They are sheltering from Sontaran weapons fire behind piles of junk. Williamson and Yaz are on one side while Dan, Jericho and Kathy are on the other.
"We're defenceless!" Williamson cries.
"We're never defenceless." Yaz retorts.
Kathy looks to see that Yaz is looking at a length of rope with a loop and a hook on the end that's sitting not too far from where Kathy is. They share a look, and a nod and Kathy throws the rope to Yaz who, in iconic, heroic Indiana Jones style, throws it and it hooks onto door nine marked 'DEATH! RAYS OF DEATH! NEVER OPEN!'
Risky but it might work.
"What are you doing?!" Williamson yells.
"She's trying to save us!" Kathy exclaims.
The rope tautens and Yaz pulls the rope, opening the door. Out of the door out of mist huge energy bolts that zap the Sontarans in their probic vents. They fall to the ground. Like skittles falling and then the door slams shut again.
Kathy sighs with relief. At least that's temporarily sorted.
They all stand, walking over to have a look.
"I thought we got rid of this lot." Dan complains.
"We need to be careful; they won't stay down for long." Kathy warns.
Suddenly, one of the far doors rattles causing them to all look over alarmed. There's banging and the sound of marching.
"There's more." Yaz comments.
"Follow me," Williamson says. He runs over to one side of the room in front of him and pauses for a second, glancing around.
"Did he not say some of these doors had changed?" Jericho whispers in concern to the others.
"Doesn't matter. We just need to get away from the Sontarans." Kathy replies. Hopefully, they won't end up somewhere terrible.
"Now which one?" Williamson murmurs to himself, very reassuring.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"No time like the present." Dan cries frantically.
"This is the one! Come on!"
Williamson opens a door they all pile through to find themselves on a rocky cliff above a river of molten lava. Their sudden halt causes them to nearly fall over the ledge.
Spoke too soon.
"They've all changed!" Dan cries.
"Reverse!" Williamson cries.
They quickly pile out, back into the tunnels where they'd just been but Kathy quickly realises something's off. No bodies are lying around and the whole space is lit differently, fuller of stuff.
Williamson slams the door they've just come through.
"What happened to the potato heads?" Dan questions.
"Does it matter?" Kathy retorts. She wipes her forehead to get ready of the sweat that had quickly formed from being so close to lava.
"Oh, I'm getting very dizzy now." Jericho complains.
"It must be a shift in Time rather than space." Dan realises.
"I think you might be getting the hang of this." Yaz compliments.
Kathy grins. "Yeah, nice one."
"Do not dally!" Williamson cries as he opens another doorway and runs through.
"Who's dallying?" Jericho retorts as they follow.
"We must take shelter!"
Kathy and Yaz follow behind but the former skids to a stop, causing the other to do so as well, when she notices the sign pinned by the door that reads: 'December 5th. Far future. Two thousand and twenty one!'
"Wait, 2021. That's your time, right?" Kathy turns to Yaz, who stares at the sign, wide eyed and hopeful.
"Hopefully. Oh, please be correct. Please be true." Yaz pleads.
They go through the door.
—
They appear in what looks more like a museum. Dan said it was being excavated in the early 21st century so this makes sense. They've made it.
"How are we back here?" Dan questions.
Kathy hears a familiar hum and looks over to see the TARDIS peeking out of a dark corner. She sighs in relief, happy to see the ship, running over to stroke the panels. "That's the TARDIS."
Dan and Yaz look to see.
"How did that get here?" Yaz wonders.
"Get your hands in the air." A voice orders. Out of the shadows steps Kate Stewart, a gun raised in one hand, a scanner. She's all rat-a-tat businesslike, and commanding. Kathy looks at her in surprise having not known she'd be here. The last time Kathy had seen her was during the whole Zygon fiasco and saving Gallifrey from the Time War.
"Madam, who are you? And what are you doing in my tunnels?" Williamson demands to know as the others put their hands up.
Kathy ignores this and steps out of the corner. "Kate?"
The head of UNIT looks at her in surprise. "Kathy. No wonder you wouldn't join me."
Kathy shrugs. Future her must be nearby somewhere. "What can I say."
