"Prepare for universal detonation! The fleet will gather at the Crucible!" The Supreme Dalek ordered and a few Daleks file into the Crucible Bridge. "All Daleks will return to shelter from the cataclysm! We will become the only life-forms in existence!"
As Jackie, Mickey and Sarah Jane were peering through the window, horrified by what they had just witnessed-Jack tumbled out of the air vent, making them all spin around and glance down at him where he lay upon the floor.
Jack coughed, getting up and he was covered in dirt. "Just my luck. I climb through two miles of ventilation shafts, chasing life signs on this thing-" He gestured to his vortex manipulator which had strangely seemed to work again. "...And who do I find? Mickey Mouse!" He had to admit, climbing through those vents had to be a nightmare but it was such a good feeling to see a familiar face on board the Dalek ship once more.
"You can talk, Captain Cheesecake." Mickey retorted before they both burst out laughing and ran towards each other and gave each other a manly hug.
"Good to see ya!" Jack replied, looking down at Mickey without letting go. He had to admit, it was good to see Mickey and Jackie again. At least he knew they hadn't turned crazy like Rose has. "And that's 'Beefcake."
"And that's enough hugging." Mickey told him, unable to stop grinning. It was Captain Jack Harkness! He had found his old friend that he had only known briefly through the Time-Lord's. He knew that if Captain Jack was on board, then that could only mean that the Time family were near by and Mickey couldn't help but look forward to seeing Lady Romana's and Lord Braxiatel's little girl for the first time and imagined what she looked like.
Jack released Mickey before saluting Sarah Jane. Glad at the fact he was talking to Sarah Jane in person once more. "Sarah Jane Smith, lovely to meet you again. Though, I wish could say under better circumstances."
"There is something we can do. You've got to understand-I have a son down there on Earth. He's only fourteen years old. I brought this." Sarah Jane took out a warp star necklace from her pocket, the diamond shining with unnatural brightness and Jack looked at it with awe. "It was given to me by a Verron Soothsayer. He said...'This is for the end of days.'" She gave it to Jack who took it with his mouth slightly open. She remembered dealing with the Soothsayer. She had to admit, it hadn't been the most pleasant experiences but in return, the soothsayer had given her this and Sarah Jane wondered if it wanted to reveal her darker side for using such a device.
"Is that a Warp Star?" Jack asked, somehow already knowing the answer and Sarah Jane nodded. How on Earth did Sarah Jane manage to get hold of this? Oh, Jack has heard of the things that a Warp Star could do but never has he come face to face with one.
Mickey looked bemused. "Gonna tell me what a Warp Star is?"
Jack was still staring at the Warp Star, unable to believe his eyes. "A warpfold conjugation trapped in a carbonised shell. It's an explosion, Mickey." He glanced at Sarah Jane before continuing in an awed whisper. "An explosion waiting to happen."
Whilst Martha was trying to get through to the other contacts, a screen on the terminal sprung into life, reporting from China. "This is Osterhagen Station Five. Are you receiving, Station One?" The Chinese UNIT soldier asked.
Martha nodded. "I've got you. That makes three of us, and three is all we need."
"My name is Anna Zhou. What's yours?"
Martha hesitated, wondering if she should say her name before she quickly replied. "Martha Jones." She looked towards Station Four where a Liberia UNIT soldier sat in front of the computer. "What about you, Station Four? You never said."
"I don't want my name on this. Given what we're about to do." He replied and Martha couldn't blame him as she looked at the Osterhagen Key in her hand. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to make the same choice that Lady Romana had made on her home planet but Martha had to. Her job came first above all else and Martha had to see that she would complete it despite Harriet Jones telling her not to use the key.
Anna looked at her with wide eyes. "So, what happens now? Do we do it?"
"No, not yet." Martha replied, looking thoughtful. She had to buy for time. She had to buy time for the destruction of the Earth. But at the same time, Martha knew that if she didn't act soon the Earth would be taken over by the Daleks uses.
Anna blinked. "UNIT instructions say once three Osterhagen Stations are online, we-"
Martha glared at her, taking control just like Romana would have wanted. "Yeah, well, I've got a higher authority. Way above UNIT. And there's one more thing that Lady Romana and Lord Braxiatel would do..."
Thyra was at the console, putting together some sort of device and she looked at it in deep concentration. She didn't want to do this. She knew this wasn't the right thing to do but what other choice did they have to free her parents? Donna peered over her shoulder, watching Thyra build the device. "So, what is this thing?"
"I don't want to do this...but I have to." Thyra sighed deeply and she flipped through another page in the book that was laid out in front of her, her eyes quickly scanning the instructions as she followed them. "I know it's wrong and mummy may think so too but I can't think of any other way to save mummy or daddy."
Donna crouched near her, resting a gentle hand on Thyra's shoulders. "Sometimes you have to do what is right even if you think is wrong. Sometimes...sometimes we all must make the choice between what is right and what is easy. You are free to choose to make the decision but you may not be free from the consequences of your choice." Donna told her softly, looking at her niece in the eye as she paused in her work. She knew this must be hard for Thyra. She was only eight years old and yet the universe was asking so much of her and Donna wished so much for Thyra to have a normal childhood like any other child but she knew Thyra couldn't. She was a Time-Lady and Donna knew Time-Ladies had full responsibilities resting upon their shoulders. "So...what does this thing do?"
Thyra sniffed before putting some wires together carefully. "It's a Z-Neutrino Biological Inversion catalyser."
Donna gave her a blank look. Oh, here it was again. Thyra was so like her mother when she began to talk technologically. "Yeah. Earth-girl, remember?"
Thyra screwed in some parts of the device. "From what I know...Davros told us he built those Daleks out of himself so his genetic code will run through the entire race. If I can use this-" She pointed to the device. "To lock the Crucible transmission and onto Davros himself..."
Donna's eyes widened as realization dawned upon her. "It'll destroy the Daleks?"
Thyra nodded. "It'll be the biggest backfire in history. But don't you see Donna? What I'm doing is genocide. To let the whole universe suffer at the hands of the Daleks-or-or to create genocide upon them." Donna's hands flew to her mouth in horror, now realizing why Thyra was so torn between the choices she had to make.
