Chapter 7 – Theft of the Katseye
Notes: "Vervoids" is from part 3 of Trial of a Time Lord, the first appearance of Melanie onscreen. "San Fransisco" refers to the events of The Enemy Within (otherwise known as the TV Movie). Sorry for the REAL long chapter, heheh. Lots of action, lots to write.
In case anyone was curious, the Nebati system is sortof a mishmashed amalgum based on the lifestyles in Firefly and Star Wars. Denabi could be thought of as a less settled Moss Eisley with tastes of the Lucian Alliance (from Stargate SG-1).
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"I'm such an idiot," the Doctor groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face as he pushed his chair back. "Don't wander off, don't get caught, don't touch the red button; I don't know why I bother saying don't, it always invites trouble."
"If she's anything like your other companions, she's probably hitched a lift with the closest charmer in the shipyards," Glitz remarked dryly, flinching as Mel gave his arm a firm punch.
"Glitz, stop it. You know better then anyone what the Larias family gets up to in this place, she could be in real danger," She scolded, looking at the Doctor with concern. "As much as I want to say I hope she's only lost, I have that nagging feeling in my head. You remember the last time that happened."
The Doctor smirked grimly. "The Vervoids on Hyperion III. How could I forget? Right then, we'd better start a search. Jack, you and Glitz know the local grapevine, find out anything you can on shady deals being planned in the near future. It's possible she's been nabbed. Mel, you and I can ask around the market, in case she took a wrong turn somewhere."
"Ah, no can do Doctor, I'm afraid you'll have to count me out of this one." Glitz shook his head, smirking in his usual manner. "I'd love to apply my services and all, but I've business to attend to and it is rather pressing."
Mel turned suspicious eyes on her partner. "What do you mean business? The cargo's unloaded and the Striker just needs refueling; what are you up to, Sabalom?"
"Nothing my dear, merely a side venture. Not anything that you need concern yourself about." He smiled disarmingly, and scooted back his chair, nodding to them all. "I'll see you back at the Striker later, Mel. Terribly sorry." And with that, he left.
"Why do I get the feeling this is going to end badly?" the redhead groaned. The Doctor smiled lightly.
"Probably that pesky thing called experience. C'mon, let's get cracking."
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Clear of the pub, Glitz increased his stride, his normally cocky expression turning serious as he headed towards the landing yard at the edge of town.
It wasn't that he was sorry to see the Doctor alive and well, especially after the two time-space travelers started hearing the rumors. It was as if the entire universe, once well-versed in the existence of the Time Lords, had gotten amnesia. Gallifrey had become a myth. Mel had fretted and worried until he was sure his ears would bleed. Knowing that the Doctor at least had survived whatever great cataclysm had befallen his race was a comfort.
But by the devil, why'd he have to show up here and now?!
The binary suns had sunk to the horizon, reminding Glitz of the notoriously short days on Nebati-16. There would be light enough for an hour or two more, but sunset was just about when the real rats came crawling out of the woodwork. He spared a thought for Mel before pushing it aside; she could handle herself. With a grunt, he pushed open the heavy metal doors that separated the market from the landing yard, and hesitated.
The Star-Striker still stood, proudly lifting its nose to the stars in silver silence, and the buzz of the main traffic had died down. The lull was almost deafening, and it made Glitz uneasy. He resolved to trot quickly across the void and punched in the airlock codes to the ship's cargo bay a bit too forcefully, ducking inside before the doors had even fully opened.
A shadowy figure in the darkness of the unloading docks watched him disappear quickly inside, and smiled, slipping away to inform the others.
The target had come home to roost.
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The creak of rusted hinges grated up Martha's spine and she shuddered, blinking the haze from her vision as she lifted her head. L'tral stomped into the room, carrying a portable video screen under his arm. He shot her a glare as he set it on a nearby crate, and turned the camera towards her so the person on the other end could see their captive. A figure stood silhouetted in the small surface, his face cast in shadow. She squinted, trying to make him out, but it was little use; her head was still muddled with the sedative they had injected into her arm.
The figure regarded the dark girl strapped to the chair for a moment, before turning to address K'ran. His voice was melodic and smooth with a sort of South-African flair, sliding along the consonants and vowels like melted butter.
Or deadly poison.
"Our scout reports he has arrived. Our plans will move forward. You will bring the girl." He paused, pale blue eyes casting their full attention on the thug, and Martha could practically feel the temperature of the air drop several degrees despite the fact the man was not even in the room. "Make sure you do not fail me, K'ran. It would not be in your best interest."
"Yes sir." The thief uncoiled from his perch on the crates and bowed his head to the dark figure; Martha was cheered slightly that his voice held a trace of nervousness.
