Part 13 (1/2)

'You are no longer in command,' the Red Dalek replied. 'The Daleks own this vessel. You will prepare your crew to be confined. Any resistance will be met with retaliation.'

'That is understood,' Cathbad agreed, bowing his head.

'Good.' The Red Dalek surveyed the corridor. 'Where is Davros?'

'In one of our storage rooms,' Cathbad answered. 'He was being guarded.'

'That is now unnecessary. We shall take charge of Davros.' The Red Dalek moved off. Its warriors were spreading about the s.h.i.+p, moving to where they could check on key command stations. 'Your flight crew will prepare to receive new instructions,' the Red Dalek grated. 'You will follow instructions exactly or die.' It began to glide down the corridor. 'Accompany me.' The Thal did so. The Red Dalek was not concerned with the possibility of treachery. The Thals were humanoids, and, like all humanoids, weak. They had surrendered, and would keep their word.

They were stupid.

The Red Dalek halted as it suddenly saw something totally unexpected. 'The Doctor's TARDIS,' he stated, staring at the familiar blue box standing in the corridor. It swivelled his eye stalk to stare at the Thal. 'You have the Doctor aboard?'

Cathbad licked his lips and nodded nervously. 'Yes. He is a prisoner in a holding cell.'

Standing orders flickered into the Dalek's mind: Kill the Doctor... It opened a direct channel to the Black Dalek on the killcruiser and relayed the information silently. A moment later, the response came through. The Red Dalek stared at Cathbad again. 'Take me to the Doctor,' it ordered.

The silence now was very unnerving. Sam wanted to pace about the small cell, but this would be impossible without walking into one or more of the others. What was happening? The Daleks had to be on board by now. She glanced at the Doctor again. He appeared to be deep in melancholic thought, making him look more like a consumptive poet errant than ever. But there was no despair in his eyes. She couldn't fathom what he might be thinking right now, and she knew he would never tell her. She wished there was something she could do or say to make this easier for him, but she was completely out of her depth.

There was a metallic clang, and the door shuddered.

'They're here,' Chayn whispered. She was shaking slightly, and looked across at the Doctor. He stood taller, and moved to the front of the group.

'I wish I could think of some terribly brilliant final words,' the Doctor murmured. 'But all that comes to mind is: I'm sorry, Sam.'

'It's OK,' she told him, a catch in her throat. She wasn't going to break down and cry. Not yet, anyway. But no other words came.

The door suddenly clanged open, and Sam's blood froze. In the doorway stood a red Dalek, its blaster raised and pointed directly at the Doctor.

'You are the Doctor,' it stated. 'You are the enemy of the Daleks.'

Sam saw the hatred and loathing in her friend's eyes, saw his face set in a sneering defiance. 'Yes,' he agreed, at last, a hint of resignation in his voice.

Sam tensed, and then, to her complete shock, the Dalek lowered the barrel of its gun. 'You will wait here,' it ordered. 'You will not be harmed while you stay in your cell.' The eye stalk surveyed Sam, Chayn, and Ayaka in turn. 'It is known that you travel with companions. Do these humanoids accompany you?'

'Yes,' the Doctor agreed, somewhat faintly.

'They will be safe also, provided they stay here,' the Dalek said. It added, 'A Dalek guard will be posted in the corridor to see that no harm comes to you. I shall return when the s.h.i.+p is secure.' It spun about and glided away. Cathbad shrugged helplessly and followed it. A grey-coloured Dalek took up station outside the open door.

Sam collapsed back on to the bunk, shaking with terror and relief. The Doctor was alive! They all were! And the Daleks were guarding them from trouble. 'You know,' she said, almost laughing, 'I think I already like these Daleks better than the Thals. They seem a lot more civilised.'

The Doctor turned to face her. To Sam's shock, he looked worse than he had before.

'What's wrong?' she asked him, confused. 'You don't seem to be very happy that the Daleks have spared your life.'

'I'm not,' he said bluntly. 'They have standing orders to kill me on sight. Since they haven't done that, obviously they've received fresh orders about me. If they're spared my life, it's because they've got something far, far worse than death planned for me.'

At that thought, all of Sam's newborn confidence and hope died in a second.

INTERLUDE.

DRACONIAN s.p.a.cE.

The Draconian captain sat immobile in the command chair. It was not proper to show emotion, even at a time like this. His eyes flickered as he scanned the image cast into the picture pit of his bridge.

Eight Dalek killcruisers...

And he had only five destroyers, along with his beloved s.h.i.+p Hunter Hunter... It would be no fight, merely a ma.s.sacre. But fleeing the enemy was literally unthinkable. If he was to die, he was to die.

Finally, he motioned to the communications officer. 'Send a message to the Home World,' he ordered. 'We have sighted Dalek intruders and are preparing to attack.'

'Understood, Captain.'

The captain studied the picture pit again. The Daleks had clearly detected him, and were intent on intercepting his small fleet. He had expected nothing less. Honour was unknown to them, and they thought nothing of attacking a weaker foe. Well, perhaps he could at least take some of them with him.

'Tactical?' he called.

He still could not get used to having females aboard his s.h.i.+p, but he knew that this was prejudice, and he supposed he was still behind the times. Well, that would likely cease being a problem very shortly. His tactical officer moved to his side, her skin flushed with antic.i.p.ation of the inevitable battle.

'They outcla.s.s us,' she said simply.

'I can see that,' the captain growled. 'What are our options? Aside from dying?'

'We are smaller, but more manuvrable,' she pointed out. Touching her hand control, she raised a schematic of the planetary system they were in. Four worlds and an asteroid field sprang up. 'We can reach the asteroid field before they can,' she pointed out. 'We can go where they cannot.'

There was a sour taste in his mouth. 'You suggest that we hide?' he asked her incredulously, all of his prejudices coming to the fore.

'No!' She glared at him, genuinely angry that he thought so little of her. 'I suggest that we prepare teams to seed the asteroids with proximity mines. The Dalek s.h.i.+elds are good, but are they good enough to withstand numerous impacts?'

The Captain felt ashamed of his suspicions. 'A good plan,' he conceded, bowing slightly to show respect. The officer flushed with pleasure. 'Organise it.' He turned to the navigation officer. 'Alter course for the asteroid field, maximum drive. I want to know how long we'll have there before the Daleks arrive. We must make every moment count.'

There was hurried but quiet activity in response to his orders. His small fleet moved as fast as they could towards the asteroid belt, and his crews began to prepare for their mission. They would not have long, but he had every confidence in his crew. If only he had more time!

The tactical officer moved to join him again. 'All is ready,' she reported. 'The EVA teams will be standing by. As soon as we enter the field, they will begin to exit and work.'

'Excellent.' He scratched the ridges of his forehead, something he did subconsciously when agitated. 'Do you think the Daleks will be expecting a trap?'

'Perhaps,' she acknowledged. 'What you said earlier about hiding...'

'I apologise,' he told her. 'It was wrong of me to think you meant that.'

'Thank you. But that's not what I meant.' She gestured at the picture pit, which showed the Dalek killcruisers closing in. 'The Daleks have no concept of honour. They cannot know that we would not hide from them. Perhaps if we made it look as though that was what we were doing, they would not be looking for a trap.'

Even the thought of hiding made the captain angry, but it had the merit of sense. The Daleks would believe the worst of their foes. Though it went against the grain, he nodded. 'Another fine suggestion,' he complimented her. 'If we survive this, I will make sure you will be commended.'