Gems in the Rough (1x1 W/ Sabatron)

[ForLackofaBetterName]

A lifeless planet was what it was. Perhaps, if one looked close enough, they might see the life that it had once held. Perhaps, it would have been hard to believe that there was enough substance for plant life once, or that, there had been a civilization that called the barren landscape 'home'.

There was some activity on such a planet. Homeworld had no reason to care about organic life, and certainly not if it got in the way. Homeworld, for the most part, cared about one thing: results. Kindergartens harbored results, and this planet was the result of the consequences that came from them.

And results were what Galaxite was going to get. It was hard to really distinguish yourself from your fellow gems in Homeworld, just another cut, another facet of the same gem-- perhaps, if you were rare, you might be considered noteworthy. Otherwise... only those that proved themselves could rise to the top. Get special consideration. Get to the position that she had spent years upon years getting to.

It was not her usual job, watching over these fusion experiments. Perhaps it was a tad contradictory-- 'fusion is for weak gems' is what was constantly taught, but, who was she to question Homeworld? Homeworld's will was her will was what she'd pledged. And certainly, she had no reason to go against what Homeworld wanted. And these gems that lied beneath her, well, maybe they had reason to go against her. But she'd make sure to show that it was a very bad idea to do so. The only ones beneath the gems she had control over were those lowly Sonnile, and those were quashed long ago. Good riddance.

From her position, she watched the fusion experiments. There had been few successful ones, the others...

"Shatter them." she said, watching another fusion fall apart. Homeworld had no room for failures.

And, she was determined to not let this endeavor be one. Even if there were certain... factors involved. Those rebels, namely. She grit her teeth. The rebels that had fused better than any of their fusions so far, managed to match her in skill, drove her back, forced her to retreat-- she found herself digging her nails into her hands and had to make herself cease the thought, least she lose her composure. Revenge would be satisfying, she promised herself. It was only a matter of when.

 

[Sabatron]

The Redemption. A former Homeworld Gem Warship, vandalized from the looks of it - to which the exterior was now colored purple instead of the usual green. The captain, and it's crew - all former Homeworld gems, were once known to be a 'desperately' formed taskforce underneath Yellow Diamond's command. After the extreme pressure the Great Diamond Authority has put under her, she decided to try to prove to them that she was worthy of being a 'leader'. Despite their esteemed combat prowess, they weren't the most loyal to the Homeworld.

A botched mission here - a little imprisonment here - an escape attempt spearheaded by a crafty gem, and they ended up on a heavily armed Gem Warship - the Redemption, docked on the prison colony. Managing to rouse a riot, and afterwards loading all of the gems, the ones that wanted to stay with her are now her loyal crew aboard the ship.

She realized that the Diamonds didn't care about the well being of their fellow gems, no - they were only after their selfish goals. While their new occupation was kind of ironic to that notion, they never actively raided rebellion bases - of course, they raided military compounds and looted battle sites and ruins, to find the hidden loot inside.

The infamous Spinel and her crew of raiders were always something that the Homeworld gems feared when they saw their highly modified ship in their scanners. Blasting through blockades, taking down boarding parties with fusions, and taking more and more parts from other ships - Spinel, the former Captain of Taskforce Cadmium. While she was highly advertised through propaganda as the 'Failure of the Gem Revolution', she has defeated many foes, and took down many ships with the Redemption. This, and the desperate attempts by the Homeworld Gems to attack them, only made them more feared throughout the sector.

But Spinel wasn't a hero. She was really just a gem who thought of ways to survive. Many times, she doesn't play fair. Duels usually end up with her underlings covering for her. But that doesn't mean she can't handle a few foes on her own - but she didn't see herself as a shining gem leader. She's just Spinel, a leader to many of these gem 'misfits' and 'outcasts'.

A broken down signal from what appears to be a Homeworld base emits softly from the scanners, to which she prompts her navigator to set a course. It was on the outskirts of several desert planets - due to the proximity of the sun, day cycles last for over 52 hours, causing most life to die - forcing what organic matter to adapt to survive. But, due to this trait, scanner signals were weak due to how close the sun was - making it a perfect grounds for a hidden base.

Warping in, she looked through the viewfinder, seeing the extent of the damage. A massive battle, with several Gem Warships in varying states of destruction and disarray. With her pilot expertly weaving the ship through the space debris, she saw the base. An abandoned asteroid laboratory, by the looks of it.

She knew the risks of taking her crew in there. They were needed on the ship, as the rest were still recovering. She could only take one, and it seems like the least 'useful to maintaining and operating the ship' was the Cat. She looked beside her, looking at the cat-like being and crossed her arms.

"Well pal, looks like we're going to be going on an adventure then."

 

[ForLackofaBetterName]

Cat gazed at the innumerable number of stars. It had been years since she had been allowed to join Spinel's crew, and even now, seeing the stars this close still amazed her. Sometimes, if she saw one she liked, she might zoom in on it, but she knew this could be a bad idea, given how often the ship could engage in sudden combat.

She was never made to map the stars, that was what she was always told, but, Diamond damn her (and she was certain that the Diamonds must have damned the crew multiple times), she did it anyways. In her corner of the ship there were star maps scattered all about. It seemed like a daunting task to try and find one's way through the vastness of space, but Cat had always seen it as some sort of puzzle. Notes scattered here and there-- avoid this sector, an asteroid field laid there. Over here, there might be a planet? Gathering clues from other maps, their own radars, and her own observations, it was like trying to solve a mystery that was never going to be solved-- and Cat was sincerely glad for that. What else could she possibly do if all of space was mapped?

That being said, however, Cat never really partook in much of the action. She was capable of fighting, with her trusty bow and arrow, but that was more for the planned sniping of her original intentions as a Homeworld scout. Trying to aim her bow and arrow in the middle of a heated battle was more likely to get her poofed if she was lucky. She directed their general course, and the actual location was for most of the more battle-hardy gems to take on. Sometimes she might come, but only if it were absolutely certain that they could take the dangers that might lie ahead. So, usually, she would stay on the ship to await the results. Cat was content with this, more than happy to try and plot out a particularly tricky section. It beat staying on the life-less Homeworld colony any day. ... Sometimes she did wonder, though. She loved the stars, but other planets caught her curiosity too-- what did they look like when seen closer than a space-eye's view? What lied on their surfaces?

There was a signal, and a course had to be made. With a hearty "Aye aye Capt'in!" she set to work, making the best possible route for them. What would they find this time? It was after she made the course that it was out of her hands and into the pilot's-- she's always trusted them. You could map all you want, but it didn't mean anything if you didn't have a good pilot to get the ship there in one piece. Looks like they found some sort of lab?

