"Doctor!" Rose cried out as the TARDIS was tossed through the time vortex. "What's going on?" As of late, the time machine had been traveling pretty smoothly.
The big eared alien in question was smashing buttons and pulling levers on the console while holding on for dear life. "We've just hit a bit of turbulence, don't worry about it!"
The blonde shot him a razor sharp glare, "Too late for that, where are we going?"
"I don't know, yet, but what would be the fun in that?" He gave her a cheeky grin, his big ears wriggling.
For a split second, Rose had a flashback of the London Blitz and hanging thousands of feet from the ground with a Union Jack stamped across her chest. That—That was not fun. Not until the handsome Captain Jack Harkness saved her. That man was something to look at. She bit her lip at the memory.
With that in mind, she glanced at the newest member to the TARDIS crew, who was trying to grab onto something to steady himself that wouldn't send the TARDIS into further spiraling rage. And he somehow made himself look good. If only she had that sort of luck.
Then, the whirring and scraping sound of landing echoed in their ears.
Immediately the three converged on the door. It was pretty useless asking where you were while inside. You'd only be shoved outside. Then possibly be shoved back inside depending on the environment.
Rose let out a gasp and quickly covered her mouth. Her eyes watering at the sight. There were dead humanoids and Ood and unidentifiable species cadavers splayed across the ground. Pools of blood and innards littered the surface and filled the pits created by soldiers. Jack wrapped an arm around her. Instinctively, she curled into him—her eyes wide. There was nothing soothing about this. Nothing fantastical. Nothing she would want to find in the universe.
"C'mon then," there was a tremor of anger in the Doctor's voice, "Let's see who's in charge here."
"R-Right," She stuttered, pulling away from Jack to follow the man she traveled with. Her huge eyes glossy with unshed tears. "Where to then?" She put all of her effort into not looking at the ground, but that was near impossible.
"I'd say that's the main base." Jack said, nodding toward a particularly large series of tents that surrounded a rather stocky building. His gaze flicked about, then was directed at the Doctor. "I've heard about these planets—war planets." He grimaced as a pair of guards materialized at the tent doors. Both humanoid birds.
The Doctor flashed his psychic paper, "Galactic War Ambassador Smith, these are my associates." Tell me, have either of you any idea what kind of mess you've made? I am not getting cleaning bots for this without a hefty sum."
The bird humanoid squinted at the psychic paper, then looked at the Doctor shrewdly, "You've been expected Ambassador. Your comrade of peace is here as well, helping things settle."
They were led in and Rose looked around, gawping at everything. It was just so much. She hadn't seen these aliens before. She was never going to get used to this. At least, for her it was. Jack wasn't effected the same way she was—he was winking at a particularly pretty bird humanoid. The bird's feathers bristled and the pink skin that was able to be seen flushed.
Fifty-first century pheromones. Go figure.
"Expected? That doesn't sound good." Rose whispered as they were led to the entrance of the building. The wall they saw looked rather battered and dingy.
"Probably just saw the TARDIS appear," Jack whispered back, "the planet's probably booked since this one's over."
"How do you know it's over?"
"Because there's no one else alive on the battlefield." The Doctor answered for Jack, "It's a way to keep war between two parties from being interfered with and so that innocent civilians won't be killed in moments of foul play. A lot of these people consider it hospitable, in comparison at least."
"But wouldn't that mean that only civil civilizations would use them?" Rose asked, almost warily, remembering the Daleks.
"Only if the Intergalactic War and Peace Council don't catch you first." Jack snickered, glancing at the Doctor.
The Doctor rolled his eyes in response and straightened as the door was opened for him.
"So this is your partner, Ambassador Doe?" the unidentifiable alien asked. It was fair lavender in color and was dressed in rich clothing. A pair of ears perched atop it's head, but no visible eyes. The voice sounded female. It had four arms lining it's torso and it's visible skin was shiny.
"I suppose," a strawberry-blonde woman answered, looking at the Doctor sharply, "the council likes to change our partners around Ambassador…?" Her old brown eyes connected with his blue ones.
"Smith," the Doctor said with a smile as he sat down beside her, "these are my companions, they will be auditing."
Rose automatically opened her mouth in protest, then snapped it shut. The last thing she wanted to do was get in trouble with these two species who were fresh out of war.
Jack gestured to the chairs lining the walls and he and Rose sat down.
"Well, Ambassador Smith," the bird humanoid—a Prandt—leader said, "we were just finishing up the treaty papers. I didn't realize that you would be coming to us. They said we would have to send it in."
"New regulations," the Doctor said.
"I see…" the eyeless alien said thoughtfully, "we need your signatures then so we can finish this up."
The Peace Ambassador set her palm on the table and closed her eyes briefly, then turned to the Doctor with a raised brow. There was something so unnervingly familiar about her. Her mimicked what she did and closed his eyes. A hum ran through his mind, collecting his chemical signature.
The leaders exchanged polite goodbyes and left the room.
