Part 04 - Chapter 08 - Christmas Invasion
Around midnight as we watch the Tele it becomes obvious that the approach of the Sycorax cannot have gone unnoticed by the military.
Kind of hard to miss a batch of alien's hijacking the signal from an internationally televised broadcast, though you do have to give them points for ingenuity for their cover story. I feel a pang of guilt about not contacting someone but I'm not really sure whom to call - it's not exactly like I have the private number of the Prime Minister on speed dial or anything.
Though the broadcast is disturbing it does help as, through Verity's memories, I now at least know who is hunting us and based on their broadcast they are definably not coming in peace. Right now, though, all I want to do is run and hide. The Doctor has always been the one to do the majority of the negotiations and neither Verity’s considerable knowledge nor my paltry experience has really prepared us to handle this kind of thing by ourselves. From what we do know of Sycorax history they will try to bluff their way into power and to do that they are most likely going to wait till they are closer. Verity is keeping track of their movements on her sensors and estimates they are about seven hours away. With the rate the Doctor is now healing it will be a close thing as to whether he will wake before they arrive or not. Which leaves us with decisions to make, none of which are very comforting. Verity doesn't have weapons installed but more than enough shields to deal with the likes of these, but sitting inside her shelter just waiting for whatever fate they might offer the Earth is unacceptable. We will wait four hours but can risk no longer before moving the Doctor downstairs in to the protection of Verity's walls and then we will find a way to contact Harriet and offer what help we can.
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“Rose! It’s so good to hear from you. Where is the Doctor?” I am unsure how to answer but I have to tell her something.
“Evening, Harriet, he’s not well but I do have a few resources that I think can help. For one, I can tell you who you’re dealing with and a few things about them. Is there someplace we can meet?”
“I’ll have them send a car to pick you up.”
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It’s been close to two years now for me since I last saw Harriet at Downing Street and the last time we were together blew the place up. A lot has happened to both of us since then and I am not the young innocent that I was then nor is she the mild mannered back bencher that only acted on the periphery of the government.
“It’s good to see you too Harriet.” I say in response to her cheerful greeting as I enter. “Have they contacted you?”
“Yes, Alex my right hand is working on the translation of their message now.”
“I think that’s the part where I can help. Remember when the Doctor was talking with the Slitheen?”
“Yes.”
“His ship translates languages for us all the time and I was able to understand the Sycorax, that’s what they’re called, the Sycorax, when they made that broadcast at midnight. If you play their message I can probably tell you what it says.”
As they play it back I repeat what they are saying. “Cattle we own you. You belong to us the Sycorax. We own you, we now possess your land, your minerals, all your precious stones. You will surrender or they will die. Sycorax strong, Sycorax mighty, Sycorax Rock! ”
“Sycorax Rock?”
“Yeah, like in we rock, you know, like we’re awesome.”
Her aid asks, “They will die? Who are they?”
“I don’t know, they don’t say who they are but from what the Doctor’s ship could tell me they like to try to intimidate their prospective conquests so I don’t know.”
“Alex, can you send them a reply? Tell them, this is a day of peace on planet Earth we extend that peace to the Sycorax. Then send the message. This planet is armed and we do not surrender.”
I can’t help blurt. “Harriet is that wise?”
“Necessary, Rose. You said that the information you have is they bluff, maybe we can beat them at their own game.”
I sigh but I can’t argue with her logic - I just hope that the Doctor wakes soon. Mickey and mum had agreed to stay with him inside Verity so at least I know they are as safe as they can be for now. There is nothing more I would like to do than to go back and join them but for now I know I have to stay here, have to help as I can, just as the Doctor would.
‘He’s fine, Rose, sleeping still but he is definitely getting better. Your mum was able to get him to drink some tea when he woke up for a few moments; quick she is, your mum. Which has definitely helped.’
‘I… just wish he was here. I miss him, Verity. He’s the hero not me. I’m just the sidekick. What if I screw this up? I’m not as strong as he is, I couldn’t take it if they destroyed the Earth because of…’
‘Rose, it’s going to be fine. Just watch, he will show up just in the nick of time and save the day.’
‘Not always,’ is my traitorous thought and I am horrified at Verity’s sudden reaction of anguish as I realize she has taken it as a reminder of how helpless he was to prevent the destruction of their home.
‘Verity! I’m so sorry, I didn’t…’
‘I’m fine Rose.’ But I know she is anything but fine from the cold anguish and anger she is trying to hide from me and all I want to do is sit down and cry. I am so rubbish at this mind-to-mind communication stuff. Worse, I know that this won’t be the last time I am going to hurt her like this and I don’t know any way to prevent doing it again.
“Rose?” I hear Harriet address me and look up.
“Yeah?”
