Disclaimer: If they were mine, I'd be nicer to them than this.

Thanks to all of you for hanging in, though the delay this time was not so much my fault. Many thanks to Rach and Carrie for all the feedback - I am not worthy. And to Post cereal, for the Alpha Bits.

Legacy, part 29

"Okay, everyone out of the pool." Zack spoke quietly, even knowing that his voice couldn't be heard outside the Xeryan helmet he wore. He brought the hoverskid to a gentle stop in midair just below the hole in the mountainside where Kim and Peter had escaped the grat'lest.

The night air was cooling rapidly, the yellow Xeryan moons hung high in the silent sky, lending an air of eerie unreality to the landscape.

"Okay," Kim said through gritted teeth, "I have no idea what we're about to find in there. Just kill anything that moves, would be my best advice."

Adam gave a dry chuckle as he hoisted himself up over the edge of the tunnel's mouth. "Relax, Kim. Peter and Iannos assured us that there's bound to be only one grat'lest in there now, and an immature one to boot. No problem."

"Fine," came the irritable response. "You go first, frogboy." The others snickered as they helped each other climb into the cave, Zack setting coordinates on the hoverskid's control console before following the rest.

"Where are you putting it?" Trini asked as she watched the small craft hum away.

Zack pointed. "Clump of rocks about half a mile back. I got my silent whistle right here, though, in case we want it in a hurry." He showed her a small remote device. "It'll home in on wherever this baby is, and avoid obstacles on the way." He paused, then chuckled. "I have got to get me one of these for back home."

"Are you serious? I have to go first?" Adam was saying to Kim, who was pointing down the tunnel with a no-nonsense gesture. "But you're the one with the -"

"Balls?" the former Pink Ranger injected sweetly. Muffled hilarity ensued.

"I was going to say experience," Adam grumbled.

Kim laughed softly, cuffing him lightly on the arm. "Come on, I was only kidding. Let's go."

***************

Jason glanced over the control console of the runabout, partly to reassure himself he was running close enough to the ground to avoid detection and partly to check the time. He sighed to himself; Kim and the others should be making their way through the tunnel that would take them below So'Vran's palace. Tommy, Aji and a contingent of hoverskids would be heading out of the base now, proceeding south to take their place outside the Citadel wall. The rest of them, including himself, Taia, and Billy, were going to attack from the north, to draw the Citadel guard out and away allowing the two stealth parties to attack from within.

Jason wiped beads of sweat from his upper lip. He'd nearly forgotten what it was like to fight for the survival of a planet: the adrenaline rush, the worry, the abject fear that this would be the one time a sacrifice would be made that could not be countenanced.

Aji. The thought of loss that could not be borne brought her vivid features immediately to mind. He'd thought he'd lost her once, and the fear that he could lose her for real went bone-deep. It was the same for all of them, really. He hadn't missed the expression that had crossed Tommy's face when Kim volunteered to lead the point group under the palace. Never mind that she was an experienced ex-Ranger, never mind that she was the best choice due to her recent ordeal. Jason admitted to himself that in Tommy's shoes he might have protested, just as Tommy had initially done. But Iannos had overruled them all, saying that this was the ultimate push against Sov'ran's power - it was today or never, and it would take all of them, working to the very best of their abilities, to see it happen. Absolute victory or total destruction, with nothing in between.

That thought reminded Jason that he really WAS fighting for the survival of a planet - a people - a way of life. They and the Xeryans were fighting for their future existence. Casualties could not be avoided. The only way to get through this was to ensure that none would die in vain.

The tiny comm receiver behind his ear flared to life.

*****************

The hoverskids were in position, invisible in the shadows outside the Citadel wall.

Don't brood, Tom. It's distracting. Aji softened her thought with a smile as her partner glanced up.

Sorry. Can't help it.

I know.

As if cued by the thought, the small transceiver each wore behind one ear crackled, Kim's voice coming over it. "In primary position," she said quietly. "No sign that we've been detected yet. We'll make the final push into Citadel territory at your signal, Jase."

