Alliance of Death

"Doctor, how can you be so sure the Master will try to steal the Great Seal?" King Terran asked as they made their way through the Royal Palace. "The very idea is...is..."
"Unthinkable?" the Doctor suggested helpfully. "The Master is quite capable of doing the unthinkable, your Majesty, I assure you. He'll do anything for power. And, as you say, the Great Seal is power."
"Doctor, without the Great Seal," Jason said worriedly, "the entire Empire could be thrown into chaos."
"All the better for the Master," the Doctor replied darkly.
As they were passing an enormous room, the Time Lord came to an abrupt halt. It was filled with boxes, crates, statuary and mounds of packing material. It took a moment for him to take in everything before asking, "What is all this, Majesty?"
"Coronation gifts," Terran said with a sigh. "There are six more rooms just like this one."
The Doctor turned to his royal companions. "An excellent place to hide a deadly gift, wouldn't you say?"
"I would indeed, Doctor," a familiar voice purred from across the room.
The Doctor whirled around, seeing the Master and Colonel Payne standing just inside the opposite door. It was obvious they were astonished to see Jason alive, a reaction the Doctor made particular note of, glancing pointedly over to him. "Ye-es. We know all about your latest little toy," he said tauntingly.
"Do you now?" the Master replied coolly. "But not, I think, the purpose for which I created it. That, my dear Doctor, shall remain my secret."
"Yes. But for how long?"
The Master grinned and wagged an admonishing finger, "Oh, Doctor, that is unworthy of you. You'll learn everything in due course of time." His voice hardened as he added, "And just before I destroy you."
The Doctor remained unruffled. Now that he was close to unraveling his enemy's scheme, he knew the Master's enormous ego would demand his presence at its culmination. "I wouldn't be so sure of myself, if I were you," he remarked blandly. "You don't have the most reliable of assistants."
"Let me kill him now," Payne snarled. He took an angry step forward, drawing his gun. The Master instantly stopped his progress. "No!" he hissed. "The Doctor is mine!"
Behind the Doctor and his royal companions, two Palace Guards appeared, having heard the voices in the storeroom. Payne reacted first, firing his already drawn weapon and killing one of the guards.
Without thinking, Jason grabbed the King and flung him into a crate filled with packing straw. Another toppled over, concealing the astonished monarch within.
Payne fired again, missing the second guard who dove behind the doorway and radioed for help before returning fire. His first shot struck the wall above where the Master had taken cover. The Time Lord was immediately covered with dust as the stone and masonry exploded into fragments.
The Doctor took refuge behind some crates and from this vantage point he was able to see Colonel Payne taking aim at Jason, who was on the floor near the King. Searching frantically around himself, the Doctor found a small, ornate ginger jar in a box and threw it with all his might at the mercenary.
It missed.
The jar struck the crate behind the Colonel, dislodging a large bust on top, which crashed loudly to the floor just as he fired. The shot to fell short and Jason reeled back as the floor suddenly exploded in front of him. He scrambled for better cover as the security guard returned fire to cover him.
Another shot from the enraged Payne killed the lone guard, whose gun went off as he fell. The shot went wild, striking the boxes stacked where the Doctor was hiding. The unsteady pile immediately collapsed, crashing down on him before he had a chance to react.
"Doctor!" Jason scrambled over to the wreckage, finding the Doctor unconscious but otherwise unharmed beneath the shattered debris.
The sound of several booted feet caused the Master to decide a strategic withdrawal was in order. "Take good care of him, Healer Jason," he called out tauntingly. "I wouldn't want the Doctor to die before I've had the pleasure of killing him myself." So saying, he and Payne fled.
Only seconds later, five Palace Guardsmen burst into the room. The leader, Sergeant Daniels, took in the devastation in bewilderment and horror. "What the devil's going on in here?"
A pile of straw seemed to come to life near the door and a guard cautiously approached it, gun in hand. Before Jason could warn him, the guard knocked the top box away and roughly yanked up the occupant. King Terran.
"Your Majesty!" the guard gasped, falling back in shock.
Daniels rushed over to the trembling monarch, helping him over to a crate where he could sit down. "What happened, your Majesty? Are you hurt?"
Although badly shaken, Terran assured the Sergeant he was unharmed. Pointing to the opposite door, he told him of the escape of the Master and Colonel Payne.
"You men, get after them!" Daniels commanded. The others immediately ran in the direction indicated.
With the King in Daniels' care, Jason turned his attention to the Doctor, clearing away the debris. He had scarcely finished when the Time Lord started to come back to life. "Easy, Doctor," the Healer said gently.
The Doctor winced as he sat up, rubbing the newest bump on his head. "I guess this isn't my day, either," he muttered as he climbed to his feet. He wavered unsteadily and Jason took him by the arm, helping him to sit down.
The guards returned at that moment, reporting, to no one's surprise, that there was no trace of the Master or Colonel Payne. Jason went to the King and checked him over, turning to Daniels and ordering him to escort the monarch to the Royal Healer. Terran tried to protest, but Jason would not hear of it. In spite of everything, he was still supposed to be crowned in two day's time and could not afford to fall ill.
"Majesty," the Doctor injected urgently, "please see the Emperor is informed of the danger."
The King nodded and started to leave, stopping when the Time Lord added, "And I shouldn't bother trying to find the Master in his lab. You'll probably find it's already been dismantled. If he goes back at all, it'll be after he's made his move."
Terran gave way to a resigned sigh, allowing Daniels to escort him out.
Once they were alone, Jason asked concernedly, "Doctor, are you sure you're alright?"
"You're the gifted Healer. You tell me."
Seeing the stricken look on the young man's face, the Doctor said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Jason. I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I've done you a grave injustice today. And I haven't even thanked you properly for saving my life."
"Nor I you."
With this said, the Doctor got to his feet and took in the room. He felt certain the Master had hidden his TSA device somewhere among the hundreds of gifts stored within the Palace. All they had to do was find it.
"Let me see if I understand this," Jason began slowly. "All we have to do is find a device, which may or may not resemble the one I saw, by going through several hundred boxes and crates, while keeping the Lord Emperor away from whatever it is, and/or the Master, and/or Colonel Payne, while also trying to keep ourselves from being killed in the process. Have I got it?"
"Precisely," the Doctor beamed.
"Just checking," the youth said mildly. He looked around the room and sighed heavily, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by the monumental task. "Six more rooms..." he breathed. "We're going to need a lot of help."
"We needn't bother with this one. The Master never would've allowed all that shooting, if it were here."
"The Emperor!" Jason gasped suddenly.
"I'm sure he'll be--"
"No, no, Doctor. He may be able to help."
The Time Lord gave him a blank look.
"By using the power of the Great Seal!"
The Doctor's eyes lit up and he broke into a broad smile. "You know something, my boy? I like the way you think."

