Via Pacifica: Olympia Sector
Arcadia City, 19:00 hours
Following the fierce battle over the planet of Arcadia, the small weary task force of allies from the Star League were welcomed into the capital like exalted liberators. In the wake of the surprise attack, the Imperial line was thrown into complete disarray as the U'shan pulled back to the edges of their original border. Despite some sections of the planet's capital having been damaged in the fighting, it now played host to the coalition of people who had fought to restore their sovereignty. As more Star League ships arrived to reinforce the system, the true celebrations began with the return of King and Queen Telesto to their world.
By now, parties and victory festivals were being thrown all over the capital and the mood was jubilant. Early that evening, Princess Sera made her way to one of the quieter parts of the capital where one of the largest hospitals was giving care to those who were wounded in the prior battle. She passed a number of injured Arcadians who did their best to salute or give respectful bows as she made her way to a more secluded suite where higher ranking officers were being tended to. She eventually came to a door at the end of the hallway where two Korinthian guards stood. Without a word they parted ways and let her pass so that she could enter and visit their own royal leader.
"Hello Benedict. I hope I'm not disturbing you," she said with a polite smile as she entered the spacious well furnished room.
The young Korinthian prince looked up in surprise from his bed. He had a bandage wrapped around his forehead along with an broken arm tucked in a sling but he did his best to return the smile, "Princess Sera? No, of course not. Please come in. Sit down."
She walked over and sat down near the bed. She smoothed out her white skirt and took a seat in a chair before looking over his injuries, "I'm sorry to hear you got hurt in the fighting. Captain Raines told me your ship took a direct hit while shielding the Acropolis from a torpedo attack. To be honest, I can't help but feel a little bit like it's my fault."
Benedict shook his head kindly, "Don't blame yourself. I was just doing my job and the injuries aren't as bad as they look. Still… I appreciate your concern and your coming to visit."
"It's too bad you're stuck here when the rest of the city is going to be celebrating tonight. I was going to head out shortly to meet the Rangers and thank them for everything they've done too."
Benedict nodded, "You should. Your people need you to be with them tonight and we all owe the Rangers for bringing us this far."
Sera folded her hands quietly and considered the words thinking about how right he was. The Rangers had pulled them through several decisive battles and without the help of their Alliance friends, it was likely the entire planet of Arcadia would have been obliterated by Nessus. The princess wrung her hands and looked to him again, "Benedict, there's another reason I came to talk to you tonight."
He gave a solemn look and nodded, "Ah. I'm guessing it might have something to do with…"
"Yes," she said while looking a little uncertain, "I had spoken to my parents recently and they raised a fair issue… one that I couldn't really argue against. Now that Arcadia has been freed, there's no reason for me or the Acropolis to go into battle anymore. They say that the U'shan Empire might consider a cease fire and end all hostilities."
"That's great news," Benedict said, "But I don't understand what that has to do with the uh… arrangement that's being talked about."
"I was giving it some thought and I know that things will be changing for me," Sera continued, "I've served my people in this time of war and now I might have to serve them in a different way… as a future monarch in a time of peace. That's why I'm considering putting the good of the planet first and agreeing to the marriage."
Benedict paused in surprise, "I…that's very high minded of you princess. But are you sure this is what you want?"
"I was unsure about a lot of things when I first started. I guess I still am right now," she admitted, "But if I can figure all that out, then this will just be another adjustment I'll figure out too."
Benedict watched her and couldn't help but feel that Sera was reluctantly acquiescing to her family's wishes. In a way, she was a little trapped. With the war winding down, there was nothing more she felt she could really do. "If that's what you wish Princess."
She smiled reluctantly and rose to her feet, "Get well soon Prince Benedict. I'll give the Rangers your best wishes. I'm sure they'll be glad to hear you're all right."
As she left the room, the Prince sat back and wondered if she was going to be all right.
Meanwhile in Imperial space, the Exarch Xerxes stood at the large panoramic viewing gallery of his capital ship Akula, watching as the construction of the Typhon Cannon neared completion. The colossal jellyfish shaped weapon orbited a small planetoid and seemed to cast a menacing shadow over it. As Xerxes looked on with a dark expression, he considered his next move. His glorious campaign to expand the Empire's reach had all but gone up in flames. All his progress had been lost with the defeat at Arcadia. The Imperial line had been driven back and now, it had shattered completely.
