A/N: Hey guys, I'm back with the next update. Thanks to everyone who's been leaving me reviews. I really appreciate it so much. You have no idea how much! You're all awesome!
Astro Rangers:
Black Ranger (Andante)….Robert Scott Wilson
Pink Ranger (Malina)…Kate Mansi
Blue Ranger (Koyu)…Casey Deidrick
Yellow Ranger (Adia)…Molly Burnett
Disclaimer: I do not own the popular television series Power Rangers in Space. It was created by Haim Saban and is based off of Denji Sentai Megaranger, a very popular Super Sentai series in Japan. I also do not own the characters used in the plot. I am the owner of all parts of the plot that I have changed to better fit with my complete original prequel of this story "PRIS: Fallen Stars" and I own all original characters, monsters, and planets that I created for the purpose of this story. Do not reproduce this story in any shape or format. Please, and thank you.
"Welcome to Earth"
Andros, Carlos, and Cassie stood back and watched Ashley and TJ as they stood in the center of a large empty room that Andros referred to as the Simudeck. He had explained to his new rangers that the Simudeck was designed by a former ranger on KO-35 who felt the rangers needed a way to practice and lounge around at their leisure when they're traveling for weeks at a time on the Megaship.
"So, this room can change into any setting you want?" Cassie asked, amazed by Andros's quick breakdown of the room's function.
He nodded once and smiled before moving to a panel on the wall. "D.E.C.A. has sensors that can scan all known areas in the galaxy. If there's someplace you want to go, all you have to do is tell her and ask her to start the simulation. When you want her to stop, you simply ask to stop the simulation. Want to give it a try?"
Cassie nodded excitedly. "As much as I hate the place, I really want to see something familiar. D.E.C.A., I want to be at Angel Grove High School. Start simulation."
Andros raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar scene in front of him while the others looked around, both excited and stunned at what they were seeing. Andros noticed the bright orange-colored walls and the green lockers that lined the walls. There was a staircase up ahead, a few drinking fountains here and there, and posters and bulletin boards lining the walls.
"Let me try next." Carlos said. "D.E.C.A., take us to Angel Grove Park. Start simulation."
The room quickly morphed from the school hallway to Angel Grove Park. The earth rangers were amazed that they could feel the wind blowing around them. The sky was clear and blue above their heads and they could see Angel Grove Lake off in the distance as gulls flew overhead.
"This is incredible." Ashley said as she looked around in awe. She crouched down and placed her hand to the ground, gasping as she realized the blades of grass were real.
"D.E.C.A., stop simulation." Andros commanded. The park quickly faded away and Ashley frowned as the grass disappeared and was replaced with the cool metal floor of the ship.
"I've never seen something so amazing." TJ said. "Your people really are more technologically advanced than we are on earth. This is the kind of technology we dream of having and you guys have turned it into a reality."
Andros smiled as he took the compliment. "The Simudeck can also be used for training exercises, just as I mentioned earlier. TJ, Ashley, why don't you two give it a try?"
The two of them shrugged before unlatching the lids of their morphers. "Let's rock it!"
The two of them quickly morphed and Andros instructed D.E.C.A. to begin training simulation one. The room darkened and the rangers found themselves standing inside some weird vortex where green webbings were strewn about the room. Suddenly, four foot soldiers appeared. They had golden masks on their faces and were dressed in pink body suits.
"Those are Craterites." Andros explained. "Think of them as a slightly modified version of a Quantron. Now remember, these creatures may just be a part of the simulation, but they are as real as it gets, so be sure you're on your guard."
"Gotcha." TJ said. "Alright Ash, are you ready?"
"You bet." She said before running towards the Craterites. Ashley kicked one of the Craterites in the chest before dropping into a sweep kick, knocking the soldier onto its back. The creature quickly stood to his feet and swung at her, but Ashley easily side stepped away from it before jumping in the air and bringing her hand down in a slicing motion. Cassie and Carlos watched with wide-eyes as Ashley's hand gave off the appearance of being a blade for a split second. The Yellow Ranger landed swiftly on the other side of the Craterite and cheered as it disappeared. She then moved to attack another Craterite.
TJ in the meantime was busy using his Astro Axe to attack a Craterite. "Watch this guys!" TJ moved his feet close together and outstretched his hand so the blade of his axe was facing the Craterites. He then began spinning very quickly and moved by the Craterites, destroying them both. Ashley whipped out her Star Slinger and destroyed the final Craterite before going to give TJ a high-five.
"That was awesome!" she exclaimed.
"D.E.C.A., end simulation." Andros said before walking over to his friends. Ashley and TJ removed their helmets, revealing their excited faces.
"So, what do you guys think of the Simudeck?" Andros asked.
"It's amazing." Ashley said, her smile growing. "It's a great way to stay sharp. It's also a great way to take a breather when we're away from home."
Just then, Alpha's voice started over the intercom. "Rangers, we have just reached earth. We're home!"
Everyone began cheering, with the exception of Andros. Cassie, Carlos, and TJ rushed off the Simudeck to prepare for landing while Ashley hung back and observed Andros's skeptical looks. She smiled encouragingly before placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Have you ever been to earth before?" she asked him sweetly.
"No, never." He said. "I'm kind of nervous about going. What if NASADA can't fix the ship."
"Hey, try not to worry about that and relax. The people of earth might just surprise you." Ashley wrapped an arm around his and smiled. "There's so many cool things about earth that I'm sure you'll love. There's beaches, music, the mall, and you can't forget about all of the amazing food. Trust me, it's a life-changing experience."
Andros smiled at her. "I hope you're right."
Astronema watched her viewing screen and smirked at the sight of the rangers' space shuttle making its way towards the earth. She chuckled before strutting across the room to take a seat upon her throne.
"The rangers are taking one of the main pieces of their Megazord back to earth. They couldn't be making a bigger mistake. This is just too easy."
