My Littel Star
The crystalline corridors of the Learning Guild were unusually quiet that afternoon, save for the soft hum of energy flowing through its walls. Kara Zor-El and Revena Ak-Var tiptoed through the halls, their movements stealthy but their whispers anything but subtle.
“Kara,” Revena hissed, clutching the strap of her satchel. “This is a terrible idea. If we get caught, your mother will ground you for a revolution—and me for life!”
Kara rolled her eyes, her golden hair glinting in the light of Krypton’s Red Sun. “Relax, Revena. No one’s going to catch us. Besides, it’s not like we’re doing anything bad.”
“Not bad?” Revena shot her an incredulous look. “We’re sneaking into a restricted science lab to reprogram a teaching drone! How is that not bad?”
“It’s not reprogramming; it’s improving.” Kara smirked, holding up a small, glowing data crystal. “The drones are so boring. All they do is drone on about history and protocols. Wouldn’t it be more fun if they could tell jokes or do impressions of the High Council?”
Revena sighed, knowing there was no talking Kara out of her schemes once she had her mind set. “Fine. But if anyone asks, I had nothing to do with this.”
Kara grinned, grabbing Revena’s soft hand and pulling her toward the lab.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The lab was a marvel of Kryptonian engineering, its walls lined with crystalline panels that displayed holographic interfaces. In the center of the room stood a deactivated teaching drone.
“Alright,” Kara said, pulling a multi-tool from her pocket. “You keep an eye on the door, and I’ll handle the drone.”
Revena crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. “Why do I always have to be the lookout?”
“Because you’re better at acting innocent,” Kara replied without missing a beat.
With practiced ease, Kara opened a panel on the drone’s side, exposing its central processing unit. She inserted the data crystal and began tinkering with the interface, her fingers flying across the holographic keyboard.
“Almost… there…” Kara muttered, her tongue poking out in concentration.
Revena’s anxiety grew with every passing second. She glanced down the hall nervously, half-expecting Zor-El or Alura to appear at any moment. “Kara, hurry up. This is taking too long.”
“Patience is a virtue, Revena,” Kara said with a smirk, not looking up. “Besides, great mischief takes time.”
Finally, the drone powered on, its eyes glowing a soft blue. Kara grinned triumphantly as it straightened, its smooth voice filling the room.
“Greetings, students. I am TE-87, your teaching companion. What would you like to learn today?”
Revena raised an eyebrow. “That’s it? Doesn’t seem very different to me.”
Kara’s grin widened. “Oh, just wait.”
She pressed a button on the control panel, and the drone’s demeanor shifted instantly. Its voice adopted a playful tone, and it began speaking in a spot-on impression of High Councilor Lor-Van.
“The history of Krypton is of the utmost importance,” it said pompously, puffing out its chest. “But not as important as my hair, which I spend three hours a day styling!”
Revena’s jaw dropped, and then she burst out laughing. “Kara, that’s—oh Rao, that’s ridiculous!”
Kara joined in, her laughter ringing through the lab. “And that’s not all. Watch this.”
The drone began dancing, its stiff movements somehow perfectly mimicking the choreography from one of the popular holo-dramas. Revena doubled over, clutching her stomach as tears streamed down her face.
“Okay, okay,” Revena gasped, trying to catch her breath. “You win. This is actually hilarious.”
“See? I told you it’d be fun,” Kara said, beaming.
Their laughter was cut short by the sound of footsteps echoing down the corridor. Revena froze, her eyes wide. “Someone’s coming!”
Kara quickly shut the drone down and closed the panel, grabbing Revena’s hand. “Run!”
The two girls bolted out of the lab, their footsteps echoing as they raced through the halls. They didn’t stop until they reached a small, hidden alcove near the central plaza, their breaths coming in gasps.
“That was close,” Revena panted, leaning against her. When she realised how close they were, she blushed and shoved Kara's shoulder. “We almost got caught, genius.” she huffed.
Kara grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief, totally noticing Revena’s blush but not how her chest responded to that. “But totally worth it. Did you see how funny that drone was?”
Revena shook her head, though a small smile tugged at her lips. “You’re impossible, Kara.”
“And you love it,” Kara said cheekily.
Revena groaned but couldn’t suppress a laugh. “One day, your antics are going to get us both in serious trouble.”
“Maybe,” Kara said, shrugging, taking Revena’s hand as they walked into the polished streets. “But until then, let’s keep having fun. Are you staying over again?”
