Rose bolted through the darkness across the Gallifreyan courtyard as fast as her legs could carry her. She made it to the other side just as the spherical probe came into view. She froze, hiding behind a decorative pillar. She held her breath.
Don't find me. Don't find me. Don't find me, she thought to herself. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears, and couldn't help wondering if the probe could hear it too.
Rose watched the light from the metallic probe scan the area. She watched it move off to her right, then circle back to her left. All the while, she refused to breathe, refused to take in the slightest bit of oxygen. If the probe found her, the time lords would take her into custody. And they wouldn't be nice.
A noise in the distance captured the probe's attention, giving her the distraction she needed. Rose didn't hesitate. She jumped forward into a run toward one of the park's out buildings, gasping for air as she went.
Running made her think of the Doctor, and thinking of the Doctor made her unconsciously reach for him. Oh, how she missed feeling his hand in hers.
The Doctor's ex-companion had been trapped in Pete's World for nearly four years when the time lords showed up. With what looked like a disaster movie come to life, Gallifrey had appeared in the sky, creating earthquakes and tidal waves on Earth before the time lords managed to stabilize its orbit. They'd destroyed Mars like it was nothing, and took the red planet's place as their new home.
If Rose hadn't recognized what was happening as fast as she did, chances were Earth would have been destroy too. As it was, she was hard pressed to get an atmospheric shell around the planet. Rose had used equipment at Torchwood along with her TARDIS key just as she'd seen the Doctor do on Kesserac.
She'd been with him when he'd enacted the planetary shell, protecting Kesserac against a meteor storm, saving billions. It's not like Rose knew what she was doing. She didn't understand how or why it worked. She only knew it did, and was grateful she'd been paying attention when she'd seen the Doctor work his magic.
The blond turned a sharp corner and crashed hard into a solid body, sending them both to the ground. Fear shot through her like a shard of ice. He'd seen her! The time lord had seen her.
"Ouch," groaned the man on the ground.
Ouch? thought Rose. That was a human reaction. Human? Was he human. She looked over at the man she'd bumped into.
"What are you doing out after curfew!" she demanded in a hushed voice. Relief and fear were warring in her. She was relieved to see he wasn't dressed in pompous Gallifreyan Robes. He was dressed like a human. He was human. But she was worried because he shouldn't be out after curfew without an escort. He was breaking the rules, and that was putting them all in danger.
"C'mon!" Rose whispered her order. She practically hauled him to his feet before trying to pull him along with her.
The man didn't move. He looked surprised.
"Listen to me," Rose turned back to him. "There's a Gallifreyan probe searching the area. So if you don't want to spend the rest of your life in an alien prison, I suggest you MOVE!" She turned and ran not waiting to see if the stranger would follow.
Rose ran hard, pushing herself with everything she had. Her legs ached. Her lungs burned. But still she pushed harder. She had to be running faster than she'd ever gone before. Which is why she was completely caught off guard when the man she'd left behind showed up at her side.
"This way," he said, pulling her into a thicket.
"What the...?"
He raised his finger to his lips, motioning for her to be quiet. He pointed toward a probe she hadn't realized was there. They watched as the new probe was joined by the one that had been hunting her. The little mechanical balls buzzed and flashed lights at each other before they flew away.
Rose was shocked. She hadn't seen it. She hadn't noticed the second probe. She hadn't even thought there could have been more than one. The man she'd bumped into had probably just saved her life.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"My pleasure." He gave her a quick nod. "One of them will be back to double check the area. We should stay put until after it does. These shrubs scatter its sensors, so we should be safe."
"How do you know that?" Rose questioned.
He smiled. "I've done this a few times."
Rose looked puzzled. "How long have you been stuck on Gallifrey?" she asked.
"Oh." He shifted his stance, trying to move a sharp branch away from the tender spot on his back. "Too long," he answered.
Rose grimaced. "Five minutes is too long," she answered.
