Leviticus : Dark Days

[Ace]

"Oh! The emotional cripple. Almost forgot about you." Now that...that did stir an emotion in Ace, even after all these years that knife still twinged slightly as if the words where brand new, when ever someone called her that.

Ace started to move towards the man, her emotions momentarily over taking her common sense “You little...” but stopped when she heard Sarah Jane speak up. Tiny but fierce, just like she’d figured she’d be.

Ace turned to leave when the Sarah Jane said to go moving her hand slowly to make sure she still had her blasters in her pocket there was no way she wanted to be completely unarmed in this advent calendar death trap.

When she felt they where far enough out of ear shot she couldn’t help but ask “Ok two questions...” she stopped for a second to check down a hallway to make sure it was clear “One...do you have any idea how you got here, and two who was tall dark and ugly back there? You two seem to have some history.”

[Sarah Jane]

Ace was just a little younger than herself, but she was a strapping little farm girl of a woman. As the Dark Lord's words stung her, the Ace surged forward a little, and Sarah Jane realized clearly she couldn't out muscle her by long shot. Luckily, they did not have to wrestle it out. Ace took Sarah Jane's wish to hold her back for the deed. Or did not notice and contained herself. At any rate, in that last glance before Ace lead the way off, she could see hard fine lines of pain in the tender flesh beside her eyes.

They jogged lightly through the ship, Sarah Jane feeling great relief that she was no longer being chased, most certainly after the last few hours of desperate evasion. A ways off, they stopped, Ace questioning her.

"Sarah Jane Smith, Acquisitions and Public relations on the B class trader The Eyes of Zeus." She introduced herself. The last few hours had been so exciting, she had to dig to remember back, though it only took a breath and a frown. "I was planet side on Kiplinger in the Saini system, then-" she shrugged "Ambush from behind, something over my mouth, and then I was here."

She looked around, face suspicious as if just remembering to keep an eye out. In a heartbeat, she was looking back the way they came. Back to where she'd seen Alec.

"That is a fellow who likes to call himself the Dark Lord when he's in a bad mood. Gallifreyan. Time Lord. Crazy as a ship board rat, and probably the most brilliant creature you'll ever meet." She swallowed hard, put her eyes back on Ace's, and steadied her heart for a moment until the tight fear that pulls at her soft mouth becomes instead a wry smile. She also watched Ace carefully to see if she would react to the time reference like a time traveler or not. There was just something about her. "I'm on his actual 'better off tormented and killed list'. Long story. Something I haven't even done yet."

"My question is, Ace, how does he know you?"

[Alec Harrison]

"So she can talk!" he said to Sarah Jane.

He checked his watch. Almost time.
------------------

Almost as soon as he was gone, he was back. Not physically- he couldn't exactly be here for this. But in their heads. It could only be described as a "Timelord thing." Telekinesis was a good second guess.

It's getting late, it's getting dark,
The numeral twelve, the clock does mark.
Be prepared, for the worst to come,
Revenge is not for the stomaches of some.
Leviticus, this ship is called,
Watch out or you will be mauled.
The clock strikes twelve, so be prepared,
Your life signs just might be impaired.

His voice suggested in through their very minds. A large, arachnid alien had just been released, and was coming straight for them...

[Ace]

“ok...as I see it we have two options we either, find some place to hold up and I can work on this hopper or we can find the weapons and fight our way out.” She was game for either.

"That is a fellow who likes to call himself the Dark Lord when he's in a bad mood. Gallifreyan. Time Lord. Crazy as a ship board rat, and probably the most brilliant creature you'll ever meet." Ace couldn’t help but laugh a little “Aren’t all Timelords... completely insane, genius and terrifying when they’re in a bad mood.” she shrugged “But...they’re good people...mostly”

“I dunno he’s probably met me I just haven’t met him...yet?” Ace shrugged “I dunno I quit trying to keep my terms straight years ago.” Ace stopped in her tracks when she heard the voice in her head “ok...did you hear that or have I finally lost my mind?” she looked up the way at the arachnid alien coming at them “ok completely sane, Run!” she started to back track while trying to get her blaster out of her pocket.

[Sarah Jane]

The Doctor had been in her mind many a time. A gentle whisper. A delicate fingering through the files of her mind. Healer. Welcome friend. The Dark Lord was none of these to her. His voice, his images boomed through her mind. She felt used like a violin in the hands of a dark musician as his poem flooded through her. She covered her ears with her hands. Sarah Jane knew it wouldn't help, but she could not help it herself. Her mouth drew open in tragic offense, though she made not a sound that instant.

The last image thrown at her was that of a giant spider, and as she burst back fully into herself, the image blended most terribly with reality, the alien arachnid creature itself was scrambling out of the darkness toward them. Sarah Jane froze.

"Run!" Shouted Ace, breaking her loose.

