Pirates Of Epsilon3
Warinbabylon

Doctor - 5th
Companions -
               Tegan, Adric, Nyssa
Rating - PG
Genre - Adventure
Status - Complete
 

The Doctor and his three companions arrive at Epsilon 3, a peaceful planet nestled in the Mutter's Spiral near Gallifrey.
For once the Doctor warns strongly against exploration - but the beauty of the forests call, drawing them all into a web of danger and intrigue...

Prologue

The mist was heavy listing low to the ground and covering the grass like a blanket. In the early morning light, it appeared otherworldly. Quiet was all around the meadows and fields; the livestock had not yet been led out to pasture that day. The village, its inhabitants and the countryside were still asleep.

However, into the quiet a soft wheezing grew, like a wind through reeds and then suddenly died away. A pair of people appeared, walking out of a small cluster of trees, to stand in the field.

The younger, female half of the pair held up a small piece of equipment. She sighed and with a shake of her head addressed the taller, older male companion. "It is very far away indeed, Father."

The man smiled, a wide smile that was only accentuated by his goatee. "Ah, dear Cassiopeia, I could not land in the castle proper. These people are not entire primitives; they know of offworlders and their proximity to Gallifrey means that they know of Time Lords. It is better that we approach them as inconspicuous travelers."

"Travelers with means…" Cassiopeia offered. She arched a perfect eyebrow into her hairline. "How can you be assured that they will give us the pieces we need?"

"Money speaks loudly; our wits speak louder; my trusted weapon speaks loudest of all," the man offered, looking around. "Come, daughter…"

**

"The Nightwanderer scout has arrived, my liege."

King Lazotan glanced up from his papers. The late night frolicking the night before and the early morning hour had taken its toll on his youthful face. He was paler than usual, making his brown eyes seem like great dark shadows and his black hair hung like a tattered rag about his head. He wore a simple robe of green knotted over a plain white shirt and black pants. "Well…show him in, Harkil, before someone sees him."

The servant bowed quickly and left. Lazotan rose, skirting the ornate wooden desk to approach the drink canister. As the door behind him opened again, he held out a filled chalice without looking at the man who entered. "Makran…"

"No thank you, your majesty," Makran answered. As the King turned to face him, the man

bowed quickly and extended his hand to a small brass box that was on the desk. The King walked over to the desk, sipping his chalice slowly. When he was close enough, he opened the box and a small smile came across his features.

"And the magic materials?"

"The large pieces are here, my liege. The others remain at the seller's circle."

The King shifted his hands through the gold pieces in the box. "Good, good. Tell Jandar that I require the flat silver piece with the emerald knobs. If he brings it to me within half a fortnight, he may receive 100 trinas for his trouble and a larger cut of the sales." He rubbed his nose momentarily and then glanced at the man as he stood. "You may leave now…"

As the door closed behind Makran, the King chuckled lowly, shifting his hands through the box and watching the early morning sun glint off the golden edges.

**

Another strange occurrence had happened on the quiet countryside. A blue box, similar to a coffin had appeared at the edge of a clearing. The door opened and a young man, his lips pressed tightly together and a hat on his head, stuck his shoulders out. "Wonderful…a perfect landing."

As he walked out, his hands stuffed deep in the pockets of his striped trousers, he was followed by a boy in a multicolored jumper, and a young woman dressed in a purple and lavender uniform. The woman stopped to glance up at the trees, but the boy continued, following the young blond man to the edge of the meadow. "But Doctor…"

"I said no, Adric," the man turned, bending at the waist to stare at his young friend. "You have to stay here at the TARDIS with Tegan and Nyssa. I will return shortly."

"But you said yourself that this planet is peaceful…" Adric argued.

"And beautiful," Tegan offered, glancing over to the edge of the meadow where an oceans was visible, peaking through the trees. "I knew it sounded too good to be true."

The Doctor sighed. "When I return, we can explore…visit a few villages I know…but for now, the both of you and Nyssa need to remain here. And no arguments. I haven't the time or the patience for it right now." He glanced off to the east. "I'll be back."

And then he was gone walking across the meadow at a clipped pace.

Tegan shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "What was that all about?"

"He is in one of his moods again," Adric answered, narrowing his brown eyes at the middle of the Doctor's back. "We landed and he immediately gathered up a few tools. When you came into the console room, he had already told me to stay behind."

With a shrug, Tegan turned back towards the TARDIS. "It doesn't bother me...as long as he can get me home. I'm going to talk with Nyssa."

Adric didn't answer, but stared at the retreating man's back. The Doctor's cream coat tails were flapping as he nearly ran from the meadow. "I just wish I knew what was going on…" the boy said quietly and then turned to follow his friend back into the blue box that was a time machine that was their home.
 

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"This…Adric…was all your idea."

The young Alzarian rolled his eyes and glanced back at his older female companion. Tegan Jovanka stood in front of Nyssa, partially shielding the young girl from the view of those around them. The tiny crevice of a cave into which the trio of travelers had stumbled was filled, in her estimation, from floor to ceiling with angry men. None of which, her mind supplied, that were under 7 feet tall.

"Don’t argue," Nyssa whispered, grabbing at Tegan’s hostess outfit. The girl’s eyes were wide, taking in the advancing men. "Let’s just get out of here."

"I agree…" Adric muttered.

The three companions backed toward the door, their bodies colliding with each other as they huddled. When Nyssa felt the cool air from the entrance against her neck, she turned, grabbing for Adric’s tunic with one hand and Tegan’s hand with her other. All of them ran the length of the hallway, holding onto each other until they reached the entrance to the cave.

"Go…" Tegan muttered, pushing on Nyssa’s shoulder. "Its only wide enough for one at a time. Go!"

Nyssa, her face twisted in indecision, was bundled through the entrance. Adric was pushed bodily through the entrance as their pursuers neared. Tegan glanced behind her and then began to edge through the opening. Adric waited on the other side, his hand extended to her. She reached for his hand, but was grabbed from behind. Her outraged shriek filled the cavern. Nyssa screamed and reached back through the opening to her friend.

"Get out of here!" Tegan screamed as she was torn back through the small entrance. "Adric…get her out of here!"

Adric grabbed Nyssa, wrapping his arm around her waist and drawing her backwards, away from the rocks. "Come on…" he pleaded. "There is nothing we can do for her now! We’ve got to get back to the TARDIS. The Doctor will know what to do!"

Nyssa sobbed. "We can’t leave her. Those men are pirates…"

Adric swung his friend around, setting her feet on the ground, pushing her from behind to run toward the daylight up ahead. "And if we get caught, no one could tell the Doctor where we are so he could help her and us…"

Nyssa shook her head and took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. After the space of a breath, she found her feet moving quickly, running down the smooth rock. Nearby she could hear the crash of surf and the smell of ocean. As they burst out into the sunlight, she took a deep breath, looking down the beach toward a small settlement. "The Doctor will not be happy that we left the TARDIS."

