From last time:
Lois looked up at Jonathan and Martha as they gazed at their grandson. She turned back to the tiny child in her arms, giving him a tremulous smile. He was so perfect, so beautiful. Her little miracle. “I love you,” she whispered.
He looked up at her with his big brown eyes.
Clark’s eyes.
She felt fresh tears prick at her eyes. God, she missed him so much. She wanted so badly for him to be here. For him to meet his son as he entered the world. Lois bit her quivering lip. She looked at him, knowing that every day she would look into his eyes and see Clark’s eyes. She was certain she would hear Clark’s laugh in their baby’s laugh. Their baby was proof that she would always have a part of Clark with her, no matter what, but he was also so much more.
Her son needed a name. The temptation to name him after his father was so great, but she knew that she couldn’t look at this little boy every day, seeing so many reminders of his father, and call him Clark without it breaking her heart anew each and every time. And yet she knew that she wanted to give him a name that would give him ties to his family. She realized how she could do that and at the same time honor two of the most important men in her life.
“Meet your grandson,” she said to her in-laws, still standing beside her, beaming with pride. “Jonathan Clark Kent.”
********
New Stuff:
Clark paced in his quarters in the predawn hours. The intercom chimed. He turned and looked at it, puzzled, wondering who was trying to contact him at this hour. He sighed. It was likely an emergency. Clark crossed the room and held down the intercom button. “What is it?”
“Sir, Cadet Dek Ra is here to see you. He says that it is urgent.”
“Send him in,” Clark replied.
A few minutes later, there was a knock at his door. He opened it to allow Zara’s young brother to enter. “I…I’m sorry to bother you, sir,” Dek Ra mumbled.
“No, it’s all right,” Clark said. He stepped aside to allow the young man to enter. “Come in. What can I do for you?”
Dek Ra looked up at him, his normal bravado conspicuously absent. His eyes instead, full of questions. “What is happening? Why did this happen to Zara? Why Ching? What is going on?”
“We’re trying to find out, I promise,” Clark said honestly, knowing that the words rang hollow and provided no comfort.
“What can I do?”
Clark shook his head. “At this point, I don’t think…”
“I have to do something!” Dek Ra snapped. “This is my world, too. And this is my family! Zara is my sister, Ching is like my brother. I have to…I have to do something.” He wrung his hands in frustration.
Clark put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. He chewed his lip, wishing he knew what to say. “Dek Ra, I am doing everything I can. If there is any way you can help, I will let you know. Until then, you just have to keep going. Take care of your sister.”
Dek Ra sighed and ran an agitated hand through his short, dark hair. “I want to help,” he said, his voice small.
“I know,” Clark replied quietly.
********
Bernie emerged from the bedroom, removing his stethoscope and placing it around his neck. “Mom and baby are both doing great and getting some rest,” he announced happily.
Martha smiled, relieved to hear that everything was fine. She felt Jonathan’s arm around her shoulder.
“I called MetroGen,” Bernie continued. “The snowstorm provided a good reason why the baby was born here. We should take him in soon, though; get a birth certificate and a check up.”
“When should we transfer her powers back?” Jonathan asked.
“We can do it whenever she’s ready. I’m sure she’ll appreciate having the powers back. I doubt the pain is a lot of fun,” Bernie mused.
“Thank you, for everything, Bernie,” Martha replied, gratefully. “I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
Bernie nodded. “I well, I just, you know…” he stammered, embarrassed by the praise. “I’m happy to help,” he managed with a slight smile.
********
The volumes of evidence piled in front of her demanded to be addressed. After days of work, she had barely begun the process of examining the pieces, but already she knew that they did not fit together. At least, not the way they were supposed to. Zara’s ship had been sabotaged, but the mechanic’s report suggested that everything had been in perfect working order just before departure. The people of Breksin claimed that their attackers were members of the Expeditionary Forces, but the field commanders corroborated each others’ accounts of where each team was at the time and none were anywhere near the town.
Zara’s flight pattern should have been classified, yet the timing of the sabotage and the success of the attackers in downing the ship and in tracking the crew, suggested that the plan was highly coordinated and based upon inside information. At this point, Enza was convinced that the saboteurs had inside access to numerous facets of New Krypton’s military installations. They had access to intelligence, flight plans, materiel, and the First Minister’s ship. Mechanics, technicians, communications officers, all had to be compromised in order to accomplish this and she suspected that there was someone high up, someone with access who could coordinate all of these activities. A politician, trusted advisor, high ranking military officer…someone had to be reporting to Nor.
