Notes
I'm so happy that all of the reviewers like Star. I really tried with her opinions and motivations. At first I wanted to make her a newly created defect, and Omega would be at a kindergarden at the moment and save her from being shattered and take her, but this way there wouldn't be any reason why Star is so hateful for the upper class and the diamonds. And the Missigno50, who I should really assign as my right hand man, suggested that she should be assigned as some sort of insult. So I rewrote the entire chapter in like an hour or so, because I loved the idea. I salute you Missigno50! May you continue throwing original and interesting ideas at writers who have no idea of what they are doing for forever more!
Moving to the story.
Stars new master was quite strange. When assigned to this gem she immediately realized this, as it ordered her to change into clothes that she wanted, and even gave her half a cycle to do so. This obsidian seemed to actually care if she felt comfortable, which was one of the nicest things someone did in her life.
She didn't' really care for her physical appearance anymore, but she wanted to wear something which would make high class gems uncomfortable, as a little bit of revenge. But she also wanted to wear something that showed her affiliation with the defective obsidian.
She felt somewhat strange about her new master, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. She had never felt a similar feeling about anyone, but she wanted to do something that this gem would like. So she chose to wear soldier uniform.
Later that cycle her master had to go to pick something up from one of the other generals, and took her with itself.
It felt satisfying walking down the streets for the first time and seeing high class gems react to her looks. Star felt amused looking at their faces filled with disgust. They clearly didn't like how she looked, but none dared to question the massive obsidian general who owned the pearl.
When they returned her master ordered her to stay with it in its study, unpacked the package it had brought from their trip and prepared something on its worktable. It then asked her to play a game with it.
She cautiously approached the table. There were several dozen of different sized spaceship models, colored in two different patterns and arranged on different sides of the table by those patterns. On her side there was a sheet, on which she presumed were the rules for the game.
"You want to play a game with me?"
"I need to test if you have the qualities I need and we can't use real soldiers or ships for this, so this is a reasonable replacement."
So this is a test… An unfair test, as the obsidian is a general, and she isn't even close to being a soldier.
And yet, she picked up the sheet.
Star looked at the table, unbelief in her eyes. Her yellow colored ships have encircled the grey ships of Omega. She actually won against a general. She expected to lose quickly, but somehow she was able to outmaneuver and surround her master's fleet. It felt nice, being able to defeat a higher class gem if not in a real battle, than at least in a simulation.
But now she was afraid. It was still the first cycle under her new master, and she didn't know how would an obsidian react to a defeat.
But to her surprise the obsidian congratulated her, smiling.
"Well, it seems that I have been bested."
"You aren't mad?" She asked cautiously.
"Why would I be?"
"But I defeated you…"
"And that was what I wanted."
"Why would you want to lose?"
Obsidian frowned, looking Star straight in the eyes.
"As you know I'm defective, my mind is not of the best condition. This means I can't grasp minute details in the grand picture and that's why I need you."
Star realized what she felt different about this particular gem. She didn't hate it.
End notes.
Sorry if Star looks out of character in this one. But how would one feel being abused for years and the suddenly somebody actually does something nice, even if it's a small thing? Also it's not yet time for the darker parts of the story.
Have a nice day!