An Ill-Considered Wager ch. 7/?
An Ill-Considered Wager ch.7/?
Title: An Ill-Considered Wager or "Dr. Fire Escape"
Characters: Read to find out! There's a lot of 'em!
Genre: Crossover, Action-Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: This takes place in DW S4 (after "The Unicorn and the Wasp"), TW S2 (just before "Reset"), Firefly after the series but before the movie, and Farscape season 2 (right before "The Ugly Truth")
Notes: When I get bored, I make lists of characters from different fandoms and then pair characters together randomly. Except this time, the results were awesome and actually spawned a story that doesn't suck.
Summary: The Doctor is engulfed in chaos as four timelines cross and converge. He must work with his companions and new friends to set things right.
Find previous chapters here.
A/N: So Farscape-wise, I did make a technical glitch by including Lo'La a bit early. But we'll just gloss over that for now. Also, I wrote this before reading the comics.
Dominar Rygel XVI reclined on his throne. “Aaah, it’s good to be back.” He dismissed his servants with a wave of his hand, leaving him alone in the throne room with Saffron.
She looked around the low-ceilinged room with many pools that served as entrances and exits. “Been a while since I’ve been in a palace. First time I haven’t had to sleep with no one to get here.”
Rygel rolled his eyes. “Now you sound like Chiana.” He felt something twinge as he would probably never see her or any of Moya’s crew again. Good riddance, he told himself. This is how it should be.
Though he did think it had all been a bit too easy. After broadcasting his claim for the throne, Rygel had just sat back and watched as the Master had taken the palace planet with Talyn’s firepower. He was mildly concerned at how well the young Leviathan responded to the Time Lord’s commands. Moya would probably not be proud of her offspring.
But it’s all for the greater good, he reassured himself.
The Master bounded back into the room through the main doorway and bowed low. “Dominar Rygel.”
Rygel inclined his head. “Master.”
The Time Lord straightened and looked at Saffron. “I’ll need your assistance now, human.”
Saffron smiled gamely. “Just tell me what you need and when I get my cut.”
“To express my gratitude, you may both help yourselves to the royal treasure room,” Rygel responded. “Will that be sufficient?”
Saffron looked at the jeweled scepter in Rygel’s hand. “That works for me.”
“I will require access to any and all your technological facilities,” the Master stated.
Rygel nodded. “Of course.”
“Dominar, you are going to announce your people that you have formed a new alliance with a group of disaffected Peacekeepers.”
“What?!”
“Well, you’re going to have to give some kind of explanation for who helped you regain the throne. And that’s who we’ll pretend to be.”
Rygel regained his composure. “May I ask why?”
The Master grinned. “According to the information on board Talyn, the Peacekeepers are working on wormhole technology. I want to access to it.”
“And why would they let you do that? You realize they will scan you at some point and discover you’re not Sebacean.”
“Because I can make their wormhole technology work.”
~~~
Kaylee sat on Pilot’s console. She felt like she had cried all the tears she had inside. Instead, she just sat and watched as the alien gently moved his four arms around the console.
“Once again, I am sorry for the loss of Serenity,” Pilot said quietly.
“I just wish I’d been there. I just know I coulda done somethin’ to help her. She was my girl. I don’t know what I’m gonna do without …” She cut herself off before she started crying again.
“I feel the same way about Moya,” Pilot responded. “We are bonded. And if we were ever to be parted, neither of us would survive long.”
Kaylee’s eyes widened. “You mean … you’d die without her?”
“Yes,” Pilot’s eyes were downcast. “So I do understand what it means to be bonded to a ship, even though Serenity was not technically alive like Moya is.”
“Does Moya talk to you?”
“Oh, yes. In fact, she’s literally never out of my mind.”
“Serenity would almost always tell me when something was wrong. I just had to listen for somethin’ that didn’t sound right.” She paused in thought. “What’s Moya saying now?”
“Well, aside from normal functions … she empathizes with your loss. She knows that Serenity was far more than just a mode of transport for you and your friends.”
At that, Kaylee began to cry again. She didn’t pull away when she felt a strange alien arm around her shoulders.
~~~
Crichton had hardly finished filling everyone in on what had happened when the TARDIS landed.
“Where are we now?” Donna asked, trying to keep up.
