Polished Gems #25: Invasion
Deep in the confines of space, light years and galaxies away from earth, an orange gem was walking through a lime green corridor. Axinite had submitted her report a mere day ago, and she was already called for an audience with her leader. As she walked through the hall, she came upon a large yellow door with three triangles forming a pyramid with an empty hole in the middle, guarded by two large gem golems. Their static faces stared down on her with cold eyes, yet allowed her to enter as they opened the door. She walked into the chamber and looked upon a large throne, obscured by shadow. Her queen's figure was mostly in darkness, save for her legs, crossed and covered by black pants with a yellow stripe running down them. Axinite kneeled before her and bowed her head. Axinite looked up to see her leader lazily raising her hand, signaling her to rise. Axinite stood up and stared upon the tall gem's figure.
"Thank you for this honor, Yellow Diamond." Axinite said.
"Spare the formalities. Are you certain that Rose Quartz is still active on Earth?" Yellow Diamond said in a monotone.
Axinite placed her hands behind her back.
"Indeed, Jasper has confirmed it. She says she saw her shield stop one of our warship's blasts. No gem tech on Earth could possibly create a forcefield powerful enough to withstand it, so it has to be her." Axinite explained.
Yellow Diamond let in a deep breath and exhaled. Axinite stood silently, awaiting her leader's response.
"So...she still lives and continues to protect that mudball. For what? Humans? Pah." Yellow Diamond scoffed, "What pathetic, simple creatures.".
Axinite looked away and back to her leader.
"I...understand your feelings about them. But they are a somewhat intelligent species that may as well end up catching up with us in a few thousand-"
Yellow Diamond slammed her fist onto one of her chair's arms, causing the orange gem to flinch in fear.
"Humans are not worth the air they breath nor the dirt they walk on! They are nothing to us! They are just...vermin. Refuse that needs to be disposed of in order to make way for a greater good." Yellow Diamond spoke viscously.
Axinite quivered in fear, awaiting her master's wrath to be unleashed upon her. From the shadows, Yellow Diamond glared at her.
"I thought you were smart enough to understand this." Yellow Diamond insisted.
"I...I do your lordship. It's just that they seem to do so much with so little. It would be admirable, if it were anything of real substance to a gem." Axinite responded in a worried tone.
Yellow Diamond hissed as she arched out of her chair. Axinite stayed frozen in place. Running would only make things worse. But to her pleasant surprise, her leader sunk back into her chair with a low growl.
"I suppose you have a point. Rose did care for the little things in the universe, and seeing how humans are the most intuitive of all little things, I can even see why she got attached." Yellow Diamond said calmly, "But she doesn't see the big picture. The future of her own race. We did what we could with other planets, but only Earth could cultivate so many different forms of crystals. So many possibilities we could make realities with the materials from Earth. With our powers together, we could easily take over any planet...but then she saw something in that...disgusting ball that caused her to change her mind. Don't you see…?".
Yellow Diamond rose from her seat quickly and stood tall over Axinite, causing her to flinch again.
"Rose betrayed us!" She screamed.
Axinite stared up at the monstrous gem and cowered in fear. Yellow Diamond sat back down and sighed, pinching the brow of her nose, and then looking back at Axinite.
"Contact Jasper. I'd like to know what else she saw." Yellow Diamond ordered.
Axinite fumbled out a portable monitor and started swiping away at strange symbols.
"M-My lord." Axinite responded.
With a few quick taps and swipes, a large hologram was projected from her monitor. A field of static was all to be seen before a clear picture of a green gem was displayed. The green gem fumbled at the sight and quickly ran up to the screen to address the image. Her expression was panicky and fearful.
"P-P-Peridot reporting mistress Diamond!" Peridot stuttered.
"Yes, Peridot. Good evening. I see the mission to check on the cluster is going smoothly." Yellow Diamond spoke with a cold grin.
Peridot pressed her fingers together and frowned.
"Well...actually we ran into-".
Yellow Diamond raised her hand and Peridot stopped.
"Spare me your sniveling. I try to humor you and you repay me with facts I already know.".
"I-I'm so-"
"Enough. I'm bored with you. Show me Jasper." Yellow Diamond commanded.
