Disclaimer: Saban or whomever it is nowadays (seeing as it keeps changing
hands) owns the Power Rangers. I own this file. So we're square.
Whoopee!!!
Seeing as how I own Sharie Treista and anybody else not considered "canon" in these stories, (including the character Troy) I feel obliged to point out that the character of Nightstriker Warrior actually happens to belong to my little brother, more or less. Ages ago, when I was typing this series for the first time, he approached me on it and begged me to use one of *his* ideas, one of *his* made-up warriors for once. I bowed to the inevitable for once and said yes. So the idea of these powers, belonging to a ghost, were born, bounced between his brain and mine. (Consequently, this is his favorite story out of the whole bunch I've ever written. Coincidence? I think not.)
Forgive the idiotic stanzas in this story. I was sick at the time when writing it and later was too lazy to change it (including now).
Acknowledgements: Starhawk, for a certain color withdrawl concept, my little brother, for NightStriker Warrior, and to my readers, for reading and enjoying.
Somebody asked me: Why double-dutch? My answer: Because I hate sports and did sort of enjoy jumping rope as a kid. And it amused me that a world as advanced as Triforia has to be would not have something as simple as jumping with two ropes (despite the "sheltered" cracks made in this story....)
The Ghost Guardian By ZeoViolet Teaser: When a ghost guards his powers, he will make sure only the right person recieves them.
"No, like this," signed Toby, twisting his foot as he demonstrated to the older Triforian boy. "You don't use teleknesis, you use your head and your senses for Hackey-Sack."
Fourteen-year-old Tasik watched the smaller boy with rapt attention. Though Toby was only nine and Tasik was fourteen, the two had become fast friends. Toby's hands flew as he explained the difference between Earth's hackey-sack and Triforia's version which involved telekenesis. Other boys and girls were crowded around, watching also, their eyes wide and their golden Marks of Triforia gleaming on their right eyes and upper cheekbones.
Tami was in a different group, jumping rope with a smaller crowd of boys and girls.
"Why jump with two ropes?" signed a twelve-year old girl named Sandiyea to her new friend. "I don't see a point."
"Don't tell me you have never heard of double-dutch!" Tami exclaimed with her hands, her golden eyes wide. She turned and sent a quick telepathic thought to her twin brother. Being twins, and having had Sharie as a coach, this was easily accomplished.
*Toby, can you believe they have no system for jumping with two ropes? Come here and help me show them how!*
Toby smiled inadvertenly as he kicked the small bean-filled sack one more time, catching it neatly in his hand. Quickly, he explained what he was going to do as the group followed him. Jump-rope was a popular sport on Triforia, especially with children, and they were curious.
Sharie and Trey, along with their mother, Jeanette and the twins's parents, Marisha and Marek Thoene, stood on a hill, smiling as they watched the proceedings.
"You have never heard of double-dutch?" chuckled Marek as he watched.
Trey shook his head. "No. Why jump with two ropes when one will complete the exercise?"
"It is fun," said Sharie, who, having grown up on earth, knew what it was. "Just watch, and you will see."
*Sharie!* she suddenly heard the call in her brain. *We need a third person. Will you come and help us?*
*I am coming,* she sent automatically. She shot a grin to the adults and raced down the hill to help her young cousins. They laughed, watching her take up one end of the two ropes and Toby take the other end. Silence fell as their eyes locked, golden to purple, and rhythmically, first one rope then the other, the gentle *slap, slap* could be heard on the pavement.
Tami stood just out of the reach of the twirling ropes, timing her entry. When the timing was just right, she jumped in, her small feet beginning to dance on the pavement as they lightly skipped over the double ropes. With a smile on her face and her long black hair flying, her golden eyes glittering, she demonstrated one move, then another, and the two twirling the ropes responded to her unspoken cue to start going as fast as they dared, until her feet were moving so fast they could barely be seen. Finally, with a dramatic handspring, she leaped out of the twirling cage and landed neatly on her feet.
She could not hear the resounding applause, being deaf, but she could see it when she turned around and saw the cheering crowd. She, Toby, and Sharie were surrounded by eager children begging for more, wanting to learn this strange new way of playing. They were only too happy to teach them.
"It looks like they have given Triforia a new sport," mused Jeanette, watching the crowd. Marisha looked at her in surprise, for Jeanette seemed unaware of the tears streaming down her face, or the look of gratification in her eyes. "Jeanette? Are you okay?"
"Fine. I am better than okay." Jeanette wiped her face and smiled, looking no older than her daughter among the other children. Triforians stopped aging at eighteen or nineteen. "I feel wonderful. I never thought to see Sharie actively playing with a group of children again. Technically, she should still be doing that for a few more years yet, hanging out with the very young crowd. But Sharie was forced to grow up much, much too soon. It may be hard for you to understand, Marisha. Children on this world are very precious, and we don't have a lot of them at any one time. There are only three hundred million of us, and we live 50,000 years. So at any given time, children, even in groups, are relatively rare, and we indulge them until they are supposed to technically be fully adults, and even adults love to play."
"And how old is that?" asked Marisha mildly.
"Most Triforians are considered fully adult when they are around twenty- five or so," answered Jeanette. "But both Trey and Sharie grew up well before then. I have been forced to see the adult side of my daughter for the past week since they set me free, and I am gratified to see her act her age for once."
Marisha chuckled. "On Earth, by now she would have been past jumping rope like a nine-year-old. In just weeks, legally on her eighteenth birthday, she will be fully adult," Marisha confessed. "And Marek and I will have no legal hold on her. But what about you?"
"Technically, I can keep Sharie under my control until her twenty-fifth birthday," answered Jeanette uneasily. "But I cannot. She has lived too much to be considered my child daughter. And, by law, her adulthood comes sooner because of her romantic involvement, be it with a human boy or not. I understand that what she has going with Carlos is pretty deep, but I do not know the full extent of it. She could be sexually involved also with him and I would have no right finding out."
Marisha, too, squirmed at the subject. "You know you cannot control somebody's life and worry about their romantic involvement when they are used to going out and saving galaxies every few days. Sharie is mature enough to handle that, so she is mature enough to understand her own heart, and what it desires." She glanced sideways at Jeanette. "Does her being involved with Carlos bother you?"
"...A little," Jeanette admitted quietly. "It is just that Sharie is so young, and..." she stopped herself just in time. Supposedly, the topic of Nikita, Trey's first (and ultimately tragic) love was something known only to Sharie, Trey, herself, and Trey's current girlfriend, Delphine. Jeanette was unaware, like anyone else, that Sharie had also let Carlos in on the secret. "...And I do not want her to get hurt," she finished, a bit lamely.
Marisha decided it was time to defend the boy. "Carlos is the finest boy I have met," she admitted. "He would never intentionally hurt Sharie, and he is wise well beyond his years. He pulled Sharie out of a deep chasm I feared she would never even surface above again. She still suffers in ways I cannot describe, but she is finally learning to accept somebody as a pillar to lean on once in a while. And more importantly, to open up a bit."
"I saw that," admitted Jeanette, watching her daughter happily do demonstration after demonstration. Carlos had had to leave after staying only two days on Triforia, not long enough for Jeanette to see him much. Delphine had left soon after. "Carlos does seem like a fine boy, and he is a Power Ranger. That takes great responisiblity. Maybe I should make more of an effort to get to know him." She sighed, and something about her purple eyes made Marisha realize something.
"And...you are also worried about losing her, and Trey, so soon after you have been given this second chance together," she finished, and saw Jeanette flinch, then nod.
"I'm afraid that is exactly it. I did not get to see my little girl grow up, Marisha. You did. Trey...well, that is different, he is an adult. But I missed him as terribly. And they are both Power Rangers, powerful ones."
"You were a Power Ranger also, once, were you not?" asked Marisha. "Before you gave your powers to your son?"
Jeanette nodded. "I gave them to him when he was about a century old. I had had them since I was two thousand years old, and I felt I had had them long enough. I got them from my mother, she got them from hers. Before that, they had belonged to the men of the family for six generations."
Marisha raised an eyebrow at her, and Jeanette got an inkling of what she was thinking. "No, it was not sexism. That does not exist in our society. It was simply the fact of the eldest child being the son, or the next heir proclaimed, happend to be male. Trey may very well one day give the powers to his own child of his choosing."
What about the title of Lord of Triforia?" asked Marek, who had been listening to the whole conversation. "I thought Sharie had that, or is it only until Trey has a child of his own?"
"No, I am afraid that is pretty much permanent. Trey had been under the impression too long that he would never marry or have a child of his own, so I was not surprised when Sharie naturally got that title," sighed Jeanette. "Besides, she is so much younger than Trey it might as well be this way. But it also makes little difference. Triforia is for the most part democratic, and people have much say in their lives. He only makes the final decision on the most important of matters, and he always listens to the public, usually ultimately deciding on their behalf," she explained. "Matters of war and battles are also basically under his jurisdiction."
A curious question nagged at Marisha, and she hesistated to ask it, for fear of offending. Jeanette noticed her hesistancy, and smiled. "Ask anything. It is highly unlikely it will be found offesive, since you are an offworlder merely wanting to know more."
"Well...." stumbled Marisha. "What if the people are unhappy with their ruler? If he does not make sound, wise decisions, or is purposely negelctful?"
"I think I see what you are asking," answered Jeanette levelly. "It has only happened once in history that I can recall. About fifty million years ago, one of the rulers was said to have been attracted by the dark side. Triforia nearly collapsed under his guidance, and he was ousted. He was taken prisoner, then it was discovered he had been placed under an evil spell, and not willingly. Once the spell was removed, he was cured, but declined to resume his post. He was too ashamed, though everyone ceased to blame him. He gave the post to his daughter. No, for the most part, Marisha, every Lord or Lady of Triforia has done their job wisely and well, my son no exception. I am very proud of him, and I have no doubt Sharie will do the same."
Sharie had broken away from the group of children, and was headed back their way. A dark shadow of worry had crossed her face, and it instantly raised Jeanette's internal alarms.
Marisha had noticed, too. "What is wrong, child?" she could not help but ask, placing her arm around her neice. "You look haunted. What has happened?"
"I don't know," Sharie whispered, fear in her voice. "I just sense something is wrong. Dreadfully wrong." Her eyes widened as the feeling hit her anew, and she gasped, "I am almost sure of it! Something is wrong with Carlos--with the Lightstar Rangers. They need help!"
Everyone but Marisha and Marek looked surprised. The latter two were used to Sharie's otherworldly displays, and knew that she had indeed probably sensed the group in trouble, despite her mental barriers keeping most of the interference out.
Then Trey also began to squirm, for he was also more attuned to the Astro Rangers than most would think. They were his friends. "She may be right," he admitted.
Just as Sharie was about to reach for her communicator and contact Carlos, to ask if everything was all right, her communicator went *beep beep beep, beep beep beep* that told her she was recieving an emergency trasmission. She tuned into the channel.
"Sharie! Can you hear me! Madre de Dios, please answer!" It was Carlos, and he sounded desperate.
"Carlos?" Sharie kept her voice calm, since Carlos's tone said he was not far from panic. "What is wrong? I am picking you up, but just barely."
"Sharie? Thank goodness." Carlos sounded faint, like he was barely conscious. "We....and the Phantom ranger...we need help. He was helping us....we are injured, I think. I cannot reach the others...enemy is gone...but...."
"Carlos! Stay on the line and talk to me," Sharie encouraged. "Where are you?"
His reply became weaker. "Nav systems....offline...I think...we are a few light-years outside the Triforian system...."
Trey had activated his own communicator, but could barely hear Carlos's weakening voice. "We will come at once," he said. "Just hold on, Carlos."
A faint, "Mm-hm...." was heard, then the link went completely static. Sharie felt a dreadful sense fill her, and she cried out, "Carlos! Do you read me? Carlos?"
No response. Sharie went sheet-white as she tried to think. "We have to get together a medical ship, and quickly. I have a feeling they are badly injured."
Jeanette spoke up at once. "I will go as well. I am a trained physician, I might be able to help."
She was echoed immediately by Marisha. "Let me go also," she said. "I am also a doctor, and I am human, like them. You," she turned to her husband. "you should remain here, just in case we have a bad problem. We may need you then."
He nodded just as Trey came running up. "I have dispatched a medical ship, and it is in orbit," he said quickly. "It is waiting for us onboard. The only Zords on Triforia right now are still too damaged to do much. The medical ship can defend itself if need be."
"Did you ever expand on your medical knowledge?" asked Jeanette to her son as soon as they had boarded. "We may also need your help in case things are bad."
He nodded. "I am always up-to-date on emergency procedures," he confirmed. "And Sharie drilled a bunch of extra things into my head recently. I will be able to help in most ways necessary."
He stayed at helm while the three women went down to the medical bay in preparation to recieve possibly critically injured Rangers. It did not take them long to find the battlesite and the Megaship. The ship was limping along, aimlessly, and it seemed almost entirely dark. The hull was obviously damaged, and there were many other scars of battle on the ship that could be detected.
As he scanned for further damage, Jeanette was busy with 3-D images of the human body, memorizing them and how it was supposed to function. Thanks to her photographic memory, she needed only a few minutes, then she was ready to go.
"I cannot hail them," said Trey, concern written across his features. "DECA's communications systems must be down."
Sharie frowned, considering the best action. "Trey, why don't you and Aunt Marisha stay here, in the Medical bay, and prepare to recieve the injured. Mother, you and I can go over and explore the ship."
Jeanette nodded in agreement, holstering a phaser pistol to her waist, just in case. Holding an emergency medical kit in one hand, Sharie holding another, they teleported to the Megaship.
****
It was very dark inside. The corridor on which they found themselves was a terrible mess. Broken pipes and wires were everywhere, and heavy gasses spilling from the pipes gave the whole place a foggy look and made it difficult to see the floor. Both women hoped they did not turn an ankle or miss somebody while they searched.
"DECA?" Sharie called out to the ship's sentient computer. "Are you active?"
For a dreadful moment, there was no response, then a nearby tiny camera blinked weakly. "Sharie?" DECA asked faintly. "Is that you? Who is that with you, or am I seeing double?"
Sharie's lips quirked despite themselves. Did everyone have to observe she was almost her mother's mirror image, except she was smaller and her ear shape was different?
"No, you are not seeing double, DECA. This is Jeanette Triesta, my mother. Where is everybody?"
"I don't know, a lot of my internal sensors are fried. Divatox attacked because she felt we were getting too close to Zordon. The results you can see for yourself."
"Then it looks like we have to blind-search," Sharie observed. "Stay nearby, DECA."
"I will do my best, Sharie."
****
"Where are we?" asked Jeanette as they walked carefully down the corridor.
"The engine room should be close," answered Sharie, observing the markings on the doors. "Yes, here we are."
The door was malfunctioning, and only half opened enough so that they could barely get inside. It was dark inside, except for a few dim emergency lights, just enough to point out a boy in a blue-trimmed jumpsuit lying face-down in the floor.
"That is TJ, the Blue Ranger," Sharie whispered. Jeanette made her way to him, and gently knelt at his side, turning the dark-skinned boy over. His tunic had blood on it, she could see several cuts and bruises on his skin. Her scanner showed a concussion and three broken ribs, and she could feel a cracked collarbone.
At her gentle touch, he moaned softly and his inky-dark eyes opened dazedly. "Sh-sharie?" he asked, disoriented. "Wait a sec...you are not her, or you grew tall really quickly." he stumbled with a smile, but uneasily.
Jeanette smiled at how he attempted humor, even when injured. "No," she said quietly, because she was sure that with the concussion, her voice must be ringing in his ears. "I am not Sharie. I am her mother, Jeanette. Sharie recieved a distress call from this ship. Lie still now. We are here to help."
He was too disoriented to ask who else had come, so he just nodded and drifted back unconscious. Jeanette did what she could to stabalize him.
****
Meanwhile, Sharie had climbed the ladder to the upper level. The gassy fog was thick here, so she had some trouble finding Ashley. The girl was, though conscious, in a great deal of pain, her leg trapped under numerous pipes and other rubbish. She, too, was covered with cuts and bruises.
"Sharie...thank goodness you came..." Ashley's voice was hoarse with pain as Sharie moved the rubble off her leg. "We were attacked..."
"Sh, I know," Sharie whispered, scanning her for other injuries. She wondered how Ashley was awake, with a fractured skull and shattered wrist. Her gallbladder was also bleeding, indicating internal injuries.
"I came with my mother, brother, and Aunt Marisha," she whispered to distract the girl from the pain. "We are here to help. I am going to put you in a temporary drug-induced coma, Ashley. You have some nasty injuries, and it will be better for you to be relaxed. Now, *don't worry*," she assured the girl. Ashley barely had time to nod, wincing in pain from the movement. Quickly, Sharie pressed a hypospray to the girl's neck, and felt her sigh as she relaxed. Quickly, after stabalizing her further, Sharie quickly typed some instructions on a computer padd, for Marisha and Trey, before she had the girl teleported to the medical bay.
When Sharie made her way back over to her mother, TJ was also gone. "There is nobody else here," she told Jeanette. I want you to find your way to the Shuttle bay, someone might be there. I will go up to the bridge."
"That is fine, but where is it?" asked Jeanette. "I have no knowledge of this vessel."
"It is three decks above this one," whispered Sharie, thinking. "Ask DECA for directions, or if you run into a little robot called Alpha six. He will know. Be careful."
The two women nodded and hugged breifly before going their seperate ways.
****
Jeanette made her way three decks down, then, to her consternation and embarassment, found herself lost. *I knew I should have looked at the map before coming* she almost cursed herself.
"Ay-yi-yi!" a voice startled her, causing her to jump. She had felt no other presence here, so that was odd... "I was almost sure you were Sharie, but you are too tall! Who are you?"
Jeanette turned to see a little robot, of the Alpha line of models, stumbling through the debris toward her. Jeanette relaxed, for she knew of the Alpha models under Zordon's guidance. They were on the side of good, not like the ones who had helped hold her captive...
"I am Jeanette, Sharie's mother," she said, hoping the robot would believe her. "I assume you are Alpha six. I am here to help, but I need directions to the shuttle bay."
She was sure she heard Alpha sigh with relief. "You are close. Two doors down, to the left."
"Thank you," Jeanette smiled at the little robot, who seemed to be in a type of self-repair mode. "Do you need any help?"
"Ay-yi-yi, no, I will be fine," said the robot. "Just find the other rangers. I am having difficulty moving, and as a result I am of little help. Good luck."
Jeanette nodded at thanks again, then quickly stumbled down the hall. She rapidly found the shuttle bay, and the malfunctioning doors opened just enough for her to squeeze her slender body through.
It was dim inside, but not as much as the other areas. Still, Jeanette quickly spied a girl in pink slumped, unmoving, against one of the walls. Even from a distance, she did not look in good shape.
Worried, Jeanette got closer, careful not to touch her in case her injuries were severe, which Jeanette suspected they were. The girl's breathing was wheezy, and her lips had taken on a bluish shade. Jeanette passed her scanner over the girl, and her fears were confirmed. Punctured lung, broken ribs, severe concussion, severe internal injuries. They could possibly prove fatal unless she got medical attention right away.
Biting her lip, Jeanette did her best to try and stabalize the girl. Vaguely, she tried to recall the girl's name...Cassie, had Sharie said? Telepathically, she contacted her son. "Trey, I have found Cassie. She is in critical condition. As soon as I teleport her over, place her in emergency stasis. She needs extensive medical care, and emergency surgery."
"Acknowledged." she heard the worry in her son's tone as Cassie vanished. Jeanette was worried also, but Cassie would remain alive as long as she was in stasis.
No one else was in the room. With a sigh, Jeanette expanded her telepathic range to sense the nearest mind. She found one--just outside the room and down the hall, near one of the storage rooms. As quickly as she could stumble down the hallway, Jeanette made her way there.
She turned over a boy with dark hair, streaked with a golden color. His tunic was red, and he wore a locket around his neck. This had to be Andros, the team leader. He had obviously been thrown. She discovered, upon examination, yet another concussion, cracked vertebrae (it was a miracle his spinal cord had not been touched, she mused), and a busted rib.
*Poor boy,* she thought silently as she stabalized him, with instructions for Trey, before he disappeared in a flash of red.
****
Meanwhile, Sharie managed to make her way to the bridge. The doors barely admitted her, and the whole room was dark, save for the emergency lights.
To her relief, and yet her agony, she found Carlos at last. He was sitting weakly in the chair by the comm system in a way that made it plain that he had barely dragged himself into it to issue the distress call. He was barely conscious, and vaguely responded to her touch.
"Sharie..." he glanced at her and smiled weakly, but was squinting at her, sure signs of yet another concussion. "Querida...you are here..everyone is hurt..." he winced in obvious pain. "Including myself, so it seems," he grunted, his voice raspy as he clutched his chest, coughing.
Sharie scanned him quickly, attempting to make light of the situation. "Ouch. I should say you might hurt. Several broken ribs, punctured lung, your concussion...you must be in agony. Where is the Phantom Ranger?"
"By the main viewscreen," gasped Carlos. "He was over there trying to keep the ship in one piece when the panel literally exploded in his face. He was thrown to where he is now....and has not moved since. I tried...to help him...." Carlos's breath grew more raspy, "But I could...not get...up..."
"Easy, Carlos," Sharie assured him as she stabalized him. "I'll tend to him. I know the...physiology of his kind pretty well. I will have to anesthize you for teleportation and treatment. My mother will be there helping to care for you, and Aunt Marisha and Trey, of course. They came to help. Soon, we will leave for Triforia, and haul your ship and Phantom's back for repairs."
Carlos gasped slightly. "The Phantom Ranger, what about--"
She was swift to assure him. "Don't worry, I will respect his privacy as much as I am able." She pressed the hypo to his arm, and she felt him relax. She brushed his loose hair back from his forehead, and gently pressed her lips to his temple.
"I love you," she whispered, and knew somehow he was aware of that much. "You will be all right, Carlos. I promise." Her smile was gentle as he vanished in a rush of black.
Tending to the Phantom Ranger, as she had before, Sharie felt a sense of Deja vu. It was almost like the Gold Ranger again, except that there was nothing familiar about this particular ranger. She was certain that his personal identity was a total stranger to her. She also had no desire to find out his identity--she had more respect for his group than that, she mused as she stabalized him for teleportation. *Although I know a great deal more about his group than I can ever dare tell--*
From what her scanners told her, he had many of the now-typical injuries the others seemed to have. Bruises, lacerations, a bad head blow--with proper care, he should be fine, she mused. She had to search for a place to place the hypospray, since it was unable to penetrate his armor, but she did find a place at last at the base of his neck. Then she got in contact with Trey.
"Trey, I have the Phantom Ranger stabalized. How many others are on board?"
"Everyone else, including Mother. However, Cassie's life is in grave danger, and she needs emergency surgery. Mother is too new to human physiology, and Marisha would rather trust you with the medical equipment on board, since she is unfamiliar with much of it. For now, though, Cassie is in stasis."
Sharie frowned, worried, but only said, "All right. Teleporting now."
****
As soon as she was back on board her ship, Sharie left the general care of the less-injured patients to the others, while Trey made arrangements to get the two ships back to Triforia for repairs. She, on the other hand, rushed Cassie into emergency surgery in the next room, for the poor girl was in bad shape. When she got down to it, though, she was relieved to find that while the girl was deathly ill, her injuries were not complicated to treat. She would be fine soon. She applied the dermal regenerators and supersitiously crossed her fingers for luck.
****
All of her patients were still out cold, Jeanette mused, as she continued to treat their various injuries. Marisha was working to save Ashley's shattered leg, for it had been broken severely in three places. Jeanette herself was nearby, tending to TJ, when she heard a faint moan coming from the Phantom Ranger's direction. Jeanette turned in time to see him moving slightly.
As she approached him, she saw him attempt to sit up--and fail. He slumped back, his visor turned in her direction. "Who are you?" he gasped.
"My name is Jeanette Triesta, former Lady of Triforia. You are on a Triforian Medical ship, for my daughter Sharie recieved a distress call from Carlos."
He relaxed, but barely. "The others--are they okay?" he asked.
Jeanette cast a glance at Marisha, who also came up. "They will be fine, mostly," she said in a low tone. She hesistated, but Sharie had told her that the Phantom Ranger and Cassie were romantically involved. "But Cassie is critically injured. Sharie has her in emergency surgery."
That brought about an immediate reaction, and Jeanette also remembered that Sharie had told her about the involvement of these two. He tried to sit up again, and still failed. "Will she...be all right?" he rasped.
Jeanette decided to be honest. "I am not sure entirely. But my daughter has very capeable hands. Cassie's life was in immediate danger and her injuries were severe, but Sharie is a good medical doctor and she knows human physiology a lot better than I do. I have little doubt Cassie will be fine."
He slumped back down on the biobed. "I cannot help but worry," she heard him whisper, more to himself than to her. Jeanette quirked an eyebrow but said nothing, only picked up a regenerator attachment that hooked up to his biobed. "This will finish healing the lacerations on your chest, then you will be fine." She saw him jerk in surprise and immediately understood the reason.
"Do not worry," she assured him swiftly, "I have respected your privacy, and I assure you I have no idea who you are, per Sharie's warning about Elteran Voyagers. I can treat injuries without seeing your face...heaven knows I did so often enough with my own son."
He relaxed somewhat. "Thank you...." he whispered. "Jeanette Triesta..." he whispered. "I seem to recall hearing you were rescued recently..."
"Yes, my son and daughter heard of my wherabouts, after nearly twelve years," said Jeanette softly. "I was rescued only a week ago. If you want to hear the rest of the story, ask Sharie or Carlos, since he seems to know her best. Don't ask Trey--he still feels a little too guilty on the matter."
Just then, Sharie came out of the other room. Jeanette waved her over. "Will Cassie be all right?" she asked.
Sharie smiled tiredly. "She will be fine. She is stable and I have treated her injuries. She is healing, but that is all. She will awaken sooner or later."
"Then tell that to the Phantom Ranger. He has been worried sick about Cassie." said Jeanette, jerking her head in the direction of the biobed. "He will be glad to hear it."
As Sharie nodded and went in the direction of the Phantom's bed, Jeanette heard a faint moan coming from Carlos's bed. She went over as his dark eyes blinked open. He looked at her dazedly for a moment, then his eyes twinkled faintly in a way that suddenly reminded her of Teryan, her deceased husband.
"Hello, Jeanette," he whispered faintly, swallowing. "Am I still in one piece?"
She could not help but smile. It was apparent to her now how hard Carlos worked for his team, and what it must have cost him to stay awake to make sure they were rescued. His sense of loyalty and devotion was stunning, and she admired him more and more. "Yes, you are," she answered with her own smile. "You, and everyone else will be fine."
"Good..." he rasped painfully. "Just another day in the life of a power ranger..." he chuckled suddenly, and gasped in pain.
"Easy there," said Jeanette, pressing a hypo into his arm. "Take it easy, you are not fully recovered yet. What is so funny?"
He smiled, squinting slightly. "I still cannot see right. But Jeanette...your hair is unmistakable. It was Sharie's hair, or rather a brilliant flash of gold, that first caught my attention the first time I saw her." He sighed and his eyes ceased to squint, but grew dreamy. "But it was her eyes, her soul, that pulled me in..." he blushed suddenly. "Sorry. Probably a dumb idea, getting fawn-eyed around her mother..."
Jeanette laughed outright. In that one last moment, any lingering reservations she might have had about Carlos dissolved away. *My daughter could not have chosen a better person.* "No, that is perfectly all right. I like you, Carlos, and I am finally convinced that you are the best person for my daughter."
"I knew you were a bit uneasy," he admitted ruefully, and she could see the relief in his dark eyes. "I did not want to push it, you could have forbidden it altogether, probably..."
"When it comes to my daughter's happiness, it is not my affair who she loves," said Jeanette in a low tone. "I just don't know you that well, Carlos, and for awhile I was a bit blindsided by the fact you are human, and I apologize."
"No apology necessary," said Carlos, chuckling a little less painfully. He paused, then asked, amused, "Is this where I hear the 'but-you-better-treat- her-right-or-else' lecture?"
Jeanette laughed again. "That did not exactly cross my mind, but I trust you to not hurt Sharie in any way. What you do with your relationship, how far you take it, is not my concern, let me put it that way. I do not wish to see you or Sharie hurt in this venture, so I can only wish you luck."
He smiled faintly, wistfully. "Thank you for trusting me so much," he whispered. "I think it would mean a lot to me and Sharie both, to have your blessing."
"You have it," laughed Jeanette softly. "You want me to make it official?"
He blushed, but smiled. "No thanks. Your word is enough to convince me, gallant lady."
He could not quite stifle his smile as Sharie came up at that moment. "He in one piece, Mother?" she asked, a slight grin on her face. Carlos did not doubt that she had heard at least part of their conversation.
"He is," Jeanette said, grinning mischeviously and managing to look exactly like Sharie at that instant. "I will let you two talk alone for awhile." As she walked away, she gave them a big wink.
Sharie blushed redder than Carlos had ever seen her. "Well..." she began. "I can see Mother finally put her stamp of approval on you."
"She did," said Carlos, eyes twinkling. "She is a good woman, Sharie. I am proud she *does* approve, somebody like that."
Privately, Sharie was quite delighted to hear that. It meant that Carlos saw very highly of her mother, and she knew now that Jeanette saw him highly, too. At last, she could feel peaceful about the whole situation.
****
A short while later, Sharie startled her mother when she glanced up from TJ's beside. "It is Cassie," she said quickly, moving toward the door into the next room. Jeanette realized the girl must have had her mind open for changes. "She is awake."
"Good," Jeanette called after her. "Tell her the Phantom Ranger is just fine."
Cassie's eyes were open, but dazed, when Sharie entered the room.
"Sharie?" she squeaked uncertainly. "Wha--why am I---oh, no!" Sharie saw recognition fill Cassie's dark gaze, and the girl gasped and attempted to sit up, but a sharp bolt of pain caught her by surprise. She gasped and lay back down quickly. "TJ...Phantom...Andros..." she sputtered wheezily.
"Easy, Cass," said Sharie gently, her hands firmly pushing her friend back down onto the biobed. "You were severely injured and had to be put through emergency surgery, and you will be fine. So will everyone else. They are in the next room."
"Phantom--" she started to say, but Sharie stopped her. "He is fine. He has been worried about you, but I have tried to set his mind at rest. And before you ask, yes, his privacy has been respected." Sharie tinkered over Cassie for a few more minutes, then asked, '*Now* I would like for you to try and sit up. You have a regenerator strapped to you underneath your shirt, but it should not hinder your movements too much."
Cassie nodded obediently. She did not protest when Sharie placed one hand underneath her head to help lift her into a sitting position, but she could not hide her uncomfortable squirm when the result produced a powerful wave of pain through her skull and chest. "Ahhh..." she gasped softly.
Instantly, she felt cool plastic press against her neck, and the soft hiss of a hypospray. She felt her muscles relax as the painkiller took effect, and the pounding in her head and chest ceased.
"Thank you," she murmured gratefully, really opening her eyes this time and looking around her. The dizziness was gone as well, and she could breathe again, so her lungs had to be in functioning order.
Sharie smiled, then walked away about five paces. She turned back to Cassie and held up three fingers. "How many?" she asked.
Cassie shrugged, but she knew Sharie was testing her concussion. Everything was still a bit blurry, but not as bad as when she had been thrown and it had started to fade....
"Three," she ventured. Sharie heard the guessing in her voice, though, and frowned. She picked up an optical regenerator, and Cassie flinched at the bright light shining in her eyes.
"Just a slight misalingment," Sharie sounded relieved. "You must have really had your senses knocked out of you, Cassie. Mother says she found you huddled against the wall, I don't see how you managed to sustain so many injuries."
"I was knocked around quite a bit," Cassie admitted. "I felt the pain in my head, chest, and midsection before I hit the wall. The wall was the last place I crashed before I lost consciousness."
Suddenly, she blinked. "Wait a sec, who found me? Did you say your *mother* found me?'
"That is what I said. She is a doctor herself, like Aunt Marisha. They, and Trey, came along to help me with you guys. Carlos managed to send a distress call, though he was badly injured himself."
Next, her attention turned to Cassie's legs. They were one of the few parts of Cassie's body that had not sustained heavy damage, a turned ankle at worst. But Cassie was still rather weak, Sharie hoped they could hold her weight so she could walk.
"Would you mind swinging your legs around?" Sharie asked her friend, carefully watching to make sure Cassie did not do anything that could hurt herself further. Cassie looked at her dubiously for a moment, then obeyed her.
"Now, grab onto my arm," Sharie instructed, placing a hand to Cassie's back for support. "I am going to see if you can stand. Your legs were mostly unhurt."
"Well," Cassie grunted, scooting forward and preparing to slip off the biobed, "Let's thank heavens for small mercies." Her smile belied her tone, though, and Sharie smiled back as Cassie clutched her arm tight and slid slowly off the edge of the bed.
Sharie braced herself and held Cassie tightly, to support her, once the girl had her feet under her. Then very, very gently, she lessened her grip, letting Cassie slowly take on more of her own weight.
Cassie wavered at first, but by the time Sharie was only lightly clutching her hand, she was standing solidly.
"Very good," Sharie encouraged. "Now let's see if you can remain vertical while walking."
Cassie laughed softly, and started to take a step...then her knees gave way. She gasped in surprise.
"Easy," said Sharie, bracing herself to support the girl. "Take your time. I am going to help you into the next room, since you are well enough for that now. Then you will go onto the biobed next to Phantom and you will stay there until you can walk solidly, okay?"
"Okay," Cassie panted, bracing an arm around Sharie's neck while Sharie kept one around her waist. Together, they made their way to the door, which obediently opened to admit them into the next patient room.
Marisha looked up first, then nudged Jeanette, who was stainding right next to her examining Ashley. They both cast a glance over, grinning broadly, catching everyone else's attention.
Cassie flashed them all a big smile, and Sharie could not keep one off her own face as she led Cassie to the empty patient bed. With a tired sigh, Cassie leaned against it, not getting up on it until she had reached for Phantom's hand and held it, hard, reassuringly, before Sharie gave her a slightly impatient nudge.
*Later,* Cassie heard in her mind. *When you can walk unaided, Kapeesh?*
Although Cassie obeyed, scooting backwards up onto the bed, she was surprised. Sharie so rarely resorted to telepathy for anything, it had been a bit unexpected.
It was then that the new visitor in the room finally registered on Sharie's attention span. Turning, she grinned in surprise when she witnessed the newcomer. "Troy!"
"Hey, Sharie," he greeted her cheerfully as she came over to clasp his hands. "What are you doing here?" she asked Trey's best friend, with a delighted grin.
Troy's blue eyes twinkled into hers. "What, I can't drop by casually?" he asked teasingly. Sharie shook her head, amused, and he grinned broadly at her. "Actually, though, I was trying to get into contact with Trey, and when he told me what was going on, I decided to offer my services. I can help you get the ships repaired," he said, casting a quick glance at Andros. "I presume you own the ship."
"DECA and I have worked together for a long time," said Andros with a shrug. "I don't 'own' her. But sure you can help, and thanks for asking. Alpha is probably already doing repairs over there, if he has fixed himself by now."
It was the first time they had met, but everyone liked Troy. He was a good boy--boy being a relative term for his three hundred years--who always smiled and oozed warmth from every pore. He was always trying to help others, and Sharie knew of his secret desire to actually become a Power Ranger one day. He was certainly of the right material.
Troy and Trey had been best friends ever since Troy was about fifteen, just starting to change from a short boy with unruly black hair into a tall, muscular man with short, gleaming black hair and deep, deep blue eyes that could burn hotter than the hottest of blue flames, or melt your heart with the puppy-dog appeal. It sort of made Sharie wonder why Troy did not at least have a girlfriend by now, with eyes like that.
There was one other reason Troy and Trey were such close friends. Troy was the only surviving sibling of Trey's first love, Nikita. Like Sharie, he had been a surprise baby to his parents, who had raised Nikita and another boy who had died many years before. Like an older brother, Trey had sort of taken the boy in when they first met, and were the closest of friends as a result.
Everyone was talking at once, and Sharie almost did not hear the ships computer announce, "vessel approaching."
Startled, she held up her hand for silence. "Locate," she ordered the computer, a frown on her face.
"Just entering the system. Vessel matches Dryseran specifications, but is badly damaged." announced the computer after a moment.
Sharie's eyes widened in surprise, but before she or Trey could say anything, the computer went on cheerfully, "We are being hailed. Pilot of ship identifies himself as 'Dyson'."
Sharie sighed in relief. "Put him through," she said, pouncing on the nearest viewscreen.
Dyson's familiar face peered at them a moment later, and he looked haggard. His ship was shaking, and it was obvious it was not going to hold together much longer.
"Need a hand, Dyson?" asked Sharie, trying to keep her tone cheerful. Dyson looked like he had just come through another war, his jaw set with a purpose.
"Sharie?" he asked in relief. "Boy, am I glad to see a familiar face. Would it be intrusive if I asked to come aboard? I am now a wanted man on my own planet, and my ship is about to tear itself apart."
"Of course, Dyson," Sharie said at once. "Of course, you are always welcome on Triforia."
"Thank you," he said gratefully. "One more thing, that may concern you. I have someone else with me, and she needs help badly. I am glad you are a medical ship, but it may concern you when you realize who she is."
Sharie did not even ask. "Bring her over," she said at once. "I will teleport you before your ship goes nova." She reached out and slapped a button near the viewscreen, it unfolded another patient bed.
Dyson nodded his head before his communication systems became full of static and snow, then black out all together.
"He is the one that helped you?" asked Marisha softly, looking at Sharie with astonished eyes. "I thought you said that he was Dark Dresden's right- hand man."
"He was--and he was also my jailer," said Jeanette, tears of gratification in her eyes at seeing her friend again. "But he was a good, honest man, forced into the role he played. He is one of the very few honest Dryserans I think exist. He also helped me escape my prison after Dark Dresden was killed. I promised him he would always be welcome on Triforia."
