The Doctor's external conflict with the Marshal, who represents a hostile militaristic regime that opposes the Doctor’s pacifist interventions.

The Doctor and Romana navigate the war-torn control area under the watchful control of Major Shapp. Recognizing the Marshal’s deteriorating mental state from his self-absorbed meditation ritual, the Doctor seizes …

The Marshal orders a reckless counterattack using the dwindling remnants of Atrios’s fleet despite Shapp’s reports of mounting losses. Three ships remain from a once vast battlefleet, but he refuses …