Doctor Who: Time and Tides.

The Eye of Orion.

The Doctor remembered fondly the last time he stood at this enclave. He was in his fifth incarnation. He had decided to take his two companions Tegan Jovanka, and Turlough Vizlor on a little holiday to the most serene and tranquil place in the known universe, The Eye of Orion.

The high bombardment of positive ions is what made the visitor feel peace and calm. You could not help but feel good once you stepped out onto her surface. It was holiday that was cut short when the then president of Gallifrey decided to hatch a plot to gain immortality by kidnapping the Doctor's past selves and his former companions and put them in the dreaded Death Zone, to play the game of Rassilon.

The Doctor in his tenth life remembered those days and placed a hand over his heart. He remembered the pain he felt in his chest as his former lives were taken out of the time stream. A few minuets passed and he felt no such cosmic angst.

Walking past the TARDIS he set out to find his current companion. He walked through the clearing of the low trees to find Qui-Zell, sitting by her self in peaceful meditation on the edge of the incline overlooking the lush green valley.

She sensed rather than hear the Doctor approach.

"Peace unto you Doctor." She said softly.

The Doctor could tell she was in a strong peaceful meditation. Small colorful flowers began to bloom around her in a small circle as she was intertwined in to a reflection with the living Force.

"Thought I'd find you here. " He said as he stood over her.

"Not even in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, have I ever known such a place of serenity could exist." She said calmly " The Force here is strong and loving. It's as if it were a warm blanket you could wrap yourself in."

The Doctor looked up into the light purple sky. "To some the Eye of Orion is the most tranquil place in the universe. It's one of my favorite places to go too, well, aside from Madi Gras on Nelba 9, and New Vegas," he rattled off. "And also The Quarine races of Delpa Trion, and don't forget The State Fair of Texas—"

"Doctor!" Qui-Zell said rather irritated, "Serenity has its limits."

She rested back on her elbows and leaned her head back to get a backwards glimpse of the Doctor.

" I sense it's time to go then?" She said seeing him through the Force.

The Doctor grinned, "Well the TARDIS has refueled and we can be off in a few."

Qui-Zell force-pushed her self to a standing position. "Very well Doctor, but we must come back here again. This place is astonishing!" She smiled.

Qui-Zell stepped out of the hot shower onboard the TARDIS, quickly dried and dressed into her Jedi Robes. Ever since she had begun her travels with the Doctor. She wore clothing from the wardrobe room , so she could fit in with some of the places they had visited on Earth. It had been a while since she wore her robes and had missed the feel of them.

Brushing her black hair she heard the voice of the Doctor over the intercom.

"Quizy, I'm putting on a pot of hot tea, should I place a cup for you?"

"Yes, Doctor, that would be lovely. Thank you." She smiled as she began braiding her hair into two pigtails.

She had been traveling with the Doctor for a standard month now, and was witnessing a pattern emerging with life with the Doctor. Usually it was a cup of tea before getting themselves into and out of trouble on some distant world. It was a life that was uncommon if not abhorred by most Jedi. Qui-Zell took it upon herself as an opportunity to visit other worlds and grow stronger in the Living Force.

The Doctor brought out the tray of delicate porclin pots and cup he had picked up in a traders market in Cardiff. He poured two cup and placed themby the console and began to checked his readings.

He had placed the TARDIS on a course through the Time Vortex. He had aimed the TARDIS to sail through a solar cosmic storm, shoot out, and then land anywhere in the Valaxus Nebula. The green column bounced as he started some digital recordings of the Ramones circa 1979. He had been meaning for some time to catch one of their many shows in New York around the time of their third album. He wondered how a venerable Jedi like Qui-Zell would handle the unique and raucous crowd that was the fans of the Ramones. He wasn't sure, but he did know it would be fun to find out.

A huge vibration then rocked the TARDIS as the tray and the delicate teapots fell and crashed to the floor, spilling hot liquid over the metal grates

The Doctor lurched forward and caught himself on the console.

"What the bloody hell!" He cursed as he tried to regain control of the TARDIS.

What was it? Did it hit a super nova? Was the TARDIS losing power? Did it crack the veil that separated the universe from the Void?

The interior began to rumble and shake as he flipped knobs and pulled levers in an effort to regain control of the old girl. He gritted his teeth and as he tried to do at least five things at once, and still maintain his grip on the TARDIS's console.

Qui-Zell made her way into the room barley before getting knocked into the far wall " Doctor!! What's wrong!?" She cried out.

"Nothing to fret about! Just a little cosmic hiccup!" The Doctor said "A little help please!"

