POWER RANGERS: SPACE PATROL DELTA
YEAR THREE

"HERITAGE"

MESSAGE SENT

As Kat stared at the computer terminal from across the room, she was filled with questions. What kind of message was sent from inside Boom's old quarters? Why was the terminal hidden in a closet? Who sent this message and where did it go? As she contemplated possible answers to her inquiries, she became even more troubled. The doors were locked and only someone with the proper access code could enter.

The only members of S.P.D.'s Earth Headquarters who had such authorization were the department Chiefs, the Rangers, service technicians and of course, herself. She could easily scratch her own name from the list, since she knew she hadn't been in Boom's quarters since he had left his post as her gadget-tester two years ago. She shook her head as she calculated the number of people who made up the other three groups.

She was in a room with two of them at this very moment. She glanced over at Dr. Pryce Jensen, S.P.D.'s Chief of Technology, who was in the process of accessing the terminal's communications drive in an effort to decipher what the message was and where it was sent. Kat still didn't completely trust him. She had believed that her mixed opinion of him was due to his cocky attitude and the fact that he had taken over her post. But now, she wondered if she should be trying to convince herself of his innocence or looking at him as a serious suspect.

On the side of the room opposite the door, Kat glanced at Ghiren, the only other being in the room. The technician had been there for hours scanning every square inch of the quarters, looking for some trace of an intruder. He was a tracking specialist, Kat knew, but she didn't know much else about him. He was dedicated to his work, but Kat had found it strange that he was absent for most of the preceeding day. Before his request for a personal day, Kat had wondered if he or Niyako ever took time off. That was another conundrum. He & Niyako seemed inseparable, yet the communications technician told Kat that she had no idea where Ghiren had spent his day off.

I'm getting paranoid.

Kat shook her head, trying to move past conspiracy theories towards more concrete issues. At that moment, the entrance to the room slid open and B-Squad's Blue Ranger, Boom walked in, looking confused, as he saw Ghiren running his scanner across the floor and Pryce fiddling with the computer terminal. He walked over to Kat.

"Commander, you called for me? What's going on?" Boom asked.

"Boom, when was the last time you were in here?" Kat asked, curiously.

She waited almost thirty seconds for Boom to rack his brain for an answer.

"I'd say it was one year and eight months ago," Boom said, as he rested his arms behind his back, taking the traditional cadet's stance, despite being great friends with his superior.

"And you haven't been around here since then?"

"No," Boom said, before frowning a bit. "Wait...actually, I was kinda on this level yesterday."

"Doing what?"

"Well, B-Squad was headed for training and we wanted to take a bit of a shortcut, so I suggested we cut through Level 4. I was gonna show the guys where my old room was, but then we ran into Duc and we got the distress call from Fernovia," Boom explained.

"You ran into Duc?" Kat asked, looking confused.

"Yeah," Boom said. "He didn't make it to our morning class. He was sick, but he caught up with us around the corner. It was kinda strange since cadets' quarters are on Level 6, but like I said we got called away and it all worked out...I guess. What happened?"

"We had a security breach," Kat told him. "Someone accessed this room and used that terminal to send out an encrypted message."

"Really?" Boom said. "It wasn't me."

"I didn't think so," Kat said. "I just wanted to be sure."

"Of course. You're the Commander now. I understand," Boom said, with a smile.

"And you're the cadet now. You should get back to training," Kat ordered.

Boom saluted quickly and headed for the doors. As they slid open, he almost bumped into Officer Bridge Carson who was heading in at that very moment.

"Slow down there...cadet!" Bridge said, sarcastically, smiling at Boom.

"Yes...sir!" Boom said, with a wink, before hustling off down the corridor.

Kat joined Bridge at the doorway, passing Pryce, who was still on the floor dealing with the terminal.

"Shuttle's ready for take off," Bridge said, as he glanced past Kat into the room. "Any luck with the strange message?"

"None yet," Kat said with a troubling sigh.

She glanced at Pryce for a moment, seeing that he was paying them no attention. She gestured for Bridge to step out into the hallway. She waited to speak until the doors had closed behind her.

"Part of me doesn't want to leave," Kat told Bridge.

"Dr. Jensen's gonna be in charge until you get back," Bridge stated, before thinking again. "You're not worried about him, are you?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I get this vibe from him that there's a lot more going on than he's saying," Kat explained. "Then there's other times when I feel completely comfortable with him. You haven't picked up on anything have you?"

"No. I haven't sensed anything overtly deceptive about him," Bridge said. "But, I haven't spent a lot of time around him either, with everything that's been going on."

Kat nodded her head. Sensing her apprehension, Bridge spoke up.

"You want me to stay behind and look after things?"

"No, Bridge," Kat said quickly. "Sky needs our support and I have a feeling Quinn will too with his mother testifying in Sky's hearing. For now I have to trust Pryce, until he gives me reason not to."

"Well, we still have Sophie sticking around. I'll tell her to keep her eyes open for anything suspicious," Bridge said.

"Good idea. I'll meet you at the shuttle," Kat said, as Bridge trotted off.

Kat turned back to the closed doors. She took a deep breath, as she knew she had to go back in and make sure Pryce knew that she trusted him with the safety of S.P.D. Headquarters. Her conflicting emotions were back again, regarding his behavior. This time, she didn't struggle to push them aside.


As Mia Storm exited the office of Barrett Van Tigue inside the Purgatory Lounge, part of her wanted to spit out the coffee she had just downed, along with her fake smile. Her quiet breakfast with her boyfriend had been interrupted by Lady Vishus. It was becoming harder for Mia to hold in her disdain for Barrett's bodyguard. The scary thing was that she was beginning to feel similar contempt for Barrett as well, so she left them as they prepared for their morning meeting.

As she closed the door, something in her held tight to the doorknob, almost wanting to listen in to see if they were talking about his phone call from the night before. Mia was still troubled at what she heard. Barrett was apparently doing business with cyborgs and making plans that he didn't want Space Patrol Delta to learn about. Mia sighed, finally turning away from the doorway and plowing into the tall green form of Prax. Mia was knocked backwards, but Prax braced her, preventing Mia from crashing into the wall behind her.

"Oh, Mia," Prax said quickly. "I'm sorry. I had my eyes on this morning's newspaper."

"It's okay," Mia said, nervously. "It's my fault. I should have been watching where I was going."

"I think we're even then," Prax said, in his insect-like voice, as he nodded.

"What?" Mia said, looking troubled.

"We were both to blame," Prax explained.

"Oh, right."

"I'm late for my meeting," Prax said, as he pointed at Barrett's office.

"Of course," Mia said, faking a smile. "Barrett and Vishus are already in there."

"Good day to you," Prax said, before disappearing into the office.

Mia watched him go. As the door shut on Barrett's office once again, she frowned. Inside the office, Prax found himself walking in on a different conversation.

