I watched in horror as Rauwls stance shifted from foot to foot, getting ready to pounce. The Doctor sneered at him and his usually pleasant face twisted disgustingly.
"You think you, a pathetic feline, can bring me down? I am the last of the Time Lords! And you are just a pale imitation of the fine warriors of your planet."
A terrible fascination stole over me as I watched Rauwls body, his tail wagging quickly, angrily, his muscles were bunched like a spring, a hair trigger away from being released. I knew that it would be just one insult and then-
"And how dare you both, on my TARDIS! It's disrespectful! I rescued you! Do your simple little minds not understand? Are you such imbeciles that-"
I saw something in Rauwl break. His pupils dilated massively and the nails on his fingers extended as his whole spring loaded body unwound, leaping through the air, mouth opening in a roar of fury, hands outstretched to claw the face of his foe.
Several things happened then in quick succession. I stood, using the wall for support, the Doctor dodged at the very last second, spinning away from what would have been a killing blow. Rauwl continued through the air and landed on all fours, quickly whipping his head around, preparing for a second attack. The Doctors dodge span him towards me and in a panic I pushed with all my might, both of my hands outstretched, connecting with his chest, sending him flying into the opposite wall.
Everything went deadly still.
"How dare you," I said, my voice shaking, "how dare you. I have not done anything with Rauwl! Do you really think I would let any male near me after what happened to me? For three years? I still bear the scars! I still have bruises that haven't fully faded! Get that into your thick Time Lord skull!"
"But you were in his-" began the Doctor, dazed.
"Being in the same room as someone doesn't mean that you are going to or have had sex! Or is it different on your planet?"
There was silence for a moment, then I said something else, something that forced its way out.
"And she's not yours."
"What?" said the Doctor, confused.
"TARDIS. She isn't yours. She doesn't belong to you."
The Doctor went pale. Then his cheeks flushed with anger.
"Of course she is mine!"
I laughed humorlessly.
"No she isn't. You are hers. She has you under her thumb."
"Get out." he said softly.
I stared him in the eye.
"Get out!" he bellowed.
"Being the last of your kind doesn't make you a god!"
He stared, open mouthed, fury radiating from him.
Rauwl stood, unfolding slowly, then he put his hand on my shoulder.
"Let us go," he said softly, but I could hear his anger.
I kept eye contact with the Doctor for a moment longer, then I looked away, up at Rauwl instead.
"Yes, we really should," I responded, "I can see we are not wanted here. I'm sure the Doctor has much better things to be doing."
I turned away from the Doctor and Rauwl put a hand on the small of my back, gently pushing me forwards, steering me back to the main console area. When we reached it, I looked up at TARDIS on her podium.
"I'm sorry for causing so much trouble," I said to her.
A few lights blinked and the gentle buzz and whir quietened down and stopped and I knew she was settling herself down. She wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon.
Rauwl and I left the TARDIS, closing the doors softly behind us and moving out into the corridor.
"What now?" Rauwl asked.
"I suppose we should go find someone."
I lay in the circular bed, staring up at the white ceiling above me. The sheets were a pale blue and the curtains around the bed where a darker blue. The walls were white. The furniture was white ultra modern and sleek. The lighting was dimmed and there was a window that changed tints with a touch of a button, that was currently set to opaque.
It had taken a while to find someone to talk to and even longer for them to arrange a free room for us. I got the feeling that there was some reluctant awe surrounding me after I had spoken out. By the time we finally got our rooms, we were both ready for sleep again and could do with a couple more hours, especially myself.
I sighed softly, rubbing my eyes.
I had been crying for a while, but I wasn't totally certain why. But the tears had abated now and I just couldn't get to sleep. I knew that some time soon, I would be awoken by one of the servants of the Proclamation and taken back to Minach, along with Rauwl and possibly the Doctor, if he decided to turn up.
I rolled over and tried to punch my pillow into a more comfortable shape.
I assumed it would be Rauwl's turn today and I wasn't totally certain I was ready to see what had happened to him. I felt something warm in my chest, that made me feel a liittle queasy and giddy when I thought of Rauwl. He was only in the next door room. Perhaps I would sleep better in the same room as him?
Nervously I clambered out of bed, pulling on a silky robe that had been provided and made my way to the door. I paused, my hand hovering over the key pad that would let me out. My heart fluttered like a bird as I pressed the buttons and the door slid open.
I jumped and nearly screamed as I found a rather bemused youth in plain robes standing there, hand raised to knock on the door.
