Chapter 7: Gravity

Kara sighed in bliss as she burrowed deeper into the crisp sheets of their bed, the air cool with the scent of eucalyptus calming her from the inside out. Alex's arms were wrapped around her securely as she snored quietly into Kara's shoulder. Kara felt like she was wrapped in a blissful cocoon of warmth and love. She was flying, yet grounded by the soothing rhythm of Alex's heartbeat. Unable to stop the call of sleep, Kara grinned and pressed a kiss into Alex's hair before drifting off.

Argo City, Krypton, Rao System, four years prior to K-Day

Kara grinned widely, happy without really knowing why, as a few of her attendants helped her into her formal military uniform for tonight's ceremony. Kara had been looking forward to the event for months. Kara's entire family (and their vassal families) would all be in attendance with family friends and foreign dignitaries alike to dance and feast.

Krypton was generally a barren desert its main exports being technology and media. Very little plant life could be sustained, so food rationing and water shortages were common. Once a year for the Nova Cycle Festival the Great Houses gathered their allies and friends to feast, then shared the offerings to Rao with the people.

It was Kara's favorite holiday, the celebration leading to people dancing and singing in the streets. Soon the people would become drunk on their happiness, overflowing with food and drink, celebrating until Yuda rose high in the sky. Then and only then did each representative of the Great Houses relight their torches in the Holy Temple of Rao, symbolizing their Houses' promise to further the greatness of Krypton for Rao. The following day was spent in complete silence and contemplation as each Kryptonian reaffirmed what they must do for the glory of Krypton.

This year, Kara had the great honor of representing her house officially as the Heir of the House of El. Her Aunt would join her in the ceremony as the representative for the House of Ze, so she would not be alone as she stood before all of the Greater Council to relight the sacred flame of El. She would be the first to do so, as the House of El did every year to start the ceremony. The fact that her Great Aunt trusted her to complete this sacred duty was humbling. Her Great Aunt had led their House with strength and dignity for over forty years. Kara had been appointed heir when her Great Aunt's son had died in a tragic lab accident.

"Cousin?" a small muffled voice called through the door of her room. The Kelex unit chirped next to her and revealed a picture of two boys standing outside of her chambers, each dressed in fine formalwear.

"Just a moment Ellion," Kara answered. Kara enjoyed the affectionate nickname; only close family friends and other family members of the House of El would call the children of their House Ellion or Ella.

"Ellaaaaa, hurry, before all the dumplings are gone!" the younger boy cried through the door. Kara quickly attached her ranks to her uniform and opened the door. The boy fell face first to her feet. The older boy burst into laughter.

"Don-El, are you okay, cousin?" Kara asked, helping the boy to his feet. The five year old pouted, raking his reddish blonde hair in embarrassment, his bright blue eyes swimming in unshed tears. The older boy quickly swept the red faced Don-El into a hug and threw him over his broad shoulder.

"Kru-El!" Don-El squealed. Kara laughed at her cousin's display, chasing the two down the corridor. Kru-El was looking very sharp in his formal House robes. He was much taller than her with his inky black hair perfectly coiffed and bright blue eyes glittering in amusement. His long strides quickly outpaced her, forcing her to run to catch up.

"Ella, save me!" Don-El laughed, still trapped over Kru-El's shoulder. Kara grinned and slid forward, whacking the back of Kru-El's knee and sending him tumbling. Kara neatly caught Don-El out of the air as Kru-El slid across the polished floors, coming to halt in front of an amused group of dignitaries from Korvira.

"Ah Ambassador, I see you've met my wayward cousin. Kru-El, a moment please. Kara, dear, your Aunt Astra is looking for you." Jor-El appeared from the massive doors leading into the main hall and beckoned the embarrassed young man inside.

Don-El pouted, watching Kru-El get swept away by his Uncle. Don-El wriggled in Kara's arms.

"Down, Kara."

Kara obliged, setting him on the ground and offering him her fingertips to lead him in an intricate handshake. They made a face at each other, completely ignoring the side glances of the guests waiting to be let into the main hall.

"Kru-El is so cool, Ella."

Kara smiled in agreement. "He sure is! We're lucky to have him looking out for us, cousin. Come on, let's see if we can find my Aunt." Kara took her cousin by the hand and led him through the growing crowd, looking for the familiar black armor and silver cape.

"Uncle!" Kara called, spotting the familiar grey hair of Astra's husband. Kara so rarely saw him, especially at these functions. The man turned, his face set in a vaguely angry manner.

"Ah, Kara Zor-El. And young Don-El. Greetings, eager to begin the revel?" he greeted, his tone softening slightly. Don-El hid shyly behind Kara's formal red cloak.

"Yes! We're determined to sample the Fire Falls dumplings first. Isn't that right Don-El?" Don-El trilled softly and nodded, still partially hidden behind Kara's cloak.

"Ah, you've found my niece, love." The three turned to Astra at the same time. Astra was resplendent. She was dressed in formal armor as a General in the Kryptonian military force, with a silver cloak denoting her status as an heir to a Great House. Her hair curled wildly to her shoulders and bright green eyes were trained on her husband, her lips quirked in a soft smile.

"Aunt Astra! You look wonderful," Kara complimented, her eyes wide in genuine adoration. Don-El made a noise of agreement, his own eyes taking in all of the shiny commendations etched into Astra's armor.

"Very cool!" Don-El agreed. Both of the adults chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. Kara grinned when Astra pulled Non into an embrace, kissing him softly, then threading their hands together.

"The feast is about to begin, Kara I just want to talk to you for a moment. Don-El why don't you show my husband the Flamebird and Nightwing statues, your father told me you were very fond of them." Don-El practically vibrated with glee and took the surprised man's hand, eagerly leading him away to show off his favorite thing in the El Fortress. Kara watched the odd pair go in amusement.

"I think Ellion will do well in the Arts Guild one day," Kara commented, following her Aunt through the parting crowd back into the family wing. The doors to the main hall remained shut behind them with the crowd still waiting for entrance.

"Do you think Nim-El would allow his son to choose the Art Guild?" Astra mused quietly, taking Kara's hand in her own and leading her to the General's quarters.

"I would convince Uncle Nim. Krypton needs artists too! Don-El could be the next great painter. Did you see the piece we did together in the forum? The one with the Snagriff? Don is talented, I wish everyone would quit acting like it's a big deal that he scored so lowly on his placement exam," Kara ranted, her cheeks puffing up in indignation on the behalf of her cousin. Astra sat and gently pulled her niece to sit next to her.

Astra observed the daughter of her heart for a moment. Kara's bright El eyes were squinted together as she squirmed for a moment to make herself comfortable on Astra's lap. Her curly blonde was neatly combed and braided back in the same manner as Astra, adorned with the metal headband that signified her status as an heir to a major House. It was like looking at a younger, blonder version of herself and her heart tugged inside her chest. Kara is enough. Astra thought. Kara is mine and no one will take her from me.

Non had desperately wanted a child of their own. Neither of them could conceive naturally; military service and frequent space travel robbed them of the opportunity. Alura had cashed in several favors, but the Birthing council refused their petition again and again. Her mother's doing, no doubt. No, Kara would be enough.

Kara sighed happily, snuggling into the warmth of her silver cloak. Astra pulled her close for a moment and inhaled the sweet scent of the perfumed oils in Kara's hair - and the tang of metal from her uniform.

"Ieium? What's wrong?" Kara asked, looking up at her with big sad eyes. Who could ever want to hurt such an adorable child? Her Kara?

"Kara, Little One. I need you to listen to me very carefully. This is important. I wouldn't lie to you, you know this."

"Of course, Ieium." Kara said her eyes wide, searching Astra's face for some sort of hint.

"I've received word that," Kara's hands on Astra's cloak tightened into fists. Astra paused and swallowed heavily, "that, um Ty-Ze is petitioning to administrative council for Kala to be recognized as heir apparent."

"Kala, seriously? Ieium, she's a monster, you should have seen her at the Academy," Kara stuttered. Astra pulled her closer, tucking her under her chin and wrapping her arms around Kara's small shoulders protectively.

Coward.

"I am aware of your cousin's brutality. I told my brother he should have disciplined her years ago."

