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Epilogue – Two Years Later
Two years had passed since the defeat of Lord Zedd and his succession by his own father, the once and former ruler of the Dark Empire Zebidiah Lord; two years which had passed in a near incomprehensible blur of activity, both political and more physically tangible as the galaxy moved into a time of peace and healing.
With Zebidiah reclaiming his title as Lord Zedd the Empire began to shrink in scale and influence almost immediately, wast fleet of ships pulling back from the outer fringes of Empire territory and ceding planets whose original populace remained in tact back to their rightful owners so that those cultures might once again flourish whilst the case of those planets where this was not the case, worlds that had been conquered in centuries and millennia gone by where the Empires' way of life was the only one that those who called the planet home knew Zebidiah had the resources at his disposal put to work, vast fleets, armies and works of technological genius being repurposed for the task of raising worlds and countless billions of people out of squalor until what remained of the Empire was a place of prosperity and progress rather simple endless war yet even as he did this Zebidiah, functionally immortal in his current form had begun to prepare for the day when his own title of Lord Zedd would be a meaningless relic by preparing to hand over control of his remaining worlds to those who lived upon them; he would steadily become less on an Emperor and more of a figurehead and grand organiser until he was no longer required at all.
Things were naturally not so simple however and there had been complications.
Those planets that were released from Empire control and occupation, whilst grateful for the Alliances' part in Lord Zedd's victory had by and large not accepted the offer to join the Alliance themselves and had instead elected to forge their own destinies; this in turn had caused a similar shrinking and fracturing of the Alliance as worlds and cultures within it broke away in a move that had threatened galactic instability and turmoil that had thankfully largely been avoided. Leslie colony had struck out and become the first truly separate human world whilst Edenoi had been welcomed into the Alliance with open arms, several other planets from both the Alliance and former Empire, many of which were now led by former members of Karone's rebel cells had formed smaller conglomerates amongst themselves and one another whilst, in a surprising move Onyx, the once notorious den of smugglers and pirates had formed an alliance with other worlds that had taken no part in the previous conflict and begun to trade with all who were willing until, after two short but hectic years filled with change it was clear that the galaxy would soon no longer be populated by two all-consuming and opposing powers with a single narrow stretch of space between them, but instead by dozens of co-operating and interwoven cultures leading to a new age of development and creation as countless cultures expanded and flourished in tandem.
This was not to say that the galaxy was entirely at peace however, the creation of so many interplanetary governments and organisations with conflicting or simply differing interests along with their various laws and jurisdictions had led to something of a surge in crime across the gulf of space as a shadowy, secretive secondary map of the stars began to take shape; one where the various corridors of neutral or ungoverned territory represented a vast web of safe havens for every kind of villain with aspirations of power or riches and so it was a relief to all that there were still Power Rangers active in the Galaxy to combat these threats.
Which was part of why Marigold Utahima, Gold Aegis Ranger had found herself within the Command Centre of Promethea One.
The Aegis Rangers, following their final victory over Lord Zedd done as they had intended and taken to the stars in Panthera's spaceship; visiting the home-worlds of many of the Rangers before simply exploring and travelling to their hearts content until finally, many of them had felt the familiar tug of home and the urge to follow their own dreams. They had not parted ways, not truly as the peace between the Alliance and former Empire worlds had allowed the proliferation of teleportation technology and so the seven of them could regularly speak or visit one another even when they were not on the same planet but Marigold, with Mercy close behind her had decided that after a year of travelling and occasionally using her powers to help those in need it was time to return to Promethea One and go back to college like she had originally intended.
Marigold, now twenty-one years old was once again studying psychology and sociology and it seemed that her own personal areas of interest and expertise would soon be of utmost importance as human colonies became entirely independent from Earth and generations of children would likely be born either on colony ships or other vessels; leading to a distinct and entirely unique culture and way of thinking to be understood; this specialisation even as a student, in addition to the perspectives given to her as a child of both the Alliance and a separatist colony and a Power Ranger often saw her called in to act as an unofficial advisor when the Lightspeed Delta Rangers were operating away from Earth.
Though as five streams of light came streaking into the Command Centre, materialising from seemingly nowhere the warm smile that formed on Mari's face made it obvious that things were not strictly professional; something that was clearly spotted by those around her as a playful nudge to the ribs demanded her attention
"Y'know you can stand there staring or you can actually talk to him" Grace Sterling who had been present as part of Mission Control for the Delta Rangers operation alongside Justin, Taylor and Eric Myers noted conversationally, pointedly taking a sip of her tea as her eyes moved from Mari to Red Ranger Jack Landors who had removed his helmet and was currently running a hand through his dreadlocks
"Shut up" Mari managed to growl under her breath, colour rising in her cheeks as the young man whom she'd found herself growing steadily closer to ever since her return to Promethea One as the Delta Rangers now occupied her own teams former quarters in the same student dormitories she lived in made his way over.
"Hey Mari" Jack gave a bright smile whilst rubbing the back of his head almost nervously "I didn't cause any major political incidents out there right?"
"No, you were great" Mari found herself laughing at Jack's idea of a joke "I think Mercy might even stop calling you rookie….in five years or so" Jack laughed until the sound trailed off and the two of them locked eyes, Mari looking at the taller Ranger until the moment was shattered by the sound of Jack's adoptive sister clearing her throat and interjecting
"If one of you two dumb-asses doesn't make a move I'm gonna have Bridge look into the future and see what happens!" Z called out, prompting Jack to direct several rude hand gestures in her direction whilst the Command Centre erupted into laughter and Bridge, who had recently removed his own helmet sputtered and gesticulated wildly whilst insisting that he would do no such thing.
"Okay that's enough chatter!" Taylor's voice cut across the noise as the Wild Force Ranger who had succeeded Kimberley Hart in her role decided to show some mercy on the now flustered Rangers "Delta team you did good out there, you know the drill; head to Doctor Manx for medical and debriefing" with the customary chorus of groans the freshly returned Rangers departed, Jack leaning down as he did so
"See you later Mari"
"Yeah, uh sure" the Gold Aegis Ranger waited until the Delta Rangers had left before turning to Taylor and her colleagues who formed Mission Control and asking a relevant question "Do you still need me here for anything?"
"It might help to have you on hand when we talk to-" it was Eric, the Quantum Ranger who answered only to trail off as a series of bleeping sounds from one of the many consoles in the spherical room caught his attention, his brow furrowing as he began to peruse the information that he had just received before gesturing to his long-term partner
"Taylor come and look at this" he murmured "Mari, stay where you are….we might have a situation here"
Zebidiah, or as he was once again frequently called Lord Zedd had found himself with far less use for his grand, cavernous throne room filled with trophies and spoils of war than he might have expected.
