Trent tries to come up with a reason to avoid having to open every cupboard and hatch on the Temerity, but Mizhakwan is quick to resolve his issue! With a promise of snacks, she makes sure Dakaasin can stay on the bridge until the smudging is done.
The news that there are baked snacks on the way is a welcome break in the cockpit. Amelia, still exploring how great food can taste when it’s not Clonoid gruel, can’t wait. Although, she’s still a bit puzzled as to why Mizhakwan insisted on being part of the crew, seeing as she’s retired. Zik explains that he’s known her for years; she was his mother’s medicine woman. This amazing lady goes wherever the energy feels like it’s moving, and we’ve already seen how Zik is like a lightning rod for fate!
Back on task, Zik checks in with Francisco, because the ship is getting close enough to get better scans of planet Hypnos. Francisco has determined that the tail they saw back at Bastion Station is most likely a debris field! This isn’t something they’ve ever seen before, and anything new to explore in space always inspires your favorite hero!
After a few hours hurtling at ludicrous speeds into deep space, all systems on the Temerity are running smoothly. Trent has been resting in his cabin while Dakaasin has been using the tactical station on the bridge to monitor the cockpit interface systems, but the start of his first shift on duty is coming up. Hungry, he decides to head to the galley for a quick bite before getting ready. He reflects on how cool it is that Zik was willing to hire him on as part of the crew, manning the tactical station and the Temerity’s considerably powerful weapons, despite having blown a huge hole in the side of the Kodiak! Adapting to life in space requires a whole new way of thinking, but Trent is confident he’ll get the hang of it.
Stepping into the hall, Trent catches a whiff of the worst odor you can smell on a ship: smoke! Throughout history, fire on a ship has been the worst enemy of sailors and spacefarers alike! He charges into the galley, following the scent and raising the alarm, but stops short at a strange sight. Mizhakwan, a medicine woman who Zik has trusted for years, is in the galley calmly creating a small smoldering fire in a seashell and fanning it with a feather. Trent has never seen these things before, and, completely bewildered, asks Miz what she’s doing.
Mizhakwan explains that’s she’s just doing a smudging, and Trent is just in time to give her a hand. Being a little shorter than average, Miz explains to Trent that he can reach all the hatches she can’t to let the smoke into all the spaces it needs to go to make sure everything is clean.
DEFENDER ZIK LORE BREAK!
You see, dear readers, a large number of the Zozian colonists who left Earth all those centuries ago were North American First Nations people. The leader of Project Zoz, the secret initiative to create the first human interstellar colony, was a billionaire engineer named Edward Eriksen, who had humble beginnings as the son of a Cree mother and a European father. Then, a prophecy was made by an influential Ojibwe medicine man about an imminent disaster that would burn the Earth. When Edward quietly put the word out among the elders that he was planning an interstellar exodus, they recognized the opportunity to do what the ancestors of the Ojibwe had done when the prophecy of the coming of Europeans had been made before they arrived – they would migrate away from the impending danger! They also saw the wisdom of establishing life on other planets, and thought they could help be stewards and protectors of that new branch of life. As a result, a large percentage of the colonists who were selected to accompany Edward on the journey into the unknown were representatives of numerous First Nations, especially from the Anishinaabe. These people brought with them their traditions, one of which is smudging to clean the energy of their living spaces.
On the elevator to the bridge of Bastion Station, Zik asks Zoot to send a get-well-soon message to Tanaka. Zoot can be summoned as a holographic image now, which is something Zik still has to get used to. The colony computer’s sarcasm remains intact, however!
Arriving on the bridge, Zik asks what the new discovery is all about. Francisco, the science officer for the Temerity, explains that he’s found an unusual rogue planet not too far away. The planet’s readings on the scanners are diffuse and fuzzy, as if it were a comet with a tail. However, the drifting planet is to far away from any stars at the moment, that the evaporation process that produces a comet’s tail would be impossible here.
Trent, still new to living in space, asks Zik’s brother Todd what a rogue planet is. As someone always enthusiastic about scientific discovery, Todd gives Trent an explanation: it’s a planet drifting alone in space, orbiting no stars, just drifting through the galaxy.
This space oddity is an excellent first target for exploration, Zik decides. He clears a departure time with orbital traffic controller Jolene, and sends word to the rest of the crew of the Temerity to prepare for their first adventure! Set your azimuth, Defenders, we’re off to Planet Hypnos!
In the galley, Defender Zik lands a solid blow with his club, shattering the visor of Morren’s helmet! Someone’s in trouble if he gets spaced!
