Legal: I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, places, events, characters etc. Anything not covered by these rights should be presumed to be purely the creation of the author.
Rating: T – there may be some adult themes and language.
As Monday morning rolled around, the students were filing into the school, heading for their lockers. Emma, Gia and Noah were all standing by Gia's locker, talking when Jake and Jordan arrived. Emma and Noah were talking excitedly, and flailing wildly as they did so.
"OK, that's the way to hide your excitement." Jordan chuckled, pulling in closely. "I thought we were meant to keep the fact our new principal used to dress formally on the DL."
"It's not about that; it's about the meteor shower this weekend." Noah told them, showing Jordan his laptop. "I got the alert from a NASA website, there was a major intergalactic collision just outside the solar system, and debris is heading this way."
"And...That's a good thing?" Jake asked him.
"It's going to miss us by miles." Noah assured them. "But it's going to pass close enough to give us a serious light show. It should be visible to the naked eye from the hills on the edge of town."
"It's going to be amazing. We should all go and see it." Emma gushed. "I've always loved shooting stars. I always loved the idea of making wishes on them..."
"Uh...Emma, isn't that all, you know...kids' stuff?" Jordan asked her as he got some books out of his own locker. "I'd have thought you'd have grown out of all that stuff."
"You're never too old to have dreams." Emma replied with a smile. Jordan snorted in response.
"Yeah, because dreams really come true every day of the week." He said slightly sarcastically. "If that was true, the average lottery jackpot would be about a dollar because everyone would win."
"You always said I was too cynical." Gia commented to Emma.
"Jordan, you can't honestly tell me that you don't have dreams." Noah asked him. "I mean, I'm as sceptical as the next guy about a lot of things, but even I have dreams and hopes and stuff."
"Hopes are one thing, and yeah, I dream, they're kind of like cool little movies in my head while I sleep, nothing more." Jordan stated. "But dreams aren't realistic. Believing that I'm going to...I don't know...win an Olympic medal in soccer or..."
"Dress formally?" Gia chipped in, using their code. They had now adopted a code to use when talking to each other in public. Dressing formally was the code they used referring to morphing. "One of your dreams did come true already remember?"
"That was just coincidence. I was in the right place at the right time. I didn't do anything to make that happen." Jordan reiterated.
"Well, I just think dreams are important." Emma responded. "It gives us all something to aspire to, something to reach for. Without dreams...what would stop us from just sitting around on our butts all day? Why would Noah do all those experiments, half of which blow up?"
"Hey!" Noah protested. "Only about 35 percent of them do!"
"Look, there are two kinds of people, those that sit around and wait for things to happen, and those that go out and actually work to make them happen." Jordan told her a little too bluntly. "Sitting around dreaming for stuff to happen doesn't make it happen."
Emma looked like she was about to say something, but she turned and left without another word. Gia just shook her head and looked to Jordan.
"You know, you can be a real jerk at times." She stated. Gia and Jordan had something of a playfully antagonistic relationship. They both enjoyed goading each other, but none of it was ever meant to offend. Gia was always teasing Jordan about his status as the team rookie, and Jordan never seemed to be happier than when he was pissing her off, but they both could tell when something had been said that was meant to be taken seriously. He just held up his hands.
"What did I...?"
"You're entitled to your opinion, but so is Emma." Gia told him bluntly. "You had no right to make light of something she cares about and believes in so much."
As she walked away to find Emma, he just looked to Jake and Noah.
"I never said anything that bad." He stated. "I just..."
"Learn when to just stop talking dude." Jake sighed, shaking his head. "Seriously, just...let it go."
Just then, the PA system crackled into life.
"All students move to the assembly hall for a full student body announcement." Principal Kwann's voice announced. Jake just shrugged.
"I guess the new Principal's finally going to introduce herself to the students." He surmised.
"Come on guys." Noah replied. "Let's just get this over with."
In another part of town, Jordan's dad was at home, thrashing out some of his frustrations in his basement gym. Since the visit by Agent Scott and Agent Kwann, he had been placed on "sabbatical". He was still being paid by the military, but his mission had been terminated, and they hadn't given him a new assignment, or told him when or even IF he would get another. It was a nice way of saying that someone above his pay grade had wanted him out of the way. In effect, he was suspended from duty.
