Ace accompanies Braxiatel to a weird region of space – but are they on the same mission?

Irving Braxiatel is one of those characters who has threaded throughout the Big Finish universe for pretty much all of its existence. Created for the Virgin New Adventures (building on a reference in City of Death to his collection), Brax – played by Miles Richardson – has never been an easy one to categorise, working to his own agenda even when that’s put him at odds with pretty much everyone else. He’s the sort of devious person that Machiavelli would admire, and when he’s written well (which is most of the time), you really don’t know from one minute to the next which side he’s on, apart from his own!

That is very much the case in this story, which is a four-hander (including various grubby protuberances courtesy of Nick Briggs) for Brax, Sophie Aldred’s Ace, the Daleks and an elderly Time Lord, Danna, played by Zulema Dene. Danna has been sitting on a weapon and Brax has a very clear idea of how that should be used… but his plans rely on other people behaving precisely as he wants them to, and that’s never an ideal situation for any leader. And so Brax reminds us of his true colours…

Richardson and Aldred have some very strong moments in this, and Tim Foley’s script plays to both actors’ strengths. The story is a harsh reminder of the realities of war and the decisions that need to be taken. (But don’t stop at the end credits – there’s a key scene to follow!)

Verdict: Excellent work from all involved. 10/10

Paul Simpson