The GateWorld Cantina Chronicles

[343_Guilty_Spark]

((update please. dont matter how long or short please give me an update))

[AtlantisRules!!!]

.

"You are insane!" the man from the Market Planet roared.

"No, not yet." Benson replied calmly.

"How could we possibly win if we did?!" the man asked.

"I would lead you. I did help bring down the previous government." Benson stated.

"So you claim... how much did you actually do?"

"More than you, I am sure." Benson said, almost accusingly. "yours is a market planet. That would provide us with the wealth we need. Tael, your planet has been fighting its neighbor planet, for decades. Even though the Empire forced you to cease, I have no doubt your army is still ready, correct?" Tael nodded. "Then we have the basis of an army. And we can recruit at any planets that join. Showing that alone might convince them to leave you alone."

"And if it doesn't?" Someone said.

"Then we will work from there. As you can see I have thought this through, long and hard. It will work. But I need answers. Who is joining and who is not?"

[susanne]

Spoiler:

Several relics sat neatly on shelves in her room, perfectly organised, shining under the flickering light of the lamp and glinting at her. She glanced to one of them, and let the subsequent memory fall into her head.

'The GateWorld Cantina'
By S.Bresnen

A darkening sky was spilling over the icy skin of Midna suddenly, and CJ stared up. Through the sharp wooden ceiling of her room a window hung, and down on her sparkled the stars of all the ages. Her stare never broke, even as her eyes started to trickle and her throat started to thin.

'...I need you,' she trembled 'please come back to me.'

Clouds moved in, sealing out their wisdom.

'...Please.'

---

Residential Tower B.

The stranger had been unconscious for hours, still twisting and turning in his sleep like some kind of crazy person. I bet that's it, I bet he's nuts. Elle folded her arms tightly, growing colder. She heard various loud noises up on the surface as the emergency services worked through the wreckage of her old home, scraping up bodies, clearing up his mess.

I wonder if he realises what he's done? She continued, I should just turn him in.

She jumped slightly as he lurched to one side again, lost in a mostly incoherent ramble, something about an ex, and pirates, and space pirates, and a black chest with ghosts...

Yeah, he's crazy, she stared at him with a kind of anger she wasn't used to. It was mixed in with the sadness of losing everything again, and the guilt of siding with someone who had spoken a maximum of two words to her since they met. She couldn't explain it, why she decided to pull him up out of his ship and drag him under the tower...What the hell was I thinking?

Then she remembered. She remembered all of those things that stabbed into her head when she touched his hand, back on his crashed ship...Only one she recognised enough. The Gauntlett. This man knows about it. He knows a LOT about it.

She couldn't let that pass. She glared, and allowed a whole range of emotions she considered to be prehistoric suddenly burrow into her blood as her eyes pinned themselves to him, to the objects on his belt, to the revolver hidden subtly against his thigh, to the memories of hers he had just risen from beneath an ocean of trauma. The whole Earth froze, and Elle was suddenly thrown back into the darkness of her past, back onto the colony she lived on for the first fourteen years of her life...

5 years earlier...

Terra Colony IV.

One of the few colonies established by the government of old Earth before the Triangle destroyed it. Her parents were refugees and had come to Terra as children of Earth, but they had grown old here, in the rust with the shadows and the dark. The colony, like so many built by humans, was fixed to a small moon in orbit around another world. This one circled a gas giant. It was so cramped, having been originally constructed to house just over five hundred colonists, it now held just under a thousand. All of them with no where else to go.

Elle was only sixteen, young and relatively beautiful for an engineer. On Terra, most engineers were deformed in some way, but not her. She was damn near perfect, because she was damn near perfect at handling machines. Having been there her whole life, her fellow colonists (save for a few who wanted urgently to plead with the Triangle to be accepted into their empire) were like one massive family.

It should have been obvious then, but she always used to live in hope. It was one of the reasons she was so liked, and adored, and sought after by the all of the boys on the moon. And her parents, as much as they felt protective over their only child, trusted her in the company of the colonists.

Life was harsh, but it was hers. And she wouldn't have changed it for the world. Even when she heard the rumours of a ghost ship capable of sailing through time, one which could blink in and out of existence and had its own demonic personality, she squeezed that hope tightly like a soft toy. It protected her, and would protect her family. That was something she would never lose. The universe could be cruel, but they'd suffered enough with the loss of their homeworld. They couldn't lose much more.

Terra Colonies III and V were the first to stop transmitting to their sisters in the network, and when Colony I and VI vanished from the frequency some of the preachers began pushing for evacuation. But to where? Some considered using the shuttles. But there weren't nearly enough for everyone. Some sent out further pleas to the Triangle, but replies had always been an automatic 'No'. The shadow of the devil eclipsed the light of the distant sun, and they all finally saw it.

Its power was simply indescribable...It began sucking life straight out of the colony. Whether it was through technology, or raw abstract power, or ancient alien weaponry - It didn't really matter. In a matter of seconds, Elle's family turned on each other like savages. Brainless. Hungry. War-starved.

She fought through, ended up on one of the empty shuttles, left them all behind.

Days later she had heard that the terror of the Gauntlett had been stopped somehow, but that the death toll had been higher than the atrocities committed by the first council of the Triangle 50 years before. She was rescued by a task force after a week among the stars, and was dumped on New Gallifrey.

The only survivor of the Terra genocide...And with no real explanation for what had happened, or what they had allowed to happen. The Triangle kept any information about the Gauntlett tightly underwraps...Nothing about it was ever released publically, nor was how it was ultimately stopped.

Present.

She shook the memories away, tried to focus on what was happening now. Earth was supposed to be a new beginning for her. She was one of the first volunteers to come through the stargate, one of the first settlers of the newly recovering planet...And not 24 hours after her arrival, something else came and destroyed her home and her new potential family.

