She beamed brightly at him in response to his words. It felt nice, really nice actually, to know that being herself was enough for someone. It hadn't been for Dad at first; Jenny couldn't ever forget that. But with the Master, with him, she could be. And she could embrace parts of herself she didn't even know existed, like that whole pleasure from pain bit.

Oh, that had been wonderful last night. Jenny couldn't wait for their next lesson in sex. But right now, there was another lesson at hand, wasn't there?

And they weren't getting there fast enough. She wrinkled her nose a little and stared at the screen before glancing back over to him. Time to learn again.

"How long does it usually take to travel through time? Does it vary with trips and destinations? Will we be there soon?" Jenny tilted her head, eyes alight with curiosity. "Will the TARDIS tell us when we've landed?"

Once again, her impatience wavered in between irritating and endearing, but the Master gave her an indulgent little smile nevertheless. 'It depends; physical distance through space, the amount of time that has to be negotiated... there are endless variables. But the TARDIS makes a quick job of it.'

Certainly, his flew much faster than the Doctor's decrepit old heap of a TARDIS, and the Master didn't have to hop around the console in that ridiculous fashion, holding levers down with his feet. Just as well. Still though, it was a fairly quick trip to Traken; Jenny wouldn't have to wait much longer.

'When we've landed,' he said, grinning, 'the TARDIS... will do... that.' And he nodded at the glowing time rotor in the centre of the console, which was slowing in its motion, eventually coming to a halt. He flashed one of those manic smiles at Jenny.

'We've arrived, my dear.'

Now that they were here, his mind was running through all the possible ways to carry out the plan that had formed the night before. This trip, after all, was not merely for fun. Well, it was going to be great fun for the Master, of course, but that was another thing. No, this was going to be an important, important lesson for young Miss Jenny; a good start to her education proper.

She watched him with admiration as he flew the TARDIS through what she assumed to be the Vortex. It was an impressive sight, in her naive opinion, and Jenny couldn't wait for the day she got to pilot the ship. More than that, she still couldn't wait for the day she got to look into the Time Vortex herself.

Until then, she would be the good little student and continue to observe everything. And not look nearly as eager as she felt when the Master announced their arrival. But nothing, not all the preparation in the world, could stop that manic smile from crossing her face.

Except. Except this was a new time and place and pacifist planet or not, she suddenly felt uncomfortable going there unprepared. It was the soldier in her, the one that received her first weapon seconds after her birth. Her expression turned serious as she regarded the Master with curiosity.

"Is it safe to go out there without a weapon?" Jenny flushed slightly, hoping he wouldn't think it as awful a question as her dad would've. "I know you said they're pacifists but... but you said they're planet is gone now, too. Which means someone could've attacked and... and going out there unprepared is daft, isn't it?"

It was a battle to keep that smirk from curling his mouth into something predatory and pleased. Because oh, she really was making this far too easy for him, wasn't she? He wasn't even going to have to try and persuade her to carry a weapon! The Master fixed his face into something serious and schoolmasterly.

'Clever girl. Just as I was about to say.'

Holding up a finger to her to wait, the Master dipped below the line of the console for a moment, coming up with a small handgun, sleek and carbonised looking, the material it was made from shimmering somewhere in between gunpowder grey and a steely blue. He tossed it to her carelessly, knowing those honed soldier's reflexes of hers would catch it. Small it may have been, but it was deadly; on impact, the bullets would mushroom outwards, tiny fragments of shrapnel tearing through muscles and veins. And if that wasn't enough, once the bullet had exploded, the fine powder contained inside them- both flammable and toxic- would be released into the bloodstream. Not a quick death, but an inevitable one.

'Whatever the inhabitants of a planet may say about themselves, I never like to go unarmed. There are often outsiders less peaceful, and besides...' he gave her a twisted smile, 'I've made myself no few enemies over the course of my lifetime. Best to be careful.'

As he expected, Jenny caught the gun with ease. She turned it around in her hands, brows furrowed as she studied its design. Clearly much more impressive than anything the humans or Hath had on Messaline. Something this small was meant to do damage.

It was something a part of her couldn't help but admire.

She grinned up at him and slid the pistol into the pocket of her jacket. No reprimand. Only a 'clever girl.' That was so much better than anything Dad would have ever said, she was certain.

