Before you read, I must implore that the first Kryptonian prologue is super(no pun intended)..super long. I hope you enjoy.

[No one's POV]
Planet Krypton..Krypton was old.

The planet was located in a galaxy near the epicenter of the Big Bang and as such, was formed early on. Over the millennia, life began to form under the rays of Krypton's yellow sun. Slowly this life evolved, becoming stronger, smarter...better adapted to survive. Eventually, one species emerged to be greater than the rest, a species that took its name from the planet it called home. Kryptonians. As fate would have it, these people had evolved into a form identical to the future Earth race which would be called "humans".

At first they were identical to humans in every way, shape and form. But the never ending progression of evolution would change this. Though the Kryptonians' external characteristics remained the same, over the proceeding eons, their internal biology began to reshape.

Their bodies were changed into living solar batteries, capable of absorbing the energy from Krypton's yellow sun and convert it for personal use. Through this, the Kryptonians were granted incredible, almost god-like powers.

They could exist without the need to eat, drink, sleep or even breathe. They gained incredible strength, speed and endurance. Their senses were heightened to the extreme and their bodies became nigh invulnerable. They could see through solid objects and were able to cast concentrated beams of heat from their eyes. Even their breath became a weapon, capable of creating gale force winds or lowering the temperature to absolute zero. And greatest of all, they were capable of self-propelled flight.

But just as fate had granted these awesome powers, ages later it decided to strip them away when Krypton's ancient sun transformed into a red giant. The new solar energy was not compatible with the Kryptons physiology and they lost their mighty abilities. Rather than weep over the loss of their powers, they instead decided to take their species in a new direction. They began to develop themselves intellectually.

They became great scientists and thinkers, surpassing all others. They developed incredible spacecraft capable of traveling all about the cosmos and machines capable of warping the fabric of space itself. They also developed great weapons to defend their home world. For though their great thinkers had taught the Krytonians to strive for peace, they knew that not all of the people in the universe were so enlightened and so they prepared accordingly

Eventually though, one threat came about that not even the noble Kryptonians could save themselves from. Krypton was reaching it's expiration date, and the reason: The Kryptonians themselves.

[On the planet]

Two women were on bed, screaming in pain. They were about to give birth at the same time with their husbands on their side.. One of them was a Kryptonian woman with brown hair and dark brown eyes.

This is Lara cried out in pain as she was about to give birth to her son. It was the most painful experience of her life and yet she had no regrets. For the entire pregnancy Lara stayed on a remote outpost away from the main city. What she and her husband had done was criminal. They had created a natural born child. Jor-El, her husband stood by her side at each pain she received.

Jor-El was the prime example of Kryptonian physiology. His six foot two frame was built with solid muscle, his athletic build contrasted by his gentle face which framed a pair of deep, blue eyes and topped by a head of short, black hair. He was dressed in the uniform of a councilman, which consisted of a gray bodysuit which showed off his fit form, accessorized with a pair of black boots and gloves, along with a pair of black short shorts over the suit and a black cape that fell to the middle of his calves. Jor-El wore a silver band around his head, further symbolizing his position. Across his chest he wore the seal of his house, the House of El. The symbol consisted of a diamond which contained a symbol similar to a stylized English 'S'.

Another Woman next to her was not like her. She had violet eyes with half of her battle armor off with a long brown tail behind her.

This woman was not Kryptonian in nature. Her name is Hakusa. She belongs to race of extraterrestrials called Saiyans. The Saiyans are a fighting race who, since ancient times, have lived a violent and inhumane lifestyle, where they attack numerous planets to build up wealth and goods.

How did she end up on Krypton? Well, she was exiled from Planet Vegeta for treachery against the ruler, King Vegeta himself..

Although, that couldn't be far from the truth. She was a low class saiyan that was wrongly banished from her home after King Vegeta heard from his tyrant leader Frieza that she tried to murder him while his back was turned.

But that actually turned out to be a lie as Frieza used this lie to threaten the extinction of Planet Vegeta if she wasn't killed. Hakusa tried to plead her case, but ended up being pierced by an energy beam from King Vegeta himself, making her fall to the ground with a hole on her chest.

Frieza seems delighted to see a would be assassin drop dead and spared the saiyans from his wrath. However, he warned the king that any further rebellion against him..Planet Vegeta is no more.

But unknown to Frieza after he left, Hakusa was still alive. The blast he shot at her only knocked her out. She was healed after a few days. However after exiting the infirmary, she was forcefully brought forth the King where the Saiyan King stared daggers at her.

He explain that his act of sparing of life and allowing you to heal would only be the final gesture of kindness that he'll ever give to her.
Hakusa then again tried to plead her side, but was punched in the face by a royal guard, stating that she wasn't given permission to speak.

As such, he orders her banishment from the planet and stripped of her saiyan class. She had only a minute to collect her belongings, get in a space pod and never return or she gave an actual execution and this time, it'll be real. After exiting planet Vegeta, Hakusa encountered a wormhole of unknown origin.

The energy from the wormhole drew the slave pod closer to it as the female Saiyan tried to change the coordinates or steer the space pod away..but to no avail. She was sucked into the wormhole before it closed, sending her to another dimension. After what her body feels like seven hours, she exited out and crashed landed on Krypton, gaining the attention of the people. The first thought was to end her life(mostly Zod and the Sword of Rao), however she was spared by Sta-El, the younger twin brother of Jor-El.

He nursed her back to health and kept her safe in his home. Hakusa felt a bit intimidated from him, but slowly warmed up to him. Months go by as she at first struggled with Krypton's language and economy, but with the House of El helping her, she managed to get the hang of it. It was then that she had fallen for him as Sta-El felt the same for her.

Now, they are seconds from giving birth to their children. However, because they are away from medical facilities that can expose their criminal waybof making offspring, The House of El family only had their home drones Kelor and Kelex to give them assistance.

[Back to the El family]
Hakusa was breathing heavily as Sta-El held her hand.

Sta-El: It's okay. You're almost there. Breathe deep and push.

Hakusa controlled her breathing and pushed more. The pain was excruciating as she and Lara both let out a blood-curdling scream.

Hakusa and Lara: *leans forwards* NnnghARRRRRRGGHHHH!!!!!

The female saiyan laid back, panting from the stress as a pair of baby's crying can be heard inside the room.

Kelex: *holding the baby of Sta-El and Hakusa* It's a boy.

Kelor: *holding the baby of Jor-El and Lara* It's a boy.

The Drones then gently picked up the newborns, carefully snipped the umbilical cords to clean them properly before handling the newborns to their mothers. Both Kryptonian men then walked towards their own significant other and looked towards them.

Sta-El got a first look at his newborn child as he gently picked him up and smiled greatly..

*This is you. Imagine that there's a Saiyantail behind*

Hakusa: Our child is here at last..

Sta-El: Yes. He's magnificent..like you are, Hakusa.

Hakusa: Yes..

Sta-El: What do you wish to name him?

Hakusa: How about..Ter-El?

Sta-El: I like that. *turns to Jor-El* What have you and Lara named your child, brother?

Jor-El: We named him Kal-El.

Sta-El: That's a fitting name.

Jor-El: Yes. But now, we have more important matters to speak with the council.

Sta-El: *sighs* Harvesting our planets core what the most stupidest decision ever.

Jor-El: We better hope they'll listen to reason.

They both turned to their wives as they asked them of they will be okay.

Lara: We will be alright.

