BotP Close-up 011

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Bobkat
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BotP Close-up 011

Post: # 270Post Bobkat »

Here is the latest of the full plots! Enjoy! :)

The Other Jason's write up is here: https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/ep11.html

E11: Space Rocket Escort

Act One

7-Zark-7 is on watch in Center Neptune where a great many things "are done to keep peace and maintain order in our vast galaxy". Security Chief Anderson wants G-Force in the briefing room right away so Zark puts a call out to Mark. Mark is out flying and buzzes an island stirring up some birds. Zark gets through telling Mark to report to Chief Anderson at Camp Parker immediately.

As Mark flies to Camp Parker, an alien fighter engages him and Mark transmutes to meet the challenge. It turns out to be Colonel Cronus from planet Riga! Colonel Cronus taunts Mark wanting to see what the commander has in flying skills. Colonel Cronus even flies straight at Mark before breaking off the mock dogfight! Mark wonders why Colonel Cronus is around, so far from his home planet and suspects Chief Anderson may know.

At Camp Parker, Mark reports his encounter with Chief Anderson telling Colonel Cronus requested clearance but due to security reason, he was denied. An earlier encounter with Zoltar disguised as Colonel Cronus makes Chief Anderson suspicious. He won't clear the colonel until he's been checked but the main way to check, by contacting Riga, is impossible due to security. Chief Anderson then tells Mark about the FY-9 that is being built for Riga with the latest technology. The whole program has been cloaked in secrecy and the craft will be delivered today. Riga is Earth's sister planet and a group of special pilots will fly the FY-9 there with a G-Force escort. Chief Anderson does not want the craft falling into Spectran hands as Mark assures him they'll fly a tight escort.

At a spaceport, the huge FY-9 is rolled out with the crew paged to board. As the crew readies to leave the lounge, five Spectran soldiers come in to take the crew's places! They board the space bus and are taken directly to the FY-9, which looks like a giant Concorde. The tower clears the FY-9 for takeoff with the rocket engines starting. The FY-9 goes airborne with the Phoenix joining up shortly after, dwarfed in comparison.

The ships receive clearance for space flight and are soon on their way. As Zark monitors, the FY-9 changes course away from Riga and heads instead toward the Crab Nebulae and Spectra! Zark has lost audio communications with the Phoenix so there's no way to warn the team.

The FY-9 enters Spectra's atmosphere with the Phoenix right on her tail like it's supposed to be. The FY-9's fake crew decides to use the Federation's weapons against their own defenses. They've been jamming their signals to Earth so even if the team could, they wouldn't be able to call for help. They ready a missile against the Phoenix.

On board the Phoenix, Jason is beyond frustrated as he's been trying to contact the FY-9 pilots "but they don't answer". As the Phoenix moves into the FY-9's crosshairs, Colonel Cronus and his fighter unit show up. They dislodge the missile so the FY-9 can't fire on the Phoenix. The team is perplexed watching the three fighters fire on a ship they ordered. Keyop calls it pilot error but Tiny doesn't think so as they're probably not Rigan. Mark is certain it's Colonel Cronus and leaves for his fighter jet to see for himself.

Mark launches out the back soon joining up with Colonel Cronus and his pilots. Meantime, Colonel Cronus and the Rigan fighters keep buzzing the FY-9 with Colonel Cronus ready to destroy the ship! He fires a remote controlled missile that lodges into the ship's belly as they fly off. Mark follows and as he closes in, Jason radios him. He still can't contact the FY-9 crew and they're not on Riga! Mark tells him to stick with the FY-9 and he'll go solo to get a hold of Colonel Cronus, if that is really who they're dealing with.

Act Two

Zark takes his turbo lift to his Ready Room after trying everything he can to reach G-Force including "stress scanners, dysfunctional space probes, even subliminal bypasses". He takes a ten-second oil break because the monitors show nothing. Susan calls from Pluto as she has been able to locate the Phoenix and the FY-9 flying over Omeg II in the Crab Nebulae. Zark tells her to put it on his monitor. He finds it is an uninhabited world under Spectra's control.

On Omeg II, the crew keeps flying the FY-9 as the Phoenix buzzes the bridge. Jason tells Tiny to stick close to it as they're obviously dealing with a hijack. Worse yet, Tiny can't break free as they're loosing power in the turbo jets. It seems the FY-9 has the Phoenix in her grip! Princess says all communications are still jammed as Jason orders the kick in of auxiliary power but they're all "blanked out". The crew has activated a traction beam from the FY-9 pulling the Phoenix along with them to a secret base in a volcano.

Elsewhere on Omeg II, Mark keeps following Colonel Cronus and the Rigan fighters. Colonel Cronus circles around meeting Mark head-on wondering if Mark realizes the problem. He wishes Mark would return to the Phoenix but Colonel Cronus realizes they may be in trouble and time is running short.

Inside the base, the FY-9 and the Phoenix have landed but G-Force has been knocked out as a gas has been pumped into the Phoenix. Meanwhile, the dogfight between Mark and Colonel Cronus keeps up with the fighters landing nearby. Mark decides to go after Colonel Cronus but he's no match for the Rigan. Colonel Cronus finally gets Mark to stop fighting long enough to explain the FY-9 was hijacked by Spectran agents and they would rather lose the ship than for it to fall into enemy hands. Mark realizes the Phoenix and his team may be in trouble with colonel Cronus saying there isn't much time left.

Mark and Colonel Cronus infiltrate the base finding an entry to where the ships and G-Force are located. They're chained to a wall as Mark lands on the FY-9's nose. Zoltar is extremely pleased to have four G-Force members captured as he watches via a video screen. He knows they're not willing guests but he likes it that they're present. Jason remarks, "We just dropped in to say hello, we really can't stay long". Keyop struggles against the restraints saying they've been there long enough. Princess reminds Zoltar that Mark is still out there free. Just then, an intruder alert sounds with Zoltar promising a promotion to whoever captures him. As guards draw their weapons on Colonel Cronus, Mark uses his sonic boomerang to disarm them. Princess cracks, "Welcome to the party".

Zoltar demands that Colonel Cronus surrender as his robot guards have them surrounded. Colonel Cronus says they're useless when Zoltar "can't push their buttons" before shooting the team free. The final countdown begins on the timed missile as Mark signals for the team to leave. They gather onto the Phoenix as Zoltar orders an evacuation of the base due to a bomb warning. Colonel Cronus joins the team on the Phoenix just as Tiny lifts off to escape. Once the timer concludes, the FY-9 goes up in a blast of glory prompting the volcano to spew lava and smoke.

Later, the Phoenix is at cruising altitude followed by Mark and Colonel Cronus. Chief Anderson finally gets through to the Phoenix after trying for hours and asks where the FY-9 is. Princess says they'll explain everything later as they're still putting the pieces together. Chief Anderson isn't amused ordering the team to return to Earth immediately. Colonel Cronus bids farewell to Mark for now wishing him a safe flight home.

Zark managed to unscramble his scanner in time to watch the volcano erupt as the Phoenix takes off for its space shot home. Zark credits Colonel Cronus for being at the spaceport and knowing what happened with the hijacking, otherwise the FY-9 would be Zoltar's hands now. Zark would like to work closer with the team but his job requires him to stay put in Center Neptune but he has 1-Rover-1 and Susan to keep him company.

This plot summary Copyright Bobbi Baker ©2020. No reproduction of any kind without permission.
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