Power Rangers Supersonic: Part I

by Vaporwave Banette

The first part in an all-new Power Rangers epic! From the distant Hetta Solar System, the Supersonic Power Rangers fight to protect their planet, Xybria, from the evil Syndicate! (Cover image by Lina Prime!)

10. Chapter 10

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The explosive finale to Part I is here! It's big, it's loud, it hits hard, and it's 23 pages long! Thank you very much for your patience! We understand this chapter was a little late, but it was well worth it, we promise! This is some of mine and Cuddlefish's best work, so we hope you enjoy it to the fullest!

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CHAPTER 10 — A Royal Acquaint, Pt.2

|| Aquila Hyperion Galaxy, Planet Vaxia

More than a mountain, Gomo was a symbol of power.

The foot of the mountain belonged to Vaxia's militia. The main body, responsible for the allocation of forces throughout the planet, circled the periphery. With assistance from off-planet excavation equipment, the earth had been flattened to allow for the storage of military supplies and armed vehicles, while the uprooted material was siphoned into the creation of a wall that prohibited access to the ring of surrounding towns.

Beyond the repurposed terrain, over the armories, the barracks, the hangars and airstrips, rose Gomo's many hillocks. Anti-air artillery was stationed atop each mound, massive rotary cannons that rose from the peaks like jagged teeth. Dubbed the Demon's Mouth by superstitious idolatrists, they were an extension to Vaxia's surveillance corps, each pair of ordnance serving as a stationary outpost. Compact bases were dug underneath the reinforced hulls to house the pilots for their month-long shifts, but also to guard the particle generators, whose combined power engulfed the mountain in an energy barrier capable of repelling even orbital bombardment.

Above the cannons the mountain rose higher still, steeper this time, the slope near vertical. Where the body became even again, where the rock acquired an obsidian sheen and the clouds caressed the tempered glass, Gomo's might was occupied by Vaxia's elite. Towering spires of gold and onyx were conjoined by a network of buttresses that spanned hundreds of meters, and housed a wide mesa where the rich and carefree celebrated the renewal of the democratic party with lavish gatherings. Though the dukedom council had agreed to a decree of shared leadership, they weren't oblivious to Vaxia's part in the galactic sphere as a puppet state for the Syndicate. To resist meant total annihilation, so the dukedom celebrated instead, commemorating their hollow accomplishments within the confines of Amnesty Valley.

The Hanoi dynasty's castle crowned the mountain. Carved from Gomo itself, the obsidian fortress loomed over the populace, sparing none its menacing shadow. The courtyard, once rich with colored flora, was now barren land, twenty kilometers in diameter, at the center of which stood the citadel's forgotten majesty. Time, harsh weather conditions, negligence– nothing had debased the castle's architectural brilliance. Each block, no matter the size or significance to the grand design, had been individually chiseled with its own set of lines, the unique shades and angles coming together in a pattern of mesmerizing symmetry.

The masterworks persisted below the foundations, where spiral staircases snaked down the mountain to form a network of interconnected chambers. The corridors traveled diagonally downwards, like a reverse pyramid sucked into a black hole, and at the nadir — the very heart of the mountain — were the Traitor King's private quarters.

Since the Syndicate's defeat at Guta, Atmak Hanoi had secluded himself within the Chamber of Fates, refusing any permission of entry to even his fellow members. Sat upon his throne and surrounded by his triumvirate of sorcerers, he scoured the future, picking at the threads to discover the path to their inevitable victory.

The sound of crystal shattering resounded along the yawning corridors. Silence ensued, broken once more by the same rush of sound, just as sudden as the one before. Yet another interval of stillness, until the noise's repetition transformed into a steady rhythm.

A sharp exhale rushed out of mistress Faustus Bathory's mouth as she flung a dagger, golden like her armor, at the crystalized form of a Silencer approximately seven-point-three-two-five meters to her left. The visage crumbled, pieces crashing on the wall with a resonant echo. The mistress flicked her wrist. A beacon on her pulse flickered red and the stiletto phased to her grip in a thin column of light. All the while gravitic suspenders on the floor and ceiling respectively pulled at the scattered shards. They bunched the pieces together, meshing them into emerald liquid that, once molded and solidified, had regained the Silencer's shape.

The Mistress of Pain took aim.

'Sloppy,' a voice sounded from behind her. Immediately, Faustus rounded on the intruder.

Cain was leaning on the entrance to her laboratory. The mistress' unblinking gaze bore into him, analyzing every detail. His platinum shawl glimmered under the candlelight. His eyes were foggy with intoxication, but his grip on the carafe remained firm.

'What do you seek, Galactic Swordsman?' Faustus spoke with evident disinterest. The boy's presence was a nuisance at best and a hindrance at worst.

'My motivations are my own,' Cain retorted, wiping his mouth as he approached. There was no stutter to his wording, Faustus observed, no slurring either. He remained concentrated, as if the drinking vice could not affect him anymore.

'It's a fine blade you have,' Cain said in reference to the mistress' stiletto. An agitated contraction tugged at the corner of her eye upon realizing that Cain had pried the weapon from her fingers without her so much as noticing. The young man studied the weapon for a brief moment before turning to look at Faustus again. 'Fine polish, perfectly balanced, honed to a sheen. Most would say it's beautiful even.' He spun the weapon as he spoke, twisting and turning it between his fingers, never slowing or faltering. 'To the experienced eye, however, to an appropriate opponent…'

He turned with a sharp twist of the waist and hurled the stiletto at the three-dimensional projection. The blade plunged into the pseudo-matter and the Silencer's chest burst from the speed and force behind the impact. The dagger slammed into the wall behind the target with a harsh thud.

'Beauty does not begin to compare to strength.' Cain sneered.

Faustus did not flinch. She remained poised, unfazed by the swordsman's brutish semantics. 'So, perhaps your time is better utilized in perfecting your hypothetical strength instead of inflating your pompous egomania. In fact, I cannot begin to comprehend why the majesty has decided to keep you around, despite your consistent streak of failures.'

Cain smiled a tooth-filled grin. 'It's the same reason you're still around.'

Many rumors about the Mistress of Pain had circulated the cosmos during Cain's pilgrimage. Renowned mercenaries spoke in hushed tones, their stories alluding to crimes of such magnitude and inhuman horror it had made the hairs on Cain's youthful nape stand on end. The consensus had been made clear to him: Mistress Faustus Bathory was a heartless sadist that reveled in her cruelty.

But the bottle of Kunwa could no longer dull Cain's hawkish perception. He could see it as clear as the sunny sky after a downpour. The subtle muscle contraction as the Mistress of Pain's jaw clenched, the soft rattling as her teeth crunched. Hearsay from bygone days faded to nothingness. Excitement washed over Cain as he became increasingly aware that his words burned Faustus like venom.

This was an assertion of dominance, of power; and he was winning.

'It disgusts you, doesn't it? Defeat.' Cain pressed on the last word.

The light pulsed in Faustus' wrist, her arm already primed to toss. Soon as it returned, she threw the stiletto at a Silencer dummy that had not even been fully remade. The toss, however, was sloppy. The weapon landed on a half-formed face with its pummel. The surface cracked, but ultimately it did not break.

'Why, it's only a minor setback,' the mistress tutted. 'Nothing more, nothing less.'

'A loser and a liar is what you are,' Cain spat. 'You sit in the dark and lick your wounds by flicking knives at mud dolls. Some minor setback that must have been. A moment's respite, a lifetime of regret,' he hissed with grim finality.

Faustus rounded on Cain and locked eyes with him. 'What do you seek, Galactic Swordsman?' she repeated.

'You have found a rival in the blue ranger,' Cain breathed, 'while I found one in the black. They are the first obstacle we've encountered that didn't break immediately. Surely you've pondered the reason why.'

'The conundrum lies in the public support, despite the Syndicate's multiple attempts at striking fear in Xybria's collective subconscious.' the mistress mused, her golden claws brushing her chin.

Cain nodded. 'And ever since that speedster joined their ranks, the conquest has become all the harder.'

'Mercenaries, lab-grown monstrosities— they're all equally ineffective,' Faustus admitted.

'That's why I've come to you, witch,' Cain said, garnering Faustus' attention. 'I have a plan. A plan specifically made to tip the scales of this war in our favor.'

Faustus stared at Cain for a long moment. 'With what mind can you possibly think I will provide my assistance?'

'Because it's the first time since you joined the conquest all these years ago that you have faced such a defeat. Because the humiliation is more bitter than any wound you've ever received before.'

Faustus phased the stiletto into her grasp. To acknowledge direct fault in her experimental procedures was foolishness. No, the mistress thought, it was that primitive Xybrian boy's innate psychic ability that had thwarted her plans. The blue boy did not possess the same intellect as her, he did not even come close. He was merely cunning, like an animal at the bottom of the food chain that had figured out its means of survival.

She gripped the golden steel tightly, feeling the hilt's coldness travel along her armored arm. The Mistress of Pain then turned to the projection and increased its density at a thought, so that it matched the anatomical sturdiness of a Silencer's resin helmet. Slowly, she braced herself, let out a sharp exhale and threw the stiletto. Cain watched the weapon fly, tumbling through the air with a steady, lethal spin.

The blade clove the head in two, clean halves.

'I am listening.'

---

|| Aquila Hyperion Galaxy, Planet Xybria

Tensou 5.0's prime directive was to observe and record alien civilizations.

The robot's positronic brain was programmed with algorithmic processes that mimicked sentience so that it may adapt to any culture it came across. Via steady integration into a society of its choosing, the bot's synaptic processor and framework stability permitted for flexibility in task management, and therefore for a wider range of analysis. The accumulated data was stored in a central databank inside Tensou's blocky white frame, allowing for replayability to occur from ocular and phonetic sub-apps whenever was required.

Tensou watched attentively as prince Eldrak set the Xybrian rattler-fish on the chopping block. The creature's length matched the prince's height and its thickness was the same as the bot's rectangular frame. Eldrak's theatricality came forward as he pulled back the gills and explained to his robot companion that the red texture underneath meant the rattler was perfect for a sauté dish.

On cue, the prince drew the shortsword from his waist and made three incisions: Two just behind the aforementioned gills and one at the fish's throat. He then grabbed the bulbous head and twisted, separating the fish's head from its body. He laughed heartily as Tensou feigned a squirm.

'Be a dear and store this for a later plate, Tensou,' Eldrak said. 'I am confident it will make for a spiffing stew!'

