"Oh this is going to be good." She said as she rubbed her hands together excitedly, and he couldn't help but to smile at her as he moved about pushing buttons and pulling levers.
"Oh it is Martha, It's probably the most beautiful planet in this entire solar system." He replied and then waggled his brows.
"Well you've got me excited just by the way you've described it, and by how giddy you are." She giggled which increased upon seeing the sour look on his face.
"Giddy? I'm not giddy…am I? Well I suppose I am a bit." He said and then threw out his trademark, toothy smile. "Ok Ms. Martha Jones are you ready to see paradise?" He asked as he moved to her and offered her his arm.
"Yes I am Mr. Smith." She bubbled out as she linked her arm with his. "Could we go to that spa you spoke of?" She asked as they moved to the door.
"Whatever your heart desires Ms. Jones." He said as he patted the hand that gripped his forearm. He then opened the door of the Tartis, and their gleeful smiles crumbled from their faces.
"This is your idea of paradise, Doctor?" Martha asked as she stared aghast at the scene before them. The sky was as black as night, congested with smog. Hundreds of huge ships floated among the clouds. Large pipes extending from the midsection of each vessel down into the planet's core, sucking up the precious minerals. They watched in horror as a group of people chained by the necks, were herded about like cattle.
"This is not the Vestra I remember," The Doctor stated as anger flashed across his face.
"Who are they?" Martha asked as she pointed to the hooded figures carrying whips, which they struck the enslaved beings with, sending electricity from the whip into the helpless slaves.
"I don't know, never seen the likes of them before." He answered as he began to walk towards the hooded figures.
"What are you doing?" Martha exclaimed in a panic. As she grasped his arm firmly, stilling him.
"I'm going to ask them who they are, you wanted to know right, well."
"You can't just walk up to the bad guys and say hey how are you."
"Course not, wasn't going to ask them that. 'Sides, it looks like they're doing rather well for themselves, dominating a whole planet and all."
"So what are you going to say then?" Martha asked and from the way the Doctor smiled at her, she knew she was going to hate the answer.
He tapped the cloaked being on its shoulder, and when it turned to face them, Martha gasped at the sight. There seemed to be nothing under the hood, except a bright red light.
"Take me to your leader." He said with a smile.
"Take me to your leader," Martha repeated for the umpteenth time. She couldn't believe that he had actually done it. "We're probably gonna die, you do realize."
"Oh don't be so morbid, Martha. They may turn out to be a kind gentle species, which are just misunderstood." The doctor said but his case fell flat as they rounded a corner and found a couple of the hooded figures devouring one of the slave girls, pulling out and then fighting over the girl's innards.
"Oh God," Martha exclaimed as she squeezed her eyes shut and buried her face against the Doctor's arm, as he stared stoically at the grotesque scene. "Ahhh!" Martha screamed as she leaped closer to the Doctor, who instantly turned and moved himself in between Martha and the hooded figure that was trying to grab her.
"Don't you touch her!" His warning seemed to fall on deaf ears as the hooded figure along with two others charged at them, scuffling with the doctor as they tried to get to Martha.
"ENOUGH!" A voice boomed out and the figures scurried away, clearly afraid. "My apologies Doctor." The man spoke as he stood in the door at the end of the corridor.
"Darius?" The Doctor spoke as he grasped Martha's hand and moved them closer to the man.
"Yes old friend, it has been too long since you were last here."
"What has happened?" The Doctor asked as he and Martha now stood securely inside Darius's chambers. "Martha Jones this is Darius Lionheart. He's the ruler of Vestra. Darius this is Martha." Darius hungrily raked his eyes over Martha's frame as he addressed her.
"Martha," Darius said with a nod and then licked his lips, which made Martha frown a bit. "However, I'm afraid the Doctor is a bit mistaken, my true name is Altarian, and I am the ruler of the planet Caruthers and now Vestra." After taking in the Doctor's confused gaze Altarian went about explaining. "I'm sorry this all must be confusing, I'll try to explain it as so you can better understand. Over twelve centuries past, my home world the planet Caruthers, died out when our sun supernovae. Luckily we had advanced warnings and had time to prepared a full evacuation. After over a millennium of wandering the galaxies in search of a new home world, we arrived here at Vestra. The Vestraian people welcomed us openly, and shared all that they had with us. Unfortunately for them we discovered that their planet is full of the crystals we use to power our ships, infinite amounts, and…well their physiology contains the enzymes and proteins that nourishes my people."