"You're right about that Astronema. They're making a colossal-sized mistake." A strange voice came from the opposite side of the room. Astronema summoned her staff quickly and aimed at the intruder. She raised an eyebrow at the sight of the pink creature with the pointed head and blue nose from the evil alliance dinner.
"You…what the hell are you doing here?" she demanded to know as her face contorted into one of disgust as she looked the smelly being over.
"Whatever you wish for me to do my queen." came his reply. "I'm not a good housekeeper, so don't ask me to do your chores or you'll regret it. The name's Elgar and I am starving. Please tell me you have some decent grub onboard this Dark Fortress of yours."
Astronema waved her hand and immediately, two Quantrons had Elgar restrained. "I want this disgusting abomination off my ship at once. I think there's a black hole coming up ahead of us. That will be the perfect place for him to spend the rest of his miserable life."
"Hold your horses Astronema!" Elgar shouted as he struggled to free himself from the Quantrons' grasp. "Don't shoot the messenger. Dark Specter sent me here. He said you could use my help."
"Wait a minute." She said to the Quantrons, causing them to release Elgar. "Dark Specter sent you here because he thinks I need your help? Is he out of his mind?"
"Now come on Astronema, things won't be so bad. Hey, I helped Aunty D destroy the Power Chamber on earth and even managed to get the upper hand on those pesky rangers quite a few times in the past. I am the perfect candidate for being your right-hand man. Trust me, you won't be disappointed."
"You fool, I'm already disappointed." She groaned before turning her attention back to the viewing screen. "Well, if Dark Specter sent you, then I can't dispose of you. I'll lose my credibility. So if you have to stay, you're going to do exactly as I say, no questions asked. Got it?"
"Boy, does this job sound familiar or what?" Elgar groaned.
Astronema flipped her hair over her shoulder as she began to pace back and forth in front of her evil minions. "The Power Rangers have retreated to the planet earth onboard the shuttle they pilot to control the Astro Megazord. I have no idea why they have gone back to earth, but it couldn't have been at a better time. I want you all to go to earth and destroy the rangers' space shuttle. Without it, they won't be able to make it back to the Megaship, nor will they be able to construct their precious Astro Megazord. We're going to cut them off at the head by any means necessary."
The Quantrons began cheering as they pumped their fists and weapons up in the air, eager to carry out their evil plan. Astronema smiled maniacally before turning her attention back to her viewing screen.
"Ready or not rangers. Here I come."
The rangers' space shuttle touched down at NASADA's base and was docked quickly. A group of NASADA's workers came to help the rangers out of the shuttle and back into headquarters.
"You've returned the shuttle." General Norquist said with gratitude in his voice. "Tell me rangers, have you managed to complete your mission."
TJ smiled at the man and shook his head. "I'm sorry, we haven't. But don't you worry about a thing. We're going to do everything within our power to keep you and the rest of the people of the earth safe."
"General Norquist, you haven't told anyone our secret, have you?" Carlos questioned the older gentleman, still unsure of whether or not they could trust him.
The man raised his hand in the air. "I swear to you all, I would never divulge your secret. It is safe with me."
"Thank you." Ashley said smiling gratefully.
"Well, if you kids haven't completed your mission, what are you doing back here on earth?"
"We ran into some enemies during our journey and the shuttle has taken some damage." TJ explained. "We also have a secondary ship we're using for transportation, but we need a few supplies so our new pilot and team member Andros can begin making repairs. Do you think you can help us out?"
"Are you kidding me? You guys are the Power Rangers. Of course I'll help you out."
TJ and the others smiled before sparing a glance at Andros. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a set of blueprints before handing them to the scientist.
"This is a basic run-down of the Megaship. I know that most of the circuitry and some of the charts are foreign, but I've written down a few items that we can use as substitutes to help repair the ship."
The man looked over the complex blueprints and raised an eyebrow before looking up at Andros. He smiled before patting Andros's shoulder.
"Don't worry. I'll have everything up and ready to go by tomorrow at the latest."
"What are we going to tell our parents?" Ashley asked worriedly as she and the others rode back into Angel Grove in Carlos's jeep. "They've got to be out of their minds with worry."
"My dad's going to ground me for life." Cassie groaned as she placed a hand to her forehead. "He'll never let me out the house again. He'd probably even go as far as to attach a tracking device to my ankle."
TJ nodded. "We all have quite a bit of explaining to do. Not just to our parents…but to a few other important people."
Carlos sighed when he realized what TJ meant. "Are you really thinking about contacting Tommy and the others? I mean, they aren't rangers anymore man. We probably shouldn't concern them with our problems."
"I know, but I still don't feel right about not telling them. Tommy placed the Red Turbo powers in my hand because he felt that I was the perfect person to fill his shoes. He put his trust and his faith in me. He was my mentor. He showed me how to be a good Red Ranger and how do I repay him? I allowed Divatox and her goons to gain access to the Command Center that had been hidden from several evil monarchs of the past and she destroyed the entire place, including our powers. The legacy Tommy and the others left behind…is gone. I've failed him. I've failed as a leader."
Cassie frowned and placed a hand on TJ's shoulder. "Teej, you have to stop being so hard on yourself. What happened was beyond your control."
Andros looked up at Cassie, a frown on his face as he thought about his own failures in life. Ashley noticed the conflicted look on his face and placed a hand on his knee. Andros didn't bother looking at her and she sighed before turning her attention back to her friends.
"Okay, guys. Let's focus on something else for a while. Where is Andros going to stay while we're here on earth?"
"I can just stay on the Megaship." Andros said with a shrug. "It's where I live now anyways, it's no big deal."
"Come on man, we don't want you staying up on that ship all by yourself any longer." Carlos said as he spared Andros a glance through the rearview mirror. "You were nice enough to allow us onto the Megaship, your home. Now let us allow you into ours."
"You can stay with me." TJ said with a smile. "My brother has gone off to college and we use his room to house guests. My parents would love for you to stay with us."
