Chapter Twenty-One: Shock

The dry wind blew over the sun-baked desert, but it was no match for BAINE's helicopters. They flew in from the west, the setting sun behind them. "All birds, lock on target," said their commander. They approached the Sunset Apogee, particularly aiming for its antenna. "Fire when ready."

A barrage of missiles was unleashed, racing towards the half-buried ship. One after another, they collided with its hull, which remained relatively undamaged. Despite taking the brunt of the assault, the antenna remained in one piece as well.

Within the vessel, Fitz and Mr. Echo hunkered down, watching the attack from the safety of the ship's inner sanctum. "Looks like the day we've dreaded is finally here," said Fitz. "Should I activate the defenses?"

"Please do," Echo said.

Outside, a number of white spires shot up from the ground, energy crackling at their tips. Beams of heat fired from them, searing the helicopters unlucky enough to be targeted. Worse still, the sides of these spires opened up, and an army of Rhinestones began pouring out.

From a safe distance, Director Mills remotely monitored the skirmish. "Ground troops, prepare to move in!" he ordered. A number of jeeps began speeding towards the Sunset Apogee, accompanied by a hail of gunfire. Two of them carried Fireteam Victor, swerving to avoid returning fire.

Ichigo cradled some explosives in the shotgun seat of one of these jeeps. "So, um, these things have a higher yield than usual, so can you maybe try to ease up on those bumps?" he asked.

Luke, behind the wheel, was making no effort to avoid the Rhinestones in his path. In fact, he was going out of his way to run as many over as he could. "Sorry, what was that?" he shouted. "I couldn't hear you over the kill-streak I'm on!"

In the back of the vehicle, Rook manned a turret, aiming for the Rhinestones that Luke or the others missed. Although fragile, their shots could add up at these numbers. He also did his best to shoot at the spires, both to prevent more of them from appearing, and to stop them from shooting down their helicopters. Their beams couldn't reach them on the ground, which was good, they would need all the firepower they could get to win this fight.

Another jeep swerved to the side to avoid a helicopter crashing into the sand, its blades narrowly missing them. "Woah! Almost got a free haircut there!" said Farouk. "How we doing in the back?"

Hester sniped distant Rhinestones behind them, while Bridge took care of any that came too close. "Never better!" she said, felling another one. "Are we almost there?"

The imposing image of the Sunset Apogee extended towards the sky just a few hundred feet away. "Getting closer!" Farouk called. The jeeps began to converge, forming a ring around the ship's base. At least, the part closest to the ground. Much of it was still likely hidden beneath the surface.

Having made its way past the ship's external deterrents, only one defense remained: its impenetrable hull. Once the jeeps stopped, Ichigo and several others spilled out, preparing to set up their explosives. But the Rhinestones had not yet halted their efforts, beginning to surround the cluster of troopers.

Captain Steele leapt over the hood of one of the vehicles, firing at the constructs. "Quartzbreakers, form up!" he shouted. Vargas and the others clad in white moved to the front of the pack, each one unleashing a stream of plasma towards their enemies. The Rhinestones fired back, but their armor held strong.

As the detonators were attached to the side of the ship, they began to heat the hull with Gem technology built into them. Though they couldn't burn through the impenetrable material, they could make it substantially more malleable. Ichigo, climbing into the back of the jeep, held his detonator at the ready, waiting for the signal.

Steele made sure everybody was in cover before giving it. "Now!" Each of the bombs detonated in sequence, blowing holes in the ship's side. Some were larger than others, with a few too small to offer access. This was expected, and there were more than enough doorways for almost everyone.

"Everyone, move to infiltrate!" shouted Bridge. He waited by the hole as most of Fireteam Victor filed into the ship along with several others. "Vargas, cover us!"

Vargas continued making short work of Echo's forces along with his fellow Quartzbreakers. "Trust me, they ain't getting through!" he said, watching as they fell in droves before his gunfire.

As BAINE infiltrated the Sunset Apogee, the two waiting beneath were well aware. "And they made it inside," said Fitz. "Is it time to abandon ship?"

"I would say so," Echo replied. He picked up his suitcase nuke, making his way over to the warp pad he had procured. "Do we have an ETA on our other guests arriving?"