Hakusa: Just go, Sta-El. Try to appease to the Council. With what happening to our planet, they should listen to reason.

He nodded as he and Jor-El then take off to the Kryptonian Council of Five. Hakusa looked towards Ter-El as he stared into her eyes before smiling bubbly, making the female saiyan stroke his hair.

Hakusa: My baby.

[Timeskip]

Jor-El and Sta-El both came forth to the leadership chambers with an urgent message concerning Krypton.

Jor-El: Do you not understand? The core is collapsing. We may only have a matter of weeks. I warned you harvesting the core is suicide. It has accelerates the process of implosion.

Council Member: Our energy reserves were exhausted. What would you have us do, El?

Sta-El: Look to the stars? Like our ancestors did their are habitable worlds within reach we can begin by using the old outposts?

Ro-Zar: Are you two seriously suggesting we evacuate the entire planet?

Jor-El: No..*walks forward* Everybody here is already dead. Give me and my brother the control of the Codex. We will ensure the survival of our race.

Sta-El: There is still hope. We have held that hope in our hands ever since-

There was a sudden explosion, catching everyone's attention. as beams of light hit the guards, killing them before they fell the floor. General Zod and his second in command Faora-Ul in their battle armor leading a dozen men into the chamber.

Zod: *advancing* This council has been disbanded.

Ro-Zar: On whose Authority?

Zod: Mine.

Zod fired his rifle at the council member, killing her instantly as he headpiece fell from her corpse.

Zod: The rest of you will be tried and punished accordingly.

Jor-El: What are you doing Zod?

Sta-El: This is Madness!

Zod: *angrily* What I should have done years ago, these lawmakers with their endless debates have led Krypton to ruin.

His men took hold of the council members and forced them to the ground off their thrones.

Jor-El: And If your forces prevail, you will be the leader of nothing.

Zod: Then join me. Help me save our race. We'll start anew, we'll sever the degenerative bloodlines that led us to this state.

Sta-El: And who will decide which bloodline survive, Zod? You?

Zod: Don't do this, Jor and Sta. The last thing I want is for us to become enemies.

Jor-El: You have abandoned the principles that bound us together. You've taken up the sword against your own people.

Sta-El: We'd rather honor the man you once were, Zod. Not the monster we see in front of us.

Zod shook his head, seeing that his now former friends won't side with him and orders his men to take them away. Restrained, Both Jor and Sta were being taken by four of Zod's men to a unknown place. Just then, Kelex floated in front of the group.

Kelex: Sir's. Is everything all right?

SOR soldier: Out of the way!

Both brother looked at one another, then to the drones and silently nodded to her, while closing their eyes.

SOR: I said-

He was cut off as Kelex unleashed a blinding flash of light at the soldiers, giving the El Brothers the opening to strike back. Jor-El backhanded a guard with a fist before he headbutted the one on the right. Sta-El elbowed the guard on the left and quickly turned to grab the other guards arm before he fired on him, makimg the blast hit the ceiling. He then reeled his fist onto his side,, breaking his hip and flung him over his shoulders, taking his weapon. Two more guards run up and before they can aim, they were gunned down by Jor-El.

Sta-El: More will come.

Jor-El: *to Kelex* Get me Lara.

The drones round facial structure shifted to resemble Lara. Before the brother's can respond, she looked behind on worry.

Lara: Jor, behind you!

Jor and Sta turned to see more of Zod's soldiers coming towards them. Thankfully, they managed to shoot them down.

Sta-El: We better head back. More will be coming soon.

Jor-El: Lara, you have to ready the launch. We'll be with you and Hakusa as soon as we can.

The call ends as both brother ran outside to oversee the devastion going on Krypton. Many of them going to war with one another.

Jor-El: H'raka!!

Sta-El: D'Baku!!

A pair of flying creatures desended below and landed in front of their respective masters.

*Sta-El has a lighter green War Kite*

The brothers then got onto their war Kites and had them fly them below the surface of the war.

Jor-El: Do you know the way of the Codex, Brother?

Sta-El: Yes. *points down to the blue liquid* Inside the genesis chamber.

Kelex: I must compel you two. Breaching the genesis chamber is a Class-B crime, punis-

Jor-El: *takes off his robe* Nobody cares anymore, Kelex. The world is about to come at an end.

Sta-El: I'll keep watch.

He turned toward his mount and gently stroked the beast's muzzle.

Jor-El: Stay, H'Raka.

The war-kite purred her assent. Jor-El approached the edge of the pool. He took a deep breath, as much to steady his nerves as to fill his lungs, and dived headfirst into the hollow shaft at the center of the spire. 

Amniotic fluid, heated to body temperature, enveloped him as he swam down the length of the spire into a sprawling, liquid-filled complex.

An eerie phosphorescence lit the shaft, suffusing the briny fluid with a faint green glow. He kept his eyes open as he swam, taking in sights few Kryptonians had ever been privileged to see.

Krypton had long ago abandoned the unpredictability of sexual reproduction-with its reckless pairings and random mixing of chromosomes-in favor of a more orderly and scientific system that allowed for complete control over each child's genetic makeup and destiny.

Nothing was left to chance. Each developing embryo was expressly designed to fulfill his or her preordained role in society-as a worker, warrior, thinker, administrator, a professional practitioner of the culinary arts, or whatever best served the greater good.

The Genesis Chambers were the ultimate expression of Krypton's rigid caste system, applying advanced genetic engineering to an inviolate tradition that stretched back to antiquity. Jor-El had sprouted from one such stem, many cycles ago, as had Lara, and Jax-Ur, and every Kryptonian who currently breathed upon the planet. Save for one.

Crab-like robotic gardeners, equipped with sharp metallic pincers, tended to the growing stems and buds, trimming away excess shoots, nodes, and even the occasional defective fetus. Designed to function in a liquid environment, the 'bots were smaller and less sturdily built than Kelex.

Other robots scoured the inner walls of the spire, keeping them free of unwanted mosses and fungal growths. Jor-El eyed the busy mechanisms apprehensively, but they appeared programmed to ignore him as long as he did not disturb the babies growing on the vines. It pained his heart to realize that none of the gestating embryos would live long enough to be harvested.

He kicked his way downward, trying to stay clear of the endless stems and sacs, yet the shaft grew more densely fertile as he descended, slowing his progress. Despite his efforts, he swam too close to a cluster of fetuses, which retracted back into their stems like the polyps on an undersea anemone. A nearby bot, busy pruning a stray branch, turned its sensors toward him, but did not take action.

Jor-El hurried away before it changed its cybernetic mind.

He was running out of breath. His cheeks bulged and tiny bubbles escaped his lips. Despite his clenched jaws, briny fluid invaded his mouth and nostrils.

His lungs cried out for air. Self-preservation urged him to turn back, but he kept on swimming, hoping that he was nearing the end of the shaft-and that the central hub was not much farther.

The shaft slowly widened. Swaying stems obscured his view, but he spotted an opening ahead. Holding on tightly to his last breath, he kicked toward the large circular portal which led to an immense spherical chamber at the center of the complex. Artificial light filtered down from above.

Jor-El prayed it wasn't just a mirage caused by a lack of air.

Light-headed, lungs aching, he swam up toward the light. His head broke the surface of the water and he gasped, then sucked in air hungrily.

