“Concentrate fire on the main doors!”
CHAPTER FOUR
Jor-El and Kelex fought to repel the invaders. An overeager gunship came too close and Jor-El brought it down with a well-aimed blast to its propulsion unit. The sky-boat crashed into the rocky cliff beneath the terrace. Flaming wreckage cascaded down onto the grasslands hundreds of lengths below.
Frightened wildlife fled in panic. A herd of Rondors stampeded away from the fighting.
The rebels retaliated by unleashing a devastating series of blasts at Jor-El’s position. Despite his heavy armor, he rolled out of the way of the bursts, but their combined force was enough to bring down the entire archway, which collapsed on top of him. An avalanche of pulverized carbon and silica smashed him to the floor, burying him beneath heaps of rubble.
His armor shielded him from serious injury, but he found himself trapped, unable to move. Grunting with exertion, he tried to free himself, but the piled debris was too heavy. No Kryptonian could lift such a load.
“Hold on, sir!” Kelex called out. “I’m coming.”
The robot rushed to his aid. Mechanical limbs cleared away the heavy rubble. A steel hand took hold of Jor-El’s, pulling the trapped scientist free. Powdered silica clung to his face and armor as he regained his footing behind the fallen remains of the archway. This was at least twice that Kelex had saved him from Zod’s soldiers, he mused.
If only I’d had flesh-and-blood allies who were so reliable…
They were fighting a losing battle, however. An armored gunship touched down on the terrace, disgorging dozens of enemy soldiers. Jor-El knew that he and Kelex couldn’t possibly repel them all. Within minutes, the Citadel would be overrun by Zod’s forces. The Sword of Rao was at his throat.
No, he thought. Lara needs more time. Our child is not yet safe.
Kelex’s “head” pivoted in his direction. His servomotors whirred into readiness.
“It’s been an honor, sir,” the robot said, and Jor-El knew what he intended to do.
“Kelex, no!”
“I’m not important,” came the response. “None of us are. The only thing that matters is saving the child.”
The robot reached back with both mechanical hands and unlatched the outer casings on the obliques of his artificial musculature, exposing a pair of plasma grenades mounted to his inner chassis. He activated the grenades, which beeped and blinked ominously. Then he swiveled away from Jor-El.
“He is our future!”
Dashing out from behind the heaps of rubble, Kelex ran straight at the gunship and its crew. His robotic limbs carried him across the terrace at astonishing speed. Panicked soldiers, recognizing a suicide run, fired frantically at the charging war-bot. A plasma burst blew off Kelex’s right arm, but he kept on coming.
He sprang over the heads of the rebels and into very gullet of the ship, landing amidst the assault team. Doomed men scrambled away from him.
Abruptly the grenades went off, blowing apart the robot, the ship, and the surrounding soldiers. Jor-El watched wide-eyed as the scene transformed into an explosion of flying plasma and shrapnel. He ducked his head to avoid being tagged by the molten metal.
As the debris settled, smoke rose from the gutted remains of the gunship.
Ever loyal, Kelex had destroyed himself for the House of El.
Jor-El resolved not to let that sacrifice go to waste. He retreated back into the Citadel, hoping that the rubble and burning gunships would slow Zod and his renegades long enough for Lara to complete the launch.
Hurry, my love, he thought. Zod is coming.
The cradle module ascended into the waiting starcraft. An open hatchway sealed behind it, putting another layer of separation between Lara and her son. She stood at the launch controls, accompanied by Kelor.
“Phantom drives are coming online, mistress,” the ’bot announced.
Lara nodded and initiated the launch sequence. Despite the Citadel-shaking combat raging outside, and fears for her husband’s safety, she forced herself to focus on the task at hand.
She and Jor-El had been partners in this endeavor since the beginning, ever since his research revealed the truth of Krypton’s impending doom. An accomplished scholar and historian in her own right, she had gladly volunteered to give birth to Kal-El as their ancestors had done. Yet the entire time, she had known that they would not raise him as their own.
She had just never expected it would be so hard.
The starcraft, now bearing little Kal-El, rotated into position. Vapors vented from the engines as the vessel powered up its thrusters. Biomechanical umbilical cords detached themselves from the craft.
The realization that she was sending her child away from her, forever, was like a dagger to the heart. Chances were she would never even know if he arrived safely at the primitive world so many light-years away. Nor could she guess what lonely fate awaited him there.
I have to do this, she reminded herself. We have no choice.
So she keyed in the penultimate sequence. High above her, the vast dome of the observatory began to open…
Zod’s personal transport touched down on the terrace, not far from the flaming remains of the advance ship. Exiting his craft, he scowled at the wreckage. He had watched as the events unfolded. That suicidal robot had cost him many loyal soldiers.
Damn you, Jor-El, he thought angrily. This is unnecessary. Why couldn’t you work with me to save our people… and restore Krypton’s greatness?
Flanked by Faora and Nam-Ek, he marched briskly toward the collapsed archway. His dark eyes scanned the battleground, and he remained on guard for traps. As far as he knew, Jor-El had few allies these days, but a smart soldier never underestimated the opposition. Even when the enemy is your oldest friend.
Monitoring the comms, Faora lifted a hand to her ear. Her brow furrowed pensively.
“General, we’ve identified an engine ignition within the Citadel—”
An engine? Zod tried to make sense of this new development. What in Rao’s name is Jor-El up to now? His forces had intercepted the alarms from the Genesis Chamber. Could it be that Jor-El was attempting to escape with the stolen Codex?
That could not be permitted. Zod had his own plans for the Codex—and for the future of the Kryptonian race.
“Hold this platform, commander!” he ordered, leaving Faora behind as he quickened his pace toward the entrance. Avid soldiers were already clearing away the rubble that blocked the way. Zod led a contingent into the building, which he knew well in happier days.
The unmistakable thrum of engines drew him to Jor-El’s well-equipped observatory, where he found his old friend standing alongside a compact vessel that appeared designed for interstellar travel. Its thrusters pulsed with pure light.
Lara stood nearby, at a post in front of a pulsing control panel.
The glow from the starcraft cast Jor-El in stark shadow. With his back to the newcomers, he resembled some mythic hero from Krypton’s illustrious past. If he knew they were there, he gave no sign, A plasma carbine rested in his grip. Powdered silica dusted his hair.
Zod drew his sidearm.
“I know you stole the Codex, Jor-El. Surrender it, and I’ll let you live.”