The First Shot (Doctor Who)

The First Shot is the ninth episode of the first series of Doctor Who produced by The 56Studios. It features the return of Missy, and the first appearances of the Paternoster Gang, the Sontarans, and the Rutans.

Story
London, England. 1895.

The lone, cloaked figure walked through the dim streets of London. His footsteps echoed in the darkness. It was nearly midnight. He silently passed by the occasional drunkard or late-night stroller. He paid no attention to them.

His solitary journey continued, passing from street to street, never stopping for anything. His stout figure and attire helped him blend into the shadows.

Eventually, he reached a side-street and headed down it. His footsteps rebounded more sharply here. Persisting, he made his way as quickly as he could through the alleyway towards the other side when something moved behind him.

Skidding to a halt, he swung around and drew some kind of handgun. Holding it up, it glowed with energy.

“Show yourself!” he yelled, peering from the shadow of his hood.

There was no response.

“Show yourself!” he repeated.

Nothing happened for a moment before a woman emerged from the shadows. She was moving strangely, her movements unnaturally smooth. Her impossibly green eyes glistened in the dim light. She inclined her head towards him.

“Identify yourself!” he aimed his weapon at her.

She watched him for a moment before, in a blur of motion, she produced her own gun and aimed it at him. It glimmered with a green light for a moment when a bolt of energy shot from it, striking him in the chest. He cried out in pain as it cut through him. He then crashed to the ground, his gun skidding away and his hood falling off his head.

Looking at her victim, the woman lowered her gun, and seemingly glided away, leaving the alien body on the ground.

“Right this way, madame,” the Inspector said, leading them into the alleyway. “Right over here…”

They approached something draped in a cloth lying on the ground. Arriving at it, the Inspector glanced at them before kneeling down and removed the cloth. Standing back up, he stepped away and let the three observe the scene.

“Oh my,” Vastra took a step closer.

“How is that possible?” Jenny said, stepping after her wife.

The Silurian looked to her Sontaran colleague. “Strax?”

He considered for a moment. “At this point in human history, there should be no Sontaran battle platoons on Earth,” he finally answered.

“Then why is he here?” Jenny asked.

“No idea. But I’m sure I will think of something.”

Vastra turned to the officer. “Inspector Gregson. When was this body found?”

“Early this morning,” he replied. “Probably died last night.”

Running her hand across the Sontaran’s exposed armor, she found a wound in his chest.

“Strax,” she said, inspecting it. “What do you think could have caused an injury like this?”

Kneeling down beside her, he examined it. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a small device. He pressed a button on it and held it over the warrior’s wound. There was a soft humming noise as it scanned the damage. After a moment it beeped, and the Sontaran held it up to see the readings. Strax frowned. The others noticed.

“What is it, Strax?” Jenny inquired.

“This wound was inflicted by a Rutan weapon,” he said, looking at the two women. “There are Rutans and Sontarans in London.”

The couple looked at each other for a moment.

“Well then,” Vastra finally responded. “Let’s call him, shall we?”

The console room shook slightly as the TARDIS continued to transit through the time vortex. The Doctor watched the lights around the room pulsate and the panels above him rotate. Moving around the console, he pulled levers and pushed buttons. The ship continued its journey through the vortex, weaving its way through the ever-shifting tunnel of swirling color.

In the doorway on the bottom deck, Clara Oswald appeared. Her hair was wet, evidently having just taken a shower. She looked up at the Doctor before ascending the stairs to the main deck. He glanced up at her as she arrived.

“You look like you just fell in the swimming pool.”

“I took a shower.”

“Why?”

“…To be hygienic?”

He looked skeptical but continued to operate the control. Clara rolled her eyes.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Kraaihe. The glass planet,” he answered.

“Like, everything on it is made of glass?” she inquired, raising an eyebrow.

“The planet itself is literally made of glass. Completely unique. There is nothing like it in the universe,” the Doctor said, surprisingly excited.

“I’ve never seen you so excited to see a planet before,” she observed, following him as he circled the console.

“This is why I set out all those years ago, I think,” he turned a knob. “To see the mysteries of the universe.”

“Also because you didn’t like staying in one place,” the woman smiled.

He looked up at her. “That too.”

