Thea nearly pounced on Clara the moment the poor woman had walked through the doors, "is it too much?" She asked, twirling to show her dress she had selected.
It was a short dress with a puff skirt in lilac, with puff sleeves, the back was cross laced tied in a bow with simple white flats. She had left her hair with its natural curls, with a white headband with a large bow sitting at a slight angle.
Clara shook her head as she removed her coat that she had put on so that the kids didn't get suspicious of her going out dressed for a party as they'd told her too.
They were planning a day out in 89s Las Vegas, which was why Thea was wanting the woman's opinion on her dress. Clara herself was dressed in a sleeveless silvery dress, while the Doctor had forgone dressing up, though he did have a pair of large sunglasses in his head.
"It looks good. What wrong with it?"
"He said it was too much." She pointed accusingly at the Doctor.
"Too short." He corrected as he walked around the console to send them off, "I said it's too short."
"It's the 80s, everything is short and large, like shoukder pads." She defended, "I've got shorts underneath." She lifted the skirt up slightly revealed the white safety shorts underneath.
"It's a perfectly normal length dress, Doctor." Clara told him. It was only a few inches above the girls' knees, which was a typical length skirt for most girls her age (or her human appearance age?) It was only an inch or two shorter than her usual daily denim skirt.
"Alright." The Doctor sighed, "fine. I give up." He set them down with a thud.
"What was that?" Thea looked over hearing was sounded like a splash of water.
"Come on!" The Doctor grinned, running to the doors, "Viva Las Vegas!" He cheered, throwing the doors open only to stumble out.
"That was definitely water." Thea determined, really hoping they hadn't materialised on top of a waterfall, though if they had surely they would have heard the Doctor yelling as he fell. Right? She pulled Clara towards the doors only for wherever they had landed shifted, sending them tumbling out of the TARDIS themselves and into a room gradually filling with water, already at the ankles as they found themselves standing in a dark command room of some sorts...and men in uniform gaping at them.
"Strangers on the bridge!" A young Shipman shouted.
"Who the hell are you?" An older man, the captain, going by his uniform, demanded.
"Not Vegas, then!" Clara shouted over the alarms and pouring water.
"No," The Doctor sighed, putting his sunglasses away, "no..."
"Oh, this is amazing!" Thea cheered.
"A sinking submarine?" Clara stared at her.
"A sinking Soviet submarine!" She squealed.
"And that's amazing, is it?"
"How can you think it's not?"
"It's a sinking Soviet submarine." She deadpanned as if that was answer in itself to not be excited, especially wearing a dress for Vegas.
"Break out side arms." The young man called, "Restrain them!" But none of the other crew moved, not that they could as the ship tilted dangerously to one side.
"410." Another man reported as he read the readings of the gauges, "420. Turbines still not responding!"
"They've got to!" The captain spluttered out.
The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver, "Ah! Sideways momentum. You've still got sideways momentum!"
"What?"
"Your propellers work independently of the main turbines. You can't stop her going down but you can manoeuvre the sub laterally. Do it!"
"Get these people off the bridge now!" The young man ordered, clearly the second giving how he was ordering the men around.
"Just listen to him, for god's sake!" Clara cried.
"Geographical anomaly to starboard." The Doctor told them, "Probably an underwater ridge."
"How do you know this?" The captain shook his head.
"If we settle on it we can stop the descent." Thea called.
"600 metres." The young man read the gauges, "Sir, 610!"
"This submarine will implode." Thea stated.
"Lateral thrust to starboard," the captain gave the order after a moment of staring the two Time Lords down, "all propellers." The crew hesitated, "Now!"
"You're going to let this madman give the orders?" The second glared.
The captain ignored him, "Lateral thrust!"
"Aye, sir!" The crew nodded, rushing to do as told.
"660...680..." The man reported as crew rushed about, before the ship came to halt, "descent arrested at 700 metres."
"It seems we owe you are lives," the captain begrudgingly offered, "whoever you are."
"I'm Thea." She introduced as the Doctor put an arm around her shoulder, "my dad, the Doctor, and our friend Clara."
"Search them." The second barked, but the crew hesitated once more, "Yes, I know. Two of them are women. Now search them!"
The crewmen moved to search them, pressing the trio against a pole in the middle of the room.
"Eh?" The Doctor squirmed, "ooh!"
"Are we going to be okay?" Clara asked them.
"We'll be fine." Thea nodded.
"Is that a lie?"
"If it's not a lie, it's a feeling."
"You don't know if your lying?" Clara frowned at her.
"Honestly, its more I don't know if its a feeling."
"So you're either lying about us being fine to make me feel better or have a feeling we will be find and we will actually be fine." Clara followed.
