The Elsewhere Saga: Emerald Rising
Book Zero: Emergence
Chapter One: Genesis
The Lost Spark, Talutar Liberation Movement flagship, Neutral Space.
What had become known to the galaxy as the Talutar Liberation War had recently entered its forty-fifth year. The lower-class of the Talutar Imperium had grown dissatisfied with the leadership's treatment of them for the sake of expansion, and had decided to secede and create their own form of government. As expected, the Imperium pushed back, and what had once been a civil movement soon escalated to war.
As is often said, even the most well-meaning of movements can give way to extremism if they become blinded by their mission. Such was the case with one of the prominent figures of the TLM, Tchi-khol Votaq. Votaq was more than willing to resort to extreme measures to accomplish his goals, including making deals with unknown third parties.
The Lost Spark hovered in the indicated location, waiting for their anonymous allies to make an appearance. An anxious Talu made his way into Votaq's quarters. "C-captain Tchi-khol?" the amphibious being asked. "Whoever it is we're waiting for, they haven't shown. Are you sure this isn't a trap?"
Votaq's head-frills twitched. "Ye of little faith." He stood up and faced his subordinate, a robotic arm sitting on a nearby table. "Had this been an ambush, why would they have made us wait so long? The Koh'i'Noor will be here, just you wait." He picked up the arm, placing it where his right would be, taking some time to adjust it.
The rest of Votaq's crew had little to no idea who or what the Koh'i'Noor were. One day, he had gone on a solo mission to an uninhabited planet, and came back speaking of them as though in reverence. Many were concerned something had happened to him on that planet that drove him mad. Through it all, he insisted that these beings were the key to winning the war.
Their captain appeared on the bridge, his crew standing at attention in a sea of blue-green scales and black armor. With a wave of his hand, they were at ease once again. He stared out into the starry expanse, as though willing his would-be allies to make their grand appearance. He didn't care what his followers thought–he trusted himself, and that was all he really needed.
Although Votaq never doubted that they would arrive, he did begin to grow impatient after being made to wait for so long. Eventually, however, the Talu would begin to realize that their captain was perhaps not mad after all when an unknown object was detected approaching them at hyperspeed. A brief moment of panic spread through the crew as this ship arrived, dwarfing the Lost Spark and looming above the rebels. Many were prepared to engage battle stations when an unexpected transmission came in from the dreadnought.
"Votaq!" One of his crewmen ran up to him. He was about to explain the situation with the other ship, but realized that it took up the entire window from where the captain was standing. "We've just received a message from the ship, the Pandora's Box. They're saying they want to come aboard."
He simply looked back at him, sharp eyes and a sharper smirk. This was all the answer he needed.
A company of Talu soldiers had gathered in the hangar, heavily armed in the event of a hostile encounter. Votaq had said it wasn't necessary, but didn't try too hard to dissuade them. Even he had to admit, letting strangers onto your ship without being prepared was a fatal mistake more than a few Imperial and Resistance alike ships had made. The gray and red shuttle drifted through the hangar doors, touching down before the gathered crowd.
The shuttle doors hissed open with a cloud of smoke. From within, three figures emerged, all mechanical. The two flanking the one on the center were both larger than the middle one, and the only ones armed, and yet the centermost machine seemed to be in charge. In fact, it's demeanor indicated that it felt it owned this entire ship and everyone on it.
A musclebound Talu standing next to Votaq eyed the visitors warily. "If they really want our help, why send androids? Why not come in person?"
Votaq merely chuckled, approaching their guests. "Honored Koh'i'Noor dignitaries, I bid you greetings to the Lost Spark. To whom do I have the pleasure of entertaining on this day?"
Although the robot in the middle had no mouth, he likely would have been smiling. "I like this one." He held out a hand–specifically his right, no doubt a chosen maneuver. Votaq shook it with his mechanical arm. "You have the honor of meeting one Pythoriax, of the four Generals. You were truly lucky to stumble across us, Tchi-khol Votaq. We both have so much to offer one another."
"Indeed." Votaq began pacing as he spoke. "Far too many of my fellow Liberation Movement warriors have come to the conclusion that the only way to truly best the Imperium is to be better than the Imperium. They see using their own methods as becoming no better than them. They fail to understand how necessary this war is. And because they have abandoned their true calling as soldiers, I could use some of yours."
Pythoriax pretended to think about this. "I suppose we can manage to spare some of our numbers," he said. "But first, in return for our aid, we'll need you to undermine a common enemy of ours. Are you familiar with the Gems?"
