((Canziar: Part II))

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

I groaned softly as I began to slip into consciousness, grimacing as my head pounded. What the hell had happened? The last thing I could remember was leaving the TARDIS…

A soft hand touching my head caught my attention, and I raised my gray eyes to the young girl with slit pupils above me, her eyes gleaming anxiously. "Are you alright, miss?" she said anxiously, and I blinked at her.

"Yeah," I rasped, sitting up and quickly running my fingers through my thick hair. The knife I had stashed in it (yeah, yeah, I stashed a knife in my hair) was still there. That was good, since the rest of my weapons had been taken. "Where are we?" And what exactly happened?

"I do not know," the young girl replied, her eyes becoming frightened. "We were taken from the streets, miss."

I struggled to think of what had happened. Last thing I remembered was leaving the TARDIS (the Doctor was going to kill me for this) and then… My eyes widened and I mentally face palmed. That's right. I'd been walking down the road and someone had slammed something into the back of my head, knocking me out.

Remember my whole plan to rescue and save the little girl and maybe others? Yeah, not such a plan any more. More like failing the whole thing.

It hit me. "Is your name Selentha?"

The little girl who was gently touching my head looked startled, nodding. "Yes, miss, that's my name. I am called Selentha."

"Ali, call me Ali," I muttered, then said, "Your mother is looking for you. So is my friend. We'll get out of here, I promise."

Selentha looked scared suddenly, her eyes locking on a point over my shoulder and I whipped around, expression already dark when I discovered a Zaraux peering in. Immediately I shot to my feet, glaring at him through the glass that separated us. "Let us go!"

The Zaraux took on a sneering look. "So you're awake Successor." There was that damn name again! He turned to another Zaraux that had appeared beside him. "Tell Corlaka that it's time to leave. The Successor is with us, well and alive, thank our King. I'll take care of the brat."

Within the matter of a few moments, I had my knife free of my hair, pointing it at my own throat and very nearly managing to catch myself with the blade. I cursed silently at myself for that. "What do you want with me?" It seemed kind of stupid to point a knife at myself, but…hey! They wanted me alive, what better thing to do?

Selentha gave a worried hiss and I added, "Whatever you want, I'll do. But you have to let me make sure that the girl is safe. The Doctor can help, too. He will, I know he will."

The first cast a look at the second, who gave a curt nod. "The girl will be spared," the second declared, eying Selentha with a look of distaste. I smoothed her hair with one hand, tossing my knife aside as I told them, "You have to let me go with her to get her to her mother. I'll come right back. If I don't, you can kill both of us."

The first hissed. "You may not leave the ship."

I raised my chin as I bit my lip. Okay, so we were on a ship. That's a good start. "Alright. Alright, then. Selentha, you go with them, alright?" I told her, kneeling beside the young girl. "They'll take you to your mother." I leaned closer with a wink, murmuring in her ear, "You heard them. We're on a ship. Tell the Doctor," she shot me a questioning look and I explained, "Strange man in a suit with a police box helping your mother. Tell the Doctor that he's looking for a hidden ship, alright?"

Selentha nodded, and I beamed. "Good girl. Now go with them."

The second Zaraux waved the young snake-girl forward, through the glass, and I was startled when she simply stepped through. The glass materialized and I bit my lip, nervous. As the second moved off with Selentha, I squared my shoulders and asked the first Zaraux, "What do you need with me? Because I'll willingly help you as long as nobody dies."

The Zaraux looked hesitant to speak and I urged gently, "I'm a friend. Just as long as you don't kill anyone. Tell me what you need and I will do my best to help."

"Our home," the Zaraux said slowly, looking anxious as if he was giving too much information away. "Our home is being destroyed. We need the Successor to fix it."

I blinked. "What's your name?"

"Xarka."

"Xarka. Got it. Okay, what is your home being destroyed by, Xarka?" I asked. If I had learned anything when being caught and questioned by the police as a kid, it was to keep talking. It would definitely help me. "'Cause I'm not a powerful super being or anything. I'm…me. A regular human."