Peridot had a hurt look on her face, but begrudgingly turned to Jasper, who was standing right outside of the hologram's vision. Jasper nodded and walked into the hologram's line of sight, revealing a neutral face. However this seemingly calm exterior masked a maelstrom of fear and worry.
"Jasper reporting. What is it that you desire, mistress Diamond?" Jasper asked.
"I would like to know what enemies you have encountered, barring Rose Quartz of course." Yellow Diamond requested.
"Three gems. A defective Pearl, a runt of the litter, and a fusion." Jasper answered.
Yellow Diamond frowned.
"That's all there is? That's all it took to defeat you?" She asked in an irritated tone.
"We-well I would have crushed them all if the fusion with Lapis Lazuli went well!" Jasper said in protest.
Yellow Diamond was silent.
"...You trusted a prisoner to fuse with you?" Yellow Diamond asked in a black tone.
Jasper looked away and back to the hologram.
"Ye...Yes. The fusion I fought against was stronger than I presumed she was, so it seemed like the only way to win since she destroyed my gem destabilizer." Jasper said meekly.
Yellow Diamond sighed.
"And here I thought you were trustworthy." She spat.
Jasper's eyes widened.
"I-I am! They just caught me by surprise! If I had known Rose could repel the gem destabilizer, I would have crushed her-".
Yellow Diamond scowled and erupted with rage.
"I am the one who is to kill Rose Quartz Jasper! That honor is mine and mine alone! And no well done pup from the kindergarten is going to strip me of that right!" The great gem roared.
Jasper was stunned into silence. Yellow Diamond stood up and looked down at Axinite.
"Axinite, prepare a group of gems to fly to Earth." She ordered, and then looked back to Jasper, "You will answer to them. If you do well, you will come back with the warm welcome you expect and hope for. If they have to hold your hand all the way through, consider yourself stripped of your privilege as a commander.".
Jasper's fearful expression grew worse.
"But-but mistress! I've worked for thousands of years to earn this right! It can't just be stripped away like this, can it!?" Jasper protested.
Yellow Diamond laughed to herself.
"Yes it can. Because short and simple, I don't believe in failures. End transmission." Yellow Diamond stated coldly.
The last image she saw was Jasper's devastated face. She then turned to Axinite.
"You're in charge of leading the mission. Your first job is to pick up Peridot and Jasper. Then go and capture the gems and Rose. After that, activate the kindergarten." Yellow Diamond decreed.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just kill them then and there?" Axinite asked.
"Yes...I suppose it would. But there's a chance we might have another rebellious group like Rose's. I want to make an example of her. I want to show all of our race what happens when you stray from the path I paved for them all. And besides...I want you to make they watch as their precious planet is stripped from it's core and turned into a shriveled up husk." Yellow Diamond morbidly stated.
Axinite felt a chill run up her spine from her leader's ruthless ideal.
"I...I believe I know who shall accompany me. We'll have a group of six including myself. More than enough to take down Rose's little troupe." Axinite assured.
"Then take a few squadrons of Pearls with you." Yellow Diamond insisted.
Axinite looked up, surprised by her leader's generosity.
"Are you sure? Jasper nearly handled them all on her own and now she'll have a team backing her up." Axinite implored.
"Being content with one blade and a few arrows when you have an entire armory of options is a foolish thing to do. Jasper encountered one group. For all we know there could be dozens if not hundreds more gems aligned to her living there. Have a backup plan and expendable troops." Yellow Diamond explained.
Axinite stood, bewildered by her malicious leader's wise words. She bowed her head in respect.
"Thank you mistress!" She said warmly, "I will begin preparations immediately.".
With that, Axinite left the large throne room, leaving Yellow Diamond to herself. The leader looked towards the roof and at the vast void of space.
"Rose. This time, I will have your head, and your gem." She thought to herself
/**/
Axinite walked down the green corridor and towards the hanger. She pulled out her tablet and with a few swipes, a circle with a line appeared. A voice spoke, and the line began to vibrate.
"This is Benitoite, state your business Axinite." A calm voice asked.
"Yes hello to you too. I need you to accompany me to Earth." The tall orange gem requested.
"Earth? I thought Jasper had that taken care of.".
"She ran into Rose and her troops. So we have to clean up after her." Axinite said coldly.
A sigh was heard from her monitor.
