Citrine
Not knowing what her Diamond required of her to speak alone face to face within one of her chambers, Citrine only speculated as Yellow diamond had called her out along a few other gems of her court to discuss matters alone; Besides Citrine, Yellow Diamond called out her personal Morganite, Yellow Beryll, and a few Emeralds to speak with her on more important matters that needed to be address with a one on one conversation in one of her chambers.
Citrine was beside herself as she waited outside the doorway to Yellow Diamond's chosen chambers, while the last of the emeralds were called in by Yellow Pearl to enter the room to speak with their Diamond. The only other gems left other than her were Morganite and Beryl, both of whom were still in the midst of talking to each other.
-and by my estimates, the cost of rebuilding our Diamond's office to her specifications should be manageable within a decent time frame." Yellow Morganite discussed with Beryl as if she were discussing the weather on a normal day on a planet. She expressed a happy attitude as she conversed with Beryl "The hole in her wall she blasted in anger, had her think otherwise that she likened the idea of having a grand view of the capital from her office."
Beryl stood beside Morganite to her left, glanced down at the palace designer with a curious look, "Quite…amusing, I dear say, that our Diamond sees her damaged wall in a different light, circumstances aside that is." The Admiral gem commented with a soft smile.
Citrine, who stood across the hallway from the two gems, had her arms crossed as she dwelled on the recent events; from the assassination attempts on her life, the first one had heavy implications of a secret organization and the second attempt made her question more of what was going on after a thousand years. It was as if everything was coming to a boil and finally topping over to reveal its colors.
Many times, Citrine had chalked the idea up as gems from the courts not taking kindly to the experimental changes she's been working out in her armada for Yellow Diamond to consider changing her mind on many things about gem society as a whole; given the fact they were down one Diamond and couldn't produce gems like they could before, gave credence to the cause that Citrine was trying to submit that the traditions needed looked at from a different angle.
Speaking of down one diamond, Citrine couldn't help but think that the second assassination attempt was the cause of her getting too close to the truth of what occurred on the day of Pink Diamond supposed 'shattering'. The mere fact she was in the pink palace at the time, could wholly be some lame attempt at making the Pink Palace gems guilty.
But also did not make sense, as Pink Diamond's court were a very reputable bunch of gems that admired their Diamond, and that the entire conspiracy behind the tragedy of Pink Diamond's demise all happened on her first colony by some Rose Quartz that acted out of character compared to the rest of her quartz colleagues.
'…Acted out of character…' Citrine narrowed her eyes in thought as she brought her arm up to palm her chin as she dwelled on that thought. The sparse times she operated her private investigations behind the demise of Pink Diamond, she had not yet analyzed the character of Rose Quartz.
'I need to get those other Rose Quartz gems out of their bubbles, and see how they behave…' Citrine thought to herself, as things were not adding up, given the fact that Rose Quartz of Pink Diamond's court rebelled against her own Diamond. Pink Diamond, that has been said by every gem in her court to be a very loving and charitable Diamond towards her court.
None of it added up! It also did not help matters to the fact that gems could shapeshift into other gems, so that did not put the blame on Rose Quartz, if Rose Quartz was even a rose quartz at all in the first place!
'There's definitely something very wrong behind the entire rebellion.' Citrine mused inwardly as she glanced to the side in more thought in a conspiratorial way.
"Quite the look you got there." Beryl's voice broke Citrine out of her musings, making her blink a few times as Citrine relaxed her posture and hand away from her chin, prompting the commander's attention over at Beryl with a fixed stare.
"Ah, pardon me." Citrine frowned a bit as she spoke with the Admiral gem, "I was simply in deep thought, the matters behind the attack on me were very suspicious." she remarked, telling the half truth and not wholly speaking on what else she was thinking of.
Morganite looked over at the commander with an apologetic smile, "If it makes you feel any better, the two gems that sent the attack on you, have been apprehended and are now awaiting trial." she smirked a bit at the end of her explanation.
Lifting a brow at what Morganite said, Citrine could not help but comment on the matter, "Awaiting trial? If she always knows the two gems involved are guilty, then why bother with a Trial?" she asked, already making several thoughts on the matter go through her mind. She really needed to act fast and figure out if the two gems that sent the attack on her were involved with some other gems.
Beryl spoke on the behalf of Morganite as the Admiral gem spoke with an annoyed expression, "The Aquamarine in question, is a traitor that embezzled Yellow Diamond's new Yooperlites, and illegally attached self destruct gem modifiers onto the Yooperlites' gems. She's getting the capital punishment of public shattering." she said with a scornful tone.
Well…that is certainly a way to send a message to cease any and all actions of political subterfuge and assassination, especially if it involves using illegally accessed gems that were not within the preview for said gem to have any authority to use.
But that didn't mean it would stop assassination attempts between high ranking gems, it'd just make the elite gems cover their tracks more and practice better subterfuge between gems. In the end, it just mattered how long the elites could keep up their act until they got caught in the act.
"And the Hessonite?" Citrine followed with asking, eyeing both Morganite and Beryl with curious glances between the two.
