I'm back! So this chapter is longer than the last one because I visibly don't know where to stop lol I hope you will enjoy it. Please tell me what you think of it, because it was an hard one for me and I really want to be sure I made it justice. Like always a million thanks to penandpaper83, my beta, who is an angel!
Chapter 5:
A few seconds later, in a blinding flash, she reappeared in front a very surprised soldier, who didn't even had time to point his weapon before she presented her credential. "Colonel Wolfe. I'm coming from the Valiant. I need to know where Colonel Mace is."
Still totally stunned by what he just saw, the soldier just pointed in direction of the UNIT field base. Rose thanked him and marched with a resolute step into the secured space.
"Okay, I'm here. What do we know exactly? And what is your next move? " Rose said with determination, her sudden appearance clearly surprising a few of the people. A few people even looked at her in surprise at the fact that the Colonel Wolfe was there. Some of them tried to salute, but she stopped them with an annoyed look.
Mace sighed irritably. "Wolfe, like I said..."
Rose growled, making a lot of them nervous. She was clearly totally over the lack of information. "Don't push me, Mace. What. Is. Happening."
A few people started whispering among themselves, they knew Rose was high rank, but they didn't know that she was that high of a rank. Mace throwed them a black look before replying, "It's ATMOS. We think it's alien, but we don't have total confirmation. I sent a group of soldiers into the factory to secure the area. We are waiting for advice from our expert but meanwhile we are sitting ducks. Satisfied?" His tone clearly displeased with the intrusion.
"Do we have any idea about what's in that gas?" Rose asked. After a few seconds a woman gave her a clipboard. She thanked her, and looked at her distractedly before doing a double take. "Oh you're Martha! Martha Jones, right?" She smiled.
The woman gave a somewhat forced smile. "Yes, that's me. Do I know you?"
"No, no but I heard about you. You were the one to save us all during the year that never was. You were also traveling with the Doctor, right?"
"Yes, yes, she was," said Mace impatiently as Martha stalked off, annoyed by all the small talk. "And like I've mentioned, we are waiting for him to report his findings. So, I'm sure you will be very helpful but..."
Rose blanched, the clipboard slipping from her fingers. "The Doctor? He's here?"
Mace looked at her with curiosity. "Yes he is our expert. Who do you think operation blue sky was targeting? It's not like we have a lot of allies and expert on alien technologies. Even you've had your limit."
But Rose was not listening, she was too lost in her own head. She looked all around her with a frantic look. "I can't be here. I need to go."
"But Wolfe..." However, a sizzle on the radio made Mace pause to listen properly. "Greyhound 40 to Trap 1, I have just returned the Doctor to base safe and sound. Over."
"Trap 1, received. Over." He responded.
At the same time Martha came back with her phone on hand. "Sir, message from the Doctor. He says Code Red Sontaran."
Mace cursed under his breath. "One moment." He grabbed his radio. "All troops: Code Red Sontaran. Repeat: Code Red Sontaran." He glanced at Rose, who was still, and pale as a ghost. "Well, you wanted in. Now you are! If you have any idea how to sort this mess, I'm all ears!"
Rose felt the familiar adrenaline begin to flood her body. She licked her lips, hoping that the idiot would heed her advice so that she could get out of here quickly. She wanted to be anywhere but here. "You said that you sent some troops into the factory? The Sontarans are a warrior race, and they will not resist to draw your people into a firefight!" She grabbed her weapon from her holster. "I'm going in. And don't you dare tell the Doctor I was here!" And before they were able to say something, she was out of the UNIT field base. Less than a minute after her departure it was the Doctor's turn to rush inside.
"Right then, here I am. Whatever you do, Colonel Mace, do not engage the Sontarans in battle. There is nothing they like better than a war. Just leave this to me."
Captain Price rolled her eyes. "She goes out. He goes in. Seriously... This place is worst than a vaudeville act!"
The Doctor spun around, and looked at her confused. "What?"
Mace interrupted him, diverting his attention again. "And what is your plan for dealing with this problem?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was a very determined Rose who caught a slightly stunned Jenkins. "You. Are you the one in charge down here?"