The throne still served as a reminder of his title and authorities no matter how much the sorcerer wished to see them diminished into nothingness however and, in addition to the magnification of his own arcane abilities that the palace provided the throne room had likely gone some way to prevent many attempts to assassinate or usurp him; the Empire had rewarded power and ruthlessness for generations after all and its' sudden about face had left many of its' most decorated and respected individuals not only directionless but also outcast and fearing for their own futures as the spectre of reparations or justice, retaliatory or otherwise hung over them meaning that many of their number had, either openly or privately harboured notions of taking the throne themselves and returning the Empire to what they saw as its' true path only to falter and find their willpower sapped entirely in the face of the New Lord Zedd upon the throne of Acheron surrounded by countless trophies. The trophies themselves had begun to change, art and sculptures now hanging alongside ancient relics whilst the more grisly and macabre displays had been disposed of and items such as Morphers belonging to defeated Power Rangers or items of deep cultural importance had been returned to their rightful owners in the spirit of healing. As it was Zebidiah used the throne more as a tool with which to posture and ensure that his vision for the reforging and eventual dissolution of the once Dark Empire was enacted, with the closest thing to battle he oversaw as sat upon it being his regular games of chess against Grace Sterling now that reliable communications had been established between Alliance and Empire space.
Currently however the current ruler of Acheron was elsewhere within his enormous palace.
"My Lord" the voice of one the countless beings drawn from across the galaxy who seemed incapable of considering themselves as anything other than a serf or subject stooped into a low bow as Zebidiah strode into a room that could best be considered his own Command Centre, a place where he conducted business of a nature ill-suited to the intimidation and grandeur of his throne room; the sorcerer turned ruler gave a long-suffering sigh though privately noted that being referred to by his given name was unlikely, especially when the synthetic skin of his mechanical body was engraved and tattooed with countless intricate and minute runes and wards that glowed faintly which gave him an enthralling and ethereal appearance that was only exacerbated by the ornate, regal and stylised ceremonial armour her wore over his customary robes with a flowing cape draped around his shoulders.
"Rise" he Zebidiah said simply "What news, I assume it's something of importance if it requires my personal attention?" Zebidiah noted, making a conscious effort to keep the mocking note that his son would have used out of his voice as he addressed his follower, the assertion was a truthful one; with such vast amounts of work to be done the current Lord Zedd had delegated large amounts of organisation to those beneath him, encouraging and rewarding their initiative and input.
"We received a hail from an untraceable and secure channel, one with priority clearances" the alien who wore robes intended to evoke Zebidiah's own as a uniform noted "I believe it's from….her"
"Ah, I wondered when she'd be in touch. Put her on" Zebidiah beamed, in the Command Centre Lord Zedd had established for long range communications in his restored and improved palace a large hard-light and hologram projector had been installed and at his behest the device came flickering into life, revealing the identity of the mysterious messenger, a scarred and grizzled woman clad in what had once been a military uniform though all traces of rank and insignia had been cut away.
"Hello again Charlie" Zebidiah nodded in recognition, Charlie Morales had stayed true to word to Commander Cruger and left Earth in possession of what she had assumed was a prototype Lightspeed Morpher which, in a move that had surprised everyone who knew of it she had promptly given to someone else; behind her and at her hand stood an individual in the armour of a Lightspeed Black Ranger their identity hidden by a helmet with an arrowhead shaped visor, though it was clear that this Ranger was anything but human by both the pair of swept back and almost angular antennae that sprouted from their skull and also he fact beneath their broad shoulders and powerful arms they sported a second, slightly smaller pair of limbs. The current Lord Zedd would be lying if he said the identity of this new Ranger was something he wasn't curious about, after so long with Project Lightspeed having no idea of a Power Rangers' identity was a strange thing indeed though the fact that they had earned the trust of Charlie Morales seemed to speak volumes.
"Zebidiah" Charlie returned the nod of recognition "I received word from my people that some of your ships are headed towards my location"
"Yes that" Zebidiah grimaced "I would have spoken with you directly much sooner but the incident itself required immediate attention-"
"What happened?" Charlie asked bluntly, yet with no malice whilst the Black Ranger at her side remained silent and stoic
"Former members of the Empire fleet….Captains of several warships, they chose to attack a world that until recently had been part of the Empire with a view to take it for themselves, planning to carve out a fiefdom of their own. The attack was repelled and those responsible brought to heel but, as you well know Charlie Empire ships are large things and their crews are sizeable-"
"So you're sending me ships full of orphans and former slaves" Charlie interrupted, eager as always to get to the meat of the issue
"Along with skilled workers and resources…..Your goal is a noble one after all, I want to see you succeed" Zebidiah gave her a bright smile, an expression which stunned the staff of the Command Centre as they still found it difficult to believe a Lord Zedd capable of such openness. Charlie had, with considerable aid established her refuge for the orphans and downtrodden of the galaxy; a steadily increasing community which would eventually be self-sustaining as the various repurposed ships that had forged a single hulking contraption grew crops and entire ecosystems within their vast cargo holds.
"Thank you, as is yours….I never thought I'd see the changes you're making" Charlie admitted softly before seeming to catch herself and reapply her usual brusqueness "The battle against your rebels, Ranger involvement?"
"Not to the best of my knowledge" Zebidiah answered "The Lightspeed Delta Rangers have been occupied with other matters, the candidates for new Astro Rangers are still in training whilst the Aquitians are yet to give the Power Coins I returned to them to a new team"
"And what about-"
"Not that I am aware of" the sorcerer reiterated, knowing exactly to whom Charlie would be referring and being honestly unable to confirm or deny with any degree of certainty; with the emptying of the trophy rooms and frankly horrific vaults and laboratories of his palace Zebidiah noted that there were now far more Power Rangers active in the galaxy than there had been for quite some time and keeping track of them all was becoming an arduous task.
Any further discussion was quickly halted however as the voice of one of Zebidiah's many subjects intruded upon the conversation.
"My Lord" they visibly winced, bracing themselves for a blow that would not come as they interrupted "We're receiving another transmission, source is Earth's moon"
"Cruger" Zebidiah murmured, loud enough for Charlie to hear
"You'll forgive me if I cut this short, I have things to attend to"
"As you wish" Zebidiah nodded, choosing not to comment on the fact that the former soldiers' hiding in the proverbial shadows was entirely unnecessary and being confronted only moments later with a new holographic image
"Lord Zedd" Commander Cruger growled out from his customary control room of an office within the Lightspeed Moonbase
"Please Lord Zedd was my son, call me Zebidiah" the sorcerer joked, taking a moment of enjoyment from the looks of surprise he received before adding "How is my old outpost serving you, I see you've decorated"
"We don't have time for jokes" Cruger sighed, though a smile tugged at the corners of a muzzle which had begun to dull and grey with age before he added "The recovery and rebuilding efforts in Angel Grove are naturally still continuing, part of which has involved simply levelling and rebuilding several city blocks from scratch….Earth Ninjas and a group of young wizards from our Briarwood base helped but in doing so they uncovered something-"
"And you want my opinion and advice" Zebidiah noted "I see"
"I'm aware that you no longer work for Project Lightspeed, but what I am about to show you is clearly magical in nature and has thus far been impossible to identify; you may be the only person with the expertise"
"I understand Cruger, show me what your students have dug up" Cruger nodded and complied, only to be taken back by the stream of vehement curses that came spewing from the mouth of the current Lord Zedd the moment he saw the mass of silver and purple that stood taller than a man.
