Chapter 26: The Issues
Andros limped through the hall with his cane clicking against the floor in the halls. The servants would stop and bow to him, which he would acknowledge. Making his way to the conference room, he saw Karone and his parents there. Zhane's holographic image was above the conference table. "Zhane, what's going on?" he asked.
"I wish I had better news, the only good thing going on is the fact that Gratha can't pin us, but we can't pin them down either," Zhane replied.
"There has to be some sort of opening," Andros insisted.
Zhane clicked a few buttons on his end, showing Andros the map. "They have made it so we are unable to pass through the Blacklands. We are attempting to send some spies to see if we can get through anywhere else," Zhane replied. Andros looked at the map.
"Send a small group over towards the East, see how many lookouts are there," Andros instructed.
"I'll be back with news as soon as they have it," Zhane answered.
Hecuba wrapped her arm around Karone's shoulders as she stared at Zhane's image. "I love you," Karone told him.
"I love you more," Zhane answered.
With that, Zhane cut the transmission and Karone let out a shaky breath. Andros limped over to his sister, embracing her gently. Karone hugged him back as a tear slid down her cheek and onto his shoulder.
When Ashley found her husband later, he was sitting in his study. He was staring at the fireplace; the fire was blazing since it was becoming winter on KO-35. His hands were resting on his cane, staring into the flames. Walking over to him, Ashley moved her hand along his shoulder. "Hey," she said softly. Andros let out a deep breath as his wife sat on the edge of the sofa beside his chair. "What are you thinking about?" she asked.
"It's been over a year since this war started, exactly one year today. Our son is three months old, my niece is over a year old and my best friend is missing this," he replied.
Ashley frowned, but then she jumped when Andros slammed his cane into the floor so hard that the sound echoed off the hardwood floors and the walls. "I just want it to stop," he muttered, lowering his head onto his hands.
He let out a deep breath. "I am a failure as a future King and leader to this planet," he muttered, "I can't even fight alongside him."
Getting up, Ashley pulled the cane from his hands and set it on the sofa before she knelt down between his knees. Reaching up, she rested her hands on his cheeks, forcing him to look at her.
"You are not a failure," she insisted, "You are the greatest man I had ever known."
Andros reached up, resting his hands over hers. "You nearly gave your life for this planet," she added, "You sacrificed so much for your people."
Ashley rested her forehead against the top of his head. "You are one of the most selfless people I have ever met," she whispered, "You are not a failure." Andros wrapped his arms around her back. "And I love you for it," she added, becoming emotional. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and then his neck. "I love you," she repeated. Andros hugged her a little tighter.
"I love you," he replied, "I fell in love with you the moment your father showed me the holo of you."
Hearing him say that made a tear fall and she hugged him even tighter if it were possible. "I hoped my love would've been strong enough for the both of us," he added.
"You never have to worry about it again," she answered, "I love you more than anything in this universe."
Ashley kissed his cheek again. "You have given me everything I could ever want and more, and I will be spending the rest of my life trying to repay you," she whispered. She pulled away, stroking the hair from his face. "I never want to hear you call yourself a 'failure' again. You are anything but a failure," she insisted.
Night fell, Andros was laying in his bed watching his wife sleep beside him. Getting up slowly, he pulled on his workout clothes and limped his way out of the room and down the hall.
Ashley woke up a few minutes later, she saw that her husband was gone. Getting up, she pulled on her robe and went to search for him.
She found the training area, looking inside she found her husband practicing some fight movements. So far he was doing well, practicing the punches and dodges with an invisible opponent. He stumbled though when he put more weight on his bad leg and he leaned back against the wall. Getting back up, he was going to fight through the pain and did another punch into the air.
Ashley bit her lower lip, she saw him struggling to try to get his injured body to cooperate with the training he had gone through since he was a child. The muscles in his back flexed with every move. She bit her lower lip, her heart racing in her chest. This was the first time she had ever watched him practice his routines. Walking over, she saw that Andros saw her in the mirror. Her hands moved down his sweaty back, moving so she was pressed a little closer to him. Her fingers moved along a scar that was on his back, she could tell it was a saber hit the way it was slashed diagonally across his back. She leaned forward and pressed gentle, loving kisses along the scar. She leaned forward and pressed gentle, loving kisses along the scar. She reached over and grasped his hand, pulling him back a little bit. At first he was reluctant, but their eyes locked contact.
She stepped backwards, pulling his arm, silently telling him to come with her. Andros followed her back from the training facility.
They made it back to their bedroom and Ashley stood in front of her husband, her fingers trailing over his chest. Andros leaned forward and captured her lips with his in a kiss. Ashley kissed him back before she pulled him over to the bed. She had him lay down and moved to straddle his hips. Andros reached up to move her shirt off when she grasped his hands. "Let me pleasure you for a change," she said with a wink. She pressed a kiss to his lips before she started leaving hot kisses down his chest. She was slow, making sure her hands were always touching him.
Andros's breathing was a little heavier. He let out a groan when her hand ran over the front of his pants. She smiled knowing that she was the one making him groan. She continued with her ministrations, but then Andros's body was getting really hot and his pants were so uncomfortable now. "Ashley…" he half-groaned, half-begged. She hushed him softly before she kissed him again and removed their clothes.
She smiled down at him as she straddled his hips again. She let out a moan as she slid onto him, her hands resting on his chest. Andros reached up, grasping her hips as they started moving together. They made love well into the night, Ashley proving to her husband that he was everything to her.
