The Space Pirates ( TV story ) The Space Pirates was the sixth story in the sixth season of " Doctor Who " . It is the last serial to contain missing episodes which only exist in stills , fragments , or reconstructions . Narratively notable for featuring the Doctor and his companion s in a comparatively minor capacity for the times , Robert Holmes ' second script for the programme was an attempt at creating a " science fiction western " . Clear allusions were evident to western character types as were being seen at the time in Britain on American imports like . Holmes provided archetypes like " the lawman " , " the deputy " , " the pioneer " , " the miner " and " the female businesswoman " , amongst others . Indeed , the character of Milo Clancey wasn ' t even an " allusion " to a western stereotype ; he was a wildcat prospector who dressed as if he ' d just walked off the set of . Behind the scenes , the show was more than just the penultimate Patrick Troughton story . It was notable for a number of different reasons . Episode six was effectively the series ' first double banked episode . It was the first not to use any of the regular cast in studio recording since " Mission to the Unknown " . While the story was being recorded , the regulars were actually away filming on location for " The War Games " . Their portion of episode six was in fact pre - recorded and played back into the studio as required . ( DWM 242 ) Moreover , episode one was the final episode filmed at Lime Grove Studios , a particularly difficult studio that had been the bane of the production team since " An Unearthly Child " . While a number of stories had been recorded at BBC Television Centre before " The Space Pirates " , episode two was the beginning of the period where " Doctor Who " was more or less permanently assigned to Television Centre . More specifically , it was the first episode recorded at TC4 , one of the premiere studios at Television Centre . Also , episode two was , unusually , a studio show recorded on 35mm film — which is why it ' s the only episode of the serial which survives . The BBC deemed it " historically significant " and retained it . ( DWM 242 ) The visual effects were somewhat unique for " Doctor Who " . They realistically depicted space as star less at short range , perhaps informed by the then - daily glimpses of starless space in press coverage of the " Apollo 11 " launch . Famously , the story was the first one on which John Nathan - Turner was employed by the " Doctor Who " production office , albeit in the minor and uncredited role of floor assistant , even though he was just called John Turner . Synopsis . The TARDIS materialises in Earth ' s future on a space beacon just before it is attacked by pirates . The travellers find themselves trapped in a sealed section of the beacon . It is blown apart and flown to where the pirates will plunder it of the precious mineral argonite . They witness a conflict between the pirates and the Interstellar Space Corps , led by General Hermack and Major Warne . The ISC are convinced that the pirates ' mastermind is an innocent yet eccentric space mining pioneer named Milo Clancey , while their true leader is a man named Caven . Caven has a secret base on the planet Ta . He is assisted by Madeleine Issigri , daughter of Clancey ' s ex - partner Dom , who — unknown to her — is now his captive . When Madeleine discovers Caven ' s full treachery , she helps to bring him to justice . The time travellers are given a lift back to the TARDIS by Clancey in his rickety old ship , the " LIZ 79 " . Plot . Episode one . A ship docks with the Alpha One government beacon . A man enters the airlock between the ship and the beacon . He is followed by two space suited engineers who are carrying equipment . The man operates a control and a hatch opens . The engineers go through the hatchway and out onto the beacon . Once in space , they begin fixing something onto the hull of the ship . The man , Dervish , reports to his superior , Caven , that the engineers are operating . The two engineers come back inside the beacon , and the group returns to their ship . The ship undocks from the beacon . After a moment , the beacon explodes . On the government ship , " V41 " - LO , Major Ian Warne reports to his superior , General Nikolai Hermack , that they still cannot locate the beacon . Hermack says it is not a mechanical failure but due to the metal with which the ship is made , argonite , the most expensive mineral in the world . Hermack relays this information over to the ship . Throughout the spaceship , the personnel are all listening intently . They are to abandon their mission , guard the beacons , and catch the criminals who are breaking them up for wealth . Hermack flicks a switch on the control panel to end his transmission . Hermack and Warne plan their strategy . There are 17 beacons overall , but four are in the Pliny System . It is there they will try . The pirate ship docks with Alpha 7 . Dervish is worried about the Space Corps , but Caven states they are too busy with three wars to deal with pirates . Dervish operates the hatch control . He signals for the engineers to go through the hatchway . Dervish says he used to work for the Earth government and knows how strongly they take issues such as this . Caven slaps the bulkhead and says that the risk is worth it . On the government ship , they are scanning the radar . Hermack is using a communicator to marshal the strategy . Hermack stands up and moves across to the chart table . They have based themselves near the planet Ta , headquarters of a mining company . They hope they will catch the pirates docking there for rest and recreation . They are notified of an unexpected ship by Alpha 7 . They head off to catch it . As they approach , the ship undocks . They