Summary: With Krypton dying, Jor-El and his family escaped to a little planet called Earth. But even with all of Jor-El's planning, he could not have anticipated what came after.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I make nothing. All characters, plot points, and recognizable dialogue belong to DC comics, Warner Brothers, December 3rd Productions and anyone else with a stake in the Superman Franchise. I don't own Batman or Oa either. They are also the property of DC Comics.
Author's Note: This plot bunny was spawned by a discussion on the Lois and Clark fanfiction message boards. It asked a simple question - what if Jor-El or Lara had come to Earth with the infant Kal-El? This where my muse went with it.
***
"Jor!" came the desperate, pained cry.
It cut over the loud rumbling of the planet as it lurched and trembled beneath every Kyptonian's feet. For long moments, the planet shook violently. Walls cracked. Books tumbled off shelves. Monitors flickered between research work and snowy static. Instruments clattered to the floors, some breaking upon impact. A glass filled with a sweet blue beverage danced off the cluttered workstation and hit the floor, smashing into a thousand pieces and sending the drink everywhere.
"Lara?" he called, trying to make himself heard over the clamor of noise.
At last, the planet gave a final shuddering heave and then quieted down, as though it had exhausted itself with the latest series of quakes. Jor-El abandoned his grip on his workstation and rushed to his wife's side.
"Is it...?" he asked, breathlessly.
"Soon," she replied, nodding. "It's starting."
Jor-El glanced around at the mess in his home. "It's ending," he said in a quiet tone. He shook his head. "The people..."
"They still won't listen, will they?" Lara asked, taking his hand as he slunk down to sit on the floor beside the couch where his wife lay, her hand on her swollen belly.
He shook his head again, this time sadly. "They're blind. They can't see...or refuse to see...that this planet is dying. We must leave before the core becomes too unstable."
"This is not your fault," she reminded him. "You've been warning the council for years that this was going to happen. They were the ones who chose to withhold the information from the people, hoping that you were wrong, until it was too late and the core began to become unstable."
"I know," he whispered. Then, "Lara, the colony ship leaves in less than twelve hours, to search for a new home. Get on that ship. Save yourself, and our son. Our people need him. One day, he will be wed to Zara, and lead our people as their ruler. Please."
But the woman shook her head. "No."
"Lara...think of the child! It took us so long to conceive him. Please...don't stay. Don't make him lose his life. There is nothing here. Only death."
"I'm not going without you."
"You know I have to stay. I have to make the people realize..."
"It's too late for that!" Lara cut in. "They've sealed their own fate. Don't throw your life away with theirs."
"I can't just..."
"Forget the people of Krypton, Jor! You've been warning them for years. They've had their chance. Those who've listened will be on that ship. Those who won't have had their chance. This child needs his father."
Jor-El took a deep breath and let it out of his nose in a controlled manner. It served to calm some of his anxiety. After a long moment, he dipped his head in a nod.
"All right."
"Good. I've packed everything we'll need. All we need to do is..."
Lara's voice cut off as her body spasmed with pain. She grasped Jor-El's hand tightly and squeezed as the pain rolled over her. Jor-El's features deepened into a frown. This should not be. Their child could not be born now. He was not due to make his appearance into the world for another three or four weeks.
Weeks that Krypton would not see, he knew now with certainty.
At last, the contraction seemed to abate. He wiped away a bead of sweat from Lara's brow with his thumb.
"Are you okay?"
For a moment, she didn't answer. Then, finally, "I think so."
"Here," Jor-El said, straightening as he stood. "Let me get you something to drink. Then we'll secure spots on the colony ship."
"No time," Lara said, sudden panic in her voice. "He's coming."
Jor-El's head snapped around to look at his wife. A dark, wet stain was spreading on the couch beneath her.
"Oh, no," Jor-El whispered.
"It's too early," Lara said, echoing his thoughts.
He shook his head. "He'll be fine," he vowed.
"How can you be sure?"
"Because I refuse to let anything bad happen," he said. "Just try to relax. I'll call for the doctor."
Lara nodded. "Okay." She braced herself as another contraction hit.
Jor-El went to the small wall panel and pressed one of the buttons there. He waited for a response, impatiently tapping his foot.
"Yin Shen," came the voice over the speaker. "What can I help you with, Jor-El?"