“If my calculations are correct, we should be in the middle of the palace,” the Doctor answered. He started towards the door and then stopped. “Crichton and company, what would be the best approach to the situation? Who will Rygel listen to?”
Chiana snorted. “Depends if you have food or not.”
“What about the Master?” Rose asked. “If he’s here and has control of the palace and its defenses …”
Jayne cracked his knuckles. “Let me handle that.”
Crais nodded in agreement. “I must find Talyn. And if this Master person has done anything -”
“WAIT!” Crichton yelled, shutting everyone up. “I think Zhaan should go in. She’s had success getting Rygel to listen before. And if she goes alone, she won’t seem like much of a threat, right?”
“I don’t recommend that anyone go alone if Master is here. Zhaan, I’ll go with you,” the Doctor stated.
“Wait, didn’t you say that the Master was your mortal enemy and wants this weird ship?” Chiana queried. “If anyone should stay here to look after it, shouldn’t that be you?”
The Doctor opened his mouth to protest and then shut it again. “Yes.”
“I will go to Rygel,” Zhaan stated. “Crichton’s right. I have had success getting him to listen.”
The Doctor pulled her aside. “If you see the Master, trust nothing he says. Stay away from him. No one here can handle him.”
Zhaan nodded. “I understand, Doctor.”
“Go quickly. If the he is here, it won’t be long before he knows where we are.”
Zhaan nodded again and exited the TARDIS.
Everyone jumped at the sound of an electric zap and a grunt of surprise from Jayne.
Rose smiled slightly. “You might want to be nice to the ship, Mr. Cobb. She can keep you in line if you don’t treat her nicely.”
Jayne looked alarmed, then embarrassed, then annoyed. He glanced around the console room furtively before muttering, “Sorry.”
~~~
While the others were busy with the aftermath of the crash, River found herself wandering around Torchwood. Eventually, her wanderings led her down towards the holding cells.
She had sensed a dark presence since she arrived, like an angry bug bite on her brain that would not go away.
“Who’s there?” Scorpius asked softly.
River didn’t answer but crept silently towards the cell until she could see him. He looked wrong; he felt wrong, so, so wrong. All withered and twisted in black leather.
“Who are you, child?” he asked.
“Half-breed,” she accused. She noticed that the alien’s shoulders stiffened slightly.
“Are you human?” he asked, his head tilting slightly.
“Yes. But I don’t know what Crichton knows. No one does,” she answered.
“I see,” he said, as if listening to a child tell a story. “How do you know these things?”
“You burn inside, but you’re so, so cold. You have to be.”
“You can hear other people’s thoughts. You can hear mine.”
“I can kill you with my brain,” River stated.
“I don’t doubt it,” Scorpius replied sincerely. “But I wish you no harm. In fact, I think we might even be able to help each other.”
“Don’t need your help. You’ll just put yourself in my head, like you did to Crichton.” She rubbed the heel of her hand against her left eye. “Don’t need more stuffed in there.”
Scorpius was practically salivating. “I can tell you don’t. And you don’t have information I need, my dear, so there would be no point. However, I do have a wonderful machine that can also remove things from your head. Someone as young as you should not have to bear such a burden. Help me, and I can help you, Miss …?”
“River.”
“River, you can tell that I’m not lying. I can help you. Will you help me?”
“Can’t fly. Serenity’s gone, and there aren’t any birds left. None that can fly high enough.”
“Then we will wait. I’m sure … there will come an opportunity. When that happens, find me. I can help you.”
“River?” a female voice and footsteps echoed down the hall.
A moment later, Inara was beside her, putting an arm around her. “We were so worried about you, mei mei. What were you doing down here? Come on, let’s go back upstairs and get you something to eat.”
Gwen watched as Inara ushered River away. She glared at Scorpius. “She’s just a little girl. Leave her alone.”
“I did nothing wrong,” Scorpius said, raising his hands in surrender. “Clearly, Crichton and the others have poisoned you against me.”
“They told us enough, and it doesn’t take a genius to see that you shouldn’t be anywhere near her. Is that clear?”
“In case it had escaped your notice, I’m locked in a cell. I don’t think I’m the one who made the mistake.”
Gwen leveled another glare at him before stalking away.
Scorpius, alone with the Weevils, grinned.
~~~
Zhaan smiled as she bowed low in front of Rygel. “Dominar. It is good to see you where you belong.”