pursue it . As they do , they realise they have picked up the signal of some UHF demolition equipment . The Alpha 7 explodes . Hermack orders that they track the ship . It will take three hours to catch up , and the ship is accelerating at twice their capabilities . Their scanner is blocked by the pirates . They stop the pursuit . Hermack says that they are blowing the beacon into small chunks and shooting it across space to a predetermined drop off point . The only solution is to man the beacons . Lieutenant Joe Sorba enters beacon Alpha 4 . He is followed by Major Warne and four Space Corps guards . Warne sets up his radio and leaves him , saying that they will see him in six weeks . Warne then gives him a transmitter and says if there ' s any trouble , activate it . Warne comes through the airlock and onto the bridge . They head off to their next beacon . Warne tells Hermack that he gave Sorba orders to shoot any unknown person on Alpha 4 on sight . The TARDIS materialises on Alpha 4 . A guard reports to Sorba that he heard something in the computer bay . Sorba and the guards rush off to investigate . The Doctor emerges from the TARDIS , saying he is not where he thought they would be . A piece of machinery catches his eye , and he goes to investigate . Zoe wants to explore , but Jamie wants to leave . The Doctor says he has nothing to worry about as the machine is designed to be operated remotely , so there is no one there . The Doctor wants to explore . He opens the door , and suddenly Sorba and the guards appear at the hatchway . As the travellers flee , Jamie slams the hatch shut behind them . Sorba and the guards fire at the door . The Doctor and his colleagues run . Sorba pursues , reiterating the order that they are to shoot to kill . The pirate ship docks on Alpha 4 . They hear the gunfire as soon as they board the beacon . Caven orders for the crew , and Dervish rushes back onto the pirate ship . The Doctor , Jamie , and Zoe enter the corridor . The Doctor puts a locking bar across the hatch . Zoe wonders why they would shoot at them . The pursuants begin cutting through the door . The travellers move deeper into the beacon , leaving the TARDIS further behind . They reach a dead end . Sorba and the guards are ambushed by Caven . They are all shot down , but Sorba manages to activate the transmitter . V41 registers the transmitter and heads off . Sorba is lying on the floor . Caven nudges him with his foot . He is still alive . Dervish states he knew they shouldn ' t have carried on and wants to run . Caven bends down and picks up the transmitter lying by Sorba . He orders the destruction of the beacon just the same . He destroys the transmitter . The emergency signal continues for a moment , then stops abruptly . " V41 " is still two hours and twenty minutes from Alpha 4 . Caven mocks a now conscious Sorba . Sorba asks about the decoys sent ahead , meaning the Doctor and his colleagues . Caven says he has no idea what he means . Dervish comes down the corridor . The charges have been fixed . Caven gestures to Sorba . If he can walk , they are to save him ; if not , he dies . Caven fires his gun at the control of the door that leads to the corridor where the Doctor and his colleagues are before they head off . The Doctor and his colleagues listen for noise . There is nothing . They are confused as just minutes before , they were being chased . The Doctor touches the door , but it burns his fingers . They begin to hear noises on the hull of the ship . The travellers stop and listen . Outside , the engineers are placing the charges on the ship . The Doctor and his colleagues decide to head back to the TARDIS . Zoe operates the door control , but the door does not open . Jamie tries the door , then throws all his weight into it . The Doctor joins him , but they cannot move it . They are prisoners . The pirate ship undocks from Alpha 4 . The ship ' s movement is registered on the " V41 " . They are still 90 minutes away . Alpha 4 begins to break up . The Doctor , Jamie , and Zoe are thrown around the disintegrating beacon . . . Episode two . The government ship attempts to track the pirate ship , but the pirates block their signal . Hermack gets cross and storms off . Warne says that if they found where the pirates are based , they could lure them in . Warne asks Hermack if Sorba and his men are still alive . Hermack believes everyone on the beacon must be dead . On the beacon , the Doctor and his colleagues are unconscious . On " V41 " , the radar picks up a ship that is barely moving . It is an old trading ship . On the trading ship , " LIZ 79 " , a lone man sets about making his breakfast on his failing ship . The solar toaster doesn ' t work , and when the lights flicker , he has to bang the unit with a spanner . Hermack radios in . The man tells him to go away . Hermack asks for his registration details , and the man says he lost them thirty years ago . The government ship identifies the man as Milo Clancey . Clancey tries to shake Hermack off , but Hermack sends a boarding party and tells Clancey not to resist . The Doctor wakes up . He tries to rouse Jamie and Zoe but cannot . He drags an oxygen canister over to them . A guard has been sent for Clancey . Hermack tells Warne he is a mining prospector ; prospectors historically do not like Space Corps as they were operating before the Space Corps were set up . When Clancey arrives , Hermack asks him why he is here and why he ' s not reported in . Clancey says that he hasn ' t reported to anyone for the last ten years . When it comes to why he is here , he states that the Space Corps should have read his last two reports . He has lost his last two hauls of argonite to the pirates and has taken to tracking them down himself . When Hermack says that is their aim too , Clancey is