Star Trek / Doctor who crossover - Time War

[mr friendly guy]

Stuff is being shown backwards as a part of foreshadowing. I hoped I manage to convey that Braxton would be getting the Daleks on side. I was very careful in chapter two with the arguments between the Castellan and Daniels not to give too much away, but the clues are there. Moreover a later chapter pretty much had Braxton accusing Gallifrey of historical revisionism of the Dalek war, which some people spotted as blatant foreshadowing that the Daleks were appearing.

I think history has changed a little now that the future time ship ends up in the 22 nd century to be found by the Boobyprise crew only to have the Master discover it.

The anti-time plot would be similar to the TNG one in a sense because they are using the same "weapon" er I mean plot device.

As for the damage the anti time effect causes, well it the TL don't know where it originate from, they could still try and control it with brute force. I submit to you the last time they had to contain a universe destorying wank which drew enormous energy from the eye of harmony. So obvious the TL will expand energy to contain the anti-time threat. Will it be their undoing? Not telling, but I will say this, a smart commander will smell an opportunity once the TL are distracted.

I am currently plotting the next chapter, and I realised it will have lots of scenes. Maybe it should be split up, but I wanted to tie some plot threads I had introduced earlier before we move onto the events of the Catastrophe which will spark the latest UFP / Time Lord conflict. The chapter will also set the stage for why the other great powers turn against the Time Lords.

[Themightytom]

ah yest. The Mysterious Third Party

Its getting a little hard for me to follow but its still a great fanfic. I like the nonsequential anture of the events, but i wish they were presented ina more episodic nature.

[Blayne]

Hrrm, I honestly found following the plot of Higurashi harder, there's been maybe 2 scenes in the 24th century, 1 in the 41st, and the rest in the 29th with about 4 in the 30st, it follows pretty well linearily actually, just gotta keep in mind that everything every scene is happening at the same time.

[mr friendly guy]

I admit that I put things happening in the different time zones in the same chapter for 2 reasons.

1. To try and keep the chapters roughly the same length (or at least more than a certain length)

2. To try and avoid the episodic format for each time period, so that later on looking back readers can see the clues were there.

For example the foreshadowing of Braxton teaming up with the Daleks.

Also when Q makes his power play I want the clues to be already out in the open (actually they already are) so we can see how he plans to end the civil war in his favour. I mean what is this trump card he thinks he holds?

I have also tied up the loose end with the artefact The Enterprise crew found in the 22 nd century and as such there will be no more ENT scenes. I still have to explain what Daniels is doing in the 24 th century though.

The scenes thus will follow more linearly now that Romana has been revealed, ie 29 th, then 30 th and finally 31 st centuries as we see Romana throughout the next 200 years. I am confident I have set up the pieces now that its just a matter of letting the events unfold.

[mr friendly guy]

The next chapter was becoming too long, so I thought I might be able to split it up into two chapters instead.

Chapter 12 – so it begins

Not every one was happy with the peace treaty signed in the late 29 th century. By the early 30 th century a few die hard “patriots” sought to counter Gallifrey. They weren’t stupid. A direct assault on Gallifrey would invite retaliation which would spell the end of the Federation. However they could encircle it, but expanding into the Delta Quadrant, limiting its sphere of influence. These patriots failed to understand that Gallifrey didn’t seek a political sphere of influence as humans understood the term, content to stay behind their planetary shields and watch over their subjects.

The second part of the plan was to weaken it in conflict. The two goals would be served with one stone. A war will brew in the Delta Quadrant which would eventually spread to the Gamma Quadrant. Gallifrey would defeat the invaders but the war would leave the UFP’s Delta Quadrant rivals weaken, allowing colonies to be set up without harassment. But which species could serve as a scapegoat? Which species could potentially warrant the Time Lords to take matter into their own hands? The answer was to be found be looking at history.

Gallifrey for all its faults and indifferent rulership to its charges would protect them when pressed. The Srivani crisis, the apprehending of Nagilum and the brief war in heaven of the energy beings, which had threaten to spill into Gallifrey territory proved it. So a plan was hatched. It weaken Gallifrey, but not in their military might. As Star Fleet watched in horror at the strength the Time Lord military machine could bring to bear, so did others. With fear and shock. Thus Gallifrey’s diplomatic relations weakened with the other Involved Powers, leaving them diplomatically isolated to the present day. This was the aftermath of the war with Fluidic Space.

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30 th century – border between Delta and Gamma Quadrants

The Kazon warship was escorting a merchant vessel to the Gamma Quadrant. With the success of the economic liberalisation zones in the Gallifreyan empire, trade was now extending to the Delta Quadrant. As usual the gods left their subjects to do what they wanted as long as it didn’t threaten Gallifrey. Which to the Karemma trader on board was how the gods should behave. To let their subjects find their own way and to catch them when they fall. His discussion with his opposite number, the spokesperson for the Kazon alliance was interrupted by the sounds of the Kazon ship being attacked as unknown ships decloaked.

The warship had been disabled first. Some energy dampening weapon left it powerless. The Devorre soldiers themselves were disabled by transporting them and reintegrating them on the ship minus essential components for life. Soon the merchant crew would suffer the same fate. Their logs would be altered to tell a different story. Whilst this was going on, the warship was infected with nano probes. Ones targeted to a specific species. Opening up a portal into Fluidic Space the reprogrammed warship would explode on first contact with Species 8472.

This scene was repeated throughout the Delta Quadrant with ships from various enemies of the Federation. The Kazon and the Devorre were not spared. The men and women running this black ops operation considered themselves “true Federation citizens’. As opposed to those who had grown weak and decadent, basking in the UFP’s wealth and content to settle for peace with various other powers.

They procured the latest Breen energy dampening weapon. This was reverse engineered. Their ships utilise newly acquired particle synthesis techniques from a Delta Quadrant species to disguise the ships, making them look like those of the Fluidic space aliens. Subspace cloaks did the rest. Even Gallifrey can’t scan the infinite layers of subspace. Gallifreyan ships were to be left alone for the moment. Even if Gallifrey discovered their duplicity they could claim it was targeted at the Delta Quadrant powers.

This arrangement suited the Brenari captain in charge of this particular operation. He still seethed at the defeat of the Brenari alliance to the Devorre Imperium a decade ago. The Devorre had made contact with a robotic race known as the Pralor, fighting a war with the Cravic robots of which the Federation based their own current models of robots. Realising what limited reproduction of more robots (that is the safeguards the robots creators put in), the Devorre learnt how to build more of them, but made sure they stayed under their command. The overwhelming assault ended the Brenari as a political force, paving the way for the occuptation of their worlds. For their part, the Devorre took very little casualties. Their robots did most of the “dying”.

Ordering his ships to cloak the black ops force disappeared like ghosts to the wind.
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30 th century – Leneva one, Federation Delta Quadrant Colony

Mr Don Carey had only just dismissed his house maid when he heard that oh so familiar sound. The woman sometimes irritated him to no end, especially this talk about strange aliens casing his residence. She might be a little xenophobic, coming from the agrarian worlds, but she did her job well. He could have programmed a holographic housemaid, but it just wasn’t the same as talking to a real person. However what consumed his attention was the wheezing and groaning sound.

Too late he lamented that he had failed to notice the significance of the events 2 days ago. I must be getting old he thought. Those aliens looking at his house with their holo cameras. They must be Time Lord agents or in the employ of Gallifrey at the very least. The holo cameras must have allowed them to scan biodata and see parts of his timeline past, present and future, so that even the Chameleon Arch could not hide him. Slowly Salyavin turned around and he saw the device that had just dematerialised. He was at the end of his life anyway, but he figured the Time Lords would most probably not have allowed him to regenerate even if he could. He only wished Rassilon would suffer the same fate one day. Suddenly he felt himself tense and he realised what the device did. It took the potential Atron energy inherent in a Time Lord, energy usually needed for regeneration and released it. Fortunately for his neighbours Salyavin was at the end of his 13 th incarnation. So the explosion only destroyed half of his house. Crime investigators would find his remains later, that of his right hand.

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30 th Century – Star Fleet headquarters

From the beginning Romana could tell the meeting would not be like the usual ones. For one, intelligence officials were there. They had been shadowing her while she was paying her respects at Ducane’s grave. Her husband had died only a decade ago. Currently her son was running her business empire. He was due to get married soon and she was looking forward to attending the celebrations. Her thoughts were however interrupted by her current handler Jack Gould of Starfleet intelligence. Like his predecessor Dawkins, Gould knew what he was doing. If she provided technical know how he tended to give her leeway. He would also fight conservative elements in intelligence who wanted to curb whatever freedoms she had for “her own protection” of course.

“A Mr Don Carey was killed in an explosion just yesterday on Leneva one, a Delta Quadrant Colony.” Gould began.

“Surely you don’t need my help with this one.” Romana dropped to a whisper. “Your officers followed me from the cemetery. Is that really necessary?”

“One word. Yes. Before you ask, I will get right to the point. We believe Don Carey wasn’t his real name. We also believe he is or was a Time Lord. Not just any Time Lord but the Professor Chronotis who was interned with you on Shada.”

“Salyavin.” Romana spoke whimsically. “He wasn’t a bad person. Just got on the bad side of the council.”

“That seems to happen a lot with Rassilon.” Gould spoke with a tinge of sarcasm. “All that remains of Chronotis is his hand. Genetic analysis suggests Gallifreyan in origin. His housemaid reported strange looking aliens outside his house 2 days earlier. Could be Gallifreyan agents, could be tourists. We cannot take any chances. Once I found out I ordered my men to shadow you. Your help has been invaluable and I am not going to lose the Federation’s greatest secret weapon on my watch.”

“I am touched.”

“There is more. Until this crisis is over and I am confident Time Lord agents aren’t also hunting you, I am putting you on the Darkstar ship.” The Darkstar ship, reminiscent of Air Force One, the plane which served US presidents in time past, was a ship with the latest cloaking technology. It could travel undetected at warp or slipstream, but not by utilising the same FTL as time ships. The purpose of the ship was to provide a safe haven for VIPs. Its harder to attack a target that you can’t see and is constantly on the move. “There is more. You are to rendez vous with another ship in the Delta Quadrant. This ship will be carrying the remains of Chronotis. I am hoping you will be able to make something of it.”

“When do I leave?”

“Right away. We will be in touch via hyper subspace radio. Your family will be informed. I am sure your son understands. Oh, by the way, Elizabeth Calhoun will be accompanying you. As our second expert on Gallifreyan physiology she will help verify the remains.”

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30 th century Narnon 3 at Delta Quadrant / Gamma Quadrant border

“Your world is impure, it will be destroyed.”

The telepathic message was broadcast loud and clear to the Vorta receiving it. Eris immediately ordered more Lamarck ships to intercept the approaching bioships. The combined firepower destroyed one of the bioships, however the others avoided the Lamarck attack with an agility which frankly stunned the defenders.

“Deploy the nanites.” Eris ordered. Since the outbreak of hostilities in the Delta Quadrant, Vorta officials had sought to counteract Species 8472 should they ever threaten Gallifreyan space. The Lamarck ships activated the modified mines. Now they decloaked and detonated releasing the nanoprobes into the surrounding space.

“No effect.” The Lamarck ordered. “Their ships have a hull hugging forcefield, barely detectable until now.” It was however sufficient to stop the nanites touching the vulnerable organic hull.

“We have no quarrel with your kind. Come in peace and you may leave in peace.” Eris again tried telepathically communicating with the aliens.

“You have polluted our space. Invaded us. Struck us treacherously. Now pay the price.” In her mind’s eye Eris say the body of a Karemma merchant. She had no idea how he got into Fluidic Space but there would be time for that later.

Another bioship went down as the Lamarck defenders jumped in using precise hyperspace coordinates. This allowed them to outflank the invaders and score quick hits. The retaliation by the invaders was swift. Spinning around to the face the Lamarck ships attacking from behind, each bioship scored a hit killing their opponents. However this left them vulnerable to the Lamarck ships they had been attacking previously and they paid the price as phased polaron beams raked their hulls, breaching their shields. The shields of the invaders were not particularly strong, Eris noted. Strong enough to prevent nanites attacking the hull and keep out a few old style photon torpedoes, but collapsed easily enough under the assault.

The battle was in the balance, for while Narnon 3 was a mere border world and usually not heavily defended, the Vorta had the foresight to reinforce it. As such the Lamarck ships outnumbered those of their opponents by a factor of 3 to 2. Or did outnumber them. Suddenly gates opened, the same ones used by the aliens to enter normal space from Fluidic space. What was different was their location. They opened right in the middle of the Lamarck ships cutting them in half. More than half the Lamarck ships perished in this way. Now it was Species 8472 which outnumbered the defenders around 7 to 3.

Methodically the Lamarck ships were picked off, one by one until finally the attackers were confident enough to bring out their planet killer. Eight bioships channelled their power into the central ship and channelled the destructive energy right into Narnon 3. Eris could only howl in frustration as the planet broke up under the assault. “Get us out of here.” The Vorta commanded. Revenge will come. Just like against the Srivani the Vorta will appeal to the gods again for aid.

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30 th century – Gallifrey

“According to Federation diplomats, Species 8472 enter our universe through a type of singularity.” It was the Castellan who spoke.

“That cannot be, or else their own ships would be crushed by the intense gravity.” It was Thalia who spoke. “It seems more like a Charged Vacuum Emboitment to me.”

“Clearly the diplomat was not well versed in science.” The Castellan answered smoothly. “However the Federation has encountered them 6 centuries ago. They were defeated by the use of nanites. Unfortunately they have since adapted as you can see.” The Castellan gestured to the holographic images showing the disastrous defense of Narnon 3.

“Fluidic space is unlike any we have encountered before. It is matter not space. It also doesn’t appear to have any stars or planets. However Species 8472 evolved, it doesn’t appear to be on a world where we can conveniently time loop.” Maxil head of security spoke up.

“Moreover the entirety of Fluidic Space is too large to time loop.” The Castellan added.

“I suggest we bring a fleet of war TARDISes to the point of Narnon 3’s destruction and destroy the enemy ships.” Maxil was in no mood for mercy.

“That would mean crossing our own time line. Something we rarely do. Only in the most dire of circumstances have we done it.” Thalia added, remembering long ago the assault on the Eye of Harmony instituted by Omega.

“There is no need.” Finally Rassilon had spoken. “Send a fleet of TARDISes to hunt the planet killer responsible. I don’t care how, but it will be erased from time at all costs.”

For a moment there was silence. The destruction of one of their protectorate worlds had harm Time Lord prestige. More than that, Species 8472 had become more bold of late and may soon attack Gallifrey itself. Thus Rassilon implicitly gave the fleet permission to use the Demat gun. An action which violated the Temporal Accords.

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It was here in his secret room, hidden within his quarters was where Rassilon felt most at peace. Away from the politicking of the Time Lord elite, the founder of Gallifreyan society could focus his thoughts.

“Species 8472 are a most resilient species. They will not be easily defeated, even by the Time Lords.” The woman spoke in a seductive manner. Rassilon remembered women like her, during the dark times. Among her kind she was their Queen.

“You may find that Time Lords will succeed where others have failed.” The pointed rebuke had its desired effect. The woman kept silent allowing Rassilon to continue. “If necessary we will put Fluidic Space to the sword.”

“You can destroy an entire universe?”

Rassilon’s silence was all the answer she needed. “Truly you Time Lords are closer to perfection than any other species I know of besides the Q.”

For a moment there was silence then the woman spoke again. “I wish for my people to become one with the Time Lords. I wish for us to become one of the Great Houses.”

“You will have the opportunity to prove your worth. Already the Federation breaks the temporal accord with its agents in the past.”

“So you have no qualms about doing the same.” It was not a question. “Is that why you brought my people here?” She finally asked.

Rassilon held up a bottle starring at it, admiring its shape. The so called universe in a bottle was created by Time Lord science. Like a TARDIS, the inside of the bottle was a separate universe, only this time it was much bigger than a TARDIS’s interior. In ages past the Time Lords had plan to hide in the bottle if they had lost to extradimensional invaders, the Ferutu. Unlike other parallel time lines entry to the bottled universe was not easy, that universe having its own strange laws. The Time Lords relocation to the bottle had led to the extinction of that universe’s humanity. The effort seemed wasted as Time Lord agents eventually defeated the Ferutu, however that was a small price to pay. Now the bottle served a different function. It allowed Rassilon to hide the woman’s people undetected by other temporal powers. They would be released at the appropriate time to emerge stronger than ever before, augmented with superior Time Lord technology. “Since the Federation has interfered in the past, so shall we,” was the cryptic answer.

The woman was satisfied with that answer. Finally she moved closer and closer. Now her hands lightly brushed the President’s hair, her lips near his ear as she whispered, “You Time Lords are such a sterile species, yet you remembered the time before the Intuitive Revolution, before you became masters of time. I have seen your historical records. The ancient Gallifreyans had an empire, they possessed the passion, the drive which made them what they are now. You lived during those times, you remember what it was like. You remember the pleasures of the flesh.”

With that Rassilon allowed the woman to work her ministrations on him.

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30 th century – Delta Quadrant, Federation territory

The first part of the plan had gone surprisingly well. The Darkstar had met up with their Federation contacts who presented them with the remains of Mr Carey. Straight away Romana could sense that it was the remnant of a Time Lord. Once that was confirmed the Darkstar sped away. That was the easy part.

The second part involved keeping Romana safe until Gallifrey’s intention could be divined. It should have been the easy part while cloaked. However it was harder to hide when the hunters were telepathic. So it was that Species 8472 sensed the presence of the Federation ship. Generating a giant subspace field they managed to knock the ship out of subspace. They defeated its phase cloak through the use of gravity wells. The aliens weren’t in a mood to talk, having interpreted the fact that the Federation ship was cloaked as a sign of hostile intent. With no choice the Darkstar ran.

“I have lost him, damn it.” Calhoun’s voice could be heard over the sounds of battle. If the assault continued, soon the whole ship would be lost. Quantum slipstream drive had been knocked out. The ship was not even warp capable anymore. Being designed for stealth rather than combat, the lone ship was no match for the bioships tailing it. It however had managed to damage one bioship by concentrating its fire. That however left four more. Sensing the wounded prey the bioships moved in for the kill.

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Meanwhile elsewhere in the Delta Quadrant the Time Lord fleet had finally tracked down the planet killer and the fleet of ships escorting it. With the ability to escape into another universe, Species 8472 had initially stymied the Time Lords the same way the great Vampires of E-space had escaped total doom. However such an advantage was not to last. Tracking the gravitational disturbance made by the ships entering our universe, Gallifrey had promptly sent its hunters after them.

It wasn’t so much a battle as a policing action. Once the TARDISes had confirmed this was the same ships they were time looped from Gallifrey. Forced to recreate their actions again and again. At least for the time it took the TARDISes to fire the demat gun at them. Thus wiping them out from the time line. Such actions would have vast ramifications. Not only was Narnon 3 resurrected, but several of the ships had participated in other attacks on non Gallifreyan territory. Without these ships aid, other ships in those assaults would have fallen or be damaged. So it was then that a lone Federation ship found its foes much reduced in number.

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“What just happened?” Calhoun asked. One minute she had just lost a crew member then the next he was alive again with only minor injuries. Five bioships had suddenly morphed into one damaged bioship.

“Two bioship attacked us. Goodness knows why when one of them was already damaged as it was. We managed to beat them but we took severe damage.” It was captain McCulloch who spoke.

“What happened to the other three?”

“What are you talking about?”

“What doctor Calhoun is referring to is the fact that time has just been rewritten.” Romana spoke casually, but to Calhoun she recognise the edge of agitation in the female Time Lord’s voice. “Five ships attacked us, but only two remained. At least for those who can sense the reordering of the time line.”

“Why wasn’t I affected by the temporal incursion?” Calhoun asked.

“You are part Gallifreyan.”

“What ever happened or didn’t happen, the point is we are still alive.” McCulloch ordered scanning for survivors among the lone bioship. There was one. The captive was beamed aboard. With that the Darkstar prepared to head to the nearest starbase for repairs.

[mr friendly guy]

Forgot the notes

Notes
1. Charged Vacuum Emboitment was a transit point between E-space and our N-space created by the Logopolitans.

2. The Castellan’s snide remark about the Federation diplomat not being versed in science was a dig against the numerous butchering of science done by Trek over the years. Its one thing to make a new concept up, quite another to misuse existing concepts.

3. Rassilon – what can I say, stuck in a tomb for billions of years, and he is President Bond.

4. The events in the universe in the bottle were chronicled in “Dead Romance.” Eventually TL agents including Bernice Summerfield (companion of the 7 th doctor who achieved her own spin off series of audios and novels) defeated the Ferutu that arrived in our universe. The ferutu (anagram of future) was the equivalent of TL in their universe. They however utilised a science which seems like magic and at odds with how the TL do things. In arriving in our universe some of them seemed to gain vast power and even the TL were afraid of them. That being said from the description in the novels they don’t seem that powerful, so we can chalk the TL response to overestimating the Ferutu’s capability, which makes the destruction of the bottled universe’s humanity even more tragic.

[mr friendly guy]

Chapter 13 - Fallout

30 th century - Gryben

The erasure of the planet killer had several profound effects. The Vorta protected from casuality by their Time Lord masters were amazed by their ability to resurrect the dead. Other citizens of the Gallifreyan empire wondered what all the fuss was about. To them, the destruction of Narnon 3 never occurred. To the other Involved Powers, it sent shivers down their collective spines. The Time Lords had just demonstrated they were willing to break the temporal accords on a massive scale. The Q were not interested in intervening, so the Involved Powers sent a diplomatic envoy, an Organian to negotiate with Rassilon.

“I am curious,” Rassilon began, “During the conflict between the Federation and the Klingons you Organians intervened and forced the two sides to the negotiating table. Why did you not in subsequent conflicts?”

“The children must learn to solve their own problems. The parents cannot always guide them,” was the cryptic reply.

“I see.” Continuing on Rassilon enquired further. “How does one survive by being a pacifist in a universe trying to kill you?” He paused thinking of the great wars Gallifrey had fought, first against the Yssgaroth, those great Vampires from the Exo-space time continuum, then the great Time Wars that followed.

“We are here. The results can be seen.”

“Did it not occur to you that your success in mediating the dispute with the Klingons and the Federation were due to your overwhelming physical powers and not through superior morality? If you were to fight a foe who is your equal without your moral restraints I do not believe you will win.”

Suddenly the Organian turned. The humanoid form he had “worn” grew bright. “You Time Lords may have created technological terrors, but you are still mortal and need to be wary of the power of pure energy.”

Rassilon could feel his gauntlet warming up, growing hotter. He knew the history of the Organians and was confident they could not touch the inside of a TARDIS. However his gauntlet was not similarly protected. “I find your morality repugnant.” He continued despite the heat. “There is great evil out in the universe, and sometimes they must be fought. We Time Lords fought them. We didn’t cower in our home basking in our so called moral superiority.”

“You may be old, but you are not mature.”

“I see now that maturity to you is appeasement. Just like how you ran away from the Dark Zalkonians.” The gauntlet had now gone hotter than what any human could bear. However it was still within Time Lord tolerances. Rassilon’s contempt for the creature built up. “If you will not protect the universe, then let us do what must be done.”

“One day even the Time Lords will find that there are limits to what they can do.” The Organian wondered why Rassilon was even able to hold the gauntlet. It should be hotter than what even Time Lords can bear. To his amazement the temperature began to cool. He poured more energy into the gauntlet, but it continued to cool. “How?”

Rassilon grabbed the Organian’s form and immediately he could feel his energy being converted to matter, into a primitive weak form. He wondered if this was what Time Lords felt. “Listen to me and listen well. The invaders from Fluidic Space will be dealt with. If necessary we will initiate the final sanction and make it so that their entire universe ceases to exist. Do you hear me?”

The Organian heard. Finally managing to break free from Rassilon’s grip he reverted back into his “evolved” energy form. “I will convey your barbarous message to the Council of Elders.” With that he disappeared.

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During the Third Time War the Time Lords reached back in time to their glorious past, they pulled giant Bowships (upgraded it with current technology), reused Black Hole Carriers and in their final desperate act, they woke Rassilon from his eternal sleep. Impressed with the speed at which Dalek technology had advanced, Rassilon was determined that the Time Lords would do the same in their new universe. No longer will they look to the past, for Rassilon the past consisted of the superstitious Pythia, the rulers of Gallifrey eons ago and whose descendents were the Visionaries. He would look to the present and a glorious future.

Up to this point under Rassilon’s leadership the Time Lords had made two great advances. The first was the rediscovery of the Armageddon Sapphire. In the midst of the Visionary rantings she spoke of a Time War which never happened, against the Ancestor Cell, and she spoke of the Time Lords initiating final sanction using a weapon capable tearing the basic particles of the Universe apart and making way for a new Universe. In effect an alternative time line where the same plan Rassilon had intended was enacted, just via a different method.

