A Call To Arms!

by SandSniper

Clark goes to war. Just not a standard issue war. Everyone else grows up and then it all comes together.

35. A Call To Arms Part 35

Part 35: Welcome to Kzin Boot Camp or Star Light, Star Bright, Riding a Star Cruiser to a Fight!

What could Whitney say about quality of Weave medical personnel and facilities? The simple fact was the Turlog doctor delivered the best heath service in the galaxy. To prove it was the fact that Whitney actually walked off the operating table of the Weave star cruisers sick bay.

The Turlog doctor true to her word put his broken body back together. The artificial implants worked but his stride wasn't as smooth as it had been before Colonel Kim took an acetylene torch to him in the torture chamber.

However, Whitney knew that when you have been crawling around for months just limping upright feels as good as sprinting a hundred meters to a new world record.

Clark had got the message that Whitney was coming out of surgery and got off his bridge watch early to meet him. So when Whitney hobbled out of the operation theater there was the Kansas farm boy turned space warrior waiting greet him back to the land of the walking wounded.

Whitney grimaced a bit but gave Clark a big smile. "Kent, you have no idea how great it feels to be back on my feet. Even if I am a little unsteady these artificial nerve implants are out of this world. Actually seeing that we are on a space ship maybe I better stop using 'out of this world" as an expression'."

Clark smiled as he gave Whitney some even better news, "Now Quarterback don't get too attached to the artificial implants because you will soon be giving them up." Whitney gave Clark a confused look. "Come on Whitney you will have to give them up so you can grow some new natural ones."

Whitney laughed and in disbelief shook his head, "Unbelievable, the Turlog doctors can grow nerves?"

"Not the Turlog, they are the best at surgery which you would expect due to all those arms and one of the most sophisticated nervous systems in the galaxy. The guys that can grow nerves are another member of the Weave that lost their planet to the Clove called the Hivistahm. Most of the doctors in the Weave are Hivistahm. They are fantastic doctors, not as good a surgeons as the Turlog who are the best there is but since there are only a few hundred Turlog survivors so most of our Weave doctors are Hivistahm."

Whitney shuffled along the corridor asking Clark questions, "So if the Turlog are air breathing octopuse like creatures what are the Hivistahm like?"

"Well they are the guys that figured out how to grow nerves all through the bodies of the various members of the Weave and in fact can grow back limbs for most species."

Clark shot a quick smile at Whitney, "Back on earth lizards or a salamander can grow back their tails or limbs and out here it's something that an intelligent sophisticated race the Hivistahm can also do naturally. So the Hivistahm look kind of Jurassic Park physically but that is where the similarity ends. The Hivistahm are brilliant scientists and doctors that look like big intelligent lizards but instead of being cold blooded they have an amphibian type of metabolism. They can grow back their own limbs and nerves naturally so of course over the centuries they studied the biological mechanism in their own bodies and then learned how to transfer it to most of the species in the galaxy."

Clark outlined Whitney's schedule, "So the plan is we are going to grab a coffee and then its right over to see the Hivistahm specialist to get you signed up for nerve regeneration. Of course at the same time as you will be growing new nerves it will also be time for Weave boot camp."

"Clark, I am kind of on extended gimp mode; how am I going to both grow nerves and do military boot camp at the same time."

"I'll tell you in a minute, this is our stop." Clark turned into a galley and stopped at an empty table gesturing Whitney to sit down. Clark ordered two double espressos. "Don't look surprised Whitney; they know how to make espressos from the list of my preferences on the galley database. With so few Kryptonians in the Weave we are well known to everyone. I expect that with you being the only human in the fleet they will soon have your preferences recorded in every galley data base."

Clark and Whitney's espressos soon arrived and Clark clued in Whitney. "You had better enjoy this espresso because for the next three weeks you are going to live on glucose and electricity in a tank while your nerves grow back and at the same time you do boot camp."

Whitney took a sip of the espresso and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was, "Before I ask you how I am going to grow nerves in a tank and do boot camp just tell me what I am going to learn in boot camp?"

Clark leaned back, "Whitney you are an experienced US Marine sniper scout and special opts soldier but earth soldier training is as out of date out here as a Roman legionnaire would be in your 21st century earth army. So we have to do two things at once: First the Hivistahm will set you up to grow back your nerves and believe me this is fair warning since I had the Hivistahm regenerate both of my legs after they got blown off in a firefight in a red star solar system sixteen years ago; it is going to hurt like hell."