* * *

The Doctor and Jason were able to secure an immediate and private audience with Emperor Quinton thanks to the assistance of King Terran, who also provided them with an escort of his own personal guard as a precaution against further confrontations.
They were shown into a large room just off the courtyard Jason had been studying earlier. He remembered looking down at the hideous fountain just before Kyska tried to kill the Doctor. Closing his eyes, he tried to shake this memory from his mind. If the Doctor's theories were correct, the plight of his cousin was insignificant in comparison to the destruction of the entire Alterran Empire.
Lord Emperor Quinton entered and formal introductions were made. The Doctor was immediately struck by the air of authority surrounding the supreme sovereign of the Alterran Empire. He was a regal figure in every sense of the word; a tall, imposing man with red hair and beard surrounding dark, chiseled features that could turn to stone whenever anyone was foolish enough to incur his wrath. Quinton's clothing only added to his already impressive presence; velvet robes of dark blue and purple trimmed in jewels. A crimson cloak trimmed in ermine swept elegantly down his back and to the floor. An exquisitely crafted jeweled crown sparkling upon his head, and hanging from a gold collar around his neck was the Great Seal of Alterrous, its power seeming to radiate from him.
A markedly subdued Jason explained the reason for their precipitous interview and the Doctor listened to his blue-blooded companion in mute astonishment. During their short association, it had become apparent that Jason had a very blasé attitude when it came to his aristocratic status, being just as at ease with a servant as with the King himself. So it was a bit of a shock to see him acting so formal and subservient in the presence of his Emperor.
When Jason finished his explanation, the Emperor considered the extraordinary story for several minutes in silence. When at last he spoke, his voice carried the full weight of his power and authority. "So, Time Lord, you believe the Great Seal, and even myself, are in danger?"
The sovereign's clear blue eyes fixed themselves on the Doctor, who felt certain many a courtier must have lost their resolve beneath their unwavering stare. He boldly met the steady gaze, saying soberly, "I fear, your Royal Majesty, your very Empire may be in danger of collapse because of this."
"How is this possible? No one may even touch the Great Seal save myself unless I give them leave. Were anyone to simply try and take it--they'd have to be a fool."
"With all due respect, your Majesty," the Doctor said with a slight bow, "the Master is no fool. He's cunning, unscrupulous and diabolically brilliant, but no fool, I can assure you. Lord Krystovan has already told you of the TSA device he's developed. Surely you realize...if you're in total suspended animation, you can neither give your leave nor withhold it."
"My Lord Emperor," Jason injected pointedly, "he'll be able to pluck the Seal from around you neck as easily as he removed the electrodes from me."
Emperor Quinton fell silent, passing between the Doctor and Jason and walking toward the archway. He stared into the water of the fountain, considering every aspect of the extraordinary story. The Doctor and Jason exchanged glances and held their breath.
"This is almost too fantastic to believe," the Sovereign said softly as he turned back to face them. Jason opened his mouth to object only to be silenced by an upraised hand. "Almost. I can't rule out the possibility that it's within the capabilities of the Time Lords. And, as you say, Doctor, the Master is one of your race..." The Doctor inclined his head. "Then I must take your warning seriously."
The Emperor placed the palm of his hand over the Great Seal in a gesture the Doctor assumed was symbolic, but before he could inquire as to its significance, there was a reply from out in the courtyard.
"A wise decision, Lord Emperor," the Master purred. "But, as always, the Doctor was a little too late off the mark."

