[[ DISCLAIMER: Due to real-life obligations, this series was put on hold. This chapter is in its 2nd phase, and thus lacking prose-wise in some areas. Nevertheless, my writing partner Anish and I agreed to upload it, in hopes of eventually returning to the final draft. ]]
CHAPTER 4 — It's a Deal
|| Alatheia Cloud
Once characterized as the chaotic material of future suns, the Alatheia Cloud was a tumultuous mist, red-hot with highly ionized gas and raging with mighty thunderstorms. Stars, woven with fresh cosmic matter, riddled this region of space like rows of unblinking eyes. They were gigantic and beautiful to behold, their blazing incandescence a firework so bright it was certain to mark their short-lived existence into galactic history.
A cruiser ship traversed the maelstrom. The hull was beaked, reinforced with layered plating the color of glossy jet, and served as the first link in a serpentine line of interconnected wagons, which were similarly equipped to withstand the chaotic environmental conditions.
This space-train, slithering deep inside the Alatheia Cloud, was the Black Market Cobra. The naming derived from a predatory species that hailed from a distant planet and the imagery was proudly embossed on the ship's sail, held firm atop a mast connected to the first gangway connection. A portable trading center that attracted only the most notorious of space pirates, smugglers and corrupt planetary rulers, the Black Market Cobra belonged to an alien of terrifying notoriety: the Intergalactic Merchant.
"Watch it, you dolt!" his heavy voice roared. "Those precious stones are worth one million times your life! Now move!"
The twin gates leading into the central control deck hissed open on well-oiled hydraulics and a horned instrument sounded at the arrival of a scaled dwarf, accompanied by a two-manned escort. The alien's head was comically large when compared to his stumpy frame, boasting a pair of bulging eyes, an inflated nose and half-agape maw with twin rows of filed teeth. Dressed in luxurious silk pants fastened by golden chains and beaded bracelets, the squat creature was crowned with a red, square, cotton scarf.
"You got some nerve standing on Arnolf the Magnificent's path, you good-for-nothing Silencers! Bah! If you weren't so cheap I would've disposed of you a long time ago!" Arnolf grumbled and his whiskers flitted about with every exhale.
He trudged to the center of the chamber towards a raised dais, atop which was a wide throne fashioned from pure gold and bedecked with colored jewels. Arnolf came to a sudden halt and the Silencers trailing behind the Galactic Merchant skidded to a halt, dangerously close to dropping a pair of ornate boxes.
"What are you doing there?!" Arnolf pointed a clawed finger at a Silencer that analyzed the star chart situated before the throne. "You're standing in front of my seat, blocking my view! Scram, you nitwit! Get!"
The Silencer, incapable of complex thought, moved over to the nearest display monitor, still within the Galactic Merchant's line of sight.
Arnolf threw his arms up in frustration. "I am surrounded by boneheads!" He was ready to seat himself, but for the same Silencer to stand in front of him again. "What now?!" Arnolf roared.
The Silencer pressed a button on the star chart, one beneath a beeping red light. The three-dimensional landscape of the Alatheia Cloud elevated itself. The visual particles moved away from each other, smoothly realigning to form the shape of a time-worn face.
Despite the particle interference caused by the surrounding gas, Arnolf could make out the caller with ease. "Oh!" he feigned surprise. "If it isn't the respected king Hanoi!"
"Save your flattery, Galactic Merchant," king Hanoi snapped. Anrolf sat straighter. "Let us spare the formalities. I call upon you on behalf of my master."
"Master?!" Arnolf sputtered, for such was his surprise at the prospect of a figure as mighty as Vaxia's Hanoi having a superior. "So it's true! You've abandoned the throne! It's true!"
"Yes," king Hanoi admitted. "The master chose me and so I answered the call to do the same with other mighty figures. Together, we have formed a sinister Syndicate, tasked with planetary conquest. Vaxia, you see, has already been subjugated and is of no concern to me any more. The master's final claim, his thousandth trophy, is Xybria."
"Xybria?" Anrolf echoed. He searched the archives of his mind and his eyes shot open upon the realization. "Are you saying you're planning on taking over the home of the Supersonic Power Rangers?!"