The second discovery was perhaps more wondrous. Experimenting with drawing more energy from the Vortex, they discovered that a Time Lord could draw directly from it by entering through the heart of a TARDIS. The limitation was that while the Time Lord gained vast powers, it quickly burnt up the current incarnation forcing them to regenerate. If necessary Gallifreyan technology could create for them another set of regenerations, in effect allowing Time Lords during times of war to becoming gods, albeit temporarily ones only. However with Rassilon it was different.

Rassilon had long ago discovered the secret of immortality by studying the Eternals, transcendental beings are made out of the very matter of time, with a polymorphic lattice of photinos and and chronons, bound together by super-strings. Thus when Rassilon stepped into the heart of a TARDIS as an immortal, he came out as a God.

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30 th century – Federation starbase Deep space 13

“Romana, wake up.” It was Calhoun who spoke. “Something isn’t right.”

The Darkstar had earlier made it to Deep space 13, the commander, a Vulcan by the name of Toulac had been reluctant to let them dock. He had cited repair concerns, that the station had recently withstood a meteor shower. However McCulloch wasn’t buying it. The Captain pointed out the Darkstar had top security clearance and all starbases must comply. So reluctantly Toulac had allowed them to dock. That was 8 hours ago.

Romana took in the sights and sounds of her room. It was then that she noticed the eerily silence. “This station, should be operational 26 hours a day, 7 days a week. Why is it so quiet?”

“I never noticed that. But that wasn’t why I woke you. I tried contacting the captain, wanted to do some more experiments to try and work out how Chronotis was killed. The explosion doesn’t seem like any standard ones we are familiar with.” She explained. “However I have been unable to raise him.”

“Lets go.”

The two women made their way back onto the Darkstar. Romana had told Calhoun not to bother trying to contact anyone on the ship. If the ship had been compromised there was no point tipping their hand. If it wasn’t, then they would have a good laugh at their paranoia later. The first thing Calhoun wanted to do was get to her sickbay. On entering it she was shocked at what she saw.

“This is crew man Skirk. One of the engineering crew. He was the most seriously injured from the bioship attack. So I told him he needed one more day in sickbay. I never expected to find him dead.”

“Do you know the cause of death?”

“According to my tricorder, hypoxia.”

It was then that Romana realised the air didn’t “taste” right. “Calhoun do you have a regular tricorder.” The other woman nodded. “Scan the atmosphere for abnormal composition.”

“I am reading high amounts of listeralazine anaesthetic.” Listeralazine was a popular odourless, colourless anaesthetic gas used to immobilise intruders. However high amounts of it would compete with oxygen binding leading to hypoxia and death if exposed to it for prolong periods.

“I am willing to bet that the space station is also flooded with this gas. Computer scan the atmosphere of the Darkstar and DS 13 for listeralazine gas.” Romana commanded.

“Atmosphere of Darkstar and Deep Space 13 contains high amounts of listeralazine gas, beyond tolerances of most Federation species.”

“Why aren’t we affected?” Calhoun immediately mentally slapped herself as soon as she said it. “Of course, our Gallifreyan physiology.”

“Computer, send a coded communicate to Starfleet. Inform them that the USS Darkstar is docked at Deep Space 13 and there is sabotage on the station. Most of the crew is presumed dead.”

“Unable to comply.”

“Why?” Romana demanded.

“All FTL communication consoles are inoperative.”

“Toulac, the Vulcan commander was acting suspicious. I don’t know what his game is, or even if its his plan, but someone has gone to the trouble to incapacitate all members of the Darkstar crew. We have to beam down to the surface. There is a small outpost there. We might be able to find a communications console that isn’t damage.” Calhoun said. “Romana, do you think it could be the Time Lords.”

“Its very unlikely they would know I am here, after all its only chance that we were forced to dock here. I will say this much though, they do use third party agents, and those agents can have their own style of assassination. I however have a better idea.” Pulling out her sonic screwdriver Romana added a “Ta da. I believe I can repair the consoles.”

“Romana look behind you.” Turning around she saw captain McCulloch and another crew member. “I am not reading any life signs on them. How can this be?”

“Come with us.” McCulloch ordered. It was his voice, but the mannerisms were not his.

“I don’t think so.” Pointing the sonic screwdriver at the sickbay console a forcefield activated protecting the two women. Usually used to keep hostiles confined, it now served to keep hostiles out.

“Computer, deactivate forcefield, authorisation McCulloch 45 alpha 32 gamma 9.”

“Unable to comply.”

“Computer lock onto us and beam us to the surface now.” Romana shouted.

“Computer terminate transport.” However it was too late as both Starfleet officers disappeared. Once on the surface Romana made some adjustments to the sonic screwdriver. She explained that her device could be used to reverse transmat devices. Now she was using it to block them. With that the two women began their trek to safety.


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1 hour later

The planet’s surface was not the safe haven they expected it to be. It seemed most of the station’s personnel was down there chasing them. It was getting worse. Romana realised that the total number of people down on the planet was easily more than the numbers that should have inhabited this world even including station personnel. Of course they gave no life signs, no heart beat, no respiration, however by modifying Calhoun’s tricorder they could zoom in on the organic matter of their pursuers they could approximate the number of “living dead” on the planet. Their pursuers were systematically herding them, limiting their options.

The phaser blast came perilously close. Turning around Romana say Calhoun had been hit. Quickly feeling the doctor’s pulse she was relieved that the woman was still alive. So their pursuers most likely wanted them for questioning. Romana made the agonising decision to leave Calhoun. She was about to use her sonic screwdriver to tap into the Darkstar’s transporters and try to beam elsewhere when a phaser blast struck her as well. Then there was only blackness.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“So you wake up at last.”

Romana found herself and Calhoun in a cell behind a forcefield. She looked up at her speaker. It was McCulloch. He was flanked by crewman Skirk and an Andorian who she didn’t recognise. McCulloch continued on.

“You eluded us for a while armed with nothing more than your wits, and this.” Holding up the sonic screwdriver McCulloch handed it over to the Andorian. Who proceeded to place it on the ground and as a demonstration of the hold they had over the two women destroyed Romana’s device.

“Who are you?” It was Calhoun who spoke.

Ignoring the woman McCulloch continued speaking to Romana. “But I expected nothing less from a Time Lord.”

“You have me at a disadvantage.”

“Really? Search your memories. We were interned at Shada together.”

It was then that a switch clicked for Romana. “You are the Hoothi.”

“Yes, you remember. Good. It was a stroke of luck that delivered you to my hand.” For a moment McCulloch paused as if recalling the battles fought ages past. “The Time Lords annihilated most of our brethren and imprisoned the rest. Oh how you must hate the High Council as I do. Join with me and together we will have our revenge. Even if it takes us a thousand years, or a thousand thousand we shall enjoy the sweet taste of vengeance.”

“No offense, but you were not exactly an innocent party living in some Shang Ri La. You attacked the Time Lords first and their retaliation left you in your current state.”

“Your words are strange, I do not understand.” Searching through McCulloch’s memory the Hoothi finally continued. “Ah, you refer to the fact that we were cruel overlords over the other species on my world. Such as the hand that evolution dealt us. That is irrelevant. What is of concern is the here and now.”

“If the past is irrelevant then you shouldn’t really need to worry about revenge against the Time Lords.”

“Romana, what are you doing?” Calhoun hissed angrily. “Nothing is going to be gained by deliberately antagonising him.”

“I know what I am doing.” Her reply was interrupted as more hosts of the Hoothi arrived and pulled Romana from her cell. They placed her on a operating table, bound her and placed what looked suspiciously like a mind probe on her forehead. Three telepaths, 2 Betazed and one Vulcan, she realised it was Toulac came. McCulloch injected something into her using a hypospray and she could feel the telepaths probing her mind as it became clouded. Her last thoughts were, maybe I don’t know what I am doing.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Romana’s eyes opened, however to Calhoun’s horror they looked daze, like she was in a trance. “Time Lords are immune to my infection, however do not think that will protect you from my reach.” For the first time a trace of emotion appeared on McCulloch’s face. “Come.”

Like a doll at the hands of a puppeteer Romana moved and held McCulloch’s hand. With both hands he held her face reminiscent of a Vulcan mind meld. “What are you doing to her?” Calhoun shrieked.

“Patience.” Finally he let Romana fall down. The Time Lord convulsed like she was having a seizure. This went on for half a minute before finally it ceased. “Yes, I did it. At last, I have possessed a Time Lord.”

“How? I thought they were immune to your control.”

“A Time Lord can achieve great control over their autonomic functions. Simply tell the immune system not to fight the infestation and even your friend is now mine to control.” With a shock Calhoun realised it was Romana who spoke.

One of DS 13’s medical staff came and waved a modified medical tricorder over Romana. “She is not rejecting our DNA. Soon it will be incorporated. Once that happens all host bodies will be able to gain access to Time Lord regeneration and mental powers.”

“Most Time Lords reject developing their mental powers, preferring to rely on cold hard science and technology.” It was Romana who spoke. Or rather that thing using her voice. “However we will develop this one’s mental powers. With her knowledge of Time Lord and Federation science our power has grown immensely in just one day.”

“Wait, there is more.” This time it was McCulloch who spoke. “There is another one. The prisoner, it also lives. Bring it here.”

Calhoun saw the injured pilot of the bioship transported into an adjacent cell. She could only watched helplessly as some of the host bodies prepared modified nanites and administered it to the alien via inhalation. “This is murder.”

“No it is evolution.”

Thankfully the pilot’s agony was short lived. The pilot activated a neurotoxin which spared him further agony. The Hoothi released its spores into the pilot and slowly but surely the body was reanimated. “It resists us,” Romana spoke. “But it will succumb. Already we can feel its genetic heritage added to our own.”

“Now it is her turn.” McCulloch spoke. “She has Gallifreyan DNA, but may lack the ability to control her autonomic functions. If she fails to do so, destroy her.”
* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Romana listen to me, you can fight this, whatever it is. You aren’t a slave, you are a Time Lord.”

After the bioship pilot had been infected most of the host bodies had left, leaving only Romana and Toulac to supervise Calhoun’s turning.

The Vulcan placed a mind probe on her forehead while she was held down by restraints. “Don’t do this.” But Calhoun shouted out of reflex as much as out of expectation that Romana would “snap out of it.” Romana had gone to get a hypospray. Suddenly she turned around in her hand held not a medical tool, but a phaser. One set to kill. Toulac literally disappeared as the nuclear disruption force ripped into him.

“I would ask how, but that would seem so anti climatic.”

“After having my mind wiped by Rassilon again and again I vowed it wasn’t going to be so easy the next time. I hid my true thoughts from the Hoothi and allowed it to be aware of the bioship pilot and how useful it would be if they could manufacture their own organic ships. He assumed incorrectly that he didn’t know all that I know because he hadn’t incorporated all my DNA with his. Now he pays the price.”

“Just get me out of here and we can bring in a fleet of ships. Even DS 13 can’t match that.”

“There is no need. Remember I said I allowed him to know the existence of the bioship pilot.”

It then dawned on Calhoun that Romana had a plan. That plan which included sacrificing, no murdering the bioship pilot for their own survival. Over the years Calhoun had made peace with her hatred of the Time Lords. She still held them responsible for killing her family at Terra Nova 4, but on the whole she accepted just as there were good people and bad people among all the species of the Federation, so to there must be among the Time Lords. She was started to reassess that worldview now she realised that even Romana could be so cold when survival was at stake. She wanted to hit the other woman, but bound as she was she could only grit her teeth.

“I had thought I might need what limited telepathic skills my DNA has given you, however the Hoothi had absorbed the genetic material of psions over the years and I think that gives me the boost I require.” For a moment Romana hesitated, then her face twisted in determination. “I am going to call the Time Lords.”

“That’s suicide.”

“Not if I disguise the call. Remember the Time Lords are at war with Species 8472. While its not on the usual holo news channel, Federation intelligence is aware that they have publicly offered to help clear occupied worlds of 8472.”

Calhoun nodded. She was dimly aware of that. “Now that the Hoothi has incorporated the DNA of species 8472, they will read as the enemy and be annihilated.”

“Even our technology can tell the difference.”

“The N-forms would not care.” With that Romana concentrated and a telepathic signal was sent. She received a reply.

Shortly Calhoun watched the devastation as N-forms ripped through the Hoothi host bodies as they materialised. There was no defense against that. It was almost horrific watching them fire phasers and subatomic disruptors against their enemies with no effect. Creations that were used to clear the Vampiric invaders from E-space billions of years ago, the N-forms would attack any one specified an enemy by the Time Lords once the command was given. The exception was those with Gallifreyan DNA, so Calhoun and Romana were spared. With the same efficiency as those who fought in the war with the vampires, these N-forms reduced the Hoothi host to nothing within a few minutes. Soon only the two women were the only sentients living on the world.

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30 th century – Earth

“Your actions in dealing with a hostile alien was beyond risky if not outright treasonous.” The man who spoke was Murray Behe, one of the hawks among the Federation. Since the first day he had taken over his post he had pushed for Romana to have her hard won freedoms curbed. “Your actions led to the death of all DS 13’s personnel not to mention significant casualties among the Darkstar crew.”

“Starfleet captains are allowed some degree of autonomy in the event a starship becomes separated from UFP space. As they were otherwise incapacitated that left me the highest ranking Starfleet officer. As such I was allowed to make whatever choice I deemed fit.” Romana punctuated that last sentence.

“Summoning Time Lord help to a Federation outpost solely to save your own life is not in the Federation’s interest.” Behe thundered. “We only went to war with them last century and relations aren’t exactly the best at any time.”

“I don’t doubt what we did was risky. However I knew what I was doing, and the results speak for themselves.”

“May I speak.” Calhoun finally raised her voice. “While I think Romana’s plan was inherently risky, perhaps too risky, it did serve its purpose. The Hoothi infection stopped, while we managed to witness first hand how devastating Time Lord N-forms are. In the final analysis we not only dealt with a threat to the Federation but also managed to gain intelligence on Time Lord capabilities. I say we came out ahead.”

Behe was about to say more when the briefing was interrupted. “All officers please observe the viewers.” The computer voice droned. An image on the view screen taken from a Federation probe in Fluidic space showed .. the matter of Fluidic Space collapsing being replaced as a wave expanded exponentially.

“What is that?” Behe uttered. It wasn’t until later that the Federation would find out that the Time Lords had finally lost patience with the threat from Fluidic Space and had deployed their ultimate sanction. The destruction of an entire universe. For the first time omnicide has been committed.

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Gallifrey

Rassilon sat on his “throne” witnessing the destruction he had wrought. The invaders from Fluidic Space could not be time looped. They could not be dealt with in the manner Gallifrey was accustomed to. The were too numerous for each individual bioship to be hunted down by war TARDISes. Besides they were needed in this universe to offset the Federation. So he made the only decision he could. Of course it was the only one Rassilon could do. If some other Time Lord was president, they might have been interested in finding out what was Species 8472’s grievances. However the time for negotiation was from another age, where the Time Lords had forgotten what it meant to be the predominant power. Rassilon would remind them again.

The Armageddon Sapphire would do its job reordering the universe that would be Fluidic Space. From the remains a new universe would form, perhaps one the Time Lords could utilise. However all that remained to be done was wait for the diplomatic fallout.
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Notes

1. The vision was an alternate time line involving the Armageddon sapphire was shown to the Doctor in the Quantum Archangel

2. Rassilon was noted to be immortal in “The Five Doctors”. I decided to come up with an explanation (sort of) for how this worked.

3. The Doctor sent out a telepathic call to the Time Lords in “Wargames.” I had Romana do the same but this time managing to disguise it.

So I had planned 15 chapters, however chapter 12 ended up being too long once I had showcase all those scenes I wanted. So that was split into two chapters. However the next chapter 14, itself looks too long and 15 looks to have even more scenes. So I might end up with 18 chapters, maybe more. Each chapter is a bit less than 4000 words on average, but I aim for around 3300 at least a chapter.

Next the Daleks make themselves felt and Q plays his trump card.

[mr friendly guy]

Chapter 14 – The Catastrophe I

31 st century - Gallifrey

“In the early days of the Catastrophe, it was said that the inhabitants of Bajor had bad dreams. So it was that a once great meeting place was inhabited by the dregs of a society, criminals interned and a once proud people. Some sought comfort in the spices…” The image changed to showing Bajorans partaking of narcotics.. “Others sought help from deities long forgotten,” now the image showed Bajorans holding up their sacred orb, praying to no avail. If Rassilon had paid more attention he might have noticed something in the Bajoran’s eyes, something to suggest a vision. But he paid it no heed, after all many Bajorans received visions in the embrace of narcotics. So he continued on.

“But we remember. We have seen the planets being moved and we remember. For today, Gallifrey prepares for war.”

All around Time Lords were growing more TARDISes, the time scoop was ready and probing rays were being sent out. However there was still no sign of the ancient enemy. For now.

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31 st century – inside the Celestial Temple

The first time Braxton noticed he was immortal was transiting to the native universe of the Time Lords. The energy wave knocked out most his ship’s systems and left him clinically dead according to the holographic doctor. However given he later revived he failed to notice the significance. To him the EMH was malfunctioning, having been damaged along with the other systems. After the circuitry regeneration had kicked in, Braxton continued on his quest seeking allies.

Eventually he found information concerning the Daleks. It was at this point that his visions first started to appear. He knew now what needed to be done, that “behind” the time lock would be the keys of his salvation. It wasn’t easy breaching the time lock. Numerous probes he sent were repulsed. Finally he hit upon the idea that if the Time Lords escaped by travelling to a parallel dimension, so could he. When he returned to his universe, he was shocked by the lack of a Federation presence. Giant temporal distortions racked the Alpha Quadrant rendering worlds uninhabitable. Putting the trauma behind him, Braxton slid back into the Time Lord’s universe, past the time lock.

After he rescued Davros the visions became more prolific. The Daleks kept him alive as his prophecies turned out to be useful. It was when the Prophets attempted to retake their temple the third time, that Braxton died again. His body was utterly destroyed, however to the surprise of his compatriots it was restored within a day, or what seem liked a day in the Celestial Temple.

Then he found out about the horrors of the Daleks. Before he had ignored Davros’s talk of mass killings and master races. He had ignored the description of Dalek atrocities. Now he found himself the victim of it. They tortured him, killed him several times, too many to count. They wanted to find out why he was immortal, however even Dalek science failed to decipher this mystery. So eventually they left him alone, crippled, bound to a chair just like Davros. His use was not at an end, he spoke of prophecies, of ancient enemies gathering and the death of Gods. And his hatred of the Time Lords rang through. After all this time, he still wanted them dead, for Braxton’s life wasn’t important to him even when he was mortal, it was his wife’s that mattered.

As Braxton waited for the day of his prophecy to be fulfilled he knew one thing the Daleks did not. He had one last prophecy to give. But it would not be for Davros’s ears. He knew he would see that woman again, and this prophecy pertain to her future.

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1 month earlier - Gryben

“Gallifrey categorically denies these ludicrous allegations that we have stolen ten of your worlds.” It was Braxiatel who spoke. Being the more diplomatic minded of the Time Lords he had been selected for the negotiations.

“We have all seen the Time Lord’s ability to move planets, even entire solar systems. The Federation asks that Gallifrey explain its actions to the other Involved Powers. We have abided by the terms of our treaty, and we ask Gallifrey to do the same.”

“I assure you, Gallifrey is as interested in finding out what happened to the missing worlds as you are. We have scouted time and space, even the Nekrit triangle. So far nothing. I suggest you look in the Delphic expanse. The spatial disturbances may hide something.” Well not exactly nothing, Braxiatel thought. They had discover a pocket of anti-time which had concerned the High Council. By its very nature it behaved unpredictably. Soon Gallifrey may have to take action to contain it.

“You may have won the previous war, but that does not mean you can tell Starfleet how to do its job. For your information we have already sent ships into the Delphic expanse. Nothing.”

“Well then, we just have to look harder.” Braxiatel spoke dismissively.

“Ask them have they searched the Great Void.” The diplomat pressed on his communications device as the message came through. He didn’t know who the speaker was, only that she was a so called expert on Time Lords, out of the many who “experts” who were getting positions in Starfleet intelligence.

“Have you searched the Great Void?” The diplomat asked.

“No.” Slowly Braxiatel’s eyes narrowed. Was he sensing something? “However your suggestion has merit. We shall not only search there but also try scanning for pocket dimensions. Even the remnants of Fluidic Space.”

The diplomat was surprised. It was not every day the Time Lords gave a concession. The fact that he had no idea what the Great Void was didn’t phase him in the least. A concession was a victory of sorts. One he was happy to make. So the two diplomats agreed to adjourned the meeting for now.


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The two figures were travelling in a ship leaving Gallifreyan space. The meeting at Gryben had proved enlightening. Finally Romana deactivated the Chameleon arch once they were well within Federation space.

“The Time Lords didn’t steal those worlds.”

“How do you know?” The figure who spoke was not organic. It was the Cravic class robot Mr Fable. Since the destruction of the Right Wing Fleet the robot had worked odd jobs in the Federation until he became the attaché to Romana, the Federations most important scientist.

“In times past with a corrupt High Council I might have suspected. However Rassilon for all his faults, all his cruelties won’t resort to such subterfuge. He would openly do it, just like the last time.”

“The manner in which the planets were stolen do not match the T’kon transmat technology.”

“No. Its similar to the Time Lord magnetron. The only problem is those planets eventually disappeared into a subspace rip. I have no idea who could create it, but I suspect this leads to a pocket dimension.”

“You believe the Time Lords then when they have said they scoured time and space.”

Romana nodded. “After the war with the Yssgaroth, Rassilon and the other ancients expended great effort to look for any survivors. Its well within their abilities to do so again. I think they are as concerned as we are.” Romana paused, lost in her own thoughts. “In my universe besides ourselves, the Typhonians could also move entire worlds. So could… no it couldn’t be. They must have been destroyed, the Doctor would have used the Moment to destroy them.”

“You are no doubt referring to the Daleks?” The existence of the Time Lords foes were still debated by Federation scholars. Even with Romana’s testimony there were some who still insisted their existence was a myth. Oh there were Dalek sightings of course, these inevitably turned out to be hoaxes, the same way Bigfoot sightings were popular in the late 20 th century.

“Mr Fable, I want you to search all Federation records for anything like Dalek activity. I will tell you what to scan for, their energy signatures from their temporal wake, any signs of Dalekanian metal.”

The robot quickly got to work. After an hour there was only the usual tall tales. However Fable did find something interesting. “You might want to look at this.”

Romana absorbed the report. Her Time Lord brain allowed her to speed read an absorb information quickly. “It seems almost everyone on Bajor is having bad dreams. Not just the Bajorans, but 95 percent of the population. Some priests are saying their Gods are trying to communicate. That they have been forced from the Celestial Temple and are trying to get back in. Even I know the priests have been saying this since the 24 th century when the wormhole first disappeared. The difference this time is that they have put a new slant on things. That their gods are dying and are crying out help. This is utter, absolute rubbish Mr Fable.”

“There is more. It seems that 10 percent of the population have seen images of the enemy of the Bajoran gods. I will now upload the artist impression.”

An image flared up. On it was a decrepid man in a electronic wheel chair like device. A third eye was embedded in his forehead. “I thought this was interesting as his transportation device resembles in many ways a Dalek.”

“Davros.” Romana’s hiss was barely audible.

“You recognise him then.”

“Mr Fable, order the pilot to Bajor. Tell Starfleet and Timefleet to bring all available ships there. If this is what I think it is we are in trouble, because they have had who knows how many years to build up their strength.”

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31 st century – Earth

“This is our latest model of time ships.” Daniels was pointing to what looked like an unimpressive grey slab. These Time Fleet captains and Federation politicians were not going to be easy to win over. However win them he must, if they were to get more funding into the project. “Admiral Gough has commissioned several of these to continue on Time Fleet’s fine tradition. Designed to match Time Lord TARDISes. They are no longer powered by Omega molecules which draw energy from subspace, but are powered by matter and antimatter reaction within the Vortex itself. ”

“What is its range of travel?”

“Using new time transversing techniques, they can directly enter the Vortex and as a result can travel quite distant into the past and the future.” Daniels replied smoothly.

“Defensive capabilities?” someone else asked.

“While we have failed to master block transfer computations, it is shielded by the latest tri phasic shielding available to Federation science.”

“I have heard that the material itself is not designed to be able to resist prolong attacks.”