He saluted, a little unsure about what's happening. "Just for my unit, yes. But my orders are coming from Colonel Mace. You want me to call him?"
"No, I'm good." She showed him her UNIT card. "Colonel Marion Wolfe. I'm taking over the command here." The men made themselves all stand at attention, annoying Rose who was clearly not in the mood. "At ease, and don't salute again, it's not necessary." The men looked at each other confused.
"Sorry, Ma'am, but why are you here? I mean we are honored, but we're only responsible for securing the building."
She ignored his question. "How many soldiers here?"
He looked at the other men with a shrug. "I don't know. I think maybe 30 or 40."
Rose reached for her radio before realizing it was on the Valiant. She cursed softly. "Shit don't have mine." She looked at Ross. "Ok, I want you to spread the word that we're on high alert. Nobody is patrolling alone, and if anyone sees anything suspicious they report and go back to base. We are up against Sontarans. They don't take prisoners, and they are a highly skilled warrior race. So we are playing on the safe side. Clear?" she commanded in the most serious tone that she had. Plus, anxiety was creeping it's way in, with the Doctor nearby and the Sontaran, it was a recipe for disaster.
He nodded gravely. "As clear as possible, Ma'am."
She smirked. "Great." She turned to one of the men. "You, what's your name."
"Pri...Private Cahnahan Ma'am," he stuttered, still surprised that Colonel Wolfe was addressing him directly.
Rose smiled widely. "Nice to meet you! You're coming with me, and we are going to see further inside what's happening!" She turned to Jenkins. "Don't forget what I said." She turned back to Cahnahan. "Can I have your radio please?"
Ross nodded, already passing the message. "Greyhound Forty to all factory troops. Everyone on code Red. I repeat, everyone on code Red. If anything appears suspicious, report immediately and retreat. Alpha Wolf order."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
All of the radios began to crackle. "Greyhound Forty to all factory troops. Everyone on code Red. I repeat everyone on code Red. Report immediately if anything is out of place. Alpha Wolf order."
Mace sighed while listening. Of course she would take over and do whatever she wanted. Sometimes he wanted to scream in frustration. Between her and the Doctor, if he didn't have a heart attack by the end of the ordeal, he would consider himself lucky. He then turned to the operative besides Price. "Call NATO, we are starting operation Defcon One initiatives. We don't have any other choice."
"Right on it, sir!" the man replied and got to his mission.
"And what about the factory...?" Price asked uneasily.
"Let the Colonel do whatever she wants, like she always does. If she prefers to prepare for imaginative objectives instead of saving the world then good for her. But I'm not going to be a coward." He puffed himself taller. "I'm going to do what is necessary."
"Green light from NATO, Colonel!"
"Great! Let's save the world!" Mace said with a smile.
The Doctor suddenly barreled in. Again. "Change of plan," he began while looking a little worried.
Mace smiled. "Good to have you fighting alongside us, Doctor."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"So Cahnahan, do you have a first name?" Rose asked her temporary partner as they passed the west corridor.
"Lee, Ma'am," he answered, his weapon firmly in hand. He waved to signal her that the corridor was clear. "I was named after my grandfather."
Rose opened a door to do a quick, yet thorough check before they moved on, reassured to not see anything resembling a Sontaran. It appeared to be all clear except for the two other teams they saw earlier in another hallway. "That's sweet. And have you've been with UNIT long?"
"It's gonna be a year in three weeks."
They continued their progression in silence for a few minutes, passing through doors and hallways without seeing anything. It was a little eerie to see so much empty space. It was not really reassuring to Rose, who was certain that some sort of trouble was brewing.
Sontarans were not reputed for a peaceful nature.
They were walking mostly in peace, except for the few orders that Rose gave here or there. But she noted how Lee looked at her with nervousness, obviously trying to ask something without having the courage. After two false starts, which Rose pretended to not notice, he finally managed to ask, "And you? How long have you been with UNIT? If I may ask."
She stopped her progression and looked at him, smiling. "Don't be shy, Lee. How about you ask me what you've really wanted to ask."