Amniotic fluid dripping from his hair and beard, he found himself bobbing in the center of a wide reservoir surrounded by pulsing organic walls. Taking a moment to recover, he glanced around at the cavernous hub of the Genesis Chambers, from which the entire gargantuan complex was controlled.

Soon his questing eyes located what he was looking for: The Codex.

An ancient Kryptonian skull, inscribed with glowing green glyphs, hung just above the basin, suspended by numerous neural fibers. The glyphs pulsed continuously while the Codex dictated the genetic code of millions of Kryptonians as yet unborn. In the past, such directions would have determined their futures as well-but that was when Krypton had a future.

Reaching upward, Jor-El hastily disconnected the skull from the fibers that held it in place. The pulsing glyphs dimmed and went dark. A high-pitched alarm echoed off the walls around him-like the screeching of a frightened jewel-bird.

The alarms sent a jolt of adrenaline through him, spurring him on. War or no war, his unthinkable violation was bound to trigger defensive measures-and attract the Sapphire Guard. He needed to be away from here, with his prize, before it was too late.

He unhooked the last of the ganglia and seized the Codex. Clutching it to his chest, he dived back beneath the water.

Numerous openings led to the complex's myriad spires. Unable to determine which passage he'd used before, he chose an opening at random and swam into the waiting shaft, which was identical to all the others.

Kicking upward, he rose past drifting stems laden with doomed fetuses and embryos. His lungs were tested once more, but this time he knew where he was going.

If he could just reach the open pool at the top of shaft...

But the robots had other ideas. Abandoning their gardening, they chased after Jor-El, converging on him from all directions. Metal pincers, designed for pruning, tugged on his legs and ankles. The layered fabric of his skinsuit shielded him from immediate injury, but the bots kept coming, determined to retrieve the stolen Codex.

Sharpened pincers dove at his face, but he batted the bot away with his free hand, while kicking and shaking more bots off his legs and torso. Shattered bits of metal and circuitry sank out of sight, yet the aquatic robots were not deterred. Whoever had programmed them had clearly impressed upon them the paramount importance of the Codex. They were not going to surrender it without a fight.

Crimson sunlight, seeping down from above, called out to him. Breaking free from the clinging 'bots, he breached the surface of a pool at the top of a towering spire. H'Raka and Kelex were nowhere to be seen, which implied that this was a different shaft than the one into which he'd dived before.

Still holding on to the Codex, he started to haul himself out of the pool onto the sturdy, solid lip of the spire. He was halfway out when unseen pincers bit down on his ankle, squeezing hard enough to bruise him beneath his skinsuit, and yanked him back down into the fluid. Startled, he lost his grip on the skull, which rolled across the top of the spire toward the outer edge of the lip.

Jor-El: *thinking* No!

Nightmarish visions-of the Codex tumbling over the edge and plunging to certain destruction-flashed through his brain, giving him the strength to shake loose the relentless bot and lunge from the water. He dove for the skull, his hands stretched out before him. His fingers closed on the runaway Codex only a heartbeat before it rolled over the brink. Rao be praised!

Gasping in relief, he scrambled to feet, only to hear a metallic scraping behind him. He turned to see a pair of bots clambering out of the shaft after him. He backed away from the pool, toward the edge of the precipice. Glancing back over his shoulder, he spied a vertiginous drop. Again, no Kryptonian could survive such a fall- not unless he knew how to fly.

The robots, clumsy once they were out of the water, advanced toward him. Their pincers clacked viciously. Given a chance, they would surely snip his fingers off to rescue the skull from his grasp. He couldn't let them do that. The Codex had to survive.

And it must be kept away from Jax-Ur and his renegades, he resolved. Suddenly a familiar buzzing reached his ears, drawing nearer by the instant.

Sta-El: Get on your H'Raka, brother!

Jor-El smiled. Trusting fate, he turned and leapt from the spire. He plummeted toward the ground below, accelerating according to a mathematical constant he had memorized as a child.

For a few heart-stopping seconds he found himself wishing that Krypton's natural gravity wasn't quite so formidable. Terminal velocity approached at an alarming pace. He prayed that Lara would be able to carry out their work without him.

Then H'Raka swooped in beneath him, with Kelor docked at her rear. Working together, they timed the catch perfectly so that Jor-El landed heavily in the saddle rather than crashing to his death many lengths below.

He settled into the seat, checking to make sure the Codex had not been damaged by the fall. To his relief, the sacred skull was still intact, which meant there was still hope for the future.

Jor-El: *instructs his War Kite* Home.

The war-kite soared upward, leaving the Genesis Chambers and mechanical sentries behind with his brother following behind. It seemed as if the worst was over, but then a burst of plasma shot past them.

Pivoting in his seat, Jor-El saw that the ongoing battle had spread, and was moving toward them. Deadly sprays of energy streaked the sky as the Sword of Rao fought the Sapphire Guard for control of Kandor.

Fearing that they were about to become collateral damage, Jor-El urged H'Raka to greater speed and the war-kite responded by executing an evasive course that tested any enemy's ability to pin her in their sights.

Jor-El bent low, cradling the Codex, as the brother's sped toward the Citadel.
But the agile war-kites could not dodge every blast. A few stray shots shredded their left hindwings, sending the two spinning out of control. H'Raka and D'Baku yelped in pain, but managed to level out and pick up speed. With only three wings remaining, they glided away from the besieged city. Jor-El felt her valiant heart pounding beneath him. Her breathing was ragged.

Sta-El: *sees the damage done to his steed* Hold on a bit longer, girl.

Kelex: Sir, Your mount is exhibiting signs of grave distress.

Jor-El was deeply moved by the animal's bravery and endurance. He leaned to stroke her muzzle. His throat tightened.

Jor-El: Easy, girl. We're almost home.

They flew above the bio-engineered nature preserve on the outskirts of the estate. The House of El had long employed the wilderness as a buffer zone between the Citadel and the city, granting Jor-El and his illustrious forebears a welcome degree of privacy.

Herds of horned Rondor beasts grazed in the grasslands, lowing at the wounded war-kite as it passed above them. Carnivorous blood morels sprouted amidst the foliage. Spiked morningstar seeds floated on air currents, tempting unwitting predators.

Fiery Rao, still sinking in the east, bestowed its scarlet radiance upon the savage veldt. Brilliant ribbons of crimson and carmine retreated toward the horizon, creating a breathtaking view.

At last the Citadel came into view. Rooted organically to the austere black cliffs overlooking the veldt, the great domed edifice had been Jor-El's home since the morning he was first harvested.

He still remembered the glorious day he had brought Lara home to live with him, after an arranged marriage that eventually yielded a long and loving union. They had been truly blessed in their time together. If that happiness was now drawing to a close, he still considered himself a fortunate man.

H'Raka dipped sharply, then recovered. Pained whimpers escaped her jaws. The injured war-kite was also clearly at the end of her days, but found strength enough to stay on course. An outdoor terrace, at the entrance to the landing bay, served as their final destination. Her wings vibrated one last time, bringing them over the terrace, before gliding in for a crash landing.

She slammed into the hard, unyielding floor of the terrace and skidded to a stop only a few lengths away from the high arched entranceway. A low moan testified to her ordeal.

The rough landing jarred Jor-El, but failed to break any bones. He sprang from the saddle, holding onto the Codex, while Kelex detached himself from the docking cradle. Sta-El and D'Baku landed near the soon to be dead H'raka as the second War Kite nudged his head onto H'raka.

