looked at the active lights inside Steven's house. "You can thank me for that." Johnathan pointed out to the Crystal Gems in a smug tone, as he continued looking at the lit up house, before turning towards the Crystal Gems once more.
"Thank me for cleaning up YOUR mess." Johnathan pointed out to the Crystal Gems in a calm tone of aggression, before his face expression softened.
"But, speaking of the power. I own all of you an apology for my unstable behavior, especially you Garnet. It was just, absolutely stupid what I did. You know, I would love to say that the stress of the entire situation just got to me...but it's a lot more complicated then that. This entire war...it has affected me not only physically...but mentally as well. It's affected me very severely in both categories...and the physical one is quite clear." Johnathan explained to the Crystal Gems in a soft solemn tone, as he brought up his robotic hand at the mention of the war affecting him physically, as well as looking at the huge scar on his face.
"But, the effect it's had on me mentally, is far more severe. I've found myself doing many things that I would have never done, if I was the same man I was before the war. Things such as exploding on people in absolute rage when it's entirely unnecessary, or my emotions becoming far less easier to control...and I used to be great at doing that. A little too great to be exact. I've also found myself talking to myself...almost as if I'm talking to an entirely different person, and sometimes things get can nasty when I have these conversations with my conscious. There are far more problems I can speak to you about, but I think you get the idea. In fact, I would probably be retired from service by now if the war didn't mean life or death for the entire galaxy...I'm one of the best soldiers the Alliance has, and they need the best. Even if that means the best going insane afterwards...after all, they would just be another causality out of the trillions dead. One more to add to the list of dead." Johnathan explained to the Crystal Gems, his tone changing to a rather dark one, laughing a bit solemnly at the end of his statement.
"While i don't like quoting psychopaths, Joseph Stalin once said...'A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.' You won't believe how many times I've heard that quote being thrown around. Hell, even the aliens have caught onto it...and it's hard not to believe it nowadays." Johnathan pointed out in a sad tone, as he rested his arm on the wooden railing of Steven's balcony, and looked down at the wooden floor below him.
After Johnathan's statement, a long silence hung over the group, as the Crystal Gems processed everything Johnathan just said. It was hard for the Crystal Gems to not feel bad for Johnathan. Here he was, a soldier fighting not only for the continued existence of every other living thing in the galaxy, but fighting for his own sanity as well. Despite everything he's gone through, all the pain, suffering, death, and loss, he still continues to fight, fighting for all he loves and cares about, as well as the lives of every other living thing in the galaxy...while meanwhile he was suffering immensely internally. From the looks of it, he cares more about helping and saving the people around him, then his own well-being.
Pearl couldn't help but find herself having a new found respect for Johnathan, as well as the rest of the Crystal Gems, but Pearl was the one who found the most respect for him, because she herself could relate to him a lot. Johnathan's determination to defeat the Xyzox and any enemy in general that dares threaten the Milky Way, or his loved ones, is something Pearl found very admirable about him. Pearl herself can relate to this determination, because she herself is determined to fight for Rose Quartz and the cause she believed in...even though she has had trouble adjusting to human culture and life on Earth in general, she's still willing to uphold Rose's cause. But the determination Johnathan had, is something Pearl wished she could have herself, because if Pearl was in Johnathan's position as a soldier in this horrific war he has been in for who knows how long. She would have possibly given up, or have been shattered long ago. She may have been able to handle the Rebellion and it's horrors, but she doesn't think she would be able to handle the war Johnathan has described, especially the side effects that have come with it.
Millions if not billions of innocents dying everyday, entire worlds being destroyed, entire species being thrown into extinction, cities burning, screams of bloody murder emitting around every corner. The images that popped into Pearl's head when imagining these things were horrific and disturbing...and she wanted nothing to do with any of these images. Pearl could go on, but was brought out of her train of thought by Johnathan raising up his head and looking at them.
"I hope that makes sense for you all. The things I've seen in this war, have changed me...and honestly I wish I could erase most of the memories from this war from my head...and just return to my former self." Johnathan told the Crystal Gems in a blank tone, as he adjusted his posture.
"Don't worry John. I understand." Pearl acknowledged Johnathan in a kind understanding tone, offering him a kind reassuring smile.
Johnathan smiled back. "That's good to know. Although I hope you never fully understand, because I wouldn't want someone like yourself being corrupted by the horrors of this war. You're too good to lose." Johnathan stated in a kind tone, giving Pearl his opinion about her, as he adjusted his posture by standing up straight.
Pearl couldn't help but slightly blushed at Johnathan's compliment, as her self-esteem couldn't help but rise at being called "good" by someone like Johnathan. Her self-esteem probably wouldn't have raised as much as it did if Garnet and Amethyst hadn't told her about what exactly happened in the Kindergarten, and how Johnathan performed in combat...and how he saved both of their lives single handily. Pearl was very surprised when she learned that Garnet, the most powerful gem in the Crystal Gems, wasn't even able to take out a single Xyzox soldier, and the way Garnet described the soldier, it seemed extremely powerful in almost every category. It was even able to hold up against Garnet's strength...and that's not a normal trait for an organic life form to possess.
Although, the reason why the Xyzox managed to nearly shatter Garnet, was because of it's shielding technology, and Garnet wasn't even able to get past it, although that's not surprising due to what Johnathan has told them about the Xyzox's shielding. Pearl always needed her worth to be validated by others due to her low self-esteem, and being called good by someone that is as, if not more powerful then Garnet, was quite a validation for Pearl.
"Although let me just say. I'm still upset about the fact that all of you couldn't even bother putting aside what you were doing for a few moments, to help restore the power to Beach City. I've put aside many things temporarily to accomplish other goals and objectives. Hell, I've even put aside my own life to make sure a objective was accomplished! So if shouldn't be hard for all of you to do the same." Johnathan explained to the Crystal Gems in a tone that was similar to a disappointed father talking down to his child for doing something wrong, teaching the child that what he or she did wasn't right.
"I'll be making sure to note your selfishness in my Field Report tonight. All field reports go to my superior officer Captain Andrews. So, so far you haven't made a good first impression of yourselfs to the Milky Way Galactic Alliance, although I'm hopeful that will change." Johnathan told the Crystal Gems in a disappointed tone, as he crossed his arms.
