Pawns
Chapter Eleven: "The Enemy of My Enemy…"
She waded through the stale waters, the musty air aggravating her nose. The putrid liquid bobbed just below her knees, seeping underneath her boots and squishing against her skin.
There was once a time when such an environment would've turned her stomach; yet those days were long gone. Now, she moved with silent grace, eyes blazing in the relative darkness of the pit.
She didn't see her attacker. Instead, she tracked the faint splashing that alerted her to the presence of a handful of visitors.
A small hand reached for the gleaming onyx bow hanging over her shoulder. She easily balanced the weapon between both hands, bending her knees to prepare for the onslaught.
The splashing quieted, and a noticeable current flowed passed her legs.
Piranhatrons... they never learn a new trick.
She, however, was just full of surprises.
She leapt out of the water, somersaulting into the air with more force than humanly possible. Her flip reached an apex at nearly twelve feet, and then she began her descent, falling back to the water feet-first.
Her eyes lit the air around her, creating an unnatural crimson nimbus that granted her a form of night vision. The dim light was enough to see the rippling of water that was telltale of her attacker's location.
True to form, the Piranhatron lifted its head from the water... just in time to receive a brutal heel directly to the cranium. The heel was thick and blunt, but the force of the strike was more than enough to dissolve the magical soldier into a mist.
She didn't take a moment to revel in her small victory. There were four more Piranhatrons in the immediate area.
The remaining foot soldiers opted for a more direct approach. One Piranhatron stretched from the water behind her, pinning her arms to her side. Then, almost immediately, three more streaked toward her, wide maws open with razor sharp teeth glistening.
She sighed in disappointment at the lack of creativity.
The brainless creature behind her held her arms just above the gilded edge of her elbow-length vinyl gloves, causing skin-to-skin contact.
So, she channeled the Flame of Destruction.
The Piranhatron squealed wordlessly, jerking his smoking hands from the girl's heated skin. It didn't have a chance to react as she then whirled around, slashing the razor-sharp edge of her obsidian bow across its armored stomach.
She finished her spin, her free hand grasping the taut cord of the bow. The moment her fingers touched the cord, a blaze of fire stretched to life in an angry, searing arrow. She let it fly, sending the energy down one Piranhatron's throat.
That left two more ignorantly speeding toward her.
Both hands wrapped around the center of her bow. She twisted them in opposite directions, causing the threadlike chord to disappear, and allowing the weapon to separate. After quickly estimating the appropriate force, she launched the two blades like boomerangs.
The two Piranhatrons had no chance to react as the wicked makeshift swords impaled them simultaneously.
She heard the creatures squeal, and the splash of her weapons falling to the water. She remained silent, her eyes burning as she waited for any surprises.
Then, she waded through the water, and retrieved her weapon.
"So, what do you think, my Lady?" asked a disembodied voice.
She smiled as she snapped the two pieces together. "I believe we have a winner, Merchant."
A door swung open, allowing her to exit the practice chamber. She stepped into the harsh sunlight hanging outside the weapon booth, tossing her damp hair behind her back.
"That was amazing!" Elgar sang, clapping his hands in delight. "I didn't know the bow could shoot fire!"
The merchant, a sly-looking reptile, smiled. "It doesn't. The Phaedosian warriors forged weapons that rely upon the power of the wielder. The bow draws energy from the user, manifesting into physical form." He then turned to the black-clad warrior. "It appears Fire is your signature energy, my Lady."
"Well, duh," she huffed. She then turned her crimson eyes to the weapon, running gloved fingers over the delicate carvings that lined the flat edge of the blades. "This weapon is from Phaedos?"
"Yes, Lady. It is a priceless artifact from the Light Era, when the Ninjetti cult was at the peak of their civilization. The craftsmanship simply cannot be imitated. The ancient weaponsmiths of Phaedos passed on their brilliance for generations, until the war against Erebus annihilated the entire cult, and razed their cities to the ground."
Well, not all of them died. Dulcea had proven herself a remarkable warrior, and her Whistling Sticks were very unique. They were simple, unobtrusive, and very, very effective. They also combined into a sturdy pole, that the Ninjetti Priestess used to knock the presumptuous White Ranger flat on his rear, all those months ago.