"Where are we meeting up?" Benitoite asked.
"The hanger. And bring a few squads of Pearls. Yellow Diamond wants to make sure that we aren't entirely unprepared." Axinite stated.
"Hm, seems a little too much, but if that's what the mistress requests, who am I to judge. Anyone else coming along?".
"I've already contacted Sphene, Iolite, Feldspar and her assistant."
"Come again?" Benitoite asked in a confused tone, "Feldspar? That washed up scientist?".
"She isn't washed up. What she has works, and her skills on the battlefield are surprisingly well toned." Axinite justified.
"I'm surprised that Yellow Diamond would allow her to do anything after her breeding program went bust." Benitoite blurted out.
"It didn't. Remember Pyrite?" The orange gem asked.
Benitoite let out an audible shiver.
"Don't remind me about that freak. Wait...you're not thinking about bringing her back, are you!?".
"We have the tools to control her now. And with her power on our side, there's no one who could stop us. Not even Rose. Besides, we can say that Jasper thought of the idea and tamed her. Let her get off the hook with Yellow Diamond." Axinite explained.
"Funny hearing you act merciful." Benitoite joked.
"Everyone deserves a second shot. Even that meathead Jasper." Axinite laughed.
Benitoite laughed.
"Alright. I'll be sure to bring a good amount of troops. I'll be at the hangar within the hour. Don't keep me waiting." Benitoite stated.
"Very well. Axinite out." Axinite said as she closed her monitor.
Axinite minimized the monitor and it disappeared up her sleeve. As she continued on, she saw Feldspar leaning against the wall. Her light brown hair covered part of her face, and her uniform was a light black shirt that faded into chalky white at the bottom. Her sleeves had a long pink line going down them, and her skin was an ashy grey. She noticed Axinite and moved off of the wall, revealing another gem behind her. Her skin was a light black and her suit was completely black. Her torso and midriff were exposed, save for the rib like patterns that covered her breasts and some of her stomach. She had a small black afro, and her eyes were a bright yellow. Her green lips were frowning, as she moved off the wall, Axinite could see her exposed shoulders, covered with glitter-like freckles. Feldspar held her hand up, signaling the gem to stay on standby, as she walked up to her old friend.
"Axinite. So lovely to see you again." Feldspar said in a sarcastic tone.
"Yes hello Feldspar. And...uh."
The other gem walked forward and next to Feldspar.
"I am Black Pearl." She answered.
Axinite raised an eyebrow and shifted her attention back to Feldspar.
"Seems you were scraping the bottom of the barrel for this one." Axinite said coldly.
Black Pearl scowled and four of the pieces of her attire extended into long, sharp, spider-like legs.
"Care to repeat that?" She growled.
Feldspar looked back at her assistant.
"Spare the pointless squabble BP." Feldspar ordered.
Black Pearl shot a glance at Feldspar, who responded with a warm grin.
"I know, I know, but you can at least prove her wrong by acting dignified. Besides you'll have plenty of opportunities to fight once we make it to Earth." Feldspar explained, then turning back to Axinite, "Please be respectful of my assistant.".
Black Pearl growled, but put her legs away. Axinite looked back to Feldspar.
"Quite an interesting weapon she has there. I may have spoke too soon."
"That's not her weapon. Her weapon isn't really suited for fast paced combat, so she developed those legs as a way for fast cqc." Feldspar, "Quite surprised that the others gave up on her just because of a minor deformity with her gem.".
"Please don't mention it." Black Pearl requested.
"I would ask to see it, but if it makes you feel comfortable, then I'll leave it be. Walk with me Feldspar, I was on my way to meet up with the others." Axinite requested as she walked past them.
As she looked back at them, she noticed on Black Pearl's gem on her lower back. It looked rigid, like a ripple of water that froze in place. That must have been the deformity Feldspar mentioned. Feldspar and Black Pearl walked alongside her, with Feldspar's gem facing her, protruding from the grey gem's hip.
"So, we're finally going back to Earth. It's been so long...I wonder how well it's species has changed since then." Feldspar questioned.
"I'm sure they've made some jumps here and there. But focus on the mission. We have to get Rose and her troops and then activate the kindergarten." Axinite repeated.
"Yes yes, I'm aware. And then the labs...we can bring her back?" Feldspar asked.