"You are the Successor," Xarka insisted. "You will help. We have heard the stories. The Successor will help anyone, no matter what they have done! You are the Successor!"

"I'm human!" I snapped, throwing my hands into the air out of exasperation. "I don't know what you think I can do, but I'm just human!"

Xarka was now glaring at me, and I glared right back instead of backing down as I probably should have. I sighed. "If you tell me what it is," I said, shoving a hand through my hair. "I'll try to help you. I can't guarantee I'll be able to, but I will try, okay?"

He hesitated, and then said, "The Sontarans. They think we did something to aggravate them enough for an entire battle. The Zaraux have fought many wars lately. We don't want to. We've heard you can reason with anything. So…can you reason with them? Make them see we didn't do anything?"

"I'll try," I promised with a gentle smile. "But there's a couple things you need to do first. I'll need to get out of this…cage for one. And I'll need to contact the Doctor, let him know what I'm doing."

"No," a new voice said, and I raised my head, surprised when Xarka bowed his head, murmuring, "Corlaka". "You may come out, but you cannot contact the Doctor. He destroys."

"He tries to help," I said firmly. Not that I was certain. I'd been with the guy for less than a day. "Please."

Corlaka looked uncertain before sighing, waving a hand. The glass disappeared and I stepped out of the "cage", looking around the place curiously. Definitely a ship. "Are we moving?"

She nodded. "Yes, we are on our way to my planet. I am Corlaka, the queen of the Zaraux. And with my permission," she hesitated, then finished, "You may contact the Time Lord."

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

"So…it's like a projection that will contact the TARDIS and let me speak to and hear any people inside the TARDIS?" I asked as a few Zaraux scrambled around, setting the machinery needed up.

Corlaka nodded, pursing her lips. Her orange eyes gleamed anxiously. "You must be certain the Doctor will not destroy my people."

"I am," I promised, then turned my attention to the projected screen before me as it popped up; revealing the Doctor's angry face that soon became annoyed. I flushed, knowing what was coming.

"Alissa Levine!" he scolded, "I told you to stay in the TARDIS and now look where you are because you didn't do what I told you to!"

"Hey!" I pointed out, "I'm perfectly safe, and they don't want to kill me. First things first, is Selentha with Katherina?" He shifted slightly, revealing the mother leading her daughter out of the police box, and I beamed. "Good. Means I can trust them. Now, they're not bad-"

"They've been kidnapping people," the Doctor pointed out, wary now. "Children. I've given the Zaraux a chance when they did it on another planet. I don't give second chances, Ali."

Corlaka stepped forward, narrowing her eyes as she shot the Doctor a piercing glare. She waved at me. "We needed the Successor, Doctor, so we only took a few people that have all been returned safely now. We needed to lure her to us, that is it. We were trying to do the same last time, but you hadn't met her yet."

"Why?"

I piped back up. "They're under attack from the Sontaran, whatever those are. They said I can apparently reason with them."

The Doctor's face darkened. "Bring her back right now, Corlaka, she's human. Nobody can reason with the Sontaran, they're almost as bad as the Daleks. Remember those?"

"That is why she will reason with them," Corlaka insisted. "She is no longer of your concern, Doctor, she is the Successor. She is the concern of the universe. We will keep her safe."

The Doctor looked just as shocked and surprised as I felt. "I see. If you'd give me coordinates as to where you currently are, I-"

"You are not boarding my ship, Doctor, wherever you go, destruction follows," Corlaka hissed, and I winced. Wow. They really didn't like the Doctor.

He was silent. Then he said with a sigh, "Fine, fine. Now, Ali, listen to me. The Sontaran believe combat is everything. You'll need to convince them otherwise, tell them they don't need to fight with the Zaraux. I'll try and help as much as I can, but I can't guarantee anything. I need to go now, try and find out where you are,"he ignored the furious look Corlaka shot him, "Listen to me, Ali. Be careful."