The ship shuddered softly as they skimmed the edge of the vortex. Clara watched the panels rotating above the console for a moment when there was a beeping noise coming from the console. Turning their attention to it, the Doctor grabbed one of the screens and pulled it over. There were red Gallifreyan symbols blinking on it.

The Doctor’s expression hardened. Clara watched it with a quizzical look, as she couldn’t read it.

“What does it say?” she asked.

The symbols blinked for another moment before they flickered, being replaced by English. It was a single phrase, but Clara knew what it meant.

“PATERNOSTER?” Clara read. “What does it mean? Are they okay?”

The Doctor didn’t answer. He seemed to be staring at the screen. Looking at it again, she saw a date underneath the word. It read August 3, 1895.

“Trip’s canceled,” the Doctor said, swinging around to the other side of the console and entering the date into a keypad, as well as what she assumed was the coordinates. Wrapping his hand around a lever, he pulled it. They watched as the panels above the console stopped, before spinning backwards in the opposite direction. Clara let out a gasp of excitement as the TARDIS shook, flying into the past.

The wheezing of the TARDIS filled the courtyard as the three watched the blue box materialized. When it stopped, it stood still for several moments before the door opened and the Doctor and Clara emerged. They were both wearing Victorian clothes, although Clara’s appeared more convincing.

Upon seeing him, the three took a step backwards. They were looking in great confusion at the Doctor.

“Who are you?” Jenny asked.

“Identify yourself!” Strax produced a firearm, which Vastra and Jenny cast a concerned look at.

“It’s okay! It’s okay!” Clara stepped forward. “He’s the Doctor!”

“The Doctor? Impossible!” the Sontaran said. “The Doctor was a stick man with ridiculous hair and a dangerous chin!”

Clara suppressed a laugh.

“I knew you were stupid,” the Doctor frowned. “But that’s cruel.”

“He’s regenerated,” Clara explained. “It’s how Time Lords survive so long.”

A look of understanding swept across Vastra’s face.

“Ah. Again?” she addressed him. “Not bad.”

He gave her a half-smile.

“Glad to see you got our message,” Vastra said, stepping forward again.

“Yes,” he replied, putting his arms behind his back. “Very simple. Attention-grabbing.”

“Why did you contact us, Vastra?” Clara asked. “What’s wrong?”

The three of them exchanged glances. Finally, the Silurian answered.

“There’s a problem. We’ve found evidence of Sontaran and Rutan forces in the city. We do not believe that this is a coincidence, and that everyone in London may be in danger.”

“Rutans and Sontarans in London in 1895?” the Doctor rolled his eyes. “Impossible. There hasn’t been any skirmishes in the war on this planet in centuries, and there won’t be for at least another decade.”

“We found the body of a Sontaran, Doctor,” Jenny said, still a little skeptical of his new appearance. “With wounds inflicted by a Rutan blaster.”

“One body does not signify an invasion.”

“It would most likely do you well to see the body,” Vastra smiled.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow.

Inside 13 Paternoster Row, the five gathered around a table where the deceased Sontaran was laid. There was a large light shining down upon him, illuminating the deep wound in his chest. The Doctor was leaning over the body, Strax and Vastra watching him, while Jenny and Clara stayed far back.

“That is not good,” he finally pronounced, standing up again.

“Is it as we suspected?” Vastra asked.

He nodded. “This wound was indeed inflicted by a Rutan weapon.”

“So it’s true?” Jenny stepped forward. “There are Sontarans and Rutans in London?”

“I’m not going to speculate just yet,” he said. “This could just have been a skirmish between two rogue agents.”

“There have been other sightings, Doctor,” Vastra replied.

He looked up at her. “Why didn’t you say so?”

The Silurian pointed behind him. Turning around, he saw three boards with dozens of papers tacked to them. In the middle was what appeared to be a map of London. Walking towards it, he ran his hand across the paper. There were several marks across it, presumably marking where the Sontarans and Rutans had been sighted.

“These are all the sightings in the past six months,” Strax explained as they gathered behind him.

“If you’ve known they were here for six months,” he turned towards them. “Why didn’t you contact me sooner?”

