"Your move," said the old man to his opponent. His opponent stared at the chessboard before him. The chess pieces of the old man were breathtakingly carved of a white stone that capture all the detail of each figure perfectly. The black pieces, on the other hand, were twisted and misshapen, with no two pieces the same.

 The game was close to the end. Both sides had lost most of their pieces, leaving the board looking somewhat empty. White had to sacrifice several of his pieces, but he had succeed in smashing open Black strong defensive position. Neither side had an advantage, as both the position and the number of pieces left was even. Most players would have called it a draw long ago, and walked away from the board. But this game couldn't be drawn. It had to be played out to the end.

 With infinite care, the old man's opponent picked up his remaining knight and placed it on a square where it could threaten both the White Queen and King. The old man nodded and stared at the board in thought.

 The images, each the size and shape of a soccer ball, showed death, destruction, and suffering of all kinds, from all over the universe. Thousands of them floated around the large stone room, bumping and drifting in the thick air.

 His eyes took in everything the images showed him. His ears heard the sounds of the fear and terror of billions, suffering in his name. He could almost smell the decay and death that had been created at his whim. In the middle of the horror he created, he never felt more alive.

 Soon, everything would be his.

 And all who oppose him would be dead.

 And he would be God, and recreate this universe in his image.

 And the pleasure of that thought sent his laughter roaring through the chamber, mixing with the cries of thousands of his victims.

 "Doctor, what's going on?" asked Gilliam.

 "A battle for the universe," whispered the Doctor. He sounded old, as if time had finally caught up with him.

 Suddenly, the sky grew dark and cloudy and thunder and lighting roared. The air became cold to the point of freezing. Then the earth began to tremble and the ground started to split until a six foot crevice appeared. A creature emerged from the depths below. In one claw, it carried the unconscious body of the Master.

 The Dark One had come. It looked at the Doctor and his group, showing them its teeth in a parody of a smile. Then it leapt at the Doctor and went straight for his throat.

 The Doctor made no attempt to avoid the attack. Just as the Dark One's claws reached his throat, the image faded like smoke in a strong wind. The sky quickly cleared. In seconds, the land had returned to its barren look.

 The Doctor folded his arms. "All right Faust!" he shouted. You can come out now!"

 For a moment, there was silence. Then the sound of someone giggling could be heard. Off to the left of the TARDIS, a figure stepped out from behind a large boulder. She strolled causally up to them, a smile on her face. "Hi, Daddy!" she called out brightly.

 The Doctor sighed. "Where have you been?" he asked.

 "Oh, out and about," she replied with a shrug.

 "Where are we?" asked Gilliam, looking around slowly.

 Faust's smile slipped slightly. "Kangelis Two," she replied. "There are a few places worse in the universe, but not by much. The entire planet is one huge wasteland. There's nothing of value here, no plants, animals, minerals, people, nothing. The only thing here are illusions like the one you just saw." Her smile became a grin. "Kind of a fun place."

 "Did you locate the tower?" asked the Doctor.

 She nodded. "It's tough going, but we can be there in two hours."

 "Wait a minute," said Will, who looked puzzled. "What's going on here?" He pointed at Faust. "How did she get here, and can we trust her?"

 Faust shot him a look that made him back up several steps.

 The Doctor smiled. "You'd better tell them now."

 Faust sighed. "All right, the short version."

 Hecate was beside him, she was pulling him from the sand, her sharp nails buried into his wrist, Wil saw his blood trickle from his hand. Wil lay on the 'hard' sand trying to regain his sense. His mouth felt bad, but the pain in his wrist was incredible. Hecate removed her 'grip' and then carefully moved her lips to the cut, licked at the blood, and then kissed the wound gently. It began to heal.

 Wil looked up at her nervously. He couldn't try to escape. Hecate looked up and their eyes met. Her mouth was blood red and she moved in closer, kissing him lightly along his arm, his chest, the nape of his neck and then upon his lips. Wil tasted his blood and then... he fell to the sandy ground, he stared out into nothing as Hecate removed her lips from his. A red milky haze moved through his eyes. It focused into one point, his pupils glowed a bloody red. The momentary daze left him. He got up and went back into the forest greenery, forgetting what had just happened.

 Hecate watched him disappear. After he left, she buried herself into the sand looking for bloodier pastures.

 After several minutes, she felt someone nearby, waiting for her. She emerged out of the sand, ready to attack. An old man wearing a white hat and a yellowish suit stood there on the edge of the sand, calmly watching her.

