Bella MacLeod's Twilight Fanfiction

The Life Equation

By BetterInTexas

Chapter 17:

Argo City

Astra stood listening, staring at the hologram of her niece, wishing she could pull the girl through the comlink back home. It had been a long six days. She hadn’t had time to deal with her own stress about Kara being gone, out of her sight and protection, due to being concerned over her sister’s emotional state.

The day before she sat in the Council Chamber and listened to her Little One, watched as Kara grew into an adult in front of her eyes when she demanded respect from the Council and took what was rightfully hers.

It made her proud and saddened her a little as well. Despite pride in her niece growing into a confident young woman, she hoped Kara retained the part of her that remained a girl: the twenty-two year old brilliant and brave child who would tackle her in the gym as soon as she walked through the door, the one who laughed excitedly when she made some new discovery then rushed to tell her about it, despite knowing Astra would have no clue what she was talking about.

The woman shouldn’t be worried. Kara was Zor El’s child. Zor El was brave, strong willed, extremely intelligent and yet an irreverent and a hopeless prankster, the one people navigated to at parties, who always had an exciting or humorous story to tell, the one who never let his work interfere with his family or lessened his love for his wife and daughter. Astra hoped Kara held on to those same characteristics, despite growing up.

While not happy Kara wasn’t in Argo, Astra had become comfortable with her niece’s absence, feeling Kara was safe despite her heroic antics that revealed her to Earth. She had excellent control of her powers and she had Kell who, Astra knew for a fact, was highly skilled in both physical combat and firearms. She also had six Green Lanterns and Kal El watching out for her in addition to Kal El’s comrades on Earth who possessed extraordinary powers. She could at least spend the remainder of Kara’s time away knowing she was protected.

So naturally, Kara and Kell were on the comlink, informing her, Non and Alura about the latest, terrifying development.

She had heard stories of Brainiac 13, whispers when she was but a cadet and about something called an Anti-Life Equation but never believed it to be real. Astra knew Brainiac 13 was the one challenge Krypton might face that they had a chance of falling to.

Now a probe to Earth had been sent by the monster to take over a man who had a direct connection to Kal. There was no doubt in her mind… Brainiac 13 would be coming for Earth. Whether it was in a day, a year or a decade, he was coming for that planet.

And her Little One was on it.

Before Alura could speak, Astra stepped in front of her. “You know what we agreed to, Kara. If there was any trouble, you would return immediately. Despite breaking several rules your Mother gave you regarding contact with humans, you have been safe… until now.

“Brainiac 13 is an unknown. What we know about him is enough to give me pause. Argo City is not ready for an invasion attempt by anyone, much less that monster. It is time for you to come home.”

“But…”

“Immediately.” Astra interrupted her. “I will have the Nightwing disembark and enter the galaxy. We will be there in 32 hours at most. I will have Lanterns clear the asteroid field for us, allowing a straight path. Do not come to us until we have reached the galaxy. Once we have swept the system to ensure there are no ships that could intercept you, your fighter will dock, and we return to Argo City. Understood?”

“No.” Kara told her, a determined look on her face. “We have no idea when Brainiac is coming or even if he is after the Anti-Life Equation. He may not be here for years, or he may learn of Earth’s heroes and decide the risk is too great for the reward. However, if you enter the galaxy, Brainiac will learn of the existence of Argo City and he will come for us.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Astra told her. “He won’t follow us through a Wormhole and if he does, we can initiate combat and disable him in the bend.”

Kara shook her head in disagreement. “You cannot initiate combat inside a wormhole.”

“Yes, I can.” Astra told her in a tone indicating the absolute certainty of her claim. “It is a difficult maneuver, but I can do it and he won’t expect it. You may be a twelfth level intellect, but I am a highly skilled warrior. You aren’t the only one who is exceptional at what you do, Kara. Your time there is at an end. Prepare your findings and whatever you wish to bring back with you. I will contact you when we have secured the planetary system.”

“But…”

“That is an order!” Astra said, barely containing her temper.

Kara began to open her mouth once more before Non spoke up. “Kara, you agreed.” he reminded her gently.

Kara’s growing irritation was evident in her reply. “Yes, but there is no imminent threat. I am under heavy guard and with the Green Lanterns assistance, I can leave this galaxy quickly and quietly should the need arise. It is imperative I solve the Anti-Life Equation. I need the pieces here and I need time.

“If Brainiac should solve the equation first or if he already has, the entire Universe will eventually be under his control. He could enslave every world never touching the planet. Whether it is tomorrow or in a century, mark my words… he will come for Krypton! The information I need to stop him is here!”

The twins and Kara stared at one another for a few moments in silence, locked in a battle of wills until Non cleared his throat. “For those of us who aren’t scientists or irate mothers and aunts, could you explain to me why an equation is considered a weapon? Can it be used to make a weapon?”

