After two TV stories featuring a very alien villain, Dreams of Empire begins with a brief retelling of Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar set far, far away in time and space. The Haddron Republic is in crisis with one member of its ruling triumvirate, the familiarly named Hans Kesar, having decided that he is going make himself Consul General for life. All for the good of the republic, you understand.
His friend and co-consul, Milton Trayx, an ex-military man, speaks out against Kesar and Haddron is thrown headlong into civil war. Trayx and the Republicans prove victorious. After the loss of millions of lives, Kesar is brought to justice and sentenced to life imprisonment rather than death, lest he be martyred.
As they carried Kesar from the courtroom and were taking him away, a bomb goes off close to him in a hallway.
It is now several years after the trial as the Doctor, Victoria, and Jamie land in an oddly anachronistic castle. Think a medieval stronghold fitted with surveillance cameras, computers, et al. It turns out to be Santespri, a Haddron military fortress on an asteroid that has been turned into a prison for Kesar and his closest, most loyal supporters. Although he survived the blast after his trial**, it has left him severely disfigured and so he wears a mask.
There is subterfuge afoot as we witness cloaked figures meet in secret followed by murder. And so the TARDIS crew, in grand fashion, find themselves being accused of a killing. But they're quickly acquitted and the tale becomes a whodunit with the Doctor lending his Sherlock Holmes services to Trayx and the authorities.
Soon enough, however, they discover that a ship is approaching Santespri. Attempts to call for help are foiled and the story veers off into base under siege territory.
I found Dreams of Empire to be a really fun story. The murder mystery had lots of political overtones for color and I enjoyed how Richards gradually built up the suspense with the unknown ship's slow approach to Santespri. I appreciated that neither Trayx nor Kesar came across as stereotypical leaders simply hellbent on power. Trayx is not some George Patton or Curtis LeMay type (not sure who the English equivalents are) who knows only how to kill and Kesar came across as misguided rather than power hungry.
There's a scene that takes place just before civil war breaks out where the triumvirat meets at one of their homes and we see friendships strained to the breaking point over matters of state. I found this scene rather poignant despite the fact that an epic, tragic tale was being condensed into 17 or so pages. That scene just felt solemn and like it was allowed to unfold at its own pace rather than being forced. Richards is a very good writer and this scene really stands out for me.
Also of note is that the Doctor has a newly-minted sonic screwdriver here despite it not having been shown on TV yet, in the world of the story. Our heroes are well-written and the story is just a nice mix of mystery, political intrigue, and action-thriller. A fine read.
**Or did he...?
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