ZzZzZ
"So everyone was dead except for the little one and then she just happened to release a Holder?"
Amias glanced at Harper as Wolf cut down their experience to those few bits of information. It sounded kind of strange to both of them as well. Why hadn't the Dark One killed Cal'ias as well? Had she somehow known that Cal'ias would set her free? There were too many questions and not enough answers.
"That's right Wolf." Harper confirmed. "And we know she's headed for Earth."
"Not good." Wolf commented. Behind him Falcon didn't look pleased either. "She'll be gathering forces along the way. We'll have to make other Misfits aware of what's happened."
"Phoenix isn't going to be pleased." Falcon said.
"When is he?"
"Guys." Amias cut in before the partners could really get going. "What should we do?"
"You know the Rangers of Earth. You both even have teammates still there. What do you think you should do?" Falcon asked like it was the most obvious thing ever.
"Head to Earth as if a super nova was on our ass?" Harper said with a grin.
"Quicker if you can manage it." Wolf added. "We'll try and find a team closer that can send a message, but I don't think anyone is working even close to that side of the galaxy."
"Understood. We'll have to hope we can beat her there." Amias said, sharing a worried look with Harper.
Harper nodded in agreement. "Should we try and find a draconan family for Cal'ias?"
"You don't have the time. You have to get to Earth and give them some kind of warning." Wolf said. "It's not likely they'll survive a direct attack from a Holder like the one you described, but they might just have a chance to evacuate."
"Earthlings are especially stubborn. They also don't have ships capable of long distance space travel." Harper said. "Their only hope is to fight and win."
"Then stop chatting with us and get on with it. They'll need everyone they can get."
ZzZzZ
Deder looked on impassively as General Tarnin strode into the command room. Tarnin was tall and muscular and had an air of confidence about him that was inspiring to troops. In his movement Deder could recognize hidden agility and speed that the General could use at the drop of a hat. Deder felt Tarnin's eyes sweep over him, but they didn't stay long. He had worked with General Tarnin several times and remembered that Tarnin was detail oriented and could take in vast amounts of information at the sweep of an eye.
"Where are those Psycho Rangers I have heard about?" Tarnin asked in his smooth voice.
"I will have them summoned." Deder said.
Tarnin's eyes swept over to Deder. "Get them yourself."
"Yes General." Deder replied, bowing respectfully before leaving.
Tarnin watched him with eyes that darkened with hatred, but a hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality with a jerk. He instinctively smacked the hand away and spun to grab the owner by the throat. He glared into a pair of aquamarine eyes as four hands reached up to grasp his arm.
"Never sneak up on me Nassa." Tarnin warned, his voice cold but smooth as ever.
"Sorry sir." Nassa gasped out.
Tarnin shoved her backwards and regarded her with a sweep of the eye. She was a warrior through and through. Her build was muscular, but he knew she could be quick and agile. Her four arms gave her an advantage when it came to hand to hand combat. She was more than a warrior though, she was often his emissary and always his second in command. Her long raven hair was braided beautifully leaving her dazzling aquamarine eyes unobstructed. She was wearing sparkling silver armor that he knew she took great pains to keep in tip top shape. The same went for all four of her weapons. She was armed with one axe at each hip and two swords on her back. He pitied the fool that crossed her.
"Sir, what are your orders?" Nassa asked, a little intimidated by her boss's gaze.
Tarnin smiled and his features lightened quite a bit. "Have the Aeroi make sure the ship is secured. Also, make sure the new Lizarians understand who the boss is around here."
"Yes sir." Nassa said with a wicked grin. "And what about the Rogues?"
"Send them in here. I want the Psychos to see what a real team looks like." Tarnin replied with a wicked grin of his own. "Let the Rogues know I wish them to be gentle."
"Yes sir."
ZzZzZ
Dustin hummed softly to himself as he strolled through the ship corridors. Sebastien and Hunter had finally come to some kind of understanding. Hunter still wasn't happy that Sebastien was hiding something, but his anger had turned into concern. That was more than anyone had hoped for though it had been an obvious development. Hunter had been protective of Sebastien despite his anger and distrust. When Sebastien had really needed him Hunter had been there to watch his back, probably without consciously doing it.
