A/N: And here we are again. I'm so sorry this took me so long to get out - a combination of decreased time due to starting a temporary job after a long period of unemployment and a need to rework the next few chapters meant that this was more difficult to write than I expected. But with the next season of Doctor Who having started, I felt inspired to start hammering away at it again.
Please know that I fully intend to finish this story - I've spent too much time planning and plotting to give up now! My hope is that I can get things rolling again and that there won't be another gap of months between chapters.
I'd like to thank everyone who has given me feedback, especially korrd for taking some extra time to talk to me about the direction this story is going in.
And now, as the Doctor would say ... Allons-y!
2185
Normandy SR-2
The Doctor was still fuming slightly when he got off the elevator, and made an effort to slow his pace as he walked towards Starboard Observation. Taking a deep breath, he entered the room.
Samara was sitting cross-legged on the floor, a position she'd held the other times he'd come to visit her. He wondered how much time she spent just meditating - wouldn't that get boring?
But the asari were a very different species from Time Lords, and the Doctor had learned long ago not to let that sort of preconception color his actions.
Samara noticed his presence and stood, gracefully. "Doctor. I did not expect to see you so soon."
The Doctor frowned. "EDI said it was urgent."
"I expected that you would come at your leisure, not immediately," Samara replied. "I apologize for giving the wrong impression."
"No," the Doctor sighed, "I think it was EDI who gave the wrong impression." And that was rather troubling. He'd have to talk to Shepard about it later.
"So what is it that is … semi-urgent?" he asked.
"I have traced the fugitive I sought on Illium," Samara said. "The Ardat-Yakshi I gave birth to."
It took him a moment to make the connection. "Your daughter."
"Morinth," Samara agreed. "I have not been this close to her … ever. I must find her now, while I still know where she is, and bring her to justice."
The Doctor was silent for a minute, turning his gaze out the window to buy himself some time. "You've come to me, not Shepard. Why?"
"We have melded minds," Samara said. He turned his head back to face her. His hearts were beating traitorously fast in his chest. "Shepard has spoken with me, true. I admire her determination and poise. But you … we are alike. As you noted when we first met. You understand what it is that I must do."
It took a moment for her meaning to sink in, and he stared at her once he understood. "You mean to kill her," he said slowly. "Your own daughter."
"I must take responsibility for her actions," Samara said, fixing those unblinking blue eyes on him.
"Samara - that's ridiculous," the Doctor replied. "Last time we spoke - you told me that I shouldn't be angry with myself for the lives I destroyed, because they chose to come with me. Yet you blame yourself for Morinth's choices."
"It is different," Samara said. She shifted her stance slightly, feet further apart than before. "I should have stopped her before she caused pain and death. But it does not matter. The Justicar Code demands that I kill Morinth. And I am a servant of the Code."
The Doctor ground his teeth. He knew that look. There was no reasoning with her. She wouldn't do anything outside of the Code …
But he could.
He threw his hands up in the air, doing his best to look exasperated. "Fine. If you're so concerned about the destruction she causes, then let's go."
Samara blinked, caught off guard. "Now?"
"Now."
"Should we not tell Shepard?"
"She didn't bother to tell me about her plans, and then told me I had to stay here," the Doctor said peevishly. "I'm not part of her crew. I don't have to ask permission. We can just go."
Samara blinked again, then nodded. "Very well."
The Doctor grinned, feeling a burst of energy enter him. "Good. You'll like the TARDIS. She's a marvelous ship."
"I am sure," Samara said as they exited. They made their way down quickly to the shuttle bay where the TARDIS sat. The Doctor knew he was grinning as he fished out the TARDIS key, and didn't care in the slightest. After opening the door and stepping inside, he paused and turned around so that he could taken in Samara's reaction. For a moment, he was afraid he would see nothing. Her face had been impassive and her emotions flat when he had first seen her, showing no remorse or pity as she killed the asari mercenary. She was a thousand-year-old justicar who was ruthless and single-minded in the pursuit of her goal.