Chapter Seventeen
The Battle

The Master came forward and stood beside the fountain, his mercenary task force coming up en masse behind him, all armed to the teeth. Jason was horrified to see Kyska among the group. Colonel Payne had her by the throat, a gun to her head. She saw her cousin at almost the same moment he saw her and she tried to call out, only to be silenced with a snarl from her captor.
"What is the meaning of this outrage?" the Lord Emperor thundered in a voice that shook the walls.
The Master smiled, giving a slight bow. "Allow me to introduce myself, your Majesty. I am the Master." His voice hardened as he went on to say, "And I've come for the Great Seal of Alterrous."
The Emperor's face turned to stone, his eye's narrowing as he glared at the arrogant, insolent intruder. Putting his hands on his hips, he said challengingly, "You can try, Time Lord!"
"I intend to," the Master cooed, enraging the sovereign even further.
Kyska struggled and Payne tightened his grip on her throat, causing her to cry out in pain.
"Let her go," Jason demanded. "She can't possibly be of any use to you now."
The Colonel laughed evilly back at him and Kyska burst into tears. "Jason, they killed Anon and made me think it was you!"
What followed was a stunned silence.
"Release the girl, Payne," the Emperor said at last, "or are you now such a coward that you'd hide behind a child?"
"Oh, I'm not hiding, your Majesty," the mercenary spat back. "I'm planning on sending her back to her Uncle in pieces."
Jason's jaw dropped open in amazement. Revenge! He's still out for revenge! "She's not his niece," he blurted out. "She's only related through marriage."
"A nice try," the Master injected blandly. "But your cousin has already provided us with your rather impressive family tree. We know, for example, that you're related to her and the King through your father. But I wonder if you realize that you're the only one on Tel-Shye who's directly related to the Lord Emperor here?"
Jason was momentarily thrown and wondered what all this had to do with anything. The Master was quite right, of course. His mother had come to Tel-Shye from Alterrous, and was the Emperor's niece. But the significance eluded him. He shot a quick glance over to the sovereign and then turned back to the Master. "Okay, he's my Great Uncle," he admitted. "What does that have to do with anything?"
It was the Doctor who answered. "A great deal when you're doing extensive and rather delicate recalibrations." Turning to his rival, he added, "The closer the relation, the better, eh? Less chance of rejection?"
"This isn't a tissue transplant, Doctor!" the Healer snapped angrily.
"Isn't it?"
The Master was amused by this and chuckled before turning an icy stare back to the Lord Emperor. "Now, your Majesty, the Great Seal. I intend to possess it."
"And I intend to stop you," Emperor Quinton replied in a cold, matter of fact voice.
"You can try," the evil Time Lord purred.
During the course of this exchange, Jason was frantically looking around the room. The TSA device had to be close by. His eyes fell on the fountain and its stacked cubes where he suddenly noticed one of the water jets did not conform with the others. It was on an eyeball joint, which would allow it to swivel. That was no water jet! It was the barrel of the firing antenna!
"Doctor! The fountain!" he gasped.
The Doctor had also been looking for the device and had seen the antenna at almost the same instant as his companion. "It's the fountain!" he called, dashing forward. "Majesty, get away from the fountain!"
The Emperor turned just as the Master triggered the device from a remote control that was hidden in his hand. The beam struck the Great Seal and was deflected, striking the Doctor instead. Unfortunately he was not a silicon-based lifeform and the beam knocked him backwards, pinning him helplessly against the wall. He felt his whole body start to tingle, growing in intensity until it felt like his blood was boiling inside him. Finally, he blacked out and crumpled to the floor.
"No!" Jason cried. He turned in rage at the Master, becoming even more angry when he saw the look of delight on his face. The youth hurled himself at the Lord Emperor but was too late, the red glow had already engulfed him. Unable to stop, Jason knocked the immobilized Quinton to the polished stone floor and slid over to the corner where the Doctor lay unconscious.
The gesture the Doctor had assumed to be symbolic had actually been the Emperor summoning his Imperial security force. Just as Jason slid to a halt in the corner, they appeared in every doorway. The Master threatened to kill the helpless sovereign should they attack, and for what seemed an eternity, no one moved. Mercenaries and Imperial Guardsmen stood glaring at one another, guns poised. Yet, no one moved.
To his horror, Jason saw the firing barrel start to swivel in his direction. He looked around for better cover, knowing if the beam struck him, he would be back at the mercy of the Master and Colonel Payne. The last thing he wanted was to be back in the hands of the sadistic mercenary. Back in the --Hands!
Jason had a sudden flash of inspiration. All Alterran children played an unusual role playing game called "What am I?" the purpose of which was to coordinate their ability to transmute. A character, person, or whatever, would be called out and the child would have to become that object.
"Kyska!" the Healer called frantically. "What am I? I'm Vishnu! Kyska--Vishnu!"
Being Alterran, Payne knew exactly what Jason was doing. But because he could no longer transmute, he was powerless to stop what happened next. Kyska suddenly had four arms. One grabbed his wrist, pulling the gun away. Two others pulled the hand from her throat while the fourth slammed an elbow into his stomach, sending him to the floor in the same manner as Jason earlier that day. She then snatched the remote control from the dumbfounded Master, shoving him out of her way as she fled.
Then all hell broke loose.
A mercenary opened fire, missing the fleeing girl by inches and striking down the Imperial Guardsmen who had come forward to shield her. Jason yelled to the commanding officer to destroy the fountain just as the mercenary task force opened fire. All the years of rage spilled from Colonel Payne who threw himself into the battle, consumed with hatred. No one even noticed the Master withdraw from the carnage.
Jason pulled the Emperor further into the safety of the corner, propping him against the wall and scanning him. Nothing. He was in total suspended animation. "How do I wake you up?" the Healer asked helplessly. His eyes fell on the Great Seal glowing with power around the neck of the motionless form. He reached out to touch it only to snatch his hand away guiltily.
Summoning all his courage, Jason took a deep breath and took hold of the Great Seal. He immediately felt very strange, giddy, as if he were being sucked into a long tunnel and out of time itself. Everything spun around him and then seemed slowed down. The battle was still raging, but it was as if it were going on in slow motion. Then there was the power. It instantly revitalized his depleted energy, returned his strength, and sharpened his mind. It was pure, raw, unchanneled power that throbbed like a living thing in his hand. With it, he could control the Empire, perhaps even the universe. He could declare himself Emperor and no one would be able to oppose him. For a single, fleeting instant, Jason felt the thrill of absolute power--and it terrified him.
Putting his free hand on the Emperor's chest, the Healer commanded, "Awaken gently," and felt the heart beneath his hand start to beat. Quinton then took a breath, his glazed eyes closing slowly.
Looking up, Jason was appalled by the wanton violence going on around him. A fleeing mercenary not five feet away was struck by an energy bolt and dead before he hit the floor. There were shouts of terror in the air as well as the smell of blood. And death. It was a smell with which the Healer wished he had never become acquainted. "No. It must stop," he said firmly. "The killing. The bloodshed. It must stop." Returning his attention to the still unconscious monarch, the young Lord smiled affectionately. "You're a better man than I shall ever be, my Uncle. You can stop the killing. I give you back your power." So saying, he released his hold on the Great Seal, falling back with a bump, feeling as if he had just dropped back into time once again. Time!
Whirling around, Jason scrambled over to the downed Time Lord, not having noticed the battle had ceased. Chapter Eighteen
Aftermath

