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The Forever War

By Ron Mallett

Rated PG

Story set between Planet of Fire & The Caves of Androzani

=========

The Doctor - the infamous 900 odd year old Time Lord - scratched his head and peered at the TARDIS console. Anyone else wearing a Victorian cricketing outfit would look odd - but it seemed to suit the gently eccentric Doctor! "Now that is peculiar!"

It was such an obtuse comment - even for The Doctor - that Peri had to investigate the cause: "What's wrong, Doctor?"

"The instruments are telling me that there's no life out there," he commented, pointing to the scanner.

The screen was indeed filled with a dense forest, brimming over with birds and complete with a running stream.

"The console must be on the blink again," Peri reflected. Peri had only recently just began her travels with the Doctor but was fast coming to accept the extraordinary. She was an attractive American student, still in her teens with a dark head of hair and a pixie like face. As she had been hastily uprooted from an Equatorial holiday, she was wearing a white shirt and pink shorts.

"Yes... that must be it!" The Doctor beamed, unfurling his sun hat and placing it on his blonde head. He then picked up a collapsible chair and a book, both of which he had recently assembled with much anticipation.

"Doctor, if it's all right with you - I think I'd rather lie down..."

"Oh - well, it's taken me centuries to get through this book and I'm determined to finish it now," the Doctor informed her.

"Fine," Peri retorted in a huff and vanished back into the interior of the TARDIS. So much for an adventure filled summer vacation!

The Doctor awkwardly activated the door control with his elbow and strode out, looking quite cheerful and the bright sun fell across his face.

====

General Thomas, commander of Her Majesty's Armed Forces, had joined his men for a brief rest. They had set up camp in a small dell. The armoured men allowed their energy lances - about the length of a grown humanoid - rest against their red plated bodies as they fed themselves from their ration packs. Occasionally the men would catch a surreptitious glimpse of Thomas as he discussed strategy with his officers. There was the slight sound of a snapping branch between one heart beat and another and the small party found themselves totally surrounded by the enemy. The enemy had largely lain hidden beneath the leaves that littered the floor of the dell and their appearance was so sudden that not one of the men had time to raise his lance.

"Tell your men to lay down their lances," the commanding enemy officer demanded.

The enemy wore almost identical armour, but it was blue. Thomas nodded and they finally obliged.

"In the name of His Most Gracious Majesty, true ruler of Mirok, you may consider yourselves prisoners of war," the king's officer declared.

The officer then took a step closer to Thomas. He noticed that unlike the other men present, Thomas wore a cloak.

"Well, well, well, the great General Thomas," he sniggered as he raised his energy lance and placed it under Thomas' chin.

One of his own officers bravely countered his intent: "Platoon Leader, under Article 432 Subsection 4 Paragraph A of the rules of engagement, you cannot execute a person accused of war crimes without trial!"

"I know that, lad - still I should blow his head right off. How many men have you killed directly or indirectly?"

Thomas smiled at him.

"Take him away!" the platoon leader snorted.

==========

The Doctor had chosen a charming little spot for some relaxation, in a clearing, next to a stream. He gently unfolded his chair, positioned it carefully and sat down. He then turned to the third book of Tolkien's Lord of The Rings trilogy. The King of Mirok - a hefty, bearded man - pulled away from his monitoring ball, where he'd been watching The Doctor's activities.

"Him. The Off-worlder, bring him to me!"

His chamberlain, an even older man in even more elaborate dress, bowed and moved away to oblige.

====

Peri wandered into her room and took off her shoes. She yawned and laid down on her bed. There were a couple of half-read books on her bedside table, as well as a half-drunk glass of orange juice - but Peri didn't feel in the mood for any of those distractions. She closed her eyes as she curled up... the last few weeks had been far too tiring...

====

The Doctor himself was firmly asleep by the time he had company. He was woken up by the sensation of having his book pulled off his lap. Opening both eyes revealed that he was in fact surrounded by a large group of armoured men with energy lances. "Good afternoon. Care to join me?" the Doctor asked with a decided air of frivolity.

===

Peri felt a cool breeze brush against her face. Funny, she didn't have a fan and even when she left her room door open, there was no natural breeze in the TARDIS. Maybe The Doctor left the front doors open? She opened her eyes - willing herself to investigate - but was startled to find her room was gone. She was lying on a rock in the middle of a cave.

"Doctor? Doctor!"

This was strange, she thought. She stepped off the rock and found her shoes waiting for her on the ground. She then proceeded to wander down a tunnel. At the end she could she a bright light. That was where the cool breeze was coming from.

======

"You're to come with us!"

"Am I? But it's such a lovely day. I could read to everyone, you know!"

The king's men took a step closer to him with their lances raised.

"Fine, fine. But can I have my book back?"

One of the soldiers tossed it into the stream.

"I hope you've realised what you've done," the Doctor started in a much darker tone, "that was a first edition!"

=====

"Doctor!" Peri yelled.

It was a beautiful day in the forest, but Peri had an uneasy feeling. Not just at the nature of her arrival but something else... something sinister... it was... silent. That was it! The birds had stopped chirping.

"Freeze!" It was the voice of a man in red armour, one of the queen's own.

There were half-a-dozen just like him in the platoon, now slipping out from behind nearby trees.

"Who... are you?" Peri stammered, placing her hands in the air.

"Silence! You're a prisoner of the true ruler of Mirok, Her Most Gracious Majesty the queen. You're to come with us Off-worlder!" the platoon leader insisted.

"Okay," Peri replied, knowing better than to argue and state her case in those types of circumstances.

Opting to cooperate at once, meant that she had an opportunity to cast her eyes back in the direction of the cave. As she was led off, she was mystified to only view the TARDIS.

==

The Doctor was brought into The King's Palace - a gigantic stone edifice, lit by large fiire-staffs that lined the hundred foot walls. The king sat on his throne, at the far end of the reception hall. The Doctor noticed that he had been busy interrogating a tall man, in a cloak, that on closer inspection could almost be his son.

"I want you to tell me what the queen is planning!"

"I remain loyal to her majesty - I would rather cut out my tongue than do her a disservice!" Thomas replied calmly.

The King snorted and fiddled with his beard. "I know what you represent General Thomas, and I am not amused. For you The Forever War is over!" the king grumbled as he switched his attention to The Doctor, who was studying the scene with great interest.

"I take it that there has been a long term war fought on Mirok, then," the Doctor commented in a chatty manner.

He got butted on the back of his head the end of an energy lance for his trouble.

"Who might you be, stranger?" the king demanded.

"I am The Doctor, how do you do," the Doctor declared.

"Strange. Most races give Mirok a wide berth. Nothing of substance here."

"I just wanted a little peace and quiet," the Doctor admitted.

The king laughed violently and his grossly over-dressed Chamberlain and other courtiers joined in.

"Where did you buy that hat?" the Doctor asked the Chamberlain, causing the laughter to abruptly stop.

"There's been a war raging on Mirok for over 800 years! There's nothing peaceful about it, particularly while that tyrant queen rules half the planet and marshals forces against me."

The Doctor noticed that there were a set of steps leading down from the throne to a metallic door, situated at floor level and half hidden by the base of the throne.

"I choose not to get involved in local politics, your majesty," the Doctor replied curtly.

"Then involve yourself in this..." The king pointed to his monitoring ball which was situated between him and everyone else in the reception hall.

The inside of the ball shimmered and soon all present could see a large battlefield strewn with the armoured bodies of the king's men.

"That was a military training facility Doctor. Full of boys and half-men. The Queen would say that if you wants to kill the nits, slaughter the lice!"

"I'm truly sorry, but your global conflict really doesn't concern me," the Doctor admitted.

"I thought you might be a pawn in The Queen's new strategy. If you are, Doctor, you will never leave Mirok alive. Take them both away!"

===

The queen studied Peri. She was standing in an identical palace. The queen had a very majestic bearing. She had clearly been a very attractive woman in her youth. "How pretty you are!" The queen giggled, leaning forward in her throne.