King Hanoi nodded and his three-dimensional visage wavered. "To achieve that goal, the master wants his final ally to be you, Arnolf the Magnificent. Should you pledge the Black Market Cobra to his cause, there is promise of great riches."
Riches. That was all Arnolf the Magnificent needed to hear for his eyes to glimmer with a hungering greed. His bloated fingers turned jittery with anticipation, the alien skulls that made up his one-of-a-kind abacus chattering furiously in his loose grip.
It didn't take long for Anrolf to make his choice.
"It's a deal! But first," he cooed, "for the solidification of our agreement, it's only natural that I accept my payment in advance!"
For a split second, king Hanoi's bushy brows furled. Anrolf perceived it as a short-lived image distortion that had momentarily scrambled the king's features.
"Of course," king Hanoi replied as if the aforementioned flash of anger had never happened. "The Syndicate welcomes you, Arnolf the Magnificent. Do not disappoint the master."
The transmission ceased and the deck erupted into a state of frenzied hustle.
"Where are the star charts?! Expand the scanning radius! I want estimates, pronto! Faster, you cretins! Faster!" Arnolf barked on the armrest mic as Silencers scrambled from one task to the next. Data rolled down monitors in streams, keyboards chattered with frenetic taps and the star chart transformed into a green tide as particle movement accelerated, planetary pinpoints relocating with nauseating rapidity.
"Freeze!" Arnolf croaked and every Silencer on the bridge halted.
Using his abacus as a steering wheel, the Galactic Merchant zoomed in on an isolated planet located at the star chart's leftmost edge.
"Found it!" Arnolf moved a skull on his abacus. The motion activated a palm-sized monitor atop the throne's right armrest, presenting him relevant information. "The Planet of Giants and Trolls. Exactly what I need! Silencers!" Arnolf snapped his fingers.
The minions broke out of their stupor and rounded on their master.
"Course correction to these coordinates. Change our trajectory and get me to! That! Planet!"
|| NW Alatheia Cloud, Planet Y-106
The Planet of Giants and Trolls was a tropical jungle.
Classified as Y-106 in the Galactic Database, the planet was unbound by the pristine geometries of other, more technologically advanced landscapes. Instead its fauna was green and luscious, with palmed trees that reached heights of over five meters and housed fruit with unique shapes, colors, aromas and flavors. Swarms of insects buzzed in every direction, the collective flap of tiny wings providing the jungle with an exotic ambience.
Arnolf was well aware that everything in Y-106 was part of a long list of near-extinct species, and was thus under regulated protection. He also didn't care about the law, because he knew these lovelies fetched for a handsome price.
"Can't you kooks go any faster?!" he commanded from atop his golden throne, carried by a six-membered Silencer escort. An outer ring of Silencers flanked them, equipped with pincer blades that carved a path through the thicket.
The party trailed along the length of a mountain, shadowing its foot until they came across a gargantuan cave entrance. Arnolf ordered his minions to put him down and set up defence parameters while he checked up on the crates he'd brought along with him. A gift he had received from a famed carpenter after having supplied the latter with the final stock of Bolliuq timber, the boxes were twice Arnolf's size and width, and were burnished with a lovely mahogany coat.
"Step aside!" Arnolf yelled as he waddled to the front. "Let me do the talking!"
The Galactic Merchant cleared his throat. The Silencers exchanged confused glances.
"Yoo-hoo!" Arnolf cooed. "Is anybody home?!"
The earth started to quake. Chunks of rock chipped off from the edges of the cave entrance with every successive tremor, falling like hail. Arnolf didn't panic. The thudding continued, increasing in intensity until a shadowy shape appeared at the cave's outer lip and a colossal head poked out of the darkness. The giant stepped forward, a long snout bristling with tusks crowning a mass of tanned, leathery skin that was housed underneath a leather chestplate and rust-coated pauldrons.
"You," the giant grumbled, pointing its bone club towards Arnolf and his escort. "Leave. You disturb Joggie."
Arnolf looked beyond the giant's imposing figure, at something holstered behind its back that resembled a square sack. His eyes then darted to the cap at the creature's head. A youth, I see, Arnolf mused while wringing his hands.
"My friend!" he exclaimed with outstretched arms. "I've come to you with food, for I need your help!"
"Joggie not interested."
"Forget about the interests, friend! Think about the profits!"
