The Doctor sighed. Lombardo's sarcasm could be wearing at times. 'Trust me,' he said, indicating the Anthaurk commando. 'There's something odd about this. They've just wiped out an entire world why take the trouble of bringing us aboard now?'

'We're prisoners,' said Lombardo glumly. 'They're probably going to torture us.'

They were taken from the hangar along a series of tunnel-like corridors and shown into a bare, dimly lit cell in which sat or lay a few dozen other humans and creatures. Only a few looked up as they entered, and they didn't seem to notice the incongruity of the Doctor's frock coat or Lombardo's disco gear. Lombardo and Naomi slumped against the wall, while the Doctor flitted from bring to being, checking injuries, offering words of comfort or advice, and gathering information.

He went back to Lombardo and Naomi, his face grim. 'These people are from ships that were leaving or nearing Yquatine when the attack happened. Some of them said the ships appeared from nowhere. I didn't know Anthaurk technology was so advanced. Lou, tell me what the dispute with the Anthaurk was about.'

'Don't ask me, I'm just the pie man,' moaned Lombardo.

The Doctor knew that his friend was much more than that, but he didn't question Lombardo further. He looked shattered, the muscles on his face slack, his eyes staring blankly from deep hollows.

A silence fell. Everyone was wrapped up in their own inward-looking sh.e.l.l of grief. The Doctor could feel their sense of numb shock, of disbelief. Of wanting to know what had happened to their homes and loved ones, but not knowing whom to ask. He'd noticed a few of them staring at him, eyes pleading, as they'd entered. But he was as much in the dark as they were. He wished he'd done his homework, looked up the future history of Yquatine before he'd brought Compa.s.sion and Fitz here. He'd been here a few times before to see Lou Lombardo, had attended President Vargeld's inauguration, and knew all about the planets and races of the Minerva System. But the future was unknown. Something as large as a full-scale attack on Yquatine wouldn't have been hard to miss, and he could have avoided this whole mess. Well, it was too late now.

The floor shifted beneath them. The Anthaurk ship had changed course.

'Do you think they're taking us to New Anthaur?' said Naomi.

The Doctor nodded. 'Almost certainly.' A little human girl came up to him. She had curly blonde hair and dark eyes. Her face was streaked in dirt, her eyes red from crying.

'h.e.l.lo,' he said. 'What's your name?'

'Lorena,' said the girl, in a small, lost voice.

Lou Lombardo stared out of the window at what lay before them. Then he turned to the Doctor. 'Well, that's not New Anthaur.'

The Doctor was staring, too, taking in the beauty of the structure. 'No, it certainly isn't.' It was quite a feat of engineering. A giant crescent shape, a gleaming sickle in s.p.a.ce, with entrance ports dotted along the concave side. Ships were streaming back and forth, mostly Anthaurk battle cruisers and a.s.sault ships, but the Doctor recognised a few of Adamantean design. 'What is it? '

'Aloysius Station. We're on the border of Anthaurk-Yquatine s.p.a.ce. Built just after the treaty, to keep an eye on things. make sure the Anthaurk didn't try anything.'

The Anthaurk ship flew into the arms of the station, and soon the Doctor, Lombardo, Naomi, Lorena and the other prisoners were walking along a wide corridor with a view of s.p.a.ce. They ended up in a large, open hall, flanked by terraces. There were people everywhere wandering around looking lost, resting, being tended to, eating, talking. The Doctor scanned the crowds for Fitz and Compa.s.sion. but there was no sign of them.

Lorena tugged at his hand. The Doctor looked down at her. smiling sadly. She had left Yquatine with her parents on Treaty Day because of the rumours of war. Their ship had been attacked, and she'd become separated from her parents, bundled into an escape pod, and picked up by the Anthaurk in much the same way as the Doctor and his friends had been.

Now she was asking where her parents were. 'Oh, I'm sure they're around here somewhere,' he told her. He felt sad, but not overly worried. Children had remarkable reserves they were born survivors. It was the adults you had to worry about.

The Doctor turned to the adults. Lombardo was fingering his medallions nervously, and Naomi looked old, tired and confused.

The Anthaurk commando had taken his helmet off. His broad, snakelike face looked down at the Doctor, red eyes burning. 'You will remain here.'

There were other Anthaurk in the hall, guarding the exits, but some were tending the wounded. There were also a number of human soldiers, the personnel of the s.p.a.ce station, the Doctor guessed. They were being far less tolerant than the Anthaurk. The Doctor watched as a scuffle broke out between a human soldier and an Anthaurk.

Naomi and Lorena had gone off in search of food. The Doctor looked after them. 'I hope they're going to be all right.'

Lombardo was looking around the hall, frowning. 'I wonder if any of my chums made it.' He sighed. 'Probably not.'

The Doctor had that feeling in the soles of his feet, a feeling that told him that he was dying to have a good nose round. 'Lou, will you look after Naomi and Lorena? I'm going to see if I can find out what's going on.'