Desperate as he was to rejoin his family, Jor-El paused to comfort the dying beast who had given her all for Krypton's future. He gently scratched her muzzle, just where she liked it.

Jor-El: Rest now, old friend. Well be together again soon.

H'Raka's large round eyes rolled upward until only the whites were visible. Her labored breathing stilled. The three remaining wings collapsed against her lifeless body. The pulsing lights on her cybernetic implants flickered and died.

Sta-El: We must push on brother. H'Raka's sacrifice will not be in vain.

Jor-El: I know. We must get the Codex to our children.

Bruised and bloodied from his struggles with the robots, Jor-El turned away from the carcass of his dear War Kite and dashed inside. Kelex jetted after him.

Jor-El: Lara!

Sta-El: Hakusa!

He ran straight to the observatory, where he found all in readiness. A starcraft equipped with a state-of-the-art phantom drive unit, was suspended over an empty cradle module. The craft resembled the calcified heart of a giant, its inner chamber protected by dense bio-engineered plating. The rounded contours of its outer carapace had been crafted to withstand the rigors of deep space, shielding its passenger from everything from solar flares to asteroid strikes.

There was another spacecraft connected next to the Kryptonian starcraft. Even though it is only five feet in diameter, it houses an advanced environmental system and an incredibly fuel-efficient faster-than-light drive. Those traveling inside the ball are kept in a state of suspended animation that minimizes the resources needed to keep them alive.

*Jor-El and Sta-El managed to add a second phantom drive to the Saiyan space pod.*

Biomechanical hardware surrounded the two crafts. He placed the Codex in a stasis beam above the cradle. An archway on the opposite side of the domed chamber led to the medical suite, where they spied Lara and Hakusa nursing Kal-El and Ter-El, with Kelor hovering attentively nearby. The newborns nestled contentedly in their mother's arms. Lara and Hakusa looked up as their husband approached. Her face brightened.

Lara: Jor-El! I was so worried..

Hakusa: Is everything okay.

He wished he brought happier tidings, but there was no time to soften the news. She needed to know the truth.

Jor-El: Zod's forces are on their way. Did you find the world?

Kelor: We did, sir. Orbiting a main sequence yellow star, just as you said it would.

The display screen on her chest presented an image of a distant solar system, dominated by a vibrant yellow star. Only one-fifth the size of Krypton's swollen red giant, the golden sun still had billions of cycles ahead of it before exhausting the hydrogen at its core. It burned hotter than Krypton's sun, and would for eons to come.

Sta-El: A young star..Their cells will drink in its radiation.

The display zeroed in on the third planet in the system, which appeared to be in the grip of an ice age. Vast glaciers covered the surface. Hairless bipedal primates, garbed in furs, struggled to survive amidst the icy wilderness. Jor-El instinctively admired their determination, vigor, and ingenuity. They spread out across the planet, thriving despite the harsh, primitive conditions.

Jor-El: There's an intelligent population there. They're primitive, but... they look like us, Lara.

She eyed the images uncertainly, clutching Kal-El to her breast. He could tell she was having second thoughts.

Lara: What if the natives won't accept them? He and Ter will be an outcast, a freak. They'll kill them."

Jor-El: How? Those two be like a god to them.

Lara: What if the ships doesn't make it? *gazed down at the newborn in her arms* I can't do it. I thought I could, but now that's he's here-

Jor-El shared her feelings. The very sight of their child stirred him even more powerfully than he had expected. He couldn't blame Lara for wanting to hold onto her baby-their baby. He too felt an almost overpowering desire to shelter the boy, and watch him grow to manhood. But fate had determined otherwise.

Jor-El: Lara, we've been through this. Krypton is doomed. It's his and his cousin's only chance now. Our people's only chance.

A strident alarm blared throughout the Citadel, interrupting the poignant moment. Jor-El looked up in dismay.

Sta-El: Kelex! What is it?

The robot manservant had followed Jor-El into the observatory. He accessed the Citadel's perimeter sensors. A holographic display, projected from the 'bot's chest, showed five blinking triangles converging on a symbolic representation of their home.

Kelex: Five attack ships converging from the east. Citadel defenses are being scanned and evaluated-

Jor-El: Rao, we're out of time. *looks urgently at Lara* Get him ready. I'll transfer the Codex.

He stepped forward to take Kal-El, but Lara refused to let him go. She hugged the baby close.

"Wait! Wait!" she protested. "Just a moment more!"

He wished desperately he could grant her this, but they had to complete the preparations while there was still time. Events were progressing far too swiftly.

Jor-El: We have to say good-bye, Lara!

Lara: No! Let me look at him!

A primal maternal instinct warred with the cruel reality of their situation as she caressed Kal-El's cherubic face. Her eyes glistened. Her voice was hoarse with emotion.

Lara: We'll never get to see him walk. Never hear him say our names-

J

or-El: I know. I know, my love. But somewhere out there, amongst the stars... he will live. Both of them will.

Sta-El: We may not have any hope for us to go..but at least we can be positive to ensure our children survive.

Hakusa looked down towards her son who is sleeping peacefully in her arms. A tear started to fall down her face of the cruel reality of what she has to do.

Hakusa: I wish things could worked for all of us.

With that he gently pried Kal-El from her grip. An agonizing sob escaped her as she surrendered to necessity. Jor-El handed his son over to Kelex, who placed the baby in the womb-like cradle beneath the starcraft. Kal-El cooed happily, trusting that all was well. Jor-El was grateful for the infant's good nature. Tears and tantrums would only make their separation all the harder.

As Kelex tucked his charge securely into place, Jor-El climbed into a looming nano-surgery robot waiting silently in the wings. The sophisticated exoskeleton closed around him. A multi-spectrum visor clicked into place before his eyes. Encased in the robot, he approached the cradle and gazed down at his son. The visor allowed him to see through Kal-El's epidermis to gaze directly on the baby's tiny heart.

The sight of his son's essence, pulsing before his eyes, left Jor-El awash in emotion. That was his own Kryptonian flesh and blood, throbbing with new life.
He nodded at Kelex, who prepared the skull for the procedure.

Kelex: Uploading the Codex, sir.

A holographic readout confirmed the data link. Jor-El activated the carrier beam and a shimmering blue ray passed through the Codex on its way to Kal-El's heart. The process disintegrated the Codex, breaking it down into digitized information which was then transmitted directly into the baby's bloodstream. Kal-El gazed wide-eyed at the pretty lights, unharmed by the painless procedure. It was over in a matter of moments.

No trace of the Codex remained, save for the data infused into the unknowing Kryptonian child.
Almost done, Jor-El thought. He cut off the beam and climbed out of the surgical gear. Crossing the floor of the observatory, he retrieved a customized command key from a magnetic field. The key was a short black spike small enough to be held in the palm of his hand.

The crest of the House of El was inscribed on its triangular head. He plugged the key into a matching slot in the cradle, so that it would accompany Kal-El on his voyage across the cosmos.

Kelex: Sir, Hostile forces are nearly upon us-

The perimeter alarms grew ever louder and more strident. On the robot's dimensional display, the blinking triangles were practically on top of the Citadel.

Jor-El: Put up the defenses!

On the display, a protective force field enveloped the Citadel. Jor-El had little expectation that the field would be able to repel the invaders for long, but he intended to make good use of the time remaining to them.

He watched intently as a biostasis gel-similar in composition to that used in the embryonic sacs back at the Genesis Chambers-filled the cradle, flooding over little Kal-El.

