Power Rangers Thunder Force #22: Shattered armor.

A crewmember comes onto the bridge of the explorer ship.

"Sir we still have all those spores in the cargo bay that they used as foot soldiers. What do you want to do with them?"

"Destroy them. I don't want anything left on that ship that has to do with that virus." Turlok snaps.

The crewmember takes a fire weapon into the cargo bay and sets fire to all the spores. He doesn't stop until they are all incinerated.

"What are we going to use for foot soldiers?"

"It's time to use the drones. They are stupid and don't have a thought in their head but they are effective in numbers."

"But law on our home planet bans those."

"We aren't on our planet right now are we?" Turlok frowns.

The crewmember just sits down quietly.

"I want someone that will make a great monster that can defeat the rangers."

Meanwhile on earth a man is placing needles at different points of a woman's body.

"You are the best acupuncturist I have ever experienced." The woman smiles.

"I try my best."


And now for episode 22...

Turlok is watching Ashley walking down the street onscreen.

"It's time to test the drones. Send a couple down after her." Turlok orders.

The teleporter officer nods and pushes some buttons. Meanwhile Ashley is startled as a bunch of strange looking creatures appear out of nowhere.

"Who are you?" Ashley asks.

One responds by firing a blast of energy at her.

"I guess that answers my question." Ashley says taking a fighting stance.

She starts kicking and punching the creatures and seems to be winning. But suddenly one of them slams into her and she hits the wall hard.

"Ouch." Ashley grunts holding her shoulder.

She continues to attack in pain and then the creatures disappear.

"Excellent they are good fighters." Turlok says back on the ship.

Turlok frowns.

"Now find me a target that can defeat the rangers." Turlok says.

Ashley winces again as she bumps into a person on the street. She looks around and sees the sign of an acupuncturist.

"I've always wanted to try that. Maybe he can help me with this injury." Ashley holds her arm.

She walks into the store and up to the front counter.

"Can I help you?" The receptionist asks.

"Yes I was wondering if I could get in to see your doctor. I could use some acupuncturing right now." Ashley responds.

"Do you have an appointment?" The receptionist asks.

Ashley looks down in disappointment.

"No. I didn't even know he was here until I saw the sign." Ashley responds.

"I'm sorry. He's full up today. The soonest I can get you in is next week." The receptionist says.

Ashley turns and walks out sad.

"Wait a minute."

Ashley spins around and sees an older man standing in the open doorway.

"Sarah, cancel my 3 o'clock."

"But why?"

"I sense something in this one. She needs my help."

"But he will be mad." The receptionist frowns.

"So let him be. He gets upset too easily anyway."

The receptionist sighs and picks up the phone. The man takes Ashley into his office.

"Now how can I help you?"

Ashley nurses her hurt shoulder.

"I hurt my shoulder doing something stressful. I was hoping your technique could help lesson the pain."

The man gets up and walks over to Ashley. He puts his hand on her shoulder and closes his eyes.

"Yes I sense great stress in you. You have too much stress in your everyday life."

"Boy do I ever." Ashley thinks about all the battles she has faced lately.

"I obviously can't do anything about your shoulder pain directly. But I think that if the needle treatment can lower your stress, which may help a bit."

The man instructs Ashley to take off her shirt and lay down. He takes out a bunch of needles and starts sticking them into pressure points. Ashley's grunts a bit but it doesn't seem to hurt much. After awhile the man takes the needles back out. Ashley gets up and puts her shirt back on. She feels her shoulder and smiles.

"It feels a little better. Thanks."

She takes out her wallet.

"So what do I owe you?"

The man shakes his head.

"Nothing. I am glad to help people that are as stressed as you are. Just do me a favor; try to lower your stress level in your life. I know it's hard but the next injury could be much worse."

"I'll try." Ashley smiles.

Ashley gets up and exits the office and the font waiting room. A few minutes after she leaves, a young man enters the place after looking around suspiciously.

"Can I help you?"

"Yeah I'm here to see someone about sharp needles."

The receptionist sighs.

"He is full up right now."

"I insist."

The young man barges into the back office.

"You can't just go in there." The receptionist goes after him.

"Can I help you?" The man looks up from his book.

"Yeah you see I have a thing in my life that is causing a friend great stress and me. I hear you can deal with that."

"Yes but not today. Surely my Sarah told you that."

"Oh but I insist."

The young man takes out the crystal and points it at the man.

"You will make an impressive monster."

The man yells as the crystal hits him. He slumps to the floor. The young man races outside and a beam of light turns into a monster with sharp edges poking out.

"Show me what you got."

The monster roars and shoots a long hard looking needle at a nearby steel building. It goes right through the wall as if it was paper.

"Excellent. Now let's see if that will go through that pesky weapon of there's armor."

The monster starts smashing buildings with his hard fists. Ashley hears the commotion and checks it out.

"Oh oh. Time to morph."

Ashley raises up her sword.

"Force ranger, black!"

She transforms into the black samurai armor.

"This is Ashley. I have a monster sighting near downtown."

Ashley rushes towards the monster.

"Ah perfect. Destroy her."

The young man disappears. The monster roars and brings its fist down at Ashley. She is able to block with her sword but the collision nearly jars her teeth loose.

"Jeez what are you made of anyway?"

"Fire blast!"

A huge fireball strikes the monster and forces it back. Zanek and the others appear.

"It's time you learn not to mess with the Power rangers."

The monster roars and fires another needle projectile. Zanek barely dodges it and watches in horror as it punches another hole in the steel wall.

"Jeez what are those things made of?"

"We need more power. We need the megazord."

Zanek calls on the zords and they all jump in. The zords join together. The sword comes down on the monster but the collision shakes the megazord big time.

"Damn. Whatever that is made of, not even the sword is any good on it. Power cannon!"

The cannon appears on the other hand.

"Fire!"

A blast hits the monster head on but doesn't even put a dent in it.

"What is it going to take to beat this thing?"

"Ultrazord!"

The megazord changes configuration and an even bigger sword appears.

"We can't drain its energy until it's weak enough."

The sword slices at the monster but still can't penetrate it's tough skin. The monster fires a needle projectile right at the Ultrazord.

"Watch out!"

The needle strikes and pierces the armor. The Ultrazord sparks and falls over.

"Damn it. That thing penetrated the armor and struck the power core. We need to get out of here before it goes on us. Computer disassemble zord."

The rangers jump out and the Ultrazord disassembles into its separate components and disappears.

"Now what do we do?"

"White ranger!"

The rangers merge into one.

"White blaze!"

A white fire shoots from the white ranger's swords and strikes the monster but it still doesn't do anything. The monster roars and fires another projectile. This one pins the white ranger to the ground.

"It's over. Nothing works against this thing."

"Oh I wouldn't say nothing."

The gray ranger appears.

"Mind blast!"

A shock wave of mental energy strikes the monster and seems to weaken it. The gray ranger yells and plunges her sword into the monster.

"Now get its energy!"

The white ranger takes out the device and activates it. The monster disappears as the energy is sucked in. Later on the rangers are looking at the badly damaged zord.

"Can you fix it?"

Zanek shakes his head.

"I can try but it doesn't look good."

Meanwhile on the explorer ship they are celebrating.

"Yes we finally delt a blow to those rangers. We destroyed their main weapon." Turlok smiles.

Turlok takes the crystal in his hand.

"And now to deal the final blow."

The end.
Can the rangers fight another monster without their zords? Especially one that uses sound to destroy?