Resonance in the Void

CHAPTER 1: The cold Welcome

In the vast, chilling expanse of the Galaxy Warp prison, Lapis Lazuli sat in her cell, gazing out of the tiny, reinforced window. Beyond it, endless stars twinkled, distant and cold. The same could be said of her captor, Peridot, a technician who had taken a personal interest in overseeing Lapis' confinement. Unlike most of the guards, Peridot wasn't brash or physically imposing, but her calculating mind and mastery over the prison's technology ensured that no one escaped her watch. Lapis had never seen anyone like her before. The tiny Gem with the visor, always tapping away at her control panel, seemed an anomaly.

Lapis hadn't said much during her time there. She didn't see the point; it wasn't like her words could sway a soldier of Homeworld. Every day, Peridot would perform routine scans, updating data, all without a word to Lapis. This wasn't unusual—most of the guards treated prisoners like empty shells, but there was something oddly deliberate in Peridot's silence.

"You are clear," Peridot stated coldly one day, not even looking at Lapis as she finalized her scan. Her voice was sharp, metallic, devoid of empathy. She turned to leave, but before she did, Lapis, feeling a flicker of defiance, muttered, "Do you ever talk to anyone or just your machines?"

Peridot paused mid-step. Her visor-covered eyes narrowed slightly, and she glanced back at Lapis with a mixture of confusion and irritation. "I speak when it's necessary. What would be the purpose of idle chatter between us?"

Lapis shrugged, leaning back against the wall. "I just figured you'd be curious. Not every day you get to imprison a rare Gem like me."

Peridot didn't respond immediately. Instead, she walked closer, her boots clicking on the polished metal floor. "You're not rare, Lazuli. You're a traitor to Homeworld."

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm just a prisoner who knows more about this universe than you think."

Peridot's face softened for a moment, but she quickly masked it with her usual indifference. "Empty threats don't suit you. But if you want to waste your breath, be my guest." With that, Peridot turned and left the cell, but something in her rigid demeanor suggested Lapis had stirred something.

(Sorry for making this pretty short guys, I know I haven't been on the flat form for a while but I'm back to try and make a comeback. I'll have the second chapter done in a sec)