"It's lovely," she admitted honestly. "And I hope Traken will be just as. Is that everything, then? We've landed, we're prepared... I want to go see what another time looks like."

'Everything,' he confirmed, with a little nod. He himself had his laser screwdriver stowed in an inner pocket of his jacket, but he wasn't planning on using it, not unless his plans went utterly awry.

'Go on, then,' the Master said lazily, nodding over at the doors. 'Your first time... only fitting you should take the first step.'

The year 4675 was only a few generations before the Doctor had found his way here and the planet had fallen. The Master had contemplated bumping up the date a few years- after all, what a lark would it have been to have Jenny kill Tremas, or his precious daughter Nyssa? But that would have interfered with the Master's own past, and that was something he couldn't have. He'd landed the TARDIS in the abundant Trakenite woods, quite near to that clearing with the charming statue, but not too far a walk from the capital city. The jungle was lush and green, dripping with mosses and ferns, but curiously not humid. Jenny would appreciate it, he was sure.

She flashed him one more grin before sprinting over to the door and outside into the fresh air. Jenny was merely a few steps away from the TARDIS when she came to a quick stopped and gasped.

It was beautiful! It was beyond beautiful, even. Oh, all the trees and all the green and that sky peaking between the canopy and wow. Oh, brilliant! Jenny laughed happily and twirled around in place for a moment. Perhaps it was a tad warm, especially given the leather pants she had chosen.

Still, she couldn't imagine anything better.

"Do we get to meet people, too?" Jenny asked the Master excitedly when he approached. "Is there a city nearby or are we staying to the woods? Will we look out of place? Will people care?"

The Master laughed as Jenny twirled in place, laughing giddily, laconically following her out through the TARDIS's doors, shutting them behind him and leaning against the tree the ship had become, blending perfectly in with the rest of the woods.

'Anyone you like,' he waved an indulgent hand in response to her question. 'We're within easy walking distance of the capital city. Civilisation, Jenny- a mighty civilisation at its peak; you'll be astounded.'

Of course, the Master had no idea what she'd done in the few months she'd been alive thus far, but he'd be willing to bet she'd not come across many places like Traken. Too busy following in her father's footsteps and helping the oppressed and the poor to bother with the magnificent. Well, this would be something new for her.

His lips quirking, he crooked his fingers at her, beckoning her to join him as he made his way out of the clearing. 'Let's be off, then. No time to waste, eh?' He lifted a sardonic eyebrow at the baleful statue of Melkur as he passed it, unable to resist.

"Or all the time in the world," she replied with a happy laugh before losing herself in her thoughts.

A civilisation at its peak? Jenny could only imagine what that must be like. Messaline had been anything but, a war torn society when she was born and a just recovering one when she left. It had been bleak and ugly and only the room with the source had been anything beautiful.

As for the other planets she had encountered on her travels, well, they were nice but nothing like this. Nothing nearly as lush and alive. She took a deep breath as she followed him, closing her eyes for a second and just letting herself hear and smell the world around her.

Amazing.

It was such a shame that it wouldn't last.

"I love it," she declared as they passed by the statue. "This time travelling thing? Oh, you're right. Staying in one point is vulgar!"

'Oh, you've seen nothing yet, my dear.'

The Master chuckled softly as Jenny gaped around herself, taking everything in. Because oh, it was true. He had so much to show her. How truly vulgar her life had been before he found her.

The woods soon bled away, giving way to flat, stretching plains, the green of the grass flecked with orange and yellow flowers. Through the grass ran a thin ribbon of stone, a path leading from the grove to the great citadel, and indeed it wasn't long until it rose into view; all white marble and rose and orange sandstone, warm and shining in the sunlight. The great, round domes of universities and laboratories rose above many other buildings, the spires of other buildings here and there shining with gilt.

It was a lavish city, built for those who had nothing more to do than think, and right now, it was at its height. They didn't even bother with guards at the main entrance to the city, and the Master ushered Jenny in before him when they arrived.

Jenny's smile grew as the citadel came into sight. Oh, it was gorgeous. Tall and imposing and yet it seemed to completely blend in to its natural surroundings. She blinked and blinked and blinked some more as they grew closer.

"You're right," she whispered, awestruck.

And then the people came into sight. Humanoid and dressed in brown furs, they looked like half of the other individuals Jenny had encountered before. But they weren't anything like them. They were from another time. Here and there, a more distinctive looking alien could be observed.