Then K'ran moved forward, something glinting in his hand, and the cheer died; she held back a cry as the jab of a needle was pushed forcefully into her already tender arm. She could feel the world begin to slip away again. Befuddled and woozy, she could do little except experience as they unbound her body from the chair, hauled her to her feet, and carried her out into the Nebatian twilight.
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Twilight brought out a spooky sort of atmosphere to the streets of Denabi. The sun-warmed desert landscape radiated heat up through the soles of the shoes belonging to the folks who remained idling around outside, and mist crept across the ground like ghostly phantoms as the air rapidly cooled. It was like the whole of the world was washed clean.
The bustle of the market had died down, but the vendors were still selling their wares, which was good news for the Doctor and Mel. They started retracing the Doctor's steps, from where he had last spoken to Martha to where he had seen her vanish into the crowds. After an hour of tracking and tracing, it was a disappointing venture.
Denabians weren't keen to blab the secrets of their own little universe to complete strangers, even strangers with important, official-looking identification cards in little black leather wallets, unless they were getting something in return. Credit sticks hadn't been put into play on the backwater outpost, which meant jiggery-pokery of non-existent cash machines was out of the question as well.
Mel, at this point, rolled her eyes.
"I see the notion your previous self had about carrying money went with the regeneration," She remarked dryly, unzipping her flight jacket and tugging a battered leather bag out of her top.
The Doctor gawped at her.
She fixed him with a pointed look. "What? In places like this, it's the only way to make sure no one steals it."
"I go for mousetraps in the pockets, myself," he replied. "I'm still trying to get over just how much you've grown up."
Mel smirked cheekily and tugged open the bag, dumping a few metal coins into the palm of her hand. There were several nickel-sized circular copper pieces – lutrès, she called them; a couple of bronze octagonal disks the size of quarters – tesri; and one or two silver doubloon-reminiscent pieces with crescent notches in the sides – merles. All of them were stamped with a phoenix and twin stars – the galactic seal for the Nebati system.
"Never come unprepared, Doctor. You taught me that." She grinned. "Shall we see if these loosen the lips of the good folk round us?"
The Doctor grinned impishly at her and shook a finger. "Cheeky you've become, what has Glitz done to you?"
"Taught me to survive," Mel replied, and for a second the Doctor was taken aback by a slight darkness behind her tone. But it was gone the next moment as she smiled. He returned it with some trepidation, and they headed towards a stall selling native herbal remedies. Knowing Martha's curiosity about such things, it was a good place to start.
Meanwhile, Jack was back at the bar, employing two of his three favorite ways of interrogating witnesses: charm and heavy liquor. If he worked the cards right he might be able to throw in the third option, but that was for later.
He'd gone out with the Doctor and Mel at first, and then slipped back into the Cantiana through the back way, donning his heavy greatcoat for disguise. Those who had seen him with the previous group wouldn't place his face, and those who had newly arrived wouldn't know him at all. Perched at the bar, he fondled a glass of water between his palms as he grinned disarmingly at the scruffy young man who had scooted in next to him looking rather worse for wear. The kid had a beautiful black eye blossoming over his cheek.
"So how'd you get that shiner, then?" He asked mildly, waving the barkeeper over and ordering a drink for his new friend. The kid eyed him warily and scowled, but the offer of free booze wasn't lost on him.
"Got punched. How else?" He replied dully, draining the tankard of watery beer in a few gulps and clunking it back down onto the stonework surface.
"How else?" Jack echoed with a smile, as the vendor refilled the mug. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a small, tattered picture. Martha's smiling face beamed out at him from the glossy surface.
It had been taken in 1999 on a bridge over the Thames, before the turn of the century. Jack had wanted to see the fireworks from atop the golden gate bridge, but the Doctor had denied the request, dryly joking that he left his hearts in San Francisco once and he wasn't about to go back there anytime soon. There had been a warning tone in his voice that kept Jack from pressing the matter.
They all still had secrets, after all.
Jack shook the fond memory from his thoughts and held up the photo for the kid next to him. "So tell me, Jamisan-" the kid started sharply at the mention of his name, gulping.
"How did you know-?"
"It's stitched into your collar. Listen, Jamie - I may call you Jamie yes? – I'd like to get the low-down on a certain individual around these parts, a stranger. You might've seen her, good looking guy like you." He waved the photo. "I can make it worth your while, Jamie, if you could tell me everything you know."
Jamisan looked downright nervous. His hands shook slightly as he grasped at the mug in front of him.
