From last time:

They pushed forward slowly through the cold and biting wind that stung exposed skin like a swarm of wasps. The exceptionally versatile Kryptonian clothing was surprisingly warm, but being out here was still a miserable experience. Clark looked around him at the people silently marching through the pass, cold, hungry, tired. He noticed a young girl, no more than fifteen or sixteen, carrying a little boy. She struggled to carry the child, who was crying piteously. He made his way toward them and offered to carry the boy. The girl looked up at him gratefully and handed him the little boy. Clark continued walking beside the girl, whose name was An Mai, knowing the little boy would want to stay as close as possible to the one person Clark guessed was his only living family left in the world.

"It's all right," Clark soothed, wrapping the blanket more tightly around the little boy. "It's all right." His cries subsided to a small whimper. It wasn't much further. Soon Clark would be able to get the little boy someplace warm and safe, at least safer than this place.

New Stuff:

********

Lois leaned against the ladder on the metal fire escape, simply waiting. And waiting. Since when did Jimmy work all hours of the night, anyway? She glanced at her watch in irritation. It was just after eight. So it wasn't that late. And it wasn't like she was expected, either. She glanced down at the ground below her, thankful that Jimmy's fire escape led down to a dark alley away from the main street. It didn't look like the safest place ever, but it was unlikely anyone would see her up here. She turned her head toward the sound of an approaching car. Finally, he was home. It took him a few moments to park and enter the building, but before too long, she could hear the locks on his door being opened and the lights were then flicked on inside.

Jimmy dragged himself in, dropping his keys and his coat by the door somewhat carelessly. Lois tapped at the glass of the window, startling him. He looked out and saw her, and he didn't seem pleased.

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"Whatever," he replied.

She opened the window and climbed in. "You should lock that, you know."

"I usually don't have a problem with people hanging around on my fire escape," he said acerbically. He wandered into the kitchen and grabbed a cold slice of pizza out of the refrigerator along with a can of soda.

"How have you been?" she asked.

"Don't do that," he snapped, slamming the can of soda on the counter, causing it to fizz and splatter all over the Formica and onto his clothes. Lois looked down. She knew that was coming. Small talk hadn't exactly been a good strategy. "Don't try to pretend nothing's wrong," he said as he wiped his hands on his jeans.

"Jimmy, I'm..."

"You're what? You're sorry? I don't get it, Lois. I don't get you. Why didn't you tell me? Why did you tell me everything else, all about Superman and Ultrawoman and everything, but not this? I thought you trusted me."

"That's not the point," she replied and immediately regretted it.

She saw anger flash across his face. "What the heck does that mean?"

"It means this isn't about you," she said, her voice gentle even though she knew the words stung. "I do trust you. You're one of the closest friends Clark and I have and I trusted you with a secret that could cost the people Clark and I love most their lives if the wrong people found out."

"And that's supposed to make up for this?" he asked bitterly.

"No, it isn't. I'm sorry you found out the way you did. I wanted to be the one to tell you, I swear."

Jimmy looked thoroughly unconvinced. She couldn't remember ever seeing him this angry. "Then why didn't you?"

"I told you, Jimmy. This wasn't about you. It was about me."

He merely snorted in response.

"It was about me being selfish. I didn't tell you because I wasn't ready to. It didn't matter that I trusted you or that you had every right to know. I didn't say anything because I wasn't ready to talk about it. Because I can't even think about it without wanting to break down in tears and cry and never stop." She felt a quiver in her throat and tears pricked at her eyes. "I haven't been able to talk to anyone about it," she continued. "I told my parents--mainly just because I was ticked off at them--and I haven't spoken to them since. I don't talk about it with Martha and Jonathan, either."

Jimmy said nothing and simply looked down at the puddle of cola on the countertop. She took a shaky breath and continued. "It was my idea, I practically begged Clark to go along with it because I thought it would prove that I would wait for him. That I'd still be his, no matter how long it took him to come home. But some part of me...that I don't like very much, some part of me that was scared and selfish and ugly wanted it because I was afraid he wasn't coming back. If I couldn't have him forever, I'd have him for as long as I could. Right then, I accepted the possibility that he wasn't coming back. And I hated myself for it." She looked down and noticed that at some point, she'd untucked the chain around her neck and was playing absently with the large gold band on it.