"Incoming transmission. Origin planet Earth." A Dalek from the Crucible bridge.
"Display!" The Supreme Dalek commanded and a holographic screen appears with Martha in the Osterhagen station.
"This is Martha Jones representing the Unified Intelligence Taskforce on behalf of the Human Race. Can you hear me?" Martha asked.
"Send transmission to the Vault. Continue to monitor."
Suddenly, the holographic screen appeared in the Vault and they all turned to look, Romana pleasantly surprised to see Martha in charge.
"Put us through!" Romana demanded, turning to face Martha. The last she had seen of Martha was through the subwave network at her home. But looking at her background now, she seemed far from home and Martha wondered where she was.
"It begins as Dalek Caan foretold." Davros glanced at Dalek Caan briefly.
Dalek Caan looked insane, his tentacles moving wildly as he almost giggled with madness. "The Children of Time will gather...The Storm will be after the calm!"
Braxiatel growled at Dalek Caan. Since when did Daleks believe in Prophecies? Since when did Daleks care about their future or anyone's future that wasn't Dalek? Braxiatel couldn't help but have a feeling that Dalek Caan was planning something and was playing them as though they were nothing more than pieces on a chessboard. "Oh do be quiet Dalek Caan! Put us through!"
Martha looked at the Time-Lord's, slightly relieved to see that they weren't dead. "Romana! Braxiatel! I'm sorry. I had to."
"Oh! But the Time-Lady and her Mate are powerless-they are my prisoners. State your intent." Davros demanded, not wanting to waste time with petty talk when they had more important things to do.
Martha held up the Osterhagen Key. "I've got the Osterhagen Key. Leave this planet and it's people alone, or I'll use it."
Romana's eyes widened, knowing the key's purposes. She knew all about the key. When they were dealing with the Sontarans, she had hacked into the UNIT files and discovered the Osterhagen Key. The key to destroy the whole planet Earth in time of danger and in a time where hope did not exist. It was a horrible device and for a brief moment, the Osterhagen Key reminded her of her when she used the Moment upon Gallifrey but she quickly brushed that thought aside. "Martha, don't you dare use the Osterhagen Key. Do you want to become me? You'll never forgive yourself for this Martha."
"There's a chain of twenty-five nuclear warheads placed in strategic points beneath the Earth's crust. If I use the key, they detonate and Earth gets ripped apart."
"Martha, you can't use the key!" Braxiatel told her warningly. He too knew what the key was and what it did and he knew he had to persuade Martha not to use it. But he could see it in Martha's eyes. He could see the fear and uncertainty and how scared she really was beneath her confident facade as she held the key and he knew deep down Martha would never use the key. She didn't have it in her. "There are always other ways to save the Earth but using the Osterhagen Key is not one of them!"
"Martha Jones, you listen to me right now." Romana told her angrily. "Using that key is never an option. You humans always have hope and faith so cling onto your beliefs for a little while longer. Yes, the Daleks need these twenty-seven planets for something. But if you make that twenty-six-honestly, what will happen to the human race then? You will change the future and Mankind will not be able to spread out across the stars like we have shown you. I know you are better than this Martha. I know you are a better person than this."
Martha stared at her, knowing Romana was right and she glanced back at the key she was holding before looking back at them before she frowned, noticing somebody else with them. "Whose that?" Martha asked, blinking
"My name's Rose," Rose began, raising an eyebrow at her. So this was her replacement. Rose couldn't honestly think why Romana and Braxiatel would have chosen her as a companion when she was using such a weapon. Honestly, she was almost as bad as Romana for her to be destroying her own people. "Rose Tyler."
"Oh my god." Martha whispered with horror, not believing her eyes and she knew that if she ever survived this, she was going to be having quite a few words with Rose Tyler herself that was for sure.
"Second transmission internal. Display." Dalek Supreme displayed another holographic appears besides Martha's, this one displaying the Wrap Star that was connected to a bunch of wires with Jack holding it and beside him were Jackie, Mickey and Sarah Jane.
"Captain Jack Harkness calling all Dalek boys and girls! Are you receiving me? Don't send in your goons or I'll set this thing off."
Rose looked amazed at Jack. He was alive! But how was that possible? How could he be alive? She saw him killed! Nobody could survive the Daleks so how was it possible that he could? "He's still alive! Oh my god-" Suddenly, she looked slightly disgruntled at having seen her mum with Jack. "That's my mum!" What on Earth was her mum doing here? Couldn't Jackie see that she didn't want her there? Now she was going to have to send her back home when she would much rather be spending more time with Braxiatel. She couldn't believe this and Mickey too! Just what were they thinking?
"And Mickey Smith. Captain Jack Harkness, may I ask what on Gallifrey do you think you are doing?" Braxiatel asked calmly, knowing Rose would always forget Mickey despite all that he has done for them.
"I've got a Warp Star wired into the maniframe. I break the shell...the entire Crucible goes up." Jack explained, showing them the Warp Star.
"May I ask...where did you get a Warp Star from? I've checked the Torchwood vaults last time I was there-I'm pretty certain you don't even have one." Braxiatel retorted, quite surprised that they managed to get their hands on such a weapon. It was Braxiatel's routine. Every time he visited Torchwood he would always check their vaults to see if they have anything that they shouldn't have and he would take the objects and store them on the TARDIS for safe keeping.
"From me. We had no choice, we saw what happened to the Prisoners." Sarah Jane told them grimly.
Davros rolled forwards at the sound of Sarah Jane's voice. "Impossible. That face...after all these years."
"Davros." Sarah Jane whispered, unable to believe her eyes before looking at him coldly, furious with him. It was Davros! The Creator of the Daleks! Oh, she remembered seeing him with the Doctor and Harry at the beginning of the Daleks and he was there! Still madder than ever and Sarah Jane wished once more that the Doctor took the opportunity to destroy the Daleks whilst he still had the chance. "That's been quite a while. Sarah Jane Smith. Remember me?"
"Oh, this is meant to be. The Circle of Time is closing. You were there on Skaro at the very beginning of my creation."
"And I've learned how to fight since then. You let the Time-Lord's go or this Warp Star-it gets opened!" Jack tweaked the necklace threateningly as Sarah Jane spoke threateningly at Davros. "Don't imagine we wouldn't."