Revena nodded, her hand slotting into Kara's as they walked. Their dynamic was always like this and it felt…natural. “Yeah, Father said I could stay over since him and mother will be late in the evening to arrive. So, the usual?”
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Revena lounged on a soft, curved seat in Kara’s room, absentmindedly flipping through a holographic text projected from her wrist device. She had shed her usual air of tension, her posture relaxed in the cozy space. Kara’s abnormally large room was a perfect reflection of her personality—organized chaos. Models of Kryptonian starships hung from the ceiling, glowing softly, literature, pictures of planets she has been before, some family heirlooms, and sculptures alike, while the other shelves lined with mechanical trinkets, half-finished inventions, and glowing data crystals filled the walls.
On the floor, near her usual work desk, Kara was crouched over a strange contraption, her brow furrowed in concentration. Her fingers worked nimbly, connecting tiny crystalline components with a steady hand.
“You know,” Revena said, propping her chin on her hand, “most kids spend their free time playing holo-games or flying mini-drones. But no, you have to dismantle a voice module to make… what even is that?”
“It’s an atmospheric synthesizer,” Kara replied, not looking up. “Well, a miniaturized version of one. If it works, I can replicate Krypton’s environment in small spaces—like one of those terrariums the High Council thinks are just for aesthetics.”
Revena raised an eyebrow, amused. “Of course. Only you would call building an environmental system ‘fun.’”
Kara grinned as she tightened a bolt with a tiny tool. “Fun is relative. Speaking of which, why are you just lying there? Didn’t you say you were bored?”
Revena stretched lazily. “I was bored until I started snooping around your stuff. You’ve got enough gadgets in here to start your own Science Guild.”
She rolled onto her side, her gaze catching on a peculiar cube sitting on a nearby shelf. Its surface was a puzzle of shifting, glowing patterns that seemed to rearrange themselves into familiar shapes. Revena sat up, intrigued, and grabbed it.
“What’s this?” she asked, turning it over in her hands.
Kara glanced up briefly before returning to her work. “Oh, that? Just something I made when I was bored.”
Revena’s brow furrowed as she studied the cube. “Bored? You built this when you were bored?” She twisted the cube experimentally, and the patterns shifted to form a faint outline of Krypton’s twin moons.
“It’s like a puzzle,” Kara explained, not hiding her pride. “You align the pieces to recreate Krypton’s constellations. I used it to memorize them when I was younger.”
Revena’s jaw dropped slightly. “Wait, this is how you learned the constellations? Your parents didn’t make you study star charts like the rest of us?”
Kara shrugged, smirking. “I mean, I still studied—didn't have a choice, really. But it’s more fun when you’re solving a puzzle. Try it—align the pieces to form the House of Var’s constellation.” she guided Revena’s hand to shift the pieces.
Revena frowned in concentration, twisting the cube’s sides. “This is harder than it looks. How do you even—oh, wait, is that it?”
Kara looked up and nodded approvingly. “Almost. Rotate the top piece clockwise.”
Revena followed Kara’s instructions, and the constellation snapped into place, glowing softly. Revena’s expression shifted from frustration to awe.
“This is amazing, Kara,” she said, holding the cube up to admire it. “How do you come up with stuff like this?”
Kara grinned, setting down her tool and leaning back on her hands. “I don’t know. My brain just doesn’t stop. Sometimes I’ll think of something random, and the next thing I know, I’m building it.”
Revena shook her head, laughing softly. “No wonder you’re always in trouble. If I had your brain, I’d probably rule Krypton by now.”
Kara smirked, grabbing a nearby cushion and tossing it at her friend. “Careful, or I’ll start charging you to use my genius inventions.”
Revena caught the cushion and threw it back, her laugh echoing through the room. “Oh, please. You’d never charge me. I'm your best friend. Besides, who else would bail you out of trouble every other day?”
The two girls dissolved into giggles, their earlier worries forgotten.
As the faint hum of the El Manor filled the room, Revena returned to fiddling with the cube, marveling at how each twist revealed more of Krypton’s stellar wonders.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
“Kara! Revena! Dinner’s ready!” Alura called, her voice carrying through the halls of their quarters. She heard bustling upstairs and let out a satisfied hum.
