I sat in the bar, laughing merrily with two jaspers, the same two jaspers that I had caught fighting from a different bar years ago. After that, I had come to learn that they both belonged to the army under my charge, so I began to see them more often, going to bars with them and hanging out. At one point, I began seeing other soldiers from my army, and I became friends with them, too, but I realized that soldiers couldn't just be invading bars every night, so I commissioned a personal bar for my army alone, and it's packed every night. On this particular night, I felt rather thirsty, and so drank plenty of alcohol to satiate said thirst. In coincidence with this fact, my tongue felt rather open, and so I was talking quite a bit. At the moment, I was just reliving stories of different people that I have incarcerated. Everyone was having fun, and the night couldn't have been better.
At one point, me and the two jaspers were alone. I trusted the two jaspers the most, almost as much as I trust Pink and Dark, so I felt I should tell them something that has been weighing on me for a while, now. "I want to escape Homeworld." One of the jaspers, Amicus, piped up, "Isn't that kind of a bad idea? If you were to defect from Homeworld, the diamonds would hunt you down and shatter you. Plus, what would you do once you left Homeworld? There are only two real options. You join the emerald army, which most likely won't happen since that battle where you destroyed a third of their army without a weapon. Or, you become a wanderer, find a planet that Homeworld hasn't colonized, which would take you years, for Homeworld has colonies that span a five galaxy radius, so you would have to find your way out of that radius."
The second jasper, Socium, spoke, "Not to mention the fact that Homeworld puts trackers on all of it's ships, so no matter where you go Homeworld will always know where you are." I smiled slightly, I was glad that these guys were my friends.
Unfortunately, I was set on this, "Sorry, but I am going to leave Homeworld, I am going to join the emerald army, and I am going to fight the diamonds." The jaspers were dumbstruck. It was a serious thing to say that you wanted to fight the diamonds, even for the diamond champion. Now, I could legally be executed on the spot. Everyone in the bar had too much respect for me, though, and refused to do it. I continued, "Sorry guys, I didn't mean to tense things up in here. I'm just a scarred, battle-worn, drunk man in a bar full of soldiers."
The atmosphere loosened up again and the soldiers went back to their merriment. The jaspers still looked at me with disbelief, and Amicus said, "My Champion, you can't be saying things like that in public. If you weren't such a respected figure, you could have just been shattered!"
I smile slightly, "It seems like no matter where I go, I risk getting shattered anyway, so I'm not exactly taking a risk if the danger is ever-present." Amicus looked at me more sadly and went back to his cup. Socium just sat quietly, listening, as is his wont. I just stared at my cup, sad. These were great friends, as was everyone in the bar. I have talked to every single person here, learning of all their lives, so many of them with spouses, children, things and people to return to. Socium and Amicus were trying to warn me of the dangers of leaving Homeworld, but I knew that I would feel more haunted by leaving these wonderful, loyal gems that would follow me to their deaths if I asked them to.
Even our emotional bonds run deep. When the diamonds killed the village, almost my entire army came to me to try to console me, many even admitting that they felt the exact same guilt that I was feeling. I would never forget my men, but if I did defect, I can't bring them with me, and so, I must abandon them, an act that I don't think I will ever forgive myself for. I finished my drink, bid Amicus and Socium goodbye, and made my way back to the dwelling. The night was still young, so I stopped by my office and began to check some things on my data pad, the ships currently docked at the moor, the guard rotations in effect as of tomorrow, and the current location of the emerald moon, given to us by the tracker left there after my first battle. I saw that tomorrow night, it would be directly above the homeworld capital, an easy path to make in any of the ships. Satisfied with my plan, I went to my room and slept.
The next morning, I found an invite from Dark on my data pad for training lessons. I headed over to his private gym and got his signature handshake, "Hello, Champion! I'm so glad to see you today. I thought today I would see if I couldn't teach you how to teleport, because that is a very useful skill in many situations!" I inquired how he could teach me teleportation. "Easy! Your umbrakinesis. I have found accounts that some umbrakinetics could shift through their shadows and end up in a different location at will, and considering that you naturally have the most powerful umbrakinetic weapon, I thought, 'why shouldn't he be able to do it!'" I found it strange that he was so excited today, but I still found the thought of teleportation intriguing, so we got started.
At first, it was difficult, as most things are, to the point where it felt like trying to jump through the eye of a needle (Something that I have done before). The training entailed trying to enshroud myself within a shadow, then some unexplainable science happens, and I miraculously end up in a different location. It was so difficult that I could barely move a couple of inches on my first try. I was thinking about it too much, taking so much pause with the science of it that I couldn't move like I was supposed to. Dark was supportive the entire time, offering me encouragement whenever he could, saying at one point, "Don't think about it, Champion. Don't tax yourself with something you can't explain. I have found myself in that position too many times to allow it to happen to someone else. Just accept it as a fact of life, something that just happens because it can, just like our very existences. I find that it is easier to do these things when you look at it like that."
