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Alf had been dropped like an abandoned toy. The caressing arms of the crystalline creatures had snapped off as if someone had pulled a plug from its socket. She watched from the soft floor as the creatures hovered away from her and out of the structure completely. She had been making very slow progress in communicating with these aliens. They could not grasp what death was and could not see that their feeding on Yahanans was anything other than natural. She had managed to learn that they had spared her because they thought she was akin to them in some way - at least that was her best guess. Although the headway had been difficult, Alf was reluctant to give up her efforts and decided to follow her captors outside. When she did, she saw an amazing sight. Perched at the top of a promontory - less than 50 metres away - was the TARDIS. At first she thought that the creatures were making for that, but then she saw the man dressed in green and accompanied by a silvery android. The man was smiling and had his arms outstretched in a peculiar gesture of greeting. It was vaguely messiahanic. The gemstone beings reached the man and much as they had with her, began to extend arms of electricity to examine him. Then all hell broke loose. The robot beside the man seemed to misinterpret this action and started firing all manner of projectiles at the floating orbs - even attempting to lasso one of them with a silvery rope. The man shouted out, but it was too late. The crystalline creatures had probably never been attacked before and they didn't like it. The white light of their electrical discharges became golden yellow, arcing across the metallic figure's body, effectively slicing the robot to pieces. 'No!' shouted the man, attempting to help his fallen 'droid. The creatures withdrew a little way, allowing the man access to the robot. He knelt down and took the head in his hands. It was oddly touching to see the affection the man clearly felt for his companion. Alf approached the scene, keeping one eye on the creatures, which were slowly making their way back towards the genuflecting emerald figure. 'Hi,' she said. 'I'm Alf. I'm sorry about your android. They probably didn't mean it. They're not that bright.' The man looked up from the metal debris and stared at Alf with an emotional cocktail of fear and incomprehension. Then he smiled and Alf felt herself shiver. 'Don't tell me,' he said, with a laugh. 'You're another of the Doctor's precious assistants?' Alf was stunned. But then of course he'd know the Doctor - he'd travelled in his TARDIS hadn't he? 'I'm a mate of his, yeah,' said Alf with growing suspicion. 'Where is he?' 'Dead,' replied the man evenly, rising from the ground and drawing a weapon. Alf froze. Here was death again, leering in through the window of her soul. 'We're ready,' said Kovalis. Nick looked at the noble Yahanan and grimaced. 'No word from Alf?' 'None.' 'Then she's either not here or she's already dead.' 'I am sure it is the former,' said Kovalis with an encouraging smile. The Buliseye took one last look around the office. 'I never dreamed this would be mine,' he said. 'And if I did, I certainly didn't think it would be for so short a time. Things in life are transitory, Nick. Life itself, indeed.' Kovalis shrugged. 'We must depart. I have changed the message, giving the location of the mobile command post. The city is still half-full, but we must leave in case the Doctor needs his fallback position.' Nick nodded as Kovalis wrapped a short arm around his shoulder and led him from the Marshal's office. Tynx once more stood in the sub-basement, but this time in sombre mood. Although confused, the news had come through that Seth's villa had been blown up. The Sontaran had no idea how it had happened, but he knew that this terrible event meant one thing. That he had to activate the clone of Sontaris. The new race had to have continuity if it was going to survive. The oblong cloning tank before him began to bubble and froth like a dune-witch's cauldron. Inexorably a three-fingered hand appeared from the foam and clutched the side of the vessel. With enormous effort, the clone wrenched itself into being and stood before his lieutenant, naked, but unconcerned. Tynx held out a plastic crate containing body armour and helmet. 'Your uniform, Sir,' he said. 'Thank you, Tynx.' All relevant data had been introduced in to the clone's mind. All the memories the real Sontaris had; all his experiences. 'Please order our troops out of Dar-Es-Buraq. If this volcanic eruption is genuine, we do not want to lose valuable resources. Everything is to be relocated to Karbala.' 'Yes, General.' Tynx started to issue orders into this microphone. 