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The Trial of a Time Lord was the fourteen-part story that was the entirety of Season 23 of Doctor Who. It was four different stories in regards to production and the never-aired titles for them were The Mysterious Planet, Mindwarp, Terror of the Vervoids and The Ultimate Foe. All stories except Foe were four parts and the first three stories represented evidence in the Doctor's trial from his past, present and future respectively.

The Inquisitor and the Valeyard were introduced in part one and appeared in the courtroom scenes for every episode, effectively becoming one time series regulars. Sabalom Glitz was also introduced in The Mysterious Planet. He would appear again in The Ultimate Foe and again in Season 24. The Sixth Doctor's new companion, Melanie Bush debuted in Terror of the Vervoids. This was also a story for departure; it saw the last appearance of Nicola Bryant as Peri Brown in part eight with a cameo in part fourteen as well as the final regular appearance of Colin Baker as the Doctor after he did not return for a regeneration scene in the following story. As well as this, Foe was 's last annual appearance on the show; he would appear once more in Survival in Season 26. Sil from Vengeance on Varos also made an appearance with his own species.

With this story, the show returned to the format of 25-minute episodes after the previous season experimented with lengths of 45 minutes. Barring some brief special effects, the series was now produced entirely on videotape.

BBC executive Jonathan Powell was notably harsh when given the scripts to view, citing all his concerns in a memo to John Nathan-Turner and Eric Saward. Such a negative reaction stunned Nathan-Turner and Saward; Saward was especially rattled as he had held Robert Holmes in high esteem in the past and hadn't queried the scripts as they came in. This was perhaps the moment that Saward began questioning his own self-belief in the series and doubting his abilities as a script editor. This would later lead to his departure a few months later. (INFO: The Mysterious Planet)

This story also introduced some costume changes for the Doctor and Peri. The Sixth Doctor entered his second full season with a red check vest & cravat and a bright pink watch chain. To help viewers discern between scenes taking place in different points in the Doctor's timeline, scenes set in his past feature him donning his original turquoise cravat & neon green watch chain for the last time; the following story would feature the Doctor's full new outfit in both past and present scenes, and the one after that featured a completely different vest & cravat for the archival scenes, which are set in the Doctor's future.

Notably, Peri started to wear more conservative clothing in this story after spending most of her appearances in loose-fitting and often revealing outfits. Her wardrobe change was a result of complaints that her provocative clothes were inappropriate for younger Doctor Who viewers.

This story also featured the last work of writer Robert Holmes who died suddenly whilst writing Foe, another catalyst that led to Saward's departure. All of Holmes' contributions to the story were broadcast posthumously.

Synopsis
Taken out of time and put on trial for his constant meddling, the Sixth Doctor faces charges that carry the death penalty. The prosecutor, the Valeyard, shows the court evidence from the Doctor's past, present and future but a conspiracy amongst the High Council is afoot as well dark secrets to be unearthed regarding the origins of the Valeyard.

Part one
The TARDIS materialises in a corridor, and the Sixth Doctor emerges, bewildered and alone. He walks into a room, where he is put on trial for conduct unbecoming a Time Lord. The Inquisitor notes that the Doctor has been on trial previously. The Valeyard states he will argue that the Doctor was shown too much leniency on that occasion. The Valeyard opens the case by using the Matrix to show the Doctor's actions on the planet Ravolox.

The Doctor and Peri arrive on Ravolox, which is virtually identical to Earth. He tells Peri that the official records state that the planet was devastated by a fireball, but the forest they are walking through suggests otherwise. They are seen by Sabalom Glitz and Dibber, who attempt to shoot the Doctor. He moves off just in time. Glitz and Dibber discuss their plan to destroy the "L3 robot" by sabotaging its light conversion system, which has been turned into a totem by a primitive tribe.

The Doctor and Peri explore a cavern. Peri discovers a sign saying "Marble Arch" — a London Underground sign. This means that they are on Earth. Peri begins to mourn for her planet.

The Doctor interrupts the replay to ask what the relevance of this is. He then also asks why Peri is not with him on the station. The Valeyard answers that she is where the Doctor left her and states that the Doctor's evident temporary amnesia — a side-effect of being taken out of time — should soon pass.

