Of Knights and Aliens

Chapter 1

**Italics means they're speaking in Kryptonian!!!

Kara is forced out of the familiar darkness of sleep when the pod she's in jolts violently. Her eyes fly open and she grips the seat beneath her tightly at the sight before her. She's made it to Earth, and it's beautiful in a different way than Krypton is... was. She tries not to think about her dead planet and her parents as the pod accelerates toward the ground.

Kara doesn't dare to take her eyes off of the planet in front of her. It's a mixture of blues and greens-well at least from she can see through the fire licking at the window. She's going too fast towards the ground. The pit in her stomach grows as she realizes she's going to crash. Kara's about to accept it, accept that her death is inevitable, just like her planet's, just like her people's when she remembers Kal-El. He's the whole reason she was sent here. She can't leave him alone on a strange planet.

"We are going too fast towards the ground." She says desperately as she watches the ground come closer and closer.

"Fear not, Kara Zor-El." The mainframe says in a monotone voice. "Adjusting speed."

Kara breathes a sigh of relief as their descent visibly slows, but even with the Kryptonian technology, the mainframe can't slow them down enough for a smooth landing.

The pod smashes into the ground hard enough for her to nearly smack her head on the control panel. Kara stays in the pod for a moment, taking everything in. She made it to Earth. She survived.

The pod doesn't let her dwell on everything which Kara is thankful for since she doesn't want her first moments on Earth to consist of her crying over what she's lost. The glass part lifts with a hiss and she hesitantly stands. The white smoke billowing around the pod makes it difficult to see anything of this new planet.

Kara steps out of the pod onto the ground, still warm from the pod's impact. She studies her pod for a moment with a frown, knowing it will take some repairs in order for it to be able to fly again. Kara hears movement and looks up, squinting against the smoke. Her vision sharpens and she can make out a figure coming closer, walking slowly like they're cautious about approaching her.

They come close enough for her to see them and she steps back with a gasp. He was wearing the symbol of the House of El on his chest. Had another survived? She had never seen this man before.

"Who are you? Why do you wear the symbol of the House of El?" Kara demands, not letting her voice waver with fear or hope.

"I am Kal-El." The man says with a friendly smile.

"Kal?" She breathes, studying him once more. "It cannot be you. You were a baby when we left Krypton."

"Kara Zor-El," the mainframe interrupts, making Kara flinch at the unexpected sound. "We were thrown off course by the shock wave of Krypton's explosion. The pod was thrown into the Phantom Zone and trapped for twenty four Earth years before it gathered enough energy to propel itself out." Kara slumps against the side of the pod, staring blankly at the green ground beneath her feet. She had lost twenty four years? She failed her family, failed to take care of Kal-El like she had promised... "Unknown being, do you consent to a scan?"

"Yes."

A green light emits from the control panel and quickly scans the man. The mainframe speaks moments after the scan is completed. "Species: Kryptonian. Name: Kal-El, cousin to Kara Zor-El. No threat detected. Shutting down."

The sound of the mainframe powering down snaps Kara out of her daze. She looks up at Kal-El in disbelief, unable to think of anything to say to him.