Davros’ Calculated Surrender: The Gambit of Submission
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Nyder urgently informs Davros that the Kaled rebels are taking over and requests permission to deploy his elite guards. Davros, seemingly unfazed, listens to Nyder's report about the rebels taking over.
Davros shocks Nyder by ordering him to surrender to the rebel leaders, hand over weapons, and instruct the Elite guards to do the same. He claims this is to avoid bloodshed and to allow him to listen to the rebels' demands, raising Nyder's suspicions.
Nyder questions Davros's order to surrender, but Davros insists on obedience, hinting at a hidden motive. He assures Nyder that the rebels will soon understand his true intentions, solidifying the sense that Davros has a secret plan.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Shocked and confused, oscillating between urgency and resignation; his emotional state is one of disorientation, as he grapples with the unexpected order and its implications for their cause.
Nyder enters the laboratory in a state of urgency, his voice tense and his posture rigid with concern. He pleads with Davros to act against the advancing Kaled rebels, proposing a counterattack using his hidden forces in Section Nine. When Davros orders a surrender instead, Nyder is visibly stunned, his disbelief evident in his repeated questions and protests. Despite his confusion, Nyder ultimately accepts Davros’s command, though his hesitation and skepticism linger, reflecting his struggle to reconcile the order with his understanding of Davros’s usual ruthlessness.
- • To convince Davros to take immediate action against the rebels, using the hidden forces in Section Nine to regain control of the laboratory.
- • To understand Davros’s true intentions behind the surrender order, as he struggles to reconcile it with his loyalty to Davros’s vision.
- • That the rebels pose an immediate and existential threat to Davros’s work and must be stopped by force.
- • That Davros’s orders, no matter how unexpected, must ultimately be obeyed, as his strategic genius has never failed them before.
Feigned calm masking deep strategic confidence; his emotional state is one of controlled anticipation, knowing his plan is unfolding precisely as intended.
Davros sits in the dimly lit laboratory, his back to the door, listening intently to the distant echoes of automatic weapons fire. His fingers tap rhythmically on the console, a calculated and deliberate motion that underscores his control. When Nyder enters, Davros responds with measured calm, issuing an order that shocks Nyder: surrender to the Kaled rebels. Davros’s voice is firm, his posture rigid, and his tone leaves no room for negotiation. He insists on obedience, framing the surrender as a strategic move to avoid bloodshed, though his cryptic phrasing suggests a hidden agenda.
- • To deceive the Kaled rebels into believing they have won, thereby lowering their guard for a future counterstrike.
- • To maintain control over Nyder and the Elite Guards by reinforcing his absolute authority, ensuring their compliance with his hidden strategy.
- • That the rebels’ momentary triumph will be their undoing, as their overconfidence will make them vulnerable to his countermeasures.
- • That absolute obedience from his subordinates is non-negotiable, and any hesitation will be met with swift and severe consequences.
Triumphant and overconfident, believing their victory is imminent and that Davros has been forced into submission.
The Kaled rebels are not physically present in the laboratory during this event but are implied through the distant sound of automatic weapons fire and Nyder’s urgent reports. Their actions—advancing on the laboratory and seizing control—drive the tension of the scene. Davros’s order to surrender is directed at their leaders, who are positioned as the recipients of this unexpected capitulation. Their presence is felt through the urgency of Nyder’s pleas and the strategic implications of Davros’s feigned submission.
- • To seize control of the laboratory and Davros’s research, thereby dismantling his work and ending his tyranny over the Kaled people.
- • To establish a new order on Skaro, free from Davros’s oppressive rule and the threat of the Daleks.
- • That their armed uprising is justified and necessary to overthrow Davros and his regime.
- • That Davros’s surrender is a genuine concession to their strength and a sign of his defeat.
Prepared and ready to act, though their emotional state is not explicitly shown; they are likely confused by the order to surrender but trust Davros’s judgment implicitly.
The Elite Guards are mentioned but not physically present in the laboratory during this event. Davros orders Nyder to instruct them to disarm and surrender to the Kaled rebels, framing this as a temporary measure to avoid bloodshed. Their role in this event is passive but critical, as their compliance with Davros’s order is essential to the execution of his hidden strategy. Their absence from the scene underscores the precision of Davros’s plan, as he manipulates both the rebels and his own forces to achieve his ends.
- • To follow Davros’s orders without question, ensuring the smooth execution of his strategy.
- • To remain hidden and ready for the counterstrike that Davros has planned, exploiting the rebels’ momentary advantage.
- • That Davros’s orders, even when unexpected, are always for the greater good of their cause.
