—
A classic World War II escape is in progress. A light brunette woman lies squished against a fellow escapee as both of them lie on their stomachs. Both are rather filthy, covered in dirt and wearing worn clothing. They lie on a wooden board as they stare up towards the large hole above them. The woman stares up at the hole with less anxious features as the man holds. She actually appears rather bored as she leans her chin against the palm of her hand, looking at the hole as if waiting for the real fun to begin.
"Doctor?" The man, Simmons, calls up quietly to the hole. "Doctor, what can you see?"
The Eleventh Doctor's face suddenly pops down the hole at the top of the tunnel. He wears similar dirt and clothing as the rest of them. He smiles somewhat nervously.
"Is the Commandant's office painted a sort of green colour with a big flag on the wall?" He asks them. Lights and alarms appeared from above him. They can hear dogs beginning to bark.
"Does that answer your question?" The woman, Kathy, responds with a humorous tone, giving the Doctor a playful smirk.
"Yep. I think that's probably a 'yes'." The Doctor replies. He gives a quick grin before hurriedly disappearing again.
Kathy smirks cheekily. "And you're an idiot!" She calls out to him.
"And proud of it!" The Doctor cheers happily. They hear him laughing loudly as people shout above and gunfire rings out.
—
August 1947
"I am not saying I'm grateful you're here, helping out with the wedding…" Prem remarks as he and Kathy rumble along the empty dirt road in the cart which is being led by an Ox.
Kathy turns from where she had turned back to look at the flowers, checking they're still there, to the man next to her. "But? I can hear a 'but' coming!" She jokes, squinting at him through the sun's rays.
He side eyes her, a smirk dancing on his lips. "It's just, you said it yourself this isn't the safest of times and that it's only going to get worse."
"It's the British bit you're most concerned about, isn't it?" Kathy quips.
"Yes, maybe." He sighs. "Is your brother really okay with this?"
She purses her lips awkwardly. Kathy's brother, i.e. her son Carlyle though she often introduces him as the former to avoid questions, had almost too gleefully shooed her off when she announced her trip to India.
"He's fine." Kathy says shortly. "Anyway, it was my friends in America that insisted I take the time away."
"Ah, the ones with the baby?" Prem laughs. "Getting under their feet weren't you."
Kathy scoffs. "Please, Amy and Rory are thankful for my help with Anthony!"
She had been thrilled when the Ponds had announced their wish to adopt. God knows they deserve it as, no matter how strong their relationship is with River, they had never been able to raise their daughter (in the traditional sense anyway), they deserve it. River had been involved too, being with her parents to meet her baby brother. Kathy had tried to keep her distance, to let them have family time but all three had insisted that she is family. Suppose that's what happens when you go through a lot with someone, as Kathy imagines they will, and she's only seen some of it.
Prem laughs even more before he suddenly startles, yanking the Ox's reigns to divert it from hitting, what Kathy realises to be, the Thirteenth Doctor, Yaz, Graham and Ryan. She hadn't noticed them or sensed the Doctor through their mental link. However the latter may be due to the mental onslaught that the Doctor is currently experiencing.
"Hey! Get out the road!" Prem yells at them.
The companions jump out of the way while a disoriented Doctor is a tad slower. Kathy knows she would've had her first vision of the Thijarians. She watches them closely, knowing this'll be the earliest in their timeline she's met them.
"Really sorry, bit of a wobble." The Doctor says, recovering.
While Ryan turns to the Doctor, questioning her on what'd happened, Yaz is startled when she clocks Kathy.
"Kathy?" Her remark draws the others' attention and they exclaim surprised hellos. Kathy feels her mental link with the Doctor snaps back into place.
Kathy flashes a grin. "Hiya. Glad you made it."
"Sorry, to you both." Graham apologises to Prem. "Just getting our bearings. We're not from round here."
"No kidding. Your Punjabi's not bad for foreigners though." Prem comments to which Kathy presses her lips together in amusement. "You need to be careful. These roads aren't safe right now."
"We're actually looking for a woman by the name of Umbreen." Yaz says. Kathy kind of finds it funny how they had so easily and unintentionally found Yaz's grandmother's fiancée so quickly as well.
"Right... Umbreen. What for?"
"We're her family." and "We're her friends." come out of Yaz and Ryan simultaneously causing Prem to look at them oddly and Kathy to wince.
