Chapter Four: Djeroh

Djeroh, atmospheric reentry.

For as long as anyone could remember, the dwarf planet Djeroh lay on the very edge of Talutar space. Despite its technical status as a colony, it was little more than a barely-inhabited outpost, useful only as a brief stop to restock and refuel for those venturing in and out of the Imperium's reach. At least, this was the case, until its limited defenses made it easy prey for the Talutar Liberation Movement.

The TLM had easily seized control of the planet, quickly repurposing it into a base of operations. This once innocuous planetoid had suddenly become one of the key factors in the Liberation War, giving the rebellion a foothold just close enough to the Imperium's territory. And this made it an active hotbed for war.

Since the Talutar Imperium had long supported Homeworld's efforts, their Imperator had little difficulty convincing Yellow Diamond for aid–not in the least because the TLM had made their anti-Gem sentiments clear, with several attacks on Gem-controlled systems spurring the Diamonds against them. An invasion force had been dispatched, which is what brought Onyx here.

As the drop pod streaked towards the ground like a meteor, the soldiers within were greeted by a voice over the radio. "Now listen up," said Onyx Facet LM96 Cut P7K, the company's commander. "The Talu have got this place pretty locked down. We've sent you as close to the front lines as we can without putting you in the path of their orbital deterrent cannons, but your objective's still a good 20 kilokliks away. Your mission is simple: break through their defenses. Diamondspeed down there, soldiers–Adamantem in Eternum!"

"Adamantem in Eternum!" bellowed the black Quartzes in unison, crossing their arms over their chests in the Diamond salute. This was it–the moment they had all been training for. It was time to make a difference for Homeworld. The final approach boosters engaged as the drop pod made it within landing distance. All the Gems inside braced for impact, both dreading and awaiting the incoming impact.

They had to be ready, because as soon as the pod hit the ground, the enemy would be all over them. The Onyxes counted down until they plummeted: three…two…one…with a mighty bang, the vehicle crashed into the earth below, sending up a cloud of dust. Using this as makeshift cover, the Gems stormed out of the pod, summoning their weapons. This was a process that had been drilled into them time and time again: anything that wasn't a Gem needed to die.

Sharp bursts of plasma filled the air as the Talu rebels fired on the newly-arrived Quartzes. But, Homeworld had sent Onyxes for a reason, as they barely reacted to the minor stings these blasts provided. The nearby battalion was quickly dealt with in a swarm of blades and blunt instruments. For a few moments, the battlefield was complete chaos, the warriors simply acting on autopilot.

It wasn't until they were in the clear (for a certain definition of the term) that her mind began to unfog. She gripped tightly to the shaft of her hammer, the jet that propelled it still warm. Onyx Facet LM96 Cut P7J surveyed the area, noticing that they had successfully cleared out the nearby Talutar forces. The nearby ground troops began to advance, with many of her sisters carving a path through the resistance.

"Thank the stars you got here when you did!" A Lace Agate came up to Onyx, the two of them taking cover behind a fallen Talutar starfighter. "We're not sure how they're winning! We should outnumber them three to one, but we've lost contact with several of our squads–it's like they've just up and vanished!"

Onyx peered out from behind their cover, only to duck her head back in as a rocket streaked by. "Yeah, good thing we're here, then! Alrighty, just point me in the right direction!"

The Agate indicated a tower some ways away that was surrounded by enemy forces. "We think that's their base, but we haven't gotten close enough to tell yet. All we know is that they really don't want us getting over there!"

"Yup, that's a pretty good bet then." Hoisting her hammer over her shoulder, Onyx prepared to charge into the fray. "See ya on the other side!" The Agate offered a quick salute as the Quartz launched herself at the enemy.

Nothing fazed her. Rebel troops were easily battered aside by her hammer, their armor crumpling from each blow. Rather than continuing to push forwards alongside the rest of her platoon, she made an effort to sweep up every last Talu in the area. Her thoroughness did earn her a chiding, however: "Onyx! Stay close to our advance!" shouted one of the other Quartzes.

"Yeah, yeah, just finishing up back here!" Onyx called back. What was the point of carving a path through the opposition if they could just close in on you from behind? Not that Onyx expected the Talu to get the better of them in this way, but it never hurt to be cautious, especially when there were other, more fragile Gems on the battlefield. Lazily working her way over to where her teammates were positioned, she continued to decimate the competition.

Her hammer roared as she prepared to bring it down atop an unsuspecting trooper. But moments before she made contact, something else did first, a concussive force launching her backwards. It seemed to have been some sort of energy projectile, judging by her smoking midsection. Onyx shook her head as she summoned another hammer into her hands. "What the void was that!?"

