Vila is bullied by Tarrant into assisting an unknown party on Keezarn, a remote planet, in exchange for some weapons crystals needed on the Liberator. The unknown party shortchanges Tarrant, sending a bomb instead, which is what Avon anticipated. As he and Cally teleport down to rescue Vila, the thief discovers that he is to be working for a criminal known as “Bayban the butcher” – a man with a reputation for mayhem “second only to Blake” (a comment to which Bayban himself reacts badly). Bayban wants Vila to break into an impossible door, which is what Vila does, taking Bayban’s attractive gunhand with him. They discover an infinite-range teleport system that sends them to the planet the real people of Keezarn are destined to reach and there Vila discovers the type of crystals Tarrant needed. On returning to Keezarn, they find that Avon and the others have captured Bayban’s forces. Vila has a chance to go off with Kerril or return to the Liberator – and then Bayban himself prepares to destroy the city.
written by Chris Boucher
directed by Vere Lorrimer
music by Dudley SimpsonCast: Paul Darrow (Avon), Jan Chappell (Cally), Michael Keating (Vila), Steven Pacey (Tarrant), Josette Simon (Dayna), Peter Tuddenham (Zen, Orac), Colin Baker (Bayban), Carol Hawkins (Kerril), John J. Carney (Sherm), Valentine Dyall (Norl)
Notes: This script was written by Chris Boucher especially for Michael Keating when Keating’s young daughter, watching an earlier Blake’s 7 episode, turned around and told her father his character was stupid! It also set the stage for a rematch between Paul Darrow and Colin Baker in the arguably forgettable 1985 Doctor Who story Timelash.
LogBook entry by Earl Green