As the Matrix resumes showing the events on Ravalox, Peri is still upset. The Doctor goes into the complex alone. Two masked figures appear and capture Peri. Meanwhile, Glitz and Dibber are brought before Katryca, Queen of the Tribe of the Free. Glitz claims that the totem attracted the fireball that devastated Ravolox and asks for it to be taken down. The Queen tells him that others have asked for the totem to be dismantled, and none have succeeded. Glitz and Dibber draw their guns but are overpowered and locked up.

The Doctor finds an underground complex and picks up a bottle of water. This sets off an alarm, and people enter and subdue him. He is accused of stealing water and sentenced to be stoned. The Doctor tries to block the rocks with his umbrella but is knocked unconscious.

The Valeyard proposes that the inquiry into the Doctor's activities should become a full-blown trial, with the penalty being the termination of his life...

Part two
Other officials arrive and break up the stoning. The Doctor is still breathing. Before he can be killed, Merdeen receives a message from the Immortal stating that he wishes to question the Doctor. The Immortal is revealed to be a huge humanoid robot, commands its two assistants to release the service robot.

Peri is brought before Katryca, who informs her that as there are few women, she will need to take many husbands as a member of her tribe. She is put in the same prison as Glitz and Dibber. They tell Peri their plan to destroy the robot. They are taken back to Katryca, who tells them that Glitz will be sacrificed because of his attempt to destroy the great totem.

The Doctor is taken to the Immortal, who introduces itself as Drathro. It commands the Doctor to work with the two assistants. The Doctor identifies the problem and tries to leave in order to fix it, but Drathro does not allow him to, as his instructions are to maintain an underground system. The Doctor electrifies the robot and his assistants and escapes. Drathro sends the service robot to track down the Doctor. Meanwhile, Peri, Glitz and Dibber overpower the guards and escape. Dibber remains behind to plant a bomb on the black light converter, whilst they go to the underground complex.

In the Marb Station, Merdeen tells Balazar that there has been no fire for hundreds of years, and he should leave the complex. They encounter the Doctor, and Merdeen implores him to help Balazar escape. Peri, Glitz and Dibber, pursued by tribesmen, find the Doctor, and they flee into the Marb Station but are trapped between the tribe and the service robot. When Peri asks what they should do, the Doctor replies, "I don't know. I really think this could be the end. . . "

Part three
The Doctor and Peri are saved when the tribesmen shoot at the service robot and disable it. The Doctor tries to re-enter the underground complex, but the tribesmen insist they all return to the village. There, the Doctor is brought before Katryca. She is unimpressed with his explanation of the true nature of the totem and puts them all back in the prison cell.

Glitz confirms that the planet is actually Earth. Drathro reactivates the service robot and sends it to the village. It breaks into the building with the Doctor, stuns him after an attempted handshake and takes him away. The tribesmen disable the service robot and decide to attack the Immortal's castle to steal his technology, believing that they have killed him. Peri rescues the Doctor from the service robot. They set off to the underground complex to stop Katryca and disable the black light system.

The Doctor and Peri encounter Merdeen in the corridors of the underground complex. He tells them that he is hunting. When the Doctor asks who his quarry is, he looks at the Doctor and says, "You". He raises a crossbow weapon at the Doctor and fires...

Part four
Katryca and the tribesmen arrive at the castle, where they are confronted by Drathro. He electrocutes Katryca and dismisses the rest of the tribe. The Doctor enters Drathro's domain, promising to help repair the black light system. However, he determines it to be beyond repair and tells Drathro that he must shut down the black light system to prevent a massive explosion. Drathro refuses as it would mean its own destruction. The Doctor pleads with him, saying that the explosion could destroy the entire universe. That makes Drathro determined to allow what he thinks is a unique event.

Balazar and Peri plead with Merdeen to help them, noting that he would die if the converter exploded. Glitz and Dibber arrive and follow them into the castle through a food chute. Drathro tries to kill them by turning on the food processing system, but Dibber shoots him through the wall. Glitz tells Drathro that they have black light on their ship, and offers to take the robot to the Andromeda Galaxy. Drathro agrees and leaves with Glitz and Dibber.