"I- uh-I- The Honorable Minach is ready for you and your companion," he sputtered.
A strange anger and relief at being stopped from going next door mixed together.
"I have to get dressed, first!" I said, my voice high, pressing a couple of buttons, making the door slide closed again.
I rushed over to my clothes and pulled them on, my cheeks flushing bright red as I did. What had I almost done? Fumbling I arranged myself, putting my top on the right way round on the second try and eventually left the room, my feet bare, finding the youth waiting, embarrassed, with Rauwl standing beside him. I smiled brightly at Rauwl and he beamed back at me.
We moved together down the corridor the elevator at the end. We stood in awkward silence as the doors slid shut and we were whisked away down dozens of storeys.
I glanced repeatedly at Rauwl, looking over his furred arms with their tabby patterning I knew so well. He caught my gaze and held it and I could feel myself flushing red, my breath quickening. I saw his feline pupils dilate, like I was his prey and he was focusing in on me. Just as I thought he might pounce, the doors pinged open and we quickly exited. I felt slightly embarrassed, half wishing he had pounced on me...
The youth led us along the corridors until we reached the room I had been in just over twenty four hours previously. Minach stood outside the door, hands behind his back, smilling softly. As we approached he nodded to us and looked at Rauwl.
"Shall we begin, young male?"
Rauwl, suddenly very serious, nodded once. I watched as Rauwl went into the room first, followed by the shorter alien. Minach turned and spoke to the youth that had guided us here.
"Please take her to the viewing room, Schealles," he told him.
The youth, Schealles, nodded and gestured for me to follow him. I watched the door slide shut, encasing Rauwl in with the tiny alien. Quickly I followed Schealles, as I didn't want to miss anything, I wanted to make sure that Rauwl was safe.
By the time we entered the second room, Rauwl and Minach were already at the stage of preparing to delve into Rauwl's memories.
I looked at the two large monitor screens before me in wonderment. One showed the room as a whole and the other showed a full screen image of Rauwl's face. This must be what Minach was seeing.
"Now we have established a good connection, can you show me where you come from?" asked Minach.
The screen that held Rauwl's face shifted and I saw a flat grassland with beautiful white marble houses, villas, standing beneath a sky lit by a golden sun and two dusky moons. There were people moving around, children playing. I put a hand to my mouth to stop myself from gasping at the clarity and beauty of the place.
"That's good, that's good," said Minach calmly, "now, do you remember what happened when you were taken?"
I saw Rauwl shiver on the monitor and the memory on the other changed. The memory Rauwl was huddled with two younger siblings, little girls, in a cupboard in a bedroom. There was the sound of screams and shots being fired. Through a tiny gap in the cupboard door I could see a woman was leaning on the door to the bedroom, trying to keep it closed, her eyes shut tight. She seemed to be trying not to breath, trying to listen for something. In the room near by there was a loud bang, a door being kicked in.
Then a male shouted, roared in fact. But there was a gun shot and a resounding thud. The girls cuddled up to Rauwl whimpered. He clamped his hands over their mouths to keep them from making noises, his eyes huge.
"Did you hear something?" snarled the voice of a Krisptic.
"Well, he was clearly guarding something," growled another.
"Check all rooms."
I felt my breath catch in my throat as I saw Rauwl shivering uncontrollably as his memory was replayed, watching himself sitting helplessly with his sisters. I watched as the door handle twitched and the door shook.
"There's someone holding the door shut," growled a Krisptic.
The door lurched and the woman was thrown onto the floor by the force, hitting her head on the side board, knocking her out cold. Rauwl moved his hands from his sisters mouths to their eyes, trying to protect them from seeing what came next.
The Krisptic came into the room and heaved the woman up onto one of the four's shoulders and removed her from the room.
"A fine specimen," jeered one of them.
"If she survives that bump to her head, that is," growled another.
"So what if she doesn't?" growled the third, "we have plenty more."
"Check the rest of the room," said the second slowly, looking around, "where you find one, there are bound to be others..."
Rauwl, quivering, moved himself in front of his sisters. The doors to the cupboard where wrenched open and he pounced out, taking the first one down, clawing his face and chest, but another one grabbed him by his neck and punched him full on in the jaw. Dribbling blood, Rauwl fell to the floor.
I watched in horror as his two sisters were grabbed, screaming and crying, being dragged from the room, one by her hair and the other by her tail. One of the Krisptic grabbed Rauwls hair and pulled his head back.