"I don't like it!" Vishus told Barrett, sternly. "I know I work for you, but that doesn't give her the right to treat me that way."

"What's going on?" Prax asked.

"It's nothing," Barrett nodded to Prax, before looking back at his bodyguard. "V, I'm sure Mia didn't mean anything. She's just feeling lonely without her daughter. She was upset all day. That's why she had a short fuse with you yesterday."

"It's a good thing you like her..." Vishus said, as she turned her back to him and folded her arms, angrily.

Prax could feel Vishus seething across the room. He knew that her statement was a conditional threat and Lady Vishus was not one to make idle threats. Van Tigue knew it as well. He patted Vishus on the shoulder in an attempt to calm her, as he looked over at Prax.

"How are things coming?" Barrett asked him.

"Well," Prax said, as he held up the newspaper in his hand, which showed a photograph of the destroyed Ivy Square on Fernovia, along with a correlating article. "The news of the Rangers' acts on Fernovia have reached Earth already!"

"Good," Barrett said, with a smirk. "They should really be more careful."

"It's a shame to lose Xenta," Vishus said, through her pouting red lips. "She was such a young, beautiful...piece of machinery."

"It's a war, Vishus," Barrett said, as he strolled around to his desk chair and sat down. "There are always casualties. I would have loved to keep her on the...payroll a bit longer, especially given what I have planned for Earth, but it's an acceptable loss, given the bigger picture."

"Speaking of the bigger picture," Prax spoke. "Have you heard from our S.P.D. informant? How is Piggy doing?"

At the sound of the alien's name, Barrett rolled his eyes. He leaned back in his chair and huffed, as he shook his head in annoyance.

"Not well," Barrett revealed. "If he wasn't keeping tabs on where the Rangers were going, his reports would be useless."

"Then let me kill him!" Vishus said, as she dropped both her palms onto Barrett's desk and leaned over it towards him.

Her tight black catsuit was unzipped enough where Barrett could see her cleavage heaving forth.

"Easy, V," Barrett shot back, keeping his eyes above her neck.

"I'm getting so bored," Vishus responded. "If I don't break something soon, I may explode."

"You'll get your chance, all in due time," Barrett told her. "But for now, Piggy must be untouched. I still need him alive."


Inside the Delta Command Base on Earth, many puzzled minds were trying to figure out the identity behind an encrypted message. While they weren't sure if the culprit was friend or foe, that analogy also described an alien being residing within those walls. Not even he was sure if he was a friend or foe to Space Patrol Delta. The only thing Piggy was sure of was that he had to do whatever he could to ensure his own safety. His debts were piled too high and the current offer on his table was one he couldn't pass up.

The opportunity to wipe that slate clean, however, was proving to come at a high price. He was forced to kill a trusted friend and forced still to transmit a scheduled report to his new boss, Barrett Van Tigue. As he sat at the desk inside his quarters, typing out his latest message feverishly, he could feel his stomach turning.

Piggy was used to that feeling and always knew when it would creep up on him. It was usually at times when he knew he was doing something wrong. As Piggy finished his message, detailing to Van Tigue that two of the S.P.D. Rangers had left for Andruss III, along with Commander Manx, he grabbed a small bowl which sat next to the terminal. Piggy grabbed the spoon and began to scarf down the green gelatin dessert. As the substance hit his tongue, his face became contorted. He turned his head and spat the concoction directly onto the floor.

"Ew, this is the worst mold I've ever tasted," Piggy said aloud, disgusted. "It doesn't even taste moldy!"

He had ordered the dessert from a food dispenser after seeing "jello mold" on the menu. It was a mistake he knew he wouldn't make again. He dropped the bowl back on his desk, not even paying attention to the fact that it spilled onto the floor. He finished his message and pressed the appropriate commands, which sent the email to one of several dummy accounts owned by Barrett Van Tigue. Piggy sighed.

"That's done," he said, as he stood up and limped over to his bed. His injuries from the firewall massacre the year before were flaring up, but he had the fear of his fallen friend to keep his mind off that, for the most part.

He grabbed a sack from underneath his bed and began filling it with the few items in the room that he wanted to take with him. As he grabbed a torn white shirt from the floor, he thought of her again. Z had given that piece of clothing to him, along with most of his other rags, which she had found at a used clothing store. Piggy had added a few nasty touches to make them his own. As he stuffed the shirt into his cloth sack, the practically transparent projection of Z Delgado appeared behind him.

"Going somewhere?"

Piggy jumped in fear at the sound of her voice. He stumbled onto the bed and looked at her.

"Don't you ever knock?" Piggy said, through his chattering gums.

"You can't escape me, Piggy!" Z's ghostly voice boomed throughout the room so loud that Piggy swore the walls were shaking as much as he was.

"I can try!" Piggy said, as he grabbed hold of the sack and headed for the doorway.

At this point he was limping so badly that he grabbed his cane and used it to move a bit faster, out into the corridor. As the doors slid shut behind him, he had left the ghost behind. He walked purposefully down the corridor and turned a corner, passing right through Z's transparent form. Piggy just kept heading for the exit, trying not to stop, no matter what tricks his eyes wanted to play on him.

"Stop!" Z yelled, as she saw him walking further away. "The truth is the only way out, Piggy! The only way!"

"You said it yourself," Piggy said, as he turned another corner, seeing the exit in his sights. "The truth is an impossibility for me. My only option is to get as far away from this place as possible!"

"No, Piggy! Your spirit will never be at rest!"

"If I don't go, neither will yours," Piggy said, under his breath, as he stepped up to one of the Delta Command Base's side entrances.

The doors slid open in front of him.

"Piggy!" Z's ghost yelled from a few feet behind him. "If you leave—"

Piggy stepped outside. As the doors to the base closed behind him, he couldn't hear her any longer. He stopped in his tracks, as he noticed. He turned back to the Delta Command Base and stared at it for just a moment, then he turned from left to right, looking for any sign of her. There was none. Piggy breathed a deep sigh.

"Finally," Piggy said, as he began to walk further out into the city.

Inside her quarters in the Delta Command Base, Z stepped off of the holographic platform that projected her image throughout the base. She silently cursed, as she trotted over to her window and peeked carefully outside. She saw Piggy walking away in the distance. Z slammed her fist on the wall in frustration. While she could project her "ghost" anywhere inside the base, given the projection sensors installed all over the place, she couldn't make her ghostly form appear out there.


"He's up to something," Isinia said, as she glanced at her husband standing in one of the long hallways inside the Galactic Council Center on Andruss III. Cruger rubbed her arm.

"I'm certain of it," Cruger agreed with his wife. "Obla Grutton's calling Ellie Gray to testify for only one reason. To drive the knife even deeper into Sky. He's making this personal."

"Well, I'm going to try to make sure that doesn't happen," Isinia sighed. "I need to go check on Sky. I'll see you inside the Council Chamber."

