Trial
The ornate doors at the end of the tunnel surprisingly deposited the prisoners onto a bright sandy surface. As they were nudged onward by the guards, the deepening roar they'd heard in the tunnel resolved itself into two categories: surf and sharks.
The SenSaru Council Meeting Chamber proved to be not a chamber at all, but an open-air natural amphitheater set into a tumbling cliff face beside a restless ocean. The flat side of the half-circle was open to the sea view, with gigantic waves crashing against the rocks below, foamy spray from the largest waves occasionally splashing over the waist-high boulders lining the edge of the central pit where they now stood. A gleaming white wall, looking like it was made from an actual sea shell, arced gracefully up and over their heads, forming an echo box to reflect the voices of anyone standing in the pit out and up to the spectators.
Those spectators were now present in abundance, providing the other half of the roar. Blinking in the bright sunshine slanting down from seaward, Donna estimated close to a thousand SenSaru were seated on the rough rock benches lining the half-bowl scooped out of the cliff, while about thirty individuals sat on the bottom row, separated from the rest by a high wall: these must be the Council members themselves. Another gleaming white wall ran around the top of the cliff, curving over the highest rows of seats and completing the sound corral. A small living stream, which must have carved out the amphitheater over the eons, divided the bowl roughly in half, spilling from the top of the cliff and gurgling in a deep channel between the seats, across the pit, and over the edge to the ocean below.
Their guards chivvied the girls into a line under the lip of the echo shell with SesTok a pace in front; Donna inserted herself into the center of the line right behind him. SesTok's chief accuser and former second in command, JanDel, was already present, facing the crowd a few paces in front of them as if he didn't want to be contaminated by standing too close. As soon as they were lined up, a deep resounding gong sounded from below and the crowd fell silent. On one side of the ring, a SenSaru in a long dark green robe stood up from the Council row and began speaking, apparently questioning JanDel, who replied at length with many gestures (which looked derisive to Donna's eyes) towards the Commander.
Donna stood quietly, forcing herself to take deep, even breaths. If she had understood SesTok correctly, he was on trial here for disobeying the Council's orders, but he would be allowed to speak on his own behalf, and intended to beg the Council to reconsider other alternatives – what, she didn't know, nor did she suspect he did. If only he'd been able to meet with Mum!
Two paces in front of her, SesTok's own thoughts were running in the same channels. Marusska Moon, shine on my shoulders this day. Scent my words with Truth, that they may understand and swim away from this evil current before it is too late. Hit me with inspiration; show me another way!
Busy with her own thoughts, Donna didn't hear the change until the girl next to her quietly gasped. "Am I going crazy, or did they just start speaking English?"
They had. JanDel was even now proclaiming what a traitor SesTok was. Donna gave a slow gasp herself, her eyes widening in realization. It's got to be Mum. It's got to be. How on Earth Torchwood had gotten here with their translator, she didn't know, but she'd never been so glad to hear her native tongue. She leaned forward slightly and whispered, "SesTok! Do you hear my words? Reinforcements have arrived!" He didn't turn, but she saw his shoulders move as he took a deep breath on hearing her whisper in SenSaru. He gave a small, jerky nod, and she smothered a smile.
"Donna! What are you doing?" squealed Cherise, gaining them a hiss from the guards.
"Oh, shut up, Cherise. He's on our side – why do you think he's in handcuffs like us?" Donna snapped quietly. Cherise's jaw dropped, but she did shut up.
The Councilor in the green robe tipped his head to JanDel, who gave a half-bow in return, and stepped to a seat at one side of the pit, then the Councilor turned to SesTok. "You have heard the accusations. It is your right to speak now before the Council, Commander."
He sounded my rank. That's a good sign. I think. SesTok had not paid close attention to the individual Councilors in recent years, so he was not at all certain of the identity or leanings of this one. One thing he was certain of, though. He waited several long moments, then held his bound hands out in front of his chest. "It is also my right to stand freely before my people, until convicted. Is this Council so afraid of Truth that you would bind the hands of those who would sound it before you?"