“Rise,” Rygel said with a smug smile. “Now, where is the rest of the old crew? I wasn’t informed of Moya’s arrival.”
“Indeed not. I did not arrive here in Moya.”
“Oh? Then how did you arrive?”
“I could ask you the same question, Dominar.”
“You could, but it would be most impertinent.”
“I know you arrived in Talyn but not alone.”
Rygel frowned. “If you are here to threaten -“
Zhaan held up her hand. “I assure you, I am not. I merely come for information about your new traveling companions.”
“Hmph. Well, as a show of good faith, I must ask that you answer my questions first and produce your traveling companions.”
“Rygel, is he still here? The Master.”
“He took the human female and left.”
“It is urgent that we find them, Dominar. Do you know where they went?”
“I will answer no more questions until you answer mine! You’re with the other Time Lord, aren’t you?”
“Rygel, please -”
“Silence! I am the Dominar of Hyneria, and you will treat me as such!”
Zhaan gritted her teeth. “My apologies, Dominar. I did arrive with the Doctor, and he believes the Master to be a grave threat. We wish only to ascertain his whereabouts. Then we will leave you in peace.”
Rygel quelled the urge to have her thrown in the dungeon, just because he could. “Very well. Once you produce the rest of your traveling companions, I will tell you where the Master went. Guards!”
Two doors on either side of the hall opened, and eight guards swam through the pools and marched out of the water with surprising grace. They each carried a sleek gray pulse weapon of some kind and a bronze-colored sword tucked into their navy sashes.
Zhaan almost wanted to laugh; they looked as if she could just kick them out of her way. However, she did imagine that Rygel could call enough of them to potentially cause a problem.
“Escort this Delvian to whatever vehicle she arrived in and bring all of the passengers back here. If anyone refuses, throw them in the dungeon.”
~~~
Wash was starting to think that he should have stepped back into the blue box with his wife. It had to be better than sitting around watching her pace and fending off helpful Torchwood employees. The women - Gwen and Tosh - had tried to ask them about starting a program to “integrate” into society. Wash and Zoe had vehemently refused. Zoe said they would come up with a plan to get back home somehow. After that, they had pretty much been left alone.
Book and Inara were keeping a close eye on River. Gwen, Tosh, and Owen were apparently working to cover up any media coverage of Serenity’s crash.
It left Wash and Zoe with nothing to do. He had tried to talk to her about it, assure her that she has made the right choice, even though he wasn’t so sure himself. It made him angry all over again when he thought about how his life had been ruined all because two stupid kids had decided to make a bet.
Hell, he wasn’t even sure how that was possible. Time travel? Aliens? He kept waiting for the dream to end, so he could get back to his life.
Gwen came over with a couple boxes of fresh pizza and smiled. “Owen said that your friend Kaylee was a big fan of our food.”
Zoe turned to face her. “Must be somethin’ we can do.”
“We have to wait for the Doctor to -”
“Not talkin’ about gettin’ home. I mean, there must be somethin’ we can do to help them. The Cap’n’s out there with the rest of them, and we’re not doing a damn thing.”
“I’m sorry. We don’t have any way to find the Master if he’s not on this planet.”
Wash looked up. “You really don’t have any ships that can go into the black?”
“Only the ones that the government owns. I’m sorry.”
Now Wash was the one who stood up and starting pacing. The rest of his life on one planet? It felt claustrophobic.
“Even if we did have access, from what I understand, they’re incredibly far away. It could take years to even get there.”
“Wormholes,” River announced suddenly. “Scorpius knows about wormholes. And that’s what took Crichton to that side of the universe.”
“Even if that were possible, we have no vehicle to travel in,” Tosh pointed out.
“And there’s enough people out there already,” Owen added. “How could we possibly help?”
“I’m trying my best to understand that you all put your faith in the Doctor without question. What if something befalls him? Right now, he’s the only one who can travel between the two sides. Seems to me that it would be wise to have a backup plan. I’d like not to lose my whole world for nothing,” Zoe said.
Everyone was quiet for a moment.
Tosh looked at Gwen. “You’re the only one Jack’s ever really mentioned the Doctor to. What do you think?”
“I think Jack trusts the Doctor like we trust Jack.”
“Well, that’s all very shiny but not comforting to us new folks,” Wash replied.
“A better question might be: will it hurt anything to try?” Book asked.
Gwen looked back at Tosh. “That would be more your department than mine.”
