[[ 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 9 — A Royal Acquaint
|| Aquila Hyperion, Planet Xybria
A satellite lens rotated, recording the events that transpired in crystal-clear detail.
An attack on Yaive dam, northeast of Illumise, had commenced on the fifteenth solar movement. According to Tensou 5.0, a Syndicate ground force with the intent of causing a rupture would inevitably lead to a tidal wave capable of levelling the Xybrian capital.
The Supersonic Power Rangers had mobilized in an instant.
"When I said I could use a good bad guy beatdown, I didn't mean it literally!"
A pincer blade rushed at Brute, headed squarely for Supersonic Blue's helmeted head. In the quarter of the second he had left before impact, Brute managed to calculate the weapon's velocity, phased his Supersonic Shooter and successfully parried the blow. Knocking the blade aside, he backhanded the Silencer and answered back with a three-round laser burst to the sternum.
Brute bit back his protest as he shifted his focus to the next Silencer batch.
Each Supersonic Ranger had a unique weapon. Ace had the V-Sonic Sword, Star the Supersonic Baton, Pyre the Supersonic Flute, and Gent the Sonic Saber. Brute's Supersonic Shooter was different. Where the color-coded weaponry had been pre-programmed into the Sonic Morphers, the young Xybrian had done away with his weapon.
In its place, Brute had chosen the standard issue Sonar Blaster and had elevated it to new heights.
With his unique firearm held tight between both hands, Brute commenced a leftward dash. He raised the Shooter, activated the lock-on scope and squeezed the trigger, peppering the lined-up alien menaces with a targeted flurry. The interaction between condensed light particles and the Silencers' solidified resin armor produced a series of cascading sparks that lit the lackies up like a fireworks display.
"I was thinking something more along the lines of virtual reality practice," Brute shrugged.
Ace rolled up behind Supersonic Blue, blocking an unarmed strike as he rose.
"My gogo would always warn me about what I wished, Brute," Ace said.
He gripped the assailant's arm, rolled it under his shoulder and added pressure, breaking the Silencer's stance. Ace then elbowed it in the chest and followed up with a palm fist. The strength behind it was enough to steal the ground from underneath the Silencer's feet.
"Besides," Gent added from a short distance away, "there's nay most wondrous an experience than field practice."
A Husher aimed its barrel hands at Supersonic Black. Wet plasma spewed out in a stream, but Gent deflected it, promptly redirecting the flow with the Sonic Saber's blunt side. The knight spun gracefully as he advanced, chopping sideways as he did to carve a spark-filled gash from the green Silencer's shoulder to its groin.
"Knightly Code of Conduct, rule number five," Gent spun his blade as he revised the mantra. "The duel be a personal affair; a dialogue with thy opponent."
"At least there's noise coming out of these jerks' mouths," Pyre chimed in on the open channel shared between the Supersonic Rangers. "This guy's the silent type."
The leader figure behind this most recent Syndicate assault was a hulking, humanoid reptile. A hunched mass of emerald scales, the monster's reinforced back brandished a pair of squamous wings. Its long-necked head was topped by a curved horn twice the length of its cranium.
"You know, rookie," Star noted, running to Pyre's side, "I think Arnolf is running short on business money to hire intelligent goons."
Pyre let out a snort-guffaw. "Works for me. I wasn't feeling quippy today, anyway."
"Let's allow for our boots to do the talking!" Star suggested.
Pyre nodded, prompting the two rangers to leap in the air, do a frontflip and kick at the monster.
Their joint move successfully sent the reptile monster flying.
A M'kala-class Carrier hovered over Xybria's atmosphere. The lead manufacturing company for interstellar transport in the Alcyoneus subsector, the majority of M'kala's shares - and in turn its funding - belonged to a sir Nolfar, great archduke of planet Zolv IV.
The name was one of the Galactic Merchant's many aliases.
"No, Arnolf, you're absolutely not going to watch the fight," Arnolf the Magnificent grumbled. "Every time you watch your monster fight the Power Rangers, it always ends up being blown to smithereens and I am flung in outer space by that hunk a' junk they call a Megazord!"
He waddled back and forth, oblivious to the fact that a monitor, placed conveniently in front of his throne, was broadcasting the fight live.
"Oh! I got it," the Galactic Merchant suddenly exclaimed. "Mother used to say that the greatest distraction in life is food!"
