The Prologue
Oh she thought she had done well, chosen a mixed up human. One who loved to be in control . One who seemed to love having separate lives - certainly not one that would end up being loyal to him. WHY HAD IT ALWAYS GONE WRONG? No matter what form, no matter what she did! WHY? Finally, she thought she had it right. Deliberately she turned herself into this form, one that she felt sure the Doctor would have found attractive but NO, he had to choose Earth again. Flippin, bloody Earth! Argh!
She thumped the controls and stormed around her TARDIS control unit and kicked the walls - she had just about resisted taking her hat off and jumping up and down on it. Of course even the Brigadier had to show up and blast her! Even in death the Brigadier was loyal to the Doctor. Some people were just too bloody-minded for their own good. Why had it ALWAYS gone wrong?
“TARDIS,” she growled, “what has happened to some of his past companions!”
The TARDIS obliged and flashed data: Susan - married, architect - “Not her!” Ian Chesterton and Barbara Chesterton - Alive still teaching managed to stay young. “Lucky them!” Polly, Steven,, Dodo, Victoria… all Missy dismissed with a swipe of her hand as she picked up an apple and crunched into it allowing some juice to dribble down her chin a bit: Jamie McCrimmon - Clan Cheif - “Show me a picture?” she arched an eyebrow in appreciation - “no, not him!” A couple more names zipped by until Jo Grant. “Tell me about her?” Married, grandma, great grandma - still adventuring with her husband, “no!” Missy sighed. Children - she shuddered, Leela and Romana were on Gallifrey, wherever that was, Sarah-Jane had died. “Come on, TARDIS throw me a bone here!” Adric - Dead: “Oh for gods sake, I know that!” Tegan Jovanka: Alive - never Married, Missy arched an eyebrow, promising she remembered Tegan as an angry woman: - Human Rights Campaigner - oh bother, even SHE had to be goody goody. “Anymore?” Perpugilliam Brown - Queen - Dead. Melanie Bush - Back on Earth, Married to a Sabalom Glitz. Missy was twirling the apple stem between her fingers sucking in her cheeks impatiently; “TARDIS!” she hissed. Dorothy McShane - Alive Owner of Charity ACE.org: “Shame, she had Fenrir blood in her - if only I had known that at the time!” Missy flipped through the information: “TARDIS you forgot one!” All Are Present. “You forgot one - if I can remember her you should to!” the TARDIS seemed reluctantly to bring up the name of the one companion it did miss: “Nyssa - last Maiden of Traken,” Missy read. “Oh yeah, that was a good day!” she grinned. “Companion to the Fifth Incarnation of the Doctor - wonder what his reaction would be to me? Nurse cured the Universe of Lazar’s now working on Rickters disease - quite ambitious little bint aren’t ya!” she scrolled down: “Ship she once commanded was called Terminus and was once used as a Time Travel ship! Clever too,” Missy was about to bite into her apple but stopped when she saw a picture of Nyssa. “oh you were a pretty one - surprised the Doctor did not kiss you - oh look, he did!” the TARDIS had bought up a video of their goodbye. Little did the Doctor know that the reason for Missy kissing him was to steal some of his memories. She had too. That and because she could. She watched the goodbye scene over and over again: “Aw poor wee babbie!” Missy sighed, “it took you to get out of yer clobber to get him to kiss ya. Mind you, you were pretty!” Missy sighed again. Well, she had to get out of Earth for a little while. Nyssa was kind - she would always say something nice.
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The Master angrily flipped his TARDIS switches after the Doctor had, yet again, foiled his plans. Nothing he ever did seemed to impress the Doctor or the Council of Gallifrey enough to let him lead them. There had to be a way for him to win. Had to be! That bloody Australian standing in the way, he growled flicking his cloak off and sat on the chair: “TARDIS,” he rubbed his forehead, he had a headache, “what happened to Nyssa?” for some reason, despite who she was and what he had done to her Planet the thought of Nyssa was enough to calm and soothe him down. His screen computed and processed the name: Not Known!
“Oh come on, TARDIS, you must know who Nyssa is? You were there throughout all her life!”
Name not Known!
“Oh for goodness sake!” the Master hissed. He typed the name in personally after taking off his gloves with his teeth: “Nyssa - NY-SS-A!” he typed: “TRAKEN!” the computer seemed to sigh: “Nyssa - Nurse on Terminus - Curing Lazar’s disease!” the Master read. “Interesting,” he sighed, “she was trained for such a life, pity though!” The Master stroked his face and gazed into the nearest reflective surface, ANOMALY: The computer flashed up: “What sort of Anomaly?”