Kara relaxed slightly, shifting her eyes from her aunt and mother to her uncle. “The Anti-Life Equation is the weapon. Once solved, it can be telepathically placed into a person’s mind, whether they are mathematically inclined or not. Once it takes root, it changes the mind of the person, basically creating new neural pathways.

“The Equation proves the futility of life. Once that happens, a person stops living, becomes a shell, under total possession of the one who delivers it. It is called the Anti-Life Equation because if someone possesses complete control over you, you have no reason in your heart to fight against that control. Basically, the will of a person to live is suppressed if they are affected.” Kara explained.

“And you want to learn this equation so you can use it as a weapon on Brainiac? To make him a slave to you?” Non asked, not able to grasp the entirety of the problem, but he could tell Kara was very worried so he probably should be as well.

Kara shook her head in frustration. “No! But I have to learn it to know where it is wrong. The Equation must have a fault because life is not futile. I have to create a formula proving that it’s not… a Life Equation. Only that can break the hold over those under the Anti-Life Equation’s thrall and possibly destroy Brainiac’s neurofunctions.”

Astra dropped her head. Kara had obviously thought these arguments through before informing the trio of her findings.

“You cannot look at these pieces of the equation and solve this problem in Argo City? You can leave your comlink with Kal El and send your findings to him.” Astra proposed, using any argument she could, short of threatening to forcefully remove Kara from Earth and place her under guard safely in her home.

Kara took a deep breath. “I will return by my designated time. I swore an oath on the El name I would take the Horizon home but even if I were to leave now it would take four weeks. Until I know more, we cannot risk sending one of our ships and being discovered.”

“That isn’t your decision.” Astra told her sharply. “If I order a battlecruiser to enter that galaxy and retrieve you, it is my decision and mine alone. You may be on the Council now and Head of the Science Guild, but the military is mine.”

Kara stood her ground, her face showing the stubbornness the three had seen many times in her life, but there was a difference in her manner indicating her resolve as well. Astra knew she wasn’t going to like what her beloved niece said next… and she was right.

Kara’s expression hardened as she replied, “What if he is already here and his cloaking device is beyond ours, impossible to find? I need to find that parasite, use it to find Brainiac’s location, determine what his plans are, then create an equation to disprove the Anti-Life Equation.

“It is important, not only for this planet but for the Universe, Krypton included. None of you may want to hear this, but my life is worth nothing if I can’t stop him here.

“I promise I will return in the time I have been given. Release me from my oath and I will join a Cruiser on this side of the ‘Wormhole of Death’ and journey back as quickly as possible.”

Astra walked away from the comlink, out of sight of Kara and punched a wall to let loose her frustrations. How could trying to keep one little girl safe her whole life be so difficult? First the assassination and kidnapping attempts, then the death of Krypton, followed by her going without permission into the ground beneath Argo City, to flying through an Asteroid field and now on a planet that Brainiac 13 had decided to target days after she arrived.

“Damn it!” Astra yelled, causing Alura and Non to flinch. To her credit, Kara didn’t move or change the determined expression on her face despite having heard her aunt’s displeasure whether she could see her or not.

Astra walked back towards the hologram of Kara. “Where is Kell?”

Kara moved over and Kell stood by her side.

“Kell, what is your assessment of this situation?” Astra asked.

Rather than looking uncertain, something he had in the past when speaking to Alura, Kell seemed confident when addressing his commanding officer, meaning he was about to say something Astra did not wish to hear.

“General, the consensus of those who know of Brainiac 13 agree that he represents a threat to the Universe as a whole. The shape shifter on this planet has telepathic abilities but Kara is the only person I know of who has experience communicating telepathically with many minds at once. If we are to stop Brainiac, considering the information on hand now, I think the course of action is clear.

“Kara will develop the weapon… or math problem we need to stop him. It will be essential to bring his ship to the surface so that we can raid it and give Kara access to the equipment Brainiac most likely possesses to communicate telepathically over an entire planet.

“I have no idea what we will be facing once inside the ship. He could very well have the capability to soak the inside of the ship with red solar rays and make the atmosphere unbreathable for the metahumans and humans. Self-contained armor will be needed for breathing and protection. It is the only option I see for stopping Brainiac.”

Astra took a deep breath to calm herself. Yelling at Kara was one thing, but she had to remain professional with her soldiers. “How do you propose bringing a large spaceship with more advanced weapons and shields down to the planet?”

Kell stood a bit straighter. “I believe if the stories I have heard are true, he has a weakness. He uses a massive ray to place a city into stasis and then rip it from the ground. In activating the ray, he opens his ship up for a short time. I believe a fighter flown into the weapon at lightspeed with an omegahedron attached to a detonator before the ray is fired could cause a massive explosion, disabling the ship, forcing it to land.”