 "Are you finished?" he asked softly, a hint of a southern drawl in his voice.

 "Who are you?" she hissed.

 "A friend."

 "I have no friends!"

 The old man sighed. "You haven't permitted yourself to have friends."

 "With good reason."

 "Because there's still two forces inside of you, fighting for control."

 Hecate stared at him. "How did you know?"

 The old man smiled. "I am the One, and I know a great many things." He waved to a pair of chairs that hadn't been there a few seconds ago. "Please, sit."

 Hecate slowly walked over to one of the chairs, and sat down. The old man took the other chair, and leaned back. He smiled at Hecate.

 "Now then," he said. "I think there's a need to explain some things."

 "Don't bother. I've already been given all the details -- The Dark One, the Evil reaching out to destroy the universe, the only hope is the Three, excetera, excetera."

 The old man chuckled. "The most important event in the universe, reduced to a simple sentence." Then, his face became serious again. "But there is more going on then you know -- more then the Three even know."

 "So why tell me?" asked Hecate.

 "Because you have a part to play in the coming confrontation the Three are to have with the Dark One, as do the others who travel with them."

 "So who do I get to kill?"

 "No one. To tell you the truth, you may have to die."

 Hecate felt uncomfortable under his gaze. "Can I ask a stupid question?"

 "Let me guess -- Why you?" The old man gave another small smile. "Because of all those involved in this battle, you alone are balanced on the thin edge between Order and Chaos. Almost all beings in the universe are either followers of Order, or disciples of Chaos. The Three are Order's champions, with the Dark One and his servant Fenric serve Chaos. With me so far?"

 "Yes," she replied carefully.

 The old man nodded. "But a few, like you, are true neutrals. Because of your unique circumstances, you have to power to influence the upcoming battle, for good or ill."

 "So what am I supposed to do?"

 The old man shook his head. "I cannot tell you, but you will know when the time comes. Unlike my brother, I cannot impose my will on you. If I was to, I become no better then my brother, and he wins."

 "Your Brother?" asked Hecate slowly. "Who's your brother?"

 "The Dark One."

 Hecate came out of her chair in shock. "YOUR BROTHER?" she shouted.

 The old man shrugged. "Of course. Please, sit down." As Hecate eased back into her chair, The One continued. "The Universe demands balance above anything else. My brother and I were created to be that balance, and we are evenly balanced. As I serve Order, He serves Chaos. While he reaches out to spread his influence though direct means, I must use Avatars and champions to fight my battles."

 "What my brother does not, can not, understand is that he need me to exist, just as I need him to exist. Light cannot exist without Darkness, Order cannot exist without Chaos, Yin cannot exist without Yang. With this attempt to seize the Universe, The Dark One has threaten to tear apart that balance, maybe forever."

 "But why don't you...well, show up in his throne room, and confront him directly?"

 "I can not. If he and I were to confront each other directly, not only would this Universe end, but all universes that would follow would never be."

 "Oh," replied Hecate weakly.

 "I can advise, inform, and point my avatars and champions in the right direction, but no more. That is why I must choose my defenders carefully, because I need them to think for themselves." He pulled out a small pocket watch. "I have to leave now. I have one last thing to do. Are you ready to leave?"

 "Leave? For where?"

 The old man smiled. For the last place my brother would look for you."

 "I thought this place looked familiar," muttered the Abbot, looking around. "I had a short debate with the Devil's Advocate here not so long ago."

 The Doctor nodded as he reemerged from the TARDIS, carrying something in a cloth bag. "More illusions. He brought you here to try and break your faith."

 "And he came close to succeeding," replied the Abbot, still muttering.

 "So, why here?" asked Gilliam.

 "Because this is where the Dark One came when he escaped the Vortex," replied the Doctor darkly. "This is where his influence is the strongest."

 "And we're just going to walk in?" asked Wil in amazement. He pointed at Faust. "With her?"

 "Yes, because this is the only place we can defeat him." He turned to Faust. "Are you ready?"

 She nodded. "You want to pick up the Master first?"

 "Of course."

 "Are you with us?" asked the Abbot.

 The Master nodded. "I thought I was evil once," he said grimly. "But the Dark One's gluttonous taste for suffering, pain, and death showed me I was always no more then a dabbler in the ways of evil. And since I can not rise to his level, I must fight him."

 The Doctor reached out and placed his hand on the Master's shoulder. "You can lead us inside his tower?" he asked gently.

 The Master nodded again. "But be warned. There is an entire city inside that tower, and the going will be slow and difficult."