scathing . The technology possessed by the pirates is far superior to what the government has . Jamie and Zoe are now conscious and are helping the Doctor find out what has happened . They are on just a shard of the beacon and separated from the TARDIS . They realise that the men they saw must have been defending the beacon . When Zoe says they are floating aimlessly in space , the Doctor disagrees . They have a rocket attached to them and are floating in perfect tandem with the rest of the beacon . He is distracted by a sound . Hermack dismisses Clancey . Warne feels this is premature and that he is in some way affiliated with the pirates . Hermack agrees and says that is why he let him go . The Doctor has unscrewed a panel and is investigating the technology beneath . Zoe is despondent . She tells Jamie it will be mere hours before they run out of oxygen . Hermack arms a smaller ship called a minnow with missiles , and Warne sets off in pursuit of Clancey ' s ship . Hermack goes to land on Ta . The Doctor and his colleagues are having to conserve oxygen . The Doctor says that the machinery is a solar powered magnet that creates a force field that used to hold the beacon together . The Doctor says if he reactivates that , he could pull this part of the beacon together with the next piece until they reach the TARDIS . Zoe raises the possibility that the next piece might be a polar opposite to the piece they are in , which means the reactivation will push them deeper into space . The Doctor tells her to not be so pessimistic . On Ta , Hermack is socialising with Madeleine Issigri , the head of the Issigri Mining Company . He tells her of his involvement with Clancey . Clancey was involved with Issigiri ' s father in a business capacity , and when the partnership broke up , he was linked with the murder of Dom Issigri . Hermack speculates it is this that led him to piracy . The Doctor and his colleagues are struggling due to the lack of oxygen . They try the magnet , but Zoe ' s fears are met . The force is so strong that the Doctor can ' t turn off the machine for some time . When he finally does , they have shot further into space and are too far away from the rest of the beacon to start again . They are floating hopelessly in space . Hermack receives a report from Warne that Clancey is zoning in on a section of the Alpha 4 beacon . Hermack claims this as proof he was right about Clancey . He gives orders to arrest Clancey and , if he tries to escape , to use the missiles . The Doctor , Jamie , and Zoe are slumped on the floor , almost devoid of oxygen , when there is a knock on the hull of the beacon . Soon someone is cutting through the side of the ship . Clancey appears . Jamie darts towards him . Clancey , startled , shoots him . Zoe looks at the scene in front of her and screams , " You murderer ! " at the prospector . Episode three . Clancey tells the Doctor and Zoe to stand still . Penn arrives on Ta . Hermack tells Penn to take the V - Ship out of Ta ' s orbit by about twenty miles . Madeleine asks Hermack why he ' s not going with his ship . Hermack says he ' s going to be in charge on the ground . Penn leaves . Madeleine tells Hermack he ' s not taking any chances . Clancey is to be tried and imprisoned . Madeleine feels sorry for Clancey as she once tried to buy him out . They cross to the video board . Warne is contacting Hermack . Warne reports Clancey is stationary and linked with the segment of Alpha 4 . Hermack tells Warne if Clancey does not answer in two minutes , to fire warning rockets . If that is ignored , he must fire the missiles . Warne ' s call is being broadcast to the " LIZ " , but no one is there to listen . On the beacon segment , Clancey tells the Doctor to hurry up and answer his questions . The Doctor realises Clancey thinks he ' s a pirate , but Clancey soon sees he ' s wrong . Meanwhile , Jamie has only been stunned and is beginning to recover . Clancey begins asking them questions . They tell the truth , but Clancey doesn ' t believe them . He wants answers in ten seconds but as he counts down , the beacon shakes ; the minnow is firing warning rockets at the " LIZ " . The group all run into the " LIZ " . Clancey ' s ship uncouples from the shard of Alpha 4 and moves off . Clancey gets Warne ' s message and puts the " LIZ " on full speed , denying the Doctor ' s suggestion that they should give in . The ship lurches off . An old tea pot rocks in a cupboard and falls out . The Doctor attempts to catch it but misses , and it smashes on the floor . Clancey takes off his helmet and throws all his weight on a huge lever , which swings over with a crack . Clancey has deployed copper needles , which immobilise the minnow ' s tracking devices . They are now safe . Clancey is surprised to find the strangers don ' t know about argonite . Zoe asks the Doctor if they ' ll ever see the TARDIS again . The Doctor learns the pirates took the segments to their base to salvage , so they ' ll have to find the pirates in order to find the TARDIS whilst avoiding the Space Corps . Clancey moves Zoe out of the way so he can settle himself at the controls . He asks Zoe to make them some tea . Jamie looks wistfully at the pieces of broken teapot on the floor . Clancey decides to hide in the one place Hermack will never find them . Warne reports his controls are jammed . It further angers Hermack when Warne says he ' s lost contact with Clancey . Madeleine and her secretary enter . Madeleine gives her secretary production figures . The secretary leaves . Hermack informs her that Clancey ' s escaped . Hermack contacts Penn to order the launch of the rest of the minnows : " LIZ 79 " is to be found and destroyed . The minnows launch . Clancey adjusts a valve as the " LIZ " is pounding along at top speed . Jamie is feeling travel sick . Clancey wipes his hands on an old rag . The Doctor tells Clancey the pressure ' s a little high on the thermonuclear gauge , but Clancey dismisses it . Clancey tells them they are heading for Ta and are going to hide right under Madeleine Issigri ' s nose . He explains he and Madeleine are enemies despite the fact that years ago , he and her father mined Ta for a decade . There is no surface level life on Ta due to the ultraviolet light , so Clancey looks for his old entrance . Hermack tells Penn to land the V - Ship on a landing pad on Ta . He intends to go to Lobos , Clancey ' s base , assuming that is where the argonite is heading . Hermack sees a model of a sleek black spaceship on a table . It is a Beta Dart . Madeleine says they ' ve just bought them . Hermack says he ' d hate to blow up one of her Beta Darts instead of the pirates . Madeleine slips a striped nose cone over the prow of the model ; this will indicate it ' s an Issigri Beta Dart . Hermack still thinks Clancey is the pirate leader , but Madeleine remains sceptical . Hermack leaves to go to pick up Warne . As soon as he ' s left , Madeleine crosses to her desk and picks up the audio phone thoughtfully . The " LIZ " slams down with a grinding lurch , and the travellers end up in a tangled heap , except Clancey , who had strapped himself in . Clancey says they are now a mile underground . He packs a bag of tools and tells them to stay in the ship ; he ' s going to repair the generator . After he leaves , Jamie checks to make sure he ' s gone as Zoe is totally absorbed with paper and pen . Jamie is suspicious of Clancey . However , the Doctor says they have to trust Clancey — for the moment . Meanwhile , Zoe has finished and says she knows where the beacon segments and the TARDIS are . The Doctor is sceptical . Zoe gives the Doctor an annoyed look , but he smiles in return . She hands him the paper with the equations , and he sees she is right : they are all headed for Ta . Jamie seems unsure , but the Doctor hands the sheet of paper to him and states that it is all perfectly simple . Jamie and Zoe think Clancey ' s a pirate , and the Doctor agrees that it ' s entirely possible . The TARDIS crew decide to leave the " LIZ " and take their chances in the tunnels . The Doctor crosses to the hatch door and opens it slightly , then opens it wide . The Doctor warns that they need to be quiet . Jamie trips over a piece of equipment . He rises and follows them . In the pirate base on Ta , Caven is talking with Dervish . Caven tells Dervish to stop melting the Alpha 2 segments as Suledin can handle it , and he ' s got another assignment for him . Caven tells Dervish he ' s redirected the Alpha 4 segments to Lobos to throw suspicion on Clancey . Caven tells Dervish to get in the Beta Dart and direct the segments to Lobos . Dervish responds that it ' s crazy to do that , as there ' s a V - Ship in the sector . Caven stands and points his gun at Dervish . Dervish is forced to comply . An alarm suddenly goes off . There are intruders in the tunnels . The Doctor , Jamie , and Zoe are lost . Zoe warns the Doctor and Jamie that they are going deeper into the tunnels . They hear a noise ahead . They move on slowly . Clancey returns and discovers the strangers missing . He grabs his gun and hurries out . The Doctor , Jamie , and Zoe see a crack of light . Zoe climbs on Jamie ' s back and peers through the fissure . Through the fissure , Zoe sees two men with thermal lances cutting chunks off a metal structure . Zoe climbs down . These must be the pirates . As they decide what to do , a burst of light hits the group . They all spin around . It is a floodlight coming towards them , pushed by two pirate guards . Caven fires at them . The blast from the gun chips the rock around them . Zoe spots an opening in the rock wall and goes through it . As Jamie and the Doctor follow her , they all fall down a dark mine shaft . . . Episode four . The Doctor , Jamie and Zoe make a hard landing on the barren floor of an underground room . The Doctor puts his hand in his pocket and pulls out some drawing pins which gave him a tough landing . Caven stares down the mine shaft . He says they won ' t give them any more trouble . Jamie rubs his ankle . He takes in the new surroundings . Suddenly , a low moan emanates from a dark corner of the room . The Doctor gestures for Jamie and Zoe to stay back . Cautiously , he edges towards the dark corner where the noise is coming from . Jamie picks up a large rock and silently moves across to support the Doctor . They find Lt . Sorba , seized from Alpha 4 , lying unconscious by the wall . Zoe points out a wound on Sorba ' s shoulder . The Doctor looks around and sees an earthware bowl filled with water . He soaks his handkerchief in the water and rubs Sorba ' s face with it . In his headquarters , Caven contacts Dervish on the " Beta Buccaneer " . Dervish says he ' s coming back to Ta , as there ' s a V - Ship three hours away , and it will take twelve hours to divert the segments . Caven tells Dervish to find some way to speed it up . Dervish still wants to come back . Caven holds up a cylinder for Dervish to see . It has wires running from it into the control panel . He tells Dervish that he should recognise it as he invented it . Dervish does — it ' s a bomb detonator . Caven tells Dervish that there ' s a bomb on the " Buccaneer " . Dervish thinks he ' s bluffing , but finally agrees . On board the V - Ship , Penn reports that they are continuing to track the beacon and that Major Warne is coming aboard . Hermack turns to Penn and tells him to set a course for Lobos . Warne enters the bridge . Warne hands Hermack a large heavy copper needle . Hermack berates Warne for being outwitted by Clancey . He says they will now take him on the ground . He tells Warne they