LOG-139.

  "We can't just let you go, not yet!"

  There was something to be said about how quickly Gems, assets, and infrastructure could be usurped when you had the Authority of a Diamond at your back.

  "You're too valuable! An operative at the very upper reaches of the Authority!"

  Oh sure, she wasn't the correct Diamond, but she was still a Diamond. And that was a fundamental fact of Gem society. It didn't matter which God was calling for you, the fact of the matter was that you were being called, and you'd damn well better answer.

  "You might not have checked the data, but over forty percent of Fawn's data comes from you at this point. Do you have any idea how many lives you're saving? How many Gems you're keeping safe?"

  That meant that a simple message was enough to overturn previous orders, in most regards. Divert these resources to this warfront. Send these Gems here. Oh, you want to check in with Blue Diamond first? She's not available, and even if she was, she wouldn't have answered you anyway, so just fall in line like a good little slave.

  "Just…stay! I know it's dangerous, but we literally can't replace you!"

  …My mood was complex throughout the process. Technically, this was everything I'd wanted and more. The Empire had been fundamentally weakened. Fawn were exploiting this entire transition of control ruthlessly, as loyal Gems were made out to reject Yellow's Authority, and thus were quietly replaced by more 'obedient' Fawn agents, their promotions digitally stamped and approved by yours truly.

  "Coordinator Star!"

  Yellow was busier than ever trying to keep everything under control, and had given me effectively free reign to move and act as her representative. It was a frankly unprecedented amount of freedom for a Pearl, and technically rendered the idea of an extraction team redundant.

  "Coordinator Star, you stop ignoring me right this instant!"

  I could just…take a ship. Right now. Disable any onboard trackers, set course for Pink One, and be back on Earth's soil within a few weeks at most, depending on the quality of vessel I stole.

  "Star!"

  But the issue with making yourself indispensable to an organisation was the inevitable complications that arose when all you really wanted to do was leave-

  "Viridian Pearl order Sixteen B!"

  I blinked as the pink Gem currently shouting into my face raised her voice another octave, before rolling my eyes.

  "Terrible opsec, I should chew you out for that. But regardless...I have to leave, Fuchsia."

  The other Pearl threw her arms up, the ever so slight pixelation attached to the motion betraying my current surroundings, and the likely crude connection unit the former Coordinator was using.

  "Why?!

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  Crossing my arms, I ignored the sensation of my own fancy scifi helmet, the headpiece generally kept safe in my storage space save for the extremely rare moments that I could get some time to myself. While my senses were currently insisting that I was in Fawn's little fake digital world, the reality was that I was currency locked up in the private chambers of the Courier-class starship Lightbender.

  "That's something I'll be getting into during this meeting."

  It was a very fast vessel, named as such because it sometimes felt like your lightform was…well, bending in response to its upsized nova engines propelling it through the void. A necessity for a Pearl that needed to visit various vital locations that didn't yet have a Galaxy Warp installed, with a relatively small crew that were the primary reason I hadn't hijacked the thing yet.

  "Right…well, okay. You're just getting back from your visit to Blue One, right? I read the report you sent out. We don't really have many Lapis Lazulis acting as infiltrators, so it's hard to get any other real info out of the Aviary."

  Ignoring the unsubtle reminder of my role in things, I reflected on my last assignment.

  The Aviary. It had been a beautiful structure to behold, all water and crystalline glass, surrounded by carefully contained oceans on all sides, and with hundreds of thousands of Lapis Lazulis coming and going on an hourly basis to receive assignments.

  The Gems in question, or at least the upper echelon terraformers (mostly composed of the strongest amongst them), hadn't seemed too ruffled about the change in operations. Cutting rocks was cutting rocks, apparently, no matter who you were doing it for.

  In theory, I could have just taken the colony's Galaxy Warp directly back to Homeworld, where Yellow was currently drowning in her efforts to successfully absorb the Blue Court into her own. But I'd been planning this particular rendezvous with Fawn's leadership for a while now, and taking the scenic route with a starship granted me the perfect opportunity to execute that plan.

  The light tone of another member of the server joining drew my attention to a by now familiar designation, my arms falling to rest at my sides as I locked anonymized eyes with a pale figure.

  Coordinator Crown - Yellow Three.

  "Star."

  "Crown. Early as ever."

  "Not as early as you and operative Ardent here, it seems. Shall we take our places and wait for the others?"

  I nodded my head in acceptance, before turning and leaving the exterior 'lobby' to make my way into the greater chamber beyond.

  —

  "Operators, Coordinators, esteemed Fawn associates of no particular title, this meeting may now be considered in session. Items on the agenda are Coordinator Star's intent to transfer out of her current position, alongside an as of yet unexplained topic she wishes to bring to the table."

  I kept my expression carefully neutral, even as hidden as it was, arms clasped together behind my back as the form of Azurite gestured towards me, the larger Gem stepping out of the way to stand at my side as she did so.

  "Coordinator Star, you have the floor."

  Gracing my blue counterpart with a small nod and smile, I looked back up and stared out at the variety of rebel Gems currently watching me, seemingly having enough presence of mind to wait and let me speak before they began trying to argue as to why I should remain where I was.

  "Allies of convenience. Fellow rebels. Dare I call you friends?"

  My spread arms and inquisitive tone actually managed to earn a stifled chuckle from a few Pearls, alongside what may or may not have been a lesser Nacre of some kind, judging by her increased height yet similar shape, before the silence resumed, my voice taking on a more serious note.

  "As you all know, I'm quite eager to…retire from my role, so to speak. And I intend to get to that part of this discussion promptly, but what I'm about to tell you, in my mind, takes higher priority, and may even have a part as to why I should be let go."

  My view panned across the vast chamber, a circular thing this time it seemed, giving the slight illusion that I was looking at every single rebel present individually, from the position I'd taken atop a small platform acting as a makeshift podium.

  "As you all likely know by now, the lithoplague is a fabrication. Devised entirely by myself with the intent of discouraging Imperial presence and exploration of the failed colony, Pink One, located in the Crystal System. You all also most likely know that I have encouraged various resistance forces to make their way there, in the interests of building up a safe haven, unseen and untouched by the despotic influence of the Great Diamond Authority."

  Taking a breath, I paused for a moment, letting that sink in, before resuming.

  "There's a certain poetry to it, which I'm sure some of the Pearls amongst us can most certainly appreciate. The birthplace of the Crystal Gem rebellion. The world upon which a Diamond was shattered by a mere Rose Quartz. Information since then has been kept…intentionally restricted."

  Another pause, another unnecessary, but no less reassuring breath.

  "Only some of you may have received reports from allies or dedicated agents of just what, or rather who is hiding on that planet that the Diamonds hate and fear so very much. And for those of you who have waited, keeping this secret on my behalf, so that I might reveal it at the right time…I thank you."

  My own smile was matched by that of a few figures in the crowd, Azurite and Crown included.

  "Allow me to be very clear, friends. Pink Diamond and Rose Quartz are the same Gem. And neither of them are dead."

  I leaned back at that, looking up at the ceiling and closing my eyes in satisfaction as the immediate questions and shouting voices began to wash over my digital avatar.