I do not own Doctor Who or Stargate Universe
Chapter 7 – The Last Stand
The capsule was waiting eagerly for the crew when they were finally ready to board it. Entering it they were waved off by the people in Arcadia before waving back cheerfully themselves. The children that they had rescued from the park all looked tearful at Claire going away but she gave them a hug and told them.
"We are the sum of our memories. Even though I will not be here with you, I will be in your memories here and in here." She said putting her hand on the centre of the youngest girl's head and then her chest were her twin hearts were beating. The children did not really understand but they nodded and Claire gave each of them a comforting hug and with tears in her own eyes turned to face the Soldier who led the people here and told him. "Take care of them." The Soldier nodded looking down at the children before Claire walked off to the capsule trying not to let the children see the tears in her eyes.
Once inside the capsule they were all blown away at its great interior space, more than a hundred times the size of the exterior shell. Inside it was a white room with same round things on the wall which could easily have beaten a large church hall in size. There were a lot of raised benches around a centre spire like console where the Doctor was fiddling with the controls. Claire and Clara however had seen the inside of the Doctor's Tardis and were slightly interested in the differences in decoration but little more. To that end the two women started moving the surprised people to take their seats. Eli was very vocal about the strange interior inside the capsule.
"This is incredible, how did your people create a separate inner dimension without rupturing the casing?" He asked the Doctor who ignored him Clara then hurried him over to a seat so the Doctor could finish the preparations for what hopefully would be the last leg of their journey going to the Capital and the seat of the High Council of the Timelords.
"Old machines, so many people just discard them. Newer is not necessarily better." The Doctor muttered to himself with distain as he continued to make adjustments to the aged capsule. Normally they did not have as much interior space as this but this one was a museum piece from the days when travel capsules operated more like a bus service with dedicated drivers or automation as in the later models. This however was a manual model that needed a driver. It also would take about ten minutes to reach the Capital in this jury-rigged state and given the high level of heavy security around the Capital right now it would be impossible to sneak in undetected so the High Council would know that he here almost immediately. He looked at the humans around here and hesitated as his hands hovered over the controls. He was about to take them into the vipers pit, he should at least give them honest warning about what they were walking into. So with a slight hesitation he turned to face them and said loudly enough for them to all hear him.
"Listen all of you." The group stopped chatting and turned to face him giving him their full attention. "We have been through some tense experiences since we met. We have all been cast adrift and walked across Gallifrey together fought creatures and helped where we could. It is rare that I find myself so proud to have stood and worked with soldiers, but I'm genuinely proud to stand with you. But now this should be the last hurdle to overcome and despite how dangerous the last few have been this one could genuinely destroy us all. The High Council of the Timelords is not going to take well to having what they would call 'lower lifeforms' on their planet regardless of the good you have done." He said seeing the affronted look they all had at being called lower lifeforms like they were mere animals to be waved aside as no concern. The Doctor did not allow them time to give any outraged outbursts before he continued to speak.
"But this is the only place where you can get home, I have a few friends I can call on to get you back to Earth but all I will say is watch your backs here. You have all seen the sort of enemies I have by now and the Timelords are more dangerous than any of them. So if any of you want to stay in Arcadia where you will be safe then this is your stop, I will return for you when it is safe." He said gesturing towards the still open door. The humans and two Ancients in the group all looked around at each other as they considered the Doctor's suggestion that they stay in Arcadia till it was safe for them to come to the Capital and be sent home. No words were said as the seconds and then minutes slipped by but no one moved from their seats. Finally as the tenth minute past the Doctor put his hands on the controls before turning around and saying.
"Last chance."
Surprising them all Claire Williams got to her feet and told the Doctor with complete seriousness.
"Doctor, this crew has been through hell together. We have stood side by side as we faced worst nightmares than we could ever imagine having. If one of us goes, we all go." She said and looking around her she could see the looks of agreement on the faces of the people around her from General Young to the lowest ranking soldier a Russian private. So she sat back down and the Doctor activated the controls. The doors immediately closed and the control column lit up with blue light in strips from the floor to the ceiling and a gentle hum filled the ears of all who were present.
They felt nothing as the capsule apparently took off Clara was looking intently at her friend wondering what he was keeping from her. She knew him well enough to know that there was a piece of the puzzle being held back and however she asked he was not going to tell her so she would just have to trust him. Without any further information she just sat back quietly as they made their way to the Capital wondering if the answer would reveal itself when they arrived.
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Thanks to the Doctor's careful flying the capsule arrived at the perimeter of the Capital in ten minutes landing on a large pyramid structure that had once served as focusing point for mental energy. The arrival of the capsule was nothing like the grinding noise and fading in and out like the Doctor's Tardis but a pop and then it instantly appeared. The doors slid slowly open with a slight hiss as air escaped the pressurised capsule. The Doctor was the first person to step out of the capsule followed by Clara and Clara and slowly the rest of the people in the capsule emerged onto the open area at the top of the large structure and immediately their breath was taken away as despite whatever way they looked it was an incredible view.
The vast but broken dome that had sealed in the whole of the city was still hanging on in some places making the vast metropolis look like a giant smashed snow globe but if the crew looked out of the smashed dome they could see a vast desert of silver coloured sand and vast lakes of blue water with some vegetation growing around them beyond the city's exterior for as far as the eye could see which was only broken by the large dunes that seemed to be as high as Everest in some places but a ring of crashed Dalek saucers seemed to surround the city like a strange moat.
Turning around to look into the interior of the dome however was a city that was larger than any city on Earth. It stretched further than the eye could with the giant spires in the centre reaching so high into the sky that they rose higher than any Earth building. Smaller buildings clustered all around them and then stretching out beneath the large structure that they were standing on. The buildings all seemed to be made of the same metal that was a very dark red. The Doctor while his allies all stood around studying their surroundings with great interest stared with a very distant look in his eye that worried Clara even more. Something was really worrying the Doctor but he was not going to tell her what it was. Breaking his distant mood the Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out some kind of small orb and rubbed his thump over its smooth surface before he extended his arm like a baseball player and threw the orb a good forty yards ahead of him. Everyone looked wondering what on Earth the Doctor had just done before the orb stopped falling down towards the surface after a few seconds in freefall before it stopped in mid-air and flew off into the city beyond.
"What was that?" Clara asked him he told her without turning as he watched the orb fly away.
"A thought pod, I need to contact a friend of mine that could help us given that we are going to be arrested in twenty seconds."
"What?" Young said startled but as he finished saying that single word they all found themselves surrounded in a yellow force field. The soldiers went to draw their weapons but they found they could not move. Soldiers then began appearing around them wearing similar armour to that of the soldiers in Arcadia but it was a far brighter red and gold and also spotlessly clean. Despite all the destruction that had been visited upon the city these soldiers were either so vain that they would never allow themselves to be seen with dirty armour or as was more likely they never fought. These were likely some kind of Pretorian Guard that did the bidding of whoever held power here.
"You are invading the Capital of the High Council of the Timelords. You will be held in advance of sentencing. Failure to cooperate with instructions will result in your destruction." The lead soldier said with all the pomp and ceremony of a stuck up peacock. The Doctor seemed unaffected by the force field he could still move and speak but did not attempt to move beyond its boundary. He told one look at the soldiers and said with considerable distain.
"The Chancellery Guard, the thugs of the High Council of old fools and power mad nutters." The soldiers bristled at the insult and looked ready to end the Doctor right where he stood as the humans looked on helplessly. Then one of the soldiers seemed to recognise him.
"That is the Doctor." He said with a sneer. "The chaos loving renegade with picks up pets from Earth. Like that one that you had when you were here last time, certainly looked like the runt of the litter." He said causing the Doctor's face to become alive with anger as he snarled back causing the offending guard to back away in fear even though the Doctor was imprisoned by the force field.
"Her name was Cinder and you are not fit to lick her boots." The painful memories of the young human woman that had probably been the closest thing to a companion that he had had in the incarnation that he had come to call the War Doctor. The orphaned survivor of the planet Moldox who had spent most of her life under a brutal Dalek occupation fighting in the dirt and clinging to survival by the skin of her teeth. He had promised to take her somewhere safe only for the Daleks plans to distract him and yet she had stayed at his side and helped him wherever she could only to give her life to protect him from the traitorous Karlax who the he had repaid in kind by leaving him to be killed by the Daleks.
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Not long after they were transported into a holding facility where they all were still suspended. It was like a living hell, they were aware of all around them but they could not move or speak, for Vanessa it was horrible reminder of the memories of one of her alternate selves who had been made a host to a Goa'uld that she had absorbed from her encounter with that weird space and time storm ages ago, the powerless of it being a prisoner in your own body which would no longer obey you. This experience was only easier to bare because she did not have to deal with the evil presence of a Goa'uld in her head. The Doctor prowled around the room still unaffected by the force field probably due to him being a timelord. He seemed to be counting the seconds as if he was waiting for something.
One of the red coloured guards was watching the cell and gave the humans an amused smirk the same kind you might give to a weird but funny shaped statue. If the humans had been able to move at that point they would have scowled at him but he carried on smirking and turned to the Doctor who stopped counting the seconds and turned to face him.
