//------------------------------// // Chapter 37 - Shining Star // Story: The Timepony’s Journal // by Penny_Shavins109 //------------------------------// The ship was quiet as it continued to hop across the inky void of space. They were barely holding things together, both in flight and in their minds. The Doctor said nothing, simply staring out the window. He said nothing, he felt nothing but emptiness. It was probably just the shock, the most powerful drug in the universe. After their last hop the ship hung freely in space while orbiting the planet below. Equus was somehow more vibrant yet more dull at the same time.It’s greens stood out more while accenting the silver spired cities. In other circumstances looking out the window would be beautiful. All he could think about was that he could’ve shown this to Lavender. Her world, her home, continued to thrive long after the time she’d left. He got up, able to walk again though his knees were still shaky. “We’re going to have a rough landing. I have some old contacts in an experimental plant that could assist us. It’s a private establishment, no civilization for miles. Even if we were spotted there’d be a forest of red tape to cross first.” “And you’re sure they’ll believe us, an old stallion and lost soldier?” “We were colleagues for years, I know exactly the kind of stallion he is. If not then we’ll simply use force. Either way we should be able to get a press release within the next few hours.” “If you say so. Some friend you are.” The Doctor stayed silent, feeling the Taranium Core in his pocket/ Was this really all worth it? Maybe Shining was right, it was millions of lives that would fall to the Daleks against hers. Though what if there really was another way? The ship rocked as it skidded across the landing pad, not likely to be taking off anytime soon. Shining wasn’t wrong about one thing, the forest seemed to stretch on for miles around them. They were already welcome with open arms, Shining’s old coworker Silver Spire was all too happy to give them a tour. Normally he’d be ogling over each and every instrument in that lab but he could barely say a word. The events kept running through his mind, wondering how he could’ve done better. Cosmic followed by his side while Shining and Silver led them along. Silver constantly rambled about every little thing he legally could until Shining cleared his throat. “Right, yes. My apologies. Where were we?” “Opaline and the Daleks?” Shining said, struggling not to roll his eyes. “Right, you’re definitely in a bit of a tricky pickle. I believe you, no doubt. There’s always been suspicion of Opaline’s true intention on her actions. She’s self righteous, avoids clear answers and of course plays things up for the camera. She adores the attention and since she’s our benevolent leader nopony really questions her. What role did she play in this conference, what evidence do you have?” “Aside from our word, nothing but the core itself.” the Doctor said while holding up the Taranium cylinder. “What a beauty, a pure emm of Taranium. Never thought I’d ever see something like it in my life.” “You’ve never seen Taranium before?” Shining asked suspiciously. “Not necessarily no, though I did spearhead the mining project for it back in the day.” “So you have a direct connection to Opaline’s plan.” “Not intentionally, no. It’s not like I have her on speed dial.” “How do we know that you’re not lying?” “Shining please, this is absolutely ridiculous. We need Silver so stop trying to bite his head off.” Cosmic interjected. The uneasy tension permeated through the air like a bad smell. Silver looked down at his pager, answering the call. His expression sank as he listened to the alert. “They’re here.” was all he said. The intercom was already announcing their presence to the entire facility. The alarm bells were quite literally ringing as the building went on lockdown. Silver led them through a staff only section that led to some maintenance tunnels. They didn’t stop for a second as the laser rifles began firing, small explosions bursting where they hit the nearby walls. No matter how far they ran they could hear the faint sound of hoofsteps clip clopping on the tiled flooring. They didn’t even have time to process that Silver was shot in the back. Cosmic tried to stop to help but it was already too late, the guards were armed to kill. Finally one door led to a dead end, a large geodesic testing chamber with a box of mice on a small pillar. There was nowhere left to run. A dark grey mare with a jet black mane approached with her laser rifle. Her uniform was clearly higher rank than Shining’s, she had the golden badges to prove it. She was the head of the Space Security Service and in the blink of an eye, she shot down Shining without a word. Both the Doctor and Cosmic stood in stunned silence as their only hope was lost.  “That was a warning shot. Turn yourself over to the Space Security Service and your punishment will be swift and just.” “A warning shot. A WARNING shot!? He’s dead!” Cosmic exclaimed in a torrent of rage. The head of the SSS approached closer, backing them further into the test chamber. She closed the door behind her and sealed them in. She tried to radio in about their whereabouts but her radio couldn’t get a signal in here. They’d still be found eventually if they were stuck here for long enough. The Doctor’s mind was racing, trying to calculate their next move at the same time as trying to deal with the stress of the situation. “You really think that you’ll be doing a service by arresting us?” Cosmic asked. “Queen Opaline has personally requested me to aid in your capture. It takes a highly desired criminal to attract her attention. So yes, to answer your question, I am doing a service.” Several stadium lights activated one after the other, flashing bright white light into the chamber. While both the Doctor and Cosmic shielded their eyes their captor barely flinched. The walls started to rotate in different directions at increasing speed. “STAY WHERE YOU ARE!” They could barely hear her over the roaring winds that were starting to pick up around them. Any attempts for her to maintain control were futile as the lights grew in intensity. Cosmic pounded on the door but it was obviously bolted or pressurised shut. He couldn’t hear him yelling as everything went white. All of his senses were overwhelmed as both everything and nothing passed by faster than the speed of light. Sound was non existent yet it still felt like his ears were popping. The planet appeared to materialise around them even though in actuality it was the opposite. He’d heard of cellular dissemination before, an artificial teleport, though he’d never experienced such himself. The three of them were separated from one another on an alien planet similar to Kembel. The vegetation was more blue and the sky was a vast array of blues, indigos and violets. The Doctor laid on the ground, the mist of the swamp curling around him as he got up. He laughed to himself, surprised by his own luck. He called out for Cosmic as he made his way across the relatively dry ground. He found him holding the SSS head’s gun, but surprisingly not pointing it at her. “There you are, Doctor. Don’t worry, she won’t be giving us any trouble for the time being.” “I was merely following my orders. You two are fugitives, stealing one of the rarest minerals in the galaxy.” “And is that how you justify cold blooded murder? You didn’t even integrate us, you just fired without a second thought. Do you even question your orders, use some common sense? Opaline is using you to further her plans with the Daleks.” “I don’t question her majesty. Whatever her motives may be, they are pure and justified.” “You don’t even question her motives then, just like you didn’t question killing Shining Star.” “You think I enjoyed it!? Shining Star was my brother but he was also a traitor.” “Enough, this is no time to be at one another’s throats.” the Doctor quickly interjected. “As undesirable as our current situation may be, we still need one another. We’ll discuss this later once we’re off this world.” “And how do you propose that when we don’t have a ship?” the mare asked sarcastically. “The Daleks will no doubt be on their way. Neither them nor Opaline will stop until they have their hooves on the Taranium core again. With this they’ll power a weapon that will conquer the entire universe. I suggest we hide while we still can, hmm?” The Doctor patted Cosmic on the shoulder, the both of them distancing themselves from their ex-captor. Almost as if on queue a Dalek saucer was already descending into the marsh below. In no time at all several squadrons were already patrolling the area. The Doctor was already thinking of a plan while staring out from the bushes with the others. “See, over there? If your queen is so benevolent then what is she doing with the Daleks? If you don’t believe me then how do you explain that?” Cosmic whispered. “I’m not sure. The whole point of the peace conference was to oppose their forces and expel them once and for all. Finally peace across the entire galaxy, no more wars for us to fight in.” “She’s a two faced liar from what I’ve heard of her.” The Doctor stepped to the side and away from their back and forth. He tried to just think to himself but he couldn’t help but listen. “And you trust that old stallion more than our queen? How do you know that he’s telling the truth any more than the leader of our entire planet?” “Absolutely. The Doctor may not always have a plan or be honest about what he thinks, but I’ve seen the kind of stallion he is. He’s always kind and compassionate, and he’s never let me down. We’ve been through a lot together… especially