by Doctor Who
'Indeed. So knowledge of her whereabouts is therefore something that would be of great value to you?'
'I will take great pleasure in ending your worthless life, Henk.'
Broken Wing interrupted, bitterly, but Henk ignored him. Broken Wing was obviously not the main player here.
'My thought is this. If I had such information, then perhaps we could come to some kind of arrangement?' Henk licked his lips, nervously. 'Let me return to my ship, unharmed, and I'll tell you exactly where to find your traitor. How does that sound?'
Opening his mouth wide, the Esteemed Father revealed a double row of razor-sharp teeth, and let out a hideous, guttural cackle. His jaws snapped shut with a crunch and he glared hungrily at Henk.
As Darke led his men towards Friar Street, he found it difficult to believe that in happier times it had been filled with the bustle of everyday life. This cold morning, however, saw a steady stream of scared people surging towards the city gate at Sidbury. The old, the young, traders struggling with carts overloaded with goods, a desperate mother reassuring her distraught child, all desperate to escape the city.
His small army found the going hard. The crush of people impeded the troops' progress, and the heavy snowfall didn't make things any easier. Bishops Street
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was on the opposite side of the Cathedral to the Castle, and although the distance wasn't far, the Captain feared they would not make it in time if they continued along their current path.
Leaving a group of soldiers to defend this part of the road, Darke took the rest of his troops through a deserted building and across the arable plots running between the row of houses and the Cathedral grounds. As they moved quietly past, the Captain surveyed its walls, now devoid of the ungodly figures that had so recently swept across them. How strange that those pale walls, a symbol of all that was good and righteous in the world, could now contain such devilry.
Within minutes they had reached Lich Street, where the Cathedral's main gatehouse would afford them some advantage over the Krillitanes. Darke split his remaining men into three groups, sending one towards the end of Bishops Street and another further along the High Street. These would be the second line of defence as and when their foe overcame Darke's own unit, who would do their utmost to defend the gatehouse for as long as possible by engaging the enemy within the walls of the Cathedral.
They didn't have long to wait.
Wolf-like shadows scurried through the arched Cathedral entrance, ugly black stains racing across the deep white snow. In no time the first wave was almost upon them.
This is it, lads. Fight to your last breath,' Darke murmured, crossing himself in spite of his dented faith.
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Still, if it turned out there was a higher being watching over them after all, it wouldn't hurt to show willing. They were going to need all the help they could get.
He raised his sword above his head and bellowed to his men, 'For the King!'
Charging out of their hiding place beyond the gatehouse, Darke's vastly outnumbered force ploughed indomitably into the oncoming enemy. The battle for the city had begun.
The Doctor, Emily and Toch'Lu were creeping up a slipway, leading from the banks of the River Severn into the south-west corner of the Cathedral grounds. They were relieved to find that the Krillitanes had not thought to place any guards in this otherwise deserted area.
The river served a dual purpose for the Castle: as a natural defence against attack from the west, and as a means of delivering vital supplies during times of siege. It now offered the perfect clandestine route back into the Cathedral for the Doctor and his group, who had left the Castle via the riverbank, moving quickly along it until they reached the riverside entrance to the Cathedral. They hid in the shadow of the boathouse, a hundred metres from where the Krillitane vessel had touched down.
'So, we're in. What now?' asked Emily, scanning the Cathedral for an entrance. A door in the side of the refectory, not far from their hiding place, looked promising. She shivered. 'Somewhere out of this weather would be a good start.'
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At the same moment they both realised they were standing right beside the door into the boathouse. 'How about in here?' said the Doctor, and they ducked inside, grateful for the building's relative warmth.
That is so much better.' Emily hugged herself.
'Blimey.' The Doctor had immediately taken an interest in the vessel stored inside the boathouse. It was no boat. 'Property of one Mister Henk.'
An eight-metre-long industrial hover skiff rested on its landing skids, taking up almost the entire space. What's more, it was fully laden with barrels.
'Just what the doctor ordered.' Smiling, the Doctor bounded aboard and checked its flight controls. A plan was already formulating at the back of his mind. 'Henk's entire stock of Krillitane Oil.'
Toch'Lu hung back by the doorway, nervously, and Emily couldn't help but notice. 'Are you OK?' she asked. The Krillitane glanced at the rows of barrels.
The Doctor tapped one of the barrels. 'What we have here is the one thing that the Krillitane fear. Their own oil. It's what made them who they are, except it's become lethal to them. If one drop touches their skin, just one drop, it causes an immediate and catastrophic anaphylactic reaction.'
'It kills them?'
'Well,' the Doctor swallowed. 'It kind of makes them explode. Not a nice way to go.' While this discovery was useful, he had no intention of using it other than as a last resort.
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The Doctor leapt down from the skiff and approached Toch'Lu. 'I'd say what we do now is up to you. If you can get your fellow Krillitanes to leave this world unharmed, just leave, then I'm not going to have to use that stuff.
But if you can't...'