Rose laughed though she couldn't help but feel angry at Sarah Jane with her ransoming. Let the Time-Lord's go but not her. She wanted to get out too! "Now that's what I call a ransom." She glanced at the Time-Lord's, suddenly noticing how quiet they have become and noticed the look upon Romana's face.
"And the prophesy unfolds." Davros told them gleefully, turning slightly to face the Time-Lord's.
"Leave my Mate alone Davros." Braxiatel snapped, banging his fists against the cell but it did not work. He knew Romana wanted to be in her own thoughts. He knew she didn't want any of this to happen but yet, they were all here. All turned into soldiers.
"Lady Romanadvoratrelundar's soul is revealed!" Dalek Caan cackled. "See her! See the heart of her!"
Braxiatel and Rose watched Lady Romana as she stood there, alone and her eyes filled with darkness and hatred as she inwardly seethed not only at the Daleks, but at herself. She didn't mind her friends turning into soldiers. They get to chose who they wanted to be but she hated the Daleks and herself more than anything in the universe. She despised what she has done and despises what the Daleks have made her do.
"The woman who fights of wars and people with fashioned words. The Lady who thinks herself as honourable, prideful and wise but in reality Lady Romana, you take ordinary people and you fashion them into weapons. Behold your Children of Time transformed into murderers. You have fashioned the Children of Gallifrey into Weapons-now you have these murderers. I made the Daleks, Lady Romana. You made this." Davros rolled up next to her.
"They are here to get rid of you." Romana replied hauntingly, managing to look at Davros witheringly. "Your kind causes pain to the Universe Davros. You have caused me a great deal of pain and suffering over these long, nightmarish centuries. Soldier or not soldiers, they are my friends and I will not stand for you or Dalek Caan to manipulate me or my Mate any longer for your own gain!"
"Ah but Lady Romana, I have already seen the sacrifice today for you. The Earth woman who fell opening the subwave network."
"Who was that?" Braxiatel asked, wanting to know who has died for them. He knew a great many humans have died today at the hands of the Daleks but not for them.
"Harriet Jones." Rose whispered and the Time-Lord's glanced at her. "She gave her life just to get you here."
"Nobody would have to die or make any sacrifices if you all just died!" Romana bit out angrily despite the fact this is what exactly what the Daleks wanted to hear. "Many good people have died at your hands, Davros. Many good people died at the hands of the monsters you have created."
"And yet, how many people have died at your hands Lady Romana? Or Lord Braxiatel?" Davros dared to ask her before looking at Braxiatel. "This...this is your Mate. The woman you are destined to be with for the rest of your life. Tell me...what is it like to be with a woman whom so many have died in her name? Or in yours?"
Romana stood there, remembering all those that have died. She remembers the Doctor as he tricked her into saving her own skin. She remembers Narvin, Leela and Andred as they fought political debates with other opponents. She remembers Gallifrey and all her people and children with it, dying in the burning fire. She remembers Jabe, The Controller, Lynda, Mrs Moore, the victims of the Absorbaloff, the Face of Boe, Gray and River, the Master and finally she remembers all of her 99 children who have died in the looming room, all dead before they could even breathe their first breath of fresh air. Romana stood there, holding it together but inside she was broken but she would not let Davros or the Daleks see her weakness. She would never let them see her vulnerable side. She was a Time-Lady and a Time-Lady did not show weakness to their most hated enemies.
"For many years I have wanted to do this to the Doctor. To see the Doctor's darker side but alas, the Doctor is dead. But I have something even greater now. This is my final victory, Romana and Braxiatel. I have shown you...yourself."
Romana merely swallowed thickly, unable to meet Braxiatel's gaze before the Supreme Dalek interrupted them. "Enough. Engage defence zero-five."
"It's the Crucible...or the Earth." Martha warned them, still holding the Osterhagen Key aloft.
"Transmat engaged!"
The transmat snatched Martha from the Osterhagen station in a beam of white light. "No!" Martha cried and the key fell to the floor just as the transmat took Jack, Sarah Jane, Mickey and Jackie and the Warp Star fell to the ground and they all landed in the Vault and began to pick themselves up off the floor.
Jack rushed to help Martha up, glad at the fact that the Daleks did not harm her in anyway. "Martha! I've got you, it's all right-"
"Jack, be careful." Braxiatel warned him and moved his hand to stop them but his hand nudged the edge of the holding cell.
"Guard them! On your knees, all of you. Surrender!" Davros ordered.
"Do as he says." Romana snapped and the Daleks glide around them and after a moment, they all obeyed, kneeling with their hands behind their heads.
Rose turned to look at her mother angrily despite her unable to get out of her cell. She was angry with her mum. No doubt Pete had told her to follow Jackie and bring her back home. Well, she wouldn't go back home. She has found Braxiatel. She does not need to go back home to her mother any longer. "Mum, I told you not to!"
"Yeah, I couldn't leave you. Besides, you've done enough damage not only hear but back home. Your father is not very happy with you." Jackie told her sternly, in a tone that she didn't want Rose to argue with her any more and Rose scowled as Mickey raised his hands above his head.
"The final prophecy is in place. Lady Romana and Lord Braxiatel and their children all gathered as witnesses. Supreme Dalek...the time has come!" Davros voice began to tremble with excitement. "Now..." He shouted, pointing his hands upwards, trembling with giddiness. "Detonate the Reality Bomb!"
"Activate planetary alignment field!" The Supreme Dalek ordered and they all watched on the holographic screen as the planets began to shimmer and glow. "Universal reality detonation in two-hundred rels!"
Davros continued to point a shaking finger upwards, a wild, evil grimace on his face. Romana turned to Davros desperately. "Davros, think about this! Once this plan has worked, you will have destroyed every living being in existence. What would be your purpose then? What would be the Daleks purpose? You will have nothing to strive for. You have to stop!"
Davros merely roared with what appeared to be laughter and this caused Braxiatel to sneer at him, the Dalek madder than ever. "Nothing can stop the detonation! Nothing and no-one!"