Jason's deep rumble echoed softly in their ears. "We have troops headed this way. Engaging shortly. Give us some time to dig well in."

Aji nodded, tapping the tiny communication device at the base of her throat. "On your go, Paladin." And I love you.

***************

And there they came, So'Vran's black-clad guard, swarming toward them, on foot, in the air. the warship to Jason's left spat out energy, dispatching the first of what Jason felt sure was an armory of disruptor cannons. A dark warship loomed above them and Jason veered the runabout sharply, tossing his troops about but narrowly avoiding being fried. The rebel warship behind him slid into his place, driving the Citadel ship back with a well-placed shot to the bridge. Smoke obscured the general area; Jason angled the runabout down and to the right, breaking through the inky cover.

The light from the moons was useless now. He called on Paladin, swathing himself in golden power, and looked down at the battlefield below even as he turned over control of the runabout to a Xeryan whose name he didn't remember.

A second, then a third explosion indicated that the rebel warships were still pinpointing and destroying disruptor cannons; Billy's energy-locating technology was proving effective. Jason sent a silent message to his sister as he left the ship and took to the air. Time to go to work.

The specs they had managed to download from their one encounter with a Citadel warship in space were coming in very handy, Jason reflected, shooting a spike of golden energy into the weapons array of another black ship. His golden blade erupted from his hands with a thought and he tore through the hull near the reactor core; a silver flash skidded by as Taia enveloped the core in her particular brand of force field and pulled it free of the shrieking, tilting mass of metal. A mental shove from both siblings pushed the warship on its end as it drove itself into the sand like a giant monument; a wave of rebel troops swarmed forward to clean up survivors.

Two rebel warships followed three Citadel ships, evidently intending to engage them in space. Taia flung the reactor core at the tail of a departing Citadel ship, resulting in a satisfying light show and evening the odds. Another black vessel scudded away, back toward the Citadel itself; Sentinel tore through it with a magnificent burst of bronze energy, and the ship went smoking into the mountains.

Paladin shook his head grimly. Tai, tell Bill to cut that out or he'll go down like a comet.

The battlefield below was awash in bloody melee - a parody of the grace and beauty that had been the ethrull the Xeryans were so skilled at. Yet it was clear that this was where it had all began, the dance of the ethrull desyerti emerging from what was necessary for combat survival. Jason could see, even outside the range of his own spinning sword, the controlled furious flail that was Medja at her fiercest. He caught Deorth out of the corner of his eye, silencing a trooper with a swift blow that crushed the man's windpipe. Economical and exacting, even in battle, Deorth swept across the field.

Jason angled his body toward the ground, at the same time activating his comm. "It's a go," he said, and sent up a prayer.

**************

"Let's do this," said Tommy, and Aji nodded. Their movements became one, synchronized, precise; and the entire contingent faded utterly from view, slipping over the wall to infiltrate the Citadel.

A pair of hoverskids detached from the group, heading east to deal with the population of the Citadel slums. Identical expressions of concentration and effort broke across the faces of Light and Shadow as they fought to keep their comrades from being seen in the moonlit night. The rest of the squadron set down, and the war for control of the Citadel began.

The initial foray into the training fields drew out all the remaining military still stationed in the barracks. But their charge out was hasty and panicked, with little preparation or warning, and they ran straight into the waiting arms of the rebel forces.

It was a slaughter, at least initially.

Then, as troops from other compounds within the Citadel began to trickle in, it seemed as though the tide would turn. But the rebels were determined. Their battle lines would not fail. Although they wavered, the lines held strong.

Tommy caught a glimpse of more than one civilian running to stand with them against the Citadel guard and realized that So'Vran's fist had choked more than just open rebellion. "Liberty or oblivion!" rang through the air, and "Death to So'Vran!"

His shadowhammer swung wide, scattering Citadel guards. Tommy swung again, caving a barracks roof, sending chunks of debris flying into the fray. A pulse of shadow thudded from his open hand like the sound from a concussion gun, downing a row of black-clad combatants. The guards attempted a strategic retreat. Unfortunately, the only way open to them took them into waiting mass of civilians. A grim smile crossing his face, Tommy knew they'd find no welcome there: these were the same civilians the guards had helped to oppress for the last thousand years.

