Via Pacifica: En route to Starbase Elysium
ANS Odyssey, 16:30 hours

Having escaped the clutches of murderous space pirates and the Imperial fleet, the Odyssey Rangers reconvened in the office of Captain Dominic Raines as the ANS Odyssey sped back toward the safety of Starbase Elysium. The newly minted Chrome Ranger Keith Clark stepped forward with a salute and placed the captured morpher on the captain's desk, "Mission accomplished, sir. We recovered the enemy morpher as ordered. Though I should tell you that I had to make use of it to fight the enemy in the battle."

"At ease Petty Officer. That's all right," Dominic said gently as he took the morpher to examine it, "Good work Rangers. I'm just glad that you're all safe and sound."

"Thank you, sir. We're just glad we could take another weapon out of the U'shan Empire's hands," Aaron added giving his team a proud nod as well.

Sage wrung her hands slightly in concern, "Captain Raines? You should probably be aware that this morpher might be a little dangerous. It didn't seem complete yet and malfunctioned a few times when Keith tried to operate it."

"She's right. But it was nothing I couldn't handle either," Keith added stoically.

Raines nodded and continued to handle the device thoughtfully, "I see. Well, maybe we could give it to Dr. Farbanti to have her take a look at. With any luck, she can fix it up and make some improvements like she did with your morphers."

"You really intend to use the enemy's weapon against them?" the Blue Ranger Geo asked with a hopeful grin.

Raines put the morpher down and gave a wolfish smile, "I don't see why not. That does depend on a few other things first."

"Sir?" Qua'lia asked as she quirked her head slightly.

Raines calmly folded his hands and sat back in his chair while looking at Keith, "Mr. Clark? If we can fix up the morpher, how would you feel about joining the ranks of the Rangers here?"

Keith blinked in surprise and considered the question. He hadn't actually intended to use the Chrome morpher before, much less be a Ranger. Yet, the thought had its own special appeal. "I… honestly don't know, sir. I would be honored, but I hadn't given it a lot of thought either."

Raines looked to the rest of the team, "And the rest of you? How would you feel about taking another comrade?"

"His combat experience could be a useful asset," Qua'lia admitted while Sage offered a kind nod.

"And it would never hurt to have a little extra help."

It was then that Rin spoke up and surprised everyone, "With the way he handled himself down on that moon, I think he would make a good Ranger. He has my vote."

Aaron smiled and offered a welcoming hand to Keith. "Well, Mr. Clark? What do you say? Are you with us?"

Keith looked at the outstretched hand before straightening up in a small salute, "I appreciate the offer Lieutenant… but agreeing to become a Ranger is kind of a big thing. I think I'd still like a little more time to think it over, if that's okay?"

Aaron saw Rin give a quiet nod of agreement before he returned the salute with an understanding tone, "Okay, but given the current war that's on, I hope you won't take too long to decide either."

"If that will be all, then I'd like all of you to get some rest," Captain Raines said standing up from his desk and hefting the morpher, "We'll be arriving back in Elysium within the next 24 hours and I've got to make a special visit to Engineering."

"I'm sure Dr. Farbanti will love the tech sir," Rin said as she playfully teased the captain, "Much more appropriate than a bouquet of flowers."

Raines furrowed his brow slightly at the Rangers who quickly suppressed their snickering and chuckling at his expense. He cleared his throat and headed out the door, trying to reassert his normally stoic bearing. "Thank you Miss Niall. I will take that under advisement. Now, I believe I gave you you sailors your orders. Dismissed!"

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the battlefront, the Imperial Exarch Xerxes made his way though the decks of his flagship until he reached the medbay. As usual, the tall regal alien was dressed in ornate ceremonial robes befitting his high office and he calmly strode inside, walking past a pair of armed Dragoons who were dutifully standing guard at the doorway. Xerxes continued walking through the bright and sterile room until he came to a biobed where a familiar figure lay tecovering. One of the former campaign leaders of the U'shan forces sat up slowly and greeted him as he stretched his limbs. "Lord Xerxes? Where am I? What's happened to me?"

