In a distant system, Defender Zik stands by in the Temerity as Ramesh and his crew finish shoring up the heavily damaged Vigilant Gaddi. It was a narrow escape, but the jumps they’ve made thus far have proven to be effective at throwing the Clonoids off their trail. But hyperspace has been hard on the broken hull of the Gaddi, and they’ve stopped within the ring system of an icy world to patch what they can before continuing.
In due course, Ramesh radios over to say that they’re ready to go. Zik asks how the refugees are holding up, to which Ramesh reports that they’re furious enough to have nearly staged a mutiny. Only being reminded that they would be stranded in space without a pilot calmed them down. The two old pals then review the battle; Zik tries to keep positive about it, but Ramesh is more of a realist than an optimist, and points out that a 60 percent survival rate isn’t exactly a victory. Conceding the point, Zik admits that Elcyra seems to have duped the Zozians into attacking, before springing the trap with her insanely powerful capital ship. The Zozians have achieved a pyrrhic victory, and have gotten a rude awakening about how far the rest of humanity have advanced technologically in the past thousand years!
Ramesh declares that he’s not confident the Gaddi can withstand more than one more jump without undergoing catastrophic hull failure, so the two decide to head straight back to Zoz from here. As they leap into hyperspace, however, a drone tucked away on one of the larger ring rocks begins broadcasting a report back to its operators…

Defender Zik, aboard the Temerity, flies over the damaged section of the Kodiak 2 and asks James Anchor how they’re doing. Everyone else has escaped, it’s just down to them, and James reassures Zik that the Kodiak can escape. In fact, he urges Zik to escape while he can, because Queen Elcyra is powering up another enormous laser blast!
The two vessels jump into hyperspace, each to their own scatter destinations, eager to reunite later back home on Zoz…

On the bridge of the Kodiak, James Anchor gets an update from Emma on the status of the fleet – and it’s dire! Many Zozian ships have escaped the system, but over a fifth of the entire fleet has been destroyed, leaving masses of twisted wreckage in decaying orbits around the prison planet. Admiral Anchor gives orders that the massive Kodiak capital ship is to remain in the fight until every survivor has fled.
Meanwhile, in the thick of the dogfight, Defender Zik’s Temerity receives a mayday from Ramesh, who is getting swarmed by Clonoids after being savaged by Queen Elcyra’s massive ship, the Varanus. The Temerity and Ron’s Revenge rush to help, but Ron’s Revenge is hit badly by a Zernab patrol ship’s plasma bolts! As the Temerity rushes around destroying Clonoids, Mitch watches in horror as his old friend’s ship is torn apart by a Zernab ripper ship. The vessel is lost, but in one last act of defiance, they set their reactor to overload, heroically taking the breacher out with them!

Queen Elcyra’s withering attack on the Zozian war fleet is claiming one victim after another – even the civilian transports! Defender Zik enters the cockpit of the Temerity to witness a grim scene: with every powerful blast emanating from Elcyra’s mothership, another Zozian vessel is disabled or destroyed, and the space around the prison planet is growing thick with twisted, burning debris. It’s a slaughter!

Aboard the Vigilant Gaddi, calculations for the jump into hyperspace are nearly complete; so far so good! But nothing seems to escape the baleful beams of withering death slicing through the dark. Just as they’re ready to jump, the Varanus strikes! Both of the starboard cargo containers on the Gaddi are immolated, along with all the former prisoners who were in them!

As sirens blare and a red alert is engaged, Captain Ramesh demands a status report. A frightened David gives the update, but he’s shell-shocked trying to wrap his head around the scale of the mass murder Elcyra just committed. Ramesh reminds him that they still have to rescue the other half of the prisoners – this is no time to lose your cool!

Fortunately, the engines weren’t hit! They can still jump! But will the Varanus hit them again?!