"And that won’t help save Tegan…" Adric supplied. He reached back and grabbed his friend’s hand, pulling her along the wet cold sand toward the small lighthouse at the edge of the beach. "Come on."

**

The Doctor tilted his head back, staring at the sky. His smart panama hat was jammed tightly on his head and his lips were tightly pressed together. He closed his eyes and sighed. Nyssa’s hand pressed against his lower arm. "Doctor…"

The Time Lord raised his hand to head and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "I should have known you would leave the TARDIS."

"There isn't time for this…" Adric whispered, his voice raising.

The trio of travelers stood at the entry way of the Hill End's Inn. It was a small two story building with thatch roof that had housed patrons for well over a century. The wood entry way stoop was low, barely clearing the Doctor's fair head, but the soft rain that fell around them made it necessary for them to stand as they were. Around them, nestled in the rolling emerald hills, was the small town of the same name as the Inn. It was peaceful and warm, inviting.

Adric wondered what had been so important that the Doctor had left him, as well as the two girls, in the TARDIS. Hill’s End was a wonderful. All around him were houses of thatch and wood, livestock and people going about their daily business. The smell of a clear spring rain permeated the air.

They had found the Doctor in the village, deep in conversation with the elders. He had disengaged from the conversation and retreated to the inn to chastise his young friends.

"Adric…how many times must I tell you," the Doctor began, his voice adopting a patronizing tone. "There is time for everything…if one properly plans. Now…why did you leave the TARDIS?"

"Doctor…Tegan…"

"I suspect that there is a problem with her," the Doctor muttered to no one in particular. "There usually is. What’s the matter?"

Nyssa tired of the banter and pressed her hand into the Doctor’s arm again. "Doctor…we left the TARDIS because Adric read up on the planet. He said it was known galactically for its beauty so we decided to take a short walk in the trees by the TARDIS. Adric found the creek and we followed it to the sea…by the old lighthouse."

The Doctor blanched slightly. "What?"

"We found a collection of caves and did a bit of exploring…but we found a bunch of men-"

"Pirates." Adric helpfully added.

"And when we tried to get away…"

"Tegan was taken," the Doctor finished, frowning. He pinched his nose again and sighed heavily. "Of all the…."

Adric rolled his eyes. "If you had taken us with you in the first place, this would not have happened."

The Time Lord rounded on Adric, his face showing his anger clearly. "The reason why we are here is because of those pirates, Adric. I did not bring you along because I knew it was going to be dangerous. They engage in female slave trading. That is why I left Nyssa and Tegan in the TARDIS. For once I wish you would listen to me; I do have a reason for my actions, you know."

Nyssa paled at the mention of female slave trading, but kept her face as calm as she could. "Then…"

"Yes, Nyssa. I do know possibly where they would take Tegan. And I know what they will do with her. The problem is…this little…accident of ours is going to force my hand before it was ready."

"Why are we here?" Adric asked, suddenly. "Why are you researching those…"

"Those pirates have stolen a good many people, Adric. And a few of them have been Gallifreyans, some humans, the most fellow Trilians. They take prisoners, sell them and use whatever gadgets or knowledge that they get from them as added collateral. Some pieces of a type 56 temporal stabilizer were taken from a Time Lord who was here a short time ago. The TARDIS picked up the readings when it landed….the stabilizer, when not in use internally in a TARDIS, will release a homing beacon type communication. Does that so whoever lost it can find it…it is necessary for the use of a TARDIS. I heard it…found no other TARDIS on this planet through a check and this is not a time mechanics fluent society. A little investigating led me to the pirate ring." The Doctor shoved his hands in his pockets. "It is not a good idea to leave mechanics of that level lying about a non time traveling world. And it is not a good idea to let them sell it to someone who should definitely not have it."

"So you were going to collect the stabilizer?"

The Doctor nodded, answering Nyssa’s question. "And find out what else they have. I have a feeling they are in possession of a lot of technology that when sold to the wrong people would cause a large problem."

"So…" Adric began.

"So…this little problem means that I am going to have to venture to their selling area earlier than expected," the Doctor bit his lip and shook his head. "I haven’t had the time to properly infiltrate the seller’s circle. " He took off his hat and slapped it against his thigh. "Why does she never listen to me?"

Nyssa arched an eyebrow. "What can we do to help?"

The Doctor shook his head and looked at the ground. "You can go inside and get yourself and Adric a proper meal. I’m going to have to do some thinking." He turned to Adric and held his finger up. "No arguments…"

Adric nodded mutely and trudged into the Inn behind his friend. The Doctor watched them go, shaking his head. That was the problem with youth, he supposed. Always out for adventure and thinking they were immortal and impregnatrable.

He slipped his hat on his head and stepped out into the light rain to walk to the far town meeting hall.

**

Kilred glanced up at the Lord of Time, the Doctor as he called himself, as the man entered the meeting hall. He did not know why he wanted to trust the man; usually he distrusted mages and jesters. Currently he didn't know which this man was, but he did know that he was no elder. As a sign of greeting, he banged the hilt of his sword against the ground. The Doctor stopped and bowed at the door.

"Greetings again, Kilred."

The warrior nodded and glanced meaningfully at the space next to him on the floor. "You return quickly, Time Lord."

"Yes…well…it seems that my plans have taken a different route than I expected." The Doctor rocked forward on his toes, his hands deep in his pockets. "My friends have returned."

"The young boy and the child woman?"

"I suppose that would be an accurate description of them," the Doctor agreed. "Yes…Adric and Nyssa. I have one other friend…a woman…Tegan. It appears that when my friends explored, they misplaced her."

"Misplaced her?" Kilred looked perplexed.

"They rather innocently stumbled onto a slaver's den and had to leave Tegan behind."

"A slaver's den? The devil, you say." The warrior slowly rose to his feet. Behind him, another door swept open and an older man of similar beefy build entered the hall.

The Doctor inclined his head and waved his hands in the air. "I'm afraid the situation has been come much more complicated with this news. I will unable to accompany you to the seller's circle in Tyler's Creek. My instincts tell me that retrieving my friend is of the utmost importance."

"Your 'material'," the older man began. "Is indeed at the seller's circle, Doctor. The small piece of silver with knobs…about so big…" the man held out his hands to indicate the size.

"That was what I was afraid of…" the Doctor said, leaning back on his heels and biting his lip. "You're sure, Elrind?"

"Absolutely, my son has seen it with his own eyes."

The Doctor turned in a tight circle with his eyes squeezed shut. "This is all I need," he complained lightly. "I can't leave that temporal stabilizer lying about here. Not if your king is as corrupt as the off-worlder's say."

"Our king is not to be trusted," Kilred growled.

The Doctor nodded. "No…with that I agree."

"The power and money that he generates from selling…"

"Or keeping…" the Doctor offered.

"Those pieces of technology increase his power and position within the triplanet range. He will be unable to be stopped if it continues."

"Yes, Elrind. You are quite right about that."

"We fight him?" Kilred offered, leaning on against a supportive pole.

