Provine was the Federation space major in charge of the personnel on Albian. He had once been stationed at Control. He monitored the rebel attack from his command centre and, on learning his men were making a last stand, ordered Selson to get the computer to run a probability assessment. When the result came back that there was a 93% chance the rebels would win, he armed the solium radiation device and left Tronos to trigger it, while he and Selson took the passage to the escape rocket. However, an explosion caused a rockfall, killing Selson and blocking Provine's route to the silo.
Provine returned to the entrance to the control room where he overheard that Cauder and Ralli were searching for him. He hid his ID in the tunnel and donned his helmet as a disguise, then knocked Ralli unconscious. He made it to the rocket silo and killed one of the rebels left on guard but was surprised by the other rebel, Arrian, who had already sabotaged the launch doors. Provine explained he couldn't turn off the solium device and asked Arrian to get him the stadium link to repair the doors, offering to take him off planet with him and give him a position when the Federation resettled Albian. Arrian refused so Provine distracted him by triggering the rocket's jets, then overpowered and killed him. He took Arrian's uniform as a disguise but was co-opted by Vetnor to help with the search.
Ralli assigned him to accompany Blake to the rocket silo. When Blake discovered the bodies of Arrian and the other guard, Provine fired at him. In the ensuing struggle, Provine was hit by a shot from his own gun, collapsing just as Vila arrived and revealed his identity. Blake offered to take Provine back to the Liberator for medical treatment if he told them where Control had been moved to. Provine told them that it was now known as Star One and that Docholli was the only person who knew its location but died before he could reveal more.