"He is the one who spoke to me in the bar, all right," mused Troy as Sharie finished readying things. I am glad he could be trusted."
"Teleporting now," said Sharie, letting the white swirl of light fill the room. When it faded, Dyson stood there, his short black hair mussed and his greenish eyes heavy with fatigue. To their surprise, He carried a small figure wrapped in a shawl, cradling her carefully against his chest.
It was a little girl, maybe eight or nine years old. She appeared to be covered in cuts and bruises, and her skin was red from fever. Her long golden hair was a mass of tangles, and she moaned softly. Her clothes were ragged, and she looked as Dyson said he had been traveling: In flight.
"Lay her here," said Sharie quickly, taking in the girl's injured appearance. Carefully, trying not to disturb her, he did as he was told. Sharie passed a scanner over the girl, noting that the child was indeed Dryseran. She had some nasty superficial injuries, but the cause of her distress was infection and fever, making her ill.
"You said you are now a wanted man," said Sharie, touching the girl's feverish forehead. "Who is this?"
"You would not believe me if I told you," Dyson answered tiredly, nearly jumping when he felt the tap on his shoulder. He turned, and a delighted smile crossed his face when he saw who had tapped him. "Jeanette!"
His exclamation filled the room, and she laughed, hurling herself into his arms. He swung her around, very happy indeed to see her. He finally let her go, and hugged her tightly one more time.
"Oh, Jeanette," he sighed, pulling back to look at her. "So you are indeed safe. I am so happy for you, to see you happy and with your family again."
Her purple eyes misted over, he had done so much for her, she owed him too much. "Thank you, Dyson," she choked. "Thank you for all you have done."
"I echo that sentiment," said Sharie, pressing a hypospray into the child's neck to calm her feverish, restless doze. "Dyson, you worked wonders a week ago. You have my word of honor, and Trey's, that Triforia will shelter you at any time. Although," she paused, "I hope the nature of your crime was not too terrible."
He paled, and sighed, touching the child he had brought in with him. "I have much to tell you," he confessed. "I am a wanted man for two reasons. One, they found out about my involvement with helping Jeanette escape. Another is..." he hesistated. "The child you see before you, she is the daughter of someone dangerous. It is not her fault, she is quite innocent. But because of who her father was, her life became in grave danger after he died. Too many people want to take their revenge on her, and enemies of her father turned the government to a deaf ear to her plight. I had to rescue her before she was murdured or otherwise hurt."
"What did her father do, that was so terrible?" asked Sharie, smoothing the blonde hair back away from the girl's face. She moaned and slept on.
Dyson went terribly pale, and his voice lowered. He ground out, "First of all, I want your word of honor that if I reveal this to you, you will not harden your hearts toward the girl. None of this was her doing. In fact, she frequently suffered from abuse from her own father, and her mother died at birth. More prosecution she does not need."
"She is a child, Dyson,"said Sharie reassuringly. "I don't have to hate her for something a relative may have done. Who is she, though."
Dyson dropped his eyes, then said it very softly. "Look at her closely, her features, her hair, and know her eyes are blue. Whom does she resemble that got killed just weeks ago?"
Sharie's hand paused on the girl's head, and she took another look at the girl, seeing in her mind's eye that same type of hair, those dresden-doll features, and those cold blue eyes that had so horrified her. She drew in a sharp breath.
"Dark--Dark Dresden was this child's father?" she asked, scarcely believeing she was saying this. The thought that that monster had fathered any innocent children left a bitter taste on her tongue.
"Yes," said Dyson softly. "He is. She is his only child, her mother was one of his Dryseran love slaves that died with her birth. He only allowed her to live because he never wanted to take a mate and produce an heir, so he figured this girl was the closest he would ever come. Her mother became pregnant before she could be forcibly sterilized to pervent pregnancy." Dyson made a face. "It did not stop Dark Dresden from taking his anger out on the girl, she has been abused, mostly, and unloved. I need to get her someplace safe, find somebody willing to raise her. I beg of you," he pleaded, his eyes imploring Jeanette and Sharie, "Do not turn your back on this girl because of her father."
Sharie had tears in her eyes, but not from anger or hatred. "Your heart is bigger than this galaxy, Dyson," she whispered thickly. "I would never, *never* turn my back on a child, no matter their father. You may both come to Triforia, we can see about the girl then. I promise you, you will both be safe."
Dyson cast a quick glance to Jeanette and Trey, they both nodded their heads. He relaxed, for he had been right. They were too big-hearted to ignore his plea or his plight.
"I will come," he said, bowing slightly. "And--thank you, so much, for listening and helping this poor child."
"It is the least we could do," said Jeanette quietly. "By the way--what is her name?"
"She was given the name Annika," said Dyson. "It is a wonder Dark Dresden chose it--in our language, it means sunlight."
Sharie went back to treating the girl's infection and applying dermal regenerators to fix her wounds. "Sunlight," she mused. "I sense she is a good girl. I think it fits her perfectly."
****
They were just entering Triforia's system when the girl's eyes fluttered open, and Sharie, bent over her, suddenly found herself staring into deep, deep blue eyes--like Dark Dresden's had been, but without the icy cold hatred.
She did see fear, however, reflecting in the deep depths. "Dyson!" the child squeaked uncertainly, and Sharie could feel the fear radiating from her as the child looked into the eyes of an apparent stranger. "Help!"
She had spoken in the native Dryseran tongue, and Dyson came over to her at once.
"It is all right, these people wish to help," he reassured her, hugging her close while she was on the patient bed. He still spoke in Drysera, and, although Sharie understood him perfectly, it did make her wonder if the child spoke Standard at all.
"Are we safe then, Dyson?" the little girl asked, not releasing her grip of the young man. Her scared blue eyes looked over his shoulder at Sharie's trusting face, and she trembled with fear and mistrust.
"Yes, child, we are. The Triforians have agreed to take us in. They will help us."
"How can they, after what my father did to them?" she pleaded. "Surely it is false!"
Sharie fought to keep from inhaling in surprise. This child certainly had a lot of mistrust for somone her size...and yet, had she herself been much different that day she had been cast out of her own life on Triforia?
"You are an innocent child, and they know that I am a good person," he soothed. "They do not bear a grudge, and they are good people. They wish to help."
"That is right, Annika," Sharie put in, in fluent Dryseran, causing the girl's eyes to widen. "You will be safe on Triforia. I have known Dyson for a long time, I would trust him with my life, as you trust yours with him." She held out a hand to the little girl. "Will you trust me?"
The child stared at the proffered hand for a moment, then looked into Sharie's gentle purple eyes, unlike her father's often cold ones that had so rarely turned warm with her. A sense of trust started to penetrate her mind, and she could not completely resist. Tenatively, she let one arm go from around Dyson's neck, and shyly, almost untrustingly, placed her small hand in Sharie's.
"I have trusted so few people in my life," she murmured. "And yet, I seem to trust you..."
"You can, do not worry," said Sharie, and she was pleased when the girl allowed her to pull her from Dyson and hug her herself. She trembled, as though unused to the feeling, but she also seemed..surprised, and not displeased. She needed love so badly, Sharie reflected.
"How old are you, Annika?" Sharie asked, releasing the girl to check her over again with the scanner. Her injuries were almost healed by then, and she showed no further signs of infection.
"I am nine," she said softly, her eyes growing wide as a strange boy with longish black hair and black eyes came up behind Sharie and flashed her-- yes, her, who so rarely saw it--a gentle, heart-warming smile. It caused a strange tingle, and an all-too familiar yearning to fill her young heart. Shyly, she smiled back, a small smile that seemed to be used little, but it was definetly there.
"I have not heard her speak Standard," he remarked to Sharie in the other language she had heard in the background. It was a pretty sound, like a mixture of bells and brass, a rather unique combination. "Does she not know it?"
Sharie was not sure, but the girl spoke up before she could reply. "I speak this language," she said in an accented voice, lifting her chin. "Just not very often. I have not had to."
Sharie nodded, giving the girl a once-over. "Because no one else on Drysera speaks it?" she asked to distract the child.
"Oh, no. It is spoken quite often, just usually among adults. Children mostly speak the native tongue to each other." She shrugged her tiny shoulders, saying nothing else, but her sad eyes finished her sentence, saying clearly, *Not that I ever had the chance to have friends.*
Jeanette's own heart ached for the child's plight, and she came over, laying a tenative hand on the girl's shoulder. "You will find children on Triforia who would love to play with you," she said softly, as the girl stared up at her with slightly mistrusting eyes still.
"How would they trust me," she said bitterly, "when my father did so much to ruin their lives? People on my own planet tried to *kill* me because of this."
"You are not held accountable for your father's actions," said Jeanette gently but firmly. "What he did he did without conscience. I can see into your soul, child. You have as good a heart as Dyson, and you deserve only the best."
Marisha laid her own hand on the girl's shoulder. "I am not from Triforia, but I have two children visiting there. They are twins your age, named Toby and Tami. They would love to make you their friend, I am sure of it."
The girl looked at every trusting face around her, then buried her face in her hands, utterly tormented still. "No one--has ever been really...kind to me before..." she stammered, clearly unused to this. "Except Dyson...I am not sure what to say."
"You do not have to say anything," Sharie assured her, her arm around the girl and feeling grateful when the child leaned trustingly into her. "I understand your fear. Once I was a scared little girl trying to make a home on an alien world."
To Sharie's surprise, Annika nodded. "You are the girl my father often raved in anger about. From what I understand, he was so furious that you had escaped him....he hid little from me, whether he was being nice to me or taking his anger out on me."
"What a thing to mention to your daughter," Sharie murmured to no one in particular. "No one will hurt you or beat you anymore, Annika. I promise this to you."
"I never want to go back," she murmured fiercely. "In fact," she said suddenly, pulling something from around her neck, "I want to give this to someone good. I have no use for it, but it does not belong in the hands of evil. My father was the last to have it and try unsuccessfully to use it. I don't know what it does exactly, except it is supposed to lead to something powerful."
She handed the pendant to Sharie, who glanced at it and went pale, deadly pale.
"Your father had this?" she asked the child in wonder. Annika nodded solemnly. "He tried over and over again to use it. He could not. Give it to somebody with a good heart, maybe they will be the chosen one to use it, I do not know."
Sharie thought for a moment, then, to everyone's surprise, turned and handed the pendant to Troy. She had clearly remembered his desire to be a ranger himself one day. "Here, maybe you should try it, or pass it on, secretly. You are a warrior at heart, Troy, maybe you will finally realize your dream."
He gaped at her a moment, clearly startled. Yes, it was a dream of his, but he had not expected it to be a major thought in Sharie's mind, or for her to give it to him. Dumbly, he took the pendant and stared at the design on it, a hand holding a slender sword against a starry background.
"And what is it?" he asked softly, holding it up. "Sharie, you acted like you recognized it."
Numbly, she nodded. "I recognize the design. I belive, Troy, that the pendant you now hold is the key to finding the long-lost Nightstriker Warrior powers."
Trey drew in a sharp breath. "I have heard of those," he remarked, his dark eyes thoughtful. "In ancient times, they were ledgendary for what they could do."
"How do you know of the design?" Trey asked, pushing in a bit to get a closer look. Everyone was listening intently now.
"I have been around," she answered. "The Nightstriker Warrior powers are very ancient. They are, in a way, related to Zeo Powers, like mine and Trey's. But they are not Zeo--they are different."
Everyone had gathered round, all ears. This sounded interesting. Sharie took a deep breath and started to tell an ancient tale, one that held them all spellbound.
*Flash*
"In ancient times, the Nightstriker Warrior powers were used for good--the holders of the power simply summoned it from the depths of their own being, for they, and the power, were joined as one--no power coins, crystals, rubies, nothing but their own hearts.
"Thus joined, the holders of the powers had a direct connection to the Morphin Grid, with the essence of the powers and their hearts acting as a focuser. One day, in ancient times, however, there was a fierce battle, between good and evil. Then, the holder of the Nightstriker Warrior powers was a young man named T'Sar. He was a good man and an excellent warrior, never knowing defeat, and many praised him for his bravery and pure- heartedness.
"The reputation of the Nightstriker Warrior powers had spread far and wide. The evil side wanted these powers at all costs, to be used for their own selfish, evil purposes. And they would stop at nothing to get it.
One day, the evil side captured T'Sar. They brought him before the evil Emperor, Tiron. Like any evil person, he threatened to kill T'Sar unless he gave up his powers. Of course, T'Sar refused.
"He had good reason to refuse. If he was to be killed without turning them over to the next warrior, they would dissapate and be no more. Tiron was furious, for he saw that T'Sar had backed him into a corner. T'Sar refused to give up his powers on his own, and if he was killed, Tiron would not get them anyway.
"Finally, Tiron thought of a plan. He challenged T'Sar to a duel. If T'Sar won, he could keep the powers and leave. If he lost, he would have to give up his powers and die. If he refused, his homeworld would be attacked, and countless millions injured. And T'Sar would be killed anyway, for if Tiron could not have them, nobody would.
"T'Sar was forced to agree to his demands. They dueled, all right. It was a fierce and bloody battle. But Tiron enchanted his sword, thereby cheating. His sword found it's mark, and ran T'Sar through, mortally wounding him.
"He proclaimed T'Sar the loser, and the man was forced to give up his powers to Tiron. After it was done, then Tiron had T'Sar tossed into his own ship, banishing him from the solar system to die.
"What was worse, T'Sar's wounds had been left untreated for too long. Festering and infection set in, and T'Sar knew he was dying.
"Tiron's success was short-lived, however, for unbeknownst to both men, the Nightstriker Warrior powers could only be used by the pure of heart. If someone else tried to use them, the powers would destroy them. And that is exactly what happened, for shortly thereafter, Tiron called upon the power. But instead of surging through him and bonding with him, like it should have, they ripped him asunder. Tiron left the living screaming in agony.
"The powers did not dissepate, though, for they sensed T'Sar was still alive. They returned to him, albeit too late. By then, he was too weak, and could not have handled the reintigration process. It only further hastened his demise.
"He knew what he had to do. It was too late to return and get an heir, but he had an old, small Zeo Crystal shard that somehow, through the eons, had mysteriously lost it's power. But it could still support another power source. Somehow, he transferred his powers into the crystal and magically hid it someplace in the universe. He also managed to devise the pendant to help locate and obtain the power, if the person was good and worthy.
"Shortly thereafter, he died. When they found his body, the pendand was beside him, along with a note, telling what he did, and saying that because he was surrounded by evil and was dying, he did not have the time to find an heir for his powers. The note also said his spirit would stay with the pendant until he could guide another worthy person to the power. He would not help those evil or unworthy, only the person whom he saw fit for the Nightstriker Warrior powers. Many people have tried to find and exploit the powers, with no success. Worse, those evil who have searched for the power have discovered a way to use it without being destroyed. How Dark Dresden came to posess the pendant is anybody's guess. Now, Troy, I think it should be yours. Maybe you can find the power and use it for good."
*Flash*
There was a long silence after Sharie had finished her tale. Troy, swallowing, at last managed, "Of course, if I *can* obtain the powers somehow, I will use them for good. But how? The pendant....well, it just looks like a pendant. How can it help me search?"
Sharie searched her memory, then replied, "Legend has it the pendant is activated by a certain word. Unfortunately, the exact word is a mystery. That is why no one can find the powers--I have heard of sorcers and sorceresses who, once they managed to get ahold of the pendant, did nothing but stand before it rattling off every magic word or phrase they could think of, from "Abracadabra" to "Open Sesamie"." She smiled at the mental image. "Of course, none of it ever worked."
"So how could I find out?" Troy asked, looking now a bit askance at the pendant, feeling a deep yearning and frustration to unlock it's secrets.
"I am not sure. T'Sar's note only said that the word was "something that was close to my heart,". But he was a sorcerer as well, he knew lots of magical words. I will do some research, if you want." She shrugged. "I guess what I am trying to say is that I am offering to help you find the powers for yourself."
Trey shrugged and volunteered his efforts as well. "Mostly, we have been occupying our time with repairs to some Zord or other. It would be nice to do something different for a change."
Andros leaned against a nearby biobed, his brown eyes gleaming with interest and curiosity. Ashley, looking at him, smiled to herself. It was an expression that, until about four weeks ago, she had never thought to see on his face. Now, gradually, it was gradually showing up more and more.
"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" she whispered. He nodded, then turned back to the rest.
"How about a few more hands?" he asked. "The past week we have been doing little else but scanning. We found the Voyager Zords, so we have more protection in case of attack. We simply could not call on them this time, because what use is one Megazord against an entire fleet of ships buzzing around it like flies? Just--" he glanced out the window at Triforia below, and of the damaged Megaship in orbit. "Just give us a day or two to repair our Megaship first."
Troy laughed, glancing at the pendant again. It gleamed appealingly at him, and seemed to call something that he could not ignore. "All right, I guess. With so many people helping me, how could I possibly *not* find the powers?"
There was laughter all around.
****
Later, they generally found themselves back at the same park where Sharie and her family had been before that morning's adventure had started.
Annika, upon seeing the other children playing happily, went white and ducked behind Sharie's slender figure.
"What will they say?" she whispered fearfully. "I have almost never played with children, father would not allow it--"
"Come on, you can do it," Sharie encouraged as the girl stayed directly behind her while they approached the children. "They would understand what happened was not your fault, Annika. You will have plenty of friends before you know it."
As an afterthought, she added, "Can you speak telepathically, or use Universal sign language?" she asked.
"No to both. And your cousins are deaf--"
"They can lipread, you will be fine. Just be sure to speak clearly."
Toby and Tami looked up from their game of double-dutch and grinned. They handed the ropes to two other children and raced off toward their cousin, smiles alighting their nearly identical faces.
Their hands started flying before they even stopped. "How did it go?" "Is everyone all right?" "Did anything interesting happen?" "Did you battle the bad guys?" "Did--"
Sharie laughed and held up her hand to stop the flow of motions from both twins. They might have adult intelligence, she reflected, but they were still children.
"Everyone is fine, now," she signed and said aloud at the same time. "And yes, some interesting things did happen. There is someone I would like you to meet, and I hope you will agree to be her friend and help her in everything, though she cannot use telepathy or sign language. Also, her father was an old enemy of mine, do not hate her for this, this was not her fault. You will find some way to communicate."
She pulled a shy Annika from around her. The girl was still pale, her head was bent, and her golden hair hid her lowered blue eyes.
For a moment, the twins just studied her. Then Tami moved, coming over and taking Annika's hand. Surprised, the girl lifted her blue eyes to Tami's gold ones. There was a big smile of welcome on Tami's face, and when Toby came up behind her, a similar smile on his face, a small smile started to creep across her own.
"H-hi..." she stammered nervously. Tami's smile got wider, and she turned and indicated the double-dutch game behind them, then motioned that she desired Annika to join her. Toby mimicked her action, and some of the other children, whom had been watching, started to wave from the group in the distance as well.
Hesistantly, Annika turned and glanced at Sharie, her blue eyes still betraying her nervousness.
"Go on," Sharie encouraged softly. "They will accept you for who you are, no matter who your father was. Just remember to learn how to have fun!"
Another small smile curved Annika's lips, and she allowed Tami to lead her to the waiting group of children. For the first few minutes, though, she was glad Sharie stayed nearby to make sure she was comfortable.
She was right. Sharie had already telepathically told the children who Annika was, and the children bore no grudge. That was typical of their Triforian nature, that if you did not deserve the hatred, you did not get it.
Seeing that Annika was comfortable with the children, and succeeding in her clumsy attempts to communicate with Toby and Tami, Sharie turned back toward the hill, back to her family. Everyone else was there, except Jeanette and Dyson. They were a little ways off, having a private conversation.
"So, what do you plan to do?" Jeanette asked casually as they settled themselves on the hillside, ignoring the curious glances from the few other milling Triforian adults. It was not often a Dryseran showed up on Triforia, much less a previously banished criminal. But, knowing it was not their business, they simply turned and went on with their lives.
"I am not sure as yet," said Dyson uncomfortably, staring out across the park. "Should I be traced to Triforia in the near future, Jeanette, they might send people here to demand my return as a wanted criminal. In light of what happened the last time our people clashed, I doubt if they will start a war, but they may cause trouble until they get me back. That is something I am sure neither of us care to face again."
"Will they be after Annika as well?" asked Jeanette, concerned for the girl's well-being. She cared about the child.
"Probably not. She is not wanted, techincally anyway, but since nobody had much respect for Dark Dresden, they did not care whether she lived or died. I could not stand to see that poor child hurt, kidnapped, or worse, Jeanette. They were already beating down my door with the discovery of my betrayal at the prison compound, I doubted if one more 'betrayal' would make a difference. So I took the child myself. Shortly after I managed to get her out of her home, a terrorist bomb exploded that destroyed the place."
Jeanette caught her breath, staring. "That's horrible!" she gasped. "Going after a child like that, just because her father was not the best of souls!" Then and there, she made a solemn vow. "I hope you keep Annika here. She will be safe as long as she is here, and they forget about her. Maybe you should consider staying, too."
"I don't know," he sighed again. "You saw those other Triforians staring at me. I know they would not be unpolite toward me, because I am no threat to them. But the mere thought of a Dryseran adult among them, especially one who had to work so closely with Dark Dresden, makes them uncomfortable. Annika, being a child, does not have that problem."
"There are plenty who will accept you easily," she argued sensibly. "Mostly, we don't allow old afterechoes of the past to cloud our judgement of today, and what changes might have occured. If that had been the case, Sharie would have instantly rejected Annika the moment she learned of her heritage, something I cannot imagine my daughter *ever* doing." Jeanette decided to press a bit. "What do you prefer to do as an occupation?"
"Not a jailer, that is for sure," chuckled Dyson. "But...I always did have a love for the sciences, Jeanette. Archeology would have been a hobby of mine if I had been allowed to persue it. And," he laughed, "A bartender is not so bad, either."
Jeanette smiled, recalling how Dyson and Troy had first met, and Dyson had been able to, by subterfuge, tell the location of her prison so she could be rescued. He had pretended to be a bartender.
"Why don't you see what you can do," she suggested. "You seem like a man of knowledge, in fact, I know you are. Go and impress some of our scientists....or impress us with your cooking."
They both laughed. "Good luck on your mission," he said, calming down. "While you are gone, I will be 'trying to find my way', as you put it earlier. And may Troy find the powers. He will make good use of them, I am sure."
"Warriors at heart always do," said Jeanette with certainty.
****
Hand in hand, Sharie and Carlos walked the beaches of Triforia, again entranced by the magical effect of the rainbow moonlight, dancing on the waves and shimmering majestically in the air. A breeze sprang up, ruffling Sharie's golden hair and emphasizing how the colors danced, prisim-like, off her platinum curls. The colors reflected from the moon shone like brillant rainbows in her purple eyes, and brought to the front the effect of innocence Sharie herself was certain she had lost too many years ago.
Carlos did not seem to think that, however, as the breeze, warm as it was, grew stronger. Almost reflexively, he pulled her closer, not minding that some of her waist-length curls blew into his face. She went willingly, a smile on her face, for she had missed him sorely the past five days she had not seen him. Finding him injured they way he had been had twisted in her stomach like a swtichblade, and had brought back too many unwanted memories, and she was never so glad as she was now to be in his arms again.
Carlos seemed to understand this, for the feel of his arms around her had a more comforting effect than a passionate one. He was starting to understand, a little, how she thought, but mostly, he knew, she was still an enigma to him, for he knew only the barest fraction of her dangerous life.
"You okay?" he asked softly in her ear as she relaxed against him. It was met with silence for a moment as his hand ildy stroked her hair.
"Si," she murmured in Spanish, making him smile. It still astonished him that she seemed to be fluent in every foreign language they came across, earth or space-oriented.
"I bet you are thinking that today has been a long day, like I have been thinking," he continued in a whisper, looking out at the peaceful ocean before them. "A very long and confusing day."
"Indeed yes," she said, just as softly, hugging him just a bit more tightly. For just a moment, he felt her tremble, then take a deep breath as she attempted to keep herself under control, to keep the barrier in place as she always did.
*Oh, no you don't,* he thought at her, and he heard her inhale sharply. She looked surprised as he turned her to face him and, too fast for her to really react, his mouth almost literally crushed hers.
Almost instantly, she got over her surprise enough to snake her arms around his neck and start to return his kiss with an ardent passion. Because she had not been in full control of her emotions, and had not had the chance to regain her stability, he had ingnited that deep wellspring of fire he knew she posessed, but often hid.
The faintest of moans issued from her throat as she pressed closer to him, desperate for him to not stop. She almost literally forgot her mild distress from earlier, all she could think about was not wanting him to *stop* what he was doing. She was so sick and tired of being interrupted, every time....
His hand came up to the back of her neck, pressing her mouth even harder against his own. His tongue traced at her lips lightly and teasingly, begging for entrance. Ecstacy bolting down her spine, she complied, her lips parting and her tongue meeting his in a brief duel before he slipped past, exploring the exotic shape of her mouth, her teeth, reveling in her sweetness.
His little plan had worked, her mind was no longer on what had happened earlier, but he realized distantly that it was about to go, perhaps, *too* far. He was still concerned that, despite what she said, when the time came, she might still say no, or regret it afterwards.
But her small, willowy body was pressed so hard against his, he was aware of every curve, every soft spot, every part of her intoxicating scent. It was driving him insane, and the increasingly wildness of his kisses showed it. She did not even seem to notice when his hand, completely without his personal will, started to tug at her tucked-in shirt. All she did was lean closer and move against him in a way that just about dropped the last of his defenses. He was about to pull her to the sand and let her searching hands--gods, her *hands*--drive him completely insane.
*It is now or never for tonight* he thought distantly, and, despite how his body screamed at him, he disengaged his lips from hers and removed his hands from her shirt, where he had gotten it untucked and under in the space of seconds. He was sure she whimpered faintly in protest, but she was gasping too hard for him to be certain.
As if his sense of reality had penetrated her mind, she abruptly stepped away from him, dropping her hands and staring at him in utter shock. Gods, she had completely lost it! No thought at all had entered her mind at making him stop. No one had been around, they were alone, with the magical effect of the moons making things even more exotic. She had been upset, and her emotions not completely under as much control as she had liked, but before she could block them, he had pounced on her--and she had instantly lost complete control. Damn! She wanted him so badly it hurt to move! They had both been wanting this for so long, and then he stopped...
"I am sorry..." he rasped, cupping her chin. "You were upset....I should not have let it get so far..."
"You need not have worried," she said between gasps. "I would...not have stopped you."
He opened his mouth, then shut it. "Ohh...Damn it, Sharie! I know you keep insisting that you would not stop me, and maybe you think you feel as ready for this as I do. But how will I *know*," he pleaded. "How can I be sure you will be so certain of what we both want, you will not wake up the next morning with regrets? Ruin our relationship!" He looked deeply into her eyes, and she was touched by the love and tears she saw shining in his own black depths. "I swore to you weeks ago I would never take advantage of you, and I never mean to, if I can help it. That is why I need your help, Querida. I don't want to make a mistake with you!"
But far from his words scaring her or scattering seeds of doubt and uncertainty in her heart, it only made her conviction stronger of what she knew was right. She was a person who was sure of her own heart, and her heart's tuggings had always been right in the end. She knew, with certainty of experience, that this time was no exception. She loved him, her soul and heart were enslaved by him. And she knew that, in place of those, she owned his heart, his essence, and she intended to keep them forever, no matter the consequences.
This she told him in no uncertain terms, her soft voice echoing like the waves of the nearby ocean. The conviction in her eyes, the certainty, and her love, were so evident that it finally convinced him. He pulled her to him again, and kissed her--this time much more gently, more of a kiss of promise than of passion.
"I believe you, " he rasped, a gentle smile on his face. "But I also think we should be in agreement to give this time to sink in. Soon, Querida, just for wisdom's sake...soon."
She nodded, but he was not sure if the suspected reluctance he was seeing was just his imagination or not. After all, stopping themselves just now had been the hardest things they had ever done....
****
Triforia is a world of as many possible climates it is able to have above the temperature best for the tundra. For the most part, this huge, gorgeous paradise yeilded massive oceans, gentle seas, tropical rain forests, arid, dry deserts (although they were rare) and rolling prairies. On this world, the shade of green was not the only indication of healthy life, plants also ranged in blue, pink, purple, and golden hues among it's plantlife, and Cassie thought that one could never claim they had seen it all until they had walked through a shimmering desert with blue and orange cactuses, and purpleish-green grass.
If you did not count the one or two night animals Cassie and Tar'yn, the phantom ranger, spied through the desert grass, they were alone, and as a result, Tar'yn felt safe in demorphing so he could hug Cassie close without fear of hurting her.
"This place is so beautiful," he heard her sigh as they walked a safe distance from the cactuses. "So much more color than Earth's deserts-- except when the cactuses bloom there. Here...it gives one a sense of peace, you know?"
"I understand..." he said in a strangely quiet tone, and she looked at him in surprise. "It is so remeniscent of Eltare. Much of the planet has an arid climate." The homesick look on his face reflected in his tone, and it made her wonder when he had last had a chance to visit his home planet and revel in it's beauty, instead of constantly planning and preparing for war.
"Hey," she whispered tenderly, reaching up and touching his face gently, so his unique green eyes looked into her own inky black ones. "If it bothers you so much, we could..."
"No!" he said, then managed to muster a slightly sad smile. "I like it here, with you at my side." He sighed, and she almost had to beg him to confide in here.
After much prodding, he gave in, but his eyes still looked sad, wistful, like a little boy who desperately wanted a toy he could not have. "It...is hard to describe how right this feels, Cassie, walking freely, unmorphed, with you at my side." He turned to face her, his hand coming up and stroking her cheek, then she closed her eyes as his hand stilled, just staying there, as if he was reveling in the feel of *her* as she was of him.
"My life is so dangerous," he continued softly. "Every time you get near me, Cassie, you are in such great danger....yet I cannot make myself stay away from you. Your soul, your heart, are burned into mine in a way that fires with the embers of eternity. I will never love another, and if I were to lose you, life would no longer have meaning. I would much rather live a civilain life, with you at my side, safe, than to constantly expose you to the danger...but I cannot. There is so much at stake..." he closed his eyes, and she could feel his hand tremble against her cheek. "I still do not understand how you are so easily able to accept it as you do..." he could not continue.
For a moment, Cassie was completely speechless. He often told her how much he loved her, and she could sense it with every nuance of her being, and of course, she responded eagerly in kind. But while Tar'yn was a bit of a poet at heart, trying to *say* what he felt was not usually one of his talents. This was the clearest she had ever heard him speak, and it tore at her heart, and warmed it, to no end. Love should not have to cost them such a price, but they had no choice.
Their love should not have to cause such sadness and fear come to his eyes as she saw now. It was not fear of what they had, it was fear of losing her, and with her, anything resembling a normal life. She suspected that since they had known they were in love, she had become a much more important focus for him than simply protecting the universe. For her, if she were to lose him, the universe might become so cold and unforgivable, would it be worth saving?
Suddenly, all she wanted to do was forget, forget their problems, forget everything but him. With a new determination, she reached up and pressed her lips to his, almost with a vengence.
For a moment, he was frozen in surprise at her sudden movement, when he began to react, it was with the immediate passion she could instill in them both. He was not sure how she did it, but somehow she had the ability to almost instantaneously make him forget everything but *her* when she got close....an ability that, as now, he was often grateful for. He welcomed the distraction of her burning touch and the feel of their souls blending until they lost awareness of where they ended and the other began.
Within seconds, his kisses had become wild, his tongue urging her mouth open so he could slip inside, tasting her exotic sweetness and feeling his blood pound in his ears. His other arm held her slender frame firmly to his muscular one, and his other hand went from her face into her soft, long, silky black hair, releasing the scent of his favorite native Eltaran flower, but what Cassie had said was lilacs on Earth.
His mind not on names, he kissed her harder, his hands wandering all over her, just like she was doing him. There was no time to do something so unwanted as breathing, there was only time to feel her, to kiss her, to make her his entirely.
Only lack of air made him break away from her to gasp several times, then his eyes searched hers, almost desperately, and feeling relief when he saw the answering need there for what he so desperately wanted, with an intensity that seemed unreal, but thank goodness was not.
He pressed his lips to hers once more and slid one arm around her shoulders, the other one behind her knees. Their mouths scorched together prevented her from squeaking in surprise when he caught her up easily in his arms, teleporting them away with a single thought to her bedroom. To him, the promise of her touch was the strongest call in the universe, the one he could never, ever refuse to heed.
****
The next day, a lot of time was spent repairing Zords that had been in disuse for some time, and repairing the Megaship and Phantom's battle cruiser.
Ever since the Dryseran attack on Earth that had nearly destroyed her Sphinx Ultrazord and Trey's Pyramidas, they had been attempting several times to salvage what was left. At first, the zords had been a mess, but gradually, as the week had worn on, they regained their fomer state of repair and durablility. Sharie had even designed some new failsafes to be added to both Zords, and she suggested that they would do well for the other two ships being repaired as well.
"I have something else in mind as well," she told Trey as an afterthought. "I am going to try and design some new adaptors for our powers. What happened to Jason when he took on your powers should never have happened, and he was still ill for weeks afterwards. What if you are forced to do it again someday, or I myself must do it? My powers are so strong, it would be even worse for any non-Triforian to assume their power. If there is any way to circumnavigate it, I intend to do it.
Still, despite the fact she managed to finish repairing her zord, she still found time to spend with her cousins and family. They would soon be returning to Earth, and they would not see her again until this mission was finished.
As for Annika, she possibly already had a home open for her. Both Marisha and Jeanette had considered adopting the child themselves, but a surprise source came to light.
Fourteen-year-old Tasik, whom Troy had been teaching how to play hackey- sack when the whole adventure had started, had immediately become close friends with Annika. Tasik was an only child whom did not make friends easily, and it startled everyone by the close bond he had developed with Annika.
His parents, unable to have more children (to their considerable distress) were delighted their lonely boy had found somebody to confide in and develope a close relationship with. They had very quickly grown to adore the little girl, and were advancing an offer of adoption. And Annika herself was astonished, then delighted, with the prospect of having a family whom would love her at last.
All in all, it was a busy day, bustling and hustling to get the job done. They were preparing for an adventure the next day, an adventure they hoped that held an interesting time for them all.
At the time, no one knew how interesting. Or how dangerous.
****
The Megaship bridge was pretty crowded early the next morning, and with little wonder, with five regular rangers, a ranger whose life was dependent on a ruby, two Zeo Rangers, a Triforian boy only three centuries old, and surprisingly, Jeanette was also there. Sharie had to smile to herself, she well remebered her mother's fondness for mysteries, and this certainly was her element. Plus, she still did not care to be seperated from either of her children for very long. Nobody objected when she had politely requested to come.
Troy, like anyone else who had first come into posession of the pendant, had spent the entire day before trying to figure out the riddle of the small, coin-like necklace with the hand holding a mighty sword aganst the crowd of stars. He had been unsuccessful, also, and was trying not to show his frustration.
Phantom Ranger was there for another reason. "I know T'Sar's writings well," he said, to everyone's surprise. "He was deeply religous, and therefore, therein may lie the clue you need. I cannot remain with you long, but while I am here, I will se what help I can be."
"So...." asked TJ distractedly, staring at the pendant lying on a console, gleaming invitingly. "Just how powerful are these new powers supposed to be?"
"As I said the other day, very powerful," Sharie answered, almost unncessarily. "Maybe at least as powerful as the Gold Ranger powers, and the Astro Powers. And those who hold the power can become invisible, move through solid objects at will, defy gravity, enhance their mental powers, and many other things I may be unsure of."
"You said something about T'Sar being a religous man," mused Troy, idly studying the pendant. And Sharie, you said T'Sar wrote that the activation phrase was one held 'close to his heart'. What more could be closer to his heart that his god and teachings?"
"T'Sar wrote long poetry about God and the hereafter, " said Phantom easily. He held up his hand, and a computer padd materialized out of thin air. "Here is a copy of his writings, but they are in his tongue. I do not happen to have a translated copy on record, but it may help nonetheless."
DECA's camera was blinking. "I do not recognize the language," she said. "Except the vague dialect. It comes from a sector of space I am not familar with."
"May I see that?" asked Sharie, taking the padd from Phantom. She glanced at it, then started to read a few lines rapidly. "I know this language. When I was small, I had a habit of going through the computer for any language on file to learn--you do not know how helpful that is--and since I do a lot of traveling in parts unknown, I have picked up more languages than I care to count. Indeed, this man was religous."
She pondered this for a moment, then turned to look at her mother. Both women realized they were thinking the same thing. They sort of grinned at each other before Sharie spoke up again.
"If that was the case," she remarked, amused, "Then it is no wonder that those evil could not activate the pendant--they tended to stray from religon." Rapidly, her eyes scanned the poems she held. "A lot of his poems were similar in essence--mostly about S'mara, their word for God. A favorite saying of his was "S'mara Tinivina". Which means, basically, "I place my heart in God's hands." A looser translation, more commonly used, I think, is used along the lines of "God Bless You." I expect you could try those words."
"There is nothing to stop me from trying," sighed Troy, but amusement showed in his blue eyes. "I already have spent a great deal of time rattling off every relative word I could think of. Sorcery is not one of my stronger points."
"I know more than Trey," Sharie answered, bemused. "But I never spent much time studying spells."
Before anybody could say anything more, the padd in Sharie's hands began to glow and quiver with an errie blueish light.
"What is happening?" asked Cassie in astonishment. The glowing pad suddenly brightened to a blinding whiteness for a moment, and when they regained their senses, Sharie saw that the glow had faded somewhat, but stayed.
"What is it?" asked Troy, dazzled, as he looked over her shoulder. Sharie squinted at the padd, then her face took on one of wonder.
"Several lines have been highlighted," she whispered, truly awed. "All of them contain the phrase "S'mara Tinivina." But how..." her voice trailed off, and her purple eyes met Troy's blue ones in astonishment. Both of them were getting inklings of the same thoughts.
