Chapter Twelve: No Escape
To the gang's surprise, Kiloq and Votaq kept true to their word, leaving the Gems alone as they debated the merits of their proposal. Waiting in the other room, they kept the four mainly to their own devices, though they kept an ear out just in case they ended up planning something. But Emerald, at least, had no plan.
They had found a table, though no chairs, so they stood around it. "I know this isn't ideal," Emerald said, "for any of us. I don't want this either–not just because I can go back to Homeworld, but because I'd rather not leave you. But even one of those guys nearly ended our journey right then and there, and now there's two of them–at least. I don't like it, but I don't see an alternative."
"I do," Lefty replied. "We head downstairs, we get on the skiff, and we get far, far away from here. And we keep on going, until we get somewhere with a ship, or where we can send a message…as long as it takes."
"And you don't think they'll find us and shoot us moments after we leave?" asked Yooperlite. "Don't get me wrong, we should definitely leave, but couldn't we find a better way to do it? A way that doesn't, y'know, assure our deaths?"
Tanzanite sighed, a rarity for the usually stoic Gem. "Unfortunately, I am beginning to think there is no better way. The two of them clearly have us outmatched, so trying to run or trying to fight would be pointless. But even if this is the case, I see no reason why we should capitulate with their demands."
"...Um, how about because you just said every other option is pointless?" said Lefty. "I don't suppose you have a plan, then?"
"A mixture of both," she said. "We fight them, then we run. We would likely be unable to beat them, but we may be able to distract them long enough to make an escape without them following us."
"Okay, now you're grasping at straws," said Emerald. She glanced at the door, half-expecting the two Talu to be peering around the corner. "I'm sorry, it's just…I don't think we have any other options here. And this might not be the best outcome, but at least it's something! You can all go home…and me? Well, it's not like I miss Homeworld."
"I still don't trust 'em not to kill ya," said Yooperlite.
Emerald nodded, acknowledging this as a possibility, but still found it unlikely. "If they really wanted to kill us, they could have just blown up this place, or our skiff before we even got here. They're probably not telling us the whole truth, but it seems like a lot of effort to trick us if they're just gonna kill us later."
"You say that, but…" Lefty clearly trusted them even less than Emerald did.
It was clear that, although nobody wanted to go through with this, nobody had any better ideas. After waiting in silence, Emerald said "So, should I tell them I'm ready to go?"
Tanzanite was about to speak up, but before she could, the Talu entered the room. "No need," said Votaq, strolling confidently with Kiloq at his heels. I'm so glad we were able to reach an understanding." Lefty glared at him.
"'Understanding' might be pushing it, but as long as my friends can get off this planet…" Emerald said. She turned back to her friends; she had only known them for less than a week, but she still felt a connection with them. Having known them her entire life, which was also less than a week, probably had something to do with that, but still. "I…I guess this is goodbye, then."
Kiloq interrupted before they could share a heartfelt farewell. "Ah-ah, not so fast! We'll all be traveling together, so there's no need to get all mushy until we drop you off. And I'm hopefully out of the room…"
"That said, it will be a few minutes before the ship gets here," said Votaq. "So if you have any connections to this planet you would like to sever, or to preserve in some way, now would be the time."
Tanzanite walked over to the main computer. "Perhaps there is some data left over that may yet be of use," she said. Something about her tone of voice just seemed…off, somehow. Emerald couldn't quite put her finger on it, but figured she was just distressed. She was, too, and was sure Yooperlite and Lefty felt the same.
"So, what exactly do you plan on doing with me once I'm your prisoner?" asked Emerald. "Since you're willing to go through all this trouble taking me with you, I imagine you have more in mind than just killing me. Right?"
Either missing the implication or just ignoring it, Kiloq replied without missing a beat. "Whatever you want, within reason. You can explore our home planet or our colonies, learn about pretty much any subject…I could even teach you how to handle that blade of yours if you're up for it!" He winked at her, to which she raised an eyebrow.