"My name's Peri. I'm from Earth!"

"Of course you are. I suppose even a certain young General would be attracted to a young woman such as yourself," she commented as the smile died away from her face.

"I'm looking for The Doctor. He's a traveller like me," Peri explained.

"Oh, I see... two Off-worlders in one day! Never mind. Do you know where you are dear? Mirok. You're a very lucky young woman. You arrived in territory controlled by the king... very lucky indeed... let me show you what the king does to those that wander into his territory..."

Some images flashed across her monitoring ball, situated between them. Peri winced.

"A short time ago one of my platoons was caught and slaughtered... if we're lucky their families will get their body parts back in due course!"

=== The Doctor and General Thomas had been locked in adjoining cells. The Doctor was trying to start a conversation with the general. "General? General! I want to know more about this Forever War on Mirok!"

The guard on duty snorted, amused by the general's arrogance: "Don't waste your breath, Doctor, they're a damn fanatical lot, these queen worshippers!"

"She must be some leader to inspire such loyalty and obedience," the Doctor noted.

The general shot the Doctor a hard look.

"A great leader... or something more in this case, perhaps?"

The general launched himself at the bars between them and shook them, hard. The Doctor did not flinch.

"You're playing with fire there, Doctor," the guard muttered.

"Well?!" the Doctor shouted, clearly triumphant in the fact that he had got a reaction at last.

"Did you hear him doubt the honour of the queen," the general yelled.

"I don't think he quite meant it like that, General Thomas. Anyway he's an Off-worlder..."

"Makes no difference. I'm one of her majesty's loyal officers, I demand the right to defend her honour!"

"What does he mean?" the Doctor blurted out, totally mystified.

The guard shook his head at him and tutted: "He may only be trying to alleviate the boredom of being incarcerated but he's just challenged you to a duel!"

The Doctor's face fell; he'd been the one outwitted.

======

Peri had been quite ignored since the sudden arrival of an important guest. Some diplomat or chamberlain or something... with the tallest hat that she had seen on any being on any world. She had wandered down behind the throne and had begun to study the metallic door situated there. Somehow it just didn't fit in with the medieval surroundings - despite the advanced lances the soldiers carried. She placed her hand on the door and found that it vibrated a little. But her attention was soon drawn away by the conversation on the other side of the throne. She had heard the Doctor's name mentioned.

"...yes, he's challenged him to a duel. Always the improviser!" The queen was giggling.

=======

The guard had received the relevant permission to take the two prisoners to a small corner of the forest, not far from The King's Palace. The guard passed out a pair of antique lances - much shorter than their modern counterparts and made of wood - from a small box.

"I take it you understand that under Article 42, Subsection 6, Paragraph B - you are to pace out 10 steps, turn and fire once. There is only sufficient charge in the lances for one volley at any rate," the guard explained.

General Thomas turned his back and waited patiently. The Doctor sighed and stepped up behind him, placing his back firmly against that of the general.

"One! Two! Three! Four! Five! Six! Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten!"

The Doctor swirled around and purposely shot wide, cracking a branch in a nearby tree. The general hesitated, smiled and aimed his lance in the Doctor's direction... The supervising guard crumpled in a heap, clutching his chest. The Doctor raced over to him.

"Stop... him..." The Doctor looked up to see General Thomas sprinting into the forest. "But will you..." the Doctor began.

"They aren't usually fatal. I'll raise the alarm. Stop him... and you might win favour... with the king!" he guard muttered through clenched teeth.

The Doctor stood up: "General!"

Thomas didn't stop, he was running on, aware that the alarm would be raised at any moment. The Doctor covered the distance between them with surprising speed. Thomas spun around and raised his lance.

"One step closer, Doctor..."

"One volley, remember," the Doctor reminded him as he approached with his hands raised.

"What do you want, then?" Thomas asked, looking around anxiously.

"I assume that you're returning to the queen... I want to come with you!" the Doctor revealed.

"Why?" the general asked suspiciously.