The Doctor shook his head. "As I told you years ago, Kilred…when you were a child…fighting gets you nowhere. We will remove the source of his power…and all else will come out in the wash."

Kilred shook his head in disbelief. Elrind laid a hand on his shoulder. "You know it is true. The Doctor is a Lord of Time. We have seen his kind before…they do change. He was here twenty years ago…and he was different and yet the same."

The Doctor held up his hands. "Yes…yes…there is no time for this explination, however. I need to get that temporal stabilizer and I need to rescue Tegan. I have a plan for this…if you would be so kind as to help….I think we can solve both problems."

**



Adric carried back two trenches of some refreshment that the bartender called ale to the table at which he and Nyssa sat. His young friend was leaning on the table staring out the dirty glass window. There was very little to see out the musty glass, but she still stared. He knew that she was worried about Tegan. He was as well. As he put down the trenches, she turned and glanced at him solemnly. "I don't like the sound of this situation."

With a shrug, he sank down onto the bench. "It's not the worst one we have seen."

"I know. But there is something about this place that is…well…there is evil in the air," the girl shook her head, sending her brown curls into a riot. "Female slave trading."

"That is the least of the worries, I suspect, Nyssa," Adric offered. "If a temporal stabilizer is indeed up for sale somewhere on this world and someone can get it and USE it that is not supposed to have it…"

"I know. Gallifreyan technology is dangerous in the wrong hands. As is anything else that is too advanced for this race. But there is something more…something…" she shivered. "I have felt it since I left the TARDIS."

"Its your empathy again…"

"Its more than that…" Nyssa emphasized.

Adric spilled his ale as the Doctor suddenly appeared, sliding onto the bench next to his young friend. "There you are. Good heavens, what are you drinking?"

"Ale."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow and then gently removed the two trenches from his friends. "Ah yes…well…" When the glasses were removed, he started again. "I have a plan."

Nyssa sat forward, but Adric sighed. The Doctor seemingly ignored the both of them. "I have made two friends here that will help us with both problems that we have. Just to clarify, for you, Adric…that would be our missing Tegan and the presence of the temporal stabilizer where one just should not be."

"Yes, Doctor."

"So…Nyssa…" he leaned across the table and tapped the girl on the arm. The burgundy velvet that she wore showed his hand print. "You will go back to the TARDIS and get the alpha coder…if you tune the wavelength into the radio wave frequency, you should be able to use it as a proximity meter. Then you will come back here. Adric, you will come with me and meet with Eldric. He is a village elder and will serve as a guide/protector for you and Nyssa."

"We are going looking for the temporal stabilizer?" the boy asked, quietly, surprised.

"Yes…it is going to be the simpler of the two tasks. Eldric knows of a selling ring for the merchandise approximately two shires away. It will take you four days traveling to reach there. Once there, however, Eldric has told me that he can assure your safety. I want you two to take the funds that I have to secure the temporal stabilizer. Then…you should come back here." He pulled out a small octogonal key and held it out to Adric. "Here is the spare key for the TARDIS. I don’t have to tell you what to do when you get back here, I should think."

"No, Doctor," Nyssa answered, smiling. "Stay in the TARDIS."

"Right!" the Time Lord smiled. "Eldric has clothing for both of you. Blending in is your best bet."

"And Tegan?"

"Yes…well…that is my mission. Although it seems that it might help me to find other technology if they have it and find out more about this particular ring and its relationship with the King. I'll explain later about that. I am going to have to leave rather quickly, however…in the next few minutes, actually. Kilred has informed me that there is to be a selling auction for women in three days about four shires away, at a cave." The Doctor picked up one of the trenches and looked into it for a moment. "He is going to guide me there."

"But Kilred is a warrior…" Nyssa said.

"Yes. He has a personal stake in this…he will guide me."

The door banged open and a large man filled the portal. The Doctor glanced up and nodded, humming quietly. "It seems that my 'ride' has arrived. I must go, then." He rose, glancing down at his friends. "Nyssa…remember the alpha coder and radio waves frequency. Adric…stick to Nyssa…keep her safe. I would rather not separate us…but there is nothing for it. Eldric will keep you both safe…I have his blood oath. Now…come with me and meet him."

As the two friends rose, he glanced at them fondly. "And keep safe."
 

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Tegan whimpered as she came awake on the ground. Before she opened her eyes, she could tell something was not quite right. Her arms were latched together and she was cold. As she wiggled to get feeling back into her limbs, she realized that her clothes were missing. Frightened that she was naked, she opened her eyes with a start.

She pushed off the ground with her bound hands and glanced downward. She was not completely naked, but her clothes were nowhere to be seen. In their place were pieces of leather, gray and black, that barely covered her breasts and shoulders. At her hips was a swatch of black silk that hung to the middle of her thighs.

"Hell's teeth," she groaned and sat back, raising her hands to her head. "I lose consciousness and they slap me in an excuse of a harem dress…" She tried to stretch the leather as it bit into her skin. "Rabbits."

"Peace, little one…"

Tegan turned her head to see an older woman sitting on a bench near her. "What?"

"It is the same for all of us, when we first arrive here that is…it was the same for me a fortnight ago."

"And where…" Tegan asked, climbing to her feet. "…exactly is here? And who are you?"

The room was small, maybe six feet by eight feet. The walls were stone; it was clear that it was part of a cave. Several women sat, huddled on the two benches and in the corners. They were dressed as she was.

"This is the holding cell for the Seller's Circle. And my name is Kelan."

"Seller's Circle?"

"Oh yes, my dear…the Seller's Circle for Women…of the Nightyearners, I believe. I don't rightly know, though," Jessica smiled as if she found something particularly funny. "I was not in the mood to ask when they…abducted me."

"Neither was I," Tegan confided. She dusted off her legs and sat down on the bench. Kelan moved her legs to give her room. "Is there anyway to get these…" she held up her bound wrists. "Off?"

Jessica offered her bound wrists for view. "No."

"Rabbits," Tegan swore. She hung her head and sighed. "A paradise planet, and I have to run into a bunch of men that…." She stopped and stared at Kelan. "They sell women?!"

"Oh yes. We are to be sold in three days at the Seller's Circle."

"For what purpose?" Tegan asked, rubbing at her neck, her brown eyes wide.

"Slavery…what else would a slavery ring sell us for, my dear? Have you never heard of the Nightyearners?"

Tegan stopped moving and closed her eyes in disgust. "Oh that's just great!"

**

Jandar leaned on the pole and glanced at the women below. As far as he could see, scores of women milled, some talking, most not. His eyes fell on the single brunette in the crowd. Epsilon 3 was renown for its blond and red headed women. Turning from the pole, he conferred with his second in command. "And what else does His Majesty say?"

"The scout says that if we turn over the silver piece with the emerald orbs, we will be well paid and can keep a larger portion of the sales." Len answered. A man in his twenties, he was tall and extremely youthful looking.

"Your opinion?"

"That if he is that generous it only means that he has another seller for the piece that will…procure higher returns."

