Chapter 14: A Promise

Ecliptor stood in front of Dark Specter. "Destroy the Silver Ranger and find the heir to the Red Ranger morpher," Dark Specter ordered. Ecliptor bowed low to Dark Specter.

"Yes, Dark Specter," he answered.

(KO-35)

Zendrix smiled as his son almost tripped trying to catch the telekinesis ball with his telekinesis. "Good job, son," he complimented. Zhane gave his dad a huge grin. "You're getting better," he added. Zhane smiled.

"Thanks, dad," he answered.

The six-year-old let the telekinesis ball float in front of him. Zendrix smiled and placed his hand on his son's shoulder, but then a blast landed near them and knocked them both off their feet. Ecliptor walked up to them with a laugh. "No…" Zendrix trailed off. He got off the ground. "Zhane I want you to go hide over there," he instructed.

"But dad…"

"I said go!"

Zhane hid behind some bushes and watched as his dad got in a guarding stance.

Zendrix backed up every time Ecliptor took a step closer. "I will be infamous when I destroy you," he laughed. Zendrix glared at him.

"I highly doubt it," Zendrix answered.

Zendrix pulled out his morpher. "LET'S ROCKET!" He shouted. He morphed and he pulled out his Super Silverizer. "SUPER SILVERIZER! FULL POWER!" He shouted. Zendrix fired a blast at Ecliptor. Ecliptor held up his saber and the blast went back at Zendrix. The Silver Ranger hit the ground and he held his stomach.

"I thought you would be more of a challenge," Ecliptor laughed.

He walked over and placed his foot on Zendrix's throat. "Now tell me, where is the heir to the Red Ranger morpher?" He ordered.

Zhane felt his heart stop when he saw his dad lying helpless on the ground. "Come on, dad," he murmured.

Zendrix glared at Ecliptor through his helmet. "I'll never tell you," he answered. Zendrix wasn't going to let Ecliptor get a hold of Andros. He wasn't going to break his promise to Alejandro. Zendrix kicked Ecliptor away and he went to grab at his Super Silverizer, but Ecliptor shot it away from his reach again. Zendrix stood up and he tried to fight Ecliptor without his weapon. Ecliptor grabbed onto Zendrix's arm, beant it backwards, and he kicked Zendrix in the stomach. Zendrix winced in pain but then Ecliptor shot a blast at him, that hit Zendrix square in the chest.

Zhane watched in horror as his dad hit the ground and he de-morphed from the blast. "Dad…" he trailed off.

Ecliptor laughed and walked over to Zendrix. He pulled him to his feet and glared at him. "This is the end to the Silver Ranger," he snapped. He pulled out his saber and Zendrix froze when the sword plunged into his stomach.

"NO!" Zhane shouted.

Ecliptor laughed evilly as he let Zendrix fall to the ground. "DAD!" A voice shouted. He looked over to see the young boy coming out from behind the bushes. He laughed evilly and just disappeared in a green light.

Zhane ran over to his father, the tears pressing against his eyes. "Dad, dad," he called. Zendrix looked over at his son.

"Zhane…" he started.

Zhane held onto his dad's hand. "Zhane…you are to be…the next…Silver Ranger," he informed. Zhane shook his head. "You…must…take my morpher," he added. Zendrix placed the morpher into Zhane's hand.

"I--I can't…I'm too small," he insisted.

"Remember what I told you, son?" he asked.

Zhane bit his lip. "Do you remember what I told you?" He asked. The young boy looked at his dying father and he nodded his head slowly.

"Size doesn't matter," he replied.

Zendrix smiled and he touched his son's face. "Your first mission…Cadet Zhane…is to protect the heir to the Red Ranger morpher," he instructed. Zhane gave him a quizzical look.

"I don't know who he is," Zhane answered.

"The heir…is the son of…" Zendrix trailed off and started coughing.

Zhane shook his head. "Dad, dad, who is he?" He asked. He held onto his father's jacket. Zendrix coughed again. "Dad…" he trailed off. Zendrix held onto his son's hand.

