Assets of War (audio story)

Assets of War was the third story in the audio anthology Susan's War, produced by Big Finish Productions. It was written by Lou Morgan and featured Carole Ann Ford as Susan, Beth Chalmers as Veklin and Damian Lynch as Rasmus.

Publisher's summary
Cardinal Rasmus believes that Susan's special abilities will help him assess a new weapons project.

On a secret military base, creatures from the vortex are being bred for war. Gallifrey's scientists think they can be used as assets against the Daleks.

But the Orrovix are not easily tamed...

Plot
Rasmus takes Susan and Veklin to Oreseia for them to sign off on a new weapon developed at a facility there. Susan is surprised by how many refugees are at the facility and, as Commander Apanna is held up in a security meeting, Rennis leads the group to the council chamber and shows them the weapon: a pack of purpose-bred Orrovix. Lord Vibax explains how the Orrovix can track time energy and never give up, being incorruptible and knowing no fear, and that Susan is here to look into their heads and determine if they are obedient.

Susan is appalled by what the Time Lords have done with the Orrovix and tells Rasmus that she will not support their release upon the universe. During a break, Rasmus goes to speak with Vibax and Susan goes with Rennis to see the Orrovix, noticing on the way that he is wearing a time pendant and learning that he is the sole survivor of the Fifth Gallifreyan Infantry and chose to be sent here rather than return to caring for his brother in the Drylands. The pens contain two adult Orrovix and a litter of six pups. Susan hopes to get closer to them to read their minds better, but the inner lock is biocoded to Vibax for security. Nevertheless, she can sense that they have been experimented on and are wrathful, but there is somebody that they trust.

Veklin has Rennis escort Susan back to the chamber where she speaks out against the Orrovix being used as weapons. Vibax accuses her of being a pacifist like her grandfather and Rasmus impresses that they are running out of options to respond to an imminent temporal attack on a major supply line, but discussion is interrupted when an alarm sounds and Rennis informs everybody that the Orrovix are loose in the command compound, which is now on lockdown. The only secure place is in Apanna's chambers where there is a secure door. Privately, Vibax tells Rasmus that this is an opportunity for Susan to be taken out of the equation.

Rennis directs Susan, Veklin, Rasmus and Vibax to Apanna's rooms but disappears before they enter. Apanna is not present and Veklin runs a bioscan to locate her in the corridor where she is attacked by an Orrovix; Susan leaves the room and tries to calm the Orrovix, but it drags Apanna away and she returns to the room, only just managing to keep it out. They receive a message on a data terminal from Rennis, who says that he is hiding from the Orrovix at the south end of the compound, confusing Veklin as he had not appeared on her earlier bioscan but now does. Vibax blames the equipment.

to be completed

Cast

 * Susan - Carole Ann Ford
 * Rasmus - Damian Lynch
 * Veklin - Beth Chalmers
 * Rennis - Roly Botha
 * Vibax - Vincenzo Nicoli

Continuity

 * Susan mentions her mission on Florana. (AUDIO: The Uncertain Shore)
 * The Orrovix are creatures of the Time Vortex who were once hunted by the Time Lords. They navigate with time energy. (AUDIO: Nevernor)
 * The Fifth Gallifreyan Infantry is a Gallifreyan shock troop. (AUDIO: The Rulers of the Universe)
 * While time pendants were used as toys during Susan's childhood, during the Time War they are given to Gallifreyan shock troopers. They take troopers ten nanoseconds into the future. (AUDIO: The Rulers of the Universe)
 * Rennis comes from the Drylands, (TV: Listen, et al.) a place that most Time Lords don't think anyone of significance can originate from. (TV: Hell Bent)
 * Rennis' brother attracted the Time Lords' attention, and was put through the Time Lord Academy initiation test. However, his mind did not survive staring into the Untempered Schism. (TV: The Sound of Drums, et al.)
 * Susan exiles Rennis to a quiet planet at the war's edge: Njagilheim. (AUDIO: Nevernor)