“We didn’t know they were Sontarans or Rutans,” Jenny replied. “We thought we’d find something concrete before calling you.”

“Also we don’t need your help on everything, Doctor,” Vastra smiled again.

“Well,” he said, turning back to the map. “You missed this.”

Reaching into his pocket, he produced a marker. Uncapping it, he dragged it across the paper, He ran it through the various markings, creating some kind of shape. Finishing, he recapped the marker and returned it to his pocket. Taking a step back, he allowed the others to see what he had done.

“Oh, that’s interesting,” Clara said.

“What does it mean, Doctor?” Jenny asked.

“Every sighting has been in this,” he indicated the semicircle that had drawn. “That means that they have to be within this area. Both camps. Right next to each other.”

“That can’t be good,” Vastra acknowledged.

“If they find each other, there’s nothing that will stop a war from breaking out.”

Clara watched him. “Except for you.”

“Which is why I need to get the Sontarans and Rutans out of London as soon as possible,” he stepped towards the board again. “The only problem is how I’ll do that.”

“I have an idea,” Strax suddenly spoke up. They all turned to him.

“And what’s that?” the Doctor asked.

“I disguise myself as a soldier, infiltrate the Sontaran encampment, and learn their battle strategy and their strategic weaknesses.”

“That is a terribl-,” Vastra began but was cut off.

“That could work,” the Doctor said. “And it’s the only idea I can think of.”

“What if he gets captured?” the Silurian asked. “Or killed? You can’t go needlessly risking lives, Doctor!”

“Oh, I volunteer, madame!” Strax replied. “It is a strategic risk.”

“I don’t like it,” she crossed her arms.

“We don’t have many options, Vastra,” the Doctor turned to her. “And we’re running out of time.”

Strax smiled. “Let’s not waste anymore time then, sir.”

The lone, cloaked figure walked down the empty street. His footsteps echoed against the stone. He glanced from left to right, continuing his solitary journey.

“This is Commander Strax,” he said, his voice joining his footsteps. “Are you receiving me?”

Back at 13 Paternoster Row, the Doctor, Clara, Vastra, and Jenny watched him walking on a very robust screen, evidently from a camera mounted to him.

“Be quiet, Strax,” the Doctor said irritably, speaking into a microphone set before him. “You’re going to attract attention to yourself.”

“''Oh. Right. Sorry sir,''” he said.

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

They watched as the Sontaran continued through the alleyway. The camera bounced slightly with his movements. They watched as he weaved his way through several alleyways and side-streets, seeing the occasional passerby,

Clara leaned forward. “How will he know where to go?”

“''I will be able to identify the markings of a Sontaran encampment, boy. Do not worry,''” Strax responded, his voice crackling through the speaker.

“Be quiet,” the Doctor said again.

“…Yes sir.”

Strax continued walking. Jenny was holding her hands in front of her mouth.

“What are we going to do if we do find their camps?” she asked.

“Get them off this planet,” the Doctor replied, still watching the screen.

“Yes, but how?” she persisted.

The Doctor didn’t answer. Vastra rolled her eyes.

“He’ll think of something, dear,” her wife answered.

“I’m trying to, but it’s difficult with all this noise,” he said impatiently, still intently staring at the screen. Clara rolled her eyes again.

On the screen, they saw Strax abruptly come to a halt. He was facing a dead-end alleyway, populated by a pile of trash of various kinds. The shadow of what appeared to be a warehouse towered over him.

The Doctor ran his hand along his face. “Good job, Strax. You found a dead-end.”

“No, sir,” he replied. “I think this is it.”

Back in the alleyway, the Sontaran stood examining the wall when something moved behind him. The noise was accompanied by a voice.

“What are you doing here?”

Turning around, he saw another Sontaran, dressed in similar attire, standing before him. He had a rifle at his side.

“Uh… I’m just having a little trouble getting into the base. That’s all,” Strax said, indicating the wall behind him.

His fellow Sontaran looked at him skeptically. “Are you new here or something? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

“Oh, no. I came here with everyone else. You just haven’t seen me.”

“Then how come you can’t get in the camp?”

“I forgot.”

“You forgot?”

“Yep.”