Tensou complied and put away the rattler's head inside the refrigeration unit. Eldrak held the blade in both hands and set it at an angle. With choppy swipes he began to exfoliate the fish. Tensou offered an instrument specifically tailored for the task, but Eldrak was quick to reject it. Experience with the tools at hand made for better results, Tensou documented. Once the prince had concluded, he pressed the sword's tip near the rattler's rear and carved a gash from its stomach to its gill covers.

'Normally,' Eldrak explained, 'this is where we'd remove whatever's inside this devil, but the secret to a wonderful grill is allowing the fish to soak in its own organs!' Excitedly, the prince lifted the massive fish and placed it on a broad frying pan they had preemptively doused in Xybrian cooking oil. The sizzle was still subtle, the temperature just right.

'There, you see, Tensou?' he indicated at the incision. Warm colors were seeping out of the fish, giving the oil a glossy sheen. 'The fins too, will melt alongside the organs until it cooks to a perfect white!'

'Hey-yo, I see!' Tensou 5.0 replied at last, acknowledging its silent immersion in Eldrak's elegant culinary display.

'Now do pass me your spices of choice, please?'

'Sure thing, prince, hey-yo!'

Eldrak chuckled. 'Oh mine most pleasant bot, do kindly call me Eldrak. The royalty days are long behind me.'

They enriched the flavor with Spinarian rock salt and ground pepper, then emboldened the aromas with chopped crimson fennel and a squeeze of sun-kisser, an exotic fruit from the southern Xybrian continents. After flipping it over, they topped the fish with dried dill.

'My, Eldrak!' Tensou exclaimed. 'Despite my sensors not replicating Xybrian physiology perfectly, I'm confident we're doing great, hey-yo!'

'Smells like heaven!' Pyre seconded as she entered the kitchen.

Tensou's mechanical receptors promptly scanned Pyre. According to cataloged data from the Dress Code file, specifically under the Yellow Supersonic Ranger subcategory, Pyre was dressed lightly, opting for leggings and a tight-fit tank top. A towel hung from her shoulders. With a subtle lens magnification, Tensou noted fresh beads of sweat had granted her tanned complexion a soft luster.

'Pyre, good morning! How's training going?' Tensou asked.

'You know, same ole, same ole,' Pyre shrugged as she fished for a bottle of water. 'What're you two cooking, anyway?'

Pivoting flamboyantly, Eldrak pulled the frying pan from the fire. 'Fish!' he announced and proudly displayed the dish-to-be.

'Sweet!' Pyre beamed.

'I must say, lady Pyre,' the prince said, carefully placing the pan back onto the fire. 'Your attire is positively fabulous. Such a fond yellow! I was wondering, shouldst we represent ourselves in color-coded dress? I will admit, I don't possess a unique color of mine own.'

'Thanks for the compliment,' Pyre chuckled, 'but you don't have to worry about that. There's no rule, it's just personal preference! Though truth be told, donning the yellow over and over again has made the color grow on me, even if I didn't pay much attention to it before.'

+Py!+ Star's voice echoed from behind Pyre, but when she turned around, nobody was there. Right, she thought. Telepathy. She made to wipe her forehead with the towel before another pulse of thought rang in her head. +Got a moment?+

Pyre nodded to herself, assuming the motion was enough to register as an affirmative response in the pinpoint transmitter strapped to her arm. Brute had once tried to explain the science behind the brain's chemical reactions and how Star's psychic power could reprogram it should she concentrate exclusive on one person, but Pyre had found herself loafing around ten seconds into the lecture.

+Can you come find us in the central control area?+ came Star's next inquiry a moment later. Pyre bobbed her head in agreement and turned to Eldrak and Tensou.

'Okay, you guys, I gotta go. Keep doing what you're doing, because once it's done you know I'm the first you're serving!' Pyre said and dashed out of the room, waving goodbye.

'Splendid! I am very much looking forward to our gathering!' Eldrak exclaimed!

---

No light welcomed Pyre upon reaching the central control area.

The lumen strips worked into the corridor's ceiling weren't enough to pierce the darkness. Pyre squinted. The pitch black became layered the harder she focused on it, the amorphous gloom steadily distinguishing itself through angles and curves that came together to form vague outlines.

'Guys?' Pyre called, assuming her team were gathered around the circular table at the center of the room.

'Pyre.' It was Ace. 'You're here. Good. Come.'

Pyre entered and the gate behind her slid shut on hissing pneumatics. For all the meetings she had confidently attended in the past, not once had she paid much attention to the room's composition. Now she tread carefully, fumbling her way through the dark with outstretched hands.

She halted when her fingers came upon a soft texture. Satin; Gent's tunic. Huh, Pyre thought, usually silk is the first thing that pops to mind. She sensed the Black Supersonic Ranger looking at her, but he said nothing. Pyre knew Gent was not one to misunderstand, so she sheepishly settled to his right and rested her hands on the table.

'What's going on guys? Why're the lights off?' she asked, still puzzled by the eeriness.

'Brute wanted this to be "dramatic",' Ace said. Pyre noted the hint of a sigh at the end of his reply.

'Trust me, girl, we're not starting a cult, I can guarantee you that,' Star spoke from Pyre's right. 'For now, at least.' That last bit, she whispered playfully, and suddenly Pyre's earlier deduction made sense. The thought had not been entirely Pyre's, rather Star was teasing her with an assisted train of thought. Pyre smiled at the idea. It helped ease the tension.

'If to be true aught, we're indulging the young fellow,' Gent added. Despite the darkness, Pyre knew Gent was smiling and found herself grinning along with him.

'My allies, my friends,' Brute started. A beam of light was stabbing him from below the table, bathing his face in striking shadows. 'I thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me here, on this fateful afternoon. It fills me with overwhelming pathos and pride that you honor me so. It is my noble honor to respectfully share the information at—'

'Come on, Brutey dear, enough with the theatrics, get to the point,' Star huffed.

'Hey! I told you not to call me that in front of the others!' Brute yelped and the crack in his voice knocked the wind out of his dramatic monologue. 'Besides, there's nothing wrong with my name as is…' he grumbled before shaking his head. 'Fine, whatever, behold!'

Brute snapped his fingers and the lights flashed open. Pyre covered her eyes as the world turned white. The first thing she noticed after she had readjusted was a piece of ceremonial red cloth on the table being lifted by a blue drone. She found herself being distracted by the gizmo and quickly averted her gaze to face wherever the rest of her team were looking.

An audible gasp left her mouth.

A device of sparkling jade and polished silver rested on the table. A strap of black leather helped elevate it at an angle, the V-shaped insignia embossed at the central ring gleaming under the white light of the central control area.

'This is…' Star breathed.

'A fine revelation, indeed!' Gent exclaimed.

'Oh yes, my knightly friend, it's done,' Brute replied, excitement oozing from his every word. 'This is the Green Supersonic Morpher, the first of its kind. I made it myself, from schematic data extrapolated straight out of our morphers. Everything that was inside of them, from the weapons, to the suits and the energy from the Morphin Grid itself, it is identical to ours, but much stronger than all five combined.' He let out a deep breath, a smile splitting his lips. 'The first ever morpher in the universe to have been created by a Xybrian.'

'Congrats on that end, partner!' Pyre ran over to where Brute stood and shared in his excitement by smacking him on the back.

Ace crossed his arms. 'It is the biggest edge we have got in this war.'

Star nodded. 'Our hope.'

'Thank you, thank you,' Brute responded to the comments with an exaggerated bow. 'But please be careful and don't touch just yet. The Morpher has not fully bonded to the strap.'

'That means we've got to find a worthy candidate, right?' Pyre grinned, then raised her hand. 'Raise your hand for "I".'

'A valiant effort, young lady,' Gent tutted. 'However, I believe sir Ace was at each moment intended as the one, true, Green Ranger.'

'Well, in that case,' Pyre countered, 'we'll have an open spot! And don't forget about Eldrak! He can take on the duty, easy peasy!'

'Green is Xybria's royal color,' Ace mused aloud. 'To honor the traditions, the green should be bestowed upon the current leader. The pink honors our first lady, while the blue signifies the strength of knowledge.' On cue, Ace waved his hand at Star and Brute respectively. The rangers listened to him, not once misinterpreting his statements as arrogant or unjust. He went on. 'Therefore, I believe it suitable to promote Gent into the rank of Red Ranger, while Eldrak joins as our new Black. Raise a hand in agreement, otherwise do not act.'

Gent raised his hand first. Star followed closely after. Pyre raised her hand alongside Star.

Only Brute did not act. Slowly, he felt his teammates' eyes turning to look at him, one after another. He gulped.

'Just hang on a moment, everyone.' Brute rocked his jaw, thinking over how to phrase his argument. 'I'm gonna be honest with you, we barely know anything about the guy. To start, there's little to no evidence to support the claims surrounding his background,' he said, discarding overly verbose statements for genuine sincerity.

'Not this again.' Pyre crossed her arms and pouted. 'What else is there to know? He already told us everything up to this point.'

'Well, I refuse to accept his word as my final verdict,' Brute retorted.

'If he was a bad guy he'd be more upfront about it, like everyone else before him,' Pyre countered.

Brute shrugged nonchalantly. 'I can't be certain he isn't lying.'

'Prince Eldrak is royalty, sir Brute,' Gent interrupted, bringing the building tension between the rookies to a halt. 'It is the lord's pride that weighs upon his word,' he cited a dictum from the Knightly Code of Conduct.

'His actions are proof of his trustworthiness,' Ace added. 'Prince Eldrak has been fighting by our side for the past three months. He has assisted in many victories.'

---

Eldrak let out a sharp sneeze.

'Hey-yo, blessings, Eldrak!' Tensou exclaimed. A compartment on the robot's chest opened and it fished for a handkerchief to offer the prince.

'Blessings to you as well, my dear Tensou,' Eldrak said and bowed in gratitude. 'My, oh my, someone's mind must have pictured me thus. Mister Jinkeloor, mayhaps, bless his soul?'

Mister Jinkeloor would always claim there was a deeper meaning behind a sneeze. He'd say so after every concluded shift, when they would lock up and he would let out a sneeze of his own.

A small, insignificant thing, he described, it started as the subtlest sensation tickling the edge of one's consciousness. Like an Igzuix, - a native bug on G-15, no bigger than the tip of a hair strand - it climbed up the body, disguised as a minute itchiness. Usually, it went by unnoticed, at least when it fizzled out before reaching the nostrils. But on the instance that it did overwhelm one's sense of smell, it would cause sneezing.

That faint impression came from the universe. Mister Jinkeloor would always chuckle-cough as he revealed that bit, whenever he and Eldrak sat on a wooden bench right outside of the restaurant so that the kind sir could take slow puffs from his curved pipe and relax.