"So I believe the custom on Earth is to give the condemned man a last meal. Is there anything in particular that you would like Doctor?" He asked enjoying the feeling of taunting the legendary Doctor who he believed was going to be soon executed. The Doctor however tilted his head like he would if studying an insignificant specimen in a jar before he smiled and said to the surprised guard.
"No but you should really turn on the air conditioning its boiling in here."
The guard wondered what in Rassilon the mad fool was going on about when he suddenly realised that it was indeed getting hot in here. He started feeling light headed and before he could even think of reaching for the communicator on his belt his legs gave out and he fell to the floor unconscious. Around the building his fellow guards found themselves falling asleep suddenly without even being tired. As the last one fell down a door opened near the cell where the Doctor and his friends were being held revealing a tall blonde woman dressed in a black jumpsuit with an array of tools and weapons attached to the belt. Her face was young with a gleam in the eyes that sparkled with mischief and her blonde hair cut to her shoulders was shiny and full of life. Seeing the Doctor she smiled and held a small rod like device in the air for a moment before placing it back on her belt and going over to the controls. The Doctor asked her with a slight smile.
"Did you use a gas to knock out the guards?" The woman looked momentarily affronted before answering.
"Doctor that is a far too primitive method. Nanogenes are far more my style which of course I protected myself again while you and your friends were protected by the force field but since I deactivated them it's safe for you to come out now." She said and the force field suddenly dropped allowing everyone to move again. Stretching themselves the humans and Ancients all relished their restored mobility while the Doctor said.
"Well however you did it, thank you Rodan. Now take them somewhere safe. I need to deal with some things. I trust you realise why?" He said and Rodan nodded looking more serious for a moment and her eyes revealing a far older mind hid behind them. He had told her some parts of his plan in that thought pod he had sent her and before anyone could say a word the Doctor took off at a run.
"Doctor!" Clara called out but he was gone before she could go after him.
"Why would leave us behind?" Ginn asked confused by the Doctor's behaviour. Rush however was not.
"Too keep us out of the line of fire. Whatever he is planning is obviously dangerous so he is making sure that we are safe before he tries anything."
"Oh enough of the doom and gloom." The blonde Rodan said with her wide smile. "Come on I have this bunch of friends that would be only too happy to hide us all for a while." She said gesturing towards the door but Greer asked with suspicion.
"Why should we trust you?" The blonde did not look phased by his question and told him without missing a beat.
"Oh the fact that you are illegal aliens in a police state. Then there is the fact that these soldiers will wake up in about thirty minutes which is just enough to get out of the Capital is if do not waste time. You do not know the city or how to hide here. Also the fact that if you don't trust me, the High Council will surely kill you but of course if you think you would have a better chance on your own the choice is yours." Rodan said her smile still in place.
"Lead on." Claire said knowing that without the Doctor they had little choice.
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Rodan led them to a hover bus like the one that they had used to get to Arcadia and with a slight hesitation they all boarded while Rodan took her place in the cockpit and as soon as they were all aboard Rodan took off and flew straight for the perimeter of the city. The blonde was so focused on her job that she ignored her passengers as they regarded her with suspicion.
"I do not trust her." Greer said, trust was something that did not come easily to him and once given it was nearly unshakable although irretrievable if it was lost. He had been one of the longest doubters in regards to the Doctor after everything that had happened since he had shown up on Destiny. It had taken a long time for Greer to warm to him. He was not alone in this, Young and some of the other personnel and Rush still did not fully trust him although they had accepted him as their guide as they began their journey to this city in the hopes that they could get home. They had struggled and lost people along the way but they had all persevered because they wanted to get home and to stay together. But they had been arrested the moment they had arrived here and then frozen before they were to be punished. Given the capabilities of the Timelords that according to some of the people they had spoken to in Arcadia and Hope could rival the ascended in terms of power maybe even supplant them they did not want to imagine what that punishment would be. Then once rescued by Rodan the Doctor had disappeared on them and told Rodan to hide them away.
That did not sit well with some of the more action oriented members of the group but with nothing else to go on and not willing to try and fight the Timelords until they knew more they followed Rodan who had flown the bus out of the city through the broken dome and past the ring of crashed dalek ships. She then landed the bus and told them all in a jocular voice.
"All right last stop, everybody please make sure that you collect your belongings and exit the bus in an orderly fashion. Thank you for travelling with us today."
Looking out of the windows as the near desolate landscape around them the crew hesitated before getting up from their seats and walking out of the bus into the outside world. What surprised them was that instead of being hot outside it was rather cold. Everyone put their cloaks or coats that they had not had to wear since leaving the town they left the Death Zone while Rodan put on a dark purple cloak over her jumpsuit. She ran her hand along the cloak fondly before catching the odd look in their eyes and explained looking rather embarrassed.
"This cloak was the same one that I wore when I first set foot outside the Capital during the Sontaran invasion of Gallifrey. I remember-" But she stopped and then said. "It is probably better I tell you another time. Come on unless they have moved camp they should not be too far."
With that Rodan set off across the desert leaving the crew to follow as best they could. Clara shouted after her.
"Who is not too far?" But Rodan did not answer the question and the crew followed her lead with some reluctance at being led into a desert by a virtual stranger.
The sand reminded those that had had to cross the mountains of Southern Gallifrey of the deep snow that had nearly given them all frostbite. The sand was so fine that it gave way easily under their feet and let them sink inches in. Rodan was used to the terrain here and knew the better ways around the deeper parts but despite her trying to guide them the column of nearly eighty people was so large that it was evitable some people became stuck in some places so the group had to stop and pull them out before they could carry on again.
Clara tried to keep pace with Rodan to ask her want the Doctor was doing but when she went to actually pose the question Rodan turned around and seemed to sense her concerns and told Clara.
"The Doctor has to go and meet several people before he can put his plan into action, people that it is best he meets alone. Do not worry."
Clara was about to say something else when Rodan climbed up a small dune and cried out in success. Wondering what had her so excited the rest of the group moved onto the hill top and saw an encampment below that looked like it belonged on a bronze age planet not the world of the most advanced race in the universe. Rodan called out to the people who were milling about in the camp.
"Hello."
She started down the other side of the dune and very quickly reached the camp where the tribes' people greeted her with open arms. Rodan smiled wide and embraced several of the men and women before picking up one of the small children and giving her a hug before putting her down again. Clearly the ex-Destiny crew thought as they looked on Rodan was well known to these people and was well thought of.
"Now." Rodan said as she saw the tribe's leader Nesbin and his son and daughter Ablif and Presta who had been amongst the group formed by the fourth Doctor to counter the Sontaran invasion of Gallifrey come into view. "I have some new friends with me who need a place to stay for a while." She said drawing their attention to the humans that were still standing on the dunes above.
"What do they want from us?" Nesbin asked looking at them suspiciously. Rodan smiled he never changed she thought to herself before answering.
"They just need a place to stay until it is safe for them to go back to the Capital. Nesbin I will tell you the rest in private." She said firmly with a sharpness that broke any argument breaking her apparently eternal cheerfulness for a moment before Nesbin allowed himself to be led into the nearest canvas tent by Rodan. The sounds of what was being said were muffled by the heavy fabric and fur used to make and decorate the outside of the primitive looking tents. The tribe's people looked up at the humans who stood on the dune and studied them intently knowing from that instinct that was still in the core of their being that these people were not timelords and wondered what they were and more importantly what they wanted.
The humans on the other side also studied the tribe closely wondering if they were going to have to defend themselves. The camp was made up of about hundred or so of these strange people so while they were outnumbered the weapons they had looked to be no more than primitive spears, daggers and hunting bows and arrows. The camp itself showed no sign of the higher technology that was so apparent in the cities of this planet with simple canvas tents and plain carved wooden furniture. The people were dressed in similar skins to those used to decorate and insulate the tents with a headband.
They were broken from this staring contest when Nesbin and Rodan emerged from their tent and Nesbin looking very apprehensive told the visitors.
"They can stay for a few days and only if they can earn their keep by helping us hunt and preparing food and more tents, we need some new ones anyway." He said the last part more quietly. The tribe looked ready to question their leader as did his two children but he ignored them and waved the humans down. Wondering what was going to happen next Young led his people down the slope to the edge of the camp where Nesbin stood. Both men stood almost nose to nose as they sized each other up. The other members of each group took their que from their leaders and regarded each other suspiciously till they were broken from this by a voice coming over from a tent near the centre of the camp.
"Now let us not start banging our heads together." The flap that acted like a door had parted and an extremely old woman emerged. She had very grey hair that looked on the verge of turning white, her skin was weathered by time and her body was slouched as she tried to stand upright.
The older woman was being helped by a younger woman that looked to be in her early to mid-twenties wearing a dark brown leather leotard that looked like it was home made out of roughly cut and prepared animal skin with an orange cloak over it. She had healthy chestnut brown coloured hair and a knife tucked into a pouch on her belt. She scolded the older woman.
"You should be resting Romana. This version of you is nearly worn out." But the older woman said back to her helper.
"Leela if I can stop these people acting like cavemen then I will. There is still some life left in this incarnation even if the war has aged it a thousand years."
"Leela! Romana!" Rodan cried and rushed over to help her friends. "Leela you will get on with these people famously. People from your world Earth."
