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They had been to so many places, seen so many stars and moons and nebulae, but Martha still found herself standing and staring as she once had, when she first left the safety of planet earth.
The planet they were on was called Neo Carina, although that was simply the name used by human tourists, since the native tongue was one of guttural growls and claw clicks that humanity was incapable of reproducing. The Doctor could, and he took great delight in pronouncing the planet’s name for her, over and over until she was giggling and his smile was broad. Luckily for Martha, the Tardis’ translation worked enough that she could understand the others and they her, even if all she spoke was English, and GCSE level German.
Speaking of the Doctor, he’d run off to some wedding that he got an invite to by saving a child, and she had chosen to stay.
The sky was a pale purple, swirled with violets, lilacs, and indigos, and floating clouds that shone like bright gold. A shining red orb, the sun, Martha assumed, stood out like Jupiter’s own red spot, striking yet comforting. The park surrounded her, and had tall shimmering white structures, which branched out like a spider's web above her, making her feel protected. It seemed to stretch out forever, a gorgeous sea of glowing blue curls, which she guessed was Neo Carina’s own version of grass.
“Hello,” Martha jumped at the voice, which to her sounded smooth, and the accent almost Nigerian but not quite, if she were to assign it a place on Earth, “I apologise for startling you.”
She turned around, and her eyes widened. Behind her was potentially the most beautiful creature she had ever seen, tall and humanoid, but with an extra pair of arms that more resembled a tentacle. A long green tail whipped around her legs, which were sturdy and a paler shade of the same colour, which twisted up her body into a sunset orange, to a head with a clicking pair of sunshine yellow mandibles, and 6 neon green eyes.
“Hello,” Martha smiled, “I’m Martha Jones. Who are you?”
“I’m,” she growled and her mandibles clicked, “but I do not believe that you are capable of pronouncing my name?” Martha shook her head, feeling embarrassed, “Do not worry. Please, call me Xassianda.”
“A pleasure!”
“Are you enjoying the gardens?” Xassianda opened her arms to encompass the space, “I have been coming here since I was a little girl, and my family moved to Carina City. I find it comforting even now that I am grown.”
“They’re wonderful,” Martha couldn’t stop staring at her surroundings, but especially Xassianda, “What are the white structures, though?”
Xassianda laughed, a clicking rumble, “They are our trees. The white symbolises that they are in their warmth cycle, during the cold seasons they turn a deep purple along with the night sky.”
Martha grinned, “I’ll have to see if I can come for winter! My friend’s designated driver.”
“Well, if they are driving, what if we were to get a drink? The trees make a most wonderful nectar, which tastes similar to Earth Honey that I have tasted.”
“Absolutely! So long as it’s not poisonous,” she chuckled.
“I believe it is safe for you.”
Martha held her hand out to Xassianda, and she took it, leading her to a small cafe within the park.
She would definitely ask the Doctor if they could come back for winter.