On Krypton

The sky above Krypton burned with the deep hues of a dying sun, its fiery tendrils casting long shadows over the House of El. Within the sanctuary of their laboratory, Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van moved with a frantic precision, their faces pale but resolute.

The rocket, an elegant vessel of Kryptonian design, stood ready in the center of the chamber, its sleek form a stark contrast to the chaos erupting outside.

"Jor-El," Lara's voice broke as she secured the final component of the rocket's life support system. "Are you certain this will work? That he'll make it to this Earth you speak of?"

Jor-El placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, though his own heart wavered.

"It must, it is his only chance. Krypton is beyond saving, Lara." He turned toward the rocket, his jaw tightening. "But Kal-El will live, he will carry the legacy of our people into the stars."

Before Lara could respond, a deafening crash shattered the tense stillness. The reinforced doors of the laboratory buckled under the force of an explosion, and the figure of General Zod emerged from the smoke, flanked by his loyal enforcers. His dark armor gleamed like an omen of doom, and his piercing gaze locked onto Jor-El.

"You would send our future away to some backwater world, Jor-El?" Zod's voice was cold, laced with contempt. "You betray Krypton by refusing to fight for it. Surrender the codex to me, and together we can ensure our race survives."

Jor-El stepped in front of Lara, his stance defiant.

"Your vision of survival is tyranny, Zod. Krypton dies today because of leaders like you,” Jor-El spoke. “I will not repeat the mistakes of the past.”

Zod opened his move to respond but his eyes drifted up to the rocket.

“What is that?” Zod asked. “It's too big to hold the codex.”

“It doesn't, it holds our son,” Jor-El explained.

“Son?” Zod asked, his face twisting into confusion before turning to rage. “Don't lie to me Jor-El! You have no son, you never registered at any genesis chamber.”

“Because we didn't use a genesis chamber.” Jor-El's reveal made Zod glare in disgust.

“You had your son the natural way?” Zod's question was dripping in disbelief. “You cannot be serious, we have evolved past that! Being hypersexual! Females being spermivores! Those are traits of animals, we are beyond that!”

“No.” Jor-El stepped closer to Zod, catching the attention of the general as Lara slowly moved closer to the rocket control panel. “Those are the traits of living beings, which we strayed too far from. Krypton and her people have become too cold, it's how we ended up here. It's too late to change what we've become but Kal-El, with the codex in his DNA, can show another world how to avoid our mistakes.”

Before Zod could respond, Lara hit the launch button and the rocket blasted to life, flying out of the lab and into the sky before anyone could react.

“NO!” Zod roared. From the general's gauntlet, a blade extended and Zod impaled it into Jor-El's chest. “You've doomed us all!”

“I saved our legacy.” Those were Jor-El's last words, he fell to the ground and Lara was quickly by his side, holding his hand as he faded away.

Zod stood there, unable to do anything else but boil in his own rage as his plan to save his people crumbled. Slowly and silently, Zod raised his blade, ready to strike Lara down in petty revenge. Suddenly, a hole was blasted in the roof, a ship floating above and its weapons pointed through the hole and at Zod and his troops.

“General Zod!” A voice spoke through the ship's speakers. “You are under arrest for high treason, surrender yourself and your men for sentencing to the Phantom Zone!”

Slowly, and bitterly, Zod raised his hands. He could only wonder where Jor-El had sent the codex to.