"All done on the ground?" the Doctor asked as Subaru stepped into the TARDIS, her siblings following her in.

"We are," Subaru confirmed, looking at the new control room. "They're leaving most of the Mariage and the Pflanzenpuppe down there to make sure the Daleks can't restore the reality stabilizers before the fleet fires. Once that's done we're going to jump into dimensional space."

"Finally," Sein grumbled, "That was the most boring life-or-death fight I've ever been in. Two days of saying 'there are still more Daleks'. Which was apparently too important of a job to risk having me go kill some of those Daleks. I'm definitely not going into the military. Nice new wallpaper, by the way."

"Don't get used to it," the Doctor replied. "Once we remove the Jewel Seed it goes in the archives and I'm going to get the controls back to normal and bring back the round things."

"What were those for, anyways?" Cinque asked.

"They were very round," the Doctor explained. "I'll be needing your help with the controls when we get to 179; the fleet will push directly towards the rift and we need to seal it quickly."

"While we're on the way," Subaru said, "Ixy will be joining us; the Mariage think the TARDIS is the best place for her."

The Doctor nodded. "She's welcome here. Ginga, ready to remove the Jewel Seed?"

Ginga held up a containment cylinder. "Yes, but I'm not exactly sure how to get it out of the heart."

"The controls over here," the Doctor said. "Came in with the new control room, but they seem simple enough."

Ginga walked over to the console and frowned at them. "Okay, safety disengagement, then there's the ejection lever." She handed the cylinder to Subaru. "Opening in five, four…"

The console opened and the Jewel Seed floated over to the cylinder, which Subaru shut. "That wasn't very hard," she said.

"Well, it is what this control room is designed for," the Doctor pointed out. "Maybe we should keep the Jewel Seed around for-"

"No," the siblings chorused.

"The fleet has completed its jump," Admiral Haifei announced. "We'll arrive at the destination in two hours. We expect little in the way of fixed defenses, but they'll send every saucer they can spare from the Time War through."

"Fortunately," Opel noted, "the bulk of their home fleet is not outfitted with AMFs, and our secondary weaponry will be effective against even their heavy warships. If we can break through to the rift and fire on them as they emerge, we'll be able to hold position for several hours."

"Are the Neverwere still engaged?" the Doctor asked.

"Stern outthought us again," Haifei said dourly. "It seems they deployed all three flagships together for a reason. The Dalek fleet sent to deal with them was able to emerge from warp in the system, at which point the countesses returned to their flagships, and the Hellfire Star and Thunderblade channeled power into the Midnight Throne, which single-handedly engaged and destroyed the reinforcements, then started providing ground fire."

"Have they been able to do that the whole time?" Ixpellia asked incredulously.

"Presumably," Alexia sighed. "Preliminary analysis is that those three have a deeper inherent link than previously understood; it appears they've been shifting magical power around in ground engagements where Dearche and one or both of the others are present. We'd noticed the variance but attributed it to use of their temporal powers; they're the only Neverwere mages of noble rank."

"So why haven't they done it before, and why did they start now?" the Doctor asked rhetorically. "They've probably realized what we're planning, but why didn't they use it when the Could've Been King was being forced to retreat?"

"I have a terrible feeling we're going to find out," Haifei said. "The Neverwere are going to arrive less than half an hour after we do."

"Can we raise the Path Disruptor to close them out?" General Lotec asked.

"Closing the rift is going to be hard enough as it is," the Doctor said. "Inside a shifting spatial distortion? I could do it, but not before tomorrow evening."

"Would the Finenio's captain be able to handle it?" Admiral Haifei asked.

Opel held up a hand for a few seconds, then shook her head. "According to the medic, it'd be dangerous to wake her and another connection in her current condition would be fatal 'and definitely not accomplish anything'.

The fleet arrived in the vicinity of the rift world to shockingly little resistance, outnumbering the Dalek fleet by more than five to one. Hybrid railgun fire tore the saucers apart in short order, and the Wisdom Of Scrya moved into position to activate the Shutran Stonebreaker. Bare rock tore apart and formed into hulking golems, overwhelming what fixed defenses the Daleks had installed on the ground.

"So this is obviously a trap," Sein commented. "Particularly since they don't seem to have any Magi Degradations."

"It looks like they'd been in a battle before we arrived," Cinque pointed out. "Many of the saucers had suffered battle damage, and there is a substantial debris field in orbit."