Kate glances suspiciously over to the group behind Kathy and runs her scanner over them. "And judging by you being here, the readings of artron energy from at least two of the four with you, the rest of you are friends with the Doctor."
"How do you know the Doctor? And Kathy?" Yaz questions.
"I'm the leader of Human Resistance Against Sontaran Occupation. The name's Stewart. Kate Stewart." Kate introduces.
Kathy lets out a quiet snort at that introduction.
A bright flash appears in the middle of the room dazzling them all and the Doctor appears!
"I'm here. Where's here? But also, I was... Yaz! Kathy! Dan! Kate Stewart. Kate Stewart?! Jericho? And a Victorian-looking bloke. My TARDIS. And a lot of doors." The Doctor immediately rambles as she spins around, taking in her surroundings, before taking a breath. "Wait." She hugs Yaz. Kathy smiles softly at that.
The Doctor steps back. "But seriously, how am I here? I'm on Karvanista's ship. And also, I'm still here. How am I still here?" She suddenly goes woozy. The Doctor frowns as she looks around in a daze. "Has anyone else noticed... lots of doors?" She's on the move, opening doors, sonic checking, crossing out, correcting/adding to Williamson's notes. "What's all this?"
"Those are my notes, maps and labels relating to these doors." Williamson explains. "Madam, they are all to be approached with caution."
"I approach everything with caution. Or abandon. One of the two." The Doctor retorts. She turns to Yaz. "You okay?
Yaz looks at her all sappy. "I am now."
"How long has it been for you two?" The Doctor asks.
"A few years." Yaz replies. The Doctor's face drops at that. Kathy winces sympathetically for all parties involved.
"They found me soon after they arrived." She speaks.
"Okay, not 1960s you then." The Doctor comments.
"We went all over the world." Dan adds before pointing at Yaz. "She was amazing. She is amazing."
"Don't go soppy on me now, Scouse." Yaz retorts softly.
"I missed you." The Doctor tells her.
"I missed you too. Thanks for the hologram."
Kathy and Dan share a 'awww, aren't they adorable' look between them.
The Doctor, because she's the Doctor, quickly moves on. "Who's he?" She gestures to Williamson.
"Joseph Williamson. He built all this, 19th century." Kathy tells her.
The Doctor spins around quickly, darting over to the man. "Mad Mole? Of Edge Hill? Always wanted to meet you. You're on my list. It's a big list. More of a book. More of a series of books. Well, a small library. Anyway, enough of the small talk, tell me everything. Short version." She turns to Kathy. "Likes to chat, doesn't he? I can't get a word in."
Kathy tries not to laugh and nods along in faux sympathy.
Williamson ignores this and begins to explain, "well, madam, I was inspecting the start of building work on my land one evening, when I found myself in a city of the future. Next day, another part of my land led me to a different alien vista."
"Multiple rips in the fabric of Space and Time, in one corner of Liverpool." The Doctor realises.
"I became obsessed, as you might imagine. I was able to journey to far-off places, experience tremendous, terrifying vista and creatures. So, I kept records. I marked where one world became another, structured these tunnels around those records." Williamson continues to explain before turning sombre. "And then, on one journey, I saw... the end of everything."
"The final Flux event."
"Well, I believed we would be vulnerable on the surface, so I endeavoured to build a city under the earth, to protect as many of us as possible. I was mocked, and I fear my efforts have been for nought."
Kathy watches the man sympathetically.
"No, no, no, no, no. Joseph Williamson, not at all. Quite the opposite!" The Doctor insists. "Come here. Well done." She shakes his hand. "Paul Hollywood handshake."
Kathy lets out a snort. "You do realise he won't get that?"
The Doctor shrugs. "Eh." She turns back to Williamson. "Thank you for everything you've done, Mad Mole." She turns to Kate. "So, Kate Stewart, leader of human resistance, bring me up to speed."
"Sontaran Command is at the Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile, site of the Dark Energy Camera." Kate explains.
"Accessing information they can't get elsewhere." The Doctor notes.
