The Last Great Time War: part I

Romana's council, part II

"What news from the front," Romana asked.

"We're still unable to reach Skaro," Narvin replied. "We're stuck in a stalemate, Madame President. So far we've managed to hold the Daleks off, but we're not gaining any ground. Most of the fighting is concentrated in the Stewart cluster, but it's beginning to spread to other areas as well. The other members of the Temporal Alliance have done some fighting against the Daleks, but still lack the resources to send aid. They have withdrawn to their homeworlds and are focusing on keeping the Daleks out."

"We're also losing Battle TARDISes twice as fast as we can regrow them," said the Chief Engineer. "We can't continue like this. Either we will have to win soon, or start mines and factories on other planets to get more materials."

"That brings me to my next point," said Narvin. "The Daleks have millions of colony worlds to exploit for resources and reinforce their position in spacetime. We only have a handful, and that puts us at a huge tactical disadvantage. We need a larger base of support."

"Prepare a list of potential planets to colonize," Romana said. "Look for former colonies of ours and strategic positions, but nothing with native civilizations who would be displaced."

"We can't win unless we can reach Skaro," said the Chancellor. "At this rate that'll never happen. We will have exhausted all of our resources first."

"We believe that Skaro itself is protected by multiple transduction barriers," said another councilman. "We don't really know much more than that, most of our scouts haven't made it back. The fleet surrounding it is massive."

"How are we supposed to get through," said another councilman. "None of our resources can penetrate the Enemy's defenses."

"We need to be creative," said Romana. "Using brute force will result in heavy losses. If we can find a shortcut we can still win without sending in everything that we have."

"There may be a way," said one of the oldest councilmen. "I was pouring over some of the writings of Rassilon, and I found something important. It's called the Gates of Elysium."