"It's an inconvenience for navigation," the Doctor concurred. "If it were from an earlier battle they'd have cleared it out by now. Still, it's all Dalek debris." The console beeped as he finished. The Doctor looked at a screen quizzically, and his expression darkened. "It seems we're not the Daleks' only problem."

The siblings moved to look over his shoulder, revealing lines of Gallifreyian characters. "Um," Subaru said, "I can't read that."

"The translator doesn't work on written Gallifreyan," the Doctor said. "Lets the Time Lords keep their secrets. Those are TARDIS transponder codes. All but one of them are Battle TARDISes. Second Battle Fleet, what looks like the entire Celestial Intervention Agency, what's left of Third Battle Fleet. Further away, Fifth Battle Fleet… and me."

"That's good, isn't it?" Ginga asked, confused. "Instead of closing the rift we can unite with the Time Lords. Share technology, maybe make the war end in a Time Lord victory."

"Oh," the Doctor said, "It looks like the Lord President intends to see that happen a lot sooner." He opened a transmission to High Command. "Looks like we've found out what Sanzenko meant about sisters," he said. "A Time Lord fleet is coming; they're planning to amplify the rift, tear apart time, obliterate the Daleks and everything else and ascend to godhood."

Everyone stared at him blankly. "What?" Opel finally asked. "That sounds completely insane and impossible."

"Unfortunately," the Doctor sighed, "You're only half right. Or at least the High Council thinks so. They called it the Final Sanction; when the Daleks breached the transduction barriers around Gallifrey and stormed Arcadia, the High Council authorized it. So I stopped them. It looks like they've stepped up their plans. The temporal minefield will make it difficult, but they can use the energy from the local star collapsing into a black hole on this side combined with a paradox engine on the other side to cause a total event collapse."

"Um," Aleixa said diffidently, "179 has a main-sequence star. It's only slightly above one solar mass; it won't even go supernova, much less turn into a black hole."

"Al-hazard isn't the only place that made superweapons," the Doctor snapped. "One of the CIA TARDISes has the Tear Of Isha aboard. It can destroy a black hole or make one from any star, no matter the size. We need to stop them from deploying it, or everything ends."

"Press on to the rift, then," Alexia said. "I'll order Failsafe to begin activation."

"We'll get the Fineino into position in five minutes. How will the fleet perform against Battle TARDISes?" Haifei asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "Even civilian TARDISes are effectively invincible to normal attack. Dalek weaponry can negate most of their defenses, but short of Lost Logia nothing you have will scratch the paint, much less break through Battle TARDIS armor."

"Actually," Alexia said diffidently, "we're fairly confident the Arc-en-Ciel's spatial distortion can disrupt the dimensional transcendence circuits. The result of that, especially in the immediate vicinity of the rift, is uncertain and possibly extremely hazardous."

"When did you figure that out?" the Doctor asked, his brow furrowing.

"It was first analyzed in 0073," Alexia admitted. "The conclusion was that a barrier spell would likely delay dematerialization long enough for a forced teleport into high orbit where it could be safely fired upon."

"When Yagami is smiling, be afraid," Sein suggested.

"Noted," the Doctor said. "I'll open up a transmission to the TARDIS fleet, see if I can talk them out of this."

"Can you?" Otto asked.

"Hope springs eternal." The Doctor tapped on the screen. "All Time Lords receiving, this is the Doctor. Don't do this; we're better than the Daleks. Don't become like them."

"So you survived your inferno," a voice boomed from the speaker. "Isn't that how it always is, Doctor? Always walking away unscathed from disasters of your own making. I see you've found some new human pets, too."

"Rassilon," the Doctor growled. "Is this what the war has made you, or did we just forget the truth about you while you lay in your tomb?"

"I'm protecting my people against their enemies," Rassilon replied. "As I have always done, and as you have failed to do. You would sacrifice us all for the sake of your precious humans."

"You could escape," Ginga offered. "Just fly through the rift, evacuate the war and seal it behind you. Even a single TARDIS is enormous; you could evacuate Gallifrey aboard your fleet."

"Be silent when your betters are speaking, girl," Rassilon said. "Why do you keep collecting them, Doctor?"

"They remind me not to kill everyone in the universe, for one thing," the Doctor replied. "Perhaps you should try it sometime. But I wasn't talking to you; what do the soldiers think? Are all of you willing to kill so many innocent species?"