Now was the question of who to take, who to take... there were a lot less candidates this time around-- particularly because of the ambiguity of this location. The decision was up to Spinel, as always.

Cat's slitted eyes looked up in surprise when Spinel's choice turned out to be her-- in hindsight, it made sense. Besides... as much as she loved this ship, it'd be nice to get some sights off of it. She nodded, stepping forward, "Aye, Capt'in!" She eagerly looked up at Spinel, "I'm ready whenever ya' are." An adventure! This should be fun.

 

[Sabatron]

Captain Spinel. The same rank and name most gems on this ship and her former company. It was still hard to imagine how much they were willing to make her the leader. While she was designed to be an effective leader, most Spinels - her included, were really horrible at dealing with emotions. She has her breakdowns, especially when faced with harrowing tasks - but the faces of the gems who fought with her, determined to face the enemy or charging face first into death - and coming out alive. Without her crew, she would probably just give up. She'd probably never have a reason to escape.

And so, she looked over to the short-wave warp pad that allows them to land on the surface safely. Motioning for the pilot to scan the sector and perform salvage runs - she led Cat towards the transporter warp pads, standing on the shiny, crystalline warp pad, her boots clinking with each step, as she relaxes a bit, standing straight. "Sorry that I had to drag you into this. It's just that if the ship gets boarded, the rest of the crew might be in trouble if I take Jasper. Or Amethyst. Or Ruby. Y'know..." She says, as the warp pad shimmers with a bright cyan light. It whisks both of them away, sending then down to the surface of the ruined Diamond base.

She recognized the architecture. The emphasis on grace and elegance - but ruined due to the space battle. A mural etched in the granite reveals to whom this base belonged to. The familiar hue - it was Blue Diamond. She rubbed the back of her head, scanning it with her gem eye - trying to check if the stairs leading to the control room was active.

Taking a few tentative steps, she saw how bad the battle was. Shattered gems, pieces and fragments of once living gems were all over the place, like broken glass. Their deaths made exploring this place harder that it would have been. Spinel was careful enough not to step on the broken and shattered gem fragments, ready to draw her blade in case she might need to. The dark and desolate halls shone a bit brighter - but more and more gem shards and weapons littered the ground. The hallway ended, and thus - she laid eyes on what lie on the other side.

Bodies. A species unknown to her. Mettalic in form, yet almost similar to humans. Their faces are generally human like, but their bodies are covered in metal, as if they were made of metal itself, or some sort of strong alloy. These corpses surrounded the middle of this room, guns and swords in their cold, dead hands - as they seemed to be huddled around an odd, golden warp pad. No other structure nor any other 'control panel' or whatnot was in there. Just the corpses surrounding an elevated warp pad in the middle.

"This is strange. What do you make of all this, Cat?"

 

[ForLackofaBetterName]

Cat followed Spinel with quick steps, onto the warp pads that would take them to their destination. She adjusted her feet-- A feeling of excitement overtook her, the unknown of what could happen next... who knows what they might see! There was just as much of a chance there could be disaster and danger as much as there could be luck and fortune, but, that was to be expected with Spinel's crew. If you wanted order and the expected, then, well... she would say that you would be better off joining a Homeworld colony, but the crew made quick work of those.

After warping, Cat quickly shook her head, her hair bobbing at the movement, "Don't worry Capt'in! S'better t' make sure we still have a ship for our treasures."

She let Spinel take the first steps, while taking her own look around the ruins. It looked vaguely familiar, certainly denoting to a Diamond. Seeing the mural, she managed to recall the figure: Blue Diamond. She personally had served under Yellow Diamond, and remembered the more militaristic, authoritative designs of her bases. Was she ever glad to have gotten away from such dreaded structures.

The sight ahead was... a rather gruesome one, to say the least. The remains of now shattered gems lied on the ground, some glittery light reflecting off of their surface. Cat knew from stories of gems who'd come back from a successful raid that shattered gems were sometimes unavoidable, whether by accident or otherwise... But, seeing their pieces in front of her... How long had they been here, Cat wondered. She treaded carefully, avoiding the gem shards as much as she could. Her previous curiosity was mitigated, a mix of wanting to see the ruins and not wanting to dwell on the sight on the ruin floor for too long.

Now the next sight, however... very, very curious. Certainly not gems, that was certain. Gems rarely, if ever, contained metal, let alone physical bodies made of metal. Another species. But what species? Cat couldn't tell. She studied the corpses, zooming into a few to try and gather some sort of subtle clue, but, it was more of the same, just in more detail... But, what caught her attention, was what most of the corpses seemed to be surrounding. She could see enough to tell that it had to be a warp pad.

Cat had a contemplative, focused expression, "Well, for one, it sure was a battle if I ev'r did see one." she said, making her way towards the warp pad, "And this..." she peeked over a corpse, gazing at the warp-pad, "... To me, it almost seems as'if they were tryin' t'... protect this." she paused, "'They' bein' the metal beings we see e'rywhere." she said, "Prolly from gems, from the looks of it-- Must have been Homeworld gems, given where we're at." her face turned dour for a moment with her own mention of them, "So, that bein' said... I dunno if I can say for certain if they were successful." she paused, looking around the room before looking back to the warp pad.

"... Yep, it seems as if there ain't much else here but this warp-pad here. If we want t' continue, I'd say we have t' take it." Cat looked at Spinel, to give the final say as to whether they would follow this warp-pad or not. She felt... apprehensive, particularly after seeing the remains of this battle. Who knows what might come next... From an active battle, Homeoworld gems-- it was still unsure as to whether this metal species was a friendly one towards gems in particular, given what seemed to occur here. She took a deep breath, she couldn't be cowardly here. There was never any room for cowardice within the crew.

 

[Sabatron]

Spinel quickly stepped up, readying her weapon as the remnants of shattered gems and humans almost seemingly made of metal - an amalgam of flesh and metal. She wasn't a stranger to the gruesome scenes she was exposed to, as she simply observed this rare indigenous species. Just one of the many species ruined for the Diamond Authority's twisted schemes. She shook the thoughts of what they did to their cities, their culture - smashing it just to take over their planet. But this warp pad was strange, almost different. It was as if it was beckoning for her, as she shifted her gaze to Cat.

"We should take it, but... it should just be the both of us. Taking the rest with us might endanger the crew. Besides, you're a good scout. You'll be a good help out... wherever this leads." Spinel slowly strode over, being careful not to step on any of the shattered crystals or corpses, breathing deeply. This was another great adventure - so it would seem, but she never was that confident in Cat's fighting ability. Nevertheless, she wasn't one to judge. She improved over the course of their adventures - and while she looked quirky and weird, she was a better fighter, and even more agile than her in some regards.

