The crew find themselves in Low Town on the outskirts of the Capitol. There they meet Kensington and Roman. Kensington explains that there is a cival war of Gallifrey and that the President Lady Romana has been kidnapped and the High Council murdered. The Cult of Morbius is terrorizing Low Town. The Son of Salyavin, a ruthless assassin, has been blamed for the murders and the kidnapping. Governor Balinstreetalik has appointed Lord Doricvanulthian as a puppet President while the Celestial Intelligence Agency tries to keep control of the Capitol. A new faction, The Tomorrow Front, led by the ex-criminal The Rani, has made a bid for power and thus everything is in disarray. Kensington brings Stan and his companions to Andred, who was once the Castellan and his wife Leela. Andred explains that after the President was kidnapped, he was stripped of his title and then arrested for the kidnapping. He later escaped (experiencing a rather violent regeneration in the process), and has been searching for the President ever since with the aid of Leela, Kensington, the robotic computer K-9 and a rather odd couple by the names of Homonculette and Marie. Ernest decides to examine the Presidential Suites where Romana disappeared even though Kensington tells him it would be a waste of time as it's been done many times already. Stan, Natasha, Roman, Homunculette and Marie decide to find some equipment for Stan's TARDIS, to see if they can get it operational under the transduction barriers that are working on Gallifrey. Stan and Natasha are captured and put in a cell with a human teenager named Samantha Jones who says she's the companion of the Doctor, a famous renegade Time Lord that Stan has heard many tales about. Meanwhile, Ernest meets the Doctor in the Presidential Suites. The Doctor says he has discovered that a teleport system was used to kidnap Romana and asks Ernest if he has access to a computer. Ernest tells the Doctor about K-9 and the two head back to Andred and Leela. The Doctor, Leela, Andred and K-9 have a quick, heavy-hearted reunion. Stan and Natasha are questioned by Castellan Vormacek who seems to know everything about Stan. Marie later appears in the holding cell, and Homonculette and Roman step out of her. Marie is a TARDIS! They all escape in the Marie-TARDIS and arrive back with Andred and Leela. Kensington has disappeared, off on one of his mysterious missions. K-9 traces the teleport used in the kidnapping of Romana to a series of caves in the South Mountains. Homonculette agrees (reluctantly) to take a group to the caves in the hopes of finding Romana. However he will not travel with the Doctor and Sam (there is a history between these three as described in the novel Alien Bodies but that's neither here nor there). The group, consisting of Marie, Homonculette, Roman, Stan, Natasha and Ernest arrive at the caves and find Romana tied up and apparently unguarded. Roman, Ernest and Stan exit Marie and approach. Suddenly, the Son of Salyavin, or Gollum Tir as Romana calls him, appears out of nowhere and attacks. Stan and Ernest free Romana while Roman exchanges fire with the assassin. Roman apparently kills Tir, but is seriously wounded in the process. The group escape in Marie. Romana tells her tale : Kensington is behind it all. He hired the Son of Salyavin and the Cult of Morbius. He has taken all the power from the Matrix and created a device that will allow him to enter the Eye of Harmony and access it's power, becoming an immortal, omnipotent god. Kensington has called a meeting together of all the remaining political groups; the Traditionalists led by the puppet President Doric and the Governor Balin, and the Tomorrow Front. It is at this meeting that Kensington will access the Eye. The group arrives at the Panopticon and tries to convince the Governor of Kensington's plan but he doesn't believe them. Kensington appears and begins his speech. Romana steps forward and all are shocked to see she is still alive. Kensington reveals himself to be the Master. He had been trapped for decades inside the Matrix and was able to use it's power to constitute a new body. Ernest attempts to stop the Master but is shot and stunned by the Rani who is in cohoots with the Master. The Rani then kills Balin. Stan distracts the Master by throwing a yo-yo in his face and the Rani is captured. The Master escaped. Romana is reinstated as President and Gallifrey begins the rebuilding process. Roman regenerates and remains with Stan.
