"You could've been me! And what are you instead; just a joke! One that I'm going to get rid of for good!"
Jasper
++LOG DATE 7-20-8. Amethyst video recording audio. Earth Day: August 11, 2016. Altean deca-phoebe: 22.016++
"What's up? This is Amethyst, the Paladin of the Yellow Lion here to give you all an update on the best Gem in the entire universe... yours truly.
Sorry if I see all covered in ash, but not previously some Vargas before we had to infiltrate a lair of Orks who had a lot of hostages. Things were fine with Stevonnie and me freeing the prisoners without those green skins knowing about it until things went to hell in a heartbeat, buddy, we had to run for our lives like no other trying to avoid getting shot by those guys while Shiro and Keith distracted them. Anyway, I was hit by an explosion but I managed to survive in one piece and we were able to leave the place at the speed of light.
Oh je, I'm rambling, my legs are still shaking from all the adrenaline, what was I saying?
Oh yeah! The first thing to get out of the way is that being a Paladin of Voltron is quiznacking awesome! I mean the robot is bigger than Alexandrite; I didn't think anything that big could exist. Plus, I get super cool armor; the one I'm wearing right now. Also, I get this thing called a Bayard which turns into a cannon, though I choose to stick with my whips since I can't lift said cannon. But I can use it to give Voltron a big gun that is all like Kapow! Kapow! Kapow! And we used it to kill a monster the same size as Voltron.
Of course, I don't deserve all the credit; but between you and me, I should get all the credit. Anyhoo, the other Paladins are just as kick butt as me: we have my third favorite Fusion of all time, just below Garnet and Sugilite, Stevonnie in the Blue Lion. Being honest with myself, I didn't think they'd be able to handle being Paladins and fighting the Galra; especially considering that they must… I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about the two of them; I'm not going to be overprotective of them or anything, they decided to keep this up after all, but they're still kids that are forced to kill if no other option is present.
I like to think that I'm watching over them to the best of my ability, but I don't know if I'm as helpful as Garnet or Pearl; who know firsthand of what that stuff is like. But the others in our merry band of misfits are watching out for them; with Shiro embracing his role as a Space Dad for Steven, and Allura as a Space Mom for Connie. Who knew Space Parents would be great therapists?
Speaking of the others; let's take a moment to talk about my favorite alien Prince in the whole universe, Lance. He's the kind of guy everyone likes to hang around; he's funny, energetic and is willing to show a soft side, but it can get a little annoying when he tries to "one-up" Keith.
"cough, cough" Testosterone. "cough, cough" Excuse me.
Speaking of Keith, I think if anyone looked up the textbook definition of brooding, you'd probably find his image next to it. Don't get me wrong, he's a total badass, and a bit easy on the eyes in that dark, brooding… space ninja kind of way; but outside of Shiro and Matt, I don't think he's interacted with anyone else outside of a mission. Heck, I think he might even be the first person ever to be immune to Steven's friendly charm… well, there's that one schmuck named Kevin, but that's another story.
Since I mentioned Matt, I might as well talk about him and his sister; who pretty much answered my question of what the human equivalent to Peridot would be. Katie is a smart girl; I mean, a lot smarter than the average girl her age, also when she sets her mind on doing something; she is going to see it through, no matter what.
Matt on the other hand; he seems… tougher than his sister; but who could blame him, he's been fighting Galra longer than we've been a team. He cares about his family and friends, not to mention that he is just as smart as his sister. I hope they're doing okay out there with finding their dad.
Before Garnet and Pearl left, they pretty much told Steven, Connie, Peridot and I that we have a responsibility to defend the universe as Paladins of Voltron… I hope that I can live up to the expectations they just set; aw, who am I kidding, this is me we're talking about; of so, course I'm going to do fine. I'm going to end it here and will be back when I need to speak my mind. Later!"
++End of the recording++
"Hello, Ryner." Keith greeted the Olkari leader on the holo-screen; alongside Allura, Lance, and Peridot.
"Son of Thace. I was not expecting to receive a transmission from you." Ryner responded respectfully.
"We wanted to check in on Olkarion's status." Keith simply stated. "And if you're not too busy; we'd like to ask a favor."
"And who is we, exactly?" The Olkari woman curiously asked the young Galra.
"I don't think we've had a proper introduction," Allura said as she and her cousin stepped forward. "I am Princess Allura of Altea, and this is my cousin, Prince Lance."
"Hello." Lance greeted in a friendly manner.
"Alteans," Ryner said with, understandable, surprise. "I manage to grasp the difference between your species and the Eldar, I was under the impression..."
"Yeah… and it's a long story." Lance interrupted.
"Back to the point, we are members of the newly formed Voltron Force; dedicated to aiding in the fight against the Galra Empire." Allura continued.
"More allies are always needed in this fight," Ryner stated. "So, what is it that I may be of assistance with… your highnesses?"
"Well, you see." Peridot began as she stepped forward. "Our mutual allies, Matthew and Katie Holt, have found refugees from a Galra attack during their search for Samuel Holt; they are Gems like me, but have no affiliation to Homeworld. They have no place to call home, and we were wondering if Olkarion would be willing to take them."
"You've aided us in our fight against the Galra Empire." The former leader of the Olkari Rebellion stated. "Because of that, the Olkari Rebels were successfully able to force our enemies off our world; taking back the capital city and freeing the entire planet. There is a lot to rebuild, but that does not mean we'll turn a blind eye to those in need."
