(Author's Note: I wanted to thank everyone for voting on my story poll, and all of you out there for reading so far. I have closed the poll, and the result is in; the next fic in this series will contain Weeping Angels! Thankyou everyone for helping me make this decision! Enjoy the next chapter.)
Sarah Jane and Tom McGrewin watched the Ice Warrior through the glass very carefully. It seemed to have relaxed some and was standing tall. Whatever that odd machine she turned off did, the effects of it being halted were immediate. She watched him roll his broad shoulders, and bounce on his heels, like a man who could move for the first time in ages.
"Tell me everything that has happened to you at the hands of Unit. What have they done to you?" Sarah Jane asked, after giving the big alien some time to enjoy his relief. Her mind had thought up many scenarios as to what Unit could have done. She hoped that, as it so often was, imagination was far worse than reality.
"I am Marshal Vorsaag, of the Iron Caste, Capitan of the Ares Dawn. Our ship responded to a distress call on this world, supposedly belonging to a long dead hero of our people, Grand Marshal Skaldak the Great, Vanquisher of the Phobos Heresy. We did not know until we arrived and found him he had been trapped in ice for five thousand years. Were we to arrive and find an impersonator in his place, your planet would have suffered the consequences for such a lie." He was incredibly direct with her. Sarah Jane appreciated that. She had the feeling if she were not a friend of The Doctor, he would be saying nothing.
"Once he was on board and we took off, he told his story of The Doctor and the fleshlings that found him and saved him from his icy prison. That was when the first act of war began. Our ship was assailed by a missile as we passed near the city you call London. The Aries Dawn is a scout ship, and is not meant for direct combat. The first hit knocked us off course, and the following barrage sent us groundward. Although the damages were minor, most were to the center foil engines, which forced us into a crash landing. Despite my rage at the blatant attack by your people, I avoided crashing into your city, not wishing to cause the innocents undue harm. Our mission was a rescue, not an attack."
Sarah Jane could not help but admire the Ice Warrior's altruism. Almost no one would take that sort of care with a group of people who had just attacked them. It spoke volumes about his character. Lives were saved by the Saurian code of honor. Someone should appreciate that.
"Many of the crew were already in cryo-sleep, while many others were knocked unconscious or killed by the force of impact. My first order of business was to check our vital cargo. Once I found out it was undamaged in the crash..." Sarah Jane cut him off abruptly.
"Wait, what was the cargo?" she asked. She knew he was going to try and pass over that but she was quicker than that.
The Ice Warrior's crimson goggles looked blankly at her for a moment, his mouth hesitant to speak the next words. It must be something major, some secret among his people.
"It is an Atomic Ionizer," he finally replied, "the last, Atomic Ionizer."
"Good Lord," she heard The Doctor mutter in her ear. She was not sure what that was, but anything with "Atomic" in the title was very important.
"What is that? What do you mean?" McGrewin asked, saving her the trouble.
"The Atomic Ionizer is the last great piece of Terraforming Technology built by our empire. It takes the atmosphere of a planet, like yours for example, and repurposes it to make the planet's surface livable for us by thickening it to shield it from radiation, cooling the world down as a whole. Mars' atmosphere has been so far destroyed by radiation, it cannot be repaired or thickened any further. The holes are too large and the atmosphere is too thin. Even with a million Ionizer our home world is a lost cause. However, if we can find a planet that does have a proper atmospheric quality, and geological capabilities, we can save our society from extinction before it is to late."
"Were you planning to use that on us?" McGrewin asked, shocked. Vorsaag shook his head.
"No. It was the hope we could find a planet that was uninhabited before we attempt to conquer one. The only reason we ended up here was because of Lord Skaldak's distress call. However should we fail to find one, I cannot make any promises," he answered honestly.
"This explains everything," The Doctor chattered, "why Skaldak was absolutely manic, and why all the technology was so important to him. It was all for his people to begin again. No wonder he was ready to kill for it, anyone would, if they're honest with themselves." Vorsaag continued his tale.
"Our next task was to find out where we were. Upon exiting the ship, I found we were in a field a number of miles outside of London. The ship was partially buried from the force of the crash, however that would not have been an issue if we could have managed to get the engines back on line. By that time, Unit was already beginning to arrive. Apparently, shooting us down was not sufficient, they wished to capture us as well."
"That was exactly what they did. Not enough of us were awake to fully pose a defense, and those who were fighting with broken weapons. The odds were against us and we were overwhelmed. Unit won."
"Was that when you were brought here?" Sarah asked.
