AN: I was slightly unsure of one scene in this chapter, but it's hopefully not too awful. Sorry for the slight cliffhanger at the end. But it will make the next one that much better, I believe.
Rose bent over a display of alien wares that were arranged on a booth standing in a bustling marketplace. They looked like tiny silver charms in the shape of cute alien creatures, no bigger then her thumb, but they were so lifelike, they effectively captured her fascination.
"They're called Chavers," the Doctor, who had came up behind her, explained. "They're considered to be good luck charms."
"They're amazing," Rose breathed, picking one up to examine it. "Much nicer then those rabbit's feet they sell back home. Do Chavers work any better?"
"I've never believed in luck." The simple reply made Rose shake her head slightly before giving one last glance at the Chavers.
"Well, they're still amazing." After a pause, the Doctor handed Rose a red and orange mottled fruit that had been bought from another booth.
"Here, try it," he offered. "It tastes like peaches, combined with cherries." Accepting the fruit from the Doctor, Rose took a bite and savored the taste of the sweet juice. No fruit she ever had on Earth ever matched this taste.
As Rose enjoyed the fruit, Jack came up to them holding a sheet of paper.
"Hey, found something about that alien thief who ran into us earlier," Jack announced, handing them the sheet of paper, which wasn't actually paper, but some kind of pliable metal. Rose glanced over the Doctor's arm to see it was a Wanted poster that featured an image of Solaris, and read the writing, silently thanking the TARDIS for translating.
Fugitive Identify: Solaris
Crime: Multiple Counts of Theft and Burglary
Payment For Capture: Five Thousand Credits
"Impressive record, wouldn't you say?" Jack chuckled. "Five thousand. Imagine what we could do with five thousand."
"Catching thieves is not what the TARDIS is used for," the Doctor scolded. "And even if it was, exactly how would you expect to find this Solaris when not even the patrolmen of Baniru can capture her?"
"She must be good if she's gotten away from them for who knows how long," Rose mused.
"You are wondering about Solaris?" An alien merchant spoke up, revealing that he'd been listening to the conversation. "You and everyone else in this city. She arrived here about fifteen years ago. No one knows where she came from. There is no record of her anywhere. A thief with no past; that is Solaris. She very quickly rose to the top of the patrolmen's priority list, but no one can catch her. They say Solaris lives outside the city border, somewhere in the Black Jungle, where no one dares go."
"Why doesn't anyone go into the Black Jungle?" Rose inquired.
"The Black Jungle is full of beasts and monsters, carnivorous plants, and unknown dangers. No one enters the Black Jungle, and comes out alive. No one except Solaris."
Elsewhere, atop a city high-rise, two alien children were crouched down at a small pile of stolen goods, from expensive looking alien jewelry to swollen credit bags. One was an alien dog, with his left ear sporting one earring, and the other holding two. The other alien child resembled a black ant with a blue bandana tied around his neck. Both were dressed in matching mud-brown tunics and slacks.
"Wait'll Karnack sees all this," the dog alien spoke in excitement to his friend. "He's sure to be impressed with this lot."
"Yeah, he'll be crazy not to be impressed with this," the ant alien agreed, holding up an anklet encrusted with shining gemstones.
"How about adding this to your spoils, to really send him for a loop?" A third voice offered, as an incredibly polished golden choker was tossed onto the pile. The alien children looked up to see Solaris standing nearby.
"Solaris!" The ant alien cried in reverence. "Where'd you get this?!"
"Now, Vespo. You know a master never reveals their secrets," Solaris pretended to scold.
"But don't you want to be the one who hands it over to Karnack?" The dog alien inquired.
"Normally yes, Yota. But I was once a novice like you two. Why shouldn't I try to give you boys a little mercy handout from time to time? Just as long as you don't expect them on a regular basis. Still, I suppose this is something you can expect from me regularly." Solaris passed the alien children a small bag that they opened in glee.
"Choco-Credits!" Yota cheered, selecting one of the candies from the bag and disposing of it gratefully.