It took her a moment to finally look at the buildings. They looked just as imposing inside the citadel as outside. From the corner of her mind, a statue caught her attention. She stopped to give it a closer look, tilting her head as she looked it over.

The Master lifted an eyebrow at the people who passed around them; the Viking look was apparently in this season, with all the brown fur he saw in evidence. Here and there, though, was evidence of the velvet and embroidery that was more traditional Trakenite dress. As he caught a glimpse of the High Council building, the idea that had begun to simmer in his brain the night before took a slightly more solid form, and he grinned, before turning to Jenny.

'It's yours to explore. The mercantile district is over there-' he wiggled his fingers down to the left, 'there's museums, endless universities... anything you like. Be as touristy as you like.'

While Jenny was preoccupied with the sights and sounds of the city, the Master would slip off. Not immediately, but quietly, after a while. And then... well, the people of Traken had been easy enough to manipulate the first time 'round; why should it be any different now?

Museums! Oh, she liked museums! There was so much to learn in them and Jenny found that she could spend hours within one of them. She beamed back at the Master and nodded.

"I'd love to go to a museum from another time!"

Her eyes looked down towards the left, studying the endless row of buildings. There were so many but part of the experience was asking natives for help, wasn't it? And conversations and all those wonderful aspects of travelling to new planets.

She looked at him curiously, wondering if he enjoyed museums as much as her. The idea of free reign in another time, even if just for a couple of hours, seemed wonderful. "Do you want to come?"

It wasn't difficult to sense her desire to be off by herself, the proverbial horse champing at its proverbial bit. No matter how much she loved her Mister Master- because she did, no doubt about that- she wanted that rush of being somewhere new, altogether alone. And the young, after all, always did like their autonomy, or at least the illusion of it.

So the Master smiled a little, crookedly. 'As I say, anything you like. This is your trip; if you'd rather explore the city by yourself, there's always plenty of things I can occupy my time with.' He tipped her a quick wink. 'Seasoned traveller, you know.'

In some ways, it might even make his plan easier to execute if Jenny was off on her own. But the Master wasn't going to push her. He was a flexible man, after all; he knew how to work with what he had.

"Really?"

Oh, he was brilliant. Something inside of Jenny told her that her father would have had a hundred rules about going off in a new time on her own, Gallifreyan or not. But here they were, on their first trip together, and he was willing to let her go alone.

This was terrific. Amazing. A whole afternoon alone in another time in fascinating museums telling her about history she might never otherwise know!

Beaming, she ran to hug him tightly. Jenny tilted her head up to give him a quick kiss. "Oh, thank you!"

The Master caught Jenny up in his arms when she ran to him, returning the kiss with a cheeky little purse of his lips.

'Go on, then, shoo.'

He pushed her away lightly, watching with paternal pleasure as she soon lost herself in the crowd, making her way towards the elegant stone facade of one of the many museums associated with the city's main university. The college it was affiliated with was, rather amusingly, called Maudlin and pronounced 'Magdalen'.

As for the Master, he wandered off fairly aimlessly, the thought occurring to him that perhaps he could do with a bite to eat. He had no purpose here, after all, besides Jenny's little lesson, but that could wait for a few hours. Let the girl relax, start to enjoy herself... It was only when the victim was completely unsuspecting, after all, that the trap worked with greatest efficacy.

Inclining his head slightly at an important looking magistrate as he passed, the Master ambled down the street, hands in his pockets. This was the reason he never visited Traken; bloody boring place. No whores, no violence in the street, nothing interesting going on under the radar and out of sight. Ah well. He heaved a sigh. The outcome of this little exercise should be enough to make up for any boredom he had to suffer on his part, anyway.

Jenny tilted her head as she studied the floor plan in her hands. While she didn't quite understand how she was able to read the Trakenite language so easily, it didn't bother her so much. What did bother her was finding an alternate way to the treasury room with the normal path closed for renovation.

In the past couple of hours, she had visited two museums, one food stand, and a library where she had been simply amazed by the number of books. Perhaps she had to take back her earlier criticisms of Traken. For a pacifist planet, it was kind of okay. There was so much to learn and, so far, her weapon hadn't even come in useful once!

And the people... well, some of them had been more interesting than others. Overall, though, she had preferred to stay on her own. It was better than another insufferable debate she felt horribly unprepared for.