"Yes. All of us were trekked here and put in these," he said, tapping on the glass with his fingers, "and we have been here ever since."
"What did that machine over there do? Why did you need it turned off?" McGrewin suddenly asked. Vorsaag hissed in agitation.
"It was to heat the cell. It keeps us weak, drains us of strength," he said angrily, "an undeserved punishment when we have done nothing!" He started to pace in aggravation like a caged lion.
"It's called atrophying among his people, and it is the worst torment imaginable," The Doctor explained, "I suggest that you change the subject. With him weak he was not a danger, but with the heat off and his armor compensating for the room's temperature, he could very well beat through that glass and kill you. Although it is an affront to his personal code of honor, I would not put it past him at this point. If I were put in prison for thirty one years, with my main weakness turned against me, there is no telling what I would do." Sarah Jane nodded.
"How did you escape? And more importantly, how did they catch you once you did? I heard a guard upstairs say you were re-caught." She thought she spotted a light smile come to his scaly lips, but she could not be sure.
"We did escape. It was glorious. One of my subordinates, War Lord Korlark, was able to escape his captors when they attempted to pull him out of his armor and he killed them. One by one he opened our cells, until all fifteen of us were released. When we arrived at what was Skaldak's cell we found it empty. Tell me, you are not lying are you? Skaldak really lives?" She could hear the slightest bit of hope in his voice.
"Yes, he does. I have seen him with my own eyes," she replied.
"We assumed he was killed. We managed to ambush a scientist in the riotous chaos, and interrogate him about our ship and Skaldak. Korlark had managed to pay attention enough to your sorry excuse for a language to be able to speak enough of it to ask questions," Sarah glanced over at McGrewin, who's face was mixture of confused and insulted by the reptile's last comment. The pair were still connected to the TARDIS' telepathic circuits, so that, while to them Vorsaag was speaking English, to him they spoke Saurian.
"It did not take the rest of us long to break him so he talked. We found out the ship had been left where we were shot down, but it had been raided of some of the most important parts. The only thing that remained untouched was the Ionizer, because it was deemed to dangerous. That was also the reason they left it where it was, they were afraid to move it, because they thought it would melt down. With no idea where our technology was taken, and no hope of getting it back, we had to come up with a new plan. We could not fly it without the necessary parts, we knew that. So we came up with something else," Vorsaag trailed off.
"What was the plan?" Sarah Jane hesitated to ask. She was not stupid and was better at reading between the lines than people gave her credit for. It was no longer in full, working condition, but in all likelihood the Ionizer was. It wasn't that much of a mental stretch.
"If we could find our way back to the ship, we theorized there would be enough spare parts laying around, assuming the humans did not steal them, that we could at least get the power mostly back on, and we could funnel it into the Atomic Ionizer. Even if we had to cannibalize the entire ship we had faith we could get that running. If we could not find a new planet, we would make one out of yours, because we were left with no other option. We were not willing to doom our people because of the stupidity of yours." A cold chill ran down Sarah Jane's spine. She was unsure what sort of temperature drop the Ice Warriors required to survive, but she doubted humans could survive it for very long.
"I am looking at the satellite feeds of places near London, specifically fields like Vorsaag described, so we can hopefully find the ship," The Doctor said, his voice distant and distracted. He was concentrating on the task at had.
"But, now that you know Skaldak is alive and has the parts necessary to fix your ship, you don't need to do that!" she replied to Vorsaag, trying to be as diplomatic as possible given that the creature in front of her was willing to annihilate her whole species to save his own. Her emotions were so contradictory it made her head swirl. She could understand his need. If she were put in his place, whether or not she wanted to admit it about herself, she would press the proverbial red button, even if it meant the destruction of someone else's planet. All she could think of was her son and daughter, and if she had to sacrifice another in order to give them a life, no matter how it would doubtlessly torture her at night, she would do it.
It was that same reasoning that halted her empathy. It did not matter how bad she felt for the Ice Warrior, she was not about to let her children die on a frozen planet so they could live. If it caused the death of the Ice Warriors... she could live with that on her head, especially when she looked at Sky and Lucas. When it came to a choice between an alien race and her children, her children won out every time, as they would with any mother. She would step on their heads in a heartbeat for them. Even still, she felt sorry for them. They were doing this not out of hate, or malice, or greed, but out of desperation and fear. She was sure this Ice Warrior had children of his own, and he felt the same as she did.
"This is true," the Ice Warrior replied, "but that does you no good. Look at where you are, and where I am. Me knowing from fleshling prison helps no one. I would be by my soldiers sides, restarting the Ionizer had I not been caught. If Skaldak returns to the ship, he will stop them. If he arrives soon enough. Either way I can die knowing my people will be safe. Either outcome brings hope to and heralds the new beginning we have so longed for."