are heading towards Lobos and indicates a planet on the chart . Hermack says that ' s where they will find Clancey — and the beacon segments . Down in the cave , Sorba has recovered and begins to recognise the travellers . Sorba is initially suspicious of them but is soon won over . Sorba says there ' s no way out of the cell , but the Doctor is optimistic . He says there must be a door somewhere , but the trouble is finding it . He begins to look , but Sorba says he ' s wasting his time . His companions don ' t think there ' s a door either . The Doctor points to the bowl with the water in it and says that it couldn ' t have been thrown down . In his HQ , Caven is talking to Dervish over the video screen . Dervish says the crew are diverting the segments to Lobos , but one of the segments is missing . Caven says that ' s impossible . Dervish says someone must have engineered it out of its flight path . Caven remembers Sorba saying there were other people on the beacon . Caven tells Dervish that he ' s going to question Sorba . Caven turns the link off . Sorba and Zoe watch the Doctor and Jamie as they scratch and bang the wall . Jamie tells the Doctor they ' re wasting their time , but the Doctor tells the Highlander to be patient . The Doctor notices cracks in the wall . He produces a stethoscope from his pocket and listens to the wall . He listens intently and repeatedly taps the same spot on the wall . The Doctor says there must be a audio lock under that spot . The Doctor rummages through his pockets until he finds a tuning fork . Listening through the stethoscope , the Doctor begins to twang tuning the fork and holds it against the wall . Back on the V - Ship , Penn gets several contacts on the scanner . He says they are the Alpha 4 segments , but they are missing one section . He says they are heading towards a planet — Lobos . Penn then sees a larger contact — too big to be a segment , but large enough to be a spaceship . The unidentified object circles the pieces of the beacon . Warne hurries away to investigate . Hermack says that the ship is now their target and puts the ship on full boost . The minnow pursues . In his headquarters , Caven is speaking to a pirate guard . He is to fetch Sorba . Caven hands the guard a short tube and says it ' s the audio key . As the guard turns and leaves , the video screen activates . Dervish appears and says there ' s a minnow on his tail . He says it thirty miles behind him and closing . Warne has lost contact with the ship , and Penn has to give him directions . The " Buccaneer " flies into an Issigri striped nose cone . Hermack sees the nose cone and calls off the attack . Hermack tells Warne to return , assuming they lost the ship . The Doctor is still twanging away with his tuning fork and listening through the stethoscope . Everyone is getting annoyed at the noise , but the Doctor says it is their only way of escaping . He returns to it . Jamie snatches the tuning fork and hurls it at the wall . The tuning fork hits the wall and vibrates loudly , causing a hidden door to slide open . The Doctor says Jamie found the right note . Suddenly , Clancey comes through . The TARDIS crew still think he ' s a pirate . The Doctor considers him threatening and points to his gun . Clancey ' s assures them he ' s on their side , as if he wasn ' t why would he be here . Clancey tells them to come with him , even accepting Sorba into the gang . They hear someone coming . They all hide . Two guards approach the open cell door . One of them enters , and Clancey shoots him . The other guard turns and quickly speeds away . An alarm is raised . The group head out of the cell and along a tunnel . Caven is in his HQ . He is speaking to someone over a radio . Caven asks the other pirate where the prisoners are . The man tells Caven they are all on level eight . The pirate says they know the tunnels better then the pirates . Caven realises Clancey must be with them . Caven tells the other pirate he ' s coming down to level eight — and he wants the prisoners caught or killed . Caven leaves . The Doctor ' s group slowly make their way along a tunnel . Sorba is being helped along by Jamie . Jamie wants to rest , but Clancey says they can ' t . Zoe asks where they ' re going and Milo says they are heading towards Madeleine ' s office — they must warn her of Caven ' s threat . Milo recognises the pirates leader — Maurice Caven . Zoe says she thought Clancey and Madeleine were enemies , but Clancey says he thinks he was mistaken . Madeleine blames him for her father ' s death , but Clancey is sure he disappeared . Clancey used to think it was her that was masterminding the pirates ' operation , but as he was approaching the cell he caught sight of Caven . Clancey has seen his picture before . However , their talk is cut short when they hear footsteps approaching . They move off and turn a corner which leads into another long tunnel . Sorba , still helped by Jamie , is struggling to keep up . Sorba wants to be left , but Clancey says they are almost there . Jamie takes Milo ' s gun and heads back down the tunnel . The Doctor notices a panel set into one of the rock walls . Clancey says it is a power distributor . The Doctor reaches into the panel to see if it works but pulls his hand away when he gets an electric shock . Jamie has taken cover and is trying to defend the tunnel . Caven fires a shot that narrowly misses Jamie and hits the wall behind him . The Doctor is tinkering with the power distributor . Jamie shoots another guard , but when he tries to fire his gun , his gun has run out of power . Jamie looks at the gun and throws it down in disgust . Caven waves his arm indicating for his men to move forward . The Doctor has stopped fiddling with the panel and flicks a switch to test it . Jamie rounds the corner . The