Astra shook her head and looked at the ceiling. “So your plan is to make a suicide flight into a weapon of mass destruction on the hope that it might cause a reaction strong enough to force the ship to land and that’s assuming he uses the weapon at all instead of just using this Anti-Life Equation.”

Kell looked at Kara and then cleared his throat. “I was actually planning on having Kelex make the suicidal flight…”

Kara elbowed the man in the ribs, rolling her eyes. “We can remote the ship.” she told the group.

Astra looked closely at Kell’s image. “You believe this battle is ours to fight, Kell?”

Kell took a deep breath and exchanged a look with Kara. “I believe that is not our decision to make, General. I am a soldier under your command, sworn to serve and defend Krypton with my life. Kara is a member of the Council, and as such, is bound to follow the Council’s majority decision and that of the High Councilor.

“But, in my opinion, I do believe Kara should be given the time to prepare what she needs, find out if the threat is imminent or if there is a threat at all and formulate a defense, should Krypton ever need it or be called upon in the future to defeat this creature.”

Astra looked at Alura and Non, trying to read their minds though it wasn’t hard. Alura would want Kara to return immediately. Non would want to go to Earth to be with her.

Astra herself wanted to break something.

Instead, she handed control of the conversation to her sister. “Alura?”

Alura looked at her twin then turned to her daughter with a look similar to Astra’s. It was as if she wanted to reach into the hologram and pull Kara back to their home. “This will be a decision of the whole council. We will reconvene in thirty minutes in the Council Hall. Kara, you will be there as a member of the Council. Please change out of those clothes and dress appropriately.”

“Yes, Mother.” Kara replied.

“Remember, in council meetings you will address me as High Councilor.” Alura reminded her daughter.

“Of course, High Councilor Mother.” Kara responded and cut the feed.

The three looked at each other, then both twins looked at Non.

“ She just needs time away. She will be safe. She has Kell and the Green Lanterns and blah, blah, blah .” Astra parroted. “Remember those words, husband? Kell has already formulated a plan for invading an enemy ship he has no knowledge of, and Kara believes math can save the Universe and defeat a monster as intelligent as her with possibly better technology! This is what happens when you leave two brave, intelligent… dumb kids alone!”

Non raised his hands. “You are seriously going to blame me for Brainiac threatening Earth while Kara is there? How is that my fault? You should have just ordered her home! Both of you! A Council meeting, Alura? Why does there need to be a meeting? She is still our niece and your daughter. We are her Elders and she will come home when we demand it! The Council will tell her the same thing! Why do we need the Council to do what we should have done?”

Astra was surprised by the emotion in his voice, the anger. He had been the calmest when listening to Kara, Alura staying quiet but she was trembling constantly, her anxiety much higher than before.

“I will call the Council together.” Alura told them quietly in a shaky voice and walked off, still trembling.

National City

“That went… about as well as I expected it to go.” Kara admitted after cutting off the feed. “I haven’t seen Aunt Astra that angry or Mother that quiet in years. I thought they would just order us home. Kell we have to know more. We can’t just leave Kal El alone. Brute force and heart will get him far but a Coluan… that Coluan… it’s different. When he fought Zod, when he fought Darkseid, they were head to head battles that he won. This isn’t a head to head battle.

“If what Jor El and I suspect is true, this battle could be lost without Brainiac ever entering Earth’s atmosphere. The Martian may be able to counteract whatever telepathic device he has but… it’s a risk. A device that can send mental commands into billions of sentient life forms is more than one telepath can resist.”

Kell thought on this for a moment. “Do you really think he could have a device that powerful?”

Kara shrugged her shoulders. “We have to prepare for a worst case scenario and that is Brainiac comes here for the missing pieces of the Equation or worse, already knows the Equation. He would still need something to plant the Equation into the minds of billions of sentients. Mass mind control is not unheard of.”

“Krypton never had that ability.” Kell replied.

“Yes, we did, or at least we could.” Kara told him.

Seeing the look of incredulity on his face, she decided to explain further. “When I was going over Father’s files, trying to organize his research and rebuild his lab, I ran across project records that were banned by the High Council before the death of Krypton. Jor El forwarded everything the High Council knew to my father before the explosion. The black file contained information on projects that were deemed too dangerous to be completed.

“Many years ago, a scientist who lived in Erkol was ordered by Zod to create a satellite that could take over the minds of a planet and control them. Zod believed that if he wasn’t allowed to invade Daxam, he would take over the minds of the population, kill the monarchy and establish complete control over the planet without civilian blood being spilled. He called it ‘Project Myriad’.

“When he approached the High Council seeking approval to implement Myriad over Daxam, the project was blacklisted. The Council rightly believed mind controlling the population of a planet was unethical and no different than invading the planet.

“Kell, I could easily build Myriad with materials that exist on this planet and an omegahedron from Kal’s Fortress, so I promise you, Brainiac would have no trouble creating a device like that or better and have no moral qualms about using it.”

