Havoc (audio story)

In the aftermath of Rassilon's return, Romana finds herself at the heart of the War Council's machinations, with the High Council, the CIA, and the Lord President's new security force all vying for control.

But then, a mysterious stranger arrives in the Capitol itself. And they bring a terrible warning from the future...

Plot

An Inquisition, led by Cardinal Mantus, is held for Romana and Prime Minister Livia says that, with the full context of her communications with the Dalek Emperor, Romana was acting in the best interests of Gallifrey. President Rassilon makes his judgement, acquitting Romana and reinstating her as Coordinator of the Celestial Intervention Agency, and declares that all planets that do not declare themselves as allies of Gallifrey will be considered enemies. He also announces that there will be a vote tomorrow on the creation of a new internal security agency.

Narvin is delighted at Romana's acquittal, but she is confused about why Livia spoke in her defence when it had to have been her and General Trave who doctored the recordings.

Trave asks Livia about why she exonerated Romana; she says that it was the decent thing to do and that Gallifrey needs a sense of continuity rather than more disruption. He is concerned about how they have not been completely honest with Rassilon, but Livia believes that the President has far more important things to deal with than "backroom skulduggery". Whilst he agrees with Rassilon's proposed internal security agency, Livia is unsure of her feelings towards it.

Commander Jevon is doing his patrol when a TARDIS materialises. He demands to know the pilot's identity and serial name but receives no response and requests backup from the Chancellery Guard. Eventually, somebody steps out and shoots him twice with a staser, killing him.

Romana is summoned by Narvin and Eris, who inform her of Jevon's death. She suggests that they quickly investigate before the War Council can involve themselves.

Rassilon speaks with Mantus about the murder and how it can work in their favour; in a state of crisis, unwritten rules can be ignored and the written rules can be redrafted.

Romana, Narvin and Eris are joined by Castellan Bovari. She tells them that the TARDIS seems to be from the future. and, when Eris says that the War Council need to be informed, Romana stops him and orders that the TARDIS be completely scanned.

Trave hears of the murder but tells Commander Aladra that it is the Agency's case and the War Council does not need to be briefed until after daybreak. He suggests that they use terms such as "tragic senseless death" and avoid saying "aggression" or "provocation" for now. They part ways and Trave enters his quarters where he finds Jevon's killer, who commands him to sit down.

Romana meets with Livia and debriefs her, agreeing to keep her updated. When asked, Livia says that she handed in the unedited recording as she had nothing to gain from Romana's execution or exile. Romana also asks for total jurisdiction over the murder investigation with no interference by the War Council, a request which Livia grants. After leaving, Romana bumps into Trave, who agrees that the murder comes under the Agency's remit and confirms that Eris was the one who told him about it. He asks to meet in private at some point as he has something for them to discuss.

Narvin enlists Bovari's help in examining the TARDIS, the navigation circuits of which have been deliberately destroyed. They detect anachron energy, indicating that the murderer has a paradox blocker or temporal nullifier and can be tracked. Narvin has Eris meet him at the former Matrix Building and determines that the murderer is in the building. Narvin encounters him, but he manages to escape onto the roof. Narvin gives chase but falls and is found and saved soon after by Eris. They go to find Romana at the Panopticon where the vote is being held.

At the Panopticon, Livia sits next to Romana and wonders where Trave is. Mantus calls the room to order and Rassilon uses the Drylands Precedent to circumvent the vote and immediately establish the Interior Defence Unit with Mantus as its director, dissolving the Chancellery Guard and redeploying its personnel across the Agency and the IDU. Livia gives away to Romana that she planned to vote against the formation of the IDU. Romana believes that she and Trave are responsible for this due to them being the ones to resurrect Rassilon.

Narvin informs Romana of what happened at the Matrix Building and says that he is embarrassed at having fallen. He believes that the murderer could be one of the Time Lords already involved in politics, come back in time to give a warning.

Mantus relieves Bovari of her duties as Castellan and declares that the barrack will now become the headquarters of the IDU. Bovari is to be redeployed to the Hall of Records.

Livia is on a call with Cantico and asks to have a report finished by the end of the day. Cantico agrees and informs her that Romana is waiting outside to see her. Romana is shown in and asks for a meeting with Rassilon, saying that she, Livia and Trave must work together to guide the President Eternal. Livia agrees to meet with Trave to discuss the idea.