'He sounds very considerate, hey-yo!' Tensou said.

Yes, the universe, he would nod. The universe takes our loved ones' thoughts and has them travel all these light years so that they may reach us. Subtle as they may be, we should be forever thankful, for it reminds us we are connected, and will be forevermore.

Eldrak smiled at the memory. 'Indeed, he very much was.'

'Shall we resume our One-Hundred Questions game?'

The prince checked the fish first. Though the cooking unit listed the temperature, Eldrak opted for manual testing, turning the pan at an angle to check for doneness. A crisp texture coated the skin, but the insides appeared to be translucent still, so he flipped the fish over and turned down the heat to let it slow-cook in the pearl sauce.

'Indeed, friend!' Eldrak indulged Tensou.

'Hey-yo, time for an onomastics question! What is the origin behind your name?'

'What a lovely question, that one!' Eldrak reached for a stick of green vegetation and began chopping with his broadsword. 'Why, mine parents told me they had taken me to planet Eltar once, when I was no more than a babe in my mother's embrace. Draumosa and Eltar were close allies. Their people were an especially brave lot, mine noble father used to say, fighting a war against a force so dastardly it would have made me quake in my teeny boots! As such, mine loving mother decided to name her son Eldrak; a rough translation of the word Eltar in our native tongue.'

The stream of new information provided Tensou with sufficient data to cross-reference with formerly logged entries. The opportunity for prolonged documentation captivated the bot, overriding the algorithmic conversational protocols stored in its positronic brain.

'You will excuse my breaking the game's rules, Eldrak,' Tensou said, 'but I have another question, hey-yo! Has your faith in the Primogenitors dwindled since then?'

'Primogenitors?' Eldrak echoed.

Tensou 5.0 analyzed the prince's facial features. Lifted brows and eyes opened to a relatively wider extent were both registered as indicators of surprise. The input in turn prompted Tensou to respond accordingly.

'Hey-yo, that is how planet Eltar is classified in the Galactic Database!' Tensou explained. 'The term refers to the first planets that are said to have existed in the galactic conglomerate!'

'One learns something new every day! Hurrah for your insight, Tensou!' The smile still on Eldrak's face, he remained silent for some time, thinking over the question while mashing the chopped greenery with a pestle.

He added some seasoning before he answered: 'I have visited them once since Draumosa's downfall, when the Syndicate carved its blazing trail of destruction across the galaxies. The people recognized me not and its leaders refused to converse, let alone acknowledge my birthright sigil. Our shared history appeared non-existent, its people now self-obsessed and ignorant to the cosmos' problems.'

He paused in order to taste-test the mixture. 'I cannot believe the Syndicate has but one planet to complete its thousand-strong empire,' he said after wiping his mouth with Tensou's handkerchief.

'Your response resonates strongly with the rangers' views on planet Eltar, hey-yo, though I would advise you to avoid this topic of discussion with them altogether.'

'Certainly,' Eldrak nodded. 'May I inquire as to the problem it may present?'

'It's,' Tensou hesitated, 'complicated, hey-yo…'

---

'I'm with Brute on this one.'

Star's statement drew the Power Rangers' attention. She remained steadfast as they turned to look at her. 'I'll admit, even though I like Eldrak, I don't agree with him becoming a Supersonic Power Ranger.'

'Star…' Pyre stopped herself. Her lips pursed in hesitation. She shook her head. 'I thought you of all people would understand.'

Like breathing, reading minds came naturally for Star. Extensive meditative techniques had allowed her to control this ability with grace and finesse, but the spiritual nature was rooted to her being. Stray thoughts existed everywhere, floating in the air like shed plumage.

The Volcanic Base was special in that sense, a bastion where no cosmic residue lingered. Her fellow rangers had trained vigorously, tapping into their psychic consciences and fortifying their presence from Star's prying third eye. Pyre was the sole exception. Due to her disconnect from the Xybrian heritage, her mental defenses were lax, abstract reflections circling her head in a white-hot halo.

At that moment, they were recollections of moments too hurtful to properly visualize.

'Trust me rookie, I do understand,' Star replied with a pulse of genuine sincerity, 'but I am not oblivious.'

She moved away from the table, approached the main computer terminal and dialed a sequence for a projector to be lowered from the ceiling. Balanced on a multi-jointed appendage, the lens rotated to face the wall. The central control room's lights dimmed again as the projector flickered to life and showcased video footage of the Power Rangers clashing with a Silencer squadron.

'What's this?' Pyre asked.

It was Brute who answered. 'Surveillance footage from Eldrak's first mission. I couldn't salvage the very first instance of his appearance. The satellite short-circuited when he entered orbit.' Pyre looked at him inquisitively. Brute's face hardened. 'System overload. I'd know. I'm the one who flew up there and fixed it.'

'Where me and Brute agree to disagree is that I believe Eldrak's life story,' Star said. 'I feel sorry for his loss and still think no one should suffer what he went through. But maybe the scars he suffered during this war are the reasons as to why he's so unrelenting on the battlefield.'

'The young prince has done nothing but ease the burden we bear, lady Star,' Gent countered. 'Nothing but valiance and steadfastness guide his hand.' Despite the tension in the room hanging thick and heavy over their head, Gent's soft smile was resolute. Star could not help herself from smiling back.

'I never doubted that, Gent. Look at this one, though,' she said and tapped a new command. The footage changed to showcase civilians being escorted out of a burning building. Brute was coordinating with the fire extinguishing squad while Gent and Pyre fended off an encroaching Silencer horde. Ace and Star rushed into flaming apartments, emerging moments later with Xybrian children and elderly people.

'The mission was classified as humanitarian: Secure the hostages and distract the monster. Eldrak was assigned to isolate the monster to the nearest evacuated district, but instead he decided to confront it right there. Not only did he jeopardize the mission by almost bringing the building down, he also…' Star trailed off, letting the footage speak for her.

Eldrak was locked in combat with the creature, a mad hurricane of blows and sword swipes in a persistent barrage of thrusts, parries and counter-attacks. As Eldrak's tempo quickened, the monster was gradually worn out, until the prince thrust out his spare arm and overloaded the monster with electricity. The excess of energy burst soon after, tearing down an entire skyscraper in the blast wave.

Pyre shrugged her shoulders. 'What's wrong with that? The building had been evacuated by that point, anyway. You're saying all that like we don't apply lethal methods—'

'Pyre!' Brute shouted, aware that it was the only way to get her attention. 'I overlapped the footage from two satellites to get this angle. Look,' he said and pointed at the projection.

From behind the Power Rangers, Xybrian civilians stared in horror at the display of raw power. Among them, children burst into tears as dust clouds overwhelmed their senses.

Pyre's heart caught in her throat. She managed to swallow, but did not respond.

'That was one mission.' Star keyed another command and the footage changed once more. This time, Eldrak was fighting one of the Syndicate's gigantified monsters. He had used his lightning to conjure a storm familiar that matched his enemy's size. Fists made of gray clouds exploded on the monster with every consecutive blow, repressed lightning lashing out to flood the giant. Azure energy forked outward upon impact, short-circuiting Movers and causing hydrants to rupture. The water geysers fed Eldrak's elemental with even more power.

'Xybrian news coverage had labeled this incident as "a very fine line to draw between hero and monster". Many citizens were gravely injured that day,' Ace reminisced. Though his tone was calm, Star noticed the hardiness in his eyes.

Star terminated the sequence. The projector folded in on itself and slung back into the ceiling. 'These have been the most notable instances since Eldrak has joined us in the past three months.' Here, her poker face faltered as she looked down at her loosely laced fingers. 'Again, I am not saying he is a bad person. I like to see the best in people and I sincerely believe that he's a good man. But he's also reckless. Xybrian lives or otherwise, he's always neglected bystanders in favor of rushing the enemy. I've seen into the minds of our people and they have begun to think the Power Rangers have resorted to pointless brutality.'

Star stopped, her breath shaky. Pyre's stray thoughts invaded hers. She was looking at Star's hands, concerned at how hard she was squeezing them now. 'I am not sure that ranger powers, on top of his civilian powers no less, would magically turn him into a suitable defender,' she said.

'This issue extends to more than our policy. It's about public opinion,' Brute took over for Star. He stood up as the Pink Supersonic Ranger returned to the circular table. 'Our people have always supported us, so we never stopped to consider the image we formed in their eyes, their hearts. Xybria relies on us as its defenders against evil. We are their beacon of hope, the inspiration for Xybrian kids to wish for a brighter tomorrow.' Brute raised his head, looking at each of his fellow rangers. 'Star is right. We don't need a rampaging Eldrak. We tread very thin ice at such an important phase in this war. And during this critical moment, when we should display bravery and discipline, I see none of these qualities in our speedster accomplice. So, is anybody objecting?'

Nobody spoke up after Brute. The minutes passed by in heavy silence, with each ranger thinking the matter over. Even Gent, who had up until that point vigorously defended the prince, was contemplating with stoic quietude.

'Well,' Pyre rubbed her neck, 'now that you've put it that way, man, I am seriously reconsidering my vote…'

---

Tensou 5.0 removed the fish from the pan and set it atop a bed of vegetables on a wide platter. All the while Eldrak gently stirred the rattler's leftover juices. Circular motions from the prince's wooden spoon blended the jus with a delectable Xybrian red wine made from spiced rosinants, a semi-sweet variety of the fruit that was grown in Illumise's greenhouses.

'May I inquire, Tensou?' Eldrak asked, his eyes trained on the swirling. 'Do correct me if I err, but I cannot shake the unease that Brute does not take a liking to me.'

'Hey-yo, don't worry about that! It has nothing to do with you, Eldrak.'

'Are you certain? It does seem so to me.' The prince let the jus simmer and went to check the refrigeration unit, emerging from its cold confines shortly after with an inflated sponge cake. 'Then again,' he mused, 'thine word holds better than mine, friend. However did you two meet?'

Retracing data from their former joint cooking session, Tensou recognized the dessert as a preliminary component whose completion it had prepared for accordingly. The robot reached into its front compartment and handed Eldrak a needle before heeding the prince's warning to step back. Gingerly, delicately, Eldrak poked the dessert. Cold air wheezed out of the puncture as the delicacy deflated to a flat and even surface.

'I've known Brute since the day I arrived on planet Xybria, hey-yo,' Tensou said after overwriting the task's conclusion in its digital archive. 'He was the one who helped me acclimate to the traditions and social norms. Hey-yo, I even shared a room with him for two Xybrian years!'