A lot of people would like the sound of that. In effect, he was being paid to stay at home and do nothing, but General Jack Edwards was not like a lot of people. He was a proud and ambitious man. When the Robo Knight had turned up in town and started tearing the place up, General Edwards had seen the opportunity he was looking for and manoeuvred himself into the think tank dedicated to discussing the potential threat that the Rangers posed with their powers. He had proposed a mission to find out who they were, and find a way to sign them up to the military, or if they refused, to find a way to bring their power under control.
He had always believed in making things happen. He was never one to sit around and just wait for life to hand him everything he wanted, and he saw Operation Knightfall as a way to get it. Operation Knightfall was meant to be the shining light that capped off a storied and accomplished military career before he retired. He was planning on moving into politics after he retired, and after a term as a Governor or Senator on the backing of his military reputation, running for the White House.
When Operation Knightfall came around, he saw a major opportunity to springboard a step and enter into the next general election. After all, if he was the one who got the Power Rangers to sign up to the military, or...better still...if he could have BECOME one of the Rangers, then who would the public really vote for? Zack Taylor, the idiot currently in office, or him?
Now though, he was on the bench. His operation had been shut down by someone higher up on the chain than he was. Worse still, they hadn't told him when, or even if he was being assigned to another mission. It was possible they would simply wait until his latest tour of duty expired, and then not re-sign him, meaning that he would have to rely on all his other accomplishments to get him into office. It was a major set-back, one that would cost him years, if not longer.
As he finished his latest set of reps on the multi gym, he sat up and started to mop himself down with a towel, he couldn't help thinking of the fact that Agent Kwann had been sent to assist HIS operation, and yet in the end she had shut him down. She had sold him out. He couldn't imagine what she was being given in return, but it still angered him to know that she had flushed his crowning moment down the toilet.
As he picked up his bottle of water and took a sip, he couldn't help thinking about what Nojoke had said. He had told him that Jordan, his own son, was the Robo Knight that had caused so much trouble. It was because of the gas that he had laughed out loud and ended up trapped in the bottle, but he had to wonder, why would the alien freak say that?
Then he thought about it for a moment, before shaking his head and smiling. Jordan, as much as he loved him, didn't have it in him to pull something like that off. As much as he had tried to motivate him, Jordan was directionless, ambitionless...the only thing he knew about being a hero was what he read in all those comic books that he kept bringing home. He had already made it clear he would never sign up. Jordan wasn't like him; he didn't have it in him to assume a role like that.
As he got up, heading to the corner of the room, he picked up a newspaper as he headed for his study. The Government might not be funding him anymore, and he might have lost his team, but right now, he was on "sabbatical". That meant technically his time was his own. The government couldn't tell him what to do on his vacation time; they couldn't stop him if he wanted to continue his investigation on his own.
Meanwhile, on another planet, an alien was sitting in a dark, dingy drinking hole, surrounded by dubious characters, listening for any rumours and generally passing the time. He took a long slurp of a green, bubbling liquid as his two companions sat with him. All three of them were wearing long, dark robes with hoods, pulled up to conceal their faces.
Vrak walked into the bar, looking around. This was a dangerous part of the galaxy, most of the patrons here had records on multiple worlds, but they all knew better than to bother him. He had a reputation all of his own. He strode over to the booth, standing over them.
"Lord Vrak!" One of them greeted him. "You never sent word you wanted..."
"Your last haul of little trinkets don't work!" Vrak growled, tossing the data cards onto the table. They were transparent, with alien writing on them, and covered in scorch marks. The trader just looked to them and then to Vrak.
"You bought them as seen." The trader said with a shrug. "I told you they were damaged when you bought them."
"We were here too, we witnessed the transaction." One of his companions stated. "You bought goods you knew were damaged; we're not responsible if they don't work. No refunds."
"No refunds." The other companion parroted as he took an egg from a bowl on the table and popped it in his mouth, eating it shell and all.
"You heard my compatriots." The trader stated. "No ref..."
Vrak grabbed the trader and hauled him off his seat, before ramming him against a wall, winding him. He was clearly irate.
"That might work with the other lowlife scum you trade with, but not with me!" Vrak yelled at him, ramming him against the wall again. This time, the hood fell down, revealing a white headed creature with a kind of beak-like muzzle, and long ears. "I expect my money back Finster!"
As the other two made a move, he held up a finger in warning.
"You'd both be dead before you got to the door!" He snarled. "SIT!"
"B-b-b-but I can't give you your money back!" Finster babbled out.
"You're not much use to me alive are you Finster?" He asked, his claws springing out.
"I mean it, I CAN'T give you your money back, I don't have it!" Finster screamed.