Cruger nodded, as Isinia walked off, slowly. Given her advanced pregnancy, she wasn't as mobile as she used to be. Cruger watched her walking down the hallway until she turned a corner, disappearing from his sight. His vision was then replaced with the image of two walking figures in the distance. They seemed to be heading straight for him. Cruger took a deep breath, as the two Council Representatives walking up to him.

"Supreme Commander, good day," Representative Alaina Doherty said. Earth's representative greeted Cruger with a bow.

"Good morning, Alaina," Cruger responded. He then nodded to the Council Representative from Fernovia, who had arrived with Doherty. "Representative Urgundii, I'm sorry about Ivy Square."

"It is a devastating tragedy," Urgundii said, his voice tinged with anger. "I just don't understand why the Fernovian Rangers would have engaged in battle there. It's forbidden!"

"They were doing what they thought was right for the greater good," Cruger explained.

"Greater good?" Doherty repeated. "That's an expression that I find very distasteful, especially in situations like these."

"I agree," Urgundii spoke.

"The greater good is the same reason given for Officer Tate's destruction of Omallix," Doherty observed.

"I don't think the comparison is quite so clear cut," Cruger said, annoyed. "The Rangers did everything in their power to keep the people of Fernovia safe, including two of the Fernovian cadets who were held hostage."

"Still," Urgundii continued, "A fundamental piece of my planet is gone. I wished that my people would get S.P.D. interference in this conflict. I never imagined it would turn into a personal nightmare."

Cruger sighed, as he sensed the disappointment in both their voices.

"I apologize again," Cruger said.

"So do I," a voice called out in the distance.

The trio turned to see S.P.D. Earth's Commander, Kat Manx approaching. She bowed with respect to the Representatives.

"I'm deeply sorry for what happened," Kat said quickly. "If there's anyone to blame, it's me. I shouldn't have allowed our Officers to travel with an untested robot."

"I trust that he has been deactivated?" Representative Doherty stressed.

"Yes, ma'am," Kat responded. "I saw to it personally before leaving Earth."

Representative Urgundii continued to shake his head, as his gaze lowered to the floor.

"I'll never understand it," he said. "My planet ravaged by robots...on both sides."

Urgundii walked away without another word. Alaina Doherty cut her eyes at Cruger for only a second, before following after Urgundii, no doubt trying to further mend the situation.

"Why do I get the feeling Sky just lost a vote?" Kat mumbled to Cruger.

He took a deep breath and turned to her.

"Opinions change quickly in the realm of politics, Kat," Cruger said, a bit more optimistically. "There's still a long way to go."

"I just hope it's long enough," Kat said, seriously.


Outside the Galactic Council Center, Quinn Gray stood, lightly tapping his heel on the ground. He was careful not to push too much. He didn't want to inadvertently activate his genetic power and go flying off into the clouds. He had been waiting for this moment all day. Finally, the hover-tram arrived. He caught sight of his mother stepping off, behind a few other visitors. He made his way through them and smiled, as he locked eyes with her.

With only a few feet separating them, they both stopped. It had been so long since they had seen one another and that had ended badly after the revelation that Nathan Tate was his father. After only a few seconds, Quinn extended his arms towards her and smiled. Ellie walked over and embraced her son tightly.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time, causing a welcomed chuckle.

"What are you sorry for?" Ellie said, as she looked into his eyes. "You called. After everything that happened on your birthday, you called. That's all I needed."

"How are you?"

"I was doing fine, until I got summoned here," Ellie said, a bit troubled. "I don't know what this Advocate Grutton thinks I can contribute to Sky's case."

"I have a feeling he's going to try to drag Sky further through the mud, using you to do it," Quinn said, angrily.

"You're getting emotional over this," Ellie said, as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I guess you and Sky have made progress?"

"I think so," Quinn said.

"That's the best news I've heard in a while," Ellie said, as she hugged him again. "I'm sure Sky could use all the support he can get."

At that moment, they heard a bit of commotion several yards away. As they turned, they saw a large crowd of reporters moving closer towards the Council Center. Quinn frowned, as he saw the large rabbit-like ears of Obla Grutton moving in the middle of the crowd.

"Oh no," Quinn muttered. "It's him."

Ellie looked at the crowd of reporters, as the flashes from their recording devices went off, apparently focused on Grutton. The Grays watched as the frenzied reporters began to disperse a bit. Grutton made his way through the crowd and it was at that point that they noticed he wasn't alone. Quinn took a few steps forward, as he saw Grutton had his arm around someone and was ushering that person through the crowd. It was a woman...a human woman.

"Who is that?" Quinn wondered, as he looked closer at the raven-haired woman.

"Sky's mother," Ellie said, as she caught a glimpse of Stephanie Tate, walking with Grutton into the Council Center.


As Sydney Drew sat on the piano stool, next to her accompanying alien pianist, Rogi, she smiled. Spending time with him rehearsing was one of the rare times she felt alive inside the Purgatory Lounge. He had just played a tune from his home planet that was his daughter's favorite.

"You should play that one sometime for the crowd," she told him.

"Oh please, Syren. We both know they only come to see you," Rogi said back, with a hearty chuckle.

She patted him on the back, as she heard a glass shatter behind her. She turned on the piano stool and heard Mia curse from behind the bar. She glanced over at Rogi.

"I'll be back."

Rogi nodded, as Syd walked over behind the bar and saw Mia trying to pick up the small pieces of glass that now littered the floor. Syd grabbed a towel from the bar and knelt beside her.

"Be careful," Mia said quickly. "Barrett wouldn't like it if his star got cut."

"You okay?" Syd said, as she handed the towel to Mia, who began gathering up the smaller pieces, while Syd disposed of the larger ones.

"Do you ever wonder if it's worth it?" Mia said to her.

"What do you mean?" Syd looked confused. "If what's worth it?"

"Nothing," Mia said, as she threw the glass-filled towel into the trash and grabbed a fresh one.

"Come on," Syd said. "Talk to me."

After a moment of silence, Mia sighed.

"I guess I just don't know who to trust sometimes," Mia said.

Syd was now more confused than ever. Was Mia talking about her? Had she somehow caught on to Syd's ruse?

"Trust?"

"I put my faith in..." Mia's voice trailed off, as she caught herself. "I put my faith in an ideal that I just don't think can come true anymore."

Breathing a silent sigh of relief, Syd pressed on for more.

"This is about Barrett and Anna?" Syd guessed.

Mia stood up and sat the rag on the bar. Syd stood up next to her. As Mia opened her mouth to speak, she heard the piano playing on the other side of the room, where Rogi was tapping the keys. She then saw Lady Vishus coming from the back of the lounge. She watched Barrett's personal valet and bodyguard stroll out the front door.

"I can't talk about this now," Mia said, her voice low. "Not here."

"Then, come by my place," Syd said. "It's private. We can talk about whatever you want."

