DW/SW
I wrote a bit more!
18
"Your blaster!" Rose hissed as she and Jack threw themselves to the floor and crawled over to the Millennium Falcon's clamped wheel. Harsh alien voices were ringing out, getting closer - their pursuers had entered the building and if they found them they were hardly going to be friendly.
"Rose, have you seen the size of my blast pattern?" Jack would usually have added a snigger, but right now he had to whisper and had no time for innuendo. "I'd blow a hole in the wheel."
"If the Doctor were here, he'd sort it out!" Rose sighed angrily, not because she wanted to hurt Jack's feelings, but because she felt truly desperate. Her hands were working their way round the clamp, feeling for a weakness, but they were finding nothing that would be of any help. But when she saw the sad look on Jack's face her heart melted and she took a moment to ease the tension. "I guess size isn't everything after all then. Give me the Doctor's sonic screwdriver any day!" She winked.
Jack grinned, feeling a surge of love for Rose. She was a special girl. But then a noise nearby made him freeze. He put a finger to his lips, and Rose nodded.
The aliens were close now, the odd footstep or grunt betrayed that. But they were being quiet, no longer calling to each other noisily. Just then a footstep could be heard right at the other end of the Millennium Falcon, so close.
Jack raised his blaster, clearly intending to use it against their pursuers. But Rose caught his arm. "You can't kill them!" she said as quietly as she could. And Jack knew she was right. What was the point of travelling to so many times and places, getting embroiled in the fight between good and evil, if you did not give those moral judgements the thought they deserve? There was a time when he would not have had any qualms about killing someone who was a threat to him, but the Doctor had changed all that. Now he could not but think of the consequences of his actions. It was as if his soul had been restored. And these aliens did not have plans for general evil, as far as he could tell, they were just the sort of yobs you might find in any run-down city: they did not deserve to die.
The aliens, unfortunately, lacked any such moral character, and of course they were looking for a kill. "I reckon they're here somewhere," one of them said, in a voice Rose was surprised to understand, and surprised to hear a gruff cockney quality in. "I can smell 'em." He sniffed.
"Be quiet then!" hissed another. "We lost the tall lanky one to those Stormtroopers, and you know what they'll do with him. Denying us the pleasure of killing 'im ourselves. We're not letting the other ones escape."
Rose felt a lump in her throat. The 'tall lanky one', that had to be the Doctor. All the others were on board the Falcon. The Stormtroopers had taken him, and by the sound of it they would kill him. Her Doctor. They couldn't kill him. He was her Doctor.
Jack squeezed her hand, as if to reassure her. He's alive, his touch said. Alive, because he's smart, because he's valuable, because they would want to talk to him, not hurt him.... But his eyes were wide, his brow furrowed in worry.
Suddenly there was a noise a short distance away. The clatter of booted feet on the hard floor of the dock, then a shout. "You there!" It was not one of their alien pursuers. It sounded very much like a Stormtrooper.
The feet of the nearest alien, which had just come into Rose and Jack's view in their hiding place, stopped.
"You shouldn't be hanging around in here," said the Stormtrooper's voice. Then, "Hey!" More footsteps sounded, this time running.
If Jack was right, then this was a good sign, because the Stormtroopers seemed to be chasing the aliens away. All they had to do was stay hidden. With alarm, he then noted that Rose was edging her way out of their hiding place. He grabbed her leg. She shook him off.
"Just having a look," she whispered as low as she could, edging forward a little more. The Stormtroopers had the Doctor, and if she could gather any clues... She peeped over part of the Falcon's bodywork and caught sight of the white-clad guards, two of whom were now only a few feet away. They seemed to be looking towards the back door of the dock, she would be safe. And so she leaned out a little more. Jack was shaking her ankle now, trying to pull her back forcibly, but she had to see if the Doctor was there somewhere.
"Freeze!" shouted the nearest Stormtrooper. And he pointed his gun straight at her.