"So it's bad" Cruger growled "I assumed as much….How would you suggest we prepare for this" Zebidiah answered without hesitation.
"Gather the Aegis Rangers at once"
It was mid afternoon, though on the colony of Promethea One the weather and artificial sunlight were as constant as always when Mercy Jackson, Red Aegis Ranger found herself lounging comfortably on a bench just outside of the college she attended; arms tucked behind her head to keep the glare of the imitation of sunlight than shone down from above from reflecting from the surface of her repaired and modified Morpher as she relaxed. The Morpher itself had been painstakingly and carefully repaired by Justin, who had taken it upon himself to improve the Battleizer system he had created for mercy and streamline it even further until the two devices were one and the same, leaving the Red Ranger with a Morpher that was only slightly larger than that of her team-mates with a casing around the Hawk Power Coin that was silver on the lower half and a deep cherry red on its' upper segment. Mercy herself had healed as well, the young woman looked strong and healthy with her athletic build as noticeable as ever and complemented by comfortable attire and her mass of curls that were currently tied back to keep them from her eyes freshly dyed their customary vivid red whilst the burns to her right hand that she had sustained in the battle against Lord Zedd had all but entirely healed, leaving her with only a slight discolouration of the skin which eyes were easily drawn away from the presence of a prominent tattoo that encircled her wrist.
A sign of her continued relationship and commitment to Aslaug.
The Yellow Ranger bore an identical marking on her own right wrist in addition to her various other tribal markings which the two of them had decided to take during the year they had spent travelling the stars together, specifically when the pair had visited Aslaug's tribe on Mirinoi before Mercy had returned to Earth and its' orbital colonies; whilst her people did not have a wedding in the traditional sense the markings were intended to convey that the two of them were bonded by fate for all time; a notion that kept Mercy's loneliness at bay whilst the two of them were separated.
Whilst she had chosen to attend college with Marigold, studying history and also being highly aware of the fact that her own name would soon be discussed in lectures on the subject and semi-regularly teaching martial arts classes to as many of the countless individuals who wished to learn from her Aslaug had remained behind on Mirinoi a while longer and taken on a new role in life. Whilst she had not fully returned to her people that fact remained that the Yellow Ranger had seen more the galaxy than any of her people before her and as Terra Venture expanded its' relationship with the native tribes, the survivors from Liaria and even refugees from several Empire prison worlds began to settle on Mirinoi Aslaug was often called upon to act as a representative or mediator on her peoples' behalf; something that was naturally preferable to a state of tribal warfare even if it did separate her from Mercy more than either of them would have liked.
"Come on Mari, how long are you gonna be?" Mercy sighed, speaking to no-one in particular as she began to grow bored of relaxing in the way that only a person like her could. On the bench beside her was a backpack filled with her textbooks and notes that she agreed to copy for her classmate and fellow Ranger Sky Tate whilst the Delta team were deployed on a mission though her classes were finished today and she had been intending to meet with Marigold if her team-mate yet the Gold Ranger was currently running uncharacteristically late.
"I didn't realise you already had plans" a low, gruff and instantly familiar voice noted in faint amusement as a shadow fell over Mercy, causing her to look up and her mind to immediately become blank at the sight of a pair of piercing, icy blue eyes surrounded by a black band of a tribal marking and a towering, muscular form draped in light amour and a fur cloak worn over one shoulder.
It took a few seconds for Mercy to process the sight before her, only for her to make up for that lost time by practically throwing herself at Aslaug with a squeal of utter delight
"What are you doing here? When did you get here? Oh my gosh it's good to see you, I've missed you!" words spilled from the smaller woman at a rapid fire pace as she hooked her arms and legs around Aslaug who held her aloft with ease until finally Mercy paused for breath and gently cupped her partners' cheeks and brought their foreheads together before whispering "I love you"
"I love you too" Aslaug murmured back, waiting for Mercy to clamber down from her before adding "The negotiations went more smoothly than expected, the tribes from Dread will be allowed to share my peoples' land so long as some of their practices are curbed….there was no need for me to stay and there is nowhere else I would rather be than with you"
"Rensa will be happy" Mercy noted before giving into temptation and pulling Aslaug so close that she melted into the taller woman and simply allowed herself to enjoy the momentarily
"I hope I haven't ruined any plans you already had" Aslaug murmured into Mercy's hair, neither of them caring that their public affection and the fact that were instantly recognisable was beginning to draw attention from passers by
"I was just gonna hang out with Mari tonight, maybe go bowling or something…." she trailed off and a bright, mischievous smile formed on her face as a thought occurred to her "Okay but if the Delta Rangers are back then we should totally get Sky and Syd to come with us"
"Sydney is always fun to compete against" Aslaug noted with a grin
"Yeah but then I'll invite Jack as well, it'll be a triple date and we can finally get Jack and Mari to stop being total dorks about each other" Aslaug chuckled at the notion and for a moment the two of them were allowed to simply be young, in love and largely carefree in a galaxy that they helped bring into a new age of peace.
And then their communicators began to chirp.
"Are you kidding me right now?" Mercy demanded, gesturing furiously at the device "Is this Justin's idea of a prank" Aslaug merely sighed and shook her head before giving a reply along with a shrug
"I suppose that is the kind of welcome home I should have expected….some things will truly never change" Mercy gave an annoyed huff at the idea of their first evening after being apart for far too long being ruined
"Okay, back to action….let's make this quick"
"Well look who finally decided to join us" a voice that was mocking, albeit in a friendly and familial way declared as Panthera and Kay strode onto the bridge, or more accurately the glorified cockpit of the spaceship the Pink Ranger captained.
The personal ship that Panthera had inherited from Lar'Zenn was a far cry from the inconceivable spacefaring behemoths that the Empire, Alliance and other cultures had sent out into the stars, indeed it had been barely large enough to house the seven Aegis Rangers during the year they had travelled together and they had often found themselves taking unnecessary detours to various ports as much to stretch their legs and sleep more comfortably as to take in as much of the galaxy as they could however for the teal-skinned alien who had been raised within the smugglers' guild the small ship was comfortable in a homely and familiar way that was only enhanced by the company of her current crew.
The first and most obvious member of the small ships crew and Panthera's First Mate, though it was rare that such an official title was needed was Kay, the Green Ranger currently leaning against Panthera with an arm around her waist whilst their tail brushed playfully against them. The second and much more unexpected addition was Canis, the canine alien who descended from the dead planet of Sirius and whose scaled hide bore the black and coppery orange colouration of a doberman; whilst she had never wished to be press-ganged into the Empires' service a peaceful retirement on Earth had disagreed with the former bandit and so, after their paths had crossed by chance once again she had made her case and set out into the stars again with a pair of Power Rangers. The third addition to the crew was the one who had addressed Panthera so nonchalantly upon her arrival and the one whom the Pink Ranger was almost the most happy to see.
Acinonyx Cato, her older sister.