Thankfully, Graham is on hand to come to the rescue with a, "Family friends," while the Doctor flashes an almost too bright smile.
"We are on our way to say hello. Bit of a surprise." Yaz hurriedly adds.
"And you're right in time! She'll be shocked." Kathy quips.
Prem looks at her in disbelief. "But Kathy, you know we agreed – urgh, OK, get in!"
The gang clambers into the cart.
"So what you a flower merchant?" Graham questions conversationally, taking note of all the flowers.
"Yep! His dream job, ever since he was small." Kathy answers cheekily.
Prem rolls his eyes at her. "Ignore her. It's only temporary. Kathy insisted on helping."
"'Course she did." Ryan quips.
Kathy flashes him a half-hearted glare. "Oi! What's wrong with helping? Plus history's taking place."
"History?" Yaz questions.
"Why isn't it safe on the roads?" The Doctor cuts in, plonking herself onto the cart. Kathy takes comfort in the familiar telepathic link she has with the Doctor gently pulls in her mind.
"Running transport now, Prem?" They all look around to see Bhakti, a Hindu holy man, who stands on the opposite side of the road, grinning, calling over.
"Want to ride with us, Sadhu? We can take one more." Kathy offers softly, feeling sad seeing the kind man, knowing what'll become of him soon. An innocent caught in the conflict.
"What's wrong with your feet? You young people, always such a rush." Bhakti retorts. "Walking's served me all my life. I'll be there, don't you worry."
"We'll be ready." Prem replies respectfully before murmuring, "I'm late. Umbreen's going to kill me." He snaps the ox's reigns. The cart pulls away.
Kathy looks back to see Bhakti watching them leave. Her eyes connect with Bhakti's gentle, spiritual gaze, as they head off on the move. Her insides twist, knowing what'll happen to him.
—
The cart pulls to a stop in front of a shabby, rural barn. A few metres beyond it, we can see a small mud hut. Adjacent to the barn and the hut is a wheat field. In the distance, another small mud hut and a forest beyond that. It's serene, giving you the false feeling that everything will be okay.
Prem jumps off the cart and is confronted by the angry face of his fiancé, Umbreen, and also the younger version of Yaz's grandmother.
"You're late!" She cries before spotting the gang climbing out. "And who are they?!"
"They are your family, Umbreen!" Prem remarks before scurrying off.
"What?!"
Kathy quickly darts behind the cart, busying herself with collecting the flowers and gesturing for Graham and Ryan to help, which they're only happy to do as a way to avoid the awkwardness, as Yaz jumps down from the cart and hurries over to her grandmother.
"Oh my God. You're Umbreen. You look amazing! What are you doing here?" She rattles off.
Umbreen looks at her granddaughter in complete bafflement. "I live here."
"On a farm? But I thought– doesn't matter, I am so happy to see you!" Yaz grabs Umbreen for a massive hug. Umbreen freezes turning her head towards Prem, who grins at her clear discomfort.
Kathy grimaces. "I always hate this bit." She murmurs as the Doctor runs over, quickly urging Yaz to explain who they are.
"What?" Ryan questions.
"The usual companion awkwardness of going to the past, particularly a family member." Kathy answers. "It's amazing how the relative just goes with it."
Yaz finishes explaining how she is some relative of a Uncle Malik before turning to introduce Ryan, Graham and the Doctor.
The Doctor and Ryan greet with simple a "Hello" and "Hi" while Graham feels the need to add, "All the way from England."
Kathy grimaces, shaking her head. "Don't say that around here."
Graham's confused. "Why—"
Umbreen, unsure but ready to relent, cuts him off, "Right, it's just we weren't expecting you. Or anyone. Uncle Malik's not coming to the wedding as well, is he?"
"There's a wedding—" Yaz begins to blurt out.
"—which is why we're here! Kathy invited us!" The Doctor quickly slips in with. Kathy receives a sharp look from Umbreen but Kathy looks down, having found some absolutely fascinating petals. "Bringing wedding best wishes! Um, when's the big day again?"
"Tomorrow." Umbreen grins happily, clearly ready to forgive and forget the weirdness going on around her.
"Amazing. Can't wait to meet the groom!" Yaz continues to dig the hole.
Umbreen's confused. She nods at Prem saying, "Er, you already have."
"Remember me? Cart. Flowers. Marrying Umbreen. Unable to get rid of a certain English girl." Prem says conversationally.
