The chaos of war raged all round. Buildings collapsed, people died, ships exploded. Gallifrey. Home planet of the Time Lords. The Daleks had finally penetrated its atmosphere and were laying waste to anything and everything that stood in their way. The air was full of the sounds of gun fire explosions and cries of EXTERMINATED! Inside the citadel the Doctor raced down a corridor pursued by a hoard of Daleks. K9 was at his heal reversing slowly, trying to hold back the Daleks with his nose laser. Leela had been with them but the Dalek weaponry had claimed her life and now she was lying dead in a crumbling corridor long behind them. The Doctor didn't have time to stop; he had to reach the Panoptican quickly. The Daleks were a fair distance behind them but a threat. Finally the Doctor reached it, ordering K9 to stand guard over the entrance he shot inside. And there was the Master, standing there in the centre of the room. Waiting for him.

"So, have our fellow Time Lords fought well Doctor, have they defeated the Daleks or died trying?"

"You know that the Daleks are winning. They always were."

"They won the fights but they weren't winning the war."

"Is that why you let them through to Gallifrey?"

"Oh my dear Doctor no, this wasn't my doing. I just came to watch."

"They've destroyed as much as they can, the Dark Tower, Rassilon's tomb. The Death Zone has probably had more deaths in the past half hour then in the whole history of time."

"Well we are dealing with the Daleks here you know."

"And they intend to wipe out every Time Lord on the planet, including you and me…especially me."

"Yes Doctor, especially you. Mind you, death by Dalek isn't all as painful as it sounds, I should no. It's not as bad as they make out."

"Really?"

"No, not really."

"Well then you'll have a second chance to judge that for yourself then."

"Oh not really, I plan on escaping."

Then the Master held up a black sphere and swung it through the air. The sphere ripped open a fold in space right in front of him. The Doctor stared at its glowing blue edge and through it to the world it led to.

"No…"

"Yes Doctor, goodbye. Enjoy the Gallifrean apocalypse," and with that the Master stepped through the fold which closed behind him.

The Doctor realised he was on his own now. He had to get back to the TARDIS.

"Master…" the Doctor heard K9 and then an explosion.

The Doctor looked round to the entrance to see five Daleks and the remains of K9.

"Alright," the Doctor said to himself, "When I say run…run. RUN!"

And he did…

Doctor Who: the Heart of Gallifrey

By KKDW