Chief Prosecutor Severus Ngin began proceedings with a short film sequence that was displayed on a view screen above the main gallery of the court. “This footage was taken over a hundred years ago, although its contents are still shocking despite its age.” On the screen a grainy image of civilians running down a street could be seen. Above their heads palls of smoke gathered over the city. “This was the Terran Colony world of Vanderbantmos, home to 5 million colonists and their descendents. A vibrant new world, at least that is,” and here he waved a hand that caused the footage to pause. In the sky a small conical shape on a flying disc was highlighted. “Until the Daleks came,” he finished grimly. He waved a hand and the screen whited out as a Dalek beam hit the colonists. Animated skeletons writhed in agony for several seconds before dropping to the floor. “5 million people wiped out, men, women and children, all victims of indiscriminate Dalek weaponry. The only reason we have this footage was because spy-drones that had arrived on the planet ahead of the Earth Fleet that was deployed in response the invasion. To this day it is not known why they decided to attack Vanderbantmos, the planet had no strategic value to them, and it wasn’t even near their borders.” Ngin paused to let this last point sink in. “ Which only leaves us with the Daleks’ irrational and deeply seated hatred of anything that is not itself a Dalek. Where does this come from, this hatred?” His eyes settled on Davros: “For it is obvious that such creatures could not have evolved naturally.” The prosecutor cleared her throat. “Today we have one amongst us who is unashamedly proud to call himself their maker.” Several days later Davros was in the witness box for the first time. He sat impassively as Ngin uncoiled like a snake and slithered up to him. “What was your position amongst your people.” “I was their Chief Scientist, the foremost mind amongst them, to me was charged the survival of the Kaled race and the winning of the war.” “What threatened your survival? Was it the war with your enemies, the Thals?” “Perhaps at the beginning, yes,” croaked Davros. “But it was our own poisoned world that threatened us. Kaled births rates had declined many that were born had genetic damage. These Mutos were driven to live out in the wasteland.” “That seems very harsh.” “Yes it was,” agreed Davros. “The Kaleds valued their purity, a noble but ultimately futile sentiment.” “You saw this genetic degeneration as inevitable?” “The term is…unhelpful here. The Kaled Race were evolving into a new species, there was a pattern to the mutations that I sought to unravel with my work with the scientific elite.” “To what end?” “ So that we could prepare the new race with enough advantages to ensure survival” Ngin smiled. “And that is how you came to devise the machines that carry the Dalek life forms.” “Yes, the Mark Three travel machine, a machine that I based on my own life support chariot. A design that has remained virtually unchanged until this very day.” Davros voice had become more strident, more triumphant as he recounted this. “Indeed, and what of the creatures? How did they come about? Did you hurry nature along on its way or wait for it to take its course?” “We had no time to wait,” growled Davros. “I took tissue samples and exposed them to the teratogenic influences found in the atmosphere. Only when this was done would it be possible to know what adaptations would be needed to ensure their survival.” “But they did not survive, did they?” Davros looked nonplussed. “I do not understand….” “The Kaleds became extinct and left us with you and their genetically damaged progeny.” Davros seemed to sink into his chair, his momentary triumph now deflated. “We had no choice, survival in whatever form it took was preferable to extinction.” Ngin turned to the Bench: “No further questions your honours.”