"Apparently, they have a Psychic Command centre, and they're using humans to fuel its work." Kate continues. "I thought if I could get some undercover operatives into Sontaran Command, they could tell us what the Sontarans were doing."
"Do you think we might recruit another participant? Someone we left someone behind?" Jericho pipes up pointedly.
"We're having the same thought." The Doctor says.
"Good to know you do." Kathy mutters to herself before speaking up. "How would you get anyone in?"
"We've discovered a Sontaran weakness, thanks to a set of raids on...corner shops." Kate confesses.
Kathy stares at her blankly. "Corner shops?"
"Why are they raiding corner sh..." it hits the Doctor, "oh! Metabolic processing! Lesser gravity, restorative gas composition. That would provoke a predilection."
"Oh, I'm aware. I live with one." Kathy remarks.
"Oh, yeah! Strax! How is he?" The Doctor asks, grinning.
"Same as usual."
"Lots to do. Let's go." The Doctor walks to the TARDIS as she begins to list what they need to do. "Infiltrate Sontarans, stop the Flux, keep everyone alive, escape Swarm, and put myself back together." She gasps in pain and stumbles. Kathy lunges forward, catching her. "Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention, I'm being trisected across disparate dimensions. I'm split across three realities now. It's quite draining, and confusing, and breaks every known law of every known everything."
"Wouldn't be for the first time there's more than one of you." Kathy remarks, trying to lighten the mood.
"Yeah, situation is a bit different this time."
"How much danger are you in?" Yaz questions.
"I don't know. It's never happened to me before." The Doctor falls against the door of the TARDIS, fading in and out. "Argh! I'm fine, I'm fine. Well, a bit scared. Keep going. We start with Operation Sontaran Corner Shop."
—
Operation: Sontaran Corner Shop.
Those on mission: Katherine Davis, Dan (it feels wrong to call him Daniel) Lewis and Yazmin Khan.
Location: Liverpool, England.
Time: December 2021
Another part of the operation, a side section that's adjacent to it is being taken care of by the Doctor and Jericho which is to collect Claire Brown a woman who is a "percipient" (a type of seer) who had a series of premonitions. One of her premonitions informed her of her impending encounter with a Weeping Angel, allowing that very Weeping Angel (a rogue member with other Angels after it) to take refuge inside of her mind and then used her as bait to kidnap the Doctor. Kathy doesn't join them as there's a her that'll be lingering nearby.
Technically the Doctor is on more than one mission. Another version of the Doctor is also apparently infiltrated a Sontaran ship along with the Lupari, Karvanista, and some girl called Bel. She doesn't expand on where the third version of her is.
Three places, same time.
The trio are dropped off in Liverpool to see that the Sontarans have really taken over. Sontaran ships dotted across the skyline. Sontarans are marching down the streets.
They arrive at MA Local Supermarket and slip inside to find a Sontaran Commander sitting on the floor of the darkened newsagent, brimming basket next to him, leaning against shelves of chocolate. Sitting, eating, and drinking, like a glutton. The basket is full of chocolate bars, biscuits, Ribena, Lucozade, Oasis type drinks all shoved inside.
Kathy casually leans on some shelves. "Oh dear, Commander Shallo." She tuts. "Drunk on chocolate? How would that go down with your superiors?"
Shallo jumps. "Who are you?" He yells.
Kathy ignores him and casually walks around the shelves. "I know someone who absolutely loved little shops, maybe still does. Probably make some changes though." "Anyway," she grabs a few sweets and shoves them into his hands, "have more sweets."
"You're gonna make him sick." Dan remarks as he has a few snacks himself. Probably missed the 21st century food.
Shallo turns to him in outrage. "Sontarans are never sick!" He cries. "Sontarans shall be both vanquishers and saviours of the universe. Your delicious and appealing mouth snacks wrapped in paper will never weaken us, or our resolve. We are invulnerable." He burps loudly, and Dan and Kathy recoil in disgust. "Maybe three more."
Yaz appears with a drink. "Try some of this." She chucks them to him. "That is delicious."
"More scum! Three scum!"
"We understand you're in need of psychic operatives." Kathy says.
