Authors notes: Long time no see.

I've been spending the past few months totally gutting the seventh arc (The Raven and Russel one), which I wasn't happy with, and I've streamlined it into something that makes more sense. A lot of concepts have been chucked to the point where it's a totally different story that focuses more on Raven trying to figure things out without the Doctor's guidance, and nearly making a total hash of it. While the Doctor is doing something in the background. I've left a lot of loose ends which I plan to explore in a later story. I might still go back and look for any continuity errors to fix, and shave down the arc since I usually have a bad habit of repeating myself. lol

Some big changes I made to arc seven are basically most of the second half, which I've totally re-written. The ending, and conclusion are also completely different. I've also added flashbacks to Raven's early life in the temple throughout arc 7 which echos and rhymes what happens between Russel and Raven. Only it's between Raven and a new character.

Another reason for the delay is that some of what I was going to write and explore in this arc I felt was too close of a reflection of something that was actually happening in the real world. As such, I was a little nervous to publish more. But in the end, now that I'm done with the revamp of arc 7, I'm just going to carry on regardless.

I might make small edits a little later on as I listen to it with the FFNet reader.

Chapter 83

Rashi

The heat assaulted Raven again as the guard, Drayfus, drove her back to Big Dogs quarters. The guy wasn't very talkative, which Raven didn't mind. After Ace McShane it was a relief. Though the guy, despite being level tempered and cool, felt like he'd rather be somewhere else, and doing something else.

I know the feeling, Raven thought.

There was something funny about Drayfus that she couldn't quite put her finger on. He felt uncomfortable. Like he couldn't stand the heat, like she couldn't. Which was odd, because he looked cold blooded so should be comfortable. Raven didn't mean that as an insult. His movements were so relaxed and slow, and he breathed so deeply into his nose much like a crocodile would that Raven kind of assumed it.

Drayfus spotted Raven examining him in his rear view mirror.

"I have parasites, alright, Warm Blood!"

Warm blood? Must be some kind of insult. Was he a low level telepath like the Doctor? Because how did he know what she was doing?

You were staring at him. She realised. Then thought, he must be touchy about his parasites.

Drayfus dropped Raven off not at Big Dogs house, but in the market place. It wasn't so busy, but Big Dog was there with the Doctor. The larger man still smoking a cigar.

"Out!" Drayfus snapped. Raven didn't hop to it however. She slowly got up, irritatingly and painfully slowly to annoy him, and stepped out of the buggy. The thing sped off before Ravens feet even hit the floor. She shot the retreating vehicle a dark look. If she had been caught on the car then she would've been dragged away, or worse, her outfit might've been ripped off. Given the heat, that might not be a bad idea. But her pride beat out the want for practicality.

The Doctor and Big Dog approached her through the crowds.

"Raven, behaving yourself I see?" The Doctor joked. Raven crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. She didn't speak. She didn't need to explain herself to him.

"I'm sorry for your treatment. But we do have a problem with some SMJ's." Big Dog said.

"SMJ's?" The Doctor asked.

"Social Media Junkies. They're social media users who are addicted to their chosen platforms." Big Dog explained. "They'll do anything for, what they call a 'like,' or some kind of positive re-enforcement."

"A pat on the head?" Raven suggested, the thought just entered her head.

"In a manner of speaking."Big Dog nodded, his one eye looking at her in the way one might try to place something long forgotten. But his attention was then divided between her and the Doctor as he talked further. "Studies showed that gaining comments and likes on these platforms releases a dopamine surge into the brain. It's like a shot of cocaine to them, and its easy to get. Just put up a post, or gather a following of like minded individuals and spread it around. Problem is, what is shared does not need to be factual, or truthful. It just needs the public to approve of it." Big Dog snorted. "A lot of them who make it here just try to make trouble for us, so they can record it and post it up on their platform so people will give them that 'pat on the head,' as you call it."

"So they're Idealists?" The Doctor asked.

"Call them what you will. Pests I'd call them. They'll do anything from starting fights with the human guards, to spraying the Hand of Mother Terra on everything, then photographing it, and pretend they've found a hate symbol. They're people who need us to be their bad guy, Doctor, or else all 'likes' start to dry up. They need us to be a part of Mother Terra"

"Yes, who exactly are Mother Terra?" The Doctor asked.