“You okay? You just got suddenly very pale. You’re not sick too are you?”
I don’t even have a clue to where I could begin to explain what has happened to me in the last forty-eight hours and why I am so tired, so I don’t even try. “No, just very tired. Haven’t slept very well the last couple of days.’
Suddenly she is all concern and sweetness and I feel a little bad not telling her. “It’s okay Rose, I am sure Alex can find you a cot where you can rest for a bit in one of the offices. I promise you I will get you if anything happens. Just lie down for a bit.” With that she gives some quick instructions to the young guy that she had earlier with such delight introduced as her right hand man and he quickly gets one of the UNIT soldiers to bring in a camp bed and set it up in one of the offices. At first I try to protest but it quickly becomes obvious it will do me no good and I really am quite tired.
‘Go ahead and sleep Rose. I will wake you if sense anything.’ Comes Verity’s reassurance and I finally relent, realizing I am outnumbered on all sides and find that for a camp bed it really is very soft.
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‘Rose.’ I start at Verity’s mental nudge and I realize almost the moment I wake that something is wrong as I hear shouts from the other room, running out I discover a mass exodus from the control room and watch in horror as I listen to Harriet talking with Mr. Llewellen and hear him describing the cause of the people leaving and I feel intensely how very little I know about the minds of those intent on taking that which doesn’t belong to them. As Harriet looks to me for answers the only thing I can think of is to try to get them to bring me on board and hope we can talk them out of this but if not at least then we have a fighting chance to destroy the ship from the inside. I see understanding dawn on Harriet’s face as she realizes that what I am suggesting would be tantamount to a death sentence to anyone that goes if we fail. “Rose, let me go, maybe you can…”
I steel myself to do that which I must and hope the Doctor can forgive me if I fail. “And how will you talk to the Sycorax, Harriet?” At that question she gets very quiet and I can tell how very unhappy she is with the whole idea, and with poor grace she accepts my suggestion and nods agreement.
“Alex, put through a message to the Sycorax.” And as she does so I can hear her swear to herself that if we survive this that someone is going to be making a hand held version of that language decryption software on a rush basis.
‘You’re right, Verity, humans are rather noisy when distressed’
‘Told you.’ In spite of her snarky reply I can feel her intense distress at the idea of me going up to try to talk the Sycorax out of trying to take over the planet. Knowing she has as much chance of talking me out of this as she would the Doctor, she doesn’t try but only comments ‘our poor Theta’. At the thought of how he will react to this I feel a surge of grief that I may never see him again and the nauseating certainty coming from Verity of what he will do if I fail. That thought alone steels me to not accept anything less than success. He doesn’t deserve that kind of grief and one way or the other I will not fail him, how I don’t know, but I won’t allow myself to fail knowing what it would do to him if I did.
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I stand amazed at the shear size of the space we are in and can’t help shivering as I remember a similar space a couple of days ago filled with Daleks and know with equal determination that I won’t let Theta down now any more than I would then. The Oncoming storm may be under the weather but the Bad Wolf can still bite.
As we arrive I begin to translate as the Sycorax speaks and the scientist Mr. Llwellen insists on speaking and I listen to his impassioned plea as he speaks eloquently on behalf of the human Race. Only to scream in outrage as the Sycorax leader lashes out with some kind of electric whip killing him by reducing him to smoldering bones. Moments later the UNIT General is the victim of the same fate and, in blazing fury, I step forward to speak. I know that my body is stronger than those of the others and Verity confirms what I suspect even as I step forward to confront the Sycorax leader. Even if he should try to use that energy whip on me it will not have the same horrific effect on me as it did on the other two and I will not stand by and let anyone else die because I am too afraid to speak.
But before I can say a word the Sycorax leader reiterates his demands. I look back to Harriet as she asks how it would be better for us to surrender and I stare at her in disbelief knowing she is actually considering surrendering the Earth to these bullies.
I reach out to Verity for courage to speak and a moment later Verity is sitting not more than a foot away and the Sycorax leader is glaring at me.
“You! What is your relationship to the box?” with Verity so close I know I no longer need to play interpreter as I feel her reach out to translate for the others.
I pause for a moment to try to figure out what to say and he shouts “Speak or he dies.” and I follow his finger to Harriet’s young assistant and that is the final straw.
“The box is mine!” I state with more courage than I feel.
“Then you, yellow girl, you speak for this planet.”
“But she can’t!” Harriet protests.
“Yeah I can.” And fervently hope I don’t sound as scared as I feel.
“Don’t you dare!”
“Someone’ got to be the Doctor.”
“But you saw, they’ll kill you!”
“Never stopped him.” With that I shrug off her attempts to protect me and approach the Sycorax leader prepared to fight for that which I love.
