The Crystal Gems exchanged restless glances, silently exchanging signals among themselves. Although Emperor Sith seemed interested in the story and battles of the Crystal Gems, they knew they couldn't blindly trust his words, two specific Gems had already witnessed the destruction and cruelty that the Sith were capable of in the past, and even the ancient empire had a strained relationship with the Diamond Court, they were all very curious
Meanwhile, Steven looked at the table with his mouth watering, The emperor appeared extremely quiet and observant
"Steven Universe..."
Steven straightened up with a certain fear, looking at kyler in an innocent way
"Please, I ordered this dinner to be prepared with great care and dedication, Please, eat," the emperor said gently, extending his hand
Soon everyone started stirring their dishes, The Crystal Gems themselves didn't eat anything, they just played with their food using their forks, Even Amethyst was suspicious enough to not even touch the desserts, Steven hesitated for a moment, but then the emperor opened a compartment under his mask, which only revealed his mouth, kyler started tasting his food, and then Steven and Amethyst felt more at ease to eat
Peridot and Lapis pretended to partake in the emperor's hospitality, By accident they both reached for the same dessert, and their hands touched, Lapis and Peridot quickly withdrew their hands, blushing in complete silence
The emperor simply chuckled at the scene, while the dinner flowed naturally, kyler Grayhound paused and looked intently at each of the Crystal Gems, His piercing eyes emanated an aura of mystery and power, even though they couldn't be seen through his mask, Finally, he broke the silence
"I heard that you have reclaimed your old home, It's great to hear that the tyranny of the Diamond Court has finally ended... Crystal Gems, I thank you for sharing your story with me, It's truly inspiring, I'm aware of the battles you've faced and the sacrifices you've made for the Earth," said the emperor
"Huh... Emperor, with all due respect, what brings you here to Earth? We know very well that the galaxy where you reside is a galaxy far, far away from here" Pearl replied sweetly in her speech
Suddenly, the emperor noticed that Steven had just finished eating, He stood up slowly and walked around
"Lord Grayhound, thank you very much for the meal, It was delicious," said Steven with a smile.
The emperor simply nodded and gestured with his palm facing upwards, indicating that he wanted them to walk, Everyone slowly left the table, obeying the gesture, Amethyst quickly went back and grabbed a cupcake to eat on the way
SHADOW SANCTUARY
Kyler and the Crystal Gems walked through a corridor adorned with statues and relics of the ancient Sith empire, Pearl and Peridot looked around with serious suspicion, After walking for about three minutes, they arrived at a place with drawings and gem-made frames, displaying ancient records
"I came here today with a proposition, Look at this... After billions and billions of lives, I finally discovered what the Force truly is, I studied it, understood it, and mastered it completely, I have become its most powerful existing user" said the emperor, making hand gestures
The Crystal Gems looked attentively at all the records, There were reports of Gems in the records, but what did they have to do with it? They wondered
"Then I discovered beings that had a deep connection with it, I could never reach their level of perfection, The Gem race has a very strong connection with it, In fact, the very light that makes up their bodies comes from the Force, which explains their many powers, In my first life, I knew I would never learn everything the Force had to offer me, so I became... immortal, living in the shadow of Darth Vitiate for years and years, I witnessed the fall of the ancient Sith empire and the old Republic," said kyler
The Gems were fascinated by the story
"I saw a new Sith empire rise with the fall of the New Republic, I witnessed the downfall of Darth Vader and the death of Darth Sidious, the acclaimed acolyte among the Siths" said kyler, closing his fist
"Wait, Anakin Skywalker is real? I thought... he was just a legend" said Peridot.