I smiled. Despite probably getting myself kicked off the police box, he was obviously worried. Good for me. "I'll do my best to not get myself killed, Doctor. Good luck." I glanced over my shoulder at the fuming Corlaka and grinned. "Have fun getting past her."

The Doctor's own face broke into a grin and then the communication shut off.

"So," I said, turning to face Corlaka and propping my feet on another seat. "How long until we get to your planet?"

"Another hour at the most," she admitted.

"Is there any way we can contact the Sontaran before we get there?" I said, becoming serious now. "Like we just did with the Doctor?"

"Yes," Corlaka said nervously, "We can. Would you like us to request communication, Successor?"

"Yes," I said firmly, "And my name's Ali. I don't know why everyone's calling me the Successor, but my name is Alissa Levine, and I go by Ali. So call me Ali, please. That Successor name is getting on my nerves."

A Zaraux chuckled, and I felt my own lips tilt up in a grin, hiding my nerves. There was no way I was going to be able to reason with a war hungry group of aliens I had never seen before. I watched silently, sitting back in my seat and pulling on a mask of calmness as the Zaraux set to work on pulling up another communication way.

And then some new face popped up. I had to fight the urge seriously hard to laugh. They looked like walking potatoes with angry faces! "You are the Sontaran, right?"

The Sontaran on the screen glared at me through narrowed eyes. "I am Staask."

"Good, good," I said, "Staask. Nice to meet you. Now," I paused and made a face. I sounded exactly like the Doctor! "Staask. What did the Zaraux do to you to make you think they deserve a full out war? They're a peaceful species, they said so themselves."

"Sontarans do not answer to pathetic humans," Staask boasted proudly, "Let the Zaraux speak for themselves."

Corlaka stepped forward, her face full of anger that made me cringe away. "How dare you talk this way? This human girl is the Successor!"

Staask looked shocked for a moment, and then furious the next. "You have the Successor on your ship and you do not kill her? She is the true companion of the Doctor! Destroy her!"

I felt my eyes widen. And not just out of surprise by the malice in the Sontaran's tone. There was that name and title again! "What do you guys mean by true companion-"

I was cut off as Corlaka said coldly, "You were threatening my people, Sontaran. I required the assistance of the Successor to save them. Leave us alone and nothing will happen."

"Hold on just a second!" I cried, interrupting. "I thought I was only going to reason with them, not fight them!"

"You will fight if necessary, Successor," Corlaka said, turning her orange eyes on me. "You will fight if I say we fight."

"I came here to reason, not to fight," I repeated. "I'm not into the whole fighting thing, Corlaka, I'm not going to help you if you start fighting. I thought you said you were a peaceful people!"

"Mere words," she said simply, "We needed you to help us. My people are a peaceful people. Until provoked. Then we fight with the ferocity of our King."

"Destroy her!" Staask repeated, glaring at me, "Destroy her and we will leave you alone!" With that, the communication shut off.

I swallowed. Not what I had been planning. "Call the Doctor," I demanded furiously to Corlaka, "You call him right now! I'm not helping you fight! I want to go back!"

"No," she said briskly, "You will help us, Successor, and if the only way is to kill you, then so be it."

"I promised I'd try and help you!" I cried, fear making its way up my throat and making me voice crack. "I don't want to fight! I said I'd talk! Please, call the Doctor again, let me go back! We'll help you get out of this without fighting! Please."

I was happily relieved when she actually paused to consider what I was saying. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak. But then she was cut off when a blaring suddenly exploded throughout the ship we were on and her face took on a scared look. "Corlaka!" one of the Zaraux cried, "Sontaran ship approaching! They're cutting us off! The communications with home have been cut off!"

Corlaka whirled around to face them. "Shields up!" she barked. "Successor, you may call upon the Doctor. But if he destroys my ship or home, you will be the first to die."

I nodded eyes serious. "Of course."

"Pull up the communications, contact the Doctor!" she cried, and I darted back to my seat, prepared to talk with the Doctor.

