Fabula
S3E20 · The Abandoned Planet

Chen murders Giron to assert Dalek-backed dominance

Mavic Chen, emboldened by his secret alliance with the Daleks, seizes control of the Galactic Council by publicly humiliating and executing Giron—a delegate who attempts to arrest him. The murder, committed in cold blood, silences the other delegates and demonstrates Chen’s violent authority, which he claims is sanctioned by the Daleks. His boastful rhetoric about his superior contribution (the taranium core) and his declaration that the Council now answers to him reveal his delusional belief in his indispensability. The act cements the Daleks’ influence over the Council while foreshadowing Chen’s eventual betrayal, as the delegates’ stunned silence underscores the irreversible shift in power dynamics. The scene escalates the stakes for the Doctor’s mission by exposing the Daleks’ manipulation of both Chen and the Council, framing Chen’s coup as a prelude to their universe-conquering scheme.

Plot Beats

The narrative micro-steps within this event

2

Growing arrogant, Chen asserts his superiority over the other delegates due to his contribution of the taranium. He dismisses their concerns and claims that some are more equal than others, violating the council's agreement.

arrogance to outrage

The Galactic Council attempts to arrest Chen, but Chen reveals he and the Dalek Supreme made an agreement, placing the council under his power. To demonstrate his control, Chen murders Giron, solidifying his dominance through violence.

defiance to stunned silence

Who Was There

Characters present in this moment

6

Coldly indifferent, with an undercurrent of satisfaction at Chen’s brutal effectiveness in enforcing Dalek control.

The Black Dalek remains silent and motionless throughout the execution, its presence looming like a judge overseeing a trial. It does not intervene to stop Chen or Giron, instead allowing Chen’s violent assertion of control to proceed unchallenged. Its inaction is a tacit endorsement of Chen’s authority, reinforcing the Daleks’ dominance over the Council. The Black Dalek’s silence speaks volumes—it is not merely indifferent but actively complicit in Chen’s coup.

Goals in this moment
  • To use Chen as a pawn to destabilize and then dominate the Galactic Council, ensuring the Daleks’ conquest proceeds without resistance.
  • To demonstrate to the delegates the futility of opposition, making it clear that any defiance will be met with lethal force.
Active beliefs
  • That human allies like Chen are expendable but useful for breaking the will of other humans.
  • That fear and violence are the most effective tools for achieving universal domination.
Character traits
Calculating and strategic Authoritative through inaction Manipulative Ruthlessly efficient
Follow Black Dalek …'s journey

None (death), but his final act radiates defiance and loyalty to the Council’s principles.

Giron moves forward to arrest Chen, his determination evident in his stride, but he never reaches his target. The blaster shot catches him mid-motion, and he crumples to the floor, his body limp. His death is sudden, almost anticlimactic, but the impact is devastating. The sound of the shot echoes in the now-silent room, and his fallen form becomes a grim centerpiece—a warning to the other delegates of the cost of defiance. His death is not just a murder; it is a statement.

Goals in this moment
  • To uphold the Council’s authority by arresting Chen, regardless of the personal cost.
  • To serve as a moral example, even in death, of what it means to stand against tyranny.
Active beliefs
  • That Chen’s actions violate the Council’s agreements and must be stopped, even at the risk of his own life.
  • That the Daleks’ influence corrupts the Council’s purpose, and that resistance is a moral imperative.
Character traits
Brave but doomed Symbolic martyr for the Council’s resistance Determined to the last
Follow Giron's journey
Mavic Chen
primary

Triumphant and giddy with power, masking a flicker of underlying insecurity about the Daleks’ true intentions.

Mavic Chen stands over Giron’s fallen body, a blaster still smoking in his hand, his face twisted into a smug smile. He addresses the stunned delegates with cold authority, declaring the Council’s submission to his rule. His posture is dominant, his voice dripping with arrogance as he asserts his superiority—both as a provider of the taranium core and as the Daleks’ chosen enforcer. The act of murder is not just violent but performative, a demonstration of his unchecked power.

Goals in this moment
  • To crush dissent and establish absolute control over the Galactic Council through fear and violence.
  • To assert his indispensability to the Daleks by demonstrating his willingness to eliminate threats, thereby securing his position as their key human ally.
Active beliefs
  • That his contribution of the taranium core makes him irreplaceable to the Daleks and the Council.
  • That violence is the only language the Council understands, and that fear will ensure their compliance.
Character traits
Ruthlessly authoritarian Narcissistic and boastful Strategically violent Delusionally self-assured Manipulative
Follow Mavic Chen's journey
Supporting 3
Beaus
Master
secondary

Stunned and horrified, with a creeping sense of helplessness as he realizes the Council’s power has been violently usurped.