"Agreed," he nodded. "If humanity's survival wasn't on the line..." he let his statement trail. "I arrived right after the first attack failed," he explained. "I've been trying to work out a diplomatic solution from the start."
"So you work for UNIT then," she stated.
He nodded. "Might I ask what brings you out on a night like this?"
Rose gave her best disarming smile. Human or not, there was no way she was answering that question. She had been exploring Gallifrey to find and steal the technology she needed to get back to the prime universe. Specifically, she was looking for the tech the time lords often used to focus the beam in their laser weapons. It was the only piece missing from the dimension jumpers Torchwood had been working on.
In theory the tech could safely cut a small hole in the fabric of reality in both Pete's World and the Doctor's universe, allowing the dimension jumper to send people across the void without getting trapped in it. Unfortunately, the time lords had no interest in sharing THAT technology. Which meant the only way Rose could get it, was if she took it. And with her son's life on the line, taking it was what she planned on doing.
Rose thought about her son. She wondered how long it would have taken for the time lords to find out what he was, if this stranger hadn't saved her. She wondered what the time lords would have done to her little Gallifrey Jack Tyler. She wondered what kind of experiments they would put him through. And she wondered how long they would have let a half-breed live. Rose remembered the horror stories the Doctor told her about his people. After having seen their behavior for herself, she believed every word.
Rose looked at the man next to her. This stranger hiding with her in a thicket of scratchy alien branches hadn't just saved her life. He'd saved her son's life too. And for that she would always be eternally grateful. But that didn't mean she trusted him enough to truthfully answer his question about why she was out after curfew. So instead of answering, she just shrugged.
"Oh, c'mon," whispered the man. He smiled. "What's the harm?"
Rose couldn't help but relax. Over the years of traveling with the Doctor, she'd gotten to be a pretty good judge of character. Her rescuer felt safe. She smiled, surprised at her own reaction.
"Big alien planet," she finally answered in a hushed tone. "Red grass, silver trees, different ground beneath my feet." She bounced a little on her toes. "Different sky over my head." She looked him in the eyes. "How could I resist exploring that?"
He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "What's your name then? Maybe you'll at least tell me that."
"My name?" Rose was shocked. "You don't know who I am?" Everyone knew who she was. There was no way to escape Pete's fortune, the tabloids, or the miraculous story Torchwood had made up about Peter Tyler finding his wife and long lost daughter.
"Should I know who you are?"
"I'm..." Rose hesitated. This bloke was the first person she'd met in ages who wouldn't already have an opinion about her. He wouldn't have an agenda. He wouldn't be after Pete's money, or using familiarity with the Tylers as leverage. This bloke was the first person she'd met in ages who could simply be a friend, at least so long as she didn't mess things up. It doesn't matter, thought Rose. In a day or two the time lords would win, or she'd be home. They'd never have the chance to develop a friendship.
"I'm R... Marion," she answered, changing her mind at the last second. A friend, even for a day or two, would be nice. "I'm a body guard for Peter Tyler."
"Peter Tyler." He recognized the name. "The leader of the negotiations between Earth and Gallifrey."
"More like the leader of Earth's surrender, but yeah, that's the one." She shifted her feet. "Who are you?"
"I'm the..." The man paused, glanced at where the probes had been, and moved his eyes back to hers. "I'm the head of my division," he covered what he was about to say. The last thing he wanted to do was put Marion on edge. He still wanted to find out what she'd been up to, why she'd been risking the safety of the negotiations by sneaking out. And he was pretty sure telling her too much would do just that. She was breaking the rules after all. Chances were he'd have to report her to Mr. Tyler. "My friends call me Sigma..."
Rose's hand shot up to cover his mouth, cutting off his answer. The Gallifreyan probe flew into view. Both fugitives froze, and watched the mechanical ball scan the area with multiple streams of light.
