At the meeting, in a large circular room with a long table in the centre, Jenny saw more strange creatures than she'd seen in her life. There were lots of Silurians, she kept a wary eye on Bol and her gang. There were what looked (and smelt) like pirates. Creatures in black leather with giant rhino heads and equally giant guns. And men in strange clothing, one of whom winked at her. As more people crowded in, she shuffled herself to the back, not entirely sure what she could bring to this meeting. She ended up leaning against a wall by a short brown, bald person in blue armour. It was muttering to itself and paid no attention to what was going on. Possibly no attention was being paid to it and it felt like returning the favour. She felt an instant camaraderie.

"What are they talkin' about?" She whispered. She could hear lots of arguing from the people grouped closest to the table and thought she heard Vastra's voice once in a while. Clearly neither her opinion nor that of the squashed potato next to her were particularly important.

"How should I know? All this foolish…plan making. Useless." It gave what would've been a shrug if it had had any neck for its shoulders to travel up. "When in doubt? Charge. And throw a grenade for good measure. Would you like one?"

"What's…a grenade?" Jenny took the small oval object and stared at it.

"An explosive device." Jenny froze. "Merely remove the pin, thus and then throw. And quickly. Otherwise you'll lose a hand."

She swallowed. "Can you put the pin back in?"

"Hm? Oh. Yes. Probably shouldn't interrupt their precious meeting." The creature shook its head and shoved the pin back in, then, to Jenny's relief, took it back off her and secreted it somewhere. The moment of terror over, Jenny found herself intrigued.

"I'm Jenny." She held out the hand that thankfully hadn't been lost. "Jenny Flint. Hard as 'em."

It looked her up and down disdainfully. "That's a strange name for a boy." Jenny's expression solidified. "Strax."

"I beg your pardon?"

"My name is Strax, putrid earthling. Pay attention."

"I'm not a boy. Or a putrid earthling." She folded her arms.

"Whatever you are, we shall die in battle together soon enough, for the glory of the Sontaran empire. I hope. It's been a while now. The Doctor has me working as a nurse. The worst punishment for a Sontaran Warrior. To care for people." It sneered. The thought seemed to start off the muttering again. Jenny ignored Strax and turned her gaze back to the table. There was some kind of image hanging in the air and everyone was pointing at it. She spotted the Doctor gesticulating wildly at one part.

"Sounds like they're gettin' a bit into it." No-one had fully explained to her yet what was going on and being told she'd die in battle alongside a sentient potato wasn't reassuring.

"Don't worry if you do die though. I'm an excellent nurse."

"What, that excellent that you can bring someone back from the dead?" she scoffed.

"This device here." The Sontaran. whipped out some strange flat instrument. "has all manner of settings which can revive someone, even if their heart has stopped beating for up to an hour. See here!" he pushed a button and the device vibrated, seemed to shoot something out. "Magnificent. Of course, as a warrior, I should not wish to restart it. But as a nurse..." Strax trailed off with a sigh. Jenny took the device from him and examined it but could find nothing she could comprehend. He took it back off her. "This setting here," he showed her how to adjust it. "can knit skin back together. This one's for healing bones…"

Jenny was increasingly impressed by this device. Perhaps they could prevent future trips to Doctor Anderson if only they had one. She cast her eye other the band of creatures around her, wondered how much cause for Strax's skill there'd be in the upcoming battle.

"I don't see no other Sontarans." She interrupted his lecture with her observation. That shut him up a little too quickly and she regretted it.

"I am the only one to be so degraded. No other Sontaran would face the Doctor and choose to live. I am outcast because of it."

"My family didn't accept me either." Jenny empathised. "So, after all this, you'll just go back to being a nurse? All alone?"

Strax stared at his device and said nothing more. Jenny was about to offer that he could come back with her and Vastra but the thought of a) the Sontaran wandering around London and b) what Vastra would say about yet another stray coming home with her, stopped her. She turned her attention to the meeting, but it seemed to have settled down from an argument into going over the huge floating image and pointing. Figuring that Vastra would explain everything and what Jenny's role was far more clearly than trying to figure it out from the tumult, Jenny slipped away. She was hungry anyway, and she'd upset the one person who seemed to be interested in talking to her.

"Where the bleedin' 'ell is the kitchen on this thing?" she muttered, wandering down yet another corridor. She felt a strange tug at her mind. This way. Now this way. Round this corner. Down this corridor. This door. Deciding to investigate whatever was giving her psychic directions at a later time, she opened it. It was not anything like the kitchen in 13 Paternoster Row. The shiny surfaces were covered with bizarre utensils, a strange metallic box stood to one side. The word microwave floated into her mind. And food mixer. And coffee machine.

"'ow do I make tea?" she asked weakly. A kettle started boiling on her left, without any visible hob. A brief search turned up some bread and jam. There was a fruit bowl. It was full of bananas. She took one and sat down on a chair that at least looked wooden and normal, only just resisting the urge to cling to it.

The meeting was over by the time she made her way back to the room and she set off once more in search of Vastra. Once more she felt a strange tug at her mind, pushing her urgently onwards and she obeyed with only a trace of resentment and a lot more worry. Particularly as faint sounds of an argument came to her. She hurried forward until words could be distinguished.

"We help the Doctor because we owe him a debt! And we respect the apes of this planet because he seems to think them of worth. But to teach one of their cubs the ways of a Silurian Warrior!"

