The Final Darkness ( short story ) The Final Darkness was a story featured in " " . It was written by Stephen Cole . Summary . A translation is provided by UNIT Alien - English software of a journal of the Sycorax ship ' s scribe ( whose duty it is to record a journal of the ship ' s events ) . The journal recounts how the Sycorax were first made aware of the planet Earth through its probes that it sent out into " the darkness between the stars " ( space ) . Signals intercepted by the Sycorax confirm the presence of " soft and fleshy and primitive " people who call themselves human s . The Sycorax world - seer reports to the Sycorax leader that he senses metals and minerals beneath the planet ' s surface , while the leader believes that the slave traders could pay well for supplies of " human cattle " . After the ship enters the solar system , it swallows a probe near the red planet . Studying the probe , the Sycorax find human blood samples which their " shamen " [ sic ] ( who practised the forbidden arts of Astrophia ) could use to exercise blood control over one third of the cattle , encouraging them into an easy surrender and submission , despite it not being able to kill even " stupid human cattle " , only compel them stand at the top of high buildings . The Sycorax bring aboard the cattle ' s skinny woman leader ( Harriet Jones ) , and her wise men ( Daniel Llewellyn and Alex ) and chief warrior ( Major Blake ) , to the ship ' s Hall of War Pacts , where all of the Sycorax have gathered to scare the cattle . The leader kills one of the wise men for wanting compassion , along with the dark warrior . The leader tells the skinny woman to surrender half of her people to be slaves , or watch as a third of the blood controlled humans die . Foreign machinery on the planet Earth is detected which is quickly teleported on board . It is a " clever " blue wooden box , ( the TARDIS ) that also brings with it a yellow girl ( Rose Tyler ) , who amuses the Sycorax with her " stolen words " , and a dark boy ( Mickey Smith ) . The Sycorax stop laughing when a stranger , whose rank is " Doctor " ( the Tenth Doctor ) , emerges from the doors of the box , and breaks their leader ' s Staff of Helkaac - ak - ac before freeing the cattle of the influence of the blood control . It is a first for the Sycorax when this Doctor invokes the sanctified rules of combat and stands as the Champion of the Earth against their leader . " Oh the sport , " thinks the scribe while watching the fight , their leader forcing the Doctor backwards like a lowly dalskaak , backwards out onto the wing of the ship where with a masterful stroke the leader slices the Doctor ' s hand off ! And then there is the " stab of purest fear " that the scribe has not felt since he was " first torn as a pup from the belly of [ his ] father and thrown to the snake baths of Hennteck " as they witness the Doctor grow another hand – true witchcraft . Renewed , the Doctor turns the fight and the Sycorax leader is forced to the edge , forced to promise to leave the Earth and never to return , until the Doctor ' s back is turned and the Sycorax tries another strike . Without even looking this Doctor triggered the kojux - flap in the wing of the ship and the leader plummets to the ground miles below . Bound by the ancient rites of combat , blood charms broken and leaderless , the Sycorax ship leaves the Earth to return to the Sycorax Armada but that is not all . These human cattle are treacherous ; more foreign machinery is detected on the planet . Sycorax sensors detect a destructive energy beam heading towards them from which they cannot escape . Defiantly the scribe bellows that Sycorax shall " fill the darkness with our blood , with our curse , with our hate , with our vengeance " , and that the armada shall scent their blood and be drawn to Earth as the Sycorax all chant : " Sycorax strong ! Sycorax mighty ! Sycorax . . . " Continuity . " to be added "