today.” The Doctor smiled. He felt tired but he had to keep pushing forwards. He looked over at Cosmic and put a hoof to his lips before approaching the Daleks. They wouldn’t kill him, even if it were the easiest way to obtain the Taranium core. No doubt they’d want to question him to discover just how he’d defeated them several times, and then they’d kill him. Cosmic was in more danger though, to the Daleks they were expendable. At the very least they would use his life as a threat against him, the exact thing he needed. Just out of the corner of his eye he could see a faint movement, small patches of the ground subsiding to some invisible force. “Presence of other life forms detected. Fire.” He could only see the body of the invisible creature for a second as the blast from the Dalek’s gun illuminated their body. It was a large and feral creature covered in scales, its invisibility returning once it fell to the ground. He’d never seen a creature like that before, though he’d heard of something like it before. Something about Visians or Spirodons on the planet Mira, creatures not visible in the typical wavelengths on the optical spectrum. Returning to the group the Doctor had a plan, though it was incredibly risky. “Follow my lead.” he whispered. Much to their surprise the Doctor directly approached the Daleks, giving away both Cosmic and the head agent’s hiding spot as well.  “We are stranded on this world with no ship, no weapons, no means of defence. It appears that we have no choice but to surrender. It appears my friends, that the Daleks have won.” “You are surrounded. You will come with us.” “Yes, yes. No time to waste, getting a move on.” As they were led into the central flight deck of the Dalek saucer the Doctor looked around. It was a similar model to the one he’d seen in 2150 with a few upgrades here and there. He didn’t get too close to any of the controls as the Daleks kept a close eyestalk on him. Most of their troops were still spread out across the planet’s surface, now on their way back to the ship. He could outsmart a few Daleks, but he couldn’t outsmart an alicorn. “Well, well, well. So you’re the pesky little pony who’s given me so much trouble.” Opaline said with a smirk. “To think that such a weak old stallion and his little misfit could give the strongest perceived force in the galaxy the run around. Not the best for your image of being the supreme beings, now is it?”  “It was your security that allowed such negligence. Your security allowed the Doctor to infiltrate our conference. Your security allowed him to escape to Mira. Daleks do not tolerate such incompetence.” “Oh please, I allowed their teleportation to Mira. Here they’re completely helpless, can’t even escape in my vintage of a ship. I do hope you’re compensating for the damages.” “You make your incompetence sound like an achievement.” Opaline was visibly seething before quickly regaining her composure. In the split second she turned her back to him he quickly slid the dial to lock the outer doors on. Letting in a draft certainly wouldn’t do well for their “pest control”. “At the very least I thank you for allowing me to handle these fugitives. Officer T-Tauri Star, I’m pleased that you completed your mission so diligently, if a little bit haphazardly.” Something changed in T-Tauri’s demeanour as Opaline addressed her. She stood at attention not as a soldier but as a mindless drone. Any fear or passion or soul was gone from her eyes as she stood staring blankly forwards. “Yes ma’am. What is our next plan of action, your highness?” “We return to Kembel to finish what we started. Then I’m certain that they’ll be given a fair ‘trial’, however pointless it may be for these traitors.” “Yes your majesty. However…if I may enquire, why are we collaborating with the Daleks?” “A fair inquiry. The Daleks are the greatest militia in the galaxy, with their assistance we can police our laws on a wider scale. Their numbers are far greater than ours and we can hardly spread ourselves too thinly across the sector.” “But our history-” “Water under the bridge. It’s been centuries since the last of the Dalek wars. Besides, ponies we fought for centuries are unified together in harmony, are they not? It’s in our nature to forgive.” “But the millions of lives, the families they’ve destroyed and the planets they’ve left in ruin, are we just going to excuse their past actions?” “That’s enough, Agent T-Tauri. It’s for the best in our galaxy and far beyond.” The Doctor and Cosmic felt sorry for her, the pain in her eyes as the words settled in her mind. She’d shot her own brother, believing him to be a traitor to everything she stood for, all for nothing. The ship attempted to take off but it refused with the outer door locked open. It was clear by now that something had gotten in as more and more warning lights started