Provine

Provine is the main antagonist of the Blake's 7 episode "Countdown".

He was portrayed by Paul Shelley.

Biography
Space Major Provine was a Terran Federation officer. He had once served at their main Control complex but was later given command of the garrison on Albian. The Federation only had a small number of troops on the planet, with their control being maintained by their use of a solium radiation device. The device could be triggered in the event of an uprising, with detonation wiping out all life on the planet but leaving infrastructure intact for the Federation to reoccupy.

When a large-scale rebel attack on his base resulted in the death of almost all his men, Provine ordered his deputy, Tronos, to activate the solium radiation device and then follow himself and Sergeant Selson, who were taking a secret tunnel to an escape rocket. However, an explosion collapsed the tunnel, killing Selson and cutting off Provine's escape route. Tronos had already started the countdown on the device, dying in the process.

Provine knocked out the sole rebel in the control room and headed for the rocket silo. The rebels had already located it but Provine killed one of the guards, only to discover that the other one, Arrian, had already jammed the launch doors. Provine told him that he had no way to stop the countdown, but suggested he and Arrian could escape together in the small rocket. Arrian refused, saying Provine could die with the rest of them. Provine killed him and took his uniform as a disguise to try and get the tools he needed, only to be co-opted by a rebel officer.

Ironically, Provine was assigned to accompany Blake, who was on the planet searching for him, in checking out the rocket silo. When Blake found the bodies of the two guards, Provine tried to kill him. During the ensuing struggle, Provine was shot, just as Vila arrived to reveal his identity. Blake offered to take Provine to the Liberator for medical treatment if he told him where Control had been moved to. Provine could only offer the information that it was now called Star One and the only person that knew its location was a cyber-surgeon called Docholli, before dying of his wounds.