Chapter Text
Fort Rozz really was a nightmare, one with no escape. It was a maximum-security prison like no other, with prison guards who didn't answer to anyone while they were aboard, who were honored for putting themselves through the same kind of torture the prisoners faced. To a lesser degree, of course; while only having the endless abyss of the Phantom Zone as view was a torture all in itself, it didn't compare to being defenseless among the worst criminals of the galaxy.
That was the true horror of this place. Not the miles of pitch-black space, not the bleak foresight of possibly being here until the end of time, but being among the worst creatures and losing yourself to them.
Astra had prided herself on being able to keep track of the passage of time, no matter where she was held captive, no matter the circumstances, but in the Phantom Zone? There was no time to keep track of. At first she'd tried, using her circadian rhythm as an indicator, but that had only lasted a month or so. It changed, adapted itself to the lack of day and night cycle, and now it was like being awake and being asleep were one and the same.
She'd believe you if you'd say it had been 5 years as much as she'd believe you if you'd say it had been 5 centuries. It didn't matter to her, or any of them, how much time had passed. It was a pointless way to abide your time in a place where unspeakable things happened daily; death would be a mercy that wouldn't ever come.
The woman sighs, staring at the ceiling blankly. There isn't anything to do but to think, think, and think some more. Back on Krypton she could appreciate her times alone, for they wouldn't last forever, not in a world filled with soulmates. She'd always been told that once she did find her soul bond, she'd never want to be alone again.
On top of that she had her twin sister, Alura, who she'd been inseparable from. Alura, whom she loved dearly. Alura, who'd believed her warning regarding Krypton's destruction. Alura, who bears a soul mark.
Alura is five years old when the skin on her upper arm starts to itch and she squeals in excitement. From the other side of the room Astra looks up to her twin sister, seeing her roll up her sleeve. A sentence was starting to take shape and it didn't take long for Astra to catch up, eyes gleaming with anticipation and happiness for her sister.
Her sister was early, the mark of a soulmate not usually appearing before the age of 10, but it wasn't unheard of. It was different for everyone; not just the words, but the way it appeared and behaved as well. Typically they would appear somewhere during the teenage years, with a light sensation, and wouldn't fade until one or both were dead, but for all intents and purposes, these tattoos were as unique as the people themselves. Some would change once the words were spoken, some would thicken rather than fade upon the death of a soulmate, some would call your attention when you're near your soulmate even before words are spoken.
Not even their most advanced technology could predict what it would be and when it would happen; they were a mystery, but one they'd embraced as a society. It was believed that Rao orchestrated these soul bonds and were therefore considered sacred. Not all of these bonds were of a romantic nature, but the great majority of them were.
Kryptonese words appeared and were visible enough to read by now. <You look bored> it read and Astra laughs at that. The only time Alura gets bored is when she draws the short end of the stick and switches places with her, so clearly she is going to win another bet in the nearby future.
Neither of them expected them to be said at that very science fair where Alura took Astra's place the same day. She spun around and faced Zor-El, beaming when she spoke the words that were carved onto his stomach, <”It's you!”>
When Alura had told her about it, Astra had been thrilled for her and demanded to meet him at once. How eager she'd been to get her soul mark after hearing her sister's experience with it, how warm it had made her feel and how lovely her mate is. All she'd been able to think about was what her own soul bond would be like, what the words could possibly be, if they'd be as nice as Zor-El was.
She kept hoping for that, day in and day out, waiting for the day it would appear. She didn't fool herself into thinking that she'd be early like her sister - just because they were genetically identical didn't mean Rao had the same path in mind for them - but surely it should appear around the same time of her peers.
But it didn't and those peers would make sure she remembered that every day, with their relentless teasing. It wasn't anything new to her as they'd teased her before for being a twin; it was a phenomenon that shouldn't have happened in the first place, or be possible at all. A mistake of the Codex, that's all she was to them.
Astra is thirteen when she decides that enough is enough. It's not easy being a twin on Krypton, in a place where a machine fabricates Kryptonians to the point of perfection, where there is only one person needed to fill a position and no place for a second. Ever since Alura's gotten a soulmate, Astra's been getting the brunt of it, as if having a soul bond somehow proves that she's the original and Astra is nothing but her copy.
She's tired of being seen merely as Alura's twin, of the disappointment she sees on everyone's faces when they discover it's her and not her counterpart, and of the pout Zor-El makes at her whenever she takes Alura's place. He always knows when it's Alura because his mark tingles when she's near, something he doesn't have with Astra.
The cruelty of her peers she can handle, but she doesn't want Alura to face it whenever she takes her place, and so she decides she needs a mark of her own. Her own soul mark has not come in yet, but even when it does, there is no guarantee it will be in a visible place. She needs something that is obvious.
So she decides to burn away the pigment in a strand of hair on her temple. Perhaps it's not her most brilliant plan, especially not when her parents find out about it and her father In-Ze scolds her for at least a solid hour, but it's effective.