Rose was holding her breath as a beam of light scanned over their hiding place. It paused. It stopped. It's found us, she thought. It's found us, and there's nothing I can do. Her insides began to quake. She was getting ready to run, getting ready to make a break for it, when the probe turned and flew away. Rose let out a breath in relief.
"I thought it had spotted us," she confessed. Her hands were shaking.
"Me too," her new friend whispered under his breath, a look of concern crossing his features. Had they upgraded their probes?
"Well, I guess I should be heading back," Rose spoke in a low voice. Her eyes danced around the area, still wary of any danger. "It was nice to meet you Freud."
"Freud?"
Rose looked at her new friend. "Well you did say your name was Sigmand, yeah?" She smiled, letting her tongue tease her teeth.
Sigmand smiled too. He couldn't help it. "Freud. I like that," he commented as Rose stepped out of their hiding place. She turned toward the barracks. "Oh, don't go that way," he piped up.
"Why?" Rose was instantly on edge. She looked around the area, praying the probe hadn't come back.
"They'll begin a search starting from the barracks and work their way out. Trust me. Heading back that way is the last thing you want to do."
Rose's breathing increased slightly. If she couldn't get back in her room before the morning meeting, they'd realize she was missing.
"Come with me." Freud began walking in the opposite direction.
Rose looked back and forth between her two paths. Freud turned around, walking backward. He put his hands in his jean's pockets and smiled.
"C'mon."
Rose gave in and followed. Honestly, what choice did she have?
xxx
Half an hour later the terrain was getting more rustic, and Rose was having to work hard to keep up.
"Are you sure your secret way in will get us back before morning?" she worried.
"Oh, yes," he answered. "Don't worry. You'll see it just over this hill."
The hill he was referring to felt more like a mountain. Rose's hips burned, and she struggled with her footing in the dark. If it wasn't for the tiny bit of light coming from Gallifrey's smallest moon, she was sure she wouldn't have been able to see a thing.
Finally, FINALLY, they reached the top of the rocky little mountain.
"There," Freud pointed to the valley below. "What do you think?"
Rose's eyes widened in amazement. She'd been to quite a few planets traveling with the Doctor. She'd seen moons and asteroids. He'd shown her sunsets and frozen oceans. But nothing was as lovely as this.
Below the two new friends was a tiny hidden treasure nature had created and hidden away. Gone were the barren rocks and hot sands. Instead there was a bowl of deep red grass leading into a forest of gold and silver trees shimmering in the moonlight. And dividing the grass was an iridescent pond glowing soft green around the edges. The water shimmered, creating a mirror effect where it was deepest. The stars reflected on it's surface, creating the illusion of eternity.
"Wow."
"When the moon sets, it'll look even better."
Rose didn't want to look away. She didn't even want to blink. Was this what the Doctor thought of when he remembered his home? But she had responsibilities, so she turned to face Freud.
"How does this get me back?"
"Ooo. So serious." Freud started down the path into the valley below. "Time lords can't swim," he stated as though he was an authority.
"Yes, they can..." Rose cut herself off.
Freud stopped short, turning to look at her.
The Doctor swam all the time. She knew Freud was wrong. But she didn't want to have to explain how she knew that. To late now, she thought.
"They have arms and legs," she covered her mistake. "They're stronger than we are. And I'm pretty sure they're not allergic to water."
The time lord authority laughed, and continued leading the way. "I should have said they don't swim." He kicked a rock. "Haven't you noticed how they avoid the water in the human recreation area? They avoid large bodies of water like the plague," he went on. "The point is they wouldn't think of swimming to a destination, so the water isn't monitored."
The duo was almost to the valley floor.
"We swim back," Freud offered. "They'll never see us coming."
"You think it'll work?"
"It always has before," he answered. "This leads right back to the barracks." He nodded toward it.
"How many times have you done this?" Rose wondered how many times this man had put the negotiations in danger.
