"Never underestimate the power of a woman." - Nellie McClung

                                          Chapter 1: Child of the Stars

Space. The word itself brings thoughts to many minds of an enormous majesty containing vast untold amounts of stars and planets, far too numerous to count.

Some lightyears beyond our own galaxy, fixed in the middle of a starfield, was the planet Krypton. At this time, because of it's high harmless radiation level, Krypton gave off an unusual green glow, which if viewed from afar, it would have been mistaken for a green star.

Thousands of miles above the planet, burned the majestic red sun christened "Rao" by Krypton's inhabitants. It became an object of wonder and worship among them because of it's blinding intensity, and constant warmth.

Past Krypton's atmosphere, on it's surface, was a vast futuristic city. Tall buildings made of glass and an unknown steel-like substance that reached far up to the Heavens propagated the reflective metal streets. The sky was a deeply tinted green, with the occasional light green cloud passing by. The dark blue vegetation that grew in various rustic areas of the planet clashed with the futuristic designs of the citys. Lettuce green oceans and lakes teemed with various lifeforms, as on the surface, animals which would have been considered odd on Earth were commonplace here, such as the rabbit eared, six legged, snake skinned, deer-like Wahok, and others too bizarre to identify.

The inhabitants of the planet all looked human in appearance, with the same appendages, hair, and facial construction that Earthlings do. Except, that all over the planet, there was not one malformed Kryptonion at all! All of the males and females were tall in stature, physically fit, and extremely pleasing to the eye. This was due in part to the constant advanced genetic experiments performed on the inhabitants over the centuries. These experiments also led to the Kryptonians slowly but surely developing superhuman abilities, such as super strength and the ability to leap long distances with absolute ease, as well as obtaining genius intelligences.

Since their creation, the two sexes had learned to live in total equality, they both held the same types of vocations, be it construction, landscaping, law, science, even entertainment.

The wardrobe on Krypton was pretty much the same for both sexes. Tight, form fitting outfits made of a spandex like material in warm months, and loose, baggy robes in the cold and for cerimonial purposes.

In the thriving city of Sahin, lived the couple of Jor-L and Lora-L.

Jor-L was a tall, solidly built man with short, even, straight black hair, and a well chiseled, tanned face, and a rock hard, slightly cleft chin, and dark, mysterious brown eyes. He was the heir of a large construction company that had built many of the towering institutions in Sahin. He was usually dressed in a tight, dark green leotard with matching briefs and boots.

Lora-L (formerly Lor-Van) was equally impressive looking, if not more. She was highly statuesque, slightly towering over her husband at 6'5''. Her full, wavy shoulderlength brown hair fell gracefully around the frame of her face, which like her husband's, looked like it was carved out of marble like a statue from ancient Rome. Her crystal blue eyes sparkled like a sun illuminated lake. Her narrow, even, nose didn't take up much of her face. Her full, pink, luscious looking lips sat above a sharp, well defined chin. Her fair, ivory skin seemed to glow of it's own accord, as if it alone could illuminate any room. Her beautiful, flawless pearl white smile could do the same. She was garbed in a similar light blue leotard with the same colored accesories, her two large, perfectly round and proportioned bosoms. Her stomach showed quite clearly that she was also nine months pregnant.

Lora had risen from poverty to prominance as a scientist, after graduating from one of the nearby town of Haderrn's most prestiegous learning facility with honors, she went into the scientific field. Eventually, at the tender age of 22, Lora became famous the planet over, when her massive intellect led to the discovery that matter could be engineered that could contain matter many times it's own size. This discovery, dubbed the "Phantom Zone Effect" was demonstrated to the scientific council. Immediately following, Lora, despite her young age, was offered a position on the council's main board.

It was at a socialite party for Sahin's up and coming well-to-do crowd, Lora met Jor at a party, and it was love at first sight. They both realized that they enjoyed quite a number of the same interests, and both held relatively the same worldview. They were inseparable from that day forth, and soon enough, were wed.