"They break so easily, feeble human minds." Shallo crushes the can in his hands.
"We know a couple who are keen to help the Sontaran cause, in exchange for unlimited access to human chocolate." Kathy offers. Shallo is salivating. "Maybe even the recipe. You could make it yourself. If you transport them to Sontaran Psychic Command. What do you say?"
Shallo looks around at all of them, looking tempted. Kathy tries to keep her smirk at bay. They've definitely got him.
"Ah... ahhh... Choc-o-late."
Kathy grimaces. She is so glad Strax has never been introduced to chocolate.
—
Kathy, Dan and Yaz meet up with the Doctor, Jericho, and Claire, who greets Kathy happily, unperturbed by the fact that Kathy has no idea who she is.
Jericho and Claire go to psychic command on the Sontaran ships while the rest of them travel into the TARDIS to find one of the split versions of the Doctor that's being held captive in the ships.
The TARDIS lands and Kathy and the Doctor burst out. The TARDIS has materialised just outside a door to a room where another version of the Doctor lies restrained and is being tortured with a light, which is warping all around her. Next to her stands Prentis, some being Kate had told them about, one who's been infiltrating UNIT for decades. A strange snake like creature lies on the floor.
The Doctor with sonic in hand, points it at Prentis he freezes, paralysed. "Hi! Please stop torturing me. Like immediately." She remarks.
"Hi! Wow, you're cute." The Doctor, who's tied up says. Kathy's going to call her Doctor Two.
"Thanks! So, are you!" Doctor One, the one standing next to Kathy, grins.
Kathy grimaces. "Okay, this weird. Please stop flirting."
"What have you done to me?" Prentis grunts, frozen.
Doctor One twirls and blows on the end of the sonic; showy. "Put you on the very naughty step. Frozen."
Yaz and Dan follow out of the TARDIS.
"Whoa!" Dan exclaims despite expecting it.
"There's two of you." Yaz comments in utter confusion.
"I know!" Both Doctors say, clearly loving it.
Doctor One talks to a paralysed Prentis as she works the controls, and deactivates Doctor Two's torture beam. "Now, we all know that bio-projection duo-imaging is subject to very painful sonic locking." The red beam switches from Doctor Two to Prentis.
"So subject to it." Doctor Two quips.
The snake judders flickering in and out of existence. Now it's the Prentis' turn to gasp in pain, sweating and unable to move.
Doctor One walks over. "Sorry if that hurts. You're caught in its lock field now. Taste of your own medicine, I'm afraid."
Doctor Two climbs out of her restraints and walks over to Kathy, Dan and Yaz. "That's what I would've done."
"That's what you did do." Dan points out.
"Ignore her." Kathy tells him. "I do."
"Oi!" Both Doctors exclaim.
Doctor One walks over. "Come on, you lot. He's going to be stuck in there for a while." She enters the TARDIS.
"I've got such a crush on her!" Doctor Two says before following.
The trio share exasperated looks before following as well.
—
They collect Karvanista and Bel and hurry off in the TARDIS. Turns out Dan genuinely needed to fetch his dog.
Karvanista sits in a dark corner of the TARDIS sombrely, as Dan, Kathy, Yaz and Bel look over.
"Is he OK?" Yaz questions.
"Sontarans killed all of his people." Dan tells them.
Kathy's heart drops and has to have a moment to take that in. She then walks over to him and gently reaches out to hold his paw in sympathy. He gives her a nod of gratitude as the Doctors, on either side of the console, begin their saving the day spiel.
Doctor One is checking controls. "Splinter group 1, Jericho and Claire in place." She speaks over comms, "Hi both of you, this is the Doctor. Well, Doctor's! We're receiving a psychic data from your transmat rings."
"But the TARDIS is still deciphering the information." Doctor Two butts in. "I'm sorry it's so painful, but we need you to hold on a little longer."
"Sit tight, keep going, stay safe." Doctor One finishes. "Splinter group two. Bel."
Bel hands over a Tamagotchi-looking thing over to Doctor One.
"Thank you." Doctor One accepts then looks up in surprise. "Wait, child tech. Are you having...?" Both Doctors grin excitedly.