"I want to understand this conflict better and to do so I need to hear the truth, from both sides," the Doctor argued.

"All right, but if I smell treachery, I'll kill you with my bare hands!"

The Doctor nodded. "Whatever you say."

"You will consider yourself my prisoner," Thomas announced tartly and waved the Doctor on.

=====

Peri pressed what she reasoned must be the door control. She wandered into what appeared to be a colourless, antiseptic environment. The room was white and bare aside from two metallic coffin like boxes in the centre. They met head to head and Peri was relieved to find that they were both empty.

"Your majesty! The Off-worlder has entered your inner-sanctum!" It was the voice of the new arrival, the one with the outrageous headgear, Peri thought. It was at that moment she also noticed the other door at the far end of the chamber.

"Chamberlain!" It was the queen's voice. She came scuttling down the steps and into the chamber followed by a large number of guards.

"Curiosity can be deadly on Mirok, my dear," she tutted.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know... everything out there is so medieval, though, and in here it's so modern."

"Come along, my child. I'll decide what to do with you in due course. On your way Chamberlain and do not leave the inner-sanctum unlocked again... no matter how excellent the news!"

The chamberlain bowed and vanished through the opposing door. Peri was lead back out into the reception hall by a contingent of The Queen's men.

=========

The chamberlain passed back into the king's palace. He paced up the steps only to find the king and some of his men waiting for him.

"Article1 Subsection 1 Paragraph A: the sanctity of the suspension chamber is paramount and may not be compromised," The King spat.

"Your Majesty... my only thought has been your well being... I..."

"What is the queen planning?"

The chamberlain fell silent. One of the soldiers knocked his hat off and placed an energy lance under his chin. "The queen obviously feels free to break the rules of engagement... perhaps it is time to begin to break a few rules myself..."

"Your majesty! No!"

The king waved and the lance was activated.

"We've lost General Thomas, the Doctor is nowhere to be found, the queen is no longer obeying the rules of engagement... employing my own chamberlain as her own! Launch the missiles! The sooner this cycle is over, the better!" the king roared.

======

The queen's face brightened as General Thomas entered the reception hall of her palace. The Doctor followed him in.

"Your majesty, my platoon was lost but I have escaped and returned to your service," Thomas announced.

"I can see that, General Thomas," she giggled like a love-sick girl.

"I was able to escape during a duel I arranged... with my prisoner... an Off-worlder called..."

"Doctor!" Peri shouted. She scrambled forward and ran to the Doctor's side.

"Well, it appears that I have the whole set now," the queen muttered, eyeing them dangerously.

"I thought you were in the TARDIS," the Doctor scolded.

"It was strange, Doctor. I woke up in some kind of cave. I went out to find you and was caught. When I looked back it was just the TARDIS," Peri explained.

"I think there are a lot of strange things happening on this planet," The Doctor answered while he met the queen's stare.

"Your majesty!" one of the queen's men shouted.

"What is the meaning of this outburst!" the queen demanded.

"Forgive me, your majesty, but the king has launched a proton missile attack!"

There was a gasp throughout the chamber.

"So he wants to clear the decks, does he," the queen pondered.

In the confusion the Doctor pulled Peri to one side. "Have you noticed anything here that doesn't look like it belongs?"

"Yes... just below the queen's throne, there's some kind of chamber. It's got two coffin type things in it."

"Does it now," the Doctor thought aloud.

"This king sounds horrible. The queen showed me an image of some the men he's slaughtered in cold blood," Peri revealed.

"Well, I was given the same kind of images in the king's palace. I also saw the same kind of entrance."

"Well, the chamberlain or whoever it was went out through a door on the other side," Peri told him.

"Yes, that makes sense. That leads directly to the other palace."

"You mean the enemy's ruler is just through that room down there!"

"Yes. Not everyone knows it of course but even if they did, well this is a highly conditioned and disciplined society. Rules and norms are sacrosanct. Still I get the feeling that the queen at least has been bending them a little."

"What did she mean by clearing the decks?" Peri asked fearfully.