"That's his wedding ring, isn't it?" Jimmy asked softly.

"Yeah," Lois admitted without looking up. "He has mine with him." She wiped away an errant tear.

"I'm sorry," Jimmy mumbled. "I shouldn't have gotten so mad."

She looked at him with a tremulous smile. "You had every right to be angry. I should have told you."

"Friends again?" Jimmy asked.

"We'll always be friends," she assured him. She walked around the counter to hug the young man tightly. Neither said anything for a long moment. Lois finally broke the silence. "I'm covered in cola now, aren't I?"

"Yeah," Jimmy admitted.

********

They finally made it into the clearing at the foot of the Pass where the transports were waiting. Zara was already there, giving orders to make the evacuation run more smoothly. The refugees of Renmo were loaded into the transports as pilots prepared to take off. Clark carried the little boy, who'd fallen asleep, toward one of the transports, the boy's sister walking right beside him. He shifted the child slightly in his arms, careful not to wake him. He wasn't very big, but when you didn't have any superpowers, kids started to get heavy after you'd been carrying them for a few hours.

Clark found himself bone-weary after their trek. Being exhausted with superpowers was one thing -- a few hours of good sleep and some sun always did him a world of good. Right now, however, every fiber of his being throbbed with a dull ache and he knew it would take more than a power nap to rejuvenate him. He'd been without his powers for five months now and despite serious physical training on the journey to Krypton, he had so far not been asked to do anything particularly heroic physically. The time would come, he knew, and he wondered if he would be ready.

It had felt good to help, though. Really good. For the first time since he'd left Earth, he actually felt useful, like he was doing something worthwhile. The evacuation was a fairly small event in the grand scheme of this war, but it didn't feel that way to these people and it didn't feel that way to him, either. Despite all the suffering around him, it had helped to know that he could help, even without his powers. He couldn't do as much as he wanted to, but that was true even when he had his powers. He was doing everything he possibly could. He had to hope that it would be enough.

She would have assured him that it was. When he first started being Superman, it was her insistence that whatever he could do was enough that kept him going. She couldn't have had any idea how much her words had affected him, no doubt because she had had no idea at the time that she was talking to Superman. Once she'd learned the truth, she'd been even more adamant about it. He felt a faint smile twitch at the corners of his mouth at the memory. God, he missed her.

"Kal El!" Clark turned around to find Talan behind him, a grim look on her face.

"An Mai, I want you to take your brother and get in this transport, all right? It will take you back to the main colony." He handed the sleeping boy to his older sister.

"What about you?" An Mai asked, a plaintive look of concern on her face.

Clark put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be there in a little while," he promised. He touched the sleeping boy's head gently and watched them board the craft.

"What is it?" he asked Talan.

"Attacks on Terian," she replied. "The farming settlement is under heavy fire."

When it rained around here, it poured, he thought grimly to himself. "How far is it from here?"

"Three days on foot."

"What about the transports?" Clark asked.

Talan shook her head. "Not enough fuel to get there and back home. Besides, the rebels likely took the settlement's air defenses first. These transports would be no match for them."

"Commander!" Talan and Clark both turned toward the sound of Ching's voice. He and Zara were running toward them.

"What's happening?" Zara asked as they approached.

"Terian is under attack," Talan explained.

"Has General Command heard of this?"

Talan nodded grimly. "They received the distress call when we did. They'll send the main force, but it'll take them a full day to group and deploy. We'll reinforce them."

"I'll have the expeditionary forces stand by. We'll be prepared to deploy within the hour, Commander," Ching said.

"I'm going with you," Clark said.

"Sir, this is a fight, not a rescue," Talan said.

"I know that," Clark replied. "And I'm going with you."