Andros smiled. "Sure, that sounds great."
The rangers rode the rest of the way to Angel Grove talking about movies and music as they tried to fill Andros in on their culture. He didn't have too many questions, but he seemed very interested in the creativity humans on earth possessed. He was amazed by all of the colors that whizzed by as they sped through the city and he explained to his new friends how KO-35's buildings and walls were all white as a way to promote peace and tranquility. Painting walls was such a foreign thing to him, so seeing the different colors all around him as they drove through the city was breathtaking. Ashley began pointing out points of interest as they made their way through the streets of Angel Grove, briefly explaining what each one was. The ice cream parlor, restaurants, the arcade, the park, and several other hot spots.
The speedy tour came to a stop as Carlos turned the corner and parked on the curb just outside Ashley's house. She took a deep breath before hopping out of the jeep and crossing her fingers.
"Wish me luck guys." She called out over her shoulder. The others waved her off before speeding down the road to take Cassie home.
Ashley took a deep breath before walking up to her front door. She bent down to grab the spare key from under the mat before unlocking the door and stepping inside. The kitchen lights were on and she could see that someone had left the television on in the living room. She sighed before heading into the kitchen and fidgeting with her hands nervously. Her parents and older brother looked up from their meals and smiled happily.
"Oh, honey you're home." Mrs. Hammond said cheerfully. "So, how were things on that camping trip?"
"Camping trip?" Ashley repeated, a surprised look on her face.
Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Yes honey, camping trip. The one that Justin called your father and I about. I think it's so sweet how you and your friends are always looking out for Justin. There aren't too many kids his age who have such a high intelligence level, but you guys never make him feel like the odd-man-out. He really respects you guys."
Ashley smiled softly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, I guess he does."
"Well now that you're back, would you like to have something to eat? I know it's not your favorite, but I made meatloaf."
Ashley nodded before moving to take a seat at the table with her family. Her brother Greg observed the strange outfit she was wearing and snorted.
"What's with the weird outfit Ash? Did you just come back from a NASADA convention?"
Ashley scratched the back of her head nervously. "It's one of my new designs for fabrics class. I wanted to try something…out of this world, you know?"
"Well I think it's lovely dear, but come on. You have a million other colors you can choose from to accent that jacket other than yellow." Her mother said. "You already have like fifty yellow outfits in your closet upstairs. Why don't you mix things up a little, you know? Green's a pretty decent color on you. Your friend Carlos seems to like the color."
Ashley groaned. Yep, she was definitely back at home.
"TJ, make sure you give your friend some extra blankets and a few towels." His mother called up the stairs. "Make sure the window's closed in his room too. I'd hate for him to catch a cold or something."
TJ shook his head with a smile before leading Andros up the stairs and into his brother's unoccupied room. Andros observed the room and its slate-colored walls. There were posters all over the place of a few R&B groups that Andros didn't recognize. There was a huge computer with an outdated screen resting on a desk just beside a large queen-sized bed. There were also a few other pieces of furniture in the room like an old wooden dresser, a small television set, and two beanbag chairs. There was a Nintendo 64 hooked up to the television sitting right in front of it on the floor.
"Make yourself at home." TJ said before moving to his brother's closet to pull out a few extra blankets.
"Your parents seemed to take your disappearance pretty well." Andros said with a smile.
TJ nodded. "If Justin hadn't told them that fib about me and the others taking him camping, I think I'd be in loads of trouble right now."
"So, who is this Justin kid? Is he a friend of yours?"
"Yeah, he's a great friend." TJ said as he tossed one of the spare blankets to Andros. "Justin was our Blue Turbo Ranger, but he's much younger than we are. Justin is only thirteen and we couldn't' allow him to go with us into space. He has so much more to do with his life before we could even consider letting him join us on our mission."
"I was wondering why your team only had four rangers." Andros said.
TJ grew silent as Andros moved over to take a seat on the bed. The Red Ranger began twisting around the locket on his neck, a distant look in his eyes.
"Hey Andros, I've been needing to ask you. What happened to your family? I mean, if it's too hard for you to talk about, I understand. I shouldn't be prying like this, I'm sorry."
Andros shook his head and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. "No TJ, you don't need to apologize. I don't blame you for wanting to know more about me. I'm not exactly very open with my past. It's…still so fresh to me, you know."
"I understand. Maybe you'll be able to tell me about it someday."
TJ turned to leave, but stopped when Andros began speaking. "My parents are alive. They escaped from KO-35 when the planet was evacuated. I haven't seen them since. Dark Specter and Astronema…they launched an attack and my people were forced to flee. I wasn't strong enough to stop the two of them from destroying the colony, so I retreated into space to gain a little time to develop a new plan to defeat them. I've been tracking them for nearly two years."
TJ could tell from the dark look on Andros's face that there was more to the story, but he wasn't going to pry any more than he already had. Ashley had told him and the others that there were six pipes in that storage room and that only four of them were housing a morpher. What had happened to the Silver Astro Morpher? Did Andros have another teammate? Maybe he was killed during the attack on KO-35.
"Well, I'd better let you get some rest." TJ said as he turned to leave. "Ashley called a little while ago to tell me that a new restaurant called the Surf Spot just opened up a few blocks down from the Youth Center where we usually hang out. She thinks we should go and check it out."
"Surf Spot…I guess we can go. We still have some time to kill while we wait on the shuttle to be repaired."
TJ nodded. "Right then. Goodnight Andros."
Andros nodded and watched TJ as he left and closed the door behind him. Andros once again found himself intrigued by the room he would be staying in for the next few days. There were objects similar to those he'd find on KO-35, but they all looked so different. The lamp on the bedside table had a glass base in the shape of a fancy flower vase and there was some weird hat-like structure hanging over it, preventing the light from showing its true potential. On KO-35, lamps were constructed out of metal and resembled small bowls that could light up an entire room. They were voice activated and you could even set their intensity and color with a few simple commands. Earth was decades behind in the technology realm in comparison to KO-35. If Andros's new rangers were able to see the technological wonders of his home world, they would be stunned.