Mia thought over her troubling thoughts for a moment and then nodded to Syd.

"Okay," she said. "I'll meet you there later. Maybe it'll help me sort through things."

"I hope so," Syd said, with a comforting smile.

From outside the Purgatory Lounge, Lady Vishus watched their exchange from a window, as she sneered.


Inside the main laboratory of S.P.D. Headquarters, Doctor Pryce Jensen had a huge task in front of him, a task that he had placed into his own hands. He had moved the three dormant Delta X Series robots from the center of the room, which was now occupied by a large table, which held the parts of the robot known as Deuce. He had scanned all of the circuitry twice and was in the middle of studying the data when he heard the doors to his laboratory slide open. He glanced up at his unexpected visitor.

"You're in trouble," Sophie said, as she walked in closer, seeing what he was working on. "Didn't Commander Manx halt all the work on the Delta X robots?"

"She stopped the field testing," Pryce corrected. "I'm not field testing. I'm trying to figure out what went wrong with your friend, Deuce here."

"Don't confuse me with Bridge," Sophie said. "It wasn't my friend. It's a robot. It's not like it thinks or feels or even wanted friends."

"I never knew cyborgs were so defensive," Pryce said, as he went back to studying the data. "What can I do for you, Sophie?"

"I just came to get an update on that encrypted message. Bridge filled me in before he left," Sophie explained.

"Still nothing. I'm running several decryption programs to see what I can come up with, but so far, no luck," Pryce said.

"I wonder who sent it," Sophie said, as she noticed that Pryce was paying more attention to his work on the robot than he was to their conversation. "So, is there anything I can do to help?"

"I thought I was in trouble," Pryce said.

"Me helping you won't change that," Sophie said, with a smirk. "Despite the misconceptions about cyborgs, we actually do have a lot in common with robots. Maybe I can assist."

"Unless you've got some secret circuitry knowledge that I don't, I doubt it will help speed things up. I have to send Deuce back to Vanguard X before Commander Manx returns from the hearing, or I really will be in trouble," Pryce explained.

"Well, why don't we just cut to the chase then," Sophie said, as she unzipped her white jumpsuit and began to peel it off, revealing a pastel pink t-shirt underneath.

"Whoa, Sophie!" Pryce shouted. "I don't know what your definition of assisting is, but you're moving a little too fast for me...and that's saying a lot!"

"Do you want to get a look at my circuits or not?" Sophie retorted. "I think it might help you get a new perspective on things."

After peeling the jumpsuit down to her waist, she lifted up her shirt, allowing Pryce to see her bare back. As he looked closer he noticed a familiar symbol etched into her outer skin.

"Vanguard X?" Pryce looked confused. "You were created by Vanguard X?"

"Yep," Sophie said. "The Cybortech Series."

"Cybortech Series? I've never heard of it."

"I'm not surprised. There were only five created, before they discontinued it because of public outcry. They thought cyborgs were going to invade society," Sophie said.

"Five? Do you know what happened to the others?"

"When I realized what I was I got curious and contacted Vanguard X, but they wouldn't tell me. They just advised me to keep quiet about myself and not try to find the others. Given all the ridicule of cyborgs at the time, I followed their advice," Sophie explained.

"Xenta," Pryce said, under his breath, as he walked over to another table and picked up a piece of her broken arm. "Do you think Xenta may have been one of the five?"

"I fought her," Sophie said. "Her reflexes were superhuman and she fought with emotion. There was life in her eyes. I wouldn't doubt it."

"Bridge seems to think that Blaze was a cyborg too given his skills and their family connection," Pryce said. "If they were both from the Cybortech Series, they're practically your family too."

"They're not my family, no matter where they come from!" Sophie said, angrily.


Piggy turned a corner, passing another building and he couldn't help but look behind to make sure that the ghostly apparition of Z Delgado was truly gone. He even felt his mind begin to clear, as he got farther away from the Delta Command Base. He stopped in his tracks and took a moment to breathe in the fresh air.

At that moment, he heard a rustling in a nearby alleyway, which almost caused him to jump out of his skin. He peeked around the corner into the alley and it was then that he saw a white cat run out from behind a dumpster. As the feline sprinted past Piggy and down the street, he breathed easy. He leaned his back against the brick wall and shook his head.

Further down that alleyway, behind the dumpster where the cat had previously emerged, Z Delgado was wearing her street clothes, thankful that Piggy hadn't come further in to find out what had spooked the cat. She peeked around the dumpster and saw Piggy leaning against the wall, with his sack in one hand and his cane in the other. She looked troubled.

For she knew that there was no way she could project herself out here in the middle of the city, with no projection sensors and no holographic platform around. She also knew that she couldn't use any of her duplicates. They looked too real to fool Piggy, after he had come so close to her ghost already.

On the other side of town, Barrett Van Tigue found himself checking his email account for word from Piggy. After opening up the new email, he felt troubled. Piggy not only told him the whereabouts of the Rangers, which was valuable knowledge to Van Tigue. He also revealed in his message that he was leaving Space Patrol Delta, because he couldn't face the memories of his past there and what he had done. Barrett's frown intensified.

"Oh no, Piggy," Barrett said to himself. "You're not getting off that easily."


From the moment Ellie Gray took the witness stand inside the Galactic Council Chamber there had been absolutely no sound heard in the room. Ellie could actually hear herself breathe. As she walked up the aisle to take her seat, she had told herself that she wouldn't look into the gallery. But, as the silence continued for what seemed like an eternity, she couldn't fight the urge.

Ellie Gray looked up and saw that the room was indeed full. The first face she saw was Sky's. He sat stone-faced, looking at her. In fact, they were all looking at her. Isinia & Doggie Cruger, Kat, Bridge, her son and the filled rows of reporters and interested bystanders all had their eyes on her. Her eyes spread across them all until her gaze stopped on the right side of the gallery and she locked eyes with the dark-haired woman in the front row there.

The fire in Stephanie Tate's eyes seemed to be burning a hole through Ellie in that moment. Her contempt was obvious and expected, Ellie thought. However, the fact that Stephanie was not seated on her son's side of the chamber spoke volumes. The sound of Advocate Grutton's hard-soled boots knocking against the marble flooring destroyed the silence. Ellie turned and looked into his golden eyes.

"Mrs. Gray—I'm sorry. It's Ms. Gray, isn't it?" Grutton started.

"You can call me Ellie if you'd like."

"Ms. Gray will be fine," Grutton said, slyly. "You retired from active duty with S.P.D. over eighteen years ago. Is that true?"

"Yes," Ellie said quickly.

"You returned to Newtech City late last year. Why?" Grutton asked.

Ellie glanced a bit towards the Council altar, and saw that all seven of them were also staring directly at her, silently.

"I went to visit my son."

"Your son?" Grutton pressed on.

"Yes. Quinn Gray," Ellie confirmed.