The soldier eyed him suspiciously. Strax tried to look as innocent as he could. After a few moments, the Sontaran sighed and moved past him. Walking up to the side of the alleyway, the trash just feet from him, he placed his three-fingered hand on one of the bricks. Pressing down on it, it slid inwards. There was a clunking noise before a section of the wall slid away, revealing a doorway.

Stepping aside to let Strax pass, the Sontaran turned to him.

“Don’t forget again,” he said, before walking away.

“Of course,” he nodded, watching him disappear.

“Well done, Strax,” the Doctor’s voice came over the device. “I’m impressed.”

“You should never have doubted me, sir,” he smiled to himself, before stepping through the opening.

He came into a narrow corridor, which was illuminated by a dim orange glow. His hand traced over his firearm, which hung from his side. Behind him, the brick door grounded shut. Cautiously, he stepped forward.

“I’m entering the base,” he whispered, walking forward.

Continuing forward, he followed the hallway, turning corners. Going down one corridor, he passed three soldiers who were traveling towards the exit. They were all cloaked and indistinguishable from one another. Strax glanced at them, but they didn’t return him the favor.

Finally, he reached a much more obvious doorway, which was guarded by two soldiers. Walking towards them, they stopped him.

“Identification number,” one of them demanded.

“7283621942,” Strax answered instinctively.

The two looked at each other, their grips on their weapons tightening.

“That is not the base identification number of this platoon,” the Sontaran replied. They pointed their guns at him.

“Identify yourself!” the other barked.

“This is unnecessary-.”

“Identify yourself!”

He hesitated for a second. “I am Commander Strax.”

The two looked at each other again.

“There is no Commander Strax in this platoon,” one of them activated their weapon, causing it to glow with energy. The other did the same.

“Who are you?” the other demanded, taking steps towards him.

Strax raised his hands. “I just told you!”

“It is impossible that there are other Sontaran soldiers on this planet in this time period. You are an impostor.”

“I am not an impostor! I am a Sontaran Commander!” he said, his anger starting to boil. His panic also rose.

The two looked at each other again.

“We’ll take him to General Kraar,” one of them said. “He’ll want to see this for himself.”

Stepping forward, they grabbed his arms. He struggled as they attempted to restrain them. Strax managed to strike one in the helmet, causing him to stumble backwards. A fierce grin on his face, he swung around to strike the other guard when a burning pain shot through his body. He yelled out in surprise before he felt his muscles weakening, and his legs being unable to support him.

“You’ll never take me alive!” he called before falling to the floor and into darkness.

The four watched the screen go dark as Strax fell to the ground. There was static before the image disappeared entirely.

“What happened to the image?” Jenny asked as the Doctor got up to try and fix the device.

“Must’ve been the thing that made him fall,” Clara speculated. “Some kind of stunner.”

“So we’ve completely lost contact with Strax?” Vastra stood up.

“It appears so,” the Doctor gave up, pocketing the Sonic Screwdriver. “He’s been taken by the Sontaran troops.”

Jenny got to her feet also. “We have to get him!”

“Obviously we have to get him,” he replied. “The Sontarans just found a spy attempting to get into their camp. Not to mention the already dead soldier. They’ll blame the Rutans, and it won’t be long before war breaks out. Of course we have to find him, because London might not be standing if we don’t.”

“What do we do, then?” Clara asked.

He held his hands to his chin for a moment before responding. “We’ll have to go to the camp. I’ll try to diffuse the situation. That’s what I was going to do anyway.”

“How do you know they won’t just kill us?” Jenny crossed her arms.

“I happen to be very persuasive,” he smiled. “Trust me.”

The two women looked at him uncertainly, but Clara had a smile on her face.

“Let’s do it,” she said.

Half an hour later they were retracing Strax’s steps to the Sontaran encampment. The Doctor and Clara led the way, while Vastra and Jenny brought up the rear. Clara knew that, although it wasn’t obvious, both of them were carrying their swords. The Doctor had his screwdriver held at his side.

Their footsteps echoed through the nearly-deserted streets. Occasionally someone would pass them, but they would take no notice of them.

“We’re coming up on it,” the Doctor said eventually, slowing his pace. The others did the same.

