LOG-123.

  The empty supply closet was an isolated one, and didn't exist according to most of the Confluence's records thanks to some helpful editing from Glitch. As good a meeting place as any other, really.

  "Sit down."

  I stared at the dark blue Pearl until she followed the command, her thin legs gracefully folding beneath her as she plopped down atop the cushion I'd left for her. The blindfold across her face was a crude thing forged from some recovered synthetic fabric, but if it worked, well…then why change it?

  Eventually, my eyes flicked back to the datapad in my hands, roving across the operation report Scratch had sent me, before I sighed.

  "Agent Tune. Official designation, Stellar blue Pearl order ninety six S. Role, surveillance of Crystal Confluence internal management unit fifty six. Resources were expended to rescue you from your…predicament. I will have an explanation in exchange, is this sufficiently understood?"

  The Gem dipped her head in acknowledgement, and I noticed the vaguely freckle-like patterns across her cheeks, a slightly lighter blue than the rest of her largely navy lightform.

  "You are, coordinator."

  Nodding, I idly approved several requests for materials from one of the new infiltration teams, before gesturing to Tune with my free hand, not that she could see the action.

  "You shattered another Pearl that stumbled across your transmission of sensitive material to another agent, you then attempted to hide evidence of this shattering and failed to sufficiently do so, which in turn led to your owner mistakenly assuming that you were intending to escape her service. Is this all correct?"

  Tune nodded woodenly.

  "It is, coordinator."

  My lips pursed slightly as I looked over my fellow Pearl, taking her in properly.

  She was making an admiral show of appearing stoic, but there were signs of hidden stress, which I of all people could recognise. Her ever so slightly clenched hands. The way her lips were pressing into so neutral a position as to appear abnormal. The way her head hadn't so much as twitched away from directly facing the direction of my voice.

  She was looking (for a given definition of it, anyway) at me like I was an Agate ready to beat her to death at a moment's notice, rather than a fellow rebel.

  I withheld another sigh, instead shifting my own neutral tone into something that hopefully sounded more…caring, and stepped forward, ignoring the Pearl's near imperceptible flinch and settling down on my own knees.

  "Why didn't you bubble this Pearl, agent Tune?"

  Her hands clenched ever so slightly tighter, and the thin Gem shrugged helplessly.

  "I…I don't know how to make a bubble, coordinator."

  A memory came to the forefront of my mind, a summary of Tune as a potential asset for Fawn, before we'd reached out and inducted her into the cause.

  She was practically fresh from an Atoll near the Sapphiric Route, collected by an owner who had only earned her thanks to some exemplary service or other.

  …Not every Pearl was built with the same knowledge and quality as from the Reef, and bubbling still remained a largely outdated military practice used nearly exclusively by Agates in the Empire. It made sense.

  The fact she hadn't been taught how to do something like that wasn't on us, either. She never should have been in anything even resembling a combat role. A mistake we'd need to account for with future recruits, we couldn't afford for something like this to happen again.

  "Very well. So you chose to shatter her instead?"

  Tune's lip wobbled ever so slightly.

  "She and I came from the same facility, and…didn't quite get along very well due to past history, coordinator. When she found me, she threatened to report me. I…I still have her shards in my gemstone."

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  The Pearl hesitated, and I caught a slight hitch in her breath as she spoke again.

  "She said I would be taken away and never come back, once she told everyone what I was doing. So I-I panicked and started hitting her, then she started screaming and, and I just-"

  Clack.

  The datapad clattered against the floor quietly as I dropped it before leaning forward, slowly wrapping my arms around the thin Gem.

  A moment passed in utter stillness, and for just an instant I questioned whether I had overstepped. Whether I had gone too far, too fast, and made a miscalculation.

  Then a pair of arms wrapped around me as well, and the shaking, blind folded agent began to openly sob into my shoulder.

  …Bubbling. All present and future recruits would need to be taught bubbling in case of emergencies.

  —

  The flash of the warp pad obscured everything around me for a few seconds, before the by now familiar sight of the cell's hidden headquarters greeted me.

  Responding to the variety of greetings and callouts on automatic, I made my way past the outer layer of the chamber and towards a side entrance, one currently occupied by a slightly harried looking Truce seemingly waiting just outside of Chip and Scratch's private quarters.

  The ochre Gem in question turned quickly as I let my footfalls intensify a little, her expression turning to one of relief as she stepped away from the sealed door.

  "Oh Stars, finally. I ah, I could use some help please!"

  Blinking, I tilted my head slightly.