The various implements that the Dark Empire flesh-crafters had grafted to the elder Felidae had been painstakingly removed by doctors and scientists from across the world of Felix from almost the moment she had been taken there by Panthera's comrades within the Smuggler Guild and her mind had slowly but steadily returned to her as the parts of her body that had been removed and maimed in the twisted and despicable process of augmentation had been replaced by more functional prosthetics until finally the sisters had been reunited upon Panthera's arrival on her home-world.
"Leave 'em be Nyxy, we only get to be young once" the final member of the crew smirked as she shifted her weight on Acinonyx's lap, a slender and green-skinned reptilian humanoid with a long, flexible tail that trailed behind them; she was Honnari, an old friend, crew-mate and partner of Acinonyx from before she had been captured by the Empire and their reunion at the earliest opportunity had been something of a foregone conclusion.
"Captains' prerogative" Panthera snorted in response to her sisters' teasing as she made herself comfortable in her seat, Kay electing to lean over the back of it rather than take their own station.
"Sounds like grounds for a mutiny Pan" Acinonyx flashed grin filled with sharp teeth "We're revolting"
"Yes, yes you are" Kay smiled, leaving her sputtering until finally the elder Felidae turned to her sister
"I get why you like them, they're insufferable"
"If anyone here would like to discuss business?" Canis cut across the playful bickering with a dull and deadpan drone which silenced that chatter and caused Panthera to give a slight nod of agreement.
"Do we have any contracts on the table?"
"We always have new contracts on the table" Honnari laughed "Everyone in the galaxy wants to hire a Power Ranger and thinks they have the funds to do it-"
"You know the rules, we don't-" Kay found themselves cut off by a hand wave from Honnari
"I know, I know….you're not mercenaries, we're couriers and any heroics we do along the way are completely free and incidental" she let out a sigh before adding "At least the fringe benefits are nice"
"That they are" Panthera grinned as she fiddled with one of the many shiny trinkets she owned and took a moment to appreciate how enjoyable her life was now; her business as a courier was entirely legal and she had a reputation which kept her and those she travelled with well funded and though she would never consider something so base as to use her position as a Power Ranger to become a sell-sword she and Kay did intervene against any pirates, marauders or other would be tyrants they encountered with no expectation of payment which had earned them favour and allowed them to rest in establishments far more expensive than they would normally have been able to and had also led to many of her ships' many upgrades costing far less to implement than they otherwise might have.
"Still no leads on that little side project of yours yet….Marvellous knows something though, even if he isn't saying" Acinonyx noted, interrupting her sisters' train of thought.
"I got that impression as well; but I don't think it's him" Panthera mused; over the last several months there had been rumours of what seemed to be a new team of Power Rangers travelling the stars in what seemed to be a single large Zord which resembled a stylised lion, what had captured Panthera's attention however besides the fact that this team was a complete unknown who acted independently of any of the galaxies' ruling powers were the sheer amount of Rangers this team had, fully twice as many as the average and the fact that they seemed to represent an even vaster variety of species than the Aegis Rangers. Panthera and Kay had resolved to track this group down if only to make their acquaintance and be the ones to welcome them into the larger Ranger community but so far had only received a vague hint in the form of an overheard name, an individual known as 'Lucky Kyu of Kaien'
Such thought were forced aside however as both Panthera and Kay's communicators began to beep and chirp until the incoming transmission was patched into the ships' own comms, leading to the somewhat incongruous sight of the current Lord Zedd being projected into the small and cramped cockpit.
"Grandfather" Kay beamed, inhuman eyes seeming to light up at the sight of Zebidiah
"You might be the first person I've spoken to in a week who doesn't insist on bowing" the sorcerer noted with his usual effortless aloofness
"Bow, in this cockpit? As if we've got room" Panthera snorted
"How can we help you Grandfather" Kay murmured, knowing that as happy as he was to speak with Zebidiah again after what felt like far too long the fact that he had chosen to contact them in the physical plane rather than meeting with his grandchild in the astral plane as they meditated meant that something unexpected and serious enough to drag the current Lord Zedd away from his task of remaking and dismantling his Empire had occurred
"It won't be me you're helping, I was just in a position to contact you sooner than the Alliance" Zebidiah's expression became more serious as he continued "I do not have the time for a proper explanation, just know that whilst Earth is currently secure something has been uncovered and it would be in the worlds' best interests for you to make your way to Promethea One as soon as possible….If you are within Empire space I can have a teleportation gate requisitioned-"
"No need" Panthera assured him, allowing herself a customary smirk of satisfaction as she added "We have an onboard teleport driver, amazing what you can get done when you know someone who fits them for a living now….Might take us a couple jumps, there's only so much power this ship can put out but tell Mission Control to expect us in a few hours….Don't tell the other Rangers though, we can at least give 'em a surprise"
"It has been too long since I saw my cousin" Kay mused, wondering how Mercy was faring.
"I trust you will have a happy reunion after the matter at hand is attended to" Zebidiah answered simply before the holographic image flickered away, there was a moment of silence as Panthera leaned back to look up at Kay and the two of them locked eyes before finally nodding as some unspoken agreement passed between them.
"Acinonyx charge teleport driver and set a course for Earth" her sudden businesslike tone faltered a moment later as she added in the sickly sweet taunting voice common to all younger siblings "Now stay on the ship and try not to cause any trouble while we're busy saving a world, okay?" Canis merely muttered a slew of curses selected from a dozen or more languages whilst Honnari, still sat on Acinonyx's lap rolled her eyes though Acinonyx herself snapped off a mocking salute in her sisters' direction
"Aye Captain, full speed ahead for Earth"
Life was going fantastically for Tempestus if the dark-skinned Aquitian were being entirely honest, which he found little reason not to.
His broken had leg had healed without incident or complication over a year ago and since then the Blue Aegis Ranger had enjoyed travelling the galaxy with his friends, helping those in need as a Power Ranger wherever he could but doing so, for the first time in his life without the weight of duty and destiny weighing down upon him and as he explored he had found himself enamoured with the dozens upon dozens of cultures he experienced, each of them so vastly different from Aquitar or Earth and giving him new perspectives to see the galaxy from. His time had not been spent entirely on relaxation however, whilst his parents had returned to their home on Aquitar his father had been and still was instrumental in the ongoing recovery of Earths' many devastated cities and had enlisted the aid of Tempestus in overcoming several logistical and technical problems, the young Aquitian remaining in contact with his home and supplying answers and possibilities that might help humanity and the galaxy as a whole until finally a stroke of inspiration had occurred to the Blue Ranger which sent racing back to Aquitar.
He had finally found a new goal and there had been no time to waste.