 "We don't have the time to waste. Lead on, MacDuff."

 The malevolent form sat on his throne and stared down at them. Several Items lay near the foot of the Dais, including the three Timelord's TARDISes. "So, you've finally come," he hissed with delight. "At last, my triumph is complete!"

 "Is it?" asked the Doctor. "Are you so sure of yourself?"

 The Dark One chuckled. "Oh yes, Doctor. With the Three within my power, no one can stop me!"

 "Oh please!" said Wil. "I've heard better lines in a third rate play!" He suddenly looked blankly at the others. "Did I just say that?"

 "You mock me, fool," replied the Dark One. He stood slowly and slowly stepped down from the dais. "Maybe it is time I showed you some of the things I have in store for all of you."

 He motioned to the three Time Lords. "The Three with become my Avatars, my will, my right arms. Once I strip away their wills, they will become me."

 He looked at Gilliam. "And the Child you carry will become my high priest, for I will be the God in this new Universe."

 "And what about me?" asked Faust huskily. "Surely I can be more...valuable in some other ways?"

 The Dark One narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. She was slim and young with paper-pale skin and tangled black hair, dressed in ragged clothes that hinted at certain...pleasures.

 The smile he gave her was anything but cold. "We could come to an...understanding," he purred.

 He spun to stare at Wil, and his eyes bore in on the young man. "But, for you fool," he hissed. "I will kill you slowly, for my own pleasure."

 He advanced on Wil, and Wil squeaked and scuttled away. Before the Dark One could reach out and grab the young man, Faust slipped up, wrapped her arms around the Dark One's right arm, and placed her head on his shoulder. "I have a better idea," she whispered. "A God needs a fool, does he not?"

 He turned to look at her. "You want him to live?" She smiled at him again. "He can be amusing. And if he displeases you, you can always kill him later."

 "Very well, I'll let him live - for now."

 "Excuse me," said the Doctor. "But how are you going to claim the Universe? If you plan to personally go from planet to planet, it's going to take eons of hard work, with no time for pleasure. Even with us as your Avatars, you still have a lot of work ahead of you."

 "You think me a fool, Doctor?"

 "I think you're reaching far beyond your power."

 The Dark One disengaged himself from Faust, and nodded. "You still harbor hope, don't you? Despite the fact I've won, you think I can still be beaten. Very well." He strode over to a large translucent sphere located near the dais, and waved his hand over it.

 The sphere turned dark, then gradually, an image formed inside. "Come closer," The Dark One commanded. "And look at the physical manifestation of my power!"

 The image showed thousands upon thousands of dagger shaped ships floating in space. Each bristled with weapons of mass destruction, and there was an air of power that emanated from them.

 "Look at my fleet in orbit above our heads, Doctor!" cried the Dark One in triumph. "Five million ships, Two billion demons, all ready to claim this universe as MINE!"

 "Very nice," replied the Doctor calmly. "Is that all of it? Your entire fleet?"

 "It is. Nothing can stand against it!"

 The Doctor ignored the last shout of the Dark One's, and turned to the Abbot. "What time is it?"

 The Abbot looked puzzled. "I don't know. I don't have a watch."

 "I also don't have a watch," replied the Master, before the Doctor could look at him.

 The Doctor turned to Wil, who shook his head. Then to Faust, who just shrugged. Finally, he looked at Gilliam.

 Puzzled, she glanced down at her wrist. "I don't know if this is accurate, but I have three fifteen on the twelfth."

 "May I borrow your watch please?" the Doctor asked pleasantly.

 "Er... sure," replied Gilliam. She took off the watch and gave to the Doctor.

 "Thank you." The Doctor carefully looked at the watch, then nodded. "This will do nicely."

 The Dark One watched the scene with distaste. "You're delaying your fate with mindless things, Doctor."

 "Am I?" The Doctor turned to the sphere, which still displayed the image of the Dark One's fleet. "I suggest you look at you fleet again."

 The Dark One sighed. "I will humor you, just this once." He turned and watched the image for several seconds. If he saw Faust slide up next to him, he didn't respond. Several more seconds passed. "I don't see--" he began.

 Suddenly, a low wail interrupted the Dark One. He looked up in alarm. "What is this?" he roared. "Someone dares to attack me?"

 "Not just someone, Dark One," replied the Doctor. "Everyone who has a stake in the current Universe. There is a fleet twice the size of yours now fighting above us." He tossed the watch to The Abbot. "You'll need this."

 "I will?" asked the Abbot, puzzled.

