Recap: Lois and her friends were abducted by aliens, by a crewman who's in deep trouble for not following orders.

"You kidnapped free individuals," Kal said, ignoring his embarrassment and trying to bring Sev to a realization of what he'd done. "Deprived them of their liberty - permanently, if you had your way. This is simply unacceptable."

Sev blinked up at him, the picture of innocence. "But, my lord - they are only women."

That produced a babble of outraged protest from the other side of the room, and it took a moment for Kal to get the women to settle down enough to continue. He could understand their feelings, though; he was seething. "Sev-" he began, but stopped when Ching stepped forward.

"My lord, if I may speak?" Ching asked.

Kal took a deep breath and decided it would be just as well to give himself time to regain control. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

Ching glanced quickly at the women, then moved forward and began speaking rapidly in Kryptonian. "My lord, I do not condone Sev's actions, but I would remind you that the law is rather ... lax on this point. If they had a noble house to speak for them, it would be one thing, but in this case, well ... the law requires no more than a stiff fine."

Kal stared at him, unable to believe what he was hearing. In Kryptonian, so Lois wouldn't understand, he hissed back, "In other words, they have no greater status than groceries?" Lois's words from earlier echoed in his head - 'does this happen a lot on your planet?' - and for the first time, he was ashamed of his people. He'd never paid much attention before to what happened at the lowest status rungs of the class ladder, but this was insane. "I am still the captain of this ship, Lieutenant," he finished softly. "And he disobeyed orders, no matter how he maneuvers to deny it."

Ching nodded equably and stepped away. "Indeed, my lord."

Kal glanced at Lois, unsurprised to find her glaring at him. Well, perhaps he could make it up to her. "Crewman Sev, I find you guilty. You deliberately and with forethought kidnapped four people. You recruited a subordinate to assist you, subverting his training. You have endangered this mission. You disobeyed Lieutenant Ching's orders. You disobeyed my orders. Most importantly, you disobeyed the Council's orders."

He paused to let that fact sink in. For the first time, Sev exhibited fear.

"The Council was most specific in not wishing the people of Earth to know of our existence. These four people now know of us, and they will be returning to their planet." Kal took a deep breath. He didn't especially like the conclusion he'd been forced to, but the law was the law. He hoped at least that this would satisfy Lois and the others. "For your crimes, and for the crime of treason, I sentence you to death."

Lois stifled a gasp as the sentence was pronounced. She was no opponent of the death penalty, but she'd never before seen the process in action, never looked a condemned man in the eye. It was unsettling, to say the least. As a trained officer, however, she understood the seriousness of the charges.

Brenda, however, appeared undaunted by such rationalizations. She surged to her feet. "Hey, now wait a minute, here... I'm all for this dude getting what he deserves, but I don't want anybody killed over this."

"The death penalty is immoral," Melanie declared, standing in support of her friend. "Not to mention completely uncreative," she added as an afterthought.

Ching frowned at them. "Please do not disrupt the proceedings."

Kal shook his head. "They're the victims, Ching; they have a right to speak." He regarded Brenda with surprised curiosity. "You disapprove of the death penalty?"

"In this case I do," Brenda replied staunchly. "Think about it - nobody got hurt. I'm not saying I like what he was planning," she shot a glare at the man she was defending, "but he never got the chance to really do anything awful." Brenda looked around her. "Francine, tell me you want this guy to die."

Francine considered the matter. "What's the point?"

"Deterrence?" Kal suggested, with an air of interest. "Dead men don't harass women or disobey orders."

"Probably not," Francine conceded, "but they can't obey many orders, either. And if we killed every man who ever harassed a woman, it'd be a mighty quiet world."

Lois shook her head at that cynical line of reasoning and drew attention to herself.

"Come on, Lois," Brenda challenged. "You tell them!"

Lois winced. "Brenda, this was more than kidnapping; he was under orders - and not just any old orders, either; these came from high up - or at least I'm assuming that's what this Council is-" She glanced at Kal for clarification.

He nodded. "The Council is made up of the heads of all the noble houses, and in the absence of a First Lord of New Krypton, they are the government."

"That'd be like me disobeying the President. I'd be lucky if I weren't shot." She stretched the truth with an only slightly guilty conscience, conscious of a need to defend Kal in particular and military discipline in general, "especially if I'd added a few felonies on the side and corrupted a junior officer. The least I'd get would be a dishonorable discharge, most likely with some serious prison time, too. Besides, this isn't our system - we don't have any right to tell them how to run their courts."

"Actually," Kal said, with a look of enlightenment spreading across his face, "you do. Have a right to determine the sentence, that is. It's an old Kryptonian custom, if I'm remembering it correctly -" He glanced at Ching, who nodded. "Once a criminal is found guilty, the victim of a crime, or the victim's nearest male relative, has the option of modifying the punishment. Subject to the approval of the Lord of the Court, but traditionally the modifications are approved. I propose we take a short break. Ching, please escort the crewmen back to their quarters, where they will remain confined until further notice. Ladies, if you could take a few moments to decide which sentence you prefer to impose? I do want him punished, but if you could see your way clear to letting him continue his duties on board for the time being, it would be appreciated. Court dismissed."

Kal watched the dancers turn towards each other for a low-voiced discussion and allowed himself to relax somewhat. He'd never acted as Lord of the Court before; he'd been trained for it, as every noble was, but the necessity had not arisen before now. At least the case had been straightforward. Still, it had been a difficult experience.

Restless, he decided to stretch his legs a bit. On his way to the door, he glanced at the women and saw Lois watching him. After an endless moment of eye contact, he turned away, resuming his progress towards the hall. Despite the ship's excellent environmental controls, the hallway felt cooler.

When Lois appeared a moment later, he realized he'd subconsciously been expecting her to follow, almost as if they had spoken. She was eyeing him cautiously. "Hey."

"Lieutenant," he greeted her gravely.

"You don't really have to call me that," she offered. "I mean, if you call me by my title then I should call you by your title, except unless you have a military title that I don't know about, then the only thing you've got going is 'my lord' and I've gotta tell you, I'm not about to call *anyone* that."

Kal smiled. "Call me Kal. You really shouldn't say "my lord" anyway; on one level it's a courtesy, but on another, it has a specific legal meaning, which doesn't apply to you."

"Good." As the conversation progressed, she was relaxing. "Because I really don't have any desire to fit into your social structure."

"Are you sure?" he asked, half-teasing. "Because it's not so bad when you come in at the top."

She snorted. "I'll bet it's not, but from what I can tell "Lady" of New Krypton isn't the top; that position is reserved for the Lords. And I'm afraid I'm missing some necessary equipment for that."

Kal swallowed a laugh and let his eyes wander just a little. "From what I can see, you're not missing a thing."

