(What are you talking about Eromancer? I thought I made it clear that Kara's DNA is different from the rest of Zod's soldiers. Anyway thanks for to all the reviews. They really do make a world of difference.)

Kara stood in the Council chambers along with eleven other accomplices including Zod. Their wrists were cuffed together and shackled to their necks. Each of them stood on pads waiting to encase each of them in a sarcophagus. The rebellion was over and what could be laughably called their trail was over even quicker. The Council wanted them all gone and forgotten as quickly as possible. They all know the sentence, the rest of this was just a formality and the damn Council loved their formalities. Lara stood among the Council members. How she managed to avoid being punished along with them Kara didn't know. After all Jor-El stole the Codex and Lara helped launch it along with their natural born child into space. Such an act was treason but yet she stood there seemingly exempt from prosecution. Maybe her actions and those of Uncle Jor were all hushed up but Kara had spent the past few days in a holding cell and had no contact with the outside world.

"General Zod. For the crimes of murder and high treason, the Council has sentenced you and your fellow insurgents to three hundred cycles of somatic reconditioning," announced Lor-Em, the new leader of the Council. Somatic reconditioning was supposed to alter the DNA to make the sentenced more amendable to society but it rarely produced a rehabilitated member of society. It was mostly used for Kryptonians to feel better that they didn't have to bloody their hands with capital punishment which was banned centuries ago. "Do you have any last words?"

"Krypton is dying and you respond by clinging to protocol," scoffed Zod. "The Phantom Zone isn't even a death sentence! Who will be left to release us when our conditioning is finished?"

"We are here to discuss your punishment today Zod. Not your release," scowled Lor-Em.

Zod suddenly rushed towards the Councilors. Two guards quickly moved into hold him back. Faora tried to move in and aid him but was quickly restrained as well. "You won't kill us but you'll damn us to a black hole for eternity so you won't sully your hands." He spat on the floor. "Jor-El was right. You're a pack of fools. Every last one of you!" Then Zod turned to Lara. "And you! You believe your son is safe. But I will find him Lara. I will reclaim what you have taken from us!"

The guards dragged the general back to his pad. "I will find him Lara! I WILL FIND HIM!" screamed Zod. Energy shields surrounded the condemned and preservative gel began filling each one. Kara could already feel the liquid cold on her legs, freezing every part of her body it moved up. Others screamed from the process but Kara refused to give in the pain. She glanced at Lara as the liquid filled up past her chest but her aunt didn't even look her in the eyes. As the gel creeped up her neck and Kara strained to breath, she noticed Lara finally looking at her. As the liquid covered her mouth and entered her nasal passages, Lara mouthed two words: Thank you. Those were among the last thoughts Kara had before the gel completely encased her and her consciousness began to blacken out.


The Black Zero re-emerged into normal space behind the targeted planet's only moon. Here hopefully undetected they could gather information about the world and Kal-El's location first before revealing themselves. Kara doubted it would take long to find him. A quick analysis of the planet by Jax-Ur revealed high levels of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. At these levels, it would have a substantial nourishing effect on a Kryptonian's body. Add to the high levels of radiation coming from the nearby star and gravity far weaker than Krypton's and any Kryptonian living there would godlike. Someone like that would stand up among the local indigenous population. The dominate species of the planet may have looked like Kryptonians but they were far weaker physically and also technologically. Kal would be a like a god to them. No wonder Uncle Jor sent him here.

"I've tapped into their global networking grid but I haven't found anything on Kal-El. Not a single mention of him dating back to the time he should have landed on this planet," said Dev-Em.

"There has to be something. Someone with his kind of strength and abilities would not have gone unnoticed," sighed Zod.

"Maybe the signal didn't come from him," said Tor-An.

"Or maybe he's in hiding," suggested Faora.

"Why would he hide? With his abilities he should be ruling over this world," frowned Aethyr.