Jandar nodded. "My thoughts exactly. King Lazotan is not known for his generosity." He watched the women again for a moment and then continued, his brown eyes searching the new additions. "And find out who his buyer is…we might be able to negotiate ourselves for a better deal."

"At the expense of the King? He will not be thankful. Jandar…you can only press your luck so far."

"And no further?" Jandar laughed, leaning heavily on the bar. "Information is better than ignorance in this business. We do have the upper hand if he chooses to be 'upset' with us; after all…why should a King be involved with a slaver?"

Len grinned widely. "Just your presence is enough, I should think, to make the issue prominent in the minds of the lords."

"Oh I would expect so," he grinned evilly. "But I want to know to whom and why he is needing that piece. Well before the selling date, Len." As his second in command began to retreat from him, he called out, indicating the women below. "And I want to see the little brunette that you captured in the holding cave yesterday. Her training might bring in extra coinage."

Len nodded and walked away, leaving Jandar leaning into the bar, a smile on his face.

**

"Stand here."

Tegan grimaced at the man as he pointed to a place by a large garnet colored cushion. He left the small room after he looked her up and down. If her feet had not been shackled together and if her hands had been her own, she might have tried to run. But she didn't know where she was nor where the way to freedom was. She sighed and sank down onto the cushion. As she closed her eyes, a loud voice boomed in the small area. "You were not given permission to sit."

She glanced up wearily. "And you are?"

"And you were not given permission to speak."

With a groan, she pushed to her feet. "Look all I want to know is where I am and who you are."

The man walked forward and reached out to grab at her chin, yanking it up and making her eyes meet his. "Silence until I ask for your speech."

Tegan glared at him but wisely kept her mouth shut. The man sighed. "I am known as Jandar. What is your name, slave?"

"None of your business…" she growled, unwisely. Jandar nodded once and held out his hand to the side. A quick snap with his fingers brought a small boy with a stick to his side. The pole was taken and he twisted a small knob.

"Woman…this is a pain stick. It can inflict pain on so many different levels…I have it set on the lowest possible setting right now. I need only touch your skin for this to inflict bone shattering pain." He twisted the pole in front of her face. "Now…I will ask you again: what is your name?"

Tegan watched the pole for a moment, breathing shallowly. How much did he mean what he was saying? For some reason, she did not want to test him. "Tegan Jovanka," she answered, holding her chin defiantly. He might make her answer him, but she didn't have to be meek about it. Jandar clucked his tongue and touched the back of her knee with the edge.

She gasped, barely restraining a scream as her knee buckled.

With a rueful shake of his head, he watched her where she huddled on the ground. "Thank you for that answer, Tegan of Jovanka, but you showed your…defiance a little too freely. Slaves earn more when they are meek. This will be the start of your training. Learn your lessons quickly and your pain will be minimal."

Tegan glared up at the man as she held her calf in a crouch, her brown eyes alit with hatred. With a gasp, she bit her lip. Now you tell me, she thought. He stood back and allowed her to rise.

**

The keep of the castle was full of hay and various livestock. Cassiopeia walked amongst the cattle as they listed in the open area; her nose covered in a delicate lace kerchief. She stopped and looked in shock at the animals. Her father watched her from the balcony above the courtyard. He laughed silently at the disgusted look on her face. He glanced over his shoulder at the young king.

"No thank you," he sighed, waving his hand, denying himself the drink that was offered. Lazotan shook his head with a laugh and walked forward to the window. He glanced down at the open area below and the girl walking amongst the livestock. The man nodded almost proudly. "She is not fluent in the ways of other civilizations."

"But as brilliant as other Time Lords."

"But of course. Just…"

"Sheltered?" Lazotan offered.

"Yes…very," the man answered. He turned and faced the young king, eye to eye. "Enough of my family, however much I like to talk about them, Lazotan. Have you found the piece that I have asked about?"

Lazotan nodded, swallowing his wine quickly in order to speak. "Apparently one of the more violent of our slaver rings has acquired the piece of which you spoke. How these scoundrels find and hoard these pieces of witchcraft and Time Lord wizardry is beyond me sometimes. Needless to say, they were rather…greedy about the piece…. the price, I'm afraid, will be rather high."

"Your petty political squabbles and monetary problems do not concern me, Lazotan," the Time Lord said, leaning out the window to stare at his young, pretty daughter. "Name the price and you shall receive it. I only need the piece delivered to me whole and undamaged. It is imperative for my plans." He turned and sized up the smaller, more compact and younger, king and narrowed his dark eyes. "But if I find that you withhold the piece from me, you will feel my wrath. Your position means nothing to me."

The young king widened his eyes, trying, in vain, to convey honesty. "I assure you that the piece will be delivered to you, Time Lord, in its entirety and with all due haste."

With a raised eyebrow, the Time Lord nodded and faced out the window again. His daughter was gone, undoubtedly on the way up the stairs to join him. With a grin, he nodded with satisfaction. He had a task for her to do; she needed to intercept an old friend.

**

Adric was happy. As strange as it seemed, in the midst of his confusion, a foreign and strange planet, dressed in clothes that were somewhat uncomfortable, he was happy. He sat astride a horse, dressed in loose brown pants and a white shirt held together only by laces and a pair knee-high brown boots. No, he thought with an inaudible sigh, the clothes were uncomfortable. It was Nyssa, sitting in front of him, riding the horse sidesaddle that made him happy. She rested back against his arm, her brown curls tumbling across his skin. Her smile gave her mutual happiness away.

"What?" he asked.

"This…" Nyssa answered, waving her hand towards the landscape. Adric glanced around them. There were five other horses in their traveling party: two in front of them, two in back. The sun was breaking through the branches overhead to create lacework patterns on the ground. The world was a study of brown, green and blue. The wind caused the leaves overhead to rustle and birds chirped merrily from somewhere on high. "This is just like Traken. All this nature, the peace…"

"The peace is tenuous."

Adric twisted in his saddle to see Elrind approach from behind. The path was just wide enough to accommodate two horses.

"What do you mean?" Nyssa asked, her voice conveying her curiosity.

Elrind settled from his tight sitting position into a relaxed one, his hands releasing the reins. Adric nodded a greeting. "The Doctor said that this planet was known for its beauty and peace."

The elder nodded, leaning forward on his horse. "It is…I suppose…I do not associate with off-worlders enough to know about the rumors of our planet. We do not engage in large scale manslaughters that the Doctor has talked of on other planets…"

"Yes…like Earth," Adric answered, agreeing.

Elrind glanced off into the trees and continued. "But we do war between tribes, villages. Slavers take women; our warriors take them back. Slavers sell our women to other villages; we find them and take retribution on those who bought them. Where we do not fight large battles, we do see death, young Adric."

Nyssa sighed, shaking her head. "So much beauty ruined by violence…it is the same everywhere."

Adric had other concerns. "This seller's circle? I understand that they do not allow otherworlders."