Before the Crystal Gems could retaliate to Johnathan's statement, Johnathan spoke up. "Now, how about we get back to the subject at hand, yes? But why don't we head inside first." Johnathan pointed out to the Crystal Gems, before he walked past Garnet and Pearl and towards the door to Steven's house, before opening it and holding it open for the Crystal Gems to enter.
Seeing how Johnathan was holding open the door open for them, the Crystal Gems began entering the house, with Garnet going heading into the house first. Then Pearl entered next behind Garnet, but before she fully entered, she heard Johnathan whisper to her.
"What? No rejection this time?" Johnathan asked Pearl in a playful tone, remembering when she made a big deal about him holding the door open last time.
Pearl rolled her eyes in amusement and smiled at Johnathan's statement, knowing exactly what he was referring to. Anyways, after Pearl walked in, Steven and Amethyst followed suit, and with all the Crystal Gems now inside Steven's house, Johnathan finally entered inside and closed the door behind him. Johnathan then began walking towards the Crystal Gems, who were now beginning to sit down on the same couch that Johnathan had been in front of when he explained the Xyzox to them. But now, it was their turn to do the explaining.
"So, What going on? What don't I know, and why I'm I suddenly in the picture?" Johnathan asked the Crystal Gems in a suspicious tone, as he walked up towards the couch with his hands behind his back.
The Crystal Gems sat in silence after Johnathan made his remark, as they tried to find a way to explain the entire situation to him, or waiting for one another to speak up. Finally, after a few moments, Garnet spoke.
"Do you remember when we first met. Me and Amethyst asked if you were with Homeworld?" Garnet pointed out to Johnathan, as she looked up from the floor and towards Johnathan.
Johnathan rolled his eyes and a slight smile formed on his face. "Yeah, I remember. By the way, I STILL don't know what homeworld your talking about. There are billions of possibilities. For all I know, we're talking about the homeworld of the Flying Spaghetti Monsters!" Johnathan acknowledged Garnet sarcastically, as he remembered the look on Amethyst'a face when he called her a jackass.
"Flying Spaghetti Monster?" Amethyst asked in a clearly confused tone, as she looked at Johnathan with a confused expression on her face, asking herself, what the hell is a Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Garnet just sighed in frustration. "When I mean homeworld, I mean the Gem Homeworld." Garnet pointed out to Johnathan in a frustrated tone, not wanting to deal with his sarcasm at the moment.
When Garnet mentioned that this "Homeworld" Johnathan has been hearing about, was actually the Gem Homeworld, a expression of surprise and confused appeared on his face. Johnathan was surprised that they had been talking about the homeworld of their own people this entire time. But what confused him the most, was why were they so hostile to him when he said he was with Homeworld when he first met Garnet and Amethyst? Are they actually in some state of Civil War?
"The Gem Homeworld...? Are you fighting your own people?" Johnathan asked the Crystal Gems in a surprised tone, a questioning expression now on his face, as he crossed his arms.
A slience was held for a few seconds before Garnet responded back. "...Yes." Garnet declared in a dramatic tone.
So he was right after all. It appears The Crystal Gems are a rebellious faction. But what Johnathan was wondering, was why? What caused them to rebel against their leadership? Why were they here on Earth instead of actually fighting? It most importantly...why are they so small? A rebellion can't be achieved unless you have support from many others that believe in the cause that leads the rebellion. Or else, you might as well be heading to the nearest jail cell, for acts of terrorism most likely.
"Why?" Johnathan asked Garnet and all the Crystal Gems in general in a curious tone, wanting to get to the bottom of this issue.
When Johnathan asked his question, Garnet looked over to Pearl and Amethyst, as if she was warning them that she was going to do something. Garnet then looked back over towards Johnathan and adjusted herself on the couch before continuing.
"Over 5,000 years ago. Gemkind discovered Earth when we were taking surveys of the Sol System, looking for potential planets in the system to colonize. Out of all the planets in the system, Earth was the only one that showed promise of becoming a thriving colony out of the eight other planets in the system, including their moons. But, Earth wasn't just any ordinary planet we usually come across in Gemkind's ever expanding empire. Earth was very rich with many valuable strategic resources, including resources that were necessary to creating more Gems. As soon as the Diamonds heard of Earth and it's potential, they began the process of colonization, right away." Garnet explained to Johnathan in her blank tone, but Johnathan could clearly tell there were many mixed emotions behind her voice.
"But, the only problem with colonizing Earth. Was that it had so much life on it." Pearl added onto Garnet's explaination, as she leaned forward in her seat on the couch.
"Including Humanity." Johnathan pointed out before continuing. "But when you mention that Earth had so much life on it, you say it as if it's being threatened...like extinction level threatened." Johnathan pointed out to Pearl in a questioning tone, as he drew his attention away from Garnet and towards Pearl.
"Because it was John. It was the main reason the Crystal Gems were formed, to protect the life on Earth from extinction." Garnet declared in a dramatic tone, as she look away from the floor and towards Johnathan.
A shocked expression found itself on Johnathan's face, as he looked at Garnet, seeing the reflection of his own shocked expression within Garnet's visor. Johnathan was shocked for two reasons, one was the obvious one, The Gem Homeworld made a attempt to kill every living thing on Earth for whatever reasons Johnathan hoped to learn in this conversation. The second was the reason the Crystal Gems were formed. It shocked him, that aliens like the Gems, would even bother trying to protect a single planet's organisms from extinction. Why did they choose to protect Earth, and not other planets that Gemkind has colonized that most likely used to have organic life on them. Why did they have to draw the line on Earth, and why the hell would they waste 1000 years trying to protect the organisms of Earth? Johnathan intended to find out.
Johnathan thought about his question for a bit, before he finally spoke up. "Tell me something? Why-" But before Johnathan could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by the sound of a beeping alarm coming from his wristband that held his H.C.P., and before he knew it, the H.C.P. projected itself from the projector on the wristband.
When the H.C.P. projected itself from it's projector, the Crystal Gems were immediately surprised and confused on how Johnathan had a H.C.P. on him, despite not being his suit of armor. Johnathan on the other hand, looked at what was currently being displayed on the screen of his H.C.P., and to his surprise, it was none other then the man himself, Captain Jefferson Andrews. Jefferson seemed to currently attempting to hail Johnathan via the method of a...holocall? Jefferson attempting to reach Johnathan via holocall was very alarming to Johnathan, because the only times Jefferson ever used the method of holocall, was when he either needed to talk to a group of people without worrying about his face being angled incorrectly, or in the case of emergency.
