*raises from the dead* I LIIIVE

Sorry for the long hiatus there - I was working on another project in the Cartoon X-Overs section. It's called Halloween Unspectacular VI and it was a challenge to write one one-shot every day for the whole of October. But anyway, it's done now, so let's get back to work!

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SilverG: DESTROY US ALL! DESTROY US ALL! ETC. Thanks for reading!

Eleven

"It's impressive, isn't it?" said Topaz, hands behind her back.

The Crystal Gems watched, still in shock, as the slaves continued to work hard on the machine. One stumbled - a Quartz soldier jabbed him on the back with the blunt end of a spear, and he slowly climbed to his feet, coughing all the while.

"I...I never knew," whispered Red Pearl.

"Of course you didn't, we don't tell Pearls military secrets," shrugged Topaz.

"It's not pretty," admitted Blue Quartz, "But...it's necessary. We need this weapon ready - it may one day be needed."

"But why slaves?" demanded Steven.

"They're cheap and efficient," shrugged Topaz, "And they free up Gems for more important tasks."

"But-"

"Blue Quartz!"

A Ruby ran through the door, snapping to attention in front of the larger Gem.

"Message from the Supreme Leader, ma'am," she said, handing her a datapad.

Blue Quartz studied the pad. She sighed and looked up.

"Fire mission," she barked, "Thirty-eight ninety north, seventy-seven zero three west!"

"Ooh, must be a test!" said Topaz excitedly, "We don't get to do this much!"

Connie furrowed her brow and pulled out her phone.

"Topaz, this is terrible!" exclaimed Steven, "You can't use people like this, especially not to make a weapon!"

"You're a child, you'll understand when you're older," shrugged Topaz, "We need this destructive capacity to ensure peace..."

"That's a pretty dangerous line of thinking," said Pearl, narrowing her eyes.

"Statements like that are why we keep Pearls out of the military apparatus," sniffed Topaz.

"Statements like that are why you probably need them," snarled Garnet.

Topaz turned to Lapis.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to control your entourage..."

"That's Washington!"

All eyes fell on Connie, looking up from her phone with wide eyes.

"39.90 North, 77.03 West," she explained, "That's latitude and longitude. They're aiming at Washington DC!"

"What?!" exclaimed Greg.

"Blue Quartz?" asked Topaz, "Did you..."

"Red Beryl did indicate that she considered the humans a threat," admitted Blue Quartz, "I think she might have ordered the destruction of military targets-"

"Military targets?" spluttered Greg, "That's a city!"

"Topaz, Blue Quartz, please!" exclaimed Steven, "You can't do this! You'll hurt innocent people! You can't-"

"War is war," muttered Blue Quartz, "We do what have to."

"But you don't have to do this!" shouted Steven, "We can work together! We..."

"Quiet," snapped Topaz, losing her patience, "Stay out of things you don't understand!"

"I do understand!" bellowed Steven, "And this is wrong!"

"Show respect or I will teach you respect!" thundered Topaz, drawing a small battleaxe from her gem.

A sudden burst of water slammed into her face, knocking her onto her back. Lapis stepped in front of Steven, her face twisted into a furious scowl.

"You leave him alone," she snarled.

Topaz narrowed her eyes.

"We knew you were too soft for this," she growled, "More pity for you."

She climbed to her feet.

"Rubies!"

A squad of Rubies leapt out of the doorway, taking up fighting stances. They quickly moved to surround the group. Greg winced.

"Are we gonna have to fight them, or can we..."

"Bring it on!" shouted Pearl, shouldering her spear.

"Yeah, that...that's what I thought."

"Do what you like with the humans and the Pearl," snapped Topaz, "But bring the Garnet and the Lapis Lazuli in intact!"

"Yes ma'am!" shouted the Rubies.

"Well," gulped Steven, drawing his shield from his gem, "Here we go..."

"This doesn't make any sense," said Peridot.

She and Amethyst were walking down one of the tubes, headed towards the base of the giant gun. All around them, the work on the gun carried on, none of the guards taking any real notice of the interlopers.

"What doesn't?" demanded Amethyst, "They're bad, and we're gonna kick their butts. That's all I need to understand."

"But how are they keeping all these slaves alive?" asked Peridot, "Don't humans tend to fall apart after seventy-odd years? Surely it would've just been easier to use Rubies or Bismuths..."

"Doesn't matter," said Amethyst, "We're gonna find out how to destroy the gun, and then we're gonna destroy the gun."

"Well, sure, but it's worth thinking about," shrugged Peridot, "I mean, these Gems are working with tech that's five-thousand years old, and they can extend the human lifespan far beyond its ordinary capacity."

"So what?"

"So what could the Diamonds do?" asked Peridot.

"You mean you don't know?" said Amethyst.

"My work was mostly in weapons development," replied Peridot, "I wasn't involved in the processing of indigenous populations."

"Processing?"

"In retrospect, it was probably a...what might Pearl call it? A euphemism? I dunno," shrugged Peridot, "But I never really thought about it."

She furrowed her brow.

"That was wrong, wasn't it?" she said, "Not to care about it..."

"Well, you do now, don't you?" shrugged Amethyst, "Who cares what you were before? You're one of us now."

Peridot smiled.

"Wow, thanks."

"No prob..."

She trailed off, raised an arm and pointed below them.

Prasiolite and her troops were leading the passengers and crew of the Discovery into the chamber, arranged in ranks of two. Over to the side, Rollins, Farthington, Moray and a few others had been dumped on the ground and roped together - the rich Englishman still complaining bitterly to everybody who would listen.

"...when I get out of here, I am going straight to Parliament and I swear I'll have the full might of the Royal Navy on top of you in nothing flat! And then I'll have the LNER board sue you for everything you have! You hear me? You'll regret the day you crossed Lord Sir Reginald Farthington Brooke-Caruthers of County Durham!"

"Can we shut him up?" asked one of the Quartz soldiers.

"We've knocked him out twice, and every time he wakes up he keeps going," replied Prasiolite, "Just tune him out. We'll throw him in the magma after processing is finished with the rest of the immunes."

"It almost feels cruel...to the magma," grunted the soldier.

"Ma'am!"

A third soldier strode up to Prasiolite, carrying a long bag.

"Isn't that one of Connie's bags?" whispered Amethyst.

"We found this in one of the cabins, ma'am," said the soldier, opening up the bag.

Amethyst cringed as the soldier pulled out the familiar shape of Rose Quartz' sword.

"We can't let them keep that," growled Amethyst, "We have to get it."

"But if we attack them, we lose the element of surprise," whispered Peridot.

"But we'll get the sword and save the crew," replied Amethyst, "Come on, Peri, we have to take a chance here."

"But...but I can't just..."

Amethyst took Peridot's hand in hers.

"It'll be fine, Peridot," she said, "There's two of us - we've got this."

There was a long silence. Finally, Peridot nodded.

"So...Crystal Gems?" she asked.

"Heck yeah," nodded Amethyst, smirking.

She took a deep breath and then they both leapt down.

AN: There was an action sequence that was going to be here, but that can wait until chapter twelve, because you've all waited long enough.