CHAPTER 2
"YOU ARE NOT A COWARD"
Mona walks out the TARDIS first to an overload of her senses. Wind blows her red hair into a frenzy and with it comes the scents of applegrass. She is quickly knocked out of this fantasy becasue grabbing onto the coat tails of that aroma, is death and its pungent partners in destruction and 's fly over head on route to the battles above. Blasts of energy destroying command ships and other Daleks, cut through any sort of peace and harmony. Explosions so loud the disturb the galaxy. Mona's head swings around as she walks, hearing the devastation. It dosent seem to phase the warrior though, he stonefaces the destruction and dosent break focus on his way to visit madame president. They both trek over a ,surprisingly, beautiful bridge with an overview of parts of the city, that lead in to the chambers of Romana, the Madame President of Galifrey. The Capital city of Galifrey, otherwise known as the Citadel, was gorgeous even in the chaos of war. Mona was awestruck at the site of such intensity in what was once graceful. Soon the sights of the Orange sky and beautiful Domed city were gone as they began there descent into the inner chambers of the President Romana. The Interior still lit with shining hope and intensity of every Galifreyan was just as Mona had Imagined. So regal, so prestigious, with just a hint of arrogance.
"John, its ...its so ama-"
"Ridiculous, yes i know. The arrogance runs thick in the air here. That could be the aroma of fear as well i detect...incorrigible combination."
Then after a stroll that seemed forever, they come to an opening which leads to a lobby of the Presidential office. Timelords walking all about from door to lift to other, its chaotic. The Warrior stops for a few seconds to take a look around. He then takes a big sniff in through his nose. Mona asks what hes doing.
"Uh, what are you doing there old timer?"
"Stop calling me old timer, i despise that. I'm just smelling the air of the Timelords, new nose." He chuckles a bit and signals her to follow as they head for a desk on the far wall in front of them. To the left sits an intimidating , giant door.
"Whatever ole timer." Mona Sarcastically remarks. The Warrior ignores it and goes up to the desk where there is a secretary filing information disks.
"Yes, hello my Dear I am here to see President Romanadvoratrelundar. Is she in?" The Warrior asks ever so sweetly.
The secretary looks up from a disk she is entering into her console.
"Well yes shes in. However i cant let just any time lord walk in. You need to have an appointment with her, shes a very busy lady. Who are you exactly?" She asks.
"Yes well just intercom in there to her and tell her Doctor John Smith is here to see her." The Warrior replies.
"You didnt tell me you were a Doctor to." Whispers Mona to the Warrior.
"Im not now hush mona." The Warrior nudges his shoulder into Mona.
Mona in confusion dosent reply.
"Yes, well she says she is not sure who you are." The Secretary looks back up at the Warrior.
The Warrior grabs the intercom hologram device and projects himself.
"President Romana I do hope youve been taking care of K-9 for me?" The Warrior asks so sarcastically.
The Doors then open slowly. The Doctor and Mona make there way inside.
The Chambers of The Lady President of Galifrey were astounding. The Interior were as they were in the TARDIS. Bigger on the inside. She had dimension technology installed on the beginning of her term so that she could live in her office. Hallways for miles, and windows just the same, the view was amazing.
"Doctor, its good to see you, where have you been, I see you have regenerated...poor thing, it is a lottery we all have to deal with ya know. oh and who is this." Romana teases the Warrior.
"Ive been everywhere, " The Warrior chuckles. " And your just jealous of my matured look, its the new one hundred. Oh yes,and this is Mona, she is an aspiring Galactic Medical Officer." The Warrior motions for Romana to greet her.
"Hello Lady President, so very honored to meet you." Mona curtseys in respect to The Lady President.
"My Dear girl you dont have to do that, your gonna give me a raging ego." Laughs Romana. "So why have you come here with the Doctor, he did tell you we are in the middle of what has been called The Last Great Time War?" Romana Asks looking back at the Warrior then to Mona.
"Yes he did, but ive come to help. He'd tried to leave me back on my home planet. I adamantly refused." Mona smiles so proud of herself.
"Yes well good luck then we have many medical staff members that do require assistance, im sure you can be of some help somewhere." Romana replies.
Romana then notices the energy rifle strapped to the Warriors back.
"Mona, may you excuse the Doctor and I. I need to speak with him privately. As you can see my office here is massive, go explore. Just be weary, dont get lost. I tend to do that sometimes." Romana smiles and Mona nods and goes off towards some artifacts to explore.
Romana turns to the Warrior.
"Docto-"
"Romana I am no longer the Doctor. Just going forward you should know the Doctor is gone. I am a warrior, just call me John." The Warrior interupts, holding up his hand.
"...Doctor, what happened? Why are you talking like this? When did you decide to take up arms and join the war effort?" Romana Ignores the previous statement.
"Romana, things have changed. The TimeWar is destroying everything in been hiding for a long time, running, always so much running. Hearing stories of battle all these years, watching different ends of the universe burn all that are alive in its wake. So While i was away i tried to save this girl,Cass, trapped aboard a spiraling space freighter. She wouldnt Dare leave with me after she realized I was a TimeLord. The war has made the entirety of the known universe hate us all. TimeLord and Dalek, no different. We crashed on Karn, she died, and so did I...so did the Im here...im here to end this once and for all. The Time War will eat everything if it isnt stopped,and im afraid that what it comes down to, will forever forfeit my claim as the Doctor." The Warrior turns his head away from Romana.