"You met Officer Tate during that visit. Is that right?"

"I met Sky Tate years before that. He was about five years old," Ellie explained, as her eyes nervously shifted to Stephanie Tate. "But, my visit to Newtech City was the first time I had seen him as an adult."

"I understand he conducted a personal tour of Earth's Delta Command Base. Tell us what happened," Grutton said.

"I hadn't been to the base in many years. There had been a lot of changes. We didn't have a Delta Command Megazord when I was active," Ellie explained. "Sky offered to show me some of the areas that had remained the same. He led me to an interrogation room."

"What happened next?" Grutton asked, as he appeared troubled.

"Sky began to ask me questions. He was pressuring me for answers regarding his father."

Murmurs began to rise from the gallery.

"Order," Galactic Council President Otto Cali spoke up quickly to silence the bystanders.

"How would you characterize Officer Tate's behavior?" Grutton asked.

"He was angry," Ellie spoke honestly. "He refused to stop his tirade until I told him what he wanted to know. That was when my son came in. He and Sky tussled."

"Tussled?" Grutton fished for clarification.

"Sky pushed Quinn up against a wall," Ellie revealed, a bit annoyed at Grutton's line of questioning.

At that moment Isinia rose from her seat and faced the Council altar.

"I don't see the relevance of this. Ms. Gray was retired at the time of Omallix's original capture. She had no information with regards to that case...nor to this one," she shouted.

"It goes to Officer Tate's state of mind. This incident occurred only weeks before he committed murder," Grutton shot back.

"We'll allow it," Cali said, after a few nods from the Council representatives. "Continue, Ms. Gray."

"I thought he was going to hurt Quinn. I yelled at him. He finally calmed down and he let him go," Ellie said, abbreviating the events of that day.

"You yelled what?" Grutton asked.

Isinia called out again.

"Again I ask, what's the relevance of the question?"

"Again, I say it goes to the state of mind of Officer Tate," Grutton said, throwing his arms up in protest. "This witness revealed information that enraged Tate to the point where he could commit an atrocity. I think it's very relevant."

After a few moments of whispering amongst the Council members, Cali turned back to Ellie Gray.

"Answer the question," he ordered.

Ellie took a deep breath.

"I told them...that they're brothers," Ellie revealed.

A chorus of gasps and mumbling were heard coming from the gallery inside the chamber, filling it with clamoring voices, as President Cali again called for order.

"I'm sure that was a painful secret for you to reveal," Grutton said, as Ellie picked up on a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Why did you?"

"Sky was angry. He wanted to know what I knew about Nathan that he didn't," Ellie said, looking confused.

"But there was more to it," Grutton said. "You said you thought he was going to hurt your son. You were scared of him, weren't you?"

"I...I didn't really think he would go that far," Ellie said.

"But you felt your son was in enough danger to tell Tate that you had an affair with his father. It sounds to me that you did it to protect your son from Tate's wrath," Grutton said.

"I object to this," Isinia said, as she tried to stand up quickly. "My fellow advocate's opinion on Ms. Gray's state of mind is not a factor in this hearing!"

"I retract my statement," Grutton said, bowing slightly in concession to Isinia, before turning back to Ellie. He moved closer to her, staring straight into her eyes. "Tell us, Ms. Gray. Were you afraid of Schuyler Tate that day?"

Ellie's eyes had been trained on the floor for the past minute. She knew she would speak the truth. Her head slowly rose and her eyes drifted to Sky, who sat emotionless, watching her.

"Yes."


As Mia Storm ascended the staircase in the rear of the Purgatory Lounge, she couldn't help but stop for a moment and look back down at her boyfriend's office on the ground floor. The door was closed and she saw Barrett leave with his associates, Vishus and Prax almost an hour ago. But still, the sight of his office took her back to the moment she overheard his phone call.

She was about to reveal that information to a trusted friend. But, as Mia stepped up to Syren Dean's apartment door, she wondered if she could accomplish what she had come to do. She hesitated, as she raised her hand to the door. Then, she knocked.

Mia waited nervously for a few moments, as she didn't hear any response from within. Part of her wanted to turn around. Was Syren even there? They had agreed to meet up, but that was hours ago. Mia turned away from the door, eager to give up.

But then, it opened.

Mia turned to see Syren standing in the doorway wearing a light pink robe, which she seemed to be tying up.

"I almost left," Mia said. "Am I interrupting something?"

"I thought you might have changed your mind," Syd said, with a smile. "I was about to get dressed for my performance tonight. Come in."

"You sure?"

"Come in!" Syd said, as she grabbed Mia's arm, gently pulling her inside.

Like a true undercover operative, Syd glanced out into the hallway briefly, checking for any other signs of life, before closing and locking her door. Mia dropped her purse on the coffee table and slumped onto the couch. Syd grabbed one of the sofa's gray decorative pillows and sat down next to Mia.

"So, what's got you so upset?" Syd asked, not waiting for Mia to open up.

"You were right," Mia said, lowly, as she stared at her fingers, fidgeting. "It's about Barrett."

"What happened?"

As she began to feel the water forming in her eyes, Mia shook her head.

"I'm frightened," Mia said.

"Of what?" Syd asked, looking curious. "Of Barrett?"

"Of his business," Mia answered. "I overheard a phone conversation last night. Barrett is in deep with something. It's just driving home the fact that he can't help me get my daughter back."

"Why not?"

"When I first met Barrett, I thought he was perfect. He gave me a job and he seemed really interested in a relationship with me," Mia explained, as the tears began to flow. "I told him about Anna. He listened to everything. He promised to help me. I believed him."

Syd wasn't sure what to say. Should she condemn Barrett, hoping that Mia might tell her more about the conversation she overheard? She didn't want Mia to clam up.

"All's not lost, Mia. There's still time," Syd said, finally.

"If what I heard on the phone is true, Barrett's mind is somewhere else, somewhere dangerous. That can't help me," Mia said, as she stared into Syd's eyes.

"Oh Mia," Syd said, sadly, hoping Mia might say more.

"Listen to me!" Mia said, angrily. "I'm just as bad. All this time I've been trying to get Barrett to help me get back my daughter. Talk about ulterior motives. I'm just as bad as he is."

Syd grabbed Mia into a comforting hug, as Mia broke down. Syd let out a deep breath, thinking, wondering just how she could turn things in her favor and still help Mia. For now, she was drawing a blank.


Back in the Galactic Council Chamber on Andruss III, Obla Grutton had taken his seat. The floor now belonged to Isinia Cruger. As she made her way, slowly, from behind her advocate's table, she kept her eyes on Ellie Gray. Isinia didn't look upset. She didn't look happy. She tried to look as neutral as possible. She hoped her demeanor would show the Council that she wasn't worried about the way things were going in the case. She wanted to show them all that nothing Grutton had presented was damning enough to convict Sky.