Lombardo winked. 'Aye, OK. Doctor?'

The Doctor turned. 'Yes?'

Lombardo reached out a large, pale hand. 'If we don't meet again, good luck: The Doctor took his hand. He was dearly regretting ever buying the Randomiser from Lombardo, but the man couldn't be blamed for supplying the goods. 'Thank you for all your help, Lou.'

Lombardo embraced the Doctor and patted his back. The Doctor felt his breath in his ear. 'Just you look after yourself. I know you, always getting into sc.r.a.pes.'

'I will,' said the Doctor into Lombardo's shoulder. 'And I'll let you have the blueprints for a sonic screwdriver.'

He felt Lombardo's body shake as he laughed, and they separated. With a last wave and a smile he turned and walked from the hall, trying to fight down the horrible feeling that he'd never see his friend again.

The Doctor wandered unhindered for a while. Everywhere was the same distressed refugees, chivvying Anthaurk troops. He stopped to help when he could a man with a broken arm, an Adamantean suffering from acid burns, an Eldrig with a torn ligament. He was helping, but only on the periphery. He could spend days wandering around, tending the wounded and rea.s.suring the frightened, entertaining the kiddies and charming the women. In fact, he would quite like to. But he had a duty. He had to get to the bottom of things.

He made his way towards the upper levels of the station, where he guessed the control centre would be. There were fewer people the higher he went. fewer Anthaurk guards. Eventually he came to a long corridor, so brightly lit that he had to squint. 'Why do they have to make it so bright?'

The corridor was lined with Anthaurk troops. Their helmets covered the whole of their broad heads. There was a grille for the mouth, and a dark, curved visor for the eyes. At over seven feet tall, they were an intimidating sight, but the Doctor refused to be intimidated. He simply walked along the middle of the corridor. towards the interesting-looking double door at the far end, hands behind his back, whistling tunelessly.

As he'd expected, two guards crashed into his way, like a pair of doors slamming shut.

The Doctor stopped before them, staring up at their visors. 'Let me pa.s.s.' The guards didn't move. Look, there's a very important meeting going on in there and I'm late.'

They could have been statues for all the notice they took of him.

The Doctor took his sonic screwdriver from his pocket. 'You're not going to like this.'

Before the guards could raise their weapons the Doctor flicked a switch, setting the frequency to that which he knew would be painful though not damaging in any permanent way to Anthaurk ears.

The guards dropped their weapons and sank to their knees. The Doctor nipped round them, and walked up to the double doors. To his surprise, it wasn't locked, and he pushed it open.

He found himself in a large circular chamber, the floor of which bore a stylised motif of the Minerva System. Ranks of seats stretched back towards the domed ceiling. Light came from globes set into the walls, and at the far end, dominating the room, was a large circular window which showed an impressive view of s.p.a.ce. the arms of the crescent-shaped s.p.a.ce station just visible.

There was a lectern on a dais before the window, and upon this stood a proud-looking Anthaurk in a wide-collared uniform and scarlet cloak. The seats were crowded with a ragtag mixture of aliens and humans. All of them seemed to be speaking, or shouting, at once.

The Doctor smiled. Of course. The Minerva System Senate, or what was left of them.

The Doctor walked into the middle of the makeshift Senate chamber and roared for silence.

Silence fell, satisfyingly quickly.

The Anthaurk's eyes latched on to the Doctor. 'What is this?' He had a look about him the Doctor had seen countless times before. The moment the Doctor saw him he knew he would, before long, be ordering the Doctor's imprisonment, or execution. Oh well.

'You mean, who who is this,' said the Doctor calmly. 'Well, since you ask, I am the Doctor. and I am here to help you. All of you.' is this,' said the Doctor calmly. 'Well, since you ask, I am the Doctor. and I am here to help you. All of you.'

The Anthaurk waved an arm. 'Guards!'

The Doctor began to talk, quickly and earnestly. 'Before you bang me up, listen to what I have to say. You ' he pointed at the robed Anthaurk 'are guilty of a terrible and ghastly act of genocide!'

There were mutters of agreement from the senators and their aides.

The Anthaurk walked up to the Doctor. 'That is not true. We are involved in a rescue operation. As I keep trying to explain to the Senate, something else has invaded Yquatine!'

'Ah.' This was an unexpected development or a diversionary tactic. 'Well, who?'

'Yes, who, Zendaak?' cried a short, stout human in what looked like Victorian garb.

Zendaak turned and hissed at the man. 'That is what we are trying to find out!'

The Doctor pointed at all the surviving members of the Senate. 'You all think the Anthaurk are responsible?'

There were mutters of a.s.sent from the Senate. An Adamantean stood, bejewelled arm pointing at Zendaak. 'They are are responsible, no matter what this vile snake says!' responsible, no matter what this vile snake says!'