Whitney started to laugh, "Don't worry about it Clark, it only hurts like hell when you are having them burned out with an acetylene torch in a Chungbong Slave Labor camp torture chamber. If I know they are going in instead of being burned out then the pain is going to be a pleasure."

"Ya, you are right Whitney but don't say I didn't warn you. So to grow back your nerves the Hivistahm will give you a shot that will turn you into a dishrag and then drop you in a tank of oxygenated fluorocarbon fluid which they have developed specifically for most of the different Weave species. Then over a very painful three weeks you will be suspended 24/7 in the oxygenated fluorocarbon fluid tank as your nerves grow back."

Whitney raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "Ok what is the catch? Like when does the whole boot camp thing happen?"

Clark smiled, "Just before they drop you in the tank for nerve regeneration they will shave every hair off your body and attach dozens of bioelectric implants to your head and body and finally hook you up to an ACSC. That is what we call in short hand an 'accelerated combat situation computer". Your boot camp will be coming in via the ACSC over the bioelectric implants and it will keep you pretty busy and hopefully give you something to do rather than concentrate on the pain of the nerves re-growing."

Whitney just tossed back the last of his espresso, "Ok, dude deal me in; I am looking forward to it and that includes the tank, the boot camp and your Uncle's birthday party you mentioned at the end of it. Hell, I am even looking forward to the pain of having my nerves grow back. So let's get started."

So on a Weave star cruiser in deep space that is exactly what happened to the first human to ever leave the Sol Solar System.

Whitney was suspended in an oxygenated fluorocarbon fluid tank in great pain but had a goal to keep his mind off the pain. The goal was to go from a 21st century US Marine sniper scout to a modern Weave warrior in three weeks.

The 'accelerated combat situation computer' on initial scans took about five minutes to review everything Whitney knew about war and then it started to teach him right from the beginning. Whitney learned the best way to use every weapon from a pointed stick to a nova bomb and not just intellectually.

With his body and mind suspended in the tanks the 'accelerated combat situation computer' pumped cybernetically controlled feedback kinesthesia impulse current directly down the bioelectrodes directly into Whitney's brain and muscles.

The experience for Whitney was as real as unreal could get.

Whitney felt the weapons in his hands and watched his performance with them over and over until he got it right. The illusion of reality was total. The 'accelerated combat situation computer' took his memories of earth and put him into situations that he was familiar with from Earth's history. He was a Bronze Age warrior in the battle for Troy. He fought with a battle axe as a Viking raider. He was a spearman in a Mori tribe in a raid on a rival tribe's village.

Then for weapons earth had no history for Whitney in endless battles on alien worlds used everything from to laser cannon to disrupter phasers. Over the three weeks of military boot camp in his tank of oxygenated fluorocarbon fluid Whitney killed a division worth of electronic ghosts.

When Whitney wasn't in kinesthesia combat in his head the bioelectrodes zapped him with thousands of years of galaxy military theory and history. Then came the weapons manuals for everything from a Kzin attack fighter to how to change the energy drive on a Weave speeder. Then in the last week it was linguistic training. Both spoken and written communication for the dozen or so main languages of the Weave.

For Whitney it was like a Roman legionnaire who knows how to build ancient siege machines that goes into a magic learning tank for a three week swim and then comes out knowing how to do everything from field strip an M-16, drive an M-60 battle tank to fly an F-22 fighter.

Whitney went in 21st century earth sniper scout and came out a high tech Weave warrior with a brand new set of fast firing nerves that gave him reflexes and strength that would have won without even breaking a sweat Olympic metals back on earth.

As before when Whitney came off the Turlog doctor's operating table Clark was there when the scaly but gentle Hivistahm doctors using their long tails as a counter balance lifted Whitney out of the tank of oxygenated fluorocarbon and drained the liquid out of his lungs.

Whitney just coughed a few times and then from where he was hanging upside down reached up and released his feet and fell in a graceful somersault to land like a cat on the floor.

Clark just shot him a smirk and said, "Well Quarterback it looks like the 'accelerated combat situation computer gave your new nerves a real workout."

Whitney couldn't get the dumb grin off his face. "It's incredible Clark, I feel faster and stronger than I ever did before."

Clark smiled and said, "That is because you are faster, stronger and quicker than you ever have been before. The Hivistahm do more than just make you as good as before. They make you better. However I am sure you are hungry for some real food after three weeks of glucose and electricity so clean up and let's go get something to eat."

