PHOENIX RISING
Chapter 6
The destruction of Teranova had taken less than five minutes, ending with the Lensiati scanning the planet for lifesigns just to make sure that the world was indeed dead. With the confirmation that the woman standing on the bridge was now the Last of the Teranovians, Grand Commandant Heton ordered that the prisoners be taken from the bridge and returned to their cell, making it plainly known to them that they would be the entertainment for the trip back to Lensi. Both the Doctor and Nariam understood that meant they would be forced to fight for their lives several times over. If they survived the gladiatorial fighting, they would eventually being tortured to death before the ship reached its destination.
The duo walked side by side as two Lensiati guards followed, watching them carefully. No one said a word as they moved somberly through the corridors, though the Doctor and Nariam occasionally glanced at each other to see how the other was coping with the situation.
After they had gone a good distance from the bridge, the Doctor suddenly stopped and turned around to face their Lensiati escort. Before either of the guards could react, he jabbed his index and middle fingers into the guards' necks. The guards' eyes widened with shock at the strength of the wiry man in front of them before dropping to the floor.
Nariam stared, astonished by the Doctor's actions. "What did you do to them?"
"Venusian aikido," he quickly explained. "They'll be unconscious for several hours."
"Why didn't you do this before?" she demanded.
"Unlike the Lensiati, I only resort to violence when I absolutely must. Plus it wouldn't have helped until now." Seeing the angry, incredulous look on Nariam's face, he looked into her eyes. "We were surrounded by Lensiati warriors. If I'd acted before, all I would have done is get us both killed and Heton would still have bombarded your planet. At least, there's a chance for you now. We have to move," he continued bluntly. "Someone's bound to find them and raise an alarm." He grabbed her hand and started to run from the fallen Lensiati.
She halted abruptly, gazing into his eyes. "What about my people? You're a Sasane! The sacred texts say you rule over time and space! You may not be a god, but you can still go back into the past and save them!"
"They're gone, Nariam," he told her, pained by his own helplessness. "If I could save them, I would. But I can't. I can travel through time and space but the moment I arrive somewhere, I become part of the timeline. I can't go back and undo what has already happened and I don't have power over life and death, no matter what your faith tells you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. The only thing I can do is prevent your people from becoming extinct by saving you and your child. Now, run!"
The two made some leeway, turned several corners before stopping. The Doctor scanned their surroundings to determine where to go next while Nariam leaned against a wall, panting against the exertion she had just put herself under.
"I can't run anymore," she protested. Taking a shaking breath, she found herself sobbing as the events caught up with her. "I want to die," she told him, tears pouring out. "What's the point in living if you're the only one left?"
"That's the point of living!" the Time Lord told her firmly. He gripped her shoulders. "And you aren't the only one. You have that baby you're about to birth. Or at least, you will have if the Lensiati don't catch us." He wiped away the tears on her face. "I understand what you are going through. Believe me I do. Well… all except the labor part." Not receiving the reaction he wanted, namely a small smile of some sort, he pressed on. "You have to keep going for your people's sake. You have to be the voice that tells the rest of the universe about Teranova so that it is never forgotten." When she pulled her head away from his touch, the Doctor firmly took her chin and made her look into his eyes. "If you give up now, no one will know what happened here. No one will remember Teranova. And the Lensiati will win. Is that really what you want?"
She sniffed, forcing herself to stop crying. "No," she answered quietly. "I don't want that." Suddenly, she groaned and bent over. A moment later, she felt something trickling down her leg.
Both gaped at the pool of liquid forming underneath her; her water had broken.
"It appears I've overestimated how long it would take for the baby to be ready for birth," the Doctor ascertained. Seeing the desperation in the pregnant woman's eyes, he quickly held her shoulders. "It's going to be fine," he told her firmly.
"I'm in labor, my planet is dead, and we are running for our lives! How can it possibly be fine?!" she shouted at him.
The Time Lord didn't reply for a long moment, though his eyes showed that he sympathized. "My ship isn't far. I can hear her calling to me." As he spoke, a loud claxon filled the corridor, telling the fugitives that the fallen guards had been discovered. "We have to keep going," the Doctor urged.
"While I'm having a baby?!" she exclaimed, groaning as a contraction hit.
"You're not going to have a baby if you don't move! Come on!" He took her hand again, this time wrapping his free arm around her waist to encourage her to move quickly despite her condition.
