Chapter Fourteen: The Point of No Return
In which the revolution begins.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
It was dawn when the revolution began.
Even waking the others, watching Rani rally the troops, Ace turned to look at Rose. "Ooh, she's...wicked!"
Rose grinned. "Yes," she said, "She really is." It was a side of the Rani she never really thought she'd see.
It was later when Rose turned towards the Rani. "What do we do now?"
"Simple, as you say. We liberate the camps."
Rose sighed. "Is there any sort of defensive weaponry around?"
Ace cleared her throat, almost as if saying, "Have you forgotten I'm here, Professor?"
"Oh, right." Rose could have slapped herself upside the head with the heel of her palm for being so ridiculous. "We already have that. Ace."
"And I'm certain that there's some defensive weaponry lying around," the Rani said. "Preferably some sort of stun weapon. I'd prefer you to *not* face an inquiry regarding mass regenerations."
"Or mass murder," Rose said, more seriously now. She didn't want to kill the guards; after all, the guards were probably as much victims as the rest of those in the camp. And yet at the same time, she remembered the victims, and she shivered.
"I should have known you'd try to be righteous in this moment," the Rani said, wryly. "Honestly, every time -- "
"Well, I have to," Rose said, "Especially now. I mean you and her..." She smiled. "Someone has to be the voice of reason here."
"So you say. Come along, Rose..."
"Ace," Ace offered helpfully.
"Yes, Ace," the Rani said, "Come along, Rose, Ace -- we have much to do."
The matter of fighting the guards was if nothing else, really simple. Even as the Rani fought them, Rose used the sonic screwdriver if only to let the prisoners escape. It was perhaps a long shot, but it was the best Rose could do in the end.
It was only later, observing the dead guards at their feet -- Rani had made sure to shoot them right between the hearts to stop regeneration -- that Rose looked up at the Rani. "Rani...what exactly have we done?"
"What we could."
Rose couldn't say she was convinced. "They're going to suspect something."
"Hold on, Rose..."
Long after the Rani had hacked into the computer systems, Time's Archives, Rose heard a voice from the computer. "DELETION COMPLETED."
“Rani,” Rose said, “What did you just do?”
“Just deleted all traces of us from the camp archives,” Rani said, “They won’t be going after us for quite a long time.”
“Are you sure?” Rose asked. “I mean, even if the archives have been deleted -- ’’
“I am absolutely certain, Rose,” the Rani said, sounding slightly exasperated even as she did. “And even if that’s the case...I still have a plan.”
“You always do.” The Rani was brilliant, always was. It was a shame that she didn’t use her gifts for more constructive purposes, such as helping those who were sick. It was a pity that she had to abuse others in the past in order to achieve her scientific ends.
Rose could still remember the time she was exiled after one of her experiments had gotten out of control and the Lord President’s cat had ended up being eaten. The Lord President, to say the least, had not been happy. Neither had the Rani, for that matter -- Rose wouldn’t be surprised if the Rani had done everything else just to achieve something. It was enough to make her almost pity the Rani, really.
The Rani smiled. “Yes. And a destination, for that matter.”
“You’re leaving.”
The Rani raised her eyebrow. “Goodness, Rose, for such a genius, you can be ridiculously thick.”
“I mean, I thought as much,” Rose said, “But...” She swallowed. "Where will you go?" Rose knew that it was a foolish question to ask, and yet she had to know.
"Who knows? Certainly not Earth. I've had enough of that miserable planet to last several lifetimes."
"It's not that bad."
The Rani sighed and shook her head. "Has anyone ever told you, Rose, that you can be absolutely hopeless?"
"Someone has to," Rose said, smiling almost in spite of everything. Then she faltered. "Just...be careful."
"Don't fear, Rose. I will." It was perhaps the first time in a long while that Rose got to see the hint of warmth behind the otherwise cold, sarcastic, almost haughty exterior that she had known the Rani for. "Besides, what is there to fear? Considering that the archives have been cleansed, I doubt the Time Lord Council would suspect anything."
"Maybe not." Rose sighed. "I just don't want my companions getting hurt."
"Always with the companions."
"Well, I wouldn't want you being hurt either."
"No need to worry, Rose. After all...I have this." The Rani held up a fobwatch now. "One use of it and they'll never suspect a thing."
"I hope. Just...be careful, Rani."
"I will. And keep your head down."
It was then that Rose heard the dematerialization of the TARDIS that Rani had stolen. And even watching her go, she hoped, wherever the Rani was, she would be safe from Rassilon. It was not something she would have normally hoped for, but after everything that happened in liberating the Weeping Angel camp, if the Rani was caught...
Rose didn't want to think about it. After the incident with the War Chief, she had paid the price for interfering. Having a regeneration forced on her -- perhaps the worst way possible to have to regenerate. Radiation poisoning was terrible, and dying on the operating table thanks to well-intentioned but clueless doctors was something that haunted her nightmares when it wasn't about Adric or Zagreus to name a few -- in fact, the whole incident with the Master continued to haunt her nightmares long after he was cast into the Eye of Harmony. Him falling into the Eye was probably the worst -- but having it forced upon her...that was her worst regeneration, bar none.
She didn't want the Rani to suffer a similar fate. Or even be killed off permanently with no chance of regeneration. And more than even that, she didn't want her companions to suffer the fate Zoe and Jamie did. Memory-wiped and dumped in the same place they began -- perhaps if anything, she shouldn't have tried to contact Gallifrey. And yet there was no other choice.
It was something she regretted even now. She couldn't have it happen again. It wouldn't happen -- at least, not while she was still standing.