Part 30 (1/2)

'Doctor,' she yelled before Reece could stop her. It's not here anymore.

One of them is possessed and-' Reece let go of her hand and savagely kicked her in the back. As she sprawled forward, he fired at the Doctor.

Taking this as a command, Cooper and Townsend did likewise.

As the Doctor ducked, he caught Bernice's eye. He followed her gaze - Ra.s.sbur and his troops had arrived behind the mercenaries from the other tunnel which Cooper had been guarding.

Some sixth sense warned Cooper and she whirled around, firing wildly. Her first shot blew the head off one of Ra.s.sbur's warriors but it was the last thing she ever did.

They fired in unison and Cooper's body was caught in a ma.s.sive sonic crossfire. Unable to scream, she arched back, held momentarily in position by the blasts. Thousands of capillaries across her body bulged and burst.

The sonic waves scrambled her internal organs and blood seeped from her mouth, nose and ears. She was long dead before the blasts stopped and she dropped.

Townsend dived for cover behind a ridiculously small rock, unwittingly exposing himself to Savaar and Sskeet who had joined the Doctor. Sskeet moved into view and despite a warning from Reece, Townsend never even felt the blast as Sskeet's gun shattered his body, killing him instantly.

Reece lowered his blaster and apparently surrendered, placing his other hand in his pocket.

Bernice realized what he was doing and jumped at him, knocking the primed Sontaran fragmentation grenade from his hand. It rolled towards the edge of the ravine and the two of them desperately scrabbled for it.

Bernice's fingers got there first and flicked it over the ravine. Seconds later the cavern shook as Peladon's second-largest ever recorded explosion ripped out a section of the mountain from under them.

Rocks poured from above, cras.h.i.+ng down, bounding around. Reece toppled backwards but avoided being hit. Bernice wasn't so lucky and flying shrapnel sent her into a corner, dazed.

It seemed like an eternity but eventually the world stopped shaking.

Gingerly, Bernice propped herself up. The gap where the Doctor had stood was completely sealed off by a rock fall - she had no idea whether or not he was safely behind it or squashed underneath. The opposite entrance where Ra.s.sbur and his warriors had stood was similarly closed, although a jumble of crushed green limbs suggested that not all of his soldiers had moved quickly enough.

Coughing, she crawled over to Reece, hoping he was dead.

As the blaster nozzle slammed into her chin, she wished she'd stayed put.

excuse me, Mister Reece, but it might be worth pointing out that we're trapped here,' she said tartly.

'So?'

'So I don't think either of us are strong enough to s.h.i.+ft these rocks on our own. Together, we just might. The only other option of course is to jump down, but I can't say that appeals right now.' Bernice moved away from Reece. I guess it's up to you, ”old man”.'

The Doctor was pulled, coughing and hacking, from the rocks by Savaar.

'Shsurr Summerfield is very brave.'

'Shsurr Summerfield is very stupid, actually. Playing catch with a Sontaran frag grenade is not a sensible hobby.' The Doctor looked over at Sskeet, lying on the floor. His earlier wounds had been reopened and added to by the blast. 'What about Sskeet?' Savaar waved an arm impotently. 'He is unconscious but still alive. Just. I cannot reach Commander Ra.s.sbur on any frequency. We must a.s.sume he and his warriors are dead.'

Shouts and yells alerted them to people coming up behind them. A familiar flash of green and yellow in the middle of the melee told them that Alpha Centauri had got help. About twenty Pel guards rushed over, swords drawn and ready. A few paces behind was Tarrol.

The Doctor stared at the young king, dirty and grimy, his fine robes looking in need of a good wash. But it was his face that drew the Doctor's attention.

The waiflike child appeared to have been replaced by a grim warrior, a man prepared to fight for his planet. In his hand he held the double-bladed Sword of Truth. His eyes were like steel: a true cold warrior. He reminded the Doctor of Peladon of Peladon, the boy-king he'd met on his first visit.

The traumas of that period helped shaped Peladon into a great leader. Had it done the same with Tarrol? The king followed the Doctor's gaze. 'Reece left the sword with his valise by the Martian shuttle.'

'He still has the Lance and the Crown.' The Doctor reached for the Sword but Tarrol pulled back.

'This is my battle, Doctor. My war. And my planet.'

And how do you propose fighting this war, Your Majesty?' was Savaar's contribution.

The king didn't answer, he merely shoved the sword into his belt and joined his men pulling rocks from the entrance. Within ten minutes, there was a s.p.a.ce small enough for the Doctor to crawl through.

I'll be careful,' he a.s.sured Savaar.

Tarrol suddenly blocked the way. 'My war, Doctor. Not yours, remember.

Certainly not the Federation's. Peladon is my planet and its people are under my protection. This,' he waved the Sword around the rubble, 'this is the legacy of my forefathers.'

With that, he clambered through the hole and guards moved across it to stop the Doctor following.

'You fool, Tarrol. He'll kill you easily. He's got a gun!' But the king was not listening.

Bernice looked up as Tarrol crawled through.

She had been expecting the Doctor or a couple of guards maybe, but not the king himself.

'Your Majesty,' she said lamely.

He bowed fractionally to her, then turned his attention to an amused Reece.

'My G.o.d, the king himself. Come to talk me into giving these back?' He kicked out at the casket still attached to Cooper's corpse. The Lance was shattered under her weight, but the box had probably protected the Crown.

'Perhaps.'

'Well forget it, Your Majesty.' Reece fired his blaster at point-blank range.

Bernice gasped. The king expertly raised the double bladed Sword of Truth and the blast hit that. The king staggered slightly but both Bernice and Reece stared in amazement. If nothing else the Sword ought to have melted.

Between breaths the king managed a smile. 'Aggedor protects his own, alien.'

'Does he indeed?' Reece fired again.

This time the king fell back, but again the Sword had absorbed the blast.

Seeing an opportunity, Bernice dived down, grabbing Townsend's discarded blaster and aimed it at Reece.

'Drop it, Nic. It's all over.'