A/N: Well, here we are folks, the beginning of the Galactic Ninjas arc! Now, I have to warn you, I'm going to be making a LOT of changes, mostly to things like the order in which they come and there may well be a few surprises along the way as I weave this into my over-arching story. Hope you all enjoy it!

Legal: I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, characters, places, events etc. Anything not covered by the above rights should be considered purely the creation of the author.

Rating: T – may be some mild adult themes, including language, violence and mild adult content.

Deep in the African Plains, a hunter stalked his target intently. It had been a long and arduous journey, one that had started days earlier as he single-mindedly tracked his intended target. Hunting for him was not just about merely getting any old prize, it was always the greatest example he could find. That meant not just following, it also meant getting inside its head, figuring out its routines and patterns. Places that were important to it, those in its group that were important to it, namely its relatives, its mate. It required figuring out its routine, when it would be alone and when would be the best time to make his move.

Rocky De Santos made his way through some brush, finally closing in on his perfect shot as his target, the most amazing lion he had ever seen in his life, came to water. The males especially were often difficult due to their nature. Males didn't really do much of anything since the females did all the hunting. The males for the most part spent the majority of their day either sleeping or lounging in their pride, preserving energy in case something threatened those under their protection. They were often only active for a few hours a day, and spent even less time alone. Rocky had spent almost a week tracking this one to find to find out when would be the best time to get it alone. Seeing it heading to its favourite watering hole, what Rocky liked to think of as its "man cave", since he had one at home, in his case a basement which he filled with the prizes of all his hunts, his favourite comic books, and mini-fridge with a few beers for when his days at the gym had been especially frustrating, he prepared his shot. He was careful to be down-wind, and kept out of sight as he lay down prone. He looked through the sight, lining up his shot. The night-vision was helpful, and meant he got the perfect view of the magnificent beast as he lined up his shot. He slowed his heart and held his breath to steady his shot as he lined up when the lion rose its head. When the moment was right, he took the shot.

"Perfect!" He whispered to himself, checking the shot in his view-finder. "That might just be one of the best pictures I've ever taken!"

Just then, he saw some movement a little way off. He wasn't the only one out here. While he loved nature, and had dedicated himself to getting perfect pictures of creatures, some of which may sadly be on the verge of extinction within only a few more years, never mind his lifetime, he knew he wasn't the only one that had an interest in them…and some of them were not just satisfied with pictures. Rocky stowed his camera back in its bag and made his move.

Rocky had been one of the longer serving Rangers, but all things considered he'd also been one of the more fortunate ones. When his original tenure ended back when he injured his back, handing off his powers to Justin, he had pretty good reason to think that was all the Morphing Grid had plans for him. While it took almost a year to get back to full health after the hospital found a hairline fracture that needed surgery to correct, he had worked hard to get back into shape but as time went by and some of his friends, Adam especially, had been called back a few times, for Rocky it seemed like retirement really was his path…and that suited him down to the ground! He hadn't even heard about the Moon Mission, he'd actually been moving house at the time and missed a call because Tommy hadn't been given his new number yet. He had been called to take care of Vrak in the Ranger War, but since that was now almost five years ago, it looked like the Morphing Grid had decided he had given enough of himself. Like most others though, that didn't mean he didn't still work to help the planet in his own way.

He utilised the same skills that allowed him to get such great nature shots to make his way towards his new target. His own tenure had included extensive training under Ninjor that had given him incredible stealth skills. It didn't take long for him to get into a good position behind them and move up, getting into position to see. Just as he suspected, it was three men, carrying some of the latest hunting gear. They weren't amateurs either, those rifles were top-of-the-line. Some of the best money could buy, with all the accessories and ammunition to go with it. These guys weren't weekenders here to see if they could get a lucky shot off, they were obviously also stalking the lion. The one thing he did know though was that they were here illegally. He had crossed the border onto a preserve about three days and over twenty miles ago. They were poachers, men who didn't care for petty things like bag limits, hunting seasons or preservation orders. All they cared about was taking a selfie with a fresh kill, perhaps taking a trophy like a pelt or some other body part they might even smuggle illegally back into the country. Judging by their accents and their behaviour, they were also Americans. It was people like them that meant many creatures such as the stately beast that was only a few feet away were edging towards extinction despite great efforts to ensure they would still be around for future generations to enjoy. Rocky considered his next move carefully. He wanted to stop them, but he was well aware of the danger their rifles presented.

One of the guys, obviously the one that won the coin toss or drawn lots or however else these jokers decided who would get the kill was lining up his shot. Rocky broke cover, snatching the barrel into the air as the man pulled the trigger, causing the shot to go up into the air. The shot rang out in the silent, still night for miles. Rocky pressed the advantage, smacking the poacher in the face with his own rifle and pulling it away from him before pointing it safely at the ground as the man fell, cradling his broken nose.

