Galaxy of Monsters (Godzilla/Steven Universe crossover)

Chapter 1: Rising Smog

The Parallax cut through the cosmic mist of the Orion Constellation like a gleaming, sharpened sword. The sensors indicated the presence of an enormous dust cloud in front of them, and the galaxy map listed it as the Dark Gas Nebula. The sub-region was almost entirely unexplored. The exception, of course, was the Isthmi colony. Time and space bent and buckled as the ship travelled faster than light itself, decelerating gradually as the planet got closer.

"Captain," announced Rutile. "Our graviton sensors have pinpointed the colony's main star. We're at the right distance to shut down the thrusters."

That was good news. The Parallax would first orbit the star - a red giant, no less - and then fling itself at the planet, as if the ship were a rock in a sling. "Proceed," replied Emerald. 

Their trajectory was perfect. Soon enough, the Parallax was caught in the orbit of Isthmi-Yous. An orbital scan was underway, and within minutes the surface was visible to the projection screens on the bridge. Emerald was momentarily taken aback by what she saw. 

The planet was completely desolate. Atmospheric readings showed majority carbon monoxide and a fair amount of methane. It would have been toxic to any organic life, the kind of which were essential for Gem colonization. Small volcanic vents pumped fumes into the air, and across the surface was a dark, gray coloration with streaks of red from lava flows. Two modestly sized moons drifted in opposite placement to each other, exactly by 180 degrees.

Luckily, an outpost was visible from the scans. It was in the southern hemisphere. 

"Rutile, prepare the landing shuttle. Stay here while Amethyst, Ruby, and myself make contact with the colony."

By her estimates, Isthmi could not have had more than 400 Gems by the time it went dark. Regardless, something unusual must have happened for them to cease communication. Emerald donned a round, green helmet as she made way for the transport in the stern. They had about eight hours before night swept over their side of the planet. 

The landing shuttle resembled a Roaming Eye craft, albeit smaller. Ruby knew instinctively that she'd be piloting it. Once Amethyst fit herself through the opening hatch, they were all ejected from the Parallax at incredible speeds. Orbital drops were never easy. Emerald began feeling nervous, and even the jovial Ruby was given pause. There was no turning back now. Amethyst had a devious grin, finding the sudden descent to be thrilling. 

"Engage landing gear!" the captain ordered. 

Ruby hastily pulled a lever, deploying three metal legs to touch the surface. Upon a safe landing, she sighed in relief. Everything was going according to plan, so far...

"Good work. You'll have to stay with the shuttle in the meantime. If anything happens to us, Rutile will take charge. Understood?"

"Affirmative!" answered Rutile over the intercom. Ruby put on a confident smile and nodded. With that taken care of, Emerald and Amethyst stepped foot onto the planet. It was only then that she noticed the eerie glow of the red star overhead. It was awe-inducing, but also instilled a hidden fear in her mind. The crimson light touched everything. 

Emerald had to put her worries behind. She had to make the Diamonds proud. It was always a matter of obligation. 

Isthmi-Yous was bleak and unforgiving, and every feature of it was an assault on the senses. Emerald's tracking device led them to a crater-shaped valley, with the diminutive colony sitting at the very bottom. The slope was easy enough to walk down. The captain hypothesized that such craters were rare, as new lava would have filled them up after their creation.

The colony's layout consisted of four large cylindrical buildings, one suited to a different purpose. Each stood according to the cardinal directions. The northern silo was a command tower, as it stood over the remaining three. The eastern tower provided housing for Gems, the western tower offered storage, and the southern tower opted for mineral processing.