Spirits were low in the control room and everyone watched the computer's virtual map with dread. The two blue dots that they saw represented the two life forms that had just boarded without their consent. Captain Sam Andrews knew that he had to take command of his ship before these invaders ended any chance of that. With determination he instructed, "Right, Jules, you're our best fighter, Martin, you provide some backup for him. Rest of us, we'll hold down the control room."
Jules walked over to the wall and pressed a button. A portion of the wall shot out toward him with an assortment of firearms to choose from. He took one, caulked it, and threw one to Martin. Martin almost dropped it embarrassingly, but was able to hold on. Jules than threw one to Sam and Veronica who both thanked him as they caught it. "Doctor, Rose, Martha?"
The Doctor shook his head. "No guns for us, thanks."
Rose tentatively said, "Actually…"
The Doctor looked at her sternly. "No guns for us. Thanks!"
Rose argued, "Doctor, look, we need a last resort." The Doctor just shook his head disapprovingly saying nothing. "Fine, I understand. Just am worried is all."
Jules just shook his head in complete disgust as he pushed the gun stash back into the wall. "Stupid, stupid decision."
Martha saw the Doctor needed a little defending as Rose looked a little bashful from challenging the Doctor's no guns policy. "We don't need guns, Jules. Never did and never will. Besides, I don't even know how."
Even Martin, who was struggling to even caulk his gun, frowned on them. "If you guys get us killed that's on you. Me, I'll take whatever precaution necessary even for backup like Rose was suggesting."
The Doctor thought for a minute thinking that that must have been the Torchwood influence as he glanced at Rose. His Rose would have never suggested that. Still, Rose was Rose. Wasn't she?
Jules made his way to the exit while Martin followed only to be stopped by Veronica. She gave him a passionate hug which he returned. "Martin, if this is it. I just wanted to say that I… I've always really enjoyed your company."
"Thanks, love."
They broke their hug while she watched Martin leave the room with Jules.
Jules and Martin walked through the ship normally until they began to approach the recycle room. The more experienced Jules took charge and laid a hand on Martin's shoulder. "They're in their Martin. No idea what they look like, but we have to consider them armed and dangerous. Just cover me and we'll be alright. I trust you."
Martin simply nodded as Jules removed his hand and made a precautionary move into the room quickly behind some boxes. It was dark in the recycling room and they couldn't risk making the effort to turn on the lights. Even though they could not see it, a machine sat in its center with boxes and boxes of either recycled materials or ones that they needed to do so to. It was quiet, almost too quiet, and they knew they weren't alone. The two offending Ice Pirates in there were waiting for them to make a move and it chilled Jules and Martin to the bone.
Martin stood back ready to shoot should an Ice Pirate emerge and attack his associate Jules. Even though Jules could be a bit of a jerk sometimes, Martin held a wealth of respect for him. He had very little experience with guns and actually didn't like them, but for Jules he'd push that all aside.
Jules carefully made a move to get behind another set of boxes as he motioned for Martin to hold his position. He checked in a hole between two of them and still found nothing.
Just as he was about to make another move he heard a small clang behind the recycling machine. The room was so dark that it seemed to echo around him. Jules knew that this would be the perfect opportunity for a sneak attack. He motioned for Martin to hold his position and pointed where the noise had originated.
Martin crept forward to position himself safely behind some other boxes but in clear range of Jules destination. The older man crept towards the machine and looked over it slowly.
There was no figure there. Instead a small yellow light was blinking on a round object not even the size of his foot. It was a diversion!
Jules stood straight as he felt a gun trained on his head. His heart started to beat more and more as he could not see his aggressor, but could feel its gun.
Martin witnessed the figure of Jules stand up suddenly along with another figure that must be the Ice Pirate. He trained his gun at the figure ready to fire. He thought about negotiating with the alien, but then remembered that there was yet another one and they couldn't understand each other regardless. He had to be quick and he had to be on target.
Bang! The supposed Ice Pirate fell to the ground and Jules' body leaned down to most likely check to see if it was really dead.
Martin then heard the most terrifying sound in the world as another gun was caulked behind him. There was no pause this time. Bang! Martin fell to the floor.
Jules' had noticed that the other Ice Pirate, that he could only see the outline of, appeared motionless, and when he had checked for some type of pulse, dead. The shot that killed his partner, Martin, had shocked him with his focus now on a new assailant.
Jules sat up and turned his eyes away from the dead body to search the room from behind the boxes for the other one.
Bang! Jules fell to the ground dead as the supposed dead Ice Pirate behind him had pulled out the bullet from its flesh on its neck growling its familiar sound.
Back in the control room Sam noticed the life signs on the computer representing Jules and Martin as red dots. Suddenly the dots blinked and disappeared. The Captain's face fell hard as he turned his head to everyone else in the room. "We've lost them. Both Jules and Martin are gone…"
Veronica began to cry as Martha asked hopefully, "And the Ice Pirates?"
Sam took a closer look at the computer. Even though one of them had blinked and disappeared for a couple minutes, he stared dumbfounded as both remained. "Negative. They are still moving towards us."
The Doctor could not believe it. He was familiar with the Ice Pirates but it just did not seem even possible that they could have dispatched two men that quickly. The thought actually frightened him. "Two men dead just like that? Ohhhh, they've changed since I last saw them."
Captain Andrews could not believe it as he looked again on the computer. A third blue dot suddenly appeared on the screen as he commented, "A third."
Growling seemed to surround them. The invaders were communicating and were doing so fast that the computer could not comprehend them quick enough.
As the figures moved on the screen everyone's attention turned toward the large viewing screen showing the space outside. Rose commented chillingly, "And it's about to get worse…"
It looked like a giant asteroid right above them, but it was blinking like an electronic button. It was the Ice Pirate's ship no doubt. Martha's mouth was wide open. "Oh, my God."
The computer had an incoming message which made Veronica push a button to turn it on. "I-gave-you-a chance-Now-you-will-die" Sam, Veronica, the Doctor, Martha, and Rose looked on in complete disbelief with a sense of foreboding of what was soon coming for them…