"Ms. Gray, I only have one question for you," Isinia said, with a calming nod. "Do you blame Sky for his reaction to you on the day in question?"

Ellie Gray seemed taken aback by the question. A few feet away, Sky seemed curious. From his seat across the chamber, Obla Grutton looked nervous.

"No," Ellie said, sincerely. "Of course not."

"Tell us more," Isinia said.

"I shattered the image he had of his father," Ellie said, as she looked at the Council. "Any child would be shaken by that."

She turned and faced Quinn, who was seated between Bridge & Kat in the front row of the spectator's gallery.

"My kid was crushed too," Ellie spoke earnestly. "Nathan and I made a decision all those years ago. It was a decision that changed lives. Sky was hurt. He had every right to be."

"What do you know about rights?"

The raised voice of Stephanie Tate penetrated the Council Chamber. All eyes turned from the witness seat where Ellie sat to the other side of the chamber, where Stephanie was now standing, looking furious.

"Order," Cali said calmly.

"You destroyed my family!" Stephanie screamed at Ellie.

"Order!" Cali yelled out, as murmurs from the gallery were growing louder.

"Mrs. Tate, please!" Isinia called out.

"No!" Stephanie shouted. "She did all of this! It's all because of her!"

As Stephanie continued her hysterical outburst, Cruger rose and walked over to her, grabbing her by the arms. Sky rose from his chair, as many in the chamber had also done. Quinn kept his eyes on his mother, as everyone else was focused on Mrs. Tate. Ellie looked uneasy as she took in Stephanie Tate's verbal assault.

"Stephanie, stop it," Cruger said.

"This is all her fault!" Stephanie yelled across the room, before turning to Cruger. "And yours! You allowed her to tear my family apart and now my son is here because of you!"

As Cruger heard Stephanie's words, he caught sight of the Galactic Council representatives, all standing. He glanced at Representative Urgundii, who was shaking his head, somberly. Cali continued to press the chime on his control panel, calling for order, but as the voices grew louder and the flashes invaded the calm, he knew there was no use in continuing.


Pryce Jensen was nervous as he stared at the exposed circuits inside Sophie's back. He had hooked her up to his computer terminal and downloaded a wealth of information about how her operating systems worked. The Delta X robots were downright primitive compared to Sophie. Still, something felt wrong to him about practically deactivating Earth's Pink Ranger. After the download was complete, he detached her from the upload connector and closed the panel on her back.

Pryce walked around in front of Sophie, seeing her head slightly bent forward, unmoving. He reached behind her neck, gently brushing aside her blond ponytail. With only a slight push to the back of her neck, Sophie was active once again. Her head bobbed up immediately. Her pupils blinked red. Pryce saw her glance at him for a second, as her eyes seemed to move quickly in many directions, as she checked all of her systems.

"You okay?" Pryce asked.

"Fully functional," Sophie said, as she smiled. "Did you have any luck?"

Pryce sighed, as he walked over to the computer terminal, twisting it around at the base, allowing Sophie to see the readouts.

"Your programming is remarkable, Sophie. It's like nothing I've ever seen before," Pryce explained. "But, it would take a complete overhaul of the Delta X Series design to implement any kind of changes based off your circuitry."

"Sorry I couldn't be more helpful," Sophie said.

"You know the thing that intrigued me most was the way your brain works," Pryce said, as he pulled up a schematic of Sophie's brain, which he had downloaded. "If the Delta X robots had something like this, it would solve a whole lot of the problems we've had with Deuce. I wish I could make some sort of fully robotic equivalent of a brain. He could tell us when he's malfunctioning, just like you could."

"That would have certainly helped on Fernovia," Sophie said, as she walked over to the table where the salvaged parts of the cyborg, Xenta lay.

"Still thinking about our earlier conversation?"

"About the Cybortech Series being like a family?" Sophie said, as she shook her head. She picked up Xenta's arm and pointed the exposed circuitry at Pryce. "This doesn't make someone a family."

"I see where you're coming from."

"To most people, I'm a piece of equipment, no smarter or alive than Deuce over there. Finding someone like me doesn't make me feel whole. It's the people who accepted me that do. Bridge, Kat, even Commander Cruger...they treated me like I belonged. They don't care about the Series One Processor Hyper Intelligent Encryptor. I'm just Sophie to them. That's family," Sophie said.

"I understand," Pryce said, as he watched Sophie heading for the doors.

"If you need anymore...assistance, let me know," Sophie said with a smile, before exiting.

As Pryce Jensen glanced back at the terminal, showing the readouts he downloaded from Sophie's systems, he sighed. Sophie was closer to everyone in this base than he was. Pryce wondered if he could ever be a part of this family. Was it even possible?


A few miles away from the Delta Command Base, someone else who had been invited into the S.P.D. family was trying to find the quickest path out. Piggy turned a corner, unsure of exactly where he was headed. All he knew was that he couldn't turn back. As he noticed a bus station in the distance, he wondered if he might find a sympathetic ticket holder...that he could steal from.

He prepared to cross the street when a black limo pulled up, almost taking his foot off. Piggy quickly retracted the limb, as the vehicle came to a stop and the back window lowered.

"Looking for a ride, my friend?"

Piggy locked eyes with Barrett Van Tigue, as the door to the back seat opened, revealing Van Tigue and Prax sitting in the back.

"Get in, Piggy!" Prax shouted.

Piggy took a deep breath before stepping into the black limousine, which quickly pulled off. Piggy couldn't help twisting in his seat to look out the back window. The bus station was quickly a distant memory.

"Piggy, we've had this conversation already," Barrett spoke. "You're job with S.P.D. is not finished."

"Look, Barry...Barrett," Piggy said, trying to plead with Van Tigue. "I can't do this anymore. You have no idea what I've been through in that place."

"Why don't you tell us, Piggy?" Prax said. "We're all friends here. You've never had a problem doing this kind of work before."

"You don't understand. I just...I keep seeing—" Piggy shut his mouth quickly, as he realized what he was about to say. He didn't want them to think he was going crazy...even if he was.

"Seeing what?" Barrett asked.

"I can't face what I've done," Piggy said, as he lowered his head. "Sometimes I just hate myself."

"If it makes you feel any better, sometimes we hate you too," Prax chuckled, with his insectoid hiss.

"Listen to me, Piggy. If you don't go back to S.P.D. and carry out my orders," Barrett said, as he placed a forceful arm on Piggy's shoulder. "Then, I won't need you anymore. You don't want to be in that position, Piggy. If you think you're life is difficult now, you haven't seen anything yet."

It was a moment of truth for Piggy. He was faced with a difficult decision. He would either return to S.P.D. and face the ghost of his murdered friend or he would refuse to help Barrett Van Tigue any longer, possibly getting blasted from the very obvious weapon bulge he saw in Prax's pocket. Piggy tried to fight the filthy, dishonorable part of him that usually chose his safety over what was right. He lost again.


