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Chapter 67 – Ashes Of The Dawn
The Aegis Ranger's final gambit in the battle against Carnifex, high above the surface of Furrous had seen them teleported back to the hidden asteroid base that they now called home more suddenly than their usual departure from the worlds on which they operated; each of the seven Rangers being left mildly disoriented and discombobulated by their sudden separation from one another as the Ultrazord was disassembled and the Zords were returned to their respective hangars.
Upon their return Justin, still clad in a spacesuit had greeted the Rangers, Mercy specifically and the Red Ranger had discussed, with as much enthusiasm as she could muster in her aching and battle-weary state how close she had come to finally activating her Battleizer although she chose not disclose the options that she considered to bridge the gap once and for all, being aware of the tired but unmistakably proud glances that Aslaug was shooting her as Justin led them towards the bases' medical facilities for their post battle physical and psychological evaluations that would certainly be followed by a thorough debriefing. That debriefing had since ended and save for Kay and Rensa who had been kept under observation after exerting themselves far more than was healthy or reasonable the Aegis Rangers had been dismissed with no goal other than getting some well deserved rest ahead of them, although at this point they had well and truly lost track of time. It had been night on Furrous and by the time that they had managed to get to their beds it would almost certainly have been early morning which in turn meant that it was reasonable to assume that it was early or mid afternoon by the time Mercy woke up again although owing to the different schedules that both the base and the various planets she visited operated on and the complete lack of any kind of day and night cycle on the base there was no real way to be sure and in all honesty the young woman had more pressing concerns at the moment.
Namely the hangover she was being punished with.
"This is so not fair….I didn't even drink that much" she whined, her voice giving way to a pitiful whimper as she clutched at her aching and pounding skull before flopping down dramatically onto Aslaug whose bed she had naturally shared. The hulking young woman whom Mercy draped herself across was faring little better however and let out a wordless groan of discomfort at the noise before adjusting the furs and blankets she was buried beneath to cover them both.
"It's very rare that I'm glad I don't have Klo here with me….But the beast would be insufferable right now" Aslaug rumbled, throat dry and scratchy though not enough to keep a fond and gentle smile from her face as she thought about the enormous hound from her native Mirinoi that was, as far as she knew still being cared for on the Lightspeed Aquabase.
"Still" Mercy mumbled as she took what comfort she could from nuzzling into Aslaug beneath the sheets, legs wrapping around her partners' waist "At least we found out why everyone on Furrous has glowing red eyes, it's the crap they drink"
"True enough" Aslaug chuckled weakly, the lurid concoctions that the Rangers had been plied with over the course of the ill-fated celebrations had been pleasant at the time but their after-effects were anything but and along with nausea and unforgiving pain also included changing the drinkers eyes to a shade of pinkish red that went beyond being simply bloodshot though was thankfully only temporary.
"But hey….We beat Carnifex, he's gone right, there's no way he's coming back from that; so I suppose we deserve to relax a little" Mercy noted
"And we did it without help" Aslaug murmured, icy blue eyes giving the darker skinned girl a pointed look as she ran scarred and calloused fingers through curls that had grown longer than Mercy usually wore them
"Not without help, just without the Battleizer" Mercy corrected her quickly "I can't thank you enough for how much you believe in me but I couldn't do anything without you guys behind me….You were incredible out there, you could probably have fought Carnifex on your own and Rensa, he was just-"
"He was" Aslaug nodded in agreement, understanding what was meant even if Mercy had trailed off into silence "It was personal, even if Andros lives….he can't be a Ranger any more, I understand why Rensa felt the need to fight as hard and as dangerously as he did; I can't imagine what I would do if my father had fallen in that battle"
"Probably something heroic, but we don't need to worry about it any more" Mercy replied, repositioning herself so that Aslaug's strong and muscular arm lay draped across her
"I can only hope so" Aslaug noted "But we're getting distracted"
"You think I'm gonna do something stupid to get my Battleizer to work" Mercy sighed, not quite able to be annoyed as she understood how reasonable the concern was "I'm not, if I can get it to work then cool, if I can't then fine"
"Why the change of heart?" Aslaug asked cautiously after several moments of silence as she processed the answer; Mercy shrugged and chewed at her lip as she took a moment to choose her words.