Eventually, the warp pad glowed with a bright, orange hue - surrounding them in the light as she hovered up in the air, and up and beyond, as the both of them were sent to an otherworldly realm, where the warp pads 'transition' to the receiving warp pad. It didn't take long for a strong gust of nearly scalding hot wind rushed up to her face. Looking above, she saw what planet they were standing on. A desolate, abandoned planet - with little to no life, apart from the faint silhouettes of what seemed to be large structures, covered in layers upon layers of sand.

The warp pad was still there, and mysteriously free of sand - despite the sand storms blowing in every once in a while on a planet such as this, as she tried to locate any life anywhere. "Cat. What are your findings on this planet?" She asked, pulling out two of her signature weapon from her eye gem, twirling the twin daggers and simply darting her eyes left and right. "I hope there aren't any Homeworld gems here. We don't have any cover." She said, testing how stable the sand was with a tentative step forward. The sand was sturdy enough that she walked forward, climbing up the northern dune as she ventured forth.

Climbing over the dune with Cat, she saw a better view on what seemed to be the singular structure nearest to them, the crumbling concrete skyscraper seemingly and haphazardly repaired, and with the lower part more reinforced than the top - as she tried to use her own abilities, focusing hard enough that she could take a closer look on the shattered glass windows, but when she moved her gaze lower and lower, signs of makeshift reinforcement with what seemed to be sheets of metal made her raise an eyebrow. "Cat? I think there's... life in there. What do you think?"

 

[ForLackofaBetterName]

Of course, Spinel said yes. Cat wasn't about to peg Spinel for someone who would turn-tail so early into an adventure... but, just the two of them. No other gems to help with combat and the like. 'Besides, you're a good scout'-- Cat smiled upon hearing Spinel's reassurance. And if Spinel thought taking her was a good idea them, well, Cat wasn't about to give Spinel a reason to think otherwise! She joined Spinel on the warp pad, and it engulfed their bodies in light as it transported them to the connecting warp pad, their next destination on this adventure...

Cat was immediately greeted with the sweltering heat, and some sand dancing on the landscape. This was a desert, no doubt about it... except, in her observations, even those tended to have some form of life. Here? Nada. As she tried to look closely for any form of activity, it became apparent that something cleared the lifeforms that were once here..., "... Capt'in, my guess is that somethin' must 'ave drained any sort of life this place could, and should have..." she looked to Spinel, "I honestly think there's gotta' be some sorta' kindergarten on here." She was drawing from her previous experience of having lived on a Homeworld colony, and this place was very, very similar to the symptoms of one... "I think there'sa' chance this place could be abandoned..." Cat followed suit in pulling out her bow and arrow from the cream-colored gem on her fore-head, "But it certainly doesn't hurt t' be careful."

As Cat followed Spinel and saw the same building, she used her close-sight abilities to, like Spinel, maybe get some sort of useful clue, "Mm." she said, thinking for a moment, "... I agree, cap'in. And unless this is the crudest Homeworld colony known t' gems, then I don't think this here structure is owned by Homeworld." Cat gave another close look, just to be sure and-- something moved, "Capt'in! I saw somethin'!" she followed the distant movement, multicolored figures in the distance, "I... I think they might be gems."

So focused on what was going on in the distance, she didn't take notice of the gems uncovering themselves from beneath the sand, until one appeared right in front of her vision, far too close for comfort. Cat was caught off-guard-- far-off bow and arrow sniping was her specialty, but close-quarters combat certainly wasn't, especially in a surprise attack such as this one. By the time she got over her own disorientation from the change of vision, it was already too late-- they were surrounded. She was poised, ready to shoot her bow and arrow, although it would do little versus the number of gems around them, all barring their weapons towards the two pirates.

"... Wait." One commented, looking over them, "They don't look like Homeworld gems." They pointed towards their attire, "See? They're not wearing the usual triangles."

"Could be spies." Suggested another.

"We aren't spies, and we aren't with Homeworld either." Cat quickly pipped up, not about to be mistaken for being affiliated with who she defected from.

There was much talk amongst the gems as to what to do with them, all while holding their weapons out still. Cat might have snuck in a shot, if she thought she could get away with it. She frowned, disappointed within herself-- if Spinel had any doubts about taking Cat, then surely they'd have been proven now.

"Why not bring them to Tanzanite? She'd know what to do with them." Said one gem, and the others paused before sounding their agreement. So, it was decided-- they'd be brought to Tanzanite. The gems pushed them forward towards the curious building.

"Who's Tanzanite?" asked Cat, but they were all unwilling to answer her. It seemed that they'd only find out when they saw her. Must have been some leader figure, given the slight authority she seemed to have. They would have to find out, "... Cap'tin." Cat murmured to Spinel, "I'm sorry-- If I'd been payin' more 'ttention, then, maybe we wouldn't'of been in this mess... Ha, it's been awhile since I've been a scout, hasn't it?"

 

[Sabatron]

Spinel, of course - felt the desolation first hand. Looking past the dunes and around the local area, it was clear that this place was touched by the iron grip that restrained her and her crew. The Homeworld, and with Cat's initial examination of the planet on it's surface, she knew that with that fact - this planet used to be lush, filled and teeming with life. Yet, when she gazed upon this dead desert planet, she knew it's touch corrupted this planet. While she may not be a shining beacon of goodness, she knows that preying on the weak is beyond her - and yet the gutless Homeworld Diamonds do it regularly, not even doing it themselves - but relying on disposable lackeys and loyal lapdogs to die for their own rotten schemes.

It seems like her own emotional discomfort over this planet was what made her crinkle her nose somewhat in disgust at what has happened to this place. She simply stood in the harsh desert winds, the scalding heat bearing down on both the gems as Spinel uncomfortably scanned the area around the large, abandoned and dilapidated tower in search for any clues, not really talking that much - but she did react when Cat called her attention regarding what seemed to be something she saw. She removed her focus, and turned to face her, rather confused - scanning it herself. Cat was right, they were gems. She looked further and examined them, before reverting to her normal vision, grabbing her daggers one by one, swiftly wielding both her blades to face these local gems.

"... Wait." One commented, looking over them, "They don't look like Homeworld gems." They pointed towards their attire, "See? They're not wearing the usual triangles."

"Could be spies." Suggested another.

Spinel responded to their accusations, hissing lightly. "No. We're not with the Homeworld." She was rather downright annoyed that they assumed that - but figuring that she herself was a Spinel - they had the right idea of being suspicious of them.

"Why not bring them to Tanzanite? She'd know what to do with them." Said one gem, and the others paused before sounding their agreement.

