Announcement

**Gregorius** · 24 June 2010, 03:50 AM

On Gallifrey a familiar figure was watching battle inside the council chambers. As the battle progressed he started to sigh.

"How boring. Are these the same people that have trapped the Q in the Continuum? I'd have reckoned them to be much stronger, but they're like ants waiting to be crushed."

"Lord President, you realise that this is only a fraction of their forces? They outnumber us and as we speak more of their ships are en-route to Earth."

"Destroy their hyperspace beacons and trap them in hyperspace, or redirect their paths into black holes and the cores of stars. Have a portion of our fleet standby to take on the beachhead at the rift."

With a bored expression on his face the Lord President stood up and started to walk outside of the council chambers.

"Lord President, where are you going?"

"Taking a nap. When I return you'd better have some tea ready. Rassy, you're in charge."

He disappeared into thin air, leaving a flabbergasted council behind.

-----

Meanwhile, in Greg's chambers, a woman was going through his stuff, only to be surprised when the Lord President appeared behind her.

"Hello, Anna."

"Greg."

"So you've decided to come along with Gallifrey and not remain within the Impossible System."

"You're wrong, Greg, I'm here to say goodbye."

"So Cassius turned you into a Tardis, how amusing. That's why you're capable of coming here, isn't it?"

"How astute of you, then again we are alike. I should've known you'd figure it out the moment you saw me again."

"Why are you really here, Anna? We were raised not to exhibit feelings."

"I'm here to ask you to reconsider your decision and join us in the Impossible System before we seal it."

"I won't. However, I want you to take in Laplace should the need ever arise. Now leave."

"Very well. Goodbye Greg, although I reckon we'll see each other again."

With that the woman disappeared, leaving the Lord President alone in his chambers. With a sigh the Lord President disappeared and reappeared in the Library on Earth and decided to read a book while waiting for the events he had foreseen to transpire.

**susanne** · 24 June 2010, 04:27 AM

The group of would-be saviours were doing what they had always done best. Running from the enemy. CJ bounded ahead with remarkable grace, considering her small stature. If she had ever entered the Olympics she would have made the other runners look slow and gangly compared to her. Mapp, surprisingly was not far behind her, considering the injuries he had sustained it was remarkable. Ben had fallen behind in an attempt to keep Elle motivated, the girl was not used to running for her life, or indeed doing much more than a walk. These past few days had been astonishing and petrifying. The wave of terror had borne her on it's crest and pushed her harder to evade the six strong group of men chasing them. There was no time for words, no breath for speech, they all followed CJ. Shots rang out from the ever smaller group. They knew they wouldn't catch them now, they hoped that with their shots they could take at least one of them alive. Elle felt the pressure of heat and the sizzle of burning hair, the shot had boomed over her shoulder, the smell made her gag, it had been so close to her shoulder she was sure blisters were forming. Finally CJ skidded to the left and down an alleyway, losing the troops for now.

The quiet was astonashing. Was the battle over? who had won Earth? CJ continued jogging down the alleyway until she reached a dead end. Elle finally caught up, panting and red.

'Why're we.....stopping?'

She was panting and holding herself up on Ben. Obviously not used to running so far or so fast.

'They're....right....behind us...'

CJ turned to Mapp and grinned victoriously.

'Give me your Swiss army knife.'

Mapp looked confused for a moment, but the sound of heavy footsteps propelled him to pull it out. Cj grasped it and began a complicated menouver that was over as fast as it had started.

'Ok, everyone cluster around me.'

Elle Sighed and walked bonelessly over to her.

'Will you just tell me-'

CJ pointed the device down and with barely a hiss the floor began descending.

'well....you learn something new every day.'

The floor vibrated down and down as CJ handed the device back to Mapp.

'But....how.....why didn't any of this come up in the scans?'

'Cloaking device. CJ has been looking after this place for a long time.'

Elle turned to Ben, shocked. But she wasn't the only one. CJ looked astonished to discover Ben knew about it too.

'How did you know that?'

Ben smiled beneath his visor.

'You had the plans in plain view a few years ago. And it wasn't hard to see you secretly diverting funds for this.'

CJ smirked.

'I guess you're sneakier than i gave you credit for Ben.'

The platform finally locked into place and CJ strode towards a set of double doors, flinging them open dramatically. Inside the doors was a cathedral with an unending ceiling, shrouded in darkness. Every shelf, every surface, was covered in books. And just visable in the distant centre.... a darker shape, large and squat.

'I told you. The Cantina is here.'

CJ grinned triumphantly.

ATCCU

((go greggy

))

**Gregorius** · 24 June 2010, 07:07 AM

Elle could feel the fobwatch burning inside her pocket, the essence inside it feeling the presence of the Cantina and Mapp. It terrified her. She could barely understand it, but from what she had heard from P90 it terrified her: A person's complete essence, as P90 had called it, everything a person was, is and ever could be contained in such a fragile and easy to lose thing as a watch. She had noticed how the closer she got to Mapp the different he became, he seemed more knowledgeable and distant. It had been that way when the sky had been lit by the explosions above it. She had stood close to him and he knew things he couldn't have known. How had he known these explosions signaled the Time Lords going to war? It was almost as if his "essence" was reaching out from the watch inside her pocket to Mapp.

She heard a voice inside her head, a gentle voice, urging her on to give the watch to Mapp and making him open it. She started to shiver for the gentle voice was filled with icy undertones and a loneliness she couldn't even comprehend. It made her go pale, and it seemed only CJ noticed the changes in her.

"Elle, come."

"Where are you going CJ", Ben inquired, but he was given the only answer that CJ knew would rebuff him.

"Girl time, I need to talk to Elle alone."

"Fine, just be sure to make it quick because your cloak won't last long the moment the Time Lords start to scan the planet."

