PKNA 17: Shooting Star

Shooting Star (Stella Cadente) is the 17th regular issue of PKNA. It was written by Alessandro Sisti and penciled by Paolo Mottura.

Plot Summary
An Evronian ship fakes a malfunction to lure Xadhoom into a trap. She manages to destroy the ship anyways but is left weakened and, with nowhere to go, heads to Ducklair Tower on Earth.

Uno calls Donald who is at his house, to tell him about Xadhoom's arrival. Donald heads to Ducklair Tower and allows Xadhoom to rest there until her energies are restored, but he's worried since the tower now has tenants who may find out about her. Meanwhile, two men in black suits and shades, named Delta and Gamma, investigate a crashed Evronian flying platform, which they identify as foreign technology and take with them.

Uno restructures a part of Ducklair Tower to create a hidden room where Xadhoom can recover. Unknown to Donald and Uno, Xadhoom periodically leaves Ducklair Tower to fight crime. The scene of each crime-fighting escapade is investigated by Delta and Gamma, who identify themselves as PBI Agents. When the police call Mary Ann Flagstarr to criticize that they weren't warned that the case was jurisdiction of the PBI, Lieutenant Flagstarr gets curious because she didn't know about any agent assigned to such a case.

When Flagstarr is investigating a scene that Delta and Gamma have already left, the Duck Avenger arrives and she tells him about the unknown subject who attacks using a form of unknown energy. The Avenger tries to investigate this unknown character, but Uno is unavailable to help since he's running a diagnostic on Xadhoom, so the Avenger asks Xadhoom herself for help. On their way, they see the robbery of an armored transport and try to stop it, when it is revealed that Xadhoom sees all enemies as Evronians. Delta and Gamma find them and join the fight to capture Xadhoom, but she knocks her out.

Uno calls the Duck Avenger and tells him that he has found out that Xadhoom was the unknown energy-user, and she had been periodically leaving Ducklair Tower. Right then, Xadhoom knocks the Duck Avenger out, believing him an Evronian, and leaves. Delta and Gamma awake just in time to avoid the PBI. The Duck Avenger tells Flagstarr a mix of lies and half-truths to protect Xadhoom and then returns to Ducklair Tower.

Uno tells Donald what he discovered: Xadhoom was hit by an enhanced version of the Evrongun, capable of absorbing even the energy of the sun, and even though Xadhoom survived, she got an energy failure, and her internal functions only partially work, including her mental proccesses. Of course, Uno already developed a plan and has the necessary implements for it.

At night, the Duck Avenger goes to an abandoned factory where he activates a device to emit a sound identcal to the engine noise of Evronian ships, in order to attract Xadhoom. Lieutenant Flagstarr is informed that the Pi-Kar is at the factory and goes there. Delta is monitoring the Duck Avenger while Gamma spies Flagstarr. Xadhoom arrives and attacks the Avenger. Flagstarr also arrives, but her backup squad is still in the parking lot, and they are surprised to notice the lack of two protective suits and that the van was blocked on the outside, locking them in.

Delta and Gamma enter the factory in the protective suits and shoot Xadhoom. When Delta removes his helmet, Flagstarr recognizes him and the Duck Avenger knocks him out. Gamma refuses to surrender, takes the bazooka brought by the Avenger, and shoots Xadhoom, but the beam actually heals her and she leaves. While arresting the men, Flagstarr explains that Charlie Delta and Francisco De Gamma are ex-agents of the PBI, kicked out for being over-fanatical, so they opened a big intelligence agency to discover some big secret to sell to the highest bidder. She then tries to know more about Xadhoom, but the Duck Avenger says he won't tell.

Back at Ducklair Tower, Uno explains (in an "As You Know" way) that the bazooka ray triggered Xadhoom's vital functions, returning them to perfect condition. Uno then tells Donald that Xadhoom is waiting on the roof. Donald is surprised, and Xadhoom feels offended that he thought she would leave just like that after he saved her life. She mentions that even in Xerba they are taught good manners, and gives a thank you kiss... which turns out not so good for Donald, who gets his beak burned since Xadhoom has the body temperature of a furnace.

Trivia

 * When Donald first appears in the story, he is yelling to Huey, Dewey and Louie, but they don't appear on panel and have no dialogue. However, Huey and Louie's hats are shown on the hat rack.