Doctor flicks the switch back in again , then he and Jamie run off . Caven and the guards enter , and a guard is electrocuted by the Doctor ' s trap . The Doctor and Jamie meet up with the others . They are being shown the headquarters . They meet with her . Clancey asks Madeleine to contact Hermack and tell him about the pirates . Caven destroys the control panel with his blaster . With the control panel destroyed , Caven waves the guards on . Madeleine still doesn ' t believe their story , even if there were pirates her guards would defend them . Clancey turns to the Doctor , who can ' t help , then he turns back to Madeleine . Realising it ' s no good , Clancey reaches for the communications panel , but Madeleine pulls a gun on him . At that moment , Caven enters followed by his two guards . Sorba grabs a weapon , but Caven shoots him dead . Caven asks if anyone else wants to die like a hero . . . Episode five . Madeleine is distressed at Sorba ' s murder . She tells Caven she doesn ' t want anymore killing , but Caven says it ' s too bad . She says she didn ' t agree to murder . Caven wants to kill the " snoops " , but Madeleine disagrees . The Doctor sees Jamie getting ready to pounce . He nudges Clancey , who grabs the Scot . Caven whispers to a guard , who shepherds the Doctor and his friends out . Caven assures Madeleine they won ' t be shot , but she doesn ' t trust him . Caven says the V - Ship is becoming a nuisance , and he ' s thought of a way of dealing with it . On board the V - Ship , Warne is communicating with Hermack by video screen . Warne says the beacon segments are orbiting Lobos . He then says that he looked for the atomic radiation used by Beta Darts , but found none . The Darts couldn ' t have gone to Lobos despite the fact that parts of the beacon are orbiting around the planet . Hermack tells Warne to come back to the V - Ship . He turns the video screen off . Hermack tells Penn to set up a homing beacon for Warne . Penn does , and then tells Hermack that the original course of the segments was to Ta , not Lobos . Hermack thanks Penn . The Doctor and his friends are being ushered along a corridor by a guard . Zoe asks the guard where he ' s taking them , but the guard tells her to shut up . Another guard is unlocking a heavy steel door . He swings it open and gestures them to enter . With a kick , the guard forces them into the darkness then locks the door behind them . Milo soon realises they ' re in Dom Issigri ' s private study . The Doctor wants to know where the light switch is , but Milo says Dom used candlelight . The Doctor finds a cupboard filled with candle s . The Doctor produces a box of matches like a conjuror , lights some candles and dots them round the dusty room . Clancey wonders why Madeleine let Caven throw them in Dom ' s study , as when Dom disappeared , Madeleine ordered it closed off , and no one was allowed to enter . Jamie says no one has . However , the Doctor disagrees . The Doctor points to the clock — why would someone come down just to wind a clock ? Zoe points to a bare foot sticking out from under the table . The Doctor whips the cover off the table to reveal an unkempt face . The man scuttles out , mouthing incoherent threats . Dervish is reporting to Caven over video screen and says he ' s in landing orbit . Caven tells Dervish to bring the " Buccaneer " down on pad three . He turns the screen off . He crosses to Madeleine . She ' s worried that the Space Corps will find them and that they should use their emergency plan of destroying the mining works . Caven says there ' s an alternative , and if it works , they can start up all over again on another planet . Madeleine asks him what his plan is . Caven says Hermack thinks Clancey is the pirate leader . He ' s going to have Clancey ' s ship fitted with a remote control device . He then says he ' ll put Clancey and his friends aboard and send them into orbit , and when the V - Ship spots the ship , they ' ll let them chase them for a while before blasting the " LIZ " to pieces . Madeleine is distressed and wants to stop Caven . She states that when she got into this it was a salvage operation and now they are involved with theft and murder . Caven threatens Madeleine , saying she barely has any guards , and he has more — and his are all armed . Before Madeleine can answer , Dervish walks in . Caven tells Dervish to go to the " LIZ " and fit it with a remote control device . Before the engineer leaves , Caven tells him to plant a device on the oxygen pump that will deactivate it in space . Back in the study , Milo is trying to talk to the man who they now realise is Dom Issigri . The Doctor and Jamie have Dom pinned in a chair . Zoe asks Milo if he ' s sure it ' s Dom , but Milo is sure it ' s Dom . The Doctor tells Jamie to let Dom go . They release him , and he scuttles away into a corner of the room . Clancey wants to know what ' s happened to his partner . The Doctor says he can ' t expect Dom to behave normally after being cooped up in the study for several years . He then tells Milo that he should have a quiet talk with Dom . Milo goes over to talk to Dom . He begins to talk about the " LIZ " and their adventures and how they broke speed records to get back for Madeleine ' s birth . Dom stops shivering and mumbling but is still rooted in the corner . At mention of his daughter , Dom produces a crumpled photo from his pocket to show Milo — it is a picture of Madeleine when she was six . Madeleine is walking towards the study door . She asks the guard where the prisoners are . The guard indicates the door . Madeleine is horrified that the prisoners are locked in her father ' s study . As she hurries off , the guard watches her thoughtfully . He tells his fellow guard to get Caven and tell him Ms . Issigri has been trying to