Sharie swallowed, struggling to say what was on her mind. "Remember...remember how his death note said his spirit would stay with the pendant until T'Sar decided on an heir...?" she began. She saw comprehension dawn on the visible faces of everyone present, and Phantom straightened.
"No way...." began Ashley. "Surely you are not suggesting that a...*ghost* is trying to communicate with us, are you..."
Sharie nodded. "It is likely that is so." was her awed answer. "If I am right, Troy, T'Sar's spirit is saying he wants you to be the next holder of his powers, and he is doing this by helping you. I can see no other explanation....so try it. Hold the pendant in your hand, concentrate upon it, and say the phrase."
Trey picked up the pendant again, hesistating, but obeying. At first, no words could come out of his mouth, and the pendant seemed to flash impatiently, seeming to say, "do it, already."
His blue eyes closed, and for a timeless moment, he was completely motionless. The words out of his mouth seemed to echo in the halls of eternity as he said calmly, "S'mara Tinivina."
The effect was astounding. The locket glowed, then a beam of white energy bolted from it to a place above their heads. All eyes turned up, to where the beam widened and a series of paragraphs, in a strange language, appeared.
While everyone stood, awestruck at the sight of a language only two present could read, Sharie quietly took a computer padd and typed it all down as fast as she could. Some inner urging was telling her to hurry, hurry, get it down.
"Say the phrase again," she called to Troy. "That might shut it off. I have the inscription copied down."
Troy swallowed, then managed, "S'mara Tinivina." As a result, the glow promptly faded, and the words dissappeared.
TJ, a little bit too stunned to think clearly, managed, "Could anyone read that?"
"I could," volunteered Sharie and Phantom at the same time. Each glanced in the other's direction for a moment, then Sharie spoke up. "I've already gotten it translated," she said, busily putting it down on the pad. "The first part is a note from T'Sar himself. It reads, "If you, my chosen heir, have found this message, then you know I want you to be the next holder of the Nightstriker Warrior powers. The following are clues to the secret location. But beware...news travels fast, those evil will want this power, and may find a way to use it without it destroying them. So be warned, my friend, and it might be wise to not go alone in the search, for obvious reasons. So good luck, farewell, and may the power protect you and enrich your life."
"Even T'Sar understood," Sharie whispered after a moment, her purple eyes matching Troy's thoughtful blue ones. "He is correct, Troy, you should not go at it alone. If you did, and news traveling the way it does, you would be defensless in attack, should somebody else want it for themselves."
Troy had already understood the sense of her implied words, and he was grateful for the company. This quest was one he was not sure he wanted to face alone, at any rate.
****
A few minutes later, Sharie handed out translated copies, on paper, to everyone else present. Now that they had unlocked the basic secret of the pendant, they sincerely hoped that the rest of the instructions would be easy to read and follow, and by now, everyone was itching for the adventure to begin.
A tri-sun world,
Where the crystal doth rest,
Within parsecs of home soil,
Near the cloud of S'mara's crystal breath.
It puzzled everyone to no end, for the stanza seemed to have little sense to it. Sharie looked up from reading it to find everyone else looking at her as if she had all the answers.
"A tri-sun world..." said Jeanette thoughtfully. "That makes sense, and maybe 'within parsecs of home soil'...but S'mara's Crystal Breath?"
Sharie started to follow her mother's thoughts, and because she had a more intimate knowledge of who T'Sar was, and where he was from, she turned to the computer, punching up an image of his home galaxy. Setting up a circular radius of several light-years from his homeworld, she highlighted every three-sun system within it. Five yellow lights began to flash.
"How did you manage to come up with that?" asked Andros in surprise.
"The words, "S'mara's crystal breath," she explained sensibly. She hit a button, making a white cloud appear on the circled area. "S'mara's people called this cloud "S'mara's crystal breath" based upon their religous teachings. Perhaps I can narrow it futher." She examined it thoughtfully, then made two of the blinking lights disappear. "Only three systems border it to any degree."
"Well and good," said Ashley, studying the map. "But can you narrow it further? That system there," she pointed, "Has no planets."
"Good point," remarked Andros, smiling at his girlfriend, then leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "But the other two systems have several habitable planets capeable of supporting life. It would mean quite a search."
All eyes turned to the next stanza.
The system doth sustain,
Three life-bearing worlds,
The crystal is located upon the main,
Upon the end where S'mara's crystal breath swirls.
This was even worse than the first one. Both systems contained three life- supporting worlds. It seemed like a dead end.
"And now what?" grumped Cassie. "This is leading nowhere."
As if in response to her query, Troy's translated copy began to glow, and the phrase, "On the jagged edge where S'mara's crystal breath swirls," was magically highlighted.
Sharie was looking over his shoulder, trying to understand what T'Sar's spirit was trying to say to them. She glanced at the map at the same time as Phantom, as comprehension dawned on both.
"That's it!" the both said at once, then Sharie stopped and blushed. Quietly, she went over to the computer and pointed out a long, jagged end of the supernova cloud to the other's, like a rip.
"I think this is the system," she said softly. "It holds eleven planets-- four balls of lifeless rock, three life-sustaining planets, and four gas giants. The other line says, "The crystal is located on the main', it must be the biggest life-faring world, the third in the system."
"I believe you are right," said Trey, studying the map thoughtfully. "Let us head there first."
The Megaship was not the only one who intended to leave. Phantom's small ship was docked in their shuttlebay, and the Pyramidas and Sphinx Ultrazord, now fully repaired, were traveling as well, under cloak. In case of enemy attack, they wanted to take no chances. So everyone headed back to their particular zord, and the course was plotted to the planet which could possibly yeild the famous Nightstriker Warrior Powers.
****
Troy had elected to travel with Sharie on board her ship, and she watched him now out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting absently in a chair, studying the pendant that was rapidly altering the course of his life. He was so quiet, and sat still, without moving, for so long, she was starting to get jumpy.
*I always knew he did not really want to be a scientist as much as Trey told me his sister Nikita did....but I did not know he'd get his chance to follow his true dream this easily.....*
"What is on your mind, Troy?" she asked, finally.
He jumped, startled by the sound of her voice, and she knew that he had, rightfully, forgotten she was there, or even where he was exactly.
"I am all right," he said at last, with a faint, thoughtful smile, but his blue eyes were shadowed with turbulent thought. "I was just thinking....how did it come down to this? What force of fate threw this in my path so suddenly and unexpectedly?"
Sharie smiled to herself. So he *had* been thinking it, too.
"I thought that this was something you always wanted," she said, her tone gentle. When someone else was troubled, she was always willing to listen, no matter her own troubles. "Do you think now that this is a bad thing?"
"Oh, no," he answered, surprised. "I think that this is wonderful. I want to tell you something," he admitted sheepishly.
"I always envied Trey, because he had the ability to so easily defeat that which was evil, what I always longed to do. Of course, all Triforians pledge to help others in times of need, but I was downright impatient for my turn, and I never thought I would get a chance to do it the way Trey did. Even the Triforian army was not what I wanted, and it was the next- best thing. I do not desire power or glory, Sharie, that is foolish dreaming. It was the thought that I could help *so much more* if I had the means to do it as Trey did." Troy blushed for a moment.
"But I was never sure how or what to do. The feeling did not abate after you were kidnapped. I saw how Trey blamed himself, how he lost weight and nearly went nuts, because you two were so impossibly close and you were so young, and he missed you so badly. He was certain that his powers were useless, but it was not his fault. I was his best friend and did my best to be there for him, to make him get back up on his feet, even after he recieved the second blow of Jeanette's disappearance. I wanted him to keep doing what he was doing, for he was making a difference. The only bad thing about it was that he took it too much to heart, and threw himself in it too hard."
Troy gave her a wry sort of smile. "Don't worry about that ever happening to me. I am not of the intention of working myself to uselessness if I recieve these powers, but I admit I feel confused by it all. I am now being given the chance to realize my dream, it has been literally dropped into my lap. But...I am also bewildered. I want to help find Zordon, I want to make a difference. And yet, I realize that I am courting Death even looking for these powers, much less accepting them. I feel foolish because of this, even though it is my life's dream. I never expected to feel fear...or uneasiness as well."
He was quiet after he had spilled out his jumbled emotions. He looked at Sharie, waiting to hear what she had to say. She was silent for many minutes before she responded.
"Your fears are not unfounded, Troy. I can understand completely, and so can each and every other person making this journey with you. I felt the same way when I first recieved my powers, knowing that I could not easily control their vast energy sources."
Sharie had to draw in a deep breath before she could say what came out of her mouth next. "Shortly before I was sent away, my mother came to me. She told me to hold out my hand, but did not tell me why. A staff appeared in her hand, and she placed it in mine, saying the necessary words to transfer control of the powers to me. She warned me to say nothing to Trey. I was frightened by the magnitude of the powers now in my hands, and I did not understand why she had done it until I was sent away. Then I understood they were meant for my protection. The knowledge for the powers was *there*, I knew what went where and what did what, but I lacked control because of my youth and inexperience. It took two and a half years before I was able to get enough control of them to feel ready to start helping others."
She smiled at him encouragingly. "You, Troy, won't face that problem, since you are grown. Control of the powers will immediately become second nature to you. You will see."
"Perhaps," Troy allowed. "Maybe it is the magnitude of the whole thing, and the suddenness, that is causing me to feel uneasy. I hope I am prepared to handle it."
"I believe you will," said Sharie gently. "I know you, Troy. You are the type to think before you act, as well as a dedicated person. This is probably what the spirit of T'Sar sees in you, if he wants you to be the next holder of his powers."
There was a flash of gold, and Sharie was a bit startled when her mother appeared out of nowhere.
Jeanette smiled at her daughter's and Troy's twin expressions of surprise. "Sorry to startle you. We are about there, Troy, and I have finished setting up the medical bay on the Megaship, with DECA's and Alpha's help. I hope we will not have need to use it. But I heard through the grapevine that this place is a bad one for evil influence and piracy."
"I hope not," Sharie murmured, straightening. "Let's get back onto the Megaship, we have more to discuss."
****
Before they could go, however, warning lights began to flash on the bridge of her ship, and sirens wailed. Sharie winced, she was going to *disable* those darned things...
"Vessles approaching," announced the computer.
"Identify."
"Specific type of vessles unknown, but weapon systems analysis seems to indicate pirate vessles or warships."
Sharie was instantly alert. "Raise sheilds," she ordered. "Open hailing frequencied, send a standard greeting."
"Message sent. Recieving reply, audio only."
"Well, then? Let's hear it."
The computer calmly played the message.
"Attention Alien vessles," said the voice. "This is a holdup. Drop your sheilds and prepare to be boarded. If you cooperate, your lives will be spared. If not, we will destroy you. You have three minutes to comply. End message."
Sharie bit her lips. "Somehow, I almost expected this. Piracy. You were right, mother, it is common in these parts."
"What will you do?" enquired Troy.
"Computer," stated Sharie. "Weapons analysis: Can the weapons of the fleet match those of the Sphinx Ultrazord, The Astro-Megaship, Phantom's warship, or the Pyramidas?"
"Working." answered the computer. "Results: The weapons of the pirate fleet: inferior to the Sphinx Ultrazord, less inferior to the Pyramidas, just slightly less inferior to the Megaship. Unknown for Phantom's vessel. However, pirate fleet is in enough numbers to present a serious problem to all of the ships."
"Well, what are you going to do?" asked Jeanette impatiently. "We have only two minutes left."
"Try diplomacy, first," was her answer. "I sense that this fleet is only loosely joined, let us hope at least a few ships will listen. The rest...." Sharie shrugged, and did not finish. "Computer, open hailing frequencies."
"Open."
"Attention, pirate fleet," She said calmly. "Before you attack us, for we will not surrender, might I ask what is is you want? If you need something that we can supply, we will do so. You need only ask."
There was a pause, then a buzzing sound that made Jeanette and Troy jump slightly.
"Recieving three seperate replies," stated the computer.
"Open a multi-view link, so I can see them all and they can see each other," said Sharie. Also, get into contact with the other ships, So they can see this also from their viewpoints."
"Acknowledged."
On the screen appeared three people, all distinctly of three different species.
"I am Merdok," said the first, who looked basically human, except for a colorful pattern tattooed onto his forehead. he had long blond hair and icy blue eyes that said he had little compassion. Sharie shuddered inwardly, he reminded her too much of Dark Dresden. "I am the leader of Pirate Team Alpha," he continued in a forceful tone.
"I am Kessa," said the female, who had short black hair, fair skin, and eyes that were completely grey-green, with no hint of pupils. "I am the leader of pirate team Beta."
"I am Jorell," said the third, a man with dark brown curls, and midnight, snappy-black eyes, and hands that had webbing between the fingers, a sure sign that his people had probably evolved in, or near, water. His voice also resembled that of an Aquitian, though not so much. "I am the leader of Pirate Team Gamma."
"As you can see," sneered Merdok. "We are three subunits of a much larger group. Each of us controlls the units of our own species. Now, why do you so foolishly wish to negotiate with us? I would order you destroyed here and now, but you and the other vessels are alien to us, it caught my curiosity. So, what do you have? If you have what we need--we are desperate, as you can see--we may let you live."
"I stock up on things," said Sharie dryly. "I will give what I can of what you need, but I must say I have little in the way of jewels or money. They are not in the commonest use of my people."
"So?" snapped Merdok. "What use of they are to us, either? You cannot eat jewels, or gold. They cannot cover you, or make you warm. Our peoples are poor, we need supplies and fuel. Not jewels. Also, medical supplies are needed. So pay up or ship out."
"Send a list," said Sharie firmly, setting her mouth. "I will see what I can do."
Merdok rolled his eyes but did as she asked.
"Well?" he asked impatiently as Sharie read the list. "Can you do it?"
"I do have many of these things, or I can make them. But it will take a short time."
"We'll see," snapped Merdok again. "If you satisfy us, you may go. If not, say goodnight, Gracie."
Just then, Kessa spoke up. "There is one more thing," she said in a lilting voice so sfot and gentle, it made Sharie wonder how she could possibly be a pirate. "Do you have any of the drug called Felicium? My race has been struck by a disease called the Nassa virus, many of my people are ill, and it is in epedemic porportions. I know of no cure, but felicium lessens the severity."
"The Nassa virus?" echoed Sharie. "Why, the recently did find a cure for it, a drug called Destrin. I will send over enough to cure and innoculate your people."
"Thank you," Said the woman gratefully. "By the way, I never did ask your name."
"My name is Sharie Triesta," she said tonelessly, not caring about her rank. "The man in th Pyramidas is my brother, Trey, lord of Triforia. This is Jeanette, former Lady of Triforia and my mother. Those in the Megaship are the Lightstar Rangers, and this is Troy Tripan, a friend of mine."
"Princess...lord of..." gasped Kessa. "You mean we were about to hijack..."
"Afraid so," mused Sharie, for once glad her rank could come to an advantage. "Give us some time, we will see what we can do."
Merdok did not seem impressed. "You have one hour," he barked. "Then I want to see some results. One hour, hear?"
"Are you insane, Merdok?" gasped Jorell, speaking for the first time. "We cannot kill planetary leaders or power rangers! Not only would their kind come after us, they are not our enemy, and were kind enough to actually *offer* to help!"
"We'll see," snapped Merdok. The three looked ready to argue the point, and Sharie quickly closed the channel so she would not have to listen. She turned around to face her mother's and Troy's astonished looks.
****
"...And this will get rid of them?" asked Andros as they finished overlooking the supplies. "They did threaten us with piracy, you know. How do we know they won't stab us in the back?"
"They do it out of desperation," she answered. "I think they come from races whose cultures were destroyed by one means or another, and this is how they have had to survive. I sense that Kessa and Jorrell are not really bad people, they in fact hate what they are doing. They are only trying to see to the welfare of their species. No, Merdok is probably the only one who could cause too much trouble. If we have any, it will come from him. I doubt the others will try anything, and be satisfied with what they have."
"What about replicating technology, or synthetrons?" asked Ashley pointedly. "The must not have the technology, or they would have no need for doing this. If they had some, they might quit piracy altogether."
Sharie glanced at Trey. The young lord of Triforia spoke up. "We discussed that. I think they have had the technology at some time in the past, but they lost it. Otherwise they would not have what they have now. That is the only reason I agree to it; it is not allowed to interfere so much with the development with another culture."
"Earth has been," pointed out Ashley. "Especially the last few years. Is our planet still not "sheltered?"
Sharie blushed slightly and glanced at her brother. She wisely chose not to answer that question.
****
After all the transfers were complete, Sharie, this time from the Megaship, stood before the images of Kessa, Jorrell, and Merdok. The former two thanked the rangers profusely, and Kessa declared that the epidemic among her people was already getting under control.
Merdok, however, while he grumpily thanked the rangers as well, was oddly silent, a twisted smile on his lips. It was something that Sharie saw behind his icy blue eyes, however, that sent her on silent alert. Mentally, she contacted her brother, telling him her thoughts.
*I agree,* he responded. *This guy might still mean trouble.* Silently, he activated a quiet alert, so their ships, on autopilot, could still prepare for a confrontation. He also mentally alerted Andros, who also agreed.
Meanwhile, Kessa smiled. "Thank you again," she said in her soft voice. "We will never forget your help. Most of the places in this region of space are evil-influenced, and nobody ever offered to help before....maybe now, we can rebuild our societies without shame."
Sharie was not the only one who noticed Merdok rolling his eyes.
"It was nothing," answered Andros diplomatically. "I always try to help when I can, and any one of my friends would do the same. If you need further help someday, simply contact us. We will be happy to help."
Kessa and Jorrell bowed slightly and vanished from the screen, leaving only Merdok. Sensors read their fleets of ships turning around to leave. Merdok's face was turned, obviously watching them from the windows of his bridge, but the grin Sharie had noticed earlier was twisting his lips again, and there was something about his icy blue eyes that made her spine shiver, not to mention feel sick at the same eyes also laced with utter greed. She felt certain she knew what he had in mind, and was prepared for battle if he tried it.
The results were soon forthcoming.
"Well," Merdok sneered as soon as the ships were gone. "That was very generous of you, Sharie dear. You and your friends gave me lots of supplies, all right. Now, suppose you give me the rest?"
"Meaning..." Sharie stalled as she noticed the scanners indicating his fleet was turning and training their weapons on them.
His smile was cold. "Meaning, my dear, that I want everything you've got. Weapons, medical supplies, the whole deal. You and your friends seem to have plenty, as far as I can see."
"You want medical supplies, fine. No weapons. I will not aid your plundering of other people."
"Nor will I," spoke up Andros. "We gave you everything you needed, now leave."
His voice turned catty. "But you all seem to have so much, and so easily too," he said silkily. "Power rangers can get their hands on anything they like. Planetary leaders have a whole planet of riches under their thumbs. Me, I only control this damned fleet. That is not much power. I savor what little I posess, and I want more! If I had enough, I could take control of my whole planet, be it's supreme ruler....oh, my dear princess, it will be glorious! And your friends here will be my key to glory. If you don't, why, I have my whole fleet trained on your few ships, I will order them to fire, and the last thing you will see or feel are the horrors of the vaccuum of space. Now, what will it be? Compliance, or blasted into atoms by my ships? Your choice."
Trey gave a smile that was almost as catty. "Not so fast, Merdok. My sister sensed what you were up to, and we figured you might do something like this. I will warn you right now, it won't work. Our weapons are superior to yours, it would be all to easy to blow you out of the sky quickly."
Merdok's eyes widened and blasted blue thunderbolts. "What do you mean, *sensed*!" he cried, outraged. "You are not from one of those crazy kinds of people who can do weird things with their minds, whatchamacallit-- telepathy, are you?" his blue eyes spit fire at the very thought of telepathic invasion, Sharie noted with some amusement.
"Dammit, girl, stay out of my head. My thoughts belong only to me. It gives me the creeps, laying me all bare like an open book! Damn, can't stand those insane, looney individuals who do that--it is not right, I tell you! Not right!"
Sharie's smile, at his description of her in general, turned just slightly malicious. "I did not enter your mind, Merdok, though I could have easily if I chose to do so. Yes, telepathy is easily within my power, but I do not do it much. Your facial expressions, your eyes, your body language told me your intentions. So I let my friends know about it."
"What, my eyes don't talk, I have never heard 'em. I still say you were snoopin' around in my head, where you shouldn't be. So keep out. Now, fork over what you have, or be destroyed."
"Forget it, Merdok," Andros said coldly.
"That your final answer?"
"Yes."
"Fine. See you all on the other side, then," he laughed, vanishing from the screen.
Everyone split again to their seperate ships, Phantom sneaking out, under cloak, in his battle cruiser.
Troy, keeping an eye on the situation again from Sharie's Sphinx Ultrazord, warned, "His ships are completing attack formation."
Sharie sighed, "Oh, dear. Sphinx Ultrazord, cloaking sequence four. Lock torpedoes on the nearest three vessles, on non-essential systems." Her eyes raised to meet her mother's concerned ones. "I don't want to destroy them, but hopefully, some damage may change his mind."
Before she could give the order to fire, several fleet ships turned and fired on the Megaship. Sharie saw the ship rock with the impact, and it sprang her into action. Instantly she was at the console, locking the weapons on those ships instead.
"Fire!"
They hit their target dead-on, just short of destroying the enemy, as she had intended them to do. They reeled, spun around, and limped back to regroup as she contacted the rangers.
"Hey, everyone in a single piece over there?" she called.
"We're fine," answered Andros. "We only sustained minimal damage. But let's get this lowlife off our backs so we can complete the mission. We are simply wasting our time."
Sharie agreed fully, but her sirens wailed again. Her brother was being attacked this time, without the proper chance to cloak, and she feared for his safety.
To her horror, she saw that several of the enemy warships were bearing down on him, full throttle. Luckily, as far as she could tell, the Pyramidas had sustained little or no damage from the attack, but the weapons were having the nasty side effect of causing the ship to rock violently with every hit. She sent several phaser blasts, severely damaging several vessles and sending a few into firey balls of brillance as they exploded, their inhaibtants greeting the vaccuum of space with absolutely no enthusiasm whatsoever. Trey, too, pounced upon the vessles and damaged several, destroying two who had tried to damage the pyramidas by setting collison courses.
Soon, the battlefield was an incredible mess as everyone just kept firing like madmen. Sharie had decloaked, participating fully in the frenzy, and holding on tightly as the blasts continued to rock her vessle violently. Still, they caused almost no damage.
One major blow knocked Sharie right off her feet.
"Ahhh!" she cried, startled, as she sailed through the air, the angle of her throw flinging her against the main viewscreen with a sickening thump as Troy was thrown over a control panel, sending him crashing into the wall. Jeanette barely managed to hang onto the railing of the bridge, watching in horror as her daughter and her friend were thrown about like rag dolls.
When the shaking finally ceased, she stumbled over to her daughter as Troy, limping, followed, concern written across his features. "Sharie?" she called gently, brushing her hair out of her face with a gentle motion.
Sharie lay stunned on the floor, her body covered in cuts and appearing bruises, blood already evident on her tunic. Jeanette felt under the girl's thick head of hair, she was not surprised to find a nasty bump under the thick mass of gold curls. The child was going to have one *massive* headache, she was sure.
"Are you all right, Sharie?" asked Troy, worried.
"Yes," she mumbled, her eyes unfocused for a few moments, before becoming at least somewhat clear. With her mother's help, she managed to get to her feet and stumble over to a chair, for it was quite obvious she was still dazed. She throbbed on every inch of her body, feeling pain in places she had forgotten she *had*. Sitting down, she put a hand up to her thumping head, closing her eyes to try and blot out the pain and get ahold of herself.
"All right. this has got to end here and *now*." She meant every word of it, but worry flickered across her features as she attempted to use her telepathy. It caused another bolt of pain to shoot through her head, but it did not stop her from sensing something she did not want to sense. She felt her spine stiffen in fear as the presence of her brother, usually so calm and centered, and even, was faint now, and fading, like a delicate thread about to snap.
"Mother, I think Trey is hurt, even unconscious. I sense...he cannot help me. But I have an idea," she managed, to cover up her own fear. Great, this is just what she needed, what they needed, after all of this...Closing her eyes again, she tried to will away the memories that suddenly threatened to overwhelm her. No, now was not the time to lose control....or let her mother know about her twisted feelings.
She was not unaware of Jeanette's immediate worry about her son, but for the moment, what could she do? There was no way anybody could teleport in this madness.
She got into contact with the Megaship. "How are you holding up over there?" she called as the ship rocked again. She could not stifle her gasp as it sent pain rocketing through her head, her chest, and her foot.
It was Carlos who answered this time, and Sharie was gratified to hear his voice. "Minimal damage, Querida. As for *us*, however, we are being tossed about like toys from the blasts. It is impossible to keep our footing, but no serious injuries. Just some lumps, bumps, cuts, bruises, you get the picture," his tone said he was trying to make light of the situation but not all of him was amused.
"Hang in there, Carlos," she encouraged. "I have an idea. You keep fighting them, to distract them, and I am going to get the Phantom Ranger to help me play a couple of low-life sneaks. I will be phasing in and out continually, so they cannot lock down upon me."
"Okay, but hurry, Querida, before we get seasick from all of this rocking." He joked before cutting the link. Sharie smiled to herself through the pain, before pausing just enough to send the Pyramidas a manual command, a trick Trey had told her of. It made the ship cloak, protecting him until she could get to him. She sincerely hoped he was all right, but she could not even sense him anymore, her pain in her head (not to mention her heart) was too great. She did not dare let her mother know.
With that, she set her plan into action. She began to flit in and out of cloak, sneaking up and pouncing on several pirate ships, and her mother kept her finger on the fire button. The Sphinx Ultrazord was just like a cat, and it got to the point where that, since they had no idea where she was going to appear next, her plan worked, she managed to damage many ships. And at last, she managed to severely damage Merdok's ship as well. She could not find the Phantom Ranger, he had disappeared from her scanners and her head was hurting so badly, she could not think. What little strength she had was focused on defeating Merdok, and with his ship damaged, he was sure to be furious.
Indeed, he contacted her at once, and when the viewscreen lit up, his outraged, disgruntled face amused her, even through her throbbing head and body.
"Miss Triesta, this is an outrage! I order you to stop or I will personally destroy you myself!"
She eyed him cooly. "Give it up, Merdok. You and your fleet, which I see is badly damaged by now, are no match for us. So I advise you to be on your merry way and leave us alone!"
"I will be back!" he shrieked. "You will pay for this! I have friends in high places! I will have my revenge, I don't care who you are!" He mumbled a few more curses in a strange language, but Sharie and Jeanette both turned a bright pink over. She quickly cut the link, glad to see him leave.
Sharie, watching them leave, wondered how it was that so many more ships had been damaged then she had thought. She then remembered the Phantom Ranger, who had been firing entirely under cloak. She wanted to thump herself, her head had been aching so badly she had almost forgotten!
"Well," he chuckled when she contacted him. "That takes care of that. I will be on the Megaship, helping them sort out the mess they are surely in."
After he vanished from the screen, Sharie turned to her mother. "I am going after Trey," she said unnecessarily. "I fear he is hurt," she whispered, limping over to the readings from the Pyramidas, ignoring her aching body as much as possible.
"In your condition?" said Jeanette, eyeing her daughter's appearance. Not only was she covered in cuts and bruises, she was also painfully rubbing an ankle, accounting for her limp. "Perhaps I should go with you."
"No, you are needed on the Megaship, and everything is ready over there, like you did for it. I will be back soon, do not worry. As soon as I find Trey, I will teleport to the medical bay over there."
*Too stubborn, just like her father,* Jeanette mused sadly, watching her youngest child reach for her teleportation button. *One day, that stubbornness could get you killed, little one. Be careful.*
****
Sharie materialized in the cockpit of the Pyramidas, medkit in hand. She felt her heart clench painfully as she saw her brother crumple on the floor, out cold. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to blot out the memories. *No, not now, that was another time, another place...*
Shuddering, she managed to limp to his side, kneeling down beside him and turning him over. He moaned slightly, but did not awaken. His face was a dreadfully pallid color, his long dark lashes looking startlingly white against the whiteness of his normally bronze face. A cut on one side of his forehead was slowly oozing blood. Sharie gently touched the rest of his head, finally finding a nasty lump, not unlike her own, under his thick, short dark locks. He also had other bruises and cuts on his body, indicating he had been thrown violently more than once.
Sharie quickly pulled some gauze from her medkit and pressed it gently against the bleeding laceration on his head to absorb the flow of blood. It turned dark red even as she bound it to his head with more strips of gauze, to hold it in place. Quickly, she scanned him for other not-so- obvious injuries.
She felt her insides shrink and go icy. He had a severe concussion--if he had been awake, he would have been in agony, she was sure--two broken ribs, and a busted wrist. An ankle had been severely turned as well.
*Ouch* she thought, as she stabalized him for teleportation. After binding his ribs and splinting his wrist, she straightened his body out so they could teleport. Before they were to transport, she paused, looking at him with an incredible ache in her heart, gently reaching out to touch his face. It was much too warm, despite his pallid color.
"Trey..." she murmured, trying to hide her distress. She could not let her mother know how much they often still suffered from the ghosts of the past. They had still kept the events from Dark Dresden as shadowy as possible from her, and other signals of their pain.
Sharie sighed, knowing she had to get him to safety. She gently brushed his hair out of his face before reaching for her communicator. After signaling their mother, they vanished in a golden flash.
They materialized in the medical bay. Sharie saw her mother go as sheet- white as Trey was upon seeing her son in this condition. Quickly, she helped her daughter lift him onto the empty biobed. As she prepared another regenerator to treat his injuries, Sharie quickly told her of his condition.
While they worked, Jeanette cast a sidelong glance at her daughter, then nearly stopped herself. She noticed Sharie was still painfully rubbing her slim ankle again. Her hair, which had come loose, tumbled about her shoulders, down her back, and into her violet-purple eyes, which were in turn shadowed with...something. She was also unconsciously rubbing her head and her side.
Quietly, so she would not notice, Jeanette turned the scanner on her own daughter. She tried to suppress a groan as she read not only a cracked ankle, but a broken rib, another cracked one, and a moderate concussion as well. How Sharie was even able to *see*, much less *walk,* was beyond her. So was the fact that her daughter had said not one word about her nasty injuries.
Her concern was replaced by mild irritation, and she felt her parental duties taking hold as she gently but firmly removed the scanner from her daughter's hand, flatly ordering her to attend to herself. "I can take over here, thank you. You need to tend to your own injuries, my girl. I had no idea you were in that bad a shape."
She actually looked mildly surprised. "But--"
"No buts please, my girl. You are on the verge of collapse, yourself. I am still your mother and you are still a juvenile, I should have a certain say-so in situations like this. And I know I am right when I say you do need tending. Now, march--er, limp, and get off that foot, please. One day, your impulsivenenss and stubborness will get you killed."
The mild flash of irritation Sharie had felt when her mother first started to lecture her was quickly replaced by a flash of amusement.
"How often have I heard that?" she muttered with a faint smile as she started to heed her mother's words. 'Sharie, you're too stubborn. Sharie, quit jumping at every little mission you see, you will get yourself killed.'" she mimicked. "But I like helping others, and besides, I am a power ranger, it is my job. And now, *Mom*, as for ordering me about--"
Jeanette was already opening her mouth to argue the point, when she was surprised into closing it again when Sharie started to giggle, wincing as more pain shot through her head. It did not take the amused smile from her face.
"--as for ordering me about," she continued, her eyes now twinkling merrily, "Mother, you have not done that to me since I was three and you had to flatly order me away from the books and computer I was glued at, to get me outside and do something else," she giggled. "You made Trey get me interested in Triforian martial arts, and dancing." She sobered somewhat. "But Mom, now I am pretty much grown up, and I have been making my own decisions for years now, especially in situations like this."
Jeanette sighed. She knew that this was all true, but it was something her daughter should not even be facing for several more years yet....her childhood had been stolen from her at an incredibly young age, and she doubted that, just because they were together again, she could ever get it back.
"I know...." she murmured, reaching out and touching Sharie's hair. "But sometimes, it is just so hard....I do get worried, who would not, in our situation? Not everyone I know has a seventeen-year-old daughter costantly risking her life to help others, and I have had to worry enough about Trey as it is. All right dear, I expect I overstepped it a bit, but please remember, I cannot stop worrying. I missed so much of your life."
The comment stopped Sharie in her tracks. Pain flashed again behind her eyes, though she tried to hide this as she dropped the regenerator on the bed and limped painfully over to her mother's welcoming arms. She hid her wince of pain in her sore ribs as she hugged her mother tightly.
"I know, mother," she quivered slightly. "But now we have a very long time to catch up on what we have missed out upon. For that, I am thankful."
"Me, too." Jeanette brushed a few strands of curls out of Sharie's face, identically-colored purple eyes meeting. "I have really cherished the past days we have had together. I expect, however, that you will be planning to return to Earth, soon. I know you have a seperate life there, and I cannot stop you from living it." She held her daughter gently, mindful of her injuries.
Sharie nodded. "I will need to, soon," she admitted. "There are other missions I will have to go on, should they come up, and Angel Grove is often under constant fire from Astronema. However," she brightened, "there is no reason you could not come and visit me on Earth."
Her mother blanched. "Me--go to Earth? I am not sure I would fit in."
Sharie just smiled as she hopped on one foot back to the biobed, strapping a specially-shaped regenerator to her foot. She picked up another and limped over to a partition to strap it to her ribs under her shirt, while Jeanette looked amused. Her head throbbed as she hopped back on one foot, the pain did not ease when she held another to her head to take care of her concussion. Her head felt like it was split from one end to another, and at first, the only improvement she noticed was that the fuzziness around the edge of her vision cleared. But gradually, the pain lessened. It helped, greatly, when Carlos, sensing the conversation was over, came over to sit beside her on the biobed, smiling inadvertently when Jeanette smiled at them approvingly. Somehow, it felt pretty good when your girlfriend's mother approved of you.
****
A few minutes later, Sharie heard a faint moan escape Trey's lips as he stirred slightly, putting a hand to his throbbing head. His dark eyes opened and he blinked, completely dazed and in pain, his vision not terribly clear.
Jeanette was by his bedside at once.
"How are you feeling?" she whispered, somehow aware that every sound he heard was causing terrible pain.
"Oh....like someone rolled over my body with the pyramidas," he mumbled. "I hate to admit it, but I ache all over."
"I should say so," she remarked. "When Sharie found you, you were out cold, and you have several injuries. Do you remember anything?"
He closed his eyes against the assaulting light, it was just to painful. "Lots of shaking," he whispered, suddenly remembering. "Being thrown a couple of times...you get the idea."
By then, Sharie had put down her regenerator and had hobbled to his bedside.
"You do look better," she remarked, hugging him gently, mindful of his injuries. For some reason he himself could not explain, only knowing he had to, he hugged her back, only pausing when she winced. "When I found you, you were a mess."
"Thanks a lot, Lalinka," he painfully chuckled, feeling her wince again. His brow furrowed as he felt the outlines of the regenerator under her shirt.
He let go immediately, pulling her back. His vision was clear enough to take in her still cut-and-bruised appearance, her hair tumbling down, and to his shock, he took in the haunting pain he had come to recognize in her gaze. Good grief, how bad *had* it all been? "What happened to you, Lalinka? Don't tell me you went to find me while you were also injured."
"Well..." she began hesistantly. "I did not exactly say anything about how I was at first, but...I guess I simply did not pay attention. I sensed you were hurt, and I had to find you."
"Yes, and it was more like it took control of every other thought she might have had," said Jeanette, a bit dourly. "I could not stop her, I doubt if I could even if I had known how badly hurt she was. She would not let me come."
Trey blinked, and looked into his sister's eyes, suddenly understanding the haunted look. He understood it all too well, and why she felt like she had to hide it from their mother...for he felt the same way. The less Jeanette knew of the agonies they had suffered, the better. No, they could not burden her with that.
*Oh, Lalinka,* he sent to her, his hand finding hers and squeezing it hard. They might try to hide things from their mother, but he doubted it was not worth the price of Sharie's own mental anguish. He only too clearly remembered the long chain of events it had taken to get her to let go of *any* of it, even when Dark Dresden attacked again. He would never, ever forgive himself for the bruises he had unintentionally inflicted on her, even though it had caused the sudden surge of rage that had broken through to her, even if it had been only a short time. *I am stone* she had said, and it certainly seemed like she had stone walls of self-protection. He had no idea how much like her he was.
Jeanette did not miss the unspoken communication that was passing between them, but she could not pry, though she did not wonder if it would be necessary. She knew next to nothing, still, for they told her so little. She had the sense that it was a combination of the fact that they were trying to spare her, and their own inherent stubborness, that kept them from ever showing their innermost feelings to her. Like they often did with each other, it made her frustrated at times, trying to reach them the way she would like. She knew they were hurt, and were trying to hide it for her sake, but they never even cried. They were too clamped, and it frustrated her. The rage, the pain, and the burial of emotions had fallen into place years ago, and it remained unresolved to this day. She hoped so it would change on day. She really disliked the idea that her children carried so much mental anguish in their hearts. They certainly did not deserve it.
****
A short while later, everyone was nearly normal once again. What little damage had been done had been repaired, most of the injuries treated. Sharie and Trey would both have to wear dermal regenerators on their ribs for a short time longer, but other than that, they were fully healed.
As they entered the bridge, they both could not quite hide the squriming they were both doing. The darned things, while they were healing them quickly, itched like crazy! What was worse, they had to bear it without scratching, for doing so would only aggrivate their damaged ribs and cause more pain, which they still felt. So they only sat, and sqirmed uncomfortably, trying to ingnore their crawling skin, or the fact that many other places in their bodies still ached like crazy.
