Fire on the Moorland

When the forward Land Rover went up in flames, the other vehicles braked hard. Some swerved to avoid each other, and the entire convoy came to an abrupt halt. The Doctor hit the brakes in the truck, causing both him and Spartus to lurch forwards somewhat. Immediately, Spartus could see that something had gone wrong, and he watched with a mix of fascination and dread as the Land Rover leading the pack exploded. Weapons fire came from both sides then, bolts of white hot energy raining down upon the convoy. Windows shattered and soldiers scrambled out of their vehicles, haphazardly forming a defensive line around the disrupted convoy. A few bolts of energy struck Spartus' side door, and parts of the inner upholstery blackened as the energy came close to burning straight through.

He did not wait for the Doctor's instructions. Instead, he pushed open the door and rushed out into the cold air, pulling his pistol from the holster at his waist. Several soldiers were scattered about, rifles raised, firing shots into the surrounding grass. One of them nearest to Spartus was struck down in the chest, falling backwards against the truck with a smouldering hole burned through his flak vest. Behind him, the Doctor had emerged from the truck, keeping low as weapons fire erupted from the grass and from the weapons the soldiers wielded. Somewhere up ahead was Captain Proctor, back against a parked truck as she barked orders to the soldiers. There was some sort of heavy weapon firing from one side, rapidly laying down a hail of energy bolts that tore through one of the parked Land Rovers. The soldier manning the gun there was cut in half, blood splattering against the windshield while his top half landed in the mud. The machine gun tilted upwards, a severed arm still gripping the trigger. Spartus moved for it purposefully, his strides taking him to it quickly. A few bolts of energy singed by closely, but otherwise he was up on the Land Rover in moments. Pulling off the dismembered arm, he threw it aside with barely a second thought and grabbed the trigger. Pointing the weapon to the edge of the road, he could make out the shapes of Sea Devils crouched in the grass. The mounted gun of their own was among them, and its operators had shifted their aim to one of the trucks. Their weapon pounded relentlessly, shooting holes into the truck and cutting down a few soldiers in the process.

Spartus pulled the trigger and the thirty calibre gun thundered loudly and rapidly, tearing up the grass before the mounted gun. The two Sea Devils there went down quickly, their armour doing little to stop the assault. The mounted gun itself was torn asunder by the high calibre rounds, rendering it useless, sparks flying. Spartus might have felt satisfaction at any other point, but by now he had fallen into the strange calmness that he often acquired during battle, where his mind was focused solely on what was happening and how best to survive it. He had taken out a major threat, that was all that mattered.

"Spartus!" The Doctor's voice caught his attention. He crouched and turned around, watching as the Doctor raced up to the vehicle. "The core. They're going to go after the core." He motioned to the truck that had been at the centre of the convoy. Spartus could see that was where the main force of soldiers had concentrated, but several of them lay dead on the gravel road. Some of the Sea Devils had started to advance down onto the road itself, moving with a sense of purpose with their weapons raised. Some carried the disc-shaped side-arms that appeared to be a favourite of theirs, others held longer rifle-type weapons with cylindrical barrels that glowed with energy. Most were fully outfitted in their bulky black armour, complete with helmets that fitted snugly around their heads and covered over their yellowish eyes with large black visors.

They encroached upon the central truck. Spartus did not hesitate to open fire, pouring a hail of bullets upon the approaching Sea Devils. Three of them went down, twitching and convulsing with each impact, small red eruptions breaking through their armour as it failed to stop the powerful rounds. More shots came from behind, and the Doctor hit the dirt as one of the Sea Devils swept energy rifle fire across the Land Rover. Spartus hissed as one of the searing bolts clipped his left arm, causing him to stumble with his right hand still clenched around the machine gun. Gritting his teeth, his whole arm seemingly on fire, he rose back to his feet and pointed the gun at the perpetrator. Before the Sea Devil could shoot any further, Spartus had let fly with another barrage of rounds, tearing the Sea Devil to ribbons before the machine gun finally clicked onto an empty chamber.

He had no time to stuff around and reload. He jumped off of the Land Rover, taking a look at the burn that had been made at his left forearm. It was nothing serious, but his favourite jacket had been ruined.

