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 of the Kodiak, Amelia regains consciousness after hitting her head. But the Jairian in the hall junction outside heard her!

The Jairian investigates – and likes what he sees! He removes his mask, revealing himself to be Morren Mallor! This is the same Jairian that led the attack on Baker Mine!

Morren explains that him and his comrades do whatever they want, and he wants Amelia! He starts to tear at Amelia’s clothing, and she cries out…

…a cry heard by a nearby Zik!

Over on the Jairian battleship, Rachelle is in an argument with her remaining breacher pilot, who wants to abort the mission. I can’t say I blame him, seeing as he just watched two ships just like his get blown to bits with one shot each from the Kodiak’s howitzer! Rachelle urges him to press forward, saying that their greatest chance remains in taking the warship. She orders the fighters to screen the remaining breacher; fight for your lives!

Meanwhile, the pilot of the battleship is having a hard time. He’s trying to pick off the cannons on the Vigilant Gaddi, but the cargo ship keeps spinning, hiding the cannon from his line of fire! Who is that great pilot?

It’s Ryan! The tactic is something Captain Ramesh has come up with. For some reason, Naser has been unable to hit the battleship, so Ramesh has improvised, hoping to pin the battleship down with a game of cat-and-mouse.

Ramesh runs a diagnostic on the targeting systems. There’s nothing visibly wrong with it! So why can’t Naser hit his targets?

Zik space-walks over to the Kodiak to help investigate the Clonoid stuck to its hull.

They scan it and determine that it’s dead, but still transmitting a signal to the Clonoid central computer. That means Queen Elcyra used her hapless drone as a tracking device!

James Anchor gives the order to float the Clonoid behind the main engines. A curious Trent is informed that once then engines are lit up, the Clonoid will be atomized!

Zik and Amelia rejoin the Kodiak, and they all set off again for the convoy that the Kodiak is supposed to be protecting.

And that’s a wrap for Episode 2 of Defender Zik! I hope you enjoyed these tales from your favorite hero’s past! Next week, we start the exciting Episode 3, where we rejoin the convoy only to find Ramesh… well… no spoilers!

The Epilogue of Forging The Defender begins! We have one loose end to tie up before the next exciting episode!

Tactical Officer Emma has discovered the Clonoid that evil Queen Elcyra has fastened to the hull of the Kodiak during their brief encounter. Captain James Anchor orders a full stop so that they can deal with the situation.

Zik and Amelia, once notified, circle back in their ship to help out.

Emma explains what she’s discovered to Captain Anchor, and Zik, listening in, is able to spot the Clonoid attached to one of the struts holding the bridge.

Captain Anchor informs Zik that they will be sending some crew members out to get the Clonoid off the hull, and Zik offers to help!

It’s story time! Zik starts telling Amelia the tale of how he saved the entire planet of Zoz. The story begins with a distress call from some scientists who had been studying a recent gravitational anomaly in the Zozian solar system. They noticed during their observations that a large asteroid was heading straight for Zoz!

Zik and his friend Ramesh happen to be fairly close to the asteroid in question, so they anchor the ore they were mining and set off to investigate. But when they arrive, they notice something highly unusual: the asteroid is spinning extremely rapidly! What will our hero do?

It seems like even though Zoot is the computer and Zik is the user, Zoot knows how to push Zik’s buttons! It seems like Zik isn’t too keen on discussing how he feels about Amelia quite yet!

The Queen reaches the point where Amelia hits the Clonoid with a rock and realizes he had help from her slaves! She decides to go straight there to sort things out. What nastiness has Queen Elcyra got up her sleeve? What’s going to happen to poor Amelia? Stay tuned to find out!

Queen Elcyra hasn’t got to where she is today by making rash decisions! She’ll study her enemy and take them apart once she finds a weakness. To that end, she studies the footage her Clonoids captured of their encounter with him!

Queen Elcyra isn’t used to having things not go her way! She’s going to find out exactly how Zik escaped, and then crush him like an insect.