"So, you will help them." Keith clarified.
"To the best of our ability," Ryner stated.
"Thank you, Ryner." Keith respectfully said as he, the Alteans, and Peridot respectfully bowed. "We're sending them right away."
"I'll have La-sai, and some of my best caretakers greet them on arrival," Ryner stated. "Oh, one more thing."
"Yes?" Keith asked.
"When you see the siblings; tell them that I, on behalf of the Olkari people, send our regards, sometime has passed we would like to know more about them again." The Olkari woman requested
"We'll make sure they get it; thank you kindly, Ryner." Allura respectfully said before they mutually end the transmission.
"We have some good news," Steven informed the refugee Gems; as he, the rest of the Voltron Force greeted them in the hangar. "Ryner and Olkarion are willing to make their home your home."
"That is great." The Rutile Twins said at the same time.
"I can't believe we're going to find a real home!" Rhodonite shouted with excited disbelief.
"A… home… where… we… can… be… ourselves." Fluorite slowly said with enthusiasm.
"I predict that the one named Steven will give us good news. Hooray!" Padparadscha exclaimed with childish innocence. With space mice; who were playing with the young Gem before the others arrived, cheered in unison as well.
"They are ready to take you all now," Peridot told the Gems. "I already inserted the autopilot coordinates into the ship we came in ahead of time to take you there; just press the big yellow button in the control room and off you go."
"Yes. We're ready to go." Rhodonite stated.
"Good news everyone, we have a new world we can call home!" Padparadscha excitedly shouted.
"I wish Matt and Katie were here to see us off." Rutile's right body stated. "None of us would be... active if it weren't for their help." Rutile's left body concluded.
"We'll let them know where you are," Connie told the Gems.
"Thank… you, that… is… very… much… appreciated." Fluorite told the human girl.
"When we're not defending the universe; we'll check up on you guys." Amethyst further told them.
"We look forward to when we can see you all again." The right body of Rutile told them. "And thank you for everything." The left body of Rutile concluded; as the Twins and the rest of the "off-colors" entered the Homeworld hand-ship. The oddly designed vehicle's engines begin to ignite as it slowly rises off the ground and turns towards the hangars exit, before carefully flying out of the Castle of Lion's; once it was at a safe distance from the massive ship, the vehicle flew out at its top speed, until it disappeared out of everyone's sight.
Roughly one varga after the Gems left for Olkarion, Coran informed everyone over the castle's announcer that its scanners began to pick up the familiar, friendly signature of the Green Lion; with that, everyone returned to the hangar to greet the Holt siblings… and hopefully, their father.
The Green Lion entered the Castle of Lion's hangar and landed before the rest of the team; lowering her head and opening her jaws. However, Steven began to feel sad; he wasn't upset about anything, but it felt like someone else's sadness as Katie and Matt stepped out of the Green Lion. Everyone took notice that the Holt siblings had defeated looks on their faces, with Pidge having tears rolling down her cheeks; worrying the others.
"Katie… Matt… is everything…" Shiro began to ask the Holt siblings as he and Keith stepped towards them. Katie remained silent, while Matt stepped up to the Black and Red Paladins; his eyes were red, due to crying from the looks of it, but he wasn't a mess like his sister.
"No… nothing's okay," Matt answered his friend.
"Did you find him?" Keith asked the young man.
"Yeah, but he's... gone," Matt answered again, with a crack in his voice.
It took a moment for Takashi and Keith to realize what Matt meant by "gone" and realized that Samuel Holt is dead, "I'm so sorry, Matt," Shiro told his friend; giving him a much need hug. Keith looked away from the two humans with a mixture of emotions on his face; sadness and self-disappointment being the most recognizable as he clenched his fists.
"Katie," Steven called the teenaged girl as he, Connie and Peridot ran over to check on their friend.
"Are you going to be okay?" Connie asked, trying to comfort the Green Paladin.
"I don't know…" Katie answered with sadness in her voice; walking past her friends.
"Katie…" Peridot tried to call her.
"I…" The Green Paladin began to tell them as she exited the hangar. "Want to be alone right now."
"Wait, we just…" Steven began as he tried to follow her; only to be stopped by Connie.
"Steven…" Connie began. "I know you're worried about her, but I don't think talking is going to help her right now… she needs her space."
Steven wanted to protest that decision but realized that Connie was right; Pidge had spent two years of her life to find her father and brother, one came home to her, but the other was still lost. Then whether it be by fate or dumb luck; an opportunity to find her father was presented, only to discover he was gone. Steven also knew that everyone had different ways of grieving, and that it would be better for his friend if he let her mourn her own way.
The Castle of Lions – several days later.
The castle has been a lot quieter than usual; the last few quintants have been rough on morale, while everyone tried to go on with their day to day routines as usual. Amethyst with her cooking and goofing around, the Alteans trying to keep the Castle of Lion's functioning, Steven and Connie being kids, Shiro being the stoic leader as usual, and Peridot fiddling with whatever technology she had permission to get her hands on with Pumpkin by her side. If Steven had to guess what she was building, it was probably something to be a part of her presentation highlighting who the new Gems they are going to be dealing with in the future are, and what they are capable of.