Now, Sarah Jane was not a soldier, but she'd spent quite a bit of time with that kin in her time. Ace was her gunner, and she herself would be navigation, having run all over the Leviticus for the last two hours. There was a reason flap jackets were built so clearly like a harness, for they made excellent handles. Sarah Jane grabbed Ace by that tough material and started dragging her backwards at a good clip, mind calculating where the best bolt hole was.

As was her nature, as soon as she could drag in a breath, she cut loose with a single scream, never missing a beat as she guided Ace backwards down the corridor, letting her run shotgun.

[Ace]

Ace couldn’t help but wander where The Dark Lord had found these things at and if the last two where any hint of what was to come she wanted to get the two of them off this ship as soon as she could. Letting Sarah Jane guide her she pulled out the blasters and started firing at the spider in fast, precise shots, or at least she hoped they where. “Remind me kick the Dark Lords butt next time we see him.”

She hated spiders with a passion and now she was fighting a huge one. At the sound of Sarah Janes scream she “Where’s a giant can of Raid when you need one eh?” she couldn’t help but crack a joke as she held both blasters in one hand.
She reached over her head and reached into her bag “Hopefully you’ve found a hole.” she hadn’t been paying attention to were they where going while she had been firing at the spider, Ace pulled out a grenade and stuck it in her pocket “Cause when you do I have a little surprise for our friend.” she began dual wielding the blasters again.

[Sarah Jane]

Whatever Ace was doing, it might be slowing the creature down, but it wasn't stopping it. She discarded her first two ideas, having underestimated the beast. Medical, they had to get to medical. Sarah Jane got a terrifying look at the thing as she yanked Ace around one tight corner.

Its lower body was constructed like a spider, but thick and ornate as a armored crab shell. It was the size of a lion, but with triple the mobility on it's multiple legs. It's face was a horror of multiple eyes, fangs and vertical mandibles dripping with something clear. She wished she hadn't looked.

Tight quarters, thick walls, she'd hidden here a while before but had been chased out by multiple shocks from the tesla ridden Minotaurs. Medical quarantine, built to withstand what even the Sontarns needed to lock up. Also, there was a speaker. She wanted to try to talk to it. Right now, though, they simply needed to escape it.

"Got it." She said simply in answer to Ace's inquire.

She dragged them both into that inner room, nearly spinning Ace around with her enthusiasm, and then let go of her to turn quick and push against the sliding door, hoping to shut it in that terrible face.

"Ace!" She demanded.

[Ace]

After Sarah Jane let her loose she spun around whipping the grenade out of her pocket then stopped for a second if she threw it down the hallway they just came from would it be enough to kill the spider or would it just end up knocking the door in on them leaving them totally exposed.

"Ace!" That jerked Ace out of her head. She jerked off her pack letting it drop to the floor and stuffing the grenade back in her pocket plenty of time to use it later if needed there where to many variables here.

Ace ran over and slammed her shoulder against the door trying to help Sarah Jane push the door shut; she caught some movement out of the corner of her eye at the bottom of the door, the spider had managed to get a leg in the door “oh heck no!” she pulled up her leg and slammed it down several times on the spiders’ leg till she heard it snap and break off. She pushed again against the door.

[Sarah Jane]

She screamed when that leg came through the door, and ignored it. She'd given up on quiet years ago. The screaming would come when it comes, as it did now while she shoved with all her might and Ace stomped. When the limb broke, and they pushed, the door pinched nearly shut on it. She stretched over and yanked the twitching dark limb out of the doorway, one more heave and it was shut.

She leaned against the door, panting, it's the first time she'd stopped moving in a few hours, the first time she felt truly safe.

She looked at Ace, amazed by her guts and ability.

"Who are you? Some sort of special service or something?"

The spider thing riled and hissed outside the door, screaming it's pain of it's missing limb like car breaks gone bad on a steep hill.

[Ace]

Ace flattened her palms against the door after they had finally gotten it shut and panted a little, closing her eyes and listening to the creature on the other side of the door, it had made her skin crawl and she was thankful they had finally put something between them and it. She felt that that was one of the few close calls they where gonna get.

"Who are you? Some sort of special service or something.” Ace chuckled a little still listening to the thing outside, smirking she commented “Ya something like that.” turning she walked over to where she had dropped her pack and picked it up, setting it down on the table she started to rummage through it looking for a screwdriver set she had somewhere in the pack so she could start working on the hopper while they had a minute, pulling out and laying on the table some of the bigger weapons or tools that she had so they weren’t in the way.

Looking up from her bag for a second she studied Sarah Jane before digging back through the bag “This might come off as a slightly stupid question but I’m asking it anyway, you doing ok over there?”

[Sarah Jane]

She gave the young woman a smile that had her quiet thanks inside it.

"I am now, thanks to you. For the moment anyhow." She shuddered and stepped away from the wall, for she could still feel the spider thing thrashing against the wall. She went right to Ace and took her by the forearms, finding that depth filled gaze.

"But you can't begin to imagine how much trouble we're in. Thats a Time Lord out there pulling the strings. Did I hear . .you've met one? Is that what you said? Then, you know- perhaps how unlikely-" Her gaze went distant and blank. "He's never going to let us go.

