Over the next week, the two conversated with fervor, but it was a one-sided enthusiasm. 1VZ wondered why the rebel gems haven't returned, but she had an inkling as to why, and made sure that whatever questions Steven had were answered very carefully. Every response was worded in such a way that it was answered, in a technical sense, but revealed next to nothing that could aid the rebels. Fortunately, the Steven was, in a sense that it reminded her of a ruby somewhat, simple, and easily accepted her answers without pressuring her for more. Something that she was thankful for. But the questions and rhetoric it espoused all had a common theme in one facet or another. Killing was bad, and that everyone can be friends with enough understanding and empathy.

What utter naivete.

Explaining that such a method cannot be applied to all situations, and that its worldview was flawed to a degree beyond her means to fathom to the organic was grating on her nerves, as it was wholeheartedly convinced that its way of doing things was superior, and morally correct, and that she needed to change, no matter what forms of logic she employed to make it see reason. The Steven didn't say that outright, but the subtext was there, and she was adept at reading subtext. Or maybe it comes from a warped sense of concern for her and a genuine need to aid those around it without recompense of any kind. Perhaps, it was simply too honest and sincere for 1VZ to believe it was trying to convince her for ulterior motives. It seemed to actually care about her, and that by convincing her that her way was wrong she would see the right path.

What right did it have to dictate what was good for her and what was right?

From observing the Steven, and from what she could remember from the information she read regarding humans, it was in a young, developmental stage. Its musculature, height, features and all were not yet fully formed. It was classified as a 'child', and it was often protected and kept away from dangerous situations, being taught all it needed to know to survive once it reached adulthood. The question in her mind is why was it here? Why was it not with its parents, being kept safe and learning life lessons? Instead it was in the bowels of a rebel base, full of dangerous gems, talking to a well trained, well blooded soldier who could kill it in five seconds flat if she so desired.

She huffed, not liking what conclusions she was coming to. Either the parents weren't around, killed off by the myriad ways something so soft, and fragile as a human could perish to, were neglectful, disregarding the child for something they deem more important, or the worse possibility yet, is that they are oblivious to the danger their offspring was in when venturing in a rebel base, with rebel gems residing in it. The thought that the rebels were the caretakers of such a squishy organic nearly made her chuff aloud. They were trained war fighters, at least from what she has observed, well versed in combat and fully capable of incapacitating, and subsequently killing, imperial gem soldiers with brutal efficiency. How could they care for something so other, so alien, their experiences and practices utterly opposed to the ideals that Steven held with such fervor.

A question grabbed her attention, pulling her away from her musing back to the one sided conversation.

"How old are you?"

What kind of question was that?

"I am...600 years old as of today."

"Wow! You're way older than I am! You must have seen a lot of cool places!"

Looking back throughout her times on distant worlds, she smiles. She remembers worlds with a diverse range of colors, a kaleidoscope of vibrant hues of the spectrum that were unbelievable upon first glance. Alien flora and fauna that would undoubtedly boggle this organic to near madness if he were to try to comprehend their complexity stretched out before her, rivers of liquid of an unknown composition, colored with deep, rich hues of orange, red and green flowed through valleys of purple and black. It amazed her, all that she has seen since her creation. Then the memories shifted, and her smile warped into a small frown. Battlefields of smoke, ash and mud filled her sight. Craters as far as the eye could see, filled with fetid liquid and destroyed suits of armor and smashed weaponry. Destroyed war machines, hulls aflame, toxic smoke curling into the ash choked skies dotted the battlefield. Suits of armor littered the ground, dents and deep gashes marred the plating. Gem shards, billions upon billions of shards layered the ground, a rainbow of color upon the blackened earth. A melancholy filled her.

"Yes, I have. Things you can't even imagine."

Steven stared at her for a moment, detecting the underlying emotion. He thought it best to change the subject, and there was a question nagging at him that needed an answer.

"What is Homeworld like?"