'Fascinating!' Eldrak exclaimed. 'Why, I would have guessed sir Brute had built you! Remarkable indeed, that he should feel so comfortable around you!'

Whisk in hand, he cracked five Triforian eggs into a silver bowl, added several colored powders and began to beat vigorously. Sparks danced from his wrist's cybernetic implants as the mixture obtained a buttery smoothness. Tensou's optical receptors recorded every second, focusing on the fact that each color in the blend retained its individual residue. On Eldrak's visual cue, Tensou added a sprinkle of snowdust that granted the rainbow texture a gloss finish.

'He wasn't always like he is now,' Tensou added.

'So you claim?' Eldrak looked at the robot with lifted brows.

'Hey-yo, he was very shy, yes! And he couldn't speak his mind properly, either. He always buried his face in books and tried to disconnect himself from the world, hey-yo.'

'May I request elaboration, friend?' Eldrak handed the bowl over to Tensou and reached into the refrigeration unit for candied sprinkles. Tensou continued the prince's work as per his instructions, the robot's hand motor rotating at a steady pace.

'Well, from what records I have stored in my databank, his childhood upbringing is considered normal. His family, on the other hand…' Tensou paused during the frosting preparations. Eldrak double-checked his grip on the whisk to ensure he hadn't accidentally overloaded his robot companion's positronic brain.

'I wish I could say the same thing about Brute's family,' Tensou concluded.

'Dear me,' Eldrak said, his voice low and bereft of theatricality. 'They couldn't have…'

'No, no, not like you imagine, hey-yo!' Tensou shook its blocky head. 'Brute's parents were separated when he was very young. His father was an archeologist, famous for digging up seven temples and over a hundred artifacts from Xybria's lost civilizations. According to Brute, his father was a kind person, but something changed about him over time and he never found out what.'

Eldrak was ready to start coating the sponge cake. He wanted to share with Tensou the intricacies in the art of confectionery: the smooth foundations, the amount of pressure applied on the side, to the angled smoothing of air pockets with his sword that would lead to crisp corners and a polished finish. All that without a turntable, even. Instead, he had stopped everything he was doing and silently listened to Tensou's story.

Were it not for a peculiar blackness dancing at the corner of his right eye, Eldrak would have stayed as he was. His curiosity, however, beckoned him to crane his head to the side and examine the oddity.

'Tensou, dear!' the prince yelped. 'We forgot the jus!'

'Hey-yikes-yo!'

---

Ace rose from his seat, looking at his fellow Power Rangers, one after the other. 'Is this our final verdict?' he asked.

The four of them nodded in unison.

'It's settled then,' Ace said with laconic firmness and motioned to the door.

The Power Rangers exited the central control room. Ace was last, stopping one step short from the hub. He moved his head to look over his shoulder, watching as the Green Supersonic Morpher was locked away in a secret compartment at the center of the round table.

The team was silent during their descent to the lower floors. Ace understood the decision made was rough on them. The memory of their victory on Guta resurfaced, when he had watched the sun set. To save their people, to give them hope when they need it most—that was what a Power Ranger was for. Those were the words he had spoken to the specter that had lingered just out of reach. Ace wondered whether he should have shared this with his team, reminding them about the greater good behind their deeds to strengthen their resolve.

Could he do it now and soothe all six of them?

A chime sounded from above. The elevator stopped and the twin doors slipped into the wall. They had arrived at the dining room.

'Rejoice, Tensou, our rangers have come!' Eldrak exclaimed and hurried to guide them to their respective seats. 'My, it certainly took a while,' the prince mused aloud. 'A meeting, mayhaps?'

'Yeah, sorry about that, Eldrak,' Star bowed her head respectfully. 'I hope the food didn't go cold.'

'Oh, fret not, fair lady. Who am I to interfere in thine noble duties?' He pulled Star's chair back as he spoke, easing the Pink Ranger in her spot at the dining table.

An organza tablecloth draped the table. It was a see-through purple sea, decorated with scattered petals of a matching shade. Dishes covered its entire surface, smaller plates with delicacies of various shapes, colors and aromas that circled the central platter: rattler-fish, pan-fried and garnished with a smoky, caramel jus.

'How time flies! Why, me and Tensou had the loveliest of conversations.' Eldrak helped Pyre to her seat. She chuckled at the sight of his Kiss the cook! apron. He smiled back. 'Fair warning, dear rangers, the crispiness is surface-level.' He was pointing to the jus, which had acquired a thin crust.

'Ease your thoughts, prince,' Gent assured him. 'You honor us with such a grand feast, despite the news we bring.'

'Uh, yeah, Eldrak,' Brute raised a hand to draw his attention. 'We wanted to talk to you about something.'

Eldrak tutted. 'I do believe it can wait, sir Gent, dear Brute. The dining area is for dining, after all.'

Brute pouted and looked down at his plate. Gent adjusted in his seat and set the silken napkin on his knees. Eldrak called Tensou to him and together, the prince and bot started serving the Power Rangers.

'Oh man, oh man,' Pyre cooed, rubbing her hands. 'What are we waiting for? Let's dig in!'

A beep chimed overhead. It drew Ace's attention, buzzing in a steady monotone.

'Satellite notification,' Brute said. 'It should only go off in case of—'

'Emergency,' Star finished for him.

'Dinner has to wait,' Pyre said and pulled back her chair. The creak of wood on polished marble momentarily drowned out the alarm.

Eldrak lifted his brows. 'Evil afoot?' Lightning rippled from the cybernetic implants, climbing up his arms to spread through his body and transform him into a ball of pure lightning. He then zipped over the table, bounced between the Power Rangers and disappeared in the gap between elevator and wall.

He returned and rematerialized in mere seconds, donned in his trusted silver armor, ragged cape and cobalt helmet. 'I have the coordinates,' the prince said as he eagerly finished applying the greasy face paint around his eyes. 'Dearest souls, I shall meet thee on the battlefield!' He was gone in a flash.

'He's always so fast,' Star sighed, despite Eldrak's strong initiative.

'Let's not keep him waiting.' Ace stood and walked to the front of the table. Star, Gent, Brute and Pyre followed behind him, positioning themselves beside their leader.

'Rangers, ready! It's morphin' time!'

'Hey-yo, here comes my favorite part!' Tensou squealed from a safe distance.

The rangers rolled back their sleeves to reveal the Sonic Morphers. Putting one foot forward, they rotated their right arm parallel to their heads, then raised their left arms in the air. The morphers flashed with brilliant luminescence upon reading the movement, color-coded energy from the Morphin Grid washing over the rangers as they cried out in coordinated succession:

'Supersonic Red!'

'Pink!'

'Black!'

'Blue!'

'Yellow!'

The light faded and the Supersonic Power Rangers struck a proud team pose, the V-insignia emblazoned on their chests glimmering.

'Brute, did you forward the coordinates to our morphers?' asked Star.

'I'm one step ahead of you!' Brute lifted his morpher and the rangers gathered round. Green light sprang from the device, forming a three-dimensional image of the designated location. 'The signal was transmitted from the village of Veka, to the south-west.'

'That's close by, isn't it? Ace can get us there in the Fighter Zord.' Pyre suggested.

Ace nodded. 'Agreed, rookie. Let's mobilize, rangers!'

'Tensou, keep the rest of the Zords ready, just in case,' Star said.

'And the food!' Pyre cut in. 'I'm still hungry, y'know!'

Tensou gave an affirmative thumbs-up for both commands.

Together, the Power Rangers moved out.

---

There existed an infamous rumor in the galaxy that the Black Market Cobra possessed a drive whose particle dispersal was so controlled and steady that it couldn't possibly leave traces as it traversed the vacuum of space. The truth of the matter, however, was that the Cobra wasn't just one ship, but a collection of several, their outer hulls repurposed with different plates so that each resembled a part in a greater whole. Each wagon was its own, self-sufficient entity, cataloged under official galactic jurisdictions so that it blended perfectly in customary scanning procedures.

It wasn't that the Black Market Cobra could not be traced. It was that it was hiding in plain sight.

One such space vessel hovered over Xybria. It had distanced itself into a nearby asteroid field, yet it lingered close enough to allow for long-range satellite interference.

'Let me just say it is an honor to finally meet you in person, mistress Faustus Bathory,' Arnolf the Magnificent cooed as he offered the mistress a flower. The stem was a thin, leafless spiral that supported a rainbow of upturned petals.

The Mistress of Pain regarded the stumpy alien and its futile attempt at flattery with an impassive stare. 'Your honor holds no value to me, merchant,' she said. 'Were I to spare any feeling in your presence, it would be disgust at the long list of your genetic deficiencies.' Her lips peeled back to reveal razor-sharp teeth. 'In your primitive idea of communication, that is considered a compliment.'

'You're both disgusting,' Cain snorted before taking a long sip from his carafe. 'So in love with your own voices,' he muttered to himself, shifting his gaze to face the viewport. The mistress had tapped into the nearest Xybrian satellite, replacing the ship's reflective surface to display the happenings of an isolated Xybrian town.

'Are you noddies certain this plan will work?' Arnolf scoffed, nonchalantly munching on the flower, his back turned on the others.

'Disregarding the varying outcomes, the possibilities of success favor the Syndicate by an estimated ninety-two percent. Should this experiment fail, it will not be because of my modifications, but rather from the candidate's inability to respond to expectations.'

'General Malkor repaid the favor, that's good enough for me,' Cain retorted, picking up on Faustus' underlying insult.

Arnolf groaned. 'Bah, stop bickering you two, I'm already annoyed! That dunce has only one job and if it works we'll be one step closer to victory, so for that we need—'

'Hush, creature,' Faustus chided with a dismissive wave. 'It begins.'

---

South of Gwenga and trailing the meridian, the island of Chitsuwa was a U-shaped piece of land that once helped revolutionize sea travel in Xybria. The famed seafarer and cartographer Mu Fambi, whose map served as the basis for the modern Xybrian globe model, was Chitsuwan in origin. Even when the island did not directly contribute to the coming age of industrial prosperity, it nevertheless adapted through the installment of solar panel generators, which supplied the Xybrian federation with clean, communal energy.

Like its Rover and Mover peers, the Supersonic Fighter Zord ran on that same energy.

The Zord soared above the clouds, its projector calculating a course through which the Power Rangers could coordinate a drop to Chitsuwa. Veka, the northernmost port town, was the designated landing site, but concerns quickly arose regarding ground defenses. Through communications between Brute and the local enforcer squad, it was confirmed that the sergeant-in-charge had issued an evacuation alert and agreed to prioritize civilian protection.

