ladyofleithian | Chapter Six: Heaven Is Empty (Reply)

In which Rose tries to negotiate with Davros, commander of the Dalek fleet, which goes as well as one would expect, i.e. not well at all.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

It was once they arrived at the Gates of Elysium -- the gates of Arcadia, some called them -- itself that Rose noticed something from space. The Dalek flying saucers surrounding the planet, firing on it strongly enough to all but distort the landscapes. Rose bit her lip; there was really no time for fear. If nothing else, they had to keep going.
They had to find a way to at least call off the attack -- and if that failed, open fire.

Over the communications system, came a gravelly Time Lord voice. “Your orders, Rose?”

Rose sighed. “I’m going to have to find a way to speak with their commander first.”

“What?” The Time Lord sounded almost aghast. “Rose, you know full well that they won’t listen to reason. They’re Daleks. Every moment you delay, they are going to destroy more people.”

The worst part, Rose thought, was that he was right. And yet at the same time, who was she if she simply destroyed the Daleks without a second thought?

She could still remember that one time on Skaro with Sarah Jane, four regenerations ago, when she was sent back in time to stop the Daleks, or at least affect their evolution so they became less aggressive. She hadn’t been able to destroy the Daleks then, and if she had to do so now...she wouldn’t do it unless it was necessary.

She sighed. “TARDIS, open communications to the leader of the Dalek fleet.”

“Hello, Rose.” That slithering voice -- Rose was all too familiar with that voice. Uncomfortably familiar, if nothing else. For that voice -- that was the voice of Davros, creator of the Dalek race. A man who was a genius, in a way, but made terrible if only for his lack of scruples. A man who betrayed his own people during the war between the Kaleds and the Thals, a man who had caused multiple deaths...a man she had even worked with if only for a short time. It was something she had never expected, working with Davros, and yet at the same time...

It was another factor that led her, if nothing else, to try and help him. Because if nothing else, having to work together (if only grudgingly) at TransAllied Inc had at least taught Rose something about Davros -- that perhaps there was a part of him, small and shriveled as it might be, that could be saved.

It was a long shot to try and save him, others had told her. And yet at the same time, she had to help him. Otherwise, who would she, truly,
be?

“Davros,” Rose said. “We have your fleet cornered. We have no desire to kill, but if you don’t stand down, we may have no choice but to destroy you.”

Davros laughed. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to reject your offer.”

“You’ll need to think about that carefully.”

“If you believe that we would ever surrender to you and the Time Lords, you are gravely mistaken.”

Rose sighed. Of course Davros would respond in such a manner. Because if nothing else, the man was determined. So devoted to the future of the Dalek race that he had helped create that listening to reason was, if nothing else, nigh impossible.

“Then I’m afraid that we don’t have any other choice,” she said. “Tony?”

“Yes?”

Rose bit her lip. She almost didn’t want to do that. It was almost a moment of surrendering to that same dilemma on Skaro four regenerations ago, and yet if it could save Elysium from certain destruction...

“Open fire,” she said.

The damage was instantaneous. Dalek ships crashing and burning, being destroyed, or sucked into the black hole converters that battle TARDIS after battle TARDIS brought out. And then, the Nightmare Child itself. The ultimate black hole converter, so named by Ace once if only because in a way, that was what it was.

Rose hadn’t expected the Time Lords to actually use it. And yet at the same time, she supposed that they were desperate enough if only to do it. Desperation could drive someone to do terrible things. That, she supposed, was something that she knew all too well.

And over the communications system, she could hear Davros bark to his troops if only to advance. Rose shook her head. She supposed that she should have seen something like this coming. And yet it didn’t really make it any easier. If nothing else, it only made it worse.

Still, if she could stop Davros, or the Nightmare Child...

“You can stop, Davros,” she said. “We have no desire to do this to you, but we will if there is no other choice.”

Davros laughed, defiant as ever. “Do you ever think that I would surrender to you?”

“We can help you, Davros. Trust me on this. We can help.” Rose knew deep down that the words were futile, and yet at the same time...

But she could only watch as Davros’ ship was sucked deeper into the Nightmare Child. Deeper and deeper it went, Davros' screams echoing in her ears.

And then it was over, and Rose was left standing in the center of the TARDIS, almost paralyzed with shock. She turned to look at Ace. “Ace,” she said, “What have we created?”

She could still remember the old saying by the man who had once developed the Manhattan Project. “Now I am become death, destroyer of worlds.” If nothing else, Rose knew that they had become that, at least in a sense. How many more were going to die? She almost didn’t want to think about it.

“Only what we could, Professor,” Ace said, gently. “Only what we could.”

“I don’t quite know.”

“I doubt any of us do.” Charley, this time. “But at least we gave others a chance."

Rose supposed that Charley and Ace were both right. And yet she doubted that it would ever get any easier. Then again, Rose supposed that in war, nothing ever got truly easier. If nothing else, killing never got any easier. Death and destruction never got any easier. Indeed, Tegan had left the TARDIS for that reason. Rose could identify with her all too well, and hoped that wherever she was now, she was happy, at the very least.

Because it wasn’t just giving Arcadia a chance to live, but in a way, the whole universe. Every star, every moon, every planet -- at the very least, they could give them a chance to fight, to live.

“I’m just going to land the TARDIS on Arcadia,” she said.

“Rose, you can’t.” Tony, this time. “There's nothing there but a wasteland as far as our TARDIS scanners can see."

“I know, Brax,” Rose said. “But we have to do what we can.” She swallowed. “We have to at least give Arcadia a chance.”