 "What trickery is this?" bellowed the Dark One. "I will -"

 Something sharp flashed into Faust's hand, and she drove the knife deep into the Dark One's back. His scream of pain shattered the sphere and several other things in the throne room made of crystal. He spun and backhanded Faust, sending her flying.

 With the Dark One distracted, the prisoners exploded into action. Wil grabbed Gilliam and dragged her out of the way. The Master turned, disarmed one of the guards standing behind him, and shoved the hapless guard into his fellows.

 Unnoticed, the Dark One staggered up the dais and careered off his throne. With a last burst of effort, he managed to pass through the curtains, and disappeared into the darkness beyond.

 The Doctor grabbed the Abbot's TARDIS scroll, and tossed it to the Holy Man. "Go!" the Doctor shouted at him.

 "To do what?"

 "To get help!"

 "But don't we already have that... " The Abbot's face shone with understanding. He quickly unrolled the scroll and disappeared inside. By the time the sound of his TARDIS faded, the Master, with the aid of the Doctor, had pushed the guards out of the room and secured the doors.

 "Nice plan," said the Master, breathing heavily for the fight. "When did you think of it?"

 "About two minutes ago," replied the Doctor with a smile. "But now what?"

 The Doctor's face fell. "I have no idea."

 On one of the medical ships, Nurse Katyor tried to concentrate on the preparations and the drills the staff performed. But he knew things were going to get worse. None of the staff spoke to each other for days, only muttering a few prayers, understanding each other's fears. Katyor thought that this was probably the last time he would have enjoyed peace between the stars. Sometimes it didn't feel like waiting because Katyor hoped that they were hiding.

 Katyor paused in his work to stare out into the peaceful space. He knew was going to die.

 Something off to his right caught his eye. He motioned to Tarson, a fellow nurse and drinking buddy. "What's that?"

 Tarson glanced out the portal and said, "Looks like a R'Saka battlegroup."

 The dozen ships that approached the fleet were lean and dangerous looking, clustered around the largest ship Katyor had ever seen. When they reached an unseen spot several thousand kilometers away, they turned and took position like a pack of trained hunters.

 "A R'Saka battlegroup, here?" asked Katyor in surprise. "I thought they never left their home territory."

 Tarson shrugged. "Beats me." He pointed to another spot in space. "Here comes someone else."

 For the next twenty hours, more ships joined the fleet. Whenever they could, both Tarson and Katyor would stare out a portal, always finding new ships that had joined the fleet since the last time. They quickly lost track of the number of species that had joined the fleet, but the number of ships was staggering.

 At the end of the twenty hours, Tarson woke Katyor out of sound sleep. "We're getting ready to move out against the enemy," he said quietly. "We know exactly where they are now."

 "And where's that?" asked Katyor sleepily.

 "They're orbiting a planet called Kangelis Two."

 Suddenly, a hideous sound cut through the cloudiness of her thoughts, and she looked up in surprise and alarm. Others in her battalion also looked up in the direction of the sound. Htgn-Kew's first thought was a sea creature had made the sound, but she could place it. She looked at her partner, second lead gunner Gyhm-Lax, but he shook his head.

 They were close enough to see the beach of the first island now. A single figure stood on the beach, with his arms folded, waiting for them. Htgn-Kew slowly brought her heavy gun to bring the figure into her sights. One order from her battalion commander, and she would fire on the figure.

 Htgn-Kew heard her battalion commander voice come over the comm system. "Company one and two, left flank," she said in rapid battlespeak. "Company three and four, right flank. All others, hold center."

 Htgn-Kew was in company five, heading right for the figure. She keyed her comm system. "Commander, I have possible target on beach. Orders?"

 "Do not fire unless I command it," came back the reply. "Figure is ally. not enemy. He will lead us to real enemy."

 "Command is understood," replied Htgn-Kew crisply. Inside, she was puzzled. She looked at her partner. "Do you understand orders?"

 Gyhm-Lax simply shrugged. "We fight, Command leads. That is all I need to understand."

 Htgn-Kew shook her head, and went back to watching the figure on the beach. As they got closer, she saw the figure was human, or at least a humanoid, with a clean-shaven, smiling face. His hair was a light, wavy brown, and his eyes were bright blue.

 For some reason, he reminded her of a holy man...

 "About two minutes ago," replied the Doctor with a smile.

 "But now what?"

 The Doctor's face fell. "I have no idea."

 The Master chucked. "You never change, Doctor. Why did you choose the Abbot to go for help?"

 "Remember what the first Timelords said about the Abbot?"