"They call her the Mad Dog, you know?" Kara murmured. "I tried to be nice to her when we saw each other, Kala was never interested. She's only a year younger than me, I don't understand why..."

"She is jealous, Little One, I just," Astra paused again.

There's still time to warn her.

"I just want you to be aware, for when the inheritance hearing comes around."

"Do you think we will go to a contest?" Kara asked.

"Most likely, considering your Grandmother is backing Kala's petition." Kara gasped, hurt. Astra squeezed her tighter.

"It doesn't matter, Kara. I have already named you and will continue to back you. Your Grandmother is just trying to leverage me. I will not give her the satisfaction. Let's not let us ruin our night, when you see your Grandmother and cousin, do not let on that you are aware of the petition." Kara nodded seriously and allowed herself to be pushed off Astra's lap.

Astra adjusted their uniforms and smoothed Kara's hair.

"Come on, let's see if little Don-El has driven your Uncle Non mad yet." Kara smiled and raced after Astra's long strides, the night was still young.

Her Great Aunt Kahla had Kru-El organize the revel this year. She was still mourning the loss of her son and had taken a leave of absence from most of her Head of House duties. Kara had seen her at Ter-El's funeral, her face pale and drawn as she sent Ter-El's coffin to join with Rao. Kara wished that Ter-El was here for the party; he had always agreed to dance with her and laughed as he swung her around the dance floor. Ter-El was sweet and kind and he didn't deserve the ending he got.

I hope Great Aunt Kahla wins the court case against the Daxamite company that sold Ter-El's lab faulty equipment, Kara thought to herself as she scanned the room for her cousins. Astra's warm hand guided her closer towards the musicians who were taking up their instruments in preparation for the first dance. Her Uncle Non had Don-El clinging to his leg like a leech as Non conversed with the music coordinator. Astra snickered in amusement.

"...yes that will be fine, thank you." Non attempted to pry the boy from his leg but was rescued from having to struggle any further when Kara stepped forward.

"Don-El thank you for being patient, you ready to go find those dumplings?" Kara swept the boy up into her arms and mouthed 'thank you' to her Uncle over Don-El's head. Astra smiled down at her and made a shooing motion.

"Bye Aunt Astra, Uncle," Kara called over her shoulder, side stepping caterers and harried looking assistants. The dumplings were steaming on display on one of the buffet tables; various baked and fried sweets were stacked in stained glass bowls, with sizzling plates of fresh meat thickly covered in spices filling the air around the food. Kara's eyes went wide at the sheer amount of food that would be eaten tonight.

The massive stained crystal and platinum doors swung open and the Canticle of Nightwing began to play as the party goers entered the hall. Don-El and Kara hurriedly filled their plates and made their escape before the mass of people descended upon the feast.

The two giggled at each other's stuffed faces and hunkered down in an alcove along the far wall observing the endless stream of dignitaries, military officials, and socialites pouring into the hall.

The House of Ze was providing private security for the feast tonight, their deep blue uniforms blending in inconspicuously with the walls of the hall. Kara was a little surprised at the amount of security present. They never had so many in the past. Kara recognized a few of the guards; they would be under her command some day, so a few of the more promising younger guards had been introduced to her privately.

Her eyes met the intense gray gaze of Jaq-Van, who was watching her and Don-El eat from the his post on the far wall. Kara smiled at the older boy; Aunt Lara's nephew was never far from her side since his parents frequently were on tours of duty. Jaq-Van broke eye contact first, scanning the room for trouble. Kara furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at Jaq-Van's intense stare. She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of her cousin's voice.

"There you two are!" Kru-El said, plucking one of Don-El's dumplings from his plate and popping it into his own mouth with an 'hmm' in satisfaction. Don-El pouted. Kara instinctively pulled her plate closer, taking the dull silverware as a weapon to protect her food.

"Easy Kar, I'm not after your food. Find me when you're done eating, you're expected to dance tonight as the Heir of the House of El." Kara scrunched up her face in dislike at the notion of dancing with any of the puffed up children or young aides of any of the dignitaries. Maybe she would dance with Thara or Dru-Ton if she absolutely had to; all of the vassal houses had brought their children this year. Kara shoved a large piece of spiced meat into her mouth and chewed rapidly. Rao this is so good. I haven't had meat like this is months.

Kru-El smiled widely at her and offered the two the sweetwater that was being passed around from one of the nearby catering staff. Kara and Don-El eagerly accepted the rare drink. It was difficult to brew and hard to come by.

"Easy now, it's very sweet, don't hurt your stomach before dessert," Kru-El joked as Kara gulped the liquid down. Kru-El patted Don-El on the head and stood up to leave, his formal robe swishing gracefully as he stood.

"I'll leave you two to your meal, come find me soon Kara." With that Kru-El slipped back into the crowd. The dances had already begun and bright colours of visiting ambassadors and politicians from other worlds stood out against the deep ancestral colors and patterns of the gathered upper class Kryptonians. The music was fast and upbeat, but soon Don-El drifted off to sleep in Kara's lap.

Kara waved over at her Uncle Nim-El to come retrieve his son. Nim-El was flushed with drink as he swept Kara up into an affectionate hug before taking his son.

"Thank you, Ella for entertaining your cousin this evening. Jor-El had me reviewing some of our findings well into the afternoon, I barely had time to change to get here." Kara smiled.

"Anyway, you need to go find Kru-El before he has an anxiety attack, apparently you have several people you need to dance with tonight. I think a few of them might be suitors." Nim-El winked, then laughed at Kara's grossed out face. Kara hastily walked away before her Uncle could embarrass her more.

The music was one of her favorite traditional songs for the season and she swayed slightly, searching for Kru-El in the mass of swirling people. Finally she caught a glimpse of the deep red of Kru-El's robes and gracefully weaved her way through the dance floor towards him. He was dancing with some Rykonian and charming them into some trade agreement when Kara appeared.

"Mind if I cut in?" Kara didn't really wait for a response as she swung her cousin's arm towards her to the beat of the music, and with a laugh they were twirling away. Kru-El smiled at her as the music picked up. Kara lead him through the steps, gracefully swinging the two of them in perfect symmetry.

"You can't distract me with dancing, Ella. Now I have a list of people I need to introduce to you, what's wrong, Kara?" The music had slowed and then transitioned to a more formal dance that allowed them to talk to each other easily. Kara's face had turned a little green.

"Cousin, are you well?" Kru-El asked with a strange voice. Kara nodded as her face drained of color and she grabbed her stomach.

"I...I think I ate too much," Kara said, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. Kru-El touched her forehead for a moment, then led her off the dance floor. Kara's eyes unfocused for a moment as she struggled not to faint. She locked eyes with Jaq-Van who was speaking rapidly into his communicator and quickly appeared at her side. Kru-El addressed Jaq-Van with a pompous tone.

"Ah, Jaq-Van. Perfect timing. Kara is feeling unwell. Please escort her back to her chambers for the night, I need to close an important trade agreement with the dignitaries from Rykon." Kru-El pointed to an impatient looking woman and her aides in the corner waiting to be taken into one of the antechambers.

Jaq-Van huffed and stooped a little to support Kara's weight.

"Of course, come on Ella, you'll feel better once you get to your chamber and have one of your attendants bring up some medicine."

It was only a short trek to the family wing, with Jaq-Van's long strides taking them quickly away from prying eyes. Kara relished the contact. Jaq-Van was a fairly stoic, so the uncharacteristic display of concern pleased Kara.

"Here you go, I'll be back as soon as I can with a cool cloth and some medicine. Just rest." Jaq-Van propped her up on her pillows and dimmed the lights. Kara watched him go with blurry eyes. Her head was pounding and her stomach was barely holding on to her dinner. Kara was well trained to conserve meals even when she felt sick. She dozed for a moment, trying to relax to the calming scent of her bedroom.

She snapped back into awareness as Kru-El entered her chambers without a sound. His face was clear of any emotion as he walked forward.

"Kru-El, I'm sorry I ruined the evening. Did you finish that me…" Kara gasped as a blade appeared in her cousin's hand and he drove the sharp blade deep into the unarmored section of her uniform. Kara struggled to regain her breath. The blade slid deeper as she struggled to clasp for something under her pillow. Kru-El's face never changed from its apathetic state as blood poured out of Kara's wound, soaking the bed.

