Back in his cell The Doctor jumps to life when a buzzing noise begins to spring from his inside pocket. He pulls out his sonic screwdriver and the blue light on the top pulsates slowly. The guards her this and run over fumbling with the keys The Doctor just smiles as all of a sudden something begins to appear around him; he mockingly gives a little salute as he disappears and there in the cell where The Doctor once was now stands a blue box.
"Commander Borsa sir, a blue box just appeared in the cell of the prisoner he is missing." The Guard screams this into the radio a hint of fear at what would happen to him.
Inside the TARDIS The Doctor runs up to the console and flicks a few switches then smiles as he sees a curled over and scared Othalla.
"You can open your eyes you know, you're safe I promise."
Othalla slowly opens her eyes and realises she is still in the TARDIS, she sees The Doctor leaning over her. In one movement she slaps in hard on the arm then hugs him.
"Thank you." She whispers.
"Rule one, The Doctor lies. Plus if you were going to help me do you think I would let you take the fall for me. Okay one quick hop, this is difficult so bare with."
"What are you doing, one quick hop where?"
"Back to where they where keeping the TARDIS."
"But Ona is there and Gallin and the chancellery guard."
"Good I need a word with them."
The Doctor's hands fly over the navigation panel of the console and they pull on one of the levers and the time rotor and noise starts up again. Almost as soon as it started the time rotor and the noise stopped, The Doctor ran around to another part of the console and flicked some more toggles and turned some dials.
"Perfect, let's go and see the High Chancellor then."
"Doctor if you step out of those doors they will surely try to execute you on the spot."
"They can try."
The Doctor reaches into the right hand inside jacket and takes out his sunglasses and puts them on, then he reaches into the other inside pocket and withdraws his sonic screwdriver,; he points the device at the jukebox at a wall and it comes to life playing another rock and roll classic. He flicks his jacket lapels and walks towards the TARDIS doors, Othalla shields her eyes not wanting to see this man killed in cold blood. She hears the sound of weapons fire but no screams she opens her eyes to see The Doctor mockingly leaning on the door frame. She slowly makes her way to stand by The Doctor and the first thing that catches her eye is the anger and hatred on her mothers face.
"TARDIS Shields, technology can be an amazing thing; so how about we talk like adults instead of a like a moody spoilt child?"
These words seemed all the more biting given the way The Doctor looked, Othalla had never seen anyone stand up to her mother like this, on Aeon her word had been taken for granted due to her former status as a Pythia. Ona Stepped closer to The Doctor but found she couldn't move further.
"You say to talk like adults yet you hide behind a wall, not very trusting are we Doctor?" Ona's voice wasn't as strong as normal.
"Always negotiate from a position of Strength; you know that, it's the reason why you had that charade of a trial. I have been round long enough to know one when I see one, plus the fact the prosecution was your head scientist. You wanted the secrets of the TARDIS." The Doctor stood staring at Ona as he said these words, slowly and coldly.
The Doctor stepped forward out of the TARDIS Doors, one of the guards again attempted to shot him with their weapon but the green beam bounced off the shield and into the roof of the room.
"It's safe to come out this far Othalla, no need to fear the wrath of the wicked queen. She's lost her bark and her bite."
Ona slammed her fist into the shield in anger.
"Don't underestimate me Gallifreyan for I am not like those you knew on your planet. I have powers far beyond your comprehension." Ona spat these words out.
"Yeah the Pythia you're one of them, but you lie your powers are very limited now, I am sure even in the last few days you've noticed it diminishing."
"Mother, just let him go, he can't do us any harm, nor can Gallifrey it's gone." Othalla now stood up to her mother and just let the rage fly as she screamed these words at her. "We cannot say how we are better than those we chose to break from if we condemn innocent people and try to take what is theirs."
"You know nothing of these people my child you grew up here; you didn't see Gallifrey during the rising of Rassilon, what happened to those whom opposed him. He was evil, ruthless."
The Doctor removed his sunglasses and walked right up to the edge of the shield and stared Ona in the eye; she flinched a little his eyes were even older than hers.
"Ona, I know that better than most, I had to stop the man from destroying all of Time and Space. I condemned people I loved to death and agony to stop him. Don't you dare think you can lecture me about who Rassilon was!"
The Doctor screamed this out, this was not the same laughable rogue that had appeared before everyone, they all stood shocked. Othalla looked at him worry on her eyes. This man whom she had helped was capable of murder.
"I was right to distrust you Doctor you do have blood on your hands." Ona smiled at this, the proof she wanted, but what happened next she hadn't planned on.
"Just like you Madam High Chancellor, regeneration is a good thing for some things, like helping us pretend to be someone new, but who we were carries with us. Your eyes betray you as much as mine betray me. You only know this much as you fought against Rassilon then."
"How…how dare you Doctor, accuse me of such crimes, I want only peace." Ona stammered her words, her defence pitiful and sounding more like a child who has been caught taking food from the kitchen yet still denying it.