"I know. Please look for a way into the Cantina, although I doubt she'd let us in since we're not Mapp."

The two women set off and behind one of the enormous shelves CJ asked Elle a question.

"You have it, don't you?"

"What are you talking about, princess?"

"The fobwatch, you have it. Please give it to me."

"No, the Time Lord who gave it to me told me I, and I alone should open it."

"Don't be so stubborn, it's tearing you apart. Give it to me."

"N..."

Elle felt a loneliness she had never experienced before and to make it worse the voice returned and was accompanied by drums. The sound of drums announcing the loneliness. The voice was speaking to her again, through the drums.

"Elle, return the watch."

The sound of the drums became louder and louder, and it prevented a coherent thought from forming. Through the drums and the message of the voice, she heard a second and a third voice. Both warmer and gentler than the first, but the undertones of the intense loneliness were present in them.

"Return me, Elle."

"Return him to me, Elle."

The voices grew louder and she started to grasp her head, she wanted to scream but she couldn't find her voice. As she collapsed and fell to the ground, CJ caught her and removed the watch from her pockets. She could feel the drums and voices going away, and the loneliness subsiding before it all went dark.

CJ carried the young woman back to the group and answered the questioning stares with a simple answer.

"Fatigue, she's gone past her limits and needs a good night's rest. Now we need to get into the Cantina."

"It seems it's already opened."

"What do you mean?"

"The hatch had already been lowered when I got there, CJ, I could walk inside."

Confusion hit CJ. How could this be? The Cantina should've been in lockdown with Mapp turned into a human to prevent anyone from entering it. It was then she noticed Mapp had gone missing.

"Where's Mapp?"

"He said he was going to take a leak."

Realisation hit her as she understood where he had gone: The Cantina.

"We need to get into the Cantina, quick. He's there."

As the trio, CJ and Ben carrying Elle, entered the Cantina the hatch closed, and CJ put Elle into one of the rooms before heading off to Mapp's room.

In Mapp's room she found him dressed in his usual attire, looking around with a look of amazement in his eyes.

"You know, CJ, this thing is larger on the inside than on the outside. It's amazing. It's like I can hear her speak to me, you know?"

"I know Mapp."

They felt the Cantina shudder.

"They've won the battle, Ceej. The Time Lords are coming for us now."

She was shocked by his manner of speech and the information it contained. It was almost as if the old Mapp was speaking to her.

"How do you know this?"

"I just do. I didn't a moment ago, but now I do. We need to hurry, we don't have long."

The Watch! It must be the watch! His essence must be talking to him, giving him some of his old memories.

She scraped her thoat and spoke to him in the gentles of voices she could muster.

"Mapp, I need to give you something. Once I hand it over to you, you need to open it."

She took the watch from her pocket and held it in front of him.

"What are you talking about? What are you going to give to me? This old watch? What do it do"

She handed the watch to Mapp and saw his eyes turn blank almost as if he was listening to the watch.

Mapp could hear the watch the moment it was placed in his hands.

"The Cantina, she saved me. Renette! Susie, she sacrificed herself. Greg, P90, you'll pay for this."

Whispers turned into a solid voice, his own voice: "Open me and receive true yourself."

The Cantina was shaking violently, as if in reaction to the watch but he understood that it was something else: The Time Lords had found them and were trying to pull the Cantina away, but she was resisting.

One of the decorations in his room fell down and hit CJ who fell to the ground, momentaraliy dazed. He opened the watch and saw a yellowish light...

The moment she recovered from the decoration hitting her CJ saw Mapp, but not the Mapp she had brought here, she recognized him as the old Mapp, the real Mapp.

"Mapp!"

"Ceej, no time for small talk now, we need to go. The Time Lords are here and they're trying to capture me and the Cantina."

He started to run to the console room but found that CJ wasn't following him, but that she was somehow stuck mid-run. As he entered the console room he found the others frozen in time also.

Temporal Stasis. Inside a Tardis? Who was it? P90? Greg? Only a Time Lord could do such a thing. He felt a shiver down his spine while anger rose in him as he heard a voice speak to him.

"Hello, Mapp, it's been a while."

"Greg, you *******. What are you doing here?"

"You left the door unlocked."

"I was gone, the Cantina was in lockdown. How did you get in, and why did you freeze everyone here?"

"Ah, so you noticed. What a beautiful thing it is, isn't it? Temporal Stasis, freezing objects in time."

"Stop it. How did you get it and why are you here?"

"I got in because the Cantina let me in, we had a nice talk, tardis to tardis. Once I explained why I had to be here she let me in."

"That explains the how, but not the why. You're the Lord President of the Time Lords, are you here to capture me, or to sentence me to a human life once more?"

"On the contrairy, Mapp, I want you and you merry band of misfits to escape this planet unharmed. In order to do that I need to give you something."

Mapp saw Greg getting closer to him but found himself unable to move, almost as if everything but his face had been frozen.

"Greg...what are you doing?"

"Saving your life."

He felt Greg touch his forehead and felt him entering his mind. He felt assaulted but couldn't do anything against it, he tried to peak in Greg's mind but found himself in a hall of mirrors each reflecting his own memories. It as almost as if Greg had sealed his mind off except for the information he wanted to tranfers. He could see it in the mirrors, the Time Lords' battle plans, their codes, the location of Gallifrey, Greg's plan for the Time Lords and this universe, updates on planetary information, information on the enemy they were fighting, some of Greg's own history. There was so much information that it felt like his head was going to burst but then it all stopped.

He saw Greg walking out of the Cantina hatch, waving his hand while chuckling and disappearing. His mind was racing to organise the information.