"Exactly!" She grinned.
"Very dangerous time, Clara." The Doctor told her, "East and West standing on the brink of nuclear oblivion."
"The Cold War." Thea added, fidgeting as a man searched her, "where do you think I'm hiding something?" She asked the crewmate searching her, "neither of us have pockets. And I doubt you really want to feel in my bra for anything, do you?" The man stepped back, "thought so."
"Thea, please." The Doctor closed his eyes at her words. Always such a spitfire, she was not embarrassed to say anything to those around her that really would embarrass anyone else. She just said what she wanted to say.
"Lots of itchy fingers on the button." Thea continued to Clara.
"Isn't it always like that?" Clara shook her head.
"Sort of," the Doctor agreed, "but there are flash points and this is one. Hair, shoulder pads, nukes. It's the Eighties. Everything's bigger. Oi!" He frowned as things were taken from his pockets, a Barbie doll, a ball of twine and his sonic, "I would like a receipt, please." He moved to snatch the sonic back.
"What is this?" The captain eyed the screwdriver.
The ship titled before he could answer, Clara loosing her balance.
"Clara!" Thea lunged for her as the TARDIS dematerialised.
"No!" The Doctor turned to it, "No, no, no, no, no, no. No, not now!"
Thea reached to grab Clara as the girl fell, hitting her head, falling under the water...
~.~
Clara blinked as she came round able to hear the sounds of the Doctor arguing with the captain. Seeing Thea sitting besides her, the Doctors coat over her shoulders. She looked down to see one of the crew had given her his jacket. Likely none of the men too happy too allow the girls to be stuck here in just the dresses and she doubted the Doctor would have been impressed if Thea had a coat from one of the men herself.
She winced putting a hand to her head, "what happened?"
"You fell." Thea said simply, "hit your head." She kissed the bit where she saw the woman land, "Don't rub it." She helped her up, "feeling alright?"
She nodded, "what happened to the TARDIS?" She asked, recalling seeing the box disappear.
"Dad reset the HADS setting."
"The what?"
"She'll be back. Eventually. Mum wont leave us stranded here forever."
"Captain!" The Doctor voice cut in, "we didn't attack of your ship out here. Now we need to get the pumps working to get her afloat."
"Yeah, we'll last till the rescue ship comes." The captain countered.
"It's not coming." Thea stated.
He turned to her, "Oh, the sinking is just a coincidence, is it? Who are you?"
"My daughter already told you." The Doctor rolled his eyes, "me, Thea and Clara, we're time travellers," he glanced at them, "Clara, you okay?"
"Think so." She nodded.
"Time travellers?" The captain scoffed.
"We arrived here out of thin air." The Doctor argued, "You just saw it happen."
"I didn't." An older man, with headphones around his neck, spoke up.
"Your problem, mate, not mine."
"I don't think you did a good job keeping it locked up." Thea blinked at him.
"I'm sorry?" The man turned to her, startled she knew he had been elsewhere as they arrived, let alone he apparently hadn't done a good job.
"Captain," the Doctor gave the man a firm look, "breath's precious down here. Let's not waste it, eh?"
"You're right." The captain agreed, "Maybe I can save a little oxygen by having you all shot!"
"What does it matter how we arrived?" Clara shook her head.
"The important thing is that we are here to help you all stay and alive and not get killed." Thea spoke.
"Exactly!" The Doctor snapped his fingers, "Number one priority, not suffocating."
Thea stiffened, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, slowly turning to see a creature in armour walking towards them.
The captain stepped back, everyone but the Doctor seeing the creature drawing nearer, "Oh, thank you. Finally seeing sense. Now, what sort of state is the sub in?"
"Er...dad..." Thea pointed to the Ice Warrior.
"What about the radio? Can we send a..."
"Dad!"
"What?" He turned to her, hearing a hissing noise behind him, "What is that? Gas? Could be gas."
"Not gas." Thea shook her head, pointing behind him.
The Doctor slowly turned to come face to face with the large armoured creature, seeing the green reptilian skin under its helmet, "Ah." He breathed, "It never rains but it pours."
Thea leaned closer, "that's an Ice Warrior."
"Yeah, it is."
"Not just any Ice warrior."
"We were drilling for oil in the ice." The old man explained, "I thought I'd found a mammoth."
"It's not a mammoth."
"No."
"What did you call it?" Clara asked Thea.
"It's an Ice Warrior." She repeated.
"A native of the planet Mars." The Doctor added, "and we go way back. Way back."
"A Martian?" The captain scoffed, "You can't be serious."
"I'm always serious. With days off."
