Charlie was completely dumbfounded by the kitten's sudden transformation into the Empress.

He turned to the Doctor, who seemed completely unfazed, like he knew all along.

The Empress stormed towards agent Mendath, her robes spreading out behind her like an angel's wings.

"No," she snarled. Her defiant tone seemed quite unprecedented after Charlie's experience had painted her as a nervous cat.

"You have no authority in my domain. Your twisted ways will hold the power of the lost."

Mendath seemed taken aback for a moment, before he broke down in a chuckle. "What does that mean? Oh, Empress Galea… Foolish girl."

He gestured towards his agents, ordering them to carry out their orders.

Two of them pointed their guns at Galea, twitching the barrels to force her to follow, as Mendath turned and headed down the corridor.

His strides were stamped with purpose. Now that he had the Empress in his power, he was in control.

The two agents standing behind the Doctor and Charlie stepped forwards and grabbed their arms.

Charlie felt a pair of rigid plastic shackles snap around his wrists. However, they remained slack. He could easily escape from them if he wanted.

He caught the Doctor's eye, who looked similarly confused.

The agent behind him leaned in, and whispered in his ear. It was a woman's voice.

"Don't worry, it's us. We're going to help you save the Empress."

Charlie glanced behind him, and was astonished to see the two agents they had perhaps misjudged earlier. Mr Grumpy and Little Miss Sunshine, the couple who looked completely mismatched – like they had been unwillingly thrust together in a clichéd cop buddy movie, but had ultimately bonded over their differences. Charlie had a nagging suspicion that they were more than just colleagues.

He quickly twisted back, feigning a scowl so as not to give away their newfound alliance to Mendath and the other agents, should they have been watching.

The woman gave him a gentle push, and walked them forwards.

"Oh, no. No, no, no," the Doctor grumbled, maintaining his act of ignorance. "Don't make me walk down a really long corridor! That's an incredibly unreasonable demand!"


Within minutes, they were ushered into a room which could only be the Empress's throne room, with steps rising up to what was essentially a really fancy chair.

The floor facing the throne was divided into tiled squares, each large enough to contain one person. Charlie's assertion was confirmed when a number of seats rose up out of the floor, enough to cater for the remaining nine of them.

The chairs were ignored, however.

Mendath marched up the steps, watched by a fuming Galea. A smug grin passed across his features as he swept his cloak aside, and sat delicately in Galea's throne.

He watched his prisoners for a moment, reigning over them in his imagination.

"Empress Galea," Mendath uttered with such contempt, and such arrogance, it made Charlie feel a pang of pity for his former-kitten friend.

"You are an embarrassment to our empire," Mendath called out, as though speaking down to the one misbehaving kid in class.

"You will abdicate from your position. And you will surrender your title and your privileges."

Galea didn't rise to any of his demands. She merely glowered at him.

"If you do not, as I have very much anticipated, I will have you executed on the spot. I will take great pleasure in watching that happen."

"What's in it for you?" the Doctor suddenly asked. "What do you out want from this? You've sent us all through Earth's history looking for an Empress disguised as a cat. Why?"

Mendath smiled, savouring the event unfolding as one would with a glass of expensive wine. "The death of Empress Galea will ignite a revolution, which will tear this bureaucracy down. Simply, Doctor: retribution."

"Bureaucracy?" Galea finally snapped - and Charlie couldn't blame her. "I have ruled fairly!"

"And yet there are worlds under your so-called protection, overlooked by your government while you cavort with your friend," Mendath snarled.

Galea was confused for a moment.

"I... was not aware of this. I would do everything I could to help my people."

"Your promises mean nothing," Mendath dismissed her.

"This revolution…" the Doctor grumbled. "What happens then? Hmm?"

Charlie watched the Doctor for a moment. He must have witnessed so many revolutions.

How many had ended in massacres? How many innocent, or misguided people had he seen meet their deaths during a 'glorious revolution?'

"Once you've removed the Empress from power, what then?" the Doctor continued, "What happens when it's all over?"

"A steward will be needed to rule over the galaxy."

"And you think that person is you?" the Doctor questioned, incredulous.

His wild expression; eyebrow raised, jaw dropped, would almost be comical, if it weren't for the situation they had landed themselves in.

