I take off my cloak a few hours after entering the park. (Why is there even a park on this stupid ship? And why is it scorching hot?) That's another thing I'll have to worry about: clothing. Right now, I've only got the ones on my back. Although, based on the little I've heard from those… colorful people, I had a life here. My name was- is Kara, and I dated- am dating- Leo. (Fucking score.)

Speaking of which...

I don't need to turn around. His aura is blazingly bright, which makes sense, because even though I'm sitting in the shade, I'm still sweating. (Never felt his energy this strong before. Did I really worry him that badly?) "K?"

"Corbett. I told you not to follow." (Why won't I move? All I want is to be back in his arms, not stuck in this overpowered body.) Leo heaves a sigh, and I turn, glancing at him. None of the others are with him. (I've missed them so, so much. I just wanna see them..)

He holds out his hands, and I glance down at them. What's he expecting me to do? (I know exactly what he's expecting me to do.) "I can hear you, Kara. You're fighting it, fighting Trakeena's control."

Come back, love.

I rear away from him, getting up from the park bench and stepping away. The fire of his aura flickers for a moment. "That was you. In my head just now, that was you." Leo nods, a sad, sad smile on his face. Good. Let him feel the pain he put me through. (And what pain would that be, evil Kara?) Great. Now I'm fucking talking to myself.

"Let go. Let me handle a little bit more of that power. Once you do-"

"No." (Yes. I just want to be myself again, whoever that is by the end of this.)

"Once you do, I promise you, you'll be okay. All I want…" He chokes up, "All I want is for you to be okay." (This isn't the man who killed my family. My parents are back on Earth, and Kai's my idiot brother. This is Leo Corbett, my first-in-command, and one of the people I trust the most.) "That's it, K. You're doing great." My half of the key materializes into the palm of my hand, and I gaze down at it. Mage or not… I don't want to give it up. The power I'd had allowed me to protect my friends… "Hey, it's okay." Leo rests a hand on my shoulder, and something inside him wavers when I flinch. "You don't have to give it all up. Just enough for you to come back to us, yeah?"

What if this is another one of Trakeena's tricks? She already made me believe my best friends had brutally murdered my parents. What if… what if… I collapse into his arms, sobs wracking my body. His touch against my waist is warm, comforting. Real. This is real. "I missed you so much, L." A tear trickles down his cheek even as he smiles at me, smiles that bright, gorgeous smile at me. "And I'm so, so sorry. I don't know what I've done, but-" He shakes his head, cups my face in his hand.

"It's not your fault, Kar. It was Trakeena." Do you trust me? Asking once more. Just to be sure that it's me in my head, not Mage. I don't speak. Instead, I lean forward, pressing my lips to his. The kiss is soft, gentle, and not what I want right now. Leo senses this through the bond, our newly renewed bond, and he pulls me closer as if he means to devour me whole right here and now. I wouldn't mind that, honestly. "Stars above," he murmurs as we pull apart, "if we weren't in public…"

I can't help the laugh that escapes me, "Calm down, L. We have more than enough time to-"

"Citizens of Terra Venture stationed in Dome 07!" Ughhh. What now? I mean, we are drifting through an unknown galaxy, so there's that. But I can't believe that, after two and a half months, I was- Say one more word and I'll burst out laughing, K.

I frown at my boyfriend. I wasn't saying anything. "We are preparing to be boarded by an alien and his ship. Please stay clear of the plaza area. I repeat, stay clear of the plaza area."

Never mind that it takes me a few seconds to remember my friends' names. What matters is that I can remember them at all. To realize that I no longer want to kill them. That with Leo helping me to shoulder the burden of some of my power, I'll never be Mage again. The second Damon, Maya, and Karone lay their eyes on me, I'm squished into a brief group hug, but it doesn't last, since, y'know, we're being boarded by an alien.

An alien pirate, by the looks of it. Of course we're facing space pirates now. "Recognize him?" Leo murmurs to Karone and I, and we shake our heads.

"Nope." A man steps onto the red carpet that's been rolled out: Commander Stanton. Right. He's flanked by two other men: Kai and Mike, whose eyes lit up when they spotted me standing at the barricade. Upon providing the terms of our agreement, the pirate, Captain Mutiny, rejoins his crew. Then, their boats lift up and into the air.

"It's too easy," Karone murmurs, and I nod.

"I agree. We gotta check them out." Can you fight? Leo asks. Not wanting to undermine me in front of the rest of the team. (God, I love this man.)

Yes.

Karone's right: this is way too easy. We watch, crouched in the shelter of some rocks, as the heliship makes liftoff, the machine in tow. "We going back to Terra Venture?" The mechanic- Damon- asks, but Leo shakes his head.