The doors to the accused's anteroom slid open and Stephanie Tate was ushered inside, followed closely by Supreme Commander Cruger and Isinia, who was fuming.

"I told you before—" Isinia shouted at Stephanie, as the doors slid closed behind them. But Cruger stepped in front of Isinia, blocking her path to Sky's mother. He rubbed her shoulders quickly.

"Calm down," Cruger said, lowly, before turning back to Stephanie. "Why are you here? Do you think what you just did in there is going to help Sky?"

"It's clear that no one else around here is going to help Sky!" Stephanie shouted, clearly agitated.

"We're the ones trying," Cruger said sternly. "Outbursts like the one you just had in front of the Council will do nothing but show them where Sky gets his rage issues!"

Stephanie stood quietly for a second, as she processed what Cruger said. The doors to the Council Chamber behind the Crugers slid open. Cruger and Isinia turned to see Sky enter.

"Sir, will you and Isinia leave us alone please?" Sky said somberly.

Cruger nodded to Sky and gestured towards the main entrance to the room. Doggie gently tugged Isinia's arm, as she kept her eyes squarely on Stephanie. Doggie could swear he heard a low growl from his wife, as they passed Mrs. Tate and exited into the hallway. After the doors closed behind them, Isinia squeezed her husband's arm.

"He got what he wanted," Isinia said, her voice low.

"What?"

"Grutton...he got what he wanted. He knew. He knew that Ellie wouldn't crucify Sky. That's why he brought Stephanie here," Isinia said, as she shook her head. "He keeps playing us."

"Well now it's your turn," Cruger said to his wife. "That was his last witness. You'll just have to make yours count."

Isinia nodded, agreeing with her husband, as they walked off, putting more space between them and the heated conversation going on inside the anteroom.

"I can't believe her!" Ellie shouted, speaking of Ellie Gray.

"I can't believe you!" Sky said, furiously.

"What?" Stephanie said, giving Sky a shocked look. "I was just supposed to let her sit there and drag us further through the mud?"

"She wasn't trying to do that!" Sky yelled. "She answered the questions she was asked and she answered them honestly."

"I don't see how you let them influence you this way," Stephanie said, as she seemed to be staring off past Sky. "Your father—"

Sky cut her off quickly.

"Don't bring dad into this!" he shouted. "This is about you! My life, my career is on the line, not dad's and you may have just cost me big time."

"I can't just sweep my principles under the rug," Stephanie said, as she held her head high.

"You know what mother, I don't care about your principles anymore," Sky said. "I don't want you in the Council Chamber anymore, ever!"

"You show your mother such contempt," she replied. "I guess you hate me now."

"I could never hate you. You're my mother," Sky said. "I spent a lot of time last year trying to make myself hate my father. I can't hate my parents. Honestly, I pity you."

"You pity me?"

"I do, because I know part of the reason you're here is because of Grutton and his entourage of press. You should be happy. I think you'll make the news," Sky said, giving his mother a cold stare.

Stephanie sneered at her son for only a moment, as she walked closer to the exit. She turned back to him, matching his icy gaze.

"Maybe if they send you to prison, you'll have some time to realize how badly you've treated me," Stephanie said, before leaving Sky alone in the room.


Inside Syd's apartment, she was in her bedroom, trying to figure out how to wear her hair, as she glanced in the mirror. She peeked out into the living room area and saw Mia standing in front of the television, as the Global News Network's evening report was coming on. As Syd saw the face of Cassidy Cornell behind the anchor desk, she almost went back to her mirror. Then, she saw footage playing in the corner featuring some very familiar faces.

As Mia turned up the volume, Syd walked quietly into the area, several feet behind her.

"Advocate Obla Grutton promised fireworks at the beginning of Officer Sky Tate's hearing, but no one could have been prepared for what happened inside the Galactic Council's Chamber today," Cassidy reported, as footage of Stephanie's outburst and Ellie Gray's testimony was shown.

Syd winced, unable to hide her emotion. Thankfully, she was out of Mia's eye-line. Syd was surprised to see Mia watching the report so closely.

"Stephanie Tate rocked the entire Chamber with her outrage which was not only cast upon former S.P.D. Officer, Ellie Gray but also on Supreme Commander Anubis Cruger himself," Cassidy continued.

Syd watched as Mia's head fell a bit and she turned off the television. After seeing the flatscreen retract back into the wall, Mia turned, noticing Syd standing there.

"How long have you been standing there?" Mia said, looking surprised and nervous.

"Not long," Syd said, with a light smile. "Quite a show."

"Space Patrol Delta...sounds like they have some problems," Mia said, as her eyes appeared shifty.

She had a feeling they were in for more trouble and her boyfriend was going to be the ringleader. She dropped the remote on the coffee table and grabbed her purse.

"You're leaving?" Syd said, as she walked over to Mia near the door.

"Uh, yeah. I should go and let you finish getting ready," Mia said.

"But, we didn't finish our talk," Syd said.

"Some other time," Mia said, as she quickly left.

As the door closed, Syd sighed. She walked back into her bedroom and grabbed her cellphone and dialed out.

"Hey, Z. It's me," Syd said. "Mia just left. She knows something. She wouldn't tell me, but it seems like she wants to. I think if I keep close to her, I can get her to tell me what she knows. I'm sure of it. Okay. I have to go."

Syd ended the call. On the other end, Z closed her cell, knowing she also had to go. She had made her way back to S.P.D. Headquarters quickly & quietly, after losing sight of Piggy near the bus station. But, as she saw a black limo parked a few blocks away from the base, she had hope. She ducked around a corner and watched closely as the back door of the limo opened and Piggy got out, with his sack of clothing. Z caught sight of Prax closing the door, before the limo sped off. Z watched Piggy walk slowly back towards the Delta Command Base. She smiled.


Back on Andruss III, Quinn entered the small witness waiting room, carrying a cup of water. As he walked in, he saw his mother sitting in a chair, slumped over, with her face resting in her palms. He sat down next to her and put an arm around her.

"Here," he said, as he handed her the cup of water.

Ellie sipped the clear liquid and took a deep breath.

"Thank you," Ellie said, as she looked into Quinn's eyes. "Not just for the water. Thank you for forgiving me."

"You know I can't fight you," Quinn said, with a smile. "You're ten times stronger than I'll ever be."

"I'm not so sure," Ellie said, as she gently rubbed his cheek. "You know the entire time I was up on that stand one phrase kept running through my mind."

"What's that?"

"Oban Hici," Ellie said.

"Closer towards the light," Quinn translated with ease.

"You remember," Ellie smiled.

"Of course," Quinn said. "I brushed up on my Fernovian for my last trip. I had that phrase running through my mind a few times myself. I could never forget it. You used to say that to me all the time after you and dad split up."

Ellie grabbed her son into a hug.

"I'm sorry, kiddo," she said. "For so much."