Wait…
"Oi!" Kathy cries with a grin.
Yaz vocalises her confusion, "No. You can't be– you're not– Kathy, why didn't you—"
The Doctor once again distracts. "Wedding in the Punjab, bring it on! We love a wedding, don't we boys!"
"Oh yeah I could go to a wedding every day if I could." Ryan quickly adds.
"D'you need a singer? I know all the classics—" Graham then catches himself, "—or latest hits, to you."
"Don't ever let him sing—" Ryan rebuffs.
Kathy smiles at them slightly. This was one of her favourite things about season 11, watching how Ryan and Graham's relationship develops and how they interact.
"We won't stay long, anyway – just wanted to convey our best wishes," the Doctor turns to Yaz and pointedly adds, "And then head off."
Manish strides in from the field. Shy, skinny, curious, twinkly eyes but Kathy knows there's hatred and contorted world views brewing underneath.
"Hi! Thought I saw people on the cart. Sorry about his driving?" Manish greets cheekily.
"My baby brother thinks he can do everything better than me." Prem scoffs. He ruffles Manish's hair and as he does, on Prem's wrist, clear as day, the watch Yaz's Nani had given to her but not smashed.
Manish introduces himself as Kathy sees the look shared between Yaz and the Doctor.
Umbreen's mother, Hasna, the energised matriarch, a combination of excitement and worry, calls out from the barn, "Come! All of you! It's being announced!"
"Coming Mum!" Umbreen replies. She and Prem follow her mother into the barn.
"What's happening?" The Doctor asks.
"Everyone's waiting for the announcement. But I've got advanced information." Manish boasts. He heads off to behind the barn, as Yaz turns to the others.
"OK. Number one. The man Umbreen is about to marry is not my grandad." Yaz tells them.
"Defo? Totally sure?" Graham presses.
"Absolutely defo." Kathy replies with an amused tilt in her voice as she finds the words he'd used kinda funny.
Ryan pulls a face. "You two should never say that ever again."
"Oi!" and "Hey!" come from Kathy and Graham respectively.
"Yes!" Yaz responds to Graham's earlier question, ignoring the other comments made. Kathy doesn't blame her. "For starters, Prem's a Hindu name. We're Muslim. And he doesn't look anything like the photos. It's not him."
"But that Umbreen is your nan, right?" Ryan double-checks.
"Yeah. She does look like the photo."
"But Prem's wearing the watch your Nani gave you in the future." The Doctor points out.
"So what? She had a secret Hindu first husband?"
Graham checks his watch. "Doc I reckon hour's nearly up."
"We can't go. I came here for answers. All I've got is more questions." Yaz pleads.
"I knew this would happen." The Doctor grumbles.
Manish runs out with two sets of poles, tied with rope. "Anyone help me with this?" He grins, embarrassed, super-endearing. It breaks Kathy's heart.
"I'll help. I'm Yaz." Yaz immediately answers causing the Doctor to pull a frustrated look.
"Great, thanks Yaz. Big moment. You won't forget this in a hurry."
"You're right there." Yaz remarks as they head off.
Shouldn't have come. I'm too nice. This is what happens when you try and be nice." The Doctor grumbles. "Kathy, please tell me—"
"You're fine though you really should've expected, given your track record." Kathy answers. "The important thing to note is that are you really going to stand out here instead of going in there to find out what they're listening to?"
Graham, Ryan and the Doctor exclaim their agreement and follow Kathy into the barn.
—
Kathy, the Doctor, Graham and Ryan run into the unkempt barn, crumbling pillars holding up the ceiling and a second level, buttressed by farming equipment, wooden storage crates, and all half-decorated with flowers, as Hasna, Umbreen and Prem crowd around a radio.
A calm, clipped, upper-class Indian newsreader's voice comes through, "After much delay and amid escalating communal violence, Lord Mountbatten has finally released the specific details or the borders which will separate the two countries."
"What borders are they talking about?" Ryan questions.
Kathy can see the cogs whirring in the Doctor's mind.
"Pakistan." Hasna tells him. "Today, India is officially cut into pieces."
"It's the 17th of August." The Doctor realises.
"And still you want to go ahead?" Hasna questions Umbreen.
Here we go again…
"Nothing changes, Mum. We knew this was coming." Umbreen retorts.