The Doctor realises that the black light system has already begun to self-destruct. All he can do is prevent it starting a chain reaction. The system explodes, but the blast only destroys the castle, and as a result, Drathro collapses. The Doctor and Peri leave Merdeen and Balazar to take the remaining inhabitants to a new life on the surface.

The Doctor announces to the court that he has saved the Universe, and starts to present his defence. The Valeyard warns the Doctor that he has more evidence to come and that the court will demand the Doctor's life at the end...

Part five
The Valeyard and the Doctor argue about the Doctor's involvement in past events. The Inquisitor warns them to pay due respect to the judicial process. The Valeyard presents his second block of evidence - the Doctor's arrival on the planet Thoros Beta.

The TARDIS arrives on the planet, where the Doctor shows Peri Brown a weapon given to him by the "Warlord of Thordon", made on Thoros Beta. He says he has come to find out how the warlords obtained the technology. They enter a cave where Peri is grabbed by a monstrous creature. In the struggle, the Doctor shoots it.

The Valeyard accuses the Doctor of deliberately shooting the monster, but he insists the weapon went off accidentally.

A figure arrives and accuses the Doctor and Peri of murdering the Raak, despite their protestations that it attacked them first. The figure asks if they are part of Crozier's group. The Doctor says he is. They flee before they can be identified as imposters, but are quickly faced by another monster. It reacts kindly when the Doctor is nice to it. They flee further. As they hide, they see three reptilian figures being carried by guards. The third is their old enemy Sil. The Doctor realises Sil is probably behind the arms sales and informs Peri that Thoros Beta is the homeworld of Sil's race, the Mentors.

In Crozier's laboratory, King Yrcanos is being experimented on. The Doctor and Peri sneak inside. As the Doctor sabotages some of Kiv's equipment, Sil arrives in the laboratory. The Doctor is strapped to a table and Crozier applies a metal helmet to his head. Crozier states that the equipment will extract the truth from a suspect and could prove fatal. He starts to probe the Doctor's mind, and the Doctor screams in agony...

Part six
King Yrcanos awakes and destroys the equipment. Overpowering the guards, he departs the laboratory, followed by a stunned Doctor and Peri. Yrcanos outlines his plans to attack the Mentors. The Doctor says he would enjoy that and then collapses.

The Doctor tells the Inquisitor that he cannot remember these events. The Valeyard tells him he is in for a surprise if this is true.

Yrcanos, the Doctor and Peri go to where new slaves are brought into the base. Yrcanos plans to attack the guards and steal their weapons, but as he sneaks into the room, the Doctor calls out to the guards, giving him away. Yrcanos, unable to fight the guards, flees. Peri points a weapon at Sil and asks the Doctor for help, but he ignores her. Peri drops the weapon and flees after Yrcanos. Sil asks the Doctor why he helped the Mentors, and he replies that the odds were on their side.

The Doctor insists that the footage is not of him, but the Valeyard tells him that the Matrix cannot lie.

Peri comes across Matrona, who allows her to join the Mentors' servants rather than turn her over to the guards. Covered with a veil, she enters the Commerce Room with Kiv's medication. The Doctor asks her to get him a drink, so she disguises her voice to avoid being recognised. When she brings him a new drink, the Doctor uncovers her and denounces her as an enemy to the Mentors.

The Doctor tells the courtroom that what they are seeing is all part of his ploy. He says he planned to gain the Mentors' trust so that he would be allowed to interrogate her alone, giving them a chance to escape.

Peri is lashed to rocks on the shoreline and the Doctor stands over her, accusing her of being a spy. She asks why he is behaving the way he is, and the Doctor tells her that Crozier is planning to put Kiv's brain into his body unless he can help them. Crozier stops the interrogation, saying that they have more effective methods of extracting the truth from Peri. As they re-enter the complex, Yrcanos attacks the guard and threatens to kill the Doctor...

Part seven
However, Peri smashes the gun from Yrcanos's hands, allowing the Doctor to flee. In Crozier's laboratory, the scientist prepares to transplant Kiv's brain into a recently deceased Mentor corpse with the help of the Doctor. The operation proves successful.

