Davros' Genocidal Gambit: The Daleks' First Strike and the Birth of a Nightmare
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Davros declares that the Dalek project will be the sole focus of all future research, marking the beginning of their rise to power while the remains of the Kaled dome smolder.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Horrified and urgent, masking deep moral conflict beneath a veneer of decisive action.
The Doctor, having removed his Thal protective suit and wound his scarf around his neck, witnesses the Daleks' massacre of the Thals in the corridor. Horrified by the Daleks' genocidal intent, he abandons his diplomatic stance and urgently directs Bettan to flee into the wastelands, leading her to safety while grappling with the moral dilemma of intervening in history.
- • Escape the Dalek massacre with Bettan to survive and regroup.
- • Prevent further Dalek atrocities by finding a way to stop Davros, even if it means violating his own principles.
- • The Daleks must be stopped to prevent future genocides, but intervening risks creating a temporal paradox.
- • Bettan and the surviving Thals are innocent victims who deserve protection, even if it complicates his mission.
Triumphant and ruthless, his fanaticism bordering on ecstatic as he witnesses the fulfillment of his life's work—the birth of the Daleks.
Davros, standing amidst the ruins of the Kaled dome, declares the Daleks the sole focus of all future research, his triumphant proclamation—'The beginning, only the beginning'—signaling the end of the Kaleds' era and the birth of Dalek supremacy. His fanatical determination to build an unstoppable force marks the collapse of his people and the rise of his genocidal creations.
- • Ensure the Daleks become the dominant force on Skaro and beyond, with no opposition.
- • Eliminate all research not directly related to Dalek production, consolidating his power.
- • The Daleks are the ultimate expression of Kaled evolution and will bring about universal supremacy.
- • His people (the Kaleds) are expendable in the face of the Daleks' potential.
Panicked yet determined, her shock at the Daleks' attack giving way to a focused urgency to survive and protect her people.
Bettan, fleeing the Dalek attack in the Thal dome, encounters the Doctor and confirms the identity of the Daleks. Panicked but resolute, she leads the Doctor into the wastelands, her survival instincts overriding her earlier skepticism about Davros' betrayal.
- • Escape the Dalek massacre and survive in the wastelands.
- • Lead the Doctor to safety while grappling with the betrayal of her people by Davros.
- • The Daleks are an existential threat that must be stopped, even if it means allying with the Doctor.
- • Davros' actions have doomed her people, and she must now prioritize survival over idealism.
Shocked and terrified, their initial joy replaced by panic and despair as they realize the Daleks' intent to exterminate them.
The Thal crowd, celebrating their perceived victory over the Kaleds, is abruptly massacred by the Daleks in the corridor. Their joy turns to terror as the Daleks chant 'Exterminate!' and gun them down, their fragile peace shattered in an instant. The survivors, including Bettan, flee into the wastelands, their hope for a future extinguished by the Daleks' genocidal onslaught.
- • Survive the Dalek attack and escape into the wastelands.
- • Regroup and find a way to resist the Daleks, though their chances seem slim.
- • The war with the Kaleds is over, and peace is possible (a belief shattered by the Daleks).
- • Their leaders have failed them by not anticipating this threat.
None (emotionless, driven by programming). Their actions are purely functional, devoid of malice or hesitation.
The Daleks, freshly unleashed by Davros, burst into the Thal dome and massacre the celebrating crowd with their extermination guns, chanting 'Exterminate!' as they trundle past the Doctor and Bettan. Their relentless, emotionless efficiency marks the beginning of their genocidal campaign, forcing the Doctor and Bettan to flee into the wastelands.
- • Eliminate all non-Dalek life in the Thal dome as their first act of genocide.
- • Obey Davros' directive to establish Dalek supremacy on Skaro and beyond.
- • Non-Dalek life is inferior and must be exterminated.
- • Davros' commands are absolute and must be followed without question.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Thal guard's protective suit, removed by the Doctor before the Dalek attack, lies discarded in the corridor. While it offered some protection against the toxic air of Skaro, it is utterly useless against the Daleks' extermination guns. Its abandonment symbolizes the Thals' false sense of security—their protective measures are meaningless in the face of Davros' genocidal creations, forcing them to rely on raw survival instincts in the wastelands.