"A bunch of Human supremacists who think humans and aliens can't get on. They think humans are superior, and that the different species of the universe just can't get on with us. Or some such nonsense. We do not associate ourselves with such riff-raff." Big Dog dismissed. "We've had some of their lot show up, but they quickly change their minds. But the SMJ's would never want to report the real Safe Harbour you see here. There is limited attention in that, people want to vent at what they already 'know' to be true."

"So you're biggest problem is one of a tainted image?" The Doctor said, not exactly sounding doubtful, just wary.

"Exactly. You can see that we live side by side with aliens." Big Dog said, "They are hardly our slaves, before you make that suggestion."

"Some say converting one culture to another is a form of ideological slavery." The Doctor shrugged.

"And I think people who say that are nutters." Big Dog said levelly, the Doctor's expression about that statement was hard to read. "I think they come from a society where there are no evil things to fight. No tangible threats. No Daleks, real ones at least. The Earth Alliance is the most progressive place in this corner of the galaxy, yet even there, SMJ's think it's one of the most intolerant places in the galaxy when it comes to aliens. A lot of social evils have already been defeated. With nothing to fight they're turning on each other, trying to rat each other out as a secret member of 'Mother Terra' purely from opinions, badly written comments, or tasteless jokes. Ironically, what saved the Earth Alliance was the formation of Safe Harbour. We're the 'bad guy' who needs to be fought. We're a colony formed primarily from old soldiers, and we represent 'everything evil in humanity.' Even if we don't embody it."

Ravens tongue rolled a little as she heard this. Then, smirking a little, she said to the Doctor, "You owe me fifty pounds."

"Not now, Rae-Rae." The Doctor waved for her to be quiet. "But if these Social Media Junkies are such a problem for you, why not get rid of them?"

"Because they represent the problem everyone in Earth Alliance is trying to get away from. The government there is so busy placating these lunatics that the ordinary person has fallen by the wayside. The Governments think these fringe ideologies represent the common person. Then scratch their heads when the common person doesn't vote for them."

"So you keep them here just so everyone's reminded what awaits them if they return to Earth Alliance?" The Doctor asked.

"Exactly. We deport violent SMJ's, obviously. We do not kill them. Their followers would look upon them as martyrs if we did. As Freedom Fighters cut down fighting the good fight, never being made aware of the suffering they caused to the people they claim to help." Big Dog said, "But we let them in, in the hopes that after a little while they'll realise Safe Harbour isn't a human supremacist colony with aliens slaves, like they'd been led to believe."

The Doctor didn't look happy, because this was just proving Ravens hypothesis. You can only have true peace when there is an enemy that needs fighting. She didn't agree with it, she didn't like it, but it was true. It was human nature.

Ravens mind began to drift as the two men discussed this further. Then her brain snapped to attention when she was on the brink of falling over. She'd nearly fallen asleep on her feet, and still the two were going on about politics of the place. Yawn.

As far as Raven was concerned, when it came to politics, all she'd want was just to be left alone. She only thanked god that she lived in a trans-dimensional Police Box that is under no ones jurisdiction. She deeply appreciated that level of freedom in her life.

Leaving the Doctor to his debate she spotted a front side view of the beach. The cool air blowing in from the sea felt as refreshing as any air conditioner. On the beach there were also plenty of aliens of all shapes and sizes. Most were sitting on mats, or in the sand and looked like they were practicing some kind of rituals. Raven didn't have a clue what it was about, but the psychic energy in the air was just as refreshing, so much so that she stopped on the cusp of the beach, folded her legs up underneath her so she was levitating in mid-air. She pulled her hood back up over her head to protect her eyes and face from the suns glare and began to recite her chimes.

She tried to use her powers to cycle the cool air from the sea under and around her cloak to remove the excess heat from her body. It worked, but she still wasn't cool enough.

She must've been meditating for only a few minutes when she sensed someone approach her.

"You're the Doctors companion?" Said the gruff voice of Big Dog.

"I'm not 'his' anything." Raven said back, screwing up her eyes to keep concentrating.

"He's not like how LINDA describes him." Big Dog said.

"LINDA's idea of the Doctor is only a fiction."