Oh, what a multifaceted question. Unintentional, of course, she thought. The youth was too innately inexperienced to understand the extent of the question asked, to know how she would have to ponder what venue of answer she was to give while withholding vital information to the infrastructure and defense grid that the home system possessed in more depth than all previous answers. She glanced at Steven, noting its patient, expectant look.

"Homeworld is...something beyond what my imagination could ever produce, in scale and in grandeur. When I first arrived, I could scarcely believe such architecture existed…" she said, recalling her first moments upon Homeworld.

She remembered the light, more than anything, the colors that greeted her upon exiting the transport that had spirited her and her comrades, all 5,000 of them, in addition to a group of prisoners, from their colony of Atticus 9 to the center of all gem power within the galaxy. She was at the fore, and was the first of her comrades to see the myriad hues of white, blue, yellow and pink that colored the massive towers and inverted pyramids that filled her sight. The translucent tubes connecting the massive structures changed hue every now and then in response to the occupants, but always returned to their natural state. To her left was the largest structure on the planet, bar none. The Palace of the Diamonds. It was a structure she was hard pressed to believe existed, despite stealing glances at it while they began the trek to the translucent tube that would take them to the palace to confirm what she was seeing. It was massive, a thing that to an outsider seemed to be formed from a geological process rather than by the hands of gems, and even then it would be impossible due to the grandeur of it all.

She was in awe of the immensity of scale. On Atticus 9, the architecture was of minimalistic and efficient design, using all available resources in the most cost-efficient manner possible, allowing for more production of weapons, resources and gems for the Empire. On Homeworld, it was a completely different paradigm. Extravagance was the norm. Geometric designs were everywhere, right angles and sharp edges abound, and everything was of a scale hitherto unimaginable. It was awe inspiring.

Soon they reached a transport, a translucent tube, and began to move towards the palace, the imposing structure sending spikes of anxiety and fear throughout the group, yet they showed nothing. Their armor was immaculate, all scratches buffed and any damage repaired to present them at their best. Their resolve and discipline, while still being cultivated as a newborn force of arms, was on full display, keeping in lockstep with their comrades as they made their way to the palace itself, escorted by a compliment of Citrines, who mainly were for the prisoners, kept in check by destabilizer staves. They soon reached the palace doors, guarded by two hulking Onyx honor guards clad in master crafted suits of armor, wielding massive halberds, while unwieldy and mainly ceremonial in the hands of a common soldier, were deadly tools of war in the employment of the honor guards. While the brigade of rubies displayed marked discipline and professionalism when compared to their kin in other units, they were untrained youths when equated to the honor guards of the Diamonds.

1VZ remembered staring at the massive gems in a mixture of fear, trepidation and veneration. She often wondered if she would see these giants of war in action, but her thoughts were interrupted when the Onyx to the left of the entrance turned and pushed open the massive door with relative ease. It turned back towards the group.

"The Diamonds will receive you in the throne room. Tread carefully, for you step within the domain of those most high, and most powerful," it stated, its tone carefully neutral, belied by the implied threat in the words.

Soon the group began to move, and they entered the palace itself, the massive door swinging shut behind them. All around them were officials, officers of various ranks and designations, bureaucrats, technicians, diplomats and all the myriad gems needed to maintain the grounds and run the day-to-day business of a galaxy spanning empire. Upon the walls of such a massive edifice were frescos and murals, displaying hundreds upon hundreds of images depicting past glories, triumphs and the epochs of time of such a long lived regime. Columns resembling geological formations creeped into the domed ceilings, creating a network of pillars that simply astounded her in its immensity and complexity. They approached a stairway, rising hundreds of meters into the air, reaching a platform inexplicably empty of all save for a squadron of Onyx honor guards, even more menacing than the last two examples of their caste and creed.

They ascended the stairway, reaching the platform, the honor guards stolid sentinels, constantly examining all those around them and those within the palace itself. They were granted entry into the throne room through a set of doors, smaller than those that barred entry into the palace save for those with clearance, or who were summoned by those that resided within, but were still examples of the masterfully crafted artifice that defined the palace and the grounds around it.