"How could I not be?" spat Votaq. "They spread throughout the galaxy like a plague, attaching themselves to planets like parasites. In their arrogance, they have chosen to ally themselves with the Imperium."
"Thus, making them a common enemy of ours," Pythoriax continued. "We Koh'i'Noor have our own grudges against Gemkind, but we are not yet strong enough for a direct confrontation. If we reveal ourselves, they will no doubt go after us with extreme prejudice. But you, you are practically below their radar. You can destabilize their colonies from the ground up. You can tear them apart while the Diamonds remain none the wiser."
Many of the rebels were doubtful of this mission. Gemkind was well known as one of the superpowers not just of this galaxy, but of the surrounding galaxies as well. It would be foolhardy, suicidal even, to even consider making them your enemy. And yet, Votaq was all too thrilled with the prospect. "It would be my pleasure," he drawled, his mouth splitting into a wide grin.
"Excellent–Oh, and one more thing." Pythoriax reached up to his right shoulder, unhooking clamps and unclamping hooks until, with a hiss, the appendage gave way. He held it out to Votaq. "A small taste of what we have to offer you, should you succeed."
Curiously, Votaq reached out to take the arm. He held out his own, and his compatriot removed it just as the Interloper had removed his. As he placed it near the socket, wires and cables moved into place on their own, securing the mechanical limb firmly onto its host. Votaq flinched as it clicked into place, before testing it out. He watched with amazement as it moved much more fluidly than his old one, as though he had his real arm back.
A small laugh from Pythoriax. "Enjoying it, are you? I couldn't send you after Homeworld empty-handed–pardon my choice of words. And as I said, there is much more where that came from." He looked around at the motley crew of rebels. "So, are you ready to begin your campaign?"
Votaq looked up from his new arm, fire in his eyes. "Where do we start?"
Moridius, Prime Kindergarten. Era 1, Year 4,988,245.
One minute, Emerald didn't exist. And then, the next minute, she did. Years of incubation had sparked the generation of a conscious mind, its sole purpose to serve Homeworld. Emerald did not question what she was or where she came from; she didn't need to. Her directive was clear, her mission known.
The dirt on the side of the cliff gave way, making room for the Beryl to emerge from her hole. She stepped out into the open, expecting the Kindergarten technicians to direct her…but the entire place was empty. Glancing to the sides, she realized that the entire site was completely abandoned, empty injectors either sitting on the walls, or long having fallen to the ground. There were no other holes, meaning she was the first Gem to emerge. And from the state of things, likely the last.
Since this wasn't exactly protocol, Emerald's mind worked to come up with a plan. Even if the Kindergarten had been abandoned, there was likely still a control center nearby. There might still be some Gems there, and if there weren't she could at least use the terminal to contact someone to pick her up. It was dark out, most likely night, but these things were usually pretty uniform. She started walking in the direction of the control tower's usual spot, when she noticed that she wasn't quite alone.
This planet evidently wasn't completely colonized, as there were several organics present. A group of small scuttling creatures had made a nest out of a fallen injector, scampering inside as she got closer. Some of the machines were also covered with moss or were overgrown with other plants, which swayed in the breeze. An admittedly somewhat pretty creature drifted past her, though it didn't seem to have any means of staying aloft…
It was only after Emerald opened her mouth and a large bubble emerged that she realized she was underwater.
In fact, the entire Kindergarten was submerged. A flood could possibly explain why it was ruined, but this likely meant that the other Kindergartens were faring better than hers. And the presence of organics meant that some Gems were probably still around to finish the job. Emerald walked to the end of the chasm, climbing the cliffside towards what she hoped was someone she could talk to.
She emerged from the water and onto dry land, wringing out her hair. "I haven't even been given my first assignment, and I'm already soaking wet," she mumbled. "This doesn't exactly bode well for my future." What also didn't bode well was when she looked around, she was surrounded on all sides by water.
Even at the top of the cliff, she was still ankle-deep in an ocean that stretched all the way to the horizon. Only a few mountains and Gem structures pierced the endless sea, the latter of which seemed to have been abandoned for years. A sinking feeling came over Emerald as she began to entertain the possibility that she was the only survivor of some sort of horrific cataclysm, only by virtue of not being alive yet.
"What…happened here?" she wondered aloud, turning to see the sheer scope of the destruction. A flood was the most obvious conclusion, but…entire planets didn't flood. Had there been a war, or an asteroid? She shook herself out of her speculation. The fact of the matter was that she needed to find a way off this planet. Her programming made it a necessity. Of course, that would be easier said than done if she was the only survivor.
