Part 14 (1/2)

'We're alone, Captain,' Science reported. 'The Daleks have destroyed all of the fleet but us.'

And there were still four killcruisers left not good odds at all.

Then one of the Dalek s.h.i.+ps slammed into an asteroid. Perhaps they had been focusing so intently on the Hunter Hunter that they had not seen the asteroid in its path. Or their tactical computer had sustained damage. The collision broke the Dalek s.h.i.+p into two parts, both of which were engulfed in fireb.a.l.l.s. A surprising but acceptable victory. that they had not seen the asteroid in its path. Or their tactical computer had sustained damage. The collision broke the Dalek s.h.i.+p into two parts, both of which were engulfed in fireb.a.l.l.s. A surprising but acceptable victory.

The remaining three s.h.i.+ps all moved to intercept him, cutting off any possible retreat. How little the Daleks understood his people!

'To the death,' he ordered firmly. 'For the Emperor and Empire!'

The Hunter Hunter sprang forward, into the hail of fire the three killcruisers laid down. The grids whined at fever pitch, and his s.h.i.+p shuddered about him. His own fire pounded the first killcruiser, opening it for another strike. sprang forward, into the hail of fire the three killcruisers laid down. The grids whined at fever pitch, and his s.h.i.+p shuddered about him. His own fire pounded the first killcruiser, opening it for another strike.

Then the whine from the grids ceased entirely, and he knew what that meant.

The entire universe exploded about him and his crew...

PART 3.

CIVIL WAR.

'War is at best barbarism... Its glory is all moons.h.i.+ne. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is h.e.l.l.'

General William Sherman, 1879

CHAPTER 7.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.

Davros whirled to face the door as it slid open. He had been attempting to monitor what was happening in the battle, and had already concluded that the Daleks had won. Though the Thals had spared his life and attempted to secure his cooperation, he was under no illusions that the Daleks would do the same. As a result, he had expected to be exterminated immediately the door was opened, and had prepared for it, knowing precisely what kind of radiation to expect.

To his surprise, the Red Dalek in the doorway did not fire. Instead, it regarded him steadily. Davros was puzzled to note that one of the Thals had accompanied it. 'Davros,' the Red Dalek stated, 'you are being taken back for trial. You will be given minimal contact with Daleks.' It paused. 'You will be executed at the end of the trial.'

'Why this insistence on a trial for me?' he demanded. 'You already know the verdict and sentence. Why bother with this charade?'

The Red Dalek studied him. 'The trial is not yours.'

Intriguing... Davros looked at the Thal. 'Why have you spared your foes?' he asked. 'Surely the Daleks have not developed mercy?' He almost spat the word out.

'No,' the Red Dalek acknowledged. 'But we have developed wisdom.' It considered a moment, and then added, 'The Doctor and his companions have also been spared.'

Davros was almost beside himself with rage. 'The Doctor is alive?' he exclaimed. 'No! That must not be! It is he who tricked me into destroying Skaro! He must be exterminated!' When the Red Dalek did not respond, an idea occurred to Davros. 'Is the trial his, then?'

'No.' The Dalek turned away, apparently indifferent. 'Consider wisely what you will say at the trial,' it advised.

'If I am not told whose trial it is to be, how can I prepare a statement?' Davros asked.

The Red Dalek's eye stalk swivelled back to regard him. 'Logical,' it acknowledged. 'The trial is of the entire Dalek species.' The door slid shut, leaving Davros to stare at its black facade.

But the Red Dalek had been very careful and selective in the information it had given him. Davros merely needed time to a.s.similate it and to devise a scheme to use it to his own advantage.

To Sam's surprise, their cell door was not closed again. Several Daleks glided past in the corridor, but none paid the captives any attention whatsoever. This was not the kind of behaviour that she had expected of the universe's most ruthless killers. As she'd told the Doctor earlier, they were being far more civilised than the Thals had been. So far, they had killed none of the crew of the s.h.i.+p, and this clearly disturbed the Doctor.

