Claudia's eyes flew open. Before her were the two concerned faces of Artie and Pete.

"You're alive!" Cried Pete. Claudia's breath was knocked out of her.

"Uh Pete...Pete I can't breath. Get off me!" Claudia grimaced.

"Do you feel alright?" Artie asked concernedly.

Claudia smiled. "Just a pounding headache." In fact she almost laughed. A headache was not the best way to describe her predicament. She had just had all of time and space poured into her head..a headache was hardly the right answer.

"Are you sure?" Asked Pete. "Is that all?"

"I'm fine," Claudia said brushing dirt from her hair.

"We tried to call the Doctor but-"

"No don't! I mean I'm fine. See I'm fine pfft it's all good," Claudia laughed. If the Doctor got one look at her he would know her secret.

"Great! Now let's get out of this forest, that tree is glaring at us," Artie sounded just plain paranoid.

Both Warehouse agents cocked their heads. Even though they were on another planet they doubted that the trees had eyes...It was just Artie being paranoid again...All the same they followed him down the hill, back towards the citadel.

By the end of the day they had reached the outskirts of the city. At the large gate there stood a young centurion. He was dressed simply in a red robe, around his neck was a stiff collar of scarlet. Hanging from a chain was the insignia of the Time Lords.

"Halt. Who goes there?" He asked. Though he pretended to be brave his voice trembled.

"I thought they stopped saying that when you were just a boy Artie," joked Claudia.

Instead of a retort Artie just shoved his doctor's bag into her arms, thoroughly winding her. "A man sent us here, he goes by the name of The Doctor."

The boy's eyes widened. "I must take you to see the Great Rassilion and the Splendid Romana the second. You will yield." When he pointed the spear at them they followed his suggestion and 'yielded'.

He led them through the maze of streets, all the shutters were locked and all the doors closed. The initial sense of the citadel was an abandoned city, a ghost town. Their footsteps clattered almost raucously on the red cobblestones. They were headed to the middle of the fortress, where a spire rose up greater than all the rest.

At the doors two more centurions stood guard. The great round doors were the same insignia as around the necks of the two centurions. The golden gates glowed in the setting suns.

"Who are these civilians, soldier?" asked the one on the left.

"They claim they were sent by a man called the Doctor," at the name of their friend both soldiers stiffened. "I brought them to see the Great Rassilion and the Splendid Romana the second."

"Of course," it was never that his voice had been welcoming but now his voice was down right chilly.

Here they were left by the soldier who had led them through the city, and the grand doors opened into a dim hall. The stouter one continued to lead them to the back of the cylindrical hall. "Please step on those glowing pads," he said gruffly. They did, and suddenly the pads rose up into the air.

"Whoa! How does this work?" Asked Pete in amazement.

"Well there are air shafts below the metal floor, and they are in perfect harmony until-" Claudia realized she had gone too far when everyone was looking strangely at them.

"How did you know that?" asked the soldier. "If you were Time Lords I would understand...wait who are you? You look like species from the planet Earth..If the Doctor really did send you, he must have used his stolen Tardis..."

"Stolen?!" Exclaimed Artie. He couldn't believe he had indulged a criminal..although this is a bit hypocritcal, his past hasn't exactly been a clean slate.

"Yes. Stolen," the guard continued to mutter under his breath.

They wondered what to he was muttering when they had arrived at their destination. The air pads came to a stop. "Get off," the officer growled.

They stepped off into a dimly lit hall. At the end were wooden doors, an elaborate iron bar locked across the door. The officer unlocked the door using the insignia around his neck. When the door swung open they nervously entered.

Inside the doors was a round floor two people stood in the light, well one was sitting the other was standing. Around them was an arena shrouded in darkness. Between the two people was a table. Almost as if they were planning out battle strategics.

"Dimitri, what is this interruption?" a man's voice called out, the same man in the center. He was beginning to bald, his hair was grey and his expression grim. His red robes were more elaborate than any of the others. This was Rassilion. On his silvery tunic was the insignia of the Time Lords.

"I'm sorry my lord, these beings claim they were sent by The Doctor," Dimitri (the guard who had brought them here) said. As he said it there was a ripple of voices in the dark arena. Whoever they thought the Doctor was...it was serious.

The woman stood suddenly. "The Doctor? Is he here? What-"

"Silence Romana," Rassilion said contemptuously. "He abandoned us, we thought he was a great leader, a warrior, but now he believes we should give up. I won't accept that."

"But what about your suggestion, about the Ultimate Sanction?"

"Silence Romana, we can't have these strangers know our plans. What if they are spies?" Rassilion hissed, though it could be heard through the entire room.

"We're not spies, I swear," Artie cried.

"A spie's word is hardly something to go on," Rassilion cried.

"We come bearing a message," Pete called out, "from the Doctor."

Romana sat in her throne. "Well what is it?"

"Romana!"

"Silence Rassilion. These people would not risk their life unless it was important. Speak," she ordered.

"The Doll-licks-"

"You mean Daleks," Claudia corrected.

"Oh right," Artie grumbled. "Well the Daleks have found a way to reenter the Time War. They are bringing reinforcements."

Romana paled, Rassilion clenched his hands, and all around the room there were whispers.

"We can't afford reinforcements from their side, we are already losing 10 to 1. Is the Doctor bringing reinforcements for us as well?" A woman cried out from the stands.

"The Doctor believes that you need to continue with your original plans, he will stop the Daleks from bringing reinforcements," Claudia said diplomatically.

All around the room disputes began, the war council was in much more of a state of confusion before.

"Wait!" if anything could be said about Rassilion's voice it was certainly commanding. "Who are you? And how did you get here? Answer truthfully, or die."

And with that ultimatum I will leave you lovely readers hanging. I hope you aren't too mad at me for forgetting this story. I have had a bit of writer's block, but now I believe I know where this story is headed...maybe Please leave comments after the beep.

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