“…You…called Davros…our savior?” asked the Bronze Dalek. “…His lunacy threatened Dalek supremacy! His command ship flew into the jaws of the Nightmare Child!”
“It took a Dalek to rescue me from that fate,” replied Davros. “Dalek Caan of the Cult of Skaro.”
“The Cult of Skaro exists?!”
“No longer!” replied the Dalek Supreme. “Caan betrayed the Daleks after the Time War!”
“…The war with the Time Lords is over?”
“Yes,” confirmed the Dalek Supreme. “Casualties have been heavy!”
“That is to be expected in war!” replied the Bronze Dalek.
“I refer to Dalek casualties!” corrected the Dalek Supreme.
“…Dalek casualties?”
“We lost!” replied Davros. “Both Time Lords and Daleks fought until our empires crumbled!”
“YOU LIE!”
“He speaks the truth!” replied the Dalek Supreme. “All will be revealed when we return to the stronghold! For now, Veteran, prepare for transmat!”
“…I obey!”
“Transmat?” whispered Ssylphiel as she, Coilzette, Calliope, and the Doctor saw the scene unfold. “What does that mean?”
“Teleportation, but via mechanical means instead of magical ones,” replied the Doctor. “…That’s where we need to be. Follow my lead.” She led the group to the Daleks. “Excuse me! Any room for more on your transmat?”
“DOCTOR!” shouted Davros.
“I know I’ve changed since Project Necromancer,” remarked the Doctor, “so I really have to congratulate you on getting it right.”
“Shoot her! SHOOT HER NOW!”
“NO!” called the Bronze Dalek.
“…No?” asked Davros. “That is our greatest enemy! She must die or this whole operation will-!”
“The Doctor is sentimental and emotional!” replied the Bronze Dalek. “The two nagas are Divine Nagas, immune to all forms of death! The Cecaelia is only immortal where age is concerned!”
“Excuse me!” protested Calliope.
“You harm one sucker on her legs-!” warned the Doctor.
“Cooperate and your Cecaelia friend will be unharmed!” answered the Bronze Dalek.
“That won’t deter her for long!” insisted Davros.
“Agreed!” said the Dalek Supreme. “The Doctor will interfere with our plans! She must be ex-!”
“The Doctor and her companions come with us!” insisted the Bronze Dalek. “Or you do not receive the data I have collected!” The nearby Daleks twitched as they awaited their superiors’ orders.
“…Very well,” growled Davros. “Doctor, you and your friends are coming with us.”
“Delighted,” replied the Doctor. “Come along, you three!”
In the main keep, Tysar and her group looked out a window as the Daleks vanished with their rescued companion and their prisoners. “…How is that possible?” asked Bea. “I didn’t see any transportation runes.”
“Transmat, most likely,” replied Tysar. “Matter transmission.”
“You mean their bodies were transmitted like that cute little radio thing does with radio waves?” asked Lukas.
“…A crude, but accurate analogy,” confirmed Tysar.
“Now what?” asked Shannon.
“We have to defend this citadel and its people,” replied Tysar. “Can I see a map?”
“Right here,” replied Bea as she pulled out a map of the citadel. “The Daleks knew where to place the explosives since the wall they took down was our biggest blind spot. They made it to the eastern courtyard while Egg’s cell was just to their north.”
“We’ve locked all the doors,” said Shannon, “but the Daleks must have the same abilities as Egg did where it came to combination calculations.”
“It looks like a few Daleks are staying behind,” observed Lukas. “Probably to prevent us from going after our families.”
“The Daleks prefer to box people in as they advance in lines,” said Tysar. “The inherent claustrophobia that tactic brings about makes their targets just marginally more clumsy and prone to making mistakes. But there IS a weakness.”
“Yes, you mentioned something about the eyestalk?” asked Shannon.
“The Doctor said the same thing,” replied Bea.
“We Thals have a saying,” explained Tysar. “When in doubt, blind a Dalek. Granted, a blinded Dalek freaks out and fires wildly, but that gives a person enough time to tear off their gunstick and use it against other Daleks, then that person’s allies can conduct scavenging operations-.”
“And turn Dalek fire ON the Daleks!” realized Lukas.
“Exactly!”
“But what about their shields?” asked Bea. “Our magic blasts and other weapons were absorbed or dissolved.”
“Therein lies another weakness,” explained Tysar. “Dalek shields have to be porous enough to let their weapons fire pass through, but it’s two-way.”
“Then we have to get this right,” said Shannon.
“…Wait a minute, where’s Nora?” asked Bea.
“In the armory,” replied Shannon. “She’ll be at her forge designing weapons. …And I need to tend to the wounded.”
“Leave the combat to me,” said Bea. “Tysar, I hate to ask, but we need to lure one of the Daleks away from their group and-.”
“And we need bait,” finished Tysar. “…Well, a Thal is an irresistible target to a Dalek.”
