It was a brand new planet, one the Doctor had never been to before

Disclaimer: Own nothing, wish I did but then, so do a lot of people. Anyway, hope you like it.

- - -

It was a brand new planet, one the Doctor had never been to before. He had absolutely no idea what is was called but he didn’t really mind; an adventure was an adventure, no matter how it looked or sounded. He opened the TARDIS’ front doors and was met with a monstrous heat wave.

“Blimey,” he muttered. “Bit hot, eh?” Expecting a reply, he turned around but there was no one. Everyone was gone, and this time there was no one to fill the shoes. Sighing remorsefully, the Doctor began forward. The planet he had landed on was hot, with a burning red sky full of black ominous clouds. There were birds, large ones with long necks, but they just circled around on the heat spirals. The land beneath his Chucks was dark gravel, possibly brimstone, and it radiated heat. The Doctor decided to take off his coat, because he was beginning to sweat quite freely.

Looking around, he saw large boulders of the black rock, and on closer inspection, he saw that there were tiny drawings of swords, fire and a crown all carved into each one. It puzzled him and when he put his sonic screwdriver against it, it began fizzing and hissing and flashing brightly.

“That’s odd,” he said, momentarily forgetting he was alone. “It seems to react to my sonic screwdriver. Must be a compound in the rock. That’s never happened before.” Thinking, he stepped back and turned around. A flicker of movement caught his eye, and he frowned. “Hello?” he called, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Is anybody there?” A head poked out, a small child’s, and the Doctor smiled. He walked forward a little but the child seemed spooked.

“No, no,” the Doctor protested calmly. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to talk. Can you come out?”

There was no movement for a moment, and then the child appeared. It was a boy, thirteen years old probably, wearing a tatty black vest and dishevelled black pants. He wore no shoes, no jewellery and he didn’t seem confident. But the thing that was the most astonishing was the boy’s eyes; they were bright gold. And his hair, although longish, didn’t cover his pointed ears. They reminded the Doctor of cat ears, and peering at the child, he saw that there was a tail hanging down between his legs.

“Hello, there,” the Doctor greeted cheerfully. “You got a name?”

“The boy looked shocked for a moment, his gold cat eyes growing wide, and then he nodded, replying softly, “Nubellosyntacorus.”

“All right,” the Doctor said, frowning. “Got a shorter name?”

“Nubell,” the boy replied, tentatively stepping forward. He seemed quite curious, and the Doctor smiled at that. “Who are you?” Nubell asked, stepping closer still.

“I’m the Doctor,” the Time Lord replied. He looked around while Nubell examined him curiously. There was nothing around, only barren land and rocky terrain. His eyes widened slightly as he saw the large mountain, and narrowed then as he saw the black palace at the top. “Where are we? This isn’t a place I’ve ever been to or even know about.”

“I…” Nubell said softly, looking down at his dirty bare feet. “I don’t know. No one knows where we are, and the ones who do are at the Palace.”

“Then let’s go ask them,” the Doctor said, rearing to go.

“No!” Nubell cried, grabbing his wrist and dragging him behind the boulder. “You can’t go up there,” he hissed. “You’ll never come back.”

“What do you mean?”

Nubell suddenly looked very scared, and the Doctor frowned. It seemed that, once again, he had landed on a troubled planet. But he was determined to set it right, so he asked again, this time more kindly. Nubell seemed a little nervous but he seemed to want to talk.

“For several months, people from my clan have been disappearing. They’ll come up here to investigate or to do a job and then they’ll never come back. Everyone’s scared that they’ll be next, and no one comes up here anymore.”

“Then why are you up here, wherever here is.”

“I’m up here because I heard a strange noise. And then you arrived. How did you get here? Nobody comes to this place, at least not in the last few hundred years, according to the drawings.”

“Oh, like those ones over there,” the Doctor said, grinning. “So, where do you live?”

“I live underground a few miles from here. Would you like to see it?”

“Indeed I would,” was the cheery reply. “Then I might be able to find out where I am.”