The enemy was old, powerful, and it had brought the Q to their knees. It had destroyed the abstract beings and many of the other higher beings. And those it couldn't destroy, it had locked inside their pocket universes, sealed of from ever interfering with the rest of the multiverse. Greg had fought them before...ahh, so that's what he was, a living weapon of the Q. A Q trained solely for combat purposes. No wonder he excelled in the Time War and causing general mayhem and destruction. So his plan was to seal this universe permanently from the other higher beings, leaving him one of the few powers left in the universe. How like Greg. What else was there in this flood of information he had received? Ah, yes, the Time Lord senate: War and glory obsessed creatures. Good Time Lords stuck in the Impossible System, watching the universe, led by Cassius. The senate and its cronies stuck on Gallifrey, waging war on the universe. Several planets gone, New Gallifrey nearly destroyed. New technology! There it was! Updates for the Cantina to prevent the Time Lords from tracking her. So that's why he was here, updating the Cantina. But why? What's in it for him?

New information came into his awareness.

Someone to stop the Time Lords and the enemy. He's going to watch it all burn, starting an interuniversal war. Unless I stop them all, but then he's one of the few powerful beings left...Either way he'd win.

He could hear Greg's laughter inside of his head...

What to do, what to do? Right now the only thing I can do: Escape the Time Lords and leave Earth. What needs to be done after that can be done at a later time.

He felt he could move his body again, and saw CJ running into the console room as if nothing had happened.

"Mapp?"

"No time to talk, we need to get out of here asap. The Time Lords are on to us and I don't want to be their pet again."

He moved levers and pressed the buttons, all feeling so familiar and yet so new to him. He felt the old girl come into action again and sensed they had left Earth.

------

Meanwhile above the Earth, in the Time Lords' lead Tardis Lord Crassus was cursing.

"Damn him, damn that Mapp. He escaped us. Focus our efforts on finding him asap."

"Ignore that order, we've got more important things to worry about such as the beachhead at the rift."

"How dare you ignore my orde..." Lord Crassus turned around and stared into the face of the Lord President.
"I dare because I outrank you, Crassy." Greg could see Crassus fuming at being called Crassy "Now prepare to move the majority of the fleet towards the rift while small groups will starts the extermination procedures of their forces occupying planets. If you need me, I'll be on Gallifrey." He started to fade again "Oh, and Crassus, I expect you to come to Gallifrey to explain your failure at capturing Mapp."

**Draygon** · 24 June 2010, 10:38 AM

The other colonists had set up a rudimentary camp as they attempted to redial the gate to Earth. Dray sat away from them, working on her sonic screwdriver. She paused in her work to flex her fingers to try and regain some feeling in them. The colonists had built a fire but she knew she scared them, with good reason, so she sat apart from them, which consequently meant she was freezing. She wasn't dressed for snow and the cold was steadily affecting her fine motor functions. 'Least I'm not full wraith anymore,' she thought as she adjusted the setting on the screwdriver and activated it, 'because the I'd definitely be asleep. Cold and insect heritage do not mix.'

She set the screwdriver on its end and built the snow around it into a pyramid to hold it upright and waited, hugging her knees close to her chest in an attempt to keep warm. Hopefully she had got the signal right and Laplace and P-990 would pick it up. If they escaped. They could well be trapped on Gallifrey, or killed. Just as she started to dwell on the thought there was a sound nearby, a low groaning sound that rbought a grin to her face. She stood up and brushed off snow as P-90's Tardis faded into view. P-90 stepped out.

"We go your signal," said P-90. He looked around. "Where are the others?"

"On Earth," replied the hybrid. "The 'gate shut down thought before everyone made it through though, and now Earth is locked off."

P-90's expression hardened. "You'd better give them a new address to head to, somewhere safe. Then we'll head to Earth."

Dray nodded slowly, curious as to what exactly P-90 knew that caused him such deep anger. She walked over to the colonists who were watching them with a mix of fear and awe and instructed them to go to a gate address that she knew led to a safe world. They were still in their 'wounded survivor' costumes so she knew they would be given safe haven there. As the colonists made their way through the stargate, Dray walked back to P-90 and followed him into his Tardis. Dray saw Laplace sitting near the console, looking lost and depressed.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Dray curiously. P-90 glanced over at Laplace as he set the controls.

"Greg cut her offf, she's her own person now."

"That's a good thing though, isn't it?"

P-90 paused in his working to look at Dray critically. "Do you remember how you first reacted when you found out you were part timelord?" he asked her. "Do you remember how scared and lost you felt?"

Draygon lowered her gaze, remembering and realising that Laplace was going through exactly the same thing she had. As P-90 returned to the controls, Dray moved over and sat next to Laplace. She wasn't exactly sure how she could comfort her so she just sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. Dray was surprised when she heard Laplace speak.

"It's started... he's started his war. His personal entertainment, watching the universe burn."

"Greg?" Dray asked, her brows furrowed.

"The Tardis scanner spotted it not long before we spotted your signal," answered P-890, looking grim. "Earth was attacked and Greg sent the timelord forces to deal with it."

"But...that's where Mapp and the Cantina are!" gasped Dray. "If they find him..."

"Don't worry, we're going to-" He was interrupted by a bleeping from a monitor. P-90 rushed to look at it and then smiled. "Slight change of course. We're not going to Earth."

"Where then?" asked Dray. She noticed Laplace sitting up straighter and looking more confidant.

"She's flying," she said, a smile curling her lips. "The Cantina and her captain have returned."

ATCU

**Commander Jumper** · 24 June 2010, 11:53 AM

A strange fluttering filled her heart as she stood and watched him work. A small grin worked its way onto her face. Everything felt just like it used to be. Sure it hadn't all gone according to the plan they made five years before hand. The one where he would be back soon and they'd be off to travel the universe, everyone that was left anyway. They'd see the stars and travel as far as they needed to escape the grasp of the triangle. Though this time he was late and not quite himself it all seemed to end the same way, him whisking them off to get away from imminent danger. It made her wonder; 'when did we stop running into danger, and start running away?' it seemed like that was all they were doing these days, running. She wondered when they were going to do what they always did; save the day. She had to wonder even more when had they gone from trouble makers to defending the universe.