Tosh bit her lip. “I suppose that brainstorming a bit and consulting Scorpius for ideas wouldn’t hurt. But we should definitely check in with Jack before we implement anything.”
“River, what did Scorpius say to you earlier?” Inara asked.
“He said he could take things out of my brain, so there’s less stuff,” River answer matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, that Stark guy said something similar,” Wash said, starting to doubt their plan a bit. “I don’t think we should trust Scorpius.”
“We’re not trusting him; we’re just going to talk to him,” Tosh pointed out. She was starting to get excited about the idea of something new. “You said you wanted to do something. This is only option.”
“I’d feel a lot better about this if we checked in with someone who at least has dealt with him before,” Owen stated. “Given how the others acted towards him, I don’t think we should go in blind.”
~~~
The control room of the TARDIS had never felt so claustrophobic before. The Doctor was running around the panel usual, taking readings. He had just checked in with the “hunting party.” Jayne and Crais were pacing around the room, especially since the Doctor had insisted that Jayne put away his gun. Chiana and Crichton were fidgety as well. Rose had tried to use the time bond with Donna a bit and find out what she and the Doctor had been up to lately, but the atmosphere was a bit heavy.
Donna gazed up as Crichton walked by them. “Not hard on the eyes, is he?”
Rose stifled a giggle. “Jack said something similar earlier.”
“Blimey, I have met so many people today. I can’t even remember which one’s Jack. Is he single?”
“I don’t know about Jack, but Crichton isn’t. There’s definitely something between him and Aeryn,” she finished in a conspiratorial whisper.
Donna sighed. “The gorgeous ones are always taken.”
They all jumped a little as there was a loud knock on the door.
The Doctor pulled the viewer around, and they all crowded around it. They could see Zhaan standing in front of the TARDIS, surrounded by armed guards.
“What the hell? They’re gorram midgets! We can take ‘em,” Jayne stated.
“Hang on,” the Doctor said, consulting a scanner. “Not sure that would be wise. Their numbers are vast.”
“Well, she’s in trouble, so we need to do something!” Chiana cried.
The Doctor pulled a microphone out of the console. “Zhaan, are you all right?”
“Yes, Doctor,” the reply came through speakers on the console. “The Dominar has demanded the presence of you and the other passengers. The Master is gone. Once we give Rygel what he wants, he’ll tell us where he went.”
“You are kidding me,” Donna said. “We’re going to bow down to a toad while the Master’s on the loose?”
The Doctor took the microphone again. “Really? He wants to see all four of us?”
“Can’t you count?” Jayne complained.
“He doesn’t know how many of us are here, we hope,” Crichton said, trying to keep his voice low.
Zhaan’s eyes seemed to light up. “Yes, all four of you, if you please. It won’t take long.”
“We’ll be right out,” the Doctor replied, before lowering the microphone. “Right. So, the Master probably told Rygel about me, so I need to go. Crichton, Chiana, Crais, I suggest that you join me. The more familiar faces, the better. The rest of you will stay here. Once we get the location out of Rygel, send it to Aeryn, Jack, and the others. If they’re closer, they might get there first. And, if things go badly, throw the lever, and the TARDIS will take you back to Torchwood.” He pointed to a button. “This will bring up communication with the hunting party.” He pointed to the next one. “This connects you to Torchwood.”
“Doctor, I don’t want to be any further from Talyn than I need to be,” Crais stated. “Surely, you can instruct us how to fly this -“
Rose and Donna were giggling before he could finish.
“Sorry, but this is meant to be flown by six pilots. It’s far too complicated to explain,” the Doctor replied. He turned to the others. “Rose, Donna, Mr. Cobb, the TARDIS is in your hands.” He took his mobile out of his pocket and dialed. “This should keep everything we say on the loudspeakers. Now, I suggest you stay out of sight while we go to meet the Dominar.”
Rose reached out and squeezed his hand. “Be careful.”
The Doctor grinned. “Aren’t I always?” He looked around at the other Moya refugees. “I suggest that we leave any weapons here. Show of good faith, eh?”
Crichton, Chiana and Crais looked unhappy as they unloaded their weapons and left them in a neat line on the TARDIS floor.
“Right, places everyone!” the Doctor called quietly. Jayne, Donna, and Rose each hid behind a support. The Doctor threw open the doors with a flourish. “Take us to your leader!”
