Lady Justice: A Time Lady Reborn

Groon's hair and beard were cut short, showing a thin fuzz of grey. He had not lost any of his size or strength, however. He squeezed Daniel's skinny throat hard, and snarled. "Quiet!"

Daniel managed to choke out a few words. "Groon, I-."

"Shut up!" Groon was whispering, but the depth of his words shook them. The behemoth slowly released his hold on Daniel's throat, and quizzically peered back into the house.

Alanah and Mavis had frozen in their steps, unable to help Daniel, for fear of their own safety. He was Daniel's friend, after all.

Quietly, but sternly, Groon asked, "What do you want?"

Daniel smiled. "Just in the neighborhood, buddy. Figured you missed me."

Daniel's voice was barely audible. Whether it from Groon's warning, or damage to his throat, Alanah could not be sure. She forced a smile in the big man's direction when he looked over at them.

"You remember Alanah. That's Mavis. We've come for aid. Trapp told me where to find you," Daniel explained.

Suddenly, the sound of tiny footsteps grew close, and two little, brown faces peered out onto the porch. "Daddy?" one of them asked.

Groon turned quickly to the two girls and knelt down. With a gentle whisper, he said, "It's okay, girls, just some old friends. You can come out to say hello, but you have to be quiet. We don't want to wake your brothers and sisters."

Daniel shot Alanah a puzzled look, as the two tiny creatures joined them on the porch. They shared Groon's black hair, and dark eyes, but their gentle features and brown skin were indicative of the species of pleasure slaves they had met on New Paradise.

"Let's go out back," Groon insisted.

Groon led his guests to a large table in the middle of a lush backyard. The girls skipped off playfully, still dressed in their nightgowns.

"Sorry, it was nap time. It takes hours to finally get them all settled." He shook Daniel's hand, ignoring the pale shock on his face.

"How many?" Alanah asked.

Groon puffed air out of his mouth, and squeezed his eyes closed. "Uh... eight, now."

"Do you have to-?" Daniel started, pointing to the cabin.

"Na! The wives will keep an eye on the rest."

"Not eight, I assume?" Daniel joked.

Groon smiled proudly. "No, just three."

Daniel shook his head in wonder. How had the vile, brutal man he had once known turn into a loving husband and father? "I'm happy for you, Groon. You must be very proud."

"Oh, sure. It's harder than killing and fighting and whatnot. Can't say those skills come in very handy, anymore."

"Funny you say that. I'm in need of those particular skills," Daniel admitted.

Daniel regaled him with the details of their predicament, and their plan to strike back. He watched Groon's mouth water at the first taste of violence he had had for several years.

"I understand if you're unable to help, Groon. This was our first stop. I didn't expect... any of this, to be honest," Daniel stated.

Groon smiled proudly. "No, can't say I expected it myself. Out there, fighting to survive, it made me appreciate things about my life. I won't say no, just yet. Give me some time to think."

Groon gave them directions to the ship. It was taking up residence in a field three miles south. Daniel had wanted to salvage any remaining semen from the storage, if possible. He assumed they might need it when they finally found Aryess. They found the ship rusting and crumbling. It bent and popped as they entered. They acted quickly, to avoid the structure collapsing with them inside. Once the sample was procured, they headed back to the TARDIS to regroup. Their first stop was disappointing, and offered little hope with regards to the rest of the colonies. These were Daniel's strongest allies. If they refused, then there was hardly any point in continuing.

After a long, restless night, the three companions headed back to Melissa's town the next morning. They sought one more chance to plead their case before resigning. As they approached, they could see a large mass of citizens gathered in the courtyard. They caught sight of the visitors, and suddenly burst into cheers and applause. Melissa stood smiling at the head of the pack. The three humans froze with pride and shock, as Mayor Trapp approached them.

"It's gone beyond my control now, I'm afraid. The minute word spread of your return, the people of this colony practically marched down my door. They want to help. What can we do?" Mayor Trapp asked.

Daniel's eyes welled with tears. He had struggled with the guilt of his actions all night. He had been filled with hopeless dreams of slaves struggling and dying on the fringes of space; cursing his name while their children starved and perished. Now he saw the truth of it all. They were grateful to him, and had answered his call. He gave Melissa a hug, and turned to wave at the audience of people. Among them was Groon, alongside a string of children. He moved to the front to introduce his family to his old friends. His beautiful wives and children all thanked them wholeheartedly. Their happiness was a result of Daniel's intervention. Their children had heard his name countless times; thinking he was merely a story.