A stomping of feet behind them told the Doctor and Nariam that the Lensiati were on their track just as they hurried into a large cargo bay. There, on the far end, was the TARDIS, the light in her windows shining like a beacon. The two quickly moved towards the safe haven, slowing once as Nariam reacted to another contraction.
The time ship was only a few short feet away when Nariam screamed in pain as the horrifying sound of a laser gun filled the air. Eyes wide in shock, she started to topple forward, the Doctor catching her quickly as a ray of condensed light zipped past their heads. The bleeding wound on her back and the continuing barrage of laser fire instantly told the Doctor that the Lensiati had shot the pregnant woman.
"Nariam!" he cried, protectively blocking her as he rapidly picked her up in his arms. He snapped his fingers as he ran the remaining distance to the TARDIS. In response, the doors to the ship immediately opened wide, allowing him to carry the injured mother in just as another bolt of energy zoomed past them, barely missing the Doctor's elbow. With another snap of the fingers, the doors closed as the Lensiati death squad caught up, blocking them from their prey.
The sound of fists pounding on wood filled the ship while the Doctor quickly put Nariam on the grated floor. Hurrying around the console, he grabbed a medical kit and quickly returned, opening it as he moved.
"Hang on, Nariam," he ordered firmly, ignoring the pounding at the doors with the knowledge that, no matter what, the Lensiati would not be able to breach them.
The woman gave a choked scream of agony, the damage from the laser burn and the pain of child-bearing overwhelming her senses. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Oh, Ranna!" She sobbed, shaking violently with emotion and pain. "Please, save my baby!" she breathed.
"I'm going to save you both," the Doctor told her firmly, pulling out a large gauze pad and soaking it with a pale green solution. "Just stay with me. Stay with me, Nariam," he encouraged as he reached under her and pressed the gauze pad into the wound, causing her to buck and scream in response. "I know it hurts. I'm sorry."
"I need to birth!" she bellowed with gasping breaths. She looked at the Doctor, desperation filling her eyes. "Please, my child first. Please," she begged. Her legs spread to ease the pressure she could feel as the child started to ease its way out of her womb.
Needing to assess the damage done to her back by the Lensiati weapon, the Doctor carefully lifted her so that she was nearly at a forty-five degree angle, just enough for him to get a good look at the would. He swallowed tightly at what he saw. The blast had literally ripped through her. From the pattern of the burn, he could see that, if the Lensiati had been only a couple of feet closer, the shot would have gone through her entire body, killing her nearly instantly. As it was, however, the laser had burned away a large part of the left side of her torso. Half of her lung was missing, thus explaining her trouble breathing since being shot. She was hemorrhaging profusely, the proof being seen in the blood that soaked her dress and the gauze pad. The worst part of it all was that he hadn't needed the sonic screwdriver to notice the internal damage done. In an instant, his diagnosis made the initial treatment he had just given her a pointless act of unintentional brutality, especially now that he knew the fate that awaited her – a fate he couldn't prevent. He wasn't about to let the child endure the same.
Brushing her hair from her face, he gently laid Nariam down again before quickly moving so that he could assist in the delivery process. Lifting her skirt, he quickly removed her undergarments and checked on the progress of the child's entrance into life.
"The head's crowned," he informed her. "You need to push, Nariam." Seeing the fear in her eyes, he encouraged, "You can do it. I know you're in an indescribable amount of pain but this is for your child. Now, push."
With a holler, the mother obeyed, her fingers gripping the grated floor underneath her. She bore down a couple more times at the Doctor's insistence and was relieved when, a moment later, there was a tiny cough and then a cry. The TARDIS was mysteriously silent at that moment, the Lensiati no doubt having figured out that they couldn't force the doors open and planning their next actions. The Doctor had no doubts that they would try again soon but he was grateful for the temporary silence interrupted only by the child's cries, Nariam's own cries of pain and joy, and the hum of the time ship.
Despite the agony she was in, Nariam gave a soft smile as she watched the Gallifreyan quickly shuck off his jacket and wrap the newborn in it, the umbilical cord still attached to its small frame. Digging into the medical kit, he quickly brought out a pair of scissors and cut the cord before tying a knot in each of the severed halves to prevent further leakage. Then, certain that he'd done everything that he could for mother and child at the moment, he brought the child to Nariam.
"You have a son," he told her gently, putting the tiny thing in her arms.
