The Doctor's Companion

Rani remained seated on his throne in the huge cavern, firelight from troches places evenly along the rough rock walls flickering eerily over his face. He stared down at the man who had very nearly destroyed all his plans.

Finally, he spoke. "Doctor. Welcome. You have caused me a great deal of trouble. I see no reason why i should not kill you now."

The Doctor stared back at him with comtempt glittering in his eyes, making no response. He well knew that he was going to die, and he was prepared for that.

Rani smiled. "Stubborn to the last, eh, Doctor?" He commented. He leaned forward. "You are not a stupid man, Doctor. I can offer you a partnership. Together, you and i, we can rule this miserable little world."

The doctor shook his head. "No, you're wrong, Rani," he said with utter certanty, his voice calm. "You can never rule this world. Not unless you destroy every single human being on this planet--because as long as any live, they will fight you."

Rani shook his head in incomprehension. "Why do you defend these humans? They are mere primatives. You are not of this world any more than i am--of what interest are they to you? They fight their own kind in war after bloody, senseless war. I offer them peace!"

The Doctor almost sighed. "Primitive to you and me, perhaps. But they must find their own peace, in their own way." He looked up at him. "As our own kind once had to."

Rani dismissed this. "They are on the lowest level of evolution. I can start here, and teach them peace before they destroy themselves."

"Lowest level!" The Doctor cried, "and what does that mean?"

Before Rani could answer, the huge wooden doors leading into the cavern burst open. Two guards hurried in, holding between them a soot covered, fiercely struggling figure.

The Doctors face fell. "Kira," he whispered under his breath.

She looked over at him, and a broad grin spread across her young face. "Doctor!" she cried with relief at seeing him alive. One of the guards wrenched her arm up behind her back. She cried out and stopped struggling, hopping on one foot.

Ignoring the human for the moment, Rani turned back to the Doctor. "I offer you a choice. Rule with me... or die."

Kira's eyes widened in dismay as she saw the grim look on the Doctor's face. Things were really serious. She only hoped the Brig's army would arrive in time to stop the madman.

The Doctor shook his head slowly. "No," he answered simply.

Rani sighed. "Very well, as you wish. You will not join me, and i certainly can't have you against me. You shall die, then, Time Lord." Rani stodd up from his throne and leveled his blaster at the Doctor.

The Doctor stiffened, preparing himself for the blow.

"No!" Kira screamed, and suddenly wrenched free with desperate strength. Before the guards could react, she suddenly hurled herself at the Doctor, intersecting the searing blast with her own body.

The force of the blow flung her backwards, slamming her into the Doctor. Horrified, he caught her in his arms as she fell.

Rani roared in fury, and raised the weapon again. He stopped, and turned as a swarm of soldiers suddenly rushed into the room, guns raised and firing. Rani fired back, joined by his guards.

Ignoring the commotion, the Doctor had concern only for his friend. He turned her over on her back, and went a ghastly shade of white. A hole the size of his fist had been blasted in her chest, splattering blood all over her face and neck, mingling with hair and clothing and soot.

The sight stabbed through him like a knife, twisting with a vicious wrench. he cradled her head and shoulders in his lap, gently stroking her hair. to his appalled amazement, her eyelids fluttered and drifted open.

She stared blankly up at him, her eyes struggling to focus. She tried to take a deep breath, and the air gurgled alarmingly in her throat. "D..." she gasped, unable to finish. "Shh," he whispered, and stroked her hair. There was nothing he could do, nothing at all, and this dreadful certainty filled him with grief.

Kira finally managed to get enough breath to speak. "Doctor..." She gasped, and paused to catch her breath. The doctor gritted his teeth in anguish. "It's been great... runnin'... with you..." she said, the sentance trailing off as she once again ran out of breath. Kira's back suddenly arched, and the Doctor held her as a spasm of coughing assailed her ravaged lungs. He pulled his handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped away the blood that had welled up from her throat, trickiling out the corner of her mouth.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. His usually strong and sure voice, always so reassuring, always so calm, was barely audible, and cracked with strain. "So sorry..."

She stared up at him, and even managed a weak smile. "At least.. Good cause," she muttered, her voice becoming blurred as she faded into unconsciousness.

Her eyes drifted closed and despair tore through the Doctor. Her breath rattled in her throat as she tried to draw another lungful of air, and didn't.

The Doctor held her lifeless body in his arms, gently rocking her back and forth. Some part of his mind knew that she was dead, that he should leave now while he still had the chance, wondering why Rani had not already killed him.

But the pain and anguish tearing through his mind drowned out any rational thought, leaving only an utter, indescribable despair.

A sound finally managed to work its way through the haze of his mind. "Time Lord!" it roared, and he realizes it was the third time he had been called.

He slowly lifted his head and stared up at Rani.