With everyone aboard, Defender Zik and the Zozian war party head back to orbit. Mitch congratulates the team for successfully getting the refugees to the transports, with losses kept to a minimum.
Once in orbit, the squad reunites with the Vigilant Gaddi and reports in to Admiral James Anchor’s Kodiak 2 capital ship. Things are calm as they patrol, with all orbital opposition eliminated. The fleet begins preparations to scatter to the multiple jump points required to cover their tracks.
Suddenly, an enormous, immense, gigantic spaceship drops out of hyperspace directly in their path! The shocked ship crews hear the sinister, sultry voice of Queen Elcyra floating over the radio waves…

Thousands of Clonoids are chasing Defender Zik and the prisoners as they make their escape to the landing zone! The Zozian warriors fight bravely and to the limit of their firepower, but they can barely hold off the Clonoid advance! Some buckle under the pressure, but Zik encourages them to fight on! After all, with this many targets, it’s impossible to miss!

Luckily, the Sharktooth crew has been rescued by Ron’s Revenge, which now arrives to help keep the vile Clonoids at bay long enough for the survivors to board their transports. Defender Zik is the last to leave, as he evaporates the head of a Clonoid Super-soldier with his grenade launchers. He flies up to the landing ramp and Amelia helps him aboard. Let’s get out of here!

With the first wave of Clonoids dispatched, the Zozian attack force regroups at the landing zone. As they return, the Temerity lands to let Defender Zik, Amelia and Trent Quickdraw out to help the ground troops. A trio of Kodiak shuttle craft also descend to help evacuate the prisoners.

To the amazement of the rest of the Zozian troops, Zik and Amelia exit the Temerity in enormous powered battle armor! Zik explains that they’re of a new design for Kodiak Planetary Security, and Zik got James Anchor to make a couple extra ones for him and Amelia. Trent was also offered a suit, but opted to fight in his new suit of space armor. It’s lighter and stronger, and more suited to his style of fighting than the hulking battle armor.

As the Zozians organize themselves, Defender Zik and Red Wolf discuss the unexpected strength of their enemy. The Clonoids haven’t done much damage yet, but they’re far more numerous than the scans from Todd’s spy drones suggested. But they’re committed now, so it’s time to rescue the prisoners. With a loud battle cry, the Zozians charge fearlessly into the fray!

As the Temerity cleans up the last of the Zernabian snub fighters, Francisco reports that the ground team is facing heavy fire at the landing zone. Tanaka turns back to assist!
Sure enough, as they approach, they see a large unit of Clonoids charging the Zozian position, supported by two copters raining plasma bolts down in support! Red Wolf is having trouble establishing his planned formations under the withering assault.
But the flimsy patrol copters are no match for the Temerity, and Dakaasin makes short work of them on their first pass. Tanaka circles around for a couple more passes over the Clonoid charge, which quickly turns into a rout. Taking advantage of the reprieve, Red Wolf orders the Zozians to fall back to the LZ so they can get their troop formations re-established.

The Temerity descends into the atmosphere of the Zernabian prison planet, along with the transports and other escorts. As they approach, they’re ambushed by a squadron of Clonoid fighters! The evil Clonoids score a direct hit on the Sharktooth, which erupts in flames.

Tanaka delegates the other escort, Ron’s Revenge to help Sharktooth out while he pounces on the Clonoid fighters, shredding them. By the time the Zozian transports are making their approach to the landing zone, the Temerity has make short work of its foes.

All is quiet at the LZ, and the Zozian troops start to disembark while the Temerity cruises overhead. But again, seemingly out of nowhere, another wing of Zernabian fighters shows up on a confounded Francisco’s scanners! How do they keep appearing out of nowhere?

The riddle doesn’t concern Tanaka, and the legendary Chadee bloodlust is in overdrive in him right now! All he sees is fresh meat! Time to feast!

The battle against the Clonoid garrison rages all around the prison planet! Even though the Zernabian fleet is light, the fighting is ferocious. James Anchor’s Kodiak takes on the largest Zernabian capital ship directly, and after a direct hit from the dorsal railgun, the Zernabian ship explodes! Firing superheated shells at relativistic speeds is marvelously effective!

A few sectors are having a harder time clearing the orbital opposition, but after some judicious redeployment, the Zozian position is secured. Landing transports begin their decent to the surface while the larger cargo ships like Ramesh’s Vigilant Gaddi remain in orbit to collect the refugees. What awaits the landing parties on the surface? Stay tuned, Defenders!