Lois rolled her eyes, tamping down involuntary amusement. "Sexist creep. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure Brenda and the others aren't stepping on your toes too much - I know I'd hate to have my authority challenged like that, and ... well, if I were you, I'd be pretty annoyed right now."

"No, it's okay." He waved it off. "It's a good thing, really. The law was pretty plain, so it didn't leave me much choice, but..." He glanced at her, taking in the sympathetic look in her eyes, and felt himself opening up more than he'd planned. "I didn't really want to sentence him to die. I mean, all life is precious, and Sev should have the chance to learn from his mistakes."

Besides, it would have been exceedingly difficult to get any cooperation out of a condemned man, and they were all stuck together on this ship for as long as it took to find and rescue Lady Zara.

"Thanks for backing me up in there- but it's okay."

"Hmm." She eyed him speculatively. "A bunch of women tell you what to do, and you're okay with it. Maybe you're not irretrievable, after all."

He felt strangely cheered by this tepid approval. "I have all sorts of potential," he assured her, almost at random. Anything to encourage her to see him in a new light. Before he could expand along those lines, however, Ching came around the corner, his presence putting a damper on any further intimate conversation.

Lois straightened, re-assuming her professional demeanor. "Well, let's go see how my friends have decided to punish Sev." She winked at him as they re-entered the room. "They were really getting creative. Before they're done with him, he'll probably be wishing for a nice, clean death sentence."

"And I mean *hand* wash them - don't be using any high-tech automatic cleaners or anything," Brenda instructed Sev with malicious glee.

He nodded dourly, not showing the least bit of appreciation for his reprieve. Of course, now instead of looking forward to a nice, peaceful execution, he was obliged to follow all orders that any of the ladies cared to give. And they planned to be very creative in their choices of chores.

Sev nodded his head and mumbled "Yes, m'lady," before bowing his way out of the room, a small clutch of dirty clothing in his arms.

"And have them back here first thing in the morning," Lois yelled after him. She looked down at the lightweight sundress she was wearing and exchanged wry looks with her roommate. "Where the heck did he shop for us, anyway - Wal-Mart?"

Brenda, who had snagged a pair of shorts and a tank top, only laughed. "It could have been worse, girlfriend. Imagine if he'd discovered Victoria's Secret - or worse, Frederick's of Hollywood! We'd have had nothing but lace and feathers to work with."

Lois gave an exaggerated shudder. "Don't forget black leather."

Brenda laughed again. "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, hon."

"Well, it'd be better than that chicken outfit, I must admit." They fell into a companionable silence, and Lois felt her mind going back to her earlier conversation with Kal.

When she had seen him get up to leave the courtroom, it had occurred to her to worry about how well he was taking the situation. She could well understand that he might be irked to have his authority challenged so openly - and she imagined it would be especially galling for a man who was used to thinking of women as inferior. She had run into a few men of that type in the US Army; if old Milligan, for instance, had been in Kal's position, he would have proceeded to make their lives miserable in any way he could manage. So she'd watched him, wondering if she should join him in the hallway ... when their eyes had met she felt that she'd received her answer. He hadn't appeared angry, only thoughtful.

So she'd slipped away from the dancers gleefully plotting revenge, and met Kal in the hallway. She had been heartened to see how comfortable he was with the notion of leaving Sev's fate in the hands of mere women, but it had seemed safer to maintain a pose of amused indifference. Kal Lewis - Kal-El of New Krypton - was the single most attractive man she'd ever known, but it was clear that they had no future. He was domineering, misogynistic ... well, she conceded reluctantly, that was probably a bit strong. He showed signs of being a playboy, but she had no reason to assume that he *hated* women; he merely had some strange notions about their capabilities. In fact, he was probably a decent guy - within his peculiar cultural parameters. It was just that she knew she would never be able to accept those parameters.

There was a soft chime, and Lois swallowed nervously. Which was ridiculous. No doubt this was Melanie or Francine coming to visit. "Come in." There was no reason to think it would be-

The doorway slid back to reveal Kal standing to one side of the entrance, looking appealingly tousled, and Lois felt her heart flip. Oh my, this wasn't going to be easy.

Even as Kal opened the door to her quarters, he wondered rather desperately what he was doing. He knew he should stay away from Lois; it was clear that they had no future. But with their time so short, he couldn't bear the thought of missing any opportunity to be with her. Part of his brain was busy plotting seduction, but his more rational side recognized that as pure fantasy, and condemned it as dishonorable.

He was still feeling oddly off-balance from the court-martial, and needed to assure Lois that he did *not* share Sev's dismissive attitude towards her gender. If, unfortunately, he couldn't describe Sev as much of an aberration, he could at least convince her of his intentions to change things, once he was in a position to do so. Not that he had the least desire to explain his forthcoming marriage, which rather complicated the issue. He smiled helplessly, and only hoped that inspiration would strike before he made a complete fool of himself.

"Lieutenant," he greeted her, stalling for time. He nodded briefly to Brenda, "Ma'am." She looked slightly surprised at his choice of honorific, and he worried that he hadn't been respectful enough, but 'milady' had seemed too formal, besides being legally incorrect. Both the ladies gave him encouraging smiles, and he flushed slightly, determined to maintain better control of himself. "I, uh, I know it's been a long day," Kal said, briefly meeting Lois's eyes. "But I wondered if you'd do me the honor of joining me for a short walk. We could visit the Terrace again, for a view of the stars." He heard the words coming out of his own mouth and winced; he hadn't meant to sound that blatant.

She eyed him suspiciously, and he felt a rush of sympathy for her evident nerves. Thank goodness he wasn't the only one.

"That sounds nice," she agreed, sounding somewhat strained. "What do you think, Brenda?"

Kal raised an eyebrow at that, but then turned to Brenda, bowing slightly. "Ma'am? Will you join us? Your tour this morning was a bit rushed." He hadn't planned on this, but considering the shambles he'd made of things so far, perhaps it would be a good thing.

Brenda watched them both and smirked. "You know what? It's been a rough day, and I didn't sleep much last night, so I think I'll just turn in." She made a big show of getting into her bunk, and her eyes gleamed with mischief. "But don't let me stop you, Lois. You were just saying you were used to getting some exercise before bedtime."

Kal was briefly amused by the dancer's play-acting, but a glance at Lois's face sobered him. She was going to refuse him, and he would be forced to spend the evening alone - he needed to reduce the pressure. "We could visit the training room, if you wish," he offered. "We have different hand weapons and combat styles than you do, but there are similarities."

"Oh, okay, that would be good," Lois accepted the less-romantic substitution with obvious relief. She stepped forward, and he moved back, giving her plenty of room to clear the doorway.

"It's this way," he said, and began walking next to her, comfortably close but carefully not touching.