The question was, who?
Enza touched the controls to brighten the lights over her desk. It was late and she had not rested much in days. A few hours of meditation had been all she had been able to spare. She tried to work in silence to avoid waking her niece. Enza sighed in frustration and leaned back in her chair.
She heard the padding of small feet behind her and turned around. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?” she asked her niece with sympathetic half smile.
“I had a bad dream,” Thia said, rubbing her eyes with her tiny hands.
Enza knelt down beside the child. “Come here,” she whispered, her arms outstretched. The little girl allowed herself to be enfolded in Enza’s arms. Enza hugged her tightly. “Do you want to tell me about it?” she asked quietly.
“I thought you went away and I couldn’t find you. You wouldn’t come back,” Thia whispered so quietly Enza barely heard her.
“I am not going anywhere, little one,” Enza assured her. “I am right here.”
********
The world slowly came back into focus as she opened her eyes. Every fiber of her being was engulfed in throbbing, persistent pain. She shifted uncomfortably in bed to sit up. As she did, she saw the bassinet at the foot of the bed and smiled. Her son lay peacefully asleep under a tiny blanket, his soft, brown hair covered with a little cap.
A knocking sound on the doorframe drew her attention. She saw Bernie standing in the doorway, a half smile on his face. “How are you feeling?”
She frowned as she stretched her sore back muscles. “Have you ever been shot?”
“Uh, no,” he replied, shaking his head.
“Well, it kinda feels like that,” she said, knowing not too many people would be able to make the comparison from experience. “But other than that, everything is great.”
Bernie chuckled softly. “Well, your little guy is perfectly healthy; seven pounds, two ounces, nineteen inches long, with his dad’s eyes and his mom’s ears.”
She smiled. “Where are Martha and Jonathan?”
“Oh, I told them you two would probably be resting for a while so I sent them out, I think they went flying,” he said with a lopsided grin. “But don’t worry, you’ll get your powers back just as soon as you want them.”
“Good,” she said. “I’ve got even more newfound respect for every woman who has to do this without invulnerability, but that doesn’t mean I want to empathize with them any longer than I have to.”
“Well, I’ll be around. Let me know if you need anything,” Bernie replied.
“Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”
********
From inside the room she could hear a voice bidding her to enter. Enza pushed open the door and stepped into the hospital room. “Good afternoon, Commander,” she said with a polite bow.
“Good afternoon, Lieutenant,” Commander Rin replied, sitting upright in the bed. One of his eyes was still swollen almost completely shut and the bruises and lacerations on his faced had faded, but had not completely healed. His head had been shaved by the surgeons and a large bandage still covered the scar where they’d had to relieve the pressure from serious internal bleeding.
“How are you, sir?” she asked as she took a seat and prepared to take notes.
“All things considered, rather well,” he said with a slight smile. “I take it you have some questions for the inquest?”
“I was hoping that you would be willing to answer a few questions as to what happened to your ship,” she said, deftly dodging his question.
“Certainly,” he replied. Rin folded his hands over his stomach. He seemed at ease, no trace of nervousness, though her own investigating had determined that he was a highly decorated pilot and given the extent of his injuries in the crash, it was unlikely that he was among the saboteurs. Of course, she was directed to conduct this investigation with a level of skepticism that almost bordered on paranoia. No one was to be trusted outright.
Enza asked him about the condition of the ship on departure and the timing and nature of the malfunctions, allowing him to give a narrative description of the events, interrupted on only a few occasions by her questions. “Sir, regarding the maneuvers you employed during the attack and crash landing…”
“I used standard evasive maneuvers while it was possible. When it became obvious that we were going to crash, I merely followed the instructions of my commanding officer—Zara—in bringing down the craft. I was knocked unconscious by the landing and did not regain consciousness until well after we’d been rescued, so I am afraid I cannot help you with those events.”
“But regarding the landing, sir, Zara has recommended you for a promotion and a commendation for your efforts. According to her, your actions saved the lives of the entire crew.”
