Lost In Thought

One-sided conversations are not very fun.

Take that from me.

The woman whose name I was pretty sure was Maris from the fact she kept saying that after I asked for her name, seemed to understand what I was saying. However, while she could understand what I was saying, she couldn't speak my language.

In many spacefaring races, one of the first things they needed, besides access to space travel, was a translation device of some kind. Something that could log the languages of the various alien species that one encountered and input them into ones brain. It removed the need to learn languages as often, you were speaking your own language, as were they and the respective translation devices did the rest.

I had one from my time on Krypton, it had been damaged in my battle against Doomsday. However, it was an easy fix, often one of the first things taught to a Kryptonian soldier just in case they got stranded on another world, rare though that might be. I got another from my time on Sakaar, adding more languages and increasing the species' that I could interact with.

However, the language spoken by Maris was not included within either of those. For all I knew, she could be describing all the terrible things she was going to do to me, how I was walking into a trap and I would have absolutely no clue.

But I was confident that no matter where Maris was leading me to I would be capable of handling it. Even though the Force, if my theory was true and I was inclined to believe it was, was dampening my powers, I was still far beyond what most could handle. My armour, forged from the bones of the Proto-Doomsdays in my opinion, should be more than capable of handling the power of a Lightsaber. Even if it couldn't for some reason, my body while no longer invulnerable to damage, was more durable than most.

Not to mention that my stamina, strength and heat vision were unhampered by the Force. Even my speed and flight while limited now, was again, beyond what most could handle. So I am confident that even if Maris was leading me into a trap, which I don't think she was, I would be able to get out of there alive.

Honestly though, as we walked through the forests, I was finding my mind beginning to wander.

The reason for my journey to this galaxy was for no other reason than Kamino, which apparently was not very easy to find as I had come to learn. With Kamino already having the facilities in place, it would mean the production of a clone army would be very simple and effective, cost-efficient as one would say.

However, if my theory that with Torquasm Vo and a possible link to the Force, then I had another reason to stay within this galaxy. The Force, while I doubt, truly as powerful as some of the top tier powers in DC or Marvel, would be a perfect step up for me to expand the breadths of my powers. My Kryptonian Physiology was simple but limitless, I liked that very much as it reflected quite nicely as to who I am. But simplicity sometimes needs to be changed to creativity and that's what the Force would do.

Imagine it.

A Kryptonian exposed to a yellow sun and wielding the Force. I think that, even if the Force is not as powerful as what is found in DC or Marvel, the combination alone was a terrifying thought. Especially if one had no qualms about Light or Dark.

My Kryptonian powers were limitless in what they could become, but right now, I had reached the boundaries of what I could do with them. Keywords being for now. As time passed on and I continued to be exposed to a yellow sun, what I could with my powers would grow and develop. After all, Superman after billions of years developed the ability to alter reality to his will, becoming an almost abstract-like entity.

It stands to reason that as a Kryptonian, I too could eventually become the same.

Even if I couldn't and that was something entirely unique to Superman, there were plenty of other ways to achieve that all the same. The Force would just be one step of many along that path.

Besides, it's not like I had any duties back at my Empire.

I had delegated my responsibilities to those more able than myself, which left me free to travel the universe as I chose. Even if something did happen, from an external or internal threat, I would be told and I could quite easily return to give aid.

That was if Beta Ray Bill and Korg, couldn't handle it on their own. Even if they couldn't, with the help of Caiera and even Nolan, the four of them should be capable of handling a lot of potential foes. Unless of course a truly unforseen foe arrived, in which case, I would be contacted. If by some chance, a rebellion did happen, again, it would be of no concern to me.

The only ones who actually stood even a chance of beating me in combat are the four I listed previously and even then, it would have to be all four of them at the same time. Three of them couldn't even fly and the one that could, I could take out very easily. As for the other three, with my superior speed and flight, taking them out one-by-one would be very easy. Trust me, I had run the scenarios in my mind plenty of times, I always did.

You could call it paranoia and perhaps you're right, I am a little paranoid about being betrayed. But the fact I'm here, leaving my empire in the hands of those I had prepared extensively to battle against should prove that it didn't rule my thoughts or my actions.

I was a simple man, very true.

I was fuelled by simple desires and enjoyed living in the moment much more than planning for the future. But that didn't mean I didn't plan for possible future scenarios because I did. A little advice for you, it's perfectly fine to live in the moment, but don't get caught up in it or swept up in the emotions. If you did, you'd lose track of everything around you until something unexepcted came along and burst the little bubble you had been living in.

That had already happened to me once, not a second time.

Besides, no one was stupid enough to betray me, least of all Nolan or the Viltrumites.

They were already on thin ice and they knew it, as did other races within my Empire. They knew the consequences of betraying me, but what none of them knew was the extent of my preparation. An emperor had to be firm but fair, making examples of those that betrayed you was a common thing to do when ruling.

A pretence had to be set, a line had to be drawn.

I had already set that line wiht my treatment of the Viltrumites.

If they crossed that line again, then it was clear that they had not learned a lesson and were broken tools. What does one do with broken tools? Well, they throw them away and replace it with a newer and better toy. So, if the Viltrumites betrayed me, who did I replace them with you might ask? The answer is simple, clones bred and taught loyatly to me, their emperor from their birth.

I had already taken samples from Nolan.

I had also taken samples of DNA from Beta Ray Bill, Korg, Caiera, Miek, the strongest of their kinds. During the time in which I waited for Beta Ray Bill to arrive back with Tyran'rs Power Ring, I had been going around my empire, meeting with the various races that inhabited my borders. Their strongest warriors, male and female were gathered and I took samples of their DNA.

I know that what I'm talking about seems extreme, but I had been betrayed in the past. I didn't take that lightly and in a world as dangerous as DC and Marvel, along with all the other comic books out there, betrayal is far more serious and severe. It would always be a last resort, but I operated under a basic three strike system and there was no fourth strike.

Cloning would be my way to ensure that even the more powerful and useful races, were not inexpendable. The belief that they were valuable and irreplaceable could and no doubt would lead to many acting out under my rule. Confident and self-assured in their belief that they were needed.

However, the art of cloning would make that belief invalid.

They could be replaced with younger and better versions of their race, ones deeply loyal to me, their emperor. But again, it was a last resort, genocide on such a scale would only result in bad things for me, a reputation that would follow me to my grave.

A reputation that I did not want.

Maris began speaking once more, her language indecipherable to my ears, but it broke me from my thoughts as I focused on my surroundings once more. There in the distance was a small village, it was hidden deep in the forest, but I could make it out clearly.

It didn't look like they would possess a translation device, which was unfortunate.

But it was time to see what the inhabitants of this village were like.