Chapter 1: Escape
Of all the worlds in the cosmos, of all the wretched, backwater wastes of life, a world known as Amphibia. A world, full of primitive reptiles and mutants that lives in a soup of an ocean untouched by the Time War. *scoffs* A waste of space and existence yet it survives on pure ignorance of its inhabitants but like every world has a dark secret lies beneath it. A secret that may change that wasteland and into something somewhat salvageable. Maybe there is some value under that sludge and grime? If there is, it shall be mine.
(Play The War Master Full Theme Tune | Big Finish 0:00 to 0:22)
Starring Derek Jacobi
Guest Starring Haley Tju
THE WAR MASTER: DARK DIMENSIONS
*BOOM*
*CRASH*
"YOU WILL SURRENDER YOUR TARDIS TO THE DALEKS OR BE EXTERMINATED"
(Play Doctor Who Series 8 Soundtrack 11 - Aristotle, We Have Been Hit)
"UGH!" cried the Master as his TARDIS shook and rattled violently from incoming Dalek fire.
After a failed mission to "secure resources" from the planet Mechanus, the Time Lord known universally as the Master was currently trying to escape the Dalek fleet in pursuit. Unfortunately for him, they were gaining on him and fast. Sparks flew out of the console like fireworks as more shots were taken and more damage was inflicted to the Master's type 45 TARDIS. While the standard type 45 had a superior defensive system and speed compared to the previously inferior type 40, this would be of little help at the rate the Daleks were shooting at it.
The Master desperately flicks switches and turning nobs just to stay ahead of the incoming Dalek Saucers, ignoring the constant screams for surrender from the communication system while keeping the ship from falling apart. Due to the amount of power being put into the defense systems and engines dematerialization was unfortunately not possible. At least the defense systems were preventing the Daleks from using a transmat beam like they did a previous time he encountered them.
As the Master continued to struggle to stay ahead of the Dalek suddenly, the TARDIS scanner on the console switched on. The screen on the scanner revealed a Dalek with a red dome with two lights on each side, elevated by gold plates. Knowing who this Dalek was, the Master paid no attention to the image as he needed to reroute emergency power to the dematerialization circuit.
"THIS IS THE SUPREME DALEK" boomed the now named Supreme Dalek in a deep growl as its dome lights flashed. "YOU WILL SURRENDER YOUR TARDIS OR BE-
"Exterminated?" said Master in a mocking tone before rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Like I haven't heard that one before. You Daleks are so single-minded."
"YOUR TIME CAPSULE HAS SUSTAINED HEAVY DAMAGE," spoke the Supreme Dalek ignoring the Master's last comment. "IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL YOUR SHIPS DEFENSE SYSTEMS FAIL. SURRENDER YOUR TARDIS AND WE WILL ALLOW YOU TO SERVE THE DALEKS."
"A generous proposition considering the nature of your species" replied the Master as still franticly fiddled with the console controls. "but you forget who you are talking to and who I am."
"YOU ARE THE MASTER," said the Supreme Dalek. "RENEGADE TIMELORD AND KNOWN ENEMY OF THE DOCTOR."
"And a known enemy to the Daleks," continued the Master with little interest. "You don't think for a second that I would consider you betraying me once you see fit to do so ?"
Just as the Supreme Dalek was just about to speak, a light on the console under the time rotor began to flash. A grin slowly began to creep its way onto the Master's face.
"Ah yes. Emergency power at last."
"YOU CANNOT ESCAPE THE DALEKS" boomed the Supreme Dalek
"Oh is that so?" said the Master, arrogantly as finally looked at the scanner, straight into the Supreme Dalek's eyestalk. "I am the Master and I will be stopped by no one! Especially not by some mutant abominations bred in a child's laboratory!"
"IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME" spoke the Supreme Dalek as the screen of the scanner switched by to its default setting of showing navigation and information.
"Time is something I always have."
As the Master began to revert the power to the Demat circuit, he thought about the ongoing conflict between the Time Lords and the Daleks. How it tore apart galaxies, destroyed worlds, erased civilizations from existence, and created new ones just to be put in an endless cycle of death.
While he did enjoy chaos and destruction, this was different. This Time War was tearing the fabric of reality apart and the very thought of it scared him, made his blood run cold. The very thought of the universe becoming a dead husk with nothing to conquer, no lives to take, and no victories to revel in.
He then thought of his arch-nemesis, the Doctor, and how he was trying to save everyone he could from the war, the bumbling fool. He always tried to help even when all was lost. Saving lives during this war was a lost cause. Things die, that's what they do and that will never change.
Even so, it was the Doctor's fault that the War was on. If he has just thrown his idiotic morals out for just a second and destroyed the Daleks during their genesis on Skaro, none of this would be happening! A means to an end to those wretched foul creatures.
The universe would be a better place without the Daleks destroying everything in their path. A place where he could rule over all, a place where all would fear his name, and where he could even remake the universe in his image.
Oh, that would be capital. Thought the Master as he then snapped out of these dreams to concentrate on the task at hand. He needed to escape and survive this war before any of those thoughts become a possible reality.
"Setting coordinates," said the Master began to flip the switches on the console as the time rotor began to rotate up and down.
"Dematerialization in 3…2… "
*BANG*
Suddenly, a loud explosion outside as the console began to fizzle and sputter. The Daleks had fired several salvos of Thronic missiles and with his TARDIS's defense systems at their weakest, it had caused a devastating chain reaction! Parts of the console caught fire as the Master retreated away from the flames desperate to preserve his own life and not to be burnt to a crisp again. The control room began to shake as bits on the ceiling began to fall to the floor.
"No!" cried the Master as his TARDIS began to shake violently. "It cannot end like this!"
"I am the Master and I cannot, I refuse to die!"
As the Master cried out in vain, inside the glass containing the surrounding time rotor began to change from its usual red to a sickly green. Whatever was left of the controls of the console began to go haywire, nobs turning left, right while switches flipped up and down. In amongst the chaos, he looked up at the scanner or what was left of it to see it said as the words flashed in his eyes.
EMERGENCY
CRITICAL DAMAGE TO NAVIGATION SYSTEMS
DEMATERIALIZATION FAILED
FADING FROM REALITY
While staring at the scanner, the Master began to think….
Is this the end of me? the Master thought
After surviving as a walking corpse, jumping body to body, clinging on the edge of death, to then be granted new life, just for cruel fate take it away from him once again? Would maybe the afterlife or whatever was on the other side take pity on the Master? Even after all the lives, he had taken, people manipulated for his cruel schemes and many more unspeakable crimes? Probably not.
There was only one thing he could do. Helpless to do anything in the current situation, the Master began to scream out in rage as he and his TARDIS were pulled from reality itself. In his final moments, he cried out one single word that echoed out to the cosmos.
"NOOOO!"
Author's note: Hi everyone, this is my first story (and crossover as well). I hope you enjoy this chapter and please give constructive feedback. Special thanks to The Court of Talons for being my beta reader and inspiration for this weird crossover.