Toch'Lu shook off her human disguise, her orange eyes blazing in their deep sockets. She understood what he was asking of her. That any of my Brood lives is thanks to your actions. Whatever happens, I will stand by my promise to you, Doctor. Much depends upon whom the Esteemed Father has sent after me, and whether they have orders to take me alive. If I cannot negotiate, then I will fight.'
'I can't give you long,' warned the Doctor.
Then let us begin. I will see to it that by morning none of my brethren remain on this world. If that means all must die, then so be it,' she replied.
They left the boathouse and hurried over to the open doorway Emily had located earlier. In the distance, the screams and shouts of a pitched battle sounded eerily flat, deadened by the thick snow that lay like a death shroud over the city. Emily thought of Captain Darke, not daring to hope he would be fortunate enough to survive.
Once inside, they found the refectory was deserted. Banks of equipment installed by Henk's people had been smashed and rendered inoperable by the Krillitanes, who had stormed through like a plague of locusts. Here and there dead bodies were scattered, no longer in need of Henk's promised payday.
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Toch'Lu sped ahead, stopping at the next set of doors, snout lifted, testing the air. She tensed suddenly, then bolted out into the cloisters without warning, leaving the Doctor and Emily staring at each other in shock. As one, they sprinted after her, just in time to see her tail disappear around the corner.
'What's got into her?' the Doctor shouted as he pounded along the corridor. 'Looks like she's heading for the Chapter House.'
'You mean you don't know what Henk has been keeping in there?' Emily replied, as they reached the doorway and staggered to a halt. She blinked, surprised at what she saw. 'Oh. Actually, that wasn't what I was expecting.'
Bizarrely, Henk stood on stage as if ready to continue his sales pitch, even though the delegates were now either dead or fleeing the planet in their ships. He almost looked relieved to see the Doctor and Emily, and she could see w
hy.
Half a dozen nervous-looking Krillitanes stood around the edge of the Chapter House, not sure what to do about the situation unfolding before them, and there, at the centre of the room, Toch'Lu stretched her wings in a display of superiority, circling an imperious-looking Krillitane who looked upon her with disdain.
'Well, well, well,’ sneered the Esteemed Father, not taking his eyes off his mortal foe. 'It seems there is no longer any need for us to make a deal, Mister Henk.'
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he bitter enemies stared at each other intently, waiting _ to see who Twould betray a sign of weakness, who would be the first to blink.
The tension spread to all those watching, even Henk, who still couldn't comprehend how the last twenty-four hours had panned out quite so badly.
'Cousin.' The Esteemed Father nodded, welcoming his avowed enemy graciously, attention focused entirely on Toch'Lu.
'Esteemed Father,' Toch'Lu hissed back, her voice dripping with hatred. 'I am honoured that you consider me such a threat that you choose to face me in person.'
There are only so many stones in the universe. One is bound to uncover a base coward skulking beneath one of them without undue effort.' The Esteemed Father shook
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his head, his snout wrinkled as if her very existence created a foul odour. 'It gives me no pleasure to find you here. That you allowed yourself and your Brood to be imprisoned by this... parasite. You are not fit to be called Krillitane.'
'And you are not fit to rule us.'
Outside, the Doctor put a finger to his lips, making it clear that he wanted Emily to stay safely out of view, then he adjusted his tie and strode brazenly into the Chapter House.
'All right, calm down, calm down. If all you're going to do is trade bon mots all morning, we'll be here till lunchtime.'
This unannounced intrusion incensed the Krillitane leader. 'Who dares address the Esteemed Father without due deference?'
That'll be me. I'm the Doctor, and I don't do due deference.
Actually, I can barely say it. You must be, what, the Emperor of the Krillitanes or something?' The Doctor looked the Esteemed Father up and down. He was naked, as was the Krillitane way. 'I don't want to speak out of turn, but your robes aren't up to much, are they? Are they new? I think you should have a word with your tailor.'
'Your scent is familiar to me.' The Esteemed Father frowned. He was certain he had never encountered this insolent creature. No, this was more of a race memory, a scent passed from one generation to the next, warning of danger. And then he remembered.
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'A Time Lord? How intriguing. It is rare indeed to encounter one of your kind, since they passed into myth.'
'Big old universe, busy diary. You should think yourself lucky I found a window in my schedule.'
The momentary distraction caused by the Doctor's entrance was all Toch'Lu needed, and she exchanged a surreptitious signal with Broken Wing before the Esteemed Father's eyes turned back towards her.
'I have no enmity with you, Time Lord. I advise you to return to whichever dusty library you hail from, before I have reason to do so.'
The Esteemed Father turned away from the newcomer, dismissing him from his mind.
All levity had gone from the Doctor's voice when he spoke again.
The internal politics of the Krillitanes have no place on Earth. I warn you now, gather your troops and take your argument back to your homeworld.'
'Or what? You think I should fear you, Time Lord?'
Try me.'
Suddenly, Broken Wing launched himself at the guard nearest to him, snapping its long neck and hurling its lifeless body into the others before they had a chance to react. At the same moment, Toch'Lu flew at the Esteemed Father, digging her claws deep into his flesh and lifting him off his feet, up towards the high ceiling and through one of the smashed windows.