"It just doesn't feel as important now somehow" she admitted, turning to face Aslaug and locking eyes with her "I mean Paradoxa is gone, Carnifex is gone as well, the Empire's forces have been pushed out of Alliance space and Karone's resistance is undermining Lord Zedd's control more and more every day….I don't know, I don't want to get to hopeful but it almost feels like there's an end in sight and I didn't need my Battleizer for it"
"You've come so far and I'm so proud of you" Aslaug beamed, kissing Mercy's lips gently before continuing "This war could be over soon….have you thought about what you'll do when it's over?"
"Probably go to college and study to be a teacher, I mean we've been a part of history now so it seems right to end up teaching it; maybe I'll even mentor a team of Ranger's of my own one day" Mercy allowed herself a warm smile at that thought before adding "What about you?"
"I will always have a duty to my tribe….so perhaps I'll serve as an emissary or ambassador for them to the rest of the Alliance; I'll base myself wherever you end up teaching" Aslaug grinned and Mercy melted into her, the two of them becoming a tangle of limbs as they slowly drifted back to sleep, utterly content and assured that for the moment at least there was nothing for them to worry about.
"How're you feeling?" Panthera's voice gave Kay something to focus on beyond the rhythmic and predictable bleeping of machinery and the dull drone of chattering patients and medical staff beyond the private room that they'd been assigned in the otherwise bland and sterile nothingness that was the bases' medical facilities.
"This reminds me of solitary confinement and I don't like it one bit" that answered bluntly, giving Panthera a total honesty that they would have downplayed or made light on had anyone else asked the same question. The human Acheron hybrid understood perfectly well that Cestria had her own, likely entirely valid reasons for wanting them to be kept close by for medical observation and wished no Tempestus's mother no ill will but that still did nothing at all to change the fact that the effects of the alcohol they had consumed on Furrous, admittedly less effective on them than it had been on the other Rangers combined with hours spent unable to rest and with nothing to occupy their mind and senses had induced a level of boredom that bordered on physical pain for the Green Ranger.
"You'll be out in a few hours, I checked" Panthera assured them, foregoing sitting on the chair beside Kay's bed and instead making herself comfortable on the bed itself and treating them to a cocky smirk "Oh and the gown is a really good look on you"
"I'd advise against doing anything that might make my heart rate increase" Kay noted with a smirk of their own "And this might be the only time I ever give that advice"
"And when did I ever take advice? Besides you clearly need a distraction" Panthera teased, treating Kay to a sultry, half-lidded expression as she made a show of making herself comfortable; stretching out in a catlike fashion until whilst letting out a low groan of pleasure and pressing her curvy figure against them until she was rewarded with the kind of involuntary reaction she was looking for and then instantly pulling back just out of the Green Ranger's reach and giving them a playful wink, content to amuse herself like this until she effects of the partying she had done abated and her stomach stopped lurching with every sudden movement
"You are terrible" Kay managed to sound deadpan despite being left more than a little short of breath and Panthera merely rolled her eyes, whose fierce gold was dulled to an almost rusty brown by the drinks, her teal coloured skin pressing up against theirs as she spoke again
"Yeah but you love it" she flashed a grin full of fangs before reaching into one of her pockets and adding "Besides I got you something….swiped it in debriefing"
"Never change" Kay laughed, their smile becoming a much softer and more genuine one as they took the proffered item and realised that it was the flower crown that they had worn on Furrous which had somewhat predictably been taken for examination and classification by the biologists and other scientists aboard the hidden base as the entire ecosystem that the plant was a part of was unknown and it could quite possibly by laden with never before seen pathogens or allergens.
"It was probably a bad idea, but I figured it was worth it" Panthera shrugged, suddenly caught off guard by the tenderness as Kay donned the flower crown and pulled her closer; resting her head on their chest she added "What're you in for anyway? Concussion when you got year helmet smashed?"