“Captain Denehy is correct. However it relies on its shields for protection.” Continuing on Daniels pressed a button. The timeship seemed to shimmer before in its place was a blue box with a flashing light on top. “Advanced hologram allows it to take the outward appearance of anything we program into it. In this case I have randomly chosen a 20 th century police telephone box. Obviously in practical applications it can be used to disguise the time ship and hide it in various environments.”

“This is your cloaking device?” Someone asked incredulously.

“We call it the chameleon circuit. Now wait till you see the inside.” Opening the door the captains could see the inside was much larger than the outside.

“As you can see, Gallifrey isn’t the only one with such technology.” Daniels couldn’t keep the triumph from his voice. With the help of Romana over the years, Federation science had finally caught up and mastered dimensional transcendental technology. “Inside the ship is an entire arnament equivalent of two space stations.”

Suddenly the building was wracked by shaking. “Computer identify the source of the disturbance.”

“Earthquake caused by the Sol 1 station activating.”

This is not good Daniels thought. He wondered if the Time Lords were aware of their attempt to copy Gallifreyan technology and were finally retaliating. The Sol 1 station shouldn’t activate unless someone was again trying to move the Earth.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


31 st century - Mars

The citizens were on edge. Rumours of another possible war with Gallifrey were brewing. The disappearing outer worlds didn’t help the situation either. For the citizens, it just got worse. The earthquake was the first sign, followed by the crumbling of the buildings as the planet itself was moving.

Immediately the Sol 1 neutronium station undid its static warp field. Its added mass trying to counteract the mysterious force moving the planet. The problem was the station had been designed to hold Earth in place in case of a Time Lord magnetron attack. As such it was position that way. In attempting to generate gravity and hold Mars in place, it ran the risk of knocking Earth out of its orbit. So it was a losing battle as Mars flew out at FTL speeds outside the solar system. Attempts to track it eventually led to a wormhole opening. A few Starfleet ships managed to enter it. They were quickly destroyed. One managed to broad cast back images of a giant artificial planet and several other stolen Federation worlds.

For Mars citizens, the nightmare was just beginning as Daleks were transmatted down.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Mr Orabaughn was bored. Yesterday he had played the latest instalment of the Federation vs the Empire at the public holodeck. It was an interactive game where the player becomes the Captain of a UFP starship in the 24 th century fighting invaders from a galaxy far far away. His character had served alongside holographic reconstructions of great captains like Picard and Sisko. The Empire’s triangle shape ships were finally defeated when he convinced a female Q to transport them into a black hole. Yep, great leaders had great plans.

His ennui was about change when he saw Daleks marching onto the main street. For a moment he could only stare in disbelief. Daleks were a myth created by the Time Lords to justify their presence in our universe. However shock was soon replace by determination as he and a few others armed themselves and prepared to repulse the invaders.

“Sur-ren-der. This area is under Dalek control. Surrender and we may spare you.” The talking pepper pot spoke in a staccato voice. It had trailed them back from the main street to their homes.

“The Federation will never surrender.” That was Whirly, one of Orabaughn’s friends. Whirly fired the subatomic disruptor at the Dalek. However centimetres from impact, he saw the energy discharge stymied by a forcefield. Next Whirly tried the isomagnetics disintegrator followed by old style phasers. Again no effect. All the while the Dalek stood impassively letting Whirly experience the futility of resisting the Daleks.

“Exterminate”. In return the Dalek fired a bolt. Whirly’s body was encased in energy and Orabaughn could see the skeletal structure visible. His friend then fell down. Orabaughn didn’t need to be a doctor to know his friend was dead.

He fled. Along the way he saw other citizens of Mars experiencing the same fate as Whirly. Stairs he thought. They can’t climb stairs. He briefly remembered holographic records of the Greg Beck show. Beck had said so himself, so it must be true. The holodeck he realised. I can create stairs on short notice. Another Dalek was in the same vicinity, however Orabaughn got there first.

The holodecks of the 31 st century encompassed the entire building, not just a single room. “Computer create some holographic stairs, any stairs.” As per his command a group of stairs emerged. He ran up there as fast as he could only stopping to catch his breath once he was at the top. “If you guys are so great, why can’t you climb up some stairs.”

For its part, the pursuing Dalek raised its eye stalk to look at Mr Orabaughn. The human could see the eye actually narrow. “Elevate.” The Dalek began levitating. Soon he will be right next to Mr Orabaughn.

Oh crap, Mr Orabaughn thought. Greg Beck was wrong. Thinking quickly he reasoned the Dalek didn’t possess a lot of firepower. Whirly’s body was still intact. It didn’t leave only smoking remains like Lamarck weapons or relied on the NDF effect of phasers. “Computer create a holographic wall between me and that thing.” That should hold him. The explosion as the wall was destroyed threw him back. The pieces would have caused him serious injury if the safety protocols weren’t automatically activated.

“Think Mr Orabaughn, what would Picard do?” Still running he realised he had the answer. “Computer recreate the scene from the holonovel The Big Goodbye. Disengage safety protocols.” Immediately the scene changed to one reminiscent of ages past, with gangsters gambling in a casino. Arming himself with a primitive Tommy gun he fired repeated rounds into the Dalek. Mr Orabaughn knew his history well. The Borg for all their shielding to resist frequency modulated weapons were no match for high impact kinetic weapons. He gambled that the Dalek shielding worked the same way. That was when he received the next shock of his life. Just prior to touching the Dalek the bullets vapourised. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Even if the Dalek could generate intense heat holographic bullets shouldn’t melt like normal ones.

So he ran again. He tried numerous other programs. Hirogen hunters were annihilated when the Dalek rapidly killed them by spinning his turret 360 degrees and shooting the hunters that had been outflanking it. The Dalek had casually remarked that this was not a hunt, but pest control. He tried relaying the plasma conduits of a starship into the Dalek. That slowed it down for only a few moments until its shields adapted completely. Finally the Dalek located the central holographic control and shut down the holodeck. With nowhere to run Mr Orabaughn awaited his fate.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

31 st century – Bajor

With the disappearance of Mars and the images beamed back the urgency had only increased to find the hidden Dalek base. However Romana’s search was getting nowhere. Despite every subspace, hyper subspace, temporal scan, there was still no luck in forcing the Celestial Temple to reveal itself. The fleet of ships Romana had called in had relocated 2 weeks ago when the threat failed to materialised. Frustrated that Romana found herself on the space station orbiting Bajor trying to figure out where she went wrong. It was here that a Bajoran religious figure found her.

“What is this?”

“For you.”

“Very cryptic of you. However I can straight away tell from your manner of clothing that you are one of the priests of the Prophets, am I correct?”

Silence was her only answer. “Alright, I will continue on. Religious figures have been talking for ages about the Prophets crying out for help.” Opening the container, Romana saw an orb. “Let me guess, this is one of the orbs of the Prophets. I only know one sect that still holds one of these. That sect venerates Benjamin Sisko, commander of DS 9 which was one of the predecessor stations to this one. Anything else I missed.”

“The Sisko knows you will help. We have seen you. The companion of the Lonely God. Helper of the man without a home.” With that the strange woman left.

“Who is this lonely god, because I would sure like to meet him.” However the woman just continued walking. “There will always be weird people no matter what century you live in.”

Eventually Romana decided to take her minds of the lack of progress and study the artefact. Like the most famous of Bajoran artefacts it was in the shape of a perfect sphere. Touching it Romana was surprised when her own innate Atron energy suddenly shot out to encase the orb. No wonder it had been useless to the Bajorans she thought. It needed someone who was time active to be able to utilise it. Then she saw, and she understood. The Prophets could not open up the Celestial Temple because Davros was stopping them. However, with a little help the barrier could be broken.

Later when more Federation ships had gathered, the Bajoran Space Command fired an energy pulse into where the wormhole once stood. The result was fantastic. A wash of energy spread across the system testament that the wormhole was once again opened.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Gallifrey

“It begins, the ursurped gods return.”

The Visionary’s words were interrupted by the junior Time Lord technician. “Dalek signatures now detected. They appear to originate here.” An image flashed up showing Bajor and the now renewed wormhole.

“So it begins.” Rassilon spoke. There was no need to say any more, the Time Lords knew their duty. It was still difficult for them to see inside the dimensional eddies that characterise the Celestial Temple, so the Time Lords would have to send TARDISes directly inside. These were already being deployed.


Notes
1. Ok I admit some of those Mars citizens were based on SB.com posters
2. The Tommy gun scene was from ST : First contact
3. The holographic bullets behaving differently from normal bullets was one of the arguments raised in the SW vs ST debates.

[mr friendly guy]

Chapter 15 – The Catastrophe II

Inside the Celestial Temple

The engagement was starting to turn against the Federation fleet Romana realised. Mr Fable had remarked they had caught the Daleks with their metaphorical pants over their heads. Most ships were in the process of relocating to the artificial planetoid they had constructed. This gave the Federation fleet the first shot. Numerous temporal torpedoes and subatomic disruptors rain down against Dalek saucers.

Initially the Dalek fleet with malaise, lethargically flew out to engage, allowing the Federation more unimpeded hits. Unfortunately while they took several hits, their saucers still kept on coming. Conversely one hit one kill was the rule with the Federation’s finest. Now individual Daleks were flying out to engage the Federation fighter wing. The Daleks were flying with a grace which surprised the Federation fighters, forced to rely on their superior speed to match the agility of the smaller Daleks.

The explosion hit the shields of Romana’s ship, the USS Witchhead. She didn’t need to look to realise that a nearby Federation ship just met its end and the remains had just battered the Witchhead’s shields. The problem was the Celestial Temple was not really that big. The 27 stolen Federation worlds fit into it, but it didn’t leave much room for the Federation ships to utilise their superior manoeuvrability against the slower STL of the Dalek fleet. In short the fight was turning into a shoot out rather than one where tactics could come into play. The only saving grace was that the Dalek ships weren’t using full power for fear of hitting their own ships.

“We cannot sustain such losses.” Mr Fable remarked even as his hands moved across the controls with speed faster than a human, or Time Lord eye for that matter. The Witchhead shields expanded in destroying individual Daleks that got too close before they could turn their not inconsiderable firepower against the ship. “Estimated time of arrival of reinforcements, 30 minutes.”

“The stolen worlds. They appear intact. Scan them for any signs of Dalek activity.”

“Aye Captain. Scanning. There is some damage to the worlds, but otherwise the atmosphere is still intact, mineral composition is intact, population slightly reduced reflecting those killed but otherwise no major changes. No Daleks remain on those worlds.” Ensign Chan read out the report. The ensign would one day make a great captain, Romana thought. While there were many who objected to her becoming a Captain of a starship, as the saying went Starfleet looked after their own. And gave her the opportunity to advance through the ranks just like anybody. These newer recruits freed from the bias of the conflict with Gallifrey in the 29 th century saw her as just another boss, and one which treated her crew well.

“They must want those worlds intact for some reason.” She mused.

“The question is what?” Mr Fable echoed.

“Doesn’t matter. We can use it to our advantage. Mr Chan signal the fleet to fall back around the stolen worlds. The Daleks won’t bring their heavier weapons to bear, while we can hit them with all we have.”

“Fleet has received your signal. Admiral Thomas has agreed with the plan. Manouvering now.”

Romana’s tactic brought much needed respite for the battered fleet. She watched with satisfaction as another Dalek saucer went down. Too few she thought. The Daleks would soon be moving in orbit around the stolen worlds which would limit the Federation firepower as well for fear of collateral damage. Right now their ships were hitting the Daleks with everything they had. A few ships tried to remodulate the deflector array to increase the fire power of their ships. It had limited effect, however the inexorable tide crept ever closer.

As if reading her thoughts Mr Fable added his own analysis. “The fleet will be defeated with Daleks taking 7 % casualties before reinforcements arrive.”

The premonition cast a chill on the bridge of the Witchhead. Most of them were aware of the Daleks although most felt that their prowess in battle was grossly exaggerated. Witnessing now 6 entire fleets plus the local Bajoran patrol ships being beaten by an enemy fleet barely 100 strong was a humbling experience.

“We will have to survive as best as we can until the 7 th Starfleet and the 9 th Time Fleet arrive.” Romana watched as a duo Federation tried opening a time portal in a tactic similar to that used by Species 8472. The first ship opened a portal to absorb the incoming fire, while the second ship positioned itself right on top of a saucer and opened a second one. Again the effect was minimal, Dalek shields weakened, but the saucer still stood. However she shields were weakened enough for the remaining UFP ships to hit it with its combined fire power and another ship died. The price paid for this was in the blood of more ships gunned down by the Daleks.

“Correction, we will be defeated with the enemy fleet taking 8.5% casualties.”

“Mr Fable you are the bearer of such good news.” Romana remarked sarcastically. “We may have no choice but to deploy weaponised red matter.”

“Admiral Thomas would never contenance such civilian casualties.” It was Ensign Chan who spoke. Almost apologetically he added. “Captain.”

“Unfortunately 2 of the 5 ships carrying the device have been destroyed. Soon we will be denied even that option.” Mr Fable continued emotionlessly.

It was then that a sight appeared that Romana had not expected to see again. A fleet of war TARDISes had appeared. A Dalek saucer harassing the USS Trigon was destroyed as two TARDISes fired the demat gun against it. Romana knew that any Federation ships killed by that saucer would be resurrected, only for time to find another way of killing it as Dalek ships would finish it off again.

The TARDISes had moved to join the Federation fleet behind the stolen worlds, using them as cover. Romana watched as several TARDISes suddenly expanded in dimension to about the size of Mars. “What just happened?” Ensign Chan asked.

“It just got crowded,” Romana joked. She decided to put the ensign out of his misery. “TARDISes are bigger on the inside than the outside. They have simply inverted the dimensions and mapped the inside out. But that leaves the TARDIS vulnerable and is only used for intimidation.” Romana didn’t have to wait long to find out what the Time Lords were planning as millions of missiles dematerialised from the TARDISes to time ram the Dalek ships.

“They appear to be some sort of missile platform. The larger surface area allows them to fire more missiles simultaneously. A lot more. I am detecting multiple temporal signatures in the missiles wake.”

“That’s a new trick.” Romana remarked.

“Not that new,” was Fables blistering reply. “Since the late 24 th century the Federation has endeavoured to create ships which can fire numerous torpedoes, for example the Akira class ships of that era. It is strange that a society as advanced as the Time Lords did not utilise such a design feature in their ships prior.”

Mr Fable was right, Romana mused. The tactic was almost.. human. Whatever the origins, it worked. The Daleks ships couldn’t risk their missiles in line of sight as the stolen worlds was between the TARDIS and their fleet. However the TARDISes projectile weapons worked by dematerialising inside or near their targets, thus there was zero chance that it would actually hit the planet protecting them.

With the arrival of the Gallifreyan fleet, morale went up for the Federation one. The Daleks were starting to be hurt as finally they retaliated with several missiles targeted at the Time Lords weapons platform. These missiles could curve around and avoid intercepting Federation ships. The first impacted one a forcefield generated, however it wouldn’t be long before it had to give. In desperation some Federation ships flew close to the missiles, opening up a time portal and blocking the missiles. Those too damaged to do even that simply flew into the missiles path, sacrificing themselves. The Time Lord missile platforms were the key to winning this battle and everyone knew it.

“Mr Fable can you program our probes to intercept incoming Dalek missiles and distribute the software to the fleet. And do it fast.”

“Understood.”

As he got to work Romana ordered Mr Chan to send a coded transmission to the fleet and to Admiral Thomas. She needed to pull off a few ships to target that Dalek artificial planetoid.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Crucible

“Activate the reality cannon.” Davros ordered.

“All ships are engaging the Federation and the Time Lords. They will be exterminated.”

“Then let them be exterminated. Do as I say.”

“I obey.” Placing its plunger into the control panel the Dalek prepared to power up the most devastating weapon the Daleks had ever devised.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The attack against the Dalek planetoid hadn’t gone well. Most her escorts were being gunned down and the Witchhead took damage when a nearby ship exploded.

“Our ability to fight is severely reduced.”

“Damn it Mr Fable. What about transporters, can we transport a bomb down there?”

“Transporters are operational,” it was Chan who spoke up. “However we have used up all temporal torpedoes. Subatomic disruptor banks 2 to 5 are down.”

This was not looking good Romana thought. And this was with the Witchhead not sustaining a direct hit. “What about beaming out the power core into the Dalek structure?”

“Power generation of this century is much safer than those in earlier times. The power core is not going to explode without serious rigging.”

Damn it Romana mused. “Tell the crew to abandon ship. Mr Fable we are going to ram that thing, and I want us to beam down to that structure. Whatever they are doing we have to stop them at all costs.”

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Patch me through to the Time Lord commander.” Admiral Thomas ordered.

The screen showed a thin man wearing the robes of a Time Lord. If he was a human Thomas would have said he was middle age. “This is Admiral Thomas leading the Federation task force. Thanks for the assist.”

“Mentalis II platforms matey. You like it?”

“Those missile platforms certainly made the difference.” Thomas acknowledged.

“I invented it myself. Well mebbe with a bit of help from Millennia.”

To his surprise Thomas found that the Time Lord spoke with a Cockney accent. “You are Mr..”

“Drax.”

“Well Mr Drax, within five minutes two more Federation fleets will arrive. Do you plan to bring any more reinforcements?”

“We plan to do more than that. We are going to pull your worlds outta here.”

Drax’s words were cut short as one of the Mentalis II platforms were destroyed. The first one so far. However the damage they had wrought was disproprionate. Already half the Dalek fleet was in ruins. By contrast most Time Lord military assets were still in one piece, courtesy of the sacrifices of the Federation ships. This came with a price as the once proud fleet was reduced by a third.

Another missile came precariously close to another weapons platform. However it simply reduced its size back down to no more than 2 metres in height and the missile missed and was intercepted by a Time Lord ship. By then the Federation 7 th Starfleet and the 9 th Time Fleet arrived. Quickly appraising them of the plan Thomas could feel the outcome of the battle turning. With the Daleks outnumbered and out flanked it was only a matter of time.

The Daleks for their part sent a few ships to attack the Federation ships behind them. Without planets to shield them they replied in kind with multiple missiles. However this time the Federation ships were better prepared, opening up time portals, enough of them blocking out the sky and the missiles as they strove to protect themselves. In between portals more temporal torpedoes peppered the incoming Dalek ships, augmenting the damage the Mentalis II platforms already did. Now haemorrhaging badly the Daleks no longer tried to attack the the ships behind them. They just continued to try and destroy the Time Lord ships at the front. There was plenty of time to deal with Federation gnats later.

“Do you trust us?” Drax asked.

It was a strange question, but Thomas felt he had the measure of the Time Lord commander. “What do you want us to do.”

“Don’t fight us.” With that several TARDISes locked onto Federation ships with multiple tractor beams. Thomas could hear the cries as ship captains felt the Time Lords had betrayed them. Some were trying to remodulate shields to throw off the tractor beam.

“Do nothing,” Thomas ordered. It was the right choice.

Once the Dalek ships had also positioned themselves in the planet’s orbit, Drax ordered the TARDISes to dematerialise, only to appear in the midst of the 7 th and 9 th fleets with the remnant of the first task force. Now the Daleks were again outpositioned, unable to fire directly for fear of hitting the planets. The Time Lords however had no such compunction as more missiles rained death on their old enemies.

However the Daleks did not give up so easily, and if they had any idea what the Crucible’s function was, they would be worried as an energy spike surrounded the stolen worlds, emanating from the Crucible itself. The Daleks were about to activate their weapon.


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Crucible

If the assault against the planetoid went poorly, Romana’s next plan was a non event. The Witchhead flew at the planetoid but was stopped before it got close. However Romana and Mr Fable managed to beam down. They didn’t get far. They had only walked into a room when a forcefield had activated immobilising them.

“Welcome to the Crucible. I had hoped for the Doctor to be here, however it seems another Time Lord has come in his stead. Accompanied by a Federation agent no less.”

“Davros.” Romana hissed. “The Time Lord fleet is ripping apart your ships and the Federation is sending more reinforcements. Surrender and the Federation will be merciful. We do not have the death penalty.”

“You may wear a Federation uniform, but you still have the arrogance of a Time Lord.”

“I don’t know how you survived the Nightmare Child but you will be defeated again and again.”

“I survived with the aid of a human. Can you believe that?”

It was then that Romana noticed the deformed being bound to a chair. It took a moment to recognise him. “Admiral Braxton.”

“That was what he called himself. He pulled me out of the Time Lock by transporting me to an alternate universe. The same way Gallifrey averted its own destruction. The effort drove him mad and made him immortal, but his prophecies are remarkably accurate. Tell them of your prophecy.”

As on cue Braxton spoke. “The ancient enemies will gather at the gates of the Celestial Temple. On that day the Gods themselves will die.”

“Your death is foretold. As is the death of the Time Lords. But we will live on.” Davros pulled off the top part of his vest to reveal the Dalek growing from his chest. “I will become the father of new Dalek race.”

“You expect to defeat us, with your fleet in ruin Davros? I would say the Time War has driven you mad if you weren’t already mad in the first place. Maybe it made you more insane than usual.”

“Silence.” Davros pointed at Romana and a bolt of energy struck her. The Federation captain convulsed in pain. Fortunately Mr Fable threw himself in front of her, his robotic body capable of taking much higher damage than organics.

“The strong force Time Lord. It holds the quarks together, mediated by gluons. These become the protons and neutrons, the building blocks of baryonic matter. My reality cannon will undo all that. Not just that, it will undo all matter in this universe. And when that happens, I will then use the Celestial Temple and open a gate into another time line. And another until only the Daleks remain.”

With apprehension Romana realised that the fleet may not be in time to stop the reality cannon being fired.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Inside the Crucible

“Out of my way.”

If the Daleks were surprised by the arrival of a maddened demigod they gave no indication. Instead they did what all Daleks were good at. They fired. Q the younger shrugged off their blasts. He knew that the Daleks could generate more power especially if they activated their self destructs. He was not going to give them that chance as he needed every erg of power he held. With a wave of his hand the Dalek guards were destroyed. The forcefields of individual Daleks no match for the power of a Q. He could see the reality cannon being aimed at the wormhole exiting the Celestial Temple. Fortunately he had a better target. His trump card was now about to be played. Q gathered his energies preparing to open a gate to the Continuum.

He could sense the vast energies as the Dalek and Time Lords deploy their respective magnetrons trying to pull the worlds away. The Dalek device being closer had the advantage. However that was not to last as the warTARDISes locked onto one of the stolen worlds and prepared to tractor beam it away. This was matched by Dalek saucers trying to break the tractor beam, their effort meaning they couldn’t focus on the Mentalis weapons platforms which had hurt them so much.

“No. I have come too far.” The cry of outrage was born of desperation and pain. Diverting his power Q prepared to do what no other Q had done before. He was going to hold 27 planets in place against TARDISes which can move neutron stars. And he was going to do it until the reality cannon fired.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Davros watched with anticipation as the reality cannon powered up. He knew the Time Lords would try and stop him and he could sense the damage to the crucible and the Dalek Saucers guarding it. However it was too late as the reality cannon fired… only for a new portal to appear and intercept the blast.

“No.”

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Q continuum

The war had raged for 5 centuries. Many immortals dead. However the final stroke was being played out now. Q had gathered his allies from the conservative faction. Already the son had been pushed back, his allies or what remained of them had abandoned the Continuum 24 hours ago as humans reckon time. However even Q never expected what would happen next. The continuum itself collapsed as the Dalek reality cannon broke down the strong force holding their molecules together. Just like that, the Q ended. Not with a bang, but with a breakdown.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Crucible

“Yes. I did it. The end of the Continuum itself. Victory.” For the first time in centuries of war, Q allowed himself to smile. “First the traitors of the Continuum, then the Time Lords.” For now though, Q relaxed. In the skies above the Crucible war TARDISes pulled the stolen worlds away out of the Celestial Temple as Q relented his hold. He could sense N-forms being deployed by the Time Lords. Already fire fights broke up between Dalek forces and their enemies. It was time to leave. With that Q was gone, no evidence left to suggest he was even here.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“You lie,” Davros pointed his finger accusingly at Braxton. “You said the gods will die this day.”

“The Q, oldest of the old. Struck down by one of their own, wielding the weapon of the visitors.” Braxton laughed maniacally. Romana could feel compassion for the tortured soul, despite the fact he had tried to kill her centuries earlier.

“The ancient enemies will gather at the gates of the Celestial Temple. On that day the Gods themselves will die.” Braxton continued. It was at this point that Davros realised that while the ancient enemies referred to the Time Lords, the Gods in the prophecy did not.

“Why? Tell me why before I destroy you.”

Perhaps the fates had given Braxton a moment of clarity, for his answer was easy to interpret and to the point. “I had thought that Time Lord propaganda made the Daleks into monsters. I see that they were right all along. You have destroyed so many civilisations, you tortured me for centuries to see if I could die. Well today how does it feel Davros to die?”