"You know, those signs on that fence you crossed about twenty miles ago weren't put up because some guy felt like a stroll." Rocky said, cocking the lever to eject all the bullets onto the ground, before dismantling the rifle. The poacher's friends helped him up.

"You ruined my shot!" He screamed. "You busted my nose!"

"You know some people would have reversed the order of those priorities." Rocky said sarcastically, holding up the two halves of the rifle. "Now, you can have this back when we get to the hospital. If we take the jeep, I'm sure you have around here somewhere we should get there in about an hour."

"You're giving him that back now!" One of the others stated. "Do you have any idea how much that rifle costs?"

"Probably less than getting caught by the Rangers who I'm sure had to have heard that shot." Rocky responded. "They should be on their way by now, shots carry a long way at this time of night."

One of them slipped his finger into the trigger guard. Rocky noticed this, and while he wasn't sure if it was just a move to intimidate or a serious attempt to use the gun, he wasn't going to gamble on the outcome. The hospital was over an hour away in a jeep, the nearest law enforcement considerably further! By the time anyone made it out there, the poachers could be long gone, and it wasn't like it would be in their best interests to wait around! Rocky threw the butt at the one with his finger on the trigger, smacking him right in the face, before surging in, taking him down brutally, landing knee-first on his rib-cage to wind him.

The other started to fumble with his gun, but Rocky spun around, connecting with his knee with the barrel of the gun he was still carrying. Using his makeshift club, he swept the rifle from his hands, before connecting with his jaw, sending him to the ground. He was careful not to incapacitate them too badly, he knew that they were a long way from medical help and delay could cost them their lives. They were crooks, but he wasn't willing to kill over the fact. He casually picked up the other two rifles.

"You three should really get those wounds tended to, and I wasn't kidding about the Rangers. They don't have much patience for poachers out here." He told them. "Your friend there has a fractured patella so you might want to help him walk, but if you're quick, you should be able to be out of here before the Rangers arrive."

"What about our rifles?" One of them asked. Rocky just raised his eyebrows.

"Really?" He asked dismissively. They took the hint that was one battle they weren't going to win. Rocky wasn't joking about the Rangers. There were many stories of people 'disappearing' around here. Considering the fact that by the time local law enforcement got to the scene the hyenas and other carrion eaters would have dealt with most evidence it wasn't a surprise that for some, it wasn't worth the paperwork of handing over poachers. They hobbled off with what little dignity they had left, leaving Rocky holding what he was sure was six-figures worth of hunting equipment. He just shook his head in disbelief as he picked up the bullets, he had scattered on the ground to make sure some poor creature wouldn't eat them by accident, before disassembling the guns and packing them up in their cases. He bundled everything up to be found by the Rangers and stashed them safely in a tree before getting ready to leave. He didn't want to risk being mistaken for a poacher himself.

As he was securing the cases in the tree, he suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He sighed.

"You know, Rangers are a lot quieter." He commented.

"Really?" A familiar voice asked. "Because in my experience some of us make a lot of noise."

Rocky turned around smiling as he saw TJ standing behind him, grinning brightly.

"I loved Lightning Cruiser but I've got to say that V12 engine didn't exactly lend itself to subtlety."

"TJ!" Rocky called out, hugging his friend tightly. "Man, how long has it been? What brings a city-boy like you all the way out here?"

"I'm afraid it's not a social call." TJ told him. "We've got problems…the kind of problems that require the Spandex."

"Really?" Rocky asked. "What about those current guys? The ones in…Amber Beach is it?"

"Summer Cove! Man, how long have you been out here?" He asked.

"Sorry, I have to admit to being off-grid in a while." Rocky said with a little smirk. TJ just pointed at him and smirked.

"Off-grid…I like it!" TJ replied. "Same old Rocky!"

"So, where's your transport?" Rocky asked.

"Just over this way." TJ told him. "I didn't want to risk getting too close to the herds."

"Smart." Rocky replied, before following him. They made good time as Rocky followed on. They got to a clearing where TJ stopped by a ship. He looked to it with his forehead scrunched up.

"This is yours?" Rocky asked. "I was half expecting Lightning Cruiser…maybe the Astro Megaship."

"I'm using new transport these days." TJ told him.

"I've been out of the game a while, but…that doesn't look like one of ours." Rocky stated. Just then, he heard a weapon powering up behind him. He turned around to see TJ morphed and aiming a blaster at him, but the suit looked different. It had black, boots and gloves, with spiked shoulder pads. Rocky pulled into a guard.

"I should have known something wasn't right." He stated sharply. "I love TJ, but when it comes to being quiet, he's kind of in the same league as a crippled bull elephant!"