"No" Kay shook their head "Rensa was kept for observation because of using his Battleizer twice in a short space of time and continuing to fight, he was the one controlling the Ultrazord for most of the fight as well and the strain on him was obvious….Cestria says that I'm in a similar condition-"
"But you don't have a Battleizer" Panthera objected "And Rensa is already out"
"I don't" Kay sighed "But I was using my magic excessively and she says that my readings look different to the usual….As if anything about me is the usual"
"I mean you were throwing a lot of magic around….Look I don't understand how any of the 'Arts' work, I know spaceships, weapons and bandit politics but you were holding entire streets in the air and stuff; that's gotta take it out of you" as Panthera spoke she repositioned herself yet again so that her back was pressed against Kay's chest and their fingers were laced together whilst she looked up at him with concern written plainly on her tired features, voice dropping to an almost conspiratorial whisper as she added "Do you feel any different?"
"I do" Kay admitted, inhuman pink and black eyes darting around as the quietly added "But not in the way you'd think….I should be exhausted, I should feel like my blood is on fire and lungs are full of glass after everything I did but I don't; if anything it's the opposite….I feel I don't know, almost like my magic is excited, like it's bubbling just under the surface and something is about to happen"
"Have you spoken about it to anyone?"
"Not yet" they shook their head "Who can I really discuss it with until my Grandfather is well again?" that admission hung in the air and Panthera quickly realised that Kay was right and so she reached up to kiss them gently
"Well you're okay and that's what's important" she gave their hand a reassuring squeeze and Kay simply leaned into her touch, the two of them remaining like that until sleep finally claimed them both and moving little even then until Cestria came to check up on her patient and quickly muffled her laughter at the sight of the Pink and Green Ranger draped over each other and still clinging to one another.
It seemed that all across the galaxy and in spite of whatever else may befall them teenagers would always be teenagers.
"Are you sure you don't wanna go and get some rest?" Zhane asked with a knowing chuckle as Rensa quickly and forcefully snapped himself back to full wakefulness in act of supreme discipline after feeling his eyes begin to flutter closed and his entire body begin to sag and loll forwards out of the chair he had been lazily sprawled in.
"I'm okay" he answered quickly and utterly unconvincingly, causing Zhane and Karone to give each other a series of knowing looks that amounted to an entire discussion held in complete silence and whilst Rensa could discern the deeper meanings of each subtle change of their expressions he could still see them clearly, the mild gloom and shadowy recesses of the Inner Sanctum being far from enough to blind eyes raised in the pitch darkness of Dread; eventually however Karone looked directly at her young charge.
"I think you should have been kept for observation a little longer"
"I'm fine" Rensa ground out, voice shifting from the soft and gentle tone that would forever be at odds with his gaunt and ghoulish appearance to an animal hiss as it grew more insistent, earning himself another exchange of inscrutable looks between the Pink and Silver Astro Rangers in the process. The Black Ranger had made his way to the Inner Sanctum where he had expected and been relieved to find Zhane and Karone still hard at work mitigating, politicking their way through and otherwise handling the fallout of Carnifex's assault on Furrous along with the dozen or more other tasks that seemed to demand their every waking moment and whilst he had found himself utter incapable of articulating the thoughts that refused to cease, feeling like a whirlwind was trapped in his aching skull he had nonetheless enjoyed their company as he curled up and rested his leaden, bone weary limbs content in the knowledge that if he could find the words the two of them would be willing to listen without judgement; simply enjoying their warmth as he dozed in and out of consciousness like a pet in front of a fireplace.
Now it seemed that comforting thought would become a reality and that the Black Ranger would actually have to make sense of his own thoughts and feelings as Zhane and Karone halted in their tasks and took the seats to either side of him at the large circular table that filled the Inner Sanctum.
"How are you feeling….not just physically" Karone asked "I know how good you've gotten at telling people what they want to hear in psyche evaluations and I can't let Mari do it for impartiality reasons….But how are you doing really?" Rensa at least had the decency to look moderately abashed at that and pulled himself out of his languid and lazy lounging to sit in his chair properly, curling in on himself and hugging his knees with his pitch black eyes distant and expression thoughtful for a moment before finally answering
"I don't feel anything….And I really thought that I would" he finally breathed out, sensing the immediate concern from his honorary Aunt and Uncle he quickly clarified "After Andros….After what Carnifex did, even though it wasn't permanent I expected killing him to make me happy and I know that's not the sort of thing you want a Power Ranger to say, but I just don't; I'm just relieved that he's gone"
"You feel how you feel" Zhane placed a hand on Rensa's shoulder "And you're right, if killing someone, anyone gave you a rush or made you happy I'd be concerned no matter how evil they were….But at the same time I can't blame you for wanting Carnifex gone, not after what he did to Andros and honestly I'm relieved that he isn't out there any more as well"
"And your self control, focus and self awareness are noteworthy, you should be proud of how you handled yourself" Karone added "I remember what it felt like to be Astronema, to be fuelled by rage and I can say with certainty that you handled that situation better than I would have….I'm not sure I would have been able to keep the mission my main priority" the admission from the former Empress of Evil was enough to assuage Rensa's worries that he might once again be walking the fine line between necessary violence and something else entirely; leaving him with another question he needed an answer to
"Does Andros know?"
