Galaxy of Monsters (Godzilla/Steven Universe crossover)

Chapter 4: High Treason

Emerald fiddled with her only sample of space titanium for half an hour, a brief eternity or so, letting her mind wander in a state of quiet bliss. She turned it over and over again like a coin between her fingers. She had relayed the account of the disaster on Isthmi-Yous to Yellow Diamond's flagship, and the data travelled faster than the ship itself. 

In her short time as captain of the Parallax, she had grown fond of authority. Of power. Of respect. Technically, she outranked Peridot, although her little green friend did not have the luxury to tell her everything about the Mechagodzilla initiative.

What she did learn, however, was interesting. 

The Mechagodzilla built at the now-desolate facility was something of a prototype. There were plans for modified versions of the weapon, each with noteworthy improvements. The very first iteration greatly surpassed Peridot's expectations. Hopefully it would surpass the Diamonds' as well. That was all that really mattered.

Something that irked the captain was the design itself. No life form in any database resembled the great machine, nor did the shape make any functional sense. Mechagodzilla was certainly fearsome, though. What being in the universe could match that ferocity? What was it based on?

Emerald shuddered at the thought, the mere notion of another monster like it. 

"Captain!" Rutile spun in her chair to address her superior. "The fleet is up ahead. Shall I send a request for boarding?"

"Make it quick."

The pilot nodded and returned to her post. The Parallax slowed to a grinding halt, allowing its crew to behold the majesty of the flagship: a gigantic, golden arm with a closed fist, signaling the might of Yellow Diamond to the entire galaxy. It was astonishing. 

Permission to land was gained easily enough.  The hand unclenched and wrapped its fingers around the Parallax, holding it tightly as the two ships snapped together like plastic bricks. Several Rubies entered as part of an inspection team - a basic precaution. 

"You are clear for boarding!" exclaimed the lead Ruby. Emerald smirked at the tiny Gem.

Emerald, Rutile, Amethyst, Ruby, Peridot, and Pearl were escorted by those same little red Gems that checked their ship for possible contamination. They made way to the bridge, where Yellow Diamond stood in deep contemplation. The outer void was held back by the vessel's thick hull.  

The matriarch raised her hand as the victors of Isthmi-Yous finally arrived. 

"Leave us."

The crew complied, not saying a word as they left the bridge in an orderly fashion. In deep space, the flagship drifted on auto-pilot, setting an irreversible course for Dafkuu, the jungle paradise of Hunter Nebula M. 

"I must commend you for your bravery in destroying that vile creature," said Yellow Diamond to the group as a whole. "However, I forbid you from openly discussing anything that has transpired on that world... from this point forward. Did you bring me the Gem shards?"

"Yes, My Diamond," Emerald saluted hastily. "They are still onboard the Parallax." 

Inwardly, she was baffled that her leader didn't even show the slightest hint of woe at the demise of countless Gems. Emerald had engaged in small-scale cover-ups before, but this was different. It was on a level that she had never witnessed before.

Yellow Diamond looked pleased. "Good. Your report was outstanding, Emerald. A detachment from my fleet will retrieve our latest superweapon and bring it back to Homeworld. I will also be resuming our efforts at colonizing that rock you salvaged. As far as the 'official' record is concerned, the first colony was destroyed by an asteroid impact."