| DREAMS OF EMPIRE by Justin Richards |
| Story ? Synopsis: Hans Kesar has just named himself Consul General for life, a move which causes some ruction in the Haddron Republic. But his colleague, Milton Trayx is persuaded to oppose him, and in the resulting war, Trayx wins. Kesar is imprisoned, but nearly dies in a bomb attack. He is kept alive, but remains a prisoner on Santespri. The TARDIS lands there, just after a guard is murdered. The travellers' innocence is soon ascertained. Trayx explains the situation to the Doctor. Victoria and Jamie get some history from Cruger, another prisoner at Santespri, and one of Kesar's most loyal followers. Trayx shows the Doctor to the Stardial Chamber, which presents a vast map of the skies above them. The Doctor spots a shape moving towards them - a spaceship. He also thinks there's a homing signal being sent from Santespri, but Trayx denies all knowledge. Victoria spies someone up to no good with suits of armour, and is nearly throttled to death when discovered. She manages to identify her attacker, but they are later killed. Trayx decides that Kesar's men should be joined with his in the need to defend Santespri. They assume the spaceship must contain VETACs, robot soldiers. Jamie is allowed to join the troops. The Doctor wonders what game is being played. The VETACs arrive, and soon Trayx is cornered. He sends Cruger to fetch a signal code. But Cruger welcomes the VETACs, the missing Fifth Legion. He wants to use them to free Kesar, although he also plans to be Emperor himself. The Doctor realises Cruger is the elusive killer. Trayx and Kesar are aghast to learn of the survival of the lost Legion - it was their disappearance that prompted Trayx to go to war against his old friend. Cruger has the upper hand, but Kesar reveals he is a stand-in, the real Kesar died in the bomb attack. The Doctor manages to rewire the VETACs to freeze for a short time, during which he confronts Cruger. But one of Trayx's men is angered at Cruger, who is killed by Trayx's robot aide, Prion. The Fifth Legion now falls under the command of Trayx who gets them to stand down. The situation resolved, the Doctor, Jamie and Victoria return to the TARDIS and leave. |
| Review:- A divided people, a prison in space, and a predilection for chess... the intriguing components of this adventure. Perhaps deliberately in keeping with the Season in which it's supposed to be set, the story is in the classic base-under-siege mode, as the distant castle prison on an asteroid is cut off from the life in the rest of the cosmos. The TARDIS arrives in time for an attempted coup and the chance to settle the bad blood that split the Haddron Empire apart. That the Doctor and his friends should arrive only to find a dead body is dramatic enough, but sensibly, they are soon seen as innocent, which allows for a smoother explanation of the set-up on Santespri. Indeed, the opening 1/3 of the book is a slow build as the reader is introduced to the nature of the intrigues between Kesar and Trayx. Eventually, the Doctor spots a spaceship on the way, and the action starts to build, as a dangerous mission comes to the fore, threatening to split the Haddron Republic. The chess motif may have more attraction to those who are obsessed by the game, but the book still carries excitement for those who are closer to Jamie's appraisal of chess. Kesar seems to be an acquiescent prisoner, which the Doctor picks up on, and it comes as a welcome conclusion to find that Kesar is long dead, and being substituted instead. Cruger's villainy burns more deeply, and it is a relief when it becomes clear that he is the clean cut villain of the piece. The two murders provide a bit of distraction, and an insight into the surveillance-dominated prison, but the arrival of the VETACs raises the stakes. The VETACs are an element that sets this book apart. Robot warriors, they are used by the Haddron Republic as warriors, and these here, the lost 5th Legion, turn out to be the catalyst for the whole war, and thus the indirect killers of Hans Kesar, not to mention all those who died in the war. Cruger played a very long game, but didn't count of Trayx' strategic superiority. Even having engineered this attempt to save Kesar, Cruger planned to remove both his nominal boss, and his hated enemy. With the command of the VETACs, a new Haddron Empire would have been born. Fortunately, the Doctor was too clever. Whilst Victoria spends most of her time being a weak and bland figure, and Jamie is a resourceful but ignorant fighter, the Doctor is able to engage with the real brains of Santespri, and deduce who is up to no good. He is alert to the incoming spaceship long before anyone else, and spots Kesar's reluctance. Perhaps his suspicion of Cruger is merely an elimination of suspects. His chess is impeccable, too. But when in a corner, he can manipulate a wall to weaken it and pass through. Probably too many good people die here for his taste, though he doesn't sermonise about it. On the whole, it's a welcome, pleasant read that shows that the intrigues of aliens are just as interesting as those of humans. Even for those who aren't grandmasters of chess. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |