Via Pacifica: Cydonia System
Fortress Bastion, 15:00 hours
Later that day, the evacuation effort continued as the Rangers and their GSA allies hurried to get the people of the colony to safety. During a lull, Qua'lia stepped aside for a few minutes to take a break. She sat down on some wooden crates which were out of the way of the busy streets so that she could eat an energy bar and drink some water from a canteen. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment of peace before she was interrupted by a familiar voice.
"Qua'lia! There you are!" said Rin as she ambled over.
The Pink Ranger sighed and opened her eyes slowly, "Rin? Is there something you need?"
"A word, Petty Officer?" the Green Ranger said as she cheerfully sat down beside her comrade and took a sip of water from her own canteen.
"Something tells me I don't have a choice in the matter, do I?"
"Not really. No," Rin said off-handedly, "I couldn't help but notice there might have been a little tension between you and Lt. Julut earlier."
Qua'lia frowned, "It was nothing... a misunderstanding. It's over and done with."
"Is it?" Rin asked innocently, "You still sound a little touchy and defensive about the whole thing right now."
"I am not being touchy and defensive!" Qua'lia answered in exasperation before she stopped and reeled herself back in with a quieter voice, "Besides, what does it matter to you Crewman?"
Rin shrugged, "I dunno. It just seemed a bit odd. Normally you two seem to get on rather well. Plus, it must have bothered him enough that he came and tried to talk to you earlier."
"You saw that?" Qua'lia asked in surprise.
"I was passing through the square organizing some cargo that was going up," Rin explained, "But think about it. How strange is it that Thor was coming to you about something? The guy is such a grumpy sourpuss and rarely likes to talk to others. He must like and trust you, huh?"
The Pink Ranger felt her face grow a little warm, "I... wait a minute... you think he likes me or something?"
Rin shrugged and took a casual sip of water, "I dunno. I always thought you two kinda had a thing for each other. That's why it was a little unusual to see you two having an issue."
Qua'lia cleared her throat and spoke primly to try and deflect the whole conversation away, "Well you don't have to worry about any of that Crewman Niall. I think it's better to focus on your job right now and not let your imagination get the better of you. Is that understood?"
"Aye aye Petty Officer," Rin sighed as she ended her break and hoped off the crate with a smile, "Good talk... and I hope everything works out okay."
Qua'lia watched the younger Ranger depart before giving a quiet huff to herself. She'd have to get back on duty soon, but now she wished she had a few more minutes to think through some of the things that she might have been avoiding herself.
Meanwhile aboard the Odyssey, Captain Raines sat on the bridge quietly going over the progress of the evacuation. The ship had taken on a number of civilians and was trying to fit as many people as possible with free spaces in the storage holds and the small hangar. He drummed his fingers restlessly on his chair while looking over a datapad when he heard the concerned voice of his temporary tactical officer call over, "Captain? We've got several enemy contacts dropping out of warp near the far edge of the system. They look like Imperial vessels."
He furrowed his brow and tensed his muscles, "What are we up against?"
"A small fleet," Hawa cut in and answered from her console, "We're reading five more troop transports, two battlecruisers, and a number of escort craft."
"That's not good," Raines nodded grimly, "Even if we tried to stand our ground and fight that kind of task force, we'd be risking too many civilians on board. Go to red alert and put all point defense systems on standby. We'll maintain this position as long as we can before they can circle around the planet."
As his crew went to work enacting his order, Raines sent a separate communication, "Rangers? I'm going to need you to step things up down there. There's an enemy fleet that's approaching the planet and we don't have a lot of time."
"Understood Captain. We'll do our best to double time it," Aaron answered, "Russo out."
Raines remained silent and gave his First Officer a worried look hoping that they could make their escape soon... before things would get really messy.
Back on the ground, Commander Nessus waited in the camp of the U'shan invaders as Tekton finished undergoing repairs to his battlesuit. While the combat engineers went about with their finishing touches on the damaged jackhammers, Nessus entered the tent and regarded his ally, "I've just received word that our fleet has arrived to drive off the coalition. If you're almost done with the repairs, I'm ordering another attack on the Bastion shortly."
Tekton shrugged, "They're already going to withdraw from the planet. Can't we just wait until they're gone?"
"We have an opportunity to crush our Ranger enemies here and now," Nessus growled, "Had you not been reckless and foolish earlier we would still be pressing the attack and razing Bastion to the ground right now."
Tekton winced under the tongue lashing and wore a sour face, "Fine. What did you have in mind, Commander?"
Nessus pulled up a holo-display of the mountainous citadel, "We're going to use the evacuation to our advantage. With most of the people gone, defenders will be spread thin so I want to launch a two pronged attack. You will make a direct attack on the front and take down the fortified barriers. I will take a group of jump troops around and make a surprise attack from the western wall."
With that, Nessus turned and departed the tent, "There's no more time to waste. Gather your things. We leave in twenty minutes."
A short time later within the fortified walls of Bastion, the Rangers made radio checks as the crowds thinned and the last remaining groups of colonists were prepped for departure. The Rangers were spread out around the fortified settlement and tying things up on their own ends. Sage gave a tired sigh as she looked around the now quieter street, "Well... we're almost done. Is everyone okay here?"
"I'll be better once we get out of here," Keith replied dourly, "I don't want to get caught here when that new U'shan battlegroup arrives."
Suddenly, there were a string of loud explosions that rang out in the air along with ominous tremors that caused the fortress walls to shake.
"Seems like you spoke too soon," Geordi quipped radioing in from his end, "It looks like our friend with the drill on his face is back and he's attacking the main rampart."
Aaron's voice cut in, "Sit tight Geordi. We're on our way to help you. Rangers, lets go!"
Just as Qua'lia began to leave her post on the other end of the fort to assist, she froze in alarm when she caught sight of several Dragoons flying over the walls on jetpacks followed by Commander Nessus himself. No sooner had they touched down, they began firing their weapons and destroying the buildings around them. "We've got company on the other side too! I'll deal with it and be right over to help!"
By now, Thor was hurrying over with his rifle to join her in the fight but the Pink Ranger waved him off, "No, Thor! Go evacuate the last of the people in our sector! I'll take care of this!"
"And let you fight alone? Not a chance. Besides, I outrank you."
Qua'lia growled in frustration, "But I have Ranger powers to take them on directly. Please Thor! There's no time to fight and argue!"
The Caltarian's features contorted for a long moment before he relented and hurried away to protect the last of the refugees in their area. She nodded tensely and morphed before pulling her blaster pistol, "All right... time to get to work."
On the other end of the fortress settlement, the rest of the Odyssey Rangers had already morphed and arrived to face Tekton on the wall. The ramparts shook again as the alien obliterated the last of the forward barriers with his drill and jackhammers only to receive a face full of blaster fire from the Rangers. The Chrome Ranger pulled out his mace and hefted it, "I don't remember the Cydonians giving you a construction permit for this fortress!"
"If they did, they should get their money back," Rin agreed as the Rangers called their weapons, "Because this guy is doing a terrible job of it."
Tekton growled and activated his power tools, "Laugh all you want Rangers. I let my guard down before, but now I'm going to hammer you into the ground!"
The other five Odyssey Rangers rushed forward and attacked in waves with their weapons. He parried aside Sage and Rin before blocking a dual sword and mace strike from Aaron and Keith. As both Rangers locked him down, Tekton turned his drill nose on them but it was blasted aside by Geordi's bowgun nearby. Tekton growled in frustration before driving his jackhamers into the ground and firing the pistons. The Rangers stumbled about in sudden surprise and they lost their balance while the ground shook violently underneath them. As they struggled to recover their footing, Tekton raised his hammers from the earth and sprayed rocks and soil to momentarily blind his enemies.