This guy who fell from the frakkin' skies.

Something softly buzzed on her belt. A radio. She snapped it off and tuned in.

'Elle...' A familiar voice crackled through '...Are you there?'

'Hey, doc.' She replied in a broken voice 'How's things?'

It was Doc Rahim, one of her old friends who helped her during her 6 year struggle on New Gallifrey. He was the one who helped her get to Earth, and the only other person she trusted other than herself.

'Elle!' He said, pleased 'You're alive! That's good. Very, very good! Are you hurt! Are you safely out of the block? They've declared a quarantine around that entire sector. Nothing's allowed in or out now, and from newer reports that ship that crashed? Well they say it just vanished! Like right in front of them, just disappeared into nothing! Elle?'

She didn't particularly know how to process such information.

'Elle, come see me!' He urged 'I have a place you can rest. I heard your estate was one of the most heavily damaged. Hey! Are you still there?'

'Yeah, I'm here,' she said 'I'm just...Well, I think I'm shaken...Everything's hurting...'

'Can you make it to my lab?'

'I'm still behind quarantine, but we're hidden in one of the storage rooms beneath the second tower. It was hit during the crash, it's stable and we're near the sewer tunnels. I think we can follow them around...'

'Wait, wait - we?' He asked.

'I've got...one of the survivors here,' she explained 'but he's badly hurt, and I think he needs your help actually. And doc, keep this quiet. I don't want the police on my tail just for surviving and breaking quarantine. I'll bring him to you.'

'I'll open the back gates, but hurry!'

And with that she clicked off the radio, grabbed her sleeping guest by his arms and started to heave him down, down into the tunnels...

His long jacket slithered unpleasently on the wet tunnels as she heaved and pulled him further towards safety. Her curses and gasps were the only sound for miles. He may look like a skinny streak of pi- water She corrected herself. But hes bloody heavy! What the hell has this guy been eating? Bricks? I'd like to see how he'd manage to get them out... She chuckled darkly and gave another wrench as they moved further into the sewer. Rats skidded and slid over themselves in the dark with disgusting squeals, desperate to get away from the shape looming in the darkness.

Its often remarked upon how humans have a novel way of 'making up' for a lost sense. Elle had her fear of the dark put to rest years ago. working in the dark, cramped conditions provided by a broken engine she had accepted the darkness. With barely any light in these broken monsters she had learnt to rely on sound and feel. Sound travels well in enclosed places, especially tunnels, it bounces off the walls, amplifying itself each time until it becomes a wall of sound that rushes past your body, bombarding your ears. It did so now.

"Eurgh theres rats down here!"

Elle stopped dragging and looked up, into the blackness she had just penetrated. Her heart skipped a beat as she waited. Had she just heard that? Were there other survivors down here?

"Look at the slime down here! Its disgusting!"

"Stop whinging will you? They'll hear you coming a mile off."

"Yeah well i dont know why they sent us down here. There isnt anything but rats. Rats!"

"Orders are order. Now shut up. You see anybody you shoot on sight got it?"

"Yeah i got it...."

They werent survivors. Guards? Soldiers? She didnt give a damn but what Elle did need was a place to hide. Her heart went into overdrive and she began to panic. With adrenaline and a pressing need not to die she dragged the unconcious man further from the voices. Her heartbeat sounded like a torrent, her breath like the clashing of drums, she was sure as she moved him that she would be heard, that she would be caught and executed for trying to escape the quarentine.

God dont start talking now! Please dont start talking now! Her thoughts were wild and fuelled on nail biting fear. They're going to find me, and string me up! Aiding and abetting a criminal for a start! She pulled him onwards, not wanting to leave him. She hadnt gone through all the trouble of rescuing him to dump him now. It was all or nothing, she needed.....so badly needed to know what had happened that day. What that thing was. They were answers he could give her.

Where am i? Am i at the turn yet? Have i missed it? Oh god im dead if i have! But then she spotted it, a smaller tunnel, half hidden in the gloom, her salvation, her freedom....her sanctuary.

The panic in her system quelled little by little as she dragged the man into the turn and to the last stretch.

Im safe.....im alive....im going to be ok.

The lie provided a small comfort for now.

((Mapp?))

[P-90_177]

Spoiler:

It had now been four and a half years since he had absorbed the title of Lord President of Gallifrey, and Greg grinned and the thought back to those early days, when Gallifrey had been burning. How different it was now.

He stood on a balcony in the Citadel, and saw the restored Gallifrey. The Citadel more proud than ever before, the crashed Dalek ships being turned into monuments of the Time War. Everywhere he looked he saw the greatness of the Time Lords returned to its full glory.

His site seeing was interrupted by the Chancellor.

"Lord President?"

"Yes, Rassilon, what is it?"

"Lord P90 is here."

"Excellent, send him in and close the door on your way out."

P-90 strided in as Chancillor Rassilon bowed as he exited and closed the doors behind him.

"He trieds to destroy all of Time and Space and you only downgrade him to chancillor?" P-90 questioned as he steped next to Greg and looked out onto the reformed Gallifrey, "Where's the Justice in that?"

Greg let out a small chuckle,
"It keeps him out of trouble. I'd much rather have him some place I can keep an eye on him then have him running about causing mischief."

"We could have made him human......like Mapp."

Greg sighed. He had started this conversation so many times over the last several years. It was getting tireing from someone who wanted to cause Mapp so much pain before.
"Rassilon may still prove useful. Mapps time had passed."

"So we allow one war criminal to walk free while another is given one of the severist punishments that can be given to a Timelord?" he continued to interrogate, "How is that fair?"

