Degradation
AN Mk1: Some spoilery inferences in this story for some Big Finish audios (kinda, I reshape some of the history)…you've been warned.
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"There are concerns of course." The man said, he stood uncomfortably in front of the throne and looked sidelong at the others that fringed the edges of the room.
"I should think so." The woman sitting on the throne said as she looked at the tablet in her hand. She was wearing a dazzling white gone and a large gold embroidered neck frill. She had dark brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. She looked up at the man. "This report's conclusions are horrific, Narvin."
"Madame President, I overviewed the writing of the report," An older man spoke. He sat with the people sitting on the edge of the room in what looked like a jurors' pit. They were all dress in luscious red robes with matching neck collars that became frills that surrounded their heads. "The coordinator's report shouldn't be dismissed out of hand. If what the Celestial Interventionist Agencies figures are correct, we are greatly threatened." He turned to the other's who nodded sagely. "The recent battle at the Gates of Elysium should make crystal clear how weakened our forces are. We have endured two Dalek invasions of Gallifrey now under your administration."
"Which were repelled!" The woman on the throne returned, probably too defensively if she was honest.
"With considerable damage and loss." The older man continued. "Our status is not on sure footing. At this point we cannot take the fight to the Daleks; we can barely defend ourselves if they come again. What is left of our offensive military capacity is limited and damaged, and largely busy attempting to fight the Great Vampires."
"This plan is irresponsible." The woman replied, shaking her head. "The report fails to take into account the collateral damage. Lord Delox, are you suggesting we unleash this plan upon Dalek and innocent alike?"
"Lady Romana, if I may, this is war, there are no innocence. The very children you tried to bring into the academy were carriers of the Dalek virus that nearly destroyed us. The great Temporal Accords that you claimed as a triumph led to the first Dalek invasion of Gallifrey." Delox replied, he clasped his hands together. "Our prior magnanimousness left us open to invasion, to pestilence, and you wish to continue these policies?"
"I believe that we are not yet in such a position of weakness to even start entertaining this, this, monstrous alternative." Romana returned, looking at Delox in the eyes. The old man did not flinch, did not shift, he was too old to be cowed by her. "Never mind the danger of it to ourselves."
"Actually, if I may," Narvin took a step forward, he shifted uneasily as Romana's eyes turned to him, "there would be decidedly little risk to us. We could simply send the lure back in time, and the Great Vampires would follow it straight to Skaro. The Daleks have shown to be quite incapable of defeating the beasts or defending themselves."
"And what happens when the Great Vampires finish with degrading Skaro to a husk?" Romana asked, narrowing her eyes. "What about the surrounding species, the greater galaxy? What will happen then? You'd be dooming billions to a terrible death. Allow me to remind you, Coordinator Narvin, I have actually encountered the Great Vampires before! So I may have some perspective as to the danger they represent."
"We've already taken steps towards reclaiming the needed information to give us victory against the vampires, Madam President." Narvin said, smiling, happy with himself. "We actually believe that we could contain the threat rather quickly. This would provide for us an end of the war with the Daleks without threatening Gallifrey, with limited causalities for ourselves."
"And what steps have you taken then?" Romana said taking a deep breath and looking skeptically at Narvin.
"We have located the Record of Rassilon." Delox said. "After long thinking it lost to time, war and indolence. With the record we will be able to quickly finish off the vampire threat."
"Quickly? The ancient Gallifreyans had enormous losses in the war. It so disgusted them that they vowed never to go to war again." Romana said.
"And yet, we are at war, my lady." Narvin said. "We are again at the brink against a frightful enemy that looks to destroy all life in the universe. This solution will end two threats in one motion. We need the Record of Rassilon, and have made movements to procure the last copy of it."
"Which explains why I had a platoon of stasers pointed at me when I opened my TARDIS doors." A voice shot from the far end of the council chambers. The owner of voice stepped forward a group of ten guards followed him, all holding stasers at the man's back. The other Time Lords stood up in shock, even President Romana. The Doctor strode into the chambers, looking around, hands behind his back. "You realize, that you can just ask for things. I'm willing to assist where I can. My TARDIS doesn't appreciate being yanked across time and space, well, not under someone else's discretion. She's a fussy, old thing."
"Doctor…" Romana said with a smile as she stepped forward from her throne and walked towards him with outstretched arms. She hugged him gently, and waved off the guards, and then stepped back and took a stern face. "What is the meaning of this? The High Council is in session, these are closed door proceedings."
"Nice cover." The Doctor whispered, walking past Romana and looking to the other councilors. "I see that the High Council is still as dusty and old as I remember." He was wearing a green frock coat and a brown vest with golden embroidery and a simple gray shirt and trousers. He walked past Narvin and took a step up the plinth to the throne and plopped lazily into the chair. "Now, what's this I'm hearing about Great Vampires?"