That had lightened the mood on the ship considerably. It seemed that everything was finally coming together. They were undergoing long hours in the simulator and then continuing their training with Sensei. It was hard work and they were exhausted a lot of the time, but it was a great feeling to know they were getting better. They stood a better chance against Kalix than they had before. The team confidence was through the roof. When Kalix made his next move he would find a unified, highly trained team ready to kick his ass.
"That's not good news."
Dustin stopped as Kardan's voice floated out of the bridge. The worry in Kardan's voice sent a shot of adrenaline through Dustin. He stepped back so as not to be seen while he listened. He knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but something in Kardan's voice warranted concern.
"No, it's not good at all." An unfamiliar voice replied. "General Tarnin poses just as great of a threat as Kalix. However, the Rogues are much worse than the Psycho Rangers."
"I had hoped it would be a while yet before the Rogues came into play." Kardan said with a defeated sigh. "The Rangers aren't ready for them yet."
"There's nothing I can do about that." The voice replied. Dustin desperately wanted to see who Kardan was talking to. "Give them a warning, but I fear it won't be enough to save them."
"You've done all you can lad. You put yourself at great risk contacting me."
"I had to." The voice replied.
"I know." Kardan said with a warmth in his voice that he usually reserved for Harper and Sizvu. "Go before you're caught lad."
"Good luck."
"You too."
Dustin turned and quickly walked away. The conversation aroused his curiosity. Obviously there was some kind of spy in Kalix's forces. He didn't think it could be a Rogue though, not from what he'd learned about them. Rogues were evil enough to turn against their teams and everything that made them Rangers. He doubted a Ranger could fit in with Rogues as any good Ranger would never be able to ignore their instincts. He determined that it couldn't be a Rogue and decided to make it his mission to find out who the spy was.
"All Rangers please report to the War Room."
Dustin immediately turned and headed back towards the bridge. As he passed Kardan stepped out and joined Dustin silently. Dustin suspected that Kardan could figure out that he had overheard the conversation. Dustin was too close to the bridge not to have heard, but he knew Kardan wouldn't call him on it. Dustin didn't know details, but he planned to find out. It was a blessing to be more perceptive than people gave him credit for.
Inside the War Room Hunter and Sebastien were already there laughing and joking. To anyone who didn't know any better they seemed like hey had always been friends. Dustin was proud of how far the two had come in a few days. There was still a little tension between them, but for the most part they were growing fairly close even though Sebastien still hadn't revealed what he was hiding.
Dustin took a seat beside Hunter as everyone else began to slowly troop in. Quicker than usual all the occupants of the great ship were sitting in the War Room. No one said a word as they waited for what was to come. Only Sizvu looked like he was concerned for he knew that only something serious would warrant the use of the War Room.
"Okay, everyone grab your data pads and get ready." Kardan said. "General Tarnin has arrived and he has his Rogues with him."
"Who is General Tarnin?" Dustin asked.
"Please, no questions yet. Just pick up the data pad and pay attention." Kardan replied gently, but firmly.
Dustin did as he was told and saw that a profile was pulled up on the small data pad. He glanced up as a projector in the middle of the table suddenly came to life the image of a tall, handsome man appeared with realistic detail. It wasn't the face of evil that stared at them, but one of calm kindness. It was obviously deceiving, Dustin was sure of that as he looked through the information on the profile.
"As you can see on your data pads, this is General Tarnin. He's Kalix's third in command and much more of a threat than you can believe." Kardan said. "He's been instrumental in many of Kalix's campaigns including those against Banar, Dragonian Six, and many more."
"His looks are deceiving." Sizvu spoke up, echoing Dustin's thoughts. "He's a ruthless, cutthroat monster. He barely serves Kalix and given the chance would gladly overthrow him."
"We cannot underestimate this enemy. You must be prepared for anything and everything he might throw at you." Kardan continued. "That being said, your immediate concern are his Rogues. That is what this meeting is about. You all need to become familiar with the Rogues. They are not like the Psycho Rangers. They won't single targets out and stick with a particular Ranger. They are capable of switching opponents without losing momentum."