He blamed the interference of the Alliance starship Odyssey. That ship had stood as a rallying point for all the other worlds who rose up and united under the banner of a new Star League. He blamed Princess Sera Telesto for bringing those people together and serving as their figurehead to oppose the perceived tyranny of Imperial rule. He blamed the Odyssey's captain Dominic Raines for constantly outmaneuvering his forces and out-thinking his fleet commanders on the battlefield. Most of all, he blamed the meddling of the Odyssey Rangers. They were the ones who defeated his countless warriors, who recovered the Acropolis carrier, who had turned Kharon against him and had now slain Nessus in battle. Xerxes knew that he had run out of options and that something had to give. He had surely lost all his credibility and hope for political advancement with the Imperial Council for leading this ill-advised campaign. After squandering so many lives and Imperial resources, Xerxes knew there was one last option and that he had nothing left to lose.
He was interrupted from his dark thoughts as the ship's commander, Captain Cepheus entered with a holo-disc. "Lord Xerxes. This message just came in for you from the Imperial homeworld itself. It was encrypted so my comm. officer does not even know what's in it."
Xerxes took the disc quietly and waited for Cepheus to give a bow and leave the gallery. Once he was alone, Xerxes played the contents of the disc and confirmed his worst fears. An image appeared with a small conclave of hooded Exarchs wearing similar robes to him. The lead Speaker of the Council addressed him in the message.
"Lord Xerxes. We are sending this transmission as a courtesy to inform you that the Imperial government will be moving toward negotiating an armistice with the Star League. Until further notice, the Council wishes for you to stand down from carrying out any further military operations. You are also to cease work on the Typhon Cannon and to return to the homeworld with it so that you can answer further questions that the Council has for you regarding your recent campaign."
Xerxes's expression darkened as he turned off the recording. He gave a defeated sigh and looked out one more time toward the Typhon Cannon. It was then that a thought occurred to him and in a moment of desperate clarity (or madness) he realized what he had to do. Perhaps Nessus had been right about something when he had rebelled at Arcadia. Although his rogue action had cost him his life, Nessus had come to realize something very important. He had come too far and given too much for things to end like this. He would do what he had to do… not only to defend the pride of the U'shan Empire, but his own self respect as well. It was in that dark moment that Xerxes decided that he might very well have to do the same.
Elsewhere, the festivals were now in full swing as Arcadia celebrated its liberation and the promise of a potential ceasefire with the Empire. On that evening, the Rangers and many of the senior officers of the Odyssey and Albion attended a party the royal palace to be recognized by the royal family. As guests of high honor, each of them were given decorative laurel wreaths to wear on their heads along with as much food and drink as they possibly wanted. After the introductory announcements, Sera made her way toward one of the large tables where the officers of the Odyssey sat socializing with the Rangers and some of their non military allies like Skyler and Dr. Farbanti. All eyes turned to her as she greeted them with a polite smile. "Hello everyone. I hope you're having a nice time?"
"It's lovely Your Highness," Sage answered, "Is it good to be home again?"
Sera gave a faint smile and shrugged, "It is... to be honest, it feels a little strange coming back. The last time we were all here, it was under tragic dire circumstances... but now, I'm glad that it's one that's joyful and bright."
"Here's to Captain Broca and all those allies who aren't here to celebrate with us," Raines intoned raising a wine glass to the former captain of the Odyssey and the people who were victims of the first Imperial attack.
Sera nodded and looked over all of her non-Arcadian friends who were assembled, "Before I let you go, there was one other thing I wanted to mention. I had told you before the mission that there was something important I wanted to tell the Rangers. I wanted to thank you for all the struggle and sacrifices you've made to help my world and those of the Star League. I've grown quite a bit and learned a lot by being around you."
She paused and seemed to look a little more resigned and forlorn, "Now that your mission here might be winding down... I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be doing my part to look after my world and be a responsible future ruler. Part of that will involve accepting an arranged marriage to Prince Benedict of Korinthios."
Everyone sat in stunned silence for a moment and Sera began to feel a little nervous at the awkward pause. A few of the Rangers along with Skyler all looked toward Aaron for a reaction as the princess seemed like she was too shy to even check for a reaction. To everyone's surprise, he was the first one to stand up slowly. With a completely straight face and practiced military bearing, he raised a wine glass in a toast, "That's... wonderful news princess. Congratulations to you... and to your future happiness."
Captain Raines cleared his throat and quickly did the same thing, prompting the others to follow his lead, "Well said Lt. Russo. Congratulations Your Highness. We're all happy and wishing you well."
As upbeat music began to play from nearby, the Green Ranger moved to help diffuse the situation too.