"For the record, I am truly sorry that you were caught up in this war of ours," Votaq said. Lefty looked away, not buying it. "I promise that once we go our separate ways, everything will go back to normal."
"As normal as it can be for me," Emerald replied. "It's definitely going to feel strange not serving Homeworld. Every part of me is saying that's what I'm supposed to do, but if this is the only way to save my friends…"
Kiloq cuffed her on the shoulder. "Ah, don't act all doom and gloom like that! Talutar's a pretty nice place! I'm sure you'll grow to love it, if you don't the moment you arrive. It's the reason I'm fighting, that's for sure."
Meanwhile, Tanzanite continued typing away at the computer, now going over the base's schematics. Yooperlite peered over her shoulder, and although she didn't know what any of it meant, it wasn't hard to figure out what she was trying to do. "If yer trying to find us another way out, I wouldn't waste yer time. I wanna stay with Emerald as much as the rest of you, but…sometimes, ya gotta call it quits, ya know? You're only hurtin' yourself more tryin' to stop the inevitable."
"There are only three absolute inevitabilities in the universe: the proliferation of energy, its eventual heat death, and Homeworld's dominance," she said. "Nothing else is set in stone. There is a way to overcome any obstacle, provided once makes full usage of all of her resources." With that, she extended her fingers into the terminal. "I would recommend that you cover your ears."
"Huh? Why's tha–" Yooperlite's question was drowned out by a deafening droning noise that burst from the base's speakers. She doubled over in pain, as did Emerald, Lefty, Kiloq, and Votaq–only Tanzanite managed to keep her composure. Retracting her fingers, she grabbed hold of Lefty and Emerald, pulling them towards the stairs. "What kind of plan was this!?"
"Go! Move!" Tanzanite shouted to Emerald, pushing her forward as she went back for Yooperlite. Disoriented, the Beryl stumbled over to the stairway, her hands clasped over her ears. The feedback was so loud her vision began to blur; part of her desperately hoped it would turn off soon, but another part knew that if it did, the Talu would be on her faster than she could blink.
Driven to his knees, Votaq was only barely aware of what was happening. He glanced up to see the Gems staggering away, making a slow yet unhindered escape. He worked up the willpower to nudge Kiloq, who was similarly impaired. "GET THEM!" he roared, only barely heard over the screaming alarm.
Kiloq was nothing if not loyal, and so moved despite the pain. He reached for his guns, only to decide on a much more direct course of action. He pulled a grenade from his vest, hurling it towards the escapees.
The explosive latched onto the doorframe in front of them. Yooperlite noticed it before anyone else, pushing everyone back before it burst. "Get down!" The bomb went off, barely audible, sending dust and shrapnel into the room.
Not long after, Emerald, still disoriented and now on the floor, realized that the alarm had ceased. Votaq had pulled himself together enough to fire several blasts from his robotic arm, destroying the computer broadcasting the sound. He shook himself off, flanked by Kiloq as he beared down on the Gems. "So, this is how my hospitality is repaid," he seethed. He nodded to his compatriot: "Kill them."
"With pleasure." Despite his words, he looked at Emerald with unmistakable disappointment as he drew his weapons. He aimed his guns not at her, but at Tanzanite: the Gem had gotten to her feet, and was frozen in place at the threat she now faced. He was going to kill her first, because she was responsible for their almost-escape. After everything, despite the fact that they still had no chance to make it out, she had still tried to save her.
She repaid the favor. Lunging at Kiloq, she knocked him down before he could fire. "Now, get to the skiff!" she shouted to Tanzanite, summoning her halberd as Kiloq leapt back up. He seemed almost amused as he leveled his guns at her, opening fire. She dove to the side, heading further into the facility, as he followed.
Just as Tanzanite made for the fallen doorframe, a blast blocked her path. "Don't. Even. Think about it," Votaq said, advancing on them with a blaster extending from his arm. Before she could react, she felt a large arm being placed in front of her.