With a glance, Arnolf prompted the Silencers responsible for the boxes to lift the lids and reveal the contents within: A diverse array of fruits, lined up in aesthetically pleasing order, harvested from far-off galaxies. Joggie the Giant leaned closer and sniffed the delicacies. He snorted in disgust and swatted the offering away. The crates fell to the earth with a hard crash, crushing the fruit to mush.
"Ah! My precious property!" Arnolf cried out at such a big loss.
"Joggie not interested," the giant droned.
Arnolf rounded on Joggie. "Trust me, kiddo, there hasn't been a speck of dust in this galaxy I couldn't convince otherwise. You, my friend, are simply a more… demanding boy." The merchant reached into his pocket and fished a small, squishy cube. "This," Arnolf said and wiggled the cube before Joggie, "is a special delicacy I stol— I mean, I bought from a primitive planet called Earth." He dragged the pronunciation, placing a strong emphasis on the 'ear' part.
Joggie's brows lifted. He inched closer again, attracted by the cube's strange scent and flaky texture.
"Here, have a taste." Arnolf passed the delicacy to Joggie. The giant gingerly accepted the treat and tossed it in his gargantuan maw.
"It's good!" Joggie cried. "Joggie loves! What's it called, what's it called?!" he demanded with childish eagerness.
"It's a candy, my friend!" Arnolf indulged him. "I can see from your face that you want more."
"Yes!" Joggie nodded and clapped. "More! More!"
"Well, you see, my friend," Arnolf said, "you gotta help me out with something first. After that, I promise I'll get you tons more candy!"
|| Aquila Hyperion Galaxy, Planet Xybria
Gwenga was a dark page in Xybrian history.
A deserted continent just below the northern polar ice cap, Gwenga was once the site of an active volcano, the eruption of which had led to the continent's demise five years prior. After the magma and ash had settled, Xybria honored Gwenga's passing by offering the desolate land over to the Supersonic Power Rangers. Now it served as a remote base of operations in which the rangers could deploy their Zords and prevert any off-planet adversary with no fear of collateral damage.
The rangers' headquarters - the Volcanic Base - was a row of four, conjoined towers, held together by a mighty gate. The outer spires were mounted with twin-barreled defense turrets, while the inner pillars were elevated and topped by a helipad and network of satellite dishes respectively.
From within the base, the clash of swords rang across long-winded corridors.
Clad in the Red and Black Supersonic Ranger suits, Ace and Gent were engaged in a practice duel on the lowest level; the training hall. The room was wide and circular, the floor and walls bereft of any patterning so as to allow for full concentration on the act of sparring.
"More like this?" Ace rolled his shoulder backward and lowered the V-Sonic Sword. His wrist was bent inward, his sword facing Gent with its flat side.
"Quite, sir Ace, quite. As such," Gent replicated a thrust, "the tip of mine blade can connect not, and thus-"
"I can deflect it," Ace finished for the knight. Flicking his wrist up and outward, Ace rolled with the thrust, swaying the both the Supersonic Saber and Gent to his right. "And then," Ace went on and rotated his forearm so as to deliver an upward, diagonal cut. "I counter like that? Did I get it right?"
"Indubitably, sire!" Gent lowered the blade and reset his stance. "A prim and proper student, I declare."
A grin flashed underneath Ace's helmet. "Thanks, Gent, but I've learned that a student is as good as his teacher."
Gent nodded. "I concur. Now, let us continue."
"Ace! Gent!" a voice called out and both rangers turned to face the training room's entrance.
A humanoid robot, white and rectangular, waddled into the chamber.
"Hey-yo, rangers! There's trouble afoot!" it said and its round eyes flickered yellow.
Ace pressed a finger on the side of his helmet, prompting it ro phase out. "Trouble? Tell us more, Tensou 5.0."
"It's terrible, rangers!" Tensou stammered. "There's a giant attacking Illumise!"
"A giant, thou sayeth?" Gent repeated, mimicking Ace's gesture.
The rangers exchanged a brief glance before taking off as fast they could. They stormed to the central control area, located at the Volcanic Base's top floor, with Tensou 5.0 a close distance behind them. They had made their way to the elevator in less than a minute and had found Brute, Star and Pyre already morphed and viewing the on-screen live broadcast, patiently waiting for their leader's command.
