Save Yourself (short story)

Captured by the Time Lords and awaiting the outcome of his trial, the Doctor is approached by a High Chancellor from the Celestial Intervention Agency, who offers him his freedom in exchange for taking part in a covert mission. The Doctor agrees, and is dispatched to the planet Karn in his TARDIS, which has been modified with a remote control. On the desolate planet the Doctor finds a small army of mercenaries working for the War Lord, who survived his apparent execution by the Time Lords, and now plans revenge by destroying the Sacred Flame of the Sisterhood of Karn. Aware of the Flame’s importance to Time Lord healing and regeneration, the Doctor struggles with the War Lord, who falls to his doom in the fires below. His mission a success, the Doctor is recalled to his home planet; but instead of his freedom the Doctor is given a memory wipe – the Time Lords have sent him on missions before this, each time wiping his memory and then sending him out again. The Doctor realises this, before his memory is wiped once again.

Characters

References

The War Lord was told of the Elixir of Life on Karn by the War Chief, who told him it was needed for Time Lords to regenerate after he regenerated during their first meeting. The Doctor believes he said this to not appear weak to the War Lord.
The Doctor notes the battered appearance of the TARDIS console, implying he has been sent on many missions by the Time Lords by this point.

Notes

This story was the last contribution by Terrance Dicks to the world of Doctor Who fiction and was published posthumously.
This story is set after The War Games, taking place during "season 6B".

Continuity

The "luxurious anteroom" deep in the Capitol in which the Doctor waits for his verdict was previously seen in the opening of PROSE: World Game.
The original native people of Karn were wiped out in a war. (AUDIO: Seven Keys to Doomsday)