The Doctor had since rushed for the main truck, where he frantically climbed upon the rear. Inside, he hurriedly took the antimatter core out of the large metal case it had been placed within. The plan was obvious, really; they had to take the core far away from here. Spartus knew the kind of power something like that would contain, and letting it fall into the hands of the Sea Devils would be a mistake.

Proctor was still barking orders to her soldiers. Most were still defending the main truck, even as the rest of the Sea Devils encroached. Spartus raised his gravity pistol and fired a shot, blowing away one of the charging Sea Devils. One he recognized appeared, charging ahead with a gun in one hand and some kind of curved, bladed weapon in the other. The soldiers turned to face him, but Karva gunned the first few down quickly, his reaction time almost uncanny. He was at the truck in moments, his blade slicing one soldier across the chest, sending him falling and screaming into the dirt. Proctor turned to face him, firing a shot from her pistol that pinged off of the Field Marshall's armour. He turned to her, and she stood her ground as he advanced upon her with his blade. Another shot sent that blade flying from his grip, although this did nothing to stop him as he closed the distance between them and grabbed Proctor by the throat. He lifted her up off of her feet, his grip tightening, making her gasp and choke.

Spartus stepped forwards, gun raised. The gravity pistol would take both down, and he did not want that. Instead, he fired a shot into the ground near Karva's feet, causing a large eruption of dirt as the Sea Devil Field Marshall was sent flying. He dropped Proctor as he went, and she landed in a heap on the gravel, gasping for breath.

Someone grabbed Spartus from behind, one arm going over his neck in a tight choke-hold. He dropped his pistol as he grabbed the arm in question, attempting to force it off of him. The Sea Devil who had grabbed him was not going to give up so easily and a struggle ensued, one that took the pair several steps away from the truck. Spartus elbowed the Sea Devil who was attempting to choke him, before finally planting a foot on one of its own, followed by a punch straight into the face. This one was not wearing a helmet, and its grip upon him slackened from the force of the blow. Stepping away from it, he turned to face it.

The female, Livakresh, was just recovering from his strike. She went to raise her gun and Spartus dived to the ground as she fired, sending the bolt of energy through the space he had just been occupying. Hitting the gravel, he somersaulted, one hand landing on the rifle of a fallen soldier. He grabbed it as he came up, swivelling about in a matter of seconds. Livakresh had her aim shifted towards him, but Spartus was quicker on the trigger. The rifle cracked and part of the armour at the Sea Devil's chest broke under the impact. He fired again and again, sending three further rounds into the Sea Devil. She fell backwards, her eyes widening somewhat, before landing on the gravel where she became motionless, blood seeping down her chest.


The Doctor had the antimatter core tucked under one arm. The truck was surrounded, this much was apparent, and even now there was one particular Sea Devil on his way inside that he would have preferred to avoid. Nonetheless, someone had to take the core as far away from here as possible, and by the look of it he may be the only one able to do it. Even if he could just bring it into the TARDIS, it would be safe there and no amount of Sea Devil firepower would be able to break through.

"Doctor!" Karva's voice sounded from outside. The Sea Devil Field Marshall appeared at the rear of the truck. Human blood was splattered across his front. His eyes were wide with fury and a hint of megalomania, a look the Doctor had seen many times before in many other people.

"Your people are dying, Karva," the Doctor barked. "Was this all worth it?"

Karva stopped at the end of the armoured truck, watching the Doctor through narrowed eyes.

"It will be, when every last human is wiped off of this Earth."

With the antimatter core under one arm, the Doctor looked to his right. A soldier had fallen here, and his rifle stood leaning against the wall. With one hand, the Doctor took up the weapon. He braced it against his shoulder, aiming it straight at the Field Marshall.

"I can't allow you to do that."

"Past the negotiating stage, Doctor?" Karva started to walk towards him, his eyes blazing with anger. "I would rather leave this Earth a smoking crater than allow the humans to retain their dominion over it." Karva was dangerous, perhaps the most dangerous reptile person he had met so far. Driven by madness and ambition, he had made his intentions clear on more than one occasion. There would be no reasoning here. And by now, he had gone over the deep end. Any plan of using the power source to wake up his fellow Sea Devils had seemingly been placed onto the back burner. Instead, he had other intentions in mind.