"Be a good El, and die for the cause, cousin," Kru-El murmured as Kara's vision tunneled in on his face; her hands fell limply to her sides.

"Why?" she barely gasped.

"Like dear Ter-El, you are in the way, cousin. The House of El will flourish under my rule, and then Krypton will follow. It's better this way, Ella. Let go, cousin. Rest with the knowle-" Whatever Kru-El was going to say was cut off by a glowing blade slamming through his shoulder.

Kara's hand curled around her spy beacon and she smiled at her Aunt's familiar face as everything faded to black.

Kara jackknifed upright in bed with a loud gasp. "No!"

Alex dove for the firearm on the bedside table beside her, before she realized the source of the commotion.

"Kara? Kara are you okay?" Alex scrambled back into bed and tugged Kara into a tight hug, the first rays of morning light peeking through the curtains.

"It was just a dream. He's dead. It's over," Kara recited to herself. Alex gently pulled Kara's hair back from her face to meet her eyes.

"Do you want to talk about it, Kar?" Kara stiffened in her arms and then shuddered.

"It was a memory of sorts, of me back on Krypton. I haven't thought about Kru-El in years." Alex's hand drifted lower to cover the scar on Kara's abdomen.

"Astra killed him right?" Alex murmured in question. Kara had revealed almost everything she could think of to Alex about Krypton years ago.

"I think so. I spent a long time in the regeneration tank. By the time I woke up my Great Aunt was dead and no one would talk to me about it. I still can't believe it sometimes... How much Kal looks like Kru-El. He was my favorite cousin you know?"

"I know. But he's gone now, Kara. He can't hurt you anymore."

"It still hurts."

"Would some breakfast help?"

"Triple stack pancakes with chocolate chips?" Kara asked, her voice small. Alex's eyes shined with affection.

"And whip cream on top." Alex pressed a gentle kiss to Kara's smile and glanced over her shoulder as she walked away to the bathroom.

"Rao.." Kara said as she watched Alex go, before hurrying after her.

The two quickly loaded up Alex's SUV with some supplies, including their suits, food, and overnight bags. After a pit stop at the IHOP, where Kara ate a stack of 15 pancakes, in short order they were off to find adventure.

By the time they got on the road, Kara's wounds had vanished. The clear sky beaming above them.

"We haven't been to the beach in ages! I miss it," Kara said excitedly. Alex smiled over at her from the driver's seat and took one of Kara's flailing hands.

"Me too. Work's been so busy lately, we haven't had the chance. We should do this more often. Remember how we used to say we would live on the beach again one day?"

Kara grinned wide and bright. "Yeah! The commute to the city would be terrible though. A beach house would be amazing."

Alex chuckled. "One day, Kar. You could put your architecture obsession to good use and build us one."

Kara lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh! I can do that! I just need to finish my electrician and plumber certs and I can draw up some plans. All we need is the land."

"I'll look into it if it's something you really want. We can use Danvers Solutions as the contractor."

"Epic, let's do it."

"Your wish is my command. This looks like a good spot," Alex said, pulling the SUV next to a rock outcropping a few hundred yards back from the shoreline. Kara wiggled in her seat excitedly. Alex swiftly parked and cut the engine. Kara had already disappeared.

"Kara?" There was a whoosh behind her; Alex whirled around and was met with a sweet kiss. Alex relaxed into the embrace, enjoying Kara's body pressed against her. Alex's back hit the closed driver's door as she tucked her cold hands into the back pockets of Kara's jeans.

"Rosh'em, Aly," Kara whispered when they parted.

"Hi to you too. You wanna stand here and cuddle or get this show on the road?" Alex clicked a button on her car keys and the black SUV disappeared. Alex grinned up at Kara's widened eyes.

"Stealth mode," she said with a wink before pulling on her backpack. Kara touched the area where the car had been and smiled as her hands found the cool metal.

"Awesome. I love science. You ready, Alex?" Kara asked, looking back at her love. The sunlight caught Alex's hair just right, lighting up her hair in shades of red and brown. Kara wished she had her paints with her.

"What?" Alex laughed and tossed Kara her own backpack, which she quickly opened, and with a twirl appeared fully dressed in her new supersuit.

Kara adjusted her new cape, flushing at Alex's teasing tone. "Nothing, you just. You look beautiful in the sunlight."

Alex's eyes softened as she reentered Kara's personal space.

"I love you, Kara Zor-El."

Kara kissed her again and wrapped her arms around Alex snugly. They slowly twirled up off the ground, embracing in the sunlight.

"Love you too, hold on tight." Alex totally didn't squeal out loud when Kara dove them until they flew only a few feet above the water line. Alex reached out and laughed as she dragged her good hand in the water. Kara did a few loops and twirls for Alex's pleasure before speeding up.

"Hold on tight." Kara laughed into Alex's ear. Alex braced herself tightly to Kara's body, enjoying Kara's strong arms around her as they picked up speed. Alex couldn't stop the exhilarated giggle that escaped her lips as the wind rushed past her ears.

Kara could technically fly faster than the speed of sound if she put her mind to it, but she was careful to stick to more human-safe speeds to get them to their location. Miles and miles of deep blue water stretched out before them, the rising sun glinting off of the soft ocean spray as the two sped along. Kara grinned and decelerated slowly, then enjoyed Alex yelping in her ear when they dropped suddenly to hover over the calm sea.

"We're here, Alex!"

Alex untucked her head to take in the scenery. They were surrounded by ocean on all sides. Just you and me.

"This where you want it, love?" Alex asked, allowing Kara to rustle through her backpack for the container holding the sunstone.

"Yeah, we're far enough into international waters now. You ready for this?"

"Go ahead, Kara. Let's see if all that hard work paid off, yeah?" With that Kara stole a sweet kiss and then dropped the glowing sunstone into the sea.

All was quiet for a few minutes. Then bubbles began to form in the water below their feet. The ocean rumbled and churned, forming waves that lapped at their boots before calming. Alex peered at the water below them.

"Did it work?"

Kara looked enraptured. "Yeah," she replied, "It worked."

Before Alex could say anything more, the two were enveloped in a bright blue light and everything faded from view.

The light faded a moment later. Kara kept her eyes closed as she took a moment to inhale, then exhale. Alex was still clutched to Kara's side, balancing on the brand new groove of her bright red boot. Kara didn't struggle as Alex gently pulled away, landing near soundlessly beside her. Alex's bag hit the ground with a thud, Kara still didn't open her eyes.

"Greetings Kara Zor-El and Lady Kara's bondmate, welcome to Sanctuary." Kara inhaled sharply, recognizing the voice and the Kryptonese. She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Alex stood still next to her, their hands laced together as she took in their surroundings.

"Greetings," Alex called out in Kryptonese, looking around for the source of the voice. The room they were in was enclosed in smooth deep green walls with a dull blue light glowing between the circuit-like cracks in the walls. They were standing on a spongy circle on the floor that pulsed beneath their feet.

Nearly thirty feet in front of them was a blast door composed of light grey metal. It separated the antechamber from the rest of the Sanctuary, the House of El crest prominently displayed in its center. Two humanoid robots also bearing the El crest and sheathed blades stood at attention at either side of the blast door.

Alex took a step forward, then reeled back into Kara's chest when the two robots turned in unison toward her.

"Zelex, be nice to my...Alex." Kara flushed at her near misstep. She's not your bondmate.

"Hello Zelex, my name is Alexandra Danvers. May we come inside?" Zelex didn't answer, but the doors opened anyway. Kara laced their fingers together and tugged Alex forward. The robots saluted with their swords as they passed into the main hall.

Kara felt her eyes water at the familiar architecture. The swooping ceiling rose several stories with a criss cross of sturdy crystalline support struts at even intervals. At the end of the massive hall stood her parents' statues carved in a marbled stone - jade in color with shots of cool blue throughout. Her parents stood tall, each with an arm aloft holding a slowly rotating metallic spherical representation of Krypton.

Hello Mother, Hello Father.

Kara squeezed Alex's hand gently, then stopped dead center in front of her parents' unmoving forms.

They were quiet for a while.