1VZ subtly looked around, wondering with some trepidation when they would reach their destination. Did the palace have no end? How immense was the structure that the matriarchs of Homeworld resided in that it would take those who would wish to see them almost an hour of travel? Once again, her train of thought was cut short as they approached a set of thrones, three in total, and her anxiety spiked without restraint.

The two at the fore, upon raised daises with sets of stairs reaching up to the thrones, rose to impossible heights, towering over even the Onyx honor guards, seeming to make insects of all who approach in their immensity. To the left was a throne colored yellow, to the right was one colored blue, identical in construction, but entirely different in demeanor, if one can attribute such a characteristic to an inanimate object such as a throne. Behind both thrones, upon an elevated platform higher than the two at the fore, was a white throne. It was completely different to the two beneath it, extravagant and immense compared to its contemporaries, with a white diamond at the apogee of the structure. She felt an innate sense of loyalty upon seeing it. Not to the throne, but who the throne represents. It exudes power, in a manner only an absolute ruler claiming dominion over all others with the power to prove it could. Soon, three flashes of light, blue, yellow and white greeted them, and three pearls emerged from the display, one blue, one yellow, and one white.

The Yellow Pearl, with a flourishing movement, spoke. "All rise for the luminous Yellow Diamond!"

The Blue Pearl soon followed, a small courtesy preceding her words. "And the lustrous Blue Diamond."

A moment's pause, all eyes turned towards the middle pearl. It was a pale thing, stiff and rigid, as if held within a restricting mold, its dainty feet not even touching the floor, hovering seemingly with ease, clad in a pale white bodice, her gem at its navel on full display. It radiated an disquieting aura that had everyone on edge, creating a tense atmosphere so thick that it felt more akin to an opaque liquid. Every breath was quietly taken, careful of disturbing the silence. What she remembers most was its face, a horrid, pale caricature of an otherwise pleasing countenance that nearly made her step back in unease. It was as if a devil of darkest imagination had possessed a host and was attempting to look the part of a normal creature. It was more akin to an automaton, the fluidity of normal movement in gems absent in its overall visage. A fissure covered the left eye, the spiderweb cracks spreading out in all directions, reaching its mouth, marring the porcelain smile it wore, framed by its hair, twisted into swirling buns on either side of its face. It was unsettling to say the least.

It moved to speak, and its voice roused both existential horror and fierce, undying loyalty in each and every ruby present. "And the august White Diamond."

A blinding flare of light appeared behind the three pearls, obfuscating the three monstrously gigantic frames that appeared not a moment later. After a second had passed, the corona of light receded, and the forms of the Diamonds were illuminated to all in the vicinity. The atmosphere of the chamber changed in an instant, awe and wonder replacing the unsettling feeling inspired by the pearl. She was stunned at their majesty, their immense scale and immeasurable power. They were figures of simply unequalled artifice, wonder and grace, yet were imposing and terrifying in the same instance, creating a mixture of emotions within her that she couldn't begin to describe

The one to the left, colored yellow, undoubtedly Yellow Diamond, was the epitome of strength and military discipline characterized by her poised, exacting stance, arms clasped behind her, feet shoulder width apart. 1VZ was in awe of the personage, a helm with a forward pointing tip rested upon her forehead, tilted back, framing her countenance, stern features and harsh lines with short cropped hair, along with a piercing, analytical gaze that bore into her soul, amalgamated into a visage that inspired discipline and fear at the same time. She wore a brass colored breastplate with pointed pauldrons that only added to the image she portrayed. A cord of office wrapped around her front, imperial red, with a pendant that contained a glass replica of the gem of her namesake proudly displayed for all to see. Olive colored knee high boots and gloves, with a sword in its sheath at her waist, completed the aspects of general, leader, warrior that Yellow Diamond encompassed.