When Alura sees it, she merely smiles. <”I think it suits you, sister,”> she says, and it's enough for Astra to gain confidence in her decision, returning the smile with ease.
Astra's finger had found her way to her hair, part of the white strand wrapped around it, the same smile from back then gracing her features as she reminisced.
Her peers had found a way to spin that change into something bad, of course, comparing her to the most oblivious creature to roam their planet, most recognizable by the highlighted streak in its fur. Again they tried to bring her down and make her feel like an incompetent, but it hadn't mattered. They left Alura alone after that, everyone knew they were talking to Astra rather than her twin when speaking to her, and that was all she'd wanted out of it.
From that moment forward, Astra started to embrace their differences and build upon them to become her own person. She was drifting more and more towards becoming the brawn of the two while Alura was the brain, despite the two of them having the same intelligence, as her sister had an undeniable knack for diplomacy that she didn't seem to have.
So while the soul-bound twin was well on her way to becoming the best Judicator Krypton had ever known, Astra ended up turning to the Military Guild.
Astra is twenty and her soul mark still hasn't come, so the Military Guild had seemed like the best option. She'd familiarized herself with various battle strategies and turned out to be an excellent tactician, and without anything to lose, she was quick to rise the ranks.
Naturally, her fellow soldiers were somewhat skeptical in the beginning. What was she fighting for if not for the protection of her soulmate, after all? But she'd quickly earned both their respect and that of their superiors by working hard and being fearless.
There was no objection to Astra being reckless with her life. After all, there is no soulmate that will be left behind, heartbroken and dysfunctional by her absence, because there is none. It's both an advantage and a disadvantage at times, but she makes it work; fighting for Alura is enough, as it always has been.
She wonders, sometimes, if her lack of soul bond is because she is a twin. There aren't any other twins that she knows of and can ask about it, but it wouldn't surprise her if there simply hadn't been space for a soulmate of her own. Maybe Zor-El was actually her soulmate - she was supposed to be at that fair, maybe she'd have gotten the tattoo instead of Alura if she'd gone instead - but it didn't matter now. He's Alura's, not hers.
That doesn't mean she's given up on the notion however, Astra still silently hopes that one day she will have a soulmate too and prays to Rao it will be sooner rather than later.
Until then however, she will keep Krypton safe and explore the rest of their galaxy on her missions.
A military life wasn't a bad one by any means. She'd picked up on at least twenty different languages along the way, just so she could communicate with the populace of the planets she visited. Astra would always bring along a trinket from local markets, in whatever shape they came, as a memory of the good times.
The bad times didn't need an object to be remembered, those would be burned into her memory. They still plague her to this day, the few times she'd failed to save people in time, or was forced to act with lethal force.
It was all worth it in the end though, especially when her list of people to protect expanded.
Astra is twenty-three when she gets a message from her brother-in-law, grinning broadly at the news of them getting to pick up their child. She rushes to their home as fast as her vehicle lets her, eager to meet this new addition to their family.
She practically runs through the building to find them, almost knocking Zor-El over when he happens to round the corner, but coming to a stop just in time. Before she can open her mouth to ask, the man smiles and gestures for her to follow him. <”Come meet your niece, Astra.”>
When they step into the room, Astra gasps at the sight of her sister with the little one. Alura is positively glowing with the infant in her arms, who is gurgling happily. But it's not until she gets closer and really gets to take a look at the young Kryptonian that her heart melts completely; she is so beautiful.
<”This is my sister Astra, Kara. She's your aunt,”> she can hear Alura say, the warmth evident in her voice, matching the smile she's been donning.
Innocent blue eyes gaze at Astra's curiously when she's close enough, and she smiles. <”Hello there, little one.”>
It's a major relief when Kara Zor-El lights up then, making grabbing motions towards Astra, making Alura chuckle. <”I think she wants you to hold her.”>
She didn't have to be told twice, gently taking over her niece and bouncing her softly. Kara immediately reaches out for the streak of white hair, playing with it and giving it an experimental taste. The child seems satisfied with the result it gave her, continuing to toy with it.
It warms Astra's heart more than she can describe, to see her niece enraptured by the one feature that is exclusive to herself, and she vows then to protect Kara to the best of her capabilities.
Her habit to pick up a trinket on her missions grew to bringing a second one along for Kara then, with the promise to one day take her there when she was older. The excitement of her Little One made it all worth it and became something to look forward to.
Astra might not have made the vow to protect her official in any way, but she'd kept it. It isn't worth much now when she's trapped in Fort Rozz and she'd seen Krypton implode on itself, but she'd done everything in her power to make sure Alura's child would be safe.
It's eleven years after Kara is born, when she is a respected General, that she discovers Krypton won't be around for much longer. She noticed a spike in the gravitational pull and went to the Science Guild personally to have it checked out. This is where she meets Non, who seems to be the only one willing to help her and not dismiss it as a miscalculation or malfunction of the system's readings.
The results are nothing short of terrifying.
It wasn't surprising with how they'd been abusing their planet's resources, but it came as a shock to see just how bad it was. The support for their crust was barely existent anymore and at this rate the whole thing would collapse on itself within a year, two years at best.
