-On a Homeworld ship-

The air was thick with tension. Peridots as green as crisp leaves picked from the best tea bushes; Bismuths the colour of vibrant rainbows freshly formed after a ferocious storm; Rubies red like the colour of roses bloomed; Jaspers with orange and yellow swirls so magnificent they seemed like they were alive. They were all sitting in the same room with their respective kind of gem, nervous for the inevitable battle coming soon. No gem had made any kind of noise since take-off, save for the occasional squeak of a chair, therefore when the enormous yellow speaker located in the top right corner of the room flared to life, every gem in the room jumped, albeit some higher than others. A clipped voice echoed through the room, “We are now approaching Planet 666-C, otherwise known as Earth.” The gem, a Peridot, presumed from the monotonous quality of her voice and tone, added the slightest hint of a sneer to the word Earth, “All Gems on deck. I repeat, all Gems on deck. Please ready yourselves for battle. Our Majestic Diamonds will see you all soon. That will be all.” The speaker hummed with static for a few moments before switching off. The gems in the room looked at each other, some with barely concealed excitement, some with long-suffering resignment, but every gem was feeling anxious for the upcoming battle on Earth. Rubies fused, Bismuths pulled weapons out of seemingly nowhere, Jaspers materialised their helmets, and peridots activated their limb extensions. They stood up, and started to file out of the room in groups towards the hangar, doing their best to school their expressions into something indifferent, and most importantly, to show no fear.