Meanwhile, Yrcanos, Peri and Dorf team up with members of the Alphan resistance. Agreeing to allow Yrcanos to lead them in an attack on the Mentors, they go to the resistance arms dump, but they are ambushed by Mentor guards and shot down. However, it is revealed they have merely been stunned, and they are taken to cells. Watching these events on the Matrix screen in the Time Lord courtroom, the Doctor protests that he was not responsible. The Valeyard, however, replies, "In your mind, perhaps not. But in reality, it is somewhat different, Doctor." The Doctor looks perturbed...

Part eight
In Crozier's laboratory, Lord Kiv is rambling due to the body of the fisherman influencing his brain. Crozier makes plans to transfer the brain into another more suitable body and suggests using Peri. The Doctor says he would prefer that she is not experimented on, but while he is trying to find another candidate, Peri is brought to the laboratory and strapped to the operating table. Crozier begins to prepare her for the surgery.

The Doctor goes to Yrcanos's cell and tricks the guard, allowing Yrcanos and Dorf to escape. Together they free the remaining resistance members. They head towards the control room, from where all the slaves are mentally controlled. They succeed in freeing the slaves from mental control, but Dorf is killed by a passing guard. Lord Kiv is taken to the laboratory to prepare for the operation. Peri is strapped down and gagged, and Kiv gives the order to shave her head. As the Doctor heads towards the lab, his TARDIS suddenly appears in the hallway. The Doctor absent-mindedly reverses into it and it takes off, heading for the space station.

In the courtroom, the Inquisitor tells the Doctor that this was the result of an order from the High Council because the result of Crozier's experiment would affect all life in the Universe.

As Yrcanos prepares his attack on the laboratory, the Time Lords capture him in a time bubble so that his attack is perfectly timed to destroy Crozier's work. When Kiv awakes in Peri's bald body, the time bubble dissipates and Yrcanos bursts into the laboratory. Upon seeing the result of Crozier's experiment, he is consumed with fury and despiar and begins firing his gun wildly, seemingly killing Peri and the others in the process.

The Doctor is shocked by what he has seen. The Inquisitor and the Valeyard tell him that it was necessary to end Peri's life to prevent the disastrous consequences of Crozier's experiment. The Doctor, awash with rage, insists that he was taken out of time for another reason, and he declares that he's going to find out why...

Part nine
The Doctor returns to the courtroom after a recess, given to allow him some time to mourn Peri Brown's death, which was revealed in the previous block of evidence. The Doctor begins his defence, showing events from his future. The galactic liner Hyperion III is a ship taking a supply of rare metals from Mogar to Earth in the year 2986 AD. The Doctor states that many of the passengers and crew will not survive the journey to Earth, for "[someone determined to] protect a secret hidden on the space liner... will become a murderer."

On the spaceliner Hyperion III, an elderly man named Kimber thinks he recognises a fellow passenger as an investigator called Hallett. However, the passenger denies this, claiming that he is a mineralogist called Grenville. A trio of scientist passengers — Professor Sarah Lasky and her colleagues Bruchner and Doland — are alarmed that Grenville might be an investigator.

Edwardes, the communications officer, detects a craft close to the ship — the TARDIS — but is unable to get a reply. Suddenly, an unseen figure attacks him and injects him with a syringe. He then uses the communication equipment to send a message to the TARDIS. On board, the Doctor and Mel pick up a Mayday message, stating "...perative traitor be identified before landing Earth." They materialise within the Hyperion III's cargo hold, next to the hydroponics centre. The Doctor tells Mel he can sense evil, and says they should leave, but they are seized by guards. They are brought before Commodore Travers — whom the Doctor has met once before. Travers denies sending a mayday signal, but wants the Doctor and Mel to remain on board, and confines them to passenger quarters. Travers hopes, from his previous experience of the Doctor's behaviour, that he will be able to find out who sent the fake mayday call.

The Doctor is convinced that whoever sent the message knew him and wanted him on board. Mel suggests that the Doctor ask for a passenger list, in the hope of spotting a familiar name, while she wanders around the large liner in hope of finding the mysterious contact. Security officer Rudge takes Mel to the ship's gymnasium, where he shows her how to use the headphones and tape recordings to help her exercise. While she is doing so, Doland arrives and informs Lasky that someone has broken into their hydroponics centre. As they rush off to find Bruchner, Mel hears someone on her headphones, telling her to take the Doctor to Cabin 6. Down in the cargo hold, Lasky, Doland and Bruchner check the hydroponics centre; the large pods inside are stable, but the Demeter seeds have been stolen from the small work cabin.