Everyone looked at Peridot incredulously at the question
"For many years, I sought the source of the Force's power, the source of its existence, I failed miserably, I believed that you would know something, but I was terribly mistaken, If there is someone who created it, they are probably far superior to me to find it" the emperor concluded
"Well, that's not important anymore, that Is not why I'm here" said the emperor, turning his back
It seemed that the emperor was finally ready to reveal his objective, The Crystal Gems positioned themselves for battle
"As emperor, I possess ancient knowledge and powerful secrets that can aid you in your battles against the threats that still lies ahead, Earth is far from Peace, I know the true extent of the power of the Force, so..." the emperor began
All of them arched their eyebrows, skeptical
"I came here looking for a new apprentice, a Gem apprentice to be more specific Soon you'll understand why I traveled so far," said the emperor
The Crystal Gems exchanged glances, pondering the emperor's proposition, Although they distrusted his intentions, they couldn't deny that the promise of ancestral knowledge and additional power could be useful in their ongoing fight for Peace, Some of them were swayed by the proposal
"An apprentice Gem? That's absurd, kyler Grayhound, we appreciate your offer, but we don't want to even consider any alliance with the Sith Empire again, Furthermore, we need to understand your true intentions, we want to know why you sought us out and what you truly aim to achieve with this ridiculous proposal" said Pearl, gripping one of her spears
Emperor Seth maintained a cold gaze before letting out a slight laugh
"Steven, Crystal Gems, your mistrust is understandable given the stories from the past, But at this moment, I believe our interests can align, I am willing to share my secrets, my knowledge, and help protect this planet that you all call home" the emperor said
The Crystal Gems, although still cautious, began to consider the offer
"Listen, Peridot, you control metal, If you could enhance your connection to the Force, imagine being able to shape any type and size of metal to your liking everywhere you go, Lapis, you control oceans imagine being able to control any type of liquid on any planet across multiple solar systems, Amethyst, Pearl, Garnet, imagine having equal powers, Powers you have never seen before, powers that I can offer You would be like new perfect goddesses of Earth, Steven, imagine being able to bring your mother back or generate new lives" the emperor said, looking at each of them.
Everyone was amazed by what the emperor was offering. It was truly a tempting offer, and their eyes seemed to be considering it
"Sigh, Mr. kyler, we appreciate the offer, but we are perfect just the way we are, we don't need more" said Steven, looking at his friends
"I kindly ask you to reconsider..."
"NO, you already have your answer, Just leave" Lapis said, irritated
Everyone assumed a fighting stance in front of the emperor, and the Sith guards prepared to attack, But kyler gestured them to stop
"If that's how you want it" kyler grabbed his red lightsaber
Kyler Grayhound is enveloped in a dark and mysterious aura, clearly indicating that he is a master of the dark side of the Force, He ruthlessly harnesses the Force, launching energy beams and ship debris towards the Gems, testing their resilience and agility
Steven takes the lead, using his protective shield and bubble shield to defend himself and his friends. Peridot, with her technological ingenuity, creates energy barriers in an attempt to contain the Emperor's advance
Lapis Lazuli harnesses her control over water, forming waves from her water vessels, trying to flood Kyler Grayhound's ship and weaken him, Pearl utilizes her sword skills to launch swift and precise attacks, aiming to find an opening in Seth's defenses, garnet, with her strength and foresight abilities, delivers powerful blows, attempting to weaken the adversary, however, the end soon arrives
Despite the heroic efforts of the Crystal Gems, Kyler Grayhound demonstrates unparalleled mastery over the Force
"Enough," shouted the emperor, extending his hand
Suddenly, all the Gems fell to their knees
"Gather thousands of Gems, become masters of the Force, and maybe you'll have a chance against me" replied the emperor pointing his hand
In the end, the Crystal Gems were defeated by the immortal Sith Emperor, Kyler Grayhound's dark power and mastery of the Sith art proved too much for the Gems' abilities at that moment
"How did I win?, Ask yourselves that, For now, please rest you're welcome to spend the night in my palace without restrictions, but please behave, now go" he said, turning his back
The Crystal Gems glared at kyler with hatred but decided to follow his orders, It was clear that the emperor was not someone to fight against at the moment.