A half a hour later Clark and Whitney were back in the star cruiser's galley but this time instead of espressos they were both digging into what looked, smelled and tasted like a tenderloin steak dinner.

Whitney held up what looked like a piece of very tasty tenderloin and asked, "This is fantastic, what is it since I am sure even this star cruiser doesn't have Aberdeen Angus cattle grazing on the flight deck?"

All Clark would say is, "I don't think you really want to know."

Whitney continued to dig into the steak but asked Clark to recap in detail his arrival on earth, growing up with the Kents, hiding his abilities at Smallville High and of course their mutual rivalry for the affection of Lana Lang.

Whitney knew quite a bit of the story from their night drinking in the Fordman's backyard but the explanation Clark gave him now went into a detailed explanation of everything from Lex hitting him at 60 miles an hour, the bug boy rescue to saving Lana in the tornado.

Whitney listened intently but besides the facts also heard in between the lines just how Clark as a Kryptonian alien had been so isolated and lonely always trying to remain hidden as a ordinary face in the crowd in Smallville.

Clark also heard from Whitney what the Quarterback had thought about Clark when they were both attending Smallville High.

For example Whitney had always been confused why Clark who was a great natural athlete never played varsity sports. Clark found out that he might have stayed off a lot of radar screens at Smallville High but you can't fool an athlete of Whitney's caliber.

Whitney knew just from watching Clark in ordinary PT class that Clark was faking his lack of athletic talent the whole time. Whitney could never figure out why Clark was doing it but he still knew Clark was a lot more of an athlete than he ever showed in gym class.

It was over replicated steaks on a Weave starship that Clark found out that the reason he got hassled by Smallville High's jocks was not because they thought he was a geek but simply Whitney knew that Clark was faking his lack of athletic talent. They all resented Clark not helping Smallville High to sporting glory.

Not a single one of the jocks believed Clark's excuse that his father forbid him to participate in varsity sports. They all had seen the trophies in the Smallville High display case and every single one of them knew that Jonathan Kent was one of Smallville High's most famed athletes.

There is no way any of them could believe that a former star athlete of Jonathan Kent's caliber would forbid his son to participate in sports. Little did any of them know the real reason why Clark was forced to keep such a low athletic profile.

Whitney finally asked the ultimate question to his high school rival for Lana Lang.

Whitney want to know what kept Clark from simply getting rid of him and taking Lana for himself?

For Clark with his super powers it would have been easy for him to super speed over to Whitney's house and then simply drop kick him into low earth orbit. At super speed there would be no witnesses and a built in alibi.

Of course the perfect crime comes with the perfect motive in the form of the beauty of Lana Lang.

In reality it was not the ultimate question at all but just one of the hundreds of questions that were just simple variations on the real ultimate question.

What do you do when you can do, take, have, and enjoy anything you desire with no consequences?

Does absolute power corrupt absolutely?

Clark just smiled and gave Whitney the answer. "I can't say I didn't fantasize about it Whitney while I was hanging in that corn field with Lana's necklace around my neck. In the end all I can say is Jonathan and Martha Kent saved your life. The simple truth is I was raised by the right people and to be honest I sometimes shutter when I think of what evil I could have become if it wasn't my parents that found me."

Clark thought for a few seconds and then added, "Also, besides saving you, Jonathan and Martha Kent saved my life years later. You see when Thor-el came to earth to get me one of the first things he did was ask my parents if I had killed anyone. If I had been corrupted and using my powers for evil Thor-el would have killed me on the spot. So in the end Mom and Dad saved us both."

Clark then gave Whitney a grin, "Also I guess the satisfaction I got from stacking your trucks was enough."

Once Whitney stopped laughing he shook his head in disbelief, "I guess the philosophers are wrong; absolute power does not corrupt absolutely on the Kent farm."

By the end of the meal and a lot of coffee the two warriors took a long look at their mutual history with each other and with the girl they both fell in love with and in the end just gave each other a sheepish smile and between the Alien and the Quarterback that book was finally closed forever.

With the end of the 'life at Smallville High' talk the two warriors shifted their conversation to the current situation.

Whitney looked out the galley observation window as the Weave star cruiser sped through space. "You know there is no where else I would rather be than here. What that Turlog doctor did for me is incredible. I owe her so much. I will do my best to pay back the Clove for what they did to her planet and people."