But getting to the treasury room. Jenny scowled at the map as her mind tried to work out the quickest path. She wanted to see the jewels! Quickly, a giggle escaped her lips. Oh, how the Master would scold her if he knew her impatience!

Maybe it was time for a new approach. She could just cut through the closed path. No one would ever know, right?

The Master managed to kill time for a few hours before surreptitiously seeking Jenny out. Even though her psychic presence was weak and untrained, it was also unguarded, meaning the Master barely even had to concentrate before he found her. Oh, and perfect; there she was, strolling down a side street, just off the main one. Almost exactly where the Master wanted her. Smiling deviously, he set off at a decent pace towards the building that housed the High Consul's chamber.

It was one of the few places on Traken that kept guards, and even then, they weren't actually armed with proper weapons, just a scanner, and a stunstick at their belts in case things got out of hand. Still they would suit his purposes admirably. Inclining his head at the guard as he mounted the stairs, the Master flashed him a friendly grin; the guard returned it with a reserved smile. That was one of the things he thoroughly enjoyed about this regeneration; this body was so young and handsome, the face so open that it never even occurred to most people to distrust him until it was far too late.

'Here to see High Consul Kastor,' he supplied, and the guard nodded, extracting his scanner from his belt. Despite being entirely harmless, it was a fearsome looking thing; metal that glinted in the sunlight, with vicious looking spikes studded here and there; it made a high-pitched whirring noise when the Trakenite guard switched it on.

As soon as he'd done that, the Master reached out to Jenny with his mind once again. Making sure his mental voice was inflected with all the right emotions- fear and urgency and anger- he hissed Jenny! Do not ask questions, do not let anybody know you can hear me- get over here now. Hurry

She wouldn't know, of course, what was going on. All she'd know was the fear in her Master's voice, and the sudden, unexpected sight of him (apparently) being threatened at gunpoint. And soldiers, after all, have a tendency to be a little trigger-happy...

She had just passed the barricade when his voice filled her mind. Jenny stumbled forward, gasping in fear as her hearts began to pump fast with adrenaline. Her hands clutched her head until she managed to gain some control of the emotions flooding her.

It was her Master. He needed her.

Traken was supposed to be peaceful, right? Tears stung her tears as she turned around. It didn't take much control to reach out wildly with her mind, his panic feeding hers, and locate the source of the message within the city. Untrained but still powerful enough when instinct kicked in. Jenny began to run, pulling her weapon from her pocket and ignoring all stares.

Thankfully, she wasn't far. It only took minutes, less than maybe, before she reached the Master and that guard with the awful thing in his hand. She stopped mere metres away and held up her gun with all the aim and ease of a soldier.

"Let him go."

Silently, the Master cursed when Jenny skidded to a halt, the gun he'd given her steady in her hands. He'd hoped she'd just shoot, react instinctively, because otherwise, it was soon going to become clear that the Master's life wasn't in any danger at all.

The guard, thankfully, had been taken so off balance by Jenny's sudden arrival that he simply stared for a few moments; just long enough for the Master to catch his gaze. I am the Master, and you will obey me. His eyes bored into those of the guard, hard and insistent, redolent of hypnotic power. Some Trakenites possessed latent psychic abilities, but fortunately, this man was not one of them- young, his mind soft and vulnerable from a life of peace, free from fear. His will gave beneath the Master's in an instant.

'Not a chance, girlie,' the Master made him say roughly, 'Now sod off if you don't want that pretty face of yours hurt, yeah?'

The Master's brief moment of frustration gone, and the situation back under control, he felt that perhaps a touch of showmanship was not entirely out of line.

Jenny's eyes went wide at the guard's response. She glanced at the Master for a moment, still caught in the path of the Trakenite's weapon. This wasn't supposed to be happening! Not here, not now!

A bubble of anger surged through her. Anger at the guard's tone and words, anger at the situation, even anger at her Master for getting him in this situation. She had been having such a brilliant time on Traken and now it was all ruined. Dad had said there were always alternatives to killing.

His face flashed through her memory, proud of her for not killing General Cobb, as she fired the first round directly where his heart ought to be. Less than a second later, her aim shifted just enough to fire again and again: this time at the two guards who had come outside to check out the commotion.

