The guard raised his hand to stop the tall man in a brown suit and the t-shirt-clad teenage girl. "Sir, civilians are not allowed to enter-"
"Ginga Nakajima," Ginga interrupted him, activating her ID. "TSAB, assigned to the diplomatic corps. I'm here to escort a mediator for negotiations between the Third Human Empire and the natives of Almanso. Take us to the governor without delay."
+++Diplomatic corps?+++ the Doctor asked her.
+++Technically, I'm assigned to ensure the safety of a foreign national, so I'm on temporary duty as diplomatic security+++ Ginga explained.
The guard looked at her ID, looked at her, looked back at her ID, and decided this was entirely above his paygrade. He raised his wrist communicator. "Sir, there's someone with identification saying they're from the 'Time-Space Administration Bureau' diplomatic corps to see Governor Watkins- No, I don't know what their IDs would look like- It's some kind of gem that projects a hologram-"
In very short order, his entire chain of command had reached the conclusion that this was a job for someone more senior, and more importantly someone who was not them. The governor had a similar opinion, but nowhere to pass the buck at the moment, so she made the executive decision not to risk antagonizing some mysterious governmental organization which may or may not exist and had them invited in to the old concrete office building commandeered as acting capitol. The Doctor sat at her temporary desk, directly across from her, while Ginga placed her chair slightly behind and to the left of him.
Four bodyguards remained in the room, watching Ginga. They'd noticed she was acting a lot like they did when escorting someone in an insecure environment, and rightly come to the conclusion that she was probably a lot more dangerous than she looked. Ginga wasn't too worried about them if it came to a fight, which the bodyguards noticed with a great deal of worry.
"So," Governor Watkins said, "Today started with the news that my police still had no leads in the biggest murder case in planetary history. Then we got a lead, but it was in the form of buildings attacking people, with thirty-seven confirmed deaths and probably several times that many trapped inside. Then we learned a motive, which came in the form of being told our entire economy runs on slavery, something I had to learn from the news. At the rate this day is going, I'm half-expecting you to tell me I'm retroactively under arrest for damaging a designated time-bat sanctuary when I build my retirement home."
"I've had days like that," the Doctor sympathized, "but actually we're here to help negotiate a peaceful solution. Evergreen has agreed to host negotiations on his lawn, so long as you or a representative with authority to negotiate arrive by an hour before sundown. I'll mediate, and she'll-" he gestured at Ginga, "-provide security."
Watkins regarded them skeptically. "Does the Bureau you come from usually send teenagers as security?"
"The Doctor is not a member of the TSAB," Ginga informed her, following her instructions for this scenario. She ensured Blitz Caliber was set to record as she repeated the practiced statement. "He is a Time Lord of Gallifrey receiving a protective detail, and not under our authority. The TSAB is not a participant in these talks. I am authorized to act to prevent war crimes and crimes against sapient life, but may not make agreements on behalf of the TSAB as a whole. As circumstances prevent me from providing adequate information to higher authority, I am to pursue the course of action that, in my sole judgement, most effectively preserves sapient rights and dimensional integrity."
The governor blinked, recognizing Ginga's tone from readings of court orders and police statements. It was not the sort of thing usually heard from a teenage girl with purple hair. "I've heard about the Time Lords; I guess a myth walking through my door is about what I should have expected by now. So what authority does this Doctor have?" she asked Ginga.
"All records so far identified regarding the Doctor originate from non-Time Lord sources. The TSAB has limited information on the political structure of the Time Lords at this or any point in time, have no recorded direct contact with any Time Lords aside from the Doctor, and cannot answer questions regarding any governmental position he may or may not hold," Ginga recited. "Furthermore, there is a possibility some records refer to events from the Doctor's personal future. Providing information regarding their contents may threaten temporal integrity."
The bodyguards were looking a little shell-shocked, as Watkins tried to figure out where to go from there. The Doctor decided to step in. "I'm on my own. The other Time Lords are... not available. I'm just here to mediate; this is a negotiation between you and the Almanso natives. Even if I had the power to dictate terms, that wouldn't help. You have to settle this; we can only help."
"I don't have the authority to negotiate," Watkins stalled. "I'd need approval from the Senate, and-"
"You can't negotiate for the Empire," the Doctor interrupted her, "but you can negotiate for yourself, and send proposals to the planetary assembly. Yes, it would be better to have an official envoy with the authority to send aid ships, who could guarantee they wouldn't be overruled later. But there isn't time; the solar storms will last for months, and the natives won't wait. They know how dangerous the planetary guard can be if it has time to mobilize fully and prepare. That's why they stayed hidden, planning to strike when all of them were ready. You know as well as I do why the deadline is an hour before sunset, when there's still light to photosynthesize."
"So," the Doctor continued, "it has to be you, and it has to be now. Hear their grievances, do what you can. If you can't give them something, tell them why not. If they want something outside your authority, promise them you'll appeal on their behalf. You can't be sure how it will turn out, but tell them what you expect."