flashing. Already the Doctor and Cosmic were stepping away quietly, gesturing for T-Tauri to follow them. She looked down for a moment, pausing to think, before she joined by their side. Opaline sighed, visibly annoyed as she nodded her head in disapproval. “If you want something done then you’ve got to do it yourself.” Opaline muttered before joining in the fight. Needless to say it was utter pandemonium out there, both Daleks and Opaline firing left right and centre. They couldn’t even see their targets but they were successfully forcing them back. As planned the invisible beasts were no match for their might, backing them into the forest from where they came. While they may have won this battle it was a pyrrhic victory as the ship started to take off without them. The only Daleks that remained were either destroyed, immobilised or were trapped as the ship flew away. Opaline attempted one last shot to shoot the ship down but it was ultimately futile, the planet vanishing into the distance as they flew away. The three of them collectively let out a sigh of relief. T-Tauri continued to stare off into space, seething with rage as she ripped off her badge and threw it at the ground. She was on the verge of tears, just barely holding herself together. “I don’t understand… Opaline with the Daleks. They slaughtered millions of my kind, those of whom I’ve bound to protect. Yet that means nothing to her, absolutely nothing. I just don’t understand.” Cosmic carefully tried to approach her, not entirely sure what to say. “It’s…everything is-“ “Don’t touch me, don’t get near me, don’t even look at me! Before you two showed up everything was fine. I was fine. My brother was alive and well and because of you I… I need some air.” T-Tauri left the flight deck to get some artificial fresh air. Cosmic stood there, still dumbstruck on what to say or do. The Doctor returned to what he just started working on. “So…what’s this?” “I’m attempting to perfectly recreate a synthetic alloy with similar properties to Taranium. Should give us enough time to work out a plan. Might even fool them into destroying the Time Destructor. I’d hate to imagine the value of such a device given the rarity of a singular component, hmm.” “I see, are we heading back to Kembel?” “Yes, the flight computers are locked to a preset destination. However there’s one thing that doesn’t add up.” “Yeah, what’s that?” “The Daleks exterminated the entirety of Shining’s team, I want to know why.” “Well they’re Daleks.” “Yes, though ruthless they may be, they're still calculating machines. They kill with purpose, and that purpose may just be the leverage that we need.” The ship landed safely, a far cry from their previous experiences. Already the Doctor was doing preliminary scans on the surrounding area. Something was out there but he had limited access to what it was. Whatever was stored in their databases was being re-encrypted several times over just as he searched. For Dalek eyestalks only might as well have been stamped across everything. All he knew was that it wasn’t far from the TARDIS and that something was being done about it. Whatever that something was he was going to find out. He straightened his jacket and tightened his laced tie before shutting the computer down. “Are you ready?” Cosmic asked. “As ready as I can be. Too much has been at stake today, and I apologise for that. You never deserved to see what happened today.” “Thank you. None of this was your fault.” “Uhm. I’m coming with you. It’s the least I can do after what I’ve done.” T-Tauri said shyly, rubbing her eyes. Neither of them denied her from coming along, though they didn’t exactly want her here either. It was an awkward trek back to the TARDIS while they all remained silent. Daleks continued to roam the area so they treaded lightly. Though upon closer inspection from a distance, these Daleks were different. They used some kind of different weapon where their normal gun sticks would be. “The fugitives will not escape. Leave no evidence. Seek. Locate. Exterminate. Activate the pyro-flame.” Their weapons erupted in a plume of vibrant blue flames, torching everything in their path. They scorched the trees and surrounding foliage, the boiling hot fire spreading fast. Quickly the three of them made it back to the ship, never happier to see the deep blue Police Barn. Cosmic just about hugged it as T-Tauri looked at it confusedly. They could be home free, leave this place and era behind, but there was still a loose end to tie up: Opaline. She needed to be exposed for what she’d done, for the lies she’s told. If still in a position of power Opaline could just acquire more Taranium after another fifty years. All of this would start up all over again. He still let Cosmic and T-Tauri inside, just in case. He handed the core to Cosmic for safe keeping, the TARDIS being the one place they