Chapter Eleven:
The Battle Begins
The Tempest flew at top speed over the ice and snow, heading for Earth's north pole. Inside the Command Center, most of the remaining Ranger Team sat waiting.
"We're almost there," General Kenpachi said.
The three rangers Joshua, Sean, and Peggy sat up, looking at the viewscreen. Just ahead, a massive castle with towering spires and a dome in the center rose out of the barren icecap. "How long has that been there?" Joshua asked.
"Since yesterday," Sean said.
Tammy tapped on her console. "I'm picking up huge radiation readings coming from inside the dome."
"Sounds like they've got it open," Peggy said. "Anything come through yet?"
Tammy shook her head. "I'm only picking up three life signs so far."
"Doctor Kuchar, the Fuhrer, and the Pharaoh Mask," Katie said, counting on her fingers. "I'm sure it won't be long."
General Kenpachi shook his head. "No," he said. He tapped on his console and five panels at one end of the room shifted. "These will drop you right out of the ship. Get ready to go, Rangers."
"Got it."
Peggy grabbed her morpher and stepped onto one of the panels. Sean grabbed his own, taking a moment to hug Tammy goodbye. Joshua watched them for a moment, his eyes wandering to Katie. He looked at the viewscreen, at the impending invasion, the memory of Doug's lifeless body running through his mind. He realized in that moment he may never get another chance.
He stepped over to her. "Katie, I—"
Katie beat him to it before he could get another word out, pulling him close and kissing him. Joshua was surprised for just a split second before simply kissing her back. After a few seconds, the pair split apart, pressing their heads together and looking each other in the eye. Joshua knew Katie well enough to know she was making a concerted effort on her part, as this kind of contact was always a struggle for her. He understood that, and loved her for it, and he knew that nothing more needed to be said.
They broke apart. Joshua grabbed his morpher off of his console and pocketed Dayton's as well, trusting his friend to be along soon enough. He joined Sean and Peggy on their panels, ignoring their smirks, and said, "It's morphin' time!"
The three activated their morphers in unison. A bright light filled the room as nanites swarmed out, up Joshua's arm and around his shoulder, around Peggy's back and covering her torso, and down Sean's legs, ending in a pair of boots. The nanites swarmed up over their faces, covering them and forming up into helmets with fully functioning visors. In a matter of seconds, the transformation was complete, and they stood together, as the Red, Blue, and Pink Power Rangers.
"Let's go," Joshua said.
General Kenpachi flipped a switch on his console. The panels under their feet fell out from under them, and they dropped, out of the airship and into the open air over the icecap. Their birdies opened and the trio took off toward the castle.
Back on the airship, Katie stood watching the spot where Joshua had just been, Tammy by her side.
"We should get started," General Kenpachi said. "The three of us are going to have a lot of work to do."
The door to the command center slid open and Harriet Nixon stepped inside. "You mean the four of us," she said. The young agent's eyes were red, and one end of her frizzy hair was lying flat, but she had on a fresh uniform and her jaw was set, a look of determination on her face.
General Kenpachi looked up at her. "Are you certain, Harriet?" he asked.
Harriet met his gaze. "Yes, sir," she said. "I will do my duty."
The general considered her for a moment. Then he nodded. "Alright," he said. "Take your seat, Agent Nixon. The four of us have a lot of work to do."
Harriet made her way around to stand beside Katie and Tammy. Together, the three took their seats at Stations Seven, Eight, and Nine while General Kenpachi tapped his own station. "Bridge, this is Kenpachi," he said. "Follow the rangers and give them support. Prepare for Operation 'Eye of the Storm.'"
Outside the ship, Joshua, Sean, and Peggy flew together in formation.
"What's the plan, Captain?" Peggy asked.
Joshua studied the dome coming up fast before them. He could see a small hole at the top, a bright stream of light emanating from there. "You said the portal's inside that dome, right?" he asked Sean.
"Right," Sean said. "That hole will be their army's main exit when they arrive."
"In that case, we'll need you to bottleneck them. Stay out here and snipe any that get through. Peggy, you're on shutdown duty. Get inside and do everything you can to close that portal. Blow it up if you have to. I'll keep Khamun and the Fuhrer off your back while you work."
"Understood, Captain."
Inside the castle, Khamun and Soto stood watching them approach. "Seems our enemy has arrived first," Khamun said.
Soto nodded, turning back to look at the portal. "They won't be long," he said. "But we'll need to keep the rangers busy until then."
Khamun nodded. He looked back at Doctor Kuchar. "What about him?" he asked.
Soto followed his gaze. With a motion that looked like a shrug, he flung toward him, shooting out sharp black spikes that struck the doctor backwards and pinned him to the wall, two of them stabbing into his arms and legs. The doctor cried out in pain, struggling to move.