Thyra finally finished putting the device she had created and looked at it uneasily. "It's ready." She breathed, closing the book in front of her before she picked up her device and she pulled up a lever upwards before pulling another one and the TARDIS began heading in the direction of the Vault. Thyra swallowed nervously, looking at Donna. "I hope I don't have to use it." She told her fearfully as the TARDIS began to materialise and without another word, Donna stepped out from the TARDIS, wanting to make sure it was safe to come out.
"Impossible." Davros spoke, outraged that the TARDIS has survived.
"Brilliant!" Jack commented, awed and impressed with her. The TARDIS survived! Haha! And Donna did too! So that meant Thyra was alive! She had escaped the Dalek clutches! She was safe!
Romana sighed with relief and Braxiatel looked entirely grateful that Donna and Thyra were still safe and unhurt and Donna stepped out hesitantly. "Donna, be careful!" Romana warned, wanting her friend to be safe.
Davros pointed at Donna and electricity began to fly from his fingers and hit her in the chest and she fell to the floor, winded but otherwise unhurt and Romana flinched, hoping Donna was unhurt.
"Activate holding cell." A holding cell springs up around Donna.
Thyra suddenly came out of the TARDIS shouting Donna's name and not noticing her surroundings. "Auntie Donna!" She held onto her device tightly before her eyes laid on Davros and she held up her device. Before she could do anything with her device, Davros sent her flying backwards with the same electricity with which he had hit Thyra.
"Thyra!" Romana called for her daughter with worry and she banged on the cell desperately, wanting to be near her but she couldn't and Davros grinned as Thyra fell in a heap at the opposite end of the Vault. "Thyra! My love. Are you hurt?" Rose blinked, surprised what happened. "Thyra?" Romana asked pleadingly but no response came and Romana whimpered, trembling slightly as she worried for the safety of her daughter. She will kill these stinking Daleks once and for all at the first chance she got!
"Destroy the weapon!" Davros ordered and a Dalek fired a death-ray at the device Thyra created which exploded.
Davros turned to face Romana and Braxiatel. "The last true child of Gallifrey...I was wrong about her, Lady Romana and Lord Braxiatel. She is pathetic."
Braxiatel snarled and banged his fists against his cell angrily. How dare Davros insult his daughter! How dare he call the last child of Gallifrey pathetic! "Don't you dare call my daughter pathetic. You don't know my daughter like I do-"
Davros laughed almost gleefully. "Oh! The anger and hatred the Time-Lord has for his Mate and child. You two are Mates are you not? You share these emotions together. But now, Time-Lord's, stand witness with your humans." He activated a holographic screen which displayed the 27 planets before his tone turned somewhat mockingly. "All of your strategies have failed, your weapons are useless and oh-the end of the universe is come." They watched the screen, all of them breathing heavily in dreadful anticipation, utterly powerless.
"Nine...eight...seven...six..." The Supreme Dalek counted down, nobody noticing a slightly breathless Thyra pulling herself upright behind a control panel. "Five...four...three...two...one..." The bomb powered down and the screen went down and suddenly, an alarm sounded. The Daleks, Time-Lord's and Humans all looked around in confusion to see what was happened.
Thyra raised her hat at them, whistling at them cheerfully. Really, she did love to fool the bad guys. She had learnt that from her pirate books. She had learnt that if you ever needed an escape plan, always play dead and you could escape then. "Well after reading a book on Z-Neutrino all morning, I think I've got the hang of it. Let's close all the Z-Neutrino relay loop by using the internalised synchronous back-feed reversal loop! Aye, aye!" She flickered a switch, beaming as she realized she now had an advantage of taking control of the Daleks.
"System in shutdown! Detonation negative!" The Daleks cried.
"Explain! Explain! EXPLAIN!" The Dalek Supreme demanded.
Romana looked impressed at her daughter, relieved that Thyra has inherited their intelligence. "Oh well done Thyra!"
"You will suffer for this!" Davros cried.
Thyra cocked her head on one side as if she didn't think so before she raised her left arm and sent electric sparks at him with her telekinesis powers. "Not anymore."
"Exterminate her!" Davros fumed furiously.
"Exterminate! Exterminate!" The Daleks cried and Romana looked fearfully at Braxiatel, not noticing how Thyra did not seem bothered in the slightest and Thyra merely pressed a few buttons, flickering a few switches. "Exterminate! Exterminate!" Suddenly, the Daleks powered down, their blaster-guns twitching uncontrollably. "Weapons non-functional!"
"What? Macrotransmission of a K-filter wavelength blocking Dalek weaponry in a self-replicating energy blindfolded matrix?"
Braxiatel looked impressed. No Time-Tot child should ever have figured that out but his daughter did and he couldn't be more than proud of her. "I'm very impressed Thyra. Very, very impressed." She was brilliant. She was more than brilliant and he couldn't wait to start her Academic training with her after her Untempered Schism ceremony. She still had so much to learn.
Thyra beamed up at her parents before she flickered some switches. "I'm releasing you now. Holding cells now deactivated." The holding cells disappeared. "And I've sealed the Vault." Both Romana and Braxiatel dashed to join Thyra at the control panel.
"Stop them! Get them away from the controls!" Davros screeched and the Daleks began to dangerously advance on them.
Romana smirked. "Not this time, I'm afraid." She flickered a switch and the Daleks began to spin in circles, out of control. Ha! That would serve them right! She needed these moments of victories. She needed to see the Daleks powerless. The Daleks deserved to suffer after all they have done to her and her people and many other countless races.
"Help me. Help me!" The Daleks cried as they spun in circles and Jack and Donna chuckled, slightly amused.
Jack darted into the TARDIS to fetch his gun. Thyra was helping her parents eagerly as they worked quickly on the controls. "We can send the twenty-seven planets home!" Thyra cheered. They could save the planets! They could defeat the Daleks now they had control of their panels and the Daleks couldn't do anything about it.
Jack emerged from the TARDIS with his and Rose's gun and he handed Mickey Rose's gun. "Mickey!" Mickey quickly caught the gun.
Davros tried to make his way over to the Time family. "You will desist!"
Mickey halted Davros, his gun pointed at Davros face. He would not let Davros anywhere near Romana's or Braxiatel's kid. He liked Thyra a lot already in the mere moments of being with her. "Just stay where you are, Mr."