Andros reached a hand out and cut off the lamp before lying back in the provided bed. He stared up at the ceiling, the occasional headlights from cars sliding across its surface as they passed by the house. Andros sighed and ran a hand through his loosened locks.
What had he gotten himself into? For two years, he traveled alone through the darkest corners of the galaxy tracking down leads on Dark Specter and Astronema. Yes, he progressed through things slower than when he had his teammates by his side, but he had to do what was necessary in order to succeed. He worked alone, that was how he liked it; but now, it seemed like everything had flipped. For better or worse, he wasn't sure.
TJ and the others were determined to find Zordon but they were all about teamwork and togetherness. In spite of how coldly he had treated them, they were still willing to help. Still willing to offer him friendship.
Andros's heart constricted painfully as the faces of his former teammates ghosted through his mind, their laughter echoing loudly as he squeezed his eyes shut. The laughter slowly died away and Andros's mind was filled with the sounds of their pain-filled screams while weapons clanged in the background, flames of wild fires blazing wildly with no one to extinguish them.
He could see their faces- bloody and bruised, their eyes wide and frosted over as death claimed their souls.
"Andros, run!"
"Zhane…!"
"Adia please…you can't leave me…no…please no!"
Andros gasped and sat up, the memories shutting of like a switch had been flipped. His shoulders heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. He looked around the room that was bathed in an early-morning glow. Andros sighed, realizing that the images had all been a dream of pain-filled memories. He wasn't too sure when he had fallen asleep, but it was long enough to remind him of how desperately he needed to destroy Dark Specter and Astronema.
TJ walked into the kitchen and inhaled deeply, the scent of freshly fried bacon, scrambled eggs, and pancakes filling his nostrils.
"That smells delicious mom." He commented as he moved towards the fridge to pour himself a glass of orange juice.
"Thanks baby." The older woman said as she moved to scrape the remaining eggs into a serving bowl she had set on the counter. "Where's your friend Andros? I'm sure he'd like something to eat."
"I was actually hoping that he would already be down here." TJ said as he set his glass on the counter. "I checked Calvin's room but he wasn't in there. Have you seen him?"
Mrs. Johnson shook her head before moving to set the serving bowls on the table. "Maybe he stepped outside? I did hear the door close a while ago. I just assumed it was your father."
TJ thanked his mother before heading for the front door. He looked around the porch for any signs of his new teammate, but saw none. Scratching the back of his head, he walked around the side of the house and spotted the Karovian watching two young children playing with a ball next door. TJ smiled, relieved to have found his friend, but he was immediately worried by the tense look on Andros's face. His jaw was hardened as though he were clenching his teeth, his fists balled up at his sides as he watched.
"Andros?" TJ called out, startling the Red Ranger.
Andros cleared his throat before turning around. TJ's concerned grew when he noticed how puffy and red Andros's eyes were. He had been crying. Not wanting to push the Red Ranger, TJ offered him a soft smile.
"My mom's just finished breakfast. Come and join us. We can meet up with the others at NASADA when we're through."
Andros nodded before heading back towards the front door. TJ watched him go before sparing a glance at the two children next door once more. The little boy and his sister were in the middle of a game of catch when suddenly, the boy lost control of the ball. TJ watched as the ball rolled from their yard into his, stopping right by his feet. He picked the ball up as the little boy ran towards him, his sister watching.
"Excuse me mister, can I have my ball?" the little boy asked.
TJ nodded before dropping the rubber ball into the boy's hands. "There you go. You two have fun."
The little boy thanked him before jogging back over to his sister. TJ smiled before looking back towards the house where Andros had disappeared to earlier. Something about those two children had stirred up something inside the Red Ranger, but what was it?
The Astro Rangers arrived at NASADA's base a little earlier than expected, but thankfully, General Norquist and his team had been working diligently to make as many repairs as possible to the shuttle. While the good general was busy explaining the repairs to the former Turbo Rangers, Andros was inspecting the spacecraft for himself. For the most part, the earthlings had managed to do a good job making the repairs, but they still paled in comparison to what he could've done had they ventured back to KO-35. He supposed he could let this fly until he and the others managed to venture back to the Karova System.
"Ah, Andros?" General Norquist spoke up, pulling the Red Astro Ranger's attention away from his inspection. "There were a few items that we could not provide you with, but we did our best to find substitutes. I only wish that we could do more for you."
Andros offered the man a soft smile. "It's alright. You and your men have done a great job at making repairs. I don't know how to repay you."
"Well, you can assure us that you will take care of whatever threat is looming over the earth."
Andros nodded before turning to his friends. "As far as I can tell, these repairs should suffice for the time being. Let's suit up and head back to the Megaship as soon as possible."
"Actually, we were hoping we could spend just one more day here on earth." Cassie said as she twisted her hair around her finger playfully. "We are going to be gone for a long time and there are a few…loose ends we need to tie up. You don't mind, do you?"
Andros looked over the faces of his new comrades and took note of the eager looks their faces held. As much as he wanted to get back to his primary mission, he couldn't say no. Earth was their home and if they felt as strongly about it as he did about his own home world, he couldn't blame them for wanting to stay.
"Fine, but just for one more day." He relented.
The others cheered excitedly before heading out of the room towards Carlos's jeep. Andros lingered behind for a moment staring at the NASADA shuttle and all the repairs that had been made. General Norquist watched the young man as he assessed his work.
"So, you really are from another planet?" he asked.
Andros looked over to him and offered him a simple nod. "Yes."
"Incredible. I never imagined in all my years studying the universe that human life actually existed out there. I mean, there are theories of what lies out in space, but they were just wild guesses, not realities. So the Karova System, how far is it from here?"
Andros placed his chin to his hand in thought as he made a few mental calculations of how long it would take him to get home using the Megaship in comparison to an earthly vessel.