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

I shifted impatiently as I watched aliens (well, the Zaraux) run around in a panic, gathering weapons in case they were needed. Corlaka was in the midst of it all, commanding her soldiers and people what to do, ordering me to stay where I was and out of her way. I bit my lip, glancing around and listening intently for the sound of the TARDIS, but didn't hear anything.

The Doctor, once being given the coordinates, had promised to get there within minutes. And he wasn't doing well on his timing, I noted. I'd have to complain about that later. Once we were alive and I had apologized about not being in the TARDIS.

Finally, I heard the familiar sounds of the time machine, and I beamed, leaping to my feet as the TARDIS began to appear. Half of the Zaraux froze, pointing guns at the police box as the Doctor stepped out slowly, eyes wary. He raised his hands, looking around before finally seeing me.

I grinned, darting over and throwing my arms around his neck, relieved to see someone who wouldn't consider killing me. "Doctor! You took forever!"

He grinned, relaxing as the Zaraux lowered their guns and returning the hug before pulling back, scolding, "And you were supposed to be in the TARDIS."

I flushed in response. "Hey, you wouldn't let me help," I pointed out, "If you'd let me come with you, I wouldn't have been kidnapped, even if it was my plan."

Corlaka cleared her throat, glaring slightly at the Doctor as she stepped forward. "I apologize to interrupt this…reunion, but my ship is about to be attacked by a Sontaran ship."

"Right!" the Doctor cried, abandoning me in favor of darting over to examine the projector that had shown the communication screen. He pulled his sonic screwdriver out, pointed it at the projector and pressed the button, watching intently and sliding a pair of black glasses on as he examined the projection showed up. It was obviously our ship and then, not too far off, was another shape of the same. The Sontaran ship. "Let's see…they're obviously aggressive…"

As the Doctor began to talk urgently with Corlaka, I frowned, turning my attention on the TARDIS. It gave a soft groan from the open door and I gently stroked the wood while closing the door, smiling as the Voice said tiredly, "My Thief asks much…"

It hit me right then and there.

That voice was the TARDIS, speaking to me in my head. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before! "I'll make sure he doesn't ask so much again," I told her, my eyes softening when the TARDIS gave another groan. A feeling of gratitude swelled in me, and I smiled. Someone had to take care of the TARDIS.

"Ali!" The Doctor's voice startled me out of my silent talk with the TARDIS. "Get over here, please!"

I turned away, hurrying over. He tossed his sonic screwdriver at me, and I nearly dropped it as I caught it, surprised. "What are you giving me this for?" I demanded.

"Take that and hold onto it," the Doctor instructed without looking up, "The frequencies are set already, so don't worry about that. If I tell you to use it, use it. Press the button and hold onto it until I say stop, got it?"

I nodded, eyes determined. "Got it," I replied, smiling reassuringly at him. If this was all he was giving me to do, I was certain that I would be able to get it right. "Doctor," I said suddenly.

"Yes?" He replied glancing up finally.

"They keep calling me the Successor," I said hesitantly, "Do you know-" I was cut off as the ship shook violently and I very nearly went sprawling, managing to stay upright as I clung to a seat.

The Doctor expertly grasped the machine he was working on, waiting until the shaking had stopped, then continued to work furiously as Corlaka cried, "They're attacking! Successor, you promised you'd help!"

"We're working on it!" I snapped, looking desperately at the Doctor. "Tell me what I need to do," I pleaded. "Don't make me just stand here and do nothing. I can help, just tell me what to do Doctor!"

The Doctor hesitated, and then said briskly, "Make sure you don't lose my sonic. Need that. Go into the TARDIS. Move that piece of flooring I did earlier before we came to Canziar. Down there, there should be a light. I want you to go down there and press that light, then come back up and look at the screen. It should read information about the Sontaran ship, what kind of it is, that stuff."

I broke into a relieved grin. I'd been worried for a moment. I thought he was giving me a useless job, but I supposed the type of ship was important…but just to make sure… "You promise this is important?"

"I swear," he replied, shooting me a firm look and a brief grin. "I apologize about not letting you come with me; I realize that was a mistake. This is important, and I don't have the time or trust anyone else to do this."