Whitney took the extra coffee that Clark held out to him and continued to think out loud. "But it's not just to thank the Turlog doctor. It's simply that the Colonel Kim types whether they are human in North Korea or something else out here in outer space the universe is better off without them and all they represent."

Clark took a sip of his coffee and thought for a couple seconds, "We feel the same about the Colonial Kims and the Clove but I would do anything to be away from all this killing and back on the farm just sitting in my loft waiting for my mother to call my Dad and me to dinner."

Whitney gave a quick snort, "You forgot to mention Clark that you would be in your loft glued to your telescope in a friendly way stalking but still stalking mind you, your beautiful neighbor Lana Lang."

Clark gave a rather sheepish grin, "I guess I can fool anyone else on this ship but the Crow's Quarterback busts me every time."

Whitney got serious for a moment. "Clark just do your duty and in combat stay frosty. You can still survive this bloody mess and go back to Smallville."

Whitney by now was getting pretty good at reading Kryptonite super depression and knew what was tearing up Clark. "I know she married that rich asshole from Metropolis but I spoke with my mother and she thinks the guy is a jerk and he had some other reason to marry her than for love."

Whitney leaned toward Clark and grabbed on to his shoulder and turned him to make his point. "Listen to me Clark. My mother is pretty perceptive when it comes to stuff like that. At Lana's wedding my mother was sitting with your parents, Pete, Chloe & her father and the Talon staff. Lana came over several times to thank them all for coming and my mother said that evening she thought Lana was the most melancholy bride she had ever seen. Don't read it wrong Mom said as beautiful as you would expect Lana Lang to be in a wedding dress but with a distinct aura of sadness. My mother told me she thought Lana simply knew she was marrying the wrong guy. When she got back to Smallville after the wedding the next day my mother told my sisters and brothers that she was sure the marriage was doomed."

Clark let out a big sigh and reached out to touch the transparent force-field that separated the galley observation deck from the coldness of deep space. "That might be true Whitney but it doesn't change the fact that we are millions of light years from Smallville fighting a bloody war against a ruthless and cruel enemy….."

Whitney cut him off, "But you have the spatial time abnormity the Earth is caught in working in your favor Clark. For now you have to just concentrate on winning this war, defeating the Clove, freeing the galaxy and staying alive. You are going to live for hundreds of galaxy years while only a tenth of the time passes on earth. Clark, you gotta stay alive for the victory and go home to Smallville. I am sure you will get a better welcome that you expect."

Whitney turned back to look at the stars, "Really Clark one of us has to fucking make it out of this war and we both know with galaxy years it is not going to be me."

Whitney turned around and leaned against the bulkhead. "Now I still have some questions. Since you have invited me to his birthday party tell me what the story is with this Uncle of yours Thor-el?"

Whitney already knew from Clark the story of how Thor-el came to earth at the Talon barbecue and how he first learned from his Uncle of the destruction of Krypton, death of his parents, the Weave/Clove galaxy war and why he had to leave earth.

So Clark filled Whitney in on his mentor in this war and his mother Lara's twin brother a Krypton warrior called Thor-el and this is the story Whitney heard.

Thor-el was universally considered by both sides of the Weave/Clone war to be the greatest warrior in the galaxy. Thor-el had tried to involve Krypton in the war when the Clove first appeared and the Clove was still relatively weak.

The Kryptonian government chose to ignore the Clove and down played their threat to the galaxy and instead decided to concentrate on issues that only directly affected Krypton.

Later when no one on Krypton could claim the Clove was not a threat to other species since their intention to conquer the galaxy had became apparent Thor-el tried again but once more the isolationists of Krypton won the day.

The problem was that Krypton was powerful enough not to feel directly threatened by the Clove so the planet chose instead to ignore what was happening to the weaker species in the galaxy and instead decided to continue to follow a policy of isolation.

It was this policy of isolation that doomed Krypton.

Clark learned from Thor-el the history of Krypton and how this policy of isolation directly lead to the destuction of Krypton.

For Clark Thor-el was also a link to his Krypton heritage. Thor-el told Cark endless stories of his parents and the glory that was Krypton as their star ships opened up trade routes and explored the galaxy from end to end.

Thor-el also told the story of a civilization that in achieving the pinnacle of success then pulls in on itself and loses interest in others.