A small group gathered in Melissa's office with the three humans. Daniel explained their plan to several of the leaders. They waited for him to finish, before expressing their concerns.

"There doesn't seem much hope. Even if we could rally citizens from the other colonies and find these Tarot, there doesn't appear to be any indication that your friend would still be alive. We don't want to expend our resources and lose lives if it is all for nothing," one councilor stated.

"I understand your concern, and I appreciate this opportunity. I aided your people before, risking my own life, and the lives of the people I love. I did so with no intention to hold you to any obligation. I stand by that. You are free people, and you owe me nothing. We found ourselves in trouble, and reached out to friends. That's all," Daniel explained.

"We know it's a long shot, but we believe that Justice is still alive. She's a Time Lord. They're hard to kill," Alanah stated. "We have to try."

"If nothing else, I would be interested to know what happened to the other colonies," Melissa interjected.

"We'll find them." Daniel saw things start to come together.

"Enough talk. We have work to do," Groon commanded. The group disbanded, and was given orders to gather nonessential people to the human's ship by nightfall.

The three human's returned to their ship, and made plans for the next stop. That night fifty people waited anxiously outside the door. They entered slowly, led by Groon. He patted Daniel on the shoulder as he passed. At the rear of the pack was Mayor Melissa Trapp.

"We'll bring them back as quick as we can," Daniel assured her.

"Oh, I'll be seeing to that," Trapp told him.

"You're coming?" Daniel was surprised. Of all the people in her colony, it appeared she had the most to lose.

"I'm here to make sure you don't do anything stupid," Melissa answered.

Mayor Trapp walked toward the back of the control room, followed closely by Mavis. He gave Alanah a wink, as he went.

Alanah stared at Daniel with admiration. Daniel blushed and brought her close for a kiss.

"This is your show, now Captain," Daniel told her. "Take the helm."

"Aye-aye, sir," Alanah teased, as she turned to the TARDIS controls, grabbing Daniel's ass as she went.

Daniel stared out the door at the quiet moon. He slowly closed the door to the ship, just as the engines fired. He had been through a lot to free these people, and they had suffered greatly to establish themselves. He hoped that none of their sacrifices would be wasted, but had a sick feeling that not everyone would be making it back. The ship slowly disappeared, and the crew of the TARDIS were moments away from their next destination.

***

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Chapter Twenty-Four

***

Each stop along their path filled the TARDIS with more anxious people hoping to do their part. Daniel and Melissa had taken over responsibility of greeting the local leadership, and stating their case. Back on the TARDIS, Alanah, Mavis, and Groon were responsible for bringing the new groups up to speed on their mission.

The Tarot were a resourceful species. They had advanced technology, as well as psychic abilities. The TARDIS crew were short on weapons, and had only one psychic. What they lacked in offense, they made up for in determination, and hopefully, some element of surprise. Alanah had the most knowledge and experience regarding the Tarot, their ship, and their leader. She oversaw the preparations with the new recruits, and continued her task of piloting the TARDIS in their leader's absence.

Several of the stops had been fruitless. At least one ship appeared to have crashed; all passengers had been killed. Several others were found, but no trace of life was detected in the system, even with the TARDIS's scanning technology. They had eventually acquired another two hundred people and several more jars of semen, after finding six functioning colonies. Despite protests from several of the colonies' leaders, Daniel had decided to call off the hunt for more recruits.

Daniel addressed them in the control room. "I'm sorry. When we have finished our mission, you will be able to find the remaining colonies at your discretion. We have more than enough people, right now. It's crucial that we don't waste any more time. Continue your preparations, and we'll meet again to finalize our plan." The crowd in the control room dispersed, and Daniel was left with Alanah and Mavis by his side.

"Now what, Daniel?" Alanah asked curiously. "We've got the people, but we don't know where we're going."

"I know. Has the TARDIS told you anything?" Daniel asked.

"Not yet. She's stubborn."

"Reckon I've got some ideas, if you'll hear 'em," Mavis interjected.

"Sure!" Daniel exclaimed; seeming a little desperate.

"Earth. Seems kinda obvious," Mavis answered confidently.

"Maybe," Daniel agreed.