Ace and Gent approached the screen and witnessed the giant in question. Towering over the capital city's skyscrapers, the creature came close to the Xybrian interpretation of a thawed caveman. Clad in ragged leather and brandishing a club, the giant vented its frustration at the surrounding modernity with destructive force, decimating buildings and vehicles with equal prejudice.
Ace looked to Tensou, who had only just caught up.
"Are the Zords ready for deployment?"
Tensou 5.0 answered with an affirmative nod.
The Supersonic Fighter, Carrier and Jeep Zords were lifted out of containment on rotating platforms and set before a wide, shuttered gate. Tensou keyed inputs into the master computer, unlocking the Volcanic Base's shuttered exits and signaling the deployment alarms. Magnetic clamps pulled back as warning claxons blared, showering the Zords in red light that came and went in constant loops.
Once the necessary precautions and check-ups had been taken care of, Tensou sent a verification signal to the Red Supersonic Ranger.
Ace opened the team channel. "Power, on!" Engines roared as power, siphoned directly from the Morphing Grid, coarsed through their iron bodies. "Supersonic Power Rangers, deploy!"
The Fighter's turbines breathed fire. The Carrier and Jeep switched gears. Tires screeched as boots stamped the acceleration pedal.
As a formation— As one, the Supersonic Zords soared southward. They had reached the metropolis in under eight minutes.
Ace raised a balled fist and called out: "Triple Supersonic Formation!"
"Okay!" the rest of the rangers confirmed with a coordinated thumbs-up.
The Supersonic Fighter Zord folded in on itself and flashed a brilliant, golden 'V' as a bulbous head, also adorned with a V-shaped crest on its forehead, revealed itself from between the layered plates. The Supersonic Carrier Zord split horizontally, the rear thrusters turning over to be replaced by balled fists. Each half connected to either side of the now square Fighter. Meanwhile the Supersonic Carrier Zord followed an identical, though not complete horizontal separation, with the split ends rotating inward at a right angle. The opposite end snapped together with the Fighter Zord and enabled it to land on an open boulevard.
From behind the 'V' emblazoned on the robot's chest, the Supersonic Rangers cried out as one: "Supersonic Megazord!"
The giant had stared at the entire transformation sequence with mouth agape. It stood before the mecha, a hunched and hulking mass left transfixed.
Suddenly, the giant broke out of its stupor. "Joggie like! Joggie like!" he clapped, the wooden club in his grip wiggling with an aura of challenge.
Star tilted her head at the odd behavioral patterns.
"Woah, that sure is weird," Pyre worded Star's thoughts in her own, crass manner.
"We have to stop it," Ace said. "It's already caused a lot of destruction."
The Supersonic Megazord raised its fists and trudged toward Joggie. The giant was not paying attention, and the Power Rangers exploited that chance by putting the robot's entire weight forward and tackling the giant. The giant staggered, but the ranger team pressed the attack, unleashing a barrage of piston punches.
The giant was not fazed. If anything, he appeared to become agitated, the round spheres that were his eyes darkening with anger.
"You hurt Joggie?!" he roared. "You! Bad!"
Joggie raised his weapon and brought it down on the Megazord in a mighty axefall. The resin-coated wood of Joggie's club came apart soon as it slammed against the robot's burnished iron hull, but that did not prevent the cockpit's violent rumble from the raw speed and power behind the blow.
This display of primal rage had almost thrown the Power Rangers off their seats.
A cargo shuttle hovered on Xybria's ionosphere.
Arnolf the Magnificent sat on a cushioned stool in the middle of the compact observation bay, spectating the clash of titans with a hungering interest. The candy box he had offered Joggie rested on his lap and the stumpy alien merchant reached for it every other minute to fish for exotic delicacies and hurl them at his gigantic maw.
"Hey!" he called out to a Silencer that poked from the corner of his eye. "Handle that statue with care! It once belonged to an ancient Eltarian wizard, you hear?! Can you even comprehend how high a price this can fetch?!"
The Silencer stared at its master and cocked its head in puzzlement.
"I didn't expect you to understand to begin with! Just go! Put it near the emerald ring's display case," said Arnolf before he turned back to the screen.
