TITLE: Under a Rising Sun
AUTHOR: William Rayne
EMAIL: knytmare@yahoo.com
RATING: PG-13
DISTRIBUTION: FanFiction.net, email me
DISCLAIMER someone else owns 'em, I'm just taking them out to play. Don't sue me, I have no money.
FEEDBACK: Desired like none other.
NOTES AND NEWS: Not sure where I should post this since it's derived from Smallville but doesn't have any original characters in it at all and is somewhat original. One more caveat, I don't know any real Japanese or DC Universe/Kryptonian history so forgive what will be huge inaccuracies since I'm gonna make it up as I go along.
As always: bold italics for stressed, italics for thoughts or voice-over, and underlines for sarcasm or disgust.
117
Chapter 1
Gir of the House of El was a scientist, a seeker of truth and reason, as was his father before him and his father's mother before him. It is a family myth that it's in the blood, in the genes, that anyone born to the House of El would sooner or later seek truth out. If the House could see their last descendent millennia later, they would've wondered if it was more than myth. None-the-less, Gir of the House of El was a scientist and it wasn't surprising when he volunteered for Krypton's first deep space exploration mission. He had expected it to be an adventure in science and the last thing he expected was an adventure beyond imagination that would shape the fate of two worlds. Let alone finding himself thrown from the cryogenic chamber, being attacked by natives and then having them prostrate before him.
What happened next he didn't notice right away, because to him it seemed like the natives just decided to stay in their position as he hurriedly tried to restore power to the cryogenic chamber so that his companions could be released properly. He marveled that his body survived the sudden transition. It was in the final stages of the repair that he noticed it. He was amazed to witness a spark of electricity from an exposed conduit seemingly frozen in mid-air. The moment he stopped to ponder whether the time or the spark had somehow frozen was the exact moment it disappeared. His scientific curiosity and musings were cut short as well by the excited yammering of the natives as they looked at him with a mixture of awe and worship.
Knowing it would take almost a full day on this planet for the other chambers to properly thaw their occupants, Gir spent one hour tuning the internal computer to interpret the language and relay that information to the nanobots within his system that were originally designed to ward off any potential disease the planet may have as well as not contaminate the biosphere with Kryptonian ailments.
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"Kaeru, Hattori. Will you please stop bowing? I'm not a god. I'm a visitor to your land. I am but a man like yourselves."
The two samurai risked a glance towards one another before Kaeru ventured to say, "With all due respect, divine one, we will not fail this test of faith. For we know that you are not like us. Your coming was foretold. A celestial being such as yourself could withstand the attacks made with Hanzo steel, let alone shatter the blade. Please forgive us, o merciful one for our aggression." As he finished, he proceeded to press his forehead on the floor once more, as did Hattori.
Gir sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. He had spent the past hour since addressing the natives in their tongue, which bore a resemblance to ancient Western Kryptonese, trying to convince them to rise and communicate with him on a more democratic level. It was now dusk and e suspected that if he ever succeeded in simply talking them into sitting like equals, at the very least, he would have a long way towards convincing them he wasn't a god. Though from what he learned of their technology level, he could understand how they had come to that conclusion.
That didn't mean, however, that he didn't find it disturbing. What he also found disturbing was the metamorphosis his body was experiencing. He was adapting to the enhanced strength, speed and invulnerability as well as anyone could in his situation. He had an ominous feeling that the surprises were just beginning. It was easy to narrow down what may have caused these changes. Other than the supremely lower gravity on this planet, the only difference between it and Krypton was the sun. This third planet from Sol had a yellow sun as opposed to Krypton's red. He knew going into this mission that the lower gravity would allow him to make leaps akin to flight as well as precise control of the inevitable fall and in all honesty, that was the first thing he had planned to test out when they landed. Now, he was reluctant to for several reasons, the foremost of which was that it would only serve to reinforce the primitive's beliefs that he was a deity.
