Episode 17: Fighting Spirit
We start off in Beach City. Steven walks down the stairs and sees the Monks training. He was holding pamphlets for something. "Hey, Guys." Steven said. The Monks stop their training for a bit. "Yo, what's up, Steven." Raimundo said. "Well, I received a lot of pamphlets for Beach-a-Palooza." Steven said. "Beach-a-Palooza? What's that?" Omi asked. "It's a music festival that happens every year." Steven said. "My dad and I were supposed to play there last year but due to Yellow Tail's boat being too big for the car wash, I had to sum in the Gems to play the music." "Interesting to know." Clay said. "What did they played?" Raimundo asked. "If I recall correctly, Amethyst played drums, Pearl played the violin, and Garnet played a Keytar" Steven said. He then realized something.
"Hey, it's almost a year since you guys partnered up with us." Steven said. "Hey, yea that's true." Kimiko said. "Maybe we should check it out when it happens." "I wouldn't mind it." Raimundo said. "Brazil is good with some samba music." "You guys should also bring Dojo along as well." Steven suggested. "I think it would be most interesting to bring everyone to watch the show." Omi said. Steven nods. "Well, I better start handing out the pamphlets." Steven said. "See you guys at the show." "See ya, Steven." Raimundo said. The Monks takes a bit of a break from training. "So, I wonder who's going to sing in the Beach-a-Palooza?" Omi asked. "I think a few people would sing in it." Kimiko said. Raimundo nods. "Yea, it would be a good day to have that." he said. "Well, I guess we can have fairly fun night to have it." Clay said. "Plus, it allow us to celebrate 1 year in Beach City." Kimiko added. The Monks agreed, they would like to visit Beach-a-Palooza.
Note: Sadie's Song happens off-screen.
Back at the Heylin side, It was time for Jack to present his case to help out Peridot as much as they can. Jack takes a deep breath and opens the door. It was a big meeting room. Jack sits with Peridot on one side and Chase, Wuya, and Jackson on the other side. Jack wants to impress all 3 of them to support his plan on helping Peridot out. "Alright, the discussion of Peridot's survival is now in session" Chase said. Jack nods as he pulls out his notes and Peridot watches Jack began to get to work. "My fellow Heylin, As you know, Peridot has recently lost a foot." Jack said. "No thanks to Steven and those clods." Peridot bemoans. Jack clears his throat. "With that, I suggest that we repair the Homeworld Warp Pad." Jack said.
"How are we going to do that?" Wuya said. "Garnet managed to smash it to pieces." "That may be true, but Peridot did suggest we kidnap Steven and use his healing spit to repair the warp pad." Jack said. Peridot nods. Wuya ponders a bit. "Do you think his healing spit has returned? What if it doesn't work?" Wuya said. "Well, we will think of a new plan, this time around the Cluster." Jack said, looking fairly composed with the question. Chase was subtly impressed on how Jack is handing this. "Well, what is the plan with the Cluster?" Jackson said. "Easy, we use the Changing Chopsticks that we have, shrink the cluster down, pull it out of the earth's core, and provide it to the Diamonds in exchange for ruling the earth." Jack revealed. Wuya and Chase wrote that down. "Interesting plan, Jack." Wuya said. Jack chuckles a bit. He's believing he's winning them over.
"I hope you are doing well, Jack." Peridot whispers. Jack softly whispers to Peridot. "Don't worry, I think I can win them over easily. I wrote as many counters as I could possibly get." Jack whispers back. Jackson was busy ponder something. "What would happen if the Cluster activates before we can extract it?" Jackson said. Jack was stone silent. He didn't account for that. "Uhh...well...we'll just...uhh…" Jack said, stumbling his words and flips through his note. Chase raised an eyebrow. "That was an unexpected question, Jackson." Wuya said. "Well, we want to probe what we should do if the cluster activates." Jackson said. Peridot began to shift her eyes. "Well, if you may know…" Peridot said. "It was mostly meant as a last resort to wipe out earth from the history books of Homeworld." A silent hush arrives. This isn't some super geo-weapon…it was also a ticking time bomb. Jack's jaw drops on the floor. "So, you are telling us, right now, that any moment, the cluster could activate and destroy us all?" Chase said. "Affirmative." Peridot said. Another silent moment arrives.
Jack began shifting through his notes more. He looks over to see Chase and Wuya writing it down. His composure was now shot. Chase notices this and presses some more. "How would you feel if Peridot was indeed defeated and poofed?" Chase said. Jack was starting to lose his composure. "I-I-I don't know. I would lose myself." Jack admits. Chase wrote that down. Jack began to confess something. "Peridot is, like, my best ally here. Sure it's great to train with you, but if it wasn't for Peridot, I would have a hard time trusting Wuya again and it would meant that I wouldn't be trained by you." Jack said. Chase and Wuya was taken aback from this. Peridot was surprised on how much Jack is valuing her. "Peridot has more potential that you guys give her credit. Heck, even she doesn't realize how much potential she has. I trust her and I believe in her." Jack said as he sits back down. Chase wrote that down as well.