"It's the Partition. The Partition of India. This is when the borders of India are divided." Kathy explains, saving time on strange questions.
"And we're in the middle of it." The Doctor finishes.
—
Manish and Yaz stand by a variety of poles that have been down into the ground, fifty steps apart. There are two little fabric flags on each pole - one green, one orange. Rope between the poles.
Manish straightens up, a boyish grin on his face as others stride over, behind him – Prem, Hasna, Umbreen, Kathy, the Doctor, Ryan and Graham.
"Welcome to the border," Manish announces proudly to a shocked Yaz, "where India ends, and our future begins!"
"Manish, what're you doing?" Prem demands of his brother. Hasna and Umbreen follow him while Kathy, the Doctor, Ryan and Graham hurry over to a baffled Yaz.
"Yaz. Hi. Quick sidebar, August 1947. Partition. The borders have just been announced." The Doctor quickly summarises for the companion.
Manish to one side of the rope. "India." Then the other side of the rope. "Pakistan."
"And it's not just land getting divided but people too. Riots, tens of millions of people about to be displaced, more than a million about to die." Kathy continues on from the Doctor's statement.
"Look meanwhile her nan's about to get married. But not to her grandad." Graham adds.
"I'm thinking, the hour's well up now." Ryan worries.
"You can't yet, there's something—" Kathy tries to say, worried they'll go before they should but they're by Umbreen, Hasna and Prem raising their voices as they argue with Manish.
"You can't know the border, it's only just been announced." Umbreen protests.
"The maps were leaked weeks ago. I got one from my sources." Manish counters.
"Your sources must be wrong. Because you've just put my house in Pakistan!" Hasna retorts.
"With the other Muslims." Manish says cheerfully. Kathy kinda wants to punch him for that.
There's a pause as Hasna, Prem and Manish look at Manish in disbelief, confusion and hurt.
"What? You get a fresh start."
"Manish, you need to slow down—" Prem tries.
"Pakistan is somewhere for Muslims, if they want to go." Umbreen argues.
"And I'm not saying you have to go." Manish says. "But, Pakistan is being created for Muslims. Hindus have India. And we both feel safe."
"Don't reduce it to that, brother, it's not that simple." Prem says almost pleadingly.
"But I get you have a hard decision. If you're married." Manish quips to Prem and Umbreen.
Kathy can see the time travellers next to her clocking all this simmering tension playing out here.
Prem ignores his brother's comment. "The land belongs to everyone. Has done for centuries. One day doesn't change that."
"I love you brother. But you're wrong."
The Doctor then suddenly stumbles in pain. "Ahh."
Then Hasna gasps, drawing everyone's attention to what she's looking at, terrified. "Look. Demons."
They all look, through the heat haze, in the distance, at the edge of the forest lining, is the Thijarian. Kathy knows Prem is also recognising them.
The Doctor quickly whips out her sonic. Kathy grips hers in her pocket, not feeling the need to use it just yet.
Half in shadow, half in light, it's clear to see two elongated faces with very few features, hooked fangs rising up out of their lower jaws and back ears and multiple small eyes on the sides of their faces. They stand with arms outstretched, palms upward as if summoning something from the ground. No wonder the Doctor mistook the Thijarian as still being the assassins they were known for if they've kept that look.
"I told you this would happen. I told you these days were cursed." Hasna cries, panicked, to Umbreen and Prem.
Then with a jagged, physical 'wham', the creatures vanish.
"It's gone." Umbreen says.
"Not far. We'll deal with this. Come on!" The Doctor cries, reading her sonic, and running off with Kathy, Graham, Ryan and Yaz towards the forest leaving a bewildered Manish, Prem, Hasna and Umbreen behind.
—
The Doctor pelts through the forest, sonic out. Kathy, Ryan, Graham and Yaz are behind her though Kathy is closer to the Time Lord than the others.
"Find the signal it didn't go far—" And as the Doctor says that, she and Kathy, as they're both in front, are hit with a strong force causing them to stagger back.
Kathy's head throbs as all she hears is this loud whining. She spins and sees two Thijarians with their hands on the head of Bhakti. He's slumped down against a tree, dead.
She doesn't have time to dwell on it as then the Thijarian cries, forcibly in her mind, "Stay away. The Prophet should know not to intervene."
Then another pulse hits the whole group this time causing all five of them to bend over in pain, covering their ears.
