It's been a while! Hope this chapter finds you well.
The gang finally meets with The Collector, Taneleer Tivan, and gets appropriately freaked out by his amoral hoard and generally creepy demeanor. He seems willing to help Pidge find her family, but, like most interesting side characters, he may or may not have a sidequest for our heroes.
Here's hoping it's not a fetch quest!
Tivan's collection - which amounts to the universe's most severe case of hoarding, really, they could make a whole season of the show here - is a bit of a paradox. It's evident, both from the way the people of Knowhere tend to avoid this place, and the utterly unguarded 'exhibits', that no one ever really visits the place. And yet, the displays are pretty much what you'd expect from a museum: exhibit titles, relevant trivia, and a fun little blurb, presumably written by Tivan himself.
Y'know, for every single one of the millions upon millions of items on his collection. Pidge can almost feel the mania coming off of them.
The collection is equal parts xeno-zoo and museum, too. There's rare creatures sprinkled in between ancient artifacts of civilizations long gone, captive specimens of eerily sapient-looking aliens just beside idols and statues of unknowable cosmic gods. It gives her a headache, just trying to absorb a fraction of the information on display. She glances at Lance, who's taking everything in with a critical eye, and Ruby, who lags behind a couple steps as she stops to look at every other object with the wonder of your average Rapunzel-like shut-in.
The Krylorian eventually leads them to a room larger than any other they've been in. Its contents tickle something in the back of Pidge's mind, and it takes her an embarrassingly long time to figure out why.
She really has been away from home for a while.
"Welcome to the Terra exhibit." -the woman says. "My master thought you would appreciate the familiarity."
"Where is he?" -Lance asks, more than a little freaked out. Pidge can relate - this little hoard of Earth knick-knacks feels wrong, in a way that the store they bought Kaltenecker in doesn't. The alien there hadn't actually been to Earth, and his wares - Kaltenecker included - were just reverse-engineered knock-off versions of real, decades-old merchandise advertised on TV. Kaltenecker never actually eats, nor does she, er, poop. She still produces milk, though, and the genuine item, too.
Pidge still hasn't quite figured their bovine companion out.
The Collector, in any case, clearly has been to Earth - or at least, whoever gets his little collectibles has. There's Route 66 roadmarks, mexican candy skulls, what appears to be a legitimate, rusty, ancient spartan helmet, a GameCube controller...no rhyme or reason to it, but there's thousands of articles, clearly taken from Earth. It's not just the Crystal Gems and their civil war; aliens have, quite obviously, come and gone to and from Earth for ages.
"The Collector shall be along momentarily." -the Krylorian says, pleasantly. "He had...other guests to attend."
Pidge frowns. "This place doesn't exactly feel like a tourist attraction."
"Oh, no. My master is dealing with customers at the moment. This collection is, aside from the largest repository of strange and unique items in the universe, one of the safest places to store items of value in the galaxy." -she explains. "There are places within this maze that are only accessible to The Collector - for anyone else to try would be risking madness, death...and worse."
There's an edge of warning to her explanation, though Pidge can't quite tell if the alien is genuinely trying to keep them safe, or gleefully threatening their lives. In any event, she curtsies, and exits the room, leaving them alone with the roomful of human knickknacks.
"Well, that was creepy." -Lance notes.
"Yeah, kinda." -Pidge says. "What's worse than death?"
"Harvesting." -Ruby says, uncharacteristically serious. She shivers, then resumes her examination of a pair of aviator glasses.
Lance and Pidge share a look. The Blue Paladin is clearly about to ask for the little Gem to elaborate, but Pidge shakes her head. There's more pressing matters to attend.
"So...the Crystal Gems fought the Diamonds' forces on Earth." -Pidge prompts.
Ruby winces. "That's what I heard." -she says. "They say the Gems in Blue Diamond's court can actually talk about it, but Yellow Diamond won't allow it. I've only heard bits and pieces."
"You said there were three remaining Diamond Matriarchs?" -Pidge asks.
"Yeah, Yellow, Blue and…" -she stops, covering her mouth. "I...can't say her name."
Lance frowns. "It's alright, no one's gonna…"
"No, sorry, I...meant that literally. Yellow Diamond forbids us lesser Gems from speaking her name, so we won't 'distract her with our ceaseless chattering'. I physically can't say the words."
A shiver runs through Pidge's spine. Incidentally, it's the same tingle she feels whenever she's exposed to a higher power - be it Zarkon's RoBeast abominations, Haggar's tainted magics, or even Voltron itself, she always feels that slight cosmic horror that comes with facing entities for whom her existence barely registers.
"...okay." -Pidge says. "Noted. What else do you know about the rebellion?"