In the lounge, the Doctor persuades the stewardess Janet to let him see the passenger list, but he does not recognise any of the names. Mel arrives and gives the Doctor the message to go to Cabin 6, but the Doctor declines, claiming he feels like he would be simply walking into a trap. Mel decides to go by herself, but when she arrives, she discovers the Doctor is already there. They find the room has been wrecked, supposedly in a fight, and they find the silver Demeter seeds and a single boot.

Rudge contacts Travers to inform him there has been an accident in the waste disposal unit; it seems that someone has been thrown inside. All that is left is a boot matching the one found by the Doctor and Mel in Cabin 6. They learn that these belonged to Grenville, but the Doctor does not recognise the name. The Doctor and Mel go to the gymnasium. The Doctor says that, with Grenville dead, there is nothing they can do. Mel departs to investigate the hydroponics centre alone.

Back in the courtroom, the Doctor interrupts the display to claim that there have been changes to these scenes and states that he is being manipulated.

Mel enters the cargo hold, where she meets Edwardes. He agrees to show her the hydroponics centre. It was set up for the journey specially for Lasky, Doland and Bruchner, and that only low spectrum light is allowed inside to keep the pods dormant. When Edwardes tries to enter, he is electrocuted. Mel screams in fright, sparks fly around the mysterious pods and something begins to emerge from them...

Part ten
Two guards arrive at the scene, and Mel tells them that Edwardes is dead. One of the guards leads Mel away, and the other guard examines Edwardes' corpse. Later, Doland and Bruchner arrive to find that all the pods have been opened. Bruchner looks on in horror, asking Doland if he realises what has been unleashed. Rudge brings the Doctor to the bridge to help question Mel about being in the hydroponics centre. Rudge then gets a message from the medical team that was sent down to the hold to collect Edwardes' body, claiming that neither Edwardes nor the guard can be found.

When Travers asks the Doctor what is going on — with a passenger, now Edwardes and a guard all gone missing, two, if not all three, murdered — Mel replies that a killer must be on board the ship. Travers decides to speed up their journey to Earth and has the ship's course altered. He enters the lounge to inform the passengers that their arrival time will be brought forward by around 72 hours. Three Mogarians express their concerns that this will take them close to the Black Hole of Tartarus, but Travers assures them that they will be within adequate safety margins.

Later, one of the Mogarians collapses after having a drink. The Doctor attempts to remove the figure's face plate, but the others protest that oxygen is lethal to a Mogarian. The Doctor believes it is not a Mogarian and removes the faceplate to reveal that is actually Grenville. The Doctor, however, recognises the man as Hallett, an undercover investigator. When Kimber recalls recognising Hallett before, in front of most of the other passengers, the Doctor guesses that Hallett has faked his own death to avoid being discovered.

The Valeyard asks the Doctor how he knew the man was a fake. The Doctor replays the scene where the Mogarians spoke to Travers about the black hole, which shows that the fake one did not have his translator switched on. The Doctor also points out that Hallett's death meant that he could no longer play a passive role on board the Hyperion III.

Mel realises that the Demeter seeds left in the wrecked cabin for her and the Doctor to discover were a clue to lead them to the hydroponics centre. They go down to the hold to have a look at the place, and the Doctor wonders what came out of the pods. Returning to the passenger quarters, they see Lasky leaving a guarded isolation room. They wonder what she was doing inside, so the Doctor sets off a fire alarm to distract the guard. He and Mel enter the room, where they find a half-human, half-plant hybrid strapped to a table. Mel screams in fright...

Part eleven
The creature sits up and implores the Doctor and Mel to stop Lasky, but Lasky, Bruchner and Doland arrive and sedate her. Doland tells the time travellers that the creature is his assistant, Ruth Baxter. During their experiments involving cross-fertilisation, a speck of pollen penetrated a tiny scratch in Ruth's thumb, causing the resulting plant maturing process to partially transform her human body. They are taking her to Earth in the hope that they can reverse the infection.