"It Just is P-90!" Greg finally raised his voice, "Examples and sacrifices had to be made......You believed in this before.......what changed?"

Now it was P-90's turn to sigh,
"Suffice it to say I talked with a friend. Besides after Gallifrey returned....petty things like revenge just seemed so small."

Greg shrugged the conversation off, just as he always did. It wasn't the first time he and P-90 had clashed horns and it wouldn't be the last.

"Fine...enough of this. What do you have to report?"

P-90 reeled off a status report of all of the Timelords aquired empire. Operating mainly under the guise of the Triangle. As head of the Temporal Protectorate, essentially the Timelords main millitary arm, P-90 was kept apprised of everything that occured in the empire....good and bad.

"Well the new Stargate system is full opperational," he began "the network now extends to the farthest most reaches of empire and even slightly beyond to several unihabited worlds."

Greg nodded in understanding as his fellow Timelord continued.

"We've had a few planets starting to rise up again. Rioting has broken out on 5 seperate worlds now."

"Ask Dray to send in some of her troops to calm matters down. Just a warship in orbit should do the trick."

"Right..." P-90 responded. He had no intention of doing anything of the sort. He had his own ways of dealing with these matters and it did not include threats of violence towards innocent people, "You know that they're just unhappy because of the poor planetary governments that are in place on those worlds."

"Yes I know P-90 but order must be kept nevertheless. We will slowly change things for the better regardless." he turned back to P-90, looking him in the eyes, "Just trust in that.......so is that all?"

"Just one last thing." P-90 began, "Mapp has emerged from the time vortex on Earth."

"Ah good. Exactly the time we sent him to then."

"Yes the right time but not the place......he sort of crashlanded..........in the middle of citadel 1......."

"What!? How did this...."

"I don't know." interupted P-90, "Dray is dealing with it now anyway."

"Just keep an eye on it will you?"

"Naturally..........."

P-90 turned away and walked out of the Presidential chambers.
Long with every other moment of time and space he thought
He neither asked for permission nor bowed to Gregas he left......Greg didn't expect him to either. P-90 was too much of a freelancer still to stick to such over blown respect.

He would indeed of course keep his eye on the developing situation on Earth. But only because it was where Mapp was. P-90 didn't intend to let him cause mischief, as he knew Mapp would, human or not. He may have sentenced him to his life of mundane humanity but it didn't mean he wasn't still responsible for him. P-90 was now Mapps secret keeper............if only to decide what should still be done with him later.


As P-90 walked back to his own rooms, lost in thought, and aide ran up behind him. Bowing courteously, he handed his supperior a data crystal.

"My Apologies my Lord P-90, but The Lord President forgot to give you this during your meeting."

"What is it?"

"The nature of the data is unknown to me My Lord. I am not privy to such information. However The Lord President did mention that it was some sort of research material."

"I see..." P-90 mused slowly, "Thank you. You may go now."

"My Lord.." The aide gave a parting greeting, once again bowed and walked away, leaving P-90 once more curious as to the contents of the crystal.

Research Material he thought Perhaps something worth my time for a change.....

[Princess Awinita]

In Sol System, near Pluto....

What takes them so long? Ni-Fang thought darkly as the inspection team finally (and mercifully) docked with the Spirit of Silence. of the four that entered through the docking ring three of them seemed more bnervous then anything else seeing who was there. "Can I help you gentlemen?" Ni-Fang asked, her long white locks of hair pulled back, though the chainsword nowhere in sight. Sheh ated using the thing anyway.

"Your ship has entered a protected area. Let me see your codec." The man in charge of the inspection team said.

"With pleasure" Ni-Fang replied handing the man a dataring.

It took a moment to match up the merchant vessel with what the triangle had on file, clearly a Triangle Empire Approved MerTelCom merchant vessel. One of the three others with the man held his weapon aimed at Ni-Fang, who did her best to ignore it as the dataring was returned to her. "Sorry for the inspection of your ship madam, but it is manditory that we check all ships entering this system regardless of their class and structure with the Empire."

Ni-Fang nodded, "You just doing your job Ship Inspector, I would do likewise were I in your post and you in mine" she replied, keeping a wary eye on the three others with the man, three men who clearly were not used to ships like the Spirit of Silence. Possibly men who have never seen a mutant merchant, she mused. "Is there anything else I can do for you gentlemen while you are onboard?"

"Two things, one; Your last known location states Port Wander, is this correct." Ni-Fang nodded, the Ship inspector continued, "And second, have you seen this woman." A small crude yet recently drawn picture of Nirza was shown to her. She shook her head.

"Cannot say I have, I have never dealt with such people before." Ni-Fang said. The Dark Elves that were Nirza's people had rarely traded with MerTelCom, evfefn if they did, their prices weren;t very good, and their items were less of true value.

"Well, we are under orders to ask of every ship we inspect to see if there are new knowledge of the Viceroys' daughter, she has been missing for six years, yet we keep looking." The Ship Inspector replied putting the picture away.

"Anything else Ship inspector?" Ni-Fang asked. The man shook his head and turned to leave. Having come no more then ten paces into her ship. "Then I am permitted to land at Earth Spaceports Marketplace docks?"

The man shook his head. "Unfortunely at this time landing on Earth is restricted to miltary and supply ships only. However the spacestation dock and spaceport on Mars along with the markets there are readliy available to dock and sell your wares." The man then made a slight bow and left. Ni-fang watched until the lights on the docking ring went red showing the Inspection ship had left. That went well. She thought.

She turned and headed for the bridge with new orders, they were not allowed to dock at the planet itself, but they could dock at the nearby stations and also at Mars, but then Mars was not a very good place to begin with. She entered the bridge of the Spirit of Silence and nodded to Hieden. "Head us for Earth spaceport Station. We have permission to dock, but not on the planet."