Trouble, the computer said.
“I gathered that,” The Master sighed, “well maybe the saintly Doctor can sort it out. I am not tidying up after his emotional messes!”
Doctor does not know.
“Oh come on, at least ONE of his Future selves must be wondering what has happened to Nyssa?”
Always too busy with other villains.
“I’m not a villain!”
I beg to differ!
“I am not!”
Sulking won’t get you anywhere, I saw what you did to TRAKEN too, I happened to like that planet!
“Oh did you!”
Prove me wrong.
“In what way?”
The Computer flashed the nature of the problem: “So what if I do go there, I can confidently say that I am the last person Nyssa wants to see and would quite happily go the rest of her life without me in it,” Negative, “You are intolerable. Why say that?” You are just what she needs: The Master was doubtful: “What makes you think I can succeed where someone else would fail?” Devious is your middle name, “what motive do I have for …” Your future, his future - her future - everybody’s future is in jeopardy. “Why?” If I could bonk you on the head I would right now… “just give me an analysis for success!” Nyssa will sense you coming. the computer sighed. Just do it, instead of sulking. “You’re starting to sound like Tegan!” I like Tegan. “Trust you!” in truth the Master did too. Nyssa is empathic with TARDIS and I will convince her, “oh will you?”
The TARDIS jolted harshly. “All right, I am going,” the Master snapped. “What disguise shall I use?”
No disguise necessary. “Do you want me to be killed?”
Nyssa won’t harm you!
No, the Master thought, Nyssa may not harm me. She will just give me one of her ice cold glares.
I liked Nyssa, the TARDIS said.
You would, the Master growled. trouble was … so did he!
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Nyssa’s eyes drooped down but she could not sleep yet - whilst she had managed to get the Lazar’s disease under control this past year or so she had not completely beat it. Although she knew it was ridiculous to not take a rest in turn she could not stop - people were coming from all over the place. More patients came than went even amongst the ordered chaos of a crashed spaceship in a forest Planet. It had become clean, she had seen to that. The place looked nothing like it did when she first arrived. She made sure of that. People were treated with compassion and kindness rather than with fear or loathing. Nyssa made damn well certain of that!
The fruits of this planet helped revive some who had only just got the illness: “I am going for a nap,” Nyssa told a young man just cured,. his hair was growing back and he smiled at her: “you look much better.”
“Thank you!” the man said with a bow. Nyssa smiled back before walking to her quarters set inside the jungle - her oasis of peace it was an unwritten law that no one could disturb her once she was home. A kindly Monk approached her just a few feet away from her hut: “what now, brother?” she sighed.
“The spiritual needs must be seen to - not only of the patients but of the nurses too,” the Monk sighed. “I see you are tired of your secular activities for now. Let us talk of your childhood and allow your mind to think of happy times!”
Nyssa liked the Monk, his warm fatherly face was sweet and his voice gentle: “What has my childhood memories got to do with anything?” she asked as a bird cuckooed above. “They were very happy years - my childhood was only marred by the shadow of the Melkur, an evil God,” Nyssa sighed. “Listen, dear Monk, I am tired. I need to go to my chamber.”
On the Monks previous advice she had actually made a little home for herself using wood and fashioned it the way her father’s house was. She was almost tempted to rename this planet TRAKEN but felt that was silly. After washing her face in a stream she walked to the wooden round hut and opened the door. Suddenly, her brain prickled and she felt breathless - instead of fighting it she now welcomed it. Allowing the EMPATH take over her Nyssa closed her eyes, gulped - opened her arms and her eyes snapped open: “MASTER IS ON HIS WAY - HE MEANS NO HARM -” Nyssa shook her head and tried to resist now but her breath became laboured and almost asthmatic. But it was too late: “MASTER MEANS NO HARM!” she collapsed on the floor in darkness.
Knock knock - Nyssa turned her head and brushed down her simple skirt: “Coming!” she exclaimed. Knock! Knock! “All right, I am tired you know!”
At the same time as the knock a whoosing vworping wind blew her away from the door and she turned around to see a Greco column standing in her living room. “Oh no, no, no!” she scowled at the column and especially so as the occupant stepped out and, rather suavely, he leaned against the column and smiled at her, “Oh great!” she sighed. Nyssa rolled her eyes before peering out of her window to see no one standing there. If she ignored him he might go away.
Oh no you don’t, The Master scowled, I am not going to be ignored by you! Slowly, he walked right behind her and, he grinned, her flesh formed goosebumps as his breath fell on her, momentarily he gazed at her intent profile, Nyssa huffed out a sigh and glared at him disdainfully: “Um,” he said, “hello!”