"Let's get on with this," Muttered Sharie, squirming awkwardly in her chair and trying not to let her discomfort show on her face. "Remember T'Sar's line--The crystal is located on the main--meaning the largest life- sustaining planet in this system. It is a double-planet system, like the Earth-moon duo. The smaller world is completely airless, with no life. The larger planet is about Earth's size, about 75% water, and several continents. There is a stone-age culture here, but they only live in the southwestern continent." She sighed. "The problem with this information is that it is over tewnty thousand years old. They could have spread worldwide by now. The thing is, few ever come out here, and that is why the information is so old. The natives of this planet, called Indri III, could very well be advanced by now." Her brow furrowed. "Or perhaps not. At the time...indications were showing that perhaps their culture was taking an evil turn." Catching the looks on the other's faces, she added, "Not that it would. Our older books on Triforia, about Earth, thought much the same thing. They predicted that Earth's culture would be perpetually evil, or destroy themselves through warfare. That did not happen."
She wondered whether she should tell them that on a few other planets, there was even talk about Earth on other planets, who discussed the possibility that they had to eradicate the Earth's inhabitants once and for all, before they reached spaceflight and grew too dangerous, because of the extreme rate 'that evil race' was adancing, with deadly weapons technology. They had predicted that if humankind ever got out into space, they would be hell-bent conquerers.
Although no one now thought that, thanks especially due to Zordon, Sharie though better of telling them this. She could not risk insulting them, and it might even make them paranoid.
"Okay," said Andros, bringing her back to the present. He held up his copy of the translated stanzas and read the next one.
The crystal doth hide,
In a place filled with cliffs,
Caves, the briney blue sea,
Where the ocean ends, the water, the mists.
Andros thoughtfully dragged up an old map DECA had on file of the planet in question. It rather shocked the Earth Rangers to see how much it resembled Earth.
"That description is pretty loose," Troy observed. "There are many poaces along that shores that fit what the stanza indicates." Several places on the map lit up, as if to prove his point.
Trey, desperate to find some distraction from that damned itch, read aloud the next passage.
The place in question is up north,
And to the East, with the rising sun,
At dawn the cliffs glow the color of gold,
Except Sustani's peak, which looks shriveled and old.
It made no sense to Trey whatsoever. "Sustani's peak?" he asked aloud.
Phantom placed his chin in his hand, and Sharie drummed her fingertips on the table. She glanced at him he at her, and a silent communication quickly passed, for he nodded in agreement.
He straightened. "Sustani's peak....Sustani was, I belive, A reference by T'Sar's people for their devil. So in Standard, it would translate as Devil's peak. I doubt the natives would call it that, though, they probably have their own name for it, if they have migrated that far. Maybe T'Sar got the idea if he had seen the peak himself, so he used it here. But the rest of the description may narrow your search."
Andros tapped at the computer thoughtfully, then, to their relief, most of the lights vanished. On the north and east, along the Eastern shore, one pale blue light was still glowing.
"That is where it must be located, then," said Andros, feeling a sense of relief. "The maps indicated that it was the only peak that is never lit up by the Eastern sky in the morning. Not until noon does it get any light. And my sensors indicate that the place is full of caves."
Troy wondered why everyone still acted surprised when a brilliant blue glow filled the room, and a small blue light formed, moving to settle over the spot indicated on the map, and pulsed a steady beat.
T'Sar.
Troy found his tongue first. "Well, I guess that confirms it," he managed. "I suppose now we should go look ourselves, and find the powers. The sooner we handle this, and the sooner it gets over with, the better I wil feel."
Sharie suddenly remembered something. "If we go down, we will need oxygen masks," she advised solemnly. "The air is breathable, but too thin for us. It would only take a minute or two to black out, and slowly suffocate otherwise."
"Meaning that, if we go down, we have to haul huge oxygen tanks on our backs?" asked Carlos incredulously.
She smiled at him. "No. Not like you are used to, anyway. The devices I speak of foot over the mouth and nose, with a band that holds it in place on your head, and a very thin tube that leads to a small buckle-sized device that clips around the waist. The tube goes under the clothing as to not be a hinderance, and it is non-irritant, so you should not notice it."
She and Trey squirmed again, noth desperately trying to ignore the persistent itch. She reflexively drew a deep breath, realizing that now it barely hurt to do so. Soon, she would be able to take off that damned regenerator. Repressing the feeling as best as she could, she tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"However, at least one of us, perhaps more, should stay behind to keep an eye on things up here. Somebody should be on call in case Merdok shows up again or something else goes wrong."
"I will, for one," volunteered Jeanette. "Someone with halfway-decent mecial knowledge should be on standby, in case...and I have, over the past couple of days, gotten the hang of how things work on these ships."
"I will, too," said TJ after a moment's silence. "With this situation, Alpha will more than just have his hands full. I will be on standby, however, if you need help."
Phantom had withdrawn from the conversation lately, and had been silently tapping at a computer pad. "I should stay behind, also," he said thoughtfully. "It will be easy for me to patrol this sector, and maybe I could get you an early warning if something goes wrong. Plus, I have other things that need handling." Typical of him, he did not elaborate. Cassie gave him a smile of understanding before turning to listen to Sharie's next words.
"And Troy, keep your teleporter handy," she was advising him. "At the first sign of trouble, it would be better if you teleported, for you are not protected by power like the rest of us are."
"I doubt it," was his dry answer. "I would not just abandon you guys in the middle of an attack. That would be cowardly, not to mention unethical."
"Maybe," she countered. "But the Nightstriker Warrior powers would be of little use to you if you were dead. Just watch your back, okay? Now, if we all are in agreement with this, then what say we teleport down to these coordinants in about an hour? That will give Trey and I time to finish healing and also get the necessary equiptment together."
So it was agreed, then they scattered, preparing for their journey.
****
About an hour later, everything was almost ready. Everyone was gathered back onto the Megaship, re-checking their supplies before leaving. Besides the oxygen equiptment, everyone was equipped with a special survival kit, also strapped to their waists, fanny-pack style. Each contained a tiny replicator that only replicated water, a tiny cup attached to it, a small hypospray and an emergency supply of Tri-ox boosters--about a three-hour supply--A small tool with various devices, a tiny flashlight, a poison indicator to test for foods safe to eat, poison deadener, and seven tiny packets of rations, enough to last for a week.
"And how are we supposed to eat them?" queried Ashley. "These masks cover our mouths and noses, and if we remove them..."
"I doubt you would suffer much to quickly pull it away from your mouth enough to pop that bite-sized morsel into your mouth," was Sharie's bemused answer. "As for the water...one sip at a time, please."
All in all, everything in the kit was very tiny, but the uses of each went a long way. And Sharie and Trey would have their Zeo Medkits on call, just in case, also. They were set.
Sharie slipped the mask on her head, adjusting the bands so it fit comfortably. She had already threaded the slender tube down her Triforian- style tunic, and she now attached it to the small device clipped to her waist. She felt cool air rush up the tube to her face covering. She breathed deeply, then thought of something.
"Here," she said suddenly, handing everyone a small white box no larger than the oxygen devices. "These contain a special kind of rope, and clips. You can also attach it to your belts. Wht the kind of terrain we will be covering, we will probably need it to do cliff-climbing--or repelling."
Wordlessly, they took the little boxes and clipped them to their belts. Since all fo them, as part of their Ranger training or warrior training, had been taught this kind of thing, none of them were unprepared.
"All right, let's go," she said. She nodded to TJ, who hit the button to teleport them all. The world around her vanished in a flash of violet- purple light.
****
To Troy, the world came back into focus, but looking vastly different than anything else he had ever before seen. The sky was blue and the sun yellow, of course, like Triforia and many other planets he had been to, but it is not every day you find yourself in a place where the dry terrain could show your relfection to a degree, or the few plants have yellow bark and purple leaves. They were standing at the base of several cliffs, some steep, some gradual.
Behind him the blue ocean crashed into rocks at the end of a medium-sized strip of beach. Except for the weird-looking plants, he saw no inidcation of life. He looked around, ready to explore, but then realized he did not know in the least where to begin.
"What do we do know?" he queried sheepishly.
Sharie glanced at him pityingly, then held up the computer pad she had not forgotten. "Maybe T'Sar's next passage will set us off in the right direction." She said, her voice not muffled in the slightest by the oxygen mask. "Here goes--"
The beach to your left,
The cliffs to your right,
Then finding the crystal,
Should not be a hindsight.
She looked thoughtful, biting her full lip. "I think this means we should head south, " she said soberly.
Grudgingly, the group began to walk in that direction, desperately trying not to twist an ankle or break a leg on the rough terrain. It was definetly hard not to.
"Where do we go now?" grumbled Cassie. "We cannot travel in this direction forever."
"I know," sighed Sharie, glancing at the next stanza.
You are closer to finding the crystal,
S'mara be blessed,
In the middle, a mountain of white,
Holds the long-awaited crystal's nest.
"I thinke we have our answer," remarked Trey, nodding his head in the direction of some nearby mountains to the south. There were three main peaks, two brown and bare, but the middle was a brilliant white, and not with snow. They were about to head in that direction when Sharie suddenly stiffened.
"What is it?" said Trey, instantly on alert.
"We are being watched," she whispered.
"Natives?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell if they are evil or good?" he whispered.
Sharie hesistated, not really wanting to pry. "Both, I believe. It is pretty balanced. I don't think they would be inentionally cruel, unless the situation dictates it. They are sentient, and undecided about us."
"Could they be considering attacking us?" asked Trey.
Her brow furrowed. "If we appear too dangerous, perhaps. But somehow....I get the distinct impression that they have long been aware of off- worlders."
"Would they be willing to talk, that is, if we could get through the language barrier?"
She shrugged. "As long as we make it clear we pose no threat. I believe they may be willing. We will have to see. As for the language...there was an old file on their language, DECA had it, it was about five thousand years old. I memorized it...hopefully, enough of it survived the eons to communicate. Also, if they are aware of aliens, then some of them may speak Standard."
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a woman stepped out, dressed in robes despite the heat. She held up a hand for them to halt, and they did so, as she carefully surveyed the group. A group of men and women, all looking stern, joined her. She lowered her hand and spoke in a very cold voice, in the ancient tongue only Sharie knew.
"Who are you, strangers, and why do you come to our world? Be warned, for we do not tolerate invaders or those with dishonorable intents."
Sharie, being the only one who understood them, translated this to the rest of them before carefully stepping forward. She spoke carefully, because of it's difficult articulation, and she did not want to unintentionally speak the wrong word.
"Greetings, I am Sharie Triesta, and I speak your language, though I am the only one of this group to do so. I assure you we mean no harm. We came here on a special mission for a certain object that, according to records we have found, is on this planet and somewhere in this area."
Stone-cold sapphire eyes stared unrelentingly into her purple ones. "Before, and if, we let you go further, we need more specifics. We do not allow harmful plundering of our world. We want the truth. And also the purpose of your masks--is our air too impure for you? Be warned, we will know if you lie. Others have come and tried the same thing, but we always know."
Sharie readily translated this to her friends. Their eyes met in mutual consent to tell the truth, for none of them could see anything to lose.
Sharie turned back to the leader. She had the odd feeling that this woman had understood them, but was giving no indication that she knew. A test, Sharie thought. Still, to show respect, she plunged ahead in their tongue.
"We will tell you, since we have nothing to lose. We are in search of a crystal, a special crystal. It contains a certain kind of power, that we are in need of. A friend of ours, named Zordon, is missing, and teh power could help us find him." She was surprised that at the mention of Zordon, the woman's blue eyes softened at once.
"Zordon? You know Zordon? Of Eltare?"
"Yes, we know of him, and most of us knew him personally as their mentor. But now, he is missing."
She eyed them critically. "I wish to know more, and the purpose of your masks."
"The atmosphere of your world, for us, is beathable, but contains too little oxygen for us to use. So we need the air from these respirators." She quickly went on to explain, briefly, what had happened to Zordon, all of which she knew only second-hand herself.
"...and that is why we are here. Now, will you permit us to continue?"
The woman locked her blue eyes to Sharie's purple ones again. All of a sudden, Sharie sensed a delicate brush of another mind aginst her own. She started at first, unused to such an invasion without her permission, but then let the woman know that what she was saying was the truth. It was worth it, she reflected, for at last the woman's icy blue eyes turned warm, her voice softened, and she smiled, all her former sternness melting away.
"Please, forgive my earlier rudeness and the mind invasion, but it was necessary. I know now you are telling the truth. I am called Janna, pricenss of the Mespa region of this world. My father is Lord Dartanyon, ruler of this world."
Sharie smiled forgiveness. "What you did is understandable. As I said before, my name is Sharie Triesta. I did not mention that I am princess of Triforia, this is my brother, Trey, Lord of Triforia, this is Troy, a friend of ours, and these are the Lightstar Rangers of Earth, Carlos, Andros, Cassie, and Ashley."
Janna turned pale. "You are royalty!" she gasped. "Why are you out here, then? You should be properly greeted by my father, at the High Palace! Unless your customs dictate it otherwise, it is only proper!"
Sharie translated all of this to the others, but felt a blush heating her cheeks, Trey likewise. It embarassed them when others made a big deal of their 'rank'. It was nothing unusual, they were really no more important than the average Triforian. She decided to change the subject, once again getting the distinct feeling that the woman could understand them.
"Janna, if your people are aware of offworlders, then does anybody on your world, or you, speak the language called Standard? The rest of us here speak such."
Her eyes were now dancing with suppressed humor. "Yes, I speak standard," she said in perfect English. "I did not say anything before because it is an advantage to offworld enemies, to let them think we are still primitive savages! Not all of us do, but the royal family must learn."
Sharie sensed her friends relax as the woman spoke words they understood.
She shrugged. "I knew you understood what I translated to my friends here. I sensed it from my own mind."
Janna's eyes widened. "You are telepathic? How? I did not sense that from your mind when I brushed it."
"I have excessive abilities, and skills in it's use as well," Sharie answered with a smile. "It is sometimes easy to fool a mindprobe."
Janna made a slight bow. "Well, if you do not want to come to my father's palace to be properly honored, considering your ranks, then at least come to the communal Dining Hall. It is the only structure for miles around, since we are on frontier soil. I was there when I was alerted to strangers in the area." She shook her head. "I do not understand why you do not request the proper greetings due you. You, Lord Trey and Princess Sharie, are planetary leaders, and the rest of you are interglalactic heroes.
"We do not expect that kind of treatment," explained Trey gently. "On our world, being of the Royal Family is hardly any distinction. There is no throne room, crown of jewels, and such. And we are treated no differently than ordinary citizens. And my title of Lord of Triforia is just short of being ceremonial. Basically, my people do as they wish."
"Ah, I understand," mused Janna. "Different, but plausible. Now, will you all come to the Dining Hall? It is nearby and you may rest there before continuing your quest."
"So you will allow us to proceed?" quipped Troy.
"Yes, for I have decided that you are trustworthy, asn we have no need of the powers you describe. And if the spirit of the predecessor that held the powers dictates that they be given to Troy, we dare not interfere. Our only restriction is that you disturb the land as little as possible. The white mountain is sacred and largely unexplored. But because you are offworlders with a spirit dictating your way, you may go. Just show a little respect, if you please. Now, will you join us?"
Sharie's eyes wandered to the sky. It was getting dark, and it had been a long day. They were all tired from the last several days, she sensed, having faced battles, injuries, damage, repairs, and ghosts. Especially today. Exhausted, all of them came to a quick agreement.
"With your permission, we will join you," she said, smiling. Janna smiled back and waved her hand in the direction that they would be traveling in, then led the way deeper into the rocky cliffs and canyons, along a narrow, barely-discernable trail.
After about a quarter of a mile, they came upon a large structure, carved right into the side of a cliff. Cryptic designs decorated the cliff face, and it had been smoothly polished so the relfective surface was even more brilliant and clear. Above an arching doorway, also of stone, were unreadable letters, to all but Sharie. Absently, she told them it said, "Welcome to the Communal Dining Hall, center for the hungry and weary."
It was cool inside, but lit up surprisingly for a place carved right into a rockface. The colors were soft, welcoming, and it was a relief to the weary rangers after the blazing sun.
The establishment was not very busy, the few other natives within sight merely turning and eyeing them with frank curiosity and reservation. But with a sharp gesture, almost a command, from Princess Janna, they quickly became friendly, smiling people. Obviously, she had let them know that these were people to be treated with respect. Her followers quickly disappeared to another section of the building.
Janna led the weary group to a nearby table that could seat them all, and on comfortable, plush chairs. A young man from behind a counter came over at another sharp gesture from the woman. He knelt on one knee before the princess, hands crossed over his chest, and his head bowed.
"My lady," he murmured in their ancient tongue.
"You may rise," she bade him, and at his submissive gesture, Sharie turned red, scarcely bringing herself to translate to her friends. Never, ever would she force her people to do such an embarassing display of submission.
The young man, named Tamio, cast a quick glance at the strangers.
"What does my lady wish?" he asked of Janna.
"You will brush up on your skills at speaking Standard, Tamio," she intoned. "These strangers are not of our world, and their main language is such. Only this one--" she gestured at Sharie, "speaks our tongue. And you will treat them with the utmost respect. They are Power Rangers, and these two are royalty themselves. This is Trey, Lord of Triforia, and Sharie, princess of Triforia. They are the leaders of their world." Tamio's eyes went wide.
"Heed their wishes, but expect to be treated as their equal. The are used to equal behiavor from all on their world. If they wish it, do not bow every time you approach them, for I can see it makes them uncomfortable. And if they wish to talk, you need not heed their words."
*Totalitarian culture?* Sharie wondered to herself. At least the seedings of it. Some things seemed suppressed.
The young man nodded, much astonished. Janna quickly introduced the others to him as Sharie quickly translated. Then Janna turned to them.
"I must retire to my rooms for a short while. If you wish, Tamio will assign you rooms to sleep in for tonight, and get you anything you wish.'
Not wanting to insult, but knowing she must say this, Sharie spoke up. "Janna, would it be taken as an insult if we were to refuse most kinds of food? I hae done tests on your vegetation, and much of it we will be unable to tolerate."
Janna looked surprised, then smiled an understanding. "No, it would not be under these circumstances. Otherwise, yes. But in this case, no. I do, however, hope that you have other means of sustenance with you." She looked doubtfully at the small packs everyone was wearing around their waists.
"We do, in the form of ration packets. Also, we need to contact, using your communications, the ships we have in orbit around this planet. Our communicators cannot get through the interference, but we need to tell them we will be staying down here tonight."
Janna readily agreed to this before making a slight bow and leaving without saying farewell. Sharie sensed that it was not the custom here for that unless the parting companies were to not see each other again for a time.
After she was gone, Tamio turned to them and spoke, in broken, stumbling Standard.
"W-welcome. I am called Tamio. You ask--I bring. Sleep rooms--this way. Or food, drink--" he gestured toward the counter. "I get for you."
"Could you show us to our rooms, Tamio?" Sharie asked politely, feeling sorry for him. He was trying, almost too much, to please them in ways that were not necessary.
He flashed her a grateful smile. "Yes--follow me." He bowed again, to her discomfort, and led them off to the side, through several doors, coming to a long hall with various doors. Though carved in stone, it was a beautiful sight, for the stone glowed colors that seemed vibrant and alive--from beige, reds, off-whites, greens, browns, oranges, even purple and pure white.
Tamio bowed again. "Forgive--space a problem. Avalible rooms--share, hope is understood."
"Of course we understand," said Cassie slowly, so her words could be understood.
"That is good." He opened a door. "For females in yellow, pink." He said to Cassie and Ashley. He led them inside a splendid room for two. Wonderful, colorful furniture lined the walls, and the canopied beds were vivid hues, one yellow and one pink. The girls gaped at the splendor.
"I will leave, how do you say--'let you get comfy'. Will be back soon."
Leaving the girls staring open-mouthed at the sheer luxury of the room that had been assigned to them, the others followed Tamio out the door and down the hall to another room.
"For men," he said to Troy, Andros, and Carlos, ushering them inside. The room was as splendid as the girls' room, but with more masculine tones of red, black, white and brown. There were three beds, again with canopies, but with a more masculine touch. One was black, one was red, and the third was a somewhat dusky, silverish color.
"Will be back shortly," said Tamio to the gaping boys. He led Sharie and Trey back out the door and down the hall.
Brother and sister exchanged glances. Why were they being singled out to occupy yet more rooms? The others were plenty big enough...
He led them to yet another door, the one at the end of the hall. Tamio stepped forward and opened it. "Your room."
Sharie felt her heart flop to her toes. Brilliant hues of purple and gold gleamed, almost bliningly, in every angle and direction. The room had both masculine and femenine touches. The splendid canopy beds were both blackish, one with gold trimming and one with purple.
"Tamio--" Sharie began, not wanting to offend, but her face was bright red. "This--is too much. We could have shared rooms with the rest. There is no need for a seperate room--"
"You are...brother, sister, no?" he said, furrowing his brows. Trey nodded.
"Our custom....related guests, families....share quarters." He shrugged. "Room to left--for re-cre-ation." he stumbled over the word. Silver buttons on wall--calls me. Princess Janna may come later. What you want...I bring. Goodnight." With one last bow, he left the room.
One he was gone, Sharie snorted. "Simply because we are brother and sister? Hogwash." Trey raised an eyebrow at her, but he thought he knew what was crossing her mind. Tamio had taken what Janna had told him quite literally, and tried to disguise the fact that he had stuck them in a royal suite, without trying to offend their sesibilities. Sharie was the type perfectly happy in a pair of ragged jean shorts and a t-shirt, and he himself preferred casual wear and hanging with his friends at times, not sipping tea and be waited on hand and foot. This room was much too grand for their tastes. Triforians were not vain like this.
They left the room, everyone meeting in the "recreation" room, which was filled with all sorts of strange devices nobody knew the use of. As they sat down, Sharie rubbed her fingers on the bridge of her nose, just above where the clear plastic fitted over her face. She was getting really tired of the mask, but, even though there was more oxygen in here than outdoors, it was still not enough.
Everyone simply stared at each other for a moment, then, to break the silence, Cassie managed, "Well, uh, *that* was interesting. First she is so *cold* to us, and then she brings us here...and still acts like royalty on Earth."
"Almost." Put in Ashley. "At least she did not make us bow to us like Tamio had to do. Mom would flip if she knew of this. And Grandma....she might try and marry me off to one of the royals."
Everyone laughed at this, save Troy, who only looked puzzled. Ashley caught his eye and grinned. "My grandmother is very sweet and all of that, Troy," she explained. "But she is very...overbearing. Even Sharie and Trey have met her. She has a hobby of matchmaking, and she took one look at those two and immediately tried to match them with several people wanting to marry. They had a hard time convincing her that they were already involved."
"Hey," said Andros, who had left the group and had crossed the room. "I found their communications systems over here." He toyed with it, then called Sharie. "Okay, genius. You can read this stuff, so help me here."
Sharie poked him in the ribs, her glare saying she was not amused. "I only took the precatuion of learning it, which is more than I can say for you," she replied a bit darkly.
"Okay, okay, sorry. Now, will you help me or leave me to suffer?"
She smiled then, not truly angry with him. That was an impossiblity. "Here, adjust this..."
"TJ here," said their teammate's voice a few minutes later.
"Hey, Teej," said Andros cheerfully. "Just calling to tell you that we are in one piece, and on the trail. Some of the natives agreed to put us up for the night, so we will be down here."
"You need anything?"
"No. We will call if we do," said Andros, a smile on his face. Ashley could not get enough of it, especially when only weeks before, he was so cold.
"Still, be careful," Jeanette's voice came over the system. "The atmosphere is not exactly friendly, you know."
After shutting off the system, they fell to discussing tomorrow's plans.
"I guess the rope was a smart thing to have handy after all," admitted Andros, looking at his thoughtfully. "It looks like we will have to do a lot of climbing tomorrow."
"I know," sighed Sharie, leaning back in her chair. "I think we should start on the East slope."
"How do you know that?" asked Carlos, coming over to sit beside her and grinning despite himself when she leaned against him.
"This," she said, indicating the next stanza.
The face that faces
The rising sun,
My heir, you are getting close,
To you and the power joining as one.
She raised her eyes. "Settle your question?"
Carlos laughed, and kissed her on the tip of the nose. He could not help himself, when she looked so irresistably cute like that. Everyone else shook their heads and grinned knowingly.
Cassie stifled a yawn. "Let's hit the sack, guys," she mumbled. "I am zonked. And we should get an early start tomorrow. My only question is, how do we sleep with these masks on?"
"The rooms come with sleepwear. Attach the belts to your waists to secure it, and the masks will stay on when you sleep," Sharie yawned also. "Bed does sound pretty good right now."
Everyone headed to bed after a brief visit by Janna to wish them goodnight. As Sharie removed clothing from the replicator, she reflected they were more advanced than she had thought, to have such technology. And yet, she had seen no indication of spaceflight...
She adjusted the waistband of her nightgown, clipping on her respirator and ajusting the mask on her face as she came out of the bathroom. Trey had changed as well, sitting tiredly on his bed, looking like he was about to lose consciousness. Sharie went to him, hesistating, then quickly pushed aside her mask long enough to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. He smiled in response, pulling her in for a fierce hug before releasing her.
"Goodnight, Lalinka."
"Goodnight, Trey."
The beds were a welcome relief to their sore bodies, deep, soft, and warm, the kind that instantly transports you to dreamland. They sank in, and, exhausted, were asleep instantly.
****
The night was a long one. Not only were the rangers completely worn out, but they had a lot on their minds, from brooding over this mission to their own personal problems.
Carlos, who hated sleeping in strange places, tossed and turned for half an hour, despite the *really* comfortable bed. He did not bother Andros, who always slept like a log, but it did catch the attention of Troy, who also had a lot on his mind and could not sleep.
"Would you please not make so much noise?" he asked gently but tonelessly. "I am trying to think."
"Sorry," murmered Carlos. "I cannot exactly sleep...strange bed, this mask. Quiero a dormir in mi dormitorio." He was tired enough to unconsicously slip back into his second tongue, spanish.
"What did you say? I do not know that language."
"Oh, sorry. That was spanish, my family's other language. I said, in short, that I would rather sleep in my own bedroom." He stifled a yawn, tossing his longish hair out of his eyes. "I will try not to bother you anymore, okay? After I settle down in a strange place, I usually fall asleep, all right?"
"Understood. Goodnight, Carlos."
"'night."
A few moments later, Carlos was sound asleep. Troy shook his head, smiling to himself. Humans were a fascinating lot. These were the first humans he had ever met. Trey had told him about his adventures with the first ones he had encountedered as Earth's mysterious Gold Ranger. They had been an exceptionally kind lot, despite the planet's reputation.
Back up, rewind, he reminded himself. He *had* met one human...the one called Billy Cranston, who had come at one point to try and help Trey rejoin. He had seemed kind, smart, and willing, but Troy had not known him long enough to form a real opinion.
He was shaken out of his thoughts again when he heard muffled cries as Andros began to toss and turn, uttering strangled gasps before he sat up with a cry, his eyes wild, his pupils dialated with horror and pain. A strange word--Karone--passed his lips as his hands relfexively moved to grasp a silver-colored charm that always hung about his neck, faint tearstains on his cheeks. He shook for several moments before he began to get his bearings and realized where he was, and absorbed the fact Troy was watching him.
"Are you all right?" asked Troy, concerned.
"Y-yes," the boy in red stammered, wiping his face with his sleeve as if he was used to waking up in such a state, which he was. "J-just nightmares-- old memories. That's all."
"Will you be all right?"
"I'll be fine. Sorry I bothered you." Andros lay back down with a sigh, swallowing and willing the last of the visions of his nighmare dancing before his eyes.
"You are not bothering me," said Troy softly. He could tell that what was bothering Andros was more than just a nightmare, but he did not press the issue. He figured it was none of his business, and sensed that Andros would most likely not discuss it. Andros, despite his problems, fell asleep in short order out of sheer exhaustion, and Troy, while still brooding alternately between how strange humans were and how these powers, if gotten, would change his life, he also fell asleep.
****
Things were hardly any better in the girl's room. Cassie was troubled by something, and Ashley did not know exactly what. Cassie had been acting this way ever since this morning, when she had recieved an e-mail from her parents. Even now, she was tossing and turning, mumbling to herself, though Ashley could not hear her.
*I cannot believe this. My parents are moving to Angel Grove now, and in my mother's condition...* The thought sprang unbidden into Ashley's mind. She closed her eyes and groaned. *Oh no, not again. I hate this...*
Now *those* were her thoughts.
She hated this, hated when it happened. It was a secret that drove her insane and made her uncomfortable as hell when it happened to her. Or, when she felt, like now, that tomorrow was going to be dangerous, she was always right. It never failed.
But it was so intermittent. Oftentimes, she knew what somebody wanted before they even said it, or what they were thinking before they spoke. It was so embarrassing when she realized that sometimes she reciprocated on a request, question, or statement...before they even asked!
She never told anybody. She hated what she could do. And it really, really scared her at times, especially when she was thinking of something she wanted and somebody got it for her, without her even asking! They simply srugged it off, saying things like, "Here, I thought you'd want this."
Oh! It made her shudder with fear, and feeling like a misfit.
It had not been so unusual that she could do this with her brothers. They were triplets, right? Many multiples could do that with the siblings they had been born with. She and her surviving twin, Johnathan, still finished each other's sentences with ease, and all the remarkable things twins could do. But she had been the only one to do those types of things with others as well, no matter how intermittent. And she kept her mouth shut about it. It made her feel like a freak. She hoped nobody would ever find out--it should not happen so strongly in humans, should it? Only weird psychics could do that. And yet, Andros, an ordonary boy, could do telekenesis...
At last, torn between trying to drown out the telepathic noise she kept recieving from Cassie and her own worries, she fell asleep, her dreams were strange, of never having to speak again because whatever she thought about, happened.
****
Muffled cries and sobs intruded on his sleep like a slap in the face. Gasping, he jerked awake and sat bolt upright, his heart pounding at having come back to consciousness so fast.
*Sharie!* was his first coherent thought. He felt his heart twist to see her shaking in bed, whimpering in her sleep, and thrashing about as if desperate to get away from something. She was in the grips of a terrifying nightmare.
His heart leaped into his throat, and he jumped himself, when she suddenly let out a strangled shriek, choking out, "No! No! Don't let them hurt you, Trey, don't let them get to you! I am right over here! I am trying to get home! Please, don't die! Hold on! Please...."
Shocked to his toes by what he heard, he froze in astonishment, unable to move, as she continued railing. "Trey, I wish you could hear me. I am so close. Dark Dresden has me! He brought me with him, hoping I would see you die! Please, please get up!" her cries of anguish became more heartfelt than he had ever before heard out of her. "I love you! Don't die, please!"
Still unable to move, his mind raced. What was she talking about? He did not recall seeing Sharie when Dark Dresden held her captive those years ago. Yes, during that time he had been badly injured in battle several times, but he had never seen her there, and how could she have seen him, unless...
His blood ran cold as he ferverently hoped it was not a suppressed memory. His injuries today had reawakened some unplesant memories, and bled afresh old hurts, that they did not care to think about. During the time she seemed to be crying out about, there were still periods she could not remember, for they were too horrifying to allow her subconscious to reveal them to her. Another thought caused even more fear and anger to race down his spine. He hoped it was not because she clearly remembered, and was not telling him! Despite the fact they had shared much, he still knew very little about her, how she had grown up, and was still a mystery to everyone. She was much too closed-mouthed for her own good, and he knew he was guilty of the same thing. Each thought that the other was too burdened to lay them further with their own troubles. No, he hoped this nightmare was something her mind had fabricated, nothing more.
She shrieked again, a wail of pure terror and torment, and sat bolt upright, her purple eyes wild and unseeing, glazed and glowing with sheer horror. "No, NO!!!" came the horrified scream.
She was shaking with agony, her face soaked with tears. She sat upright, gasping for air, her eyes still unseeing, as she cried, still in the throes of her nightmare.
The sight of it twisted Trey's heart further and unlocked his body at last. He was over there in a split second. Not wanting to startle her further-- knowing Sharie, it could be dangerous--he sat carefully beside her, laying hands gently on her shoulders and looking into her eyes. They reflected his image back at him, and did not acknowlege him in the least. Her terrifying dream still had it's grips upon her senses.
She was quiet for a moment, the tears falling unheeded down her face, then she moaned softly. "Trey, why don't you get up? There is blood soaking your tunic, running down from your head...he stabbed you in the back, why don't you move? You need help....Oh, Gods, please get up! My life is not worth it if you are not alive to share it with me!" She started to tremble again with suppressed sobs, and Trey was startled to feel tears filling his own eyes. No, no matter how dangerous this was, he had to get her out of her warped dream-world now, free her from the terror. He had only recently become aware of her frequent nightmares, since they had increased sharply since Dark Dresden's attack had almost ripped her emotionally asunder, and he was prone to them himself once in a while, but he had never seen her like this. He doubted if it was her first time, either.
He shook her gently, feeling her quiver as he pulled her close. "Come on, Lalinka," he soothed gently. "Wake up. It is only a nightmare. You must wake up..."
She gasped, and began to push him away, as if he was someone in her nightmare, forcibly restraining her. "Let me go, you *Hock'thath!* I hate you! I hate you!"
He froze, feeling a stabbing sensation deep within his soul, though he knew that her words were not really directed at him, nor had her crude language. But still, the thought of her hating him was worse, hurt worse and tore at him more than anything he could recall.
"*Sharie!*" he said a bit more firmly, shaking her, desperately trying to get her awake. "Wake up! It is a nightmare only, and no one is going to hurt you! Please, wake up!"
She gasped, and froze, still at last. She grabbed ahold of his shoulders and yanked backwards, her eyes now startlingly clear as they looked, shocked, into his own. Clear, but also livid with pain, guilt, and anguish, the tears still streaming unheeded down her cheeks.
"T-Trey?" she stammered uncertainly. Relieved, he gathered her trembling frame close, trying hard to comfort her. "It is all right, Lalinka," he murmured. "It was only a nightmare..."
"No, it was not..." she mumbled. "It was that awful day, when I saw you...you could have been killed...I am so sick of reliving that nightmare, and others like it..."
Trey felt shock stiffen him. "Lalinka, do you mean to tell me..." he pulled back enough to look into her eyes, already going empty with the shield she was obviously trying hard to pull over them, to hide her anguish from him. "...you have these horrifying nightmares often? This is not the first time?"
Looking down, refusing to meet his searching gaze, she nodded. He sighed, gathering her close, as her small frame continued to shake, but her eyes had gone dry the moment clarity had set in.
*No way,* his mind thought to himself. He was not going to let her rebury something like that. If it took the rest of the night, he was going to get it out of her.
However, she seemed almost grateful when he pulled her close again, trying to encourage her to tell him about it.
"It is nothing..." she tried to reassure him. "I have had them for so many years...they had started to fade a few years ago at last..." Until recently, anyway, her posture conveyed, but she did not say aloud.
However, she was much too tired and emotionally drained to resist his prodding that night. Little by little, he managed to get a simplified version out of her. It seemed Dark Dresden had forced her to accompany him to battle that day, and, keeping them both cloaked, had forced her to watch the events, and she herself had seen Trey cut down as he led Triforia's Army of Defense. Although he had not been morphed, he had to be dragged away by his friends. She had lived a nightmare for two days afterwards until Dark Dresden forced her to do it again, and she had seen her brother alive...
"It was one of his games of mental torture," she mumbled. "He was trying to break me, and he figured it was a good way." She did not tell him that it had almost worked, too, or that she had seen him cut down in battle, just like that, more than once. She just as preferred he did not know.
Trey was both dumbfounded and infuriated. Gods, he remembered that bloody battle with too much clarity as it was. He had been distracted by his grief at her disappearance, and had almost not cared when his enemy plunged the dagger into his unmorphed chest. And she had *seen* it....and numerous other things like that too, he guessed...no wonder she had been so badly affected earlier when he had been hurt! And no wonder for her nightmare...at least tonight. How had she hid these from him for so long?
"I don't think I am usually so noisy," she said with a weak smile when he voiced this thought. "And my mind barriers are usually up high enough so that you do not sense them. It must have startled you, hearing my scream."
Startled him? It had sent ice up his spine and goosebumps raising across his flesh. His arms around her tightened as she sniffled and laid her head on his chest. It was also not fair that, despite their problems, Sharie knew him better than he knew himself at times. She was perfectly aware when he had nightmares, though they were not as often, nor had he reacted so noisily as she had.
He was quiet for a few more minutes, until he realized her trembling had entirely ceased. He glanced down, her eyes were closed, her brown lashes long and dark upon her pale face and her golden hair tumbling onto her face. Her breathing was even at last, though still shaky.
Gently, so he would not disturb her, he moved carefully, getting up and laying her back down, straightening her tangled covers and brushing her hair out of her face. She whimpered slightly, but did not awaken. He stared for a moment and stared at her, knowing that this was the only time her emotional defenses went down completely. He ferverently hoped that there would not be a repeat performance of such magnitude again, though he doubted it. Which was very bad, since, though she was mature in most ways, dealing with her turbulent emotions in the more healthy ways was not one of them. Never wanting to hurt others, or bother them with her problems, she buried them. Neither was he, he was guilty of much the same thing most of the time, because of their inherently stubborn nature.
*Will it ever allow us to let go of the past?* he wondered tiredly, moving at last toward his own bed and tumbling sleepily beneath the covers. *Must we both be haunted the rest of our days for something that has happened, and is done with?*
He was too tired to contemplate it much further, because, unknowingly, sleep came stealing in and forced his eyes closed. His dark lashes fell to touch his brozened cheeks once more, and he was aware of nothing else.
The next thing he knew, it was morning.
****
Almost everyone was very tired the next morning when they woke up. Despite the troublesome night, they forced themselves to awaken early, grumbling, and pull on their clothes, mumbling silent complaints when they adjusted their masks, and stumbled, yawning, toward the recreation room.
The only ones who were really awake were Carlos and Cassie, whom, after tossing and turning for a short while the night before, had finally fallen asleep and had not reawakened all night long, sleeping the sleep of the dead. Everyone else had had some night trouble or other.
