Davros’s Poisoned Peace: The Thal Gambit Unfolds
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Davros attempts to persuade the Thal Councillor that his only concern is peace, emphasizing the devastation the war has caused to both the Kaleds and the Thals, using terms that suggest a broader view beyond narrow allegiance.
The Thal Councillor dismisses Davros's attempts at peace, stating the Kaleds deserve to perish and confirming the rocket is primed for launch.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Alarmed and determined, with a growing sense of urgency. His internal state is one of frustration at the Thals’ blind confidence and the looming catastrophe, but also a steely resolve to act before Davros’s plan comes to fruition.
The Doctor and Harry hide outside the Thal war chamber, eavesdropping on Davros’s conversation with the Thal Councillor. They press against the wall, holding their breath as a patrol passes, their urgency to stop Davros now heightened by the revelation of the chemical formula’s true purpose. The Doctor’s eyes narrow with alarm, his mind racing to counter Davros’s scheme before it’s too late. Harry stands tense beside him, his focus unwavering as he absorbs the gravity of the situation.
- • To uncover Davros’s true intentions and the nature of the chemical formula.
- • To devise a plan to stop the Thals from using the formula and launching their rocket.
- • Davros’s deception must be exposed before it leads to the annihilation of the Kaleds.
- • The Thals’ unyielding resolve makes them vulnerable to manipulation, and they must be stopped.
Feigned sincerity masking deep malice and smug satisfaction at his own brilliance. His internal state is one of cold, calculated triumph, knowing he is orchestrating the annihilation of the Kaleds while positioning himself as a peacemaker.
Davros dominates the Thal war chamber with a calculated performance, first feigning a plea for peace to mask his true intent: the annihilation of the Kaleds. When the Thal Councillor rejects his hollow words, he pivots seamlessly, offering a 'chemical formula' to weaken the Kaled dome—a gift that is, in truth, a death sentence. His voice drips with false sincerity, and his gestures are meticulously controlled to manipulate the Thal Councillor into accepting his poisoned peace. Outside, the Doctor and Harry, hidden and eavesdropping, bear silent witness to his deception.
- • To manipulate the Thal Councillor into accepting the chemical formula, ensuring the Kaleds' annihilation.
- • To position himself as a benevolent peacemaker, securing his future influence in the post-war reconstruction of Skaro.
- • The ends justify the means, and the annihilation of the Kaleds is a necessary sacrifice for the creation of the Daleks.
- • The Thals are blind to his true intentions and can be easily manipulated through appeals to their desire for victory.
Righteously indignant and triumphant, convinced of the Thals’ inevitable victory. His internal state is one of unshakable confidence, unaware that he is being manipulated into ensuring his own people’s doom.
The Thal Councillor stands firm in the war chamber, rejecting Davros’s feigned peace overture with unyielding resolve. He declares the Kaleds must be annihilated and accepts the chemical formula to weaken the Kaled dome, unknowingly aiding Davros’s scheme. His posture is rigid, his voice laced with contempt for the Kaleds, and his confidence in the Thals’ impending victory is absolute. He is the embodiment of Thal militaristic resolve, blind to the deception unfolding before him.
- • To ensure the annihilation of the Kaleds through the launch of the Thal rocket.
- • To accept Davros’s chemical formula, believing it will guarantee Thal victory.
- • The Kaleds are an existential threat that must be eradicated at all costs.
- • The Thals’ rocket is invincible and will achieve total victory over the Kaleds.
Coldly dutiful, with no visible internal conflict. His emotional state is one of unwavering loyalty to Davros, fully committed to the plan without question or hesitation.
Nyder stands beside Davros in the Thal war chamber, acting as his loyal enforcer. He hands over the chemical formula to the Thal Councillor, reinforcing Davros’s false narrative of seeking peace. His presence is stoic and obedient, his actions precise and unquestioning. He serves as a silent but complicit extension of Davros’s will, ensuring the smooth execution of his master’s plan.
- • To assist Davros in manipulating the Thal Councillor into accepting the chemical formula.
- • To ensure the smooth execution of Davros’s plan for the Kaleds’ annihilation.
- • Davros’s plan is infallible and must be followed without question.
- • The Kaleds’ extermination is a necessary step toward Dalek supremacy.
Tense and concerned, with a growing sense of urgency. His internal state is one of focused determination, ready to act alongside the Doctor to thwart Davros’s plan.
Harry Sullivan stands beside the Doctor outside the Thal war chamber, his body tense and his breath held as they eavesdrop on Davros’s conversation. He listens intently, his focus unwavering as he absorbs the gravity of the situation. His military training kicks in, and he remains alert, ready to act at the Doctor’s signal. His presence is a steadying force, grounding the Doctor in the immediacy of the threat.
- • To support the Doctor in uncovering Davros’s deception and the true purpose of the chemical formula.
- • To be prepared to act swiftly if the Doctor gives the signal to intervene.
- • Davros’s plan must be stopped before it leads to catastrophic consequences.
- • The Doctor’s leadership is crucial in devising a strategy to counter the Thals’ rocket launch.