"Not yet" Karone shook her head "But he will and he'll be proud"
"Good, I'm glad I could avenge him; I used his Battleizer so he was with me in spirit" Rensa nodded "And with Carnifex gone Lord Zedd has suffered a great loss" at that Zhane and Karone shared another of their meaningful looks and the youngest Aegis Ranger, perceptive as he was instantly realised that something was going unsaid and so he locked eyes with Zhane, knowing that of the pair the Silver Astro Ranger would be the easiest to wheedle information from; being proven correct only moments later when Zhane let out a sigh and ran his hands through his hair
"Carnifex was a capable fighter and his ship was one of the Empires' most dangerous; he could turn the tide of any battle he showed up in" the Silver Ranger began before shaking his head and adding "But I don't think it makes much of a difference overall….From what we can tell from our spies across the Empire there hasn't been any of the scrambling to fill the gaps in the chain of command or reallocate forces that we would've seen if someone as important as Carnifex had been taken out"
"And his forces on Furrous" Karone mused "They seemed woefully inadequate, you said that his ship was empty….from what we can tell and what can infer it seems that Carnifex has been in a state of exile since Unus"
"So we achieved nothing?" Rensa gasped
"Far from it" Karone countered sternly "You saved that city and likely the entire world of Furrous, hundreds of thousands of lives today and billions in the long run; the people there now know what to expect from the Dark Empire and are preparing themselves. We now have another ally in the fight against the Empire and a Dark Empire General who committed atrocities on hundreds of worlds can't hurt anyone ever again"
"The fight goes on" Zhane sighed "But in the meantime live the strategy and logistics to us and go and celebrate….or at least rest"
"Okay" Rensa sighed, still unable to keep himself from feeling that his victory had been cheapened somehow "I'll get some rest" with that he slunk out of the Inner Sanctum, keeping to the shadows and skulking through the hallways as he did so as always and Zhane and Karone silently resolved to contact Andros and have the boys' father figure speak to him though they quickly realised that it would have to wait as they currently had an incoming transmission from Aye-Anor and his peers amongst the Great Conclave that ruled over Furrous and its' people.
"Back to action?" Karone sighed, borrowing the phrase that generations of Power Rangers had used
"Back to meetings and reports" Zhane grimaced "Doesn't have the same ring to it at all"
"These are new Morphers" the silence that hung in the air after that assertion was a deep and profound one.
Tempestus and Marigold had been discharged from medical observation along with the majority of their fellow Rangers and had, like many of their friends recovered a little from the misery of their self-inflicted torturous headaches with the aid of sleep and a hot meal. After waking up the Blue and Gold Aegis Rangers had seen that whilst Rensa, Kay and Panthera were still elsewhere Aslaug and Mercy were still at least paying lip-service to the idea of sleeping and so they had promptly found somewhere else to be both out of respect for their friends need to rest and also a lack of desire to hear any heavy breathing or squeaking furniture; setting out into the asteroid base the pair had sought something meaningful to occupy their time and attention only to quickly come to the conclusion that helping Justin and his team of engineers maintain and repair the Zords or work alongside incoming ships bringing the supplies needed to run the insurrections Karone and her forces were instigating across the Empire were both out of the question owing to their proximity to an onslaught of painfully loud noise that their frazzled nerved and fragile senses were in no way prepared for at the moment, that same delicacy also precluded training and so the pair, using Tempestus's clearance had made their way to Billy's laboratory where the dark skinned Aquitian had seen his father working on the five devices that had left his coral pink eyes wide in abject shock.