Yellow Morganite spoke with a nonchalant shrug, "From what I gathered, she'll be made to suffer two thousand years as a common gem soldier, the Trial is really a formality, as our Diamond has already chosen the punishment for both gems." she explained with a careless attitude.
Citrine was about to open her mouth and ask if there was a chance Yellow Diamond would allow her to extract their memories, but before she could, the door to Yellow Diamond's chambers opened with an emerald captain exiting out and taking her leaving; poking her head out, Yellow Pearl looked over at Citrine across the hallway with a neutral expression, "My Diamond will see you now, Citrine." she announced, before entering back into the chamber without another word.
Citrine, without saying another word to Morganite and Beryl, walked into the chambers so as to not keep Yellow Diamond Waiting.
Stepping inside what looked like a very spacious room compared to her size, but an average sized office room to Yellow Diamond, Citrine walked in with her hands laced behind her back while she marched towards the large Yellow Desk that her Diamond sat at while Yellow Pearl stood beside it awaiting her next order.
Yellow Diamond sat for a few seconds in the midst of typing into what must be her holo-keyboard atop her desk, ceased her actions and stood up to stare down at her Commander gem with an authoritative look as Citrine came to halt several feet away from her diamond. "My Diamond." Citrine announced herself with a salute in respect.
Her Diamond stared down at her in what felt like minutes, but it was for a few moments before Yellow Diamond spoke aloud with a stern tone, "I'll be quick with this, as I need you and your armada ready with the rest of my others." she announced with a narrow eyed, looking down at Citrine.
Crossing her arms as she expected an answer, Yellow Diamond asked, "I never authorized you to do so, but why have you seen fit to investigate the matters of that debacle a thousand years ago?" she asked, earning a bit of a surprised look from Citrine.
'She knew all this time!? For how long!?' Citrine thought to herself, and decided to ask before answering her diamond with a polite but nervous tone, "m-m-my diamond! How long have you known!?" she asked quickly.
Yellow Diamond scoffed with her arms crossed as she looked down at Citrine with an authoritative look, "Long enough! Now answer! What reason are you investigating the matters of what happened a thousand years ago!?" She demanded with an expectant look.
'Something's not right, why isn't she saying anything about Pink Diamond, or referencing that fact of what I'm investigating, if she knows what I have been doing this whole time in my spare hours?' Citrine inwardly questioned herself, before answering Yellow Diamond, "You mean, the debacle of Pink Diamond's shattering?" Citrine saw her Diamond's jaw tighten at the mention of Pink Diamond, "And the culprit that is Rose Quartz?" she asked.
"Yes." Yellow Diamond answered with a tight jaw, "Do not make me repeat myself, answer my Question." she demanded.
Citrine swallowed her nervousness down, and decided to see how far she could go with what she'd found so far, already she could see her Diamond's expression was that of repressed hurt, so she could probably chalk Yellow Diamond may not be wholly responsible for Pink diamond's shattering.
Or perhaps it's worse, and she is the guilty Diamond, and she laments her decision. Too many questions left every elite gem, including the Diamonds, as suspects to the event that was the Rose Quartz rebellion.
"My Diamond." Citrine began with explaining herself, as she relaxed her salute and folded her arms being her back as she stood at attention for her Diamond, "When I was ordered to retreat from the planet, from you, and after finding out what had happened, I began to question how a rose Quartz could have gotten so close to Pink diamond!" she explained with a confused look.
Yellow Diamond, while she still tightened her expressions at the mention of Pink Diamond, lifted a brow of curiosity that she was a bit intrigued of where Citrine was going with her findings, "Yes…I can not fault you for that, it was indeed…odd that a soldier class gem was granted access to being that close to Pink's palanquin." she mused in agreement to the thought.
Citrine took one step forward while making a pleading gesture with her hands, "My Diamond, the amount of eye witnesses I've asked around from, that were there on that day, all can attest that Rose Quartz hopped out from Pink Diamond's palanquin, and it gets even more suspicion when the fact that no one saw Rose Quartz into the palanquin in the first place!"
Palming her chest, Citrine continued to speak with confused tone, "My Diamond, I do not think we are dealing with some assassination by a rogue quartz, as Pink Diamond's pearl was nowhere to be seen at the time, at all! In fact, eye witnesses have provided that the Rogue Pearl that was always with Rose Quartz, matches the identity of Pink Diamond's own pearl!"
Yellow Pearl expressed a shocked look on her face the more Citrine discuss all that she found, while Yellow Diamond began to glare up through that air as if she were trying to make sense of what she was being told, "That…" she gritted out in anger, "That is very suspicious, all if it." she mused as she began to think more on what Citrine provided.
Citrine took another step as she looked up at her Diamond, "Your luminescence, we have rejuvenators that could have been used against Pink Diamond's pearl, we have gems from other courts that did not like Pink Diamond that speak ill of her, we have so much corruption within our society today, I do not think this case of Pink Diamond's demise is as simple as some rogue quartz raising a banner against homeworld!"