Continuing their approach, they attempted to make their footfalls as quiet as possible. Vastra and Jenny held the handles of their swords, ready to draw them at any moment. They were feet away the entrance to an alleyway.

The Doctor pressed himself against the wall and peered into the entrance. He saw the alleyway turn off into another one, which he knew was where the entrance to the camp to be. Readying his screwdriver, he turned to the others.

“Okay,” he said. “I don’t know what we’re going to meet there. They weren’t hostile to Strax initially because he was one of them. We’re not. So be ready for anything. I’ll try to stall them if things get out of hand. Got it?”

They nodded.

“Good. Because I don’t have time to look after all of your so you’ll have to do it yourselves.”

Adjusting the settings on his screwdriver, and glancing at Clara, nodded.

“Let’s go.”

However, stepping forward, he was suddenly hit with a blast of green energy. He stood for a moment before falling to the ground.

“Doctor!” Clara yelled, moving to help him when she was also struck with a blast of energy. Vastra and Jenny moved to draw their swords, but their attackers were too fast for them and they were also shot. They fell on top of each other.

Above them, three figures emerged from the shadows, each with guns in their hands.

Slowly, the Doctor came back around. His head spun and his vision was unfocused. With great effort, he pushed himself off the ground. He stumbled a little as he got to his feet. Looking around, he saw his sight become clear again.

He was still the alleyway, but he had apparently been laying on the ground for several hours, as it was now evening. The sky above him was darkening quickly.

Running his hand through his hair, he saw Vastra laying on the ground a few feet away from him. Bending down beside her, he shook her.

“Vastra,” he said. “Are you okay?”

She stirred, placing a hand on her head.

“What happened?” she asked.

“We were attacked,” he replied, helping her to her feet.

The Silurian fell against the wall for a moment, holding her head. Suddenly she noticed that there was something wrong.

“Where are Jenny and Clara?”

Realizing what she had, he looked around for the two women, but they were nowhere to be found. Grabbing the Sonic Screwdriver off the ground, he scanned the area. Meanwhile, Vastra was breathing heavily with her hand on her chest.

“We’re the only ones who have been here in the last three hours,” he said, looking at the readings. “They’re gone.”

“We have to find them! Jenny’s in danger!”

“Of course we will!” he said to her. “And I will, but now is not the time to panic.”

She tried to collect herself. “Did the Sontarans take them?”

“Unlikely,” he shook his head. “They wouldn’t have left us alive. The Sontarans don’t usually take prisoners. Especially not humanoids.”

“So the Rutans?”

“Probably.”

She stepped up to him. “Then we must go to their camp!”

A voice came from behind them.

“Now that’s a terrible idea.”

Turning around, they saw a woman dressed in a dark green Victorian dress with a purple necktie leaning up against the wall of the street. She was smiling at the Doctor, her gray eyes piercing. The Doctor’s expression dropped, while Vastra’s became one of confusion.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Missy?” the Doctor gasped.

“Hello again, Doctor,” Missy let go of the wall and started walking towards them. “Did you miss me?”

“What are you doing here?” he asked, coming face to face with his fellow Time Lord.

“Heard about your predicament. Thought I’d help.”

“What?”

“Is it so hard to believe that I’m here to help?” she said innocently.

His expression hardened. “Yes. It is.”

“Well, I suppose I can’t blame you for that,” she continued to smile.

Vastra was bewildered. “I’m sorry, but who is this?”

“The Mistress,” she replied. “But please, call me Missy.”

“She’s a Time Lord, like me,” the Doctor supplemented.

“Time Lady, please,” Missy grinned. “Gotta keep those old gender inequalities going. Gotta trigger the libs, you know.”

“Please stop,” he warned.

“So. What’s the plan?” Missy put her hands on her hips, smacking her mouth. “Because we ain’t doing scaly girl’s plan.”

“Excuse me?” Vastra exclaimed.

“Never mind that,” the Doctor stepped closer to her. “Why are you really here?”

“Like I said: to help.”

“I have a hard time believing that,” he replied. “We haven’t had the best history.”

“Don’t you trust me a little bit more after I saved you and Clara from the Rani?” she asked, the two beginning to circle each other. “I didn’t have to do that, you know.”

“And I thank you for that,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean I trust you.”