The pudgy alien trudged to the throne's right side, pulled a lever and opened a hatch, out of which he pulled a bowl filled with cooked meat and a seperate section for the gooey, copper sauce. Arnolf grabbed a piece, still steaming, dipped it in the sauce and tossed it in his gigantic maw.
"Wise words, mother," he said after smacking his giant lips.
It didn't take for Arnolf's appetite to peak. Starting with one piece at a time, the Galactic Merchant eventually settled for four pieces per scoop. Skewering them on an oversized pin, he sunk the kebab in a hefty amount of sauce and then gobbled everything down with barely any chewing.
"I just love this Triforian Kiminanga meat," he mused with a burp. "Such a delicacy."
Arnolf the Magnificent dipped his hand into the bowl again, but noticed another, smaller palm sneakily reaching for a piece. Immediately the Galactic Merchant whipped out a can from his pocket and assaulted the hand with a furious spray.
"What are you doing, you plonker?!" Arnolf roared at the culprit; a Silencer. "You have no idea how deadly this compound is! There's a reason I've dubbed it the Silencer Repellent! Now get back to work before I feed you another mouthful!"
Arnolf tapped at the can's tip, chasing the minion away with menacing whiffs of the repellent. "Little do these numpties know this fluid is just a commonly found compound from Planet Aquitar," he huffed. "H2O or some other strange name. Anyway…"
The Galactic Merchant trailed off. Having forgotten what he'd gotten so upset about in the first place, he shrugged it off, turned around, took a seat on his comfortable throne and fixed his attention on the monitor.
The reptile's tail came down.
Dust shot from the ground with a deafening thud, forming a grainy barrier between Pyre and her opponent. Her retinal display went haywire, processing the shape rushing towards her as a jagged distortion of sand particles. Pyre raised her hands in a block, absorbing the impact as best she could, but there was enough force behind the strike to hurl Supersonic Yellow several meters back.
Pyre landed on her side and tumbled until she hit a boulder. The reptile monster let out an ear-piercing cry.
"Guys," Pyre said once she had risen, "a little help here!"
Star and Brute rolled forward, blasters at the ready, and opened fire on the creature. The monstrosity went berserk, the laser beams bouncing off its scaly hide. Ace and Gent charged after the cover fire and met the monster with a twin slash.
Neither the V-Sonic Sword, nor the Supersonic Saber left a scratch.
The reptile mutant swiped with its claws, its spread-out wings offering no room for the rangers to dodge. One strike, then another, and the melee was broken with Ace and Gent falling over their allies and breaking their formation.
"Stay vigilant!" Ace cried. He helped Star get on her feet. Brute and Pyre did the same for Gent. "Blue, what do you think?" he said and readied his sword in a defensive stance.
"Tensou says he's at the ready, so it's go ti-"
"Mayhaps I can be of assistance!" a voice boomed from behind the Power Rangers.
A volatile sphere of electricity, maneuvering with the agitated grace of forked lightning, jolted past Gent, spun around Pyre, slipped underneath Brute's feet and between Ace and Star to fire itself at the monster. The ball zipped through its torso and the creature roared in pain as its hulking form was overloaded with electric power.
"A mute, ay?" the voice sounded again. "I have encountered such monsters aplenty. Fear not, Power Rangers, for this threat will soon be no more!"
The orb pinged from one spot to the next, redirecting its trajectory so as to loop around and collide with the monster one more time. It whizzed across the creature in a flash, leaving behind it a severed wing. Green goo poured from the open wound.
"Sorry, but ew!" Pyre commented, masking the sight with her hand.
Gent craned his head forward to take a better look at the stump. "T'was a sword strike," he observed.
The monster struggled to maintain its footing, inadvertently reeling out of the way to reveal the Power Rangers' mysterious ally: A warrior disguised in a ragged, cream coat. Cerulean lightning danced along his lithe figure, and odd cybernetic enhancements trailed down his arms. His face, smeared with an oily face-paint, was topped by an open, blue helmet.
"Who are you?" Ace asked.
"A friend, Red Ranger" the warrior replied, his voice soft and courtly.
"Whoever you are, we are more than delighted to have your help," Star said.
"The pleasure's mine, though I believe your priorities lie elsewhere," the man said and pointed to the sky.
"He's right," Brute relayed on a closed channel. "Tensou hit me up. He says Arnolf the Cheapskate is still here."
Pyre smacked her palms. "Guess it's time for Megazord power."
Ace turned to the warrior. "And what about the monster?"
