Faura and Non's escort ship was only a thousand kilometers away from the City of Rao and would enter the city premises within three minutes. The journey from Kandor had been tense but successful—they had the precious cargo that would ensure their species' survival.
Just then, firing started on their ship as they found that five Sapphire Guard ships were following them. The energy blasts struck their rear shields, causing the ship to shudder under the impact.
It only meant one thing—their forces in Kandor had been reduced by a lot.
Faura looked at the pilot and said, "Keep going. Once we enter the City of Rao—"
But that was easier said than done. The pursuing ships were gaining ground, and their weapons were getting more accurate with each passing second.
The Sapphire Guard ships sent a communication frequency over their ship. The sender's voice was cold and authoritative as he spoke.
"Surrender yourself and return the Codex. Your forces will soon be annihilated, and your leader will face judgment. If you surrender, you may keep your lives and join your leader in his life imprisonment."
Faura scoffed at this proposal. "What's the matter? Why not blast us as well? The cargo is too precious, isn't it?"
The Sapphire Guard remained silent on the communication channel.
The silence confirmed Faura's thoughts.
They wouldn't be destroying the ship because the Codex was too important for them. The genetic template of their entire species was irreplaceable—even the Council wouldn't risk its destruction just to stop a few rebels.
She cut off the communication and turned to the pilot. "Maintain distance and keep looking for any incoming attacks. They can't destroy the ship, but they can certainly damage it enough to force us to crash land."
The pilot nodded grimly. "Understood, Commander. I'll do my best to keep us in the air."
The escort ship weaved through the sky as the Sapphire Guards continued their pursuit. Energy bolts flew past them, some missing by mere meters. The guards were being careful—they wanted to disable the ship, not destroy it.
Just then, one of the Sapphire Guard ships closed the distance rapidly. Non understood immediately what they were planning.
"They're trying to ram their ship into ours," he said urgently.
The pilot immediately tried to move to the other side, but there was another Sapphire Guard ship waiting there. They had coordinated their approach to box in the escort ship.
The pilot thought of something and was about to pull the ship upwards when multiple firing shots came from the front. The new attackers aimed at the Sapphire Guard ships and destroyed them one by one.
The ships in the front bore the markings of House Rao.
The communication frequency of the escort ship received a message. "The Lord is waiting for you. Follow us."
This was the voice of Jon-Sno, and it was the most welcome sound Faura had heard all day.
With the Sapphire Guards eliminated, Jon-Sno escorted Faura and the others back to the House of Rao estate. The journey that had seemed impossible just moments before was now safe and secure.
City of Rao
Faura's ship landed on the Rao estate as I came out to receive them personally. The landing platform was bustling with activity as our people prepared for the final departure. Time was running short, and every second counted.
Jon came out of his own ship and stood right next to me.
Faura and Non emerged from their ship, followed by their squadrons. They moved despite their exhaustion from the battle in Kandor. These were soldiers who had just completed one of the most dangerous missions in Kryptonian history.
Immediately, Faura and Non raised their hands to their chests in formal salute. Their squadrons followed suit, acknowledging their new lord according to military protocol.
"Lord Rao," Faura said, her voice carrying both respect and relief, "we have secured a hundred birth chambers and the Codex."
As she spoke, Non stepped forward and presented me with the small facial skeleton that contained our species' genetic heritage.
The small skeleton seemed almost insignificant, but I knew it represented the difference between extinction and eventual restoration.
I nodded as I took the Codex and examined it for a moment.
"Good work," I said simply.
I deliberately did not ask about Zod. There would be time for grief later. Right now, we needed to focus on the mission.
"General Zod has already informed me about you and your squadrons," I continued. "Welcome aboard."
Faura nodded acknowledgment. "We will soon receive a clearance signal from our remaining troops in Kandor about the deactivation of the planetary defenses. Once we receive that signal, we will have a five-minute window to get out of Krypton's atmosphere."
The planetary defense grid was the final obstacle to our escape. Even with the Phantom Drive, we couldn't simply teleport away from the planet's surface—the drive required us to reach a certain distance from Krypton's gravity well before it could activate.
"I see," I replied. "Let's get the birth chambers onboard."
With only fifteen thousand people, these birth chambers will help us to increase the population faster.
As our people began the urgent work of transferring the birth chambers to our evacuation ship, I found myself thinking about what we were leaving behind.
Krypton had been our home for thousands of years. Our ancestors had built a magnificent civilization here, had reached heights of scientific and cultural achievement that few species could match.
And now we were abandoning it all.
But there was no choice. The alternative was extinction, and that was unacceptable. Better to preserve what we could and rebuild elsewhere than to die with false pride on a doomed world.
Just then Jor came right next to me with an expression of urgency on his face.
"The Phantom Drive is fully charged and ready," he reported. "All passengers except the ones here are aboard and secured. We're just waiting for the birth chambers and the clearance signal."
"How long until the drive can activate once we launch?" I asked.
"Approximately three minutes to reach the minimum safe distance," Jor-El replied. "The planetary gravity well interferes with the spatial compression field, so we need to be well clear of the atmosphere."
I nodded.
The loading crews were working with impressive efficiency. The birth chambers were being moved onto our ship using anti-gravity platforms, each one carefully secured to prevent damage during launch.
"Jon," I called out to my military commander. "What's our defensive situation?"
"All of our remaining forces are positioned around the launch site," he replied. "If any Sapphire Guards try to interfere with our departure, we'll be ready for them."
The ground crews continued their work as we waited for the clearance signal from Kandor. Every minute that passed increased the risk that something would go wrong, that some unforeseen complication would prevent our escape.
But our people worked with the dedication that had made Krypton great. They understood that they were participating in something historic—the preservation of their entire species. That knowledge drove them to perform beyond normal limits.
"The last birth chamber is being loaded now," Faura reported. "We'll be ready for departure within two minutes."
I nodded, feeling a mixture of anticipation and dread. We were so close to success, but so much could still go wrong. The planetary defenses and potential Sapphire Guard interference—any of these could doom our mission.
"Lord Rao," one of the communication officers called out. "We're receiving a transmission from Kandor."
This was it. Either Zod's remaining forces had succeeded in disabling the planetary defenses, or we were about to receive very bad news.
"Put it through," I ordered.
A crackly voice came over the speakers. It was weak and filled with static, but clearly audible.
"House Rao, this is Lieutenant General Kam-Lo. The planetary defense grid has been disabled. You have a five-minute window for departure. Repeat, five minutes. Make it count."
Relief flooded through me. The final obstacle had been removed. We could escape.
"Acknowledged, Lieutenant General," I replied into the communicator.
The transmission ended, and I turned to address everyone present.
"This is it," I announced. "All personnel board the ship immediately. We launch in sixty seconds."
The final preparations moved with clockwork precision. The last of the equipment was secured, the remaining crew members hurried aboard, and all systems were brought to full readiness.
I was about to board the ship myself when the ground started to shake violently. The tremor was unlike anything I had ever experienced—it felt as if the very planet was tearing itself apart.
My face turned grave as I received LYRA's voice through my earpiece.
"My lord, the core's meltdown has begun!"
.....
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