A transparent enclosure formed over the module, sealing the baby inside an artificial womb. Jor-El would never be able to touch his son again.

Then the Citadel came under attack. Muted explosions shook the curved walls of the observatory. A punishing barrage tested the defenses, which appeared unequal to the task.

Jor-El: Small wonder...

It had been generations since any household on Krypton had faced such an assault. The defenses were old and outdated, like the rest of Krypton. Lara gasped in alarm as shock waves rattled the chamber.

The surgical robot framework toppled over, smashing onto the floor. Jor-El glanced anxiously at the starcraft, suspended over the cradle module, but its supports proved sturdy enough to hold it safely in place above the womb.

Jor-El: Brother.. now is your turn.

Sta-El nodded, but a bit shakily. He walked towards his wife, cradling their child.

Sta-El: Hakusa..

Hakusa: I know..*sniffles* But it's so hard..

The Kryptonian male hugged her in the most comfort way he could possibly can. He feels her pain too. Having to send your child a few hours after it's birth.. it's not something any parent would like to do. But because of the planet's condition..they truly have no choice.

Sta-El: Lara.. can you lower the second spacecraft for my son?

Lara slowly nodded as she worked on some controls to lower Hakusa's Saiyan Pod down. The parents then walked with their infant son in the mothers arms as the male then gets it open. The mother looks sadly at Ter-El..her baby that she'll have to give up.

Hakusa: I know that you will be the strongest along Kal-El. You will face big threats of those you've never seen.. but I truly know that you can overcome them. A Saiyan is nothing without his pride..or their loved one.

The mother then gently placed the baby inside the space pod. The baby nuzzled onto the soft interior of the pod as the new Kryptonian upgrades realigned to the infant's body before the door closes.

Cracks spread across the vaulted ceiling, showering the observatory with sediment and debris. A buttress rib buckled alarmingly, while the floor vibrated beneath their feet. If he didn't know better, he'd swear that Krypton was already coming apart.

Kelex: Outer defenses are falling!

The force field flickered erratically on his display. Jor-El knew that the enemy would soon breach the Citadel. Time was running out. All they had left was minutes.

He peered again through the transparent enclosure at his son, slumbering now within the gel-filled womb. Kal-El was blissfully oblivious to the chaos raining down upon them.

Jor-El: Sleep well, my son, Our hopes and dreams travel with you."

Lara joins him in front of the module. She wrapped her arms around him.

Jor-El: Finish the launch, Lara. Me and my brother will hold them off for as long as we can.

The Citadel shuddered beneath another assault. Jor-El doubted the force-field could withstand any more strikes. He and Sta-El embraced their significant others, sharing one last precious kiss. Lara's lips forgave Jor-El for taking her baby from her.

Lara: I love you.

Jor-El: And I, you. He'll make it, Lara. He, alongside Ter-El build a better world than ours.

Blaring sirens made it impossible to forget the danger at their door. Tearing himself away from her, he exited the observatory and sprinted with Sta-El through the Citadel to the armory, where his battle armor awaited.

The gleaming gold shell fitted over his durable blue skinsuit. His sacred crest was emblazoned on the chest plate. A bulky plasma cannon was attached to his right arm. Sta-El also got his own armor with had silver dragonic-like armor plating around a blue bodysuit with a red cape and the House of El symbol on the chest plate. 

Kelex prepared himself for combat, as well. The floating robot lowered himself into the docking cradle atop a large armored war-bot. Humanoid in design, the robotic chassis stood at least a head taller than Jor-El, once Kelex had settled into the larger mechanism's neckpiece.

His mainframe now served as the war-bot's "head." The gilded metal chassis mimicked Kryptonian anatomy, right down to sculpted steel muscles. Servomotors whirred as Kelex tested his powerful new limbs. Plasma blasters powered up in his mechanical arms.

Fully equipped, they raced toward the Citadel's upper entrance, where even now they could hear the enemy advancing toward the gates. Concussive blasts slammed into the landing bay doors from the outside. Solid grapheme plates began to buckle under the assault.

Jor-El and Kelex took up defensive positions before the door. He wished they had drilled for this more often, but the Citadel of the House of El had never come under siege in Jor-El's lifetime. He had always counted on Krypton's security forces to keep him safe from riots, insurrections, or invasions. Indeed, Jax-Ur had been brutally effective at keeping the peace for years-before he turned against the Council.

A titanic blast blew open the doors, filling the landing bay with smoke and debris. Jor-El, Sta-El and Kelex didn't wait for the invaders to enter, but opened fire immediately, driving the attackers back with a blistering salvo of plasma fire.

They rushed forward to defend the breached archway, even as the intruders regrouped on the open terrace beyond. Black uniforms and armor identified them as Zod's partisans. Jor-El nodded grimly. It seemed that his old friend had come calling.

Taking cover beneath the archway, they assessed the scene. Rebel gunships, encrusted with armor, flared in overhead. There was Zod, leaning from the open bay of the lead ship, directing the assault. His harsh voice carried across the distance between them.

Zod: Concentrate fire on the main doors!

The House of El Brothers and Kelex fought to repel the invaders. An overeager gunship came too close and Jor-El brought it down with a well-aimed blast to its propulsion unit. The sky-boat crashed into the rocky cliff beneath the terrace. Flaming wreckage cascaded down onto the grasslands hundreds of lengths below.

Frightened wildlife fled in panic. A herd of Rondors stampeded away from the fighting.

The rebels retaliated by unleashing a devastating series of blasts at Jor-El's position. Despite his heavy armor, he rolled out of the way of the bursts, but their combined force was enough to bring down the entire archway, which collapsed on top of him. An avalanche of pulverized carbon and silica smashed him to the floor, burying him beneath heaps of rubble.

His armor shielded him from serious injury, but he found himself trapped, unable to move. Grunting with exertion, he tried to free himself, but the piled debris was too heavy. No Kryptonian could lift such a load.

Sta-El: Jor!

Kelex: Hold on, sir! I'm coming.

The robot rushed to his aid. Mechanical limbs cleared away the heavy rubble. A steel hand took hold of Jor-El's, pulling the trapped scientist free. Powdered silica clung to his face and armor as he regained his footing behind the fallen remains of the archway. This was at least twice that Kelex had saved him. If only I'd had flesh-and-blood allies who were so reliable...

They were fighting a losing battle, however. An armored gunship touched down on the terrace, disgorging dozens of enemy soldiers. Jor-El knew that he, his brother and Kelex couldn't possibly repel them all. Within minutes, the Citadel would be overrun by Jax-Ur's forces. The Sword of Rao was at his throat.

Jor-El: *thinking* No..Lara needs more time. Kal-El and Ter-El is not yet safe.

Kelex's "head" pivoted in his direction. His servomotors whirred into readiness.

Kelex: It's been an honor, sir.

Jor-El: *realizes what he is doing* Kelex, no!

Sta-El: We can't just lose you.

Kelex: I'm not important, None of us are. The only thing that matters is saving the children.

The robot reached back with both mechanical hands and unlatched the outer casings on the obliques of his artificial musculature, exposing a pair of plasma grenades mounted to his inner chassis. He activated the grenades, which beeped and blinked ominously. Then he swiveled away from Jor-El.

Kelex: *last words* They are our future!