After this little tip, I did, indeed find it easier to teleport, moving farther and farther away at every attempt. Finally, I was moving so far that Dark changed it up and out of nowhere asked me to teleport into a different room. I did so without thinking and accidentally appeared in Pink's office. For a full thirty seconds, she looked at me with dubious eyes, obviously not expecting visitors today. I cracked a smile and said, "I just learned how to teleport, how do you think I'm doing?"
Pink smiled too, and replied, "You seem to be doing just fine, although you should probably go back to Dark and learn how to control your location. That would most likely help prevent the scenario of an old lady smacking you on the head with her sandal while loudly yelling 'peeping tom.'"She let loose an even larger smile as I teleported back to Dark's training facility, Dark also smiling widely as he saw my return.
"Champion! I'm so happy that you have mastered this ability so quickly! Soon, you could be warping across entire lands, across oceans, you may even become a planet warper!" He saw my face and quickly added, "Small steps, of course." We finished up in the facility and headed towards the lab, where Dark said he had something to show me. "Now, champion, I know about your opinions on certain subjects and I know you won't be that excited about this, but, nonetheless, it is a breakthrough, and I thought you would be interested." We entered the lab and Dark led me to a table where vials of a slightly glowing green substances sat. "While studying the effects of reactives against the model gems that I have made, I found this substance that seems to have a very strong reaction." He took a tube and tipped it over one of his model gems, instantly liquefying the model with a slight hiss, nothing left of the model to be found.
I stared at the puddle long and hard, thinking of all the impacts that this gel like substance had, knowing that if we told the other diamonds, it would be weaponized instantly. Dark read my mind and said, "I understand the qualms that you have with this, and don't worry. I will not give the recipe to the other diamonds until they agree to the parameters that I have set on this gel. First and foremost, if it is weaponized, only soldiers may use it and it may only be used as a last resort. Secondly, it may not be used for execution, and it may not be used on the public. Lastly, it may not be sold commercially, for the public to use on themselves. If it is to be sold at all, it must only be to the scientific community, for whatever project they decide to make with this." I nodded my head, I was satisfied with those parameters.
I only really had one question left, "What's it made of?" Dark replied, "pH2 acid with a mostly nitrogenous base, and equal splatterings of sulfur, xenon, and elbow grease." We both smiled lightly at Dark's joke, and prepared to leave. As I was heading out the door, however, Dark gripped my arm, causing me to look in his eye, and said, "Champion, I just wanted to tell you that, no matter what you're going through, you can talk to me. If you need help with anything, you can come to me. No matter what you plan on doing, I will always be on your side. Okay?" I stare into his eyes and nodded deeply. I felt bad, because I wanted to tell Dark about my escape plan, but I knew that, even though he said he would be on my side in anything, defecting from Homeworld was a different matter altogether, and I didn't want to pull him into that mess. He let go of my arm, said his goodbyes, and I headed over to my office.
Once in my office, I checked my data pad, making sure that all the factors that I checked yesterday had not changed, and I sat in my chair and waited, going over the plan in my head. Infiltrate the docks, find the single man ship that peridots mainly used to travel to different docks across homeworld, fly straight up, towards the emerald moon, land somewhere on the moon without dying, find the rebel base, politely ask to join, don't fight them. Seemed easy enough. I waited for what seemed like hours (probably because I waited a few hours) and headed out to the docks when nighttime rolled around. I met no opposition on the way, probably because there was no reason to oppose me, and made it to the docks, coming face to face with the dockkeeper, a peridot that made sure everyone checked in before they stole a ship.
I attempted to walk through, but the peridot stopped me, "Sorry, but even though you are the diamond champion, I can't let you through without checking you in. It's just policy."
Without skipping a beat, I leaned over and said, "Really? So that means that you want to be the one that tells the diamonds that they got their transport ship late, while they are in a rush, trying to protect a colony, because you wouldn't let me through at this stressful hour, attempting to hurry to the colony's rescue with the diamonds? You want to be the one that the diamonds blame the death of a colony on, because we couldn't be there in time? Hm?" The peridot paled and began sputtering, saying through her anxiety, "You may pass, my champion."
I passed through the gates, the feeling of victory in my heart, looking for and finding the single-manned peridot ship that I was going to take to the rebel moon. I climbed into the ship and looked at the controls, identifying every single one of them, knowing what all of them do on sight, only feeling nervous because I had never piloted a ship before. Upon recognizing every control and committing them to memory, I started the ship and lifted off, a little bumpy at first, but smoothing out as I went along. I was exuberant. This feeling was freeing, not only the feeling of flying, but also the feeling of leaving Homeworld, the oppression of the diamonds and their excessive murder of undeserving people, and equally the feeling of the fact that I get to fight them, giving me the ability to end their tyrannical rule. The only part of this plan that made me sad was the leaving of my friends, Pink, Dark, and my entire army.
Now, though, I have to focus, because I'm about to break the atmosphere. I'm getting closer and closer, preparing for leaving gravity, when I'm surrounded by red, blaring lights. Missile incoming. I release flares, hoping to Moonstone that it's a seeker and not remotely piloted. If it's piloted, then my plan is failed. Remotely piloted missiles are only piloted by, you guessed it, peridots, the mechanical geniuses of the entire galaxy. A peridot in a ship is careful, calculated, mostly because they want to not die, but a peridot piloting a drone is a lot more careless, becoming ten times a better pilot than before. I sat in anxious anticipation, watching the rearview camera, waiting to see the path of the missile as it passed through the field of flares, waiting.
The missile sped straight through the field, not angling towards a single flare. The resignation weighed on me like a stone, and I slowly sat back in my seat, accepting this fate. I continued watching the missile, seeing it's perfect path, at least feeling good for the peridot on the other side, knowing that they will be rewarded for this. I smiled. If I had commanded the peridot, I would have given them anything they wanted. In a short period, though, I will probably lose that power, seeing as I've most likely lost my favor with the diamonds. It doesn't matter. Whatever they have in store, I can handle. I was built strong.
The quartzes watched the streak made by the missile arc towards the ship, waiting to fulfill their mission. They were there to escort the champion to his cell in the dwelling, where the diamonds would decide what to do with him. Abruptly, an explosion rocked the sky, ending all thought for a second. A bunch of math gems had calculated that the wreck, and therefore the champion, would land here, and so the quartzes waited patiently for the wreck to fall, having given the area some space so as not to poof. Finally, the fireball had made impact, cracking the ground and shooting sparks the size of fists in all directions.
The quartzes approached the ship warily, expecting the fight of their lives from the champion, but they saw something that shocked them even more. In the middle of the rubble, there sat an aquamarine, facet five, poofed, no physical form to be seen. No one moved. Never in all their lives did they think the champion could be poofed, they have all seen him pull amazing feats, taking armies on his own, fearlessly challenging the great Amoura Bundus, who by that point had already put the diamond army into a tight position, even decimating an entire company without a weapon. Slowly, the quartz who had been given a gem containment capsule stepped forward, hesitantly picking up the diamond champion, treating it like a fragile artifact, and placing him gently inside the capsule, closing the lid and turning on the locks.
Still, everyone sat there, looking in utter disbelief at what had been their wonderful, merciful, powerful champion, a gem that all of them respected to the highest, that all of them would have given their lives for had they the opportunity. And now, they all knew what would happen to him, the torture, the imprisonment, the devaluing. He would lose everything, he would become the monster of Homeworld, just because he wanted to be free. Everyone that night shed a tear, no one crying more than the two jaspers in the back, gems that not only lost a champion, but also lost a friend. As everyone regained their senses, the column began moving back to the dwelling, delivering the champion home.
I awoke later inside of a brightly lit square, walls on all sides except for one, where I saw instead the transparent gleam of a gem destabilizer field. On the other side of the field, I saw Dark, who somehow wore an expression that said worried and angry at the same time. He began speaking, "Champion, I'm glad you're awake, we have much to talk about." I sat upright on the cot that was provided to me in my cell and gestured for Dark to continue. "Well, champion, first of all, I can't say as I'm not disappointed. I can't believe you would do something that stupid."
I felt I had to speak up, "But Dark, I had to leave. It's bad enough that I had to do the diamonds dirty work under peacetime conditions, but now I have to fight a war for them, meaning unimaginable war crimes that the diamonds think they can shove off on me whenever they want. It's unbearable! I still see that village from my first battle, and now more after the diamonds thought that I 'learned my lesson'!"
Dark looked at me again and sighed, saying, "Champion, I'm not angry at you for trying to escape. I'm angry that you weren't more patient." I must have looked confused, because he added, "Champion, I was in the process of making plans to help you escape when you decided to make your attempt." Now I must have looked dumbfounded, because he again added, "You must be wondering how I knew that you wanted to escape," I nodded, "Well, you know your friends, the jaspers," I nodded again, "I hired them to spy on you. Now, before you get angry, no, they weren't pretending. I hired them after I knew that they were your friends. They never pretended, everything they did was genuine. When you told them about your wish to leave Homeworld, I felt for you, and I decided to help you, but you jumped the gun, and now we're here."
He gestured around the cell and looked back at me, a sad look taking over his features. "Champion, I will do everything in my powers, as little as that may be, to keep the diamonds from killing you, and I will try to get Pink to protect you from all the… other things. In the meantime, take care of yourself and, if you need anything, you can talk to me. Anything, champion." He walked out, and I was left alone.
It was at this moment that I truly assessed my situation. I knew from my surroundings that I was in the Deep Cells, the complex built for keeping the most dangerous criminals in all of Homeworld. The diamonds meant business. If I wanted out of here, I would have to fight every inch of the way. Seeing as I don't want to needlessly shatter people, anymore, I knew that that meant no out from here. Which means I'm stuck here. For a really, really long time. Ah, well. I am patient.