Hieden nodded and began moving the massive ship forwards. It was better at docking, but had a lot for defense, most merchants had been attacked by smaller militas and thus the need for arms ready for use. Thankfully the men did not remark of the blood on the floor. Ni-Fang thought. Then she thought of something else.

Idiot! Had you carried the Hero's Pass they would have left without asking your name! She mentally kicked herself then refocused on the task at hand, landing at Earth Station Market

[lordofseas]

Los walked down the corridors of the Capital of the Triangle. Finally finished. he thought. Time to relax, and..... Los opened his room. Adaris, his old friend, and comrade, slept in his new body on the bed. Los thought for a couple of moments, and then disrobed, and began to meditate. Los closed his eyes, and focused on an emptiness within him, and fed everything emotionally into it. Cleansing his mind. When he opened his eyes, around two hours had passed, and he was sweating. Los thought for a moment. Los put on some undergarments, then picked a new robe, red and black in stripes across, and tied it around him. He knew where Draygon would be.

(Dray)

[Draygon]

Los walked down the corridors of the Capital of the Triangle. Finally finished. he thought. Time to relax, and..... Los opened his room. Adaris, his old friend, and comrade, slept in his new body on the bed. Los thought for a couple of moments, and then disrobed, and began to meditate. Los closed his eyes, and focused on an emptiness within him, and fed everything emotionally into it. Cleansing his mind. When he opened his eyes, around two hours had passed, and he was sweating. Los thought for a moment. Los put on some undergarments, then picked a new robe, red and black in stripes across, and tied it around him. He knew where Draygon would be.

(Dray)

As Los made his way towards Drayygon's private quarters, his journey was hampered by several people coming up to hand him reports. He sighed and accepted them; there never truly was such a thing as 'finished' when there was a crisis situation. Just as he reached her room he saw a plainly dressed man leaving it. There was only one sort of people that would speak with Draygon without his knowing. Other than Dray herself, Los was the only other person in the Triangle who knew of the Timelords return and worked under the guise of the Triangle to gather information. And it was going to stay that way. However, if one of them had seen it necessary to speak with Dray, it could mean any number of things. She had orders from the Timelord President, a summons, new instructions, anything. It would all have the same result though. She was going to be in an extremely bad mood.

Not bothering to knock, Los opened the door of Draygon's chambers. You could often tell a lot about the mind of a person from their room. His own quarters were immaculately kept, often spartan at times but where he felt at ease. Dray's rooms though...

A violent mesh of both timelord and wraith influences on almost everything in the room. There was little cohesion, barely any order and yet over all of it a feeling of some higher genius that none but its creator could interpret. A swift glance to the wall beside the door revealed everything a keen mind needed about the state of Dray's temper. The crosshatching of slashes from nails and knives showed some fresh wounds. Better tread carefully then. So long as she took her frustrations out on the fixtures and furniture. They could be replaced more easily than a person.

"Draygon?" he called out. "Might we have a word?"

There was a sharp angry hiss and Los looked round, trying to place it. Damn. Dray was very good at remaining not noticed until she wanted to be. Or until she had slit your throat. He needed something to distract her, fast.

"Rioting broken out on five separate worlds, supported by Benson and his party" he said, glancing down at the first report he held, "...and there's been a new development with the crashed ship,"

"What?"

"I'm sorry to say but the ship vanished before it could be recovered."

There was a disgruntled 'humph' and Draygon walked out from behind him and threw herself down on a nearby couch.

"That ship was a Tardis," she informed Los. "They're sentient and will do whatever they want and go wherever they want. Any more word on the survivors?"

"They've been detained for treatment and questioning. We have guards patrolling to make sure no one escaped our notice." Los felt slight triumph at the flicker of a smile on Dray's face. It would be nice to escape this without too much hassle. "The official news story is that the quarantine is in place to make sure there is no risk of infection from the downed ship as it is of unknown origin at this moment in time. The people are buying it for now." Los looked at Dray's lack of reaction. "Though perhaps I might know the truth? If it is not too much for you to give me."

"It was the Cantina," Dray replied dully. "It finally came out time vortex but I was not informed he would be crashing right on our front doorstep."

Los cursed out loud at this. And to think he had thought this would be a good day. The return of the Cantina and her ill-fated captain meant that all of Dray's old resentments and hatreds against him had resurfaced. It had to be the wraith in her, he thought, because no suffering was ever enough for those that felt her wrath.

"If I might make a suggestion," he offered, making sure he had her attention before continuing. "Perhaps it would be wise to use the gate network to go to Earth and see the damage for yourself. It would boost people's confidence to see you there personally and of course, you could help in the search for... survivors."

Slowly, a smile spread over Draygon's face. "Capital idea. Perhaps I need to get out a bit more... socialise, that sort of thing." She stood up and smiled warmly at Los. He returned the smile, but knew that there was little warmth behind Dray's expression, only cold malice. Her previous anger was buried though under a business-like attitude. For now.

"I take it you wish to leave immediately?"

"Of course. Can't let Benson try and make it out I don't care for those under the Empire. Incidentally, keep a close eye on him when I'm gone. He's been too quiet lately."

"Consider it done," replied Los, opening the door for Dray as she walked out and followed her close behind. "Anything else while your away? Cancel the milk? Check on the Stargate expansion system?"

"No, just send a warship to those planets that are causing trouble," answered Dray breezily. "That'll shut them up. When I get back though I will want a word with Greg. I dislike surprises."

Perhaps, thought Los ryely, but life is full of them and you can never escape all of them.

They parted company. Dray to make her way to Earth in her guise of a concerned ruler, and Los to fulfill her orders and track down Benson.