- - -

It was hot and damp inside the cave, and the Doctor couldn’t see anything. He was relying entirely on Nubell’s perfect vision, and the teenage human cat was gripping his sleeve, leading him towards his clan’s home. From what he’d said, the Doctor could deduce that there were about five thousand human cats living underground, and they’d been living there for centuries. They’d been herded unde the ground by the Slavers, as Nubell called them, and they were the ones who lived up in the black palace.

“So how far down are we?” the Doctor asked. “I’d say about two hundred feet by now.”

“We’re almost at three hundred feet, and there’s about one hundred and fifty feet left. And then you’ll get to see the greatest sight your eyes have ever seen.”

“Oh, I highly doubt that. I’ve seen plenty of tings in my time, many of them great.”

“But this is the best thing ever. Even I still a little overwhelmed whenever I see it, and I was born there. It really is quite astonishing what our ancestors did with just their bare hands.”

“So, your ancestors, hundreds of years ago, built a secret sanctuary for your clan to make sure they were safe from the Slavers. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

“But why do the Slavers kidnap your clan?”

“Only the leaders know that answer.”

“Then we’ll just have to pay them a visit, won’t we?” The Doctor grinned at Nubell but the teenager looked horrified. “What did I say?”

“The leaders don’t like outsiders. They’ll probably kill you on sight.”

“Well, that’s not good, is it? I’ll just have to charm them, won’t I?”

Nubell laughed. “I’m sure they’d appreciate that. Although, Admiral Chari might like you.”

“Who is Admiral Chari and why would she like me?” The Doctor frowned as he began to sweat a lot more, and he saw a dim red glow off in the far distance.

“She’s the one who’s leading us right now. She has been since her father died a few years ago, and she’s really amazing. She good at everything! Fighting, tactics, shooting, throwing, weaving, cooking, cleaning, everything!”

“Oh,” the Doctor said, making a strained and unbelieving face. “So, she won’t let the other leaders kill me, right? Because, I really don’t want to get killed, at least not here.”

“Well, if you tell her you mean no harm, she might listen. But sometimes she gets really angry because of her sister.”

“She has a sister?” asked the Doctor. “Who is she?”

“Nobody knows because Admiral Chari wants to keep her out of the public eye.”

“Why?”

“I just said nobody knows and you ask me why?” Nubell looked up at the Doctor even though he couldn’t see and then shook his head. “Visitors are so strange.”

“There’s been more than one?”

“No. Why?”

“Well, you sound like you get visitors all the time, the way you say we’re strange. Have there been other visitors in the last few days, weeks, months, years…centuries?”

“Not that anyone’s told me about, and they’re a rarity so everyone would know or want to know about it.”

“I see your logic,” the Doctor said, and then frowned. I sound like a Dalek, he thought, shaking his head.

“Yes, well, you might ask Admiral Chari about her but you’ll probably get her angry and you might die.”

“Well, that would be a bad thing.” The Doctor scratched his head thoughtfully. “So, Admiral Chari has a secret sister, there’s a secret sanctuary and there’s kidnapping going on. Sounds like a real mystery.”

“Yes, it does.” Nubell was a little distant, and the Doctor asked why. “We’re nearly there.”

“Oh, goodie,” the Doctor said cheerfully. “Let’s go meet the clan!”

Nubell laughed as the red glow became a bright flame and suddenly there was light everywhere, blinding light. The Doctor couldn’t see for over ten seconds, and when he did regain the ability to see, he was amazed by what he saw. They were standing in a large cavern, filled with smaller caverns and crevices. But what amazed him the most was the sheer numbers of the human cats. There were thousands of them, all milling around. Some were carrying baskets, others infants, but most were carrying weapons; spears, bows and arrows, even swords. Each and every one of them had different facial appearances, some with long cat ears, and others with cat faces but all of them had tails, though they all varied.

“Wow,” the Doctor said, looking around and stuffing his hands in his pocket now that Nubell had dropped his sleeve. “That’s…pretty incredible. And they did all this by hand! Amazing!”