Upon his arrival on Aquitar he had explained first to his parents, then to Delphine who held a position of authority within the city-state he hailed from and subsequently a nigh endless stream of bureaucrats until finally the logic of his proposal had been accepted; the key to recovering worlds ravaged by war was better supply lines and the key to the continuation of the current peace was greater interaction between the several factions which now populated the galaxy as the Alliance and Empire both began to fragment and both of this issues could be solved with a single, simple answer; the sharing and disseminating of the Eltarian teleportation technology which had for so long been the domain of the Alliance alone. With this proposition accepted efforts had begun to install a larger and wider reaching teleportation grid which implemented the Alliances' teleportation beacons and drivers where possible and the Empires' teleportation gates in other places in a vast web that spanned the entire galaxy so that resources and people could cross the gulf of space with ease however it was at that point that Delphine had taken Tempestus aside and explained to the Blue Aegis Ranger that there had been unexpected consequences to the news of his exploits spreading across Aquitar.
He had become a cultural icon to the youth of the planet and the various elders were unsure of how to handle it.
Seeing an orphaned member of the warrior caste, raised by a healer and a human grow to become one of the most respected minds of a generation in mechanical and technological fields whilst still serving Aquitar and the Alliance as not just a warrior, but as a Power Ranger had upset generations of tradition and now young Aquitians from all walks of life were beginning to question their roles and seek out a new sense of purpose; hearing Delphine's concerns Tempestus had proposed another delightfully simple answer; namely that he would take as many of those who questioned themselves with him into the stars and the would form the basis of his team as he brought Alliance teleportation technology to the wider galaxy, showing his people what they had to gain and connecting people in several ways.
All of which had brought Tempestus to his current location, the storm ravaged world of Aeolus.
The world was a truly beautiful place, albeit in a fierce and primal way. A constantly shifting sky filled with roiling and cascading clouds of various shades of blue flashed with lightning all around though whilst such an environment might seem cold or unwelcoming on first appearance the air was in fact pleasantly warm and humid enough that Tempestus and the Aquitians that had joined him here were quite comfortable. The local populace were a relatively advanced species, their technology comparable to that of humanity though vastly different in design and methodology owing to their physiology and their own cultural history; everything about the species was greatly interesting to Tempestus simply from a scientific standpoint though his interest was held at that moment by the vast floating islands that their cities were built upon. Aeolus was home to a rather unique crystalline compound which had lifted sizeable chunks of the worlds' crust high into the air and created a maze of islands and continents which shifted as the planet rotated, giving it a map which changed as much as the clouds around them. Currently Tempestus was simply enjoying the view, leaning against a railing at the edge of one such island and peering down at the sprawling forests and farmlands that grew to immense size owing to the worlds' slightly lower than average gravity below him; as he did so he found his thoughts wandering to his fellow Rangers, firstly to Rensa though the dark skinned teen supposed that was only natural considering his current surroundings and then steadily to Kay and Panthera whom he had encountered not long ago and had in fact joined in battle against a group of pirates only a few months ago before making some modifications to the spaceship the Pink and Green Rangers continued to travel in. His musings were interrupted shortly thereafter however by someone appearing at his right hand side.
"Tempestus" the Aquitian who stood beside him was one whom the Blue Ranger immediately recognised, tall and powerfully built with the stiff and rigid bearing of the warrior caste as they gave a traditional triangular salute which stood hilariously at odds with the t-shirt sporting the logo of a human death metal band they wore. This was Tlaloc, a son of the former Red Ranger of Aquitar and someone who, like Tempestus had been considered as a potential candidate to become and Aegis Ranger, that he had chosen to join Tempestus's voyage into the stars had come as a surprise but certainly a welcome one.
"Yes Tlaloc" the Blue Ranger replied, dragging his gaze away from his surroundings "What is it?"
"The teleportation system is ready for its' initial testing" the potential Ranger answered simply, shuffling with some mild embarrassment as they gestured to something in the distance, Tempestus followed his gaze and his coral-pink eyes widened as he saw a crowd, comprised almost exclusively of his fellow Aquitians waiting expectantly a respectable distance away.
"They waited for me?" he asked.
"They want you to have the honour of testing the teleporter first, you've certainly earned that right. None of this, none of these lives we lead could have happened without you" Tlaloc noted solemnly, only to ruin whatever gravitas the moment had by adding "Also many of the people in that crowd find you….intriguing"
"Oh" Tempestus scanned the crowd, suddenly self-conscious as he noted just how many of the individuals within it were rather attractive; from there his mind began to race though perhaps not in directions that were strictly advisable and as a smile began to form on the Blue Rangers face his fellow Aquitian took a respectful step back.
"You're about to do a human thing aren't you?" Tlaloc sighed, bracing himself for one of the many oddities that Tempestus had developed during his time away from Aquitar.
"Humans perform many ill-advised feats for the attention of those they find attractive" Tempestus pulled himself up onto the railings of the floating island "There is also an activity my Father explained to me….it's called sky-diving"
"That sounds….Unwise" Tlaloc noted
"Oh it most certainly is….However, it will be an excellent chance to test the teleporter" Tempestus noted, standing up and balancing on the edge of the floating island and flashing a bright smile and a wink to the crowd of Aquitians who had followed him to this planet to find themselves.
And then he back-flipped over the edge.
Even with lower than average gravity Tempestus hurtled downwards toward the ground which raced up to meet him, though it was at a slower pace than it could have been and the dark-skinned young man realised that he would have several minutes to enjoy the rush of pure exhilaration of falling without any risk of harm; not that he had any real doubts about his teams' ability to teleport him to safety long before he could hit the ground. Just as it occurred to Tempestus that this endeavour would have been made more enjoyable with music he heard his communicator chirping even over the howling of wind in his ears.
"Oh hello, I'm currently skydiving….It's groovy!"
"I'll be sure to tell your old man, his reaction will be priceless" Tempestus had truthfully expected it to be one of his parents contacting him, however the knowledge that it was Justin Stewart changed things as his position as a member of Mission Control meant that any communication with him had a reasonable chance of being official business, as was quickly proven to be the case.
"We need you on Promethea One" he continued "We have a situation"
"Bodacious" Tempestus answered with a smile "It'll be a good chance to test the long range capabilities of this teleporter" with that the Blue Ranger ended the contact and prepared to inform his team that his plans had been changed mid-fall
Which would presumably add to his reputation of a thrill-seeking oddball of an Aquitian.
To Rensa the Animarium was the most beautiful place on Earth or any of the other planets that he had visited and that opinion was only given further proof in his mind as the place continued to flourish.
Following the Empires' failed invasion of Earth many of those who had sought shelter on the Animarium had since left, either returning to the surface world to either rebuild the destroyed cities they had come from or rebuild their lives anew elsewhere whilst many others had taken to the colony ships that had surrounded Earth, many of which had since departed to seek out new and unexplored worlds for humanity to spread to however there were many, hundred even who had remained behind; many of them being children who had been evacuated with no-one to care for them, orphans of a war that they were too young to understand.
Rensa had become their shepherd and their protector, doing for them what Andros had once done for him.