Dashing out from behind the heaps of rubble, Kelex ran straight at the gunship and its crew. His robotic limbs carried him across the terrace at astonishing speed. Panicked soldiers, recognizing a suicide run, fired frantically at the charging war-bot. A plasma burst blew off Kelex's right arm, but he kept on coming.

He sprang over the heads of the rebels and into very gullet of the ship, landing amidst the assault team. Doomed men scrambled away from him.

Abruptly the grenades went off, blowing apart the robot, the ship, and the surrounding soldiers. Jor-El watched wide-eyed as the scene transformed into an explosion of flying plasma and shrapnel. He ducked his head to avoid being tagged by the molten metal.

As the debris settled, smoke rose from the gutted remains of the gunship.
Ever loyal, Kelex had destroyed himself for the House of El.

Jor-El resolved not to let that sacrifice go to waste. He and his brother retreated back into the Citadel, hoping that the rubble and burning gunships would slow Zod and his renegades long enough for Lara to complete the launch.

The cradle module ascended into the waiting starcraft. An open hatchway sealed behind it, putting another layer of separation between Lara and her son. She stood at the launch controls, accompanied by Kelor.

Kelor: Both Phantom drives are coming online, mistressml.

Lara nodded and initiated the launch sequence. Despite the Citadel-shaking combat raging outside, and fears for her husband's safety, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand.
She and Jor-El had been partners in this endeavor since the beginning, ever since his research revealed the truth of Krypton's impending doom.

An accomplished scholar and historian in her own right, she had gladly volunteered to give birth to Kal-El as their ancestors had done. Yet the entire time, she had known that they would not raise him as their own. She had just never expected it would be so hard.

The starcrafts, now bearing little Kal-El and Ter-El, rotated into position. Vapors vented from the engines as the vessels powered up its thrusters.

Biomechanical umbilical cords detached themselves from the craft.
The realization that she was sending her child away from her, forever, was like a dagger to the heart. Chances were she would never even know if he arrived safely at the primitive world so many light-years away. Nor could she guess what lonely fate awaited him there.

Lara: *thinking* I have to do this..We have no choice.

So she keyed in the penultimate sequence. High above her, the vast dome of the observatory began to open...

Zod's personal transport touched down on the terrace, not far from the flaming remains of the advance ship. Exiting his craft, he scowled at the wreckage. He had watched as the events unfolded. That suicidal robot had cost him many loyal soldiers.

Zod: *thinking; angrily* Damn you, Jor-El..This is unnecessary. Why couldn't you work with me to save our people...and restore Krypton's greatness?

Flanked by Mala and Nam-Ek, he marched briskly toward the collapsed archway. His dark eyes scanned the battleground, and he remained on guard for traps. As far as he knew, Jor-El had few allies these days, but a smart soldier never underestimated the opposition. 'Even when the enemy is your oldest friend.'

Monitoring the comms, Faora-Ul lifted a hand to her ear. Her brow furrowed pensively.

Faora: General, we've identified an engine ignition within the Citadel.

Zod" An engine?

The rogue Kryptonian tried to make sense of this new development. What in Rao's name is Jor-El up to now? Zod's forces had intercepted the alarms from the Genesis Chamber. Could it be that Jor-El was attempting to escape with the stolen Codex?

That could not be permitted. Zod had his own plans for the Codex and for the future of the Kryptonian race.

Zod: Hold this platform, commander!

Avid soldiers were already clearing away the rubble that blocked the way as Zod ventures inside. Zod led a contingent into the building, which he knew well in happier days.

The unmistakable thrum of engines drew him to Jor-El's well-equipped observatory, where he found his old friend and his brother standing alongside a compact vessel that appeared designed for interstellar travel. Its thrusters pulsed with pure light. Lara stood nearby, at a post in front of a pulsing control panel.

The glow from the starcraft cast Jor-El and Sta-El in stark shadow. With their backs to the newcomers, they resembled some mythic heroes from Krypton's illustrious past. If he knew they were there, he gave no sign, A plasma carbine rested in his grip. Powdered silica dusted his hair. Sta-El's gauntlets radiated with energy.

Zod: I know you stole the Codex, Jor-El. Surrender it, and I'll let you live.

Jor-El: Why? So you can pervert our lineage, to your own ends? *shakes his head* This is a second chance for all of Krypton. Not just the bloodlines you deem worthy.

Ignoring his prisoner's sanctimonious lecture, he searched the scene for clues to whatever audacity Jor-El was attempting. His gaze darted from the adjacent medical suite, where an antique birthing couch had been dragged out of obsolescence to Lara herself. Her lovely figure was less slender than he recalled, almost as though...

Suddenly, an unspeakable possibility forced its way into his mind. It dragged up foggy memories, of certain radical notions Jor-El had once shared with him in private, back when they were young and chafing at the Council's growing calcification.

Zod gaze shifted from the medical suite to the birthing couch, and then to the miniature starcraft, which seemed scarcely large enough to transport anything larger than a child.

A chill ran down his spine. He stared at his former friends in horror.

Zod: What have you done?

Jor-El: We had a son, Zod. And so has my brother and Hakusa.

Sta-El: Krypton's first live birth in centuries. Free to forge his own destiny.

Zod: Heresy!

Zod felt sick to stomach, but his disgust quickly ignited into rage. He turned to the soldiers, and pointed emphatically at the hovering starcraft and its obscene cargo.

Zod: Destroy it!

That propelled Jor-El and Sta-El into motion. Jor-El spun and fired on the soldiers, attempting to provide cover for the craft. The other soldiers charged at him, The escort fell back, taking up defensive positions, but Zod knew more than they what was at stake.

Sta-El: *to Hakusa* Keep Lara and our children safe!

Hakusa nodded as she guess to help with the launch.

[Fight]
Heedless of his own safety, he charged into the observatory, desperate to halt the launch. He knew without being told that Jor-El had entrusted the Codex to the abomination he and Lara had conceived. Rao only knew where Jor-El intended to send his son.
Perhaps one of the old outposts?

A plasma burst sizzled past his ear, close enough to singe his hair-a warning shot, perhaps. Zod gambled that Jor-El, for all his mad schemes, wasn't prepared to murder a friend. So he dashed forward, keeping his head low, only to find himself torn between commandeering the launch controls and attacking the starcraft directly.

Sta-El quickly got in front and gut punched him back, before giving him a few hook punches to his face before kicking him back. He nitices more guards coming him and rushes to fight them.

Zod growled and charged at Sta-El, however, a well-aimed shot from Jor-El's rifle reduced Zod's sidearm to slag. Grunting in pain on one knee, he hurled the super-heated weapon away from him as it splattered upon the floor. He then moved towards Jor-El, grabbing his rifle and punching his face. The general grabbed his Wesson in a attempt to pull it away, but Jor-El retaliated by breaking free by swinging his weapon to his chest and slicing upward on Zod's face, scarring him. He growled in pain and anger as he pushed Jor-El to a wall with the latter firing a shot away from them.

The two men pushed each other back as Zod knocks the rifle away from him. Jor-El grabbed his arm and swung him to a wall, making Zod hit his face. He turned around as the two exchanged blow to blow, seemingly equal to other until Jor-El managed to bring him to the floor with careful combo of punches to the face and a knee to the gut.

Zod groaned as Jor-El reclaimed his rifle. He then glance at Lara ready to send the ship's into the stars.

Zod: Lara!

The Lara Lor-Van he recalled had always been highly intelligent, and she might still be that woman, no matter what depravity Jor-El had forced upon her.