Mel hears a noise in the air conditioning ducts. Attaching one of the headphones to the grill, she uses the gym sound equipment to amplify the sound and record what she hears onto one of the music tapes. She overhears creatures planning to kill all the animal-kind on the ship. As she listens, she is attacked from behind and rendered unconscious with an anaesthetic. The attacker dumps her in a disposal trolley. The Doctor enters the gym and hears the recording, including her scream when she was attacked. The Doctor runs after the trolley and rescues her from being killed in the waste disposal unit. Unfortunately, the attacker has removed the tape.

Bruchner is becoming increasingly hysterical about the situation with the hydroponics centre, especially when the elderly Kimber disappears. It turns out that he, Edwardes and the missing guard have all been killed by plant-like creatures called Vervoids — the creatures that came out of the pods when Edwardes was electrocuted. The Vervoids are slowly skulking through the Hyperion III's air ducts, secretly killing the crew and passengers one at a time and dumping their bodies in their lair. Lasky finds Bruchner burning the notes on their work in the hydroponics centre's small work cabin and tries unsuccessfully to reason with him about his actions. Bruchner knocks Lasky out, runs off and attacks a guard, taking his gun. He goes to the bridge and forces Travers and the pilot to leave, then changes the course of the Hyperion to head straight into the black hole of Tartarus — planning to destroy the ship, and the Vervoids with it. The Doctor informs the Commodore of the Hyperion III of this fact. Professor Lasky is stunned by this news. The Doctor looks accusingly at the Commodore...

Part twelve
The Doctor, Lasky and Travers attempt to break into the bridge, but they discover it is filled with marsh gas. This has been released into the bridge by the Vervoids, who — having overheard Lasky talking with Bruchner in the hydroponics centre — have learned that they are the only members of their species. Bruchner is killed by the gas, but the ship is still heading into the black hole. Rudge summons the two Mogarians, as they can breathe in the poisonous atmosphere. They manage to direct the ship away from the black hole, but when it is safe, Rudge tells Travers that he and the Mogarians are taking over the ship.

Mel gets to the lounge ahead of Rudge and warns Doland and Janet of the hijacking. Rudge tells the Doctor that the Mogarians are trying to regain the supply of metals stored in the vault, as they consider the expiring resources of rare minerals were stolen from their planet. Rudge himself is taking the hijacking as a means of securing a "more comfortable retirement", as this Mogar-Earth journey was to be his last voyage as a security officer before being written off. On the bridge, an unknown assailant kills the Mogarians by throwing a liquid at them which damages their suits and causes them to die from exposure to an oxygen environment.

Mel sneaks through the air ducts to let the Doctor know that the guards will attack the lounge. The Doctor believes this is too risky and tells her to attack the bridge instead. When they arrive, they find the Mogarians dead and take the face plates to prove to Rudge the hijack is over. Doland knocks the gun from Rudge's hands, and he runs into the corridors but is soon killed by the Vervoids.

The Doctor tells Travers about the stolen tape recording and requests his permission to search the passenger cabins. While Mel checks Lasky's locker in the gym, the Doctor tells Doland that he thinks the traitor is either him or Lasky. After searching the professor's cabin, Doland suggests the cabinet in the hydroponics centre work cabin. There, Doland reveals the tape is in his pocket, but that he has wiped it. Taking the Doctor's gun, Doland admits the murders. He reveals that he plans to use the Vervoids for slave labour, taking over factories and farms from robots. However, the Doctor has disarmed the gun, and Travers arrives and arrests Doland. However, Doland and the guard are attacked and killed by the Vervoids.

The Doctor, Mel, Travers and Lasky meet on the bridge to discuss the Vervoids. Lasky believes that something must have gone wrong with their DNA, but the Doctor tells them that the Vervoids' hostillity towards them is instinctive: They are a form of carefully bred plant life, and all animal-kind ultimately consumes plant life. This means that the Vervoids hate animal-kind and kill for survival. Lasky realises that this is what made Bruchner so hysterical, and vows to help destroy the creatures, with Travers asking the Doctor to do the same.

