Jean-Marc opened his door, and saw that it was that girl again. “What is it this time?” He asked, trying not to be overly rude.
“Oh I just dropped by to see how you are.” Haana handed him an armful of magazines. “Also I thought I’d drop these by, they’re very old but I’m sure you can find a use for them.”
“Thank you.” Jean-Marc said. “I’m sure the articles inside them will be very informative.”
“The girl on page nineteen in issue seventy six is my favourite. Consider them your birthday present, we haven’t been anywhere to buy the newer copies.” Haana said. “Well I must be going, the Doctor’s trying to take us to ancient China or something. All she would divulge is that we’re going to sample the world’s first pot of tea. I tried telling her that you would prefer something more exciting for your sixteenth birthday.”


“Come on old girl, steady now.” The Doctor coaxed the TARDIS manual controls gently through the vortex. “Almost there now.”
Haana walked into the console room and spotted the Doctor, wearing her pinky purple silk outfit. “Are we there yet?” She asked.
“Sssh. Must concentrate. Tea.” The Doctor informed Haana.
“Excuse me.” Haana said and left, heading back to her room. She found the experimental Time Ring still intact. It was proving more difficult than the manuals insisted but she was being very cautious. Once mistake and she could be killed instantly, or worse. Slowly and surely she attached the control strips to the large brass bracelet. It had taken her three days to learn how to build nanobots and now she waited for the tiny machines to build the microcircuits that would control the Time Ring. It might have been easier to build a TARDIS she thought. That only required mapping block transfer computations over a pocket dimension and installing the Eye of Harmony receptor along with a few control circuits. The Doctor would notice that however and then she’d be packed off back to Gallifrey quicker than you can say first law of time.
Slipping out of her sweaty jeans and t-shirt she pulled on a pair of black and pink hot pants and a pink blouse, which she tied the lower half up into a knot just below her breasts, leaving her belly exposed. Maybe she should get her bellybutton pierced? She’d been thinking about it for a while now. Just a simple silver bar, nothing flashy or dangly that could get caught up in things and get ripped out.


Jean-Marc wandered into the console room. He spotted the Doctor working away at something important and left again. He found Haana’s room on only the third attempt and knocked on it. “I’m bored.” He said. “There’s nothing to do on this ship.”
Haana hopped on one foot as she attempted to put one of her shoes on. “Have you looked in the library? There are lots of books in there to read.”
“I don’t want to read. I want to do something, play rugby or something.”
“What about swimming? There’s a pool down the corridor, third door on the left along a bit, second door on the right. Down two flights of stairs and second door on the right. I’m a fully qualified swimming instructor.” Haana struggled to put her other shoe on.
“Another time maybe.” Jean-Marc said. “If only you’d been a guy then we could have talked about girls.”
“Hey, that’s my second favourite topic on conversation, after clothes.” Haana smiled. “What do you want to know?”
“Do you find me attractive?” Jean-Marc asked.
“To be honest, I’m not attracted to your half of the species.” Haana explained. “Like you I have a particular fondness for the ladies. The only difference is most of them are more likely to go for you than me.”
“You are playing for the other team as they say?” Jean-Marc joked.
Haana laughed. “Yes. I’m a fully paid up member. The way I see it is that we’d make a great team. I send all the straight women your way and you send the Sapphic ones my way, as long as they’re not butch. I’m not keen on butch. Sometimes they’re wonderful lovers but usually they’re too obsessed with their own self imagery to notice me packing my bags and moving on.”
“I like you.” Jean-Marc said. “You’re so funny. If I could have had a sister I would have liked it to be you.”
“Thanks.” Haana said. “Most guys would not have understood.” Haana paused for a second. “We’ve landed.”
“How do you know?” Jean-Marc asked.
“I can feel it. It’s like a third ear or a second nose. I can just sense it.” Call it Time Lady’s intuition if you like. We’d better go, the Doctor will be expecting us.”


The Doctor was busy scrutinising the banks of instruments on the TARDIS console when Haana and Jean-Marc put in an appearance. “I think we’re there.” She said. The Year-o-meter is playing up again but it always does this far back in Earth’s history. Well I hope you appreciate this historic event young man.”
“Thanks.” Jean-Marc replied diplomatically.
“Do you want me to have a look at it?” Haana asked. “It might be worth extra credit.”
“Later perhaps.” The Doctor agreed. “When we come back.” The Doctor looked at Haana’s outfit. “You can’t wear that. This is ancient China. Hot pants are anachronistic in this era.”
“You’re wearing that suit aren’t you? Machine woven silk is also many years too early. Besides, there are no Kimonos anywhere inside the TARDIS. I accidentally jettisoned them all into the vortex when I realised you would want me to get changed.”
“Well we’ll just have to buy some new clothes when we get somewhere.” The Doctor decided. “You too Jean-Marc, the males of this era wear silk robes too.”
The Doctor explained a previous visit to the court of Kublai Khan while Haana went back to her room to change her shoes. She found that the Time Ring had been completed and she slipped it onto her wrist along with some other bracelets. She found the others outside the TARDIS so she locked up once she emerged and handed her key to Jean-Marc. “You can be responsible for this.” She told him.