Mendath shrugged, gesturing towards the throne he was currently lounging in. "It had crossed my mind…"

Charlie couldn't listen to this anymore.

This man had managed to contact the Doctor - how he had acquired the TARDIS phone number was worrying enough – and asked them to find and rescue a kitten which could jump through time. At the end of it all, he had deceived them. He had no intention to save his Empress. He wanted her head, and a stab at the figurative crown atop of it.

Thinking impulsively, Charlie slipped out of his cuffs, and pointed at Mendath, suddenly feeling very much like the Doctor when he always stands up to declares that "I am the Doctor, and I will stop you."

They were always the most exciting moments to witness, Charlie thought. It sent his heart racing to hear the power of the Doctor's words.

"You've shown no rights to this power," Charlie spat, "You're cruel, manipulative and selfish. You don't deserve anything. I… I stand with the Empress. While there's breath in my body, you will not harm her."

He stepped up to Galea's side, shoving one of the agents aside.

Out of the corner of his vision, Charlie saw the agent stumbling over, almost tripping up - taken completely unawares by Charlie's sudden display of strength.

Galea threw him a concerned, but thankful look, and Charlie's thoughts were immediately grounded.

Oh god, he thought, what have I just done?

Despite everything - despite the insane and frankly careless things he had done by the Doctor's side - Charlie felt a sudden surge of panic. He was so out of his depth. He was surrounded by killers. What the hell could he do, and what was going to happen to him now? How could he save the Empress, who had, until a few minutes ago, just been a kitten?

In retrospect, perhaps the Doctor should have been the one doing this - he would undoubtedly have been much better at it. Charlie had gotten rather swept up in the moment.

"That's very courageous of you, child," Mendath said, "I am… actually impressed."

The Doctor stepped up by Charlie's side, and clapped a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Charlie's heart swelled. With a weird buzz growing on his stomach, he realised that in that small action, the Doctor had just told him how proud he was.

Mendath shot the Doctor a look of intense contempt. "Do you really think you're standing on the winning side? I never took you for a fool, Doctor."

The Doctor grinned. "Then you're an idiot. I thought you'd done your research before you hired us." He shrugged. "I'm not on a winning side. I'm not on anybody's side. Sometimes I step in to stand against injustice, and I never, ever refuse a cry for help. That's who I am. I agreed to help, but I don't much care for your cause, Mendath."

The Doctor twisted round, facing Mendath's agents, and winking at agents Mr-and-Mrs-Smith.

"Think. Where do your loyalties lie? You all need consider this very, very carefully, lest you end up looking like a pathetic gang of squabbling toddlers."

Charlie could see the darting eyes, mistrustful glares. The agents were looking at each other, suddenly unsure who they could trust. Unsure which side their colleagues would take.

They were poised, fingers twitching for a trigger to pull, daring one another to make the first move.

They were chess pieces, stranded on the tiled floor.

The king, Mendath, confident in his victory - in the inevitable checkmate - his pawns ready to strike.

Galea grabbed Charlie's sleeve. She looked extremely worried, so he shot her a reassuring smile.

Their new allies stepped forwards, guarding the Empress from the rest of their associates.

"We stand with the Empress!" they proudly proclaimed.

Mendath practically leapt out of the throne, his calm demeanour lost in a fireball of rage.

"Kill them!" he screamed, "Kill the traitors."

The first burst of lasers were unleashed; the agents opened fire on each other.

Empress Galea leapt at Charlie, transforming into her kitten form, and he caught her in his arms. He dived out of the way as a blast of energy crackled past his ear. Their combined momentum sent him crashing hard into the floor, painfully bruising his shoulder.

This was it.

That surge of adrenaline, setting his whole body on fire with sparks of electricity.

Every time he ran with the Doctor, every time he stood up for someone, every time they had been thrust into danger together, there was that rush. It was so intense. It felt amazing.

He crawled behind one of the seats risen from the floor, and saw that the Doctor had done the same.

The Empress looked up at him. Her piercing blue eyes were beautiful, but she looked so scared.

"It's gonna be okay," he assured her, "It'll be okay."

It was over very quickly.

Their friendly rogue agents were the better marksmen. They had eliminated their opponents without missing a shot.

