Chapter 3: Talk Of Family and Love:

It'd been rather quiet over the last few weeks and Cassie was wondering what the heck Astronema was pulling. It was frustrating to Andros because it was so quiet and he was more of a fighter because he was a fighter ever since his sister was taken, so he tried another approach to his sister's disapperance. He had to find her. His mission.

Ashley was giving it her all to be by Andros' side through the whole process and even she needed to tie his butt down to his bed so he would get some sleep. Cassie had noticed the others had gone on to do their own thing, and Zhane was rather left to his own devices, as was she, even though that was fairly unusual. Especially these days. She figured he'd be hunting after something sinister again. "Zhane?" She asked once as she wondered the halls of the Megaship. He was in the Zord bay working on the Mega Winger as it gotten really smacked in that last attack from Astronema and the Dark Fortress. "Here." She heard as she looked up. She smiled, and climbed up the scaffolding.

There had been pouches on her sides as she held bottles of water there whenever she was working. He stopped and took a bit of a break outside of the Mega sat on the scaffolding, and sipped at their bottles of water and he looked at her. "You okay?" She heard him ask her. She nodded. After taking a long drink, she looked at him. "You?" She asked. He nodded.

"Yeah. Still wondering if Karone's out there somewhere and if its going to be such a terrible cosmic joke when we find her, or not, you know?" Zhane asked. "If she's alive or not. Or captured or worse, turned evil. If that ever happened, Andros would go crazy and I'm worried he'll go AWOL." He muttered. Cassie squeezed his hand. "I'm sure he wouldn't do that. He's too military for that." Zhane chuckled. "Your right. I'm glad he has a team now. I was more worried when the other team died. And when I was frozen...I wish I could've gotten out of that coffin and smacked him upside the head and told him he was being completely stupid." She hugged him.

"Thanks." He said softly. "Hey...what we do for family...right?" She asked. He nodded. She fell into silence, and then said, "We don't really know each other that well do we?" She asked him. He smiled and shook his head. "Would you tell me your story? I know Andros said it but it would be different from your perspective...I guess?" She left that hanging and he smiled. She smiled at his nod. "Alright. Well. I grew up beside Andros and Karone and we three became tight friends, even despite our ages, as I was about a couple of years older than Andros. I always looked for a party and never gave thought to anyone except Andros and Karone for years even my folks were none to proud of my attitude, and my discipline. I wonder if they are proud of me now, where ever they are?" She smiled and touched his forearm.

"I'm sure they are, Zhane." She said quietly and let him continue. Meanwhile, there was a teleportation through that conversation and Andros and Ashley came back from a previous mission on another moon near Onyx, the prison planet. He heard talking, and put a finger to his lips to Ashley, as she started to talk to him, and then she shut up. She listened for the conversation, and smiled when she heard Zhane and Cassie.

Andros smiled as he headed towards the bridge. "I'm glad he's found someone he can talk to at least. Maybe Zhane and Cassie can become good friends at least." He said. She nodded. "I hope so too." She hugged him, and then looked at how tired he was. "Go get some sleep in my room. That way you won't disturb Zhane and Cassie, and you can catch a little shut eye." She said.

He nodded. "Thanks Ashley. You got the control of the ship...just, don't get it trashed by a wondering meteorite, right?" She chuckled and hugged him. "Oh you..." She shook her finger at him and he smiled. She fingered the necklace he gave her for her seventeenth birthday with a smile on her lips and a roll of her eyes. "Go. Or you won't get sleep till the next call like I know you." He nodded. He smiled. "Okay." He went and smiled as he yawned. He got to Ashley's room and smiled as he walked in. It was finally tastefully decorated. 'Must of had help from Cassie...' He thought as he fell asleep.

Ashley smiled as she sat in the 'Captain's chair' as TJ liked to quote. She started humming something beautiful. It was, He Is by Brandy. D.E.C.A. had picked up the tune and started playing it softly. "It's the only explanation...To the question at hand...Like years of pain gone away

In a single day...There's nothing that compares...To the way...You make me feel inside...And I'm so glad you're my..."