"We cannot operate on the assumption Skaldak will make it in time, we're going to need to go ourselves. I am coming to pick you up. Just give me a few minutes," The Doctor said rapidly.
"How did you get caught? It doesn't seem that your people are easy to bring down," McGrewin abruptly asked. Sarah glared at him in annoyance. Was that really important right now? There was a superweapon being rebuilt in a field, there were more important things to do right now than ask hear the rest of Vorsaag's story.
"I am old. Too old and slow to be a soldier anymore. I have only a year before I go to the great battlefield. I cannot fight as my companions do any longer. The war years have taken there toll," he said, a sadness reaching into his voice. Sarah felt even worse for him now, even passed his willingness to kill her race. He had spent the last years of a proud life in prison being tortured. None of this, not the prison, not the Ionizer, not the murders of the scientists, none of this would have happened had the Ares Dawn been allowed to take off. Was shooting down the ship really worth it? It certainly did not seem like it, not for all the suffering it caused, and could continue to cause if she and The Doctor did not hurry.
"I am almost there, just a few more seconds," the Doctor said again.
"You have a Time Machine! Why can't you show up right now?!" she snapped. He always did this...
"You know why! We're having this conversation now, which means I can't show up now because..." he started.
"I know, I know," she said, waving her hand. She had heard this more times than she wanted to remember, and didn't feel the need to hear it again.
She was ripped from both conversations by a loud pounding on the door. She turned to see armored Unit troops looking in the window, pounding on the door. When she used the sonic screwdriver on the door, she had also sealed it in place so no one could get through without her tool or serious effort. It would slow them down.
"What are we going to do? I'm not going to be able to fight so well," McGrewin yelled, rushing over to her, gun in the hand connected to his good arm.
"The Doctor will be here soon, we're getting out of here," she replied. She hoped he got here soon. She saw one soldier heft up a blow torch. Then she saw the light start at the bottom of the door.
"Listen to me, let me out!" Vorsaag said through the glass," I can help you."
"Alright, we can get you out of here when The Doctor comes," she said back, scanning the box's edges with the screwdriver, trying to find the door.
"No, I will hold back Unit while you escape," he returned.
"The Doctor can fit us all in the TARDIS, you don't..." but Vorsaag cut her off.
"Death is coming for me, very soon, and the one that seeks me is languishing and decay. It is nothing but a dishonor. I wish to die a warriors death. At least give me that." She just looked at him for a few seconds. She hoped that was really what he wanted, because if she let him out and he turned on them, they were both as good as dead. It was a gamble, but she took her chances.
With the press of a button, the door sprung open. She watched Vorsaag grasp with his hand at the air, almost like he did not believe the glass was gone. Slowly he walked out, all the confidence in the world in his step. He had no weapons, yet he walked over to the door anyway, his hands clenched into fists and his head held high. This was a creature most ready for a fight. In fact, she believed this calm manner was perhaps the Ice Warrior equivalent of eagerness.
The loud grinding began to echo through the room, and Sarah Jane turned around. The blue police box was beginning to manifest in the back corner, phasing in and out of existence.
McGrewin glanced there as well as the woman began to back up. She head the clunk of it landing on the metal floor, and the creek of the door. She turned to see The Doctor hanging out of the door, beckoning with his hand, a wild look in his bright eyes.
"Come on! Hurry!" he shouted. Sarah Jane and McGrewin did just that, both spinning on their heels and rushing to the machine. She let the injured McGrewin pass her and get in first. As she lept in behind him, she heard the metal door slam down onto the floor.
"Ah... a good death," she heard Vorsaag mutter, almost gleefully. The next sounds were a bestial growl and horrendous yells, mixed with deafening gunfire. She did not look back at the terrible fight she knew was behind her. She did not feel the need to see Vorsaag's final moments, even if it was his wish. She shut the TARDIS door behind her.
The airy grinding filled the TARDIS as it took off. Bathed in blue and yellow light, it felt good to Sarah Jane to be back in the console room, and safe from the bowels of Unit's headquarters in the snap of a finger. Despite how incompetent the guards really were, believing nearly transparent lies and leaving doors wide open, (which now that she thought about it may have been a trap to get them into the DNA scanner) it was nice not to get shot at for five minutes. It was temporary however; she was sure very soon they would be arriving at the crashed space ship, and she doubted it was unoccupied.