Kimberly smiled at the memory. If Dulcea's weapon was any indication, Phaedosian arms were truly to be coveted. "I'll take it."
She then glanced at Elgar. The white mutant nodded at the mute command, and fished through a sack of coins gripped tightly in his fist.
Kimberly slid her new weapon behind her back, and draped her heavy velvet cloak over her shoulders. The long garment reached the floor, letting the embroidered hem drag against the dusty earth like a royal train. She began walking away, taking long strides, as Elgar dropped some coins on the counter.
The lizard frowned. Before Elgar could even yelp, a three-clawed hand grasped his wrist. "I do hope you realize this is merely the down payment, little man."
Elgar gulped, staring at the forked tongue that slid between the merchant's sharp teeth. "Uh… um…"
The merchant lifted his eyes when suddenly, a wave of scalding heat poured over his body. Puzzled, he turned to see the cause.
Kimberly stood behind Elgar, staring down her nose at the lizard despite being over a foot shorter and one third his body weight. Her cloak covered most of her body, blanketing her athletic form in black. Red eyes began to smolder, a faint aura of furious energy leaking out, emphasizing the small lines of her impatient frown, coloring her pale skin faintly crimson.
All in all, she looked like some sort of pagan goddess of Death.
Her lips thinned angrily. "Our business is done, Merchant."
Beady eyes watched the heat waft off the girl like smoke climbing to the heavens. Her breath was so shallow, her shoulders didn't even quiver. Her face was completely immobile, letting crimson orbs stare into the skin of the being that would dare raise his voice against her.
Just what kind of being could she be?
True, she was able to destroy a handful of Piranhatrons with little effort; but that hardly indicated a true threat. Most warriors on Onyx could swiftly best a few drones, especially when armed with such an exotic weapon.
The lizard rationalized himself out of his initial apprehension. "Hardly," he sneered, "That weapon is extremely rare. What you've given me I could easily quadruple at auction."
Her eyes narrowed. "If you don't release my associate, you will never earn another gold piece again."
The lizard met her gaze easily, leaning forward in an attempt to intimidate her. Only then did he notice that, when he looked closely, he could see the reason why her eyes burned red.
Terror lanced through his body when he saw the furious flames dancing about her pupils. She… has the Flame of Destruction!
Over the weeks, rumors had spread throughout the galaxy of Lord Maligore's death on the remote planet Earth. Most beings, fiends included, were relieved by his defeat. For some, it meant continued peace in their region. For others, it meant the annihilation of a potential rival.
But there were other rumors; that Maligore wasn't completely destroyed. Some of his power lived on, promising horrible vengeance against the warriors that cut him down.
Could this mere slip of a girl be Maligore's latest incarnation?
The merchant wasn't particularly inclined to take the chance.
After a lengthy silence, he recovered his voice. "I believe our deal is complete." His fingers slipped off Elgar, letting the groveling mutant hurry to the woman's side.
Kimberly kept her unwavering gaze on the merchant as he bowed politely. "Good day, Lady."
Slowly, a smirk replaced her baleful frown. "Smart lizard."
She turned on her heel, her cloak sweeping behind her, and made her way out of the market. She ignored Elgar's babbling gratitude, as well as the dozens of witnesses, following the girl with eyes filled with shock, confusion, and often enough, trepidation.
Only one set of eyes watched her in appreciation; crimson eyes set in a face of expressionless clay.
oooOOOooo
"Ooo, what did you get me, what did you get me, what did you get me??"
Kimberly watched with a mixture of amusement and annoyance as the notorious Pirate Queen clapped her hands in excitement. It was incredible how girlish Divatox acted, when she didn't have the weight of leadership on her shoulders, or the fear of usurpers wrinkling her forehead. When she could simply be herself, which was only in private, or with trusted friends.
Hmph. Friends…
It was strange how their relationship developed over the course of three weeks. For some reason, the Pirate Queen enjoyed the former Pink Ranger's company. The first few days, Divatox tended to her newest recruit like a hostess, trumpeting orders throughout the ship to get the human girl every amenity available.