"Out of the way!" Donna cried and she kicked a Dalek out of the way, sending it spinning off down a corridor. Oh, kicking all those doors down to escape from ex-boyfriends certainly did have its uses. She never knew kicking Daleks away could be so much fun!
Martha and Sarah Jane pushed a Dalek away between them. Sarah Jane beamed at Martha, remember seeing her at Thyra's Christmas party all those months ago. "Good to see you again!"
"You too!" Martha grinned and the Dalek was sent off spinning, babbling to itself as it thudded into the opposite wall. Rose quietly pushed a Dalek away from her.
"You ready Thyra?" Romana called to her daughter, her hand resting on a rod as well as Braxiatel's and Thyra's.
"Aye!" The three of them ease out the two rods each on the controls and the planets disappeared one by one. "Bye bye Clom! Bye Bye Adipose Three!"
Romana flickered two switches with her hands near her. "There goes Shallacatop! Pryovillia. The Lost Moon of Poosh. All going back home at last."
"We need more power!" Braxiatel warned them, trying to maintain the power to send the planets home. He glanced at Davros, his head held high with pride. "You are wrong Davros. You have always been wrong. My daughter will always be the greatest thing to have happened to us and you shall never harm her ever again."
Davros seethed before he glanced at Dalek Caan. "But you promised me, Dalek Caan. Why did you not foresee this?" Dalek Caan merely giggled.
Romana raised a graceful eyebrow. "I think he has foresee this. He just didn't want you to interrupt his plans. Something has been manipulating the timelines for a very long time, getting Donna Noble-" Donna looked surprised at this. "And Thyra to the right place at the right time."
"This would always have happened. I only helped, Lady Romana." Dalek Caan replied who was still giggling with madness.
"You...betrayed the Daleks?" Davros asked in disbelief.
"I saw the Daleks. What we have done throughout time and space. I saw the truth of us, Creator, and I decreed; No More." Dalek Caan told them. Romana and Braxiatel winced, sharing a look with each other as that was what he had said on the last days of the Time War.
"I will descend to the Vault!" Supreme Dalek cried.
"Heads up!" Jack warned just as the Supreme Dalek arrived.
The Supreme Dalek turned to look at Davros. "Davros, you have betrayed us!"
"It was Dalek Caan!"
"The Vault will be purged! You will all be exterminated!" Dalek Supreme ordered and he turned in the direction of the central column and he sent a death ray towards it and Romana quickly shielded Thyra, protecting her from harm as the Supreme Dalek caused the controls to spark.
"Like I was saying, feel this!" Jack used his gun and blasted the Supreme Dalek in half, making Romana sigh with relief as they realized they were now out of harms way.
Braxiatel carefully examined the central column. "It looks to me that we have lost the magnatron and there is only one planet left." He sighed dramatically. It had to be that planet didn't it? "Planet Earth. Really? Oh very well. We can use the TARDIS." He gave Romana a quick kiss and he rushed to the console of the TARDIS, pressing various buttons.
"We can hold Earth's stability with the maintaining atmospheric shell. Can't we mummy?" Thyra asked hopefully.
"The prophecy must complete!" Dalek Caan cried gleefully.
"Don't listen to him!" Davros snapped.
"I have seen the end of everything Dalek, and the last true child of Gallifrey must make it happen!" Dalek cried gleefully.
Thyra whimpered, not liking how it was focused on her. Was it her they were talking about? It had to be didn't it? She was the last child of Gallifrey as far as she knew. Romana clutched her daughter tightly to her, snarling at the Daleks. "Don't you dare talk to my daughter like that. Leave her alone, she's just a child!"
"The Prophecy! The Prophecy has to be completed!" Dalek Caan giggled crazily.
Romana swallowed thickly. She realized that Dalek Caan hadn't been talking about Thyra. It had been talking about herself all along. To reveal her own darker side but she knew she had to do this. She had to destroy the Daleks whilst she still had the chance to. She didn't want any more innocent children lives been torn apart by Daleks. She didn't want to see anymore High Temporal Power races fall from grace because of these monsters. She had to end this and she had to end it now even if Braxiatel may or may not approve. She looked at Thyra, her eyes wide. "It's me Thyra." She whispered in realization. "It's me they've been talking about. It's me they want to see my darker side and they shall see it!"
"What is it? What are you going to do?" Donna asked, walking over to them hurriedly.
Romana glanced at her, knowing she was going to regret this decision afterwards but right now she had to destroy the Daleks. They were the monsters and she will see to an end of them once and for all. Making the Time War finally over. "With or without this Reality Bomb, the Dalek Empire fresh from the Time War is big enough to slaughter the cosmos. Something that I have tried to fight for so long to stop from happening. They've caused so much damage already to the universe and they've got to be stopped!"
Donna shared an uneasy look with Thyra. "But shall we wait for Braxiatel? See what he thinks of this..."
"I am the highest authority in this room." Romana snapped, moving away from them as she got to work. "I'm maximising Dalekanium power feeds. Thyra, with me!" Thyra hurried to her mother quickly, hiding away from the Daleks that began to explode one by one.
Braxiatel stepped out of the TARDIS, slightly alarmed as he saw the chaos surrounding them. "Romana!" He shouted, stepping out, rushing towards her. The Daleks were being destroyed! Destroyed at last and he couldn't help but feel somewhat giddy at the thought. After fighting with the Daleks for so long, it was very satisfying to see the Daleks blow up before his eyes and he only wished that his people could see the end of the Daleks. "My lady!"
Romana stepped away from the controls, horrified by what she has just done. She has destroyed the Time-Lord's and Gallifrey. Now she has destroyed the Daleks and Skaro and she looked up at Braxiatel, trembling with fear as the Dalek ships around the medusa cascade exploded into nothingness.
The Dalek just outside the Time-Lock exploded as does the Time Lock itself. The Torchwood team shielded their faces for a brief moment before it came calm again and they all looked relieved to see the Dalek had been blasted away from them.
Gwen looked at Toshiko. "There goes your Time Lock."
Romana clung onto Thyra as everyone inside the Vault was sent flying around, Romana still unable to believe the damage she has caused. She has committed genocide. She has done Genocide once more, something she had always wanted to avoid doing and she felt her eyes water, looking up at Braxiatel. "What have I done Braxiatel? What have I done?"
