Kal regarded her with a mixture of exasperation and regret. "Lieutenant Ching was apologizing to me for being involved with ... with Lady Zara."

"Yeah, I got part of that - what, he's the lower class, so he's not supposed to fraternize with nobility?"

"That was part of it, yes."

Lois rolled her eyes. That was New Krypton all over, with its stupid class system. "Did he think you were going to punish him for finding out where Zara was?"

"No," Kal answered, tightening his arms around her waist ever so slightly. "He had every right to expect that I would be jealous, because when we get back to New Krypton, I am going to have to marry her."

Lois squeezed her eyes shut. She had suspected it was something like this, but the confirmation set her mind pinwheeling into chaos. She wrenched herself out of his arms and turned away from him, blindly staring at the stars.

Kal's heart ached as he watched Lois. He had wanted to break the news more gently, but she hadn't wanted to cooperate until he'd been forced to be blunt.

He took one step closer to her. "Believe me, Lois, it's nothing personal. Zara and I are friends, no more - if she's found happiness with Ching I'm happy for them both, but it doesn't change things. This marriage is probably the best way to avoid civil war. And we'll become the rulers of New Krypton - I can see now that there's so much that needs to be improved. I can do so much good there, Lois ... I can't abandon that." He moved another half step closer. "No matter how much I'd like to."

He could see her swallow, could even dimly sense her confused whirl of emotion. "Obligations, huh?"

"I wish it weren't," he sighed. Cautiously, he tried slipping his arms around her; she tensed for a moment, then relaxed back against him.

"So, you guys are engaged?" she asked in a controlled voice.

"Something like that. Marriages on New Krypton are all about politics and alliances between the noble houses. Even before we were born, Zara and I were paired by our fathers. It's called a birth-marriage."

Lois twisted in his arms far enough to look at his face. "Please tell me you're kidding. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard, and I've heard a lot this week!"

Kal shrugged. "It's pretty common. It's not totally binding - if Zara found another noble she preferred, she could marry him instead of me - but the last I heard, she thinks I'm the best available choice."

"Good to know she's got that much sense, anyway," Lois mumbled, turning around to face the stars and leaning back against him. "Although, how she could prefer that stick-in-the-mud Ching I do *not* know."

"That was unexpected," Kal admitted. "Love is a rare thing on our world; our teachers tell us that it's a destructive, chaotic force that breaks down group loyalties. For example, what if Zara had decided that if she couldn't marry Ching, she wouldn't marry anyone?"

"What if she had been able to rule the planet without help from any big strong males?" Lois shot back tartly. "It's not romance that's the problem here, it's the rest of your stupid system."

"Well, yes, I suppose." Kal smiled slightly, amazed at the changes within himself. He didn't quite know when it had happened, but he knew he would never view the sacred traditions with unquestioning acceptance ever again.

"So there's seriously no romance on New Krypton? Not even the tragic Romeo and Juliet kind?"

Kal tried to place the reference; he dimly recalled mention of a play. "We have to work hard for everything; there's not much time for ... self-indulgences."

"Huh." She was quiet in his arms for a moment, then muttered under her breath, "Glad I don't live there."

Kal's heart twisted. Then an old memory filtered back to him, from childhood tales told to him and Zara by Aunt Alys. "Love is not encouraged, but ... we have stories of a special kind of bond - it's called 'shey-ana.' You know that Kryptonians are telepathic. Well, once in a great while, a couple forms such a deep relationship that their minds become linked just a little bit; they are never far from each other's thoughts, and there is no obstacle that they cannot overcome."

"Hmm, that's nice. Assuming they don't drive each other crazy, I mean; I'd worry about someone being able to read my mind all day long."

"I don't think they hear each others' thoughts unless they want to," he reassured her with a smile. He'd never really considered the idea before, but the more he thought about it, the more he liked it. "It's more like an awareness, I think."

"So what does that word mean? Does it translate?"

"Uh, let me think... 'Shey' is the word for heart, or hearts, in an emotional sense, and 'ana' means working together in unison."

"Hearts united. I like that."

On that note, they fell quiet for a few moments, until Lois suddenly straightened. "Hey! Would this shey-ana give a couple enhanced telepathic range?"

"I suppose so, why?"

"Ching. He loves Zara, you know."

Kal stilled. Ching was so self-contained it was hard to read him, but in retrospect it seemed blindingly obvious. "Yes, I believe you're right." He supposed he should probably reinstate Ching as Zara's bodyguard, and turn a blind eye to whatever they wished to do. He didn't know - didn't want to know - whether their relationship was physical, but with reproductive technology the way it was, there was little danger of diluting the bloodline. Noble wives had been expected to put up with far worse from their husbands.

"Of course I'm right!" She pulled away from him slightly, smiling over her shoulder at him. "I always am; when you get to know me better, you'll see-" She stopped, her smile fading. "But never mind about that. We'll talk more about this later, okay? But right now, we've got to plan a way to rescue the princess."

Kal put on a smile to match her brave face. He could sense her confusion, and didn't begrudge her the time to fully assimilate the bombshell he'd dropped on her. Besides, she was right. Shey-ana or not, duty called.

Lois sat quietly while Kal and Ching debated various strategies for boarding Nor's ship. She appreciated that Kal had invited her along to this meeting, but she found herself unable to concentrate on tactics. She was too busy trying to sort through the information she'd just learned.

It was obvious that Kal wasn't in love with Zara. But he seemed determined to marry her, regardless. Was the chance to rule the planet that important to him? Surely, if he were that power-hungry, she'd have seen it in him by now. Was she that poor a judge of character?

But no, if that were his motive, he'd have stayed on Earth and used super-powers to take whatever he wanted. She told her overactive imagination to take a hike. She needed to think this through, as clearly and as logically as she possibly could.

