Chapter Text
Jor-El, deep down, knew he would be facing an incredibly difficult task. Even with his months of data, research, and information he had gleaned on many, many expeditions to the wastelands of Krypton, it would not make the truth any easier to swallow. Krypton was doomed, and its end was coming sooner than later. He had to be sure, of course, that he hadn’t missed a key detail, or a minor mathematical error. Even the slightest such error would only undermine any of the good he’d managed to do, or any hope he’d managed to scrape together for the fate of his people.
Those tense thoughts had been at the forefront of his mind when he had first stepped inside the Council chamber, holoboard jam-packed with calculations under his arm. He’d hoped that his aiding in the defeat of Zod’s mad schemes would grant him some leeway with the council.
That had been ten minutes ago. Before the Council had heard his statements. Before they had decided, confirming Jor-El’s worse fears, to jam their heads back into the sand.
“At the expense of repeating everything you have just said,” one of the older members of the Council began. “You wish to uproot our entire civilization over your fear of a few earthquakes?”
“With all due respect, Councilman,” Jor-El replied, pointing back to the displays of his research on the holoboard. “These tremors are far too regular to be normal earthquakes, and they grow stronger by the day! Based on my current projections, it will only be a few days before they reach a frequency and intensity enough to destroy Krypton entirely.”
“All other evidence has pointed towards this being nothing more than a standard, minor geological polar shift, nothing more.” another Councilman said, scoffing sharply. “And what sort of tremor is strong enough to destroy an entire planet, Jor-El? What sort of logic is that? Planets do not just explode.”
“I am fully aware of that, Councilman,” Jor-El replied, before motioning to his displays once more. “But the evidence suggests that this may be the consequences of the Great War. The core ”
“That was ten centuries ago, Jor-El,” Yet another Councilman countered. “Whatever residual effects the war may have had would have already manifested. And besides, are you a geologist?”
Jor-El hesitated briefly, before shaking his head. “No, but I do not think that matters when the lives of billions are at--”
“If you are not a geologist, then you have no place investigating geological phenomena, do you? Tell, Jor-El, what caste to you hail from?”
Jor-El was silent for a moment.
“Answer me, Jor-El.”
“Astrophysicist, sir.”
“Ah, I see. An astrophysicist. And aren’t you, Jor-El, the same Jor-El who has already come before this very council with a request to waive the conception laws in regards to the birth of your child?”
“I am, but I fail to see what that has to do with--"
“Oh I see it quite clearly. You have a history of going against the grain, Jor-El. Bypassing the rules. Overstepping your bounds. Stepping out of line. You may have already dabbled unwarrantedly in a multitude of sciences, but dabbling does equate expertise. You may have had the sympathy of the council in regards to your child’s conception, but your father is no longer here to sway us, is he?”
Jor-El shook his head. “No, Councilman. He is not.”
The angry councilman nodded, crossing his arms. “Exactly. I for one, will not entertain your childish, apocalyptic fantasies and delusions. All they will do is cause unnecessary strife and disturbance among the populace. And all without the slightest hint at anything even vaguely resembling a solution! We’re already dealing with the aftermath of Zod’s attempted coup, the last thing we need is astrophysicists stepping out of their bounds, and attempting to disturb the peace even further!”
Jor-El didn’t respond, simply looking up at the council with a look of angered confusion. “If you would just listen to me for a few more minutes,” He began, motioning to his display again. “I have taken it upon myself to prepare a ship, a small ship for deep space travel! All we have to do is send an explorer ahead, and then place ourselves in the Phantom Zone for a short time--”
“The Phantom Zone?! Are you insane , Jor-El?!” the first Councilman said. “You are dismissed .”
“But--”
“Enough. Leave .”
Jor-El had no answer, instead simply grabbing his holoboard, and walking out of the Council chamber, the heavy imposing doors closing behind him.
The young, matronly bunny gazed down lovingly at the quietly sleeping infant in its crib. A pensive look was on the mother’s face, as another low, uneasy rumble vibrated through the house, causing it to creak audibly, and the baby in the crib to shift in her sleep.
Rubbing a gentle, calming paw over the baby’s coat, the mother’s ears perked up at the sound of repulsors. She cast a glance over her shoulder, she was greeted by the sight of a small, hovering droid.
“Oh, Kelex. What is it?” she asked, refocusing her attention on the sleeping infant.
“Your mate has returned, Madame Lara.” The robot replied calmly, voice as level and sterile as always.
The rabbit’s--Lara’s--eyebrows knit together slightly. “What did he say?”
“He asked that you come speak to him privately, ma’am.” Kelex answered.
Lara looked back down at her infant, who remained sleeping soundly and quietly in her crib. The mother’s paw gave the sleeping infant one last loving stroke. “I’ll be right back, my darling Kara,” she whispered, before standing from her chair by the crib and quietly walking to the door that lead out of the nursery. She paused in the doorway, turning to look at the floating droid.
