I stared directly at the Sapphire lying on the floor.
I didn't move to help her.
She could get up on her own.
She slowly pushed herself up.
I already had my weapon ready.
If she did anything weird, I'd shoot without hesitation.
The Sapphire looked around, analyzing the place.
Out of nowhere, she coughed lightly, like she was trying to break the tension.
"Hello… could you tell me who you are?" she said without turning around.
"Shouldn't you already know who I am?" I replied, raising an eyebrow she obviously couldn't see.
…
…
…
"Well… let's say my future vision isn't as clear as it should be," she answered after a few seconds.
I stayed silent.
I observed her more closely.
Something didn't add up.
She was a Yellow Sapphire… but her tone looked off. Paler than normal. Like something in her wasn't working properly.
"Well…," she said, trying to sound calm.
"Let's just say my vision wasn't very accurate this time."
She paused.
"And when I say 'not accurate'… I mean I'm still alive by pure luck."
"Let's say I believe you," I said, sitting nearby.
Obviously, I had the upper hand here.
A Sapphire wasn't exactly built for combat, so I wasn't too worried… but I still didn't lower my weapon.
I turned slightly to get a better look at her.
Like the ones from the series, she had no visible eyes. Elegant clothing… very imperial.
Damn… Imperial outfits are ugly, I thought. Mine looks way better.
I looked back at her.
She was nervous.
"So… your future vision is like a premonition or something?"
"Yes…," she replied hesitantly, as if she wasn't sure that was the right answer.
Awkward silence.
"Honestly, I don't know if you're a good actress… or if that hit messed you up."
"Oh, believe me," the Sapphire said, her tone firmer now, "the Empire thinks I'm dead."
"Oh really?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. I made sure of it. Sapphires are very intelligent, you know?" she said proudly.
"Yeah… I can tell," I replied sarcastically, still aiming at her.
"Hey, I'm a rebel," she said, raising her hands.
"And who told you I am?" I answered calmly.
The Sapphire looked me up and down.
I could clearly tell she was analyzing my clothes.
So I changed the subject.
"So… what are you doing here? You're high rank, right? Even if you're a bit… defective, they wouldn't just throw you somewhere unimportant."
…
…
The Sapphire went silent.
Didn't answer.
Didn't move.
Like that question… actually mattered.
"Well… personal question," I said, humming softly. "Billie Jean is my… girl."
I shook my head and looked around.
"So… what?"
"What do you mean 'what'?" the Sapphire said, playing dumb.
"Well, what's your plan? You went full kamikaze and now… what? You just stay like that?"
…
…
"Can I stay?" the Sapphire asked, striking a pose she clearly thought looked cool.
Yeah… this one definitely has working future vision, I thought, deadpan.
"Whatever," I muttered, deactivating Peridot's hand combat mode.
"Can you give me that hand?" the Sapphire asked.
"Not happening," I replied, already walking toward where Pearl was.
"What is 'happening'?" she asked, following me.
I sighed.
"Something humans say when they're talking about possibilities."
"…Interesting."
We kept walking.
"What's a dream?" she asked suddenly.
"Something humans experience when they rest."
"They rest… without conscious awareness?"
"Yeah."
"And what do they see?"
"Depends. Weird stuff, memories, nonsense…"
"Like visions?" she asked curiously.
"A cheaper version of yours," I replied without looking at her.
"Interesting…" she murmured.
We kept walking.
"And Billie Jean?" she asked again.
"A song."
"What's a song?"
I glanced at her.
"Yeah… we've got work to do with you."
"Work?" she tilted her head.
"Yeah. Basic culture."
"Does that improve survival?"
"Trust me… it does."
The Sapphire stayed quiet for a few seconds.
"Then I want to learn."
I smiled slightly.
"We'll see if you survive first."
We kept walking through the ship's hallway, the low hum of the systems following us.
I knocked on the door three times out of habit.
Didn't even know if that applied to Gems, but the human habit stuck.
I opened it.
Pearl was sitting there, staring into nothing.
"Trying to be the main character or what, Pearl?" I said.
"Huh?" she replied, turning around.
And then she tensed.
The Sapphire.
"There's the Gem you wanted to see," I said, pushing her slightly forward.
"You two talk."
I turned around.
The door closed.
Didn't care anymore.
They could talk about whatever they wanted.
I went to the cockpit.
Sat down.
Activated the controls.
Silence.
I checked the panels.
Then the ship's status.
Minor damage.
Overworked systems.
Unstable energy lines in some areas.
"…I need a planet."
I moved my hand across the console.
The radar switched modes.
Nearby scan.
One.
Two.
Three celestial bodies.
One with low activity.
No strong Imperial signals.
Perfect.
"That one."
I set the route.
No hesitation.
Minimum propulsion.
The ship responded.
Smooth.
Controlled.
No unnecessary noise.
Small adjustments.
Nothing automatic.
Everything manual.
Avoided open space.
Used curved trajectories.
Took advantage of nearby gravity.
Slower.
Safer.
"Just hold together…"
I checked the panel again.
Systems stable.
For now.
The ship aligned with the new route.
Destination locked.
A nearby planet.
Nothing special.
Just enough.
"Let's fix you up."
A month passed.
Literally.
A whole month.
How do I know?
Easy. Internal counter.
I watched both Gems enter the cockpit.
Pearl looked calmer.
The Sapphire… more relaxed.
No idea what they talked about all that time, but whatever. As long as they don't stab me in the back, we're good.
Still, I kept Peridot's hand ready.
Just in case.
"Hey, Silica, what are we going to do?" Pearl asked, sitting beside me.
The Sapphire sat on the floor, Sapphire-style.
"We're heading to a planet," I replied. "I want to fix the ship. It's a mess."
Pearl nodded.
Silence.
Another month passed.
They talked.
A lot.
Too much.
Especially the Sapphire.
Ironic.
High status… and talkative.
I shook my head and stood up.
"I'm going to work on some upgrades," I said, heading to the lab.
"Okay," Pearl replied, taking control.
"Do you need my measurements?" the Sapphire asked.
"Already took them."
"When?"
"Don't ask."
I kept walking.
The door closed.
I entered the lab.
Activated a looped camera feed.
In case they asked.
"It bugged."
Classic.
I pulled up the blueprints.
Holographic.
Floating in front of me.
I stared at them.
Project Diamond.
That was the name.
It wasn't small.
It wasn't normal.
It was… insane.
"What do I have to do…?"
I already knew the answer.
And it wasn't pretty.
An injector.
But not just any.
One capable of draining the life of an entire planet.
Nutrients.
Energy.
Everything straight into my gem.
Me inside.
Absorbing.
Changing.
Evolving.
My programming screamed that it was wrong.
That it was something the Empire would do.
But…
My human side didn't stop.
"No."
I shook my head.
"Not this time."
I wasn't going to let others decide for me.
Not the Empire.
Not anyone.
I would decide.
Even if it meant crossing that line.
I looked at the blueprints again.
I needed materials.
A lot.
From different planets.
This wasn't something done in a day.
Or even ten years.
But I didn't care.
"I'm going to do it."
I said it quietly.
Almost like a promise.
And I got to work.
End of Chapter 16