He had mentioned the possibility of civil war several times now. He clearly believed it would be a disaster for his people if this Lord Nor became the next ruler. It seemed hard to believe that of all the men on New Krypton - okay, all the *noble* men, she amended, with a mental rude gesture towards the class system - that none of them were decent apart from Kal. Kal, of course, was exceptional, but couldn't any honorable man hold their planet together?

Of course, holding the planet together wasn't quite the same thing as improving it. He'd mentioned being able to do good, and after this experience, Lois certainly hoped he'd learned at least some of the evils of sexism. It'd be the first time a feminist movement had been started by a man, but it would surely be better than nothing.

Assuming that was what he had in mind. And even then, Lois thought rebelliously, there was a lot of good he could do on Earth, too. She had to try to make him see that. Zara wasn't rescued yet, and it would take another few days to get back to Earth. She had a little time left to persuade him.

There was also time for other things, if she dared. Their kiss had been magical, but bittersweet. The closer she got to him, the harder it would be to say good-bye, if it came to that. How much pain did she want to risk? She shivered in her seat.

"Lois?"

She sat up straighter, pulling herself back to the present. "Yes?"

"Are you well?" Kal asked, looking concerned.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking..." With grim determination, she turned her attention to the problem at hand. "Um, trying to think of historical precedents. You know, the technology is different, with spaceships and vacuum and all, but it's kind of like assaulting a heavily guarded fortress, isn't it?" She tried to remember her military history courses; a professor had once said that the only ways to conquer a fortified position were by using overwhelming force, long-term siege, subterfuge, or treachery.

Ching regarded her warily. "How so?"

"Well, as I understand it, they're not too likely to let you just walk right in. So that leaves frontal assault-"

"Which we're not very well equipped for," Ching snapped. "As you would know if you had been listening."

Lois glared at him. "Don't take out your inadequacies on me." So overwhelming force wasn't an option, unless... "I heard you say you had a laser - could you bluff?"

Kal looked thoughtful. "We could try."

Ching shook his head. "M'lord, we must do everything we can to protect Lady Zara. I cannot imagine that threats would do anything but make Lord Nor more dangerous."

"Agreed," Kal said slowly, "but we cannot afford to let him rendezvous with any other forces, either. So far he doesn't seem to be preparing for war - as Zara told you, he wants to marry her and present himself as legitimate - but if he loses that option, he just might unleash chaos."

"Okay, so threats are a last resort, then," Lois conceded. It was clear that both Kal and Ching had a terror of civil war that bordered on the irrational. Her own philosophy and training differed on that point, but she could see she'd never convince either of them that force was sometimes necessary. And it was irrelevant at the moment. "Can you wait him out ... see if he runs out of supplies?"

"No." They both shook their heads, and Kal explained, "We need to settle this now, before Nor runs out of patience; Zara told Ching that so far she's not been abused but we don't want to give Nor the chance to begin. Even apart from that, if word gets out back home that she's missing ... it could be bad."

There was that fear of chaos again. And okay, so maybe leaving Zara vulnerable to an increasingly desperate and cranky man wasn't a good idea. If force and siege were out, that brought them to subterfuge. "Can you sneak on board somehow?"

"Possibly," Kal shrugged, nodding to Ching.

"As I suggested to Lord Kal-El, Lord Nor seems interested in the mining station," Ching explained stiffly. "I believe we could hide on the station, and from there make it to his ship, either when his ship docks - if it docks - or in a transfer pod."

"Yeah, that could work. Getting away again would be a trick, though."

Kal grimaced. "Indeed. However, it's the best alternative we have at the moment."

"Hmm." Lois fell silent for a moment, running the scenario through her mind. As Kal said, it wasn't guaranteed, but once on board, they would at least have a better chance to protect Zara. "I don't suppose you can count on any help from anyone on board Nor's ship?"

Ching thinned his lips. "Nor has effective ways of ensuring his men's loyalty. No, I don't think any of them would betray him."

"What about Zara?"

"What about her?" Ching asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Lois suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Well, she's on board, and she's on our side," she spelled out. "And you'll be able to contact her from the mining station, I assume ... so is there anything she could do?"

Ching looked blank.

"I had considered that," Kal admitted, looking troubled. "But I didn't want to risk her - and we don't know how much of the ship she would have access to."

"Well, for goodness' sake think about it," Lois advised. "She's got a lot at stake here, she deserves to have a part in it if she wants."

They were silent for a long moment, then Kal sat up straighter. "Well, if there are no further suggestions we'll take that as our plan of action. Ching, we need to head back to the mining station, and remind the crew that we're running in stealth mode. We should be in place in a few hours. Lois ... we may need you to watch the ship again."

"Frankly, I think I'd be more useful on Nor's ship," she stated. "He won't know who I am or what I'm capable of; if he's at all typical of New Kryptonian men he'll underestimate me."

Ching looked sullen, then thoughtful. "You may be right."

Kal said merely, "I'll consider it. Let's meet back here in two hours for final arrangements."

Take Lois with them onto Nor's ship? Kal was instinctively opposed to the notion, but he knew it deserved consideration. Lois was not, after all, a gently bred Kryptonian maiden; she was an officer in the best military force on Earth. And of all of them on board, she was undoubtedly the one with the most experience with handguns; Kal and Ching had practiced with the weapons they'd bought before leaving Earth, but a few hours of target shooting did not compare with years of training.

All the same, he hated to risk her. If their effort was unsuccessful, she might end up at the non-existent mercy of Nor and his crew. Nor had not abused Zara - yet - but Lois lacked political value, and would be seen as fair game. His soul revolted at the idea of exposing her to such risks.

For a moment, he wished her safely back on Earth. Then common sense reasserted itself. Whatever Lois's life was like, "safe" was not likely to be a prominent description. When he'd met her, she'd been undercover, working to expose the city's largest criminal family. After she returned to Earth, she would likely continue to risk herself.