The next morning, Ashley was feeding Sai in the nursery, smiling as her son was content in her arms. She stroked his soft hair, her finger tracing down his cheek. She heard a knock on the door and looked up. "Enter," she called out softly. Karone opened the door and smiled a little.
"How is he?" Karone asked.
"Oh he's growing," Ashley replied, the baby reaching up to grasp her fingertips.
She held the baby's tiny hand between her fingertips and kissed his little fingers. Karone couldn't help but notice such a change in Ashley. Andros was right all along; she was happier once Sai came along. "Motherhood agrees with you," Karone commented. Ashley smiled at her as she rocked lightly in her rocking chair.
"He's a good baby," she replied, "Very calm and doesn't cry much."
"Three months old, it's hard to believe," Karone commented.
"I know and he's so alert," Ashley agreed.
As if he knew they were talking about them, Sai pulled away signaling that he was done. "I'll take him," Karone said softly as she took the baby into her arms. Ashley fixed her dress and let out a breath.
"What was it like going to school on Eltar?" Ashley asked.
Karone looked up at her. "It's a good Academy. You learn fight training all through your academic career. Andros, Zhane, and I were training to be Rangers," Karone explained.
"You never took the morpher though," Ashley commented.
"I did for a while, but I gave it back when I became pregnant with Meissa," Karone replied.
Ashley took Sai back, having her son rest on her shoulder and she rubbed his back. "Do you regret it?" she asked.
"Giving up my morpher?" Karone asked.
Ashley nodded her head slowly. "Well, no, because I had a higher calling. Being a mother to my daughter, it wouldn't have been right if both of her parents were off planet fighting in this war," she replied. Ashley looked at the baby that was dozing on her shoulder. "And Sai is lucky to have both of his parents in his life. I know Andros struggles with the fact that the healers have said the damage to his leg are too extensive to fight," she added.
"He wants to be there to help Zhane," Ashley replied.
"Zhane needs him here," Karone stated, "Andros is safer here."
Ashley nodded her head slowly, letting out a breath.
Andros was staring at the map where his and Enar's armies sat. he rubbed his forehead and let out a deep breath. He felt a hand on his back and looked to see Hecuba standing there. "What troubles you, my son?" she asked. Sighing again, Andros looked back at the map.
"This area here, it's No-Man's land. No armies can make an inch either side," he replied.
"Which makes it easier for Enar to target our armies," Hecuba stated.
Andros nodded his head. "I should be there," he answered.
"Your place is here," Hecuba told him gently, "You have done your service."
Shaking his head slowly, he tapped his cane on the floor. "I haven't done enough," he insisted, "I'm just sitting here with my family while my people are away from their families."
"You nearly lost your life for your people," Hecuba answered.
"It doesn't feel good enough," he persisted, looking at his mother, "My role as not just a King, but a Ranger is to protect the lives of the innocent."
Hecuba could see her son struggling with such a weight on his shoulders. "I made a vow as a Ranger when Zordon officially picked me to carry my father's mantle. I vowed to protect the lives of people who are unable to defend themselves, to serve the galaxy until my very death," he explained.
"I was there when Zordon made that decision, Andros. You need not to remind me," Hecuba answered.
"I am breaking those vows," he said in a near growl.
"Your morpher is beyond repair, Andros. Even if you could fight again, your powers are limited," Hecuba answered.
Andros slammed the end of his cane down on the floor, his face slightly red with the anger coursing through him. "Sometimes being a soldier doesn't mean you have to be on a battlefield, son. Sometimes it requires diplomacy," Hecuba stated.
"I can't negotiate with a King who has attacked innocent civilizations over mines!" Andros answered, "I have negotiated for years and for what? For him to start a war and to kill millions of innocent people."
"This is what we struggle with as the Royal Family, my son," Hecuba answered, "Is admitting that we have our own weaknesses, that our abilities as royalty can only go so far."
Hecuba walked over, resting her hand in the middle of his back, rubbing circles through his flight suit jacket. "We are only human," she told him gently, "We bleed as others bleed."
"What do we do, mother? Do we give up?" he asked.
"No, we work to find a way," Hecuba replied, "But wars are fought just as much behind the battlefields."
Andros closed his eyes, his loose hair falling around his face almost as though to hide his shame. Hecuba stroked the hair from his face and over his shoulder. "My sweet boy," she said softly, "Your job is far from over."
"I feel like I have nothing more to give," he admitted, swallowing against the lump in his throat, "Enar wants to kill us all."
"As King you find it within yourself to pull whatever is left and give it. Even when you feel as though there's nothing more to give, there is always more," Hecuba answered, "What people don't understand is the sacrifices we make of ourselves for what is best of our people."
Andros closed his eyes tight. "It is not easy to be King. People see Royalty as something out of a storybook, we walk around with beautiful jewels, and we wave to our people and bow to our allies. They see us as actors in a show, they don't see the difficulty in decisions we have to make," she explained. Hecuba continued to stroke her son's hair. "We are seen as our people's saviors, and as Royalty we have to do what we can to keep our people's loyalty," she added, "You have earned your people's loyalty, my son. You sacrificed your life to protect those people, but then you seemingly came back from the dead giving everyone hope." Andros wasn't convinced yet and Hecuba hugged her son tightly, reassuring him that he was doing the best that he could even if he wasn't convinced. All they could do was hope that there would be an end to this war.