Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers. However, Jeanka, Jrina, and Admiral Veltex are mine.

Chapter one
By: Jeanka

"1..2..3.." the electronic voice counted quietly. Zhane's palms began to sweat and his finger turned clammy. "...14..15..16.." He felt Karone move behind him. The stress was getting to both of them and if the detonation did not go off at the exact moment, he would kill 5 rangers.

"..28..29..30," he counted the last three numbers as he closed his eyes and hit the trigger on thirty.

The room shook lightly and Karone put her hand against a wall to keep her balance. Hesitantly, Zhane opened his eyes and turned to look at Karone. "We have to get out of her," she mouthed to him.

Placing her hand on the door, she listened for a moment to the outside. She pulled opened the door a crack and peered into the tunnel. The only light came from the two glows they had placed at the corners. Karone opened the door fully and slipped through. Zhane followed cautiously behind her.

They moved slowly down the dark tunnel in two opposite directions grabbing their glows as they went. This was the most dangerous part of their mission, getting out. Lucky for them, they had already taken the uniforms of two guards so they could move easier.

Zhane found himself at the electronic entrance. He pulled out a circuitry patch and placed it on the access panel. Within ten seconds, the door was open and Zhane was lined up with 140 other guards going to the assembly. Little did they know that their meeting hall had just explored thanks to one of the ranger teams disabling the alarm system.

The line began to move as the soldiers told the men behind them that they were suppose to report to the main hanger for a drill. Zhane was about to duck into an empty hallway when another large group joined the original line. He found himself paired with the head officer of the secondary unit.

"Don't worry," the other whispered. "I'll pilot so you don't have to take the pressure."

Zhane did nothing, but looked straight ahead and walked. The doorway to the main hanger was huge. The interior reached up seven decks with entrances on each. On whole side was devoted to several large ships and the other to a wing of 400 small assault vessels. The solider paired up and climbed in.

As the door closed down on his head, Zhane saw Karone climb into another fighter vehicle to his right. "Well," said the pilot. "Where will we be going today, Lieutenant?"

Zhane scrunched his face in confusion. His uniform was clearly marked as the rank of Junior Ensign. "What are you talking about, sir?" he asked trying to hide his confusion.

The man turned just enough to meet Zhane's eye. His eyes glowed purple then returned to their normal brown.

"Jeanka!" hissed Zhane. "What the heck are you doing here?"

The creature smiled at him and turned back to the front. "Don't worry, Lt. I'll get you home safely."

Zhane bit his lip to keep form objecting. If he said anything wrong, she could hurt him terribly. Jeanka was a D'honna, a shapeshifter. Her race could be anyone perfectly because they could read DNA by means of a sixth sense. They were also evil, pure evil, but their loyalty was their greatest positive characteristic.

"You worry to much," comment Jeanka as Zhane sat back in his seat. "The mission was a success."

"Not yet," replied Zhane not allowing himself to relax.

"What are you talking about? They got out. We're getting out. We're safe," said Jeanka starting the engine like all the other fliers.

"Not yet," breathed Zhane much quieter.

Jeanka stretched herself and created on eye to move around the chair and rest on Zhane. He was pale.

"What?" she asked shifting into her common female form as they pulled out of the hanger.

"They've been captured," he said quietly.

Jeanka didn't question it. Andros had insisted that all the rangers be fitted with Neural interface chip before the mission stated. "Where?" she asked.

"Fighter 531," spoke a mechanic voice, "will detonate in 5..4.."

"We're 531," stated Jeanka.

"...2..1," it said before the little ship went up in flames.

Everything was dark.

Someone moaned. "Not again," declared a female voice in the darkness.

"I refuse to do this over," stated a male with a Mexican accent.

A few people chuckled. "DECA, lights," called Andros's voice.

Zhane looked around as the room brightened to see his teammates on the ground. Ashley was near Andros holding her arm. Carlos, Cassie, and TJ were talking in a little group. Karone stood and walked over to Zhane.

"Five lives," she said helping him stand, "and we even had a D'honna. We suck."

Zhane smiled as Jeanka walked up to them. "You suck," she dead tone, meeting his eyes.

"Thanks," said Zhane.

"I can't believe it," said Karone. "I thought we had it that time."

"Yeah," said Cassie. "Where did we go wrong?"