He sympathized with her desire for truth and justice - it resonated strongly with his own concept of honor - but the idea of her running into trouble while he was on another planet, too far away to help, began to prey on his mind. He would never forgive himself if she were killed. He would never even know if she were killed.

Kal could not, in good conscience, stay on Earth with her. But they had two planets to choose from. Perhaps he would be able to persuade her to come with him to New Krypton, to help him with the monumental task he faced. That would satisfy honor, keep her safe, and allow them to be together. Surely, she would be able to see the advantages. If they survived this rescue attempt, Kal decided, he would propose it to her.

Lois picked through the pile of clean laundry provided by Sev and found that he'd included a set of what looked like Kryptonian work-out clothes; the material felt a bit like cotton. The pants legs were too long, but they tucked neatly into her socks, and the shirt was comfortably loose. After the upheavals of the past few hours, she needed to run. Maybe the sound of pounding feet and labored breath would drown out her thoughts for a while, and give her some peace. She always felt better after a run.

She started her run on the same deck as the living quarters, but after nearly colliding with Francine in the corridor, she decided to try the next level down. If she remembered correctly, Kal had said it contained extra crew quarters and was presently unused.

Not that she was thinking about Kal, or his stubborn insistence on marrying Zara, or the possibility that his new-found enlightenment would fall short of actually allowing Lois to be part of the rescue mission.

Lois knew the mission would be risky; they would probably have to fight Nor's men at some point, and they could lose. But that was precisely why Kal needed her; they were sure to underestimate her, which gave her the advantage. The question was whether he'd acknowledge it.

She'd run far enough to tell that she had missed a few workouts. She slowed to a walk, feeling her pulse to check her heart rate. As she turned a corner, Lois began to hear a voice from further down the corridor, though there was no one in sight. That was unusual enough, in this supposedly unused section of the ship, that she instinctively slowed down and made an effort to move silently.

It was a man's voice, speaking Kryptonian, and as Lois crept closer to the voice, she realized with some astonishment that it belonged to Sev. His voice sounded different somehow; it was deeper and less subservient-sounding.

But who was he talking to? Though he paused between short statements, there was no other voice that she could hear. It was possible, she supposed, that he was dictating some kind of ship's log, all Shatner-esque, but it sounded a lot more like someone talking on a telephone. Or some other long-distance communication system. The fact that he'd gone to such lengths to do so in secret did not bode well.

Lois reached the end of the corridor and paused for a moment, debating her options. She would dearly love to have a look at Sev and any equipment he was using but she wasn't sure she wanted to be seen. True, she'd knocked him out twice already, but if he were doing what she thought he was doing, he might put up a more effective fight. In fact, if he were working undercover, as it were, then his previous clumsiness could easily have been faked for effect.

She had no proof of anything underhanded going on, and she wasn't sure what she'd gain by getting closer. She didn't understand what he was saying, and wouldn't recognize a long-range communicator if she saw one. Zak had mentioned them but hadn't pointed one out, and besides there were probably lots of different styles. On the other hand, if she were able to describe it to Kal or Ching, they might recognize it.

But on the *other* other hand, if Sev knew that she'd seen something, he'd probably hide the evidence; if she just snuck away and brought Kal back here, the equipment might still be here.

Just as Lois convinced herself that retreat was the better part of valor, Sev moved. She had just enough warning to assume a stretching pose, artistically turning her head away for a moment.

When she turned back, Sev was standing stock-still, staring at her. She managed a smile. "Hey, you're done - I didn't want to interrupt you; I could tell you were busy, but actually I'm glad I ran into you." Lois turned up her smile a few notches, projecting all the innocence she could muster.

Sev's face was impassive. Lois persevered, automatically calculating strike distances and attack angles at the back of her consciousness. She launched into a stream of distracting, and she hoped harmless, surface thoughts. "See, I have a special request for dinner tonight. I mean, you've been doing a good job with dinner, really, they've been delicious, but a little too delicious, if you see what I mean - that's why I had to go jogging, because otherwise I would gain so much weight that it would probably make the ship list to one side, or whatever it is that spaceships do. So if you could just do a salad for me tonight, that would be greatly appreciated, probably by everyone on the ship."

Sev's eyes narrowed as he just looked at her for a moment, and Lois regretted the warning she'd given him on the bridge earlier; it made the airhead routine harder to pull off. She concentrated on thoughts of salad.

"Yes," Sev said finally. "I'm sorry if you had to wait, while I was ... busy." He was still watching her closely.

Lois shrugged. "It was only a second, really, because I was jogging and I heard your voice, and I just figured I could get my request in early before Francine requested steak again."

Sev's mouth twitched slightly upward at that, and they shared an almost friendly moment of amusement at Francine's exacting nature.

"Well, I'm sorry if I kept you from your ship duties," Lois said, looking guiltily up and down the corridor. "You won't tell Kal, will you? He'd be upset at me if he thought we were taking too much of your time; he specifically said that we were to leave you free to take care of your normal work."

"No," Sev said, seeming to relax a little. "I won't tell Lord Kal-El."

"Great, it's just our secret then." Lois beamed at him. "I've got to finish my workout now - but I'm looking forward to that salad!"

With one final wave, Lois took off again, keeping herself to a steady jog rather than the panicky run that her backbrain would have preferred.

"Remember, Zak, we need to sneak up through the asteroid field. Surprise is crucial. And let me know as soon as you spot Nor's ship on the sensors; we'll need to know if he moves or shows any signs of seeing us." Kal projected a warm mental glow of reassurance to the nervous crewman. "You're doing fine - just keep your eyes open."

As Kal turned away from Zak, he spotted Lois entering the bridge, looking worried. He entertained the faint hope that she had changed her mind about joining the rescue party.

"Kal," she said quietly with a quick glance at Zak. "I need to talk to you."