"Something about a Quartz soldier going rogue and sabotaging the proposed Earth colony." -she shrugs. "I'm not sure how one Quartz soldier could've done everything she supposedly did. Lesser Gems can't disobey orders from a Diamond, so she should've stopped her rebellion as soon as hers gave the order."
Pidge frowns. She's not sure the situation is as...deterministic as Ruby puts it - after all, and even if she doesn't really want to talk about it, she did intentionally delay her regeneration, and she did choose to hang out with her and Lance on her way back to Gem space instead of figuring it out for herself, which Pidge wholeheartedly believes the little Gem could do. Gems must be capable of free will.
"I dunno, she must've been defective." -Ruby concludes.
"Oh, you have no idea how right you are."
Ruby, Lance, and Pidge all turn at once, startled by the voice of a tall man with wildly spiky white hair, and a luxurious, regal coat hanging from his shoulders. "Carina…" -he says, staring pointedly at the Krylorian beside him, who rushes forward to present the man.
"Rejoice, Paladins, for you are in the awe-inspiring presence of The Collector." -she hastily announces.
Pidge wouldn't exactly choose 'awe-inspiring' as a descriptor for the man; Tivan mostly looks like a really wealthy space aristocrat, though certainly one who spends...unhealthy amounts of time sequestered inside, probably muttering factoids to himself. He eyes them with a certain hunger, his gaze lingering on their bayards and the exquisite Altean craftsmanship of their Paladin armors.
"You were expecting us." -Pidge states.
Tivan smirks. "I make it my business to gather every interesting little thing I come across. Sometimes it's an artifact. Sometimes it's information." -he explains. "Not that your visit to Knowhere was in any way subtle, mind you. The Lions of Voltron are not exactly understated means of travelling the universe."
"...and you know about the Lions."
"Of course. The galaxy at large may be unaware of your…conflict with the Galra Empire, but I am beyond such ignorance."
Pidge crosses her arms. "Then I imagine helping us find my family shouldn't be a problem for you."
The Collector hums. "Perhaps." -he says. "I've always had a fondness for humanity, as you can see around you. Such determined little creatures."
"This seems like a little more than 'a fondness', dude." -Lance mutters.
"Not when you've lived since the Dawn of Creation, Paladin." -Tivan says. "There are a great many items within my collection, to be sure, but I have lived for eons. My trinkets tend to...accumulate."
Pidge rolls her eyes. "We're not here to stage an intervention. Just tell us if you can help, so we can be on our way."
"I can. And I will." -he assures her. "But first, I require your assistance."
Oof, she thinks. This'll be a fetch quest, for sure.
"It is a simple matter. I need you to escort one of my...purveyors. They must attend a rather crucial rendezvous on the fringes of the galaxy - perfectly safe, I assure you, and convenient, too; this trip would land you quite nearby Gem-controlled space." -he says.
Great. An escort quest, instead.
"Why us? You must have some kind of transportation system for your agents."
He sighs. "While I expect my agents to handle themselves in all aspects of their missions - except, of course, for costs - speed is of the essence here, and there is no available transport quite as quick to traverse the interstellar void as your extra-dimensional Lions." -he explains.
Lance frowns. "How big a detour are we talking here? We're in the middle of trying to figure out peace with the Galra Empire. We might be needed on the other side of the universe, any moment."
Tivan stares at Pidge. "Hmm. Does it matter, Katie?"
Pidge narrows her eyes, and stares into Tivan's. It's obvious from the way he talked about humans, and his age, that Tivan is no mere mortal, but Pidge gets the impression that he's no mere immortal, either. How does he know her birth name? Is it omniscience? Or just a really good information network? "The name's Pidge, Tivan. And no, it doesn't - we'll do it."
"As I knew you would." -he smirks. "You should be thankful - my usual fee is something more...unique." -he says, glancing at Pidge's bayard. The Green Paladin protectively puts her hand on top of it. "But, events on your homeworld have transpired such that I unfortunately cannot afford to waste time detaching you from your more valuable artifacts."
"A Paladin's time is plenty valuable." -Lance says. "Now, what's this about our homeworld?"
"Perhaps I'll tell you upon your return." -he shrugs. "Suffice it for now to say, you may want to keep an eye on your darling blue marble in the near future. In between securing peace for the known universe, of course." -he says, sarcastic.
Pidge purses her lips, impatient. This sounds important, but she's so close. It's been over a year, and she's never been closer to finding her family than now, entering the service of this flippin' weirdo. "Be cryptic later. Who are we taking, and where?"
