Magnetar held out an open hand towards Steven, his burning focus locked on White's Gem. "Hand her over." He ordered simply.
Without exchanging words, Steven and Connie grabbed each other's hands and fused.
Stevonnie held White's Gem close and shouted to Lars, "Run!"
Lars and Stevonnie leapt off the raised platform just as a mass of energy crashed over their heads. The heavy stomping of Magnetar's boots were close behind.
"Big metal man is blocking the only doorway, and I can't portal us away unless I know where the ship is!" Lars shouted after they hit the ground and dashed across the room. The wall was coming up. They would be cornered.
"Nowhere to go," Magnetar agreed. His voice was smooth, dangerous.
Stevonnie bit their lip and looked up at the port window as they ran out of room. They saw through the window laser fire crossed, seeking out ship hauls. The Gems outside were putting up a massive fight. Then came the flashing lights from a vessel. A signal. "That's the ship!" Stevonnie gasped.
Lars' ship, The Gem's Revenge, appeared close to the window, flashing their lights.
"How could they possibly know where we are?" Lars wondered with amazement.
Stevonnie smiled wide. "Garnet!"
"That's close enough I guess," Lars said with a shrug. He leapt forward and shouted a portal into the wall. Stevonnie didn't stop to see how close Magnetar was. They and Lars threw themselves into the multicolored portal, leaving the cold Alloy ship behind.
Stevonnie cradled White's Gem close before they tumbled out the other side into the ship's control room.
Lars stumbled to his feet, struggling free from his cape, "Metal men on our tail, punch it guys!" he ordered his crew.
The ship lurched forward as they accelerated away from the battlefield.
"We cut that close…" Stevonnie huffed. They checked over White's Gem in their arms for damage. It was perfect. They exhaled a long held sigh. Someone stood before Stevonnie and offered a hand up. It was Garnet, a proud smile spread across her face.
Stevonnie mirrored the expression and accepted her hand to stand. "Thanks for bringing the ship close for us." They said.
"All according to plan," Garnet said back.
"Captain!" Rhodonite yelped fearfully. "The Alloy Mother Ship is catching up!"
Lars threw himself into his Captain's chair. "Put all reserve power into the thrusters!"
"Oh no!" Padparadscha gasped, small hands covering her mouth. "Magnetar is really mad at us!"
"That's an understatement," Lars huffed.
"He won't fire on us," Garnet promised the control room. "Not as long as we have White on board."
"But what good is that going to do if we can't shake him?" Lars said.
The control room doors opened. Blue and Yellow hurried in, their sized shrunk enough to fit if they ducked low enough. Blue's face brightened when she beheld Stevonnie. "You're alright, and you got her back! Thank the stars!"
Stevonnie held up White's Gem for Blue to accept. "Magnetar hurt her and she poofed, but her Gem is fine." Light engulfed them as they unfused, Steven and Connie left holding hands.
"What did that savage do to her?" Yellow demanded. She touched White's Gem with a careful stroke. She was poised, but her anger was clearly boiling under the surface.
"White!" Spinel used her legs as springs to jump up to wrap herself around White's Gem. "Good thinking, poofing to make yourself smaller to fit through the portal! Come on out and let us see ya!"
The group stared at White's Gem. It remained dormant in Blue's hands.
"Let's let her rest, guys." Steven offered. "She's been through a lot."
Yellow turned to the view screen with a snarl. "No matter where we go, that fool will be on our tails. Blue and myself were able to distract them while you snuck in to get White, but I don't think he will fall for the same trick twice."
"And that is where we shall come in, my Diamond!" Emerald's image appeared on the view screen, a wide green smile prominent. "You get back to Earth with our brilliant Matriarch, we shall cause enough of a distraction for you to escape!"
"We?" Lar's echoed skeptically. "What is your small fleet going to do?"
Emerald snickered, just as the proximity alarm blared throughout the ship.
"Captain Lars, multiple rogue vessels are warping into the vicinity!" The Rutile twins reported.
Steven rushed to one of the port windows with Connie pressed next to him. One Gem ship after another appeared out of hyper-drive, swarming the Alloy Ship. They fired wildly, flying between The Gem's Revenge or in circles, masking their energy trail the Alloy's were relying on to follow.
"But our armies are scattered, who are these Gems?" Blue wondered with wide eyes.
"Your true followers, my Diamond!" came a proud accented voice that made Steven's hair stand on end. The small statured Aquamarine came through the communication chatter and bowed from her own screen. "We who are loyal to the old matriarchy have been biding our time, building an army to serve the Diamond Authority! We-"
"Is Steven there?!" Came another familiar voice. Aquamarine yelped as she was shoved off screen by yet another short red Gem. The Ruby, Eyeball, snarled with her face pressed to the screen. "This ain't no truce with you, Steven! Just the Diamonds! I still owe you a fist in your face, no matter how big you make your physical form! Also, I hate your new form! Your facial hair looks stupid!"
Aquamarine pushed Eyeball away from the screen, fluffing her pixie cut to get herself presentable again. "As I was saying…"
"Us as well Ste-van!" Another screen blinked on, blocking Aquamarine's. The smiling faces of the Zoomans, Rose Quartz and Famethysts appeared.
"Wy-six?" Steven asked. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Out of the way!" both Zoomans and Quartz were pushed to the side, a disheveled Holly Blue Agate arriving at the forefront of their screen. "My Diamonds! It is an honor to bask in your presence again! The Zoo may not be able to fight, but we do have an exceptionally large energy trail to mask your own! Once you are no longer followed, we will all warp away in opposite directions to further disorient the enemy. If there is anything else you require of me-"
Aquamarine's snapping voice was almost inaudible over the fray. "This is my moment, you glory hogs! At least let me see up front."
"Steven," Jasper's scratchy voice came through. She was in a smaller ship for one she had more than likely stolen. "We'll have the Metal Boy's running in circles. Get back to Earth."
"Thanks, you guys." Steven muttered. "Just, don't get killed."
Jasper gave a thumbs up. "As you wish, my Diamond!" Her screen blinked off, followed by all the others. The cluster of rogue Gem ships buzzed the Alloy vessel in confusing circles. They stayed just out of laser fire, shooting at the engines, stalling the larger Alloy ship.
"Let's put this chance to good use! Get us home." Lars ordered.
The Gem's Revenge blasted away, leaving the Alloy vessel in its wake.