"It's true you've been with UNIT since its creation?" He asked with trepidation. He knew that he was one of the few that had the gut to ask the question that everyone wanted to ask.
"Well..." Rose started but was cut by a sudden frantic radio message that she recognized as Jenkin's voice. "Sontarans within factory grounds. East corridor, grid six!"
She cursed. She knew that something will happen. She knew it. "Alpha Wolf One to all stations immediate retreat! I repeat immediate retreat! Everyone out !" She screamed into her radio, already moving rapidly to the south exit. A few teams were on her six, or already out, making her sigh with relief. She hoped that everyone had time to run out.
"Troop moving, I'm going to slow them down!" Jenkins said a few seconds later, making Rose and Cahnahan stop abruptly. "Jenkins, evacuate immediately! That's an order!" She screamed again into her radio, making a desperate half turn, already running towards his direction. "Or I swear to god I will make your life a living hell!" she lowered her radio and called over her shoulder for Lee to get out and make sure that everybody was following orders. Without another word, she started running faster.
Jenkin's voice came through the radio again. "My weapon is not working! Tell the Doctor it's that cordolaine signal!" The shoot and sudden static that followed his last words made her blood run cold. It was too late for him. She wanted to scream and cry, but now was not the time. He gave his life to save others, and she will not let another soldier die for nothing.
She shoved her weapon hazardly in her back and started to search the ground, hoping to not come face to face with a Sontaran. But she was lucky and only found three soldiers, trying to run desperately to the exit.
"Colonel!" One of them shouted with relief that it was one of their own that they ran into. "They've taken the factory!"
"Yes, I know! You need to evacuate!" She pushed them in front of her, already hearing the heavy footing of the aliens. But she didn't have the time to say another word, her radio crackled again. "Alpha Wolf One report. Over!" came the extremely stressed voice of Colonel Mace.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The Doctor and Mace were arguing when the loudspeaker came to life again. "Sontarans within factory grounds. East corridor, grid six!" Jenkins called out over the the radio, almost immediately followed by another voice, just as frantic as the last one. "Alpha Wolf One to all stations immediate retreat! I repeat, immediate retreat! Everyone out!"
The Doctor looked startled by that voice. "Who is that? The second voice, who is she?" he demanded while looking at Mace, who tugged at his collar nervously.
"Why do you ask?" Mace replied as the exchange continued in the background.
The Doctor started to pace, occasionally looking at the speaker like it had the power to answer all of his questions. And as the exchange continued on the radio he suddenly turned around and stopped just a few centimeters short of Mace, who retreated under the surprise. Even the soldiers around were visibly uneased by the comportment of the Doctor. "Because it's probably the most important thing in the universe right now!" The glint in his eyes made the Colonel shiver.
Mace moved back a few steps. Uneasy and troubled by the direction the conversation was heading. "It's clearly not the time, Doctor, we have a planet to save!" he said with irritation.
But the Doctor was clearly not having it, looking more frazzled by the moment. Passing his hand through his hair again and again. Making the hair stick up every which way. A few soldiers started to look around, puzzled by exchange and who they were discussing. Even Price and Mace were starting to be worried about the well being of the Doctor.
"TELL ME!" the Doctor growled, furious at the lack of responses. He knew that voice belonged to Rose. He didn't know how that was possible, but he would have recognized it even in his sleep.
He would not let the universe separate them again. Even if he had to step into the factory himself and take her back into the Tardis where she belonged.
He started to move towards Mace, a determined look in his eyes. The oncoming storm was there, daring the man to deny what he knew. Thank god Donna was not here, she would have slapped him into oblivion, reminding him that there were more pressing issues at hand in this moment.
But the Colonel was clearly more brave than he would have think. "Greyhound 40 was talking about a cordolaine signal. What is it? There are too many lives at stake, not only my men, but the entire world! We need you, so don't make me arrest you, because that would be counterproductive," He threatened in a firm and clear voice, making the Doctor slightly back away, clearing the madness a little.