Then there's a crack of a gunshot. A millisecond before the shot, the Thijarians disappear with a twisted jagged flash. And then silence. Stillness.
Kathy straightens herself, turning back to see Prem as she had expected. He's looking past her, to where the Thijarians were, dazed.
"Did I get them?" He asks, moving towards the tree.
"I don't think so. They moved faster than your bullet." The Doctor replies. She seems to be in shock. Likely from the mental onslaught and being properly confused.
"What were they?" Ryan questions as they all run over to the holy man's body.
Prem reaches the body. "Bhakti…" He checks the body, stunned. "They killed him."
Kathy swallows heavily. It was a bad idea coming here early, perhaps, as now she looks on at Bhakti. "We can't know that for sure. We didn't see it."
'It' being this poor man's death.
"He was your man on the road." Graham realises.
"He's a holy man, a Sadhu. Everyone knows him as Bhakti." Prem explains. "Umbreen and I asked him to bless our marriage.
The Doctor sonics the body and then looks at Prem, suspicious. "You just saw something not of this world, and you took it right in your stride. Why's that, Prem?"
A haunted look crosses Prem's face. "I've seen them before."
"Where have you seen them before?" Yaz asks.
Prem pauses, mind filled with old memories, before he turns suspiciously to them. "Who are you? You say you're Umbreen's family, but clearly you are not. And you ran at those demons, like you didn't care. And what did Kathy mean when she questioned if they'd killed Bhakti?"
"That would be spoilers." Kathy says.
"Hint?" The Doctor asks.
"It's not what you think or appears to be."
The Doctor nods, turning back to Prem to answer his question. "I don't think they're demons."
"Why should I trust what you think?" Prem demands to know.
"Then trust me Prem when I say you can trust them. They're my friends." Kathy pleads.
"And because we've got experience with impossible creatures." The Doctor adds. "And because we ask questions like: what is this substance on his body?"
They all look. Fine, purple dust on Bhakti's clothing, face and body. As they watch, it begins to dissolve into nothing.
"And, things are getting even weirder." Ryan remarks.
"Think that's what they used to kill him? Some sort of fast dissolving, poisonous dust." Graham wonders.
The Doctor checks her sonic. "Doesn't read like he was poisoned." She peers closer at the body. "I don't understand…"
Yaz takes control, asking, "So what're we gonna tell the others back there?"
As Prem dismisses telling Umbreen, Hasna and Manish the truth as well as worrying about Manish's more recent behaviour, Kathy stays quiet during the whole exchange. Running this episode over in her head. Trying to work out how much she can change and what the consequences are such as, does she risk letting the gang in early on what's really going on?
Graham looks back to Bhakti. "This fella needs to be laid to rest."
"Why don't we go and get the others to help. But not let on what happened." Yaz suggests to Graham.
Kathy nods. "Good idea. No need to cause panic unless we know the whole truth."
Graham and Yaz start walking away to do just that while the Doctor sonics the air. "Ah! Kordian waves! Which could mean a dormant octonic engine nearby…" she rambles.
"What's she saying?" Prem questions.
"Eh, my advice is to just nod along." Kathy says.
"But if I had to guess, I think we're going demon hunting." Ryan adds.
"Gold star for Ryan!" The Doctor cries before frowning. "Oh wait, or was I awarding points? Ahh, I forgot about the points!"
"I prefer stickers." Kathy remarks.
"Katherine Davis, you read my mind!"
"I'm coming with you." Prem declares.
"No." The Doctor asserts.
"I know this forest. I can help."
The Doctor looks to Kathy who gives a reassuring nod. The Doctor sighs and nods. "Okay." She runs after Yaz, quickly warning her of the danger she herself is in and to be careful before the Doctor, Kathy, Ryan and Prem split off on their own task.
—
Kathy, Ryan and the Doctor march through the forest, Prem with the rifle at the ready. The Doctor holds the sonic out in front of her. It beeps solidly.
"I don't like this. Traipsing through the forests alongside the British, looking for the enemy. I've done enough of that." Prem tells them before his tone turns accusatory. "Although maybe you're my enemy now, for the mess you've just made of my country. Carving it up slapdash, in six weeks. Going to run off home now, are you?"
"Technically it's the British government doing the carving, not us, but fair point." Kathy responds.
"Though I'll make a note of your thoughts and pass them on to Mountbatten if I ever bump into him again." The Doctor quips.