Matt has been doing better the past couple of day; even though it is clear he is not one-hundred percent himself, he is still trying to do his part as a member of the Voltron Force and remain stable for Katie; who needs him to be strong more than ever right now. Matt chooses to spend most of his time with Shiro and with Lance; who has been developing a strong friendship with Pidge lately.
Speaking of Matt's sister; not that anyone can blame her, but Pidge is in a deep funk and is dealing with it by staying in her room. Only coming out whenever she's hungry or needs some books or other supplies; she's probably working on a project of some sort while dealing with her emotions. Steven has seen her walking down the hallway from time to time; they would have small talk, but never a big conversation. The Half-Gem wanted to talk with her so bad, but also wanted to respect her boundaries; whenever she's ready to let someone in, she'll find someone to talk to. Steven has even spotted Lion laying by the door to her room; sensing the Green Paladins distress.
The Holt's are not the only ones being affected by their father's death; this has also been a punch in the gut for Keith too. The Blade of Marmora promised Shiro and Matt that they would find the latter's father, and while he did not die in Galra captivity, Samuel Holts death undermined Keith on a personal level; making him feel like he failed at keeping his promise to the comrade he's fought alongside with for two years. Shiro recommends that like with Katie, Keith has his way of dealing with his emotions; usually by carving up the robots on the training deck and compared him to a wolf that wants his space. In other words, if you bother him when he doesn't want to be; he'll bite you.
Eventually, Peridot asked Allura and Shiro to call a meeting with the Paladins; one to talk about the Homeworld Gems that she and the Holts encountered. Keith and the siblings were excused from joining the conference; they would be updated whenever they were ready. Matt, however, chose to join the rest of the Voltron Force on the main bridge to learn more about their new adversaries; while Katie and Keith continued to keep to themselves.
"Since Homeworld is now involving themselves in the fight; mostly to protect their interests." Peridot began; standing next to a handmade holo-projector. "It would be highly beneficial for the rest of you to know what we all may be dealing with in the future."
"Having new info on our new opponents would be beneficial in the long run," Shiro stated.
"And their disregard for organic life will make them troubling to deal with," Allura added in.
"Indeed." Peridot agreed. "I don't know what other Homeworld Gems we are likely to encounter in this corner of the universe, but we should be prepared for the ones we already know." With that said, Peridot activates her device and brings forth a hologram of the large orange quartz herself, Jasper. "Jaspers are ruthless, headstrong and very brutal combatants like the Orks, they hold high ranks and are very authoritative and militaristic that a Space Marine. Homeworld's perfect type of soldier, if you will. However, due to their impulsive attitudes; they usually don't bother to heed warnings or concerns from both superiors and underlings and wouldn't hesitate to intimidate the latter into submission if they complain or disagree with them. They value strength above all else and will not tolerate what they label as weakness; which is biased depending on the type of jasper."
"Hmph. She doesn't look that tough." Amethyst self-confidently said out loud.
"Believe me; she's as tough as she looks," Matt told the purple Gem. "She's big, mean, and sounds like a super angry version of Allura."
"Excuse me?" The Altean Princess asked the young man with some slight offense in her tone.
"What? I'm just stating from experience." Matt replied.
"Onto the next Gem of interest, the emerald captain of the Sun Incinerator," Peridot stated as she brought up the holographic figure of the taller green woman. "Emeralds usually fill the roles of captains for small units like the one Jasper is a part of; with her being shared amongst Blue and Yellow Diamond's court, as seen by her unique symbol. While they are decent captains, they are also known to become very agitated when things don't go their way, and that agitation can be turned into anger; which can be used against them. However, despite their easily stirred personalities; an emerald knows when they are beaten and have to make a retreat to save their gem."
"It sounds like that she's going to give us some trouble," Shiro stated.
"I won't argue with you there; she was able to keep up with Green Lion." Peridot pointed out. "Now, onto the last group of Gems; the rubies."
"Rubies." Steven, Connie, and Amethyst said in surprise as Peridot brought up the holograms of the five rubies.
"Rubies are well known amongst Homeworld's hierarchy for being foot soldiers and escorts for aristocrats," Peridot explained. "They may be small but are highly effective at their jobs. However, they are most dangerous when they fuse and make an even bigger ruby; the more rubies there are, the larger the Fusion." Peridot pressed a button on her devices which merged all the smaller Gems into a giant one.
"Yeah, that's going to be a problem." Lance pointed out.
"Yes, but despite their strength; they have one exploitable weakness." Peridot began anew. "Rubies have no sense of what's going on around them and can only focus on what's in front of them; at the expense of all other things."
"So, if it fights against a lion, it'll focus on the lion?" Shiro asked, making sure that he and the others understood Peridot.
"So, a Ruby it's like a Gretchin, but, she combine with others like him to forming a giant one, I am right?" Coran question.
"Yes, any further questions?" Peridot asked.
"Oh, can I give them nicknames?" Steven asked.
"Nicknames?" Peridot questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"So, we can tell the difference between them," Steven stated. "It would be confusing just to call them all Ruby."
"I… see the logic in that thought," Peridot admitted as she diffused the hologram back into the five rubies. "Very well, Steven; name away."
Steven decided to name the five Gems based on the placement of their gemstone. The ruby with the gemstone embedded on her left shoulder was named Army. The ruby with the gemstone embedded in her chest was named Doc; since she looked like the leader of the group. The ruby with the gem embedded in her left eye was named Eyeball. The ruby with the gemstone embedded on her left thigh was named Leggy. Finally, the ruby with the gem embedded in her navel area was named Navy.