Ever since his counter-attack, Joggie had given no quarter to the Power Rangers. His despicable enthusiasm had been betrayed and thus his assault was a relentless stream of bare knuckle haymakers, a crazed, childish thrashing that the rangers' pathetic excuse of an oversized toy could not possibly keep up with.
"Dirty deeds done dirt cheap…" Arnolf chuckled to himself.
"I've run a quick estimate on the amount of applied force, Ace," said Brute, "and trust me when I say we don't stand a chance in melee combat."
Ace nodded. "Understood. In that case, we'll maintain a safe distance and use energy attacks. Black and Yellow, initiate evasive maneuvers. Blue and Pink, activate the wrist cannons."
Gent, Pyre and Brute answered with a sharp, 'Roger!'. Star, however, was not properly synced. Ace didn't seem to notice.
Responding to the rangers' inputs, the Supersonic Megazord stepped back and rotated the barrels mounted on its wrists. Arms outstretched, it took aim and opened fire, peppering the giant with steady laser salvos. Joggie wailed in pain as his thick hide was scorched by the blasts.
The rangers spotted an opening and retracted the cannons without a moment's waste, trading concentrated fire with the Planetarium Sword. The Magazord split the massive blade into two, shorter daggers and leapt. It kicked the giant three times in the chest, then flipped in mid-air and finished its combo with a cross-slash.
Joggie staggered, on the brink of losing his footing. The giant had been beaten, scorched by laser fire and slashed at with razor-sharp, vibrating steel, but still there was a quaking timbre to his voice with every gasping breath.
At that moment Star realized that Joggie the Giant was sobbing.
"You! Bad!" Joggie droned, his words a choked slur. "Joggie doesn't wanna play anymore!"
"Play," Star whispered without realizing, as if a passing thought had been reaffirmed.
"Look." Ace pointed to the giant. He was running away with his big head buried in cupped hands.
"Wherever is it headed?" Gent wondered aloud.
"Does it matter?" Pyre said. "We have to stop that giant!"
Brute thumbed his helmeted chin. "Do you suppose it's male? I certainly think so. I wonder how old he is. His speech pattern was very primitive."
"Yes," Star agreed. "And childlike." That last part, she whispered.
"Whatever the case," Ace countered, "I agree with Yellow. We cannot let the giant do as it pleases. Yellow, Black, redistribute power to the legs. We're pursuing." He turned to Star. "Pink, on my command, you'll use the Planetarium Sword."
Belatedly, reluctantly, Star gave a half-nod.
"No, no, no!" Arnolf said, frustrated by the fact he couldn't shake some sense into the giant. "Don't chicken out now! Turn around and finish the fight, you nincompoop!"
Turbines under the Megazord's iron soles granted the robot a boost in its stride. Planetarium Blade in hand, the iron giant was quickly catching up to Joggie, the chase made easier when Joggie had suddenly stopped running, distracted by the parked vehicles of a company parking zone. With memory of the Megazord behind him seemingly gone, Joggie fell to his knees and began fooling around with the transportation of panic-stricken civilians.
"There's our chance! Okay, Pink, now!" Ace had said.
But the Megazord's hand hadn't moved.
"Star!" Brute threw his arms in the air. "We have a clear shot! What're you waiting for?!"
"No," Star said with a resolute tone. Everybody but Ace gasped.
"What're you up to?" Pyre asked.
Star crossed her arms. "I might be crazy for thinking this, but I think that giant is innocent. I've been observing his actions carefully and up until this point he hasn't hurt a single living being, only vehicles and abandoned buildings; collateral damage without any loss of life.
"His speech pattern, as Brute pointed out, is very primitive, like a male youngling. The only reason he battled us was because he thought it'd be fun. He was clapping with joy when we formed the Supersonic Megazord. I bet he thought it was cool." She pointed at Joggie. "Even now, he's treating our transport vehicles like toys.
"What I mean to say is that I think this giant is neither bad, nor like any of the many monsters we've fought till now. He's just… a misguided child."
"Wherefore, how astray we've been led," Gent exclaimed upon this realization. "Astounding observational ability.. Thy conviction is strong, lady Star, and I need not my eyes to witness that."
"I'm with Gent," Pyre said. "I trust you, Star, even more so when it's a hunch!"
"So be it," Ace said with equal determination. "Pink, do you have a plan?" Star nodded. Ace went on. "Then act as you've planned. We will provide support."