"Fear not, for I will handle it," the mystery man replied.
Ace gave the matter some thought before nodding. "Then please excuse us. We will be back after taking care of this." Then, tapping at the side of his helmet, he said, "Tensou 5.0, deploy the Zords!"
The press of a button on the Sonic Morpher activated the authorization signal, leading to the Volcanic Base on distant Gwenga to unlock its docking bay. Claxons bellowed as Tensou 5.0 tapped away at the keyboard. The robot assistant raced past safety procedures, and calculated and coordinated last minute maintenance runs in mere seconds. Registering the final command, Tensou boarded the vehicles inside a disposable armored shell, loaded them into the Zord Transference Cannon and fired away.
To ensure no civilian property was damaged, Tensou allowed for the protective layer to come loose once the Zords had flown over the Yepamu Soro mountain range. The Supersonic Fighter Zord's turbines flared to life, trailing twin streaks of engine wash as it soared into the sky. The Supersonic Carrier and Jeep Zords landed on the mountain's foot with a thundering crunch of tires on salt-rock, the engines bellowing on fresh fuel reserves. The autopilot function guided the monstrous vehicles to the Power Rangers and handed over control once every color-coded ranger had entered their designated Zord.
"Supersonic Megazord, activate!" the Power Rangers cried in unison.
The Supersonic Fighter Zord folded in on itself. Parts on both the Carrier and Jeep Zords split, turned and rearranged themselves to form arms and legs. Everything came together in a polished display of technological remodeling.
WIth the characteristic 'V' shining vividly on its chest, the Supersonic Megazord flew into low-orbit, directed by coordinates that would lead it to Arnolf the Magnificent's isolated Carrier.
"All together now!" Ace encouraged his team.
The rangers followed their leader's lead. "One!" they counted. "Two! Three!"
The giant robot pulled back its fist, added a boost to its thrusters and punched, sending the Carrier flying away into outer space.
"No!" the Galactic Merchant screamed. The newfound velocity shook the ship, throwing Arnolf's pudgy form from his throne. "This is bad for business! Curse you, Power Rangers!"
From the rangers' point of view, the Carrier floated away without any intention of stopping.
"Best not maketh a habit of such practices," Gent said.
Pyre nodded. "Agreed. It's already getting old." She crossed her arms. "Besides, why can't we just arrest him?"
Brute scrunched up his nose. "Yeah, let's not get into intergalactic bureaucracy loops. The sheer idea gives me a headache. I know. I've tried to memorize it."
"Blue's right," Ace added. "There's more important matters at hand."
The warrior was gone and so was the monster.
The Supersonic Megazord had landed a short distance away from the dam. As per standard Syndicate clean-up procedure, any functioning Silencers had been phased. Among the remainder of the downed aliens, the dirt had eroded. Brute had deduced it was due to a toxic substance found in the lizard mutant's spilled fluids. Brute had also surmised that the characteristic explosion caused by the monster's life energy overloading had seemingly never happened.
"Was it because of that guy?" Pyre thought out loud.
Star spent several minutes outside of her physical form, scouting the surrounding area for any signs of emotional activity. "He's not here, that's for sure," she said after she had caught her breath. "We didn't even get to thank him properly."
"Bummer," Pyre huffed, "but it's not like we can do anything about it."
"We shall remain humbled by his noble assistance," Gent said and bowed his head as an added sign of appreciation.
"Ditto." Pyre mimicked the gesture. "Anyway, let's head home. I'm starving! Zords dep-"
"Woah! Rookie!" Brute cut her off. "That's not your line to say! Don't get cocky!"
"Blue is correct. It's my line," Ace rolled along with the joke, a subtle smirk crossing his lips.
Raising a hand, Supersonic Red said 'Zords, deploy!' and the Megazord separated into its three Zord counterparts. Ace boarded the Fighter Zord, while the rest of his team headed for their respective land-based Zords.
On the way, Pyre snuck up behind Brute and grasped him by the shoulder.
"For your information," she purred, "we're both rookies here."
Brute swallowed. He was smart enough to acknowledge the underlying menace in Pyre's honeyed tone. "Well, technically, I was first, you see, so…" he pressed on the last word for emphasis.
Pyre squeezed tighter, forcing a yelp out of Brute. "Really?" she cooed. "Well, technically, my fist, you see-"
There was a noise; the clearing of a throat. The two rangers froze in their tracks and turned in unison, sensing a presence behind them. Gent's image loomed over Brute and Pyre, adding a sinister shadow to the knight's regal features as he observed the two rookies with a cocked brow and soft pout.
