8:53 pm

Distantly, Xanthe heard the Mesozoic Rangers burst into the manor, but didn't pay it any attention. She was completely absorbed in her task. The few Akra who hadn't gone with Joshua sprang up and joined the battle, leaving Xanthe tied to a chair leg in a corner. She closed her eyes.

Slowly, quietly, Xanthe had followed the telepathic link back up to Urisus's brain, channeling all of the Akras' minds safely into the Queen's, keeping them quiet when nothing important was happening. One by one, Xanthe took over the connections from her dead cousin. The Akra Queen, gearing up as her ship headed for Northside, didn't seem to notice the change. From what she'd said and implied about Aquitians, she probably couldn't tell the difference.

Xanthe's head was already buzzing with voices. With grim satisfaction, she realized that her experience trying to hold off the various voices the Akra Queen had forced into her head was helping. Ironic. A chair smashed beside her head, and she decided to put her operation on hold for a little while. Opening her eyes, Xanthe scanned the battle.

Mesozoic Blue and Aquamarine, respectively male and female, each had about five or six opponents, but fighting hard. The Blue Ranger was flattened to the ground by a black wolf, but caught in the joint of the neck with his axe. It howled and fell on its side, and he yanked the axe out as it turned back into a female Monitor. Cracking a whip, Mesozoic Aquamarine kept her attackers beyond arm's reach, each hit drawing a burst of green-blue energy. Still, the two were clearly tired as well as outnumbered.

Xanthe's Gyro Morpher lay on the carpet, a few feet away from her. Grabbing the chair she was bound to, Xanthe scooted forward, dragging the heavy piece of furniture with thumping jolts. Simultaneously, she worked off one of her boots, and stretched out a foot. Catching the chain with her toes, she dragged it back to her lap, and flicked the gyroscope with her toes.

"Sands of Time, Rise Up!" She yelled, and her bonds burst as she morphed. The Queen sensed it, and quickly one of her duplicates activated their telepathic link. "No—Neural Net, Psychic Wave!" Xanthe hurled it at the nearest Akra as the Queen's control made her knees buckle. It was less overwhelming and invasive, more a direct stab to Xanthe's mind. She fell as the wave of energy washed over the room, knocking out everybody who wasn't morphed.

"Bad girl!" The Akra Queen shouted over their mental link, and demorphed Xanthe with a gesture. Xanthe fell to the floor, gasping, and sucked in a sharp breath as the Queen sent a ripple of pain through her mind. Her vision flashed blue, and she clutched at the carpeting, trying to fight off the attack. Inside her mind, the Akra Queen was standing over her, one lightning-covered hand to Xanthe's head, shocking her. Xanthe imagined catching her wrist and forcing it back, but the Queen was stronger, and just kicked her in the stomach.

"Hey—are you okay?" Mesozoic Blue asked, putting a hand on Xanthe's shoulder. She choked and clutched at her head, and heard the two Rangers talking urgently as the Queen telepathically stabbed her fingers into Xanthe's brain. Xanthe screamed and curled up in the fetal position.

"Never—do that—again," the Queen said, her voice echoing in Xanthe's mind. "Understood?" Xanthe couldn't speak, but she grabbed her Gyro Morpher and tossed it away with one tense, shaking hand. The Queen smiled, though her eyes were like chips of flint, and drew back.

"We need to get her back to a shielded room," the Aquamarine Ranger was saying. Xanthe pushed herself up on her elbows, swiping cold sweat off her face, and shook her head. The two paused and looked at her.

"No, I'm fine," Xanthe said, still breathless. She swallowed hard; she'd bitten her tongue and could taste blood. "I-I have a plan to weaken her which requires me to use my telepathy, and the Queen has not figured it out yet." The two Rangers exchanged glances. Then the boy shrugged.

"Fine, we could use a plan. We're taking these guys back to the Silverstar. You coming?" Xanthe shook her head, and the Blue Ranger got up. Aquamarine went a second later, first giving Xanthe a shoulder squeeze. The Aquitian managed a shaky smile, very briefly. Then she closed her eyes and got back to work.


"It's no use," Isinia said, standing. Garfield sat back and shook his hands, leaving the half-dug-out shield transmitter where it was. "Whatever that flicker was, we didn't do it. This shield's being controlled from the outside; it probably compensates for each transmitter we remove."

"Considering we've removed about five, that isn't saying much," Garfield muttered. He took off his helmet and cocked his head to one side. "Thought I heard a bird." Isinia listened. There was a faint screech like a bird of prey, and she nodded.

"Odd. I haven't heard any wild animals in here before now—or perhaps I just didn't notice," Isinia said.

"Don't assume any coincidences," Garfield said. He set his helmet on the ground beside himself and turned to face Isinia. "What's the worst possible reason for that noise you can think of?" The Sirian considered.

"It's a shapeshifter that's going to feed off of everyone left in the city," she replied. "It would turn them into more of itself and create an army big enough to consume the planet." That made Garfield crack up.

"I was talking about worst possible thing in the realm of possibility," he said.

"Those exist. They're called Galvanoids, they nearly eradicated the entire Betelgeuse system before SPD stopped them," Isinia replied seriously, Garfield stopped laughing.

"This universe is bloody bizarre," he muttered. Then he rose, taking his helmet, and stretched. "Now what? Wait for the Galvanoid to strike?"

"I doubt it's a Galvanoid we have to worry about, but yes, we have to wait. The Akra Queen has the next move," Isinia replied. The two began to walk, and Garfield promptly tripped over a chunk of debris. Isinia quickly took his hand to guide him, leading him around a heap of rocks and into a wider street. They were quiet for several minutes, just walking through the dead streets of Northside. The sky was still muggy with clouds, and a still, thick silence hung in the air.