[AtlantisRules!!!]

Three hours later Benson was in his office. Most of the planets had accepted his proposal, all except two. Unfortunate for them he couldn't let them go off and tell people about the Rebellion. THey were disposed of and the representatives were setting plans. Currently he was checking up on something personal...

"Update, Captain?" Benson asked of the hologram, not looking at it.

"We still haven't had any hint of her, sir. No one has seen or heard from your daughter." the hologram reported.

"very well then. Keep up the work." The hologram winked out. Benson sighed. It had been six years since Nirza had been left behind. And still no trace of her. Perhaps, he thought, perhaps she really is dead. Perhaps its time to give up. He thought it over. Maybe... just a little longer.

He shook the thoughts ffrom his head. He didn't have time right now. Dray was sending warships to stop the riots. He had to come up with something that would sent a statement, but nothing that would get the planets wiped out. You never knew with Dray, she might just do something like that.

He decided, and stood up.

Several minutes later he found what he was looking for, he had come face-to-face with los. Dray no doubt sent los to keep an eye on him. "Hello, los." He said.

(edited for clarity )

[Gregorius]

.

.

As she stepped out of the gate she immediately knew she wasn't on Earth, she was on Gallifrey. It seems the news of me wishing to have a talk with him has already reached Greg. Should've known... It hadn't been the first time this had happened: Whenever Greg wished to speak to her, he'd have the gate traffic redirected to Gallifrey. They'd then talk and she'd be send back to the planet to which she was traveling as if the meeting had never taken place. An aide walked towards her.

"Lady Draygon, the Lord President and Lord P90 are waiting for you in the Council chambers. Please follow me."

"Of course they are, wouldn't expect anything less of them." She sighed and followed the aide, although she knew the way by heart.

When she entered the council chambers she could see them sitting, looking at a holographic image of Earth's Citadel 1 and examining the damage done to it.

"Welcome, Dray, please have a seat", a voice she recognized as P90's said to her, "We're looking at the damage done to the Citadel by the Cantina."

"On that topic, WHY and HOW did it get to Earth? I knew he was going to be placed into the relative future but not that he would crash on my doorstep.", she fumed but quickly shut up when Greg looked at her. She saw his eyes staring at her and what she saw in his eyes scared her.

"Dray, there is no need to get upset about any of this. I'll explain later what is going on, but first we'll have tea." Aides rushed in and delivered tea to the council room and left while closing the council chamber's doors. "Everyone has their tea? Excellent. Laplace, would you drink your tea first?"

She saw Greg change shape and in his stead a young woman appeared. Dray was always amazed by this transformation, especially in how the young woman differed so much from the child she has known. She knew what was going to happen next, a holographic image of Greg would appear and they'd switch places the moment either of them grew bored.

Now that she thought of it, she hadn't seen Laplace or Greg for some time. Whenever she visited Gallifrey it had always been P90 with whom she talked, and when she saw either of them their eyes scared her. It was as if both were seeing something that the others couldn't see. Her thoughts were interrupted as the holographic Greg disappeared and only Laplace, P90 and herself remained.

Laplace, sensing Dray's thoughts, tried to comfort her. "Greg'll return shortly, he's working on something while P90 and myself tell you what is going on. P90, could you please tell her?"

The Time Lord, who Dray always found to be looking rather awkwardly in his robes, began to speak. "You're aware of the Trial of Mapp."

"I am."

"He was sentenced to being a human and send to the relative future, about 4.5 years from that period, at the beginning the recolonization of Earth. It was hoped that his presence there could speed things up and lead to breakthroughs as well as reforming his personality into something more useful to us."

"I wasn't aware of this..."

She had expected P90 to answer her but instead Laplace answered: "It was need to know. You were too blinded by your emotions at the time to give a valid judgment."

"As if you, Greg, and P90 weren't!", Dray felt herself lose control as the tiny part Wraith that still remained in her took over. "He was consumed by vengeance, and you and Greg by apathy!"

"We're Time Lords and aren't diluted by the Wraith DNA you have. Now take hold of your emotions, Dray. This is exactly why we didn't tell you what we were planning.", P90 retorted as Dray struggled to control her emotions.

"Anyway", Laplace continued, "something went wrong: He crashed in the Citadel while he was supposed to land outside of the city. I guess we send him back into the wrong orbit."

The holographic Greg appeared and and P90 spoke: "This prompted us to take action. We had to shift the Cantina 1 second out of sync with the universe so it wouldn't fall into the hands of soldiers searching for the wreckage. After all, those monkeys with Time Lord technology is a bad combination."

"So you were behind the Cantina's disappearance? I should've known."

"You should've. Now listen up. We want Mapp to leave the damaged area, alive and uncaptured. After you've had a briefing about your further actions from P90, you'll be send to Earth as if your route had never been redirected. There you'll order your troops to leave Mapp alone.", Greg responded to her.

"Wait? You know where Mapp is?", her emotions flared up again,

Again it was Greg that answered: "Yes, we do. Do you truly expect us to send him off without us knowing where he is? Now if you excuse me, I have to finish my tea and attend one of those utterly interesting senate meetings."

Laplace changed back into Greg and the holographic Greg turned into Laplace as Greg finished his tea and left for the senate.

"Dray, I know you're planning on sending warships to those planets that are about to rebel, but I'm ordering you not to do it despite what you and Greg think."

"Greg thought sending warships was a good idea too?"

"Yes, he's ordered me to order you to send warships to quell the rebellion before it begins. However, I'm offering you an alternative that would be much more efficient and wouldn't make you look more like a concerned ruler."

"Yes?"

"I want you to talk to their leader, Benson, and establish news planetary governments on those planets. Governments that aren't as corrupt as the current ones. Should that fail you could always send your warships."\

"I'll see what I can do."

