Fair warning, this one's even MORE of an infodump than usual. This fic is an exploration of Gemkind first and foremost, though, so I hope y'all enjoy!
If not for the fact that they are now surrounded on all sides by potentially hostile Gems, Pidge would be delighted.
It takes, though it feels like a minute or two, only about thirty microseconds in real time for the Warp Pad to deliver them to their destination; according to the very confused integrated Galactic Positioning System in her armor, in that time, they travelled about seventy-two light years - a feat only the teludav's wormholes can match, and that's because they cheat via Allura's bullshit space magic. The Lions can get even faster, but they need a 'running start', so to speak.
Two point four million light years per second is nothing to scoff at. Gem tech is wild.
The Gem colony around them is, interestingly enough, the polar opposite to their previous location; it's a bustling, lively volcanic world, judging by the atmospheric composition and temperature, as well as, y'know, the active volcano in the distance. Gems of all shapes and sizes run to and fro, not even stopping to spare them a glance; Pidge can see hundreds of Rubies, dozens of Carnelians and Jaspers, several crews of burly Bismuths, and what looks to be an Agate, if Ruby's description is to be believed.
Moonstone breathes a sigh of relief. "They're only just setting up." -she notes. "This is a new colony."
"Is that good?" -Lance asks, raising an eyebrow.
The fused Gem snorts. "Fewer upper crusts for me to try and fool."
The Agate takes notice of them, then, and walks toward them, a puzzled expression plain on her face. She's a good eight feet tall, wide around the hips and shoulders, white hair sticking up in waves and tips, shaped and moving like an open flame. Her jumpsuit is styled in a gradient - red, to orange, to a yellow insignia in the midst of her chest, shaped like, you guessed it, a diamond. "Welcome to Fulguras V, your eminence." -the Agate says, confused. She speaks in what Pidge assumes is the Gem's own language, which her HUD translates on the fly thanks to the post-Gem distress call patch she derived from the Castle's ancient logs. "To what do we owe the visit of a Moonstone? And with organics in tow, no less?"
The tone isn't so much demeaning as it is dismissive - about what she's coming to expect from Homeworld Gems, even the friendlier ones - but it still kinda makes her and Lance bristle. "Fire Agate." -Moonstone replies, Pidge assumes, for their benefit. "I am here in the service of the lustrous Blue Diamond. She requests these...diplomats be allowed to witness the sheer efficiency and order of your colony-in-progress, that they be convinced to allow for the construction of an outpost on their home planet."
Fire Agate narrows her eyes. "Blue Diamond...requested this?"
"...via her Pearl, of course." -Moonstone says, giving the Homeworlder a meaningful look.
"Ah." -the Agate says, knowingly. "Yes, of course. I've heard of this...approach of hers."
Lance and Pidge share a look. Moonstone hums along. "Could we trouble you for a tour, then?"
Fire Agate purses her lips. "I was not appraised of this visit by Yellow Diamond." -she notes.
"Surely our fulgurant matriarch has more important matters to attend to than something like this." -Moonstone suggests. "I suppose you could contact her...but I can only imagine both Blue and Yellow Diamond would value your initiative in showing us around without their prompting."
The Agate straightens at the thought of pleasing the Diamonds. "O-of course! The wisdom of a Moonstone proves, as always, to be second only to that of our matriarchs. Come along, then."
Pidge nearly gags from the sycophancy of it all, but she can at least breathe a sigh of relief; the first hurdle past, it's time to find their Ruby.
Thanks to Fire Agate's insanely detailed description, Pidge now has a pretty good idea of how Gem Colonization works.
It begins at the very top, with the Diamonds picking a planet based on its mineral abundance and proximity to Gem-controlled space. Organic life is a factor to consider, but only insofar as knowing what kind of force to send; if the planet is devoid of life - which is the most desirable condition, Pidge is surprised to find - the colonization process is very simple and relatively speedy, with a simple orbital prospection leading to designated areas for Kindergartens, factories, shipyards, and the like. Especially beautiful worlds get to have spires, colosseums, and temples built and dedicated to the Diamonds, for them to occasionally visit and the 'upper crusts' - aristocratic Gems like Sapphires, Emeralds, and Moonstones - to decadently live in. Once designed, the colony is terraformed by Lapis Lazulis, powerful hydrokinetics that carve up a world to specification, and set the stage for the injection process to begin.
