“What’s with the egg whisk and-?” began William as he pointed at said whisk in Octus’ possession.
“That’s not a whisk! That’s a Dalek gunstick!” replied Thundercracker.
“Gun? Then he’s affected by the same energy blackout.”
“Am I?” purred Octus as he glided forward with ugly grace, aiming his gunstick at Thundercracker. Behind them, William heard what sounded like focused energy transmitted at high velocity, the sound of energy weapons…and screaming Decepticon soldiers. One soldier rounded a corner.
“Sky Guy!” called Thundercracker. “What’s going on?!”
“Sir! Invasion!” replied Sky Guy. “Daleks have-!” A squad of Daleks then rounded the corner with one of them firing its gunstick. A stream of cold, cyan light erupted from the gunstick and struck Sky Guy, illuminating him and briefly showing his internal mechanics. Sky Guy screamed in agony, then fell once the Dalek ceased fire. Sky Guy faded to gunmetal gray.
“…That wasn’t necessary!” protested William. “You didn’t have to kill him!”
“We did not need him alive!” barked the Dalek Commander. This one was black with silver trim, unlike the gray and black soldiers under its command. “Octus, your information was correct! The Doctor’s TARDIS has been located! It will be taken to Kalaan!”
“Very good, Dalek Supreme,” replied Octus.
“You will bring the Doctor’s companion and Thundercracker to the mine!” ordered the Dalek Supreme.
“I obey,” answered Octus. He swiveled his eyestalk to Thundercracker. “My gunstick was built to Dalek specifications, Thundercracker. I’m sure you guessed they’re behind the energy blackout.”
“The thought had crossed my mind, traitor,” snarled Thundercracker.
“So you’re just giving us to the Daleks as slave labor?!” growled William.
“That is all you fleshies are good for,” replied Octus. “Now, you will move ahead of me and follow my directions!”
“If you think-!” Octus interrupted William’s protest.
“You will obey! Obey! OBEY!”
“Dr. Davies,” said Thundercracker, “a mere Dalek Drone just killed a mech twice as strong as me, physically speaking. They won’t hesitate to gun you down. For now, we better do as they say.” Thundercracker raised his hands above his head. William snarled, but did the same.
“Now move! Move! MOVE!” ordered Octus. Thundercracker and William made their way out of the ship with Octus keeping his gunstick trained on them. The Black and Silver Dalek Supreme and its squadron followed.
In the valley, the Doctor and her group were faring no better. The Decepticon soldiers that accompanied them were gunned down mercilessly by a red and gold Dalek as well as a gold and black Dalek. “Two members of the Dalek Supreme Council,” muttered the Doctor as she, Amy, Optimus, and Megatron took cover. “They obviously place us very high on their list of priorities.”
“Why? What would they want?” asked Optimus. Amy’s ears then flicked.
“…Guys…the shooting’s stopped,” she said. Everyone peeked from behind their cover. The Autobots and the bridge crew of the Decepticons were still alive. …The others were dead and gunmetal gray.
“…They’re leaving us alive,” remarked the Doctor. “What for?”
“Doctor!” barked the Red Supreme. “You are within our power! Surrender at once or your human companion will be exterminated alongside the blue Seeker!”
“Thundercracker!” realized Megatron. “They infiltrated my ship!”
“And kept those two alive,” sighed the Doctor. “They need slave labor for some reason.”
“You have five rels to comply!” called the Gold Supreme. “Five!”
“Doctor, what’s our move here?” asked Optimus.
“Four!”
“The Daleks won’t be bluffing,” replied the Doctor. “They flat-out described Thundercracker too well.”
“Three!”
“Then, what? We surrender?” argued Megatron.
“Two!”
“We don’t exactly have a lot of options. …They addressed me. Follow my lead.” She raised her hands, prompting everyone to follow suit.
“One!”
“Good afternoon, Daleks!” called the Doctor as she and her group revealed themselves from their hiding places. “How lovely to see you.”
“Doctor!” barked the Red Supreme. “You are in our power!”
“So it seems,” replied the Doctor.
“Your Transformer allies are required!” said the Gold Supreme. “You will move ahead of us and follow our instructions! Move! MOVE!”
“As you wish.” The Doctor led the way.
Both groups arrived at the entrance to a mine in the mountains. More Daleks were standing there. One was black with gold trim, one was all black, one was black with white trim, and one was white with black trim. The Red, Gold, and Black and Silver Daleks joined with their comrades. “The entire Dalek Supreme Council,” remarked the Doctor. “We should be honored. That usually means the Emperor is directly involved.”
“Doctor!” called William.
“William! You’re all right!” said the Doctor with relief.
