And the first original adventure begins!
Aliya had been just about ready to get off the step she was sitting on and go back to actual social interaction when the TARDIS phone rang. The Doctor answered it, and after some surprisingly short and serious responses to whoever was on the other line, he hung up the phone and began operating the controls.
"What's happening? Who was on the phone?" She asked him.
"The Shadow Proclamation, it seems they want to have a chat with me."
"Why in the name of Rassilon are they interested in you?"
"Long story, most of which might not even be relevant." With the usual wheezing and jolts, the ship materialised. "You coming?"
"Sure."
They exited the TARDIS to come face to face with the Shadow Architect and a dozen Judoon. They did their typical questioning in their language, to which the Doctor responded in kind.
"Doctor?" The woman asked, clearly unsure about his identity.
"Yes, it's me. New face. Sorry about running off last time." He grinned a Doctor-ish smile, but it didn't seem to appease her.
"We have much bigger problems than your running tendencies, Doctor. This way." She walked briskly and they hurried to follow her. The place was white, pristine and new looking, although Aliya had studied it in school and knew that it was in fact quite an old establishment. The woman crossed a large room to type into a computer, which brought up a planet that both Time Lords recognised to be the planet Strepto.
"Water Hags giving you trouble?" Aliya joked, but fell silent when the Doctor gave her a reprimanding look.
"The Water Hags have been perfectly peaceful ever since the Doctor returned their planet." The Shadow Architect informed the other woman. "And you are?"
"Aliya."
"Oh…another one of his human…companions."
"No-"
The Doctor cut her off, "Yes, yes she is," He said mildly to the Architect, and shot his friend a pleading look the moment the albino woman turned away. She huffed but decided not to argue with him then and there, focusing on a different question altogether.
"She said that you 'returned their planet'. Did you steal it?" Aliya asked the Doctor, amused.
"The Daleks stole it along with twenty six other planets –including Earth-to make what they called 'The Reality Bomb'. They would have literally destroyed all of creation, but we managed to stop them," The Doctor said.
"Had you not stopped it I would have been forced to punish you, Doctor, since you did ignore my commands," The red eyed woman said.
"So what's the problem with Strepto if the Water Hags are peaceful?" He said.
"The planet has been invaded by the 11th Sontaran Battle fleet. They are wanted for numerous crimes, the most important an unprovoked attack on five Judoon ships." The nearest Judoon said.
"Sontarans never did know what was good for them," Aliya muttered.
"Why can't you just go to Strepto and sort it out yourself? You have enough to fight them," The Doctor suggested.
"Our attempt failed. The Sontarans have released a chemical into the air that is toxic to Judoon," said the Judoon who had spoken previously. Both Time Lords were starting to figure why they were there and didn't like where it seemed to be going.
"Already we have lost five hundred soldiers. We do not send people to their deaths," The Shadow Architect said.
"Yet you planned to go up against the whole Dalek fleet, and would have gone through with it had I stayed," The Doctor pointed out with an edge to his voice.
"That's in the past, stop worrying about it," his friend told him, and turned to the people in front of them. "You want us to go there and get rid of the Sontarans."
"That is correct," The Judoon confirmed. "You will be given a teleportation device to place on the ship which will transport them here to be trialled."
"And if we refuse?" The Doctor said cautiously.
"Then you will be guilty of obstruction of justice and resistance against the authorities," The Judoon said.
"Knew you were going to say that." The Doctor said, sighing. "Come on, Aliya." He turned and strode off towards the TARDIS. Aliya frowned and held her hand out to the Shadow Architect expectantly, and the mass teleportation inducer was placed into it.
"We appreciate your co-operation and help," The Architect said.
"I'm sure," The Time Lady started to walked back to the TARDIS. "Forgetting something?" She asked him as she entered. He turned to face her and looked confused until he saw the device she was holding.
"Ah," He said as understanding finally hit him, "Yes, that might help." She threw it to him and he reached out to grab it. He fumbled with it and almost dropped it, but finally had it safe in his hands.