"Well, I don't know about you but I say we should celebrate by getting out there and partying!" Rin said eagerly as she grabbed both the hands of Sera and Keith and dragged them out to the dance floor, "Come on you two, let's all dance!"
Qua'lia simply shook her head with an amused smile watching the younger Green Ranger coax her other friends to party. To her surprise, Geordi came over and sat down with her at the table, offering a plate of food from the banquet line. The Blue Ranger gave a kind smile, "Hey Lia. Mind if I keep you company here? I'll do Thor a favor and make sure no one else tries to put any moves on you."
She laughed and plucked some exotic fruit from the plate, "Only if you bring another bowl of these amazing berries."
As those two began to eat, Sage looked around and saw that her team and allies were beginning to disperse about the room. Dominic, Hawa, and Amira began to mingle with some other guests while Aaron excused himself quietly and made a beeline for the bar. Sage's uncertainty of what do next was quickly put to rest as she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned to see the Rangers' ally Joshua Sterling giving her a friendly smile. "Ensign Dael? Everything okay? You look a little lost right now."
She gave the handsome fighter pilot from the Albion a sheepish smile, "Oh, I'm fine Lieutenant. Everyone's off doing their own thing at the moment and I just got caught by surprise."
"Well why don't we do something about that. What do you say?" he answered offering a kind gentlemanly hand, "You wanna go join your other friends on the dance floor?"
From his corner of the bar which had been set up in the banquet hall, Aaron watched as the Yellow Ranger accepted Sterling's offer to dance and joined some of the others on the floor. He gave a glum smile, feeling happy for his other friends before the palace servan tending the bar handed him a drink. He was surprised when he heard the voice of a familiar smuggler pilot greet him from nearby, "Hey why the long face Lieutenant? We're at a party!"
"Err... sorry. I just had my mind elsewhere," Aaron half lied as Skyler came to greet him with her trademark grin. "Personal stuff."
She plopped down on the seat next to him and ordered a drink for herself. She knew but decided not to force any issue, "I see. Well... anything you want to talk about?"
"Not really. No."
Seemingly nonplussed, Skyler took her drink and clinked his glass with hers, "Well then, I suggest that you follow my method for when I have a problem that I want to forget about for a while. Cheers mate!"
Across the room, Dr. Amira Farbanti was doing her best to manage the small crowd of Arcadian guests who were now mobbing her and hailing her as a savior of their planet for diffusing the unstable reactor which threatened to crack the planet. The normally reserved scientist did her best to try and be gracious and speak to everyone despite being completely out of her element and not knowing what else to say with such a spotlight on her. She glanced across the way and saw that Captain Raines was in a similar position as he and Commander Jakende were getting a lot of attention from other Star League military officers.
Amid the officer's fawning, Dominic sheepishly slung a friendly arm around Hawa's shoulders as he pushed past and extricated them from the crowd, "Ah... you're all being too kind. My First Officer deserves just as much credit. She was the one who helped fine tune our strategy, plus we had the Albion's fighter squadrons backing us up. Now if you'll excuse us for just a moment, I need to discuss some business about our starship with her."
As they got free, Hawa breathed a sigh of relief, "Phew... I kind of feel like a rockstar right now. This might take some getting used to."
"Tell me about it," Raines answered as they walked arm in arm toward Amira. He smiled as he greeted her, allowing her an out to excuse herself from her admirers too, "Doctor? Good evening. Are you having a good time?"
"I'm doing a little better now," she admitted as she took his other arm and walked on, "Do you mind if I share your captain's attention for a bit, Commander?"
"Not at all," Hawa laughed as Raines adopted a smug smile.
"Lucky me," he joked, "Now I've got two lovely ladies on my arm tonight. Whatever shall I do?"
Hawa exchanged a grin with Amira before she looked back to her captain, "Well Dom, you do what any good officer and gentleman does. You make sure we have a nice time along with one condition."
"That being?"
"Simple," Hawa said, "We don't discuss work or worry about the next battle tonight."
Raines gave a playful scoff, "I'm the captain. It's my job to worry about everyone and everything, remember?"
"Well Captain, you can worry about showing us your best moves on the dance floor," Amira said as the two girls dragged him out on the floor too, "Come on!"
"Wait!" he sputtered helplessly as he was pulled into the lively music and dance taking place on the floor, "Hawa! Amira! Hold on a sec! Ack..."
