The 14th Doctor Adventures: Beyond the Vale

by TheEndlessDoctor

The Beyond Adventures was a Series... dreamed up as an experimental alternate 14th Doctor season that would have taken place in the early months of 2023, as a full season-length of episodes to explore David Tennant as the 14th Doctor. The series would lead up to an alternate 60th anniversary special called "The Six Doctors", which would unite the 2nd, 6th, 8th, 14th, 15th, and the

12. Episode 11: Liberation of Skaro

p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;" align="center"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-transform: uppercase; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Episode XI: /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;" align="center"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-transform: uppercase; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Liberation of Skaro/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;" align="center"span style="font-size: 14.0pt; font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; text-transform: uppercase; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Deep beneath the surface of Skaro, in a network of hidden caverns, the remnants of the Thal civilization clung to existence. Centuries of living in the shadows of their once-sworn enemies, the Daleks, had wrought changes upon the Thal people, both in body and spirit./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The once tall and statuesque Thals, known for their grace and ethereal beauty, had adapted to their subterranean refuge. Their skin had paled from generations without sunlight, and their eyes had grown larger, more sensitive to the dim light of their underground world. Their frames were leaner, hardened by a life of scarcity and stealth, a far cry from the abundance of their ancestral surface world./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Among these survivors were Alryx, a young but determined Thal leader, and Mirela, a brilliant engineer who had repurposed technology salvaged from the surface to sustain their hidden community. There was also Vorn, an elder who held the collective memory of the Thal people, a living chronicle of their fall from grace and their enduring spirit of resistance./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In a cavern illuminated by bioluminescent fungi, Alryx addressed a gathering of his people. "The time of hiding is over," he declared, his voice echoing off the ancient walls. "We've intercepted signals. The Daleks are in disarray. This is our chance to reclaim the surface, to see the sun again."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mirela stepped forward, her hand resting on a makeshift device cobbled together from Dalek and Thal technology. "We have been building and planning. With the Daleks weakened, our technology can disrupt their sensors. We can move undetected, strike where they are vulnerable."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Vorn, his face lined with the wisdom of years, nodded in agreement. "Our ancestors dreamt of a day when Skaro would be free of the Kaled race. We owe it to them, and to future generations, to fight for that dream."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Thals, their resolve strengthened by the words of their leaders, prepared for their daring venture to the surface. They donned cloaks and hoods, disguising their distinctive features, and armed themselves with weapons both ancient and improvised./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As they moved through the labyrinthine tunnels toward the surface, a sense of hope mingled with the gravity of their mission. For many, this would be their first glimpse of the world above, a world dominated by the terror of the Daleks, yet a world that was rightfully theirs./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alryx led the group, his determination palpable. He had grown up on stories of Skaro's once-verdant landscapes, now only a dream in the collective memory of his people. "Today, we reclaim our legacy," he spoke with quiet conviction./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mirela, with her device securely strapped to her back, moved among her companions, offering words of encouragement. Her invention was key to their plan, a disruptor capable of rendering them invisible to Dalek sensors. She had toiled over it, fueled by a desire to see the Thal people rise from the ashes of oppression./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Vorn, the elder, walked with a staff. His eyes, though aged, held a fierce glint. "Our forebears walked these lands with pride. We shall do so again," he declared, his voice a bridge between the past and the present./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As they neared the surface, the light from above began to penetrate the darkness of the tunnels. For many of the younger Thals, this was a revelation, their first encounter with natural light. Their eyes, accustomed to the dim glow of the underground, squinted as they approached the exit./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The group paused at the threshold of the surface world. The dawn light spilled into the tunnel, casting long shadows behind them. Alryx looked back at his people, his face a tapestry of hope and resolve./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"strongspan style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"[Cue Intro]/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The TARDIS hummed through the vortex, its interior alive with the light and sound of impending action. The Doctor, focused and determined, worked at the console, coordinates and communications flying through the time-space continuum. They had to rally the troops, calling in favors from across time and space, alerting the Shadow Proclamation and allies from past adventures./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix watched the Doctor, her mind racing with questions. Finally, she broke the silence. "Doctor, back on Skaro, the Supreme Dalek said something about regeneration energy... that it was willingly given. What did it mean?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor paused, his hands stilling on the console. He sighed, a weight seemingly on his shoulders. "It's a part of my past I hoped wouldn't resurface, especially not like this. A long time ago, I was on Skaro, faced with a dying Davros."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix leaned against the console, listening intently./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Davros, creator of the Daleks, was at the end of his life. In a moment of... what I thought was compassion, I used a bit of my regeneration energy to give him some relief. I thought that I was invulnerable… that I had limitless regenerations. I didn't realize at the time, but that energy didn't just go to Davros. It spread to the Dalek system, to the Daleks themselves."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix's eyes widened. "So the Daleks got a hold of Time Lord regeneration energy because of you?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor nodded, his expression one of regret. "Yes. It was a mistake, one that I've carried with me. I never imagined they'd harness it to this extent, to create a new form of Dalek evolution."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix stepped closer, placing a hand on the Doctor's arm. "You couldn't have known, Doctor. You acted out of kindness."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor gave a wry smile. "Kindness can be a double-edged sword, Trix. Especially when it comes to the Daleks. But right now, we need to focus on stopping them. They've taken my mistake and turned it into a weapon. We can't let them use it to terrorize the universe."