The moment passed as Samara's features softened, her mouth opening slightly in awe as she tilted her head back and looked around. The sound of her heels clacking against the floor echoed off of the impossibly high ceiling with each slow step she took. Slowly, her lips turned up in a smile. She paused and closed her eyes, and the Doctor could almost swear he felt the TARDIS reaching out to her, could almost hear a whispered Welcome aboard directed towards Samara. Tension he hadn't known he was carrying melted out of him. What, were you worried she wouldn't like Samara? he asked himself ruefully.
"Marvelous," she said, her voice low. "Utterly astounding. I do not think I truly appreciated it - her - until just now, despite having seen into your mind."
"She gets you that way," the Doctor agreed, his own face splitting in a much wider smile than Samara's. He was about to dash off and do something mad and daring with a sharp-eyed woman by his side. It felt good; right to be doing this.
"Omega," he said, dashing over to the controls. Fire was pumping in his veins as he started pulling switches. "A station on an asteroid, ruled by no government except that of one Aria T'Loak. Do I have that right?"
"You do," Samara said, her head still tilted back to look up at the ceiling. "We will likely need to speak with Aria first. Nothing goes on there that she does not know."
The Doctor barely registered her reply. He had all the information he needed. "Then … Geronimo!" he shouted as he pulled the final lever. The TARDIS lurched forward and he grasped the railing with white knuckles. He caught just a glimpse of Samara using her biotics to steady herself before he turned back to focus on the displays. Despite his earlier confidence when speaking with Shepard, he wasn't actually sure that he'd manage to land on Omega without incident.
There was a loud thud as the TARDIS fell silent, having come to a rest - somewhere. He hoped it was Omega. "Let's go see what's out there," he said, slamming the lever down and dashing over to the door. He poked his head out to see that they had landed in an empty hallway, and the surroundings did suggest it was a space station. So far, so good. He skipped out and took a quick look around, noticing one of those doors with the ubiquitous green light indicating it could be opened."Well?" he asked Samara, who had come out slower, and was standing a few strides back staring up at the ceiling.
"I - am not sure yet," she said. "But it could be Omega."
"Then we should keep going," the Doctor said decisively, striding over to the door. It opened for him - that was one thing he liked about this universe, he decided. Doors should open for people.
The hallway on the other side was filled with people and sound. A bright red sign advertised something called 'Afterlife' in front of him - some sort of nightclub? There was certainly a line to get in, with a large elcor appearing to serve as guard. Off to either side were more hallways that overlooked the station's interior. He started to notice more signs advertising what were, presumably, local businesses and services.
"Yes, this is Omega," Samara said as she came to stand besides him. "Afterlife is Aria T'Loak's seat of power. You … you have brought me here faster than I could have hoped. Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet," the Doctor said, continuing to take in the sights. "We still need to find Morinth." He turned to look at her. "She's your daughter - where do we start?"
"As I said, with Aria." Samara started walking towards Afterlife, and the Doctor followed. "If she does not know of Morinth specifically, she will have heard rumors that will point us in the right direction. She has ruled Omega for a long time, and she took control of the station through force."
They weaved around the line in front of Afterlife to much grumbling, but had to stop as the elcor moved (surprisingly quickly, the Doctor thought with annoyance) to block their way. "Halt," he intoned in a flat, emotionless voice. "Impatient, you cannot cut in line."
The Doctor reached into his jacket pocket to bring out his psychic paper, but Samara spoke before he could finish the motion. "I am Justicar Samara. My business with Aria T'Loak cannot wait."
"Curiously, what brings an asari Justicar to Omega?" The Doctor remembered that elcor spoke their emotions, as the nuances of elcor speech were often lost on other species. He had to admire that, after a moment's thought. It was a refreshing change of pace from the lies and misdirection that seemed to be everywhere.
"My quarry has fled here," Samara replied, her voice nearly as even as the elcor's. "An Ardat-Yakshi. I must stop her before she hurts any more people."