According to rushed reconnaissance reports, there were no M'Kala-class aircraft sightings confirmed. Additional information noted no Silencers, either. Still, the risk factor remained high. Star suggested a different point someplace in the surrounding vicinity, outside of speculated artillery range. The neighboring terrain was rough, Brute had countered, impossible for the Zord to land properly.

The only other option available was a direct drop.

With their course set, the Fighter Zord began to slow down. As the airship's rear ramp slid open, Ace briefed the rangers about their formation. For any and all possible alterations, he detailed, they were to coordinate via short and snappy hand gestures. Brute assured them there was minimal detection risk, since scanner technology relied solely on radio wave feedback to interpret objects. To the unsuspecting, they would be mistaken for a flock of birds.

'Ready?' Ace said, the question carrying over to the other rangers through the shared communications channel. Everybody nodded. 'Good. Let's go.'

Gent dropped first, flanked by Star and Pyre. Brute followed next. Ace jumped last.

He watched the Supersonic Fighter Zord soar away, the very last glimpse of its blazing afterburners fading past the cloudbed. He turned around and kept his eyes trained on his teammates as the calm sea rushed up to meet them, the island of Chitsuwa at the center of his vision.

Until it wasn't.

Red luminescence washed over Ace a split second before his vision shattered. Shards of blurry imagery flooded his conscious mind, burning into his retina in rapid succession. Like a picture book flipping rapidly before him, sequences bloomed into existence, events that would, were, or never meant to be.

He struggled to shut his eyes and catch his breath, the turbulence of the fall interfering with his mental discipline. With a thought that came dangerously close to being swallowed in the torrent of scattered potential futures, he opened the team channel.

'Rangers,' he managed through grit teeth. 'My gem. A vision… I can't control it…'

Some meters below, Star was the first to turn and stare up at Ace. Her first thought was to ask Brute for a means to stall her descent, to reach Ace and help him regain control. She would have, were it not for her telepathic affinity picking up a purposefully loose thought cast by Gent.

'Brute,' she managed to say after a brief contemplation. 'You were second-to-last to drop. Stay with Ace and protect him. We can't be certain when his vision will end, but I trust you can cover him even after you've landed. Me, Pyre and Gent will go on ahead and catch up with Eldrak.'

From above, Star could see Brute nodding his head. 'Got it, Star,' he said. 'Me and Ace will join you soon as we can. May the Power protect you.'

Behind her tinted helmet, Star smiled. Knowing it would encourage her fellow ranger, she transmitted the thought with a nod. She then rolled over, pulled her arms close to her body, clicked her heels, and nosedived straight at Chitsuwa. Catching up with Gent and Pyre, she reached out, took their hands in her own and formed a three-pointed star. With a nod, Gent coated them in a layer of force and promptly slammed them with another to accelerate their descent.

All the while Brute focused his attention on Ace.

'Chief, can you hear me? Are you with me?' Brute said, patting the back of Ace's helmet. His posture appeared to be correct, Brute noted, even though he seemed frozen in place. All Brute had to do was make sure Ace stayed as he was.

'I,' Ace stammered, 'I see…'

'What do you see?' Brute echoed, hoping it would help Ace's train of thought.

There was silence, and then a gasp.

Brute stiffened. 'What is it, Ace? What did you see? Is it something important?'

Ace rotated his head, seemingly in control of himself again. 'We must stop Eldrak,' he breathed.

---

Veka was a town of squat, flat-roofed buildings, divided by a long road that led to the harbor. Containers littered the eastern end of the seaport in organized heaps that reached ten meters in height. The opposite stretch was occupied by numbered warehouses that had been carved inside the hillside, housing forklifts and personnel gear.

The area, like the entire town, had been evacuated. Abandoned paperwork scattered in the sea breeze. Wheeled transporters thrummed, burning away the remainder of their fuel. Somewhere within a warehouse, a massive clock's arms synced up and a bell whistled at the emptiness.

A duel was about to commence.

'Have at thee, monster, for I am ready to withstand anything that comes mine way!' Prince Eldrak cried.

'You dare mock me?!' the prince's opponent snarled back.

The monster's shape resembled a humanoid beetle's, its gleaming red carapace reinforced with an outer layer of thick black crust. Thorns climbed along its curved edges, its hardened joints ending in curved protrusions like tusks. From under a tall and horned helmet, infernal eyes burned bright as they stared at Eldrak, a pair of mandibles tapping at the chitin.

Armed with a shield and mace that matched its exoskeleton's texture, the creature spun the chained weapon overhead, then flung it at the prince with whip-strike speed. Prince Eldrak zipped sideways as the ball crashed into the pavement, throwing up broken pieces of cobblestone.

'Why, I haven't started on mockery yet!'

Eldrak reached for his cape, unclasped it from its seal and hurled it at the oversized beetle. The monster backhanded the piece of cloth, but the prince had disappeared from behind it. Left open by the feint, the alien menace did not have time to turn around for Eldrak's kick. His boot crashed against solid chitin, breaking the outer layer, the sole grinding on broken shards.

But it had not been the monster's carapace that Eldrak had caved in.

'Impossible!' the prince cried upon the realization that his enemy's arm had bent over backwards below the elbow to catch his leg with its shield.

'Maybe you should've kept your mouth shut!' the monster retorted as it spun and brought down its mace.

Eldrak's mind raced for a solution. He wanted to run away, but his boot had been trapped in the shield. Despite his accelerated reaction time, the prince still would not be able to free himself in time to avoid the strike.

He kicked the ground with his free leg and bounced off the pavement. Crackling electricity danced along Eldrak's lower body as he spun on his ensnared heel. Smoothed out by the friction, the chitinous shield bucked, allowing the prince to bring his leg around and sweep the mace to the side. The monster reeled, granting Eldrak the opportunity to compress himself into a ball of pure lightning and build distance between them.

'Not bad, punk!' the creature taunted, pulling the mace out of the concrete. 'I'm beginning to enjoy this!'

Eldrak had manifested some five meters from his opponent, hunched and gasping for air. Speed had been his trustiest weapon, his fighting style heavily reliant on hit-and-run tactics designed to tire out his enemies before he dealt the final strike. Against this enemy, however, speed had proven insufficient.

The thought gnawed at Eldrak's confidence, cracking his mask of composed playfulness.

'How?' he said, voicing his concerns aloud. 'None has ever kept up with my attacks. Against a brute such as yourself, how is this possible?!'

'There is a reason the mighty Dynastine is one of planet Lodonov's strongest warriors!' the villain exclaimed. 'But I'll admit, that Syndicate witch's serums have been a great boon.'

The Syndicate. The mention alone struck Eldrak with the same ferocity as a punch to the gut. Though his legs screamed from the previous exchange of blows, the anger he kept locked deep within his being was bubbling to the surface.

'Well, listen up, Dynastine,' the prince snarled, his pupils constricted by rage. 'Lodonov's strongest, so you claim to be, but now…' Eldrak paused as the augmentations coiling his arms gathered power. Pale lightning swiveled in barely controlled arcs, screeching at the prince's subconscious.

'Now,' he roared, 'you shalt witness Eldrak the Thunderstruck's might!'

The raw potency behind Eldrak's accidental powers spilled out, engulfing his body in energy. Transformed into a figure of pure electricity, the prince threw himself at Dynastine as an ear-splitting roar burst from his lungs.

'Never have I tasted defeat before, and I shan't face one today!' the familiar cried, winding its static-wreathed fist to strike.

Dynastine's mandibles retracted to create the impression of a smirk.

Eldrak fell upon the beetle warrior, his fists charged with the fury of the coming storm. Chitinous feet firmly planted, Dynastine stood his ground, his shield moving in disciplined sways to catch the brunt of Eldrak's barrage, each punch booming like a thunderclap.

For all the fury he had, Eldrak's arms gradually slowed down. His knuckles were tiring. More bolts of forked lightning rebounded from their clash than he could land, demolishing buildings at the outer perimeter and setting forklifts alight. His concentration was wavering too. Underneath the layers of energy, he could sense the bones grinding against each other, bordering on displacement. The rage subsided as he understood he could not keep this up any longer.

Hurriedly he pulled away, flipping backward and tearing the concrete apart as his legs fought to stabilize him now that the electrical currents had dispersed. The armor on his fists had peeled away, the remains turned to molten slag, while his exposed knuckles were swollen and scarred. Eldrak smiled to himself. The futility behind this temper tantrum was almost comical.

'Your armor isn't onyx, it's an insulator,' he muttered, speaking more so to himself than to Dynastine.

'Yes!' the monster laughed. It was a crude, harsh sound. 'Diamond, to be exact! The witch took the heavy concentrations of carbon inside my body and turned them into solid diamond!' Dynastine stomped closer, the spiked ball dangling on its chain. He tugged at its end and it started to spin and build up momentum. 'Your princely bounty will be more than enough to earn me glory in the Warstar fleet! I'll even grace the admiral with a souvenir!'

Dynastine cracked the chain and the ball pounced with serpentine ferocity. Too late, particles started to spark around Eldrak's body.

The spiked ball bit down on Eldrak's leg with a devastating crunch.

'Your head!' Dynastine finished, his laughter drowned out by the prince's agonizing scream.

The beetle monster raised the mace again, the motion bathing Eldrak in shadow. The prince was holding onto his leg, staring up at Dynastine with what he knew was his final act of defiance.

'One more blow,' Dynastine declared, 'to send thee to eternal slumber!'

'Sonar Blasters!' a voice suddenly cried out, followed by a streak of laser shots that slammed Dynastine from the side. Knocked off balance, the warrior was forced to step aside.

The Pink and Yellow Supersonic Rangers leapt from Eldrak's right, rolled as they landed and stood with blasters trained between him and Dynastine. Ranger Black appeared soon after, using his comrades' shoulders to launch himself at the oversized insect and drive it further back with a precise Supersonic Saber jab to the sternum.

'The cavalry has arrived,' Pyre said with a thumbs-up.

A smile managed to form on the prince's lips. 'T'was a leisurely trip on your end, I suppose,' he joked.

'We're dearly sorry for the delay. Are you okay?' Star asked as she examined the prince's condition. She made mental notes on every injury she spotted. The state of Eldrak's leg startled her.

'This?' Eldrak looked at his leg, certain that was what had upset the Pink Supersonic Ranger. 'Worry not, fair Star, I'm in—' He made to rise but for a sudden jerk that made him wince and cut his sentence short.

