The Doctor followed the path back to bridge. Three corridors away, he became suspicious. There were no guards or Zriekan crew anywhere, which made him decidely nervous. They knew he was coming, but there was no other option. He had to get back to the bridge. If Sandi had found Shandaiah, then that was where she would most likely be heading. If she wasn't in Engineering or the Pod Room, she would probably be planning to take back the ship and pilot it somewhere safe. The Doctor stopped running and began walking. He needed time to formulate a plan, but unfortunately, if he didn't think of one soon, there wouldn't be any time whatsoever.

The Doctor approached the door that led to the bridge on soft, quiet feet. He waited outside. The distinctive soft clicking and whirring partnered with the thin metallic voices confirmed the Doctor's worst fears. The Zriekas were on the bridge. He breathed out a long, soft breath as he slid down the wall, deciding on his next step.

'What to do, what to do, what to do...' The Doctor murmured to himself. It was most unlike him to not have formulated a plan already, but the odds were severely stacked against him. He still had no idea where Sandi was or even if she was still alive. The Zriekas were already on the bridge, which meant that there was a slim, but highly unlikely chance that they now had full control of the ship. Then again, even if they didn't, if he went parading in there like a madman with, as Sandi had bluntly put it, a light-up screwdriver, he would be forced to reactivate the main transport controls even to escape the Zriekas, which would give them full access to Time Lord technology.

Then there was Shandaiah.

The Doctor was in two minds over the so-called source of time. The truth of the matter was that if she was his ally, then that would save a lot of hassle. If, in fact, she didn't like the Time Lords at all, then he'd have two problems to deal with. Personally, he'd rather deal with Zriekas, he thought desperately. The Doctor peered around the doorframe. The tall cyborgs inside didn't seem to be paying much attention whatsoever. He breathed deeply again, wishing that there was another option. But there didn't seem to be.

The Doctor stood up, walked onto the bridge and smiled.

---------

Sandi, I will find him. I will save him. Trust in me as I have in you for so long.

Shandaiah felt the disturbance in time. It rippled like a cool breeze over her skin as she saw what was to happen. Her eyes narrowed. Anger exploded through her.

'No-one steals my Doctor!' The Source roared.

Behind her, the time vortex split open and screamed.

---------

The Doctor was forced to his knees, hands bound behind his back. One of the guards had his sonic screwdriver. The Master strolled over casually.

I trust you didn't make it far, Doctor? After all, your precious friend is still aboard, I believe.

The Doctor shuddered as the word friend was spat out like a bitter pill. He forced a smile.

'Yep, that's why I'm still here. I'm a great believer in friendship, love... all those lovely, wonderful things! Quite useful under the proper application.'

So the Cybermen discovered when your friends helped you destroy them.

'Nothing wrong with a little demonstration.'

Were you planning on demonstrating to us?

'Well, yeah, that was the plan, wasn't it? But after Sandi disappeared, it all went bottomly-up, didn't it? So here I am, with my fingers crossed that you aren't going to kill me yet.'

We are considering it. Of course, there is the chance that we could be persuaded otherwise.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, his mouth growing stern.

'How so?'

Show us how to manipulate Time Lord technology. We wish to learn it's secrets.

'And in return you won't kill me? Sorry, but I'll pass,' The Doctor replied defiantly. The Zriekas Master bristled in anger.

You would sacrifice your life and that of the Source to retain the Time Lords secrets?

The Doctor nodded happily, finally cottoning on to the Zriekas' plan. They weren't out to kill him, not yet. The explosion in the lift was meant only to injure him sufficiently to pose no threat to them. They needed him. He was the only one who knew exactly how to run the ship, pilot it, use its technology, reactivate its...

He went cold. The smile slipped from his face and his eyes opened fearfully.

'You have Time Lord weaponry, don't you?'

The question hung over the room like a deadly gas. Whosoever breathed first was dead. The Master shifted slightly.

Perhaps. By nature, the Zriekas are a scavenger race, picking through the remnants of dead planets, taking whatever we can use. When we survived the Time War, we searched long and hard for the remnants of Gallifrey, thought to have been removed from space and time.

'It was removed from space and time!'

