“Adjusting heading,” reported a blonde man on the bridge of a starship.
“Why are we going back there?” muttered another blonde man. “We evacuated that planet for a reason.”
“Okay, at this point, I’m just repeating myself,” groaned the captain of the ship of blondes. “A science team was last reported there and we have to conduct a retrieval mission.”
“They’re probably dead already!” protested the second man.
“Well, would YOU wanna let them stay there?!” argued the helmsman.
“All right, all right!” called the Captain. “Let’s not start an argument. High Command already assigned us this mission and we’re too close to our target planet to turn back now.
“Approaching the coordinates,” said the helmsman. His brow then furrowed. “…Hang on…why aren’t their orbital defenses activating?”
“Tevik’s right,” said the second blonde. “They should be shooting at us by now.”
“…Scan for any ships and orbital defenses, Commander Demna,” the Captain ordered the second man. Demna ran his scans.
“…The sensors must be faulty!” he protested. “There’s nothing! No ships, no satellites, nothing!”
“Captain Tavis, sir, the readings I’m getting from the planet aren’t matching what we know of our target,” said Tevik.
“Put it up on screen,” ordered the Captain, Tavis. Tevik pulled up the view of the planet and everyone blinked in surprise. “…That can NOT be possible,” muttered Tavis. “Demna, I think you may be onto something about our sensors being faulty. Have Engineering-.” An alarm then cut out his order. “Another intruder alert?!” asked Tavis. Demna checked his instruments.
“Engineering’s reported an alien noise,” he said. “Security’s down there now and…hang on, that doesn’t make sense.”
“What?” asked Tavis. Demna turned in his chair.
“Security and Engineering are claiming that the TARDIS is aboard.”
“…I’m going down there,” decided Tavis. “Demna, you’re in command of the bridge.”
“Sir!” replied Demna as he and Tavis saluted each other. Tavis then left the bridge.
Security forces were aiming their stun guns at the blue box when Tavis arrived. “…Sure looks like that box the Doctor, Ian, Susan, and Barbara arrived in,” he remarked.
“Sir, can we really be sure it’s the TARDIS?” asked the lead Security Officer.
“That’s what we’ll find out,” replied Tavis. He knocked on the door. “Greetings,” he called aloud. “I am Captain Tavis of the starship Bettan. You are currently in the Engineering Section of my ship. If you could step out of the box and identify yourself-.” Tysar was the first to rush out.
“T-Tavis?!” she asked. Tavis’ eyes goggled.
“…Tysar?!” he asked.
“Gods, it IS you!” cheered Tysar as happy tears flowed from her eyes. She pulled Tavis into a hug as another Thal waved a machine over her. He looked at his readings and the genetic match confirmed that it was Tysar.
“Tysar, where have you been?!” asked Tavis. “You vanished three years ago and-!”
“I’ll tell you everything soon!” promised Tysar. “For now, how many of you here want to see our greatest hero’s current face?” The surrounding Thals nodded. “Thought so!” Tysar turned towards the TARDIS. “Doctor! Come on out! We’re among my people!” The Doctor stepped outside.
“So, this IS a Thal ship!” chuckled the Doctor.
“Doctor, it’s a great honor to meet you!” bid Tavis. “Sorry for the weapons pointing at you. I can assure you, they’re just stun weapons. …Speaking of which. All of you, stand down!” The security forces holstered their weapons. “You’ll have to pardon our jumpiness,” he said. “We’re on a dangerous mission.”
“The Bettan’s a science ship, last I checked,” remarked Tysar.
“Could someone fill me in on how Tysar and Tavis know each other?” asked the Doctor.
“Oh, he’s my baby brother,” replied Tysar. “We were together before I ended up in Gotham.”
“Ah!” The Doctor smiled. “Well, a really good thing I was tracking chronal surges, then! Tavis, was it? The reason for Tysar’s vanishing act was because an energy wave plucked her out of your time and put her somewhere else in time and space. Specifically, 21st century Earth.”
“Good heavens!” swore Tavis.
“I had to scavenge for food!” shuddered Tysar. “I am NEVER touching hot dogs again!”
“Sir, do you think that our stowaways are telling the truth?” asked a security officer. “That they were plucked out of their times by some energy wave like Tysar here?”
“Her return DOES give their story a little more credibility,” replied Tavis.
“You mean we’re not the only stowaways here?” asked the Doctor.
“No. In fact, come with me. I think you might be able to prove that they’re telling the truth.”
Tavis led the Doctor and Tysar to a room on the lower decks of the ship. He then keyed in a command and the door opened. Two people rose from the couch they were sitting on, one male and one female. “Hello again, Captain,” greeted the man. “Still don’t believe our story?”