With the nicknaming of the Gems concluded, Shiro stood up and asked Peridot a question. "Even though we know who they are and what they're capable of, how do we figure out where they are?"
"I'm glad you asked." Peridot started. "Homeworld ships give off a unique energy signature, and the Sun Incinerator is no different; I was able to apply some of that energy into the castle's scanners so that we'd be able to pick it up and know where they are. The last time I checked the scanners, they were still flying through space; looking for somewhere to land and make repairs; we'll have the jump on them this time."
"That's good to hear." Shiro said, before turning to the others. "Unless anyone has any other questions; I think we can call it a day." Everyone remained quiet, and so Shiro and Allura decided to dismiss everyone.
Allura was walking down the hallway near the training deck; accidentally opening the door by walking by, spotting Keith in the middle of training. The Galra warrior gripped the handle of his Altean Broadsword with both hands and blocked the attacks from his two drone opponents.
The robot to Keith's right tried to land strikes on him, but the young Marmora agent managed to avoid them and trick his opponent into striking his partner.
Keith took this moment of the distraction and stabbed injured opponent through the chest; deactivating it.
Allura watched the young man in fascination; remembering back to when her mother told her of how Alfor used to fight as the former Red Paladin. The speed and reflexes of a graceful warrior mixed with the strength and endurance of a ferocious one made Keith an impressive warrior, indeed.
The remaining robot began attacking far more violently now; managing to push Keith back just a bit.
The drone continued its assault while Keith could only defend.
The training bot prepared its final strike; however, Keith quickly drew his Marmora blade and unleashed a barrage of slashes.
With those final attacks; the robot was defeated via having its arms, legs, and head all removed in a matter of seconds.
Allura started clapping at the skillful display, catching Keith's attention. "My apologies, I noticed your skills in combat and felt they were worthy of applause," Allura explained.
"Oh, thank you," Keith said as he reverts his broadsword into the Red Bayard and sheathes his Marmoran blade. "But I think I got a little carried away."
Allura couldn't argue with him there; luckily, repairing training drones is a rather easy task. The Princess watched Keith walk over to the nearby stands and take his container of water, quickly guzzling it down; it was apparent that he was working himself harder than usual. Allura was fully aware of what Shiro told her about trying to talk with Keith when he doesn't want to speak, but she was worried about the Red Paladin; wanting to be sure that he remains in the best condition to pilot the Red Lion against the Galra, Homeworld Gems and whatever dangers they may end up encountering.
"Look Keith…" Allura began to speak. "We're all worried about you; spending your time alone like this… especially with Pidge's current mood…"
"She wouldn't be in that mood if I just did my job," Keith said in a hurt tone.
"You couldn't have known that things would play out the way they did," Allura told the purple teenager.
"But maybe I could've prevented it," Keith responded, sitting down on the stands. "My mission was to find the Blue Lion and keep it out of Galra hands; then the Marmora and I would find Samuel Holt as we promised. Shiro, Matt, Katie, and the others wouldn't have gotten involved in this war; this was never their fight to begin with."
"The Galra would've eventually dragged them into the fight; you know that." The Altean Princess stated.
"Maybe… maybe not…" Keith responded; clenching his fists tightly. "What kept Matt going for those two years after he escaped Castle Doom was the thought of being able to see his father, mother, and sister again… the plan wasn't for any of us to become Paladins or heroes; I learned the hard way things like that never work out, especially after A…" Keith paused for a moment and turned his head away from the Princess. "Never mind."
Allura wanted to ask Keith what he was going to say but decided not to; realizing that it is something personal. However, she did understand what kind of angst he was currently going through; as she sat next to him. "You feel like that if you stuck to the original plan; the siblings would've been reunited with their father?" Allura surmised; to which Keith nodded to. "I understand wanting to look back and wondering what if you did something different, but the way things have unfolded for us all… I mean, Voltron has been reformed to defend the universe once more, Olkari was freed from oppression and war was ended there, a Balmera and its inhabitants continue to live, and four lives were given a new home. Things are not going to go the way we want them to, but that's part of fighting this war against Zarkon… and continuing to move forward after a defeat… however, you don't have to move forward alone; that's what makes us strong." Keith remained silent; the Princess let out a sigh as she stood up. "Look, I know you didn't want to talk; but I felt like it was something that you needed to hear. When you're ready, there are others out there who are willing to talk to and listen to you; you don't have to keep it to yourself."
Keith watched as Allura left the training room, and the door closed behind her. The young Galra stared at the door for a few moments before smiling and saying, "thank you."
Steven walked down one of the castle's many hallways to retire to his chamber and was coming up near Pidge's room; he hoped that she was still doing okay. Steven took the next turn and spotted Lion, still laying by the door and… Prince Lance? The young Altean sovereign was holding a plate of treats of some sort, probably something Amethyst baked up in her spare time, as he stood by Pidge's door; which opened before him.
"Oh, Lance." Steven heard Katie say. "I wasn't expecting you."
"Yeah, Amethyst was making something new in the kitchen." Lance tried to explain; sounding a little nervous. "It was delicious and figured I'd share them with the others… so… um… would you like one?"
