Chapter Eight

'Vissual,' Xznaal barked. A hologlobe lit up between them all. It showed the underside of the Martian vessel. The engine cowlings at the rear were flaring and flashing with tiny explosions. A combination of anti-aircraft fire and surface-to-air missiles, and quite a fierce attack. The compartment that they were in was at the other end of the vast craft, and they could feel the blasts.

'Are we threatened?' Greyhaven asked.

Xznaal was studying a damage report that was scrolling across the screen. 'No,' he concluded. 'You told me that you had your country'ss military under control.'

Greyhaven squirmed a little. 'I also said that there were bound to be military units that remained loyal to the old regime. Can you focus on the source of the attack?'

Xznaal hissed the order, and the image switched to the scene below. The crowds were dispersing, or rather they were fleeing up the Strand in panic. The picture panned around, locating and zooming in on a trio of soldiers nestling on the roof of a building. They had set up a mortar, and were firing it at the Martian ship as fast as they could reload it. The operator of the camera quickly found a couple of similar groups.

'Nine men,' Greyhaven spat, 'hardly a full-scale rebellion. Look there, my boys are already moving in on them.'

'They are UNIT troops,' Staines was musing.

'UNIT?' Xznaal asked, raising a claw.

'A United Nations force,' the Home Secretary said.

'The foreign powers are united against us?' Xznaal roared. 'They dare to defy my will?'

'I m-mean,' Staines couldn't finish. The Doctor and Greyhaven were both glaring at him.

The Martian Lord scrutinised his human ally. 'Thiss iss Earth'ss ressponsse?'

The Doctor clutched the lapels of his frock coat. 'You see, Xznaal? Humanity has united against you. You can't defeat the entire human race, not with one war rocket.'

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