After the Master escaped the courtyard, he made straight for one of the entrances to the hidden passageways. He went directly to the sub- basement, cursing the Doctor the whole way. His only consolation was the certain knowledge that his enemy would not survive the deadly assault of the TSA beam.
Emerging from the tunnel, the Master peeked out cautiously, relaxing when he saw no one about. He strode down the corridor and into the room where his lab had been, walking straight in to a trap.
The Doctor had warned King Terran that his enemy had a knack for eluding capture, and like the Emperor, the King had chosen to take the warning seriously. He had even gone so far as to ask for possible hiding places of the renegade Time Lord's TARDIS.
In the center of the nearly empty room, King Terran was seated in the overstuffed armchair that had been in the Master's office. "Leaving already, Lord Masters?" the young monarch said in mock surprise. "Why...I simply could not allow that."
The Master turned on his heel to run, but was already surrounded by the Imperial Guardsmen that Quinton had been good enough to lend the King.
Terran snapped his fingers and the guards closed in on the horrified Time Lord.

* * *

When the battle ended, the sound of energy weapons and shouts were replaced by the moans of the injured and dying. Only three of Payne's mercenary task force survived the battle unharmed, the rest having been overwhelmed by the Imperial Guard. Later, Jason felt ashamed when he looked back on how pleased he was to see the sadistic Colonel counted among the dead.
When Emperor Quinton finally came to his senses, he opened his eyes and looked around dazedly from his place in the corner. It took a moment for his mind to clear, and when it did, he saw Jason digging frantically through his medical bag, tears streaming down his face. "It's here. I know it's here," he was saying angrily to himself. Giving up, the Healer dumped the contents of the pouch out onto the floor and started searching through the pile. On the floor beside him, the Doctor lay as white as death.
The Emperor went to the Healer and put a hand on his shoulder. "Lord Krystovan--Jason, some things are beyond all our powers to prevent," he said consolingly.
Jason did not even look up. "I can save him, my Lord. I know I can save him. I just can't find the medication!" He continued his desperate search, blinking back the tears as he went.
The monarch knelt beside the Doctor, touching his icy hand. "No one can save him now."
Jason looked up sharply and then down at the Doctor, whose skin was taking on a bluish cast. "Oh, no..." he whispered. "No, not yet. Doctor, not yet!" Turning back to the pile on the floor, he saw a vial that had rolled slightly away from the rest and snatched it up. A quick look proved it to be the one he had been searching for and he held it to the dying Time Lord's neck, allowing its contents to be absorbed directly into his bloodstream.
The Emperor watched in admiration and pity, thinking the desperate young man was trying in vain to raise the dead.
Jason tossed the empty vial into his equally empty medical bag before taking hold of the Doctor's hand. His eyes moved back and forth in his head as he scanned the motionless form.
"Come on, Doctor, come back. I know you can do it," he encouraged softly. "Please! Come back!"
It was as if the Healer had spoken a magical incantation, the Emperor thought in amazement. Even as he watched, the Time Lord's color started to return to normal and after a few anxious minutes, his vital signs, although extremely weak, had stabilized. Only then did Jason relax and all the tension left his body at once. He slumped where he sat, resting his head wearily on an upraised knee.
The Emperor removed his cloak, placing it over the shoulders of the trembling and emotionally drained young man, holding up a hand to stop any objections. "You've just saved my life and the entire Empire. And now you perform a miracle before my very eyes. How can I possibly repay this...this truly remarkable debt I--No, and the entire Empire--owes you?"
Speechless, Jason stared back into the face of his Emperor, reflecting on the irony of events that had brought them together. In spite of the fact that they were, indeed, directly related, Jason had never met his illustrious Great Uncle. To him, he was the Supreme Sovereign of the Alterran Empire--no more and no less. Now this self same sovereign was expressing the gratitude of the entire system to him, which only added to the shame he felt.
"I don't deserve your praise, my Lord," the young man said brokenheartedly. He looked away in shame, unable to meet the monarch's admiring gaze. "I'm the one who helped the Master perfect that horrible device. None of this would've happened if I hadn't been such a...a...coward."
The Emperor smiled benevolently at him. "I'm already aware of your assistance to the Master," he said startlingly, a hand going to the Great Seal. "The entire incident was in your mind while you were telling me of the plot against the Seal. Your own guilt revealed it to me in intricate detail."
Jason put his face in his hands. "I can't expect you to forgive me, my Lord. And I'll accept your judgment--"
"Fear isn't a crime, Jason," the monarch said sharply, "Nor is it treason." He shook his head in bewilderment. "You're a very perplexing individual, my Lord Krystovan. You'll accept an unjust punishment for yourself without question. Yet, you're willing to oppose even myself to prevent a punishment from being imposed on your cousin, which, under the Law, is just."
Jason looked up sharply, marveling at him.
