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Smokey Quartz played the message she had recorded back to herself again, by now she had listened to it at least five hundred times, probably more. “I am Smokey Quartz. I was a resistance leader on a fully established gem colony world. After nearly four thousand years of conflict the resistance operation on my world was defeated. I intend to continue the fight. If there are any gems left on earth who are tired of sitting around and waiting for home world to return, join me in the desert at dawn of this worlds new lunar cycle, and let’s take the fight to them. Coordinates embedded in transmission. Message repeats.”

Across the world, gems who kept what little personal communication devices they had heard the message as it was transmitted on all gem frequency’s, others, who had modified human radios picked up a more garbled version but it was still understandable enough for them to know what it was about. The few humans that did hear the message however were unable to crack the gem encryption and so were left wondering where this desert was, assuming they didn’t write off the entire transmission as a hoax.

As the lunar month ended and a new moon formed, Smokey waited in the desert not far from the warp pad, a lawn chair, a parasol, and a small patio table had been set up with a pitcher of sweetened ice cold lemon tea. The first few hours had been quite with no on arriving, but slowly, gems started warping into the desert. There was a decent sized collection of them, about a dozen or so, a pair of emeralds and a jade. No wait the jade was just a green gem, she’d ask later. A fusion and a small tiny gem with it, defective jasper, a cobalt, a moon stone, black, and a Morganite. Smokey nodded as they each arrived, they all asked questions and wanted to know who she was, who each other were and what was going on, but she had told them they would have to wait until it seemed like everyone arrived and now, it seemed everyone likely had. Standing up from her seat Smokey strode forward and introduced herself “Now that I think everyone is here, I am Smokey Quartz, the one who sent the transmission you all picked up. And I assume, you lot, like me, aren’t finished with this war yet are you?” the crowed murmured a bit, some smirked and looked triumphant, a purple skinned gem seemed rather nervous, it wasn’t hard to read the crowd, the purple one stood out a fair bit though. “Some of you might not have ever fought against home world, maybe you were born on this planet, maybe you avoided the fighting entirely. But if you are here, it’s because some part of you, however small, is screaming at you to stand up and fight for what you believe in” she said as she looked at the purple gem intently who looked a bit more nervous under the strong glare of Smokey Quartz but she stopped fidgeting, some of her will galvanizing. “Now, this was an open invitation, and I hope to have you all fight alongside me, but, I’m not stupid, we could have spies mixed in. so, let’s do a bit of introductions.” Smokey looked at the jasper, she was a safe bet. “How about you first?” she asked.

The Jasper stepped forward rather confidently, taking Smokey’s words as a challenge of sorts. “I’m a Red Snakeskin Jasper, for most of my life I was a lieutenant in home worlds military. I became disillusioned with the military because my fellow jaspers would ignore any gem of lower rank or station then them even if they made good points, I guess you could say their stupidity just made me bitter….. when I got to earth well…..” she looked around the desert, it was so like all the deserts of other geo-formed worlds the empire had taken, “I fell in love with the planets forests and beaches, and I thought it was worth fighting to protect”

Smokey nodded, it was a good answer and it told her a lot about the Jasper, she wasn’t as big but she was much smarter than the average, and she wasn’t arrogant, she’d be able to put her pride aside and listen to others. She had potential as a commander. “And you?” she said looking at the cobalt, another obvious defect.

The cobalt remained silent for a few seconds, clearly piecing together how to introduce herself “Alright….. so, I’m a Cobalt, and I used to serve as a scout for White Diamond and her forces. I was loyal to my diamond and I don’t really care about earth that much” she said rather honestly with a slight shrug “But when my physical body was destroyed my gem got buried under who knows what in a battlefield, despite how well I served….. No one ever came to find me, they just left me for dead” Smokey could hear the burn in cobalt’s voice. That was a hatred born of betrayal right there “I want in because I want pay back. Simple as that”.