Star stood alongside the prince, letting him lean on her shoulder. Though she did not want to admit it outright, Eldrak would need to be distanced from the battle.

'Pyre, Gent, please provide cover while I take Eldrak somewhere safe.'

'No!' Eldrak protested and slipped free from Star's grasp. 'Please, allow me to stay and fight!'

Gent's saber sang with every controlled swipe directed at the monster. On the back line, perfectly in sync with his movements, Pyre adjusted her position according to Gent's pivots. Whenever he broke the deuce between himself and Dynastine, she lined up her Sonar Blaster and peppered the villain with short laser bursts.

Pyre spared the prince a glance. 'You don't look so hot, Eldrak, and Star doesn't mess around when it comes to our safety.'

Eldrak's eyes darted from Pyre to Star. The face paint had become an oily smudge on his face. 'Allow me to do this,' he said resolutely. 'I have a plan, but we must stall until our team is fully assembled.'

Star did not reply immediately. She was looking at Pyre and Gent. Their attacks were precise and powerful, but it was evident the damage to Dynastine was minimal; it was a distraction. Star knew Pyre would not object to her judgment either way, rather it was Gent's stance on the matter that puzzled her. He had not spoken a word since they landed and his current thoughts were masked behind maze-like mental fortifications. Whether they were meant to block her out or had been erected for concentration purposes, Star did not know.

Belatedly, she looked at Eldrak and nodded.

A deafening crash of steel on diamond snapped both their heads towards Gent's clash with Dynastine. The monster had somehow gained an advantage and a whip-strike from its mace had hurled both Pyre and Gent back. The rangers recovered quickly and assumed defensive stances.

'If it be true that the prince stay, it is our duty to protect the sir,' Gent said, the saber's blade glinting underneath the Xybrian sun.

Pyre twirled her Supersonic Flute. 'Alright girl, what's the plan?'

'Gent is right. And if past experience has taught us anything, it's to trust in our Black Ranger for cover.'

Dynastine laughed. 'Try and protect that pest to the best of your abilities! All you will achieve is to delay the inevitable and keep him company until his demise!'

The Syndicate monster stomped the pavement, planted its feet and bunched its shoulders. The outer layers of its armor peeled back and exposed sheet upon red sheet of glistening pockmarks.

Hidden box launchers.

'Pyre, Eldrak, duck! Gent, deflect!' Star managed before three missile rows soared from Dynastine's body in rapid succession, streaks of tiny, screaming warheads speeding towards them in frenzied ranks.

The Supersonic Saber vibrated with psychic force. Gent's body was completely still. Only his hand moved, brisk blade slashes disrupting the air with invisible might and dispatching any enclosing missiles. Gent moved the sword with a calculated finesse, the hilt dancing in his fingers as he spun it in whichever direction the closest threat was. The beauty of his swordsmanship washed over his teammates with renewed hope.

'Pyre, now!' Star cried.

The Yellow Supersonic Ranger watched as Star crossed her arms and grabbed Gent's shoulders. Nodding, Pyre hopped on and launched herself over Gent's reach. With reflexes heightened from hours of training, Pyre extended her one leg and used a stray missile to steady and reposition herself for another jump. Evading the next projectile with an in-air cartwheel, she gazed down the barrel of her Sonar Blaster and fired two concentrated shots at the giant beetle monster.

'Supersonic Flute!' Pyre called out and cracked the ribbon in the sea of missiles.

One detonation followed another as the chain of explosions engulfed the space between Dynastine and the Power Rangers. Gent concentrated his gem power to shield Star, Eldrak and himself from the brunt of the fire and fury, while Pyre stuck the landing right behind the monster.

Dynastine had not budged. Despite the distraction, the enhanced blaster salvo had not been enough to melt its frame. The monster turned to meet her. Immediately Pyre lashed out with a fist, but Dynastine blocked the strike with its shield and countered. Its weapon arm lashed out. Pyre pulled back hastily, but the tip of the spiked ball still managed to graze her hand. The wave of pain forced Pyre to let go of the Supersonic Flute.

'Pyre!' Star shouted, phasing her blaster and running to her fellow ranger's rescue.

The Sonar Blaster was worthless against Dynastine. That fact did not stop Star from firing a fluorescent staccato. The light disoriented the monster, limiting its actions until she could extract Pyre. Dynastine roared with laughter as the laser pellets bounced off its hide.

'Good, come! Come forward, pink girl. I have done my fair share of waiting since you three arrived. Let's spice it up!'

'And spicy, it shall be,' Eldrak muttered. He raised himself on shaky legs and assumed a sprinting position. Electrical currents trailed his jawline, snaking between grit teeth.

Gent's arm reached out to block the prince's path.

Though the brunt of the explosive power had been suppressed by Supersonic Black's controlled strikes, the port had nonetheless been reduced to a smoking bed of fist-sized craters, with debris bits from rockets gone astray cascading in an ashen snowfall around them.

'Move not, fair prince,' Gent said. His helmeted head faced forward, fixed on Dynastine.

'I refuse to be but a spectator, sir Gent. I must act.'

'No!' Gent snapped. The sudden shift in his composure shook Eldrak to his core. He rounded on the prince, the Supersonic Saber turned so that the tip kissed the paving. 'On my honor, I shall not allow you to fight.'

Eldrak's face tensed. He looked away, unable to form words. When he met Gent's stare again, his gaze was composed and resolute. 'Forgive my brashness, sir knight. I understand your duty – nay, it makes my heart flutter – but still, there must remain something only I can do.'

'There is,' a voice said from behind Eldrak as a hand squeezed his shoulder.

The Blue Supersonic Ranger dashed forward from Eldrak's left, the Supersonic Shooter already in his grip. The Red Supersonic Ranger stepped forward from the prince's right.

'Stay put, Eldrak,' Ace said. 'Gent will watch over you. Leave the fighting to us.'

Ace rotated his head to face the battle. Star was engaged with the alien threat and would be backed up by Brute shortly. Pyre was hesitant, holding onto what appeared to be an injured wrist. Ace tapped the side of his helmet and the previously private team channel switched to open broadcast.

'Power Rangers,' he cried, 'attack!'

---

Arnolf the Magnificent snorted in disgust. 'Bah! Here comes the ranger cavalry!'

Cain's eyes snapped open. Immediately they became fixed on the display screen. Up until the trader's exclamation, the Galactic Swordsman had sat cross-legged on the deck floor, his face resting on a bent knuckle. At one point Arnolf had wondered whether Cain's drink also acted as a relaxant, the potency of the foul-smelling sediment lingering at the bottom of his see-through carafe capable of quelling the young man's battle mania.

Cain let out an exhale that misted the recycled air. 'Just as planned.'

'Whuh?!' Arnolf stammered.

'Precisely, boy,' mistress Faustus said.

'Ah-huh?!' Arnolf sputtered.

Since the beginning of Dynastine's fight, the Mistress of Pain had not averted her unblinking stare from the satellite broadcast. She stood tall and still, what Arnolf perceived to be a golden frame of splendid proportions, a figure whose value he still had not figured out.

'Even if this plan fails,' Faustus went on, 'there remains a contingency at the press of a button.'

The most delicate of movements from the corner of the mistress' crossed arms caught Arnolf's attention. Her thumb had rolled over a bent forefinger. He squinted his bulbous eyes, focusing his visual receptors until he had made out a hint of red.

'A button, you say?' Arnolf cooed. 'Whatever might that pretty do?'

'A modification to the gigantification process,' Faustus said. 'At a glance, I calculate with certainty that it will be activated in less than three minutes.'

---

The Supersonic Power Rangers had begun with Ace and Star.

Tight-knit acquaintances since their academic years, Ace's family status and piloting prowess had deemed him the most capable young man in all of Xybria to take on the mantle of Supersonic Red. Star followed in his footsteps shortly after, graduating from the academy at the top of her class, and through various contributions in humanitarian organizations she accumulated sufficient credit to accompany Ace as Supersonic Pink.

The two of them had been together for more than half their lives, their shared duty to Xybria making them inseparable. This closeness shined brightest when they fought.

Side by side, their movements in perfect unison, Ace and Star unleashed their combined might upon Dynastine. Like a demigod of ancient Xybrian myth, Ace was a powerful hurricane, the V-Sonic Sword in his hand roaring with every disciplined spin. Star stepped in after every powerful blow, the tip of her Supersonic Baton charged to an electrifying degree as she prodded Dynastine's enhanced carapace for an opening.

The connection of mind and body between the two rangers moved prince Eldrak. His limbs begged for him to advance, to grant these two an advantage through personal action.

'Forgive me, sir Gent,' he muttered, more so to himself than Supersonic Black. 'Though I respect you wholeheartedly, know that I must act when needed.'

Mustering the entirety of his willpower, the prince dashed past the ranger. Gent reached out with his hand a split second too late, ashamed to admit Ace and Star's fight had entranced even him. Immediately he thought about using his gem power to make the prince freeze, but stopped himself just as quickly. His fingers, still outstretched before him, balled into a tight fist. To think he was ready to discard his Knightly Code of Conduct so easily tore at Gent's spirit.

For the first time in many years, he had found himself unable to act.

As the cybernetic enhancements sparked and the lightning coiled around Eldrak's arms, engulfing and compressing his physical form until he was a but ball of concentrated electricity, the only thought that raced in his head was helping the people he admired in defeating the monster that threatened their home.

Time appeared to drag, such was Eldrak's speed. Concentrated on keeping his form compact, he traversed the demolished port in strained zips, at one point three meters away from Gent, the other right next to Brute and Pyre. A passing glance assured the prince that Brute was tending to his fellow ranger's wrist injury. A split second later he had twice bounded to where Ace and Star had been, close enough to what Eldrak had made out to be a gap between Dynastine's armored plates.

Time resumed. A bright flash erupted from between the two Supersonic Power Rangers and Dynastine, and a fist-sized chunk of onyx plating spiraled to the side along with a decompressed Eldrak. The prince tumbled to the pavement, his helmet cracked in two even halves. He turned his head to the side, saw his sword was a shattered mess, and a weak smile formed on his face.

Worth it, he thought, the fatigue barring any words from exiting his lips.

Dynastine lashed out with its spiked ball, the chain rattling in strain. Caught between the exchange of explosive blows, Star remained calm, her hyper-focused senses taking in every single movement, her mind racing ahead to the next opening. At first glance, Dynastine's fury seemed to be directed at Ace, but Star had sensed the slip in the creature's mental shielding and had figured out he was planning to confine her instead; to tighten the playing field.