Kell shook his head, still amazed after all this time. “So… okay. Want some breakfast while you wait for the meeting?”

Kara shook her head. “I don’t think I am able to eat right now.” She told him, feeling queasy from the butterflies in her stomach. “This meeting is important to everyone, Krypton, Earth, maybe the whole Universe and I will have no one on my side, not even my own family.”

“You have me.” He assured her, getting a smile from the tense girl.

“Thanks.” Kara whispered, allowing herself to be held in his arms.

Shelbyville, Kentucky

Clark flew into the underground lab from above, drilling through the rock and soil to breach the concrete ceiling. Once he had landed, he listened for her heartbeat and found it quickly, moving through the hallway, reaching Lois and pulling her away just as the fireball threatened to overtake her.

He managed to exit the hole he had made coming in then fell to the ground, covering Lois’s body with his own as a tower of flames erupted from his exit point.

Once the threat had passed, the man raised his body slightly, looking at her smiling face.

“Cutting it kind of close there, Smallville. Do we need to put you on a diet?” Lois asked playfully.

Standing up, Clark reached out his hand and pulled her up as well, exhaling a sigh of relief.

“I thought you were going to wait for me.” Clark told her, frustrated as he was known to be on occasion with his love.

Lois crossed her arms. “I told you I found a lead on one of Lionel Luthor’s old secret labs and power had recently been reconnected to the facility, bypassing the electric company. I said to meet me here, I never said I would wait for you.”

Clark shook his head, not surprised. “I guess it had a self-destruct system?”

Lois guiltily shook her head. “No, that was all me. Lex was there and he has definitely had an upgrade, in both power and bad attitude. I think he was trying to use the supercomputer in there to hack Watchtower. I recognized some of the basic firewalls on the screen. He heard me and… let’s say he has a pretty powerful attachment to his hand. I threw one of those little bombs I stole from Bats at Luthor after he tried to fry me. Unfortunately, there was a gas pipeline behind him. I saw it and ran like hell. Didn’t expect the explosion to be this large but I knew you would be there.”

Clark dropped his head in frustration. “It took me five minutes to get here after your call. How can you manage to be attacked by Lex Luthor and bomb an underground lab in five minutes?”

Lois rolled her eyes, smirking. “It’s a gift. You should know that by now. I didn’t mean to blow him to tiny bald pieces, but these things happen. As many lives as that bastard has, I have no doubt he is rolling around in the flames, probably under concrete, still alive.”

Lois’s suspicions were proven partly true. Lex was alive but he was not under concrete. The man burst up from the ground and landed forty feet away from the couple.

“Run.” Clark told her. “Call the League, tell them we have found Luthor.”

“We? That was all me, Smallville.” Lois argued but took off running regardless, pulling her phone from her pocket, glad to see it had survived her many tumbles.

“Watchtower…” a modulated voice answered.

“It’s Lois. I found Lex in Shelbyville, Kentucky. Clark is engaging. Whoever is around can find us easily enough. Just look for the big burning crater I caused.”

“Copy, Nancy Drew. Tell Boy Scout assistance is on the way.”

“I hate those names.” Lois mumbled and hid behind a tree to watch the action.

Clark himself had not engaged, taking a moment to examine his once friend and longtime enemy.

The man had wounds, burns on his body and face. He still wore his white prison suit, what was left of it anyway. On first look, he appeared to be a convict that had escaped prison and found himself caught in an underground explosion. On closer observation, it became obvious that Lex had become someone else, or more accurately, become something else.

He had steel cords poking out of his forearms, wrapping around his hands. On top of his right hand was a small glowing device, obviously a weapon of some kind.

Clark looked deeper with his X Ray vision and what he saw shocked him. The metal may have punched through Lex’s arms, but it ran deeper into his body, surrounding his spine, his legs, running up his cervical bones directly into a small, bug like machine that was attached to his brain.

Superman walked closer to his enemy. “Who are you?”

Luthor raised his right hand and the glowing metal on top sent a blast of energy towards the Kryptonian.

Clark held up his hand, blocking the beam, not moving. “I don’t want to hurt you. Whatever you are, let him go.”

The blast stopped but Lex stood unmoving, his breathing regular and his heart beating normally.

Clark moved closer. “Talk to me, tell me what you want and…”

Clark’s didn’t finish his request because Lex launched himself at the Man of Steel, landing in front of him and swinging.

Clark noted the creature inhabiting Lex made him much stronger. The punch did not move him, but it did not break Lex’s hand or bend the metal surrounding his fist. Clark hit the man, sending him crashing to the ground with a broken nose, unconscious.

Standing over his enemy, Clark pondered what to do with him. Whatever this mechanical parasite was, it was entwined deeply, and he wondered if it would even be possible to remove it without killing Lex. If he shorted out the parasite, he knew Lex would die. Taking another look with his X Ray vision, Clark saw nearly microscopic foreign particles moving in the blood running through his veins.