“You. You did this. I name you destroyer of worlds.”

All this time weapons fire from Federation and Time Lord ships rained down on the Crucible. Eventually something had to give, and it was the power source holding Romana and Mr Fable prisoner.

“Davros.”

The Kaled scientist turned to face Romana. “Just shut up.” With that Romana fired the subatomic disintegrator. Davros was hit in the chest, his cries of agony as he was broken down molecule by molecule, quark by quark could be heard throughout the room.

“President Romana.” It was Braxton who spoke.

“Ex president actually.” At that point if Mr Fable could make expressions he would have shown surprise at learning of Romana’s true status.

“President,” Braxton continued unperturbed. “Listen carefully. The madness spreads in my mind but there is a prophecy I have been saving for you.” Mr Fable started creeping closer to Braxton.

“Two children of Gallifrey locked in the enmity of ages. The mad god will appear, basking in his manipulations but will not realise he is but history’s plaything. At the end of time, the first Time Lord shall be devoured by the Timewyrn. The old gods are dead, but new ones should take their place.” He then looked accusingly at Romana, his face twisted by hate, “Why won’t you die?”

It looked like Braxton was going to say more, however Fable had rendered him unconscious with a Vulcan nerve pinch. “I did not think anything would be served by listening to more of his ramblings,” the robot continued.

Romana nodded in ascent. “Can you tell what is happening out there?”

The Cravic class robot nodded. “The Time Lords have deployed N-forms and Lamarck soldiers onto the Crucible. Internal scanners are showing the Daleks being pushed back. Victory is highly probable.”

“Why don’t they just destroy it with a singularity bomb?” Romana mused aloud. The limited dimensions of the Celestial Temple made it a risky proposition, but still.. especially with the planets now relocated. Then it hit her. “They mean to capture the Crucible. See what the Daleks had been building.” However Romana didn’t want anyone to have access to the technology here. It was too dangerous.

Fable activated his comm badge. “To the nearest Federation starship three to beam up.”

“Unable to lock on sir.”

“I may be able to use my internal transporters and beam all 3 of us back to the ship.” Fable suggested.

“No. I have a better idea.” Whipping out her sonic screwdriver Romana made some adjustments to Fable’s signal. “Listen. I have boosted Mr Fable’s signal. You should be able to lock onto us three. At the same time I want you to transport a red matter bomb down to the Crucible primed to activate. Use the same transporter beam. Then signal the fleet to get us out. I don’t want the Time Lords detecting the transmat of the bomb, so I want to disguise it as a beam out. Under no circumstances can any part of the Crucible remain. No one must be able to reverse engineer this monstrosity again.”

Two minutes later the Crucible was destroyed as a singularity appeared from the inside. Federation and Gallifreyan ships escaped the destruction. What remained of the Dalek fleet was not so fortunate.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Gallifrey

“The knowledge gained would change the power structure of the universe forever, and the Gods themselves will die. For the past will come back to haunt the Time Lords, but it will not be them who will die this day.”

Thus was the prophecy of all Visionaries. Repeated over and over until Rassilon had received word of the Time Lords’ victory.


Notes
1. Mapping the inside of the TARDIS onto the outside was displayed in “The Ancestor Cell.”
2. I am aware that Davros called his wank weapon the reality bomb, not reality cannon. However reality bomb was also the name of another weapon, so I changed it avoid confusion. Also note that the physics seem horribly wrong when he said it worked by nullifying the electromagnetic force. It would have made more sense if it was the strong nuclear force. If I am wrong, someone please correct me on the science.
3. Drax first appeared in the Armageddon Factor – he invented the computer Mentalis


Taking a bit of a breather for now. I think this is the best chapter so far, at least for action scenes. I hope people enjoy reading it as much I liked writing it.

[mr friendly guy]

Chapter 16 – the Fourth time war commences

In the Nexus – meeting place between universes

Q the younger had gathered his allies here. Most had escaped the Q continuum earlier. A few elected to remain behind either to die for their home or to give the impression that the progressive’s forces were still active. Some even managed to escape just at the right moment. Already whatever survivors the other side had were being hunted down. Finally after 5 centuries, victory was his.

Victory however came with a cost. Not just in terms of his friends and allies who had fallen, for the Q now numbered but a handful, but until the Q continuum was rejuvenated, the remaining Q were much weaker. If it regenerated. It was this weakness which would turn out to be the most prominent barrier to Q’s plans. For now his allies were content to recuperate. Q was not. He still remembered the conversation and the feeling of betrayal. He had led the Q to victory and now he was being turned aside by those who lacked the fortitude for war.

“Everyday the Time Lords grow stronger. If they find out the Q they signed the non aggression treaty no longer exists, they will come for us. With no treaty to bind them they will try and do to us what they have done to a multitude of species.”

“Q, I disagree. The Time Lords keep to themselves, and so shall we. When we are stronger again if they do come, we will be ready.”

“Can’t you see the temporal cold war being waged. The mortal species have no regard for the sanctity of time itself, and the Time Lords will be the main offenders.” Already the Borg had disappeared from time and space, casualties of the war or a move awaiting to be made? Q didn’t know. He couldn’t see through the multitude of temporal corrections.

But his fellows were not interested. So it was here that Q the younger sort aid. Here in the nexus between the two realities.

“You seek our aid Q. Why should we give it?” The speaker had taken the form of an old human male dressed in white. Appearances were deceiving and Q could feel the power emanating from him.

“The Time Lords came from your universe. It is your responsibility.”

“War is glorious.” This other speaker again took the form of an old human male, this time dressed in black. “What the Time Lords are doing now are no different to what they have done in their native universe.”

“All the more reason to stop them before it gets any worse.” Q implored. “This universe cannot take anymore temporal disturbances.”

“We understand that the Krenim time ship did more damage to the time line than what Rassilon is currently doing.” The man in white spoke.

“We did not interfere when Rassilon planned the end of time itself. We left time to select its own champion.” The man in black spoke. An image appeared of a man piloting a TARDIS.

“The Lonely god, the man without a home.” This time it was the other speaker. “Time’s champion. He succeeded in stopping Rassilon’s plan, however the Time Lords survived the Moment.”

“Where can I find this Time Lord. If he will help me against his own people..”

“Lost.” The man in white spoke whimsically.

“Lost.” The man in black spoke triumphantly. “The Doctor is lost in the multiverse and may never plague me again.”

“How? I must find him.”

“Actions have consequences. Look at your own.” The man in white gestured and Q saw the Celestial Toymaker reaching out for the TARDIS and as a result the Doctor careened into the dimensional gaps, lost in the multiverse. Actions indeed have consequences, and Q had inadvertently freed the Celestial Toymaker. Unfortunately the Toymaker would still have a part to play.

“The war which will come delights me.” This man in black was almost salivating at the thought of the billions, maybe trillions that will die. It sickened Q.

“Pity that it is in their universe and you cannot feast on it.”

“Others will recharge my power,” was the dismissively reply.

“Are we agreed then brother? We have no dominion over the other universe.” The man in white was preparing to leave.

“Agreed.”

“No you must help us.” Q again implored.

“Begone back to whence you came.” Both men spoke simultaneously and Q could feel himself being hurled back out of the Nexus. He struggled but it was like a sparrow against a tornado. Even at his full strength he could not match them. Beings which even the Time Lords feared.

So it was that the Black and White Guardians rejected Q’s plea for help. Centuries earlier he had tried to manipulate the Federation to oppose Gallifrey, with devastating results. Now he would be forced to rely on them again.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

31 st century – Earth

The exhilaration of victory was soon replaced by a somber mood. The initial 6 fleets sent to engage the Dalek fleet had lost around three quarters of their ships, not counting the ones damaged, which thankfully could be repaired. The relieving 7 th and 9 th fleets took a quarter damage. All of the 50 Bajoran defense ships were lost. Out of a fleet of 3050 ships, 1120 made it back. Not even conflict with the Dominion and the Borg in the 24 th century took such a toll on Federation ships.

Fortunately or unfortunately the only power which could challenge the Federation was Gallifrey. The Devorre Imperium was Parthia to the Federation’s Rome. It might win a few border conflicts but it could never invade the Federation heartland. The Kazon had been defeated by the Trabe with Federation support one generation earlier. The Druoda were on friendly terms, not that they had sufficient logistics to challenge the Federation anyway. Whilst the Malon had finally joined the UFP with the promise of Federation energy converters and less polluting power generation.

Gallifrey was not pleased that Romana had destroyed the Dalek Crucible. Rather that the UFP had destroyed it before they could study it. However they were not overtly complaining about that given all the propaganda built up over the years about how evil the Daleks were. That didn’t stop them finding other diplomatic routes to attack the Federation. They were now demanding the extradition of Braxton for crimes against all sentients. So it was thus a meeting was convened to discuss the Federation’s response.

“Do not think just because he is immortal that the Time Lords cannot kill him. They can use a demat gun and wipe him from time itself. They can transfer his consciousness to a computer and then destroy that, leaving his body a mindless vegetable. They can hurl him into the event horizon of a black hole, letting him experience his last agonising moments being dragged on and on.”

“You seem to know a lot about the Time Lords Admiral Gough.” It was Romana who spoke.

“Know thy enemy. In a game it is not just important to know the rules, but you must know how the opponent thinks.”

“I hardly think this is a game.”

“Nevertheless Romana, the principle is the same.”

“The question still remains, what do we plan to do about the Time Lord’s demands.” It was Daniels who spoke. “Already we can detect cloaked Devorre ships massing on our borders. They likely mean to take our border worlds in the wake of our casualties. The longer we delay giving Gallifrey a response, the more embolden the Devorre will become. They still remember the conflict in the 29 th century.” Shortly after the fall of the Brenari, the Devorre had begun rounding up all telepaths and placed in concentration camps. They of course exempted any telepaths from the Gallifreyan empire. Pragmatism triumped over idealogy. Eventually the Federation intervened militarily setting up a safe zone between the two powers for telepath refugees. An event which still angered the Devorre.

“We ramp up production of our newest time ships, have diplomats delay Gallifrey and when we a ready to face them we tell them to sod off. Their claims that Braxton’s actions imperilled the entire universe are clearly hyperbole.”

Gasps of surprise could be heard in the meeting from the politicians. The Admirals kept quiet as Gough had only said aloud what they were thinking in private.

“The Daleks reality cannon was capable of breaking down the strong force on a universal scale. This would account for a universal threat.” It was the robot Mr Fable who spoke.

“I am sure they would have done some holographic simulations, but unless tested in real conditions it doesn’t mean it will work as designed.” Gough spoke dismissively.

“Those people who lost relatives when the Daleks tested their weapon might beg to differ.” Romana had read the accounts of people being herded away. Some of them were telepaths and they managed to communicate their last moments to their mates. The horror of being a Dalek test subject.

“Nevertheless we won. Our ships are more stronger. The Sol 1 station managed to stop Earth being pulled out of orbit, our fleets are stronger than when we face Gallifrey two centuries ago. We are not ready yet, but when those new time ships start rolling off the production line we will be.”

“With respect Admiral, you are still not ready. Have you read the casualty reports in the battle against the Daleks. Well the Time Lords have a slight technological edge and they still fought my people to a standstill for centuries. There were only a mere 100 or so Dalek saucers. They had a fleet in millions when we fought them. Your technology is still not up to the task.”

“It seems like you just want to hold onto your position as our top scientific adviser.”

Romana was positively fuming and wanted to shout something back when Mr Fable interceded. “That argument is a logical fallacy. It is known as an appeal to..”

“I withdraw the statement.” Gough cut in. “Braxton for all his crimes is still a Federation citizen, and as such he enjoys certain inalienable rights. Rights which he will forfeit in a Gallifreyan court. The crime occurred on Federation territory, we took the most losses and Gallifrey should be thankful we haven’t called them to task for travelling to our space uninvited.”

The gall of the man Romana thought. If those war TARDISes didn’t arrive none of the Federation ships would have made it back. The Dalek reality cannon would have wiped out most life in the universe, at least those that don’t have planetary shielding. And it was debatable whether the Celestial Temple constituted Federation territory as it was a separate pocket dimension. The only charge that really stuck was that war TARDISes had to enter Bajoran space to reach the Celestial Temple.

“If necessary, we can always deploy the Erkulon plague.” It was Daniels who spoke.

“That has not been tested except in holographic simulations.”

“We are confident it will work.”

“What is this Erkulon plague?” Someone asked.

It was Romana who spoke. “Prior to the war with the Daleks, my people had planned to build several clone worlds of Gallifrey. Several disasters prior had taught them to make a back up copy as it were. Each clone world would be subservient to the original Gallifrey, and be governed by its own regent. To keep the other worlds in line, the President was given the Profane Virus of Rassilon to be used against traitors. While it was named in honour of Rassilon, the current President had nothing to do with its manufacture. In fact it was created by an engineer named Erkulon. It was designed to disable the exitonic circuitry in Time Lord technology. It was also planned to be used in case Gallifrey ever fell and to stop its technology falling into the hands of the enemy. The former President knew of the virus and some of her friends such as myself had an inkling of how it was created.”

“Now we have reconstructed it. If Gallifrey ever gets too push we simply deploy the Erkulon plague and force them to the negotiating table.” Gough was positively crowing now.

The problem was that people sometimes in the face of two extremes, took the middle path. Romana would have been glad to have Braxton as far away as possible. She still remembered the maddened ex Admiral trying to kill her. Braxton was a small price to pay for peace, especially since he was clearly guilty as charged. Gough was practically itching for a fight with Gallifrey. So the powers that be opted for the path in between. They would send diplomats to negotiate with Gallifrey. Their conditions are that they would allow extradition if Gallifrey would refrain from capital punishment or imprisoning Braxton for more than a certain length of time.

Romana could tell this was not going to end well. Flushed with victory with minimal losses Rassilon would not give in. The Erkulon plague may or may not worked. There was no Gallifrey technology available for them to test it on.

After the meeting, she motioned for Mr Fable to accompany her. “Do you still have contacts in intelligence?”

“Of course.”

“Good. We need to find out more about Gough. His rise in the ranks is unprecedented. His actions will spark a war and I may need some hold on him to stop more people being killed.”

“I will get onto it.”

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
31 st century - Gryben

“On behalf of Rassilon and the high council of Gallifrey we demand that Captain Braxton be extradited to face trial. Moreover we now demand that the prisoners from Shada who sought asylum in the Federation be returned to serve out their sentences.”

“Castellan, the Federation is fully aware of the crimes Captain Braxton committed, but we will not extradite a Federation citizen to a government which has the death penalty.” Not to mention that demands for Romana to be returned to Gallifrey were completely out of the blue.

“Mr Daniels, Braxton was a threat to both Gallifrey and your precious Federation. Not only that, his actions imperilled the entire universe. Not only through the Temporal Integrity Commission’s incompetence have you allowed this travesty to come about, you had the gall to blame us for your stolen worlds.”

“Until the Catrastrophe, there were only 3 civilisations the Federation was aware of that could move entire worlds. The Time Lords, the T’kon and the Q. The T’kon are extinct, the Q no longer involve themselves in this galaxy for the last 500 years, which leaves the Time Lords.” Daniel was fuming now, but even he secretly admitted the Time Lords were not without cause to be angry. Years of ridiculing the Daleks as a myth invented by Gallifrey had left even the Federation’s finest unwilling to consider the possibility of another force being responsible.

Daniels decided to change tack. “Why do you want her back now? You have tolerated her presence among the Federation for almost 200 years. She has a family now and is assimilated into our society. She also helped us defeat Braxton. All the other Shada prisoners are dead. Grand Father Paradox killed by the Celestial Toymaker. Salyavin assassinated by Time Lord agents. Surely her actions here would offset what ever crimes she has done in the past?”

“Romana’s actions in dealing with Braxton and the Hoothi infestation would be considered when we resentence her.”

The meeting did not go well. Faced with the return of their ancient enemy, the very same one which seriously challenged their dominance for the first time in millions of years, the Time Lords’ actions were motivated by fear as much as revenge. Just like how Rome continued to cry out for Carthaginian blood years after Hannibal’s defeat, the Time Lords would do the same.


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

31 st century – Earth

“Comfortable.” The Vulcan was a member of Gol’s children cult. As such they eschew logic in favour of pleasure. The female really knew how to make their client relax. With a combination of tactile stimulation and Vulcan telepathy, Gough could feel himself relax. Usually masseuists allowed their clients to talk about their life. It was part of the experience, to have someone listening intently to your life’s exploits. Gough had plenty of those, so he recounted them for the Vulcan female.

Admiral Horatio Gough had only been defeated twice before in his life. The first time was with the Kobyoshi Maru scenario. But then everyone lost that. Well everyone except the great captain James T Kirk he thought. However there were no consequences for losing that scenario.

The second defeat had literally changed his life forever. Gough had quit Starfleet and sold his services to the Brenari and telepath rebels. He was young back then, angered that the Federation for all its claims of morality did nothing while the Devorre Imperium sent telepaths into concentration camps. He was convinced that actions like his eventually forced the Federation to intervene and set up a safe haven for the telepaths. Gough had fought the Devorre with their Pralor robots 7 times with his limited resources and he still won them all. The eighth time was a triumph sort of. He had lured the larger Devorre fleet into the Nekrit triangle. That episode led to him eventually rejoining Starfleet. For his crew however he was the only official survivor. For the Devorre, and entire sector of ships sent to hunt down his ragtag band of rebels, not a single one returned.

“Would you like to hear how I survived? How I met my second defeat.”

“Naturally.” She was curious why Gough would consider this event a defeat, since the Devorre took much more casualties.

“Did you know that all the Devorre crew survived, but not one made it back?

The Vulcan paused. Was Gough admitting to collusion. She however knew her duty and continued her ministrations, feeling his muscles relax.

Gough however continued. He told her how the Nekrit triangle housed an immortal being who taunted mortals by playing his games. The Devorre crew were defeated and kept as the being’s playthings. The same fate awaited his crew. Only Gough was the last one remaining. He himself would have lost but he bargained with the being, with the Celestial Toymaker. But what could he offer a being whose boredom drove him to kidnap sentients to play sadistic games. Gough offered him the chance to play a bigger game. The chance to control entire fleets and fight in battles across the stars. Gough offered the Toymaker himself. So the immortal controlled his movements. Gough rejoined Starfleet, made it to Admiral. He commanded the Federation fleet which routed the Devorre and established safe havens along their border.

That however was just a slight distraction. The true contest for the Toymaker would come. Fighting against the Time Lords. The Toymaker was used to playing where he had the advantage. Now he experienced the exhilaration at facing a superior foe. And he loved it. So it was when Gough finished his speech he saw the Vulcan female had stopped moving. Paralysed by the power of the Toymaker’s mind. She had pitted her will against his, but it was like a fly trying to take down an elephant.

“I take it you found out what your Masters sent you to find.” The Vulcan of course could not reply. He had full control over her motor functions. “Too bad they will never know.”

Before too long a murder would occur. It would never be discovered as Gough would hide it using the regular transporters. Too bad what come out on the other end would just be scattered molecules. He casually got dressed. There was work to be done.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Admiral on the bridge.”

“As you were.”

Gough met the crew of the USS Praeteritus. He knew all of them by name. The captain, a Tandaran named Gerat, the Vulcan security officer C’pal and the human first officer Leslie Shaw.

“I have never been more proud to be associated with you. I may be your superior but think of me as your friend. As you know relationship with Gallifrey is fraying again. Very soon we may be pulled into another war. I however have a task for you.”

The crew listened intently as Gough outlined his fallback plan. In the event of a Federation defeat, the crew would be tasked with opening a rip in subspace and allowing anti-time to enter the universe. This doomsday weapon was only to be used as a last resort. Of course the Toymaker would be blissfully unaffected and would by default “win”, even if all his soldiers themselves perished. But the crew of the Praeteritus didn’t know that. Like good soldiers they followed his orders. So for now, the crew would hide in the Vortex. Gough would intermittently update them on the war’s progress.

After they had left, Gough activated a special communications device to Daniels. The latter was at Gryben along with the Federation diplomatic delegation.

“It is as you suspected. Gallifrey would not budge. We have adjourned the meeting for now and plan to meet again in the morning.”

“Daniels, I don’t believe it will work. I am authorising you to discreetly release the Erkulon plague. It will take a while for the effects to be felt. You can escape back to Federation space by then.”

For a moment there was silence, then Daniels asked “Are you sure.”

“You have never questioned my orders before.”

“I understand. I will time cloak things so its difficult for the Time Lords to trace the exact origin of when the plague was released. I also hope what we are doing is right.”

“Of course we are. Trust me.”

Actions have consequences. So it was that Q the younger’s actions freed the Toymaker. In a twist of fate, the Toymaker for his own motivations would help Q bring about the war he so desperately wanted.


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Notes
1. The Profane virus of Rassilon appeared in the “Quantum Archangel.”

2. The White Guardian first appeared in “The Ribos operation.” The Black Guardian first appeared in “The Armageddon Factor” although he was mentioned by name as early as the “Ribos operation.” He has returned to haunt the Doctor notably in the so called “Black Guardian trilogy or the Mawdryn undead trilogy.”

3. I named Admiral Gough after Michael Gough the actor who played the Celestial Toymaker. Since he was getting a massage I had thought about making him Ted Haggard Gough after the Christian preacher (for those who get the reference) but I thought that was too obvious.

4. The TL have devices called Ur-box which could send false information into the Vortex so any time active faction would read the information wrongly. By the 31 st century with Romana’s help the UFP have managed to build an equivalent “time cloak.” The Ur-box appeared in “The taking of planet five.”

[mr friendly guy]

Oh guys, I am looking to try and work some powerful Trek races into my story even if they have only a brief appearance. So far I have done the Q and species 8472. I do plan to bring the Douwd, the Zalkonians, Organians, Thasians into it. Any other "first ones" type races in Trek worth mentioning?

[Themightytom]

Oh guys, I am looking to try and work some powerful Trek races into my story even if they have only a brief appearance. So far I have done the Q and species 8472. I do plan to bring the Douwd, the Zalkonians, Organians, Thasians into it. Any other "first ones" type races in Trek worth mentioning?

The dowd, the gods of Olympus, the metrons and the caretaker come to mind

[mr friendly guy]

The Gods of olympus might work for a land battle scene, since IIRC they grew to a giant size. The problem is a lot of these races are one shot wonders, meaning that we don't have a lot of go on to gauge their capabilities. I am loathe to simply make up an ability for these races so they just aren't UFP mark II. That being said I have written the assault on Gallifrey scene where I gave the Metrons an ability not displayed anywhere in Trek for the sole purpose being that their weapons had to look somewhat different from the Federations.

The Caretaker might work, but aside from stronger shields and a transporter that can work vast distances I can't remember anything else specatcular about him.

The Douwd is already in. Question, what happens when the Douwd's create things from imagination power meets TL block transfer computations.

I also brought the Organians and the Zalkonians. Since they are both energy beings and the Organians did display enough of their abilities for me to have something to go on.

Given the big hoo hah in the SW vs ST section about the Krenim Time ship I think its time newer versions of it makes an appearance.

EDIT - I also let the TL use some of their most weird technology since I figured the Erkulon plague has knocked out most of their standard TARDISes for the moment, so they have to get creative.

And later on I reveal the identity of the woman Rassilon keeps counsel with. If people haven't already guessed it already.

[mr friendly guy]

Longest chapter yet, 5000 + words. Next chapter we see the assault on Gallifrey.

Chapter 17 – To the Death

Gallifrey

“How many ships affected?”

“Close to the entire fleet my lord President.”

“How many?” Rassilon’s voice had grown more angry.

“Ninety five percent of all TARDISes.” The Castellan hastily replied.

“How?”

“We believe it must have been released by one of the diplomatic staff from Gryben. So far unable to pinpoint which one.”

“What is the status of the antidote?”

“Still in production. It is complicated to manufacture even for us, it could take months.” The events prior to relocation had taught the Time Lords much. It taught them fear, to not be complacent and to plan for the unexpected. So soon after arriving in the Gamma Quadrant they had researched and finally created an antidote for the Profane Virus of Rassilon, a variation of which the Federation was using against them. The saving grace was that TARDISes had advanced since the days the virus was created and it was having less of an effect than it otherwise would.

“The status of the border worlds?”

“They have fallen to the Federation’s preemptive strike. They are offering to give it back if we negotiate in good faith.”

“No matter. No great technology rests upon them. However we have lost face.”

“The Doomsday Probe and some black hole carriers are still active.” The Castellan offered.

“The former is of limited utility for defense, but we can use the latter to protect Gallifrey.”

“There is more my lord president. The anti-time expansion has gotten bigger the further back in time it transverses. Currently it is located in a galaxy far away from the Milky Way and shows no signs of stopping. If we do not contain it now.. I fear the consequences.”