"Doctor, get back!" Spartus' voice caused both of them to turn to look his way, as he appeared at the rear of the armoured truck. This was apparently enough of a distraction for Karva to grab the rifle the Doctor held, promptly starting a grappling war. The antimatter core fell from the Doctor's grasp, clunking upon the metal floor. Both the Doctor and Karva stared into each other's eyes as they fought for control of the weapon, before Karva promptly head-butted the Time Lord. The Doctor stumbled backwards, somewhat dazed, as Karva turned around and opened fire. Spartus crouched and rolled, grunting as one of the shots hit him in the side. Without any further delay, Karva dropped the rifle and picked up the antimatter core. Leaving the Doctor, he rushed outside and began to run.


Spartus had taken another wound, this time to his lower left side. It hurt a great deal, but he did not feel any worse, so presumably the bullet had missed anything important. He had come to a stop lying on his back on the gravel, his gaze going straight up to the sky above. After a moment where he collected his thoughts, he rose to his feet, watching as Karva went running up the side of the road. The Field Marshall had the antimatter core in his hands, and he rushed along quickly, no doubt with a very specific purpose in mind.

Bodies, both human and Sea Devil, littered the area. The scent of burning flesh hit Spartus' nostrils, a result of the energy weaponry that had been used. He moved for the armoured truck as the Doctor stumbled out, a cut on his forehead but otherwise he appeared to be unscathed.

"I'm going after Karva," Spartus said. He barely offered the Doctor a second glance as he ran by. He made sure to collect his dropped gravity pistol on the way. From there, he made his way onto the plains and up the rise at the side of the road. From there, he saw Karva up ahead. The Sea Devil was moving too quickly to reliably shoot him, so Spartus started running after him. For a moment, Spartus thought that Karva would head for his land vehicles. Instead, he raced for the town.

Spartus was only somewhat aware that the Doctor had started running after him, but nonetheless he pressed on. The village's outer wall was up ahead, a rundown stone one overgrown with grass and creepers, likely dating back a few centuries. Karva was making his way for the church beyond it, a large old stone structure with a tall tower and stained glass windows.

As Karva came to the front steps, the front wooden double doors opened and a man in priest's garb emerged. He managed Karva one shocked glance, before Karva raised his side-arm and fired. The priest fell down the steps, a smoking hole blown through his chest. Spartus followed the Field Marshall into the church, which at this particular hour was mostly empty. Rows of wooden pews were at either side, and the central aisle was floored with a lush red carpet. Karva was headed straight down it, and he paused halfway to turn around and fire a few shots back at Spartus. This caused him to duck as the energy bolts hit the doorway near him. Wooden splinters exploded forth, and he somersaulted forwards.

Karva was up near the altar now. He stopped by a stature of Christ on the cross, and here the Sea Devil looked about himself intently. His eyes were wide with fury and madness. As Spartus rose back to his feet, he levelled his gravity pistol at the Field Marshall, striding down the central aisle towards him. Karva took another volley of shots at him, and Spartus dived behind a row of wooden seats as they zipped through the air near him. A few clipped the top of the wooden seat ahead of him, causing yet more splinters of wood to rain upon him.

"Spartus." The Doctor's voice caught his attention. Spartus turned around, looking to the doorway. The Doctor was there, leaning around it. "He could bust open the core. If that antimatter hits anything made of matter, there'll be an explosion."

"I know how volatile that stuff is," Spartus said. An antimatter detonation would far surpass any nuclear warhead. All of Scotland could be left a smouldering crater, and there was no telling what the long-term effects of an antimatter detonation could be. "I've seen it in action." He added this somewhat morosely, and the Doctor frowned but otherwise did not reply.

Karva had moved to the right of the altar, disappearing through a doorway. Spartus was up on his feet within seconds, and he turned around and started after the Field Marshall. Karva had started up a flight of steps, heading up the tower, apparently intent on cornering himself. This was likely his plan, Spartus realised, and with the antimatter core in his hands it became apparent what he really intended to do.