"Sir," Ching began. "I highly recommend you accompany Zara back to the colony."

"Ching is right," Zara added.

"You're a pilot," Clark told Zara. "You can help them get back to the colony. I'm of no use to you." He turned to Talan. "This is still your Command, I will follow your directions, but you are not leaving here without me."

"Very well, sir," Talan replied. She saluted and retreated quickly. Shouting orders to her forces as she hit the ground running.

"Come with me," Zara said to him as they watched the soldiers rush to prepare for the mission.

"What?" Clark asked.

"You'll need supplies," Zara replied simply.

"Right."

They began walking quickly toward their transport. "If you weren't the First Minister, Councilor Shai would have you strung up for this."

"If I weren't the First Minister, I wouldn't be here," Clark reminded her. "Besides, I'm not going to send them out to into harm's way while I stick to the easy jobs."

Zara opened the cargo hold of the transport and threw a pack at him. He caught the heavy pack, nearly stumbling backward, and placed it on the ground. "There are no easy tasks here, Clark." She handed him a smaller bag.

"I know that," he replied as she handed him a large, sheathed knife. She checked the condition of a rifle before handing it to him as well. He looked down at the weapons uncomfortably.

"And you also know that your responsibility is to lead our people. This coalition may not survive your death."

He smiled wryly at her dark, yet somehow funny, comment. He didn't imagine she'd actually meant it as a joke, though. "It's good to know you're concerned."

She allowed herself a slight smile, but her expression soon turned serious again. "Be careful," she said sincerely.

"I will," he promised. "You too, get them home safely," he said, nodding toward the transport.

She waved slightly before getting into the cockpit of the transport to begin her preflight system check. He shouldered his heavy pack and figured out how to carry or stow the rest of his gear. His stride rendered completely awkward by the additional bulk he was carrying around, he headed back toward Talan and Ching. This was going to be a regular pain without superpowers, he thought to himself as he tried to adjust the straps of his pack.

********

The red sun had set hours ago; at least, he estimated that it had. It was hard to figure out how long they'd been going, but they were all exhausted. He and Ching hadn't slept at all for the last two days and he knew that Talan's forces were even more fatigued. The wind picked up but he regarded it only as a minor irritant that dried the eyes and made it difficult to see where he was going. He was too tired to be cold, he realized. The good news was that they'd finally begun to make their descent and with no looming mountains on the horizon, it looked like the worst of the journey was behind them. Of course, that meant that the battle was in front of them and he didn't doubt that the climb would pale in comparison.

The column of disciplined, but weary, men and women made its way down the steep path. As the path had widened, they'd easily gone from single file to walking two abreast, Talan at the head of the column and Ching at the end. Clark found himself roughly between the two, walking off to one side of the two perfect lines as several of the junior officers also did. They scanned their surroundings wearily, trying desperately to stay alert to potential dangers. Slowly, the wind died down and cold air's edge seemed to fade away.

He noticed Talan fall back from the lead. She stepped off to one side, waiting as the lines marched past. He caught up with her and she began walking beside him. "There's a clearing not too far from here, protected on two sides. My intention was to stop there for the night, sir."

"That seems wise," Clark replied.

"I have attempted to contact General Command to receive an update on the status of our forces," she continued. "There was no response."

"Could the communication system be down?" he asked, a knot of anxiety settling into the pit of his stomach.

"There are supposed to be safeguards against such an occurrence," she responded. "I will try again when we establish camp."

Talan's estimations had been accurate. They reached the clearing only a few minutes later. It was warmer here and the air wasn't as thin. Soldiers began the task of establishing a camp without so much as a single order from an officer. They'd been doing this every night for weeks and had it down to an exact science. Talking about it would have been a waste of time. Clark made his way to the center of the camp, where Talan and Ching were busy establishing their command post. Exhausted, he dropped his pack and found that it hurt even more to have it off. All the muscles that had gone numb with the strain were now screaming at him. After a few long moments, the pain subsided to a dull and constant ache. He stretched gingerly.

