Thirteenth X Clara - Alternative

Chapter 10: Morning Movements

The door hissed open to reveal a scaly figure appearing through the opening as it snarled and looked around its surroundings. Seaweed green painted walls, dark and desolate, rough to the touch. The ceiling was also green, with black curved spikes coming out of it. There was a damp atmosphere amongst the place, very wet, very cold. The hallways were narrow, only adding a claustrophobic feeling to it all as well. For any regular person, this would be a place they would run straight out of. But the Echor people were not regular persons.

They were once a proud race of people, millions strong. Living in harmony and peace, advancing into a golden age of society. Advancements in technology, engineering, arts, sciences, you name it; they reached it. But then came the Zygons, and the War arrived. Almost their entire population wiped out. So much of the future of the planet had gone in less than a year. A warship (albeit a large one), accustomed to carrying soldiers to battle, had to carry what remained of the population.

They traveled for decades, with new generations of Echors being born on the ship. New generations were brought up on the stories of the War and what it did to their people and what it brought to their race. Those young ones, growing up with the harrowing tales of death and destruction, grew up to become soldiers themselves, with a desire to finally have a place to settle that they could call home.

"We're gonna find a home, I promise." Clary said, teary-eyed.

Clary was alerted out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. She quickly put away a hologram photo before returning to her more professional mode. Alara walked in, not quite as confident as she had been earlier, looking a bit more upset than desired.

"By the look on your face, I'm imagining you and Rotalek did not succeed in your plan."

"No.... The Queen was unfortunately saved by someone." Alara said in between snarls.

Saved? But they planned that perfectly. She was going to be there alone at that time and Rotalek was placed in the perfect position. All he had to do was shoot and then Alara would replace her. This was meticulously mapped. This was not supposed to fail.

"That's impossible. There were no guards there. We made sure of that. All he had to do was take the bloody shot." She said as her temper rose.

"In all fairness to him, the people who saved the Queen were completely unknown to us. The two women only just came through the doors seconds before the shot was to be taken."

She frowned at the explanation. They'll need to find another way to get to her. But then it hit her. No regular human would have any idea what a Froidian blaster could do, let alone of that period of time. There would have been no way they'd have known to save her in time. Unless...

"Those two women. What did they look like?"

"One was blonde, the other was a brunette, they.."

"No, no. Clothes, what were they wearing? Were they of the time period??"

Alara gathered her thoughts and went back into her memories and the light bulb went off in her head.

"Oh! No, they weren't! So that must mean they were..."

"Time travelers. Yep. They must have used the same jump drive we did."

This complicated things, massively. They'd need to deal with them, somehow. But it wouldn't be easy since they were also time travelers. She needed to take this into her own hands.

"Are they still there?"

"I believe so. I saw them entering two rooms. I guess they're staying."

"Can you take over here for me?"