Fitz shook his head. "Without BAINE's satellites, we have no way of knowing when they'll get here, if at all. And even if they do, how can you be so sure they'll head to Beach City?"

"When you've lived as long as I have, you learn to see patterns in the way things work," Echo replied. "They'll be here soon, we just need to have faith. Now get this thing started, and hold them back for as long as you can."

Although Fitz didn't look too keen on his assignment, he did as he was told. From the console, he powered up the warp pad, energy flowing into it from multiple cables. Mr. Echo stepped onto it, waiting to be transported away. "Losing one Diamond put a pretty big dent in their operations," he said. "Let's see how they like losing a few more.

Mr. Echo grinned. "I will see you on the other side, my brother." A pillar of light shot up from the warp pad, consuming his form. And then, he was gone.

Now alone, Fitz went into the next room to suit up. In addition to some armor he had kept from his SEEN days, he also picked up his piece de resistance: a riot shield enhanced with Gem material. It fit on his arm just as good as all those years ago. "Let's see 'em get past this."

Over in BAINE's temporary command post, made up of a van and a couple tents, Valdain watched over their assault from afar. "Our units have breached the enemy ship, Director," he reported. "Fortune permitting, Mr. Echo's operations should be suspended within the hour."

But Mills was not so optimistic. "If I know Mr. Echo, he will have more defenses than merely the physical," he said. "No doubt there is another layer to his plans that we have yet to find. I only pray it is not too late by the time we do."

"Whatever that may be, I am sure our warriors can handle it," Valdain replied. Noticing some strange readings, he peered closer into the monitor. "That's…odd. I seem to be picking up some manner of interference. It looks like it's coming from the satellite network."

Mills went over to check it out as well. "Odd indeed. I've been privy to this network for years now, and I've never seen readings quite like these before. Perhaps this could be caused by the modifications you made?"

Now that he mentioned it, two satellites being destroyed might have messed up the network a bit. "I'll see if I can re-link the remaining units and see what we have," he said, taking a moment to do just that. "It appears to have detected some readings from–" He fell silent. If a robot could go pale, his metal would be pure white. "That's… No, not now, not now, of all times!"

Of course, Mills knew something was terribly wrong. "What is it?" he asked, as the Koh'i'Noor began frantically checking and rechecking the data.

"It seems my early-warning system works as intended," said Valdain. "It just now detected not one, but two Gem warships approaching Earth at hyper-light speeds. They will arrive in a matter of minutes–and their destination seems to be the eastern coast of our home continent."

"Beach City…" Mills said quietly. So this was what Echo had been planning. Send out a signal to Homeworld, and get them to bring their armies to him. This, coupled with a nuclear device, led to only one logical conclusion. "He's going to nuke the Homeworld Gems," he said.

"And annihilate Beach City in the process," Valdain finished. "Not only that, but I fear his plan will only enrage the Gems further. An attack on the Diamonds, even an unsuccessful one, will surely doom our world."

They didn't have many options left. Mills had played all his cards for attacking Echo's base that there weren't any forces who could get to Beach City in time. He had them trapped, helpless as he carried out the rest of his plan unhindered, either not knowing or not caring that it would backfire. But wait…he had to have a way of getting to Beach City. After all, he had not been observed leaving the Sunset Apogee. "Our only hope is to intercept him before he can set off the bomb."

"I reached the same conclusion," said Valdain. Looking between the screen and the ship, he decided he had to take action. Taking a moment to grab a firearm, he then raced off in the direction of the battle.

Mills may not have had a plan, but he figured running into the middle of a firefight was a poor option. "Where are you going!?" he called after him.

"Hopefully, to save the world!" Valdain shouted back, resuming his journey. Mr. Echo no doubt had quite the head-start on them, so he had to move fast. Every second could mean the difference between salvation, or extinction.

The interior of the Sunset Apogee was dimly-lit, no doubt a conscious choice by its new owners. "Split up," said Steele. "Delta, Romeo, you're with me. Victor, Lima, head downstairs." The Fireteams took on their respective assignments, keeping watch for any Rhinestones waiting for them within.

Nobody was exactly sure how big the ship was, but they had expected it to be much bigger than what they saw on the surface, which seemed to be the case. "Like walking into a house of horrors," Hester noted. "You never know what's about to jump out at you."

