Kate Stewart was sat at her desk working on a device to disrupt Dalek communication links.
The base was buzzing like a Hive, there was to be an inspection by the 'Top Brass'.
Being science based Kate hoped she wouldn't be distracted from her work by this visit. Soldiers were not her favourite people especially certain top ranking ones!
Lieutenant General Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, was sat in the back of a chauffeur driven car.
He was reading the latest updates from UNIT HQ, Geneva.
He sighed deeply.
His driver, John Benton, smiled to himself as he asked" You Ok, Brigadier?"
"I was going to say that things were better in our day John, but thinking back I'm sure I fought as many battles with the powers that be in Geneva," he sighed "as I did with the Thugs who came from other worlds."
John laughed, "But at least you could shoot the Aliens, Sir!"
Lethbrige-Stewart grinned "Believe me John, I was tempted to try that approach with the Security Council on many occasions!".
Benton's grin widened. "So Brigadier what's on the menu for today?" he enquired.
"I'm just being wheeled out for the usual, quick look around, present some medals, and to give the usual ' rousing 'Being Part of Unit' speech to the new recruits." The General laughed "I'm getting to feel more of a spare part each day"
Benton smiled, whatever the Brigadier said he made speeches that could inspire men to achieve the near impossible and on several occasions the impossible as well.
Alfie was emptying the bins, restocking the soap dispensers and paper towels. Kate smiled at him, he was an ex UNIT soldier who had not coped well after being invalided out. But UNIT took care of it's own and Alfie now carried out janitorial services on the base.
Today he was sporting a medal pinned to his overalls. Kate's quick glance noted it was the Military Cross, it was one of the medals her father wore. Alfie must have been a brave man to earn that, and by inference part of Kates brain reminded her that her Dad must have been as well.
Voices coming down the corridor alerted Kate to the approaching group of 'Important Men'. One of the voices, she knew, was her father's.
"I think you will be impressed by the work we are carrying out" Professor Shulman gushed. "I know General, how you pushed for a scientific branch in UNIT. I think you will be impressed with my team!"
Kate hated the sight of the General in his No. 1 uniform. She carried on with her work ignoring his presence..
General Lethbrige-Stewart had known about his daughter being recruited to UNIT. He also knew about her name change and suspected the reason for it. But being so close, yet being a million miles away from her in every respect except physicality, hurt. He kept his face impassive as he listened to Kate's mentor explain her invention. Good work Ms Stewart, I'm sure some soldier on the battlefield will send up a prayer of thanks for that!
Kate had seen the flash of hurt in his eyes as she turned her attention back to her work, snubbing him.
As he got to the door General Lethbridge-Stewart, excused himself from the group of men and re-entered the room. Kate felt anger and almost hatred for him well up. But he walked past her desk and Saluted the Janitor.
"How's the job Mr Bates" he enquired shaking the mans hand.
Alfie grinned and muttered "Fine thank you, Sir!"
A cough from the men at the door and the General saluted Alfie again and left.
"Can't have him late for his speech." Kate muttered, "Bet the recruits can't wait for forty winks!"
Alfie was annoyed, "What would you know about the General," Alfie snapped.
Oh wouldn't you be surprised if I told you! Kate thought as she got back to her work.
Jeff Robinson, who Professor Shulman had also brought as part of his research team, asked "What did you get the Medal for Alfie?"
Kate was only half listening.
" I saved the Generals life, that time the Vorband invaded." Kate's hands stilled over the keys of her computer
She thought back to her first lectures at UNIT, Vorband, a class 7 humanoid with external skeleton, skin like steel, primitive weaponry but defensive force fields that were even now difficult to disrupt. Known for butchering and eating everyone they met.
Kate shivered.
We would have lost that day if it hadn't been for the Brigadier's speech. " he told them, eyeing Kate meaningfully.
Alfie was know for his stories of the old days.
We'd attacked twice and suffered appalling losses," he told them " then the Brigadier took one in the gut! When I dragged him back, I thought I had a dead one on my hands.
Kate's hands shook,
Alfie continued the tale, half lost in the story.
"The men by this time were ready to run, what was left of the offices were in disarray, when up comes one of you lot, a boffin, everyone just used to call him the Doctor, and says he can get the force field down. Then the Captain reports the men won't take orders."
The Brigadier had half his insides hanging out, but insists they just shove them back in and bandage him up. He takes a slug of Whisky, gets the medics to give him enough morphine so as we can get him stood up.