"I would like to speak with my partner and his… companions in private for a moment, if that's alright." The woman said to the guards. They nodded to her respectfully and closed the door behind them. The middle-aged looking woman stood and looked at the Doctor sharply.
"Firstly, the War Ambassadors of the War and Peace Council have students, interns, and apprentices—not companions. You're lucky that those two civilizations were new to using a war planet." Her nostrils flared. Then she pulled out what looked like a compact and flipped it open—scanning Rose and Jack, then the Doctor.
"What the—who do you think you are?" Rose cried out in surprise, goose bumps rising up on her skin.
The woman just smirked, "I think I'm the Peace Ambassador who si now looking at three people who are pretending to be from the Intergalactic War and Peace Council. Two humans and… oh my…" Her brown eyes sparkled with renewed interest as she eyed the Doctor curiously.
"It'd be great if we could start over," the Doctor said, standing up. Quickly, he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned her in return. She didn't even flinch, but she did stare at the instrument.
"What in hell's name is that?"
"A screwdriver," He answered, reluctant and defensive.
She guffawed and looked at Jack and Rose before looking back at him incredulously, "Who sonics a screwdriver?"
"Who sonics a compact?" He shot back, then he did a double-take at said screwdriver.
"For your information," the woman bristled, taking a step toward him, "it only looks like a compact—" She flipped it open for a light map of holographic images to snap up, "—it's actually a sonic scanner, kid."
Some memory was egging at the back of his mind, but he didn't care. He was too busy having a standoff with this woman.
"Since we have that out of the way, who are you?" She asked, her voice wavering to sound almost worried.
"I'm the Doctor." A crack echoed through the air and he reeled back, clutching his jaw, "What the hell was that for?"
"Oh, I dunno, how about destroying our planet and putting our species into a time lock?" She spat at him scathingly, advancing on him.
"Hey, lady, back up," Jack stood in front of the Doctor with his sonic blaster out in front of him.
"Oh dear, I seem to have disturbed your babies," the woman said, taking a few steps back and sitting down, "but I did owe him that much."
Rose was in complete and utter shock that the woman had the nerve to actually punched the Doctor. Her jaw snapped shut and she gritted her teeth as fury flushed over her. Then she blinked a few times before actually being able to say something that wasn't a swear or an assault on the other woman. Like an old woman could take her on anyway. "'Our Planet', 'Our Race' Does that mean you're… whatever the Doctor is?" She swallowed nervously.
The woman's gaze appraised her, "Well aren't you a clever girl? It's too bad that he is the only example of our race to you. Well, besides me. What's your name?"
"Rose, Rose Tyler," She almost flushed with pleasure under the woman's gaze.
"Nice to meet you, Rose Tyler," the woman extended a hand and Rose shook it, "I'm the Professor."
"Professor what?"
"Just the Professor," She said with an engaging grin, "and I do get that a lot." Her eyes shifted and almost seemed dreamy. "You're a Victorian Beauty, you are."
Now that made Rose blush brightly. Maybe this woman wasn't so bad. "Thanks." There was something about this woman that made Rose want to impress her. Much like the way she was with the Doctor.
"You're the Professor?" the Doctor interrupted, "My Professor?"
"The one and only, kid," She gave a wicked smirk.
"So you're Gallefreyan?" Jack asked, eyeing her up and down flirtatiously.
"I'd tell ya to feel my hearts, but that would be inappropriate."
"Well, I'd say," Jack grinned, "I don't think I've introduced myself, I'm Captain Jack Harkness."
She shook his hand, "I'm the Professor, pleasure to meet you, Captain."
"Pleasure's all mine, Professor." He kissed her knuckles, looking at her from beneath his long lashes.
"Jack," the Doctor warned.
"Just being polite," Jack retorted.
The Professor slipped her fingers from his hand, "It's quite alright, Doctor, I wouldn't try a baby like this." She grabbed his chin between her fingers, "He couldn't handle me."
Jack raised a brow.
She simply smirked and let go of his chin, then turned to the Doctor, "What are you doing here?"
"I haven't seen you since the academy and that's what you ask me? What I'm doing here?"
She nodded.
"That's so typical," He rolled his eyes and sighed, "We hit a bit of turbulence and just ended up here. Originally, I was aiming for Paradise Planet 9 in the Andromeda Galaxy."
"Ah, that place is great," Jack sighed at the memory, "Best massages and view."
"But that's impossible," the Professor said, "there's a force field around the planet that closes off all transport in and out. All ships and teleportation are re-directed to the Docking Probe just outside the field, unless…"
"Unless there's a rip in the field, which means—"the Doctor started, then stopped and shared a look with the Professor. There seemed to be some sort of communication. The slightest bit of twitching lips. Like a higher language that humans couldn't possibly understand even if they tried. The Doctor was getting closer to the Professor and neither seemed to realize it, but Rose did. She didn't like seeing her Doctor so close to another woman, especially with the way they were looking at each other. Like someone seeing the stars for the first time. And they seemed to come to the same conclusion at the same time.
The Professor stood with a blazing glare, "You all have to get out of here."