could never retrieve it. Combing through the brush the Doctor tried to recall the exact direction that Shining came from. He nearly fell flat on his face as he tripped over something poking out of the dirt. Looking around him were the charred remains of a rocket long since abandoned. The Daleks had clearly gotten here first long ago, but the job wasn’t done. Something on the ground gleamed, easily catching his eye. Picking it up revealed that it was an audio log, the last testimony of Dash Mark. Playing only a few seconds revealed the final piece that he was looking for. Shining and his team must have found the site and the Daleks came to exterminate them to conceal their plans. Now the entire forest was being burned just to prevent any evidence being leaked to the outer star systems. Shining’s death might not be for nothing after all. He rushed to the TARDIS and was about to put the key into the lock, but they were waiting for him. Five Daleks and one angry Opaline stared down at his back as he stood frozen with fear. The TARDIS had some external shielding but even he didn’t know if they were functional. ‘Enough games. No more hijacking ships. No more running. Just give me the Taranium core and you’ll go free.” “And how can I trust your word, hmm?” “Oh I’m not stupid, I know who you are. You don’t think that the ruler of Equestria wouldn’t know of your escapades in our history, Doctor? Sergeant Hurricane, the first Gala, rumours of the Crystal Empire before it vanished. One of your companions was even knighted by Celestia herself, I think. Needless to say, I know what kind of pony you are. Give me the Taranium and you can keep on running. If the Daleks don’t kill you then the next time we meet, and I know there will be a next time, I will end whichever young traveller comes alongside you first. Your move.” The Doctor slowly turned around to face them, genuine fear in his eyes. He nervously sweated, not saying a word as he handed over the fake Taranium. Opaline observed it, twisting it around in her magic. Her expression remained cold and unchanged. She looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. “Exterminate him.” Opaline turned around as the Daleks fired. Their blasts bounced right off the TARDIS shields but she didn’t care. She thought she got what she came here for. The Doctor stood in stunned silence for several seconds before turning tail. He didn’t even acknowledge Cosmic as he passed by, closing the doors immediately. He went straight to the side workshop, grabbing random bits and bobs to assemble a new device. “Doctor, what are you doing?” T-Tauri asked. “Assembling a short-wave transmitter that connects to the ship’s distress beacon. Should send out a signal to the furthest reach of the galaxy.” “But why-” The Doctor placed the log recorder in T-Tauri’s hoof. She stared down at it, struggling to hold back tears as she realised what it was. “Your brother nearly discovered this, a dead stallion’s testimony on Opaline’s involvement with the Daleks. He risked his life so that the truth would be set free. Without him, I never would’ve found this. He was a brave young lad indeed.” Pulling off a panel beneath the console he stripped and threaded a few wires to the best of his abilities. With the tape hooked up to the small apparatus he held it in his hooves, only needing to switch it on. Opaline was one of the most prominent figures in Equestrian history, and he was about to discredit and potentially dethrone her. He was hesitant, normally he never took this decision lightly. Cosmic put a comforting hoof on his shoulder and smiled. “I know you don’t like to intervene like this, but I’m still with you no matter what.” This time he didn’t hesitate. Forget whatever laws of time, continuity or Timepony authority that existed, he deserved to win today, just this once. The message was transmitted and there was no turning back now. That only left one last loose end. “T-Tauri, was it? I can attempt to get you home but there’s no guarantee. Our navigation system is rather…unreliable at times.” “No, no, it’s fine. I’m more grateful you aren’t leaving me out there with them. I know what I did was unforgivable, and I’d probably deserve it.” The Doctor paused as he struggled to find the right words. “Nopony deserves what happened. I…” The Doctor just couldn’t, even looking at her gave him an immense feeling of pain and guilt. He simply stepped to the side as Cosmic gave her a hug. She clearly needed it as she nearly collapsed in his embrace. Things were going to be difficult with her in the TARDIS, but at least she was willing to change. Did she even deserve a second chance? He didn’t rightfully know. There was a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. This wasn’t the end with the Daleks, it never was. One day they’d show up again, he knew it. This was far from being all over.