"With understanding, I see. You may enter."
"Thank you," Samara said, moving forward. The Doctor followed her, resisting the urge to stop and ask some more questions to see if he could understand the elcor's emotions. Maybe on the way out.
There was, somewhat to the Doctor's annoyance, yet another long hallway before they actually got to Afterlife, the walls displaying moving flames - to go along with the 'theme' Aria was projecting, presumably. They walked to the end of the hallway in silence and passed through another door into the club itself. He couldn't help but feel slightly invigorated as the loud music filtered in. Whatever else it was, this was a place of life and enjoyment. Liara's memories told him that the asari dancing on the center stage wanted to be there, that this was part of their maiden wanderlust.
Samara moved swiftly through the crowds, forcing the Doctor to quicken his pace to keep up with her. A turian carrying a rifle held up his hand as Samara approached a set of stairs leading to what was presumably their destination. "Hold it right there," he growled. "No one gets in to see Aria without an invitation."
The Doctor was better prepared this time and proudly displayed his psychic paper before Samara could get a word out. "John Smith, Omega Times. I'm here for an interview with Aria." He smiled brightly at the turian. "The adoring public wants to know about Omega's Number One Citizen. What are her favorite foods? What does she do when she's not running a space station?"
"Aria doesn't give interviews-" the turian began angrily, but paused at a dry chuckle and the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.
"You always come up with the most interesting lies- Doctor." The speaker was another asari, her skin more of a purplish blue in sharp contrast to Samara's icy blue coloring. Her facial markings were more pronounced than either Samara's or Liara's, more like painted designs than natural features. Blue eyes narrowed as the asari - it had to be Aria T'Loak - stared at the Doctor intently. Then, moving too fast for him to react, she slapped him across the face.
"Ow!" the Doctor protested as he brought his hand up to his cheek. Why did this keep happening to him? It was on the verge of getting annoying.
"Be grateful it wasn't worse after what you did," Aria said darkly. "And who's this with you? The newest plaything?"
"I am a Justicar," Samara replied with a bit more bite to her tone than the Doctor would have expected. "We are here on business. I seek an Ardat-Yakshi fugitive."
Aria kept her face fixed on the Doctor's for a long moment before she made a sound of disgust and turned away. "They're all right," she said, and her guards relaxed visibly. She inclined her head up the stairs and walked that way, leaving Samara and the Doctor to follow.
"You know Aria?" Samara asked under her breath.
The Doctor shook his head. "Not yet. It happens like this sometimes. Time travel makes things very complicated."
"I see," Samara said as they reached the top of the stairs.
Aria settled herself on a low couch that looked out towards the stairs, draping one arm over the back. "I'd really like to know why you're with a Justicar, Doctor, but I'm not so stupid as to stand in her way while she tracks down an Ardat-Yakshi. I should have known one was around. Nothing leaves a body quite so … empty … as one of them."
"You haven't taken steps to kill her?" Samara asked, seeming calmer than a moment before.
"Why would I? She hasn't tried to seduce me," Aria replied, then frowned. "If it's the one I'm thinking of, she's currently wooing a human girl. Some kind of artist. Lives in the tenements near here. That's where I'd start looking."
"You seem pretty sure you know which one it is," the Doctor commented.
Aria shrugged. "New to the station, making a name for herself by seeking out as many partners as she can find - and she's no maiden to be doing it for the novelty. Not terribly hard to figure it out once the Justicar told me what I was looking for." Her eyes narrowed again as she stared at the Doctor. "Don't think you're leaving the station without giving me a full explanation."
"I wouldn't dream of it," the Doctor lied cheerfully.
"I'm glad we understand each other," Aria said with a nod. "Good luck finding the Ardat-Yakshi. Better luck catching her."
The Doctor was only too happy to turn his back on Aria. As he followed Samara through the crowd once more, he wondered just what his future self had done this time to make yet another fierce woman mad at him.