Smokey turned to the two emeralds next “How about you two? The emerald pair”

The larger more quartz like of the pair stepped forward “I want in for the same reasons as Cobalt, I served Yellow Diamond loyally, I was obedient and renowned for my skill, but I failed to defeat just one gem and she wanted me shattered for my incompetence” her voice seethed “I ended up running to this mud ball to hide, but if you’re offering a chance for me to prove Yellow Diamond was an idiot for throwing me away and make her hurt for the mistake….. I’m in.”

The second emerald was thin and wiry, with a long pony tail and a knightly tunic and carried herself with an air of self-assurance that boarded on cocky. A possible attitude problem for whatever team she was in Smokey noted. “Okay, well, like Cobalt, I fought for my Diamond against the rebels, Yellow Diamond if anyone’s curious” she looked at the crowd “The rebels humiliated me. Rose Quartz’s damned pearl beat me, every time we fought, and I was the first wave, back then no one took them seriously so I just ended up being that pearls stepping stone, all my own skills and accomplishments amounted to a pile of mud thanks to her.” Smokey began to scenes a theme to these stories. “then my partner ditched me and left me for dead after I got my ass handed to me……” the emerald grumbled and whispered to herself “That really hurt” she then glared at Smokey with fire in her eyes “So, I figure if I’m not worth saving when I’m laying three feet away, fine, I want my face to be the last thing that bitch see’s after I beat her and leave her for dead.” Another story of vengeance, a rather reoccurring theme. But it was a good motivator for personal loyalty.

Smokey turned to the moon stone and indicated for her to go next. The gem stepped up “I’m Black Moon stone. I served Black Diamond. I fought for him in the war and I lost” she looked at the gathered gems all clearly expecting another tail of betrayal and a quest for vengeance “but I wasn’t abandoned or betrayed by my diamond. I screwed up and got myself poofed, then tricked. I hurt a lot of innocent gems on both sides, but I don’t believe in home worlds cause any more….. I want to fight for planets like this one, and to make up for what I did before.” Smokey nodded. This Black Moonstone might be a liability, and she knew Black Diamond was the sort to install a long term sleeper agent with a story like that. but for now, she seemed trustworthy enough.

Smokey indicated the pink toned gem, she was a rare one, not a native gem type that was obvious, definantly a combat type given the armor she wore, an experienced one at that she noted as she watched how the gem carried herself, that slightly off gate that developed over time on a battlefield, strange to look at but it made pivoting to take a surprise attack easier; this one wouldn’t need near as much if any training Smokey thought, there were a lot of uses for a gem like her. “I’m a Morganite, rather uncommon I know, but you can call me Morgan, it’s what I tell the humans to use, and like most of the gems here I served Yellow diamond, but I always thought something about her was a bit….. off as it were, and since I rather disliked the idea of being used for something I might find immoral and only realizing it after the fact, I left. Found my way to earth before we began colonizing it and just kept my head down when the rebellion happened. Your message reminded me of a much younger gem and I suppose it stocked the embers of this old warrior” she said with a gentle smile as she appraised Smokey and likewise noted the age hidden behind the youthful image. Morganite imagined she and Smokey were likely the oldest gems here, it was very rare to find a Quartz that would near her in age but she supposed it would happen eventually.

Smokey noticed that small green gem that she mistook for a jade in the back, she clearly wanted her attention, but Smokey could tell a braggart when she saw one, best to get everyone else done fist if she could, so she turned to the rather interesting pair, the Sardonyx fusion and her little companion, indicating it was their turn with a nod, the Sardonyx went first “We’re Sardonyx, and we fought in the war like everyone else, when it ended we… We did not like the outcome, this stalemate, we hate when things are undecided and want a clear resolution either victory or defeat, preferably our victory.” She said rather simply. Smokey thought it over and shrugged. It wasn’t the worst reason out there, she knew plenty of soldiers that hated a stalemate more than a defeat, hell she was one of them.

The smaller gem looked up at Smokey, but with the crowd was almost impossible to see, noticing the problem Sardonyx lifted up her companion to her shoulder so she would be noticed when she spoke. “I’m Unakite. I’m a defect made on earth. I intended to prove defects are just as good as any normal gem.” A gem of very few words Smokey noted, but she was adorably small. Scar would call her fun sized and love carrying the poor thing around when she went on her runs. Oh there would be much fighting as a result of that Smokey was sure of it.