Beaus, initially conflicted and swayed by Celation’s arguments, is one of the delegates shouting for Chen’s arrest. His voice is drowned out by the sound of the blaster, and he freezes in shock as Giron collapses. His face pales, and his body tenses—his earlier pragmatism shattered by the sudden, brutal violence. The room’s stunned silence mirrors his own paralysis, as the reality of Chen’s power sinks in.

Goals in this moment
  • To survive the immediate threat by avoiding further provocation of Chen or the Daleks.
  • To regroup with the other delegates to assess how to respond to this coup, though his earlier defiance has been crushed.
Active beliefs
  • That resistance is futile in the face of Chen’s violence and the Daleks’ backing.
  • That his earlier defense of Chen’s importance was a grave miscalculation, and that the Council’s unity is now irreparably broken.
Character traits
Shocked into submission Pragmatic but broken Initially defiant, now cowed
Follow Beaus's journey
Celation
secondary

Bewildered and enraged, but paralyzed by the sudden, irreversible shift in power. His indignation has curdled into a sickening realization of his own vulnerability.

Celation, the leading voice for censuring Chen, is mid-motion—his hand raised as if to signal the delegates to act—when the blaster fires. His indignant expression twists into disbelief as Giron falls, and his body goes rigid. The thumping of the table, which moments ago symbolized unity, now feels like a distant echo. His silence is deafening, a stark contrast to his earlier fiery rhetoric. The murder has not just silenced him but shattered his belief in the Council’s ability to resist.

Goals in this moment
  • To find a way to rally the delegates without provoking further violence, though his earlier confidence is gone.
  • To survive long enough to expose Chen’s betrayal and the Daleks’ manipulation, though he now questions whether such exposure is even possible.
Active beliefs
  • That the Council’s unity was an illusion, and that Chen’s alliance with the Daleks makes him untouchable.
  • That his principled stance has made him a target, and that pragmatism may now be the only path to survival.
Character traits
Initially defiant, now broken Symbolic leader whose authority has been violently undermined Stunned into inaction
Follow Celation's journey

Shocked, horrified, and resigned. Their earlier defiance has been replaced by a creeping sense of helplessness and the realization that resistance is futile.

The Galactic Council delegates, once united in their condemnation of Chen, are now a sea of stunned faces. Their earlier thumping of the table—symbolizing solidarity—has given way to a deathly silence. Some delegates remain on their feet, frozen in place, while others sink back into their chairs, their expressions a mix of horror and resignation. The murder has not just silenced them; it has broken their collective will. Their submission is not spoken but implied in their paralysis.

Goals in this moment
  • To survive the immediate threat by avoiding any action that might provoke Chen or the Daleks.
  • To assess, in private, whether there is any path to resistance that does not end in violent retribution.
Active beliefs
  • That the Council’s authority has been irrevocably undermined by Chen’s violence and the Daleks’ backing.
  • That their earlier unity was an illusion, and that individual survival may now require compliance with Chen’s demands.
Character traits
United in outrage, now shattered Collective will broken by violence Passive submission through fear
Follow Dalek Alliance …'s journey

Objects Involved

Significant items in this scene

1
Mavic Chen's Blaster

Mavic Chen’s blaster is the physical instrument of his violent coup, a cold and unyielding symbol of his authority. It is drawn with deliberate slowness, almost as if Chen is savoring the moment, and fired without hesitation as Giron moves to arrest him. The sound of the shot is sharp and final, echoing in the stunned silence of the conference room. The blaster does not just kill Giron; it silences the Council, turning a venue for diplomacy into a stage for tyranny. Its presence in Chen’s hand is a constant reminder of the power dynamics at play—violence as the ultimate arbiter of control.

Before: Concealed on Chen’s person, ready to be drawn …
After: Still smoking in Chen’s hand as he addresses …
Before: Concealed on Chen’s person, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice. Its existence is implied but not yet a focal point of the scene.
After: Still smoking in Chen’s hand as he addresses the delegates, now a visible and menacing symbol of his authority. The blaster’s role shifts from a hidden tool to an overt threat, ensuring the delegates’ compliance.

Location Details

Places and their significance in this event

1
Conference Room (Dalek City)

The conference room, once a neutral space for diplomatic negotiations, becomes the battleground for Chen’s violent seizure of power. The long table, meant for collaborative discussion, is now a barrier between Chen and the delegates he has just cowed. The room’s formal atmosphere—marked by its polished surfaces and structured seating—contrasts sharply with the chaos of the murder. The acoustics amplify the sound of the blaster shot, making it impossible for the delegates to ignore the brutality unfolding before them. The room’s very purpose is subverted: instead of fostering unity, it becomes a stage for domination.