"Aren't we gentlemen?" Supersonic Black asked his fellow rangers with a severity that rivalled the grimmest of situations.
In a sudden display of instinctual coordination, born out of their mutual fear for this previously unknown side to Gent, both Pyre and Brute faked a wide grin and hurried to the Zords.
The Power Rangers headed northward.
They travelled along the coastline, and once there was no more traversable land the wheeled Zords crossed the ocean by propeller. Fishermen out at sea admired the rumbling colossi with slack-jawed awe, mighty engines splitting the waves like chaff before the wind. All the while the Xybrian sun beamed down at the Supersonic Fighter as it soared aloft, painting a red streak across the horizon.
As scheduled, they'd reached Gwenga - and in turn the Volcanic Base - in under twenty minutes' time.
The rangers docked the Zords, allowed for the vehicles to cool down and awaited confirmation from Tensou 5.0 that all was okay. Couplings were fastened and special cooling gel was applied to the exposed engine parts while Tensou ran background calibrations. A green claxon echoed across the wide chamber soon after; a positive confirmation to go ahead and board the elevator.
"No place like home," Star let out a contented exhale after a long stretch.
"Seconded," Brute said and massaged his temples. "I'm beat."
"Shouldst I prepare a treat with our robotic companion's assistance, mine liege?" Gent suggested.
Ace nodded. "Good idea. We can let Tensou know soon as he's done in the hangar."
"Nice!" Pyre exclaimed. "The rangers save the day and get room for a snack!"
The elevator halted with a 'ding!' and the doors parted to reveal the warrior who had helped them out on Yaive dam, lounging on their couch.
"Finally, you have arrived!" he said and took a bite out of a Tangarian tangerine.
With the carapace helmet seated next to him and the messy war paint he'd previously donned gone, the warrior seemed like a completely different individual. Close-cropped silver hair crowned a soft, oval face decorated with slender eyes, a hooked nose, thin lips and the faintest trace of a moustache.
"Honestly," he swallowed, "you have such delectable comestibles! I would never guess Xybrians appreciated their cuisine so. Why, had I known beforehand, I'd have arrived with delicacies from mine own homestead!"
The rangers had drawn their weapons in a heartbeat. Immediately the warrior dropped the fruit and raised his arms. The tangerine fell on the tip of his pointy boot, splattering the polished marble floor with violet juice.
"Drat," he swore under his breath, bothered by the waste of food.
"What are you doing in our base?!" Pyre demanded with a Sonar Blaster trained at the stranger.
"It's a misunderstanding!" the warrior protested. "Please understand?!"
"She's asking the questions here, bud!" Brute nodded at Pyre, pressing with his own, modified Shooter.
Gent kept the Supersonic Saber's tip aimed at the mysterious man, but allowed for a moment of respite so as to gift his fellow rangers a smile. Their confrontation still fresh on their minds, both Brute and Pyre tensed at the gesture. Oh, frolicky fate, Gent thought.
"Tensou!" Star called.
The pudgy robot waddled in from the back entrance. "Hey-yo, rangers, what's—"
Tensou froze. Behind the layers of bulky white plating, the robot's positronic brain analyzed the situation. How unusual for the Power Rangers to have their weapons phased in the family room, much less primed to attack.
"I got it!" Tensou exclaimed.
"Spit it out, my guy!" Brute said. "Is he dangerous, or what?!"
"Brute! You know I'd never support trespassers, hey-yo! But him? He's-"
"Eldrak," the stranger finished for Tensou 5.0. "I am Prince Eldrak, royal prince of Draumosa."
"Draumosa," Gent repeated in a hushed tone. He turned to Ace, struck by realization. "Sir Red, ask the sir to present his birthright."
Ace's gaze remained fixed on the supposed prince. "You heard Black," he told Eldrak.
Eldrak nodded and fished for something buried underneath his cloak. He pulled out a brazen amulet chained around his neck. A rune was carved on its flat, round surface.
Ace's eyes darted from the trinket to Gent. The knight examined it thoroughly and silently.
"Tis him," he decided.
Ace lowered the V-Sonic Sword. "Then he's our ally."
Reluctantly, the rest of the rangers followed Ace and Gent's example.
"Forgive me," Ace continued and offered his hand. "Both the base and our planet's safety is very important."