"Maybe shit! That's where this all started. That's where the Tarot was the last time. I'm guessin' they're out to finish the job."

"So, we head for Earth, but... this is weird to have to ask, but... when?" Alanah asked.

"Right. The time coordinates are the tricky part," Daniel agreed.

"Well, that's above my pay grade, I'm afraid," Mavis admitted. "Y'all are in charge of the how and when."

Alanah was suddenly struck with a thought. "Mavis, how long would you figure a ship like the Tarot's would take to reach Earth. They were last seen on Scallion XIV."

"Hmm... Scallion is a long way off. I'd say with the type of ship that you've described, probably a couple of years."

"Would two years do it?" Alanah asked.

"Maybe if you was haulin' ass," Mavis answered.

"Two years!" Daniel exclaimed. "You beautiful bitch!"

"Well, thank you, I-," Alanah started, but Daniel had turned to the TARDIS computer. "Hey!" she stated with a hint of jealousy.

"Think about it, Alanah. All that time. Two years. She heard me. She heard me calling, but she was waiting." Daniel touched the console gently.

"Who?" Mavis asked.

"The ship," Daniel answered. "Alanah, she brought you back just in time to save Justice. It knew what it was doing the whole time."

Alanah joined Daniel at the helm, and kissed him. "You heard him, baby. Take us home!"

The TARDIS engines began to grind, as Daniel and Alanah embraced lovingly.

Mavis stood frozen. After all these years, he was finally going home. He had been afraid for too long. He took a breath, and joined the two lovers at the control panel.

Within seconds, they were floating softly in orbit around their home planet. The TARDIS had brought them back into Earth space, precisely at the same moment they had left. Daniel marveled at how far they had come in the last month, only to realize that just one minute ago, he had been back on Earth, prepared to give up all hope of ever being rescued. He ushered Mavis to the door of the ship, and opened the exit.

Before them, a brilliant blue ball of light encompassed their view. The TARDIS pulled back slowly, revealing the vast emptiness surrounding it.

Mavis removed his hat in reverence, and a wetness formed in his reddened eyes. "I can't believe it. Look at how beautiful she is. I've seen a hundred worlds over the last decade, but I don't think I've ever seen one like this. Thank you both."

"Where are we?" a voice asked from behind. Melissa Trapp slowly moved to the door to take in the spectacle of Earth. "Oh my," she uttered.

"Melissa, this is Planet Earth. This is our home," Daniel explained.

Mavis wiped the tears from his eyes and cleared his throat. He replaced his hat, and tried to feign composure in the presence of a pretty lady. Melissa gave him a warm smile.

"Are you a human being as well, Mr. Mavis?"

"Yes ma'am," he answered.

"Interesting. I've had little experience with humans thus far. I would love to hear more, if you have the time," Melissa offered.

"Absolutely, I would love to." Mavis held out his elbow, taking her hand like a gentleman, and led her to the lounge. As they walked from the room, Mavis regaled the beautiful blonde with details from the history of his people, with all the accuracy of a failing middle-schooler.

Daniel and Alanah shared a laugh, as they held one another closely. They had nothing to do, but wait.

***

At last, the day she had been waiting for arrived. Madame Aryess had fulfilled her promise. She stood outside Justice's prison cell for the last time. The guard allowed her entrance, but unlike before, the force shield remained off.

Justice greeted her former lover with a cold stare; no jokes or innuendo, no taunting or games. It would be their final meeting. Aryess gave her a curious glance, anticipating the giddy report she was accustomed to from the Time Lady. Aryess shrugged silently, and ordered her guards to seize Lady Justice. Ten Tarot guards entered the cell. Justice remained secured by the table restraints. They detached the metal table from the floor of the cell, engaged the wheels, and escorted their prisoner to the science wing.

Justice recognized the room from her first escapade on the ship. The damage done during their attack and rescue had been repaired, but many sections of the laboratory were in disuse. The damaged computers and workstations had been removed; leaving much of the room empty. A handful of Tarot scientists worked diligently at their stations, as the guards moved Justice into the center of the room.

Aryess finally spoke. "Around and around we go, my dear Arbiter."

Justice stared indignantly at Aryess.

"Nothing to say, love? Don't tell me you haven't been preparing some elaborate speech while wasting away in your cell. Why, you disappoint me." She ran an icy finger across Justice's face. "No matter. Soon, this will all be over. You'll be gone, the human race will be extinguished, and my people will have a rich, new planet to call home."