The curse of the isolationist policy ultimately meant doom for a people as powerful as the Kryptonians as it did on earth for the Chinese building a wall to keep out the world. Instead of protecting themselves the wall just insured that China fell further and further behind the rest of the world and in the end were surpassed by the very barbarians they built the wall to keep out.

The same thing happened to Krypton in the galaxy. Arrogance and indifference to what was happening in the galaxy by Krypton allowed the Clove to form and gain strength until finally when it was too late the realization hit that no people or race in the galaxy can afford to ignore tyranny. Even when at first glance the tyranny appears not to affect you but only distant neighbors.

Little did the people of Krypton understand that being so powerful they just couldn't decide to label themselves as the Switzerland of the galaxy and hope the Clove would leave them alone.

Being so powerful Krypton might have tried to convince them selves they were neutral but the Clove certainly didn't see them that way. The Clove knew they would have to fight Krypton sooner or later and went to work to find a weakness.

So after being unable to convince Krypton to enter the war against the Clove Thor-el then left Krypton with a few fellow warriors who thought as he did.

Thor-el and his fellow warriors were all off world fighting with the Weave when the Clove having discovered a previously unknown weakness of the Kryptonian race had ordered their sneak attack against the planet of Krypton using green plasma based weapons.

Of the few Kryptonians that were off world during the destruction of their planet even fewer were still alive a year later. Most Kryptonians hadn't been killed directly in the destructions of their planet died within months from broken hearts.

Only the few Kryptonians that had gone with Thor-el to fight for freedom of the entire galaxy's races with the Weave had seen enough combat to have enhanced the ability to control their super emotions and thus were able to initially survive the usually fast terminal effect of a broken heart.

Even so over the years the super emotions continue to tear down the mental defenses of the surviving Kryptonians and if they are not killed in battle each knew in the end they will eventually scum to death by broken heart.

The simple reality was that all the surviving Kryptonians except Clark had a terminal illness.

At the present time there were only six Kryptonians left alive in the galaxy. There had been fourteen when Clark first left Smallville but in the sixty galaxy years of fighting since then five Kryptonians had died in battle and three had finally been struck down by that unique affliction to their race of 'death by broken heart'.

Thor-el appeared able to go on and on in battle more driven by hate of the destroyers of Krypton than by the destructive emotions of heartbreak.

In the end however Clark knew that Thor-el would not survive the war; it was all a rouse. Thor-el was Mars the god of war and his super emotions that couldn't kill him because of his hate for the destroyers of Krypton made him hungry to die in battle.

It was as if Thor-el because he had control over his broken heart instead his super emotions decided to replace them selves inside him by the war so he was addicted and couldn't live without it.

There was no Krypton or life after battle to go home to for Thor-el so it was clear he would fight to the very end. It was as if the Krypton warrior knew there would be no place for those such as him in any other world so he may as well embrace his fate in battle, not dodge it.

Clark knew the emotional turmoil Thor-el was in but it didn't make him think any less of him.

The only thing that counted for Clark was that his Uncle Thor-el was the best. Man, he was good! He was so fucking good it made every war veteran's head spin.

Thor-el was super cool in action, the ice king who just let it happen, his brain slipped into supercomputer mode in combat and figured it out so fast it made you dizzy. Thor-el reacted before the tactical computers could figure it out and took out any fast moving bad guys and just kept on doing the business.

But in the end it would kill Thor-el, Clark thought. The war with the Clove would eat him up in the end.

Thor-el would try one more brave and desperate thing that the tactical computers never even thought of, just too eager somehow to keep it going, to press himself further, to try to dull the loss of billions of lives on Krypton and it would in the end kill his heroic ass.

Thor-el would never stop, never hit discharge date and never ever go home; to any home. For Thor-el who didn't have a Smallville to believe in there is no end to war.

For Thor-el this war was forever.

Whitney was pretty shaken up to hear the story of Thor-el and the news that all the Krypton warriors were effectively suffering from a terminal emotionally based illness.

Whitney finally said, "Jesus Clark, that is heavy stuff. It's just hard as a human to accept that an intelligent sophisticated species like the Kryptonians exist. Beings so incredibly powerful yet so vulnerable to nothing more than emotions."

Whitney just shook his head and then looked again to Cark. "So just to get this clear Clark, you are saying that if they don't die in battle all the surviving Kryptonians are still going to eventually die of a broken heart."