"Oh my God, after they helped you lot you repay them by raping their planet and eating them." Martha spoke in outrage.
"But they are so delicious." Darius/Altarian said with an evil glee in his eye as he again licked his lips at her.
"I'm still a bit confused how did you…"
"How did I change myself to look like your friend Darius?" Altarian finished the Doctor's question, and the Doctor simply nodded his head. "My people can merge, if you will, our essence with other beings. Taking over their bodies and emotions and memories even, thus the reason I know you were a friend, and ordered my men not to kill you. In many ways I am still Darius, which is why I have not completely killed everyone on this planet. That and we need them to harvest the crystals. But even still I shall leave a few alive when we leave, so they can rebuild. As a way to say thanks for their hospitality." Altarian said. "But it seems that your arrival has changed things." Altarian stated as he moved and took a seat at the head of the huge table in the middle of the chamber.
"Ah so Darius has probably told you that I will have to stop you." The Doctor stated proudly as he shoved both of this hands into his pant pockets.
"No, but he did tell me you were an immortal of sorts." Altarian stated with a smiled as his eyes began to turn red. "I always wanted to live forever." With that said Altarian bolted from his seat and rushed at the Doctor, who was bracing himself for impact. But instead the Doctor watched as Darius form went limp and crumbled to the floor, seemingly lifeless. Before he had time to fully register what had happened, the Doctor felt himself lift off of the ground. Martha watched in horror and the Doctor's body flew across to the opposite end of the room, and slammed into a far wall.
"Doctor!" She cried out as she rushed to him, she knelt beside his outstretched frame. "Doctor are you ok? Doctor?" She spoke softly as she reached out and brushed his hair from his face, she jumped back a bit startled as red eyes stared up at her.
"Not anymore," He said with a smirk. "Well at least not completely," He added as he sat up and then hurriedly stood, brushing his hands over his trench coat. Martha stood back a bit as she watched him wearily.
"What happened, where did Altarian go?" She asked as she eyed the area around them.
"Oh he's here inside. Unfortunate for him I don't assimilate well with others."
"But you're ok?" She asked letting her guard down a bit, as she smiled through a sigh.
"Of course, and better still I'm now technically the ruler." The Doctor announced with a bright smile, one Martha matched with her own.
"Good now you can set the Vestraians free."
"All in good time, yes. First, no more chains and whips of course, that's just too barbaric innit, but they will still mine the crystals." The doctor said as he moved across the room to the doors, dramatically throwing them open.
"But why, why have them still mine the crystals."
"In case you hadn't noticed dear Martha, there are millions of Carthurians and only a few thousand Vestraians. We have to take things slow and steady, baby steps, Martha, baby steps. Today no more chains, and who knows tomorrow we may learn to all live and work together in harmony." The Doctor spouted out with a sigh and far off dreamy look, which lasted only a split second, which left Martha to question the sincerity of his words. "Hey you there," The Doctor called to one of the hooded Carutherian in the corridor, and it obediently came to stand before him, as if already knowing that this was his new ruler. "Tell all of the Carutherians to release the Vestraians from their chains and there is to be no more whips used. It serves no purpose to scare and beat them half to death, it only slows down production." The Carutherian spoke in clicks that Martha didn't understand but the Doctor seemed to have no problems deciphering. "Of course they are to continue working the mines, but allow them plenty of water, food, and rest." The Doctor said and then turned to Martha with a proud grin, before turning back to the Carutherian. "Oh, and no one else is to be eaten." The Carutherian seems to protest this. "I know but again its not very productive to eat the hand that feeds us, now is it. 'Sides, we can survive just fine on their food, as bland as it may be." He said with a slight frown. "Ok off you go now." With that the Carutherian turned and left and then the Doctor closed the door and moved back to the head of the table, where he took the seat that Darius had been seated in mere moments before. "This is turning out to be rather a nice vacation, don't you think?"
"You're kidding right? This is a nightmare and I really wish we would just leave." Martha stated as she stepped around the form still lying on the floor.
"Leave, we can't leave. Both the Carutherians and Vestraians need us."