"Doctor!" Clara hissed.
"Just keeping it light, Clara. They're scared."
"They're scared? I'm scared."
"Don't worry, I'll protect you." Thea smiled at her only to turn as one of the men stepped up with his gun, the Ice Warrior raised its weaponised arm. "And that's not helping." She muttered, lowering the mans gun.
"No, no, no, no, no, no!" The Doctor stepped before the Ice Warrior, his hands up, "Please, please. Wait, just. There is no need for this. Just hear me out. You're confused, disorientated. Of course you are. You've been lying dormant in the ice for, for, for how long?" He snapped his fingers at the old man, "How long, Professor?"
"By my reckoning, 5,000 years." He offered.
"5,000 years?" The Doctor eyes widened at that.
Thea shook her head, this would not be good. Ice Warriors, rather like Silurians were protective of their gene-chain. 5,000 years later and its gene-chain had likely long been gone and buried. And she knew what it was like to wake up and find out everyone you knew and loved was gone.
It was horrible and disorienting and could make a monster of anyone, let along an Ice Warrior.
Stars knows what she would have done without Sarah Jane and Luke.
"That's a hell of a nap." The Doctor said carefully, "Can't blame you if you've got out of the wrong side of bed. Look, nobody here wants to hurt you. Please, just..."
"What's your name?" Thea asked softly.
"What are you talking about?" The captain frowned, "It has a name?"
"Of course he has a name." Thea rolled her eyes, "why wouldn't he have a name, and a rank. He is a soldier and he deserves our respect. And in return he will respect us." She looked at the Ice Warrior, "Right?"
"This is madness. That is a monster!"
"And to him you are the monster." She turned to glare at the captain.
"Skaldak." The Ice Warrior stated.
The Doctor grinned, pointing at him as though that was proof as Thea slowly turned back to him.
"Er, dad..." She gave him a look, "Skaldak."
The Doctors grin fell as he raked his brain for why he knew that name. His eyes widening in horror, "Skaldak?"
"I am Grand Marshal Skaldak." The Ice Warrior repeated.
"Oh, no..." The Doctor breathed, closing his eyes, only to snap them open again when Skaldak growled, his body shaking before he fell to the floor, unconscious.
Thea glared at the second-in-command as he stood behind Skaldak, a cattle rod in his hand, "you idiot!"
"Grand Marshal Skaldak..." The Doctor looked down at the fallen Ice Warrior.
"You know him?" Clara eyed them, seeing their reactions to the name and assuming it wasn't good.
"Sovereign of the Tharsisian caste. Vanquisher of the Phobos Heresy. The greatest hero the proud Martian race has ever produced."
"So what do we do now?" The captain asked.
"Lock him up!" The Doctor ordered, leaving no tone in his voice for arguments.
Ice Warriors were a proud war-like race, and now that Skaldak had been attacked, and he would retaliate.
~.~
The Doctor, Thea and Clara stood in the communications room along with the captain, the second-in-command and the professor as some of the crew chained Skaldak in the tornado room, the rest trying to repair what they could of the submarine.
"The Ice Warriors have a different creed, Clara." The Doctor was explaining, "A different code. By his own standards, Skaldak is a hero. It was said his enemies honoured him so much, they'd carve his name into their own flesh before they died."
"Oh, yeah." Clara grimaced, "Very nice. He sounds lovely."
"Wish my enemies would do that." Thea mumbled.
"No." The Doctor looked at her for that. "Just...no."
"An Ice Warrior?" The captain frowned, "Explain."
"There isn't time!"
"Try me."
The Doctor sighed, rubbing the side of his face, "Martian reptile know as the Ice Warrior. When Mars turned cold they had to adapt. They're bio-mechaniod. Cyborgs. Built themselves survival armour so they could exist in the freezing cold of their home world, but a sudden increase in temperature and the armour goes haywire."
"Like with the cattle prod thing." Clara followed.
"Like with the cattle prod thing. Bit of a design flaw. To be honest, I've always wondered why they never sorted it."
"Probably the same reason why you can still knock out a Sontaran by the probic vent on the back of its neck." Thea remarked.
"Is he that dangerous?" Clara cut in.
"Skaldak is." Thea nodded, "especially if he doesn't hear from his kind." She looked at the Doctor.
The Doctor nodded, he knew what it was like to believe you were the last of your kind. He hadn't really cared about the consequences of his actions. He still tried to be a good man, but with the burden of what he had done to their own people, he just stopped caring.
And Skaldak was a mighty warrior, he didn't want to think of the things he would do if he didn't hear from his own people.