Squeezing hard on the V-Sonic Sword's hilt with both hands, Ace unleashed an upward slash. The blade caught on Dynastine's chain, metal scraping against chitin. The monster reacted quickly and spread its massive arms. The chain pulled itself taut, forcing Ace's sword to rebound. Star flipped backward, her legs wrapping around Ace's midsection. With his partner out of the way, Supersonic Red renewed his assault on Dynastine, this time in direct unison with Star. Like a dancer, Supersonic Pink folded and spun along with Ace, using him as her stabilizer to strike at Dynastine with her baton.

'Wasn't that last one enough?! Take this!' Dynastine roared and charged at them like a rabid three-horned bull.

Ace spun backward and Star moved with his momentum, raising herself over Ace's shoulders and vaulting over and behind Dynastine. Ace then rolled his shoulder and lowered the V-Sonic Sword, the wrist bent inward and the blade facing Dynastine with its flat side. The monster crashed into him. Ace flicked his wrist up and outward, rolling with the charge and swaying Dynastine aside, which left the monster open to a diagonal cut.

Ace was not unaware of the purpose behind Eldrak's attack. With Dynastine reeling, he had noticed the glimmer of steel wedged between the monster's jet armor plates. The prince's last resort had pulled through and it was up to Ace and Star to deal the final blow.

With Eldrak's resolve renewing his vigor, Ace stepped forward and brought down the V-Sonic Sword with the brunt of his might. The blade crashed onto the jutting piece of steel, then a second and third time, each consecutive slash more powerful than the last. At that moment, from behind Dynastine, Star retracted her throwing arm and hurled the Supersonic Baton. Supercharged with cosmic energy, the pink rod slammed into Dynastine, tearing through the rear chitin and bursting out from the front end.

Ace was waiting for it, his V-Sonic Sword at the ready. One final chop and he batted the Supersonic Baton right back inside Dynastine, blowing out an entire section of the monster's armor.

Sparks erupted from all over Dynastine's body. For the first time in this battle, the beetle shrieked in pain.

'I will crush you,' Dynastine burbled. 'Crush you like… bugs…'

Dynastine's sentence trailed off. Ace and Star turned their backs on the monster as it fell on its back and exploded in a massive cloud of smoke and fire.

'Yes!' Pyre cheered from the sidelines.

Brute punched the air. 'They did it! Boy, am I glad this is over! It was starting to look grim.'

There came a deafening tap. Like a clock, fully wound and ready to start ticking.

Star and Ace hurriedly turned around, their weapons at the ready. The fire and smoke were being sucked back into Dynastine's body, the colors and textures shifting rapidly, converting into pure energy that restored any hint of damage the monster had sustained from the Power Rangers.

'What is this?' Star muttered. Her gaze inadvertently turned to Ace.

Dynastine's eyes snapped open, brimming with renewed fluorescence. 'Cursed witch! She sure likes to take her time!'

'Something's wrong!' Pyre said and ran towards Ace and Star. Brute followed behind her. Gent appeared last, with an exhausted prince Eldrak leaning on the knight for support.

'Blue, diagnostic scan,' Ace said.

'On it!' Brute blinked at a rune on the upper left corner of his helmet and pointed the Supersonic Shooter at Dynastine. The synaptic command was passed on to the Shooter's wide telescopic display and the grid reconfigured to analyze the monster properly. An audible gasp escaped his lips.

'What?' Pyre looked at the monster, then at Brute. 'What is it, man?' she pleaded.

'This is terrible. There's a micro-bomb inside that guy. The radiation level exceeds the nuclear threshold. Not even our suits can handle the blast, let alone the radiation that follows.'

'What?!' Pyre yelped.

'No…' Eldrak muttered.

Dynastine barked with laughter. 'You figured it out! Congratulations to the losers! Too bad you won't be fast enough to stop it!' The monster pointed to a spot in its armored hide that vaguely resembled an abdominal area. 'The witch said that in ten minutes upon activation, this whole place will suffer complete collapse. That would include you six as well as a quarter of Xybria!'

'Ace, what do we do?' Star asked, trying her hardest to remain calm.

Ace said nothing.

'Surely there's something we can do, right, Brute?' Pyre shook Supersonic Blue. He was mumbling, his mind preoccupied with finding an answer. Pyre looked to Ace for an answer. Supersonic Red stared at the monster, oblivious to her question.

Without warning, she phased her Sonar Blaster and started pelting Dynastine with a hail of laser blasts. Sparks flew from Dynastine's body where the salvo struck the gaps of its carapace, but the creature did not fight back. Instead, it released the shield and chained ball from its hands, letting them crash onto the pavement.

Brute was yelling at her. He was trying to warn Pyre, or he was demanding she stop for some reason or another, but Pyre did not care for any of it. She was frightened and powerless, the only answer she had left to vent her unbridled rage at the monster with violence and pained screams.

'It's futile, Power Rangers,' Dynastine taunted, the mandibles on its face pulling back in grim resemblance of a grin. 'My mighty armor can handle all six of your attacks combined before the bomb detonates. Not like it matters, because the more you hit me, the more unstable it will become!'

Star shook her head. 'It can't be. There has to be a way!'

Brute tapped the side of his helmet. 'Tensou, buddy, did you listen in on all this?'

'I sure did, Brute, hey-yo!' the robot's voice sounded from the shared broadcast. 'Unfortunately, I have no idea what to make of this bomb! The composition suggests it's an original design, and would require telescopic analysis to fully comprehend and disarm. It does not help that, once this bomb goes off, the plate tectonics comprising six entire sectors of Xybria will collapse, including our Volcanic Base in Gwenga, hey-yo!'

'It was a trap,' Ace spoke up, garnering his fellow rangers' attention. 'The Syndicate made it seem like another monster attack, but they were actually planning for us to set off the bomb in close proximity to the Volcanic Base. If not us, then they'd at least destroy the Zords.'

Dynastine laughed. 'Perfectly summed up. So, let this day be known in the history books as the end of the Supersonic Power Rangers! Six minutes remain. Now is the perfect moment to make your peace, rangers.'

Pyre had ceased firing at Dynastine, but had not lowered the Sonar Blaster. The firearm quivered in her shaky grip, her bandaged wrist straining to keep itself upright. 'Hey, Brute,' she said, 'why don't you try possessing him, see if he can regurgitate that bomb?'

Surprised that he had not thought about it first, Brute nodded and focused the entirety of his attention on Dynastine. Behind his helmet, the gem embedded on his forehead glimmered with a blue hue as he gathered his will and shot it out with a psychic pulse.

'Nothing,' Brute gasped. 'The mental barrier is too strong.'

Dynastine waggled a finger at Brute. 'Your tricks won't work on me, possessor. The witch said she had me covered on all ends!'

'Faustus,' Brute hissed. 'Psychic nullification via subliminal conditioning. I should've guessed.'

Pyre gulped and used her spare hand to support her hold on the Sonar Blaster. 'Maybe we load that freak in the Fighter Zord and send it into outer space. Better yet, we form the Megazord and punch it into outer space.'

'None of those would work,' Brute protested. 'We are way out of time for that. The odds are simply not in our favor.'

Ace reached out and placed his hand on Pyre's blaster, gently lowering it. 'We're out of options,' he confessed to the team. 'It's what my vision showed me. The moment me and Star failed to strike down Dynastine was when I realized I could not change what I saw.'

'You can't mean..!' Brute stammered. 'Eldrak…'

Star's head snapped to where the prince was. 'You've been quiet for a while,' she said worriedly. 'You have a plan, don't you, Eldrak?'

The prince smiled ever so meekly. 'I believe so,' he said, then looked at Brute. 'Mine fellow, do you recall last week's scanning data?'

Brute huffed. 'Of course I do. I got photographic memory, remember? We were running detailed diagnostics on the different vibration frequencies and their correlation with bottled-up energy. Your "reserve", so to say, to surround and compress your form into that of a ball's.'

Eldrak nodded along to Brute's recital. 'You suggested such great quantities of released energy could provide me with adequate particle density to create a shield.'

'Yes, well—' Brute was about to elaborate, but for the realization draining the color from his face.

'A shield,' Star echoed, picking up on Brute's train of thought. She shook her head. 'Eldrak, no…'

'What are you guys talking about?' Pyre let out a nervous giggle. 'Come on, why are you so grim all of a sudden?'

'Eldrak will stop the explosion by forming a particle barrier,' Brute explained.

'That's good, right?' Pyre looked at Brute, whose head was hanging low. 'Right?' she pressed.

'The particle emission stems from Eldrak, therefore he's the shield's central pillar. To suppress the bomb, he'd need to be right next to it. The shield will persist for several seconds after the detonation, but it'll be too late for Eldrak.'

'My last good deed. Call it a trump card,' Eldrak joked, though the humor was gone from his voice.

Pyre shook her head. 'You can't be serious. No. No way. Eldrak, don't you get it? You're gonna—'

'Return to the cosmos, yes,' Eldrak interrupted her, knowing Pyre was straying to hopelessness again. 'Allow me to confess, rangers. My soul that depart to the life beyond would be most comforted knowing I saved innocent lives, yours included.'

Ace reached for his helmet and tapped the side, allowing it to phase out. One by one, his fellow Power Rangers mimicked the gesture. They exchanged glances, each understanding the dire straits of the situation at hand.

Dynastine was howling with laughter. 'Four minutes left, rangers! I can't believe you've already given up! Pathetic!'

'Oh, shut up!' Pyre phased the Supersonic Flute and cracked the ribbon at Dynastine, wrapping the monster up from its toes up to its mouth.

'Don't do this, Eldrak,' Brute pleaded. 'There's so much more to accomplish. Think of all the good you can still do.'

'Dearest Brute,' Eldrak started as he let go of Gent. A raised hand eased the knight's reluctance. Slowly, he limped towards Brute. 'Mine father once told me, 'What good be a life that is capable of saving millions, but chooses not to out of self-importance?' The answer? A wasted life. Should I choose to live, with what look would I gaze upon my image and dare to call myself a protector?'

Brute's face dropped. Eldrak was now close enough to rest his hands on his shoulders, squeezing them assuredly.

'I understand we may not have been the best of acquaintances since we first met. To have not trusted me completely was a wise choice, lad, but from the bottom of mine heart I admired you regardless, and accepted thine disagreement as an act of brotherly love.'

Brute said nothing. He brought his hands up and buried his face in a poor attempt to hide his tears.

'Lady Star,' Eldrak continued, moving over to the Pink Supersonic Ranger. 'I recall not mine mother, but when I recently reminisced about her, I recalled the same kindness and love you have gifted me.'