The Castellan was afraid of what Rassilon would do under such circumstances. However the President’s response was not what he expected. Rassilon laughed. “So the Federation have prepared well for this. They created this anti-time influx.”

“There is no evidence of that.”

“But I am sure of it. So they are better prepared, however Gallifrey will not fall. Billions of years of Time Lord history will not be ended by such upstarts.”

“What are your orders?”

“Divert energy from the Eye of Harmony to contain the anti-time infestation. Separate it into its own space time continuum and let collapse it within. Then we retaliate against the Federation.”

“The anti-time phenomenum is almost 4 times the size of this galaxy and will take weeks to shrink back down. We may not be able to time loop Federation worlds and maintain our planetary shields at the same time.”

“Transport several time bombs on strategic worlds. Release the anarchitects. Soon we will be able to truly go on the offensive, and then the Federation will realise they have woken a giant.”

“By your command.” The Castellan was aware that time bombs were outlawed by most civilised beings from their home universe. Rightly so. If Rassilon considered this retaliation not a true offensive, he shuddered to think what the President had in mind. But he held his tongue.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Federation colony Terra Nova 3 – hospital

“This patient is interesting. A Mr Tennant. Perfectly fine yesterday then today started babbling in a language unknown and which even the universal translator doesn’t understand.” The man was a human and he looked at the doctors treating him with a quizzical appearance. Then he started muttering the same thing, his face twisting in hatred as he tried to break through the forcefield separating him.

“He is not the only patient,” Doctor Baker continued. “There is also a Mr Eccleston, similar presentation babbling incoherently. They apparently talk to each other in the same language.” He pointed to the patient next door.

“Idiosyncratic language,” one of the medical students suggested.

“Maybe so, however both of them have been babbling the same phrase without having met each other. Scans of their brains indicate increase neural activity.” Doctor Baker paused for a moment. His headache was getting worse. He would go see a doctor but he just saw one when he looked in the mirror, he mentally joked.

“You believe your linguistics expert can help?” This time it was another doctor, Doctor Hyde which asked the question.

Doctor Baker nodded. He had served Starfleet once upon a time and the thought of exploring strange new worlds, seeing new phenomena still intrigued him. “Its pure speculation on my part, but maybe an alien race is trying to communicate. If this happened on a starship the captain wouldn’t dismiss it as simply a psychiatric disorder, they would look to see if this new phenomena can be explained some other way.”

The linguistics expert arrived shortly. She introduced herself as Bonnie Aldred. She watched the two patients alternate between starring blindly and laughing maniacally. Finally it was Mr Eccleston which spoke. At once her phrase turned white. “This language. I know what he says.”

“What? Is it some alien force trying to communicate?”

“In a manner of speaking. He says that we of the Federation may call ourselves that, but we behave like an empire. Like the Fledging Empires of old we have struck at our rivals through treachery. Now they will strike back at us. The language is High Gallifreyan.”

It was then that Doctor Hyde’s headache grew worse and he collapsed. When he came to he was cursing the Federation in High Gallifreyan. Within 2 days almost all major colonies had to be isolated to stop the presumed infection spreading. The core worlds were spared for now.

For a week the Federation had demanded that Gallifrey come to the negotiating table in good faith. There was much to discuss. The extradition of Braxton, the occupation of border worlds by the UFP as part of defensive measures, demonstration of military force via parades by the Federation and Gallifrey’s response.

Gallifrey had given their answer. The Time Lords meant to fight, and they believed they would win.


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Gallifrey

“So they anarchitects will infest more Federation worlds, driving their citizens insane and useless for their war effort. Precious resources would be drafted to protect them, all in vain for even the robots that the Federation brings can be infected. Because the anarchitects are conceptual entities, they effect anything that can think.”

Millennia had nearly finished her final report to Rassilon. Since returning to Gallifrey in the 29 th century she had found a new calling. Research into conceptual entities, a side effect of Rassilon’s mad plan to become creatures of consciousness themselves. She excelled at this task, and it was her expertise which would finally allow her to complete her true work. Revenge. Revenge against the Celestial Toymaker.


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Earth

For a planet where thousands of objects or people are beamed in and out everyday, a few extra transports were not noticed. Especially when the Time Lords took great pains to disguise them. Their effects however would be all too obvious. Once the time bombs detonated, time itself accelerated. In seconds organic lifeforms aged to death leaving only a skeleton behind. Artificial lifeforms were not spared either, however as they could function for much longer, most of them still survived.

The scene was repeated on numerous Federation core worlds. Arcadian, Kasheeta homeworld,
Ariolo, Bzzit Khaht, Caitian, Xelatia, Delta IV, Efrosia, the Grazerite homeworld and Zaran II. None were spared the Time Lord’s wrath.

The Time Lords had sent their second message. We can strike with impunity. Stop us if you can.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Delta Quadrant

Finally it was finished. Borath didn’t have time to admire his handy work. The Vorta was on a tight schedule. In secret within the region of subspace known as the underspace tunnels, Gallifreyan subjects had worked hard to serve their gods. Now their labour was at an end. For weeks they had been collapsing various tunnels and opening others disuse ones. They had no idea what was the reason, but the fact that the tunnels being opened led to Federation territory and all others were closed gave them a clue of why.

Soon the gods will be arriving. He was not disappointed. Twenty TARDISes arrived but they didn’t arrive alone. All twenty of them had a star bound in their amazing tractor beams. The red giant pulsed with intense energy. This star was what humans call VY Canis Majoris, a red hypergiant 2100 times the diameter of Earth’s own star with 30 times its mass. A few selected ships activated their multiphasic shielding, but even that would not allow them to remain too close for too long. The rest headed a respectable distance away. Those that remain opened up a giant gate allowing the TARDISes to enter the underspace.

Commander Maxil, the leader of the Celestis commanded these TARDISes. They were afflicated with the Erkulon plague and were only slowly recovering. However while they could not fight, they still could work. Placing the hypergiant star in a region of underspace the TARDIses left. Soon after the star would go nova. Underspace will carry the radiation at FTL speeds towards Federation territory before finally it would break through into normal space. Afflicted by the anarchitects, he doubted most worlds could mount a proper defence.

Maxil knew exactly where each tunnel led. Even at the height of Time Lord corruption, the intelligence service still maintained a high degree of competence. Critics would say it was more ruthlessness than competence, Maxil however felt that was simply a matter of semantics. He had made it his business to discover any safe passages and he had chances upon the underspace. Now it was being used against the Federation.

The Time Lords had just sent their third message. We play for keeps.


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
31 st century – Time fleet

“They have hurt us pretty bad sir.”

Gough could not believe this. We haven’t even had a major fleet engagement with the Time Lord ships. All we have fought are their Lamarck servants. “How? Our military assets are still intact.”

“That is correct. However, the population on core worlds are all dead. Even with infrastructure intact we can’t continue to build more ships at this present time. The outer colonies are likewise dead. A giant storm of radiation consistent with a star going nova has struck them. With the madness spreading in the colonies no one could mount an adequate defense.”

There was silence in the meeting room. Even the hawks, the so called patriots paused. They had thought the Erkulon plague would win the war for them, but the Time Lords had seemingly struck back without even using any time ships.

“Murderers.” One of the Admirals hissed. “We target their military capabilities and they target civilian structures.”

“The tactic actually has some method to the madness.” It was Mr Fable who spoke. “The Federation hasn’t fought an equal in terms of industrial capacity for a long time. In a prolong war we can trade space for time. Time until we build more ships. However they have taken this option away from us. They may even trade their own space for time, until they can bring more TARDISes into the fray. Eventually we will not be able to maintain our losses, while they can.”

“All the more reason to launch an attack right now on Gallifrey.” This was Admiral Gough. “With the president of the Federation dead, we are the highest authority now.”

“I disagree.” Admiral Perez spoke. “A time war can fought and refought until the outcome goes the Federation’s way. Even if we have to break the temporal accords we can make temporal incursions, save our worlds.”

“The colony worlds are lost. Even if we save them from the radioactive burst, they are maddened by some virus the Time Lords have used. They are useless.” Gough thundered.

“Given time, we may be able to effect a cure. We may be able to discover the point when they infected our people. Or the Time Lords may be forced to give us the cure when we win.”

“If it exists.”

“To even protect that many worlds, we would need to make more temporal incursions. A lot of them.” Daniels noted.

“Then lets vote on it and do it quickly.”

So the vote came in. Timefleet will dedicate its resources to making temporal incursions, then to attack Gallifrey. Gough and his supporters objected, saying this was Gallifrey buying time, however for now the decision had been made.


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24 th century – Bajor

“Kira, this isn’t the first artefact we found with a hologram. There are others. I have researched the matter carefully. According to historical records the Enterprise under Jonathon Archer also discovered a similar device. We can open it before those bureaucrats get here.”

“Well it is against Starfleet regulations, however it does appear to be a Bajoran artefact and our agreement on joining the Federation allows us control over our own cultural icons…”

Quickly Kira ordered more Bajoran staff to open it. Inside the first thing they notice was that the inside was bigger than the outside. The second thing they notice was a man. Human according to the scan, in some sort of suspended animation. Suddenly the man woke up.

“My name is Daniels. We have much to do if the Federation is to defeat our Enemy.”

“What enemy?”

“The Time Lords of Gallifrey. Before you ask they are an extradimensional race who arrived in our universe sometime in the 26 th century. We are currently at war with them in the 31 st century. Its not going well, so the Federation of the future made the difficult decision to travel back in time and alter some events. Unfortunately our time ship was intercepted by the Legion, who have infested the vortex so its only safe to travel in big groups. We were knocked off course and arrived about 20 years earlier. Rather than risking more travel, we put ourselves in suspended animation.”

“Hang on a minute. I am pretty sure there are just so many loop holes in that story, like why do you need our help. The Time Lords haven’t even arrived yet.”

“Its best if I show it to you instead.” Holding up a device, Daniels pressed a few buttons and suddenly Kira could see the view as billions of sentients, humans on Earth and alien immigrants aged and became skeletons in a matter of moments.

“This is what lengths the Time Lords are willing to go to. I need the Federation of this era to manufacture temporal shields for us after I give you the specifications. They are primitive ones, it doesn’t have to be Time ship grade. It just has to shield against those time accelerators. Have them installed so that by our time our major cities will be protected.”

“Even if you convince me, and I am not saying you did,” Kira had to stop as the vivid images threatened to overwhelm her. “Even if I am convinced, you still need to convince those higher up the chain of command than me.”

“Then we better get started.”


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31 st century

The radiation storm travelled from the destruction of VY Canis Majoris via the underspace threatening all Federation colonies. However today salvation was at hand. The timeship USS Arimaa exited from a time portal and fired its red matter. The “singularity” it created drew the radiation in to itself and dispersed it elsewhere. Terra Nova 3 was safe for the moment.

Elsewhere Timefleet was also making multiple temporal incursions with the same goal. Captain Alandra, female Bolian captain of the Arimaa awaited receiving word of the outcome of those missions. So far they had all succeeded despite draining almost all the red matter stores from not just Timefleet, but also Starfleet as well.

Alandra had studied the conflict in the 29 th century. She knew of several Federation ships watching helplessly as Vulcan was pulled into its sun. How they could do nothing while the Time Lords sat comfortably in Gallifrey most likely gloating at how easy the victory was. Well they nearly did the same this time around as well. So it was a triumph that they had counteracted the Time Lord’s move. Now if only Daniels would succeed.

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31 st century – Alpha Quadrant

The production facility was deep within the Federation heartland. It needed to be protected for it was here that the Federation synthesised red matter. It was here where the Time Lords would choose to bring their ships.

Defenses were readied as a TARDIS materialised with dozens of Lamarck ships. The defenders would note that one third of the Lamarck ships were off different configurations. Not even FTL capable. However what they lacked in propulsion they made up with weapon platforms. These would be no match for any competent captain with warp capability.

A history buff may recall that one of the ways the Soviet Union tried to counteract the German tanks was to essentially build a really big gun, a weapon whose main purpose was to kill tanks. The Lamarcks had taken that to a new extreme. These ships were designed purely to bring down space stations or any other non mobile platforms.

However the facility was not without its own defences. Ships moved in to engage as the space station protecting the facility let loose several hundreds of temporal torpedoes. But the Time Lords had their own ideas.

Drax activated his TARDISes forcefield. So far the Time Lords could not spare more than one for this assault. However one should be enough as Drax watched the forcefield instead of simply blocking the torpedoes, altered the course so that it fell on defending ships. Meanwhile Lamarck ships fired at the station protecting the red matter facility. For its part the station’s shields were holding, at only 15 % loss. That was until the TARDIS brought its own tractor beam to bear. Powerful enough to move entire stars, a TARDIS tractor beam could also be utilised in the same manner the Borg did in the past – to bring down shields.

Before long the shields had collapsed and Lamarck weapons finished it off. It was only a matter of time before the red matter facility was destroyed. With the job completed Drax left. For the Federation, this victory could not be allowed to stand.

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Drax watched as the shields of the space station collapsed. Missiles and energy discharges from Lamarck ships dealt with that. He now turned his attention onto the red matter facilitly. Suddenly his TARDIS was reading more time active signatures. Fifty Federation ships had appeared including one of the newer ones, the inferior TARDIS clones. Learning well the losses they took against the Dalek fleet they planned to bring overwhelming force when making the temporal incursion. With the red matter almost used up it was imperative that the only production facility be protected at all costs. Time itself would be rewritten if it had to.

Drax could have simply retreated in the face of such odds. However he knew his duty. He disengaged the barriers keeping the TARDISes individual eye of Harmony secure, and he released the singularity. The temporal energies destroyed Drax, his TARDIS, and all other ships plus the red matter facility in a range of one light year. It also made future temporal incursions difficult if not impossible. The mission was still a success. The Time Lords had scored another victory.

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24 th century – year 2366 on the Planet Risa

Captain Picard had just ordered the Enterprise D to initiate transporter code 14, whereas an object would be destroyed on dematerialisation. Dropping the Tox Uthat device he prepared to flee the Vorgons. The transport occurred, but unknown to Picard, another transport occurred at the same time stealing the intact Tox Uthat device.

The Vorgons would later explain that it was Picard’s destiny to destroy the device. The origins of the artefact of course date to the future, being invented in the 27th century by Kal Dano, who hid it on planet Risa in the 22nd century to prevent it from being stolen by Vorgon criminals. As for the device itself, it was a quantum phase inhibitor able to stop all fusion within a star. Its ability to manipulate stars was what Daniels needed for the future war. For now, history proceeded unchanged, the universe at large thinking Picard destroyed the device. Only Daniels knew better.


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Late 24 th century – Deep Space 9

The politicians had been sceptical however in the end Daniels had prevailed, even against the temporal commission. His demonstration of technological superiority had helped with that. Now temporal shielding would be constructed and hidden, ready to be used against the Time Lords in the 31 st century.

As he was about to leave from the meeting a timeship dematerialised. To his surprise Daniels found himself starring at an older version. “Must be a surprise for you as it was for me the first time this happened. We need to do much more if we are to defeat the Time Lords.”

Suddenly another timeshp appearedand both Daniels found themselves confronting and even older version. “There is no need for introductions, but we have much to do if we hope to defeat the Time Lords.” For the first two Daniels, a pin could be heard dropping as both opened their mouths agape.

“No need to look like this, it has happened before and we will likely have to do it again. Our plan worked, but then the Time Lords adjusted their tactics.”

“Its not that, its your face.” This was the first Daniels who spoke.

Suddenly the newly arrived future Daniels collapsed and screeched in a language both Daniels by now recognised. “The Federation may call itself that, but you behave like an empire. Like the Fledging Empires of old you strike at your rivals through treachery. Now it is our turn to strike back.”


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31 st century

It is said that a time war could be fought and then refought until the battles finally went your way. The Time Lords had decimated Earth and the core Federation worlds with the time bomb. The Federation had altered history and built temporal shields which prevented most of the population from dying. They were in turn also preparing to defend themselves against temporal incursions by the Time Lords, which would be for the purpose of correcting the Federation’s own time line correction. If that made sense.

Here the Federation should have the advantage. While the Time Lords had lost the majority of their ships to the Erkulon plague, they would find it hard to make numerous temporal incursions. So far in the war the Federation had already made more than 100 temporal incursions alone to deploy red matter against the radiation from an exploding star. However they underestimated the Time Lords. There was no need to time travel when your conventional arnaments was so much superior.

So while the core worlds survived the assault of the time bomb, the Time Lords retaliated by causing stars to go nova, even those that wouldn’t have normally gone through one in its lifespan. That was less than 24 hours after the failure of the time bomb assault.

While shields were placed over cities, no planetary shield could be built, yet alone one powerful enough to withstand a nova event. Thus Earth was destroyed a second time, at least from the perspective of the Timefleet. For everyone else, the Time Lords had succeeded on the second try.

In a bid to again reverse this defeat, Daniels had stolen the Tox Uthat device and with some research into trilithium Federation scientists managed to counteract the stellar manipulations of the Time Lords. They even tried retaliating against Gallifrey’s sun, however like the Dominion in the 26 th century, it again failed.

Now the Time Lords had upped the ante a third time. Two days later singularity bombs had detonated. Just like the Federation’s weaponised red matter it created blackholes, ones which destroyed the Federation core worlds. They were just as destructive as anything the Federation could create, but the Time Lord’s ability to transport over millions of light years without the need of time ships gave them a phenomenal advantage.

So once again Daniels travelled back through time. This time the plan was to use the Co-axial warp drive discovered by the Starship Voyager. The space bending properties of this FTL travel had fallen out of favour in his timeline with the event of quantum slipstream travel. It would find favour again. The idea was that by bending space, Starfleet could transport the newly formed singularities out of the solar system into a region light years away. So the second time round with the help of the legendary Tom Paris, the Federation in the 24 th century with aid from future scientists managed to design and build giant co-axial warp generators. Bringing them to the future, Daniels had once again prevented catastrophe.

That was before the Time Lords pulled out their next attack. Exactly one week after the first time bomb attack, Earth and the core worlds found themselves time looped. Romana had assured them that the Time Lords must be using almost all their energies to contain the anti-time influx, a phenomena the Federation had recently discovered. Daniels was grateful for small blessings because it meant the Time Lords could not devote their full abilities against them. However in the interim they had somehow found a new source of power. This was again evident as several time ships burning their power to the maximum managed to penetrate the time loop and resuce a few people. Plans were made to rescue more when the time loop expanded to cover the entire solar systems of the respective core worlds. This one was impenetrable to Federation rescue missions. Somehow the Time Lords had found a new source of energy and they were now wielding it with aggression against the UFP.

Daniels again travelled back to Deep Space 9 in the 24 th century. His new orders were to convince the 24 th century Federation to ramp up production of anti matter, since Earth was no longer accessible by the 31 st century and all the colonies were wracked by madness from the Time Lord anarchitects. At the rate the 24 th century Federation could produce the anti matter, there would be a tremendous amount synthesised by the 26 th century. So just prior to Gallifrey’s arrival in that same century, Daniels would transport the anti matter into the 31 st century. By that time most time ships used matter / anti matter reactions in the time vortex to generate intense power. With the added power generation Timefleet hoped that they would be able to breach the time loops.

However the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray. So it was with Daniels that third time was definitely not the charm. As he collapsed from the anarchitect driving him mad, his two past selves were only beginning to realise the horror that was to come. The Federation may very well end before it had even begun to fight. That was what stung the most. That all their efforts appeared to have been wasted.

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Notes
1. The Time Lords once dealt with a similar universal destroying menace in the “Apocalypse element.”

2. The time bomb which accelerates time appeared in the novel Amorality Tale where the 3 rd Doctor builds one and is forced to use it against alien invaders.

3. Remember the Legion which the UFP freed from Shada. It turns out they haven’t been idle and have been “haunting” the Vortex. Inconvenient for Daniels isn’t it.

4. The trick of using a TARDIS forcefield to guide missiles to a new target was used by the Doctor in “The Armageddon Factor.” Guess which other Time Lord besides Romana was around. Oh that would be Drax.

5. Picard encountered the Tox Uthat device in “Captain’s holiday” on the planet Risa

6. Janeway’s crew invented temporal shielding in “Year of hell” so I figured with Daniels help 24 th century federation scientists should be able to design and build a primitive one.

7. Coaxial warp drive technology appeared in the Voyager episode “Vis a vis.”

[mr friendly guy]

Chapter 18 – contrasting viewpoints

24 th century – Bajor

Captain’s log supplemental. The Defiant is returning from a training exercise to find Deep Space 9 has been quarantined. Apparently future versions of Mr Daniels has appeared and one of them is infected. Not only that, but Starfleet has sent the USS Enterprise E to assist. Captain Picard believes he may have the solution. For all our sakes I hope so.

It was at that point that a temporal distortion appeared in front of the Defiant. What emerged was a Federation ship but one which Kira had never seen before. “Open up a channel,” she ordered.

What greeted Kira was a female Bolian captain wearing a distinct but different uniform. “This is Captain Alandra of the Federation Timeship Arimaa. We have received a signal from Daniels indicating he was in trouble. Actually two signals. We are here to help contain the anarchitect infection. If necessary I will destroy Deep Space 9.”

Great, could it get any worse?

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24 th century – Deep Space 9

Thinking quickly both Daniels had stun their future counterpart. There was no going back for them, they realised. Daniels II (that is the second Daniels to arrived) entered the time ship of his future counterpart. Fortunately the access codes were unchanged. From that had managed to find the designs for the co-axial warp drive. Unfortunately with the advent of a virus (which Starfleet still hadn’t figured out how it worked yet alone how to combat it except quarantine), Daniels was afraid that the Federation of this era would focus more on containing the virus and less on building co-axial warp drives. So Daniels did what he could. He sent a message through time giving the specifications of the device and hoping his compatriots in the future could make use of it. It turned out the future had sent the USS Arimaa back to assist.

All that was left was to try and find out what his future self had planned to do. Unfortunately there was nothing on the mission logs.

“Daniels, are you there.” It was Kira communicating from the Defiant.

“Daniels here.” Both Daniel I and II replied simultaneously.

“I am patching a call from Captain Jean Luc Picard, the Federation has sent him here to assist.”

“Mr Daniels, both of you. Starfleet has informed me of the situation and I think I may be able to help.”

“With respect, what can 24 th century technology do that 31 st century cannot?”

“You may be surprised. During one of our rescue missions we encountered a Doctor Ira Graves. He managed to transfer his consciousness into Mr Data, our android crewman. We have also encountered several alien artefacts where the memories of their creators was transferred into the minds of my crew. I believe with this type of technology we may be able to expel this virus from your mind.”

“We had already thought of that in our century. Vulcan mind transferences have failed. The anarchitect isn’t just in our head captain, it infests the architecture. Like a giant aquid it stretches its tentacles into the minds of sentients, however destroying the tentacle just means the squid has to use another one. And this squid has many. Entire worlds have been infected.” It was Daniels I who spoke.

“We had even considered using transporters to remake an entire human unaffected from the virus based on patterns stored in the transport buffer.” Daniels II added.

“Could you not use those same patterns, compare them to current infected personnel and transport out the difference?” It was Doctor Crusher who spoke.

“It won’t work. The anarchitect aren’t some physical virus. They are conceptual entities, creatures of pure consciousness. We are barely scratching the surface of understanding. The only thing you can do is destroy the architecture it occupies with us in it.”

Suddenly Daniels I activated a console in his time ship. Immediately the power went out from Deep Space Nine. “I have sent a computer virus and knocked out all essential systems. Destroy this station, leave not a single molecule intact.”

With that the Arimaa powered up its weapons. “No.” Kira ordered the Defiant to strafe the larger ship with quantum torpedoes and phasers. They may as well have hit it with sticks and stones.

“I am sorry Kira.” It was Alandra, the Bolian captain of the future ship. “Even in our era we haven’t been able to overcome the anarchitect. In war difficult decisions must be made.”

“Wait, there may be another way.” It was Picard who spoke. “Take the station to the future with you. The infection is defeated here and in the future if a cure is discovered then you can transport the station back.”

Alandra hesitated. The decision to destroy such infected places seared her souls like a thousand coals burning her skin. “Mr Daniels, is this solution agreeable to you. Both of you?”

“It may work. We have to disable our time ships so that it someone doesn’t accidentally escape.”

“Very well then.” The Arimaa fired several blasts against the station and the docked ships. “Energy dampening weapons,” Alandra explained. “Time fleet will restore power, but we cannot allow those ships to escape. Even at slow warp speed the infection will eventually spread.”

With that the Arimaa opened up a portal and transported the station to the future. “How am I going to explain to Starfleet the loss of the station.” Kira muttered.