Spinel sheathed her blades, and submitted to their will - along with Cat. She figured that this Tanzanite was their leader - and she readied herself to handle the situation peacefully. Either they may be rebels of this land, or pirates. Spinel looked to the side, as Cat was mumbling an apology to her. "Don't apologize. We should have seen this coming." She replies to her, as they were taken into the rather tall steel tower.

 

[ForLackofaBetterName]

Cat nodded. She was right-- the both of them should have been more careful with their lowered defenses, and Cat's own lack of offensive capabilities. Perhaps this encounter could serve as a warning, and a reminder to be far more careful in future situations... that is assuming that these gems decide that the both of them aren't a threat, however. Cat was unused to these sorts of situations, and as usual, decided that Spinel calling the shots here would be for the best. As they entered the tower, she kept herself alert, out of the danger present in this situation... and, out of her pure curiosity. The tower had caught her attention before, so what could possibly lie within it?

The inside held just what you'd expect from the worn-down appearance of the outside. There seemed to be some attempts here and there to repair any damages, but at least half of the damage seemed to be the general wear that time brought to an old location. There was a vertical crease in the wall that one wouldn't notice immediately, as Cat certainly hadn't, although one might think this is only more damage to an already crumbling building. One of the gems stepped towards the wall, pressing onto the wall to reveal hidden buttons. The gem pressed them quickly, like someone who had been through this process numerous times before. It was then that the vertical line in the wall separated, to reveal what looked to be another bare room. Cat tilted her head, unsure as to what the exact... purpose of all this was. Was this an interrogation room, perhaps? She hoped not.

They entered the empty room, and as soon as all the gems were in it, it was with another hidden button push that the doors slammed shut. Thankfully, there were a few lights within the room to keep it from going completely dark. The floor shook, but the gems around them gave little to no reaction, like this was just a part of a routine. Are they... moving? They were! She could feel them going... down. Perhaps, the tower was only meant as a distraction? Or, maybe the gems situated around it were more like look-outs... so, what could possibly be hidden beneath this building?

The floor stopped, and there was slight light from another vertical crease, indicating that they had arrived at another floor. The doors opened... revealing far more than what the building seemed to hold at a first glance. It was far more than what Cat could have guessed. As they were lead out, it wasn't just a room that they were lead to. No, the underground from beyond the tower that led them here was far, far bigger. Big enough to harbor entire buildings, windows illuminating to hint at the activity that was within them, as Cat herself tried to get a closer look at them. Not that the streets of this apparent civilization were bare, as gems passed by the group, curiously looking at them and what business these foreigners could have here. Cat could hear mumbling about 'new recruits'-- she shook her head at this notion. Cat swore herself to Spinel's crew until the day she was shattered. ... In any case, it was very, very apparent that this was far different than what Homeworld society was like. Several different gem types intermingled as they went along their business, although Cat couldn't help but notice that there seemed to be a number of gems that Homeworld would usually denote for combat purposes.

They took a specific path through the underground-city, until they reached a particular building that was more situated towards the back , yet also seemed to stand at the middle of it... perhaps, signifying some importance? Unlike the complicated button-presses and lowered floor that it took to get here, they entered the building effortlessly.

The city had already caught Cat's attention, she didn't know where to begin there-- but this room was also an interesting sight. There were various tools strewn all over the place, along with some machine parts here and there. All along the walls were maps of a planet-- the obvious answer was that this had to be the very planet that they were standing on right now. Cat took interest in trying to decipher what the various symbols on them might mean, if this could help with deciphering the mystery of just what was going on. She soon turned her attention to the large, purple figure that was focused on a particular map, mumbling to herself. Her large, also purple hair obscured her back.

"Tanzanite." A gem said, "We found these gems outside of our base-- the one where we keep watch of things."

Tanzanite turned around, revealing her attire to be rather unique, even among the gems that had captured them and brought them here. She had eyewear that reflected off of the lights, obscuring what emotion they could have held as she examined both of them, "Are they interested in joining us?"

"No-- At least, we don't think. They don't look like Homeworld gems either, but..." the gem looked unsure, seeming cautious of Cat and Spinel.

Tanzanite frowned, pausing for a moment before speaking again, "I can speak to them alone." she said, and continued with, "If they are dangerous, then I'm sure I can handle them. Do I have to remind you of how I handled you-know-who?"

The gems all looked among each other, but confident in their apparent leader's decision, they nodded, before leaving the room.

"I have to say that I'm sorry for their... brashness in handling you." Tanzanite began, "I can tell from appearances alone that you can't be Homeworld gems. But you have to understand where they're coming from here-- it would be horrible if any Homeworld gems were to find this place, and many of the gems here have only tasted freedom for a relatively short time..." she paused, "... I suppose I should ask who both of are, shouldn't I?" she said, "... And, have you too been hiding from Homeworld on this planet...?"

 

[Sabatron]

Spinel wasn't one to be violent, especially when a fellow gem's life was on the line. With how crafty and deceptive the Homeworld might be - what with all their devious tricks and tricky methods, they might try to trick them into believing that they were rebels. Still, they haven't stated their intentions as of yet - but they did seem like the typical sort of 'Crystal Gem' inspired group. In a planet as desolate and lifeless such as this, the only way for them to be rebels in this planet was either through them rebelling from the Homeworld from whatever base, research center, or Kindergarten they spawned from. Still, she couldn't help but feel the looming tower swallow them up, as they were forced to enter. Still, she kept alert, and while they did hint to not being affiliated with the Homeworld in any way, it may all be a ploy. She tried to find opening in their defenses, but they were all either well-trained, or too strong. She decided against breaking free from their grasp, knowing that she was in the middle of unknown territory. That, and she also needed to free Cat as well, and she might be swarmed by these two before she could even blink.

The inside held just what you'd expect from the worn-down appearance of the outside. There seemed to be some attempts here and there to repair any damages, but at least half of the damage seemed to be the general wear that time brought to an old location. There was a vertical crease in the wall that one wouldn't notice immediately, although one might think this is only more damage to an already crumbling building. One of the gems stepped towards the wall, pressing onto the wall to reveal hidden buttons. The gem pressed them quickly, like someone who had been through this process numerous times before. It was then that the vertical line in the wall separated, to reveal what looked to be another bare room. By Spinel's familiarity with Homeworld design, they never tried anything like this - always relying on warp pads and stupid levitating stairs that always needed at least twelve Peridots to repair every time a staircase fell off. All in the glory of 'aesthetic design and majesty'. That was always the Homeworld's downfall. As one of their captors pressed a button, the floor and the entire room shook, causing her to flinch. Then, it felt like they were moving - going deeper down into the subterranean surface. She felt like the tower, and it's technology were linked somewhat, and these 'rebel gems' decided to use their ingenious technology to their advantage.