Nariam, shaking noticeably, held her son close to her as the Doctor carefully raised her head once again, resting her bodily against himself. "He's… beautiful," she wheezed and then, turning her head away, coughed, bringing up a mouthful of blood as she did so. The child cried at being jostled so abruptly, causing her to look upon him with concern. "He needs… a name."
The Doctor ignored the blood that was seeping from Nariam's back into his dress shirt, holding her close while gently brushing her hair with his hand.
"Yes, he does," he affirmed gently, ignoring the knot in his throat that came with the knowledge these were the last few minutes of his new friend's life. "What name are you giving him?"
Nariam gave a weak smile. "It's not a… woman's place to… name a child. You helped me… birth him. He is now your son… as well. Please… honor me… by naming him."
The Time Lord nearly objected to her request but stopped. At this final moment especially, the Teranovian deserved for him to honor her traditions. If it was his responsibility to give this small child a name, he would give him one. With the knowledge that the baby boy would soon become the last of his kind, he knew exactly the perfect name.
"There is an old Earth tale of a magnificent bird," the Doctor whispered in Nariam's ear. "This bird, according to some legends, lived for five hundred years. At the end of his life, he would make a nest, settle in and quite literally burst into flames, consuming himself and turning into ash. But what made this bird so remarkable was that, every time he died, he was reborn from the ashes with a brand new life to live. That's what your people are, Nariam. You are the Phoenix. And so, I name your son Phoenix because, like the Phoenix, your people will rise again through him. "
"Phoenix," the dying woman whispered with reverence. She looked upon the child, who was trying to suckle at her breast and found himself frustrated by the clothing that prevented him from doing so. "It is… a beautiful name." She leaned against the Doctor, ignoring the pain the action brought her. "I am… so blessed. I die… in the arms of my god… honored by… his naming our child." She took a shaky breath, turning her head to look into the Doctor's eyes. "Zostra ushate, Prehito Sasane."
A moment later, the last mother of Teranova and the mother of all future Teranovians was spared further agony as she slipped into oblivion.
With a slow, shaky breath, the Doctor swallowed down his emotions. He wanted to cry and scream from the loss that was tearing at his hearts but he knew he had to focus. Pulling Nariam's body closer to him, he reached over and carefully took the bawling newborn from his mother's slack arms. Cradling the child in one arm, he delicately extricated himself from under the body while respectfully lowering it to the grated floor. Then, ignoring the blood that literally covered his shirt, trousers and hands, he carried the boy with him to the console just as another violent attack barraged the TARDIS' main door.
The Time Lord glared at the door as if he could see the death squad on the other side. "No second chances," he growled. With a determined expression, he moved around the console, setting coordinates before flicking a switch and sending the time ship into the time vortex.
The Lensiati death squad watched with astonishment as the large blue box faded and disappeared, an ungodly ripping sound filling the air as it did so. They turned to Grand Commandant Heton, who stood at the far end of the room watching the efforts to break through the time ship's defenses. From the look on his face, he was obviously not pleased with the loss of his greatest capture in his illustrious career.
"The slave was killed?" he finally asked his second after a long moment of silence.
"A direct hit to her back, Grand Commandant," the officer answered. "No one could survive such injuries for long. The Teranovian race is extinct."
Heton huffed slightly before taking a slow breath. "And the Doctor?"
"Escaped uninjured, Grand Commandant," came the reply.
There was a palpable tension in the room as Heton considered was he had seen and what he had been told. After a long moment, the Lensiati commander finally spoke. "We need something to bring His Greatness upon our return to Lensi." He turned to his second with resolution. "The two guards that allowed the Doctor and the slave to escape. They can answer to the Emperor. I will not have our glorious moment, the squelching of the Teranovian rebellion, be overshadowed by their incompetence."
The second-in-command bowed slightly and immediately went into action, giving the necessary orders that would eventually lead to the deaths of the two guards the Doctor had spared.
Marching out of the cargo bay where his prize had vanished, Heton made his way back towards the bridge to ensure that the Pasinia had started its journey home.
While little Phoenix continued to cry, the Doctor reviewed all the things that needed to be done, putting them in order of priority. Naturally, the first priority was to the child in his arms. The boy was obviously hungry, not having been able to feed from his mother before she died. He also needed a check-up, a washing, a clean diaper, and clothing to keep him warm before being put down to sleep.
The problem presented to the Doctor, though, was that there was no suitable sustenance for a newborn infant in the TARDIS' cupboards. The baby was far too young to drink regular cow's milk, being far too heavy and rich for his sensitive stomach at his age. The Doctor needed to get the appropriate formula for the child soon but that didn't provide an immediate remedy for the situation. As much as he disliked the idea, he was going to have to give the baby a false sense of being full until he could get him some proper nourishment.