"I understand that now." He said, "He's taken a great interest in that hat stall." Oh god, Raven didn't know if she could stand the Doctor wearing a hat. "Tell me, do you think this is a good place?"

Raven didn't know what to think. "It's a place, like any other."

"But do you think the people are happy here?" He asked. Raven reached out with her mind, everyone felt content, humans and aliens. In the corners of peoples psyche she did detect some grumblings and dissatisfaction, but overall the mood was positive. "If people are happy of their own free will, then this is a good place." She wished Big Dog would go away now, he had a kind of creepy, stalker energy to him. He may be attractive in a wounded-soldier kind of way, if you could get past the missing limbs, but she wasn't interested in him; and if he laid a finger on her he'd loose more limbs.

Big Dog turned, stopped, then turned back.

"This might be a strange question to ask." Oh, here it comes. "Are you a Rashi?"

"A what?" Okay, that hadn't been the question she'd been considering.

"Never mind." Big Dog took a drag on his cigar. "Am… am I a good man?" He sounded like he was asking the air, but that actually got Ravens attention.

"What is ones evil, is another's good." She said.

"What better good is there, than to build a place where people can live in peace?" Big Dog asked, "I fought in wars to protect people. I killed, obviously, but back then they were just 'the enemy.' That's all they were to me. Until…" he trailed off, "War. It's fought by the young and stupid, tricked by the old and bitter into seeing a potential friend as an enemy, all over something so meaningless as an insult, or something as superficial as a resource. War has never existed to fight what is 'evil.' Though it is always framed that way, it's all to do with the pride and greed of the powerful."

Raven was listening intently despite her eyes being closed. "Tell me about it." She said flatly.

"Everything hit home when we returned from war. We were not seen as heroes. I no longer saw myself as that, anyway. But to be vilified, despised and cast aside by the very people you were supposed to protect. To be lumped in with the Mother Terra's lot was the greatest insult of them all." This sounded like some kind of confession to Raven.

"I took my brothers in arms and we formed Safe Harbour, claimed it as our own. The Earth Alliance didn't want it. It held no value, except maybe as a holiday destination, as far as they knew. Here we could escape the judgement of the court of public opinion. But many of my men were trained to be soldiers and couldn't function off of the battlefield. Initially I formed Safe Harbour as a team of soldiers for hire to fight in any conflict against an aggressor, for a price."

A Warmonger in other words.

"But my attitude changed when I realised we were being hired to slaughter the innocent, women, children. Groups, that were just pretending to be the oppressed or terrorised so we'd help them." Despite her eyes being closed Raven could feel the anger expressed in his one eye. "When we realised what we were being asked to do we refused, we protected the village and even organised their evacuation to here." He growled. "They spun our rescue mission as taking 'slaves and hostages'."

So an angelic action was spun as an demonic one. How was Raven not surprised?

"From there, I decided Safe Harbour would be a safe place not just for retired soldiers. But for all. We stopped taking contracts and just focused internally on ourselves. Our warrior tendencies are sated by drills and war games out in the jungle. But we built this place for anyone and everyone seeking to escape whatever tyrannical rule they squirm under. Sadly, we can only take small concessions of people at a time while we build, or we'll be overwhelmed. But my aim is for this place to be a place where any can escape their boarders, and if they so wish, make something of themselves. So long as they're willing to live alongside aliens, including humans, with a fresh slate. I want this to be a good place, if I created something good, then maybe I can die knowing that I am a good man."

Raven wiggled her toes uncomfortably.

"Are you sure you are not a Rashi?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you." Raven dismissed. This guy wasn't going to go away unless she said something. "The people here are content."

"Does that make me a good man?" He asked. Raven was too tired to deal with this.

"Yes." She said bluntly, without thought.

Big Dog stood there for a good few seconds, as if contemplating something. "We're all monsters, you know. In someone's book. Whether by truth or delusion, we're seen to stand in the way of someone's utopia, someone's view of the world. I admit it. I am a monster, I have the capacity to do some truly evil things. I have committed some truly evil acts, for very stupid reasons, and I recognise that. I do not pretend to be perfect, nor morally virtuous. I won't kid myself into thinking I'm always right, that I'll always choose the better way. But I choose to not be the monster I'm expected to be, the monster that I know lies within. Is that not all a person can do? Recognise the evil within, and say no?" This all sounded more and more like a religious confession. Why did her opinion of him matter so much to him?