It wasn't hard to tell that she wanted privacy for whatever topic she had in mind, which roused his curiosity. He gently steered her to a small, unused room adjacent to the bridge. Almost unconsciously, he reached out telepathically to assess her mental state. She was agitated, but not fearful. "What is it?"

"Kal, I think something is happening that shouldn't be. I mean, I don't understand Kryptonian, so I couldn't tell what Sev was saying, exactly, but if it were above-board, he wouldn't have done it in a deserted section of your ship, would he? Unless that's normal; I mean, if it's normal, that's fine, I wouldn't want to tell you how to run your spaceship or anything, but-"

Kal held up a hand to stop her before she confused him further; somewhat to his surprise, it worked. "Thank you," he began, then had the small satisfaction of seeing her frown in puzzlement for a moment before she worked out the reference. "Um, why don't you just tell me what you saw? Then I can tell you if it's normal."

"Right, okay, well, I was out jogging, and I went down a level to have the corridors to myself, except I didn't - Sev was down there, and I think he was on some kind of radio."

Kal's amusement at her delivery style vanished. "A radio? Are you sure?"

"No, I'm not," she admitted unhappily. "But my gut feeling is that something's wrong ... was there anything he should have been doing down there?"

"Not that I know of, no." Kal paused for a moment. He would check with Ching to see if Sev had any legitimate business down there. He would ask Sev, too, but the man possessed a fairly strong mind shield, and it would be difficult to determine if he were lying or not. There was only one possibility Kal could think of to explain such behavior, and he could see that Lois shared his fear.

"Nor did seem forewarned of our last visit," Kal said.

She nodded perfect understanding. "Exactly. Did Sev know we were going back?"

"I don't know, but he could have been on the bridge when Ching gave the orders to change course."

Lois frowned. "I just wish we knew for sure - can you use your telepathy gizmo on him?"

Kal grinned at her terminology, then gazed at her speculatively. "Not easily, not against his will. Lois, do you trust me?"

She looked up at him, her eyes wide, then one corner of her mouth twitched up. "Mostly."

He smiled wryly, understanding that she had reason to be wary. "With your permission," he explained, "I could use my 'telepathy gizmo,' as you call it, on you - to read your recent memories. You didn't understand what Sev said, but the sounds are still in your memory, and I would understand them. And then we'd know."

Lois hesitated. "You'd only look at the Sev-related parts, right?"

"I swear it," he affirmed solemnly, though not without a twinge of regret. She was still such a mystery to him, and he would love to understand her better ... but he knew he would never stoop to such bad manners as invading her privacy.

She squared her shoulders. "Okay, what do I do?"

"Just relax, maybe sit down." He found two chairs that could be placed close together, and sat next to her. "I'll hold your hand; physical contact makes mental contact easier. Now, just close your eyes and concentrate on remembering what happened."

Lois nodded and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Kal closed his eyes, too, to block out the distractions of their present surroundings. Lois probably didn't have the ability to project her thoughts, but unless a person was specifically blocking, it wasn't too difficult to read what was on the surface.

Slowly, a picture came into focus. "I see it," he said softly.

"I can feel you," Lois replied with a soft laugh. "In my head, I mean."

"Okay, let's find Sev," Kal prompted, before her thoughts wandered into territory she'd rather not share. The mental picture in the hallway began moving, and Kal watched the whole encounter. He tried to focus on Sev's words, ignoring the flow of Lois's remembered thoughts. He was glad to see that she did have *some* sense of caution, even if it didn't seem to make any difference in the end. But that was a minor consideration next to the realization that Sev had been betraying them to Nor.

"And then I came to see you," Lois said, pulling her hand away.

Kal opened his eyes and withdrew from her mind. "I've stopped reading you," he said.

"I know," she said, with a sideways glance. "I could feel you; it was weird. Kind of ticklish, only not really. But it's gone now."

"Of course," Kal agreed, although he still felt some sort of connection. He was no longer reading her, but her presence was still faintly there, sparkling invisibly. "You were right about Sev," he reported, returning to the business at hand.

"Yes, I know," she nodded. "I could understand him that time."

Kal looked at her in some surprise. He had known, from previous experience, that he would be able to read her surface thoughts. He hadn't expected her to be able to get anything back from him, but it must have happened; there was no other way for her to understand what Sev had said. The implications were too much to deal with at present, so he pushed the matter to the back of his mind.

Lois hadn't noticed his abstraction. "That little rat fink. Pretending to be oh-so-humble and bowing and scraping all over the place while he sells you out. It's enough to make me wish you had given him a death sentence."

Kal half-smiled at that bloodthirsty pronouncement. "I couldn't have carried out the sentence immediately anyway, so it probably wouldn't have made any difference. But the main point is, Nor knows we're headed back, so we've lost the element of surprise."

Lois looked up at him and easily finished his thought. "We need a new plan."

Lois hurried back towards the women's quarters. She was fairly sure that Kal's new plan would work, assuming he could pull off his part of the preparations. And given the odds, he probably could. So that left her to get the dancers to cooperate.

The sound of voices drew here to a small conference-type room near to her cabin. As she got closer she could hear Brenda calling out a dance beat.

"One - two - three - four. One - two - three - Melanie, get your knees up, and Francine, would it kill you to smile? Two - three - four."

Lois came even with the doorway and paused, just watching. Brenda had the three of them doing a new dance routine. Lois was no expert, but the steps looked different, somehow - more artistic, less openly erotic than the dances she'd seen at the Metro Club. She smiled at the others as they noticed her, but waited until they completed the routine.

"Okay, that's it for now," Brenda said as the set finished. "Thanks, ladies. I think it's coming along really well." She picked up a glass of water and crossed the room. "What did you think, Lois?"

"I didn't recognize it," Lois answered honestly, "but it looked great, and you guys were mostly together."

Brenda laughed. "We're learning."