Despite being shielded by their helmet visors, the Rangers' visions were obscured and it offered just enough of an opening for Tekton to rush in and break their formation. He went down the line mercilessly battering the Rangers away with his jackhammers or knocking them aside with glancing blows from his whirring drill. Sage grunted as she used her Cygnus Slicer to get back up, "Huh... looks like this guy is a little tough than he appears."
"All right, but how are we going to beat him?" Keith asked after shaking off the blows he took. Geordi paused a moment and glanced around to note the battlefield. He turned to the Red Ranger and gestured to the ramparts that they were battling on.
"Maybe we should do what he's doing and use the terrain to our favor?"
Aaron nodded in understanding and reorganized the team, "Good idea Geo. Everyone, follow my lead and attack in turn. Let's drive him back. Keith?"
The Chrome Ranger activated his weapons flail mode and whipped his weapon outward to batter Tekton. The surprised mercenary backpedaled against the onslaught of whipping blows and kept his guard up before Sage and Aaron moved next and slashed with their blades. They forced their enemy back several more feet and hammered at his guard to wear him down. Just as Tekton activated his nose drill and tried to strike the Red and Yellow Rangers, they tumbled aside as Geordi lined up and unloaded a withering barrage of fire from his bowgun. The blue bolts scorched the alien's armor and each impact drove him back several more feet before he neared the edge of the steep fortress rampart.
Tekton growled and tried to force his way back but struggled to maintain his balance against Geordi's projectiles. As he took an awkward step to the side, he didn't see Rin rush in low with her bident and thrust at the ground between his feet. The alien gave a startled gasp as the bident caught his leg and tripped him, causing him to lose his balance in the top-heavy power armor. As Tekton teetered over the edge, the other Rangers all pulled their blaster pistols and fired in a volley knocking him clean off the edge. The alien mercenary screamed as he went careening off the mountainside, rolling and smashing into rocks along the way until his suit finally exploded into a violent fireball near the bottom of the cliff.
"Well that takes care of that," Keith grinned as he holstered his pistol and high-fived Geordi.
Rin shook her head and waved the others back inside the fort, "Not yet! We need to go help Qua'lia. She might need us! Let's go!"
While that other battle wound down, Qua'lia now found herself separated and fighting a running battle with the invaders on her end of the citadel. She played a game of cat-and-mouse with Nessus while she dispatched the platoon of weaker Dragoons one by one. She gunned one down from the wall with her blaster before she took off down another narrow pathway, only to run into another trooper around the corner. Before the Dragoon could react, Qua'lia wrenched the rifle from his hand and sent him flying backwards into two more of his comrades with a powerful side snap kick. The moment she recovered her stance, she ducked behind a wall and overcharged the stolen rifle as another group of Dragoons approached and opened fire on her.
The Pink Ranger dove from cover and rolled on the ground firing back with the overcharged rifle shot. The blast sent the three other troopers flying in different directions allowing her to make a retreat now. Just as she began to depart, Qua'lia halted and swiftly backlipped away from an energy beam fired by Nessus. She desperately tumbled for cover behind a nearby pillar and paused a moment to catch her breath while the smoke cleared.
"Come out wherever you are Pink Ranger!" Nessus taunted as he blasted apart different sections of the narrow fortress streets with his cannons. Qua'lia continued to hide behind a stone pillar and prepared to counterattack when the pillar she was leaning against was blasted apart, sending her flying. The Pink Ranger rolled to the ground in a stunned heap and struggled to rise as she saw the cyborg commander advance. Though she could not see his face behind the his helmet, she could sense his predatory grin.
"There you are. Prepare to be vaporized."
Before he could fire his tonfa rifles, several powerful bursts of plasma fire struck Nessus from the flank and jerked him sideways. The cyborg whirled around in murderous rage only to see Thor rush in with his large energy rifle leveled. Upon seeing the Caltarian, Nessus shook off the blaster shots and turned to face him, "You again! I remember you! I killed your old captain."
"And I won't let you kill any more people I care about!" Thor roared as he surprised his enemy and fired a grenade from the mounted launcher under his heavy rifle. The lightning grenade impacted Nessus with a direct hit and sent him falling backwards in a cloud of sparks and bright electrical energy. Qua'lia blinked in surprise as her comrade came to help her up from the ground.
