Galaxy of Monsters (Godzilla/Steven Universe crossover)

Chapter 7: Before the Matriarch

Trepidation, hesitance, and a strong urge to hide. Emerald became acquainted with these feelings as she boarded Yellow Diamond's flagship. Her gaze fixated on the smooth, sterile walls that the main passageway consisted of, right in one of the "veins" of the arm-like vessel.

Distractions wouldn't be of any help to her now. She was already late for the conclave.

The door to the bridge slid open with an evil hiss, letting a thin fog rush through and slip past the captain's feet. There was her illustrious Diamond, seated in a cold throne of unshakable will. Her brow was lowered and her chin rested on her intertwined hands. 

There were others, too. Other Emeralds, other Hessonites, and even several Jaspers. This gathering was a once-in-a-century sort of event.

"I have no shortage of ways to condemn your actions on Dafkuu," the matriarch wasted no time in deriding the captain. "You rush in, let your target escape, and release a monster on an upstart colony. Two, if your report is worth the photons it was inscribed on."

Emerald gave her twisted-arm salute with teary eyes, feeling two times smaller. She felt every set of eyes watching her, judging her. Would she be replaced? Executed? Something worse?

"My Diamond, I am truly sorry..."

"I bet you are. The only thing saving your stone is your otherwise impeccable service record. My disappointment runs deep for a Gem so talented to make an error so fatal."

"What will happen to me now?" Emerald was mere seconds away from openly sobbing.

That was when Yellow Diamond tilted her head, very slightly. The captain detected the faintest grin on her leader's lips. Four Jaspers closed in on the Parallax crew from every corner. This was it. This was the end, no doubt.

"There's still a job to be done, Emerald. I've ordered a decimation on Dafkuu for every Gem we've arrested while regaining control of the surface. A tenth of them will be shattered and the rest bubbled indefinitely, but I need you to interrogate that remainder. The whereabouts of the rogue Hessonite are now your top priority."

This was Yellow Diamond's mercy. The captain would be spared, but hundreds of others would pay the price for both their treachery and her mistake. It felt wrong. Emerald struggled to find the justice in destroying Gems who may have been unaware of the conspiracy.

However, she also knew that her matriarch liked to set a proper example. The other colonies would take notice if the thought of rebellion seeped into their little minds.

"Where should I begin, My Diamond?" said Emerald.

"One prisoner stands out from the rest. A Sapphire, and a stubborn one at that. She was in Hessonite's employ but will only speak to you. It's a transgression that I need you to handle. I trust that you will not fail me again."

Emerald did not gleam at this offering of a second chance. A neutral feeling came to her, as she had just faced her worst defeat and yet the status quo went unchanged. The fact that Yellow Diamond didn't punish her was the most unsettling thing of all.

--

Crossing her arms behind her back, Emerald led her crew down to the brig. The cells varied in size, with the smallest containing individual gemstones in what amounted to cabinets with protective ray shields. The largest were four meters in height.

Despite the hundreds of imprisoned Gems languishing in their cells, the brig was quiet. Ruby guards and their Jasper superiors kept a close watch over everyone, and did nothing as some prisoners bitterly wept.

The captain passed a long row of cells until a speck of blue entered her line of sight. A Sapphire, elegant and proper, sat on her knees and faced the shield. Her expression was difficult to read, even as her head followed the incoming crew.

"Greetings. I've been expecting you."

Emerald winced. These Gems could read the future, like an omniscient supercomputer, yet Sapphire's words were a hidden insult. She tried to make her "prediction" sound impressive when it was really common sense at play. Anybody would have expected them.

"You have a lot to explain." 

"Indeed, but we can also set aside our hostilities for something... mutually beneficial."

"You might hold a high rank but you are in no position to make deals. Yellow Diamond isn't afraid to shatter a Sapphire if the need arose."

The blue Gem lifted a hand to her mouth, suppressing a silent laugh. "I'm the only one who knows where Hessonite is, and we both have something to gain. I'll tell you everything I know, and in exchange, you recommend my services to Blue Diamond."

"You want to be in her court?!" Rutile interrupted, almost falling back in shock. "How can we trust you?"

"Because I knew that Hessonite's escape was inevitable. However, her ship was damaged by the plant creature and she has taken refuge in an abandoned space station. Only I know where it is."

Emerald despised the flat monotone voices that all Sapphires carried. They always sounded disinterested, like everything in the universe was below them. Nevertheless, the information she had was invaluable.

"Why didn't you tell anyone before that she would betray Homeworld?" said the captain.

"That would put me at a disadvantage. Nobody enters Blue Diamond's court for reporting a low-level threat. I had to let her do the damage for me. So now, when the Authority hears of my selflessness in capturing a dangerous rebel, they'll accept me right away."

"That's insane! Why, I oughta..." Emerald punched the wall next to the ray shield. "Your scheme has brought hundreds of Gems to their deaths. I'll tell everything to Yellow Diamond!"

"No, you won't. I have predicted that you will accept my offer, because you have no other way of finding Hessonite. I am the lesser evil to you."

Emerald winced again. Sapphire was one step ahead, which made sense. The last thing she wanted was to put a criminal in the court of a Diamond. She looked to her comrades, with each of them - sans Ruby - weighing the offer in their heads.

"This is a bad idea," began Rutile. "She could be tricking us, or plotting something worse. It's too risky to let her get close to Blue Diamond."

Pearl nodded her head. "I concur. There must be some other way to find Hessonite!"

And then Amethyst offered her rebuttal. "But what if there isn't? What if she's actually telling the truth? It doesn't make sense for her to just reveal her plan like that if she's lying."

Emerald had no time to thoughtfully consider her options. For all she knew, Hessonite could unleash another monster on Homeworld. Maybe a rebel fleet as well. Lives were on the line, and it was up to the crew of the Parallax to save the day. Emerald took in a deep breath.

"Okay. I'll do it. Tell me where Hessonite is, and I'll try to get you into Blue Diamond's court. I can't promise you that she'll accept."

Sapphire was unfazed. "A wise decision. You will find her in the Black Hole System, inside a station orbiting a gas giant. It will be the only planet there. Do not worry about Blue Diamond, I know she will not deny my service."

The sheer arrogance! The captain was practically fuming when she departed from the brig. All she wanted to do was put this mess far behind her, yet there was no way she could allow that Sapphire to go free. Once she captured Hessonite, Emerald knew her next objective clearly.

It wasn't long before the Parallax was soaring the void on its most important mission yet. Rutile punched in the coordinates for the Black Hole System, a place barely featured in Homeworld records. One couldn't be blamed for thinking it never existed at all. 

There was something else in the void approaching the station. It flew on golden wings, bringing with it a new horror that the galaxy was unprepared for. It did not take kindly to rivals, but they would be no match for the Demon of the Cosmos. Emerald was blissfully unaware that she was bringing her loyal crew on a direct collision course with King Ghidorah.