The sky was black and void of stars as Peridot unlocked her vault, carefully removing one of the shards and the pieces of the injector she had stolen from Earth, which she had dismantled. She tossed them both into a messenger bag, slinging it across her shoulder. Without her limb enhancers, it bumped awkwardly against her knee, given her short stature. She stumbled across the room into her limb enhancers, and the bag rested against her hip.

"Perfect.." She smirked, stepping out the door of her pod. She enabled the security systems and locked the doors, then stealthily made her way to the abandoned gem training arena. She'd trained there when she was a newborn, several hundred years ago, and knew the area's layout like the back of her hand.

-Flashback: Two Weeks Previous-

One day before the death of Pink Diamond

"How severe is the damage?" Yellow Diamond asked, her voice flat and empty of any emotion.

"The entire base support system of the ground floor ceiling caved in. It would have to be replaced." Peridot reported.

"Any fatalities?"

"Three."

"What gems?"

Peridot tapped at her screen. "Citrine, Jade, and an Emerald."

"All of which we can afford to lose." She looked down at the smaller gem. "Make the announcement. The building is to be closed. Any gem who enters risks certain death, and no rescue missions will be sent for anyone who stupidly chooses to enter."

-Present Day-

Peridot quietly tiptoed into the abandoned arena, ignoring the falling particles. Water dripped from cracks in the ceiling, but the condition didn't matter where she was going. Careful to avoid any crevices, she pressed her palm against the button in the wall, and a set of stairs in the floor revealed themselves, the whole building trembling from the force. Off in the other corner of the room, a large piece of the ceiling capsized, but she paid it no heed, making her way down the stairs. Opening the messenger bag, she took the gem shards in the palm of her hand, pouring the rest of the bag's contents onto the floor, the sound echoing around the complete emptiness of the unfinished room. She quickly proceeded to piece together the injector, positioning it in the corner.

Placing a shard in it's claws, Peridot activated the machine. A loud, high pitched whirring blasted through the air as the drill began to dig a large hole into the concrete floor, it's roar softening once it reached the dirt below. The whirring ended with a resounding click, and the gem was inserted into the dirt.

All that was left to do was wait.

-One Week Later-

The young gem had no idea where she was as she opened her eyes, finding herself lying on a frigid marble floor. The room was seemingly empty, except for her, and an odd machine behind her head. She tried to stand, her small legs wobbling. She lasted about a second before she fell down, and she cried out in frustration and pain as she collided with the floor. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she didn't let them fall.

Peridot, having heard her cry, came into the room, a small smirk etched on her green lips. Her creation was finally complete. Sure, she didn't look like much now, but in time she would become a great warrior; strong and beautiful, fierce and intelligent. And she would belong completely to her.

"Look at you." She mused, impressed with her creation. She gently lifted the gem up onto her feet, helping her balance. She was about the height of a human child two years of age, as were all newly born gems.

"Mama?" The little gem murmured, reaching her hand upwards towards Peridot. She rested it on her thigh, and Peridot backed away slightly, annoyed by her clinginess.

"I'm not your mother." She stated, voice cold and unsympathetic. "You haven't got one." She observed her condition, biting her lip and squinting in thought. "I'm just your mentor." She sighed internally, wishing there was a way to speed up the extraction process.

The girl frowned slightly, but nodded.

"Hmm... What do I call you?" Peridot wondered. She had decided to give her a human name, just another measure of ownership over the life she had created. She thought for a moment, watching closely as the young gem toddled around, trying to learn to keep her balance effectively. Peridot gently grabbed her arm and pulled her towards her, not having the patience to deal with her clumsiness. "Don't fall." She warned. She pondered the situation a moment, then decided on a name. "I think I'll call you Julianna." Her chosen name had no particular meaning, just something that came to mind.

The infantile gem continued to explore, even though there wasn't anything in the room besides Peridot and the injector. Her eyes were wide with curiosity and innocence, and she stumbled, tripping over her feet. With a small groan, she hit the floor, unfazed by the pain.

Peridot sighed. "Up." She ordered, roughly pulling her up by the arm. The girl flinched slightly, but didn't make any noise, staring up intently at Peridot, like a young bird in a nest. Peridot simply rolled her eyes and led her back to her base, not bothering to explain anything, or to be gentle with her. The young gem made no sound, stumbling after her and trying to keep up. She scanned her eyes over the wide open terrain, her surroundings much different than they'd been in the basement. The sky was dark, small stars dotted across the wide expanse. The moon was nowhere in sight, making it nearly impossible to see.

The artificial green glow of Peridot's base shone through the dark as she opened the door to her remodeled pod. "Inside," She ordered. "Quickly." She pushed her in the door, hastily closing it behind her. She sighed faintly, relieved that her plan had gone undiscovered. "This is your home now." She declared, leading her to a small bedroom in the back of the base, and opened the door. "You need to rest." She instructed, ushering the girl into the room.

"Okay." She responded, slowly stepping into the room and snuggling herself into the blankets, curling into a fetal position, her elbow curled beneath her head. Her yellow hair shimmered in the faint light that seeped in through the windows, pale skin illuminated. "Goodnight, Mama." She murmured, closing her eyes and drifting off.

Peridot closed the door, not bothering to correct her. She'd learn on her own time.