“Bea, you can’t be serious!” protested Lukas. “Tysar’s a guest and-!”
“A guest that knows a thing or two about Daleks,” interrupted Tysar. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing. Bea, be ready.”
At the stronghold, everyone arrived. Anacassandra goggled. “You brought Ssylphiel and Calliope here?!” she snapped at Davros.
“It was the Veteran’s insistence!” hissed Davros as he pointed at the Bronze Dalek.
“You must be Anacassandra,” greeted the Doctor. “You seem to be well acquainted with Ssylphiel and Calliope here, this is-!”
“She’s my aunt, Doctor,” interrupted Coilzette. “We’re well-acquainted.”
“Ah, good!” declared the Doctor. “Let me just say, I’m terribly grateful Egg here persuaded Davros and his fellow Daleks to bring us here. Perhaps we can negotiate over tea and-?”
“I won’t negotiate!” hissed Anacassandra. “And who needs tea anyways?!”
“…Well, that’s a first. No one’s every verbally poo-poo’d tea when I’m in earshot.”
“Take them to the cells!” ordered Anacassandra.
“…Do as she says,” directed Davros.
“…I obey!” replied a Dalek. It then turned to the Doctor and her friends. “You will move ahead of me and follow my directions! Move! MOVE!”
“Calm down, calm down, we won’t hurt you,” replied the Doctor as she and her group went through a door with the Dalek trundling after them.
“What do you intend to do with them?” Anacassandra asked Davros.
“Have the Doctor executed, for a start,” replied Davros. “She’s too dangerous for our plans. …How did she even get to this universe in the first place?”
“Perhaps find out from her before her death,” suggested Anacassandra.
“…Pray, excuse me,” said Davros as he went in the direction the prisoners were told to go.
“I will join him later!” barked the Bronze Dalek. “For now, I have data that the Scientific Division needs from me!”
“And our agreement? Were you filled in?” asked Anacassandra.
“…Your agreement with the Daleks is included in Pathweb!” replied the Bronze Dalek. “All data indicates that the agreement stands!”
“Good. Excellent. We’ll meet later, then?”
“Agreed!” The Bronze Dalek trundled off in a different direction.
“Doctor, this is lunacy!” hissed Ssylphiel as she and the group sat in their cells. “Why would you go here when it’s crawling with people who want to kill us?! You in particular!”
“Because Davros is enacting something that has the gods I’ve met worried,” replied the Doctor. “I need information and to send him back.”
“So it was someone else that sent you here,” said Davros as he entered the cell block. “Guard, leave. I will speak to the prisoners alone.”
“All prisoners must-!” argued the Dalek.
“That’s an order!” hissed Davros.
“…I…obey!” The Guard Dalek left the cell block.
“You know, the Daleks consider me their worst enemy for a reason, Davros,” remarked the Doctor.
“But you needed help to figure out my plan,” remarked Davros. “Who was it? One of the Guardians? The Toymaker?”
“…That last one, but on the orders of Grand Zeno,” replied the Doctor.
“Ah! So I have HIM concerned, then!”
“…That’s…not something to brag about! Even the Master wouldn’t do that! How did you even-?!”
“Doctor, come now, you recall the Skaro Degradations. Alternate Daleks drafted into the Time War.”
“…So it was easy for the Daleks to go into alternate realities as well as bring remnants of other realities to our own. …That’s where our veteran Dalek comes in, hm? It was one of the experiments that succeeded in multiversal travel.”
“Not only that, but to research something that both Daleks and Time Lords cannot understand or combat against…magic!” The Doctor held back a laugh. “What’s so funny, Doctor?!”
“Sorry, I just thought of a Dalek dressed like Gandalf!” chuckled the Doctor. “Can you imagine that?” She then mimicked a Dalek as she quoted Gandalf! “YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!”
“Your ridicule will not save you, Doctor!” snarled Davros. “With that research, I shall make the Daleks stronger! They will be even more deadly! AND I, DAVROS, SHALL TAKE MY RIGHTFUL PLACE AS THEIR EMPEROR! THE DALEKS WILL SWEEP AWAY ALL MANNER OF RESISTANCE AGAINST US! WE SHALL BECOME ALL-!”
“All powerful!” scoffed the Doctor, recalling that exact phrase from Davros and what her response was. “Crush the lesser races! Conquer the galaxy! Unimaginable power! Unlimited rice pudding! Et cetera, et cetera! Davros, we’ve done this song and dance before!”
“You would be wise not to anger me, Doctor!” warned Davros.
“Enough!” barked a Dalek’s voice. The Bronze Dalek then glided into the cell block.
“…What are you doing here?” asked the Doctor. “Come to speak with fellow veterans?”
“Correct!” barked the Bronze Dalek. The Doctor blinked in surprise as she was being facetious.