"Commander Nessus, I see you're doing much better," the Exarch said folding his hands into his sleeves while taking note of the revived officer. After having taken grievous injuries on the planet of Charybdos, Nessus had been rushed back to Xerxes's ship for life saving surgeries. In the process, Nessus had found himself fitted with several new cybernetic body parts along with being hooked up to some life support systems which were protected by robotic battle armor. In a way, he had become half war machine while still retaining semblances of his 'weaker' organic self.

"You're aboard the Akula, back in Imperial space. Your men had rushed you back here from the incident at Charybdos and you were lucky to have survived."

Nessus paused and gathered his thoughts as it all came back, "Kharon... he did this! That snake betrayed us and almost killed me!"

Xerxes nodded calmly, "Yes. That was regrettable, though we are still searching for him after he went rogue. It seems he's bent on bringing the Empire and the Star League to the bargaining table through his acts of terrorism."

Nessus grunted as he began to move his mechanized arm while speaking in a venomous tone, "I'll find him and destroy him myself Lord Xerxes."

Xerxes put out a hand and kept the commander down, "I've no doubt Commander. But until then, I need you to recover and get familiar with your new... circumstances. I will be in need of your talents in the new future."

"We aren't going after the Rangers or Kharon?" Nessus asked indignantly.

Xerxes shook his head, "No. Right now, the Rangers are in possession of a carrier ship containing a weapon called a megazord. They helped to rout our fleet at Elysium and now we are on the defensive."

Nessus stared incredulously at the news he had missed during his coma before speaking again, "What would you have me do?"

Xerxes looked toward the windows outside with an idle gaze, "I will need you to secure our defenses on the planet of Laguna. I believe it will soon become our next battleground against the Star League and we cannot afford to cede the facilities there."

Nessus glowered quietly for a long moment before giving a nod, "Yes Lord Xerxes. You can count on me to carry out your will."

Xerxes nodded in approval and made his way out the door while passing the guards, "See that you do Commander. For your sake and for mine."

Upon returning to their safe haven at Elysium, the Odyssey Rangers and their crewmates took some time to decompress and catch up with friends before word of their next mission was passed down. A few days had passed and on the Rangers' off-day, they gathered for a breakfast outing at a homey cafe located near the docks. Joining them on that morning were Keith and some other crewmates as well as Princess Sera and Prince Benedict. Sera had wanted to see her Ranger friends again and they swapped stories about Keith's battle with the pirates and the near completion of the Acropolis's refitting.

"That's quite a story!" Sera said brightly toward Keith as she sat at a large table with the others, "And an exciting possibility of getting a new Ranger. How do you feel about maybe joining the team, Keith?"

The security officer shifted uncomfortably and forced a polite smile, "I'm still warming up to the idea Your Highness... but they seem like good people, so that's encouraging at least. If you don't mind my saying, I just find it kind of amazing I'm even sitting here with Power Rangers and royalty from other planets."

"Oh don't worry. We're not all stuffy and intimidating," Benedict said with a kind chuckle, "If anything, I'm the one who feels a little off balance here since the rest of you are all military people and heroes in your own right."

"That's okay. I appreciate your wanting to come to get to know my Alliance friends a little better, especially in a more casual setting," Sera replied.

Nearby, Petty Officer Tiah sat holding hands with Geordi at her end of the table, "Hey. You guys really want to tell the Prince some fun stories, how about some classics, like our trials in basic training?"

The large Caltarian security officer Thor Julut took a moment to swallow a bagel and nodded, "I agree. Every sailor in the Alliance Navy had to pass through Drill Sergeant Cassius Granger in Basic. You can say he made all of us the well-adjusted individuals we are today."

"Speak for yourself," Aaron smirked in amusement, "That old marine is the meanest saltiest cuss in the fleet. I don't miss getting my ass chewed out by him day in and day out."