Carlos, glad to see Sharie again, immediately sought her out when he first saw her. She smiled and accepted her hand within his clasp, but he was not oblivious to the fact that something was not quite right. She looked exhausted, and her faced was flushed, and she was not meeting her brother's gaze. She seemed almost embarrassed or askance about something.
He thought about asking, then changed his mind and decided not to pry unless it became an issue. Maybe she would confide in him later, but he was not going to force it out of her.
Sharie finished going over the contents of her pack as she silently cursed herself for her childish behaivor last night. To her eyes, she had acted like an infant, unable to control her emotions enough to stay silent. When she usually had these nightmares, she swallowed her pain and went back to sleep, her practicality trying to reassure her (often unsuccessfully) that it was only a nightmare from the past. And that story Trey had managed to pry out of her last night...oh, how she wished she had never told him, she had never wanted him to know or add to his pain. Nor had she ever wanted him to know that her dreams tormented her so much. Knowing him, he would worry often now not only if she had a nightmare, but what else in her past was there that she was not telling him. All of them only knew the tiniest of fractions of what she had been through, or who she really was still. There were just too many secrets she could never reveal....
He was looking at her again, she sensed, and out of the corner of her eye, as they gathered around a table, she saw the determination in Trey's dark gaze to trap her later and try and talk to her about last night. And she would have no choice but to talk back. He was worried, she knew, he worried far too much about her as it was. Now this...
Everyone was trying to rub the last of the sleep out of their eyes as they checked everything over, making sure everything worked and their plans for the day were still the same. Finally, hoping they remembered the way, they wandered down the halls to the main dining area. Tamio, looking slightly surprised, met them.
"Is early," he said in his broken Standard. "Should still be sleep yet."
"We have a lot to do today," Sharie answered with a smile. "Soon, we must leave."
"Princess Janna be here soon," he said, waving his hand and leading them over to a table. "Bring twin, prince Judan, and father, Lord Dartanyon. She talk, he want to meet you. Really want to meet Rangers, planet leaders. This planet--get few people of importance."
"We only do our job," said Ashley, blushing and fidgeting. It was true...why should it be any distinction?
"Help others, yes?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "After meet, Lord Dartanyon say you may continue quest."
Sharie spoke in his tongue so he would more easily understand. "Thank you, Tamio," she smiled warmly. "You have been a wonderful help, and we appreciate it."
For the first time, color rose on his cheeks and his eyes sparkled. They told her how much he appreciated the compliment as he said, "They are here."
In walked a man, though simply dressed, had clothes of such finery on it was no doubt he was the man they had heard about. Behind him were Princess Janna and a young man looking like a masculine version of her, obviously prince Judan. Regally, they approached the table, everyone present doing the customary kneel, heads bowed, arms crossed over chests. With a distracted wave, Lord Dartanyon signaled them to rise. They remained standing as he passed.
Out of Earthly habit for Kings and queens, all the rangers rose to stand when the trio came to stand at the table, though Sharie had to nudge Trey before he did so. She also did it out of habit, but he did not have such compulsions.
Tamio approached and knelt before the royal Trio in the customary fashion, not moving when he felt Lord Dartanyon's hand on his head, a signal that he had found favor in his leader's eyes. "My lords, my Lady," he murmured.
"Go, Tamio, and leave us," Lord Dartanyon dismissed him with a wave of his hand. The young man bowed and vanished as quietly has he had come.
*Do they never get any respect?* the group wondered, not realizing that the hand-on-head symbol was a sign of favoritism. It sounded like Tamio had been rudely pushed aside. But what could they say, without insulting the leaders of this world?
For a moment, the Lord of this planet regarded the rangers with a usual, superior air, his blue eyes looking them over, as if judging them.
At last, he spread his arms in a majestic gesture and spoke in perfect standard. "Greetings, visitors. You are welcome here on Indri III. This is my son, Prince Judan, and as you know, my daughter, Princess Janna. May I enquire as to which ones of you are Lord Trey and Princess Sharie, both of Triforia?"
It took all of Sharie's stringent self-control not to blush. Sometimes she still did not feel that her rank should make any difference, or Trey's, even to offworlders.
Trey, although he was thinking along same lines, nodded his head respectfully. "I am Trey, lord of Triforia."
"And I am Sharie, princess of Triforia." said the girl with the golden hair.
The Royal Trio nodded their heads respectfully also.
Sharie barely stifled a frown as she suddenly felt Judan's eyes on her. His blue eyes were roving her, and she did not like it. She knew he meant no harm, but she inhaled sharply as she felt his mind trying to brush hers, trying to find out more about her. She sensed that this was probably how these people got to know one another.
Still, she hated the attempted mental invasion. She had tolerated Janna's because she had been trying to get the woman's respect. Unwilling to tolerate such a second go-around, she set up her mental shields full force, sending him a gentle, yet firm message that she disapproved of what he was doing, though she knew he meant no disrespect. She also moved closer to Carlos, telling the price that she was involved with someone else at present.
He flushed, his eyes lowered in embarrassment. He sent one more message-- an apology for the cultural misunderstanding, and the fact that he only respected her. Her final reply was that she knew such things happened, and let's just put it behind us. He smiled in reponse.
Lord Dartanyon, during this time, was continuing, "I am pleased to meet you all. My dear Janna has told me of your quest. Be aware that the white mountain is sacred to us, and mostly unexplored. We don't set foot on it. Since you are offoworlders, you may do so. Our only request is that you not show any disrespect by intentionally harming the earth if you can help it. Otherwise, you are free to go. Are we in agreement?"
Of course, they agreed. Just getting permission to explore was a great acheivement, much easier than having to sneak or fight for the right to do so.
"All right then," the leader continued. "Janna will escort you outside this establishment, but then you are on your own. I wish you luck on finding the powers you speak of. Rest assured we have no use for it. Good- bye and good luck."
****
The group of Rangers stood at the foot of the immense mountain before them. The glaring whiteness of the grand peaks radiated their blindign whiteness in the morning sun, having a profound effect on them all, even Janna and Judan, who had also chosen to accompany him.
*Now I understand why they hold it in such reverence,* Sharie thought to herself.
"This is it," said Judan. "Janna and I dare not go any closer. After this, you are on your own."
"Thank you so much," said Troy, who had been oddly silent all morning.
Sharie frowned, then spoke up. "There is one more thing you should know. Yesterday, before we came here, we were attacked by a band of pirates led by an evil man named Merdok. We chased him away, but he may come back, and try to extract revenge."
"Merdok!" gasped Janna. "That scoundrel is back around here? He proved untrustworthy a couple of years ago, so we told him never to come back. He left, but if he comes back...our weapons technology are not the best for intergalactic defense. We are capeable of limited spaceflight, but we do not wish to leave our world."
"We can handle him," said Andros. "Our powers will protect us, if necessary, and our ships are in orbit in case of defense."
Janna nodded in understanding. "Good-bye now, and good luck on your mission." They noticed when she and Judan began to walk backwards out of the presence of the mountain, for their reverence was strong. It was not until they were some distance away that they turned their backs and disappeared from sight.
In silence, the group swallowed their tongues and continued on their journey toward the white mountain. They did not talk much except for casual discussion on finding the defunct Zeo Crystal, and how they were going to retrieve it.
Carlos noticed Sharie was still trying to keep her distance from her brother, and it troubled him to see such strain between the usually inseperable pair. He fell back into step with her, wondering if he could pry the reason out of her.
But she had other ideas, taking one look into his eyes and shaking her head. She would not talk about it, so Carlos had to settle for her slipping her hand into his and pulling them both away from Trey, who had been trying to slip closer.
Brushing up on his meager skills at telepathy, he flashed at her, *At least tell me, Querida, that you are not in major trouble.*
She sighed, as if impatient, and he felt her mind thundering back into his, *No, Carlos, I am not in that sort of trouble. It is just not something to be discussed.*
Carlos mentally shrugged and left it at that. He sensed her underlying bristling, and he decided not to risk blowing her top over a trivial matter.
****
It did not take long to finally get to the real base of the mountain. The sun was nearly overhead by then, so they hustled eastward toward the side facing the sun. Restlessly, they began to climb the rather steep trail, stumbling over rocks, most fearful of turning an ankle...or worse.
****
Finally, puffing, they came to the first real flat area, though not very wide and not much room to be had. Rising above them in the noonish light was a jagged cliff, the sun flashing off the height of several yards.
"Time to climb," sighed Andros, not looking forward to this. He doubted nobody else really was, either.
Reluctantly, they dug out their climbing apparel Sharie had made sure they still had, and got ready. Aiming the tiny guns, they fired the ropes up to where they anchored at the top. After fastening the safety harness, they went two by two slowly up the steep cliff, struggling for footholds and trying to avoid heart attacks.
Despite all their training, however, there were enough accidents, slippings, and stumblings to keep the fear alive in all of their minds. Frequent cries of "Oh, my goodness!" "Look out!" "Watch out for that-- !!!" "Help!" punctuated the air before the hapless climber would regain his or her footing.
Going up two by two, Sharie and Troy made it up first, to help the next stragglers up the cliff as much as they could help. They kept a sharp eye on the ropelines, to make sure none came loose, nor the harnesses. Sharie's heart nearly choked in her throat as Carlos, about five feet from the top, stepped on a loose rock and slid six feet before he caught himself. Their mutual relief was enormous when he was safely beside her.
Once that little adventure was settled, they found themselves on a wide plain of sorts on the mountainside, and another, steeper cliff nearby. Otherwise, walking across the plain, it was a distance to the next climbable trail.
The need to explore won out, however, so they chose the long way around. The other reason, a genuine fear of falling, was mutual as well.
Carlos, bored, pulled out his copy of the stanzas and read the next one at first to himself, then out loud.
Above the plain of white,
And the snow-colored cliffs,
Search, search with all your might,
For the cave opening where the sand thickly drifts.
Sharie sighed, not having asked for the stanza yet but at least glad for something new to contemplate. Suddenly, the computer padd in her hand, and the translation in Troy's, began to glow as T'Sar's spirit became impatient again.
"What does he want?" sighed Cassie tiredly.
"Try looking up," said Ashley unexpectedly. For some reason, she blushed, but it was not really noticed as several pairs of eyes turned upward, where, faintly over the steep cliff, a cave enterance could be seen.
"Um...how do we go up?" suqeaked Ashley, though she knew the answer. She just did not want to endure it again.
"No way but the obvious," stated Andros, holding up his climbing equipment and looking at it in disgust.
"Oh, brother," muttered Carlos. "Well, let's get moving so it is over with sooner."
This time, Sharie and Ashley went up first, slipping, gasping, and holding on with all their might as they scaled the deadly-looking, steep cliff. A hot, sharp wind caused them to sweat, and in turn made their hands slippery and climbing even more difficult. Finally, though, they made it, exhausted, to the top. Relieved that it was over, they assisted the others up onto the narrow ledge.
They made it up the cliff, with no mishaps. It is funny how, just as they put them away, and it seemed that nothing more could go wrong, danger had to really strike.
Andros, who was near the edge, accidentally slipped on a loose rock that sent him skidding over the side to hurtle toward oblivion. Just before it happened, and he could fall out of range, Ashley's senses began to scream "Danger! Danger!" She turned and lunged at Andros so fast she was a blur, and she caught his hand before he fell out of range.
A second later, Carlos was by her side, catching Andros's other hand as the boy, scared to death by the suddenness of it all, dangled below them.
"Thanks," he gasped, sheet-white. "Now, think you could pull me up?" Grunting, they did so, pulling him up until he managed to sit on the edge and Ashley was kneeling beside him, hugging him for all she was worth. Everyone was flooded with relief as Andros got over his fright.
"Th-thanks," he managed again, panting. "Ash, how did you manage to move so fast?"
She blushed, not wanting to admit the real reason. "Just a feeling," she said at last. She was for once grateful this had happened, her brain warning her of impending danger. This did not happen too often, unlike her other mental skills. However, she still preferred no one know.
Sharie gave her an odd glance, looked like she was about to say something, then changed her mind. She merely turned and went to examine the cave entrance. It was rather wide, and pitch-black looking.
"How could we begin to see?" asked Troy. "The lights on our tools could not begin to penetrate this gloom."
"I think I might be able to help with that," said Trey unexpectedly. "This is one of the few spells I attempted to learn...ever. I do not like dabbling in magic, but this spell has proven helpful more than once. Golden Power Staff!" he called. The staff appeared in his hand, and Trey quickly muttered some strange-sounding words. Suddenly, a strange yellowish light, bright, glowed from a ball that appeared out of nowhere above them.
"How'd you do that?" asked Carlos as Trey sent his staff away.
The Lord of Triforia shrugged. "Just something that seemed necessary to learn. I only learned a few basic spells I thought would be necessary. I also use them as little as possible."
They started inside the cave. The glowing ball shed enough light to basically see in this gloom, but not enough to see everything clearly. They went slowly, for as often as they had been injured in the past days, they did not care to do so again. After turning dark corners twice, they came to a dead end.
"Oh, no..." moaned Ashley softly. "We must have taken a wrong turn somewhere."
"Then let's go back and try again," muttered Carlos, but no one really heard him.
A brilliant glow suddenly lit up the corridor with a spectacular light. Before the startled group coalsced a humanoid figure, blurry at first, but his features soon became clear. A handsome man he was--or at least what used to be him-- stood there, with dark hair and eyes that appeared blue, and full of kindness. Determination also showed in their depths. Sharie had an inkling of who this was.
"T'Sar?" she asked hesistantly. The figure looked at her and nodded silently, then pointed to the computer pad in her hand. "Read it," his eyes seemed to say. She quickly obliged him.
Your search is nearly done,
Behind stones, one, two three,
You will find the Zeo Crystal with the power,
And you will set me free.
Troy looked at him, as if to confirm the words. The apparition smiled at him, nodded, and promptly vanished.
"Three stones?" the boy eched weakly. "But this cave is full of rocks!"
"Do we have much choice?" asked Cassie. "Let's start looking."
The team spent the next hour turning over every stone they could find, getting more and more discouraged, and feeling defeated when they could come up with nothing.
"This is fruitless," muttered Carlos, flopping to the ground. The rest also stopped to rest fora few minutes to think of what to do next, when Cassie absently nudged a small pile of stones by her foot. They fell away, and she felt the blood drain from her face as she noticed a small, cloth- wrapped bundle. She looked at the three stones that had been covering it, and she realized she had not before seen them, they must have been overlooked....she picked up the bundle while uttering a cry.
"Troy! Guys! I found something!"
She was surrounded in record time, exclaiming over the discovery. Carefully, Cassie handed the bundle to Troy, who took it after a moment's hesistation. With caution, he unwrapped it, drawing gasps from the others at what was inside. A crystal lay inside, glowing eerily silver. Basically, it's shape was narrower in the middle, and widened to two triangles at both ends. Holding it made Troy feel very strange, as he felt the power within the crystal calling to him, beckoning to him somehow.
Temporarily resisting the urge, his blue eyes glowing, he murmured, "I believe, my friends, this is what we have searched so hard for."
He was not deaf to their sighs of relief, but he did not mind the congratulations that came his way, at now being able to realize his dream. Like them, he mused, as he put the crystal away, he was very glad this adventure was mostly over...or so he thought.
They left the cave, eager to begin home, when they found themselves looking down the cliff that had almost killed Andros earlier.
"Anyone feel like going rappelling?" teaased Carlos.
Groans answered him. "Very funny, Carlos," admonished Sharie, though she gave him a half-smile. "I will go down first again, if there are no objections. Anyone want to join me?"
This time, Andros volunteered to go with her. "I would rather get it over with," he explained, and she could not blame him. Quickly tying on their harnesses, they slid down the cliff quickly. It was more fun than climbing, but their relief was still considerable when they reached the wide plain.
At last, all but Troy had come down, when out of nowhere, came an evil laugh. Those who were down whirled just in time to see Merdok the Pirate teleport in with a huge crowd of his cronies.
"Well," he stated, surveying the group before him."I should say this is a fine time for revenge. You are all here, defenseless, and not in your oh- so-powerful ships. Oh, by the way, your friends still on board your ships did not sense us coming back, for you are not the only ones with cloaking technology. I just had to get more of my fleet, the ones that had the ships," he sneered. "Now, you must die. Destroy them!" he commanded his followers. They advanced upon the rangers, who immediately activated their powers.
"It's Morphin time!" came the twin cry of the Zeo Duo as they crossed their wrists.
"Let's Rocket!" cried the Astro Team, following with the "3, 3, 5" activation of their powers. Within moments, they had morphed into Power Rangers, shocking Merdok, who tried to cover up his astonishment with a sneer.
"Merely a light show, a trick," he snapped. "Attack!"
Despite their powers protecting them, they realized that there were enough of Merdok's cronies to keep them fighting for a long while, a sizeable opprotunity for them to be overwhelmed. For now, they simply tried to hand on and defend themselves, for they did not even get a chance to reach for their weapons when they were pounced upon, save for the power staffs of the Zeo Duo.
Above them, unseen, Tro was watching. *I have got to do something, but how?* he wondered, drawing out the crystal and staring at it. *I do not know how to activate this thing!*
Suddenly, the crystal vibrated slightly and began to glow a bright silver. Troy froze as he suddenly heard a disembodied voice in his mind. *You must relax, Troy of Triforia, and focus on becoming one with the power. They will do the rest. This is your destiny.*
Troy obeyed, holding the crystal in his hands. Forcing his mind off the turmoil below,he made himself relax, focusing on the glowing crystal. Its vibration increased, and a searing fire suddenly jolted through his mind, burning his senses to the core. Gasping, he dropped the crystal, his whole body suddenly tingling with fire and eerie sensation as his body underwent this new onslaught. Suddenly, a new, inner instinct made him relax as the raging field of energy consumed his being entirely, melding, it seemed, to his soul, his inner core. He felt himself become one with the power and it's purpose, as those before him had done eons ago. His senses heightened, his reflexes enhanced. He felt his power, his being, make that vital, permanent connection with the morphin grid. Another surge of fiery energy ripped through him, completing the process, even as it took Troy to his knees in pain, face in his hands and bowed over, shaken by what had just occured to him.
Just as suddenly, the pain was gone. Troy stumbled to his feet. He saw that he looked no different, but he sure felt different, and not just because of his heightened abilities. All of his foreboding about these powers were gone, to be replaced by a new self-confidence. He realized that this was, indeed, his destiny.
Cries from below caught his attention, and he cautiously glanced downward. He saw his friends were badly outnumbered, even Sharie, with her well-known diverse fighting skills, she was having considerably difficulty keeping the pirates off her.
*Time to see what these new powers can do,* Troy thought. Doing what was suddenly second nature to him, he closed his eyes and called out, "I call upon the Nightstriker Warrior Powers!"
His hands were outstretched, and a glowing ball appeared in them, crackling with energy. Suddenly, a bolt of energy shot from the ball directly into his chest. For a moment, a sliver glow filled the air around him, then it faded.
Troy looked at himself in astonishment. His new costume was, for the most part, black, but highlighted in silver. On his chest was a silver shield, rather like the ones worn by both Sharie and Trey. Emblazoned on the chestplate was the same design as the pendant, a hand weilding a sword over a starry background. His helmet design matched what the now-empty crystal had been, narrow in the middle, but widening into a triangular shape on both ends.
Battle sounds caught his attention, letting him know once again that he was needed below.
****
Down below, the fight wore on. More and more of the cronies were overwhelming them, when suddenly they heard a new voice cry, "Sie-Kyuh!" and a whirlwind of silver enter their midst. When it came to a halt, the black-and-silver ranger stood in it's place, and they knew instantly it was Troy, coming to help them. TJ, meanwhile, had also joined in the fight. Now, with eight rangers, they welcomed the newcomers and began to fight in earnest.
Troy was still fighting when one of the pirates held him immoble from behind. He tried a new tactic that rather scared him--the psychic blade, focusing his mind energy into the head of the other guy, stabbing him with psychic thought so the guy felt incredible pain. Yelling, he let go.
"Strikestaff!" cried Troy. The weapon, about three-fourths his height, appeared in his hand. It looked like an ordinary fighting bo, but it could become very sharp at both ends. Troy used it to bludgeon his enemy out cold.
*This is *so* fantastic,* he thought, using his newfound abilities to render his opponents senseless.
Sharie was fighting when she noticed out of the corner of her eye that her brother was being ganged up upon by the enemy. She felt an icy chill run down her spine as one of them drew an energy weapon and took a fatal aim, straight at Trey's heart.
Near-panic, unwanted images flashing before her eyes, she felt instinct kick in. "Violet Rush!"
Similar to a gold rush, it had the same intent and purpose as she rushed through the pirate in a whirl of half-visible violet light. He yelled and dropped qickly, the weapon flying.
"Thanks, Lalinka," Trey called while freeing himself from his persuers, as the fight went on.
At long last, only a few remained. Bodies littered the ground. Sharie doubted they were dead, but most of them were certainly out cold.
"Give it up, Merdok, you can't win," said Troy, straightening his spine.
His cold eyes narrowed in rage. "You may have won this round, but this is far from over!" he vowed. "I will be back, and that is a promise!" Angrily, he made a gesture, and he, along with every pirate on the plain, vanished, leaving the rangers alone.
The rangers looked at each other for a moment, then demorphed. All eyes turned to Troy.
"Well?" asked Cassie. "How do you feel?"
"I feel wonderful," he admitted with a smile, his blue eyes glittering brightly. "I know for certain now this was the right choice."
For the last time, a bluish light filled the air, and the image of T'Sar appeared once again. This time, he looked very happy and relieved. Also, to their surprise, he spoke to them directly.
"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for setting me free."
"I am sure it was nothing, T'Sar," Sharie tried to assure the spectre. He turned a smile on her.
"Yes, my dear, it was. I have waited a long time for the right person to come along and claim my powers. Troy was, of course, the obvious choice. The rest of you already had powers, and of course, Annika was too young. None of you are evil, and the powers are in good hands. I must leave you now, and again, I thank you all for your efforts. Good-bye." He vanished, leaving everyone staring after him in speechless wonder.
****
Only stopping briefly to tell Lord Dartanyon what had happened, they had made it back to Triforia without incident. Little Annika fairly danced with glee when she heard the news, for she was glad she had done the right thing.
"I knew it, Father!" she crowed triumphantly, imagining him in the very hot place he was most likely residing in, according to her beliefs. "I knew that it would only be used for good. I told you so!" Sharie chuckled and Annika's new brother Tasik grinned, and took her by the hand. "Come on," he said. "I bet you cannot beat me at double-dutch!"
****
Jeanette sighed in frustration and rubbed her temples. What was going on between her children had not escaped her attention. Sharie was trying her utmost to avoid her brother, and seemed upset at something. But they were both keeping strictly mum on the subject. Jeanette could only hope they had not fought. She had to remind herself that, grown up or not, they were still brother and sister, in every sense of the word....
The more Sharie tried to avoid him, the more she knew he was determined to catch her alone and pry unwanted information out of her. She was still ashamed about how she had acted in his presence the other night, and she did not care to discuss it further. She was only causing him more worry, and she wished he would forget about the incident. So she still had these nightmares, so what? It was not unusual for her to wake up several times a month shaking, sometimes tears pouring down her face. Her dreams were the only times she was unable to keep her control, her barriers, intact. She did not care to be fretted over because of this. And if her mother knew....
He did not catch her alone until the end of the next day. She sighed in defeat as he appeared out of nowhere as she sat huddled on the windowseat of her room, without even bothering to knock first.
This irritated her, and it showed in her tone. "Since when did your manners degrade so?" she asked impatiently by way of greeting. "At least I knock. What if I had been changing?"
She turned to look at him, and saw that he was half-upset, half-amused at her tone. "I used to change your diapers, Lalinka," he reminded her. "Don't give me that." He turned completely serious. "You know why I am here."
"Yes, and I do not care to discuss it," she said tonelessly.
"You did the other night," he reminded her.
"I only said the little I did because I was too upset to think straight," she mumbled, laying her head on her knees and not facing him. "What happened you do not need to know about."
"I want to know, Lalinka," he said quietly, coming over and forcing her gaze to his. "Remember what happened the last time we tried to hard to hide our feelings from one another?"
She felt her stomach twist as she saw the guilt in his eyes, and she knew that, no matter how much she reassured him, he would never forgive himself for that incident.
"I cannot," she insisted softly. "I cannot have you and mother, or anyone else, worrying about me to the point of distraction. I have had to go too long without it, Trey. Despite what you say, my feelings are beside the point, and I cannot burden you or mother, or Carlos, with sob stories if I can possibly help it. I wish you would let the matter rest."
The words *not again* seemed to ring throughout his brain as Trey almost sighed in defeat. Gods, what force had decreed she have such stubbornness beyond what most would consider normal? The last time, it had taken drastic steps to get her to open up to him, and he did not ever want to follow that route again.
"Gods, Lalinka," he almost ground out. "Are you begging for an encore? Must this lead to another arguement? Why can't you just *talk*?"
Her eyes flashed with guilt and anger. "I do not care for a repeat performance, Trey, but it would not come to this, also, if you would just drop it!"
"Lalinka...." he groaned as he put his forehead in his hand as his thoughts whirled. "How can you keep mum about something like you said you saw? Seeing me cut down in front of your very eyes was not entertainment, and you know it. I remember that day, but I had no idea you were there."
He saw momentary horror flash behind her eyes, and knew he had struck a chord somewhere. He persisted. "And you were only feet away as I lay bleeding nearly to death. How much of that can a person stand, Lalinka? Much less a child?"
She had begun to shiver violently. "Must you?" she whispered through chattering teeth. "I did not think you were capeable of such petty cruelty, Trey, to forcibly push me over the brink into insanity."
Her words stabbed into his heart and twisted it, and he visibly flinched. Gods, had he gone too far? He felt his own eyes sting as he reached out and cupped her chin, forcing her gaze to his again.
"Lalinka..." he began softly. "Why must you insist that I do not need to know these things, or that you are a stone who does not deserve the attention of others? What happened, Lalinka? You and I used to be so open with each other....why are we now so silent? I would worry about you even if I knew of no reasons at hand to be worried. I would not love you if I did not worry, Sharie, and you mean more to me than my life. *Please* do not mistrust me, Sharie. I know there is plenty you will never tell me...but gods, when you have something you need to get off your chest, *please*, all you need to do is tell me so *I* can quit worrying."
"...It....it is hard..." she mumbled after a silence, and she did not notice the tears slipping down her face. Suddenly, much like she had done the other night, her defenses fell more easily than she could have imagined, and she did not object when he scooted closer and pulled her to him. "Gods, Trey, I am sorry, I did not mean to accuse you of...what is wrong with me?"
"Nothing, absolutely nothing," he said softly, stroking her hair. "Tell me what happened, Sharie. It is the best thing you could do."
"You want to hear the full horror story?" she asked, incredulous, but the urge to get it off her chest was suddenly a little too strong for her to rebury it. "Fine. Yes, I saw you cut down, and I felt so guilty for not being able to do anything that I provoked Dark Dresden later, hoping he would beat me so much that he would kill me. If you were dead, I did not want to live."
"Gods, Lalinka, *suicide*?" He asked, horrified. "I would have never thought you would attempt..."
"That was the only time in my life I attempted such cowardice," she admitted, ignoring the tears that streamed freely down her face. "I knew you would be ashamed of me for trying such a stunt, and besides, you lived. It was replaced with determination to get away, and get back to you."
Little by little, the story came out, in all it's goriness. They were both shaking with horror and pain, and tears, by the time she clammed up again.
"So now you know," she mumbled afterwards. "Trey, please don't force me to do that again in such a manner. I promise, if I want to talk, from now on I will try harder to do it, okay? I love you and that was as bad for you as it was for me, I can tell."
He nodded almost absently as he held her tightly. At least he had her promise. "I love you, too, Lalinka," he assured her, at least grateful that they were now closer than ever. It could not be denied that an important barrier had been pulled down at last. But there was one point in which Sharie would not give, and that was telling their mother any of this. Trey agreed. He never told Jeanette much, either.
****
Troy looked at the pendant he now wore around his neck. He knew it was basically useless, now, but he desired to keep it as a momento. He had already started to use his powers to help others, and he had sworn to Trey that he would stand behind Triforia, should this world ever need his help. But he was also starting on the mission every Triforian undertook at some point or other in their lives, to go out and seek others in need of help. And he had no doubt he could do it. Time and destiny were on his side.
Seeing as how I own Sharie Treista and anybody else not considered "canon" in these stories, (including the character Troy) I feel obliged to point out that the character of Nightstriker Warrior actually happens to belong to my little brother, more or less. Ages ago, when I was typing this series for the first time, he approached me on it and begged me to use one of *his* ideas, one of *his* made-up warriors for once. I bowed to the inevitable for once and said yes. So the idea of these powers, belonging to a ghost, were born, bounced between his brain and mine. (Consequently, this is his favorite story out of the whole bunch I've ever written. Coincidence? I think not.)
Forgive the idiotic stanzas in this story. I was sick at the time when writing it and later was too lazy to change it (including now).
Acknowledgements: Starhawk, for a certain color withdrawl concept, my little brother, for NightStriker Warrior, and to my readers, for reading and enjoying.
Somebody asked me: Why double-dutch? My answer: Because I hate sports and did sort of enjoy jumping rope as a kid. And it amused me that a world as advanced as Triforia has to be would not have something as simple as jumping with two ropes (despite the "sheltered" cracks made in this story....)
The Ghost Guardian By ZeoViolet Teaser: When a ghost guards his powers, he will make sure only the right person recieves them.
"No, like this," signed Toby, twisting his foot as he demonstrated to the older Triforian boy. "You don't use teleknesis, you use your head and your senses for Hackey-Sack."
Fourteen-year-old Tasik watched the smaller boy with rapt attention. Though Toby was only nine and Tasik was fourteen, the two had become fast friends. Toby's hands flew as he explained the difference between Earth's hackey-sack and Triforia's version which involved telekenesis. Other boys and girls were crowded around, watching also, their eyes wide and their golden Marks of Triforia gleaming on their right eyes and upper cheekbones.
Tami was in a different group, jumping rope with a smaller crowd of boys and girls.
"Why jump with two ropes?" signed a twelve-year old girl named Sandiyea to her new friend. "I don't see a point."
"Don't tell me you have never heard of double-dutch!" Tami exclaimed with her hands, her golden eyes wide. She turned and sent a quick telepathic thought to her twin brother. Being twins, and having had Sharie as a coach, this was easily accomplished.
*Toby, can you believe they have no system for jumping with two ropes? Come here and help me show them how!*
Toby smiled inadvertenly as he kicked the small bean-filled sack one more time, catching it neatly in his hand. Quickly, he explained what he was going to do as the group followed him. Jump-rope was a popular sport on Triforia, especially with children, and they were curious.
Sharie and Trey, along with their mother, Jeanette and the twins's parents, Marisha and Marek Thoene, stood on a hill, smiling as they watched the proceedings.
"You have never heard of double-dutch?" chuckled Marek as he watched.
Trey shook his head. "No. Why jump with two ropes when one will complete the exercise?"
"It is fun," said Sharie, who, having grown up on earth, knew what it was. "Just watch, and you will see."
*Sharie!* she suddenly heard the call in her brain. *We need a third person. Will you come and help us?*
*I am coming,* she sent automatically. She shot a grin to the adults and raced down the hill to help her young cousins. They laughed, watching her take up one end of the two ropes and Toby take the other end. Silence fell as their eyes locked, golden to purple, and rhythmically, first one rope then the other, the gentle *slap, slap* could be heard on the pavement.
Tami stood just out of the reach of the twirling ropes, timing her entry. When the timing was just right, she jumped in, her small feet beginning to dance on the pavement as they lightly skipped over the double ropes. With a smile on her face and her long black hair flying, her golden eyes glittering, she demonstrated one move, then another, and the two twirling the ropes responded to her unspoken cue to start going as fast as they dared, until her feet were moving so fast they could barely be seen. Finally, with a dramatic handspring, she leaped out of the twirling cage and landed neatly on her feet.
She could not hear the resounding applause, being deaf, but she could see it when she turned around and saw the cheering crowd. She, Toby, and Sharie were surrounded by eager children begging for more, wanting to learn this strange new way of playing. They were only too happy to teach them.
"It looks like they have given Triforia a new sport," mused Jeanette, watching the crowd. Marisha looked at her in surprise, for Jeanette seemed unaware of the tears streaming down her face, or the look of gratification in her eyes. "Jeanette? Are you okay?"
"Fine. I am better than okay." Jeanette wiped her face and smiled, looking no older than her daughter among the other children. Triforians stopped aging at eighteen or nineteen. "I feel wonderful. I never thought to see Sharie actively playing with a group of children again. Technically, she should still be doing that for a few more years yet, hanging out with the very young crowd. But Sharie was forced to grow up much, much too soon. It may be hard for you to understand, Marisha. Children on this world are very precious, and we don't have a lot of them at any one time. There are only three hundred million of us, and we live 50,000 years. So at any given time, children, even in groups, are relatively rare, and we indulge them until they are supposed to technically be fully adults, and even adults love to play."
"And how old is that?" asked Marisha mildly.
"Most Triforians are considered fully adult when they are around twenty- five or so," answered Jeanette. "But both Trey and Sharie grew up well before then. I have been forced to see the adult side of my daughter for the past week since they set me free, and I am gratified to see her act her age for once."
Marisha chuckled. "On Earth, by now she would have been past jumping rope like a nine-year-old. In just weeks, legally on her eighteenth birthday, she will be fully adult," Marisha confessed. "And Marek and I will have no legal hold on her. But what about you?"
"Technically, I can keep Sharie under my control until her twenty-fifth birthday," answered Jeanette uneasily. "But I cannot. She has lived too much to be considered my child daughter. And, by law, her adulthood comes sooner because of her romantic involvement, be it with a human boy or not. I understand that what she has going with Carlos is pretty deep, but I do not know the full extent of it. She could be sexually involved also with him and I would have no right finding out."
Marisha, too, squirmed at the subject. "You know you cannot control somebody's life and worry about their romantic involvement when they are used to going out and saving galaxies every few days. Sharie is mature enough to handle that, so she is mature enough to understand her own heart, and what it desires." She glanced sideways at Jeanette. "Does her being involved with Carlos bother you?"
"...A little," Jeanette admitted quietly. "It is just that Sharie is so young, and..." she stopped herself just in time. Supposedly, the topic of Nikita, Trey's first (and ultimately tragic) love was something known only to Sharie, Trey, herself, and Trey's current girlfriend, Delphine. Jeanette was unaware, like anyone else, that Sharie had also let Carlos in on the secret. "...And I do not want her to get hurt," she finished, a bit lamely.
Marisha decided it was time to defend the boy. "Carlos is the finest boy I have met," she admitted. "He would never intentionally hurt Sharie, and he is wise well beyond his years. He pulled Sharie out of a deep chasm I feared she would never even surface above again. She still suffers in ways I cannot describe, but she is finally learning to accept somebody as a pillar to lean on once in a while. And more importantly, to open up a bit."
"I saw that," admitted Jeanette, watching her daughter happily do demonstration after demonstration. Carlos had had to leave after staying only two days on Triforia, not long enough for Jeanette to see him much. Delphine had left soon after. "Carlos does seem like a fine boy, and he is a Power Ranger. That takes great responisiblity. Maybe I should make more of an effort to get to know him." She sighed, and something about her purple eyes made Marisha realize something.
"And...you are also worried about losing her, and Trey, so soon after you have been given this second chance together," she finished, and saw Jeanette flinch, then nod.
"I'm afraid that is exactly it. I did not get to see my little girl grow up, Marisha. You did. Trey...well, that is different, he is an adult. But I missed him as terribly. And they are both Power Rangers, powerful ones."
"You were a Power Ranger also, once, were you not?" asked Marisha. "Before you gave your powers to your son?"
Jeanette nodded. "I gave them to him when he was about a century old. I had had them since I was two thousand years old, and I felt I had had them long enough. I got them from my mother, she got them from hers. Before that, they had belonged to the men of the family for six generations."
Marisha raised an eyebrow at her, and Jeanette got an inkling of what she was thinking. "No, it was not sexism. That does not exist in our society. It was simply the fact of the eldest child being the son, or the next heir proclaimed, happend to be male. Trey may very well one day give the powers to his own child of his choosing."
What about the title of Lord of Triforia?" asked Marek, who had been listening to the whole conversation. "I thought Sharie had that, or is it only until Trey has a child of his own?"
"No, I am afraid that is pretty much permanent. Trey had been under the impression too long that he would never marry or have a child of his own, so I was not surprised when Sharie naturally got that title," sighed Jeanette. "Besides, she is so much younger than Trey it might as well be this way. But it also makes little difference. Triforia is for the most part democratic, and people have much say in their lives. He only makes the final decision on the most important of matters, and he always listens to the public, usually ultimately deciding on their behalf," she explained. "Matters of war and battles are also basically under his jurisdiction."
A curious question nagged at Marisha, and she hesistated to ask it, for fear of offending. Jeanette noticed her hesistancy, and smiled. "Ask anything. It is highly unlikely it will be found offesive, since you are an offworlder merely wanting to know more."
"Well...." stumbled Marisha. "What if the people are unhappy with their ruler? If he does not make sound, wise decisions, or is purposely negelctful?"
"I think I see what you are asking," answered Jeanette levelly. "It has only happened once in history that I can recall. About fifty million years ago, one of the rulers was said to have been attracted by the dark side. Triforia nearly collapsed under his guidance, and he was ousted. He was taken prisoner, then it was discovered he had been placed under an evil spell, and not willingly. Once the spell was removed, he was cured, but declined to resume his post. He was too ashamed, though everyone ceased to blame him. He gave the post to his daughter. No, for the most part, Marisha, every Lord or Lady of Triforia has done their job wisely and well, my son no exception. I am very proud of him, and I have no doubt Sharie will do the same."
Sharie had broken away from the group of children, and was headed back their way. A dark shadow of worry had crossed her face, and it instantly raised Jeanette's internal alarms.