"Sir, that seat is meant…" one of the Cardinals groused.
"I was Lord President, once, Tachen." The Doctor said, bored. He stared at Narvin, but addressed the High Council. "I assume we're finally making an actual move towards re-banishing the Great Vampires to their lost spaces. I hope so, at least. Last figures were that they are multiplying and growing in power. The Fornix corridor has been depopulated, and disgorged of energy, complete entropic collapse."
"Well…" Narvin looked to the High Council and then to Romana. "Eventually…"
"Eventually?" The Doctor looked past Narvin to Romana, quirking an eyebrow.
"You see, Doctor, the Daleks have no adequate defenses against them…" Narvin began; the Doctor threw up a hand stopping him.
"You can't be serious, Romana?" The Doctor said sitting up in the throne. "You know how dangerous the Great Vampires are. You know what kind of damage they are doing to the universe."
"I do not endorse this plan at all." Romana admitted, she walked forward, past Narvin. She gave the council a glance and then looked to the Doctor. "However, it is the council's right to explore any action, we are at war."
"That is not an excuse!" The Doctor growled.
"No, it isn't." Romana turned to Narvin. "The Great Vampires are not a weapon to launch at the Daleks."
"But, Madame President…" Narvin started to re-assert himself.
"No, I will not be the President who unleashes an unspeakable evil upon the universe as a weapon." Romana turned to the Doctor, whilst addressing the High Council. "Winning this war will be done properly. We will not lower ourselves to the Daleks' level. We must acquire alliances, procure more resources, and rebuild our military infrastructure. As I said when I became president, the days of our insularity is over, we can no longer pretend to be apart from the universe, but rather we are a part of the universe. I realize how dangerous that can be, I'm aware of the threat that it has opened us up to, but in the long run reaching out to the universe will only be a positive."
"Lady Romana, it is easy to speak in these morally high-minded terms, but the Daleks will not wait for us to be ready to fight them on even footing, for all we know the Dalek fleets and the Gothic war engines are en route to destroy Gallifrey as we speak!" Delox stamped his cane on the floor of the councilors' box. "We must use every opportunity at our disposal!" Delox glared at the Doctor. "Even if that means fighting dirty, and using morally questionable means."
"If all it takes is one disaster for us to lose our moral center, for us to be willing to do the unspeakable for our own self-service, then I was right." The Doctor said standing up, and stepping down from the throne. His eyes panned over the council. "We are the highest, most mighty civilization in the history of the universe, but we're also beyond decadent and degenerate, we lost our morality somewhere in the intervening millions of years. Maybe we never had a moral center, maybe we were always like this."
"Says the man who has tried to destroy the Daleks with the Hand of Omega, and who has committed genocides. Whose misjudgments and cosmic interference has brought this calamity to our homes." Delox replied, sniffing in disapproval. "Your motives are as dubious as any of ours, Doctor. Whilst we have stood here and endured this war, you have ran away, refused to fight, hidden yourself in safe places."
"Chancellor Delox!" Romana shouted, and turned. Her arms were pressed against her sides, her fists were clenched. "I have known the Doctor…"
"Yes, his contamination is evident, Madame President." Delox interrupted, the other councilors and Narvin gasped, interrupting the president was not done, in the Dark Times it was a crime that could come with the penalty of dispersion. "We've endured the policies that have undoubtedly been gestated by your long-term mission with the Doctor. Or shall we be honest and remind everyone that you were due back immediately after the Atrios incident, and yet somehow you ended up in E-Space for centuries before returning, without leave, without permission, nearly four hundred years AWOL, consorting with aliens!"
"My record is not under review here, Lord Delox! I would also remind you of the decorum of this body!" Romana roared back. She strode angrily to the bench of the council and looked directly in Delox's eyes. "Whilst I was actually interacting with the universe, you and the rest of the council have been quite keen to sit here, and allow dust to settle upon Gallifrey, to turn Time Lord society into a antique to be preserved like some museum piece. I have been fighting to drag Gallifrey into a modern universe!"
"And this has brought war to Gallifrey, a war, if I may remind those of us here, which we are currently losing." Delox replied, taking a deep authoritative breath. "The plan that Coordinator Narvin has provided is a plan that could turn this around. It provides us with an opportunity that we have gravely needed. I move to bring this policy up to a vote, to bring this to policy into action!"
"I will not allow this." Romana said, staring at the other councilors. "I will not let this insanity take hold."
"You don't have a choice, Lady Romana." Delox said. "If the votes are there, I'm afraid there's very little you can do, unless you wish to announce yourself Imperatrix again. I doubt though that the population will have much taste for that a second time."