“Not all of it,” said a sudden new voice. The Doctor looked around and saw a group of approaching human cats. There was a young woman in the lead wearing black pants, a black shirt and a black coat. Looking around, the Doctor noticed that everyone was wearing black, even new borns.

“Hello,” the Doctor greeted, grinning. “You must be Admiral Chari.”

“And who told you that?” She looked around her late twenties, early thirties, and she had long dark brown hair pulled into a plait. She was average height and her golden eyes were boring into his.

“That would be this fine young chap.” The Doctor smiled down at Nubell, who seemed frozen to the spot.

“Nubell?” Admiral Chari asked, looking down at him expectantly. “Did you tell him who I was?”

“I told him about you, but he couldn’t have guessed it was you. Please don’t kill him.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Admiral Chari said, frowning. “I was going to ask who he was. But before that, how did you get here? We haven’t had visitors in centuries.”

“I’m the Doctor, and I came here for a vacation.”

“From?”

“Uh…danger? Trouble? Life?”

“I see,” Admiral Chari said, smirking. “And have you been anywhere else since you got here?”

“Nope,” replied the Doctor, looking up at the stalactites. The cavern was very high, probably a mile high, and there were other little caverns all over the place. “Came straight here, courtesy of Nubell. Where are we?”

- - -

After meeting all of the leaders and being introduced to a few of Nubell’s friends, the Doctor was taken to Admiral Chari’s own cave. It had a comfortable feeling to it, and there was a burning incense stick in the corner near the door. There were two beds, which was odd, and then there was a table that might seat three if pushed. Drawings and inscriptions were carved into the wall everywhere, ones that resembled pain and misery, fire and torture.

“Remarkable drawings,” he commented as Admiral Chari pulled off her coat. “Who drew them? You, or your sister?”

He stiffened as he felt something cold against his throat, and looked down at the young human cat. She was glaring at him, daring him to go on.

“Who told you about her?” she asked.

“Nubell, but only as a trifling subject.”

“What do you know?” she hissed, her eyes flaring dangerously. “Did they send you to get her?”

“Who?” the Doctor asked. “The Slavers?” He scoffed. “No! Why would work for someone who kidnap innocent cats? It seems immoral to me, because I don’t like wrong-doers.”

“Then why are you asking questions about her?”

“I was only curious,” he replied honestly. “Besides, I’m more interested in why I don’t know where I am. Do you know where we are?”

“Yes, I do,” Admiral Chari replied, withdrawing her blade and sticking it back in its sheath. “We’re on a very isolated planet. No one comes here because they don’t know it exists.”

“What is it?”

“It’s called Felinia, named so after our ancestors’ true name, Feline.” She shrugged. “Personally, I think it’s a rather unimaginative name. It might have been something brilliant, or something possibly more interesting.”

“Sounds…catty,” the Doctor said, earning a small laugh from her. “So, why are you living underground? Nubell told me briefly that it’s to protect you from the Slavers, but surely there must be another reason why.”

“I don’t know the reason why we’re down here except for the purpose of being safe from the Slavers. But it’s home, and everyone likes it down here. It’s nice and warm, just the way we like it.”

“So, your ancestors build this sanctuary to keep you safe from the Slavers, but surely these kidnappings haven’t been going on for centuries, have they?”

“They’ve been going on for all of the history that’s been recorded. Our ancestors couldn’t write, so they drew on the walls and boulders above.”

“Are you still drawing?”

“Oh, yes,” replied Admiral Chari. “Everyone draws on the walls, telling of their lives and their adventures. My sister draws the most.”

“Why?” asked the Doctor, leaning closer to the drawings of torture. There was a knife and a body, and it seemed to represent something.

There was a slight pause and then she replied in a dark voice, “Because of the things she’s seen and what has happened to her.”

“And they would be?”

“Asking personal questions is very rude,” came a dull voice, making the Doctor jump slightly. “Especially when the person is right there with you.” He slowly turned around and raised an eyebrow when he saw a young woman leaning against the wall, staring at him with bright gold eyes. Compared to everyone else, she seemed completely human, except for her eyes.