"Thor? I... what are you doing here? I thought I told you to clear out and get back to the ship."
He gave her a grim but resolute smile as he kept hold of her arms, "I did... but then I realized that if I didn't come to help you Rangers, then we might not get a chance to have our talk later."
Before she could speak further, a blaster shot suddenly rang out and struck Thor from the side. Qua'lia gave a stifled scream of alarm as Thor was thrown hard to the ground with a scorched wound in his torso. Despite the severity of the shot, the large hardy Caltarian groaned and seemed to have survived... for now. Had any human taken that hit, they probably would have been killed outright. Thor's breathing was shallow and he winced as Qua'lia bent down to check on him, "Thor! Oh no... Are you okay?"
"Don't worry about me right now," he grunted quietly, "Take out the enemy commander."
"I hate people who butt in, don't you?" Nessus laughed from a distance away, "Now it's just you and me, Ranger."
The Pink Ranger furiously called her twin Draco Daggers to her hand and slowly rose to her feet, "That's it! Now you've gone too far! I'll end you myself if I have to!"
She sprinted forward and tumbled past several shots from Nessus until she closed the distance and flipped over his head causing him to whirl around to face her. Nessus laughed derisively and swung one of his cannon tonfas with a wide swipe but Qua'lia ducked under it and slipped through his guard to deliver a barrage of vicious strikes with her daggers. Like Tekton, she had a slight advantage over the U'shan commander's battlesuit as long as she remained in very close quarters. She slashed Nessus again and kicked him, causing the alien to recoil with a grunt before he blocked her next attack with his forearm. To Qua'lia's surprise, Nessus brought his other tonfa around and spun the end of the rifle baton out to clip her in the back of the thigh.
She staggered for a moment as she slightly lost balance and winced in pain from the surprise attack. That moment the dropped her guard, Nessus capitalized and used his other tonfa rifle to slam the Pink Ranger in the stomach and send her flying backwards, end over end into the rocky dirt. The U'shan commander laughed as he readjusted his guns and aimed them at his stunned opponent, "You're a clever fighter Pink Ranger, but you keep underestimating the abilities of my new body."
Qua'lia gasped to try and recover the wind that had been knocked from her lungs. She crawled over to the fallen form of Thor on the ground and desperately began to prop herself up while shielding him with her own body. "I'm not going to go down without a fight, blueskin."
Nessus charged his cannons, "Good If your and your big dumb friend over there are going to be the first ones I dispose of, then I don't want it to be boring."
At that moment, Qua'lia felt Thor stir and secretly place an object in her hand. She glanced over in shock to her downed comrade beside her, "Thor? You're still alive?"
"Of course I am…" the grievously wounded Caltarian grunted in pain, "This isn't the way I was planning to go."
Before Qua'lia could reply, she felt him hand her an armed lightning grenade along with a sly grin, "Make it count."
Qua'lia took the grenade and kept it concealed while Nessus finished charging his cannons for a final shot to finish them off. "It's time Ranger. Prepare for a real light show."
"You first!" she shouted as she hurled the concealed weapon at the commander. Nessus gave a startled cry as the lightning grenade struck him in the chest and detonated in a terrific cloud of searing electricity and ionized discharges. A few minor systems shorted out in the alien's suit while the shockwave destabilized the tonfa cannons. Nessus fired his guns blindly as the damaged rifles blew out and sent another shock to the cyborg's systems. A stunned Nessus fell to one knee fighting through the residual surges of electricity that was momentarily paralyzing him, "No! Damn you! I'm going to make you pay for that!"
"Put it on our tab Nessus!" Aaron answered as he and the other Odyssey Rangers arrived from their battle to assist their other friends. The Red, Blue, and Chrome Rangers all called their special weapons to their hands and squared off with Nessus as he slowly rose to his feet with a growl.