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Turning back to the console, the Doctor resumed his work, sending out messages to allies both known and obscure. Trix stood beside him, a supportive presence as they prepared for what might be one of their greatest challenges yet./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The TARDIS doors opened to reveal the grand halls of the Shadow Proclamation, an austere and imposing space. The Doctor and Trix stepped out, greeted by the cool, clinical atmosphere of the intergalactic law enforcement body. They were quickly ushered to the central chamber, where the Shadow Architect presided./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Shadow Architect, a figure of authority and poise, regarded them with a steely gaze. The Doctor, ever the diplomat, began to explain the dire situation. "We come to seek your aid against a common enemy. The Daleks have evolved in a way that threatens all life in the universe."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As the Doctor spoke, the Shadow Architect's eyes shifted between Trix and the Doctor. Recognition flashed in her eyes, followed by a glimmer of disdain. "You travel with a Bene Gesserit," she stated, her voice betraying a hint of contempt. "The Shadow Proclamation does not engage in dealings with the Bene Gesserit. And you, Doctor, are an escaped convict yourself."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Shadow Architect's final statement hung in the air, heavy with implication. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, glanced around the chamber. "Oh, I forgot about all that," the Doctor said quietly. His gaze fell on several Judoon guards who had quietly positioned themselves around the room, their hands resting on their holstered blasters. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor realized the situation was escalating quickly. "Trix, we need to leave. Now," he whispered urgently./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix, catching the urgency in the Doctor's voice, followed his gaze to the Judoon. Understanding flashed in her eyes, and she nodded./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor grabbed Trix's hand and they hurried back through the halls of the Shadow Proclamation, the echoing steps of the Judoon following close behind. The Doctor's mind raced, calculating the quickest route back to the TARDIS./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As they turned a corner, a squad of Judoon blocked their path, blasters raised. "Halt! You are wanted for multiple crimes!" the lead Judoon barked in its guttural language./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Thinking fast, the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and aimed it at the ceiling. A high-pitched sound reverberated through the corridor, causing a chandelier to shatter upon the Judoon./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Run!" the Doctor shouted as he and Trix sprinted down the corridor with renewed speed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"They reached the TARDIS just as the Judoon regained their composure and began to pursue. The Doctor quickly inserted his key, and the doors swung open to admit them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Once inside the TARDIS, the Doctor leaped into action with a sense of urgency that filled the ship's console room. He darted to the control panel, his hands moving deftly over the levers and buttons with practiced ease. There was no time to lose; the Judoon would be upon them any second./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Hold on, Trix!" he called out as he slammed his hand down on the dematerialization lever./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The TARDIS responded immediately, its central column beginning to glow and pulse with energy. The distinctive sound of the TARDIS preparing to leave its current time and space filled the room, a comforting and familiar wheezing that signaled their imminent departure./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix, standing close to the Doctor, braced herself as the TARDIS shuddered slightly, the powerful engines engaging to transport them away from the potential capture. Around them, the walls of the TARDIS seemed to come alive, vibrating with the energy of their escape./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As the sound of the TARDIS's engines reached a crescendo, the view on the monitor showed the Shadow Proclamation's headquarters beginning to blur and distort, the process of dematerialization altering their perception of the outside world./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In a final surge of energy, the TARDIS completed its departure, leaving behind the echoing halls of the Shadow Proclamation and the frustrated Judoon. The Doctor and Trix were once again adrift in the time vortex, safe for the moment but facing the uncertainty of their next move./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"On the ravaged surface of Skaro, the group of Thals, led by Alryx, Mirela, and Vorn, advanced cautiously towards their objective, the Dalek Citadel. The dawn light cast long shadows across the desolate landscape, a world scarred by endless conflict and the Dalek's relentless pursuit of conquest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alryx surveyed the terrain with a tactical eye. "The Dalek sensor network is most concentrated around the citadel's perimeter. Mirela, is the disruptor ready?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mirela, carrying her makeshift device, nodded. "It's operational. It should keep us off their sensors, but we have to stay within its range."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Vorn, his voice steady, added, "We must also be mindful of patrols. The Daleks are weakened, not incapacitated."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The group moved with purpose, their steps silent against the barren ground. They had trained for this moment, preparing in the shadows for a chance to strike back at their oppressors./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As they neared the citadel, the scale of the Dalek structures became more imposing, casting an oppressive pall over the landscape. The once-great civilization of the Thals, now reduced to a resistance movement, was dwarfed by the monumental testament to Dalek power./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Suddenly, Alryx signaled for the group to halt. Ahead, a Dalek patrol glided across an open plaza, its eyestalk sweeping back and forth. The Thals pressed themselves against the ruins of a building, their breaths held as the Dalek passed by, oblivious to their presence thanks to Mirela's disruptor./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Once the Dalek was out of sight, the group continued, making their way through the maze of metallic structures. Their destination was a central communications tower, from which they planned to broadcast a message of hope to the remaining Thal population and disrupt the Dalek command network./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As they approached the hub, Mirela set up her device, interfacing it with the Dalek technology. Her fingers moved quickly, reconfiguring circuits and bypassing security protocols. "Almost there," she whispered./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alryx and Vorn stood guard, their weapons ready. The air was tense, the risk of discovery ever-present. But their determination was unyielding./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Finally, Mirela's device beeped softly. "It's done. We're in," she announced, a triumphant glint in her eye./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alryx stepped forward to the communications console. He began to speak, his voice broadcasting across the planet. "People of Skaro, this is Alryx of the Thal resistance. The Daleks are not invincible. We are fighting back..."