"The Doctor seems to have told you a fair amount about our practices. No, they do not allow otherworlders as you put it. That is why you are dressed as you are."

"How do you know the Doctor?"

"He helped us out before, Nyssa, and I owe him much. I will guard you as I would and will my own children."

Adric sighed and Nyssa smiled. The boy's curiosity was legendary when it came to his mentor. He wanted to know what the Doctor had done for this man. "And the Doctor?"

"Is on the perilous journey. He will be traveling to free your other young friend."

**

Kilred glanced back at the Time Lord. Although he knew little of the race other than their mythical qualities of body transformation, he had a strange notion to trust this man. For a wizard, he sat a horse well. He was without his strange light colored coat and woven sweater. In fact, he wore only a white shirt and no armor. They had recently slowed their mounts as they left the forest and climbed onto the Midridge that separated the plains from the mountain ranges in the south.

"Time Lord…have you no armor?"

"Hmm?" the Doctor answered, leaning forward on the horse, his hands braced against the mane. "Armor? No. Have never had any need of any. And you can call me Doctor if you wish…Time Lord is rather…formal."

"You are a lord, are you not? As the lords on our world…Elrind has explained this," Kilred shook his head and stopped his horse. The mountain range rose sharply in the distance, gray and menacing against the clear blue sky. The Doctor stopped as well to gaze out at the landscape. "I do not understand…"

"I am a lord…of sorts," the Doctor confided, quietly. "By training and education…not by birth…my children would not be as I am; I cannot pass the title on by birthright." He squinted in the sun. "Our destination?"

"Is beyond that line of mountains in front of us…there is a pass a day's ride from here." Kilred patted his mount. "The horses should be rested before we attempt the uphill climb to take us through the passage."

"Do we have a day?" the Doctor asked, pulling on the reins to turn the horse from the view. The warrior did as his companion and directed his mount away from the view and along the raised land.

"The sale will be in three days. If we arrive as a pair of men wishing to purchase a woman rather than a pair of men hard bent on retrieving our mates from the slavers, we will have a better chance."

"Oh…Tegan is not my mate, Kilred," the Doctor said. "From what Elrind has said, however, I gather that your mate was taken by the Nightyearners."

"My Jessica…yes…" Kilred answered, spurring his mount to pass the Doctor. The Time Lord might be a good ride, but he had proven himself lacking in direction sense. He did not know how someone as smart as this man could be so…naïve about such commonsensible things as direction and armor. "She was taken two weeks ago on a raid of the village before we returned from our battle against the Welk."

The Doctor nodded. "I am sorry, Kilred…we will get her out…I promise as I promise I will liberate Tegan." He waited a few moments and then continued. "I need to sample their wares, as well. I need to see what other material they have…what other…"

"Wizardry?"

"Yes."

"Then we should ride hard, Time Lord and camp at the base of the passage tonight."

The Doctor agreed, leaning forward into his mount and allowing the horse to run almost free, neck to neck with the warrior's.

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Kilred grunted waving his hands in agitation as a man approached he and the Doctor to take their horses. "Off with you, I'll take care of my horse, myself!" He slid off of his mount and grimaced. The rain the night before had left the ground sodden; his feet slowly sank under the mud. The Doctor leaned forward and looped off his mount with just a measure of grace. His white boots were covered in mud as well within seconds. Two small children came up and pulled at the Doctor's pant leg and he turned and bent to look at the child.

"What are you about? Hmmm?"

The child held out her hand, clearly asking for food. He laid his hand on the child's head and tilted it back to look at her face and eyes. With a grimace, he ruffled the child's hair; the malnutrition was plain to see.

"Doctor…we don't have time…"

"Yes, yes…" the Doctor answered and slowly lowered his hand. With a quick turn, he approached his horse and pulled his coat down from the pack. "Who are these people, Kilred? And do you know where this seller's circle is?"

Kilred gave a young lad a piece of gold and the reins to both mounts. "I want them brushed, lad. And fed. What I gave you ought to pay for the care and more."

"Yes, sir," the boy answered. Before Kilred could put his sword over his shoulder in its sheath, the child had led the horses off to a small pen. The knight swore with a vicious shake of his head.

"They live in squalor here," he complained, but nodded in a direction.

"You know these people?"

"Most of them are kin to the Nightyearners…the slaver's group that has Jessica and your woman. But they are not treated with much respect, as you can see. What these women thought, marrying men that would sooner trade them for gold than have a family with them is beyond me. It is the children that I mourn."

The Doctor glanced behind him before following the warrior out of the center of the makeshift building. "Blaming a person for a mistake made in youth, and holding them to it, Kilred, is equally qualified of mourning. These women are barely more than children themselves."

Kilred angrily turned to the Time Lord, but opted to answer quietly. "I will not argue the ways here, Time Lord. But I will not have pity on the women. You asked of the seller's circle. It is in the large cave to the right." The warrior pointed to the cave system. "It is way this village is so close to the sea. They use the caves as a stronghold and meeting place. But enough, we must hurry, if you wish to view the merchandise…"

"The technology?" The Doctor asked, shrugging into his coat. When Kilred glanced at him in confusion, the Doctor looked to the sky in exasperation. "Oh dear. The Time Lord Wizardry."

"It will be in the side cave, there. I had been referring to the women."

"Of course," the Doctor nodded. He bit his lip for a moment. "Of course we need to check on them, how long do we have until the sale?"

"The sale will be this evening, I hope we have arrived here early enough to enter the seller's circle." Kilred gestured to three men standing together by the entrance of the cave. "Do you have any funds for a bribe, Time Lord?"

"Heavens, no!" the Doctor looked taken aback. "I never bribe; in my experience a kind smile and glib tongue work just as well."

Kilred rolled his eyes. "As does a sword, Time Lord. We will need to enter the seller's circle now. I will try to get us into the gathering. It is the only way that we will be able to see Jessica and your Tegan."

"And while you are doing that, Kilred, I will peruse the technology yard sale. Two birds in the hand and all that? And she is not my Tegan, and she would be the first to set you straight." He slipped his hands into his pockets. "I will return in a moment, Kilred." With a grin, he trotted off toward the cave.

Kilred sighed and strolled to the guardians of the circle.

**

Nyssa lifted her skirt to allow her to walk over the uneven ground. She had liked the horse riding as a method of transportation; it was relaxing. It had made her smile: the closeness with nature. For although she had been a scientist and a researcher, she had always been what her father referred to as a child of nature. Her days away from her studies on Traken had been spent lying on the grass of the meadow near home and staring at the passing clouds, listening to the birds and reveling in the aroma of a fresh new day.

In all of her travels with the Doctor, this place, she thought, was the closest to her beloved Traken and her lost childhood days.

But now, she walked the uneven ground, dressed in a light cotton shift with a brightly colored apron, behind Adric and Elrind. She had the alpha scanner tucked in her right hand and it admitted a low hum. That worried her slightly; the Doctor had said that the scanner would change in pitch and frequency when they neared the temporal stabilizer. It had done neither. Adric voiced his concern as he slowed his walk to converse with her.