To the right, garbed in blue, flowing robes, with embroidered flower designs accentuating the artifice of the cloth, was Blue Diamond. She was graceful, regal, her stance one of purity of purpose, yet contained within a constant grieving undertone. Azure skin, flawless and gleaming, and long, straight, alice blue hair was what she most remembers, giving her an otherworldly appearance that stunned her beyond words. Her features were of beatific splendor, almost angelic, as if sculpted from the purest of marble by the hands of a skilled artisan. Her eyes were one of gentleness, holding none of the harshness in her yellow counterpart. A diplomatic air surrounded her, reason and empathy in spades, but carried with it an undertone of rigidity and austerity, and she didn't know what to think.

Behind both of them stood one that outshone them without a shadow of a doubt. Her grandeur, size, and majesty were beyond comparison. She inherently knew who it was, and a fierce feeling of loyalty forced its way into her psyche, both natural and artificial. It was her diamond, the one she was made for, White Diamond. A black crown of master artifice rested upon her head, with a glass replica of the gem of her namesake in the center of the brow. Her eyes were coronas of white light, her countenance one of haunting beauty. Her snow white hair and skin shone brightly, as if she were projecting a glowing light throughout the chamber with her mere presence, bringing illumination and truth for all to see. Her flowing robes were embroidered with geometric diamond shapes, enhancing her features all the more. She was order, power, and authority incarnate. None could and would challenge her orders, for there were few, if any, who could rival such a force of nature that was White Diamond, and even then they would fall short of her majesty and perfection.

In an instant, in unison, all the gems saluted the Diamonds, their poise and uniformity near perfect.

The Diamonds soon looked upon those they summoned, eyeing them with critical gazes. Yellow Diamond studied the rubies, immediately intrigued by the size difference from her own rubies. They wore armor more in line with shock infantry, and were much bulkier than a standard ruby, musculature accentuated by the thick armor plating, their height practically towering over the ruddy foot soldiers she had created. They were much more disciplined, making nary a peep when they entered the throne room, their stances without flaw, their salutes perfectly performed. She liked that. Upon noting the white diamond sigil on their armor and uniforms, a small frown grew on her face, risking a glance at White Diamond, before returning her gaze to the gems in question.

Blue Diamond was curious to see what had drawn the attention of not only Yellow Diamond, but White Diamond herself, drawing her out from her lonely sojourn in her wing of the palace. She hardly saw White anymore, so these gems had earned a mark of approval from her for getting them altogether like this. They were certainly odd, being larger than any ruby she had ever seen, but were just another breed of soldier, if their disciplined stances were anything to go by. But they had the attention of White Diamond, so she was eager to learn more about these new gems.

White Diamond was pleased. It seemed her experiment had born fruit, and all the resources poured into this project weren't wasted. She looked upon them with a smile, a smile of a carpenter upon a completed project, or a smith upon a finished sword, or suit of armor. She had been worried that they would be wiped out when she received the news that the colony they were conducting the experiments on was being attacked by a rebel armada, and all the effort, time and resources she poured into the project would be for nothing, a spark snuffed out before it could grow into a mighty flame, but was surprised to find that they had survived the initial onslaught when the relief flotilla arrived, and had a hand in destroying the rebels, displaying remarkable efficiency and an exacting professionalism in their conduct. So far, they had met expectations, but more tests were in order to fully explore the capabilities of these new weapons of war, and to test if these costly gems were worth the effort. And she had a test in mind that would do just that and more.

The Diamonds gestured to them to be at ease, and moved to their respective thrones.

Yellow Diamond was the first to speak, her voice a stern, unyielding timbre, demanding perfection without explicitly stating it. "Whomsoever commands this unit, please step forward."

A ruby complied, stepping five paces towards the diamonds before stopping, saluting.

"Designation and rank?"

"Ruby Facet-2LM Cut-2VZ. Colonel, My Diamond."

Yellow Diamond stared at the ruby for a few moments, mouth slightly agape in sheer astonishment, before she shook her head and brought up a screen, entering in the given information, reading the file that was brought up. She sent the file to both Blue and White Diamond, the former taking much interest in the contents, while the latter skimmed over the details, already aware of what was to be discussed.

"You are the acting commander of the combat unit 17790-9LM, correct?"

