Tegan slips away as Davros manipulates Daleks
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Tegan continues her attempt to escape the warehouse unseen.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Mechanical obedience masking potential internal resistance beneath rigid programming
The Dalek Supreme’s subordinates arrive to assist but are secretly subverted by Davros’s injection of loyalty serum, turning them into obedient enforcers. Their initial compliance shifts to mechanical obeyance, betraying their original directive and reflecting the brittle nature of Dalek hierarchy when confronted with Davros’s biochemical coercion.
- • Carry out Supreme Dalek’s mission to assist Davros in research
- • Survive the encounter without harm to their casing
- • Belief in the Supreme Dalek’s authority over their actions
- • Distrust of Davros’s intentions but constrained by immediate survival
Cold satisfaction masking volcanic fury at any resistance or delay
Seated in his life-support chair, Davros orchestrates the loyalty transformation with clinical precision. He manipulates the Daleks’ obedience through subterfuge, exploiting their chemical vulnerabilities to invert their allegiance. His calculating demeanor reveals his belief in biochemical power as the ultimate means of control.
- • Consolidate control over Dalek forces to further his experiments
- • Secure biological samples for his virus research
- • Belief that biological control ensures absolute loyalty
- • Distrust of Dalek hierarchy without his oversight
Focused determination masking underlying fear of being caught
Tegan remains physically absent from the laboratory during this exchange, still evading capture in the warehouse's corridors. Her absence from the scene underscores her resourcefulness and the escalating chaos Davros’s actions incite. She exploits the resulting confusion to move closer to the Doctor’s containment site.
- • Escape unseen to avoid Dalek detection
- • Contribute to the Doctor’s survival against temporal distortions
- • Trust in the Doctor’s ability to thwart Dalek plans
- • Distrust of Davros’s loyalty serum extending beyond immediate control
Fear masked by professional detachment
Kiston surreptitiously acquires the hypodermic from Davros before administering the serum to the second Dalek. His compliance hides defiance, showcasing how Davros erodes autonomy through conditioned obedience. Kiston’s actions demonstrate the insidious spread of coercion among even the station’s captives.
- • Survive under Duress
- • Avoid detection by Davros while maintaining relevance
- • Belief that compliance ensures temporary survival
- • Disgust at being forced to harm former colleagues
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
Davros’s Control Hypodermic is surreptitiously taken by Kiston and used to inject the loyal serum into two Daleks, transforming them into Davros’s obedient tools. The needle acts as the instrument of biochemical domination, physically marking the moment Davros subverts Dalek hierarchy.
The docking clamp mechanism is activated by Davros’s commands to the Daleks, securing them temporarily before retracting to allow the serum injections. Its hydraulic precision ensures the interface remains stable during the transition from autonomous soldiers to obedient enforcers under Davros’s control.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The cavernous warehouse remains Tegan’s battleground for stealth, its industrial shadows providing intermittent concealment as she navigates labyrinthine corridors. Its clanging metal and pooled rainwater betray the chaos unfolding elsewhere on the station, where Davros’s coup silences opposition and redirects enforcement units.
The laboratory serves as the crucible where Davros enacts his biochemical coup, manipulating Dalek obedience in sterile surroundings that amplify the betrayal of their programming. Its flickering monitors and cold metal benches frame a scene of mechanized rebellion, where even the air seems thick with the weight of fractured allegiance.
Organizations Involved
Institutional presence and influence
The Dalek Empire’s subordinate forces are infiltrated by Davros’s loyalty serum, turning previously autonomous soldiers into his personal enforcers against the organization’s broader goals. This betrayal reveals both the rigidity of Dalek hierarchy and the vulnerability of their programming to biochemical coercion.
Supreme Dalek Command deploys subordinate units to assist Davros, unaware that their loyalty will be usurped by his serum. The organization’s chain of command is momentarily bypassed, showcasing how Davros exploits institutional trust to manipulate Dalek resources toward personal objectives.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
Within this episode
"Tegan's continued attempt to escape the warehouse escalates into her pursuit by policemen on Earth, where lethal force is used, showing the Daleks' widespread influence and brutality."
Shooter falls protecting Tegan on Thames pathAcross episodes
"Davros's declaration of vengeance in Episode 12 sets the stage for his manipulative actions in Episode 13, where he secretly injects Daleks with a loyalty serum to consolidate his control."
Davros declares his vengeance upon the Doctor"Davros's declaration of vengeance against the Doctor (Ep12) escalates into his active manipulation of Dalek forces and coercion of human allies in Ep13, including Kiston's role in injecting loyalty serum."
Davros declares his vengeance upon the Doctor"The Daleks' strategic manipulation of Davros (Episode 12) parallels Davros's own manipulation of the Daleks (Episode 13), highlighting a mutual struggle for dominance within their ranks."
Daleks assert dominance over Davros lifeline"Tegan's escape in Episode 13 while Davros injects Daleks with loyalty serum creates the context for Davros' later physical collapse when the virus takes hold in Episode 14."
Davros rejects his Dalek fate"Tegan’s escape from the station (Ep 13) sets up her later role in the Doctor’s rescue (Ep 14), where her reunion with the Doctor is visually and narratively tied to Davros’ observation of the Doctor via surveillance monitor."
Davros recognizes the Doctor on monitor"Tegan's escape during Davros's manipulation in Episode 13 echoes the Doctor's eventual confrontation with Davros in Episode 14, where the Doctor must also break free from Davros's influence and defy his control."
Doctor faces Davros in the lab"Tegan's escape from the warehouse in Episode 13 foreshadows her later refusal to abandon the Doctor in Episode 14, reinforcing a theme of stubborn loyalty despite personal risk."
Mercer and Tegan split on survival versus rescue"Following Tegan's escape in Episode 13, Davros' malignant plan culminates in the virus backfiring in Episode 14 as the Daleks mutate and he is left alone to suffer the consequences."
Dalek mutiny by Davros virus flaw"Both Episode 13 and 14 feature human collaborators (Tegan and Lytton respectively) exploiting chaos to assert limited control — Tegan escapes, Lytton betrays — reflecting the theme of desperate human agency against Dalek dominion."
Lytton betrays Daleks for Special Guard