Smokey looked to the back and finally acquiesced to the little monster in the back row, at least now she’d get to know what her geo-type was. “Finally” the little gem said “Now, My name is Lady Chrysocolla!” she declared rather proudly “And I was one of Blue Diamonds most trusted oracles, and because I refuse to side with losers, I left her the moment it became obvious to me she was going to lose, letting that little sapphire take over, and now I am here to make your victory all the easier by offering my vast wisdom and insight into future events” she said smugly as she looked up at Smokey Quartz who played that little speech back in her mind as she appraised ‘Lady Chrysocolla’s’ location and bearing.

She was standing exactly on the other side of all the gathered gems with a perfect line between her and Smokey, the gems around even parted to make a little path for her. Showman ship at it’s finest she concluded “I see, in that case, how about a demonstration of your great ability’s. Something only you and I would know” Smokey asked politely

Chrysocolla smirked “What do you want to know?” she asked

Smokey was internally groaning. Not an oracle. “How about a description of where I’ll be taking you next. I plan on giving everyone a full tour of the complex so, you should already know everything you’ll be seeing, like it’s location, and the base facility’s”

Chrysocolla didn’t break her cock sure smile even once as she groaned she hated being tested, and this was a damned fine pass/fail test, if she guessed any of the details wrong she’d be called a fraud. Smiling like she expected it of course Chry waved her arms and made a show of gathering her concentration for the pleb’s as she closed her eyes. “I see….. many tree’s….. and water… and a mountain. Yes. Yes. There is a ship. We will use a ship to travel” she guessed, it made sense, Smokey picked a desert so her base was something opposite that, and mountains were visible in a lot of different places on this rock, and a ship only made sense since the galaxy warp was out. “hmm ahh yes. It’s a heavily defended fortress that extends deep into the earth itself, with places to train and plan, lodging for us, and a library” she guessed, again all of this was somewhat obvious if you thought about it, Smokey was asking for an army, she’d need a place to keep the gems that showed up, they’d need facilities to train in, a place to plan strikes, and a library just seemed like a fine addition.

Smokey was not amused, although it was clear most of the crowd was in awe at the cold reading “Trees, water, a mountain, and the things you’d need in a complex to make it a complex. Now tell me something that’s not an inference or a guess. Like, oh I don’t know, carpet, tile, or hard wood? And what color are the walls? Muriel’s or Spartan decorations, where’s the warp pad?. ”

Chry chocked a bit. It wasn’t often someone didn’t buy into her act. “The warp pad is…. Located deep in the complex in a locked room you plan on having armed guards near it….. the floors” she gulped “The floors are hard wood to reflect the natural beauty of the planet, and the walls are carved from the natural rocks of the area making a marbled grey, red, black, and silvery white pattern” she finished.

Smokey chuckled. “Other than the walls, not even close, with any of it.” She looked to the other gems “And that is how you find out if the gem that claims to know the future is a fraud or not. I think we’re all done here, so, let’s head to the warp pad and get you all settled in at my base, those that want to, you can live in the complex, I have accommodations for several dozen gems, and room to expand if needed, if not, you’re free to keep your current living arrangements, I’ll start your training once everyone is stationed and has their bearings” She then stood up from her seat and abandoned the items she brought to the desert as she lead the crowd back to the warp pad, as she did she stopped when she saw that Chrysocolla hadn’t gone running in shame. “Sorry can’t risk a spy fallowing us. You understand I’m sure.” She said politely. Chry was about to deny the accusation when suddenly she felt something impaling her chest, looking to the side, she saw Smokey holding a halberd, the glave like pike lodged in Chry’s chest, she had just enough time to look aghast before her body disappeared in a puff of Smokey, Smokey caught the gem before it hit the ground, and, looking over the horizon and feeling for the wind, she threw the gem as if she was skipping a stone. Letting it land in the desert sand somewhere far from sight. “Alright everyone, now that the unpleasantness is out of the way, let’s take you to my base of operations.” She then began teleporting the gems to her island in groups.