Zod: Listen to me! The Codex is Krypton's future! Abort the launch!

Then Jor-El was upon him. He pressed the heated muzzle of his rife against Jax-Ur, forcing him to his knees. But, as Zod had suspected, he balked at executing the friend of his youth. Instead he merely shouted urgently in Lara's direction.

Zod: Finish it!

Sta-El came back from fighting the guard close to their quarters as he sees Lara ready to launch the two kids to safety.

Her graceful fingers played across the illuminated control screen. The two starcraft's thrusters flared even more brightly, forcing them to look away. Victory and the Codex were slipping away from him.

Zod: NO!!

Unlike Jor-El, he had been trained to kill. Moving quickly, while their attention was on the starcraft, he drew a concealed dagger from his boot and drove it into Jor-El's chest, just below his armored breastplate.

Sta-El: *In horror* JOR-EL!!!

The carbonized bone blade penetrated Jor-El's skinsuit, piercing the fragile skin and organs beneath. Jor-El silently cried out and stared at Zod with a sad look. The general, giving his former friend a cold stare ripped the blade out of him and watched him collapsed to the floor, signifying the end of his life. His rifle slipped from his fingers.

[End of Fight]
Lara: *sadness* Jor-El!

Lara, Sta-El and Hakusa rushed to his side. Lara cradled his lifeless body in her arms, sobbing inconsolably. Sta-El shed tears of losing his older brother as Hakusa hugs him in comfort.

Zod felt a twinge of sympathy for the woman, who had just lost both her husband and her child, but forced it aside in order to focus on the crisis at hand.

Zod: Your sons, Lara and Sta. Where have you sent them?

Tear-filled eyes met his, but they were hard, as well. Her defiant voice held neither fear nor regret.

Lara: Their names are Kal and Ter..Sons of El. *gives him a defiant look* And they are beyond your reach.

As he loomed over the forms of the grieving widow and her dead mate, he was briefly transfixed by the sight of Jor-El's corpse. Remorse threatened to unman him, as the awful weight of this particular killing settled onto his shoulders.

But he shook it off and wiped the blood from his blade. Gathering his soldiers, he moved quickly out of the observatory, leaving thw remain El Family alone with their grief.

He had to find a way to abort Jor-El's unholy enterprise. Zod raced back to the battle-scarred terrace, where he found Faora-Ul and the others staring up in confusion at the ascending starcrafts. The two was gaining altitude by the instant, trailing a vaporous white contrail as it flew toward space.

Within moments it would achieve escape velocity and exit Krypton's atmosphere altogether. If that occurred, the Codex would truly be beyond his reach, just as Lara had foretold.

Zod: Bring that ship down!

Doing so might destroy the object of his desire, but even that was better than letting it vanish into the depths of space. He would have to hope that Jor-El had shielded the Codex sufficiently.

Tor-An relayed the command to a hovering gunship. Zod watched anxiously, wishing that he could personally man the weapons controls as the craft turned and accelerated. It was almost within firing range when a coruscating particle beam blew the craft apart.

Zod: What the!?

Flaming wreckage rained down on the Citadel, forcing Zod and the others to dive for cover.

A blinding searchlight found them where they crouched. Peering up into the glare, shielding his eyes with one hand, he spied a huge hammerhead frigate descending toward them. The immense ship dwarfed his smaller fighters. A commanding voice boomed from the behemoth.

Ship: Lay down your weapons! Your forces are surrounded!

Platoons of heavily armed guardsmen and women dropped from the hammerhead onto the debris-strewn terrace. Faora leapt forward, ready to fight to the death, but Zod held her back. A wise general did not waste his forces on suicidal displays of bravado. Glancing around at what remained of his band of rebels, he realized that the game was up... for now.

Surrender was the only option. Slowly he raised his hands above his head. Peering past the searchlight, he watched grimly as the fleeing starcrafts with the one carrying the Codex finally reached top speed away. By now, the vessel was only a glowing speck high in the sky.

A prismatic distortion field enveloped it as it reached the upper atmosphere. Space-time rippled around the craft, wavering like a mirage, before it blinked out of existence, passing into another dimension.

He offered no resistance as the guards took him into custody. Without the Codex, Krypton's future was lost. There was no point in fighting for a doomed world. Not today. But perhaps someday, a new battle might be waged...

[Final Hour of Krypton]
The walls of the Council Chamber opened like the petals of an enormous ceramic flower, revealing the night sky-and the ominous prison barge hanging just above the exposed amphitheater.

The Black Zero resembled a gargantuan cephalopod, with three huge tentacles hanging down from its bulbous black mantle. Each tentacle was nearly as long as the council tower was high.

The ship's massive shadow fell over the arena where Jax-Ur and his top lieutenants awaited judgment.

The prisoners had been stripped of their armor and uniforms, so that they wore only stark black skinsuits. Energized shackles bound their wrists and ankles. They stood before the Council of Five, much as Jor-El had done only a few days before.

A new solon had been elevated to replace the martyred Ro-Zar. Lor-Em had taken his predecessor's place as High Eminence. His saturnine countenance offered no promise of mercy.

Lor-Em: General Zod..For the crimes of murder and high treason, the Council has sentenced you and your fellow insurgents to 300 cycles of somatic reconditioning.

Gasps arose from some of the prisoners, as well as from a small party of onlookers gathered at the perimeter of the amphitheater. Zod spotted Lara among them, representing the House of El alongside Sta-El and Hakusa.

*What Sta-El is wearing*

*what Hakusa is wearing*

In the tumult surrounding the aborted insurrection, Jor-El's own transgressions including the theft of the Codex had been hushed up in order to avoid troubling the populace any further. Even the existence of his unnatural offspring had been kept from the public. Lara herself had escaped prosecution, so far.

Lor-Em: Do you have any last words?

Zod regarded the Council with scorn. He alone would speak the truth, even if these craven figureheads lacked the courage to do so.

Zod: *charges forward,, but gets restrained by the Saphire Guards* You won't kill us, yourself. You wouldn't sully your hands... but you'll damn us to a black hole for eternity. *spits at them* Jor-El was right. You're a pack of fools. Every last one of you! *turns his attention to the house of El* And you three! You believe your sons is safe, but..

He took a menacing step toward her, but the guards held him back, even when he shoved against them with all his strength and fury.

Zod: *to Lara* I will find him I will reclaim what you've taken from us.

She flinched at the vehemence of his words. Her hand went to her chest, which bore the emblem of the House of El.

Zod: *shouts in pure anger* I WILL FIND HIM!!

Apparently Lor-Em had heard enough. He signaled the master jailer to carry out the sentence. Cryostasis cells, composed of shimmering force fields, rose from the floor, encasing each of the conspirators in an individual sarcophagus.

Preservative gel began to fill the cells, spurring the condemned rebels to panic. Tor-An pounded uselessly at the translucent walls of his sarcophagus, while Faora screamed in rage. Nam-Ek required a larger cell than the others, but even his mammoth fists were unable to break through the rectangular force field that contained him.

The gel rose past the level of his face, which still carried a determined look filling the cell completely. He clenched his jaws, stubbornly fighting the effects of the gel, but it was a lost cause. It invaded his nose and lungs. An icy numbness spread through his body, while his senses dimmed. Unable to speak any longer, he could only stare at the translucent gel obscuring his vision. His world went dark.

His last conscious thought was that he would never again set eyes on his beloved Krypton. Within seconds, it was over.