The elevator stopped - and the doors opened to reveal a wonderful looking urban sprawl. Streets, buildings - homes. An entire city's worth of gems. If they were Homeworld gems, they must have paid the bill to make it seem like they weren't. It was as if they made a city out of an entire cycle's worth of Kindergarten-made gems. The streets weren't teeming with life, as would a normal city in the Homeworld, but people passed, came and go, all giving the odd and curious glance to them, muttering out something like 'new recruits' or something like that. Still, she wasn't convinced they were going to be led into a land of milk and honey, of course.

They took a specific path through the underground-city, until they reached a particular building that was more situated towards the back, yet also seemed to stand at the middle. It seemed like that certain building was made to be where their leader resides - or they were being taken to a judicial building of sorts. Whatever the case, they weren't relying on any tech, just a couple of doors and staircases that led into a sizeable room. Tools strewn all over the place, maps of what seemed to be the very planet they were standing on, and of course - a large, purple figure standing just in front of them, her hair obscuring her looks. She couldn't get a good read on her, that's for sure.

"Tanzanite." A gem said, "We found these gems outside of our base-- the one where we keep watch of things."

Tanzanite turned around, revealing her attire to be rather unique, even among the gems that had captured them and brought them here. She had eyewear that reflected off of the lights, obscuring what emotion they could have held as she examined both of them, "Are they interested in joining us?"

"No-- At least, we don't think. They don't look like Homeworld gems either, but..." the gem looked unsure, seeming cautious of Cat and Spinel.

Tanzanite frowned, pausing for a moment before speaking again, "I can speak to them alone." she said, and continued with, "If they are dangerous, then I'm sure I can handle them. Do I have to remind you of how I handled you-know-who?"

The gems all looked among each other, but confident in their apparent leader's decision, they nodded, before leaving the room.

"I have to say that I'm sorry for their... brashness in handling you." Tanzanite began, "I can tell from appearances alone that you can't be Homeworld gems. But you have to understand where they're coming from here-- it would be horrible if any Homeworld gems were to find this place, and many of the gems here have only tasted freedom for a relatively short time..." she paused, "... I suppose I should ask who both of are, shouldn't I?" she said, "... And, have you too been hiding from Homeworld on this planet...?"

Spinel responded, standing straight and trying to root her confidence here. She knew that this place couldn't just be a massive trap, it can't be. It was too urban, too free - and it felt too real to ever be fake. Truly, this was marvelous. She blinked and looked straight at her. "I'm Spinel. A former Captain of a Task Force, yet I decided to... steal a gem warship, become a pirate dedicated to stealing artifacts. Well, until I came upon a golden warp pad that led to here." She says, and then answers her second question. "Hiding from Homeworld? No. They know my ship. They know how it can bust through blockades like they were made of wet paper! But... I think the lure of adventure and piracy got me all the way here." She then elbowed Cat, since she didn't say anything. "C-Cat. Introduce yourself to this nice gem."

 

[ForLackofaBetterName]

Cat had been too occupied with examining everything around her to pay attention to their introductions. She had been focused on trying to figure out what the symbols on a map could mean when she was elbowed by Spinel, "Huh?" Oh. Introductions. Her vision was refocused to Tazanite, "I'm Cat's Eye Moonstone-- It's a mouthful, so just call me Cat." She began, "And I'd be the navigator of Spinel's fine crew! Saved me from a boring life of'a Homeworld scout, they did." She said with much pride, sporting a toothy smile-- honestly, it didn't seem like Tazanite was so bad, the fact that she actually let them introduce themselves said enough.

Tazanite listened to both of them intently, raising an eyebrow as soon as Spinel mentioned that she was a pirate, as well as her explanation as for how they got to the planet, "Seems like you've made quite the name for yourself with Homeword." She said, seeming impressed, "Perhaps we could consider each other allies? As fellow gems who are against the tyranny of Homeworld. I'd be rather interested in what tales you'd have to tell." She gave an amused smile, "Although, I'm surprised it's just you and your navigator..."

"Ah, usually the crew's much bigger than just us." Cat said, "But a lotta' th' gems were recoverin' from th' last trip, and it'd be a huge risk takin' the, all into unknown territory-- not safe just leavin' the ship unguarded."

Tazanite nodded at the explanation, "I see-- perhaps that's for the best, otherwise your encounter with the others might not have been as... 'peaceful' isn't the right word for it, but there might have been needless poofing on both sides. As for how you got here... I think you must have found the warp pad that the Homeworld gems used when they first came here."

"Does that mean you'd have any idea of those..." Cat paused, trying to find the right words, "Metallic... bodies that me an' Spinel found when we were gettin' to here."

Tazanite frowned, "Ah, those would be... the remains of the Sonnile." she said, looking away, "... They're a race that used to populate this planet... before Homeworld came and exterminated all of them." she clenched her fist, exhaling, "It's for the reasons you'd expect of them-- they got in the way of progress, and they had no room for compromise, as you know..." it was clear that there was a grimace on her face, "I still wish I could have done something than just stand around as they slaughtered--" she looked at Spinel and Cat, remembering they were there, "... Perhaps some explanation is in order."

Tazanite took a deep breath, trying to think of where to begin, "... I suppose I should start with the kindergarten that lies on the other side of this planet." she went to a map, pointing to the top of it, evidently the symbols meant to represent this kindergarten, "Assuming both of you have seen kindergartens before-- this one is very, very different from a usual one. For one, it's huge, massive." she indicated this by tracing over how much space it took, which was a good chunk of the planet, "And... it's function isn't just to make gems. These gems are meant to fuse, and if they're don't stay fused... they're shattered. Many of the rebels you see here are gems that escaped from these fusion experiments."

Cat peered at the map. Ah, so that's what that huge thing was! A kindergarten... she tried to visualize one that was far bigger than the ones she had seen, including the one she came from. And fusion experiments? Of course she knew of fusion. It was a very acceptable practice for the crew, often used to take out particularly tough enemies. Cat herself hadn't experienced it, so she could only imagine what it was like.

 

[Sabatron]

At a glance, nobody would reckon this gem was even remotely interested in violence. She had that feeling of a loving mother to her fellow gems - at least to those who don't threaten to level her home to the dust it was built upon. Cat did a rather cute, yet honest introduction to herself. Ever since she picked her up initially, she's been a rather interesting member of the crew. While not exactly the most 'combat ready', she was essentially the best scout Spinel could ever have. Tanzanite was curious as to her 'profession'. As a pirate, she wasn't very 'clean' - she didn't really see herself as a particularly good willed gem.