The answer stepped closer, raising their weapon: a Talu heavy assault unit, bulked up in armor that made them almost the size of a Quartz, and with a gun half their size. Said gun had already fired once, and was charging up to do so again. The other Talu soldiers fell back, realizing that a one-on-one confrontation was brewing.

"So, you wanna do it like that, huh?" said Onyx, swinging her hammer menacingly. "Alright, then let's do it like that! C'mon!" She made the first move, going in for a horizontal swing. While her hammer connected, the gun went off before, the fast moving ball of plasma carving a chunk out of Onyx's shoulder. She pulled back as the heavy assault got to their feet.

The armored Talu shrugged off the blow, cracking their neck as though to taunt the Gem. This time they made the first move, rushing to the side to throw off Onyx's aim. It worked, as the hammer created a crater right where they had just been standing. They whipped out a sidearm, pumping several shots into Onyx's wound.

The Gem reeled back, dropping her hammer in the process. "Gah! You little–!" She curled into a ball, rolling down the offending soldier, who blocked with their gun. Their feet dug into the ground, pushed back by the force of Onyx's weight. After a moment of charging, the cannon fired, the force shoving both it and Onyx aside.

She was back up in moments, throwing a punch at the heavy trooper. They simply ducked underneath it, firing another blast into Onyx's already-wounded shoulder. The result was devastating, completely severing the limb from its owner. Onyx cried out as the force pushed her several yards away, clutching her side as glowing light poured out. "Not…not bad," she hissed, glaring at her enemy.

Whether the complement was accepted, she didn't know, as the trooper responded by leveling the blaster at her once more. Struggling to her feet, she didn't have time to dodge. All she could do was summon her hammer again, swinging it haphazardly with her one remaining arm.

Had the projectile hit her, her physical form would most likely have been destabilized. But because her hammer hit it first, it detonated mere feet from her, the explosion throwing her back. Her vision was blurred, partly due to pain and partly due to the fact that she was tumbling down into a trench.

The Talu had dug in when Homeworld arrived, literally. Still, this surprisingly complex network of trenches had given them an advantage over the initial attack, if only slightly. Now that they had been pushed back and the trenches were abandoned, it gave Onyx the perfect place to hide from her attacker. Reluctantly.

As wounded as she was, even without considering her missing arm, Onyx wasn't a match for the heavy assault trooper. And since her company had gone on without her, she was entirely without backup. "Nghh…okay, Onyx, get a grip…just need to find a better vantage point…" She crawled to her feet, limping further into the tunnels.

The trooper noticed Onyx's severed arm laying on the ground. In a single movement, they crushed it underfoot, the limb disappearing in a puff of smoke. They then leapt down into the tunnels after their enemy, their presence heralded by the low hum of their charging weapon.

So far, the battle was going well. The Gems were still fighting, with no idea they were walking right into a trap. Granted, neither did his ground forces, but it wasn't like they were starving for those. From the orbit within his ship, Votaq watched as everything went according to plan.

Almost everything. What would be another step on the path to triumph was rudely interrupted as one of his subordinates entered his chambers. "What is it, Kiloq?" he said, angry at having been disturbed.

The musclebound Talu was unperturbed by his anger. "Captain, we've hit a snag with the program. Most of the chosen planets have successfully been stripped of usable life. Those that have been were all abandoned by Gemkind…except for one." He showed several images on a tablet to Votaq.

Moridius. Thanks to the efforts of the Koh'i'Noor, and then the Liberation Movement, the once-lush planet had been reduced to an entire ocean, rife with storms that ravaged what little land there was left. Homeworld had long since packed up and left the once-future colony behind. So why, then, had orbital imaging detected a trio of Gems still left behind?

"Get my ship ready." Votaq growled his words, but still seemed eager to leave. "We've got a job to finish." He left the room, his lieutenant following behind.

"Sir?" said Kiloq. "It's only three Gems, I assure you I can handle them. Besides, shouldn't we be observing the Mark Three?"

Votaq was unconcerned. "I'm sure the science team can handle themselves. Besides…" He held up his robotic arm provided to him by Pythoriax. "...I've been waiting for a reason to try this thing out!"

"I…very well, sir. I'll get the shuttle ready." Kiloq turned away, but voiced one last concern. "Should we bring the fleet as well?"

For a moment, Votaq looked like he was about to decline, but he shrugged. "Might as well. It never hurts to be too prepared."

AN: Sorry this one's a bit short, I wanted to at least give you guys something.