Crystallinum

It's the home planet of the Gem Squad.

Etimology
Its name corresponds with the latin term for "made of crystal". This planet was named like this for the numerous crystalline formations found on the surface of the planet.

A mysterious type of energy
When survivors from earth arrived to this planet a thousand years ago, they found that the natural energy of that world was represented in the form of colored semi-solid smoke-looking substance. They called this substance mana.

Humans in contact with pure mana felt an exterior presence in their minds, that manifested in a stronger way when the amount of energy was bigger. When exposed to enormous amounts of pure mana (like the primal sources), humans would have their bodies disintegrated and turned into mana.

At the beginning humans were afraid of this energy, but soon research unveilded that this energy was attracted somehow by crystalline structures, in which it got stored. In this state, the energy was harmless for humans, regardless of the amount stored, that depended on the quality of the crystal used.

This crystals acted like a leash to the presence in the mana, and allowed humans to use this energy at their will.

The crystal revolution
With the discovery of mana crystals, the society in Crystallinum evolved in this way, and crystallish (habitants of Crystallinum) became experts in the discipline of manipulating crystals and the energy stored in them to shape the world they had just found. Because of the permanent need of crystals to survive, with the years crystallish ended inserting this crystals into their bodies, and making them one more part of their organism.

In the first century living in their new home, crystallish built beautiful cities, and learned how to extract mana in a way that didn't harm the planet and allowed them to live comfortably.

Approximately in the fifth century since the landing, crystallish took the first step out of their new home. The discovery of a new type of mana, the Dark Mana, allowed them to open portals to any point of the universe, that could only be mantained for a short period of time. This allowed them to explore other planets and expand their boundaries.

Approximately a year ago, in one of this worlds they found another race that could also use the power of Dark Mana and managed to stabilize the portal from the other side. The Saurem, as they called themselves, were a lizard-looking race of warriors whose lifestyle was supported by raiding nearby worlds they found throught portals. Saurem had no dominion will, they just raided a planet when the resources of the previous one started to run low. This was exactly the moment when they got in contact with Crystallinum, and war started.

Saurem had a better dominion and understanding of Dark Mana, but only that one. Crystallish on the other hand had mastered all kinds of mana. They even have in their army the only user of Light Mana (Diamond), able to control light and even time. This mastery made them superior in every one of the first battles in the war. They could have stopped it and closed the portal at that moment, but human thirst of dominion made them get deeper into the planet with desire of conquest. At this point, the war is nearly ended, with the Saurem sieged in their biggest capital.

The Future (Spoilers)
The war will end with the crystallish army arriving to the Saurem capital and finding no resistance. Every single one of them has gone. They have vanished into the air. Where did they go?

Secretly, the Saurem also discovered Light Mana, and they developed it and used it to travel back in time to several thousands of years before the war started, so they can prepare to obliterate human race when they come. With this objective in mind, Saurem develop their society and grow to the point that they find Earth a thousand years before their extinction date, and they decide to attack it. This time, as MechDragons.

The Crystal Army
Is the name of the militar division of the Crystallinum government. Only the ones that prove to have an outstanding mastery in the use of mana crystals can take part into it.

This army is organized in divisions of four people, consisting each of this divisions of one leader or master, and three subordinates or apprentices. When an apprentice gets enough experience, it is assigned a group of three apprentices itself, and so on.

Becoming an apprentice is not an easy task. Every applicant must overcome a series of dangerous tests, from extreme survival to individual or team fights. Out of the hundreds of applicants every year, only a few of them become apprentices. The six apprentices of this last year are Ruby, Saph, Zit, Emerald, Spess and Ameth. Their assigned masters are, respectively, Diamond and Tourm.

They are the only militar force that is present in the planet when the pirate spaceship lands, since Diamond and Tourm were forced to abandon the frontline to train the rookies.

The arrival of the pirates
When they land on the planet, the pirates contact the government of Crystallinum and request for their best warriors to represent their share of mankind in the re-take of planet earth from the MechDragons. Crystallish government denys the request and tells them to get lost, but Diamond sees how the pirates could use their power in such a noble quest as taking back earth, and unofficially offers his help to the pirates. In this action he gets followed by Tourm and the rookies. In the spaceship, they are called "The Gem Squad" for their names.