"As often as I can," Freud answered. "This is where I was headed tonight when you... bumped into me."
They stopped in the grass, looking toward the shimmering water. Rose was quiet, thinking of how to reprimand him for jeopardizing human-time lord relations. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of a way without having to explain why it was alright for her to be out after curfew, but not alright for him.
"One never knows what tomorrow will hold," Freud went on. "So one should seize the day," he answered her unasked question.
"Aren't you worried about getting caught, ruining the negotiations?"
"How are the negotiations going anyway?" Freud avoided her question.
Rose's shoulders slumped just slightly. "Do you have family?" she asked.
"Some."
"Go home," she answered. "Seize the day with your family while you still can."
Freud turned to look at Rose. "Is it really that bad?" He frowned. "I'd heard they were making headway."
Rose licked her lips. Freud seemed like a nice guy. He didn't deserve what was coming. He deserved time with his loved ones. But could she risk telling him what she knew? She looked around the area. They were alone, no time lords, no monitoring, no probes. It should be safe. Shouldn't it?
"The only reason why the time lords are dealing with us is because of the atmospheric shield I created..."
"You created?" Freud interrupted. "You did that?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "But that's not the point. Because of the shield, their law says they have to deal with us. Not only does the shield prevent them from forcing their way onto Earth with their technology, but it's evidence that we're advanced enough they have to acknowledge us. They can't just take us over."
"Sounds like you saved the Earth, Marion."
Rose looked at the alien trees shimmering in the distance. "The problem is the shield won't hold. We were hoping we could get a treaty in place before it's too late. But the time lords are asking for too much. And the negotiations are taking too long. Two days. Four if we're very lucky. Then the shield will fail, our legal status will be negated, and the time lords will claim us. I'm sure you're aware of what they did to the Mars colony... what happened to the people living on the Moon."
"Why don't you fix it?" Freud asked. "Fix the shield or create a second one around the first."
"I can't." Rose swallowed. "The technology I used... I have no idea how it works. It's alien."
Freud let out a defeated sigh and muttered under his breath. He ran a hand over his face and into his hair. "What about the negotiations?" he asked. "Why not just give them what they want?"
"They want slaves, Freud. Slaves. Billions of them. But it's worse than that." Rose clenched her jaw. "They want humans to replace their looms. Do you know what that means?"
"I've heard of them," he answered. "Time lord reproduction."
"Exactly. They hide behind bartering for natural resources and offers of sharing technology between the species. But under it all they're really only interested in replacing their failing looms." Rose looked at the worry on Sigmunds face. "Torchwood has a plan in the works," she continued. "They're going to create a hologram of the shield using Earth's satellites. But even if it fools the time lords at first, I doubt it will fool them long enough to get a treaty secured."
"Establishing a treaty could take years," Freud provided.
"Yeah." Rose let her eyes drift up to the alien night sky above them. She let her gaze wander from star to star, and wished with all her heart the Doctor was here. She needed him. Moisture began clouding her vision, making it harder to see the twinkling lights up above. There was nothing she could do to save this universe's Earth. She'd been out there, out among the stars. She'd helped save species and worlds and people. But on her own, she was useless. There was nothing she could do.
"How do you know so much?" asked Freud. Marion seemed to know a lot more than the average body guard.
"I used to work for Torchwood," she answered. "I've met a few aliens before."
"Really? What did you think of them?"
Rose dropped her eyes back to her companion. She smiled. "They're fantastic."
A look of surprise flashed across his face.
"Even the time lords aren't that bad."
"I don't know about that." Freud started leading the way through the red grass toward the pond.
"Well, think about it." Rose followed after him. "A loom is like... like being a surrogate mother. How many women do that on Earth? It's probably the most precious gift one woman could give another."
"But they aren't human, Marion. I've been here long enough to know. They're manipulative, pompous, arrogant, cruel, vindictive, spiteful, power hungry..."