"Uh… sure." Pidge hesitantly answered. "What are they?"
"Amethyst calls them goop cakes." The Prince answered. "But they're more like a cookie."
Pidge took one of the "cakes" and bit into it. "Hmm, not bad." The human girl said.
"Good… I'll tell Amethyst what you think." Lance replied; which was then followed by a brief few seconds of awkward silence.
"Do… do you want to come in?" Pidge asked to break the silence. She's starting to reconnect with people; Steven took that as a good sign of her getting better as he listened to the two of them.
"I don't want to intrude." Lanced replied. "You deserve your space after all."
"It's fine," Pidge responded. "There is something I've wanted to show someone for a while; something for the lions."
"Sure, why not." Lance calmly said as he carefully stepped the sleeping Lion, into Pidge's dorm. Steven walked closer to the Green Paladin's room and sat next to the pink lion.
"Excuse me bud," Steven said to the slumbering feline; he wouldn't usually eavesdrop on his friends, but he figured this could slide since it was out of concern for his friend.
"No way, you built that?" Steven heard Lance exclaim with awe.
"Yep, a prototype for a stealth generator; designed for a lion," Pidge answered. "It was something to help keep my mind off…"
Steven noticed that it went silent again, which was broken when Lance spoke up in a serious, mature sounding tone. "Katie, I know that you want to keep to yourself about what happened; but you do know that there are people on this castle that are willing to listen to what you have to say, right?"
"I know, it's just that I haven't always been much of a people person," Pidge admitted. "I never had many friends outside my brother, and I always talked with my family when something was bothering me; I felt they would understand me better than anyone else."
"Well, Allura and I understand what it's like to lose loved ones." The Altean Prince said. "My real father died when I was a baby; I never got to know him. Uncle Alfor was the one who took my mother and me in and raised me alongside Allura as if I was his son... I miss him."
"How do you handle… him not being here?" Pidge asked.
"By doing the best I can to move forward, and with help from the others," Lance stated. "That kind of pain is never going to go away, but it'll only affect your life if you choose to deal with it on your own... Um…"
Steven decided to peek into the room and saw Katie hugging Lance. "I think I needed this talk." The teenaged girl said in a tone that had a touch of melancholy, while being happily relaxed.
"I'm glad that I could help," Lance replied; soothingly stroking the girl's hair. Steven couldn't help but smile at what he saw and tried to remain silent during their tender moment.
"Paladins, we need you in the control room. Now!" Allura's voice shouted over castle's communicator. "The castle's scanners have picked up something."
With that announcement said, Steven quickly hopped onto his feet; just as Lance and Pidge exited the room. "Steven?" Pidge asked the boy; caught off guard by his, seemingly, sudden appearance.
"Hey… Katie… I was going… to check on you." Steven lied through his teeth; Katie found it to be obvious he was but didn't question it right now.
"Thanks, but we should hurry and not keep the others waiting." The Green Paladins said as she and Lance ran ahead of the teenaged boy; who followed behind them.
Shiro, Steven, Connie, Keith, Lance, Amethyst, Pidge and Matthew all arrive in the Castle of Lion's control room; where Allura, Peridot, and Coran greet them. "It's good to see all of you here," Allura said, taking notice of Keith and Katie.
"What's going on Princess?" Connie asked.
"It's a emergency," Allura answered, as she brought a holo-map of the planetoid. "This is the ice world of Hoarfrost; it's a small world known for its dense snow, glaciers and ice-covered plains, and is home to a small town that also serves as a spacecraft repair center run by many different races. We received a code-based S.O.S. not too long ago; one stating that station is being held hostage by several strong and dangerous individuals."
"More Orks?" Shiro as.
"No, Peridot's scanner for the Homeworld Gems picked them up on a nearby planet, It is safe to assume that they're there to get the Sun Incinerator fixed," Allura stated. "But this won't bode well for the civilians; because once those repairs are done, there is nothing to stop them from blowing the town to space dust."
"How long will they have?" Shiro asked.
"We assume that the Gems just arrived there," Coran stated. "The hostages are probably going to cooperate with them; believing it'll keep them safe."
"And from what I know about Sun Incinerators," Peridot began. "It'll roughly take a varga or two before the ship is repaired fully."
"Then we'll make it their faster if only the Paladins go." Shiro stated, before turning to the Paladins of Voltron. "Armor up and get to your Lions!"
Hoarfrost Repair Town
"Ugh… I'm bored." Jasper groused to Emerald over her communicator as she sat in an old looking chair while watching some of the hostages, whom all varied in sizes and appearances; tapping her finger on the arm. "I was hoping a few of these organics would put up a decent fight like the ones we found on the colony, I almost hoped that among them there was a Mekboy or a small PDF regiment waiting to be shelved."
"Just be patient Jasper," Emerald responded over her comms. "Once we get my baby in the air again; you can have all the fun you want with the weapons systems."
"Who's your baby again?" One of the rubies naively asked over the comms; much to Emerald's annoyance.
"I told you that it's just another name for my Sun Incinerator." The green Gem said in a passive-aggressive tone.
"Aw, be nice to her ma'am." One of the other rubies said in a kind tone. "She's the newbie; popped out of a kindergarten a week ago."
"I don't care where she came from, or how long she's been active," Emerald replied. "As long as she does her job she'll remain a part of the mission. Once we get the needed repairs, we'll be on our way; maybe we'll even run into the organic and traitorous peridot with the green ship and settle the score."