“I didn’t think you’d be back until later tonight,” Admiral Chari said, looking at, presumably, her sister. “Why did you come back earlier?”

“I heard a noise, and went to investigate.” The young black haired woman stood up and walked towards the Doctor, her arms crossed over her chest. “I saw the Slavers, carrying away a large blue box.”

“Oh, that’s just terrific,” the doctor said sarcastically. “Now I have to go up there to get the TARDIS back.”

“You went above?” Admiral Chari asked incredulously. “How many times have I told you not to go up there? Remember what happened the last time you went up there?”

“How could I forget?” the woman hissed, baring her teeth. They were very sharp and pointy. “Everyday I am reminded of what they did. Right now, even looking at you, I remember everything that happened.”

“So,” the Doctor interrupted, looking the new human cat up and down. “How did they know about my ship?”

“They heard it too,” the young woman snapped. “The slaves up there are forced to listen for anything, and they heard your box, all the way from the top.” She turned her golden eyes back on him and smirked. “You’re not one of them or us.” She walked closer and leaned towards him, balancing on the balls of her feet. She sniffed him, and then frowned. “You don’t smell right,” she said suddenly.

“That’s not nice,” the Doctor remarked, pretending to be hurt. “A total stranger and you say I smell bad?”

“I said not right. You smell fine apart from that.”

“Right, well, guess I’ll just have to change my soap. Don’t think Home Brand cuts it anymore. Maybe I’ll try Aloe Vera or mint.”

“Who are you?” the young woman snapped, glaring at him.

“I’m the Doctor.”

“Yes, about that.” Two sets of eyes fell on Admiral Chari, and she frowned. “What exactly are you a doctor of? Medicine? Psychology? Dentistry?”

“Are you having a go at my teeth?”

“Your teeth are fine,” the cat clan’s leader replied irritably.

“They’re better than fine, I’d say. I actually quite like these teeth, thank you very much.” The Doctor ran his tongue over his teeth and then grinned, showing them how fine they were.

“Back to my original question, please,” Admiral Chari snapped, glaring at him. “Doctor who?”

“Just the Doctor,” came his nonchalant reply. It was always amazing when he met knew people, because they were bound to ask that question, if a little altered, but it would always come up when he introduced himself.

“So, you travel in a blue box, your name is the Doctor, and you smell off.”

“You know,” the Doctor said, looking at Admiral Chari’s sister with a pained expression, “saying someone smells off isn’t going to do them a world of good. It’s like stepping on a snail then saying sorry.” He pulled a face. “What’s the point?”

“What’s a snail?” asked the sister, staring at him curiously. “And why would you step on it?”

“That’s exactly my point,” he replied, his eyes blazing excitedly. “What’s the point in saying I smell off?”

“I am trying to figure out what you want. I know you said you were on vacation but why anyone would come here is beyond me.”

“Were you listening in all conversation?” the Time Lord asked, horrified. “That’s terribly rude.”

“So is talking behind peoples backs,” the sister replied, giving the admiral a foul glare. “Curiosity is bad for anyone, especially visitors from beyond.”

“‘Visitors from beyond’,” the Doctor repeated, smiling. “I like that.”

“Pardon me,” said a voice from the cave entrance. Everyone turned to look at one of the leaders, Golt. He was old, greying but still very coarse. “Admiral Chari, we need your advice. Something has delayed the plans and we fear that it might not work in time.”

“It has to,” Admiral Chari exclaimed. “How was it delayed?”

Golt looked at his admiral’s sister. “Your sister seems to have trodden on an important part of the plan and it’s been damaged quite severely.”

Admiral Chari looked at her sister, horrified beyond words. “Is this true?” she asked in a hushed voice. “Did you stand on it?”

“I thought it was just part of the tunnel,” was the casual reply. She was inspecting her nails, and the Doctor noticed how sharp they were.