Rin smiled slightly but shook his head. “I am afraid the First Minister is merely being generous and gracious in her praise. Were it not for her direction, I do not think we would have survived that crash. In the aftermath, she led the crew away from danger and saved all of our lives, including of course, mine.”
“Thank you sir,” Enza replied. “And thank you for your time.”
“My pleasure, Lieutenant.”
Enza slipped out of the hospital room and walked down the winding corridors of the medical center to the exit. She cut through the heart of the General Command complex on her way to the hearing room where the testimony of another officer was being taken for the official inquest. She produced her credentials for the guards and entered the hearing room as quietly as possible. Enza took a seat in the empty gallery, closed to spectators, but not to legal personnel on official business.
A panel of officers and jurists sat at a long table, firing questions at the lone figure seated opposite them. Commander Talan was before them, an imposing figure, even while seated. She looked straight ahead, her cold, gray eyes conveying no emotion as she spoke. Methodically, meticulously, she laid out every detail.
“And your impressions, Commander?” an officer of the inquest interrupted her narrative. He was older, balding and out of shape. He perspired noticeably under the bright lights of the hearing room, most likely designed to make the witness uncomfortable. Talan seemed entirely unaffected by the overly warm temperature and the near blinding light cast directly upon her.
“Sir, I have had the honor of commanding the expeditionary forces for over two years now. Lieutenant Commander Ching was a member of the expeditionary forces for a significant part of his career and is still called, when needed, to serve with the unit. He has acted as my executive officer on numerous occasions and has conducted himself with the utmost professionalism and regard for the laws of New Krypton.”
“So you think that the charges brought against Lieutenant Commander Ching are out of character?” the officer asked.
“They are absolutely out of character and I do not believe them. Lieutenant Commander Ching has always made the protection of civilians a top priority.”
“Is it his absolute top priority?”
“Well, sir…” she began.
The questioning officer interrupted her. “Yes or no will do, Commander.”
“The question cannot be answered by a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’” She replied, her tone forceful, and almost harsh. “In the case of the mission to rescue the First Minister, I believe -- and here I must speculate -- that his top priority was to locate and safely evacuate the First Minister and her crew. Given the remote location of the crash, I doubt he considered it likely that he would encounter any civilian populations on this mission.”
“So you have no personal knowledge of his state of mind during the rescue mission?”
“No sir, I was not present.”
“Why is that, Commander, given the fact that the expeditionary forces that performed the rescue are your troops?”
“Because I was leading a unit well into its third week of a deep reconnaissance mission, sir,” she replied, obviously biting back the exasperation that any ordinary person would have felt toward the examiner.
“So even though you are widely considered the greatest field commander in the Kryptonian forces, you were unable to engage in a mission to rescue your First Minister,” the officer stated while looking down at his notes.
“I was recalled immediately, but thanks to the efficiency and bravery of Lieutenant Commander Ching and his forces, my help was not needed,” she replied crisply, turning the questioner’s statement back on him. “Now we are still at war and I have troops to prepare, so if you require nothing further of me…”
“No, Commander, that is all. You are free to leave,” the balding officer replied in a huff. “The inquest thanks you for your time,” he added insincerely. The hearing adjourned and the panel and staff filed out of the room. Enza followed the line of people out the doors and into the corridor. Talan stood in the middle of the hall while the other people passed. She seemed to loom above most everyone else, impossible to miss. Enza felt the commander’s eyes on her and knew that she could not merely slip away quietly. As the crowd disappeared, leaving the two women alone in the hallway, Enza approached her.
“It seems you have escaped service on the inquest, Lieutenant,” Talan said. “Your integrity can thus remain intact.”
“Commander, I know that you do not believe that what I serve is worthwhile…” Enza began softly in response.
“You serve a worthy goal,” Talan interrupted. “I admit, your objectives and mine on occasion conflict, but I respect your work, though I am personally ill suited to carry it out myself. When it comes to this investigation, however, all I can say is that I know little of backroom politicking and care for it even less. This inquest is not impartial and it taints all of us who have any part in it.”
Enza tilted her chin upward to look her superior in the eye. “I have to believe that justice will survive any such attacks, by enemies without or within.”
“And what if it cannot?”
“Then you are wrong, Commander,” Enza replied boldly. “And what I serve is not a worthy goal.” In silence, she turned and walked away.