Bel smiles embarrassed. "All right, all right, we don't need to announce it, do we?"
"Okay." Doctor One adds the Tamagotchi thing to the console.
Well, it's nice to know someone has good news.
"She's a good wee helper, though." Bel says. "As well as the code for the holdlock beam on the Lupari ship, there's also a log of all outgoing Sontaran transmissions."
"What kind of transmissions?" Doctor Two asks.
A Sontaran hologram appears. "We offer the three-fingered hand of uneasy alliance. We must join together to survive this..."
Kathy looks up, frowning. "Hold on. Sontarans, alliance?"
"They don't." Doctor One replies.
"Why would they ever join up with Daleks and Cybermen?" Doctor Two wonders.
"That's what I'm thinking. The Sontarans proposing a peace summit? That doesn't ring true."
"And how does them summoning their enemies connect up to the Flux?"
"Oh, there's too many questions!" Doctor One complains.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Doctor Two suddenly says.
"Oh, good idea."
They both put their hands to their heads.
They're clearly not going to share with the class. After a few moments, both jump back, groaning in frustration.
"Contact broken. We can't hold on to this split existence much longer." Doctor Two warns.
"Better sort it out then." Kathy remarks.
Suddenly, an unknown voice crackles through the speaker in the TARDIS. Intermittent and scratchy. "This is Vinder calling the Doctor. Urgent help requested. Doctor, are you receiving?"
"Vinder..." Doctor One murmurs in recognition.
Who the hell is Vinder?
"Vinder? He's alive?" Bel excitedly asks.
"How do you know Vinder?" Yaz asks.
"Vinder, can you hear me?" The Doctor calls again.
"You're the one he's looking for." Yaz realises.
Bel looks at her Tamagotchi. "Tigmi, he's alive!"
"Boosting the signal. Vinder, this is the Doctor receiving you."
"Lock into our signal. We've managed to—" Vinder gets cut off.
"Vinder, locking on." Doctor One frantically works at the controls.
"Can... can you do it? Can you get him?" Bel asks with anxious excitement.
"Doing it now, few things going on." Doctor One replies.
"Luckily there's two of us. Well, three. But two in here. Sorry, you talk." Doctor Two rambles.
"Got to stop the Sontarans, defeat the Flux, rescue him, and get Jericho and Claire." Doctor One summarises.
"Solid plan. Let's go." Kathy says.
Another alert and another voice over the speaker. "Doctor, it's Kate. The doors down here are behaving very strangely."
"Of course, why wouldn't they be! Not like we don't have enough to do." Doctor One quips.
The Doctors look to the others: Bel, Kathy, Yaz, Dan, and Karvanista look back at each other.
"Divide and conquer." Doctor One declares. "Yaz and Kathy with me to Kate in the tunnels. Other me, rescue Vinder."
—
Kate follows Kathy and the Doctor as they scan the doors with their sonics in Williamson's tunnels. Yaz and Williamson look on. All the doors have started shaking and rattling. Like they're locked but there's something behind trying to get through.
"Retro-temporal manifestations?" The Doctor checks her sonic. "Yep. Kathy similar readings?"
"Sadly."
"Can you not say things like we're supposed to know what they are?" Yaz complains.
"They're a result of the Flux in the future, manifested in the past." Kathy summarises.
"Thank you." Kathy's not sure if her gratitude is genuine.
"When the Flux comes, it could blow the doors in."
"And destroy all my work?" Williamson cries indignantly.
The Doctor turns to him. "We need to get you home. We need to get you back to the 19th century. It's not safe, and you're too important to history."
All the doors rattle, with an ominous rumbling as the Doctor opens one, sonics it to check and offers up the dark tunnel beyond to Williamson.
"Ah. This one should provide a safe passage home. Please, this is our battle now, not yours. You gave us sanctuary. You got Yaz and Dan back to me. You may just have helped save the universe, never mind the world. Your work is done."
Williamson looks at her – at Kathy, at Yaz, and at Kate. He tips his hat. "Madams." To the Doctor. "Madam."