"And they like to do it quite frequently." Sizvu added.
"Right." Kardan confirmed. "Now, first up is Star Rogue, real name Jarren."
Dustin glanced down at his data pad and scanned over the information displayed.
Star Rogue-His real name is Jarren Mossix. He is a twenty-five year old human with green eyes and black hair. His weapon is the Star Sword and his attack the Star Burst. Jarren betrayed his planet to General Tarnin when promised power and action. He killed his own brothers-the other Star Rangers-and opened the capital city's defenses to Kalix's forces. Since that time he has been instrumental in no less than ten planet's downfall.
Dustin couldn't believe what he was reading. Hearing about how Rogues turned against their team was a lot different than seeing the cold hard facts presented before him. The Star Rogue had not only turned on his teammates, his brothers it seemed, he killed them as well. The facts were staring him right in the face. This Rogue was a cold-blooded murderer.
"Jarren is the undisputed leader of the team." Kardan said. "I show you him first because he may be the leader, but he is far from the most dangerous. You must fear him as you do the others, but only because of his ruthless cunning and not any kind of overwhelming power."
"Don't let that lull you into false security. He is intelligent, quick thinking, and demonic in more ways than you can comprehend." Sizvu added.
"So, how does he keep control of the others if he's not the most powerful?" Hunter asked. "The Psychos judged leadership by power."
"Make no mistakes here lad, the Rogues operate quite differently from the Psycho Rangers." Kardan replied. "They are a team through and through. Their loyalty to one another is total and complete. Jarren leads because he is the most capable to lead."
"How could they turn on their own teams and yet form bonds with others?" Tori mused.
"Those aligned to the side of evil can find friendship with others in darkness. Just as we are all united in the light." Zadan explained. "And what they say is true. We were once on the same space station and I witnessed two of them mutilate a monster when it cornered one of their teammates."
There was silence for a few minutes as those unfamiliar with the Rogues absorbed what they were hearing. Shane was feeling overwhelmed. Just when he thought he had his team ready to face anything their enemy was throwing another curveball. How was he supposed to lead the team to victory if so many obstacles kept getting piled in front of them? It was too much. He had a feeling they were in way over their heads this time.
"Okay, moving on." Kardan broke the silence. "Next is the Tiger Rogue."
Tiger Rogue-His real name is Brock Allis. He is a twenty-two year old human with blue eyes and blond hair. His weapons are the tiger claws. Brock brutally murdered the man that had given the team their powers, though his team knew nothing of this. He pointed the finger at his teammate the Grey Tiger Ranger, and allowed the rest of the team to exile him. Then, he led his team into a brutal massacre, slaughtering most of the team himself.
"Wow he's a real piece of work." Hunter commented.
"He's malicious, cruel, and unrelenting." Kardan said. One of his hands went to absently rub his chest. "Nothing short of knocking him out will stop him. I'd wager he'd still fight if both his legs were broken."
"Kept fighting with a shattered arm too." Sizvu mused.
"The best tactic is to knock him out quick." Kardan said "Next we have two Dragon Rogues. One of them was with the Alpha Squad and the other was Delta Squad."
Red Delta Dragon Rogue-His real name is Ryas Du'kas and he is a 28 year old draconan with green skin, yellow eyes, and short red hair. His weapons are the dual-sabers.
Red Alpha Dragon Rogue-His real name is Ja'lar Wen'sa. He is a 29 year old draconan with red skin, yellow eyes, and long black hair. His weapons are the dual-sabers.
Ryas and Ja'lar worked together to bring about the downfall of both their Dragon Ranger Squads. Together they slaughtered most of their teammates, but a few escaped. They allowed their blood to be used in a plot to develop a biological weapon against Draconans. The plot was foiled, but they have worked on other such projects since joining the Rogues.
"Ja'lar." Dustin whispered, recognizing the name.
Kardan glanced at the Yellow Ranger thoughtfully. "Do you recognize the name?"
"He would." Zadan said before Dustin could speak up. "The Dragon Dual-Sabers that he uses came from Ja'lar's teammate, Akar."