There was a subtle hum in the whole Sanctuary, like a fan circulating in the distance providing white noise. Kara let out a shuddering sigh and pulled Alex in for a hug. Alex pecked a kiss into the crook of Kara's neck, allowing her to press Alex tightly to her chest.

"They would have been proud of you, Kara," Alex said with certainty, her eyes trained on the the statues.

"I hope so."

"Lady Kara, would you like a tour?" Zelex interrupted. Kara and Alex turned around to see a Kryptonian protocol droid waiting patiently behind them.

"Yes, please, Zelex. Show us the facility," Kara answered, following the droid up the sweeping stairs leading to a landing about eye level with her parents' gigantic statues. Alex's hand laced with her own.

"This way is the main corridor from the central hall. This corridor can lead you to the family residential wing, the Vault of Rao, or the work areas. Which would you like to see first?" Zelex asked, gesturing to the left and right where the main corridor became a T intersection in front of an elevator.

Alex squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"What's in the Vault?" Kara asked after a moment. The droid nodded and called for the elevator. The elevator swooped open only a moment later, and the three stepped inside. Smooth music began to play.

"The elevator is keyed into your biorhythms, you will have to add anyone you wish to allow access to the Vault into the security system. This elevator is one of the only ways into the Vault."

Alex really should have been paying attention, but she was too distracted by the strange bell like sounds that passed for Kryptonian elevator music.

"Sub-Level 2, the Vault," Zelex informed them as the elevator came to a stop; the doors opened to reveal a strange menagerie. On either side of the main room were huge windows separating alien creatures in their natural habitats from the rest of the facility. Each bay was labeled with a glowing tag detailing both the species within and their homeworld.

Alex glanced at a few of the tags as they walked by; many of them were native Kryptonian species, but others, simply native to the Rao system. Incredible, Alex thought.

Kara felt her heart beating fast as they went deeper into the Vault. Hundreds of thousands of species she thought long dead slept, preserved by time and space under her protection. The last of us, she thought, all of us.

The Zelex droid finally stopped in front of a crystal information HUB that was scrolling through the wide variety of species available for study. Just in front of the HUB was an alcove with a slightly raised dais inside it. On top of the dias was a glass coffin of sorts, a creature curled up inside.

"Is that a...dog?" Alex asked, peering into the glass. Kara squealed and excitedly pressed a few floating keys to free the creature.

"Lady Alura was insistent that I maintain this funling personally," the Zelex unit informed them, an air of amusement coloring his robotic tone.

The glass hissed as it opened, releasing a mist and obscuring the creature completely. Kara reached down and gently picked up the puppy. With a big puppy yawn, the white furred creature began to yip and lick Kara's face. Alex's heart melted at the adorable sight.

"I asked and asked my parents for a funling for years. They said no since pets were an unnecessary strain on resources, and at the time there were some pretty intense food riots going on, so I get it. But at the time, I thought they were being incredibly unfair," Kara explained, handing the puppy to Alex to hold so she could look at him more closely.

"Amazing, he looks pretty similar to an Earth canine. How big is he going to get? I'm not sure your apartment allows pets," Alex commented, petting the puppy's soft fur.

"He's an Argonian Bloodhound, we used to breed them to guard things like protected nature preserves or as personal security dogs. He'll probably grow to be around the size of a Great Dane. Lottie loves me, Alex, I'm sure I could convince her to let me keep him. Isn't that right… Krypto?" Kara scratched the puppy behind the ears then placed him on the ground. He immediately began to attack Alex's shoe laces.

"He's cute I'll give him that. So what is this place, Zelex?" Alex asked the droid next to her.

"The Vault is dedicated to the preservation of natural species found in the Rao system, everything from torquats to dramonicus to h'raka are all preserved here to prevent the complete extinction of the species. Both Flora and Fauna are kept here. A complete list of species can be accessed through this terminal," Zelex explained.

Kara breathed deeply, holding back her emotions. She was really tired of crying. With a bork bork, Krypto launched himself in the air to attack Kara's face with kisses. Kara laughed in surprise before snagging the wriggling puppy out of the air.

"What's next?" Kara asked Alex.

"I would like to see the work rooms, but maybe later. I'd probably never want to leave them and I really want to see the Family Wing."

"The Family Wing then, Lady Kara? I've already brought you and your bondmate's bags to the master bedroom."

Alex turned and opened her mouth to correct the protocol droid, but saw the look in Kara's eyes and shut her mouth.

"Is there any food here? Kara's looking a little peckish," Alex asked Zelex as it led them down another wing. Alex noted as many key features as she could to try and remember her way around. Occasionally there would be an interesting metal sculpture of Kryptonian beasts and deities or hanging tapestries depicting the House of El and Ze coat of arms.

The corridor opened up into a hall decorated tastefully with asymmetrical couches and low dark metal tables. A series of portraits lined the walls, of the past Heads of the House of El on one side and the same for the House of Ze on the other. Vases of cool glass and gold held strange blooming flowers, and from the ceiling low hanging orbs of glass glowed faintly with pale blue light.

Kara paused in front of the portrait of Astra and felt the deep tug of longing. May Rao guide her back to me, Kara thought, following Zelex and Alex to the end of large room into what was clearly a dining area. The high backed chairs were cushioned with deep red fabric to match the tapestries of the room; the sturdy dining table could easily fit up to 16 people. Zelex waved them into the side door which revealed a massive cooking area. Near one of the open flame cooking stations stood another Zelex unit stirring a pot.

"Ganzaga Gronya stew is almost ready, Lady Kara. The Gorvan bread rolls are rising in the oven. I will serve you momentarily," the Zelex unit stirring the pot informed them.

Zelex 1 ushered them to sit at the bar, serving them cold tea with flavored ice. Kara gaped at the stew served into a ceramic bowl in front of her, and then at the bread platter placed between her and Alex. The Zelex units busied themselves in cleaning the cooking area as Kara took a shaky bite.

Alex watched her reaction closely.

Kara's eyes watered at the spicy flavor and texture of the meats and vegetables mixed inside. She tore off a piece of one of the perfectly baked orange Gorvan rolls and carefully dipped it into her stew. She chewed, savoring the combination of savory bread and the variety of spices in the stew. Kara groaned in pleasure, washing it down with the sweet flavored tea.

Alex smiled and silently pulled her phone out of her pocket to take a picture of the sheer happiness on Kara's face. She snapped a picture of the food in front of her in case Kara wanted to post it on Instagram later. Alex let Kara have this moment alone. She had tried in the past to find or cook a stew like Ganzaga Gronya, but could never get the combination of flavors or the texture right.

She went through a phase in high school when she would try to make as many meals as close to Kryptonian foods as she could. Kara had loved it. And Alex loved making Kara happy. Eventually, Alex had left for college, and had then gotten busy with work, so her cooking fell to the wayside. But now watching Kara struggle not to cry as Zelex served her another bowl of stew renewed that desire to cook for Kara.

"Is it not to your liking Alexandra?" Zelex 2 asked gently, cocking its head to the side like a puppy.

Alex smiled at the droid and dipped her spoon into the cooling stew, bracing herself for the heat and spice. Alex chewed slowly, taking in the flavor of the Ganzaga meat, eyes watering at the spiciness of the Gronya mushrooms sliced inside. It was delicious. Alex took a piece of bread and copied Kara.

"It's delicious Zelex, thank you," Alex answered finally, smiling affectionately at Kara who was on her third bowl.

"You're quite welcome, Alexandra." Zelex 2 replied, setting down the second tray of bread and clearing away stray crumbs before Krypto could eat them off the floor. Kara hadn't stopped trilling in pleasure since she'd taken her first bite, and was wiggling in her seat. Krypto yipped and copied the movement from where he was dragging his butt on the floor.

Alex finished her bowl and glass of tea as Kara began to slow down after her third bowl. Alex gently wiped the small outline of stew from Kara's mouth and noticed her frown.

"What's wrong, Kara?"

Kara dragged her spoon through the dregs of her soup, looking suddenly despondent.

"Nothing. I just...this used to be my favorite meal when I came back from the Academy for break. I never really got to enjoy the flavors because I was usually so hungry I barely tasted it."