"I didn't know you had a gym," she commented brightly. "I'm glad you do - I was thinking of giving some self-defense lessons to the other women, you know, just some basic stuff that everyone should know. They're dancers, so I know they've got the physical strength for it; they just need to know the techniques."

Kal nodded. "A good thought. We may have some equipment you can use or adapt. I know we have a life-size dummy to practice on."

Lois's lips twitched. "Oh, I was thinking of using Sev for that."

After a second, Kal met her eyes, and they both broke into wide grins, their mutual tension dissipating. "This, I will have to see."

"Well, my father was in the Army, you know," Lois said as they entered the small gym. Her nerves had receded with that moment of shared glee in the hallway, and somewhat to her surprise she found she was enjoying herself. "I always liked investigating things, but there was no way I was going to be a reporter." A sideways glance told her that he hadn't gotten that reference, which was probably just as well. "Anyway, I figured the Army would be a good substitute."

Kal gave her a speculative look. "You don't strike me as the type to follow orders."

She shrugged, smiling wryly. "I'll admit I'm not that happy about it myself sometimes. But if I can do a good job, pretty soon I'll be the one giving the orders. I like that idea a lot."

Kal murmured something indistinct, but she noted that his eyes were crinkling.

Her eyes narrowed. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, really." He smiled, opening his hands in a placating motion. "It's just that for a moment there, you reminded me of my Aunt Alys. She rules her house with an iron hand."

Lois couldn't help smiling at the note of obvious affection in his voice. But this didn't quite square with what she'd heard about his home. "Wait a minute, I thought men were in charge on your planet?" She couldn't resist teasing him just a little. "You big strong lords let a woman push you around?"

"Well..." Kal shrugged, amusement glinting in his eyes. "You've gotta know my Aunt Alys."

"Yes, I think I'd like to," she replied, her curiosity fully aroused. It had to be a hopeful sign, for him to be so fond of an obviously strong woman.

"She's sort of my foster aunt - more like a foster mother, really - it's complicated. See, Lord Mak-Ra was the First Lord of New Krypton, so the House of Ra is the most important one right now. At least until Zara makes her choice and selects a new ruling house. Anyway, Mak-Ra's wife, Zara's mother, died years ago, so he needed someone to act as First Lady. His younger brother had died, too, so his brother's widow -Alys - was the highest ranking lady of the house. She was pretty young, but she took over all the household duties and raised Zara and me."

Lois frowned, trying to keep up with this. "Zara's your sister?"

He squirmed. "Sort of. Mak-Ra was my foster father after my own father died."

There was more to this than he was telling her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Your planet must be a dangerous place," she ventured cautiously.

"Oh, no," he said smoothly, more at ease now. "New Krypton is fine - a bit harsh, but manageable. But we're just a colony. The original Krypton ... well, it blew up, about thirty years ago."

"What?" It was a difficult thought to process. Lois tried to imagine how she'd feel if she'd survived the destruction of Earth, and briefly, an overwhelming sorrow possessed her. Then, almost as quickly, it receded, and she was back in control. A glance at Kal told her that he was struggling with his own sorrows. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

He shrugged, not meeting her eyes. "I don't remember it, or my original family. No one on Krypton wanted to admit that the planet was in danger, so there was no widespread effort to escape. Lord Mak-Ra spearheaded the effort to colonize a nearby world - he brought all his house servants and as many noble families as he could persuade to join him. It was a last-minute scramble to get everyone off planet in time."

"Wow. So New Krypton really is a small society." It was probably a miracle they had made it, Lois mused, trying to imagine the myriad of essential tasks to be performed by a tiny group. "It's amazing you survived."

"We had excellent leadership," he replied. "And good technology," he added, which seemed rather more to the point.

"Guess so."

"We're doing very well now," he said, with a forgivable amount of pride. "We've got several cities, and we're building new ships, for mining or exploration. We're not putting all of our energies into one planet anymore; there are various space habitats or working installations. This ship, actually, was on a survey mission to locate minerals, potential bases, that kind of thing. We need all the resources we can get, and we'll have to manage them carefully. I'll have to have a look at Ching's records, now that I think about it," he added as an afterthought. "I hope he found some diridium sources; it was getting scarce when I left."

Lois blinked, wondering how to react to that. "Um, sounds good. I'm glad you're doing well," she said politely, then realized that she meant it.

He gave her a sharp look, then flushed slightly. "I'm boring you. I apologize."

"No, no-" she protested, searching his face. There was something about his manner when he talked about his home, almost a proprietarial air. Well, he had mentioned a ruling Council, and he was probably part of it, she reasoned, rejecting the obvious conclusion. She'd already known that he took his responsibilities seriously.

"Let's check out the equipment instead, okay?" Kal jumped to his feet and walked over to the side wall. A complex hand movement produced a bin folding out from the wall, and he rummaged around inside it for a moment. "Does any of this look familiar?"

She stood watching him for a moment. She hated to let him think that she didn't care about his world - in fact, it belatedly occurred to her, as an Army Intelligence officer, she really should be learning as much as she could - but his expression was resolutely bland, and the subject seemed firmly closed. Not that she'd ever let that stop her before.

She crossed the room to join him, glancing at the tangle inside the bin. She laid a tentative hand on his arm and felt him go still. "I wasn't bored. It's just a little much to take in at once, you know?" She laughed softly. "I mean, yesterday, I'd have sworn there was no such thing as aliens."

He turned to look at her, a reluctant smile on his face, as his other hand came up to gently cover hers. "You're adapting rather well."

"Yes, I think so too." Lois allowed herself a smirk, if only to lighten the mood. "Although I'm still not entirely sure this isn't some elaborate hallucination. If I wake up in a rubber room with a straightjacket on, though ... I admit I'll be disappointed. I mean, if we're going to have aliens, we should definitely have the kind that look-" as good as you do, she almost said, before catching herself. She felt herself blushing. "That look just like humans," she finished, regaining control and pulling her hand away from his. "Even if you are sexist creeps," she added lightly.

Kal laughed, raising one eyebrow. "So glad I meet with at least partial approval."

She gave him a deliberately arch look. Amused indifference, that was the best way to protect herself. "You'll do until something better comes along."

Kal's eyes sparkled at the challenge, and she braced herself. He appeared to think better of whatever he had in mind, however, and firmly closed his mouth. For a moment, he seemed at a loss for words, which on him was amazingly appealing. He looked down at his hands and brightened as he rediscovered the equipment bin. He pulled out a length of rope with subtly textured handles on each end; it looked like a jump rope, but was too short. "How about I show you what we do with this, and you can see if it looks familiar, or if you'd like to learn."

Lois allowed herself to be distracted, more grateful than not for the pause in the sparring between them. She found that she enjoyed their verbal jousts, but they were all the more dangerous for that.