“Nanobots.” the man whispered, horrified. So it hadn’t just taken control over his brain and skeletal system, but actually had control over his entire circulatory system as well. Clark suspected it might be a self-destruct failsafe. If Lex fell into the wrong hands, the nanobots could easily boil his blood.

Superman used his freeze breath gently on the man, building up a decent amount of ice on the body, hoping to freeze the nanobots but keep Lex from becoming hypothermic.

Instead Lex’s eyes opened, pupils gone, only metal orbs where his eyes should have been. The body stood up quickly and hit Superman in the jaw, actually throwing him back, causing him to stumble on the ground.

Luthor continued the attack, ramming into Superman’s gut, but it was no use. Clark was ready for him and sent him to the ground face first then placed a foot on his back, preventing a still struggling Luthor from rising.

“Why don’t you just knock him out and carry him away from here? I hear sirens coming.” Lois asked, coming to his side.

Clark shook his head. “I did knock him out. He is unconscious.”

Lois snorted. “Not sure if you noticed this, but he is still trying to get out from under your foot.”

“It’s the parasite. It’s attached to the back of his brain and has metallic strands that are wrapped around and through his bones, controlling his entire body. It has also planted nanobots inside his blood stream. I am certain he could die right now, and his body would still be able to move according to this thing’s wishes. Whatever it is, Coluan or otherwise, it’s strong.”

Lois agreed. “Yeah, he shot some blue death ray thingy at me. How did it feel when you stopped it?”

Clark shrugged his shoulders. “It had some kick to it but nowhere near the power of Metallo or Reactron. That’s just from a parasite though. I don’t want to think about what the actual Brainiac 13 can do.

“Meet the firemen, tell them what they are dealing with and suggest they get engineers to survey the structural damage before entering the cavern. I have to keep him down, until I can figure out where to put him.”

Lois walked off only to be stopped by Clark’s voice.

“Lois?”

“Yeah?”

“Be nice.”

Lois laughed it off. “I will be… as long as they do what I tell them to do. Keep your foot on your old enemy. I’ll handle the emergency workers.”

Clark stood still, watching his old nemesis squirming on the ground under his boot, wondering if there was anything left of Lex or if his father was right. After a few minutes, while Lois dealt with the fire department, Diana landed next to Superman.

“Lois found him?” she asked.

Clark nodded.

“She blew the place up with one of Bruce’s bombs.” Diana guessed, looking around.

Clark nodded his head in frustration but felt a bit of humor as well. Frustration and humor went hand in hand when you loved Lois Lane. “Yes.”

“What now?” Diana asked.

“I need you to bind him with your lasso. This parasite inside him is a living computer. It has total control of his body. We need to find a place to take him where there are no electronics. He was trying to hack into Watchtower when Lois found him. Jor El said to bring him to the Fortress but I have no idea what the extent of his abilities are and don’t want him anywhere near Watchtower, the Fortress or any other information sources he could possibly absorb. Ideas?”

Diana thought for a moment, then called Bruce.

“Did you hear everything?” Diana asked as the call connected, instinctively knowing Bruce had been listening.

Bruce replied, “Decommissioned nuclear missile silo outside Metropolis. It’s been cleaned of electronics and I removed the missile years ago. It will work for now.”

Argo City

Astra sat in her normal chair next to Alura who had been strangely quiet since their talk with Kara. She knew what had her sister so worried. Kara was of the House of El. The House of El did not back down from a fight and despite what Non believed, telling Kara she had to come back would not matter to the girl when she made her mind up.

Kara’s hologram appeared; life-sized now in the middle of the chamber. There were murmurs in the audience, all relieved to see proof that Kara was alive despite being assured by the Council and the Green Lanterns who visited with the citizens. One Green Lantern was seated in the public area of the Chamber Hall as well. Astra knew he would not become involved. She also knew whatever decision was made here would be relayed to the Guardians. Should Kara refuse to come back, how far would the Guardians go to ensure she stay safe. Perhaps if Kara were surrounded by Green Lanterns in plain sight rather than discretely, she would tire of her sightseeing and determination to be a hero to Earth and just return of her own accord. She sighed, knowing how unlikely that scenario was if Kara truly believed Brainiac 13 was an imminent threat.

Her daydreaming was cut short when Alura called the meeting to order. Astra looked at Kara closely. Kara appeared confident but she knew her niece. That confidence was hiding quite a bit of nervous tension.

“Councilor Kara Zor El has news for the Council, that could affect Krypton, Earth and the entire Universe. She has the floor. Discussion will begin after she is done, and a decision made on what course of action will be taken if one will be taken at all. The Council will debate possible solutions and actions and we will all abide by that decision.” Alura finished, looking at Kara as she said the last statement. “Councilor Kara Zor El, begin when you are ready.”

So Kara did, relaying the same information she had relayed to her family less than an hour ago. Astra watched her closely and while wanting her home immediately, couldn’t help but be proud. Kara was speaking with much more confidence than she had before, not pleading for understanding as she had done with just her family but giving the information in a calm and cool manner.

Once she stopped speaking though the Chamber erupted.

“Order!” Alura yelled, standing up. Councilors quieted as did the voices in the crowd.

Astra stood up. “Councilor Kara Zor El. What plan of action do you wish the Council to take?”

Kara took a deep breath. “I believe I should spend the remainder of my time here, finding out everything I can about this threat and devising a way to defeat it, should Earth ever be attacked.”

The voices rose in the public area, but the Council remained quiet thankfully.

“Councilor,” Alura began, “can you give us a reason why we should become involved in this affair?”

“I am not asking for the Council or Argo City to become involved in this affair. I am not asking anyone to come to my aid. I only request the time I have been given to stay on Earth and understand the Anti-Life Equation then formulate a defense against it.”

“And what of your safety?” Astra asked. “Do you expect Krypton to abandon one of our own, the Head of the Science Guild and a member of the Council should Brainiac attack during your stay?”

Kara looked her aunt in the eye. “If I run, Krypton is abandoning one of our own. Kal El is the head of the House of El. He is my blood and a child of Krypton.”

Councilor Vor stood up. “With all due respect to Kal El, Councilor Kara, you are the Head of the House of El.”

Kara shook her head. “On Jor El’s death, that title would have fallen to my father and then to me if Jor El remained childless… but Jor El had a child. I was the Head of the House of El until he came of age. He is of age and the responsibility of our House is now his. I have my responsibilities to the Science Guild and the Council.”

Councilor Hex spoke up but remained seated. “You have offered Kal El a chance to return to his people and he rejected you. He chose to remain on Earth. He has claimed Earth, so Earth’s problems are his concern.”

“Which make them our concern.” Kara said emphatically. “Krypton owes a debt to Earth. If Argo City had not survived, Kal El would be the last of us. He could have chosen to hide his lineage, done nothing with his gifts. Instead, he donned the symbol of a Kryptonian House. He has fought bravely. The Universe may think Krypton is gone but the Universe knows the story of the last son of Krypton and his heroics even if his own people do not.

“Though he thought we were dead, he kept us alive. He had two humans that loved him and raised him to be a good man, his human parents kept a secret that could have placed both their lives in great danger. He has friends who have fought by his side, he has kept Jor El’s knowledge safely hidden, and he has a woman who loves him greatly as he does her. Krypton is tied to Earth through him… my House, the House of El, is tied to Earth through him and I will honor my blood bonds.”

Looking around the table, Kara made eye contact with each of her fellow Councilors as she spoke. “I understand the future of our people should not be risked and I am not asking for Krypton to become involved in any conflict. I am simply saying that we owe Earth and I must stay to help as much as I can in the time allotted due to honor: the honor of my House, my Home and my people. Rao would not wish us to turn our backs on one of his children brought to life by His light.”

The room fell silent, the Councilors looking at Kara, forming counterarguments while Kara stood straighter and silent.

The head of the Church of Rao, Rir Di Gall, stood. “Lady Kara, there is no reason for you to risk yourself. You may work on the problem here, send the solution back to Earth. Brainiac may not attack for years, giving us time to settle on a new planet, build back our forces and even come to Earth’s aid. As of right now, you know that a device has landed, infected a host and you are most likely known to this Coluan now. I applaud your bravery but there is a fine line between bravery and recklessness. Rao has blessed you with many gifts, and those gifts are of great importance to the continuation of our race. Our people live because of you and your father. Rao’s path for you is clear.”

Kara bowed her head, noting the woman’s slight by not referring to her title of Councilor. Well, two could play that political game. “I understand your argument, High Priestess, but I have to ask, why would Rao have allowed me safe passage here if I was not meant to be here? Why did he allow a newborn to land in the one area of Earth that would not be noticed by the Government, found by two people who, rather than feared him, loved him? I can tell you scientifically speaking, the odds of that happening are practically nonexistent. Would you not say his safe arrival and life are a miracle of Rao and a sign that he wanted Krypton to be linked to Earth?”

Astra watched the Council closely but kept a closer eye on her sister. Alura was visibly trembling once again, doing her best to hide her fear. Astra could tell the Council was wavering, Kara’s speech having an unexpected impact on them, even the High Priestess.

“I ask you to consider this Council and citizens.” Kara began again, turning to address the audience as well as the Council. “What does Krypton stand for? For eons, we lived in isolation from the Universe. We made technological discoveries that other planets could only dream of. We created the greatest art in the universe, we lived in cities that could be seen glistening from space. We built the greatest, most powerful military in the history of the Universe.”