“Well, you’re going to have to, because I have an idea that will work.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“You’re going to have to trust me if you want to hear it.”

The Doctor watched her for a moment before responding. “What is your idea.”

Missy smiled broadly. Placing her hands behind her back, she stepped away. “We have to get both armies to a singular location so we can lay a trap and kill them.”

“Kill them?” the Doctor said.

“Fine. We can send them into the far future, away from harming anyone,” she conceded quickly.

“That plan is very simplistic,” Vastra remarked.

“That’s how I roll, lizzy.”

“It could work,” the Doctor nodded. “But how would we do it?”

Another smile broke across the Time Lady’s face. “I’m glad you asked.”

Clara’s head ached as she pushed herself off the ground. The floor below her was dirty, and her hands were bound. Beside her, Jenny woke up also, in a similar state.

“What happened?” she asked, looking around. “Where are we?”

They were in a cage of some kind. Outside the bars, they saw men and women moving around them, carrying crates and weapons alike.

“These aren’t Sontarans,” Jenny observed.

“I think they’re Rutans,” Clara said.

“Where are Vastra and the Doctor?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“How are we going to get out of here?” Jenny tried tugging at her bonds.

“When the Sontarans pay your ransom,” said a voice from outside the cage.

Looking up, they saw a woman approaching them. Her movements were odd and unnatural. Her eyes glistened with a green light.

“Who are you?” Clara asked.

“I am General Rurnok, leader of this platoon,” she replied.

“Why are we here?”

“Because you are Sontaran spies, and therefore criminals of war. Our prisoners of war,” she answered.

“We’re not Sontaran spies,” Clara answered.

“Don’t lie to me!” the woman struck the bars, her teeth barred. “We saw you and your friends with a Sontaran multiple times!”

“He’s not a soldier,” Jenny replied. “He’s not part of the Sontarans anymore.”

“We saw him entering the Sontaran encampment a few hours ago. Don’t lie to me.”

“We’re not!” both women protested.

“If you don’t comply, you will be destroyed,” Rurnok said before turning away.

After she disappeared into the army, Jenny turned Clara. “Is the Doctor going to save us?”

“Of course he will,” she replied, managing a smile.

On the inside, she wasn’t sure.

The Doctor, Missy, and Vastra had returned to 13 Paternoster Row. Together, the three of them were looking over the boards that the Paternoster Gang had been together.

“There has to be an abandoned warehouse somewhere,” the Doctor said, running his hand over the map.

Vastra came up to it and pointed at a warehouse two miles away from the Sontaran camp. “What about there? That warehouse has been vacant for over a decade.”

“Not a bad suggestion,” Missy nodded. “How do we know that it’s not the Rutans’ base, though?”

“We don’t,” the Doctor replied. “But, we don’t have many other options.”

“How are we going to get them to the warehouse?” Vastra asked. “We don’t exactly have a way of contacting them. Unless…?”

He nodded. “I have equipment in the TARDIS that can send to both the Sontarans and Rutans. They won’t be able to tell the difference.”

“Yeah, they are pretty stupid,” Missy said. “We’re going to have to make sure to have them bring their hostages with them. They probably think that they’re spies for each other.”

“What will we do when we get them there?” Vastra followed up.

Missy smiled. “We obliterate them, of course.”

“No. We won’t,” the Doctor shook his head. “I’m going to use the TARDIS to create a temporal rift and send them to the distant future. But only as a last resort. I want to convince them to lay down their own arms if I can.”

“That’s horribly idealistic,” Missy replied.

“It’s who I am,” he bared down on her. “And if there’s a chance I can show them mercy, I will take it before I fire the first shot.”

The two stared at each other for a moment.

“Interesting,” the Time Lady finally said. “But I still think we should lead with the rift.”

He turned away from her and looked back at the map.

“Will Jenny, Strax, and Clara be safe?” Vastra stepped towards him.

“I intend to insure their safety,” the Doctor looked her in the eyes. “And I will protect them. At all costs.”

She looked at him for a moment before nodding. He smiled.

“Then we haven’t much time to lose.”

The warehouse stood silent. The remnants of what the building used to be used for lay scattered across the dirty floor like relics of a forgotten history. Dust covered them like a gradient, the change being like darkness to light.