"Note to self: Never throw things to the Doctor. He can't catch." Aliya teased as she approached the console platform, picking up her jacket that was slung over the rail. She put it on and pushed the sleeves up to her elbows.
"Can too. I just wasn't expecting it," He defended.
"Sure sure," Aliya touched the console lightly, just enjoying having the familiar sense of life underneath her fingers, even if it wasn't quite the same as her own TARDIS, though she was incredibly attached to this one as well.
"Aliya...?"
"Yeah?" When she stuck her head around the Time Rotor, the Doctor was holding something out to her. She peered at it.
It was a sonic screwdriver, with a sleek silver body and yellow tip, and when she pressed the button the side experimentally, the light glowed a bright yellow gold as it let off a sonic peal.
"The TARDIS just gave it to me," The Doctor said, "But mine's not broken. Regardless of who it's meant for, me having two would be somewhat counter-productive."
She turned the device over in her hands a few times. "It's flimsy...looks like it would break if you dropped it. Or as though it's only got ten decent uses in it."
"The TARDIS can see the future...maybe we're going to need it, but only this time." He just shrugged.
"Crappy or not, I don't think I deserve it." After all, he had only just taken her on board again...and Romana had made her own.
"Probably why you didn't get a good one."
She laughed at his jibe. "I might go and grab that jacket I liked from the wardrobe, just in case this planet is cold."
"Okay."
The denim jacket wasn't difficult to locate, and when she got back to the console room, the Doctor seemed to be talking to himself.
"I can't believe that I'm doing this. I never agree to anything like this. Not that it would change anything. I just get thrown into it and events play out almost exactly how they would have if I had agreed to this in the first place. Still, I suppose it can't hurt to actually know what was coming," He rambled on in an odd sort of monologue. Aliya coughed pointedly and his gaze fell on her.
"Are you going to keep talking to yourself, or are we going to get on with it? The Transmat isn't going to place and activate itself, you know. Of course if you're nervous, I could always go alone…" Aliya joked slyly, knowing that would provoke a heated response from him, most likely about his dignity and authority. Regardless of what she knew he thought about regeneration, deep down, the Doctor never really changed.
"Nervous?" He scoffed. "I've fought millions of Daleks at once. I'm the Oncoming Storm."
"I am aware."
"I'm not afraid of oversized - or undersized, depending on how you look at it - potatoes, even if they do have guns." He said resiliently.
"That," Aliya said, "Is racist. "
"Well, yes." He admitted, slightly embarrassed. "Doesn't mean it isn't true, though." The two of them then took off their shoes, having seen the swamp outside on the scanner, and jumped into the bog.
"You better not have landed us in the middle of nowhere," Aliya said as they trudged through the swamp.
"Don't get all touchy. I programmed the TARDIS to lock onto any unusual technological readings. The Sontaran's main control centre shouldn't be too far," He told her, and we kept wading on. The Doctor spied some vines nearby. "We might be able to use those to get out of this." Aliya grabbed onto one and used it to pull herself out of the water - though it did take her several tries and a push from the Doctor, but then she was able to help him from above.
"Shouldn't it be the other way around?" He asked as he did his best to brush some of the mud and dirt off his trousers. "Damsel in distress, and all that." Aliya grabbed his hand and gestured for him to lead her through the jungle of trees and vines if he was so all knowing.
"You know me, Doctor." Aliya said from behind him. "I never really cared for the whole 'damsel in distress' thing." Suddenly, something grabbed her from behind, a sturdy, thickset arm around her neck, the other holding her in an unbreakable grip. The Time Lady breathed in sharply, surprised and worried. "Although..." She said slowly, and the Doctor stopped in his tracks, clearly sensing that something was wrong due to the distinguished change in her voice, "You never know."
As the Doctor turned to face her, she met his eyes evenly, not wanting to seem scared. But Aliya couldn't stop all the fear from showing on her face as she eyed the blue armoured arm around her neck which belonged to the Sontaran that had a gun pointed at the middle of her back.
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