Peladon

Kate had her hand on her pistol, holding it by her hip, as the Master strode around the TARDIS as if he owned the place. His hands caressed the console like a man fondling a woman, his eyes kept darting between the console, Osgood, and Kate's gun.

Kate's eyes stayed locked, like a hawks, on the Master.

The Master chuckled and shook his head, "You really need to relax, Katherine... I am on your side... For the time being."

"You're never on our side." Osgood snapped, The Master looked up and frowned at her. "My dear, my dear, that simply isn't true. I am very much on your side now. I too wish to find, and save, The Doctor." He said, but both women gave him decidedly unconvinced looks. "The Doctor is in danger. And contrary to what either of you may believe, I do not want The Doctor to die." he explained. "You've got a funny way of showing it." Osgood snapped back. "I admit, that in the past, I have had one or two regenerations that took my... aggravations... with the Doctor, a little far, but, I assure you, I have never wished for the Doctor's ****. A universe without him scarcely bears thinking of. I've never wanted to kill the Doctor, I have always *always* wished to convince him to join me. To rule over the universe together."

"That's enough talking..." Kate said, and The Master placed his hands together, giving an almost apologetic little bow to her.

He turned his attention back to the console.

"Of course..." The Master said. "What?" Asked Osgood. "The TARDIS' last logged coordinates." "What are they?" "The Doctor's 9th favorite planet." "9th?" Osgood asked. "Oh yes, he has an extensive list, four-hundred-thousand-nine-hundred-and-seventy-two favorite planets, and why... I say list... It's ten seven hundred page books."

"How do you know that?"

"I'm his best, and oldest, friend"

Kate had remained silent during this conversation, as the TARDIS hummed and wheezed itself into a landing, "and we're here!" The Master said. Peladon, home of King Peladon... Though... no... We've landed several centuries too late for that..." He said. "No, we're in the time of... ah."

Kate frowned. "What?" She asked. "We're in the time of Young King Aggedor, 4 years after the revolution and the end of the age of the Chancellors." He looked up at the two humans, and saw the expressions on their faces. "*Mighty Rassilon...* We're in a rough patch of the planet's history, but, it could be worse, we could have landed on the other side of this time, during the revolution or before it... At least outsiders aren't shot on sight." He said, before heading to the door.

Kate followed close, with Osgood just behind, the three of them stepped out of the TARDIS, and were immediately shot at.

"BACK! BACK!" The Master shouted, not that he had to tell the two of them, as they had already dived back into the TARDIS.

"What was it you were saying?"

"I don't think it's us!" The Master said, rushing to the TARDIS. "If it was, they were extremely bad shots." He flipped a switch and turned his head to look at the scanner, and sure enough, the shots were still being fired, the scanner showed two groups firing at each other, with the TARDIS caught between them.

"Well done, you landed us in a warzone, were you hoping we'd get shot and you could run away? See Kate! This is why I said this was a bad idea!" Osgood protested, but the Master raised a hand to shush her. "And why would I have then been the first one out of the door, you ignorant little..." "Master..." Kate warned, her hand holding her gun still.

The Master trailed off and then sighed. "Alright, all we have to do is wait for one of the groups to kill the other, then we go out and see if we can pick off the survivors." He said, matter-of-factly. "Absolutely not." Kate said, "You need to move the TARDIS someplace safer. Where there aren't... uh... Are those Ice Warriors?" Kate asked.

The Master looked at the screen, and sure enough, three Ice Warriors had appeared to help aid one of the groups of Peladonians.

"Oh yes, so they are..." The Master said, watching the screen as, with the added aid from the Martians the one group of Pels was pushing back the other.

"Do you know, I don't think we'll have to move at all." The Master said, as he began to head for the door.

He waited a moment, before he pulled it open and stepped outside.

One of the Peladonians, stepped out, and beamed at him, a reaction he wasn't entirely used to seeing. "Ah! Doctor! It is you! The legend himself!" He reached out his hand and took the Master's, shaking it vigorously. "Oh... um... Yes, I'm the Doctor.... And these are my... Uh... Servants, the silly one and the hot one." He said, both Kate and Osgood exchanged looks, not entirely sure which one was meant to be which.

"Now... What can you tell me about what just happened?"

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance in this matter..." One of the Ice Warriors said. "I am General Sslanek. The New Galactic Federation has designated Peladon as an active and hostile war zone, due to the corruption of The Changed"

"Oh? The Changed?" The Master asked. "Do tell more... What exactly are... The Changed?"

"Not here, Doctor.... We must return to the castle, where King Aggedor will see you."

The Master exchanged looks with the others, and they all agreed to follow the Peladonians and the Ice Warriors back to the castle.

When they arrived, they were brought to a large throne room, where a young man, of no more than 19 years, sat on a throne.