Soto got up close to him. "Don't go anywhere, Doctor," he said. "We'll be back."
Outside the castle, Sean broke away from his companions to circle the dome while Joshua and Peggy stayed on course. "We need entrances," Joshua said.
Peggy scanned the building before her. "Two on this side. The closest one is down there on that balcony." The pair veered toward it when they heard Sean let out a sudden cry of pain, turning to see his body plummet past them.
"Sean?" Peggy shouted. "Are you alright?"
She was cut off as something struck her and knocked her out of the air as well. Joshua only had a moment to process before a beam of golden light struck him in the chest and sent him reeling. He straightened himself out just in time to see something glowing and golden race toward him. Recognizing the glow as the Flames of Ra, he quickly dodged out of the way.
Joshua turned to face Khamun, the Pharaoh Mask floating using a pair of rockets at the back of his armor. "I see you've picked up some new abilities," he said.
"Courtesy of Soto," Khamun said. "He took the designs from the Iron Mask. I think I'll call them the Wings of Horus."
"I prefer birdies." Flaring up the named rockets, he leaned forward and sped toward his opponent, Khamun speeding forward to meet him. Far below on the icy ground, both Peggy and Sean got back to their feet, shaking off their own surprise attacks. The Fuhrer rose up before them, his multiple limbs all raised to attack.
"Well, well, Blue and Pink," he said. "I have looked forward to seeing you both again."
"Wish we could say the same," Sean said.
He and Peggy crouched to face him and the three took off toward each other. Just before they connected, however, Khamun's body fell out of the air and slammed into the Fuhrer, bringing him to a sudden stop. Joshua landed on the ground before Sean and Peggy as they came to a halt. "Get back to your assignments," he said. "I told you I would handle them."
"Are you sure, captain?" Peggy asked.
Joshua looked back at her and nodded. "I've got this. Go!"
As Khamun and the Fuhrer struggled to disentangle themselves, Sean took off for the dome roof again while Peggy shot for the castle entrance.
"A bold move, Red Ranger," the Fuhrer said, getting back to his feet. "But it will make little difference."
Inside the castle, Peggy raced as fast as she could, turning corner after corner as she searched for the inside of the dome. Finally, she came to the right entrance and blazed through to find a giant spinning circle on the floor, glowing with light, lightning flashing inside it. This was the room.
She looked around, taking in everything she could. Constellations glittered on the ceiling above. A console stuck out of the machine on one side, the five gemstones fitted into slots on its face. Across the room, Doctor Kuchar hung against the wall, spikes that looked like they came from the Fuhrer pinning him there.
"Doctor Kuchar," she said, rushing up to him. A pair of the spikes were stabbing through his wrist and leg. The first order of business had to be to pull them out. "Sorry, doctor," she said. "This is going to hurt."
With a mighty yank, she tore them loose. Doctor Kuchar let out a cry of agony and slumped to the floor, gripping his bloody wrist.
"Are you alright?" she asked, rolling him over.
The doctor was shaking, but his eyes drifted up to the nearby machine. "We've got to . . . shut it down," he said.
"Do you know how?" Peggy asked.
The doctor looked around, trying to concentrate, before shaking his head. "No," he said. "I'm sorry. I tried."
Peggy bit her lip for a moment. Channeling out some nanites to cover his wounds, she crossed over to the control panel. If the gemstones were powering it, she thought, was it possible she could just pull them out? It was worth a try. She grasped the pink and green stones, pulling them as hard as she could from their placements. The stones fought back against her, sealed there by the energy flowing through them. She pulled even harder, until an energy discharge backfired from them, shooting pain up her arms and throwing her back against the wall.
Outside, Joshua fought Khamun and the Fuhrer alone. The Fuhrer's multiple limbs wrapped around him, several sickle-like blades poking and stabbing at him, trying their best to impale him the way they'd done Doug. Joshua fought back against him, managing to work his gun around and blasting the creature in what seemed like his chest area. The Fuhrer reeled back, letting Joshua go, only for Khamun to grab him from behind.
Not falling for his tricks this time, Joshua grabbed the Pharaoh Mask and suplexed him up and over himself, slamming him to the ice. Khamun's armored hand snagged him by the wrist, clamping down and refusing to let go.
"It's over for you, Captain," the Pharaoh Mask said, getting to his feet as the Flames of Ra burst to life all over his body. "As long as I can keep my hold on you for the next five seconds, you are done for."
Joshua pulled at the Pharaoh's tight grip as the light grew brighter and brighter and the Pharaoh's laugh echoed across the icecap. Joshua struggled for his gun when something green and spinning fast struck Khamun by the hand, forcing him to cry out and let go.