"Would you rather have Thyra committed genocide?" Braxiatel yelled over the loud noise that surrounded them. "Would you rather let the Daleks rage across the universe and destroy more lives? Wasn't the whole point of the Time War was to get rid of every, last stinking Dalek?"
Romana nodded, feeling unsure but she knew that Braxiatel was right. "I did. But I just didn't expect it to happen this way."
"We can discuss it later, properly but right now everyone needs to get in the TARDIS." He looked towards the humans who were trying to remain on their feet. "Everyone get inside! All of you, run!" They all ran into the TARDIS.
Romana stood with the doors wide open, ushering them in from inside of the door as they all came in, one by one. "Sarah Jane! Rose! Jackie! Jack! Mickey! Braxiatel! Thyra, come on!" Romana urged but Thyra stood hesitantly in the door way and she turned to face Davros.
Davros raised his hands angrily at her as he was engulfed by flames. "Never forget Thyra, YOUR MOTHER did this! I name Lady Romanadvoratrelundar, the Destroyer of Worlds!" Romana winced as he screamed as he was engulfed by flames.
Thyra looked at Dalek Caan with wide eyes. "One will still bring the storm with her wherever she goes! The Storm! The Storm! The Never Ending Storm!" Dalek Caan giggled and Thyra hurriedly turned back to the TARDIS with her mother fearfully, not wanting to hear anymore of Dalek Caan's riddles.
Romana and Thyra run up to Braxiatel in the unusually crowded console room. Romana ignored the looks that the humans were giving her and she brushed them aside. The Destroyer of Worlds was what she was called now. Another cold and icy nickname to add on to her list and Romana hissed slightly, hating nicknames more than anything now. The only nickname she liked was Fred and even that name was now painful to her. "It's time we went." She stated coldly, holding her head high and putting on a cold authority figure as she pulled the lever and the TARDIS gently started to materialise just as the Crucible exploded into atoms.
Sarah Jane frowned. They had all heard what Davros had called Romana. The Destroyer of Worlds and knew it had pained Romana to be called that. She knew Romana could be a good woman when she chose to be but she also knew that she had her darker sides but Sarah Jane couldn't help but feel entirely grateful for Romana destroying the Daleks. Unlike the Doctor, he would have found a way to save them but leave the Daleks alone but Romana knew what to do. She knew she had to protect the universe from these monsters and she did and Sarah Jane was entirely grateful for her. "But what about the Earth? It's stuck in the wrong part of space!"
"We're working on that." Romana told her before she looked into the monitor. "Torchwood Hub, this is Lady Romanadvoratrelundar. Are you receiving me?"
The Torchwood team looked at the screen. "Loud and clear." Gwen grinned, happy to see a familiar face. "Is Jack there?"
"Uncle Jack is here." Thyra grinned as she dragged Jack to the monitor who laughed.
"You guys can never get rid of me." Jack chuckled, folding his arms across his chest cheerily.
"Down to business. Now, Torchwood. I need you to open the Rift Manipulator which I can't believe I'm saying that but I need you to send you all that power to me." Romana ordered as she fiddled with some controls.
"Doing it now, ma'am." Ianto replied as he and Owen went to do as they were instructed.
Martha looked bemused. "What's that for?"
Braxiatel looked at her pointedly. "Think of it as a sort of tow-rope. We do need to bring the Earth back home." He began to call through to Luke and Mr Smith. "Calling Luke and Mr Smith!" Luke appeared on the screen and he jumped up from where he had been sitting dejectedly in the attic. "Oh, come now Luke. It's no use sitting there like that."
"Is Mum there?" Luke asked him hopefully.
"She's right here with us-"
"Yes! Yes!" Sarah Jane laughed with relief to hear her son's voice, throwing her head back in delight.
"Mr Smith, could you harness the Rift power and loop it round the TARDIS for us mmm?"
"I regret I will need remote access to TARDIS basecodes numerals."
Braxiatel sighed, running a hand through his greying hair. "I could give you that, but it will take us a while and I'm afraid we really can't afford to wait."
"No, hold on." Romana told him quickly before looking at Sarah Jane. "You still have K9 don't you?"
Sarah Jane beamed at her and she quickly darted round to the monitor. "K9 out you come!" They all watched as K9 appeared in the attic.
"Affirmative Mistress!"
Romana laughed delightedly, so glad to hear a voice that she has longed to hear again. It was so good to see her old friend again even if it wasn't hers. "Oh, you good dog! Now K9, give Mr Smith the basecodes!"
"Mistress. TARDIS basecode now being transferred." The basecode was displayed on Mr Smith. "The process is simple."
Romana turned to look at Thyra, crouching down to her height. "Now Thyra show these wonderful humans how fantastic we are at flying the TARDIS shall we?"
The humans looked at Thyra sweetly apart from Rose who was sulking near her mother and Thyra beamed up at her mother. "Can I really help her fly mummy? Can I?" She asked excitedly, dancing on the balls of her toes and some of the humans smiled at her excitement.
Romana fixed Thyra's hat fondly. "After everything you have been through today, I'm sure you can prove us one more time how brilliant you can be."
Thyra kissed her mother before she hurried around the TARDIS, wanting to show the humans how clever she really was with flying it. The humans watched the Time-Lord's with interests as she pressed some buttons before she dashed around the console, pulling up a lever. "A TARDIS is designed to have six pilots," Romana began to explain as they began to fly the TARDIS and planet Earth back home. "And a Time-Lord is not meant to learn how to fly a TARDIS until they have passed their Academic training but this is our daughter. Showing you what she can do."
"And of we go! Back home!" Thyra beamed up at the humans as she quite literally pulled the Earth along by the TARDIS, right out of the Medusa Cascade. Braxiatel helped his daughter when she couldn't reach a control but most of the time, she did everything herself perfectly. Not one bump was to be seen as she pumped a lever before dashing over to the other end and pulled down another lever slowly.
"She's excellent," Sarah Jane laughed with delight. "She's an excellent flyer! Much better than the Doctor." Thyra giggled, feeling really pleased with herself as she and her parents finally sets the Earth in it's rightful position beside the moon with the TARDIS drifting from it.