"Correct, My Diamond."

"Then, I congratulate you and your unit's first-rate defense of your colony from rebel forces. Your actions bought enough time for the reinforcement flotilla to reach the colony world of Atticus 9 and subsequently destroy the rebel fleet and all remaining rebel ground forces, while ensuring the safety of the planetary governor and their cadre, many of whom are of my court. I'm told by your superiors that you also had a hand in the final push to destroy the rebels, correct?"

"Correct, My Diamond. My unit was the first to strike the death blow to the traitors, and with the aid of reinforcements, scoured them from the surface of Atticus 9, capturing the defectors who led this effort and delivering them to you in person."

Yellow Diamond glanced to the gems behind the ruby formation, all in cuffs, guarded by the citrines with destabilizer staves. All of them looked upon her with a rage filled glare, full of hatred and promises of destruction and shattering. She held nothing but contempt for them, and she made a note to ask Blue to schedule their public execution this afternoon. She had free time then.

"I see. You and your soldiers will be commended on such efforts. Bringing in dangerous, defective gems such as these is an action only the most skilled, disciplined and driven soldiers are able to accomplish."

"Thank you, My Diamond."

It was Blue Diamond who spoke next. As before, it was the complete opposite to her counterpart. She was soft spoken, her voice a mellow, tender lilt, accented in such a way that it couldn't help but inspire calm and tranquility in those closest to her. "Your efforts not only ensured the safety of those of Yellow's court, but of mine as well. The sapphires and those of my diplomatic corps present on Atticus 9 expressed much thanks and high praises for your actions to ensure that no harm came to them, some noting that those under your command conducted themselves with great professionalism and efficiency, a rarity for rubies. Forgiveness for any offense, Colonel."

There was no offense in her words, everyone knew it, for there couldn't be. A Diamond's words were fact, and everyone in the chamber, save for the defective rebels, knew this to be true. 1VZ, and all the other rubies of her brigade understood her viewpoint, for they observed such behavior from other sections containing rubies, and noted that they were entirely unprofessional and of a lower quality when compared to others of their own stock. Such a viewpoint was shared by many, and the rubies were content to let their actions speak for themselves instead of taking offense, for it would do nothing to change such thoughts. Only actions would.

"No offense is given, My Diamond. We only did what is expected of those in service to the Authority."

A soft coo came from Blue Diamond. "So polite and respectful."

A chuff came from Yellow Diamond. "You say that about every gem who adheres to the protocols even the slightest bit, Blue."

Blue Diamond made an affronted huff. "But it's true, is it not?"

"Yes," Yellow Diamond admitted. "But it isn't an act worth praising, especially coming from gems such as these."

As the two Diamonds began their minor argument, 1VZ only had eyes for White Diamond, who looked upon them with the same satisfaction of a creator gazing upon their finished creation. She wanted to drop to her knees in reverence, salute, and scream her undying loyalty to her Diamond all at the same time, but she held her stance, standing at attention while her commander stood at the fore before the Diamonds, watching the argument with mild bemusement. She had heard mutterings from the citrines they traveled with about the Diamonds, how awe inspiring and terrifying they could be, that their size, strength, and authority was simply peerless, and that one would have to restrain themselves from prostrating themselves at their fore in sheer debasement. She had doubts that such beings could exist, that a singular individual could invoke such emotions from all who looked upon them seemed dubious at best to the soldier. But now, as she looked upon the majesty and raw power that was White Diamond, words alone seemed to undersell the image that a Diamond portrayed.

"Enough."

That singular word halted all conversation, all eyes turning to the one who spoke it. White Diamond looked from Diamond to Diamond, a look of mild irritation upon her face.

"This argument is meaningless. Regardless of whether or not politeness and adherence to protocol is worthy of praise, we have more important matters at hand."

The two Diamonds looked sheepishly at their superior.

"Forgive us, White," Yellow Diamond apologized.

A small hand wave dismissed the apology.

"It is already forgiven, Yellow, just be sure to not entertain your arguments in my presence. Especially upon the eave of the Grand Campaign."