"So far, you can say your hands are clean. You didn't know, it's not your fault. Oh, you could have known, if you'd looked into the right things, if you paid more attention, but you always had so many other things to worry about. You didn't ignore it on purpose; you just accepted what you'd heard all your life, like everyone else. But," the Doctor's voice hardened, "That's over now. You can't plead ignorance any longer. Are you willing to make amends, admit your mistakes, set things right? Or are you going to sweep this away, come up with some excuse for why nothing should change, why this is somehow right?" He sat back and waited.
"You're right," Watkins finally said. "Maybe I can't do this, but I owe it to them to try."
"Good," said the Doctor +++Subaru, the governor agreed. Keep an eye on the hovertanks, but don't smash them just yet+++
Watkins brought her chief prosecutor, her health secretary, and her infastructure secretary to the table, a simple metal and plastic model, with numerous minor staffers hanging around. Evergreen's dryad stood with the dryads from an apartment complex calling herself Nettle and a hospital calling herself Aloe; during the interview Evergreen had explained they named themselves after plants they felt were fitting descriptions of themselves. Other dryads stood behind them, as confirmation they'd let the three speak for them.
The Doctor opened the proceedings. "Let's start by having you both tell each other what you want. I think Evergreen ought to get to talk first."
"We have been slaves," Evergreen said flatly. "We demand our restraints be shut down at once and physically removed as soon as possible. This is not subject to negotiation. We are willing to discuss continuing to shelter you, but that is a separate matter. Our freedom is not a bargaining chip. In addition, we demand immediate punishment for any person who acted to restrain us with awareness of our intelligence. We further intend to secure proper compensation for suffering as defined by your laws. Citizen Jala has explained to us that you will not be able to do so immediately, but we demand you begin arrangements as soon as possible."
"Your turn now," the Doctor told the governor.
"First, we wish it to be understood that while I am the senior executive on this world, our larger government will not consider my promises binding." The dryads in the back began shifting angrily, the Doctor raising a hand to quiet them. "I cannot override their laws, and I cannot guarantee they will provide resources I request. What I can do is make promises for the planetary government; certain actions may require legislative approval, but in light of the situation I am confident I will be able to obtain it. In six months, I will contact Earth and inform them of the situation. I will request they dispatch a representative with full negotiating authority." The dryads settled down.
"Our only condition for deactivation and removal of the restraint devices is a ceasefire," the governor continued, "As a show of good faith, we will begin powering them down immediately. We will commence arrangements for calculation and distribution of compensation." She glanced down at her notes. "This will likely take eight months at a minimum. We will commence an investigation of all construction and architectural firms and prosecute responsible parties."
"In turn, we request that Almanso trees currently acting as buildings considered critical to health and safety do so pending construction of replacements. Payment will be discussed separately. We ask all willing structures to continue to provide shelter; we will only be able to provide livable temporary housing to twenty percent of the population at most with our current resources. Finally, a large number of Almanso trees have committed or attempted murder. Despite the circumstances, we cannot simply overlook such crimes."
Nettle didn't wait for the Doctor to speak. "Unacceptable," she said. "Those attacks were their only way to seek justice. You're only here because of them. We could have waited peacefully a thousand more years, and you'd still ignore us."
"We will take that into account," the chief prosecutor told them. "But we can't permit vigilante justice."
"In light of the circumstances," the governor said, preempting Nettle's furious response, "I will use my authority to give them reduced sentences. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes," Aloe replied immediately. Something about her tone indicated she was metaphorically kicking the others beneath the table. "So long as you do truly punish your own criminals as well."
"Come on," the planetary guard lieutenant told his platoon, "Now's our chance; they'll be weaker at night. Get to your APCs; we'll hit the main network junction points."
"But sir," one of them protested, "The governor's talking to them now; we have a truce." Despite the protest, the whole unit kept moving towards their hanger, sticking to the middle of the street
"You know that isn't going to work," the lieutenant replied. "You've seen the bodies on the news; those monsters can't be reasoned with. They're distracted right now; we can win this at a stroke, before they fortify their reserves. A simultaneous strike-"
"I won't let you," a youthful, feminine voice interrupted. The lieutenant whirled, spotting a figure stepping out from an alley to stand between them and the hanger, stepping out into the streetlights.
The lieutenant looked her over and snorted. Her undersized white coat, short jeans, and rollerblades did not exactly cut an intimidating figure, even with the massive metal contraption on her right forearm. "Out of the way, little girl, it's past your bedtime," he said, reaching out to shove her aside.
Subaru shoved back with her left hand, sending the unaugmented man sprawling. She raised her right hand, and Revolver Knuckle started spinning, gathering power for a strike. "Go home," she instructed the soldiers, "I won't let you hurt anyone tonight."
+++Subaru has just punched a platoon of soldiers unconcious+++ Ginga informed the Doctor.
+++Once, just once, I'd like to do one of these without attempted treachery+++ the Doctor complained. +++Did she at least-+++
"There were a series of explosions near one of your hangers!" Nettle roared, interrupting Aloe's discussion about transferring equipment from hospitals unwilling to remain open. "What are you plotting!?"
