Merry morning readers! New chapter for you, hope you like it.
The Emperor of Hexacore was a cruel leader with a twisted opinion on right and wrong. Crowned supreme leader of the richest planet in the Pernavrak Galaxy at the highly impressionable age of eleven, his mind was poisoned by the luxury and rich decadence of royal lifestyle before he even sat down on the throne.
Horribly overweight and horribly impatient, he had no respect for the basic rights of his citizens and any visitor to his planet. Once a highly prosperous civilisation – the pride of the Pernavrak – Hexacore was reduced to an ally-less, poverty-stricken nation struggling under the weight of its uncaring leader. His perverse preference for female servants had families queuing outside palace doors, hoping that the Emperor liked what he saw in their daughters (and only what he saw), his unnecessary need for a military had fathers and sons willing to live in the horrid barracks conditions if it meant their families got a meal each day. As the Emperor's waistband grew, the wellbeing of his subjects greatly declined.
And it's safe to say that ruffled a few feathers (literally, seeing as Hexacorans were half bird).
. . .
"Your majesty," a grey-feathered guard called as he bowed before the Emperor. "A visitor has arrived on our- your soils. A female star-traveller."
The Emperor's beady eyes widened slightly at the mention of a new female specimen to study and something close to a greedy smile curved the edges of his short beak. "Send her in."
There was the sound of a small scuffle outside before a woman was dragged in, a steady stream of obscenities falling from her mouth. The two guards threw her to the ground ungraciously before turning to march in uniform unison out of the throne room, the large wooden doors shutting behind them.
She pulled herself to her feet, throwing her long hair over her shoulder and glaring up at him, arms folding over her chest as she noticed his wandering eyes sweeping her up and down. Even with a split lip and the slight shade of bruising beginning to form on her right cheekbone, the Emperor could see she was pretty. Not as beautiful as his other prizes but good looking enough that he would receive great pleasure from her standing over him every morning in a skimpy dress with breakfast in her arms.
"I don't appreciate being dragged here against my own will for you to inspect me," she spat and his smile widened.
"Such spirit you possess," he said, rising from his throne and taking her face in a talon-like hand. "A human female will be a rare addition to my castle staff."
"Is that what you do then? Steal woman from their homes and force them to flounce around your palace in little to no clothing?"
"They are my servants-"
"And your prostitutes," she added venomously. His feathered breast rose and fell with an over exaggerated sigh.
"Your words sting my reputation as a fair leader, my beauty," he said mockingly.
"The only reputation you have is being an overweight coward that doesn't have enough brains to tell his beak from his tail feathers." An audible smack rang around the room as he slapped her, his claws leaving four long scratches across her cheek. She didn't cry out or even flinch, simply glared at him as a guard came in to drag her away. The Emperor surged forward to slam the door behind them, his neck feathers bristling as he seethed with anger.
"I'll make her pay," he muttered to himself.
"Sorry, oh high and mighty emperor sir, but I don't think I can allow that."
He spun around quickly to see a strangely dressed human man lounging across his throne, a nonchalant smile on his face.
"Who are you?" the Emperor demanded. "How did you get in here?"
"Oh, I'm no one really," the man replied, easing himself up out of the chair and jumping down the few steps to the marble floor. "And how I got in is of no importance. What you should really be concerned about is what's going to happen to you, my feathered friend."
"Guards! Intruder in the throne room!"
"Oh I wouldn't bother. They've all taken a well-earned holiday."
"My people don't get holidays!" he sputtered indignantly, beak clicking in frustration.
"And I don't see any of your people around here so explain that," the man said with a smirk and an adjustment of his bowtie.
"What are you going to do with me?" the Emperor demanded, his tone scathing. The Doctor scratched the back of his head with a bemused grin.
"To tell you the truth, I have no idea. We were kind of making up the plan as we went along."
He went silent however as the sound of steadily nearing footsteps assaulted both their ears. The Emperor crowed loudly as a guard rounded the corner, coming to a halt uncertainly at the doorway when he saw the scene in front of him.
"Get him!" he yelled, pointing a clawed finger in the Doctor's direction. He threw his hands up quickly when the guard pulled out a gun. The Emperor's squawking laugh froze in his throat, however, when the guard turned the firearm on him.
"Sorry, mate," Hunter muttered before shooting. The once high and mighty ruler of Hexacore crumpled to the ground in a heap of feathery limbs.
"Can't say I'm particularly sorry to see him go," the Doctor murmured, crouching in front of the body and examining the dull brown plumage that covered the Emperor.
"I was hired to kill him, I had no choice."
"He had a choice long ago that could have changed what happened today," he said quietly, looking up at Hunter with a slightly sad smile. "He made the wrong one and now he's paying for it."