A murmur rose from the spectators, roughly equally for and against him, from what he could hear. Green Robe gazed at him impassively for a moment, but didn't confer with the other Councilors before jerking his head at one of the guards, who walked stiffly over and removed the forceropes from SesTok's aching wrists. The guard started to turn, but SesTok stopped him. "The females, too." When the guard hesitated, looking at Green Robe, SesTok added, "I don't think they could cause much damage. Besides, is this how you would treat the mothers of our next generations?"
Green Robe jerked his head yes again, and both guards quickly removed the girls' forceropes, then stepped back to either end of their line, facing in to make the point: we're still watching. Donna ignored them, lifting her chin and gazing at SesTok, and the other girls followed her lead. She seemed to understand the situation.
SesTok shook his shoulders and stepped forward two paces, took a deep breath, and began making his plea for sanity. "Here stands Commander SesTok of the SenSaru Galactic Armada. I have loyally followed the lawful commands of my superiors for more than twenty years, and gained command of my ship before the Great Disaster began striking down our wisest ones, and all our Mothers and Sisters. I do not discount the magnitude of the Disaster, nor do I misunderstand it – but I believe that many do. Including many in this Chamber.
The Truth has been sounded to my depth. Our home, our safe cove, our beloved SenSaru'a is dying. More, she is killing us, her children. We cannot long survive if we stay within her waters. Our actions until now seemed wise, to try to bring new Mothers from other worlds to replace the ones taken from us, but now I smell the Truth: that course is folly. Four times we have tried this, and four times it has failed. A fifth will not then succeed. We must set a different course, swim a different current. We cannot continue this, or we will ALL swim to our deaths, and there will be no more SenSaru!
I stand before you now to beg that you reconsider, and choose another channel!"
Green Robe seemed to be the spokesman for the Council. He stepped forward again, challenging SesTok. "What other channel? There IS no other!"
"There are always other channels, other choices," came an entirely new voice, this one from the side of the bowl opposite Green Robe. And it was one that made Donna close her eyes against stinging tears. Mum.
Rose stepped onto the sand from the tunnel, with Corin and the Traveler flanking her a step behind, playing honor guard. She took four steps and stopped, saying in a clear voice above the murmurs which had broken out, "May I address the Council?"
Green Robe's face mirrored the shock resounding through the amphitheater. "Who are you?" he demanded, all ceremony forgotten. No one not SenSaru had ever spoken before the Council before.
"Rose Gallifrey, of the planet Earth – the planet Commander SesTok just raided. I am not the supreme leader of Earth, but I was given the mandate to speak with SesTok, and therefore with this Council, to resolve the situation. That situation has now expanded to include the Great Disaster your species, your world, is faced with. I have traveled here to offer you a solution, which will benefit us both."
SubCommander JanDel broke in, all caution thrown to the surf. "How did you get here?"
The trio turned, but it was the Traveler who replied, a hair short of insolent. "On your ship. Sloppy, JanDel, very sloppy. The Commander would have known we were there." He turned to SesTok and added with a wink, "Wouldn't you?"
I remember that signal – DonNah gave it to her Mother. "I did know," he said decisively, awkwardly returning the wink. "Who do you think was feeding you?"
JanDel spluttered. "That... you... that is not possible!"
"SubCommander!" Green Robe had had enough of that, and JanDel slunk back to his seat. Green Robe turned and swept his eye along the line of Councilors; when no-one seemed to object violently, he turned back to Rose. "You may address the Council. What other channel do you see?"
She smiled, and took another step forward, speaking directly to Green Robe, but pitching her voice so that all could hear. "A joint colony. A combined endeavor, between your people and mine, on a neutral, third planet, unspoiled and uninhabited, where together we can build a new, viable society."
A new murmur rose from the crowd, reaction to her speech. One of the Councilors cried out, "We cannot leave SenSaru'a! It is our home!"
Rose opened her mouth to reply, but SesTok broke in. "We must leave! We are dying! We cannot stay!" Yes, she has the right of it. I'm sure of that now. He turned to Rose, "Do you know of such a planet now?"
She smiled. "We do."
He started to nod, but then remembered the readings they'd taken of the technology on Earth. "But you have no starships!"
Her smile got even broader. "You do."