They all whooped and cheered and everyone began to hug everyone apart from Rose who was still hiding in the corner and they were absolutely ecstatic. Donna wrenches Sarah Jane away from Jack and threw her arms around him and Romana picked up Thyra, hugging her and kissing her with Braxiatel standing near them, standing like the proud father he was.
The TARDIS materialises and the Time-Lord's and Sarah Jane emerged, gazing around at the normality of their surroundings and in the distance, they could hear a church bell ringing with joy. Sarah Jane breathed in the air around her, happy to be back home once more before she looked at the Time family. "You know, I never said thank you for the letter." She told Romana sincerely. "For explaining what happened to my dear friend. But...you three act like such a lonely family but look at the pair of you! You have Thyra and you've all got the biggest family on Earth!" Romana gave her a warm smile before Sarah began to back away. "Gotta go! Luke's only fourteen! And thank you!" The Time family smiled warmly and waved and Sarah Jane waved back before she continued on running down the path towards her home.
Jack stepped out of the TARDIS with Martha next. "You two were simply marvellous." Romana told her friends softly. "We couldn't have picked better friends. Thank you for everything."
Braxiatel turned to Martha. "Martha, you need to get rid of the Osterhagen Keys. Save the world one more time for us?"
Martha smiled. She was so grateful that she didn't have to use the Osterhagen Key and she was more than glad that Braxiatel told her to get rid of it. Not only that, but she was glad to get away from Rose who kept glaring at her throughout the journey in the TARDIS. "Consider it done." Jack and Martha saluted the Time family and Braxiatel gave them back a Gallifreyian salute and Jack and Martha walked away, hand in hand.
Romana smiled at their retreating backs before she looked back at Thyra. "I think your guardian and Auntie are going to be just fine." Just as they were about to go back into the TARDIS, Mickey emerged. "And just where do you think you're going Mr Smith?"
"Well, I'm not stupid-I can work out what happens next. And hey, I had a good time in that parallel world but my Gran passed away. Nice and peaceful. Spent her last years living in a mansion. There's nothing there for me, now. Certainly not Rose." Mickey's eyes darkened and Braxiatel rubbed his head tiredly, knowing they still had to deal with Rose. "But hey, if it means I get to spend more time with Thyra-" He and Thyra knock fists gently. "Then I'm not complaining."
Thyra grinned up at Mickey, happy at the fact that she will be spending some time with him more. She had a new Uncle added onto her family! A new family addition and she was so glad at the fact that her human family was expanding despite them all leaving the TARDIS. "What are you going to do now, Uncle Mickey?"
Mickey blinked at the comment before feeling touched. All ready in the few moments he has known her, she has already started to call him Uncle and Mickey couldn't be more than grateful at the fact. He has never been an Uncle before but now he was to Thyra and Mickey was going to make sure he held that title with pride. "Anything! Brand new life. Just you watch, kid." He winked at them before he ran up to catch up with Jack and Martha. "Hey, you two!"
Jack and Martha stopped in their tracks and Jack sighed in mock exasperation. "Oh...just as I thought I got rid of you."
Braxiatel chuckled before he raised Romana's hand and kissed her knuckles. "Shall we my lady?" He held open the door for her and Romana stepped in gracefully with Thyra. "One last trip." He flew the TARDIS to Bad Wolf Bay and it materialised on the sand. Jackie emerged first before followed by Rose and the Time family.
Jackie scrunched up her face in disgust as she realized where she was. "Ugh, fat lot of good this is! We're in bloody Norway!" Jackie turned to look at the Time-Lord's. They never knew about Tony and she knew they had a right to know in the few moments they had left. Besides, they had a daughter of their own now! "I'm gonna have to phone your father. He's on the nursery run." She glanced at the Time family. "I was pregnant a few years ago. I had a baby boy."
"Congratulations. What did you name him?" Braxiatel enquired politely. He hoped this new addition of the Tyler family would be so clingy or argumentative this time.
"Irving." Jackie replied offhandedly.
Braxiatel blinked, not exactly sure what to say to this. "...Really?"
Jackie rolled her eyes, whacking him on the arm. As if she would name her child after Braxiatel. "No, you plum. He's called Tony!" Thyra giggled.
Rose turned around angrily at the Time family, fighting back her tears. "Hold on, we're back in the parallel universe."
"You're back home." Romana told her coldly. "Where you belong. Now that the walls of the world are closing again, now that the Reality Bomb never happened it is a dimension retro-closure."
Donna blinked at her before shaking her head as she let the wind whip at her face before putting her hands in her pockets to keep warm. "I think I understood half of that."
"No, but I spent all that time looking for yo-"
"You weren't looking for me Rose." Romana retorted, knowing she was telling the truth. Rose was never looking for her. She had lost all respect for Rose and Romana wished briefly that Rose was still the same person she had met during the Auton invasion all those years ago. "You were looking for my Mate. You destroyed millions of worlds out there by simply travelling from one dimension to the other. You've broken my trust and friendship and that's something I can never forgive you for. After everything I have done for you Rose...after all I have done for you only to be treated like dirt?"
Braxiatel stepped beside Romana. "Besides, we have our daughter. You have your life here. I think it's time you stepped down from your Torchwood and destroyed those dimension jumps once and for all. You've caused so much damage already and you need to fix it." Tears began to roll down Rose's cheek, knowing Braxiatel was right.
Romana gave Braxiatel a lingering look. "We need to go. This reality is sealing itself off." She, Braxiatel, Thyra and Donna began to turn back to the TARDIS and Rose went after them.
"But it's still not right." Rose shouted out angrily and they stopped and turned to look at her. "How could you have given birth to Thyra? What about...the...scar." She indicated towards Thyra's left eye. "I thought all Time-Lord's could heal."
"Why would it matter to you?" Braxiatel raised an eyebrow at her, finding the topic of Thyra's birth a touchy topic. It was not a topic they wanted to discuss with Rose and after today, he certainly didn't feel like talking about it. "On how Thyra was born? She's our daughter. My daughter. One day you may have children of your own and then maybe, maybe you will understand."
The TARDIS gave a low grinding noise and Donna went back into the TARDIS with Romana and Thyra. Rose gave one last longing look at Braxiatel. "Stay with me." She pleaded him but Braxiatel merely turned on his heel and left her standing there, Rose crying as he closed the TARDIS door upon her.