To Jefferson knowledge, Johnathan was completely alone, and had no needs to talk to a group of people. So the only other option left was that it was a emergency. Could it be? Could the Xyzox have breached the Armageddon's defenses and boarded the ship. Johnathan didn't want to stand here and speculate any longer, he wanted to know what the hell was going on. But before Johnathan could answer the call, Garnet spoke up.
"What does that beeping signify?" Garnet asked Johnathan in a questioning yet blank tone, crossing her arms in the process.
Johnathan looked up from his H.C.P. and towards Garnet. "It signifies that someone's calling me, and that someone just so happens to be my superior officer, Captain Jefferson Andrews. From the looks of it, it looks like you're going to meet him." Johnathan pointed out to Garnet in a serious tone, before pressing the answer call button on the H.C.P.
Right as Johnathan pressed the answer button, the computer screen of the H.C.P. immediately disappeared, and was instead replaced a blue holographic projection of a human male, clad in a suit of admiralty, that demanded respect. The uniform Jefferson was wearing was the average uniform that most M.W.G.A. Captains could be seen wearing. The uniform was teal in color, that had a single soild black strip that started near the collarbone, and ended at the elbow of the uniform. On the shoulders of uniform, were black shoulder boards with a single soild white stripe on the edges of the shoulder boards.
On the chest of the uniform, it had things on it such as a long list of badges, that honored Jefferson for the many things he had done and accomplished in the war. This long array of badges resided on the left side of Jefferson's uniform. On the right side of Jefferson's uniform, was a large bright symbol of the Milky Way Galactic Alliance made of pure sliver, that shone brightly and galently. On the collar of Jefferson's uniform, was a small pin that was the symbol of the Terran Republic, put there by Jefferson's choice. Jefferson was currently wearing his admiral hat that was black and had a teal outlining around it's edges with the symbol of the Milky Way Galactic Alliance made of pure siliver that was placed in the center of the hat. Finally, Jefferson was wearing plan black pants with black shoes.
Despite Jefferson appearing as a blue hologram, you could still see his physical appearances with ease. Jefferson was clearly of European decent, although with a hard enough look, you could see that his skin was much darker then usual. This was due to the Hispanic side of his family's genome, but it was clear his European side took over the most. It was quite hard in the 26th century to be a 100% Caucasian, Asian, African, etc, with all the breeding that has taken place between cultures within the past centuries. Anyways, Jefferson had green eyes that had a look of determination and vast knowledge within them, although the dead and emotionless look was also in Jefferson's eyes, but were not in them as much as Johnathan's. Jefferson had certainly experienced the horrors of the war...but not as much as Johnathan. Finally, The hat Jefferson was wearing covered most of his hair, but from what could be seen, his hair appeared to be black.
When Jefferson was projected from the projector on Johnathan's wristband, it was clear that something serious was going on by the mere expression of his face.
"Johnathan." Jefferson simply acknowledged Johnathan's presence in a serious tone, as Jefferson stood with his hands behind his back in a very serious matter as well.
The way Jefferson simply just acknowledged Johnathan like the way he did, put Johnathan even more on edge as he was, as he adjusted his posture. "Jefferson. What's going on? Has it got something to do with the Xyzox attack?" Johnathan questioned Jefferson in a clearly alarmed tone, a worried expression expressed upon his face.
"Don't worry about the Xyzox and their attack John. We managed to easily fend them off. Apparently it turned out to be nothing more then a mere scouting party." Jefferson explained to Johnathan in a organized tone, continuing to speak to Johnathan and unaware of the Crystal Gems presence behind him.
"Well, that's certainly some good news for once. But, now that their scouting party has been killed, they're most likely going to send a much larger force of troops, now that they know the Armageddon and her crew are still alive." Johnathan pointed out to Jefferson in a frustrated tone.
"Indeed. I certainly don't look forward to what the Queen has in store for us." Jefferson stated in a slightly anxious tone, as he adjusted the hat on his head with his right hand, before putting his hand back behind his back.
Right after Jefferson made that statement, and adjusted the hat on his head, he looked just about ready to continue speaking. But Johnathan had to interrupt him because right now, the Crystal Gems were in the room, and were currently doing nothing but watching the conversation take place between the two men, very attentive and interested in the matter. But right now, Jefferson needed to introduce himself to the people Johnathan is most likely going to be working with, when the government don't need his assistance on something.
"Excuse me. Greatest apologies Jefferson, but we have guests in the room, and you should probably introduce yourself to them. They're behind you." Johnathan pointed out to Jefferson, using his left hand to point towards the Crystal Gems that were behind Jefferson.
A look of surprised appeared upon Jefferson's blank face at the word that there were other people in the room with Johnathan, before the look of surprise quickly vanished. After that, Jefferson turned around and faced away from Johnathan and towards the Crystal Gems behind him, who all straightened themselves now that the attention was brought towards them, to make a good first impression on Jefferson. As Jefferson turned around, the Crystal Gems were given the full view of Jefferson and the uniform he wore, the entirety of his physical appearance surprising them. For the first time, the Crystal Gems got to see someone that wasn't a soldier like Johnathan, but instead a Captain of a military ship, more specifically, the Captain of the ship that saved the lives of many humans on Earth from the Xyzox and their orbital bombardment. Jefferson looked at the Crystal Gems and their physical appearances, quite shocked at not only their appearance...but their choice of uniform. But hell, what did Jefferson expect? They were most likely off duty.
Finishing looking at the Crystal Gems and their appearance, Jefferson cleared his throat, before continuing. "So, you must be these 'Crystal Gems' that Johnathan has told me all about?" Jefferson asked the Crystal Gems in a organized and diplomatic tone, with his hands behind his back.
"That we are, Captain." Garnet acknowledged Jefferson in her blank tone, giving Jefferson a small acknowledging nod.
"Well then, it's a great pleasure to meet you all. I'm pretty sure you all know who I am, but I'll introduce myself anyways. I'm Captain Jefferson Andrews, Captain of one of the greatest warships to roam the stars, the U.S.S. Armageddon." Jefferson introduced himself in the same diplomatic tone with a tone of kindness, bragging a bit about the Armageddon, as he cupped his hands on his belly in a greeting matter, before putting them behind his back.