Not far from her position was the control tower, which was in remarkably good shape when compared to the other structures. Hopefully the radio was still working, or at least something that could direct her to a ship. She made her way over, careful to avoid falling back into the water as she did so. Luckily, it was also atop the cliff, so she didn't have to go too far.
As she got nearer, an unexpected yet very welcome sight met her eyes: a Gem. She was standing right in the doorway of the tower, bailing water out of the building with a bucket. She was similar in size and build to a Bismuth, but had grayish skin. Immediately, Emerald began running over and shouting. "Hey! Hey, over here! Hellooo!"
The other Gem nearly jumped back up to the top of the tower, dropping her bucket in a start. She turned towards Emerald, staring at her in amazement. It was almost like she had never seen an Emerald before. The reverse was certainly true, as Emerald still didn't recognize the kind of Gem she was. Her skin was speckled with various shades of gray, but there were also flecks of bright orange scattered around. She had on some kind of blue hat with a brim and netting in the back, and her gemstone, half speckled gray and half bright orange, sat on her right shoulder. "Wha…?"
Emerald sighed when she reached her. "I can't tell you how relieved I am to see another Gem! For a moment there, I thought this planet was deserted! Now if you don't mind, could you direct me to the briefing station? I'd like to get things moving." The other Gem said nothing. "...Actually, for that matter, what sort of Gem are you? I don't think you're in my database."
The Gem just stared at her for the longest time, her mouth open slightly. Emerald couldn't tell if she was terrified or just surprised. After this went on for a bit, she finally spoke. "W-why don'tcha come inside?" she said, with an accent Emerald couldn't quite place.
Her new friend headed back into the tower, clearly expecting her to follow. Emerald frowned: this clearly wasn't the ordinary procedure. But then again, given their surroundings, these weren't ordinary circumstances. She followed her in, ascending the stairway behind her.
"You guys, we got a new friend!" the Gem called. From this, Emerald surmised that there were at least two other Gems at the top, but Kindergartens like this were usually staffed with twenty individuals, so there were likely more.
"'New friend?' What are you talking about?" a voice asked. "You haven't been hitting the rads again, have you?"
"Unlikely, considering our rad supply was diminished years ago," another voice said.
"I…think you'd better see for yourself," said the gray Gem. She stepped aside to let Emerald pass, showing her to two (and no more) Gems who were just as shocked to see her as the first had been.
These two Emerald was far more familiar with: a Tanzanite and a Peridot. The first had square-shaped hair and a gem on her right hand, and the latter had triangular hair, with the flat part on top tapering down towards her head, and her gem on her left cheek. The Tanzanite stood completely still, while the Peridot took several careful steps closer. "You're an Emerald," she said, almost amazed.
"Correct. If I could ask, where exactly is your commanding officer?" She looked around the room, empty save for the four of them. "Like I told her, I'd really like to get going on my first mission."
The Peridot and the gray Gem glanced at one another. "We…don't exactly have a commander," said the Peridot. "We're all that's left. Everyone else was either shattered, or left before things got bad." The gray Gem took off her hat and held it over her chest, looking down sadly.
"I… Shattered? Left?" Emerald said. "What exactly is this place? Who are you?"
The Tanzanite stepped forward. "This is Moridius, a potential colony of Yellow Diamond. Or, it would have been, had it not been for the events that led to its being abandoned. In answer to your second question, I am Tanzanite Facet M8L9, Cut 88C. These are Peridot Facet Y19P, Cut QR7 and Yooperlite Facet J5, Cut 17."
Yooperlite waved with a small smile. "Howdy-do!"
"Everyone calls me Lefty," said the Peridot. "So…you just got here, right? Did you come from…down there?" She pointed towards the flooded Kindergarten.
Emerald nodded. "I emerged mere minutes ago. I noticed there were no other holes–I trust you thought there wouldn't be any others?"
"We didn't think we'd ever see another Gem again, let alone one formed here," Lefty said, sitting down. "As far as Homeworld knows, this colony's been abandoned, and everybody on it is dead. We've been trying to call for help for years, but…nothing."
Emerald could sense the palpable misery present in the room, hanging like a fog. "What happened to this planet?" she asked.
Yooperlike looked up at her. "Lotta things. Lotta real bad things. Why don'tcha take a seat, this might take a minute."
She did so, sitting down across from them, prepared to hear the story of what ruined Moridius.
AN: Hey all, Emerald's back! We're doing something a bit different this time-that's right, it's her origin story! Every good hero needs a beginning, how they became who they are today, and Emerald is no exception. So, here we go, I hope you enjoy!