Back in the courtroom, the Doctor states that this shows he was not meddling but had been asked to help. The Inquisitor accepts his argument, but the Valeyard wishes to see the outcome of events.

In the hydroponics centre, Lasky finds that the necessary chemicals to create herbicide had been taken by the Vervoids. She, Mel and the Doctor are then surrounded by the plants. Lasky tries to reason with them, but they kill her and take her body back to their lair. Escaping through the air ducts, Mel and the Doctor discover the pile of bodies. The Doctor tells the distraught Mel that this is the Vervoids' version of a compost heap.

The Doctor has an idea that vionesium, the rare metal taken from Mogar and stored in the ship's vault, would accelerate the Vervoids' life-cycle towards its natural end. Exposed to oxygenated air, vionesium releases intense light and carbon dioxide — to the Vervoids, the basic ingredients for their life-cycle induced by the seasons of spring, summer and autumn. Travers lowers the lighting and heating in the ship, forcing the Vervoids back to their lair, where the Doctor and Mel are waiting. They successfully deploy the metal against the Vervoids, which causes the creatures' leaf-covered bodies to turn brown, wither, and die. Having saved the survivors, the Doctor and Mel bid their farewells to Travers and Janet, and depart in the TARDIS.

Back in the courtroom, the Inquisitor asks the Doctor if any of the Vervoids survived, and he informs her that none did; if even a leaf had survived and reached Earth, a Vervoid would have grown. Seizing on this, the Valeyard accuses the Doctor of destroying an entire species and for the punishment, the charge must now be genocide...

Part thirteen
The Sixth Doctor insists that the footage from the Matrix has been tampered with. The Inquisitor brings the Keeper of the Matrix to testify. He is adamant that the Matrix can be accessed only by senior Time Lords with appropriate keys. The Doctor maintains his innocence, accusing the Valeyard of manipulating the evidence to his own ends and that someone can make a duplicate key. The Valeyard denies any such interference and closes his case.

Meanwhile, two travel pods arrive on the station. They open to reveal Mel and Sabalom Glitz. They enter the court just in time to assist the Doctor's defence, saying they had been sent by someone unknown to help prove that the Doctor acted in good faith. This anonymous benefactor makes himself known, appearing on the viewscreen from inside the Matrix - it is. He entered the Matrix with a duplicate key and has been watching the courtroom drama unfold but is, for some reason, unwilling to let the Valeyard win.

The Doctor questions Glitz about the secrets he was hoping to obtain from the sleepers. He learns those secrets were stolen from the Matrix. In retaliation, the Gallifreyan High Council moved Earth to hide the theft and prevent a rescue. The Doctor is outraged at the corruption of his own people, realising that he has been framed to prevent the truth from emerging. The Master adds that the Valeyard is an amalgamation of the Doctor's darker impulses from the future, falling somewhere between his twelfth and final incarnations. The High Council offered him the Doctor's remaining regenerations if he could convict the Doctor. The Inquisitor insists the trial consider all the evidence, but the Valeyard flees the court through a door into the Matrix.

The Doctor and Glitz follow through the door, finding themselves in a recreation of Victorian London created by the Valeyard. The Doctor is attacked by a hand from a rain barrel, but Glitz saves him and hands him a note from the Master which leads them to the Fantasy Factory. As they approach, Glitz is shot with a harpoon.

In the courtroom, the Master explains that the evidence presented throughout the trial was mostly correct, but with small errors designed to convict the Doctor. These included the death of Peri Brown, who actually survived to become Yrcanos' queen. He admits that the Valeyard would make an even more powerful enemy than the Doctor, but this way he could be rid of them both. He also insists that the High Council answer for what they have done and has allowed the people of Gallifrey to witness the court proceedings.

Glitz, saved by his Mark 7 postidion life preserver, accompanies the Doctor to the Fantasy Factory, where they encounter an extremely officious bureaucrat named Mr. Popplewick. Deciding to go over his head and speak directly to the proprietor, they march into the next room, only to find an identical office with an even more evasive and infuriating duplicate of Mr Popplewick. Before letting them proceed further, Popplewick asks the Doctor to sign a document that promises his future incarnations to the Valeyard should he vanquish the Doctor, the High Council being less than trustworthy and unlikely to keep their promise. As the Doctor steps through the next door, he finds himself alone on a beach, where the Valeyard's voice taunts him and hands emerge from the sand to pull him beneath the surface...