'So much for a diplomatic solution,' the Doctor murmured. He was about to leave when he remembered Henk was still on the stage.
But when he looked over,
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Henk had already gone, having made good use of the chaos to escape unnoticed.
The Doctor stepped backwards, just in time, as Broken Wing slammed into the ground where he'd been standing, locked in a vicious struggle with another of the guards.
Then a deafening round of blaster fire shot through the air. The Doctor ducked on impulse, searching desperately for the source of the gunfire. He caught sight of Henk firing another parting shot as he ran out of the door, but the shot went wide of the mark. Too wide, and the Doctor realised that neither he nor the Krillitanes had been Henk's intended target at all. So who or what had been?
A resounding clunk, followed by a skittering, cracking sound emanated from the opposite end of the room, something rupturing.
The Doctor looked towards the reflective slab which he'd taken to be some kind of oversized display screen.
Creeping across its surface, cracks joined and spread rapidly, black liquid crystal seeping through them, dripping downwards.
The whole thing had taken on the appearance of melting candle wax.
Then something smashed through, what looked like a tail, creating an explosion of black shards.
'Right,' was all the Doctor could manage, gawping in disbelief at what he was seeing, before gathering his wits and running for his remaining lives.
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of the wreckage of its enclosure, towering above his genetic cousins. It let out a bloodcurdling scream, lifting its head high on its long, muscular neck, surveying its new surroundings. Then it struck, plucking one of the cowering Krillitane guards from the floor and crushing the unfortunate individual in its powerful jaws.
Safely outside, the Doctor slammed the doors shut and locked them.
They wouldn't stop that thing for long. Ruffling his fingers through his hair, he looked around for Emily, but there was no sign of her. 'Why do they never stay where I tell them?' the Doctor sighed. She must have seen Henk leave and gone after him on her own, and if Henk was looking for a quick escape, he'd be heading for the boathouse. Hoping Emily wasn't going to try anything stupid, he sprinted off along the cloisters.
Broken Wing and the guard he'd been fighting fell away from each other and stared up at the abomination before them, not sure whether to feel kinship or revulsion.
At the same moment they both realised that, if they wanted to live, then this fight was over. The guard crawled to his feet and fled, scrambling up the Chapter House wall and out through a broken window. Broken Wing was not far behind, and he pulled himself onto the building's conical roof, searching the sky for any sign of where Toch'Lu had dragged their foe.
A shriek, followed by the clatter of falling masonry, caused him to look towards the tower. There, at the top, he could see them, dangerously close to the edge, as the
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Esteemed Father landed a crippling blow which almost sent Toch'Lu tumbling over the side.
Broken Wing leapt from the roof to the exterior wall of the Cathedral, and began to climb upwards, lamenting his inability to fly.
The Brood Mother was strong, without doubt, but she had been weakened by her captivity. He had to get up there, as fast as possible, otherwise she would not survive.
Henk half-dragged, half-pushed Emily through the refectory doors and out into the grounds, the blunt muzzle of his blaster pressed hard against her ribs. He'd grabbed the girl outside the Chapter House, recognising the need for a back-up plan, some protection in case releasing his pet monster hadn't finished the Doctor and the Krillitanes off as hoped. The amount of development money he'd poured into that beast, he was determined to get some value out of it.
'What is it with men and guns?' E
mily struggled against his grip, determined to make this as difficult for him as possible. 'You're pathetic. Half the man my dad was.'
'Well he's dead, isn't he?'
'So are you,' she spat back.
'Emily!'
They stopped short, hearing the Doctor's voice shout out from somewhere inside the building. Emily was about to call back in response, but felt Henk's blaster digging into her.
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'Don't even think about it,' he growled, pulling her through the snow towards the boathouse.
'You don't seriously think you're going to get out of here in one piece, do you?' Emily smirked, no longer afraid of the man. He was nothing more than a coward and a bully. 'If the Doctor doesn't get you, the Krillitanes will.'
'Just shut your mouth and walk.' Henk kicked open the boathouse door and all but threw Emily onto the skiff, her head clanging against one of the barrels. She remained where she fell, out cold, and Henk stepped indifferently past her, jumping into the pilot's seat to power up its antigrav engines.
Henk gunned the engines to full power. The vehicle juddered into life, lifted off its skids and shunted backwards at speed, knocking the boathouse doors violently out of the way.
Wrestling with the controls, Henk swung the skiff in a wide arc, bringing its nose around so it was pointing towards the slipway. So intent on escape was he that he didn't see the Doctor burst through the refectory door nearby.
'Oh no you don't,' bellowed the Doctor, storming after the vehicle, ignoring the stinging pinpricks of snow being kicked up by the antigrav's backdraft. Gritting his teeth, he took a flying leap as the skiff hit the slipway and dipped down towards the river, just managing to grab hold of its loading arm as it rode out over the surface of the Severn, in a wash of spray.
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Immediately the Doctor felt his grip slipping. His feet were dragging through the skiffs choppy wake, its foaming, icy fingers pulling at him, threatening to yank him into the murky depths.