Why she was so amiable, Kimberly could never understand.
In her experience, friendship was inevitably disappointing at best, devastating at worst. All in all, it wasn't worth the emotional investment. Of course, with the Flame of Destruction muting her ability to genuinely care for anyone, developing such a relationship was out of the question.
She preferred to consider the Pirate Queen an ally who shared similar goals. Though she was loathe to admit it, Kimberly simply wasn't properly prepared to go into the universe alone. True, she had more than enough power to protect herself, and the floating rumors of Maligore's child did bring many creatures to their knees in her presence, but she'd never explored outer space. With the exception of the occasional kidnapping to the moon, and the trip to Ninjara, she'd never been out of the Earth's atmosphere.
She knew nothing about being a villain. She had the hatred and the zeal, but she didn't know where the best spaceports were, how to appropriate a vessel and crew, or other such critical details. The Flame of Destruction granted power without experience… and never again would she let her own naïveté leave her open to manipulation. A hard lesson learned, but learned nonetheless.
Divatox seemed eager to take the teenaged girl under her wing. While her irrationality and childish tantrums ranged from amusing to utterly irritating, the experienced Pirate did offer the opportunity to learn such things during their twenty-day voyage to restock supplies and develop a plan to exact the revenge they both so desperately sought. And finally, once the Power Rangers were humbled, and Katherine and Tommy paid for their sins against her trust… the allegiance would end.
Kimberly never let herself consider what would happen afterward.
"Kimberly, you're doing it again."
The spawn of evil met the chiding gaze of Divatox. "Doing what?"
"Thinking about those worthless humans."
Her brow quirked. "What makes you say that?"
Divatox clicked her tongue. "Your eyes are glowing, Hon. You only do that when you're worked up, and only one thing gets you that worked up."
Kimberly managed to school her face into a malicious grin. "Just imagining the edge of my new weapon running right through their armor." She swept off her heavy cloak, and produced her obsidian bow from her back with a flourish.
Divatox grinned in approval, watching her protégé split the weapon into two dangerous blades. "Stylish, practical, and deadly. Diva likes!" She then looked around pointedly. "But… what did you get me?"
Kim sighed. All too often the Pirate Queen acted suspiciously like a spoiled four year-old.
She turned away from Divatox, letting her gaze linger on the desert planet Onyx. It swam in an ocean of black space, growing ever smaller in the porthole. "How long until we reach Earth?"
Divatox pouted; clearly, she wouldn't be getting a present. "Three days tops. Plenty of time for you to master that new gizmo of yours, and for Porto to rig that bomb we picked up." She rubbed her hands in wicked anticipation. "Just in time for their graduation day! Ha! They ruined the most important ceremony in my life… it's only fitting we return the favor!"
Kimberly smirked. Though the plan lacked creativity or subtlety, it more than made up for it with its simplicity and downright cruelty. Once the ship arrived on Earth, Kimberly would plant a high-potency bomb in the Angel Grove Power Plant. While small and discreet, the bomb was powerful enough to set off a chain reaction that would level at least twelve miles of surrounding territory. Thousands of lives would be lost as residences, stores, offices, and schools were swallowed in the blast.
The graduation ceremony would be across town, sparing all the Rangers from the first assault. However, they'd be too distracted by all the festivities to save the innocent people caught in the explosion. Then, the insipid Rangers would finally realize she would do anything… kill anyone… to make them suffer. The naïve little girl they abandoned was gone; only the shadow of her vengeance remained.
She licked her lips as she considered Tommy's reaction to her miraculous "resurrection." Surely everyone thought she was dead and gone, lost amid the flames and ashes as the volcano erupted. He must've been relieved that she was finally out of his life forever… that he could worm his way out of his just desserts.
To see her alive and well… and powerful as ever… would be horrifying. To see her murder scores of innocents would make him give pause, and realize that she was a monster. A monster he created.
"Are you absolutely sure you don't have something for me?" Divatox urged, hands clasped together in a wordless plea.
Kimberly rolled her eyes and tossed the Pirate Queen a palm-sized box. It didn't take her long to learn that if a few grams of precious metal could quiet Divatox's infantile fits for a few days, it was money well spent.