"Unless he truly is like his father then he wouldn't feel he has the right to," added Kara. The crew glared at her in annoyance, mostly because they probably thought she was right.

"Keep checking. If we can't find him ourselves then we'll force him to come to us. Jax I want you to analyze the possible effects of this planet's atmosphere will have on us. I want to know if we can possibly benefit from it," said Zod. Kara wondered what the general meant by that. Hours passed by and everyone all waited impatiently. Half the crew was now searching the human records for any sign of Kal-El but not a single credible lead emerged from any of it. Why wouldn't Kal have revealed himself to these people? If he didn't want to rule over them then why not aide the humans openly assuming he considered them worth protecting at all?

Evidently Zod was out of patience. "Tor prepare the com to transmit on all frequencies. I want every single human on that planet to hear what I have to say. Aethyr move the ship into Earth's atmosphere. That should get some attention," he ordered.

"Sir what are you going to do?" asked Kara.

"If he's hiding on this planet then he must care about these humans in some way. I will use that love to force him out," answered Zod.

"Entering the planet's atmosphere…Multiple contacts responding…Unmanned satellites moving towards us," said Aethyr.

"Raise shields and ready weapons. I don't want to take any chances," commanded Zod. On the view screen, the satellites moved closer but seemed to also keep their distance to observe but not interact. They were clearly no threat. "Weapons stand down but keep the shields up just in case."

"Sir ready to broadcast on your order," reported Dev-Em. Zod gave a nod and Dev activated a high frequency signal that overtook every receiver on the planet. "You are not alone. You are not alone. You are not alone," was repeated over and over again. That would certainly attract a lot of attention with the signal and the sudden arrival of a mysterious object in the sky.

Zod walked towards a console which repurposed itself into a pulpit. "My name is General Zod. I come from Krypton, a world far from yours. I have journeyed across an ocean of stars to reach you. For some time your world has sheltered one of my citizens. I request that you return this individual to my custody. For reason unknown he has chosen to keep his existence a secret from you. He will have made efforts to blend in. He will look like you but he is not one of you. To those of you who may know his current location, the fate of your planet rests in your hands. To Kal-El I say this: Surrender within twenty-four hours or watch this world suffer the consequences."

The transmission ended and no doubt the chaos on the planet began. "Now we wait," Zod added.


Kara was starting to regret volunteering to be an experiment as Jax finished fitting a new helmet onto her suit in the testing chamber. The planet's atmosphere along with solar radiation from the nearby star would have profound physical effects on a Kryptonian's body but they needed to find out the effects first hand. And the only way to do was for someone to actually breathe it in. Someone needed to do it and since Kara wanted to the one to retrieve Kal-El and the Codex, this was the best way to ensure it. Zod always favored those who took the initiative. A table filled with various testing materials stood off to the side.

"Your suit will allow you to soak up solar radiation naturally without any hindrance and your new helmet will allow you to regulate the amount of air molecules that filters through it. Since we don't know the exact effects this atmosphere will do to you, we'll start off with the lowest level and go from there. I've also outfitted your suit with a biosensor who we can monitor any physiological changes," explained Jax. He took a step back and a blast wall lowered from the ceiling to the floor, cutting the room in half and creating an isolation chamber. "Equalizing atmosphere levels with the planet's….and initializing level one."

Kara took a deep breath and instantly felt a sense of euphoria. She hadn't felt this good in years and she felt strong, really strong. "Initiating pressure test," Kara spoke as she picked up a small metallic ball and squeezed it, measuring her strength.

"Your strength is now nearly ten times a normal Kryptonian," reported Jax.

"I can also hear you better. I think my senses have increased as well," replied Kara.

"Let's increase it to level two," said Jax before Kara could taste more of the alien air in her helmet.


Zod entered the testing chamber as Jax-Ur was going over the test data. Judging from the scientist's face, the results must be good. In fact the man was so enthralled he didn't even hear Zod enter the room. Zod could understand his enthusiasm but they should always be alert for anything. "And how are things progressing?" the general asked, startling Jax.