"The Karova System is lightyears away from here. Using my Megaship, it would take approximately one month your time to reach my planet; but a spacecraft from earth travels much slower. It would take nearly fifty years for you and your people to travel there."
"My God." The man spoke, his eyes wide with wonder. "This Megaship, you say, is really that fast?"
Andros nodded. "KO-35 is a science-based world. We are years ahead of you in the realm of technology."
"Your people sound amazing. So, how is it that you know how to speak English? I'm sorry that I keep bombarding you with questions."
Andros managed to smile at the man's curiosity. "It's no big deal, I don't mind you asking. My people have databases that are linked to every known galaxy out there. It is how computer systems like D.E.C.A. are created. It is required for the Astro Rangers to learn other languages because of how often we venture to different galaxies. D.E.C.A. taught me most of the languages I know."
"Andros?" Ashley's voice came from the doorway, interrupting the conversation. Andros turned around and met Ashley's soft gaze as she leaned her head into the room. "We're all about to head to the Surf Spot that just opened up on the square. Are you coming?"
Andros spared a glance at General Norquist who smiled and nodded his head. "We can catch up later."
Andros gave him a soft smile before moving to join Ashley and the others.
"Whoa, check this place out." Cassie said in awe as she looked around the new restaurant.
Ashley nodded in agreement as she looked around at the interior décor. The walls were a creamy orange color with brown, wooden trim stretching all around the room. There were flip-flops nailed to the wall along with images of the relaxing seashore and other ocean-themed décor. There were even a few palm trees in potted plants located throughout the room. On the far wall was a condiments stand that looked like a sailboat along with two pool tables.
"This is cool." She said as the guys followed in behind her and Cassie.
"Man, I could really go for a burger right about now." Carlos said as the smell of freshly grilled burgers wafted through his news. "Let's eat."
TJ looked around the room and spotted a table on a stage floor right above where Bulk and Skull were sitting fooling around with a bottle of ketchup.
"Hey, there's a table over there." He said as he tapped Ashley on the shoulder. She and the others followed after him while Andros looked around at the strange setting.
Andros had changed his clothes after his teammates insisted that he do his best to "blend in" in Angel Grove. The clothes were a lot different than those he wore on KO-35 but surprisingly, they were quite comfortable. TJ had tons of red clothing to give away now that blue was his designated color, and he was more than happy to give some of his items away to his new friend. So Andros had slid on a long-sleeved, red shirt with black and white stripes around the V-neck and sleeves along with a pair of blue jeans, and tan boots.
The Karovian continued to study the somewhat chaotic setting around him. It was rather loud, almost like a shopping center on KO-35. There were teenagers that he assumed were around the same age as him and the others, playing on arcade machines and eating while a large African American woman walked around with a notepad and pen taking orders. Andros was particularly interested in a game a few boys were playing on a large wooden table with green fabric covering its surface. They had large, smooth sticks in their hands that they were using to knock a group of multicolored balls around on the table. The game looked pretty interesting, but deciding against joining them, Andros moved to join his friends at the table.
As soon as he sat down, the large woman approached the table with a pitcher of water and two baskets of fries. Carlos raised an eyebrow before looking up at the woman.
"I'm sorry, but we didn't order any fries." He said.
"You didn't have to." The woman said with a bright smile. "Trust me, my fries are to die for. They're on the house. My name is Adele, welcome to my lovely abode."
"This place looks amazing Adele." Ashley said cheerfully. "It seems business is booming. How long have you been open?"
"About a week." She said with a smile. "I thought you youngsters needed a new place to come and relax with good food and entertainment. I hope business stays this good in the upcoming months."
"Well if these French fries are going to stay on the menu, it's guaranteed." Carlos said giving her a thumbs up before shoving another handful of fries into his mouth.
Adele laughed. "I'll be bag shortly to take your orders."
Andros watched as his new friends picked up the laminated pieces of paper that were lying on the table. They eyed them curiously, their eyes scanning over the colorful pictures and descriptions. Andros picked his sheet up as well and scanned the words as he tried to process the meals offered on earth. Sure, he knew what the words were, D.E.C.A. had made sure of that, but he didn't have a clue about how the items tasted. By the looks of it, earthlings lived a much unhealthier lifestyle. Their food was greasy and some of it sweet- two qualities that food on KO-35 did not have.
"Hey Andros?" Ashley called out to him gently. "Do you need any help understanding the menu?"
Andros turned to Ashley and saw the genuine smile on her face. He shook his head.
"It's alright. I'm actually not very hungry."
She nodded understandingly before turning her attention back to her menu. Andros spied a rectangular object sitting on the island countertop across the room. He could see a fuzzy image on its screen that was soon replaced by a woman holding a microphone. The item was similar to a holographic screen that was used on KO-35 but it seemed rather outdated.
Carlos spotted the Karovian's diverted attention and looked over his shoulder to see what had caught his eye. He smiled before turning back to his friend.
"It's called a television." He explained as Andros turned to him. "It's one form of technology entertainment that we have here on earth. We can watch movies and sitcoms, oh and you can't forget about sports."
"Do you have anything similar on your planet?" Cassie wondered. TJ and Ashley were also interested in knowing more about their alien friend.
Andros nodded. "Sort of. We have holographic projectors that provide images that we can see. We have a few movies here and there, but most of the programs on KO-35 were news broadcasts. Well, they used to be."
The others could sense there was more to Andros's story, but said nothing. Andros's attention was suddenly pulled away from his friends as he spied something on the television screen. He didn't say a word as he stood from the table and headed over to the machine as he did his best to make sense of what he was seeing. TJ followed after him, an eyebrow raised. When he looked at the screen, there was an image of a large space ship with antennas on both the top and the bottom. Half of the ship was made of nothing but green webbings. Andros growled angrily as he viewed the image, but TJ was at a loss for words.