"I' am not from Earth." Leela said, she came from the Sevateam who the Doctor had told her were descended from settlers from Earth but Rodan was not put off.
"Well they are human just like you." She said feeling a bit embarrassed at her silly assumption but still the fact that Leela was human really did raise a few eyebrows in the Destiny group.
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While the Destiny crew was being introduced to the Tribe the Doctor had remained in the Capital to meet with the people that he hoped would help him the first of which was supposed to meet with him in the service corridors under the city above. It was cold and wet down here, the silence only broken by the occasional drops of water falling into puddles that they had formed. The light was low as the Doctor moved carefully down the long corridor. His ears were alert to the slightest sound wondering if the person that he had come to meet would betray him. The thought pod had gone to Rodan first but it had then gone to another person whose help would be essential in getting his plan into effect.
"Did you really have to select such a place for a meeting? Would somewhere warmer and more comfortable been too much for your sense of drama?" A voice from behind him said and although the voice had changed since they had last met hundreds of years ago was still recognisable by that same smug sense of superiority as always.
"This is a secret meeting. I can hardly meet you in the Panopticon can I?" He asked exasperated turning to face the person he was speaking too. The man had now stepped out of the shadows allowing the Doctor to see him. He looked to be in his late fifties perhaps touching his early sixties. His dark grey hair was carefully groomed and he was wearing a surprisingly human fitted suit that would have not looked out of place in the window display of the finest tailors of Earth. It was made of dark grey silk with a red, blue and silver tie. The black smart shoes on his feet were shiny and clean despite the dirty conditions in the tunnel and he was leaning slightly on an ornate dark brown cane which had a lion's head carved intricately into the handle.
"Oh very well little brother if you feel it necessary." Irving Braxiatel said looking at his younger brother with an indulgent smile. "By the way mother and sister send their love. Now brother I assume that we should not let time make buggers of us all and get down to business." He then waited patiently for his brother to get on with whatever was bothering him so much that he would come to him for help. The Doctor had his pride and it had always been rubbed in his face by their father that Irving had been better than him. As children he had scored far better at the academy scoring firsts in most subjects and handling people with more ease than his restless brother although two features they shared in common was a greater interest in the wider universe and not wanting to conform to the norms around them although where the Doctor had become so frustrated that he had stolen a Tardis and fled Gallifrey with his own granddaughter which Irving had secretly allowed to happen hiding it from the authorities until the pair were long gone, Irving had been more subtle. He had managed to arrange for himself a post as unofficial ambassador for Gallifrey to the rest of the universe. With his own Tardis he too had travelled although he was not the meddlesome adventurer his brother was he had still built one of the largest and most extensive art collections in all of time and space.
"Well given how many 'friends' you have." The Doctor said with distain as he mentioned the various 'friendships' Irving had cultivated with members of high Timelord society. "I know that you know about the Ultimate Sanction." Irving replied without pause or viable reaction.
"Of course brother. However insane the plan might be the High Council are quite proud of it so they tell everyone they can whenever they get the chance. Just be glad brother that Rodan, the fair lady Romana, Leela and myself managed to sabotage the process for the meanwhile hence why we are all still here. I take it you have a plan to prevent it properly?" Irving asked with a slight smile. He was enormously proud of his brother's accomplishments although his own pride would never let him tell his younger brother that.
"Yes but I need to see the War Council and I need to get into the Omega Arsenal." The Doctor told his brother who kept smiling before telling him unperturbed.
"Well you do not ask for much do you? Still it is important so consider it done." He said making his little brother sweat for a moment and then he asked a random question breaking the tension. "So how is the new Regeneration cycle working out? I acquired it myself. To hear your little human friend speak that passionately you must have been in quite a situation when I sent it."
The Doctor was struck momentarily speechless, so it was Irving that had sent him the new regeneration cycle that had saved not only his life but coincidentally all the lives of the surviving people on Trenzalore. He had always been unsure of his Brother Irving's intentions, he was too good at hiding what he was thinking and what his motivations were for anyone to truly know what he was planning and why. Irving meanwhile stepped aside and gestured down the tunnel with his cane and the Doctor gathering his own pride started walking down the tunnel with Irving at his side. Irving decided to make some conversation as they moved to pass the time.
"While I set up your meeting with the War Council there are a few other people that you should meet and while we walk brother you can tell me about the quite delectable girl you have travelling with you now."
The Doctor's protective hackles immediately rose and he said sharply to Irving. "Hands off."
"Oh very well brother." Irving said putting his hands in the air in mock surrender.
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In the tribe's campsite the crew found themselves being drawn into village life very quickly. Matt, Greer, Varro and some of the other men joined the men of the tribe as they went out to hunt. Matt looked at the bow and arrows that he was given with some confusion as to what to do with them as did many of the other humans who were used to slightly more sophisticated weapons than these. Matt was about to ask Ablif for some pointers in how to use the old style weapon when a huge bear like creature but with tusks and antlers came lumbering its way across the dunes in front of them. Seeing the size of the creature Greer turned to Ablif and asked.
"That is one ugly looking bear. How are we supposed to take that thing down?" Ablif looked at the humans with a smile, feeling the thrill of the hunt and also secretly enjoying the awkwardness of the humans and told them with some quiet laughter as they watched the bear creature walk past.
"With the right hit to its neck area." Ablif said about to demonstrate when Varro with practiced ease that he had hidden to surprise them all raised the bow and took only a second to adjust his aim before firing and hitting the beast right in the vulnerable spot. The creature had only enough time to let out a small moan before collapsing to the floor dead. Varro relaxed his grip on the bow and looked around to see the amazed faces of the people around him.
Back at the camp Brody, Volker, Hunter Riley and some of the other men where helping put up the new tents. Brody and Volker were just driving the support poles into the ground and securing them in place before getting up on a primitive but surprisingly study ladder and using rough nails and a hammer to put the other support beams in place. When he was finished with this Hunter Riley with Peter's help dragged the heavy canvas over the wooden frame.
Vanessa found herself sparring with Presta who was eager to see Earth styles of unarmed combat and was fascinated with the marine core styles that were all integrated into the martial arts training program.
Camille found herself sitting with Romana sipping some kind of tea that apparently was native to this world. It was rather too sweet for Camille's tastes but she sipped it without complaint afraid of upsetting the older woman. Romana smiled at Camille and asked to start some conversation.
"Well my dear it has been some time since I spoke to someone from Earth. How is that special little planet of yours?" Camille was surprised at the question and endeavoured to answer it before asking one of her own.
"It is going fine. So you have been to Earth then?" She asked hoping to establish some kind of common ground with this time lady. Romana smiled before answering.
"When I was much younger I travelled with the Doctor. Earth was his favourite planet even back then so travelling with him I saw a lot of it. I particularly remember Paris, the feel, the smell, the taste of the city. Perhaps my favourite time there." She told Camille with a faraway look in her eyes. Camille feeling she now had something she could speak to this woman about on an even level then said.
"It is lovely there in the spring but I always preferred to go to Rome or Florence myself. The history of those cities and the culture fascinated me no matter how many times I heard it."
Romana's eyes lit up now she had someone to speak to who knew what she was talking about. Launching into the discussion with fresh vigour she asked her.
"Did you ever see Shanghai? When I was there in the 1930s it was a fascinating place. Has it changed much since then?"
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In the Capital the Doctor was waiting impatiently for Irving to arrange his meeting with the War Council and sat in the living room of Irving's rather impressing home. Decorated with wooden panels it was nearly an exact replica of an Edwardian manor. Some the vast art collection that Irving had acquired over the years were put around the walls and while the Doctor enjoyed the view he was eager to get going and get the rest of his plan underway. He was about to start building a house of playing cards again for the ninth time when the door opened and the Doctor leapt to his feet thinking that it was Irving but instead of his annoyingly smug brother it was a woman. She was younger than him at least in this particular incarnation, he could feel she was a time lady the moment she entered the room. She looked to be in her early thirties, her hair was a sleek dark brown bob and her dress was a rich shade of scarlet and before the Doctor could ask who the woman was she flung herself at him and wrapped him in a fierce hug.
"No I'm against the hugging." The Doctor protested trying to break her surprisingly strong grip but he then caught sight of the woman's face and her next word shocked him.
"Grandfather!"
"Susan!" He managed to choke out in surprise which was quickly replaced with elation at her being alive. Well he thought to himself the hits kept on coming today and he now eagerly returned the hug.
"Well you could look a little happier to see me." Susan said with a pout as she let her grandfather go and stepped back so they could talk properly. She had regenerated since they last met when he had been in his eighth incarnation during the 2nd Dalek Invasion of Earth and on the tragic day that they had both suffered great loss; her son Alex and two of his companions Lucy and Tamsin. They had both been gutted by the loss of Alex and his own tragedy was worst at the dead of his companions. After that he had been certain that she would never want to see him again but it seemed that he had thought wrong.
"I' am." The Doctor managed to say and a small smile appeared on his face at the sight of someone that he had cared about more than anything in the universe before asking her. "How did you get here?"