Zhane looked at Andros who was helping Ashley up. "Did someone trip the alarm?" asked Zhane shooting a glance at Jeanka and before turning back to Andros.

"No, Zhane. I didn't," said Jessie firmly.

Zhane turned to her and frowned. "Oh yeah," he realized. "Guys, this is Jeanka. Jeanka, this is-"

"Cassie, TJ, Carlos, Ashley, and the former Heiress of Evil," Jeanka finished bowing her head slightly in Karone's direction.

"I am not her anymore," declared Karone.

"We know," stated Jeanka dismissingly.

"DECA," called out Andros. "Exit please."

A door appeared in the room and the green grid appeared and shattered away. Andros wore a poker face and he ushered Ashley out of the room followed by the other rangers and Karone and Jeanka.

Zhane caught up with Andros and Ashley. "What really happened?" he asked as they walked into the medical bay.

Ashley sat on the bed as Andros walked over to a counter. "We didn't get to Admiral Veltex in time. I tried to stop him, but without safeties and DECA used his full strength, I didn't stop him."

"So you killed us," Jeanka said in an even tone.

Zhane turned sharply to see her leaning against the doorframe. Andros stopped at looked up at her. "That's one way to put it, but the way I see it, you didn't do your job either."

Jeanka smiled. "They almost killed Zhane. I had to save him."

Zhane rolled his eyes and sat on another counter. "I'm a ranger," he reminded her. "I would have been fine."

With a smile on her face, Jeanka turned into goo and melted on the floor, changing her color to match. She slipped away down the hall. "Leave them alone," Andros shouted after her.

"Do you realize how dangerous this mission is getting?" demanded Zhane. "That was the fifth stimulation today and the forty-somethingth this week. If you haven't noticed, we haven't succeeded yet. Even when Jessie showed up, we didn't win. She is dangerous to our health and you didn't tell her to leave. In fact, if I didn't know you better, I would think you were encouraging her."

Andros shot his friend a smile and walked back over to Ashley's side. Before he gave her the cup of medicine, he kissed her temple and turned back to Zhane. "We lost Arciana's support," he said quietly. "And that's why we lost today."

"Why?" asked Zhane. "They've supported us form the beginning. Why pull out now?"

"Jrina," answered Andros. "She decided to use their planet for target practice."

"Great, just great. Now what are we suppose to do?" demanded Zhane. Andros shrugged. "You're not worried," Zhane realized relaxing.

"I'm not going to waste all my tricks in a stimulation," said Andros. "We'll be fine and the training will benefit the others."

"Are you going to tell me your plans or am I going to have to wait until we're in over our heads?" asked Zhane.

Andros smiled as Ashley spoke up. "Even if things go the same way as they did today, we will have succeeded."

"Ash, by what stretch of the imagination do you call that a success. I would call it a failure because you know what- we died! We're all dead. Did you notice the darkness?" questioned Zhane.

"We did what we went to do," she said softly. "And we achieved the goal. Regardless of the cost, it was a success."

"Come on, Zhane. Let's let Ashley rest," he said and kissed her cheek. He and Zhane left the room.

"In three days this is going to be real. How can she not think about the costs? They're our lives and by the stars, I would like to keep mine," said Zhane.

Andros said nothing and kept walking. Zhane frowned at this. "Am I wrong?" he asked.

"We're rangers and as a Power Ranger, I will do whatever I must to keep the universe safe, no matter the cost," he said slowly.

Zhane nodded somewhat sadly and entered the bridge with him. Cassie and TJ were sitting in her and Andros's chair, respectively. Carlos stood in front of his station while Karone was scanning for something. Andros walked over to Karone and leaned in to look at what she was doing.

"Who's going to tell him?" Cassie whispered as Zhane sat in Ashley's seat.

"Tell who what?" asked Zhane.

"Tell Andros that we don't want to do another stupid stimulation," replied TJ.

Zhane nodded in agreement. "I will, I guess," offered Carlos.

"No," said Zhane. "I'll do it. You guys just back me up and be prepared to surrender. He isn't in the best of moods."

After they agreed, Zhane lead them to stand behind Andros. The silver ranger cleared his throat. Andros turned to look at them. "We don't want to do any more stimulations," proclaimed Zhane.

"Karone," he said quietly before walking past the rangers and leaving the bridge.

"O-kay. What's going on?" asked Zhane.

The blond girl turned to them and said, "We just got the call. We're going in - tomorrow."

TBC