The anachron energy trail is lost and Narvin says that they are going to have to get help from the IDU. Eris receives a call from Bovari, who tells Narvin that she has something for him and asks to meet at Pandak Square in ten minutes.

Romana, Livia and Trave decide to suggest that they act as an advisory board and recommend that Rassilon holds regular meetings with them. Trave refuses to confirm Romana's belief that he missed the vote as he did not support the establishment of the IDU and says only that he was giving the matter some thought.

In Pandak Square, Bovari gives Narvin a full biodata scan of the Capitol at the time of the murder.

Mantus tells Romana, Livia and Trave that Rassilon is preoccupied but that he will pass on their suggestions. He leaves to meet with Rassilon himself and the trio discuss how Rassilon is forming an inner circle which they are not a part of despite their positions.

Narvin analyses the biodata scan and finds the biorhythms of the murderer. Eris is concerned about how he acquired this scan and learns about the Chancellery Guard's dissolution; he says that as a result, the data belongs to the IDU. Narvin leaves him at headquarters to monitor the murderer's whereabouts whilst he hunts for him at a new detention centre for refugees.

At the Hall of Records, Bovari meets Cantico and is asked by Mantus where the biodata scan is. When she pretends that she does not know, Mantus tells her that he knows that she is lying and that she had no right to give the data to Narvin. He places her under arrest.

Narvin finds the murderer, who says that he has something to show him. When he goes into his pocket, Narvin shoots him and he does not regenerate. He orders Eris to send a recovery team for the body and not to tell the War Council or IDU. Upon returning to headquarters, he has Eris place the body in a gene scanner and shows Romana what the murderer had been reaching for: a video comm which was damaged by Narvin's staser fire. The scanner identifies the body as that of Trave.

Narvin meets with Trave, who was visited by his future self and saw the video. Trave has changed his mind about Rassilon and realises how wrong he and Livia were to resurrect him; the future Trave came from near the end of the war and had come back to change things. Narvin fears that Rassilon and Mantus will have Trave executed when they learn about the results of the gene scan, a fear which is proven true when Mantus arrives to arrest him before Narvin can help arrange his escape for Jevon's murder as well as treason.

At headquarters, Romana reveals to Narvin that she, not Eris, was the one who told the IDU about Trave and that she had done so to ensure that the Agency will not go the same way as the Chancellery Guard or Bovari. He asks her to speak with Rassilon on Trave's behalf, admitting that he is greatly intimidated by him. Romana agrees and goes to see him with Livia; she asks Rassilon for clemency, but Rassilon believes that he is not trustworthy. Livia suggests that Trave is interrogated behind closed doors, allowing him to keep what Trave says from the public. He agrees to think about it and to have made a decision by the time that Trave is brought before the High Council tomorrow.

The following day, Mantus calls for everybody to rise for Rassilon. Rassilon declares that Trave's crimes are unforgiveable and that he will be executed by gamma ray and departs. Mantus informs Trave in his cell of the decision and threatens to kill his husband, children and grandchildren if he says in public what Rassilon will do at the end of the Time War.

Trave is publicly executed in Pandak Square and Mantus warns the onlookers that any Time Lord who betrays Gallifrey will meet the same merciless fate. Romana leaves the execution and returns to headquarters where Narvin is working on the file from the future Trave's video comm. In the video, Narvin's future self vouches for Trave's identity and says that Gallifrey is coming to an end, attacked by Daleks. Romana says that they can change time by resisting Rassilon.

Cast

Uncredited

Jevon - Scott Handcock
Trave - Silas Carson

References

Livia is now Prime Minister of Gallifrey.
Eris is the Agency's new liaison with the War Council.
Important Matrix files were removed from the Matrix Building to the Panopticon. Everything else was taken to a facility beneath Mount Perdition.
A President was once given the power to create a militia to quell a rebellion, giving rise to the Drylands Precedent.
Narvin's father was an engineer with a life that Narvin thought was boring. He is dead and was not brought back by Project Revenant.
Bovari becomes an Administrator (First Class) at the Hall of Records.
Trave has a husband and children.
Trave is executed at Pandak Square.
Data is retrieved from Trave's TARDIS.

Notes

to be added

Continuity

Romana mentions encountering Rassilon before. (AUDIO: Zagreus)

External links

Official Havoc page at bigfinish.com