"Very well, I'll escort you to the gateroom."

As they walked to the gateroom in silence, Dray was amazed by how fast the Time Lords has rebuild their entire society. The burning planet they'd brought back from the Time War was no longer and even the Impossible System had changed a lot. She made a mental note to explore the system next time she was there.

"It was good seeing you again, Dray. Good luck amongst the lower beings."

"Likewise."

She stepped into the gate and arrived at the time she had been scheduled to arrive on Earth before her route had been redirected.

"Lady Draygon, it is an honour to have you set foot on Citadel 1"

"Spare me the pleasantries Senator, please show the the ruined residential area."

-------------

Meanwhile on Gallifrey P90 had walked to the senate to rescue Greg from a boring meeting, probably about the new robes of the Lord President. He wasn't in a particular hurry to rescue Greg because he wanted to let him suffer from a bit because he knew how those meetings bored him. He was glad he didn't have to attend the meetings, having been placed above and beyond the senate and only below Greg himself by Greg at the time. Even now the senate didn't even try to rectify this seeing as the last time they had attempted to do so had resulted in the forced regeneration of a few senators. He touched his gauntlett and grinned at the sight of the decadent and arrogant senators cowering in fear as he and Greg had walked into the senate floor and "convinced" them to let go of the idea they held any power on this new Gallifrey.

When he entered the senate he saw that it wasn't Greg but Laplace who was speaking to the senate, and he laughed. Greg had left the holographic, yet so life like, Laplace - whom Greg had convinced the senate was his proxy, lover, and vice president - to do the boring work while he probably had left for the Impossible Planet. He decided to rescue Laplace and summoned Chancellor Rassilon to continue the meeting with the senate.

"Lord P90", Rassilon said as he bowed, "I'm honoured you wish for me to speak to the senate on behalf of the Lord President."

"Spare yourself the flattery, Rassilon. Keep the senators busy while Lady Laplace and myself will find the Lord President. Don't pull any tricks."

"As you wish, Lord P90", Rassilon said as he nervously eyed the gauntlet on P90's left hand.

As Rassilon went in and Laplace came out, P90 stated to Laplace.

"He's on the Impossible Planet, isn't he?"

"Of course he is. You know how bored he gets from being on Gallifrey all the time. Those stuck-up old bureaucrats remind him of the continuum. Guess that's what all higher species eventually become, stuck-up bureaucrats."

[Princess Awinita]

Earth; Sol System, Core World of Triangle Empire....
Location: Earth Spacestation marketplace docks

The Spirit of Silence came to a halt and docked at the stations docking ring. Mercvhant of Kath booth had been preset up ready for use and only needed the staff from the ship itseklf to sell their wares. Hieden and Ni-Fang both along with one of their human crew exited Spirit of Silence and began tending to their stall. the mutant crew scurried between the ship and the stall carrying goods to sell. Everyone appeared in a more guarded manner, even in the marketplace. All markets had their own governing groups and laws that took place outside of local and galactic governors.

Ni-Fang found it had to say that she was out of the Kathian Ore she was most sought after, and was currently on a resupply run to Kath. The planet that was so close to the galaxy center itself within the deep core. Yet she sold many other items of varying value at double the base rpice as she herself was a high priced merchant.

A man was in need of medical supplies. Yet none of the others had the required supplies he needed at the prices he could afford. She had them, but at whatever ammount he was unasble to afford. The white haired woman looked over the smallish looking man with slight contempt. clearly thinking the man to be a skinflint. Growing bored with his attempts to barter himself the needed supplies Ni-Fang motioned to cose up shop so the Spirit of Silence could be on her way to pick up its most valued cargo.

Once more underway Ni-Fang turned to Hieden who was at the helm of the great ship. "Something is going on at Earth, Yet something seems very odd about it all. The man who needed medical supplies seems to want his share of a bargian."

"Aye, that he did." Hieden replied as the Spirit of Silence cleared the docking ring and headed for the open areas of the Sol System. "Have you any notion of why the Market Police were seeking that woman?"

"No." Ni-Fang replied looking for a moment at the dataring she had input all her latest sales into. "I was asked by the Ship Inspector as well if I had seen such a woman. I was and still am, unable to recall ever doing so."

Unbeknowist to either of the two highest ranking members of the crew, the navigation officer heard everything. So father is looking for me? She thought. Maybe I have my chance when we reach Kath. Though she would never admit it, Nirza enjoyed being apart of Ni-Fangs motley crew. But she wanted to see her father again. Be proven wrong of her notions he was dead like everyone else had said he was. She without being seen she sent a databurst using her palm computer using an old codec that had not seen use in six and a half years. All th databurst had was the Spieit of Silence's ID number

[P-90_177]

Meanwhile on Gallifrey P90 had walked to the senate to rescue Greg from a boring meeting, probably about the new robes of the Lord President. He wasn't in a particular hurry to rescue Greg because he wanted to let him suffer from a bit because he knew how those meetings bored him. He was glad he didn't have to attend the meetings, having been placed above and beyond the senate and only below Greg himself by Greg at the time. Even now the senate didn't even try to rectify this seeing as the last time they had attempted to do so had resulted in the forced regeneration of a few senators. He touched his gauntlett and grinned at the sight of the decadent and arrogant senators cowering in fear as he and Greg had walked into the senate floor and "convinced" them to let go of the idea they held any power on this new Gallifrey.

When he entered the senate he saw that it wasn't Greg but Laplace who was speaking to the senate, and he laughed. Greg had left the holographic, yet so life like, Laplace - whom Greg had convinced the senate was his proxy, lover, and vice president - to do the boring work while he probably had left for the Impossible Planet. He decided to rescue Laplace and summoned Chancellor Rassilon to continue the meeting with the senate.