Lara and the two watched as the petrifying gel congealed, revealing the rebels, frozen within their cells as immobile as statues. They were preserved in various states of fear and anger. A look of utter malice contorted Zod rigid features. His unmoving eyes glared balefully at his captors.

Lara shuddered. She derived little comfort from the awful spectacle that was unfolding before her. Banishing the renegades would not restore her husband or son to her, nor ease her fears regarding Kal-El's uncertain future. She could only pray that the Zone would prevent Zod from carrying out his dreadful threats. The rebel leader had already murdered the love of her life.

She didn't want him in the same universe as her son and Nephew.

The next stage of the process began. With the prisoners secure in their solid-energy cells, the circular platform on which they stood lifted off from the floor, moving toward the prison barge that hung above the Council. An airlock opened in the underside of the Black Zero's plated black hull. Craning her head back, Lara glimpsed the gloomy hibernation bay that was waiting for the new prisoners. Empty niches would hold the cryostasis cells, perhaps for all eternity.

Hakusa: Honest executions would've been nicer.

Lara: Yes..but it wouldn't bring Jor-El back nor leave me satisfied.

She shivered, and drew her crimson cloak more tightly about her. Had their own crimes been exposed, the three could have easily found themselves in a cell of her own, facing the same endless purgatory.

There but for the grace of Rao..she and the remaining house of El were spared.

The levitating platform approached the open airlock. Robotic loading arms received the frozen prisoners. Jax-Ur was the last of the rebels to be loaded aboard the Black Zero. The airlock door shut, sealing the prisoners from view, while the transport platform descended to its original position on the floor of the amphitheater.
It's almost over, Lara thought. He's almost gone.

A ceremonial klaxon blared, proclaiming to all of Kandor that the rebels' banishment was underway. The Black Zero rose vertically into the sky, its lower tentacles still pointing down toward the planet. The fully loaded prison barge ascended into orbit, where the Phantom Zone projector awaited.

The projector had been devised by Jor-El. He had done so back when he was still in the Council's good graces, and acclaimed as Krypton's greatest scientist. It was a triangular, shield-shaped jump-gate kept in geosynchronous orbit above Kandor. When dormant, the gate consisted of a single satellite. But as the Black Zero rose toward the it, the device split into three parts, with each point of the triangle heading off in its own direction.

Lines of energy connected the points so that they formed a much larger triangle over a far greater expanse. A distortion field manifested within the triangle. Phase-shifting colors blurred together like the prismatic optics of a soap bubble. Space-time rippled and fractured, forming a gateway to another plane of reality.
The Phantom Zone.

The Black Zero rose into the distortion field, threading the needle between the points of the triangle. The distortion effect washed over the ship. Solid matter particularized before vanishing into the two-dimensional plane of the portal. Within moments the entire ship had vanished, removed from the universe, taking its condemned cargo with it.

The three points of the projector converged once again, closing the gateway as the device powered down. The shield-shaped satellite floated silently in orbit once again.
The klaxon sounded again, signaling the end of the ritual. In theory, every exile was to be released eventually after cycles of solitude and subliminal conditioning had curbed their antisocial tendencies.

But Lara knew this was unlikely to happen before Krypton perished. Zod had been right about that at least. He and his people had been condemned to the Zone for all time.
Or so Lara prayed.

Lara lingered in the Citadel's armory, where Jor-El's battle-scarred armor now hung in tribute to his memory. Dents, scratches, and scorch marks testified to his last, heroic efforts on behalf of their departed child. She intended to carry the memory of his sacrifice for as long a time as remained to her. It struck her as cosmically unjust that this tribute along with the rest of Krypton would soon be ashes.

It's not fair, she thought. We should have grown old together.
Her finger traced the crest embossed upon the damaged breastplate. Although scarred, the sinuous glyph was still legible, reminding her of Kal-El's heritage and his future beyond the stars.
Hope, she thought. As long as he lives, there is always hope.

She had lost her ability to track her son's and nephew's starcraft once its phantom drives had activated. The drives warped both space and time, taking the tiny ships beyond the scope of her instruments. By the time, it reached its destination on the other side of the galaxy, millennia would have passed from her perspective.

That ice age she had glimpsed would be ancient history long before Kal-El arrived at his new home. And those primitive savages should have progressed considerably.

Lara: Will they accept you, my son...Or will you or Ter will always be alone?

Another tremor shook the Citadel, reminding her that her own time was short. She turned away from the armory and sought out the upper terrace. She had draped a fur-lined cloak over her shoulders, despite the heat of the evening. Lara found that she was often cold these days, regardless of the temperature. Grief and solitude brought little warmth.

She stepped out onto the terrace, which had also been marked by the battle against Zod and his terrorists. Kelor had started to coordinate the necessary repairs, but Lara had not seen the point. The damage inflicted by the war was nothing compared to what was upon them now.

An apocalyptic vista stretched as far as the eye could see as she gazed out upon the end of her world. Volcanic eruptions, spewing radioactive green magma, tore apart the landscape.

Kandor's distant towers toppled as the capital was flattened by never-ending quakes. A pyroclastic cloud large enough to engulf an entire city surged across the veldt, setting the grasslands ablaze. Panicked wildlife stampeded for their lives, but there was nowhere to run-all of Krypton was ripped asunder by cataclysmic convulsions.

Herds of frantic Rondors tumbled headlong into gaping chasms that cracked open the surface of the planet. Desperate birds took flight, only to burst into flame as blasts of super-heated air ignited their wings. Artificial ponds and reservoirs boiled over, sending scalding plumes of steam high into the dark night sky.

Lara watched stoically as the devastation spread toward the Citadel, which was already being rocked to its foundations.

Bioengineered masonry that had withstood the passage of centuries broke away and tumbled down the sides of crumbling granite cliffs. Avalanches spilled havoc and death on the burning natural preserve below. Clouds of ash and smoke blotted out the moons' light.

Sta-El and his wife stood alongside Lara as they watched the destruction commences in front of them.

Kelor: Lady Lara. Lady Hakusa. Sir Sta Shouldn't you all find refuge?

Lara valued the robot's concern, but she shook her head sadly.

Hakusa: There is no refuge, Kelor. It won't even matter if we go someplace else..

Lara: Jor-El was right. This is the end.

She turned her gaze upward, away from the catastrophe, toward the stars that lay beyond the storm. Her words were a prayer.

Lara: *last words* Build a better world than ours, Boys.

Hakusa: *last words* We love you both.

Sta-El: *last words* No matter what difficulties you'll face. Don't face them alone. Face it together..

A nuclear volcano erupted violently, eradicating Kandor in an instant, sent a tidal wave of heat and sound screaming toward the Citadel, which was instantly reduced to atoms by the ferocious blast. No eyes survived to witness the destruction. Not a single relic endured.

Krypton itself soon followed. Vast tectonic plates buckled, venting mountainous sheets of glowing ejecta into the upper atmosphere and beyond. Continents crumbled and seas boiled over, as the planet's contaminated core built to a critical mass. A series of global detonations overcame the tremendous gravity that held the planet together.

And then Krypton blew apart in a final, apocalyptic paroxysm that could be seen from light-years away.

(And that's that for Y/n's Prolouge for this story. I literally had to rewatch the entire movie and ever the scenes bit by bit to write this..and boy it took long. Amyway's, I hope you enjoy and ill be working on Goku's side)