"Great-uncle Irving brought me." Susan explained looking a little better at the smile. "He was on Earth after the invasion looking for a few pieces to add to his collection when he found me. I was a mess after…after Alex died." She said her eyes becoming nearly tearful as she thought about her treasured boy. "I did not handle it very well, I was a near insane wreck when he found me. He sobered me up and brought me home. They made me undergo some therapy until they were satisfied that I was not going to try and end myself." She stopped for a moment as her thoughts briefly touched on that dark time when she had been nearly ready to kill herself permanently but Irving had stopped her and made her get help. "He put me back in the Academy so I could finish my education and then he even found me a man." She said with some humour. The man Irving had found for her was a widow himself who had lost his wife to some power game that was being played out by some of the bigger houses here on Gallifrey. Neither wanted love but rather companionship and their marriage had been more about friendship and satisfying mutual urges until she had accidentally become pregnant one day. Raising a family had been something she had never wanted to do again after losing the one she had had on Earth but her second chance at a family had given her a sense of enjoyment in life again. Bringing children into the world, raising them being there for all the trials and disappointments as well as all the joy had reminded her of all of the good moments that her grief had blocked out.
"A new family." The Doctor said surprised but inside he was filling up with guilt. He had been so caught up in his own loss that he had left rather than staying to try and help Susan when she had needed him most and feeling worse that he brother had been the one to fix his mistake. Susan sat down on the sofa and as he sat next to her she told him all about them.
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In the wastelands around the tribe's camp Leela was bringing back the animal that she had killed for dinner tonight. They needed more as there was more mouths to feed but she discovered to her dismay and frustration that the bear like creature was far too heavy for her to drag on her own. She tugged on the rope that she had tied around it but as hard as she pulled it was barely moving even across the sand.
"Need any help?" A voice said from her side and Leela with knife in hand looked over to see the brunette that the Doctor apparently travelled with now standing there. She was shorter than Leela who doubted very highly that this girl had what it takes to be a warrior. Gritting her teeth Leela said quickly.
"I'm fine thank you." It did not phase the girl and Leela then proceeded to try again at dragging the beast only to hurt her hands and back and swallowing her pride Leela asked through gritted teeth. "Please."
Clara smiled and took hold of the ropes herself and began pulling with Leela. Together they managed to start moving the heavy creature and through the tiring physical activity Clara asked.
"So which Doctor did you travel with?" Her breathing was laboured with the hard activity she was doing. Leela wondered why she was asking the question but answered anyway.
"His fourth, what about you?"
"Eleventh and Twelfth." Clara said back and asked. "What was the fourth Doctor like?"
"He was fun." Leela said not really sure how to describe the Doctor at that point in his life. "He wore a long scarf and he used to carry around a bunch of these things called jelly babies. He was brilliant and he tried to educate me." Clara smiled despite the pain in her hands from the rough rope before telling Leela.
"Sounds a lot like mine except for the scarf and the jelly babies."
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In the camp Rodan was playing with some of the younger children, a game of tag that she was letting them win. Pretending to catch them only to let them escape at the last moment making them giggle at her acting like a monster. She ended the game when the children's mothers called them back to their tents and watched them go with a smile. She loved it when she managed to sneak out here, it was so much fun to play with the children and cast off the stuffy air that filled the city. She might have been frightened when she had first come out here with Leela in her first incarnation but she had learned to not be scared anymore even to love the outside world. She looked around and saw one of the humans that the Doctor had brought with him watching her. She had picked up on her when the game had still been on and saw the distant look on her face. Walking over to the red haired woman she asked.
"Claire isn't it? Are you alright?" Rodan asked with concern. Claire's eyes focused on her as she came out of her thoughts and said.
"Sorry I was just thinking about my daughters back on Earth. I just hope the Doctor sends me back to them before they grow up without me." Claire said as tears started falling from her eyes and her despair started coming to the surface. The Doctor's promise to get them all home had been what kept her going ever since they got to this planet. She had thought that when they finally made it to the Capital then that would be it and she would be going home to her girls only to be arrested by their rulers and forced to hide out here in the desert. Rodan seeing her distress put her arms around Claire who finally started letting the tears that she had been suppressing since they had first arrived on Gallifrey run free. She was terrified that when she finally got home that they would be grown women or worse she never got back and missed their entire lives leaving them with questions as to why she had gone away and if she had never loved them. Her fears getting on top of her Rodan stroked her back and let her cry.
"The Doctor will get you home and so they never knew you were gone." Rodan reassured her. "We Timelords can bend time if we need too. You can be back on Earth nearly the same moment you left if you want. And if the Doctor does not I will." She kept on comforting Claire who finally after twenty minutes seemed to run out of tears.
Claire felt slightly better after letting all the feeling that she had been bottling up out and the reassurance from Rodan and she finally managed a small smile before breaking Rodan's hold on her gently. Rodan instantly smiled herself and said with her normal good nature.
"Now that is better, now let's go and have some fun." Claire laughed at the child-like smile on Rodan's face but they were broken when Camille came running out of the tent where she had been taking tea with Romana looking desperate.
"Romana has collapsed." Both Claire and Rodan became serious and got to their feet before rushing over to the tent and saw that the older woman had indeed fallen still. Rodan and Claire moved to her side and held her wrists only to feel no pulse.
"She is dead isn't she?" Camille said as neither woman commented but Claire only asked one question.
"What incarnation was she on?"
"Her third." Rodan said looking serious and they both suddenly felt a heat started to rapidly build up in the hands of the supposedly dead woman and quickly let them go before stepping back away from her body. Seeing Camille was about to go and see what had them so cautious Claire grabbed her arm gently and pulled her away from the body.
"What incarnation? What are you two doing?" Camille asked not really understanding what was going on. Rodan tried to explain.
"Timelords have this special ability, when we die we can do this trick that allows us to cheat death. We call it regeneration and I think Romana is about ready to pop."
"What?" Camille asked confused as to what she meant when Romana's supposedly dead body was engulfed in a bright golden light that radiated out from her. The three women present desperately shielded their eyes from its intense glare. There was a sound like rushing water as the energy poured out of Romana till only moments after it started it stopped. The three on looking women all turned back in time to see a completely new woman lying where Romana had been only moments before. The new woman suddenly woke and full of energy she leapt to her feet and began speaking with an almost manic energy and rushing over to the mirror.
"Oh hello there. I love this this, it feels so fresh and new. All that boring stuff that was here in my head before gone so finally I can have some fun at long last." She studied her new appearance. "Oh the hair is great." She said running the long blonde locks through her fingers before moving on to the rest of her appearance. "Nice nose, good lips, not too tall only about five foot five. Eyes…oh I have never had this colour brown before." Then she quickly turned around and asked the dazed people behind her. "What do you think?"
"It is good." Rodan said honestly. There was one common thread in all of Romana's incarnations so far in that they were all great beauties. Rodan had gone to the Academy with Romana and before that they had been friends as children which had not changed as they grew older so she had known her in every form that she had ever had.
"Only good? That does not sound like a good start." Romana said with a pout but Claire who was still in shock over seeing her first regeneration although she had known about the ability beforehand it was still amazing to see for yourself decided to say.
"No it is great. Just different to what was there before." Claire said and Romana pounced asking quickly.
"Different how? Different good? Different bad?"
"Just different." Camille said still completely lost as to what was going on. Rodan and Claire realised how overwhelmed Camille was feeling right now and Claire nodded to Rodan as a silent signal before leading the shell-shocked Camille out of the tent and sitting her down as she tried to explain what had just happened.
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The Doctor after talking with Susan for nearly an hour regretfully parted company with her. He swore that he would speak to her again before he left Gallifrey but she had just given him a sad smile like she did not believe him. It hurt that his granddaughter had that little faith in him but given how many times he had let her down he could hardly blame her. Letting down the people that were closest to him seemed to be as constant companion for him as the Tardis was. But this time he resolved to himself as he entered the chamber it was going to be different.
With that in place he quietly and carefully walking into the most secure room in the Omega Arsenal. Once where all the most dangerous and forbidden weapons had been locked away until many of them had been deployed against the Daleks with only one exception the most powerful and dangerous of them all, The Moment. As the Doctor moved cautiously forward towards the box that looked so innocent sitting on its pedestal you would not believe it was the most devastating weapon in the universe he was surprised by a familiar voice whispering into his left ear.
"What are you looking for?" Jumping around, he confirmed who it was that had sneaked up on him. The Interface of the Moment once again resembling Bad Wolf or Rose Tyler he could never be sure which.
"You." He said simply and the curious lifelike projected looked at him with a bemused smile and told him with that strange smile of hers.
"I'm charmed but I assume that it is for more than easy going conversation." The Doctor then told her honestly although he knew that she had already found out what he wanted by reading his mind like she had before.
"I need your help again or the High Council will do far worse to the universe than I ever did by trying to destroy Gallifrey."
The Moment frowned for a while as she considered what he wanted her to do. She had already interfered once to save his human friends from the hands of the Daleks in Arcadia although he was unaware of it and she had her own reasons for doing it. Coming to her decision she fixed him with a gentle stare and told him.
"If I do what you want, there will be consequences for you." She warned him but he told her without compromise.
