Fic: Stepping Sideways: A Long Way from Sherwood. Chapter 9
Summary: How do you save people that don't want to be saved?
For notes etc, please see The Prologue, or just follow the tags.
Note: Gallifreyan will be indicated by the use of « and » any other language uses "". It seemed the simplest solution.
(As always, lots of thanks to luckweaver)
Chapter 9
Roda’s immediate reaction was borne out of years of training and fighting, so instinctive she didn’t even have to think.
The humans were screaming and running, the Dalek’s shots ringing out over their heads as they dodged and fought against each other before finding the doors locked and tearing at the unyielding metal; but Roda calmly (insides a maelstrom of unspeakable emotions, but her training held) picked up a discarded gun, aimed, waited (some part of her registering the Seeker’s immobile figure on the other side of the room) - and then fired.
With a deeply satisfying crunch, the Dalek’s eye stalk was severed, and a second later the Seeker’s voice cried out.
«No!! What have you done?»
The Dalek began screaming in pain, spinning disorientated, and the Seeker leapt to its side, reassuring, concerned; before jumping forward as he realised Roda was taking aim again.
«Don’t you dare!»
The fury in his eyes was unmistakable, and she gritted her teeth. The Master’s son. She should have known.
Before he reached her, the Captain appeared out of the melee of humans, pointing the laser at the Seeker and yelling something; but the Seeker in a single fluid moment wrestled the laser out of the human’s hands, and then punched him with a vindictiveness that was downright unsettling.
He then turned back to Roda, who was now aiming the gun at him. Although the laser in his hand was more deadly than all the bullets in the gun combined, they were still more or less even. Her finger tightened on the trigger:
«This is- Gallifrey called me a Traitor. You're defending a Dalek and you want me to back down?!»
His knuckles went white where he was clutching the laser, but otherwise he remained calm. Although there was a bite to his tone that was new.
«Well, Gallifrey was dead and gone long before I was ever born, I never had the luxury of my people judging me.»
«Luxury?!» She seethed, unable to believe what she was hearing. «You think being put on trial by the Council is a luxury?»
«Yes, having a home and a people is a luxury. One I never had.»
Somehow his cool demeanour brought out her anger ten-fold, the pent-up violence of fighting that was coursing through her veins needing an outlet or she’d burst.
«I haven't had a home for nearly two thousand years. You had parents who loved you. I never knew one of the people who loomed me and the other was killed. The man,» she spat, «who graciously took me in? Exiled me for crimes I never committed. My lovers? All dead. The soldiers I fought with?»
She could feel her temper rising further as she aimed her gun at the Dalek again. «Dead. Because of those…» She found it hard to concentrate, the War rising in front her of, untold death stretching out around her like a tapestry. «Everyone dies. Because of those... those things.»
«Its name is Caan. It fought its own. It helped me.»
At the periphery of her vision she was aware that the humans were surrounding them, so far only observing, but that might change. She shook her head.
«It’s a Dalek. It doesn't help anyone.»
The Seeker’s face was infuriatingly impassive.
«Well, this one does.»
She almost felt like laughing.
«It’s tricking you. So it evolved. Learned how to lie. It's not your friend.»
Finally a tiny crack, as the Seeker closed his eyes momentarily, before fixing her with one of those ‘Why must you be so very annoying?’ stares:
«I’ve been inside its head. Trust me, it's not lying.»
«You did what?!»
Of all the insane things to claim to have done…
«Long story.»
He stopped, looked around at the humans, who were now slowly regrouping, picking up their guns and aiming them once more.
«Oh for crying out loud.»
Lifting the laser, he pressed a button.
“There. That’s all your guns rendered unusable. I need to tend to my Dalek.”
Turning to the creature he picked up the eyestalk from the floor, his mouth set in a grim line, even as he tried to keep the tone light.
“What did the nasty Time Lady do to you, eh Caan?”
“I. Am. Blind.” The Dalek staccatoed. “I. Am. In. Pain.”