"They sound human to me," she cut him off. "They're just trying to survive. The problem isn't their request. There's nothing wrong with bartering for the help they need. It's that it isn't a request. They want absolute control, absolute power. They want slaves not surrogates. And there's no way Earth will agree to that."
Freud let the tops of the long red grass tickle his palms as he walked on. "Sounds like there's no choice."
"Oh, there's a choice," Rose answered. "In the event the shield and the hologram fail, Torchwood will activate the Oscar Hargen key, a huge number of nuclear devices at strategic points hidden beneath the Earth's crust."
Freud froze. He turned back. "Please tell me you're not serious."
"Sorry." She continued past him.
"And you agree with this?" He followed her.
Rose shook her head. "Like I said before. Go home. Spend some time with your family." She picked a piece of grass. "Or if you'd rather live under time lord rule, send for them. Bring them to Gallifrey before the shield fails. You'll be slaves. But you'll live."
Rose knew Pete was doing everything he could to safely stop the Oscar Hargen key. He had every man he could spare working on the problem. Unfortunately, there were just as many Torchwood operatives working to keep it as it was. If only he'd been able to keep Torchwood from splitting, he would have had better control over the situation.
Control, thought Rose. Wasn't that what the time lords were after? She thought of the Daleks. She was afraid just thinking about them. Could she blame the time lords for being afraid too? She knew that's why they wanted control. The time lords wanted to feel safe.
The two companions stopped next to the pond's bank. They looked across the mirror of stars in the water.
"What about you?" asked Freud. "What are you going to do?"
"Everything I can," Rose answered.
"And when that fails?"
She let her eyes drift to the stars. "Run."
Like magic the little Gallifreyan moon set, and thousands of firefly-like insects flew out of the grass. They began dancing across the water, making it look like the stars had come to life. Rose's breath caught. The scene felt almost like magic.
"Told you it was even better when the moon set."
The Doctor's ex-companion couldn't help the flood of emotion rushing to the surface. Standing in the middle of so much beauty reminded her of the Doctor. It reminded her of every alien planet he had ever taken her to. And it reminded her of what she'd never have again. Oh, how she missed him.
Freud took Rose by the hand, intending to lead her toward the pond. But the moment he touched her, all the emotion she'd been fighting back crashed down on her like a tidal wave. She'd been constantly reminded of the Doctor these last few months, more so since she'd arrived on Gallifrey. And having someone, anyone, take her hand like that was just too much. She turned and buried her face into Freud's shoulder, clinging to him as though he was the man she'd lost.
Freud was stunned. At first he didn't know what to do. Tentatively, he set an arm around her.
"It's alright," he tried. "It's just a bit of shock," he referred to the Gallifreyan fireflies. "It happens to the best of us." He waited for her to let him go. "They're just bugs. There's nothing to be scared of."
Rose laughed through her tears, muffled by Freud's shoulder. She was reminded of when she'd first stepped foot on the TARDIS. She'd cried then too. And the Doctor thought it was shock, culture shock. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It had been so long since she'd found comfort in a hug. Rose inhaled again. She released her hold on her new friend, but was surprised when he didn't let her go.
Freud looked down at the woman in his arms. He held her tight, looking deep into her eyes. There was something different about her, something off. He brought his hand close to her face, using his thumb to gently wipe away the evidence of one of her tears. What was it about her? Why did she feel so different?
Rose blushed, embarrassed she'd lost control, and feeling uncomfortable with the position she'd gotten herself into.
"We... we should get going." She pushed against his chest. He didn't let go. She pushed harder. "Freud," she tried.
"Hm? Oh." He dropped his arm and stepped back, but kept his eyes on Marion. "Right," he regained his composure. "This way." He headed down the rocky bank, and began removing his t-shirt.
Rose followed. And a few minutes later, the two of them were silently floating toward the barracks, carried by the swift down hill currents. It wasn't until their goal was in sight though that either of them spoke. Even then, it was an odd question that broke the silence.