"Yes, I know of this, too." Looking him in the eye, Quinton smiled. "You have quite a reputation, my nephew. Even I have heard of the Guardian of the Krystovans. I'm told you have a caring and compassionate heart. I'm also told that you're head strong with a volatile temper." With a wistful smile, he added, "How like your mother you are."
Lowering his eyes in embarrassment, Jason blushed. This was not the first time he'd heard this comparison, but he found it disquieting coming from the mouth of his Emperor.
"You sit there and talk of treason, yet you didn't take the Great Seal for yourself when I was powerless to stop you. You're a truly remarkable man, Jason Krystovan."
The dumbfounded youth stared back at him, having no idea how to react or respond to any of this. It was not until the Doctor moaned softly that he finally came back to reality. Removing the cloak from his shoulders, and receiving a nod of permission, Jason covered the unconscious Time Lord. Checking his condition, he noted that he was slipping into a coma. "He needs to get to a hospital as soon as possible," the worried Healer said softly.
From across the room, one of the medics attending the wounded informed him that medical transportation was due to arrive at any moment.
It was only then that Jason took in the devastation. The fountain had been completely destroyed, and the courtyard was littered with debris--and bodies. Pulling himself together, he put his supplies back into his bag. What was he doing just sitting there? As far as he could see, he was the only qualified Healer present, and that was exactly what the medics needed. He put a hand on the Doctor's shoulder to say good-bye and then rose to his feet.
"I'll stay with the Doctor until help arrives," the Emperor said gently. "You've done all you can for him. Now, go see what you can do for the others."

* * *

The Doctor awoke in a hospital room and looked around groggily. His first thoughts were that he was in the UNIT infirmary and had just experienced the most extraordinary dream. There was a nurse at the door talking quietly to a dark-haired man in a white lab coat who apparently was a doctor. Harry Sullivan, perhaps?
"Harry?" the Doctor called weakly.
The young man turned around, a broad smile spreading across his face. "No, Doctor, it's Jason." Crossing to the bedside, he pulled up a chair and sat down. "How're you feeling?"
"I've felt worse."
Jason's smile broadened. "But not much worse, I expect."
The Doctor smiled weakly back at him. "I know this is going to sound cliché..."
"But, where are you? And, how did you get here?" the Healer completed with a laugh. "Isn't this where we started, Doctor?"
"Ring around the rosy," the Time Lord muttered. "No wonder I'm dizzy."
"It's a bit more complicated than that, I'm afraid," Jason said seriously. "You went into a post-regenerative crisis after you were hit by that beam. You've been in a coma for the better part of a week now."
The astonished Time Lord stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words.
"You missed the coronation, too, I'm afraid," the Alterran added ruefully.
The Doctor laughed and struggled to sit up only to be stopped by Jason, who raised the head of the bed. At the same time he informed him that the Emperor had granted Kyska a full pardon, going on to tell of the Master's capture and forthcoming trial for crimes against the Empire. The renegade Time Lord had been charged not only with causing Kyska to break the Law of Alterrous but also with breaking the long standing Alliance between Alterrous and Gallifrey.
The Doctor was horrified and struggled to get up. "No, the Emperor mustn't break the Alliance because of the Master."
Jason held him down, insisting that he was in no condition to go charging after the Lord Emperor.
"Jason, don't you realize what this would mean?" The Doctor could not understand why the boy was so calm. "Your people and mine will be at war!"
"I hardly think that's likely, Time Lord," came the calm rejoinder from the door.
The Doctor looked up to see Emperor Quinton standing just inside the doorway, smiling benignly at him. "I've been in touch with the High Council, you see. Why didn't you tell me they were the one's who sent you here? It would've saved you a great deal of trouble."
Amazed, Jason stared in wonder at the Doctor, not realizing the Time Lord was equally amazed.
Then again, the Doctor thought, that would explain why the TARDIS hadn't returned to Earth as it should have; and why he had ended up, literally, in Jason's backyard.
"Yo...you're an agent of the High Council?" the Healer breathed in awe.
The Doctor did a double take when he glanced over to him. "Perhaps, as with Alterrans, things are never as they appear with Gallifreyans, either."
"You've done us a great service, Doctor. Both of you have. Your alliance with one another saved the one between our people," Quinton said admiringly. "When you've recovered, perhaps you'll allow me to reward you both in some way."
"Thank-you, your Majesty," the Doctor replied mildly. "I'd've considered it reward enough knowing the Alliance is safe and the Master is in custody."
"And all I wanted was to clear Kyska," Jason injected.
"My offer stands," Quinton stated firmly. "I don't easily forget those who've risked their lives on my account." He placed a hand on the Great Seal and smiled, giving a slight bow. "Good-bye, Doctor. Good-bye, Nephew Jason. Until the day you seek my favor on Alterrous." With that, he swept from the room.
The Doctor and Jason exchanged a mystified look.
"Was that...an invitation?" the Healer asked finally.