Kara paused for a moment, then asked, “But what was it all for?”

“If my father’s plan had not worked, if Jor El had not been able to send his son to safety with his knowledge, Krypton would truly be dead, a footnote in the history of the Universe, soon to be forgotten. Yes, we built an amazing planet and attained goals no other worlds would dare try but what impact did Rao’s children have on the Universe?

“In the coming years, we will face many challenges. We will have many issues to decide, including our place in this Universe and we will rediscover what it truly means to be Kryptonian. Some traditions may go, others may rise but one thing that will never change is our sense of honor and duty to Kryptonians, in Argo City, on New Krypton and on Earth. I only ask for the time given to me. I realize now that as a member of this Council, I can be called back immediately and will do so as is my accepted duty… I will obey the decision of our Council.”

Turning back to address the Councilors, Kara said, “I just ask you to consider what kind of message Krypton will send to the Universe, if I run now.”

Astra sat stunned by Kara’s words. She had sat with Kara many times when she was a child and a teenager, discussed the importance of honor, of duty, no matter what danger was being faced. Now she felt as if Kara were throwing her owns words back at her.

Non rose from the public gallery and asked for the floor.

“General Non is recognized to speak.” Alura told the audience.

“Thank you, High Councilor.” Instead of speaking right away he walked up to Kara’s hologram, looking her in the eye. Astra knew what he was thinking, though she prayed she was wrong.

Non then turned to the Council. “I have a proposition I would like the Council to consider. I believe a vote is in order. If the proposition is turned down, Lady Kara… Councilor Kara will be retrieved immediately and brought back to Argo City under military and Green Lantern protection.

“My proposition is this. Kara Zor El shall remain on Earth for the next four and a half weeks. She will learn everything possible about this Coluan, including how to defeat him should it be needed. Should the Coluan attack during this time, she will be evacuated immediately. That is the one condition that is nonnegotiable.

“Should Councilor Kara be allowed to stay on Earth, a scout ship shall be sent there at once with her personal Red Shard Squadron security detail that will be with her at all times and I will lead them. Kell Ur, the assigned Green Lanterns of Earth and the twenty members of her personal security detail shall be with her constantly. This will allow her to assist Kal El and Earth in preparing a defense and still ensure her safety. Does the High Councilor consider this a reasonable proposition to vote on?”

Astra watched Alura closely. Her face remained stoic but the muscles in her shoulders and neck were stiff, something she did at great times of stress.

Astra knew Alura was close to demanding that Kara return home immediately. As High Councilor, it was her prerogative to veto any Council vote, but one not used often. In the event of a tie, Alura would have the final decision. As a Mother, she could simply order Kara home and Kara could not disrespect her Mother by refusing, especially in front of the citizens in the Chambers.

“It shall be voted on. Kara Zor El will remain on Earth for the allotted time and assist Earth with additional security understanding in the event of any invasion she will be evacuated immediately, or she shall be recalled home immediately, back in Argo City in under two days’ time. Those are our choices. Councilor Kara, I believe your vote is known. The rest of us will vote and in the event of a tie, I will have final decision. The Council has ten minutes to enter a vote, none will be allowed to abstain.”

Astra sat staring at the screen below her hands. Two choices appeared, one that simply said Non’s proposition and the other that said recall.

Astra glanced at her sister who was staring back at her intently.

If Kara was captured or, Rao forbid, killed by the Coluan, that would be the end of her, her sister and Non.

If she told Kara to run now, what would that say about Krypton?

Astra looked at her husband who had taken his place back in the audience. He caught her eye, his face grim. She understood why he had done what he did. Kara would be furious or worse, disheartened if she were simply ordered by the Council or her family to return. He had provided an option, one that would keep her secure, more secure, surrounded by soldiers at all times and himself. Of course, he didn’t believe the Council would consider his proposition.

Looking around the Chamber, Astra was surprised no one had voted yet. Only Alura had pressed her hand down on an option and was now staring at Astra, no doubt wondering what was taking her so long.

Astra surprisingly felt torn. Kara believed in this. She truly felt this was the right thing. Was it? It wasn’t the right thing for her family, it wasn’t even the right thing for Argo City, but was it the right thing to do for the universe at large? More importantly, was it the right thing for Kara?

Astra pressed her palm on her option and prayed to Rao that she wouldn’t regret it.

When the last vote had been entered, Alura’s face gave nothing away.

“With Councilor Kara Zor El’s vote, it appears among the twelve of us, there is a tie. It falls to me to make the final decision.”

Kara closed her eyes.

Astra waited for Kara’s reaction, praying that she took it with grace and hoping it would not drive a wedge between her Mother and her when she returned, knowing in her heart, it would.

Hearing nothing, Astra turned to her sister. To her utter shock, Alura had tears in her eyes.