"Prince charming,... my angel...My king and my friend...My lover, my one...He is, he is...The beat in my heart...The kiss on my lips...My lover, my one...He is, he is...""They could take away the money...My fortune and fame...But as long as you stay...Here with me...I would be OK...I look at you

And I see me...Just reflections of the love you made with me...And I'm so glad you want to be my...""Prince charming,... my angel...My king and my friend...My lover, my one...He is, he is...The beat in my heart...The kiss on my lips...My lover, my one...He is, he is...""My sun, my shine...My love, my Life...He is everything...I gotta love you like no one has ever loved before...I gotta give you what you gave baby so much more!...I wanna take it fast, but I want to take it slow...Addicted to your love and I can't let go...""Prince charming,... my angel...My king and my friend...My lover, my one...He is, he is...The beat in my heart...The kiss on my lips...My lover, my one...He is! He is!""I need ya oh I need ya!" Cassie heard that song being sung and she smiled.

Zhane looked at her. "You okay?" He asked. She nodded. "Thinking about Phantom?" He questioned. She shrugged her shoulders. "I..." She sighed. Zhane smiled. "You will work it out which ever way you want it to go Cassie." She smiled. "I know, I just don't know which way though." She said frustratingly. He chuckled. "The heart can do that to a person. Make them all crazy." He said.

"Like when you thought you might be in love with Astronema?" She whispered. He jerked. "I..." She smiled. "Its okay Andros doesn't know." Zhane smiled. "Thanks." He told her in a whisper. But then he nodded. "Yeah." He said.

Cassie smiled and touched his shoulder. "We should get some rest. Its gonna be a long wait before she's ready to show up and put us in our places." She said as Zhane nodded. Cassie smiled as she was let go, and she went to her quarters. Sleeping soundly she smiled as she dreamed.

Six hours later she woke up. To DECA's alarm screaming. She cursed and ran out of her bedroom in her uniform that she slept in the night before.

"What's going on?" She cried as she entered the central command of the ship. He smiled. "Get to the scanner." Andros said. She nodded. She searched, and cursed. "Astronema!" She cursed. "The Dark Fortress is attacking us full boar and...CRAP!" Andros looked at her for a brief second. "What?" He asked. She looked scared. "We've got...Plutarkians too!" She said. The Kerovian Ranger cursed. "Aw Man!" She nodded. Then there was a hitting of the scanner.

"What?" Andros called back. She moaned. "We've got damn...idiots who oh...man!" "Martians, like the Mice too, they are here to help us with the Plutarkians." She said.

He smiled. "Good. The Plutarkians drive me crazy." "Ever since the destruction of Mars they've been on the warpath, litterally, to destroy every single planet without it actually being a war." He said with a deep growl. Ashley looked at him and then put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He nodded. Then there was a message from someone on the Dark Fortress they weren't expecting. "You!" Andros grimaced as he faced off his other great enemy, Ecliptor.

"Well, Andros. It's so nice to see you again." He said. Andros groused.

"What do you want?" He asked forcibly, one word at a time. He smiled.

"To let you know that your sister Karone is being held on the Plutarkian's ship." Was the word. Andros cursed.

"Temper temper..." He looked at Ecliptor.

"If your lying, I will personally make sure you can never come back." Andros said with venom in his voice.

Cassie smiled softly as she opened her eyes after Zhane came into the room. He smiled at her back, and then faced Ecliptor off with Andros at his side. "Go to hell Ecliptor." Ecliptor laughed.

"I would if I could." He said.

Even Cassie was having a hard time looking at his face. "Go Away Ecliptor." She said.

The screen went off. Andros looked at Cassie. "Thanks." She smiled.

"No problem." She said. "So how do we do this?" She asked.

"Zhane and I will go." She cursed.

"Andros..." He sighed.

"Someone needs to run the ship if we're in danger and to get us out Cassie." He almost whined.

"Not happening. Ashley would never forgive me if I let you two run amok all over the Plutarkian's ship to try and find Karone and lose you two because you didn't get out in time." She said. They nodded in agreement and went together.