"Uh, ma'am." Another one of the rubies spoke up. "Our scanners just picked up five ships entering the atmosphere; one of them is that green ship."
"How did they find…" Emerald began to ask in frustration. "You know what, it doesn't matter how. The five of you get out there and fuse!"
"Yes, ma'am!" A ruby shouted before deactivating her comms.
"Jasper, you continue to watch the organics," Emerald ordered. "If any of them try to escape, kill them. If any of their "saviors" try to free them, kill them as well."
"Understood." Jasper said with some excitement in her tone. "I'm just glad we have some action now."
"All right, Paladins." Shiro began as the Black Lion leads the charge. "Stay in formation and keep alert for any hostiles. There are people down there; so, make sure your shots count."
"Right!" The rest of the Paladins affirmed at the same time.
"Chief, Green is picking up a large terrestrial hostile," Pidge stated as the target began to come in range. It was the ruby Fusion that Peridot had warned the Paladins about; she was roughly the size of Sardonyx, and her attire was an amalgamation of the attire of the five individual rubies. Her gemstones were located on her chest, where her left pupil would be, navel area, and left shoulder and thigh.
"Wow… That is a big ruby," Stevonnie said, pointing out the obvious.
The massive Fusion let out a roar as she ripped a metal house out of the frost covered ground and threw it at the Paladins. "Scatter!" Shiro ordered, with the Paladins doing as instructed. "Pidge, do you know where the hostages are?"
"Dot and I just located them now," Pidge informed. "They're in the small building where the Fusion is rampaging…Ah!" The Green Paladin let out a scream as she barely dodged another thrown building.
"That was too close." Peridot pointed out.
The massive ruby continued to stomp around and toss buildings at the paladins; accidentally smashing her hand into a gigantic tower and causing it to collapse right over several others; one of which is where the hostages are being held.
Without hesitation, Shiro maxed the Black Lion's thrusters and charged head first and the building; using the strength, speed, and size of his lion to help stabilize the structure. "Guys, I need help over here!" Shiro informed the others.
"We need to take care of that ruby," Keith stated. "Petal, help me out with that. Amy, Pidge, Dot; You guys help Shiro!"
"On it!" The other Paladins responded. The Red and Blue Lions charge the ruby fusion together while the Green and Yellow Lions help the Black Lion.
"We need to keep her away from Shiro and the others," Keith told Stevonnie.
"How do you propose we do that, Broody?" Stevonnie asked.
"We'll improvise on that part; just get her attention," Keith responded as he fires the Red Lion's Maw Cannon at the fusion; successfully pushing her back with its flames. However, the fusion quickly recovered a let out a frustrated growl. "Quiznack, the Maw Cannon didn't do much."
"That's because rubies have fire abilities." Stevonnie pointed out.
"Now you tell me." Keith groused.
"So, let's put her on ice." Stevonnie punned as she fired her lion's maw cannon at the ruby fusion's feet; successfully freezing her in place.
With the giant immobilized, Keith rammed straight into her face and knocked her on to the ground away from the other lions. "Let's keep this up!" The Red Paladin stated. "And no more bad jokes."
"I don't know how long we can hold this before we give out from the strain," Shiro stated as the Black, Green and Yellow Lion's continued to hold the tower up.
"I have an idea," Amethyst told the others. "Yellow, go into autopilot and let me out." The lion does as she is told as the control panel flashes and ejects Amethyst out onto the roof of the hostage building.
"Amy, what are you doing?" Peridot questioned the purple Gem.
"I'll get the hostages out while you take care of the tower," Amethyst stated as she summoned her whip.
"All right," Shiro told her. "Good luck, Amethyst."
Amethyst quickly leaped onto the ground and stealthily approached the door, only to be charged at by Jasper who breaks through the building; knocking the Paladin down into the snow.
"You off-colors must either be brave or stupid to walk around in public." The orange warrior asked as she stood across from Amethyst. The purple Gem stood up and took notice of the massive opening Jasper left in the building and saw two of the hostages looking to see if it was safe to escape.
Amethyst remembered what Peridot said about Jasper's being impulsive and could use that to her advantage. "I might be one or the other, but at least I'm not a coward who picks on people half my size." Amethyst insulted; keeping the Quartz Soldiers attention on her as the hostages began to escape.
"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this," Jasper said as she cracked her knuckles and summoner her helmet weapon.
"Amy, what's going on down there?" Pidge asked. "We can see you engaging Jasper from up here."
"But I'm also getting the hostages out." Amethyst quietly assured the other Paladins. "She hasn't noticed their escape yet; I'll take care of Jasper, you guy deal with the rest of her Clod Squad."
"Aw man, I was going to use that one." Peridot grouched over her communicator.
"We got them covered," Stevonnie informed over their communicator; as they continued their battle with the ruby Fusion. "Kick her butt, Amy!"
"If you know what's best for you, off-color, stay out of my way!" Jasper threatened the purple Gem.
"You think I'm going to let a schmuck like you get away with this," Amethyst said as she summoned another whip from her gemstone. "Why don't you get a life that doesn't involve ruining other people's?"
"Do you know nothing?" Jasper questioned, pointing at Amethyst with frustration. "You're a Quartz, just like me; our sole purpose in life is to fight, runt!"