Chapter Nineteen
The Promise

As usual, the Doctor was not the best of patients and insisted on leaving the hospital as soon as he was able to get out of bed. Jason agreed to release him, but only on the condition that he stay at Starbridge while recuperating.
Jason's return to Starbridge was greeted with Constanza's usual brusque manner. The Doctor, on the other hand, (and to the Healer's amusement) was given the royal treatment.
Kyska had returned shortly after the confrontation with the Master and was still in a daze when her cousin arrived. No one could convince her that Anon's death had not been her fault. The Doctor attempted to keep her mind off of the tragedy by recounting some of his previous adventures. While Kyska showed little interest, Jason was spellbound.
Eventually, Aaron decided the best thing to do was send his niece to her parents. They were in charge of a research project on one of the outer planets and had not seen her for some time. Aaron hoped she would be able to put the entire tragic affair behind her more quickly if there were no reminders around.
When the Doctor was physically able, he made his official statement regarding the Master and was told, to his relief, that nothing more was required of him. Since the bulk of the case hinged on what Jason had experienced, the Time Lord's presence was not needed. Since there were already indications the trial would be very long and messy, the Doctor was delighted. Jason, on the other hand, was crestfallen.
The morning came when the Doctor announced he was leaving and bid his hosts farewell, making his way to the TARDIS, Jason at his heels. For years the Alterran had been fighting the burning desire to break free of the confines of his medical practice, and the adventure he'd just survived only served to rekindle his desire to escape. He followed after the Time Lord, pleading with him to take him along.
The Doctor, however, was adamant. "No, no, no, Jason," he said as he strode through the trees. "It's absolutely out of the question."
"But, Doctor--"
"But nothing. You're needed here for the Master's trial. House of Krystovan, Royal Bloodline, Grand Nephew to the Emperor, and all that."
"Big deal. I'm a Healer with a pedigree," the young man snorted. "Doctor, please..."
"It's out of the question," the Doctor repeated. "Can't stand trials. Bureaucrats, all that legal mumbo jumbo. It could go on for months!"
"Tell me about it," Jason moaned. "You're going. Kyska's leaving in two days. And me? I'm left, stuck here!" He spread out his arms to take in the surrounding area. "For who knows how long?"
"Well...I suppose I could always come back," the Doctor said thoughtfully. "When it's all over, of course."
Jason blinked. "You mean it?"
"Only a short hop in time, really. Set a few coordinates, adjust for the proper time zone..."
"Doctor, you'd do that?" the Alterran gasped, scarcely believing what he was hearing. "You'd come back for me?"
"Why not?" the Doctor enthused.
Before Jason knew what was happening, the Doctor was suddenly shaking his hand. "Well, good-bye, me boy," he said and promptly vanished into the battered Police Box. The light on top started to flash and the air was filled with a wheezing and groaning sound as the TARDIS dematerialized.
The Alterran stood staring a few minutes, taken aback by the abrupt departure. Returning to his senses, he turned and made his way back to Starbridge, glancing over to the old well and its new covering of planks. With a wry smile, he muttered, "I'd better get that filled in before he comes back."

* * *

The TARDIS materialized in its usual corner of the Doctor's lab at UNIT Headquarters. The Doctor came out and sighed heavily. For him it was the end of a very long and difficult fortnight, but to everyone he had left behind, only a few seconds had elapsed since his departure. He strode into the corridor, finding it empty. He looked into each room he passed, seeing absolutely no one. Outside Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart's office he stopped to think. Now, what had been going on when he left, he wondered, concluding that it didn't matter anyway. He'd just collect Sarah Jane, say a quick good-bye to the Brigadier and be off.
Through the partially open door, he heard the Brigadier's voice. "Yes, of course, sir," he was saying, apparently to someone on the telephone, "I've already informed the Doctor about this evening..."
Suddenly everything came flooding back. It had been all that business with Professor Kettlewell and that giant robot of his. Then the Doctor remembered why he had wanted to disappear in the TARDIS in the first place, the prospect of which was looking better and better as the Brigadier went on in the next room. Turning on his heel, he made straight back to the lab, finding a dejected Sarah sitting on a stool. Deciding she needed cheering up, the Doctor convinced her to come along on a little trip. Harry Sullivan appeared at just that moment, and the Time Lord could not resist shanghaiing him. Unfortunately, he also forgot about returning for Jason in the process.