If a world is previously inhabited, things get a whole lot more complicated; if the lifeforms are not considered sapient, and their presence inconveniences Gem development, then the Diamonds send Malachites - the anti-organic specialist Gems Ruby mentioned - which efficiently wipe out the bothersome lifeforms. If the species is intelligent, then Blue Diamond's Court takes over, and begins attempting a diplomatic colonization of the planet. Gems are, of course, ageless, and thus patient enough that they don't mind sharing a world with another civilization for a time - they will most certainly outlive them, and eventually keep the planet for their own. If the existing lifeforms are outright hostile, or if relations break down, then Yellow Diamond herself takes command, and unleashes the full might of Homeworld's forces upon the unfortunate civilization - a process that, in eons of Gem expansion, has never failed to utterly cleanse a planet of organic life. Whether by blade, orbital bombardment, or even biological warfare, all of them fall before the power of the Diamonds.
Once a world is prepared, Injectors - large machines resembling bacteriophages, kinda on the nose if they ask her - descend upon their designated Kindergartens, carrying a mixture of Diamond essence and some form of hyper-advanced computer code contained within a porous, hollowed crystal that selectively draws in the surrounding quintessence and the specific minerals that will form the gemstone. Once buried, the stone is subjected to incredibly intense pressure and heat, which more or less mixes things together and 'cooks' it until the Kindergarten's technicians deem it ready. After a brief cooldown period, the hard-light projection forms around the gemstone, and the Gem smashes her way out of the soil, ready to serve the Great Diamond Authority. No childhood, no training, no nothing.
Pidge can't even imagine what it must be like, to be born with a specific purpose you're expected to perform indefinitely. To wake up and have a job you are literally made for and, likely, happiest doing - at the expense of never getting to have any other experiences. She knows Gems can pretty easily adapt to radically different circumstances - Moonstone being a prime example, but Ruby also acting nothing like the foot soldier she's supposed to be during her stay with them - so it's not like the Authority can't allow them personal freedoms.
They just choose not to.
From her limited experience with Yellow Diamond, Pidge wonders if the Gem Matriarchs are even capable of considering their subjects to be anything more than tools to expand their empire with.
All of this is fascinating, but the tour's taken a while; Pidge worriedly notes that Moonstone's movements are getting a stiffer, and there's, of course, no telling what the Homeworlders might've done with Ruby, so it's time to lay on the pressure.
"So, what do you do with the Gems that get hurt on the job?" -Pidge asks, as they exit the Alpha Kindergarten.
Fire Agate blinks, probably shocked that the organic can even talk. "I...well, Gems are nearly indestructible, but should the injury somehow prove more than our bodies can handle, we will automatically shed our physical forms and retreat into our gemstones until the projection is regenerated."
"And if the stone itself is damaged?"
The Agate narrows her eyes. "The odds of that happening are...incredibly low. Even the lowest among us are nigh-indestructible."
"But you can break." -Lance says, playing along. "I mean, you wouldn't really need to make more Gems if you never lost any."
"I do not question my Diamonds' designs." -she says, cautiously glancing at Moonstone. "If they deem the creation of more Gems necessary, then by their will be done. I suggest you not question them further."
"You would do well to heed this Agate's advice, children." -Moonstone chastises the Paladins, then turns to their host. "That being said, I am curious to know if your harvesting facilities are equipped with the latest technology; I am told the technicians in Homeworld have recently devised a Rejuvenator that permanently resets a Gem's consciousness."
Fire Agate raises an eyebrow, impressed. "A Rejuvenator? They haven't been used since before I emerged."
"Oh, I remember them well." -Moonstone says, a shadow briefly passing through her expression. "A beautiful weapon - Gem armaments are something of a hobby of mine. Quite effective, in the short term. A shame, really - one too many Gems remembering their past, rendering the Rejuvenators obsolete. I don't suppose you have one of the new models?"
"We received a weapons shipment from Homeworld not too long ago - there seems to be some kind of organic conflict in the system." -Fire Agate says.
"Better safe than sorry." -Moonstone nods approvingly.
Fire Agate tilts her head at the strange idiom, but doesn't comment on it. "We could go over the shipment, if you'd like? Give our guests a sense of our military might in the process?"
"Did you have an Albite read my mind when I wasn't looking?" -she jokes, which is apparently funny to the Agate. "By all means, lead the way."
As always, thank you for your attention! Make sure to comment or message me if you have any questions about this story. Look me up on Twitter as Darthkvzn or Tumblr as darthkvznblogs if you'd like - and on Ko-fi, as Darthkvzn, if you like what I do and have a coffee's worth of money to spare.
I'm not great at physically describing characters and locations, so if you didn't really get what Fire Agate looks like, just imagine Holly Blue Agate with a Guy Fieri makeover. Until next time!