Much later that evening, Aaron returned to his quarters on the Odyssey, staggering through the door with Skyler helping to steady him. Both of them had been partying hard and drinking heavily though the Red Ranger was a little worse for the wear when compared to Skyler. After Aaron flicked on his desk lamp to provide some light, they both tossed their jackets to a nearby chair and took a moment to relax. Skyler gently sat him down on his bed while she took a seat in his desk chair, "Okay. Easy does it there Lieutenant. You had a lot to drink tonight."
He tiredly rubbed his eyes for a moment and took a moment to steady himself, "Speak for yourself. I could barely keep up with you at the party."
"I've got a little practice at that," she chuckled lightly, "I may not have a morpher but you can consider that my superpower."
"Well... thanks for helping me back here. You think everyone else made it back to the ship okay?"
Skyler shrugged, "I'm sure the other Rangers are fine. They're all adults. You don't have to be responsible for them tonight."
Aaron gave a rueful chuckle, "Maybe you're right Skyler. I honestly wasn't expecting to wind up like this tonight. I must look like a sorry mess right now, huh?"
Skyler offered him a sympathetic look, "That's okay. We're all human and have our moments of weakness. You must be a little cut up about the news from Sera, yeah?"
"Pretty pathetic of me, huh?" the Red Ranger muttered.
She shook her head, "Not really. I can see why a lot of people would be drawn to the princess. She's kind, smart, brave, comes from a royal family... and she's pretty good looking to boot. Hell, if she was also into girls, I'd even think about making a move on her too. "
The two paused and looked at each other before sharing a small laugh. As he cleared his throat, Aaron gave glum sigh and looked out at the stars from a nearby viewport, "I don't know Skyler. I must have been a huge idiot to hold back and think I ever had a shot with Sera once this whole war was over."
Skyler shrugged as she came over to sit beside him and put a hand on his shoulder, "I can't exactly blame you for thinking like that. Given our jobs and the things we've been through at the edge of the galaxy, it's all kind of fantastical and Romantic... but in a nice way."
"Well maybe you're the smart one then... for always being such a realist about everything," Aaron sighed.
Skyler wrinkled her features slightly, "You know... I think Sera might have been feeling a little conflicted about things too. She had been asking me stuff about obligations, living a free life, and how that might tie into settling down with someone. I thought it was a little odd at the time, but I guess it makes sense now. Sera's probably just trying to be a realist about her own future duties too."
Aaron gave slow reluctant nod, "Yeah... maybe it's for the best that things go down this way. After all, what would a guy like me really have to offer a blue blood like Sera anyway?
"Oh that's that's the liquor talking. I wouldn't be so hard on yourself luv," Skyler said, "You're still a Power Ranger. That's pretty remarkable. Worst comes to worst you've still got your team, and I'll still be your friend too."
He gave a small snort of amusement, "Thanks. I guess that's something."
He paused for a long moment before speaking again, "Since Sera had asked you some odd questions, I wonder if I could ask you one right now?"
"Oh? What's that?"
"I was wondering if I could still take you up on your offer... the one you made several months ago, after getting your new ship?"
Skyler gave a confused look and struggled to remember through the fog of her own inebriation, "What do you mean?"
"I think I'm finally done waiting around for the fair princess."
She blinked in genuine surprise as Aaron slowly leaned over and kissed her on her lips. Skyler pulled back for a brief moment and took a breath, "Wait... what are you doing?"
"Being a little more realistic now," he answered honestly.
"This doesn't necessarily mean anything either... you know that, right?"
Aaron nodded in a strange brief moment of clarity, "I know. I'm not asking for anything more tonight."
In the haze of the moment, the two gave in to temptation and shared several more hungry kisses of growing intensity while pulling off each other's shirts and tossing them blindly across the floor. They fell onto the mattress and rolled over as Skyler pulled Aaron down on top of her in a passionate embrace. Even as the Ranger began kissing down her neck and shoulders, Skyler couldn't help but pause and think about her talk with Sera a few days ago. Like Sera, maybe Skyler's time with the Rangers had changed her a little bit too. As much as she tried to deny it, maybe she was looking at this a little differently now that she realized she had genuinely started to care about the feelings of those people around her including the one she was now sharing a bed with for the night. It was nice feeling the familiar warmth and intimacy of being with an old friend... but even if this was just a mutual one night stand, the smuggler couldn't help but feel a little guilty right now knowing just how emotionally vulnerable Aaron must have been feeling too.
Her conscience got the better of her for a rare moment as she stopped and looked at the Red Ranger over her, "Aaron, wait. You're really sure about this?"
He pondered the question for a moment before giving his answer. Without another word, he drew her close and kissed her again before they both fumbled for the desk lamp and flicked off the light, casting the room into darkness once more.