Mendath had been crippled in the crossfire, and he lay gasping on the steps, his burning flesh seeping with his blood.

Charlie watched in horror, as the light left the man's eyes.

He hadn't wanted to see the Empress hurt, but he hadn't wanted to see that either. The failed revolution had ended in blood regardless.

"My Empress," the woman holstered her weapon and held out her hand.

Galea, shimmering into her humanoid form once again, accepted the hand, and rose to her feet.

The tall man helped Charlie off the floor, and gave him a curt nod.

"Well," the Doctor grunted, glaring at the fallen bodies in dismay, "That had better be over."

"I believe I owe you my thanks…" the Empress said to the two agents.

"Karla," the woman enlightened her, "and my partner, Darin."

Charlie frowned. The ambiguity of the nature of their relationship was still bugging him.

"What were their motives?" the Doctor queried. "He went to a lot of trouble to try and kill you. Who would be driven to such lengths?"

The Empress bowed her head. "Mendath and his agents were assigned to my protection after I received many anonymous death threats."

"We were a special division of the Space Security Service," Karla added, "we are usually assigned as security for galactically significant VIPs."

"I realise now that Mendath was behind these threats," Galea continued, "He was the villain persecuting me for a 'forbidden love'."

"The situation quickly spiralled out of control. The galaxy had entered a state of unrest. We are on the verge of a civil war. With the Empress' disappearance or her death, war would be inevitable. We could not allow that to happen."

"Hold on," interjected Charlie, "A forbidden love?"

"Yes," Galea answered softly. "Although I am betrothed to a male, my heart lies with another of my own."

"She's got a girlfriend," the Doctor explained.

"Oh! Oh right!" Charlie exclaimed, rather loudly. Realising how surprised he sounded, he quickly added: "That's fine, of course. It's nice. Good. Yep. You're gay. Not that that's a problem…"

"Of course it isn't," the Doctor stopped Charlie's blabbering. "Why should it be?"

"No, it's not."

"You clearly have some kind of problem with it."

"No, I don't."

"Well, something's the matter."

"No, it isn't."

"I empathise with your struggle," Galea spoke to him. "It can be difficult to be aligned with one's true self."

"No, I'm not… never mind."

"Carry on with your story," the Doctor smiled.

"With my life in danger, and no-one around me whom could be certain held trustworthy intentions, I ran away. I hid on your world, Charlie Drake. Sol 3, or the Earth, as you call it. A quiet backwater planet, so I believed. However, I soon discovered that the indigenous species were so violent, they would passively protect me from those who would pursue me."

"But Mendath hadn't reckoned on you using a temporal displacement cannon, yes?" the Doctor guessed.

"Indeed," Galea confirmed, "It was my beloved's idea. She belongs to a line of mystics, able to manipulate time and space using specially crafted portals. We thought it to be untraceable."

"Sorry about that," the Doctor muttered.

A great roar of engines concluded Galea's story.

The Empress beamed, visibly brimming with excitement. "My spacecraft is here!"


The Doctor and Charlie accompanied Galea back down to the palace hangars, where Galea's personal transport was touching down, the ship's burners blasting them with a gust of warm air.

The ship was just as extravagant as Charlie had anticipated; a majestic beast, resembling a silver swan; graceful, aerodynamic – beautiful.

The ramp extended from the ship, and Galea's beloved hurried down to embrace her.

"Galea! The moons have circled between us too many times."

"I have missed you also."

"You are safe."

"I have Charlie Drake to thank for that," she said, turning to smile at him, which made Charlie's stomach lurch in embarrassment. "Both he and his friend, the Doctor, are brave of heart. They have been guardians to me during my self-imposed exile."

The Empress' beloved gazed at them both. Her eyes were large, almost cartoonish, and slightly milky in colour, as though she were partially blind.

"I know," she said, matching Galea's wide smile. "I foresaw the Lord of Time."

The Doctor grunted.

"They of many characters. It has been long since you showed the universe your true face."

"I thought you lot always spoke to us in riddles?" the Doctor remarked.

"She was being metaphorical," Galea quickly explained.

"Yes, well, I admit I used to look a lot more trustworthy," the Doctor uttered, with a shrug.

"I'm so glad you explained this whole thing about you being able to change what you look like," Charlie muttered. "I'd be so confused right now."