“Please, keep an eye on Kara, will you Kelex?”
The droid’s headpiece tilted forwards slightly. “Of course, Madame Lara.”
Lara smiled thinly, before stepping into the hallway that lead to the living quarters. She walked slowly, paws wrung together pensively as she looked ahead to see, standing in the living room and looking equally concerned, if not more so, her mate.
“Jor-El, you’ve returned from your meeting with the council already?” She asked, walking up to him and clasping his paws within her own. “What did they say?”
Her husband's face grew dark, and he gazed out the window that showed the steady surge of the ocean outside.
“Darling?” Lara pleaded, gently turning his face towards hers with a paw. “What did the council say?”
Jor-El gave a deep sigh. “They said I was speaking out of turn. That my findings were ‘unsupported by the evidence’.”
“Unsupported by the evidence?” Lara asked, shaking her head in confusion. “But what about the tremors? The eruptions in the northlands?”
Jor-El pulled his paws free from Lara’s, clenching them together in frustration as he made his way to the window, looking out over the ocean, visibly angry. “They said it was none of my business. Told me that as a physicist and astronomer, I had no authority looking into geological events. They even said I had already stepped out of my bounds enough and should just return to my designated place. Like some sort of drone.”
Lara quietly walked up to Jor-El, resting her head on his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him from behind. “Then what do you plan to do now?”
Jor-El took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the horizon, where, looming in the distance, growing larger by the second, were dark storm clouds.
“This planet is doomed, Lara,” he answered quietly, voice dark. “Both you and I know it.”
As if to underline his words, there was another low rumble, the glass of the window visibly shaking and creaking. Lara’s grip around her husband tightened.
“Are you absolutely sure? Sure that there’s no other way?” she asked in a hushed, fearful voice.
Jor-El simply nodded. “Even if there was, it’s not like I can move our entire civilization off world just like that. I have neither the time nor the means. Even my previous solution would have required full cooperation of the Council, and they rejected that out of hand.”
“Then what about Kara?” Lara asked, looking at her husband’s reflexed image in the glass. “Will her fate be the same as ours?”
Jor-El tensed. “No.” he answered sternly. “It will not.”
“Then what will be her fate?”
“Simple. We send her away.”
Now it was Lara’s turn to tense up. “Send her away? Where? Krypton has been all our people have known for centuries, Jor-El.”
“What good is knowing a place that is about to die, Lara?”
Lara was silent, clenching Jor-El a little tighter as everything began to shake with another tremor.
“It’s already happening. We must hurry.” Jor-El said, gently releasing himself from Lara’s arms and starting down the hallway towards the baby’s room. Lara’s concerned gaze followed him, her feet following soon after as she quickly caught up with him.
“Jor-El, where-- how --are you going to save Kara? The teleportation drives only work for on-world, and you said yourself the entire planet is doomed!”
“Don’t worry, darling, I told you, I have a plan.”
Lara reached a paw out, clenching it on Jor-El’s shoulder firmly. “You are absolutely not sending our only child to that horrific Phantom Zone! She would die there in an instant!”
Jor-El turned, giving Lara his best comforting smile. “The thought never even crossed my mind, dearest Lara. I will instead send her off world.”
“Off world ? Where?! The closest is Daxam, and they are utter savages!”
“No, Daxam is too close. When Krypton is destroyed, so will it.”
“Then where Jor-El? Tameran? Thanagar? Almerac? New Genesis? All of those are light years--even parsecs away! And they’re all so alien to us! She’d be ostracized!”
“Don't worry yourself, Lara. I know the exact place I want Kara to be sent to. Now,” he motioned towards the baby’s room. “Go, get Kara ready.”
Lara hesitated, hands now wringing once more worriedly. “After I get her, will you at least tell me where you plan on sending her?”
“Of course.” Jor-El nodded. “I would be a fool to hide it from you.” Lara gave a weak nod, ducking away as a smaller tremor rocked the house. Kara was still sleeping soundly, a small puddle of drool having puddled around her mouth. It pained Lara to have to rouse her as she leaned in to scoop the child up, but surprisingly Kara continued sleeping, snuggling into the crook of Lara’s arm as she returned to Jor-El.
“She’s still sleeping,” Lara whispered. “Now, will you please tell me where you plan to send her?”
“Earth.” Jor-El answered, beckoning for her to follow him to the large laboratory that was down a staircase and on the floor below.
“Earth?” Lara asked, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. She had vague recollections of it being mentioned as the third world in a small, backwater system occasionally mentioned in some star charts, but beyond that, her mind was a total blank. “You mean that backwater world?”
Jor-El nodded, already quickly striding over to the tarp covered object in the center of the room. “Yes. That one.” As he spoke, he yanked off the heavy tarp, revealing a small, rather humble looking spacecraft. He pressed some buttons, and the door to the ship opened with a hiss, revealing its interior, while Jor-El quickly slid into the seat, bringing up the holoscreen.
