There's a lot of background exposition in here, so bear with me - it might actually be important later on.
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TOC From Lois Lane’s Diary: September 26, 1996
I spent the day with Martha and Jonathan only to spend it watching newscasts from Smallville. New Kryptonians invaded the town, started making demands, killed five people at last count. Then Jonathan’s cousin stepped in and now all the invaders are dead on live television. I know I’ve met General Straker before. Martha and Jonathan agree with me, but none of us can quite remember when it happened.
Clark’s parents are heading back to Kansas tomorrow. Perry gave me a few days off, so I’m going with them. When I get back, Maggie Sawyer has offered to let me go through the Special Crimes Unit course. It’ll make a great story, assuming I live. I don’t much like guns, but I’m going to have to learn to use one.
I know Clark would be horrified to know what they did. I miss him so much. I hope he’s okay.
Lucy called. She’s moving back to Metropolis and will be staying with me until she and her fiancé find a place. Mom’s going to be absolutely beside herself. She had everything all planned for my wedding to Clark, only that got toasted – first clones, then I go into a PTSD induced fugue state, and now Clark’s left for another planet for God knows how long . We should have just eloped.
I hope Lucy knows what she’s getting into.
SHADO report: 18:27 GMT, Sep 26, 1996
The New Krypton mother ship has left Jupiter and has been tracked leaving our star system. SHADO’s portion of the clean-up of Smallville is complete. The town will be receiving federal funds to repair the property damage.
From Clark Kent’s personal journal: September 27, 1996
We left Jupiter this morning, heading to New Krypton. Trey has been briefing me on the installation ceremony that will occur when we get to the ‘estate’. The word doesn’t quite translate – property, holdings, improved family land with buildings. There is to be a banquet and I am to greet and accept the fealty of the people who live on the estate. I told them it all sounded positively medieval but none of them had any idea of what I was referring to.
Zara finally told me what prompted her and Ching to look for me. According to Trey, my father became head of the house when his older brother, Gor-El, and his family were killed. From Trey’s expression he doesn’t think it was an accident but it’s far too late to prove anything. My father’s younger brother, Zor-El, and his family had been sent to the colony to manage the family holdings and Jor-El and Lara intended to meet them there once I was sent to safety. Trey wouldn’t tell me why Jor-El chose to send me to Earth, only that he, Zor-El, and Zara’s father were the only ones given my location.
Zor-El died a cycle ago, leaving no heir. His wife and daughter had died in an ‘accident’ sometime ago and Zor-El himself was caught in a mining accident – or so the story goes. Neither Trey nor Ching believe it. Nor had already been making noises about Zara and had the House of El been left without a master, the holdings would have been broken up between the remaining houses. And apparently, the House of El holds a lot of property in the colony and Zor was well liked.
Ching has told me that even if I had failed the tests he arranged, he and Zara would have brought me to New Krypton to formalize the relationship between the two houses and establish the house succession in favor of Ra. Unfortunately, that would have made Zara an even bigger prize as far as Nor is concerned. Since I did pass the tests, Zara and Trey feel I can lead the house of El to greater glory by Zara’s side.
So, why do I feel like I’m a chump?
Tomorrow, Ching will start training me in traditional Kryptonian ceremonial weaponry. Apparently he’s an expert in something called a drei which looks like a staff with mace heads stuck to each end.
I want to go home so badly. I hope Mom and Dad are okay. It must have been hard for them to watch what happened in Smallville. I wish I’d been there for them.
From Clark Kent’s personal journal: September 28, 1996
I didn’t do too badly in my first training session, but I’m going to have bruises to show for it. My powers are fading under the red light of the ship. Ching says I’m still a fast learner though. I’ve mastered some of the finer points and all nine hundred and eighty basic drei moves. But Ching can still beat me. He says I don’t have the proper Kryptonian mind-set.
Becoming one with the weapon. No doubts. No heart. No mercy. Just the kill.