"Alright, I think we heard enough." Chase said. He began to stand up. "Wuya, Jackson, follow me to the voting room." Chase said as they head out the meeting room and into the voting room. Jack sighs as the three of them were now out of the room. "Something wrong?" Peridot said. "It's just...the Cluster issue really threw me off. I thought I had everything padded down but I missed the one issues that was right in front of me." Jack said. "Well, I guess I'm at fault a bit for not telling you sooner on the earth destruction." Peridot mentions. Jack nods. "Well, at least we still have a bit of time together left." Jack said. "I've always been making sure you are well protected." "And I appreciate that, Jack." Peridot said. "However, I doubt they would help us out in the long run." "What do you mean?" Jack said. "Well, remember, the Cluster is meant to destroy the earth when it forms and when it does…Well, we shouldn't be near it when it happens." Peridot said. Jack nods reluctantly.
"Well, there got to be some way, the Diamonds really want it so why not just make it an offer. It's nearly inevitable. We just extract it out with the Changing Chopstick and we offer it to the Diamonds in exchange for Earth." Jack said. "I don't think my Diamond would like to make a deal with you." Peridot said. "Come on, don't knock it till you give it a try." Jack said. Peridot began to think a bit. He does have a good point. Her Diamond did want to see the Cluster in action soon and maybe if she could get a hold of her Diamond, maybe she could tell the offer and possibly accept it. But would she really? Jack also began to think a bit. Would it truly work and would he be able to rule the world just like that? The Gems and Monks would fight tooth and nail to prevent that. In fact, it would just ignite a new war. Maybe he needs some extra help to put the Monks and Gems down.
A good while later, Jack and Peridot were still waiting for Chase, Wuya and Jackson. "Man, they have been in there for quite some time." Jack said. "Well, duh, they must be heavily discussing on my fate." Peridot said. Jack softly nods and looks back at the door. Peridot thought of something. "Truth be told…I don't know if they would support me after my mentioning of the Cluster. Had I kept my mouth shut…" Peridot said. "They were right to ask the question. They had a thought of it and you had to respond to it. I just feel like an idiot for not seeing it coming from a mile away." Jack said. "Well, how would you truly feel if I did get captured?" Peridot said with a nervous sweat. Jack slams his fist on the table. "I would lose myself. That's all I can say. The Monks and Gems have been dunking on me and you for far too long and I would go all out as much as I can without remorse." Jack said with a fire in his eye. Peridot was surprised to hear this. "You are my last true ally, Peridot and neither the Gems nor Monks will ever take that away." Jack said. Peridot blushes a bit.
Just then, the door finally opens. Jackson, Wuya, and Chase looked very composed but looked like they had a long heated debate. Chase takes his seat next to Wuya and Jackson. "Jack, Peridot, we have been discussing long and hard from the offer. It was a very enticing offer. By a vote of 2-1…" Chase said. Peridot and Jack listen very closely to what Chase said. What Chase would say would change the entire game for a long time. "We have voted to decline the offer." Chase concluded. Jack angrily slammed his hands on the table. "WHAT?!" Jack and Peridot shouts. "Silence!" Chase said. "The offer was very enticing but there are too many flaws to justify helping out. Whatever you two would do is on your own accord. If you managed to succeed on getting Peridot back to homeworld, then we will give credit where credits due. However, there's too many ifs to factor in and we just don't think it would be logical to get it to work."
Jack couldn't believe it, 2-1. Who voted in favor of it? He looks at the three of them and began to believe that Jackson voted against it because he was looking down a bit. Chase and Wuya both had mentioned that Peridot doesn't have that strong of a potential, but yet Chase took him under his wing. Maybe Chase tried to convince them but both Jackson and Wuya voted against Peridot. Typical Wuya, backstabbing Jack again. Jack was more agitated then ever before. "2-1 against it? I mean, why? I understand the logistics are a nightmare to work with but…" Jack said before Peridot interrupted. "Jack, Please…they voted and they aren't helping us." Peridot said. "We can do it ourselves." Jack sighs in frustration. He grabs his notes and began to walk out the meeting room.
Later that night, Jack sits on his bed with Peridot also sitting on her bed. "What can we do? They wouldn't support us for trying to get me back to Homeworld and they wouldn't help us try to get on the Cluster issue." Peridot said. "Well, like you mention, we need to do it ourselves. And the first issue is to get you back home." Jack said. "And to do that...we may need someone to help us out, albeit unwillingly." Jack said. Peridot softly nods. They were at a crossroad and without Jackson, Chase or Wuya to help them out they would need to figure out what to do in the near future. What they don't realize is that Peridot's time was running out and soon, the Gems and Monks would likely capture her and bubble her, leaving Jack all by his lonesome again. This will not stand. Jack must extend Peridot's time as much as he can to get her back home. And to do that, they need Steven.
End of Episode 17