Justice smiled slyly. She saw Aryess redden with frustration. The Tarot's mistress drove her thoughts deep into Justice's mind, just as Justice had hoped.

Why do you persist in defying me? Aryess asked. She twisted Justice's mind in gruesome agony. After she relented, Justice remained obstinate. Aryess screamed with fury, as she tore through the Time Lady's mind once more.

Justice spoke in a whisper. "You can do nothing to me, Aryess. Nothing." She spat on the floor in front of her enemy. "If you destroy me, my regeneration will ignite this entire ship. My death will be the extinction of you own race. Once and for all." Justice turned away in defiance.

Aryess burst with laughter at the Time Lady's warning. "My race? Oh no, Arbiter. My race will endure. We are not the last of our kind. Unlike you. But what if? What if your people were to live on?"

Justice stirred uneasily.

"You see, Lady Arbiter, while you've been enjoying yourself in your prison cell, my people have been very busy with your DNA."

As Aryess spoke, a group of six Tarot emerged from an adjacent corridor. They were taller, and more muscular than the rest of the Tarot. They remained ghostly white, but their markings glowed a vibrant crimson with gold etchings. Their breasts were huge and round.

Justice stared at them horrified. "What have you done, Aryess?"

"Well, since we were short one human for our experiments, we substituted Time Lord DNA- excuse me, Time Lady DNA- into our latest batch of clones. Now that they are ready, we have no further use of you. All we need is your ship."

"Ha! You'll never get your hands on it, Aryess! The TARDIS is programmed to self-destruct in the event that I am compromised. The core would have gone supernova by now. I could have saved you the trouble if you would have asked," Justice argued.

"Ah! Humor. Now I know that you are lying. We shall see, Lady Arbiter."

"Stop calling me that, Aryess. My name is Justice. The Arbiter is dead."

"Not yet, dear, but soon."

***

"The TARDIS is picking up a signal, Daniel," Alanah reported.

"Where?"

"Near Mars. It's moving closer," Alanah explained.

"Could it be a probe, or a satellite, or something?" Mavis asked.

"I don't think the TARDIS computer would make that mistake. It's got to be a ship," Daniel stated.

"Something's not right. Why wouldn't they cloak themselves? This seems risky. It's like they're waiting for us," Alanah suggested.

"Maybe they are, but we're out of options. You know what to do. Mavis, get Groon. Tell him that we're ready. It's time," Daniel directed. Mavis left the control room, leaving Daniel and Alanah alone once again.

"I can't believe we're going to do this," Alanah uttered.

"Me either. Just remember, stay close to me. We're not going to be separated again."

Daniel held Alanah tight, and gave her a long, slow kiss. He eyed her beautiful body, still tucked away behind Justice's tight corset.

"You look great. She's going to be so happy to see you," Daniel offered.

"I hope so. This doesn't seem like something she would approve of. What if we're walking into a trap? What if they try and take the ship? Justice was quick to ditch it when they took her. There has to be a reason. If someone like Aryess took control of a ship like this, with power over all of time and space, the whole universe would be fucked," Alanah lamented.

"That's where Mavis comes in. I've ordered him to stay behind and guard the ship. Once we're in, the TARDIS is programmed to go into emergency lockdown. It will only respond to Justice's DNA. It's a Time Lord failsafe. If things go sour, he'll be able to get out, and take the ship to safety," Daniel explained.

"He's alright with that? I mean, he seemed pretty geared up for battle before." Alanah turned to see Mavis walking into the control room with a wide-eyed, and smitten, Melissa Trapp on his arm. She turned back to Daniel, who gave her a knowing wink.

"Reporting for duty." Mavis offered a noble salute, before approaching the console. "Never showed me how to work this crazy machine."

"Don't worry. The ship knows what to do. It will take you back to the colonies if anything happens to the Tarot ship, or if anyone tries to gain entry into the TARDIS. You two stay sharp," Daniel instructed.

"Alright, last time we snuck onboard pretty easily. If they know we're coming, I doubt that trick will work again," Alanah said.

"I thought about that. What if we use that electromagnetic-grapple-thingy we used on the slave ships? It knocked out their communications long enough to board them. The Tarot will know they've been hit, but like you said, no need for surprise. At least they may have trouble knowing exactly where we landed inside," Daniel suggested.