To be continued ...
Title: An Ill-Considered Wager or "Dr. Fire Escape"
Characters: Read to find out! There's a lot of 'em!
Genre: Crossover, Action-Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: This takes place in DW S4 (after "The Unicorn and the Wasp"), TW S2 (just before "Reset"), Firefly after the series but before the movie, and Farscape season 2 (right before "The Ugly Truth")
Notes: When I get bored, I make lists of characters from different fandoms and then pair characters together randomly. Except this time, the results were awesome and actually spawned a story that doesn't suck.
Summary: The Doctor is engulfed in chaos as four timelines cross and converge. He must work with his companions and new friends to set things right.
Find previous chapters here.
A/N: So Farscape-wise, I did make a technical glitch by including Lo'La a bit early. But we'll just gloss over that for now. Also, I wrote this before reading the comics.
Dominar Rygel XVI reclined on his throne. “Aaah, it’s good to be back.” He dismissed his servants with a wave of his hand, leaving him alone in the throne room with Saffron.
She looked around the low-ceilinged room with many pools that served as entrances and exits. “Been a while since I’ve been in a palace. First time I haven’t had to sleep with no one to get here.”
Rygel rolled his eyes. “Now you sound like Chiana.” He felt something twinge as he would probably never see her or any of Moya’s crew again. Good riddance, he told himself. This is how it should be.
Though he did think it had all been a bit too easy. After broadcasting his claim for the throne, Rygel had just sat back and watched as the Master had taken the palace planet with Talyn’s firepower. He was mildly concerned at how well the young Leviathan responded to the Time Lord’s commands. Moya would probably not be proud of her offspring.
But it’s all for the greater good, he reassured himself.
The Master bounded back into the room through the main doorway and bowed low. “Dominar Rygel.”
Rygel inclined his head. “Master.”
The Time Lord straightened and looked at Saffron. “I’ll need your assistance now, human.”
Saffron smiled gamely. “Just tell me what you need and when I get my cut.”
“To express my gratitude, you may both help yourselves to the royal treasure room,” Rygel responded. “Will that be sufficient?”
Saffron looked at the jeweled scepter in Rygel’s hand. “That works for me.”
“I will require access to any and all your technological facilities,” the Master stated.
Rygel nodded. “Of course.”
“Dominar, you are going to announce your people that you have formed a new alliance with a group of disaffected Peacekeepers.”
“What?!”
“Well, you’re going to have to give some kind of explanation for who helped you regain the throne. And that’s who we’ll pretend to be.”
Rygel regained his composure. “May I ask why?”
The Master grinned. “According to the information on board Talyn, the Peacekeepers are working on wormhole technology. I want to access to it.”
“And why would they let you do that? You realize they will scan you at some point and discover you’re not Sebacean.”
“Because I can make their wormhole technology work.”
~~~
Kaylee sat on Pilot’s console. She felt like she had cried all the tears she had inside. Instead, she just sat and watched as the alien gently moved his four arms around the console.
“Once again, I am sorry for the loss of Serenity,” Pilot said quietly.
“I just wish I’d been there. I just know I coulda done somethin’ to help her. She was my girl. I don’t know what I’m gonna do without …” She cut herself off before she started crying again.
“I feel the same way about Moya,” Pilot responded. “We are bonded. And if we were ever to be parted, neither of us would survive long.”
Kaylee’s eyes widened. “You mean … you’d die without her?”
“Yes,” Pilot’s eyes were downcast. “So I do understand what it means to be bonded to a ship, even though Serenity was not technically alive like Moya is.”
“Does Moya talk to you?”
“Oh, yes. In fact, she’s literally never out of my mind.”
“Serenity would almost always tell me when something was wrong. I just had to listen for somethin’ that didn’t sound right.” She paused in thought. “What’s Moya saying now?”
“Well, aside from normal functions … she empathizes with your loss. She knows that Serenity was far more than just a mode of transport for you and your friends.”
At that, Kaylee began to cry again. She didn’t pull away when she felt a strange alien arm around her shoulders.
~~~
Crichton had hardly finished filling everyone in on what had happened when the TARDIS landed.
“Where are we now?” Donna asked, trying to keep up.
“If my calculations are correct, we should be in the middle of the palace,” the Doctor answered. He started towards the door and then stopped. “Crichton and company, what would be the best approach to the situation? Who will Rygel listen to?”