"I'll be in the bilge practicing."
Divatox waved her away and eagerly tore into the flimsy decorative paper covering the box. She then tossed the lid aside, and gawked at the treasure within.
An elegant choker made from the teeth of the ultra-rare Karva Dragon. The incisors glittered like Mother of Pearl, lined in a tight row with the differing sizes creating an undulating design.
She giggled gleefully, hurrying to her vanity and clasping the choker under her hair. "That Kim… she may have lost her purity, but her sense of style is alive and kickin'!"
oooOOOooo
"Well, here we are," Adam noted, unnecessarily.
Tanya gazed at him, watching as he nervously juggled the boxes of candy in his hands. "Relax," she coaxed, "You talked to Marisol just yesterday, and she said he was coming along fine. The surgery was a success."
"I know, but…" He took a calming breath. "We still don't know if he'll make a full recovery; if he can ever take up martial arts again. Rocky's always been so… mobile. Active."
"You mean hyperactive," Kat contributed, a small grin on her lips. "I'm sure if anyone can recover from a discectomy, its Rocky DeSantos."
"Right!" Justin added, nodding his head emphatically. "The Rock is unbreakable."
The veteran Rangers traded amused smiles. It was clear Justin nearly idolized his predecessor. He had all the faith in the world that Rocky would be good as new in no time at all.
The optimism of his teammates lightening his mood, the Green Turbo Ranger rang the familiar doorbell.
Moments later, a petite, robust Mexican woman pulled open the door. Large brown eyes smiled up at the teenagers, immediately wrapping Adam in a boisterous hug.
"Adam!" she greeted, "Katherine, Tanya! Thank you for coming."
"Hi, Mari," Adam answered, hugging his best friend's mother tightly. "How've you been?"
She sighed, stepping back to let the teens enter. "It has been tough on him. He still is restricted to bed, but he insists on walking in the graduation ceremony"
Katherine smiled gently at Marisol. It was clear from the wrinkles on her brow that the recent emergency with her eldest child had taken an enormous toll on her. "He has five days before graduation. That's plenty of time for him to heal."
"Yes, but his surgeon said he must be careful not to do too much, too soon."
"Don't worry," Justin told her, "With us here, there's no reason for him to leave!" He pulled his navy blue backpack off his shoulder. "We've got an 'Uno' deck, 'Taboo', all three 'Indiana Jones' films…"
"..and all the homework he missed," Tanya added, holding up her own bag. "Mr. Caplan will let him walk in the ceremony if he's physically able, but he'll still need to complete the coursework he missed if he wants that diploma mailed on time."
Marisol smiled softly. "Rocky is so lucky to have such wonderful friends," she murmured, "Come in."
Kat, Adam, Tanya, and Justin collected their gifts, and followed Marisol up the stairs, passed the bedrooms of the younger DeSantoses up to Rocky's door.
"Rocky! Your friends are here."
"Great!" Rocky's voice called from behind the door, "Come in!"
Adam complied, and the group piled into the small room eagerly. Rocky was lying flat on his back, offering a limp wave.
Justin frowned. "You're still wearing that brace, Rock?"
The former Blue Zeo Ranger smirked. "Doctor's orders… to keep me from break-dancing, I guess."
Adam managed to muster a matching smirk. "Your mother must've warned him about your reaction to Jolt."
"Speaking of which, I'll get you all some drinks," Marisol suggested, disappearing down the hallway.
The moment the door clicked shut, Rocky's warm smile shifted. And suddenly, the Rangers' faces sobered when they saw the oddly determined glint in their friend's eye. "Okay, guys, you've got some major filling-in to do."
Adam blinked; it was a rare for Rocky DeSantos to grow so serious so suddenly. "About what?"
In answer, Rocky dug under his mattress. After blindly feeling around, he retrieved a copy of the Angel Grove Gazette, and held up the front page for his friends to see.
The team collectively winced.
"'Local Pan-Global Medalist Disappears,'" he quoted from memory, "'Just days after her celebrated triumph in the gymnastics tournament of the Pan-Global Games, Kimberly Anne Hart traveled from Miami to her home town, Angel Grove. No one has seen her since.'"