“I… I, um, I address the Sycorax according to article 15 of the shadow proclamation, I command you to leave this world with all the authority of…” ‘Help Verity! Who?’
‘Oh, I’m not sure’
‘Yikes!’
“Of the Slitheen parliament of Raxacoricofallapatorius, and um, the Gleph confederacy as sanctioned by the… the Mighty Jagrafess. Now leave this planet in peace!”
As the Sycorax begin to laugh I suddenly feel my stomach sink as I know my bluff has failed. As he states, “You are funny, but now your going to die.” My blood runs cold.
“Did you think you were clever with your stolen words? We are the Sycorax, we control the darkness, next to us you are but a wailing child. You are the best your planet has to offer as a champion? Then your world will be gutted and your people enslaved.” As I listen to him in horror, I know I have failed and I stand staring, waiting, hoping that something will come to me to salvage this situation.
Suddenly I feel a wave a relief from Verity and I turn to stare at her in momentary confusion, suddenly seeing with her sensors salvation is at hand as Theta steps through the doors and I launch myself into his arms.
“Doctor!” and I can’t even resent his cheeky reply in my ear of, “Did you miss me?”
None of which the Sycorax leader takes well and I suddenly find myself on my butt as the Doctor pushes me abruptly away and grabs that whip that misses me by fractions of an inch. I feel fury boiling from him as he yanks the Sycorax leader’s whip from his hands, throwing it to the ground. Moments later, he has grabbed his staff of authority and snapped it across his knee. Stating with icy anger, as he points into the leaders face, “You will wait,” and turns back to help me up pulling me into a quick hug asking. “You alright?”
“Am now.” And I can’t restrain the smile that bursts across my face.
“Ah Harriet, good to see you again! Fancy meeting you here. We really do need to quit meeting like this. Maybe a ring ‘round for a cup a tea sometime, so who’s this?”
He is being flip and very causal in how he is ignoring the Sycorax, deliberately turning his back on the large alien, making it obvious he considers him no threat, which Verity’s memories tell me is an immense insult to a Sycorax. He is making small talk but I can feel him reining in his anger and at the same time I can feel Verity filling him in on everything that has happened and I am amazed again at how efficiently his brain operates as he is mentally rattling off a dozens of questions at a time all the while maintaining a pretense of indifference to the hostile aliens surrounding us.
“Doctor, this is Alex. My right hand man, I really quite fancy having a right hand man.”
“Thanks Mam.”
“So, did you win the election?”
“Landslide majority.” She states sounding almost embarrassed by his question yet obviously delighted.
“If I might interrupt!” Comes the coarse voice of the Sycorax leader and I know things are about to get very interesting again and I am immensely glad it is no longer me he is addressing. “Who exactly are you?”
“Is that the best question you have?”
“I demand to know who you are!”
“You do, do you? Well maybe I am curious about a thing or two as well. Like this for instance.” I watch in amazement as he saunters over to the control device the Sycorax threatened to activate earlier which would send millions to their deaths and I hold my breath as I wonder what Theta is up to.
“Looks like a great big threatening button to me, a great big threatening button that shouldn’t not be pushed under any circumstance type button, I would guess, so what’s it do? Hmmm, looks like a some sort of control matrix, hold on what’s feeding it?” I stare unable to quite get over my amazement at how casually he does this even though I have seen him do similar things before never have realized how incredibly simple he makes it seem or how hard it is when I am the one trying to be brave.
‘Practice, lots and lots of practice’ I hear in reply from Verity
Crouching down he peers into the device. “What do we have here, blood?” Poking his finger in the pool of liquid revealed he sticks it in his mouth and I cringe already pretty sure what it is that is in the device based on what Mr. Llewellen had said before we left Earth. “Yep definitely human blood, A positive, with just a dash of iron.” Then, as if realizing what he has on his hand, he makes a face and rapidly wipes it away on his pants. “But that means… blood control. Oh, fantastic blood control, I haven’t seen blood control in years. You’re controlling all the A positives. Now that leaves us with a bit of a problem now. What you say to this?” Faster than any of us can react he slams his palm down the top of the button.
I can’t help my gasp in horror, along with Harriet and Alex, as he does and for a moment I wonder if the vortex energy has scrambled his brain. Even as I think it though I realize I know it was a bluff and Theta had figured it out and just called the Sycorax on that bluff. Seconds later I hear him beginning to explain just that to Harriet and Alex and proceeds to reassure them that it was merely a way of exercising a form of mass hypnosis and that due to the survival instinct the Sycorax couldn’t have actually harmed anyone using the device.
The Sycorax leader is furious and proceeds to threaten to call in reinforcements. The almost joking manner Theta has been speaking in turns cold and I know again why the Daleks called him the Oncoming Storm. “Leave them alone.”