He went for his morpher, but was grabbed before he could reach it. An arm came around under his chin, squeezing his neck in a blood-choke. Another arm behind his head completed the hold. Rocky threw back his elbow, hoping to release the hold. He knew that from here, he had only a couple of seconds to force his opponent to let go before he wouldn't have the strength to fight him off. His elbow met only a metal breast plate though, almost tearing it straight out. Rocky faded fast, and Sledge dumped him on the ground as some viviks came to restrain him.

"Go and put him in stasis. Call Draven and tell him we have another one." Sledge told the TV bot. "TJ" just laughed and de-morphed.

"Of course, Sledge." He answered. "Where to next?"

"I hear one of them is attending something called a Comicon." Poisandra said in a sweet little sing-song tone. "Apparently humans do this thing called cosplay which should mean we don't even need disguises!"

"Perfect!" Sledge said as the viviks carried Rocky's unconscious body onto his ship and blasting off.

In Summer Cove, a new week was beginning and the Rangers were talking, catching up on recent events. Brody and Levi had given the team the weekend off training so that they could focus on their own families. It was a little self-serving, since they needed a little time alone between themselves and Levi's adopted brother Tom to figure out everything in their own heads about what they had learned about Dane. It was difficult enough to learn that a lot of what they presumed about their own birth was untrue without the fact that Dane had now gone in search of Mariko and another child he had with her. They weren't sure what to tell the team, but given the fact that Dane, who had taken over the responsibilities of Sensei and training the Rangers, had now left town, they knew they had to tell them something. As sensitive as it was, they opted for the truth. Secrets had caused enough pain in their lives.

"So, you two are…what? Half-brothers?" Calvin asked.

"Technically yes, but…we're still brothers." Levi said to them. "The one thing that hasn't changed is that."

"Yeah, but…your dad…yikes!" Hayley said, regretting it. "So, what's happening?"

"Well, for the time being we're moving stuff back here." Brody answered. "There's no point in going all the way out to the farm to train when dad's not there, and Principal Hastings just shut down the painting room again. It was damaged in the attack."

"But Psycho Green never went anywhere near the Paint Room." Preston said, before the penny dropped. "Ah! I get it now! She figured having the Rangers on-site would be good for security!"

"That's about the size of it." Brody answered. "Mick helped us move everything back." Levi told them. "So, from now on we're back in the paint room!"

"Well, I guess at least there's no more long drive to go training." Calvin said with a shrug. "That should help with my gas budget."

"Guys…shh." Levi said as Clint, the security guard came over.

"Sarah." He greeted the Pink Ranger. She just groaned.

"Oh, come on, what did I do now?" She asked. Clint was a guy that took his job as school security seriously…sometimes a little TOO seriously! He went through more citation pads than any other school security guard, probably anywhere in the world! The Rangers were some of the best-behaved kids there was, and he had even written all of them up so many times all of them were in double figures!

"Yeah, there's some guy here to see you. I told him I needed to ask if it was alright because you are under our care." He said. He handed her a business card.

"Raymond Piralta…Happy Funtime toys?" She asked, reading the business card. "Why would a toy company want to talk to me?"

"I don't know, but Principal Hastings said you can use her office to talk to him." He responded. Sarah looked to the card and smiled.

"Well, this is interesting!" She stated. "I was sure I was getting written up again!"

"Oh, thanks for reminding me." Clint said, scribbling on his citation pad. "I saw you riding up the stairs and into the entrance hall. You know the rules; all vehicles have to stop outside!"

"Thanks Clint! I knew I could rely on you!" She responded sarcastically. He just shrugged.

"Just doing my job." He said as he walked away. Sarah put the card and the citation in her back pocket.

"Alright…well…I guess I'm going to see this guy! I'll see you guys later!" She told them.

"Well, I see Sandy, so…I have some more grovelling to do." Preston told them. "Hopefully this time she'll hear me out. Sandy! SANDY! WAIT UP!"

"Poor guy, he's really trying to make it up to her!" Calvin stated. Hayley just looked to him.

"He was meant to be mentoring her and he blew her off for a video game!" Hayley reminded him as Preston got to Sandy and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around and smiled as she saw him. "But looking at that smile…I think he's getting off pretty easy!"

Just then, Brody's phone started ringing. He looked around the others, who all shrugged. They were the only ones who had his number. He wasn't the most sociable person so outside the Rangers he really didn't know too many people. He looked at the screen seeing the number was unlisted, before he picked up the call.

"Hello?" He asked tentatively.

"BRODY! HI!" A voice came through so enthusiastically and loudly Brody had to pull the phone away from his head before his ear-drums ruptured. Even the other Rangers jumped a little. "Sorry, I was a little enthusiastic…it's me, Emma!"

"Hey…Emma!" Brody answered tentatively. "What can I do for you?"

"You know how you said you were going to give me Martial Arts lessons?" She asked.