After several moments Nebula came strolling back into the room, nodded once at the still form of the Emperor before tossing the sonic screwdriver back to the Doctor. Hunter turned away from the window he was studying the landscape out of and made a small choking noise in the back of his throat.
"Nebs, what on earth are you wearing," he said, his voice rather strangled as he took in the loose white, gold-trimmed top and matching skirt she wore. The shirt covered up maybe slightly more than a bra and the skirt had a slit up the right side that stopped just below her underwear, so Hunter's scandalised reaction was suitable.
"The Emperor's men forced me into it before the Doctor got rid of them," she said with a raised eyebrow as she looked the unfamiliar man up and down. "Pardon my rudeness, but who are you?"
Hunter's face fell, perhaps more than it did the first time he found out the Doctor and River didn't know him. "Hunter," he mumbled. "My name's Hunter."
"Hunter's from my – or as it turns out – our future," the Doctor said quickly to avoid any confusion. "Exciting isn't it?"
"And slightly confusing," she replied with a giddy smile that mirrored his. "Anyway, back on topic. All the woman that old pervert had locked up are free now."
"Back to their families."
"And back to wearing clothing with their underwear," she muttered grumpily, absentmindedly tugging on the hem of her skirt. Hunter pulled off his tan-coloured trench coat and handed it to her, a small smirk on his face.
"Don't want you catching a cold."
"It's not like Timelords do," she replied but took the coat anyway, flashing him a thankful grin.
"Well, it seems it's mission accomplished," the Doctor said as he rubbed his hands together. "I guess we'll leave the body here for his subjects to attend to, unless you need it?" Hunter shook his head. "Good. Great. Just lovely. Shall we be going? We've been away awhile, Nebs; River's probably starting to wonder."
"Of course, of course. Will you be joining us, Hunter sir?"
"If it's no bother to you two."
"Not at all."
"No trouble whatsoever."
And they were off, Nebula taking the lead with Hunter and the Doctor not far behind. The Timelord couldn't help but notice the way Hunter couldn't seem to keep the contented smile off his face as he watched Nebula walking ahead of them at a leisurely pace, or how he went slightly red in the cheeks when she tossed a curious look at him over her shoulder. A wry grin spread across his face.
"You love her," the Doctor said, a statement more than a question. Hunter simply blushed deeper and rubbed the back of his head nervously in confirmation. "Are you two, – in the future of course – you know…"
Hunter shook his head slightly and then a rueful grin spread across his young face. "Any other woman I have no qualms flirting with shamelessly, but her… I doubt she likes me. Will like me. Time streams are so-"
"Wibbly-wobbly," the Doctor finished and they both smirked identical smirks. "I'm really not the best at this whole relationship thing myself so I apologise for the lack of advice."
"You're bloody married."
"Hey, all I have to do is flirt back and it's smooth sailing. I don't think I've ever actually gone sailing. Rather romanticised activity, isn't it? You humans and your labelling of someone's wealth by the size of their boat. Christmas is coming up; maybe I'll buy River a boat. One of those big fancy yachts with the sails and the ropes…"
Hunter smiled to himself as he listened to the other man's babbling, following Nebula through the various rooms and long hallways of the palace before they crept down the creaky wooden stairs of a wine cellar, the many rows of barrels illuminated dimly in the faint light the TARDIS gave off. With the familiar creak of ancient blue doors, they all tumbled inside, Nebula wandering up the stairs and down the hallway to a room somewhere to get changed while Hunter joined the Doctor on the flight deck.
"I vaguely remember at our last meeting that you said I wouldn't see you again for a long while," he said, flicking several switches and turning a handle.
"I lied," Hunter replied easily with a River-ish smile. "I can't tell you everything; gotta keep you on your toes. By the way, where are you?"
"River's roughly seven months pregnant," he replied, examining something on the scanner. He looked back at Hunter for a moment and squinted slightly before sighing rather huffily and turning the screen off. "Where will we be taking you, Hunter my good man?"
"Anywhere you want, really. I'm just along for the ride."
And so, soon after Nebula returned, back in her usual long-sleeved, knee-length dress that looked like it was woven out of stars, Hunter's coat in her arms, they were away once again. Hunter, much to the Doctor and Nebula's surprise, joined the two of them in their merry dance around the console, flicking switches and pulling levers as they navigated to 21st century Cornwall and ate pasties by the grey seaside.
Hunter vortex-manipulated away shortly before the TARDIS landed once again in the colourful back garden of their home where they found a slightly peeved River standing on the back veranda with a hand on her hip. Turns out they left two and a half weeks ago and only the promise of doing all the household chores until the baby arrived and a kiss on the cheek from her husband made River forgive them. She would have forgiven them with just the kiss but she wasn't going to tell them that anytime soon.
This chapter gives me the warm fuzzies :3
No promises for when the next chapter'll come out, but I'll try my hardest to write it soon. Please reveiw if you liked it!