The dining room hummed with a warm, familial energy, the kind that felt uniquely Kryptonian yet universally comforting. As Alura and the girls settled into their places, Zor-El strode in from his private study, still clutching a glowing data tablet. He looked slightly distracted, his brow furrowed as he scanned the holographic text before him.
“Zor, put that down,” Alura chided gently as she set a dish on the table. “You promised no work at dinner.”
Zor-El blinked, as if just now realizing where he was, and offered an apologetic smile. “Of course, my star. My apologies.” He placed the tablet on a nearby console and turned to the table, his gaze immediately softening as it landed on the girls.
“Kara, Revena,” he greeted warmly, ruffling Kara’s hair as he passed behind her. “I see you two have been keeping yourselves busy. Should I be concerned about what new invention might be lurking in Kara’s room this time?”
“Probably,” Alura muttered under her breath, though her tone was more amused than exasperated.
“It’s nothing dangerous this time,” Kara protested, sitting up straighter. “Just some tweaks to the old power distribution circuits. Revena was helping.”
Zor-El raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of curiosity and pride. “Tell me, Revena, how do you manage to keep up with my daughter’s boundless energy?”
Revena smiled politely. “It’s not as difficult as it seems, sir. Kara’s enthusiasm can be… contagious.”
Zor-El laughed, his deep voice filling the room. “That it is. She gets that from me, you know.”
Alura shot him a pointed look. “Among other things.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Zor-El said, unabashed. He sat at the table, glancing at Kara with a fond expression. “It’s true, though. Kara’s curiosity, her drive to create—she’s more like me than you’d admit, Alura.”
Kara grinned, her chest puffing up slightly. “See? Even Father agrees I’m not completely hopeless.”
“I never said you were hopeless,” Alura countered, though her tone carried the exasperation of someone who’d had this conversation a hundred times before. “I just think you could stand to be a little more... disciplined.”
Revena glanced between them, clearly used to this dynamic. “Alura, to be fair, Kara does have her own strengths. She’s incredibly creative and innovative. That’s why she’s always coming up with things like—”
“Like reprogramming cleaning drones or building energy launchers?” Alura interrupted, though there was a faint smile tugging at her lips.
“Exactly!” Revena replied with mock seriousness, making Kara burst into laughter.
“See? My future zhao gets me,” Kara said, nudging Revena’s arm.
Zor-El leaned back in his chair, a playful glint in his eye. “And I think her creativity is something to be nurtured, not restrained. You can’t cage a star, Alura. It has to shine on its own.”
Kara shot him a triumphant look, and Revena stifled a laugh behind her hand.
“You’re not helping, Zor,” Alura said, though her lips twitched upward despite herself.
“She doesn’t mind,” Kara chimed in, mimicking her father’s earlier words. “Do you, Mother?”
Alura sighed, though there was a glimmer of affection in her gaze. “You two are impossible.” she muttered something like “El's, I swear” under an amused tone.
Revena, ever the diplomat, decided to steer the conversation. “Kara’s inventions are impressive, though. She made something today that I think even the Science Guild would admire.”
“Oh?” Zor-El leaned forward, his interest piqued. “What is it this time, Kara? Another mechanical puzzle, or have you finally started working on that propulsion model we talked about?”
Kara flushed slightly. “It’s… just a little puzzle toy I made when I was bored. It’s nothing fancy.”
Revena interjected, her voice filled with admiration. “It’s not just a toy. It's a device where she replacated Krypton’s atmosphere.”
Zor-El’s expression lit up with pride. “Krypton’s atmosphere? That’s brilliant, Kara! You’ve combined creativity with education—a true hallmark of the House of El.” there was another glint in his eyes that Kara saw for a minutes but couldn’t fathom what it meant.
Alura, despite herself, looked intrigued. “I’d like to see it later. Perhaps it could be something we introduce to younger students.”
Kara blinked, surprised. “You really think so?”
Zor-El placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know so. You have a gift, Kara. Don’t ever doubt that.”
Kara felt a swell of warmth in her chest, the kind that came from being truly seen. She glanced at Revena, who gave her an encouraging nod, and then back at her parents.
“Thanks, Father,” she said softly.
“Now,” Zor-El said, clapping his hands together. “Before we spend the entire evening talking about how wonderful Kara is, shall we eat? I’m starving.”
The table filled with laughter, and as the meal began, Kara couldn’t help but feel a sense of belonging. She might not always fit into the mold her mother envisioned, but she knew she was loved—and that was more than enough.