* * *

Back on Tel-Shye, the Master's trial had been unexpectedly swift. He was convicted on all counts and sentenced to be executed in the vaporization chamber--the rarest punishment ever ordered. The evil Time Lord's numerous attempts to delay the inevitable proved futile. All save one. Unless an official sanction was issued by the High Council of Time Lords, the Master's execution would be tantamount to breaking the Alliance.
The Master found it a true irony that the very reason for his trial was also the reason his execution was delayed. He had no doubt the sanction would come, as there had never been any love lost between himself and the Time Lords. But the delay gave him the time he needed to make his escape.
Apparently, Stinson had been the 'fellow conspirator' Terran mentioned to the Doctor and had been broken out of the detention area during the disastrous confrontation with the Emperor. He later was able to make contact with the Master, who had already worked out the details of his escape.
Following instructions, Stinson and his compatriots waited until after the furor from the trial had died down before making their move. Using the Master's TCE, they broke the renegade Time Lord out of his cell with conspicuous ease. The Master laid out the compressed bodies of the prison guards on his bed, going on to add to them those of his rescuers, whom he killed the instant he gained possession of the TCE. He looked over his grotesque, miniaturized mortuary and smiled. No more loose ends, he thought before calmly walking out of the now empty detention area.
No one had been able to locate the Master's TARDIS during his imprisonment, and he, quite naturally, was not about to divulge its location. Upon leaving the prison area, he made straight for the subbasement and the room that had served as his lab. Chuckling to himself, he went over to the high-backed armchair still standing in the center of the otherwise empty room. With a knowing smile, the Time Lord disappeared behind it. Then it, too, disappeared as the disguised TARDIS dematerialized.

* * *

Weeks passed. Then months. Then it was autumn again on Tel-Shye. Jason had gotten his affairs in order and patiently waited for the Doctor to return. Finally, he all but gave up hope and slowly began getting on with his life. He consoled himself with the thought that the Time Lord had probably made the promise to return just so he could leave. Looking back, Jason could not really blame him, considering the nuisance he had made of himself.
The young Healer had only just left Starbridge House when he was stopped by a stiff looking sandy-haired individual in a white lab coat. The brown eyed Hendrix was, Jason had hoped, his replacement when he left the practice. Unfortunately, he was nothing like the young man and had succeeded in annoying him in every way possible in the shortest period of time.
"Your Lordship, where will you be should I need you?"
Jason ground his teeth, controlling himself with visible effort. "For the hundredth time, Hendrix, will you, please, stop calling me your Lordship!" he growled. "If you must use a title, use Healer."
Hendrix stiffened further and said nothing.
"And as for where I'll be..." Jason pointed towards the woods behind the house. "I'll be on the beach. Today's final exam day, and I have something special in mind." With a grin, he set off in the direction indicated, calling as an afterthought, "And unless the house is on fire or someone's bleeding to death, don't bother me!"
"No sense of priorities," Hendrix sniffed as he turned on his heel.
On his way through the trees, Jason stopped at his herb garden, checking to see what plants still survived in the increasingly cooler evenings. With a wistful smile, he looked at the square outline of the garden that had once been a dry well.
Sighing heavily, he muttered longingly, "Oh, Doctor, where are you?"
Shaking off the dark mood threatening to overtake him, Jason rose to his feet, looking up at the trees now ablaze with color. Sliding down the slope, he tromped noisily through the fallen leaves in an attempt to raise his spirits.

* * *

Half an hour after Jason slid down the slope, the TARDIS materialized at the bottom. The Doctor emerged to be followed closely by Leela, a dark-haired warrior clad in skins. A squared off metal dog appeared in the doorway just behind them.
"K9, you stay in the TARDIS and get those power packs charged up," the Doctor ordered.
"Affirmative, Master," the little automation responded, trundling back inside. The Doctor closed the door and turned to his companion. She did not look happy.
"This is not a city in the clouds, Doctor," she observed sourly.
"I can see that." Looking around, the Time Lord broke into one of his broad smiles. "It doesn't really matter, does it? In fact, this is much nicer. After all, you've been wanting to get out into the fresh air, haven't you?"
Leela took in the surroundings and grudgingly agreed with him. This was definitely better than being inside. With no further ado, she promptly set off through the trees, running jubilantly in the fresh, unrecycled air, the Doctor sauntering amusedly behind her.

