Time War: Soldier Obscura

"Even a half dead Dalek can do a whole lot of damage."

Writer: Tim Foley

Format: Audio

Released: February 2018

Series: Gallifrey 9.02

Featuring: Ace, Braxiatel

Synopsis

Braxiatel has always planned for contingencies. As hostilities escalate, he takes Ace into a deadly region of spacetime – The Obscura – to locate an ancient research station.

But Ace is about to learn more about Irving Braxiatel than anyone should know. 

Some soldiers are ready for this fight, but some will not make it through the first round.

Verdict

Soldier Obscura was an outstanding episode to continue the Time War saga and ninth series of Gallifrey! I think I mentioned in my blogging of Enemy Lines that Ace felt a little out of place in the Gallifrey series, but with her being here since Intervention Earth I think I'm getting more comfortable with her being a part of the Time Lord spinoff and pairing her here with Braxiatel was fantastic. The dynamic was excellent and they really did have two different perspectives on morals during wartime. Braxiatel wasn't exactly a team player and was out to protect himself no matter the cost, whilst Ace would undoubtedly have made the shot that could have wiped out the Dalek fleet and put an end to the Time War at such an early stage. I'd love for the Doctor to interact with Braxiatel at some point regarding this as it would have saved him a whole lot of bother! I really liked the setting of the Obscura and it fitted in really well with the Time War given all of its temporal complexities and paradoxical makeup. It was so damaged from a temporal war in the Dark Times that one couldn't even look at it which was a fun concept, so Ace was not welcomed in trying to repair Braxiatel's scanner in the TARDIS. I was impressed with how developed Ace seemed technologically and using her skills on Gallifreyan tech was no issue for her which said a lot of how far she has come since the Doctor sent her to his own planet on outpost. Might the looming Time War have been the reason for her being sent there? She seemed to indicate that it could have been. I thought it was great that the Daleks featured and the eery way in which they were first heard at the Obscura was tremendous. Daleks were trying any means necessary to get to the Obscura and navigate their way to the weapon and the image of some of them actually having wings was incredible. That's just dying to have a figure created! As if the Daleks needed any enhancement. I thought Ace's comment about this going against their purity was brilliant in selling how much the Time War meant and even at this early stage showed the depths in which they would go for victory. Hearing the damaged Dalek recite the Three Blind Mice nursery rhyme was absolutely brilliant and was incredibly uncomfortable. It was really well done by Nicholas Briggs in bringing further mystery to the performance of the Daleks. Danna was a superb character and I loved her connection to Braxiatel as his mentor. Ace cottoned onto that relationship and whilst it was clear that the significance of the blind one shot would come into play later, Danna actually being the weapon was not something I anticipated. That was a sublime revelation and the callousness of Braxiatel when he realised that his old mentor had simply grown old and weak now was horrific. It was ruthlessness that we hadn't heard in Braxiatel before and he exterminated her. There could be no weak links. Having her return in his mind haunting him was fantastic and I love how Ace had overheard that internal conversation after repairing the scanner. She knew that Braxiatel had given up the chance to take the shot that would wipe out the Daleks because it would also take him and Ace out. He didn't appreciate being called a coward and made mental contact with Ace to show her just what the life of a 'coward' was like. Ace thought he was worse than the Daleks, but it would be one of her last thoughts as she became another casualty of the Time War. I have my doubts as to whether this will actually be her ultimate demise, but I'm not a fan of retconning deaths so I think this would be fitting! Romana's reaction to Narvin giving his report of the casualties and invasion being imminent was glorious, as with the Doctor refusing to get involved there was only one alternative renegade. Hearing Romana wanting the Master brought to her was just excellent and a delicious setup for the next episode! Overall, a spectacular listen. 

Rating: 10/10