The Doctor stared straight ahead, watching the Mechguard that was placed in charge of guarding their cells.

In the next cell, Sarah stood up and followed the Doctor's gaze, then looked back at Harry, who was sitting on the only bench in the cell, never taking his eyes off of Sarah.

'Sarah, I hate to mention it, but…'

She cut him off. 'Harry, I need you to reduce my shoulder.'

Harry stood up and was at her side in an instant. 'I was going to suggest the same thing, but just know that it will be really painful, old girl.'

Sarah rolled her eyes. 'Harry, for me, pain at this point is relative, and right now, I'm in more pain with it out of place than I would be with you popping it back in. It's been popped out and back so many times since I've been in this place, I would imagine it'll be a lot easier than you think.'

'As long as you're sure, Sarah.'

'I need to be as ready as I can be, if we have to fight.'

The Doctor finally turned to look at her. 'Are you ready to fight, Sarah Jane?'

Sarah didn't answer the Doctor, but instead looked from him back to Harry. 'Now, please, Harry?'

Without another word, Harry motioned for Sarah lie down on the ground and take a few deep breaths to relax. As he knelt beside her, he took her arm in his hands and guided it around until he felt the familiar pop. Both the Doctor and Harry noticed that she didn't even flinch as the shoulder popped back into place. They locked eyes for a moment before the Doctor went back to staring at the Mechguard.

Sarah stood up slowly and began to pace up and down the short length of the cell. 'Harry, please tell me that Susan is ok.'

Harry smiled. 'Yes, she's fine. Actually, she's amazing, I can't believe the difference in her. She just exudes confidence.'

'Fighting in a war isn't the way to do that.'

'No, it isn't. But how much did you learn fighting and battling while you were travelling with the Doctor.'

'Yes, but I was older, I knew more about the world.'

'Doesn't matter, it's the same general principle.'

Sarah sighed. 'I suppose so. I hate that she had to do it this way.'

'Sarah, ol' girl, she thinks you're dead.'

Sarah stopped and faced Harry. 'If she knows you were captured by the Mechguards, she thinks we're both dead.' She started pacing again. With each step, she began to favour her right leg.

Harry watched her, but said nothing until she nearly tripped. He walked over to where she was leaning against the cell wall. 'What happened to your knee?'

She turned around, looked at Harry and shrugged. 'It acts up every now and again.' Her trousers were shredded between her knee and her ankle. She moved away the material and let Harry catch a glimpse of her knee. It was about three times the normal size and was purple. He could also see scar tissue, where the skin seemed to have been shredded in a similar pattern to the material of Sarah's trousers.

Trying to figuratively get his eyes to return to their sockets, he asked, 'What happened?'

'Closest explanation would be to say it was a bear trap.' Sarah held up her hands and interlaced her fingers to mimic a trap closing together. 'Except there are no bears on Trivid. It was what they caught me with.'

The Doctor spoke up. 'I still think our best solution is the Mechguards.'

Sarah limped over to stand in front of him, only the bars of their cells separating them. 'The Mechguards? Are you crazy?'

He smiled at her. 'No more than ever before.' He could see the distrust in her eyes, and knew that he needed to build that trust back up again.

Harry joined them. 'The Mechguards are cold hearted machines. Look at what they've done to Sarah.'

The Doctor looked away from Sarah to Harry. 'They're not machines, Harry, they never were. They're Trividians, they've just been slightly altered.'

'Altered?' Sarah half questioned, half exclaimed. 'Slightly? They've got no conscience.'

'What about the cybernetic limbs?' Harry asked.

'Augmentation. Part of the conversion process. Early on in the process, according to Lacond. Her limbs were added before the final procedure.'

'That final procedure. It's like a sort of brain drain, you mean?'

'That's a very elementary way of putting it, Harry, but something along those lines.'

'Can they do this to anyone?' Harry asked.

The Doctor looked back over at Sarah. 'Yes. Anyone.'

Harry looked from the Doctor to Sarah and back again. His tone was defensive. 'What are you looking at Sarah for?'

The Doctor ignored Harry. 'Sarah, you've seen the Mechguards up close for a while now. Have you noticed what could be perceived as a sign of weakness?'

'No, nothing. It's as bad as the Cybermen!'

'And that's why they seem so cold hearted, but deep down, they're not emotionally deprived, like the Cybermen. Trividians get angry, that's why they fight, but why?'

Sarah added. 'They only speak when ordered to and only say what they're ordered to say. Although, there are times where there's another voice, and it has emotion, all malevolent.' She shivered uncontrollably just thinking about the voice that haunted even her waking moments.

'Speaking when ordered to…Like children used to be taught?' Harry offered. 'The old speak only when spoken to theory?'

The Doctor brushed it off. 'Don't be obtuse, Harry.' Then he paused. 'Unless…' He began to pace in his own cell. 'Brain control. Augmented limbs. Computers. Computers. There has to be a computer bank. So who are the Quadrant and the Electorate Body and who's controlling the programming?'

~!~!~!~

Lacond looked around as her troops began to set up the new camp. Absent from the hustle and bustle of getting the new tents set up and equipment organized was Susan. Lacond frowned and began to look around for either Taketo or Mirsaj. She knew Susan wouldn't be far away from them.

Walking outside of the general area of camp, Lacond headed over towards a secluded area. Susan sat on one of the rocks with her head in her hands. Lacond walked over and placed a hand gently on Susan's shoulder.

Susan didn't even lift her head. Even though her voice was mumbled, Lacond understood every word as she spoke. 'Lacond, would you hate me if I said that right about now, I wish I were a Mechguard? I'd give anything to not have emotions at the moment.'

Lacond sat down on the rock next to Susan. 'I know exactly how you feel.' She inhaled deeply before continuing. 'There's something I haven't told you, Susan. Something I haven't told many people.'

Susan looked up, revealing bloodshot and puffy eyes, but said nothing and didn't make eye contact with Lacond.

'When the war first started, I was forced to choose sides. I, like many others, began to have to choose between family and my principles. My mother chose a separate side than I did. She was one of the first casualties of the war. I did not know my father, so Mijaco was a father figure to me. Now he leads the Chosen. I may not know exactly how you're feeling, Susan, but I do have some idea.'

Susan finally looked over at Lacond. 'I had no idea.'

'Most of the troops don't know. It is not necessary. I do not want anyone fighting for me out of pity, but because they want to fight for the same thing I am fighting for. Taketo knows, because she is my mother's sister.'

'And Mirsaj? Is he related to you as well?'

'He is my brother, but he doesn't know it. He was very young when our mother was killed.'

Susan gave her a confused look. 'Why would you not tell him that he has family, a sister and an aunt? Certainly that would give him a sense of belonging. He thinks he's an orphan and feels disconnected. He will always fight for you, and he believes in the cause, but he has no sense of being cared for by anyone.'

'You care for him, Susan, as he cares for you. Beyond that, it is dangerous to have family attachments here. As both of us can now attest to.'