Gently cupping the child's face with his hand, the Doctor closed his eyes and calmed Phoenix into a gentle sleep. Then, forcing himself to ignore the body in the console room, he carried the boy through the TARDIS and into the medical bay. There, with an efficiency that told he had done the act several times before in his past, he ran a quick check-up to ensure that the boy was healthy. He then delicately washed the boy before putting a makeshift diaper on his small frame. Carrying him through the time ship into his own bedroom, he put a pillow in a clothes basket to create a temporary crib and placed the boy in the basket, covering him with a small bath towel for a blanket.
Leaving the basket in the middle of the bed there, he instructed the TARDIS to keep an eye on the child while he stripped out of his bloodied clothes. Showered and dressed, he retrieved the temporary crib and carried the boy back to the console room.
As he returned to the heart of the TARDIS, the Doctor looked upon the body of his friend somberly. It wasn't often when he had the responsibility of tending to the dead but, when he did, he took the task quite seriously. He didn't know what traditions the Teranovians had when it came to funerary rituals but, based on what little he did know, he supposed that they were similar to his own people's. At the same time, he knew that he would not be able to look after the child now in his care and prepare Nariam for the funeral rites she deserved. He was going to need help and he knew exactly where to get it. He therefore immediately set coordinates for the one inhabitable planet he felt was most appropriate for both of his tasks: Earth.
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The sun shined down on the suburban street in the city of London, birds chirping joyfully as they gathered the necessary building materials for their nests. Up and down said street, the sound of children playing filled the air, accented by running sprinklers.
In the back yard of one particular house, three teenagers – two boys and a girl – were laughing while they played an odd game that involved an object strongly resembling a Frisbee. Only this Frisbee seemed to have a mind of its own, evading capture while staying within the confines of the yard.
"Oh, come on, Clyde. It isn't that hard," the girl teased as she watched her friend diving for the "Frisbee". He missed the object by mere inches, causing him to land flat on his chest.
"I'd like to see you do better, Rani," Clyde answered as he stood up. Almost immediately, he got his wish as the girl ran up to the flying disc, feigned reaching for it, and circled so that it came directly into her hands.
"It's a simple matter of anticipating its next move," Rani told Clyde with confidence. "Once you know that, you can trick it into doing what you want."
The second boy smiled at her reasoning. "But it's still on Level 1. It has ten levels of difficulty…" He trailed off, his smile dissipating as a breeze moved the leaves on the trees and an odd sound grew in the air.
"What's wrong?" Clyde questioned as he and Rani went to the boy, concern on their faces.
None of them could speak as a 1960s police box materialized before them. Their dumbstruck expression remained as the door opened and a tall skinny man wearing a brown pin-striped suit stepped out.
A broad grin suddenly appeared on the second boy's face. "Doctor!" he exclaimed, obviously pleased.
"Who?" Clyde and Rani questioned simultaneously, frowning at the man before them.
The Doctor turned abruptly at the voices behind him, his eyes wide with surprise. It took a moment for him to recognize one of the teenagers standing before him. "Luke Smith! Pleasure to finally meet you in person," he greeted, extending his hand to the boy. He pointed to the toy hovering a few feet to the left. "Is that a Jerulian agility disc?"
"Wait a minute…" Clyde put in, interrupting the two before they could say anything further. "Just who the hell are you?"
The Time Lord looked at the boy for a moment, a slight frown on his face. "You don't happen to be related to a man named Mickey Smith? Because you certainly sounded just like him a moment ago."
"It's okay," Luke told his friends. "He's the Doctor."
The Gallifreyan gave a slight smile at the endorsement. "Yup, that's me," he answered, tucking his hands into his pockets.
Clyde's eyes widened slightly. "You mean… Sarah Jane's Doctor?" He looked at Luke and noted that the smile hadn't faded in the least. "The same Doctor you told us about… the one your mum helped put the Earth back into its orbit?"
Getting a nod from Luke, Clyde and Rani laughed in delight, immediately starting to ask questions of the Time Lord. The Doctor held up his hands to silence them quickly, his attention on Luke.
"I need to see your mum… and there she is. Hello, Sarah Jane," he greeted with a gentle smile as Sarah Jane Smith suddenly appeared in the yard, having obviously hurried out of the house.