She peered round the corner to find Vastra standing, legs akimbo and arms folded gently over her sword. Jenny admired the very unimpressed glower she had on her face. It was one to rival her own such glares.

"It is pitiful."

"A disgrace! As if they could ever master our arts."

"Quite frankly, I find it unnatural."

"Well? Have you anything to say for yourself?"

Jenny found her thumb flicking up her sword, ready to draw as one of the Silurians pushed Vastra.

"I believe her to be worthy." Vastra replied softly, resuming her original pose. "She has proved herself more than once."

"Proved herself!" the Silurian in front of her scoffed. "And you protect her for this?"

Vastra grinned. "She does not need my protection. Much."

"So if say, one of our warriors were to challenge her…" Jenny recognised Bol as she stepped forward to sneer at Vastra.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The Doctor interrupted, coming up behind Jenny and rounding the corner. His arm had flung around her shoulders and dragged her with him. "Don't you know who this is?" he laughed at them. "This is The Great Warrior who defends Earth! This is the Isle Dog Slayer, Rider of the Golden Hawks, killer of cybermen, slayer of monsters and occasionally even thumbs her nose at the Queen herself. Several Queens in fact. This is Jenny Flint. And she is as 'ard as 'em." He winked at her. Maybe this Doctor wasn't all that bad. The list of titles had certainly made the Silurians look thoughtful.

Bol was having none of it. "Such a long list of titles for such a little ape."

Vastra was grinning. Jenny could feel it out the corner of her eye. Scowling, she took a deep breath and drew her sword. "What did you call me?"

All the other Silurians backed away. Bol eyed the sword and made a short bow. "Ah. My mistake. I see I am facing a distinguished warrior, no weakling ape. Perhaps you would do me the honour of sparring with me?"

"Uh…" The Doctor tried to speak but Jenny brushed him off.

"Any time."

"We do need to rescue…" he tried again.

"Now? I'm sure this TARDIS can conjure up a suitable room."

"I mean Jenny is sort of vital to the…"

"Lead the way."

"And we have a schedule…" The Doctor gave up as Bol stalked off, Jenny in tow, past a long line of curious Silurians.

The Doctor gazed entreatingly at Vastra but she merely shook her head and followed Jenny. There was always one and it was going to happen eventually and better now than on a battlefield where it would matter.

Jenny could feel the TARDIS's disapproval but they found a room that was large and airy. There was a rather obvious medical area in one corner. Jenny lips twitched. Maybe she should've stuck with Strax.

"Jenny…" Vastra caught her by the arm. Jenny looked up into the blue eyes and felt daring. She nodded, then stood on tiptoe, her free hand reaching up to gently stroke Vastra's left head crest, her lips pressing against Vastra's.

There was a sharp intake of breath from every Silurian in the room, followed by a buzz of conversation.

Vastra raised her eyes ridges but her blue eyes sparkled.

Jenny spun to face Bol, who'd found a sword from somewhere. It was similar but looked lighter, sharper than Jenny's.

Their swords clanged off each other, a first test. Jenny feinted left, turned it into a roll under a swing and slashed at Bol's legs. There was a snarl of pain, although she hadn't cut deeply, just enough to cause a slight limp. The muttering increased. The first blood had gone to the ape, and so easily. Jenny was grateful it had worked. This would have to be quick. Bol would have greater strength and stamina, even if Jenny had been training long enough or consistently enough. But now Bol was on guard, no more showcasing. And there was murder in her eyes.

Jenny's mind went back to one of her first fights with Vastra. The Warrior hadn't been necessarily prepared for street tactics. Quite frankly, Bol's death glare wasn't half as intimidating as Vastra's was, the first time Jenny had touched one of her crests. Bol was circling her now, in a half crouch, sword raised ready. Jenny dropped her stance, relaxed, stood still. She caught Vastra's eye and gave a small nod. She saw the unconscious movement, the sudden fear, felt the thud of footsteps. She took a sudden step backwards, crouched and raised her elbow and Bol ran right into it. As the Silurian slumped over her shoulder, Jenny relieved her of her sword and light-footed away. Bol staggered, wheezing. Jenny brandished both swords in front of her, not trusting Bol to yield.

"You fight using dirty tricks. Give me back my sword and fight me properly." Bol hissed at Jenny, holding out her hand.

"I fight to win." Jenny retorted, not relinquishing either of the swords.

"You have not won!" Bol grabbed some kind of blunderbuss off an unwary Silurian.

Jenny was knocked to the ground in one swift breath-taking moment, the swords flying out of her hands. She was aware of a flash of light above her, passing through where she'd been standing, a sound not unlike pyew and the smell of something burning. She flipped herself over and stared into blue eyes as the sounds of a struggle and someone being wrestled away came to her attention.

"Are you alright?" the Silurian asked, getting up and offering her a hand. "The Doctor spoke right of you. You are a warrior. If a little…unorthodox."

"I'm fine. It was all still showin' off. Not proper fighting. I'd be dead if she'd fought me properly." Jenny shrugged.

The Silurian was shoved aside by Jenny's Silurian. "She was not fighting you properly and you would have been dead still." Vastra pointed out, cupping Jenny's face.

"I'm fine ma'am!" Jenny reassured Vastra, although there was a growing awareness that she'd narrowly escaped death and all the Silurians in the room were looking at her with a wary respect. Having checked Jenny over and satisfied herself that no harm had come from the fight or the rescuing take-down, Vastra glowered at the Silurians standing around the room, grabbed Jenny's hand and tugged her out the door.