He folded the newspaper, and laid it on his lap. Carefully, he craned his neck, letting him see the uneasy expressions dulling his former teammates' faces. "I know I'm not a Ranger anymore," he murmured, "but I'd still appreciate an update once in a while… especially when my friends start falling off the planet."
"Rocky, we didn't purposely keep you in the dark," Tanya quickly assured him, "You were in the hospital up until yesterday. We couldn't talk about Ranger business in such a public place."
"Yeah," Justin added with a feeble smile, "Last time you did, someone overheard you."
"And if someone heard about this, who knows what kind of questions could be asked?" Adam pointed out. "We all had to stay quiet about what happened, to the authorities… even her parents."
Rocky paled. "You didn't tell her parents?" he repeated, mortified. "Caroline must be going nuts! Why would you keep something like this from…"
He exhaled in mid-sentence, horror stealing the breath right out of his lungs. "She's dead."
"We, we don't know, I'm afraid," Kat confessed, her voice barely a whisper. "You see, she and Jason had been kidnapped by Divatox, the alien who had chased Lerigot to Earth. She intended to sacrifice them to Maligore, an ancient evil that needed to feed on Purity to regain his strength."
"Feed on Purity?" Rocky grimaced. "I don't like the sound of that."
"Neither did we," Tanya continued. "Thankfully, Maligore didn't literally eat them. He… he corrupted them, somehow. Stole their purity, turned them evil. Then, Kim and Jason attacked us."
"You saved Jason," Rocky noted, "He fought in the tournament to benefit the orphanage."
"You're right," Adam conceded. "Lerigot was able to restore Jason's purity. Quell the evil within him. But the evil inside Kimberly was too persistent… we couldn't break the spell in time."
"In time for…?"
Justin bit his lip. "In time to save her from the volcano. It erupted right after we wiped out Maligore."
Silence fell after Justin's whispered comment. Rocky stared at his successor with wide eyes, searching for the child-like enthusiasm the boy was infamous for.
Instead, he found him unnaturally subdued. I'm sorry, Justin. Sorry you had to… to see that.
He swallowed, moistening his too-dry throat. "My… God," he managed to mutter.
"We don't know for sure if Kimberly's… gone," Katherine hurriedly added. "She might have survived the blast. Divatox managed to escape… it's possible Kimberly was taken with her."
"Yeah. Possible," Tanya murmured, though her tone conveyed all her doubt.
Adam draped his arm over the Yellow Ranger's shoulders. "Every day, it gets bleaker," he sighed. "Divatox is a pirate; she's out for financial gain. If she did kidnap Kimberly, it would make sense she would send some kind of ransom demand. We never heard a thing."
"And Zordon and Alpha have been checking the interstellar frequencies for weeks, listening for any message mentioning a Power Ranger," Tanya continued. "They first thought maybe Divatox would try to unload her at a slave auction; there're plenty of aliens who'd kill to have a former Power Ranger to knock around. But absolutely nothing came up. We just don't have any leads to act on."
Then, Rocky tilted his head to Katherine. She seemed lost in thought, her blue eyes staring at the wall blankly. He winced as he realized what additional remorse must've weighed her shoulders. If the Red Ranger's absence was any indication, the pretty blonde lost more than one close friend.
"How's Tommy holding up?" he asked carefully.
Justin, Tanya, and Adam stayed silent, deferring the question to the one that would know the best.
"Devastated," she summed up, her voice a heavy sigh. "None of us ever see him any longer. Now that school's out and graduation is coming, he's been spending more and more time with his uncle Jeff."
"The racer?" Rocky wondered, eyebrows arched.
"The very same. He's taken up car racing. He hasn't been to the Youth Center in weeks, either." Her delicate hand clenched into a furious fist. "And he insists on carrying that damned letter around in his pocket everywhere he goes… like he's purposely tormenting himself."
The former Ranger frowned, utterly lost. "What letter? You mean the letter from Kim?"
The dancer turned, her eyes swimming in frustration… and… guilt? "The letter we thought was from Kim."
Rocky instinctively moved to leap from his bed, but clenched his teeth against a spasm of pain as his body reminded him not to make any sudden moves.
