Doctor Who_ Peacemaker - James Swallow [61]
Nathan smothered an irrational surge of jealousy; but in the next moment it was forgotten, as two large figures emerged from the shadows across the cavern.
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Kutter and Tangleleg circled around them, their weapons raised and ready to fire. Nathan gave Martha a look, but she shook her head.
Aside from a few upturned barrels and broken slats of wood, there was nothing that could serve as cover; and both of them had witnessed first-hand the destructive power of the Clade guns.
Tangleleg met Martha’s gaze for a brief moment and Nathan saw the girl waver as she remembered the last time she had been under the longrider’s pistol. But she put her fear away and drew herself up.
‘Objective located,’ said Kutter, indicating the Doctor. ‘Apparent aspect change.’
Tangleleg found Alvin Godlove’s rapidly decaying body on the ground and gave it a hard nudge with his boot. ‘Confirmed,’ he noted. ‘Command unit has initiated merge protocol with offworld bio-source.’
‘What the heck are they talkin’ about?’ Nathan demanded.
The longriders ignored him. ‘Action is not mandated,’ Kutter continued, as if he were thinking out loud. ‘Contrary to recovery protocol.’
Tangleleg nodded. ‘Recovery has priority. Remove his arm.’
Kutter stepped forward, and without warning, a length of knife-blade extruded from beneath the barrel of the outlaw’s pistol, like a bayonet on a rifle. The cutting edge sprouted wicked little saw-teeth that blurred back and forth.
‘Wait!’ Martha fearlessly stepped in front of the silent and unmoving Doctor. ‘If you take the Command Unit, what are you going to do then?’
The two long riders exchanged glances, as if they were not used to being challenged by an unarmed woman. Nathan heard a brief buzzing between them, then Kutter spoke.
‘Once recovery is completed, pod recall signal will be activated. All Clade units will immediately exfiltrate Planet Three and proceed on to original destination battle zone in the Gagrant Cluster, quadrant nine-five.’
‘More Double-Dutch,’ grumbled Nathan, unable to follow a word of what was being said. ‘What’s this about a planted tree?’
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‘Planet three,’ Martha corrected. ‘He means this one. Earth.’ She glared at Kutter. ‘And that’s it? You’ll just take it and go?’
‘Correct,’ offered Tangleleg, ‘after correct application of area security.’
Martha’s face fell, and Nathan knew that whatever that fancy talk meant, it wasn’t good. ‘What are you saying?’
‘Controlled discharge of thermoplasma warheads will be deployed to neutralise landin’ zone upon departure.’
The girl’s lips thinned. ‘They’re going to blast us from space!’
And then a familiar hand tapped her on the shoulder. ‘One problem at a time, Martha Jones.’ He sounded weak and tired, but most importantly, the Doctor sounded like himself.
The Doctor favoured her with a brief but brilliant smile. Part of Martha wanted to jump for joy; and at the same time, part of her was wound tight with fear, thinking of the terrible destruction the Clades were preparing to wreak on the landscape. Like an angry child in a tantrum, the Clades weren’t the type to go quietly, They’d want to destroy something, just because they could.
‘Let’s get this over with,’ said the Doctor firmly. He stepped past Martha and faced the longriders, the Clade gun gripped in his fingers.
The frame of the weapon pulsed, as if the shape of the pistol could barely contain the energy inside itself. ‘You want this unit back, I want it gone,’ he told them.
‘How did you resist the imprintin’ process?’
demanded Kutter.
Martha thought she detected some worry in the outlaw’s words.
A cold smile crossed the Doctor’s lips. ‘Many powerful beings have tried and failed, Clade.’ He blew out a breath. ‘I’m sick of the sight of you. Get off this planet and don’t ever come back. Humans have enough wars without you stirring up any more.’
‘This zone will be sanitised on departure,’ said Tangleleg. ‘These humans will perish.’
‘Who cares?’ the Doctor continued, drawing a shocked gasp from Martha. ‘Just as long