"They are indeed" Billy nodded, stepping back a fraction to allow the two Aegis Rangers to see the devices better and whilst they were undeniably Morphers and were also wrist mounted their design seemed to differ greatly from those carried by Marigold and Tempestus
"There's no Power Coins" Mari noted as she examined the things from a respectable distance; each Morpher was in two parts; a wrist mounted receiver or docking terminal with a sleek and minimalistic design and a thin rectangular component with rounded edges and a hinge that suggested it unfolded like an older mobile phone or perhaps some form of identification, each Morpher was finished in a black and white casing and the rectangular section was embossed with emblem of Project Lightspeed.
"No Power Coins" Billy confirmed "This is Project LS, or Lightspeed Delta….it takes a lot of its' design cues from the Morphers used by the Lightspeed technology designed by Professor Rawlings as opposed to the Eltarian model that I favour-"
"But why?" Tempestus asked "Are we being replaced?" the idea was abhorrent to him, the young man had known since his early childhood that being a Power Ranger was the destiny that awaited him and despite the broadening of his horizons and expansions of his sense of worth and overall sense of self that had come with time away from Aquitar his peoples' sense of commitment to ones' duty was still a strong driving force within him, Tempestus knew that he would almost certainly not be a Power Ranger his entire life of course but the idea of being succeeded before his mission was complete felt too much like being accused of incompetence or dereliction of duty to go unchallenged; something that Billy could see written clearly on his sons' face and made to correct.
"Your work as Power Rangers has been exemplary, you continue to give more than anyone has any right to ask….especially of teenagers, damn this war and what it makes us do to children" the former Blue Ranger's verse was gentle but firm and unwavering until his last words where decades of festering anger rose to the surface before being quickly kept in check as he continued
"You've done well as Power Rangers, so well in fact that your absence has been felt across Alliance space. Unfortunately Lord Zedd and his followers are not the only evil in the galaxy and even though the Empire has been pushed back there are still pirates, would be tyrants and others who seek to conquer or destroy entire populations or simply just steal and pillage….This is what Lightspeed Delta is intended to protect against, an extension of the Silver Guardian cadet program that Marigold trained alongside and Mercy was raised in"
"A team of Rangers to hold the fort while we take on the Empire" Marigold noted, nodding slowly in understanding as ideas whirled through her mind at breakneck speed.
"Precisely" Billy answered "This team of Rangers is envisioned more for peacetime duty, closer to what the….as absurd as it sounds 'Normal' Ranger team would deal with as opposed to the struggle you've faced"
"So we're not being replaced" Tempestus murmured "We're being….reinforced?"
"In a manner of speaking" his father assured him, resting a hand on the tall and slender young mans' shoulder as he directly addressed his concerns "And never doubt that you've done your duty….I am more proud of you than I can find the words to say, so is your mother and so is every single person on Aquitar; you're a hero"
"But if there are peacetime Rangers already waiting to take over…." Marigold spoke slowly "That means we can have normal lives again, I can go back to college, we can all go home….We've just gotta stop Lord Zedd?"
"You make it sound so easy" Billy couldn't help but laugh at that and Marigold shuffled uncomfortably before he continued "But yes, if by some stroke of fortune Lord Zedd were to be defeated and his command structure destroyed tomorrow then we could all return to our daily lives….although the Aegis Rangers would likely still be required; the LS Delta Morphers aren't finished quite yet"
"I mean I didn't think it was gonna be easy….But it's possible right?" the Gold Ranger asked, trying her best not to sound desperate for a return to the life that circumstances had robbed from her
"It's possible" Tempestus nodded "And therefore we'll do it"
As distant as it seemed and as monumental as the task was, for the three of them in Billy's laboratory it almost as though there was an end in sight.
Lord Zedd watched from the veil of shadows that he cloaked himself with and controlled as though they were an extension of his own body as the pirate he had bargained with was brought before him.
Canis for her part, looked resolutely defiant and exuded an aura of unflappable, swaggering confidence. The black and burned orange, almost bronzed scales of the scion of the dead planet of Sirius; both reptilian and unmistakably canine in appearance shimmered in the limited light of the walkway that spanned the length of the vast throne room while her ornate and ostentatious black cloak with its' high collar and golden detailing that toed the line between extravagant and gaudy billowed impressively behind her to reveal the more practical, yet no less stylish armoured clothing beneath and the sword hanging at her hip which she had obviously recovered after her brief imprisonment.