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31 st century – Time fleet mobile base

The outcome of the meeting had been decided. Without the extra resources Mr Daniels was trying to supply, an attack would be launched against Gallifrey before the fleet ran out of supplies. It was a controversial decision, but Gough had pulled his trump card. An agreement with the other Involved Powers to use their forces in the forthcoming battle. While they frowned on the Federation’s temporal incursions, they also believed the UFP would be more amenable to negotiation. They still remembered how obstinate Rassilon was during the war with Fluidic Space. Thus they would not aid the Federation in breaching the time loops, but would aid against the Time Lords.

Captain Alandra gathered her crew ready. Soon the greatest fleet every assembled, greater than even the Borg fleets of old would hurl itself in the Gamma Quadrant against the greatest power ever to reside there.


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31 st century

If one could witness the preparations of both sides before the assault on Gallifrey, the difference would be striking. For the Federation the mood was somber. For every border world they took, Gallifrey had struck all colony worlds with their anarchitect and several core worlds directly. Their only advantage was that they had more military assets intact for now.

Alandra for her part paid her respects to the fallen. Those which had made the failed temporal incursion to stop Gallifrey destroying the red matter production facility. Some of them where not just her colleagues, but her friends. There was no going back to save them at the moment of death. The Gallifreyan time ship had seen to that. Alandra couldn’t believe she was even contemplating temporal incursions in such a manner. Death was a part of life, the goal being to live life to the fullest. But in a time war it seems that death and life had become cheapen. That was the natural consequence where people could be resurrected, only to die again by Time Lord weapons in more agonising ways, only for the Federation to resurrect them again. Or least until the Time Lords found a way to stop them. Was it better for her colleagues that had died at the battle, rather than to be like the civilians on Earth forced to experience death again and again, she thought. Briefly she wondered whether the Time Lords felt the same way.

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31 st century - Gallifrey

The man opened his eyes. He saw Rassilon and the woman, hairless, pale skin which the President had kept counsel. “My Lord President.”

“Welcome back Drax, you served Gallifrey with distinction.”

“I remember. You sent me to attack the Federation red matter production facility.”

“You succeeded, but then the Federation attempted to reverse the outcome of that battle. You sacrificed your TARDIS to ensure history took its proper course.” Rassilon pointed to a screen showing the battle being replayed.

“You have reconstructed me.” It was not a question.

Rassilon nodded. “With your biodata we have recreated you up to the point you left for the mission. The visionaries tell us the Federation will attack soon. We need you to again serve with courage. For victory.”

“Then I shall my lord.” With that Drax was taken to be fully debriefed.

How wonderful technology is Rassilon thought. The dead could be returned to life to again experience its joys. Once upon a time Rassilon held that immortality was a curse. Now he saw it as a blessing. The dead risen up to once again serve Gallifrey. Can there be any greater gift?


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The assault on the First Gallifrey had begun. Learning from the defeat of the Right Wing Fleet 2 centuries ago, the Federation assault would mainly transverse via quantum slipstream under subspace cloak. However cheap decoys would be sent throughout the vortex. These decoys would be spread out far and be numerous so it was harder for the Time Lords to pull all of them out. The same tactic which the Daleks used to counteract this particular Time Lord ability. Gallifrey already straining to deal with the anti-time influx would expend even more energy attacking the decoys, leaving it vulnerable to the assault fleets.

The first sign that things were going to plan was that the decoys were being pulled and diverted from the vortex. The second sign was when the main fleet consisting of 10, 000 Federation ships, almost half the remaining ships left after their losses at the Celestial Temple, plus allies including the Douwd, Metrons, Krenim and Zalkonians.

Immediately the Metrons opened up a rip into subspace and let the vast energies rain down on Gallifrey’s Quantum forcefield. This so called subspace fire was more powerful than any weapon yet devise by the Federation of this era. Like wise the Federation wasted no time in pulling out its big guns. With the remaining red matter they fired creating six singularities near Gallifrey, while at the same time firing subatomic disruptors and temporal torpedoes. The Organians and Zalkonians combined their power, seeking a gap in Gallifrey’s barriers.

Gallifrey’s response was quick. Temporal distortions surrounded the singularities attempting to separate them into their own separate space time continuum. However the energy diverted allowed the Metron subspace fire to leak through the shield.

Rassilon nearly dropped the universe in a bottle when the first blasts of subspace energy breached the Quantum forcefield. Gallifrey already scarred from Dalek assaults suffered again as the immense heat threaten to make the atmosphere uninhabitable. Fortunately the dome surrounding the capital held. Cracked, but holding. Rassilon exerted his power and repaired the dome, however to fix the Quantum forcefield required more power than even a god could wield. “Reinforce the quantum forcefield. Draw more energy from the bottled universe.”

What the allied force didn’t realise, was that containing the anti-time influx took immense power from the Eye of Harmony. The Time Lords lacked the ability to manipulate their offensive time loops while under this strain. However Rassilon’s solution was ingenious. Simply connect the bottled universe up to Gallifrey’s systems and draw energy from that. It was still a work in progress, as it contained vast energies of which the Time Lords were only managing to tap a portion of it, but it would have to do.

Quickly the singularities were nullified, while a forcefield crushed the specially designed Metron ships which generated the subspace fire. Time slowed around Gallifrey, torpedoes would stop before impacting. At least they would if the Federation did not shield its temporal torpedoes. So they kept on coming up against Gallifrey’s shields. An objective observer might wonder how much resources the Federation devoted to protect each torpedo. How much strain on their economy did this cause? But for now the costs seem to be worth it.

The Douwd created giant starships from their imagination. It fired again and again seeking death to the Time Lords. For their part the Time Lords attempted to control the ship. It was created from the beings mind similar to how block transfer computations and quantum mnemonics worked. For a moment the two struggled. The ship paused in its attack as the Time Lords forced it to change form into an Eternal sailing ship, only to have the Douwd change it again. Reality twisted around Gallifrey, however for the moment the Douwd were too busy struggling to keep control of their creations to attack.

The Organians breached a point in the weaken Quantum forcefield as their energies devastated Gallifrey for a second time. “Deploy the Cold.” Rassilon ordered. The Cold was a validium based weapon which existed on the borders between universes. A few Organians and some Zalkonians were encased in it and sent into stasis into another dimension.

Krenim time ships fired trying to erase Gallifrey from time itself. Weapons of last resort for the Krenim, for a victim of the ship didn’t die, they ceased to ever exist. Against the Time Lords, the Krenim wasted no time in using it. The transduction barrier held against it. Retaliation was swift and deadly. Gallifrey fired the demat gun, its own version of the temporal weapon against the Krenim ship. Something had to give and it was the Krenim time ships who one by one were erased.

Federation ships were being destroyed one after another. Like the Daleks one shot was enough to destroy each ship. However they had spread out and was hitting Gallifrey from all sides. It was kill or be killed and it looked like they were winning. The defences surrounding Gallifrey seem to breach and blasts rained down. The Capital appeared to have taken more damage. However things were not as they seem.

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Gallifrey

“Is it time? Time for my people to show their worth?”

The Castellan raised his eyebrows. He was unaware that Rassilon had planned for her to be of any use other than a pet. The same way Braxiatel convorted with Vorta servants and Orion animal women. For her part, she ignored him.

“Yes,” Rassilon spoke. “It is time for the Borg to live again.” With that the Borg Queen smiled.


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Hidden within Gallifrey’s solar system 2 light minutes out were two TARDISes on each side of the battle field. The chameleon circuit had disguised themselves to look like space itself while the mass of asteroid’s nearby hid them. Now they were to unleash their contents. Projecting the inside dimensions outside, each TARDIS revealed a giant planet serving as a space station. A space station full of Borg ships.

Quickly the Borg ships moved to take up positions. Then they fired. However that was not the weapon that would win the day. For unknown to the Federation the TARDISes had also deployed another weapon.

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Battle of Gallifrey – USS Arimaa

“What the hell happened?” Captain Alandra spoke. The female Bolian was at the battle of the Celestial Temple. Given how difficult it was to defeat the Daleks she was surprised the Federation had done so well. Admiral Gough was right about the Erkulon plague hurting them as no TARDISes could be seen until now.

“Borg ships have just appeared all around us. They seem to be bouncing gigantic subspace pulses at alternating frequencies between them. Its powerful enough to collapse warp and slipstream engines. Borg ships are also generating intense gravimetric disturbances.” The speaker was Tom Hee, her science officer.

“So now we know why the Borg disappeared several centuries ago. With the Time Lords controlling the vortex they don’t intend for us to leave. It’s a trap, but one they sprung too late.” Alandra could see the very surface of Gallifrey turn into sludge as more weapons fire leaked through the Quantum forcefield. “Once Gallifrey falls we can escape into the Vortex even if out of date Borg ships are capable of stopping us.”

“From what I can gather, the power levels on those ships are disturbing. They appear to be using matter / antimatter reactions powered in the vortex like our ships.”

“Borg ships have deployed several probes around the area. The probes have now cloaked.” The speaker was a Talaxian, Jexa manning his post at tactical.

“Did you scan them before they cloaked.”

“Affirmative. They are carrying a high explosive charge. Before you ask the cloak seems to be a combination of phase cloak plus another variety, so we can’t detect them.”

“If they used a subspace cloak it would be knocked out by their own subspace pulses.” Mr Hee added.

“They are not firing.”

“Of course not captain. They are located light minutes out. At that distance at STL speeds we have plenty of time to move out the way or destroy any incoming torpedoes with our weapons.”

“They definitely mean to keep us in and are challenging anyone who wants run their gauntlet.” Alandra paused. Something wasn’t right. “But why?Mr Jexa what do you think?”

“Perhaps they sprung their trap too late?”

“As the humans say, I don’t buy it. The Time Lords for all their corruption were supposed to be driven with purpose under Rassilon. Mr Hee find a way to beat the Borg subspace pulse. I want a way out in case this battle turns against us.”

“Understood.”

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The first inkling the allied fleet had that something was wrong was when the Douwd simply disappeared. Science officers thought it must have been some type of dimensional pull. They were unable to discover the source. Soon Metron and Federation ships were disappearing. First those closer to Gallifrey but then other as well. There was no defence against this new weapon.

It was now obvious why the Borg had gone to the trouble of keeping them confined. Their worse fears were compounded when Gallifrey shook off the illusion it had been casting, and scans revealed the planet was not as damaged as it appeared.

Some ships tried to scan for the Time Lord weapon, others tried to run the Borg gauntlet. At two light minutes out at maximum impulse that would still be eight minutes. Not good odds.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Rassilon casually flipped through a page of the book. It was titled the Book of Gallifrey’s triumphs. On it the Borg queen could see picture of Douwd imprisoned on the page. As another Federation ship succumbed it appeared on a new page. She had to ask. “How?”

It was the Castellan who spoke eager to show up the woman. The arrogance that she suggest that a new house, a house Borg be created to stand equal among those of Gallifrey. “The device is a fictional generator. It could alter reality by the power of quantum mnemonics, breaking physical laws and allow us to turn imagination into reality. It can also work in reverse and reduce real beings to nothing more than images. They may as well have been a work of fiction.”

“I was right then to ally myself with the Time Lords.” The Borg Queen was thinking back to when Rassilon had sent an envoy to her. At that point the Borg was dying from a biogenic weapon created by an enemy which had all but been assimilated. The Time Lords offered to upgrade their technology and to cure the disease in return for service. The Borg Queen accepted. The price was to have a command code inserted into the Borg consciousness preventing them from rebelling, but she admitted even without it, she would serve the Time Lords seeking to be one with them. For that way lies perfection.

“We know of two other factions that have similar technology, because its not easy to manufacture. The Isolus and the God’s of Ragnorak.”

“Hush my dear Castellan.” The Castellan paused as the Queen placed two fingers seductively on his lips. “Our lord President is commanding the outcome of the battle.” While they were talking more Federation ships had succumbed to the Time Lord’s device.


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By now the battle was getting desperate. Some ships attempted to escape via time portals only to be dragged back into the path of Borg ships which didn’t even bother to assimilate them. The Zalkonians and remaining Organians also denied FTL speeds changed themselves into light and attempted to run the Borg gauntlet. At four times faster than the other ships they got there first. They also received a surprise as several Borg ships opened up and drew the energy beings in, to be imprisoned. The Master had once tried to trap such beings the Xeriphas in their energy state to power his TARDIS. Now the Borg would use similar technology and imprison them to power their ships.

The Arimaa and other ships had to try and run the gauntlet. With three quarters of the fleet simply disappearing there was no choice. The ships fired tachyons hoping to reflect off the cloaked probes and avoid them. While it spotted the probes, the probes were programmed to ram approaching Federation vessels. A Metron ship nearby succumbed to one of these.

Finally within a reasonable range of the Borg ships, Starfleet and Timefleet ships combined their considerable fire power. However the Borg in this century were much more cunning than before. The lead ships took the blasts and continued to maintain the subspace pulse. The shielding was reinforced by ships behind the lead one. More Federation ships were destroyed. The Borg was not letting anyone through and several allied ships were forced to retreat.

“Damn it.” Alandra shouted. “We need a way to break the gauntlet and I need it soon Mr Hee.”

“Theoretically if we generate a pulse half a wavelength out of phase with equal amplitude we should be able to cancel it out allowing time for us to get to slipstream. The Borg are adjusting the frequency every nano second, and the amplitude every micro second. We just don’t have the computing power for that.”

Thinking quickly Alandra offered a solution. “Can we link computers with the other ships. Jettison the omega molecules and use the computing power of the computers maintaining it. Will that be enough?”

“Maybe,” was the non committal reply. “However the subspace pulse is interfering with communication. Only the ships closest to us can hear us.”

“We have no choice but to try.”

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Gallifrey

All but a few hundred allied ships were left. Of the 12 546 enemy ships a few had been destroyed, most were imprison in the Book of Gallifrey’s triumphs. The remaining few were being gunned down by the Borg ships. Those that had been forced to retreat had themselves been defeated by the fictional generator.

Victory was all but assured. The enemy was not even attacking Gallifrey anymore, simply trying to escape. On the view screen Rassilon saw 20 Federation ships break out.

“It seems they managed to generate their own subspace pulse.” The Queen spoke.

“It appears that the Borg failed to prevent enemy ships escaping.”

“They have no failed yet Castellan.” Rassilon rebutted. “Have the TARDISes pursue with Borg ships. Hunt them down.”

“It is a pleasure to serve you.” The Borg Queen couldn’t keep the smirk from her face.

“Today the Borg have proven their worth. From today there will be a new house. The House of Borg. An equal among Gallifrey’s great houses.”

The Castellan managed to contain his shock. “We will hunt down those ships,” he didn’t know how he said that without trembling. The Castellan was one of the Time Lords which had opposed ex President Romana’s policy of opening up to the other temporal powers. Now Rassilon had done even worse. Letting an upstart race become one of the great houses, to acquire Time Lord technology. Because the Federation had broken the Temporal Accords, it gave the Time Lords carte blanche to retaliate. But it didn’t mean that Rassilon had to pull the Federation’s greatest enemy from the past to use against them now. These were dark times indeed.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Working with several other ships combined, the USS Arimaa managed to generate the required subspace pulse. The cost was blowing out its warp engines (which were only used these days for tactical manoeuvres anyway) and its main deflector sustaining severe damage. However it and 19 other ships escaped into slipstream. Gallifrey wasted no time in pursuit.

Already several ships had been knocked out of slipstream by pursuing Borg ships. This time they were going to assimilate the crew. Why not? The Borg now had the advantage of numbers and tonnage. Other ships met their fate when enemy ships appeared in front. The TARDISes, Alandra realised. According to briefings they had immense FTL speeds which some Federation experts scoffed at. Whatever their true speed, they were certainly faster than the Federation ships. The Arimaa barely managed to escape. In fact the Arimaa was the only ship to do so. Enemy ships only cease pursuit when the Arimaa was well inside Federation space.

With the Federation’s two greatest enemies joining forces, these were dark times indeed.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *



Notes
1. Dr Graves appeared in the TNG episode “Schizoid man”

2. I was going to have the Arimaa destroy DS 9 but then thought it would be better it transports them to the future. This type of plot device was utilised in X-men comics

3. Its pretty much implied in the novels that in the event of a Time War (against the Enemy) both sides pretty much monitor the vortex and can block the other’s side time travel to an extent. So one way to avoid detection is to send a ship via space either STL or presumably a FTL version that doesn’t involve the vortex. The Time Lords did just that in the novel “Interference.”

4. I based the Metrons subspace fire from gridfire in Iain Banks Culture novels

5. Note in “Logopolis” block transfer computations forced the TARDIS to shrink, and given that it controls the chameleon circuits I figured it might allow them to change the Douwd creations.

6. The Eternal ships appeared in “Enlightenment”. Essentially they were just reconstruction of human sailing ships with the ability to fly in space. It was all part of the rules of the game they were playing.

7. The Cold appeared in the novel “Interference.”

8. The USS Arimaa was named after the game of the same name. I thought it was fitting that the ship had to devote vast computing power to beat the Borg trap. For those who aren’t aware the game is designed to make it harder for AI’s to beat humans because it has much more possible moves than chess, ie the computer lacks the computing power to see so far ahead. Look it up on wiki.

9. Fictional Generator appeared in “The taking of planet five.”

10. Gods of ragnorak appeared in the classic series “The greatest show in the galaxy.” The land of fiction (where fictional characters are given life to entertain the gods) appeared in “The mind robber.”

11. The Isolus appeared in the new series episode “Fear her.” It trapped the Doctor in a picture so I took the idea from there.

12. The Master attempted to trap the Xeriphas in “Time Flight”

13. The Hazari appeared in the Voyager episode “Think Tank.” It was their tactic of having the rear ship reinforce the shields of the lead ship which the Borg are copying.

14. In the novel “Ancestor cell” the Doctor’s TARDIS drew energy from the bottled universe.


Another long chapter. Hopefully this will finish in another 2 chapters.

[Xon]

I find it amusing that the Borg seeking perfection want to be Time Lords

[mr friendly guy]

The Borg have a very strange definition of perfection. But less strange than the Christian definition.

[Themightytom]

The Gods of olympus might work for a land battle scene, since IIRC they grew to a giant size. The problem is a lot of these races are one shot wonders, meaning that we don't have a lot of go on to gauge their capabilities. I am loathe to simply make up an ability for these races so they just aren't UFP mark II. That being said I have written the assault on Gallifrey scene where I gave the Metrons an ability not displayed anywhere in Trek for the sole purpose being that their weapons had to look somewhat different from the Federations.

The Caretaker might work, but aside from stronger shields and a transporter that can work vast distances I can't remember anything else specatcular about him.

The Douwd is already in. Question, what happens when the Douwd's create things from imagination power meets TL block transfer computations.

I also brought the Organians and the Zalkonians. Since they are both energy beings and the Organians did display enough of their abilities for me to have something to go on.

Given the big hoo hah in the SW vs ST section about the Krenim Time ship I think its time newer versions of it makes an appearance.

EDIT - I also let the TL use some of their most weird technology since I figured the Erkulon plague has knocked out most of their standard TARDISes for the moment, so they have to get creative.

And later on I reveal the identity of the woman Rassilon keeps counsel with. If people haven't already guessed it already.

I forgot about Kirk's friend Gary from Where No man has Gone before, (only because Stravo brought him back in star crossed for Epic Win) Charlie X, Trelane and maybe the Guardian of Forever, as it seems to work differently than TL tech (not requiring a ship), Also V'Ger/Decker might be a good pull out, the things two AU's. The traveller's might be interesting, or the big head from star trek V.

[mr friendly guy]

Gary Mitchell was killed by Kirk, and I prefer to leave him dead. God from ST 5 was killed by a Klingon BoP, kind of liked him dead.

Charlie X isn't a bad idea, since I plan to bring the Thasians back. Trelane I am still deciding whether he is supposed to be an immature Q as some fan fics speculate. The Guardian forever is interesting, but since the Federation can already travel through time and scan it, the only advantage would be that maybe it shows time lines more accurately. I like the V'ger idea. Maybe it could make a guess appearance helping the Federation, but not necessarily against the Time Lords. Ultimately Braxton's prophecy must come to pass.

[Themightytom]

Gary Mitchell was killed by Kirk, and I prefer to leave him dead. God from ST 5 was killed by a Klingon BoP, kind of liked him dead.

Charlie X isn't a bad idea, since I plan to bring the Thasians back. Trelane I am still deciding whether he is supposed to be an immature Q as some fan fics speculate. The Guardian forever is interesting, but since the Federation can already travel through time and scan it, the only advantage would be that maybe it shows time lines more accurately. I like the V'ger idea. Maybe it could make a guess appearance helping the Federation, but not necessarily against the Time Lords. Ultimately Braxton's prophecy must come to pass.

Oh I was getting the impression that the TimeLords were rapidly stripping the federation of its ability to time travel, what with making whole swathes inaccessible, patrolling time with the LEGION and annihilating a good sized chunk of the time fleet. Really I'm seeing a W in tthe works for the Federation, maybe if they had waited a bit longer, for a better tech parity with the TLs or even planned ahead better, say going back in time to augment the T'Kon device to snatch Galifrey the moment it appeared, OR the Tardis plague, OR the red matter, preferably all of the above and more. They're just dicking around with temporal shielding and red matter at this point and they still haven;t figured out exactly how up shit creek they are.

Yeah I'm kind of waiting for Sisko and the prophets to do something since they just reopened the wormhole. They were probably thrilled to discover the bajorans dead.

[mr friendly guy]

The Legion were imprisoned by the TL, so they aren't exactly friends. That being said since they escaped they haven't tried to oppose the TL directly, but with Gallifrey otherwise occupied.... I see the Legion as more of a spoiler force.

The thing is the UFP had their offensive moment and it failed. Now the TL have hit back and with Earth pretty much dead the first time, only Gough is mad enough to say attack again at all costs. Everyone elses first instinct is to try and bring the dead back to life, so naturally it seems like they are on the defensive.

The Federation won't be completely outclassed. Just think of all those desperate tactics spawned from the SW vs ST debates over the years. Assume the Feds have mastered these tech of the week and lets assume they work as advertised. They might be able to give the TL a bloody nose then. Otherwise we can fall back to asymmetrical warfare Sci fi style.

[mr friendly guy]

Longest chapter yet at approximately 6500 words. Hopefully I can tie everything up in one chapter or else I will have to split it. I have taken some of themightytom's ideas for Trek concepts to appear.

Chapter 19

Delta Quadrant

The giant ship inexorably came. Despite all attempts to stop it still it came. Measuring 7000 kilometres in diameter and bearing a giant Seal of Rassilon the Doomsday probe was a Time Lord weapon of last resort. Not time capable, the probe was designed to transverse through space so it was less obvious to a time active enemy. It had limited defense aside from being composed of validium, the living metal, however defense was not on the mind of those who designed it. The probe disgorged a blast of energy brushing aside any Federation ships getting in its way. So far 256 ships had fallen. Before too long the Federation would not be able to protect its holdings.

“We need a new strategy.” Alandra shouted. Since the disastrous assault on Gallifrey the USS Arimaa had been assigned to help the beleagued ships here. Not that one extra ship was much help. The probe’s so called entropic wave could decimate matter for up to one sector of space away. Any time Federation ships threaten to overwhelm it it just fired its weapon. Attempts to bring overwhelming numbers of ships would fail as the probe would just detect it and fire from outside the weapon ranges of its opponents.

“What do you suggest then?” The speaker was captain Kane, controlling the Federation fleet in the Delta Quadrant. He was a Starfleet captain, in fact Starfleet provided most of the ships in the DQ whilst the Arimaa was a Timefleet ship, and the rivalry between the two organisations was well known.

“The Delta Quadrant holds most of our genesis devices does it not?”

“There is a lot of terraforming done on virgin worlds,” Kane agreed. “However to fire that device we need to get close to it first. If we approach from space and subspace it will fire, if we try the Vortex the Time Lords will intercept us.”

“Not an insurmountable problem. We can use it like a mine. Program it to activate when the Gallifreyan ship comes into range.”

The tension on the Arimaa was palpable as the viewscreen image of captain Kane paused. Eventually he relented. “Very well do it.”

So the plan was hatched. As the probe came closer, Alandra watched with the rest of the crew. Finally the Genesis device went off. The result was not as expected. For a moment the energies from the Federation device encapsulated the probe, as Federation and Time Lord technology battled for supremacy. However validium was living metal, and intuitively “it” realised something was wrong so it tried fighting back, to oppose the force trying to change it. Finally the result was the probe surviving, albeit smaller than before.

“We are going to need several Genesis devices to stop that.” Alandra gasped.

“But will it let us get that close to it the second time?”

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Beta Quadrant

On paper or perhaps the phrase should be on a PADD both fleets looked equally matched. Over two thousand Federation ships squared off against hundreds of Borg ships. In terms of tonnage both sides were equally matched. As the battle began it appeared that whoever had the better tactics would win the day. It appeared that the Time Lords still could not field many TARDISes. However one was all that was needed to turn the tide.