I nodded, satisfied with the answer, and then took off for the TARDIS, realizing a moment later I didn't have a key. I gently touched the lock, pleading softly, "Can you open for me? Please?"

"Anything for My Girl," the TARDIS responded eagerly, the door swinging open.

I shot inside, immediately tucking the sonic screwdriver into my jacket's pocket. Then I looked along the grated floor, grimacing. "A little help?" A light appeared in one of the gratings and I beamed. "Thanks." I walked over, hauling the grating out of the floor and hopping down, looking around the surprisingly large area. Huh. Guess this was bigger, too.

"Light," I mumbled, "Where's the light?"

"Left, my Girl, your left," the TARDIS whispered to me, voice urgent, "Hurry, the ship approaches."

"Thanks," I repeated, darting over and pressing the light. Oh my gosh, I must have looked insane. I was talking to myself while pressing buttons in a bigger-on-the-inside time machine called the TARDIS after traveling around with a Time Lord known as the Doctor.

I hauled myself back out of the bottom of the TARDIS, gently replacing the grating and moving to check the screen. Just as the Doctor had said, there was a ship appearing on the screen. I blinked in confusion as writing showed up in strange circle-like ways. "What is that?"

"Gallifreyan," the TARDIS mused in my head.

"Ah, Gallifreyan, whatever that is," I mumbled. I walked over to the doors and peered out; grimacing when I discovered Corlaka was in the middle of an argument with a Sontaran. They appeared to have communicated with us, or we with them, again. The Doctor was off to the side, making sure to be nowhere near visible so that he could listen intently. I closed the TARDIS doors, walking over to him and saying softly, "I did what you said. I can't read anything."

"That's alright," he murmured back, eyes locked on the conversation in front of us. "I needed that up just in case we don't get out of this fighting. Ugh. Everyone and their love of guns." He made a face and I giggled, shaking my head. "Now, what were you asking earlier?"

I paused, and then shook my head. "Doesn't matter all that much, I'll ask you later," I replied, giving a small sigh. "Anything new happen?"

He glanced at me, his face grim. "The Sontaran contacted the Zaraux again," he told me, "And they said that they would leave the Zaraux alone..."

"There's a "but" there," I noted with a sigh. "Let me guess. They wanted the end of the all-powerful Successor."

The Doctor's gaze darkened. "Corlaka is considering it," he said, picking his words carefully. "We may have to leave without being able to help them. If killing you is the only way to stop another for the Zaraux, then the Sontaran can have them."

"Doctor," I protested, my gaze becoming unhappy.

"You're obviously important in the future," he said firmly. "I don't know why, but you're important, Alissa-" I glared at him for calling me that name, I preferred Ali. "-and if you're important enough that the entirety of the Sontaran want to kill you and the Zaraux want you alone to help them, then you can't be killed. For all we know, you may be a fixed point in time."

I furrowed my brow. "Fixed point in time?"

"Whatever happens to you has to happen," he explained, "Or the universe begins to destroy itself."

I bit my lip, not happy with this discovery. "I don't like the sound of that," I mumbled.

"Neither do I," he admitted. He suddenly glanced up and I did the same, discovering Corlaka approaching. Crossing his arms, the Doctor said, "What's your decision?" His tone was sharp. "You can't kill her. She's your successor after all."

Corlaka looked horrified at the idea. "She's not just any successor, and she's certainly not ours. She's the Successor. She's the most important girl in the entirety of the universe, Doctor. But yes, we have come to a decision."

I pursed my lips, slightly irritated. Since when were people allowed to start deciding my fate? "And it is?"

A dozen Zaraux suddenly appeared behind her, guns raised. My face paled. "We have come to a decision," the queen of the Zaraux repeated. Corlaka's eyes flashed with a slight guilt. "And my people come first to me. We will do as the Sontaran wish. We will kill the Successor."

~~OO~~II~~OO~~

A/N: Terrible chapter. x_x Not proud of this, but whatever. Hope you enjoyed!

K-star: Thanks! ^_^