Ryan turns to the Doctor and Kathy as they move slightly ahead of Prem. "These demon things, you seen 'em before? D'you reckon they're here cos of the Partition?"
"Open mind, Ryan! Open mind." Kathy quips, her eyes focused on the ground looking for the transmat that'll lead them to the Hive.
The sonic beeps ferociously, catching Prem's attention. "What's your demon tracker saying?"
"It's saying…" the Doctor catches sight of something in the dirt, "hello!" She runs down the slight slope towards it with the rest of them behind her. The transmat is a large disk that's dull, and metallic.
"What is that?" Prem wonders.
The Doctor discretely sonics the transmat causing it to judder. Kathy watches, mentally preparing herself for the teleportation that'll occur any moment now.
"Seems like a transm—" The Doctor begins to say but then they vanish—
—
—and appear in a circular, dark space. The Thijarian Hive. Shiny obsidian walls with metallic detailing - like the inside of a zoetrope. No controls. A dais in the middle. Threatening, ominous atmosphere. Again, they're really not helping themselves.
"—at doorway." The Doctor finishes.
Prem immediately cocks his gun, aiming it in preparation for the threat. Frozen in terror.
"Nice! That was cool." Ryan gasps in surprise.
"What. Just. Happened?" Prem questions shakily. "We were in the forest. And now we're… really not."
"Short answer: we got dragged through a doorway. Into—" The Doctor begins to explain.
"—the demons' lair." Prem finishes.
"Not demons," Kathy corrects, "but yeah."
"Spaceship, though, right?" Ryan asks.
"Yep. Gold star, 10 points etc."
The Doctor tries sonic on surfaces. "Can't get a read on anything." She says, frustrated.
Prem looks around, wide-eyed. "It's beautiful."
And the Doctor stops and takes it in. "Yeah. You're right. It really is. They can surprise you, demons."
"Again, not demons." Kathy quips.
"Hey d'you think they're here?" Ryan questions.
Kathy pulls out her scanner. "Not getting any life signals."
"Maybe they're out. Shopping. Catching a movie. Bowling. Some races like bowling, I'm talking to cover up my latent worry." The Doctor rambles.
"I know. Got that now." Ryan remarks.
The Doctor fiddles with the settings on her sonic. "Come on, one of these settings must unlock it." She mutters to herself before having a final go by pointing it at the central dais.
Alien chittering, a cacophony of noises, and a hologram of moving alien script appears in the middle of the Hive.
"What is it?" Prem questions.
The Doctor walks up close, through and around the moving alien script. "Exactly what I wanted – craft spec, species data, bio-ID." And she lets out a soft gasp-breath, and goes very still, staring at the info.
"What. What've you seen? Doctor." Ryan urgently calls.
The Doctor is processing some information, unsure of whether to reveal it or not as well as cold dread. "This is a Thijarian Hive."
"Is that good thing or bad thing?"
"Thijarians are assassins."
"Right. So, that's basically a bad thing then." Ryan quips.
"I've heard about them, but never come across them. One of the ancient species, they evolved themselves into the deadliest assassins in the known universe." The Doctor explains, tone filled with dread.
"Doctor, please remember it's not what you think." Kathy reminds the Doctor. Maybe she really should move the get Doctor to talk with the Thijarians sooner further forward? But first, she needs to allow them to further explore the ship.
The Doctor sonics the hologram and another hologram appears behind her. The face of Bhakti.
"He was their target?" Ryan wonders.
"But Kathy said it's not what we think. Maybe she's got a point, why would the Thijarians be targeting a holy man in the 1940s?" The Doctor turns to Prem. "Wait – you said you'd seen them before. Where?"
"I don't want to talk about that." Prem protests.
"It could be important." Kathy pleads. Come on, please tell them, explain.
"I don't want any of this, I'm supposed to be married tomorrow."
"Mate, the Doctor and Kathy are right. We can help you. But you have to trust us." Ryan pleads kindly. "Where did you see them?"
"In Singapore. Our section had found a boat to escape on. But I'd signed up with Kunal. I wasn't going to leave without him at my side. That's where I saw the demons. Standing over my older brother's dead body.I lost them in the haze, as the evacuation sounded. Left his body there." Prem is gutted and stoic. "I couldn't save him." He looks to them all, shaken. "Why are they here? How did we bring demons on ourselves?"