"Well, I've got a pretty good life going on. And I can fight just fine!" Amethyst shouted as she lashed her whips at Jasper, who catches it with little effort; much to Amethyst's shock.
"Rookie mistake!" Jasper smugly said, before pulling on the whip; dragging Amethyst towards her. Jasper kicks Amethyst in her stomach, sending her back first onto the snow; only to be ran over several times by a spin dashing Jasper.
"We can't hold this much longer," Shiro said as the weight of the tower began to overwhelm the lions. Black, Green and the autopiloted Yellow Lion, who is torn between wanting to save her Paladin and follow her Paladins orders, continued to use all their strength to stabilize the tower; but exhaustion was beginning to reach Pidge and Peridot as well; when an idea came to them.
"Shiro, we have an idea on how we can stabilize the building," Peridot announced. "Just keep it steady."
"Will do, I'm counting on you guys," Shiro affirmed as the Green Lion flew around the collapsing structure.
Pidge aimed the Green Lion at the ground; angling just across from the tower before gripping her Bayard and thrusting it into her lion's activation slot. Jade energy begins radiating from the Green Lion as a massive cannon materializes on its back.
"Firing the Vine Cannon!" Peridot shouted as she launched its booming blast on the snowy ground. Several large vines shoot out of the ice like a bullet towards the tower; wrapping around and stabilizing it.
Without the added weight and gravity of the tower, this allowed the Black and Yellow Lions to push the massive building back into position; with Green using her Maw Cannon to weld the structure together. However, the vines begin to freeze from the cold temperatures and shatter before the searing could be complete; putting them all back at square one. "No! It was working!" Pidge complained.
"We need something really hot to weld it together before the vines give away." Shiro stated. "Something like the heat from the Red Lion's weapons."
"I read you, Shiro," Keith responded over his comms. "But we're a little busy here!"
"We need to diffuse her!" Stevonnie stated as they dodged another attack from the ruby.
Stevonnie.
"What is it, girl?" Stevonnie asked her lion.
"You're lion's speaking to you too?" Keith asked.
"Yeah, they're telling us what to do," Stevonnie answered as they followed their lion's instructions; with Keith doing the same with Red.
The Red and Blue Paladin's charge at the giant ruby and activate an ability they thought only the Black Lion could do; Jaw Blades.
The enemy fusion let out another roar as she threw more buildings at the oncoming lion's; who quickly move out of the way. With a mighty, energy filled cry from their paladins, the Red and Blue Lion's use their Jaw Blades to slice the ruby fusion back into her five Gem components; who all land face first in the snow.
The ruby with the Gem embedded in her chest, Doc, was the first to get up and ordered a retreat from the rest of her squad; realizing that they don't stand a chance against the lions. "Now that that's taken care of; let's help Shiro…" Keith began, only to be cut off as both he and Stevonnie overhear Amethyst in pain over the comms.
"Amethyst is in trouble," Stevonnie said out loud.
"Go to her; I'll help the others," Keith stated as he flew off to aid the other Paladins.
"Hang on Amy." Stevonnie said to themselves; heading to the Crystal Gem's last known location.
Amethyst groans in pain as Jasper stands over her; the purple Gem finds the strength to stand up, while Jasper tauntingly kneels to her height. "What happened to all the big talk from before?" Amethyst clutches her fist and punches Jasper across the jaw with a right hook; which barely scathed her. The purple Gem then threw a left hook, which Jasper catches in her hand. The Homeworld Gem picks the smaller Gem up by her hand as she overconfidently stands on her feet with a scowl on her face. "The fact that we came from the same dirtball would make me sick to my stomach if I had one."
Jasper delivered a hard punch to Amethysts belly; if she had any blood, she'd be coughing it up from a hit like that. "What… are you talking about?" Amethyst weakly asked.
"I was born on the miserable planet, Earth," Jasper stated as she punches the little Gem again.
"I recognize an Earth Quartz when I see one," Jasper stated with spite.
"You're not worthy to stand on this ground before me!" Jasper said as she delivered another punch to the belly.
"The only purpose your life has is to be recycled!" Jasper continued to torture her verbally; while delivering another punch.
"That way, Gems like me can be made!" Jasper shouted with anger as she let Amethyst go while delivering a sharp uppercut; knocking her Yellow Paladin helmet off, as she fell on to the ground.
"You're nothing but a defect; be glad I'm going to end your miserable life." Jasper bitterly said.
"I… I…" Amethyst began with tears rolling down her cheek and her voice shaking. "I… I… I'm…. I'm perfect the way I am!"
With that emotion filled roar of energy, Amethyst charged at Jasper with a blazing spin dash; which surprised the taller quartz. However, Jasper was able to negate the oncoming attack; by slamming her crash helmet on the Gem at right the moment. Resulting in a poof.
As soon as the smoke cleared, what was left on the ground was an empty Yellow Paladin armor and Amethyst's gemstone. "Hmph. Talk about low standards." Jasper taunted as she stood over the now defenseless Gem. "You could've been me! And what are you instead; just a joke! One that I'm going to get rid of for good!" The tall Quartz raised her foot above Amethyst's gemstone and prepared to crush it; only to be stopped by Stevonnie, who ejected themselves from the Blue Lion and slammed into Jasper shield first while screaming "No!"
