LOG-122.

  Time passed, as it always did.

  And as it did, I got more and more used to leading an…exceptionally unique lifestyle. Glorified Gem popstar by day, rebel cell coordinator by night.

  For a given definition of day and night anyway. Gems didn't sleep, so the Confluence didn't really need anything resembling day/night cycles.

  Still, it had been nearly a year at this point, last I'd checked of my own internal calendar. An insane amount of time to be gone, until I looked at it from a Gem perspective.

  From that kind of lens, I'd barely left Earth at all. Yep. What a sobering and definitely morale boosting thought.

  …Said thought still didn't stop me from sneaking off after the cell's latest successful operation (relaying some particularly useful information to a group of Flighters who, in turn, had agreed to use said information to ambush and annihilate an Imperial patrol fleet causing some of our void based assets trouble) and finding a nice, private place to engage in a long held tradition of mine.

  Namely, locking myself in a storage closet and sobbing out my stress for a few minutes until I felt better.

  Horrendously therapeutic, but I had to cut it short for today, considering I had another session scheduled with Sodalite, this one slightly more important than usual.

  …My two forms of regular recreation were both some manner of fucked up, in brutal hindsight.

  —

  My relationship with Sodalite had…progressed. As much as I could call me continuing to use her as both a form of recreation and as a tool for Fawn progression.

  Even if half of the time she wasn't really aware of the latter.

  "You're going to do something for me."

  Until now, anyway. I didn't have time for niceties today, not with something as sensitive as this.

  The limp (at least she'd actually managed to reform this time) bluish puddle of lightform draped across the cushions next to me shifted slightly, a mumble escaping the Gem as she adjusted herself to face me.

  I continued to go over the information crawling across my latest disposable datapad, eyes narrowing slightly at a memo from one of the assassin Pearls, Chip specifically.

  "A…mutual friend of mine has gotten into a spot of trouble, and her owner intends to return her to the Atoll she was produced from for rejuvenation. This owner is a Sodalite here in the Confluence."

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  My temporary partner sobered up from her post fusion haze at that, singular large eye blinking as she glanced up at me.

  "Do…do I know her?"

  Staring at her out of the corner of my eye, I pursed my lips.

  "Yes. The one with the dark blue Pearl?"

  Sodalite blinked again at that, visibly thinking.

  "O-Oh! Yes, yes I do recall…w-wait, it's the Pearl, then? What kind of trouble did she get into?"

  She'd shattered another Pearl (one that didn't belong to Fawn) that had caught her in the midst of spying on both of their owners, and then accidentally given off the impression that she was preparing to run away from her owner whilst in the midst of cleaning up her own mess.

  But I wasn't about to tell Sodalite that. Nor that she was going to be reassigned to Chip and Scratch's assassin division after this. Waste not want not and all that.

  "That doesn't matter. You're going to get into contact with this friend of yours and offer to take the Pearl off of her hands, then you're going to 'lose' her, understood?"

  The blue Gem hesitated, glancing at the doorway leading out of the sectioned off little chamber we'd prepared for this little excursion of ours, before turning back to look at me.

  "This…this is part of those other activities of yours, isn't it? This could get us in trouble! You said I wouldn't need to get involved in any of that-"

  "I lied."

  The words came forth from my lips easily, and any guilt I might have had was whisked away at the thought of a good, loyal operative being taken away and…reset.

  "But you-"

  "But nothing. You're going to do this, either for me or for yourself, if you want to keep fusing. I expect it done before the next work period, understood?"

  She stared. I slowly lowered my datapad, glaring at her and sighing.

  "I don't have time for this Sodalite. Am I understood, or do I need to find someone else for the job? On incredibly short notice might I add?"

  The aristocrat crossed her arms, glancing down.

  "...I'll do it."

  Nodding, I turned back to my datapad and waved her away.

  "I expect success. Meet me here at the same time next cycle."

  A report from Glitch regarding a new digital vulnerability in one of the Confluence's older sectors took up the rest of my attention as Sodalite slowly got up and sauntered out of the chamber, shoulders hunched ever so slightly.

  —

  "Coordinator Star."

  "White Glint."

  "Your information proved…accurate. You have my gratitude. The salvage these vessels provide will prove useful in maintaining the flotilla."

  I inclined my head slightly, ignoring Truce and Glitch exchanging excited congratulations off to the side of the small, recently established communication depot we'd set up within the confines of our headquarters, though a small smile did make it onto my face as I stared at the masked Gem on the other side of the screen.

  To her, I was just a green blur at the moment, but I liked to think she could pick up the change in my voice.

  "Please consider it an equivalent exchange, Glint. The ships you and yours scrapped were causing no end of problems for some dear friends of ours. It's a win-win situation for Fawn and Flight both."

  The unknown rebel tilted her head at that, whatever expression she bore hidden behind the technology affixed to her face.

  "...Flight, your codename for the Free Flotillas never ceases to amuse me, Star."

  Glint shook her head a moment later, as if to rid herself of the thought, before nodding at the screen.

  "Regardless, I have a salvage operation to oversee, and eager sailors to command. Fly fast and burn bright, coordinator."

  I nodded back.

  "Stay safe and hidden, captain."

  The friendly Gem chuckled at that, the connection cutting out a second later.

  Leaning back, I sighed, ignoring the mental urge to stretch muscles that didn't exist, before turning to regard the still celebrating pair of Pearls next to me.

  "All right, party's over. Get me a status update on the Sodalite situation, Chip and Scratch should be in position for extraction by now."