"Okay, I'm heading down there to talk to him."
Brute keyed a command on the shared typecaster. He then tapped the side of his helmet. "Tensou, bud, can you please check if there's any vessel or other such device near the vicinity of this Joggie fellow? Anything that might be transmitting any sort of mind-disruption wave?"
Tensou 5.0's voice resonated from the wall-mounted speakers. "Hey-yo, can do, Brute. I'm running the scans as you speak!"
Star phased outside of the Supersonic Megazord, right next to its feet. She removed her helmet, fixed her hair and sprinted toward the giant. Joggie appeared even larger from up close, a towering creature from a planet much different than Xybria. The giant had not noticed her, preoccupied with a flying vessel that he bobbed back and forth.
"Hello there!" Star shouted to make sure she was heard. "Joggie, right?!"
Joggie seemed to be actively trying to ignore her. Nevertheless, he nodded and continued playing with the vehicle. Joggie's eyes were still watery, with huge teardrops occasionally falling from equally large eyes.
Star looked at the vessel. "That's a nice Mover you got there."
"You. Why here?" Joggie grumbled.
"I—" Star stopped and reconsidered her choice of words. She started over. "Star wanted to talk."
"No!" Joggie protested. "You, bad! Hurt Joggie! No play!"
"Star is sorry! But Joggie destroyed the city. Joggie harmed people. Star and Power Rangers needed to stop Joggie!" Joggie was silent. Star continued by waving her hand at the Megazord, standing motionless several meters back. "Robot is a friend! Star's friend! We are Xybria's protectors!"
Joggie's interest peaked at the final word. "Protectors?" he echoed.
"Yes, protectors! We protect people, animals, every living being!" To better convey her point, Star raised both arms and gestured to everything around her.
"Protectors sound good. Are all Power Rangers protectors?"
Star nodded. "Yes. Joggie understands now? You hurt people, so we tried to stop you."
"Joggie never hurt a soul!" the giant protested. "Joggie found city empty, so Joggie played war alone! See?!" He lowered the Mover for Star to peer into. The seats were empty. "But Joggie bored of war. Joggie wants to be a Power Ranger!"
Star could clearly see how the giant was brimming with a genuine, childish enthusiasm at the prospect of becoming a planetary protector. She had been fully convinced when, after a brief skim of their surroundings, Star had detected no other form of life.
"Let's be friends then!" Star suggested.
"Joggie and Star? Friends?" Joggie took some time to process the thought. "Joggie and Star, friends!" he beamed soon after. Star shared his happiness with a bright grin.
"First rule!" she announced. "Power Rangers don't do harm to anyone or anything for fun."
Joggie stabbed at the air with a large fist. "Joggie agree!"
"Second rule!" Star indicated with two raised fingers. "Power Rangers don't lie or keep secrets. So to become Power Ranger, Joggie, tell me why you are here. Somebody send Joggie here?"
"Yes, yes!" Joggied nodded. "Arnolf sent Joggie. He gave Joggie candy. Joggie loves candy, so Joggie agreed to play war in city. Friend Star know Arnolf?"
Upon hearing this revelation, Star raised her wrist morpher close to her mouth. "Brute, did you catch that?"
"Loud and clear, Star. Tensou 5.0's scans have just returned and…" he paused so as to skim through the info. "According to this, there's a Koballi-class cargo cruiser cloaked northwest of here."
"That must be him," said Ace. "Tensou 5.0, can you establish contact?"
Arnolf was furious.
"That idiotic, ignoramus, stupendous goofus!" he raged, flailing his abacus in a fit of blind anger. "I offered him my rarest delicacy and he has the audacity to snitch on Arnolf the Magnificent! And all it took was a pesky Power Ranger! Oh, this can't be happening!"
Arnolf's rambling gradually devolved from a seething fury to a conceded whine, the words incomprehensible beyond the deafening wailing.
There was a click from a nearby transmitter. The stationed Silencer tapped at random keys, but the signal could not be terminated. "This is the Red Supersonic Ranger," a stern voice boomed from the speakers. "I want to speak to Arnolf."
The Galactic Merchant almost jumped from his seat. "That's me," Arnolf swallowed, struggling to form words. "How may I assist you, today, dear mister Power Ranger, sir?"