"Ja'lar was so cruel to him." Dustin murmured. "Akar suffered so much at his hands."
"Akar is still alive." Niko spoke up.
Dustin's head shot up. "What?"
"After Ja'lar led them into the trap Ja'lar stole Akar's dual-sabers to further embarrass him before refusing to kill him. Ja'lar turned him over to Kalix, but where he is now is unknown." Niko explained. "All I know is that his files show him as captured, but not deceased."
"I have to find him." Dustin said with so much conviction it struck a cord in everyone present. "I have to return his dual-sabers."
"I'll contact Amias and ask him to have the Misfits keep an eye and ear out for Akar, but…it's likely they won't find him." Niko assured him. "For now, we need to stay on track and focus on the Rogues."
"Right. Sorry."
"No need to apologize Dustin. It's natural for you to want to help a fellow Ranger, especially one you feel somewhat attached to." Kardan said. "Unfortunately, at this time none of us are in a position to do anything for Akar."
With that the meeting got back on track. They talked about the two Dragon Rogues for a few moments longer before moving on to the next Rogue.
Yellow Nova Rogue-Her real name is Nila Syan and she is a twenty-three year old human with blue eyes and brown hair. Her weapon is a shotgun that fires supercharged laser pellets and has a razor sharp blade attached. Nila brutally murdered her team's mentor in front of her team before turning on them as well. She escaped them, but sent a trigon bomb into the planet's core. When it blew the planet was ripped to pieces. The fragments of the planet destroyed all the colonies orbiting the planet.
"Destroyed her planet." Tori muttered, completely horrified. The 3D image in the middle of the table sneered at her. Tori felt a chill go down her spine. This was someone worse than Aurias, she could sense it.
"This woman is evil to the core." Sizvu said. "She murdered her own parents long before becoming a ranger, but it had been proven they had been abusive. The court decided she was acting in self-defense and the case was dropped."
"But it sure seems like it might have been in cold blood after all she's done." Kardan added. He squeezed his eyes shut as memories assailed him. "I watched helplessly as she slaughtered children trying to hide."
There was silence again as that little bit of information was absorbed. Tori looked horrified by the idea of someone killing children. It was close to the lowest thing a human being could do. She was almost certain that the Rogue would be her personal nemesis.
"Okay, there's one more woman on the team." Kardan said into the thick silence.
Green Stealth Rogue-Mekia Bentu is her real name. She is a twenty-five year old human with dark green hair and green eyes. Her weapon is an axe. She was secretly a pedophile behind her team's back. When the Blue Ranger found out she assaulted him as well, raping and brutally beating him, and threatened more punishment if he said anything. He kept quiet until a day before she betrayed them when he took the secret to the Red Ranger. When confronted Mekia killed her leader and then turned on the self-destruct on the base and fled. Her team survived and the Blue Stealth Ranger actively hunts her.
"So maybe the Blue Stealth Ranger will show up." Blake spoke up.
"It's possible. He showed up on Banar, but even he couldn't help us." Kardan said. "I'd contact him if I knew how to."
"If he shows then he shows and if not then we'll make due without him." Shane said.
"And with that being said I have one final Rogue to show you. He is arguably the most despicable of them all."
Warrior Rogue-His name is Stephen Maxxis. He is a twenty-one year old enran with cobalt eyes and silver hair in his human form. His weapon is the Sword of Valor. He was once the Ranger of Honor, the second in command of the Rangers of Virtue. His betrayal cut deep. In the very moment they needed him the most, Stephen turned on his team and killed the Ranger of Justice and the Ranger of Truth and seriously injured the Ranger of Courage.
"That's not any worse than the other Rogues. What makes him the most despicable?" Sebastien asked.
"He was once the Ranger of Honor and supposed to uphold that virtue in everything he did. To turn his back on the very virtue that gave him power and to use the Power of Honor to murder and enslave is the darkest thing he could ever do." Kardan explained. "Stephen had to call himself something different because Honor is no longer honorable, yet he still draws power from it. It's one of the highest Ranger crimes."
"There are Ranger crimes? Are there Ranger police or Ranger courts?" Dustin asked, getting somewhat off track.