Qui-Zell wobbily made her way to the outer railings of the inner console and gripped it tightly. She weaved her left leg through the metal railing to secure herself. She then held out her hand and used the Force to hold steady the Doctor . The Doctor feeling he didn't have to worry about being tossed about began to fidgit and worke the levers in an attempt to bring the TARDIS under control.

"There we go! Getting the Time Drives back on line and setting the Power venizers to Maximum!" He said in a gibberish that was completely alien to Qui-Zell.

Unexpectedly as soon as the chaos began, it stopped. The green collum began to stop its motion. Everything inside the TARDIS was calm and still.

"You did it .." Qui-Zell said unwrapping herself from the metal railing.

"I know, only thing is, I'm not sure it was me." The Doctor said as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began to take some readings. He looked at the console and then the computer screen for any kind of readout.

"Have we landed Doctor?" Qui-Zell asked as she tried to look over his shoulder.

"According to this, we haven't landed or moving." He looked to see the TARDIS was idly sitting in the Time Vortex. "The TARDIS just stopped mid-flight, but that's impossible." He tried to initiate the start-up sequence, but nothing was working. The TARDIS was simply paralyzed.

From within the center column a fog rose and hung in the air above them

They could both feel it was a presence of some kind. It then began to speak.

"Greetings fellow time travelers!" It spoke "We, the Time Masters, thank you for using the Time Vortex, We wish you nothing but safe journey as you make your way through time and space.

"Excuse me?" The Doctor said. "Who do you think you are!?, And who gave you the right to paralyze my TARDIS!?"

The Cloud stopped and then spoke again. "We are the Time Masters… We are responsible for the maintenance of the Time Vortex , "

The Doctor was dumbfounded, "What do you mean upkeep the maintenance of the Time Vortex!?,

There is nothing to upkeep!!"

The voice cleared his throat "We understand this may be awkward for you, and you wish to return to your travels. So, if you would just kindly pay the toll for using the Time Vortex you will gladly be let on your way.."

"Toll!?" The Doctor said in a raised voice "You charge a toll to use the Time Vortex!?"

"Why Yes, It's only 40 Quandrine! We thank you for your patronage…"

"Who do you think you are!?" The Doctor said outraged.

"We are the Time Masters, we control all activity and passage of the Time Vortex. Why is this an issue ?" The Voice said irksome.

"Because you happen to be speaking to a Time Lord! My people created the means of traveling through time and space. The very thought of charging for something like this is obscene and-"

"Silence!!" The Voice said. "First off, do you know how serious the charge is for impersonating a Time Lord? And second the mere fact you are impersonating the noble race is offensive in every means!"

"But the Doctor is a Time Lord!" Qui-Zell shouted. "He's the last of their kind "

"Rubbish!" The voice spoke. "The Time Lords were wiped out,when their fire was snuffed out and we the Time Masters have taken it upon themselves to carry on their noble work…"

"I am the real thing. You are speaking to a former president of the High council of the Time Lords, Keeper of the laws of time, protector of the legacy of Rassilon," he announced.

The Cloud then shot a puff of itself at the Doctor's head. Qui-Zell called out his name to try to help him but the Doctor pushed her back. He could tell it was trying to scan his mind.

"So, you speak the truth Doctor," the Cloud said. "But it changes nothing."

The cloud began to shift and grow more in volume. "Will you pay our toll or not?"

"I most certainly will not!" The Doctor said with a sneer.

"Then I regret to tell you there will be penalties. For the time being, your TARDIS will not be allowed to move any further, and you will be placed in a Time Eddy. To spare your companion, she will be excluded for only a short length of time."

"T-Time Eddy? What Time Eddy?" The Doctor asked.

Then the interior shook as a wave of temporal energy roared through the console area. Qui-Zell closed her eyes as her thoughts were trussed they were tied up? about in her mind. She looked up to see the Doctor had changed.

He was now taller, he had short-cropped hair and large ears. Even his clothes had changed too along with his voice.

"Ah Bugger that!" He said. He could tell he was now in his 9th incarnation. "Is this your idea of a joke!?"

The voice in the cloud spoke, "You have 20 minuets to pay our toll, or you will suffer another Time Eddy!"

Qui-Zell looked at the Doctor, puzzled but she could tell through the Force it was still him. But she just had to be sure.

"D-Doctor? Is it you?" She asked.

The Doctor looked at her slightly annoyed " Yeah , who else would it be!?" He said in an odd accent. He looked at himself in the reflection of the computer screen "I never like this one's ears!"

