Title: um, it's complicated

Episode Fifty-One

"The Panic of the Taking"

Bugsy tumbled backwards into the rear section of the Taiyou. "Hyperdrive! Hyperdrive!"

"Shut up!" Francoise snapped as she struggled with the steering controls.

"Big red button!" Bugsy shrieked as tumbled back into the cockpit as another blast shook the poor ship.

"They're cloaked you moron!" Francoise snapped over her shoulder.

"I don't care what they're wearing, shoot them!" Bugsy cried out in high offense to everything. He bristled. He spat. He tumbled. He vanished.

"Bugsy!" Osama gasped.

"Oh my Zarda!" Zaldorp's eyes went wide.

"What happened to him?" Osama ran to the spot where the cat had been. "What happened?"

"He's gone," Zaldorp was frozen in horror.

"Oh god," Osama paled under his fur. "It's them!"

Francoise couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Stop panicking you idiotic beings! You," She barked at Zaldorp. "There, fix that, and you," She barked to Osama. "You go--"

"Francoise!" Zaldorp cried out at the empty chair.

Osama whimpered. "This is so not good."

Zaldorp ran to the helm controls. "Where is the Hyperdrive?"

"We can't leave them!" Osama cried out in horror.

"Watch me!" another blast rocked the small ship.

"Warning, Hyperdrive Overload in 30 seconds." Osama and Zaldorp exchanged looks.

"I don't think we're going anywhere," Zaldorp gulped.

Osama blanched. "Oh we'll be going somewhere all right."

To Be Continued...

trivia and spoilers: Bugsy and Francoise disappear, implying involvement of the aliens from the Ghost Planet. Francoise is doubtful about that though.

-Osama and Zaldorp are left on the damaged Taiyou, which seems to be about to explode. What a penultimate!!