Parts: 6
Writer: Brian Hayles
Airdates: 23 March 1974 - 27 April 1974
Production Code: YYY

Doctor: third
Companion: Sarah

Creature Feature: Aggedor, Ice Warriors, Alpha Centauri

Story: The Doctor brings Sarah back to Peladon for, in his opinion, a long-overdue visit. But his eagerness to see the king is dampened somewhat when he is greeted not by a royal retinue, but by a cadre of armed guards. It seems that the Doctor has missed his destination by about fifty years, and Peladon is currently at the center of a brewing war.

The planet has greatly changed during the intervening time - King Peladon has died, to be succeeded by his daughter, now Queen Thalira. Rich veins of the mineral trisilicate have been found in the sacred mountain, making Peladon the pivot in the war between the Federation and Galaxy Five. Yet some things remain the same - Alpha Centauri, now a Federation ambassador, is still on Peladon; and the people of Peladon are still devoted to their sacred beast, Aggedor.

But it appears that Aggedor has turned against the miners. Apparitions of the beast have been appearing in the tunnels and killing people. Fearing that Federation technology has angered Aggedor, and resentful that the benefits of the Federation have gone only to the nobles, the miners decide to revolt. The Doctor suspects technological trickery rather than supernatural revenge, but gaining the trust of people on Peladon proves to be extremely difficult. What is behind the appearances of Aggedor? Who is lurking in the refinery hidden within the tunnels? And can the Doctor protect Peladon from being taken over by hostile forces who wish to subjugate its people and win the war for Galaxy Five?