"Who's this Arnolf guy, anyway?" Pyre's voice intruded. "Doesn't the name ring any bells?"
Arnolf leaned forward on top of his throne, secretly hoping his notoriety and influence could help him out of this sticky situation.
"It does," Brute responded. "This is definitely Arnolf the Cheapskate!"
To that, Arnolf broke the silence with a purposefully loud scoff. "It's Magnificent, you palooka! Arnolf the Magnificent!" Immediately he realized the colossal mistake he was making and put his hands before his mouth in an instinctual reflex.
"Oh no," he gasped. It had been too late. He had given away his true nature.
"Arnolf the Magnificent," Supersonic Red's voice sounded once more. "You exploited a child and wreaked havoc on Illumise. For your crimes, the Supersonic Power Rangers will punish you. Transmission over."
The console clicked and the deck erupted with activity, Arnolf at the eye of the storm; a bottomless gullet barking orders. "Move it, pea-brains! What in the world are you waiting for?! Take us out of here before…" Arnolf froze, too scared to finish the thought. He left the throne behind him and waddled to the nearest window. What he saw shocked him.
The Supersonic Megazord was flying on a collision course with his cargo ship.
"Before that!" he screamed.
The Supersonic Megazord flew with terminal velocity towards the helpless ship. It wound back a mighty fist and swung with a powerful uppercut. The collision of solid iron on lesser quality plating hurled the ship sky-high, so high that it escaped Xybria's gravitational pull and kept on spinning violently for many hours more.
Ace could almost imagine Arnolf's shrill curse. Curse you, Power Rangers! or something of the like.
"Serves you right," he announced victoriously.
As Xybria's sun started to set, the orange horizon washing over Illumise's skyscrapers, Star introduced Joggie the Giant to her fellow Power Rangers. Both sides proceeded to exchange apologies for their rash actions.
The rest of the day went on with the rangers and giant working together to rebuild the damaged building and roads, a series of tasks made easier by assistance of the rangers' new friend and honorary Power Ranger.
In the brief time they had shared, Brute had tried to teach Joggie a more fluent manner of speech. He failed miserably.
Once the necessary repairs had concluded, the rangers took Joggie to Gwenga, where Brute and Tensou 5.0 would prepare a transportation pod. Joggie had quickly grown fond of the rangers' robot assistant and as such had frequently intruded their work space to fiddle with Tensou, curious as to his strange appearance. Star had to intrude multiple times before their robot had completely fallen apart.
And suddenly, it was time to say goodbye.
"Star will miss you," she said.
"Joggie will miss Star, too."
"Do come back someday," Pyre added. "Xybria is open for everyone, especially a friend."
"I concur," said Gent. "What be one's friend but distant family?"
"Remember," said Ace, "you are an honorary Power Ranger. Return to your people and protect them. That's your mission now."
Joggie's chest puffed with pride as he moved his huge hand towards Star. The Pink Supersonic Ranger caught on and climbed atop his palm. The giant raised her before him.
"Joggie never knew parents. But Joggie knows Star. Star is a friend. Gent said friend is family, so…" The giant hesitated, but mustered enough courage to speak his mind. "So can Star be Joggie's family?"
Star rested her hand on Joggie's forehead. Her gem radiated a pale, pink light, and she allowed for that gesture to speak to Joggie on a level much deeper than words.
At that moment, Joggie's eyes started to water. Whatever Star had passed on to him, it had awoken a great feeling of happiness within the giant.
Much as he hated to spoil this tender moment, Tensou 5.0 broke the serene silence. "Hey-yo, the pod is ready. It can take Joggie back to his home-planet, Y-106."
"Before you go," Brute budged in. He placed a hand on his gem and made it glow a deep blue. "Okay, done!"
"What kind of knowledge did you steal this time?" Pyre asked, a smug grin adorning her face.
"Basic survival instincts," Brute replied, ignoring her bait. "You never know when it'll come in handy."
Tensou was counting down. "Launch sequence beginning in five seconds! Four! Three! Two! One! Zero!"
Joggied waved goodbye to the Power Rangers as his pod lifted off. Star watched the giant fly away until his pod was but a bright speck, no different from the million other stars decorating the vastness of space.
"Planet Y-106," she breathed. "I will visit it someday, for sure."