18
"Your blaster!" Rose hissed as she and Jack threw themselves to the floor and crawled over to the Millennium Falcon's clamped wheel. Harsh alien voices were ringing out, getting closer - their pursuers had entered the building and if they found them they were hardly going to be friendly.
"Rose, have you seen the size of my blast pattern?" Jack would usually have added a snigger, but right now he had to whisper and had no time for innuendo. "I'd blow a hole in the wheel."
"If the Doctor were here, he'd sort it out!" Rose sighed angrily, not because she wanted to hurt Jack's feelings, but because she felt truly desperate. Her hands were working their way round the clamp, feeling for a weakness, but they were finding nothing that would be of any help. But when she saw the sad look on Jack's face her heart melted and she took a moment to ease the tension. "I guess size isn't everything after all then. Give me the Doctor's sonic screwdriver any day!" She winked.
Jack grinned, feeling a surge of love for Rose. She was a special girl. But then a noise nearby made him freeze. He put a finger to his lips, and Rose nodded.
The aliens were close now, the odd footstep or grunt betrayed that. But they were being quiet, no longer calling to each other noisily. Just then a footstep could be heard right at the other end of the Millennium Falcon, so close.
Jack raised his blaster, clearly intending to use it against their pursuers. But Rose caught his arm. "You can't kill them!" she said as quietly as she could. And Jack knew she was right. What was the point of travelling to so many times and places, getting embroiled in the fight between good and evil, if you did not give those moral judgements the thought they deserve? There was a time when he would not have had any qualms about killing someone who was a threat to him, but the Doctor had changed all that. Now he could not but think of the consequences of his actions. It was as if his soul had been restored. And these aliens did not have plans for general evil, as far as he could tell, they were just the sort of yobs you might find in any run-down city: they did not deserve to die.
The aliens, unfortunately, lacked any such moral character, and of course they were looking for a kill. "I reckon they're here somewhere," one of them said, in a voice Rose was surprised to understand, and surprised to hear a gruff cockney quality in. "I can smell 'em." He sniffed.
"Be quiet then!" hissed another. "We lost the tall lanky one to those Stormtroopers, and you know what they'll do with him. Denying us the pleasure of killing 'im ourselves. We're not letting the other ones escape."
Rose felt a lump in her throat. The 'tall lanky one', that had to be the Doctor. All the others were on board the Falcon. The Stormtroopers had taken him, and by the sound of it they would kill him. Her Doctor. They couldn't kill him. He was her Doctor.
Jack squeezed her hand, as if to reassure her. He's alive, his touch said. Alive, because he's smart, because he's valuable, because they would want to talk to him, not hurt him.... But his eyes were wide, his brow furrowed in worry.
Suddenly there was a noise a short distance away. The clatter of booted feet on the hard floor of the dock, then a shout. "You there!" It was not one of their alien pursuers. It sounded very much like a Stormtrooper.
The feet of the nearest alien, which had just come into Rose and Jack's view in their hiding place, stopped.
"You shouldn't be hanging around in here," said the Stormtrooper's voice. Then, "Hey!" More footsteps sounded, this time running.
If Jack was right, then this was a good sign, because the Stormtroopers seemed to be chasing the aliens away. All they had to do was stay hidden. With alarm, he then noted that Rose was edging her way out of their hiding place. He grabbed her leg. She shook him off.
"Just having a look," she whispered as low as she could, edging forward a little more. The Stormtroopers had the Doctor, and if she could gather any clues... She peeped over part of the Falcon's bodywork and caught sight of the white-clad guards, two of whom were now only a few feet away. They seemed to be looking towards the back door of the dock, she would be safe. And so she leaned out a little more. Jack was shaking her ankle now, trying to pull her back forcibly, but she had to see if the Doctor was there somewhere.
"Freeze!" shouted the nearest Stormtrooper. And he pointed his gun straight at her.