"Maybe you are holding it wrong. Maybe you haven't set it properly," he said and reached for the small scanner.

Nyssa allowed him to take it, but shook her head forcefully. "No, Adric. The scanner works by detecting quasaric releases from the redivial core of the emerald damping linkages. All it requires is being turned on, Adric. Besides, the Doctor checked the settings before we left Hill's End."

Elrind approached, his mouth set in a frown. "Nyssa of Traken, speed is of the essence or the bids will be set. We must arrange for our place."

Adric handed the scanner back to Nyssa with a sigh. "So you are saying that the piece is not on Epsilon 3?"

"No," Nyssa turned in a tight circle, spying a group of men and several piles of technology at their feet. She pointed the scanner in that direction. "No. It is on the planet, or we would get no reading at all. It is just nowhere near us."

Elrind closed his eyes in anger, understanding little of the talk, but knowing that their mission was in danger of failing. "That…thing…locates this Time Lord wizardry that the Doctor needs?"

Adric answered. "Yes, but it seems that the piece is not here."

"So," the Elder answered, his hands falling to his lean hips. As he lowered his head, Nyssa was struck by how much the man looked like her father once had: slender, powerful and dark.

Adric tapped his lips. "So, you said that the piece was here just days ago; it appears that it has since been moved."

"Wizardry only serves a purpose when it is sold here. We have no use for the pieces, only the gold that it brings," Elrind answered lowly. "It will have to be at a seller's circle."

Nyssa agreed. "That simplifies the situation. Where is the another seller's circle?"

Elrind spun on his heel and ran back towards the horses. "The other seller's circle is where the Doctor is…"

Nyssa held up her hand as Adric yelled: "Wait!"

"We should see what they have elsewise," the girl advised. "If it is where the Doctor is, he will find it. We could not make it to where it is."

Adric waited until Elrind rejoined them before he began to walk towards the gathered men. Elrind sighed as he straightened his vest and cloak. "I hope you are right, young Nyssa."

Nyssa picked up her skirt and ran up the mud and rock to catch up the men. "It is what the Doctor would do: improvise"

As she cleared the top of the hill, she saw the sun was setting. The sky was a symphony of pastel hues. The Elder cupped her elbow in his hand and quickened his pace. "Then hurry, and you as well, Adric, we need to join the buyer's circle."

**

"I wish I knew what the Doctor would do," Tegan complained. "Not that I would be able to do what he does, but I would feel better having a plan. Not that he would have a plan, mind you, I would have to goad him into it. That man takes improvisation to a whole new level…"

"You like to talk when you are nervous, dear," Jessica commented as Tegan passed her again in her pacing.

Tegan sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. At the touch of the leather against her arm, she grumbled. "I suppose I do. I've been told I am a mouth on legs. I do it when I am nervous and upset at being underdressed for a party I never had any want to attend."

"Party?" Jessica rose and pushed on the woman's shoulders to get her to sit. "Your mode of speaking is strange. And do sit down."

"Those brutes with the sticks are making me nervous as well," Tegan answered. She all but collapsed forward, her arms on her knees and her chin on her hand.

"Then think of other things, Tegan," Jessica implored, sitting down next to her friend. "Worry will only make you feel bad and won't help the situation. Situations like this happen often here: we are taken, sold, and husbands find us and liberate us, fight for us. Or we are released for a fee. In either case, my dear, we will be returned to our families in some manner."

"But are you certain? And I don't have family to fight or buy me, Jess."

"This Doctor you speak of; he is not your mate?"

"Good Lord, no!"

"Then?"

"He is from Gallifrey; I just travel with him," Tegan answered quietly. "You told me that you knew Gallifrey last night…"

"The Doctor is a Time Lord?" Jessica sputtered, grabbing Tegan's arm almost painfully.

"Yes."

"Then you know of the wizardry…the Time Lord things stacked in the seller's circle…and if he is a Time Lord, Tegan, he need only mention that to acquire your immediate release. Time Lords are infinitely powerful and are revered here. No one would trifle with a Time Lord's mate."

"Then you don't know the Doctor as I do. Infinitely powerful, indeed," Tegan muttered. "And he is not my mate, Jess, please." As she lifted her eyes to Jessica, she repeated: " Time Lord things stacked in the seller's circle, Jess? What kind?"

"Long boards, some with emerald and ruby knobs. If you are not his mate then… the wizardry would pay for your release."

"What? Is that stuff in the sale with us?"

"Some, but some of it was in Jandar's…stop shaking, Tegan…it was in his space."

"I can't help shaking; that bloke gives me the willies. In his room, really? I wish I could see that…maybe if I had that, I might be able to bargain my way out of here," Tegan muttered. "But the sale is so close; the men are starting to salivate…"

The women stopped speaking as a guard appeared at the opening of the room. Jessica grabbed at Tegan again and hissed through her teeth: "If we get separated, find me at the sale. We can try to stay together; my mate would liberate us both."

The guard gestured to Tegan and the woman groaned. "I did say I wanted to see that stuff, didn't I? My auntie Vanessa always did say be careful what you wish for…" She squeezed Jess' hand. "Wish me luck; I'm going to need it."

Tegan rose and walked through the crowd of other women as regally as she could clad in leather strips and silk scraps.

**

When the Doctor found Kilred, the Time Lord was slightly panting in exasperation and with physical exertion.

"I hope you had more luck than I did, Kilred."

"We are in the buyer's circle, but we arrived too late to see the women before the sale."

The Doctor sighed in frustration, thrusting his hands in his pockets. "Well, in the buyer's circle is something, I suppose."

"There was no wizardry?"

"Less than one would see at an amateur magician trade show."

"What?"

The Doctor met Kilred's eyes and smiled with mild embarrassment. "Ah yes…well…just a saying on a favorite planet of mine, Kilred, never mind." He reached out and clapped the warrior on his shoulder. "Cheer up, at least we can get Tegan and Jessica."

"I hope you have a large amount of funds, Time Lord," Kilred grunted. "This woman of yours is onyx-haired, yes?"

"She could be described that way, I reckon. More of a very deep red head, I would say."

"She is the prime slave at the sale. She is billed as "beautiful as a jewel with hair dark as night, a sleek, soft body and as docile as a well trained mare."

"Well-trained mare?" the Doctor shook his head. "Tegan, docile? Now that is a case of false advertisement or it is not her. Oh well…shall we?" the Doctor held out his hand and jammed his hat on his head.

Kilred shook his head, but followed him just the same.

**

Cassiopeia leaned forward on her steed and gazed at the camp below. She could see the Doctor as he entered the cave; his cream colored coat was almost brilliant in the gloom. Her quarry was sited, she thought. With an order, she urged the mount forward, down the final slope.

**

"Give her the shot…"

Tegan struggled, pulling on the arms of the men that held her. "No…" she spat.

"You do not understand the finer points of this training that you have begun…" Jandar said, grabbing at her hair. As his hand wound into the thick curls, Tegan winced. The pull that followed was secondary in force to the way that his face filled her vision. She opened her mouth in an effort to keep the pain from her pulled hair from making her eyes water. "To be malleable to what your new owners want is what is expected; it does not matter if you are able to speak or not."

"Don't!" she muttered. As she struggled, she spied the boards that Jessica had spoken of. They were lying on the desk.

Jandar shook his head, sadly. He truly did not wish to inflict pain on her; women were much more valuable without the mental anguish that pain left in its wake. And this woman with he strength of her body and mind, onyx hair and exotic eyes would acquire a small fortune for him. "Hedon, give her the shot. I do not wish to hear her during the discipline."

Tegan's eyes bore into his as she snarled. As his assistant bore down on her, she arched her back, jutting her breasts out, the leather straps biting into her skin. Her arms flailed wide, but she was unable to grab anything and as he held her hair, she could not get up off her knees. The needle sank into her flesh even as she moaned a negative exclamation. But soon, all that Jandar was assaulted with was the accusation in the woman's eyes. Her mouth moved, but she was unable to use her voice.

Jandar nodded as Hedon retreated, moving to stand by the door. "Get up, woman."

Tegan struggled to stand. She had been on her knees so long that the circulation in her feet was nonexistent. She pressed her hands against the ground, her eyes still accusing her captors. As she stood, she fell forward, her hands landing on the chair by Jandar. Immediately, he pressed the pain stick against her side.

With a soundless gasp, she flinched.

"I said, stand."

Tegan tried again, rising to her feet, even as pins and needles and pain flooded her feet and calves. She stood tall.

"Now…listen carefully and understand this…stubborn one. You are to be exhibited on our slave floor…"

With a shake of her head, she tried to back up. Hedon moved behind her, pressing a pain stick against the small of her back. Tegan grunted wordlessly, releasing a silent scream. The stick was like liquid lightning, a spark of pain that ignited all of her nerves. She shook as her knees buckled and she fell forward to the floor.

"Stand."

She grabbed the side of the table, pulling herself to her feet. It was not fast enough and she received two more jabs with the pain stick before she stood tall. Jandar sighed. The woman's eyes appeared liquid as tears fell from them to course down her cheeks. "You will be exhibited, Tegan of Jovanka. And you will do as you are told, or you will be returned to your cell and will be resubmerged in your training."

He walked around her, reaching out his hand to touch at the two broad bands of leather that crossed her chest. Several other lighter, gray leather strips connected the large black ones. These all were joined to a small, black shroud of a skirt. It was the wear of a slave of the Nightyearners and she wore it well. His hand crept down her back, to curve around the tight curves of her buttocks. "You are very toned. That is good. Follow me and keep your head bowed. Show your stubbornness and you will received electric lashings, am I understood?"

Tegan tossed her head back and fixed a watery glare at her captor. He could not be sure, but he thought the word bastard was mouthed at him. He nodded, allowing her that small measure of control in her uncontrollable situation. His mouth curved in a smile and he snapped his fingers. "Let us go then. I have buyers that are waiting for you." Turning to his helper, he called out: " No, no, leave the wizardry. I have a private buyer coming in later." He left the room.

She followed behind him so hesitantly that she received several more shocks before she reached the main open room.

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The Time Lord stood his fists on his hips and stared at the young King. Lazotan, for his part, looked ready to launch in anger at his servant. The servant had lowered his head and held out his arms in the classic 'do as you will' pose.

"What do you mean the piece was not released to your custody?" Lazotan threw his mug, ale and all, against the far wall near the hearth. The dog that had been resting against the stones at the foot of the fireplace whined and ran for the corridor. "The funds were released."

The servant indicated the pouch of coins on the desk. "The leader of the Nightyearners regrets to inform you that he has another buyer who has returned his offer ten fold."

The Time Lord chuckled quietly.

Lazotan swung around to face the man and stared, open-mouthed, for a few seconds before he rounded on the servant. "Does he think me a fool?" he roared.

The servant lowered his eyes again. "My liege, he also requested that I pass on the message: 'Foxes know of the wolves den.'"

"Oh he does, does he?" the King swung around in anger, turning away from the servant. "Get out."

Instead of hearing the door close, Lazotan heard a short buzzing to his right and turned to see the servant disappear from his sight. It was as if he had been swallowed by the ground. Curious, the King rounded the table to see a doll-like resemblance of the servant lying on the ground. Both enthralled and horrified, Lazotan turned to look at the Time Lord.

The Master tapped his tissue compression eliminator against his chin and tilted his head to the side. "You had wished him to leave, King." He tugged at his jacket and frowned. "I am to understand that you do not have the piece that I have paid for, Lazotan, and that you do not have any idea as to where it could be. That does not bode well for you, my dear king. I will as soon use this beloved weapon of mine on you as I would any other pitiful lifeform that stands between me and the completion of my plans."

**

Nyssa gently laid the dimensional transcircuit back down on the blanket and sighed. Adric agreed with the sediment. He, too, had found very little useful except for a half-functional homing beacon. He supposed it could, as Tegan had once said, 'come in handy'. He had yet to understand that saying as he did with most of the idioms that the Australian woman often muttered. Sometimes he wished the TARDIS language conversion systems would act as a Thesaurus as well. He knew that that saying meant that it was useful, but exactly why that particular terminology was used was beyond him.

He rubbed at his cheek and groaned.

What bothered him more than the language problem, he mused, was that this incarnation of the Doctor was more prone to using Earth terms and slang than had been the last one.

He missed his original Doctor…and in some respects…the emptiness of the TARDIS…after Romana and before Tegan. But he didn't mind Nyssa.

He smiled at the girl as she drew along side him. "Anything?" she asked.

"Just a homing beacon….you?" he grumbled.

"A dimensional stabilizer energy board and two argon capsules. Some electronics. I have them all in the sack."

Adric sighed. "But no temporal stabilizer…"

"No, but we had not expected it here, Adric…remember?" Nyssa shook her head. Adric could see the exhaustion in his friend's stance. Elrind must have noticed it as well. He appeared at Nyssa's elbow and supported her with an arm about her waist. Adric frowned.

"You are tired, Nyssa of Traken," he stated.

She nodded, putting a hand to her brow. "I'm afraid so…it must be the long hours on the horse and the sale."

"And not finding anything of value," Adric grumbled. He slipped the homing beacon into his pocket.

Elrind smiled, and the expression brought new life to his angled, severe visage. He held up a long board, complete with sapphire knobs and orange switches. "This is Time Lord…technology, is it not?"

Adric grabbed for the piece as Nyssa exclaimed: "It's a temporal accelerator interlaced circuit."

"This is a good find, I take it," Elrind smiled, burying his hands in his dark cape and sleeves.

"If a TARDIS has a burned out temporal stabilizer, often it has problems in the TAIC that caused the ionic feedback. If you replace the stabilizer and not the TAIC and the problem still exists, you will short out the new stabilizer just as quickly."