“That tunnel is off limits,” Admiral Chari said through gritted teeth. “You should know that.”

“I got lost.” The look on her face was purely innocent but Admiral Chari saw right through it.

“Don’t lie to me, Hypipsan!” she roared.

Her sister looked immediately rueful, and she hung her head. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “But I told you if you proceed with your plan, I would do something to stop it.”

“We’ve had this discussion before,” Admiral Chari hissed. “You know that’s treason to the cause!”

“The death with the cause!” Hypipsan shouted back. “You know the Slavers will have anticipated this so why are you going ahead? They’ll kill everyone, and if not them than your cursed plan. You don’t know how fragile it is, or what might happen if you miscalculate.”

“And do you know, little sister?” There was going to be a fully-fledged fight in a minute if things were going to carry on the way they were going. “Do you know what will happen if we proceed? No! How could you? All you do is sulk around in the caves, spaying and listening to private conversations!” The admiral stalked towards her sister and stuck her face in hers. “So stop trying to delay us. We are doing this for the benefit of every cat down here in the cavern, and for the sake of those who were taken as slaves. Surely you don’t want anyone else to go through the horror of that?”

Hypipsan seemed defeated, and she bowed her hand in submission. “Forgive me, sister,” she whispered. “I will not get in the way.”

“Good,” the other cat grunted. “Now let’s go and see if it can be repaired. You stay here with the Doctor and make sure he doesn’t try sabotaging anything.”

“Why would I do that?” The Doctor asked in exasperation as the human cats left. They ignored him and left, leaving him alone with a humbled human cat. She backed up until she was sitting on the edge of a bed and then she looked up at him, her gold eyes clouded by tears.

“They’re all going to die,” she said, staring at him meaningfully. “If they go ahead with the plan, they’ll all burn, just like other worlds.”

“Why do you say that?” the Doctor asked, intrigued. He walked over to her and kneeled down in front of her, staring up into her glowing orbs. “Have you foreseen something?”

“I do not possess the skill of foresight,” she replied, smiling a little. “I only know what I have been shown.”

“Someone showed you?” She nodded. “Who?” She wouldn’t answer. No matter how hard he pestered her, she wouldn’t yield to his question. So he gave up and went back to examining her drawings. “You’re quite the artist,” he remarked, looking at the one of a burning sphere. “Do you draw what you see?”

Hypipsan came to stand beside him and she ran her fingers over her drawing. “I have drawn everything I have been shown, laying down proof that the plan will fail and destroy us all but Chari won’t listen. She is blinded by the power of the plan, and I’m losing her to it. Before it used to be us and Father, but he died when the Slavers attacked one of our water holes. Then she became Admiral, and she’s been turned into a killing machine. All she does is think about how she can next kill some unsuspecting Slaver or how she can infiltrate the palace so she can use the plan.”

“What is the plan?” the Doctor asked, frowning. “Is it a weapon?”

“Yes. It draws its power from the heat, and it breathes out flame, burning everything in its path.”

“What part did you stand on?”

Hypipsan smirked and then looked at him sideways. “I didn’t stand on anything,” she said cheekily. “I damaged the mouth by closing it, so now they have no way of letting it kill anyone.”

“But how have you been shown the destruction of other worlds?” the Doctor wanted to know.

“They had a machine that produced an image in the water, and in that I saw the fate of three worlds.” She looked remorseful again. “If it goes ahead, this will be the fourth and final world.”

“What do you mean by ‘final’?”

“It will destroy both the Slavers and the Cat Clan.” A single tear ran down her dirty face. “We’re all going to burn.”

- - -

Yeah, I know I have a lot of outstanding stories that need finishing, but I’ve been watching Doctor Who for the past couple of weeks and I am really sick with the girls he chooses, except Donna; she’s cool. So, this is one of those stories without any familiar characters, save the Doctor. Hopefully, you’ll like it and want to see it go on after this ‘episode’ is over. Please, during or at the end of the three chapters, write a message and tell me if it’s a yes or a no, and I’ll go from there.