"Any luck?" he asked Talan.

"I'm afraid not," she replied. "We have to press on, though, and trust that they will get there."

"Indeed," Ching replied soberly. "Have the junior officers determine a schedule for the watch. Kal El and I are more rested than any of your forces, so we'll take the first shift."

Clark made his way to one of the exposed corners of the camp and settled in for his watch shift. It would be a few hours before he could sleep, but at least he could sit and eat something and be free of that pack. He craved a hot meal and a hot shower but knew it would be a long time before he'd have either one. He knew that military food in his world was supposed to be quite awful, but he couldn't imagine it being as bad as what soldiers on New Krypton ate - stale, little fibrous bars full of nutrients and roughage and nothing else, certainly not taste. He dug one of the unfortunate little bars out of the smaller pack, which he was still carrying and ate it in silence.

He stared out at the silent landscape, thankful, at least, to have a full stomach now and air that didn't sting his lungs when he tried to extract that tiny amount of oxygen from it. It was still cold out, but that was probably a good thing - it helped him stay awake. His uniform kept him warm enough and the lack of wind was a blessing. He leaned against the rifle in the crook of one arm and pulled out the chain around his neck. He stared down at the ring on the end of it.

"Sir?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the voice. He was on his feet in an instant. "Commander Talan..." he began.

"I'm here to relieve you of your watch, sir," she replied.

"Thank you." He tucked the chain back under his uniform. "Good night."

"Good night, sir."

Clark walked toward the cluster of tents in the center of the quiet encampment, eager to get some sleep at last.

********

Morning found him in more pain than he'd been anticipating. He stretched as he woke up, imagining the fibers of all of his muscles ripping and fraying under the strain. Pain blossomed in each of his limbs, sending unwanted signals of discomfort racing along every single nerve length, jumping from synapse to synapse to relay a message that was quickly getting old: Man, it hurts.

Around him, the camp began to stir as soldiers packed up and prepared to begin the long day’s journey. Tents were broken down and breakfast was consumed quickly. He looked around at the well organized process, moving just as efficiently as last night’s creation of the camp. To his surprise, he spotted Talan exactly where he’d left her the night before. He walked toward her.

"Good morning, sir," she said, her back still toward him. She continued to stare out into the distance.

"Good morning, Commander," he replied. He stood next to her, but she took no further note of him. "Have you been here all night?" he asked.

"Of course, sir," she said simply.

"You didn't sleep," he asked, puzzled.

"No sir."

He arched a brow. "When was the last time you slept, Commander?"

"Six days ago."

"How…exactly…?"

"Meditation, sir. Far superior to sleep."

'Sure, if you could get past that total consciousness barrier,' he thought to himself as he recalled his attempts to master meditation on board the ship that had brought him to New Krypton. He and Ching had still been working out the bugs in the whole meditation process. He'd been informed that a true master of Kryptonian meditation could achieve the benefits of a full night's rest in just half an hour of meditating. They could force their bodies to endure unspeakable pain and fatigue, encouraging the mind to ignore hunger, thirst, cold, and every other unpleasant sensation for long periods of time. It wasn't a permanent shortcut around human needs; abusing meditation for too long and not getting sufficient nourishment and rest could prove damaging and even fatal. But for at least a while, a person extensively trained in meditation could bring the body to completely obey the mind's will.

He'd been skeptical of it at the time, although it wasn't all that weird compared to the way he normally operated – Superman could go days without food, water, or sleep, but that was because his body managed just fine without those things for a lot longer than a human being's. These Kryptonians still needed food, water, and sleep; their brains just managed to convince them that they didn't. Talan was obviously a master of the highest caliber, but he wondered if at six days, she was pushing the limits of her tolerance.

"Has there been word from General Command, sir?" she asked, turning at last to look at him. Her expression was guarded, as it always was, but her concern was evident, nonetheless.

Clark shook his head. "I'm afraid not."

"If they are in danger, we are too far away to help, and Terian still needs our assistance," she mused. "We have no choice but to go forward."