Not that watching a demonstration of New Kryptonian martial arts was any less devastating. Sometimes he held both ends of the rope, sometimes only one; the rope moved with lethal speed and leisurely precision. The moves were unknown to her, but reminded her of Tai Chi; with one position smoothly flowing into another. Kal moved with a practiced grace, and an aura of controlled strength that she appreciated as a soldier, and as a woman. She reminded herself that she had trained with hundreds of men, but the intimacy of the situation refused to disperse. Watching *this* man was different, and she took advantage of his focus on his demonstration. His loose shirt bunched and gaped as he moved, offering brief tantalizing glimpses of his bare chest beneath. Her traitorous mind wondered how it would feel to touch it, and one hand actually lifted halfway up before she regained control of her senses and forced it down.

"Lois?"

She startled, realizing that he had stopped moving, and was watching her in mild concern. She smiled brightly. "Oh, sorry, I guess I must be tired, I don't usually zone out like that - I mean, it's handy when the Base Commander is making some incredibly long speech, not that his speeches are boring, exactly, it's just that he doesn't seem to believe in amplification, so you can't hear half of what he says, but you have to pretend to listen anyway ... um, sorry, I just ... well..."

Kal was smiling, a gleam in his eye. Slowly, he walked towards her; she watched his approach and knew she should move, but couldn't seem to convince her legs to cooperate.

"Perhaps a more ... hands-on demonstration would be better?" he suggested softly, circling around her. He took up a stance directly behind her, first one arm and then the other moving forward, gently guiding her arms into defensive positions. "The most important rule is, never let your guard down."

Lois flushed, knowing that she most certainly had let her guard down ... worse yet, it was still down, because she couldn't bring herself to break away. Curious and fearful all at once, she turned her head and twisted slightly so that she could see his face. His eyes were lidded, but at her movement, he opened them, staring at her for the longest moment. Lois raised her chin incrementally, maintaining eye contact until it almost seemed that she could see into the depths of his soul. There was all the nobility, courtliness, and decisiveness that she expected, shot through by an unexpected thread of loneliness. Lois let her eyes drift shut then, abandoning herself to the moment. If she regretted it later - which she surely would - she would still have one perfect shining memory.

Instead of soft lips descending on hers, however, she felt herself being released, and she almost staggered from the shock. Her eyes flew open. Kal stood still, facing away from her. After a moment, he said shakily. "I'm sorry. I should never - I didn't mean..." He shook his head. "Do you know how to get back to your quarters from here?"

After a moment of confusion, she managed to nod. "Down the corridor, up one flight and left."

"Good. Good night, milady." Still without looking at her, he disappeared into the hallway.

Lois stared at the empty space where he had been, her body still tingling from contact with his. Gathering her scattered wits, she started back towards her temporary quarters, not quite sure whether to laugh or cry.

It was all supposed to be so simple, Kal thought wryly, lying in bed alone, trying to regain his balance. A romantic stroll, just the two of them, observing the universe from the Terrace. Whispered endearments, soft touches that only seemed innocuous, culminating in a kiss that would overpower her objections and lead them straight to his bed.

He had known it for a fantasy, of course. And in fact, he hadn't been trying to seduce her, he reminded himself. He had tried quite diligently to keep things comfortable, guarding his tongue and not letting himself get too near.

At least, he had managed until he'd seen the look of undisguised desire on her face. He had assumed that with her background, hand-to-hand combat techniques would be a safe, neutral topic. But her interest had gone far beyond the soldierly and all his old instincts had emerged; he had been unable to resist such an obvious opportunity.

Unable, that was, until he'd looked into her eyes. She had been so open, leaning back against him, pliable in his hands. He'd never seen her like that before, and had nearly drowned in her beautiful brown eyes before he'd seen the fear lurking beneath the desire. She might be attracted to him, but she didn't trust him. And, he realized bitterly, she had no reason to.

He had no right to ask anything of her, to impose on her. She was a guest on his ship, and thus deserved the full protection of his house. Even beyond the dictates of honor, though, he hated the idea of causing her pain, and he had nothing else to offer. A woman like Lois deserved nothing less than a man who could dedicate his life to her. Much as he might like things to be otherwise, his life was already spoken for.

He would simply need to keep his distance from now on. He would still speak to her on ship's business, no doubt, and they had previously arranged that the men and women would dine together - waited on by Sev, he thought with a wry smile - but he would control himself. He had to. That decided, he relaxed and turned over, finally seeking sleep.

Sleep was elusive, and he let his mind wander. It had been pleasant to remember Aunt Alys. He hadn't seen her in years, of course. Once he'd reached adolescence, Lord Mak-Ra had removed him from the female sphere of influence, sending him to military school instead. It had been a welcome challenge at the time, a sign of his impending adulthood, but now he could admit that he had missed her. When he returned home, he would have to pay her a visit.

For the first time, he wondered about his redoubtable aunt. She wasn't a large person, but she carried an unmistakable air of authority. She had been a young, childless widow when Mak-Ra had asked her to abandon Krypton to help him set up the colony. Had she been scared? She had run a large household and had set up a school for all the colony's many children. Looking back on it now, Kal felt sure she had influenced Mak-Ra on various issues. Would she have liked a chance to serve directly on the Council?

Three years on Earth had definitely corrupted him, if he were able to think such revolutionary thoughts. He could no longer remember why it had seemed so obvious to him that women were unfit to be part of the government. Perhaps there was something he could do about that, once he returned home. Once he married Zara, he would be the First Lord of New Krypton, after all, and who could better influence society? The thought, however, was depressing. He had been indifferent to the prospect before, but now it was very clear. He had no desire to marry Zara. Nonetheless, his duty was inescapable, and the consequences of failure were huge. Although he was willing to question certain aspects of what he'd been taught, he was not yet ready to consign his homeworld to civil war just to suit his own pleasures.

"Good morning, *my* lady," Lord Nor said with false cheer as he entered the dining area.

Zara dug a spoon into her breakfast and summoned her self-control. "Good morning."

"Ah, that I might always see your lovely face over the breakfast table." Nor sighed dramatically, his languid accents at odds with his efficient acquisition of a tray full of food.

"Well, why don't we head back to New Krypton to announce our engagement?" Zara asked experimentally.

Nor laughed, a harsh, short sound. "Oh, I don't think so, my dear. We will announce our marriage, nothing less."

Zara swept a look at him through her lashes and used her best coquettish voice. "One would think you didn't trust me."

"That's because I don't," he replied, his eyes hard and dangerous for a moment. "No, no, don't take offense, my sweet; I merely cannot stand the thought that you might refuse me. Besides," he continued, the threatening light in his eye dying down, "I find, now that we are here, that I have some work to do on this installation."

Zara concentrated on eating her cooling porridge, wondering if Nor's suspicions were truly roused. With luck, he only thought her naive. She had better cultivate that impression, much as it galled her, before she exhausted his patience. "I miss my home," she murmured softly.

