Insurgency (audio story)

Insurgency (identified on the cover simply as Chapter Eight) was the fourth story of the second series of Big Finish's Gallifrey audio series. It was written by Steve Lyons.

Publisher's summary
"How can we go forward when she continually fans the flames of mistrust and paranoia? I've seen the future she'll create — the corridors of the Capitol, awash with blood!"

They are the brightest minds of their generation; the architects of tomorrow. And now, they have the chance to attend the finest, most exclusive school known to the temporal powers. After millennia of secrecy, the Gallifreyan Academy has opened its doors to off-worlders...

But the experiment is failing. As interracial violence erupts in the corridors of learning, somebody is using the students as pawns in a political power game — and, while Tutor Leela struggles to unravel the motives of her ex-husband, Andred, President Romana may be falling under an ancient spell.

It's a dangerous time to be a stranger on Gallifrey.

It seems that not all Time Lords want to share their secrets...

Plot
Acting-Chancellor Valyes addresses the students of the Gallifreyan Academy, including the off-worlders, and promises that he will be ensuring that the Academy continues to move in the direction laid out by Braxiatel. Human student Taylor switches off his screen during the speech, refusing to be taken in by what he says and finding him patronising, a view which Phaidon Galadina and Monan B'arech agree with. Neeloc, a Time Lord, respects Valyes and says that most of his kind are pro-integration. He believes that the group will achieve great things and that, one day, nobody will care about where they each came from.

Leela is now lecturing at the Academy, but confides in Romana that she feels uncomfortable in the job and that she does not like Valyes, who was appointed by the High Council. Romana says that they have to accept Valyes' appointment and that, with Darkel making speeches on Public Register Video denouncing Romana's every action, she might have to prepare herself for a presidential challenge. With Darkel and Valyes being against the integration of off-worlders, and Braxiatel's valuable wisdom now gone, it is important to her that Leela keeps her eyes open at the Academy, particularly with the tension caused by Gillestes' arrest.

Late to a lecture, Leela and K9 Mark I run into Valyes and Andred, who is concerned about terrorists at the Academy following the Gillestes incident. Leela is not happy to see him, comparing him unfavourably to his former incarnation, and heads off with K9 after warning Valyes that he was self-serving and treacherous. Once she has gone, Valyes tells Andred that he is glad that he is no longer romantically involved with her.

Neeloc, Taylor, Galadina and B'arech are missing their lecture with Leela to look for their Monan friend, K'arel, who said that she would meet them in the dormitory. Neeloc, Taylor and Galadina decide to go to the lecture and make an excuse for B'arech's absence as he continues to search for her.

Returning from the archives, Romana and K9 Mark II are approached by Narvin, whom Archivist Deweden informed of her visit due to his concerns about Pandora. Romana and K9 remind him that the past and present forms of Pandora are within Braxiatel's mind and that the future form has no tangible presence but, as a precaution, Romana still is not accessing the Matrix directly; Deweden is making a headset for K9 to communicate with Pandora. Narvin protests, but Romana says that this matter does not involve the Celestial Intervention Agency.

In the lecture, Neeloc, Taylor and Galadina ask Leela about how she fell in love with Andred and the prejudice that she endured as a result. She says that it is natural for the Time Lords to be cautious of outsiders given their enviable technology, but they still need to learn and be taught that outsiders can be trusted.

Afterwards, Neeloc expresses his excitement at having learnt that Leela was present at the Sontaran invasion when B'arech finds them, having seen Valyes and Andred packing up K'arel's possessions for return to the Monan Host World. She is the latest off-worlder to have been exiled for allegedly conspiring with Gillestes, a charge that her friends refuse to believe. Neeloc suggests that they speak to Valyes, but the off-worlders worry that they could be next if they speak out.

