Chapter 5
The TARDIS was spinning through the vortex. Ace and Nita were at the console.
"Ace, affirmative response from station Lya Four."
Ace moved to another panel and punched up a monitor. A message printed out quickly on the monitor. "Fajo spent almost half a day in orbit and left just over seven hours ago."
"Ace, new coordinates… set a course for Lya Four."
"Coordinates already laid in, Nita."
"Let's go."
The TARDIS changed course in the votex.
The Jovis cargo bay was deserted. The door slid open and Varria and the Doctor entered and crossed quickly across the bay.
"Perhaps if I attempt to communicate with the TARDIS…"
"You can't, Fajo has communications access restricted to the bridge. Once we're out, the shuttlepod will emit an emergency beacon. We'll have to hope somebody responds before Fajo is able to destroy us."
"I have been trained in evasive maneuvers…"
"We'll need a few." She pointed to the shuttle. "Get ready. As soon as I initiate the escape sequence, an alarm will sound, we won't have much time."
The Doctor acknowledged, and they split up. He went to the pod and got in the pilot seat, she went to the computer-control terminal, punched in a series of commands, saved one for last and looked at the Doctor. He nodded that he was ready. She punched in the last command and all hell broke loose, alarms sounded, lights flashed, she barely moved away from the computer port when the door slid open and a tech officer ran in, she raised the disruptor, pointed it at him, he reacted and froze in his tracks. She moved quickly toward the pod, keeping an eye on him as she did, as a second technician entered from her blind side and he reacted. The Doctor saw him.
"Varria," he warned.
But before he could say anything else, Varria was blind-sided by the technician. She struggled with him, he easily disarmed her, the disruptor fell to the floor, the Doctor jumped out of the pod and the first technician ran to the computer bay to stop the launch sequence. The Doctor moved swiftly to aide Varria, grabbed the second technician, separating him from Varria, picked him up in the air easily and tossed him aside.
The first tech at the computer reacted, picked up a heavy tool, rushed the Doctor, swung the tool which the Doctor simply caught in one hand, pulled it free, tossed it away and pushed him out of the way. The first tech slid away across the floor from the Doctor's push. Varria ran back toward the computer to reset the escape sequence, but as she did, Fajo appeared, and it all happened so quickly:
Varria reacted as she saw Fajo, looked over to see the disruptor she dropped on the floor, several metres away, and maybe she had one chance at it. Her eyes darted back at Fajo. Fajo's eyes narrowed. His hand, holding another disruptor, started to raise. The Doctor reached out to Varria, who was already beyond his grasp, diving to the floor for her disruptor, and she came up short, scrambled to get to it, but with each move realized she was too late, and finally stopped, looked back at Fajo, almost a resigned smile on her face, and then oddly everything just seemed to stop for a long beat.
Fajo held the disruptor on Varria, they looked at each other, he sighed, shrugged and fired. She screamed a horrible scream, slowly dematerialized and the scream echoed after she was gone. The Doctor was stunned. He stared at Fajo. Fajo himself was a little shaken by what he'd done.
"This is your fault. You knew the price for disobedience. And so did she."
Fajo tossed his weapon away, repulsed by the violence he had committed, trying to walk away from it. Calming himself down, he nodded to himself. Yes, it was the right thing to do.
"Well, there's always another Varria."
The Doctor looked at Fajo for a beat. Then, the Doctor moved to the disruptor and picked it up. The trader was surprised for a moment, perhaps there was even an instant of fear, but then he smiled.
"You won't hurt me."
The Doctor aimed the disruptor at Fajo.
"A fundamental respect for all living beings. That is what you said. I'm a living being, therefore you won't harm me."
The Doctor moved toward Fajo. "You will surrender yourself to the authorities."
Fajo laughed. "Or what? You'll fire?"
The Doctor continued to approach Fajo.
"An empty threat and we both know it."
The Doctor held his aim true.
"Accept your fate. You will return to your chair and you will sit there. You will entertain me and you will entertain my guests. And if you do not, I will simply kill somebody else." He pointed to the dazed techs, watching. "Him or him maybe, anyone, it does not matter, and their blood will be on your hands too, just like poor Varria's"
The Doctor continued to move toward Fajo, who smiled confidently.
"Your only alternative, Doctor, is to fire. Murder me. That's all you have to do. Go ahead. All your troubles are over. Fire. Are you searching through your conscience for a loophole, perhaps? Is there one? If only you could feel rage over Varria's death, feel the need for revenge, then maybe you could fire. But you're a time lord. You don't express emotion, do you? It's just another interesting intellectual puzzle for you. Another of life's curiosities."
The Doctor stopped before him. "I can't permit this to continue." He raised the weapon. Fajo's eyes opened with unexpected fear. He suddenly realized he was about to die.
"You can't. Your conscience won't allow it. You cannot fire. You will not…"
Suddenly the TARDIS materialized around the Doctor.
Inside the TARDIS, Nita and Ace waited for the Doctor to finish materializing. Ace frowned at her console; it was reading something odd. "I'm reading a weapon with the Professor. It seems to have discharged, Nita."
"Discharged?"
"I'm deactivating the weapon." Her hands played over the controls. Finally the Doctor materialized, holding the disruptor. He looked at it.
"Welcome back, Doctor. Are you all right?'
"Yes, Nita. Please arrange to take Kivas Fajo into custody for murder, kidnapping, theft…"
"Arrangements have already been made," Nita interrupted.
The Doctor handed the disruptor to Nita. "A Varon-T disruptor. It belongs to Fajo."
"Ace says the weapon was in a state of discharge."
"Perhaps something happened while the TARDIS was materializing around me, Nita."
Nita gave the Doctor a look – during materialization? The Doctor gave Nita a look right back, that was all he was going to say.
Kivas Fajo was in a detention cell, pacing the floor. He seemed more annoyed than angry. The Doctor entered, once again in his own clothes (he had a spare question-mark jumper).
"So. Have you come for your final satisfaction? You wish me to repent? Beg for mercy? You'll have none of it from me."
"I expect none."
"It seems our roles are reversed, aren't they, Doctor, you are now the collector, and I…" He put his hand to the forcefield and activated it. "…am in your cage."
"So it seems."
"Do not count me out so quickly. I had you once. I may have you back in my collection again."
"Unlikely. Your collection has been confiscated pending your trial. All of your stolen possessions are being returned to their rightful owners. You have lost everything you value."
And, as the Doctor said, as a man who defines himself by what he can possess, this news was hard to endure. "I'm sure that gives you great pleasure."
"No, sir, it does not. I don't feel pleasure. I am a time lord."
The Doctor left.
The End.