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Alryx's voice, filled with passion and determination, echoed across the planet, reaching the ears of hidden Thal communities miles underground. "The Daleks are not invincible. We are fighting back..."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"But before he could continue, the broadcast was abruptly cut off. A searing beam of energy burst through the communications hub, striking Alryx squarely in the chest. The impact sent him flying backward, his body charred and lifeless before it even hit the ground./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mirela and Vorn reacted instantly, shock and horror momentarily giving way to a trained, survival instinct. Mirela dove to the ground, scrambling to grab the disruptor, while Vorn unleashed a barrage of return fire at the Dalek that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Dalek, its casing emblazoned with the markings of a Dalek Lord, remained unfazed by Vorn's attack. Its mechanical voice coldly intoned, "Resistance is futile. You will be exterminated."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mirela, grief-stricken but resolute, managed to activate the disruptor, causing a temporary blinding flash that disoriented the Dalek. Seizing the moment, she and Vorn, along with the rest of the Thal group, retreated into the maze of the city, their hearts heavy with the loss of Alryx but fueled by a renewed sense of urgency and anger./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As they disappeared into the labyrinth of Skaro's ruins, the Dalek Lord called for reinforcements:/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""Alert!"/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;" /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""Thal insurgents in sector seven!"/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;" /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""ALERT!"/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;" /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""Dispatch units to intercept!"/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"-br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /!- [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /!-[endif]-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Inside the TARDIS, the Doctor and Trix were deep in discussion, the urgency of their situation hanging heavily in the air. The central console hummed and whirred as the Doctor considered their next move, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the edge of the panel./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix leaned against the console, her expression one of deep thought. "If the Shadow Proclamation won't help us, who will?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor paused, his gaze distant. He began adjusting the controls, setting new coordinates. "There are a few places we can try – groups and individuals who might be persuaded to join our cause."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix nodded. "Where first?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"A determined look crossed the Doctor's face. "First, we'll visit the Movellans. They've been at war with the Daleks for centuries. Their strategic expertise could be invaluable."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""And after that?" Trix asked./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor's hands moved with purpose over the TARDIS controls. "There's a planet, Aridius. The Aridians have had their own encounters with the Daleks. They might be willing to lend support. And then there's Earth. UNIT has faced Daleks more than once. They could provide us with additional resources."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix looked thoughtful. "But will they be enough against a Dalek race that can now regenerate or bigenerate or whatever it is they are doing now?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor turned to her, his eyes serious but not without hope. "It's not just about numbers or firepower, Trix. It's about outsmarting them, undermining their strategy. And for that, we need the best minds available."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As the Doctor set their course, the TARDIS began to shudder slightly, the familiar sound of dematerialization filling the space. Trix stood beside the Doctor, watching the time rotor as it moved with renewed vigor./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""We'll need a plan, a good one," Trix said, a hint of resolve in her voice./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor grinned, the spark of adventure in his eyes. "Oh, I've got plans, Trix. Plans within plans. That's one thing you can always count on with me."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The TARDIS materialized aboard the flagship of the Movellan fleet, a sleek vessel that contrasted sharply with the organic curves of the time machine. The Doctor and Trix stepped out into the stark, chrome interior of the ship, greeted by a delegation of Movellans./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Movellans, with their distinctive silver dreadlocks and emotionless expressions, regarded the newcomers with a calculating gaze. Commander Sharrel, the leader of the Movellan forces, stepped forward. "Doctor, What brings you to the Movellan fleet?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor, with his usual blend of charisma and seriousness, explained the situation. "The Daleks have evolved. They've harnessed Time Lord regeneration energy, making them more formidable than ever. We need your help to stop them."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Sharrel nodded slightly, the subtlest of gestures for a Movellan. "We understand the gravity of the threat. However, the Movellan fleet operates on logic and probability. We must assess the potential outcomes before committing our forces."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor, growing impatient, pressed on. "There's no time for lengthy calculations. Every moment we delay, the Daleks grow stronger."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Sharrel paused, then responded, "We will run our simulations and provide an answer within the hour. Your concern is noted, Doctor, but we cannot act on sentiment alone."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor and Trix awaited their decision with bated breath, hoping for a positive response./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Sharrel spoke first, his voice measured and emotionless. "We have completed our analysis. The probability of a successful campaign against the Daleks, given their new capabilities, is low. The risk to the Movellan fleet is deemed unacceptable. We cannot assist you in this endeavor."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor's frustration was palpable. "You're just going to stand by while the Daleks potentially overrun the universe? This isn't a game of probabilities, Sharrel."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Sharrel remained unmoved. "Our decisions are based on logic and strategic benefit. Engaging the Daleks under these circumstances does not align with our current objectives. We wish you success, Doctor, but we will not be part of this conflict."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor, realizing the futility of further argument, nodded stiffly. "Very well. We'll find another way."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As Sharrel and the Movellans left, Trix looked at the Doctor, her resolve unwavering. "What now?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor's eyes hardened with determination. "We make our own luck. We'll reach out to Aridius, to UNIT, to anyone who will listen. The Daleks can be defeated, and we'll do it without the Movellans."