"Well, actually there is an…'organization', not made of Rangers, that enforce the unspoken Ranger laws." Kardan replied. "However, they have since given up on prosecuting the Rogues as all of their retrieval officers keep getting killed."
Hunter looked incredulous. "There are actually laws that Rangers have to obey?"
"Why so surprised?" Kardan asked. "The laws are unspoken because it is engrained deep in every Ranger power."
"Like what?" Hunter still didn't look convinced.
"A Ranger can never kill an innocent by their own hand. A Ranger can't intentionally bring serious harm to a teammate. Obviously betrayal also is out of the question." Zadan said. "It's all common sense stuff, but breaking a law will have consequences."
"Why weren't you two prosecuted?" Shane asked the former Psycho Rangers.
"We were both U.I." Niko said.
Seeing nothing but confused looks, Zadan explained. "Under the Influence. I was under the influence of the amulet and Niko was under a spell."
"How do you guys know so much about this?" Blake questioned. It was something that all of the younger Rangers were starting to wonder.
"A lot of it is our own research." Kardan answered. "Our civilization studied Ranger history intensely."
"Aye and what we didn't learn of our own accord we learned from Kalix during our stay." Sizvu added.
"Plus, Craggan once got a warning when he abandoned me during a battle." Harper added.
"Everything we know we learned from Kalix's database." Niko said. "He likes to know everything he can about his enemies and he considers all Rangers his enemies."
"On that note, please understand that there could be more or less Rogues than this." Kardan said. "The list we have here is that of the Rogues that were present during the war for Banar."
Hunter frowned. "So this might not help us at all?"
"Oh, I highly doubt they're all gone lad."
"All of the Rogues you've just mentioned were still with General Tarnin last time we saw them." Zadan said. "I think there are a few more, but I don't know any details."
"Neither do I." Niko admitted when everyone glanced at him.
"That's why everyone is to keep these data pads with them wherever they go." Kardan said. "Information can be instantly shared and they double as a form of silent communication if the situation ever arises that silence is needed. More than that they have tracking devices that can't be blocked or shut off so that the d-pads can always be tracked and the owner found."
"Helpful little things." Cam mused, instantly intrigued with how they worked.
"You have no idea." Sizvu murmured. His face was impassive, but his eyes held a proud gleam in them. They were obviously his creations.
"Okay, I think that sums up this meeting. You're all free to go."
The room emptied quickly.
ZzZzZ
General Tarnin was not impressed with what stood before him. The three surviving Psycho Rangers were disappointing to him. He had hoped to see great warriors, but that was not what he saw. He saw three kids that had survived on luck, not talent or ability. Oh he could see they thought they were something special, but he knew otherwise. He planned on showing them the error in their thinking. They had nothing to be arrogant about.
"So, you boys are the Psycho Rangers, eh?" Tarnin said after a long staring match between himself and Kyle. "Pathetic."
Chris growled and Sid looked like he might pounce. Kyle put restraining hands on their shoulders. Instantly his two teammates calmed and stood waiting for Tarnin's orders. No orders were given as the doors into the command room slid open and nine warriors entered. Most of them were human, but three were obviously different. Two of them were draconans, but the third was a race that the Psychos had never seen. The man looked human except for the deadly looking scorpion tail and a pair of antennae.
"Ah my Rogues. I believe some of you may already know these three men." Tarnin said. "For the others these three are the only surviving Psycho Rangers. I know it's a lot to ask, but please be as...nice to each other as possible. We are on the same side."
"Nice." One of the Rogues snorted.
Tarnin's head snapped around to glare at the speaker. "Do you have something to say Brock?"
"No sir. Sorry sir." Brock said quickly.
"I didn't think so." Tarnin looked around at all their faces and smiled. "Now, I want all of you to go spar. Split the teams evenly and no ganging up on the Psycho Rangers. Understood?"
"Yes sir!" The Rogues replied with unified precision. The three Psychos shared a look. They had a feeling things were going to get very bad for them.
VvVvV
Yes, I'm aware the Rangers of Virtue are very cheesy, but it fit what I was looking for better than anything else. No one has to point this fact out to me one of my betas took great pleasure in doing that herself.