"The pleasure is ours Captain Andrews." Pearl said to Jefferson in a diplomatic tone, as a slight smile appeared on her face to give Jefferson a more friendly impression.
"Also, thanks for blasting those ships out of the sky, dude." Amethyst thanked Jefferson in a laid back tone, Amethyst already leaning back against the couch like the clumsy gem she was.
"I was only doing what was right, Amethyst. Although most of the thanks goes to my crew, I would have never been able to take down those ships without them." Jefferson pointed out to Amethyst in a humble tone.
"I've read a field report Johnathan provided me yesterday, so everything all of you discussed that day, including your names, I know about. So there's no need to fill me in on everything that's happened." Jefferson pointed out to the Crystal Gems in a organized tone as always, continuing to stand in place with his hands behind his back.
"But, as much as I wish I could have a formal meeting with all of you, that isn't the reason I called in on Johnathan's H.C.P., in fact..." Jefferson pointed out to the Crystal Gems in a regrettable tone, before turning away from the Crystal Gems and towards Johnathan. "Johnathan. Remember the data you sent me that you recovered from the Gem mining facility, or...'Kindergarten' as the Gems call it?" Jefferson pointed out to Johnathan in a organized tone.
"Yeah, I remember. What have you found in it?" Johnathan acknowledged Jefferson, before asking him his question in a curious tone. Johnathan figured that this was the reason why Jefferson decided to call in, and since he was calling in with a holocall, it must be serious.
"Overall, we've found some very interesting and helpful things within the files. But, through our search through the flies, the crew stumbled upon some information that is...quite disturbing." Jefferson told Johnathan in a disturbed tone, as he removed his hands from behind his back and placed them at his sides, doing small hand movements while he spoke.
To see that Jefferson, out of all people, was even disturbed by what the Armageddon's crew found in the files recovered from the Kindergarten, meant that whatever this was, was very serious. Jefferson was not a easy man to disturb, the horrors of the war have scarred him quite severely...but the same can be said for Johnathan.
"Well...what did the crew find?" Johnathan asked Jefferson in a hesitant yet questioning tone, tilting his head to the left slightly.
As Johnathan announced his question, Jefferson turned around to look at the Crystal Gems with a blank expression on his face, as he debated in his head whether or not these Gems could be trusted...despite the fact that they fought for Earth's independence from those...maniacs. When Jefferson first saw the files, he couldn't believe his eyes. Apparently, Earth in this universe approximately over 5,000 years ago, faced the threat of annihilation from Gemkind and their parasitic lifestyle. Gemkind, under the orders of their fascist leaders, the Diamond Authority, came to Earth to colonize the planet, and ultimately annex it into their ever expanding empire. Of course, having Earth being colonized by extraterrestrial life as early as 5,000 years ago simply disgusted Jefferson, especially since Humanity had no means to defend themselves against an extraterrestrial threat. But, what disgusted Jefferson more, and even disturbed him, was the Gems idea of "colonization."
Apparently, the Gems idea of "colonizing" a planet, meant killing every single living organism on the planet, and then suck all the oceans and other bodies of water, dry of their water, and then proceed to build nothing but urban landscape all across the planet. It didn't end there, they would also suck all the planet's resources dry until they left the planet nothing but a dead carcass of it's former self. But, Earth was also going to be used to create more Gems...and the way Gems are made is what disturbed Jefferson the most. Apparently, in order for a gem to be made, it had to suck enormous amounts of materials, matter, and energy from it's surroundings, and into some strange complicated liquid that was placed underground that would be responsible for creating the gem. This, Kindergarten that Johnathan was in, wasn't just some Gem mining facility as Johnathan had described...no, it was a facility meant for creating Gems, and from Johnathan's description of the place, it looked eerily similar to a Xyzox mining facility, completely dead and devoid of any life.
Gems are parasites, parasites that go throughout the universe, and suck all life from planets in attempt to live on and survive. They're the very definition of a parasite, because parasites need some host to feed on in order to survive...the Gems host was all the resources the planet had. Of course, Humanity and pretty much every other living organic being could be consider parasites as well, but the rate at which Gemkind devoured materials and minerals, was absolutely insane, and needed to be contained. From what Jefferson has seen of Gemkind so far, he fucking hated them...they were too much like the Xyzox, genocidal, resource hungry, power horders, and overall utter psychopaths. The only difference between a Xyzox and a Gem at this point, is their physical appearance, their organic and artificial nature, and one is a hive mind.
But, Jefferson might have been drawing conclusions to quickly, after all, he still didn't know much about Gemkind, and the Crystal Gems are a good example of that. If there are gems like the Crystal Gems, there are certain to be more. They fought a 1,000 year war for the survival of Earth and the life on it, so, Jefferson still had much to learn about their kind. Jefferson looked away from the Crystal Gems, who were looking at him curiously, as he turned back towards Johnathan, preparing to present him with the disturbing information he just went through in his head.
"Johnathan, Gemkind had plans to colonize this Earth well over 5,000 years ago. Although our idea of colonizing a planet, is far different from what Gems consider colonizing a planet." Jefferson pointed out to Johnathan in a dark tone, as he put his hands behind his back once more.
Upon hearing Jefferson's statement, the Crystal Gems knew exactly what he was talking about. He most likely knows everything about the attempted colonization of Earth, and perhaps even bits of the Rebellion. But one thing was for certain, Jefferson certainly wasn't going to sugercoat the details, and with Steven in the room...it only made the situation a lot more worse. Steven wasn't ready for this information, but even if they asked him to leave the room, he would most likely insist.
"You know Jefferson. Me and the Gems were just discussing this issue right before you popped in." Johnathan pointed out to Jefferson in a intrigued tone, as looked up towards the Crystal Gems, before looking back towards Jefferson.
"Oh really? Is that so? Have they given you all the details about how their kind would have eliminated all life on Earth, if it weren't for these Crystal Gems here? Have they also told you how the whole process of colonization would go? If they haven't, then I'll be glad to enlighten you about the horrific process!" Jefferson spoke in a tone that clearly had anger in it, as he preform multiple hand gestures during his speech.
"Captain Andrews!" Garnet called out to Jefferson, causing him to turn around, a clearly unpleased look on his face, as Garnet stood up from her seat on the couch.
