Sorry about this chapter guys but it is a necessary chapter.
All Troops Ready To Go.
0645 hrs and the team is stood in the workstation area of the hub, armour secured and weapons in hand. Phoenix went around each of them making sure that the armour was secure and secretly checking to make sure that they were wearing the right armour with the right markings for them. As Phoenix was checking Ianto's armour, she lent into him and whispered in his ear.
"Look after him Ianto. He might need you later," she tells him and then pulls away, making sure the rest of the armour was secure, Ianto not replying except with a smile knowing what she meant.
Phoenix checked everyone else's armour and they were all ready. Phoenix stood back and took in the view. Owen, Gwen, Tosh and Ianto all stood in body armour, their weapons in their hands, looking like soldiers.
"Ianto, don't be afraid to let go out there. You have good control of the sword so let it work for you," Phoenix tells him with a smile and he smiles back.
"Gwen. Forget that they were once alive. They aren't anymore and they haven't been for a long time. Remember it's them or you and Rhys," Phoenix reminds her as she knew what Gwen was like.
"Toshiko. I don't really need to say anything do I?" Phoenix asks her and Tosh simply smiles at her.
"Owen. This is real and not one of your computer games. No heroics out there," she tells him giving him a look that meant that she was serious and then she turns to Jack.
"You ready for this?" she asks him looking into his eyes.
"No," he simply replies, no expression on his face.
"Right team. I thinks it's time you saddled up and got a move on," Phoenix tells them with a smile.
"How are you getting there?" Gwen asks her as they turn to leave.
"My usual mode of transport. It's quicker and there is no room for me in the SUV," she tells them and they smile before they head to the door.
Phoenix passes Jack as she makes her way to the main hub area that was clear enough to call the Vortex but Jack grabs her as the team walks out of the cog door and he pulls her to him and kisses her hard and then lets her go again.
"You think that that is going to change anything Jack because it isn't," Phoenix tells him and she pulls herself away from him hard and calls up a Vortex, disappearing into it as quick as possible.
Phoenix arrived on the other side and it was a hive of activity, troops and equipment being taken from one place to another and then she sees it. The big, blue, police box standing out with all the green of the other uniforms. Phoenix makes her way to the tent where she had meet the General and Captain's, soldiers still saluting her but that was the last thing on her mind as she stepped into the tent. General Stanley was there but Captain Terry was getting ready on the Valiant and there was no sign of Captain Matthews but then she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"I wondered where you were. Where's Jack and Torchwood?" the Doctor asks her, slipping into the tent behind her.
"They are on their way. Their coming in the SUV. I opted for a Vortex instead," she tells him as he stands by her side.
"Things ok with you and Jack? Sensing a little tension there," the Doctor asks her as Phoenix looks at the screens and monitors.
"Things are fine and dandy Doctor, nothing to worry about so can we please drop it," she tells him moving behind him and leaving the tent, the Doctor right behind her.
"Please tell me that you aren't still going through with your crazy idea's?" he asks her and she stops in her tracks.
"Doctor, no offence intended but drop it. What I do has nothing to do with you. Torchwood will be protected, by me, by U.N.I.T. and by sharp shooters. They will do their thing and be backed up and I will do my thing, killing The Devourer. That is all you need to know Doctor now, are you going to show me your plans?" Phoenix asks him and he knew better than pushing the subject, leading her to the TARDIS.
The Torchwood team arrives in the SUV, Jack driving and straight away, he knew that things weren't right. There weren't enough troops around. A very unsettling feeling hit Jack's stomach as he pulled the SUV in between two British Army Bedford trucks. The team exit the SUV and Jack locks it up as he looks around.
"Jack. Is it me or are there not enough troops here?" Gwen asks him as the team walks together, all looking around.
"I was thinking that exact same thing as we were driving in," Jack tells her and he stops a private walking past.
"Where's General Stanley?" Jack asks him almost biting his head off.
"The large tent where everyone is going and out of," the private tells him and hurries off after he answered.