Marisha had noticed, too. "What is wrong, child?" she could not help but ask, placing her arm around her neice. "You look haunted. What has happened?"
"I don't know," Sharie whispered, fear in her voice. "I just sense something is wrong. Dreadfully wrong." Her eyes widened as the feeling hit her anew, and she gasped, "I am almost sure of it! Something is wrong with Carlos--with the Lightstar Rangers. They need help!"
Everyone but Marisha and Marek looked surprised. The latter two were used to Sharie's otherworldly displays, and knew that she had indeed probably sensed the group in trouble, despite her mental barriers keeping most of the interference out.
Then Trey also began to squirm, for he was also more attuned to the Astro Rangers than most would think. They were his friends. "She may be right," he admitted.
Just as Sharie was about to reach for her communicator and contact Carlos, to ask if everything was all right, her communicator went *beep beep beep, beep beep beep* that told her she was recieving an emergency trasmission. She tuned into the channel.
"Sharie! Can you hear me! Madre de Dios, please answer!" It was Carlos, and he sounded desperate.
"Carlos?" Sharie kept her voice calm, since Carlos's tone said he was not far from panic. "What is wrong? I am picking you up, but just barely."
"Sharie? Thank goodness." Carlos sounded faint, like he was barely conscious. "We....and the Phantom ranger...we need help. He was helping us....we are injured, I think. I cannot reach the others...enemy is gone...but...."
"Carlos! Stay on the line and talk to me," Sharie encouraged. "Where are you?"
His reply became weaker. "Nav systems....offline...I think...we are a few light-years outside the Triforian system...."
Trey had activated his own communicator, but could barely hear Carlos's weakening voice. "We will come at once," he said. "Just hold on, Carlos."
A faint, "Mm-hm...." was heard, then the link went completely static. Sharie felt a dreadful sense fill her, and she cried out, "Carlos! Do you read me? Carlos?"
No response. Sharie went sheet-white as she tried to think. "We have to get together a medical ship, and quickly. I have a feeling they are badly injured."
Jeanette spoke up at once. "I will go as well. I am a trained physician, I might be able to help."
She was echoed immediately by Marisha. "Let me go also," she said. "I am also a doctor, and I am human, like them. You," she turned to her husband. "you should remain here, just in case we have a bad problem. We may need you then."
He nodded just as Trey came running up. "I have dispatched a medical ship, and it is in orbit," he said quickly. "It is waiting for us onboard. The only Zords on Triforia right now are still too damaged to do much. The medical ship can defend itself if need be."
"Did you ever expand on your medical knowledge?" asked Jeanette to her son as soon as they had boarded. "We may also need your help in case things are bad."
He nodded. "I am always up-to-date on emergency procedures," he confirmed. "And Sharie drilled a bunch of extra things into my head recently. I will be able to help in most ways necessary."
He stayed at helm while the three women went down to the medical bay in preparation to recieve possibly critically injured Rangers. It did not take them long to find the battlesite and the Megaship. The ship was limping along, aimlessly, and it seemed almost entirely dark. The hull was obviously damaged, and there were many other scars of battle on the ship that could be detected.
As he scanned for further damage, Jeanette was busy with 3-D images of the human body, memorizing them and how it was supposed to function. Thanks to her photographic memory, she needed only a few minutes, then she was ready to go.
"I cannot hail them," said Trey, concern written across his features. "DECA's communications systems must be down."
Sharie frowned, considering the best action. "Trey, why don't you and Aunt Marisha stay here, in the Medical bay, and prepare to recieve the injured. Mother, you and I can go over and explore the ship."
Jeanette nodded in agreement, holstering a phaser pistol to her waist, just in case. Holding an emergency medical kit in one hand, Sharie holding another, they teleported to the Megaship.
****
It was very dark inside. The corridor on which they found themselves was a terrible mess. Broken pipes and wires were everywhere, and heavy gasses spilling from the pipes gave the whole place a foggy look and made it difficult to see the floor. Both women hoped they did not turn an ankle or miss somebody while they searched.
"DECA?" Sharie called out to the ship's sentient computer. "Are you active?"
For a dreadful moment, there was no response, then a nearby tiny camera blinked weakly. "Sharie?" DECA asked faintly. "Is that you? Who is that with you, or am I seeing double?"
Sharie's lips quirked despite themselves. Did everyone have to observe she was almost her mother's mirror image, except she was smaller and her ear shape was different?
"No, you are not seeing double, DECA. This is Jeanette Triesta, my mother. Where is everybody?"
"I don't know, a lot of my internal sensors are fried. Divatox attacked because she felt we were getting too close to Zordon. The results you can see for yourself."
"Then it looks like we have to blind-search," Sharie observed. "Stay nearby, DECA."
"I will do my best, Sharie."
****
"Where are we?" asked Jeanette as they walked carefully down the corridor.
"The engine room should be close," answered Sharie, observing the markings on the doors. "Yes, here we are."
The door was malfunctioning, and only half opened enough so that they could barely get inside. It was dark inside, except for a few dim emergency lights, just enough to point out a boy in a blue-trimmed jumpsuit lying face-down in the floor.
"That is TJ, the Blue Ranger," Sharie whispered. Jeanette made her way to him, and gently knelt at his side, turning the dark-skinned boy over. His tunic had blood on it, she could see several cuts and bruises on his skin. Her scanner showed a concussion and three broken ribs, and she could feel a cracked collarbone.
At her gentle touch, he moaned softly and his inky-dark eyes opened dazedly. "Sh-sharie?" he asked, disoriented. "Wait a sec...you are not her, or you grew tall really quickly." he stumbled with a smile, but uneasily.
Jeanette smiled at how he attempted humor, even when injured. "No," she said quietly, because she was sure that with the concussion, her voice must be ringing in his ears. "I am not Sharie. I am her mother, Jeanette. Sharie recieved a distress call from this ship. Lie still now. We are here to help."
He was too disoriented to ask who else had come, so he just nodded and drifted back unconscious. Jeanette did what she could to stabalize him.
****
Meanwhile, Sharie had climbed the ladder to the upper level. The gassy fog was thick here, so she had some trouble finding Ashley. The girl was, though conscious, in a great deal of pain, her leg trapped under numerous pipes and other rubbish. She, too, was covered with cuts and bruises.
"Sharie...thank goodness you came..." Ashley's voice was hoarse with pain as Sharie moved the rubble off her leg. "We were attacked..."
"Sh, I know," Sharie whispered, scanning her for other injuries. She wondered how Ashley was awake, with a fractured skull and shattered wrist. Her gallbladder was also bleeding, indicating internal injuries.
"I came with my mother, brother, and Aunt Marisha," she whispered to distract the girl from the pain. "We are here to help. I am going to put you in a temporary drug-induced coma, Ashley. You have some nasty injuries, and it will be better for you to be relaxed. Now, *don't worry*," she assured the girl. Ashley barely had time to nod, wincing in pain from the movement. Quickly, Sharie pressed a hypospray to the girl's neck, and felt her sigh as she relaxed. Quickly, after stabalizing her further, Sharie quickly typed some instructions on a computer padd, for Marisha and Trey, before she had the girl teleported to the medical bay.
When Sharie made her way back over to her mother, TJ was also gone. "There is nobody else here," she told Jeanette. I want you to find your way to the Shuttle bay, someone might be there. I will go up to the bridge."
"That is fine, but where is it?" asked Jeanette. "I have no knowledge of this vessel."
"It is three decks above this one," whispered Sharie, thinking. "Ask DECA for directions, or if you run into a little robot called Alpha six. He will know. Be careful."
The two women nodded and hugged breifly before going their seperate ways.
****
Jeanette made her way three decks down, then, to her consternation and embarassment, found herself lost. *I knew I should have looked at the map before coming* she almost cursed herself.
"Ay-yi-yi!" a voice startled her, causing her to jump. She had felt no other presence here, so that was odd... "I was almost sure you were Sharie, but you are too tall! Who are you?"
Jeanette turned to see a little robot, of the Alpha line of models, stumbling through the debris toward her. Jeanette relaxed, for she knew of the Alpha models under Zordon's guidance. They were on the side of good, not like the ones who had helped hold her captive...
"I am Jeanette, Sharie's mother," she said, hoping the robot would believe her. "I assume you are Alpha six. I am here to help, but I need directions to the shuttle bay."
She was sure she heard Alpha sigh with relief. "You are close. Two doors down, to the left."
"Thank you," Jeanette smiled at the little robot, who seemed to be in a type of self-repair mode. "Do you need any help?"
"Ay-yi-yi, no, I will be fine," said the robot. "Just find the other rangers. I am having difficulty moving, and as a result I am of little help. Good luck."
Jeanette nodded at thanks again, then quickly stumbled down the hall. She rapidly found the shuttle bay, and the malfunctioning doors opened just enough for her to squeeze her slender body through.
It was dim inside, but not as much as the other areas. Still, Jeanette quickly spied a girl in pink slumped, unmoving, against one of the walls. Even from a distance, she did not look in good shape.
Worried, Jeanette got closer, careful not to touch her in case her injuries were severe, which Jeanette suspected they were. The girl's breathing was wheezy, and her lips had taken on a bluish shade. Jeanette passed her scanner over the girl, and her fears were confirmed. Punctured lung, broken ribs, severe concussion, severe internal injuries. They could possibly prove fatal unless she got medical attention right away.
Biting her lip, Jeanette did her best to try and stabalize the girl. Vaguely, she tried to recall the girl's name...Cassie, had Sharie said? Telepathically, she contacted her son. "Trey, I have found Cassie. She is in critical condition. As soon as I teleport her over, place her in emergency stasis. She needs extensive medical care, and emergency surgery."
"Acknowledged." she heard the worry in her son's tone as Cassie vanished. Jeanette was worried also, but Cassie would remain alive as long as she was in stasis.
No one else was in the room. With a sigh, Jeanette expanded her telepathic range to sense the nearest mind. She found one--just outside the room and down the hall, near one of the storage rooms. As quickly as she could stumble down the hallway, Jeanette made her way there.
She turned over a boy with dark hair, streaked with a golden color. His tunic was red, and he wore a locket around his neck. This had to be Andros, the team leader. He had obviously been thrown. She discovered, upon examination, yet another concussion, cracked vertebrae (it was a miracle his spinal cord had not been touched, she mused), and a busted rib.
*Poor boy,* she thought silently as she stabalized him, with instructions for Trey, before he disappeared in a flash of red.
****
Meanwhile, Sharie managed to make her way to the bridge. The doors barely admitted her, and the whole room was dark, save for the emergency lights.
To her relief, and yet her agony, she found Carlos at last. He was sitting weakly in the chair by the comm system in a way that made it plain that he had barely dragged himself into it to issue the distress call. He was barely conscious, and vaguely responded to her touch.
"Sharie..." he glanced at her and smiled weakly, but was squinting at her, sure signs of yet another concussion. "Querida...you are here..everyone is hurt..." he winced in obvious pain. "Including myself, so it seems," he grunted, his voice raspy as he clutched his chest, coughing.
Sharie scanned him quickly, attempting to make light of the situation. "Ouch. I should say you might hurt. Several broken ribs, punctured lung, your concussion...you must be in agony. Where is the Phantom Ranger?"
"By the main viewscreen," gasped Carlos. "He was over there trying to keep the ship in one piece when the panel literally exploded in his face. He was thrown to where he is now....and has not moved since. I tried...to help him...." Carlos's breath grew more raspy, "But I could...not get...up..."
"Easy, Carlos," Sharie assured him as she stabalized him. "I'll tend to him. I know the...physiology of his kind pretty well. I will have to anesthize you for teleportation and treatment. My mother will be there helping to care for you, and Aunt Marisha and Trey, of course. They came to help. Soon, we will leave for Triforia, and haul your ship and Phantom's back for repairs."
Carlos gasped slightly. "The Phantom Ranger, what about--"
She was swift to assure him. "Don't worry, I will respect his privacy as much as I am able." She pressed the hypo to his arm, and she felt him relax. She brushed his loose hair back from his forehead, and gently pressed her lips to his temple.
"I love you," she whispered, and knew somehow he was aware of that much. "You will be all right, Carlos. I promise." Her smile was gentle as he vanished in a rush of black.
Tending to the Phantom Ranger, as she had before, Sharie felt a sense of Deja vu. It was almost like the Gold Ranger again, except that there was nothing familiar about this particular ranger. She was certain that his personal identity was a total stranger to her. She also had no desire to find out his identity--she had more respect for his group than that, she mused as she stabalized him for teleportation. *Although I know a great deal more about his group than I can ever dare tell--*
From what her scanners told her, he had many of the now-typical injuries the others seemed to have. Bruises, lacerations, a bad head blow--with proper care, he should be fine, she mused. She had to search for a place to place the hypospray, since it was unable to penetrate his armor, but she did find a place at last at the base of his neck. Then she got in contact with Trey.
"Trey, I have the Phantom Ranger stabalized. How many others are on board?"
"Everyone else, including Mother. However, Cassie's life is in grave danger, and she needs emergency surgery. Mother is too new to human physiology, and Marisha would rather trust you with the medical equipment on board, since she is unfamiliar with much of it. For now, though, Cassie is in stasis."
Sharie frowned, worried, but only said, "All right. Teleporting now."
****
As soon as she was back on board her ship, Sharie left the general care of the less-injured patients to the others, while Trey made arrangements to get the two ships back to Triforia for repairs. She, on the other hand, rushed Cassie into emergency surgery in the next room, for the poor girl was in bad shape. When she got down to it, though, she was relieved to find that while the girl was deathly ill, her injuries were not complicated to treat. She would be fine soon. She applied the dermal regenerators and supersitiously crossed her fingers for luck.
****
All of her patients were still out cold, Jeanette mused, as she continued to treat their various injuries. Marisha was working to save Ashley's shattered leg, for it had been broken severely in three places. Jeanette herself was nearby, tending to TJ, when she heard a faint moan coming from the Phantom Ranger's direction. Jeanette turned in time to see him moving slightly.
As she approached him, she saw him attempt to sit up--and fail. He slumped back, his visor turned in her direction. "Who are you?" he gasped.
"My name is Jeanette Triesta, former Lady of Triforia. You are on a Triforian Medical ship, for my daughter Sharie recieved a distress call from Carlos."
He relaxed, but barely. "The others--are they okay?" he asked.
Jeanette cast a glance at Marisha, who also came up. "They will be fine, mostly," she said in a low tone. She hesistated, but Sharie had told her that the Phantom Ranger and Cassie were romantically involved. "But Cassie is critically injured. Sharie has her in emergency surgery."
That brought about an immediate reaction, and Jeanette also remembered that Sharie had told her about the involvement of these two. He tried to sit up again, and still failed. "Will she...be all right?" he rasped.
Jeanette decided to be honest. "I am not sure entirely. But my daughter has very capeable hands. Cassie's life was in immediate danger and her injuries were severe, but Sharie is a good medical doctor and she knows human physiology a lot better than I do. I have little doubt Cassie will be fine."
He slumped back down on the biobed. "I cannot help but worry," she heard him whisper, more to himself than to her. Jeanette quirked an eyebrow but said nothing, only picked up a regenerator attachment that hooked up to his biobed. "This will finish healing the lacerations on your chest, then you will be fine." She saw him jerk in surprise and immediately understood the reason.
"Do not worry," she assured him swiftly, "I have respected your privacy, and I assure you I have no idea who you are, per Sharie's warning about Elteran Voyagers. I can treat injuries without seeing your face...heaven knows I did so often enough with my own son."
He relaxed somewhat. "Thank you...." he whispered. "Jeanette Triesta..." he whispered. "I seem to recall hearing you were rescued recently..."
"Yes, my son and daughter heard of my wherabouts, after nearly twelve years," said Jeanette softly. "I was rescued only a week ago. If you want to hear the rest of the story, ask Sharie or Carlos, since he seems to know her best. Don't ask Trey--he still feels a little too guilty on the matter."
Just then, Sharie came out of the other room. Jeanette waved her over. "Will Cassie be all right?" she asked.
Sharie smiled tiredly. "She will be fine. She is stable and I have treated her injuries. She is healing, but that is all. She will awaken sooner or later."
"Then tell that to the Phantom Ranger. He has been worried sick about Cassie." said Jeanette, jerking her head in the direction of the biobed. "He will be glad to hear it."
As Sharie nodded and went in the direction of the Phantom's bed, Jeanette heard a faint moan coming from Carlos's bed. She went over as his dark eyes blinked open. He looked at her dazedly for a moment, then his eyes twinkled faintly in a way that suddenly reminded her of Teryan, her deceased husband.
"Hello, Jeanette," he whispered faintly, swallowing. "Am I still in one piece?"
She could not help but smile. It was apparent to her now how hard Carlos worked for his team, and what it must have cost him to stay awake to make sure they were rescued. His sense of loyalty and devotion was stunning, and she admired him more and more. "Yes, you are," she answered with her own smile. "You, and everyone else will be fine."
"Good..." he rasped painfully. "Just another day in the life of a power ranger..." he chuckled suddenly, and gasped in pain.
"Easy there," said Jeanette, pressing a hypo into his arm. "Take it easy, you are not fully recovered yet. What is so funny?"
He smiled, squinting slightly. "I still cannot see right. But Jeanette...your hair is unmistakable. It was Sharie's hair, or rather a brilliant flash of gold, that first caught my attention the first time I saw her." He sighed and his eyes ceased to squint, but grew dreamy. "But it was her eyes, her soul, that pulled me in..." he blushed suddenly. "Sorry. Probably a dumb idea, getting fawn-eyed around her mother..."
Jeanette laughed outright. In that one last moment, any lingering reservations she might have had about Carlos dissolved away. *My daughter could not have chosen a better person.* "No, that is perfectly all right. I like you, Carlos, and I am finally convinced that you are the best person for my daughter."
"I knew you were a bit uneasy," he admitted ruefully, and she could see the relief in his dark eyes. "I did not want to push it, you could have forbidden it altogether, probably..."
"When it comes to my daughter's happiness, it is not my affair who she loves," said Jeanette in a low tone. "I just don't know you that well, Carlos, and for awhile I was a bit blindsided by the fact you are human, and I apologize."
"No apology necessary," said Carlos, chuckling a little less painfully. He paused, then asked, amused, "Is this where I hear the 'but-you-better-treat- her-right-or-else' lecture?"
Jeanette laughed again. "That did not exactly cross my mind, but I trust you to not hurt Sharie in any way. What you do with your relationship, how far you take it, is not my concern, let me put it that way. I do not wish to see you or Sharie hurt in this venture, so I can only wish you luck."
He smiled faintly, wistfully. "Thank you for trusting me so much," he whispered. "I think it would mean a lot to me and Sharie both, to have your blessing."
"You have it," laughed Jeanette softly. "You want me to make it official?"
He blushed, but smiled. "No thanks. Your word is enough to convince me, gallant lady."
He could not quite stifle his smile as Sharie came up at that moment. "He in one piece, Mother?" she asked, a slight grin on her face. Carlos did not doubt that she had heard at least part of their conversation.
"He is," Jeanette said, grinning mischeviously and managing to look exactly like Sharie at that instant. "I will let you two talk alone for awhile." As she walked away, she gave them a big wink.
Sharie blushed redder than Carlos had ever seen her. "Well..." she began. "I can see Mother finally put her stamp of approval on you."
"She did," said Carlos, eyes twinkling. "She is a good woman, Sharie. I am proud she *does* approve, somebody like that."
Privately, Sharie was quite delighted to hear that. It meant that Carlos saw very highly of her mother, and she knew now that Jeanette saw him highly, too. At last, she could feel peaceful about the whole situation.
****
A short while later, Sharie startled her mother when she glanced up from TJ's beside. "It is Cassie," she said quickly, moving toward the door into the next room. Jeanette realized the girl must have had her mind open for changes. "She is awake."
"Good," Jeanette called after her. "Tell her the Phantom Ranger is just fine."
Cassie's eyes were open, but dazed, when Sharie entered the room.
"Sharie?" she squeaked uncertainly. "Wha--why am I---oh, no!" Sharie saw recognition fill Cassie's dark gaze, and the girl gasped and attempted to sit up, but a sharp bolt of pain caught her by surprise. She gasped and lay back down quickly. "TJ...Phantom...Andros..." she sputtered wheezily.
"Easy, Cass," said Sharie gently, her hands firmly pushing her friend back down onto the biobed. "You were severely injured and had to be put through emergency surgery, and you will be fine. So will everyone else. They are in the next room."
"Phantom--" she started to say, but Sharie stopped her. "He is fine. He has been worried about you, but I have tried to set his mind at rest. And before you ask, yes, his privacy has been respected." Sharie tinkered over Cassie for a few more minutes, then asked, '*Now* I would like for you to try and sit up. You have a regenerator strapped to you underneath your shirt, but it should not hinder your movements too much."
Cassie nodded obediently. She did not protest when Sharie placed one hand underneath her head to help lift her into a sitting position, but she could not hide her uncomfortable squirm when the result produced a powerful wave of pain through her skull and chest. "Ahhh..." she gasped softly.
Instantly, she felt cool plastic press against her neck, and the soft hiss of a hypospray. She felt her muscles relax as the painkiller took effect, and the pounding in her head and chest ceased.
"Thank you," she murmured gratefully, really opening her eyes this time and looking around her. The dizziness was gone as well, and she could breathe again, so her lungs had to be in functioning order.
Sharie smiled, then walked away about five paces. She turned back to Cassie and held up three fingers. "How many?" she asked.
Cassie shrugged, but she knew Sharie was testing her concussion. Everything was still a bit blurry, but not as bad as when she had been thrown and it had started to fade....
"Three," she ventured. Sharie heard the guessing in her voice, though, and frowned. She picked up an optical regenerator, and Cassie flinched at the bright light shining in her eyes.
"Just a slight misalingment," Sharie sounded relieved. "You must have really had your senses knocked out of you, Cassie. Mother says she found you huddled against the wall, I don't see how you managed to sustain so many injuries."
"I was knocked around quite a bit," Cassie admitted. "I felt the pain in my head, chest, and midsection before I hit the wall. The wall was the last place I crashed before I lost consciousness."
Suddenly, she blinked. "Wait a sec, who found me? Did you say your *mother* found me?'
"That is what I said. She is a doctor herself, like Aunt Marisha. They, and Trey, came along to help me with you guys. Carlos managed to send a distress call, though he was badly injured himself."
Next, her attention turned to Cassie's legs. They were one of the few parts of Cassie's body that had not sustained heavy damage, a turned ankle at worst. But Cassie was still rather weak, Sharie hoped they could hold her weight so she could walk.
"Would you mind swinging your legs around?" Sharie asked her friend, carefully watching to make sure Cassie did not do anything that could hurt herself further. Cassie looked at her dubiously for a moment, then obeyed her.
"Now, grab onto my arm," Sharie instructed, placing a hand to Cassie's back for support. "I am going to see if you can stand. Your legs were mostly unhurt."
"Well," Cassie grunted, scooting forward and preparing to slip off the biobed, "Let's thank heavens for small mercies." Her smile belied her tone, though, and Sharie smiled back as Cassie clutched her arm tight and slid slowly off the edge of the bed.
Sharie braced herself and held Cassie tightly, to support her, once the girl had her feet under her. Then very, very gently, she lessened her grip, letting Cassie slowly take on more of her own weight.
Cassie wavered at first, but by the time Sharie was only lightly clutching her hand, she was standing solidly.
"Very good," Sharie encouraged. "Now let's see if you can remain vertical while walking."
Cassie laughed softly, and started to take a step...then her knees gave way. She gasped in surprise.
"Easy," said Sharie, bracing herself to support the girl. "Take your time. I am going to help you into the next room, since you are well enough for that now. Then you will go onto the biobed next to Phantom and you will stay there until you can walk solidly, okay?"
"Okay," Cassie panted, bracing an arm around Sharie's neck while Sharie kept one around her waist. Together, they made their way to the door, which obediently opened to admit them into the next patient room.
Marisha looked up first, then nudged Jeanette, who was stainding right next to her examining Ashley. They both cast a glance over, grinning broadly, catching everyone else's attention.
Cassie flashed them all a big smile, and Sharie could not keep one off her own face as she led Cassie to the empty patient bed. With a tired sigh, Cassie leaned against it, not getting up on it until she had reached for Phantom's hand and held it, hard, reassuringly, before Sharie gave her a slightly impatient nudge.
*Later,* Cassie heard in her mind. *When you can walk unaided, Kapeesh?*
Although Cassie obeyed, scooting backwards up onto the bed, she was surprised. Sharie so rarely resorted to telepathy for anything, it had been a bit unexpected.
It was then that the new visitor in the room finally registered on Sharie's attention span. Turning, she grinned in surprise when she witnessed the newcomer. "Troy!"
"Hey, Sharie," he greeted her cheerfully as she came over to clasp his hands. "What are you doing here?" she asked Trey's best friend, with a delighted grin.
Troy's blue eyes twinkled into hers. "What, I can't drop by casually?" he asked teasingly. Sharie shook her head, amused, and he grinned broadly at her. "Actually, though, I was trying to get into contact with Trey, and when he told me what was going on, I decided to offer my services. I can help you get the ships repaired," he said, casting a quick glance at Andros. "I presume you own the ship."
"DECA and I have worked together for a long time," said Andros with a shrug. "I don't 'own' her. But sure you can help, and thanks for asking. Alpha is probably already doing repairs over there, if he has fixed himself by now."
It was the first time they had met, but everyone liked Troy. He was a good boy--boy being a relative term for his three hundred years--who always smiled and oozed warmth from every pore. He was always trying to help others, and Sharie knew of his secret desire to actually become a Power Ranger one day. He was certainly of the right material.
Troy and Trey had been best friends ever since Troy was about fifteen, just starting to change from a short boy with unruly black hair into a tall, muscular man with short, gleaming black hair and deep, deep blue eyes that could burn hotter than the hottest of blue flames, or melt your heart with the puppy-dog appeal. It sort of made Sharie wonder why Troy did not at least have a girlfriend by now, with eyes like that.
There was one other reason Troy and Trey were such close friends. Troy was the only surviving sibling of Trey's first love, Nikita. Like Sharie, he had been a surprise baby to his parents, who had raised Nikita and another boy who had died many years before. Like an older brother, Trey had sort of taken the boy in when they first met, and were the closest of friends as a result.
Everyone was talking at once, and Sharie almost did not hear the ships computer announce, "vessel approaching."
Startled, she held up her hand for silence. "Locate," she ordered the computer, a frown on her face.
"Just entering the system. Vessel matches Dryseran specifications, but is badly damaged." announced the computer after a moment.
Sharie's eyes widened in surprise, but before she or Trey could say anything, the computer went on cheerfully, "We are being hailed. Pilot of ship identifies himself as 'Dyson'."
Sharie sighed in relief. "Put him through," she said, pouncing on the nearest viewscreen.
Dyson's familiar face peered at them a moment later, and he looked haggard. His ship was shaking, and it was obvious it was not going to hold together much longer.
"Need a hand, Dyson?" asked Sharie, trying to keep her tone cheerful. Dyson looked like he had just come through another war, his jaw set with a purpose.
"Sharie?" he asked in relief. "Boy, am I glad to see a familiar face. Would it be intrusive if I asked to come aboard? I am now a wanted man on my own planet, and my ship is about to tear itself apart."
"Of course, Dyson," Sharie said at once. "Of course, you are always welcome on Triforia."
"Thank you," he said gratefully. "One more thing, that may concern you. I have someone else with me, and she needs help badly. I am glad you are a medical ship, but it may concern you when you realize who she is."
Sharie did not even ask. "Bring her over," she said at once. "I will teleport you before your ship goes nova." She reached out and slapped a button near the viewscreen, it unfolded another patient bed.
Dyson nodded his head before his communication systems became full of static and snow, then black out all together.
"He is the one that helped you?" asked Marisha softly, looking at Sharie with astonished eyes. "I thought you said that he was Dark Dresden's right- hand man."
"He was--and he was also my jailer," said Jeanette, tears of gratification in her eyes at seeing her friend again. "But he was a good, honest man, forced into the role he played. He is one of the very few honest Dryserans I think exist. He also helped me escape my prison after Dark Dresden was killed. I promised him he would always be welcome on Triforia."
"He is the one who spoke to me in the bar, all right," mused Troy as Sharie finished readying things. I am glad he could be trusted."
"Teleporting now," said Sharie, letting the white swirl of light fill the room. When it faded, Dyson stood there, his short black hair mussed and his greenish eyes heavy with fatigue. To their surprise, He carried a small figure wrapped in a shawl, cradling her carefully against his chest.
It was a little girl, maybe eight or nine years old. She appeared to be covered in cuts and bruises, and her skin was red from fever. Her long golden hair was a mass of tangles, and she moaned softly. Her clothes were ragged, and she looked as Dyson said he had been traveling: In flight.
"Lay her here," said Sharie quickly, taking in the girl's injured appearance. Carefully, trying not to disturb her, he did as he was told. Sharie passed a scanner over the girl, noting that the child was indeed Dryseran. She had some nasty superficial injuries, but the cause of her distress was infection and fever, making her ill.
"You said you are now a wanted man," said Sharie, touching the girl's feverish forehead. "Who is this?"
"You would not believe me if I told you," Dyson answered tiredly, nearly jumping when he felt the tap on his shoulder. He turned, and a delighted smile crossed his face when he saw who had tapped him. "Jeanette!"
His exclamation filled the room, and she laughed, hurling herself into his arms. He swung her around, very happy indeed to see her. He finally let her go, and hugged her tightly one more time.
"Oh, Jeanette," he sighed, pulling back to look at her. "So you are indeed safe. I am so happy for you, to see you happy and with your family again."
Her purple eyes misted over, he had done so much for her, she owed him too much. "Thank you, Dyson," she choked. "Thank you for all you have done."
"I echo that sentiment," said Sharie, pressing a hypospray into the child's neck to calm her feverish, restless doze. "Dyson, you worked wonders a week ago. You have my word of honor, and Trey's, that Triforia will shelter you at any time. Although," she paused, "I hope the nature of your crime was not too terrible."
He paled, and sighed, touching the child he had brought in with him. "I have much to tell you," he confessed. "I am a wanted man for two reasons. One, they found out about my involvement with helping Jeanette escape. Another is..." he hesistated. "The child you see before you, she is the daughter of someone dangerous. It is not her fault, she is quite innocent. But because of who her father was, her life became in grave danger after he died. Too many people want to take their revenge on her, and enemies of her father turned the government to a deaf ear to her plight. I had to rescue her before she was murdured or otherwise hurt."
"What did her father do, that was so terrible?" asked Sharie, smoothing the blonde hair back away from the girl's face. She moaned and slept on.
Dyson went terribly pale, and his voice lowered. He ground out, "First of all, I want your word of honor that if I reveal this to you, you will not harden your hearts toward the girl. None of this was her doing. In fact, she frequently suffered from abuse from her own father, and her mother died at birth. More prosecution she does not need."
"She is a child, Dyson,"said Sharie reassuringly. "I don't have to hate her for something a relative may have done. Who is she, though."
Dyson dropped his eyes, then said it very softly. "Look at her closely, her features, her hair, and know her eyes are blue. Whom does she resemble that got killed just weeks ago?"
Sharie's hand paused on the girl's head, and she took another look at the girl, seeing in her mind's eye that same type of hair, those dresden-doll features, and those cold blue eyes that had so horrified her. She drew in a sharp breath.
"Dark--Dark Dresden was this child's father?" she asked, scarcely believeing she was saying this. The thought that that monster had fathered any innocent children left a bitter taste on her tongue.
"Yes," said Dyson softly. "He is. She is his only child, her mother was one of his Dryseran love slaves that died with her birth. He only allowed her to live because he never wanted to take a mate and produce an heir, so he figured this girl was the closest he would ever come. Her mother became pregnant before she could be forcibly sterilized to pervent pregnancy." Dyson made a face. "It did not stop Dark Dresden from taking his anger out on the girl, she has been abused, mostly, and unloved. I need to get her someplace safe, find somebody willing to raise her. I beg of you," he pleaded, his eyes imploring Jeanette and Sharie, "Do not turn your back on this girl because of her father."
Sharie had tears in her eyes, but not from anger or hatred. "Your heart is bigger than this galaxy, Dyson," she whispered thickly. "I would never, *never* turn my back on a child, no matter their father. You may both come to Triforia, we can see about the girl then. I promise you, you will both be safe."
Dyson cast a quick glance to Jeanette and Trey, they both nodded their heads. He relaxed, for he had been right. They were too big-hearted to ignore his plea or his plight.
"I will come," he said, bowing slightly. "And--thank you, so much, for listening and helping this poor child."
"It is the least we could do," said Jeanette quietly. "By the way--what is her name?"
"She was given the name Annika," said Dyson. "It is a wonder Dark Dresden chose it--in our language, it means sunlight."
Sharie went back to treating the girl's infection and applying dermal regenerators to fix her wounds. "Sunlight," she mused. "I sense she is a good girl. I think it fits her perfectly."
****
They were just entering Triforia's system when the girl's eyes fluttered open, and Sharie, bent over her, suddenly found herself staring into deep, deep blue eyes--like Dark Dresden's had been, but without the icy cold hatred.
She did see fear, however, reflecting in the deep depths. "Dyson!" the child squeaked uncertainly, and Sharie could feel the fear radiating from her as the child looked into the eyes of an apparent stranger. "Help!"
She had spoken in the native Dryseran tongue, and Dyson came over to her at once.
"It is all right, these people wish to help," he reassured her, hugging her close while she was on the patient bed. He still spoke in Drysera, and, although Sharie understood him perfectly, it did make her wonder if the child spoke Standard at all.
"Are we safe then, Dyson?" the little girl asked, not releasing her grip of the young man. Her scared blue eyes looked over his shoulder at Sharie's trusting face, and she trembled with fear and mistrust.
"Yes, child, we are. The Triforians have agreed to take us in. They will help us."
"How can they, after what my father did to them?" she pleaded. "Surely it is false!"
Sharie fought to keep from inhaling in surprise. This child certainly had a lot of mistrust for somone her size...and yet, had she herself been much different that day she had been cast out of her own life on Triforia?
"You are an innocent child, and they know that I am a good person," he soothed. "They do not bear a grudge, and they are good people. They wish to help."
"That is right, Annika," Sharie put in, in fluent Dryseran, causing the girl's eyes to widen. "You will be safe on Triforia. I have known Dyson for a long time, I would trust him with my life, as you trust yours with him." She held out a hand to the little girl. "Will you trust me?"
The child stared at the proffered hand for a moment, then looked into Sharie's gentle purple eyes, unlike her father's often cold ones that had so rarely turned warm with her. A sense of trust started to penetrate her mind, and she could not completely resist. Tenatively, she let one arm go from around Dyson's neck, and shyly, almost untrustingly, placed her small hand in Sharie's.
"I have trusted so few people in my life," she murmured. "And yet, I seem to trust you..."
"You can, do not worry," said Sharie, and she was pleased when the girl allowed her to pull her from Dyson and hug her herself. She trembled, as though unused to the feeling, but she also seemed..surprised, and not displeased. She needed love so badly, Sharie reflected.
"How old are you, Annika?" Sharie asked, releasing the girl to check her over again with the scanner. Her injuries were almost healed by then, and she showed no further signs of infection.
"I am nine," she said softly, her eyes growing wide as a strange boy with longish black hair and black eyes came up behind Sharie and flashed her-- yes, her, who so rarely saw it--a gentle, heart-warming smile. It caused a strange tingle, and an all-too familiar yearning to fill her young heart. Shyly, she smiled back, a small smile that seemed to be used little, but it was definetly there.
"I have not heard her speak Standard," he remarked to Sharie in the other language she had heard in the background. It was a pretty sound, like a mixture of bells and brass, a rather unique combination. "Does she not know it?"
Sharie was not sure, but the girl spoke up before she could reply. "I speak this language," she said in an accented voice, lifting her chin. "Just not very often. I have not had to."
Sharie nodded, giving the girl a once-over. "Because no one else on Drysera speaks it?" she asked to distract the child.
"Oh, no. It is spoken quite often, just usually among adults. Children mostly speak the native tongue to each other." She shrugged her tiny shoulders, saying nothing else, but her sad eyes finished her sentence, saying clearly, *Not that I ever had the chance to have friends.*
Jeanette's own heart ached for the child's plight, and she came over, laying a tenative hand on the girl's shoulder. "You will find children on Triforia who would love to play with you," she said softly, as the girl stared up at her with slightly mistrusting eyes still.
"How would they trust me," she said bitterly, "when my father did so much to ruin their lives? People on my own planet tried to *kill* me because of this."
"You are not held accountable for your father's actions," said Jeanette gently but firmly. "What he did he did without conscience. I can see into your soul, child. You have as good a heart as Dyson, and you deserve only the best."
Marisha laid her own hand on the girl's shoulder. "I am not from Triforia, but I have two children visiting there. They are twins your age, named Toby and Tami. They would love to make you their friend, I am sure of it."
The girl looked at every trusting face around her, then buried her face in her hands, utterly tormented still. "No one--has ever been really...kind to me before..." she stammered, clearly unused to this. "Except Dyson...I am not sure what to say."
"You do not have to say anything," Sharie assured her, her arm around the girl and feeling grateful when the child leaned trustingly into her. "I understand your fear. Once I was a scared little girl trying to make a home on an alien world."
To Sharie's surprise, Annika nodded. "You are the girl my father often raved in anger about. From what I understand, he was so furious that you had escaped him....he hid little from me, whether he was being nice to me or taking his anger out on me."
"What a thing to mention to your daughter," Sharie murmured to no one in particular. "No one will hurt you or beat you anymore, Annika. I promise this to you."
"I never want to go back," she murmured fiercely. "In fact," she said suddenly, pulling something from around her neck, "I want to give this to someone good. I have no use for it, but it does not belong in the hands of evil. My father was the last to have it and try unsuccessfully to use it. I don't know what it does exactly, except it is supposed to lead to something powerful."
