The Castaway (short story)

The Castaway was the first of three original stories in the 1978 Dalek Annual.

Summary
On the planet Knosson, ADF pilot Ral Shannon reflects on the three years he's been marooned. He remembers the Dalek attack that forced him to crash-land his ship onto the uninhabited world and the struggles he's undergone to eke out an existence there.

In the midst of his reminiscence, Shannon notices a Dalek ship land nearby. He counts his enemies and notes there are three of the metal monsters standing between him and freedom. If he can kill or incapacitate the Daleks, he'll be able to steal their ship and return to ADF space.

Using his intimate knowledge of the planet, Shannon manages to separate the Daleks from each other and take them out, one by one.

As Shannon stands on the threshold of the Dalek ship after his victory, he considers that he is about to become a hero back at headquarters, and imagines how his life is about to change as a result. Then Shannon finds some grenades aboard, which he uses to destroy the ship, and returns to his life as a castaway — and a contented man.

Characters

 * Ral Shannon
 * Daleks

Continuity

 * The ADF is at war with the Daleks. (PROSE: Terror Task Force et al.)