1

Ianto was working in the dirt.

He liked the simplicity of it, after a long life of service to others, he was glad to have his own little piece of dirt, had fought hard for it and by the Gods, it would be the best fucking stupid piece of dirt on this entire godforsaken planet.

The Planet Endros359 was mostly barren and unhospitable, bar an oasis here and there. The valleys where the cooler temperatures dwelled longer were where the grass grew, where life sustained and where Ianto had planted his owner's stake that made this area his.

Now this had pissed off other prospectors who had been also wanting an area around here, those let off the Mother Ship told to pick a spot, drop your flag and wherever it landed, you owned the entire 50-hectare cubic area around said flag. Ianto was allowed up to 100 if he wanted it, due to payments owed by those in charge.

It had been a bit of fluke, a bit of work and a lot of research that got Ianto this nice little patch. He had dug for water, had found it like he knew he would and now he was crouched in the dirt, planting flowers. He did sometimes wonder if he planted flowers for his enjoyment, or because he knew that it pissed off the other landowners no end to see him flaunting the good soil.

Well… fuck them and their horses too!

Ha!

Ianto's partner had died on the way here, the credits from her family and his still enough with the extra he earnt here and there to ensure their two small children had a cosy yet large homestead on this patch of fuckery. And he was going to make sure their mother's memory meant something.

A horse nickered softly, and he glanced over at the coral, the large red horse over eighteen hands high and built like a tank. She had been a gift too, from another landowner grateful that Ianto had helped him with extra feed last winter when his own meagre crops had not been enough, and the hay had been sparce. Ianto had spare, he had shared without even thinking about it, as was his way but he had unwittingly gained favour with one who would defend his honour to all. The rancher had been happy to offload her once he saw her actually pay attention when he could not get her to do a goddamned thing.

The man had said her name as 'That Bitch Horse' but Ianto had called her Myfanwy as he had stroked her huge neck, caressing and crooning away the shivers. When he had left the ranch with the horse meekly following him like a huge dog the ranch owner had laughed and called after him that he was a fucking weirdo and so was his horse.

Ianto had called back "And they all know where she came from."

As he stared at her now, her huge head rose higher, now her nostrils flaring as she caught the scent of something that made Ianto rise and turn to look in the direction she was looking. The far treeline of huge trees, some so large you could fit an entire horse in them… some hollow enough to as well, was a marshland beyond full of wild boar, crocodiles and Arerdisherols which were this planet's version of a Hippopotamus crossed with a fucking bogeyman.

Ianto glanced at the back stoop and saw the shoes lined up nearly inside the door, making him relax. The kids were inside. Whatever it was, his pulse rifle was leaning against the stoop. He unrolled his sleeves, covering the wristlets he always wore.

When the man came flying out of the undergrowth to body slam onto the ground and lay dazed, it was not what Ianto had expected and he took a moment to take in the man covered in blood, mud and welts. Scars that showed not only recent torture... but old… and as the distant sound of dogs baying grew closer Ianto knew this was not a good idea.

Then the man got unsteadily to his feet and Ianto took in what he was wearing, cursed at the Gods and knew he had no choice now. Another old Regulator. God damn it all. The Code. Ianto took a deep breath and said softly "Get under the porch, don't fuck with Sally and keep still as can be."

The man regarded him, then looked at the porch and shot under there, groaning softly as he took to his knees to clamber into the darkness. Once he was against the house, several feet from the latticework of the porch he could see through the gaps and the flower beds to the treeline, the dogs now almost here.

Then he loked to his left and the huge Skunkrat looking at him with undisguised annoyance. Like a Sol3 skunk but the size of a Pitbull and twice as nasty, these fuckers could really hurt you. He tried a grin and loked away. Maybe if he ignored it then it might ignore him. Sally. Her. Right.

Ianto whistled softly and the sound of thumping had Jack looking up above his head, then out through the latticework as two huge dogs cleared the porch railing to land beside Ianto, their hackles up and their stance that of challenge.

Yeah… they were big here too. The size of donkeys. This planet, man… everything here was big. Like… fuckery big. The humans were the pipsqueaks who made up for it with violence and pulse weaponry. The other thing is that most of the creatures did not like mankind and let them know it with eating them, destroying them and generally fighting back as much as possible. So ... the two huge Doggertons standing either side of this man told the man under the porch cowering in the dirt that not only was the landowner a strong powerful man… he was empathic.

The only way to handle these dog-like creatures larger than you was with the power of the mind.

He settled back and absently found himself stroking the skunk as he watched the hound dogs following his scent erupt from the treeline to skid to a halt and then try to back track as the Doggertons made low rumbling sounds like thunder in their chests.

Fuck… he was under the house, behind them… and he was scared of their warning.

Then the horses breached the trees and skidded to a halt too, the riders pulling back on the reins with alarm as Ianto raised the Pulse Rifle to waist height and focused on the man in charge "Afternoon Sheriff."

"Lieutenant Jones" the Sherif grunted, looking around warily.

"So… what's your boggle?" Ianto asked.

"We are chasing a… a… stowaway. A planet jumper!" one of the others blustered out with fake bravado, the sheriff turning in his saddle to glare at the man until he dropped his gaze. Myfanwy nickered over at the corral and showed her teeth to the other horses that were only twelve hands if they were lucky, one of them backing up even as the rider fought for control.

"Ain't no stowaway here. You know I don't much care for company" Ianto replied.

"Then you won't mind us searching the house then" the sheriff demanded looking warily at the two Doggertons now taking a step forward as if answering his challenge. Ianto placed his hands down gently on their flanks to soothe.

Then a female voice called out "Can I search your house, Lieutenant?"

Then feet appeared as the woman dismounted, landing in the dirt to stand up as a little cloud of dust puffed up. She took a tentative step on to the grass and stood waiting for his answer.

"I would say you can Deputy Cooper… but if that other one with the attitude gets off his horse to go with you, I will take his head off" Ianto replied with the same calm voice, the pulse rifle hanging at his side as the shoulder strap kept it close, both hands still on the dogs.

"I promise I will be respectful of your youngling" she nodded taking off for the house.

"He's got kids?" one of the mounted men asked another and then the sheriff gave him a withering look and he settled back.

After a few minutes Cooper reappeared "No sir. The kids are at their schooling, no one else in the house bar the housekeeper and she is damned pissy that I interrupted them."

"And you saw nothing?" the sheriff asked.

"Nope" Ianto popped the P and then added "I did hear something crashing over that way… I thought it might be a deer you are chasing or something given the noise. Heading for the falls."

Groans now.

The falls. I know… you think of a waterfall right? Nah. The Falls is a steep cliff that separates this land from the Outer Reaches where the wild things be.

"Well, if he went over… and survived... they will probably eat him before sunset" someone muttered.

"What will eat him?" another asked.

"Fuck, I don't know. A fucking plethora of choice out there, dickwad."

Plethora. Good word. Ianto blinked slowly as the sheriff sighted again in the saddle "Permission to cross your land please Lieutenant Jones."

"Seems you're already doing it" Ianto replied with annoyance then added "For you Sherrif… fine. For you."

The sheriff looked pleased with that answer, and they took off across the yard, carful to keep the horses moving around the edge of the grass verge and as they disappeared one said to another "Maybe the fucker is going to hit the edge and turn, running for the caves."

Ianto watched them leave and turned to glower at the porch with undisguised anger.

What in fucking unholy fuckery had he just invited in?