  "I need to speak with Chip and Scratch regarding a few changes being made to some of our training schedules. You informed them that agent Tune should no longer be considered for the assassination division?"

  The Pearl blushed, writhing awkwardly as she gestured towards the door.

  "Well I was going to but the two of them are uhm, busy, and I don't want to interrupt them and I just wasn't sure where or how to proceed so-"

  …I suppose I'd just have to explain things myself.

  Ignoring her increased babbling, I brushed past her and began keying in the door's unlock sequence.

  "Resume your other duties, I'll handle it."

  For whatever reason, Truce's blush intensified.

  "Perhaps you shouldn't go in just yet, there's-"

  But the door was already unlocked, and I'd already made up my mind. Advancing past the stammering Pearl, I hooked a pair of fingers into the metal grooves and yanked the thing open, moving inside and pulling it shut behind me.

  "Chip, Scratch, we need to talk-"

  The first thing I noticed was the smoke.

  A vaguely golden coloured mist of sorts, it brought a distinct tingle to my lightform wherever it impacted, resulting in a not entirely discomforting sensation.

  The second thing I noticed was the abnormally large red Pearl staring at me from atop a veritable mountain of silks and cushions, draped in something that could almost be considered a transparent dress, if a little less structurally sound.

  "Viridian."

  Twin crimson gemstones shone from the Pearl's cheeks as she tilted her head, more of that golden smoke pouring out from a modified bottle turned censer propped up next to her.

  Essence wine.

  My eyes narrowed as more of the mist continued to impact my lightform, my mood lifting ever so slightly, artificially boosted by the…not quite narcotic, but I didn't have any other way of describing the incredibly illegal substance.

  Still, regardless of what it was, it didn't have all too terrible of an effect. I felt…energized.

  "...What do I call you?"

  The Pearl inclined her head slightly, one hand holding a curved blade, the other gently running a cloth of some kind along it.

  "Fracture."

  Nodding, I strode further into the mist, ignoring the increasing tingle and glancing around.

  …The pair of assassin Pearls had evidently made themselves at home, judging by the variety of…paraphernalia they'd hung up around the walls. Looted artificial weapons. A few scrapped components that vaguely registered as some bizarre mixture of jewellery and communication devices to me. A battered looking limb enhancer.

  Trophies of sorts. Ones that I tore my gaze from to focus on the big Gem in front of me.

  "Fracture. Where and how did you obtain essence wine? I wasn't informed of any procurement operations."

  The Pearl shifted, body stretching slightly as she lounged atop her throne of soft things.

  "A gift from Azurite. We would not dare to steal from Fawn, coordinator."

  Nodding, I continued to ignore the way my entire lightform was tingling, and the slight urge to just…lie down for a moment.

  "I intended to discuss a few things with you regarding agent Tune's recent actions, but I see you're busy with…recreation. Shall I come back another time?"

  I had nothing else to do at the moment. Hessonite was convinced that I was on some other level of the Confluence, singing for a bunch of bored Ruby marines awaiting deployment to an up and coming colony, and the rest of the cell was effectively automated at the moment, with no necessary input needed on my end.

  "Mm. Viridian, you have fused before? I recall the Sodalite you have been toying with as of late."

  My attention turned back to the fusion in front of me, one of her eyes closing while the other blatantly ogled my lightform, and I forced the long since old wave of disgust downwards.

  My arms crossed more out of principle than anything else, if I was being entirely honest with myself.

  "A number of times with a number of partners, yes. Do you want to…?"

  The crimson Gem's lips quirked ever so slightly upwards, her excessively long hair following the motion of her head tilting in the other direction.

  "Mm…perhaps. Yours is a mindset we would like to experience a melding with. And your control is…enthralling."

  One green eyebrow rose upwards.

  "My control?"

  "The output of the censer is intended for a fusion of two Gems. Most singular Pearls would be insensate on the floor by now, twitching due to the excess of energy."

  The amalgamation's smile widened slightly as she gestured at me with her blade.

  "And yet you stand and converse with us. We enjoy such strength of mind. Meld with us. Add your will to our combination."

  I stared as the knife was retracted and replaced by an open hand, Fracture's other eye opening to stare at me alongside its partner.

  Well, it would be a lie to say that I hadn't been looking for superior alternatives to...whatever I had going on with Sodalite. And since I had nothing better to do at the moment…

  "If I find out the essence wine has some kind of persuasive effect, there will be consequences."

  Fracture's only response was to hum in approval as her comparatively larger hand engulfed my own.