"Are you talking about Pyrite?" Black Pearl interjected.
Axinite nodded.
"The gem destabilizers should be enough to subdue her if she has another one of her...episodes." The orange gem assured.
"Hmph. She listens to me just fine." Feldspar pouted.
"Yes but it's when you're not around that things go wrong." Axinite stated.
Feldspar glared at Axinite.
"I promised Yellow Diamond a warrior, not a slave." Feldspar growled.
Black Pearl grit her teeth at Axinite's attitude.
"Fine fine. But still, she's going to be pissed when we wake her up."
"You left her abandoned on Earth for thousands of years. Of course she's going to be." Black Pearl stated coldly.
Axinite looked towards Black Pearl.
"Regardless, she isn't our priority. The mission first, Pyrite second." Axinite stated.
"Agreed." Feldspar said sternly.
The trio made it to a large green gate. Yellow lines formed from the corners, connecting together to carve four symmetrical triangles. The triangles pulled themselves away from the center, and the gate disappeared. The three walked in to see two large hands, connected to the walls by by the wrist by tendon like wires. Axinite spotted two gems talking near one of the hands.
"Time to meet the help." Axinite said.
The three walked towards the two gems. One had pointed towards the group, and the other one turned to see them. She waved over to them and walked over to Axinite and her company. Once they were face to face, Axinite could make out their forms. The first one was a giant, easily towering over the tall Axinite. She wore large yellow shoulder pads that extended out a foot from her broad shoulders. From the base of these pads, a large, dark orange triangle wrapped around her torso and part of her midriff before meeting at the tip with another triangle, with her bright yellow gem embedded to the left of this point. This one covered the rest of her stomach, leaving her sides exposed, showing off murky yellow skin. At the bottom of her second triangle, a yellow skirt appeared. The skirt fell down to her knees, leaving a few inches of bare skin before being covered up by dark orange boots. She grinned and stared down at Axinite with lime green eyes, her short hair ending in a perfect linear cut at the middle of her forehead, with the the rest of it ending at her chin line. The other gem was much smaller, around Feldspar's size. She stared at Feldspar with a lustful gaze, her eyes a deep indigo. Her skin was a bluish-purple, and her hair, a bright violet. Her long hair rested on her right shoulder, looping down into a fine point. Her blue shirt covered most of her body, save her shoulders, her stomach, and the top part of her chest, where her slanted eye shaped gem rested just beneath her throat. Her pants were a deep purple and poofy, and her feet were covered by black shoes. The giant gem was the first to speak.
"And here I thought we were going to have some time to catch up." She joked.
"We have a bit of time before Benitoite comes with the troops. In the meantime, Feldspar, Black Pearl, meet Sphene and Iolite." Axinite introduced.
"Pleased to meet ya! I'm Sphene." The great gem bellowed.
The purple bowed to the other gems, smiling to herself.
"And I am Iolite. The pleasure is mine." Iolite said smoothly.
Feldspar squinted her eyes.
"Quite." Feldspar said in a confused tone.
Iolite stood up straight and turned her attention to Black Pearl.
"So you must be Black Pearl. Such beauty, it breaks my heart to know that something as rare as you was nearly crushed by those petty higher ups." Iolite sympathized.
Black Pearl rolled her eyes and looked away. Iolite's warm smile turned into a curious frown.
"Am I being ignored?" Iolite wondered aloud.
"Don't mind her, she only really responds to me. And even then it isn't much." Feldspar assured her.
Sphene laughed.
"Can't exactly blame her. Being labeled trash and ordered to die the moment you're born will make you cautious of other people, at least." Sphene joked.
Black Pearl growled at the comment.
"Oops, laid it on too thick I guess. Apologies Black Pearl." Sphene said sincerely.
Black Pearl continued to wear her scowl and walked off towards the ship.
"I'm just gonna be over by the ship." She said coldly.
Sphene and Iolite watched her walk off and then turned their attention back to Axinite and Feldspar.
"You don't think she's pissed, right?" Sphene asked.
"I know she's pissed." Feldspar answered.
"I don't really care." Axinite added.
"Alright ladies, enough drama for now. Sphene, you can make it up to Black Pearl during the trip there. Axinite, would you care to fill us in on the details?" Iolite asked.