“Or what?” The humorless laugh the Sycorax makes tells me he really doesn’t know how much danger he is in and in that moment I know he will regret asking that question.
The grin that appears on my Doctor’s face is deadly and he casually reaches over grabbing from the waist of one of the guards a large sword and returning quickly to the center of the chamber he states in a clear carrying voice. “I challenge you.”
Suddenly the room erupts in loud roar of noise and he looks over at me and winks. Stating just loudly enough for me to hear, “Looks like that struck a cord.” Then turning back to the group as a whole he raises his voice and states, “Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?”
“You would act as this world’s champion?” shouts the leader in contempt.
In response Theta asks his own question “So do you accept my challenge or are you just a crelic pel gussik cree salvac?” I wonder for an instant why his final words didn’t translate then a moment later I blush as I realize the translation and that there will be absolutely no way the Sycorax’s pride would allow him to do anything but accept the challenge after that insult and know without question that was Theta’s intent.
“For the planet?”
“For the planet!
Moments later the fight is on and I feel terror rise within me knowing how ill he has been. A moment later he staggers as the Sycorax lands a heavy blow to his chest and I shout a warning a moment too late and earn a harsh comment in return and I realize me yelling will only put him at greater risk of injury if I distract him. I will keep silent here forward and let him concentrate, as I suspect he may need every bit of concentration before this is through.
Even as come to this decision, he falls and barely avoids being struck and I bite my lip to keep silent and take a breath as he dodges up a stair I hadn’t seen previously to emerge onto the top of the ship. As I turn to follow I see Mickey poke his head out and watch as he quickly darts out closing the door behind him and moves to my side and I hope mum has enough sense to stay inside.
Moments later, we are all standing in the sunshine. I watch in amazement as they duel and I realize I have only ever seen him with a weapon twice before once was when he had taken Jack’s squareness gun away from him. The second was when we were trapped at Van Statten’s and only one of those times had he actually had any intention of using it and even then he hadn’t in spite of having every reason do so.
‘He was quite the dueler in his youth. He loved the skill and physical demands when he was a youth at the academy. The instructors didn’t approve, I actually think that was part of the reason he enjoyed it so much.’
I can’t help smiling as I hear Verity’s comments, so very like my Doctor always the rebel. The amusement disappears like vapor in a high wind as the Sycorax hits him hard in the face causing him a nose bleed. I lurch forward only to stop abruptly at his shout.
“Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet!”
I stand frozen to the spot as I watch, and then begin to tremble violently, as suddenly I know what is about to happen and know even as I do that there is nothing I can do but watching in horror. For me the universe slows down as I watch him being hit several times by the larger man finally falling along the outer edge of the space ship. Everything has taken on a surreal golden hue and I know I have seen this happen before I know what is about to happen and I have put in place the things needed to save him. Even knowing this I can’t help the cry that escapes my lips as the Sycorax leader swings with deadly force at Theta and I watch as his hand is hacked off in that brutal blow which throws his hand and the sword he was using to defend himself with over the edge to the planet below.
I know I am shaking and I can do nothing but stare helplessly at his severed forearm reaching out to him but not moving a step from where I am frozen to the deck I feel the energy crackling around us both only for an instant and watch as everything speeds up and he stares in shock as his hand begins to regrow. The excess Vortex energy that has been poisoning him for the last two days suddenly leaps to life weaving around and creating at a ghost image of his hand that rapidly solidifies till only a few seconds later it is if his hand was never lost.
I am unsure when I moved but next I know I am throwing him a new sword and the battle is on again, only to be over moments later as he pins the leader to the edge of the ship and extracts a promise to never return to Earth.
It saddens me to I know that regardless of the promise they will never keep it as the humiliated leader chooses to attack as he turns his back. I feel Verity move to act to protect Theta but she never gets the chance as suddenly I see a cricket ball fly into the controls near the door and the decking parts beneath the alien’s feet sending him hurtling to his death. In that moment I know the Doctor has not forgotten how the Sycorax had threatened Alex, and me nor how he killed the two other people who had come with us to try to save the Earth and I ache as I here him mutter, “You had to be a fool,” and feel the pang of hurt anger at having yet again been forced to kill to protect those he loved and how very tired he is of all the death he has seen.
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With all the senseless death he has seen it comes as no surprise to me later as he rants at Harriet at having Torchwood destroy the Sycorax ship and much as I want to hold him and comfort him I can tell there is too much anger there for anything I say to be of any help.
The intensity of the anger I feel from him makes it all the more surprising to me when later when we get back to the flat he agrees to Christmas dinner with Mum, Mickey and I. Though, when mum tries to put a pink crown she gets from one of the crackers on his head, he firmly refuses to consider the idea and I can’t help but laugh as mum mockingly pouts over him doing so.