Chiana snorted. “Depends if you have food or not.”
“What about the Master?” Rose asked. “If he’s here and has control of the palace and its defenses …”
Jayne cracked his knuckles. “Let me handle that.”
Crais nodded in agreement. “I must find Talyn. And if this Master person has done anything -”
“WAIT!” Crichton yelled, shutting everyone up. “I think Zhaan should go in. She’s had success getting Rygel to listen before. And if she goes alone, she won’t seem like much of a threat, right?”
“I don’t recommend that anyone go alone if Master is here. Zhaan, I’ll go with you,” the Doctor stated.
“Wait, didn’t you say that the Master was your mortal enemy and wants this weird ship?” Chiana queried. “If anyone should stay here to look after it, shouldn’t that be you?”
The Doctor opened his mouth to protest and then shut it again. “Yes.”
“I will go to Rygel,” Zhaan stated. “Crichton’s right. I have had success getting him to listen.”
The Doctor pulled her aside. “If you see the Master, trust nothing he says. Stay away from him. No one here can handle him.”
Zhaan nodded. “I understand, Doctor.”
“Go quickly. If the he is here, it won’t be long before he knows where we are.”
Zhaan nodded again and exited the TARDIS.
Everyone jumped at the sound of an electric zap and a grunt of surprise from Jayne.
Rose smiled slightly. “You might want to be nice to the ship, Mr. Cobb. She can keep you in line if you don’t treat her nicely.”
Jayne looked alarmed, then embarrassed, then annoyed. He glanced around the console room furtively before muttering, “Sorry.”
~~~
While the others were busy with the aftermath of the crash, River found herself wandering around Torchwood. Eventually, her wanderings led her down towards the holding cells.
She had sensed a dark presence since she arrived, like an angry bug bite on her brain that would not go away.
“Who’s there?” Scorpius asked softly.
River didn’t answer but crept silently towards the cell until she could see him. He looked wrong; he felt wrong, so, so wrong. All withered and twisted in black leather.
“Who are you, child?” he asked.
“Half-breed,” she accused. She noticed that the alien’s shoulders stiffened slightly.
“Are you human?” he asked, his head tilting slightly.
“Yes. But I don’t know what Crichton knows. No one does,” she answered.
“I see,” he said, as if listening to a child tell a story. “How do you know these things?”
“You burn inside, but you’re so, so cold. You have to be.”
“You can hear other people’s thoughts. You can hear mine.”
“I can kill you with my brain,” River stated.
“I don’t doubt it,” Scorpius replied sincerely. “But I wish you no harm. In fact, I think we might even be able to help each other.”
“Don’t need your help. You’ll just put yourself in my head, like you did to Crichton.” She rubbed the heel of her hand against her left eye. “Don’t need more stuffed in there.”
Scorpius was practically salivating. “I can tell you don’t. And you don’t have information I need, my dear, so there would be no point. However, I do have a wonderful machine that can also remove things from your head. Someone as young as you should not have to bear such a burden. Help me, and I can help you, Miss …?”
“River.”
“River, you can tell that I’m not lying. I can help you. Will you help me?”
“Can’t fly. Serenity’s gone, and there aren’t any birds left. None that can fly high enough.”
“Then we will wait. I’m sure … there will come an opportunity. When that happens, find me. I can help you.”
“River?” a female voice and footsteps echoed down the hall.
A moment later, Inara was beside her, putting an arm around her. “We were so worried about you, mei mei. What were you doing down here? Come on, let’s go back upstairs and get you something to eat.”
Gwen watched as Inara ushered River away. She glared at Scorpius. “She’s just a little girl. Leave her alone.”
“I did nothing wrong,” Scorpius said, raising his hands in surrender. “Clearly, Crichton and the others have poisoned you against me.”
“They told us enough, and it doesn’t take a genius to see that you shouldn’t be anywhere near her. Is that clear?”
“In case it had escaped your notice, I’m locked in a cell. I don’t think I’m the one who made the mistake.”
Gwen leveled another glare at him before stalking away.
Scorpius, alone with the Weevils, grinned.
~~~
Zhaan smiled as she bowed low in front of Rygel. “Dominar. It is good to see you where you belong.”
“Rise,” Rygel said with a smug smile. “Now, where is the rest of the old crew? I wasn’t informed of Moya’s arrival.”