Silence hung for a moment before there was a shaking noise that filled the air, followed by a nearly identical noise. There were suddenly two massive blasts of light. Once they faded, the warehouse was filled with dozens of Sontarans on one side, facing an army of men and women on the other. The men and women had Clara and Jenny in their midst, while the Sontarans had Strax. He was slightly beaten and bruised, but alive.

At once, the two groups raised their weapons.

“Lower your weapons!” General Kraar, a fierce-looking Sontaran yelled.

“Not before you drop yours!” Rurnok sneered.

“I received your transmission stating that you wanted to exchange hostages for your surrender!” Kraar yelled.

“I was sent a similar message,” the Rutan replied. “But I would never surrender to you.”

“Nor I to you.”

They stood their, their guns glowing with light, each waiting for the other to take the first shot. Clara and Jenny struggled to free themselves, but were further restrained.

The two armies were about to make a move when a strange wheezing sound filled the air. They looked around around in confusion, searching for the source. The groaning grew increasingly louder.

Clara and Jenny looked around.

“Is that-?”

“It is,” Clara smiled.

Slowly, a large blue box began to appear between the two forces, its light shining light a beacon in the darkness. The noise grew louder as the box continued to materialize. There was a loud thump as the groaning stopped and the box began solid. Every gun in the room fell upon the police box.

There was another moment of silence before the door opened and the Doctor stepped forward. He had discarded his Victorian coat and top hat for his velvet coat. He stopped a few paces from the box, striking an assertive pose. Behind him, Vastra and Missy emerged.

“Vastra!” Jenny yelled.

“Missy?” Clara gasped.

“I’m here, my love!” Vastra called to her wife. “Stay there!”

“What is the meaning of this?” Kraar demanded, stepping forward.

“Who are you?” Rarnok adjusted her aim.

“I’m the Doctor,” he said, his expression grim.

Immediately, the armies on both sides recoiled.

“Impossible!” Kraar yelled. “You died on Trenzalore!”

“No,” the Doctor replied. “Everyone else did.”

“What are you doing here?” Rarnok asked.

He turned to her. “To implore you.”

“Implore us to what?”

“To stop,” he answered. “To end this war. Right here. Right now.”

“Stop the war? We can’t,” Kraar responded. “The Sontarans surrender to no one!”

“Neither do the Rutans.”

“Oh, I don’t care about your conceived notuibs of honor, which apparently bind you to continue killing as an excuse to not show mercy,” he began pacing, their guns following him. “Lives are on the line here. Innocent lives. If you continue on this path, and war breaks out, they will die, and it will be on your hands.”

“What do you expect us to do? Give up? Go home?” Rarnok asked.

“That is exactly what I want you to do,” his face lit up. “Exactly.”

She stood still for a moment. “That won’t happen.”

“Listen to me!” he growled. “All of those people in the city out there have no dealing in your meaningless war that has raged for countless millennium. They will die, for no reason at all.”

“Casualties are a natural outcome of them. A necessary one,” Kraar argued. “You should know that, ‘Doctor of War.’”

The Doctor’s face darkened as if someone had turned off a light that had been shining on him. Slowly, he turned to the General. His expression was like the night.

“Yes. I do know that,” he approached him slowly. “I know that more than you-” he pointed to Kraar “-than you-” he pointed to Rarnok “-or anyone else in the universe. I have seen more and dealt more deaths than anyone who has or will ever live. I have seen the darkness, and I have seen the hurt and the pain.”

He returned to the chasm between the armies, looking to each of them.

“War and bloodshed are never necessary,” he said. “War should never have to be fought and blood should never have to be spilled. But, in this universe, it is inevitable. It is unavoidable. But,” he held up a finger. “He who fires the first shot, and the death that follows that first shot is solely their responsibility. Every death is theirs to pay for. Every death is theirs to have dealt.

“So please,” he turned to them. “Please. I’m begging you. End this before anyone else has to die. Please.”

Silence fell after he finished talking. The armies watched him closely, their weapons still ready.

Finally, Kraar spoke.

“The war between the Sontarans and Rutans shall not end with my surrender!” he roared.

“Nor will it end with mine,” Rarnok concurred.