"Oh general I'm sorry. I didn't hear you enter," Jax spoke, calming himself. He pointed to his console where a readout of Kara's physical structure was highlighted on a view screen. "The Subcommander's cellular and skeletal density increased exponentially without any adverse effects. Her strength has increased nearly fifty times and she claims her vision and hearing have improved as well," he explained.

"Impressive," commented Zod. He had wished he could have had these kinds of abilities back on Krypton. If he did, they would have won the war within a day. Zod's mistake of launching his insurrection too quickly had cost them victory and yet saved them from Krypton's fate. If Zod believed in any gods, he would say they had a strange sense of irony.

"Let's speed this up. I'm going to take my helmet off," Kara's voice chimed in over the com. Of course she would take such a risk.


"Are you sure about that?" asked Jax. Kara answered that by tapping her helmet and disabling the energy shield surrounding her head. Whatever euphoria she felt before escalated tenfold as her lungs completely filled with the alien atmosphere. Then she twitched as the walls seemed to fade right before her eyes. She could see Jax in the other room and even Zod then the two turned into skeletons and then shapes of bright red light. The sound of the engine, machinery, footsteps as Kryptonians wandered the halls of the ship, all roared in Kara's ears. Everything was so bright and so loud, it was all too much. Screaming, she quickly tapped her helmet once more and its shield reactivated. Kryptonian air quickly replaced the alien air as Kara dropped to her knees, slowly regaining her senses.

The atmosphere was purged and the blast wall lifted as Zod calmly walked inside. "Are you alright?" he asked though he didn't seem concerned. Zod wouldn't be worried if everything was alright.

"Yes sir," answered Kara.

"What happened?" joined in Jax.

Kara tried to put everything she experienced into words. "It was like I could see everything. I could see through walls, flesh, bones, machinery, everything. I could see heat and cold as if they were visible to the naked eye. I could hear Nan-Ek's breathing, Faora strolling back and forth on the bridge, the heartbeats of everyone board this ship, all of it as if it was happening right inside my ear drum."

"Obviously your senses were enhanced far beyond your brain's ability to handle it all. Also during the few moments you removed your helmet, your entire biophysical structure was off the scale. I can't even imagine how strong and fast you were," theorized Jax.

"Can you configure our helmets to filter out light and sound without compromising this godlike strength and speed?" asked Zod.

"I believe I can," nodded Jax.

"Get on it immediately. I want a working helmet for everyone onboard," ordered Zod. Jax nodded and left to get to work. Zod turned his attention back to Kara. "How are you feeling Kara?"

"I told you sir I'm alright. I was a little disoriented before but now I'm fine," answered Kara.

"That's not what I meant. Back on Krypton, you disobeyed my orders to fire on your aunt. When I saw you aim at Kal-El's ship I was fine with that solution but you refused to fire on that as well," said Zod. Kara lowered her head, still ashamed over her actions. She spared Kal-El's life but in doing so lost the respect of her general and mentor. It took years for her to regain his trust. "I was angry at you for quite some time but I realized over the years that what happened was for the best. If we had stopped Kal-El's launch, the Codex would have been taken from us when we were arrested and been destroyed with Krypton. But while hindsight proved you right, it can never happen again. Your loyalty must be for the greater good of your people and you must never hesitate to do your duty ever again. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," nodded Kara.

"You're a good soldier Kara. The rest of the crew sees you as a freak. They don't say it in my presence but I can see it in their eyes. Aside from yourself and Faora, they're all fools and grunts but they have their uses. When we create a new Krypton, people like you will be the ones who lead our people back to greatness," said Zod.

Kara didn't have a chance to respond. "General Zod to the bridge," announced Tor-An on the intercom.


"Report," Zod ordered as soon as he stepped onto the bridge with Kara at his side.