"Y'know, there's just one o' you and three of us!" said Yooperlite. She and Lefty prepared to face off against him, even without any weapons of their own. "It's not too late to just let us walk away."
Votaq squared up against the Gem much larger than him, not intimidated in the slightest. The blaster his arm had become was replaced with a long blade, ringing as it slid through the metal. "You had your chance to walk. Now, you're leaving in pieces." He charged, sidestepping Yooperlite's swing and slashing at her form.
She held him off as best as she could. "I'm fine; just go!" she shouted. Somewhat reluctantly, Tanzanite hurried for the skiff, while Lefty looked around for an opportunity to help Yooperlite.
Emerald wasn't faring much better, locked in a stalemate with Kiloq. That said, she was able to handle her halberd a bit better, thanks to his pointers from last time. She spun the weapon around, blocking his shots. "Say, you're really improving with that thing!" he commented.
She couldn't resist snickering. "Your mistake for showing me the ropes!" She dodged more of his strikes, unable to get in close, as he was quite evasive as well. Their clash was not unlike a dance, both engaging in rhythmic movements based on the other partner.
"Mistake? Far from it, I'm just glad someone's finally able to put up a good fight!" he replied. Unable to hit her, he fired several blasts at the floor, causing her to retreat. "It's been a while since I've met a Gem who was an actual challenge to kill!"
Emerald waited for him to round the corner, striking when his back was turned. The halberd glanced off of his gun, and he responded with a follow-up strike with his knife. Although she was growing a bit more comfortable with it, her weapon was still quite unwieldy, and he was much faster with his. He pushed the blade out of the way, slicing her multiple times with his dagger. The wounds weren't very deep, but the amount of them began to add up.
He shoved her away when she tried to strike once more. "That's the funny thing about being a teacher," he said. "No matter how much I teach you, I'll still always know more in the end!" When she tried to shoot a blast of lightning at him, he ducked to the side and threw her back with a kick to the chest. She got up and scrambled for the window, crawling outside before his laser barrage could hit her. "Come on, don't try running away now!"
While two fights raged on overhead, Tanzanite hurried back to the parked skiff. She leapt on and got it started almost immediately, speeding away from the docks and around the side of the building. She looked up in time to see Emerald and Kiloq grappling over the water.
Yooperlite was having similar luck with Votaq, his ability to move quicker beginning to take its toll. She was looking ragged with numerous slashes all over her body. "You…you think yer tough?" she asked, panting. "You don't know what I can do! You don't know how hard I am!" She swung clumsily, using her fists like battering rams trying to strike the agile Talu. "You can't take me on!" She began to glow with heat the more worked-up she got, eventually to the point that it hurt to be near her.
Votaq moved to firing instead of slashing, but was now being driven back by the heat radiating from her. "Big talk; but don't pretend I don't know your kind. You're nothing more than a pilot. A courier. You aren't equipped to deal with this manner of combat for long. What happens when I begin to outlast you?"
"We'll just have to find out!" Yooperlite sprinted at him with a shoulder charge, and while she missed, she did end up smashing through the wall, catching herself moments before she fell into the sea. "Yah! Okay, bad example…" With her out of the way, Votaq had turned his attention to the more defenseless of the two.
Lefty tried to sidestep the approaching Talu, hurling some debris from the destroyed computer to disorient him. She ran past him for Yooperlite: "Hey, Yoop, a little help here?" she called. The two of them ran outside, away from their attacker.
On the floor beneath them, Emerald and Kiloq had also taken their fight outside, clashing on a narrow walkway up against the wall. Emerald tried to use her superior strength to drive him back, but he was far too adept at reading her intentions, able to just about counter her every move. "See, this is why you should've taken us up on our offer," he taunted. "You clearly still have a lot to learn!"
"Maybe I'll be the one to teach you something!" she shot back, repeatedly thrusting with her halberd, and hitting nothing but air each time. He soon caught the tip with his blade, pushing it away. He then grabbed the weapon, wrenching it out of her hands and tossing it into the water.
