A/N: A very pleasant Friday from the Great State of Texas (although, today, it's cold and dreary). Welcome to the main event of the Project Phoenix series. As a disclaimer, this series is inspired by Kctimes2's The Adoption. Before reading this, you should read The Crane's Destructive Path and its accompanying one shot, Granted Wishes.

A/N 2: In this chapter, the Rangers arrive on Triforia to begin the process of breaking Flammia's iron grip in the galaxy. Meanwhile, Draco, well...

A/N 3: Couples featured are Jayden/Mia, Memily, Lantonio, Jason/Kat, Adam/Tanya and a slew of other old-school pairings. You'll have to read on to see if there is Tommy/Kim at the end...hehe.

A/N 4: Usual disclaimer. Power Rangers doesn't belong to me. Used to be Saban, then Disney, then Saban, now Hasbro owns them.

Chapter 29: Fight For Your Liberty I

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012

The Moon Palace

For the first time in about a month, Lady Flammia was awake again as she walked into the throne room.

Everyone shivered. She was glowing bright red. That was always the telling point...she wasn't in a pleasant mood.

All present bowed their heads in respect, but they all knew what was coming and that it wasn't going to be pretty.

"Draco," she deadpanned. "Step forward. Now."

Head down all the way, the large dragon monster who served as one of the feared leader's top generals walked to the throne.

"As I was told, it was your idea to attack the Phoenix Ranger whilst I was asleep, was it not?" Flammia said, anger clearly showing in her voice.

Draco gulped inside, but had no choice but to tell the truth.

"Yes, your Majesty," he said. "It was."

"What were you THINKING?" she asked, her voice rising with each word. "I am still the ultimate say of what goes on around here. You, AND everyone else here, works for ME!"

"A surprise attack, your Majesty," Draco said. "We believed we could catch them by surprise."

"And how did that go for you, you moron?" Flammia hissed as her body, clearly heated from her anger, made contact with Draco, causing his skin to heat up slightly.

"Not well, your Majesty. It started out well, but in the end they were ready for us, all the same," Draco said. "But I am still confident that my plan of attack was correct, and how the battle transpired simply proves it."

"Lest I remind you, this is not a DEMOCRACY!" Flammia roared. "I am the SOLE arbiter of what goes on in this Empire, and everyone will do what I say! Including all of you!"

With that, she poured electricity, unrelenting, into his body. He screamed in pain.

"Let this be a lesson of what happens when-" she ranted until she was interrupted.

"Wait! Your Majesty! I have something to say!" Vipera suddenly called out, and Flammia suddenly stopped.

"Unless you want to get fried as well, you will shut up also, Vipera," Flammia snapped.

"Please, let me speak," Vipera said. "Scorpina and you both hate it, but I agree with what Draco did. As he said, how the battle transpired proved it."

"I am your boss, but explain yourself," Flammia said.

"Not only do I agree with what Draco did, I am saddened that it took as much time as it did. I wish we'd attacked them sooner, your Majesty," Vipera said. "I have sources on Earth - well placed sources in fact - who tell me that because we waited so long to attack after you went to regenerate, that they had an opportunity to plan for an attack like this."

"Those sources tell me that the nerds of their team, Cranston in particular, the Blue Ninjetti, had been working on a substance for weeks using a sample of Venomo's blood to make a substance that can kill any one of us on contact," Vipera said, sadly. "It is not a joke. They can really kill all of us now, just as much as we can kill them."

Flammia scratched her chin for a few moments. Vipera, she had to admit, had a point which was well taken. Flammia's regeneration had also given the Rangers time to rest, regroup and prepare for an attack. And they had more than enough technical nerds on their team to go around.

Privately, she'd been hoping to bring one of the Ranger technical geeks to evil some day; one of those Rangers would be invaluable because she didn't have anyone who knew the doings of the Rangers like they did. Lauren was great in the brief time she was evil but she didn't have the technical skills the others did.

"Along with that, the Wizard of Deception was much more suited than Zedd was 18 years ago to open the Lost Dimension and trap the Rangers in there," Draco said. "Unfortunately, they outsmarted us yet again."

