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

As always, many thanks to Rach and Carrie for all the hard work. To Loog, for her unbridled enthusiasm. And to FL, for unwittingly prodding me along.

Legacy, part 30

The halls of the palace were wide and empty, apart from the occasional troop of Citadel soldiers running past in chaotic disarray. Tommy and Aji made their way past those easily, heading deeper into the maw of the enemy, looking for the very heart of So'Vran's stronghold.

Echoing footsteps alerted them to the approach of yet another troop. Tommy pulled his partner back into invisibility against the wall. She was frowning.

What is it? he asked silently.

Something is different. There's no haste, and only one of them. As if to confirm her assertion a lone figure appeared, his approach deliberate. He wore a cloak, gray in color, with a hood obscuring his face. The man paused, as though listening, waiting.

The color drained from Aji's cheeks as the hooded man turned toward them as though on instinct. She stepped forward abruptly, out of the circle of Tommy's camouflage.

He reached to stop her, but too late. Aji! Aj, what do you think you're -

The expression on her face could only be described as dazed as Aji approached the cloaked figure. The man's hood fell back, revealing a head of wild red hair above a lined and careworn face. He spoke; his voice was gentle, hushed. "I had not thought to see you again, Aji."

She shook her head. "You were looking for me."

He inclined his head. "I was."

"Why?"

The man offered her a small device; Tommy couldn't see it clearly. "To give you this."

Aji seemed to ignore it. "No, I mean why - "

He held up a hand. "I know what you ask, but our time grows short. And you have your answer here." At last she looked down at what he held, and took it from him. "This is why, Aji."

She was clearly bewildered. "But - "

A squad of soldiers erupted from around the corner. Before Tommy had a chance to move the lead Citadel grunt had a point-blank bead on Aji, his thick finger squeezing the trigger. and then the cloaked man grasped her shoulders and spun her behind him, taking the hit in the center of his chest. Before his lifeless body hit the floor both Shadow and Light burst forth, dispatching the squad with deadly force.

Aji went to her knees and gathered the dead man to her, clutching him close, her head bent into the lifeless body's chest as she wept, whispering a single word.

"Father."

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

Jason's flight checked in midair. "What is it?" Billy called, he and Taia slowing slightly to allow Paladin to catch up.

His expression was grim. "Aji. Something's happened."

"Is she all right?" Taia's voice reflected her worry.

"She's shut down again," Jason shook his head. "Like she was before. I can feel her, but I can't reach her."

They exchanged glances, then in accord streaked toward the Citadel looming in the distance.

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

The blast as the corridor floor caved in brought troops on the run, but they were clearly unprepared to find Zack and Kim, Rocky and Kat waiting to welcome them with open armaments. After a short siege in the hallway, Kim waved away the smoke from in front of her helmet and tapped the comm. "We're ready to join the party."

"Not a second too soon, if you want my opinion," hissed Trini. "We've got a bit of a situation developing here."

"Rocky, Kat, one of you get a lock on their position. What kind of situation, T?" Kim glanced at Rocky, who nodded and started off at a lope down the corridor, the other three following closely behind.

"Outmanned and outgunned, and I don't think - Tanya, look out! Behind you - " There was a pause, the sounds of a scuffle, some weapons fire.

"ADAM!" Tanya's voice was barely recognizable.

"Tanya, get back!"

"Let me go! ADAM!"

"Dammit, Tanya, no -- !" There was a huge crash, and then the unmistakable radio squeal of a disabled mike.

"TRINI!" shrieked Kim. "Tanya! Adam! ANYBODY!"

"Oh, God," whispered Kat, as Zack cursed volubly.

Rocky redoubled his efforts. "I've still got a lock. They're on the move," he spat out.

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

Some days just sucked. Trini winced as her helmet was unceremoniously torn from her head; she blinked as she focused very closely on the muzzle of the disruptor that lay gently against her forehead. The Citadel guard who held it indicated with a jerk of his head that she should move. She glanced over at Tanya, a spitting wildcat held by a pair of guards, and at Adam, who lay still, the hole in the center of his chest still smoking slightly.

Her worried gaze narrowed on the Green Zeo Ranger, Trini got to her feet, hands in the air. Tanya tried to bite one of the guards and got cuffed for her trouble. "Tanya!" Trini spoke sharply. "Knock it off. It won't help him, and you have to stay okay." The Yellow Zeo Ranger subsided a bit, tears forming in her dark eyes.

Adam's fingers twitched. Tanya gasped; her husband groaned, drawing in a harsh breath, coughing. A thin trickle of blood traced from the corner of his mouth to the floor. One of the guards gestured at him with his weapon. "Bring him."

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

Rocky came to a halt at a pile of scorched rubble, staring at a bloodstain that was congealing on the floor. "This is where they were when the transmission cut out," he said shortly, glancing up as the other three came up beside him.

Kat nodded. "They're moving that way," she pointed down the corridor, "but I have to say they're moving a little too slowly and steadily for my taste."

Zack nodded. "Not like they're on the run with someone hurt."