The Doctor’s eyes widened. “Wait-!”

“Fire!” the Sontaran and Rutan yelled.

A split second later bolts of energy flew through the air. The Doctor immediately dove to the ground, followed by Missy, Vastra, Clara, Jenny, and Strax.

Above them, Sontarans and Rutans alike were hit with blasts of energy. The Sontarans dropped the ground, while the human bodies of the Rutans exploded with green light before falling to the floor. Clara and Jenny yelled in surprise as bodies fell around them, steaming with some kind of glowing green smoke.

Blasts shattered against the surface of the TARDIS, sparks falling upon the three who were feet from it. On the ground, Missy crawled over to the Doctor.

“You have to activate the rift!” she yelled over the gunfire. “There’s no other way!”

He looked at her for a moment before nodding solemnly. Reaching into his coat, he produced the Sonic Screwdriver. Turning around, he pointed the device at the blue box. Pressing his thumb on the button, it activated.

Inside the ship, the console suddenly blazed into life. The panels above the main deck began to rotate before one of the handles slammed itself down.

Outside, the surface of the box pulsated with rippling energy, the bulb on the roof began flashing brightly. It stayed like that for a moment when the energy exploded outwards, consuming the warehouse in a blinding light. There were yells of surprise and of pain before everything went silent.

The light faded. Clara’s ears were ringing. Pushing herself off the ground, she found that the armies were nowhere to be seen. The only ones who were left in the warehouse appeared to be the six of them.

“Doctor?” Clara began walking towards him. “Doctor? What happened?”

He was dusting himself off. After he was done, he began inspecting the Sonic Screwdriver. Strax was nursing a wound on his arm. Behind him, Vastra got to her feet and saw Jenny.

“Jenny!” she said, rushing forward.

“Vastra!” she replied, running to meet her.

The two women embraced, kissing before holding each other close.

“I’m so happy to see you, my love,” Vastra sounded choked up. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“Me too, dear,” Jenny said. “I love you.”

They kissed again, standing together for a long time.

Clara watched them with a smile before turning back to the Doctor.

“Doctor? You didn’t answer.”

He stood silent for a moment. “I opened a rift with the TARDIS that targeted their biological signatures. The energy sent them into the future. The far future.”

“What will happen to them?”

“They’ll fight. For the rest of eternity, probably,” he sounded strange.

To his left, Missy stepped towards him. “They’d be lucky if they got that, actually.”

“What are you talking about, Missy?” Clara raised an eyebrow.

“They were hurled into the time vortex unprotected. Most likely they’ll be ripped the shreds by the time winds, never reaching their destination,” she turned to the Doctor with a smile on her face. “I’m proud of you. I really, truly, am.”

The Doctor looked at her with a grave expression before turning and walking into the TARDIS. Everyone watched him go with a confused expression. Suddenly, they heard the sound of the engines starting.

Clara looked around as the ship started to wheeze.

“Uh. Goodbye? I gotta go!” she said before running into the box, leaving the others behind. The door closed just as the ship began to dematerialize.

Inside, Clara saw the Doctor standing on the console, looking down. He looked solemn, his expression one of regret.

“Doctor?” she said, stepping towards him. “What’s happened? Why did we leave like that?”

He stayed silent, only the groaning of the engines being the only thing between them.

Finally, he took a shuddering breath. He looked at her as she watched with worry.

“I fired the first shot.”

Characters

 * Twelfth Doctor
 * Clara Oswald
 * Missy
 * Vastra
 * Jenny Flint
 * Strax
 * Sontarans
 * General Kraar
 * Rutans
 * General Rarnok
 * Inspector Gregson

Trivia

 * Aspects of this story were inspired by the Series 9 episodes The Zygon Invasion and The Zygon Inversion.
 * The scene where the Doctor confronts of the Sontarans and the Rutans was particularly based on the Doctor's speech in the latter episode.
 * The story that originally filled this spot was called The Inferno, but the concept of the story was changed, and that story was moved to a later series.
 * Another story was called Thorns, but it was scrapped for being too similar in concept to the main series' Flatline.
 * This episode is the first time that Invader39 has portrayed a openly LGBTQIA+ relationship.