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Back inside the TARDIS, the Doctor set to work, sending a flurry of messages across time and space. Trix assisted, her own strategic mind working through potential allies and resources they could tap into./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor paused, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "There's one more possibility, a wildcard of sorts. The Sisterhood of Karn. They have unique abilities that could tip the scales in our favor."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix looked intrigued. "Then let's not waste any more time. Every moment counts."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The TARDIS engines whirred to life, the time rotor glowing as they set a course for Karn./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"On the surface of Skaro, the Thals faced a dire situation. Their numbers had dwindled, and the loss of Alryx had dealt a significant blow to their morale. The makeshift camp they had established in the ruins of an old city was a scene of quiet despair./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mirela, now the de facto leader, worked tirelessly on another device, her hands moving with a mechanic's precision. Vorn stood by her side, offering guidance and support./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""We can't lose anyone else," Mirela said, her voice tinged with exhaustion./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Vorn nodded, his eyes surveying the camp. "The Daleks are relentless. But so are we. The spirit of the Thal people will not be easily extinguished."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As they spoke, a scout rushed into the camp, his expression one of panic. "The Daleks are coming! A large force, moving directly towards us!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mirela's eyes widened in alarm. "We need to evacuate, now!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Thals quickly gathered their meager belongings, preparing to move out. But as they started to leave, the unmistakable sound of Dalek hover units filled the air, growing louder with each passing second./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mirela activated the jammer, sending a wave of interference that momentarily confused the Dalek sensors./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Dalek beams sliced through the air, their lethal energy indiscriminate in its destruction. The Thals moved swiftly, utilizing the ruins for cover, but they were vastly outmatched./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"A young Thal warrior, Jalen, moved to protect a group of his comrades from a Dalek's line of fire. His bravery bought them precious seconds, but a Dalek beam found its mark, and he fell, his life extinguished in a burst of light./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Daleks, relentless and unyielding, continued their advance. Another Thal, Lira, was caught in a crossfire while attempting to drag an injured comrade to safety. Her scream was cut short as she too was struck down./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As the Daleks closed in, Mirela realized the futility of their situation. "Retreat!" she yelled, her voice hoarse with emotion. "Fall back to the tunnels!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The surviving Thals, their numbers severely diminished, retreated in a disordered scramble, carrying their wounded./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The TARDIS materialized on the mysterious and foreboding planet of Karn, home to the enigmatic Sisterhood of Karn. The landscape was a stark contrast to Skaro, with its eerie, mist-laden terrain and the ancient, stone architecture that spoke of a long and mystical history./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor and Trix stepped out, greeted by the dense fog that shrouded the planet. They made their way towards the temple of the Sisterhood, the Doctor leading with a sense of urgency./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Upon reaching the temple, they were met by a group of the Sisterhood, their eyes piercing through the mist, their expressions unreadable beneath their hooded robes. The High Priestess, a figure both revered and feared, emerged to address them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Doctor, we know why you have come," she began, her voice echoing with a strange power. "But we must refuse your request. The Sisterhood of Karn does not and will never align itself with the Sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix stepped forward, her tone diplomatic yet firm. "I may have been trained by the Bene Gesserit, but I stand against the Daleks. Our enemy is common."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The High Priestess's gaze hardened. "The ways of the Bene Gesserit are not our ways. Their manipulations of time and life are anathema to us. We will not aid their cause, nor the cause of those who associate with them."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor, sensing the growing tension, tried to reason with her. "The threat the Daleks pose goes beyond old grievances. They've become more dangerous than ever. We need your help."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The High Priestess remained unmoved, and with a subtle gesture, the Sisterhood surrounded the Doctor and Trix. "You were unwise to come here. The Sisterhood of Karn does not take kindly to intruders or allies of the Bene Gesserit."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In a swift, unexpected move, one of the Sisters lunged at Trix, a blade glinting in her hand. The Doctor acted instantly, pulling Trix out of harm's way. The blade missed its mark, but the message was clear – they were in grave danger./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Doctor, we need to leave, now!" Trix exclaimed, her heart racing./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor grabbed her hand, and they raced back towards the TARDIS, the Sisterhood in pursuit. The mist seemed to close in around them, the path back to the TARDIS obscured and treacherous./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"They reached the TARDIS just in time, the Doctor fumbling with the key as the Sisterhood closed in. With a final, desperate effort, he got the door open, and they tumbled inside./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The TARDIS dematerialized, leaving the planet of Karn and its hostile inhabitants behind./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""That was too close," the Doctor said. "But we're not out of options yet. There are still others we can turn to."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix leaned against the console, her mind racing from their recent narrow escape. She let out a dry chuckle, half in disbelief at their situation. "At this rate, we might as well just find Faction Paradox and sic them on Skaro. Let them tear the whole planet apart."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor, who was busy at the console setting their next course, paused mid-motion, his hands hovering over the controls. He turned to look at Trix, a curious expression on his face. "You know, that's not the worst idea you've had."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix's eyes widened, surprised at the Doctor's response. "You're not serious, are you? Faction Paradox? They're time-traveling vandals… we can't unleash one group of terrorists upon another and still have any sort of moral ground."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor nodded, his expression turning serious. "Yes, they are. And under normal circumstances, I'd avoid them at all costs. But these are not normal circumstances. The Daleks with regeneration energy are a threat to the entire fabric of time and space. Faction Paradox, with their... unorthodox methods, might just be unpredictable enough to throw the Daleks off balance."