Again, I would like to put some author's notes:

This story line is based on Warmonger by Terrence Dicks. I've used some of the plot points from the book here; I'm only adapting it to include Tegan. All kudos for plotting go to him. I'm only playing with the BBC's Doc, Tegan and the crew for fun.

**

The corridors of the ship were filled to the brink with soldiers running. The sounds of metallic and clothed footfalls swirled around Peri and Tegan as they marched through the halls; they nearly drowned out the sound of their own beating hearts.

"What is going on?" Peri asked as they dodged yet another filing of Draconians as they ran past them. Tegan landed against one wall as Peri hit the other. They were dressed in plain black uniforms with their guns strapped to their hips. It had taken them a long time to get their guns back from the ammunition store.

"I don't entirely know, but I think the Doc has the entire fleet on high alert. I'm not quite sure the Supremo will want the company," she said, sarcastically, leaning back to glance at her friend around the larger bulk of the Draconians. When they were alone in the corridor, Tegan reached out to grab Peri about the wrist. "Come on."

"But" Peri winced and fell into step behind Tegan. "The Doctor hasn't been much on our company"

"He hasn't been much of anything since we left Sylvana. He's got a lot on his mind," Tegan replied. As they rounded another corner and stepped into the lift, she continued. "But I think I know a way of getting us into the Doctor. I intend to find out what's going on"

Peri gave her a look and leaned back into the wall of the lift. "You're intent on this, aren't you?"

"It's been quite some time since he talked to us. And we are his friends," Tegan reminded her. "Supremo or not, he has to at least talk to us."

"I have a feeling this is a very bad idea," Peri commented. Tegan gave her a sideways glance and sighed. Peri had begun to almost subconsciously doubt her since they had gotten back with the Doctor. Sometimes, but not all the time, Tegan wondered if it was simply because they were in the company of the Time Lord again. For the last year, she had trusted her implicitly. Yes, they had had their arguments, but Peri had been ill for long enough that she had come to rely on Tegan. Tegan didn't know what bothered her more: that Peri was deferring to the Doctor or that Peri was treating her with less trust. But there was very little she could do about the situation; she couldn't very well control Peri's emotions or her trust. They were friends and that was enough.

**

Tegan smiled tightly as she saw Trock's familiar bulk outside the map room. Peri eyed him warily.

"Well that's just great, isn't it?" Peri said quietly, bumping Tegan's arm. "Now what? I don't think he'll let us in"

"He's who I was hoping was on duty," Tegan responded, looking over at her friend. "It's Trock. He'll let us in."

Peri gave her a disbelieving look, but fell into step behind Tegan as she strode towards the door. Tegan straightened her shirt, making sure that it was tucked in and proper, and adjusted her gun. As she approached Trock, the Ogron unsettled his gun and faced her. When he recognized her, her lowered his gun. "Lady Tegan, Supremo is busy. Full meeting of generals."

"Yeah, I had thought that," Tegan muttered under her breath. "Trock, I have to see Supremo."

"No company," Trock stated, but he seemed sad to do so. Peri sighed at Tegan's elbow.

"I have to see him, Trock. If I'm to bear his pups, I have to see him now. I'm fertile now."

She heard Peri's sharp inhale and then hiccup. She didn't look back at her friend, fearing to see either Peri trying to keep a smile hidden or the look of utter horror on her face. She kept her eyes on Trock and waited as the Ogron digested the information. She could see that he was indeed going to let them in to see the Doctor, but she didn't expect him to lean forward and sniff her hair.

Tegan's eyes widened as the Ogron sniffed at her and then heard his calm answering grunt. "Lady Tegan is in heat. Supremo's pups are important."

"Let me in the room?" Tegan asked quietly, surprised that she actually was fertile to the Ogron.

Trock leaned over and stilled the gun of the other sentry and nodded toward the door. With a sigh tinged with surprise, Tegan strode forward, keeping Peri at her side. As they entered the room, she released the breath she didn't even know she was holding. As the door closed, she glanced about the cavernous room. It was mostly dark and she soon realized that that was because of the star maps on ever available surface. There were steps down into the room and she could see a rather large circular table in the middle of the floor.

The Doctor, Vidal, T'ruk and the Sonataran general as well as a couple of human high ranking soldiers stood around the table. She approached as quietly as she could.

"Were you serious?" Peri whispered as they stepped onto the floor.

"About what?"

"Having the Doctor's pupsand how do you know him so well?"

Tegan stopped and glanced over at Peri. "Trock seems to think that I'm the Doctor's mate. I might as well play that card to win the game. And I know Trock fairly well"

"Well, it got us in here," Peri agreed with a smile. "Though I wonder what will happen if that Ogron person tells the Doctor that you're fertile. He'll be mortified."