Kiloq chuckled at her surprise. "That's a lot of confidence for a rookie! But, as my own instructor said, there's no better teacher than experience!" He dove forward with his knife, Emerald catching it moments before it pierced her chest. He glanced at the Gem on her arm: "Whaddya think? That'd make a pretty nice trophy for my collection, huh?"
She strained as the tip of his knife made contact, pressing into her. "I'd definitely be the centerpiece. I can't imagine you have a whole lot of Emeralds." She momentarily stunned him with a targeted shock, taking this time to try and summon another halberd.
But Kiloq was too quick, grabbing her arm and slamming it into the wall before she could. She cried out as her gem made contact. "Oh, I've got plenty of Emerald," he said. "None like you, though. You would definitely make for an interesting conversation piece."
Emerald pulled back to find that her halberd had been summoned, just interrupted. Rather than emerging completely, only its blade had come out, perfectly positioned extending from her gemstone. "What can I say? I'm one of a kind!" She drove the blade forward, narrowly being parried by Kiloq's knife.
He seemed genuinely confused by her comment. "You mean you don't know yet? I was sure that Peridot would have figured it out by now. Or that you might have pieced it together yourself, given the state of this place. Ah, well–ignorance is bliss." He swung his dagger, which glanced against her newly-placed blade. This version of the weapon was much less unwieldy, being essentially an extension of her own body.
Having no idea what he was talking about, Emerald was about to press the topic further, until hearing a voice coming from below. "Emerald! Quickly, jump!" She looked down to see Tanzanite aboard the skiff, waiting for the others to join her. "Reinforcements could be here at any moment!"
"Tanzanite! I'm a little busy right now!" she said, holding his knife inches away from her throat. "Where are Lefty and Yooperlite?"
"Right up there!" said Tanzanite, pointing not far above her.
"Do you mind!?" Kiloq used his free hand to fire several blasts at Tanzanite's skiff, forcing her to drive away. "We're in the middle of a fight here!" He then turned his gun on her, but Emerald pushed it away from her temple, followed by her evading his knife as she retreated by several feet. "Now then…where were we?"
As the two of them reengaged, Yooperlite was still on the warpath up above, charging down Votaq as he continued to evade her. "For someone so cocky, you sure are runnin' away a lot!" she said.
"Yes, because I'm absolutely terrified of a big lummox like yourself!" he shouted at her. "Despite all your bluster, you haven't managed to catch me yet!"
"Come a bit closer and say that!" As she continued after him, Lefty followed not far behind, enough to stay out of harm's way, but close enough to let Yooperlite know her worries.
"Don't let him bait you!" she warned her. "He's up to something, don't fall for it!"
Despite this, Yooperlite wasn't about to let him get away. "I'm being careful!" she protested. "Besides, there's only the two of them now, it's not like they could've set up any ambushes while we were talking!"
This much was true, but Votaq hadn't reached his current status without being able to think quickly. He ran further out onto one of the catwalks, sure that Yooperlite would follow. Which she did, without hesitation. Her superheated body meant that when she grabbed onto the cables holding the walkway up, the heat made them much more malleable. Just as he had hoped.
"Goodbye." As she ran towards him, he opened fire with his arm–not at her, but at the heated cables. The added heat meant they snapped easily with a single shot, destabilizing the whole walkway. While Votaq was sure to grab hold of something, Yooperlite didn't have that same luxury, tumbling down into the water.
Lefty was far enough behind to avoid falling. She reached out a hand futilely to catch her fallen friend. "Yoop!" she called. She looked up to see Votaq making his way down towards her.
Down at sea level, Yooperlite pulled herself out of the water onto a nearby platform. The sudden plunge had negated her powers, returning her to normal temperature. As the water left her eyes, she saw Votaq standing above her. "So…guess you got one over on me, huh?"
