The drones are activated by Arata and sent into battle! Three were in a hangar, while the fourth is visible on this page dealing with the ore that Zik brought for processing. On their way to the action, the drones are instructed to pick up some rubble to use as a projectile!

Meanwhile, Morren and the Jairians are pinned down by Zik and Tanaka’s relentless barrage. Morren says something that’s offensive to one of the other Jairians, and is quickly chastised for his indiscretion. But the correction turns out to be that guy’s last words; a pile of rubble lands squarely on him, crushing him!

Morren switches tactics: these drones present an even bigger threat to his attack than Tanaka does! He orders them to be taken out. A rocket is launched, but the guy launching it accidentally leans into Tanaka’s sight and gets smoked! The rocket misses its target drone – and hits an important building behind it!

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!

Queen Elcyra’s ship is damaged! As the air rushes out of the new hole Zik punched into her hull, more torpedoes keep launching. One torpedo approaches, but is badly aimed and thus escapes the barrage of point defense fire coming from the Kodiak. Or was it really aimed just right?

As the torpedo passes close to the Kodiak, it bursts open, revealing a clonoid drone! The clonoid, carrying a mysterious cylinder in his hand, drifts down through space to the hull of the Kodiak. It releases the cylinder, which bursts open and encases the clonoid in a film which glues it to the hull! The now dead clonoid has become a tracking device!

Zik starts his ship and gives Seamus access to monitor the systems to keep an eye on the damaged engines. Meanwhile, Amelia has a million questions about the ship and how it works! Zik promises to teach her to fly when they get back home to Zoz. Speaking of heading home, it’s time to start that journey! The small fleet of ships takes off, heading for orbit, while the Zernabian prison factory burns in the distance. They have to travel carefully, trimming the use of the main engines once the ship gets high enough to go the rest of the way on the auxiliary maneuvering thrusters. They approach the Kodiak, which is drifting in orbit waiting for them, surrounded by the wreckage of some more Zernabian patrol ships! It seems the pilot, Gerald, has been busy!

The Clonoid super-soldier is shocked as a large rail-gun round bursts through his heart! His thick skin may be able to withstand sidearm rounds, but this is significantly bigger! The Clonoid falls, the giant chunk of rubble he was hoisting crushing his head. Zik is taken aback, unable to comprehend what has happened until, through the smoke, he glimpses the familiar sight of the shuttle and two fighters from the Kodiak inbound! James Anchor has arrived just in time!

Zik’s horror is multiplied as the inside of the factory starts to explode! Multiple detonations engulf the entire interior in flames!  He turns to run when the whole building is consumed by a massive explosion, leveling the entire structure! Did our hero get far enough away? Or has he been caught up in the blast and crushed by the rubble?

Amelia hustles over to the power conduit and unplugs it from the main panel. Meanwhile, Trent is doing his best to help his fellow prisoners with the Clonoid soldiers. But he runs out of ammo, just as a Clonoid drone reaches for a dropped blaster! Zik attacks the Clonoid supersoldier with a fallen guard rail, but it’s ready for him- it grabs Zik and tries to decapitate him! Unbeknownst to the Clonoid, that isn’t a decorative shoulder pad. It’s an oxygen tank, and it explodes when the Clonoid crushes it! Is Zik OK?

Meanwhile, back on the prison planet, the giant Clonoid soldier is still going on its rampage, unaware that Zik has recovered. Zik brings the beast up-to-date with a crate. Wham! Do I have your attention now? From up on the catwalk, Zik taunts his opponent, hoping to lure him into direct combat. Hopefully it’ll go a bit better this time!

Amelia rips the antenna right out of the Clonoid’s head! It falls backward, tripping over the guard railing and down to the factory floor. The second Clonoid receives orders to kill Amelia and starts to open the door! But Amelia is ready for it! With a mighty kick and a shove, she beats her way through the door and confronts the dazed Clonoid with the shelf she ripped from the wall. Bringing the shelf down on its head, she ends its miserable semblance of a life! This is one damsel that’s not in any distress!

I tried something new with Amelia’s hair… let me know in the comments if you like it!