Josh Reynolds was anxious.
Actually, a mix of emotions swirled inside him. Anxious. Nervous. Worried. Scared.
Sweat soaked through his gloves as he sat in the cockpit of Paladin's left arm. He wanted to get this fight started with the Kraan, kick their slimy butts back into the ocean. But doubt battered his mind. Would his plan work? What if the Kraan knew about the flaw in their shield and fixed it? What if he and his fellow Rangers simply failed? It was just them against the entire Kraan invasion force. If they couldn't overcome those odds and destroy the ship generating the electromagnetic repulsing field, what chance would the rest of the country, the rest of the world have? The only choice the world's soldiers and marines would have would be bayonet charges. Like that would work against lightning bolt spitting guns and tanks.
And big monsters. He couldn't forget those big monsters.
Josh's heartbeat became deafening. As always seemed the case, everything depended on the Power Rangers.
Paladin marched across the San Gabriel Mountains. Josh's eyes flickered from the pine trees and peaks outside to the scanner readings in his Helmet-Mounted Display. Swede had easily traced the electromagnetic pulse back to the Kraan flying ship, or Bad Atragon as the Rangers dubbed it per his suggestion. It had taken up position about 25 miles away, surrounded by lots of Kraan soldiers, tanks, warplanes and giant monsters.
This wouldn't be easy.
Since when do we get the easy missions?
Paladin's long strides covered the twenty-plus miles quickly. Before long the Rangers could see Bad Atragon and the rest of the Kraan force with, as Leslie liked to say, their "Mark One Eyeballs."
Josh swallowed as he took in the enemy. Kraan soldiers and tanks stretched from one end of the valley to the other. Half-a-dozen giant monsters plodded behind them. Dozens of Death Knell fighters circled above them, surrounding Bad Atragon.
Every hair on Josh's sweat covered body stood on end. That's a lot of freakin' bad guys.
He expected to hear some encouraging words from Leslie, some last minute pep talk like Coach would give before a game.
None came. They had their pep talk before they left HQ. Besides, if the survival of the human race couldn't motivate you, what would?
All the Red Ranger said was, "Power Rangers . . . CHARGE!!!"
Katana in right hand, mace in left hand, Paladin hurtled toward the Kraan, trees and boulders crushed flat under its feet.
The Kraan wasted no time. Dozens of lightning bolts tore across the air. Josh clenched his teeth just as a quake rattled Paladin. Somehow, the giant robot stayed on its feet.
"Forward shields down to eight-nine percent," Niyati reported.
Paladin continued running toward the Kraan force. Lightning bolts slammed into the robot's torso. Anger overtook Josh's fear. He was tired of getting pounded by Kraan fire. He wanted to do some pounding of his own.
Paladin drew closer with the Kraan force. Closer . . . closer.
He drew back Paladin's left arm and brought down the mace.
Please work.
The mace slammed into the ground. He quickly lifted it and checked the damage. His eyes widened. The crushed forms of three Warmonger tanks and several Kraan troopers laid in the crater.
"It worked!" Josh cried out.
"Yes!" Niyati cheered.
"Pound 'em!" Randy hollered. "Pound these scum!"
The mace and sword and feet fell on the Kraan ranks. The Rangers ignored lightning bolts striking Paladin's armor and kept smashing and crushing. Josh saw pockets of Kraan troopers running away. A swing of the mace or the stomp of a foot ended their retreat.
Death Knell fighters dove on Paladin. The robot shook from one lightning strike after another. Teeth bared, Josh swung Paladin's left arm. Manta-shaped aircraft shattered or spun out of control into the ground.
A large, bulbous monster with thick green scales rushed toward Paladin. Josh's hands flew across the console as his neurolink picked up Leslie's commands.
The mace rammed into the monster's armpit. A knee to the gut followed. Niyati finished it off by running the katana through its chest.
A second, serpent-like monster slithered toward them. The nanites retracted the mace and katana. Just as the serpent shot its head forward, Josh and Niyati wrapped Paladin's hands around the monster's neck. With a quick twist, they broke its neck. Paladin then swung the dead serpent in a 360. Tanks flipped across the ground and troopers flew through the air as the monster's tail struck them.
Paladin flung the serpent away. Josh punched two Death Knell fighters out of the sky when Niyati called out. "Bad Atragon's turning west. It looks like it's trying to retreat."
"Like hell," Leslie growled. "C'mon, Rangers!"
Paladin ran through the shattered Kraan force, cutting down another monster with its katana. The robot crouched and leapt into the air. Tongues of flame gushed from its jet boots. Lightning bolts from the surviving Death Knells pelted the robot. Josh clenched his jaw, ignoring the tremors. His entire focus was on Bad Atragon. It grew larger, soon filling his entire vision.