Argo City Military Academy, Krypton, Rao System, 5 years prior to K-Day

"Again!" the instructor called. Kara's arms wobbled as she and the thirty-nine other cadets in the training room stepped in unison through the third form of Klukor. The third form was a difficult series of steps with lethal punches mixed with sweeping kicks that were supposed to knock imaginary opponents off their feet. Someone lost their footing behind her and crashed to the hard ground, their heavy training suit scraping loudly against the hard stone.

Immediately a group of instructors descended upon the unfortunate cadet behind her, as the rest of the training class continued to step through their form. The instructors were screaming loudly, nearly breaking Kara's concentration as she completed a particularly challenging sequence. The swarm of angry shouting broke apart as the lead instructor barked, "Cadet Syra Lan-Gor, ration restriction!"

Kara fought to keep her face blank. Inwardly she cringed in pity at her pretty roommate's misfortune. Ration reduction was the worst punishment in the Academy. And their training class had a practical exercise tomorrow. Kara's own stomach growled, their whole block was on ration reduction right now; Kara never felt hunger like she did when she started at the Academy.

With a yell the class finished their form in tandem and held their final position. The instructors prowled between their even lines, occasionally stopping to shout at an unflinching cadet who drew their ire.

"Training Class Red! Get out of my sight, Dismissed!" The lead instructor was a burly man with a booming voice, 'affectionately' known as Boomer to the cadets. He was as mean as he was efficient, turning out child soldiers ready for combat in five years or less.

Kara scrambled to take her place in formation as they marched to their dormitory for sanitization then sleep; the next morning they would have their practical. Kara straightened her back as she marched in step, resisting the urge to look right where Syra Lan-Gor walked beside her. As soon as their dormitory door slammed, then locked shut for the night, the children gathered around Kara's bed as they did every night.

"So what's the plan, Princess?" one of her roommates, Asha, asked. Kara scowled at the nickname and swiped at the girl. Kara was currently the only cadet in their training class that hailed from a Great House. That, along with her military guild connections, bred deep running resentment from the poorer cadets who grew up knowing Hunger and Thirst. Kara was vastly underprepared for that aspect of training.

Despite the deeply held resentment against her, the forty odd cadets in her class had come to rely on her instinctively to guide them. An inbred feature for lower castes to look up to Great Houses. Kara thought for a moment, trying to focus on something other than how hungry she was right now.

"They already told us we would be heading to our exercise in the morning without a first meal. That can really only mean one thing."

"What?" whispered another girl, clearly frightened. Kara didn't think she would last much longer in the program. Especially not with the overabundance of aggressive cadets in their training class.

"The prize for the exercise will be a full ration or maybe even an actual cooked meal. Why else would they starve us for so long?" Kara answered as she cleaned some of the blood that had stained her armor off with a towel. The assembled cadets immediately broke out into barely contained whispers. They were all hungry.

"Try and sleep, hopefully if we do well they'll take us off of ration reduction." Kara stowed her suit and laid on her bunk, grateful that they had passed through the sanitization lasers today. As one by one the various cadets found their own bunks, only Syra remained near Kara's bed.

"What?" Kara asked. Syra's hair had to be rebraided after her poor showing during combat drills today. Her black eye was starting to swell, and she looked miserable.

"Kara, can I stay with you tonight? Please?" It wasn't uncommon for cadets to share bunks when they needed comfort, but the punishment from the trainers if they were found was severe. Kara considered it; she really needed to keep a clean record to get the assignment her house wanted. Getting in trouble at the Academy could ruin her chances, if not her family reputation. Her mother and Aunt had both graduated from the Argo City Academy with distinction. It would be an embarrassment if she graduated anything less than as top of her class. A girl of her breeding and pedigree, the training here was supposed to be a formality.

Still Kara felt her chest squeeze in pity at her friends pained face. She liked Syra and hoped that she would eventually have enough sway to get Syra a preferential assignment into her division after they graduated. Building allies is important, Kara thought as she lifted her blanket to allow Syra to crawl in. The other girl scrambled in quickly and fell asleep in seconds, exhausted from the week's worth of slow starvation. Kara followed her into dreams soon after, dreaming of the next time she would get to see her parents on break. Maybe her father would take her to Starkhaven like he promised.

The next morning Kara was shaken awake by Thara, who signaled her to be quiet as an instructor stomped past outside, clearly getting ready to wake them for their first exercise. Kara mouthed, thanks to Thara, who she was grateful for everyday. Thara Ak-Var was literally born to assist Kara, her family one of the four vassal houses sworn to the House of El. Each of the four vassals had produced a child within the same year cycle as Kara to act as aides and built in friends when they grew older. Thara was the only one to follow Kara to military school.

Kara lifted Syra into her bunk, conveniently to the bed directly beside her own, then dived under her covers just in time for the door to open and the whistle to blast to wake everyone up. Kara dressed quickly, putting on her armor with record speed. They were formed up and ready to go in less than a minute, but the instructors were still shouting as loud as possible for them to move faster.

"To the Arena. March!" Boomer called. Kara felt the dread building. Arena exercises were by far the worst because there was always fighting involved. The locker room adjacent to the Arena was stocked with live Solenium blades. Kara swallowed down her fear. Boomer's voice rang out with their instructions.

"Today's exercise will challenge your endurance and overall mental fortitude. You will each enter the arena with a live blade. Last person standing will receive a full cooked meal and two full water rations. Those of you who fall to the Arena obstacles, are knocked unconscious, or receive a severe wound will be placed on ration restriction with Syra Lan-Gor." He paused for a moment to find Syra's eyes in the crowd of cadets.

"Cadet, this is your only chance to get off of ration restriction. There will also be a number of visiting military members here to evaluate you all, in case you need added incentive."

Syra straightened up, her hands tightening around the handle of her blade. Syra's father Lan-Gor was a well known military man, and his daughter's current performance at the academy was something of an embarrassment to him. Kara attempted to smile encouragingly at her from behind Boomer's back. She hoped none of her family had decided to come watch the exam.

"Alright, helmets on. Find your launch platform. Move it!" Kara risked grabbing Syra's hand as she passed her on the way to her specific launch platform. She pulled her close for just a moment and squeezed her hand.

"Fight, Syra. You can do this. I believe in you." Kara would hug her but there was no time, and she had barely a second to get on the platform before all of their boots were locked into place. They slowly rose from the launch platforms into the arena above. Kara signaled good luck to Thara and breathed out deeply to calm her nerves.

Kara was nearly blinded by the bright Arena lights and was surprised at the amount of people in the stands. It wasn't just military officials, but plenty of politicians and representatives from each guild. Kara's heart sank when she recognized the familiar silver and gold cloaked figures in the stand directly opposite of her. Her Aunt and Grandmother Ara-Ze sat shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the upper cadre of military officials. Out of the corner of her eye she was even more surprised to see her Uncle Jor-El and her Aunt Lara Lor-Van seated with the representatives, two younger boys one in a enlisted uniform the other in fine clothing of a politician stood next to her Aunt Lara watching the proceedings. Kara recognized her cousin Kru-El in the nice clothing, but didn't know who the young soldier was. A quick scan through the stands confirmed neither of her parents were present.

"Prepare to launch. Cadets at the ready." An AI counted down through the loudspeaker above. Kara's sword activated in sync with every other cadet. She took a ready stance and glanced around for her first target as the countdown began. Her eyes locked with Asha, whose eyes cut right to where her Aunt and Grandmother were standing. Asha smirked and made a come on gesture, a direct challenge.

"Fight!" The AI droned above. The crowd roared. Immediately their platforms began to shake as obstacles began to rise from the ground of the field.

Kara sprang forward onto a thin platform near her, it was slick with some kind of chemical. Kara ducked as a glowing yellow blade passed above her helmeted head. Using the momentum of the fall with the slick surface, Kara sent a ruthless kick to the back of the offending cadet's knee. He gasped as Kara ripped her foot back and smashed it into his helmet, sending him careening off the platform and dropping 30 feet to the hard field below. The thud sounded crunchy. The crowd oohed.

"Cadet Kas-To, eliminated. Point, Cadet Kara Zor-El. T-00:30 seconds." Kara scrambled to find purchase as the platform began to shift to try and shake her off. She jumped to the next empty moving platform that was shaking violently. She took a moment to survey the battle as she rode the platform to the other side of the arena. The black and red uniforms of the cadet class stood out against the pristine white platforms. The sounds of blades and shouts rang out.