"Lara's in labor," he said, forgoing the usual pleasantries. "We need you."
There was a pause on the other end. "I'll be right there."
Jor-El didn't respond. He was already on the move, striding back across the room to his wife. He put out his hand, helping her to stand, then supported her as she shuffled her way out of the room. Together, they left Jor-El's work space behind and made it to the bedroom. Jor-El pulled back the sheets before Lara laid down, then used them to cover her up to make her as comfortable as possible.
"I'm sorry," she murmured.
"For what?"
"I never meant for our son to enter this world in this way. Too early and amid too much chaos."
"Oh, Lara," he said, sitting on the edge of the bed and brushing his hand over her hair, soothing her. "You've done nothing wrong."
"Maybe I have. I wanted a baby in the worst way. But maybe I've condemned him to death before he can even be born. Our planet is dying. Our people are facing homelessness at best, total annihilation at worst. What kind of life can we give him?" Desperation and an intense sadness suffused her words.
"The best we can," Jor-El answered in a quiet voice. "We fought hard to have him and we'll fight just as hard, if not harder, to give him the best life possible. Even if he spends his whole life on the floating palace with his soon-to-be bride, it will be a life, and a comfortable one at that."
"Promise?"
"I swear it. Rest now. The doctor is on his way, and you'll need your strength for what's to come."
"I'll try."
Less than half an hour later, Yin arrived, a robotic assistant lugging the doctor's instruments. Jor-El greeted both man and machine at the door. Yin immediately apologized for the delay.
"I'm sorry it took me so long," he said as he followed Jor-El through his home. "These last quakes seriously damaged the hospital. It was difficult to get what I needed. It's actually a good thing this baby will be delivered here."
Jor-El nodded. "The hospital is right on one of the major fault lines," he said.
They reached the bedroom.
"Lara," Yin said, greeting her with a smile. "How are you feeling?"
"Okay, so far," she said. "But the contractions are coming stronger, if not yet closer together."
"Let me take a look at you," Yin said. "Jor?"
He looked to Lara.
"It's okay," Lara assured him. "I'll be fine."
Jor-El nodded. "I'll give you some privacy," he said, backing toward the door.
He shut the door as he passed into the hallway, where he proceeded to pace. Lara would be fine, he knew that in his heart. But time was running out. Time to get onto the floating palace. Time before Krypton's unstable core tore the planet to pieces. A wry smile crossed his lips. His son, still unborn, was not only impatient, but had the most incredible timing. It would make for a great story, once the boy was older.
He stopped his pacing as the door to the bedroom reopened. Yin stepped out.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
The doctor nodded. "Everything looks great. She's already halfway there. The baby looks good. Still a little high, but so far, everything is good."
Jor-El breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't realized he was holding in. "I'm glad."
"Can we move her to the floating palace?" he asked anxiously.
Yin shook his head. "I would not risk it. She may be lucky and deliver quickly. I would not dare risk her being in the middle of a transport when the time comes to push. You can go in to be with her. She can have ice chips. But let her rest as much as possible."
He nodded. "I will."
Yin smiled. "I know you will. Go on. Go to her."
"If you need anything..."
"I'll let you know."
Again, Jor-El nodded. He called for one of his robotic assistants and instructed him to ensure that Yin's needs were met while the doctor waited things out in the living room. Then he ducked back into the bedroom. Lara lay awake, her strawberry blonde hair a stark contrast against the dark blue, nearly black sheets. He couldn't help but thinking that she looked so small there in the overly large bed. Small and frightened, but also somehow glowing with confidence as she waited to birth their son. He crossed the room and pulled his favorite chair to the side of the bed. He sat and took Lara's hand in his own as another contraction rocked her.
"What can I do for you?" he asked when it finally subsided.
"Just be here," she said, closing her eyes briefly.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said, using his other hand to stroke her hair. "Sleep now."
She hesitated, but nodded. "All right."
She settled into the pillows and closed her eyes. Soon, she was asleep, though Jor-El could tell from their long years together that it was light and would be easily broken. He only hoped her contractions would not rob her of the rest she needed. She'd been awake half the night with him, trying to find some suitable place for the floating palace to go so that a new Krypton could be established. So far, it had been a frustratingly fruitless search. The universe was too vast. And he had waited too long to begin the search. He should never have wasted his time trying to fix the problems Krypton had with its core.