"In a minute. I would like to have Benitoite present first. She's gathering some Pearls for us." Axinite added.
Iolite raised an eyebrow at the statement and Sphene grinned.
"Why? Don't we have enough power as it is?" Sphene asked.
"Yellow Diamond insisted that I bring some troops with us. It'll ensure our success." Axinite explained.
"Well if the mistress insists, then who are we to turn such a lovely offer away?" Iolite said.
Feldspar walked away from the group and towards Black Pearl. Black Pearl was staring up at the ship, lost in her own thoughts. She saw the ashey gem's reflection in the ship and turned towards her.
"Come on Black Pearl, We're going to be briefed on the mission very shortly. It's imperative that you are present." Feldspar insisted.
Black Pearl sighed and walked back towards the group. Feldspar walked beside her.
"Fine, I'll pretend to be invested in the group. But as soon as they finish up, I'm going back on my own." Black Pearl promised.
"Fine. They're our allies, not our friends anyway." Feldspar said.
The two met with the group and the gate for the hangar opened. The others turned to see a dark blue gem walk into the room. She wore an ice blue, skintight onesie with white cracks forming around the center of her torso. On her upper hips rested her gems. Her hair was ocean blue, and her eyes were a deep piercing brown. She waved her hand, signaling something to follow her. As she walked forward, she was followed by a group of Pearls, their eyes blank and their faces dead. At their sides were gem destabilizers. As the troops marched into formation, the stern gem walked towards them. Axinite smiled warmly as the familiar gem approached them.
"Benitoite. So glad to see you brought a handsome number of troops with you." Axinite said warmly.
"Indeed. Yellow Diamond set a cap at one hundred, so I felt like maxing out for once in my life." Benitoite said in a calm tone, "However it came with a price.".
Axinite raised an eyebrow.
"A price? What do you mean?".
Iolite continued looking at the Pearls, but noticed something behind one of the final troops. She squinted and then saw a familiar face behind one of them. She felt a shiver go down her spine and brought her hand to her forehead. A pained expression grew onto her face and the sneaky gem let out an audible laugh. The others looked to see a bright yellow gem walking towards them. She wore a patterned shirt with repeating lime green and black diamonds with no sleeves. She also wore gold colored shorts. Her serene bowl cut ended in bramble bush of curls at the end, and her eyes were a bright yellow. Her square gems were at the top of her biceps. She walked past Bentonite and faced Axinite.
"Hello, Axinite. How are you today?" She asked in a sincere tone.
The others stared with mild surprise, save Black Pearl who had a rage filled expression with hers.
"I...well that's...nevermind, I'm doing-" Axinite started.
The yellow gem let out a light chuckle as her head fell down. She looked back up at Axinite, cocking her head to the side.
"I'm just messing with ya. What's up Axi?" She asked in a honeyed tone.
Axinite's expression faded into it's normal state.
"Oh there it is. Hello Heliodor. I see you've decided to come with us on your own." Axinite said.
"Well I heard that Iolite was going off and you know I can't let my precious little sweetheart go off on her own. You know if you get one you have to take the other. We're a package deal." Heliodor stated.
"Don't call me your precious little sweetheart. Just sweetheart and nothing else." Iolite stated.
"Heh, you're not the boss of me." Heliodor grinned.
The yellow gem noticed Black Pearl's wrathful gaze and decided to talk to her.
"Oh now there's a sight I haven't seen in a long time. How's it going Black Pearl?" Heliodor asked.
"Much better since you dragged me to my execution." Black Pearl growled.
"Oh yeah, and I'm really torn up about that. It's just that every time you talked, all I heard was "Kill me! I'm worthless! Kill me!". Must have gotten swept up in the moment." Heliodor said maliciously.
Black Pearl continued to glare at her. Heliodor continued to grin and held up her hands.
"But hey now, the past is the past. So why don't we bury the hatchet and do something productive with that pent of anger of yours instead of something you'll regret." Heliodor suggested.
"Heliodor! That's enough! If you're here just to stir up trouble with the ranks, then go back home." Iolite barked.
"Sorry sweetie, can't do that. You know I can't let you go off on your own. Besides, I came to warn all of you." Heliodor confessed.
"Warn us? About what?" Sphene asked.
Heliodor turned to Sphene.