"Of course not," a gruff voice broke in. "We're not the only Time Lord who remembers what Gallifrey is supposed to stand for. I brought the fleet to stop him by force if need be."

"Who is that?" Ixpellia asked.

"Me," the Doctor growled. "When I ended the Time War."

"And survived, apparently," the other Doctor said quietly. "I wasn't really expecting to. Wasn't sure I should."

"Maybe, maybe not," the Doctor told him. "I found it easier to condemn you for your choice before, Warrior, but now I'm not so sure you were wrong. Not when I'm facing the same decision, and making the same choice." He sighed. "How long do we have before they get to the rift?"

"Estimate twenty minutes external, sir," a woman said. "The Could've Been King and the Daleks are trying to stop the Lord President; the Vortex in the area is overrun with Meanwhiles and Pythian Neverwere. We're having to proceed in threespace."

"They won't stop us," Rassilon declared. "And neither will you or any of your fellow traitors."

A girl's laugher broke into the link. "Petty fool, you think you can stand against me? You think your little toys can match the power of the dark? I am Dearche, King of Darkness, Material of Rulership! You will all kneel before me!"

"The Neverwere fleet have arrived in the system," Alexia reported.

"I noticed," the Doctor said drily. "So would you kindly tell me all your plans?" he asked the Neverwere.

"We're going to use the rift to amplify the summoning thingy the king's king does to bring Yami here," Levi said. "Then she'll beat you all and we'll rule this universe like it was home."

"We'll tear your fleets apart," Dearche continued. "None will stand against us. My empire, ripped from time, shall reign again!"

"All has proceeded according to my design," Stern said blandly. "You have played right into my hands. Now you are trapped, as the Meanwhiles have forseen from the very beginning." There was a slight crinkling of paper. "You have no choice but to aid us to spare your allies from obliteration."

"More feeling, Stern!" Dearche demanded.

"Wait," the Warrior said. "That's going to work in my future? I'll be able to find out people's evil plans by just asking them?"

"Actually," the Doctor said, "Never really worked before, but I keep trying it. Would've been better if Stern there was wrong, but she has a point. There isn't time to find another way to stop Rassilon. We'll close the rift like we planned. Subaru, hit that lever." +++She's not as clever as she thinks+++ he sent to the TSAB. +++I have a plan. Don't stop them+++

Subaru stepped over to the indicated section of console and yanked on the lever. The TARDIS engine rumbled, starting to emit the characteristic sound of dematerialization. Ginga moved to stand across from her sister and tapped on the buttons, making the engine's tone shift in pitch. The Doctor fiddled with the controls on his segment of the console, and Cinque checked a screen on yet another side. "It's reading all fives," Cinque reported.

"Good," the Doctor said, pulling out his screwdriver and sweeping it over the room. "Otto, on my signal, input setting twenty-three."

"The Neverwere countesses are acting," Alexia reported. "Channeling power through the Midnight Throne again."

"Now," the Doctor instructed Otto, continuing to fiddle with the sonic screwdriver.

"Now it's threes," Cinque said.

"That's the effect of the Neverwere interference," the Doctor said. "It's accelerating the closure; we'll make it in time."

"Do you think that's an improvement, Doctor?" Rassilon demanded. "You know how much energy this will release. What sort of monster do they need this much power to call forth?"

"One of the ones from the Belkan wars, probably," Ixpellia commented. "They've been defeated before and they can be again."

"She won't be," Dearche gloated. "But we are grateful for your aid. Serve us, and you will be rewarded."

On the far side of the rift, the Warrior whirled the TARDIS forwards, dancing through a volley of temporal torpedoes from a Celestial Intervention Agency Battle TARDIS. "Steady, old girl," he muttered. "Get a temporal lock on the TARDIS with the Tear," he ordered. "Let the others keep going; they can't trigger the event collapse. In fact, escape through the rift yourselves if you get the chance."

"You should try that yourself," Captain Preda noted. Her Battle TARDIS extruded missile batteries from its silvery surface and fired on a Neverwere warship, a thing of glittering crystals firing bolts of unreality that ate away molecular bonds on impact. It flickered out of the path of the missiles, shifting through the Time Vortex. In turn, the missiles shifted their pasts, changing their original trajectories to target the warship's new position. "You are the only one of us who's unarmed."