Tor-An was the first to respond. "We're receiving a transmission from someone who claims to represent something called the United States of America. He claims that Kal-El has surrendered to their custody and is awaiting extraction at a set of coordinates." He put a display of the planet with a pulsing point to indicate the extraction site.

Dev-Em was next to speak. "We've scanned the area and it appears to be isolated from any major population district. Probably a military base of some kind. We've detected multiple machines and vehicles on station and they appear to in a holding pattern."

"Could this be a trap?" asked Faora.

"Anything's possible Commander but from what I've been able to skim off their networks, the humans don't seem interested in starting a conflict with us," reported Quex-Ul.

"Faora take a shuttle to the planet and bring Kal-El back unharmed. Az-Rel you're flying," commanded Zod.

Kara was not happy about that. "Sir with all due respect I should be going down as well," she protested.

"Not now Kara. I need you here," Zod said in a tone that meant this wasn't up for debate.

Faora and Az were about to leave when Quex spoke up. "There's one more thing you should know sir. The humans found out about Kal-El from a human they believed discovered his identity and befriended. A female named Lois Lane." He brought up a picture of the human.

"Befriended? Please tell me he hasn't mated with one of those humans," groaned a disgusted Aethyr.

"Well done Quex. This could be important. Bring back this Lois Lane as well. Having a hostage should keep him in line should we need to," said Zod. Faora and Az finally left and Zod began to notice Kara's uneasiness. Though born considered genetically flawed, she had always proven to be a great soldier and her loyalty was unquestionable until Kal-El's escape. She felt empathy for those who did not deserve it but yet she had always suppressed such unwanted feelings during battle. Yet in a way she was prove of what the future required. They needed to integrate the best bloodlines together into all future Kryptonian leaders.

"You disagree with my decision?" Zod asked her in private.

"No sir. Tactically you've made all the right decisions," answered Kara.

"But?" frowned Zod.

"Sir perhaps it would be best to leave the human alone. If we're going to build trust, we need to show him we mean him no harm and holding someone he possibly considers to be a friend won't help," said Kara.

"That's why I'm giving the responsibility to you. When Kal-El arrives, I want you to gain his trust and turn him to our side," said Zod.

"Why me sir? In eyes of my family and my house I betrayed them when I joined you," protested Kara.

"Kal-El doesn't know that and even if he does, he's been alone on this planet for his entire life. Hearing he has at least one surviving family member hopefully will overwhelm whatever trust issues he has with us," replied Zod.

"Of course. Yes sir," sighed Kara. She didn't seem too enthusiastic about her assignment but she would do her duty. "I should go gather some personal belongings to show him once he arrives. Perhaps a few memorabilia would help."

Kara left the bridge as Jax entered with a datapad. "General I finished outfitting the helmets. It was easy enough and Faora and Az are already suited up," he reported.

"Good," replied Zod who was about to walk away.

"General there's something else. I've finished doing a complete scan of the planet and I think you should see the results for yourself," Jax said before handing out his datapad.

Zod skimmed through it and saw the usual readings. Atmospheric composition, geological elements, temperature and weather conditions. But as Zod continued reading, he realized what his scientist was so interested in. By itself any one of these readings was irrelevant but taken together they showed a world that truly perfect for Kryptonians to settle on. Add the nurturing radiation provided by the local star and you have the best prospect for terraforming. No wonder Jor-El sent his son here. This was world was perfect for them to start anew and with the codex they could do just that.

"I want a complete terraforming assessment as soon as possible," smiled Zod. He walked to the edge of the massive window where the planet loomed off into the distance. "My brothers and sisters!" he called out getting everyone's attention. "Our struggles and sacrifices have all been worth it. Jax-Ur tells me this world is perfect for us. Our journey is at an end. We've have finally found a new home not just for us but for every future generations of Kryptonians. Welcome to New Krypton!" he shouted ecstatically.

(Kind of a transitional chapter but necessary to set everything up. Please review if you would be so kind.)