Homecoming (audio story)

Homecoming was the fourth and final audio story in Time War: Volume Four, the twelfth series of Gallifrey.

Publisher's summary
Rassilon receives an ultimatum from an envoy of the Dalek Emperor while Leela and Narvin return with a dangerous strategy to end the Time War.

All roads lead to Gallifrey. For some, this is where the fight will end.

Plot
On their way to see the reclusive Rassilon, Livia tells Mantus that she is worried that the President's regeneration went wrong and asks why he is not leading Gallifrey or devising strategies, but Mantus says that he is simply the Rassilon of legend. They knock on Rassilon's door and are surprised when he appears behind them, having gone to look at the sky. He says that he is content to leave matters with Livia, Ollistra and the General and tells Livia and Mantus to win the Time War for him.

In a one-of-a-kind stealth Battle TARDIS, Leela and Narvin prepare to travel to Gallifrey to target the Untempered Schism whilst Eris helps relocate the resistance following the Dalek attack on Nisteria. They dematerialise, but are stopped by something in their way.

Mantus tells Livia that a Dalek fleet has bypassed all of Gallifrey's security, having arrived without using normal space or the Time Vortex. Rassilon arrives and communicates with the Dalek Emperor, who calls him a false god and a blasphemer. He angrily kills a Time Lord and declares that they will ascend beyond the reach of the Daleks' fire; he orders that the armies be sent out to wipe the Daleks out.

The Dalek Emperor orders that they be transported to Gallifrey, but the Dalek Time Strategist informs him that the drive must first be recharged. He commands the Dalek Supreme to begin the attack and to obey the Time Strategist in all things.

Leela and Narvin, invisible and undetectable to all scans, watch as Daleks descend from the lead saucer and Battle TARDISes materialise to meet them. They pick up the communications between Rassilon and the Emperor and see that the Daleks have new weaponry which can dissolve TARDIS shells, allowing them to massacre the Time Lords.

Romana joins the communication as a prisoner of the Emperor and tells Rassilon to call off the attack to avoid pointless deaths, explaining that, whilst Braxiatel is gone, she returned from the Beyond and was captured. The Emperor and Time Strategist offer to allow the Time Lords to live in return for Rassilon's surrender, after which Romana will be installed as Caretaker-President of the survivors. When the Dalek Supreme asks the Emperor why he is willing to show mercy, he orders him to be exterminated and upgrades the Dalek Technician to commander of the forces.

Leela has Narvin send her onto the main saucer using a short-range transmat so that she can save Romana, planning to return with the transmat so that they can enact their plan to blow up the TARDIS at the Untempered Schism. Aboard the saucer, Leela destroys a Dalek and finds Romana in the cells, removing her shackles.

to be completed

Cast

 * Romana - Lalla Ward
 * Leela - Louise Jameson
 * Narvin - Seán Carlsen
 * Livia - Pippa Bennett-Warner
 * Mantus - Samuel Clemens
 * Eris - Samuel Gosrani
 * Time Lord - Francois Pandolfo
 * The Daleks - Nicholas Briggs
 * Rassilon - Richard Armitage

Continuity

 * Rassilon teases Livia about whether she'll send another assassination squad for him. (AUDIO: Assassins)
 * The Dalek Emperor calls Romana “Prisoner Unit 117”. (AUDIO: The Apocalypse Element)
 * Romana’s Matrix trace showed her leaving the universe with Braxiatel. (AUDIO: Beyond)
 * The Dalek Emperor believes itself a god and condemns blasphemy against itself. (TV: The Parting of the Ways)
 * Leela forgives Romana’s trickery on Unity. (AUDIO: Unity)
 * Rassilon is planning a “Final Sanction” which may require the destruction of the Time Vortex. (TV: The End of Time)
 * Rassilon adds a Visionary from the Sisterhood to the War Council. (TV: The End of Time)