"Zhane…you will know…who he is…" he started.

Zendrix was gasping for air and he looked at Zhane. "You tell your mother that I love her very much. You remember, Zhane, you remember…that I…love you," he babbled. Zhane felt tears press against his eyes. "You promise me…promise me you will protect…the heir…" he insisted.

"I promise," Zhane answered.

Zendrix laid back on the ground and his hand fell from Zhane's face. Zhane let out a sob and he placed his head on his father's chest and cried. "Dad come back," he sobbed. In Zhane's hand was his father's morpher. The young boy stood up and he looked at the morpher in his hand. "I will keep my promise dad," he assured him.

"ZHANE! ZENDRIX!" Zhane heard Loraya call.

Zhane felt tears fall down his face. He wanted to answer his mother, but he was frozen in his spot. Loraya walked around the corner and she gasped in horror. "ZENDRIX!" She screamed. She ran over to his still form and she looked at her son to see the front of his shirt just covered in his blood. "What happened?" She asked.

"Ecliptor…" was his only answer.

Loraya stood up and she picked up her son. Zhane wrapped his arms around his mother and cried. Loraya felt tears falling down her face as they both mourned over the loss of a father and a chosen.

(Dark Fortress)

Ecliptor was sitting on the bridge and was cleaning off his sword. "Well done Ecliptor," Dark Specter praised. Ecliptor stood up and he bowed to Dark Specter.

"Thank you, Dark Specter," he answered.

"Did you find Alejandro's heir?" Dark Specter asked.

"No."

"Keep searching."

"Yes, Dark Specter."

(Space Academy: Three Days Later)

"Zhane, you need to learn how to morph," Joran instructed. Zhane stared at the morpher in his hands. "Now, what was the code to your father's morpher?" Joran asked. Zhane looked at him.

"I--I don't know," he replied.

Joran stared at him in shock. "You don't know?" He asked. Zhane shook his head. "This is bad," he muttered. Zhane gave him a quizzical look.

"Wouldn't the code be written down somewhere?" Zhane asked.

"No, because your father was the very first holder of the Silver Ranger morpher. Because he was the first holder, he was the first person to put in the code," he replied.

Zhane bit his lip and he looked back at the morpher. "Zhane, at any time did your dad show you the code?" He asked. Zhane shook his head. "Zhane, you have to think," he insisted.

"I DON'T REMEMBER!" He shouted.

He got up and ran away. Jocasta grabbed her brother's arm. "Damn, Joran. He just lost his father," she hissed.

"We need that code," Joran snapped.

Zhane sat near a river and the tears were falling down his face. "What was that code dad?" He asked. He closed his eyes as he thought of what that code was. "Think Zhane, think," he muttered. He was the next Silver Ranger. He had to figure out what that code was. He bit his tongue as he tried the numbers down the middle of the morpher. "2...5...8...0...enter…" he muttered. He looked at himself to see that he was in the Silver Ranger uniform. "Power down," he commanded. He de-morphed and he ran back inside.

"I DID IT! I DID IT!" Zhane shouted. He held up the morpher. "I GOT THE CODE!" He shouted. Jocasta smiled and she knelt down in front of the boy.

"What's the code?" She asked.

"I can't tell you," he replied.

"Why not?"

The boy smiled. "Because I'm the next Silver Ranger, I promised my dad," he replied. Jocasta shook her head.

"You can't be the Silver Ranger," she answered.

"Why not?" He asked.

"You're too little."

Zhane hid the morpher behind his back and he backed up. "No, I promised dad I'd protect the heir to the Red Ranger morpher, whoever he is," he insisted.

"Zhane…"

"NO! I promised him!"

Zhane then ran out of the base and he ran home.

That night, Loraya stroked her son's hair and she looked at Jocasta and Joran. "Look, Zendrix said that if anything were to happen to him that Zhane would take the morpher," she pointed out.

"But he's just a child. Do you really think Zhane's up for this kind of responsibility?" Joran asked.

Loraya kissed Zhane's forehead and she nodded her head slowly. "Yes, he's ready," she replied.