"He stood in front of the men as if he was as right as nine pence. Told us they could get the Force field down. The men were only half convinced. Then he told us if we didn't stop this first wave of these vermin then more would follow. He told us if we didn't stand together and defeat them, there and then, our families would be just so much dead meat. Even if we stood in front of our own doors trying to stop these monsters individually, we would fail and we would see our families die. He told us about his daughter, how it was her 12th Birthday, he said he loved his daughter more then life itself, he said he was there because nothing matters to him more than his daughter and he was going to make sure he gots to attend her 13th birthday!"
"I heard the medic remark that would be a miracle and knowing how badly the Brigadier was hurt I thought it would be too." The old soldier told them.
"The Brigadier then gets into a Land Rover, the Doctor beside him and they drove towards the Vorband. Once the Brigadier has shot half a dozen of those monsters dead all the lads went in there finishing the job. "
"We had to get the Brigadier out of there fast and we got him to hospital just in time. He insisted I got him a phone so he could call his daughter before they took him down for surgery. Reckon what she said kept him alive, because he pulled through, no one thought he would. He left UNIT though. It was a bad wound, took a long time to heal and the Brigadier wasn't a man to sit behind a desk, he always led his men into battle. He went off to be a teacher , so I'm told. Always thought he'd done that so he'd have more time with that lass of his. It was obvious he worshiped her.
Kate excused herself went to the toilet and threw up!
She knew what she'd said on the phone that night and it wasn't anything to encourage a dying man to want to live.
All day her mother and her mother's friend, Rose, had been putting her Dad down. Kate was convinced that this year he would come to her party. Mum was muttering about him having another woman. Aunty Rose kept asking what was more important the his daughter's Birthday. So when the call came Kate was in tears.
"Your Dad" Mum had said, offering her the phone with a knowing smirk.
Kate had registered the strangeness in his voice as he apologised, he was telling her he loved her, but she had screamed back "I hate you, I wish you were dead!"
She remembered Gordy once telling her the same thing when she had refused to let him have a bike. it had made her feel wretched all day, until he'd come home from school upset and telling her he was sorry he'd said it.
Kate was sick again when she remembered how she had refused to take Dads calls for months afterwards. It was a whole year before she saw him again, then he was just walking back towards his car after talking with Mum. Even Mum had been shocked at how ill he looked. He'd left her a card and a present and gone away without seeing her. Her father had tried on several occasions to heal the rift but Kate wasn't prepared to let go of her anger. She was convinced he'd never been telling the truth when he said he loved her and everything was his fault, just has her mother had said it was. Mother always said that he'd loved his job more then he loved them!
The General was stood gazing out over the lawn when his wife entered his study. She noted with a smile that he had not got himself a drink. She had asked him to cut down as she was worried about his health. Because he loved her, he did as she had asked, even though he had come home exhausted and in very low spirits.
"Alistair", she said in a worried tone "Kate's here to see you."
He was shaking his head, about to say he couldn't face her tonight, when he heard her footsteps in the room.
His wife poured him a drink and pressed it into his hand, then left them together.
As he wasn't up to a full scale argument, he stated his case without turning around.
"Kate, I have done as you wanted, I have never, in any way, helped your career, no one knows you are my daughter." He paused to take a drink of his Whisky . "You made it quite clear the last time we spoke that you wanted nothing to do with me. And you don't want me in yours or your son's life"
He paused wearily.
"If you ever, need me Kate, I will be here for you, but tonight I do not have the energy for another argument!"
"Oh, Dad!" she exclaimed, Kate's anguished voice made him turn around.
"Tiger, what's wrong, is it Gordon?" He asked concerned.
Kate shook her head and walked into her father's arms. "Dad, I didn't mean it," she sobbed
" Mean what love?" he asked confused but hugging her close.
"My 12th Birthday when you called, I didn't know you were so badly injured and I said I wished you were dead. I didn't mean it!" she pleaded hugging him closer "You were fighting real monsters" she sobbed "and doing it for.. me and I thought you didn't love me!"
"Kate, where has this come from?" he asked holding her a little tighter.
"Alfie told us" Kate sobbed
"Oh Dad, if you had died that night, how would I have lived with that!"
Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart let his mind go back to that night. All he had needed to hear was his daughter tell him she loved him and he could have die contentedly. Hearing her angry words had sparked in his head the conviction he had to live, because if he failed in that goal his beloved daughter would forever blame herself. "
He held his sobbing daughter closer feeling tears in his own eyes..
"I never believed you did!" he assured her as he kissed her cheek.