Aji sliced through the Citadel troops with the laserlike precision of a surgeon excising a tumor, and at last their way was clear to the palace. Tommy tapped his comm. "We're in!"

*************

Kim nodded at the others, huddled around the door that led from the palace sewers to the older system. "Okay, they're in. Ready, Adam?"

The Green Zeo Ranger nodded shortly. "As far as I can tell, and with what Peter told me, this ought to bypass the alarm for a bit. If not - "

Trini shrugged. "If not, doesn't change much. You okay, Kat?"

With a shudder, Pink Zeo nodded. "Yeah, better. Spiders give me the creeps, and that thing was disgusting."

Kim chuckled behind her helmet. "You should've seen its mama."

Kat made a rude noise. "No, thanks."

Zack shifted his weapon. "Let's do it to it!"

With a nod, Rocky spun the wheel and shouldered the door open. There was just about time for a breath of relief before the klaxons went off.

"Go go go!" hollered Trini, leaping into the smooth tunnel, the light on her helmet glancing off the silvery walls. "On O2, everybody. He knows we're here - "

Kim thumbed the oxygen circulation valve in her helmet just as the hissing began. She flashed her light toward the wall as they ran past. "Look." A pale yellow gas was seeping rapidly into the tunnel.

"Good guess, Tri," panted Kat, running after her. "How'd you know?"

Trini chuckled, her back to the wall. "It's what I'd do if I wanted to kill us."

Rocky, bringing up the rear, broke in. "Plan your world domination later, ladies. We have company."

Kim spat out a succinct oath. "There's a fork ahead; we'll split up. T, you take Yellow and Green. Head left. Pink, Blue, Zack, you're with me. Be careful, everybody."

Trini gave the others a two fingered wave and beckoned Adam and Tanya forward; they set off at a flat run. Rocky cursed volubly in two languages as weapons fire erupted near his feet, returning the fire before dodging forward.

"Go on, I'll catch up," he gritted through clenched teeth.

Two black-clad figures appeared around the bend behind them; Kat grasped Rocky by the shirtfront and jerked him forward, squeezing off a shot at the wall at the same time. A chunk of the tunnel fell in with a satisfying crash, cutting off the attack. "You don't ditch me that easily, lover. Come on."

The four ran forward, skidding to a stop behind Kim long moments later. She popped her comm link. "T, where are you?"

The sounds of weapons fire in the background set all their teeth on edge. "In the palace proper. We've engaged. You?"

"No idea. Still below, though." Kim scanned the area. "Were they waiting?"

"Yep. Crap, Adam, your four o'clock!" More weapons fire. "Mother-grabbing- son-of-a - is he okay?"

"Oh, you did NOT just shoot my husband, you -!" Tanya's furious voice broke in, accompanied by the sound of a purposeful energy discharge. "Hah. Oppress that, Nazi boy. You okay, baby?" There was a pause. "He's a little scorched. And I prefer my men raw."

"I'm good." This was Adam; the four who were underground breathed sighs of relief.

"Okay," Trini said authoritatively. "Going deeper. Get up here, you guys, we could use the help."

"On our way." Kim paced off the floor.

Zack spoke warily. "What are you doing?"

"Odds are they're waiting for us at every door." Kim looked at each of them in turn, then grinned inside her helmet. "So we make our own." She shouldered her weapon, took aim at the ceiling a distance away, and blasted a hole. A second round from Kat followed hard on the first blast and the hole widened enough for them to climb through easily.

Zack chuckled as he helped Kim over the rubble and up into the hole. "I love a woman who knows how to take control."

"You can call me Mistress Kim." Kim tapped her comm again. "We're in and on the move."

*************

With a last look at the bloody uproar raging below, Jason, Taia, and Billy wheeled in the air and headed for the Citadel to bring the final battle home to So'Vran.