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Chapter 10
Aboard the Dalek command ship the fight to escape was on and the Supreme Dalek was fast coming to the realization that he was powerless, 'All engines full reverse!'
An unknown Dalek voice rose amidst the chaos, 'Unable to comply! Gravimetric forces are keeping us in place!'
Davros spoke solemnly, 'So goes the erstwhile glorious fourth fleet of the Dalek Empire!'
'We cannot end like this!!' the Supreme Dalek shouted.
The Doctor listened as the Dalek channel had remained open and he could hear them struggle. He held himself in pain, anguish, and anger. He had left Appolaita's body on Elysium. He could only hope that Prophet and the others had escaped in time. He wanted to die. For not the first time, the Doctor cursed his ability to regenerate.
Then a familiar voice came over the communications channel. 'Well played Doctor. I'm must say that I am quite proud of you.'
The Doctor shot up. Davros continued, 'Oh yes, most proud indeed...who would have thought that the greatest exterminator would be a Time Lord. Truth be told, I think even as I go to my oblivion, this is my true victory over you. Because this war has never been about the Time Lords and the Daleks, it has however, always been about the two of us.'
That was it. That was all it had taken and something snapped deep inside the Doctor, or rather something snapped back. 'What have I done?' he asked himself, then ' Davros, I can save you!'
'Noooo Doctor, I would not allow you to sabotage this victory from me. We will die, and it will be by your hands! The Oncoming Storm, indeed!'
The Doctor shut the channel and began running around the TARDIS in the hopes of averting disaster. His hope was a slim one, but he hoped that the life he was saving was his own soul. The TARDIS gave a lurch. The Doctor looked at the central column as it changed from a thrumming green light to a crimson color. 'What's wrong?' he asked it.
The Doctor couldn't figure it out, but the TARDIS was angry with him. It didn't want to help him. The Doctor tried to fight the controls but the TARDIS could not budge. 'Don't do this! There has to be another way!'
There was almost an angry edge to the engine noise as the TARDIS resisted the Doctor's commands. Without any other recourse, the Doctor grabbed a nearby mallet and started banging and hitting the control console. Suddenly a holographic view screen unfolded in the air above him. The Doctor watched as the void hole he had created sucked in first Elysium, the smaller Dalek ships. The command ship fought valiantly, but in the end it wasn't enough, and the Doctor wept.
X X X X
The Doctor placed his glass on the table.
'What happened next?' the Keeper asked a bit too anxiously.
The Doctor looked at his empty glass. He hadn't realized it had been this long since the raw emotions of those long off days had been sifted. His eyes were brimming with tears and he bore a frown. 'The TARDIS deactivated the Nightmare Child just after the Dalek command ship was sucked in and torn apart. I had to repair the damage I'd done to the console room.'
'But you said you would tell me how you single handedly stopped the Time War.'
The Doctor looked at the Keeper then, closely as if only just seeing her for the first time. A realization hit him then and a touch of mirthless laughter could be heard in his words. 'Unbelievable. I was so busy in my self pity that I never realized.'
'What?' The Keeper asked, 'Realized what Doctor?'
His entire demeanor changed, the Doctor asked, 'Did you know that the Keepers of Secrets had a little secret of their own?'
The Keeper leaned back visibly, 'Of course I know everything about my own people.'
'Oou...sure you do.' The Doctor said with a wry smirk, 'After all it's not like you're an imposter is it?'
The Doctor leaned in then, 'You see the Keeper's of Secrets were Time Lord Women.'
At that revelation, the Keeper leaned back in her chair away from the Doctor who in turn leaned in. 'Who are you,' he demanded, 'really? Stupid me, I was so caught up in the feelings of recent events that I'd forgotten that you were even out there.
The Keeper's unusual accent seemed to evaporate and she spoke with a clear and young sounding voice, 'Indeed.'
The Keeper of Secrets pulled back her hood to reveal a lovely face that was slender and with a soft pink hue, her eyes were green with flecks of gold and her skin sparkled with freckles of minute gold. Her hair sparkled as well and was a dark almost crimson color.
All she said were two words, 'Time Lord.'
The Doctor leaned back, 'Eternal.'
The Keeper pursed her lips and looked at the Doctor sideways. 'When did you discover who I was?'
The Doctor responded glibly. 'You mean beside the fact that you're not a Time Lord? Well...'
'Why did you tell me your story if you knew what I was?' she asked.
At that question the Doctor grew serious. His response was measured. 'I suppose it's the desire of a child once in a while to talk to its parent, unobstructed by the arguments of the past.'
She shook her head slowly, 'We warned you that this would happen.'
The Doctor spat back, 'Shallow comfort to the billions of lives lost due to the inactions of the Eternal Populous.'
The Keeper stood then, her chair toppling over, and shouted. 'You will not throw the results of your actions at our feet!'
The Doctor was quiet for a moment. Then as if returning to the present said. 'No, they're all our fault. But, you had the power to stop it, to stop it all.' He leaned back in his chair then, 'The last of the custodial races, the once great and powerful Eternals.'
They were silent for what seemed like an eternity, until finally the Doctor blinked and then as if he remembered another conversation completely blurted out. 'Why didn't you go with the others to the Sea of Oblivion?'
The Keeper sighed. 'To use your analogy, I suppose it's the desire of a parent to watch over even the mistakes of their child.'
The Doctor stood, all mirth gone from his eyes and he spoke with finality, 'Leave this place. You and your people abandoned it long ago.' His next words carried a weight that was inexplicable, 'I am all that remains of the Triumvirate.'
The Keeper's eyes widened, 'How dare you! Who do you think you--'
'I only ask once.' He interrupted, 'No second chances. That's who I think I am. That's precisely the kind of man I am.'
The Doctor turned then and walked back out into the main bar. Drax was cleaning another glass and smiled at him only to be taken back by the thunderhead he saw in the Doctor's eyes. But then as if a switch had been flipped the Doctor blinked and smiled big and sincerely at Drax.
'Chips.'
'Beg your pardon?' Drax asked.
The Doctor made a vague gesture toward the bar. 'Chips, that's what this place needs, hot and greasy chips to go with the grog or brandy or whatever your patrons fancy, but y'know, something so they can snack on.' He nodded as if deciding something, 'Yep definitely chips.'
Suddenly, the Doctor felt the strangest sensation run down his spine and into his pocket. Reaching into his coat he pulled out a worn bit of leather and opening it he looked at the blank sheet of white paper as the words "Please Help!" appeared.
The Doctor smiled inwardly then with a smirk said to Drax. 'Sorry mate, duty calls.'
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