"Uh…yeah, something like that." Brody answered. It was an interesting way to put it, a more accurate description was she found out he liked Martial Arts from his Facebook page and immediately pleaded with him for lessons after spouting off all the old movies she loved in such rapid fashion he was sure she must have named over a hundred in under a minute.

"Well, I have some time at lunch time, do you want to get together and give me like an introductory lesson or something?" She asked him.

"Uh…sure, we could do that." Brody answered. "I'll meet you in the gym?"

"GREAT!" She said, rushing in from the side where no one even noticed her, launching into a tight hug. She released him. "Um…sorry, I was further away when this started um…I'll see you then!"

She skipped away cheerfully, leaving the others slightly dumbfounded.

"So…I guess I'm taking training in the yard." Levi answered.

"Looks like it." Brody replied. "I'll catch up with you guys later."

As they all parted, Brody stopped and thought about something for a moment.

"Wait a minute…how did she get my number?" He asked himself.

Up on the Warrior Dome, there was a massive buzz in the audience. The rumour mill had been working over time about the identity of the latest surprise guests on the show, and Cosmo had enough production staff 'leak' rumours on the forums and other media that many were already in a frothing frenzy about the prospect of the guests. The Galactic Ninjas had a reputation that spread far and wide, despite them never really taking part in anything like Galaxy Warriors. They were mercenaries for hire, usually used to performing tasks like sabotage, disrupting communications, assassinations…occasionally they even graced battlefields. However, they were in such demand from various warlords and psychopaths they never really graced television screens. Cosmo was only too happy to use that mystique to drive himself to some of his best viewing figures ever before they even confirmed they were on the show! He strode out onto the stage, performing a quick dance before looking to the audience.

"Who do you love?" He asked.

"COSMO!" They screamed.

"I can't year you, who do you love?" He demanded, cupping his ear with his hand.

"COSMO!" They called out in a deafening roar. Cosmo just took his place in the centre of the stage, accepting their adulation and appreciation. The number of shirts and signs in the audience was testament to how badly kept the "secret" was that the Galactic Ninjas would be on the show, and he was more than happy to accept their gratitude. He gestured to them all to quieten down, and waited for absolute silence.

"Tonight, is a very special night…we have some very special guests." He told them. "I'd like you to give your biggest, loudest, most extreme Galaxy Warriors welcome to the wily, the cunning…THE GALACTIC NINJAS!"

The audience all but exploded as the smoke machines went off and the four warriors ran out onto the stage. Cosmo was delighted by the response. He knew that Badonna had paid a pretty penny for them, but he didn't care a jot. Wolvermean, the leader of the Galactic Ninjas, whose name inspired awe and terror in equal measures in many systems stepped forward.

"Thank you, Cosmo! We're here to show those Earth Ninjas who's boss!" He declared with a series of showy had motions. "I'm Wolvermean, thief of memories and leader of these fearsome warriors!"

He stepped aside and gestured to his comrades, who all posed for the crowd.

"As our fans know, our power comes from these ancient, mystic Ninja medallions!" He announced as one of his own personal footsoldiers, a Fox-bot, a robotic ninja dressed head-to-foot in black robes, with a fox mask presented him with a case, showing the medallions to the audience. He took one, clipping it to his armour. "They make us unbeatable!"

The one on the left, a beaked warrior stepped forward and started flailing his arms around and spinning rapidly.

"I'm Speedwing, the fastest ninja alive!" He boasted. Given the blurred motions as he spoke, it was hard to dispute his claim. "They'll never see me coming!"

"I'm Rygore! The master of surprise attacks and strategy!" The second declared, stomping on the stage, shaking the entire ship with his power. "I'll bamboozle them all!"

"And I am Venoma! Ninja of dangerous love!" The final warrior declared. Venoma was renowned not just for her skills as a warrior, but for her allure and her tactic of luring her targets into being so entranced with her that they lost all ability to fight her. Given the fact there were a few signs in the crowd proposing marriage and…other things that Cosmo was certain he'd have to blur out in post-production, she seemed to have this gift even without her medallion. "I'll break hearts as easily as I break skulls! My poisonous charms will be their doom!"

"We are…" Wolvermean added as they all spun and twirled into the middle of the stage, before striking truly ridiculous poses for the cameras. "…THE GALACTIC NINJAS!"

"How about it folks? People said it couldn't be done, but here they are! The Galactic Ninjas!" He presented them. "Now, which one of you will go first?"

"We'll decide that right now in our time-honoured fashion!" Wolvermean said, summoning all of them into a semi-circle. They all put in one hand in a fist, before pumping three times…Cosmo couldn't believe his eyes when they all held their hands in a fist.

"ROCK!" They all chorused.

"Um…not to worry folks, I'm sure this'll just take a little while." Cosmo said as they did the same thing again.

"ROCK!" They all chorused. Cosmo just face-palmed and leant against the wall, waiting on them to finally manage to come to a decision.