"Please understand that not all Gems are like what you've seen in those files! Many Gems didn't agree with anything the Diamonds were doing on Earth! Which is why many Gems joined the Crystal Gems!" Garnet explained to Jefferson in a desperate tone, knowing exactly what he's seen in those files.
"True. But that doesn't excuse all the atrocities and war crimes your kind have committed against not only your own galaxy, but the Milky Way as well! You're no different from the Xyzox, and I can say that with 100% fucking certainty!" Jefferson told Garnet, on the verge of shouting, in a tone of anger, as he leaned forward and pointed at her aggressively.
The Crystal Gems were all taken aback by what Jefferson just declared. The look of being insulted and shocked appeared on all of the Crystal Gems faces, as Jefferson just compared their entire species to the Xyzox, a race that has killed trillions of lives all across the galaxy, destroyed countless of worlds, thrown thousands of species into extinction, and so much more. But...as much as Garnet hated to admit it...he was partially right. The Diamonds and Homeworld have done many terrible things that the Xyzox have done as well. But it pales in comparison to the Xyzox committing genocide on more then half a galaxy! As well as THEIR, atrocities and war crimes!
"How dare you." Garnet declared in a hushed insulted tone, as she straightened her posture and puffed out her chest a bit.
Johnathan was absolutely confused with the entire situation taking place between Jefferson and the Crystal Gems, but he could clearly see that it wasn't getting them anywhere. Johnathan was about to raise his voice and tell both of them to calm down, but before he could, Steven of all people, got in between Garnet and the holographic projection of Jefferson, his arms raised in between them.
"Guys! Guys! Are we really going to let Homeworld seperate us like this? We're all in this together, and we can't be yelling at each other like this if we're going to stop them!" Steven shouted out to Jefferson and Garnet in a desperate tone, as he alternated looking between the two.
Jefferson and Garnet looked away from Steven after he finished his small speech, and back towards each other. The Gem and Human stared at each other for a bit, before Jefferson ultimately, looked down towards his feet, closed his eyes and sighed regretfully.
"You're right Steven. Hostility certainly isn't going to help us, especially in dire times like these with the threat of the Xyzox." Jefferson acknowledged Steven in a rather regretful tone, as he continued looking down, before finally raising his head up to face Garnet.
"I own all of you an apology. I simply do not have enough information about your species to make a final conclusion. But from what I've seen, I'm simply disgusted with your species." Jefferson declared in a apologetic yet slightly aggressive tone, looking at Garnet and the rest of the Crystal Gems.
With the argument between Jefferson and Garnet seeming to de-escalate, Johnathan breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed to worry about, was relations between Jefferson and the Crystal Gems souring. Although, Johnathan was quite impressed that Steven, out of everyone, managed to de-escalate the argument between Jefferson and Garnet. Perhaps Johnathan underestimated Steven and his abilities.
Although, judging from how pissed Jefferson got about how Gems colonize planets, Johnathan was honestly quite concerned, yet curious about how exactly this process was done. Hell, Jefferson even compared the Gems to the Xyzox...and knowing Jefferson, he would never even consider making a statement like that, unless he had some solid proof. Johnathan intended to find out exactly how Gems colonized planets, and why Jefferson was so pissed off about it.
"Jefferson? You mind telling me what's so triggering about how Gems colonize planets?" Johnathan asked Jefferson in a questioning tone, raising his eyebrow, as everyone now directed their attention to Johnathan and Jefferson.
Jefferson looked away from the Crystal Gems, and turned around to face Johnathan. After fully turning around, Jefferson once again looked down at the floor and sighed, before looking back up to face Johnathan.
"This is the process how Gems would colonize a planet. The first step would be to eliminate all organic life on planet, while establishing the colony...that is if there is any on the planet in the first place. At a certain point of colonization, if there is water or any sort of liquid on the surface of the planet, all bodies of liquid on the face of the planet will be removed, basically sucking the planet dry. This can be considered the second step, but this one and the first kinda mash together." Jefferson explained to Johnathan in a dark and serious tone, while his hands were behind his back and his posture was much more straighter.
"But, it's the final step that disturba me the most. The next step, is that they would begin hollowing out the entire damn planet, all the way down to the core. Removing various parts of the crust to make most out of the planet's resources. All of this death and destruction...is all in a attempt to farther strengthen their empire and expand their population. In fact, those Kindergartens, are nothing more then giant facilities that suck the life from the very planet...to create Gems. Creating Gems is one of the most important reasons as to why Gems colonize planets, besides the resources the planet holds." Jefferson finally concluded his explanation of how Gems colonize planets, as the Crystal Gems could be seen in a rather nervous and anxious state. Amethyst on the other hand, was simply staring down at the floor with a slight glare on her face...looking like she was having some sort of internal conflict within her.
With Jefferson's explaintion concluded, Johnathan looked up from the holographic projection of Jefferson, and up towards the Crystal Gems with a shocked expression on his face. Johnathan really didn't know what to think of the information that was just given to him. The Gems that stood before him, the Crystal Gems, were nothing like the Gems who would dare to commit such atrocities that were in those files. They were willing to put their lives, their future, and their entire life on the line, to protect the organisms of Earth and the entire planet in general, from the horrors that their very people were willing to inflect upon it, without mercy. Despite their sacrifice for the Earth and it's life forms, Jefferson's statement about the Crystal Gem echoed throughout Johnathan's thoughts.
"True. But that doesn't excuse all the atrocities and war crimes your kind have committed against not only your galaxy, but the Milky Way as well! You're no different from the Xyzox, and I can say that with 100% fucking certainty!"
And Jefferson was right. Perhaps not the last part, but the first part was definitely right. Their rebellion to protect the organic life on one planet out of the thousands their empire has most likely done the same colonization process too, doesn't excuse them of the crimes their kind have committed. They're Gems, and they used to support this system, until they decided enough was enough...that is if they've even been alive that long. But they owe their existence to the same colonization process that has most likely thrown thousands of sapient species into extinction, so whether they like it or not...they have blood on their hands.
Johnathan had to admit though, the mere thought of thinking about all this, began bringing back memories of the Xyzox doing almost the exact same thing. Throwing entire species into extinction for nothing but the mere resources the planet held. Hell, sometimes they would even destroy the entire planet to gain easy access to the minerals through the millions of asteroids that were formerly the planet. He wasn't going to sugarcoat it...Gemkind's actions reminded Johnathan too much of the Xyzox, and they were eerily similar to them as well, in many ways.
