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!
After several jumps through hyperspace to conceal their approach vectors, the Zozian fleets arrive in the Zernabian prison system! Dead ahead of the Temerity is the infamous prison planet where Zik encountered the Clonoids for the first time. Tanaka gets a tactical report from Francisco; their fleet, Blue Squad, has all arrived safely. The other Zozian fleets are also reporting in as they arrive, and the massive Kodiak 2 dominates the scene. The Zozian fleets outnumber the token Clonoid sentry, and their capital ship, while large, is dwarfed by the Kodiak 2.
Upon receiving a similar keep-away message as Defender Zik received when he stumbled on the system, his father Mitch takes to the radio. He announces to the Clonoids that the Zozians have arrived to offer transportation and safe harbor to anyone who wishes to leave the planet. The Zernabians respond with a terse warning, claiming that the slaves are owned by Queen Elcyra and any intruders will be fired upon. Taking the high road, Mitch retorts that there can be no legitimate claims of ownership by one sentient creature on another. The Zozians will not be dissuaded and leave the ball in the Clonoid’s court. Tanaka, of course, hopes they choose battle.
The answer is soon given in the form of a stream of massive plasma bolts from the Clonoid capital ship, which detonate on the hull of one of the Makwa corvettes escorting the Kodiak 2. Mitch gives the order to all Zozian fleets: Engage the enemy!
A gleeful Tanaka guns the engines, eager to catch up to the Sharktooth, who jumped ahead. The Battle of Prison Planet has begun!
The Temerity and the warship Ron’s Revenge lift off from the monastery and join the small fleet waiting for them in a high orbit above Zoz. Ramesh’s cargo ship the Vigilant Gaddi and some ZEMM transports are escorted by the Sharktooth and its impatient captain.
In the cockpit of the Temerity, Zik’s father expresses concern over Zik’s decision to join the ground battle on the Prison Planet. Zik says that since he’s got some experience with the Clonoids, he should be there, and assures Mitch that he’ll be careful. While Tanaka thinks of the battle ahead with rising Chadee bloodlust, Zik wishes everyone in the cockpit luck, then departs aft to suit up in something. BUT WHAT?
Once the two new ships have taken their place, Blue Squad forms up and jumps into hyperspace! Destination: battle, bloodshed and belligerence!
Over on the Vigilant Gaddi, Ramesh has solved the mystery of why Naser keeps missing his shots: he’s a Jairian mole! He’s been missing on purpose to protect his comrades! That dastardly spy even sent a message to the Jairians the minute the Kodiak departed to help Zik!
Ramesh engages a secret security device that Zik Enterprises had built into the ship especially for such emergencies. Naser finds himself locked out of his control panel, and his suit is magnetized to the back of his seat! He pulls a knife, but that too is pulled to the chair, where it remains stuck.
Now it’s time to show these Jairians what the Gaddi can do, even with only one cannon left!
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?
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?
The target of the Jairian raiding fleet is the cargo convoy presently guarded by Commander Ramesh of the Vigilant Gaddi. Ramesh has seen the enemy approaching and hasn’t been able to establish contact with them.
It’s pretty obvious that the intentions of the Jairians are hostile, so Ramesh calls for an all-stop, and for the fleet of cargo vessels to establish a defensive formation.
Now it’s time to warm up the guns, get some target practice in, and hope they can hold out until the cavalry arrives…