He looked up, seeing Theas gaze shift over to the professor, the man had his headphones on, a Walkman on his lap, seeming nothing out of the usual, until he heard a beep, which none of the humans seemed to hear, save the professor who seemed to think their was some kind of glitch.
But the Time Lords knew it was Skaldak trying to contact his people.
The second-in-command pulled the captain aside but made no move to be quiet, "why are we listening to this nonsense, Captain? These people are clearly enemy agents."
"Enemies spies who helped save your ship?" Thea raised an eyebrow at them.
"Spies, Captain!"
"Pretty bad spies, mate." Clara laughed, "I don't even speak Russian."
The Times Lords shook their heads at her as the second-in-command stared, "What?"
"I don't..." Clara began when she noticed the looks they gave her, "Am I speaking Russian?" Clara asked quietly, "How come I'm speaking Russian?"
"It's the TARDIS translation circuit." Thea told her, "you hear English, the Russians hear Russian."
It was unnoticeable to most, but Time Lords could notice it, a slight accent in their words where they could tell the translation circuit was working. She and the Doctor were actually speaking Russian though, as Time Lords they knew how to speak and write in nearly all languages in the universe. They liked doing it, wherever they landed, speaking that language, despite no one knowing, they were showing off a bit.
"So they're speaking Russian?" Clara asked, glancing to the two men who seemed to be arguing.
"Well, they are Russian. This is a Russian Soviet submarine, everything you see and hear is actually Russian, its just being translated to English to you."
"Oh." Clara blinked, "That's cool."
"For God's sake, Stepashin!" The trio looked over, hearing the captain shouting at his second, "you're like a stuck record. We have other priorities right now. I want you back on repairs immediately. We need to keep this ship alive. Dismissed."
"Sir?" The man frowned.
"Dismissed, Stepashin."
Stepashin stormed off, sending an angry glare at the time travellers.
The Doctor barely acknowledged him, "all we needed to do was let Skaldak go and he'd have forgotten us. But you attacked him. You declared war. Harm one of us and you harm us all. That's the ancient Martian code."
"Skaldaks calling for his people." Thea nodded to the beeping from the professors headphones.
"He has sent out a distress call. He will bring down the fires of hell just for laying a glove on him."
"Unless you talk to it?" The captain frowned.
"I'm the only one who can."
"No. Out of the question. We're not losing you. I'll do it."
"Except neither of you can do it." Thea said slowly, "a soldier knows another soldier. Skaldak can smell it on you both."
"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like where this is going?" The Doctor sighed.
Thea smiled, like a child who knew exactly how to get what they wanted, "it can't be any of the soldiers. I've never fought. He's seen Clara wearing their uniform." She added, not even needing to look to see the woman open her mouth to offer herself, "both of you had him locked up," her smile widened, "but he saw me trying to defend him. Therefore I am the only person who can try to negotiate with him."
"No," The Doctor refused, "no, no! No way! Absolutely not! No! Never!"
She pouted, "I think I can get under his armour enough to reason with him."
"No! Not happening!"
~.~
Thea tried to keep her smug grin to a minimum, but she couldnt help it she just loved getting her own way.
She slowly stepped into the tornado room, fully prepared to try and defend herself if Skaldak tried to escape (a feeling she really didn't like). She could defend herself and fight, maybe not well against a mighty warrior like Skaldak, but rather she went out to face him than Clara.
She shut the tornado door behind her, glancing up to the camera, knowing the Doctor was watching her. She had refused to use the headset the professor offered to communicate. She didn't want Skaldak to think she was a puppet to the other soldiers.
She set the small lamp she had on the ground before her, illuminating the room more as she stood before Skaldak, his armour still chained up.
"Grand Marshal Skadlak." She greeted, "Sovereign of the Tharsisian caste, by the moons, I honour thee," she pressed her right fist to her chest in the traditional Ice Warrior salute. "Grand Marshal, I apologise for the treatment agaisnt you. A great Warrior like yourself does not deserve this." She frowned at the lights flickered off, the only light now coming from her lamp. Something wasn't right, something was very, very wrong. "You're a long way from home." She continued, "5,000 years adrift in time. Please, let us help you. You are not our enemy, and we are not yours."
"And yet I am in chains." Skaldak rasped.
Thea blinked, hearing him speak but it didn't sound as though it was coming from where he was chained up, she didn't let that falter her, not wanting him to know she knew he had gotten out of his armour. Which was terrifying!
"A precautionary measure." Thea reasoned, "your people have done the same in the past. If you can prove we can trust you, trust each other, you will be released."
"I was Fleet Commander of the Nix Tharsis." Skaldak growled, "My daughter stood by me. It was her first taste of action. We sang the songs of the Old. The Songs of the Red Snow. 5,000 years. Now my daughter will be dust. Only dust."