I tried to tell him I’m not a killer. He just shook his head and knocked me on my butt.
Zara introduced me to the retainers for the House of El that are on the ship. She wants me to get used to the idea of having servants. One of them, a fellow named Moro, mentioned that Ching was a member of the house but he wouldn’t tell me anymore when I asked for details. When I asked Trey about Moro, I was told Moro had served Gor-El for many years before coming to New Krypton to serve Zor-El and Moro’s daughter was Ching’s mother. Zara assigned Moro and his wife to be my body servants – sort of a valet/maid thing. It’s going to take some getting used to.
Trey has brought me some data disks on Kryptonian history and customs. Lucky for me even without my powers I’m a fast learner, even if little of what he brought me seems to apply to the situation on New Krypton.
A side note – Kryptonian nobility were allowed to keep concubines. While the practice on New Krypton seems confined to males keeping concubines, especially if the wife is barren, on Old Krypton both parties could do it, so long as the birth-mated couple was not sexually compatible. Apparently, despite what Nor has been trying to convince the council of, the birth-marriage is more a business contract and birth-mates frequently failed to consummate their relationship. I have a feeling Zara is more innocent, or more cunning, than she lets on.
Nor has been trying to convince the elders on the ship that Zara and I are making a mockery of the union ceremony and has the recordings to prove it. Zara is beyond furious. She suspected Nor had been spying on her and now there is proof that he had surveillance equipment placed in the bridal chamber and in her personal quarters. Trey and Jen Mai are both trying to down play the incident, claiming Nor was attempting to merely corroborate the consummation of Zara’s union to me, but frankly, the argument doesn’t hold water. From what I’ve been reading, although the consummation law may be on the books, it’s honored for more in the breach than in the doing.
Nor is a mad man, and what’s worse, he reminds me of Lex Luthor. That perverted psychopath had Lois’s apartment wired when they were engaged, including her bathroom. Ching and his assistant Brom found bugs in Zara’s bath too.
It’s been a long day and tomorrow is going to be even longer. I’m more tired than I ever remember being. Zara says they’ve been adjusting the ship’s gravity to New Krypton levels so I can get adjusted. New Krypton is a little larger than Earth and its gravity is about 10% higher.
I’ve traveled all over the Earth, visited nearly every culture. I thought I’d find some precedent from the places I’ve seen, but the Kryptonians are truly alien.
Excerpted from ‘A Year on New Krypton’ by Clark Kent © 1998
In order to make myself useful while Lord Kal handles other matters, I have been given access to the ship’s data banks so I can do some general and historical research on Lord Kal’s behalf.
Old Krypton circled a red giant star they called Rao in the constellation Phoenix (as seen from Earth). The star was about 100 light years from Earth and light from the star’s death will reach Earth sometime late in the next century. Krypton took about 39 Earth years to orbit its primary. It had two moons (it originally had four but one of them was destroyed by a scientist named Jax-Ur, and in early historic times the moon Xenon was knocked from its orbit by what was believed to be a a passing star.) The two remaining moons were Koron and Litha.
Little is known of Old Krypton’s earliest geologic or paleo-history. There was some small evidence that the sentient inhabitants of the world were not native to it, but hard-line scientific and religious institutions traditionally refused to admit such evidence ever existed. (I know that Earth scientists believe that a red giant sun’s life span is far too short to allow the evolution of anything more complex than single cells. Assuming they’re right, then Kryptonians are not native to the Rao system – ironic considering the average Kryptonian’s feelings towards out-worlders.)
Old Krypton was by all reports a wild, beautiful, terrible world, full of wonders and monstrous creatures – much like Earth’s Amazon in many respects only the planet was larger, with a higher gravity. Its people developed civilizations able to conquer a violent world, building great cities and taming a planet others claimed could not be tamed. In less than 250 ‘amzet’(years), Krypton had developed a world culture and government and a high levels of art and science – nothing they could imagine was outside their abilities.