Joshua stumbled backwards, watching the familiar green item as it spun its way back around, striking the Fuhrer again and again, pushing him farther and farther away from the Red Ranger. The face of Kenny Austin popped up on Joshua's visor. "Hey, captain," the young ranger said. "Hope we're not too late."
A green figure carrying a much larger figure on its back sped into view, flying right over Joshua and Khamun's heads as the Pharaoh Mask stumbled to his feet. A wild, almost feral, shout sounded, as the figure on the Green Ranger's back let go, divebombing the Pharaoh and body-slamming him to the ground. The pair rolled head over heels, Khamun struggling to get away as Dayton beat at him and tore at his armor, letting loose every swear and curse Joshua had ever heard in English and Spanish. Finally, they came to a stop with Khamun taking the upper hand, pinning Dayton down and raising his armored fist.
"Brave but stupid as always, Dayton," the Pharaoh Mask said. "Now I get the pleasure of killing two yellow rangers in one day." He aimed his fist at Dayton's head when Joshua caught him in the chest with a laser bolt, throwing him off his intended victim.
Joshua stashed his gun and landed beside his friend. "Throwing yourself at an opponent without a suit in the middle of the arctic," he said. "Never change, Dayton."
Dayton grinned and took Joshua's offered hand up. "Don't plan to, buddy," he said.
He faced Joshua for a second, the smile slipping away from his face. "Doug," he said. "Did he—?"
Joshua shook his head. "No," he said. "He didn't make it."
Dayton closed his eyes and took a breath. He opened them again and looked Joshua in the eye through his visor. "Was he magnificent?"
Joshua nodded. "I thought he was."
Dayton smiled. "I knew he would be."
Joshua grabbed at the spot where his pocket should be and withdrew Dayton's morpher. "He wanted us to make sure this got back to you," he said.
Dayton looked at the morpher for a moment, hesitant to take it up again. He shook his head and put on a fake smile. "Probably a good idea," he said, taking it and strapping it around his wrist. "It's freezing out here."
Kenny landed on Joshua's other side as Khamun and the Fuhrer struggled back to their feet. "What's the plan, Captain?" he asked, a flash of light transforming Dayton into the yellow ranger as the three drew their weapons and took up fighting stances.
Khamun and Soto looked over their three opponents. "It's seems we've been outnumbered," Khamun said.
"Yes, it seems so," Soto said. He glanced up at the top of the dome, where the light spilling from it was brighter than it had ever been before. "We've bought enough time. I believe we should make a tactical retreat."
He lunged forward, firing spikes at the rangers as a distraction. Joshua, Kenny, and Dayton all fended the spikes off easily with their weapons, but by the time they were finished, their opponents were gone.
"They've got to be headed back inside the castle," Joshua said. "Come on. We've got to help Peggy."
Back inside the dome, Peggy got back to her feet, shaking off the shock she had just received. "Well, that didn't work," she said. She stumbled back up to the console. All five gems were still inside their facets as if nothing had happened. They all seemed to be part of some large, circular grid. Testing it, she found that she could still move them along that, but no matter what she tried or how she moved them around, nothing changed with the portal.
She bit her lip, scanning the device for anything else she could try. Her gaze drifted to Doctor Kuchar lying on the floor nearby. He was losing a lot of blood. If she didn't get him to the infirmary soon, he would die, but she couldn't just leave the machine. There was only one thing she could think to do.
"I need help in here," she said, tapping on her visor.
"We're on our way to you," Joshua said.
At the far end of the room, the door blew open and the red ranger flew inside, followed closely by the green and yellow rangers.
"Dayton! Kenny!" Peggy said in surprise. The two missing rangers touched down beside her and gave her a hug. Joshua landed after them.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"I need more time with the machine," Peggy explained. "But Doctor Kuchar needs help."
"Doctor Kuchar?" Kenny crossed the room to where the doctor lay and helped him up. The doctor was pale, and barely conscious. "I'll get him up to the ship."
"Hey, guys," Sean said through their visors. "Something's coming through the portal. I can see it from here."
"What?" Dayton asked. Before they could get an answer, a burst of light escaped from the machine, blowing the rangers back as several creatures flew out of the wormhole. They were tall, maybe six or seven feet, with skeletal frames and gray skin just like the Fuhrer's, covered in bony spikes and all wielding bladed weapons like sickles or scythes. Bat-like wings opened on their backs, allowing them to fly up out of the wormhole and through the hole at the top of the ceiling.
"We're too late," Joshua said, as he, Peggy, Dayton, and Kenny stood together. "They're here."