Clark looked out of the window at the stars going buy at warp speed. "Not all of them Whitney…..you see there is still me. I was just a baby when my parents put me in that spaceship and sent me to earth. So I was never emotionally attached to Krypton the way the other Kryptonian survivors were so I don't feel to the same extent the emotional pain of having billions of my species die in a day."

Clark stared out into cold space, "But it is true that all the surviving Kryptonians will eventually die of broken hearts. The mental exercise and drugs can only do so much before even a physically invincible body facing the Kryptionian super emotions finally seeks the peace of death."

Clark in effect told Whitney that in the end his greatest fear, that Cark Kent would be alone was almost a certainty.

"Whitney no one is completely sure but all the data points point to the reality that the only Kryptonian that will ultimately survive the destruction of Krypton is the only one that didn't know life there and that is just me. I will be completely alone in the universe."

Whitney really didn't what to say to Clark regarding his future fate.

Whitney reached out and touched Clark's shoulder causing him to turn from the scene of stars steaming past the observation window. "Jesus Clark I really don't know what to say to you? I guess for you the "The Last of the Mohicans" is more than just a movie title and more like a snap shot of the future."

Whitney realized in a second what he had said and tried to recover, "Shit, I'm sorry Clark I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

Clark gave Whitney a weak smile, "Forget it Whitney. The past is dead and the future does not exist so to stay alive I just try to live in the present. After all who knows what will happen. There is a chance that I won't be alone. Thor-el could survive since he has such strength of will but with such strength of will comes even more powerful emotions. In the end I simply don't know with certainty what the future will bring."

Whitney thought for a moment about what Clark had said and then decided it was time to switch to a relevant but more neutral topic before Clark's emotions started to drag him down into the pit of depression.

Whitney started to tell Clark a bit about what had been going down on earth in special opts since he had left Smallville in his senior year.

Whitney filled Clark in on the battle against dictatorship and terrorism that was the definitive definition of 21st century war on earth.

Unlike the Weave who never had to worry about a fifth column in their own camp both sides on earth were filled with those that would sell out their own for a pound of flesh.

For a democracy there wasn't even a true fifth column but the threat came from the apathetic nature of its citizens. After all even in a western democracy where life had been too easy too long who really cared if soldiers died on the wall for those living the easy life in the suburbs? It really was out of sight out of mind.

From what he had seen so far it seemed to Whitney that the peoples of the Weave would do anything for their soldiers fighting the Clove. He saw that simply in the care that a Turlog doctor gave him on the operating table. The Turlog doctor had even thanked Whitney for being there to fight for her species freedom while she put him back together.

That was a pretty mind blowing attitude for a Marine sniper scout to encounter in a civilian rather than the standard back on earth of being called a 'baby burner' by peace marchers.

It was while he was lying on the operating table being thanked by a doctor with multiple arms while she saved his broken body that Whitney decided then and there that trading Smallville for the good fight in outer space made one hell of a lot of sense.

Whitney could never have said the same back on earth.

Who else but Soon Kim Lee and her family thought that going into North Korea to save her was a noble and just thing to do? A majority of the typical citizens of a western democracy would call such a rescue reckless and a violation of international borders and law.

The bottom line for those living smug comfortable lives they never give a dam about anyone's freedom until the T-72 tank is sitting on their front lawn. Well at least no one that was living in Beverly Hills making conspiracy theory movies or even Smallville that is for sure are going to care about anyone until it's their own head in the crosshairs.

Who would care? Who would listen?

As a US Marine Whitney knew for most civilians the idea of soldiers as heroes was completely gone. So called peace marchers, Hollywood stars, ambitious journalists and ivory tower academics that never smelled a mass grave in their lives had seen to that.

Today solders were baby killers, torturers and rapists or, if not that they were fools, suckers and morons who were too stupid to figure out the angle needed to beat the system.

Whitney sometimes wondered why he did it for so little thanks. Did he do it so his family and friends in Smallville could live so pleasant, naive lives or did he do it so celebrities could revel in endlessly self righteous lives while they flew around the world to shake the hands of their current favorite "dictator of the month"?

In the end Whitney knew he did it for the simple reason so none of his buddies out in the good fight with him would ever say that Whitney let them down?

Well none of that mattered any more because it was all 10 million light years behind him.

Whitney was as far as any human being had ever been from earth but here on a Weave star cruiser rushing to a brutal war against the Clove Whitney felt he had arrived home.

………Continued below as Part 36: Thor-el's Birthday Party