"Come now, little male, don't fight back and I may let you live."
Sobbing, Rauwl allowed himself to be dragged away.
Rauwl was forced into the center of a town square where a fountain stood. It looked as though it had once been a fantastic sculpture, covered in animals and feline cherubs. Now it was half carved away by laser blasts and water spurted out at odd angles, spraying the dejected feline people. Quickly he moved to where his sisters had been thrown down and gathered them into his arms, his blood tangling in his and their fur. They cried into his shoulders, whimpering for their mother and father.
Rauwl watched the Krisptic as they carried his mother away, towards a pod like ship. They dropped her inside unceremoniously and closed the doors, then returned to the crowd around the fountain. The crowd was comprised of cat people, young and old, some where injured badly, others looked shell shocked. There were a few women clasping babies protectively, sobbing.
"Listen up, whelps!" shouted one of the Krisptic, which I recognized with a jolt as the captain.
The crying and whimpering quietened somewhat.
"Females with infants will stay. Older males will stay. Only females and young males are required. No old females. Do not fight us. We will kill you if you fight back. Then we will kill your family. We will select you if we want you. The rest of you will stay here, under our guards."
Several Krisptic moved into the crowd, guns ready to shoot those who fought back, but no one did. They snarled at some of the felines, telling them to return to their homes. Over all, there were about thirty that remained of the eighty that had been forced from their homes. The Captain strolled over to where Rauwl was knelt, cuddling his sisters to him.
"Get up, male," he hissed.
Rauwl glared up at him. The Captain kicked out, connecting with his ribs, making him yowl in pain.
"I said, get up!"
Growling, Rauwl stood, his eyes flashing with anger.
"Stand up straight," the Captain commanded, "chin up! Chest out! You are supposed to be from a planet of great warriors! However, you seem too slim, too pretty to be a warrior. Too female."
Rauwl's eyes narrowed and he growled deep in his chest, but the Captain just laughed.
"Don't make me give you a smack about the head, male. You will make a very pretty pet, I am certain."
"I will be no ones pet!" Spat Rauwl, dribbling blood.
The Captain slapped him about the side of his head.
"How dare you speak to me like that! You are now my property until such time as I sell you on! I am fully within my rights to kill you and don't you ever forget that, male! Fortunately for your sorry pelt, you are worth more to me alive. For the time being. But if I deem you too much of a hassle..."
The Captain let his sentence trail off, smirking disgustingly at the way Rauwl looked down at his feet submissively, obviously enjoying his pain. Then he turned his eyes upon Rauwl's sisters, who were cowering together, clutching to one another. A nasty grin spread across his face, showing rows of pointed teeth.
"These will make fine specimens. We have a few years ahead of us, they will have time to grow and blossom. Stand up, female."
The elder sister detached herself from the younger and stood quivering and positioned herself in front of the other before the Captain. She must have been about fifteen and the other must have been around eight. The Captain grabbed hold of her long golden hair and made her twist her head this way and that, inspecting her.
"Perhaps I shall keep you, pretty one," he crooned to her.
Rauwl lost his nerve at that, pouncing forwards, claws outreached to tear the Captain's grinning face.
Everything went dark and the memory dissolved.
I choked back a sob that wanted to escape me, trying to stop the tears flowing with my fingers. Rauwl was trembling uncontrollably, but still Minach continued.
"That was good, Rauwl. Just relax, the pain isn't real anymore. It's just a shadow now. Can you remember what happened when you woke up?"
A series of images flashed across the screen in quick succession as Rauwl clutched at his head.
The faces of his sisters as the were dragged away by their hair, their arms outstretched to him, screaming for him, for their mother...Rauwl screaming as decontamination took place... His clothes being torn from his body, leaving him naked, deep lesions bleeding through his fur... The Captain beating him into submission as he lay on the floor, whimpering, crying, begging for mercy... Then, finally, the sterile white cell. He was curled on the floor, sobbing, bleeding and naked.
"Thank you, Rauwl," said Minach softly, "that will suffice..."
I stood up quickly, knocking the chair backwards in my haste as I ran from the room, rubbing my eyes to rid myself of the tears, hurrying to the room where Rauwl was. The door opened as I approached and I pushed past Minach, going directly for Rauwl. I took his quivering body in my arms and held him close to me. He put his arms shakily around me and sobbed into my shoulder noisily.
"We'll get them back," I said to him, "I promise. Whatever it takes."