"Yes, of course," he replied, almost kindly. "But soon we shall return to it, and we will be able to claim the full privileges of First Lord and Lady of New Krypton."

Not a word said about duty or responsibility, she noted. No wonder he had found work to do here; he probably neglected any part of his estate that wasn't right under his nose. Which raised a question. "M'lord, if I may ask, where are we?"

He looked briefly surprised, then went back to his breakfast. "Merely a mining operation. It's been inactive for the past few cycles, but there are traces of diridium, and I believe I should like to produce that."

Zara looked up, pleased. "Oh, that would be excellent!" Diridium was essential to building their ships, but lately had become increasingly harder to find. "You should get quite a good price for it."

He smirked. "Indeed, if I were to sell it. No, I think I prefer building my own ships. After all, the ruling house must have some advantages, don't you agree?"

"Oh." Zara struggled to smile. Power-hungry bastard. "Yes, indeed."

"So there is much to do. But don't fret, my dear, it will only occupy me for a few days, and then we may proceed with our ... personal relations."

Zara looked at the floor, hiding her feelings in a gesture meant to suggest maidenly modesty. "M'lord, while you are busy ... I was wondering... would you mind if I ..." She let her voice trail off in artful confusion, then, when she was sure her expression was under control, she lifted her eyes in silent supplication. "May I have freedom of movement around the ship? It gets so quiet in here, and in my quarters." She smiled. "Perhaps I could assist your crew."

Nor laughed at that, clearly amused at the mere idea. "You are far more likely to distract them, my dear. But if it amuses you, I see no harm. Don't worry, I shall instruct the crew to give you every consideration."

No doubt he would also tell them not to touch her, but that suited her. As the only woman on board, she had no wish to become an object of competition. She was unlikely to find any allies among this crew anyway. She would simply have to keep her eyes open for possibilities of sabotage. She swept her lashes shyly downward once more. Softly, she said, "Thank you, m'lord."

"I don't know about you guys," Melanie declared over breakfast, "but I am totally disappointed."

Brenda looked over at her friend's plate. "Well, the toast was a little overdone, and there's no fresh fruit on board, but really, it's not too bad."

"If you don't like how Sev fixed your toast," Francine interjected, "make him do it again. What else have we got a slave for, after all?" With a wicked gleam in her eye, she tapped her fork against her water glass. "Waiter!"

Melanie rolled her eyes. "This is not about breakfast! Although now that you're here," she added in an aside to Sev, "I would like another omelet, a little fluffier this time, and with salsa and just a touch of Mexican cheese. If you have it, that is, but I think I saw some earlier. And don't toast the bread so long this time - Brenda and I both want some more. Lois, do you want anything?"

Lois pulled herself out of her reverie long enough to decline the offer. The truth was, she had very little appetite this morning; she was far too busy trying to figure out what had happened the night before. Everything had been fine - she had been a little nervous, but the conversation had been perfectly neutral. But then she'd found herself admiring Kal's body, and a few moments later, he had noticed her admiration. His earlier reserve had disappeared, and for a few moments he had been a confident, seductive playboy. She had caught glimpses of that before, but this had been the full effect, and she had to admit, it had been very effective. Until suddenly, he'd dropped it again. She supposed she ought to be grateful to him for stopping things before they'd gone too far, but part of her wished she'd at least gotten to try a kiss.

Not that she was going to let him know that. She would be polite to him, but distant. Her hazy fantasy of snubbing him while he groveled had been spoiled when it became clear that he had also decided to be cool and distant. As annoying as that was, however, she supposed it was for the best. It would save a lot of trouble if neither of them made too much out of an incident where, after all, nothing had happened.

It was just that she couldn't figure out why he had stopped. She really couldn't doubt that he wanted her, and she had the feeling that he tended to get whatever he wanted. She hadn't exactly been pushing him away, either. So then, why had she gone off to bed alone? There was some contradiction there, and she was dying to investigate it. Of course, that would be a trifle difficult, given that she wasn't currently speaking to him, but she'd manage somehow.

"What, the spaceship isn't enough for you?" Francine asked sardonically, her voice cutting across Lois's thoughts and bringing her back to the present.

"It's not about the technology, either," Melanie insisted. "It's their society. I mean, aliens are supposed to be *advanced*. Equal rights for all, no discrimination, respect for the environment ... stuff like that. They're not supposed to have capital punishment and treat women like dirt!"

"Don't assume too much," Lois felt obliged to say. "We've mainly seen the military here, and the military can have a culture all its own."

"You don't have any idea how they feel about the environment, either," Brenda pointed out, a teasing gleam in her eye.

Lois remembered what Kal had said about the original Krypton blowing up, and kept her mouth resolutely shut. So maybe the old Kryptonians had ignored their environment. That didn't mean the New Kryptonians hadn't improved; even the most hidebound of cultures could learn. Losing a whole planet should be enough to catch anyone's attention.

"Well, I'm not crazy about them either," Francine put in, "but as long as Kal does put us back, what difference does it make?"

"They just should be better than this," Melanie repeated stubbornly. "I expected more enlightenment here - I thought they could *teach* us things!"

"Hey, think of it as an opportunity," Brenda joked. "Maybe you can teach *them* things."

Melanie sat up straighter, her eyes widening. "That's a great idea! I mean, I never thought I'd have to, but here they are, just crying out for enlightenment ... I wish I'd brought some of my crystals. I wonder if they have any I could use? But that's great, I could get Sev and Zak, anyway, I don't know about Kal and Ching." She frowned, pondering the logistics.

Brenda watched her, somewhat wide-eyed. "Honey, I wasn't serious..." Melanie looked up, hurt flashing in her eyes, and Brenda backed down. "Not that you won't do a great job with it, I just hadn't thought it through. Um... will Zak understand enough English?"

"He understands some already." Melanie smiled slyly, and Lois suddenly wondered if there had been another couple taking a late night stroll around the ship last night. "And besides, Sev can translate."

Brenda laughed. "You go, girl."

Lois smiled too. If Melanie was half as interested in Zak and vice versa as Lois suspected, then translating for them would no doubt be exquisitely annoying for Sev; a perfect punishment. He had cooked and served them breakfast with appropriate meekness, but she had the impression he was used to playing the part of servitor to his betters. It might have been a mental wrench to reassign them to "lady" status, but once he had reclassified them, it probably hadn't been difficult for him to adopt a subordinate role. Oh well, that wasn't all he would be required for, and at least the service had been good.

Thinking of Sev's schedule jogged her memory. "Well, if we can work it around your seminar, Mel, I was thinking of holding a self-defense class for you guys. Just some basic moves."

Brenda raised an eyebrow. "For the next time someone tries to herd us into a dark alley?"