Sam wasn't sure how she felt about anything right now. She was still in some shock from having witnessed Delani's murder. A twinge or two of guilt, too, in fact, since she had been instrumental in persuading Ayaka to spare their lives. She was starting to see how the Doctor could have felt that creating the Thals as a fighting force might have been his fault. After all, some of the guilt for Delani's death had to rest upon her own shoulders. True, Sam had not expected Ayaka to kill her commander, but that was no real excuse. She'd incited a soldier to mutiny, for what she firmly believed were good reasons. But to be accomplice to murder even one that was arguably justifiable left Sam feeling empty.

To be honest, she wasn't absolutely sure why. It was partly because she believed in trying to see the good in everyone. Delani had, after all, been a product of his environment. He had grown up in a society that had waged war for generations; it was only natural that he become a killer, desensitised to murder and violence. But, then, Ayaka had grown up in exactly the same environment, and she still believed in a code of morality. Not exactly the one that either Sam or the Doctor did, it was true, but her own code. One that would not allow her to kill the innocent simply because she'd been ordered to do so.

Sam didn't know what to make of the Thal woman. In some ways, she despised Ayaka, and in others she admired her.

Why was the universe always so confusing? It was really easy to believe in absolute right and wrong when all you had to do was to study the issue in the abstract. But when you were actually plunged into the thick of life, suddenly the obvious became less clear. Could she condemn Ayaka for doing what the Thal believed was right? It looked as though Ayaka was asking herself pretty much the same questions. She had not killed Delani lightly, or on impulse, but because she had genuinely believed it to be for the greater good. And, at the same time, she blamed herself for doing it. Ayaka was a complex person, and Sam was at a loss as to how to take her.

And what was to happen to them now? The Doctor had been convinced that the Daleks had intended to murder them all, but he had been wrong. Ayaka was convinced that they would all be made into slaves, but the Doctor seemed to think this might not be the case. He was certain that the Daleks were up to something. Sam could agree with that. But what? That question was clearly vexing the Doctor.

'Information,' he finally said, startling them all. Suddenly aware he was being stared at, the Doctor explained. 'We need more information. Like where we are being taken, for one thing.'

'Maybe you should just ask the Daleks,' suggested Chayn. 'They seem to be being awfully reasonable right now.'

The Doctor grinned. 'It's worth a shot,' he agreed, and then winced at his choice of words. Crossing to the open door, he waved a hand in the direction of the guard. 'Ah, excuse me,' he called. 'Could you tell me where this s.h.i.+p is heading?'

The Dalek stared at him. 'I do not have that information.'

'Well, that's a start,' the Doctor murmured. 'He didn't tell me to shut up or be exterminated.' Raising his voice, he asked, 'Could you find out if we're allowed to know?'

The Dalek fell silent, and the Doctor studied it. 'It's sending for directives,' he said, sounding surprised. 'We're certainly being given the royal treatment at least by Dalek standards.'

The Dalek's eye stalk swivelled to face the Doctor again. 'You may all proceed to the monitor room,' it stated. 'Do not attempt to deviate from instructions.'

'We wouldn't dream of it,' the Doctor a.s.sured it. He beamed at his three companions. 'Come on. We may as well take advantage of their generosity. At the very least, it'll be less cramped than this cell.'

The Dalek led the way down the corridor to another room. It activated the door and ushered them in. 'The door will remain open at all times,' it stated. 'You will be observed.'

'Naturally,' the Doctor agreed. He raised an eyebrow when he saw that Cathbad was already there. 'h.e.l.lo! You out on parole, too?'

Cathbad shrugged. 'The Red Dalek ordered me to wait in here and to a.s.sist you if I could.'

'That's jolly decent of it,' the Doctor answered. 'And, frankly, that scares me. Why would the Daleks want us to have access to all of this equipment? They have absolutely no reason to trust me.' He stared about the room, which was clearly a communications subcentre, even to Sam's untrained eyes. There were numerous machines that looked like radars or televisions, and several computers. The lighting in the room was dimmed to make the screens clearer.

Chayn smiled. 'Doctor, I think they've discovered something that keeps you their prisoner far more than locks and chains curiosity.'