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix crossed her arms, considering the idea. "But Faction Paradox is chaotic. They're as likely to turn on us as they are to help us."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor began to pace around the console, his mind working through the possibilities. "True, but we're running out of options. We just need to be extremely careful about how we approach them."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix sighed, a sense of unease settling over her. "Approaching Faction Paradox is like playing with fire. If we're going to do this, we need a lot of luck."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor stopped pacing and faced Trix, determination etched on his face. "Then we'll make our own luck. We've both dealt with Faction Paradox before. They're not easily swayed, but they do have their own code. If we can appeal to their sense of... let's call it 'adventure,' they might just see the Daleks as a worthy challenge."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"He returned to the console and started inputting coordinates. "We'll need to tread carefully. Faction Paradox respects strength and cunning. We'll have to play their game, at least for a while."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix nodded, a sense of resolve building within her. "Let's do it then. Let's bring some chaos to the Daleks' home planet for once." /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Beneath the scarred surface of Skaro, in the claustrophobic network of subterranean tunnels, the remaining Thals, led by Mirela and Vorn, navigated the dimly lit passages with a mix of urgency and dread. The atmosphere was thick with despair, the recent losses weighing heavily on their hearts./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The tunnels, carved out ages ago and forgotten by time, were now the Thals' last refuge. The walls, rough-hewn and damp, seemed to close in around them, echoing their labored breaths and hurried footsteps. Faint luminescent moss cast ghostly shadows, adding to the eerie, oppressive ambience./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mirela, her face etched with fatigue and resolve, clutched her makeshift signal jammer, the device that had become a symbol of their dwindling hope. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Vorn, his once-strong frame now stooped with age and grief, moved alongside her, his voice a steady presence amidst the chaos. "We must reach the old assembly hall. It's our last chance to regroup and plan our next move."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The group, ragged but determined, pressed on, their path lit only by the dim glow of handheld lamps. Whispers of fear and determination filled the air, the Thals' spirit of resistance flickering like the fragile light that guided them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Suddenly, a faint rumble echoed through the tunnels, growing steadily louder. Mirela's eyes widened in alarm. "Daleks! They've found us!" she hissed, panic lacing her voice./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Thals scrambled into defensive positions as the sound of Dalek hover units grew closer. The narrow confines of the tunnel offered little room for maneuver, turning their predicament into a death trap./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mirela, gripping her weapon, glanced at Vorn. "We can't let them take us. Not here, not in the dark."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As the first Dalek glided into view, its cold, mechanical eye sweeping the darkness, Mirela stepped forward, positioning herself between the Dalek and her fellow Thals. Her stance was defiant, the embodiment of the Thal spirit that refused to be extinguished./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Dalek's weapon glowed ominously, its harsh, electronic voice declaring their end./spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;" "Exterminate!"/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;" /span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In that heartbeat of time, Mirela acted. With a cry of defiance, she unleashed a barrage of fire, her shots striking the Dalek's armor. Sparks flew, but the Dalek's advance continued, relentless and unfazed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Mirela's bravery rallied the Thals, inspiring them to fight with renewed vigor. But as they engaged the enemy, a sudden blast from another Dalek's weapon caught Mirela off-guard. The energy beam struck her squarely, engulfing her in a blinding light./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Time seemed to stand still as Mirela was thrown backward, her body arching in the air before crashing to the ground with a haunting finality. The echoes of the blast reverberated through the tunnel./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Vorn, witnessing Mirela's fall, felt a surge of grief and rage. "Mirela!" he shouted, his voice breaking with emotion. He rushed to her side, but it was too late. Mirela lay still, her eyes vacant./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Thals, once numerous and spirited, were now reduced to a handful of survivors, each step forward weighed down by the loss of their comrades./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Suddenly, a Dalek patrol, having flanked their position, appeared ahead of them. The lead Dalek's emotionless voice echoed through the tunnel. /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""Halt! Do not move! You will be exterminated."/span/em/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"There was no time to react. A lethal barrage of energy beams shot forth, lighting up the tunnel with deadly flashes. Two more Thals, caught in the open, were struck down, their cries abruptly silenced as they fell./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The remaining Thals, driven by fear and desperation, scrambled for cover. Vorn, his face etched with anguish, grabbed a young Thal, Lukas pulling him into a narrow alcove just as another beam scorched the wall where they had been standing moments before./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Lukas, his face pale with shock, looked up at Vorn. "What do we do now?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Vorn, his eyes reflecting a deep, inexorable resolve, replied, "We survive. For Mirela, for all who have fallen, we must survive and continue the fight."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"With the Daleks momentarily regrouping, Vorn led the remaining Thals through a barely visible side passage, a route known only to those who had called these tunnels home for generations./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The passage was cramped and winding, forcing them to proceed in single file. The oppressive atmosphere was thick with the scent of damp earth and the metallic tang of fear. Every shadow seemed to move, every sound a potential harbinger of doom./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As they emerged into a wider cavern, the group paused, catching their breath in the relative safety of the hidden chamber. The reality of their situation was stark and harrowing – only a few of them remained, a mere shadow of the resistance that had set out with hope in their hearts./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Within the confines of the TARDIS, the Doctor and Trix were deep in thought, the weight of their decision to seek out Faction Paradox evident in the tense atmosphere./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Faction Paradox isn't exactly the easiest group to pin down, Doctor. They exist outside of normal time, always shifting, always scheming," Trix said, her tone laced with apprehension./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor nodded, his eyes not leaving the console. "True, but there are moments in history where their influence has been more... pronounced. That's what we need to find. A point in time where Faction Paradox was active and might be receptive to our... proposal."