Eldrak accepted the shake. "Nay, friend. I am well aware that one should never wear their heart on their sleeve. Especially when the homeworld is undergoing trying times. Might I ask how long it's been?" he ventured.
"Five Xybrian years," Ace replied.
"Twelve in Divine Calendar time," Pyre mused.
"The Divine Calendar?" Star rounded on Pyre. "You really believe that legend?"
"Maybe," Pyre said with a sheepish smile.
"Five years," Ace nodded. "Seems like forever."
Star rested a hand on his shoulder. "Makes sense. You've been fighting this war even before we all became Power Rangers."
"And speaking of the rangers," Eldrak said, using Star's words as a springboard to stir the topic of discussion. "I have long admired the Power Rangers' feats; triumphs scattered across the galaxy," he waved his arm in a long-winded arc. "Their determination, camaraderie and loyalty had me inspired since childhood to join the field of battle."
"Say," Brute said. Up to that point, he'd been drinking in Eldrak's interaction with his fellow rangers, opting to remain silent along with Gent, the latter of which had been lost in deep thought.
"You mentioned you're the Draumosan prince," Brute continued. "I thought the name rang a bell. It was the first planet conquered by the Syndicate."
Prince Eldrak's smile faded from his face, replaced by the sourness of grief.
"Yes," Eldrak admitted.
He told the Power Rangers everything.
According to the Galactic Database, Draumosa was classified as an aquatic planet, its kingdom a singular nation stretching across three interconnected island chains. With limited land came territorial conflict, which in turn prompted Eldrak's distant ancestor, Elmoll Bilzoth I, otherwise called The Great Inventor, to establish long-range communications with the neighboring planet of Khid. By managing to outsource material production to their shared moon he balanced the quantitative disparity between islands and eventually united the early Draumosan tribes under the Bilzoth banner.
Since then, the Bilzoth dynasty ruled over a prosperous empire that thrived off of trading and extraterrestrial tourism.
A perfect first victim.
The Syndicate had arrived under the guise of a joint company. It exploited the loose manufacturing parameters to produce weapons capable of levelling civilizations, and then smuggled said weaponry to Draumosa's southernmost islands, swaying the local populace to rebellion.
This series of events had transpired during the reign of Eldrak's noble father, king Elmoll Bilzoth IV. The fateful attack commenced during the annual lunar festival. The previously festering insurrection seeds flourished into a chaotic bloom. Supplemented by orbital bombardment from the moon's surface, as well as incoming battleship reinforcements, entire islands sunk to the ocean floor, tearing Draumosa's tectonic plates asunder.
The only solution was escape to the subsector's outer reaches; a luxury few could afford.
"On that day," prince Eldrak said, biting back sorrowful tears, "I lost my sister and dear parents!"
No longer capable of properly articulating his thoughts, Eldrak stopped and buried his face in his hands. The steadfast, composed warrior the Power Rangers had encountered on Yaive was gone, replaced by a fractured survivor.
"Say no more," Star said, her voice low and comforting.
"Truly a horrible happenstance," Gent added, his own tone pained by the prince's recollection.
Eldrak rubbed his eyes. "Forgive me, Power Rangers. I meant not to upset you by narrating the past. I must carry forward and show Vaxia that Draumosa lives on in my defiance."
"That is why we fight," Ace assured Eldrak. "So that one day we won't have to anymore."
"To make the Traitor King realize that the universe belongs to everyone, and that freedom is the right of all sentient beings," Star said
"To ensure no kid ever has to suffer again," Pyre grinned.
"The sword's purpose is to forever defend the noble cause. Knightly Code of Conduct, rule number twenty-two," Gent cited.
Brute, however, had distanced himself from the conversation, haunted by a creeping thought he couldn't properly discern.
When next he approached, prince Eldrak was sharing with the rangers his vision of hope and optimism for a better future. Xybria's victory, he claimed, would spell prosperity for the whole universe.
"Rookie!" Brute whispered from a safe distance.
Pyre looked over her shoulder. Brute was pointing to his open mouth with one hand, and gesturing behind him with the other. A moment alone, he implied. She looked at Brute with a cocked brow, but gave in to curiosity nonetheless.
The two rookies relocated to the nearest corner.
Brute dialed a sequence into his Sonic Morpher and a planetary hologram popped up in a three-dimensional display. "Check this out," he whispered. "This is Draumosa. Eldrak claimed the Syndicate attacked at the dead of night, but this planet doesn't have a solar cycle. It's always night time."