“Come on,” he said, gently guiding it towards the TARDIS. Roda swallowed against the bile rising in her throat. His hand on the dome was so wrong, on so many levels, that she couldn’t even begin to work through the layers of disgust and revulsion. His back was to her, the shot would be clean… Silently she reached for her sonic, which a human had dropped close by, and worried her lip, wondering if she could use the sonic to make the gun function again. Wondered whether she should.
The Captain chose that moment to shakily sit up, helped by some of the other humans.
“You see? You see how he cares about monsters, but kills us?”
The Seeker snapped round, hand still on the Dalek’s dome.
“My father once called the human race the greatest monsters of them all. I wish I could disagree.”
“Oh so high and mighty,” the Captain shot back. “Think yourself so above it all.” He practically spat the words out.
“Time Lords! What do you know of humanity?”
A second, then the Seeker left the Dalek’s side and slowly and deliberately walked back to the Captain, crouching down beside him.
“Well, here’s a secret for you. I am half-human on my mother’s side. I grew up on Earth-that-was a long long time ago. I saw with my own eyes the greed, the destruction, the wars, the sheer suffering humanity visited upon its own kind. Earth could have been a paradise, but they destroyed it. So believe you me, I know everything about humans. I have lived it. It’s lucky for you that my uncle was a wide-eyed idealist who told me it was my duty as a Time Lord to look after lesser species, even when they don’t deserve it.”
Getting to his feet, the Captain gaping at him, the Seeker smiled coldly.
“And I have rarely met anyone who deserves it less than you.”
Ushering the Dalek into the TARDIS, he then turned to Roda.
“Coming?”
She hesitated, and he switched to Gallifreyan:
«I think we need to talk. I promise you will be safe. You can drive?»
Adrenaline was still pumping, anger like a third pulse thrumming beneath her skin, but she appreciated his point.
«OK.»
As she stepped forwards, one of the humans called out.
“You can’t leave us like this-“
The Seeker’s response was so dismissive it felt like a slap.
“We are Time Lords. Think, for once in your stupid life.”
Glaring, she stepped into the TARDIS. There was, indeed, a lot they needed to discuss.
But she brought the gun. Just in case.
Chapter 10
Post has been cloned from dreamwidth. Comments welcome everywhere.
For notes etc, please see The Prologue, or just follow the tags.
Note: Gallifreyan will be indicated by the use of « and » any other language uses "". It seemed the simplest solution.
(As always, lots of thanks to luckweaver)
Chapter 9
Roda’s immediate reaction was borne out of years of training and fighting, so instinctive she didn’t even have to think.
The humans were screaming and running, the Dalek’s shots ringing out over their heads as they dodged and fought against each other before finding the doors locked and tearing at the unyielding metal; but Roda calmly (insides a maelstrom of unspeakable emotions, but her training held) picked up a discarded gun, aimed, waited (some part of her registering the Seeker’s immobile figure on the other side of the room) - and then fired.
With a deeply satisfying crunch, the Dalek’s eye stalk was severed, and a second later the Seeker’s voice cried out.
«No!! What have you done?»
The Dalek began screaming in pain, spinning disorientated, and the Seeker leapt to its side, reassuring, concerned; before jumping forward as he realised Roda was taking aim again.
«Don’t you dare!»
The fury in his eyes was unmistakable, and she gritted her teeth. The Master’s son. She should have known.
Before he reached her, the Captain appeared out of the melee of humans, pointing the laser at the Seeker and yelling something; but the Seeker in a single fluid moment wrestled the laser out of the human’s hands, and then punched him with a vindictiveness that was downright unsettling.
He then turned back to Roda, who was now aiming the gun at him. Although the laser in his hand was more deadly than all the bullets in the gun combined, they were still more or less even. Her finger tightened on the trigger:
«This is- Gallifrey called me a Traitor. You're defending a Dalek and you want me to back down?!»
His knuckles went white where he was clutching the laser, but otherwise he remained calm. Although there was a bite to his tone that was new.
«Well, Gallifrey was dead and gone long before I was ever born, I never had the luxury of my people judging me.»
«Luxury?!» She seethed, unable to believe what she was hearing. «You think being put on trial by the Council is a luxury?»
«Yes, having a home and a people is a luxury. One I never had.»