"You'll find them in a bar - the Lacrimal Bone is the name, I believe." -he says, then looks at Ruby. "Do try and keep an open mind, little pebble. They may or may not be a bit...shocking, for someone like you."
Ruby fumes the whole time, going to the bar. "How dare that meatball call me a Pebble?", she mutters to herself.
Ruby didn't mention Pebbles in her rather comprehensive report on Gem society, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out the name bothers her. "Why? Is it some kind of insult for Gems?" -Pidge asks.
The Gem crosses her thick, stubby little arms. "Yes! Kinda...Pebbles are...extras. When other Gems are made, the essence the Injectors use sometimes spills, and brings nearby minerals to life, too. They're tiny, and dumb, and all they know to do is shape-shift, so they get tossed in the nooks and crannies of Gem structures and ordered to clean, and stay quiet, and out of sight."
"Jesus. Ruby, why do you hate them so much?" -Lance asks, befuddled.
"I'm a warrior, not a cleaning maid." -she says, proudly, then slumps down a little. "The Upper Crusts already look down on us Rubies so much. I don't need a weird looking organic bashing me, too."
Pidge thinks she knows what's really going on; it's not that Ruby hates Pebbles, but rather that she's learned from her superiors to dismiss or even insult those 'below' her. Gemkind's systemic classism has obviously trickled down, even to their most marginalized members. She wouldn't be surprised if she met a Pebble and it was disgusted to meet a human - a 'lesser' lifeform.
Note to self: try and figure out how to dismantle this horrific caste system after the Galra Empire is dealt with.
The bar is, of course, located where a human skull's lacrimal bone would be found, just beyond Knowhere's left eye socket, a couple of miles into the station. It's teeming with patrons, its apparent popularity likely added onto by the fact that many of the station's miners have just ended their shifts. There's grime, and dirt, and the sour scent of sweat everywhere - something Pidge may or may not have found disgusting as Katie Holt, but has come to associate with the trillions of good, hard working people in the universe. Lance and Ruby, on the other hand, do kinda turn their noses up at the people pressing up against them, making Pidge roll her eyes at the divas she's got for travelling companions. Lance miraculously finds a couple free barstools and invites Pidge to sit beside him, while Ruby explores the completely alien establishment to her heart's content.
"What's wrong, Lance?" -she whisper-shouts, fighting to make herself heard above the bustling crowd around them. "Thought you'd be right at home at an alien bar."
His nose wrinkles a bit. "This isn't exactly my scene. Plus, the smells kinda remind me of the farm back home, and that reminds me of manual labor, which is a no-no for Lance."
"Huh, yeah. I almost forgot about your farmer backstory."
"Lucky you." -he says, smirking. "Some of us lay awake at night, remembering days upon days of toiling away with stinky farm animals in the sweltering Cuban sun."
"Oh, shut up. You loved it."
"I appreciate it in retrospect." -he corrects. "In sort of the same way as I appreciate regular, human colds, instead of whatever alien herpes we're exposed to out here. It makes me think of home, and my family, but it's still fucking annoying."
"I get that." -Pidge hums. "So, what's your take?"
"On hoarder space dandy?" -he shrugs. "He's freaky, probably some kind of horrific Lovecraftian god. What else is new?"
"That's kind of a depressing attitude, dude, but you're not wrong." -she says. "At this point, I'd be surprised if we meet anyone relevant to our journey that doesn't have a vaguely messed up dark side."
Lance chuckles. "They really should've put it in the Paladin job description."
Pidge smirks, automatically grabbing at the glass of vaguely fruity liquid she's just been handed. She frowns; she didn't order anything - and she doubts the bartender will take GAC, or the old, Garrison-issued debit card she's still lugging around in her wallet. She has her helmet scan the substance, which comes back as a safe-to-drink alien fruit juice, no toxic or narcotic foreign substances to be found within. She turns to ask Lance if he ordered it for her, but he's already halfway through a mug of frothy amber liquid - some kind of beer, no doubt.
She looks around, but no one's staring at her suspiciously or anything. She scans the patrons for any signs of the rebels she's looking for - maybe one of them is trying to give her a signal that she's on the right track, or trying to get in contact with her surreptitiously - but there's absolutely no familiar symbols or emblems.
Ultimately, Pidge shrugs and takes her helmet off, sipping on the drink. It tastes like apple and strawberry, with a hint of lime at the end. Weird, but not unpleasant. She's more of a 'mix every soda in the fountain into one indescribable sucrose potion' kinda gal, but this mystery drink isn't so bad.
"So, what do you think they'll look like?" -Lance asks.
"Huh?"
"The Collector's agent." -he says. "What are we looking for, here?"
