Last chapter before i have to go into hospital, so it may be while before I update.
Martha shifted nervously in her seat. She was watching the battle as her shuttle flew over it. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see the death of those that were protecting her.
She couldn't stand it and left her seat. She moved into the pilot's cabin. "Take this thing back. I can't let them die for me."
The pilot shook his head. "Sorry ma'am, orders are to keep you away from him."
Martha slammed her hand into the side of the shuttle. "I don't give a damn about orders. Take me back!"
The pilot jumped but still shook his head. "Please sit down ma'am or you will be disabled."
The threat did nothing for Martha's rising anger and before the pilot could react she had snatched his sidearm and was pointing it at his head.
"You will take me back. I will not let them die for me."
The pilot swallowed and replied. "I'm sorry, but no. My orders..."
He never finished the sentence as the shuttle lurched violently left. "Missile, it got our engines. We're going down, brace for impact!"
The Darkness pushed the body of the soldier he had just killed away from himself. He looked up when he heard the sound of a missile making explosive contact.
He saw a shuttle swerve violently and begin an ungraceful arc towards the next valley. He knew it could only be one person.
"Martha Jones!" he hissed. He bellowed for his personal guard to follow him and they began to cut a swath through the heaving mass of desperate men. Any thought of finding Jack Harkness fled from his mind. The Darkness wanted...no desired to have Martha Jones at his mercy, wanted whatever knowledge was in her mind. Knowledge that he could not get from the Time Lord...humans were weaker, their minds more fragile.
"Find the shuttle, find Martha Jones!" he roared.
Jack dodged the blade of another soldier and pressed home his own blade. He was loathe to kill anyone, but war was war. He was wiping his blade on his already bloodstained shirt, when he heard the sound of a missile making contact.
He looked up and saw a shuttle swerve violently and begin an ungraceful arc towards the next valley...the shuttle taking Martha to safety!
His blood ran cold; if he could see the damaged shuttle then the Darkness could too. He yelled for Gwen to follow him and began to cut his way through the mass of heaving bodies.
Whatever the Darkness wanted Martha for, it would not be good.
"Come on Gwen, we have to get to that shuttle first!"
Major Lissar could not believe the breathless message that the soldier had gasped out to him... he was here, in person.
Now he was forcing his way through the slaughter that was the battle field. He was just glad that the shuttle containing Martha Jones had escaped. Then he heard the words he did not want to hear...the shuttle had been hit and was going down.
He knew that the Darkness would have seen it too; knew that it was not a good thing if he captured her. Then he heard another message, and he was filled a slight hope, Captain Harkness had been seen, heading in the same direction...but so had the Darkness.
He knew what he had to do. "Sergeant, gather as many men as you can, we have to stop him getting to that shuttle!"
Martha forced her eyes to stay open; she could see the rock and dust of the valley heading towards her at speed.
Wait...wait she said to herself and as she felt the first bone-jarring crunch of the shuttle hitting the ground, she flung herself backwards. Her world became dust and rock and electric blue as the shuttle ploughed into the dirt.
The shuttle slid along the ground, sparks trailing behind like a firey tail. It slewed from side to side, kicking up dust, rocks and the sparse vegetation.
Martha clung onto the seat as the shuttle bucked and swerved. She managed to glance at the pilot who looked like he was dead.
An awful screeching sound filled the cabin and her ears. She was thrown violently to one side as a huge gash appeared in the side of the shuttle. Her back hit the side of the shuttle painfully, and her head slammed into the metal grating.
Dazed, she couldn't stop herself from being thrown towards the widening gash in the shuttle.
She tried to hold on, she really did, but the force of the suction and her weakened state gave her no chance.
The last thing she knew and saw was the pain as one of the ragged edges tore into her side and the hard ground coming up on her too fast.