 "I do. He is the Holy Man. He has the greatest strength to stand alone, but he does not have the power."

 "I think pulling together a massive fleet from all across the Universe and leading it here, takes a lot of strength, don't you agree?"

 "That sounds feeble."

 "Does it?" The Doctor thought for a second. "Who else better than a Holy Man to lead a Holy war? And I can't think of anything more Holy than saving the Universe as we know it?"

 "Better then the first reason, but still weak."

 "Doctor!" called out Gilliam. She and Wil were kneeling beside Faust. "Come here!"

 "Can you hold these doors?" the Doctor asked the Master. The Master replied. "For a while at least. But don't take too long."

 The Doctor nodded and dashed over to where Faust lay. Both Gilliam and Wil looked up at him.

 "It's not good, Doctor," Gilliam said. "I think she's dying."

 The Doctor knelt beside then and gripped Faust's left hand. She turned her head slowly and looked at him. "You did better this time," she said weakly. "I was right to send you back in time. You have made that better decision I spoke of."

 "Timewyrm?"

 Faust/Timewyrm/Ishtar smiled at him. "I was never that neutral," she said. "Even Fear fears something, and that fear was the Dark One rising to destroy her. So she sent me to make you an offer, and you accepted. She will claim what is due her soon enough."

 "Why are you in Faust's body?"

 "Because she was only a possible future for either you or the Master. She is not alive, as I am not alive. Both Faust and Hecate were too evenly matched for one to claim this body over the other. So, I stepped in and arranged a cease fire between the two of them. I got them working together just in time."

 Her eyes closed. Very slowly, her body began to fade away. The three of them watched in silence until the body disappeared. The Doctor sat back, his face somber. "Even the dead have a place in this war," he murmured.

 "Er...Doctor," said Wil, looking around. "Where's the Dark One?"

 The Doctor shot to his feet, his gaze taking in the entire throne room. "He must have slipped out," he said angrily.

 "So, What do we do now?"

 The sound of something hard striking the Throne Room doors answered Wil's question. The three of them rushed towards the doors. "How long can we hold them?" asked Gilliam.

 "Not long," answered the Master. He motioned to the TARDISes standing at the foot of the dais. "We could escape in them."

 The Doctor shook his head. "Not as long as the Dark One lives. A knife in the back won't slow him down for long."

 The doors heaved under the force applied to them. The large wooden bar securing the doors began to crack. The four of them tried to hold the doors in place, but the doors began to splinter and split.

 The sound of a TARDIS materializing overrode the sounds of the doors breaking. The Abbot's machine appeared right where it had vanished several minutes ago. The Abbot, followed by a stream of armed Oliserians, charged out of the TARDIS. The soldiers quickly set up a defensive line halfway between the doors and the TARDISes. Waiting until the last minute, the four beleaguered defenders scattered out of the line of fire, just as the doors came off their hinges.

 The hollow thud of the doors hitting the stone floor was quickly followed by the low roar of several dozen flechette rifles. Nearly the entire force of the Dark One's green scaled guards storming the throne room was cut down in a matter of seconds.

 The surviving guards withdrew, with two companies of Oliserians in pursuit. Other Oliserians secured the are surrounding the throne room with speed and efficiently. In the center of this activity, the Abbot stood, watching everything with an amused look. "Did I arrive in time?" he asked with a straight face as the other four approached him.

 "Just in time," replied the Master, brushing his sleeves. "How goes the battle in orbit?"

 "We have the upper hand. Of course, we have twice as many ships as they do, plus our side has some motivations that their side doesn't have." The Abbot looked around. "Where's the Dark One and Faust?"

 "Both gone," replied the Doctor. He looked at the Abbot and the Master. "We've managed to knock the Dark One off balance with this little time trick, but he'll recover quickly."

 The Master nodded. "We must pursue him, and keep him off balance until we can strike the fatal blow."

 "Agreed," said the Abbot. "We can not delay."

 "You two," said the Doctor, pointing at Gilliam and Wil. "Go into my TARDIS, lock the doors, and don't open them for ANYONE, Understood?"

 "But Doctor--" began Wil, but Gilliam grabbed him by the shoulder.

 "Don't argue," Gilliam said, dragging Wil towards the blue police box. "Inside the TARDIS, we'll be safe while they go Dark One hunting."

 The old man shook his head slowly. "You really have to know your pieces before you can use them to their best advantage." He moved the reformed Knight to a new square near the other two Knights. "I always enjoyed this game more then cards -- a little less random. Your move."

 To be Concluded...