The clothing shop turned out to be little more than a wooden hut filled with clothes. Haana picked a gorgeous sheer white silk robe with pink flowers while Jean-Marc reluctantly picked a blue and black silk overcoat. The Doctor swapped her gaudily coloured suit for a gold and purple robe with a matching headpiece. Putting all their original clothes into a large BHS carrier bag they took turns to carry it on their way.


“Bored now.” Haana muttered to Jean-Marc when suddenly the sunlight vanished. “Wow, a total eclipse.” Haana said, her curiosity back now.
“That’s not a total eclipse.” The Doctor said, running back the way they came. “Back to the TARDIS everyone. That’s a Vorlon Planet Killer.”
“I thought the Vorlons left the galaxy or something?” Haana asked.
“Not yet they haven’t.” The Doctor explained between wheezy breaths.
“What’s a Vorlon?” Jean-Marc asked, trying to get into the conversation.
“Trouble.” Haana explained. “I’ve only read about them in the Chronicles but they’re not the best of people to meet.”
“They can only be here for one thing.” The Doctor decided. “Us.”
“That’s three things.”
“Don’t split hair’s Haana. From that far up we’re one target.”


Back inside the TARDIS the Doctor explained things to Jean-Marc while Haana dematerialised the ship. “The Vorlons and the Shadows, well it would take too long to pronounce their real name, have been at war for millions of years. Every thousand years or so it all builds up to a massive battle and people die unnecessarily.” The Doctor cast her gaze to the floor for a few seconds before continuing. “The worst of it is that they get others to do the fighting for them. They encourage other races to build up fleets of ships to attack the other’s forces. Can you believe all that suffering? All that pain over a stupid argument?”
“So what can we do?” Jean-Marc asked. “Tell they to go away?”
“Yes.” The Doctor replied. “That’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
“If we do then I’m going to get changed.” Haana pulled her clothes out of the BHS bag and headed back to her room.
“Are the Vorlons as bad as the Daleks?” Jean-Marc asked?
“They’re not as petty and vindictive no, but they don’t hold back on the ruthless killing. All in all they’re rather like spoiled children. Too used to getting their own way for far too long. Like all bullies they’re the first to back down from a fight when a bigger kid comes along.”
“That’s us right?” Jean-Marc wondered.
“Not quite. We’re the ones whore going to take away their toys and send them to bed early without supper. Go and see where Haana is there’s a good boy. Knock first though. She can be a bit grumpy sometimes.”


“Come in.” Haana replied to the knock on her bedroom door. She put the book on Vorlon fashion down when Jean-Marc entered. “Ah good, it’s you.” She took the Time Ring off her wrist. “Put this on, don’t let the Doctor see you wearing it. You’re not as sensitive to Time as we are but in case things go wrong this will protect you.”
“It’s a bracelet.” Jean-Marc pointed out.
“It’s a Time Ring.” Haana explained. “It’s a very simple means of travelling through time. It can also shield you from the time winds if you accidentally get pulled into the vortex. The Doctor and I could survive it but you’re fully human and are not immune to it, maybe.” She stared at the young French boy for a few seconds. “The TARDIS changes us. Makes us into more than we were. Already you can speak most languages; soon you will know things, the locations of the rooms, be immune to certain illnesses. And most mysterious of all, a liking for the colour purple.”


The TARDIS materialised and its three occupants emerged. “Well, it’s a lot dingier than I expected.” The Doctor muttered. “Where’s the beauty in stained glass these days?”
“Who are you?” A Vorlon seemed to float forward; it’s long purple robes hiding its feet.
“How do you do? I’m the Doctor and these are my friends Haana and Jean-Marc.” The Doctor offered her hand.
“Who are you?” The Vorlon repeated.
The Doctor crept forward and whispered in its ‘ear’. She laughed as it fled away shrieking. “That should stir things up a bit. Come on you two, lets get this over with.” The Doctor headed off in the direction of the fleeing Vorlon.


