Annihilation (audio story)

Annihilation (identified on the cover simply as Chapter Seventeen) was the third story of the fourth series of Big Finish's Gallifrey audio series. It was written by Gary Russell and Scott Handcock.

Publisher's summary
Gallifrey dies...

Romana and her comrades find themselves in the dank and grubby wastelands of northern Gallifrey, trapped between two forces in a long and ancient war.

One side bides their time within their nests, whilst the other draws up troops across the trenches. Both sides have their secrets, their means to win the war — and both want Romana fighting alongside them...

After millennia of warfare, the final assault approaches. The Ancient Enemy and the True Lords want this world. And before this night is out, there will be bloodshed.

Plot
On an alternative Gallifrey, Kraylon sends Thetac to Arcalia to warn Lord Prydon that some of the enemy are heading to Rassilon's Chamber. When Captain Vekken and his forces approach, Kraylon attacks.

Having lost Braxiatel, Romana is questioning her decision to explore the Axis, looking for somewhere new to live and possibly find a cure for the Dogma Virus. Leela, who has explored two more alternative worlds with Narvin, assures her that she has no reason to punish herself and that they have to continue looking. K9 has found a portal to another Gallifrey and will wait behind in Braxiatel's role, monitoring the portals, as they explore.

Vekken takes Kraylon prisoner and delivers him to Commander Cloris. Cloris says that Borusa will be pleased and orders him drained of his blood.

Romana, Leela and Narvin arrive in northern Gallifrey where the surroundings are desolate and the sky without stars in the early years of the planet's history. The portal disappears and contact with K9 is lost, so they go out to explore and find out what is wrong with this world. Discreetly, Romana and Narvin discuss how Leela's hair is greying and that she has been ageing with each world that she visits, her natural ageing process catching up with her. They hear a man scream.

Cloris updates Lady Borusa on the success of their attack and gives her a component of the Great Key. Whilst it is only a component, she hopes that they will be able to use it to lower the transduction barrier. Cloris also tells her than Guardsman Harlish spotted three strangers in the trench-lands.

Romana, Leela and Narvin go in search of the source of the scream, traipsing through mud and coming across the bones of slaughtered pigbears. As they wonder about the bones, they are taken captive by Vekken as prisoners of the True Lords of Gallifrey.

Arcalia informs Lord Prydon that Thetac and Kraylon have been captured and bled. Whilst Prydon considers Kraylon a loss, Thetac was near the end of her regeneration cycle and was thus of no use to Borusa nor much of a loss. The defences, Arcalia explains, were breached by Borusa's hounds, created by the sacrifice of her soldiers. Cassandra tells Prydon that Arcalia is keeping something from him, forcing him to tell Prydon that the load rod of the Great Key was stolen, and Prydon sends him to capture Borusa and the component.

to be completed

Cast

 * Romana - Lalla Ward
 * Leela - Louise Jameson
 * K9 Mk II - John Leeson
 * Narvin - Seán Carlsen
 * Lord Prydon - Geoffrey Beevers
 * Captain Vekken - Scott Handcock
 * Cassandra - Charlie Hayes
 * Kraylon - Chris Johnson
 * Lady Borusa - Katy Manning
 * Thetac - Charlotte Parkyn
 * Commander Cloris - Alan Ruscoe
 * Prime Enforcer Arcalia - Alexander Vlahos

Alternative Gallifrey

 * The True Lords are those under Magistrix Borusa's command and are not vampires.
 * Transduction barriers controlled by the vampires prevent sunlight from touching Gallifrey.
 * Lord Prydon mentions the Houses of Heartshaven and Lungbarrow.
 * The founders of the True Lord Society are Omega, Theta and Zagreus.

Continuity

 * Leela regains her eyesight, which she lost in AUDIO: Fractures.
 * Romana is unimpressed by the vampires, having previously encountered the Great Vampire. (TV: State of Decay)
 * Braxiatel was lost to the group in AUDIO: Disassembled.
 * Leela thought on hearing Borusa's title, Magistrix, that the devastation on this Gallifrey was due to Pandora. (AUDIO: Lies et al.)
 * The Eternal War is still occurring. (PROSE: The Pit, Damaged Goods, et al.)