'Everything except that.' The clone pointed to its own cloning tank. 'There is only one Sontaris. We have no need for any others.' Tynx looked surprised. 'But General, what if something were…' 'Never disobey or question one of orders again, Lieutenant.' Alf winced as the sound of a gun discharging filled her ears. Suddenly the man before her clutched at his hand in agony, his weapon now as smashed and useless as his robot. 'Good shooting, lieutenant!' boomed a familiar voice. Alf spun round and rushed to the Doctor. He was surrounded by Sontaran troops and grinning like a never-fading Cheshire cat. 'I knew you'd come!' cried Alf. 'Where's Nick?' Before the Doctor could answer, The Sontarans started firing at the crystal creatures and were bathed in the golden light of retaliation. 'Run!' shouted the Doctor, pointing. Alf saw the man in green stumbling towards the TARDIS. He reached the time ship a few moments before Alf and slammed the door behind him. 'Hah!' shouted the Doctor. 'Think you can lock me out of my own TARDIS?' He produced the TARDIS key from one of his knee-high brown boots and thrust it into the lock. 'You've got another thing coming, Seth!' And with that he threw open the door and disappeared inside, Alf close behind him. As they emerged into the console room, Alf could see the man desperately tapping at the controls. He saw the Doctor as he finished the sequence with a slammed fist on final button and stood back, breathing hard. 'What have you done, Seth?' demanded the Doctor. 'I - we - will have the Tiger's Eye,' spat Seth. 'And nothing you can do will stop that!' 'I very much doubt that,' replied the Doctor, suddenly calm. The military skimmers touched down on the landing pads of the Summer Palace in perfect formation. The journey from Seth's villa had taken longer than expected, as Sontaris had wanted to see the crystalline creature in the depot for himself. All the temporal equipment from Seth's inner sanctum had been sent to be loaded onto a military Geco bound for Karbala. The pilots of the skimmers had also been confused by a command apparently emanating from Sontaris himself, ordering them to evacuate the city. They had checked with the General who had angrily told them that he had issued no such order. On the platform was a welcoming committee of some twenty Sontarans and standing in front of them was two further clones. One was Tynx, but the other was unknown to Sontaris. As he clambered from the sircraft, he saw that the newcomer's helmet bore the rounded insignia of a General. He was incensed. Tynx was confused. When he had received word that the raiding party was returning from the villa, he had nervously informed the Sontaris clone. To his surprise, the new General had taken the news very well and had ordered that an honour guard be mounted for the returning heroes. Now Tynx stood to attention before the fast-approaching form of the real Sontaris. He threw an immaculate salute. 'Welcome back, Gen…' 'What is the meaning of this, Tynx?' shouted Sontaris pointing a stubby finger at his clone. 'We heard that the villa had been destroyed. I assumed you had perished, General…' began Tynx. 'I destroyed the villa, you idiot!' screamed Sontaris, swatting his lieutenant with the back of his hand. 'It was a warning to all Formanasi.' The clone, who had remained motionless during this brief exchange, suddenly moved forward, positioning himself between Sontaris and Tynx. 'He was following the orders you had given him,' he said. 'And yet you strike him for doing so. This is not the behaviour I was expecting.' 'I do not care what you were expecting. You are an imitation, a reproduction, a copy. You should not exist! Stand aside!' 'I will not.' 'What?' shrieked Sontaris. ' I am General of Sontaris - leader of the new Sontaran race. You are nothing. Troopers, kill him!' 'Belay that order,' said the clone quietly. The Sontaran soldiers froze in the middle of bringing their weapons up to fire. 'I presumed that, as I have been created from your DNA blueprint, you would be a great leader, a fine tactician, a resourceful officer,' said the clone, his voice amplified by the microphone in his helmet. 'Instead, I find you weak, incompetent and prone to emotional outbursts more befitting a child than a General.' Sontaris stared at his clone in stunned incredulity. 'As such, I cannot allow you to remain in command.' The clone unclipped a cylindrical weapon from his belt and shot General Sontaris in the face. The dead Yahanan reeled back and collapsed to the ground. Tynx stared at the prone body in wonder. 'The Sontaran race is now absolute,' announced its new leader.
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