Kathy sighs. "Listen, my friends will help to work out what's wrong. And we'll protect you. All of you." She's given up on correcting the demon naming.
"What if you can't?" Prem asks, still shaken.
"Hey, hey look at this." Ryan is pointing at a container of purple dust that had risen within the central dais. "That was the stuff that was on the holy man's body."
Okay, right she can stop the Doctor from grabbing it, stay for longer so that the Thijarians can explain what's going on but probably get Prem out as—
The Doctor grabs the container. An alarm starts to blare. Great.
"OK, over-keen, should've thought about that." The Doctor mutters.
"You think!" Kathy retorts.
And on the other side of the Hive, the two Thijarians slam into existence. One on either side of the Hive. And that terrible noise again! So impactful, and it warps the physics all around, juddering the air. Kathy, the Doctor, Ryan and Prem recoil in pain.
"They're here!" Prem cries.
As the four back off, the Doctor in front, turns to face both Thijarians, keeping an eye on both.
And the words of Kisar, one of the Thijarians, thunder in their heads. Their head angled as they speak, "You have desecrated the Hive! The Hive is sacred!"
"D'you have to push your words into our heads like that, cause it really hurts! And no, we haven't actually – it's you who are desecrating this planet. I know who you are. I know what you do. And it's not happening here. So leave these people alone. They're under my protection now." The Doctor declares.
"Doctor! That's not what they—"
Almak, the other Thijarian, cuts Kathy off by crying, "You cannot prevent this!"
The four of them are on the transmat spot now. The Doctor smirks at the Thijarians. "You just watch me."
And she presses her sonic.
—
Kathy, Ryan, Prem and the Doctor reappear in the forest.
"Get out the forest!" Kathy cries to Ryan and Prem. She knows they'll get teleported out and away from this and she can use it to plead with the Doctor to listen.
Ryan and Prem run ahead and then, just as it happened in the show, there's a high-pitched whine and then flash - they disappear in front of Kathy and the Doctor.
The Doctor skids to a halt. "What?!" She cries. She spots a circular, metallic device on a tree, which has teleported Prem and Ryan.
She moves to grab it but Kathy grabs her arm and stops her. "Don't."
The Doctor turns to Kathy, baffled. "Wha— Kathy, they're trying to catch us, we need to get away!"
The Thijarians slam into existence across the way.
"See, Kathy, we need to—"
"Haven't you been listening to a word I said?!" Kathy questions, determined. "What happened to keeping an open mind?"
"I know, I know but they're assassins, Kathy! They're ambition is to desiccate this planet." The Doctor retorts, rocking on her feet, anxious to get away but Kathy won't let her.
"And look at you being all prejudice. Don't run, Doctor, listen to what they have to say." Kathy argues.
The Thijarians slam in right in front of them. The Doctor jumps, wrapping her arms protectively around the container.
"You disrupt our work!" Kisar screeches in anger, their words bursting into the Doctor's and Kathy's heads painfully.
"I know. We're sorry." Kathy quickly, but sincerely, apologises. "There's just been some mild confusion. Let us come with you and you can explain everything."
"Kathy, we can't. We need to back to Umbreen's and— " The Doctor tries to protest.
"No, we don't." Kathy counters. She knows she shouldn't take the Doctor's doubt personally. The Time Lord has been taught the complete opposite and for many years, the Thijarians have done just that, be assassins, the opposite of what they are now. Difficult to comprehend.
"If we don't protect Umbreen, what happens to Yaz? Don't you want to protect her?" The Doctor demands to know, frantically.
"I am protecting her!" Kathy snaps. "If we try to stop them, they'll try to fight back and we can't have that."
"The Prophet knows who we are, our purpose. She knows what's coming." Almak realises.
Kathy nods. "I do. And I won't stop you but we need the Doctor to understand. She won't stop you if you explain. Doctor?"
The Doctor scrunches up her face before sighing in defeat. "Firstly, I much prefer it when you're not making that threatening sound. Secondly, fine, yeah, let's go."
One Thijarian places their hand on each of the Doctor's shoulders while the other does the same to Kathy.
One second they're in the forest and the next second, they're gone.
—
A/N: Decided to switch things up here! It didn't make sense for Kathy to not step in sooner particularly as nothing disastrous will happen if she does. So next chap will be having cannon moments but shifted around.