Then it began to fall apart. It is uncertain as to the causes of the sudden change in climate that occurred or the deadly mutations. Most of the writers of the time blamed the presence of off-worlders and unregulated and ill-considered scientific experimentation like the one that destroyed the third moon. A few scientists blamed an instability in the star Rao as causing the problems.
Whatever caused the mutations and the climate to change from tropical to near-subarctic is unlikely to be determined in any certainty by a mere journalist from Earth with little scientific training (I majored in journalism and history.) But the results are clear.
The Kryptonians’ natural distrust of outsiders and the destructive forces around them caused them to react violently against off-worlders, and then against one another as they attempted to deal with the catastrophic changes happening around them. The resulting upheaval coupled with the climate change turned a near paradise into a cold and barren wasteland. Nearly half the population died. Off-worlders who were at least tolerated before for their skills and otherwise unobtainable products were no longer allowed to even contact anyone outside of a select few scientists. Space travel was also forbidden except for a select few who were working on establishing a viable colony world in the event conditions on Krypton got even worse.
Things got worse. The star Rao began showing evidence that it was entering its next stage of stellar evolution which would cause it to shed its outer layers and collapse into a white dwarf. Three billion people died when their star went nova. Fewer than 100,000 Kryptonians survived on a single colony world. A colony that the council of elders at the time it was founded tried to shut down.
Old Krypton was ruled by a council of twelve representatives, one chosen by each house to represent them. Generally, the position was given to the most accomplished member of the house – be they scientists, teachers, or judges, regardless of age or gender. The House of El tended to send scientists. Members from the religious sects and the leaders of industry advised the councilors.
On New Krypton, the position is more often given to the eldest male member of the house, although that frequently is not the head of the house but an uncle to the head of house.
The current noble houses are: Ah, Ar, Do, El, Es, Et, Lo, Mai, Ra, Ro, Ur, Us.
The current council members are:
Gon-Ah
Trey-Ar (head of council, brother to Zor-El’s wife Alura)
Kel-Do
Kal-El (not yet sworn in as a member)
Jan-Es
Kem-Et (Nor-Et’s uncle)
Yon-Lo (brother to Lara, Kal-El’s mother, brother to Elesa, Trey’s wife)
Jen-Mai (uncle to Ker-Mai and brother to Nor-Et’s mother)
Han-Ur
Lan-Ra (uncle to Zara Sen-Ra)
Dai-Ro
Han-Ur
Van-Us
The houses of Us, Ar and El are the oldest houses and in Kryptonian early history it was Pol-Us, Sor-El, and Kol-Ar that represented the three warring nations that came together to form a unified government that adhered to the rule of law rather than the rule of man. They codified what were termed the ‘Laws of Humanity’ on which all other Kryptonian laws were based until late in Krypton’s history.
Prohibition on murder.
Prohibition on cruelty to lesser beings and animals.
Prohibition on robbery and theft.
Prohibition on immorality and forbidden sexual relations.
Prohibition on idolatry.
Prohibition on blasphemy.
Requirement to establish a justice system and courts of law to enforce the other 6 laws.Kela came over to desk where Clark had been sitting, reading and taking notes for several hours. Zara had assigned Clark a workroom in her suite, perpetuating the idea that they were a ‘couple’. Kela and Moro knew better. Zara hadn’t stopped in at all to check on him after he came back from his ‘exercises’ with Ching. Kela stopped at his shoulder and glanced over at the screen in front of him.
Clark looked up, startled. He hadn’t been paying any attention to what was going on around him. Ching was going to be furious when he found out. One of the morning’s lectures had been on security – namely environmental awareness. Ching had almost been driven to the point of yelling at him. ‘Never,
ever, sit where you can’t watch the door!’
“Studying the seven laws of the founders, milord?”
“Yeah,” he said then realized the old woman hadn’t understood the English word. “I mean yes. And please don’t call me ‘milord.’ My name is Clark.”
