AN: Many thanks to PernDragonrider and Slytherine-Angel44 for the lovely reviews. Sorry PernDragonrider, no time travel, though the idea definitely intrigues me. I love time travel stories but that would take me completely in the wrong direction for this fic. And yes, I've seen Star Trek IV which is probably where I got the slingshot idea from. You'll just have to wait until the next chapter to see what happens. Here is a slight interlude.

Once A Ranger
Chapter 13: Lost Among Shadows II
By Daylight

It was a memory of an explosion that broke the blue ranger's seemingly unending slumber. A nightmare where armies of Quantrons and Piranhatrons swarmed like insects and the crumbled debris that was once their command centre became mixed with the sparking metal of fallen Zords and the grey stone of Angel Grove's many buildings. All he had been chosen to protect lying in ruin. His friends, their clothes tattered and burned, looking at him with pleads for guidance, hanging their heads down in despair when they found none. The flash of the explosion that seemed to repeat so many times in his dreams turned into a green light drawing them in, taking his friends away, leaving him alone trapped under the smouldering rubble.

With a sudden breath, TJ awoke and found himself still trapped. Struggling to move, he could feel something clinging to his wrists and ankles binding him to a wall. They felt smooth and cold, more flesh than metal, but whatever they were made of they were strong and he found he had little energy to fight them.

The world was monotone in the darker shades of gray. Across his vision, black shapes flickered like the shadows from a fire. As he looked around trying to make sense of what he was seeing, he caught his first glimpse of colour on the wall beside him. It was pink.

"Cassie?"

His voice came from his dry throat as barely a whisper. He stretched out his arm, his fingers in the hope he could reach her, maybe rouse her, get any indication that she was alive. If he could at least touch her… For a moment, he thought his fingers had brushed hers, but he wasn't certain. His whole body felt numb as if all his senses had somehow been dimmed. He shook his head. He still felt groggy and his thoughts threatened to drift back into dreams, nightmares no more pleasant than the one he was living.

"Foolish creatures!"

The shout helped bring TJ back to reality. He looked around for the source.

"You barely have the intelligence of insects drawn in by the smell of food. How could you fall for such an idiotic trap? Now we've lost half our fleet."

The man's voice came from the silhouette of a tall, lean figure around which the shadows cowered and quivered.

"Damn power rangers."

TJ's eyes opened wide. Andros and Zhane must have been attempting to rescue them. Maybe there was a chance…

"Not as easy as you thought. Hmm?"

"Be quiet, Zedd."

The blue ranger just made out the figure of Lord Zedd tied up in a corner before the figure backhanded the former Lord of Evil into unconsciousness.

"Now that we must replace the ships lost, we truly need another major source of power. These ones will soon be used up and the benefits gained may not be quite enough to bring about my plans."

"I believe I have an idea, my lord," spoke a voice from one of the dark corners. TJ squinted his eyes trying to make out the speaker. He knew that voice.

"Yes, so do I." He let out a dry chuckle. "I'll be glad to add some more rangers to my collection."

"It would be a fitting revenge."

"And this time the battle will be on our terms. In this, you will prove very useful. The rangers will never expect a betrayal."

TJ caught a flash of red light from the corner where the second speaker resided. With the sudden realization of exactly who stood there and what they were planning to do, he renewed his struggle against his bonds. Some remnant of energy awoken by his anger allowed him to break the band holding his left arm. His body fell forward hanging limply from his remaining bound arm, but before he could regain his strength to try to break the others, a shadow appeared in front of him.

The dark creatures had noticed his escape attempt and began congregating around him. Flitting back and forth, one brushed against him causing him to jerk back from the icy touch. It left his skin painfully numb. They reached for him and he tried to pull away, but there was no where for him to go. They grabbed hold of his arm binding it back to the wall as if somehow welding it to the ship. He was left weaker than before his left arm frostbitten to the point where he could no longer feel it.

"Still a little energy left I see. About time we finished with them, don't you agree?"

"Yes, my lord."

The Blue Astro Ranger wanted to shout back at that cold voice, demand to know what he thought he was doing, but TJ could barely move his lips. His surroundings began to blur and the numbness that had pervaded his senses seemed to engulf him as he felt himself falling into a darkness, seemingly even more inescapable than the last.

Next:
Chapter 14: Engine Trouble
The rangers have a bit of engine trouble, but luckily, they happen to know a good repairman.