And heads off down the tunnel as the Doctor turns to the others. "Claire and Jericho are in Sontaran Psychic Command. It seems the Sontarans are using human operatives to find out the exact moment and place the final Flux event will begin."
"But simultaneously they're organising a truce meeting with Daleks and Cybermen." Kathy adds.
"What?" Kate asks, shocked.
"Here's what I think they're doing." The Doctor says. "Luring their enemies to the place they know the final Flux event will explode. If they manage to wipe out the entire assembled armies of Cybermen and Daleks, having lured them there to negotiate a truce, then that would reverberate across civilisations. Sontarans as the ultimate vanquishers. That is a massive power grab, the biggest swing they've ever made."
"But everything still gets destroyed by the Flux." Yaz points out.
"That's where it's doubly sneaky and doubly clever. How do you combat anti-matter?" The Doctor questions.
"With matter." Kate realises. "Anti-matter devours matter, but matter slows anti-matter down. Put enough in its way, and it stops and ceases to exist."
It dawns on Kathy then. "You mean the Sontarans are planning to use their enemies' entire armies in order to absorb the Flux?"
"But they have to show up to lure the others in." Yaz says.
"And they have something no one else has." The Doctor counters. "Lupari shields. Matter-generating, Flux-repellent shields to surround the Sontaran fleet. Saving themselves while all around them die."
"You've got to hand it to them. Talk about not letting a good catastrophe go to waste." Kathy remarks. "They're on course for the ultimate victory. Save the universe, claim it as your own, by taking out all of your enemies at once."
"So, do we stop it? Do we warn the Daleks and the Cybermen?" Yaz questions.
"Save them to defeat the Sontarans?" Kate adds.
"No. My plan's more risky than that." The Doctor replies.
Kathy winces. Of course, it is.
—
Back on the TARDIS, Doctor One, Kathy and Yaz meet up with Doctor Two, Dan, Bel and now also Diane and Vinder.
"I've got tasks for you all. You've all got jobs." Doctor One tells them.
"It's a really good plan. Quite risky, though." Doctor Two says.
"Can you let me do the explaining?" Doctor One retorts grumpily.
"All right, touchy."
"We have to stop the Sontaran plan with the Grand Serpent." Doctor One continues.
Vinder snaps his head from where he'd been gazing lovingly at Bel. "What did you say? Did you say Grand Serpent?"
"History?" Kathy asks.
"You could say that." Vinder replies.
—
Doctor Two, Kathy, Karvanista, Bel and Vinder stand by the TARDIS doors, opposite to Doctor One, Yaz, Dan and Diane.
"You know the Sontaran strategy, you know our counterplan. We're dropping you three and other me back into the Lupari fleet." Doctor One tells them. "You know what you have to do." The group nods. "Timing is going to be everything. Now, we need to get Jericho and Claire out of danger."
—
Karvanista, Bel and the Doctor board one Lupari ship while Kathy and Vinder board two others. Kathy peeks around the corner and sees the backs of two Sontarans standing at the controls. She grips the hammer she holds and walks quietly up to them. When she reaches them, she swings, whacking one soldier's provocative vent. He goes down and just as the other turns to see what happened, Kathy whacks him too.
Kathy moves over to the controls when she hears a Sontaran command over the comms, "Lupari shield craft, When I give the word, move the barrier to protect only Sontaran ships."
Well, is he in for a surprise.
It is then that two more space fleets jump in within the Lupari shield, in front of the Sontaran fleet. The Daleks with a vast fleet of ships, large and small. As well as many large and small Cyberships.
"Welcome, Dalek and Cyber comrades."
Kathy looks out the window of the Lupari ship, which gives her a view of what's happening outside the shield. The Flux is approaching, bubbling into life, and exploding into activity terrifying.
"All Dalek battalions are aligned here. We accept the offer of protection against the Flux event."
"Cyber battalions are amassed. We accept a truce for mutually assured survival."
Right, this is it. Kathy's Lupari ship moves along with the others under the control of Karvanista, breaking the shield apart. The Dalek saucers are the first to be obliterated by the Flux.
"Lupari ships are moving and reforming. This is a betrayal." The Daleks cry out.
