The Power of Kroll Part 1
When the Doctor and Romana crash-land on Delta Magna, they become embroiled in a conflict between the planet's human colonizers, who are exploiting the native Swampies, and the Swampies themselves, who are being armed by the gun-runner Rohm-Dutt, leading to a violent confrontation.
The Doctor and Romana materialize in the swamps of Delta Magna in the TARDIS, but they soon find themselves caught up in a complex situation involving the native Swampies and the human colonizers who operate a methane catalysing refinery. The refinery, operated by a group including Thawn, Fenner, Harg, and Dugeen, produces a hundred tons of compressed protein a day, which is shot into Delta orbit every twelve hours. The Swampies, led by Ranquin and Skart, are being armed by the gun-runner Rohm-Dutt, who has delivered Stelsons to them. The Doctor, trying to find Romana after she is captured by the Swampies, becomes entangled in the conflict. The humans view the Swampies as ignorant savages, while the Swampies see the humans as oppressors who have taken their planet. As tensions escalate, the Doctor must navigate the situation to prevent bloodshed and find a way to rescue Romana. The Swampies, invoking their deity Kroll, prepare for war, and the Doctor, along with Thawn, plans to intervene to stop the sacrifice of Romana and to address the underlying issues driving the conflict.
Events in This Episode
The narrative beats that drive the story
The narrative opens within the advanced Control Centre of a human refinery on Delta Magna, where Thawn, Fenner, Harg, and Dugeen, clad in blue and grey uniforms, oversee operations. Thawn returns from Delta Magna, prompting Fenner to question his landing. Dugeen, monitoring the scanners, detects an anomalous echo track, indicating a second ship followed Thawn, splitting off into the swamp. This discovery raises immediate concerns among the refinery crew, particularly Fenner and Thawn, who suspect the 'Sons of Earth' are arming the native 'Swampies' through the notorious gun-runner, Rohm-Dutt. The humans, holding a condescending view of the Swampies as 'ignorant savages,' perceive this as a direct threat to their refinery. Simultaneously, the TARDIS materializes in the treacherous swamps of Delta Magna, bringing the Doctor and Romana into this volatile environment. Romana, frustrated by the difficult terrain, attempts to get a clear tracer reading while the Doctor casually plays a flute. Unbeknownst to them, Rohm-Dutt, accompanied by Swampies, navigates the marsh in canoes. Romana is swiftly grabbed by two green-skinned men, dropping her tracer in the struggle. The Doctor, hearing an approaching hovercraft, calls out for Romana. Fenner, mistaking the Doctor for Rohm-Dutt, shoots at him. The Doctor falls, and Fenner believes he has hit the gun-runner. However, Thawn quickly identifies the fallen figure is not Rohm-Dutt, but an unknown individual. The Doctor, unharmed but having lost his hat, identifies himself as a 'surveyor' looking for his friend. Thawn and Fenner, convinced the Swampies captured Romana, take the Doctor to the refinery at gunpoint, escalating his entanglement in their conflict.
Following her capture, Swampies transport Romana to their settlement, where Rohm-Dutt interrogates her while her hands remain bound to a rock. Rohm-Dutt, displaying an indifferent and cynical demeanor, threatens Romana with a slow death if she refuses to cooperate, probing her for information about the refinery. Romana steadfastly denies any knowledge of the human operation, attempting to deflect his questions with wit, but eventually reveals she is accompanied only by 'the Doctor.' Concurrently, the Doctor endures interrogation within the refinery's pump chamber by Thawn, Fenner, and Harg. Despite being held captive, the Doctor quickly demonstrates an extraordinary understanding of the refinery's advanced technology, identifying components and suggesting improvements, which both impresses and alarms his captors. He confirms his extraterrestrial origin and his use of personal transport, reinforcing his status as an outsider. During this exchange, the Doctor learns more about the Swampies, their settlement, and the perilous nature of the swamps, particularly that only the natives know the safe paths. He also learns that his friend is likely held by the Swampies. Meanwhile, Rohm-Dutt presents Ranquin, the tribal leader, and Skart with a crate of 'Sixty calibre gas-operated Stelsons,' confirming the gun-running operation. Ranquin, eager to drive the 'dryfoots' from their waters, accepts the weapons, marking the delivery receipt with 'the mark of Kroll.' Skart then proposes a blood sacrifice to Kroll, their protector, before battle. Ranquin agrees, declaring Romana as the chosen offering to ensure their triumph over the humans. The stage is set for a violent confrontation, with Romana's life hanging in the balance.