********
Clark stood just inside the docking bay, staring out into the night’s sky. Through New Krypton’s thin atmosphere, the dark blanket stretched above the firmament seemed littered with bright stars. The loading bays were quiet; the skeletal crew went about its duties, politely ignoring him. He stared up at Earth’s sun. The one star in all the heavens that was allowed such a simple name. It would always just be The Sun, as if there were no others. As if the sky weren’t filled with billions upon billions of stars just like it.
He felt his fingers curl around the ring on the end of the chain on his neck. He held the tiny band tightly and closed his eyes. He had dreamt about her again. Dreams so vivid they caused him to doubt which life was the real one and which only existed in his sleep. An uneasy feeling plagued him, haunting him like some unwanted apparition. He felt, he sensed, that she needed him. Clark couldn’t be sure if she was in trouble or not. When he’d first left, he’d half expected that he would be able to tell, that some extra sense would keep him attuned to the world so that he could rest assured that Lois was fine.
Instead, his nights were disquiet. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right and that he was helpless to do anything about it. From a logical standpoint, it made perfect sense; Lois had a knack for finding trouble, and he was a natural worrier with no way of assuaging his own fears. Of course, Lois was now invulnerable, but old habits died hard and lord knew he managed to find trouble even with his powers.
He hoped that no matter what was happening in her life that she knew that he loved her and that he would return as soon as possible. His chances of making that return sooner rather than later seemed to be diminishing. The situation on New Krypton did not make him sanguine about the possibility of the conflict being resolved in mere months. Lois was waiting for him, would go on waiting for him, and like him, she would have to do it without any news, without any information to lift her spirits or give her hope that the waiting would eventually end.
Clark chewed his lip. He knew, deep down, that one of the reasons Lois had wanted them to get married before he left was because she wanted to let him know, in the strongest way possible, that forever was already theirs. Despite— or perhaps because of — her parents’ relationship, Lois viewed marriage as permanent. She wasn’t going to give up at it and she’d proved time and again, that she wasn’t ever going to give up on him. But how long exactly, was she supposed to wait? What if he was away for years? Or decades? What if he never returned? How long was she supposed to spend alone, married to someone no more tangible than a ghost? For how long would a few years’ of happy memories be companionship enough?
He knew that he could never be with anyone other than Lois; if he lost her, it would be the end. There would never be anyone else for him. But the thought of her alone for the rest of her life ate away at him, little by little. Each day he was away was another day that he was causing her pain. Another day she had to spend clinging to hopes built upon no more than promises.
“Sir?” the sound of a voice startled him. He dropped the chain, the ring swinging to bounce against his chest. He looked over his shoulder to see Talan standing behind him. “I am sorry, I did not mean to startle you, sir,” she apologized.
“Couldn’t sleep, Commander?” he asked.
“No, sir,” she admitted.
“Neither could I.” He resumed staring out at the stars. Silence reigned between them for a long moment. “Is something bothering you?” Clark asked.
“I believe the inquest to investigate the charges brought against Lieutenant Commander Ching is more interested in a speedy conviction than the truth.”
“So do I,” Clark said simply.
“An innocent man is about to be destroyed.”
“This war has destroyed a lot of innocent people,” he countered, but without conviction. “Ching doesn’t believe he’s any different. He’s just one more person.”
“Suffering hardly excuses injustice.”
“No, it doesn’t. And I haven’t learned to weigh the value of lives in mere numbers,” Clark admitted bitterly. “In my world, we have a saying: ‘whoever kills one person, kills the world entire, and whoever saves one person, saves the world entire.’”
“We will continue fighting on his behalf, sir,” Talan replied resolutely.
“We will,” Clark agreed. “A whole world depends on it.” He noticed the chain around his neck was sitting outside his uniform and he tucked it back under his shirt.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Pardon?"
"I'm sorry, I should not have asked," she replied hastily.
"No, it's all right," he assured her.
"On the chain around your neck, there was something on the end of it."
He pulled the chain back out and held the little gold band between his thumb and forefinger. "We wear these on our fingers as a symbol of marriage."
"And that belongs to your wife...on Earth?"
He nodded.
“She is the world you left behind,” Talan said quietly. It was a statement, not a question.
He nodded again. “She is my entire world.”
“I do hope that you will be able to return to her,” she said.
Clark smiled slightly. “Thank you,” he replied.