Paladin soared over the top of the flying ship and landed near its rear. Josh suddenly noticed no more lightning bolts struck them.
The Kraan probably don't want to risk hitting their ship.
"So where's the pulse generator at?" Randy asked.
"I can't tell," Swede replied. "The electromagnetic readings are so high I can't get an exact fix."
"Who cares?" Josh snapped. "Just bash this thing until it falls apart!"
He drew back Paladin's arm, ready to bring down the mace.
"We've got company!" Leslie blurted.
Josh looked up. An oblong creature with triangular wings, huge ink black eyes, a circular, teeth-filled mouth and stumpy legs landed near the front of Bad Atragon. It unleashed an ear-piercing shriek and stomped across the humped hull of the ship.
Paladin brought up its mace and katana.
Two holes opened in the monster's torso. Thick gray tentacles shot out. Josh batted one away, while Niyati chopped off the other one. The monster shrieked again . . . and unleashed two more tentacles at them.
"Oh come on!" Josh knocked one tentacle away. Then another, and another. Niyati sliced off another tentacle.
"Come on!" Randy yelled. "Kill this thing so we can destroy this ship!"
"What'd ya think we're trying to do? Dance with it?" Josh knocked away one tentacle. He swung at another, only to have it dodge his blow. The tentacle latched on to Paladin's left foot. A flash of blue coursed through the limb. Sparks and flames exploded from the foot. Swede yelped in panic.
"Swede!" Leslie yelled. "Are you -"
Another tentacle attached to Paladin's torso. Josh tensed, his jaw tightening as the robot shook. The lights in the cockpit flashed on and off. The smell of smoke wafted past his nose.
An explosion rocked Paladin. The breath caught in Josh's throat as the robot toppled backward. Another jolt went through Paladin, tossing Josh around in his chair. Then he felt another sensation. Sliding. With a thought he tapped into the scanners. Ice filled his chest.
They were sliding down the curved side of Bad Atragon.
"Jets! Jets!" Leslie ordered.
"Left jets are fried," a groggy Swede answered. "Attitude control's gone."
"Shields are nearly gone." A quiver entered Niyati's voice. "We've got massive hull damage."
Josh's throat constricted as they neared the edge of the ship. Could they survive the fall? Maybe. But what about the remaining Kraan forces down below? They'd be at their mercy. More importantly, what about the rest of humanity? How could they beat the Kraan with Bad Atragon still functional?
The hilly, green-brown landscape stretched out below them. He stared at it with fearful, unblinking eyes.
The neurolink tingled. It was Leslie. His hands reached out to the console. Paladin let go of the mace, lifted its left hand, and rammed its fingers through the hardened shell of Bad Atragon. The right hand also dug into the hull. Paladin's slide slowed, then stopped. Its feet dangled over the side.
Josh let out a long, long sigh of relief.
That's when the monster appeared above them.
"Oh crap!" he blurted.
"I got this." The instant Leslie said that, her plan filtered through the Rangers' neurolinks.
It made Josh smile.
The monster roared again. A tentacle shot out its torso at Paladin's right hand.
The robot's fingers came out of the groves. At the very last instant they wrapped around the tentacle. Josh heard Niyati grunt as she yanked Paladin's right arm back.
The monster stumbled toward them. Niyati brought the right arm forward, driving the tentacle into the monster's body. A blue flash erupted. The monster wailed, to the point Josh winced.
Niyati released her hold on the tentacle. The monster's limp form tumbled past Paladin and plummeted toward the ground.
Paladin sank its fingers into Bad Atragon's hull, climbing back to the top and standing.
"So what now?" asked Swede.
"Now, we do . . . this!" Josh drew back Paladin's left fist and drove it through the hull. Pieces of beige shell spiraled through the air around them. He punched the hull again and again. Niyati also joined him in reigning blows on Bad Atragon. Holes and wide cracks marred the hole. A loud grinding and ripping sound rose around them.
"What the heck's th-"
Bad Atragon broke in two before Swede could finish that sentence. Josh's stomach shot into his mouth as Paladin fell from the sky.
The world spun. He heard screams. His friends? His own? A jumble of signals clogged his neurolink. Some were commands. Others were pure fear.
He sensed the right jet boot firing. Were they slowing down? He couldn't tell.
Niyati, I'm sorry. I really care abo-
A roar. A quake. Josh felt something try to rip his body apart.
Suddenly all was still.
He blinked, then grimaced. Every inch of his body hurt.
Am I alive?
Groaning, he tried to straighten out in his seat. He moved his arms and his legs. Sore, but it didn't feel like anything was broken. He took a wheezy breath, and six others before he could finally take in air normally.
Fear exploded in his mind.