"You're her friend, aintche?" He muttered softly. "I didn' mean to get her into it. They threatened my life if I didn'…course they didn't keep their word on it." He touched the darkening bruise on his face tenderly and swallowed. All joviality had vanished from Jack's face.
"Jamie, tell me what's happened to the girl. What did you do?"
And Jamisan did.
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The old woman eyed the silver merle in Mel's fingers with a disdainfully raised eyebrow.
"I…might've seen something. Memory's always been a lil' fuzzy," She drawled, dusting some potting mulch off of one of the back shelves. She was a short character, with rough brown-gold fur and a cricked tail that plumed out, resembling something like a shaved golden retriever. Mel grated her teeth to withhold a growl, without much success. She normally kept her temper in check, saving it for Glitz, but there were only so many times one could ask a question before one lost their sense of calm.
"We don't have time for games, woman. Out with it!" she barked. "Which way did you see her go?"
The Nebatian bristled and barked back, though for real. "Why of all the insolent-"
"Ladies, please!" The Doctor admonished, stepping between them and plucking the merle from Mel's fingers. He slapped it into the healer's hand and fixed her eyes with a penetrating gaze.
"Miss Li'arn, I will only ask once. Which way did she go?" he repeated, his voice soft, suggestive and dark. The woman was silent for a moment, regarding the Doctor's face, before indicating with a gesture of the hand.
"I sent her away," She answered in a monotone voice. "She wandered towards Jask's booth…few minutes later she bolted. Headed towards the shipyards…chasing some kid, pickpocket maybe."
"Thank you Miss Li'arn, that's all I needed to know." The woman blinked, shaking herself from the light trance, and stuffed the silver coin greedily into the pouch on her belt, bustling away from the pair nervously. The Doctor sighed, and straightened up, glancing at Mel. He immediately frowned. "Mel? Are you alright?"
Mel had a peculiar, troubled look on her face, and her eyes were glassy in the dim light. Her skin had begun to crawl with ice as soon as the Doctor began talking.
She recognized the hypnotic tones the Doctor had used, and for some reason, felt vaguely disconcerted. She rubbed her hands over her goose-pimped arms, and blinked at him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, spaced a bit there." She gave him a brief smile, which he didn't return, still looking concerned. The pilot cleared her throat.
"The shipyards, was it? They tow the derelict craft into those parts for repairs. We'd better get a shift on if we want to get in before they shut it down for the night." Attempting to conceal the previous moment of unease, she grabbed his hand and pulled him forward down the street, setting up a jog towards their destination.
Jack was already waiting outside the shipyard gates when they arrived, his fists shoved in his pockets and a dark look normally reserved for Daleks and people who talked in the theater haunting his entire expression.
"Too late Doctor, she's not here." He growled, before the Doctor could ask. "Came and gone. I found this in the dirt before they kicked me out and closed up." He pulled Martha's bracelet from his pocket, and tossed it to the Time Lord, who caught it and examined it carefully.
"What is it?" Mel asked breathlessly, looking over his arm at the woven rope circlet inlaid with multicolored beads.
"This is Martha's charm bracelet. She never takes this off." he stated with grim realization. Jack nodded.
"I learned some pretty interesting things from a local in the pub as well, Doc. You're not gonna like it."
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"500 grotzits, or the equiv in Nebatian merles, and no shirking me there, I know my maths," Glitz warned the vid-screen. Or rather, the man on the other side of the vid-screen. Or rather, the Nebatian on the other end. The canine-profiled alien, who very much resembled a pit-bull in a suit, didn't look entirely pleased about the price.
"You tire me, Sabalom Glitz. I believe the original deal was for 300. You are well known in Denabi for your scams." He scowled out at the humanoid from the grainy quality of the video feed.
"Well it seems to me this diamond that has caught your interest is much sought after. What say to an even ground here, hm?" Glitz smiled. "450 grotzits fair enough?"
"350. I will not pay for lateness and incompetence, Mister Glitz." The canine snorted with a growl. "My men will be by in the morning to make the trade. Don't be late." The video screen flickered black, and Glitz breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing had gone wonky. No one had walked in on him in communication with the Larias brood. And the diamond was safely tucked away in secret. He leaned back in his pilot's chair and rubbed his hands over his face before swiveling around and rising stiffly. With a groan and a curse to his aged joints, he skulked off down the corridor to his quarters.
The box was plain, small and gray without any sort of informative labels pasted on the sides. Glitz sighed as he pulled it from the cubby-hole in the ceiling of his quarters, dusting off the tin with his sleeve. He stole a peek inside and grinned as the light caught the facets of the diamond resting inside.
"Hello beautiful," He purred, chuckling to himself as he shut the box and tucked it under his arm. He climbed the steps to the corridor, and headed towards the cargo hold.
