Zik checks to see how badly Frank is hurt, but the poor guy was dead before he hit the ground. The Jairians aren’t done with their aggression, and they open fire on your favorite space hero and his pals! Zik grabs Frank’s shotgun and dives out of the way of the incoming bullets, but poor Arata isn’t quite so lucky and gets hit in the shoulder.

From behind cover, Zik and Tanaka ascertain that Arata is just injured and isn’t in mortal danger. Zik tells the two Chadee to get ready to run inside the security office. He leans out and fires! Frank had loaded slugs in the shotgun, which are devastating at such a close range. Indeed, the round goes right through one of the Jairians and hits the assailant behind her!

Zik gets into an argument with the Jairian who’s demanding they surrender the mine. The man won’t back down! He refuses to leave and start his own mine elsewhere, he’s here for the resources available at this mine!

Frank interrupts the discussion and asks the Jairians to leave, or he will have to declare them trespassers.

The unhinged Jairian has had enough! He shoots Frank dead! A shocked Zik watches as his friend collapses in front of him!

A whole bunch of Jairians armed to the teeth have emerged from the cargo hauler! Zik notices that the thugs are partly made up of trained mercenaries, and there’s a teenager among them! One of the Jairians, presumably the leader of this gang, demands to know who is in charge.

Frank informs them of his role as head of security and general operations, and guardedly welcomes them to Baker Mine.

The lead Jairian demands the surrender of the mining facility, proclaiming it and the employees free of what he calls the corporate slavery of the mining company, Delta Mining Systems.

Zik and Tanaka blurt out their incredulity at this statement. As Zik explains to Amelia, he’s never been scared of anything, and sometimes it leads him into trouble!

Zik and his friends stop what they’re doing to absorb the shocking news! A radical group of socialists has stolen the colony ship that was used to bring humans to Zoz! These Jairians, taking their inspiration from Hugo Jaire, have declared a socialist revolution!

As your favorite space hero absorbs this shocking moment in history, the colony ship arrives in orbit around the planet he’s on! The radicals launch a cargo hauler from the colony ship, headed straight for the mining facility they’re at.

Our friends head outside to the landing pad to see what these scoundrels want.  Zik reflects that in hindsight, it would have been wise had they all been armed, but only Frank is carrying! Uh oh!

Welcome to Beta Lalande 4, home of Baker Mine!

While a drone unloads Zik’s asteroid rubble into the processing plant, your favorite space hero hangs out in the security office with his pals Tanaka and Arata for a spirited game of dutch blitz, a card game popular among the Chadee.

But they’re interrupted by the station chief Frank, who sees something alarming on the news!

Tanaka jumps out of his snub fighter and gives a huge high five to Zik.

Meanwhile, as Zik begins to explain the story to Amelia (who has never seen an Earth animal), James Anchor interrupts to remind Zik that they aren’t safe where they are and need to evacuate as quickly as possible.

James Anchor is addressing his crew, but who is this mysterious Tanaka? And who or what are the Chadee? Are they mighty warriors? Maybe James has a secret weapon in case Queen Elcyra decides to attack! Stay tuned, faithful readers, because there’s a lot of excitement and action coming this year!