Stationed outside the Milky Way galaxy was a Mentalis II platform. This TARDIS began dematerialising each projectile to impact on a Federation ship destroying it. Given that a type 40 TARDIS could transverse vast distances, it was not surprising to Federation tacticians that the Mentalis platforms could hit them from where they could not even detect, yet alone retaliate. The battle in the Celestial Temple while considered a triumph for the platforms, did not showcase all they could do. The relative small dimensions of the Prophet’s home essentially forced the Mentalis II’s to fight at short “knife fight” ranges. However out in the vast area of normal space, its full potential was being realised.

Fortunately for the Federation, they had developed ways to hide their ships. Some would jump in and out of subspace cloaks, decloaking when about to fire against a Borg ship. Others would generate intense fields composed of tachyons and chronitons in a bid to throw off the barrage, reminiscent of how smokescreens in the 20 th century was used to counteract laser guidance systems. They had limited success. The Borg again generated intense subspace pulses forcing UFP ships to decloak, while the diminished accuracy of the missiles was compensated for by feeds from the closer Borg ships.

Finally the Mentalis II platform took its toll. Almost all of the Federation ships were destroyed to a mere 10 percent of the Borg ships, which had already started regenerating from their damage. With no choice they had to cede the Beta Quadrant to the Borg.

Inside a Borg cube heads and torso was being joined together, held by cybernetic components. The Borg Queen wanted to personally watch as Qo'noS was being assimilated. Her triumph was interrupted as a Time Lord materialised on her bridge. It was Maxil head of the Celestis, the Time Lord’s intelligence agency.

“Behold Maxil, a victory by the house of Borg and with that victory for Gallifrey.”

“Impressive, although I dare say you would have taken much higher losses if it wasn’t for the Mentalis II platforms.”

“True, but irrelevant. We are on the same side.” By now the Borg Queen was used to the snide remarks from Time Lords jealous that she had monopolised Rassilon’s time and attention. How can a race of such technological achievers be so small she wondered. However she reminded herself that while they were superior in most things and closer to perfection than the Borg were, when combined the two races became even greater. She eagerly awaited that day when the Borg had proved the doubters wrong.

“Then you will have no problems taking my orders.”

“The Borg will listen to the wisdom of our fellow Time Lords.” The Queen moved closer to Maxil leaning close, so close her face almost touched his.

“Don’t play your games with me.” Maxil had grabbed the Queen by the arm and it took effort for her not to throw the impudent man off. “Your tricks may work on our President, but they won’t work on me. You aren’t a Time Lord yet, not until you had the Rassilon Impramatuer and had your being mapped onto time itself.”

The Borg Queen instantly extended her assimilation tubules. Fortunately for her she sensed a being had appeared behind her and had its hand on her throat. At this point her assimilation tubules were only half way extended. With rapid movements the Raston warrior robot fired several “javelins” created from its other hand striking down several drones before they could even react. The next javelin was aimed at the Borg vinculum. Realising her predicament the Borg Queen retracted the tubules. “My apologies Lord Maxil. I am still learning the ways of Time Lord society. I had not realised you had brought friends.”

“In time you will learn.” Now that he proved his superiority Maxil was in a more conciliatory mood. “I have a task for you. The Klingon homeworld will not be assimilated. Instead I want you to transport a little weapon down to that world. Actually two weapons.”

“And afterwards?”

“Lamarck ships will take over the occupation of this world. The Borg will assist in finishing off the last remnants of Federation resistance in the Beta Quadrant. Then we move to finish off the majority of their fleet hiding in the Alpha Quadrant.”

“As you command.”


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Delta Quadrant

The Federation had changed its tactics when dealing with the Doomsday probe, unfortunately so did the probe. Now it destroyed everything in its path including unarmed worlds, well outside retaliatory range. The scenario where the hidden Genesis device had hurt it would not be repeated.

Alandra and Kane had ordered several ships with decoys to attack it at FTL speeds. The probe detected it and destroyed it with its entropic wave well before they got into weapons range. However here was its mistake. Its ultimate weapon needed time to recharge, time which the Federation was not going to give it.

Portals appeared above as several Federation ships fired weapons at the probe. Utilising the old portal technology to enter Fluidic Space (or its successor universe after the Time Lords finished with it) UFP ships reentered the universe and attacked the Probe. Without the use of its entropic wave they had a chance to finally hit it, and hit it hard. Numerous genesis devices exploded threatening to rework the molecules of the Probe. Even in death the validium based weapon struck back taking all its attackers with it, for the entropic wave wasn’t its only weapon. However when the Genesis effect had subsided, in the place of the weapon which caused so much was a new world, life had been created from death.

“Yes.” Captain Kane was ecstatic, he could kiss the Bolian captain if she was only on the same ship.
“Patch me through to the Arimaa.”

“Doing it now.”

“Congratulations on your plan captain Alandra. It seems Timefleet can win some battles after all.”

“It was a team effort, Captain Kane.”

“I am afraid congratulations will have to wait.” It was Mr Jexa the Talaxian weapons officer. “I have just received encoded message from central command. The Devorre are sending more ships, approximately 3500 to the border. We are ordered to evacuate all civilians and rejoin the major fleets in the Alpha Quadrant.”

“They are mad,” Kane shouted. “With the remaining ships here and the weapons platforms we could hold out against the Devorre for months at a time.”

“Nevertheless the ships are needed in the Alpha Quadrant” Jexa replied.

“So many battles and what have we to show for it. Not a damn thing.” Alandra felt the mood depress. “Even when we win, we still lose.”

“We could have still bluffed the Devorre,” Kane muttered. “That represents 70 percent of their fleet. They won’t risk losing that even if Gallifrey does defeat us.”

However orders were orders and the captains were duty bound to obey. Shortly the Federation fleet rendezvous with the Devorre one to discuss the humiliating terms of the Federation withdrawal. The Devorre captain had the arrogance of one who was sure they were on the winning side. He made a show of great reluctance before allowing the Federation to evacuate all civilians. Then a miracle happened.

A giant temporal wave swept over the Milky Way. Protected by their temporal shields Captain Alandra was shocked when suddenly the insignia on the Devorre ships changed.

“We regret that our government’s non aggression treaty with Gallifrey prevents us from rendering anything but humanitarian aid. Tell us what you need and I will see to it that the fleet provides it.” It was the Devorre Captain, Prax who only a moment ago was hostile to the Federation.

Motioning for the comm to be cut off, Alandra turned to her science officer for an explanation. “A temporal incursion must have occurred. Someone or something altered history in our favour.”

“Captain Prax, when did you men last have shore leave.” It was Kane who spoke.

“It has been a while, but I don’t understand what that has to do with it.”

“Our fleet requires supplies, for humanitarian purposes naturally. So does the border worlds. I suggest that you enjoy some rest and recreation only the Federation worlds can provide as I see that humanitarian aid will take a long time to distribute.”

“Ah,” Prax finally understood. The Devorre would bring “humanitarian” aid to the border worlds, while Gallifrey would hopefully withhold attacking them due to the presence of neutral humanitarian workers.

With that the Federation fleet left with its Delta Quadrant holdings intact. However while Kane was soaking in their triumph Alandra was worried. She was trained by Time fleet and knew the dangers of temporal incursions. Someone in Timefleet must have made a giant incursion altering Devorre history to make them more imicable to the Federation cause. But if someone was willing to do that, what is to stop them wiping out a species before it even evolved. Death was one thing, non existence another. What would happen to the universe at large when too many temporal incursions occurred? Alandra was afraid. Oh she was afraid at the attack on Gallifrey, but now for the first time it was not the Time Lords she feared. It was the Federation.

“Will we become monsters to defeat the very monsters we fight?” She muttered. But no one could answer her question.


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

31 st century – time vortex planet / forever world

The Guardian of Forever at 5 billion years old had existed longer than the Sol system. Its creators had manufactured a technology foreign to even the Time Lords. While the Time Lords utilised great time ships to transverse time, the Guardian relied on time corridor technology. In the Time Lord’s home universe such technology was considered quaint. The Daleks once experimented with it and discarded it as too limited, while alien dictators like the Borad also did the same. However the creators of the Guardians persevered, and in some ways their time corridor technology was equal to that of Gallifrey’s. It could reach vast regions in time and space, and more importantly, it was harder for the Time Lords to intercept.

For years the Federation had conducted research into the Guardian. They knew from past dealings with the Time Lords during the temporal cold war era that Gallifrey would interdict time travellers. Attempt to beam someone through time was intercepted by the Time Lords and sent to a new location. Usually a prison cell somewhere. The Time Lord ambassador had boasted that they mastered such technology when the universe was half its present size. So it was through use of the Guardian that the Federation sort to send its agents into the past.

“Show me Gallifrey when it entered our universe.” The speaker was Professor Corrigan, one of the Daystrom’s institute’s most prolific researchers. “Show me,” he repeated. Unfortunately each time the Guardian displayed a blank screen. He was aware from interviews with Romana that the Time Lords had some way to prevent time travel to their past. Apparently it blocked even the Guardian for the moment. Theoretically if time became so damaged even the Time Lords transduction shields may not work. Of course if that happened the Guardian may not work, or their may be nothing left in the universe. Sombering thought.

The Time Lords of course were aware of the Guardian. They had already tried to time loop Forever world, however the Guardians generated a burst of temporal energy and broke out of the Time Loop. Surprised the Time Lords had for now held off further attacks. Unknown to Corrigan it was because they had decided that they need not destroy the Guardians, they only needed to deny the Federation use of it, and in time unravel its secrets for themselves.

With no idea when the next Time Lord attack would come, Corrigan continued his work. Special holographic agents had been sent to the past of the Devorre Imperium. Altering their history to make them more friendly to the Federation had been a success, allowing the Federation to hold unto their Delta Quadrant holdings. More time agents were being sent. If Gallifrey could not be directly attacked, then perhaps other enemies of the Federation or Gallifrey’s allies. A strike team had been sent to infect the Borg with a virus which will destroy them in the 25 th century well before Gallifrey arrived in this universe.

A red light went off indicating to Corrigan that one of his agents had been “killed”. Then another. So the Time Lords were finally taking notice. That was his last thought as an N-form materialised in his brain ripping his head apart. All throughout the base N-forms were appearing.

The Federation however were not without their defences. Having observed the N-forms first hand, Federation scientists worked to counter act their powers. Unable to stop the dimensional transport occurring, they could however lock onto them with transporters when they materialised and dump them into subspace in several little pieces. Of course the N-form would eventually put itself back together and eventually after transversing multitudes of the infinite layers of subspace eventually make its way back to normal space. By then the battle would have been won. And it was, just not for the Federation. Their countermeasures were too little, too late.

Soon Lamarck ships in orbit with soldiers beaming down to take control of the base. There were no survivors after an N-form attack.


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

31 st century – Time Fleet mobile platform

“What is the status of the Guardian of Forever?” Romana asked.

“Not good. Lamarck ships occupy it. They have not attempted to do anything to the Guardian as yet, however reality bombs guard the region around it.” It Romana’s attaché, Mr Fable who spoke.

“Reality bombs were used against my people by a race which didn’t quite have time travel. We used it against Daleks to counteract their numerical superiority, during the later stages of the war when the vortex was so damaged it was risky trying to manipulate it. Its what humans might call asymmetrical warfare.”

“The tactic is obvious. They mean to bleed us trying to take the Guardian. Its strategic importance to our planners is well known.”

“You mean the Daystroms institute’s mad plan to use the Guardians time corridor technology combined with Federation subspace transporters to create our equivalent of the time scoop?” Romana scoffed.

“The research was promising before the start of the war.” Her friend argued. “However I was referring to us sending agents into the past via the Guardian.”

The conversation was cut short as the powers that be activated the image of Qo’nos showing a giant cannon firing into the ground. At its touch the ground seem to simply disappear.

“What is that?” The speaker was captain Kane.

“Unknown to us, however it appears it will drill through from one end to Qo'noS in 3 hours and use up its atmosphere in 9 hours. This image was taken only one hour ago, relative time.”

“That is the parallel cannon.”It was Romana who spoke. “They open a point hole into the nova of an anti-sun where the neutrinos from that dimension pass into our own. Normally neutrinos don’t have much interaction with normal matter. More than 50 trillion solar electron neutrinos pass through the human body every second.” Romana emphasised. “However in this case the tear also alters reality and physics work differently from that dimension. What you will find is that the neutrinos now cause matter to fall apart due to the process of quantum shattering.”

“Sounds like a bunch of technobabble to me.” Captain Kane muttered aloud, more to relieve tensions than because he didn’t believe the Time Lord’s description. Unfortunately no one laughed.

“What Captain Romana is saying is that the parallel cannon works in a similar manner to the nuclear disruption force old style phasers utilised, albeit in a more destructive manner.” Mr Fable interjected. “The Time Lords undoubtedly can field more powerful and efficient weapons than this. N-forms could render the entire planet lifeless in much shorter time with less destruction. The question is why haven’t they done so?”

“Its obvious, stupid robot.” It was Captain Klang who spoke. “They want us to come and attack them. No doubt they have a trap waiting, but still we must try.”

“I believe Mr Fable meant that as a rhetorical question.” Captain Kane answered dryly.

“Mr Fable is correct. Even when I was on Gallifrey the parallel cannon was considered an obsolete technology. The only advantage is that it doesn’t register easily on scanners of time active races.”

“Why are we wasting time, we must free my people and destroy the parallel cannon.”

It was Fable again who replied. “If you know it is a trap, why do you not first plan around it? Moreover there is no guarantee we can get out of the Time Lord trap, our previous attempts have failed.” The failure of the assault on Gallifrey was still fresh. No one knew what happened to those ships that simply disappeared during the attack. “Qo’nos may simly be the next casualty in this war.” Trust Mr Fable to give the news in such a negative manner.

“Honour demands we try.” Klang implored.

“Honour is just another fancy way of saying pride. Unless we can work out what the Time Lords are planning we cannot turn the trap against them.” Romana snapped back.

“Bah, humans have no honour.” Putting his face right up to Romana’s who met his without flinching, Klang continued. “Nor do Time Lords.”

Mr Fable was about to physically remove Klang when suddenly Romana grabbed the Klingon by the hand. Where they grasp there was flame, as Romana finally tapped into the pyrokinetic powers the Hoothi inadvertently gave her, when it tried to take over her body all those years ago.

Klang was not a coward, and he tried to stare down the Starfleet captain. However even a Klingon could not withstand the heat for too long and he was forced to pull away. “We still have 400 or so intact ships crewed by Klingons. Who is with me? Who will save our homeworld, the world that gave birth to your ancestors?” With that Klang walked out followed by many, many Klingons.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
31 st century - Qo'noS

The battle had gone according to plan for the commander of the Lamarck soldiers guarding the Klingon homeworld. His soldiers knew they had to sacrifice their lives to plant the illusion of a Klingon victory. The fact that Rassilon would not resurrect them as he had with Time Lords didn’t bother them the least. It was an honour to serve and die for the gods. What made it difficult was that the Klingon ground troops tried their best to lose.

Despite having the numbers, the Klingons (they must be inexperienced soldiers, no other explanation made sense he thought) simply dropped their disruptors and rushed armed only with melee weapons. Many were gunned down by the Lamarcks. When it was apparent that it would take too long for the Klingons to win, the Lamarck had feigned weapons running low on power, allowing the Klingons to engage in hand to hand combat. As fighters Klingons were strong but very unskilled. It took a lot of effort for the Lamarcks to let the Klingons win, but they had their orders.

The parallel cannon was disabled. Before too long the Klingons moved numerous supply ships, as they must to regenerate the damaged to the environment of Qo’nos. That was when the planet exploded as a bomb planted within it detonated. It not only took out the 405 remaining Klingon warships, but also all supply ships and the 20 Starfleet ships coming in to render assistance.

Like in the days gone by, honour had just led to more soldiers dying.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

31 st century Alpha Quadrant

It was not without a trace of irony that Romana voted for the same Fabian tactics her husband opposed 2 centuries earlier. Unable to beat the Time Lords in a frontal assault, unable to fight off Gallifrey’s counter attack despite numerous attempts the Federation could only run. Hit them when their metaphorical back is turned, and not confront them directly. To that end they attacked Borg holdings trying to dislodge them from Federation space and retreated when they tried to bring the missiles of the Mentalis II platforms to bear. Raids occurred in Gallifreyan space trying to divert Time Lord forces to protect their subjects. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of their tactic was to attack the Web of Time itself. Alter history enough and the Time Lords would divert forces. Perhaps forces which could be ambushed. Even if not, one TARDIS fixing damage to time was one less that would attack Federation ships.

The problem was, the tactics first envisaged by Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator against Hannibal Barca worked because Rome had so much more man power than their Carthaginian foes, heavily reliant on mercenaries. Now the positions were reversed. With colony worlds descending in madness and core worlds time looped, only a few mobile shipyards existed. The Federation was forced to scavenge from asteroids and using replicators to repair damaged and replenish destroyed ships. It was Gallifrey who had time on their side. Given time the Federation would be worn down, while Gallifrey will repair its damaged ships. The Borg appeared more numerous than first estimated and had already started occupying some Beta Quadrant holdings. The Lamarcks were predominantly kept in defense, and though they took horrendous losses compared to the Federation, they could build ships at an amazing rate.

The saving grace for the Federation was that by this era, the Legion had infested the Vortex. Initially reluctant to confront the Time Lords, it didn’t take them long to work out that the Erkulon plague had devastated most of their fleet. Seizing their opportunity they tried ambush what few TARDISes transverse the vortex. Borg ships were not spared. Nor for that matter were Federation ships either despite attempts to open up negotiations. This situation could not last long, as TARDISes more numerous than 2 months ago were being fielded to eradicate the Legion menace once and for all.

Once the Legion were defeated the Time Lords would turn their attention to the Federation fleets. Hidden in one of the infinite layers of subspace, they felt safe as even Gallifrey could not scan all those layers. It didn’t stop them trying, many a time their scans were perilously close. However for now the Federation fleet remained hidden. A large portion of the fleet was to rendez vous with the Thasians, who had been convinced to ally with the UFP. While the Federation in desperation had broken the temporal accord more times than Gallifrey, most races remembered how recalcitrant Gallifrey was during the Fluidic space war, and preferred to deal with the UFP.

It was at this proposed meeting place which promised sharing of resources which the Federation desperately needed and technology which they wanted, that the Time Lords finally found them.

The Mentalis II platforms with data fed in by Borg ships struck unerringly. Before too long Romana’s fleet would be gutted and unable to fight. Borg disruptors almost wrecked the Enchantress, Romana’s new ship. Fortunately it had phase cloaked and the beam passed harmlessly through. By contrast the Enchantress’s retaliatory strike rendered that ship useless. Her next strike against a Time Lord Black Hole Carrier had much less of an effect. Designed to combat Dalek saucers the carriers had much higher tolerance to damage, not to mention more powerful weapons than her or any other Federation ship.

“We have to retreat captain, we can’t win.” Ensign Chan’s voice was nearing panicked. All his life he had been fed stories of the Federation being invincible. Now the shellacking they received from the Daleks and their poor showing against Gallifrey had cracked open his strongest beliefs. Only his training kept him from being a nervous wreck.

“Maybe that is the answer,” Romana spoke slowly as the revelation hit her.

“Captain, you have a plan?” The robot Fable knew better to doubt his friend.

“We can’t win Mr Fable, so we won’t try.”

“Even I do not understand.”

“The Armageddon factor.” Romana explained. “If we can’t win we will make sure they can’t either. The co-axial transport devices, we will use them.”

“They are for moving the Thasian fleet into the same subspace layer we are hiding in.” Chan shouted. Since Daniels had brought back to the future plans of building a co-axial transporter, Federation scientists had found ways to improve it, by not just bending space, but subspace as well.

“Well the Thasian fleet isn’t here. The Borg and those Black Hole Carriers are.”

“Signal the fleet Mr Chan.”

“We are being jammed.”

“Then I will have to do it.”

“How.” Chan asked, only to have his captain point to her head. “Of course, telepathically.”

Romana drew deep into her wells of Atron energy. Since absorbing the Hoothi’s DNA into hers last century she had found her telepathic ability had improved. She used it now to communicate to the fleet. “Damn it, I am being blocked. There are too many Time Lords with those ships. Those carriers most also have telepathic circuits.” It was time to make a difficult decision. “Mr Fable activate the co-axial transport. Program it to condense this area of space and to leave it condensed.”

“What about the fleet?” Chan asked.

“We just have to hope they can follow our lead.”

The coaxial device drew in subatomic particles and reconfigured their internal geometry as space itself folded. Romana’s ship had moved out of the way at maximum impulse and escaped unscathed. Unfortunately most of the battling ships were not so lucky. Very few Borg ships remained, while none of the Black Hole Carriers made it. A war TARDIS managed to limp out, its resilience surviving even that. It quickly retreated. Deciding there was not point in continuing the Time Lord fleet retreated. The Federation ships were in no condition to give chase.

“Did we just win?” It was captain Kane on the hyper subspace radio.

“More like a draw. We both seem to have taken immense losses, and neither side is capable of finishing the other off.

“Considering we were about to be slaughtered I would take a draw over defeat any day.” Kane’s flippant remark would normally be frowned upon, but in these times it actually worked to lighten the mood.

“May I suggest we quickly activate subspace cloak and arrange another time to meet the Thasians,” Fable offered.

As the fleet cloaked (to escape further attention from the Mentalis II platforms) Romana couldn’t help wondering what had happened to the Thasians?


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The battle must have been one of the strangest in recorded history. Both fleets stood outside each other’s weapon ranges. Occasionally each fleet would probe their opponent to be repulsed, but all in all when ships were light years apart no energy discharges were exchanged, no missiles fired. Instead most of the combat took place in the mind. The Vulcans would call it the psychic plane. Starfleet scientists know it as high level esper fields. To the combatants, it was known as hell.

The Thasians combined their mental powers against their adversary. Giant animals contested in this psychic landscape. Imaginary worlds were hurled against their opponent only to be destroyed by a giant psychic knife. Both sides strained their powers, no quarter was ask, although one side would give it.

Initially when this new fleet of unknown ships appeared they wondered whether he was fried or foe. Perhaps here was an ally against Gallifrey. They were soon disabused of that notion when they made telepathic contact. Their enemy was cunning, however even he could not hide the fact that he was a Time Lord. Here was one who was darker than any other besides Rassilon himself. They assumed incorrectly that he and his ilk were a Time Lord special forces. They recognised that he was the same Time Lord using many duplicates. Obviously using a technology the Time Lords had not displayed before. But then Gallifrey was adept at hiding its true strength to the sorrow of their enemies.

For the Master it was a losing battle. While he outnumbered the Thasians, their psionic powers were vastly developed. Perhaps only Salyavin could match them individually. Despite the psionic magnifiers installed in his fleet, he was forced on the defensive. However over the years he had found that superiority in technology, numbers or intellect could be overcome with brutality and a willingness to do whatever required. So his Suliban servants dispatched several Immortality gates at FTL speeds to nearby worlds.

One world was a pre warp civilisation numbering 7 billion with technology equivalent to early 21 st century Earth. Once the Immortality Gate activated they all ceased to exist, replaced with duplicates of the Master. Soon other worlds fell. Now connected to an extra 20 billion new members of the Master Race supplementing his power via advanced Archangel networks, it was the Master who emerged the stronger. While the Thasians had exhausted themselves, he was refreshed. Thus there wre unprepared when he struck back with a psionic attack that left most Thasians lobotomised.

Defeated the Thasians could not come to the aid of Starfleet and were forced to flee. For the Master race it was glorious.

“Gallifrey awaits.” The original Master shouted.

His cry was match by the billions accompanying him. Soon they would count their numbers in the trillions.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
31 st century - Gallifrey

The woman opened her eyes. “Who am I?”

“You are Admiral Kathryn Janeway reborn. Recreated from biodata using Time Lord technology.”

“I remember you. You are called Millenia.”

“You cannot remember me, as we never met. However we have reconstructed Janeway’s memories. Do you remember the circumstances of your death?”

The woman paused, searching the recesses of her memory. “The Toymaker. I tried to stop him. Is he..”

“A supernovae would not kill him, yet alone your quantum torpedoes.”

Crestfallen the woman looked down. “Has he..”

“He has captured many sentients and made them into his toys. However here is our chance for revenge.”

“I do not, I mean Janeway would not want that.”

“Perhaps. However she does want to stop the Toymaker. And we will. Search your memories, I have implanted in them our plan. Do you understand what you must do?”

Janeway nodded.

“Good, so we begin.”
* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

In the realm of the Toymaker

“So the Time Lords send their representative to me?”

