The Last Days of Freme (audio story)

The Last Days of Freme was the first audio story in the audio anthology Allegiance, the thirteenth series of Gallifrey. It was written by Lou Morgan and featured Louise Jameson as Leela, Carolyn Pickles as Ollistra, Ken Bones as the Eleventh General, Beth Chalmers as Veklin and Richard Armitage as Rassilon.

Publisher's summary
Leela is assigned to the War Room by Lord Rassilon himself. There, she finds an earlier incarnation of Ollistra, restored from the Matrix to oversee operations. She has a mission for Leela, and will go to any lengths to ensure compliance...

Plot
Veklin takes Leela from her cell to the War Room on the orders of Rassilon, who has Vibax fit Leela with a compliance collar and threatens to hand her back to Vibax for genetic engineering if she fails to fight for Gallifrey. A Matrix projection of Ollistra's previous incarnation sends Leela on a mission with the General and Veklin to destroy Freme before the Daleks can ally themselves with the evacuating Fremians by placing Vibax's planet-killing device in a volcanic fissure vent. Upon arriving, Leela allows herself to be captured by the Fremians, who also take the Battle TARDIS.

The General and Veklin manage to get the Battle TARDIS back and, per Ollistra's orders, prioritise the mission over saving Leela, who has been welcomed by Argatro, head of the Fremian Council. The Fremians hurry to their shuttles to reach the Ark before the volcano's ash and smoke makes evacuation impossible and Veklin tries to get Leela to return to the TARDIS after the General activates the weapon, but she refuses as she believes that the Fremians will know that the Time Lords are responsible for the planet's destruction and will join the Daleks as a result. Whilst the General and Porto take the TARDIS to the Ark, Leela and Veklin travel there by shuttle.

Argatro reveals that his people recognised the Battle TARDIS as well as the General and Veklin's armour and Leela, fighting against the shock of the compliance collar, tells him the truth of their mission. She persuades him to give up Freme for a future amongst the stars and to detonate the weapon using what is actually the control for her collar, resulting in the Fremians believing that they themselves destroyed their planet and having no reason to ally themselves with the Daleks. Instead, they agree to an alliance with the Time Lords, an outcome with which Rassilon is not displeased.

Cast

 * Leela - Louise Jameson
 * The General - Ken Bones
 * Commander Veklin - Beth Chalmers
 * Argatro - Daon Broni
 * Cardinal Ollistra - Carolyn Pickles
 * Lord Rassilon - Richard Armitage
 * Lady Vibax / Gilla - Corrinne Wicks
 * Porto / Bellaris - Eve Winters

Worldbuilding

 * Ollistra's other self is out in the universe.
 * Leela is forced to wear a compliance collar.
 * The Daleks have forced an alliance with the Fremians by occupying Freme.
 * The Fremians control thirty planets.
 * The General suggests use of the Oubliette.
 * Veklin bemoans that Vibax gets worse with every regeneration.
 * The TARDIS' chameleon circuit fails.

Continuity

 * Rassilon mentions his plans for ascension. (TV: The End of Time, AUDIO: Homecoming)
 * The General mentions Romana's exile in the Vault dimension. (AUDIO: Homecoming)
 * The General notes that if Leela's rebellion had succeeded then TARDISes would no longer work. (AUDIO: Homecoming)