Kara raced forward, tucking and rolling to land on the next platform where three cadets were duking it out. Her blade held no mercy as she rolled with her momentum, swinging low at their legs where their armor didn't cover. Blood splashed against her helmet as she jumped to the small stepping stones hovering to her right. She left the three rolling behind her, frantically looking for Syra. If she can keep them off of her friend long enough, she can concede the match to Syra, so she wouldn't starve on her watch.

"Cadets Ev-Tan, Hi- Mar, and Tyr Ja-Dor, eliminated. Three Points, Cadet Kara Zor-El. T-2:03 seconds."

Kara danced across the platforms, leaving a bloody trail in her wake as she slashed and pushed her way towards Syra. The other girl had managed to score three points but was currently dangling off of a platform with Asha closing in.

Kara sprinted and jumped, tackling Asha's tall form to the floor. The two rolled precariously close to the edge. Asha reared her head back and slammed their helmets together, sending Kara reeling. Asha's plated fist caught the chin of her helmet.

"No Ak-Var to save you now, Princess! Hope you enjoy ration restriction with your girlfriend!"

Kara felt herself fall backwards, her head and part of her shoulders over the edge. Gasping, Kara caught the incoming elbow and used both her feet to push up against Asha's stomach. Taking advantage of Asha's forward momentum, she swung her feet towards her face, sending Asha face first over the ledge.

Asha's yell as she fell was satisfying. Kara trembled, locked in a scorpion position using all of upper body strength and core to stabilize herself on to the platform.

"Cadet Asha Del-Nar eliminated. Point Cadet Kara Zor-El. T-12:32."

Breathing heavy with exertion, Kara righted herself and quickly found her footing, Syra was still dangling off the ledge with her sword skewered into the stomach of another cadet. Kara sidestepped the blood and grasped Syra's forearm to lift her up. The crowd began to murmur in confusion.

Kara felt the sweat drip down her face inside her helmet as she heaved Syra to solid ground. She grasped her knees, catching her breath as Syra found her footing. Kara couldn't see her face. Syra's hand reached to the side without moving her head, her hand clutched at the handle of her blade still stuck in a cadet's stomach. It made a terrible squelching sound when she pulled it free.

"Only three others left Syra, let's go!" Kara called out to her leaping on to the next platform. Syra kept pace easily.

"Harasha Dan?" Syra called as they approached two fighting cadets, the third was trapped in an arena obstacle.

"You got it." The twin fighting style was rarely used since it required two people completely in sync with each other to correctly execute. Syra and Thara both partnered well with Kara in the doubles matches where they needed to use the style to gain an edge.

In sync their blades flourished as they jumped from the higher platform they had been standing on to the occupied duo below. Kara sliced low and Syra sliced high in perfect parallel, sending the other two cadets wildly off balance to avoid the blades. Kara and Syra stepped in unison back to back, their blades sending sparks in the air as they smashed against plate armor.

Kara caught a fist heading for her stomach and leveraged the offending cadet into an arm lock, sending them sprawling to the ground. They grappled for a minute until they heard a scream from their right. Kara paused, her fist hovering over the other cadet's face; they both turned their heads to see Syra standing over her opponent. Blood ran down the platform from where Syra had caught the gap in her opponent's armor at the neck with her blade.

"Cadet Ron-Di eliminated. Point Cadet Syra Lan-Gor. T-17:56."

Kara wheezed when she was sucker punched in the solar plexus from the cadet she had been grappling with. Kara quickly wrestled for control, and their blades clattered to the ground as they struggled. She rolled to avoid another blow, knocking into the fallen blades and sending them sliding across the platform out of reach to where Syra stood still over the prone form of Ron-Di.

Kara spit blood, trying to catch her breath and reared back, taking her opponent with her and swinging him completely over the edge of the platform. He managed to right himself at the last moment by grabbing Kara's shoulder piece. Kara gasped in surprise as she lost her footing and fell. The two tumbled over the edge. The other cadet screamed as he fell to the hard floor below, making a terrible crunching noise as bones shattered.

Kara held onto the edge of the now rotating platform with one hand. She swung her arm up to try and grasp the edge, when a shadow blocked the stadium lights. Kara felt a drip of something wet hit her face, then another. She looked up into the helmeted face of Syra; blood was splattered grotesquely across her armor.

"Kara," Syra gasped. Kara attempted to heave herself up with one hand.

"Syra, help me up already," Kara plead, her other arm pinwheeling uselessly in the air.

Syra looked down at her and Kara realized that Syra was crying. Syra kneeled near the edge and used one hand to cup Kara's face. Kara attempted to grab Syra's hand but couldn't find the momentum. Syra traced Kara's bruised faced before pressing a kiss to Kara's forehead.

"I'm sorry."

Kara barely registered the blow that sent her careening to the unforgiving floor below. The pain was mostly in her chest anyway.

The last thing Kara heard before the pain took her was the stadium announcer bellowing in her ear.

"Cadet Kara Zor-El eliminated. Winner Cadet Syra Lan-Gor. T-19:45."

"This is your fault Jor-El, the House of El has been coddling her too much. Too much time in the lab, not enough time training. Falling to a lowborn, disgraceful."

"Lady Ze, please. Kara performed admirably, she scored the most points out of any cadet. And she's at the top of her class."

"Of course she is, she's a daughter of Mordo. She's battleborn just like her mother before her, just like me, and my mother before me. Astra, see to it she understands that she needs to put that little upstart in her place. I have a meeting with the military council in an hour."

"Of course, mother. Ah, Rena, you came." There were shuffling sounds outside the door as the voices lowered.

The steady drip of the regen chamber brought Kara to consciousness. A shadow hovered above her, a hand outstretched far too close for comfort. Kara snapped her arm out and caught the hand, twisting it sharply. The shadow yelped.

"Kara! Cousin it's me!" The voice whispered in a sotto voce. Kara blinked as the inky black hair and bright blue eyes of her cousin Kru-El came into focus.

"Kru-El?" Kara released his hand and slumped back deeper into the regeneration tank. Kru-El shook his hand out, wincing, but smiled down at her all teeth.

"Took quite a fall cousin. How do you feel?" Kru-El asked, his voice low and teasing.

"Hurts," Kara murmured half-heartedly. Kru-El propped himself up on the edge of the tank by his elbows.

"You did really well out there, you broke both academy records for most number of points and fastest knock out. You should have heard the comments in the stands, they say you're the second coming of Zod himself."

Kara scoffed at the exaggeration.

"What were you doing with Major Lan-Gor's daughter? Alliance gone wrong?" Kru-El asked, poking a nasty bruise still healing on her collarbone. Kara swatted his hand away with a giggle.

"No, we're friends. She just surprised me is all." Kara smiled up at him, relieved that he wasn't mad. Kru-El never cared about military issues beyond what was needed for his job as their Aunt's political aide.

"Well, you surprised everyone else too. I've never seen the Supreme so mad." Kru-El's voice changed to a gossipy tone as he rooted around in his bag for something. Kara winced.

"Grandmother looked angry?" she asked. Kru-El looked up, holding one of Kara's favorite snacks in his hand.

"Well probably not to most people, but I'm around her enough during council that I can tell she was annoyed. You think she bet on you winning?" Kru-El poked her again, then handed Kara the snack bar. Kara tore into it with relish, an excited squeal leaving her before she could suppress it.

"Why were you all here anyway?" Kru-El's eyes flashed with some unknown emotion, before settling with a sad tilt of the head.

"Kru?" Kara asked, her tone soft. Kru-El's mouth twitched as if he was holding back a smile or grimace, Kara wasn't sure. He leaned over to whisper in her ear quietly.

"Ter-El died in a lab accident last night, cousin Jor-El has come to collect you." He pulled back and schooled his expression as the private infirmary door opened.

"I know we come from vastly different cultures, but I'll never understand Krypton's child soldier program," Alex said passionately.

Kara glanced at Alex's indignant expression. I love you. Kara didn't hesitate to close the gap, smiling at the lingering taste of Kryptonian spices on Alex's lips. Alex moaned softly in appreciation.