- • That their disciplined obedience is the key to maintaining control and achieving victory over the rebels.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Davros’s laboratory console serves as a critical tool in this event, symbolizing his control over the situation and his ability to manipulate outcomes from the shadows. As Davros taps its keys rhythmically, the console’s faint glow illuminates his determined expression, reinforcing his authority and strategic mindset. The console is not just a control interface but a metaphor for Davros’s mastery over the Dalek project and his ability to orchestrate events from afar. Its presence underscores the high-stakes nature of the moment, as Davros uses it to issue orders that will shape the fate of Skaro and the Daleks.
The Elite Guards’ weapons—unspecified but implied to be automatic firearms—play a pivotal role in this event as symbols of power and submission. Davros orders Nyder to hand these weapons over to the Kaled rebels, framing the act as a concession to avoid bloodshed. The weapons represent the shifting balance of power in the laboratory, as their transfer from the Elite Guards to the rebels marks a temporary surrender of control. Their presence in the scene is a tangible reminder of the high stakes and the precarious nature of Davros’s strategy, as the weapons could easily be turned against him if his plan fails.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
Davros’s laboratory in Skaro’s Kaled facility serves as the epicenter of this high-stakes confrontation, its sterile and high-tech environment amplifying the tension between Davros’s calculated maneuvering and Nyder’s urgent pleas. The laboratory is not just a physical space but a battleground of ideologies, where the fate of the Dalek project and the Kaled people hangs in the balance. The distant echoes of automatic weapons fire penetrate the walls, a stark reminder of the rebellion unfolding outside and the urgency of Davros’s decision. The laboratory’s humming equipment and stark consoles create an atmosphere of controlled chaos, where every word and action carries weight.
Section Nine is mentioned as a hidden defensive position within the laboratory complex, where Nyder has stationed a dozen crack Elite Guards. Though not physically depicted in this event, Section Nine looms as a critical tactical element in Davros’s strategy. Its existence underscores the layered nature of Davros’s plan, as he positions his forces for a potential counterstrike while feigning surrender. Section Nine symbolizes the unseen preparations and contingencies that Davros has in place, ensuring that his deception will ultimately lead to his victory over the rebels.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Kaled Rebellion is the driving force behind the tension in this event, as their armed uprising threatens to overthrow Davros’s regime and seize control of the laboratory. Though not physically present, their actions—represented by the distant gunfire and Nyder’s urgent reports—shape the dynamics of the scene. Davros’s order to surrender is a direct response to their advance, and his feigned capitulation is designed to exploit their overconfidence. The rebellion’s presence looms large, as their victory or defeat will determine the fate of Skaro and the Dalek project.
The Elite Guards, as Davros’s loyalist faction, play a crucial role in this event as the enforcers of his will. Though not physically present in the laboratory during this exchange, their obedience to Davros’s order to disarm and surrender is essential to the execution of his strategy. Their disciplined compliance underscores the absolute authority that Davros wields over his forces, even in the face of an apparent defeat. The Elite Guards’ hidden presence in Section Nine also serves as a tactical reserve, ready to strike when Davros gives the signal.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"As Gharman dismisses the Doctor's warnings about Davros (beat_4b723a82ef3295f2), Davros remains unfazed regarding the rebellion (beat_6616521ad6ffad44), highlighting a parallel where both sides underestimate their opponent."
"Davros's feigned surrender plan leads to the confrontation between the Kaled rebels and Davros (beat_27e3ae537695bb90)."
"Davros's feigned surrender plan leads to the confrontation between the Kaled rebels and Davros (beat_27e3ae537695bb90)."
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"NYDER: Davros, they're taking over. We must act quickly. In another hour they could be totally in control. Do you hear me, Davros? I have a dozen crack men hiding in section nine. Let me order them into action. Davros!"
"DAVROS: I hear you."
"NYDER: Then what are we going to do?"
"DAVROS: I want you to find their leaders and hand over your weapons to them."
"NYDER: Surrender?"
"DAVROS: Order all members of the Elite guards still at liberty to do the same."
"NYDER: Do you know what you're saying?"
"DAVROS: I know precisely what I am saying. Now, I will command and you will obey. You will do as I order! You will inform the rebel leaders that I have given these orders to avoid bloodshed. Tell them I submit, and will listen to their demands. That is all."
"NYDER: Then we are admitting that we're beaten."
"DAVROS: That is what they will believe."
"NYDER: You mean that..."
"DAVROS: You and they will find out exactly what I mean all in good time. Now carry out my orders."