We know. What remained of the planet, we discovered in a lost corner of the void during a reconnisance mission. We took what appeared to be useable, including what we believe to be part of its arsenal.

The Doctor felt his mouth go dry. If the Zriekas discovered how to operate any of the ancient equipment, every reality, every universe would be in terrible danger. He pushed his shoulders back in an attempt to appear brave and staunch. Inside, he was shaking in fear.

'You must be insane if you think that I would ever give you the knowledge to activate a Time Lord weapon! They were designed specifically to target races like yours! Threats to time and space and the natural order!' The Doctor roared in desperation. The Master grinned; a chilling, lop-sided grimace shared by the crew present.

Which is why we require your knowledge. Those weapons were designed to target us. We intend to redesign them to target the races we choose. The Zriekas will be scavengers no more.

The Doctor slumped and hung his head as the Master clomped over, pressing his ion cannon against the Time Lord's head.

You have ten seconds to decide, Doctor, the Master hissed. The Doctor looked up, sadly.

'There is only one choice I can take,' he said, his tone holding a note of finality. The Master lessened the pressure against his head.

Then I expect you will assist us?

The Doctor felt numb and a tear escaped over his cheek. I wish I could have said goodbye, Sandi, he thought. He stared boldly up at the Zrieka.

'Then you expect wrong,' he growled. The Zrieka roared, jamming the cannon back to his head. The Doctor closed his eyes and awaited his death.

BOOM

The room was littered with bits of wall and computer as every screen exploded, sending the crew flying backwards to crash on the floor. The Master looked toward the door. The Doctor, grateful to still be alive, peered through half-shut eyelids. The dust cleared quickly, apparently sucked back towards the doorway, in which a tall, humanoid figure with long black hair and glowing eyes stood staring furiously at the Master and his hostage. The Doctor breathed a sigh of relief, an instant grin appearing on his face. He looked up at his captor, who appeared to be dumbstruck.

'Looks like the calvary has arrived after all,' he crowed. The Zrieka frowned, shoving the Doctor slightly away. The figure glowed with an almost blinding golden light but behind it, something altogether different was happening. The corridor was yawning; shrieking and howling, tearing itself to bits before rebuilding itself perfectly. The Doctor stared.

'That... but it can't be, can it? The Time Vortex?!'

'Doctor.'

The figure spoke and the light faded away. Her eyes returned to an icy blue. The Doctor gasped.

'Sandi?'

The girl looked at him sadly.

'I'm sorry, Doctor, I truly am. There was no other choice. She has sacrificed herself for you.'

His blood ran cold. Every joint went numb and his limbs turned to rubber.

'What?'

'Sandi gave up her life to restore mine. She... I... we had to save you.'

So we meet at last, the Master croaked, somewhat less confident than he had before. The young woman narrowed her eyes.

'So its you. The Master of all Zriekas meets the Source of all Time.'

I would say it was an honour, Shandaiah, but that would be a lie. You know why we are here.

Shandaia inclined her head slightly.

'You want lordship over time. Its beginning, its end. You want the gift of being able to bend it, loop it, transform it and use it like a weapon. You want me.'

The Zrieka gave a mock-bow.

And in exchange, we will allow the other Time Lords to survive.

Shandaiah laughed bitterly.

'Do you actually believe that I would even consider allowing my powers to migrate to such a barbaric race? You are tiny, mere ants nipping at my toes in a hope of making me your next victim. So listen, you creatures of time. This ends here!'

As she spoke the words, the corridor's roar grew louder. The Doctor clapped his hands over his ears to shut out the noise as the vortex behind her yawned wider. The Master took a step backwards.

Remember, Shandaiah. Remember your brother, Tarrant. I killed him outside your pod. He cowered in the end, begging for mercy.

Shandaiah was silent as the cyclonic corridor howled behind her. Her eyes glowed like coals, regaining their golden colour.

'Luckily for you, Master, I don't hold a grudge!'

Then time stalled. The Doctor watched helplessly as the time vortex rushed past and through Shandaiah and onwards to envelop the now screaming Zriekas. As the silence settled, he heard a voice whisper in his ear.

'Doctor, can you hear me?'

