Two days later
I was getting dressed by the mechanical arms in my room, putting on the war dress of House Rao. The ancient armor had dark metal plates bearing the symbol of our bloodline—a stylized sun that had once commanded the respect of entire galaxies.
The ship was completed, and the drive was fully integrated into it.
The personnel who were going to board were also selected. After weeks of preparation, everything was finally ready for our escape from this dying world.
Now, we only have three goals left.
First was to steal the Codex—the genetic template of our entire race that contained the DNA patterns of every Kryptonian who had ever lived.
Second was to steal incubators from the Birth Chambers to slowly increase our population once we reached safety.
And the last was to leave this planet safely without being destroyed by the Council's forces.
A knock on my door interrupted my thoughts. "Come in," I called out.
Jor-El entered, his expression serious but determined. "The coordinates have been uploaded into the ship," he said without preamble.
I nodded. Our destination was Sector 2814. This was the sector that had a yellow sun and the one that Jor had originally chosen for his son when he was planning to help him escape the planet alone.
I agreed with his choice completely. The sector was in a pretty remote area of the universe, with no nearby empires like Darkseid's Apokolips or the New Genesis forces under Highfather. Those powers were embroiled in their eternal war in completely different regions of space, making Sector 2814 relatively peaceful by galactic standards.
One more thing I had learned from Zod was that there was a race named Viltrumites that was slowly gaining a foothold in many sectors of our galaxy. Yeah, the same crazy Viltrumites that wiped out entire species for resources and conquest. But I did not feel afraid as they were still at the other part of the galaxy from our designated sector, so that was another reason for me to choose that particular destination.
I knew that the moment Kryptonians stepped into that sector and came under the yellow sun, there wouldn't be any danger to us from most threats. Our people would develop abilities that would make us nearly invincible against conventional forces.
I also had another reason to go to that sector, and that was because Earth was there. The home to the heroes and the place where all the chaos happened in the comics. If it were anyone else who knew all the chaos that would happen on that planet, they would probably be afraid and wouldn't step into that sector voluntarily.
But I thought otherwise. In chaos lay opportunities, and that planet was full of them. I had plans that would ensure that the glory of Kryptonian race lasted forever, and Earth was a necessary part of those plans.
"Good work," I said to Jor-El. "I will contact Zod and give him the signal. You go and bring your family."
In the list of personnel who were going to travel, six spots were allocated to House El. It was going to be Jor-El's family and his brother's family. I had made sure that these brilliant minds would not be left behind to die with the planet.
Jor nodded and then said, "May Rao be with us."
I also nodded and replied, "May Rao be with us," as Jor left my room.
I activated a secure communication line to General Zod. His face appeared on the holographic display, and I could see he was already in his command armor, ready for battle.
"Everything is ready, General," I said. "It's time for our plan to begin."
Zod nodded as his expression was grim but resolute. "Make sure our sacrifice is worth it," he replied.
I nodded firmly. "Every Kryptonian will remember the sacrifice of the Sword of Rao. Your names will be honored for as long as our people exist."
"Just lead them well," Zod said simply.
I nodded again, understanding what he was asking. Zod and Jor-El had long since accepted me as the leader of this mission. Part of it was due to my bloodline as the heir of House Rao, but most of it was because I was the one who had gathered everyone together and made this escape possible.
The communication ended, and as the final phase of our plan began.
...
Kandor
The City of Kandor was the gleaming capital where the Legislative Chamber was located. This was where the Kryptonian Council resided, and the place that housed the Birth Chambers and the Codex. The city stretched across a vast area, its crystal towers reaching toward the red sun.
The security of the city was under a different branch of the Military Guild known as the Sapphire Guards. They served the High Eminence of the Kryptonian Council and him alone, operating independently from both the Sword of Rao and the regular military forces.
Nearly one hundred thousand Sapphire Guards were guarding the city of Kandor. They were well-trained, well-equipped, and absolutely loyal to the Council. Under normal circumstances, they would have been an insurmountable obstacle.
But these were not normal circumstances.
The city was peaceful, its citizens going about their daily routines without any knowledge of the doom hanging over their heads.
It would not be peaceful for long.
In the skies above Kandor, hundreds of warships appeared as if materializing from thin air. The vessels bore the markings of the Sword of Rao, their dark hulls cutting through the crimson atmosphere like harbingers of revolution.
An alert went throughout the City of Kandor as warning sirens began to wail. A communication signal was sent from a guard tower to the approaching ships as a Sapphire Guard officer demanded answers.
"What is the meaning of this?" the voice crackled over the communication channel. "Why is the Sword of Rao here with militarized warships? You have no authority in Kandor!"
On the command deck of the lead warship, General Zod stood before his assembled officers as the city of Kandor spread out beneath them. The Sword of Rao warriors filled the bridge. His voice carried across all frequencies in his Armada of ships so that every soldier could hear his words.
"Soldiers of Sword of Rao!" Zod began, his voice carrying the authority of a man who had never led his troops astray. "Today, we do not fight for conquest or glory. We fight for survival."
He gestured toward the viewing ports where Kandor's crystal towers gleamed in the red sunlight.
"The Council sitting in those towers has known for over a century that our world is dying. They have watched as our planet slowly tears itself apart, and they have done nothing. Worse than nothing—they have actively prevented any attempt to save our people."
Murmurs of anger rippled through the assembled warriors.
"They recalled every colony, destroyed every means of escape, and fed our people lies to keep them docile until the end. They are not the leaders of Krypton—they are its executioners!"
Zod's voice grew harder, more intense.
"We are here to take the tools needed to rebuild our civilization among the stars. And we will ensure that our people escape this grave prepared by the Council."
He looked each of his officers in the eye.
"Most of us will not see another sunrise. But our sacrifice will mean that Krypton lives on. That our children and their children will remember what it means to be a Kryptonian. That is worth any price."
The soldiers straightened, their resolve visible in every line of their bodies.
"For Krypton!" Zod roared.
"For Krypton!" the warriors replied in unison, their voices echoing through the ship.
Zod snarled his next command. "Fire."
The lead ship opened fire on the communication outpost, destroying it in a brilliant explosion that lit up the sky. The guard who had been demanding answers was vaporized along with his entire station.
All of the ships began tearing through the city's defenses. The Sapphire Guards scrambled to respond. Their numbers were more than the Sword of Rao, but they had been caught completely off guard by the sudden assault.
The ships moved with purpose toward the Legislative Chamber, their formation tight and coordinated. This wasn't a random attack or a fit of rage—it was a carefully planned military operation designed to achieve specific objectives.
Their goal was not to fight a prolonged battle, but rather to take what they needed and escape before the full might of the Sapphire Guard could be brought to bear against them.
But Zod had one more thing to do here beyond just providing cover for the theft. He had a personal message to deliver to the Council members.
And that message was Death.
.....
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