"You realise, this isn't over for you," the Doctor addressed the Empress.

"What do you recommend we do, Doctor?"

"This war… You need to make sure it stops before it starts. If there others like Mendath – and there will be – there will be conflict. The fate of the galaxy hinges on a knife edge.

An interstellar war could devastate your worlds, and many more caught up in your conflict."

"You do not wish your demons upon us," Galea's beloved uttered.

"No."

"Then how can we prevent it?" the Empress asked.

"Only you, Empress Galea, can unite your people," the Doctor asserted, "You need to show the galaxy that you are strong enough to hold everything together."

"I fear I am not…"

The Doctor chuckled. "It doesn't matter that you're not. Just prove that you are."

Galea nodded. "I will personally conduct a thorough assessment of all the worlds in our empire. I must find out what my government has been doing without my knowledge.

"Before you leave, Doctor and Charlie, I propose a small party in your honour. The servants aboard my ship could offer you any refreshment you desire. A glass of milk?"

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Galea frowned. "Perhaps not. I fear I have spent rather too long on your world."

Charlie laughed politely, and realised that the Doctor was looking at him.

He frowned. Wait, was the Doctor expecting him to make a decision? Oh, hell. Should they stay, or should they go? As far as he knew, the immediate danger was over. They didn't have a moral obligation to stay. Karla and Darin seemed very capable of protecting the Empress.

"Uh… no, I'd rather not," he muttered awkwardly.

"Oh…" Galea's disappointment was evident.

"You see…" Charlie struggled to explain himself. He felt bad for refusing the offer, but he really didn't feel comfortable staying any longer. "I've never been to a party where I haven't wanted to be somewhere else…?"

"I understand, Charlie."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Come on, Charlie, let's go," the Doctor broke Charlie's awkward silence. "One last trip with the time ring before I throw it in a black hole."

He nodded at the Empress, and her beloved.

"You two. Good luck."

They turned to leave, when Galea's beloved suddenly spoke up.

"You have a question, Charlie Drake."

Charlie looked back; the expression on her features had turned very troubled.

"It burns at your very soul. Release it."

It sounded like a command, but it wasn't. Her voice was woven with empathy.

"Uh…" Charlie pretended he wasn't sure what she was talking about, but her gaze was so intense, so mesmerising, he found himself blurting it out before he could stop himself.

"Can I save him?"

She thought for a moment, but not for long – she already knew the question, and had already seen her answer.

"Yes."

The Doctor was staring pointedly at him, which found rather unsettling, and he offered him a grin.

"All right," the Doctor relented, returning the grin. "Let's get back to the TARDIS."

"Where did we leave it?" Charlie asked.

"I… you know, I don't remember. It wasn't back in the 20's, was it?"

"No – no, we had it when we were in Athens."

"Oh yes! Barcelona, perhaps?"

"Wasn't it in the Seabase?"

"We went to a Seabase?"

"Yeah, don't you remember being attacked by the giant squid?"

The Doctor stared at him blankly. "No. Not recently, anyway."

Charlie laughed, shaking his head.

"Alright," the Doctor suddenly exclaimed, "I think I've got it. Hold on."

"You were pulling my leg, weren't you? Of course you remembered."

The Doctor rolled up his sleeve again, offering his arm to Charlie.

"That would be telling. And it would also ruin the surprise."

They shared a grin.

Maybe the Doctor didn't know – or maybe he did. Perhaps he was going to take them on another round of adventures before they got back to the Doctor's beloved blue box.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Charlie looked back at the Empress and her beloved, but they had already forgotten about them, lost in each other's eyes.

"Yeah…"

Charlie sighed, and pondered on the surprisingly simple answer to his question.

With a final press of a button on the Time Ring, the world fell away.


The Adventure Continues...

The Twelfth Doctor and Charlie return in Nightmares.

The Doctor decides it's time to find out what Charlie's been keeping from him. A journey into an ancient temple on a forgotten alien world throws up more challenges as the Doctor comes face to face with one of his greatest nightmares.

The end is coming for the Doctor and Charlie - when their worlds are plunged into darkness, they're going to need all the help they can get.


Author's Notes

Thanks you for reading, I hope you've enjoyed the adventure.