Around the time Lora learned that she had concieved a child, she also came upon another realization, a frightening one!

You see, about 10 years ago, rather large earthquakes had begun to ravage Krypton's many countrysides, leaving many farmers penniless. However, as time went onward, the quakes began to become more and more violent, eventually spreading to towns, causing huge rifts in the ground and toppling over houses, claiming many casualties. Finally, after an entire city crumbled to the ground, Lora couldn't take it anymore, and decided to use her brilliant mental skills to investigate.

After obtaining a grant from the council, Lora built several probes and sent them deep within Krypton's crust at varying lengths to try to determine the cause. When she recovered the data from the one sent in the farthest, she was shocked! Krypton's core was highly unstable, and was growing more so by the second!

So, Lora arranged a meeting with the Scientific Council to discuss the situation.

The faces of the Council were all just about the same. Cold and as serious as a painting by one of the old Renaissance masters. They all sat at a high table that was curved in an arrow-like manner. Lora stood in front of it, as if she were a plaintiff presenting her case to the court.

Lora motioned for silence with the palms of her hands facing foreward. The Scientists complied.

"Fellow Council Members." Lara's slightly deep, yet very feminine voice had an air of authority to it, as if she were the head of the council. "What I am about to impart to you all is of the upmost importance!"

"Please proceed, Lora-L. We are in an attentive state." Per-A, the council leader, a fit, older gentleman with a full head of white hair, that glistened on top of his heavily tanned skull like a snow peaked mountain said in his usual monotonous tone.

Lora brushed the insincere comment aside and continued. "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is an urgent matter that requires our immediate attention and action! I have just learned from several weeks worth of research that this planet's core, which is responsible for the violent and deadly quakes of the past decade, is highly unstable and is threatening to rip this very world apart! And I'm quite certain it shall, for I forsaw our planet's destruction in a premonition!" She concluded quite loudly, bringing her closed fist down on her open palm with a smack for effect. The sound that followed completely stunned the young scientist. It has the sound of loud, abrasive laughter coming from the Council!

After he finished, Per wiped a tear from his eye, and said with a large grin spread on his face, said "Surely you jest, Lora-L! You expect us to believe that a series of scattered tremors spells an immediate death sentence for all of Krypton?"

"I am quite serious, Council Leader!" Lora said, indignation quite evident in her voice as she furrowed her thin brown brows. "And with all due respect, I do not care for your mocking of this very real discovery!"

"ENOUGH!!" Nel-R, a young, brash, blonde haired man who had it in mind to obtain the Council Leader's chair when Per-A departed, and didn't mind sucking up to him to try to obtain it, shouted furiously. "You forget yourself Lora-L! Remember to whom you are speaking!"

However, Lora was not one to be shouted down. "Nel-R! I am well aware of whom I'm speaking to, but that is no excuse for you all to abuse the authority entrusted to you!" She fired back, righteous fury quite evident in the deep blue pools of her eyes.

Sela-T, a middle aged woman with slightly faded, curled, red hair who had been with the council nearly as long as Per, leaned foreward in her seat, her hands folded  neatly on the desk in front of her. "Lora-L, we understand how strongly you feel about this, but you must understand that we are scientists, and that we have been on the Council far longer than you, and we cannot accept a theory based on something you forsaw in a dream! We must have hard, substantiated facts!" she said sternly.

"I am quite aware of that, and I shall give you facts! I could bring the probe that sat above the core, and could show you the data recorded inside it! The fact of the matter is that we must evacuate this planet as soon as possible! For both the current beings of Krypton..." Lora said, before looking down and rubbing the small lump beginning to form on her stomach. "...and the generation to come."

Per closed his aged silver eyes and sighed deeply before opening them again. "Lora-L, you have every right to fear for the life of your child, but this alarmism simply makes you look like a fool. I warn you, if you continue in this nonesense, you will be removed from the Council!" He said seriously, his eyes boring into her, before concluding angrily, putting up his right index finger for emphasis "And take note, young woman, any attempt to evacuate this planet will be taken as an act of treason, and is punishible by immediate execution!"