"Well? Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to say something!?" Amethyst suddenly declared in a rather aggressive tone, which brought Johnathan suddenly out of his thoughts, and caused Jefferson to look away from Johnathan and towards Amethyst.
As Johnathan was brought out of his thoughts suddenly, he shook his head slightly before speaking. "I-I, don't really know what to think." Johnathan declared in a overwhelmed tone, putting his hand on his face in a overwhelming matter.
Pearl began to worry about the current situation that was taking place. Amethyst seemed to be getting quite aggressive about the topic on how Gems are made, and the last time that happened, it ended up with Amethyst attacking her. Even though the issue was resolved peacefully in the end, with Pearl telling her that she was the best thing that came out of the Kindergarten and such, Pearl wouldn't be surprised if some of that self-loathing was still within her. Although, Pearl was mostly worried about Steven compared to Amethyst, because unintentionally Jefferson had accidentally informed Steven about the very thing Pearl and the rest of the Crystal Gems had been hoping to keep a secret until Steven grew older...and Steven didn't seem to be taking it in well.
A look of absolute shock and horror was planted all across Steven's face at the news of the revelation that was unfortunately revealed to him. Steven then slowly began making his way to the couch and sat down on it in shock and horror. Just like Johnathan, Steven didn't really know how to react to this entire revelation. Pearl was quick to scoot over from her seat on the couch, to begin comforting the poor boy. Jefferson took note of Steven's strange reaction to everything he just said, but he ignored the boy's reaction, because their were far more important things to discuss.
"I know it's a lot to take in at once Johnathan. But rest assured, these Gems mean no harm to Earth and it's inhabitants. The only thing that is, is the Queen, and the rest of the Xyzox she brought along with her. We all need to work together, if any of us is going to come out of this mission alive." Jefferson explained to Johnathan in a reassuring tone, before he turned around and made his other statement to the Crystal Gems.
"The Queen, isn't the only threat to Earth at the moment, Captain." Garnet suddenly pointed out to Jefferson in a rather dark tone, as she took a couple steps followed towards the holographic projection of Jefferson to get a more serious vibe across.
With Jefferson's statement about the threat of the Xyzox being the only threat to Earth at the moment, Garnet figured now it would be a great time to bring up the threat of Peridot. After all, it is the reason why all of them are gathered here in the first place.
If there was any emotion or expression on Jefferson's face, all of it fell flat upon hearing Garnet's statement. What the hell could also be threatening Earth at this very moment, Jefferson wondered.
"What do you mean?" Jefferson asked Garnet in a blank yet worried tone, as he moved his arms from behind his back and to his sides.
"Was this other threat the topic of the conversation you were having earlier. The same conversation that put us in this room in the first place?" Johnathan asked Garnet in a suspicious tone, tilting his head slightly to the left, as he raised his eyebrow in a suspicious matter.
"It was...unfortunately." Pearl pointed out in a hesitant tone, for she knew exactly where this conversation was heading now. Although it's for the better.
Johnathan then looked away from the Crystal Gems and towards Jefferson. "I had managed to eavesdrop on a conversation they were having earlier. Although the highlight of it had to be when they mentioned trying to get my help in some problem they were having. I'm assuming this problem is the other threat." Johnathan pointed out to Jefferson, before directing his attention back towards the Crystal Gems.
Jefferson also directed his attention towards the Crystal Gems, by turning around away from Johnathan, and towards them. "What kind of threat are we dealing here? And why does it require Johnathan's intrusion?" Jefferson asked Garnet in a suspicious tone, a suspicious expression gracing his face.
Garnet sighed before continuing. "The threat is Homeworld..." Garnet simply announced to Johnathan and Jefferson in a dramatic tone, putting her hands on her hips as she made her statement.
All expression fell from both Johnathan's and Jefferson's faces upon hearing Garnet's statement. The Gem Homeworld, the very thing they were talking about mere moments ago, is still a threat to Earth despite it being over five thousand years! These Diamonds must be really determined to accomplish their goals, Jefferson thought.
"There is a lot more information about the colonization of Earth that you need to know, Johnathan. I'll give it to when I have the chance." Jefferson pointed out to Johnathan in a organized tone, turning around to face him, before turning back around to face the Crystal Gems.
"So, how large of a threat are we dealing with here? Are they coming with an armada? An entire fleet?" Jefferson asked Garnet in a serious and strict tone, as he put his hands behind his back, listing off certain possibilities.
"We're not dealing with a large invasion force, if that is what you're worried about." Garnet told Jefferson in a reassuring tone, her face blank as ever.
Jefferson's face turned into one of worry, concern, and confusion at Garnet's statement. "If we're not dealing with an invasion force. Then what the hell ARE we dealing with?" Jefferson asked Garnet in a questioning tone, crossing his arms in the process.
"We're dealing with a single Gem, although it's unlikely she's coming alone. Her name is Peridot." Garnet pointed out to Johnathan and Jefferson in a serious tone, as she continued standing in place with her hands on her hips.
So, it seems the mystery of Peridot has finally been solved. Throughout his time here, Johnathan has heard that name, Peridot, uttered about two times. He knew that a peridot was a type of gem, a rare one to be exact, so Johnathan had come to the conclusion that this "Peridot" was most likely an intelligent Gem like the ones standing in front of him. But, Johnathan never expected that this Peridot would be aligned with such a brutal and bloodthirsty empire.
But, with the mystery of Peridot solved, there yet another to be solved. This one being a rather simple one. Johnathan and Jefferson looked at each other with mystified expressions on their faces, due to Garnet explaining that they were only dealing with Peridot. Of course, she said she most likely isn't going to be alone, but come on! Can these Crystal Gems NOT deal with a couple of lunatics!? After looking at each other with their mystified expressions, Johnathan and Jefferson looked back towards the Crystal Gems.
"I have one question for you all." Johnathan announced to the Crystal Gems in a curious tone, raising his left hand slightly.
"And that is?" Garnet acknowledged Johnathan, as she now waited patiently for Johnathan's question.
"Why can't you just blast these suckers head's off? Why must I get involved in such a simple matter that can easily be executed?" Johnathan asked the Crystal Gems in a mystified tone, mystified as to how they couldn't deal with this themselves. They are the Defenders of Earth after all.