Slowly, he settled back into the mattress, yet his thunderous expression didn't fade. "She… didn't write the letter??"
Four somber faces confirmed his hypothesis.
His mind whirled as the implications clicked. "Then… she never broke up with Tommy."
Katherine answered, her voice carefully neutral. "No… she didn't."
oooOOOooo
She never wrote the letter.
She never dumped him.
She never fell in love with someone else.
The litany rang between his ears, crashing against his mind like an ocean agitated by a storm. Over and over the waves of painful truth struck, chipping away at his resolve, at his strength, at his will. The guilt wore away at him, grinding his spirit into sand.
His foot stomped the gas pedal, pushing the small white needle on the speedometer passed one hundred twenty miles per hour.
The world around him began to blur into streaks of vibrant color, bleeding into itself like an abstract painting. Ahead, the road seemed to narrow, lines on the track practically leaping from the asphalt as the howl of the engine replaced the howling of his mind.
He'd fallen into the driver's seat of a racecar under odd circumstances. Immediately after… the "Muiranthian Incident"… Tommy's world had come to a complete stop. The crippling weight of Kimberly's fate, and his direct culpability, ate at him day and night. He couldn't put it out of his mind… how he could have acted. How he should have saved her.
His face tensed, driving the speedometer toward one-forty.
The constant thrumming of his mind had been unbearable; and without any further attacks from Divatox, the Machine Empire, or even Lord Zedd, he had none of the high-intensity battles he'd come to depend upon for venting his rage.
He'd lost Kimberly; and with her any hope of peace of mind, joy without guilt, or a happy ending.
This only coping mechanism was to search for her. For four days straight he'd traveled to Muiranthias after school, Red Lightning tearing up the jungle as he scoured the small isle for any clue to the first Pink Ranger's fate. So long as he searched, he had something to hope for. Adrenaline raced through his body. His heart pumped frantically. He breathed hurriedly. He felt alive.
Without that rush, he wasn't so sure.
When Zordon finally forbade any further trips to Muiranthias, he'd lost all excuses to Morph. To hide behind molded armor, and let his body act on reflex. Silence the litany of guilt, as he forced his mind to focus on a single, monumental goal.
After grudgingly bowing to his mentor's will, Tommy retreated to his respite: his uncle's cabin. Only this time, Jeff Rush had been home, taking a much-needed breather from the demanding racing circuit.
Suddenly, the tormented Red Ranger found another outlet. Another means of driving away the haunting guilt, if only for a brief time. To make his heart race, breath heave, and adrenaline flow.
He felt alive again behind the wheel of a racecar.
It wasn't Red Lightning, but his uncle's car was a responsive, capable machine.
Racing forced Tommy's harrowed mind into simplicity. With every sharp turn, he risked spinning out of control, or flipping over. His knuckles grew white beneath leather gloves as he clenched the wheel, forcing total control over his own fate.
If his attention lapsed, he'd be a smear on the pavement.
Behind the wheel, his world narrowed into basic survival instinct. When the scenery bled into itself, his heart was forced to stop bleeding.
He knew it was escapism. The adrenaline was addictive, distracting him from his problems rather than resolving them and moving forward; but that was all he could do. If he were to truly move forward… he had to leave Kimberly behind. He could barely bring himself to do so when he thought she'd dumped him; how could he possibly even consider it when she was a blameless victim?
Instead, he chose to lose himself in the illusion of going forward, while in reality he only went around in circles.
oooOOOooo
"Ooo, hey! Look at this!"
For the umpteenth time, Scorpina rolled her large black eyes in annoyance. "What is it now?" she hissed.
In his typical, insipid fashion, the prince of the M 51 Galaxy completely missed the menace in the assassin's voice. "It's my sister's telescope!"
He held the battered Repulsascope proudly, as if it were a lost treasure. "I'll bet it still works! Won't Sis be psyched when she sees her fave 'scope as good as new?"
Scorpina had long ago decided it wasn't worth screaming at Rito Revolto. No one could ever get a glimmer of intimidation through his rock-hard skull. "Fine," she sighed, taking the tone of a frustrated babysitter, "Go… set it up on the balcony."
