Prologue : The Fall of Galaxies
Out in space, it is dark and dormant as a crypt. Silent and endless. The stars shine like the love of God, cold and remote. Time here is full and treads slowly past. History bears down upon you, the weight of the centuries and millennia, in the pitch black heart of the Universe. Within this blackness life is lost and only death can be found. And deeper within that darkness, in an ancient and forbidden sanctum to the majestic lost Lords of Time, a sinister cabal has gathered from all corners of creation. From the past, the present, the future. The old, the new, the unknown, the unknowable.
The chamber of the temple was large, barely lit and magnificently decorated.
The figures in the shadows sat and stood around a long ornate stone table, with great etched High Gallifreyan seals and symbols of royalty shining in the dim eerie light of the chamber. Barely visible were the words Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici that lined the edges of the table up to where the throne stood, high and mighty, and all heads were bowed down in its direction. The Emperor sitting upon throne was veiled in shadow and it seemed to the naked eye that the seat were to be almost empty. You could barely make out his silhouette as though he seemed to be made of the surrounding darkness itself. But nonetheless an ominous energy emanated from him, repelling all others unworthy to claim authority and leadership over this sinister council. The secret empire that he has seemingly forged simply with dark words and dangerous whispers.
Rassilon sat on the right and closest to the Emperor, casting a contemptuous eye down upon all the others around him. Savages, machines and monsters not worthy to have set one foot or claw into this Temple of Time. Such a holy place this used to be. The Sanctum of the Exalted. They tainted it. The Cybermen, Sontarans, Rutans, Ogrons, Sycorax, Draconians, Autons, Zygons. All but a few of those present. All the greatest killers, butchers and warmongers not yet massacred to beyond extinction, had gathered and were now -Rassilon could barely regard them as intelligent beings let alone as- allies.
Then the silence broke, footsteps heard from outside the temple doors and verily they swung open without the need for touch - only for a Time Lord. The Temple of Time was wise to such presence of Time Lords and readily opened for their kind. A heavily cloaked figure entered the halls and all eyes turned to face it. There was a silence of apprehension as the figure stood dark against the light and hidden under the cloak that was singed and scorched, smoke and ember trailing.
Getting closer, the figure immediately got on one knee and bowed to the Emperor who remained still and unmoved.
"Who dares?" Rassilon boomed, gripping tightly his glove and staff. A faint glow of blue lit around him like a deathly halo.
"IDENTIFY!" screeched the Cyberleader, lights flashing angrily and gun aimed to kill.
"It is I," muttered the figure stepping forwards, pulling back the cloak and hood revealing a badly scarred face of a woman. Immediately Rassilon's glow sizzled and died but the interest of the cabal sharpened as they stiffened in anticipation. "The Rani. I have returned from my task."
"Have you succeeded?" asked the Dark Emperor, his voice drawling with great malice and lethal intent. Glowing green eyes lit up as he spoke as though he had only now awakened and set themselves fast upon the Rani's bowing head. The others looked away, fidgeted or took a step back as though fearful the gaze might burn or petrify them.
"Yes my lord," breathed the Rani anxiously. "As we have predicted, the Doctor believes he has healed the fractured vortex and saved the Universe."
"Then the part of the Time Lord's deal in this is done," declared Rassilon proudly to the Emperor. "The stage is set and all our players are now in place. The first act is complete."
"However, I have urgent news," interrupted the Rani as softly as she could, hoping that she may not have been heard. Her eyes darted fearfully on the floor, unable to find strength or courage to lift her head.
"Speak," hissed the darkness immediately. The Emperor seemed to know a secret was being hidden from him.
There was a long silence before the Rani dared to speak again.
"The daughter of the Doctor has escaped," said the Rani, her voice being barely audible even in the still silence. "And they are now reunited."
The atmosphere changed at once: a tense and fearful murmur spread throughout the chamber which grew steadily into angry protests. The council looked overwrought, watching the Rani, both wanting her to go on it seemed and slightly afraid of what else they might hear. Rassilon's eyes burned a firestorm and he began to glow once more empowered by his glove. However, the Emperor remained silent.
"You fool!" roared Rassilon, stamping his staff onto the marble floor with such fury that it cracked and hot white streaks of energy sparked from it. "Their reunion will spell disaster for us all. Have you forgotten or have you not heard the prophecy? The child is the key to all this."
The Emperor held up a large, gloved hand and Rassilon subsided immediately, staring ferociously down at the Rani who avoided his gaze.
"It matters not what has been said," declared the Emperor from down the table, his glowing green eyes glinting in some light. "Time can be rewritten and so, we shall do it from the beginning. All that has come to pass shall be no more as we rend this reality apart."
The cabal round the table watched the Emperor apprehensively, each of them by their expression seemed to be in either fear or awe of what was being said. The Cybermen and Sontarans turned and eyed one another furtively, wondering what it all meant for their own continued existence.
"We shall alter the past. Send your greatest armies and fighters to find them. Kill the Doctor if you have to. Slaughter his companions as well, but the child must not be harmed. Recapture her."
"But my Lord, is the Doctor not also part of the plan?" asked Rassilon hastily.
"Yes but at this point, the child is of greater importance to me than him. Without her we cannot move forwards. The Doctor's is our enemy but she is to be our asset and weapon with which we will utterly break and destroy not only him but all others who oppose us. One leads to the other. Find her and we will receive the Doctor. Take as many planets and lives as you have to but remember I want the child alive. Do not fail me lest you wish to suffer my wrath."
"It shall be done," echoed the company.
"Soon, as the galaxy crumbles and tears, broken by the cracks of doom, and we finally cut away the cancer and canker that infects us, threatening the health of the rest, a great and final silence will fall. All sinners shall face the Judgement of the Child. And there shall be no respite for the so-called Champion of Time, the Doctor… I've waited eons for you."