“What happened?!” asked Amy.
“Doctor, Thundercracker and I need to talk to Megatron,” urged William.
“What for?” asked the Doctor.
“Yes, why?” quizzed Megatron. “How did the Daleks get aboard my ship?”
“My Lord, we were betrayed!” reported Thundercracker. “Not by Starscream, this time, but by Octus! See that giant Dalek over there?” He pointed out Octus.
“…Octus, you dare sell us out to the DALEKS?!” roared Megatron. He raised his hand to punch Octus.
“I wouldn’t advise that,” said Octus as he leveled his gunstick at Megatron. “My weapons systems are made to Dalek specifications.”
“He speaks the truth, Lord Megatron,” warned Thundercracker. Megatron snarled, guessing what that meant as he lowered his fist.
“That’s more like it,” chuckled Octus.
“Explanations: required,” droned Soundwave.
“I gotta agree with Soundy here,” said Jazz. “Why side with these creeps?”
“Emperor arriving!” called a Drone Dalek. The Daleks formed an aisle with the Supreme Council at the end and flanking both sides. The Dalek approaching them was golden and had a massive sphere replacing the neck and dome sections. The eyestalk rested on the sphere and it wore a crown of six dome lights lining the rear of the sphere.
“The Emperor of the Daleks himself,” said the Doctor.
“Doctor!” greeted the Emperor in a booming voice.
“We both had a face-lift since we last met,” remarked the Doctor. “Tell me, were you inspired by the Exxilon Affair?”
“The Beacon of the Great City of Exxilon,” replied the Emperor, “provided us a means of acquiring slave labor!”
“Why mention Exxilon?” asked Starscream. “That’s barely a class C civilization.”
“Not in its early days,” corrected the Doctor. “They were once a powerful space-faring civilization, but they built a city that drained all power to make sure it kept itself alive, so the Exxilons turned to worshipping it. …At least until Sarah Jane and I stumbled upon the planet.”
“Let me guess,” said William, “you shut that city down?”
“Well, gave it a nervous breakdown, but yes. …A pity. One of the 700 wonders of the universe, and I had to destroy it. Of course, the Daleks were involved.”
“And now we have obtained the secrets of the Beacon and have made it our own!” boasted the Emperor. “You shall be put to work in the mines! Octus informed us you used to be a miner, Megatron. Or perhaps I should say D-16!” Megatron snarled at that.
“What are we mining for?” asked Bumblebee.
“Energon,” replied Octus. “Perhaps I should start from the beginning. The Daleks intercepted my shuttle en route from the Movellan fleet after negotiations fell through. All I got was a set of coordinates and the Daleks took me as their prisoner. I noticed that they were experimenting with an Energon crystal and learned that they found the substance here on Skaro. They have slaves already mining the stuff, but had no idea on how to refine it. I offered to get them slaves that can do both in exchange for serving the Daleks.”
“Octus, you’ve abandoned all sense of logic!” protested Shockwave. “If the Daleks learn the secrets of Energon-!”
“Then we shall be the supreme beings of the universe!” boomed the Emperor.
“That’s just hyperbole, yes?” William asked the Doctor.
“Oh, I wish,” replied the Doctor. “Energon’s one of the most powerful fuels in the universe. For the Transformers, it’s not just fuel for their technology, but ammunition for their weapons and their literal life-blood. The Daleks would certainly make good on their threat to conquer space. …However, it’s not exactly a fuel used to conquer time.”
“We do not need Energon for our time ships, Doctor!” replied the Emperor. “The Time Lords taught us much of time travel!”
“Your history is threatening to collapse under the weight of its own paradoxes!” argued the Doctor.
“ENOUGH!” boomed the Emperor. “Doctor, you and your companions will assist the Transformers in refining the Energon collected!”
“What about the radiation on this planet?”
“Radiation?” asked Amy.
“Skaro’s a radioactive desert world,” explained the Doctor.
“Anti-radiation drugs will be dispensed along with food!” replied the White Supreme.
“Until you’ve learned how to refine Energon, I take it.”
“Correct! Enter the mine! Join the labor force! Obey! Obey! OBEY!”
“…Come on, everyone,” sighed the Doctor. “We’d best do as they say.” The Daleks coldly watched as everyone entered the mine. The entrance was just big enough for Transformers. Octus remained outside with the Emperor.
“…Well, anything for me?” he asked.
“You will await my summons!” replied the Emperor. “I will expect a progress report from you later on Energon production!”
“I obey,” answered Octus. The Emperor and the Supreme Council then left. “…All according to plan,” purred Octus. “Now…to guide the destiny of the Daleks!”