"And that, unfortunately, is the bottom line. Now I've lost a lot of my army and I hold you both, and others, responsible. Kneel!" she snapped, and then zapped them both with electricity, continuing until they were both knocked unconscious.

"Let that be a lesson to each and every one of you. Any rebellion in my army will be dealt with along those lines, I am your boss and you will do what I tell you. Period," Flammia said as she walked out of the throne room, steam coming out of her ears.

"Oh, and Serpentes?" she said, beckoning her technical advisor.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"How close to completion are my fleet of battle machines?"

"They have just been completed in the last 12 hours. They are ready on your command."

"Excellent. If the Rangers want to fight for their precious galaxy's independence, I will give them the fight they wish they never had."

The Brachiozord Mark I

Same Time

It would take the cavalcade of Rangers several days to reach their destinations, which afforded them a few more much needed days of quiet before the figurative bullets started flying.

After much discussion, it had been decided that the main teams of Rangers would start on Triforia first. They had been in contact with the exiled leaders of both KO-35 and Triforia, and Jayden had found out that KO-35's current dictatorship defenses were pretty rock solid right now. And he didn't want his first space fight to be an impossible fight that he could not win.

They'd also found out that on some planets, if they were able to free these planets, it would come with double duty because a lot of the people who had been captured on conquest of these planets, like KO-35, had been put in labor camps with harsh conditions. Many had died in these camps.

Jayden had seen the pictures, and upon seeing them had almost vomited, it made him so ill. Every single bit of law enforcement that remained on these planets which wasn't corrupt was going to have to pitch in and help once this was over.

Triforia wasn't as bad, and Rangers present decided they'd start there. Plus, the Triforians were good at fighting, better than most of the planets who were under Flammia's control. The Triforians were outnumbered but were holding their own. But they badly needed help.

It was about midday on the Ranger clocks, and so Jayden was about to go down to the cafeteria when he suddenly had a knock at the door. Opening it, he was surprised to see Trey on the other end.

It hadn't been announced back in the Chamber that Trey would be coming, but it had been a silent understanding that he would. Trey, after all, knew the planet better than anyone else and had expertise that would be valued in the coming fight.

"Hey there," Jayden said, as Trey gave him a manly hug. "What's on your mind?"

"So I know you've been swamped with everything going on, as well as the battles we've had," Trey said, "but look, while we have some time, I just want to thank you for everything you're doing. I've met Dulcea, and I know about the Great Power, but I never knew how lethal the Phoenix powers were. I am in awe of everything you have done."

"Thanks, but we all know the fight is far from finished," Jayden said.

"Tell me about it," Trey said. "My sources tell me she punished Draco pretty good. Apparently that Lost Dimension idea was his stunt."

"Yeah, I don't doubt it," Jayden said. "At least that's one more body we don't have to worry about. I want to beat these guys even worse now. Those labor camps...ugh."

"Yeah. It's bad. The only reason they're not on Triforia is because at some point, even Flammia's resources get stretched thin. Can you do me one favor?"

"Yeah, what's that?" Jayden said.

"Leave Jorus for me, if Flammia sends him to fight," Trey said. "He's the scum who imprisoned me and Phantom Ranger."

"I'll tell the guys, but I hope we are able to save him for you," Jayden said. "Is there a place we'll be able to land without being seen?"

"Yes, provided we get into Triforia's orbit after dark. There is a place where our former rulers are in exile where we can set the Brachiozord down at night without having too much resistance."

Nov. 14, 2012

Four days later, true to Trey's word, they arrived at Triforia and were able to pass into its orbit without much resistance, since it was nighttime there. It had once been a beautiful planet, as blue as the Earth even, but streaks of red now colored the planet, as sort of a symbol of what Flammia's army had done to this once sacred place.

The Rangers shuddered. They had their work cut out.

As they descended onto the planet, though it was nighttime, Trey pointed to parts of the damage that Flammia's forces had inflicted onto the planet, tears pricking his eyes.