"Lord P90", Rassilon said as he bowed, "I'm honoured you wish for me to speak to the senate on behalf of the Lord President."

"Spare yourself the flattery, Rassilon. Keep the senators busy while Lady Laplace and myself will find the Lord President. Don't pull any tricks."

"As you wish, Lord P90", Rassilon said as he nervously eyed the gauntlet on P90's left hand.

As Rassilon went in and Laplace came out, P90 stated to Laplace.

"He's on the Impossible Planet, isn't he?"

"Of course he is. You know how bored he gets from being on Gallifrey all the time. Those stuck-up old bureaucrats remind him of the continuum. Guess that's what all higher species eventually become, stuck-up bureaucrats."

P-90 made a quite an mirthless laugh eminate from his throat.

"As if he isn't himself?" he began, "If he isn't then he certainly plays the role well. That of a morally stunted politician with no regard for anything but his seat of power."

"He does what he thinks best." Laplace explained as they walked briskly towards a trans-mat station.

"What's best?" P-90 asked again in unhidden contempt, "He orders this empire like it is ona constant war march. As if our every step is towards fighting with everyone."

"He wants to bring about order."

"You don't bring about order with a sword Laplace!" he shouted as curious eavesdropping Timelords watched them walk together.

"The why do you follow him?"

"Because I have no choice. If I didn't then I'd have no way of keeping him in check. And believe me Laplace he needs to be kept in check. Don't EVER forget that."

[Gregorius]

P-90 made a quite an mirthless laugh eminate from his throat.

"As if he isn't himself?" he began, "If he isn't then he certainly plays the role well. That of a morally stunted politician with no regard for anything but his seat of power."

"He does what he thinks best." Laplace explained as they walked briskly towards a trans-mat station.

"What's best?" P-90 asked again in unhidden contempt, "He orders this empire like it is ona constant war march. As if our every step is towards fighting with everyone."

"He wants to bring about order."

"You don't bring about order with a sword Laplace!" he shouted as curious eavesdropping Timelords watched them walk together.

"The why do you follow him?"

"Because I have no choice. If I didn't then I'd have no way of keeping him in check. And believe me Laplace he needs to be kept in check. Don't EVER forget that."

"Don't you lecture me on him, P90. I know better than anyone else that he needs to be kept in check.", she spat at the Time Lord as he was taken aback by her ferocity, "I kept him in check just after he had wiped out all the Ascended, I left him powerless. I stopped him when he was reviving the Gauntlett. Don't you dare lecture me."

"Why not? You're not going to stop him this time...you agree with his every action. You're slowly turning into him, cold and detached from the lower beings.", contempted had filled P90's voice, "Back against the Empress you cared about lower beings, yet now you pass on his orders and even hand out orders that rememble his with such ease. You were so pacifist back then, what happened to you?"

The young woman sighed and spoke: "You have no idea, do you? Of course you don't, you weren't there."

They had entered an empty corridor.

"I wasn't where? Tell me, Laplace, what don't I know?"

"Nothing. You want to know why Greg's ruling the Time Lords with an iron first? Because they were pulled from the Time War, they were willing to end time itself in this universe. To save themselves and let everyone else die. Greg knows that to overcome this they needed to be ruled by a being even more ruthless and give them a sense of purpose.", the young woman looked at P90, "That sense of purpose is order. In time he'll change the empire to a more peaceful one, but for now it needs to be ruled as if it's at war. It's the only way to prevent them from ... from going insane."

"If that's the case, then tell me Laplace, just tell me, why does he keep telling the senate and the coucil that we're going to war against the universe?"

"Because their absence has made the universe unstable and chaotic, now they'll restore it to how it should be."

"But at what price, Laplace?"

[aretood2]

CJ felt an overwhelming sensation take over her. A mix of pity and happiness. Her heart pounded in her ears as the man before her shook with fear, eyes begging her. A part of her felt a little scared that for five years all this man had thought about was her but at the same time it had just been something to keep him going.

Much like she had been when searching for Mapp, the only thing that kept her going was the thought of seeing him again.

She smiled and grabbed one of his hands, holding it tightly between her own. She smiled brightly, warming the odd tension in the garden. "You can stay with me. I'll have Jacen make up a bed for you in the guest room tonight. I can't promise you'll like it here with me... I hate it here. It seems, however, that those who stay with me are unaffected by the souls of those who once lived on this planet. You'll sleep soundly tonight my friend."

She stood and held out a hand to Ben. He grabbed it and she pulled him to his feet. She took a moment to look deeply into his eyes, trying to communicate a sense of ease and understanding. "If you need anything.. don't fear to ask me. All I ask is that you respect my privacy and the privacy of those who work for me. Beyond that feel free to come and go as you please. My house is your house."

He looked back at CJ with grateful eyes. "Thank you."

CJ nodded, letting go of his hand and walking back to the bar, Ben followed. She stepped through the door and walked up to Jacen and WP. CJ took a deep breath and smiled sweetly before pulling Ben to face them. "This is Ben. He helped me Five years ago when I was stranded on Earth. I hope the two of you will make him feel comfortable... Jacen I'd appreciate it if you made him a bed in the spare room."

Jacen nodded.

CJ turned to WP. "Any news?"

WP shook her head. "Nothing, not today CJ. Perhaps tomorrow."

CJ nodded before leaving the three. "I'll be in my room searching the frequencies."
--

CJ sat at her desk, her eyes fixed on the communications system, scanning for news of anything related to the Captain. Nothing. She sighed, letting her head fall to the desk. "Captain, please return soon. I need you now more than ever. I feel I'm slipping."