He looked around, feeling guilt as his comportment, seeing so many look of confusion made him realise that it was not only his life at stake, he was responsible for all of them. He sighed suddenly tired. He didn't mean to lose control like that. He finally turned his head to Price, who looked a little afraid of the sudden attention. "They need to stay as far away as possible from the Sontarans. Or they will all die."
"Alpha Wolf One report. Over," Mace said into the radio, before turning to the Doctor. "For your information her name is Colonel Marion Wolfe, and she is the commander of the Black Operation, and one of the finest soldier UNIT ever had. She's been under my order for two years. Under Colonel Chaudhry for three. She has special recommendations from Brigadier General Lethbridge. I can go on and on if you'd like to continue to waste time! Do you also want her medical records, or are you going to start to question the credentials of all my men?" Mace's tone was tight while glaring at the Doctor, all while being aware that they had an audience. Everyone around them had been waiting for things to come to a head between the Colonel and this Doctor, and they were not disappointed.
Mace was waiting for the Doctor to make some sort of retort, but to his surprise the Doctor only sighed and slumped his shoulders before turning around. The man looked like the life was squeezed out of him, which puzzled the colonel to no end. But Mace was brought out of his thoughts by his radio which crackled to life again.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"They have taken the factory! A few of us got out, but I don't know how many soldiers are still in there!" Rose reported while gripping her radio. She was able to get out with the few soldiers that crossed her path, but the Sontarans made it impossible to come back looking for other survivors. Not without any functioning weapons at the very least.
"Get to the industrial estate and stay on standby. Don't try to engage, we are trying to find a plan to get around the signal Greyhound 40 talked about. Trap one over."
"Wouldn't dream of it..." She murmured as she helped a wounded soldier to climb into an ambulance. She looked around and saw Cahnahan a few meters away, talking to another soldier who was visibly shaken while flagging down a medic. But he rapidly vanished into the crowd, as she looked at the wounded and the dwindling amount of soldiers before her. The Sontarans had been ruthless in their pursuit. She taken a few seconds to herself, giving a brief thought to those who had fallen, before she put herself together and went back to concentrating on keeping charge of the situation.
After a handful of minutes, way too long for Rose, a message came from Mace made them all finally smile. They had a breakthrough! They finally had a plan and a way to fight back against the Sontarans. They were back on track. Rose was not a violent person, she clearly preferred to talk and do science than shooting at someone. But she was more than ready to do an exception for the Sontaran. Shoot now, talk later. She smiled into her gas mask and started to ready her troops.
Almost an half an hour later, as she was passing the last of the new weapons, she was surprised by the voice of the Colonel Mace. "Attention, all troops," he called out with a proud tone, causing everyone to stop and give their attention.
Rose almost jumped out of her skin upon noticing the Doctor standing beside him, and in her own opinion, looking way too amused for someone sporting a gas mask in this situation. She started to back away, making a beeline in direction of the majority of the troops, putting as much space between herself, and the Doctor. She quickly hid behind a few soldiers taller than her, making sure to be not seen by anyone important. She didn't want him to see her, she wasn't ready. Too much time has passed since they parted ways, and she knew that she will fall hard again if she went off with him again. She couldn't survive another heartbreak. It was way too hard and she was not strong enough.
Not after what she survived.
"The Sontarans might think of us as primitive," continued Mace, not aware of the turnabout on Rose's part. "As does every passing species with an axe to grind. They make a mockery of our weapons, our soldiers, our ideals. But no more!" he exclaimed.
Rose smiled at that. She did not always see eye to eye with the Colonel, but she could not deny that he was one hell of a motivator.
"From this point on, it stops. From this point on, the people of Earth fight back, and we show them our strength. We show the warriors of Sontar what the human race can do. Trap One to Hawk Major. Go, go, go!"
A few seconds later the Valiant made itself known with the whir of engines that powered the giant propellor blades that began to clear the area of fog. She smiled and removed her mask, happy to be able to breathe again. She turned to a soldier who was just as happy as her at being able to see and breathe correctly and smiled wickedly. "Ready to make history?"
He charged his weapon in one swift movement and smirked. "Like nobody before."