Chapter 09 - Reflections
Moving Forward Story Index 1
Kind of hard to miss a batch of alien's hijacking the signal from an internationally televised broadcast, though you do have to give them points for ingenuity for their cover story. I feel a pang of guilt about not contacting someone but I'm not really sure whom to call - it's not exactly like I have the private number of the Prime Minister on speed dial or anything.
Though the broadcast is disturbing it does help as, through Verity's memories, I now at least know who is hunting us and based on their broadcast they are definably not coming in peace. Right now, though, all I want to do is run and hide. The Doctor has always been the one to do the majority of the negotiations and neither Verity’s considerable knowledge nor my paltry experience has really prepared us to handle this kind of thing by ourselves. From what we do know of Sycorax history they will try to bluff their way into power and to do that they are most likely going to wait till they are closer. Verity is keeping track of their movements on her sensors and estimates they are about seven hours away. With the rate the Doctor is now healing it will be a close thing as to whether he will wake before they arrive or not. Which leaves us with decisions to make, none of which are very comforting. Verity doesn't have weapons installed but more than enough shields to deal with the likes of these, but sitting inside her shelter just waiting for whatever fate they might offer the Earth is unacceptable. We will wait four hours but can risk no longer before moving the Doctor downstairs in to the protection of Verity's walls and then we will find a way to contact Harriet and offer what help we can.
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“Rose! It’s so good to hear from you. Where is the Doctor?” I am unsure how to answer but I have to tell her something.
“Evening, Harriet, he’s not well but I do have a few resources that I think can help. For one, I can tell you who you’re dealing with and a few things about them. Is there someplace we can meet?”
“I’ll have them send a car to pick you up.”
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It’s been close to two years now for me since I last saw Harriet at Downing Street and the last time we were together blew the place up. A lot has happened to both of us since then and I am not the young innocent that I was then nor is she the mild mannered back bencher that only acted on the periphery of the government.
“It’s good to see you too Harriet.” I say in response to her cheerful greeting as I enter. “Have they contacted you?”
“Yes, Alex my right hand is working on the translation of their message now.”
“I think that’s the part where I can help. Remember when the Doctor was talking with the Slitheen?”
“Yes.”
“His ship translates languages for us all the time and I was able to understand the Sycorax, that’s what they’re called, the Sycorax, when they made that broadcast at midnight. If you play their message I can probably tell you what it says.”
As they play it back I repeat what they are saying. “Cattle we own you. You belong to us the Sycorax. We own you, we now possess your land, your minerals, all your precious stones. You will surrender or they will die. Sycorax strong, Sycorax mighty, Sycorax Rock! ”
“Sycorax Rock?”
“Yeah, like in we rock, you know, like we’re awesome.”
Her aid asks, “They will die? Who are they?”
“I don’t know, they don’t say who they are but from what the Doctor’s ship could tell me they like to try to intimidate their prospective conquests so I don’t know.”
“Alex, can you send them a reply? Tell them, this is a day of peace on planet Earth we extend that peace to the Sycorax. Then send the message. This planet is armed and we do not surrender.”
I can’t help blurt. “Harriet is that wise?”
“Necessary, Rose. You said that the information you have is they bluff, maybe we can beat them at their own game.”
I sigh but I can’t argue with her logic - I just hope that the Doctor wakes soon. Mickey and mum had agreed to stay with him inside Verity so at least I know they are as safe as they can be for now. There is nothing more I would like to do than to go back and join them but for now I know I have to stay here, have to help as I can, just as the Doctor would.
‘He’s fine, Rose, sleeping still but he is definitely getting better. Your mum was able to get him to drink some tea when he woke up for a few moments; quick she is, your mum. Which has definitely helped.’
‘I… just wish he was here. I miss him, Verity. He’s the hero not me. I’m just the sidekick. What if I screw this up? I’m not as strong as he is, I couldn’t take it if they destroyed the Earth because of…’
‘Rose, it’s going to be fine. Just watch, he will show up just in the nick of time and save the day.’
‘Not always,’ is my traitorous thought and I am horrified at Verity’s sudden reaction of anguish as I realize she has taken it as a reminder of how helpless he was to prevent the destruction of their home.
‘Verity! I’m so sorry, I didn’t…’
‘I’m fine Rose.’ But I know she is anything but fine from the cold anguish and anger she is trying to hide from me and all I want to do is sit down and cry. I am so rubbish at this mind-to-mind communication stuff. Worse, I know that this won’t be the last time I am going to hurt her like this and I don’t know any way to prevent doing it again.
“Rose?” I hear Harriet address me and look up.
“Yeah?”
“You okay? You just got suddenly very pale. You’re not sick too are you?”
I don’t even have a clue to where I could begin to explain what has happened to me in the last forty-eight hours and why I am so tired, so I don’t even try. “No, just very tired. Haven’t slept very well the last couple of days.’