"Guess. What's red, almost as big as you, and three times more scary?" Heliodor proposed.
Sphene's grin faded into a worried frown.
"Oh great." She uttered.
Suddenly, they heard a loud bang coming from the gate. The group turned back to see a large imprint in the door. Axinite turned to Benitoite.
"Uhh, Benitoite? Why is the gate locked?" She asked.
"I didn't lock it." The blue gem responded.
"I did." Heliodor confessed.
Feldspar turned to her.
"Why did you do that?" The grey gem asked.
"Well she was pretty pissed from the get go, so I figured putting an obstacle in her way would let her blow off a bit of steam." Heliodor explained.
"And who is she?" Black Pearl asked.
Heliodor turned to Black Pearl with a smile as the gate continued to be pounded on.
"Fluorite."
With that, the gate was broken into pieces, leaving a giant gaping hole in it. From the hole, stepped in a large, angry red gem. Her muscles bulged as she reached out for one of the Pearls, clutching it by the head and dragging it along with her. The massive gem stood tall over the Pearl she was dragging, and her hair was all but shaved off. She was a vibrant red, wearing a set of black pants and a black red shirt. Her bulky arms tore the sleeves, revealing her bright skin. Her gem was in the middle of her chin, and her eyes were like two pools of blood. She stomped up to Axinite with an angry scowl.
"What the fuck is this?" She asked as she held the Pearl up to Axinite.
"A Pearl, Fluorite." Axinite calmly answered.
Fluorite yanked the static Pearl back.
"No, this is an inferior option. Why did you bother with these pissant flunkies and yet not even shoot me a glance when it came to this mission!?" Fluorite yelled in her rough voice.
"Fluorite, on any other day I would have called on you for assistance, but for this mission, we need to capture a group of gems, not kill them." Axinite stated.
Fluorite gnashed her teeth and growled at the statement.
"What? You think that I can't go about fighting a gem without killing them!?" She yelled.
Her gem glew and her sharp teeth were reinforced with a set of blood red, jagged shards of gemstone. Her mouth extended wider into a vicious, rage filled face. She opened her jaws wide like a snake and turned to the Pearl. Quickly, she chomped down on the Pearl's forehead and eyes, blue blood gushing everywhere from the monstrous bite. Once she removed herself from the Pearl, there was a jagged line of flesh showing where the teeth had connected to her flesh, and everything they had removed. The poor Pearl had no forehead, no eyes, and most of its head's contents were gone. Fluorite's cheeks puffed up from the massive load of flesh in her mouth as she tossed the now lifeless pearl to the ground. It poofed away, and her cheeks returned to her original form. She willed her weapon away, and a large bulge was seen in her left cheek. She spat into her hand and displayed a large white pearl, stained with blue blood.
"There. Quick and simple." Fluorite stated.
The others stared with confused awe, save Iolite and Black Pearl, who were scowling.
"Disgusting." Iolite thought to herself.
Axinite grabbed the slimey Pearl and tossed it over to another one of the Pearls.
"Catch that." She ordered.
One Pearl responded and grabbed her fallen comrade out of the air without breaking formation. Axinite then turned back to the large red gem.
"Hrm...alright, you convinced me. You can come with." Axinite declared.
Fluorite let out a soft hiss.
"I didn't come here for your permission, I just came to go on the mission." Fluorite growled as she wiped the blood from her mouth.
"Speaking of which, you wanna explain what we're supposed to do?" Heliodor asked.
Axinite stepped back so every gem could stare at her. Heliodor had her arms crossed, while everyone else had a relaxed stance.
"This is a special mission from Yellow Diamond herself. The mission with Jasper had...complications. So we have to-"
"Wait wait wait, Jasper?" Heliodor repeated.
"That big bruiser?" Iolite said.
"Huh, wonder what was able to knock her block off." Sphene stated.
"Let me finish and I'll tell you." Axinite interjected.
The gems were silent and focused back on Axinite.
"When she was on Earth on a mission to reactivate the kindergarten, Jasper and Peridot took a detour to crush a group that call themselves the crystal gems." Axinite continued.
"Redundant much?" Heliodor laughed.
The others ignored her and Axinite continued on.
"Either way, the two of them encountered Rose Quartz along with that group. Thanks to the,, the ship was destroyed and Jasper was nearly killed." Axinite stated.