"I second the motion."
The Doctor and Romana turned. Narvin had his hand up.
"All in favor." Delox called, looking at his co-councilors.
"Aye" said five.
"All against."
Romana, the Doctor, and one other Cardinal raised their hands (the Doctor raised both his hands). Then Chancellor Delox informed the Doctor that he had no voting powers at this meeting. The Doctor reaffirmed that despite that he was still against the motion.
"I further move that we members of the High Council act to circumvent the lower council of Time Lords, under the provisions of the emergency powers of the High Council." Delox said calmly, as he sat down.
"Absolutely not!" Romana glared at Delox. "I invoke my rights to summary veto…"
"We have a super-majority, Madame President." Delox said, in a professorial tone as if he was teaching her back in the academy about the basic rules of parliamentary procedure.
"Then under the emergency executive powers as written down under the war provisions," Romana blustered looking to the Doctor who looked unsure and impotent, "I hear by order the High Council of Cardinals to stand down and adjourn, until further notice."
The Doctor took a step back, moving away from Romana.
"Again, casting yourself as the unassailable emperor of Gallifrey, as dictator." Delox said, as he looked to the other councilors. "You barely survived the last time you tried this, and at that time it was to avoid inevitable political defeat and most of Gallifrey's political elite were killed in the ensuing chaos. The people of Gallifrey are tired of invasion, of disease, of death. Do you really think you can survive the will of the people by force of imperial dictatorship once more?"
"If that is a threat, Chancellor Delox, I suggest you make it good." Romana growled. "I will not allow this plan to go through."
"The vote for action has already been cast; it will go to the lower council," Delox said, quietly, unfazed by the Time Lady's anger, "and when it does, be assured a vote of 'no confidence' will swiftly follow."
"I will never allow the vote to come up. Even if it means I have to disbar the councilors from action." Romana said as she walked to the throne and sat down. She looked to the councilors. "I thought I told you to adjourn, leave!"
The councilors looked at one another and shuffled awkwardly out of the council chambers. Only the Doctor was left in the room. He looked at her. She could see his disappointment on his face.
"You don't approve, I suppose." Romana said, sitting imperially on the throne.
"Of the idea of using the Great Vampires as weapon to destroy the Daleks?" The Doctor asked, placing his hand behind his head and rubbing the back of his head, "Or, the idea of you naming yourself the tyrant ruler of the Time Lords?"
"I did what I had to; you know what would've happened." Romana said, crossing her legs and placing her hands on the armrests of the throne. "Delox is unfortunately right. The Time Lords are scared, after the Daleks invaded and the virus, Gallifrey was nearly on the brink of collapsing completely. The war is not going well, Doctor. Projections from the war council suggest another Dalek attack like the last one will destroy us. The people are not pleased; my allies on the council have slowly started to turn against me. Now, Delox is making motions on the High Council, and he is steadily undermining me and my administration."
"If we lose ourselves to this, though," The Doctor shook his head. "If we lose the basic tenets of our society…"
"When you were president you became a tyrant, dissolved the High Council, became a war dictator." Romana replied, icily, her sapphire eyes burning on the Doctor.
"I was orchestrating a plan against an invasion of Gallifrey." The Doctor replied, returning the gaze.
"So am I!" Romana returned sharply.
"No, this isn't a plan, Romana, this is you clinging to power." The Doctor said. He walked up to the throne. "You can do better."
"No, Doctor, I can't. This is the best I can do, in this situation. I tried being like you, Doctor, but Gallifrey is not interested in a good person orchestrating this war." Romana said; she stood up and proceeded to leave the chambers. "You will hand over the Record of Rassilon, by the way."
"Why?" Asked the Doctor.
"We need it to fight the vampires." Romana turned and looked at the Doctor. "Don't resist, Doctor. We may be friends, but I will not refrain from detaining you and dismantling the TARDIS if necessary."
The Doctor nodded silently, clearly cowed, looking to the ground. Romana turned to leave.
"You realize, that I am only agreeing to this, because you are my friend." The Doctor said, straightening up, and clutching the lapels of his jacket. "If you were Hedin or Borusa, or anyone else, I would never allow you to take it, under these circumstances. I trust you, Romana, I trust you will use it for a good reason." The Doctor walked forward, walked past Romana towards the open doors. He cocked his head back and looked to Romana. "Don't disappoint me, Romana. If you think Delox is a difficult enemy, don't disappoint me Romana."
The Doctor turned the corner and disappeared down the corridor. Romana slouched; she knew precisely how dangerous the Doctor was when he was 'disappointed'.
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AN Mk2: Again, reminder that these one shots are in no particular order. Basically they come as I think of them and write them.