"I personally don't really want to find out. Proton missiles destroy biological structures... but we should be safe in the TARDIS if we can only get back there. I'm betting the palaces are backed up together and that the entire land mass between is the battlefield. The missiles will have to travel around the circumference of the planet before they arrive. That might give us time," The Doctor explained.

The queen had slipped down into her chamber and left General Thomas to guard the entrance.

"Well, there's no getting out that way," the Doctor grunted.

"I was captured in the king's territory. That's where the TARDIS is, quite a walk from here," Peri babbled.

"Come on!"

====

The queen's forces had largely deserted their posts and the two time travellers had slipped out of the palace with ease.

"How are we going to find the TARDIS in time?" Peri cried.

"I have a psychic link with the TARDIS. It's this way. You'll need to keep up with me!" the Doctor yelled.

As they ran through the forest, Peri listened out for the scream of missiles overhead, which she knew could arrive at any moment.

=========

The queen was standing by her 'coffin' when they entered.

"What do you mean by corrupting my chamberlain?!" he shouted.

"Don't preach rules to me. You know that all Off-world arrivals should be declared on detection!" she countered.

"You've been waking mid-cycle and corrupting the core program!" the king accused her.

"And what if I have? Aren't you tired of this conflict?"

"You could always surrender!" he shouted.

"Never!" she screamed and pulled a short energy lance from her robes.

=====

The Doctor and Peri stood in the console room, watching the proton missiles strike The King's territory. The lush forest had been reduced to a sandy waste land in a few moments.

"Can't we do anything?"

The Doctor shook his head and turned off the scanner.

"It's terrible," Peri choked, as tears ran down her face.

"Self-determination is a sacrosanct principle of my people, Peri. The kKing and queen represent authority on this planet... even if there was something I could have done... I wouldn't."

"You can be so cold sometimes," Peri whispered between sobs. "Are they all dead?"

The Doctor nodded: "All biological matter would be dead. The atmosphere itself would be evaporating. If there had been one in the first place."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember when we arrived? There were no life signs! Maybe the TARDIS instruments were not on the blink after all!" the Doctor exclaimed as he suddenly sprung to life and set the TARDIS in motion.

"Let's get as far away from here as we can," Peri told him.

"There's something I want to check out first," the Doctor revealed as the central column started to rise and fall once again.

======

The TARDIS materialised in the inner-sanctum or suspension chamber. The queen was standing by the king's sarcophagus. The Doctor and Peri stepped out.

"He's dead... finally," the queen muttered.

The Doctor looked down into the king's coffin and winced.

"What's been happening here?" Peri asked simply.

"We've just seen a war replayed that actually happened centuries ago Peri. The two of them were the only ones shielded from the proton missiles," the Doctor declared.

"But all those people. All the life?"

"Holograms. Everything except this place is holographic, even the air we have been breathing... and now there's only one indigenous life form left."

"How could you do this?" Peri shouted.

"He wouldn't say he was sorry!" the queen screamed.

"So you kill your entire planet? That's insane!" Peri met her tone.

"He needed to be punished. If it wasn't for me he'd only have been a..."

"General?" the Doctor asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes," she replied meekly.

"Was it worth it?" the Doctor asked hollowly.

"The people died for my honour. I woke up somehow, mid-cycle, as the holo-world was restoring itself... I was able to reprogram the war computer. I've grown so tired, you see... so very tired of it all. he was always the one to launch his missiles first!"

"So you lured Peri out of the TARDIS to use her as a kind of bargaining chip to off-set any advantage I might bring the king," the Doctor extrapolated.

"Well, none of that matters anymore. Now Mirok can be a world of peace. Thomas and I can rule as we should have done in the first place," the queen revealed.

"But it's an illusion, isn't it?" Peri maintained.

The Doctor started to lead her back off to the TARDIS. "Come on."

"Yes, let's get out of here. This place makes me sick," Peri admitted.

Behind them, the form of General Thomas was materialising beside the queen.

The Doctor looked back over in their direction. "Let's allow her to enjoy her final victory... in peace."

END