"Seems that way." A blade extended from Votaq's arm, and he dispassionately drove it down. Lefty gasped in horror as she saw the blade extending from Yooperlite's forehead. Her body disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving her gemstone to clatter onto the ground.
Votaq picked up the gem, examining it coldly as he turned it over in his mechanical hand. His fingers wrapped around its shape, as he prepared to see how much pressure it could withstand. Before he could shatter her, he cried out, likewise pierced with metal. He grasped at the bit of shrapnel now extending from his middle.
Trepidation replaced with determination, Lefty sprinted to her friend, hurling more bits of metal at Votaq. None of them wounded him as greatly as the first, though they did provide a distraction as she seized the fallen gem. The Talu raised his arm in preparation to strike, but Lefty was able to move it just enough so that it barely missed her, denting the floor where it hit. Yooperlite in hand, she made her way back inside.
"That little–!" snarled Votaq, clutching his wound. Fighting through the pain, he accessed a terminal on his mechanical arm, ending with his pressing a button defiantly. After inputting this command, he chased after her once more.
Emerald, meanwhile, was faring much better against Kiloq. With her smaller, more wieldy weapon, she was able to evade much more efficiently, as well as bypass his defenses easier. While he was nowhere near being on the ropes, the two now seemed more evenly matched than before.
"Well? You plan to stop pulling your punches anytime soon?" she asked, their knives clashing. He had tried reaching for his gun again, but she had been able to knock it out of his hand.
Grinning, he backstepped a slash from her blade, rushing back in with a slice of his own. "Maybe when you step up your game a little, I can afford to!" A kick to the chest knocked his opponent back, but she parried what would have been a lethal strike.
Inside, a defenseless Lefty, still clutching Yooperlite's gem close to her chest, ran frantically away from her pursuer. "Mera!" she called. "Mera, he got Yoop!" Votaq bore down on her, sure to destabilize her as well if he caught her.
Hearing that her friend was out of commission, Emerald broke off to make her way to them. "Running away, just like that?" said Kiloq. He drew his other gun, getting a few shots off before she shot a lightning bolt his way. Momentarily stunning him, she hurried after her imperiled friend.
"Votaq!" she cried, charging at him with her blade at the ready. He smirked as she approached–drawing his own, the two blades met, ringing as they collided. Emerald punched with her free hand, knocking him back, though he recovered just as quickly to deliver a powerful punch of his own. Emerald was nearly thrown to the ground by the surprising power shown by his metal arm.
Before he could continue his pursuit, she charged up all the electricity she could muster, unleashing it in a stream towards him. But he was unaffected–in fact, he only smiled a malevolent smile as the energy was pulled into his mechanical arm like a magnet. Once she had exhausted her charge, he was glowing with a full tank. "Remember when I said this wasn't personal? That doesn't mean I don't enjoy it."
He unleashed a beam of energy from his arm, searing through the metal and nearly bisecting both Emerald and Lefty. As he swept it by several more times, the former ducked into another room, while the latter made her way over to a window. Beneath them, Tanzanite looked up from the skiff. She waved to get her attention. "Tanz! Tanz, up here!"
She looked up. "What is happening up there!?" she asked.
Lefty held up Yooperlite's Gem. "Here, take her! Keep her safe!" As Tanzanite held up her arms, Lefty tossed the gemstone out as far as she could. Extending her fingers, she was able to catch her. "We'll be down as soon as we–"
Lefty was suddenly kicked in the chest as Kiloq swung his way into the room. Dagger in hand, he strolled over to her as she scrambled to get away. "I'm impressed with how much of a fight you've been able to put up," he said. "Emerald's the only one of you designed for combat, but the rest of you've lasted longer than I thought!"
Although Lefty tried to push him away by his metal, he fought through it, lifting her up by the neck. "I'm so glad to have your approval!" she snapped, fighting against his grip.
"Not that it will matter for much longer," he said. "Right, sir?"
Votaq returned to the room, dragging Emerald behind him. He tossed her ahead, kicking her back to the ground when she went in to strike. "It certainly won't," he said. He grabbed her by the head, tilting it upward. "Can you hear that?"