"Perhaps," Thea agreed solemnly, "but your people, your family, they live on. Her daughters and their daughters may yet live. The Ice Warriors are known across the universe. Mars is your home and it will rise again. We want to help you, please."
"I require no help." Skaldak hissed, "There will be no help."
Thea let her gaze fall to the ceiling, stiffening, seeing Skaldak now above her, out of his armour which she knew was not a good thing.
"It is time I learned the measure of my enemies." He snarled, "And what this vessel is capable of. Harm one of us and you harm us all. By the Moons, this I swear."
"Skaldak?" Thea looked around, trying to get a sense of where he was. She spun hearing a crash to see the camera the Doctor had been watching her, fall to the ground, torn about by Skaldak. "I'll still help you Skaldak!" She let out a breath, feeling Skaldak behind her...
~.~
The Doctor ran through the submarine down to the tornado room .
He was worried, very worried. Skadlak was out of his armour, he had never seen, even heard of an Ice Warrior doing that before. Which meant Skaldak had reached that desperation, believing his people were gone, and Thea was right in the middle of it, in the very same room.
Not good!
He ran into the room to see Clara rapidly trying to get the door open. The only unthreatening presence they could have outside to get the doors open to get Thea out, if something went wrong.
"Thea!" The Doctor shouted, startling Clara as she managed to get the door open.
Something green streaked past him and he knew that was Skaldak but right now he had to check on his daughter. She was more important this very moment.
"Thea!" He ran into the tornado room, his hearts slowly starting to slow seeing she looked to be alright, standing there, "you're alright?"
"I'm alright." She nodded, allowing him to pull her into a hug. "That was rubbish."
"It wasn't a test."
"I know but still..."
She had known there was something wrong from the moment she shut the door. She knew Skaldak has gotten out of his armour. She wasn't sure why she felt that he was more dangerous without it, but she knew he was and when she had felt him behind her she and turned and kicked him.
Not the best cause of action as she tried to negotiate but she had panicked.
"You were brilliant." He told her.
"Doctor!" The professor called, as he and the captain appeared in the doorway, holding his Walkman, "the signal, its stopped."
"Skaldak got no answer from his Martian brothers." The Doctor realised, "Now he's given up hope."
"Hope of what?" The captain frowned.
"Being rescued. He thinks he's been abandoned. He's got nothing left to loose."
"But what can he do, stuck down here like the rest of us? How bad can it be?"
"This is a Cold War Soviet Submarine." Thea deadpanned, "you have nuclear missiles. When Skaldak finds out about them he will try to start a war."
"How bad can it be?" The Doctor muttered, "How bad can it be? It couldn't be any worse..."
No sooner had the words left his mouth a hatch opened and water poured in, the sub shifting in the ledger, sending them all tumbling.
"Ok," the Doctor winced, "spoke to soon."
~.~
The small group stood in the bridge of the sub, none of them particularly listening as the captain gave his speech to the crew, updating them on the situation and what he expected of them.
"Even if a missile did get launched, that wouldn't be it...would it?" Clara had to wonder.
"It?" The Doctor frowned.
"End of the world. Game over. I mean, what if they fired one by accident. What would happen then?"
"We told you, Clara." The Doctor remarked, "Earth is like a storm waiting to break, right now. Both sides baring their teeth, talking up war. It would only take one tiny spark."
"Yeah, but the world didn't end in 1983, did it, or I wouldn't be here."
"Ever seen Back to the Future?" Thea glanced at her.
Claras eyes widened, "am I going to fade away?"
"History's in flux. It's always constantly changing. Some things are fixed and can't be changed like...Pompei," She offered, as Clara nodded along as though she understood, "but somethings like this can change. We just try not to change it for the worse."
The Doctor glanced to the captain, "How many of us are left?"
"12." He replied, "And we can't find Stepashin."
The Doctor glanced at Thea, seeing her giving him a shrug in response to his silent question. Wanting to know if she had any feelings on the mans whereabouts. He closed his eyes as she dragged a finger across her throat. He really didn't like that, not just because how likely it was that Skadlak had found the man and killed him but because of how casually she had made it seem.
He really didn't want to think about the possibility she had known the mans fate and did nothing about it.
No. That wasn't his Thea at all.
"We split up and comb this sub." The Doctor determined, "One team stays here to guard the bridge."
"That's it?" The captain scoffed, "That's the plan?"
"Well, it's either that or we stay here and wait for him to kill us."
He sighed, "Ok..." and headed off to alert the crew of the new plan.