She handed the pendant to Sharie, who glanced at it and went pale, deadly pale.
"Your father had this?" she asked the child in wonder. Annika nodded solemnly. "He tried over and over again to use it. He could not. Give it to somebody with a good heart, maybe they will be the chosen one to use it, I do not know."
Sharie thought for a moment, then, to everyone's surprise, turned and handed the pendant to Troy. She had clearly remembered his desire to be a ranger himself one day. "Here, maybe you should try it, or pass it on, secretly. You are a warrior at heart, Troy, maybe you will finally realize your dream."
He gaped at her a moment, clearly startled. Yes, it was a dream of his, but he had not expected it to be a major thought in Sharie's mind, or for her to give it to him. Dumbly, he took the pendant and stared at the design on it, a hand holding a slender sword against a starry background.
"And what is it?" he asked softly, holding it up. "Sharie, you acted like you recognized it."
Numbly, she nodded. "I recognize the design. I belive, Troy, that the pendant you now hold is the key to finding the long-lost Nightstriker Warrior powers."
Trey drew in a sharp breath. "I have heard of those," he remarked, his dark eyes thoughtful. "In ancient times, they were ledgendary for what they could do."
"How do you know of the design?" Trey asked, pushing in a bit to get a closer look. Everyone was listening intently now.
"I have been around," she answered. "The Nightstriker Warrior powers are very ancient. They are, in a way, related to Zeo Powers, like mine and Trey's. But they are not Zeo--they are different."
Everyone had gathered round, all ears. This sounded interesting. Sharie took a deep breath and started to tell an ancient tale, one that held them all spellbound.
*Flash*
"In ancient times, the Nightstriker Warrior powers were used for good--the holders of the power simply summoned it from the depths of their own being, for they, and the power, were joined as one--no power coins, crystals, rubies, nothing but their own hearts.
"Thus joined, the holders of the powers had a direct connection to the Morphin Grid, with the essence of the powers and their hearts acting as a focuser. One day, in ancient times, however, there was a fierce battle, between good and evil. Then, the holder of the Nightstriker Warrior powers was a young man named T'Sar. He was a good man and an excellent warrior, never knowing defeat, and many praised him for his bravery and pure- heartedness.
"The reputation of the Nightstriker Warrior powers had spread far and wide. The evil side wanted these powers at all costs, to be used for their own selfish, evil purposes. And they would stop at nothing to get it.
One day, the evil side captured T'Sar. They brought him before the evil Emperor, Tiron. Like any evil person, he threatened to kill T'Sar unless he gave up his powers. Of course, T'Sar refused.
"He had good reason to refuse. If he was to be killed without turning them over to the next warrior, they would dissapate and be no more. Tiron was furious, for he saw that T'Sar had backed him into a corner. T'Sar refused to give up his powers on his own, and if he was killed, Tiron would not get them anyway.
"Finally, Tiron thought of a plan. He challenged T'Sar to a duel. If T'Sar won, he could keep the powers and leave. If he lost, he would have to give up his powers and die. If he refused, his homeworld would be attacked, and countless millions injured. And T'Sar would be killed anyway, for if Tiron could not have them, nobody would.
"T'Sar was forced to agree to his demands. They dueled, all right. It was a fierce and bloody battle. But Tiron enchanted his sword, thereby cheating. His sword found it's mark, and ran T'Sar through, mortally wounding him.
"He proclaimed T'Sar the loser, and the man was forced to give up his powers to Tiron. After it was done, then Tiron had T'Sar tossed into his own ship, banishing him from the solar system to die.
"What was worse, T'Sar's wounds had been left untreated for too long. Festering and infection set in, and T'Sar knew he was dying.
"Tiron's success was short-lived, however, for unbeknownst to both men, the Nightstriker Warrior powers could only be used by the pure of heart. If someone else tried to use them, the powers would destroy them. And that is exactly what happened, for shortly thereafter, Tiron called upon the power. But instead of surging through him and bonding with him, like it should have, they ripped him asunder. Tiron left the living screaming in agony.
"The powers did not dissepate, though, for they sensed T'Sar was still alive. They returned to him, albeit too late. By then, he was too weak, and could not have handled the reintigration process. It only further hastened his demise.
"He knew what he had to do. It was too late to return and get an heir, but he had an old, small Zeo Crystal shard that somehow, through the eons, had mysteriously lost it's power. But it could still support another power source. Somehow, he transferred his powers into the crystal and magically hid it someplace in the universe. He also managed to devise the pendant to help locate and obtain the power, if the person was good and worthy.
"Shortly thereafter, he died. When they found his body, the pendand was beside him, along with a note, telling what he did, and saying that because he was surrounded by evil and was dying, he did not have the time to find an heir for his powers. The note also said his spirit would stay with the pendant until he could guide another worthy person to the power. He would not help those evil or unworthy, only the person whom he saw fit for the Nightstriker Warrior powers. Many people have tried to find and exploit the powers, with no success. Worse, those evil who have searched for the power have discovered a way to use it without being destroyed. How Dark Dresden came to posess the pendant is anybody's guess. Now, Troy, I think it should be yours. Maybe you can find the power and use it for good."
*Flash*
There was a long silence after Sharie had finished her tale. Troy, swallowing, at last managed, "Of course, if I *can* obtain the powers somehow, I will use them for good. But how? The pendant....well, it just looks like a pendant. How can it help me search?"
Sharie searched her memory, then replied, "Legend has it the pendant is activated by a certain word. Unfortunately, the exact word is a mystery. That is why no one can find the powers--I have heard of sorcers and sorceresses who, once they managed to get ahold of the pendant, did nothing but stand before it rattling off every magic word or phrase they could think of, from "Abracadabra" to "Open Sesamie"." She smiled at the mental image. "Of course, none of it ever worked."
"So how could I find out?" Troy asked, looking now a bit askance at the pendant, feeling a deep yearning and frustration to unlock it's secrets.
"I am not sure. T'Sar's note only said that the word was "something that was close to my heart,". But he was a sorcerer as well, he knew lots of magical words. I will do some research, if you want." She shrugged. "I guess what I am trying to say is that I am offering to help you find the powers for yourself."
Trey shrugged and volunteered his efforts as well. "Mostly, we have been occupying our time with repairs to some Zord or other. It would be nice to do something different for a change."
Andros leaned against a nearby biobed, his brown eyes gleaming with interest and curiosity. Ashley, looking at him, smiled to herself. It was an expression that, until about four weeks ago, she had never thought to see on his face. Now, gradually, it was gradually showing up more and more.
"Are you thinking what I am thinking?" she whispered. He nodded, then turned back to the rest.
"How about a few more hands?" he asked. "The past week we have been doing little else but scanning. We found the Voyager Zords, so we have more protection in case of attack. We simply could not call on them this time, because what use is one Megazord against an entire fleet of ships buzzing around it like flies? Just--" he glanced out the window at Triforia below, and of the damaged Megaship in orbit. "Just give us a day or two to repair our Megaship first."
Troy laughed, glancing at the pendant again. It gleamed appealingly at him, and seemed to call something that he could not ignore. "All right, I guess. With so many people helping me, how could I possibly *not* find the powers?"
There was laughter all around.
****
Later, they generally found themselves back at the same park where Sharie and her family had been before that morning's adventure had started.
Annika, upon seeing the other children playing happily, went white and ducked behind Sharie's slender figure.
"What will they say?" she whispered fearfully. "I have almost never played with children, father would not allow it--"
"Come on, you can do it," Sharie encouraged as the girl stayed directly behind her while they approached the children. "They would understand what happened was not your fault, Annika. You will have plenty of friends before you know it."
As an afterthought, she added, "Can you speak telepathically, or use Universal sign language?" she asked.
"No to both. And your cousins are deaf--"
"They can lipread, you will be fine. Just be sure to speak clearly."
Toby and Tami looked up from their game of double-dutch and grinned. They handed the ropes to two other children and raced off toward their cousin, smiles alighting their nearly identical faces.
Their hands started flying before they even stopped. "How did it go?" "Is everyone all right?" "Did anything interesting happen?" "Did you battle the bad guys?" "Did--"
Sharie laughed and held up her hand to stop the flow of motions from both twins. They might have adult intelligence, she reflected, but they were still children.
"Everyone is fine, now," she signed and said aloud at the same time. "And yes, some interesting things did happen. There is someone I would like you to meet, and I hope you will agree to be her friend and help her in everything, though she cannot use telepathy or sign language. Also, her father was an old enemy of mine, do not hate her for this, this was not her fault. You will find some way to communicate."
She pulled a shy Annika from around her. The girl was still pale, her head was bent, and her golden hair hid her lowered blue eyes.
For a moment, the twins just studied her. Then Tami moved, coming over and taking Annika's hand. Surprised, the girl lifted her blue eyes to Tami's gold ones. There was a big smile of welcome on Tami's face, and when Toby came up behind her, a similar smile on his face, a small smile started to creep across her own.
"H-hi..." she stammered nervously. Tami's smile got wider, and she turned and indicated the double-dutch game behind them, then motioned that she desired Annika to join her. Toby mimicked her action, and some of the other children, whom had been watching, started to wave from the group in the distance as well.
Hesistantly, Annika turned and glanced at Sharie, her blue eyes still betraying her nervousness.
"Go on," Sharie encouraged softly. "They will accept you for who you are, no matter who your father was. Just remember to learn how to have fun!"
Another small smile curved Annika's lips, and she allowed Tami to lead her to the waiting group of children. For the first few minutes, though, she was glad Sharie stayed nearby to make sure she was comfortable.
She was right. Sharie had already telepathically told the children who Annika was, and the children bore no grudge. That was typical of their Triforian nature, that if you did not deserve the hatred, you did not get it.
Seeing that Annika was comfortable with the children, and succeeding in her clumsy attempts to communicate with Toby and Tami, Sharie turned back toward the hill, back to her family. Everyone else was there, except Jeanette and Dyson. They were a little ways off, having a private conversation.
"So, what do you plan to do?" Jeanette asked casually as they settled themselves on the hillside, ignoring the curious glances from the few other milling Triforian adults. It was not often a Dryseran showed up on Triforia, much less a previously banished criminal. But, knowing it was not their business, they simply turned and went on with their lives.
"I am not sure as yet," said Dyson uncomfortably, staring out across the park. "Should I be traced to Triforia in the near future, Jeanette, they might send people here to demand my return as a wanted criminal. In light of what happened the last time our people clashed, I doubt if they will start a war, but they may cause trouble until they get me back. That is something I am sure neither of us care to face again."
"Will they be after Annika as well?" asked Jeanette, concerned for the girl's well-being. She cared about the child.
"Probably not. She is not wanted, techincally anyway, but since nobody had much respect for Dark Dresden, they did not care whether she lived or died. I could not stand to see that poor child hurt, kidnapped, or worse, Jeanette. They were already beating down my door with the discovery of my betrayal at the prison compound, I doubted if one more 'betrayal' would make a difference. So I took the child myself. Shortly after I managed to get her out of her home, a terrorist bomb exploded that destroyed the place."
Jeanette caught her breath, staring. "That's horrible!" she gasped. "Going after a child like that, just because her father was not the best of souls!" Then and there, she made a solemn vow. "I hope you keep Annika here. She will be safe as long as she is here, and they forget about her. Maybe you should consider staying, too."
"I don't know," he sighed again. "You saw those other Triforians staring at me. I know they would not be unpolite toward me, because I am no threat to them. But the mere thought of a Dryseran adult among them, especially one who had to work so closely with Dark Dresden, makes them uncomfortable. Annika, being a child, does not have that problem."
"There are plenty who will accept you easily," she argued sensibly. "Mostly, we don't allow old afterechoes of the past to cloud our judgement of today, and what changes might have occured. If that had been the case, Sharie would have instantly rejected Annika the moment she learned of her heritage, something I cannot imagine my daughter *ever* doing." Jeanette decided to press a bit. "What do you prefer to do as an occupation?"
"Not a jailer, that is for sure," chuckled Dyson. "But...I always did have a love for the sciences, Jeanette. Archeology would have been a hobby of mine if I had been allowed to persue it. And," he laughed, "A bartender is not so bad, either."
Jeanette smiled, recalling how Dyson and Troy had first met, and Dyson had been able to, by subterfuge, tell the location of her prison so she could be rescued. He had pretended to be a bartender.
"Why don't you see what you can do," she suggested. "You seem like a man of knowledge, in fact, I know you are. Go and impress some of our scientists....or impress us with your cooking."
They both laughed. "Good luck on your mission," he said, calming down. "While you are gone, I will be 'trying to find my way', as you put it earlier. And may Troy find the powers. He will make good use of them, I am sure."
"Warriors at heart always do," said Jeanette with certainty.
****
Hand in hand, Sharie and Carlos walked the beaches of Triforia, again entranced by the magical effect of the rainbow moonlight, dancing on the waves and shimmering majestically in the air. A breeze sprang up, ruffling Sharie's golden hair and emphasizing how the colors danced, prisim-like, off her platinum curls. The colors reflected from the moon shone like brillant rainbows in her purple eyes, and brought to the front the effect of innocence Sharie herself was certain she had lost too many years ago.
Carlos did not seem to think that, however, as the breeze, warm as it was, grew stronger. Almost reflexively, he pulled her closer, not minding that some of her waist-length curls blew into his face. She went willingly, a smile on her face, for she had missed him sorely the past five days she had not seen him. Finding him injured they way he had been had twisted in her stomach like a swtichblade, and had brought back too many unwanted memories, and she was never so glad as she was now to be in his arms again.
Carlos seemed to understand this, for the feel of his arms around her had a more comforting effect than a passionate one. He was starting to understand, a little, how she thought, but mostly, he knew, she was still an enigma to him, for he knew only the barest fraction of her dangerous life.
"You okay?" he asked softly in her ear as she relaxed against him. It was met with silence for a moment as his hand ildy stroked her hair.
"Si," she murmured in Spanish, making him smile. It still astonished him that she seemed to be fluent in every foreign language they came across, earth or space-oriented.
"I bet you are thinking that today has been a long day, like I have been thinking," he continued in a whisper, looking out at the peaceful ocean before them. "A very long and confusing day."
"Indeed yes," she said, just as softly, hugging him just a bit more tightly. For just a moment, he felt her tremble, then take a deep breath as she attempted to keep herself under control, to keep the barrier in place as she always did.
*Oh, no you don't,* he thought at her, and he heard her inhale sharply. She looked surprised as he turned her to face him and, too fast for her to really react, his mouth almost literally crushed hers.
Almost instantly, she got over her surprise enough to snake her arms around his neck and start to return his kiss with an ardent passion. Because she had not been in full control of her emotions, and had not had the chance to regain her stability, he had ingnited that deep wellspring of fire he knew she posessed, but often hid.
The faintest of moans issued from her throat as she pressed closer to him, desperate for him to not stop. She almost literally forgot her mild distress from earlier, all she could think about was not wanting him to *stop* what he was doing. She was so sick and tired of being interrupted, every time....
His hand came up to the back of her neck, pressing her mouth even harder against his own. His tongue traced at her lips lightly and teasingly, begging for entrance. Ecstacy bolting down her spine, she complied, her lips parting and her tongue meeting his in a brief duel before he slipped past, exploring the exotic shape of her mouth, her teeth, reveling in her sweetness.
His little plan had worked, her mind was no longer on what had happened earlier, but he realized distantly that it was about to go, perhaps, *too* far. He was still concerned that, despite what she said, when the time came, she might still say no, or regret it afterwards.
But her small, willowy body was pressed so hard against his, he was aware of every curve, every soft spot, every part of her intoxicating scent. It was driving him insane, and the increasingly wildness of his kisses showed it. She did not even seem to notice when his hand, completely without his personal will, started to tug at her tucked-in shirt. All she did was lean closer and move against him in a way that just about dropped the last of his defenses. He was about to pull her to the sand and let her searching hands--gods, her *hands*--drive him completely insane.
*It is now or never for tonight* he thought distantly, and, despite how his body screamed at him, he disengaged his lips from hers and removed his hands from her shirt, where he had gotten it untucked and under in the space of seconds. He was sure she whimpered faintly in protest, but she was gasping too hard for him to be certain.
As if his sense of reality had penetrated her mind, she abruptly stepped away from him, dropping her hands and staring at him in utter shock. Gods, she had completely lost it! No thought at all had entered her mind at making him stop. No one had been around, they were alone, with the magical effect of the moons making things even more exotic. She had been upset, and her emotions not completely under as much control as she had liked, but before she could block them, he had pounced on her--and she had instantly lost complete control. Damn! She wanted him so badly it hurt to move! They had both been wanting this for so long, and then he stopped...
"I am sorry..." he rasped, cupping her chin. "You were upset....I should not have let it get so far..."
"You need not have worried," she said between gasps. "I would...not have stopped you."
He opened his mouth, then shut it. "Ohh...Damn it, Sharie! I know you keep insisting that you would not stop me, and maybe you think you feel as ready for this as I do. But how will I *know*," he pleaded. "How can I be sure you will be so certain of what we both want, you will not wake up the next morning with regrets? Ruin our relationship!" He looked deeply into her eyes, and she was touched by the love and tears she saw shining in his own black depths. "I swore to you weeks ago I would never take advantage of you, and I never mean to, if I can help it. That is why I need your help, Querida. I don't want to make a mistake with you!"
But far from his words scaring her or scattering seeds of doubt and uncertainty in her heart, it only made her conviction stronger of what she knew was right. She was a person who was sure of her own heart, and her heart's tuggings had always been right in the end. She knew, with certainty of experience, that this time was no exception. She loved him, her soul and heart were enslaved by him. And she knew that, in place of those, she owned his heart, his essence, and she intended to keep them forever, no matter the consequences.
This she told him in no uncertain terms, her soft voice echoing like the waves of the nearby ocean. The conviction in her eyes, the certainty, and her love, were so evident that it finally convinced him. He pulled her to him again, and kissed her--this time much more gently, more of a kiss of promise than of passion.
"I believe you, " he rasped, a gentle smile on his face. "But I also think we should be in agreement to give this time to sink in. Soon, Querida, just for wisdom's sake...soon."
She nodded, but he was not sure if the suspected reluctance he was seeing was just his imagination or not. After all, stopping themselves just now had been the hardest things they had ever done....
****
Triforia is a world of as many possible climates it is able to have above the temperature best for the tundra. For the most part, this huge, gorgeous paradise yeilded massive oceans, gentle seas, tropical rain forests, arid, dry deserts (although they were rare) and rolling prairies. On this world, the shade of green was not the only indication of healthy life, plants also ranged in blue, pink, purple, and golden hues among it's plantlife, and Cassie thought that one could never claim they had seen it all until they had walked through a shimmering desert with blue and orange cactuses, and purpleish-green grass.
If you did not count the one or two night animals Cassie and Tar'yn, the phantom ranger, spied through the desert grass, they were alone, and as a result, Tar'yn felt safe in demorphing so he could hug Cassie close without fear of hurting her.
"This place is so beautiful," he heard her sigh as they walked a safe distance from the cactuses. "So much more color than Earth's deserts-- except when the cactuses bloom there. Here...it gives one a sense of peace, you know?"
"I understand..." he said in a strangely quiet tone, and she looked at him in surprise. "It is so remeniscent of Eltare. Much of the planet has an arid climate." The homesick look on his face reflected in his tone, and it made her wonder when he had last had a chance to visit his home planet and revel in it's beauty, instead of constantly planning and preparing for war.
"Hey," she whispered tenderly, reaching up and touching his face gently, so his unique green eyes looked into her own inky black ones. "If it bothers you so much, we could..."
"No!" he said, then managed to muster a slightly sad smile. "I like it here, with you at my side." He sighed, and she almost had to beg him to confide in here.
After much prodding, he gave in, but his eyes still looked sad, wistful, like a little boy who desperately wanted a toy he could not have. "It...is hard to describe how right this feels, Cassie, walking freely, unmorphed, with you at my side." He turned to face her, his hand coming up and stroking her cheek, then she closed her eyes as his hand stilled, just staying there, as if he was reveling in the feel of *her* as she was of him.
"My life is so dangerous," he continued softly. "Every time you get near me, Cassie, you are in such great danger....yet I cannot make myself stay away from you. Your soul, your heart, are burned into mine in a way that fires with the embers of eternity. I will never love another, and if I were to lose you, life would no longer have meaning. I would much rather live a civilain life, with you at my side, safe, than to constantly expose you to the danger...but I cannot. There is so much at stake..." he closed his eyes, and she could feel his hand tremble against her cheek. "I still do not understand how you are so easily able to accept it as you do..." he could not continue.
For a moment, Cassie was completely speechless. He often told her how much he loved her, and she could sense it with every nuance of her being, and of course, she responded eagerly in kind. But while Tar'yn was a bit of a poet at heart, trying to *say* what he felt was not usually one of his talents. This was the clearest she had ever heard him speak, and it tore at her heart, and warmed it, to no end. Love should not have to cost them such a price, but they had no choice.
Their love should not have to cause such sadness and fear come to his eyes as she saw now. It was not fear of what they had, it was fear of losing her, and with her, anything resembling a normal life. She suspected that since they had known they were in love, she had become a much more important focus for him than simply protecting the universe. For her, if she were to lose him, the universe might become so cold and unforgivable, would it be worth saving?
Suddenly, all she wanted to do was forget, forget their problems, forget everything but him. With a new determination, she reached up and pressed her lips to his, almost with a vengence.
For a moment, he was frozen in surprise at her sudden movement, when he began to react, it was with the immediate passion she could instill in them both. He was not sure how she did it, but somehow she had the ability to almost instantaneously make him forget everything but *her* when she got close....an ability that, as now, he was often grateful for. He welcomed the distraction of her burning touch and the feel of their souls blending until they lost awareness of where they ended and the other began.
Within seconds, his kisses had become wild, his tongue urging her mouth open so he could slip inside, tasting her exotic sweetness and feeling his blood pound in his ears. His other arm held her slender frame firmly to his muscular one, and his other hand went from her face into her soft, long, silky black hair, releasing the scent of his favorite native Eltaran flower, but what Cassie had said was lilacs on Earth.
His mind not on names, he kissed her harder, his hands wandering all over her, just like she was doing him. There was no time to do something so unwanted as breathing, there was only time to feel her, to kiss her, to make her his entirely.
Only lack of air made him break away from her to gasp several times, then his eyes searched hers, almost desperately, and feeling relief when he saw the answering need there for what he so desperately wanted, with an intensity that seemed unreal, but thank goodness was not.
He pressed his lips to hers once more and slid one arm around her shoulders, the other one behind her knees. Their mouths scorched together prevented her from squeaking in surprise when he caught her up easily in his arms, teleporting them away with a single thought to her bedroom. To him, the promise of her touch was the strongest call in the universe, the one he could never, ever refuse to heed.
****
The next day, a lot of time was spent repairing Zords that had been in disuse for some time, and repairing the Megaship and Phantom's battle cruiser.
Ever since the Dryseran attack on Earth that had nearly destroyed her Sphinx Ultrazord and Trey's Pyramidas, they had been attempting several times to salvage what was left. At first, the zords had been a mess, but gradually, as the week had worn on, they regained their fomer state of repair and durablility. Sharie had even designed some new failsafes to be added to both Zords, and she suggested that they would do well for the other two ships being repaired as well.
"I have something else in mind as well," she told Trey as an afterthought. "I am going to try and design some new adaptors for our powers. What happened to Jason when he took on your powers should never have happened, and he was still ill for weeks afterwards. What if you are forced to do it again someday, or I myself must do it? My powers are so strong, it would be even worse for any non-Triforian to assume their power. If there is any way to circumnavigate it, I intend to do it.
Still, despite the fact she managed to finish repairing her zord, she still found time to spend with her cousins and family. They would soon be returning to Earth, and they would not see her again until this mission was finished.
As for Annika, she possibly already had a home open for her. Both Marisha and Jeanette had considered adopting the child themselves, but a surprise source came to light.
Fourteen-year-old Tasik, whom Troy had been teaching how to play hackey- sack when the whole adventure had started, had immediately become close friends with Annika. Tasik was an only child whom did not make friends easily, and it startled everyone by the close bond he had developed with Annika.
His parents, unable to have more children (to their considerable distress) were delighted their lonely boy had found somebody to confide in and develope a close relationship with. They had very quickly grown to adore the little girl, and were advancing an offer of adoption. And Annika herself was astonished, then delighted, with the prospect of having a family whom would love her at last.
All in all, it was a busy day, bustling and hustling to get the job done. They were preparing for an adventure the next day, an adventure they hoped that held an interesting time for them all.
At the time, no one knew how interesting. Or how dangerous.
****
The Megaship bridge was pretty crowded early the next morning, and with little wonder, with five regular rangers, a ranger whose life was dependent on a ruby, two Zeo Rangers, a Triforian boy only three centuries old, and surprisingly, Jeanette was also there. Sharie had to smile to herself, she well remebered her mother's fondness for mysteries, and this certainly was her element. Plus, she still did not care to be seperated from either of her children for very long. Nobody objected when she had politely requested to come.
Troy, like anyone else who had first come into posession of the pendant, had spent the entire day before trying to figure out the riddle of the small, coin-like necklace with the hand holding a mighty sword aganst the crowd of stars. He had been unsuccessful, also, and was trying not to show his frustration.
Phantom Ranger was there for another reason. "I know T'Sar's writings well," he said, to everyone's surprise. "He was deeply religous, and therefore, therein may lie the clue you need. I cannot remain with you long, but while I am here, I will se what help I can be."
"So...." asked TJ distractedly, staring at the pendant lying on a console, gleaming invitingly. "Just how powerful are these new powers supposed to be?"
"As I said the other day, very powerful," Sharie answered, almost unncessarily. "Maybe at least as powerful as the Gold Ranger powers, and the Astro Powers. And those who hold the power can become invisible, move through solid objects at will, defy gravity, enhance their mental powers, and many other things I may be unsure of."
"You said something about T'Sar being a religous man," mused Troy, idly studying the pendant. And Sharie, you said T'Sar wrote that the activation phrase was one held 'close to his heart'. What more could be closer to his heart that his god and teachings?"
"T'Sar wrote long poetry about God and the hereafter, " said Phantom easily. He held up his hand, and a computer padd materialized out of thin air. "Here is a copy of his writings, but they are in his tongue. I do not happen to have a translated copy on record, but it may help nonetheless."
DECA's camera was blinking. "I do not recognize the language," she said. "Except the vague dialect. It comes from a sector of space I am not familar with."
"May I see that?" asked Sharie, taking the padd from Phantom. She glanced at it, then started to read a few lines rapidly. "I know this language. When I was small, I had a habit of going through the computer for any language on file to learn--you do not know how helpful that is--and since I do a lot of traveling in parts unknown, I have picked up more languages than I care to count. Indeed, this man was religous."
She pondered this for a moment, then turned to look at her mother. Both women realized they were thinking the same thing. They sort of grinned at each other before Sharie spoke up again.
"If that was the case," she remarked, amused, "Then it is no wonder that those evil could not activate the pendant--they tended to stray from religon." Rapidly, her eyes scanned the poems she held. "A lot of his poems were similar in essence--mostly about S'mara, their word for God. A favorite saying of his was "S'mara Tinivina". Which means, basically, "I place my heart in God's hands." A looser translation, more commonly used, I think, is used along the lines of "God Bless You." I expect you could try those words."
"There is nothing to stop me from trying," sighed Troy, but amusement showed in his blue eyes. "I already have spent a great deal of time rattling off every relative word I could think of. Sorcery is not one of my stronger points."
"I know more than Trey," Sharie answered, bemused. "But I never spent much time studying spells."
Before anybody could say anything more, the padd in Sharie's hands began to glow and quiver with an errie blueish light.
"What is happening?" asked Cassie in astonishment. The glowing pad suddenly brightened to a blinding whiteness for a moment, and when they regained their senses, Sharie saw that the glow had faded somewhat, but stayed.
"What is it?" asked Troy, dazzled, as he looked over her shoulder. Sharie squinted at the padd, then her face took on one of wonder.
"Several lines have been highlighted," she whispered, truly awed. "All of them contain the phrase "S'mara Tinivina." But how..." her voice trailed off, and her purple eyes met Troy's blue ones in astonishment. Both of them were getting inklings of the same thoughts.
Sharie swallowed, struggling to say what was on her mind. "Remember...remember how his death note said his spirit would stay with the pendant until T'Sar decided on an heir...?" she began. She saw comprehension dawn on the visible faces of everyone present, and Phantom straightened.
"No way...." began Ashley. "Surely you are not suggesting that a...*ghost* is trying to communicate with us, are you..."
Sharie nodded. "It is likely that is so." was her awed answer. "If I am right, Troy, T'Sar's spirit is saying he wants you to be the next holder of his powers, and he is doing this by helping you. I can see no other explanation....so try it. Hold the pendant in your hand, concentrate upon it, and say the phrase."
Trey picked up the pendant again, hesistating, but obeying. At first, no words could come out of his mouth, and the pendant seemed to flash impatiently, seeming to say, "do it, already."
His blue eyes closed, and for a timeless moment, he was completely motionless. The words out of his mouth seemed to echo in the halls of eternity as he said calmly, "S'mara Tinivina."
The effect was astounding. The locket glowed, then a beam of white energy bolted from it to a place above their heads. All eyes turned up, to where the beam widened and a series of paragraphs, in a strange language, appeared.
While everyone stood, awestruck at the sight of a language only two present could read, Sharie quietly took a computer padd and typed it all down as fast as she could. Some inner urging was telling her to hurry, hurry, get it down.
"Say the phrase again," she called to Troy. "That might shut it off. I have the inscription copied down."
Troy swallowed, then managed, "S'mara Tinivina." As a result, the glow promptly faded, and the words dissappeared.
TJ, a little bit too stunned to think clearly, managed, "Could anyone read that?"
"I could," volunteered Sharie and Phantom at the same time. Each glanced in the other's direction for a moment, then Sharie spoke up. "I've already gotten it translated," she said, busily putting it down on the pad. "The first part is a note from T'Sar himself. It reads, "If you, my chosen heir, have found this message, then you know I want you to be the next holder of the Nightstriker Warrior powers. The following are clues to the secret location. But beware...news travels fast, those evil will want this power, and may find a way to use it without it destroying them. So be warned, my friend, and it might be wise to not go alone in the search, for obvious reasons. So good luck, farewell, and may the power protect you and enrich your life."
"Even T'Sar understood," Sharie whispered after a moment, her purple eyes matching Troy's thoughtful blue ones. "He is correct, Troy, you should not go at it alone. If you did, and news traveling the way it does, you would be defensless in attack, should somebody else want it for themselves."
Troy had already understood the sense of her implied words, and he was grateful for the company. This quest was one he was not sure he wanted to face alone, at any rate.
****
A few minutes later, Sharie handed out translated copies, on paper, to everyone else present. Now that they had unlocked the basic secret of the pendant, they sincerely hoped that the rest of the instructions would be easy to read and follow, and by now, everyone was itching for the adventure to begin.
A tri-sun world,
Where the crystal doth rest,
Within parsecs of home soil,
Near the cloud of S'mara's crystal breath.
It puzzled everyone to no end, for the stanza seemed to have little sense to it. Sharie looked up from reading it to find everyone else looking at her as if she had all the answers.
"A tri-sun world..." said Jeanette thoughtfully. "That makes sense, and maybe 'within parsecs of home soil'...but S'mara's Crystal Breath?"
Sharie started to follow her mother's thoughts, and because she had a more intimate knowledge of who T'Sar was, and where he was from, she turned to the computer, punching up an image of his home galaxy. Setting up a circular radius of several light-years from his homeworld, she highlighted every three-sun system within it. Five yellow lights began to flash.
"How did you manage to come up with that?" asked Andros in surprise.
"The words, "S'mara's crystal breath," she explained sensibly. She hit a button, making a white cloud appear on the circled area. "S'mara's people called this cloud "S'mara's crystal breath" based upon their religous teachings. Perhaps I can narrow it futher." She examined it thoughtfully, then made two of the blinking lights disappear. "Only three systems border it to any degree."
"Well and good," said Ashley, studying the map. "But can you narrow it further? That system there," she pointed, "Has no planets."
"Good point," remarked Andros, smiling at his girlfriend, then leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "But the other two systems have several habitable planets capeable of supporting life. It would mean quite a search."
All eyes turned to the next stanza.
The system doth sustain,
Three life-bearing worlds,
The crystal is located upon the main,
Upon the end where S'mara's crystal breath swirls.
This was even worse than the first one. Both systems contained three life- supporting worlds. It seemed like a dead end.
"And now what?" grumped Cassie. "This is leading nowhere."
As if in response to her query, Troy's translated copy began to glow, and the phrase, "On the jagged edge where S'mara's crystal breath swirls," was magically highlighted.
Sharie was looking over his shoulder, trying to understand what T'Sar's spirit was trying to say to them. She glanced at the map at the same time as Phantom, as comprehension dawned on both.
"That's it!" the both said at once, then Sharie stopped and blushed. Quietly, she went over to the computer and pointed out a long, jagged end of the supernova cloud to the other's, like a rip.
"I think this is the system," she said softly. "It holds eleven planets-- four balls of lifeless rock, three life-sustaining planets, and four gas giants. The other line says, "The crystal is located on the main', it must be the biggest life-faring world, the third in the system."
"I believe you are right," said Trey, studying the map thoughtfully. "Let us head there first."
The Megaship was not the only one who intended to leave. Phantom's small ship was docked in their shuttlebay, and the Pyramidas and Sphinx Ultrazord, now fully repaired, were traveling as well, under cloak. In case of enemy attack, they wanted to take no chances. So everyone headed back to their particular zord, and the course was plotted to the planet which could possibly yeild the famous Nightstriker Warrior Powers.
****
Troy had elected to travel with Sharie on board her ship, and she watched him now out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting absently in a chair, studying the pendant that was rapidly altering the course of his life. He was so quiet, and sat still, without moving, for so long, she was starting to get jumpy.
*I always knew he did not really want to be a scientist as much as Trey told me his sister Nikita did....but I did not know he'd get his chance to follow his true dream this easily.....*
"What is on your mind, Troy?" she asked, finally.
He jumped, startled by the sound of her voice, and she knew that he had, rightfully, forgotten she was there, or even where he was exactly.
"I am all right," he said at last, with a faint, thoughtful smile, but his blue eyes were shadowed with turbulent thought. "I was just thinking....how did it come down to this? What force of fate threw this in my path so suddenly and unexpectedly?"
Sharie smiled to herself. So he *had* been thinking it, too.
"I thought that this was something you always wanted," she said, her tone gentle. When someone else was troubled, she was always willing to listen, no matter her own troubles. "Do you think now that this is a bad thing?"
"Oh, no," he answered, surprised. "I think that this is wonderful. I want to tell you something," he admitted sheepishly.
"I always envied Trey, because he had the ability to so easily defeat that which was evil, what I always longed to do. Of course, all Triforians pledge to help others in times of need, but I was downright impatient for my turn, and I never thought I would get a chance to do it the way Trey did. Even the Triforian army was not what I wanted, and it was the next- best thing. I do not desire power or glory, Sharie, that is foolish dreaming. It was the thought that I could help *so much more* if I had the means to do it as Trey did." Troy blushed for a moment.
"But I was never sure how or what to do. The feeling did not abate after you were kidnapped. I saw how Trey blamed himself, how he lost weight and nearly went nuts, because you two were so impossibly close and you were so young, and he missed you so badly. He was certain that his powers were useless, but it was not his fault. I was his best friend and did my best to be there for him, to make him get back up on his feet, even after he recieved the second blow of Jeanette's disappearance. I wanted him to keep doing what he was doing, for he was making a difference. The only bad thing about it was that he took it too much to heart, and threw himself in it too hard."
Troy gave her a wry sort of smile. "Don't worry about that ever happening to me. I am not of the intention of working myself to uselessness if I recieve these powers, but I admit I feel confused by it all. I am now being given the chance to realize my dream, it has been literally dropped into my lap. But...I am also bewildered. I want to help find Zordon, I want to make a difference. And yet, I realize that I am courting Death even looking for these powers, much less accepting them. I feel foolish because of this, even though it is my life's dream. I never expected to feel fear...or uneasiness as well."
He was quiet after he had spilled out his jumbled emotions. He looked at Sharie, waiting to hear what she had to say. She was silent for many minutes before she responded.
"Your fears are not unfounded, Troy. I can understand completely, and so can each and every other person making this journey with you. I felt the same way when I first recieved my powers, knowing that I could not easily control their vast energy sources."
Sharie had to draw in a deep breath before she could say what came out of her mouth next. "Shortly before I was sent away, my mother came to me. She told me to hold out my hand, but did not tell me why. A staff appeared in her hand, and she placed it in mine, saying the necessary words to transfer control of the powers to me. She warned me to say nothing to Trey. I was frightened by the magnitude of the powers now in my hands, and I did not understand why she had done it until I was sent away. Then I understood they were meant for my protection. The knowledge for the powers was *there*, I knew what went where and what did what, but I lacked control because of my youth and inexperience. It took two and a half years before I was able to get enough control of them to feel ready to start helping others."
She smiled at him encouragingly. "You, Troy, won't face that problem, since you are grown. Control of the powers will immediately become second nature to you. You will see."
"Perhaps," Troy allowed. "Maybe it is the magnitude of the whole thing, and the suddenness, that is causing me to feel uneasy. I hope I am prepared to handle it."
"I believe you will," said Sharie gently. "I know you, Troy. You are the type to think before you act, as well as a dedicated person. This is probably what the spirit of T'Sar sees in you, if he wants you to be the next holder of his powers."
There was a flash of gold, and Sharie was a bit startled when her mother appeared out of nowhere.
Jeanette smiled at her daughter's and Troy's twin expressions of surprise. "Sorry to startle you. We are about there, Troy, and I have finished setting up the medical bay on the Megaship, with DECA's and Alpha's help. I hope we will not have need to use it. But I heard through the grapevine that this place is a bad one for evil influence and piracy."