"It's a new dance," Melanie piped up cheerfully, also moving towards Lois, water in hand. "Brenda arranged it for us."

Brenda smiled dismissively. "Well, we had to do something or we'd go nuts."

"Funny you should mention that," Lois said, grinning. "I've got a proposition for you all."

"Last time someone said that," Francine observed dryly, joining the group, "we ended up on a spaceship."

Lois grinned at her. "But it wasn't all bad, was it?"

Brenda pulled a face at her. "Apart from losing our jobs, no, it's been peachy."

Lois suppressed a flash of guilt. "Hey, Toni Taylor's probably been arrested by now, so I'd be surprised if the Metro Club stayed open. You'd have lost the gig anyway."

"So you're saying that it's not Sev's fault that we lost our jobs, it's yours?" Brenda raised a sardonic eyebrow. "Girlfriend, you're not winning any points with this argument."

Lois felt stirrings of irritation, but squelched them. "It's Toni's fault for hiring the Toasters."

Brenda shrugged. "Yeah, well, I never liked her anyway."

"But to get back to the subject at hand," Lois said pointedly, "Kal needs our help. You know he and Ching been looking for their, ah, friend, Zara." A woman whom one of them loved, and the other one was going to marry, but it seemed easier to gloss over that little complexity. "And now they've found her. But they still need to rescue her - and that's where we can help."

Melanie blinked at that, looking alarmed. "Us? Help? What kind of help? Would it be dangerous?"

Lois shifted her weight. "Maybe a little bit, but honestly I think we've got a very good chance of succeeding, or I wouldn't even be asking. All we have to do is-"

"Hold on just a minute," Brenda interrupted. "I'm not so sure we should be helping them at all."

"What? Brenda, if they can't get Zara back, it's probably going to end up in civil war."

"Yeah, well maybe a civil war would be good for them."

Lois felt her mouth sag open at that belligerent pronouncement. Melanie looked shocked, while Francine just looked thoughtful.

"I mean, think about it," Brenda continued. "They say they want to keep the peace, but that just means protecting the current system, and their current system is pretty crappy. Maybe a civil war would shake them out of this stupid class system - I mean, look at the US. Before our Civil War, there was slavery; afterwards, no more slavery! You got to know I think that's a good thing." She stared challengingly around the room.

"We all think that's a good thing, Brenda," Lois retorted.

"And then look at World War II," the black woman continued, clearly on a roll. "That's the war that proved once and for all that women could work in factories and offices and all sorts of places - most of the men were off fighting, so they had to use the women - sounds to me like New Krypton could use that kind of enlightenment."

"I've got to admit I'm not too happy with the whole concubine thing," Melanie put in, her face troubled.

"Slow down here a minute, will ya?" Lois asked, scrambling to come up with coherent arguments. "Yes, sometimes wars have good outcomes, and yes, sometimes they're necessary. I mean, I'm in the army, for pete's sake! I wouldn't be there if I didn't think that armies could be a force for good. And if this came down to a fight between Nor and Kal, I know which side I'd be on, but-"

"Well, I don't," Brenda said bluntly. "They're both part of the same system, so I can't see there's much difference between them. Besides, what do we know about Nor, anyway? Only what Kal's told us, that's what. One kidnapped woman over there, four kidnapped women over here ... doesn't sound like there's much to choose between them, to me."

Lois just stared for a moment, amazed at Brenda's attitude. Over the past few days, Lois had come to trust Kal on a deep level, and it was slightly shocking to her to find that her friend couldn't see his obvious trustworthiness and superiority.

"Kal didn't kidnap us," Francine said, drawing everyone's attention. "He hasn't mistreated any of us, and you know it, Brenda."

"Yeah, maybe he was just busy," Brenda shot back defensively.

"Hah. Have you seen the way he looks at Lois?" Francine demanded. She turned towards Lois. "That man wants you in the worst way, but has he pressured you? Harassed you at all?"

"No!" Lois frowned at the thought. "I had a hard time even getting the man to kiss me - and Brenda knows that!"

Francine nodded. "There's your difference, Brenda."

Brenda still looked obstinate.

"Let me put it this way," Lois said. "Imagine if this ship were run by Johnny Taylor. You don't think things would be any worse?"

Brenda shuddered. "Oh, lordy, let's not even think about it. Okay, okay, so maybe Kal's a cut above Nor, but-"

"Brenda, that's what it comes down to," Lois said intensely. "Whichever one of them ends up with Zara gets to rule the whole flippin' planet. It's a stupid system, sure, but it's what they've got, and frankly a war at this point would probably just kill all of them. Kal says he wants to improve things, and I believe him. He'll have a chance to do it, too - but only if we help him out. Are you guys in, or out?"

"I'm in," Francine said promptly, fixing the other two with a steely gaze.

"I'm in," Melanie echoed, "although I don't know what we could possibly do to help."

"We have a plan," Lois assured her, "and you can handle it. Brenda?"

The black woman looked sullen for a moment, then sighed. "Okay, okay, you've convinced me. I'm in. So tell me what this terrific plan is."

"Excellent news, my dear!" Nor swept into the ship's lounge, startling Zara from her perusal of the stars.

"News?" she asked him warily.

He dropped down on the padded bench next to her. Zara stiffened, but retained enough control not to retreat from him. "As I told you, your would-be suitor, Kal-El, is on a ship nearby. As I did *not* tell you, I have an ... agent ... aboard his ship."

Zara frowned at the possibility. "Kal-El would surely choose crewmen that are loyal to him."

"Ah, perhaps he would if he'd had the chance; the ship he commands was diverted from a different mission."

"But surely the Council would not send one of your men against you," Zara argued, confused and dismayed at the thought that Kal and Ching might be betrayed. After contacting Ching, her spirits had risen, but now she didn't know what to think.