The lights had been lowered in the empty room, to conserve power. Glitz grunted and waved his hand over the sensor panel that should've switched them on, but they remained stubbornly dim. He sighed and added another faulty system to fix to his list of repairs, and walked across the room to the manual control panel. As he poked the buttons, a muffled thump behind him made him jump, and on instinct he reached for a blaster that he had removed and hung over the captain's chair in the cockpit some time ago.
Thankfully it wasn't a murderous local who had invaded his hold. It was some sort of bundle, wriggling against the far wall. He scowled and punched the button for the lights, and his eyes widened in surprise as the bright lights caused the dark-skinned girl to flinch slightly. She struggled to sit up, her feet bound, her hands lashed behind her back, and her mouth silenced with a dirty rag and a strip of cloth. She made a whimpering noise through the inhibiting gag.
"Now who the blazes are you, I wonder?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow and walking over to her. The gray box was set aside as he knelt down in front of her. "And how did you get in here?"
Martha's eyes grew wide with alarm and she moaned against the gag, struggling against her bonds fiercely.
"Hold on there kid, I ain't going to hurtche." Glitz frowned and reached up, yanking the gag from her mouth. She gasped, gulping at the fresh air before croaking out -
"Behind you!"
Glitz started, standing and whirled around just in time to catch a right hook to his jaw, and he staggered back, reeling from the blow. Blinking the stars from his eyes, he made out L'tral's muscled, dark-clothed figure, and growled; how dare they invade his ship!
"I don't know who you are or what you bloody want, but you picked the wrong captain to mess with!" He roared angrily, shaking off the punch. "Now get off my boat!" He charged the masked man, catching him in the stomach with his shoulder, knocking him off balance and sending them both careening into a stack of crates Mel hadn't bothered to unload with the rest. The contents spilled out over the floor, and the smell of rotting vegetation and sour drink filled the small room quickly.
Martha fought the desire to gag and wasted no time. With her mouth freed, she had one more option that she hadn't had before. She leaned forward as far as she could and yanked at the strips of cloth that bound her legs with her teeth, getting them loose enough to kick off. She scrambled to her knees and glanced around for something sharp to cut the ropes around her wrists. The box Glitz had dropped caught her eye.
The diamond, of course!
Ducking out of the way from the two men locked in a wrestling match in the gunk, she scooted over to the box, and turned her back to it. The lock was easy enough to jimmy open - it wasn't a very well constructed container – and she smiled triumphantly as she felt the cool smooth edge of the crystal. Diamond could cut through anything. Hurriedly she scrambled back to the wall, and worked the sharp edge of the diamond against the ropes, until the tension snapped and she pulled the final fraying strands apart.
Rubbing her sore wrists, Martha slipped the palm-sized crystal into her pants pocket, and crept on all fours towards the cargo bay doors. She cast a glance back at Glitz, and held back a warning cry that would've only served to give her away as K'ran brought a plank crashing down onto his neck. The smuggler grunted and collapsed unconscious to the muck-strewn floor. The medical student winced and bit her lip, hesitating, before fleeing the shuttle. Her soles crunched against the gravel and she took off running, towards the dark outlines of the rocks.
Snarling, L'tral pulled himself to his feet, and kicked Glitz's still form harshly, reaching for his blaster.
"No, wait L'tral!" K'ran put out a hand to stop him, and pointed to the open, empty box. "The Katseye! The whelp must've taken it!"
"But deh boss said we's to kill deh-"
"If we don't have the girl, we don't have anyone to pin his death on, and the Larias family will know it was us that done it!" K'ran smacked the man on the arm. "Get after her! Leave him; he won't be waking up any time soon."
L'tral grunted and jogged out of the hold, K'ran hot on his tail, removing his blaster from its holster at last and aiming at Martha's path of flight.
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"The kid said they were holed up in some abandoned docking bay nearby, but when I went to check it out the place was as dead as a Dalek," Jack finished. He had explained to the pair about the kid, how he had lured Martha into a trap, how the two who had messed him up had drugged and dragged her off, and by the time he was done the Doctor's expression was downright lethal.
"No clues as to where they went?" He demanded, struggling to keep his voice calm, but Mel was reminded somehow of a volcano broiling just below eruption. There was the same ominous quality. Jack shook his head.
Suddenly all three of them started, as the blood-chilling staccato of projectile fire echoed once, twice, three times in the night, coming from the direction of the landing pads.
From the Star-Striker.
"Glitz!" Mel gasped, her cheeks drained of color. With a surprising amount of speed she took off running towards the ship, leaving Jack and the Doctor behind.