Somehow his cool demeanour brought out her anger ten-fold, the pent-up violence of fighting that was coursing through her veins needing an outlet or she’d burst.
«I haven't had a home for nearly two thousand years. You had parents who loved you. I never knew one of the people who loomed me and the other was killed. The man,» she spat, «who graciously took me in? Exiled me for crimes I never committed. My lovers? All dead. The soldiers I fought with?»
She could feel her temper rising further as she aimed her gun at the Dalek again. «Dead. Because of those…» She found it hard to concentrate, the War rising in front her of, untold death stretching out around her like a tapestry. «Everyone dies. Because of those... those things.»
«Its name is Caan. It fought its own. It helped me.»
At the periphery of her vision she was aware that the humans were surrounding them, so far only observing, but that might change. She shook her head.
«It’s a Dalek. It doesn't help anyone.»
The Seeker’s face was infuriatingly impassive.
«Well, this one does.»
She almost felt like laughing.
«It’s tricking you. So it evolved. Learned how to lie. It's not your friend.»
Finally a tiny crack, as the Seeker closed his eyes momentarily, before fixing her with one of those ‘Why must you be so very annoying?’ stares:
«I’ve been inside its head. Trust me, it's not lying.»
«You did what?!»
Of all the insane things to claim to have done…
«Long story.»
He stopped, looked around at the humans, who were now slowly regrouping, picking up their guns and aiming them once more.
«Oh for crying out loud.»
Lifting the laser, he pressed a button.
“There. That’s all your guns rendered unusable. I need to tend to my Dalek.”
Turning to the creature he picked up the eyestalk from the floor, his mouth set in a grim line, even as he tried to keep the tone light.
“What did the nasty Time Lady do to you, eh Caan?”
“I. Am. Blind.” The Dalek staccatoed. “I. Am. In. Pain.”
“Come on,” he said, gently guiding it towards the TARDIS. Roda swallowed against the bile rising in her throat. His hand on the dome was so wrong, on so many levels, that she couldn’t even begin to work through the layers of disgust and revulsion. His back was to her, the shot would be clean… Silently she reached for her sonic, which a human had dropped close by, and worried her lip, wondering if she could use the sonic to make the gun function again. Wondered whether she should.
The Captain chose that moment to shakily sit up, helped by some of the other humans.
“You see? You see how he cares about monsters, but kills us?”
The Seeker snapped round, hand still on the Dalek’s dome.
“My father once called the human race the greatest monsters of them all. I wish I could disagree.”
“Oh so high and mighty,” the Captain shot back. “Think yourself so above it all.” He practically spat the words out.
“Time Lords! What do you know of humanity?”
A second, then the Seeker left the Dalek’s side and slowly and deliberately walked back to the Captain, crouching down beside him.
“Well, here’s a secret for you. I am half-human on my mother’s side. I grew up on Earth-that-was a long long time ago. I saw with my own eyes the greed, the destruction, the wars, the sheer suffering humanity visited upon its own kind. Earth could have been a paradise, but they destroyed it. So believe you me, I know everything about humans. I have lived it. It’s lucky for you that my uncle was a wide-eyed idealist who told me it was my duty as a Time Lord to look after lesser species, even when they don’t deserve it.”
Getting to his feet, the Captain gaping at him, the Seeker smiled coldly.
“And I have rarely met anyone who deserves it less than you.”
Ushering the Dalek into the TARDIS, he then turned to Roda.
“Coming?”
She hesitated, and he switched to Gallifreyan:
«I think we need to talk. I promise you will be safe. You can drive?»
Adrenaline was still pumping, anger like a third pulse thrumming beneath her skin, but she appreciated his point.
«OK.»
As she stepped forwards, one of the humans called out.
“You can’t leave us like this-“
The Seeker’s response was so dismissive it felt like a slap.
“We are Time Lords. Think, for once in your stupid life.”
Glaring, she stepped into the TARDIS. There was, indeed, a lot they needed to discuss.
But she brought the gun. Just in case.
Chapter 10
Post has been cloned from dreamwidth. Comments welcome everywhere.