"Not entirely."

Both Tegan and Peri jumped; Tegan reacted instinctively, drawing her gun as she turned. A large hand clamped down on her wrist as she did. Peri was reacting as well, crouching into a fighting position.

Tegan gasped at Vidal who held her wrist in a vicious grip. "Lady Tegan," he greeted her, coldly, as cold as his skin.

The Doctor was helping Peri to her feet and barked an order over his shoulder that sent the other soldiers, humanoid and not, back to their positions at the table. He joined Vidal at Tegan's side as Peri holstered her gun. "I don't believe she is here to assassinate me," the Doctor reassured his second in command.

She winced as Vidal's hand tightened on her wrist. There was the awful, stomach-sinking feeling of the bones in her arm grinding together. Still, she kept her gun in her hand, more out of habit than anything else. The Doctor's eyes were half hidden in shadow, but she could feel his surprise at seeing his two companions there. His breathing was calm and even; she heard his hands sliding into his pockets quickly, harshly. Keeping her face emotionless, she lifted an eyebrow. "Not today, at least," she shot back.

"Let her go, Vidal," the Doctor offered, quietly, tonelessly. Vidal bowed his head and released Tegan's arm. It lowered from her side, the gun falling from her grasp as her muscles cried out in pain. The Doctor caught it before it hit the ground. "Peri, would you be so good as to take this to T'ruk?" he asked, holding out the gun to his side.

Peri scooped it up and gave Tegan a look of pity.

As she left, the Doctor held out his hand. "Let me see your arm, Tegan. Vidal hasn't quite understood that Gallifreyan physiology is rather overpowering of humans."

"You've learned humility, I see," she responded, her chin rising defiantly.

He sighed and stepped forward into the light. As his hand lowered to catch hers and his eyes lowered to look at her injury, she observed him. His hair looked freshly cut and slightly wet and his uniform was more ornate than the others he had worn. He looked every inch a general. His eyes made her shiver, though. The warm blue was gone, replaced by ice and gold.

"You're so warm, Tegan."

"You're like ice."

His eyes had been shrouded in shadow, all dark and deep and the color of sapphires in the sun. His lips had pressed against her naked chest, making gooseflesh and her skin rise as if begging for him. Wrapped in warmth with the ice of space against her front. All that grounded her and kept her warm were his eyes.

"Hmm," he frowned and turned her hand over. She winced and curled her fingers into her palm. "Yes, well" his voice dropped two decibels and an octave. "You'll have a bruised bone there, Tegan, but it's nothing lasting. Now" he shifted, bring his eyes back to hers. "How did you get in here and why?"

"It's been two days and I wanted to know what was going on. Old habits die hard, you know."

"Habits of spying or habits of me telling you most everything?" he asked, seriously. Although she could feel the tension in his body as it literally vibrated through the air, he was a study in calm.

"Both."

His smile was quick and not forced. "I'd thought that was the case," he responded, his eyebrows quirking high over his eyes. "You always did have an insatiable sense of curiosity."

"And how?" Tegan rubbed her arm and adopted a very deadpan expression. "I'm in heat apparently and Trock decided it was in the best interest of your pups to allow me in the room."

The Doctor nearly sputtered at the mention of her fertility, but ended up giving a firm nod. "I shall have to talk to him," he said simply. "I believe this idea of your being my mate has gone far enough."

She shifted her weight and eyed him. "So, are Peri and I allowed to remain?"

"After all the trouble you've gone through to get in here?" he smiled. "Of course I'll allow you to remain. Hard work and initiative should be rewarded." He lifted a finger to point it near her face. "We're planning our final attack, Tegan. I want no interruptions."

"Of all the"

He gave her a look and gently laid his hand at her back. She fell into step along side of him as they neared. Quietly, she held out her uninjured hand for her gun and the Draconian, after receiving a nod from the Doctor, handed it over to her. His gaze was unreadable as she deftly holstered it. "Interesting," was all he said.

Tegan drew close to the table which she quickly found was a large horizontal star map. A small voice in her head reminded her that it was a computer screen; it surprised her even now that she was able to readily recognize a computer as they weren't really from her time. A small shock of pleasure rippled through her as she saw that T'ruk move aside to allow her to stand near the Doctor. She hid the smile, but realized that the Doctor was equally as accommodating as he leaned to the side to allow her next to him.

"Gentlemanto continue" her Time Lord friend began. Tegan looked around the Doctor's back to roll her eyes at Peri. "And as I trust we'll be having no more interruptions," he turned and gave Tegan a frown. She righted her eyes back to her friend and made a face. The Doctor ignored her. "As I said previously, Morbius has stopped. His march across the galaxy has ceased, halted. Our plan to simply roll up the carpet behind him as succeeded."