"Do you know when the Oscar Hargen key was created?" Freud asked.
"About ten years ago. In Germany. I think." Rose held tightly to her bundle of clothes as she swam. "Don't worry," she tried to sound confident. "I'm sure Mr. Tyler's people will find it in time. I... I didn't mean to sound so fatalistic before." She regretted telling Freud about Earth's impending doom. "It's just..." Rose looked up at the stars twinkling overhead. "They're so beautiful, aren't they," she shifted what she was going to say.
Freud looked up. "Yes. Yes, they are."
"If I could, I'd spend the rest of my life explorin' the stars."
"Me too."
Rose looked back at him.
"Best way out of the water is up this bank and into the trees," Freud changed the subject. He knew they needed to get moving.
Several minutes later both of them were wearing their clingy clothes and sopping wet shoes, but hadn't left the trees to cross the clearing into the barracks. Rose hesitated. She was searching the area for any sign of a probe or Gallifreyan officer. She had to be careful.
"Marion," Freud whispered.
She glanced back at him briefly.
"Can I see you again?" he asked. "I mean... May I court you?"
Rose turned all her attention on him. She paused. Court her? Well, that's formal. She looked at him, noticing how he seemed to be holding his breath. She let out a defeated noise. So much for having a friend.
"No," Rose answered quickly. "Not interested." She knew it was her fault. She never should have cried into his shoulder. It had given him the wrong idea, ruining everything. The once shop girl turned heiress had enough experience with Mickey and a few others to know what would happen next. Even if she said she just wanted to be friends, Freud would never see it that way.
"May I ask why?" he tried. "Marion, if it's because of what's happening with the shield..."
"You're not my type." Rose knew she'd have to be cruel to be kind. It's not like she couldn't have a relationship. After what the Doctor had said on that blasted beach, she knew technically he'd ended their marriage. He'd set her free, knowing there was no way he'd ever see her again. She knew she was legally the time lord version of a widow. And it had definitely been long enough since she'd seen him to know he was right to let her go. But that was before Gallifrey showed up. It was before a tiny flicker of hope of getting back to the Doctor let itself shine.
Even if there was no way back to the Doctor though, Rose knew she couldn't have a relationship with Freud. She couldn't tell him about her half alien son until she knew a relationship was serious. But how could a relationship get serious, if she was keeping her motherhood status a secret. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to him. No one could measure up to the Doctor. No one. Rose looked back at the man she would have liked to call friend.
"Not your type?" questioned Freud.
"I like smart men," Rose gave her insult. "If a man's not a genius, he's got to at least be rich and powerful."
"How do you know I'm not...?"
"Because you'd be calling the shots on Earth, or be part of the negotiations. You're just a low level UNIT department head. Sorry." Rose shifted her balance. She hated being mean. "Besides," she added. "I'm not into humans."
Freud's mouth dropped open. He was speechless. Wow. Speechless. That had never happened to him before.
"Thanks for the help, yeah," Rose thanked him before starting through the trees and into the clearing.
Freud watched her go, thinking about her words as she went. She had no idea. He was smart, beyond smart. Rich? Well... Yeah, he could be called rich. And powerful? Oh, yes. He was very powerful.
Freud's thoughts were cut short by the distinct sound of a probe shooting through the trees in his direction. He didn't run. He didn't even flinch when the Gallifreyan probe appeared off of his left side. It hovered an arms length away from him.
"What's her real name?" he asked the probe. Freud inhaled, once more catching Marion's scent. She smells like time, he thought, inhaling again. Time and something else. If she hadn't caught his attention before, she certainly had it now.
The machine beeped and whirred like it was giving an answer. Freud turned to face the device, surprise crossing his features.
"Is she Peter Tyler's daughter then?"
The probe answered the time lord, and posed a question of its own.
"No," he answered. "Leave her to me." He looked across the clearing at the human.