Garnet just sighed at Johnathan's response, letting her arms fall to her sides as she did so. "We don't who, or what Peridot will be coming with. She's a modern Gem, with modern Gem technology, that's bound to overpower us." Garnet explained to the two men who were listening to her with great attention.
"You're at a massive technological disadvantage." Jefferson stated simply in his organized tone, putting his right hand to his chin.
"Exactly. We haven't had contact with Homeworld for about five thousand years. Anything is possible." Garnet acknowledged Jefferson in her blank tone, although it was clear that behind her blank tone was an anxious one.
"But you two have the technological assistance we need in order to win this fight. Which is why I suggested you helping us in the first place John." Pearl pointed out to Johnathan and Jefferson, as she straighten herself out while sitting to become more visible.
"Speaking of that, I don't think we need to stress about this situation." Jefferson announced to everyone in the room in a rather smug tone, crossing his arms in a confident matter.
"Why?" Garnet asked the holographic projection of Jefferson in a confused tone, confused as to why exactly they don't need to stress about the situation any longer.
"The crew on the Armageddon has managed to get some of our weapons back online, including torpedo launchers on both the front and back of the ship. When Peridot enters orbit around Earth, all I need to do is order Antimatter Torpedos to be shot at her ship, OR ships, and well, problem solved!" Jefferson announced to everyone in the room in a confident tone, as he performed multiple hand movements and gestures during his explanation.
"We can't just destroy her ship!" Garnet told Jefferson, as Jefferson's face was quickly changed from one of confidence, to one of mystification and confused.
Jefferson had no idea as to why Garnet didn't approve of his plan. Why even bother allowing them to land, when the Armageddon can just destroy her ship as soon as she enters orbit. It was the most logical and quickest solution to solving this issue. Although, there has to be some reason as to why Garnet won't allow this.
"Why not? It's an easy way to deal with this entire issue and move on to more important things." Jefferson pointed out to Garnet in a mystified and confused tone, his eyebrow raised and his face expressing the same tone of his voice.
"They're most likely going to have a Gem named Lapis Lazuli with the them. She's with us, and shattering her isn't an option." Garnet told Jefferson in a strict tone, making sure to get the message clear to him.
Jefferson sighed in frustration at the sudden revelation. Turns out they can't solve this problem the easy way, without killing one of their own. That left only one other option.
"Well then. I guess that leaves us with only one other option." Jefferson announced to the Crystal Gems in a dramatic tone, as he put his hands behind his back once more.
"We'll have to engage them directly." Garnet declared in a dramatic tone, crossing her arms as she moved a little bit closer to the couch.
"Exactly." Jefferson acknowledged Garnet, nodding his head once in acknowledgment.
Jefferson adjusted his stance and hat, before speaking once more. A smile came to his face as he finished his adjustments. "Lucky for you, Crystal Gems. You have one of M.W.G.A.'s finest soldiers standing right before you! Ready to serve! I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind lending a hand? Right Johnathan?" Jefferson pointed out to the Crystal Gems, before turning to face Johnathan, announcing his question in the process.
"If Peridot is a threat to Humanity and all life on Earth, you can count on me assisting you. Protecting life is what I signed up for in the first place." Johnathan pridefully declared to Jefferson and the rest of the Crystal Gems, straighting his posture in the process.
A look of relief rushed all over the Crystal Gem's faces as soon as Johnathan declared he was in the fight. With Johnathan's aid in dealing with Peridot, not only are they technologically equivalent, if not superior to Peridot, they have the power of a super soldier that would be clad in heavy advanced armor, that weights hundreds of pounds. The mere sight of Johnathan will most certainly be intimidating for Peridot and whatever other support she brings with her to Earth. Although, even with Johnathan's support, Garnet wasn't sure if it was enough. After all, they had no idea what kind of support Peridot was bringing with her on her journey.
Could if he possible to gain more support from Jefferson and the Armageddon? The Armageddon was kinda close to being a mile long, so the crew onboard that were managing the ship must be equivalent to a small town, if not city. There had to be more soldiers on board the ship that could possibly lend assistance in dealing with Peridot. Garnet looked away from Johnathan and towards Jefferson, where a questioning expression soon fell upon her face.
"Captain Andrews. As much as we greatful for Johnathan's assistance with Peridot. I'm not sure if Johnathan is simply enough support to deal with her. We have no idea what kind of support she is coming with, and it's best to play it safe. Do you have anymore soldiers available on the Armageddon?" Garnet explained to Jefferson, before asking him her question, taking a few steps closer to the holographic projection of Jefferson.
Jefferson looked down and simply sighed upon hearing Garnet's statement. There was one big problem with Garnet's request. "Garnet. I'm not sure if you heard, but the Armageddon was attacked awhile back by a Xyzox scouting party. With that scouting party dead Garnet, Jhulaad now knows the Armageddon and her crew are still alive and well, and she's most likely going to send a assault squadron to deal with us. She could attack at any moment, and we need every soldier on the Armageddon to fend off the impending attack." Jefferson explained to Garnet in a organized tone, performing multiple hand movements and gestures now that he removed them from behind his back.
"Plus, even if I wanted to send more support. All forms of airborn transportation aren't available. They were all heavily damaged either by the explosion emitted from the Queen's ship, or when we crash landed." Jefferson added onto his explanation in a now slightly frustrated tone. It was clear Jefferson wasn't happy with the current situation the Armageddon was in.
Garnet looked at Jefferson for a few moments, absorbing in all the information he just explained to her, before she finally absorbed it all and sent a single acknowledging nod his way.
"I understand Captain. But thank you for considering the option." Garnet acknowledged Jefferson in a slightly disappointed and stressed tone, as she let out a small sigh.
Jefferson noticed Garnet's disappointed and stressed behavior, and took action to change that. "Garnet. Need I remind you that you have one of the Alliance's best soldiers standing in front of you? Honestly, you really don't need anymore help then you already have. Johnathan is a one man army, and if he's capable of killing thousands of Xyzox's soldiers, I'm pretty sure he can take out a few Gems." Jefferson told Garnet in a rather boastful tone, taking pleasure in bragging about his friend's combat abilities.
