Hrostar's internal struggle with his past failures and his desire to lead the Menoptra to victory, complicated by his distrust of outsiders like the Doctor.

In the toxic Crater of Needles, Barbara struggles with Vortis’ corrosive atmosphere while Hrostar—himself a broken Menoptra slave—watches over her. Their exchange reveals the brutal reality of the Menoptra’s forced …

On a precarious ledge below the plateau, the group—Hlynia, Hrostar, Barbara, and Prapillus—awaits the arrival of Menoptra reinforcements. The tension is palpable as Prapillus warns of an encircling Zarbi ambush, …