He looked down at his wife's sleeping form. Should he call ahead to the ship and ask them to wait? Did he dare jeopardize the safety of those aboard? While it was possible for his son to be born before the ship departed, what if Lara's labor lasted far longer than the ship was currently willing to wait? Krypton would truly die if those potential survivors perished. No, he could not ask for them to put themselves in peril. Not when he had no idea how long it would be before his son was born. Not when Zara, heir to Krypton's throne, was on that ship.
All he could do, for the moment, was hope and pray that Lara delivered the baby fast enough so that they could get on that ship.
Although...
He considered moving Lara, now, while she was only in the first stages of labor. He knew at least a thousand people had chosen to be a part of the expedition to find a new home, likely more. Doctors would be among them. Lara could labor and deliver safely while aboard the ship, whether it remained docked or made its way through space. True, Yin had a point that Lara could go into labor in the midst of a move to the ship, but the risk of that was small, wasn't it? She'd only just begun the birthing process. He gently removed his hand from Lara's grasp, careful not to wake her. He went to the wall panel and pressed a series of buttons, in an attempt to contact the ship directly. There was no answer.
His brow furrowed. He tried a different series of buttons, trying to contact the palace itself, the one built of stone and crystal, which stood gleaming in the center of the city where Jor-El himself lived. Again, no one answered. Frantic, he tried the dock where the ship was stationed.
"Hello," said a pleasant voice.
"Hello, this is Jor-El. I need to be connected with the floating palace, right away, please."
"I'm sorry, Lord El. The ship has departed."
"Departed?" He had to work hard to keep his voice a low whisper, in an effort not to wake Lara. "What do you mean, departed?"
"They left," was the simple reply.
"How? When?"
"Just after the last of the bad quakes," said the voice on the other end. At least the girl sounded truly apologetic, he thought. "They said they could not longer wait, that it was getting too dangerous."
"And no one thought to contact me?" he almost roared in indignation.
"I'm sorry, my lord. I don't know anything about that, only that the palace is gone," came the reply.
"Fools," Jor-El muttered under his breath, though he understood their fear. Still, the quakes hadn't been bad enough to indicate that the planet was going to die at that very moment. "Did everyone make it aboard?"
He heard a clicking of computer keys as the woman checked. "Not everyone. Most, though. I see a total of twelve hundred and thirty two. Fifteen hundred and six were supposed to be aboard."
It made Jor-El's heart glad to see that so many had escaped, yet it made his heart bleed for those whose only chance at survival had been jerked out of their grasp.
"Did they say anything about what their coordinates would be?" It was a long shot, but he had to ask.
"I'm afraid not," came the reply after another short pause while the owner of the voice checked.
Jor-El sighed. "I didn't think so. Thank you for your help."
"My pleasure, my lord."
Jor-El ended the call.
"Jor? Is something wrong?"
He turned back to where Lara lay. "The ship," he said, swallowing around his despair. He could not - would not - lie to her. "It's gone."
"Oh, no," Lara groaned. "What do we do now?"
"I'll have our own ship readied for departure," he replied, decisively. "We'll go it alone, try to meet up with the mother ship on our own. We will survive this, my love."
"How will we find them? They can be anywhere."
He shook his head as he thought. "We'll broadcast a constant signal as we travel. I'm confident they'll find us. They'll be looking for others who might still leave this planet. If anything, they are sure to be looking for the future king of our people."
"I hope so. Our ship...it's not exactly meant to traverse the universe in." Though she tried to hide it, her worry showed clearly enough in her voice.
"It will serve," Jor-El said, his own voice a promise.
He once again turned back to the wall panel. Pressing a button, he ordered his household robotic staff to provision his ship as best they could with all of the essentials they and the baby would need. He had left instructions with them, when he'd first realized that Krypton was living on borrowed time. Food and water were of paramount importance, followed closely by the chips and computers which housed all the research he'd done over the course of his life, including that which he'd done, up to that very moment, in looking for a new home for his people. Everything else was far less important. The ship would keep them warm and comfortable even in the cold endlessness of space. Changes of clothes would be nice, but not the worst thing to leave behind.
Next, he commanded the robotic laboratory assistants who worked alongside him to check over the ship and to make a few adjustments to it, upgrading the computers and adding extra shielding to protect them against the dangers of space travel. Lara was right - their ship was far more suited for quick trips to neighboring planets and galaxies for diplomatic missions than it was for indefinite travel. As a precaution, he had extra fuel cells loaded aboard the craft.
Satisfied that they at least had a plan, he felt himself relax, though only slightly. His son would soon be born into a dying world. But at least he would live.
Jor-El smiled at his wife and went back to her side. "There. Everything is in motion now. All you have to worry about is becoming a mother."
Lara's hand instinctively went to her stomach. She rubbed it lovingly. "After all this time, I can hardly wait to meet this little boy."
Jor-El's hand covered hers as he smiled at her stomach. "Me too. You hear that, Kal? Your mom and I are ready to meet you."
But the baby wasn't yet ready to meet his parents. For all his rush to arrive weeks early, he kept Lara in labor well into the day. And then, suddenly, his sense of urgency seemed to return all at once. Lara's labor, stalled for several hours, took a swift turn. She very quickly moved into the next phase of the birthing process. The baby, tiny as he was, easily emerged from her sweating and tired body after only four serious pushes.
Naked and screaming, the son of Jor-El made his debut known. Jor-El could only stare in wonder as Yin cleaned the newborn and checked him over. The boy was so tiny and so delicate that Jor-El could scarcely believe it - just five pounds, but tall for a newborn. Yin swaddled the baby before handing him over to Lara, and the new mother held him close, openly weeping for joy.
"He's perfect," she said, her eyes never leaving the boy.
"Yes, he is," Yin agreed. "I'm happy to say that he's small, but he's completely healthy. His lungs sound perfect, thankfully. I'd feared that, born so prematurely, he might have difficulty breathing on his own. But he seems to be absolutely fine. Congratulations."
"Thank you," they both replied with one voice.
"I will let myself out," Yin said, smiling at the new family.
Jor-El looked up at his old friend, though it was an effort to tear his eyes from the sleeping form of his son. He wondered if the man would deliver any more children before the planet died. He knew, with certainty, that he would never see the man again, save for past the veil of death. Yin staunchly believed that Krypton could still be saved, despite the years of work and research that Jor-El and others had done on the planet's core. He would die along with the millions more who either did not have the means to escape, or refused to, as Yin did.
"Goodbye, my friend," he whispered after Yin's retreating form. Then, to his son, "Welcome to the world, my little Kal."
The planet, however, remained restless, blind to the peaceful moment being shared between Krypton's newest family. It groaned and bucked as a fresh series of quakes rocked it. Lara clutched the baby to her breast fearfully, while Jor-El wrapped his arms around both, as if he could ward off any danger with that simple act. For at least ten minutes, the planet's unrest continued while Kal screamed in terror.
"We need to go," Lara said when it was finally over. She looked down at her son's face, tears glistening in her eyes. "Oh, Kal. It's okay. Mommy's here. Ssh, baby. It's all right. I'm here." She looked at her husband as she gently rocked and bounced the newborn. "Oh, Jor. I've been dreaming about this my whole life - holding my baby for the first time. But I never imagined it would be like this. We can't stay. We need to leave. The quakes are getting worse."
Jor-El sighed. "I agree. But first, you need rest."
Lara shook her head. "I can't...we can't afford to wait. I've got this feeling, deep inside. If we don't leave soon, we won't be able to."
"I know," Jor-El admitted. "All of the data that I've been collecting on the quakes...they keep getting worse. But stay here and feed Kal. I need some time to finish installing a few things on our ship. An upgrade to the heat shields. The hyperlight drive. It shouldn't take me long."
"All right," Lara relented. "But hurry, please."
Jor-El smiled at his wife. "I promise."
Kal squeaked his displeasure at not being fed yet. Lara rocked him and spoke in a low tone for a moment before shrugging her top down to allow her son to nurse. For a moment, Jor-El watched, beaming with pride, before rushing off to finish the final preparations. Lara was right. He could sense it, even without the ever more dire data that his computers kept collecting on Krypton's impending demise. There was no time to lose.
He worked as quickly as he dared, every passing second weighing more heavily on him than the last. Several times, he had to force himself to stop and take a breath to calm his shaking hands. He could not afford any mistakes. His family's survival depended on his competence. Still, even with those small delays, all was soon ready. He tore his way through his home, making his way back to his wife and child. Lara had Kal on her shoulder and was rubbing his back. As Jor-El reached the bed, the baby loosed a tiny belch, then yawned and closed his eyes once more.