Suddenly she is all concern and sweetness and I feel a little bad not telling her. “It’s okay Rose, I am sure Alex can find you a cot where you can rest for a bit in one of the offices. I promise you I will get you if anything happens. Just lie down for a bit.” With that she gives some quick instructions to the young guy that she had earlier with such delight introduced as her right hand man and he quickly gets one of the UNIT soldiers to bring in a camp bed and set it up in one of the offices. At first I try to protest but it quickly becomes obvious it will do me no good and I really am quite tired.
‘Go ahead and sleep Rose. I will wake you if sense anything.’ Comes Verity’s reassurance and I finally relent, realizing I am outnumbered on all sides and find that for a camp bed it really is very soft.
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‘Rose.’ I start at Verity’s mental nudge and I realize almost the moment I wake that something is wrong as I hear shouts from the other room, running out I discover a mass exodus from the control room and watch in horror as I listen to Harriet talking with Mr. Llewellen and hear him describing the cause of the people leaving and I feel intensely how very little I know about the minds of those intent on taking that which doesn’t belong to them. As Harriet looks to me for answers the only thing I can think of is to try to get them to bring me on board and hope we can talk them out of this but if not at least then we have a fighting chance to destroy the ship from the inside. I see understanding dawn on Harriet’s face as she realizes that what I am suggesting would be tantamount to a death sentence to anyone that goes if we fail. “Rose, let me go, maybe you can…”
I steel myself to do that which I must and hope the Doctor can forgive me if I fail. “And how will you talk to the Sycorax, Harriet?” At that question she gets very quiet and I can tell how very unhappy she is with the whole idea, and with poor grace she accepts my suggestion and nods agreement.
“Alex, put through a message to the Sycorax.” And as she does so I can hear her swear to herself that if we survive this that someone is going to be making a hand held version of that language decryption software on a rush basis.
‘You’re right, Verity, humans are rather noisy when distressed’
‘Told you.’ In spite of her snarky reply I can feel her intense distress at the idea of me going up to try to talk the Sycorax out of trying to take over the planet. Knowing she has as much chance of talking me out of this as she would the Doctor, she doesn’t try but only comments ‘our poor Theta’. At the thought of how he will react to this I feel a surge of grief that I may never see him again and the nauseating certainty coming from Verity of what he will do if I fail. That thought alone steels me to not accept anything less than success. He doesn’t deserve that kind of grief and one way or the other I will not fail him, how I don’t know, but I won’t allow myself to fail knowing what it would do to him if I did.
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I stand amazed at the shear size of the space we are in and can’t help shivering as I remember a similar space a couple of days ago filled with Daleks and know with equal determination that I won’t let Theta down now any more than I would then. The Oncoming storm may be under the weather but the Bad Wolf can still bite.
As we arrive I begin to translate as the Sycorax speaks and the scientist Mr. Llwellen insists on speaking and I listen to his impassioned plea as he speaks eloquently on behalf of the human Race. Only to scream in outrage as the Sycorax leader lashes out with some kind of electric whip killing him by reducing him to smoldering bones. Moments later the UNIT General is the victim of the same fate and, in blazing fury, I step forward to speak. I know that my body is stronger than those of the others and Verity confirms what I suspect even as I step forward to confront the Sycorax leader. Even if he should try to use that energy whip on me it will not have the same horrific effect on me as it did on the other two and I will not stand by and let anyone else die because I am too afraid to speak.
But before I can say a word the Sycorax leader reiterates his demands. I look back to Harriet as she asks how it would be better for us to surrender and I stare at her in disbelief knowing she is actually considering surrendering the Earth to these bullies.
I reach out to Verity for courage to speak and a moment later Verity is sitting not more than a foot away and the Sycorax leader is glaring at me.
“You! What is your relationship to the box?” with Verity so close I know I no longer need to play interpreter as I feel her reach out to translate for the others.
I pause for a moment to try to figure out what to say and he shouts “Speak or he dies.” and I follow his finger to Harriet’s young assistant and that is the final straw.
“The box is mine!” I state with more courage than I feel.
“Then you, yellow girl, you speak for this planet.”
“But she can’t!” Harriet protests.
“Yeah I can.” And fervently hope I don’t sound as scared as I feel.
“Don’t you dare!”
“Someone’ got to be the Doctor.”
“But you saw, they’ll kill you!”
“Never stopped him.” With that I shrug off her attempts to protect me and approach the Sycorax leader prepared to fight for that which I love.
“I… I, um, I address the Sycorax according to article 15 of the shadow proclamation, I command you to leave this world with all the authority of…” ‘Help Verity! Who?’
‘Oh, I’m not sure’
‘Yikes!’