The doors to the waiting room slid open and a surprising face greeted them. Sky nodded to his two guards to wait outside, as they had become used to doing. He stepped in, allowing the doors to slide closed.

"I'm sorry," Sky said to them. "I didn't mean to interrupt. I just wanted to come here to apologize."

"What your mom did isn't your fault," Quinn said, quickly.

"That's not all I want to apologize for," Sky revealed. "That day in the interrogation room, I was wrong to approach you like that, Ms. Gray. I should have had more respect for an Officer...and my teammate."

Ellie stood up from her chair, as did Quinn. They walked over to Sky.

"I accept your apology, Sky," Ellie said.

"Me too," Quinn chimed in, with a smile.


Piggy was almost surprised that he had made it all the way back to his room, without any ghostly threats or warnings from beyond the grave. Maybe he had really cleared his head of Z's ghost, he thought. He dropped his cane at the door and threw his sack onto his bed where he began to unpack his clothes, tossing each item back onto the floor where he got them. He found himself pacing around the room, peeking in every corner, even under his bed for some sign of Z. He found none.

He breathed a sigh of relief, as he sat down at his desk and activated his computer terminal. He intended to write another email to Barrett, to tell him of his renewed sense of purpose as it related to carrying out Barrett's plans against Space Patrol Delta. But as Piggy's email account came up on the screen, he saw an ominous reflection through the terminal screen.

It was her.

Piggy closed his eyes, hoping that it was only a minor relapse. He was making himself see things again. He told himself that he just had to take a few deep breaths and it would all be over.

"Welcome back, Piggy," he heard the ghost whisper in his ear, causing him to jump out of his seat like it was on fire.

Piggy practically slammed into the corner, near his doorway.

"It's not over, Piggy!" Z's ghost yelled.

One floor above the haunting, Z Delgado stood on the holographic platform that allowed her to project the image to Piggy.

Piggy slowly slid to the floor, closing his eyes tightly. As the ghost came closer, the only sound that could be heard was Piggy quietly repeating one phrase over and over.

"Sometimes I just hate myself..." Piggy muttered.


On the other side of the Delta Command Base, Kat Manx entered the main science laboratory, wondering just what she would find inside. As the doors slid open she saw Pryce Jensen sitting behind his desk, glancing at his computer terminal. He looked up and smiled upon seeing her.

"Welcome home," he said.

Kat smirked, as she walked further in, noticing a large metal container, with an LCD pad sitting on top of it. She glanced at the pad and then looked back over at Pryce.

"Deuce is all packed up and ready to go?" she asked.

"Yep," Pryce said, as he turned off his monitor, which was still showing the readouts he had downloaded from Sophie. "It's a shame, though."

"You never know," Kat said, as she placed her authorization code onto the shipping order. "There may be hope for the Delta X Series in the future."

"I'm surprised you're being so optimistic," Pryce said. "Does that mean we're keeping the others?"

Kat glanced over at the three remaining Delta X Series robots.

"For now," Kat said. "But, I don't want them activated without my knowledge. Understood?"

"Your wish is my command," Pryce said, with a smirk.

"I mean it," Kat said.

"I got it. Loud and clear."

"Good," Kat said, with a smirk of her own.

She looked into his deep grayish blue eyes and in that moment, she found herself feeling completely safe in his presence. She couldn't imagine him being a traitor to her, let alone a spy.


Officer Bridge Carson strolled up to the doors of the Command Center and gave a much-needed stretch. For Bridge, shuttle rides could be rather cramped. He was glad to be back home. He stepped up to the doors and they slid open. Bridge was surprised to see that the room was empty, except for one lone technician working from the main control console in the center of the room. He smiled at her.

"You're back," Sophie said. "How was the hearing?"

"In a word – bad," Bridge said, as he joined Sophie at the main control console. "Seems pretty quiet in here. You working alone?"

"Yeah," Sophie said, as she pulled her exposed arm closer to Bridge, showing him that she was 'plugged' into the main control console. "Don't worry. I'm monitoring every station from here. I just didn't feel much like resting."

"I can understand that," Bridge said, as he looked around. "Still, isn't it kinda lonely?"

"I'm okay being by myself," Sophie said. "I like to listen to the subtle sounds of the systems when no one else is around."

Bridge watched Sophie close her eyes and raise her head a bit, as she listened.

"Well, I don't really feel like being by myself," Bridge said. "You mind if I join you?"

With her eyes still closed, Sophie answered.

"Of course I don't mind."

"Cool," Bridge said, as he took a seat on the floor, crossing his legs and closing his eyes as well.

As the humanoid silence once again filled the Command Center, Sophie still knew she wasn't alone. She smiled.


Deep on the East Side of Newtech City, Mia Storm closed the front door to Barrett's mansion, after she entered. She wasn't surprised to see no lights activated on the ground floor. She knew Barrett was no doubt still at the club and Consuela was probably already asleep, given her early schedule. Mia bypassed the kitchen and living room, heading for the staircase in the rear of Barrett's rec room. As she passed through the archway, she felt someone grip her arms and press her against the wall near the bathroom. It was Lady Vishus.

"What are you doing?" Mia said, angrily.

"Warning you," Vishus said, as she got extremely close to Mia.

If she had come any closer to Mia, their faces would have smashed together.

"Let go of me," Mia said, nervously, but Vishus was much stronger and more athletic than she was and there was no way she could break her grip alone.

"Not until I'm finished," Vishus said. "There's something I need to make very clear to you, Mia. You're not untouchable."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you and this nonsense with your daughter," Vishus said, slyly. "I wouldn't bring that up to Barrett again. He's busy enough and he doesn't need your drama."

"Barrett doesn't pay you to assess his needs," Mia said, as she felt Vishus grip her even tighter.

"He pays me to protect him...from all obstacles," Vishus said. "So I suggest you stop making yourself into one. Because if you continue on this path, I'll be forced to remove you from the equation...and your daughter too."

Vishus leaned in slightly closer, planting a light kiss on Mia's cheek.

"Don't let your next be the kiss of death," Vishus said, as she sauntered off towards the front door.

As Mia heard the door close behind her, she finally took a breath, as the tears began to pour from her eyes. She was left crushed once again. She had no idea what she could do to fix her current situation. Mia knew that something nefarious was going on with Barrett, but she also knew that she needed him to get her daughter back. But, if he had no intention of helping her, what did she have to lose?

TO BE CONTINUED IN...

"Maneuvers"
Barrett tries to get closer to Syd, which has Lady Vishus
trying to drive a wedge between Syren & Mia. Supreme
Commander Cruger gives heated testimony before the Council.
Piggy seeks Dr. Sevarus's help with his mental issues. Later, Sam
makes a startling discovery. Representative Doherty reveals to
Cruger that a guilty verdict for Sky could mean more than a
prison sentence. Bridge & Quinn testify in Sky's hearing.