The Fifth Doctor and Peri land on Mars and encounter the Ares One, NASA's first mission to Mars. Several probes had previously tried to explore Mars, but all they'd brought back was some ancient rocks, some debris... some DNA...
While exploring, the Doctor accidentally awakens some familiar enemies: the Ice Warriors. While he and Peri stumble about, the members of the mission start dying one by one. Fortunately, the Ice Warriors are a rather noble bunch, and they're okay with the Doctor helping them out if everyone plays fair. Unfortunately, the mission leader turns out to be a grave robber who's fully aware of the Ice Warriors and their advanced weapons. Fortunately, the Doctor calms everyone down a bit and none of the grave robbing actually succeeds. Unfortunately, one of the mission members turns out to be an Artificial Human constructed using Ice Warrior DNA. Fortunately, despite being only 17, she agrees to be a diplomat for the two species, and stays behind on Mars.
Tropes:
- Ancient Tomb: One of the key settings in this story is the tomb of Izdaal, who is considered by many Ice Warriors to be the greatest hero that Mars has ever known. The Doctor, Commander Forbes and Susan Roberts manage to enter this tomb through a door that only opens to those with honourable intentions.
- Brandishment Bluff: Susan Roberts attempts to bluff the Ice Warriors by pointing a Spectographer at them and pretending it's a gun. Unfortunately for her, this results in her death after she herself is shot by Sstast.
- Disproportionate Retribution: The Ice Warriors decide to kill of all of the humans after one of their own dies.
- Distressed Dude: The Doctor ends up under gunpoint first by the Ice Warriors, then by Webster.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Tanya Webster is actually a cross between a human and an Ice Warrior.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Zzaal, like Izdaal before him. He lets himself die in the Red Dawn so that his Warriors can kill the story's true villain, Paul Webster.
- Hostage Situation: What the Mars Mission ends up as when one of the humans, Paul Webster, holds one of the Ice Warriors hostage with the intention of bringing him back to Earth so that his father's corporation can create human soldiers spliced with Ice Warrior DNA and armed with Martian technology.
- I Choose to Stay: Tanya decides to stay on Mars to be an ambassador.
- It's All My Fault: Commander Lee Forbes blames himself for the death of Susan Roberts.
- Last Request: Zzaal asks to see the sun rise one more time.
- Only the Worthy May Pass: The Doctor finds doors that will only open for those with honourable intentions.
- Sealed Evil in a Can: The group unfreezes a few Ice Warriors.
- Tomato in the Mirror: Tanya discovers that she was cloned from Ice Warrior DNA.