"Niyati! Swede! Leslie! Randy! You guys okay?"
No answer.
A cold, dark mass of panic grew in his chest. No. No way! They can't be . . .
Don't say it. Don't think it.
Niyati.
"I'm okay," Randy croaked. "I'm okay."
Relief flooded Josh.
"I'm still alive and kicking, too," Leslie said.
"I'm good, sorta," Swede groaned. "I think I broke my leg."
A smile formed on Josh's face. He just waited to hear from Niyati.
And waited.
"Niyati?" he radioed her. "Niyati, are you all right?"
No response.
Tremors wracked his body.
"Niyati!"
"Hey!" Randy hollered. "We've got Kraan coming!"
Josh tapped into the scanners. Off-line. He leaned forward and stared out the canopy. Sure enough, here came a line of Kraan tanks, accompanied by numerous moving dots. Troopers, no doubt.
He also realized Paladin was flat on its back.
"Swede," Leslie barked. "Any sign of that electromagnetic field?"
"No way to tell. The scanners are all down."
"Randy, weapons status."
Several seconds passed before Randy replied, "Crap! Everything's down! Missiles, rail guns, particle beams, gatling gu . . . wait a sec! Josh. You have two gatlings still functional."
"Good!" Leslie blurted. "All right, Blue Ranger. Take 'em down!"
Josh didn't move a muscle. What about Niyati? Is she all right? She can't be . . . be . . .
"Josh! What are you waiting for!? Shoot those slimebuckets!"
Leslie's shouts made him jump. His hand gripped the triggerstick. He programmed the nanites to expand the two remaining gatling guns to fire 5-inch shells.
Niyati. She has to be all right.
A lightning bolt rocked Paladin. Another. Another.
None of us are going to be all right if you don't shoot those scumbags.
He checked the targeting scanners. Off-line. He'd have to do this the old-fashioned way.
Paladin's left arm rose. Josh tensed, wondering if Bad Atragon's destruction truly did put an end to the electromagnetic defense shield.
Time to find out.
He squeezed the trigger. Lines of yellow tracers streaked from Paladin's arm. He braced himself, fearing those 5-inch shells might turn around and tear into the robot. Could they survive a hit like that?
Fountains of dirt and flame rose amidst the Kraan ranks.
"Yes!" Josh kept his finger down on the trigger, sweeping the gatling guns back and forth.
Just beyond the explosions came another line of Kraan armor and infantry, and another behind it.
Josh bit his lower lip, trying to fight down his fears. For his life, for his teammates'.
For Niyati's life.
Just keep firing. If he kept firing, they would survive.
He hoped.
The gatling guns chattered and chattered.
The Kraan kept advancing, and firing. More lightning bolts hammered Paladin. The cockpit lights flashed on and off. Tremors shot through the robot non-stop.
Josh kept firing.
Something flashed overhead. He looked up. Stubby, winged forms dove toward the Kraan. He ceased firing as a smile spread across his face. A-10 Warthogs, AV-8 Harriers and F-35s unleashed shells, rockets, missiles and bombs on the invaders. Huge plumes of flame and smoke consumed Kraan troopers and tanks. Strings of firecracker-like explosions ripped through the enemy ranks as cluster bombs detonated.
"Looks like the cavalry's here," Leslie said.
Josh slumped in his seat. He knew teams of US Navy SEALs were hidden around the battle area, ready to alert the Pentagon when the Power Rangers destroyed Bad Atragon.
Swarms of helicopters appeared. They landed, disgorging hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers and marines. A few choppers even deposited howitzers and armed Humvees and dune buggies. Tracers and missiles streaked across the valley. US warplanes continued bombing and strafing the Kraan.
"Looks like the military can take things from here," Swede noted. "Good thing, too, 'cause I think this robot needs a serious makeover."
"Niyati, are you okay?" Josh radioed.
Still no response.
"Niyati. Niyati answer me," Leslie demanded. "C'mon, girl, respond."
Josh unbuckled himself from his chair and slid back the canopy. Using his Ranger-enhanced strength and agility, he leaped from Paladin's left arm to the right. He also noticed Randy and Leslie soaring toward the right arm . . . and Niyati's cockpit.
His stomach lurched when he saw the mangled arm, sparks and smoke belching from numerous holes and tears.
Please be all right. Please be all right.
Josh landed next to the shielded cockpit, Leslie and Randy joining him seconds later. All three grabbed the bottom edges of the canopy and pulled. With their combined super strength, they ripped it off like it was cardboard.
Josh looked down into the cockpit. His knees buckled. He couldn't breathe.
Niyati lay slumped in her seat, unmoving, the right side of her yellow uniform stained with blood.
NEXT: THE CONCLUSION