“I am more than a representative. I am a reconstruction of Kathryn Janeway. You wanted her to play your games. You are interested to see whether your intellect can match her instinct. Well here I am.”

“Then they were fools to let me have you without asking for anything in return.”

“Consider this a gift, no strings attached. A primer for negotiations to come.”

“What could the Time Lords possibly want?”

“An alliance. You know the Federation has allied with other races to destroy Gallifrey.” Janeway walked closer to the Toymaker.

“Interesting.”

Finally Janeway came within striking distance. Then she released the Anarchitect. This was Millennia’s finest creation. Unlike those that had struck down several Federation worlds, this one was designed with a different purpose. Combining Time Lord rationality with human emotion this Anarchitect allowed the Toymaker to feel and to reason in inexplicable logic what he had done. He felt the pain his torture had inflicted on his victims and empathise with them. He could see the immorality of his action and through reason draw the correct conclusion. One might even say it gave the Toy Maker a conscience. For the first time in multiples of millennia, the Toymaker shed tears. “Go. Take my servants with you.”

So Janeway took them. She left the Toymaker to think over what he had done. For his part the immortal remembered those civilisations he had helped raised up. Then he remembered when boredom took hold and he destroyed the same races he had previously helped. And he remembered the agony of the ennui of ages, the very reason why he sought diversion in his games. But his new found conscience would not allow him to harm another again. So he did the only thing his new found logic told him to do. He willed himself out of existence.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It was said that a giant star previously undetected in the Nekric triangle finally went nova. Fortunately the strange region was far away from colony worlds. For those who knew better, the explosion marked the end of an immortal.

Elsewhere Admiral Horatio Gough snapped back into awakeness. For the first time in a long while he was free. The Toymaker was dead. His brief elation ended as awareness set in. Awareness of the Federation’s predicament and his part in it. “What have I done?” Gough desperately wanted to atone, however for now there was no one to judge him.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Notes
1. Doomsday probe appeared in “interference” and several other spin off books.

2. The Doctor’s crappy type 40 travelled from Earth 1970’s to the edge of the universe year 37,166 in “Planet of evil”. So I figure tens of thousands of LY would be quite a reasonable range for the Mentalis II platforms.

3. The Hoothi assimilated a pyromancer in “Love and War.” Of course this Hoothi colony is different from that one, however at the very beginning I established it had some pyrokinetic powers.

4. Raston robots appeared in “The five doctors.” They clearly moved faster than the eye can see (although it took maybe a second for them to accelerate to that speed, no doubt leaving them vulnerable for that split second). In any event its faster than slow moving Borg.


5. Parallel cannons appeared in “The taking of planet 5.” The original technobabble is - These weapons fired a point hole into another part of the universe into the nova of an anti-sun where they allowed the neutronios from that dimension to pass into the normal. Once the cannon punched a hole through reality, the tear opened like a deluge with physics working differently there as the neutrinos destroyed anything they encountered. In a stream of right handed neutrinos, normal matter just simply fell apart due to the underlying principle of quantum shattering.
Keep in mind neutrinos don’t normally interact with matter however since they had a line about “physics working differently” I thought I might be able to work with this and tell a joke about how technobabble gets over used in Trek at the same time.

6. The NDF effect has been debated in SW vs ST circles for ages, but the gist of it is phasers work by changing molecules into neutrinos via a chain reaction.

7. The timeonic fusion device appeared in the Gallifrey audios. At the end of the story it ended up never being built, however I figured a few centuries is enough time for mad men to revisit the idea and come up with another prototype. I based the explosion which destroyed Qo’nos on this device.

8. The Klingon melee rush in DS 9, where they drop their equivalent of guns in favour of knives and unergonomically designed Bath’leth. There is no defending how stupid that is, so lets make fun of it.

9. I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned this before, the character of Maxil was played by Colin Baker in “The Arc of Infinity.” Baker would later play the Sixth Doctor taking over from Peter Davison who his character shot in “The Arc of Infinity.”

10. The Daleks used time corridor tech in “Resurrection of the Daleks.” While the Borad used similar tech in “Timelash.”

11. Psionic magnifying technology was well known to the Time Lords. Borusa used a device against the Doctor “The Five Doctors”, while the Doctor not only recognised the device used by the Metebelis III spiders, he could also straight away spot the flaw in it.

12. The immortality gate of course appeared in “The End of Time”.

[Themightytom]

Longest chapter yet at approximately 6500 words. Hopefully I can tie everything up in one chapter or else I will have to split it. I have taken some of themightytom's ideas for Trek concepts to appear.

The guardian was always an interesting device, and that was definitely one of the best TOS episodes.
So i suppose the big Cave Men from the episode Galileo 7 won't be making a cameo?

So the Federation is circling the wagons, the klingons are dead- par for the course in most fanfics- based on the presence of Red Matter I would presume that the Romulans are all but extinct.

Time to call out the big guns.

[mr friendly guy]

Well the remnants of the Romulans had been subsumed by the Federation long ago. Even in the Federation I wouldn't call them a major power. Earlier I wrote

For hawks like Sadler, that period in history was considered a humiliation. The Federation was much bigger than the Gallifreyan empire. It encompassed the old Romulan territories, Klingons had joined, the weaken Cardassian union had been incorporated, the Borg were no more and Delta Quadrant colonies were being set up.

While it wasn't clear whether the Romulans were still alive or dead, I had meant for most of them to have been killed by the disaster of the exploding supernovae in Spock's time, so like the Vulcans now their numbers are low.

[mr friendly guy]

Ok the last chapter is becoming too long so I split it into two. I should be able to wrap it up by chapter 21. Enjoy

Chapter 20 – When Gods clash

The Federation colony of Proximus 3 seem to fade from view as another planet took its place. Inspired by Zanak the pirate planet, the Master had made his world ship like Zanak, an entire world hollowed out. It dematerialised over a planet and consumed its resources to feed his military industrial complex. There was no death cry for the inhabitants of Proximus 3, they had been transformed into duplicates of the Master the day before. Also the previous day, the Master had defeated another anarchitect.

The first time the Master encountered the anarchitects was when he took over his first Federation colony, the planet called by the natives Vega. Unprotected and with its infrastructure damaged, not to mention its citizens riven with madness it was an easy task. However with the assimilation of Federation citizens into the ranks of the Master race came with it the anarchitects. The first time he managed to expel it from his mind. Especially wielding the combined discipline of billions of Masters. He succeeded for the next few worlds as well. However he met his match after the 10 th colony. This anarchitect was different, instead of trying to drive him to madness by shouting Time Lord epithets, this one kept on making a sound in his mind. The sound of drums. Again and again. For the Master this was intolerable, and he realised the only way to get rid of it was to force the Time Lords to give him the cure.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Somewhere on the psychic plane – 3 months after the arrival of the Master race

“You expect Gallifrey to ally with the Federation?” The Castellan’s psychic voice was incredulous.

“Not an alliance as such but a ceasefire. Until we have both dealt with the Master.” Romana was serving as the Federation’s mouth in negotiations with the Time Lords. So far the Time Lords had most of the advantages, so the Federation had to negotiate now while they still had some cards to play.

“The Master has not attacked us. Even if he does so he will do it openly. By contrast the Federation pretended we had peace at the same time using the Profane Virus of Rassilon against us.”

“Admiral Gough was possessed by the Celestial Toymaker,” Romana cut in smoothly. “He is even willing to turn himself in for verification and punishment.”

“Convenient excuse.”

“Let me speak to Rassilon, I know he is listening in.”

“The President is otherwise occupied. You will deal with me.”

“Fine,” Romana snapped. “Your anarchitect has left hundreds of Federation worlds defenceless. Perfect pray for the Master. Almost a hundred Federation worlds alone has fallen to him. We estimate at least close to that amount of prewarp civilisations also fallen. His numbers are in the trillions. Do you want him to have the brain power of trillions researching new technologies? Do you want him to have the industrial and manufacturing capacity of trillions of Time Lords?”

“The anarchitects..”

“Won’t work. The Doctor defeated one the first time he met one. What makes you think his old foe can’t as well?”

“The anarchitects are not one, but many. Some are different than others.”

“Well they aren’t slowing him down so far,” Romana fired back sarcastically.

There was a pause on the other end, Romana realised someone, maybe Rassilon himself was communing with the Castellan. Finally her opposite number relented. “Very well, for now we put aside our differences to deal with the Master.”

If Romana could hear the rest of the conversation she would be noticeably more worried. “It is done.” The Castellan spoke. “She tried to hide herself, but we manage to trace her location to a point in subspace.”

“Then do it quickly before the Federation fleet moves again.” Rassilon spoke.

Slowly a black robed figure emerged. It was a creation of Time Lord science and Rassilon’s madness. The assassin robot which the Celestis used to target Federation agents. Able to transverse through time and bypass several security systems it had dispatched its foes without mercy or conscience. Not that it considered the Federation’s holographic agents “alive” in the first place. The figure disappeared to hunt its new target.

Elsewhere a mad god would find out the result of the negotiation as both Gallifreyan and UFP forces ceased attacking each other. “No, no, no,” Q ranted. The Master Race was supposed to combine with the Federation to defeat Gallifrey, not the other way round.

* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
31 st century – time fleet mobile platform, Romana’s laboratory

“What do you know of the Timewyrm?” Romana asked.

“Two children of Gallifrey locked in the enmity of ages. The mad god will appear, basking in his manipulations but will not realise he is but history’s plaything. At the end of time, the first Time Lord shall be devoured by the Timewyrm. The old gods are dead, but new ones should take their place.”
Fable replied. “Braxton’s prophecy.”

“Yes, but it doesn’t really tell you about the Timewyrm. In the legends of my people the Timewyrm was a monster. It wasn’t created in their past, but in their future. A scientist tried to upload their consciousness into a TARDIS belonging to one of our number, the Doctor, perhaps the most noble among us. To protect himself the Doctor ejected parts of the TARDIS with the infected circuitry into the Vortex, allowing the Timewyrm to form.”

“So the Timewyrm is a sentient TARDIS?” Fable recalled how TARDISes could regenerate from intense damage. If the Timewyrm formed from parts of a TARDIS with an alien scientist sentience driving it, that would be the only thing that made sense he thought.

“In a manner of speaking, but more powerful, having basked in the energies of the vortex.” Romana had begun to connect various pieces of machinery to her. “I am now going to try and do something similar. Before Rassilon took over, the Time Lords researched creating more sentient TARDISes. By drawing in the block transfer computations into my being I hope to do the same. It has only happened successfully once before.”

“Federation technology has failed to master it before.” Fable warned.

Romana held up what looked like a piece of coral. “This is the remnant of my personal TARDIS. Rassilon had it broken down rather than reuse it. He made me watch it happen knowing how much sentimental value I attached to it. I now use it to try and change myself.” Almost as an after thought Romana decided to say more. “Aren’t you going to say how dangerous it is?”

“To do that I would need information about said technology. Since the Federation has continually fail to master it I do not think I will be able to contribute..”

“But you can contribute Mr Fable. Guard this room and make sure I am not disturbed.” Romana next opened up a box. Fable recognised its contents as the Orb of the Prophets. “The Prophets still have some residual energy in this orb. I hope this will help me in my transformation.”

“You believe in Braxton’s prophecy then. I thought Time Lords were rationalists.”

“There is nothing irrational about seeing into the future if the ability is empirical and reproducible. Among the Time Lords we have Visionaries. Perhaps Braxton has gained the same ability. Nevertheless we are losing this war Mr Fable. I must take whatever little advantage we can get.”

“You have changed over the years. Your regeneration, your merging with the Hoothi, what is one more transformation,” Fable was very philosophical for a robot.

With the conversation ended Romana closed her eyes and activated her machines. Before too long a protective forcefield surrounded her, a cacoon to her butterfly.


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
31 st century – Alpha Quadrant

Someone once lamented that the only thing his army was good at was retreating. Fortunately that army relied on guerrilla tactics, so retreating and then regrouping allowed victory. An objective observer might be forgiven for saying that the only thing the Master Race was good at was to stare down its opponents. The battle against the Thasians had been won in such a manner. Of course if they knew what tactics the Master had in mind, they would realise that starring down the opposition could be very effective indeed.

“So you want me to stop attacking your worlds, pay reparations and if I am a good little boy you might let me attack the Time Lords for you?” The voice of the Master was incredulous at the gall of the Starfleet captain. His speech was being broadcast to all 2000 Federation ships in Kane’s taskforce.

“We demand a withdrawal from our space. However I am willing to consider a ceasefire for the moment if you just turn your attention towards Gallifrey.” Captain Kane realised he was playing a dangerous game here, but it was worth the risk in his opinion. Unfortunately he didn’t realise what the Master could do.

For a moment there was a high pitched sound, briefly heard. Kane briefly wondered whether this was a prelude to attack, however he dismissed this as simply static. The Master’s fleet was light hours out, well outside weapons range. To his shock a Borg ship appeared in their midsts. He immediately ordered that ship targeted, however soon more Borg ships were appearing and shooting back.

Some ships realised that they were hallucinating. A Vulcan tried to warn his crew only for the captain to gun him down, for in the captain’s eyes the Vulcan had changed into a Borg due to the assimilation viruses the Borg used in the past. One ship with artificial lifeforms managed to activate the emergency command hologram and immobilise the crew. However attempts to jam the transmission throughout the whole fleet failed, for the Master had boosted his own communications systems to override the ships of his foes. Before too long the lone Federation ship was destroyed.

By the time it was over, only 30 ships remained. It was then they realised what had just happened, the Federation ships had destroyed each other believing their allies to be Borg. Dejected they fled. All in all the Master had won another “easy” engagement. All without firing a shot. Even the Time Lords didn’t win their battles this impressively. Historians would note that the Master race was very good at starring down enemy fleets.


* * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

31 st century – Mobile time fleet platform

The first clue something was wrong was when Time fleet officers dropped dead. The assassin fired what amounted to the psychic equivalent of bullets at one and simply ripped apart the other. The time for subtlety was past. It had tracked Romana’s signal to this particular platform, one of many the Federation was using. Normally it would simply detonated and destroy the whole platform. Then the strangest thing happened. Romana’s signature simply disappeared. Not completely but changed. Already the assassin was analysing the new data trying to make sense of it. It was inconsistent with the use of a chameleon arch. Romana could be hiding in a TARDIS, did it mean the Federation had finally managed to build one? Could it be a decoy signal. So the assassin needed to be sure she was here.

It phased through numerous bulkheads looking for his target. Being invisible to security systems meant they couldn’t simply beam him out. Closer it thought, so close now he could sense her. “Stop right there.” The assassin turned around. The being confronting it was not alive, it was a robot. It had just fired a subatomic disruptor at it, however the assassin was made of validium the living metal, and it reconstructed itself as fast as the disruptor damaged it. The assassin didn’t even bother firing back with its “pistol”, as the robot would be unaffected. So it caused the corridor to blow up.

Unfortunately for it, Mr Fable was very hard to kill. The Cravic class robot beamed out an appeared behind the assassin. Numerous blows rain down on the assassin, but the artificial being hardened its body and shrugged off the blows. Now it grabbed Mr Fable and attempted to use its superior strength to crush the robot. Fable’s own analysis was that he could not break his foe’s grip. It was at least as strong as the Tsunkatse fighting droids. So Fable again attempted to beam out with the assassin in tow, hoping that only he would be reconstructed. The problem was the Federation still hadn’t understood how validium worked, and the assassin fought against it, trying to maintain its own molecular structure in the face of the assault.

For a moment time seem to freeze as the products of Federation and Gallifreyan technology grappled with each other, fighting for supremacy. Then something change. Gradually at first, but then more frequent, Mr Fable’s face changed colour as the validium of his enemy flowed over him like liquid metal. If Fable was alive he would have screamed, however the robot had no pain receptors. There was no need for him to have it as he was not designed to imitate humans. Then both machines beamed out, only to be replaced by one new robot. The assassin had taken over Fable’s body effectively destroying the robot. However it now knew where Romana was and what she was doing. It was disturbing to say the least and he reasoned that his masters on Gallifrey would want him to gather as much information before killing her. If he could bring back the body so much the better. Phasing through the door he entered Romana’s laboratory.


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31 st century – Beta Quadrant, on board the Master’s world ship

Despite the madness, the incessant beating of drums in his head the Master was in no hurry to challenge the Time Lords. The Federation had thousands of worlds, most of which were left defenceless after the war with Gallifrey. He brought order when there was chaos. The added numbers reinforced his strength. Ever since he discovered the existence of the TARDIS facsimile built by the 31 st century Federation from Captain Archer’s hapless crew, the Master had waited for this moment. After plotting for hundreds of years against the Time Lords, he could afford to be patient. What was a few months more?

The image of a man flashed into his mind. It was the anarchitect acting up again. Unable to defeat him with the sound of drums, it now tried a different tactic. It taunted him with the image of his “victims”, all those humans he had killed. He could see in his mind’s eye a human religious figure who quoted one of their holy texts to him, up to the moment Harold Saxon had him killed. “If Muhammad will not come to the mountain, then the mountain must come to Muhammad.” The Master was snapped out of his reverie as a giant subspace scanning pulse knocked his fleets out of subspace. The subspace cloaks he had appropriated was nullified by the pulses. If he could see elsewhere in the galaxy, he would see entire fleets knocked out of subspace, so strong was the pulse generated. The image in his mind became sharper as the holy man’s face changed from that of a desperate man to a mad one. “If Muhammad will not come to the mountain, then the mountain must come to Muhammad.”

How appropriate the Master thought. Tired of waiting for him to attack Gallifrey the Time Lord’s stronghold where his attack would likely fail, the Time Lords had finally decided to seek him out. “So the mountain has decided to come to Muhammad after all.” Quickly he ordered his ships to power up their shields. This particular armada numbered over 15 000 plus his “pirate planet”. It should be enough to fight off whatever Borg or Lamarck ships that came into view. And if the Time Lords were foolish enough to send a TARDIS against him, he would use the telepathic circuits of his ships to transmit a telepathic attack against the Gallifreyan ones.

To his surprise, no ships approached his fleet. “Scan for ships, any type.” He ordered. If the Time Lords heard his orders, if they could watch through his carefully constructed temporal shielding, they gave no indication. Rather their reply was for several ships to be struck by intense gravity.

“They are using gravity spiders against us,” his duplicate informed. Such technology was designed to detect a time traveller as they travelled through time by the increase mass as they materialised. However they clearly adjusted it to detect the increase mass as his ships exited subspace. The weapon was powerful, but not enough to threaten his ships. Why use it then? More strikes occurred, this time ships were destroyed.

“They must be using the gravity spiders to mark us. They can trace where they fire their own weapons, now they are concentrating their more powerful weapons on us. Locate the source of the weapon.”

The problem was, the Master couldn’t find the source of the weapons. The Time Lords realised that the Mentalis II platforms for all their destructive power was vulnerable as the Daleks had proven. So they had improved the design based on ideas from Millennia. Very human ideas it seemed, for while they lacked certain technology, the Federation had always been good at making weapons even as their morality and values tried to stop them doing so. The Mentalis II platforms were now enclosed in their own separate pocket dimension like Gallifrey was, protected by weaker versions of the transduction barriers and quantum forcefield. Using similar beams to what Gallifrey itself used to monitor the universe at large, the weapons platforms could pick up an enemy in space from light years away. Even if it couldn’t detect the Master’s armada, the gravity spiders made it stand out. Now the Master had to deal with explosive projectiles which in their own right behaved like primitive TARDISes. Even the Master couldn’t deal with such a weapon. He could only run, only to be knocked out of subspace again by a repeat giant subspace pulse.

The Time Lords for their part waited for the Master’s fleet to be destroyed, before a fleet of war TARDISes surrounded the flag ship. Rassilon himself had come down to deal with the Master. Since the Federation stole Shada in the 29 th century, the Time Lords had not reconstructed it. An oversight which will soon be fixed Rassilon thought. Shada would have new prisoners. He would enjoy teaching the Master the error of betraying the Time Lords.

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“So Mr President sir, standing there all noble and resplendent and decrepid, you think you have won don’t you?”

“On your knees traitor.” Rassilon spoke with the same imperious tones that characterised his presidency. Earlier he had transported down to the world ships centre of operations, its capital. He had expected the Master to be defiant to the very end.

“Even if you kill me, there are trillions of me. Trillions of duplicates. Before too long there will be quadrillions of me.”

“But they are not here.”

“Ah well that’s not completely true. There are at least 6 billion others on my world ship.” The Master was rewarded by a look of revulsion and was it concern, appearing on Rassilon’s face. “You see, they are hidden from your scanners. Guess what 6 billion Time Lords telepathically connected via psionic resonators can do?” With that the Master fired a beam of energy at the Time Lord President.

Rassilon for his part reached out and blocked it. He had absorbed energy from the time vortex all those years ago, and he now drew upon that power now. “Fool, you are draining your own life force to attack me.”

“What does it matter, there are trillions of me elsewhere. But that’s not the best part. I can draw upon the power of the trillions of me via the archangel network, now see what I can do at full strength.”

Before he knew it Rassilon was surrounded in a spherical forcefield. Energy exploded from his hands, but despite his time vortex derived powers even he could not break out of it.“How does it feel Mr President, to be my prisoner?”

Suddenly the sky darkened momentarily before the light returned. “What happened? What did you do?”

“The TARDISes orbiting your world ship have just time looped it. As of this moment we are cut off from the universe in our own separate space time continuum. Draw upon your trillions of duplicates now if you can.” With that Rassilon caused the forcefield imprisoning him to change into glass which he promptly shattered.

“You think this is over. Not by a long shot.” With that the Master launced himself physically against Rassilon. The mushroom cloud that enveloped the two Time Lords could be seen miles away. Rassilon could feel his forcefield being battered down. He exerted his power reinforcing it at the same time striking back at the Master. Unfortunately for him, both men managed to hit each other at the same time and Rassilon fell back.

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To the amazement of the Time Lords commanding the war TARDISes orbiting where the Master’s worldship had been, the whole world time loop and all disappeared. Desperately they tried tracing its source, but even would be hard press to find its location, at least for a while anyway. After all it had been transported to the newly regenerating Q continuum.

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“You can’t beat me. Get these incessant drums out of my mind. You did this.” The Master was fanatical now. More energy discharges hit Rassilon and his staff shattered against the blasts. However the wily President still had one more card to play. Drawing upon his gauntlet’s power Rassilon caused the duplicate Masters to convulse, with the aim of changing them into servants.

“No, no, no.” The Master could protect himself against the gauntlet’s power, and he now exerted that same strength to protect his duplicates. But it was a losing battle. If it took more than one individual duplicate to prevent the transmutation effect on one of them, then he was going to have to sacrifice some of them until the gauntlet ran low on power and needed to be recharged. This cost him as Rassilon struck him causing the Master to lose concentration. With that all other 6 billion duplicates changed into Lamarck soldiers. The fact that the gauntlet now needed to recharge would make no difference now. The damage had been done.

The Master drained his life force shooting bolts of energy at Rassilon. He could feel himself aging, changing into an old men before he collapsed from exhaustion. “You have not won yet,” was his last words.

“I beg to differ.” Rassilon said. He had simply blocked the Master’s bolts and let the other Time Lord wither away. Rassilon was about to say more when he was struck from above as a blast of energy hit him, shattering the planet with him on it. Rassilon hurt, but still alive clung to a fragment of the planet drawing upon his reserves to heal himself.

“No, I beg to differ.” Q the younger smiled. It was time to avenge his father finally.


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Notes
1. The Doctor managed to expel a conceptual entity from his mind in “Alien bodies.” So I figured the Master race could as well.

2. The assassin robot was a combination of the validium figure from “silver nemesis” and the Shayde character from the Doctor Who Magazine

3. The hallucinations causing device the Master used on the Federation fleet appeared in “Frontier in space,” where the Master tried to provoke a war between Earth and Draconia.

4. Timewyrm appeared in the virgin DW novels. In fact in the first ever Virgin novels.

5. The sentient organic war TARDISes brain bug appeared in the eighth doctor novel in a time line where Romana was president. The only successful example was with the 8 th Doctor’s companion, the Faction Paradox agent Compassion.

6. The growing a remnant of the TARDIS into a new one appeared in a deleted scene after the fourth season finale. Strictly speaking it would be non canonical but I thought it served as a decent technobabble explanation for what I wanted to do.

7. Zanak appeared in “The Pirate Planet.”

8. Gravity spiders appear in the Faction Paradox spin off books.

9. The Doctor managed to tap into the mental powers of the entire human race and channel it via the archangel network in “Last of the Time Lords.” So here we have the Master doing it to trillions of Time Lords.

10. If any one wonders how Q can talk in space when he just destroyed the planet, he communicated telepathically, so there.