"This is an image of the alien spacecraft that scientists managed to locate within earth's orbit early yesterday evening." The news reporter spoke as the image of the space ship skewed into a smaller image above her right shoulder. "Is this the sign that science fictionists have been waiting for all these years? Are we in fact being watched by alien lifeforms and if so, how long will it be before they plan to make contact with us. Are they friend are foe?"
"The Dark Fortress." Andros said slowly as his eyes studied the image for a little while longer.
"What did you say?" TJ asked, unsure of what Andros knew about the spacecraft.
Andros tapped the image onscreen before turning to TJ. "This image that your people have captured is of the Dark Fortress. It belongs to Dark Specter. Astronema must be onboard."
TJ's face suddenly grew serious as he cleared his throat. "The reporter said that the fortress is within earth's orbit. Astronema must have followed us back to earth after the attack yesterday."
"Let's move." Andros said quickly, but he was stopped as TJ reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Andros, the repairs aren't completely done to the shuttle. General Norquist is going to need a little time. We can't head off into space without a piece of the Astro Megazord. Besides, Astronema hasn't attacked yet. We need time to get our ducks in a row."
Andros swatted TJ's hand away and shot him a glare. "I know Astronema a lot better than you do. Believe me TJ, she isn't going to watch idly from the sidelines while we try and work out a plan. She's going to come at us with all she's got and she will stop at nothing to defeat us. Stay here if you want to regroup. I'm heading to the Megaship."
TJ watched as Andros ran past the others and out of the Surf Spot. Carlos, Cassie, and Ashley looked back towards him, confusion on their faces as they tried to understand what happened. TJ sighed before rejoining his friends. Andros's mind had been made up and there was no changing it.
"Let's eat." He suggested to the others before flagging down Adele.
Alpha was busy studying the controls on the bridge with D.E.C.A. when Andros entered the Megaship. Alpha looked up, surprised to be seeing the Red Ranger. Andros shrugged his jacket onto his shoulders and sighed with relief at being dressed in his familiar clothing. He then made his way over to the control panel on the opposite wall of the room.
"Andros, you're back." Alpha exclaimed as he waved his robotic arms about. "Where are the others?"
"Still on earth." Andros said as he scanned over the details he had pulled up on the screen. "Astronema's dark fortress was spotted by the people of earth. She followed us."
"Ai, yi, yi, yi, yi! Why didn't you bring the others with you? They could be in serious trouble."
"Astronema hasn't launched an attack yet, but TJ thinks it's best to wait before making any moves. I'm not taking any chances. I'm going after Astronema."
Andros, I do not think it's best for you to venture to the Dark Fortress Alone. D.E.C.A. spoke suddenly. Alpha nodded his head in agreement.
"Astronema isn't alone on that ship you know." Alpha said as he tried to reason with the Red Ranger. "You could really use the others' help."
Andros ignored his friends before moving to another panel. His fingers moved hurriedly across the touch-screen monitor as he looked up the exact coordinates of the Dark Fortress. His eyes narrowed as the computer began to beep, signaling that the location had been found. As Andros made a run for the jump tubes, Alpha followed after him, pleading for him to reconsider contacting the other rangers; but the Red Ranger's mind had already been made up. When Alpha finally caught up to Andros, he had jumped through the red tube to be transported to his Galaxy Glider.
"Ai, yi, yi, yi, yi! This is terrible! D.E.C.A., please contact the other rangers."
"Right away Alpha." D.E.C.A. replied.
Carlos sighed in content as he leaned back in his chair, his hair cascading over the headrest as he looked up at the ceiling.
"I'm so stuffed. My stomach feels like it's going to explode."
"Mine too." Cassie agreed as she absent-mindedly rubbed a hand over her belly. "When was the last time we had a meal this good."
Ashley laughed as she wiped away the stray crumbs on her face. She set her napkin down before sparing a glance at the empty seat beside her.
"TJ, where did Andros go? I figured he would've come back by now."
TJ sighed as he suddenly remembered their Karovian friend. "A few scientists spotted Astronema's fortress floating within earth's orbit. Andros was determined to go after her but I thought it would be best if we waited for General Norquist to finish the repairs on the NASADA shuttle."
"Wait a minute, you let him go alone?" Ashley said in disbelief, her fingers curling around the table ledge. "How could you let him do something so reckless?"
"Ash, I tried to talk him out of it, but there's no changing his mind. He went to the Megaship to check things out, I wouldn't worry too much. We're a team, remember? We're all in this together."
"I'm not too convinced." Carlos admitted as he sat upright, earning surprised looks from his teammates. He looked over their shocked faces and sighed. "Look, you guys can't deny that Andros still isn't completely onboard with us helping him. The guy is too secretive and likes to keep to himself. He's not really a team player at all."
"You're right." Cassie agreed, a dejected look in her eyes. "Even though he agreed to let us help him, he still doesn't trust us. How are we supposed to work together to find Zordon if our leader prefers to work alone?"
The rangers' conversation was interrupted when their communicators went off. They looked around the room to make sure no one was watching before leaning close to TJ as he answered the call.
"Go ahead Alpha." He said.
Ai, yi, yi, yi, yi! Rangers, Andros has taken off for the Dark Fortress alone to stop Astronema. You have to do something!
"He went alone?" TJ asked, suddenly worried for their friend.
Yes, and you must hurry. Who knows what Astronema will do to him if she finds him on her fortress?
"Don't worry Alpha, we're on our way." TJ said as he and the others stood from the table, quickly tossing down a few dollar bills before running out of the Surf Spot.
The rangers ran to Carlos's jeep and hopped in, strapping their seatbelts on just as Carlos peeled away from the curb. As they rounded a nearby corner, Ashely had to hold onto the side door to keep herself from falling over. She hoped the police weren't staking out the streets today. The last thing Carlos needed was a speeding ticket.
