The Dark Path (novel)

Publisher's summary
'He's one of my own people, Victoria, and he's hunting me.'

Darkheart: a faded neutron star surrounded by dead planets. But there is life on one of these icy rocks - the last enclave of the Earth Empire, frozen in the image of another time. As the rest of the galaxy enjoys the fruits of the fledgling Federation, these isolated Imperials, bound to obey a forgotten ideal, harbour a dark obsession.

The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria arrive to find that the Federation has at last come to reintegrate this lost colony, whether they like it or not. But all is not well in the Federation camp: relations and allegiances are changing. The fierce Veltrochni - angered by the murder of their kinsmen - have an entirely different agenda. And someone else is manipulating the mission for his own mysterious reasons - another time traveller, a suave and assured master of his work.

The Doctor must uncover the terrible secret which brought the Empire to this desolate sector, and find the source of the strange power maintaining their society. But can a Time Lord, facing the ultimate temptation, control his own desires?

Characters

 * The Doctor
 * Jamie McCrimmon
 * Victoria Waterfield
 * Koschei
 * Ailla
 * Epilira

The Doctor

 * The Doctor hasn't seen Koschei in two hundred years.
 * The Doctor is recognised as a Noble of Draconia.
 * The Doctor and Koschei went to 'school' together.

Individual

 * Jamie McCrimmon isn't afraid of heights.

Koschei

 * Koschei persuades Terrall to use the Darkheart to destroy Terileptus (home planet of the Terileptils.)
 * Ailla is Koschei's companion. He thinks she's human, but she is a Time Lady sent to keep an eye on him.

Organisations

 * The Federation succeeded the Earth Empire.
 * The Adjudicators on the planet Darkheart still believe in Earth's and humanity's superiority (within the galaxy at large).
 * The Adjudicator's Lodge contains murals depicting the conquering of Solos and the destruction of Mondas; Terall is also working on one depicting the triumph against the Cybermen with the glittergun.
 * The Adjudicators have access to logs from the Britannicus Ice Base, showing the Second Doctor, Jamie, and Victoria.
 * Koschei has visited the Skonnon Empire.

Planets

 * The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria have just departed Vortis.
 * Victoria Waterfield is tempted by Koschei to eliminate Skaro from time and space.

Psychology

 * Victoria gets hypnotised by Koschei.

Races and species

 * There is a portrait of the Second Doctor in the Emperor's palace on Draconia commemorating his help in saving the planet from a plague.
 * The Veltrochni previously triumphed against the Tzun confederacy.
 * The Doctor (in talking about their recent trip to Vortis) refers to the Animus as Lloigor.
 * Epilira is an Alpha Centauran who was a cultural advisor on the ship; Piri Reis. Following use of the Darkheart he was removed from existence.

TARDIS

 * The Doctor says the time path indicator was last active when the TARDIS was being followed by Daleks.
 * Koschei's TARDIS is a type 45 with user definable macros for easy navigation.
 * The Doctor can use Koschei's TARDIS to remotely control his.

Technology

 * The Darkheart is the technology of the Chronovores (or their technology prior to their evolution to their form as Chronovores).

Theories and concepts

 * Koschei considers the Blinovitch Limitation Effect while pondering saving Ailla's life.

Time Lords

 * Ailla regenerates after being hit with a disrupter.

Transport technology

 * Telefrag is a Marine Corps term for transmatting somebody into the exact same coordinates as somebody else (the result is 'splat').
 * The Doctor turns a recycling plant into a transmat.

Continuity

 * The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria just left Vortis (MA: Twilight of the Gods).
 * The Doctor and Sherwin discuss the events of MA: The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
 * The Tzun first appeared (and the Veltrochni were mentioned) in NA: First Frontier.
 * The Earth Empire's hold over Solos is seen in DW: The Mutants.
 * Mondas was destroyed in DW: The Tenth Planet.
 * The glitter gun was first mentioned in DW: Revenge of the Cybermen.
 * The Doctor, Jamie and Victoria visited the Britannicus Ice Base in DW: The Ice Warriors.
 * The fall of the Earth Empire occured in NA: Original Sin.
 * The incident the Doctor mentions with the time path indicator and the Daleks was DW: The Chase.
 * Victoria and Jamie mention seeing the Daleks' 'final end' in DW: The Evil of the Daleks.
 * The time path indicator is used again in NA: Timewyrm: Revelation when the Seventh Doctor and Ace use it to track the Timewyrm.
 * An alternate version of Koschei appears in PDA: The Face of the Enemy.

Timeline

 * The Dark Path occurs after: MA: Twilight of the Gods.
 * The Dark Path occurs before: CC: The Emperor of Eternity