Elle came up behind her still staggering a little, her hand on her forehead trying to rub her headache away. "What happened?"

CJ smiled and looked over her shoulder at the girl for a moment before redirecting her gaze back to the valiant hero, "He's back to his old self."

Mapp grunted in frustration before glancing over his shoulder, He gave his classic cocky smirk and laughed, "Well Ceej you gonna help me or stand there and continue to admire the view."

"You wish," She snorted before walking up to the controls, "Where to Captain?"

**lordofseas** · 24 June 2010, 04:11 PM

Originally posted by lordofseas View Post

<snip>

Los lay in his rooms, staring at his new body in the ceiling mirrors. It was unusual, being in a new body. Los felt as if he could feel the nanites moving around in his body, monitoring everything. They would keep him healthy, but they didn't grant immortality. Mortality. Los stared into his own eyes, and saw a thousand eyes glare back. Los shut his eyes, to think of other thoughts, but they came back, and Los couldn't escape them...

"Los, we need to go!" Adaris said. They were atop the Palais Royale, the Lord Presidential Palace. Multitudes of fireballs streaked across the heavens with thunderous applause, and hit the ground to make it shake as if the Tellirean Giants were galloping across the plains.

"We need to GO!" At last a shout from Adaris. His yell was punctuated by a shrieking thunderball, tossed by a ship above. It glowed as if it was the core of a star, as if it was a star. It hit the city shield with tumultuous force, turning the sky red.

"Los, that shield will not hold forever. We've tried to evacuate as many people as possible to the city's catacombs, but we need to go!" Adaris at last grabbed Los' arm and dragged him to the stairwell which brought them up their. Los shook out of his reverie and began to move down the stairwell, to the city beneath the city.

"Los!" Benson said over the intercom. Los blinked, and gazed up onto the form the beheld him in the mirror above.

"What is it, Benson?"

"Well, other than Adaris telling bad jokes," Benson began, then spoke in a whisper, "Could you please tell him to shut up?"

"Yeah, like that'll ever happen!" Adaris said, voice cackling.

"Get on with it," Los said.

"Yes, well, other than that, we've reached the spot where the fleet is supposed to be."

"And...." Los trailed off.

"No one's here."

"Are they cloaked?"

"If they were, they would have most certainly have sent the Lord President's flagship a communique," Adaris said. "Otherwise, they'd be utter morons."

Los rubbed his face with a hand. "Send encrypted sub-space messages to the Military hubs on Earth and New Gallifrey. The automatons there can report on the whereabouts of the ships in the fleet."

"Ok." Benson said apprehensively.

"Benson, we've been out in the middle of nowhere for how long?"

"Three weeks." Benson said.

"Does it really surprise you that we don't have the latest news?"

"Actually..." Adaris began.

"Shut up. And just do it." Los said.

"As you command. Adaris and Benson out." Los could practically smell the disdain in Adaris' voice.

Los looked upwards, and backwards...

"The shield as at 10 percent, sir. A few more nuclear detonations, and we won't be able to keep the shield viable." General Miyabi said. She was, by far, Los' most loyal General. As far as the military could be loyal to the government, of course.

"Can we feed any more power to the shield?" Los questioned.

"No, sir." The earth shook as she said this.

"7 percent, because of 8 nukes," she said, after analyzing the incoming data. "After this, they'll be sending landing parties, with soldiers."

"We need to consider all options. Can we communicate with them?"

"No, they're jamming us."

"Damnation."

Rather abruptly, a sound began to emit from the tracking computer.

"Sir, they're breaking formation!"

"What, are they preparing to land?" Los said, feeling bile rise in his throat.

"No...they're leaving..."

"Los, Los!" Benson said over the speakers. "We have something!"

"What is it?"

"Good news or bad news?"

"Bad." Los said.

"We can't account for around 3/4ths of the fleet. Either they're destroyed, or their locater beacons are off-line."

"And the good?"

"Two things. We have a message, from Admiral Ackbar!'

"And what is it?" Los asked sarcastically.

"The invading fleet's been destroyed! And the other thing is the remaining quarter of our fleet is around Earth."

Los pondered the new information, weighing it in his mind.

"Then...to Earth."

(Greg)

**P-90_177** · 24 June 2010, 04:33 PM

P-90 smiled as Laplace said the words.
The Cantina and her Captain have returned.
He could sense them both, out there somewhere. He just needed to find them.
His hands were a flurry as he darted them from one part of the TARDIS console to the other, attempting to track down The Cantina and Mapp.

"So we can just go straight there?" asked Dray, "Just materialise back into the old spot in the Cantina?"

"Not quite that simple this time I'm afraid." Laplace explained, "Greg will have hidden it."
There was still a hint of sadness in her voice as she spoke his name aloud.

"Why?"

"So that the Timelords can't just find him and wipe Mapp and the others out of exsistance." Laplace continued, "He doesn't want them caught. Or you and P-90 for that matter."

"Or you....." P-90 suddenly interupted as Laplace turned to him quizically, "You're on the run now too Laplace. Greg has banded you with us. And when you're with us that means you're running, in this case from the Timelords"

The thought flashed through her mind. Laplace hadn't considered that she was now essentially a fugitive. She had opperated on the orders of Greg this whole time, and she still was, but now it was different. She was on her own, and as far as she knew the Timelords were just as likely to destroy her as they were any of the others.

P-90 left her in quiet thought as he turned back to the controls. Despite her help P-90 did not trust Laplace. She was a part of Greg and opperated almost solely on his orders. And that never did bode well for the universe.