“We’re looking for a guy called Kosh.” The Doctor announced finally. “Strange chap, if indeed he’s a chap. It’s so difficult to tell with those robes. No Haana we don’t need a volunteer to find out.”
Haana put her hand back down. “Spoil sport. She never lets me have any fun you know Jean-Marc.” Haana stuck her tongue out at the Doctor’s back.
“I saw that young lady.” The Doctor said sternly.
“I second Haana’s motion.” Jean-Marc stuck for Haana and stuck his tongue out.


The three time travellers found the bridge of the Vorlon planet killer awash with panic. “Ok, settle down.” The Doctor shouted. “Lets have some order around here, call yourselves Vorlons? I’ve seen better-organised mayhem during the January sales in Harrods’ knickers department. Have some dignity for Omega’s sake please.”
Haana, herself a veteran of the 2000 sales nodded her head. “You tell them Doctor.”
“Who are you?” A Vorlon asked meekly before being embarrassed into silence by the stares of the others.
“I am the Doctor.” The Doctor said, tossing her hair for effect. “Also known as the Oncoming Storm and a few other names which elude me right now. However I am also here to tell you to leave Earth alone or the consequences will be fatal.”
A brown robed Vorlon moved forward. “Do not presume to tell us what to do, or…”
“Or what?” The Doctor demanded? “You’ll consign yourselves to defeat by the Shadows? Is that what you were going to say hmmm? Speak up there’s a good fellow.”
“Now I’m looking for Kosh. Which one of you is called Kosh?”
The Vorlons hesitated. “We are all Kosh.” They replied finally.
The Doctor tapped her foot on the floor. “It’s really going to be one of THOSE day’s isn’t it? I can wait all day if necessary. What are a few years to me?”
Haana quickly put her hand over Jean-Marc’s mouth. “Quiet.” She whispered into his ear. “She’s calling their bluff. You could get us all killed.”
The throng of Vorlons parted and a Vorlon moved forward to stand in front of the Doctor.
“Are you Kosh?” The Doctor asked.
“Yes.”
“Will you listen to me?”
“Yes.”
“The inhabitants of this planet are important to your cause. Personally I think that the sooner this squabble is over the better off we’ll all be. However I’m not supposed to meddle in history, but in order to keep in on track well here we all are. Leave this world; they are not for you…yet. It is not yet time for their light to shine forth.” The Doctor turned to leave.
“You do not understand.” Kosh started to explain.
“Understanding is a three-edged sword.” The Doctor quipped before realising the gravity of her words. “Now remember no, sneaky genetic modification of humans to create telepaths in order to disable the Shadow’s ships before creating a base on the second planet, ok? Come on you two, we’ve finished here.”


“They were lucky you didn’t get mad at them.” Haana joked as they walked back to the TARDIS. Just as they reached the TARDIS Kosh floated into view.
“I would know more.” He said. “We are in danger of loosing this conflict.”
The Doctor tapped the side of her head with one hand, while gesturing for Haana and Jean-Marc to get inside the TARDIS. “There’s a race of people, there’s a quarrelsome, clan driven society. They are also fighting the Shadows, although I doubt you noticed them yet. Someone is about to travel back in time from the future to a few months from now inside a massive space station called Babylon 4. The person inside, Jeffrey, will come to call himself Valen. You must be there first and when the Minbari arrive you will offer to help them defeat the Shadows. That reminds me he still owes me dinner, I might pop over for some flarn. Well that’s enough chitchat from me, must run. I’ve got a date with a teacup.” The Doctor hurried inside the TARDIS and quickly dematerialised.


The Doctor raised the plain white bowl to her mouth and sipped the bitter infusion. She spat the tea out and shouted at the bewildered housewife in several languages before commandeering the kitchen and showing her how it was done properly.
Haana, once again dressed in her sheer silk robe, laughed and turned to Jean-Marc. “So the Doctor invented tea after all.”
“Isn’t this against that law you told me about?” He asked.
“Technically no. While it looks like she’s violating the law quite blatantly technically it can be argued that it’s a predestined event.”
“I see.” Jean-Marc shook his head.” I think those girls are looking at us.
“I know” Haana smiled “the younger one on the left is really giving you the eye.”
Jean-Marc glanced in their direction again. “What about her sister? She’s all but drooling over you, she’s shameless.”
“I think the Doctor can do without us for an hour.” Haana said, standing up and walking over to the two girls before pausing and dragging Jean-Marc over with her. “Will you come on?” She hissed to him.
The Doctor handed the oriental housewife the cuppa and watched as she enjoyed it. “Tell all your friends, let them know the recipe. The whole of human history depends on you, no pressure.”