Rito grinned gleefully, and hauled the gadget to the spacious balcony of Lord Zedd's palace.
Scorpina let her gaze linger on Rito's back. Why Master Vile didn't put that idiot down at birth is a mystery to me…
Sighing again, she turned back to the task at hand: sweeping the throne room for any further Machine "surprises." So far, the weeks of labor unearthed plenty of unexpected presents: the dead husks of nearly a hundred drones, who no doubt patrolled the entire palace during Zedd's absence, a variety of recording instruments, and even organic-sensors, intended to alert the Machine Sky Base the instant a heartbeat was detected.
The spy allowed a cold smirk. Too bad there wasn't a Sky Base to alert.
"What are you doing now?" a deep voice suddenly growled. Scorpina turned away from the mountain of rubble through which she was sifting, and watched the mighty Titan Goldar march into the throne room, dragging half a dozen lifeless Cogs with one hand. His fierce ruby eyes glared at Rito, who was eagerly skipping about his sister's telescope.
"Looking for aliens!" Rito sang, waving Goldar toward him. "Check it out! I think I see something!"
Goldar sneered, marching passed the simpleton to toss the deactivated Cogs onto the lunar surface. "If it's a big blue ball, it's probably Earth."
Scorpina snickered, her dark eyes following the gold warrior as he made his way back in her direction. She rose to her feet, absently tossing her hair over her shoulder as she closed the gap between them.
"How in the Devil's name did you put up with that ignoramus for so long?" she wondered, a chime of humor in her soft voice.
The warrior huffed as he recalled the past few months. After successfully imploding the Power Rangers' Command Center, both he and Rito were caught in the blast. As a consequence, their minds were wiped of all memory, and the pair found themselves stranded and alone on Earth.
For months Goldar lived in the garage of some idiot human, obeying two foolish weaklings like some slave, with no one but Rito for company.
Goldar bared his teeth. "I had forgotten myself, Scorpina," he groused, "Forgotten my strength, my nature. And I see you will not let me forget my humiliation."
"Poor Goldar…" she murmured. Her hand rose to his neck, her light touch causing the towering monster's breath to hitch. "Fortunately, our Lord has decided to be gracious to you. He has overlooked this latest humiliation, and sought your service once again. In this new campaign, we will finally rid ourselves of those Rangers."
A sneer folded his blue snout. "And you are certain Rita won't be joining us. She keeps popping back into our lives, fumbling all Zedd's plans just as they take root!"
She answered with a mischievous grin. "Well, if Rita did pay us a visit, surely the sight of the new Queen would send her crying back to Daddy."
The assassin nearly giggled at the naked astonishment on Goldar's face. "New Queen?" he repeated. "Who?"
"Our Lord will inform you in time. For now, our duty is to restore the palace in anticipation of her arrival."
She let her hand slide away from his bare neck, gliding along his broad shoulder, down his armored arm, and brushing lightly against his hand. For a moment, Goldar's dark ruby eyes watched her saunter back to the task at hand, desperately trying to rein his attention back to the ravished throne room.
"Goldie, this thing is definitely getting closer!"
Goldar huffed in annoyance… though the fool was a welcome distraction. "What does it look like?" he growled with a thread of patience.
Rito pulled away from the telescope, his hands miming an object. "You know that… that human thingie that's the same name as a sandwich? You know, the food Bulk liked so much? What's it called… hero? Hoagie? Grinder?"
Scorpina blinked curiously. "Humans name their vessels after food? How bizarre…"
The Titan approached the telescope. "You mean a submarine, Rito."
The prince nodded eagerly. "Yep, that's it! A flying submarine! Ain't that a gas?"
"It's strange," he confessed, "Only space pirates use such vessels. What would a space pirate want with Earth?"
A smile slowly pulled Scorpina's lip. "Lord Zedd will be pleased to know she has finally returned."
Both Goldar and Rito exchanged puzzled looks as the spy disappeared down the dark hallway.
oooOOOooo
Of course, the Emperor already knew she was approaching.