He turned slowly, much to his surprise, pulling himself out of the stagnant room like he being dragged out of a mudpit. The room was now flooded with light from the vortex as he stared behind him. There, standing in the mangled doorway, was a very familiar sight. Sandi smiled weakly.

'Surprised to see me here?'

The Doctor's mouth fell open and he was struck dumb for a moment. Then he gave a short bark of a laugh, full of relief and joy at seeing his friend.

'Oh God, Sandi! She said you were dead!'

Sandi bit her lip. She moved slightly forward and the Doctor saw the reason she was so nervous. Her body was thin, almost transparent. Light poured through her like she was a stained glass window. Sandi shrugged.

'I am, well, almost. I think I'm about ten or fifteen minutes away from kicking the bucket, but hey, what's new?'

'How can you be here?' The Doctor asked, shaken and confused. Sandi smiled proudly.

'I discovered the reason why my brain is collapsing. Turns out that I have a greatly amplified psychic sense, which is causing my cerebellum to rot and decay at an amazing rate. You'd really be impressed.'

The Doctor looked slightly horrified.

'So you're using Shandaiah's brain the same way as she was using yours, in a way?'

'Yeah, but not for long. Once my body dies, I won't be able to inhabit Shandaiah's body. I'm just borrowing a bit of power from her to send this message. At the moment, I'm just a psychic projection. Just a ghost.'

The Doctor ruffled his hair, grinning slightly.

'You stopped time just to say goodbye. How romantic.'

Sandi laughed, throwing a mock punch.

'Don't get all mushy on me. There's things you need to know.'

'We have all the time in the world,' the Doctor said wryly. Sandi laughed again.

'I wanted you to know that I care so much about you. You protected me when you didn't have to, you knew what it was like to feel the way I did. I just wish that we had spent more time together.'

The Doctor smiled gently.

'We could have had such great adventures, couldn't we?'

Sandi nodded, a wistful look on her face. The forms outside the vortex moved slightly, catching her attention.

'I don't have long. But trust Shandaiah, take care of her. She has your best interests at heart. Plus she's really quite a nice person and a lot like me.'

'So she's borderline insane with a curiousity complex?' the Time Lord quipped, unable to help himself. Sandi shook her head slowly.

'You really are something else, aren't you?'

'I try to be. Last Time Lord in existence and all... oh wait, I'm not. Damn.'

Sandi laughed and the Doctor noticed a transparent tear roll over her cheek. She reached out for him, but then appeared to think better of it.

'How I wish I could touch you,' she whispered. The Doctor felt cold, recalling his goodbye with Rose, realising for the first time what it was like in her shoes. Sandi shook her head.

'Rose isn't dead, she's just too far away to reach. But crossing this void... it's scary. Like standing on the edge of a cliff and taking a leap of faith, praying that you won't fall.'

'I'm sorry,' the Doctor whispered.

'I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I promised I would, but I can't. I can't stop death.'

'There maybe a way for you to say goodbye, face to face,' came another voice. The Doctor stared, open-mouthed, as Shandaiah removed herself from the scene of destruction and moved towards the pair. She grinned humourless.

'You know, all you had to do was ask,' she said to Sandi. Sandi's spectre flushed with colour for a moment.

'I didn't think you'd let me.'

'I'd say I owe you a favour or two for putting me up for the better part of twenty years, don't you?'

'Well, I would have thought the whole "saving my life" thing would have covered that.'

Shandaiah laughed, then her face grew serious. She faced the Doctor, who was clearly having trouble working out what was going on in front of him. She touched his face gently.

'I had such plans for us,' she whispered. The Doctor's face contorted with confusion.

'What do you mean? What's going on? Will someone please start explaining what's happening here?!?'

The two girls laughed heartily at his baffled expression. Shandaiah elaborated.

'I can get you out of here, but I'm not going to survive. My body is going to be destroyed once I obliterate the ship.'

'Then don't do it!'

Sandi shook her head.

'She has to. It's the only way we can rid the universe of the Zriekas and trust me, Doctor, if we allow them to escape they will pose a bigger threat than the Daleks and Cybermen collectively. Believe me, if there was another way, we would have taken it.'

Shandaiah put her hands on the Doctor's shoulders.