He then pulled off one of the metal grates of the floor and hopped down underneath console. He pulled out wires and reworked circuitry with his sonic screwdriver. "I'll be dammed if any dodgies tell me what I can and can't do in a Time Vortex!"

"Can I be of any use?" Qui-Zell asked .

"Qui, In your young lifetime have you ever delt with any type of a sophisticated machinary like this?"

Qui-Zell shook her head slowly.

"I thought so , now shut it while I figure this out." He griped

Qui-Zell narrowed her eyes and took a seat on the seats by the console.

A few minutes later another round of temporal energy hit the TARDIS. Qui-Zell braced herself as she heard a yelp come from below the deck.

She looked to see the Doctor had changed yet again. He held his head as he stood up. She could see he was dressed differently, in a green tweed coat and he had curly light brown locks.

"Ah by the name of Rassilon!" The 8th Doctor said. "Why don't you warn me next time!?"

He looked at Qui-Zell. "Ah yes! Qui-Zell! He leaped out of the floor and grabbed Qui-Zell by the shoulders. "You magnificent brilliant Jedi! I have an idea. Next time you fell an eddy come, just give a shout ok?"

Qui-Zell's eyes widen at this apparently hyper Doctor. "I'll do my best Doctor."

"Doctor I don't understand, Why is you keep changing, I mean literly changing,Not only just apperances but clothes as well, and Why havent I been affected?" She asked while seeing him pace the round console reaptidly.

He stopped for only a brief moment to answer her, " I would guess they are showing off their powers. The effect of their temporal waves is, in regressing the time it is replacing me with my former regenerations, but somehow still allowing me to keep my consious mind, It seems they don't want me to forget their toll. As far as your concern ,Well give them time before they start to allow the Time Eddy to affect you!"

She saw as this Doctor began to run around the console feverishly and flip and push as many buttons and levers as he could.

"Doctor?" She called out. He ignored her.

"Oh my oh my! Have to find a way to access her internal drives, have to find some way, any way to reverse the polarity!" He muttered to himself.

"DOCTOR!!" She exclaimed as she purposely got in his way. He stopped and stood straight up when she finally got his attention.

"What is the plan? What do you aim to do about these Time Masters?" She questioned forcefully.

He smiled sheepishly. "Oh I dunno, free the TARDIS and if that doesn't work maybe ask them for a cup of tea? Do you still have some of that Gezzig tea of yours?"

"Doctor," the voice called out, interrupting his train of thought. "It has been over 40 minuets and you still have not paid the required toll. Will you now pay us the 4 Quadrine?"

"You don't understand. It's not the money, it's the principle!" The Doctor said. "I will not hand over my people legacy to a bunch of corporate winded vagabonds like you!"

"You sadden us Doctor. We now have no choice but to allow the energies of the Time Eddy to affect your companion. Perhaps her suffering will persuade you to pay the toll."

The Cloud dissipated again, leaving the two travelers to their plots.

The Doctor returned to opening parts of the console and reworking circuitry. The Jedi was none too thrilled .

"Okay, Doctor, What did they mean by that!?" She asked with an air of urgency

The Doctor muttered and then finally acknowledged her, "Huh? Oh! Don't worry, they might try some kind of distoral beam or refractor to you or something." He said non-chalantly.

"Is that dangerous?" She asked nervously

"No!" He chuckled. "It's Catastrophic!"

She saw his null reaction at her potential peril, She could feel panic start to take seed and quickly turned around and dropped to her knees to begin some emergency meditation, to gain any kind of control over her feelings.

"Don't worry Qui-Zell, " The Doctor said. "Have I ever steered you wrong?"

"On many occasions!" She said through gritted teeth and closed eyes.

"Well this will be the exception." He said.

The twenty minuets passed as the temporal wave struck again. This time it was during the repairs the Doctor made. Qui-Zell hugged herself as she felt her mind and body whipped about. Her thoughts swam as she shut her eyes. She opened them to see herself and the Doctor had changed.

The Doctor was now shorter, and wore a beige jacket and plaid pants. He had a mop of curly black hair and a rather sour demeanor.

"Doctor!" Qui-Zell called out "You've changed again!"

The 7th Doctor looked at his companion, "Oh dear.. and it looks like you have too." He said with an odd accent as he pulled out a mirror and showed Qui-Zell her reflection. Qui-Zell gasped silently as the face she saw in the mirror was her face at age 12.

She looked at herself to see she was a little shorter and her chest was now deflated. Her clothes were at least a size or two bigger now.

"By Ulic." She said.