Chapter Twenty
The Sorcerer

Jason stood on the beach facing the ocean with a dozen or so children approximately seven years of age in front of him. They were seated in a semicircle watching the Healer in spellbound wonder. He had been teaching them the finer points of using their ability to transmute, which would give them greater speed, dexterity, and attention to detail. The lessons had also included his stern cautions on the dangers of abusing their powers, and the importance of the Laws of Alterrous.
As a treat for their last day together, Jason had informed his students that they were dispensing with the lessons and would be spending the entire time playing "What am I?" What the delighted students did not realize was the game was actually his way of testing what they had learned. With each round, he made the game more difficult.
When Jason announced the last round of the game, his students challenged him to a round of their own, which he amusedly accepted. The demonstration ended and the final round began just as Leela arrived at the edge of the forest. She watched in horror as the black-haired youth pointed to a child and called out a what could only have been a spell. The child shimmered all over for several seconds and then became a horrible beast.
"Magic," Leela breathed. "Evil Magic."
The other children were obviously under a spell, too. They giggled and clapped as the sorcerer pointed to another child, and then another...
Finally, Leela could bear it no longer and drew her knife, determined to put an end to this wicked man's sorcery. Before she could rise to her feet, however, her wrist was grabbed firmly from behind.
"I would appreciate it, Leela," the Doctor said wearily, "if you would refrain from killing anyone while we're here."
Leela pulled her hand free. "Doctor, I've seen a sorcerer. He turns children into beasts."
"Now, Leela..."
Rising to her feet, she pointed to the beach. "I have seen a sorcerer, Doctor! He's right there."
The Doctor looked in the direction indicated, seeing only a grinning young man waving good-bye to a group of giggling, squealing children. Turning back to his astonished companion, he said, "Is that who you mean?"
"But...they were beasts," she insisted. "I saw them!"
"Perhaps we should go see your sorcerer and ask him about it," the Doctor said reasonably, blithely sauntered down towards the amiable looking youth on the beach.
"Doctor, no! Please, do not go!" Leela called after him. "Doctor!"
The Doctor ignored her shouts but Jason did not. He turned to see what all the fuss was about, his mouth dropping open when he saw the Time Lord approaching. Breaking into a broad smile, he cried delightedly, "Doctor! This is wonderful. When did you arrive?"
Stunned by the unexpected greeting, the Doctor stopped dead in his tracks. How did the boy know his name? he thought. Was he a sorcerer after all? No...there was something familiar about him.
"How did you know I was down here?" the young man was asking as he came over to the mystified Time Lord. "Did Hendrix tell you?"
"Er...no, actually," the Doctor replied haltingly. "We... uh, decided to have a walk in the fresh air first."
"We?"
The Doctor nodded towards his knife wielding companion and said, "We. This is Leela. She has the strangest idea that you've been turning those children who just left into beasts."
The Alterran's eyes lit up and he immediately burst into laughter, much to Leela's annoyance. "I suppose it would appear that way to an outsider," he managed finally. "We were playing 'What am I?' I've been teaching an intermediate level course on molecular transmutation. You know, the finer points of transmuting, warnings on what not to do, that sort of thing."
Leela gave him a blank look, but a light went on in the Time Lord's head. The Healer's identity, and the incident with the Master, came back in a flash. With a smile, the Doctor explained to Leela that what she had witnessed was the Alterran's ability to transmute. She was, to say the least, dubious, but could not dispute the evidence of her own eyes.
As he led the way back to the house, Jason told the Doctor about the Master's trial and his subsequent escape. The Time Lord listened without surprise, not bothering to tell his friend that he had already encountered the Master on Gallifrey just prior to Leela's joining him as a traveling companion. He also chose not to tell him that he had completely forgotten not only his promise to return to Tel-Shye, but also the boy himself. The Doctor felt it would be less confusing to explain his tardiness as an error in the coordinates, since, to Jason, only one year had passed since the Doctor departed. But for the Time Lord himself, several years had passed before he accidentally stumbled on to Jason's time line again.
Not everyone was as delighted to see the Doctor as Jason; Aaron being chief among them. The elder Healer was beginning to feel his age, which even among Alterran was considerable. He had been relieved when he son finally saw reason and gave up waiting for the eccentric Time Lord to return, even though it was obvious Jason was not really happy. The prickly situation with Hendrix did not helping matters, either. Still, Aaron was certain he could smooth things over and somehow rectify the situation. Unfortunately, now that the Doctor had actually returned it would be impossible for him to rectify anything unless he could prevent his strong willed son from leaving.
On the evening Jason was preparing to leave, father and son ended up in a heated battle. Not wanting to be the cause of any family strife, the Doctor decided it might be better for all concerned if he just slipped away quietly. Better for the boy to hate him than his own father, he thought.
He did not quite make it. Just as the Doctor and Leela reached the front door, Jason came thundering down the stairs, his large backpack stuffed with notebooks and reference material on his back, his medical bag on his shoulder.
"Jason, you can't just drop everything and leave," his father protested from the top of the stairs.
"Just watch me!" the young man replied angrily. He came to an abrupt halt when he saw the Time Lord at the door. "Doctor," he said in a small voice. "You're not leaving without me, are you?"
"I'm sorry, Jason, but I must. I can't come between you and your father," the Doctor said softly. "In time, you'll come to regret having left this way. You'll start to hate yourself. And then me."
Jason opened his mouth to reply, but words failed him. He turned helplessly to his father.
After an agonizing pause, Aaron said, "Go. If you stay, the same thing will happen."
The young man smiled affectionately, hugging his father before bidding him good-bye.
"Just get the sand out of your shoes and come home, Jaycie," Aaron admonished quietly. "I'll be waiting for you."
An amused smile came to Jason's face at the name from his childhood. He looked the Doctor in the eye and then went quickly out the door, disappearing into the night.
"I want you to know I'm completely against this frivolity," Aaron said firmly from the upper landing. "So you'd best look after him, Time Lord. He's all I have in the world." With that, he vanished from the landing.
The Doctor and Leela exchanged a look of mutual bewilderment before following the young Healer out the door.
"You know something, Leela?" the Doctor sighed. "I've a feeling I'm going to regret this."
He never did.