“Indeed not. I did not arrive here in Moya.”
“Oh? Then how did you arrive?”
“I could ask you the same question, Dominar.”
“You could, but it would be most impertinent.”
“I know you arrived in Talyn but not alone.”
Rygel frowned. “If you are here to threaten -“
Zhaan held up her hand. “I assure you, I am not. I merely come for information about your new traveling companions.”
“Hmph. Well, as a show of good faith, I must ask that you answer my questions first and produce your traveling companions.”
“Rygel, is he still here? The Master.”
“He took the human female and left.”
“It is urgent that we find them, Dominar. Do you know where they went?”
“I will answer no more questions until you answer mine! You’re with the other Time Lord, aren’t you?”
“Rygel, please -”
“Silence! I am the Dominar of Hyneria, and you will treat me as such!”
Zhaan gritted her teeth. “My apologies, Dominar. I did arrive with the Doctor, and he believes the Master to be a grave threat. We wish only to ascertain his whereabouts. Then we will leave you in peace.”
Rygel quelled the urge to have her thrown in the dungeon, just because he could. “Very well. Once you produce the rest of your traveling companions, I will tell you where the Master went. Guards!”
Two doors on either side of the hall opened, and eight guards swam through the pools and marched out of the water with surprising grace. They each carried a sleek gray pulse weapon of some kind and a bronze-colored sword tucked into their navy sashes.
Zhaan almost wanted to laugh; they looked as if she could just kick them out of her way. However, she did imagine that Rygel could call enough of them to potentially cause a problem.
“Escort this Delvian to whatever vehicle she arrived in and bring all of the passengers back here. If anyone refuses, throw them in the dungeon.”
~~~
Wash was starting to think that he should have stepped back into the blue box with his wife. It had to be better than sitting around watching her pace and fending off helpful Torchwood employees. The women - Gwen and Tosh - had tried to ask them about starting a program to “integrate” into society. Wash and Zoe had vehemently refused. Zoe said they would come up with a plan to get back home somehow. After that, they had pretty much been left alone.
Book and Inara were keeping a close eye on River. Gwen, Tosh, and Owen were apparently working to cover up any media coverage of Serenity’s crash.
It left Wash and Zoe with nothing to do. He had tried to talk to her about it, assure her that she has made the right choice, even though he wasn’t so sure himself. It made him angry all over again when he thought about how his life had been ruined all because two stupid kids had decided to make a bet.
Hell, he wasn’t even sure how that was possible. Time travel? Aliens? He kept waiting for the dream to end, so he could get back to his life.
Gwen came over with a couple boxes of fresh pizza and smiled. “Owen said that your friend Kaylee was a big fan of our food.”
Zoe turned to face her. “Must be somethin’ we can do.”
“We have to wait for the Doctor to -”
“Not talkin’ about gettin’ home. I mean, there must be somethin’ we can do to help them. The Cap’n’s out there with the rest of them, and we’re not doing a damn thing.”
“I’m sorry. We don’t have any way to find the Master if he’s not on this planet.”
Wash looked up. “You really don’t have any ships that can go into the black?”
“Only the ones that the government owns. I’m sorry.”
Now Wash was the one who stood up and starting pacing. The rest of his life on one planet? It felt claustrophobic.
“Even if we did have access, from what I understand, they’re incredibly far away. It could take years to even get there.”
“Wormholes,” River announced suddenly. “Scorpius knows about wormholes. And that’s what took Crichton to that side of the universe.”
“Even if that were possible, we have no vehicle to travel in,” Tosh pointed out.
“And there’s enough people out there already,” Owen added. “How could we possibly help?”
“I’m trying my best to understand that you all put your faith in the Doctor without question. What if something befalls him? Right now, he’s the only one who can travel between the two sides. Seems to me that it would be wise to have a backup plan. I’d like not to lose my whole world for nothing,” Zoe said.
Everyone was quiet for a moment.
Tosh looked at Gwen. “You’re the only one Jack’s ever really mentioned the Doctor to. What do you think?”
“I think Jack trusts the Doctor like we trust Jack.”
“Well, that’s all very shiny but not comforting to us new folks,” Wash replied.
“A better question might be: will it hurt anything to try?” Book asked.
Gwen looked back at Tosh. “That would be more your department than mine.”