Lois grinned. "It couldn't hurt."

Ching spent the majority of the day on the bridge; it seemed the best way to avoid the dancers and their activities. He bore them no ill will, but neither did they hold any great interest for him. He preferred to concentrate on the mission. Besides, checking the ship's progress and laying plans was the only defense he had against a paralyzing fear.

It was a new and unpleasant sensation. He had never hesitated to risk his own life, but never before had he been in the position of worrying helplessly for someone else. Visions of Zara in danger tormented him. He told himself that Nor was unlikely to kill her; she was of no use to him dead. And he knew Zara was no fool; she could take care of herself. At least for a while.

Ching ordered himself to focus. They would reach the first of Nor's several space installations tomorrow. It was a small mining station, manned only by a skeleton crew, if that. Lord Kal-El would likely want to take a transport pod to the station and search it himself. Ching meant to go with him. Between the two of them, it wouldn't take long to thoroughly search the place, and he hoped to be able to contact Zara telepathically, if he could get within range.

The problem with that arrangement was that it left Sev and Zak on the ship. Sev had been demoted, which left Zak in charge, but Zak was still young, and Ching hated to rely on him to control his older and more experienced colleague. He could send Zak over to the station with Kal-El, of course, and remain behind to keep an eye on Sev. It was possible that Kal-El shared a telepathic link with Zara, but Ching doubted it. At any rate, it couldn't be as strong as his own.

Two years before, Lieutenant Ching had been injured on duty. His full recovery had taken months, but once he was released from the medical facility, he was deemed fit for guard status, and had been assigned to the Lady Zara's household.

He still didn't know why she had begun talking to him. But one night, after a long meeting with her father, she had seemed restless and had asked his opinion. Taking the question as an order, Ching had answered honestly, offering her a new perspective. She had looked surprised, but after that, she had sought him out more and more frequently. When he'd sufficiently recovered, she had requested that he be permanently assigned to her household. They had discussed history, argued policy, shared gossip, compared family backgrounds ... and somewhere along the way, had fallen deeply in love.

Ching knew it was hopeless, of course; they both did. They had tried to keep their relationship as quiet as possible, meeting in secret, honing their telepathy until it was so private that no one else could overhear it. Still, Ching had not been surprised when he'd suddenly - and against Zara's wishes - been assigned off-planet. He suspected that Mak-Ra had gotten wind of his daughter's unsuitable attachment. Her status had protected him even then. She was no ordinary daughter, and gossip about her must not be allowed, so Ching had merely been quietly reassigned. Not that he had cared. Losing her had been bad enough.

And now, he thought with a sense of irony, he had been ordered to find her again. The universe truly worked in unpredictable ways. However, in this case it was a good thing. Their brief, doomed interlude had left Ching with one small advantage - their telepathic link. The only limiting factor was distance, and possibly lack of practice. Ching hadn't spoken with Zara since his ship had left New Krypton orbit, one full cycle before.

It was his hope that if he could get within range of her, he might be able to contact her. He would have to let his guard down, but it would at least let them know if she was near. If she were close enough. If she were conscious.

It would be awkward explaining this to the lady's birth-husband, of course. No matter how many concubines noble lords enjoyed, they were notoriously unable to overlook their lady wives' other interests. Banishment would be the least he could expect. But if this worked, it would be worth whatever other consequences came of it. The main thing was to see Zara safe.

Ching's reverie was broken by the hiss of a door opening. He turned to see Kal-El entering the bridge, and braced to attention.

Kal waved the formality away and sank into the captain's chair. "What's up?"

Ching eyed his superior warily. "I was putting together some preliminary plans for our search tomorrow." Belatedly, it occurred to him that Lord Kal-El might take this as an affront to his authority.

Fortunately, Kal just quirked a smile. "Yeah, I'm avoiding them too."

That was so unexpectedly apt that Ching couldn't restrain a smile. "Just so, my lord."

"So, what have you got?"

"A dilemma," Ching said. As succinctly as he could, he outlined their options, then paused, trying to find a way to justify his presence on the search team without revealing his secret. "I ... feel myself obligated to join the search," he said cautiously, choosing a half-truth. "I spent some time between active duty missions as a guard in Lady Zara's household. I owe it to her."

"Hmm." Kal watched him for a moment, revealing nothing of his inner thoughts. "Well, I'll consider it. I really don't trust Sev anywhere, to be honest, which makes things difficult - we still need him."

"Indeed," Ching replied quietly. He had made his request, and that was probably enough for now. He would continue marshalling his arguments, though; one way or another, he had to travel to that station. Careful not to let his mental arguments leak out telepathically, he turned back to his console and ran meaningless simulations until it was time for dinner.

Lois paced the small cabin, from door to locker and back. After her third trip, Brenda opened her eyes with an irritated expression. "Something on your mind, Lois?"

"Oh." Belatedly, Lois realized that Brenda might have been hoping for an afternoon nap. "No. Well, maybe, but ... no, not really."

Brenda eyed her for a moment, then sat up. "Okay, I'll play twenty questions. You just let me know if I get close, okay? Are you still thinking about Melanie's seminar?"

Lois rolled her eyes. "Well, it was kind of upsetting; I mean, obviously they don't think much of women, but concubines? That is *so* regressive it's not even funny."

"But you're still pacing. So, maybe this has more to do with our good captain Kal? And what *did* happen on your little late night stroll, hmm?"

Lois sat on her bed, studying her feet. She wasn't used to confiding in women friends; come to think of it, she didn't really have any female friends. But she realized that she liked Brenda ... and she was dying to talk this out. "Okay, okay." She looked up and saw sympathetic eyes. "We just talked, really ... we checked out the gym, he told me about his society, and he showed me some martial arts moves..."

Brenda grinned at that. "Did he pin you to the deck?"

"No!"

"Darn."

Lois laughed rather shakily. "No, but he almost kissed me."

"Ooh! Why 'almost'?"

"He started to - but then he stopped. And it's driving me crazy."

Brenda blinked. "Now, I can see that you'd be annoyed if he came all macho male on you ... but are you telling me you're annoyed because he didn't?"

"No!" Lois squirmed. "Well, maybe. See, I cannot figure out why he stopped. He wanted me, I know he did." She glanced at her friend, afraid she'd made herself sound conceited, but Brenda just nodded in perfect understanding. "At least I thought he did, until he got up close. Have I suddenly developed bad breath or something?"

Brenda pursed her lips, considering this. "Maybe he's extremely nearsighted, and last night was the first time he noticed your eyebrows."

"My eyebrows?" Dismayed, Lois stared at Brenda, one hand flying to her forehead. "What's wrong with my eyebrows?"

Brenda chuckled. "Nothing, hon. Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood a little."