Meanwhile, on the bridge, a confident Trent is running out of targets for the Kodiak’s cannons. Between the Chadee snub fighters and his efforts, they’ve eliminated almost all of the Jairian fighters! He turns his attention to the Jairian breacher ship, attached like a lamprey to the side of the Kodiak. With the right angle, maybe he can blow it right off the hull…
In the breacher, the copilot is alarmed at the fact that all the boarding parties seem to be disappearing on him. But the pilot is even more alarmed to see one of the Kodiak’s cannons swing towards them.
At the last moment, both the Jairian pilot and Gerald realize what’s about to happen, but their cries go unheeded as Trent mashes the fire button! What’s the big deal?! Find out next page!
Zik tosses the Jairian helmet down the hall on top of what’s left of his three attackers. After lowering the gravity again, he continues escorting Travis to the infirmary to get his broken leg fixed up.
Meanwhile, on the bridge, a frustrated Trent tells Gerald that one of the cannons isn’t responding. Gerald checks the cams and discovers that a Jairian is on the hull of the ship! The Jairian has removed an access cover and is smashing the rotation mechanisms inside!
Gerald calls up to Tanaka, who is on the roof blasting away with his sidearm. Once he sees the Jairian saboteur, Tanaka promises to take care of the problem…
Captain James Anchor gives the order to repel the Jairian boarders! He asks Riichi, Emma and Jason to arm themselves with tonfas and to follow him into the maintenance shafts. They will split up and defend their ship from the invaders.
Trent is astonished that they’re arming themselves with mere sticks. He offers to loan them his guns, but James Anchor informs him that on spaceships, no one fights with guns. There are too many important things all around you that can be damaged in a firefight! If you miss, or if the bullet passes through its target, you can easily damage something in a way that can kill you.
Before leaving the bridge, Captain Anchor makes one last preparation and announces it to the crew: The Christmas Tree is lit! The Jairians are understandably confused at that. But no matter, they’re right under the bridge tower! An eager Jairian grabs the ladder to begin the bridge assault – only to electrocute himself!
It turns out that the “Christmas Tree” is actually the ladder to the bridge, and it has been electrified! The Jairians quickly adapt to their new circumstances. If you can’t take over the command center of a ship, take over engineering! From there, you can override any propulsion commands, as well as disable the life support for the bridge crew! The lead Jairian instructs his team: some will head aft to engineering, some will head forward to disable the second howitzer. One of them, a “screwup,” is told to stay behind and guard the intersection, something he’s not happy about!
Following Rachelle’s battle plan, the Jairian fighters crowd the space between the breacher and the Kodiak. They take heavy losses, but they’re able to shield the breacher from the big guns! A frustrated Trent is seeing his cannons go inexplicably offline one by one.
Despite that, Trent manages to damage the incoming breacher! One of the drives gets blown to bits. But it’s not enough; it still has three drives! James Anchor informs the crew: prepare for impact!
Zik is on his way to the bridge of the Kodiak, but he hears the rumble of the guns! The ever resourceful Zoot informs him that the ship is under attack, so Zik decides to don his helmet and search for his Zernabian friends. They’ve never been in a space combat situation and he wants to make sure they’re safe!
Outside, the battle continues, as the Jairian fighters get to the ship and are engaged aggressively by the Chadee.
On the bridge, Captain James Anchor orders Weapons Officer Jason to target the next Jairian boarding vessel. He’s locked on and ready to go!
But at that moment, a Jairian fighter is shot down. It makes a surprise turn right at the howitzer! The Jairian collides with the howitzer right as it fires, and there’s a huge explosion!
Zik is in the hallway right outside the stern howitzer maintenance access chamber, and sees the flames through the window!
Tanaka opens fire on the Jairian fighters, killing two in the opening seconds of the battle! When his full battle rage is unleashed, bad guys beware!
Meanwhile, on the Kodiak, Weapons Officer Jason is training Trent on how to use the Kodiak’s guns by assigning him one to get the hang of how the system works.
When that’s done, Jason announces to the Captain that the howitzers are ready to fire. James Anchor gives the order, and the howitzer incinerates one of the Jairian breacher ships in a single shot!
A large raiding fleet of Jairians is approaching the cargo convoy! The Kodiak is finally in communications range, and James Anchor broadcasts an ultimatum: leave the convoy alone or face the consequences!
Rachelle, the Jairian fleet coordinator recognizes James’ last name. She tries to scare him off with an ultimatum of her own.
But James Anchor is a stalwart guardian! He gives the Jairians a final warning and then issues orders to prepare for battle!
The Jairians approach the convoy… will the Kodiak make it in time to save them?