Her eyes are a bit wild, she begins gripping at Ace's arms in her fervor.

[Ace]

Ace watched Sarah Jane got up and walked over to her “Did I hear . .you've met one? Is that what you said?” Ace nodded “Ya but the one I know...the one we both know, The Doctor, he was nothing like this. The Dark Lord has to slip up some time or another” she could see that Sarah Jane was losing it and honestly she couldn’t blame her.

“Sarah Jane...listen to me. We’ll get out of this, ok.” Ace tried to gently pry Sarah Janes grip off “You just have to stay calm and sane ok. Trust me.” Ace tried to give her, her most reassuring look, but she didn’t know how much that would work because she herself was starting to draw a blank on how to get them out of here.

“We need a plan, ok granted I have no problem with going in guns blazing but in this situation I don’t think that will do us any good.” she watched Sarah Jane gauging if she was getting through or not.

[Alec Harrison]

A low growl cascaded through the room, which was revealed to be very large in size. A spotlight appeared, glaring down at the two like a disembodied eye.

Alec's voice again filled their ears, though now, it was booming, like hundreds of amplifiers going off.

"The clock strikes one,
And you will find,
That death is here,
Inside your mind.
Let words be short,
You have little time.
So you must figure,
Out this rhyme:
'What is striped,
But not black or white?
What is a from earth,
But not from the light?'"

Red eyes appeared from the darkness, and the growl intensified. It was true, they had little time. The chains were almost broken.

[Sarah Jane]

It took three full seconds for the panic to clear from her eyes and for understanding to come through. Her mouth dropped open softly with just a hint of delight.

"You know the Doctor! Of course you do!" She gave Ace another shake, but not out of panic and instead with a rush of hope. "Then, Sister Ace, I believe we have a chance." She broke away from the woman and started looking around where they were at. Certainly Medical quarantine had its accoutrement. A moment ago in despair, she had not been able to see with the right attitude.

Then she remembered just who they were up against as Alec's presence invaded their retreat. His voice thundered around them.

Always at such times, she had taken a half a step behind the Doctor, letting herself feel shielded there, regardless of the hopeless reality of many a tight corner. It made no difference who was standing in front if the whole building was going to explode. In years to come, she would learn this for herself. In her future, it would be so easy to stand like a ships figure head in front of others when danger was near. She would learn it only mattered in the heart, and would gladly lend her son and her young friends the innocence of standing behind her. If only to let them know they were loved.

Now, it is everything she can do to stand boldly side by side under that light, hands over her ears, pain in her face, and the only thing louder than the Dark Lord's voice was the roaring pound of blood in her ears.

I swear that there was a wall here when I first came. She thought. Never underestimate a Time Lord. And he better not underestimate me.

That is when she saw the hulk that growled in the dark.

Sarah Jane had pressed passed terror into absolute survival mode. She grabbed a couple of giant, thin, haz mat type suites, flinging one at Ace.

"Batten down the hatches, Ace, we're going outside the ship."Already she is scrambling into her own. She is not unfamiliar with the type of fastening, and is sealing up quick. "Look, I just bet your doohickey will work if we get outside of this ship." Sarah Jane is moving to help Ace, keeping a hard eye on the terrifying creature in the corner. "We take the vent hatch out, you try to get us back to your base, and if it doesn't work, we'll have enough time to find another hatch in." Or we'll die. "Or you could just kill it." Her eyes are steady, even if her hands shake a little.

The Sontarn suit fit her like a stiff rubbery picnic blanket. It would do to flee the ship in, and better that than any more of Alec's 'poetry'.

[Ace]

Ace smiled when Sarah Jane seemed to calm down, good she thought that’d get through to her, turning she continued to search through her bag pulling the screwdriver box form it “ah ha! Found it.” Ace squinted as the spot light came down on them almost blindingly.

Next thing she knew it was like ice pick through her skull. Ace flattened one of her hand on the table and put a little bit of pressure with her other hand against her temple trying to pop her jaw as she tired to push the pain that ran through her head and to the back of her mind. Gritting her teeth she crossed her eyes for a minute “Gah...that’s something you never get used to.” when the pain subsided enough to where she could focus, Ace stopped and studied the thing in the dark, running over Alec’s poem in her head, softly “Demented man.”

Ace caught the suit as Sarah Jane threw it at her “Outside the ship?” now that was a fear she had trouble hiding, not that she was “scared” of it per se just space walking or whatever it was called made her a little shaky, cause to consider she was separated from the vacuum of space by a piece of glass didn’t add up sanely in her head. “o...ok.” she quickly got the suit strapped on as Sarah Jane helped, she turned and stuffed all the stuff she had pulled out of the bag back in it making sure there was no way anything would fall out, she slung it over her shoulder and tightening the straps down tightly.

Ace strapped the hopper to her wrist outside of the suit so she could get to it easily then smiled weakly at Sarah Jane and gave her a thumbs up “Alright lets do this then shall we.”