"The Master's alive?" the Doctor said.
Then he wet quiet, which Ash knew wasn't a good sign. When he spoke again it was in an even and neutral tone.
"My husband is alive and you forgot to mention it?"
Then he exploded and Ash found himself against the wall and struggling for breath, the Doctor's hand around his throat.
"My husband, the man I've been mourning for the last year is alive, and you forgot to mention it. What else did you forget!?"
"Doctor...please," Ash managed to gasp out.
He looked into the Doctor's eyes and saw rage, rage directed at him.
"Doctor," he managed to choke out.
"Gah! You're not worth it," he snarled and let go.
Ash drew in huge whoops of sweet oxygen, whilst the Doctor prowled like a twitchy panther.
He could only watch and listen as the Doctor talked to himself; if half the truth had done this, then what would the whole truth do.
"Why do I do it...open my hearts to them?" the Doctor said as he paced. "They're treacherous, traitorous, two-faced..."
He fell silent then and focused once more on Ash. "Is there anything else you haven't told me? The time to confess is now, while I might still have some mercy."
Ash swallowed; that statement was loaded...but he had the feeling that whatever he said he was dead, so...
The Master was getting anxious...it was taking too long.
He'd had enough. "Damn the restrictions, take us in," he growled.
He knew there were defensive weapons, but they would be no match for his ship's shield. He was beginning to wonder why he hadn't just invaded the station...but of course he hadn't, he couldn't risk the Doctor getting injured or worse, killed.
Now he had the feeling that something had gone wrong and it was time to do something; time to do what he did best, invade and conquer.
The cruiser made short work of the distance and of course he was challenged, and he had shattered the gun turrets in a myriad pieces.
Whoever was in charge sent out fighters to stop him but the sleek dark shapes that were his ghost fighters made short work of them.
He knew the Zendi would come after him, but he didn't care. His soldiers searched the whole station and found neither the Doctor nor the thing that was posing as his daughter.
But they did find the freak, who was now standing in front of him.
"Well, where is he?"
Harkness said nothing and the Master took that as not good news.
"Where is he Harkness?"
Harkness spoke then. "He's gone."
The Master felt his left eye twitch. "Very observant...gone where?"
"I don't know, I told Ash..."
"He's with the blond," the Master cut in.
Harkness shook his head. "I'm not sure, I was dead for a while and my com was gone, as was Sisrai."
The Master scowled and barked. "Send out the ghosts, stop any vessel they find and find the Doctor."
He turned his attention back to Harkness. "You'd better hope he is with the blond. Assets can soon become liabilities. Put him in the cells with the others."
Harkness had only just been escorted out of the door when it hit him...his name, not the one he'd chosen at his naming day but his true name, one that only a few knew...one that the only last living person of that select group knew, and the voice was one he thought he would not hear again.
That voice was full of such emotions that it made his head hurt...such loneliness, so much sadness and grief that tore at his hearts...why was there grief?
He sent out an answer to the call, he whispered the Doctor's true name and could only hope that it would reach and that he would hear it.
The Doctor sat in the pilot's seat, he glanced back at the unconscious Ash...humans, born liars.
As if he would have a child that would become an adult in six months and had become some dangerous and powerful creature. As if he would believe the Master tried to kill him; that was all in the past, their bond proved it.
He was concerned that he couldn't sense the master. He put it down to the blow to his head; he still couldn't recall what had happened...so he had no idea if any of what Ash had said was true.
If the Master was still alive then his world had become a little less bleak, and he would have someone to share the grief of the loss of Jakaar.
He let his sorrow well to the surface and set it out, a wave of loneliness, grief and anguish, all encapsulated in one word...the Master's true name; if he was alive he would respond.
He waited for a reply, but it never came...it had been another lie.
Then there was no point in going, was there?
His soul mate was gone, all but one of his children were dead and the one that still lived was lost. Then he might as well join them. When it was time to regenerate, he would not. He would head for the Unchartered Territories; he was sure he could find death there.
He changed whatever co-ordinates Ash had set and was about to move off when it came...not as strong as his bit it was definitely the Master.
It was just one word...but it was all he needed and all thoughts of death fled.
It was then that the proximity went off and the ship went dark, and a voice echoed in the dark.
"Did you think you could escape me...my key."