Rose looked in the direction of Mace, waiting for his signal to the Valliant. And as she heard the words, she turned to her men. They were all geared up for the battle, weapons in hand and fire in their eyes just waiting for orders. She smiled. She was proud to serve with these people, all ready to die if that meant Earth would be safe. It would not be something she would ever forget. And with that though in head, she yelled as everyone else was, "Let's show the Sontar how it's done one Earth!"
And just has she finished her sentence, a giant green beam exploded a part of the factory wall, bathing them all in light and smoke. Immediately after, she saw the loading bay doors get blow up. She heard a few soldiers whooping with joy before running head first into combat. She smirked. It was now or never. It was show time.
And with a fierce look and her weapon firmly in hand, she charged into the heat of the battle. More soldiers directly behind her. The Wolf was at the door and she was ready to howl. Bullets were flying everywhere, hitting body after body, mixing all into a cacophony of sound and blood. Soldiers starting to enter the factory at all openings, pushing the Sontarans back as they began to gain ground.
Rose was having the time of her life. Opening fire without hesitation, muscle memory coming to life and making her feet move in a way that one would swear that she was dancing. Shouting the occasional order between rounds of shooting, darting behind cabinets and rumble with a wolfish smile on her face. Sontarans were falling left and right around her.
They didn't stand a chance.
She wanted to show then that the Earth was defended, even without the Doctor as protector. That the human race was born fighting, and she'd gladly step into the battlefield if necessary to do her part. She smiled at a man beside her and before he had time to blink, she shot at the Sontaran who had tried to line up a kill shot.
She gave him a wink. "You're welcome!" And without another world, she jumped over the rumble they were using as cover and knocked out a Sontaran before disappearing into the melee with a joyous cry. At that exact moment the soldier understood why Wolfe was considered as a legend in UNIT, because she was one you wanted on your side.
She was indomitable. Steel in her eyes, and death on her path. Determined to as many soldiers as possible went home at the end of the day. She spotted a Sontaran who was aiming his weapon at one of her fallen men. Without any hesitation, she slammed the butt of her gun into the vent at the base of it's neck, causing him to drop like a sack of potatoes. She'd lost too many soldiers to be merciful. When she was younger, things would have been different. She would have tried to bargain, or at least found a different solution to the problem.
But she knew differently now. Rose was no longer a naive woman, but a hardened soldier who preferred peace, but understood that sometimes war was the only solution. She didn't wait to see if the Sontaran would get up again, instead holding out a hand to help her comrade to his feet. This one was one more person that would go home to their family tonight.
After she making sure the young man wasn't in need of a medic, she ran back to the fight. By the end of the next round of heavy battle, she took out two more Sontarans and gained a few meters, rejoining a group of soldiers who were trying to gain access to a corridor leading to the north part of the factory.
They didn't have much success. It was heavily guarded by Sontarans, weapons drawn and ready to fire. Not one to resist a mystery, especially in combat with a bloodlust race, she opened fire without hesitation. Pure concentration was on her face, and frustration in her heart as she took cover behind a fallen wall. She screamed to the men and women besides her to keep firing, and that they were almost there.
If she heard to her radio correctly, there were a few groups of soldiers that were deep in the west and south corridors, and if she wasn't mistaken, the Sontarans were getting a taste of their own medicine. She also knew that Mace had been able to get into the eastern portion of the factory. They were at the end, she knew it. They just had to hold on a little longer. With that determination in her mind, she reloaded her weapon and turned to the sergeant beside her. "Cover me. I will try to open a breach by the side," Rose said confidently.
"Already on your six, ma'am," the sergeant promised with a small nod.
"Great!" Rose enthused with a wink before stepping back out into the firefight.
Not even a moment after Rose shot down the last one, she heard her radio crackle. Even the loud speakers of the factory, those who survived the battle, were coming to life. The voice of Colonel Mace boomed and resonated all around them. Everyone stopped to listen for what they hoped was good news.
"The Sontaran commander who foolishly believed that he could take our planet without a fight is dead!"
A loud cheer, Rose included, broke out all around the factory. The Earth was not completely in the clear, not really, but it was a good start.
But maybe, just maybe, they could be safe.