"If you think there is nothing I would sacrifice to save the universe then maybe you should take a look in my head again. Take what you want from me. All my regenerations, both my hearts there is nothing I would not be willing to give to save the universe. You know that." His eyes blazed with his nearly unbreakable will. The Moment stared at him and then grinned and told him.
"Well there will not be any need for that great a sacrifice Doctor, of course I will help you."
Feeling relieved the Doctor carefully took the Moment off its pedestal and turned to speak to the interface only to see that she had disappeared. He sighed before walking to the door where he discovered the timelord that had been called 'The General'. His tall body dressed in special body armour with cape and the other members of the War Council that surrounded him all stared at him with slight awe and perhaps fear given what had happened the last time they met.
"So" The Doctor said with complete seriousness. "Are you with me?" He asked.
The General looked at him with his piercing gaze as he assessed the Doctor who he had always held a low opinion of until he had managed to do what the General had thought impossible to do; save Gallifrey and all its inhabitants. Destroying the Daleks had been a bonus as far as he was concerned. The Doctor meanwhile knew that his plan really hinged on whether this man was going to do the right thing or not. The people he commanded and all the weight that the General's name carried were what was going to swing the whole operation and for second the Doctor feared that the General would do the exact opposite until the strong leader said six words that made him breathe a sigh of relief.
"To hell with the High Council."
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At dusk the village gathered for the feast at the end of the day. On the spits around the camp the slain animals roasted on the open fires that cooked them beautifully. The villagers all danced as the music from their primitive pipes and drums filled the air. The Destiny crew watched as they leapt around energetically just letting themselves get lost in the moment. Then Alina surprised them all and got her feet to join in the dancing, swinging herself around with such abandon it made the disciplined woman they had met in the Death Zone seem a complete contradiction. Taking her lead most of the Russian soldiers all got to their feet to join the fun and they were swiftly joined by the rest of the American portion of the group. Claire and Vanessa swung each other around in a tight circle before spinning off into Varro and Rodan's arms who danced closely with them. The smiles on all their faces seemed a million miles away from how upset they had been about recent events. Letting themselves go and having some simple easy fun after the recent harsh realities that they had witnessed in Arcadia and Hope acted as a tonic to their troubled minds making them feel so much better they forgot to be worried. Clara was dancing with Ablif and Presta while TJ danced with her husband and Molly shared a dance with Lisa and Greer.
Romana it seemed was the life of the party throwing herself into the activities with wild abandon dancing a wild gymnastic style at the centre of all the fun. Eli was doing a strange energetic waltz or something along those lines with Ginn when he said with a slight smile to her quietly.
"I hope that when we do get back to Earth, we can still be friends. You know have moments like this." Eli had hated when the others had left Destiny when they first got home to Earth. The people in his life meant a great deal to him and them leaving it for whatever reason was always hard. Having those who he was closest too back again with him made him feel like everything was going to be okay. They would get home, however long it took he had never lost faith that they would. This crew could do anything that they set their minds too. Time and again they had been faced with terrible odds and overcome them. This was no different. It had been a hell of journey that had pushed them all to their very limits but despite it all they had kept going and soon he hoped they would be going home.
While Eli was dancing away with Ginn, Matt and Chloe sat back down feeling hot and bothered from all the activity and collapsed down onto the rug where they had been lying. Taking a sip of the cool water they took a few steadying breaths before Chloe turned to Matt and said.
"I have never been to a party like this." Her eyes sparkling with joy as she took a long drink. Matt stared at her with a nervous smile. He always thought that she was beautiful even when she was at her worse but right now she appeared like a siren that would tempt sailors to their doom with her allure. Her skin was a light from the illumination provided by the large fires around them, her hair flowing freely dance her back and her eyes seemed to hypnotise him. Matt's hand went to his trouser pocket where he felt for the small box that he had bought at the trading post before they had been sent on this insane journey. It had been with him when the ship had been destroyed by the battle with the Daleks and their evacuation to this strange, terrifying but still incredible planet. All across Gallifrey he had carried it wondering if he should ever dare show Chloe what it contained. Finally he could wait no longer and he took the box out of his pocket and put it down behind him and Chloe. His girlfriend looked at him confused when she saw the rather elaborately decorated box and as he went to open it he asked her before his nerves went completely.
"Chloe Armstrong, I have been trying to find the words to ask this question for a long time so before I get anymore scared." He stopped and took a deep breath as a now concerned Chloe looked on as he opened the box revealing an ornate platinum ring with tiny diamonds around a carefully cut sapphire. "Will you marry me?"
The reaction was immediate as she froze hearing those words. Her mind was in shock and Matt looked on helpless feeling worse with each second that her surprised silence lasted. Finally what he had said sank in and Chloe blinked in surprise and she let him know the answer with actions rather than words. Grapping the scruff of his collar she pulled him into the most passionate kiss she could manage surprising Matt with just how much fire Chloe had. They nearly started making out there and then if they had not had to break the kiss to breathe. Their breathing really fast after the greatest kiss either of them had ever experienced Matt carefully took Chloe's hand and slipped the small ring on her finger before giving her another more gentle kiss.
Molly came over to sit by them and was about to find another mat to give them privacy when she saw the ring. Crying out in elation she broke them from their kiss and as Chloe and Matt got to their feet she rushed forward and gave her assistant a hug telling them congratulations. The sounds drew other members of crew over to see what the fuss was about and then saw the ring on Chloe's finger. Very soon the pair were swamped by all their friends offering them their best wishes.
"So when is the wedding?" Rush asked not particularly caring but he did in some corner of his heart that so many thought was like ice care about whether Chloe was happy. He felt responsible for the young woman after he had inadvertently put the idea in her father's head to sacrifice himself to save the rest of the crew. If it had been anyone else on that alien mothership when they had been attacked by the Nakai after him being stranded he might not have saved them. But he did like the girl admiring her spirit wondering if he and his late wife had managed to have children if he would have had a daughter like Chloe. He secretly liked that idea not that he would ever admit it.
"Why wait?" Nesbin asked coming over surprising them all. "If you two genuinely love each other then why not marry here and now? I will perform the ceremony if that would please you?" He suggested and to everyone's surprise Chloe spoke first.
"Yes if you would." She turned to the surprised Matt and told him in a voice full of emotion. "We could die tomorrow, fifty years from now whenever but I do not want to waste a single moment more waiting." Matt nodded with a face full of emotion. His sister Kathy jumped in and told them.
"You have more than enough witnesses. So let's get this party on the road."
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Chloe and Matt suddenly found themselves in the process of rush organising a wedding. Since Nesbin was carrying out the ceremony they did not have to worry about that or a venue since it would be happening here in the village. But they had only minutes as Nesbin got ready to find get the rest of the arrangements in order. Matt had always thought that when he and Chloe had their wedding that it would be on either Destiny or a quiet church on Earth and at either venue they would be surrounded by their friends. Getting married on an alien world heaven only knows how far away from home that was something they had never imagined. But all their mutual friends were here with them in this strange place and when he really thought about it, Matt did not care a single jot about where or how he and Chloe finally took the biggest step in their relationship as long as they were together and that Chloe was as happy as she could be. The memory of their sort of wedding in the dream town of Cloverdale was still fresh in his mind and he hoped that it would go smoothly this time.
Returning to the wedding arrangements he looked around and saw the men that he wanted as his best man and the other groomsmen.
"Greer." He said to the man that had become the firmest friend that Matt had ever had. "Would you be my best man?"
Greer looked intense at the request knowing that it was a true sign of friendship from Matthew Scott to ask you to be the Best Man at his wedding and he told him.
"I would be honoured." Matt smiled in relief before giving him a manly hug. They quickly separated before it got weird and he handed Greer the box that now had the ring back in it for the ceremony. Turning to Eli and General Young he asked them earnestly if they would be his other groomsmen.
"That would be fine." Young said smiling at the sudden joy the man that he regarded as his protégé was experiencing. While his own marriage to his first wife had had problems from the start for a variety of reasons, his marriage to TJ was something that gave him the best feeling the morning, in the middle of the day and last thing at night as well as all the time in-between. He would not trade that for anything that the universe could offer. He was also happy for Chloe, the young brunette that had become something of a daughter figure to him since the death of her father and he had sworn to try and keep her safe. Something that he had not done the best job at but regardless he was happy for them both to find that joy that came with such a connection they shared even in a place like this.
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Chloe meanwhile was being dragged off to a tent by Romana and she still could not wrap her head around how the bouncy blonde that was pulling her firmly towards the tent was the same woman that only this morning had been an old woman with grey hair and with such quiet dignity and grace. She called out before being dragged into the tent.
"TJ, Ginn, Claire, Vanessa could I have word?" The four indicated women rushed over and were about to enter the tent when Romana appeared at the entrance and told them sternly.
"Wait for the surprise. You can talk to her from here." She insisted and disappeared back into the tent. Vanessa was about to ignore Romana and enter the tent anyway till a hand emerged through the flap and stopped her in her tracks. Abandoning the attempt for now the four women stood back and TJ asked.
"Chloe are you alright?" Their response was a hurried one.