"Is it true you've never seen one outside of its shell suit?" Clara asked them.
"Shell suit?" The Doctor looked at her as she shrugged, "Clara! For an Ice Warrior to leave its armour is the gravest dishonour. Skaldak is desperate. He is deadly and we have got to find him."
"Will this help?" The professor asked, walking over with the sonic.
"Ah! You saved it." The Doctor beamed taking the sonic back.
"No, no, it was on the floor with this." The professor held up the Barbie doll
"Ah," he smiled, kissing the doll, "Professor, I could kiss you."
"If you insist."
"Later." He offered instead, the man shrugged and walked off.
"Should I ask about the doll?" Clara asked Thea.
"I don't even want to know." She replied.
~.~
The Doctor, Thea and Clara walked through the submarine with the professor. The captain had refused to allow them to wander about without at least one member of his men with them and the professor had volunteered to go with them.
"So, why have you got a cattle prod on a submarine?" Clara had to ask the professor, seeing him carrying it.
"Polar bears." The man smiled.
"Ah, right."
"We run across them when we're drilling. Can be quite nasty, you know."
"I'd swap one for an Ice Warrior any day. Cuddlier."
"You've never met a polar bear," Thea snorted, "they're deadly too."
"That's why we must have courage, my dears." The professor remarked, "I always sing a song." The man didn't react as the Doctor sonicked a control panel, setting off alarms.
"What?" Clara shook her head.
"To keep my spirits up."
"Yeah, that would work, if this was Pinocchio."
"Do you know Hungry Like The Wolf?"
"What?"
"Duran Duran. One of my favourites. Come on."
"I'm not singing a song." Clara half laughed, half shouted as the Doctor managed to turn the alarms off, moving to duck his head in a hatch when Thea shut it on him. They all looked up at an eerie groaning noise, "What was that?"
"Pressure." The Doctor assured her, "just pressure. We're 700 metres down, remember?
"Don't worry about it." The professor agreed, "Think of something else." He smiled and started to sing, "Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da I am hungry like the wolf."
"I'm not singing." Clara insisted.
"I bet she's embarrassed because she doesn't know it." Thea laughed.
"Course I know it." Clara shook her head, "We do it at karaoke, the odd hen night."
"Karaoke?" The professor frowned, "Hen night? You speak excellent Russian, my dear, but sometimes I don't understand a word you're talking about."
They all stiffened, when, instead of hearing more groaning, they heard snarling and growling, followed by screaming.
"This way!" Thea shouted, already running ahead as the Doctor quickly followed after her. The two humans having a slower reaction as they ran after them, following Thea round a corner and through a door, only to stop dead, seeing two dead bodies on the ground, torn apart.
"Good God." The professor breathed, "torn apart. It's a monster, a savage."
"No, Professor." The Doctor shook his head, "Not savage. Forensic. Well, he's dismantled them. Skaldak's learning. Learning all about you. Your strengths, your weaknesses." He scanned the bodies with the sonic, picking up on Skaldaks DNA and turning to follow it, "Come on."
They ran down another corridor, Thea backtracking a moment to see Clara hadn't followed, staring at the bodies in horror.
This wasn't something Clara was used to see, never seeing a body torn apart like that. It wasn't something anyone wanted to see.
She could handle seeing bodies like that, she shouldn't and she didn't like it but she could see a body torn apart like that a not react or try to retaliate. She shouldn't react like she does, but she did.
She didn't like it.
"Come on, Clara." She murmured, gently tugging the woman off as they ran after the Doctor down another corridor, the man coming to a stop before an open hatch, a ladder besides it.
"Stay here." The Doctor ordered.
"Ok." Clara nodded.
"Stay here. Don't argue."
"I'm not."
"Right." The Doctor blinked, "Good. Come along, kiddo." He began climbing the ladder.
"No," Thea stated, "I'm staying here with Clara and the professor."
"Right. Alright then. Thea keep your eye out. No wandering off."
"Aye aye, captain." She playfully saluted, grinning as she saw him rolling his eyes as he climbed through the hatch.
"Oh, it's a young man's game, all this dashing about." The professor panted, moving to sit on the edge of the hatch, "Clara, what is it?"
Clara glanced at Thea, as though she didn't want to say.
"Its alright." Thea smiled, squeezing her hand, "its good to talk about it."
"Seeing those bodies back there." She breathed, "it's all got very real..." she looked at Thea, "Are we going to make it?"
"Yes." She answered easily. "And do you know why?"
"Why?"
"Because I'm your knight in shining armour and I promise to protect you." She got down on one knee and held Claras hands between hers, "and no silly Martian Warrior is going to let my Clara fade from existence."