All of her efforts were just for personal revenge. She knew full well that 'Spinels were made to have emotions', and how they were seen as liabilities. Susceptible to acts of revenge or heavy emotional toil. And so, they planned on detaining several Spinels, her included. While they were all serving on different ships, they were detained for the same reason, their will to live. Their will to live out their lives as they saw fit, and not be slaves. She looked Tazanite and saw one of the many rebel leaders she spoke to. While she wasn't exactly a pro-rebel, she was seen as one. When her highly armed and dangerous ship flew by - and to see shattered, destroyed Homeworld vessels left in the dust - it became very clear that she wasn't a very close friend to the Homeworld either.

With the proposition of being allies, and maybe friends - Spinel smiled and crossed her arms. "My navigator is very capable, but..." Cat continued her sentence. She couldn't afford to send more than two people into this planet, for the fear of losing their beloved ship, the one many of her crew called home - it was too hard for her to even consider.

Cat then brought up those metallic bodies they saw, along with recently poofed Homeworld gems. Explaining that they were the former residents of this planet, she felt like this was nearly a repeat of Earth's plight. Trying to destroy the world itself just to eradicate a single planetary rebellion with the chance that it might halt their progress in the Sol System. They got in the way, they hampered progress - and all these cruel reasons to even bring upon the destruction of an entire species.

Then, Tanzanite showed them a rather large Kindergarten. A complex of staggering size. She knew records of this site existed - named 'Epsilon Kindergarten' via the files, but anyone who read through the file knew that there was where they modified gem structure, researching on a number of staggering sciences and experimenting on prisoners they brought from the other detention centers.

But what was happening here was beyond any reasonable doubt - completely insane and immoral. They're experimenting on something as special as gem fusion? She thought the Homeworld would be solely against that. But something happened that turned them a new leaf, and this Kindergarten was busy pumping out gems and forcibly fused. If not, they're shattered - their biological material used for the next batch. Gems that manage to escape eventually find this underground haven, and hopefully aren't captured by the Homeworld military stationed here.

It was a huge representation, yes. It covered a majority of the map, and she didn't even know how bad this Homeworld facility was until Tazanite showed it to her. She looked at her and grit her teeth. "I hate these monsters. Always about the greater good, when the greater good is controlling the public like cattle, and trying every single thing to ensure they can win against even a handful of gem terrorists. She sighed. "But I digress. Have you and your comrades ever tried to attack this facility?"

 

[ForLackofaBetterName]

Tazanite nodded to what Spinel was saying, taking a deep sigh, "Ah, yes, trust me, I should know... Let's just say that part of me's had some personal experience with them." In a stark contrast to the warm, hospital tone that she'd been using with them, this was said rather bitterly, "... As for your question... We've certainly contemplated it, trust me." She searched through several of the rolled-up papers on her desk, producing what appeared to be a few maps and several figures, "And we've come up with several plans to do it, too-- Although, one of the problems is, as mentioned before, how big the kindergarten is. As mentioned before, it takes up a huge portion of the planet's surface. I've seen it before... I can go all day showing how big it is on a map, but it's another thing seeing how extremely expansive both above and under the ground it is."

"Not only that," Tazanite continued, "But, while many of these fusion experiments fail... the few that succeed are absolutely monstrous. You might have seen same gem fusion, which is essentially the same gem but more powerful. But different gem fusion? It's a huge variable, but when it succeeds... it's..." she paused, "... Well, for one, it shouldn't be used the way Homeworld is using it." The bitterness returned as she crossed her arms, as if she'd crossed into a more personal subject, "... If you have experienced same gem fusion-- imagine that sort of power in their hands. With how they just don't understand what makes a successful fusion, and putting their own selfish ideas into it-" she stopped herself, realizing that she was going into a rant, "... Well, it's certainly not anything good."

"... Well," Cat spoke up, "Why don'cha' form your own fusions? Y' seem to have some experience with how the whole fusing thing should be, and maybe your rebel pals would to?"

"I'd like to say so, but," Tazanite looked out the window, at many of the gems in their city going by, "remember when I said that many of the rebels here escaped from the fusion experiments? Much of them have trauma from having been forced to participate in them. Fusion became something painful to them. Something associated with the horrors that they've had to go through, and for a lot of them, even thinking of fusing would be like having to re-live those experiences, even if it's in a better context. The ones that are willing to fuse among them are very far and few between."

"Mm." Cat felt like she'd unintentionally been insensitive with her questions, and looked down in a bit of embarrassment.

"... There's also one other, major problem to consider when trying to attack the kindergarten." Tazanite said, light reflecting off of her glasses, "Galaxite, the Homeworld gem who's in charge of the whole operation-- the kindergarten and the fusion experiments."

 

[Sabatron]

Spinel stared at the intricately made maps - ranging from very rough sketches to more detailed illustrations of the exterior. It was a sprawling complex, and with the previous species dying out, they managed to reclaim most of the sandy land, using the barren land to their own advantage to make their Kindergarten. What little this planet has left, they were most likely to be using in forcing gems to fuse, even painfully so. "I'm not a master tactician by any means, but we can't just go tally ho without knowing our enemy full well first." She says, still looking and unfurling other maps and figures - most of them only expressing the exterior in great detail. "If your scouts aren't that capable of getting in, maybe us two misfits could give it a whirl." She says, placing her hand on Cat, smiling.

But her smile was short lived. She expected this gem fusion farm to be more of the typical 'twin gem' fusion hybrid, but it runs deeper than that. Deeper than what she initially thought. She listened, and it was clear that these Homeworld bastards didn't intend on treating other gems with respect. Born from a Kindergarten, to be forced to fuse with another or be crushed. Most of the fusions don't make it, or some refuse - to which they face the consequences of their actions. It's all for the sake of efficiency and progress, but of course - for the Diamond agenda.

The rebel gems here - of course, are scarred by the experience of fusion. It's supposed to come naturally through strong emotional bonds, that was coming from a particular Crystal Gem, which has become somewhat popular in certain circles. But generally, that kind of fusion was the best - for one could keep themselves fused for a long, long time. But with their escape, they seem to have horrifying memories of the past as they were continually forced to fuse. It didn't stop at 1, they were forced to fuse, and even more gems were forced there. That was her only knowledge of that particular Kindergarten. She hasn't set foot there at all, but she knows that most of their major operations were underground from the sprawling complex.

Then she brought up Galaxite. The big, bad Homeworld gem. She didn't meet her exactly, but she fought a few Homeworld ships under Galaxite before, she never faced the gem herself. She did hear the stories. A ruthless, heartless gem that stopped at nothing to achieve the Diamond's goals. "That may be a problem. I've heard rumors but... I don't even know what she looks like." She crosses her arms, looking at Tanzanite.

 

[ForLackofaBetterName]

"I have." Tazanite said, "I've seen her up close and personal, too."