Atmosphere Tense and oppressive, with a sudden shift from heated debate to stunned silence. The air …
Function Battleground for a coup, where diplomacy is replaced by violence and submission is enforced.
Symbolism Represents the corruption of institutional power—what was once a forum for collective decision-making is now …
Access Restricted to Council members and invited guests, though the Daleks’ presence ensures that no one …
The long conference table, now a physical and symbolic divide between Chen and the delegates. The echo of the blaster shot, which lingers in the stunned silence that follows. The delegates’ chairs, some overturned in their haste to stand and protest, now frozen in place as they sink back into submission.

Organizations Involved

Institutional presence and influence

2
Collective Dalek Race

The Dalek Race’s influence is omnipresent in this event, even though the Black Dalek remains silent. Its authority is enforced through Chen’s violent actions, which are implicitly sanctioned by the Daleks’ inaction. The Daleks’ power dynamics are on full display: they do not need to speak or act directly to assert control. Instead, they use Chen as a proxy, allowing him to eliminate dissent and establish his dominance over the Council. This moment is a microcosm of the Daleks’ broader strategy—using human pawns to break the will of other humans, ensuring that their conquest proceeds without unified resistance.

Representation Through the tacit endorsement of Chen’s violence, as well as the looming presence of the …
Power Dynamics Exercising authority over the Galactic Council through a human proxy (Chen), while simultaneously demonstrating the …
Impact The Daleks’ involvement in this event marks the beginning of the Council’s transformation from an …
Internal Dynamics The Daleks’ hierarchy is reinforced by the Black Dalek’s silent oversight, which ensures that subordinates …
To use Chen to destabilize the Galactic Council and ensure that it becomes a tool for Dalek control rather than a obstacle to their conquest. To demonstrate to the delegates the cost of defiance, making it clear that any opposition will be met with immediate and violent retribution. Through the delegation of violent enforcement to human allies (Chen), ensuring plausible deniability while achieving their goals. Through the psychological impact of fear and shock, which paralyzes the Council and prevents organized resistance.
Galactic Council

The Galactic Council, once a symbol of interstellar unity and collective decision-making, is violently dismantled in this event. Its authority is stripped away as Chen—backed by the Daleks—executes Giron and declares the Council’s submission to his rule. The delegates’ earlier unity in condemning Chen is shattered by the murder, and their collective will is replaced by stunned submission. The Council’s institutional purpose—to deliberate and govern—is perverted into a tool for Dalek domination. This event marks the beginning of the Council’s irreparable corruption, as its members are forced to comply or face the same fate as Giron.

Representation Through the delegates’ collective actions (or inaction), as well as the symbolic thumping of the …
Power Dynamics Being challenged and ultimately crushed by external forces (Chen and the Daleks), with the Council’s …
Impact The Council’s legitimacy is destroyed in this moment, as its ability to govern is usurped …
Internal Dynamics The Council’s internal tensions—between pragmatism (Beaus) and principle (Celation)—are exposed and exploited by Chen. The …
To censure Mavic Chen for his arrogance and incompetence, reasserting the Council’s authority over its members. To maintain unity among the delegates in the face of Dalek manipulation, though this goal is ultimately failed. Through collective action (the censure motion and the call to arrest Chen), which is swiftly undermined by violence. Through the symbolic gestures of unity (thumping the table), which are rendered meaningless by the murder.

Narrative Connections

How this event relates to others in the story

What led here 1

"The Galactic Council's plot to remove Chen is interrupted by the Black Dalek's announcement, which underscores Chen's power and the Daleks' control."

Chen asserts Dalek-backed authority over Council
S3E20 · The Abandoned Planet
What this causes 3

"Chen's murder of Giron and assertion of control leads directly to the Daleks interrupting and declaring the council under arrest, revealing Chen's expendability."

Chen’s Delusional Authority Collapses
S3E20 · The Abandoned Planet

"Chen's murder of Giron and assertion of control leads directly to the Daleks interrupting and declaring the council under arrest, revealing Chen's expendability."

Daleks dissolve the Galactic Council
S3E20 · The Abandoned Planet

"The Galactic Council's plot to remove Chen is interrupted by the Black Dalek's announcement, which underscores Chen's power and the Daleks' control."

Chen asserts Dalek-backed authority over Council
S3E20 · The Abandoned Planet

Themes This Exemplifies

Thematic resonance and meaning

Key Dialogue

"CELATION: There has been too much time wasted through the folly of the representative from Earth. Surely, it is only right that on his return he be removed from this council."
"CHEN: Fellow delegates. Even as you sit here, the great war force assembled under the Daleks, is awaiting the final order to set out and conquer the universe!"
"CHEN: You have no power to arrest anybody. You are nothing, do you hear me? Nothing!"
"CHEN: Before this conference began, the Dalek Supreme and I spoke together. This Council now is under my power. I will give the orders. You will obey them."