Several seconds of silence passed as Yellow Diamond seemed to be pondering over what citrine provided her with, as lot of evidence had been compiled to the point that it was not as cut and dry as she once thought; Yellow Diamond began to tap her finger against her arm in thought, before turning around to face her desk and sit down with an ever present glare. "Leave." she bit out.
"...Ma'am?" Citrine softly spoke in question as she stepped backwards in caution, not once hearing Yellow Diamond telling her to cease her private investigations.
Crossing her leg over her other, Yellow Diamond glared at her commander with a sideways glance, "I expect you to submit all your findings once you return from the Dagon Sector. Do Not Leave Anything Out." she bit her words out in anger.
Yellow Diamond
The magnitude of what she thought was the worst time in her life to be the worst time ever, became more with what her Citrine gem was implying from the evidence she found surrounding the event that has left cracks in the empire that could still be felt today.
Yellow Diamond would have simply told the commander to cease her silly nonsense of whatever she was doing, if she didn't provide enough evidence, but the little gem of hers provided enough reasons that made her question what really happened down on that planet at the time.
She's always blamed herself for not providing enough troops to that planet, since there were enough of Blue's own to assist matters in quelling the rebellion. Evidently she was wrong, and now Pink was gone and now all could do was try not to end up like Blue.
She was Diamond, and as such, she had a duty to continue her work AS a Diamond and keep the appearance of a stalwart leader, a Diamond that her Gems feared and respected; but now things were starting to chafe and stir within her court, Blue's was already falling apart to the point of needing many replacements.
Stars above, she didn't even want to think what was going over with White. White dealt with the problem with a simple smile, and didn't bother showing her face or presence ever again for the last thousand years.
With a scowl as she leaned back in her chair, Yellow Diamond continued to think over what her Citrine gem said to her; What her gem commander suggested, made too much sense, as gems had the capacity to shape shift.
One of the reasons shape shifting was looked down on, and outlawed in gem society; it could allow a gem to impersonate another gem, and it could lead down to too many problems. It was just for the sake of making a gem stay within their accepted form, it was also to curtail other issues with the ability for a gem to shapeshift.
Then you had the double edged sword problem of the rejuvenators that her Citrine gem mentioned. The Rose quartz rebel might have used such an item to 'free' Pink's pearl.
Narrowing her eyes a bit, Yellow Diamond spoke softly to herself, "I never did see her pearl with her in our calls, so that raises more questions and evidence against what happened on that blasted dirt ball!" she hissed to herself in anger, and slammed her fist down on her arm rest from out of her crossed arms, "Curses! Why didn't Pink say anything!" she yelled in anger, "I know we told her to act more like a diamond, but maybe…no, we were too hard on her! We all should have been there to help!" she chastised herself in anger.
Pink would complain about her planet, and they would just tell her to not worry and continue to let her gems operate on the planet to turn it into her colony; perhaps she wanted to ask for help, but felt she had complained too many times, and didn't want to bother her and Blue anymore with such trivialities.
So many factors were at play that led up to Pink's Shattering, Yellow Diamond was now beginning to think that indeed, the whole mess was suspicious and warranted a more thorough investigation; They already blasted that planet with their powers of all remaining Diamonds combined, so there was no doubt nothing remained on that planet other than some primitive organics.
They wanted to use that nearby spiral galaxy for their next expansion of the empire, and it was as good a time as any to let Pink start out with her own planet in that galaxy. It would have allowed them to use Pink's colonized solar system as a staging planet to expand outwards throughout that galaxy, with Pink most likely owning a majority of it since she would have had a head start.
'What sick turn of events that was.' Yellow Diamond groused inwardly with a clenched fist, before relaxing it back up as she continued to dwell on what her Citrine gem had provided on what reasons she investigated into the mess of Pink's shattering.
"My Diamond?" Yellow Pearl, broke her out of her musings, and brought her attention down to the diminutive servant gem. Her Pearl looked up at her with a cautious look, "Pardon my rudeness, but you still have your Morganite and Beryl gems outside, should I fetch one of them now?" she asked with a respectful tone.
Yellow Diamond released a tired breath, the action not needed for a Diamond, but it was an emotive response to her annoyance that was her tight schedule; she would dwell on the matter latter, for now she needed to discuss redecorating her palace with her Morganite, and discuss plans with Beryl on performing as the leading admiral of her space fleet for the upcoming counter attack against the organics had attacked her colony planet of Cadmium Four.
"Go ahead and fetch Beryl first, pearl." Yellow Diamond instructed as she stood up from her chair, she could discuss matters pertaining to her palace afterwards, for now the counterattack mattered first.
"Yes, my diamond!" Yellow Pearl saluted her, before shuffling off to fetch said gem.
While her pearl trotting off, Yellow Diamond softly spoke to herself as she glanced off to the side in thought, "Perhaps I should just order to have the homeworld of those organics be cracked in half and be done with it." she mused in idle thought, "Deal a decisive blow before it becomes a major problem." Yellow Diamond trailed off in thought.