Instead of giving the expected "So it shall be." Lora gave one last contemptful glare to the Council, turned on her heel, and walked toward the elevator, the automatic sensor opening the doors at the hint of her presence.

From the minute she had left the room, Lora had decided. To Hell with the Council! She and her family would leave the planet without their say so! Damn the consequences!

The moment Lora got home, she immediately began laboriously sketching out designs of an escape rocket. Taking into consideration the similarities and differences of different planets that were able to support life, and came upon the planet of Earth. It was lightyears away, and culturally inferior to them, yet it was the only planet that could sustain their lives. Besides that, the beings of Earth looked exactly like those of Krypton, so it was settled. When Jor arrived, Lora told him all about her plan.

"Leave Krypton?!" Jor asked, not believing what he was hearing.

"Jor, it's either that or perish when this planet explodes!" Lora fired back.

"A..Are you absolutely certain that it's going to explode?!" Jor asked in a surprised voice.

"I'm positive! You can check the results of my inspecting probes if you don't believe me!" Lora responded.

Jor stared at his wife deeply in the eyes. He had always believed his wife, and he wasn't going to stop now. He smiled lovingly at her. "Alright, sweetheart. What do I have to do?" he asked warmly.

Lora handed him the rocket schematic drawing, and said plainly "I need you to cook up the materials to build this. But we'll need a smaller prototype first."

It was now several months later. Lora was in the ninth and final month of her pregnancy. Yet she, along with her husband were still working around the clock finishing the prototype ship, making sure that the aerodynamics and propulsion were perfect for the purposes suited for it.

The rocket was six feet in length, with the appearence of a large silver artillary shell, it's front was covered by a medium sized red nosecone, it's back accentuated by three equally sized red tailfins, and it's rather large nozzle. It had a four-by- four openable hatch which was cushioned with a comfortable red velvet-like Kryptonian material for the test subject, probably a small animal, to be placed in.

Finally, it was finished, then fueled. They decided that after a short rest, that they would use one of their housepets as a test subject.

Jor turned to his wife. "Lora, darling." He said, with some uneasiness in his voice "Are you sure you should be working on this when you're so close to your due date?"

Lora smiled at her husband, with a slight smirk of superiority. "Come now, Jor, It's not as if I'm an invalid. I.." She said, before her voice trailed off. Suddenly, a look of discomfort came across her face. She grabbed her abdomen, as a steady stream of liquid came pouring from between her legs.

"Lora, dear, what's the matter?!" Jor asked urgently, his face flushed with fear.

Lora gasped for air as she tried her best to speak "Jor..Oh..M-my water..The baby, Jor..The baby is coming!"

"What?! Now?!" Jor asked in a terrified voice, his eyes bugging out of their sockets. He quickly began to calm himself. "Alright, I'll c..contact the medical staff, th..they should be here shortly." he said, slightly stammering.                                  "N..No, Jor!..There's n..no..Ugh!..Time!..The..Ooh!..The baby is coming out now! W..We must act quickly!" Lora groaned, still doubled over with pressure.

"A..Alright, Alright, w..we'll go to the bathing pool!" Jor said, beginning to gather his thoughts, as he took his troubled wife's hand, and they left the room together.

The bathing pool was on the second floor of the couple's luxiourious house, it was quite wide, like a hottub, and was self- filling, cleaning and heating. At the moment the couple, Jor helping Lora along, passed the motion senser, the tub immediately began filling up and heating itself.

Jor assisted his wife in disrobing, then helped her along as she gently stepped into the slightly hot tub until the water was up to her bulging stomach. Lora continued to let out small moans of discomfort at certain intervals.

Jor quickly stripped as well, then eased his way into the tub, joining his wife. He took his love's hands in his own and began stroking them softly.