“Yes, Lord Kal,” Kela responded with a smile. Moro, her husband, glowered at her, looking up from polishing the black leather dress boots Clark was supposed to wear when they arrived in the morning. Kela ignored him.
Clark sighed. The whole idea of having someone around whose job was to take care of him bothered him in a deep, visceral way. He wasn’t a child. He could dress himself and take care of his own clothes – he’d been doing it since high school. But Zara had insisted he have servants. And she had chosen the two she and Ching considered the most trustworthy – Ching’s elderly grandparents. And they were elderly. Gray and wizened, they reminded Clark of his own grandparents before they died. One of his first orders to him was to stop bowing their heads every time he looked at them.
“Will you be dining alone or with Lady Zara this evening, milord?” Kela asked. She was still ducking her head a little when she addressed him.
“I assume Lady Zara expects me to join her?” Clark asked.
“I believe that would be a fair assumption,” Kela replied. “You are her husband.”
“Then I guess I’m dining with Lady Zara,” Clark responded. “So, what should I wear?” This was the one point were he admitted needing help – he had no clue what was considered formal wear or anything else in terms of Kryptonian clothing. When he’d gotten back from practice he’d thrown open the wardrobe doors and grabbed the most comfortable looking item there, a long robe with minimal embroidery. Kela had stifled a laugh.
“That is a temple robe, milord,” she had told him. “Your uncles and grandfather were all active in temple.” She had pulled out a different robe and handed it to him, one with dark red trimmed in blue. “A bathing robe. Would you like me to draw a bath for you?”
“Well, you could show me how to run the shower,” Clark had told her, taking the robe. “I can handle the rest myself.”
She had shown him how to run the plumbing and left him mercifully alone until he came out wearing the bathrobe and sat down at the desk to work. Kela and Moro had puttered around him then left him alone for a while. Alone with his thoughts and his reading.
Now Moro laid out another black suit along with a simply cut jacket in blue brocade. Suddenly Clark realized the blue was almost the same shade as the blue of Superman’s suit.
“Is there a problem, milord?” Moro asked. He had a gruff voice and Clark had already noticed he didn’t talk much, letting his wife do the talking for both of them. But like Clark’s grandfather William, his silences were eloquent.
“No, no problem,” Clark said. The color reminded him of home and he had to remind himself that all that was in the past - and hopefully the future - and he had to keep his mind on the here-and-now. Here he was ‘Lord Kal’.
“But I am a little curious at how you got a wardrobe that fit me so fast,” Clark added.
Kela answered. “The fabric has a bit of give, and you’re not much broader in the shoulders than Lord Zor was when he was younger.”
“Am I much like them?”
Kela studied his face for a long moment. “You look like a member of the house of El in the body, but your coloring is of Lo. The El’s tended to be lighter of skin and eyes. I can see both of them in you. Your bearing is much like your father’s. He never liked the pompousness that came with being a noble.”
“I’ve only seen holograms of him and my mother,” Clark admitted.
“He was a good man,” Kela said. “And he hated being made head of the house when Lord Gor died.”
“Damn fool idealist,” Moro groused. “Beggin’ you pardon, milord. The House of El has always been a tad overly idealistic, always wantin’ to look out for everyone, whether they wanted ‘em to or not.”
Kela smiled and shook her head. “You’d best hurry milord, or else you’ll be late.”
From Clark Kent’s personal journal: September 28, 1996
I was expecting to have dinner with Zara. It turned out to be more elaborate than that – Trey-Ar, Gon-Ah, and Han-Ur were there along with Nor-Et, Jen-Mai, and Van-Us. The meal was surprisingly sumptuous. I had the impression that New Krypton was frugal, even Spartan, in regards to its available food. The meal that was served could have fed several Earth families. Ching stood by watching as Zara’s servants tended the table. I don’t think he was happy with the conspicuous display, nor with how much waste there was – Nor and Jen took much more than they could eat and when they’d had their fill, had the servants take it away while they filled another plate. Zara and I didn’t eat much. Although I admit to being a junk-food junky, I found the heavy sauces and strange spices to be less than appetizing. Zara didn’t like hot dogs when I introduced her to them, so I guess we’re even now.
