Chapter Twenty-Two

Lady Asta

"She's feeling the effects of the open gateway," the Doctor called from the control room. "Quickly, your Highness, get her into the TARDIS. It will protect her while I close everything down."

Juris swept Asta into his arms, turning to see his father was already making his way to the police box. Peri made to follow, only to stop just outside the open doorway. She watched as the Time Lord worked in the control room, realizing, with a bit of a shock, that he had never been up there before. The newly constructed facility was not even operational, yet he seemed to know exactly where everything was. Had he been given this knowledge during his telepathic conference with Asta?

Peri was jolted out of her thoughts by the sound of pounding fists that suddenly filled the room. The Doctor came clambering down the stairs, the control panel under his arm. "The powers that be seem to want to come in here rather badly," he remarked as he gently guided his companion into the TARDIS. "I think it's time we left."

The police box dematerialized just as the doors to the generator area burst open. A group of angry plant workers flooded into the room and then stopped dead. To their dismay, it was empty.

Jason was examining the recovering Asta when the Doctor and Peri entered the console room. As soon as the TARDIS was in flight, the Time Lord turned to his old friend. "Well, Healer Jason, what's the diagnosis?"

The monarch looked up, he himself being amazed by his findings. "She's Alterran. All the way down to her atomic makeup. How on earth did you do it?"

"I didn't. She did," the Doctor replied succinctly. "Emc², remember? Instead of mass becoming energy, energy became mass."

Asta smiled weakly when Jason turned a questioning look in her direction. "The Doctor was able to direct the energy field using the light speed overdrive system from his TARDIS," she in formed. "Once it was connected into the control systems of the power plant, we were able to coordinate our efforts to create this physical form."

"But even your DNA is accurate," Jason remarked in awe. "How did you come up with the blueprint?"

"I got it from you," Asta replied mildly, explaining that she had utilized the extensive amount of information stored in Jason's own memory to create the physical being she would become.

"Why couldn't I've been born stupid?" Jason sighed, shaking his head. He looked over to his grinning son. "Juris, she looks like…"

"The Black Star, I know," the Prince replied somewhat guiltily. "That's how she was before. Cold and unemotional."

Shaking his head again, Jason asked, "How am I ever going to explain this to your mother?"

Prince Juris made no reply, knowing explanations to the Queen were the least of his troubles.

Commander Daniels was relieved when his sovereign returned from the power plant unharmed and in surprisingly good spirits. The officer informed him of the miraculous events that had taken place during his absence. Riots had abruptly ceased. Striking workers had simply up and returned to their jobs. Even the Solar Generators had mysteriously realigned themselves. The list went on and on. It was as if everything had suddenly gone back to the way it had been more than a year earlier.

Of course, the occupants of the TARDIS knew exactly what had happened to cause this resurgence of normality, but only the Lord Emperor of Alterrous (Jason's own sovereign) would ever learn the whole story.

The official story, while being accurate, was not entirely true. It stated that when Ormril's influence overshadowed the planet through the dimensional fissure, it created alien energies that had an adverse effect on persons found to be telepathic, some of which were effected to the point of total personality breakdown; Farrell being the most obvious case. The Chief Inquisitor became the key figure in the ensuing conspiracy and was named as the one responsible for the subjugation of Crown Prince Juris by way of his abominable mind probe.

Asta told Jason later, and privately, the complete details surrounding Juris' involvement. Ormril had initially attempted to take control of the Prince, but found retaining it next to impossible, the boy's will being too strong for him to completely overcome. All he did was produce the headaches Juris had complained of shortly after his arrival. Eventually he used Farrell, who tricked the Prince into thinking he could rid him of the troubling migraines using the mind probe that he told the boy was a medical scanning device. Once there, Juris was drugged and placed on the machine, allowing Asta to extract his restraining life force without damaging his body, giving her Master complete control over him and a permanent unencumbered bridge.

The testimonies of the officer who administered the drug as well as the mind probe operator absolved the Crown Prince of all charges, including treason. In light of the evidence pouring forth, it was obvious he was not the only one to have been used against his will.

Asta's sudden presence was slightly more difficult to explain, so Jason chose not to even try, simply introducing her as his ward (one of several) and leaving it at that. While this unexpected development puzzled Asta—now Lady Asta—it delighted Prince Juris, as it allowed him to stay close without arousing suspicion.

The Prince was not the only one keeping a close eye on the newly formed noblewoman. The Doctor had been watching her too, and after only a few hours of existence it seemed to him that she was no longer the all-powerful being she had been in the energy field. After more than a day this seemed even more likely and he asked if this were the case. Asta confessed to the fact that she did not know, having been too busy trying to adjust to the confines of a solid physical form. She then told him that she suspected Ormril may have attempted to cross when her transformation occurred, possibly destroying himself and cutting off all access to her former powers. The Doctor asked how she would feel if this turned out not to be the case and she confided that she hoped her powers would never manifest themselves. She felt she owed it to Juris not to terrorize people anymore, something her powers always seemed to do. Her matter of fact response astounded the Doctor. Whether Asta realized it or not, she was an Alterran in every sense of the word and the Time Lord marveled at how thoroughly Juris had been able to instill the nobler qualities of his race into the one time creature of destruction. It also greatly eased the Doctor's mind, as he now had no doubts that he had been right to free her.

A few days after normality returned to the planet, the Doctor noticed at least one of Asta's abilities manifesting itself. During an informal gathering she became annoyed by the stray thoughts of the guests, verifying the Time Lord's suspicions that she was still a very powerful telepath. Upon further investigation, he found Juris was developing similar characteristics, possibly due to his having been utilized as the pathway during his lengthy captivity.

The moment he recognized the signs, the Doctor knew the Royal pair needed to be sent for formal training and guidance immediately. He passed these observations on to the King, suggesting Gallifrey as the best place for this specialized training.

Jason knew the Doctor was right, but still resisted. He had nearly lost his son and could not bring himself to send him away so soon.

"Jason, don't let your emotions get in the way of your better judgment," the Doctor said firmly. "Just watch them and you'll see what I'm talking about. Juris answers her when she hasn't spoken. It's just like you and Shadra."

The King's eyes widened. This had obviously escaped his notice.

"You've had expert training, if I do say so myself," the Time Lord pointed out. "And I know for a fact that you had difficulty adjusting at first. How do you think Juris will handle it with no training at all?"

After a long pause, Jason looked meaningfully at the Doctor. "I hate it when you're right all the time," he remarked, bringing a smile to his friend's face. Heaving a resigned sigh, he conceded, "Alright, you win—again. I'll give the orders so everything can be arranged."