Unfortunately, she did hear something. A distant sound, quiet but growing louder. Even though she had never heard it before, her combat programming told her that it was the telltale whistling of approaching projectiles. Her eyes widened as she realized what this meant.
The bombardment collided with the facility, rocking it down to its foundations. Metal creaked and tore as explosions erupted all around them. "You–are you insane!?" Emerald asked of Votaq. "You're gonna destroy this place while you're still inside!"
"Standard procedure," he said, shrugging. "Kiloq and I have done this dozens of times, and we always crawl out of the rubble. The other guys? Not so much." He raised his blade, swinging down just as Emerald raised hers. "I bet you're wishing you took our offer now, huh!?" he asked, pushing down.
"Actually, not so much!" Emerald kicked him in the leg, giving her enough time to escape the grapple. She darted over to Lefty, only to stagger and fall as another round of artillery struck the building. She got up just in time to see the Peridot being hurled at her, ducking as she hit the nearby wall. "Sorry!"
A barrage of lasers tore into her from Kiloq, approaching her with both pistols outstretched. Votaq fired on her as well, and while she stood her ground, blocking the shots, they were taking their toll. "Mera!" Lefty cried in alarm.
"Go!" she shouted, sounding and looking quite ragged. "Before this place falls apart!" Reluctantly, Lefty headed for the stairs, as Emerald tried to stand. She cried out as Kiloq's dagger sank into her shoulder. Before she could draw her blade, Votaq grabbed her, throwing her to the ground.
She tried to crawl away, but he was on her first, repeatedly driving her blade into her back. He turned her over, aiming for her throat with one final thrust. She was just able to grab hold of his arm, the blade inches from piercing her skin. Seconds from destabilization, she saw her chance: she grabbed hold of the piece of shrapnel Lefty had embedded into him, and unleashed a surge.
Votaq roared as hundreds of volts raced through his body. Gathering what remained of her strength, Emerald shoved him off of her, getting to her feet. Everything was an adrenaline-fueled blur: she turned around, expecting to return to the skiff. What she wasn't expecting was Kiloq to come at her with his knife.
She raised her own blade to parry, just as she had done many times before. He thrust his forward, she did the same. Only this time, his weapon hit its mark–as did hers. The two stood stock-still, either one's blade extending from the other's chest.
Emerald's weapon de-materialized. Kiloq fell back without it, leaving his dagger in her chest. His breathing became ragged as he felt the wound over his heart. He looked at it, then up at her. "See that? I…knew you were…capable…" As he breathed one final breath, and his head went limp, he almost seemed to be content.
Still not entirely lucid, Emerald barely noticed the roar of absolute rage coming from behind her, even as she felt the metal fist collide with her head. Votaq was screaming–she couldn't hear what. He had grabbed hold of her arm, pulling it closer to no doubt crush her gemstone. Once again moving on instinct, she pulled the dagger from her chest with her free arm, driving it into his side. He fell to the floor, still bellowing all manner of threats. As the facility continued to be bombarded, she half-ran, half-staggered for the skiff.
Explosions and fire rang out all around her as she leapt from the precipice. She barely even registered hitting the water, only looking up at the glowing flames from beneath the surface. She felt Tanzanite's hands wrap around her, pulling her up onto the vehicle. She could barely make out Lefty shouting. "Go! Go, full speed!" She was still holding Yooperlite's gem.
The skiff's engines roared as they raced away from the burning station as fast as it could take them. She sat down slumped against the edge, resisting the urge to retreat into her gemstone. She could only nod when asked by one of the two if she was alright. One last glance up at the station showed the silhouetted form of Votaq: as the whole place burned, he stood at the edge, glaring at the retreating vehicle.
Lifting his arm up, he spoke into his communicator. "Send the fleet," he said, eerily calm. "Send everyone we have to Moridius. It's time we burned this planet to the ground for good."
