Defender Zik flies with Lia back to the rill in the crater where the others are. As they approach, Lia catches the unexpected sight of her father lying unconscious, missing an arm. Understandably, she becomes very upset, and Mizhakwan, busy making a sling for Dak, reassures her that he’s just resting and will be OK. Zik asks Dak if she’s ok, and she reports that her dislocated shoulder is painful, but she’ll live. Mizhakwan reminds Zik that they need to get the injured to the Temerity’s infirmary as quickly as possible.

Depositing Lia in the rill, Zik takes off again, determined to shut down the jammer which is preventing them from contacting their ship. Reasoning that the jammer would’ve been crushed in the avalanche, he directs Sten and Tanaka to look for it at the far sniper position, while he and Trent Quickdraw will check the other one. He reminds his friends to be on the lookout for that final sniper, who is still alive and dangerous!

Trent is skeptical that the final combatant will keep fighting, and Zik agrees that if the Jairian is smart, he’ll be hiding somewhere, but you can never be sure what an extremist will do. Suddenly, Zik pulls up short, remembering that Chadee never take prisoners! If Tanaka happens to find that sniper, he’ll pull his trigger without pausing to consider how valuable a Jairian prisoner would be!

Just then, Sten finds the jammer, and asks Tanaka to cover him while he disables it.  Zik comments that the Jairian probably doesn’t know how lucky he is. Quickdraw counters with a bad pun about how Morren is flat out of luck, crushed as he is under tons of rock!

That brings our intense Episode 6 to a close, Defenders! Stay tuned, there’s an epilogue page coming soon!

Amazingly, Zik gets back up! It takes more than an exploding oxygen tank to keep our hero down. A relieved Amelia, noticing that Trent is also still alive, tosses the power cable into the now-open water tank. Meanwhile Zik taunts the Clonoid with a line from Lord Of The Rings! No, Clonoid, YOU SHALL NOT PASS! Slamming the pole onto the catwalk as hard as he can, Zik hears a satisfying CRACK! as the catwalk gives way…

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! I hope you have a fun time tonight, whatever your plans are. Stay safe if you’re out trick or treating! Oh, and don’t dress up (or down) as a giant, naked Clonoid Supersoldier; you’ll probably get arrested.

Meanwhile, Zik and Trent have arrived at the spring! It’s strange to see water way out in the desert like this. The two of them seem to be getting along much better now, after that bit of drama they had!