Given the... less than noble reputation of the Gem Armed Coalition (GAC), this merry band of murderous mercenaries and money-hungry soldiers is known to attract all types of Gems. Regardless of their history, so long as a Gem is willing to serve the GAC and isn't a complete nitwit on the battlefield, everyone is welcome to join. Who wouldn't want to give it a chance, especially when their tagline is so eye-catching: 'Come one, come all, dear Gems! Ready to fight for yourself, and not for the hollow honor of Homeworld? Ready to live to the fullest, free the laws of the Gem Republic? Then join the GAC, home of freedom, glory, and a fat, juicy paycheck!'

Enticing, no?

Well, that's what a certain Lapis Lazuli thought. Facet-4N3J Cut-9XU, better known as 'Admiral,' this Gem lives up to her name. While not the strongest Lapis around, this lovely Gem once strived for the glory of Homeworld and fought during the Crystal Rebellion. With her hydrokinetic powers, Admiral threw thunderstorms, tidal waves, and blizzards at anyone who dared besmirch the Diamonds' name. Many a Crystal Gem lost to their lives to this unholy terror of a warrior, and Admiral was proud.

Perhaps too proud. After the Crystal Rebellion ended with the (alleged) death of the illustrious Pink Diamond, Admiral grew disillusioned. How could Homeworld fail when they had better weapons, more Gempower, and her fighting on their side? They should have crushed the rebellion centuries ago. Failure should be impossible. Surely she wasn't to blame, right? No no no, of course not. That would be ridiculous.

Thus, Admiral came to a realization: weakness had corrupted Homeworld. Somehow, somewhere along the way, weakness bred and festered in the Diamond Authority, rotting the whole system from the inside-out until they couldn't defeat even a gaggle of miserable rejects and their idiotic leader, Rose Quartz. Admiral still adored her illustrious Diamonds, there was no question about that. But such weakness couldn't be tolerated. It went against Homeworld's whole ideology.

So, with a bitter taste in her mouth, Admiral did the only thing a righteous Gem could do: she fought Homeworld itself. After gathering together an army of like-minded Gems, Admiral and her army staged a coup to overthrow the fat, selfish nobles atop Homeworld's hierarchy. Surely the rot began there. Once the Gem Nobles were dethroned and the Diamonds locked away for safety, then Admiral could torch whatever weakness still remained rooted in their empire. Only then could Homeworld be whole again.

Needless to say, the Diamond Authority didn't approve of such critique. After a brief civil war, one which left Homeworld ravaged and Admiral's army half-destroyed, the coup was thwarted and the survivors scattered across the cosmos. Her heart broken, Admiral could only weep at such a devastating loss. Homeworld was doomed, well-and-truly, destined to wither away someday like a blight-stricken tree until it crumbled into rot and filth. And this time, Admiral had nobody to blame but herself.

The return of Pink Diamond— sorry, Steven Universe— and the beginning of Era 3 only cemented this belief. The Diamond Authority was toppled, its leaders' miserable shadows of their former selves, and everyone went around talking about love, peace, and blah blah blah. The sound of such drivel sickened Admiral, who by this point rallied her broken army and reforged them into the Blue Devils. With a 12-strong fleet of starships, these space pirates were a scourge across the Milky Way, looting alien worlds, attacking merchant ships, and otherwise causing havoc. Admiral was still strong as ever, a true-blue a queen pirate who lived by her principles and for herself...

... but what did it matter now? No matter what, Admiral still lost the civil war. Homeworld was lost, its heart destroyed by greed, weakness, and idiocy. Gemkind would never be the same. Nothing could change that, and it was Admiral's fault.

Thus, to this very day, Admiral lives a half-life, a hollow life. She may put on a mask of smug pride and noble elegance, but deep down, she feels little more than deep sorrow, sour regret, and a soul-crushing numbness. Even when the Blue Devils joined the GAC and Admiral became one of the three top-ranking admirals of their star fleet, it gave her little satisfaction. So Admiral is the boss, so what? Nothing makes her happy anymore.

Admiral's only solace in life is that Stretch, her personal Spinel and the first mate of the Blue Devils, still works alongside her. The pink hooligan may have switched roles and serves as the GAC's chief therapist, leading a team of other happy Spinels, but the duo still spend nearly every day together. The power of friendship may mean little to Admiral, but she still appreciates it, deep down.

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Art by the admirably awesome, Axel Hell. You can find a link to their content here: https://x.com/axel_hell
Admiral belongs to  z3d

Spider8Fiend: Feel free to share whatever comments you have in mind! If you have any criticism to offer, however, please try to make it constructive. If you have a lot to say, feel free to PM me as well so the comment section doesn't get too full~

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