Author's Note: My mom (i.e. my proofreader) yelled at me about this chapter. Ehehehe this makes my author's heart so happy. xD
Chapter 11
Edrin's shout echoed across the cavern and into the tunnel. The ground seemed to roil beneath her, roil with anger, pain, tears. She struggled against the guard, but its clasp only tightened, biting into the skin on her wrist. A glance at Katerina—her eyes were closed, her face pale as the guard began to march her toward the elevator.
The Doctor seemed almost relaxed.
He was probably working out a plan right now…
She closed her eyes, trying to force out the planet's cries. She needed to focus, she needed to…
He hurt you.
The words reverberated through the floor beneath her, up the walls and through the ceiling, nearly making the air vibrate.
He hurt you.
As if from the outside, she saw him slamming her into the wall, twisting her arm behind her back, calling the guards on her. She saw the guard clamping its hand around her wrist. Her shoulder throbbed as the guard slammed her hands behind her, and she heard the snap of metal handcuffs, chafing on the already-raw skin of her arm.
For a moment, she couldn't tell where she stopped and where the planet began.
He hurt you.
Edrin stood on the ledge, a sharp silhouette against the harsh light of the mines.
And suddenly, she knew what the planet planned to do.
One little earthquake, one slight shift, and—
"No!" Her voice echoed down the hallway. She closed her eyes, trying to quell bubbling anger. No—don't do this! Don't kill him!
But her urgings were like a twig in the face of a flood. She could feel it welling up like a fountain about to burst forth. The ground vibrated beneath her.
She struggled against the handcuffs. He couldn't just die. He couldn't—"Doctor!" She choked on the word. "Do something!"
A slight movement. She turned, just a little. Katerina drew in a deep breath—and slipped free of the guard's grasp, leaving her coat hanging in its hands.
"Father!" Running feet. A flash of movement. "Father—no!"
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to channel herself into the planet. It didn't know what it was about to do. It was going to kill Katerina's father. It was going to take a life. Please—stop—
The ground lurched. The walls cracked around them. Edrin flailed, grasping for balance as his foot slipped over the edge.
Katerina slammed into him, throwing her arms around his waist. He stumbled to the side. Stones flew from the walls, and the entrance to the tunnel cracked and slid sideways. The mines screeched, metal against metal.
The ground lurched again, a burst of pain that sent red flashing across Rey's vision. The ledged cracked in half beneath Katerina.
She shoved her father onto solid ground as she fell.