"Good to have you back on board Ms. Smith," smiled The Doctor, hopping over to the console and fiddling around with buttons and levers, "and to see you're alright."
"Here," she said, tossing the sonic screwdriver to him. He caught it easily and slipped it into his jacket pocket, shooting her a nod. "So we can drop McGrewin off at a hospital, and head for the ship, yeah?" Sarah walked over to the control center and leaned on it.
"No, there's no time, we have to head for the ship now, before it's too late," the Time Lord replied, adjusting a different set of levers absently. Sarah Jane snorted. He was really going to deny a wounded man medical help?
"You're joking right? He's been shot, he needs medical attention."
"I told you, there is no time, the Ice Warriors have probably beat us there already," he replied matter-of-factly. He was staring at one of the movable screens, not at all paying attention. She grit her teeth, and snapped her fingers at him a few times.
"Hey, hey! Look at me when I'm talking to you!" she said forcefully. She wasn't one of those twenty somethings he could just ignore, "This is the TARDIS, you can take him to whatever time, where ever you want and be back like nothing happened. Why not?" The question was more rhetorical, yet he answered anyway, eyeing her with a steely gaze.
"Because I want to finish this. This has the capacity to change history as we know it and I will not take the chance of messing that up for him," he motioned at the detective, who was now sucking his teeth in pain.
"It's alright, Ms. Smith, you wrapped it up fairly well, I'll be fine until this is all done," grunted McGrewin. Sarah Jane held up one finger to quiet him, while planting the other hand on her hip.
"You stay out of this," she said, before addressing The Doctor again, "he got shot because of us. You don't need to make this hard, just drop him off, it will take a few seconds, no harm, no foul" She thought she was being very reasonable about this. It was not a stretch on the technology or the mission. She doubted it would have any sort of effect on the present situation at all. Why he was being so harsh was beyond her. His name is "The Doctor" after all and McGrewin was shot for God's sake. She wasn't telling him to stop at a hospital for a paper cut. Was this really asking too much? The Doctor just sighed.
"Look, Sarah, the needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few. Once this is over, I'll take him where ever you want, however as long as there is a group of Ice Warriors putting together an Ionizer, I will not put your planet in possible jeopardy for him, no matter how much you want me to. You don't always get what you want, Sarah," he said flippantly, running his hand through his silver hair, before returning his attention to the console.
She did not say anything back right away, just stared at him dumbfounded. Did he really just say that to her? It wasn't the rejection of taking McGrewin to the hospital. It was the way in which she was rejected. What he just said was incredibly rude, "you don't always get what you want, Sarah," like she was some spoiled, petulant five year old who wanted a new, expensive toy. Granted, with their impossibly wide age difference she may as well be a five year old to him, but she wasn't. She suddenly found herself boiling with anger. What right did he have, after everything they had done together, after everything he put her through, to treat her like a child? To imply she always got everything she wanted like some entitled brat, because she certainly didn't.
"I don't always get what I want..." she repeated dryly, "are you sure you really want to go there?" The Doctor looked up at her, with a look of condescending aggravation on his old face. That was it for her, all it took to push her over the edge. He could treat anyone else that way but not her.
"How about the time I wanted your help in that vent but you were angry with me and wouldn't guide me through? Did I get what I want then? Or maybe the time I went blind in a laboratory and wandered into the bottled brain of a Time Lord? I must have wanted that right? Since apparently, I always get what I want." she nodded insincerely.
"Sarah, I didn't mean..." he started. She cut him off.
"Or maybe that time against the Sontarans. Remember that? I must have wanted to be implemented with a device that made me hallucinate my worst fears, right?" she suddenly felt herself hold back tears when thinking of her last point, "and you may think you're right about everything all the time, but I damn sure didn't want to be left behind in Scotland when you made the executive decision we weren't going to travel together!" She realized too late she shouted the last point.
The Doctor's expression was blank, though she thought she just may have seen a tiny glint of sadness pass over his stony facade. He didn't answer, just stared at her like a dog that had just been sprayed with water. She looked back, feeling anger but with guilt peeking through for what had just passed through her lips. She then turned to McGrewin, who was wide eyed and tongue twisted. What was an outsider really to say after watching a pair of time travelers get in a quarrel?
"Come on, Tom, there's probably something in one of the medicine chests on board," he said, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands, suddenly finding herself with a headache, and motioning for him to come. She walked passed the Doctor, who still stared where she had just been standing.
"I'll let you know when we land," he said stubbornly. As if she expected anything else. He may be the one person in the universe she knew she could rely on and trust, but he was also the only one who could drive her this crazy.