"Yes. Ouch that hurt." Chloe said before cracking on regardless to what Romana was doing to her at that moment while the rest of the Destiny crew and the villagers were setting up some kind of altar for the wedding. "I know it is really short notice but TJ would you be my Maiden of Honour?" Chloe asked the woman that had taught her all she knew of medicine and given her a purpose when she was feeling her most useless, there was no one else Chloe would want more at her side when she tied the knot. TJ herself felt incredibly honoured that Chloe would think of her for such an honour.
"I would be delighted." TJ said genuinely touched and not wanting the others to feel left out Chloe quickly asked.
"Would you be my bridesmaids?" She asked the other three women present who all said with big smiles.
"Yes."
"Great." Chloe said as she emerged from the tent looking incredible. They were all struck speechless by how much Romana had managed to do it just minutes. Chloe's hair was styled into an elaborate ponytail running down and over her left shoulder with silver brooch at the end. Her face had makeup artfully applied that she could easily have been a model on a catwalk but the most dramatic change was that she had now changed into a white silken robe that Romana had taken from her own wardrobe that looked so elegant it took their breath away. It was like a wedding dress teamed with silver sandals.
"Chloe." Claire said in wonder. "You look amazing."
"Thank you." Chloe said feeling very self-conscious but when she had seen herself in the mirror she could not deny that she would have hoped for this look if her wedding was being held on Earth any day.
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As the crowd sat in a big circle around the centre of the camp so they could all see the Chief stood in front of a large flaming bowl on a pedestal. Matt was already standing in place with his chosen men while he waited for Chloe catching the eyes of all those who were watching. He saw his own crewmates all look back with encouraging smiles as his nerves stretched further with every moment this went on. On the outer most part of the onlookers Rush sat impatiently waiting to start so he could get out of the uncomfortable kneeling position he had had to get into so that he could see when Ginn came up and told him before returning to the tent where Chloe was getting ready.
"Chloe wants to see you."
Surprised at the request he nonetheless got up grateful to be out of that uncomfortable position he got up and headed over to the tent where he was astonished at the amazingly quick transition that had somehow had been achieved in such a short space of time. He had never seen Chloe more beautiful and when he reached her he said so.
"You look incredible." Chloe gave him an unsteady smile still feeling those pre-wedding anxieties. She then asked him quickly before her worries got the better of her.
"Thank you but would you be willing to give me away?" Rush was astounded at the request never having seen it coming. Thinking he was going to refuse Chloe quickly said "Well maybe someone else." But Rush interrupted her.
"I would be honoured." So he offered her his arm and she took it with a nervous smile before they started walking towards the altar. As they appeared in the circle some of the tribesmen started playing an upbeat melody that everyone assumed was their version of the wedding march. Seeing Chloe approach took everyone's breath away, Matt himself wondered from the moment that he first saw her till the second she gently gripped his hand when she and Rush who was playing the father of the bride reached the altar. Riley was watching intently with a camera that he had gotten off one of the Russian members of their crew snapping away pictures.
At the altar Nesbin started the ceremony.
"Today is a day that marks a change in the lives of Matthew and Chloe. Today they have chosen to unify themselves together for all their days as husband and wife." He said taking a breath before continuing. "It is the most important decision that a man and woman can reach to share their every moment, their every breath. Before they make this sacred vow does anyone here have cause to object or will they forever keep their silence." No one spoke so Nesbin carried on turning to Matt first.
"Matthew will you honour Chloe, spend your every moment with her, grow old with her and most importantly swear that you will love her till the end of time?" He asked, Matt did not even hesitate as he stared into Chloe's eyes.
"I swear." Nesbin then turned to Chloe.
"Chloe will you honour Matthew, will you spend every moment with him, grow old with him and most importantly swear that you will love him till the end of time?" Chloe staring back into Matt's eye did not hesitate either.
"I swear."
"Then place the symbol of your unity upon Chloe's finger Matthew." Nesbin told them both and Matt turned to Greer who handed him the ring and Matt with his hand almost shaking in nerves slipped the ring onto Chloe's finger. Nesbin then said with a big smile.
"Then I pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride."
With that Matt and Chloe gently lent forward till they could meet in a loving kiss and all around the camp the onlookers all got to their feet and started cheering.
But it was short lived as suddenly the sky was filled with a roar as some kind of hovering vehicle appeared quickly firing energy weapons at the camp hitting several tents and sending everyone running for cover. As it reached the camp and hovered over the site everyone tried to run only for four beams of light to hit Claire, Clara, Vanessa and Romana. The four women suddenly found themselves being pulled off the ground like someone had attached them to a hook and was hauling them upward. They had little time to react as they were soon pulled into the hovering ship which suddenly pulled away at top speed towards the Capital. Looking at the retreating ship General Young and Camille Wray's eyes tensed in anger.
"Get our people together." General Young told her. "We are going to get our friends back."
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The four women that had been taken from the tribe's camp all found themselves back in the Capital locked in a small cell by force fields but unlike before they were not suspended.
"So what do you think they want with us this time?" Vanessa asked as they all sat down inside their small cell. Romana smiled as if they did not have a care in the world and told them.
"Probably to find out what the Doctor's plan is."
"The irony of that is that we do not know." Clara said with dismay. Everything had been going so well too she thought annoyed. Interrupting Matt and Chloe's wedding had been unforgivable as far as she was concerned.
"Well why don't we try and think of a way to escape at least it will pass the time." Claire suggested and Romana suddenly leapt to her feet and said in an excited voice.
"Yes I could lure a guard in here while you set a trip wire up made from strands of clothing and then knock him out the moment he falls. Then we steal his clothes, then we find more guards and steal their clothes then smuggle ourselves out of the city." Her breathing quick the other three women present just stared until Claire said seeing a guard coming up the corridor she said simply.
"Or we could do this." With a quick jerk of her hand the guard suddenly found himself gripped tight in her telekinesis. Forcing his arms to stretch out forward the guard briefly got to experience flying as he was cast across the room and her face tensing as she concentrating the guards fingers slowly moved over the panel like he was a puppet on Claire's strings. The force field quickly dropped and Claire released her telekinesis grip on the guard while Vanessa quickly moved out of the cell and knocked the guard unconscious before he recovered. The three other women all exited the cell and Vanessa took a pair of strange cuffs off the guard's belt and secured his wrists.
"Well that was easy." Clara said casually while she was secretly amazed at how Claire had freed them so quickly from the cell.
"Powers of an Ancient Clara." Claire said with a smile. "Both me and Vanessa can do that and if the Doctor does not find a way to stop the virus that is running around your bloodstream then you will probably develop these powers too."
"Really?" Clara asked intrigued thinking that due to all the situations that she and the Doctor got into powers like that would come in handy.
"I did not know you were all Ancients." Romana said looking a good deal more calm and level headed than she had a moment before when she had suggested that rather elaborate plan to escape. She felt rather embarrassed at how over the top her plan had been so she told them. "I think I have some regeneration shock it will pass soon enough. This version of me just seems to be so energetic it is hard to contain." She assured them.
Nodding the non-timelords in the room went over to the storage locker and took out their gear which had been stripped from them. Once ready they started to make their way down the corridor and out of the prison hoping that they might be able to find some transport that could get them out of the city before their escape was discovered.
They were nearing some kind of large courtyard when Romana noticed something.
"We are right underneath the High Council Chamber." She told them looking up at the ceiling above her. Not wanting to think about how close they were to the people that wanted to lock them up in the first place they quickly made their way to the exit on the other side when they were ambushed by their own people!
"Guys you are okay." Eli said running forward and giving Claire and hug that surprised the redhead.
"Nice to see you too Eli." She said while looking around to not only see her own ship mates and their new Russian members but also the Tribe's people.
"Did they hurt you?" Molly said coming forward to check them over when Vanessa assured them.
"We are fine, now maybe we should get out of here? The High Council is literally right above our heads and I would rather not meet them."
Then a loud echoing voice sounded from all around them.
"I well believe that it is far too late for you to avoid it ape descendant." The arrogance in the tone was nearly like a stink in the air making them all recoil before they were surrounded in a blue light and then found themselves in an entirely different place. It was a huge room that must have risen nearly five hundred feet into the air and gone out as far as three football pitches in any direction width ways. It was dark around them for a moment but they started rising on a huge platform. Everyone looked around them alarmed as they went higher and higher into the air. While they rose Claire looked around and saw that Rodan and Romana looked for the first time since she had met them scared. Leela too looked very uncomfortable however she tried to hide it. Wondering what they were likely to face Claire took her weapon out of its holster and held it tight. Suddenly when they had risen two hundred feet or so they could see the platforms above them where men in those strange robes and collars looking down on them like they were exhibits in a zoo. The scorn on their faces was plain enough to see even if she was not feeling it with her telepathy. She regarded the men above them with distain. This was what the Doctor had been weary of, over the course of their journey across Gallifrey they had met many of the Timelords and none of them had been as dangerous as this. Over privileged fools that were centuries old living in a world where their will was king. Who had the power to exercise every whim and frequently did so regardless of the cost to others. The only people that mattered were the High Council and want they said went. In power for centuries and were dangerously out of touch with reality and proud of it. Now she knew why the Doctor had been so keen to leave Gallifrey.
"So this is the where the Timelords have ended up is it?" Romana asked now with a dark look in her eyes that was a complete surprised after they had all seen the energetic young woman she had been earlier. "The writing was on the wall for so long before I was born that it beggars belief that we have managed to survive this long."