Cat looked up again, like an eager child waiting to hear more, "Well, go on!" she encouraged, personally interested in this 'Galaxite'-- she'd heard some inklings of them before, from particularly rough space battles. 'Must have been one of Galaxite's' was what she'd heard uttered once, and there were tales from some of the crew of having faced her forces, but never anything about the gem themselves.

"Ah, where to begin..." She looked away, "... It was after joining the rebellion, and we were scouting for Homeworld gems. Unfortunately, it'd seemed as if Galaxite had known that one of us had slipped away, and subsequently, was keeping a closer eye on us than we'd thought. We were ambushed, surrounded, and worse, much of the gems in our scouting party were shattered. Things looked dire, and it seemed that neither of us would survive..."

Wait? 'Neither of us'? Cat furrowed her brows. All she saw was one gem, unless...

"... Holding each other close, that's when we fused." Tazanite removed her glasses, revealing that in each of her eyes were a pair of two irises, connected, "Within moments, we took out all of Galaxite's Jasper's, poofing them one by one, until," she smiled proudly, "we actually went sword-to-sword with her. We held her off as long as possible, before Galaxite finally realized our advantage and fled, allowing us to gather the shards of our fallen and flee with what gems were remaining." she said, "... The reason why I hadn't revealed to either of you that I was a fusion right away is that, I wasn't sure as to how either of you would react. I know that some gems have a hard time letting go of Homeworld values, even those that do defect."

"Ain't nothin' t' worry about 'ere!" Cat replied, "Spinel's crew is acceptin' of all sorts!"

Tazanite put her glasses back on, "I can certainly tell that now. Now, as for the help you offered, it would be appreciated here. Even with all the gems we have down here, it doesn't hurt to have anyone else on our side. And the fresh perspective from outsiders would be a great advantage, I'm certain."

Hidden within the room, was a round object, an eye. It's iris was fixated on the gems talking, looking between all of them, twitching slightly. Cat took notice of this strange sight when she perused the room for what must have been the third time, "Cap'n, d'ya see..." she whispered, bumping Spinel's shoulder, only for it to be gone in an instant. She blinked, "... Nevermind. I think it was... Just m' imagination. Sorry." All the traveling must have made her more weary than she thought, she wasn't exactly used to going outside of the ship. It was the only excuse her mind could come up with, for how vivid it was at the time. She left it to bother her in the back of her mind.

 

[Sabatron]

Tanzanite's account on Galaxite was an eye opener. She was always seen as this rough, tough, ruthless commander - fiercely loyal, yet common sense eludes her. Her solutions are extraordinary, and she disregards all other life except the Diamonds. The tales added up. She was seen as more devout and almost to a near fanatic level. She was particularly intrigued by this character - and most especially the fact that she didn't care about her troops. Any good leader would at least do that - even if they were on the wrong side.

The rumors were all about how she didn't care about anyone else. She threw others under the bus - let gems and species die just for her own and the Diamond's agenda. While she was an excellent tactician, her brutal - dictator-like attitude caused many of her own forces to try to find a way to defect. But her troops were well disciplined, hard-line - pure gems. Many of Spinel's own crew who served under her work as excellent boarders and soldiers.

As Tanzanite's story begins, she regaled them with the tale of how she managed to fuse with another gem. It was the same method she always used when hunting down patrols easily and efficiently. She usually surrounds them with numbers, in hopes that they'll be crushed easily - or even better - give up under the pressure of superior numbers. She only based her prior knowledge from her own crew, and it seemed to add up pretty well. Then, she brought up her fusion.

She was one of 'those' types, then. Those who never unfuse - who take the Earth saying, 'Till death do us part,' very literally. Respectably, she did seem like a capable fighter. Her form wasn't one for diplomacy or simple menial tasks. Her fusion meant business, and she recognized her strength.

She was rather interested. Tanzanite, taking on several of her own elite forces, and even going sword-to-sword with one of the most insane and ruthless figures in the Homeworld, Galaxite. It was rare that she retreats, but even more so when she's nearly defeated in combat. She smiles and gives a small grin after she showed proof of her being a fusion, and with her bringing up how fusions 'still weren't very accepted' even in the various rebel factions that dot the galaxies.

"Don't worry. We accept all sorts of gems - and if there are some species out there that want to join, I'd be glad to accept them into our wing."

"Mmm. Yeah. I can contact the ship to land - but the complex is too large. Most I'd be able to help in terms of support is maybe the ability to bombard any part of the planet from orbit. And before you think that it can't dent the Kindergarten - don't worry. My baby can make caves out of small moons." She says, nodding. "Cat's a very good scout, and if you want any questions from a Pirate Lord like me, you can shoot and I can enlighten you - probably."

Spinel didn't notice the round object that Cat saw, and when she brought it up - she saw nothing. She ran a hand over to Cat's head, frowning softly. "Pretty sure you're just tired..." She then returned her attention to Tanzanite. "So. In any case, we can also be of help. Be it menial tasks or even things you can't handle without a few extra gems with you, maybe we could work together." Spinel approaches Tanzanite and reaches her arm out, attempting to shake her hand. "I'm not usually one for helping rebellions... but I can't stand seeing an entire planet cleaned of life, just because 'the Homeworld wills it'."

"They're not gods anymore."

 

[ForLackofaBetterName]

Tazanite smiled warmly, a glint appearing in her glasses, "No." she said, putting her hand forward to grasp Spinel's hand firmly, "They were never gods-- they only want us to think they are. The fact that we are where we are now proves they aren't." she shook the other gems hand, touching Spinel's shoulder as she did so, already showing some of her new-found trust in her, "... However..." she said, letting go of Spinel's hand, "It's not like we can take that kindergarten down in one day. I'm not saying you're not capable of doing it-- But, if we were to try attacking them now, then Galaxite's forces could rush in with a swift counter-attack... and as powerful as I'm sure your ship is, I'm sure you've heard the rumors about Galaxite's armada."

There was also something else on Tazanite's mind that she didn't express-- she wasn't sure of what their capabilities were. She didn't necessarily doubt their abilities, but she'd lost too many good gems because she wasn't aware of what they could handle. She didn't want to point in a direction that would obliterate what could be the help they desperately needed... They did have training rooms, but... well, Spinel looked more than capable, and she took her word on what Cat could do. It might be a waste of time to examine them there when there was ground to cover... at the same time, she didn't want to stress them when they didn't have their whole crew.

She looked back at the map she had made for the planet, the various markers on it, "... There is an outpost of Galaxite's, I believe it's situated... here." she put her finger on a part of the map indicating where it was, "I've gotten reports from my own scouts that some of our gems had been captured and taken there, likely for interrogations as to where our other bases are. Not only do we not want that information leaked, but..." she seemed to show concern through her glasses, "... I also want to get them back, safe. Do either of you think you're up for the task of getting them back in one piece? Use any means necessary... Should you need them, our other forces are also at hand to help you."