"You... a warrior? Doctor why not leave the universe, I understand that you are not a coward. I know what you are, This could kill you, AND im not sure im willing to risk losing my greatest , and most honorable friend to these monsters." Romana pleads.
"I could run, but it would follow, eventually ,if not stopped ,this war will destroy everything in existence. Millions and millions of innocent lives destroyed, whole species extinct and i cant let that happen. I know some will perish, but i will try my best to prevent that." The Warrior puts his fist to the desk hard enough to rattle Romanas trinkets.
"I understand Doctor..." Romana replies as silence falls over the two comrades as they both let the situation sink in. The Warrior proceeds to break the silence.
"So, how are the sky trenches holding?" He turns to her now with this very serious face.
"Well by all reports they are holding at ninety six percent. But im not so sure myself. We run diagnostics on a tri-hourly basis, troubleshooting if any thing. Here at the citadel they are still pristine and so are the ones over Arcadia." She looks down at a form on her desk.
"The War is Raging, were losing so many men its incomprehensible. Were force regenerating them at an exponential rate ,but all of this seems so unnatural and insane. Rassilon wants me to leave office, and some of the council has now turned against me as well. Its all just so much at one time i suppose." Romana's stress shows all over her face as she attempts to sheath her emotions in front of the Warrior.
"Why is Rassilon asking for the position now? Many times before you were even in contention he turned down the position. it makes no sense now."
"Im stalling his movement to do something absolutely horrible. What he is proposing goes against everything Timelords like your self and I have stood for over all of our lives.."
"Well Romana...WHATS HE UP TO? Dont just tease this terrible plan and not tell me."
"Rassilon Believes that summoning this individual will be, in essense , like fighting fire with fire. He wants to revive the Master an-"
"The MASTER!" The Doctor shouts, "THESE BUMBLING IDIOTS WANT TO RESURRECT THE MASTER! DOES HE WANT GALIFREY BETRAYED AND DESTROYED BY ITS OWN UNWANTED SON!" The Warrior is flabbergasted.
"Rassilon seems to think that The Master's blatant insanity can be an asset. He believes he can go against the Daleks with the full fledge of his anger and insanity and save Galifrey from imminent destruction. Now calm down we dont need the entire Dalek battle fleet knowing." Romana urges the Warrior.
The Warrior calms. Romana steps over to the shelf beside her desk to put a few disks back in storage. She then rounds her desk and sits down with a sigh.
"Im unsure whether I can actually do anything other than stall Rassilon and his plans. There are many on the council who agree with his plans, on the basis of nothing more than he is Rassilon. Those same councilmen are , as well, asking for my resignation."
"Rassilon has them all convinced that he can help then..." The Warrior puts his hands behind his back as he begins to pace the office.
"Romana you carry on with your Presidential duties. I am going to go and try to convince Rassilon from committing such a unspeakable travesty." He turns around stil in the pacing position. "Mona.." He calls, "lets go GIRL weve got places to be."
Mona comes very quickly and follows him out.
"Doctor!" Yells Romana, "Good luck.." She wishes him, and out the door they both go.
The Warrior leads them both out and as they hit the lobby they take a direct left headed towards where the council was. Mona was ready to speak.
"Yea so i pretty much heard every thing in there, whos the Master, and Rassilon?" Mona asks as they walk down the corridor to the lift.
"The Master is someone like me, another TimeLord i mean. He is evil, the darkest of the darkest so filled with hate and insanity. Hes been out to destroy me for a very long time. Im everything he despises." The Warrior coughs then opens the lift for Mona to go in first. They get in and he presses the last button on the panel. He then continues; "Rassilon is the father of our species. He is the one who made it possible to time travel in the first place. Well him and Omega." The Warrior explains to Mona.
"Then from what i heard, you all think he is like some madman." Mona looks at the Warrior in confusion.
"Well Mona, it wasn't always like that. At one time he was a great leader, a hero. Hated corruption and political thievery. He began to age, and as the years went by Rassilon became more and more afraid of one day running out of regenerations and death. He is but a shadow of a great leader now. Frightened by his own iminent mortality." The Warrior spins this tale almost as if the legend was playing out in front of them on a holodisk, and Mona is as attentive as a child listening to a bed time story.
"BUT, THIS Shadow is all the high council of TimeLords need. They will follow him any where. Although there are a few who have became just as he, just as corrupted i mean. The other percentage, a very small one at that, do think he has grown out of touch , however are too afraid of political, and quite literal in some cases, execution. I must convince him not to resurrect The Master. The consequences could be ever so grave." The Warriors stares down at his boots and then back at the lift door.
"So!" Shatters Mona, " what happened to the "we go our own way "deal you were speaking about back in the TARDIS ole timer?" The holier than thou attitude flairs up as she ask's the Warrior. In the attempt to avoid catching himself going back on his word he pulls his sonic from the jacket of his coat.
"Cant this blasted thing go any Faster?" He so casually avoids waving his whirling sonic screwdrive in an attempt to set the elevator in an over drive mode.
"Oh no you dont ole timer, dont you go ignoring me!" Shouts Mona simply teasing The Warrior.
"Oh for Heavens Sake, fine. I may have been a bit rash earlier. I thought you would be in danger. You still could be." He admits as his sonic begins to make the lift go a bit faster than Before.
"So your reasoning was leave me by myself, on a planet at war with the Daleks?..." Mona Replies with her hands on her hips.
"Yeeeeeaaaa...maybe not my best reasoning i do admit..." They both chuckle as the lift finally stops.