"So how do we find the Cantina if even the Timelords can't detect her? And what about us anyway?" Dray demanded once more.

"Ah that's simple." P-90 began, as he did whenever he knew more than anyone else in the room, "I designed the system that's keeping her hidden. The same system which I made sure to install on the TARDIS before I was incarcerated......Remember I was planning my escape for a while before then."

His hands once again moved like lightning across the various panels of the TARDIS. Manipulating various knobs, dials and switches and causing the TARDIS to grown as it travelled through Time and Space.

"Of course that means I also know ways round it." The Timelord continued, " You see it works by essentially nulling the dimensional distortions created by a TARDIS in it's own seperate dimension. But I can still detect micro dimensions by scanning for a distortions in space time that have the same wave length as this null field. I mean naturally the null field tends to look like any number of other quantum phenomenon but it's alot easier when you have the precise dimensions of the target you're looking for, which I fortunately do."

Dragyon found it fortunate that with her improved Timelord brain she actually fully understood this explanation.......

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

Mapp felt so at home at last piloting the cantina. Like slipping on a comfy pair of old slippers after a long day, which he remembered he still had somewhere around. Along with his signed copy of Macbeth by Barbara Windsor (he just happend to have it on him during a chance meeting). AND of course his Beetamax player......
So many old memories suddenly flooded back to him. A renewed Timelord. Free from the shackles of his limiting human mind and body and capable of going anywhere and any time he wanted once more.

CJ felt a similar feeling of joy as she watched him. It wasn't like old times of course. Those days were far easier than now, and at this moment there were far more pressing concerns, they both knew that, but still it was a thrill to see him at work again.

Suddenly Mapps face fell. The confident and happy look he had just a second ago had gone and instead replaced with one of.....well only mild concern.

"I think we're being tracked......."

"How?" Elle piped up, "I thought we were cloaked or something."

"We are. But still. Something is locking onto a point inside the cantina."

"Do you know what?" CJ asked this time.

"No....but it definately has a fix on us.....another TARDIS." before either of the others could react, Mapp had already accelerated the Cantina through the Time stream. "I'll try and throw them off."

The Cantina buffeted from side to side as it continually jumped time tracks from one to the other, desperately trying to shake off the other TARDIS.
Greg has tricked me Mapp thought, AGAIN

Suddenly a blaring yet familiar voice sounded over the Cantina intercom. The last voice Mapp had expected to hear today....

"Mapp if you'd be so kind would you STOP MOVING!!!!" P-90 demanded as suddenly a old, battered blue box began to materialise in the Cantina bar....

**susanne** · 25 June 2010, 12:01 AM

Elle's head was killing her, but this definately wasnt a dream. Not even her wildest dream compared to this. Mapp had become....well...like a ringmaster at the circus. He had grown exuberant and cold. CJ was happier than Elle had ever seen her. And now a door was slowly appearing in the woodwork. As soon as it had materialised it was ripped open and her saviours wandered out.

'Mapp. Your memories back?'

He nodded to p-90 as Draygon and Laplace followed him out.

'Everything is there. and a bit more courtesy of Greg.'

'Whuh? HIM? You trust him?!'

Everyone turned to Elle who blushed and mumbled something.

'I don't trust him Elle, i'd rather not trust him at all.'

ATCCU

**Commander Jumper** · 25 June 2010, 07:32 AM

CJ didn't know whether or not to laugh, cry, or slap P-90 across his ever smug face. Even when talking about someone like Greg his forever present timelord grin stuck on his face. She rolled her eyes and decided to stay next to Mapp, standing her ground. She crossed her arms and kept her face even and straight.

"Mind telling me why you have the nerve to be show your face in here?" CJ stated, her eyes narrowing.

Elle looked between the two groups of people, mildly confused. She only knew bits and pieces of the story, but from what she could gather Greg was a bad person that no one there seemed to trust or like, yet everyone was on his side. This P-90 character was someone who Mapp seemed to trust yet CJ seemed entirely angry at.

"It's all very complicated CJ," P-90 began to explain.

He noted that she was stomping her way up to him. "P-90 I've been part of this crew longer than you have, I think I can understand a couple complicated explanations."

"What I want to know is why you're so angry." P-90 stated, holding his ground.

At one point in time the two would have burst into laughter over such actions, but things had changed, afterall P-90 was partly responsible for the mess they were in.

"CJ, let it go," Mapp stated, his voice stern, "We can be angry and intimidating later. I may even let you hide something dead in his cabin. But for now you've got to trust him."

CJ sighed and turned her back on P-90, returning to her controls.

**Gregorius** · 25 June 2010, 09:16 AM

Los stood on the bridge of his ship watching the destruction that been brought upon the enemy fleet by the Time Lords. Such power. An enemy that had slowly been taking over the universe and had defeated the Trangle fleet at every battle, wiped-out within mere minutes. Is this why Draygon left? His thoughts were interrupted by a man standing behind to him.

"Beautiful, isn't it? The destruction the higher species can bring upon the universe. The last time I've seen such a scene was at the battle of Earth IV, although that's a planet you'll never be able to visit."

Los turned around and saw the arge grandfather clock behind him. The man who had left it was unmistakeably the Lord President of the Time Lords. The other two he didn't recognize, but both had an a menacing and insane feeling about them. He couldn't explain it, but something in their posture and their eyes, especially the eyes, spoke to him about great acts of violence that these two were willing to commit.

How unlike the Lord President who, despite his comments, seemed far more composed and far more distant, Los thought, Almost as if he's old, far older than the both of them and has seen far more...

"Yes, Lord President, it's magnificent! A true testament to Time Lord power.", the man in the dark uniform spoke, "They'll think thrice about attacking us now, and we didn't even have to burn the planet."