Cat furrowed her eyebrows. She... could have sworn she saw something. It was clear, there was an eye, and then... Maybe get out of the ship more, Cat. Being cooped in there really did something to you, didn't it? She looked up at Tazanite. Could she handle being on a mission? ... 'Course she could! She grinned confidently. However, she decided to let Spinel have the say about whether they'd jump in or not.

 

[Sabatron]

As the gems shook hands and as Tanzanite seemingly placed her trust on the gem, Spinel - she smiled back. But there were other pressing matters to attend to. A rebellion needs it's missions - especially on the road to actually cleaning up this desert planet of the Homeworld's machines. It was true, if they rushed the kindergarten now it would be disastrous if they could easily alert their hidden outposts. They could mount a counter-offensive and take down the rebels in one fell swoop. She breathed deeply as the thought crossed her mind. Even with her ship's support - her guns weren't fast enough to hold off an entire army.

She somewhat knew that she had to prove herself - sure, and with the latest mission they threw at them both - she found it to be a piece of cake. It was a simple outpost capture/destroy job, one that she always got when she was part of the Yellow Diamond Taskforce. Usually, she would have Cat scan the area, and she could easily lead a small insertion team in. While they were in, Cat could easily take out any gem that would try to compromise their location. It would be simple, and of course - it usually had something to do with them either capturing prisoners, or something else. With Tanzanite, the prisoners had to be saved - so stealth was of the essence. "Well. I need some of your best gems in relation to stealth. Maybe ones that are used to those... military style things? Besides that, I could do it with five other gems, and quickly too. If you could spare two - that would be okay. If hostages are involved, just simply opening the cell doors would be too dangerous."

She knew what she was talking about - and Spinel would most definitely accept this mission. "Well. We would want to get all of them out - right? Easy. With Cat as my main sniper, I wouldn't have anyone else replace her. Just provide some getaway, preferably something flying. I wouldn't want to have a chase with Homeworld armored vehicles, that's for sure."

 

[ForLackofaBetterName]

It was soon after their planning that Tazanite looked at her forces, knowing that there were some in her forces that could suit the way Spinel wanted to do the mission... A few of them were the same gems that had apprehended the two earlier. It might make for an awkward encounter, but Tazanite reassured them that the gems they had found were in no way enemies or 'spies'-- And, for the most part, they trusted her word.

Tazanite knew the area they were going to well enough to provide what she thought would be the safest route, away from what she calculated to be potential ambush points and areas where her scouts had spotted Homeworld gems. That being said, the 'safest' route might still be riddled with unexpected dangers and points they missed, so caution was still advised as they made their way to the base. Before they went, Tazanite had given them a communication device. Like much of what else was scattered around her room, it looked to be made of scrapped parts, but there was much insistence that it worked just as well as Homeworld's comparatively sleeker machines. They did have something that would suit what Spinel needed to make a clean getaway, all she needed to do was use that to contact them when they had the gems they needed to rescue.

Cat continued with the group as they followed Tazanite's map to get to the outpost. She'd made some small talk with the gems they had been given... even the ones that had previously 'captured' them, "I guess we might thank you then, eh?" Cat said, trying to make light of what had happened earlier, "If it weren't for you... findin' us, then we might not 'ave met Tazanite! An' you guys wouldn't be gettin' yer gems back."

"... What makes you so sure Spinel can get them out? Or you, for that matter?" Asked one of the gems traveling with them. Tazanite had managed to convince them to come with Spinel and Cat on the mission, but there was still a layer of uncertainty.

"Spinel's one of th' best! I 'ave all sorts'of stories about all th' romps Capt'in Spinel's been on!" Cat flashed a confident smile, "... As fer me..." she paused, her smile seeming to fade, "... Well, I was a scout before I became Spinel's navigator. I've done this sort'a stuff before." What she didn't mention was how long it had been since she did any scout-ly duties, having been in the ship looking at the stars for so long... even with Homeworld, she was always looking at the stars, distracted by them. She didn't want to admit she was a tad anxious about being Spinel's support-- but they did have these other gems with them. She just needed to look out for anyone sneaking up on Spinel. She could still summon her bow. If Spinel had confidence in her... then, well, why shouldn't she have confidence in herself too? She wasn't about to doubt her captain!

According to the coordinates on the map Tazanite gave them, they were going to approach the outpost soon. The way they were taking would make it harder for Homeworld gems to spot them-- but still possible if they didn't play their cards right.

 

[Sabatron]

She wasn't expecting Tanzanite to honestly take her word for it, after showcasing her resume. A gem that lives through piracy. She'd probably be more open if she said something along the lines of being a 'freedom fighter', but apparently this was enough for her to trust Spinel. It was somewhat odd to see the same gems who captured her being the same ones who were alongside her towards the outpost. The planet was still desolate, abandoned - and the relics of the Sonnile still remained - towers of steel scraped the skies, and the remains of their cold, metal corpses littered the sandy dunes. Spinel took glimpses of the night sky - seeing the abyss littered with flickering lights and stars alike, as they trudged forward.

While the group was making a bit of small talk, she listened in intently, while also keeping an eye out with her enhanced optical eye. She took a bit of amusement for them not exactly trusting her and Cat. She was one of the most fearsome pirates in the galaxy. Talks of her would ring through the minds of the surviving Homeworld gems. She took on Jaspers and Amethysts all by herself - fought through entire armies - all while being an expert tactician. She used her emotions in bursts of rage, that would actually make her stronger against many of the Homeworld's emotionless soldiers.

But Cat did a good job in keeping her confidence intact, but regardless - she didn't have the luxury of listening any longer. They were approaching the outskirts of the outpost now.

The safe route seemed to be the least intimidating. While the main entrance's gate was flanked with watchtowers with specialized scanners, and even the multiple corpses of Sonnile strewn on the road leading to the outpost - the safe route seemed to be clear, and with the dunes acting as cover - she, Cat and the other gems sneaked their way to the side of the base. She grabbed the communication device, and tried to remember how to operate it. While it was quite cobbled and jury-rigged, it still worked - surprisingly well. As they approached the West wall of the outpost, she pressed the 'transmit' button. "Spinel here. We're close to the West wall of the outpost."

It was a fence made of Sonnile material. She summoned her will, then suddenly emitted a weak, silent - yet precise laser from the gem in her eye - and immediately started cutting against the Sonnile fence rather easily, carving a nice entrance for them to enter. "Hopefully those idiot Homeworld gems wouldn't find us." It was the perfect plan - hopefully it did work, and that there wasn't a gem standing right there, waiting for the fence to be opened up.