"I remember spending my first three weeks curled up in the fetal position crying myself to sleep every night," Rin sighed, "Good times."

Tiah laughed, "You think that's bad? During bootcamp, I was so bad on the target range that it took me forever to qualify with a blaster pistol. Sgt. Granger made me hand write a letter to the Secretary of the Alliance Navy apologizing for wasting ammunition and taxpayer money."

"Hate to break it to you T, but you still can't hit the broadside of a battleship to save your life," Aaron teased before she kicked him in the shin from under the table.

Qua'lia turned to Keith and asked, "How about you Keith? Do you have any good stories about getting smoked?"

"I... think I'll pass for now," Keith said trying to be polite.

"That's okay. I've got one," Geordi chimed in, "When Sage and I were in the same officer training class we were standing in formation one day when someone let one rip. Sgt. Granger sniffs the air and turns to me saying, 'Goddamn, Cadet Corrina, you're a disgusting pig! I think you did it! Now suck that fart back in through your nose this instant!' Of course I started laughing and had to do a hundred push-ups so I got burned for something I didn't even do!"

At that, Sage began to giggle and laugh loudly causing everyone to look at her, "Oh my gosh, you still remember? I'm so sorry about that Geo."

The Blue Ranger frowned, "Oh? And why should you feel sorry?"

"Because the person who cut the cheese in formation was me!" Sage answered causing the whole table to laugh loudly at the revelation that was years in the making.

Across the room at another table, Captain Raines was having a leisurely breakfast with his First Officer Cmdr Hawa Jakende and Dr. Amira Farbanti. Raines glanced over and let himself give a small smile toward the Rangers' table, happy that that they were enjoying themselves. He took a sip of coffee and turned back to the conversation at the table as they finished the meal. By now, Amira was already laughing as Hawa finished her story, "Let me tell you, the admirals acted quick when they realized their mistake. No comm officer in the entire fleet could keep from laughing at work while using the abbreviation for Alliance Star Ship. That's why we've used the ANS designation for Alliance Navy Ship ever since."

"It's nice to know even the high and mighty GSA slips up from time to time," Amira chuckled as she drank her tea, "Though from what I've seen while traveling on the Odyssey, you both run a tight ship."

Hawa grinned and elbowed the captain, "Ha. If only she knew us during our time at the Academy or seen us as junior officers, right Dom?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about Commander. It's a proven fact I never make mistakes. Ever," Raines joked back with an innocent smile. As the round of laughter died down, he turned to Amira and asked, "Amira, I was wondering how things were going on that salvaged power morpher. Any luck in fixing it up?"

The doctor tapped her chin thoughtfully with a finger from her bionic forearm, "Well... I have made some progress in reconfiguring it. The U'shan made some good guesses as to how the Arcadian morphers worked, but they screwed up quite a bit in other ways. I'm about ninety percent of the way there, but I'll need a little more time before it's complete."

"I think you'll probably have to double time it," Hawa added as she pointed over to a young Mercurian Ensign from the Albion who was approaching the table.

The young man stopped and offered a salute along with a datapad to Dominic. "Captain Raines? Sorry to interrupt your breakfast, sir. I have an important message from Captain Regan. She wishes to see you and the Rangers on the Albion as soon as possible."

"Thank you Ensign," Raines said as he took the datapad and looked it over very quickly.

"Everything okay Dominic? What is it?" Hawa asked curiously.

He tapped the pad and rose from the table, "Preliminary orders from High Command... that battles are starting up again and we're shipping out to help the Star League."

Hawa exchanged a grim look with Amira and nodded, "Understood. Shall I muster the Rangers?"

Raines grimaced slightly as he looked over to the Rangers' table where everyone was still laughing and smiling over their meal. "Just give them a little while longer. Heaven knows we could all use a few more minutes of peace and normalcy."