As I thought, power hungry and obsessed with war. Completely insane.

"Lord President, if I may, we might need to burn the planet as to ensure non of them survived and landed on the planet. I'll shutdown the Gate System."

Wait? This other man still wants to burn the planet? Doesn't he know there are humans living there? How dare he suggest they'd attack a Triangle planet! Los was about to object when the Lord President of the Time Lords spoke.

"There's no need to burn that planet, Crassy." Los noted how the name was spoken with an icy cold in the voice of the Lord President. It send a shiver down his spine; he saw that the other two men were shivering also. "The enemy has been completely demoralized or destroyed, they're not a threat. I thought I taught the both of you this during the Time War: Sometimes it's far more valuable to let your enemies live so they can spread the message of their defeat through their camps."

"My Lord..."

"Silence, Crassy. You've already failed me once today by allowing Mapp to escape. Now you won't destroy the message this battle was meant to send." Los could see the man almost shrink as every word hit him, it was as if the man was being shot with precision shots at his psyche. "Now go and aid the wounded and start exploring the enemy wreckage for information." The man left, defeated.

"Now, Los, I asked you a question and you didn't answer. I'd like to hear your answer now."

Los was surprised and searched his memory for the question. He heard the Lord President laugh at the silence that followed as he searched his memory.

"That's the answer I wanted to hear; silence. Rassy, we're leaving after you've given him the coordinates to the rift."

"As you wish, my Lord." Los felt the man in the dark uniform touch his forehead. Information spilled into his head, coordinates to a place that Lady Draygon had once declared off-limits. Even the Empress had declared that place off-limits, yet he was to go there with the remnants of the once great fleet?

As the information settled in his brain Los saw the two men entering the grandfather clock and saw how it disappeared.

---------

Inside the Tardis Rassilon was speaking to the Lord President, and the latter noticed how cautious the former leader of the Time Lords had become.

"Lord President, why are you asking these apes to help us? They don't possess the technology nor the knowledge to defeat our enemy."

A statement, not a question. How interesting.

"Oh, but you misunderstand, Rassilon, they're not there to aid us."

"Lord President?"

"Watch the possible futures and you'll see their purpose. I'll be gone for a few hours, Rassy, you're in charge. Don't do things that I wouldn't do."

"Lord President!"

"Bye, Rassy." And with a wave and a small grin the Lord President of the Time Lords disappeared.

--------

On the Cantina Laplace saw the confusion in Elle's face and walked over to her.

"You're wondering who and what Greg is, aren't you, Elle?"

Shock filled Elle's face. How does she know? Can she read my mind?

"I can't read your mind, Elle. It's just that it's what most people wonder when they're had their first encounter with him, or hear others speak of what he did this time."

"So who is he? And why is Mapp so distrustful of him?"

"It's a long story."

"I have the time."

Laplace noticed that CJ and Draygon were pretending not to listen but she knew better. Of course the two Time Lords already knew most of it, one by virtue of Greg telling him and the other, she deduced, by Greg imprinting some of his history into his mind.

"Very well, but you'd better get comfortable."

Elle sat down in a nice chair and Laplace began to speak.

"Greg is a Q, although one who has lost his power now the continuum has locked itself in. Since you probably don't know what a Q is I'll tell you their essence: Godlike beings from a different universe that considered the lower species their pets and at the same time their charges. As a Q he's far older than any of us. But even amongst the higher species there are wars; you've probably heard of the Last Great Time War, and if not then praise yourself lucky. Greg was send by the Q to fight in that many of such wars, a Q that had been turned into a weapon to end wars. After the Time War that essentially eradicated the Time Lords he defected in order to bring them back. I was with him at that time and along with him I saw the start of a war by a being whose species had been wiped out during the Time War. Greg fought in a few battles but left in order to bring back the Time Lords. It's at this point he first arrived in the Cantina, shorly before the age of the Empress. Shortly after he arrived the Continuum was brought under siege and he lost his powers. He tried to regain the power of the Q, sacrificing all the higher beings in the universe but it failed. Luckily for him he had a Tardis which was part of him and with his small substitute for his Q powers he decided this universe was to be his playground until he regained his Qness. Of course this changed the moment he was contacted by the Q to bring back the Time Lords after they had sensed a rift in space-time. So to make a long story short P90, Mapp, Draygon and him brought back the Time Lords after they had worked together to destroy the Empress. Then Mapp was sentenced by the Time Lords to life as a human for his role in the Empress' creation."

"You let your emotions for him cloud you, Laplace"

"And why is that, P90?"

"He's nothing more than an intergalactic joker. You might want to have Elle think of his as misunderstood, but his essence remains: He considers everything to be a game. This is why he's helping us. We might have a cause but he doesn't, all he cares for is his own amusement. You should know this better than any of us, seeing as you were part of him for so long."

"He's not!"

"He is, Laplace, You said it yourself, he considers this universe his playground and everyone in it his pets. I don't know what he is these days but at his core he's a Q and all Q think like this."

"Like you two any better, Mapp. Time Lord arrogance is radiating from you, along with that self-importance and self-justification that they posses. You, Mapp, brought the Empress and the Gauntlett into existance because you wanted Susie back. And you, P90, you were more than willing to aid Greg in bringing the Time Lords back and waging a war in a different universe just as long as your species returned from their grave. Heck, you were the one who executed Mapp's sentence. Don't give me a speech about how the two of you are any better than he is, you're just as worse and just as arrogant."

Draygon, CJ and Elle watched this row in shock, but it was the human who noticed that the woman who had just gave Mapp and P90 a piece of her mind was near tears.

