A Better Eggtimer....

"Great Xoanon!" they both swear together in stereo.

Leela 1 (i.e. Dr. Who's Leela)

Shock....and then a sudden....warm feeling flowing through me....

So this is what it feels like, I say to myself silently, remembering trying to get a feeling for this "doppleganger" business.

Being that I'm not going for my Janise thorn (or where it used to be if I hadn't given it to Inquirer, later she'd said that it had been great with salt) in sheer fury, I know that....I'm going to get along rather well with my "sister".

That is, if the fear I can see in her face (she hides it well but then I know myself to well....and apparently her as well in at least as far as in this) doesn't cause her to attack! E'eysha told me of how she'd been when meeting Astra 4 (re: 7381) and I hope that things don't turn hostile here!

"We're here to help," I say softly in a non-threatening manner.

Sigin

"Here, let me help you with that," I say, dabbing at a cut with my silken handkerchief she'd gotten on her chin from that rather hard spill she'd taken there.

....

I am ever the gentleman (or gentledragon, technically) and shall remain so, so don't question the wisdom of what I do, please. Good manners can do wonders in calming a tense situation, and it does so in this one. Just as I knew it would. I may have been the youngest member of my Dragon Circle back hom, but I didn't get to my age by misreading situations.

Leela first looks in surprise at him, then at the rather odd group, but her eyes grow less wide with each passing second.

Knew that the old charm was there....

......

Hey, I'm a dragon.....I get to be vain every once in a while.

Live with it.

"Who are you?" she finally asks, still tense, but not so much as before.

"At least she'd not shouting about me being "The Evil One" like last time," the Doctor says softly so only he and those with sensitive hearing well above human norm can hear.

Apparently things here were more in line with the TV show, I agree silently, nodding, The Doctor is in his third Regeneration, not his fourth, so of course this Leela would not mistake him for the "Evil One"!

"We're here to help," I say simply, "We shall make proper introductions here shortly but if similar events that happened to you twin is also happen to you then we shall have to move quickly! Dear, were invisible creatures called Phantoms stalking you before running into us?"

"Wh....yes, they were," the other Leela sputters, looking nervously behind her despite herself.

The Doctor

"Well then, I believe it is high time for an eggtimer!" I say with much resolve, holding out a hand for it.

Betty reaches for the one she's carrying, but pauses when she sees that the Doctor isn't reaching in her direction.

B'Elanna hands me an object and upon looking at it I nod in approval. Betty and Ragan seem to be a bit surprised.

"A digital eggtimer?" Ragan asks, "Any particular reason why?"

For some reason she sounds.....disappointed from the departure from Whovian cannon.

"I'll explain later," I say with a chuckle in my voice, "That is, if you still have those questions once you see what happens."

"A magic talisman?" Leela 2 asks her twin, seeing the object in my hands.

"No....that isn't magical," Leela 1 answers her, "I'll be able to explain in a bit."

Leela 2 looks at Leela 1, still not sure what to make of her....but can't help feeling.....warm feelings for her despite herself.

All of this must be very confusing for her, poor dear! I sigh to myself before continuing. I and the other can hear those Phantom beasts approaching, after all!

B'Elanna

"All right," said the Doctor, setting the egg timer and placing it carefully on the ground. "We're going to move off in that direction. Everyone move very quietly and carefully. Don't make a sound! Ready?"

Now he's repeating himself, I chuckle softly, remembering the last time we did this.

Everyone except Leela 2 nodded their understanding, and began to move slowly and silently away from the egg timer. Leela 2, however, simply stood there for a moment with an expression of extreme confusion on her face.

"Will you come on!" Leela 1 hisses, waving at her to hurry.

That and the sound of the invisible creatures coming closer, seems to tell me something. She clearly decided that now was not the time to ponder the whys and wherefores, and quietly and rapidly followed the Doctor and his party.

The buzzing of the digital eggtimer shattered the silence just as they felt the tingling sensation that marked the sonic barrier. With a roar, the creatures pounced upon the eggtimer, their invisible feet smashing it flat. At least, that's what the Phatoms are trying to do, I see. We all watched with interest, this spectacle, safe behind the barrier wall.

BUZZZ.....BUZZZ.....BUZZZZ!

Roar!

Thump!!

Silence for five seconds, then.....

BUZZZ.....BUZZZ.....BUZZZZ!

Roar!

Thump!!

After a few more times, the roars of the Phantom is beginning to sound rather annoyed.

"Military technology is by needs rather rugged," I explain to Betty and Ragan, who are looking first at the area that the Phantoms keep hitting the egg timer, "Who knows when they have to 'MacQuiver' something to repair battle damaged equipment. That thing out there alone has five or six elements within it that some of the higher skilled Mechanics of that group....Interesting how the Military can same occupations and components as that of Star Fleet, but different names, eh?....Highly skilled Mechanics called 'Scotties' can use to repair life support systems in dozens of spaceship types alone!"

Boy wasn't the man who'd that complimentary title at the end....pleased at what his nickname had developed in the Military universe! I add to myself, smiling at the memory.

"And that noise will attract away the second hunting party sent by Neeva," Leela 1 added, nodding in sudden insight, "Giving us more time to....properly plan and introduce ourselves."

Leela 2 blinked at the last (but can see how: 1) Neeva would send more people to finish her and, 2) how the antics of this "egg timer" and the frustrated Phantom could well do that!

With that, Leela and Leela speak softly together, breaking down unknowingly into a strange shorthand. I have noticed that analogs tend to do that from time to time. Even Betty and Ragan do it from time to time when they let themselves.

Apparently this chatter is Leela 1 convincing Leela 2 of what we're here to do and who we are (and she is). At first from her voice I hear doubt, but Leela 2's tone of voice soon changes to expectance, belief, and even....comradery towards her new found "sister."

If anyone can quickly and full convince Leela of something is, it is.....Leela.

"So what must we do to stop the raid?" Leela 2 asks the others.

Sigin

I smile in a way that must look more appropriate in my dragon form by the way some of my friends react.

1. "First, to bein we must speak with that hunting party," I say simply.

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