"Lady Romana." The same voice from before said and a tall man with short dark hair and regal looking scarlet and orange robes decorated with gold stepped forward revealing himself as the speaker. He had a tall golden staff in his hand and his mind was almost frightening to look at. It was devoid of any conscience, no guilt or humility but an intelligence and strength of will that was like staring into the heart of a sun burning so brightly that it would destroy you if you got too close. Pulling herself back slightly in fear Claire shook herself and stood up taller as the man continued to speak to Roman who stared back with disgust radiating from every pore.
"You should remember your place, this is the High Council of Timelords. You are nothing merely a renegade that failed in her duty to political office when she might have risen above her own failings as a timelord." He said with contempt but Romana answered back.
"At least I tried to change the future of Gallifrey for the better. To make us grow as a people. What have you done apart from bring us all to brink of destruction with your lack of understanding the enemy we face, the arrogance and selfishness that guides your every action and foolish belief that only you deserve to decide the fate of the universe." Romana was almost shouting but then Camille asked nervously.
"What does she mean? Decide the fate of the universe?" Rassilon who had been burning with rage at Romana's defiance then smirked again ignoring Romana to answer Camille's question.
"The High Council has decided that this universe has become to corrupt and chaotic to survive. So we will initiate the Ultimate Sanction. We will create a paradox so severe that it will tear the rip the whole of space and time apart tearing the time vortex open. The whole of reality will dissolve and we Timelords will discard these limited bodies to become creatures of pure consciousness alone. No time, no space, no cause and effect it will be a glorious ascension."
"You are insane!" Claire screamed out at him absolutely horrified at the scenario that they were talking about. "Destroying the whole of reality, all of creation just so you can ascend! The Alteran race could do that without ripping the whole of universe to shreds. If anything in the universe is corrupt enough to deserve destruction it is you Rassilon."
Everyone who could even have the vaguest clue about what the High Council had been planning was scared too. Claire was scared out of her wits as well but thankfully she was too angry to realise that she was scared. This was what the warning she had received had been trying to tell her about before the message had been decoded. She could only hope that some way, somehow they could stop this madness before it went any further.
Rassilon was about to answer back when suddenly the platform that the Destiny crew and their allies were standing on expanded outwards to form a complete floor across the room. Everyone was surprised but then a familiar voice sounded at the side.
"Now you know Clara why I was prepared to destroy Gallifrey." Everyone in the room wiped around to see the Doctor standing there looking fearsome as he eyes met Rassilon whose nose and eyes flared with anger as he said.
"Lord Doctor." He said with enormous disgust. "You turn up like an annoying bug that simply fails to die."
"And you are a monster and a relic that should have passed on millions of years ago." The Doctor said back with equal disgust in his voice. No one really noticed the bag in his hands except for Romana, Leela and Rodan.
"I created the Timelords!" Rassilon cried out the rest of the High Council looking highly offended at the Doctor's comment.
"You played a part in it. Omega and the other did just as much work as you perhaps more and you have merely take credit for their work. Either way you have only caused harm since you were reawakened but it ends here today. Now that I have your compete attention." The Doctor said to the gathered High Council. "Anyone who has the decency and the courage to stand against this insanity come forward now. You know in your hearts that it is wrong now please stand with me for the sake all life and time across the universe I beg you. Stand with me."
His impassioned speech was met with silence that sent the Doctor and his allies' hearts falling until one of the platforms on which the High Council was floating dropped quietly down onto the floor and an old woman with dark grey hair came walking towards them. The Doctor's eyes softened as she came close and when she came up to his side she gently took his hand and squeezed it before letting go and standing at his side. Everyone looked on wondering who the woman was but neither she nor the Doctor explained. Another Timelord seemingly bolstered by the fact that he was not alone in his revulsion of the plan stepped off his floating pad once it had reached the floor and walked over to the Doctor. His hair was a shade of silver and his face marked with age but his eyes were still blazing with a strong will.
"Gomer." The Doctor said taking the old man's hand firmly in his and shaking it. They were old friends and one that the Doctor was very glad to have on his side.
"It is good to see you too Doctor." Gomer said with a warm smile that reached his ear. The first time in a long time that had happened he thought to himself privately as he stood beside the Doctor too. He hoped that with two people willing to try and resist Rassilon more might come forward but the rest stayed where they were; either because they believed in Rassilon and his plan or because they were too cowardly to argue against it. He shook his head before turning back to Rassilon.
"I will not try and reason with you. I know how lost you are too madness and your own vanity so I will tell you what I am going to do. I will stop you and put you were you can do no harm."
Everyone even the Doctor's allies looked on unsure of what he could mean to do. Clara smiled so she thought to herself he did have a plan and if she knew the Doctor as well as she hoped she did it was going to be amazing so she was really surprised when he pulled a strange gizmo out of bag that he had been carrying. It was very much a lash up with strange bits and pieces from what looked like several pieces of equipment. At its centre was a strange wooden box that seemed to have a lot of clockwork like parts moving slowly inside.
"And what is that supposed to be?" One of the bolder High Council members said but Rassilon then saw the box at its centre and looked afraid for the first time since they had met him and he quickly called out.
"Guards! Defend the room." He yelled and with that the Chancellery guard began storming into the room. Seeing this the Doctor's allies all charged forward to meet them with whatever weapons that they had. The tribe's people let loose with their arrows, the people from Earth started shooting with their guns and salvaged energy weapons and the rest merely used whatever they had.
"More guards!" Rassilon shouted as the two sides met exchanging fire only for the unprepared guards to struggle against the battle-hardened soldiers of Earth and the tough Tribes' people who had survived in the wasteland for most of their lives. The Doctor however despite meaning to say something was interrupted by someone else.
"My men are seizing control of the rest of the guard posts in the city." The General stepped out of the shadows with the rest of the War Council, Irving Braxiatel and the Doctor's granddaughter Susan. Seeing the War Council turn against him was a huge blow to Rassilon as well as to the rest of the High Council. True they had never seen eye to eye but never had they imagined that the General and his people would turn on them, they arrogantly believed that they would never have the nerve. Worst the General's men had fought in this war since the beginning at his side, they knew the General and they trusted him enough to join him in this revolt and they had the element of surprise. And the final piece of icing on the cake was that while their armour remained clean and they were good at standing around looking important that was all the Chancellery guard were good for these days. Anyone who had any real skill as soldier had transferred over to the General's army and that lack of skill or experience in fighting meant the unprepared guards were being easily overwhelmed and pushed back by the forces that the Doctor had rallied against them. While Rassilon and the High Council were distracted by the battle that was being waged only feet away and elsewhere all over the Capital, the Doctor with the makeshift device in hand turns it on and aims in at the High Council.
A blue energy field enveloped the High Council and Rassilon who immediately started channelling their own mental energy against it. As powerful as the Moment was the Doctor could feel them pushing hard against the field. He concentrated his own energy but against the combined power of the High Council it was insignificant let alone Rassilon. Romana who had just sealed the door shut to stop anymore soldiers saw what was happening, she quickly shouted to everyone who were just finishing up the defeated guards.
"Everybody send your mental energy to the Doctor now!" Closing her eyes to do so, Rodan and the other Timelords present all did the same leaving the humans and two Ancients in the room confused at what to do so Leela who had learned a few things living here explained to them.
"Think Doctor, what he means to you give him every bit of support you can muster."
Nodding with some hesitation the assembled group closed their eyes and focused as they were told without really understanding what they were doing but whatever it was it seemed to be working as the field the Doctor was creating through the device strengthened but it was still being pressed too hard by the High Council. They felt it start to breach and for a moment they all began to feel a terrible pain in their heads as the pressure mounted. If they lost the field then the High Council could overwhelmed them all with sheer mental power Rassilon had stopped actively helping since the High Council seemed able to do it on their own so why waste his own energy. The High Council may only number a hundred or so but these were Timelords with centuries behind them so their combined mental power was stronger than the short lived humans and the few Timelords on the Doctor's side by weight of time. However just when they thought that all hope was lost the field began to strengthen as a huge new mental surge of energy started flowing into the Doctor's machine. The Doctor could not understand where it was coming from till he felt something familiar amongst the additional power.
"Drax." He said with a smile, his old friend must have rallied all the people of the town called Hope that they had passed through on their way here. He and the ordinary citizens with all their mental power adding their weight to the battle made it far more even but it was not just them. In Arcadia the Soldier must have rallied the survivors of the city because an even greater surge was coming from the second city of Gallifrey.
While the High Council was older than most timelords they were by majority weak in the will department and not used to having their power challenged. On the other hand the people in Hope, in Arcadia and indeed in this room were younger by large but together they numbered in the thousands and they had all been hardened by the experiences that they had gone through in either the war or other trials that they had suffered through so when all that was put together the people fighting for the Doctor however unorganised and different they might be were more powerful than the High Council. Seeing the battle starting to turn Rassilon began looking concerned and was about to re-join the battle which could well have made things far harder for the Doctor. For moment the Doctor and Rassilon locked glances but before the supposed founder of the Timelords could add his mental weight to the battle he felt a sharp pain in his front before he seemed to go into a catatonic state. The Doctor looked as saw a familiar looking thorn protruding from Rassilon's chest. He turned to Leela who was still holding a dart pipe in her hands and she told him with a slight regret.