"Your majesty! We have brought you the Doctor, he's returned!" One of the Peladonians who had guided them to the castle said.

Aggedor frowned, looking at the man before him, a strange looking man, who seemed to be looking at one of his guards, quite quizzically "What? Who? This man? But... I don't understand, if you are the Doctor... Who was it who was here just three days ago?"

"The Doctor was h..." Osgood began, but bit her tongue. "There was someone claiming to be the Doctor here?" The Master asked, hoping the King hadn't noticed Osgood's slip.

"Well, yes... He came and aided us in repelling the Changed from the castle, they had infiltrated five of my King's guard, and our High Priest."

The Master nodded. "Oh yes, that, that must have been me." he said, his eyes darting to one of the guards in the corner.

The King raised an eyebrow. "I can assure you it most definitely was not." He said, but the Master raised a hand. "Ah, but, does your history not tell you that The Doctor changes face? That he has appeared many times on this planet in many different guises?" The king nodded. "It... does... But... If you are he, then why do you not remember?" The Master paused for a moment, Kate and Osgood looked expectantly at him, but The Master's attention seemed to be taken, once again, by one of the guards standing in the corner. "Well, is it not also a well documented piece of your history, that The Doctor, I mean, that *I*, travel through time? So it's simple. You merely met a future version of myself, which I cannot remember being, because I have not yet been him."

"*Nice save*" Osgood said, quietly.

"But, your, uh, your highness." Kate said, stepping forward. "We do need to ask... How did The Doctor leave?"

The Master looked at her, giving her a look that could have been respect. "I don't know... He was here one minute, and then... when I turned around to thank him again... He was gone."

The Master frowned. "Gone... Yes... Uh, your majesty... May I ask... What is the nature of the... infiltration that the Change inflict? And why are they called, The Changed?"

The King frowned, and then sat back in his throne. "Well... Its just what the New Galactic Federation called them. I do not know their proper, self given, name... But their infection varies from infected to infected, but, it seems to only effect their minds. Physically, they are no different. Some of them become, aggressive, lashing out and attacking anyone who isn't themselves also infect, others just sit there, they do nothing, just... sit and starve away. Others seem little changed, like my High Priest, who... Well... Who betrayed me, who was attempting to form another revolution against me, and all of Peladon." Then the king hesitated, his eyes shifting down to the ground... before he went on... "And... others... others become... how do I say this... They... procreate."

The three outsiders all turned to look at the king.

"P-p-pardon?" Osgood asked.

"They attempt to... procreate with as many things in as many ways... as possible."

The Master looked at the king...

And burst out laughing.

"I HARDLY THINK IT IS THE SUBJECT OF JEST!" The King shouted, standing up. "No, no, no indeed not, hahahahahahaha, ohhhhh, oh I do apologi-hahahahahah... ohhh dear me, oh.... Oh dear..." The Master chuckled. "Oh dear, Doctor what have you gotten us into?" He asked, "What?" asked the King. "What did you say?"

The Master frowned. "Oh... I... I mean..." He began. "You are *not* the doctor?"

Kate stepped forward. "We didn't..."

"SILENCE!" The king shouted. "You have deceived the throne, your hysterical outburst shows that you may be infected, guards take them away!"

The Master raised a hand. "Please, your highness! Hahahahahaha, ohhhh sorry, no, no, please, let's talk about this... hahahahaha..." "GET THEM OUT OF HERE!"

"Can we at least have that one escort us down?" The Master asked, pointing at a particular guard.

"What?! Why?" The King asked, "Yes, why?" Kate asked, confused. "Maybe I just want to infect him, hahahahaha" The master burst out laughing again, and the King ordered them to be taken away, but, The Master noted, the guard he had requested did in fact start to follow them...

They were dragged down to a cold, dungeon area, Kate was thrown into one cell, and The Master and Osgood into another.

The walls were stone, the bars were iron, it looked to Kate and Osgood like something out of the medieval period.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?!" Kate shouted at The Master through the bars.

"What the hell do you find so goddamn funny?!"

The Master chuckled again and shook his head. "What do I find funny about a mind controlling alien race that likes to get into fights, over throw governments and have sex?" He asked. "What *don't* you find funny about that?"

The humans rolled their eyes and then Osgood looked at him. "Why were you so interested in that guard?" She asked, and the Master smirked. "I am, quite possibly, the second greatest psychic the Time Lords ever produced." "Second greatest?" "Shut up, I can sense when someone isn't in their right mind..." "Who's the greatest?" "Shut up... And that guard... He wasn't all there... He wasn't entirely himself."

"Okay... What was he?" Osgood asked, just as a guard stepped out in front of the bars.

"*We are The Embrace...*" The guard said, as he began to pull off his coat. "...*Join ussssssssss*"