"The Council does not know all of my men," Nor snapped. Then he smiled, regaining control. "This particular crewman has not worked for me before, but he knew of my reputation and apparently he formed some sort of grudge against Kal-El within two days of meeting him." Nor's smile widened slightly. "Your birth-husband does have that effect on some people. There was some unpleasantness over concubines, I believe; it doesn't matter."

Zara swallowed. "What damage could one crewman do?"

"Not much, of course, though he was an excellent early-warning system. However, in discussion with other crew members, he discovered that the ship's lieutenant seemed to be quite devoted to you."

Zara kept her face carefully neutral, and her mental shield tightly closed. "I serve the House of Ra; its members serve me."

"Yes, of course," Nor said, watching her closely. "But I do seem to remember certain rumors circulating a full cycle or more ago. Some of the more low-minded speculated that in Kal-El's absence, you had developed a partiality for one of your guards ... a fantastic story, but the rumor gained some credence when your father abruptly arranged to have the man transferred to a deep space survey mission. And by an astonishing coincidence, it is that ship that Kal-El now commands."

"The trouble with rumors," Zara replied evenly, feeling her fingernails dig into her palms, "is that they are so often untrue."

"Hmm." Nor studied her for a moment, then shrugged. "I am sure my lady would do nothing improper. However, it does seem that this lieutenant has either formed or retained some sort of feelings for you ... so much so that my agent was very cleverly able to use it against him."

Zara struggled to breathe normally. "What do you mean?"

"It's a dangerous thing, cleverness," Nor mused, inspecting his fingernails. "Naturally, I don't mind when it works to my advantage - but too much initiative is dangerous in a subordinate, and this fellow seems too capable of switching masters. I must remember to dispose of him as soon as I have Kal-El."

She stared at him, unwilling to beg for information; he was obviously enjoying her agitation. There was no need, anyway; Nor never had been able to stop talking about himself.

"Don't you want to know what he did?" Nor asked, his eyes gleaming like a predator watching disabled prey. "Of course you do; after all, you're involved. My agent spoke to the lieutenant, telling him that he was fearful for your continued safety. He hinted that I was becoming dangerously unstable - which is another reason to dispose of him, come to think of it - and that once I realized their ship was heading back to this system, I would kill you in a panic. That upset your lieutenant quite a bit, apparently. So my man told him that the only way to save your life was to relieve Kal-El of command and turn him over to me as a prisoner." Nor smiled broadly. "I do so like that plan, don't you?"

Zara swallowed again, unable to come up with a coherent reply. She knew Ching was an honorable man, and she was sure he was dedicated to the good of New Krypton; there was no way Ching could possibly think that letting Nor win this fight was for the best. And yet ... if he believed her life was at stake? He was not normally prone to making decisions based on emotion, but it was possible that the shey-ana bond between them might cloud his thinking. This was probably why the ancients had discouraged romance, came the random thought; it made men illogical and sacrificed the good of the whole.

Kal-El would not be thus distracted. He held her in affection and esteem, as she did him, but that would not prove a disadvantage. Just because a mutiny was planned did not mean it would succeed. "When will they make their attempt?" she finally managed to ask. Perhaps, if she had some solitude, she could reach Ching again and tell him he was being deceived.

Nor glanced at her, seeming irritated by her lack of reaction. "Oh, some time ago. We just received a message from my agent, reporting his success. They will bring Kal-El's ship to dock with this one shortly. Would you like to come with me to greet them?" Now his gaze was coldly mocking.

She lifted her chin. "Certainly." She was tired of being isolated from events, and if she was there, at least she wouldn't have to suffer through Nor's gloating recital at a later date. Besides, she needed to be close to Ching, needed to find out what was in his mind. They had once been able to communicate in absolute privacy, undetected by others nearby. If that bond held true, she would soon be able to speak to him directly.

She held tight to the possibility that this might all be a ruse of some sort. If so, she wanted to be nearby, to help in any way she could. She had not wanted to risk sabotage, not with the ship so far from everything, but if circumstances permitted, she knew exactly what she wanted to do.

Ching adjusted his grip on the unfamiliar hand weapon as the small group waited for the airlock to cycle. In mere moments, they would be entering Nor's ship. Kal-El stood passively ahead of him, his hands tied. Ching regretted that necessity, but couldn't resist a guilty moment of pleasure at this reversal of roles.

Behind him, Sev kept a wary eye on the three women. Ching would much rather not have brought any women along, but Sev had insisted that their presence would help to pacify and distract Nor. Ching supposed he had a point, and left it at that; his consciousness was all taken up with thoughts of Zara.

He hadn't seen her in over a year; their brief telepathic contact had been like water in the desert. She had said Nor wasn't mistreating her. He hoped she hadn't been shading the truth. It would be like her to downplay her own discomforts so as not to distract from what she thought was a larger issue. Ching felt unfamiliar emotions welling up within him at the thought that Zara might have been hurt. If she had been, he would do what he must to make sure Nor suffered much more greatly.

A soft chime announced that the other side of the airlock was now pressurized, and the door smoothly opened. Ching kept an eye on the entire group to make sure they all moved to the new enclosure, but there were no problems. After a much shorter wait, the last door opened, allowing them into Nor's ship.

A burly guard awaited them. He eyed Kal-El's bound hands and grinned. "Welcome aboard, m'lord." He bowed, mocking protocol. Kal-El ignored him. The guard scowled, then turned his attention to the three ladies. "Ah, the concubines." He walked closer, leering at them. Lois glared back, and Brenda looked ready to say something cutting.

Ching stepped between them and the guard, forcing him backwards. "They are not for you," he said firmly.

The guard glowered, but gave ground. "Not yet, anyway," he mumbled.

Ching chose to ignore that, and if the women replied, it was in an undertone. "Where is Lord Nor? We are to meet with him."

The guard nodded and pointed down the corridor. "This way."

"Sev, you cover Kal-El," Ching ordered, then let the procession pass so that he could keep an eye on all of them.