When the first body burst into flames, Jenny gasped and stumbled backwards. But her grip on the weapon never faltered. She stood, mind numb, waiting for the next wave of attack.

And there they were. Finally. The Master scrambled backwards as the body of the guard combusted from the inside out, the smell of boiling blood filling the air; he didn't look back, though- why should he? The lives of three guards hardly mattered. What mattered was that Jenny had done as he wished; the difficult part was over now.

'Come on!' He grabbed Jenny's hand, knowing but not particularly caring that she was probably going through some kind of moral crisis. 'Thank you,' he breathed, his fingers tight around hers, 'Come on- we'll be fine once we get back to the TARDIS.'

And then, he ran. It would never do, after all, to be caught by Trakenite law enforcement; crime the Master was into, answering for them, not so much. Jenny at his side, he ran, and almost laughed, the giddiness of a plan gone well, the drums racing with his pulses, glad of death and the scent of blood. He thought for a moment how ironic this image must be; he, hand in hand with his lovely young companion, running for their lives. Why, he must look just like the Doctor.

Not once did anyone catch up to them; two Time Lords, both in young, strong bodies; they never stood a chance. The TARDIS door slammed shut behind them as the Master flew to the console, executing a quick combination that sent them directly into the Vortex.

And now, safe.

He sagged against the console for a moment, before looking over at Jenny. Ah. Yes. In the giddy excitement, he'd almost forgotten about this part of the lesson. Giving her a little pout, he opened his arms, beckoning her over.

It was hard to let go of the gun when he reached for her hand. But his grip was safe and reassuring and Jenny held on to the Master's hand just as tightly as he did hers as they ran.

At first she ran blindly, following his footsteps and keeping pace only because she had to. If it was up to her, she would have stopped. Jenny would have turned around and handed herself over to the authorities. Those other two guards, she realised now, hadn't even been armed. And she had shot them anyway.

Those tears came back, blinding her vision for a moment. What would her Dad say if he knew? She had killed again, after he had shown her how easy it was not to?

At that point, the running became something more. It became an escape, a way to forget. Air scorched her lungs as she forced herself to run faster and faster. Her hearts pounded loudly. She could never stop running, never get far enough. The stop inside the TARDIS came all too soon.

Jenny stood there by the door, feeling the tears stream down her face. How old had they been? What could they have accomplished? This hadn't been a war. It had been a rescue mission gone awry.

One step. Two step. Three.

She collapsed in his arms, hugging him tightly.

'Shh, shhh,' the Master tenderly kissed the crown of her head, making senseless, soothing noises, one hand firmly rubbing up and down her back. 'Don't cry, my darling; we're alive, mmm? I'm alive? You saved my life.'

He tipped her chin up, looking into her eyes for a moment, before leaning to kiss the tears from her cheeks. All of it unbearably soppy and sentimental, of course, but that was what she needed at the moment; the Master still needed her loyalty. He needed her to come out of this not regretting what she'd done.

'I am so sorry you had to do that,' he murmured, still holding her close. 'That guard... he wasn't even from Traken, he was an imposter; he'd been following me, I fear, and when he found me on my own...' He shrugged, giving a rueful little chuckle. 'I didn't have a chance to defend myself. If you hadn't been there...'

Let her fill in the rest. That was the important bit; that he was alive. The deaths were incidental.

She felt horribly, impossibly safe in his arms. She didn't deserve to feel this way. Jenny was certain that she deserved something worse for what she had done. But in the Master's arms, she could almost believe that she had done the right thing.

And if she just clung to the fact that she had saved his life... oh, that would make her father proud, wouldn't it? The ending, in this one case, justifying the means?

"I did," she sniffled, looking up at him and finding reassurance in his eyes. "I saved you and... and that's good, I know, Master. But.."

He had been unarmed. She hadn't. And it had been a very fierce looking weapon, indeed.

"I saved you," Jenny repeated, a little more confidently.

But she needed something else. Right now, she needed that thrill from running, that exertion that flushed all feelings and thoughts away. And last night her Master had shown her such a wonderful knew way to forget.

A grim smile crossed her features and she looked at him, eyes serious. She'd do anything right now to lose herself. She'd probably even kill again. "The riding crop. Do you... can you use it on me?"

It would be her reward. That would be fitting, wouldn't it? Reaffirmation of how alive she was after killing those men. Maybe then she could get through this.

Somehow. In some way.