Frontier in Space Part 5

The Doctor and his companions must prevent war between Earth and Draconia, while also stopping the Master and the Ogrons from manipulating both sides.

In this episode of 'Frontier in Space,' tensions between Earth and Draconia are escalating, with both sides on the brink of war. The Doctor, Jo, and the Master find themselves caught in the middle of this intergalactic conflict. The Master, a renegade Time Lord, is using his advanced technology and an army of Ogrons to provoke a war between the two empires. The Doctor, accompanied by Jo and the Draconian Prince, must navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries to uncover the truth behind the Master's plans. Along the way, they encounter various obstacles, including Ogron attacks, hypnosound-induced hallucinations, and bureaucratic red tape. As the situation spirals out of control, the Doctor and his companions must work together to prevent a catastrophic war and bring the Master to justice. Ultimately, they succeed in foiling the Master's plans and paving the way for a potential alliance between Earth and Draconia.

Events in This Episode

The narrative beats that drive the story

Act 1

The Doctor, Jo, and the Master arrive on Draconia, captured by the Draconian Captain. Brought before the Emperor, the Doctor cleverly uses his ancient connection to the Draconian court, invoking a legend of his past assistance to the fifteenth Emperor, to gain an audience and a degree of trust. He immediately attempts to expose the Master's scheme to incite war between Earth and Draconia, revealing the Ogrons' involvement and their use of hypnosound technology to make them appear as Earthmen. The Prince, however, remains deeply suspicious of all Earthmen and dismisses the Doctor's claims as lies. Tensions escalate further when a messenger announces an Earth spaceship seeking permission to land, which the Prince views as a trick. The Master, ever the manipulator, attempts to ingratiate himself with the Emperor, feigning devotion to peace and law as an 'Earth commissioner.' Jo, however, recognizes the distinctive hypnosound, confirming the Ogrons' presence. True to her warning, Ogrons burst into the throne room, firing and creating chaos. Under the influence of the hypnosound, the Draconians perceive them as Earth soldiers. The Master seizes the opportunity to escape amidst the confusion, leaving the Doctor and Prince to deal with the aftermath. The Doctor forces the Emperor to look again at a fallen Ogron, and as the hypnosound fades, the Emperor sees the true form of the creature, confirming the Doctor's warning. This pivotal moment shifts the Emperor's perspective, leading him to accept the Doctor's explanation of the fear-driven deception. He resolves to inform Earth of the truth, setting the stage for a joint effort.

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Act 2

Following the Ogron attack, the Doctor further explains the creatures' inherent stupidity, rendering them immune to mind probes, and elucidates how the hypnosound exploits existing fears between species. He emphasizes that fear, not any specific race, is the true enemy, leading to war. The Emperor, now convinced, agrees to send an expedition to Earth to present the Ogron as irrefutable evidence. Despite the Prince's initial objections to Jo speaking, the Emperor permits her suggestion to use the Master's stolen Earth police spaceship for the mission, recognizing its diplomatic advantages. The Emperor appoints his son, the Prince, to lead the mission, ensuring Draconian noble representation. As the Doctor, Jo, the Prince, and the captured Ogron prisoner embark on their journey, the Master, having escaped, plots their interception. He pursues them in his Ogron ship, intending to prevent the Doctor from reaching Earth with his evidence. A tense space chase ensues, culminating in a direct confrontation. The Master, posing as an Earth police ship, attempts to trick the Doctor into surrendering. The Doctor, suspicious, slows the ship to bring the pursuer into visual range, only to discover it is the Master's Ogron vessel. Missiles are fired, and the police ship sustains damage. Simultaneously, the captured Ogron breaks free within the police ship, creating a dangerous distraction. Amidst the chaos of the space battle and internal struggle, the Master's Ogrons successfully board the police ship. They seize Jo, bundling her into their ship as the Master makes his escape. An Earth battlecruiser then arrives, forcing the Master to retreat, but not before he has taken Jo prisoner. The Doctor and the Prince, now without their vital witness and evidence, are left adrift and subsequently arrested by the arriving Earth forces, accused of possessing a stolen police spaceship.

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Act 3

Following their arrest, the Doctor and the Prince are brought before the Earth President to present their extraordinary claims. The Master, now with Jo as his captive on his Ogron ship, gloats about the Doctor's predicament, confident that without the Ogron prisoner and with the current climate of fear, the President will never believe a Draconian's word. Indeed, the President expresses skepticism, acknowledging the Doctor's theory but demanding concrete proof, which the Doctor and Prince currently lack. General Williams, a high-ranking military official, vehemently opposes the Doctor's proposal for an expedition to the Ogron planet, citing the precarious state of Earth-Draconian relations and suggesting it could be a Draconian ruse. He attempts to overrule the President's authority on military matters. The Prince, however, delivers a powerful and unexpected revelation, accusing General Williams of deliberately instigating the conflict twenty years prior by destroying an unarmed Draconian ship on a peace mission. He presents evidence from his father's court records, explaining that the Draconian ship's communications were down due to a neutron storm, and its battlecruiser designation was merely a matter of Draconian noble custom, with its missile banks empty. Confronted with this undeniable truth, General Williams is forced to acknowledge his grave error and expresses deep regret for the wrong he inflicted upon the Draconian people. This dramatic confession clears the air and fundamentally shifts the political landscape. With the truth now revealed and the primary obstacle removed, the President grants the Doctor's request for an expedition to the Ogron planet. In a significant gesture of atonement and commitment, General Williams volunteers to lead the mission himself, signifying a newfound alliance and a unified front against the true instigator of the conflict. Meanwhile, the Master lands his Ogron ship on the Ogron homeworld, preparing for a prolonged stay with Jo, unaware that an expedition is now officially en route to his location.

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