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix crossed her arms, her mind racing with the implications of their plan. "And how do we convince a group of time-traveling anarchists to help us against the Daleks?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor paused, his expression thoughtful. "Faction Paradox thrives on chaos and paradoxes. The Daleks, with their newfound regeneration ability, present a significant disruption to the timelines. It's the kind of challenge Faction Paradox might find irresistible."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"He continued to manipulate the TARDIS controls, the time rotor moving in response. "There's an event, the Eleven-Day Empire. It was a focal point for Faction Paradox activity. If we can find our way there, we might just get their attention."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The TARDIS lurched suddenly, the familiar sound of dematerialization filling the room. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix braced herself, her eyes fixed on the Doctor. "And if they decide we're more trouble than we're worth?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor gave her a wry smile. "Then we run. Very fast."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The TARDIS settled into the vortex, the monitor displaying the swirling colors of time and space. Trix took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. "Let's hope this gamble pays off, Doctor."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The TARDIS materialized in a realm that defied conventional understanding of space and time. The Eleven-Day Empire, a pocket universe created and controlled by Faction Paradox, was a place where the laws of reality were twisted and remade to suit the whims of its inhabitants./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The environment was a dizzying collage of architectural styles, each building and street seemingly ripped from different points in history and fused together in a chaotic tapestry. The sky above was a swirling maelstrom of colors, casting an eerie, ever-changing light over the landscape./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor and Trix stepped out of the TARDIS, their senses immediately assaulted by the sights and sounds of the Empire. The air was filled with a cacophony of noises from unseen sources, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to shift and pulse with a life of its own./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix looked around, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and apprehension. "This place is... well… it's certainly something."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor nodded, his expression one of cautious curiosity. "Faction Paradox reshapes reality to their liking. It's disorienting, but we need to stay focused. We're here to find their leaders and make our case."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As they ventured deeper into the Empire, they encountered its denizens – beings who appeared human but were adorned with ritualistic masks and robes, each one a member of Faction Paradox. They moved with a purposeful grace, their eyes following the Doctor and Trix with a predatory interest./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor led Trix to what appeared to be a central plaza, where a large, ornate building stood, its architecture a bizarre fusion of Gothic and alien design./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Approaching the building, they were suddenly surrounded by a group of Faction Paradox members. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"A figure, more elaborately dressed than the others and wearing a mask of bone, stepped forward. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Time Lord," the figure addressed the Doctor with a voice that was both melodic and chilling. "You are far from your paths. What brings you to the Eleven-Day Empire?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor, maintaining his composure, replied, "We seek an audience. The Daleks pose a threat to all of time and space. We believe Faction Paradox could be instrumental in stopping them."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The masked figure considered this, their head tilting in a bird-like manner. "The Daleks are an anomaly we've observed with interest. But why should we intervene in your war?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix interjected, her voice firm, "Because the Daleks' actions could unravel the very fabric of reality. They've acquired the power of regeneration, and it's only a matter of time before they use it to reshape history to their design."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The figure remained silent for a moment, then gestured for them to follow. "Come. The Council will hear your plea. But be warned, Time Lord, the whims of Faction Paradox are not easily swayed."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The interior of the Faction Paradox council chamber was as surreal as the exterior of the Eleven-Day Empire. The walls pulsed with a life of their own, adorned with artifacts that seemed to defy the laws of physics, shifting and changing form even as the Doctor and Trix looked at them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"At the center of the chamber stood a long, obsidian table, around which sat various members of the Faction, their masks and robes more ornate and intimidating than those of their underlings. At the head of the table was Godfather Avatar, a figure of enigmatic power within Faction Paradox./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Godfather Avatar was a striking presence. His tall, lean form was draped in robes that seemed woven from the very night sky, adorned with symbols that danced and flickered like stars. His mask was the most elaborate of all, resembling a skull, but with intricate carvings and jewels that glowed with an inner light. His eyes, visible behind the mask, were deep and piercing, giving nothing away of his thoughts or intentions./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor and Trix were ushered to stand before the council. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor spoke first, his voice echoing slightly in the chamber. "Godfather Avatar, members of Faction Paradox, we come seeking your aid against the Daleks. They have acquired the ability to regenerate, posing a threat not just to the universe, but to time itself."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Godfather Avatar listened, his head tilting slightly as he considered the Doctor's words. "The Daleks are creatures of order, of conformity. Their existence is anathema to the chaos we cherish. But why should we, the weavers of paradox, intervene in this conflict?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix stepped forward, her tone earnest. "Because if the Daleks succeed in their plans, the chaos you thrive on will be snuffed out. They seek to impose their order on all of time. We need to stop them before it's too late."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Godfather Avatar's gaze shifted to Trix, his interest piqued. "And what role does the Bene Gesserit play in this? Your kind are known for their own manipulations of time and destiny."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix met his gaze unflinchingly. "I may have been trained by the Bene Gesserit, but I am no Bene Gesserit."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"There was a moment of silence as Godfather Avatar contemplated their plea. Then, slowly, he began to speak. "The Daleks' newfound power is indeed a distortion that could prove... entertaining to correct. However, any alliance with Faction Paradox comes at a price."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor nodded, expecting this. "Name your price, Godfather Avatar."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Godfather Avatar's lips curled into a sly smile beneath his mask. "We will aid you, Doctor. But in return, we require a boon—a moment in time, a paradox of your making, to be used at our discretion."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor exchanged a glance with Trix, understanding the gravity of what was being asked. "Agreed. But the paradox will not harm innocents."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Agreed," Godfather Avatar replied, his voice carrying a note of satisfaction. "Then let us begin our... collaboration."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In the desolate wastelands of Skaro, the remnants of the Thal resistance, led by Vorn, made their way through the ruins of what was once a thriving civilization. The small band of survivors, their faces etched with exhaustion and sorrow, clung to the last vestiges of hope in a world overrun by their relentless foes./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Vorn, now the de facto leader after Mirela's tragic death, guided the group towards a long-forgotten outpost that he hoped would serve as their final stronghold. The outpost, hidden in the shadow of a collapsed skyscraper, was a testament to the Thals' former technological prowess./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Inside the outpost, the Thals worked feverishly to fortify their position. Vorn, his hands trembling with fatigue, oversaw the preparations. "We make our stand here," he declared, his voice resonating with a mixture of defiance and resignation. "If we fall, we fall fighting for our freedom."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The atmosphere was charged with a palpable sense of urgency. The Thals set up makeshift barricades and prepared their limited arsenal. Each of them knew that this could very well be their last battle./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As night fell, the eerie silence of Skaro was broken by the distant sound of Dalek hover units approaching. The Thals took up their positions, their weapons at the ready, their hearts pounding in anticipation of the inevitable assault./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In the bizarre and chaotic realm of the Eleven-Day Empire, Godfather Avatar stood before the assembled members of Faction Paradox. The council chamber, a place where normal rules of time and space seemed to bend and twist, was alive with an air of anticipation./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Around him, the members of Faction Paradox, clad in their ritualistic robes and bone masks, gathered in a semi-circle. Their attention was focused entirely on Godfather Avatar, who was a commanding presence despite his lean frame. His mask, intricate and ominous, seemed to hold the gaze of everyone present./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Brethren of Faction Paradox," Godfather Avatar began, his voice echoing slightly in the chamber, "we have entered into an alliance with the Time Lord known as the Doctor. Our objective: to bring chaos to the Daleks on Skaro."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Murmurs of interest rippled through the assembled members. The Faction was always eager for opportunities to disrupt and manipulate, and the Daleks presented a particularly enticing target./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Godfather Avatar continued, "The Daleks have acquired the power of regeneration, an aberration in the timelines that must be corrected. Our role will be to infiltrate Skaro and sow the seeds of paradox and confusion among their ranks."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"A member stepped forward, their voice distorted by their mask. "How do we intend to breach the Dalek defenses? Their firepower is formidable."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Godfather Avatar raised his hand, and an intricate model of Skaro materialized above the table, its surface dotted with representations of Dalek forces. "We will use the temporal shifts. We'll slip through the cracks in their defenses, using our mastery of time to appear where we're least expected. We'll use every trick, every paradoxical weapon in our arsenal."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The chamber filled with a sense of dark excitement. The members of Faction Paradox relished the thought of turning their unique abilities against the Daleks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Godfather Avatar surveyed the room, his eyes gleaming behind his mask. "Prepare yourselves. Gather your devices, your rituals. We leave for Skaro at the zenith of the Empire's time cycle. This will be a moment for the annals of Faction Paradox, a grand manipulation of time and destiny."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"-/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"On the bleak surface of Skaro, where the last of the Thal resistance, led by a beleaguered Vorn, faced an overwhelming onslaught of Dalek forces. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burnt metal and the harsh sounds of energy weapons. The ruins that had once provided shelter and hope were now a crumbling testament to the Thals' desperate plight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Daleks, with their emotionless precision, methodically advanced, their singular goal to exterminate the last of the Thals. Their beams cut swathes through the ruins, each strike bringing them closer to their objective./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In a heart-wrenching moment, Vorn witnessed the fall of another of his comrades, a young Thal woman named Saela, who had fought bravely beside him. As she fell, a look of surprise and pain etched on her face, Vorn's resolve hardened./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Never surrender!" he shouted, his voice echoing amidst the chaos./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"But as the Daleks continued their advance, it became clear that the end was near. Vorn, now alone, took a final stand atop a pile of rubble, his weapon firing continuously until it overheated and failed./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As the Daleks closed in, Vorn's defiance never wavered. "For Skaro," he whispered, a final tribute to his fallen people./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Daleks, surrounding Vorn, prepared to deliver the final blow. /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;""You are the last Thal! You will be exterminated!"/span/emspan style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" intoned the lead Dalek./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Just as the Dalek's weapon fired, the familiar wheezing sound of the TARDIS materializing filled the air. In a whirlwind of temporal energy, the blue police box appeared around Vorn, shielding him from the lethal blast./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Inside the TARDIS, Vorn, bewildered and disoriented, found himself standing next to the Doctor and Trix. The Doctor, operating the console with swift movements, offered Vorn a brief nod. "Not your time yet, Vorn. You've still got a part to play."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix looked at Vorn with a mixture of relief and urgency. "We're about to make a move against the Daleks, and we could use someone with your knowledge of Skaro."