"Not yet. We don't know the first thing about this Captain Mutiny. Let's look around." The alien and his pirate crewmen turn, walking away from us. Once they're out of our view, we step out from behind our hiding spot, following their tracks. Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I feel right at home. Because I don't, at least not fully. Something feels… strange. My memories are more or less intact now that Trakeena's hold on me is broken, but still. My emotions aren't quite where they used to be. So when the brunette- Maya- lays a hand on my back, urging me forward, I almost jump away.

I don't need to be afraid, angry, or any other negative thing. I'm safe.

But the people we come across aren't. Crouched at the top of a small hill, we overlook a crowd of workers going at various different tasks. Bits of conversation float up to us from where Captain Mutiny stands watching over them.

"Slaves," the blonde- Karone- whispers, and I shake my head. Disgusting.

"Captain Mutiny captures spaceships," Kai murmurs.

"And the crew mines for treasure," Damon observes.

"No one should have to live like that," Maya declares, "We've got to free them."

"Yeah, and I'm starting to wonder what's in that box." I crane my neck forward, hoping to catch more information, but when I do, I shrink back.

"Based on what I just heard, it's not good. We need to stop it from getting to Terra Venture."

I think I liked it better when I was the one doing the attacking, not being attacked. But at least I'm on the right side now, even if it does come with a little more pain. (Scratch that: a lot more.) A green monster with a missile strapped to its back steps into our way, and I grit my teeth. What a nuisance. "You're too curious for your own good!" It lets loose another blast, and as the dust settles, I spot the pirate crewmen- Swabbies, according to the monster- charging at us.

"Ready guys?" (Am I?)

I am.

"Go, Galactic!" The feeling of my suit folding over my body is comforting, like a hug from an old friend. So, with a crack of my neck, I leap into battle alongside my team. It's been too long. Two months might not seem like it, but it did feel like an eternity. How the hell did I even manage to survive on that hellhole of a ship?

I don't have time to dwell on this, though, since the Swabbies are starting to attack, urged on by their leader. I duck under a punch from one of them, then send multiple kicks into their midsection, eventually knocking them over and into another one of their friends. Looks like I've still got it.

The things still keep coming, no matter how many we beat down. So, we summon our Quasar Launchers, and before I use it as an actual blaster, I use it to deflect a punch heading for me. Then, I heft the weapon up, waiting for the right moment… a line of Swabbies swarms towards me, and I let the charged up blast loose. The monsters hit the ground, smoke curling from their injuries, and I grin. Nice.

Heads up! I nearly jump hearing Leo's voice in my head. It's not an entirely foreign thing, but still. It's been a while. I turn, spotting the monster readying the missile on its back for launch, and I shake my head. These things never learn, do they? A single wave of my hand and a shimmering blue shield appears in front of us, blocking the explosion of the projectile. Did I ever tell you how badass you are?

Yeah, L. Like a broken record. (I'm not too sure if he ever has. While my memories are mostly intact, I can't remember specifics, like exact bits of conversation from before Trakeena. They're going to come back. I know they will.) I think I hear him laugh, and then he launches onto his Capsular Cycle, destroying our opponent in a single fiery blast.

When the monster grows into its giant size, I cringe. This is another thing I don't miss about these foes. But at least I get to be reunited with my Galactabeast. The second I leap onto my Snake Zord, she lets out an affectionate hiss, and I pat the controls, as if petting it. "Missed you too, buddy. Let's get this going, shall we?" Another hiss, this time an approving one. "Galaxy Megazord, online!" We put up a good fight, all the way until our opponent gets us trapped, our arms held behind our back.

"I'm now in self-destruct mode," it announces, "and you're coming with me!"

"We've got to get free," Leo mutters, "Stratoforce Megazord!" Right. We have two other, powerful Zords at our command, and obtaining them is one of the memories that sticks with me. I'd almost lost my brother in the process, and the thought sends chills down my spine. I don't think I could ever forget. "Galaxy Megazord saber!" The Red Ranger's final command snaps me out of my descending thoughts, and finally, we finish the job.

My heart's in my throat as we arrive back onto Terra Venture, apparently just in time, too. One of Commander Stanton's men is already lifting the bar that holds the box closed, and so we hit the ground literally running towards them. "Wait!" Leo shouts, and to my utter relief, the two soldiers stationed in front of the box turn towards us.

That doesn't stop the box from swinging wide open, though. An explosion blasts from the opening of the box, throwing the people in its vicinity to the ground. Panic surges through me, and I reach down for the last remnants of my power, throwing up shields to protect them from any further attacks. Then, another monster steps right out of the box.

"What the hell is that?" Damon questions, and even if I did have an answer, I wouldn't have the time to give it. The giant monster lets out six identical attacks, and it burns where the laser contacts my skin. A seventh attack hits the ground instead of us, and for a split second, I wonder why.

I get my answer when the monster leaps into the hole it's created, disappearing from sight. "Where'd it go?"