The corridor was fairly short and opened up into a large open room. They fanned out into a ragged line, facing Lord Nor. Nor was standing in the center of the room with another guard behind him and Zara by his side. Ching allowed himself one quick look at her, noting with relief that she seemed unharmed. Her face showed her tension, though, and he could feel her mental probes as she tried to connect with him. Ching wished he could respond, but didn't dare divert his concentration from the very important confrontation to come. Resolutely, he focused on Lord Nor, who was gloating.

"Ah, Lord Kal-El," Nor began, his voice almost a purr. "It's so lovely to see you, especially like this."

Kal-El nodded gravely. "I've been looking forward to seeing you, too."

Nor raised an eyebrow at that, but continued down the line. "Which of you gentlemen is Sev?"

Sev stepped forward half a pace. "I am, my lord."

Nor smiled broadly. "So very nice to meet you at last ... I appreciate all your efforts to please me, and believe me, you will be rewarded appropriately."

Sev bowed his head and stepped back, and Ching thought he looked rather sick. It was obvious Sev hadn't fully realized what he was getting into, and perhaps the man was now remembering some of the more unsavory aspects of Nor's reputation. Ching refused to sympathize with him.

"And you must be the loyal Lieutenant Ching," Nor continued, his voice dripping irony.

Ching dipped his head briefly, in the least respectful gesture he dared. "I have that honor." Ching kept his mental shields steady, but Nor appeared to make no efforts to probe him. Perhaps it would be safe to contact Zara after all, if he kept it brief.

"I understand you're quite devoted to the lovely Zara," Nor continued silkily. "I find it touching when servants are so faithful. I trust your loyalties will extend to me, as her husband."

Ching felt Zara's mental inquiries grow more frantic, and he risked a brief transmission. **Wait.** Aloud, he said, "I serve the Lady Zara's best interests." After a brief pause, as Nor stared challengingly at him, he forced himself to add, "My lord."

Nor nodded slowly, undoubtedly planning to dispose of Ching as soon as practical, and moved his attention to the three ladies. Francine was first, and she was looking bored.

"I understand you three are somewhat exotic." Nor smiled, seeming excited by the thought. "Alien, in fact. I look forward to exploring all your strange secrets."

Francine pretended not to notice him, nonchalantly inspecting her fingernails.

Nor smiled thinly, and Ching held his breath, grateful for the language barrier. None of the ladies would understand Nor's remarks, although the body language on each side was clear enough.

"I will capture your attention soon enough," Nor told Francine, then moved down the row to inspect Brenda. "Such skin color!" he marveled, running a finger down her arm. "Beautiful."

Brenda smiled sweetly. "You can kiss my black behind, sugar."

Nor smiled broadly, then narrowed his eyes, clearly unsure of how to take this. "I look forward to exploring you at my leisure," he said, then moved on to gaze at Lois.

She was standing tall, despite the flimsy garments. She stared coolly at Nor.

"Are you a woman of spirit, too, my sweet? You're a trifle skinny for my tastes, but not in all areas..." He reached out lazily towards Lois's chest. She knocked his hand away, and Nor grabbed her arm, scowling. "You will not deny me," Nor ordered.

Kal-El started towards Nor and Lois before Ching grabbed his arm, and the movement distracted Nor. "Oh, Kal-El ... was she your favorite, then?"

"Leave her alone," Kal-El demanded.

Nor seemed to recover his cool, raising an eyebrow. "But how wonderful! I had planned to have you witness my marriage to your birth wife, but it should be even more entertaining to have you there as I take your concubine." He turned back towards Lois for a moment. "Were you fond of him, too? I do hope so, it would make things ever so much more enjoyable."

Lois wrenched her arm free. "Don't count on it."

"Later, my sweet. Guards!" Nor snapped his fingers, and the two henchmen stepped forwards. "Take these lovelies to separate quarters ... and no sampling!"

Ching suddenly saw a way to get Zara safely out of the line of fire. Risking another short contact, he sent, **Go with them.**

She sent him a startled **What?**

**Trust me,** he sent back. **Go!**

"My lord," Zara spoke up, "I'll go with them."

Nor gazed at her speculatively for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. This business is properly for men at any rate."

Zara nodded, keeping her face calm, and with one last hungry look at Ching, she followed the women and guards out of the room.

Kal-El watched Lois leave the room with a sense of relief. The ladies were safe for the moment, at least - and Nor's guards were out of the room. Now it was time to get down to business. "Lord Nor!"

Nor stiffened at the distinctly non-servile tone. "You dare defy me now?"

"I offer you terms of surrender," Kal replied evenly. "If you surrender yourself and your ship peacefully right now, I swear not to bring capital charges against you in Council."

"You offer terms?" Nor laughed.

"They're the same terms I offered to Sev," Kal said.

Nor frowned. "And why should that impress me?"

"Because he accepted." In a quick motion, Kal twisted his wrists and pulled out of the loose ropes. Beside him, he was aware that Ching was holding his handgun steady, aimed directly at Nor.

Lois allowed herself to be herded out of the room and down the corridor. It had been fascinating to see the enemy at last. She hadn't expected to feel such a rush of adrenaline in facing him. Even knowing that this was all a ruse and that Kal could defend her if necessary, Nor's presence had made her skin crawl. To her surprise, she had been able to understand everything he said - some sort of mental echo through Kal, she supposed. She had certainly felt Kal's rage when Nor had threatened her. She wanted Nor stopped, of course, but now she also wanted someone to hit him hard where it hurt. Maybe later, she thought hopefully.

The guards took them around the first corner. "Okay, ladies," Lois said quietly and casually, turning her head to get a good sense of where her target was. "You two get big-and-hairy up front; I'll take short-and-stinky. One, two, three!"