see the prisoners . Dom is calmed down and begins to recognise his partner . Milo sits Dom down in a chair . Dom says they are all going to die in the study . The Doctor says they ' ll get out . Dom tells them that Caven captured him and locked him in his study years ago to drive a wedge between Clancey and Madeleine . They discuss why Caven didn ' t have Dom killed . Dervish is talking to another pirate over video phone . He tells the other pirate to get the equipment down to the " LIZ " . He replaces the phone and turns as Madeleine enters looking for Caven . She asks if there ' s any way to stop Caven , but the engineer says he knows Caven , and he ' ll kill them if he heard them talking like this . She asks how he got involved with Caven , and he states he made a mistake many years ago and that Caven has had control ever since . Madeleine begs Dervish for help , but he pushes his way past Madeleine and leaves . Madeleine looks round the room and goes to the video control , pushing buttons to change the frequency . She is trying to contact Hermack . On board the V - Ship , Penn informs Warne there ' s a video call from Issigri HQ . Penn puts Madeleine through . Madeleine tells them " they must get " before the screen goes black . Penn says someone has pulled the plug on the other side . Caven has pulled the plug . Caven asks why she has been looking for the prisoners . She tells him she ' ll never help him , but Caven says he ' ll kill her father . Caven tells her Dom ' s alive , and to back up his statement , he shows her a recent photo of her father . She takes the photo . Caven tells her he ' s in the study . Madeleine lashes out at Caven , thumping his chest in a burst of anger and upset . She stops and starts to cry . Caven tells her how she ' s going to help him . Penn says it ' s no use , and that there ' s not a peep from Madeleine . The officers are suspicious . Hermack tells Penn to set course for Ta . The Doctor is standing by the steel door . The Doctor asks Milo , if they escaped , could he find his way back to the " LIZ " . Milo says yes . The Doctor gets out a box of candles and starts handing them around before he looks for his bag of marble s . Madeleine is talking to Hermack over the video screen . She tells him they had a mechanical fault and that all she wanted to say was that another of her ships has been affected by pirates . Hermack tells Madeleine that the V - Ship is going to land on Ta . She tries to dissuade him , but Hermack says it ' s best to check . Caven moves towards the video screen and fiddles with the controls . Dervish appears on the screen . He says they ' ve almost finished their modifications . The group are smearing candle wax into the carpet . The Doctor has also emptied his bag of marbles onto the floor . He tells Jamie to hand him the green one — his favourite . He slips the marble into his pocket . Dom passes a coat , a book and some rags to the Doctor . The Doctor says it ' ll make a good fire . He moves a chair next to the door , takes the tray of rags and climbs onto the chair . The others hold makeshift weapons . The Doctor lights the rags . The smoke starts to go through the vent . The guards in the corridor see the smoke coming from the vent . The guards charge in and slip on the wax and marbles . Zoe breaks a vase over a guard ' s head , and they escape into the corridor . A guard is reporting to Caven . Caven berates the guard for allowing the prisoners to escape . He tells the guard to get after them . Madeleine says they won ' t catch them before the Space Corps arrive and laughs . A communication comes through . A guard says that the prisoners have been spotted on level three and says they are heading towards the " LIZ " . Caven tells the guard to not make any attempt to stop the prisoners and to let them get to the ship . Caven says as soon as they ' re in space , the control device will activate , and he ' ll turn off the oxygen and kill them . Clancey , Dom and the Doctor have reached the " LIZ " ahead of Jamie and Zoe . The Doctor wants to go back out after them , but Clancey says they can ' t be that far back . He prepares for take - off . Dervish tells Caven the V - Ship is approaching Ta . Caven tells the engineer to activate the control device . The Doctor goes to find Zoe and Jamie . Suddenly , switches and levers start to move by themselves . Caven ' s over - rider control is piloting the " LIZ " by remote control . Clancey fights with the controls , trying to stop the launch before the Doctor is burnt to a crackle . The Doctor backs away from the blast of the rocket . He begins to choke as the fumes overwhelm him , and eventually he falls lifeless . Episode six . Jamie hears the rocket take off . Has the Doctor left without them ? They hurry away . Clancey is desperate to try to regain control of his ship but to no avail . Jamie and Zoe find the Doctor unconscious . Zoe finds that he has a weak pulse . Jamie and Zoe carry the Doctor away from the fumes . Craven cuts the oxygen supply to the " LIZ " , despite Madeleine ' s protestations . Don starts to choke , and Clancey discovers the air supply has been cut . Jamie and Zoe lower the Doctor to the ground where the air is cleaner . The Doctor comes to . The Doctor thinks that the " LIZ " is being controlled by remote control and they must find the controls . Dervish wants to call off the destruction of the " LIZ " but Caven disagrees . Dervish says that there are only two people on the ship . Caven loses his temper , thinking that the Doctor will contact the Space Corps . Caven goes off to look for him , saying that Madeleine is to be killed if she causes any more trouble . Clancey is still trying to dismantle the control unit , but he collapses . Hermack begins his aerial inspection of Ta . Madeleine begs Dervish for help , but he refuses . Unseen by Dervish , the Doctor , Jamie and Zoe quietly enter the room . Madeleine provokes Dervish . Dervish raises his gun , but Jamie knocks it , causing the blast to hit the control unit . Jamie then knocks Dervish out with a punch . Madeleine tells them all that has been happening . The Doctor inspects the control unit . The blast from the gun has fused the wires together . Caven is looking for the Doctor . He tells the guards to shoot him on sight . Dervish has regained consciousness and , unseen by the others , he slips out of the room . The Doctor has got the air conditioning and radio link on the " LIZ " working . Dervish scuttles away from the office , constantly checking behind him . The radio link is working , but Clancey and Dom are out cold . Jamie realises that Dervish has gone . Madeleine locks the main doors , and they try to contact the " LIZ " again . Clancey shakes his head as he regains consciousness . Hermack contacts him shortly after Madeleine to say a ship is coming alongside him . Clancey tells him he has a story to tell him . Dervish tells Caven of the Doctor ' s return . Clancey has told Hermack everything . He uses Don ' s existence and testimony as proof . Hermack contacts Madeleine and says they are launching a full scale attack of Ta in 55 minutes . Meanwhile the Doctor is going to help Clancey dismantle the remote control unit . He asks if Clancey knows where the computer pre - selector is . Scratching his head , Clancey stares bemused at the numerous control panels . Clancey presses a button that makes his chair recline a few inches . Clancey suddenly recognises the panel that he has been looking for . Caven and Dervish reach the locked door . Caven tries to sweet talk Madeleine . She uses the internal video to communicate with him . He states he is going to detonate the atomic fuel store . Dervish protests , but he pushes Dervish away and turns back to Madeleine . In forty minutes an explosion the strength of eighth H bombs will tear everyone apart , and he and Dervish will be out of the blast zone . Before he leaves , he overrides the manual lock , trapping everyone inside . Madeleine realises the Space Corps will not return in time . The Doctor says only Clancey can save them . In the fuel store , Dervish is attaching small canisters to the atomic cylinders . He connects a series of wires together and then leaves . Returning to the corridor , he removes his mask and gloves . Caven berates him for taking a rest as they only have half an hour . Dervish puts his gloves and mask on and goes back in the room . Madeleine tells Hermack what has happened . Hermack will try to intercept Caven . The Doctor is helping Clancey to deactivate the remote control unit . Clancey gets an electric shock . Clancey pulls out the override , and the ship immediately lurches in response . With the " LIZ " now back under his control , Clancey jumps into the pilot ' s seat . Dervish connects the main fuel cable to the detonator unit . Finally , he attaches another cable into the radio box and leaves the fuel store . Dervish takes off his mask and gloves and begins to remove his protective clothing . He is told the ship is ready . Dervish removes the rest of his protective clothing and follows Caven . The Space Corp begin to track Caven ' s ship with a minnow . Don steadies himself as he sways from a dizzy spell . Clancey reassures him . They are only a few minutes from Ta . Warne in the minnow has caught up with Caven . Caven contacts Hermack and threatens the destruction of Ta unless the minnow keeps its distance . The " LIZ " lands on TA . Madeleine tells Clancey to come to the headquarters . Exhausted , Don stays behind . Madeleine tells Hermack that the Doctor thinks he can defuse the bomb . Hermack says they only have nine minutes . Clancey breaks the lock to the door and releases them . They all run out , telling Clancey about the bomb . Warne wants to attack . Hermack calls him off for seven more minutes . The Doctor is putting on Dervish ' s discarded protective clothing . Madeleine tells him they have six minutes as he enters the fuel room . The others gather round the inspection hatch to watch the Doctor . Cautiously , the Doctor examines the control box . He carefully tries the weight of the cables . He checks the radiation level using a Geiger counter . Then he moves over to the radio box and examines the cables and levels . Jamie and Zoe are frustrated and anxious , but Clancey tells them to be calm . The Doctor is tentatively unscrewing the inspection cover for the control box and gently places it on the workbench . Then he carefully covers the device containing the detonator . He begins carefully unscrewing the detonator . Once it is free , the Doctor removes the detonator , disarming the device . Hermack is told they are 150 seconds from explosion . He gives the order to attack . As the ship approaches , Caven presses the button . The detonation signal flashes in the control box , but the system has been disarmed . Caven ' s ship is destroyed by Warne . Everyone is celebrating on Ta . Madeleine tells everyone she is expecting the Space Corp to pick her up for her involvement with the piracy . She says that Hermack has reassured her the punishment should not be too severe . She heads off to be reunited with her father and leaves , thanking the Doctor as she leaves . Zoe asks the Doctor how they are to be reunited with the TARDIS . The Doctor says that it is orbiting round Lobos in one of the pieces of the beacon . When Jamie is told that they are going to get a lift in the " LIZ " , he says he ' d rather walk . Hearing this , Clancey isn ' t pleased , and the Doctor says that Jamie might have to do just that ! Everyone laughs at Jamie ' s shocked expression as they make their way to the " LIZ " .