The Power Rangers, Magna Defender, and Mike Corbett are all property of their perspective owners. I own all other characters created by me.

A DEFENDER REBORN: CHAPTER XI

The battle was in full swing and Mike had already downed a bunch of the robotic soldiers, but for every one he destroyed, two more appeared to take its place. Most of the villagers had already escaped the village, but the stragglers were now being guided to the temple as a last refuge.

Mike studied the battlefield and noted that the spearmen were doing fairly decent against the high tech automatons. Unfortunately, they were losing the battle and were starting to get overwhelmed. Just then, Mike spotted Korga about twenty feet away at the bottom of the temple steps facing off against two bronze soldiers at once. He had dropped his spear and managed to grab both robots by the back of the head and smashed them together. The robots fell to a heap at his feet. Only moments to catch his breathe and he was facing two more. However, this time a third bronze soldier warped in behind him and struck the big man in the back of the head. Mike raced towards the big warrior and blasted the bronze soldier in the middle, which got the attention of the other two long enough for Mike to leap into the air, do a split kick and take them both out. He turns to Korga, who is trying to shake the cobwebs out of his head, and offers him a hand up. The proud warrior hesitates before taking the offered hand.

"I am indebted to you, stranger. Those bronze abominations would have surely finished me. I thank..." An explosion next to them interrupted Korga and sent the two flying in opposite directions.

Mike landed hard in the dirt and rolled over onto his side while holding his chest and tried to scan the area through the smoke to see who or what had attacked them. No TAC has that kind of firepower. Mike thought. As the smoke cleared, he could make out two figures. The first figure was a massive creature that seemed to be cut from gray and blue steel. It was built like a linebacker and wore gray armor to protect its chest, forearms, knees, and shins. What Mike really noticed was the extremely large pistol that the creature was brandishing.

Next to the creature, was a more human looking individual with a slightly red complexion. He wore black pants, a golden breastplate, and a black cape that seemed to flap in the wind of its on accord. Mike staggered to his feet and knew this person must be the "Master Golde" the Carshans had referred to. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Korga get to his feet as well and, also, realized he no longer had the Viper.

"You must be Master Golde." Mike said as he tried to move between them and Korga.

"Yes. I am Master Golde, second to Lore Chrome, and you must be the annoying off-worlder who ruined our earlier plans to kidnap the chief's granddaughter. I owe you one. RARRRGH!" Golde stated and then let loose a green energy blast from his left hand. Mike leapt to his left landing on the steps of the temple

"Hey, you can sue me later, but leave these people alone. What would an obviously powerful psychopath like you want with these people?" Mike stated as he got back to his feet and reached behind his back having come up with a plan.

"Me and my father, Lorde Chrome, have come for the legendary Phoenix Flame. It is a relic of ancient power that will guarantee my father's rule over the entire universe and I will rule by his side. HA HA HA HA HAAAAA!" Golde explained.

"Yeah, we're here to take the Phoenix Flame. Now, get out of the way." Torque blurted out and took a step forward. A little on! Mike thought and then heard a small beep from behind his back.

"Sorry, gentlemen, but we're fresh out of Phoenix Flame, but here try this and tell me how you like it."

Mike pulled the Battle Baton from its holster at the small of his back and tossed it directly at Golde and Torque as he started to run up the steps. Unknown to Golde, while he was boasting, Mike had set the BB to overload and it was now about to detonate. Both aliens' eyes grew wide when they saw the silver object sail towards them and hit the ground. They leaped out of the way just as the BBs' plasma core went critical and exploded in a ball of blue-fire.

"This way, stranger. We shall make out last stand here in the temple." Korga yelled as he moved quickly to the temple's entrance.

Mike looked back and noticed that Golde and his flunky were already recovering from the small explosion and would probably not be very happy. He kept running, and eventually, had to duck a couple of energy bolts aimed at his head. He practically dived through the immense double doors as the aliens rained laser bolts down on him and the temple.

The doors closed behind him with a thud and Korga was quickly ordering some of the spearmen to lower an enormous beam across the door to lock them into place.

"That should keep the invaders out for a while. The temple is fortified for this very situation." Korga stated loudly to assure himself, as much as, to assure the other villagers who were frightened.

Juna grabbed Mike around the elbow and helped him up from the ground. She smiled with relief that her new friend was not hurt.

"I guess they didn't like that kind of flame." Mike said with a smile and started to dust himself off, but a loud boom shook the entire temple sending bits of stone and dust down on everyone. Mike tried again, but another explosion rained down more debris. He let out a sigh and gave up.

As the bombardment continued, Mike examined the large room he and the others were in. The room was about thirty meters wide, forty meters long, and ten meters high. Another hand-made rug the color of crimson adorned the temple floor and ran from one end to the other. Huge columns ran down each side of the room and a lit torch was set on each pillar to provide light to the expansive area. At the opposite end of the room, up a short set of wide steps, was a smaller set of golden double doors engraved with the image of a phoenix on each half of the door. Juna followed his eyes to the doors.

"That is the Chamber of the Eternal Flame. It is where the flame lies, but no one has been in that room for almost a thousand years. A magical field bars anyone from entering, so even if we perish here today, Master Golde will never be able to enter." Juna explained with assurance that Golde and Chrome would never get what they wanted.

"Well, I don't plan on just lying down and dying." Mike replied.

"Is there another way out of the temple?"

"Probably...let us check with my grandfather." Juna said as they shuffled through the crowd of people and headed near the back of the room.

They found Chief Nexis at the bottom of the wide steps in mid-prayer. Mike, not wanting to be rude, gave the old man a few minutes to finish his prayer. As soon as he was done, Nexis turned to them and spoke.

"Thanks to you Mike Corbett. I hear your courage in battle is not an exaggeration. Once again, you have my thanks in helping protect our village."

"Your welcome. Now, can you tell me if there is another way out of here? Possibly, through here," Mike said and started up the steps.

"I do not know, but even if there were, we would not be able to open the sacred doors." Nexis answered.

"Well...when is the last time somebody has tri-..." Mike started and placed his hand on engraving of the phoenix.

Suddenly, the engraving began to shine a bright red and the golden doors slowly opened to reveal a dark staircase. Mike, unsure of what had just happened, stepped away from the door.

"What...what happened?" Mike stuttered and turned around to see almost everyone on his or her knees in prayer.

"You are chosen, Mike Corbett. The Temple of Eternal Flame has not opened its Inner Sanctum to anyone in almost a thousand years. Go, Mike Corbett, and tell the Flame of our plight." Nexis raised his head to explain.

"Come on!" Juna blurted out and was dragging Mike into the staircase before he could object.

As they disappeared down the stairs, there was an explosion at the front doors that sent smoking debris and people flying across the room. The great beam that had been lowered in front of the door had been cut cleanly in two. A big hole now rested in the middle of the double doors. A moment later, Master Golde and his henchman, Torque, easily stepped through followed by his army of bronze soldiers.

"Sorry we're late. Did we miss the party?" Master Golde said with a smile.