“Is there any point to this?” asked the Master, as the Doctor once again stopped him from entering his TARDIS.
“Yes there is,” said the Doctor, looking stern. “I’ve had enough of it. I know your hand was in there somewhere?”
“The stuff on the Runswick Estate?” said the Master. “With the Yaros. Simply a side project whilst I followed you and Lilly around.”
“Git,” said Holly, pushing past the Master and heading towards the Doctor’s TARDIS.
“When this is all over,” said the Doctor, “you will be brought to account.”
“I’m not bound by Gallifrey’s laws anymore, remember? Not whilst I occupy Jacarthia.”
Celestia raised her eyebrows. “Good job I held that election then.”
“What election?” asked the Master.
“The one where the people voted you out.”
“I beg your pardon?!” he spluttered.
“Do you think I spent these last few months doing nothing? Whilst you sat in the palace looking at yourself in the mirror I was down amongst the people making plans.”
Lilly burst out laughing. “Master of nothing. King of nobody.”
“And not only that,” said Celestia, “but as I’m now Lady Mayor of Jacarthia, President Anastania has also begun preparations to bring us back into the fold. Things are changing on Gallifrey for the better and the people of Jacarthia are going to finally get a fair hearing.”
“And I couldn’t think of anyone better to lead them to this bright new future, Celestia,” smiled the Doctor.
“This is unacceptable,” said the Master, looking a little lost.
“Welcome to the new world, dear,” said Celestia. “Now, in your TARDIS. We need to get to Earth.”
The Doctor turned to Celestia. “We’ll do some digging and then meet you there in a while. Be careful though. Don’t trust him.”
“I know how to handle him, Doctor,” said Celestia. “He’ll not be able to put a foot out of line amongst your UNIT:X friends.”
“Then we’ll be off,” said the Doctor, giving Celestia a goodbye hug. He pointed to the Master. “I’ve got many eyes watching you, Koschei.”
Except from ‘Armies of the Slayer’, written by Greystagg the Timeless during the First Gallifreyan Unification
“It is said that the Slayer, once it had fled from Gallifrey, led its army of Time Sensitive’s to the moon of Lanix. Lanix once orbited Gallifrey, but a great wave of temporal energy from the future caused it to break away from the system and reside in darkness.
Lanix was completely devoid of any kind of life. A lifeless rock with harsh, tall mountains that reached up high into the dark abyss of the forever night.
One particular mountain, which hung upside down over a valley, contained chambers and caves into which the Slayer built a home. Nothing could pass underneath without being seen.
From there he plotted his forthcoming war against the Gallifreyans."
“This is amazing,” said Holly, gazing up at the upside-down mountain.
It was raining, but the mountain protected them in the valley.
“Tell me again, Doctor, why did he come all the way out here?” asked Lilly, her eyes transfixed on the darkened windows high above.
“Well it’s all speculation and legend of course, but this was originally the nearest place off world before the Time War rippled back and moved it.”
“The Time War?” asked Holly, as they crossed the scrubby ground and headed towards a set of rock steps carved into the valley wall.
“He doesn’t speak about it much,” said Lilly.
“It’s in the past,” said the Doctor. “Or the future. It’s always difficult to tell.” They began to climb the steps. “Suffice to say the Time War disturbed the fabric and time, space and reality itself. It erased events from happening, it created new events and it even made the same events happen multiple times under multiple scenarios.”
“I’m sorry I asked,” said Holly.
“Be careful on these steps,” said the Doctor, nodding down towards the wet and slippery rock.
“They didn’t care about health and safety back in the day, did they?” said Lilly, taking Holly’s hand.
“I don’t get what we’re supposed to find here that the previous visitors haven’t already found,” said Holly.
“Well the last time I was here was during my 13th incarnation. I was waiting for the TARDIS to repair itself-”
“For a change,” interrupted Lilly.
“Thank you, Lilly,” said the Doctor, giving her a dubious glance. “As I was saying I was here during my 13th incarnation. I didn’t get much of a chance to look around, but the top of the mountain extends high into the air. He built a castle on top of it. The tunnels from that lowest chamber wind all the way up to the castle above.”
“It still doesn’t explain what we’re going to find,” said Holly. “If archeologists didn’t find anything then what hope do we have?”
“Maybe this will help,” said the Doctor, pulling out the small, silver siege-mode TARDIS.
“But the casket isn’t in there anymore,” said Lilly. “Reikon has it back on Earth.”
The Doctor nodded as he tossed the box from one hand to the other. “Yep, you’re right, but the box has been in contact with the energy from the casket. I’m hoping that may give us an advantage.”
As they reached the top of the stairs Holly found herself nearly pressing herself against the wall. The rain was now teaming down, but they managed to safely make their way through the open archway and to the steps that wound up into the chamber that overlooked the valley.
“This is amazing!” said Holly as they walked out into a large, circular room. A large, open window looked out onto the valley below and a huge, glass and metallic console dominated the centre of the chamber.
“Apparently this is where he did most of his planning for the war against the Gallifreyans.”
Lilly sat herself up on the console and ran her hand across the dust. Most of the glass top was shattered, but the bulk of the console still looked intact. “I don’t get it though. What exactly happened? What pissed him off so much?”
“Wouldn’t you be slightly aggrieved if you’d have been experimented upon?”
“In a way I suppose I was,” said Lilly, looking forlorn.
Holly joined her on the table and held her hand.
The Doctor held up the siege-mode TARDIS and peered at it with curiosity. He ran his finger along the ornate carvings and then rubbed his chin.
“You just gonna stare at that, old man?” asked Lilly.
The Doctor smiled at her and then walked over to the console. “Shift your bums, you two,” he said.
Lilly and Holly slid of the console as the Doctor held the box over the console. “Worth a shot, I suppose.”
“A shot at what?” asked Holly.
With both hands he lifted the box high into the air and with such a force he brought it crashing down against the console. The box penetrated the already damaged glass, hitting the long-dormant circuits below. A surge of power erupted from beneath the box as the Doctor quickly let go and stepped back. Tendrils of blue electricity writhed out from the box and into the console. Lights and machinery whirred into life.
The Doctor looked back at Holly and Lilly. “This is fascinating.”
“What’s happening?” asked Holly over the hum of electricity.
“The box has been touched by the essence of the Slayer. Similarly the console is psychically still linked to him.”
“The same as your TARDIS being linked to you?” said Lilly.
“Exactly,” said the Doctor, a look of excitement on his face. “This console – this box – contains memories.” He edged towards the console.
“Doctor…” said Lilly, touching his arm. “Are you sure about this?”
“Lilly,” said the Doctor, turning back to her, “Holly, both of you grab a hold of me.”
“Why? What’s happening?” asked a slightly worried looking Holly.
“You see nobody really knows the origin of the Slayer,” said the Doctor, a twinkle in his eyes. “It’s all myths and legends and conjecture. With this link we can access the truth. We’ll be the first people to witness the true story.”
“How?”
“I’m telepathic. Lilly’s telepathic. Prepare yourselves for a trip to the ancient past.”
Lilly grabbed Holly and then the Doctor’s left hand as he reached towards the glowing, electrified box and pressed his hand to the surface.
To be continued...
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