Spartus entered the stairwell that lead up the church tower. Karva was about halfway up. The Field Marshall looked over the edge and took a shot down at Spartus. He ducked as part of the wall near him exploded, sending a plume of brick-dust flying into his face. Pressing on, Spartus started up the stairs, striding up them a few at a time. His hearts pounded, and he wondered what Karva had in store for him at the top. Surely the Sea Devil was cornered? How much more could he do, other than the unthinkable with the antimatter core?

The top part of the tower was somewhat open to the elements, and an old rusted bell was up here, dangling in place. Karva bumped it, causing the bell to ring out, the noise almost deafening within the confines of the tower. Spartus emerged onto the top level, with only about a metre's space between him and Karva. The Field Marshall had the antimatter core tucked under one arm and he pointed his side-arm at Spartus in a threatening manner. He did not fire, not with Spartus pointing his gravity pistol his way. It was a stand-off, and Karva's eyes blazed with a fury that Spartus had not seen burn quite so brightly until now.

"Why do you fight for the apes?" Karva spat. "You owe them nothing."

"Maybe." Spartus gave the statement some brief thought. The Field Marshall was likely trying to distract him. "Maybe not. But what you're planning is genocide."

"They deserve nothing less."

"I tried genocide myself once, didn't take to it well." Spartus could feel the wind buffeting him up here. The floorboards creaked as he edged around, keeping Karva in his sights. He could not risk taking a shot, in fear of damaging the core. He knew full well that would be disastrous. Somehow he had to get the core off of Karva, and with that done he could better deal with the unruly Sea Devil. "If stopping you from blowing a hole in the countryside is my one good deed for the day, then I'll be satisfied."

Karva hissed at him then. He put his gun against the side of the core's container. Spartus lunged forwards, grappling the Field Marshall's gun-wielding hand away. The weapon fired, the shot flying wide, heading far out over the village. Twisting the Field Marshall's hand into an awkward angle, he caused the gun to fall from his grip. Spartus' free hand then went to the antimatter core, and Karva fought for its control ferociously, snarling in Spartus' face. His gravity pistol fell from his grasp, clattering onto the floor. With both hands free, Spartus pushed Karva against the old bell, causing it to sound out again, the noise reverberating loudly through his ears. With a sharp right hook, Spartus knocked Karva's head back against the bell. Finally, the antimatter core fell from the Field Marshall's grip. It hit the floor with a clunk, before rolling towards the stairwell. There, the Doctor appeared, snatching up the core confidently before it could start bouncing down the stairs.

Spartus forced Karva to the edge of the tower, before finally the Field Marshall threw him off of him. Spartus hit the bell, steadying himself. Karva was at the edge, and his eyes were wide with fury. The Sea Devil was clearly mad. Perhaps he had always been that way, and waking up in this new world had finally tipped him over the edge? Whatever the case, Spartus knew what he had to do. The Doctor was watching, no doubt about to intervene, but Spartus had no desire to let the Field Marshall get off easy.

"You are a fool," Karva spat. "You fight for the apes—"

Karva did not get to finish. Spartus charged him, tackling him head-on. It was enough to send the Field Marshall that crucial few steps backward, before he fell and toppled over the edge. Spartus let go of him, steadying himself against a wooden column at the corner as Karva disappeared over the tower's edge. The Sea Devil started to shout, but he barely had a chance to utter a noise as his landed in the cemetery below, his spine crunching and practically breaking in half as he landed on a gravestone. Spartus moved to the edge, looking down at the Field Marshall, who twitched where he lay, sprawled with his legs splayed over one side of the gravestone and the rest of him over the other side. Blood seeped out of his nose and mouth, and his arms seemed to move slightly, as if driven by the last vestiges of life that flowed through his nervous system.

The Doctor moved up alongside Spartus, looking down at the former's handiwork. He had a grim expression on his face, his eyebrows shifting close together. He was probably thinking of all the missed opportunities here, to at least try and reason with the Field Marshall. Something that had been tried and had failed.

"Something on your mind, Doctor?" Spartus asked. He took a moment to catch his breath, as the Doctor turned to face him.