"It's true, we really don't!" Babboo added, pulling down his hood. "We don't have a benefactor."
"Yeah, former employees of Lord Zedd don't have great employment prospects." Squat agreed, pulling down his hood. "In case you forgot, the Z-wave turned our last boss into a...a...a...human!"
"Everyone else we worked with was turned to sand." Babboo reminded him. "We don't know why we weren't destroyed, but we've got to live!"
"Well, maybe I can spare you that..."
"Please, just...let me look at them." Finster begged him. Vrak just dropped him, at which Finster looked to the data cards, inspecting them thoroughly. "I don't think there's enough data here to make them work..."
Vrak popped out his claws again.
"There may be another way!" He shrieked. "There isn't enough data to make them work independently, but you CAN harness their power. It'll just take a while...and someone to give the powers to."
"Really?" Vrak asked. "You wouldn't be trying to get out of paying me what you owe me would you?"
"Please, I...I don't have the money." Finster told him. "I'll give you something else, free of charge! I still have plenty of..."
"Take me to this store room of yours." Vrak said with a sick smile. "I'm sure I can determine what I think you owe me."
"Finster don't!" Babboo blurted out. "If you show him, we'll have no..."
Vrak silenced him with a back-handed swipe, raking his claws across Babboo's face, slicing deep, nasty gashes across his cheek. He clutched his face in shock.
"So, you were showing me this storage space?" Vrak asked.
"Of...of course." Finster said nervously. "Come this way."
With that, they all left the bar, heading for a waiting ship.
Back at Harwood High School, Principal Kwann took the podium as the students all took their seats. As part of the deal for finding the Rangers and taking down Edwards' operation to find and expose the team, she had insisted that she remain in the city and take on the Headmistress position in the school.
They had already figured out that since most of the monster attacks took place close to the high school that there was a better than average chance that the latest teams were kids, just like they had been back in Trini's day. She knew all too well the pressures and trials that being a Ranger put on them, and she knew how the responsibilities of a High School student weren't exactly helpful to that mission. She had already given them somewhere to train out of sight, and she would do what she could to help them and make their schedules a little lighter.
"Welcome to the new school year. I am a little late in introducing myself, but I needed a while to get my bearings." She told them. "I'm Principal Kwann, and I promise I'll do all I can to make your time here a little easier."
The kids just listened with disinterest. Most of them heard this kind of thing regularly. She just smiled, thinking that she had been much the same in her time.
"Now, as you know, each year, we elect a student from Junior and Senior year to act on the student staff consultative committee, and this year will be no exception." She told them. "The votes are in, and now we've narrowed it down to four candidates for each year."
As she started to read out the names, Gia leaned over to Emma.
"So, do you think you made it?" Gia asked. "I was on the Flagship at the weekend, and I know a lot of them want you on the council."
"The Environmental club seem supportive too." Emma answered. "Howie already said he'd take on more responsibility if I get elected to free up some of my time."
As the last name was read out, there was a round of applause from the Juniors. Trini pulled out another list.
"And the candidates for Senior Class President, Mike Weathers." Trini paused as some students applauded, and allowed Mike to stand up and take his adulation. "Jules Denver."
Emma was on the edge of her seat, waiting with anticipation as Jules stood up and waved.
"Emma Goodall." Trini read out, allowing them to applaud her. A huge smile broke across Emma's face and she jumped up, bouncing excitedly, accepting the applause.
"Emma, you did it!" Gia congratulated her friend. "That's so awesome!"
"We'll all help you with your campaign." Troy assured her, putting his arm around her. "Right guys?" Jake hung his head low and put his face in his hands.
"And finally, by an overwhelming write-in vote, Jake Hollings!" She called out. There was a massive wave of applause that was deafening by comparison to the others, and several students also screamed and whistled in approval as Jake held his face in his hands.
"Jake?" Emma asked, looking to him.
"I'm sorry guys...it was coach's idea." He said apologetically. "I don't want to run...I never did! I..."
Jake, stand up!" Trini beckoned him. Jake got up, smiling nervously and waved. As Trini wrapped up the assembly and sent the students back to class, he just looked to his friends apologetically.
"Emma, seriously, I don't want this." Jake told her. "It was the coach, he just wants..."
"Its fine Jake, really it is." Emma assured him. "I guess for now, we'll be running against each other. May the best candidate win!"
As she shook his hand and they headed for class, Jake shook his head in defeat. Why did no one care that he didn't actually want to run for president? He was already starting to understand why everyone always said politics sucks.