“Oddly enough,” said Tavis, “I have two people that may confirm your story, Mr. Myers.” He stepped aside to reveal the Doctor and Tysar. The Doctor’s eyes lit up when she saw the woman, recognizing the tan skin and dark green hair.
“SETSUNA!” she greeted.
“Doctor!” yelped the woman, Setsuna Meiou, AKA Sailor Pluto! “I don’t believe it! It’s you again! …You’re wearing the wrong body.”
“No, I’m wearing the right body, but not necessarily in the right order,” said the Doctor. “So, odd question, but were you plucked out of your point in space and time by a chronal surge and plopped here on the Bettan, spooking the Thals here a bit?”
“That’s correct,” replied Setsuna. “And so was Mr. Myers here.” She gestured to the man.
“…Should I know you?” the Doctor asked the man.
“Eric Myers, Time Force,” greeted the man. The Doctor’s eyes widened again.
“The Quantum Ranger himself!” she said.
“You’ve heard of me?” asked Eric.
“You and your Time Force Ranger friends!” replied the Doctor. She turned back to Tavis. “They’re telling the truth! They’re not here to sabotage anything!”
“Excellent!” said Tavis. “Now…why are chronal surges popping up in the first place?”
“That would be because of the Grouping rearing its ugly head again,” explained the Doctor.
“The Grouping?” asked Setsuna.
“Then time and space are getting rearranged?” asked Eric. “That’s what I heard had happened last time the Grouping was going on.”
“Yes, but now there’s not as many races that can mitigate the damage,” answered the Doctor. “The Flux saw to that.”
“I was afraid of that,” sighed Setsuna.
“Now, we need to get you two back to your own times,” said the Doctor.
“I can handle that, Doctor,” assured Setsuna. “…But perhaps we can help the Bettan and her crew with the current problem?”
“So you DO know what the mission is,” grumbled Tavis.
“What mission is that?” asked Tysar.
Everyone was brought to the bridge. Demna and Tevik saw the new arrivals. “Sir?” asked Demna.
“Believe it or not, their story checks out,” replied Tavis. “The Doctor here proved that.”
“Hello!” greeted the Doctor.
“Hold on, that’s THE Doctor?!” asked Demna.
“No autographs, please,” replied the Doctor.
“Demna?!” protested Tysar.
“YOU!” snarled Demna.
“Tavis, why is HE on this mission?!” asked Tysar.
“He does good work, Tysar. You know this,” replied Tavis. “And this is my helmsman, Lieutenant Tevik.”
“A pleasure,” greeted Tevik.
“Doctor, I’m about to display a set of coordinates,” said Tavis. “Perhaps you can tell us if you recognize them?”
“It’s been a while since I read Thal Standard coordinates,” replied the Doctor, “but I think I can get by.” Tavis punched up the coordinates and the Doctor and Tysar’s faces fell to horror. “…No!” whispered the Doctor.
“No way would New Davius High Command send the Bettan there!” pleaded Tysar.
“Then you DO know the planet we’re supposed to be orbiting,” said Tavis.
“I’m afraid I don’t,” admitted Eric. “What’s wrong with the planet?”
“It’s our ancestral homeworld,” explained Tysar.
“…Skaro!” hissed the Doctor.
“Skaro?! Wait, isn’t that the homeworld of the-?!” Eric yelped.
“The Daleks, yes,” confirmed Setsuna. She then recalled something. “…Hang on, you said you’re supposed to be orbiting Skaro, Captain Tavis?”
“That’s correct,” replied Tavis. “But we haven’t been fired on and…well…” He pulled up the planet on the viewscreen. The Doctor blinked.
“…Skaro’s still a red, radioactive canker of a planet, yes?” she asked as she checked the readings.
“With Dalek ships still patrolling the skies and orbital defenses permanently set to kill any intruding vessel,” confirmed Tavis.
“So why haven’t we been shot at for one thing?” asked the Doctor. “Where are the ships and defense satellites? Why are the radiation levels only slightly higher than normal? And, most importantly, why is the planet on the screen yellow with just one green patch just south of the equator?! Are you sure you set the coordinates correctly?!”
“I’ve triple-checked my math, Doctor,” replied Tevik. “Maybe there’s something wrong with the sensors or the Daleks are trying something to disguise Skaro. Either way, we need to locate a science team on that planet and either retrieve them or…or their bodies, as is most likely the case, if that planet IS Skaro.”
“…I’ll give your sensors a repair service,” said the Doctor. “Meanwhile, I hope everyone is armed for a quick getaway.”