Some time later that morning, the Rangers gathered into a large conference room aboard the GSA carrier Albion along with several of its senior officers and those of the Odyssey too. Princess Sera and her parents also joined the meeting along with a few other leaders of the Star League before Captain Minerva Regan took the floor, "Thank you everyone for coming. I called this meeting because Alliance High Command and the leaders of the Star League are mustering forces for another push against the U'shan Empire. Our aim is to drive them back to their original boundary and disarm any other threats they might bring."

Raines snorted to himself in wry amusement recognizing that Regan was being very careful in her wording. She didn't want to openly disclose their intel on the Typhon Cannon but she was using coded language for those few who were in the know. Captain Regan cleared her throat and brought up a holographic display of a planet near the frontline. "We've been given orders to liberate the planet of Laguna which had been recently taken over by U'shan forces."

"Great. That seems straightforward enough," Prince Benedict said crossing his arms.

"I'm afraid not Prince," Captain Regan said shaking her head and bringing up a more detailed layout. The hologram showed a surprisingly beautiful blue green planet marked with many great pools of water on the surface separated by patches of forests and mountains. "The planet is a key strategic point because it possesses a giant rocket launching facility which it can use to deploy interstellar cruise missiles at several nearby star systems. Those missiles can make short warp jumps and then hit other targets in neighboring systems before it's too late. We can't let the Empire control it as it poses a threat to our ships and to the friendly planets around it."

The Rangers all exchanged uneasy looks with each other before Aaron spoke up, "What would you have us do, Captain?"

Regan folded her hands and paced grimly, "Laguna is heavily fortified and has many bunkers holding those missiles. Our job as part of Operation Bunker Buster is to drop some landing parties in to capture the missile silos and to disable the main launcher. As for the Odyssey Rangers, you've been chosen to spearhead the raiding party on the ground. The launcher is well defended in a large mountain bunker so you'll have your work cut out for you."

"No pressure or anything, right?" Rin said nervously before Regan continued.

"The coalition fleet will establish air superiority over the planet while Lt. Sterling and his fighter squadron soften up targets on the ground for the Rangers. Fortunately we will also have the newly restored Acropolis carrier and the Odyssey Megazord at our disposal."

Princess Sera stood up, "Captain, I wish to participate from the bridge of the Acropolis. The Rangers may need help in the coming campaign."

She was surprised when her parents looked aghast and countered her request. Her father shook his head, "That is out of the question Serafina. You've done your part and shouldn't need to risk yourself on the front line anymore."

Sera's expression hardened and she stood her ground, "Father, you don't understand. My sun globe is critical to operating the Acropolis. The Rangers might need me out there and we can't let them down."

Queen Telesto spoke up now with dismayed surprise, "Sera... what's gotten into your head? I know you want to help, but the Rangers can handle this fight. They..."

"They're fighting this war on our behalf now," Sera argued, "The Alliance is staying to help even though they don't have to. I can't keep asking them to put their lives on the line for us unless I'm willing to do it too."

The king frowned, "And what if something happens to you out there?"

Captain Raines interrupted and rose from his seat to try and intervene, "Your Majesty. Captain Regan. If I may offer a compromise?"

The senior captain of the Albion nodded and let Dominic speak, "Your Majesty, I understand your concern and I greatly admire Princess Sera's desire to help. She's shown herself to be brave and resourceful during her stay on my ship so I'd like to offer to protect her again. We can keep the Acropolis on the rear of the battle line as a reserve. The Odyssey will serve as its escort ship in addition to the escort for the Albion."

"No objections here Captain," Regan said approvingly while Sera also mouthed a silent thank you to Raines, "Your Majesties?"

There was a long pause before the Arcadian royals finally relented, "Very well. Just remember, we're putting our trust in you Captain Raines."

"I understand," Dominic said while the rest of the Rangers nodded in agreement as well, "That goes for the rest of my crew as well."

Captain Minerva Regan clapped her hands and adjourned the meeting with a grim look, "If that's been settled, then let's not waste any more time. The tide has finally turned and we have a war to win."