"Thanks, Solaris!" Vespo grinned. "You really are the greatest thief in Baniru."
"Save the flattery for Karnack," Solaris waved off the praise, despite the fact she appeared somewhat flattered.
"Yeah, but Karnack's not the one on the top of the priority list for fugitives," Yota pointed out. "I'll bet you could steel his ring right off his finger. You know whoever has that ring leads the Den of Thieves."
"That may be," Solaris acknowledged. "But you forget I have no interest in the prestige. I'm in this for the thrill. The next thing I steal will be for me alone. Karnack will never see it." With that decree, Solaris skillfully slid down one of the building's buttresses onto the street below, disappearing into a crowd. From the roof, Vespo and Yota watched with blatant admiration.
The Doctor, Rose, and Jack were continuing their exploration of Baniru. During the exploration, they came across an alien woman trying in vain to open a door to a sky car. Within the car was a sleeping alien baby.
"Oh, where are those attendants?" The alien woman was complaining in her visible distress as she repeatedly peered in at the alien infant. Realizing the situation, Rose stopped and looked over at the alien mother.
"That happened to me, once," Rose remembered faintly. "My mum's friend Marianna was watching me when Mum was sick in bed. She drove down to the market for a bit for some milk. Accidentally locked me in the car. The fire department had to come get me out. Mum was so mad when she found out." For a brief moment, the Doctor looked down at Rose, then approached the car.
"'Ere." He gently pushed the alien mother aside as he removed the sonic screwdriver from his jacket and pressed it to the sky car's door. Within moments, the door was unlocked, allowing the alien mother to rescue her baby before repeatedly thanking him for his help.
From the shadows, Solaris had been watching the whole thing, making a definite effort to take note of where the Doctor had stored the sonic screwdriver as he rejoined his friends. The moment the trio started to walk off, Solaris abandoned her hiding place and made for the Doctor. When she caught up with him, she hurtled over the tall blue-eyed alien, gripping his shoulder for an extra boost. As she did so, her free hand darted into his jacket, nabbing the sonic screwdriver. Landing smoothly on the ground in front of him, she flashed the stolen item at him in a cheeky taunt before dashing off.
"Oi! Come back 'ere with that!" the Doctor shouted as the trio gave chase. However, they quickly lost Solaris in the crowd.
"We can split up," Jack suggested. "It will be easier to find her if we all look in different places." For a moment, the Doctor looked reluctant for them to not stay together in a city where his companions, specifically Rose, could easily get lost, but he finally gave into Jack's idea.
"Just try to remember how to get back to the TARDIS," he ordered as he went off in one direction. "And be back there by sundown!"
Hours later, Rose's search for Solaris was unfruitful. She sighed as she looked up at the sun which was starting to disappear below the horizon and began to try to return to the TARDIS, hoping either Jack or the Doctor had more luck then her.
At that moment, a movement out of the corner of her eye made Rose turn around. There, moving stealthy along the city walls, was Solaris. The light from the setting sun reflected off something metal that was tucked into her belt, and Rose realized that it was the sonic screwdriver. Instinct taking over, Rose began to follow Solaris secretly behind one of the buildings, but when she rounded the building Solaris had moved behind, the alien thief was nowhere to be seen.
Huffing in frustration, Rose leaned against the wall, her eyes dropping to the ground. She was about to head back to the TARDIS to meet up with Jack and the Doctor when she noticed some of the dirt around a drainage grate had been disturbed. Bending down to investigate, Rose pried open the grate. Beneath the water inside the drain, she noticed a pin of some kind and reached in to give it a pull. The moment Rose pulled the pin, a small section of the wall slid back, revealing a hidden door out of the city. Footprints obviously belonging to Solaris led off into the Black Jungle. For a brief moment, Rose hesitated, remembering the merchant's warnings of the jungle's dangers, and the Doctor's command to be back by sundown. But the Doctor needed his sonic screwdriver, didn't he? Pushing aside all hesitation, Rose crawled out through the secret door and followed Solaris' trail into the Black Jungle.