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"On the devastated surface of Skaro, the members of Faction Paradox, led by Godfather Avatar, unleashed a maelstrom of temporal chaos upon the Dalek forces. The battleground was transformed into a surreal landscape where the laws of time and causality were twisted and subverted./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In one area, a Faction Paradox member, cloaked in robes adorned with symbols of paradox, raised a device that emitted a swirling vortex of energy. As Daleks approached, they were caught in the vortex, their forms stretching and distorting grotesquely before vanishing with a pop, erased from the timeline./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Elsewhere, a group of Daleks suddenly began to glitch and flicker, their extermination blasts firing at random intervals and directions. A Faction agent had infiltrated their network, introducing a time loop virus that caused the Daleks to relive the same moment repeatedly, their movements becoming increasingly erratic./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Nearby, Godfather Avatar himself confronted a Dalek squadron. With a wave of his hand, he reversed their temporal existence, causing the Daleks to devolve rapidly. Their advanced casings corroded and fell apart, revealing the mutated Kaled creatures within, which then regressed further into primordial ooze./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In another dramatic display, a Faction Paradox ritualist chanted in an ancient, forgotten language, surrounded by swirling mists of time. The ground around a Dalek patrol turned to liquid, swallowing the machines whole before solidifying once more, leaving no trace of their existence./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Amidst the chaos, some Daleks attempted to retaliate, firing wildly at the Faction Paradox members. However, their efforts were futile. The Faction agents, masters of temporal manipulation, simply flickered in and out of sync with time, the Dalek blasts passing harmlessly through them./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In a particularly audacious move, a Faction agent used a paradox generator to create a doppelganger of a Dalek commander. The doppelganger issued contradictory orders, sowing confusion and discord within the Dalek ranks./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The planet was a spectacle of time-bending anarchy. The Faction Paradox members moved through the Dalek forces like wraiths, their actions unfathomable and their methods beyond comprehension./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Inside the TARDIS, the atmosphere was thick with a mix of tension and solemnity. The Doctor, Trix, and Vorn stood around the console, the weight of their upcoming task hanging heavily in the air. The Doctor was setting the coordinates, his face etched with concentration./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;""Vorn, you understand what you have to do?" the Doctor asked, his tone serious./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Vorn nodded, a determined look in his eyes. "I go back to the start of the Kaled-Thal war. I must bring peace before the hatred festers, before it gives birth to the Daleks."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor placed a hand on Vorn's shoulder. "You carry the hopes of many, Vorn. Bring peace to Skaro. Make it a world that never knows the Daleks."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix looked at Vorn, admiration and concern in her gaze./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Vorn stepped towards the TARDIS door, pausing for a moment. "I never thought I'd have the chance to rewrite my planet's history. To prevent so much suffering… And if I fail at that, I will make sure the Kaled race is exterminated completely."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"With a final nod, Vorn stepped out of the TARDIS, into the warm sunlight of ancient Skaro./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor then set the TARDIS in motion, traveling forward to the future of Skaro. The time rotor whirred and the ship vibrated with the energy of their journey. Trix stood beside the Doctor, her thoughts on the monumental task they had entrusted to Vorn./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"As the TARDIS materialized in the future, the Doctor and Trix looked eagerly at the monitor, expecting to see a Skaro free from Dalek tyranny. Instead, their faces registered shock and disbelief./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The monitor showed nothing but the vast emptiness of space. Skaro was gone, completely erased from existence./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Trix turned to the Doctor, her voice barely a whisper. "What happened? Where's Skaro?"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The Doctor's eyes were wide, a mix of horror and confusion in his gaze. "It's... it's gone. Either Faction Paradox was too successful… or Vorn failed in his mission catastrophically..."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The implications of their actions hung heavily in the air. The TARDIS was silent, save for the gentle hum of its engines. The screen outside showed the empty void where Skaro once existed, a haunting reminder of the power of time and the consequences of their actions./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"strongspan style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"[End Credits]/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"In the vast, silent expanse of space where Skaro once orbited, two figures stood suspended in the vacuum, defying the laws of physics and reality. The man in the tan jacket, clutching his deerskin suitcase, gazed into the void where the planet had once been. Beside him, Godfather Avatar of Faction Paradox, his robes flowing around him as if caught in an unfelt breeze, looked on with an inscrutable expression behind his elaborate bone mask./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"A tableau set against the backdrop of a star-filled cosmos, where the absence of Skaro left a haunting emptiness. The two figures, masters of time and paradox, stood as silent witnesses to the consequences of the actions that had unfolded./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The man in the tan jacket, his expression unreadable, slowly opened his suitcase. Inside, the contents were obscured from view, but they emitted a soft, otherworldly glow that illuminated his face in the darkness of space. He reached in, his hand moving deliberately, and withdrew an object that seemed to shimmer with contained energy./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Godfather Avatar turned his masked face slightly towards the man, his presence commanding yet enigmatic. The air around them seemed to ripple with the potential of untold powers, the secrets of time and space known only to beings such as themselves./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Without a word, the man in the tan jacket closed his suitcase, the glow fading as the lid snapped shut. He then turned, his gaze still fixed on the void left by Skaro, a silent contemplation of the events that had transpired./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"Around them, the stars twinkled indifferently, distant suns unaware or uncaring of the drama that had unfolded in this small corner of the cosmos./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"The man in the tan jacket, his expression enigmatic behind his nondescript features, cast one final glance at the emptiness before him. Then, with a subtle shift in posture, he indicated a readiness to depart, his mission in this time and place seemingly concluded. Then, the figures started to fade, becoming less substantial, as if they were being unmoored from the fabric of reality itself. They seemed to become part of the vastness of space, their forms dissolving into the cosmic tapestry./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"span style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: .2in; line-height: normal; mso-pagination: none;"strongspan style="font-family: 'Garamond',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"[Cut to Black]/span/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" /p