"Not too good for the time stream," the Warrior replied. He winced as one of his escorts took a direct hit from a temporal torpedo. It twisted and inverted, the interior spilling out through the breach. "I'm afraid I'm stuck in here."

"Doesn't look like any of us will have the chance," Preda said. Ahead, Rassilon's fleet was battering through the Dalek fleet, trapping dozens of ships in time loops and blasting others from history. The Time Lords weren't having an easy time of it, however; the Dalek warheads negated their esoteric defenses and shattered Battle TARDIS armor. Neverwere ships engaged both fleets, firing bizarre weapons from lost timelines. "Rift is closing fast."

"Registering an energy spike," Alexia said worriedly. "An unrecognized Lost Logia signal has appeared. It's stronger than a Jewel Seed already, and intensifying."

"She is arriving," Stern said. "Unbreakable Darkness. At last, she returns to us." More paper crinkled. "Not even the stars themselves will stand against us. Ha ha ha."

"I am never giving you cue cards again," Dearche growled.

"Yes, my king," Stern acquiesced with a faint touch of satisfaction.

Vortex energy flared between the Neverwere flagships, a tiny girl in a crimson dress fading into existence. +++System UD online+++ she announced in a flat, empty tone. Then her tone shifted to nervous concern. +++Dearche, can you switch my limiter on?+++

"In a bit, Yuri," Dearche promised. "I need you to be Unbreakable Darkness right now."

"The local star is a threat," Stern said.

+++Acknowledged. Eliminating the threat+++ Unbreakable Darkness sent. Skeletal wings of red energy flared out behind her, wrapped in the light of the Vortex. She hurled out of the Neverwere formation, flying towards the sun. The wings spread and curled forwards to wrap around the star.

"Do not engage!" Admiral Haifei ordered. "All ships prepare to withdraw and scatter!"

"What's happening over there?" the Warrior asked. "Nothing has gotten through the rift yet, but some of the CIA TARDISes are getting close."

"Nothing serious," the Doctor assured him. "But if any of you do get here, don't shoot anything." The star began flickering and dimming. "Give us… oh, five more minutes. Subaru, that lever. Alexia, how will that Lost Logia do in battle against TARDISes?"

"I have no idea," Alexia admitted. "I can't find any matches."

"She looks familiar," Ixpellia said nervously. "Like the destroyer of Eltoria. But she got sealed away."

"Ah," Alexia said. "From the Eternity Crystal incident; appearance matches, except for the clothing, but the energy signature is different. An imitation?"

"Huh? No, Yami got sealed into the Book of Darkness," Levi said.

"The road not taken," Stern said. "All that never was is brought forth by the power of the Could Have Been King."

"At last we are reunited!" Dearche declared. "All that we desire is within our grasp!"

+++I hope you weren't planning on us defeating what they summoned+++ Haifei sent +++We are not strong enough to defeat a star-eating Lost Logia+++

+++All under control+++ the Doctor replied. "So," he said aloud, "If you don't want to be trapped here forever away from your master, you'll need to get through the rift in, oh, three minutes."

"No we don't," Levi said. "She's right here."

"I mean her boss," the Doctor clarified. "I'm afraid if you were planning on him coming through to join you, you're going to be disappointed."

+++Interference detected+++ Unbreakable Darkness sent. +++Purging+++. Red lightning flashed over the Neverwere fleet.

"I serve only one king," Stern said. "Now and forever."

"So," Opel said, "Now that you've freed yourself from his control, will you stand down-"

Dearche cackled. "Stand down? You are in no position to make demands of us." The star flashed once more and winked out. Unbreakable Darkness turned and flew to rejoin the fleet, her wings shrinking.

"Ah," the Doctor said, fiddling with the controls in front of him. +++Cinque, input three-seven-two+++ "Very well done; you managed to find a way to escape from the Could Have Been King's control by serving his interests, and now it looks like no one can stop you. But you know, people tend to forget two important rules at their moment of triumph."

"What are those?" Levi asked curiously.

"First," the Doctor said, "When you're exploiting a temporal rift, there's some feedback into everything connected to it; need to watch out for that. It can cause all sorts of trouble, particularly in a minefield."

"We are aware," Stern said. "It poses no threat in physical space under the current conditions."

"Yes, thought you might assume that," the Doctor said. "It's a pretty minor fluctuation. Really, usually all it'll do is provide a bit of fuel for TARDISes, as long as you're obeying the other rule," he stabbed a button, "never let me talk!"