Lois glared at her, her hand returning to her lap. "You're not taking this very seriously."

"Or maybe you're taking it too seriously," Brenda suggested. "Remember, Lois, this guy is an *alien*! Who knows what he finds attractive?"

Lois calmed down a little. "Well maybe..." Memory stirred. "No, I know he was attracted - *is* attracted. Besides," she added before Brenda's twisted sense of humor emerged again, "even Sev thought so - he thought we were *all* pretty hot stuff, or he wouldn't have pulled that kidnapping stunt."

Brenda shrugged, acknowledging the point, then grinned. "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful."

Lois smiled in abstracted response. "It's just that ... he started, then he stopped. If he hadn't started, that would have been one thing. If he'd actually kissed me ... well, that might have been okay, but it's just killing me to know he changed his mind!" She stared at her roommate in frustration, and finally allowed herself to voice the worry that had preyed on her mind all day. "Did he decide I wasn't even good enough to be a concubine?"

Brenda looked at her for a moment, then commented, "Well, you know you're not in the union."

"What?" Lois stared back, narrowing her eyes as she tried to figure out where this could possibly be going.

"You know," Brenda said, straight-faced. "The harem-girl union, back on New Krypton. He'd probably get his butt hauled into court if he fooled around with an unlicensed concubine."

Lois blinked, processing Brenda's deadpan expression and reasonable tone of voice - then caught sight of a lurking twinkle in her eyes. She let her breath out in helpless laughter. "Oh, Brenda," she gasped. "You are so evil."

"Just part of the service, and I owed you one. I mean, that picture of Johnny in high heels is gonna keep me smiling for a *long* time to come." Brenda grinned, then turned serious. "Trust me, nobody ever got anything but trouble from all this stewing around and second guessing. You want to know what's going on with him? Maybe he didn't like your eyebrows; maybe he decided you were too *good* to be treated like a concubine. Maybe he suddenly remembered he needed to return a video, or something else entirely. Don't ask me; I ain't got a clue. And you've only got half the picture." Brenda fixed her with a stern look. "You need to just talk to the man."

Lois smiled ruefully. "I should have known you'd say that. You're always so open."

"Well, I'm working on figuring out when to shut up," Brenda said with a wry grin. "But it doesn't come natural to me, and that's a fact."

"I'd never have guessed." Lois grinned. "But if you're not going to indulge me in proper girl-talk, I'm going to go back to the gym and try to get a workout. Thank God I brought my comfortable shoes. Maybe I'll run around the corridors or something. See you at dinner."

Brenda lay back down on her bed. "Have fun."

Lois found what she thought was part of a circular corridor and began jogging. She hadn't really resolved anything, but she did feel somewhat better, nonetheless. After all, Brenda was right; what she needed was first-hand evidence. Hearsay and speculation never held up in court, so it would hardly be fair of her to convict him in absentia. The only small problem with that was, in order to hear his side of the story, she'd have to talk to him. Even if he was willing to explain himself, she wasn't quite sure she was ready to approach him again. It would be far more sensible to keep her distance.

As Kal entered the ship's dining room, he automatically looked for Lois. He found her sitting with her friends, just beginning to eat. She seemed happy, and he drank her in for a moment before she noticed him. She gave him a cool nod, her expression losing its animation, and then turned back to the other women.

He sighed. Collecting his dinner from the automated kitchen, he sat at an empty table, his back to Lois. Merely hearing her voice was less satisfying than seeing her, but perhaps this wouldn't disturb her as much.

He tried to concentrate on crew assignments. If the mining station was unstaffed, which was possible, then Ching could take Zak over, no problem. However, if there were a crew onboard, he would have to go, as the representative of the House of El, to satisfy protocol. Anything less would insult the House of Nor. Not that Kal really worried about that, but it would anger the mine personnel, and that was a complication he'd just as soon avoid.

It would be easier if Ching stayed on the ship. However, for some reason, Ching seemed to feel that he needed to join the search personally, and Kal was hesitant to dismiss that, especially since the lieutenant was well aware of the difficulties. Ching had been focused on this rescue mission with the intensity of a laser beam, and Kal didn't think he would do anything to jeopardize it without good reason.

His intensity, in fact, suggested that this mission was in some way personal, and Kal wondered exactly how well the lieutenant had known Zara. He tested the notion that they had been lovers, and waited for a rush of possessive rage. It didn't come. Zara was his friend, no more. He knew her well enough to know how isolated she had sometimes felt, unable to have serious conversations with the noble Lords, nonetheless entrusted with the future of the planet. If she had found a companion while he had been away on Earth, he decided that he was okay with that.

Zara would do her duty, he was sure, just as he would do his; they would marry for the good of New Krypton. But she deserved whatever happiness she could find, as long as she was discreet. He wondered if there were any possible way to communicate as much to Ching, on the off chance that Ching would be tempted to indulge in destructive jealousy. Ching had been extremely difficult to read, but he seemed honorable. And surely Zara would tolerate no less.

Kal shook his head. Either Ching was Zara's lover, in which case he was too honorable to jeopardize the mission, or he wasn't, in which case he had no reason to hate Kal. Unless he had an entirely different motive. No, Kal decided, he had no reason to mistrust his second in command, and mistrust could destroy a small crew. He would trust Ching - and somehow find a way to include him in the search party - until he had solid reason to withdraw that trust.

"Hey, Lois - I know who you are!" Melanie's excited voice breached his concentration. "You're Lois Lane, from the comics!"

He could distinctly hear Lois groan. "Not exactly, Melanie. I promise you, I was never actually in a comic book."

"Yeah, but you know what I mean - Superman comics!" There was a pause, then Melanie continued in a smaller voice. "Didn't you want me to say anything?"

"Oh, it's okay, Mel," Lois assured her. "God knows I should be used to it by now."

"Yeah, I remember," Francine added thoughtfully. "Weren't they going to do a Superman movie once?"

"Yeah, but the copyrights were so tangled up they couldn't do it."

"Wait, wait, wait," Brenda interrupted. "What are you ladies talking about?"

"Haven't you ever read Superman comics, Brenda?" Melanie asked in some disbelief.

"Do I look like a boy to you? No, I never read comics much."

"Oh, you should have," Melanie said with her typical enthusiasm. "Superman was great, and Lois - the one in the comics, I mean - was always right there helping him out."

"They were *partners*, Mel," Lois corrected. "Lois and Clark. And it was a novel first, before it was a comic book."

"Clark?" Brenda asked, sounding equally bewildered and annoyed. "Who's that?"

"Clark is Superman ... um," Lois paused. "Maybe I'd better tell the whole story. Do you mind?"

"At this point, I'd mind a lot more if you didn't," Brenda said promptly.

"No, go ahead, Lois," Francine commented. "I sort of remember it, but I'd like to hear it again."