Canis marched towards the throne with a retinue of half a dozen of Lord Zedd's own Obsidian Guard Putties flanking her four of them stood to each corner of some unseen square around her, boxing her in should the need arise whilst another pair carried the artefact that she had been sent to the world of Furrous to retrieve between them; yet the pirate exuded such charisma that it would almost seem to any outside viewer as though the automatons intended to escort her to the throne were in fact her own entourage, yet Lord Zedd noticed the way her eyes darted ever so slightly out to the sides and the minute changes in her body language as her attempts to size up any invaluable trophies that could be stolen instead gave rise to the realisation of just how outmatched in terms of raw power she truly was.
Lord Zedd allowed the farce to continue a moment longer, simply for his own amusement before revealing himself as Canis was brought to the foot of the dais his throne stood upon.
"You would be wise to bow….I am not known for my forgiveness in the face of disrespect" the towering and armoured warlord rose to his feet and dispelled the shadows into the corners of the room where the coiled and shifted like living things; allowing Canis to see the full might of the being stood before her, the supreme ruler of the Dark Empire and rightful overlord of the galaxy itself. All pretence vanished and Canis sank down onto one knee and cast her eyes firmly downwards whilst her ears lay flat along her skull and a low whine escaped her as her entire body trembled; as a pirate, warrior and purveyor of all manner of disreputable goods and services she had been forced to learn when to show proper deference, when to display her strength and authority and when to feign weakness or ignorance but this was something else entirely; the waves of sheer, unrelenting terror that radiated from Lord Zedd were palpable things and the moment the tyrant had stopped actively keeping his dreadful aura at bay her knees had threatened to buckle and her chest felt as though it were being crushed by the sheer pressure of his presence. Lord Zedd himself however spared no attention to his new subjects' overwhelmed state and simply spoke as though she were any other of the countless billions who existed as no more than an extension of his will.
"You have served many masters over the years no doubt" his voice rumbled through the ground and rattling Canis to her very bones, terrifying even when devoid of any anger "Petty, small things with delusions of claiming the galaxy or any part of it as their own domain….You understand of course that there is only one power in the galaxy, only one true will that can bend the starts….Mine" Canis let out another low whimper and gave the only answer that would allow her to continue her existence for even a few more seconds and spoke through chattering teeth
"Yes, I see that" even with what she believed to be the correct answer given Lord Zedd's presence seemed to loom over her even more, the living shadows lengthening and becoming somehow denser as the air crackled and buzzed with arcane energies and the Obsidian Guard Putties that still surrounded her bristled, waiting for an order to be given.
"You test my patience, you would do well to learn to respect for last master you will ever serve and to show proper thanks for the rewards I am giving you" the warlord snarled, breath misting from beneath the grill of his faceplate and his words tearing into the air itself with their harshness that abated only slightly as he continued "You thought I intended to pay you with riches or trinkets but instead I offer something far greater….I am allowing you to live Canis, you are being granted leniency for all of your crimes against my Empire, for every part you played in the service of any force that dared stand in opposition or defiance of my will. Now, DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"
"Yes my Lord" the canine alien whimpered, understanding now what was expected and demanded of them and realising with a sickening, plummeting feeling that her life as a pirate, smuggler, bounty hunter and a great many other things was over and had been since the moment she had broken with code of honour among thieves and elected to work with Lord Zedd's forces, Canis was now a citizen and subject of the Dark Empire and her abilities, knowledge and resources were no longer hers to command.
She had been enslaved without a single shot being fired.
"Your first order of business will be to attend to the other pirates lurking and scurrying throughout my Empire….I know that you vermin know where to find each other and this will be a fitting test of your convictions in regard to your new role" Lord Zedd's rumbling chuckle shook the throne room and sent fresh waves of terror through Canis "You are not to leave my palace, you will give locations of pirate hideouts and the names and locations of those who aid your former co-conspirators to the admirals of my armada and your accuracy will determine your usefulness"
"Yes my Lord" Canis's answer was entirely toneless as she forced herself not to grind the word out in a hateful, furious snarl as she saw her future stretching out ahead of her with no hope of respite
"Good, now leave me" with that four of the six Obsidian Guard Putties surrounding her turned and led her away, preparing to drag her from their masters presence if she refused to obey though that was proven unnecessary and the moment she was out of view she faded from Lord Zedd's mind entirely; the armoured tyrant would freely admit that the newly tamed pirate would have her uses and that with Carnifex's death a reliable operative that could be called upon without the need to move or reallocate forces would be useful but Canis was far from the most important thing that had been brought before him and as the two remaining Putties set down the artefact that he had been forced to spend great effort and consult with scum to acquire Lord Zedd strode down from his dais to examine it.