"That's right...That's right, darling...It'll all be over soon." Jor said comfortingly.

"Oooh...I know darling...I..Ugh...I know." Lora bravely smiled despite her brief spots of pain.

Jor moved his left hand from his wife's clasp and placed it gently on her back, beginning to carefully rub it.

"Relax, my darling. Relax." He said reassuringly, before saying saying with some anticipation in his voice that only a parent posesses " Now..push..push..you need to push!"

Lora tightened her face and began doing so, letting out several small grunts and fragile sighs.

"Push! Push, my darling, push!" Jor continued encouraging.

"I'm..UGH!..Trying my hardest, my love!..UNGH!" Lora gasped, her face crimsoned with effort and saoked with perspiration.

Then, from below the water, Jor could make out the top of the head with a small tuft of black hair sticking out from between his wife's legs!

"Darling! The child! She's crowning!" Jor said in a thrilled voice! "Give another push, my love! Push with all your might!" He coached enthuisiastically!

"UNNGGHH!!!" Lora grunted as she gritted her teeth until she was sure that they were going to crack, pushing with all she had!

The child shot from her mother's utereus into the water like a bullet fires from a gun, tethered by the umbilical cord! Jor immediately scooped up the child in his arms from the depths of the pool, and brought her up to the air.

She was the average size and weight of a child on Earth, her skin pudgy and reddened. Except she wasn't crying a bit, only giggling and cooing, as if the harrowing experience of being born had greatly amused her!

Jor was overjoyed! "Lora, darling, look! It's a girl! Just as the Identiscope said! And look, she has my hair and your eyes!" He said with the great cheer of a new father. Indeed, the girl's hair tightened over her otherwise bald pink skull was as black as the night sky, and her eyes as blue and shimmering as the finest diamond, and it twinkled with her laughter.

"Le..Please, let m...me hold h..her." Lora said between exhausted pants. Jor did so. Now in her mother's arms, the child seemed completely at home, she gave a broad, toothless grin to the woman who had given her life. The young mother smiled back at the fruit of her love and said in a voice which was just one decible above a whisper "Hello, my darling child. I have waited for nine long months to hold you in my arms like this. And now, Rao has granted me my wish! As you will eventually travel through the stars with us, your name shall be Kara. This is also an appropriate name for you because of the planet we shall travel to. You see, from the recordings I have recieved from Earth, the name Kara is used there as well. On that planet it means "Pure", and you are my purest treasure." She told the child lovingly, to which the newly christned Kara smiled happily once more.

Jor chuckled gratefully. "Kara! What a wonderful name to honor her with, Darling!" he said appreciatively.

All of a sudden, Kara's tiny foot suddenly lashed out in an involuntary spasm, which kicked her father right in the stomach, propelling his entire body from the pool! He landed a couple of feet away!

After composing himself, Jor let out another deep chuckle. "Well, she certainly has inherited our strength, that's for sure!" he said.

Lora looked down warmly at her daughter who seemed to have a triumphant grin on her lips, saying "That's my girl!" softly, as she raised the child to the nipple of one of her rather large, swelling breasts, and her daughter began drinking the nourishing milk within.

Kara's cord was cut, and she was cleaned off. Lora, as all Kryptonian mothers do, had the strength to go back to her daily routine just seconds after giving birth. The young couple still couldn't believe that they had brought a child into the world. They clothed the child in a dark blue unitard, and placed her in a Kryptonian bassinet, which is circular rather than rectangular, and hovered several inches off the ground. Then, went back to put the finishing touches on the prototype rocket before they went off to bed.

Suddenly, there came a low rumbling noise from beneath their feet! "Jor! Don't tell me it's another quake!" Lora said in a state of shock.

"Don't worry, darling, it's just a passing tremor, it won't attack us." Jor reassured her, although he wasn't so sure himself.

As if to answer Jor, The floor beneath them, and the ceiling above began to split and crack! Dust rained on them from above! All the lights in the room went out!