Indeed, the group could only guess as to what kind of defenses Echo had in place. Accompanied by their fellows, they descended into the depths of the Sunset Apogee, which seemed to have been abandoned.

"Hey, over here!" said Luke. His Fireteam approached to see what looked like a bunch of oil in a pit. "Think this is the fuel reservoir?"

Bridge wasn't so sure. "I doubt a Gem ship would run on crude oil, even if it had been modified. This is clearly for something else. But what, I have no clue."

"Could be good for getting somebody's attention," said James. "Light this all up, they'll come running."

"This much oil could burn real good," Bridge agreed. "Alright, first let's get somewhere safer, then Ichigo, I want you to–"

A bolt of plasma streaked through the air, cutting off his order. "Contact!" shouted Farouk, taking cover as a horde of Rhinestones crawled out of the shadows. Some seemed to be climbing up from within the pit, emerging from the dark fluid. Everyone else took cover as well to return fire.

Everyone was so focused on the Rhinestones that they failed to notice the figure creeping around behind them. Bridge shot burst after burst at the foes, not realizing that someone had singled him out among the BAINE troops. That is, until he felt himself grabbed by the shoulder, and shoved onto his back. He only had a second to react as the armored figure brought down a shield onto the floor, rolling out of the way at the last moment.

"Gotta say, I'm impressed you made it this far!" said the figure. Bridge knew that voice: Fitz. "You've come a long way from being that roughshod rookie I fought back on the beach…but so have I." He pulled out a pistol, firing a few shots off at Bridge as he dove for cover.

Fitz's sudden attack did not go unnoticed, as it drew James' attention away from the Rhinestones. "Captain!" He took aim at this strange soldier, firing a burst. Fitz blocked with his shield, sparks exploding from the metal as the bullets made contact. "Over here, we've got–!" He took cover as Fitz fired back.

While he was distracted, Bridge worked his way behind Fitz, firing off a blast with his shotgun. Though Fitz's armor took the brunt of the impact, he still staggered a bit, enabling Bridge to get in close enough to throw a punch. But Fitz raised his shield to block, Bridge's fist hitting metal. And more than that, a surge of white-hot pain then shot through his body, lasting only a split-second before hurling him back.

Electricity coursed through Fitz's shield as he laughed at Bridge's failed attack. "You're slipping, old man. World's moving on without you and your merry men!" He stepped closer, swinging his shield to deliver another shock. Bridge fell back and fired another slug, but the electrified shield absorbed the blow. "You can't win here–why would you even want to?"

As his back was turned, Luke charged in, leaping onto Fitz's back as James covered him. "Because we don't want jackasses like you deciding things for us!" he said, attempting to wrestle him to the ground. Fitz responded by driving his shield against Luke's faceplate, and again, before throwing him off, and smacking him once more for good measure.

"You should know better than any of these spineless wimps, Svartign," he said, shaking his head at his former comrade. "You really think you can beat Homeworld with firepower? With Rose's band of misfits? Nah…we've gotta outsmart them! We've gotta stop playing by their rules! Stop relying on the Crystal Gems to fight our battles for us!"

Before he could continue, Fitz was bashed in the back of his head by Daniel's shotgun. "Do we look like we let them fight for us?" he said as his enemy stumbled. He and Luke both aimed their weapons at Fitz, moving to either side of him.

He looked back and forth between them, but refused to let himself be beaten. "Cute. Did you forget that we've got an army of our own?" Without so much as a gesture, the Rhinestones turned towards the duo, forcing them back with a barrage of plasma. Fitz was unconcerned as hot plasma shot past him, strolling through the fire without a care. "You're not getting to Mr. Echo, not on my watch!"

With the horde's attention diverted, Hester noticed the pair's plight. She turned her rifle to the side and fired a shot at Fitz. Although he blocked the bullet with his shield, the impact still nearly threw it out of his hand. James used this distraction to charge him, tacking him to the ground.

As the two exchanged blows, James hid behind Fitz's shield from the incoming blasts from the Rhinestones. He tried to wrench it out of his grasp, using his other hand to keep Fitz from leveling his pistol at his head. Daniel approached, aiming his shotgun right at Fitz's head. "Don't move."