"You can't lie to me Ona, you didn't even tell your own daughter. Sorry you had to hear this Othalla."
Ona looked at her daughter for something, anything but Othalla just backed away from both The Doctor and Ona. A rush of emotions flooded over her face.. She had no where to run though backwards was into the TARDIS and anywhere else was into the hands of ONA's guards. Her mind blanked and took her a while to register a hand on her arm; she slowly turned her head to see The Doctor, his stupid grin back on his face.
"Othalla, trust me when I say this, your mother is not evil or bad, she lived during a time of great upheaval. She like anyone makes mistakes."
"She killed and so did you. How could you?"
"Othalla things happen, I was in a war, I did things I will always regret but I was left with a choice, save all of time and space with everyone in it, billions upon billions of lives or some of a single planet. To me there was no choice, ever; I had to do what I thought was right even if it meant I had to shove my own people back into hell."
The Doctor looked over at Ona who was as surprised as her daughter, she could not figure this man out, what was he and who was he? She had prided herself on reading people but she could not make him out at all. It was at this point that she turned to see Gallin slowly clapping.
"Excellent Doctor; quite the performance. Lower your shield and give us your machine."
"Not going to happen Gallin, you can't penetrate this shield so why should I?"
Gallin removes a small pistol from the inside of his sleeve and shoots Ona in the back, she crumples to the floor.
"Everyone has a weakness Doctor, yours is easy to see and you; well you care too much."
"DOCTOR!" Othalla shouts this as she watches her mum crumble to the floor and goes to run to her.
The Doctor pulls her back and aims his sonic screwdriver at the ships console; Gallin and the two guards are knocked to the ground as The Doctor darts to Ona and drags her into the TARDIS. Othalla dives in too looking behind her as the Guards and Gallin start to get up. The Doctor clicks his fingers and the doors slam shut. Othalla runs up to Ona, who smiles up at her.
"I didn't see that coming, I guess I am a little past my prime." As Ona says this she puts her hand up to Othalla's cheek.
"You can regenerate though, mother don't give up Aeon needs you still." Othalla gripped her mum who started to glow with orange yellow energy.
Meanwhile The Doctor was flying around the console, he pulled the activation leveller and the TARDIS sprung to life. He then pulled Othalla away from her mum just as the energy engulfed her, when it faded a younger woman looking in her thirties lay on the floor. Othalla just looked at her shocked.
"It's the first time I have seen someone regenerate, is it always that explosive?"
"Pretty much, you mean you've never regenerated?" The Doctor looked at her quizzically.
"No first body still I am only twenty five. Violence is almost none existent here, most people are still in their early regenerations."
The Doctor just looked at Othalla; 'this day is just full of surprises' he thought the time rotor then stopped and he burst to life again.
"Yes still got it. Right where I needed to be."
"Where are we Doctor?"
"Your chancellery guard headquarters I hope. I had to make an educated guess. This time I think we will use sensors."
The Doctor runs over to another panel on his console and turns a few dials and pulls the Screen down and looks at it, There is Falkin and Borsa look perplexed. The TARDIS had materialised right in the middle of Falkin's office. The Doctor smiled and dashed for the door, he pulled it open.
"The High Chancellor has been attacked by Gallin; I have her here but she's regenerated we need somewhere to keep her safe."
Falkin jumped over his desk, not bad considering how old the man looked and rushed past The Doctor, he looked at the woman on the floor unconscious in the High Chancellors robes. He picked her up and took her over to his desk. During this Borsa was just stood staring blankly towards the TARDIS, Othalla ran past him and then The Doctor closes the door.
"It's… erm, bigger on the inside." She manages to stutter.
"Yes bigger on the inside, time travel and all that, look the High Chancellor has been attacked, that's our priority." The Doctor shouts out frustrated, he didn't want this to happen, he knew the high chancellor wasn't a bad person just biased like so many where.
Falkin places Ona on his desk and puts a cushion under her head, before getting a medical kit from his wall. He injects her with something and then looks at her pupils.
"Good she will be fine." He says with a sigh and collapses into his chair. "You said Gallin did this? Why?"
"He wanted The Doctor's TARDIS." This was Othalla she was angry and quite rightly.
"I guess you were right Borsa, I should have listened sooner."
"What's going on I maybe able to help?" This was The Doctor now, and when Othalla looked at him he say that same serious expression on his face as before.
"For the last few months from our perspective anyway Gallin has been holding secret meetings, opening the library at ungodly hours. We assumed he was doing important research but High Chancellor Ona said she hadn't given him any tasks. A week ago out man on the inside suddenly vanished and hasn't been seen since; his last message was garbled but we made of the word revolution. I should have taken it more seriously, locked him up."
"That's why he wants the TARDIS, he thinks he can use it as a weapon, and time travel can be the most dangerous one of all."
The Doctor looks down at Ona and then at Othalla.
"I am sorry, so so sorry I shouldn't have stayed I have put you all in danger and destabilised your entire planet just as Ona knew I would."