"Dude!" Pyre pressed on the word. "Eldrak just poured his heart out and you're nitpicking?!"
"Shh! Lower your voice!" He stopped and recomposed himself. "What I'm trying to say is, don't you think it's a tad strange how quickly and nonchalantly he opened up to us? How he appeared on Xybria at such a crucial time to save the day? And most importantly, that he came from Draumosa, the very first planet ever conquered by the Syndicate?"
Pyre pouted. "He said he admired the Power Rangers. Of course he'd want to assist us, let alone prove he's on our side." She paused to stare at Brute. "You're not jealous, are you?"
"No!" Brute made a shrill noise that wasn't quite a shriek. "Don't you get it?! This is like what the chief said: You can never be too safe."
Pyre crossed her arms. "You're picking at straws. And honestly, I trust the prince, so if you got any other conspiracy theories, talk them out with Ace."
"Pyre, wait!"
Brute hadn't even finished his plea than Pyre had left to chat with prince Eldrak.
"Stupid," Brute sighed, unsure whether he was addressing Pyre or himself.
"A restaurant owner?" Star giggled.
"Indeed," Eldrak assured Supersonic Pink. "Fair mister Jinkeloor found compassion in his blessed heart to care after me when I was all alone. To repay his kindness, I assisted in his gastronomical affairs by keeping the establishment bereft of dust and crumb. The cuisine was divine, might I add!"
"I've met Draumosans before, but none of them displayed powers like yours," Ace said. "Does it run solely in the royal family?"
"The secret family spice," Star said, her mind staying on mister Jinkleloor's restaurant.
"Why," prince Eldrak indulged them, "during my time on G-15, the planet was wracked by mighty thunderstorms. One fateful night, as I ventured into the wilderness in search of a special root for dear mister Jinkeloor's newest dish, lo and behold, I was struck by lightning!"
The prince allowed for Pyre and Star's gasps to build up suspense. Belatedly, he went on.
"Since I differed from my G-15 peers, I myself cannot fully understand the reaction it had on my biology, except that it resulted in a majestic set of powers, many of which you have not yet witnessed. I was suddenly capable of breezing through my restaurant errands in seconds. The patrons, of course, were quick to notice, and granted me the title Thunderstruck."
Ace's heavy brows lifted in a rare display of surprise. "Wow," he said.
Star nodded, mimicking Ace's amazement. "What he said."
"It's like a Xybrian Awakening," Pyre said, feeling the gem embedded on her forehead.
"Pardon my intrusion, sire," Gent said to Ace as he entered their circle. He turned to the prince. "Prince Eldrak, allow me the pleasure of introducing mine self. "Sir Nyoro Ne Mutsa, at thine service," he bowed.
"Ah!" prince Eldrak exclaimed. "Could it be, my late friend Nhema's royal knight? Why, the pleasure's all mine! I've admired knights aplenty during my youth, but only today have I really acquainted with one formally."
"And here I thought one frilly talker was a handful," Pyre chuckled.
"What motivated you to become a rebel?" Star ventured. "I can understand being inspired by the Power Rangers, but the way you're describing life on G-15, it sounds like you'd turned a new leaf."
"Indeed," Eldrak agreed. "G-15 was under no threat from Vaxia, but the passion to avenge my family and people bested the promise of a peaceful closing chapter. Alas, I departed with mister Jinkeloor's blessing and used my newfound powers to enforce the growing resistance, until I came across my first Power Rangers team, you lot!"
"Hey, uh, prince guy?!" Brute's voice sounded.
Everybody turned their heads to face the back of the room. Brute's head was poking out from behind the couch.
"I wanna run some tests on your speed capabilities!"
"Why's he hiding?" Ace asked Star.
Star shrugged. Ace's gaze moved on to Pyre and Gent. The two rangers mimicked Star.
Prince Eldrak laughed. "Of course, mine friend, let's! Friends," he told the Power Rangers, "if you'll excuse me."
Lightning danced along Eldrak's cybernetic enhancements, trailing forked arcs that soon covered the entirety of his figure. In a blink the prince had zipped past the rangers, grabbed Brute and exited the room, his electric enthusiasm seemingly following suit and leaving behind a stale silence.
"So, Tensou," Star turned to the robot assistant. "Any special dinner plans?"