Star reached out and hugged the prince. 'I wish there was another way,' she conceded. 'Fate can be so cruel. To take a life so young…'

Eldrak pulled away and gave her a warm smile. 'And young it was. Young and wonderful.'

Ace approached Star and put his arm around her. She placed her hand over Ace's, holding onto it firmly. He knew Star wanted to cry, but there remained a hidden reserve of willpower within her that kept her strong.

'Sir Ace,' Eldrak continued, this time addressing the Red Supersonic Ranger. 'Much as you may try to hide your imperfections, you shall forever be a great leader. Xybria's finest. You, good sir, possess the heroism I so admired whilst growing up.'

With Star still tucked in his embrace, Ace extended his hand. Prince Eldrak gladly accepted it, their gazes locked.

'I hope you find peace when you return to the cosmos.'

The prince smiled at Ace's stoic sense of respect. 'I hope so as well.'

Eldrak rounded to look at each of the Power Rangers, but shied away once his gaze fell upon Gent. The closest aspect of remembrance he had had to his past life on Draumosa had been through this noble figure. Somehow, despite the warmth he felt in his heart, the prince could not confront Gent during his final moments in this plane.

He made to step forward, to move away from the Power Rangers, but Gent blocked his path.

'I shall not allow this,' Gent said resolutely. His courteous smile, the one feature that defined the knight, was gone from his lips. His brows were furrowed, his mouth tense, his eyes sharp.

Still, Eldrak smiled. He shook his head 'No, sir knight, it is not for you to decide.'

Gent phased the Supersonic Saber and clicked his heels shut. Raising the blade parallel to his head, he rotated it around and lowered the tip down and between his boots. It was a gesture from his past life, a knightly gesture of honorary custom.

'Should one be unable to stop the lord's demise, one shall share their burden. Knightly Code of Conduct. Final rule.'

'Do not fool yourself, sir Gent,' Eldrak tried to assure him, 'for I am not your lord to obey.'

'Please,' Gent persisted, letting go of the Supersonic Saber and graciously kneeling, his hands spread before him. The sword did not fall. It stood, perfectly still, balancing on its tip. Gent's head was bowed, but his voice was strained, struggling to hold back emotion. 'Forgive my selfishness. Much as I try, I cannot allow such cruel injustice come to pass. Not again.'

'It's not injustice,' Eldrak said belatedly. He took Gent's saber and examined it, taking in the fine craftwork of a blade that was specifically made for Supersonic Black's hand. Slowly, he lowered it until it hovered over Gent's shoulder, then he moved it to the other side, reciting from memory the rites of anointing he had witnessed when he was a young and innocent boy.

'Many a times have you aided me, more so than I can recall. Thou art a knight, true to thine convictions, but also a Power Ranger, noble sir. Thou true duty calleth here, while thine true lord be Xybria. Vanquish Xybria's foes and protect what's most important: thine friends. By mine blessing, rise, oh sir Gent, and take up this fine blade.'

As Eldrak ordained, Gent rose and allowed the prince to lay the Supersonic Saber on his open palms. The knight answered with a crisp salute and the weapon phased out. Though his brows lifted and the emotion washed away from his eyes, Gent's smile did not return.

'When I reunite with mine family in the life beyond, I shall make sure to meet with my dear old friend, Nhema Li'Eh. I am confident he will be most glad to hear the accomplishments aplenty of his greatest knight.'

Knowing there was nothing left to say, the prince turned his back on Gent and started walking to where Dynastine lay. Pyre was hunched over the alien menace, occasionally punching it in random spots, watching for a reaction.

'I knocked him out for you. To be easier, you know? So you don't have to, uh, hold him down,' Pyre said to Eldrak soon as she spotted him approaching. She was tussling her mane, the prince noticed. For all her confidence, he knew it was a habit she displayed whenever she got nervous.

'Really now?' Eldrak played along.

'Yeah,' Pyre shrugged. She gave Dynastine a final kick in the abdomen. The insectoid spasmed and let out a muffled groan. 'You can't be too careful, right?'

'A fair point,' Eldrak nodded.

Pyre, the prince thought, was very different from the rest of the Power Rangers. To the others, he had devoted time to voice his final thoughts and list his admiration, knowing exactly what to say to each of them. With Pyre, however, he understood they were most similar: Heroes in the making, who had just started their long journey. And what they needed most were simple, relatable words.

'Lady Pyre?'

'Yeah, boy prince?'

To that, Eldrak chuckled. 'Yellow looks spiffing on you,' he said.

Pyre thumbed her nose and grinned at the prince. 'I know. And I'll keep rocking it.'

Eldrak nodded. He moved closer to the unconscious Dynastine and knelt over the insectoid. Pyre moved back to join her team. Only one minute remained. The Power Rangers phased their helmets and braced themselves.

Prince Eldrak balled his hands into fists as they started to vibrate. The frequency built and built, the cybernetic implants siphoning the energy stored within. Azure scintilla started to surface when Eldrak moved his fists opposite of each other, the polar ends accelerating the energy dispensation. The circuitry coursing along his arms flared, particles released with shocking rapidity from Eldrak's cells, ripping them apart in the process. Eldrak licked his chapped lips. He dismissed the bitter tang of dirt and ruined face paint.

'Long live yee, oh Power Rangers,' Eldrak cried. His teeth chattered, like a dam straining to withhold water from bursting. ' Stand strong! Protect this beautiful universe from evil!'

Dynastine's body had started to melt, the previously impenetrable onyx carapace dissolving into liquid ooze under the prince's feet. The creature's core, held together by radioactive components the likes of which were beyond Eldrak's comprehension, radiated with orange light and warmth; like a miniature sun, shining brightest right before total collapse.

'It has been an honor to know you! To fight alongside you! Be sure to eat proper!' With a strained thought, he willed a tongue of energy to activate the communicator holstered on his cape's pin.

'Dearest Tensou,' Eldrak said, his final words level and peaceful. 'Don't forget the fish leftovers in the fridge. It shall make for a lovely breakfast.'

And like a thousand suns, there came an explosion, bright and powerful, a scream of raw, uncontrollable annihilation. Despite Eldrak's shield, the blast came down on him with a deafening thunderclap, sheer power spewing outward in a wave of rushing hot air.

Gent lowered himself to one knee and spread his arms. With palms open wide and fingers spread, his gem glowed a misty hue as an invisible barrier surrounded the Power Rangers. Forklifts and containers were swept away behind them, taking flight like chaff in the wind. The warehouses carved into the mountain collapsed as civilian houses turned to rubble.

Gent's limbs shook with growing fatigue. His finely combed hair thrashed before his eyes while his ranger armor strained, the proud V emblazoned on his chest glittering from the rush of sparks. Ace did not need readings to know his friend was hurting. His pride, his kind soul— they were lamenting this sacrifice, made for the greater good.

In the eye of the storm, the shield started to dissipate. On the distant horizon, the sun was starting to set. The worst had come to pass.

And Eldrak the Thunderstruck was no more.

---

Veka's port was a smoking crater.

Dynastine had succeeded. It was hard for Brute to believe otherwise. No matter what we say or do about it, this will go down in Xybrian history, he mused. The crater floor was soft and grainy, the cobblestone reduced to a fine dust that crunched under his boots. The smell of ash lingered in the air. It filled Brute's nostrils, the odor so powerful that he had to phase his helmet to carry on with the search. The Supersonic Shooter's display screen fizzled with static, traces of lead in the black sand hampering its scanning apparatus.

In the furthest reaches of Brute's soul, something was whispering about this undertaking. The creeping voice grew louder with every step, gnawing at his thoughts like a leech.

Brute was many things; a man, a Xybrian, a Power Ranger, but what he considered most important was the title of scientist. According to Brute, the universe followed a ruleset, thus there was a systematic function behind its workings. Through research, the accumulation of information in all its forms, science was capable of deconstructing those greater functions.

Cold, hard logic was paramount in Brute's field, and the voice of doubt that he tried to shut out was hope.

Maybe, it purred, just maybe.

'No signs of lingering radiation,' Brute spoke to the open communications channel. He paused, his eyes focused on the Shooter's scope-scanner. Eldrak was pompous, but he was not an idiot. He had recited their research data perfectly. Not one mistake. It meant he understood it, as well as the risks.

He really was gone.

Slowly, the expectations were washed away. The voice at the back of his head fell silent. It did not make what Brute said next any easier.

'No life signatures detected.'

He climbed out of the crater. There was nothing else left to do down there. At the raised rim, Pyre extended her hand and helped Brute out. Some meters away, Star was sobbing, finally letting out her anguish.

'He sacrificed himself,' she hiccuped, 'to save Xybria.'

Pyre thumbed her nose. 'People he barely knew.'

Brute let out a deep exhale. He wanted to cry, to let out his frustrations like Star, but his body felt weak, his lips dry. He was tired and defeated, and could not cry any more than he already had.

Ace was standing at the crater's lip. During hardship, it was to be expected that their leader would share words of encouragement, something that would lift their spirits and remind them of the importance behind this tragic compromise.

Again, Ace hesitated.

'Let's return home,' he breathed and tapped a sequence in his morpher for the Supersonic Fighter Zord to come, then he walked towards Star.

Pyre and Brute exchanged glances. Like Brute's, the color in the upbeat roundness of Pyre's eyes was gone. She pursed her lips and nodded in a hollow display of habit before walking away from the crater. Brute turned around and looked at it for one last time. Gent was shuffling at the crater floor, occasionally kneeling to bury his fingers in the ash. He thought about calling out to his teammate, driven by his curiosity.

Not this time, he decided. Not when there was nothing left.

This time, all he wanted was to go home.

---

Tensou 5.0 released the synaptic linkage cabling from the central control room's main monitor. Satellite footage had provided adequate information to sort out and archive at a later time. The pudgy robot made to run one final diagnostic, but stopped itself upon noticing an anomaly in its internal management processing unit.

The communications channel directly linked to the sub-channel labeled Prince Eldrak of Draumosa had not been overridden. After a reassessment of the most recent information stored in its database, Tensou verified that the link was set to offline, as prince Eldrak's energy signatures had been registered code red.

The robot hurriedly deleted the link and saved the updated data once more.

Pulling back from the chair, Tensou 5.0 exited the central control room and took the elevator down to the living room, where it waddled to the Volcanic Base's main kitchen.

There was a ratter-fish's head in the fridge. From data archives, the robot knew it would make for a flavorful consolation dish.

The cure to a broken heart, Tensou's Kitchen Buddy had described it. The robot thought about that phrase as it started work on the dish.