Nor and Jen kept asking me questions about Earth, about what I had been doing there. I felt Zara’s warning in my head and so kept my answers short and simple. I can’t express how glad I was when it was over and I could get back to my room.Clark nodded as the guard outside the dining chamber opened the wide door for him and allowed him to pass. He had noticed more guards in the hallways than had been there earlier in the day and promised himself to ask Ching about it as soon as he had a chance.
He had expected to find Zara and possibly Ching inside. He was a little surprised to see Trey, Nor, and Jen along with three other older men he didn’t recognize.
‘The greeting!’ he heard Zara’s mental voice hiss in his mind.
“Kindred in the bonds, I greet thee thrice,” Clark said, turning his palms outward and bowing slightly as Ching and Zara had instructed him. He smiled inwardly at Ching’s smirk and the narrowing of Jen-Mai’s eyes. One of the tidbits he’d picked up in his afternoon reading was the older, more traditional, more universal, form of the greeting of one council member to another.
“As we greet thee,” Trey responded. After a moment Jen-Mai and the others joined in the greeting.
The meal was already on the table with meats Clark couldn’t identify with vegetables and other things he’d never seen before. Several servants hovered in the background, filling glasses with the New Kryptonian version of wine and clearing plates when directed. Clark’s previous meals with Zara and Ching had been simple foods, bread and something that passed for cheese along with a vegetable paste that he was assured was healthy if not the most palatable. Those meals had been accompanied by something that resembled ale, thicker and darker than most American beers, and much more potent.
“You don’t like our wine, Lord Kal?” Van-Us asked when Clark refused a second glass of wine and asked for water instead. The first glass of wine had a bitter, metallic aftertaste. “Has the lushness of Earth spoiled you? Made our meager offerings unacceptable to the Lord of the House of El?”
“Lord Van, if this is an example of a meager offering then I’m sure I would be overwhelmed by the abundance if I saw a great feast,” Clark said. “I was raised to have simpler tastes.”
That statement was met by silence as the servants poured more wine for the others, but Clark noticed that Zara switched to water as well.
Gon-Ah cleared his throat. “
Mehluhr Trey indicates he has presented you with our history and laws to study. How are those studies going?”
“As well as can be expected, considering,” Clark replied.
“Considering what?” Nor demanded. His speech was slurred as though he’s had too much to drink. “Considering until a few days ago you didn’t care enough about your own people to learn anything about them? To even know the language? By the way, your accent is abominable.”
Zara made a motion as if to protest but Trey held out his hand to stop her. She settled back in her seat.
“Lord Nor, do you speak or read English or Mandarin?” Clark asked mildly.
“Why should I?” Nor asked. “We have translation devices and I can always take it from some
rehtka’s mind, if you can call that jabbering language. It all sounded like monkeys to me.” He laughed as if enjoying his own joke.
“Why should I have learned the dead language of a dead people to study the laws of a dead planet?” Clark asked.
“Your father did send the holograms and writings along with you, so you could learn of your heritage, and our laws,” Gon-Ah said.
“Writings in a language I could not speak or read concerning a world I would never see,” Clark stated. “However, I am familiar with the Laws of Humanity. Of course, the version I’m familiar with had a few additions the founders might have wanted to consider. Especially one about not coveting your neighbor’s property, including his wife and servants, and another one against bearing false witness.”
“And what do you know of the Laws of Humanity laid down by our ancestors?” Jen-Mai demanded.
“More than Lord Nor’s brother and retainers, obviously,” Clark came back. “Or does torturing and killing humans not qualify as crimes under the laws of Krypton? Are Earthers considered animals, lesser beings or equals? I admit I’m a little confused there, since Lor was so obviously playing to his TV audience in that interview, like he was trying to convince real people who mattered, and his men were having way too much fun having sexual relations with the natives and murdering them, but then Lord Nor seems to think they’re somewhere below animals.” He turned to Nor. “Did you really think that a world that knows there are other inhabited planets out there wouldn’t be able to defend itself against them?”
