A ripple of light and their scout ship exited the phantom zone. The devastated surface of Telos filled the central viewport, centred on the oversized space station that remained in orbit. Kara shook her head at the inefficient technology. The Kryptonian terraformers had already done more than this eyesore ever had, and they didn’t require an entire network of planets to keep in the air.
“Setting us into a stable orbit…” Cal tapped at the controls and sent an automated transmission, one that prompted a response from their Emperor’s symbiote. “Master Venom has instructed us to land inside the reclamation zone, it seems Master Dan-EL and Mistress May are about to assault the Jedi Master’s base…”
“Hurry up then!” Kara rolled her shoulders, ready for a fight. She wanted to prove herself in the field, and this raid was her only real chance to face a challenge. “If we land fast enough, maybe Master Dan-EL will let us join them!”
“You both have a rather high opinion of this Emperor of yours,” Goto drifted closer to the bridge controls and scanned them with his photo-receptors. “The technology of this vessel is extremely impressive… I would love a chance to examine their blueprints.”
“I’m sure Master Dan-EL and HK can help you with that, as long as your talks go well,” Cal tilted the scout into a dive that raced toward Venom’s coordinates, with Kara breathing down his neck. “These aren't even our most advanced ships, just a stripped down version that can be produced quickly.”
“Stripped down…” Goto’s eye dimmed for a moment, before he vibrated back and forth. Gladius slipped over the horizon as they entered the atmosphere, a behemoth of emerald that eclipsed the sun. “I assume that is an example of your best?”
“That’s Mistress May’s personal vessel, the Gladius,” Kara gave the massive ship a smile. Nothing in their navy could stand against her, and she got larger every day. “She’s got enough power to level entire planets, but she’s not the strongest thing under the banner of Krypton…”
Space gave way to the sullied atmosphere of Telos, before the scout slipped through a shielded section of the restoration zone. Cal guided the vessel to a smooth landing, just beside a waiting group. Mistress May raised a hand and waved, while Dan-El’s eyes scanned their scout.
“You have more powerful ships?” The lights on Goto’s surface blinked in a rapid sequence. “May I ask, what is your Empire’s stance on the Republic?”
“You can ask Master Dan-EL about Krypton and the Republic,” Kara pulled Cal toward the bridge door, mind set on the path to the boarding ramp. She waved for Goto to follow. “As for more powerful ships, I’m not to sure… but the two people you’re about to meet are far more powerful than the Gladius.”
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“It looks like they’ve got everyone,” Dan shifted his gaze from the woman and Wookie in the detention area, to the round droid that followed Kara and Cal through the ship's corridors. With these three, his quest was almost complete. “Kara seems determined to come along when we visit Atris’ fortress… we’ll let her and Cal take the lead, with HK to back them up.”
“Fine with me, from what I can sense there’s nothing on this planet that’s strong enough for us to worry,” May glanced at the group of force sensitives, the Exile and Revan’s followers all gathered in conversation a few metres away. “Surik’s soul wound is the biggest problem we have… I’m not sure I can heal it completely, but Master Merlyn might have a solution.”
Dan nodded as Kara and company marched from the scout to bow before them both. He waved a hand and signalled for them to rise, already a bit tired of the worship the younger generation showed to him and May.
“Greetings, Master Dan-EL!” Kara beamed up at him as she motioned to Goto’s mechanical form. “This is the droid you ordered us to find, the others are still inside the ship.”
“Excellent work,” Dan returned the young soldier’s smile and turned to face Goto. The droid was probably one of the most advanced in this galaxy, something far beyond the Republic of his own time period. “I look forward to our conversation, but we have a bit of business before we can sit down and chat.”
“Sir, I would like to request permission to join the raid on the Jedi Master’s base…” Kara returned to one knee and raised her best ‘puppy eyes’ at Dan. “I want to see how strong I’ve become, but the normal forces we’ve encountered have been too weak.”
“Don’t interrupt Master Dan-EL!” Cal thumped Kara on the head and turned a bowed head in Dan’s direction. “Sorry for her rudeness, she’s…”
“It’s fine,” Dan laughed as he waved away the apology. He wasn’t a stickler for protocol, and this was an informal setting. “I’d like the two of you to take charge of the raid… HK will move in after you clear a path to hold what you’ve taken, but I want all the humanoids taken alive.”
“Thank you Master Dan-EL, we won’t let you down!” Kara vibrated, hands balled into fists. “When do we head out?”
“Right now,” Dan transmitted a set of coordinates with a flick of his fingers, before he returned his focus to Goto. “You’re welcome to join us as an observer, we can begin our dissection while May and I monitor these two.”
“Very well,” Goto bobbed in an approximation of a nod, sensors still locked on Dan’s form. He followed on his repulser lifts as Dan led the way toward one of the planet’s poles. “Your servants claimed that our goals could be compatible, but I’m not so certain… this Empire of yours seems positioned to replace the Republic I was created to protect.”
“You’re not wrong,” Dan laughed at Goto’s question as the land blurred past underneath them. HK was already in position to send drones directly from orbit, so all they needed to do was reach Atris’ home and they could begin. “But what is the Republic? Is it the senate and the bureaucracy, or is it the people?”
Goto fell silent, while they drew closer and closer to their target. Dan paid the quiet no mind. The droid would join him, he had no doubts about that. Krypton was the strongest force in the galaxy, the most logical choice to safeguard its inhabitants. Goto was programmed to serve the interests of the Republic, but it was in the interest of the citizens if Krypton took the helm.
“Alright, Kara, Cal,” Dan touched down onto the snow capped mountain that held Atris’ secluded fortress. He gave the two younger Kryptonians a once over, before he waved them toward the entrance. “Remember, take everyone alive… and be cautious in your battle with Atris,” he turned to meet Kara’s eyes. “She might be human, but the Force can be a powerful equaliser.”