"Lady Kara would you and your bondmate like to retire for an afternoon rest? I can take Krypto to the garden?" Zelex 1 asked when hands started to wander.

"Great idea, let's see the rest of the family wing," Kara agreed, sweeping Alex up into a bridal carry. Alex shrieked and half heartedly banged on Kara's chest with her good arm.

"Let me down, you goof!" Alex laughed. Kara just smiled mischievously, taking the stairs behind Zelex to the second floor that partially overlooked the living room.

"These are the family rooms; several bedrooms to accommodate future children and other family members, each with its own study and restroom. The playroom and nursery. The media room. Lady Kara's office. An office for your bondmate. The archive. An art studio for Lady Kara. And finally the Master Bedroom. I'll let you get acquainted with the living area, please call if you need anything." With that the Zelex unit left the stunned couple on the landing in front of the Master Bedroom.

"Right, uh. Here we go," Kara stuttered, still holding Alex in her arms as she crossed the threshold into the master bedroom.

On the far wall, separated by a thick wall of glass, was an impressive panoramic view of the ocean outside with schools of swarming fish and vibrant sea plants. Directly in front of the window was a massive bed, elegantly made and covered in soft pillows. There were dark wooden cabinets to hold clothing and knick knacks, as well as a vanity table to match the cabinets and dresser. Sliding wooden doors were open on either side of the room, showing the two walk in closets on the left and a massive bathroom on the right.

Kara gently deposited Alex onto the bed next to their bags. Kara followed her down until she kneeled on all fours over Alex, taking in her expression. Kara reached out with her hand to tuck a stray lock behind Alex's ear, revealing some stitches on the side of her head. Kara frowned.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked gently, trying to pull Kara closer. Kara didn't move from her hovering position over Alex.

"Alex, my Zhor chao Shesur. The one thing in my life I should protect the most, and I've put you in danger. You've nearly gotten yourself killed many times over because of my stupid mistakes. I..."

"Hey, Kara. Look at me. I protect you because I care, because I love you. Not because of any mistake you made or something like that. I chose this life. And everyday I choose to go out and put myself in danger to protect you. Just like you put on the cape for me."

"I don't, you can't..." Kara struggled to articulate what she wanted to say. Alex waited as patiently as she could.

"You can't what, Kar?"

"I can't see another person I love die because of me. It would break me, Alex. I don't know what to do without you."

Alex was silent while she tried to think of a good response.

"I don't know what I can say to make you feel better about this. Helping you, fighting for you is in my soul now. I can't stop this even if I wanted to."

"It just reminds me of my old squad sometimes… especially when you swoop in at the last minute to protect me. And look how they turned out. Syra…" Kara trailed off and her eyes glazed over.

Arkon, A Jungle World, Rao System, Two Years Prior to Krypton's Destruction

Kara breathed evenly through her nose, the recycled air from her battle helmet sending cool bursts of adrenaline laced oxygen to her system with every furthering step. The radio chatter in her ear was indistinct to the thundering sounds of bombs being dropped behind her. The heat of this forsaken planet seeped under her armor and into her skin. The world was dark in shades of deep greens and yellows, the light of Rao's dim rays barely pierced the canopy of the looming trees above them.

Two more kilometers until the rendezvous point. Keep moving.

Kara's Solenium blade remained retracted and mounted on her back as she raced toward her extraction point off of this miserable planet. Kara could hear the dull thuds of booted feet falling into step around her.

"Squad 4 sound off," she said as loudly as she dared, dodging a mass of vines that nearly whipped her off her feet. Kara could see heat signatures through the foliage ahead, her heads up display V.I. already identifying them as The Char hostiles. Kara quickly slid into cover behind a thick tree then launched herself up to the lowest branch, climbing to get a vantage point on the approaching enemies.

"Jaq-Van. Ready," a smooth older male voice reported in her ear. The older boy used his upper body strength to haul himself into the air and onto a branch nearby. His shield remained inert on his back, but his blade was already extended and poised for a downward strike at the slightest hint of movement. Kara signaled him with fast handsigns to wait.

"Thara. Ready," a more feminine voice whispered as a slim form landed smoothly on the branch Kara was currently occupying. The two friends exchanged bloody smiles. Thara's long distance rifle was slung over her back; she unsheathed a gleaming dagger and held it at the ready.

"Syra. Ready." Kara shivered slightly at Syra's sweet voice. Even after sharing a dorm room at the Argo Academy for four years, Syra's presence never failed to cause her heart to flutter. Her longtime roommate's hair was braided back, her helmet hiding her sweet face. The large gun-like weapon that she normally wielded with such deadly accuracy in battle was out, but the normally bright glow was dimmed and a bayonet was mounted at the ready instead.

"Kell-Ur. Ready," the last deeper voice murmured in her ear. Kell-Ur's tall form landed with a loud thud just below the branches where the rest of the squad was perched at the ready. His shield was active but his blade retracted. A bright smile stood out as he waited for the war cries to come upon his position.

"On my signal. Take them out quickly, extraction in less than ten minutes. Get ready to move." Kara waited, her hand wrapping around the handle of her blade, ready to draw at the moment The Char surrounded Kell-Ur. The shrill sound of The Char battle cry broke up the low thuds of bombs dropping in a distance.

"Go!" Kara shouted, jumping below onto the closest Char foot soldier, her gleaming blade extending mid swing, relieving the hostile alien of both of its heads. She wasted no time in jumping forward into the next attack, skewering it, then savagely pulling the blade free and catching the third alien in her deadly arc. The three bodies hit the loamy forest ground at the same time as the rest of their hunting party; the sounds of heavy breathing and grunts of pain quieted.

"Hostiles down," Jaq-Van reported next to her, his own blade retracting. The sharp scent of Char blood cause Syra and Kell-Ur to begin to gag behind her as she assessed the quickest way to get to the extraction point. She marked the extraction point for the squad, causing a waypoint to flare to life on their HUD next to the squad's vitals.

"Idai," Thara addressed Kara without removing her long range scope from her eye. "The extraction point is crawling with hostiles, looks like they've got attack torquats with them. We need to find another way." They all shuddered visibly at the idea of having to fight the vicious creatures. The needle like fur, razor sharp fangs, and sheer size made them formidable opponents.

Kara considered her options. Rao's Light, she cursed inwardly. She glanced down at her wrist where the information node was clamped tightly to her gauntlet. The data had to reach General Ze's flagship the Might of Mordo as soon as possible; millions of Kryptonian lives depended on their squad delivering it intact. Arkon's ionosphere made remote data transfer at this range impossible.

Warning alarms began to go off on the HUDs. Syra pumped the gun in her hand in anticipation as the chilling howls of torquats filled the damp air. Kara could see the hostiles moving in around them on their map. She clutched her sword tightly and motioned for the squad to form up to make a run.

"There's no other option we fight or we die. Extraction is in 8 minutes and 1 kilometer out. Move as quickly as possible but no one gets left behind, understand?" The sounds of war cries and howls were closer now, Jaq-Van and Kell-Ur activated their Solenium blades and shields. The soft yellow glow flared to life and illuminated the squad's dirty faces. They were outnumbered and outmaneuvered.

"Copy that. Idai, let's roll," confirmed Syra. Her gleaming smile loosened up the knot of anxiety that had settled into Kara's chest. Kara took a deep breath and signaled the squad to move. They burst forward through the underbrush in a blur of movement, their heavy boots leaving five sets of child sized Kryptonian footprints in the mud.

A roar of a bomb dropping close by was the only warning as an unnatural wave of dirt and leaves blew past them and nearly knocked them off their feet. "Move, move, move!" Kara called, pulling forward into a full sprint. The alarms on their HUDs blared as they sprinted forward, leaping off of a cliff and onto the gathered mass of enemies holding their extraction point. A five minute countdown initiated in sync on their HUD.

Kara felt the sting of Char fire, their laser weapons shooting rapidly at her squad as they hit the soft ground with heavy thuds. Her blade sang through the air as she neatly disabled the alien in front of her then pulled Thara into cover behind her. Thara's pot shots were clearing up the extraction point just ahead, as Kara and Syra kept the now swarming torquats away. As Kara pulled Thara to relative safety, she felt the icy burn of torquat fangs sink into the back of her calf. She cried out and shot the beast with her sidearm at close range. Her distraction cost her dearly.