"Oh no?" Fitz kicked James, throwing him up over his head and in the way of Daniel's gun. He then reached out to grab Daniel's leg while he was distracted, pulling it out from under him and dropping him to a knee. Pushing James off of himself, he then got up and slammed his shield against Daniel's face, once again electrifying him and throwing him back.

With the three continuing to tussle, Ichigo couldn't get a good shot at Fitz without hitting his teammates. "Come on, come on, move!" he said. ""We've gotta do something!"

"What does it look like I'm doing!?" shouted Luke, pinned down by Rhinestones.

"Ichigo! The oil!" Ichigo turned as Farouk called, pointing towards the well of black fluid. He reached down to a spare explosive he had stashed in his vest, realizing what he meant. It was risky, but he was not averse to taking risks.

Activating the bomb, Ichigo prepared to dive out from behind cover. "Cover me!" he called, before darting out and hurling it into the pit. The others kept the Rhinestones occupied with gunfire as he did so, and he quickly dashed back behind a pillar. "Everyone get ready for some fireworks!" With that, he pressed the trigger.

The charge detonated, blasting a few of the newly-formed Rhinestones to pieces. But more than that, the explosion set the oil alight, turning it into a massive bonfire that lit up the room, sending heat blasting across everyone present. The Rhinestones that weren't in the bomb's direct range were instantly set alight, dropping like flies.

Fitz held up his shield to block the heat, realizing just how much of his army was no longer around. "You…!" He prepared to bash Daniel aside, but James grabbed hold of his shield, once again trying to wrench it from his grasp. Daniel fired a shot right into Fitz's back, distracting him enough to drop the shield. James threw it to the ground, continuing to grapple with him.

Holding James back, Fitz reached for his sidearm, eventually managing to unholster it. He fired several bullets into James' side, causing him to release his grip. Now that he had the upper hand, Fitz slammed his full weight against James, pushing him towards the railing.

Daniel, sensing his teammate was about to be chucked to his fiery demise, aimed his shotgun at Fitz and prepared to fire. Just before he could, a Rhinestone descended upon him, shortly followed by a few more clustering around him. "Take him down!" he yelled to his Fireteam, unable to do so himself.

It seemed like the remaining Rhinestones had descended upon everyone nearby to prevent them from doing just that. However, Luke was able to free his rifle from their grip, aiming it at Fitz. "I got you, buddy!" he said, waiting until James wasn't in his line of fire.

Continuing to wrestle with James, Fitz prepared to throw him into the pit of fire. "You all think you've got this all handled, huh?" he spat. "Well, who's got you handled nARGH!" He cried out and stumbled as a hail of bullets collided with his back. James used this opportunity to push him back, hitting the deck once he was free.

"Hester, do it!" he shouted. Hester took aim without even using her scope, and fired. Before Fitz even knew what was happening, the shot threw him over the railing, tumbling down into the burning oil. James got to his feet, staring down into the flames. "Yeah. I'd say we've got it covered."

The others cleaned up the remaining Rhinestones before converging by the door. "This area's clear," said Farouk. "Echo has to be ahead–there's only so many places he can go."

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Bridge, leading the way into the next room. "We don't even know how big this ship is. He could have an entire warehouse full of those Rhinestones down here." They readied themselves for any attacks, but none came as they investigated.

Thankfully, the ship didn't seem to be much larger, with only a small workbench and a room filled with wires remaining. The latter proved to be the more interesting of the two–"Hey guys?" said Ichigo, calling everyone over. "I think you'll want to see this…"

Far from just being filled with wires, the room seemed to be connected to the ship's main power source itself, which had been mostly drained. Most distressingly, however, was what all of the wires connected to in the center. "Is that what I think it is?" asked Hester.

James had seen plenty of those in his time. "A warp pad," he confirmed. "If Echo's managed to infiltrate the warp network, he could be anywhere on the planet by now." If he had escaped, then that meant they were back to square one. There was no way to know where Echo–or his bomb–had gone.

"You see?" Everyone turned around, aiming their weapons at the source of the sound. To their shock, Fitz had managed to climb his way out of the pit, his armor charred but otherwise intact. He pulled himself over the railing, walking towards them with a noticeable limp. "You BAINE chumps aren't the ones who gets to decide humanity's future–that's all up to Mr. Echo! He'll be the one to free us from those damn aliens, whether you like it or not! You can't stop him from saving the world!"

