ReGenesis of the Daleks
a short story in Master Switches
Just why is the Master on Skaro while the Time Lords send the Fourth Doctor to alter the creation of the Daleks? What is the Master up to, and what does he make of this new Doctor?
Notes:
I'm not the biggest fan of the Master. Yes, I know that's heresy. Sue me. I remember Roger Delgado as the Master. He was immoral and evil but he was charming and intelligent. Thew problem I have with subsequent versions is, well, basically that the character is now bonkers, and has had their backstory rewritten to explain that. And that is a creative decision made by really good professional writers. It's just not my cup of tea. I feel the Master is a greater threat when they are focussed and intelligent, more akin to the Moriarty who was the inspiration for the character. I really liked Roger Delgado's performance, emjoyed Peter Pratt and Geoffrey Beevers as Captain Crispy and Derek Jacobi's brief turn was rather fabulous. The others... I enjoyed a lot of their stories but I hankered for a more serious take on the character. It's all opinion, of course, and that's just my opinion.
When I heard the premise of this - pretty much mismatching Doctors and Masters I found myself wondering what would have happened if Delgado's Master had met the Fourth Doctor... where could that be...? would it be early in the mighty Tom's tenure...? what would the Master be up to...? I loved that trio of the Fourth Doctor, Sarah and Harry, so I'd fit the Master in with them... but when? On Skaro? No, that would be madness. There was no way to fit the Master into Henesis of the Daleks. Or was there? I watched the story again (never a chore) and started to see where I could put the Master, working their appearance around the existing plot. And I think it worked.
Oh, and Ossian is a Clara splinter. Just in case you're wondering.