With a deep sigh, Andros declared "Computers and Engineering online and go. Ship wide status check complete; all systems nominal."
"Hallelujah." said Cassie, slumping in her seat.
It was seven harried days after Carlos had saved them from the assassin on board. They had spent nearly every waking moment trying to repair the extensive damage that she had done. A lucky break had come when a passing merchant ship found them and offered to tow them to the nearest spaceport. Once there, they had gotten the HyperCore assembly and Pulse Coils replaced, and today they were just finishing up the ship wide status check that should have been done a fortnight ago. Andros had promised them shore-leave anytime they wanted for the next month.
"Well," said Ashley. "Now that the food slots are running again, I think it's time for lunch. I don't know about you guys, but I'm sick of fruit and vegetables. I need a burrito."
"With a whole cow's worth of sour cream." agreed TJ, mouth watering. "Girl, you're speakin' my language."
But before they could go below, DECA's restored voice came from above. "Alert: subspace transmission from Saskat Five."
Surprised, Andros glanced at the others and acknowledged, "On screen."
A moment later, they saw Joachim Tamlyn sitting at his desk before the window, and behind him stood two young people-- a man and a woman. The woman's hair was a vivid honey-gold, but her eyes were just like her father's.
"Power Rangers," Tamlyn began. "I would like to thank you on behalf of my people and my family for complying with our request for our daughter's sanctuary." He turned a little to present the woman behind him. "Incidently, there was a mishap following the recording of my message, and the Princess was unable to board the torpedo. Instead, a dangerous assassin commandeered my daughter's escape route and she was the one you found dead in the missile shell. It is fortunate she did not survive the trip, because there is no telling what she would have done had she reached you alive."
Carlos rubbed the bridge of his nose tiredly and Ashley sighed in exasperation. Tamlyn went on.
"I am also glad to inform you that our civil war has ended. It was a petty skirmish between two families-- mine and another dominant political power. Fortunately for us old military veterans, our children had more peaceful ideas on how to end a war." Tamlyn reached back to take the hands of the two people behind him. "My daughter and the son of the opposing power ran off together the day after my last message was sent. By the laws of our people, the marriage of the firstborn makes them the new head of the household, and so my daughter and her husband now lead our two peoples. They have vowed to keep our planet free of fighting for as long as they both live."
Vatoya Tamlyn came forward to speak to the camera. "Power Rangers, I thank you for the hospitality you no doubt would have shown me had I left our world as my father planned. In the end, I was instead able to stop the fighting on my home planet and my husband and I are together at last. Should you ever find yourselves near Saskat, please come and visit the paradise we plan to build for ourselves."
With a gesture of farewell, the new Sovereign of Saskat ended the transmission and the screen went black. The five Rangers sat back and absorbed the final chapter of the story.
"We ought to send them a wedding gift." Ashley remarked.
"Like what?" Andros wondered.
Cassie shrugged. "Their own emergency escape pod?"
TJ grinned. "Or how about a copy of 'Know Your Interstellar Assassins'."
Carlos shook his head. "What about 'The Club for Torpedo Tubes'?"
Laughing uncontrollably, they all piled into the Turbolift while Andros demanded to know what the joke meant. They attempted to explain it to him over a feast of Sour Cream burritos and as little healthy food as possible.