"My very last one."
"I should shout at you for that." The Doctor said remembering how hard his fourth incarnation had tried to get her to give up the terrible things but apparently he had not succeeded completely but even now he could not deny that the single Janis thorn Leela had fired might have well saved the universe. "But you have probably just saved the universe." He told his amazed former companion before he renewed his mental attack. The High Council were in shock over the defeat of their leader by a mere savage ape descendant and the momentarily distraction proved vital as the Doctor was able to focus the energy enough to complete the field. The field's light grew brighter till it pulsed a bright blue before disappearing completely. When everyone looked up they saw to their great surprise that the High Council and more importantly Rassilon had disappeared.
"What happened?" TJ asked not understanding so the Doctor explained sounding slightly remorseful about what he had had to do.
"I used the Moment to open a fissure back into the Time War and banished the High Council and Rassilon there were finally they can do no more harm." It would be absolute hell for the High Council and Rassilon assuming he survived the poisoning. No way out for them if they ever changed but he had done his best to give them a chance and they had ignored it. Finally he thought relieved, the universe was safe. He carefully put the machine in his arms down before turning around to see Clara standing there with a big smile on her face before she leapt into his arms.
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Five days later…
"And there they go." Irving said as he and the rest of the War Council used their mental power combined with the equipment that had so far been hoarded by the High Council to wipe away the Dalek ships that had crashed around the city.
"Perhaps but there is still much to do before we can rest." Rodan said seriously. Gallifrey was going to hurting for a long time she thought to herself. The planet had been badly scarred and its people traumatised. So many dead and others who would carry the horrors that they had seen for the rest of their lives all of them. It was going to be a long while till things got running properly again certainly till they had even a semblance of the lives they had had before the war.
"Yes and more than that afterwards." The Doctor said and turned to the General who was the new leader of Gallifrey as he had turned down the job again. He had never had the desire to lead Gallifrey and even after being away and seeing it burn he had no desire to lead it now. The General was more than up to the task of getting this planet back on its feet now that they were finally free of the High Council and their plans. "This planet has stagnated badly not just in terms of scientific progress. Little change has happened in thousands of years in social areas, physically and politically we need to push forward again." He said passionately hoping that maybe his people might finally start to push forward again but the General held up his hand to stop his little speech.
"Many of the same things occurred to me during the war. Doctor making sure Gallifrey heals is my first objective, the second is to ensure that this kind of thing never happens again." The General assured him. The Doctor then said sternly.
"Just remember I'll be watching." He warned the General who nodded only for Romana to ask.
"What about your human friends Doctor? They need to go home."
The Doctor then thought for a moment and asked the War Council.
"Can I have one last favour?"
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The crew had returned to the tribe's camp where they rested from all that had happened. The knowledge that they had just fought in a battle to save the whole of creation from mad power crazed lunatics was something they needed to process. As they were bringing in the day's hunt they were disturbed by the noise of great engines as a blue police box appeared in the centre of the village. Everyone rushed out to see what was going on and when the Tardis had finished dematerializing the door opened revealing the Doctor who looked a great deal happier.
"So you found it then." Claire remarked as she came up to meet him.
"Yes it landed by the Northern poles. Survive anything." He said slapping the Tardis's outer casing lightly.
"Shame Destiny could not." TJ said coming up to join the rest of them.
"About that." The Doctor said with a strange glint in his eye. They were all beckoned into his Tardis and returned to the pyramid like structure that they had landed on when they had first arrived in the Capital and as the amazed crew exited the Tardis they saw that the broken glass dome that had covered the city had been repaired and the Dalek wreckage was gone wiped away like it had never been there. But they were distracted from that by the Doctor pointing up at the now night sky.
"Look." He said simply and a screen appeared overhead allowing them to see what looked like piece of Destiny's hull that had settled in orbit. Feeling angry the crew wondered why the Doctor had brought them here to see a portion of what had once been their ship drifting towards eventual destruction. Camille was about to go and give the Doctor a piece of her mind when suddenly something strange happened.
It was like someone had reversed time, from all around pieces seemed to fly towards the larger piece and connected on like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The amazed crew watched as the mass grew bigger and bigger into a familiar shape. Finally the front section moved into place and the puzzle was complete leaving the crew breathless.
"Destiny." Eli said as their ship apparently restored floated there in space.
"Restored as it was before only better." The Doctor said proudly. "Everything you left on-board will still be there but only refreshed like new again." The crew looked on amazed when suddenly that last part clicked with something in Claire's memory.
"There is no sign of age on this equipment at all." She had said and then. "Like it's completely brand new never been used."
She started remembering the day when Doctor Robert Caine and his people from Eden had come back to Destiny after leaving the ship. The shuttle they had been in was just like the Doctor was describing and again she remembered the way the shuttle had suddenly appeared next to the ship. The answers to who had built the planet and its star and as well who had sent their lost crewmen back to them was suddenly crystal clear in her head. Not sure if she should say anything she let the Doctor continue speaking.
"The Timelords will send you back to where you were before arriving on this planet. You will not be able to find this planet again though. It is best given how much that needs to be done before Gallifrey can defend itself again whatever might threaten it."
"So this is it?" Molly asked feeling sad that the time had apparently come to be separated from the Doctor and his incredible world. The Doctor then said with a knowing look.
"Oh we will meet again. It took me a while to remember but we will meet again." He hinted with a sly smile. "My past, your future."
He was about to send them back to their ship with that last hint at what their future might hold when he seemed to suddenly remember something crucial or in fact two things.
"Oh Claire before I forget, when you get back to Earth there is a man called Henry van Statten. He has a big vault in Utah near Salt Lake City. There is a lot of alien technology inside so it might be best that when he disappears in few months the SGC pick up his collection rather than let it fall into the wrong hands."
"Consider it done." Claire said distracted still wondering what the future might hold if they were going to be meeting past versions of the Doctor and there was nothing to say that they might not meet this version of the Doctor again too. However that was not the only thing the Doctor had to say to her. He came up and whispered quietly in her ear.
"And Magnus Williams was sterile he could not have children so he is not your father."
With that bombshell delivered the Doctor stepped back and before Claire could even formulate the words to ask him to repeat what he had just said the Americans, the Russians, Molly, Claire and the Lucian Alliance crewmembers were all transported up to the ship leaving the Doctor standing alone on the top of the pyramid.
"Oh are they gone?" Clara asked coming out of the Tardis with a sad pout. "I wanted to say goodbye before they left."
"Maybe we will see them again." The Doctor suggested and she smiled hoping that they might.
"Oh I really think you might." Romana said as she finished walking up the incredible number of steps to the top of the pyramid. She did not look even winded amazing Clara who forgot to ask what she was talking about.
"So what next Romana?" The Doctor said with a smile at his old friend. "Run for election?"
"Oh god no." Romana said looking almost terror struck at the mere idea of trying to run Gallifrey again. "Leela and I are planning to go travelling as soon as we can get a decent Tardis. Even if we have to steal one." She said with a smirk.
"Sounds familiar." The Doctor said with considerable nostalgia but he then said to Romana giving her a hug. "Take care of yourself and if you need any help just call me."
"Of course." Romana said watching with a heavy heart as the Doctor climbed back into his Tardis and took off leaving to find adventures to live and villains to fight. Romana smiled as she wondered what she might get up once she was away from Gallifrey.
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On Destiny the crew found themselves wherever they had been before fleeing the ship prior to its destruction. Claire, Lisa, Brody, Young, Camille and Rush all found themselves on the bridge which like the shuttle had been was spotless and looking like it had just rolled off the assembly line. Moving over to the consoles the scientists there checked them.
"Everything is working fine. We have shields, weapons, engines, sensors all of it and in perfect condition." Brody said in amazement while his co-workers all checked the database to make sure everything was there.
"We have the full database everything as it should be." Lisa reported as she examined it. Young sat in the centre chair and felt its greater plumpness. The lift door opened and Eli and Alina rushed out.
"It is all over the ship." Eli said with excitement as he marvelled at what the Timelords had done. Then Claire who was at the navigation console noticed something.
"We are right back where we started." She said not having felt a thing.
"Incredible." Rush said amazed wondering how on Earth the Timelords had achieved this.
"Well I think I'm ready to head home, I don't know about the rest of you." Young said and Claire smiled before inputting the coordinates for Earth while Rush turned to Alina and asked.
"Are you ready to go home Lieutenant?" The Russian Air Force junior officer did not need to be told twice.
"Yes sir."
Smiling Claire engaged the hyperdrive and the ship was about to shoot into hyperspace when Eli suddenly thought of something.
"How are we going to explain all this too General O'Neill and Director Artois?"
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I hope that everybody who reads this likes the ending, I will write a few more stories about the Destiny crew and their further adventures if there is enough interest. I am thinking of a Battlestar Galactica Blood and Chrome crossover and maybe some more meetings with the Doctor but beyond that I am not sure.
Thank you to everyone who reviewed! It was brilliant to hear feedback and kept me going when I was down.
Sage1988 out