"That's the capital city, or what remains of it," Trey said solemnly, as all eyes were directed to the monstrous castle in the center of the city.

"That used to be the place where King Aurelio and Queen Oralie used to rule. When we used to have a democracy," Trey said bitterly. "Then, the assholes came, they plundered everything and remade the castle for their benefit, and of course, made the planet a one party state, essentially."

"How many of your guys can fight, still?" Jayden said.

"We have plenty of able bodies," Trey said, "it's just that we are completely outnumbered. When they took over, they forced many of our most talented fighters to join Flammia's forces. Many of the once brave fighters that I know serve her...not by choice. They would have been killed had they not switched sides."

"That's what they'll try to do to me at some point, I'm sure," Jayden said. "Since Dad's memory can be like Swiss cheese sometimes, Uncle Jason, remind me on the way back to stop on Phaedos. I want to talk to Dulcea about some things."

Everyone laughed in Tommy's direction because they all knew it was true, to which Tommy rolled his eyes.

"Where is what's left of your resistance hiding out?" Jayden asked Trey.

"In the mountains outside of the city," Trey said. "By magical ability, we will always have the ability to have the necessary tools to stay alive, no matter the length we have to stay hidden."

"Do they know we're coming?" Jayden asked.

"Yes. I asked them to open a crevice in the mountains to let the Brachiozord Mark I in. It was opened just after dark. I just have to punch in the coordinates...there," Trey said. "We should be there in minutes. Hang on. It's gonna get bumpy, especially if someone fires at us at random."

Moments later, the massive carrier began its final descent, literally landing inside the mountains, as Trey said it would. There had been a couple of blasts fired at the massive carrier from random night prowlers in Flammia's army, but they had missed easily.

After the Zord was cloaked, and the Rangers and allies disembarked from the massive carrier, they made their way down a narrow cavern, with varying twists and turns, until they came to a set of double doors.

"I need to open these doors," Trey said. "This planet is untrustworthy of strangers, and though I trust all of you, if you were to try to open these doors, Jayden, I'm not sure you'd like the results...yet."

Trey then touched his golden power staff to the doors, and they swung open. The moment Jayden and Trey walked into the room, there were loud cheers from those in it. An olive skinned woman, who just at first glance Jayden surmised was Oralie, gave Trey a massive bear hug while the one who had been sitting beside her, who the Rangers surmised was Aurelio, greeted the Rangers who had arrived to help fight for the planet's liberation.

"I assume you are the Phoenix Ranger?" Aurelio said, looking at Jayden.

"I am, and some of the Rangers I brought with me are the ones who fought alongside Dad and Trey against the Machine Empire," he responded. "Some of the Rangers who came here are less than 100%, but many of us are ready to fight at a moment's notice."

"I am thankful for your assistance, Rangers," Aurelio said. "The situation is dire. Many of my family members switched sides and now would like to kill me on the spot. Treason, they say, is the word."

"That's extremely sad, sir," Jayden said. "My mother's evil half is the orchestrator of all this, but I would never go so far as to say my mother committed treason. Because I believe that a good part of her still lives. When we get them back, you should forgive your family members, because we will get them back."

"Young man, I thank you for your bravery; unfortunately, if your mother is freed it will take a long time for many of us to forgive her," Aurelio said. "Understood?"

"Yes sir," Jayden said, swallowing hard. He expected that reaction; it was natural, considering what Flammia had done.

"What about people on the inside?" Jayden asked. "Can they help us enter the city and surprise Flammia's forces? I don't want any inkling that Flammia might think I'm here...unfortunately, someone fired at us on the way in."

"I do know of people on the inside, double agents if you will," Oralie suddenly spoke up. "I can place a call."

"I assume Jorus is still alive?" Trey asked, looking at the former King and Queen.

"He is, and I can assure you he's looking for you, Trey," Aurelio said.

"Well, if he wants me he's going to get his hands on me because I've been itching for the same thing," Trey said, determination lacing his voice.

"We need them now, your Majesty," Jayden said. "Whatever they've got, they have to give it to us now so we can plan. The fight for this planet's liberty may depend on it."

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