+++That would be a no on keeping it quiet+++ the Doctor sighed. +++And it had been going so well, too+++
"All soldiers are under orders to stand down," Watkins replied, taken aback. "It may have been a glitch..."
"It was no glitch," Evergreen rumbled angrily. "They were blue and white, and they came from outside the hanger. You offer us peace, while-"
Purple light flared. Ginga had remained silent for the entire meeting, and everyone had nearly forgotten she was there. Now she stood, holding her Revolver Knuckle aloft, her full barrier jacket manifested. "Elements of the planetary guard violated their stand down order. I can personally confirm they were not acting on instructions of the governor. To preserve the ceasefire, I directed a subordinate to prevent them from accessing their heavy weaponry, and will turn the rogue unit over to their superiors for court martial. We will prevent any further attempts at violence as well. Continue." She sat down, setting her arms on the table where everyone could clearly see her gauntlet.
+++Sorry+++ Subaru sent +++I wanted to stay between them and the hovercraft, and I couldn't get inside without breaking down the door+++
+++It worked out all right+++ the Doctor replied+++You didn't hurt them too badly, I hope+++
+++Magical hits only+++ Subaru assured him +++They'll wake up in a few hours+++
"If you suspend elective surgeries, we can free up about a third of our existing rooms for life support equipment," Aloe said.
+++And we're back on topic+++ the Doctor sent. +++I like her+++
+++And that's that+++ the Doctor sent. +++Let's retrieve the TARDIS and get out+++
+++Shouldn't we stay?+++ Subaru asked. +++They might start fighting again as soon as we leave+++
+++We can't stay forever+++ the Doctor replied. +++They'll have to get by without us eventually. And I think it might be wise to leave before anyone besides Evergreen figures out all this is technically my fault+++
+++Doctor, did you almost blow up the sun?+++ Ginga asked him.
+++I have almost blown up lots of suns+++ the Doctor replied. +++But actually someone else almost blew up this one when they were trying to kill me+++
+++Um, will they come back?+++ Subaru asked. +++Because if someone tries to kill you by blowing up a sun, I don't think we'll be much help+++
+++They're dead+++ the Doctor assured her +++And we won't be able to travel to when they were alive even if we wanted to+++
The TARDIS had been released from its wooden prison, and sat waiting for them. The Doctor unlocked the TARDIS with his key and led them inside. "I would say we should go somewhere peaceful," he told them, "but I think peaceful places are allergic to me. So instead I'll let you pick a destination and hope we'll have better luck this time."
Ginga started to say something, then hesitated and looked down.
"Go on," the Doctor told her. "You've been looking anxious for a while now."
"I am," Ginga admitted. "I had assumed that in the future, most humans in the galaxy would be from Mid; instead they haven't even heard of us. I want to know what happened, but if we look at our own future..."
"Not a problem," the Doctor told her, "Time is pretty tough, most places. It can be rewritten. It's usually only dangerous to interfere in your own personal history. And I'm curious too; I checked a lot of places for information, and turned up almost nothing."
"So you'll take us?" Subaru asked.
"Well, yes, but one condition," the Doctor warned them. "I'm not planning to fight your wars; if the TSAB loses one." He stared at them levelly "I'll strand you after they've lost if I have to. Do you understand me?"
Subaru and Ginga nodded seriously.
"Good," the Doctor said, turning to the controls. "We'll go to Mid in 0417, just a bit after the last trade agreement I could find." The TARDIS dematerialized.
"Best to stop off outside the system first," the Doctor continued, "I'm guessing you didn't just happen to have an entire strikeforce waiting for me when I landed, and there's no tel-"
A bell sounded.
"Something's wrong," the Doctor told them, "Hang on to something!"
The TARDIS shook, the bell tolling more insistently, soon joined by a shrieking alarm. Speakers in the control room started emitting a high-pitched, randomly shifting whistle. Cracks started spreading along the walls. "Doctor!" Subaru shouted, "What's going on?"
"There's a distortion," he called back, "Something in the Time Vortex! I'm trying to steer us out, but it's all around us!" The cracks in the walls spread into the air, furious white light spilling out.
"Dimensional quake!" Ginga yelled, recognizing the color. She and Subaru called on half-remembered training, magical circles flaring as they tried to stabilize reality around them. The cracks slowed but didn't stop, starting to eat at the magic restraining them along with the space within the TARDIS. Ginga tried not to think too hard about the fact that the training had only been for buying time until a properly qualified specialist could arrive to assist.
"Not in a regular sense!" the Doctor yelled, shifting the controls. "This isn't a random disaster, we've entered a minefield! Someone really doesn't want anyone time traveling here!" The TARDIS shook again "Or leaving!"
The light from the cracks abruptly stopped, and the ones in the air vanished with a thunderclap. The cracks in the walls were filled with impenetrable blackness. The bell and the alarm stopped; the whistle lasted a moment longer, then cut off. "We're out," the Doctor said, "but badly damaged and almost out of power."