"There should have been another way." He did not say anything further than that. Quietly, he turned around and started back down the stairs. Spartus, after a moment, followed after him. He would be glad to leave this place and time behind, once the Doctor got his TARDIS in working order again.


Most of the Sea Devils had been killed during the battle, as had most of the UNIT soldiers. As Spartus and the Doctor returned to where the convoy was located, they found that reinforcements had arrived by helicopter, along with a medical team who were carrying away the wounded on stretchers. The Doctor carried with him the antimatter core, something he intended to hang on to for a little while yet.

Proctor was still alive. This surprised the Doctor, although he figured he should have expected the one in charge to survive. She had taken a few hits, mostly grazing shots, although now she stood at one end of what remained of the convoy, flanked by a few soldiers as she regarded the surviving Sea Devils. Or Sea Devil, as there was only one here, one the Doctor recognized immediately. He had taken a hit to one shoulder and had a gash above his left eye, but otherwise he was in better shape than his comrades.

Lying near Havartiss was Livakresh, who was riddled with bullet holes yet still visibly breathing. The Doctor stopped for a moment, regarding the scene before him. Surely something could be done here, after all the death that had occurred?

"Hold onto this for me, Sparty." He turned to his alien companion and handed him the antimatter core. Spartus took it with a frown, unsure of what the Doctor was planning. Slowly, the Time Lord walked up behind Proctor, tapping her on the shoulder.

"Captain," he said. Proctor swivelled around. She was dirty, and her expression was one of annoyance.

"Doctor? Glad to see you're still alive." She did not look particularly glad, despite her words.

"What do you plan to do with Commander Havartiss here?" The Doctor asked. The Sea Devil in question looked his way upon mention of his name.

"Prisoner of war, Doctor," Proctor said.

"I suppose you're going to lock him up, then? Experiment on him?"

Proctor narrowed her eyes.

"What does it matter, Doctor?"

The Doctor, in a lightning fast movement, stepped forwards and snatched up the pistol from Proctor's waist holster. He turned it on her right then and there, taking a step back as to put her in its sights. Proctor looked at him, confused for a moment, before realization dawned on her face. In fact, she almost looked as if she had been expecting something like this.

"You really are a nutcase, aren't you?"

"People call me names all the time." The Doctor noticed that the soldiers nearby had turned to him. Some had gone to raise their guns, but Proctor signalled to them with one hand to remain as they were. "Not all of them mean anything, of course."

"What do you want?"

"You're going to let the Commander go," the Doctor said. His voice became stern, commanding even. "Simple, really. Even your military brain should be able to handle it."

Proctor smirked. The situation apparently amused her.

"And if I refuse?"

"I shoot you."

"You wouldn't. And if you did, you'd be shot down. Several times over."

"A risk I'm willing to take." The Doctor did not budge. Proctor must have seen he meant it, as she stepped aside.

"Fine, Doctor. Do what you want." She sighed then, but she did not take any further action. The Doctor lowered the gun and approached Havartiss.

The Commander watched him as he neared, his face unreadable. The Doctor moved around him, undoing the rope that had been used to bind his hands together. Leaning forwards, he put his head near the Sea Devil's own, and he spoke quietly.

"I suggest you start running," he said. "Run as far from here as you can. Leave Scotland and never return." Simple enough instructions. Havartiss nodded his head slowly. He rose to his feet and walked over to where Livakresh lay. Hefting her up, he carried her in both arms. The Doctor might have told him to leave her be, seeing how badly she had been hurt. It was unlikely she would live for much longer. However, he kept his mouth shut, preferring to give the Sea Devil Commander some semblance of hope rather than dash such hopes completely.

Havartiss took one last look at the Doctor before he turned around and started to walk away. Despite the weight he carried, he moved quickly, disappearing over the raised slope at the edge of the road. The Doctor looked around at the soldiers, making sure none gave chase. None did, content to follow his wishes, and the Doctor walked over to Proctor. He handed her the gun, and she took it whilst managing a slight frown.

"Are you sure about this, Doctor?" She asked, no doubt referring to Commander Havartiss.