Darkel makes a speech on Public Register Video about K'arel's, saying that her expulsion proves that Andred is an effective Castellan and that Time Lord society is too naïve about off-worlders. Romana switches her screen off, frustrated at the harm that Darkel and Andred are doing to the Time Lords' relationship with the Monan Host and afraid that her dreams of the Capitol running with blood might become a reality because of civil war. K9 informs her that the High Monan is contacting her, as she expected.

Valyes lets Andred know that he has his support and they discuss their disapproval of Romana and her policies towards the Academy, Andred informing Valyes that there are like-minded people in high places. Ostensibly to avoid a repeat of the Gillestes incident, they agree that Matrix privileges will need to be withdrawn from all non-Gallifreyan students. Although they will need the authorisation of the High Council, Andred tells Valyes to make the announcement immediately.

Many students are angry with the announcement and Leela tries to assuage them, but admits that she too finds the restriction unfair. She agrees with Neeloc, however, that protesting and making demands of Valyes will only make things worse and that they must choose their battles and put faith in Romana.

Romana, who has instructed K9 Mark II and a pair of guards to shoot her if she appears to be possessed, has K9 access the Matrix so that she can question Pandora. She dismisses the protesting Narvin and finds that K9 has been possessed by Pandora's future aspect.

Narvin visits Darkel and tells her that he believes that Romana is already under Pandora's control, reasoning that that would be the only rational explanation for her reckless behaviour. Whilst Narvin is concerned about the threat to Gallifrey, Darkel sees this as an opportunity to have the High Council call a vote of confidence and tells him to obey Romana until he has an unimpeachable reason not to.

Neeloc asks Galadina why she was speaking with Persephone and hopes that she does not intend to join her Phaidon gang. She says that she refused her offer but fears that Persephone might have been correct in saying that she will soon have to choose between her friends and her people.

Leela saves a Sunari student after he is attacked by a group of Nekkistani students whom she threatens to have K9 Mark I stun. He will not speak to her, however, and she sends him away. Andred, who has been watching her, says that the attack was likely in response to an attack on four Nekkistani whom he has seen in the medical bay; the students are dividing into factions just as Romana was warned. Leela makes her feelings towards Darkel's speeches known and says that she is becoming a liar like Andred, saying one thing to her students and another in their absence.

Romana believes that part of Pandora had entered her mind when she encountered her in the Vaults and has been giving her nightmares, but this aspect cannot answer her as she can only look to the future. Pandora tells her that there will be a civil war between the Time Lords and that Gallifrey will be laid to waste. She claims that Romana will seek her counsel throughout the war, but that neither reason nor force will thwart Darkel and her supporters. The future is Romana's to weave.

Neeloc, Taylor, B'arech and Galadina argue about the situation that the off-worlders face, Taylor having had his data pad broken and books torn up in a racist attack. B'arech tells Neeloc to prove his loyalties by helping to remove the key to the Time Lords' power, but Taylor says that he is sounding like a Free Time terrorist and leaves. Neeloc too leaves, non-committal about seeing his friends again. Taylor is stopped in the corridors by Andred, who says that he is on the side of Gallifrey and supports Romana's reforms but that she will ultimately fail. He invites Taylor to think on that during his stroll.

to be added

Cast

 * President Romana - Lalla Ward
 * Leela - Louise Jameson
 * K9 - John Leeson
 * Inquisitor Prime Darkel - Lynda Bellingham
 * Coordinator Narvin - Seán Carlsen
 * Castellan Andred - Andy Coleman
 * Acting-Chancellor Valyes - Steven Wickham
 * Student Neeloc - Stuart Piper
 * Student Taylor - Gary Bakewell
 * Student Galadina - Jenny Livsey
 * Student B'arech - John Dorney

Continuity

 * Gillestes' arrest and membership of Free Time is mentioned, having caused tension at the Academy. (AUDIO: Pandora)
 * Several references are made to the Sontaran invasion of Gallifrey. (TV: The Invasion of Time)
 * Andred mentions Time Scaphes. (PROSE: Cat's Cradle: Time's Crucible)