Cinnabar let out a sharp laugh, face twisting in frustration. “You told me yourself that the peridot’s cracked and almost dead! Wasn’t that the basis of this monster’s threat or did I miss something?”

“Yes, Peridot is cracked. But she’s alive. She can instruct your crew in how to fix the ship.” Garnet stepped forward, letting one hand trail over Tourmaline’s shoulder. “You have no one else who can.”

Cinnabar’s eyes flickered from Gem to Gem. For a split second, she looked behind herself and absorbed the weight of her crackling ship. The horizon was backlit with the licking flames, a few small gems — mere shadows – scurried around the hull.

Cinnabar returned her stare to the Crystal Gems. Her mouth hung open half an inch, and the disappating smoke sapped the fury from her face. Peridot could sense the options buzzing in Cinnabar’s mind, dead end after dead end, until the tension loosened from her forehead.