"Any idea on what the Queen's next move will be? You know more about her than I do," Garfield said.

"Left step." Garfield obeyed. "Revenge, but beyond that, no. She thinks she's the one in the right, so she'll probably play by the rules unless we've angered her too much. If I remember correctly, she had a semi-controlled 'evil' side that came up a few times." Garfield frowned.

"Evil side? She's Jekyll and Hyde too?"

"Essentially, though the cause was magic or alien interference, I believe, not chemicals. Downward stairs." The two started down a flight of stone steps. Garfield felt for a hand rail, but he found it twisted half-off, shrugged, and kept his hand outstretched for obstacles.

"Same difference. Um, change of subject, but you're married, right?"

"Yes," Isinia said, smiling a little.

"If it's none of my business then tell me to shut up, but how did you two end up together?"

"This is about Xanthe, isn't it?" Garfield turned his head away, and they reached the bottom of the stairs. "We were friends from the Academy, almost from the first day. I was never much of a fighter, but Doggie helped me persevere. I kept him from doing anything he would regret, as often as I could. We parted ways after graduation, but managed to find each other again. He finally asked me the night after becoming part of what was then Sirius's A-Squad." She didn't say she missed him, but suspected Garfield could hear it in her voice.

"Thank you, but that doesn't really help me," Garfield said ruefully. They were almost in sight of the Silverstar now. Isinia could see Mesozoic Rangers and civilians carrying white-uniformed Monitors into the spaceship, and picked up the pace.

"Wait and see. You both have been through a great deal with each other. When our lives settle down, and you have a chance to know each other in peacetime, perhaps you can ask her again. And you will be able to convince her that she is not some kind of security blanket for you," Isinia added. Garfield gave her a sightless glare.

"You've been talking to her."

"A little, while we were guarding the convoy, but it is fairly obvious," Isinia replied. "Come, we have Akra to detach."


The Akra station landed on the empty land outside the city, shielded, but still sending up a huge cloud of dust as it touched down. Inside, the remaining scientists were working busily around their Queen. There were now seventeen of her, each armed with her own morpher, but most of the other Akra focused on the White Ranger.

"My Queen, why not just vaporize the city from orbit—or strafe them with lasers? We have the capability," one said.

"Because we don't need to. I can handle them—and I need to. It's personal," the Queen replied. She chuckled. "Are you worried about me, Monitor Lawrence? You think eight battered clones and two straggling Rangers even have a chance against me?"

"I don't like risking it," Lawrence replied. He didn't say it, but the Queen could tell what he was thinking. They'd managed to kill both of her children already; the Mesozoic Rangers were stronger than they'd reckoned. Her eyes narrowed, and she grasped his shoulder.

"Those were one-on-one battles, fought almost fairly. Don't worry, I won't make that mistake. Now," she raised her voice, and her duplicates turned towards her. "Overdrive and Wild Force, scout the force field from the air. Mighty Morphin, summon the Dragonzord, it will take time to get here. Scarlet Sentinel, remain here and monitor all telepathic transmissions, coordinate for us and keep that Aquitian under control. Everyone," she grinned, and unclipped her belt buckle morpher, "It's Morphin' Time!"

"Dragonzord!"

"Silver Ranger Power!"

"Shift into Turbo!"

"Let's Rocket! Gold!"

"Sentinel Power!"

"Electrum Power! Lightspeed, Rescue Ready!"

"Fermion Power!"

"Wild Access! Swooping Hawk!"

"Fire Storm, Ranger Form, Ha! Power of Fire!"

"Dino Thunder, Power Up, Ha! Velocirapto!"

"SPD, Emergency! SPD Cyan!"

"Magical Source, Mystic Force!"

"Overdrive, Accelerate!"

"Jungle Beast, Spirit Unleashed! With the power of a Cougar, Jungle Fury Orange Ranger!"

"Engine Cell, Activate! Ready: RPM, Get in Gear!"

"Go Go Samurai, Bronze Power!"

"Omni Ranger, Powers Unite!"

Saffron stands on a black block in a cavern. Her other suits and powers whirl around her in a multicolored cyclone. She raises her arms, and light pours through the prism of powers, transforming into a white beam that envelops her body and forms her suit. Black bands edge her boots and gloves, black armbands and belt snap closed around her body, and a black shield wraps around her shoulders. A unicorn gallops behind her and rears up, whinnying. Its head covers her own, energy rippling up the horn, and she strikes a fighting stance.

The Queen Rangers scattered, Mighty Morphin' already drawing her Dragon Dagger and playing the summoning tune. Running ahead of the others, Wild Force leaped into the air and transformed into a hawk. She was joined by Overdrive Sulfur, who sprouted a pair of green-and-white wings, and they both flew towards the city.

The force field flickered and died, just long enough for the Queen Rangers to leap through the barrier and enter the city. Then it reactivated. The Monitors still in the station were keeping it running, and they got back to their work. Monitor Lawrence glanced towards Northside, shook his head, and sighed. Then the communicator beeped.

"Monitor? I've changed my mind; deactivate the shield and give us a few strafing runs with the cannons. I want the Rangers scared." Lawrence's face lit up with a relieved smile.

"At once, your highness," he replied, and started warming up the controls. The outer hatch closed, and the rest of the Monitors sprang into action. As he worked, Lawrence felt a brief alien presence in his mind, just a flicker. He paused, but it was already gone, and he got back to work, telling himself it was just Urisus's brain. It did things sometimes that could fool one into thinking it was still alive.