"Gentlemen, may I have your attention!" An elegantly dressed Madam NaV0 shouted over the commotion of her guests, "I'd like to make a toast." When the woman standing in front of the band had the attention of the room, she raised her glass. "To the Continuum. It is ten minutes to the hour, and the dealing has finished. My auditor --," she purred, "tells me, we have added fifty million credits to our coffers. I believe, the Continuum has had an excellent first conference, and we are set for the year. I'd like to thank you for coming and I do hope you enjoy the evening's entertainment. There is food and drink in the dining hall, and upstairs you will find ... Well, I'm sure you know what is upstairs waiting. Enjoy your evening." The woman laughed, and tossed back the rest of her drink.
Techno music and raucous laughter filled the ballroom. "Come on, Mally baby," NaV0 said, pulling the man onto the dance floor. They'd swirled twice around the floor when weapons fire exploded outside. Instruments crashed to the floor as musicians went running. Phaser fire and stun grenades bounced against the walls, shaking the manse to its foundation. Windows shattered, sending guests running for their own weapons and methods of escape. Inside, guards moved between the onslaught of officers, their boss and her guests.
Frantic, NaV0 turned, hunting for her chief of security, finally catching his eye over panicked, running guests. "Jahob, go!" She pointed to the planned escape path.
Jahob ran past the melee and made his way to the back stairs. The door to the tunnel stood open, the security panel blinking red. The entire system was off-line. He punched a panel hidden in the wall, retrieved a hand detonator from the hidden cubby and raced down the stairs, oblivious to the figure waiting in the shadows. The figure gave Jahob enough time to enter the tunnels and then made his move. A cackling laugh filled the annex when the door slammed and locked. The man he hated as much as NaV0 was trapped. No one would blow the cells today.
Terrified servants dove behind furniture to escape the phaser fire coming from the crush of uniformed men fighting their way into the house. Guests pushed the unfortunate servants out of the way as they ran up the massive staircase hunting for an escape. They were met by officers coming through the roof. The battle was over in fifteen minutes. Justice officers began the job of separating criminals from NaV0's prisoners and innocent servants. Six officers ran up the massive staircase for a sweep of rooms, looking for stragglers and victims. The sounds of shattering doors drifted down to the main floor. Minutes later, the team escorted sixteen terrified, crying young girls and two young boys past their captors and out of the mansion to waiting medics.
The crowd of criminals and now former guards packed the ballroom, a few managing to cluster around NaV0. Her cold eyes surveyed the officers, looking for one face. Unfazed by the change in her evening's plans, the calculating predator complained loudly about a spilt drink staining her flowing, purple gown. This was not quite the way she expected to end the evening, but she'd paid people and wasn't particularly worried. She laughed as she watched with amusement as two female strangers walked into the ballroom with the shape-shifter.
H'tarle stood outside the mansion listening to reports coming from his field commanders. All in all, the mission had come off much better than expected. His people were all safe and they had the scourge of his town in cuffs. He handed off his stylus and walked inside, stepping around the crime team now making their sweep of the house. He nodded his okay to a question from a technician and made his way to the ballroom. He'd been there once for a dance when he had to play nice with the local politician. Now, instead of grandeur, it acted as a preliminary holding pen. That's where his target waited and her presence brought more than professional pride for a job well done; it brought sheer pleasure. Still, dark rage sat in the middle of his gut. He blamed himself for not stopping this depravity earlier. If I had, he thought and then pushed it away. Regret wouldn't change a thing.
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Broken: A Time Lord's Story (Doctor Who Novel)
FanfictionIn the 42nd century, a search for a kidnapped baby takes a man known as the Doctor to Regulus IV where he's kidnapped and brutally tortured. His salvation lies in the hands of a gentle telepathic child. Forced by her captor to tend to his wounds...