The Doctor called for silence again. 'Zendaak, no doubt you have been denying this.'

Zendaak c.o.c.ked his head, keeping one red eye on the Doctor. 'Vehemently, yes. We may have had... disagreements with the Senate, but we were not preparing to attack.'

'What about the attacks on our trade routes?' bellowed the Adamantean.

'That was a direct result of the sanctions imposed on our world. And, for your information, we were going to call them off!'

The Adamantean remained standing. 'At the last Senate meeting. you were on the point of declaring war!'

Anthaurk guards had appeared at the Doctor's side, hissing angrily. Their aural cavities must be ringing, reflected the Doctor. They'd be very angry. He'd better be very careful.

Zendaak addressed the Senate, spreading his arms wide, as if he was willing them to trust him. 'I was on the way back to Yquatine to negotiate peace, when this attack occurred.'

The Adamantean wouldn't let up. 'On the way back with a full battle fleet!'

Zendaak folded his arms. 'It is an Anthaurk custom.'

The Doctor sensed that the truth was here somewhere but it was going to take a lot of teasing out. 'And instead of negotiating a peace you found yourselves picking up the pieces after an attack on Yquatine?'

Zendaak nodded, letting out a hiss. 'Yes: The Doctor beamed. 'Brilliant! So now we're all chums and we can work out what really happened to Yquatine, then?'

'I still think this is an Anthaurk trick' The man in Victorian dress again. 'I do not trust Senator Zendaak.'

'And you are?' said the Doctor.

'Senator Fandel, Luvia.'

'Oh, h.e.l.lo,' said the Doctor, walking over and shaking the senator's dry little hand. He c.o.c.ked his head at Fandel. 'You may be right. But you may be wrong. There's only one way to find out. Trust me me.'

Fandel glared at the Doctor.

'It will take more than trust. I need proof before belief,' came a gravelly voice. The Doctor turned to see a stout, barrel-shaped humanoid, silver eyes glinting from beneath a jewelled brow. The Adamanteans were a silicon-based life form, whose adopted homeworld, Adamantine, served as a refuge for others of their kind.

'You'll get proof, Senator...?'

The Adamantean inclined his ma.s.sive head. 'Krukon.'

'You'll get proof,' he said again, watching Zendaak. 'Either way.' He was itching to get down to Yquatine. He looked around the makeshift Senate chamber. Heated discussions had broken out between the senators and their aides. The Doctor recognised most of the races the Eldrig, the Rorclaavix, the Kukutsi and there was a hologram of a rotating crystal hovering at the back of the banked circle of seats, watching over all. The Doctor frowned. What was it? Oh yes an Ixtricite. Combined crystalline gestalt of the Krotons, the Rhotons and the something-elseons. How nice. All living in perfect harmony with each other.

But something was bothering him, or rather the absence of something or, more accurately, someone. 'Where's President Vargeld?'

'The President is missing, Doctor,' said Zendaak evenly.

'So who put you in charge?' said the Doctor.

Zendaak smiled. 'Circ.u.mstance,' he said smoothly. 'The Minerva System is an a state of emergency. The Anthaurk fleet was the only cohesive force in operation near Yquatine at the time of attack. It is only natural that I should take charge at the time of crisis.'

There was an outcry. Krukon rose to his feet, bellowing. 'You were the only cohesive force because you were going to attack attack Yquatine!' Yquatine!'

Fandel's face was white with fury. 'Such insane arrogance! We should eject you from the Senate.'

A voice boomed from the back of the hall. 'This squabbling is irrelevant.'

The Doctor looked up at the rotating crystal, which pulsed as the Ixtricite spoke. 'We must ascertain what has happened to Yquatine.'

'That's the wisest thing I've heard since coming in here; said the Doctor.

'But who leads? Who makes decisions?' appealed Zendaak.

'Hardly you!' shouted Fandel. 'Do you want to start another war? The Luvian fleet is prepared for battle!'

'As is the Adamantean,' rumbled Krukon.

'And the Kukutsi,' rattled a beetle-like insectoid creature.

'I hardly think starting a war will help matters,' said the Doctor coldly.

Zendaak glared at them. 'Very well,' he said. 'Until the crisis is over, we work together.'

'Oh, good good good!' cried the Doctor loudly. clapping his hands. He walked up to the podium in front of Zendaak, where he alone had noticed a little light flashing. 'What's this mean?'

The muscles across Zendaak's face twitched, his mouth curving downwards as he glanced at the podium. His eyes met the Doctor's. 'The first pictures from our reconnaissance ships.'

It had been six or so hours since the attack.

A 3 D image of Yquatine appeared abruptly in the centre of the chamber.

Or what had been Yquatine.

Everyone gasped in shock, and even Zendaak took a step back.

The Doctor's jaw dropped.

Where the planet of Yquatine had once been was a ma.s.s of blackness, its surface teeming and boiling like a thunderhead.