LOG-103.

  It was weird, being back. Especially in a position where everyone was paying attention to me, rather than the other way around. It threw me more than a little off-kilter, honestly.

  "And like oh my Stars it must have been just terrible right? Being away from the Empire and everything?"

  Idly inspecting the pillow I'd been handed to sit on, I nodded along to the pink Pearl's comment (firmly ignoring the mental dissonance of her seemingly valley girl accent), even as a few other voices gave their agreement to the question.

  It had been less than an hour since I'd promptly been pulled into the local Pearl gossip club, and I'd learned a few things since then, some bits of information proving valuable, others less so.

  "Is it true you taught the rest of your Batch while Nacre Three gave you private lessons?"

  "No. Glitter can probably explain what happened to the rest of the Batch. I did get taken aside to learn about things that would better suit my Emerald though."

  One of the most obvious things I'd learned was that they were all barely better than my old Batchmates at the Reef. Constantly tripping over each other for attention, badmouthing their fellows in order to make themselves (and their owners) look better, and more. Secrets were treated like weapons and currency, and everyone here seemingly had nothing better to do besides trade and attack respectively, whenever they weren't running around on errands for their owners.

  "Did you ever get brought in to serve as an example for the Atolls? We had a Pearl like that show up once, she was this brilliant hue of white…"

  "I've never visited an Atoll, so I can't say I have, no."

  It was how I'd learned that 'Viridian' as a colour was actually trending in terms of Pearl production, apparently. My fame was a mixture of things. Like the fact someone in the Reef (I could guess who) had apparently been working very hard to promote my general existence.

  That I'd belonged to a previously prominent admiral had only helped in that regard, making me a household name in some circles when it came to Pearl aesthetics.

  "I heard a rumour that you spoke to Yellow Diamond's Pearl! Is it true? Is it?"

  "It is. She was nice. Very adept at her work as well."

  "Oh my Stars that's amazing!"

  Combined with the Diamond essence freighter debacle (an interesting thing to learn about, from an Imperial perspective) which in turn had somehow turned into a volunteer effort to retrieve an 'abducted' Pearl belonging to a well respected Gem (again, before she'd gone rogue) and I was apparently the closest a Gem of my caste could actually get to being a celebrity around these parts without literally being made for a Diamond.

  "W-what was it like? Belonging to a-a rebel?"

  The question (or perhaps word) drew judging stares and quiet reproaches from the rest of the closet cabal, prompting the Gem who'd asked it to wilt slightly in response even as it tore me from my thoughts.

  Clicking my tongue, I drew everyone's attention back to me as I stretched slightly.

  "I…wasn't aware of her defection until after being rescued. She never told the crew anything. As far as all of us were aware…we were still operating under Imperial jurisdiction."

  The statement was met with murmurs and the barely contained cacophony of over a dozen Gems whispering to each other, even as I took the brief chance to take note of who had already gotten my attention out of the lot.

  "R-really? So she just didn't say anything?"

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  Cerulean Pearl order Fourteen D. Another Reef Pearl, funnily enough, though her tendency to veer towards the taboo countered the respect our Atoll counterparts would normally afford her. She seemingly liked to ask more provocative questions than the others. Currently belonged to a high ranking Azurite assigned to this district of the Confluence.

  …Oh, and her long hair was kind of distracting, considering how similar it looked to a certain vocaloid character from my previous life. But that was just a me thing if I was being entirely honest with myself.

  "Nothing at all, no."

  Then there was Glitter, of course. Batchmate status earned her that much. But the fact she belonged to the Hessonite that was presumably going to take me in meant we'd be seeing more of each other, most likely. She tended to agree with whatever I said almost vehemently, seemingly desperate to associate herself with me.

  More so than the other Pearls, even. Which…yeah. Nothing new from a member of Batch Sixteen, unfortunately. Useful, though.

  "That's like crazy. What could have made her think it was okay to flee the Empire!?"

  Last but not least…was Fuchsia Pearl order Twelve N. Valley girl accent (still weird). With a cheery, dare I'd say almost bubbly personality for a literal slave, she acted as the servant of a Star Sapphire (who she proudly proclaimed had been locked in a deep meditation for the past century in order to glean the results of the far future) with her duties mostly consisting of moving her owner's numerous pillows around (I assumed that was where she'd gotten some of these spares from) and keeping other Gems from disturbing her. According to Glitter, she was also a horrendous gossip. Even by Pearl standards.