"Yes, I am." The Doctor left it at that. There was no need to add anything further. Proctor slid her gun back into the holster at her waist.

"What next?" Spartus was the one to ask this, stepping forwards as he did. The Doctor walked up to him and took the antimatter core from his grip.

"We leave," he said.

"The TARDIS…"

"I'll get it working. As for this…" He held up the antimatter core, taking a closer look at the single glowing particle that darted about inside. He then handed it to Proctor. She took it gingerly, as if worried it might explode in her grasp. "Look after it. I suggest you hold off on the antimatter research for, say, about fifty more years or so." The Doctor gave a wry smile then. "Trust me on that."

"Right. Whatever you say, Doctor." Proctor haphazardly passed it off to one of the nearby soldiers. As they were marching away, the Doctor turned and started for the flatbed truck where the TARDIS had been loaded upon, currently covered in a tarpaulin that had since taken a few energy bolts. The TARDIS itself remained in one piece. Spartus followed him as he pulled the tarpaulin away, revealing the police box, lying on its side.

"I'll see what I can do about the engine trouble," the Doctor said. He turned to Spartus. Despite the upbeat tone to his voice, he looked glum, and it was apparent that the day's events had affected him. The Doctor reached into his jacket and pulled out the key to the TARDIS doors. As he went to place it into the lock, a familiar voice sounded from behind him. He froze, as did Spartus, and both turned to look at the source.

"Doctor, you wily bastard." Lockwood was looking a bit worse for wear. There was a cut at one cheek and his clothes and face were dirty, with blotches of mud. One shoulder of his safari shirt was burnt, as if it had been grazed by a bolt of energy. In one hand, he clasped a revolver, and he had it pointed straight at the Doctor. "Off you go, leaving the mess for everyone else to clean up. Isn't that right? Isn't that how you work, Doctor?" Lockwood sounded furious. His face was contorted into a look of disgust.

"Lockwood," the Doctor said simply. Proctor and her soldiers had walked to the opposite end of the convoy, so none were aware of the arrival of Lockwood. This left the Doctor in a situation more awkward than he would have liked.

"You think you can just leave? After everything that happened because of you?" Lockwood chuckled. "You're more arrogant than I thought. Well, I'll be doing the whole of time and space a favour, I suspect. You cause damage wherever you go. Had I known what you were when we first met I would have shot you then and there."

Spartus stepped forwards then, and Lockwood shifted his aim to point the gun at him.

"As for you, I had high hopes." Lockwood practically spat the words. "My prize specimen. A shame that it has to come to this." He shifted his aim back to the Doctor. "Goodbye, Doctor. I'll be sure to put one between your eyes, just so you don't get any ideas about coming back to life." Lockwood thumbed the hammer on his revolver. The Doctor remained still, glaring at him. There was little else he could do, really. Lunging forwards would have incited Lockwood to fire sooner, and trying to run away would only get him a bullet in the back.

"Damn you, Lockwood." Spartus was the one to say this, stepping in front of the Doctor as the old man fired. Spartus stumbled backwards, landing against the Doctor. Almost immediately the soldiers were upon them, and Lockwood, startled at the intrusion, turned to face the three armed men who came running towards them. He seemed to know that he had acted rashly, yet even in those last moments of life, his face carried the anger he felt, instead of the fear one would expect, or the realisation that he was about to die.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Lockwood raised his gun at the approaching soldiers. All three of them opened fire, peppering him with rifle rounds, causing him to spin about, to and fro as blood spurted out of every fresh hole that was shot through him. His entire torso became riddled with bleeding holes in a matter of seconds. He fell backwards and his carcass finally landed on the gravel. For a moment, the Doctor was stunned at the sudden turn of events. He reached out and put his arms around Spartus, feeling the alien soldier relax in his grasp. This was not how he had wanted to end things. Not like this, not after making a promise to Spartus. What he had done had been so foolish…

"Spartus," the Doctor said, easing the wounded warrior against the truck. "What…why? Why did you have to do that?"

Spartus looked at him and smiled weakly, as if the question amused him. Blood trickled down his front.

"My second good deed for the day," he said.