"Darling, I can't see you!" Jor called out to his wife, feeling around the room for her form as if he had been struck blind.

"I'm right here, Darling! Don't worry, the emergency power will kick in soon!" Lora said, grasping her husband's hand in the pitch black darkness. Sure enough, the room was suddenly lit by a series of dim lights.

The rumbling in the room suddenly increased! Large cracks started going up the walls! Kara just laughed and clapped her hands in amusement! This was fun for her!

Jor looked out the shattered window at the terrifying view in front of them! The ground was splitting up, buildings were crumbling and sinking into the broken earth! "Lora, the entire city is going under! It's the end of Krypton like you said!! WE'RE GOING TO DIE!!!" He shouted with complete fear in his voice.

Lora quickly looked at Kara in her crib and quickly rushed over and lifted her out, bringing her over to the rocket, and throwing open the hatch "Maybe so for us, but not our daughter!" She said courageously!

"You're putting her in the prototype rocket?!" Jor said in horror.

"It's either that or her death!" Lora said angrily. "We don't have time to argue, Jor!"

Lora kissed her daughter gently on the forehead and placed her inside the rocket, "G..Goodbye my p..precious Kara. L..Let your brief memories of us s..stay with you forever!" She loudly imparted to her daughter over the sound of the gargantuan quake with tears in her eyes. She then quickly opened up a side compartment and in a flash, adjusted the gyros to Earth's latitude and longitude, while Jor bent foreward and kissed Kara on the cheek, saying "Goodbye, my lovely daughter!" to Kara, who reached her arms out, smiling, for Jor to pick her up. With great regret, Jor resisted it, and with a final tearful glance, Lora shut and locked the hatch.

"Do you think she'll get there safely?!" Jor shouted to his wife over the bedlam.

"Rao willing, she will!" Lora said confidently. She'd like to see the faces of the Science Council now! In fact, she'd like see each one of them apologise to her for not believing her! The thought then left her.

The floor behind the two suddenly began to cave in! "QUICK! HIT THE IGNITION BUTTON!" Jor urgently shouted to his wife!

Lora did so! A steady stream of white smoke began to emerge from the nozzle. Then, The fuel ignited, sending a burst of golden flame out the back! The thrust propelled the rocket with a high pitched whistle into the night sky, now glowing with fire as the ruined city burned.

It was at that moment that the floor beneath the young couple collapsed! The two fell screaming to the basement below, now flooded with water from burst pipes! As the two soaked lovers watched the roof and the rest of their house come crumbling towards them, Lora screamed to Jor over the deafening roar "I LOVE YOU JOR! I LOVE..." The debris reached them, and silenced them.

The rocket had left Krypton's atmosphere, and was now traveling at quick pace away from it. Those who were still alive on the planet were either lifting their hands to Rao and cursing him for allowing this to happen, or asking him desperately to save them as they either were crushed by rubble or burning alive, or drowning. But there was no response. The core then expanded and exploded, ripping the planet apart, as if it were a giant balloon being popped, with an earsplitting bang! Then, there was nothing...

It was several hours later, and the incredibly fast rocket entered our Solar System. Inside her cramped quarters, little Kara didn't know exactly what was going on, she had the vague impression that she was moving. She wondered when her parents would open the hatch, as she wanted to see them, they were such loving people. Just now, however, she felt better than she ever had, so much stronger! Instinctively, the Kryptonian tot placed her hands against the solid steel door, and without applying much pressure at all, left two little hand indentations in the hard, unyielding material! She was satisfied and clapped her hands together, with an appreciative coo. Then there came that bumpy feeling that she had felt quite some time ago..she didn't like this part very much, but it didn't really bother her, in fact, it was kind of fun!

The rocket became red hot as it entered Earth's atmosphere. By coincidence or by destiny, whichever you prefer, it was headed for a cornfield in the small town of Smallville, Kansas...