A small but barely visible blush could be seen on Johnathan's cheeks, as Jefferson made his statement about him. Johnathan rolled his eyes in amusement due to the fact that Jefferson made him sound like some sort of unstoppable super soldier. He tends to exaggerate a lot about his abilities in combat when it came to the topic...well, at least to Johnathan it seemed like he did. Was he really like a one man army? Johnathan really doubted it, although doubting himself and his abilities, is something Johnathan tends to do a lot.
"Come on Jefferson. Let's not exaggerate now." Johnathan declared in a amused tone, the same amused tone appearing on his face, with a slight smile.
Jefferson turned around to face Johnathan, a smug look on his face. "Exaggerating? Apparently the rest of the Alliance disagrees, with the files they have on you." Jefferson pointed out to Johnathan in a smug tone, before turning back around to face the Crystal Gems.
"Johnathan will be all the support you need Garnet. I can guaranteed you, that the threat of Peridot will easily be delt with." Jefferson pointed out to Garnet in a reassuring and confident tone, straighting his posture and putting his hands behind his back once more.
"Also, if there is anything in orbit you need taken out, the Armageddon and her crew are on standby and ready to support you." Jefferson announced to the Crystal Gems in a prideful tone, adding onto his previous statement.
"Thank you Captain, but I don't think we'll be needing the Armageddon's assistance." Garnet told Jefferson, a slight smile appearing on her face as she did so. Garnet was just glad that they were going to have some form of support against Peridot, support that would even the odds.
"Understood. Although if you need us, don't hesitate to contact us." Jefferson pointed out in a kind and friendly tone, smiling back at Garnet.
After his statement, Jefferson turned around to face Johnathan. "John, you can take it from here. Andrews out." Jefferson stated, before he turned back around to face the Crystal Gems, giving all of them a salute. Jefferson then dropped his salute, and with that, the holographic projection of the men clad in the suit of admiralty disappeared, and was replaced with the projection of Johnathan's home screen on his H.C.P.
With Jefferson's transmission now cut, there was no need to continue having his H.C.P. open. So, Johnathan flicked his wrist downwards twice, and with that the projector stopped projecting the H.C.P., shutting down the hardlight computer. Johnathan looked up from the empty space that his H.C.P. used to occupy, and towards Garnet, who was staring at him with a vague expression on her face.
"Johnathan." Garnet simply stated in a blank tone, continuing to stare at Johnathan with her vague expression.
Johnathan took a deep breath and then exhaled before continuing. "Yes?"
"Now that you know how Gems are made, and how horrible Homeworld can be towards organic life. I hope that hasn't strained relations between us too much." Garnet declared in a rather solemn tone, as Garnet crossed her arms.
A small smile appeared on Johnathan's face upon Garnet's statement. Johnathan then began slowly approaching Garnet as he was speaking. "Garnet. From what I've seen and heard, you are nothing like the Gems from your homeworld, and that applies to all of you as well." Johnathan, who at this point was about two feet from Garnet, pointed out to Garnet and the rest of the Crystal Gems, turning towards Pearl and Amethyst at the end of his statement.
"You have all realized that your leaders were insane and power hungry, and you are all willing to fight for what is right, even if that means fighting a war that lasted over one thousand years." Johnathan pointed out to the Crystal Gems in a clearly proud tone, as Johnathan straighten his stance.
"You are some dedicated heros. Heros of liberty and freedom, and you don't need someone like myself to notice that." Johnathan announced once again in a proud tone, adding onto onto his statement, a proud smile appearing on his face.
As if Johnathan's smile was contagious, all the Crystal Gems couldn't help but smile at Johnathan's statement about them. The very man that was literally yelling at them and insulting them mere hours ago, was now complimenting them. It turns out Johnathan understands the Crystal Gems position with Homeworld and the Diamond Authority. They want nothing to do with them, and will do anything to stop them...especially from doing anything to Earth.
"Thank you Johnathan, for understanding." Garnet thanked Johnathan in a friendly tone, her smile still planted on her face.
"No problem Garnet. You know..." Johnathan declared, before he put his hand on Garnet's armored shoulder in a friendly matter. "I think all of us are going to get along just fine." Johnathan announced to the Crystal Gems in a friendly tone, looking at all of them in the process.
"So...everything Captain Andrews said...was real?" Steven all of the sudden spoke up in a shocked tone, looking at all of the Crystal Gems and Johnathan as he made his statement.
With Steven's question reaching the ears of everyone in the room, the atmosphere in the room went from a friendly one, to one of worry and dread. The expressions on all of the Crystal Gems faces turned from friendly smiles, to looks of the same emotion that was consuming the atmosphere of the room. Johnathan on the other hand, had a confused expression on his face, as he turned towards Garnet once more.
"Did Steven not know about everything that was discussed?" Johnathan asked Garnet in a confused yet worried tone, pointing towards Steven as he looked at Garnet.
Instead of getting an answer from Garnet, Pearl spoke up before she could. "No...he didn't." Pearl told Johnathan in a hushed regretful tone, looking towards him in the process.
Johnthan looked away from Pearl and down towards Steven, who was besides Pearl and in her arms. "Oh...shit." Johnathan declared in a nervous hushed tone that was most likely only heard by himself and Garnet.
"Steven." Garnet simply said, walking up towards the boy, before sitting down on the couch besides him.
"Yes...everything Captain Andrews said about Homeworld and Gems was true. We were waiting to tell you this when you were older...but the Captain had no idea that you didn't know about it this, and said it anyways." Garnet explained to Steven in a solemn tone, looking down at the boy with compassion.
Johnthan just looked at the scene in front of him with a blank expression on his face, but deep down inside of him, Johnathan was feeling extremely bad for Steven. The poor boy has been given more information he can chew. He's most likely learned more in over a day, then he has throughout his entire life. Now's he's been provided information about Gems that wasn't suppose to be announced to him until he was older...and for very good reason. As if things couldn't get any worse then they already are! Jesus Christ...tonight was most certainly going to be a long night.
As usual, if you spot any errors in any of the Crystal Gem's personalities, make sure to let me know. Also, if you see any areas of my writing where I can improve upon, please make sure to let me know. Anyways, it looks like Peridot is about to dive head first into a tense extradimensional conflict taking place on Earth. How will Peridot, Jasper, and Lapis react to the Crystal Gem's new ally? How will the Xyzox and Queen Jhulaad react to the arrival of Peridot? Only time will tell. Stay tuned for the next chapter.
