Progressives

The Progressives are a Gem faction on Mars. They use The Fortress as their base of operations. Their insignia consists of a red rectangle with a broken pink diamond in the middle, and three diamonds around it in the same order as the current Diamond Authority insignia. Many of the Progressives wear a uniform unique to the faction with a red rectangle on the front, and many of those that don't still wear a red rectangle somewhere on their outfit, in honor of the late Hessonite.

## Members

The Progressives are the second largest faction on Mars, and also have the second largest army (though it is dwarfed by that of the Martian Loyalists).

### Current

* Tiger's Eye: The current leader of the Progressives. She is a Chalcedony that fought for Homeworld during the Rebellion, under Hessonite's command. Prior to taking over as leader, she led the Progressive militia.
* Yellow Sapphire: A Sapphire that aided Hessonite during the Rebellion. She is currently the commander in chief of the Progressive militia, replacing Tiger's Eye after the Chalcedony took over as leader of the faction.
* Yellow Sapphire's Pearl: A Pearl that was made for Yellow Sapphire. She still remains loyal to her owner despite being under no pressure to do so, not even from Yellow Sapphire herself, and it is common knowledge that her Sapphire works best when beside her.
* Pezzottaite: A former member of Pink Zirconia's Court, who left after repeated arguments with Pink Zirconia. She currently works as a mercenary for the Progressives.
* Chrome Tourmaline: A Tourmaline that was rogue before meeting Pezzottaite. The two became close friends and joined the Progressives at the same time. She builds Gem-powered contraptions for the Progressives.
* Red Jasper and Smoky Quartz: A pair of Quartz soldiers that fought for Homeworld during the Rebellion, under Hessonite's command. They are currently members of the Progressive militia.
* Amethyst (Nose Gem): An Amethyst made on Earth that had fled to Mars during the Rebellion. She is currently a member of the Progressive militia.
* Carnelian: A Chalcedony that predates the Rebellion. She fought for Homeworld under Hessonite's command. She is currently a member of the Progressive militia.
* Butterfly Wing Jasper: A "Skinny" defective Jasper. She is currently a member of the Progressive militia.

### Former

* Hessonite: The founder and original leader of the Progressives. She was shattered during a chaotic battle, after which Tiger's Eye took her place as leader.
* Melanite: A jaded Garnet that was Hessonite's lover prior to her shattering. She formally left the Progressives because the group refused to avenge Hessonite's death, much less agree with her claims that their former leader was murdered.

## Ideals

The Progressives, as a group, are convinced that Homeworld's government just would not work on Mars. For this reason, they have adopted a form of government similar to that of an old west town on Earth, complete with its own currency. Gems are able to do as they please so long as they abide by the faction's laws, and, due to a relatively high percentage of soldier Gems, many arguments are settled with organized duels. The faction's leader is far from all-powerful; while they don't need a vote to act, the "liberated" environment of the Progressives means the leader could hypothetically be overthrown and replaced if they step out of line. Thus, instead of being a dictator, the leader acts as a sheriff, enforcing and adjusting the rules as needed, though they do also hand out salaries, collect taxes, and represent the faction in diplomatic meetings.

The Progressives are considerably more tolerant towards off-colors than Homeworld is. Defective Gems are accepted (even if some stigma still surrounds them), and cross-Gem fusions are allowed—provided that the fusion is for some sort of practical purpose. Despite Hessonite secretly supporting such and never explicitly banning it, the Progressives currently forbid casual fusion due to Tiger's Eye's personal views. However, it should be noted that this ban is not often enforced, as the vast majority of the faction's members don't share Tiger's Eye's views, and turn a blind eye when they see an illegal fusion.

Even though defective Gems are accepted, modified Gems of all varieties are frowned upon by the faction due to their "mutated" nature, and the implication that they chose to be modified. For this reason, while many are allowed to enter and leave the Fortress as they please (due to their connection to the Remade Gems) and even trade goods and services within the former outpost, none would seriously consider making their home with the Progressives.

The Progressives have a wide range of punishments, each one fitting the severity of the crime. Because of the One Rule and the finite number of Gems on Mars, shattering and exile are not used by the Progressives as punishment. Minor offenses, such as vandalism, are punished with fines, while more serious criminals are incarcerated in an active state. Casual fusion is considered a fairly serious crime, with the components being forcibly separated and then incarcerated for a period of time depending on how many times they were caught; however, as it is not very well-enforced, it is very rare to see someone get punished for casual fusion. The most severe punishment for a crime used to be permanent bubbling; however, since the arrival of Chrome Tourmaline and shattering of Hessonite, the most serious offenders are now put in Gem-powered tools and weapons.

## Property

### Current

* The Fortress: The Progressives use Yellow Diamond's former outpost as their base of operations.
* Inert Gemstones: Small, colored rocks that can fit comfortably in a typical Gem's hand. They are used as form of currency throughout the Fortress. The Progressives have an unknown amount of Inert gemstones in their possession, but their total "value" is likely in the millions, if not higher. Remade Gems have adopted their use, and Pink Zirconia will sometimes accept them as a form of payment, but Inerts are otherwise useless among the other major factions and in the wasteland.
* Data Cards: Simple, rectangular cards that are an antiquated form of Gem technology. While the other factions and even some independent Gems also have access to data cards, the Progressives have far more than any other faction due to some of their members actively producing them. Many Progressives keep data cards for personal use.

## Relations

### Remade Gems

Despite the fact many of the Progressives don't believe in Chameleon Diamond's existence and dislike the many modified Gems in the faction, the two factions are informal allies.

### Martian Loyalists

The Progressives and the Martian Loyalists are sworn enemies, and consider themselves to be at war with one another.

### Pink Zirconia's Court

The Progressives and Pink Zirconia's court have a relation that is neutral at best. Their relationship has been strained since Tiger's Eye took over the Progressives, as she has strongly negative opinions of the faction's leader.

### Watchers

Due to their close relationship with the Martian Loyalists, the Progressives consider the Watchers to be their enemies. However, they haven't taken direct action against the faction since Hessonite's shattering. Tiger's Eye states that it is because attacking the Watchers has only been problematic under Hessonite's rule, though many Progressives have long deduced there is something more sinister going on behind the scenes.