Gir-El saw, at the present moment, no recourse but to play along until another option presented itself. Sighing once more and loathing himself for what he was about to do, Gir took on the countenance that was befitting for a member of the House of El. Gir of the Royal House of El assumed a regal stance, bedecked in his skintight, black cryogenic suit which proudly bore the signet of his family. The signet could, millennia later, be described by the Latin people as an 'S' encased within a pentagon. The signet is often confused with the Kryptonian rune, which is an '8' within a pentagon, for a word that can't be translated into human. The closest translation would be, "one who possesses the will and faith to bring honor to their people" and even that does no justice to the Kryptonian word. To use that translation would be akin to describing royalty as a sentient creature. With the air of authority gained from being a descendent of Krypton's original ruling class, Gir of the House of El, spoke to the primitives before him and stated, "You have passed the test. Now rise so that I may reward you for your faith."
Trying not to flush with embarrassment from having to act superior, Gir thought it only proper to replace the weapons he inadvertently broke with some of the stock from the armory on the ship. Major Zod had insisted that they have a proper armory, even though this mission was supposed to be one of peaceful exploration and at the present moment, Gir was glad it was available. The two samurai trailed in his wake as he strode to the armory.
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It is important to note a major difference between the evolution of Kryptonian and Earth cultures when it comes to the art of war. Krypton never had the necessary chemicals to produce what we call gunpowder and thus excelled in manufacture of melee weapons as well as kinetic projectile much like our crossbows. The latter was, at this moment of history, being replaced among the elite with the new energy weapons. The Kryptonians were originally a fierce, savage and brutal warrior people before the Houses of El, Oz and An unified the planet. Unfortunately, that was formed only from the most destruction and death that Krypton would only be rivaled by the demise of the planet.
The unification of the planet ushered in a new era for Krypton. The time of nations was replaced with the era of aristocracy as the ascendant Houses maintained their hold of the planet and with an iron fist which, ironically, planted the seeds that would from the utopia Krypton was at her demise. The era of aristocracy had ended only two centuries before this historic voyage into the far reaches of known space. The once proud Houses that held reign on the planet fell to the sway of a new Republic that preached equality under guidance of the Council of Krypton. Though the old caste system was officially buried at that time, its effects were still felt in Gir-El's time. The political tension was thick at the time of the launch which made the choice of an armory on the ship a prudent one. Though those of the old guard, the ancient ruling Houses of Krypton, still wore their swords mainly as ceremony, each sword could serve practically if and when the need arose. It is also interesting to note that, even among the 'lower classes' and especially among the once great Houses, every member of the House was trained in the way of the sword and fist.
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Gir surveyed the damage caused by wreck as he made his way to the armory and wasn't surprised to see several of the doors ruined as well as exposed conduits that made the once fine and modern design of the ship look like a leper. Gir was beginning to appreciate his newly enhanced strength since he had to force several of the doors open with brute strength. Given the hydraulics on some of the doors, the feat would've taken hours instead of seconds for a normal man.
When they had finally made their way into the armory, Gir strode to the nearest sword case and took out a Kryptonian Shin-ba-sora. He had no idea that the design of this blade would evolve on this planet into what Earth's modern world would come to know as the katana. He tested the blade's edge with his thumb and was surprised when it drew blood. Of course it would cut me, it is a vibroblade. It could cut through Cythonna if needed. Cursing himself for his stupidity, Gir marveled at the rapidity in which the wound healed and wondered if the regenerative nature of this planet's radiation could be used to extend the lifespan of his people. His musings were interrupted when he remembered his reason for being here.
The two warriors behind him had seen the power of the blade he held. It had drawn the blood of a god. They refused Gir's offering of the sword and it was only when Gir had told them it would offend him if they did not accept it that they did so reluctantly. A few seconds after the swords were accepted, the hairs on the backs of all three warriors' necks rose and as they looked toward the entrance of the armory, they saw glowing red eyes and inhuman forms Gir had no time to ask what 'Kasha' meant as the natives charged with the forms with their newly acquired weapons to wage battle.
A/N: Hoping the last few paragraphs made sense, I don't know if some of the sentences are actually awkward or it's just me being tired.