“Darling, are you sure it will work?” Lara asked worriedly as another tremor, far more intense this time, sent visible cracks scurrying up the wall. She bundled the sleeping Kara even more, eyes worriedly darting between the spreading cracks.
“No, I am not, but it is our only viable option.” Jor-El answered, shaking his head sharply. “It must.” Jor-El added, paws busily typing on the holoscreen, map coordinates and star charts flickering by.
“But why that planet? Why such a primitive, dare I say savage world?” she asked, catching sight of a data sheet about the planet. “They don’t even have the simplest of warp drives yet.”
“Because there she will be safe. There she will be strong.” Jor-El answered, pausing his typing to give Lara a comforting smile.
“How can you be so sure? How do you know the environment won’t poison her?” Lara pressed, her arms still wrapped tight around the sleeping child.
“I’ve already thought of that, my dearest. It’s a near identical atmosphere, cleaner even! Most importantly, it has a yellow sun. The sun there will make her strong--stronger than anything else they could possibly imagine. It will strengthen her mind, her body. Trust me.”
“But...what good is that if she forgets us?” Lara asked, tearfully looking down at the child. “She’d be a stranger, in a place where she’d never fit in...how would she cope?”
Jor-El paused. Another tremor rumbled the home. He got out of the ship, walking slowly over to Lara, and looking down at the sleeping Kara.
“I can only hope she won’t forget us. I left a recording inside the ship of myself. Some basic information, really, nothing too sentimental. We can make one of you, if you wish.”
Lara was silent for a moment, the uneasy rumbling of another tremor resounding through the home. She gave a quiet nod.
“I would love that.” she whispered.
Jor-El nodded slightly, stepping away from Lara to go fetch the recorder, a small, rather non-descript device that had a single lens. He brought it over to Lara, who cradled Kara closer to her as she looked up into the lens.
“Dear Kara, I am Lara-El, your mother,” she began, swallowing back a glut of tears. “I truly believe you have grown into a fine, beautiful young lady, who knows the warmth of a loving, caring family, wherever you find yourself. I know this is probably a touch overwhelming for you, but trust me when I say that, no matter what you may have feared, me and your father loved you with all of our hearts. Don’t be sorrowful. You were blessed with a gift, a gift more wondrous than any you can imagine. The gift of a fresh start, far away from our dying, sterile world. How I wish I could be there to see you in the flesh, but I know I cannot. I pray you never forget this, and go on to live a truly free and blessed life. A life filled with those who love you. You may find yourself feeling alone--out of place, but you are not. You are my daughter. My shining star. The center of my universe. You’ve probably already seen your father’s message. There he may tell you about your powers, those gifts you’ve no doubt discovered you possess. Use them well. Return cruelty with kindness, injustice with justice. Help the helpless, those in need, because while you may have powers, miraculous abilities, they do not define you. Your actions do. So live a life that speaks of nobility. Of kindness. Of love. Like the love I have for you, my precious one.”
She then swallowed, clearing her throat and wiping away her tears. “I think I over did it,” she tried to laugh, looking down at her child. “Goodbye, my dearest.” She whispered, walking to the spaceship, and gently resting the child inside.
Jor-El silently walked over, placing the recording device inside, before wrapping a paw around his mate’s.
“There’s still room for you, if you wish.” he said quietly. “I can easily program the life support to--”
Lara shook her head, wiping away tears. “No. No, it is better this way. If I went, I would only yearn for you. I wouldn’t be able to withstand the pain. We chose to forgo the genetic programming with Kara for a reason. Let her have the freedom of choice. The freedom to do whatever she wants. She won’t be able to have that with me there, chained to the past.”
Without any further words, she reached up, grabbing the handle for the ship’s doorway and pulling the door shut. It clasped shut with a mechanical hiss, and Lara jolted slightly, before pulling herself into Jor-El’s arms as she began to weep.
“Goodbye, my child,” Jor-El said quietly, paw brushing against the clear window before letting it drift to the control panel nearby. “May your new home welcome you."
With that, he pressed the launch button, beckoning Lara a few steps back as the rocket began to roar to life, the rumble of the engine matching the rumble of an oncoming tremor.
“And so it ends.” Jor-El whispered, as the rocket launched skywards, as the roar of the tremor grew deafening, as the planet began its final spasms.
As the rumbling and exploding eruptions of magma burst forth from the planet’s surface, drowning out the agonized, terrified shrieks of billions, a small, fast moving spacecraft could be seen hurdling out of the atmosphere and towards the stars.
As it did so, a swirling, vibrant wormhole opened before it, gently drawing it within as the planet behind it finally exploded in a blinding burst.
Inside the probe, sleeping peacefully, was a small, baby bunny.
Krypton was no more, but the infant’s journey had only just begun.