"Cyber Fleet trapped in the pull of the Flux." The Cyber fleet says. "What is the meaning of this?"
"The meaning is victory for Sontar! Sontar-ha!" The Sobtaran commander cries.
The Flux is now going through the Cyber fleet. The Sontaran fleet is next and instead of covering the Sontaran ships, the shield appears on the wrong side of the Sontaran fleet, covering Earth only. Leaving them exposed.
"Lupari shield, you are in the wrong formation! Resume protective placing!" The Sobtaran commander panics.
A hologram appears in front of Kathy of Karvanista, flanked by the Doctor from their position on the Lupari deck. Kathy knows the Sontarans will be getting this as well.
"No," Karvanista replies coldly to the Sontarans' command.
"Where are my soldiers?" The Sontaran commander questions.
"Unconscious. Don't you think I know Lupari ships inside out?" Karvanista retorts. "Like how to send a stun pulse to incapacitate intruders? And how to remotely control the fleet formation? You are not in control. We are. And this is for my people."
This is Kathy's cue. She begins firing lasers at the Sontaran ship, destroying the comms, along with Bel and Vinder. There are whoops of delight over the comms. Kathy laughs and joins in as she manoeuvres the ship in between the fleet as she fires.
"Urgh! What is happening?" The Sontaran cries.
"This is Serving Commander Inston-Vee-Vinder of Kasto-Winfer-Foxfell, on a Lupari craft, blasting the hell out of your comms systems! Whoo!" Vinder cries.
The Lupari ship is bucking and shaking, and there's smoke, but honestly, Kathy's quite enjoying herself.
"All Sontaran ships, evacuate!" The Sontaran commander calls.
"I'm afraid my friends just took out your comms transmitters." The Doctor retorts. "And in seven seconds you'll be in the gravitational pull of the Flux. Kathy, Vinder and Bel, get clear!"
"Clear!" Kathy calls back, manoeuvring out.
"Getting clear, Doctor." Bel adds.
"So clear!" Vinder whoops.
"This was your strategy. Anti-matter slowed by absorbing army fleets." The Doctor says, provokingly.
"Argh! You will suffer for this, Doctor!"
—
Kathy, Bel and Vinder board the TARDIS once more. Kathy looks around and realises someone's missing.
"Where's Jericho?"
"On it." Doctor Two says. On the screen appears Jericho still on the Sobtaran ship. "Doctor to Jericho. I know your transmat ring is out of service, but get yourself to a transport pod just out in the corridor."
Jericho glances over his shoulder before looking back at them. "I'm afraid my options for exiting are...rather non-existent."
"I can't get the TARDIS in because of the pull of the Flux." The Doctor says, sadly.
"I've lived more in my time with you than I did during the previous two decades. Who has had a life like mine?"
"Jericho!" Kathy cries. "This can't be it?"
"It's been good knowing you Ms Davis."
The door blasts open behind him. "I have you now, nameless human." A Sontaran cries.
"I, sir, am Professor Eustacius Jericho, scourge of scoundrels!" Jericho declares. "I wish I'd written that autobiography. What a good title."
Kathy can't help but let out a wet laugh at that.
"By the wrath of Sontar, I will now execute you."
"I really don't think you're going to have the time." Jericho retorts as the flux begins to tear through the ship, disintegrating everything in its path.
Jericho looks valiant, uplifted, regretful and resolved as he says, "What an awfully big adventure."
He straightens, ready. The Flux overwhelms the screen. Karvanista, Kathy, Diane, Bel, Dan, Yaz, Vinder, Claire and the Two Doctors watch on solemnly.
The Flux moves through the Sontaran fleet, as it disintegrates and now heads slower towards the Lupari shield. It hits that too, pouring into the Lupari wall. The force causes the TARDIS to shake.
Kathy wipes her tears. "Some of the Flux is gonna make it through the Lupari shield. It's not enough." She warns them.
"We thought about that." Doctor Two says.
"There's a way to deal with the remnants of it." Doctor One says.
Doctor Two turns to Diane (maybe Dan's girlfriend?). "Right, what were you telling me?"