Kal silently urged her on. He'd begun listening mainly for the sound of her voice, but the idea of a fictional Lois had intrigued him ... what might he learn about the real one, in her reaction to the character?

"Well, okay then." Lois paused for a moment. "It all started when a mysterious baby landed on earth in a tiny spaceship. The ship came in like a meteor, and a childless farm couple, named Jonathan and Martha Kent, saw the fireball, and knew that something had landed in a field nearby. So they went to check it out, and found the baby in the spaceship."

"Man!" Brenda sounded offended. "Who would put a baby in a spaceship and just send it off like that?"

"No one knows," Lois replied. "There was a suggestion, at one point, that the baby was the sole survivor of a passing ship, sent out in a life pod to escape an explosion or something, but that's not official. And in the 1988 rewrite, they said he had been a genetics experiment, but nobody liked that storyline so they rewrote the whole thing again in 1990."

"Anyway," she paused for a moment, to be sure of her audience, "Jonathan and Martha had always wanted a baby, and this baby looked completely human, so they adopted him and named him Clark."

"Clark grew up perfectly normal for years, but then they started noticing strange things about him. He couldn't get hurt. He could see through things. And then one day he found out he could actually fly."

Kal felt a chill go up his spine. Those powers sounded eerily familiar. How could anyone have known? No, he was imagining things. This could only be a bizarre coincidence.

"Clark went to college, and then he traveled around the world for a while, but finally ended up in Metropolis."

"Our Metropolis?" Brenda asked. "And he's supposed to be famous? I'm surprised they don't have his picture all over everything."

"Copyrights again, I guess."

"The City Council doesn't dare associate itself with Superman," Francine suggested. "They know how bad they'd look in comparison."

Lois laughed at that. "Maybe so. Anyway... Clark had decided he wanted to be a reporter. He loved to interview people, and write, and he liked the idea of exposing corruption and helping people. So he went to get a job at the Daily Planet, and that's where he met Lois Lane."

She paused for a moment, and Kal had to restrain himself from turning around to get a glimpse of her face. Her voice sounded a little strained when she continued. "In the comics, Lois was a reporter, too ... a very dedicated one. She'd already won several awards, and that was pretty impressive for a woman - especially when the novel first came out in the late forties!" There was undoubtedly a note of pride in her voice at that.

"Was it love at first sight?" Brenda asked.

"Not exactly." Lois was grinning, he could tell by the tone of her voice. "Clark fell for Lois right away ... I mean, she was beautiful, smart, and passionately devoted to making the world a better place - who could resist?" Definitely a note of affectionate mockery there. "But she'd had some bad relationships, and that made her pretty defensive."

"And then Superman just complicated things," Melanie added helpfully.

Lois laughed. "Oh yeah, he sure did. Sorry, Brenda, I'm getting to it! See, Clark wanted to use his powers to help people, but he didn't want them to know who he was, because if the bad guys knew about him, they might go after his parents. So he came up with the idea of a disguise - well, actually, Lois gave him the idea, only she didn't know she was doing it - and his mother made him a blue suit out of Spandex, with a long red cape."

"Okay," said Brenda, trying to piece this together. "So Clark is Superman in a flashy suit, only nobody knows who he really is."

"Nobody except Lois," Lois corrected. "Although it took a little while. At first, she fell for the superhero - total mad crush. But she was also working with Clark, and they became good friends..." Her voice thickened with emotion. "Partners."

She cleared her throat. "And then she figured out that Clark and Superman were one and the same. That's when they really became partners, all the way. He saved her, she saved him, and together they got the bad guys."

"That's how it happened in the novel, anyway." Her voice took on an acerbic quality. "In the comics, it took about fifteen years, with lots of mindless slug-fests in between, but they did get there eventually. Actually, the comics took it a step further and let them get married. Of course, they also rewrite the continuity from time to time, but that's the basic idea."

"Nice," Brenda said softly. "Maybe I should have read some comics growing up."

"Well, it has its frustrating points," Melanie pointed out cheerfully. "The 1988 rewrite, for instance, kind of destroyed some of the minor characters, and I really didn't like the idea that Lex Luthor was Clark's real father, but thank goodness they scrapped that."

"They had to," Lois agreed. "Even *I* stopped buying them at that point."

Brenda chuckled. "Yeah, I can see that would be a bad sign. So what was it like, knowing you were named after a comic-book character?"

Lois was silent for a moment, and Kal strained to hear her answer. "Well, my parents didn't name me after her on purpose; I don't think either of them had ever read the book or the comics. It was ... it was weird. I'd get teased sometimes, but after I got over the shock, I was curious, and started reading them. After a while, I figured it was a good thing. Lois in the comics was so strong and smart and determined ... I just figured if she could do it, so could I. And I used to..." Her voice trailed off. "Well, I liked the relationship between Lois and Clark. They were equals, you know? I mean, they could do different things, but they helped each other and respected each other ... I dunno. Partners. I always wanted a partner like that," she finished in a low voice.

"Don't we all," Melanie murmured softly.

"Well, enough about me," Lois said briskly. "How did your consciousness-raising session with Sev and Zak go after we left, Melanie?"

Kal tuned out, finally remembering to eat, and made a mental note to find out more about this Superman. He wanted to know whether he had, indeed, exhibited the same sort of abilities, and if so, how an Earth novelist could have found out about them. The only possibility that he could think of was that a Kryptonian had visited Earth before, and yet, there were no records of such a visit. The old Kryptonians had hated to leave their home planet for any reason, even in the face of certain death. It must all be a coincidence, surely. He hoped.

It occurred to Kal that he might be able to use his similarity to Superman to impress Lois. He squelched the dishonorable thought immediately. It was absurd to be jealous of a fictional character, but there had been something in Lois's voice as she'd described her superhero that had made Kal wish she would talk about him that way. Of course, Lois had been equally enthusiastic about Clark, who presumably masqueraded as a normal man, so powers were obviously not the whole story.

Once again he saw her face in his mind, at the moment when she had leaned back against him in the gym, open and attracted and waiting for his kiss. He'd spent the day avoiding her and wrestling with his conscience. He had finally achieved a truce of sorts. His long-term plans with Zara and for New Krypton must stay unchanged. And there must be no further attempts to seduce Lois, premeditated or otherwise. He might, however, try to be her friend. Or even, as she might put it, her partner.

Partners. That was not a concept he'd been much exposed to while growing up. Of course, he'd been taught cooperation with his male peers, and a military chain of command, but to Mak-Ra those relationships had always been about power. How to gain it, how to use it. Sharing power had been discouraged on the assumption that any so-called partner would in fact be seeking power to use against him.

The idea of a partner he could trust, working together for a common goal, was dangerously appealing. He glanced over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of gleaming brown hair. If only he and Lois had any goals in common.