The group was surprised by the name Rose Quartz.
"So the mission is simple. First we pick up Jasper and Peridot. Second, we go to Rose's base and capture the gems. Third, we go to the kindergarten and activate it. Also capturing any gems that are on Earth. If they are there, we can safely assume they are part of Rose's forces." Axinite finished.
Feldspar stepped forward.
"So we can't just kill them right then and there? I understand Rose but that extra riff raff doesn't seem necessary." She asked.
"No. Yellow Diamond wants them captured." Axinite explained.
"Public execution?" Fluorite asked.
"Public execution." Axinite repeated.
"Well we have enough troops to cover both bases. So how about we divide up into two parties. First one can grab Jasper and go to Rose's base, and the second group can go do the kindergarten." Feldspar suggested.
"Hmm, how about we meet with Jasper first. The assault party can grab Jasper, and the activation party can grab Peridot. I'll lead the party to the kindergarten, and Feldspar can lead the party towards Rose's base." Axinite declared.
Feldspar let out an irritated groan, but begrudgingly nodded in agreement.
"I will take Black Pearl, Fluorite, and Iolite." Feldspar stated.
"And that leaves Sphene, Benitoite and Heliodor for me." Axinite said.
Feldspar turned to the orange gem.
"Yes, plus fifty Pearls.".
Heliodor let out a light chuckle.
"Alright then, if Rose Quartz is the name of the game…"
"...Let's play." Iolite said.
The two groups walked towards the Pearls. Black Pearl walked towards her ship, and Fluorite walked towards her own as the others went to gather the troops. Feldspar walked up to Axinite and stared at the tall gem. Heliodor walked next to Benitoite.
"Hey, we should grab a cannon." Heliodor suggested.
"Why would we need that?" Benitoite asked.
"Because I want one." The yellow gem answered.
In the meantime, Feldspar was talking with Axinite.
"You remember where my lab is?" She asked.
Axinite nodded.
"In case something goes wrong...unleash Pyrite." Feldspar said coldly.
"Hopefully it won't get to that point." Axinite hoped.
Feldspar turned away from Axinite.
"Tch. At least she would have something to take her anger out on.".
Axinite shook her head at the comment and looked at the Pearls leaping onto the ships. The two parties were completely still in the palm of the giant hands, and then they were enveloped in a green light, and sunk into the ship. Axinite walked into her ship, and Feldspar leapt onto hers. Iolite, Black Pearl and Fluorite jumped onto the ship after Feldspar, and then Heliodor jumped onto it with them. Iolite looked at the yellow gem with a sour grimace.
"Heliodor, go to your own squadron." The purple gem ordered.
Heliodor ignored her and walked up to Iolite. Before she could say something else, Heliodor kissed her on the cheek and smiled. Iolite blushed blue and stared at the yellow gem.
"A little good luck charm." Heliodor said with a grin, then turning and walking away, "Good luck! Kick some ass so we can go home.".
Heliodor jumped off the ship and saw Sphene carrying a giant, yellow, spiral cannon. Heliodor grinned widely at the sight of it.
"Aw yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Heliodor beamed.
Iolite stared at her lover run off to the ship.
"God...bless her." She thought.
The two main parties jumped onto the ship and phased into the deck. The Pearls had went below the main deck, leaving the main gems to themselves. In Axinite's ship, Axinite went to pilot the ship, Heliodor wandered off to explore, Sphene went to check out the troops, and Benitoite took a seat near one of the windows. In Feldspar's ship, Feldspar went to pilot the ship, with Black Pearl following her. Feldspar looked back at Black Pearl.
"I thought you said you wanted to be left alone." The grey gem asked.
"You understand me better than the others. If I truly want to not be bothered, it'd be best if I rest with you." Black Pearl stated.
"Fair enough.".
Meanwhile, Iolite and Fluorite were walking towards the window out of the ship. The two leaders made it to the ship's controls. They placed their hands into the control panel and their eyes went green. A wave of data flooded their minds, but the two managed to input the correct controls. The giant tendons detached from the wrist, and the hangar door slowly opened, showing the blackness of space, covered with thousands of stars and blanketed by colorful nebulas. The ships slowly floated out of the door and drifted into space. The hands straightened out and zoomed out of the door. The ships flew high above the homeworld and blasted off into space, flying towards Earth.