The youngest Aegis Ranger had met with Princess Shayla and the ruler of the Animarium had been immediately taken with him, a Ranger who had travelled from beyond the stars to defend the world she held so dear and who did not praise the same technology that had ravaged Earth so brutally was a notion that had obvious appeal and the teen himself had proven to be more acceptable to her. Now, two years after the war he had left his prison world home to fight Rensa had formed a new tribe from the lost and forgotten of Earth and had begun to make them not in his peoples' image but in the image of what his people might have been had they been free to live without the horrors and desperation that had plagued them and whilst Max Cooper, the Blue Wild Force Ranger had formed a settlement of noteworthy size on the Animarium with Taylor acting as a liaison for the floating island and the surface, bringing what little technology Princess Shayla would allow and Merrick had departed into the wild-lands of the Animarium, living amongst the various endangered animals that had been rescued and given sanctuary Rensa had taken his young charges deep into forests and formed a colony of his own; a place where they would be safe and surrounded by beauty.
A statement that only became more true as the Wild Zords began to return.
Whilst Taylor's Zord, now dubbed the Harrier Zord had survived and grown in size so that it would now form the torso of any Megazord that it was a part of the first entirely new Zord to emerge from a crystal that had appeared on the Animarium had been a new Wolf Zord, currently it was smaller than its' predecessor but still shook the ground with its' footsteps as it bounded across the landscape beside Merrick and the pack of wolves that often accompanied him. The second Zord to appear had been a Red Fire-Ant Zord whose presence Rensa would be eternally thankful for as the industrious and scurrying thing had, almost from the moment it was released into the Animarium begun burrowing an endless series of tunnels which the Black Aegis Ranger had eagerly begun to appropriate, taking them as shelter from the elements for the tribe of children that followed him and for himself so that he could be free from the blinding sunlight even when he was without the contact lenses that Billy had devised for him. Other Wild Zords to have manifested themselves through some mystical process which Princess Shayla would not elaborate on had included a somewhat volatile Blue Hippopotamus Zord whose domain Rensa would not venture into and a Green Chameleon Zord whose presence Rensa's tribe had come to regard as lucky and comforting as slipped through the forest above their tunnels almost silently despite its' massive size. It was not lost on Rensa that these new Zords would likely coincide with the formation of a new team of Power Rangers thought he refused to allow himself to consider that as anything but a positive fact and would not worry about threat might come until there was something he could do to prevent it.
Which was why he wore a smile as he stood beside Princess Shayla, waiting for a new Wild Zord to reveal itself.
The regent of the island had sent word out to those Power Rangers who dwelt on her home, Rensa among them despite not being a Ranger she had chosen for herself and they, along with the people they watched over had gathered at the place she had specified, a vast lake which teemed life and managed to contain several distinct ecosystems that should not have been able to coexist and the Black Ranger had led the various gaggles of children that clung to him and pointed excitedly at every new thing they encountered out from the tunnels and the forest with haste, filter lenses allowing him to see and a cool, refreshing breeze blowing glossy black hair with green tips that had been allowed to grow out until it cascaded over his shoulder and reached below his shoulder blades. From his position at Princess Shayla's side, perched upon a rocky outcropping with Max close by he could see everything, his own people interacting with those who had gravitated to the Blue Ranger whilst the Harrier Zord circled overhead and in the distance, on the opposite side of the lake the glowing eyes of the Wolf Zord revealed that Merrick was present.
"It's time" Princess Shayla intoned, whatever mystical abilities that had allowed her to know of the impending appearance of a new Zord granting her foresight once again and a moment later the surface of the lake was breached as a vast and sleek shape burst from it, a shrill clicking noise that managed to seem playful despite the way it resonated ominously filling the air.
"An Orca Zord" Max noted, a bittersweet smile on his scarred face as he reminisced about the Shark Zord he had lost.
"A Black Zord….for a Black Ranger" Rensa murmured, glancing guiltily at his wrist as he did so and noting that his Morpher had been allowed to grow dirty and stained with disuse though the power Coin within it still shone brightly as though noting as mundane as simply dirt could affect it.
"Indeed" Princess Shayla mused "I hope the day that these new Zords are needed is far in the future, however it would be foolish of us to not begin searching for those worthy to serve as partners for these gifts we have been given….perhaps there is a successor for your title of Black Ranger among your own followers"
"Perhaps" Rensa hissed out, brow furrowing "I have taught them to defend themselves but I'll travel to Earth or any other world and fight on their behalf if I don't feel that they're ready" Shayla and Max both considered the young mans' words and found themselves nodding in approval; whilst he, like many Power Rangers had been thrust into the role of protector far too young he seemed to have grown into the title spectacularly. The moment was broken however and Rensa's promise was left hanging the air as some harbinger of misfortune as a streak of yellow light split the air between them and Taylor Earhardt, Yellow Wild Force Ranger, liaison to the Animarium and member of Promethea Ones' Command Centre team appeared.
"Taylor, it is wonderful to see you" Princess Shayla beamed, whatever differences the two had once had having been forgotten "You arrived at the perfect time"
"Well, about a minute too late" Max noted with a grin, Taylor promptly responding by swatting the shoulder of his remaining arm before casting her eyes towards the lake where the newly created Orca Zord continued to frolic, seemingly enjoying the attention that it was receiving.
"That is amazing, another new Zord" she breathed out, her smile only widening into one of pure adoration as her own Harrier Zord let out a shriek of adoration; a moment later however her expression darkened and she shook her head slowly "I just wish I hadn't come bringing bad news"
"The Earth is in peril?" Shayla demanded, voice echoing with magical power
"Nothing to worry about….not yet at least" Taylor assured her before turning to Rensa "Something was found though, on Earth and we're gathering the Aegis Rangers to investigate" Rensa bristled for a moment until he felt Max's hand, the one made of enchanted wood and plant matter on his shoulder
"Your kids are safe with my people, they'll be here to welcome you home….Besides how long has been since you saw your friends?"
"Months...almost half a year?" Rensa admitted, a pang of guilt stabbing at him as he glanced again at his Morpher and then the equally ill-cared for communicator and Battleizer and found them symbolic of the friendships he had been too devoted to his work to maintain, searching for a silver lining and perhaps a justification he added "Although Leonardo has visited, he finds my tunnel network more suitable for meditation than the sewers in New York"
"A most interesting creature" Princess Shayla admitted, her thoughts on the Ninja Turtles and their origins as animals that had been made greater by humanities inadvertent interventions a complex web she had not yet fully deciphered.
"They'll be glad to see you again" Taylor noted "And they'll love what you've done for these kids"
"Then let's go" Rensa whispered, suddenly eager despite the danger that he and his fellow Aegis Rangers might soon face "It has been far too long"
Mercy and Aslaug had naturally been the first of the Aegis Rangers to join Marigold in the Command Centre where Eric and Justin had been waiting for them and the Red Aegis Ranger had exchanged pleasantries with the Quantum Ranger who had once been her teacher and the Turbo Ranger whom she had steadily come ton fully see as a parent figure in her life; Mercy and Justin spoke and visited one another often but an unexpected visit, even under circumstances such as these was always welcome. The pair had been followed shortly there after by Tempestus who landed with an abrupt thud after being teleported from a free-fall, bouncing to his feet with giddy excitement and explaining the progress of his mission to connect the entire galaxy through the technology of teleportation and then finally by Panthera and Kay, the Green Ranger being pulled into a crushing hug by her cousin whilst the Pink and Red Rangers maintained the facade of their former competitiveness towards one another before almost collapsing in a fit of giggles and enquiring about one another's lives; as the Aegis Rangers chatted animatedly amongst one another, happy beyond words at being reunited twin streaks of light materialised in the spherical Command Centre and a whoosh of displaced air went rushing outwards, air far cooler and fresher than that of the orbital colony or truthfully anywhere on Earth
"Rensa!" Mercy exclaimed at the sight of the Black Ranger, all-but dragging him into the group of reunited friends and quickly catching sight of something she found important "Oh my gosh, you've grown….You might actually be taller than me if you stand up straight"
"He looks strong, healthy….time in the wilds has worked wonders" Aslaug noted approvingly as she saw that whilst Rensa was as gaunt and pallid as ever he did seem sturdier somehow, exuding a quiet aura of calmness and control.