Raven said nothing. She just wanted him to go away. Big Dog looked out to sea for a while, finished his cigar and then turned and walked away. Leaving her alone, at last. Now she was peacefully floating in her own mind where she felt most relaxed and comfortable.

Everyone needed a bad guy. Raven reminded herself.

Antonia had Russel, Earth Alliance had Safe Harbour, Hedgy and his followers had Big Dog. As Raven meditated she began to think on Big Dog's words.

He'd said that the Earth Alliance is one of the most progressive planets, yet it's demonised as being the most intolerant. Surely, Big Dog would never give that kind of praise to Earth Alliance, so assuming it was true. What would a world at peace truly look like? There would be no more wars, no more injustice, no bad guys to fight. No News to make. Life would be utterly boring without a crusade against something to fight.

If there isn't a bad guy then the people will invent one. Raven had only thought that from just her own perspective on Azarath.

Perhaps in a modern society the greatest enemy of peace isn't war, it's boredom.

Raven left that trail of thought and went back into her mind.

She was again interrupted, this time by the Doctor. "Seems like a nice enough chap." The Doctor said. "This isn't a bad place. But they have no tea shop, I'd love to open a tea shop one day. I think I'd be rather good at it."

"Yeah, I think so too." Raven said, trying to give the hint that she didn't want to be bothered by this.

"It's not Christmas, but perhaps we can stay here for a holiday." The Doctor laughed, "I'm tempted to go get a bucket and spade and teach everyone the art of sandcastles."

"Yeah, you go do that then." Raven said dismissively.

"Is something wrong?" The Doctor asked.

"I just want to be left alone." Raven replied.

"Fair enough." The Doctor said, turning to leave, but he turned on his heel and came back. "Do you know what I don't understand."

Oh for god sake!

"Safe Harbour is apparently rich in resources and minerals. That's why the place has such a booming economy. It's not just one export though, they have many valuable minerals they export, and they're able to do it so cheaply. Earth Alliance and some planets boycott them obviously, but Safe Harbour is technically within Earth's reach. They've spread the narrative that the place is like the second coming of the Dalek Empire. So why don't they invade and take it all over?" The Doctor drummed his fingers on his cheek as he thought. "There must be some deterrence making invasion of this small colony too dangerous."

"Yeah, I'm sure there must be." Raven said, disinterested.

"Either it's a third party that Earth Alliance does not want to irritate by invading and disrupting the supply chain. Or perhaps it's because Safe Harbour is a useful bad guy to make themselves look superior, and therefore Safe Harbour is not worth bothering with, but the resources here says otherwise, they'd be livid that they passed over such a rich planet that they'd want it back. Or there is a third possibility that is the most worrying." He paused. "MAD."

"What?" That peeked her interest.

"A term coined during the Cold War in 20th Century Earth. Mutually Assured Destruction. It means both sides hold the power to totally obliterate the other. It's akin to two people owning guns and both agreeing to leave the other alone, or else. It works out fine, until one plays their music too loud. But looking at the colony, they don't appear to have any doomsday weapon on hand."

Raven sighed and shook her head, she was going to call him out. "Doctor, why do you have to be so over dramatic about this stuff?" She said, giving him her full attention.

"Over dramatic? Me?"

"Yeah. You say everything as if you are preforming for someone." Obviously, that person being her. "You talk about these things as if you think I'm stupid."

"Raven, I don't for one second think you're stupid." He said, "I'd be too concerned about the consequences of crossing you, your majesty." Raven wanted to be angry, but she couldn't find the energy. Plus, the flippancy was too charming to be annoyed with.

She'll spare his life, for now.

Raven sighed, she was cooking again and the heat was biting her. It poked all over her like an... an... irritating poking thing.

"Can you see anything in there?" The Doctor said, waving his hand over her hood. Her face had disappeared so far back into the shadows that you could barely see her face or eyes.

"Get that out of my face!" Raven snapped. But caught herself before any power escaped. She wiped her forehead, and it came away soaking wet. She really needed to cool off. "Where's the TARDIS? I want to change."

"Docking bay ninety four. You can't miss it." Finally, she can change into something cooler. She uncrossed her legs, lowered her feet to the floor and turned away. The place was perfectly signposted, so she should be able to find the docking bay.