"It's time," he said simply.
Lara handed Kal over to him as she tried to stand. She winced in pain as she moved. Jor-El reached down and helped her out of the bed, offering his arm for her to hold and lean on. She did so, offering him a grateful smile. Together, they made slow, but steady progress through their home. Lara stopped for a moment outside of Kal's nursery - a room he was destined to never use. The door was slightly ajar and she pushed it open all the way to gaze inside. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Jor-El saw it and wiped it away with his thumb before planting a kiss on the top of her head.
"He'll never get to use any of this," she said in sad realization. To Jor-El, it sounded as if the enormity of the situation was finally hitting her.
"No, but, when we link up with the others, we will make an even better room for him," he promised her. He knew it wasn't quite the answer Lara wanted, but he too felt the overwhelming sadness of leaving behind the home they had made together, and all the dreams they'd once had about raising their family in that same home.
A mild tremor shook the house. They braced themselves as best they could. Luckily, it did not last long and they were soon at the door. Just outside, their ship lay in wait for them. Again, they both hesitated, giving their home one last look, trying to remember every detail. Then, with a sigh and a silent look from one to the other, they exited their home for the last time. Once they were in the ship, Lara secured Kal in the specialized pod that Jor-El had installed. It would keep him completely safe and allow him to sleep in comfort during their travels.
Jor-El and Lara strapped themselves in and the ship roared into life. Jor-El pressed a series of buttons and the ship began to rise into the air, just as the most violent quake yet rocked the planet. Cracks appeared in the ground, right where the ship had rested only moments before. Dust rose into the air. The sky shone blood red with the setting sun. As the ship rose higher into the air, the shaking of the planet became less and less noticeable. Jor-El watched out of the window as the ship finally cleared the atmosphere and entered into the vast, cold reaches of space. He adjusted the temperature inside the ship, making it warmer, mostly for the sake of Kal. He was aware that, as a premature baby, Kal would need help keeping his body temperature where it needed to be. Then he brought his gaze back to the window.
Krypton hung motionless against the blackness of the universe, distant, cold, and alone. And yet, it looked peaceful and silent. For long moments, Jor-El watched as his home grew inexorably smaller as the ship put it behind them.
Then, in a violent explosion of light, Krypton died.
Pieces of the planet flew out in every direction, doomed to spend eternity zooming through the universe. Tears pooled in Jor-El's eyes as he looked away, and one or two slipped down his cheeks. All those poor souls, lost forever. The close call it had been for he himself to escape with his family. The loss of his world and sudden homelessness. All of it weighed heavily on his mind. A quick glance at Lara showed him that she felt the same way.
Kal cried as the ship sped away, bits of Krypton, now radioactively charged by the blast of its death, hitching a ride in its wake, unbeknownst to the occupants of the ship. Some larger chunks hit the ship and bounced off the metal sides. It sounded like they had created small dents in the ship. Jor-El had known that was a possibility. After all, the ship was barely more than a recreational vehicle, meant for trips to Krypton's nearest interstellar neighbors, not for voyages across the entirety of space. He only hoped the ship would last until they could find the rest of their people.
Static flickered across the monitors as debris from the explosion continued to pelt the ship. The shockwave of the blast caught up to them and sent them hurdling through space. Jor-El lost control of the vehicle until, at last, the wave passed them and the ship was able to settle once more. But some of the monitors continued to stay offline.
"Why haven't those computers come back?" Lara asked over her shoulder as she went to check on Kal. In a moment, she returned with him in her arms, swaddled in a deep blue blanket, the mark of their house stitched into the soft fabric.
"I'm not sure. Could be interference from the shockwave that needs to work itself out. Could be damage from the debris. Either way, I'll see what I can do to fix them. Don't worry about them. Luckily, they are the least important ones right now. Here, let's start scanning for any messages from the mother ship."
He pressed two buttons on the control panel and twisted a knob. Then he sat back and allowed the computer to scan for radio waves that matched the unique signature for the floating palace. He wondered, for a moment, what direction they should travel in. But the truth was, there was no telling which way the mother ship may have gone. He turned the autopilot on and turned his attention to his son. Lara saw him looking at the boy and handed him over to his father.