Jack follows where the private says and team follows him and he marches to the tent and storms inside, finding General Stanley.
"What's going on General? Where are all the troops?" Jack demands to know, his team standing beside him.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you that. You are going to have to ask Phoenix about this Captain Harkness," General Stanley tells him obeying Phoenix's instructions.
"And where is she?" Jack demands again.
"She left with the Doctor a little while ago," General Stanley tells Jack and he turns from him and leaves the tent, the team following him.
Jack stands and looks around and then he sees the blue TARDIS, sticking out like a saw thumb. The team followed Jack as he almost charged towards the TARDIS, stopping briefly at the door and then turning to the team.
"You lot stay out here. I will be a few minutes. I think that Phoenix needs to give us some answers," Jack tells them and they look at him, seeing that he was really angry.
Jack storms into the TARDIS and sees the Doctor and Phoenix talking by the centre console, talking about something technical that he didn't understand, Toshiko would have more understanding of what they were talking about.
"Is there something that you need to tell me? Why does everything come back to you? Where are all the troops? What the hell is coming on Phoenix?" Jack almost orders her charging up the gangway to the central console.
"Calm down Jack," the Doctor tells him, seeing the fury on his face as they turn and see Jack.
"Calm down? There aren't enough troops, this isn't what was planed and all I get is "Speak to Phoenix". What the hell is going on and I want the truth and now because my team is putting their lives on the line here," Jack almost barks at Phoenix as he reaches her.
"There are enough troops and I relieved you of your command so that if anything does go wrong, it comes back on me and not Torchwood and I know what needs to be done," Phoenix tells him in a round about kind of way.
"Oh here we go again. Phoenix the Demigoddess, Phoenix who knows everything, Phoenix who runs in and takes charge, Phoenix who comes back into people's lives and makes them care about her again just so she can run off and get herself killed," Jack starts and the SLAP! Phoenix slaps him across the face almost knocking him to the ground.
"How dare you Jack? How dare you say those things to me. I didn't do this to hurt you, to go wading in and stomp all over Torchwood. I did this to protect Torchwood. Torchwood is important in the future and I can't let anything happen to you all but you all have to be part of this fight. You know I can't tell you why but Torchwood being in this fight is important," Phoenix tells him as she turns to the Doctor and he gives her a look that she understood to say, "Don't tell him Phoenix".
"If it was that important, why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you trust me?" Jack asks her still holding his stinging cheek.
"Because Jack, I know you. You would have pushed and pushed and I would have told you and you know that it isn't good to know too much about the future. Trust me Jack, have I ever let you down before?" she asks him and he didn't even need to think about the answer.
"No you haven't. Tell me the plan," Jack tells her and between them, the Doctor and Phoenix tell Jack the plan, Phoenix only telling Jack what he absolutely needed to know.
She didn't tell him about the sharp shooters, she didn't tell him about her personal instructions to Captain Matthews and only told him the basics. Jack agreed begrudgingly to the plan that had been made without him and Phoenix assured him that his team would be safe no matter what. As Jack tells Owen, Gwen, Tosh and Ianto what was going on, the Doctor takes Phoenix to one side.
"Are you still intending to go through with your own plan?" he asks her as they lean on the centre console.
"You know I am Doctor. I've pretty much said my goodbyes to everyone I need to say goodbye to," Phoenix tells him with a painful smile.
"So it's my turn now. I didn't want to leave you Phoenix but you know how I felt about what you did. That doesn't mean that I regret any of our history and I mean any of it. I'm so glad that I found you again and one day, we will meet again. It's been an honour and a pleasure Phoenix," the Doctor tells her holding his hand out to her and she takes it, pulling him close and putting her arm around him.
"The honour was all mine Doctor," she tells him, a lone tear running down her cheek and then they are disturbed.
"Phoenix. They have just gotten word from the Valiant. They are coming," Jack tells them popping his head around the door and Phoenix pulls away from the Doctor.
"Let's get this show on the road then," she tells the Doctor and then smiles.