“Councilor Kara Zor El.”

“Yes, High Councilor.” Kara replied.

Alura wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “So long as no invasion occurs, you will be allowed to stay on Earth for the remainder of your original mission. You will gather intel from all sources available to you, discover what plans, if any, this Brainiac has towards Earth and the Universe at large, you will find his weakness and inform the heroes of Earth of this knowledge. Then you will dock with one of our battle cruisers and come home.

“Your blood oath to return through the Horizon is released. The Green Lanterns have agreed to clear a path through the nearest asteroid field and a scout ship with your Red Shard security detail shall arrive shortly, led by General Non. He will lead this mission so you can concentrate on the danger facing Earth. You have told me that Kal El’s residence in Kansas is remote. The unit will rendezvous with you there and use this, Smallville, as a base of operations. Do you have any questions or concerns? Is anything unclear?”

Kara shook her head, fighting back a smile. “Perfectly clear, High Councilor.”

“Then may Rao be with you. This meeting is adjourned. Could the Chamber please be cleared so our family can have a moment with Councilor Kara?” Alura’s directive to the occupants of the Chamber was more of an order than request.

The people filed out slowly, whispered conversations echoing from the walls.

Astra, Alura and Non were all that was left, beside one soldier standing beside Non.

Non and the soldier approached Astra.

“Commander Henn Zol, your petition has been granted.” Astra told him. “Assemble your squadron and prepare to join Lady Kara. Protect her as is your Squadron’s sworn duty. General Non will be with you shortly to give details of equipment that shall need to be prepared.”

The man placed his fist over his heart. “Thank you, General Astra. My soldiers are thankful for the opportunity to continue fulfilling our oath.”

The man left quickly, leaving Non, Alura and Astra alone with Kara.

“Mother, I don’t know what to say.” Kara told her.

Alura shook her head. “I’m not sure either, Beloved. I… I hate that you are so much like your father sometimes. You have to be a hero, don’t you?”

“It has nothing to do with being a hero… it’s about doing what’s right, about honor and duty… which is something all of you have taught me, not just father.” Kara said honestly. Not knowing how to deal with the sadness in her Mother’s voice, she offered, “I’m sorry to cause you pain.”

Alura shook her head. “Do not be sorry. I am proud of you. I am also terrified for you. Has there been any more news of this man Kal El seeks?”

Kara looked to her right and motioned with her head. Kell appeared by her side.

“Not yet, Mother. We do have news though. I have asked Kell to be my Mate and he has agreed. We will be husband and wife. The bonding will happen as soon as it can be organized after our return. I would like the ceremony to be in the center of the city, in front of Father’s statue if that is acceptable.”

None of the three had expected that.

“You asked him?” Astra finally asked.

“Yes, I asked him.” Kara confirmed.

Astra smiled widely. “That’s my girl.”

“Congratulations, daughter. I am so happy for you. You as well, Kell. Welcome to our family.” Alura told the man. “This will be the most beautiful ceremony in the history of Krypton. Prepare to go to Smallville, Kara. Non will alert you when he is close. Be careful, my daughter.”

“I will, Mother. Thank you, all of you.”

The hologram of Kara disappeared, leaving the three standing full of mixed emotions.

“I can’t believe she actually asked him.” Alura said. “She did it.”

“I told you they were perfect for each other. Once I reach Earth, I can keep her out of trouble… maybe.” Non told them, a smile lighting up his previous grim features. “Why did you do it, Alura? You could have had her with you, with us. She would have come home.”

Alura shook her head and looked at Astra who understood. It was the same reason she too had voted to allow Kara to stay on Earth.

“Her body and mind would have returned but her heart would not. She would forever regret leaving Kal El to face this threat alone, not when she could help.” Astra told her husband. “Most of all, she would never have forgiven us for bringing her home.”

Astra wrapped her crying sister in her arms.

Alura regained some calm and backed up, a smile gracing her face. “Sister, I have many tasks I need you to oversee. Most of these Thora will be able to accomplish but if help is needed, please assign one of the soldiers if you must. I have thought of this ceremony nearly Kara’s whole life, so I know everything that needs to be done. I imagined it inside a temple but the park in front of Zor’s statue so the whole of Argo City can witness is perfect.”

Alura stood straighter, relaxing slightly, a mischievous gleam in tear-filled eyes, “Astra, congratulations. You are now the interim High Councilor as well the head of the Military.”

Astra and Non were both speechless for a moment.

“You mean… I have to be both of us.” the woman practically groaned.

“Yes, we haven’t done this since we were teenagers. You will have fun. I miss my daughter so I will be going to Earth as well. It will give me and Non some quality time together. Aren’t you excited, Non?”

Non closed his eyes and nodded in resignation. “It’s going to be a long five weeks, isn’t it?”

“You have no idea.” Alura agreed and left quickly to pack.