/**/
Yellow Diamond stared into space as she saw the giant green hands fly out and towards Earth. She grinned to herself and tapped the arm of her chair. A hologram of a flat screen appeared in front of her and she sat back in her throne.
"Open the frequencies for ships two and three." She commanded.
The hologram split in two and it displayed Axinite and Feldspar.
"Greetings mistress." The two of them said in unison.
"What's the estimated time of arrival?" Yellow Diamond asked.
"Estimated time...three weeks." Axinite answered.
"Very good. Take that time to prepare for the mission. And Feldspar.."
Feldspar had a frozen frown.
"...If you plan on awakening Pyrite, and I know you will, you will have her under control. I don't want her to destroy things here." Yellow Diamond requested.
Feldspar nodded.
"She will be under control, my mistress." Feldspar promised.
Yellow Diamond smiled.
"Excellent. Well good luck and be careful. Failure is not an option.".
Yellow Diamond closed the two holograms and grinned to herself. Everything would be fine. Her troops would take care of Rose, and soon she would have an even larger army. The planet Earth is doomed, and the Homeworld will rise in power.
/**/
Back on Earth, Jasper and Peridot were sitting near the totaled escape pod. Jasper was silent ever since Yellow Diamond's beratement. Peridot tried to talk to Jasper, but she ignored everything she said to her. Jasper stewed in her own anger and disappointment, torn apart by a torrent of blaming and emotions.
"No...I didn't fail! I just underestimated their power. I went in a little over confident, but what did you expect!? They looked like nothing. And I know who's at fault for this...Rose. She freed the prisoners, she brought that stupid fusion back, she made Lapis turn against me! Well it's over now. Once the others get here, and we go and beat those crystal gems into the ground!...I will be back on top, and everything will be fine." Jasper monologued in her head.
Suddenly, the ship displayed another hologram. Peridot and Jasper turned to see the image of Axinite.
"I'll make this quick. We're on our way to Earth. Jasper, you will come with Feldspar's group to attack Rose's base. Peridot, you will come with me and activate the kindergarten. Expect us there in three weeks." Axinite relayed.
Jasper got up from her seat and walked over to the hologram.
"Feldspar? Why is she here? Or are you thinking about bringing back…"
"Pyrite. Yes. Just in case something else comes back, like that Lapis Lazuli." Axinite stated.
"Lapis was crushed! She won't be interfering anymore." Jasper said confidently.
"Yes. But still...even if there is another surprise from Rose's party, they will be mere poultry to her." Axinite said sternly.
The hologram ended and Jasper looked to Peridot.
"You've seen Pyrite before when you worked with Feldspar, right?" Jasper asked.
Peridot nodded.
"What is she like?" Jasper asked.
"You know how you get when you're really angry and trying your best to intimidate everyone around you?" Peridot suggested.
"Yeah?".
"Picture that, but that's her neutral mood." Peridot stated.
"Okay that's personality, now how about power." Jasper requested.
Peridot looked away, remembering the grizzly scene, and then turned back to Jasper.
"When her imprisonment was ordered, we sent a squadron Pearls after her. I didn't hear what number it was, but Axinite and Sphene had to go along with them because of how outclassed the Pearls were. In the end, I saw Fluorite and Sphene covered in cuts and welts among a field of the dead, shattered gems. They barely contained her gems, but in the end they had won. I counted twenty broken Pearls. Fluorite scoffed when I said twenty." Peridot recollected.
Jasper stood in astonishment.
"What made them capture her?".
Peridot glared at Jasper.
"She was bored. She wanted to slaughter gems and have worthy opponents. We couldn't control her, so we had no choice.
Jasper felt a chill down her spine. She looked away from Peridot and towards the sky.
"Then again, that was thousands of years ago. I may have gotten some details wrong." Peridot suggested.
/**/
Deep in the kindergarten, hidden within the walls of canyons wall was Feldspar's lab. A large coat of dust covered everything, notes and tools broken and in disrepair. But in the back of the room, hidden behind a case of old tools, a pair of bubbles holding black gemstones were resting safely. Soon, Pyrite will be awakened, and the crystal gems will have to face a true monster.