He had seen her on Onyx, testing out a new weapon with startling ferocity. She subsequently threatened the stubborn merchant into submission, aptly using the terrifying legends of the dread Maligore to her benefit. And as she marched back to her vessel, Divatox's peon at her heels, she didn't even deem the nearby Putty worth her notice.
Though, she had no idea why there would be a Putty Patroller watching her to begin with
Under such circumstances, Zedd usually utilized Scorpina's commendable expertise. She was completely loyal to her Lord, and would've even found a way to board the rickety submarine without being detected. Surely, he would've received a wealth of information on the girl's plans, thoughts, and feelings.
Yet, he couldn't experience her through Scorpina. In the magical bond that merged the Putty Patroller's senses to his own, he could even feel her proximity. He watched intently, sequestered behind a nearby booth, flexing his enhanced senses to perceive the power she possessed.
She was fire personified, in all its wrathful, blazing glory. Yet, she could also be impressively subtle. In a similar situation, Rita, Divatox, or just about any other known villainess would've heaped insults on the insolent merchant, using her most unpleasant pitch to get her way. Yet Kimberly won him over with a quiet, though horrifying, hint at the evil housed within her deceptively diminutive frame.
She was forceful. Vengeful. Spiteful.
She was delicious…
When Lord Zedd first set his interests in the overly sweet, effervescent human, he had no idea how becoming she would be when finally shed of that innate goodness. Had he arrived just a few days earlier, he would've swept the girl off the planet as she was, and tried his own tactics to channel her outrage for Tommy Oliver to his benefit.
He had arrived on the moon in time to witness her predictable triumph over the inferior contenders in the worldwide sporting competition. However, he decided he had more urgent matters to address, such as finding his trusted servant Goldar, and restoring the decrepit palace into a structure fit for his new Queen.
By the time Goldar… and, as it happened, Rito… were recovered, Lerigot had already reached Earth's jungle.
He'd watched Divatox scour the planet for the wizard with mild amusement. When compared to the indomitable Machine Empire, which he had reduced to spare parts, the ambitious pirate was at most an inconvenience.
She only gained his interest when, by sheer accident, she kidnapped Kimberly.
Intrigued by the turn of events, he let the pieces fall as they might.
His future Queen was once again disappointed by her estranged lover, and then corrupted by the Flame of Destruction, the physical embodiment of Evil itself.
The resulting chaos that ensued was easily the most enjoyable show Lord Zedd had witnessed in many centuries. He'd seen the fruitage of the Flame from a distance, watching his Queen's eyes light as she tried to skewer the Red Turbo Ranger.
He found himself surprised to note that the Rangers didn't save her, as they had done countless times in the past. The evil was too persistent for Lerigot's weakened powers… she had clutched the freedom the Flame offered her desperately.
And she'd found her only means to keep that freedom as Maligore succumbed to the Rangers' infuriating luck: aboard the submarine of her kidnapper.
He could have snatched her from right under the Pirate Queen's nose… but he couldn't anticipate the former Pink Ranger's reaction to his sudden appearance. She may have been stripped of her purity, but certainly not her common sense, or memory.
It he truly wanted to win her over, he had to do more than just kidnap her. He had to do more than force his will on her, like he tried to do the first time. Her willpower was strong enough to defy him then, and it certainly could now.
Now, she was actually dangerous. With the Flame of Destruction, she had exhibited Ranger-level strength, but it was her ferocity that concerned him. If she didn't want to stay on the Moon, she'd find a way off, one way or another.
So, he had to make her want to stay.
Besides… wouldn't it be that much more satisfying if she were to submit to him of her own free will?
That was the challenge: learn more of her strengths, skills, and goals. Learn of her weaknesses, failings, and frustrations. Study the Flame itself, and study her use of it. And then, offer her a present; something to break down her suspicions and encourage an alliance.
At the corner of his perception, he felt that twinge of power he'd come to recognize on Onyx. There, he had memorized her energy signature, anticipating the moment that she'd return for her vengeance.
And now, he was ready to approach her. He knew more about the Flame than she did… knew about the handicap that came entwined with the power. He was in just the right position to win her over.
All he needed was the right moment to make his interest known; and as he felt her energies draw nearer, he smiled.
That moment, over four months in coming, would arrive shortly.
To Be Continued…