"We've missed you, you should call us more" Marigold chided gently
"It is groovy to see you again old friend" Tempestus beamed
"Okay, okay everyone back up give the kid some space" Panthera chuckled, keen senses noting that the Black Ranger was being subjected to a sudden influx of information that might be more than they were currently used to. The Aegis Rangers fell quiet and the natural lull in the conversation was quickly capitalised on by members of Mission Control.
"Good now that we're all here we can get down to business" Taylor began, Justin chiming in with an apologetic expression.
"It really is good to see you all again, however we have a job to do and it's urgent"
"What's the situation?" Mercy asked, standing stiffly to attention as the familiarity of the situation caused her to react with practised ease and a quick glance to either side of her confirmed that her fellow Aegis Rangers were stood similarly to attention. It was Eric was answered, looking imposing with his grizzled features and heavily decorated uniform
"The Ninja Academies do not yet have a full team of Ranger candidates and Delta team have recently returned from a mission and are not cleared by medical to be sent back out into the field, also the Delta-Omega Morpher is completed but our candidate has not been informed and their official training has yet to begin-"
"Sam" Mercy nodded, having discussed the possibility of a new addition to the Delta Rangers with both Jack and Sky "Quiet kid, I think he'll be a good fit"
"Indeed" Eric noted, eye visibly twitching at such highly classified information being so casually discussed "Shortly after Delta Teams' return we were made aware of a developing situation in Angel Grove, construction crews being aided by a geomancer from the Briarwood facility uncovered this, the item initially reacted to their magic and the area has been cleared with a perimeter of one city block in each direction established….Observe the viewing globe"
"All this trouble….for that?" Aslaug grunted, knowing that there was certainly more to the situation than met the eye yet still initially unimpressed
"Is that an egg?" Mercy asked incredulously
"Whatever it is I can almost taste the dark magic on it" Kay noted with a grimace.
"Exactly" Justin informed them "This image is out of date, that thing isn't an egg and the magical energy signature it gives off has been building to the point where we can't get any accurate readings or see what's happening in that construction site"
"From what we can gather from various historical records kept by interplanetary situations, that object is a prison or containment unit of some kind intended to hold a highly dangerous individual; also from what we can learn about that casing around the containment unit it's reasonable to assume that this individual was in possession of Zord level technology, we're already searching for it-"
"So you want us to crack the egg and say hello, maybe gently usher whoever's inside off of Earth if they're thinking about causing problems?" Mercy asked, rolling her shoulders back and preparing herself as she began to fall into a familiar mental state and realised with a start that she had actually missed the heady rush of adrenaline that came before a deployment.
"If there's a chance to resolve the situation peacefully then do so" Taylor answered "If who or whatever is in that egg proves hostile then you have clearance to respond as needed"
"The Aegis Zords have been rebuilt and are waiting for you in their hangars" Justin added, Mercy merely nodded to her team before a bright smile of unrestrained joy split her face as she spoke
"Its Morphin' time!"
The containment unit, a crude and simplistic description of what the work of biological and technical engineering that had been uncovered in Angel Grove truly was did indeed resemble and egg albeit one far larger than any animal on Earth could possibly have laid and exuding an almost palpable aura of cold, gnawing dread that made its presence uncomfortable and promised that nothing good nor sane would hatch from within. The egg was larger than the average man in height and at its' widest point easily twice as broad, with a pale purple shell that seemed to shift and roil, its' hue and tone changing endlessly as arcane power seemed to bubble outwards from within yet this strange and inexplicable display was far less outwardly unnerving that the brace that cradled the thing and held it above the ground; an enormous, clawed and skeletal hand made of some pale silver alloy not unlike the material that comprised the hulls of the Aegis Zords. The hand had been closed around the egg, as a process that had begun with the touch of another beings' magic continued however the digits had slowly unfurled and gradually the egg had begun to crack, splitting perfectly down the centre before opening on hinges that belied its' true nature and revealed a steaming, bubbling mass of primordial ooze within.
From that ooze a single being had risen, their body sculpting itself with each laboured step forward.
He was tall and slender, his entire body formed of various shades of purple with flesh, clothing and armour all comprised of the same sludge from which he had emerged in various states of hardened coagulation ranging from fleshy pale lilac to a craggy, flaky and brittle violet so deep as to be almost black. The being was humanoid in appearance though much of their form was hidden beneath long flowing robes decorated with a stiff and angular collar which rose up behind their head whilst their skull lacked any hair and was instead decorated with a mass of twisting growths of some unknown substance whose varying hardness meant that they could be described as spines or tendrils, a further pair of the protrusions sprouting from the beings' chin and intertwining into a single point; adorning a lined and aged face with cunning features that spoke of great intelligence and lively, observant eyes that scanned their surroundings incessantly whilst arcs of purple lightning crackled from thin fingers.
He was galactically feared, globally reviled, universally despised; his name was Ivan Ooze.
"Oh the things that I have missed" he breathed out, voice barely more than a whisper as he took in his surroundings and saw nothing but the husks of half-made or half-destroyed buildings interspersed with upturned earth, ruins in the distance and other miscellaneous debris; yet their were lights and sounds in the distance and the reek of death and stinging bite of dark magic in the air that he might have expected was entirely absent which in Ivan's mind could only mean that whatever battle had taken place here had ended long ago, though it also meant that there was still a chance that the vengeance he had plotted during his six thousand years of imprisonment could still be enacted and that his beloved war-machines might yet still be available to him.
Thoughts of destroying the entire legacy of Zordon of Eltar were pushed aside as Ivan Ooze witnessed seven streaks of lighting surging through the air towards his location, only to then be focused on his goals once again as he felt the power of the Morphing Grid radiating out from these new arrivals; affecting a sneering tone and bright yet sinister smile he strode towards the group as they materialised and offered a taunt as greeting
"What is that odious stench; smells like….teenagers" Ivan regarded the seven warriors before him, clearly a team and lead by what he assumed to be a young woman of this planets' species clad in red armour, face hidden beneath a helmet stylised to resemble the beak of some bird of prey; from their appearance only Ivan could tell that Zordon's legacy was alive and well on this planet and that the individuals who stood before him now were those who continued it. The warriors would not be drawn by his taunts however and as the seven of them manifested a variety of weapons in pulses of coloured light the young woman in red answered simply.