"Doctor," Sarah Jane returned the greeting before abruptly going to him and hugging him. "I heard the TARDIS materializing and came down as fast as I could. Oh, it's so good to see you!"
"And you," the Doctor agreed. His face grew somber a moment later as he glanced at the teenagers, who had stepped back to allow the reunion to take place without interruption. Just the sight of the children reminded the Gallifreyan of the purpose of his visit. Pulling away from his friend's embrace, he looked into her eyes. "I need to ask a favor of you."
"You know you can ask anything of me," she affirmed, obviously pleased that the Doctor had come to her for assistance.
"I need you to watch over someone for me," he continued. "Just for a couple of days while I take care of something."
"Who?" Sarah Jane questioned, her curiosity piqued.
"My son. Well, my adopted son," the Doctor told her. He took a breath. "He was sort of bequeathed to me."
She gaped at him in astonishment for a long moment before finding her voice again. "You have a son," she murmured gently to herself, verifying what she had heard him say.
"He's human… Well… sort of," he continued. "He's in need of the basic necessities. Haven't had the chance to take care of those. Wouldn't know what the basic necessities of a human baby are other than a nappy, clothes, and a bottle. So, I was hoping that you'd… give him a head start…" He sniffed. "I'll just… go bring him out," he shifted the conversation slightly, pointing at the TARDIS.
Sarah Jane reached out to touch his arm. "Do you mind of we come in with you?" she questioned. "I know the boys and Rani would love to see the TARDIS."
The Doctor looked into her eyes. "Yes. I do mind." He noted the expression she wore and gave a slight concession. "Just you. Not them." Seeing that she was about to protest, he continued. "I have my reasons and you will understand once you come in." Opening the door, he allowed Sarah Jane to enter before following and closing the door.
"Oh, my gawd!" the journalist cried out, covering her mouth in despair at the sight of the body in the middle of the TARDIS' floor. "What happened?" she questioned, already figuring that the woman had been the Doctor's companion.
The Doctor sniffed as he walked around the console to the Captain's chair. "It's a long story. But…" He swallowed tightly. "A Lensiati death squad shot her in the back as we were escaping. She died giving birth to her son." Picking up the clothes basket that was resting in the chair, he brought it over to Sarah Jane with a sad smile. "This is Phoenix. I didn't know his mother Nariam for long. Only two Earth days but… she was brilliant."
Sarah Jane looked down on the sleeping boy, her face reflecting the mixed emotions she was feeling. She grieved for the baby's losing his mother before he had a chance to know her and for the Doctor, knowing that he was taking the whole situation close to his hearts. At the same time, she was bathing in the glory of the new life before her. "He's beautiful," she said softly. "He's so small."
"Yeah," the Time Lord agreed. "Well, he's only an hour old at the most. He'll be hungry when he wakes up. Didn't have the resources to properly feed him. I mean, if he's like most humanoid babies, cow's milk is going to be too heavy for him and… well… I have no clue what you give a human baby when you can't breast feed him."
Sarah Jane gave him a gentle smile, accepting the clothes basket from the Gallifreyan. "I'll take care of him for you. I've never taken care of a newborn but I know several people who have. I can get some advice from them. And I'll show you how to take care of him when you are done… doing what you have to do." She didn't have to ask to know that, for the next two days, the Doctor was going to ensure that the baby's mother's body was taken care of with respect. "And I'll be here to listen," she added, hoping that her friend would take her up on the offer.
"Thank you," he replied quietly. Without further word, he escorted the journalist to the main door and, with a hug, allowed her to exit before closing the door behind her.
A moment later, the police box vanished the back yard, leaving her, her son and his friends with the child. Sarah Jane waited until the TARDIS had completely disappeared before turning to the teenagers.
"Come on. We have a lot of work ahead of us for the next forty-eight hours," she informed them, carrying the boy towards the house.
The three friends followed her, questions running through their mind about the baby now in Sarah Jane's custody.
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Author's note: I have decide to set this story after DW:Journey's End. As such, Luke has met the Doctor via viewphone and Clyde and Rani have only heard of the Doctor.
Translations
Zostra ushate, Prehito Sasane: Thank you, Doctor Time Lord. (proper colloquial Gallifreyan would be "Zostraz ushaztere, Prehiltosa Shansana" according to my version of Gallifreyan, but, as the reader knows, Teranovian Gallifreyan isn't exactly conjugated or pronounced the same)