"Don't cause any trouble!" The Doctor said to her.

"Don't get yourself into trouble!" Raven said as more of a warning. "I'm getting tired of bailing you out." She was gone before the Doctor could reply.

Docking bay ninety four wasn't that difficult to find, and the TARDIS was parked in a neat corner, and even had its own armed guards. Two of them stood at attention as she approached.

"Miss Roth!" They announced. Raven was taken aback by this behaviour.

"What are you doing?"

"Guarding the TARDIS, Ma'am." One soldier said, this one a female.

"I mean, why are you… never mind." She wasn't used to being treated like a special guest. In her book it always rang false.

They stood aside and allowed her to enter the TARDIS. She paused on the threshold and looked back. Something caught her psychic senses. Looking back she saw that lizard guard Drayfus ducking behind a large crate. He pulled out a pad and looked like he was checking something on the crate.

I'm getting paranoid. She thought and she just entered the TARDIS and was thankful to feel the air go from sweltering, to cool. It was like descending into a cave.

It didn't take long to get changed back into her usual attire, bare legs and all. She floated over the stupid train tracks to avoid these stupid little electric motors, she refused to call them trains.

As she floated back towards the console room something rattled within her own head. Big Dog. He had to be evil. She'd sensed it. This wasn't just a shot in the dark like her mistake with Russel. She'd sensed it in Corentin as a baby, she'd felt it. Evil. Did she make the right call in sparing his life? She had to know, for sure and she was going to find out.

Before leaving the TARDIS again Raven picked up the Book of Azar that she'd left here before. If she was going to stop in the colony for a while she might as well have something to read while the Doctor and Big Dog talked about boring stuff.

Raven took the book. Cast a black portal and passed the book through it into the darkness beyond. This was the only way to carry the book since she had no pockets. She had placed the book within her Soul-self. Taking inspiration from the TARDIS, Raven had read about a technique where you could store things within your own soul. The Soul-self was the source of her own power, but could also be made to act like a physical dimension. Effectively, Raven had practically turned herself into a TARDIS.

The demon girl had suspected that she could do this when she'd dragged Marya and her two goons into herself back in Whitby. But now she'd perfected the method, and she'd already used it to imprison Antonia and her two friends earlier. Raven actually didn't know what exactly was within her own soul. But reports from those she'd dragged inside painted it as a place of horror.

But for now, Raven was just using it to store junk like books and stuff. Though she'd perfected the 'Soul-self gateway,' as she'd decided to call it, she hadn't given much thought as to how useful it could be.

Raven stopped at the keypad on the console. She stared at the round, button like keys and picked at the edge of one for a second before she decided to access the TARDIS data bank. The old TV screen above the console came to life and asked for a data request.

Raven typed the word. 'Rashi.' What did it mean and why did Big Dog think she was one.

Whistling came, followed by another of those stupid little trains clattering around the tracks. Finally sick of these toys Raven gently kicked the engine off the tracks, the carriages fell over with the engine. The train fell off the console dias and slit to a stop on the rug. The small robots inside were livid and screeching up at her in small, high pitched voices. Raven couldn't understand the language, so just shrugged and turned back to the TV screen.

An entry came up.

'Rashi. A religious concept held by those of the Illum religion on Earth. A Rashi is a spiritual being which latches onto a life force of a young child and provides moral guidance and judgement through their journey of life. The being holds the final judgement on whether the soul is fit to enter into the afterlife, or be sent back around the cycle of reincarnation. See also, similar, Guardian Angel, Spirit guide.

There was more, but Raven had stopped reading. She felt her cheeks go red with embarrassment, worse with the realisations that the source of her embarrassment was actually her own fault.

Maybe I should've killed him. She thought with heavy sarcasm.

To Be Continued…

Authors notes: Raven's Soul-self is actually an ability she has that I didn't know about until I watched the Death Battle episode with Raven in it, and it apparently works the way I have described. I'm not sure if in the Teen Titans episode where Beast Boy and Cyborg supposedly end up in Raven's mind, if it was her mind they were in, or if it was supposed to be her Soul-self, and it was just called her mind so people understood. Obviously, there is a reason I'm bringing this up in the story now. It'll be important later. 😉