Clara couldnt help but smile at that, "that's adorable."
She stood and bowed deeply, "I am very adorable."
The Doctor pulled open a door, seeing the dismantled remains of Stepashin, "Oh, Stepashin." He looked up hearing footsteps above him, "Oh, oh, oh. Fast. He's fast."
"What was that?" Clara gasped hearing the groaning again.
"It's just the ship settling." Thea assured her but looking around, getting an uneasy feeling.
"Tell me about yourself." The professor tried to distract Clara seeing her looking scared, "What do you like doing? Clara?" But she was distracted by the noises, "Clara?"
"Stuff." She shrugged, "you know, stuff."
"Stuff. Very enlightening. And the Doctor, what he said. Is it true you're from another time? From our future? Clara?"
"Yes."
"Tell me what happens."
"I can't." Clara told him.
"Well, I need to know."
"I'm not allowed."
"No, please."
"I can't!"
"Ultravox, do they split up?"
Clara blinked and stared at him.
Even Thea turned to him at his question, "of all the questions, that's what you ask?"
The professor shrugged.
Clara laughed, "Funny. You're funny."
Thea gasped, spinning and pushing Clara to the ground, both of them lying there, narrowing avoiding Skaldaks claws and he made to grab her.
The professor pulled out his gun, shooting up at Skaldak. "See? I don't just like Western music." He twirled his gun only for Skaldak to grab his head instead.
"Let him go, Skaldak!" Thea shouted at him.
"No, please don't hurt him." Clara begged, "Please!"
"You attacked me." Skaldak snarled, "Martian law decrees that the people of this planet are forfeit. I now have all the information I require. It will take only one missile to begin the process. To end this Cold War."
"Grand Marshal, there is no need for this. Please, listen to me."
"My distress call has not been answered. It will never be answered. My people are dead. They are dust. There is nothing left for me except my revenge."
"That's not true." Thea shook her head, "your people live on. Just give them time, they will come. I promise."
~.~
The Doctor paused, getting a trace from the sonic that Skaldak had activated him armour.
~.~
"Please, show Mercy, Skaldak." Thea said gently as the Doctor ran back to them.
"Mercy?"
"You must wear that armour for a reason, my friend." The captain called as he came running over, his rifle aimed at Skaldak, "Let's see, shall we?"
"No, Captain, wait!" The Doctor shouted, quickly lowering the mans weapons.
"I will do whatever it takes to defend my world, Doctor."
"Yes, great, fine, good, but we are getting somewhere here. We are negotiating. 'Jaw-jaw not war-war.'"
"Churchill?" The professor guessed.
The Doctor pointed at him, "Churchill."
"Very well, we'll negotiate, but from a position of strength." The captain aimed his rifle again.
"Excellent tactical thinking." Skaldak laughed, "My congratulations, Captain."
"Thank you."
"Unfortunately, your position is not, perhaps, as strong as you might hope."
There was a low growl and Skaldak released the professor, slithering past and into the armour he had summoned.
"He summoned the armour." Thea warned them.
"How did it do that?" Clara asked.
"Sonic tech, Clara." The Doctor replied, "The song of the Ice Warriors."
One of the crew tried to shoot at Skaldak, but the armour protected him as he simply turned to walk away. The Doctor jumped forwards and shoved the gun down.
"My world is dead but now there will be a second red planet." Skaldak threatened, "Red with the blood of humanity!"
"Skaldak!" The Doctor rushed after him but the rest of the crew kept getting in his way, trying to shoot at the Martian despite seeing it had no effect on his armour, "Skaldak, wait!"
"Don't do this!" Thea agreed as they followed him into the controls room to see his arm extended over the controls, connecting himself to the wires.
"Skaldak, wait!" The Doctor cried, "Wait, wait!"
"He's arming the warheads." The captain raised his weapon again as the lights around them turned red.
"Where is the honour in condemning billions of innocents to death? 5000 years ago Mars was the centre of a vast empire. The jewel of this solar system. The people of Earth had only just begun to leave their caves. Five thousand years isn't such a long time. They're still just frightened children, still primitive. Who are you to judge them?"
"I am Skaldak!" He stated, "This planet is forfeit under Martian law."
"Martian law has no Jurisdiction on Earth." Thea told him.
"Instead...teach them." The Doctor continued, "Teach them, Grand Marshal. Show them another way. Show them there is honour in mercy. Is this how you want history to remember you? Grand Marshal Skaldak, Destroyer of Earth. Because that's what you'll be if you send those missiles. Not a soldier, a murderer. Five billion lives extinguished. No chance for goodbyes. A world snuffed out like a candle flame!" but Skaldak reached for the launch button, "All right. All right, Skaldak, you leave me no choice." he held up the sonic, "I'm a Time Lord, Skaldak. I know a thing or two about sonic technology myself."