"Onwards?" Braxiatel suggested to them as he walked up the console.
Donna look slightly guilty, running a hand through her ginger hair nervously. "Actually...I want to go home." The Time-Lord's stopped and stared at her.
The Time family arrived at Donna's house, Donna leading them in to be greeted by Wilf. "Haha! My girl! I told you, Sylvia, I told you she'd be back!" He and Donna embraced each other tightly before he noticed all her luggage that she had in her hand. "Donna?"
"I'm coming back home Gramps." Donna told him softly as they entered the sitting room just as a thunderstorm began to rumble outside. She hated making this decision but she had to. She had to leave before she got turned into a soldier or before something worse happened to her. That and her Gramps needed her. She couldn't keep on leaving him like this despite all the wonderful moments she had with the Time family. "I'm coming home."
"Is that Donna?" Sylvia asked hopefully as she barged into the sitting room and she smiled as she saw the Time family and Donna. "Oh Donna!" She ran and hugged her daughter tightly, Donna hugging her mother, smiling warmly.
Donna sat down and Thyra climbed into her Auntie's lap, feeling sad at the fact that she had to leave. "Do you have to go Auntie Donna?" Thyra asked, looking up at her Auntie as they cuddled. "Do you really have to go?"
"I don't want to leave you either kid, but the thing is...I've seen so many amazing things whilst travelling with you and your parents. I know now that there are worlds out there that are safe in the sky because of us and that here are people in the light singing songs of us. But...I know that everything has to end and I think my time in the TARDIS has come to an end to." Wilfred's eyes were shining with tears. "More importantly, it's time you concentrated on your education and I know how important education is to you and your family."
"You are the most important woman in the whole wide universe Donna." Romana told her with a smile and Donna blinked, looking surprised.
"She still is. She's my daughter." Sylvia told her shortly.
Romana narrowed her eyes at Sylvia. She needed to put across to Sylvia to stop bringing her daughter down. To encourage her rather than dishearten her and to let her become the woman that Donna needed to be. "Then maybe you should tell her that once in a while." Sylvia looked somewhat guilty at Donna before Romana looked back at her friend. "I'm glad you've decided to leave on your own accord. You know travelling with us is never safe or easy and if you had continued on travelling with us, something bad may have happened to you."
"But you've left on your accord." Braxiatel continued who was sitting next to Romana, his hands clasped together tightly in his laps. "Where we know you are safe and that is what matters to us."
"Auntie Donna," Thyra began, chewing her bottom lip nervously. "You will still be there for my Untempered Schism ceremony? Since I'm now eight years old?"
"Untempered Schis-what?" Wilfred asked, confused.
Braxiatel looked at him. "It's a tradition amongst our people," He began as he and Sylvia were listening carefully. "The Untempered Schism is an opening in the space and time continuum and it is an initiation ceremony for the children of Gallifrey entering their Academic years at the age of eight."
"Of course kid! Plus, you and your parents better still keep visiting me all right? Otherwise, I'll drag your bums down to Earth." Donna laughed. She wouldn't miss Thyra's ceremony for the world and she knew how much they have been talking about it over the time on the TARDIS."But yes, I will be there for your Untempered Schism ceremony. I know how much you have been looking forward to it."
"I think it's time we went and got Thyra prepared for it." Romana commented, standing up. Knowing if she didn't leave now, they'll never leave the Noble's household and Thyra jumped out of Donna's lap before shaking Donna's hand. "Thank you for everything Donna. We couldn't have done it without you."
"Yes. Thank you. Without you, we wouldn't be where we are today." Braxiatel gave her a curt nod, heading towards the door with Wilfred trailing behind. Thyra stepped outside and it was dark and tipping with rain, the thunder still rumbling depressingly in the background. Thyra stood in the rain, smiling for she loved it when the weather was like this. "Atmospheric disturbance. You humans are going to have quite a bit of this I'm afraid. It'll pass."
"Everything will pass." Romana told him softly almost to herself before holding his hand and Wilfred watched them a little anxiously as the Time-Lord's began to turn and make their way back to the TARDIS. "Goodbye Wilfred."
Wilfred nodded just as the adult Time-Lord's stepped out into the rain near Thyra. "Oh, Romana, Braxiatel..." Wilfred began hesitantly and the Time-Lord's looked back at him. "What about you two now? Who've you got? I mean, all those friends of yours...?"
"They've all got someone else. Besides, we have each other." Braxiatel replied, holding his arm out for Romana who gingerly linked her arm through his. "I think it's time we've spent some quality time together as a family for a while mmm?"
"I'll watch out for you all." Wilfred told them, meaning every word he was going to say. These Time-Lord's have changed his granddaughter's live. They have made her a better person and Wilfred would always be grateful for them for everything they have done not only to his Granddaughter but to the Earth as well. "Every night, when it gets dark...and the stars come out...I'll look up and I'll look up at the sky and think of you and your family." His voice breaks a little. "And all the wonderful things you all do for us."
"Thank you." Romana whispered gratefully and without another word, the three of them headed back to the TARDIS, not noticing Wilfred saluting as it dematerialised.
The Time family watch the rota rise and fall gently, the TARDIS eerily silent now without all the humans crowded around the console room and Romana shook her head, getting rid of the water and she sighed tiredly before looking at her family. "I think it's time we all got some rest before the ceremony. Thyra, come with me and let's get you changed." She took grabbed hold of her daughter's hand before looking at Braxiatel. "Are you coming my love?"
Braxiatel took off his sodden jacket before meeting Romana's eyes. "I'll join you in a few minutes. I have...a few matters to attend to before my past self arrives." He told her and Romana nodded in understanding before leaving him alone.
Braxiatel walked away into a separate room near his office, a room that not even Romana knows about and he dried his hands and hair as he went before he walked towards a large safe. He carefully unlocked it and he opened the safe to find the original and perhaps one of the most famous paintings of all time in Earth's history; Dali the Persistence of Memory stored carefully away and ready to be taken to his Collection with the paperwork waiting nearby. He smirked, satisfied that it was still kept away safely before he closed the door once more.