“Of the Slitheen parliament of Raxacoricofallapatorius, and um, the Gleph confederacy as sanctioned by the… the Mighty Jagrafess. Now leave this planet in peace!”
As the Sycorax begin to laugh I suddenly feel my stomach sink as I know my bluff has failed. As he states, “You are funny, but now your going to die.” My blood runs cold.
“Did you think you were clever with your stolen words? We are the Sycorax, we control the darkness, next to us you are but a wailing child. You are the best your planet has to offer as a champion? Then your world will be gutted and your people enslaved.” As I listen to him in horror, I know I have failed and I stand staring, waiting, hoping that something will come to me to salvage this situation.
Suddenly I feel a wave a relief from Verity and I turn to stare at her in momentary confusion, suddenly seeing with her sensors salvation is at hand as Theta steps through the doors and I launch myself into his arms.
“Doctor!” and I can’t even resent his cheeky reply in my ear of, “Did you miss me?”
None of which the Sycorax leader takes well and I suddenly find myself on my butt as the Doctor pushes me abruptly away and grabs that whip that misses me by fractions of an inch. I feel fury boiling from him as he yanks the Sycorax leader’s whip from his hands, throwing it to the ground. Moments later, he has grabbed his staff of authority and snapped it across his knee. Stating with icy anger, as he points into the leaders face, “You will wait,” and turns back to help me up pulling me into a quick hug asking. “You alright?”
“Am now.” And I can’t restrain the smile that bursts across my face.
“Ah Harriet, good to see you again! Fancy meeting you here. We really do need to quit meeting like this. Maybe a ring ‘round for a cup a tea sometime, so who’s this?”
He is being flip and very causal in how he is ignoring the Sycorax, deliberately turning his back on the large alien, making it obvious he considers him no threat, which Verity’s memories tell me is an immense insult to a Sycorax. He is making small talk but I can feel him reining in his anger and at the same time I can feel Verity filling him in on everything that has happened and I am amazed again at how efficiently his brain operates as he is mentally rattling off a dozens of questions at a time all the while maintaining a pretense of indifference to the hostile aliens surrounding us.
“Doctor, this is Alex. My right hand man, I really quite fancy having a right hand man.”
“Thanks Mam.”
“So, did you win the election?”
“Landslide majority.” She states sounding almost embarrassed by his question yet obviously delighted.
“If I might interrupt!” Comes the coarse voice of the Sycorax leader and I know things are about to get very interesting again and I am immensely glad it is no longer me he is addressing. “Who exactly are you?”
“Is that the best question you have?”
“I demand to know who you are!”
“You do, do you? Well maybe I am curious about a thing or two as well. Like this for instance.” I watch in amazement as he saunters over to the control device the Sycorax threatened to activate earlier which would send millions to their deaths and I hold my breath as I wonder what Theta is up to.
“Looks like a great big threatening button to me, a great big threatening button that shouldn’t not be pushed under any circumstance type button, I would guess, so what’s it do? Hmmm, looks like a some sort of control matrix, hold on what’s feeding it?” I stare unable to quite get over my amazement at how casually he does this even though I have seen him do similar things before never have realized how incredibly simple he makes it seem or how hard it is when I am the one trying to be brave.
‘Practice, lots and lots of practice’ I hear in reply from Verity
Crouching down he peers into the device. “What do we have here, blood?” Poking his finger in the pool of liquid revealed he sticks it in his mouth and I cringe already pretty sure what it is that is in the device based on what Mr. Llewellen had said before we left Earth. “Yep definitely human blood, A positive, with just a dash of iron.” Then, as if realizing what he has on his hand, he makes a face and rapidly wipes it away on his pants. “But that means… blood control. Oh, fantastic blood control, I haven’t seen blood control in years. You’re controlling all the A positives. Now that leaves us with a bit of a problem now. What you say to this?” Faster than any of us can react he slams his palm down the top of the button.
I can’t help my gasp in horror, along with Harriet and Alex, as he does and for a moment I wonder if the vortex energy has scrambled his brain. Even as I think it though I realize I know it was a bluff and Theta had figured it out and just called the Sycorax on that bluff. Seconds later I hear him beginning to explain just that to Harriet and Alex and proceeds to reassure them that it was merely a way of exercising a form of mass hypnosis and that due to the survival instinct the Sycorax couldn’t have actually harmed anyone using the device.
The Sycorax leader is furious and proceeds to threaten to call in reinforcements. The almost joking manner Theta has been speaking in turns cold and I know again why the Daleks called him the Oncoming Storm. “Leave them alone.”
“Or what?” The humorless laugh the Sycorax makes tells me he really doesn’t know how much danger he is in and in that moment I know he will regret asking that question.