Lois whirled, ducking and swinging one leg out to knock Shorty off his feet. On his way down, she kicked again, this time connecting with the side of his head. His startled yell cut off abruptly, and he landed hard. Lois jumped back, keeping a wary eye on him. That move should have knocked him out, but she wasn't willing to take chances.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Brenda and Francine were taking the big guy down with no problems. They had picked up quite a lot from just a few sessions of that self-defense class. "Great job!"

Francine smiled, the first honest smile from her that Lois had ever seen. "Believe me, it was a pleasure. I just remembered every jerk I've ever known."

Brenda laughed. "You go, girlfriend. Let's do that to every jerk we meet from now on, too."

"Just don't get yourselves arrested," Lois laughed too, aware that the release of tension was making them all a little giddy. They weren't out of danger yet, but so far, things were going just as planned. Except for one thing. Lois turned to find Zara staring at the scene in the hallway in stunned amazement. Her expression shaded towards fear as she looked from one Earth woman to the next, and she asked a low-voiced question.

Lois winced; away from Kal she couldn't understand Kryptonian anymore. "Lady Zara?" she asked, holding out an empty, hopefully reassuring hand.

Zara nodded slowly, still looking puzzled.

Lois thought hard, wondering how to get the necessary concepts across. She pointed to herself and said, "Lois." Then she gestured to the dancers, pointing to each in turn. "Brenda - Francine." Sweeping her finger over all three of them, she said. "Friends."

Pointing now towards Zara then back up the hallway, she continued, "Zara - Ching - Kal-El. Friends. Lois - Zara - friends?"

Zara nodded again, smiling shyly, then spoke again. "Kal-El - friend. Ching - friend. Lois - friend."

"Great! Oh, and just for the record," Lois made an exaggerated face. "Nor - bleah!"

Zara grinned at that. "Bleah!"

"Yeah, yeah," Brenda interrupted, "me Tarzan, you Jane, but shouldn't we get these guys under wraps?"

"Good thinking." Within a few minutes, with all four women helping, they had stuffed the two unconscious guards into a small room, and Zara had done something to the lock. Lois finally remembered to pull out her concealed handgun. "Now where should we go? Back to Kal-El?"

"I'd just as soon not see Nor again," Brenda said frankly, "but if you think Kal could use the help..."

Zara spoke quickly, trying a few hand gestures, but Lois had no idea what she was trying to get across, and cursed the language barrier. After a moment, Zara gave up, and just started off down the hallway, motioning for the others to follow her.

"Lois?" Francine asked uncertainly.

Lois shrugged. "She's got an idea, and she's on our side. Let's go back her up."

Nor looked at the weapon in Kal's hand and laughed. "Kal-El, my impetuous young friend ... do you really imagine you can come onto my ship and demand my surrender?"

Kal shrugged slightly, keeping his aim steady. "I believe I just did."

"Mm, so you did. And a most amusing prank it has been." Nor smiled gently, shaking his head. "Shall I remind you that I have your concubines?"

Kal smiled grimly. "Somehow I don't think you do anymore."

Nor looked surprised, and for a moment his eyes went vague - probably as he tried to contact his guards. Whatever response or lack of one he received, it wiped the smile from his face as his attention snapped back to the immediate situation. His gaze left Kal and settled on Ching. "And you, Ching ... I take it you were never planning to serve me at all. A pity, that."

Ching stared at him, much more comfortable now that he could aim his own weapon in the right direction. "I serve Lady Zara," he stated baldly. "And she deserves far better than you."

Nor arched an eyebrow, infuriatingly calm. "Really? How odd, that's not what she said the last few times."

Ching felt his fingers tense and had to consciously restrain himself from firing. He reminded himself that Zara had said she was fine, but Nor's words spoke directly to his worst nightmares.

"Granted," Nor continued with an evil smile, "she was less than impressed at first, but once I taught her to please me-"

A bullet was much too good for this piece of slime. With a tiny smile of his own, Ching engaged the safety and tucked the gun back into his belt. He was aware of Kal's telepathic warnings of caution, but ignored them. Then he lunged forward, eager to get his hands wrapped around Nor's soft, white throat.

Zara hurried towards the bridge, glad to hear that the three strange women were coming along. Even before they'd taken out the guards in the hallway it had been obvious from the way they'd reacted to Nor that they were no ordinary concubines. It had been foolish of Nor not to realize what their lack of fear meant, but then Nor had always underestimated women. Though, to be fair, even Zara hadn't dreamed that three concubines could overpower two guards like that. It was a revelation.

Likewise, it had been almost a shock to see Ching again. He had looked at once very familiar and strangely changed. She hadn't been able to keep any personal images of him; the only likeness she had been able to view was in his personnel file, where he had looked grim and dutiful. She knew and loved his sense of honor and duty, but there was more that she preferred to remember, and that had begun to fade in their year apart. There were his all-too-rare smiles that transformed his face. More frequently, she'd seen his eyes crinkle around the edges, mostly during boring council sessions when he would send her caustic private comments to try to make her laugh. To anyone else, he would look wooden, but Zara knew and cherished his smallest facial expressions.

He had looked grim and dutiful again today, which was hardly surprising. There was something else there, though ... a new air of authority. A year ago, he would never have ordered her to do anything. In the circumstances, of course, it was understandable ... and Zara found herself liking his new assertiveness. He had spent over a cycle in command of a ship and crew, after all. Even though it had been a small crew, the experience seemed to have been good for him.

She slowed to a stop, recognizing that they were almost to the ship's bridge. The Earth women slowed as well, watching her carefully for clues. Zara opened her mouth to explain, then stopped herself in frustration. There were two, possibly three, of Nor's goons manning the bridge, between them and the panel she needed to reach. If she could only communicate with her new allies, they could try to distract them ... or even - revolutionary thought - overpower them. But how to get the idea across when none of the other three understood Kryptonian?

Before she could begin to work through the problem, the situation changed drastically.

To be continued... :)