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Smokey Quartz played the message she had recorded back to herself again, by now she had listened to it at least five hundred times, probably more. “I am Smokey Quartz. I was a resistance leader on a fully established gem colony world. After nearly four thousand years of conflict the resistance operation on my world was defeated. I intend to continue the fight. If there are any gems left on earth who are tired of sitting around and waiting for home world to return, join me in the desert at dawn of this worlds new lunar cycle, and let’s take the fight to them. Coordinates embedded in transmission. Message repeats.”

Across the world, gems who kept what little personal communication devices they had heard the message as it was transmitted on all gem frequency’s, others, who had modified human radios picked up a more garbled version but it was still understandable enough for them to know what it was about. The few humans that did hear the message however were unable to crack the gem encryption and so were left wondering where this desert was, assuming they didn’t write off the entire transmission as a hoax.

As the lunar month ended and a new moon formed, Smokey waited in the desert not far from the warp pad, a lawn chair, a parasol, and a small patio table had been set up with a pitcher of sweetened ice cold lemon tea. The first few hours had been quite with no on arriving, but slowly, gems started warping into the desert. There was a decent sized collection of them, about a dozen or so, a pair of emeralds and a jade. No wait the jade was just a green gem, she’d ask later. A fusion and a small tiny gem with it, defective jasper, a cobalt, a moon stone, black, and a Morganite. Smokey nodded as they each arrived, they all asked questions and wanted to know who she was, who each other were and what was going on, but she had told them they would have to wait until it seemed like everyone arrived and now, it seemed everyone likely had. Standing up from her seat Smokey strode forward and introduced herself “Now that I think everyone is here, I am Smokey Quartz, the one who sent the transmission you all picked up. And I assume, you lot, like me, aren’t finished with this war yet are you?” the crowed murmured a bit, some smirked and looked triumphant, a purple skinned gem seemed rather nervous, it wasn’t hard to read the crowd, the purple one stood out a fair bit though. “Some of you might not have ever fought against home world, maybe you were born on this planet, maybe you avoided the fighting entirely. But if you are here, it’s because some part of you, however small, is screaming at you to stand up and fight for what you believe in” she said as she looked at the purple gem intently who looked a bit more nervous under the strong glare of Smokey Quartz but she stopped fidgeting, some of her will galvanizing. “Now, this was an open invitation, and I hope to have you all fight alongside me, but, I’m not stupid, we could have spies mixed in. so, let’s do a bit of introductions.” Smokey looked at the jasper, she was a safe bet. “How about you first?” she asked.

The Jasper stepped forward rather confidently, taking Smokey’s words as a challenge of sorts. “I’m a Red Snakeskin Jasper, for most of my life I was a lieutenant in home worlds military. I became disillusioned with the military because my fellow jaspers would ignore any gem of lower rank or station then them even if they made good points, I guess you could say their stupidity just made me bitter….. when I got to earth well…..” she looked around the desert, it was so like all the deserts of other geo-formed worlds the empire had taken, “I fell in love with the planets forests and beaches, and I thought it was worth fighting to protect”

Smokey nodded, it was a good answer and it told her a lot about the Jasper, she wasn’t as big but she was much smarter than the average, and she wasn’t arrogant, she’d be able to put her pride aside and listen to others. She had potential as a commander. “And you?” she said looking at the cobalt, another obvious defect.

The cobalt remained silent for a few seconds, clearly piecing together how to introduce herself “Alright….. so, I’m a Cobalt, and I used to serve as a scout for White Diamond and her forces. I was loyal to my diamond and I don’t really care about earth that much” she said rather honestly with a slight shrug “But when my physical body was destroyed my gem got buried under who knows what in a battlefield, despite how well I served….. No one ever came to find me, they just left me for dead” Smokey could hear the burn in cobalt’s voice. That was a hatred born of betrayal right there “I want in because I want pay back. Simple as that”.