The grin that appears on my Doctor’s face is deadly and he casually reaches over grabbing from the waist of one of the guards a large sword and returning quickly to the center of the chamber he states in a clear carrying voice. “I challenge you.”
Suddenly the room erupts in loud roar of noise and he looks over at me and winks. Stating just loudly enough for me to hear, “Looks like that struck a cord.” Then turning back to the group as a whole he raises his voice and states, “Am I right that the sanctified rules of combat still apply?”
“You would act as this world’s champion?” shouts the leader in contempt.
In response Theta asks his own question “So do you accept my challenge or are you just a crelic pel gussik cree salvac?” I wonder for an instant why his final words didn’t translate then a moment later I blush as I realize the translation and that there will be absolutely no way the Sycorax’s pride would allow him to do anything but accept the challenge after that insult and know without question that was Theta’s intent.
“For the planet?”
“For the planet!
Moments later the fight is on and I feel terror rise within me knowing how ill he has been. A moment later he staggers as the Sycorax lands a heavy blow to his chest and I shout a warning a moment too late and earn a harsh comment in return and I realize me yelling will only put him at greater risk of injury if I distract him. I will keep silent here forward and let him concentrate, as I suspect he may need every bit of concentration before this is through.
Even as come to this decision, he falls and barely avoids being struck and I bite my lip to keep silent and take a breath as he dodges up a stair I hadn’t seen previously to emerge onto the top of the ship. As I turn to follow I see Mickey poke his head out and watch as he quickly darts out closing the door behind him and moves to my side and I hope mum has enough sense to stay inside.
Moments later, we are all standing in the sunshine. I watch in amazement as they duel and I realize I have only ever seen him with a weapon twice before once was when he had taken Jack’s squareness gun away from him. The second was when we were trapped at Van Statten’s and only one of those times had he actually had any intention of using it and even then he hadn’t in spite of having every reason do so.
‘He was quite the dueler in his youth. He loved the skill and physical demands when he was a youth at the academy. The instructors didn’t approve, I actually think that was part of the reason he enjoyed it so much.’
I can’t help smiling as I hear Verity’s comments, so very like my Doctor always the rebel. The amusement disappears like vapor in a high wind as the Sycorax hits him hard in the face causing him a nose bleed. I lurch forward only to stop abruptly at his shout.
“Stay back! Invalidate the challenge and he wins the planet!”
I stand frozen to the spot as I watch, and then begin to tremble violently, as suddenly I know what is about to happen and know even as I do that there is nothing I can do but watching in horror. For me the universe slows down as I watch him being hit several times by the larger man finally falling along the outer edge of the space ship. Everything has taken on a surreal golden hue and I know I have seen this happen before I know what is about to happen and I have put in place the things needed to save him. Even knowing this I can’t help the cry that escapes my lips as the Sycorax leader swings with deadly force at Theta and I watch as his hand is hacked off in that brutal blow which throws his hand and the sword he was using to defend himself with over the edge to the planet below.
I know I am shaking and I can do nothing but stare helplessly at his severed forearm reaching out to him but not moving a step from where I am frozen to the deck I feel the energy crackling around us both only for an instant and watch as everything speeds up and he stares in shock as his hand begins to regrow. The excess Vortex energy that has been poisoning him for the last two days suddenly leaps to life weaving around and creating at a ghost image of his hand that rapidly solidifies till only a few seconds later it is if his hand was never lost.
I am unsure when I moved but next I know I am throwing him a new sword and the battle is on again, only to be over moments later as he pins the leader to the edge of the ship and extracts a promise to never return to Earth.
It saddens me to I know that regardless of the promise they will never keep it as the humiliated leader chooses to attack as he turns his back. I feel Verity move to act to protect Theta but she never gets the chance as suddenly I see a cricket ball fly into the controls near the door and the decking parts beneath the alien’s feet sending him hurtling to his death. In that moment I know the Doctor has not forgotten how the Sycorax had threatened Alex, and me nor how he killed the two other people who had come with us to try to save the Earth and I ache as I here him mutter, “You had to be a fool,” and feel the pang of hurt anger at having yet again been forced to kill to protect those he loved and how very tired he is of all the death he has seen.
**************
With all the senseless death he has seen it comes as no surprise to me later as he rants at Harriet at having Torchwood destroy the Sycorax ship and much as I want to hold him and comfort him I can tell there is too much anger there for anything I say to be of any help.
The intensity of the anger I feel from him makes it all the more surprising to me when later when we get back to the flat he agrees to Christmas dinner with Mum, Mickey and I. Though, when mum tries to put a pink crown she gets from one of the crackers on his head, he firmly refuses to consider the idea and I can’t help but laugh as mum mockingly pouts over him doing so.
Chapter 09 - Reflections
Moving Forward Story Index 1