The Doctor is forcibly brought into the refinery’s pump chamber, where Thawn, Fenner, and Harg interrogate him about his presence in a prohibited zone. His casual mastery of the refinery’s …
The Doctor crash-lands on Delta Magna and is immediately captured by colonial forces led by Thawn. While Thawn and his men try to determine if the Doctor is a threat …
Dugeen's announcement of an impending orbit shot fractures the control chamber's tense interrogation of the Doctor. Thawn seizes the moment to assert authority, dragging the Doctor to the control center …
Under the watchful eyes of Delta Magna's colonial authorities Rohm-Dutt completes a clandestine delivery of Stelson rifles to Swampie leaders Ranquin and Skart. The transaction is framed as a brotherhood …
Skart seizes the moment of covenant signing between Ranquin and Rohm-Dutt to propose a human sacrifice to Kroll before the coming battle. The Swampie leader Ranquin, emboldened by the newly …
The Doctor interrogates Thawn and Fenner in the refinery control centre, uncovering their automated exploitation of Delta Magna’s resources and dismissive attitude toward the Swampies. Dugeen interrupts with a blunt …
The Doctor pivots from criticizing the refinery’s labor exploitation to pressing Thawn on the fate of his missing colonists. Thawn deflects with dismissive claims of Swampie violence while revealing the …
The Doctor exploits the crew's preoccupation with the countdown to slip silently past them, abandoning Romana without warning. Thawn and his men remain fixated on the automated launch sequence, blind …
Back in the Control Centre, the Doctor observes the human colonizers' preparations for an 'orbit shot' – the launch of compressed protein into Delta orbit. He learns about the refinery's automated processes and the small, insular nature of the human crew. During this observation, the Doctor uncovers the humans' profound contempt for the Swampies, exemplified by Thawn's dismissal of Mensch, a Swampie servant, as not 'counting.' Dugeen, however, expresses a more nuanced view, acknowledging that the humans 'took their planet' and the Swampies fear further encroachment. The Doctor challenges the humans' assumptions about 'progress' and the viability of their expansion plans, subtly questioning their ethical stance. As the countdown for the orbit shot progresses, the Doctor seizes an opportunity to slip away, unlocking an external door. Simultaneously, at the Swampie settlement, night falls, and the villagers engage in a fervent ritualistic dance, chanting 'Kroll!' Romana, still bound, is brought before Rohm-Dutt, who remains indifferent to her impending fate. Ranquin and Skart lead the ceremony, preparing to offer Romana as a blood sacrifice to 'Great Kroll' to secure victory in the coming conflict. As the protein rocket launches into the night sky, symbolizing the humans' continued exploitation, the Swampies intensify their calls to Kroll. The Doctor, having returned to the pump chamber, overhears the Swampies' chants and learns from Mensch that they are indeed preparing a blood sacrifice. Thawn, interpreting this as a prelude to war and confirmation of Rohm-Dutt's gun delivery, immediately plans a retaliatory strike using gas mortars to 'knock out that settlement in a couple of minutes,' framing it as self-defense. The Doctor, realizing Romana's imminent danger, rejects Thawn's violent plan. While Thawn prepares his forces, the Doctor quietly escapes the refinery, observing Mensch also departing through an air vent. The Doctor paddles a canoe towards the Swampie settlement, determined to intervene and prevent the sacrifice, setting up a perilous race against time.
As night falls the Swampies form a frenzied circle around Romana dragged toward the arch of Kroll’s face-shields. Ranquin declares the temple ready and the offering prepared while the crowd …
Romana faces her grim fate as the Swampies complete their ritual preparations, with Rohm-Dutt offering casual cruelty rather than aid. His indifference underscores the commercial nature of his arms dealing, …
While the Swampies chant for their deity Kroll in the distance, the Doctor spots Mensch ascending a ladder in the pump chamber and slipping through an air vent. Sensing an …
Romana’s capture and impending sacrifice to the deity Kroll have transformed the Swampies’ gathering into a desperate ritual of unity. What began as a scattered band of weapon-armed natives now …