The impact from the human Fusion sent Jasper tumbling back through the snow; far away from Amethyst. Jasper regained her footing and angrily stood before the Blue Paladin, who had their sword and shield ready; with her eyes widening in realization, and fists tightening in anger. "That shield... that symbol... Rose Quartz! It all makes sense now; the interfering organics, that traitorous peridot, the runt... they're all Crystal Gems."
"I don't want to hear anything you say unless it's sorry for what you did to Amethyst," Stevonnie responded in an irritated tone, as they readied their Blue Bayard sword.
"Jasper, the Sun Incinerator is repaired, and the rubies are on board; where are you?" Emerald asked Jasper over her comms.
"We're not leaving yet," Jasper responded. "I found something that Yellow Diamond would be very interested in."
"What could be so important?" Emerald questioned.
"Rose Quartz is here, and I'm bringing her in to face her crimes," Jasper responded.
"That's not a part of the mission." Emerald state. "Now return to the Sun…" Before she could finish her order, Jasper deactivated her comms.
"I've been waiting for an opportunity like this for several millennia; I'll be damned if I miss it." Jasper told the human Fusion as she at them with pure rage; but her attack was quickly blocked by Stevonnie's shield.
"All right, Pidge." Keith began as the Red Lion met up with the others. "What do you need me to do?"
"Dot and I are going to use the Vine Cannon to support the structure while Shiro and Yellow destabilize it. After that, use your Maw Cannon to weld it together before the vines give out from the cold; you'll only have a few ticks to do so." Pidge explained. "You got all of that?"
"Affirmative," Keith answered. "Let's do this!"
With that all said, Peridot fired the Vine Cannon at the snowy ground once more; causing several large vines to shoot out towards the tower and wrapping around it. Black Lion and Yellow Lion did their parts of pushing the building back into position; with Keith firing the red-hot laser from his lion's mouth. The crimson beam begins to weld the tower together at a greater rate compared to Green Lion's attempt. The Red Paladin circled the entire structure as fast as he could; keeping all his focus on welding just the vines start to freeze.
"Only ten more ticks until the vines freeze over," Peridot informed.
"All most there…" Keith said to himself as he performed his successful lap around the structure. "It's done!" Just in the nick of time, too; as the vines completely froze just as Keith finished.
"Great work everyone." Shiro complimented. "And if I'm reading my scanners right; the hostages are safe now. All that's left to do is get Stevonnie and Amethyst."
"What about the Homeworld Gems?" Peridot questioned the Black Paladin.
"Our own come first, we'll deal with the Gems if we get the chance." Shiro responded.
Amethyst's gemstone begins to glow a bright violet and levitate as a stocky, humanoid shape begins to manifest. Amethyst let out a sharp as she reformed; her physical appearance remained the same as before, except her top was now white.
"Guys, I'm back! And I'm…" Amethyst began to say in a panicked tone but stopped when she spotted Jasper and Stevonnie fighting, with the Blue Paladin keeping up with the monstrous quartz, much to her surprise; she could've sworn that the way Stevonnie was confidently holding their own... they looked exactly like Rose.
"Had enough, yet?" An exhausted Stevonnie asked; raising their blade in an offensive stance.
"Hmm… this is just a warm-up." An equally exhausted Jasper boasted.
Before both combatants could continue; a loud sound was heard from behind Jasper and getting closer by the second… the Sun Incinerator was flying towards them at a fast speed with its weapons primed.
The laser blasts soared right past Jasper as they were meant for Stevonnie and Amethyst; both of whom leaped for cover, out of the line of fire.
"What are you doing! I had her!" Jasper shouted at the Homeworld ship as it descended; with the side doors opening, revealing Emerald.
"Yellow and Blue Diamond appointed me the leader of this mission Jasper!" The Gem captain bit back. "I would leave your disobedient butt here on this frozen wasteland, but I doubt Yellow Diamond would be happy about that. So, get on the ship before the others show up!"
Jasper growled as she turned to Stevonnie; who was still behind her cover. "This is far from over Rose; Jaspers don't give up that easily!" The orange quartz threatened; as she hopped on board ship. "Jasper keep going until we get what we want."
The Sun Incinerator made a sharp one-hundred-eighty-degree turn and flew off into the outer atmosphere; just as the rest of the Paladins arrived. "Stevonnie! Amethyst! Are you both all right?" Shiro asked as he exited the Black Lion; with the others doing the same.
"We're fine Shiro; especially Amethyst," Stevonnie assured their leader, before turning to the purple Gem.
"Amethyst!" Peridot cried out as she hugged the purple Gem. "You had me worried; I thought Jasper was going to shatter you."
"It's okay Dot, I'm…" Amethyst paused, she wanted to say she was okay; but that was far from the truth. What Jasper said stung her far worse than she realized.
"It's good to see you're all right," Shiro said as he and Stevonnie walked over the Crystal Gem. "If it wasn't for you and Yellow Lion; we don't know what would've happened."
"Thank you… Chief." Amethyst quietly said.
"I don't mean to interrupt or anything." Keith began as he stepped forward. "But we need to check on the people; they'll want assurance that the danger is over."
"Right, let's tell them all that they're safe, and we won," Shiro replied as the Paladins walked off to reassure the townsfolk.
While the others went off, Amethyst stayed behind; staring down at her Yellow Paladin armor in the snow. Today was a victory for the Voltron Force… so, why didn't it feel like one?