Elrind's smile disappeared quickly and he looked perplexed. Adric groaned and touched at the man's arm. "Yes, it is a good find. What Nyssa is trying to say is a TARDIS will go…zap as my companion, Tegan would say…if you replace one without the other."

Nyssa gave a tight lipped smile at her friend. "We must get this to the Doctor; I have a feeling he will need this as well. Others will search for it soon."

Adric frowned. "Your empathy again?"

Nyssa nodded and rubbed her temples. "Yes…someone or something has powerful telepathic abilities on this planet; my head hurts from it. But I can sense that someone or something thinks us ill and wants these TARDIS parts badly enough to kill for them."

**

Cassiopeia held up the seal of the King and was given free access to the camp. As she slid from her saddle, the horn sounded that called the buyers to the circle.

**

The Doctor pushed through the crowd of men with muttered apologies and a grimace. It was more like a mob than a gathering for an auction. Kilred walked behind him, barely acknowledging those around him. The warrior's broad build and powerful chest served to cut through the crowd as a Cutter would an ice field thought the Time Lord. But where his new friend was broad, the Doctor was tall. He stopped some meters from the raised stone circle; his height awarded him an unobstructed view.

His distance was a blessing, he thought, wrinkling his nose. It seemed that few of his neighbors washed. "Not friendly with soap, are you?" he whispered, closing his eyes momentarily.

Kilred stifled a smile, forced as the emotion was. "Their lack of hygiene offends you, Doctor?"

"No, Kilred, just their aroma." The Time Lord answered his voice full of untimely humor. He gave a tight mouthed grin as the nearest man turned to him.

The warrior shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. He leaned into the strange man he had befriended and whispered: "They are bringing in the women now. Are you sure that you do not have the funds to procure our women?"

"I'm afraid not, Kilred."



"Then you have a plan, Time Lord?"

"I suppose I will have to come up with one." The Doctor was squinting at the dais.

Kilred reached over his shoulder and touched the hilt of his sword. The Doctor frowned. "Heavens me, Kilred, don't you ever consider talking? You know, I once had a companion….Leela…you put me in a mind of her. "

"You wish to steal our women and talk your way out of a Pirate's den?" Kilred groaned. "You are not a fool, Time Lord, you are insane."

The Time Lord nodded. "I have been told worse, but you do have a point, Kilred. Talking, I don't think will suffice. Improvisation, then."

They both quieted as the women were led onto the dais from a secluded annex. The warrior hissed and tensed as his tall blond wife was led out onto the stage. "Jessica?" the Doctor asked, quietly.

Kilred answered by growling.

"I can't see Tegan," the Doctor mumbled as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Kilred started to answer the strange man when the Time Lord reached over and grabbed his arm. His eyes scanned the women as they were led into the circle below. He had asked before what the Doctor's friend looked like. The man's description was of a small woman, petite with dark hair and dark eyes. Most of the women were blond, so when a tiny woman with dark hair entered the room, he guess it was this Tegan the man had mentioned. He watched as the girl hesitated at the door and was pain stick assaulted from behind.

The hissed breath through the clenched teeth of his companion left no question that it was indeed his friend. "No."

Kilred shook his head as the man glanced at him. He could see the anger swimming in the dark blue eyes of his new friend. "That is your Tegan?"

"Yes…what are they doing to her?"

"Pain sticking…control for stubborn prisoners and the like. I have seen it used on men…used on slaves because it leaves no scar," Kilred offered.

The Doctor grunted under his breath.

**

Tegan saw Jessica through her teary eyes and made her way over to her friend slowly and with slow measured steps. The pain was playing havoc with her muscles. Jessica reached out to let Tegan slump against her taller body. The young woman breathed a sigh of relief and a mouthed a curse.

"It matters not, Tegan. It is too late to do us any good. We can only hope for a kind sale and my husband later…or your Time Lord."



**

Kilred dropped his hand from the Doctor's shoulder. Although his face showed none of it, his shoulder was tight with stress. The Doctor spun around quickly, glancing at the back of the cavern. The walls were made of stone, but the door sealing the room and its respective jam was wood. He also spied a rather large pile of hay near the center, in the crowd. "That will do wonderfully, Kilred, my friend," he clapped the warrior on his shoulder. He looked upwards and saw a wooden catwalk and airholes toward the top of the cave. "Tell me: you aren't afraid of fire are you?"

"No."

"Good! That helps matters. Get over by the dais. Near Jessica. I will create a diversion and meet you there." He spun around to face the stage, and sighed when the warrior didn't move. He shooed him. "Run along."

As the warrior walked, slowly, toward the stage, the Doctor eased back toward the hay pile and the lone torch on the wall.

**



Tegan's eyes widened as she saw the familiar flail of a cream colored cricketers coat. She clutched at Jessica at the same time the woman saw her husband. A small shake of Kilred's head stilled Jessica's shout of surprise.

Tegan trained her sight on the Doctor, watching his progress across the floor. As he reached the wall, he turned slowly his hands behind his back. Then he was grabbing the torch and touching it to the pile of hay. A few sticks ignited. He turned away quickly to the back door. He pulled out a small packet of something and threw it at the base of the jam. The torch followed along behind it. When he turned back toward the stage and took a skipping step to run across the floor, the mob began to panic from the flames in their mist. She lost sight of him. But as everyone began to move, she remembered the piece in Jandar's room.

She shook off Jessica's arm and stumbled for the door she had just entered through, despite the other woman's shout.

**

Kilred jumped to the stage, extending his arm and gathering his wife to him. His sword was already drawn. The Time Lord leapt to the stage right behind the warrior. He spun around on his feet. "Where's Tegan?!" he yelled.

Jessica pointed toward the inner door, but before she could say anything, the Doctor muttered: "Stupid girl." He took off at a dead run for the internal door.

**

Tegan stumbled into the room and to the desk. There was no one else around. Blindly, she grabbed the piece she had seen earlier. As she turned, the Doctor entered, his form filling the door. "Tegan! Time to leave!"

She heaved herself away from the desk and toward the door. The Doctor grunted, reaching out for her hand. He turned around and ran for the door, pulling the weak and befuddled girl behind him. As the broke out into the main room, Kilred met them. "Now what, Time Lord, you seemed to have burned our only way back to sunlight."

The Doctor ran for the side of the wall, pulling Tegan. He shouted back over his shoulder. "No, I haven't. Kilred, grab the rope on the wall. And hold on. It should hold the four of us."

"What will?!" Kilred yelled, turning to the wall and the rope.

"Our method of transportation," the Doctor returned, reaching up to grab the rope, untying it from its mooring. "On the count of three, Kilred."

"One," he yelled. "Tegan, put your arms around my neck."

"Two, hold on tightly and don't let go." Tegan tucked the board into the Doctor's pocket and latched onto his neck.

"Three."

The ropes were released simultaneously and the four people flew upwards toward the catwalk, away from the flames, as a large metal ring supporting hundreds of candles crashed to the ground.

Read on to Chapter 6

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