The Warrior led the way out of the TARDIS, and I followed tight on his heels. We emerged in a wide open space, full of muted brown and grey rocky crags. In the distance, I saw a group of four legged beasts locking horns in some kind of fight for dominance. It was a dreary planet, with very little character of its own, devoid of colour and vibrancy. A cold, harsh place, much like a post apocalyptic Swindon. Of course a place like this would give rise to a species as brutish and inelegant as the Vakarians.
"See that settlement over there, on the horizon?" The Warrior asked, pointing towards a number of raised structures. From this distance, it looked like a collection of stone outcrops, rather than a collection of buildings. It was easy to imagine the Vakarians living in hollowed out caves, as they weren't exactly architecturally gifted.
"I think so, but it could just be a natural rock formation." I replied.
"That's because it is. Vakarians live in the abandoned nests of the wild Terrorms. Like a sort of giant rock eating worm."
"So, a literal earthworm?" I asked, suddenly concerned about the ground we were stood upon. The Warrior laughed, and put an arm around my shoulder.
"Nothing to fear, my boy. It'll have been hunted and killed by that tribe long before now. I'd be more concerned about the sky if I were you."
I looked up in alarm, visions of humongous swooping terrors circling above us, filling my head with fear. I relaxed slightly when all I could see was a silvery grey uniformity above us.
"Why, what's living up there?" I asked, cautiously.
"I honestly don't know, but that's not the point. Vakar is supposed to have a purple sky, with twin red dwarf stars visible in the sky at all times. It's an old planet, so old that it's lost all angular momentum in it's axial direction. There are no day or night cycles here." He explained, patiently.
"So the question is, why does it appear silver..." I said, thinking aloud. Now that I was looking intently, I could notice a slight purple ring near the horizon in every direction. An indigo haze on the edges of the sky. "It can't be..."
"Oh, I'm afraid it is. We're looking at the underside of a spaceship!"
"But, it must be miles in diameter! How can such a thing exist, especially so low in the atmosphere?" I said, stunned at the sheer scale of what I was observing. A silver disc the size of a large city was hanging above the surface of Vakar.
"I believe you said that the Vakarians were elevated technologically by their Shining Gods? This magnitude of engineering would be child's play to a race capable of constructing paradox engines." I could tell he was enjoying this moment. I dared not say anything, but I could tell he was relishing the chance to show off, to explain majestic visages to a companion... He was, however briefly, the Doctor again. In this instant, the War was forgotten.
"So, sounds like that space city is where we'll find our answers." I finally said. The Warrior nodded, and we reentered the TARDIS. Full or purpose, I watched as he skillfully manipulated the controls. I swear I even saw a smile on his face, briefly. Though, it soon gave way to a frown as we both realized that we still hadn't landed.
"Most curious... Come on, old girl. What's the matter?" He muttered to himself more than anything. "Drat! The vessel is shielded somehow, the TARDIS is struggled to break through. Maybe if I increase the Helmic Regul...." With a flourish, he yanked a leverdown dramatically. And the lights in the TARDIS dimmed as the engines fell silent. "What?!" He exclaimed. "Something has disabled her, and we're caught in a tractor beam!"
"Guess we're at the mercy of the Shining Gods then." I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. With a final shudder, the TARDIS was docked. The lights dimmed further and the central Time Rotor stopped moving. The TARDIS was deathly silent.
"We'd better not keep our hosts waiting." said the Warrior, his voice once again tinged with a hard edge. I felt slight pity for the Shining Gods, they had made things personal by affecting his TARDIS.
"Best foot forward, Arven!"
This time, we emerged in a room so white and stark that I was momentarily blinded by the glare. As my eyes adjusted, I could begin to make out the boundaries of the chamber we were in. Standing in front of us was a solitary humanoid figure. It glowed with an internal light, it's very skin was luminous, so bright that I could hardly keep my eyes on it. It's arms were raised in a welcoming gesture.
"Welcome, Time Lord. Welcome, human. Your arrival has been expected. You are right on time." It spoke in a soft, melodic voice. The aural equivalent of smooth luxurious velvet. The Warrior seemed less distracted by his surroundings than I, and continued to speak freely.
"I must say, I love what you've done to the place, even if it's not to my tastes. Reminds me to much of home. Besides, it must be a nightmare to keep clean. White shows up any speck of dirt."
I was beginning to get used to the creature in front of me, and found the courage to speak myself. "You must be the Shining Gods of the Vakarians then?"
The creature lacked a face, as far as I could tell, so I couldn't read it's expression. After a long pause, it spoke.
"That is the name given to us by the Vakarians, yes."
"So what do you call yourselves then?" asked the Warrior.
"We are the Omni-Voyants." said the figure. Could it mean what I thought it meant? Like clairvoyants, only more wide reaching and omniscient?
"Never heard of you." replied the Warrior. "But isn't that a bit pretentious... somewhat arrogant? Not to mention a little on the nose?"
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