Smokey turned to the two emeralds next “How about you two? The emerald pair”

The larger more quartz like of the pair stepped forward “I want in for the same reasons as Cobalt, I served Yellow Diamond loyally, I was obedient and renowned for my skill, but I failed to defeat just one gem and she wanted me shattered for my incompetence” her voice seethed “I ended up running to this mud ball to hide, but if you’re offering a chance for me to prove Yellow Diamond was an idiot for throwing me away and make her hurt for the mistake….. I’m in.”

The second emerald was thin and wiry, with a long pony tail and a knightly tunic and carried herself with an air of self-assurance that boarded on cocky. A possible attitude problem for whatever team she was in Smokey noted. “Okay, well, like Cobalt, I fought for my Diamond against the rebels, Yellow Diamond if anyone’s curious” she looked at the crowd “The rebels humiliated me. Rose Quartz’s damned pearl beat me, every time we fought, and I was the first wave, back then no one took them seriously so I just ended up being that pearls stepping stone, all my own skills and accomplishments amounted to a pile of mud thanks to her.” Smokey began to scenes a theme to these stories. “then my partner ditched me and left me for dead after I got my ass handed to me……” the emerald grumbled and whispered to herself “That really hurt” she then glared at Smokey with fire in her eyes “So, I figure if I’m not worth saving when I’m laying three feet away, fine, I want my face to be the last thing that bitch see’s after I beat her and leave her for dead.” Another story of vengeance, a rather reoccurring theme. But it was a good motivator for personal loyalty.

Smokey turned to the moon stone and indicated for her to go next. The gem stepped up “I’m Black Moon stone. I served Black Diamond. I fought for him in the war and I lost” she looked at the gathered gems all clearly expecting another tail of betrayal and a quest for vengeance “but I wasn’t abandoned or betrayed by my diamond. I screwed up and got myself poofed, then tricked. I hurt a lot of innocent gems on both sides, but I don’t believe in home worlds cause any more….. I want to fight for planets like this one, and to make up for what I did before.” Smokey nodded. This Black Moonstone might be a liability, and she knew Black Diamond was the sort to install a long term sleeper agent with a story like that. but for now, she seemed trustworthy enough.

Smokey indicated the pink toned gem, she was a rare one, not a native gem type that was obvious, definantly a combat type given the armor she wore, an experienced one at that she noted as she watched how the gem carried herself, that slightly off gate that developed over time on a battlefield, strange to look at but it made pivoting to take a surprise attack easier; this one wouldn’t need near as much if any training Smokey thought, there were a lot of uses for a gem like her. “I’m a Morganite, rather uncommon I know, but you can call me Morgan, it’s what I tell the humans to use, and like most of the gems here I served Yellow diamond, but I always thought something about her was a bit….. off as it were, and since I rather disliked the idea of being used for something I might find immoral and only realizing it after the fact, I left. Found my way to earth before we began colonizing it and just kept my head down when the rebellion happened. Your message reminded me of a much younger gem and I suppose it stocked the embers of this old warrior” she said with a gentle smile as she appraised Smokey and likewise noted the age hidden behind the youthful image. Morganite imagined she and Smokey were likely the oldest gems here, it was very rare to find a Quartz that would near her in age but she supposed it would happen eventually.

Smokey noticed that small green gem that she mistook for a jade in the back, she clearly wanted her attention, but Smokey could tell a braggart when she saw one, best to get everyone else done fist if she could, so she turned to the rather interesting pair, the Sardonyx fusion and her little companion, indicating it was their turn with a nod, the Sardonyx went first “We’re Sardonyx, and we fought in the war like everyone else, when it ended we… We did not like the outcome, this stalemate, we hate when things are undecided and want a clear resolution either victory or defeat, preferably our victory.” She said rather simply. Smokey thought it over and shrugged. It wasn’t the worst reason out there, she knew plenty of soldiers that hated a stalemate more than a defeat, hell she was one of them.

The smaller gem looked up at Smokey, but with the crowd was almost impossible to see, noticing the problem Sardonyx lifted up her companion to her shoulder so she would be noticed when she spoke. “I’m Unakite. I’m a defect made on earth. I intended to prove defects are just as good as any normal gem.” A gem of very few words Smokey noted, but she was adorably small. Scar would call her fun sized and love carrying the poor thing around when she went on her runs. Oh there would be much fighting as a result of that Smokey was sure of it.