"Ok, and how long do you think they will need us?" Martha asked as she crossed her arms across her chest and stood staring at the seated Doctor.
"Well I don't rightly know, a few millennium I suppose."
"What! Are you mad?" Martha yelped as a new panic filled her.
"Oh don't worry Martha, time here is different than on Earth. Here a millennium is like one month on Earth. You'll virtually live forever." He said smiling at her, disillusioned that this knowledge would somehow please her.
"I don't care, I don't want to stay here another second, let alone a millennium."
"Well, you really don't have much of a choice, now do you?" He asked as he looked up at her with his brows arched high in a questioning stare.
"Are you saying you're going to keep me here against my will?"
"Oh don't be so dramatic. You can leave if you like. Go out there and find a ship that can take you back to Earth, 263 trillion light years away." These words caused the tears to spill from her eyes, and the Doctor jumped from his seat and moved to her, causing her to take a cautious step backward. "Martha don't be like that, it's me the Doctor." He said as he reached out and cupped her face, wiping away the tears from her cheeks. "You said you trusted me, remember." She could only nod. "And there hasn't been a situation yet that I haven't gotten us out of, right?" Again she nodded. "Good girl, no worries." He said as he enveloped her into a tight embrace, and she clung to him tightly. He buried his nose in her hair and then closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath. He then lowered his nose lower to her neck, again breathing in her scent, which got her attention. Martha stood at alarm, wandering what he was doing. When she felt his tongue graze her neck she shoved at him, freeing herself and moving back from him, while clutching her neck.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Sorry, it's just that you smell really good." The Doctor answered calmly.
"Good, like…good enough to eat, good?" Martha asked wearily. This caused the Doctor to throw his head back and roar in laughter. Martha nervously giggled as she was taken in a bit by his merriment, as she always was.
"No, I am not a cannibal dear Martha. If I were don't you think I would have eaten you by now? No, no Martha, I can assure you I have no desires…to eat you." He said as his eyes flashed red briefly but she caught it. Before she could question this, a moan filled the room and both their eyes fell to the form now moving on the floor. Martha instinctively rushed to the man, checking his vitals.
"Darius, are you ok?" She asked as the baffled man stared up at her in confusion. This confusion only lasted a moment before he bolted upright.
"The Carthurians, they've invaded and they're killing us."
"Oh please we didn't 'invade'," The Doctor said using his fingers to mimic quotation marks. "You lot welcomed us with open arms."
"Doctor?" Darius called to what appeared to be his old friend. "What…how, oh thank Thora you're here. Wait what happened to Altarian? I…I don't feel him anymore, I don't hear him."
"Oh he's still here." The Doctor said.
"He's in the Doctor." Martha answered. This news seemed to crush Darius as he crumbled into Martha, giving her the brunt of his weight.
"Then we are lost."
"No, no…the Doctor is now their ruler, they listen to him. He's going to help free your people. We're going to help you." Martha defended the Doctor, who simply stood staring down at them with an arched brow and his hands stuffed securely in his pants pockets.
"You do not understand. Altarian is inside him, controlling him."
"No, the Doctor is the one in control, right?" Martha asked as she looked up hopeful to the Doctor, who pressed his lips into a thin line and then raised his brows as he shrugged. Her face and hopes fell in that moment, as she stared into his eyes, and for the first time didn't see the Doctor staring back at her.
"Well now you've gone and done it." The Doctor addressed Darius. "Right then, Guard!" He yelled and the doors instantly flew open. "Take them, lock them away with the rest." A panic filled Martha's heart as she stood and rushed to the Doctor.
"Doctor, please listen to me. This isn't you but I know you're in there somewhere. You have to fight." Her words didn't seem to faze him as he simply stared at her with a smirk.
"Poor Martha," He said as he reached out and stroked her hair. "This is me, who I was meant to be. I'm a God now." He smiled warmly at her as the guards grasped her and Darius.
"No! Doctor!" She continued as she was pulled from the room. "Doctor! Doctoooooooooor!" Her screams continued even after they left the room, down the corridor, through the courtyard, even after she and Darius were tossed into a holding cell with the rest of the enslaved Vestraians. Then her screams merged into sobs, which changed to whimpers, until she finally exhausted herself into sleep.