"A threat?" Skaldak sneered, turning to him, "You threaten me, Doctor?"
"No. No, not you, all of us. I will blow this sub up before you can even reach that button, Grand Marshal. Blow us all to oblivion."
Skaldak eyed him, as though trying to figure out if this was a distraction or if he really would blow them up, "You would sacrifice yourself?"
"In a heartbeat." Thea determined, stepping up to the Doctors side.
She knew he wouldn't do it, not if it actually came to that, but if it did...she'd take over. She would do it.
She would kill them all for the Earth.
"Mutually assured destruction." Skaldak turned back to the controls.
"Look into my eyes, Skaldak." The Doctor dared, "Look into my eyes and tell me you're capable of doing this. Huh? Can you do that? Dare you do that? Look into my eyes, Skaldak. Come on. Face to face."
"Well, Doctor..." Skaldak lifted up his helmet to look at him, "Which of us shall blink first?"
"Why did you hesitate?" Clara called, "Back there, in the dark. You were going to kill this man, remember?" She reached back and patted the professors shoulder, "I begged you not to, and you listened. Why show compassion then, Skaldak, and not now? The Doctor's right. Billions will die."
"Would you really allow him to kill me?" Thea sked, "my father sacrificing me...his daughter..."
Skaldak paused, seeming to consider her words, "your daughter..." He looked between the Doctor and Thea.
"Remember that last battle, Skaldak?" Thea said softly, "Your daughter. You sang the songs..."
"Of the Red Snows." He breathed, his hands slowly pulling away from the controls.
The submarine suddenly shook, sending them stumbling.
"What's happening?" Clara gasped.
"My people live." Skaldak announced, "They have come for me!"
"I told you they would!" Thea cheered.
"We're rising." The captain stated, seeing the gauges, "We're rising!"
"600 metres..." the professor reported, "550..."
The sub shook with a jostle as they broke through the ice on the surface.
"We've surfaced." The Doctor grinned, "your people have saved us."
"Saved me," Skaldak sneered, "not you."
"Just go, Skaldak, please. Please, go in peace."
The humans blinked as Skaldak disappeared before them, teleported to his ship.
"We did it." Clara cheered, "We did it!"
"Not yet." Thea shook her head, "its still armed."
"A single pulse from that ship." The Doctor agreed, "I'll destroy us if I have to." He pressed the sonic to his forehead, "I will destroy us if I have to. Show mercy, Skaldak. Come on. Show mercy."
Clara swallowed, starting to hum as she quietly sang under her breathed, "da-da-da-dah I'm lost and I'm found, and I'm hungry like the wolf..."
And then...the port keys locked again, the lights turning green as the missile hatches closed.
The Doctor sighed in relief and flicked the sonic off. "Now we're safe." He turned and hugged Thea tightly, thankful it hadn't come to their end.
Clara gave a soft smile as she watched, only to give a small startled yelp as Thea pulled her into the hug. "Saved the world, then?"
"Yeah." The Doctor nodded.
"That's what we do."
"Yeah."
"And you didn't fade away." Thea grinned at Clara.
~.~
The time travellers, professor and the captain stepped out of the hatch at the top of the sub to see the Martian submarine hoovering above them.
"The TARDIS!" Clara gasped, the sight of another alien ship reminding her of their own, "Where's the TARDIS? You never explained."
"Oh well, don't worry about that." The Doctor tried to wave her off.
"Stop saying that." She huffed, "Where is it?"
"Yeah. Well, I wasn't to know, was I?"
"He reset the HADS." Thea told her, "The Hostile Action Displacement System. If the TARDIS comes under attack, gunfire, time winds, the sea," She gave the Doctor an annoyed look, "it relocates."
"Oh, Doctor." Clara sighed shaking her head.
"Haven't used it in donkey's years." the Doctor grumbled, "It seemed like a good idea at the time. Well, never mind, it's bound to turn up somewhere."
"Beep." Thea blinked as the sonic buzzed.
He grinned, pulling out the sonic, "Brilliant." and read the result, "The TARDIS is at the pole."
"Not far, then." Clara smiled heading for the hatch.
"There are two poles," Thea crossed her arms, already knowing it wouldn't be close by.
It was just their luck.
"The south pole." The Doctor admitted.
"Ah." Clara stopped.
The Doctor winced, looking at the captain, "Could we have a lift?"
"Oh, dad." Thea shook her head as the humans headed back inside, leaving the two Time Lords to wave off the Martian ship.