'Here's the plan and don't argue, because I'm not good at listening. In a moment, I'm going to pull a temporal shift and put you and Sandi back on your TARDIS several hundred miles away. That should be far enough away to stop the blast from causing any damage. If I'm right and I usually am, Sandi might just have the strength to say goodbye in person. At least this way, you'll be able to hold her.'

She turned to Sandi's ghost.

'You know what? I'm really going to miss you. You weren't a gracious host, but damn if you weren't good fun.'

Sandi laughed, clapping her hands.

'Yeah, you weren't so bad yourself. Take care, yeah?'

Shandaiah winked cheekily.

'Always have. You too, yeah? Well, I mean, for as long as you can.'

Sandi nodded. She faded away, the ghostly apparition disappearing from view, leaving the Doctor alone with Shandaiah. He held out a hand.

'Good luck,' he said softly. The Source smiled gently and shook his hand.

'You too. I'm sorry that I couldn't save her.'

'You've given me a chance to say goodbye properly. I have to be grateful for that.'

She nodded. Stepping back, Shandaiah spread her arms wide. Her eyes began to glow with an unworldly light. Tears streamed down her face.

'Goodbye, Doctor,' she whispered. The light grew unbearably bright and the Doctor fainted.

---------

Sandi felt the swift change of ground beneath her as her eyes fluttered open. It was all so hard now. She recognised the familiar floor of the Doctor's TARDIS and smiled tiredly. Shandaiah had done it. She struggled to sit up, her breathing ragged and her head on fire. Across the room, on the other side of the control panels and looking a little worse for wear, lay a familiar form.

'Doctor?' Sandi croaked. The body shifted slightly and issued a low moan, pulling itself upright and rubbing its head. She laughed in relief.

'Oh good lord, you're alive!'

The Doctor squinted at her, then peered around at his surroundings.

'Did she do it? Did we make it?' The Time Lord asked groggily. Sandi crawled over and snuggled into his still-weak arms.

'Yeah, we made it,' she whispered. He tightened his arms around her.

'I'm so glad we did. So glad,' he murmured into her messy hair. Suddenly, an intensive wave of pain enveloped Sandi's head. She screamed with pain and clutched the Doctor's arm in a vice-grip. Colour drained from his face.

'I almost forgot,' he groaned. Sandi struggled to look up at him. The Doctor gasped. Her eyes were severly bloodshot, her face almost purple. He grabbed her head and quickly scanned her brain with the sonic screwdriver.

'Oh God, your brain... its... its almost completely disintegrated! Its barely holding itself together by just a few neurons... its amazing you've survived this much,' he choked. Sandi grinned weakly.

'Not... not bad for a useless human who likes to play with ancient relics, huh? I said you'd be impressed,' she coughed, spitting blood before collapsing against him. He grabbed her and watched in horror as her eyes rolled back in her head. Her heaving chest stilled and her arms went limp. The Doctor wept silently as he cradled the dead girl close, sending an unheard prayer to every God that he had never believed in.

---------

The Time Vortex howled around Shandaiah as it engulfed the Zriekas, tearing them atom from atom. The aliens shrieked and screamed, clawing at the rapidly dissolving control panels, desperate to survive. The Master remained perfectly still.

You would destroy yourself, the ship and everyone aboard, Shandaiah? Hath Time no mercy?

'The Doctor is safe. That is all I need to know,' she replied, increasing the ferocity of the vortex around her. The Master afforded her a smile of defeat.

And that is what matters most. Those whom you love. I hope he is worth it, Source. I hope that your Doctor is worth slaughtering the Zriekas, the last remaining Time Lords and your own physical form to save.

As the Master passed away and Shandaiah's own body began to disintegrate as the ship peeled itself apart, a tear slid over her cheek.

'No, he was more than worth it,' she whispered.

---------

The ship tore itself apart from the inside. Shining cracks appeared in its outer hull and then, suddenly, it exploded in a silent orange fireball with such force that it rocked the TARDIS considerably. But momentarily, if one had been looking incredibly carefully in the right direction with the right equipment, it would have been noted that five escape pods jettisoned just before the explosion, firing off in different directions at tremendous speed to find a safe planet to rest on.

All that remained where the ship had been was an empty status pod, floating alone in space with the name SHANDAIAH engraved on a bronze plaque on the base.