Author's Notes:

If you've read this far, thank you. I hope it's been an entertaining read. Any comments, criticisms or feedback are, of course, gratefully appreciated.

Leto recognised the medical bay of the Master's TARDIS quickly enough, but as all her limbs seemed to be intact and there were no wires or tubes extending from her body, she assumed it was safe to move despite the pounding in her head. She dressed quickly and quietly, before making her way to the console room.

The walk took longer than she expected as her limbs started to ache and she was convinced someone was now chipping away at the inside of her skull. "I feel like the Senate collapsed on top of me," she said as she stepped through the doorway.

"If you wish to apply the metaphor to psychokinetic energy, then it is not inappropriate." The Master looked up from the console, finished checking co-ordinates. "You'll feel better in a few days."

"Might I ask what happened?"

The Master smiled. "Of course. There was a miscommunication of information concerning the artefacts."

Leto raised an eyebrow, showing as much scepticism as she dared. "They didn't do what you expected?"

"Indeed not. And it seems I must thank you, for not killing Peron. A fortuitous mistake on your part and one that saved me a great deal of...inconvenience."

She shrugged. "I didn't mean to leave him alive. I wasn't familiar with the weapon."

"No matter, my dear. Now we have other things to attend to."

"Is the TARDIS in flight?"

"It was. We have, in fact, just landed. I think you might be interested in our destination." He touched the scanner control.

Leto took a step towards the monitor. "But that's my world. That's the capital."

"Indeed. We have materialised on the south slope of one of the mountains overlooking the city."

She looked at him, her eyes steady. "I don't understand."

The Master said nothing, but opened the doors of his ship and turned to Leto. He touched her hand with his gloved one, before clasping her fingers in his and leading her outside.

"The plague," she murmured, but that did not stop her taking deep breaths of the air. There was a chemical sting in the back of her throat and she couldn't help but cough.

"It won't affect you. You were right, there was, is, a small proportion of the population immune to its effects." She started, made to pull her hand away, but he caught her. "I didn't know until I treated your injury from the artefact. Once I discovered that I checked the situation here."

"And?"

"And there are survivors."

"How many?"

"On the planet? Forty, perhaps forty-five thousand."

Leto closed her eyes. "Out of over three billion."

The Master continued as though she had not spoken, "But there is no leadership, no real organisation. The upper echelons of society were finished by the plague."

She gave a soft snort. "As I recall quite a few were shot."

"The planet's information network is inaccessible; the secure government buildings, the remaining military resources: these things cannot be used by the survivors. They lack knowledge of security clearances and locations. They do not know how to function without your Senate, and they have slipped back to virtual barbarism."

"A wise prince," Leto began to recite, "will seek means by which his people will always and in every possible condition have need of his government." She met the Master's eyes. "And then they will always be faithful to him."

"I am familiar with the text."

"I imagined you would be." She let her eyes rest on the smouldering city, let them follow an unfamiliar skyline. Could there really be people still alive down there? She was almost afraid to let her mind reach out, try to sense the life that might be fighting for survival in there. "I gave you my oath."

"And now I am letting you go. You are absolved."

She shook her head. "But why?"

The Master gave a slight shrug. "As I believe I told you before: I can always make use of a grateful population. If I required something from the planet, you would not deny it to me."

"They would not be grateful if they knew who you were."

"Then I shall rely on your discretion."

"So this isn't goodbye?"

The Master placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. "My dear Senator, one might almost think you were growing sentimental." Before she could reply, he gently lifted her chin and kissed her on the lips.

He pulled away, and lifted his hand to touch her cheek with his fingers. "Goodbye, Leto."

She said nothing as he turned on his heel and strode back to the TARDIS, shutting the door firmly behind him.

The ship dematerialised; the sound echoed across the mountainside.

Leto stood, staring at the place where it had landed for several seconds, before turning around and making her way down towards the city.