“I have already repudiated Lor’s actions and the actions of those who followed him,” Nor groused.
“Then here’s a toast to the end of any ideas of colonizing Earth,” Clark said, raising his glass. The others just gave him odd looks, until Zara raised her own glass.
“To the promise that the government of New Krypton will not support any attempts against Earth,” she said.
“But, wouldn’t Earth be well served by having an enlightened and progressive government?” Van-Us asked. “I am told that our people would be as gods there on a rich and vibrant and young planet.”
“Which is already occupied by people with a very low tolerance for gods who walk among them,” Clark told them.
“You walked among them for years,” Nor pointed out. He was obviously far into his cups. “Flaunting your gifts in front of them. You could have ruled but instead you played at being a wordsmith, a servant to unwashed fools. The great House of El has been given over to a peasant. You were too afraid to slake your ambitions there, so now you claim the right to rule on a world you know nothing about, taking the seat that was rightfully mine until somebody remembered ‘Oh, yes, Zor-El had a nephew that was sent to this little backwards planet to get him out of the way. And he’s now the lord of the Great House of El, assuming we can find him.’”
“Milord, you’ve had enough to drink,” Jen-Mai protested as Nor grabbed a wine bottle away from the servant who was refilling his glass once again.
“Hardly,” Nor spat out. “The law of New Krypton demands that unions be consummated in order to bring about an heir to the House. We know they have no intention of doing so. In fact, ‘Lord Kal’ has bound himself to a little
rehtka on Earth, who I have no doubt he intends to bring to New Krypton to make his lady. He wears her mark around his neck.”
Clark’s hand went to the thin gold chain and the ring that hung on it.
Nor continued. “See, he doesn’t even bother to deny it. I submit Lady Zara and this mongrel off-worlder from that backwards planet intend to commit treason against both their Houses and New Krypton.”
“Considering how your knowledge of our status came about, did you intend on standing in our bedchamber watching to ensure that we complied with
your interpretation of the law? Or do you just like watching me in my private chambers?” Zara’s voice was cold with fury and Ching stepped forward to stand behind her chair.
Nor’s face went white with rage as he glared at Zara. His mouth worked for a few moments to form words then finally: “You will be mine, woman.”
“I would die first,” Zara stated.
“You will never belong to anyone else,” Nor growled and walked out of the room. Van-Us hurried to follow him.
“Lord Nor is a loyal Kryptonian,” Jen-Mai said, although his expression seemed troubled. “He obviously had too much to drink and will no doubt regret what occurred tonight when he wakes in the morning. I know he simply wants what’s best for our world.”
“
Mehluhr Jen,” Clark said. “I’m sure we all want what’s best for New Krypton. But Lord Nor has an odd why of showing it, and an even odder idea of what it is. Good Evening, sir.”
Jen-Mai nodded, dipping his head respectfully and hurried out the door.
“I admit, I was not expecting Lord Nor to be so hostile. This was simply a small social occasion,” Gon-Ah said. “I was aware he had feelings for Lady Zara…”
“The only feelings he has for me concerns what he can do with the House of Ra and the power it has in the colony, should he get me into his bed,” Zara stated coldly. “He is incapable of anything else.”
“Zara, it is possible he just had too much to drink and didn’t really mean to say all those things,” Clark said. Zara glowered at him. “Although there is a saying on Earth
‘in vino veritas,’” he added. “In wine, truth.”
“We have the same saying,” Trey commented. “But another saying comes to mind. ‘Social occasions are merely warfare concealed.’”
“And Nor has fired the first salvo,” Clark said.
From Clark Kent’s personal journal: September 28, 1996
If social occasions really are warfare concealed, Nor has declared war on me and Zara and the planet Earth and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do about it.
