Exclave (short story)

Exclave was the second short story in the Short Trips anthology Short Trips: Christmas Around the World. It was written by Joff Brown. It featured the Sixth Doctor and Peri Brown.

Summary
Hu Cheung has been sent by his abbot to the Walled City of Kowloon to find the Platinum Dragon. On the way, he is waylaid by a gang of thugs, led by his brother Hu Bak, who doesn't recognise Cheung. When Bak tries to kill Cheung, he is distracted by a voice projected by the Doctor. The gang runs away. The Doctor and Peri are also looking for the dragon. The Doctor explains that he trapped it here thousands of years ago, and he has to return every one hundred eight years to prevent its waking.

When they find the dragon, they are once again ambushed by the gang. Bak, who finally recognises Cheung, can't hurt his brother. In his anger, Bak attacks Cheung but is sent spinning away — right into the Platinum Dragon. It absorbs Bak and both controls him and is controlled by him.

The Doctor tells Cheung that he must fight the dragon, or it will take on each person on Earth, one at a time, defeating them. Cheung uses a sword to parry the dragon's attacks, and he realises that he must use his brother's anger against it. Cheung refuses to hurt his brother.

Cheung dives into the dragon, and when he comes to, the dragon is inert. Bak has been freed from the dragon. The Doctor tells Cheung that he can't defeat the dragon, but he hopes that by showing it humanity, it will eventually grow and understand, and just maybe it won't cause destruction when its time comes.

Characters

 * Sixth Doctor
 * Peri Brown
 * Abbot
 * Hu Cheung
 * Hu Bak

Worldbuilding

 * The Doctor mentions Robin Hood.
 * Cheung uses tai chi against the gang; Bak knows a form of kung fu.
 * The TARDIS allows the Doctor and Peri to appear to speak fluent Cantonese.
 * The Doctor compares the Platinum Dragon to a hand grenade.
 * The Doctor says that Hong Kong is not in China.

Continuity
to be added