  "Considering what some of you have said about that botched trial…she probably couldn't handle the thought of her crew being harvested. She was a very…attached captain."

  Aside from that though…Sapphires. Now there was an utterly terrifying concept. The idea that my moves could be predicted weeks to months in advance was an unsettling one considering my current circumstances, but according to the pink Pearl her resplendent mistress had only emerged from her meditation a total of fourteen times, and for each had reported that something about the future required further deliberation, before immediately returning to her attempts to peer into fate.

  "Oh that's so tragic! That it made her rebel, I mean!"

  With luck, I'd prove beneath notice for such a powerful precognitive, and avoid any all-seeing eyes by blending into whatever future chaos would end up keeping hold of the majority of her attention.

  "It's a real shame that it all happened the way it did, yes."

  I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes as the entire room immediately began to agree with me, some seemingly attempting to force tears at the plight of the lost admiral.

  Ugh.

  Thankfully, the drama fest and subsequent waterworks were promptly interrupted by Glitter's little datapad going off, the yellow Pearl glancing up at me with wide eyes as she began to rise to her feet.

  "The Emerald and my Hessonite have finished with their conversation. We're being called back."

  Holding back a relieved huff, I exchanged hurried farewells with everyone before accompanying my Batchmate out the door, Cerulean following and glancing outside for a second before promptly shutting it behind us.

  —

  The captain of the Sun Incinerator and her entourage were gone by the time we returned, leaving both Glitter and I standing in silence as the Garnet in front of us paced back and forth, long hair almost seeming to trail through the air behind her as she mumbled to herself.

  Tilting my head slightly, I took a small risk, drawing a glance from my golden counterpart.

  "Is there any way I might assist you, your resplendence?"

  My question drew Hessonite's attention, her lightform eventually grinding to a halt as she stopped mumbling in favour of staring at me, before slowly nodding.

  "Yes, yes I think there is…I want you to be honest with me, Viridian."

  Keeping quiet, I let the administrator visibly struggle with herself for a moment, before she raised a hand and planted it atop the table next to her, fingers digging around the edge of the fancy piece of furniture.

  "...Was she scared?"

  Ignoring the confused noise Glitter made next to me, I blinked.

  "My Emerald, your resplendence?"

  Hessonite bit her lip, before giving me another nod.

  "That trial was…" She paused, glancing around before shaking her head.

  "It was unfai-it was unfortunate. For the crew. I've known her since we both emerged from our Kindergarten together. I know for a fact she didn't run because she was a rebel. She ran because she didn't want innocent Gems harvested. Everything behind all of this was unprecedented, and shouldn't have happened. I…was informed of her end while you both were away. So tell me…"

  It took everything I had not to stiffen in place at the suddenly unveiled, utterly unblemished steel in her eyes. A stark reminder that I was looking at a purpose made general, even if this one had been reassigned to a more civilian setting.

  "...Was she scared?"

  I pictured the false end I'd fed my captors, thinking of how my former owner would have reacted, had it been reality. Then I stood slightly straighter, staring back into Hessonite's eyes with a firm expression plastered over my normally gentle features.

  "My Emerald kept us all calm for as long as she could. Both she and the Retaliator went down fighting, your resplendence. Her final orders were to fire everything the ship had, before it was dragged under-"

  Crack.

  All three of us abruptly turned to glance at the table as the screen atop it began to glitch out, small sparks escaping from the edge the Garnet had crushed in her grip.

  Bringing up her hand, the tall Gem rubbed her fingers together, small shards of glass and dust slipping free to drift to the floor below.

  "...Good. I'll be taking custody of you for the time being. Nothing official unless we can find someone with sufficient authority to declare it legal, but it should keep you from being swarmed with proposals from lesser Gems at least."

  Hessonite lowered her arm, glancing at the table in distaste.

  "Some will likely approach you regardless. I leave it to your discretion on whether you accept their offers. For now, your current orders are to get yourself accustomed to my workspace. Glitter, go fetch me a technician. Tell them there was an accident with the display screen."

  I bowed my head silently, hands clasped together in front of me even as my Batchmate fled the room with a quick but mumbled affirmative.

  "Yes, my Hessonite."