Jor-El took the child into his arms and, for the first time, really got to study the boy's features. He could see so much of himself in Kal already, though the infant had a lot more growing to do. Early as he'd been born, he still had some filling out to do. Jor-El could cradle Kal's entire head in one hand. But he was strong! A tiny hand wriggled out of the loose swaddle and blindly grabbed Jor-El's pinky finger, gripping it with a strength the man hadn't thought possible for so young a child.
He was all at once a fragile, yet strong newborn. Jor-El had no doubts that he would grow to be an impressive man. A man who Jor-El would teach to be a true and compassionate leader, so that their people, the tattered remnants of their society, would flourish, no matter where they might make their new home. He would ensure that Kal would be a worthy match for the infant princess he was to wed.
"My little Kal," Jor-El whispered to the now calm and sleeping child. "My pride and joy. You don't know it, but your mother and I have waited a long time to meet you. And we love you, son. So, so much."
Kal took no notice of his father's words, and, instead, slept on, peaceful and unaware how traumatic the day had been.
***
Days turned into weeks. There was no sign of the mother ship. The computers picked up nothing, remaining traitorously silent. Food and fuel reserves steadily declined. Jor-El and Lara grew more nervous by the day. Soon, Jor-El turned his attention to looking for a hospitable place to refuel and resupply their ship, so that they could comfortably continue their mission to be reunited with the rest of Krypton's survivors.
Day by day, Kal grew. His weight increased. His body filled out. He got longer. His strength grew. His eyes focused and before long, he rewarded his parents with a huge lopsided smile. He did not laugh, but they could see him trying to figure out how to do so. He began to hold his head up and took interest in the isolated world around him.
Despite all that had happened, it was the happiest time in Jor-El and Lara's life together. Though they had enjoyed their marriage for many years, it had always been missing a child. And now that Kal was finally there, in their arms, they could not have been more thrilled. Jor-El had never seen Lara's eyes sparkle quite so brightly before. Her smile had never been so wide. And he himself had never laughed so much in his life as he did now, at each and every moment spent with his son.
Life was good.
"Lara," Jor-El said late one night as Kal slumbered. "I think I found a place to land."
"Land?" she asked, half asleep in her chair.
He nodded. "A planet well suited to our needs. A place where we'll be able to breathe the air, eat the food, drink the water. I'm not sure if they possess the fuel we need, but, if anything, I should be able to rig up some new system to meet our needs. Besides, it's our food and water reserves that I'm most worried about at the moment."
"I am too," she said, waking a bit more fully. "How long?"
"A few more days," he said. Then he sighed. "Two months. Two months and not a single shred of evidence that the mother ship is out there."
"You don't think...?"
"No," he said, shaking his head. "They are out there, alive and well. I'm sure of it. Something must have happened to their transmitter, or maybe they are just too far away for us to pick up anything."
"So...what do we do?"
"I don't know. I'll check over the outside receiver once we land on this new planet...Earth, the inhabitants call it. I'll try to boost its power. Maybe it just isn't strong enough to detect a signal."
"What do we know about this...Earth?" Lara asked, looking at the details listed on the computer.
"From what I can tell, the inhabitants of the planet are good people, if not primitive in terms of their technology, when compared to our own people. But the vast majority seem to be good people, living their lives as peacefully as they can. My plan is to land here," he said, pointing to the screen and enlarging the area selected, "in a land called America. I believe we may have our best chance of finding what we need there. It seems to be a land of prosperity."
"That is good," she agreed. She studied more of the photos that popped up on the screen. "The people...they look exactly like us."
"Another reason why I've chosen this planet," Jor-El agreed. "No need to scare the people of Earth with tales of people from other planets landing on their own. We can, I hope, stay as inconspicuous as possible - be in and out before anyone is the wiser. Then we can continue our search for the mother ship, though, I admit, finding them is only going to become all the more difficult, with how much time has already passed."
"I know," Lara said with a sigh. "Unless...unless we make a life on Earth."
"I don't know, my love. While the planet is similar enough to our home world, Earth's sun is yellow, not red. How that may affect us, over a long stretch of time, I cannot be certain. But we can try. For Kal's sake, we will try."
To Be Continued...