Part fourteen
Glitz arrives as the Doctor is dragged under, only grabbing the cloth around each of his shoes. He is amazed to see the Doctor rise out of the ground unharmed, after making a bad pun. The Doctor explains that the Matrix is unreal and that, with enough effort, he can deny the Valeyard's traps. The Valeyard appears, taunting the Doctor. He explains that he has to destroy the Doctor's good side to be free of all his positive traits. A cloud of nerve gas advances towards them, forcing the Doctor and Glitz to take refuge in a nearby beach hut that turns out to be the Master's TARDIS. The Master explains the Valeyard has to be stopped because he has none of the Doctor's morality, making him an even more evil being than himself, which vexes the Master. Lying that he wishes to help the Doctor, the Master tricks the Doctor into believing that he and Glitz are retrieving his TCE from elsewhere in the TARDIS but activates a function on his console that puts the Doctor into a catatonic state while Glitz and he hide in the corridor.

The Master's TARDIS materialises at the Fantasy Factory and the hypnotised Doctor is sent out as bait. When the Valeyard comes out to see what is happening, the Master shoots the Valeyard with his TCE, but the beams from his weapon bounce off. The Valeyard retaliates with explosive quills that force the Master to run away. Glitz is temporarily stunned by an explosion.

Mel arrives in the Matrix to help the Doctor. They return to the station to finish clearing his name. Mel gives evidence regarding the Vervoids, but it is not enough to prevent the Inquisitor from delivering a verdict of guilty on the charge of genocide. The Doctor accepts his death sentence with surprising calm.

This is not the real courtroom, but another Matrix fantasy. On the real station, Mel and the Inquisitor watch impotently as the Doctor is taken to what he believes to be his execution. Mel is unwilling to sit by meekly. She steals the Keeper's key to enter the Matrix. She reaches the Doctor in time to save him, but he is well aware of the situation because the fake Mel had mentioned events she had not witnessed. The Doctor was hoping to encounter the Valeyard, so they head for the Fantasy Factory.

The Master, back in his TARDIS, tries to hypnotise Glitz into helping him but has to resort to bribery when the hypnotism fails. This proves just as effective. Glitz finds the Matrix tapes containing the secrets in Popplewick's office, while the Doctor locates a list of the courtroom judges written in his own handwriting. Glitz forces Popplewick at gunpoint to take them to the proprietor, J.J. Chambers, but is willing to trade the Doctor for the Matrix secrets, which he then gives to the Master.

The Doctor exposes Popplewick as the Valeyard in disguise, since his melodramatic nature was too obvious. He finds a laser aimed through the viewscreen into the courtroom, to kill all the judges on the list as a last resort. The Master reveals to the court that the High Council has been deposed by a revolt on Gallifrey and he intends to rule in their place. He loads the tapes of the secrets into his TARDIS console, but it is a fake which freezes the Master and Glitz in the Matrix.

Mel arrives in the courtroom in time to evacuate the judges, while the Doctor stops the laser firing at the cost of creating a massive feedback surge which strikes the Valeyard, allowing the Doctor to escape back to the station. The Inquisitor dissolves the trial and tells the Doctor about Peri's true fate on Krontep. She further suggests that the Doctor, for the third time, run for the vacant presidency on Gallifrey, but he declines, stating that she would be a better candidate. He suggests that, while the Master must be punished, leniency should be shown to Glitz as he can be reformed.

The Doctor and Mel depart in the TARDIS. She annoys him by mentioning carrot juice. The Doctor almost barrels off in the opposite direction once he learns she plans to make him exercise again, thinking he would have been better off taking the Presidency. However, he gives in to her whims when he remembers Mel has met him too early. He intends to return her to whence she came and wait to meet her in the original order.

Back in the courtroom, the Inquisitor orders the Keeper to improve the security of the Matrix and repair it while removing the Master and Glitz. He is allowed to requisition anything necessary for its mending. The Keeper agrees but, as he turns away, he reveals himself to be the Valeyard...