The Pink Zeo Ranger nodded. "Exactly. They'd be faster, more erratic, is my feeling."

"They've been taken," Kim growled.

Rocky folded his arms, turning away from them. "So we get them back," was all he said, but they could hear the strain in his voice.

Kim nodded, hunching her shoulders. "Yeah, we do. The trick is going to be getting them back without getting any of us killed." She rolled her head, trying to relieve the stress that was gathering at the back of her neck, and tapped her comm. "Tom?"

His voice came back clear. "Almost there, Kim."

"We're in a jam."

"Get in line." He sighed gustily. "What flavor's your jam?"

"So'Vran has three hostages."

They all heard the hissed intake of breath. "Not that it matters, but who?"

Kim swallowed, not wanting to say it aloud. "Trini, Adam, Tanya. And Adam's hurt. Maybe worse."

A quiet string of epithets came across the comm. "Right. Listen. Find a place to lay low until we get there. Billy, Jason, and Tai are on their way as well. Do NOT go in after them, you hear me? Three hostages is bad enough." Rocky started to protest, but Tommy cut him off. "I know it's killing you, Rocko, but you have to trust me. We'll be there in time, I swear."

The Blue Zeo Ranger nodded, his shoulders slumping.

Kim paced back a few steps. "Now what are you up to, Superfly?" Zack wanted to know.

"Looking for a place to lay low. My definition, not Tom's."

"Meaning?"

She beckoned them to a branch of a corridor. "Meaning Rangers don't sit on their asses when their teammates are in trouble."

"All right!" said Rocky hoarsely, shouldering past her with Kat on his heels.

Zack genuflected to Kim as he joined her. "Got news for you, baby girl. We aren't Rangers anymore."

She chuckled. "Take that up with Alpha."

They moved stealthily but steadily through the shadowed halls of So'Vran's palace, trying to parallel, as closely as possible, the journey that their friends were being forced to take. None of them were willing to be very far away in case an opportunity for rescue should arise.

Voices filtered to them from beyond a pile of debris; Rocky dodged around it, then came back, beckoning the others. "Come on," he whispered. Around the other side was an easily defendable niche, and from the sound of things, they were just about right on top of So'Vran's control room.

"I must say, Iannos' little surprise came off rather well."

Kim's skin crawled, and she leaned forward for a peek. So'Vran's voice fairly crackled with evil as he approached the three Rangers, who were held immobile by burly, black-clad guards.

"And what is this, some sort of infestation?" He stopped in front of Trini, tilting up her chin to look her in the eyes. Trini shuddered but refused to look away. "Mmm. Eltaran powered brats. Interesting." He crossed to Tanya, looking deep into her eyes as well; then So'Vran chuckled, his gaze dropping to the Yellow Zeo Ranger's midsection. "Inordinately interesting." Finally he moved on to Adam. "Pity this one's broken; he looks as though he might have been amusing. Still. perhaps he can still be of some use to me." Tanya whimpered, catching a dark glance of interest. "Ah. I see. Better still." So'Vran moved back toward her. Trini began to struggle.

"Leave her alone!" The Red Zeo Ranger spat out furiously.

So'Vran looked at her, his head tilted to one side inquiringly. "Now why would I want to do that?" His tone was deceptively benign. "She is with child, is she not? I myself do not have an heir, but perhaps I have been remiss. It occurs to me that I might take this one, raise it myself."

Shock ricocheted through the niche. Kat grasped Kim's arm, hard. "Did you know?"

"Hell, no."

Tanya was pleading, weeping. "No, please."

Trini snapped her head back in a headbutt, dazing the guard who held her and freeing herself. She ran to interpose herself between So'Vran and the terrified Tanya. "Over my dead body," she snarled.

There was a pause. "Acceptable," So'Vran decided, and he grasped Trini around the throat, lifting her high into the air. She struggled, choking, clawing at his hand.

"PUT HER DOWN!" Kim shouted, taking aim with her weapon as she and the others burst forth from their hiding place.

He flung Trini aside and she hit a console hard enough to dent the metal, sliding to the floor like a rag doll, one arm at an impossible angle. "Ah, my little monkey," So'Vran smiled at Kim, stalking toward them. Zack and Kim fired, hitting him dead center.

Nothing.

Kat raced over to where Trini lay, checking her pulse. Rocky shouldered his way in front of Zack and Kim. "Back off, man, I am warning you!"

So'Vran snorted inelegantly. "You? Warn me? You insignificant creature, you warn me of what?"

The air behind him shimmered, revealing five metallic figures. "How's about WE warn you?" boomed Jason's deep voice as Billy and Tommy easily took out the soldiers holding Tanya and Adam. So'Vran whirled, his cloak flying wide; Jason's golden blade leapt from his hands. Billy's energy staff sizzled into being, Tommy summoned his shadowhammer, Aji's fists gleamed too brightly to look at, and Taia was enveloped in a visible warp of power.

"You wanna dance, So'Vran?" Tommy grinned, swinging his hammer slightly.

Billy's chin went up a notch. "Let's dance."