Wow, I'm cranking out chapters faster than I thought. Maybe it's because I have more time on my hands than I
know what to do with. Anyway, read and review, please.

Maya scanned the rocky Thraxxian terrain, looking for signs of danger. Other than an occasional rumble from the geysers,
and that strange metal boot, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Maya was about to turn around and head back to
her cruiser when something caused her to stumble.

"Whoa, what was that?" she asked herself. As she pulled herself back up again, she noticed a huge footprint right in front
of her. It looked like a cow's hoof, only much bigger. And there was a whole trail of them leading into a nearby cave.

Shuddering, Maya darted back to her ship, where Lilo and Stitch were waiting for her. Panting and gasping, she asked, "Where's Spaz?"

"He went back to his house to get some fuel for the ship," Lilo told her. "He's already done with the hyperdrive. He also told
me and Stitch to stay here until either he or you got back, because there was a space monster called a Hogulus on the loose
in this area."

"A Hogulus, eh?" Maya crossed her arms and gazed in the direction from where she just came. "I wonder if that was what
made those huge footprints I saw near that cave back there."

"Hog nala queesta!" sneered Stitch, shaking his fist in the direction of the cave.

"Stitch, that's not polite," Lilo scolded.

The trio continued to wait for Spaz's return, and to watch for further signs of danger. Every once in a while, a fierce growl
or snarl would come from the cave, but other than that, there was nothing. Finally, a figure could be seen approaching in
the distance.

"That must be Spaz," Maya announced.

Spaz skipped jauntily along the path at the edge of a canyon, carrying a canister of rocket fuel in one arm and various
bundles of supplies in the other three. "I sure hope they like my homemade Lobian maggot stew,"he said to himself,
"and my Sporkle-berry cookies..."

He continued talking to himself all down the path, failing to pay attention to that gnarled root sticking up from the ground
just ahead. He had just spotted Maya's cruiser and was heading straight for it when his foot snagged on the root, tripping
him and sending his baggage flying in various directions.

"Whoa!" he screamed as he tumbled into the canyon. As soon as he came to a stop, he shook his head and looked up -
right into the face of a snarling, drooling Hogulus!

"HELP!"

"Oh no, Spaz!" Lilo yelled, jumping out of the cruiser. "Come on, you guys! We've got to help him!" She ran off toward Spaz's screams.

"Lilo, get back here!" Maya yelled. When Lilo did not obey, she rolled her eyes and said, "Come on, Stitch, we'd better go after her."

Stitch jumped on Maya's back, and the two of them took off after Lilo. They found her standing at the edge of a small canyon,
throwing rocks at a huge buffalo-like monster with sharp teeth. Cowering in fear at the monster's feet was Spaz.

"No! Leave him alone!" Lilo shouted. She grabbed a sharp-pointed rock and threw it, hitting the Hogulus in one of its six eyes.
Bellowing in pain, the Hogulus charged at the canyon wall and slammed into it, creating a tremor that caused Lilo to lose her
balance and fall into the canyon, screaming.

"I'm coming, Lilo!" yelled Maya as she and Stitch jumped into the canyon, landing right in front of Spaz. Stitch jumped off Maya's
back and landed on the Hogulus's neck, where he started scratching and clawing at the beast's skin. This made the beast very
angry, so it started to roll around on the ground, trying to make Stitch let go.

While the Hogulus was distracted, Spaz and Maya hurried over to Lilo,who had landed bottom-first on the canyon floor and
was now trying to get up.

"Lilo, are you all right?" asked Maya as she helped her friend to her feet.

"I think so," Lilo replied. "Where are Spaz and Stitch?"

"I'm right here," said Spaz, "but Stitch is still back there with the hog-beast."

"Stay here, you two," Maya commanded. "I'm going back for Stitch."

She hurried back toward the battle between Stitch and the Hogulus. By now, Stitch had scrambled on top of the beast's back
and was holding on for dear life, while the beast continued trying to dismember its pint-sized adversary. Grabbing a ladle that
must have come from one of Spaz's supply canisters, Maya charged at the Hogulus and whacked it across the rump with all her
might. She was about to hit one of its ankles when the beast turned around, grabbed her right hind leg with its mouth, and
lifted her off the ground, shaking her quite violently.

"No! Let go!" Maya screamed, whacking the Hogulus's face repeatedly with her ladle, trying to make the beast drop her.
The Hogulus, however, didn't pay the slightest bit attention and continued to thrash its prey.

Suddenly, a laser blast came zooming into the canyon and zapped the Hogulus in the belly. The Hogulus let out one last
roar of pain, then it fell to the ground, dead.

"Wow, what was that?" Lilo asked.

"Come on, let's go see," said Spaz, grabbing Lilo by the hand and hurrying toward the dead Hogulus.

"Are you all right?" a strange male voice asked.

Maya opened her eyes, blinking at the harsh light that assaulted them. "I think so," she moaned. "Owww, my head!
What happened?"

"That hog-beast was trying to eat you alive," said the voice. "Don't worry, I got him."

Maya pulled herself to her feet, shaking the remaining dizziness from her head. "Who are you?" she asked.

"No one special," the voice replied."Just consider me an unlikely ally."

As soon as her vision had reclaimed its focus, Maya jumped back, half surprised and half disgusted. Standing
in front of her was a green-eyed Irken, clad in those same metal boots she had seen earlier. A SIR unit stood
at his side.

"You!" she stammered. "You're...you're Irken!"