The thing was a stylised casket, almost a sarcophagus or something similar; forged from metals native to the world of Furrous and inlaid with countless jewels with resembling the fearsome visage of some winged and armoured titan, yet this warrior was not some ancient figure from the long forgotten or embellished history of the world that had grown so peaceful in hiding that it no longer had its' own defenders. Within this cask were the sword and powdered bones of a warrior of legend within both the Dark Empire and the hushed tales of Furrous, a descendent of those warrior clans who had left their home generations ago to find their fortunes amongst the stars, a warrior who had served at the right hand of the most feared Emperor across the galaxy only to be slain by Zordon's sacrifice and reduced to dust on Earth's moon.
These were the sword and powdered bones of Goldar and with them Lord Zedd had the key to destroying the Alliance.
Author's Notes:
So, that's the fifteenth arc finished.
Arc 16 is gonna be crazy and without going into too many spoilers the theme for chapter titles is "Movies where the Villain wins".
We really are in the endgame now people.
There's gonna be 18 arc in total, plus the epilogue….so 85 chapters at most, including the prologue and epilogue.
And even if you think you can see how this is gonna play out….you're wrong.
But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
Everyone made it home safe.
Yeah, Justin is the closest thing Mercy has to a Father figure and she is not about to tell him that she was about to do steroids + magic mushrooms.
I've had nights where time didn't exist for a few days after but it didn't involve giant mecha fights.
You know it's bad when the space Viking is struggling….Also yeah, Klo still exists.
I mean Rensa tried using his Battleizer and it didn't work but the point still stands.
Mercy doesn't think the Battleizer is important….Let's see how long that lasts.
Yeah both Kay and Panthera have spent time in cells and it's safe to say that Panthera handles it better.
These two are gonna get caught fucking somewhere one day.
We don't see enough of Panthera habitually stealing shit.
So, Kay's magic feels different; feels like that plot line is coming to a head.
Of course Rensa went and looked for Zhane and Karone.
After working together and being together for so long Zhane and Karone can speak without speaking.
Rensa has an edge to him but he isn't completely unhinged, he's not taking pleasure in killing people.
Yeah someone had to be the one to burst the Ranger's bubble here….Carnifex is definitely gone and he was definitely a major threat; but losing him isn't a massive loss to Lord Zedd at all.
LS Delta, the new Morphers Billy is working on; Lightspeed Delta….So I'm sure you can guess who's gonna get those.
Design wise, they're basically the SPD Morphers but with a wrist mounted terminal for them on the left arm….So they're handheld but also work like something I used to use to pick orders with in a warehouse lol.
Yeah everything I've written about Aquitar suggests that being replaced is one of the worst things that can happen to someone there, the ultimate loss of honour.
Peacetime Rangers, literally what SPD was, Power Rangers that were more police than an elite unit of warriors.
But with all the talk about what people are gonna do when this is over and transitions to peacetime, you just know that something big is gonna happen and ruin it.
Canis was originally going to be a one chapter character but I actually realised that I can use her to fill a few roles that will move the plot forward in the next few arcs so she's been brought to meet Lord Zedd.
She's a space pirate who worked for a few big customers, she thought she knew what power was….she was mistaken.
Lord Zedd keeps treating his people like that and it's gonna keep going wrong for him at crucial moments.
But yeah, Canis is now basically his go to operative for black-ops….Basically his equivalent to Charlie and her first job is to get rid of all the other pirates operating in Empire space; which is naturally gonna have a knock on effect on Karone's forces.
But now you get to see what she brought him, what the whole fight on Furrous was for….and I bet none of you predicted that.
Goldar's sword and the dust he was reduced to by Zordon's wave, and this is somehow the key to winning the war.
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