Time slowed down. Kell-Ur and Jaq-Van locked back to back in a form of tandem Horu-Kanu, their blades slicing in parallel arcs through the continuous waves of Char. Kara felt her shields shatter around her as her distraction caused Char laserfire to focus in on her. The thick smell of sickly sweet decaying plant matter and the acidic stench of Char blood made it through her helmet filters.

0:23. Kara could feel the numbing pain of the poisonous Toquat bite running up her leg, immobilizing her in place. Kara choked down her scream. The information node on her wrist hummed.

0:22. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and her eyes tracked the anti-aircraft weapon the Char had mounted nearby as it turned to her in what seemed like slow motion. The ratta-tat-tat of Thara taking sniper shots at the gunner reported in her ear. Kara closed her eyes.

0:21. Rao forgive me. The deafening sound of the AA gun rang throughout the decaying jungle, but the pain never hit her. Kara's eyes snapped open, ready to finish the fight. When the shouts of her squad registered.

"SYRA!" Syra stood, her arms extended maybe 10 paces in front of Kara in between her leader and the AA gun, a circle of Char and torquat bodies surrounded her. Syra's shields shattered, revealing the bowl sized hole in the middle of her chest. Her body and shields had absorbed the AA gun fire instead of letting it take off Kara's head. Thara's rifle reported again, this time dropping the gunner and clearing the extraction zone.

Kara froze as Syra's knees gave out and she slumped over dead where she had stood. Kara heard an unholy sound echo as she scrambled to Syra's side, her blade ruthlessly cutting down the nearby enemies. The sound was distracting, so she missed the alarm of the extraction timer going off and the cries of the rest of her squad. Kara retracted her blade and picked up Syra's body, holding her close to her chest.

"KARA ZOR-EL, WE MUST GO," a familiar voice shouted, cutting through the unholy cry. Kara looked up from Syra's wide dead eyes to her Uncle's helmeted visage before her, dripping Char blood. Kara realized the unholy cry was her screaming as Non yanked her to her feet and covered her escape, her arms still holding her fallen squadmate.

The Might of Mordo locked onto her biorhythms and with a swish, Kara was beamed aboard the flagship. Kara collapsed with a cry next to her Uncle, the rest of her squad surrounding her instantly. Non's voice crisply ordered for someone to find the General, and to meet them in the medical bay as a nearby officer attempted to remove the dead Kryptonian girl from the teleporter pad. Kara tried to strike the officer, only for her arm to be caught by Non and hauled to her feet; Syra's body hit the floor with a wet thud.

Kara felt herself being carried to the med bay, her leg a mauled mess and her shoulder riddled with small pen-sized holes from Char fire. The smell of antiseptic caused Kara to gag as Non gently deposited her in the regeneration chamber and yanked the information node free from her forearm. The General appeared only moments before Kara succumbed to the anesthetic properties of the regen chamber. Two armored gloved hands unlocked Kara's helmet and pulled it free, revealing fever-bright blue eyes to the imposing woman.

"Oh, Little One," was the last thing Kara heard before she slipped into unconsciousness.

"Kar? I know what happened during the Arkonian Blitz hurt. I know. But baby not everyone who loves you is going to leave you. Not me. Not ever. If twelve years, homicidal family members, and an incredibly awkward media storm can't scare me away. Nothing will. Come here, I've got you."

Alex slowly pulled the cape off of Kara's shoulders. Then the belt and boots. She snagged the hidden zipper near the collar and dragged it down, checking Kara's face of signs of protest. Kara just nodded and leaned heavily against Alex.

Alex continued until she hit the mid section and helped Kara shrug off the top part of her suit, revealing Kara's chiseled abs and abdominal scarring. Alex traced the scratch marks and the stab wound before finding the next zipper and dragging Kara's pants down to her ankles. Kara, in just her sports bra and panties, looked up at Alex with big eyes.

"You're so beautiful, Kara Zor-El," Alex murmured, stepping out of her boots. She stumbled slightly as she undressed in an effort to keep eye contact with Kara.

Kara's eyes dilated, taking in the sight of her bondma-girlfr-Alex. Gorgeous.

Alex pushed Kara back firmly and snuggled in on top of her, letting the skin on skin contact calm Kara down. Alex inhaled and exhaled, smiling softly at the newfound intimacy of the soft feel of Kara's weight beneath her.

"Kara, let's not worry about this anymore, okay? We'll play it by ear and figure it out as we go. Apparently, almost everyone thinks we're married anyway, including the media."

Kara chuckled and combed a hand through Alex's newly dyed locks.

"I'll try. It's not something I can just get over overnight, you know."

"I know Kar. I'd hate to admit it, but maybe talking to Dr. Hart would be good for you, too," Alex suggested.

"The DEO psychiatrist? You think?"

"Of course. She knows what she's doing and she already has the appropriate clearance. I could help you set it up. Just think about it okay?" Alex replied.

"Okay. Hey, Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to do about the media thing?" Kara asked, her voice small.

"Well. Vasquez has completely scrubbed Alexandra Danvers from the internet. My file's been nearly completely redacted for government usage. We both have standby identities ready to go in case they do manage to identify one of us," Alex explained.

"Is J'onn going to pull you from Operations?" Kara asked, looking stricken. Alex immediately began to soothe her.

"No, Kar. R&D made me a new suit to go with my Agent X persona and a helmet to help protect my identity. Apparently Oversight is considering making me the face, or rather the helmet of the DEO. It's not perfect, but I think it will work."

Kara looked far away.

"We'll finally get a chance to use our tandem forms in fights now. The suit has incredible safety features, and now that I have access to a Kryptonian lab, I can make it even better. You and me, the dream team," Alex continued with an excited smile beginning to form.

"You and me," Kara agreed, pulling Alex in for a kiss, then dimming the lights with her other hand.

"Always."

Elsewhere, Earth, Two Days Post Super X Incident

The room was dark and quiet. No one dared to move as Astra's tall form stalked back and forth in front of the screens. Non shot a glare at the nearest Kryptonians, who slowly took a half a step back out of the immediate range of Astra's fury.

Astra reeled her fist back and slammed it into the wall of their base. The wall immediately began to crumble in small chunks from the spiderweb pattern left by Astra's fist.

"How did he manage to live?" Astra spat, flicking the debris from her hands.

Non glanced up at the screens, watching the form hoverwalk through Kara Zor-El's mate's empty residence. His inky black hair and scarred face were barely visible under the deep red hoodie he was wearing. The Kryptonian pocketed something from the bedside drawer, then looked around before making eye contact with the bug planted in the bedroom wall. The video cut out, then began to replay.

"General, what would you like us to do?" asked Astra's youngest lieutenant.

Astra's head snapped to his direction and crushed the debris she had been holding. Two more of the gathered honor guard took a step back, leaving the lieutenant the only one in Astra's direct path. He stood firm as Astra activated the yellow glowing sword in her hand. He didn't flinch as the sword arced until the tip sat on his collar.

No one moved. A drop of blood welled up beneath the sword, then another.

Astra deactivated the sword, retracting the blade into the handle, then pressed it into his hand.

The Ze ancestral sword felt heavy in his tight grip. The legendary Mordo's Fang, the last of its kind.

"You know Kru-El as well as I do, Jaq-Van. Find him, and kill him."

END PEOPLE GONNA TALK

Author's Note: Welp, that's it for People Gonna Talk. I hope everyone enjoyed the ride. I know it's been a long wait for the whole thing to be completed, so thank you all for sticking around. As always a special thanks to my amazing beta, beaglesinbowties. I wouldn't be able to do it without you. I would really appreciate any comments on what you thought of the story and what you'd be interested in seeing in a possible sequel. To read more about concepts or characters I developed for PGT please visit my tumblr tagged/pgt.

Kryptonese Rough Translations:

Idai: Sergeant, military rank, feminine: Kara's initial rank within the military guild as a graduate from Argos City Military Academy.

Klurkor: Kryptonian Karate

Horu-Kanu: deadly Kryptonian fighting style

Torquat: vaguely dog/lion like beast with porcupine like hair

Ieium: another word for mother, denoting status

Funling: puppy