The Sonataran general leaned forward and punched his stubby finger at the map. "Morbius has stopped in the Alpha sector. It's highly populated."

"Very," the Doctor agreed, almost cheerfully.

T'ruk leaned forward over the table, frowning powerfully. "That placement presents massive problems for an organized fight."

"Ah," the Doctor said, tracing his finger about the major grouping of blue points that Tegan knew stood for Morbius' fleet. "It also presents a major problem for defensive maneuvers as well. And, I assure you, Morbius knows it as well. He won't make a stand where he is. The surrounding planets present too large a possibility of turning against him than standing with him."

"He'll fight elsewhere," the Sonataran voiced.

"Or more than likely."

Peri leaned over the map and nodded. "Fighting there would be like fighting in a slim canyon. You don't want to do thattoo many places to be ambushed."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Very good, Peri. Yes, it is quite like that."

Tegan frowned and leaned closer to the map. Peri did have a point; she was remembering the problems with fighting in the open plains of Greater Yondar and the canyons of Lesser Yondar. Those two months had been horrible for the both of them. She narrowed her eyes and concentrated on what she saw. She knew, as she had learned in the last year that maps weren't just two dimensional, they were three and often they would use the height to their advantage. Here, she had to remember orbits and whatnot. It was enough to give her a headache. With a sigh, she rubbed her temples. Her other hand throbbed at her side.

But still, she noticed something. Something that was at the center of the map, out in the open. A place that was very familiar to her. If she were to turn and fight somewhere, she would do it there. Open. Wide open.

"Karn," she whispered. "Where it all began"

The Doctor turned, somewhat surprised, but pleasantly so. "Tegan, you take my breath away. Quite rightKarn. It has the only thing that Morbius needs and wants"

The Draconian shook his head and the Sonataran frowned. One of the humanoid generals reached to move the gold pins to surround Karn. Meanwhile, another soldier, dressed in a cool white and silver uniform began to mutter mathematical gibberish. Vidal was the one that spoke. "Supremo, if I may: Karn is indeed wide open, but it is a small planet, almost K class. To have a large planet bound fight there will require knowledge of close hand to hand combat."

The Cyberleader took a deep breath and rattled off in his metallic voice: "Cybermen are more than capable of fighting in close quarters."

Tegan shivered at the sound of the harsh voice. She had almost convinced herself that Cybermen didn't bother her any more. The Doctor's cool hand pressed against her lower back and steadied her. She used the borrowed strength to lift her chin. Vidal responded, "I'm sure that the Cyber race is more than capable, Cyberleader"

"The Draconians also," T'ruk interjected. "We have several contingency plans and strategies that are very useful in close combat."

"Long distance, close quarters don't matter to a Sonataran," the Sonataran general replied. "It's simply an honor to be in the battle"

"Supremo, sir"

The Doctor nodded to the young soldier in the white uniform. "What matters first is arriving before Morbius. Haken?"

"Yes, sir. If we leave immediately and make the jump into hyperspace, we will arrive at Karn in two standard periods. Morbius is slightly closer, however. If he were to make the jump prior to us"

"I assume only that he will," the Doctor replied, wisely.

"Then we need to opt for proximity," the young soldier said.

"I have every confidence in you, Haken," the Doctor said with a nod.

"Who is he?" Tegan whispered.

The Doctor's hand curled into her back, she supposed it was an effort to keep her quiet. Which, of course, she ignored. "Well?"

"Our navigator," the Doctor answered with a put upon sigh. "Quiet, Tegan."

She made a face.

"Well," he continued his voice louder. "Gentlemen, I think that concludes our council meeting. Return to your posts and brief your soldiers. We arrive on Karn in two standard periods. Be ready. This is our final battle, and just let me say that it has been an honor to fight alongside you all."

Tegan watched as the other soldiers filed out of the room. Vidal remained and Peri edged about the map to join her two friends. The Doctor gave Tegan and Peri a look. "You two will remain on board the ship."

"We will not," Peri responded. The Doctor was hushed in surprise at her outburst. Tegan added her voice to Peri's.

"We've come this far fighting, Doc. You'll need us."

He turned, his eyes hooded and hidden. She couldn't see what he was really thinking, so she pushed further. "You'll need every gun"

Vidal grunted an answer, but the Doctor held up his hand. "If I allow you two on the planet's surface, you'll remain near me. Is that understood?"

Peri nodded and Tegan frowned. "In the middle of a battle, you can't protect us."

The Doctor didn't respond and gave her a long stare that she interpreted as anger. She knew she had to answer him with the reply he wanted or it was all for naught. With a sigh, she nodded. "All right. Fine. We'll remain by you"

His nod was her answer.