Smokey looked to the back and finally acquiesced to the little monster in the back row, at least now she’d get to know what her geo-type was. “Finally” the little gem said “Now, My name is Lady Chrysocolla!” she declared rather proudly “And I was one of Blue Diamonds most trusted oracles, and because I refuse to side with losers, I left her the moment it became obvious to me she was going to lose, letting that little sapphire take over, and now I am here to make your victory all the easier by offering my vast wisdom and insight into future events” she said smugly as she looked up at Smokey Quartz who played that little speech back in her mind as she appraised ‘Lady Chrysocolla’s’ location and bearing.

She was standing exactly on the other side of all the gathered gems with a perfect line between her and Smokey, the gems around even parted to make a little path for her. Showman ship at it’s finest she concluded “I see, in that case, how about a demonstration of your great ability’s. Something only you and I would know” Smokey asked politely

Chrysocolla smirked “What do you want to know?” she asked

Smokey was internally groaning. Not an oracle. “How about a description of where I’ll be taking you next. I plan on giving everyone a full tour of the complex so, you should already know everything you’ll be seeing, like it’s location, and the base facility’s”

Chrysocolla didn’t break her cock sure smile even once as she groaned she hated being tested, and this was a damned fine pass/fail test, if she guessed any of the details wrong she’d be called a fraud. Smiling like she expected it of course Chry waved her arms and made a show of gathering her concentration for the pleb’s as she closed her eyes. “I see….. many tree’s….. and water… and a mountain. Yes. Yes. There is a ship. We will use a ship to travel” she guessed, it made sense, Smokey picked a desert so her base was something opposite that, and mountains were visible in a lot of different places on this rock, and a ship only made sense since the galaxy warp was out. “hmm ahh yes. It’s a heavily defended fortress that extends deep into the earth itself, with places to train and plan, lodging for us, and a library” she guessed, again all of this was somewhat obvious if you thought about it, Smokey was asking for an army, she’d need a place to keep the gems that showed up, they’d need facilities to train in, a place to plan strikes, and a library just seemed like a fine addition.

Smokey was not amused, although it was clear most of the crowd was in awe at the cold reading “Trees, water, a mountain, and the things you’d need in a complex to make it a complex. Now tell me something that’s not an inference or a guess. Like, oh I don’t know, carpet, tile, or hard wood? And what color are the walls? Muriel’s or Spartan decorations, where’s the warp pad?. ”

Chry chocked a bit. It wasn’t often someone didn’t buy into her act. “The warp pad is…. Located deep in the complex in a locked room you plan on having armed guards near it….. the floors” she gulped “The floors are hard wood to reflect the natural beauty of the planet, and the walls are carved from the natural rocks of the area making a marbled grey, red, black, and silvery white pattern” she finished.

Smokey chuckled. “Other than the walls, not even close, with any of it.” She looked to the other gems “And that is how you find out if the gem that claims to know the future is a fraud or not. I think we’re all done here, so, let’s head to the warp pad and get you all settled in at my base, those that want to, you can live in the complex, I have accommodations for several dozen gems, and room to expand if needed, if not, you’re free to keep your current living arrangements, I’ll start your training once everyone is stationed and has their bearings” She then stood up from her seat and abandoned the items she brought to the desert as she lead the crowd back to the warp pad, as she did she stopped when she saw that Chrysocolla hadn’t gone running in shame. “Sorry can’t risk a spy fallowing us. You understand I’m sure.” She said politely. Chry was about to deny the accusation when suddenly she felt something impaling her chest, looking to the side, she saw Smokey holding a halberd, the glave like pike lodged in Chry’s chest, she had just enough time to look aghast before her body disappeared in a puff of Smokey, Smokey caught the gem before it hit the ground, and, looking over the horizon and feeling for the wind, she threw the gem as if she was skipping a stone. Letting it land in the desert sand somewhere far from sight. “Alright everyone, now that the unpleasantness is out of the way, let’s take you to my base of operations.” She then began teleporting the gems to her island in groups.