Pidge shrugs. "No clue. Someone unassuming, I'd think. Probably hard to tell apart from the rest of the crowd."
Lance raises an eyebrow. "Clearly, you haven't watched enough Bond movies."
She scoffs. "Knowing you, you've probably watched too many."
He laughs. "I'm just saying, every contact 007's ever met has been smoking hot. Can't blame a guy for hoping real life goes along with the cliché."
Pidge shakes her head. "Never change, Lance." she says, sarcastic.
Lance knocks back the rest of his drink. "Just messing with you." -he says. "Paladin life kinda sets you straight, when it comes to those kinds of ridiculous fantasies."
"Yeah...it does." -Pidge says, forlorn. "I think I'd feel horrible playing Halo, now that I've actually fought and killed hostile aliens in droves."
He winces. "Maybe we should invest in some kind of therapist. I think Keith and Allura are used to it, but...thinking about it really messes with my head."
"I've almost done the math a few times, y'know?" -she confesses. "Green keeps a tally of every fighter and warship she takes down, and so does my armor. Knowing the average warship crew sizes, I could figure out almost exactly how many Galra deaths I've been directly responsible for - but I've never gotten to a final number. Ultimately, I think I'm better off not knowing."
"It sucks." -Lance sums up. "But Zarkon didn't leave us a choice. None of us asked for this. So, unless Lotor is somehow honest about making peace with the rest of the universe, I doubt it'll stop sucking anytime soon."
She finishes her space juice, offering a tight smile. "Here's hoping."
They stay in companionable silence for a while, just taking in the cacophony around them. No more mystery drinks appear before them, which is kind of a bummer, but does help to lessen her worry about its origin.
And then, Ruby runs up to them. She's not...pale, since she doesn't have any blood, but she does seem incredibly spooked.
"Whoa, what's up?" -Lance asks, surprised. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"What's a ghost?" -Ruby briefly wonders, then shakes her head. "We need to leave, now." -she says, urgent.
"Why, what happened?"
"There's a Gem here!" -Ruby whisper-screeches. "Well, two Gems, but they're trouble!"
Pidge frowns, donning her helmet and bringing her bayard to bear. "Where are they?"
Ruby turns, and seemingly becomes paralyzed with fear. Pidge turns, and sees exactly why; an extremely tall, lanky woman approaches, cloaked in a frayed brown cloak that barely covers her torso and thighs. Knowing what to look for, it's easy to tell that she's a Gem - her features are very simplistic, lacking fingernails, body hair, and ears, and her proportions are certainly humanoid, but very clearly not based on actual humans. Her skin tone is sort of a greyish-blue, and her short hair is white.
Also, the clothes beneath the cloak are, y'know, fused to her skin.
As she walks, Pidge spots her gemstone, a smooth, elongated oval on her right thigh. For a second, she thinks it might be a Pearl variation of some kind - she certainly seems to fit the body type Ruby described - but then, why would Ruby be afraid?
And why does she have a second gemstone, poking out from the back of the fingerless glove on her left hand?
The Gem towers above them, easily ten, or eleven feet tall. "Tivan didn't mention you two would be ferrying a fugitive." -she says, airily. "Well, another fugitive."
She bends down. "Been a few hundred years since I last saw a Ruby. I see the Diamonds still make you as cute as ever."
"You're the passenger?"
The Gem raises an eyebrow. "I see my employer is up to his usual cryptic demeanor." -she notes. "Sorry about that. He probably should've warned you what you'd be dealing with. Let the Homeworlder mentally prepare a bit, at least."
She rises and turns around. Her hair is styled in a buzz cut on the right side and back of her head - which reveals that she's literally got a second pair of eyes back there, bright silver irises with dark blue sclera.
"I'm Moonstone, by the way. Get me to your Lions, yeah?"
Moonstone is NOT my OC. The character idea belongs to Artifiziell, over on Tumblr. They're a permafusion made up of an Albite and an Orthoclase, both also her OCs. I claim no ownership over any of them, and only decided to use them because a) Artifiziell gave blanket permission for fic writers to use Moonstone, and b) Moonstone just looks so dang cool, and really fit the kind of foil I intend her to be for Ruby.
I invite you to check Artifiziell's Tumblr and check out her amazing creations! She's got an extraordinarily accurate take on the Steven Universe art style, and has created many OCs and awesome fanart pieces over the years I've followed her work. And hey, if you're reading this, I hope I make your concept justice!
If you like what I do, consider looking me up over on my social feeds, at Darthkvzn on Twitter (and Ko-fi, but don't check that one out unless you're, like, in desperate need to dispose of some superfluous coffee money), and darthkvznblogs on Tumblr.
Until next time!