**aretood2** · 25 June 2010, 09:58 AM

With all of the past chaos, Jacen was able to smuggle the unconscious WP. She seems to have spent more time unconscious than not lately, he thought to himself. The world around him was spinning quickly, with CJ and the other gone he only knew of one thing to do. He had to get himself and WP somewhere safe. The last few hours were tough, nearly getting shot by knocking out the few guards left at the locked down gate and then using his robotic speed to unlock it in time to go through it was a massive risk that he did not like taking. However he did take it, and managed to get lucky.

As he carried the slumbering young woman in his arms, he walked up a grassy hill. The nearby trees swayed in the wind. He found that old forgotten gate address not to long ago. He knew from what he has seen in this galaxy, that things would eventually grow chaotic, so he left it a secret. It was a place to run to, to escape any giant battles any events that he just did not want to relive. There was a soft crimson colored building on top of the hill, two stories tall. Down the other side was a two seater craft, space worthy but not with FTL capablilty...yet.

Jacen made his way into the building he constructed, he found a bed and placed WP on it. He needed to get in contact with CJ, to find out where she was. He heard a near silent moan, or was it a grunt? It came from WP's direction, as if someone was trying to call out. He moved near her and felt her mind, it was strange, that sort of thing should not be possible.

The sensation was strange, he felt as if he was being drawn into her, but it was just not her. There were two minds in that seemingly fragile body. Jacen's robotic body froze, everything went dark, then they opened to a ship, on water. It was an ancient sea ferrying ship made out of wood. He saw WP, then there was CJ, and Mapp and another woman, not much different than WP. Multiple thumps invaded his sense of sound. Almost as if multiple hearts. Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, it kept on going until he heard a name, Myn.

If this other woman was inside of WP, that would explain why he found her hiding. The insanity of sharing a mind was not to much of an Alien thought for him. He saw a stranger approach WP, WP weakingly moved towards it. Words were being said, he could not hear them. Then the stranger collapsed. WP was not the same, she was Myn.

It seemed that Myn was transported somehow into WP's mind. But WP was far too weak to handle it. She had to stay unconscious or else it might overwhelm her and damage her. He knew what he needed to do. He had the codes to the old Resistance, they should be of some use to him. He could finish his fighter's FTL drive and head away from the planet hiding his tracks. He could also sent out a signal to his old crew. Hopefully they could be of some help.

Jacen would leave WP there in a medically induced coma to keep her from waking up for a few week or so. That way she wouldn't get up and find out the hard way of how damaging two minds in one is. He hopefully be able to help out CJ, after all she did entrust him with WP's wellbeing.

Jacen spent hours on his fighter craft, but it yielded results. He only had enough for a few jumps. Half a dozen to cover his trail, and only a handful more if he would need to go anywhere. He climbed into his fighter, opened the hanger door. And fly off into the sky with his back being pressed tightly. He still needed to calibrate the dampening fields.

After several tricky jumps through a maze of dangerous gravity wells, Jacen managed to arrive at a empty system. "I hope this works," he said quietly to himself and keyed in the code wondering if anyone out there is listening...

**lordofseas** · 25 June 2010, 10:35 AM

Originally posted by aretood2 View Post

<snip>

The Heracles flowed through subspace with ease. Los, Benson, and Adaris were inside the Command Centre, deep within the bowels of the ship. As usual, Benson and Adaris were at odds.

"You can't possibly justify the use of sentient machines to build more starships!" Adaris said irritatedly.

"They aren't sentient, they're controlled by a higher mind." Benson said, glaring at Adaris. "You're only saying that because you're a machine."

"I am part machine. And through my highly developed analytical skills, I can say that I have never met a human with a highly developed mind," Adaris retorted sarcastically. Benson's hackles rose.

"Children..." Los said tiredly. Adaris and Benson turned abruptly to him in the same motion, as if they had forgotten he was there. A beeping sound began to emit from the tracking computer. Adaris strode to it.

"We're picking up a signal. A code, old, by the looks of it."

"Run it through the decryption centre." Los commanded. Benson rushed over to another computer and pressed several pads.

"It authenticates," Benson said. "It is old!" he exlaimed. "It's from the first Rebellion!"

Los' eyebrows rose. "Can it be a trap?"

"Of course, it could be," Adaris said. "But, not only is this code old, which makes it less likely to be used by any smugglers or band of thieves, but this is an Colonel code, of the 2nd class. No thief or brigand could ever get their hands on one of those."

Los paused. "How long till we reach Earth?"

"15 minutes, Los."

"Then we can take the time out to see what in the Vermillion Hells this is about. Take us to the source of that code."

***

Jacen continually looked at the screen for any contacts. He just hoped WP and Myn were alright in her body...

A large hyperspace window almost in front of the fighter, and Jacen, moving the fastest he ever had in his life, zoomed out of it's way before the behemoth came through. Jacen looked out his window. An enormous starship with an armoured hull, yet so sleek and curved that it could be considered a luxury liner as well, emerged from the window. Jacen looked down at his screen for any recorded information on it, but all he could find out was that the ship's length, over 2.5 kilometres long.

A voice boomed over the speakers.

"Fighter, it has come to our attention that you are releasing a distress signal. We are going to bring you into our ship via a tachyon net. Please disable all your systems." Jacen thought for a moment, then complied. He really had no other choice.

**aretood2** · 25 June 2010, 11:22 AM

Originally posted by lordofseas View Post

Spoiler:

"This is strange," Adaris spoke of his computer, "The sensors are not detecting any lifeforms." Los gave got up and moved over to Ardis Station.

"Why would an automated system send out that code?" Benson began to speak, "Unless this was a trap."

"No, the ship is detecting something else on it," Los said and looked at Adaris, "It's a Android of sorts, a machine."

After the fighter was loaded into a hanger, several gaurds were placed around it as Los, Benson, and Adaris walked up to the fighter craft. It opened up revealing a very human like man. He just jumped out of the fighter down several meters to the ground prompting the nervous guards to aim their weapons. Jacen took note of that and slightly raised his hands indicating that he meant them no harm. Los signaled the guards with his hand to hold back and not fire.

