### Chapter 10: Fractured Alliances

The following weeks were a blur of political maneuvering, military actions, and covert operations. As much as I tried to steer Krypton toward a future built on unity and progress, it became increasingly clear that the path ahead was lined with obstacles that no amount of strength or vision could easily remove. The Kryptonian people, especially those who had once held power in the old regime, were divided. Their belief in strength, in bloodlines, in dominance—it was all a foundation too deeply set in their bones to be easily uprooted.

But Tarsis, the leader of the "Krypton First" movement, was different from the scattered rebels I had faced before. He wasn't simply trying to destabilize the new order; he was trying to recreate the very fabric of Krypton's past. His growing influence had started to stir unrest in the capital and the surrounding cities. It was more than just a rebellion—it was a call to arms for a Krypton that no longer existed.

Tarsis's message resonated with many. It spoke to the old guard, to the military elite and the working-class Kryptonians who had seen their way of life upended by the changes I had brought. He promised them a return to Krypton's former glory. Under his rule, they would once again be the dominant force in the universe. But the price of that vision was clear: the loss of everything I had worked for. The loss of the future I had promised.

---

It was late in the evening when I received word that Tarsis had begun rallying his followers in the capital. The crowd was large, and the energy among them was palpable. They were angry, desperate, and ready for war.

"They're gathering in the old military district," Nira reported as she entered the room, her face hard with determination. "They're making speeches, rallying the citizens. It's more than just a protest now. They're trying to incite rebellion. It's only a matter of time before they escalate."

I stood up, my mind racing. This wasn't just another protest. This was a direct challenge to the authority of the new order. If I didn't act fast, the rebellion could spread like wildfire.

"We need to move quickly," I said, my voice steady. "Send word to the Nexans. I'll need support to contain this before it turns into a full-scale conflict."

"I'll mobilize the team," Nira responded, her eyes never leaving mine. "But you should be prepared for something more than just a fight. Tarsis isn't like the others. He has the support of the people. If this escalates, it will be a war of ideals, not just force."

I nodded grimly. "I know. But I've fought wars of ideals before. We can't let them win."

---

The night was eerily quiet as we approached the military district. The old monuments and fortresses that once symbolized Krypton's power stood like silent sentinels, now abandoned and repurposed for a future none of us had anticipated. But it wasn't the past that had come to reclaim its hold on Krypton. It was Tarsis, his followers, and the ideology they clung to.

I arrived with a small group of Nexans—my closest allies, those who believed in the vision I had fought for. They were my strength, my reminder that not all Kryptonians had forgotten what Krypton could become. They were loyal not because they feared me, but because they saw the potential for a better world.

We landed in the center of the district, just outside the large square where Tarsis and his supporters were gathered. The crowd was enormous—thousands of Kryptonians, shouting slogans and waving banners emblazoned with the symbol of a reformed military state. They were chanting, demanding that the current order be overthrown, that Krypton return to its roots.

Tarsis stood at the forefront of the crowd, his presence commanding, his voice carrying over the masses. "Krypton was great when we were united by strength!" he shouted, his arms raised high. "We are a people of warriors, a people of might. The time of weakness is over. We must reclaim what was stolen from us!"

I could feel the weight of his words. They were powerful, not because they spoke to the truth of Krypton's past, but because they exploited the fear and uncertainty that had taken root in the hearts of the people. Tarsis wasn't just appealing to the old guard; he was speaking to the fear of an uncertain future.

I stepped forward, my presence alone causing a shift in the air. The crowd's chants faltered as they turned to look at me, their eyes filled with a mixture of hatred, fear, and awe. Tarsis smiled, a grim expression that carried with it the weight of victory and defiance.

"You come to challenge me, hybrid?" he called out, his voice dripping with contempt. "You would make Krypton weak, turn us into nothing more than an imitation of the universe's lower beings?"

"I come to save Krypton from its own destruction," I said, my voice cutting through the murmur of the crowd. "You want to return to the past, to a time of war, of oppression. But that time is gone. Krypton must move forward or it will fall into the same pit of destruction that it dug for itself before."

Tarsis laughed, a hollow, bitter sound. "You speak of progress, but you've given us nothing but control. You've turned Krypton into a shadow of its former glory. We are warriors, not farmers, not builders. You think your vision is the future, but it is only a prison."

"I didn't build this world to be a prison," I said, my voice steady despite the weight of the moment. "I built it to be a home. A home for all Kryptonians, not just the powerful."

The crowd wavered for a moment, but Tarsis wasn't finished. He wasn't going to give up his control so easily.

"You think the people will follow you?" he called out, turning back to his followers. "This is the future he wants to give us: a future where we bow to the weak and the broken. We are Krypton's strength. We are Krypton's power! And we will take it back!"

The crowd erupted in cheers. It wasn't just a handful of rebels anymore. It was an entire movement. And their resolve was stronger than I had anticipated.

Tarsis stepped down from the platform, his eyes locked onto mine. "If you truly want to save Krypton, then prove it," he said. "Show them that you are not the false god you appear to be. Show them that you can bleed like the rest of us."

I knew what he wanted—a fight. A fight to the death. A way to turn the people's perception of me from their savior into their executioner. And if I fought him—if I showed weakness, even for a moment—then the rebellion would be legitimized. I could never allow that.

"I will not fight you, Tarsis," I said, my voice unyielding. "I won't shed blood to prove a point. But I will fight for Krypton's future. And I will stop anyone who stands in the way of that future."

He sneered, clearly displeased with my refusal. "Then you will never have it. You will never have Krypton's future, because you refuse to understand its past."

With a wave of his hand, his followers surged forward, a wave of rage and anger crashing toward me. But I wasn't alone. The Nexans, those who had stood with me from the beginning, moved into formation. We were ready—not to fight them, but to show them the power of unity, of restraint.

"Stand down," I commanded. "If you want to fight, you will fight alone."

The Nexans were a testament to what Krypton could become when its people worked together—not through violence or bloodshed, but through cooperation and understanding. We would hold the line. Not with force, but with conviction.

The crowd hesitated. They were unsure. The sight of the Nexans, so composed, so unified, was enough to give pause to even the most hardened of the rebels.

Tarsis watched this, his eyes flicking back and forth between me and the Nexans. His anger was palpable, but I could see the hesitation in his eyes. This was no longer just about who was stronger. It was about who was willing to sacrifice more for Krypton's future.

"I'll give you one last chance," I said, my voice carrying across the field. "This is your future, Tarsis. You can build a new Krypton with us, or you can continue to fight for a dead past. But know this: I will not stop until Krypton is united."

Tarsis's gaze flickered with doubt. For the first time, it seemed he was considering something other than rebellion. But his pride, his resolve, remained unbroken.

"Then you will fail," he spat, turning to his followers. "Fight, Kryptonians! Fight for the future we deserve!"

But the crowd, torn between the past and the future, hesitated. And in that moment of hesitation, I knew that the battle wasn't over—but it had taken a significant turn. The people were no longer following blindly. They were questioning. They were thinking.

And for the first time since I had arrived on Krypton, I felt hope that the planet might truly find a way forward.