"None whatsoever, hey-yo!"
"I got something in mind. Wanna come with?"
"Sure thing!" Tensou exclaimed. "Also, rangers, are you guys on edge? Hey-yo, you haven't even demorphed!"
The Power Rangers collectively looked down. They had removed their helmets as soon as they'd entered the Volcanic Base, but hadn't realized the suits had stayed on all this time. They shouted a synced 'Power down!' and the ranger get-up disappeared in a multi-colored flash of light.
"I'm bouncing," Pyre told Ace. "Eldrak got me fired up with his speech, so if you want me, you can find me in the training area.
"Apologies, sir Ace and lady Star, for I, too, will be departing," said Gent.
Star, Tensou 5.0, Pyre and Gent went their separate ways, leaving only the Red Supersonic Rangers in the family room.
Few things brought Gent solace.
Devoted to knightly service since childhood, Gent's mind had been honed much like his fine blade. Scholars specialized in all fields of life had taught him physics, chemistry and practical mathematics, but also history, philosophy and art. Each lesson was a stepping stone that would shape Gent into an honorary swordsman, conditioned to filter out sentimentality that would otherwise cloud his judgement, and instead replace it with a tranquill optimism.
Prince Eldrak's appearance, however, had stirred a melancholic recollection within Supersonic Black.
Where Gent would ordinarily utilize the remainder of his days in the training area, reciting a randomized sequence of thrusts, lunges, parries and ripostes in a superb display of martial discipline, today had been different. Compelled to gaze at Gwenga's barren landscape, the knight had visited the Volcanic Base's rooftop in hopes that the Xybrian sunset would wash away his thoughts.
"I had a hunch I'd find you up here," Ace's voice sounded.
Gent's gaze remained fixed on the horizon. The Red Supersonic Ranger perceived the gesture as a silent acknowledgement for company and crossed the helipad to stand by the knight's side. Immediately he was captivated by the shawl hanging loosely around Gent's neck. Floral-patterned and made up of several warm shades of copper, red and gold, the spare fabric trailing down Supersonic Black's left arm depicted a lone warrior overlooking a vast flowerfield.
A Rashon heirloom, Ace assumed, and chose to avoid talking about it.
"Something on your mind?"
"I reminisce," Gent replied, his regal features softened by the setting sun, "about the glory of days gone, and ponder about the battles of tomorrow."
"Is it because of Eldrak?"
A cool breeze blew past them. Gent's shawl danced to its whims.
"Are you worried about him?" Ace asked.
"Tis not my duty to stand ho the fair prince from chasing after his heart's desires. Nay, I feareth more so for the young sir, Dracondian Cain," Gent confessed. "I wish to know what aches his heart yond that he mistreat the sword so."
Ace put his hands in his pockets. "Perhaps the past haunts him, but as Power Rangers, we can't let that control us. We let it guide us-"
"Into a brighter tomorrow," Gent finished for Ace, turning to him with an assuring smile.
Supersonic Red repaid the gesture. "That's my line. Still…" Ace trailed off, a passing thought crossing his mind. He started over. "Say Gent, do you remember my battle with Kolverox?"
Gent nodded. Ace went on. "I saw him again. Villain encounters seem to attract him. I can't control it." His gaze dropped. "Maybe I don't want it to stop— I don't want to forget."
"Tis not thine obligation, sire," Gent assured Ace. "Mayhaps the time hast come to confide in thy allies."
Ace shook his head. "No. Not yet."
"Whatever may transpire, trust in mine loyalty."
Ace turned to the knight. "Thank you, Gent."
Gent's smile broadened. "All in a knight's duty, my liege."
Prince Eldrak ran.
The circular treadmill spun in an endless loop, the generated electricity converting into data which in turn travelled along snake-like cabling, feeding Brute's computer with information. The counter had clocked over nine light years, with no signs of slowing down.
But the Blue Supersonic Ranger was nowhere to be found.
In the deeper, darker confines of Brute's private chambers, glass display boxes stirred as a plastic key pressed against an undisclosed part of the wall. There was a click, a slide, and a hidden compartment revealed itself, the content hidden within a book with a hard, magenta cover and a skull insignia, fashioned after a long-since extinct alien race.
"You will believe me," Brute muttered in the darkness, his azure eyes brimming with firm determination. "I'm not gonna stand by and let fate decide. Not again!"
Brute activated his monitors, brought the satellite footage to the forefront and started watching.
Never again.