"The Passenger-form. Inside is endless, endless matter. Can't you use that to absorb what's left of the Flux?" She suggests. The passenger. That was the thing that apparently Vinder and Diane had been trapped in.
"Diane, you may have just saved the rest of the universe." Doctor Two says.
"Told you those things underestimated me." Diane says to Vinder, who grins.
"If we summon and open the Passenger-form, the Flux'll be drawn inside it. Mutually assured extinction." Doctor One summarises.
From the Lupari Shield, the Flux is lesser but starting to crack through but then between the TARDIS and the Lupari Shield appears the Passenger. Floating in space and now the remnants of the Flux unite in a single beam piercing into Passenger converging on it. The Flux fades Passenger disintegrates.
The two Doctors begin to merge, and she's covered in these particles. The Doctor, whole again, collapses and Kathy and Yaz have to jump towards her to gently guide her down to the floor of the TARDIS. The Doctor, after a short while, wakes and looks up at Yaz, Kathy, Dan, Karvanista, Bel, Diane, Vinder and Claire all looking at her.
"You okay?" Yaz asks.
The Doctor pulls herself up. "I'm whole again. Am I? Yes, it feels that way. I had a reckoning with Time."
Before Kathy can question what she meant by that, the Doctor leaps up to the console, realising something.
"One thing left undone." She slams the lever. "A reckoning with the Grand Serpent."
—
After Kate and Vinder jointly send Prentis/Grand Serpent (apparently, they're the same person) into one of the Williamson doors and trapped him there, Kathy, the Doctor, Yaz and Dan say goodbye to Bel, Vinder and Karvanista on the Lupari ship.
"I'm sorry for what the Sontarans did to the Lupari." The Doctor says sombrely.
"You think saddling me with these two will make up for it? I'm dropping everyone off, first opportunity I get." Karvanista retorts.
"We'll see. I've got quite attached to this ship now." Bel remarks, unbothered by his tone.
"Yeah," Vinder agrees, "we could do a bit of exploring, pick up some work, get into trouble, get out of trouble."
"One family and their dog." Dan says with a grin.
"I wish I'd never saved your life." Karvanista snaps at Dan. "You're not staying, any of you. This is my ship."
"Well then, we'll, er, leave you to it." Kathy says awkwardly as she tries to usher the others into the TARDIS quickly.
—
The TARDIS is parked on Claire's road with Kathy, the Doctor, Yaz, Dan, Claire, and Kate in front of it.
"I should've stayed with the professor." Claire says sombrely.
"There's nothing you could do. He was a stubborn one." Kathy remarks with a slight smile that Claire returns.
"She's right." Yaz agrees. "You risked your life. You got the information that we needed."
"Exactly. None of us would be here without you." The Doctor adds.
"Or you, Doctor." Kate says. "Thank you, as always. Where would Earth be without you?"
"Always glad to help."
"I like this regeneration. Hope I meet it again." Kate remarks.
"I hope so too." The Doctor says. "Look after yourself, Kate Stewart."
"Of course. See you again Kathy."
Kathy nods with a smile. "You too, Kate."
Kate walks off with Claire. Claire looks at her, delighted, surprised. Kate smiles. They walk off together.
"Now, you need to drop me off, I think." Kathy says as they enter the TARDIS once more.
—
A/N: Writing this episode gave me a headache working out how Kathy was going to fit in, and for it to feel like she's doing something.
Side note:
Didn't cover it in this chapter so Kathy doesn't know that the Doctor has a watch that contains all of their forgotten memories.
Also, people disliking that 13 didn't open the watch baffles me but I'm happy that she didn't as the season needed to be wrapped up. Also, I could never have imagined it going a different way and I wouldn't have wanted it to. Plus, I don't think any writer could have properly represented all the memories she would've got back when she opened that thing so it's best to leave it unopened. Also, narratively it works and makes sense that she didn't open it. I know some people think her doing all that only to not open it makes it all a waste of time, but it literally doesn't, it's about her having the choice. Like this is who she is, the forgotten memories are almost someone else entirely. Also, it leaves so many threads and potential stories that can be picked up.