Yellow gasped in astonishment, while Blue made a noise of understanding.

"So this is why you gathered us here. Mere soldiers defending a colony world isn't worth our full attention."

White Diamond nodded at this, a small smile upon her face.

"It is time to expand our spheres of influence, to enrich our empire and to bring the glory of our dominion to the entirety of our galaxy. For far too long have we languished within our current borders, our resources being siphoned and depleted, and those that serve the Authority are lesser for it. We must expand, create new colonies, fortress worlds, munition hubs, and paradises for those deserving of it. I hereby decree a Grand Campaign of Expansion. Both of you shall send forth expeditionary fleets and colonize alien worlds for two hundred years. This shall take place five months from now, and these new soldiers shall be the vanguard for such an endeavor. Our dominion shall encompass all the stars within our galaxy, and our empire shall be prosperous. Let it be so."

She was jostled from her memory by a hand upon her shoulder. She flinched, her hand instinctively reaching for her gem, ready to draw her weapon at a moment's notice. Her eyes were wild, her breathing fast paced and light. She moved without thinking to the wall so that her back was against it. She was safe, there wasn't anyone behind her. There was a wall to her back. She was safe. She was safe. Yet she saw the monster, the fusion, the one that killed them, looming over her, their weapon raised, poised to strike. It quickly faded, the gem being replaced by the slightly overweight organic, but the feeling of danger, the need to get away, to be safe still loomed in her mind. Steven quickly withdrew, hands out in an apologetic and placating manner.

"Sorry, you just zoned out on me and stopped talking for a while. You ok?"

1VZ blinked once, twice, and thrice before responding to the query.

"Oh, uh...yeah. I'm fine," she said, brutally pushing down the feelings of terror and vulnerability to the dark recesses of her gem, forcing a mask of stoic calm, just like her commander taught her. She took three deep breaths, and her façade was complete, the stoic soldier who followed orders slid into place.

After a moment of awkward silence, Steven attempted to end it with another question, seeking to steer the conversation back to something more palatable. But before he could speak, the temple rumbled, as if something massive had struck the structure. 1VZ briefly thought that it might collapse into itself from the sheer amount of shaking, but it soon subsided, replaced by a thundering, animalistic roar.

"Oh man, something is attacking the temple! I better go help!" Steven proclaimed, rushing to the vein like tubes, crawling up them at a slow pace. He stopped, turned back towards 1VZ, a look of hope upon his face.

"Hey, wanna help us with this?"

Initially, 1VZ wanted to refuse outright, as she was in no mood to fight anything, much less aid the rebels of all things. But the thought of being trapped in the rebel base any longer overshadowed her feelings, and she nodded in confirmation. She leaped onto the tubes and followed the organic, soon passing through a set of doors with a star, each point containing a certain color. More than likely pertaining to the inhabitant in question, but she dismissed such things, focusing on what was outside the building they found themselves in. It was crudely constructed, the material of clearly organic provenance, but it served its purpose, in a sense. They passed through a flimsy door and beheld the sight before them. The rebels, all three of them, were rushing to and fro, dodging the attacks of a massive creature. It was a thing of madness, clearly not originating from the planet's natural fauna, with a light purple hue coloring its skin. Spikes stretched across its back, defensive measures from her perspective, that folded and raised as it was attacked, warding off the predation of the rebel gems. Its tail was a spiked mace in all but name, with a large, smooth orb tipped with jagged spikes swinging this way and that, trying in vain to strike its opponents. Its four feet were clawed, swiping at any gem that got too close with lighting speed. Its maw was one of large, pointed fangs, and its roar was deafening to all nearby. It had no eyes, relying on its large, rotating ears to sense its attackers.

Steven stared at the thing before him, and muttered to himself, "This is a first."

1VZ clearly heard the personal comment, and it didn't inspire confidence in her to say the least, but she summoned the leaf bladed sword and prepared to charge the beast, hoping against hope that she would have the energy and strength to fight her captors when this was all over.