"Dismissed," a new voice ordered the probe to leave.
"Andred," Freud greeted him without taking his eyes off Rose Tyler.
"My lord," the chancellory guard stepped closer to his superior, and gave a short bow. The Gallifreyan wore the typical warrior's red and white uniform, cap and all, but had still managed to stay camouflaged in the trees until he'd spoken.
"What news of Leela?" the time lord asked the guard.
"The Doctor's companion is dead, my lord."
"Are you sure?"
"I took care of it personally."
"Good."
As Rose disappeared into her building, he turned to face Andred. "What of the capsule issue?"
The chancellory guard grimaced. "Not a single TARDIS is working, Sigma," he dropped the formality. "We're dead in the water. And if we don't get the looms operational again, we won't be ready when the Daleks arrive. There won't be enough of us to hold off an attack. They'll wipe is out, probably destroy the universe in the process."
Sigma frowned, running a hand over his face. "How could the Daleks do this?" he questioned. "What kind of weapon did they use?"
"Without our systems running properly, we'll never find out. And you know what the Academy is recommending."
Yes. He cringed. Sigma knew exactly what the Academy had recommended, breed an army of time lords and take their life energy to power the time capsules, effectively killing them before they'd even grown out of infancy. They would die, giving their lives to save their people. But they wouldn't be given a choice either.
Sigma groaned. His options were disappearing faster than he could come up with solutions. "Is it too much to ask for good news?"
"High Chancellor Graxitel is changing tactics with the humans," Andred supplied the information. "Since time is of the essence, he no longer plans on drawing out the negotiations. He claims we should have human looms by tomorrow night." Andred smiled. "If you continue to deny the Academy's recommendations, we still won't have power. But at least we can begin rebuilding our population."
"That is good news." Sigma smiled. If Gallifrey established a treaty with Earth by tomorrow, Marion's... no...Rose's shield would still be active. All her worries would be moot. There would be no need for Torchwood to detonate the Oscar Hargen key, and his people would have what they needed most, posterity. Sigma began walking away from the human barracks.
Andred followed after him.
"How does old Graxitel plan on establishing a treaty so quickly?" Sigma asked.
"He doesn't," Andred supplied. "He plans on bartering for Peter Tyler's daughter. He wants the human as his personal loom."
Sigma stopped walking.
"It's well within his rights as High Chancellor. And his House has taken many casualties," Andred went on unaware of the other time lord's reaction. "He's taken a liking to..." The chancellory guard stopped short. "What is it?" he asked, startled by the look on Sigma's face.
Sigma calmed his breathing, unclenched his jaw, and forced himself to relax. There was no way any other time lord was getting his hands on Rose Tyler. Scratch that. No other man, no matter his race, would be touching her.
"The counsel has already agreed to Graxitel's plan," Andred explained. "If you can see an issue with..."
Sigma took in a deep breath, reigning in his emotions. He needed to think. He was missing something. Understanding clicked in Sigma's brain. "Graxitel intends to create a precedent," he pronounced. "If Miss Tyler is bartered away into becoming a loom..."
"Then all humans can be bartered for," Andred caught on. "They'll have established themselves as slaves," he spoke his understanding.
"Even if we create a treaty with them in the future," Sigma cut in.
"The precedent will still be in force," Andred finished.
"As soon as the shield goes down," Sigma stated, "We'll have them."
Both men stood quiet for a long minute.
"You have to admit," Andred broke the silence. "It's a good plan." He shook his head. "A really good plan.
"Yeah," Sigma nodded. "There are just two problems with it." He started moving quickly down the path.
"What's that?" Andred had to jog to keep up.
"Oscar Hargen." Sigma sped up into a run. "And Rose Marion Tyler."
xxx
xxx
Author's note:
1. I don't own "Doctor Who."
2. I don't know if I'll finish this, but writing the first chapter was fun.