The Doctor's scarf, wound tightly around his neck as he witnesses the Dalek massacre, serves as a practical and symbolic anchor. It represents his connection to his identity as a Time Lord while also highlighting his urgency—he adjusts it as he prepares to flee, a small but telling detail that underscores his shift from diplomacy to survival. The scarf clings to him amid the chaos, a reminder of his past and the moral weight of his choices.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The wastelands between Thal and Kaled territories become the Doctor and Bettan's only escape route as they flee the Dalek massacre. This treacherous zone, choked with rubble and scoured by toxic winds, tests their endurance and resolve. The wastelands are a no-man's-land, where survival is uncertain and danger lurks in every shadow. For the Doctor and Bettan, it represents both a refuge and a gauntlet they must cross to survive and regroup.
The ruins of the Kaled dome, smoldering and collapsed, serve as the backdrop for Davros' triumphant declaration of the Daleks' supremacy. The twisted metal and rising smoke symbolize the death of the Kaleds as a people, their civilization sacrificed to birth the Daleks. Davros stands amidst this destruction, his words—'The beginning, only the beginning'—echoing the irrevocable shift from war to genocidal domination. The ruins are a graveyard of the past and a cradle for the future of terror.
The Thal dome, once a symbol of hope and fragile peace, becomes a slaughterhouse as the Daleks burst in and massacre the celebrating Thals. The corridor, filled with cheers moments before, is now choked with smoke, blood, and the screams of the dying. The Doctor and Bettan flee through this chaos, their escape route littered with the bodies of those who believed the war was over. The dome's collapse into violence mirrors the Thals' shattered dreams and the Daleks' ruthless efficiency.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Thals, as an organization, are decimated by the Dalek attack in their dome. Their celebration of victory is cut short as the Daleks massacre their people, forcing survivors like Bettan into exile in the wastelands. The Thals' collective hope for peace is shattered, and their future now hinges on resistance and survival against an unstoppable force. Their organization, once a symbol of resilience, is now fractured and on the brink of annihilation.
The Daleks, as an organization, are unleashed upon Skaro for the first time, marking the beginning of their genocidal campaign. Their ambush in the Thal dome demonstrates their core directive: exterminate all non-Dalek life. Davros' declaration that 'absolute priority is to be given to the building of my Dalek force' solidifies their role as the dominant power on Skaro. The Daleks' efficiency and ruthlessness in the massacre symbolize their potential to conquer the universe, fulfilling Davros' vision of universal supremacy.
The Kaleds, as an organization, are effectively annihilated by Davros' betrayal and the Daleks' rise. Their dome is destroyed, their research repurposed, and their people sacrificed to birth the Daleks. Davros' declaration that 'all other research must cease' signals the end of the Kaleds as a scientific or political entity. Their organization, once the driving force behind the war, is now obsolete, replaced by the Daleks as the sole focus of Skaro's future.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"The Daleks' readiness leads directly to their attack on the celebrating Thals, shattering the illusion of peace."
"The Daleks' readiness leads directly to their attack on the celebrating Thals, shattering the illusion of peace."
"The Daleks' readiness leads directly to their attack on the celebrating Thals, shattering the illusion of peace."
"The celebration cut short leads directly to the need for escape."
"The Daleks' brutal attack is thematically paralleled by Davros's declaration of the Daleks as the sole focus, underlining Davros's ruthless ambition."
"Escaping the Thal leads to the Doctor explaining the Daleks merciless nature."
"The celebration cut short leads directly to the need for escape."
"The Daleks' brutal attack is thematically paralleled by Davros's declaration of the Daleks as the sole focus, underlining Davros's ruthless ambition."
Part of Larger Arcs
Key Dialogue
"THAL: (The happy group goes round a corner and meets -) Peace! Thank you!"
"DALEK: (The Thals die. The Doctor hears the sounds and meets Bettan running away.) Exterminate. Exterminate!"
"DAVROS: (Meanwhile, the smoking shell of the Kaled dome falls in on itself.) The beginning, only the beginning. From this moment, all other research must cease. Absolute priority is to be given to the building of my Dalek force. Nothing, absolutely nothing, must delay this glorious project!"