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Kaled dome is central to the exchange between Davros and the Thal Councillor. Davros reveals that the dome cannot be penetrated by the Thal rocket, making it an impenetrable barrier to Thal victory. He offers the chemical formula as a means to weaken the dome’s molecular structure, ensuring the rocket’s success. The dome symbolizes the Kaleds’ last line of defense, and its vulnerability to the formula sets the stage for their annihilation. The Doctor and Harry, eavesdropping outside, recognize the dome’s fate as a critical piece of Davros’s plan.
The Thals' genocidal rocket is referenced as the ultimate weapon poised to annihilate the Kaleds. The Thal Councillor declares it is 'primed and ready,' with the countdown for firing set to begin immediately. Davros, however, reveals that the rocket will fail to penetrate the Kaled dome without the chemical formula, which he offers as a 'gift' to ensure its success. The rocket symbolizes the Thals’ unyielding resolve and their blind confidence in their impending victory, unaware that they are being manipulated into ensuring their own doom.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Thal war chamber is the tense meeting point where Davros orchestrates his deception. The dimly lit room is thick with the weight of strategic decisions, the air heavy with the scent of bunker damp and the muffled tension of war. The chamber’s atmosphere is one of calculated manipulation, where every word and gesture serves Davros’s grand design. Outside, the Doctor and Harry press against the wall, their presence unseen but their urgency palpable as they eavesdrop on the exchange. The chamber’s role is that of a strategic hub, where the fate of Skaro is being decided in whispers and lies.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Kaleds are referenced in this event as the intended victims of Davros’s deception. The Thal Councillor declares their annihilation as inevitable, and Davros offers the chemical formula as a means to ensure their destruction. The Kaleds’ fate is tied to the vulnerability of their dome, which Davros exploits to manipulate the Thals into ensuring their own doom. The organization’s role in this event is that of the unwitting victim, their existence hanging in the balance as Davros’s plan unfolds. The Doctor and Harry, eavesdropping outside, recognize the Kaleds’ plight and the urgency of stopping Davros’s scheme.
The Thals are represented in this event through the unyielding resolve of the Thal Councillor, who rejects Davros’s feigned peace overture and accepts the chemical formula to weaken the Kaled dome. The organization’s blind confidence in their impending victory is exploited by Davros, who manipulates them into ensuring their own doom. The Thals’ militaristic resolve and their willingness to annihilate the Kaleds are on full display, making them vulnerable to deception. Their role in this event is that of the manipulated antagonist force, unknowingly aiding Davros’s scheme for the Daleks’ ascension.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Davros attempts to persuade the Thal councillor of the value of peace but is rejected, so he instead changes his strategy to use the Thals in his plan."
"Davros attempts to persuade the Thal councillor of the value of peace but is rejected, so he instead changes his strategy to use the Thals in his plan."
"Davros attempts to persuade the Thal councillor of the value of peace but is rejected, so he instead changes his strategy to use the Thals in his plan."
"Davros attempts to persuade the Thal councillor of the value of peace but is rejected, so he instead changes his strategy to use the Thals in his plan."
"The Thal Councillor wonders why Davros would doom his own people, so Davros responds that it's a sacrifice for peace which leads to them discussing and confirming their destructive agenda furthering ultimately lead to the Thal Councillor ordering the launch of the chemical barrage."
"The Thal Councillor wonders why Davros would doom his own people, so Davros responds that it's a sacrifice for peace which leads to them discussing and confirming their destructive agenda furthering ultimately lead to the Thal Councillor ordering the launch of the chemical barrage."
Key Dialogue
"**DAVROS**: *Words such as patriotism and nationalism. My concern is only for peace, an end to this carnage that has virtually destroyed both our races.*"
"**COUNCILLOR**: *Why aren't you telling this to your own government and people?*"
"**DAVROS**: *I have tried. Time and again, I have tried. But now they will be satisfied with nothing other than total annihilation of the Thal people.*"
"**COUNCILLOR**: *Then they deserve to perish, and perish they will when we launch our rocket. It's primed and ready. The countdown for firing can begin immediately.*"
"**DAVROS**: *And it will fail.*"
"**COUNCILLOR**: *It can't fail.*"
"**DAVROS**: *The Kaled dome cannot be penetrated. Your great rocket will hardly scratch it.*"
"**DAVROS** *(handing over a piece of paper)*: *This is the measure of my faith. Nyder.*"
"**NYDER**: *It is a simple chemical formula. If the substance is loaded into artillery shells and fired onto the surface of the Kaled dome, it will weaken the molecular structure and make it brittle. Your rocket will then be able to penetrate without resistance.*"
"**COUNCILLOR**: *Why are you giving us this information? You know that your own people, the Kaleds, will be utterly exterminated.*"
"**DAVROS**: *No price is too great to pay for peace. I only ask that when the war is over I be allowed to help in the reconstruction of our planet.*"
"**NYDER**: *We want only to see the conflict brought to an end. This formula gives you the power to bring that about.*"
"**DAVROS**: *By dawn tomorrow, our world could be at peace.*"