"Qua'lia! Are you all right?" Sage asked as she rushed over and helped her friend back to her feet.
The Pink Ranger gave a relieved nod, "I'll be okay. But Thor… he's hurt. He…"
"He'll be okay," Rin said as she hurried over to the side of the wounded Caltarian marine laying on the ground, "I'll take care of him."
The Green Ranger held back her dread as she examined the blaster wound in Thor's side and saw that it was indeed a bad one. She powered down and pulled out a small hypospray from her first-aid kid to administer painkillers to Thor. As Qua'lia rose and took the center of the Rangers' formation, she drew her blaster pistol, "You're going to answer for hurting one of my friends Nessus… unless you're too afraid of a fair fight?"
He gave a sardonic laugh before pulling a small device from his belt, "The quickest way to defeat is allowing yourself to engage in a fair fight. That's why I'm about to call down more ground troops and an orbital bombardment."
He pressed the button and was beamed back up to one of the Imperial ships above just as Qua'lia tried to open fire on him. The blaster bolts passed harmlessly through the fading beams of light and the pink Ranger growled, "Come back here and fight you coward!"
She stopped a moment and fell silent, suddenly realizing that she was now echoing Thor's words and attitude. She turned back to Rin as the other Rangers powered down. "Rin? How is he?"
"Stable for the moment, but we need to get him back to the Odyssey immediately," the Green Ranger answered as she quickly applied a medicated bandage and an antiseptic to the cauterized blaster wound of Thor.
Aaron placed a comforting hand on the shoulder of his second in command and reached for his comm, "He'll be okay Lia. I promise. Lt. Russo to the Odyssey, the colony is clear. Requesting emergency beam-out and a medical team to stand by. We have wounded."
From the bridge of the Odyssey, Raines kept focused on the battle as their ship engaged the enemy fleet and traded blows with one of the U'shan cruisers. The Odyssey shook hard as the two ships passed and exchanged harsh broadside salvos with their energy cannons. Sparks flew from some bridge consoles that were blown out by the energy surges, but fortunately they were redundant secondary systems. Hawa gripped her own console and called out a report from her station, "Shields are down to fifty percent, Captain. Minor damage to starboard sensors."
"Reroute power from our beam cannons to reinforce the shields," Raines shouted back towards his bridge crew, "Aft torpedoes fire on their targeting array."
As the Odyssey finished its pass, it fired a pair of proton torpedoes from its rear launcher and they struck the enemy cruiser directly. Although shields of the U'shan cruiser absorbed the hit, its deflector field in that section was overloaded causing the targeting systems to be blown out.
The Odyssey's bridge gave a cheer at the small victory before the Alliance cruiser leveled off and veered aside to evade return fire. Unfortunately, the enemy did something unexpected themselves. The other enemy battlecruiser began to open fire upon the planet below with its guns. The bolts of energy rained down and blasted the location of the Bastion in a punishing orbital bombardment causing Hawa to gasp in fear while Raines's eyes went wide in fear.
"Oh no! Dom… the Rangers…"
A comm suddenly came in from Tiah in Engineering and her voice betrayed a little anxiety, "Captain, the Rangers and the last of the colonists have been safely beamed aboard!"
Dominic blinked in surprise and felt his stomach do a backflip as he struggled to issue orders with a clear head, "Understood. Hawa, signal the Acropolis and the Albion and prepare to withdraw. Helm, go to warp and get us out of here, immediately!"
With all hands accounted for and the mission complete, the Odyssey accelerated and broke orbit from Cydonia along with its companion ships. Before the Imperial vessels could come about and fire another trailing volley, the three coalition ships powered their engines and escaped safely to warp-space. Although they had abandoned the planet and given ground to the Empire at Cydonia, the Rangers and their allies had saved countless lives and kept alive a spark of hope. It was a hope that despite this setback, the combined Star League would eventually succeed in driving back the U'shan Empire and restore a lasting peace. Until then, there was much left to do at Starbase Elysium and the three ships intended to make the best possible time home in order to do them.