She's gone before Non can blink, speeding towards her family. There was no time to spare, not with a core this unstable. All Astra could do was hope she wasn't too late yet, dire as the situation may seem.
By the time she finds Alura, she is panting in the door opening, looking very frantic. <”Where is Kara?”> She checks, stepping inside and sealing the room. She doesn't want her niece to worry about this; brilliant as she is, she is still a child, and no child should have to bear a burden such as this.
<”On a trip with Zor-El.”> She frowns as she takes her sister in. <”Are you alright, Astra?”>
Shaking her head, Astra quickly takes the seat opposite to Alura. There is no time to sugarcoat any of this. <”Krypton is dying, Alura.”>
For a moment, she doesn't respond at all, frozen in her seat. The only indication that the woman is still alive is the rise and fall of her chest, but then her expression hardens, voice carefully controlled. <”Are you certain of this?”>
<”Yes, I wouldn't come to you otherwise.”> Astra sighs. She found the information, but doesn't know what to do with it, nothing that isn't illegal anyway. Her sister has been working with and against the system for years however, so if anyone knows how to do this properly, it's her.
Alura's plan involved telling the Council what is happening and letting them deal with it. Surely they'd want to preserve the planet they were in charge of, or so was her reasoning. When that preservation involved stopping the drain of the planet's resources however, their greed seemed to stop them from taking any action.
<”Whatever happens next,”> Astra told Alura, grabbing her by her arms. <”If the situation calls for it, you get Kara and get her out of here.”>
Her sister nodded, cupping her cheek gently. <”I promise you, I will bring Kara to safety, no matter what.”>
That is all Astra'd needed. Soul marks be damned, she had no need for one, not when Krypton and her own blood needed her full attention. As far as she was concerned, the planet was her soul bond.
So she'd gone back to Non and together they started the Myriad project, trying to convince the ordinary people that they needed to change their lifestyles. That Krypton wasn't a playground for them to destroy, but that it was as alive as any of them and needed to be taken care of.
But nothing they did had been enough, nothing they could say would have changed their minds, so they'd tried it through fear. Neither of them had meant for any casualties, but drastic measures had to be taken in order to get anyone to listen. They destroyed the equivalent of a power plant that was harmful to the planet to send a message, and it brought 18 people to Rao's light.
Astra mourned them all, knew their names and faces, still remembers and gets haunted by them. She was the one to decide when they were going to strike, had gone into their database to figure out the least devastating moment, and this was the best she could do.
Myriad was completed mere moments before Kara summoned her with her spy-beacon. They were going to activate it the next day, use Argo City as a supercomputer, thousands of minds working together for a solution to save the planet, but it wasn't meant to be. Alura had decided on that very day to lure them in and capture them, the visit a trap for Astra while her husband had been caught elsewhere.
They were sentenced the day Myriad was supposed to go live. Instead of the day they'd save Krypton it had been the day to condemn it, and that was perhaps the worst thing about this situation. One more day and her family and planet would still be here. Just one.
It was hard not to hate her sister for that, possibly her niece too. Sweet Kara, the bait in Alura's plan, or perhaps the mastermind of the plan itself. Had Alura known Kara would summon her and taken advantage on the spot? Had Kara known Alura would use this opportunity? The uncertainty made Astra hate them both, but Rao, she still loved them so much, she'd give anything to see them again.
But the longer she was here, the more love turned to hate. It was only a matter of passing moments until it would all be gone, all memories bitter; she'd be just another monster in Fort Rozz.
Astra jerks up when she's drawn back to reality - whether she had been asleep or lost in thought was a mystery, though irrelevant - her wrist burning violently. She hisses and grits her teeth against the pain, staring at her wrist as angry red lines start to appear.
<”What in Rao's name?”>
More lines, and it's now clear that this is not written in Kryptonese. Not even in the worst handwriting on her planet would the symbols look so curvy and loopy. The harsh lines of red are now seemingly welting, turning a harsh black and finally, finally it stops burning, a relieving breeze of cold passing through before it's just another part of her skin.
The woman stares at it curiously, trying to make out what writing system this is. It's not any she is intimately familiar with, not a fluent language, and the fact that this is handwritten makes it even harder to decipher.
When it finally hits her, she lets out a bitter laugh. The script is of the planet they had chosen as their safe-haven, should the time for running arise. It is of Earth, and while she hasn't mastered any of the languages yet, this is one of the very few words she did know how to read.
"Alura" it reads, and of course even her own soulmate would know of her sister. Always Alura's twin, even to her mate.
Astra tries to squash the blooming hope that this could mean her sister was alive and well back on Earth, Kara with her and perhaps even Zor-El. Maybe they'd taken along Lara and Jor-El too, them and whatever they named the child that the woman carried when she last saw them. But it wouldn't do to hold onto hope when she was stuck in the Phantom Zone, for there was no getting out.
Her soulmate would have to live without her, just another burden to bear for eternity.