Her eyes became heavy and she fell asleep within moments, her heart heavy and aching, a deep sense of hope and excitement seemed to brew within the inner most parts of her heart.

Soon he would return.

She thought that every night, every night for five years.

Jacen had Ben fallow him to what would be his new room. He could see that this visit has caused CJ pain, it allowed her past to catch up to her. They both had that in common, they were trying to ignore who they are and where they came from. Jacen wasn't always a droid, he was once Human.

"This will be your room. Please allow me to get it ready for you."

Ben nodded as he stood and watched Jacen prepare his bed with good robotic speed and agility. Jacen couldn't help but to wonder of Ben's exact relation to CJ.

"So you helped out CJ in the past, what exactly happened? I never heard her speak of you." Jacen continued to work, taking out blankets and a pillow for Ben's bed

"It's...It's complicated, I rather not talk about it" Ben sounded tired..not physically drained, but tired of everything. With too much to think, too much to process. For years he has been chaseing down CJ, looking for her.

Jacen finished cleaning up the area and stood before Ben.

"A friend of CJ is a friend of mine, I hope we can get along. I must go and attend to other duties, but please let me know if you need anything else."

With that Jacen stepped out of what was now Ben's room. He began to make his way to CJ's room to let her know that Ben was settled down. Then the past attacked him. Almost as if he was feeling the pain of a migraine, he held his head

"What's going on!?" He screamed from his station on board his ship, The Redeemer. Sparks flying all over the place, raining down on various crew members in the bridge. "It seems that our FTL engines are damaged! The Time bridge is unstable!" His first officer looked at him filled with horror. "we have to go back sir, we can't return."

That can't be, Jacen thought to himself. The ship was falling apart, temporal forces were ripping it to shreds. His family waited on the other side, his name. Everything that was him, and not to mention his crew was in the same situation. "No, this can't be" in disbelief Jacen spoke out loud.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but we can't make it" Responded his first officer. A science officer off to the side spoke up as well "sir, if we make it we will have to abandon ship."

Jacen found himself back in the present. Confused, scared, in great pain. He forced himself up and despite the pain his heart felt of the loss that he has suffered. Stuck in a galaxy, in a time that was not his. Worst of all this galaxy was going through the same thing as his. An corrupt Empire ruling with apathy devoid of democracy.

But that was not his concerned, or so he forced himself to think. That's what people like Benson are for. With that thought he continued on to CJ's room.

[lordofseas]

Three hours later Benson was in his office. Most of the planets had accepted his proposal, all except two. Unfortunate for them he couldn't let them go off and tell people about the Rebellion. THey were disposed of and the representatives were setting plans. Currently he was checking up on something personal...

"Update, Captain?" Benson asked of the hologram, not looking at it.

"We still haven't had any hint of her, sir. No one has seen or heard from your daughter." the hologram reported.

"very well then. Keep up the work." The hologram winked out. Benson sighed. It had been six years since Nirza had been left behind. And still no trace of her. Perhaps, he thought, perhaps she really is dead. Perhaps its time to give up. He thought it over. Maybe... just a little longer.

He shook the thoughts ffrom his head. He didn't have time right now. Dray was sending warships to stop the riots. He had to come up with something that would sent a statement, but nothing that would get the planets wiped out. You never knew with Dray, she might just do something like that.

He decided, and stood up.

Several minutes later he found what he was looking for, he had come face-to-face with los. Dray no doubt sent los to keep an eye on him. "Hello, los." He said.

(edited for clarity )

Los raised a single eyebrow, then began to walk along the hallways again, at random. People always seemed to come up to him with things that needed to be signed.

"What would you like, Benson?" he asked, distracted, as another person came up to him, holding out a tablet. Los picked the pen up, scanned the document quickly, a manifest on the importation of mortar and labour workers for the toilets, and signed quickly. Those damn leaks on the third floor of the right wing were beginning to make him irate.

"I want to...umm...." Benson began, but Los cut him off.

"Is this important?" Los asked, imperatively.

"Yes, of course!" Benson said.

Los watched Benson out of the corner of his eye, while signing yet another document, this time on supplies on glass figurines. By the Ancient Gods, anything would be presented to me these days, Los said, irritated. Benson was figeting slightly, and was squirming as he walked.

"Well, out with it," Los said, snapping his fingers.

"I wish to speak with the Lord President." Benson said in a rush.

Los finished writing his signature on a third tablet - miniature stone epithets - and looked at Benson. The man looked desparate. Draygon would want to know of this. Los said.

"You know I don't have that power." Los said slowly. "Why come to me?"

"Because of your contacts." Benson said.

Los rolled his eyes inwardly. This will go absolutely nowhere. But...I do owe him a small favour.

"I will speak to my contacts. You might just get your audience." Los walked on, then whipped around.

"On one condition. Why do you want the audience?"

Benson looked at him with a cool glaze.

(AR)

[Vampyr]

Ben plopped down on the bed once Jacen had left the room and let out a sigh that spoke volumes about the long years he'd spent alone. “Record and append to this morning's audio log.” Ben said, not even bothering to lift the bracelet from where its attendant wrist lay. “Local time is thirteen twenty-seven, date unchanged. Five years, five long years of searching. Hard to believe I've found her.” The memories of his search lazily floated by as Ben stopped to think on his next words. “It's funny, in an odd sort of way, I spent so much time searching for CJ, I never really stopped a moment to think what I'd actually say when I got there.”

Ben paused a moment longer before adding, “End recording.” After having lay on the bed a few further minutes, lost in thought, Ben finally decided to get up. He hadn't handled talking to CJ very well, Ben admitted to himself. He got up and keyed the door open, Better go apologize.

((Off to you CJ))