Defender Zik and the intrepid crew of the Temerity arrives at Gamma Apodis 3 and scans its second moon for the crew of the captured ZEMM cargo vessel.  But the evil Jairians have destroyed the ship! Trent asks why they keep doing that, when they could be salvaging the ships they capture.  Defender Zik explains that the Jairians are obsessive about hiding themselves and striking from the shadows, and keeping the ships intact would allow the Zik to track them to their elusive base of operations.

As they approach the landing zone, Zik asks Francisco if there are any traces of the Jairians indicating where they might have gone, such as an ion trail.  Francisco replies that yes, an ion trail exists, and it’s fresh enough to identify the type of vessel they used! Zik decides to let him and Amelia investigate the trail further, because it’s imperative that the Jairians are located in order to negotiate some kind of peace.  The rest of the crew disembarks and examines the wreck of the transport vessel.

A sharp-eyed Trent Quickdraw spots the crew of the transport in the distance, at the central peak of a nearby crater. Defender Zik tries to call out to them, but receives no response. This whole thing isn’t adding up, but since the Jairians seem to have left, Zik calls for the team to head over to the crew to see if they’re all right. Be he warns them to be cautious, because his instincts are telling him something’s not right!

Everyone scrambles for cover as an incoming meteorite interrupts their rescue operation! Hiding under the Temerity, the shocked away team watches as a meteorite impacts the cliff wall next to them.

Sten asks Francisco about his 45 minute estimate for the arrival of the meteorites, since it’s only been about 20 minutes since they got outside.  It seems that everyone misinterpreted Francisco’s math; he meant that every minute they stay increases the chances that they’ll be hit during that minute! By this point, they have a 25% chance of getting hit right now!

Zik rallies his friends and gets them to really hustle to get the last of the crystal onboard the Temerity. They start tossing the crystal from one to another, which proves to be a completely new experience for the crystal! Despite the danger, they’ve shared the concept of fun, and let it experience flight (albeit briefly) for the first time.

Amelia, in the cockpit keeping the ship primed to skedaddle, sees another meteorite hit the next valley over on her sensor display.  She urges everyone to really hurry, because they could get pulverized at any moment!

While Trent Quickdraw tries to get a message back to the Temerity, Amelia coaxes the crystals out of the cave. But there’s a problem with each plan: the ship still isn’t responding, and the crystals have balked at the cave entrance!

Even though there are some crystals outside of the cave, the bulk have moved to the cave entrance and seem to be unable to leave. Frustrated, Amelia starts to go back into the cave to find Defender Zik before the crystals grow too thick to pass. But Trent tries to stop her from rushing back in.

Amelia’s temper flares, and she rounds on Trent.  She indelicately reminds Trent that the two of them survived the factory explosion because Zik decided to move an unconscious Trent out of the riot. She refuses to abandon Zik to the crystal-filled cave!

Trent finally gets a word in, and explains his plan to use the Temerity’s much stronger broadcasting abilities to lure the crystals out of the cave. Realizing she was wrong to assume Trent was giving up, Amelia apologizes for her short temper and jumps on the new strategy.. but will it work?

Trent and Amelia have no idea what Japan was. It stands to reason, as they were born on this prison planet, and very little history has survived to their generation.

Elements of Zik’s costume design were indeed inspired by samurai armour. Not for any particular reason other than it looks cool… and because Zik dislikes getting kicked in the nards.