"Who are you? And how did you get those old codes?" Los asked Jacen.

"My Name if Jacen, just Jacen," Jacen responded, "I got those Codes from Rik a while back. Rick? Los wondered, then remembered that he was part of the old rebellion. "So what exactly can you do for us, what are you?" Ardis stepped in and asked. Jacen let out a sigh, surprised that he could do that, he requested that they go elsewhere to talk. That's when he began telling them what has happened. How he was framed, imprisoned in the body of a android for which Adaris commented that it wasn't such a bad deal. How he lost his crew trying to go back to his far off galaxy located somewhere in the distant past via a time bridge.

"However the ship was lost and I convinced everyone to part ways, to make new lives for themselves," Jacen finished explaining his past.

"So what can you do for us? I mean it's great that you were a General in the past, but that's not much help right now," Benson said.

"If I know my Crew, they all have their own ships or maybe even private fleets if we're lucky. Before they left we agreed on an old code that will alert us to meat up in one particular system. It's from another galaxy in another language that existed a long time ago, no chance of it getting decoded. I could have a small highly capable fleet for you, plus a few of your own ships I could command a formidable force for this civil war," Jacen made his case about his usefulness.

"This is much more than a civil war," Los said thinking about how much he should trust him. He was too forthcoming, something was off. He looked at Adaris who still seemed more curious about what Jacen was than anything else.

"Well Benson, There's proof that Machines can be sentient if I ever seen any," Adaris spoke. Benson just rolled his eyes, Jacen wasn't really a Machine, if he was telling the truth, but a living mind stuck in one.

**P-90_177** · 25 June 2010, 02:29 PM

P-90 rounded on Laplace. An anger welled up in him so fast that he couldn't control it.

"WE are NOTHING like HIM!" he screamed in her face, "We help people! Me and Mapp and Dray and Myn! We HELP people!"

Laplace forced out a bitter laugh.

"Is that what you think Timelord?" She said mockingly as Mapp and the others stood and watched, "Look at what you've done. You freed the rest of your race. A species so twisted that they are now ready to tear the universe apart on a mere suggestion, and for what? Simply to feel like you weren't alone any more when you, all of you can go anywhere in the universe and meet anyone you wished. Travel with whoever you wished. It's not even like the Timelords were that great to begin with."

"They kept order in the universe." Mapp called over, "cared for it. Guided it. Maybe no directly but in a way that they saw best. So what if they were arrogant? They felt a duty to protect the universe."

"Not that any of you ever cared!" Laplace retorted, "You ran away from your people. Forgot all about them until they were gone. It was only then that you wept for them. And thanks to all of you they changed into the worst power in the universe, while you were safe in your bar, creating all manner of chaos in the universe without a care in the world."

"We tried to do good." P-90 jumped in again, still brimming with rage, "We did our best to help people. THAT is the difference between us and Greg. We tried. He doesn't care who gets in the way as long his plans go to order."

"He saved you didn't he? And Mapp..."

"We are part of his plans Laplace! We are nothing more than PUPPETS in his little game!"

A single tear rolled down the face of the Timelord TARDIS, a sight which suddenly made P-90 step back in surprise.

"That's enough!" Elle stepped in, putting herself in between Laplace and the raging Timelord in front of her, "Now I dunno anything about this Greg guy....but I've seen a little bit of Timelords lately and for all your posturing, you ARE just arrogant jerks!......ALL of you!!!"

A silence fell around the room as Elle glared at everyone else. P-90 still shook with anger while Mapp stood by, leaning against his TARDIS console casually yet still looking like his ego just took a slight bruising. Meanwhile both CJ and Dray both looked on in shock at P-90's sudden outburst.

"P-90......I need to talk to you......" Mapp spoke suddenly as he strided into the other Timelords TARDIS with P-90 following close behind as he shot a look towards Laplace and slammed the doors behind him, leaving only the women left in the Cantina.

"Well......." Elle said as she recomposed herself, "Anyone got anything to drink around here?...."

**343_Guilty_Spark** · 25 June 2010, 08:04 PM

Originally posted by Princess Awinita View Post

Ni Fang smirked as she picked up her own drink, leaning on her desk as she did so. "Luna was destroyed when Earth herself died. What you see down there is a reborn Earth, the moon, well, it is gone now." She said taking a sip of her wine. The woman had a odd gothica aura about herself, yet was persian in appearace, and young.

She went to the floor ot ceiling windows of the cabin. "I have bever seen your craft before, if others of my time and place call them pleasure craft, they much be expensive craft indeed for one to travel upon." An admiral, not from here either. She could tell he was looking her over trying ot rightly assess her age. so she said. "I said I never saw any craft liek the one you possess. The reason is quite clear is it not, I lived at the Citadel Planet of trhe Empress because of my fathers company. yet my yearning for adventure took me from his side as of a year ago." she turned away, "I was 19,000 hours old at the time, ten thousand hours ago."

She could tell he was confused, "My family counts years of ones age in hours, one thousand hours is one year, to you I am only twenty years of age, but to me and my crew onboard this ship. I am 20,000 hours old. Yet you apepar much older then I." She had yet to say who she was

(Sparky)

Rik looked carefully at Ni Fang. "I am 27 years old. well would be if i new what date it was. but ages is irrelevant. My ship is no pleasure cruiser. Its a battle ship the Triangle found that out. and so have many pirates in this universe. Yes im from another place. another reality if you will. but im searching for something. Something that may help stop the insanity in this universe."

Rik glanced at his weapon at his side. then decided that it was best left alone. "You still have not told me who you are. and seeing as i have told you my identity it seems only fair you do the same."

RIk waited for an answer.

(tey)

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