As they neared the NASADA building, they could see their shuttle prepared on the launching dock ready to take off. TJ was relieved to see that it was unharmed as Carlos sped through the front gates and slammed on the brakes, the car screeching to an abrupt stop just outside the main entrance. Just as the rangers prepared to make a run for it, several flashes of light appeared in front of them, stopping them in their tracks. Suddenly, a group of Quantrons materialized, their weapons aimed and ready to take down the rangers.
"Not now." Cassie groaned as she removed her leather jacket and tossed it carelessly to the side. If they were about to have a battle with these goons again, her arms needed all the mobility they could get.
The rangers raised their arms in defense and slowly stepped away from each other as they assessed the situation. There were ten Quantrons to defeat and based on the way things during their battle on Jupiter, this wasn't going to be an easy fight.
"Let's do it!" TJ commanded before running towards one of the foot soldiers. He leaped up into the air and sent a kick straight into the Quantron's chest. The soldier stumbled back into another soldier, the two of them falling to the ground. As TJ landed, the Quantrons were back on their feet again with their weapons ready. TJ jumped out of the way of the curved blades as the Quantrons tried to subdue him. He gasped as the one on his left just barely missed slicing through his torso, the blade tearing through his shirt. He dropped to the ground into a sweep kick, the Quantrons leaping over his extended leg, before lying on his back. He then used his hands to push himself up off the ground so both of his feet slammed into the chest of one of the Quantrons. He smirked when one of the two disappeared before moving on to the next one.
Ashley ran across the parking lot as two of the soldiers chased after her. She spied a set of concrete steps and ran up them quickly as they chased after her. She smiled when she spied a door to the building. As the soldiers chased after her, she pulled the door open and both of the Quantrons slammed face-first into it before tumbling down the stairs. She smirked before leaping over the railing and going into a forward roll to relieve the impact of the fall. Once back on her feet. She took off running to help assist her friends.
Carlos and Cassie worked together as six of the Quantrons attacked them. Cassie elbowed one of them in the chest before stomping down on the foot of another. Just as the third Quantron tried to take a swipe at her with his blade, she wrapped her arms around the neck of another and forced him in front of her so he could take the impact instead. The Quantron disappeared and she quickly moved to take on the remaining two. Carlos was faring well against his opponents as well using a bent metal rod that he had found lying on the ground. He successfully knocked the blades out of two of his attackers' hands and then swung the rod downward to knock the Quantrons off their feet.
"Carlos, behind you!" Ashley shouted as she ran towards him. Carlos turned around just in time to see another Quantron raising its blade up in the air, prepared to slice him in a downward motion, but Carlos used the rod to block off his blade, the two of them pushing against each other to prevent himself from getting hit. The Quantron continued to push against the rod and Carlos's eyes widened when he saw it starting to bend. Before it could snap, Ashley ran towards them and kicked the Quantron in its side.
The creatures made a strange noise before disappearing suddenly, leaving the Astro Rangers alone in the parking lot. TJ ran over to his friends and smiled in relief that none of them had been injured.
"That was way easier than the last time." Ashley said as she pumped her fist into the air victoriously.
"Definitely." Cassie agreed. "I'm never taking my morphing powers for granted ever again."
"Come on you guys, we have to go and help Andros." TJ reminded them. The others nodded before running inside of the building.
Andros leaned forward on the accelerators of his Galaxy Glider as he urged for it to go faster. Astronema was here, right within his reach. He had no time to wait for TJ and the others to make up their minds about what was most important. The only important thing was that the woman who was single-handedly responsible for slaying his teammates was alive and well. He made a mistake the last time. He was so caught up in his grief over losing his friends and failing as Red Ranger that he allowed Astronema to get the upper hand and leave. He would never be able to erase the image of the Dark Fortress leaving KO-35's orbit as he lay on the ground slowly bleeding out from his wounds.
Andros grit his teeth angrily as he pushed the memory to the back of his mind. He had no time to get caught up in painful memories. He had a mission to complete.
Just as he neared the ship's orbit, a laser blast flew right past him. Andros's eyes widened in shock as he looked up and spotted the Dark Fortress's cannons aimed directly at him. His position had been compromised.
The Dark Fortress began unleashing several blasts and Andros felt his hair standing on end as he did his best to dodge the blasts. At this rate, he was never going to make it onboard. The Galaxy Glider was great for traveling short distances through space, but it wasn't equipped with lasers strong enough to thwart of those from the Fortress.
"Back to the Megaship then." He said before doing a complete U-turn and heading back from whence he came. As he headed back towards the Megaship, he heard a strange sound. He spared a glance towards the Dark Fortress, his eyes widening as a shaft opened up at the bottom of the ship revealing an even larger cannon. It began emitting a cyan glow as it powered up and aimed towards the earth. Andros gasped when he suddenly realized the fortresses true target.
"The shuttle, oh no!"
TJ and the others ran through the security gates of NASADA determined to reach the shuttle as fast as possible. If Andros was going after the Dark Fortress, they knew he was going to need their help whether he wanted it or not.
General Norquist was waiting at the control panels when the teens ran through the doors. Thankfully, he was alone.
"Ah, I am glad that you have returned." He said with a smile.
"It's great to see you too, but we have a huge problem." Cassie admitted. "Please tell us that the repairs to the shuttle have been made."
General Norquist nodded before giving them a thumbs-up. "All systems are good to go. Although, they haven't been tested yet."
"Mind if we take it on a test run then?" Carlos asked hopefully. "We sort of need to get into space as quickly as possible."
Dr. Norquist noticed that they were short one teenager and raised an eyebrow. "Where's Andros."
"Andros is the reason we have to go." Ashley said. "He's going after Astronema on his own and we have to help him. Please let us use the shuttle."
"Go ahead, but please rangers, be careful."
TJ looked at his friends and nodded. "Let's Rock It!"
The General watched in amazement as the four teens quickly morphed into the blue, black, pink, and yellow Astro Rangers. He had yet to see these new costumes on the rangers and he had to admit, they were extraordinary. TJ motioned for his teammates to follow him before taking off down the long corridor that led to the shuttle. General Norquist then moved to prepare a launching sequence.
