Bugger!
Just found out there was only one winner for the BF FifthDoctor/Nyssa one-off audio drama, and it wasn't me.
I was going to reopen the old thread on this, where we discussed posting our synopses, but I can't find it. So I'll chuck mine in here, and anyopne can follow if they want.
Doctor Who: How Empires Die
by Australis
The Doctor and Nyssa arrive at an orbital observatory, an array of telescopes wirelessly hooked together over a huge area of space and focused on a planet 20 light years away. The Doctor and Nyssa seem sad. They tell the observatory chief why.
They had been passing that planet twenty years ago, when they detected another time machine. They land in the Palace of the City of Storms – the wind can be constantly heard in the background. Captured, they’re brought before Malvas himself, who is soon to be the leader of the Malvasian Empire, the Doctor tells Nyssa. Malvas is arrogant, very sure of himself, but quite smart. At the same time, another man is captured, Dalon, the other time traveller. He tells Malvas he’s come from the future to plead with him to change the course the Empire will take. If he doesn’t, the Empire will be remembered as a byword for blood and greed and death. Malvas, on the contrary, is pleased, and looks forward to his Empire dominating the region long after he’s gone.
At this point, Dalon pulls out a concealed weapon and tries to assassinate Malvas, but fails, though the Emperor is wounded. He promises he shall extend Dalon’s life as long as he can so that he can see the results of the Empire.
The three are imprisoned. Dalon reveals he’s actually a direct descendant of Malvas and ashamed of his ancestor, and what was done by his people. “They all believed him, backed him. None are innocent.” Doctor: “Surely some-?” Dalon: “None. Ever”
They escape. Dalon thanks the Doctor for his help and advises he and Nyssa get back to the TARDIS as he’s “going to bring the Palace down”. Doctor: “If Malvas dies, you won’t exist!” Dalon: “Do you think that matters, after all I’ve seen?” The Doctor and Nyssa hurry to the TARDIS and are no sooner on board when the doors slam shut and it performs an emergency takeoff.
At the observatory, the Doctor tells the chief he’s come to see what happened, that this would be a good place to observe it. On these words, they see the planet ripped by fire. Dalon had one of the most feared weapons of the Empire, a Scarifyer, that strips life from the planet’s surface, though people can return in ten years. He used the Empire’s future to destroy it before it begins. The Doctor: “I feel the history of the Empire evaporating like dew, other histories taking its place. He changed it all.” He also says that both men were absolutely determined to have their way, no matter what he tried to do to divert their courses. They were always doomed, no matter what.
The chief says what a waste. The Doctor says not for him – the Empire would have overrun his world in eight years and used that same weapon. Now, he and his people will have some kind of future.