"Can't we?" Another voice spoke, this one much more welcome. Vargas appeared, his blaster leveled at Fitz's form. "So, were you planning on trying anything else, or was that all you had to say?" Fitz, having just been chucked into a pit of burning oil, as well as losing his weapons, figured the best thing to do now would be to get on his knees and put his hands on his head. "That's what I like to see." Fireteam Lima moved in to secure him.

Vargas wasn't alone. "Good, good, you've cleared out most of his forces," said Valdain, dashing over to the console. "But I'm afraid this is no time for celebration. There is far more at stake now."

"You're telling me," said Luke. "We think Echo managed to teleport himself away. If we can't find out where he went–"

Valdain interrupted. "Right now, Echo is the least of our worries. Just moments ago, BAINE satellites detected a pair of Gem warships approaching Earth." A palpable shock washed over the soldiers. "Based on the timing, they should have already arrived. And if the readings are correct, we know exactly where they were headed: Beach City."

All of that put together, it looked like Homeworld was launching a massive attack against the Crystal Gems. "So that's his plan," said Daniel. "Lure Homeworld's forces to Earth, and then detonate his nuke."

"He's even more insane than I thought," said Hester. "We have to stop him, before he wipes out our last line of defense! Not to mention all those civilians!"

"Indeed. Not to mention, assuming the Diamonds are here in person, a nuclear device of that caliber will only enrage them further." Valdain continued to type away on the computer. "The coordinates for his destination are already entered. Unfortunately, this ship no longer has enough energy for a warp. Luckily, I have a solution." He hurried over to the warp pad, and began attaching the wires to himself.

"Hold on, are you doing what I think you are?" asked Farouk. "Because if you are, I don't think that's wise…"

He continued to hook himself up. "I agree, but we have no other options. If Echo is not stopped, he will annihilate this world's best hope against Homeworld, while likely turning this planet into an even larger target. I am the only thing powerful enough to charge this warp pad–and even then, only enough for one trip. Everyone who is going, get into place."

Fireteam Victor climbed atop the warp pad, huddling together. "I'm gonna miss you, Valdain," Ichigo said sadly. "You were the best robot friend a guy could ask for."

"What? Do not worry, this will not be fatal," he quickly clarified, to their relief. "It will take me a day or two to recharge, but this will otherwise have no ill effects. I hope."

Farouk stayed nearby as everyone got into position. "I'll make sure he gets outta here okay," he said. "You lot go save the world!"

Once he was hooked up, Valdain prepared to activate the warp pad. "Initiating matter transportation sequence. If all goes well, I will see you on the other side. If not…then I suppose we shall meet on the other other side." With a growing hum, the machinery began to activate. His eyes flickered as his energy was drained, flowing into the crystalline platform. A beam of white light emerged, consuming Fireteam Victor.

When it dissipated, they had vanished. His job done, Valdain powered down, collapsing to the ground. Farouk caught him before he could fall, looking at where the team had been standing. "Never thought the whole planet would depend on some of us…again," he said. "Good luck, Bridge and friends. We're all counting on you."

Briefcase in hand, Mr. Echo appeared atop the warp pad. He studied his surroundings, finding himself inside a beachside cabin that seemed to have been recently destroyed. And the cause soon became obvious: a fierce battle was underway on the sand just beyond the house, the Crystal Gems locked in combat with none other than Blue Diamond, her ship hovering just beyond them.

"Welcome back to Earth, your majesty," he said, opening the briefcase. He prepared to set the timer, only to realize that something wasn't quite right. A glance to the side revealed that Yellow Diamond's ship was also present, engaged in an arm-wrestling match with some sort of fleshy red limb emerging from the Earth's crust. "Hmm. I never factored the Cluster into this. No matter. All things in time."

He closed the case, slipping out of the ruined house and heading towards the abandoned town. He had planned for this–all he had to do was wait for both Diamonds to be together. And if BAINE showed up to try and stop him? He'd planned for that too.

AN: Phew! Sorry this one took so long, I had a busy week. Hopefully the next one won't be held up, but be prepared just in case. We're in the final stretch!