"We're the Power Rangers"
Author's Notes:
So, here it is the epilogue to the story and the end of this alternate and extended universe that was born from a few stray ideas I had running into each other.
It's been fun but if I'm entirely honest I don't think I'll be writing anything else for the Power Rangers fandom though I appreciate every single one of you who've read, commented and shared this story over the year and a half I've been writing it. I'll still be writing, just for other fandoms though I hope that at least some of you stick around.
Also yes, I ended the epilogue on a cliffhanger….In my mind the Aegis Rangers won the battle against Ivan Ooze with relative ease but feel free to interpret that differently and tell me how you think it would have gone, I'd love to hear it.
But in the meantime and for the last time, let's summarise shall we?:
Getting straight into the fact that the galaxy has completely changed, two years feels like a small time for political and social upheaval….Then again after the year we've all had, does it really?
It was important for me to directly say that Lord Zedd isn't planning to be a 'Benevolent dictator' for all time and that he is literally making moves that render him obsolete; otherwise nothing's really changed, it's just another dictator.
By the same token the planets that were just released from the Empire being absorbed into the Alliance felt wrong as well, so now we have new status quo of dozens of smaller alliances and unions exist independently of each other without the threat of the Empire coming for them all.
Had to throw in a little nod to Onyx since that's where we met Panthera and where the Rangers first fought together.
So yeah the Rangers basically went out and had a gap year together in space.
Mari was and now is studying psychology and sociology to study the effects on the human psyche of both living in space for extended periods of time and also living away from Earth itself as individual colonies begin to form their own nationalities; which is why she sometimes acts as an advisor to the Delta Rangers.
New Mission Control line-up.
So Mari and Jack being an awkward something is a nod to Dekaranger, I already worked in her relationship with Banban Akaza but this seemed to fit right.
"We might have a situation here" starting the running theme of the epilogue.
Of course Zebidiah had to get a scene in the epilogue, he runs half the galaxy now.
Yeah turning the Empire on its' head was never gonna be easy.
He gave back all the Morphers and plays chess against Grace on the big evil looking throne, because why not.
Yeah Charlie finally had a Morpher in her hands, she got what she wanted….And then she gave it away. Also, don't ask me who's under that helmet 'cos I don't know; they're just an unnamed character.
Charlie did exactly what she set out to do, she runs a refuge/orphanage/colony in deep space that's made from a mass of joined spaceships, basically like a 40k space-hulk but still mobile and functional.
New Alien and Space Rangers are possible but not a reality yet.
The "Not that I'm aware of" was about Kay and Panthera.
"Please Lord Zedd was my son, call me Zebidiah" he is a delightful bastard to write.
So how many of you knew where this was going the moment I hinted at something being dug up from under Angel Grove?
So Mercy is doing well, her Morpher is fixed and her relationship with Aslaug is going strong and steady; good times.
History student and marital arts teacher Mercy just feels right.
Aslaug as her peoples' voice in the wider galaxy also feels right as well.
Surprising your girl after her college class 'cos you got off of work early….Despite everything they're still managing to have lives that are at least kinda normal.
"So long as some of their practices are curbed" I mean look, we love Rensa but we saw when Andros died that his people do practice ritual cannibalism.
Of course Syd and Aslaug compete with each other.
You knew exactly how this scene was gonna end and I was happy to deliver.
Yes Kay and Panthera had just finished fucking before they entered the cockpit, what of it?
Of course Panthera and her sister are working and travelling together again, it's been her motivation for two thirds of the story, Honnari was on the ship that got Acinonyx off of Edenoi and having Canis be part of the team just kinda felt right, Kay and Panthera would definitely give second chances to people.
They're basically a more legal version of Han Solo.
I've referenced Captain Marvellous in this story before, in this he's part of the crew of another Smuggler Guild operation that Panthera has crossed paths with before.
Kyuranger was one of the influences for this story so I decided to give them a direct shout out here, basically the Kyuranger team is active in the galaxy and doing their own thing so Panthera wants to find them just to be the one to bring them into the larger Ranger community.
Yeah Kay and Zebidiah can speak telepathically so if he's calling the whole ship then it's business.
Of course Tempestus still handles logistical assignments while he's on a gap year, of course he does.
Basically Tempestus is gonna be the guy who connects the entire galaxy together and one of the benefits of that is that supplies from outside of the old Alliance territories can be brought to worlds that were demolished by the war even faster.
The idea of him becoming a social icon and the herald of a societal change without ever considering it just felt right, he overhauled the determinist system that raised him simply by existing in a way that proved it wrong.
Gotta have at least one world full of floating islands, also thinking about Rensa whilst stood on a floating island is the first hint to where Rensa ended up.
Tempestus gave Kay and Panthera their teleport driver.
Aurico's children being potential Ranger candidates was mentioned during the story.
Look Tempestus has been shown to have game throughout this story and is clearly going to be the most attractive Aquitian in any given situation by virtue of who he is and what he's done; he's also something of a dork so the idea of him showing off for a crowd of hot girls just works…..even if it was just a chance to homage the sky-diving scene from the '95 movie.
"You're about to do a human thing aren't you?" because he's an oddball.
Rensa wanted to do for others what Andros did for him, so he ended up on the Animarium taking care of orphans and forming his own little tribe.
New Wild Zords, because they're living things as well as magical….So we have a new silver wolf, Taylor's yellow eagle, a red fire-ant, blue hippo, green chameleon and the black orca that was formed here; meaning that Merrick could be the sixth Ranger to a new team with Taylor as its' leader and most senior member.
Also Rensa living in a network of tunnels and caverns made by the Fire-Ant Zord occurred to me as I was writing.
Rensa mentoring a new Black Wild Force Ranger really would complete his arc….I actually debated throwing in a nod to the twins from RPM but I didn't get around to it.
He didn't mean to ghost everyone, he's just been busy leading the lost boys.
Yes the Ninja Turtles reference was needed because the idea of Shayla's reaction to them was interesting to me.
Finally the Ranger reunion.
Adding a potential Ninja Ranger team that brings us to: Seven Aegis Rangers, five Delta Rangers plus a sixth in the wings, Lightspeed Black and the Kyuranger squad all out in the galaxy, a few veterans still out there with Morphers and then four teams that haven't been formed yet but could be.
Also yeah of course Mercy knew they were gonna make Sam a Ranger, people talk to her.
Okay I never specifically said who the villain was in this scene but come on, it was obvious….Right down to being dug out of a construction site.
No Lord Zedd and Rita to crack him open, Ivan had to force his own way out after being triggered by accidental contact with Earth Ninja geomancy.
"Oh the things that I have missed" is actually a canon line, it's just that he says it to Zordon in the Command centre.
And from here it basically plays out as a mirror of the '95 movie which is how I wanted the story to end because Ivan Ooze was peak 90's villain and that last line from Mercy was the perfect way to close out the story without an "And they all lived happily ever after"
Thank you to Blue Legends for their review on the last chapter.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.