Just as the rangers entered the launching bay, a green light materialized in front of them. When it disappeared, a strange being was revealed. He appeared to be made out of sharp metal that was dark black with green webbings etched across it. His eyes were a bloody red and his head came up to a point. He held a sword that was made of the same material as his body and he had a red cape strapped onto his back. He could be a robot, he could be an alien. All the rangers knew is that he wasn't from earth and he was obviously an enemy.
TJ and the others came to an abrupt stop when the creature stretched his right arm forward, the tip of his sword aimed right at them. When a beam of green electricity shot out the tip, the rangers dove out of the way to avoid the blast.
"Who are you?" Carlos demanded to know as he rolled back into a standing position.
"Who I am is none of your concern. Just know that I am the one who will be responsible for your deaths. I will not let you onboard this shuttle."
"We're getting on that shuttle one way or another." TJ shouted. "I don't care who you are, we'll go through you if we have to."
"I'd like to see you try." He retorted.
"Satellite Stunner!" Cassie shouted as she summoned her new power weapon. She aimed the dish at the monster and began firing but much to her surprise, the pink beams were doing little, to no damage. She grit her teeth and fired another time but her attack still had no effect. Ashley summoned her Star Slinger and also began to fire upon the monster but the yellow beams from her weapon had the same results as Cassie's.
"It's not working!" Ashley said incredulously. The monster ran towards her and Cassie and swung his sword, striking both girls across the chest. They were knocked up into the air and fell down to the ground a few feet away.
"Ashley, Cassie!" TJ shouted as he spared a glance at his teammates. Carlos moved to check them over for any serious injuries while TJ summoned the Astro Axe and moved in for a direct assault. The monster used his sword to fend off the axe, sparks spraying off the blades as they connected. With an evil laugh, the monster brought down his sword on TJ's helmet. He let out a pain-filled cry as a power surge went through his suit before stumbling backwards.
"I wasn't too sure before, but now it's clear to me that you aren't Koyu."
"Koyu?" TJ repeated the name slowly. It was foreign to his tongue, very uncommon. Why had this monster thought him to be someone else?
"You guys aren't the Astro Rangers, just cheap knock-offs. Taking you out will be easy."
"What did you say?" Carlos asked, his voice booming with anger as he summoned the Lunar Lance.
"Such a stark contrast between you and Andante." The monster spoke, amusement in his voice. "He would never lose his cool like that. What, are you going to strike me in a blind rage?"
"Don't let him get to you Carlos." Ashley said as she grabbed his arm pleadingly. "He's just trying to get you worked up so you'll make a mistake."
Before the rangers could make a comeback, the monster raised his sword up into the air. The rangers watched in horror as a large ball of green electricity began to form above the monster's sword, zipping and cracking with electric sounds.
"Lookout!" TJ shouted as the monster threw the ball towards them. The rangers dove out of the way just in time and the attack slammed into the ground where they had been standing moments before. There was a huge explosion and the rangers shielded themselves from falling debris as NASADA sirens began blaring all around them.
The smoke slowly cleared away and Carlos slowly lifted his head and squinted through the clouds of smoke that were billowing throughout the room. He looked up and was shocked to see that part of the NASADA building had been destroyed by the impact of the attack. What if he and the others hadn't gotten out of the way in time? They would've been destroyed.
"Ecliptor!" a voice shouted from overhead suddenly.
The rangers looked up and gasped at the sight of Andros approaching on a levitating, red surf board of sorts. He leaped off of the machine before summoning his Spiral Saber and aiming it at the monster.
"Andros, you're alright." Ashley said, her voice flooded with relief.
"Sorry it took me so long to get back." He apologized before turning his attention back to the monster.
"I'd recognize that voice anywhere." The Monster spoke as his chest rumbled with laughter. "Hello Red Ranger."
"I won't let you destroy the NASADA shuttle Ecliptor." Andros growled.
"Ecliptor?" TJ said as he looked at the monster. "Who is he?"
Andros struggled to maintain his composure as he glared into the eyes of Astronema's right hand man. "He works for Astronema. He's very dangerous and if he's here, the shuttle is definitely in trouble."
"You'd better believe it." Ecliptor spoke. "I have to admit Andros, I am surprised to see you making a miserable attempt at leading a new group of rangers. Didn't you learn last time? You aren't cut out to be a leader."
TJ and the others turned to Andros and could see how tense the Red Ranger was as Ecliptor spoke. Ecliptor was someone from Andros's secretive past and he obviously knew him very well.
Ecliptor began walking towards Andros, his sword aimed at him as he laughed. "The Astro Rangers were rumored to be the best in the Karova System and the entire galaxy when Cain was Red Ranger; but the minute he and his team passed on his powers to you and your friends, you became a mockery of the legend they were. You tried your best, I'll credit you for that, but in the end, it just wasn't enough. It did Astronema and me a great pleasure of killing the rest of your Astro Rangers."
TJ and the others gasped at the revelation. Ever since Ashley had stumbled upon the morphers locked away on the Megaship, they had been curious about the previous wielders. Now, things were starting to make sense. Andros liked working alone and he hated accepting help from others. He had been so unforgivably cold to them when they first met, determined to remain a solo act rather than becoming a team. Now they understood. Andros's teammates had died under his leadership. The guilt forced him to push away others.
"Andros, is that true?" Ashley asked him softly as she rested a hand on his shoulders. She could feel him tense up at her touch and she bit her bottom lip, hoping that he wouldn't shut her out once more.
"You're going to pay Ecliptor." Andros said with a feral growl, his nostrils flaring. "You and Astronema are going to pay for it all!"
Ignoring his friends, Andros ran towards Ecliptor with his Spiral Saber in-hand. This monster, this abomination was mostly to blame for the fate his team had suffered. Their blood rested on both his and Astronema's hands and Andros would see to it that he paid for his treachery.
A/N: Review!
