“Oh Melvin, that was amazing,” gasped Janine lying in a puddle of sweat. “I’m sure I could actually feel the ground move.”

“It was, wasn’t it?” he replied, grinning profusely. “Doing it in space, in the middle of a war, really does heighten the senses.”

Janine giggled, she felt like a schoolgirl once more.

“I’d best just have a look to check on things,” said Melvin.

“Do you have to, love?”

Melvin nodded, reluctantly.

“Ok then, but don’t be long.”

“I won’t be, it’s only there,” he replied.

Melvin got up off the floor and jumped back onto his chair.

“Err… Janine,” he said, looking at the fast-changing landscape and the flashing control panel in front of him. “I think we might actually have made the earth move.”

She stood up, and laughed.

“You, the Grand Zombie Master, have been shot down in battle!”

He grinned. That was the Crawkling sense of humour after all.

Picking up the radio, the Grand Zombie Master called Crawk.

“Dad!” shouted the voice on the other end. “I’ve been trying to call you for ages! Are you ok?”

“Never been better, Green_Turtle_Boy_369,” shouted Janine.

“Oh, that’s good,” he sighed. “Because my radar is showing that your ship is damaged.”

“We have been shot,” replied the Grand Zombie Master, “and we are hurtling in some random direction very fast, but me and your Mom just made love like we were on our honeymoon.”

“Oh Dad,” said Green_Turtle_Boy_369. “I really didn’t want to hear that.”

Both of his parents laughed.

“So how bad’s the damage?”

“Pretty bad,” the Grand Zombie Master replied. “All of our thrusters are dead so we’re being dragged towards a planet called Imdor at the moment. I reckon we’ll crash land in about 3 hours. It’s a way away but there are no planets and very little gravity around here.”

“Ok, well keep me updated. You should be able to use your escape pod to enter the Imdor atmosphere safely. Stay manning the lasers though. There are still loads of Timorean ships around and you need to get as far as Imdor.”

“Yes, son!” cried the Grand Zombie Master as Janine pulled him back onto the floor.

“Dad!” shouted Green_Turtle_Boy_369. “If you’re going to ignore me then please close the radio channel first!”

The Grand Zombie Master was paying little attention.

“Ooh, Melvin,” squealed Janine. “Your thruster certainly isn’t dead.”

“Mom! Please!!” blared the radio.

Back in Crawk, Green_Turtle_Boy_369 left the control room to rapturous laughter and back-patting from his comrades. Even Jake had managed to raise a smile.