Tosh bit her lip. “I suppose that brainstorming a bit and consulting Scorpius for ideas wouldn’t hurt. But we should definitely check in with Jack before we implement anything.”
“River, what did Scorpius say to you earlier?” Inara asked.
“He said he could take things out of my brain, so there’s less stuff,” River answer matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, that Stark guy said something similar,” Wash said, starting to doubt their plan a bit. “I don’t think we should trust Scorpius.”
“We’re not trusting him; we’re just going to talk to him,” Tosh pointed out. She was starting to get excited about the idea of something new. “You said you wanted to do something. This is only option.”
“I’d feel a lot better about this if we checked in with someone who at least has dealt with him before,” Owen stated. “Given how the others acted towards him, I don’t think we should go in blind.”
~~~
The control room of the TARDIS had never felt so claustrophobic before. The Doctor was running around the panel usual, taking readings. He had just checked in with the “hunting party.” Jayne and Crais were pacing around the room, especially since the Doctor had insisted that Jayne put away his gun. Chiana and Crichton were fidgety as well. Rose had tried to use the time bond with Donna a bit and find out what she and the Doctor had been up to lately, but the atmosphere was a bit heavy.
Donna gazed up as Crichton walked by them. “Not hard on the eyes, is he?”
Rose stifled a giggle. “Jack said something similar earlier.”
“Blimey, I have met so many people today. I can’t even remember which one’s Jack. Is he single?”
“I don’t know about Jack, but Crichton isn’t. There’s definitely something between him and Aeryn,” she finished in a conspiratorial whisper.
Donna sighed. “The gorgeous ones are always taken.”
They all jumped a little as there was a loud knock on the door.
The Doctor pulled the viewer around, and they all crowded around it. They could see Zhaan standing in front of the TARDIS, surrounded by armed guards.
“What the hell? They’re gorram midgets! We can take ‘em,” Jayne stated.
“Hang on,” the Doctor said, consulting a scanner. “Not sure that would be wise. Their numbers are vast.”
“Well, she’s in trouble, so we need to do something!” Chiana cried.
The Doctor pulled a microphone out of the console. “Zhaan, are you all right?”
“Yes, Doctor,” the reply came through speakers on the console. “The Dominar has demanded the presence of you and the other passengers. The Master is gone. Once we give Rygel what he wants, he’ll tell us where he went.”
“You are kidding me,” Donna said. “We’re going to bow down to a toad while the Master’s on the loose?”
The Doctor took the microphone again. “Really? He wants to see all four of us?”
“Can’t you count?” Jayne complained.
“He doesn’t know how many of us are here, we hope,” Crichton said, trying to keep his voice low.
Zhaan’s eyes seemed to light up. “Yes, all four of you, if you please. It won’t take long.”
“We’ll be right out,” the Doctor replied, before lowering the microphone. “Right. So, the Master probably told Rygel about me, so I need to go. Crichton, Chiana, Crais, I suggest that you join me. The more familiar faces, the better. The rest of you will stay here. Once we get the location out of Rygel, send it to Aeryn, Jack, and the others. If they’re closer, they might get there first. And, if things go badly, throw the lever, and the TARDIS will take you back to Torchwood.” He pointed to a button. “This will bring up communication with the hunting party.” He pointed to the next one. “This connects you to Torchwood.”
“Doctor, I don’t want to be any further from Talyn than I need to be,” Crais stated. “Surely, you can instruct us how to fly this -“
Rose and Donna were giggling before he could finish.
“Sorry, but this is meant to be flown by six pilots. It’s far too complicated to explain,” the Doctor replied. He turned to the others. “Rose, Donna, Mr. Cobb, the TARDIS is in your hands.” He took his mobile out of his pocket and dialed. “This should keep everything we say on the loudspeakers. Now, I suggest you stay out of sight while we go to meet the Dominar.”
Rose reached out and squeezed his hand. “Be careful.”
The Doctor grinned. “Aren’t I always?” He looked around at the other Moya refugees. “I suggest that we leave any weapons here. Show of good faith, eh?”
Crichton, Chiana and Crais looked unhappy as they unloaded their weapons and left them in a neat line on the TARDIS floor.
“Right, places everyone!” the Doctor called quietly. Jayne, Donna, and Rose each hid behind a support. The Doctor threw open the doors with a flourish. “Take us to your leader!”
To be continued ...