"I hope not," Sharie murmured, straightening. "Let's get back onto the Megaship, we have more to discuss."
****
Before they could go, however, warning lights began to flash on the bridge of her ship, and sirens wailed. Sharie winced, she was going to *disable* those darned things...
"Vessles approaching," announced the computer.
"Identify."
"Specific type of vessles unknown, but weapon systems analysis seems to indicate pirate vessles or warships."
Sharie was instantly alert. "Raise sheilds," she ordered. "Open hailing frequencied, send a standard greeting."
"Message sent. Recieving reply, audio only."
"Well, then? Let's hear it."
The computer calmly played the message.
"Attention Alien vessles," said the voice. "This is a holdup. Drop your sheilds and prepare to be boarded. If you cooperate, your lives will be spared. If not, we will destroy you. You have three minutes to comply. End message."
Sharie bit her lips. "Somehow, I almost expected this. Piracy. You were right, mother, it is common in these parts."
"What will you do?" enquired Troy.
"Computer," stated Sharie. "Weapons analysis: Can the weapons of the fleet match those of the Sphinx Ultrazord, The Astro-Megaship, Phantom's warship, or the Pyramidas?"
"Working." answered the computer. "Results: The weapons of the pirate fleet: inferior to the Sphinx Ultrazord, less inferior to the Pyramidas, just slightly less inferior to the Megaship. Unknown for Phantom's vessel. However, pirate fleet is in enough numbers to present a serious problem to all of the ships."
"Well, what are you going to do?" asked Jeanette impatiently. "We have only two minutes left."
"Try diplomacy, first," was her answer. "I sense that this fleet is only loosely joined, let us hope at least a few ships will listen. The rest...." Sharie shrugged, and did not finish. "Computer, open hailing frequencies."
"Open."
"Attention, pirate fleet," She said calmly. "Before you attack us, for we will not surrender, might I ask what is is you want? If you need something that we can supply, we will do so. You need only ask."
There was a pause, then a buzzing sound that made Jeanette and Troy jump slightly.
"Recieving three seperate replies," stated the computer.
"Open a multi-view link, so I can see them all and they can see each other," said Sharie. Also, get into contact with the other ships, So they can see this also from their viewpoints."
"Acknowledged."
On the screen appeared three people, all distinctly of three different species.
"I am Merdok," said the first, who looked basically human, except for a colorful pattern tattooed onto his forehead. he had long blond hair and icy blue eyes that said he had little compassion. Sharie shuddered inwardly, he reminded her too much of Dark Dresden. "I am the leader of Pirate Team Alpha," he continued in a forceful tone.
"I am Kessa," said the female, who had short black hair, fair skin, and eyes that were completely grey-green, with no hint of pupils. "I am the leader of pirate team Beta."
"I am Jorell," said the third, a man with dark brown curls, and midnight, snappy-black eyes, and hands that had webbing between the fingers, a sure sign that his people had probably evolved in, or near, water. His voice also resembled that of an Aquitian, though not so much. "I am the leader of Pirate Team Gamma."
"As you can see," sneered Merdok. "We are three subunits of a much larger group. Each of us controlls the units of our own species. Now, why do you so foolishly wish to negotiate with us? I would order you destroyed here and now, but you and the other vessels are alien to us, it caught my curiosity. So, what do you have? If you have what we need--we are desperate, as you can see--we may let you live."
"I stock up on things," said Sharie dryly. "I will give what I can of what you need, but I must say I have little in the way of jewels or money. They are not in the commonest use of my people."
"So?" snapped Merdok. "What use of they are to us, either? You cannot eat jewels, or gold. They cannot cover you, or make you warm. Our peoples are poor, we need supplies and fuel. Not jewels. Also, medical supplies are needed. So pay up or ship out."
"Send a list," said Sharie firmly, setting her mouth. "I will see what I can do."
Merdok rolled his eyes but did as she asked.
"Well?" he asked impatiently as Sharie read the list. "Can you do it?"
"I do have many of these things, or I can make them. But it will take a short time."
"We'll see," snapped Merdok again. "If you satisfy us, you may go. If not, say goodnight, Gracie."
Just then, Kessa spoke up. "There is one more thing," she said in a lilting voice so sfot and gentle, it made Sharie wonder how she could possibly be a pirate. "Do you have any of the drug called Felicium? My race has been struck by a disease called the Nassa virus, many of my people are ill, and it is in epedemic porportions. I know of no cure, but felicium lessens the severity."
"The Nassa virus?" echoed Sharie. "Why, the recently did find a cure for it, a drug called Destrin. I will send over enough to cure and innoculate your people."
"Thank you," Said the woman gratefully. "By the way, I never did ask your name."
"My name is Sharie Triesta," she said tonelessly, not caring about her rank. "The man in th Pyramidas is my brother, Trey, lord of Triforia. This is Jeanette, former Lady of Triforia and my mother. Those in the Megaship are the Lightstar Rangers, and this is Troy Tripan, a friend of mine."
"Princess...lord of..." gasped Kessa. "You mean we were about to hijack..."
"Afraid so," mused Sharie, for once glad her rank could come to an advantage. "Give us some time, we will see what we can do."
Merdok did not seem impressed. "You have one hour," he barked. "Then I want to see some results. One hour, hear?"
"Are you insane, Merdok?" gasped Jorell, speaking for the first time. "We cannot kill planetary leaders or power rangers! Not only would their kind come after us, they are not our enemy, and were kind enough to actually *offer* to help!"
"We'll see," snapped Merdok. The three looked ready to argue the point, and Sharie quickly closed the channel so she would not have to listen. She turned around to face her mother's and Troy's astonished looks.
****
"...And this will get rid of them?" asked Andros as they finished overlooking the supplies. "They did threaten us with piracy, you know. How do we know they won't stab us in the back?"
"They do it out of desperation," she answered. "I think they come from races whose cultures were destroyed by one means or another, and this is how they have had to survive. I sense that Kessa and Jorrell are not really bad people, they in fact hate what they are doing. They are only trying to see to the welfare of their species. No, Merdok is probably the only one who could cause too much trouble. If we have any, it will come from him. I doubt the others will try anything, and be satisfied with what they have."
"What about replicating technology, or synthetrons?" asked Ashley pointedly. "The must not have the technology, or they would have no need for doing this. If they had some, they might quit piracy altogether."
Sharie glanced at Trey. The young lord of Triforia spoke up. "We discussed that. I think they have had the technology at some time in the past, but they lost it. Otherwise they would not have what they have now. That is the only reason I agree to it; it is not allowed to interfere so much with the development with another culture."
"Earth has been," pointed out Ashley. "Especially the last few years. Is our planet still not "sheltered?"
Sharie blushed slightly and glanced at her brother. She wisely chose not to answer that question.
****
After all the transfers were complete, Sharie, this time from the Megaship, stood before the images of Kessa, Jorrell, and Merdok. The former two thanked the rangers profusely, and Kessa declared that the epidemic among her people was already getting under control.
Merdok, however, while he grumpily thanked the rangers as well, was oddly silent, a twisted smile on his lips. It was something that Sharie saw behind his icy blue eyes, however, that sent her on silent alert. Mentally, she contacted her brother, telling him her thoughts.
*I agree,* he responded. *This guy might still mean trouble.* Silently, he activated a quiet alert, so their ships, on autopilot, could still prepare for a confrontation. He also mentally alerted Andros, who also agreed.
Meanwhile, Kessa smiled. "Thank you again," she said in her soft voice. "We will never forget your help. Most of the places in this region of space are evil-influenced, and nobody ever offered to help before....maybe now, we can rebuild our societies without shame."
Sharie was not the only one who noticed Merdok rolling his eyes.
"It was nothing," answered Andros diplomatically. "I always try to help when I can, and any one of my friends would do the same. If you need further help someday, simply contact us. We will be happy to help."
Kessa and Jorrell bowed slightly and vanished from the screen, leaving only Merdok. Sensors read their fleets of ships turning around to leave. Merdok's face was turned, obviously watching them from the windows of his bridge, but the grin Sharie had noticed earlier was twisting his lips again, and there was something about his icy blue eyes that made her spine shiver, not to mention feel sick at the same eyes also laced with utter greed. She felt certain she knew what he had in mind, and was prepared for battle if he tried it.
The results were soon forthcoming.
"Well," Merdok sneered as soon as the ships were gone. "That was very generous of you, Sharie dear. You and your friends gave me lots of supplies, all right. Now, suppose you give me the rest?"
"Meaning..." Sharie stalled as she noticed the scanners indicating his fleet was turning and training their weapons on them.
His smile was cold. "Meaning, my dear, that I want everything you've got. Weapons, medical supplies, the whole deal. You and your friends seem to have plenty, as far as I can see."
"You want medical supplies, fine. No weapons. I will not aid your plundering of other people."
"Nor will I," spoke up Andros. "We gave you everything you needed, now leave."
His voice turned catty. "But you all seem to have so much, and so easily too," he said silkily. "Power rangers can get their hands on anything they like. Planetary leaders have a whole planet of riches under their thumbs. Me, I only control this damned fleet. That is not much power. I savor what little I posess, and I want more! If I had enough, I could take control of my whole planet, be it's supreme ruler....oh, my dear princess, it will be glorious! And your friends here will be my key to glory. If you don't, why, I have my whole fleet trained on your few ships, I will order them to fire, and the last thing you will see or feel are the horrors of the vaccuum of space. Now, what will it be? Compliance, or blasted into atoms by my ships? Your choice."
Trey gave a smile that was almost as catty. "Not so fast, Merdok. My sister sensed what you were up to, and we figured you might do something like this. I will warn you right now, it won't work. Our weapons are superior to yours, it would be all to easy to blow you out of the sky quickly."
Merdok's eyes widened and blasted blue thunderbolts. "What do you mean, *sensed*!" he cried, outraged. "You are not from one of those crazy kinds of people who can do weird things with their minds, whatchamacallit-- telepathy, are you?" his blue eyes spit fire at the very thought of telepathic invasion, Sharie noted with some amusement.
"Dammit, girl, stay out of my head. My thoughts belong only to me. It gives me the creeps, laying me all bare like an open book! Damn, can't stand those insane, looney individuals who do that--it is not right, I tell you! Not right!"
Sharie's smile, at his description of her in general, turned just slightly malicious. "I did not enter your mind, Merdok, though I could have easily if I chose to do so. Yes, telepathy is easily within my power, but I do not do it much. Your facial expressions, your eyes, your body language told me your intentions. So I let my friends know about it."
"What, my eyes don't talk, I have never heard 'em. I still say you were snoopin' around in my head, where you shouldn't be. So keep out. Now, fork over what you have, or be destroyed."
"Forget it, Merdok," Andros said coldly.
"That your final answer?"
"Yes."
"Fine. See you all on the other side, then," he laughed, vanishing from the screen.
Everyone split again to their seperate ships, Phantom sneaking out, under cloak, in his battle cruiser.
Troy, keeping an eye on the situation again from Sharie's Sphinx Ultrazord, warned, "His ships are completing attack formation."
Sharie sighed, "Oh, dear. Sphinx Ultrazord, cloaking sequence four. Lock torpedoes on the nearest three vessles, on non-essential systems." Her eyes raised to meet her mother's concerned ones. "I don't want to destroy them, but hopefully, some damage may change his mind."
Before she could give the order to fire, several fleet ships turned and fired on the Megaship. Sharie saw the ship rock with the impact, and it sprang her into action. Instantly she was at the console, locking the weapons on those ships instead.
"Fire!"
They hit their target dead-on, just short of destroying the enemy, as she had intended them to do. They reeled, spun around, and limped back to regroup as she contacted the rangers.
"Hey, everyone in a single piece over there?" she called.
"We're fine," answered Andros. "We only sustained minimal damage. But let's get this lowlife off our backs so we can complete the mission. We are simply wasting our time."
Sharie agreed fully, but her sirens wailed again. Her brother was being attacked this time, without the proper chance to cloak, and she feared for his safety.
To her horror, she saw that several of the enemy warships were bearing down on him, full throttle. Luckily, as far as she could tell, the Pyramidas had sustained little or no damage from the attack, but the weapons were having the nasty side effect of causing the ship to rock violently with every hit. She sent several phaser blasts, severely damaging several vessles and sending a few into firey balls of brillance as they exploded, their inhaibtants greeting the vaccuum of space with absolutely no enthusiasm whatsoever. Trey, too, pounced upon the vessles and damaged several, destroying two who had tried to damage the pyramidas by setting collison courses.
Soon, the battlefield was an incredible mess as everyone just kept firing like madmen. Sharie had decloaked, participating fully in the frenzy, and holding on tightly as the blasts continued to rock her vessle violently. Still, they caused almost no damage.
One major blow knocked Sharie right off her feet.
"Ahhh!" she cried, startled, as she sailed through the air, the angle of her throw flinging her against the main viewscreen with a sickening thump as Troy was thrown over a control panel, sending him crashing into the wall. Jeanette barely managed to hang onto the railing of the bridge, watching in horror as her daughter and her friend were thrown about like rag dolls.
When the shaking finally ceased, she stumbled over to her daughter as Troy, limping, followed, concern written across his features. "Sharie?" she called gently, brushing her hair out of her face with a gentle motion.
Sharie lay stunned on the floor, her body covered in cuts and appearing bruises, blood already evident on her tunic. Jeanette felt under the girl's thick head of hair, she was not surprised to find a nasty bump under the thick mass of gold curls. The child was going to have one *massive* headache, she was sure.
"Are you all right, Sharie?" asked Troy, worried.
"Yes," she mumbled, her eyes unfocused for a few moments, before becoming at least somewhat clear. With her mother's help, she managed to get to her feet and stumble over to a chair, for it was quite obvious she was still dazed. She throbbed on every inch of her body, feeling pain in places she had forgotten she *had*. Sitting down, she put a hand up to her thumping head, closing her eyes to try and blot out the pain and get ahold of herself.
"All right. this has got to end here and *now*." She meant every word of it, but worry flickered across her features as she attempted to use her telepathy. It caused another bolt of pain to shoot through her head, but it did not stop her from sensing something she did not want to sense. She felt her spine stiffen in fear as the presence of her brother, usually so calm and centered, and even, was faint now, and fading, like a delicate thread about to snap.
"Mother, I think Trey is hurt, even unconscious. I sense...he cannot help me. But I have an idea," she managed, to cover up her own fear. Great, this is just what she needed, what they needed, after all of this...Closing her eyes again, she tried to will away the memories that suddenly threatened to overwhelm her. No, now was not the time to lose control....or let her mother know about her twisted feelings.
She was not unaware of Jeanette's immediate worry about her son, but for the moment, what could she do? There was no way anybody could teleport in this madness.
She got into contact with the Megaship. "How are you holding up over there?" she called as the ship rocked again. She could not stifle her gasp as it sent pain rocketing through her head, her chest, and her foot.
It was Carlos who answered this time, and Sharie was gratified to hear his voice. "Minimal damage, Querida. As for *us*, however, we are being tossed about like toys from the blasts. It is impossible to keep our footing, but no serious injuries. Just some lumps, bumps, cuts, bruises, you get the picture," his tone said he was trying to make light of the situation but not all of him was amused.
"Hang in there, Carlos," she encouraged. "I have an idea. You keep fighting them, to distract them, and I am going to get the Phantom Ranger to help me play a couple of low-life sneaks. I will be phasing in and out continually, so they cannot lock down upon me."
"Okay, but hurry, Querida, before we get seasick from all of this rocking." He joked before cutting the link. Sharie smiled to herself through the pain, before pausing just enough to send the Pyramidas a manual command, a trick Trey had told her of. It made the ship cloak, protecting him until she could get to him. She sincerely hoped he was all right, but she could not even sense him anymore, her pain in her head (not to mention her heart) was too great. She did not dare let her mother know.
With that, she set her plan into action. She began to flit in and out of cloak, sneaking up and pouncing on several pirate ships, and her mother kept her finger on the fire button. The Sphinx Ultrazord was just like a cat, and it got to the point where that, since they had no idea where she was going to appear next, her plan worked, she managed to damage many ships. And at last, she managed to severely damage Merdok's ship as well. She could not find the Phantom Ranger, he had disappeared from her scanners and her head was hurting so badly, she could not think. What little strength she had was focused on defeating Merdok, and with his ship damaged, he was sure to be furious.
Indeed, he contacted her at once, and when the viewscreen lit up, his outraged, disgruntled face amused her, even through her throbbing head and body.
"Miss Triesta, this is an outrage! I order you to stop or I will personally destroy you myself!"
She eyed him cooly. "Give it up, Merdok. You and your fleet, which I see is badly damaged by now, are no match for us. So I advise you to be on your merry way and leave us alone!"
"I will be back!" he shrieked. "You will pay for this! I have friends in high places! I will have my revenge, I don't care who you are!" He mumbled a few more curses in a strange language, but Sharie and Jeanette both turned a bright pink over. She quickly cut the link, glad to see him leave.
Sharie, watching them leave, wondered how it was that so many more ships had been damaged then she had thought. She then remembered the Phantom Ranger, who had been firing entirely under cloak. She wanted to thump herself, her head had been aching so badly she had almost forgotten!
"Well," he chuckled when she contacted him. "That takes care of that. I will be on the Megaship, helping them sort out the mess they are surely in."
After he vanished from the screen, Sharie turned to her mother. "I am going after Trey," she said unnecessarily. "I fear he is hurt," she whispered, limping over to the readings from the Pyramidas, ignoring her aching body as much as possible.
"In your condition?" said Jeanette, eyeing her daughter's appearance. Not only was she covered in cuts and bruises, she was also painfully rubbing an ankle, accounting for her limp. "Perhaps I should go with you."
"No, you are needed on the Megaship, and everything is ready over there, like you did for it. I will be back soon, do not worry. As soon as I find Trey, I will teleport to the medical bay over there."
*Too stubborn, just like her father,* Jeanette mused sadly, watching her youngest child reach for her teleportation button. *One day, that stubbornness could get you killed, little one. Be careful.*
****
Sharie materialized in the cockpit of the Pyramidas, medkit in hand. She felt her heart clench painfully as she saw her brother crumple on the floor, out cold. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to blot out the memories. *No, not now, that was another time, another place...*
Shuddering, she managed to limp to his side, kneeling down beside him and turning him over. He moaned slightly, but did not awaken. His face was a dreadfully pallid color, his long dark lashes looking startlingly white against the whiteness of his normally bronze face. A cut on one side of his forehead was slowly oozing blood. Sharie gently touched the rest of his head, finally finding a nasty lump, not unlike her own, under his thick, short dark locks. He also had other bruises and cuts on his body, indicating he had been thrown violently more than once.
Sharie quickly pulled some gauze from her medkit and pressed it gently against the bleeding laceration on his head to absorb the flow of blood. It turned dark red even as she bound it to his head with more strips of gauze, to hold it in place. Quickly, she scanned him for other not-so- obvious injuries.
She felt her insides shrink and go icy. He had a severe concussion--if he had been awake, he would have been in agony, she was sure--two broken ribs, and a busted wrist. An ankle had been severely turned as well.
*Ouch* she thought, as she stabalized him for teleportation. After binding his ribs and splinting his wrist, she straightened his body out so they could teleport. Before they were to transport, she paused, looking at him with an incredible ache in her heart, gently reaching out to touch his face. It was much too warm, despite his pallid color.
"Trey..." she murmured, trying to hide her distress. She could not let her mother know how much they often still suffered from the ghosts of the past. They had still kept the events from Dark Dresden as shadowy as possible from her, and other signals of their pain.
Sharie sighed, knowing she had to get him to safety. She gently brushed his hair out of his face before reaching for her communicator. After signaling their mother, they vanished in a golden flash.
They materialized in the medical bay. Sharie saw her mother go as sheet- white as Trey was upon seeing her son in this condition. Quickly, she helped her daughter lift him onto the empty biobed. As she prepared another regenerator to treat his injuries, Sharie quickly told her of his condition.
While they worked, Jeanette cast a sidelong glance at her daughter, then nearly stopped herself. She noticed Sharie was still painfully rubbing her slim ankle again. Her hair, which had come loose, tumbled about her shoulders, down her back, and into her violet-purple eyes, which were in turn shadowed with...something. She was also unconsciously rubbing her head and her side.
Quietly, so she would not notice, Jeanette turned the scanner on her own daughter. She tried to suppress a groan as she read not only a cracked ankle, but a broken rib, another cracked one, and a moderate concussion as well. How Sharie was even able to *see*, much less *walk,* was beyond her. So was the fact that her daughter had said not one word about her nasty injuries.
Her concern was replaced by mild irritation, and she felt her parental duties taking hold as she gently but firmly removed the scanner from her daughter's hand, flatly ordering her to attend to herself. "I can take over here, thank you. You need to tend to your own injuries, my girl. I had no idea you were in that bad a shape."
She actually looked mildly surprised. "But--"
"No buts please, my girl. You are on the verge of collapse, yourself. I am still your mother and you are still a juvenile, I should have a certain say-so in situations like this. And I know I am right when I say you do need tending. Now, march--er, limp, and get off that foot, please. One day, your impulsivenenss and stubborness will get you killed."
The mild flash of irritation Sharie had felt when her mother first started to lecture her was quickly replaced by a flash of amusement.
"How often have I heard that?" she muttered with a faint smile as she started to heed her mother's words. 'Sharie, you're too stubborn. Sharie, quit jumping at every little mission you see, you will get yourself killed.'" she mimicked. "But I like helping others, and besides, I am a power ranger, it is my job. And now, *Mom*, as for ordering me about--"
Jeanette was already opening her mouth to argue the point, when she was surprised into closing it again when Sharie started to giggle, wincing as more pain shot through her head. It did not take the amused smile from her face.
"--as for ordering me about," she continued, her eyes now twinkling merrily, "Mother, you have not done that to me since I was three and you had to flatly order me away from the books and computer I was glued at, to get me outside and do something else," she giggled. "You made Trey get me interested in Triforian martial arts, and dancing." She sobered somewhat. "But Mom, now I am pretty much grown up, and I have been making my own decisions for years now, especially in situations like this."
Jeanette sighed. She knew that this was all true, but it was something her daughter should not even be facing for several more years yet....her childhood had been stolen from her at an incredibly young age, and she doubted that, just because they were together again, she could ever get it back.
"I know...." she murmured, reaching out and touching Sharie's hair. "But sometimes, it is just so hard....I do get worried, who would not, in our situation? Not everyone I know has a seventeen-year-old daughter costantly risking her life to help others, and I have had to worry enough about Trey as it is. All right dear, I expect I overstepped it a bit, but please remember, I cannot stop worrying. I missed so much of your life."
The comment stopped Sharie in her tracks. Pain flashed again behind her eyes, though she tried to hide this as she dropped the regenerator on the bed and limped painfully over to her mother's welcoming arms. She hid her wince of pain in her sore ribs as she hugged her mother tightly.
"I know, mother," she quivered slightly. "But now we have a very long time to catch up on what we have missed out upon. For that, I am thankful."
"Me, too." Jeanette brushed a few strands of curls out of Sharie's face, identically-colored purple eyes meeting. "I have really cherished the past days we have had together. I expect, however, that you will be planning to return to Earth, soon. I know you have a seperate life there, and I cannot stop you from living it." She held her daughter gently, mindful of her injuries.
Sharie nodded. "I will need to, soon," she admitted. "There are other missions I will have to go on, should they come up, and Angel Grove is often under constant fire from Astronema. However," she brightened, "there is no reason you could not come and visit me on Earth."
Her mother blanched. "Me--go to Earth? I am not sure I would fit in."
Sharie just smiled as she hopped on one foot back to the biobed, strapping a specially-shaped regenerator to her foot. She picked up another and limped over to a partition to strap it to her ribs under her shirt, while Jeanette looked amused. Her head throbbed as she hopped back on one foot, the pain did not ease when she held another to her head to take care of her concussion. Her head felt like it was split from one end to another, and at first, the only improvement she noticed was that the fuzziness around the edge of her vision cleared. But gradually, the pain lessened. It helped, greatly, when Carlos, sensing the conversation was over, came over to sit beside her on the biobed, smiling inadvertently when Jeanette smiled at them approvingly. Somehow, it felt pretty good when your girlfriend's mother approved of you.
****
A few minutes later, Sharie heard a faint moan escape Trey's lips as he stirred slightly, putting a hand to his throbbing head. His dark eyes opened and he blinked, completely dazed and in pain, his vision not terribly clear.
Jeanette was by his bedside at once.
"How are you feeling?" she whispered, somehow aware that every sound he heard was causing terrible pain.
"Oh....like someone rolled over my body with the pyramidas," he mumbled. "I hate to admit it, but I ache all over."
"I should say so," she remarked. "When Sharie found you, you were out cold, and you have several injuries. Do you remember anything?"
He closed his eyes against the assaulting light, it was just to painful. "Lots of shaking," he whispered, suddenly remembering. "Being thrown a couple of times...you get the idea."
By then, Sharie had put down her regenerator and had hobbled to his bedside.
"You do look better," she remarked, hugging him gently, mindful of his injuries. For some reason he himself could not explain, only knowing he had to, he hugged her back, only pausing when she winced. "When I found you, you were a mess."
"Thanks a lot, Lalinka," he painfully chuckled, feeling her wince again. His brow furrowed as he felt the outlines of the regenerator under her shirt.
He let go immediately, pulling her back. His vision was clear enough to take in her still cut-and-bruised appearance, her hair tumbling down, and to his shock, he took in the haunting pain he had come to recognize in her gaze. Good grief, how bad *had* it all been? "What happened to you, Lalinka? Don't tell me you went to find me while you were also injured."
"Well..." she began hesistantly. "I did not exactly say anything about how I was at first, but...I guess I simply did not pay attention. I sensed you were hurt, and I had to find you."
"Yes, and it was more like it took control of every other thought she might have had," said Jeanette, a bit dourly. "I could not stop her, I doubt if I could even if I had known how badly hurt she was. She would not let me come."
Trey blinked, and looked into his sister's eyes, suddenly understanding the haunted look. He understood it all too well, and why she felt like she had to hide it from their mother...for he felt the same way. The less Jeanette knew of the agonies they had suffered, the better. No, they could not burden her with that.
*Oh, Lalinka,* he sent to her, his hand finding hers and squeezing it hard. They might try to hide things from their mother, but he doubted it was not worth the price of Sharie's own mental anguish. He only too clearly remembered the long chain of events it had taken to get her to let go of *any* of it, even when Dark Dresden attacked again. He would never, ever forgive himself for the bruises he had unintentionally inflicted on her, even though it had caused the sudden surge of rage that had broken through to her, even if it had been only a short time. *I am stone* she had said, and it certainly seemed like she had stone walls of self-protection. He had no idea how much like her he was.
Jeanette did not miss the unspoken communication that was passing between them, but she could not pry, though she did not wonder if it would be necessary. She knew next to nothing, still, for they told her so little. She had the sense that it was a combination of the fact that they were trying to spare her, and their own inherent stubborness, that kept them from ever showing their innermost feelings to her. Like they often did with each other, it made her frustrated at times, trying to reach them the way she would like. She knew they were hurt, and were trying to hide it for her sake, but they never even cried. They were too clamped, and it frustrated her. The rage, the pain, and the burial of emotions had fallen into place years ago, and it remained unresolved to this day. She hoped so it would change on day. She really disliked the idea that her children carried so much mental anguish in their hearts. They certainly did not deserve it.
****
A short while later, everyone was nearly normal once again. What little damage had been done had been repaired, most of the injuries treated. Sharie and Trey would both have to wear dermal regenerators on their ribs for a short time longer, but other than that, they were fully healed.
As they entered the bridge, they both could not quite hide the squriming they were both doing. The darned things, while they were healing them quickly, itched like crazy! What was worse, they had to bear it without scratching, for doing so would only aggrivate their damaged ribs and cause more pain, which they still felt. So they only sat, and sqirmed uncomfortably, trying to ingnore their crawling skin, or the fact that many other places in their bodies still ached like crazy.
"Let's get on with this," Muttered Sharie, squirming awkwardly in her chair and trying not to let her discomfort show on her face. "Remember T'Sar's line--The crystal is located on the main--meaning the largest life- sustaining planet in this system. It is a double-planet system, like the Earth-moon duo. The smaller world is completely airless, with no life. The larger planet is about Earth's size, about 75% water, and several continents. There is a stone-age culture here, but they only live in the southwestern continent." She sighed. "The problem with this information is that it is over tewnty thousand years old. They could have spread worldwide by now. The thing is, few ever come out here, and that is why the information is so old. The natives of this planet, called Indri III, could very well be advanced by now." Her brow furrowed. "Or perhaps not. At the time...indications were showing that perhaps their culture was taking an evil turn." Catching the looks on the other's faces, she added, "Not that it would. Our older books on Triforia, about Earth, thought much the same thing. They predicted that Earth's culture would be perpetually evil, or destroy themselves through warfare. That did not happen."
She wondered whether she should tell them that on a few other planets, there was even talk about Earth on other planets, who discussed the possibility that they had to eradicate the Earth's inhabitants once and for all, before they reached spaceflight and grew too dangerous, because of the extreme rate 'that evil race' was adancing, with deadly weapons technology. They had predicted that if humankind ever got out into space, they would be hell-bent conquerers.
Although no one now thought that, thanks especially due to Zordon, Sharie though better of telling them this. She could not risk insulting them, and it might even make them paranoid.
"Okay," said Andros, bringing her back to the present. He held up his copy of the translated stanzas and read the next one.
The crystal doth hide,
In a place filled with cliffs,
Caves, the briney blue sea,
Where the ocean ends, the water, the mists.
Andros thoughtfully dragged up an old map DECA had on file of the planet in question. It rather shocked the Earth Rangers to see how much it resembled Earth.
"That description is pretty loose," Troy observed. "There are many poaces along that shores that fit what the stanza indicates." Several places on the map lit up, as if to prove his point.
Trey, desperate to find some distraction from that damned itch, read aloud the next passage.
The place in question is up north,
And to the East, with the rising sun,
At dawn the cliffs glow the color of gold,
Except Sustani's peak, which looks shriveled and old.
It made no sense to Trey whatsoever. "Sustani's peak?" he asked aloud.
Phantom placed his chin in his hand, and Sharie drummed her fingertips on the table. She glanced at him he at her, and a silent communication quickly passed, for he nodded in agreement.
He straightened. "Sustani's peak....Sustani was, I belive, A reference by T'Sar's people for their devil. So in Standard, it would translate as Devil's peak. I doubt the natives would call it that, though, they probably have their own name for it, if they have migrated that far. Maybe T'Sar got the idea if he had seen the peak himself, so he used it here. But the rest of the description may narrow your search."
Andros tapped at the computer thoughtfully, then, to their relief, most of the lights vanished. On the north and east, along the Eastern shore, one pale blue light was still glowing.
"That is where it must be located, then," said Andros, feeling a sense of relief. "The maps indicated that it was the only peak that is never lit up by the Eastern sky in the morning. Not until noon does it get any light. And my sensors indicate that the place is full of caves."
Troy wondered why everyone still acted surprised when a brilliant blue glow filled the room, and a small blue light formed, moving to settle over the spot indicated on the map, and pulsed a steady beat.
T'Sar.
Troy found his tongue first. "Well, I guess that confirms it," he managed. "I suppose now we should go look ourselves, and find the powers. The sooner we handle this, and the sooner it gets over with, the better I wil feel."
Sharie suddenly remembered something. "If we go down, we will need oxygen masks," she advised solemnly. "The air is breathable, but too thin for us. It would only take a minute or two to black out, and slowly suffocate otherwise."
"Meaning that, if we go down, we have to haul huge oxygen tanks on our backs?" asked Carlos incredulously.
She smiled at him. "No. Not like you are used to, anyway. The devices I speak of foot over the mouth and nose, with a band that holds it in place on your head, and a very thin tube that leads to a small buckle-sized device that clips around the waist. The tube goes under the clothing as to not be a hinderance, and it is non-irritant, so you should not notice it."
She and Trey squirmed again, noth desperately trying to ignore the persistent itch. She reflexively drew a deep breath, realizing that now it barely hurt to do so. Soon, she would be able to take off that damned regenerator. Repressing the feeling as best as she could, she tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"However, at least one of us, perhaps more, should stay behind to keep an eye on things up here. Somebody should be on call in case Merdok shows up again or something else goes wrong."
"I will, for one," volunteered Jeanette. "Someone with halfway-decent mecial knowledge should be on standby, in case...and I have, over the past couple of days, gotten the hang of how things work on these ships."
"I will, too," said TJ after a moment's silence. "With this situation, Alpha will more than just have his hands full. I will be on standby, however, if you need help."
Phantom had withdrawn from the conversation lately, and had been silently tapping at a computer pad. "I should stay behind, also," he said thoughtfully. "It will be easy for me to patrol this sector, and maybe I could get you an early warning if something goes wrong. Plus, I have other things that need handling." Typical of him, he did not elaborate. Cassie gave him a smile of understanding before turning to listen to Sharie's next words.
"And Troy, keep your teleporter handy," she was advising him. "At the first sign of trouble, it would be better if you teleported, for you are not protected by power like the rest of us are."
"I doubt it," was his dry answer. "I would not just abandon you guys in the middle of an attack. That would be cowardly, not to mention unethical."
"Maybe," she countered. "But the Nightstriker Warrior powers would be of little use to you if you were dead. Just watch your back, okay? Now, if we all are in agreement with this, then what say we teleport down to these coordinants in about an hour? That will give Trey and I time to finish healing and also get the necessary equiptment together."
So it was agreed, then they scattered, preparing for their journey.
****
About an hour later, everything was almost ready. Everyone was gathered back onto the Megaship, re-checking their supplies before leaving. Besides the oxygen equiptment, everyone was equipped with a special survival kit, also strapped to their waists, fanny-pack style. Each contained a tiny replicator that only replicated water, a tiny cup attached to it, a small hypospray and an emergency supply of Tri-ox boosters--about a three-hour supply--A small tool with various devices, a tiny flashlight, a poison indicator to test for foods safe to eat, poison deadener, and seven tiny packets of rations, enough to last for a week.
"And how are we supposed to eat them?" queried Ashley. "These masks cover our mouths and noses, and if we remove them..."
"I doubt you would suffer much to quickly pull it away from your mouth enough to pop that bite-sized morsel into your mouth," was Sharie's bemused answer. "As for the water...one sip at a time, please."
All in all, everything in the kit was very tiny, but the uses of each went a long way. And Sharie and Trey would have their Zeo Medkits on call, just in case, also. They were set.
Sharie slipped the mask on her head, adjusting the bands so it fit comfortably. She had already threaded the slender tube down her Triforian- style tunic, and she now attached it to the small device clipped to her waist. She felt cool air rush up the tube to her face covering. She breathed deeply, then thought of something.
"Here," she said suddenly, handing everyone a small white box no larger than the oxygen devices. "These contain a special kind of rope, and clips. You can also attach it to your belts. Wht the kind of terrain we will be covering, we will probably need it to do cliff-climbing--or repelling."
Wordlessly, they took the little boxes and clipped them to their belts. Since all fo them, as part of their Ranger training or warrior training, had been taught this kind of thing, none of them were unprepared.
"All right, let's go," she said. She nodded to TJ, who hit the button to teleport them all. The world around her vanished in a flash of violet- purple light.
****
To Troy, the world came back into focus, but looking vastly different than anything else he had ever before seen. The sky was blue and the sun yellow, of course, like Triforia and many other planets he had been to, but it is not every day you find yourself in a place where the dry terrain could show your relfection to a degree, or the few plants have yellow bark and purple leaves. They were standing at the base of several cliffs, some steep, some gradual.
Behind him the blue ocean crashed into rocks at the end of a medium-sized strip of beach. Except for the weird-looking plants, he saw no inidcation of life. He looked around, ready to explore, but then realized he did not know in the least where to begin.
"What do we do know?" he queried sheepishly.
Sharie glanced at him pityingly, then held up the computer pad she had not forgotten. "Maybe T'Sar's next passage will set us off in the right direction." She said, her voice not muffled in the slightest by the oxygen mask. "Here goes--"
The beach to your left,
The cliffs to your right,
Then finding the crystal,
Should not be a hindsight.
She looked thoughtful, biting her full lip. "I think this means we should head south, " she said soberly.
Grudgingly, the group began to walk in that direction, desperately trying not to twist an ankle or break a leg on the rough terrain. It was definetly hard not to.
"Where do we go now?" grumbled Cassie. "We cannot travel in this direction forever."
"I know," sighed Sharie, glancing at the next stanza.
You are closer to finding the crystal,
S'mara be blessed,
In the middle, a mountain of white,
Holds the long-awaited crystal's nest.
"I thinke we have our answer," remarked Trey, nodding his head in the direction of some nearby mountains to the south. There were three main peaks, two brown and bare, but the middle was a brilliant white, and not with snow. They were about to head in that direction when Sharie suddenly stiffened.
"What is it?" said Trey, instantly on alert.
"We are being watched," she whispered.
"Natives?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell if they are evil or good?" he whispered.
Sharie hesistated, not really wanting to pry. "Both, I believe. It is pretty balanced. I don't think they would be inentionally cruel, unless the situation dictates it. They are sentient, and undecided about us."
"Could they be considering attacking us?" asked Trey.
Her brow furrowed. "If we appear too dangerous, perhaps. But somehow....I get the distinct impression that they have long been aware of off- worlders."
"Would they be willing to talk, that is, if we could get through the language barrier?"
She shrugged. "As long as we make it clear we pose no threat. I believe they may be willing. We will have to see. As for the language...there was an old file on their language, DECA had it, it was about five thousand years old. I memorized it...hopefully, enough of it survived the eons to communicate. Also, if they are aware of aliens, then some of them may speak Standard."
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a woman stepped out, dressed in robes despite the heat. She held up a hand for them to halt, and they did so, as she carefully surveyed the group. A group of men and women, all looking stern, joined her. She lowered her hand and spoke in a very cold voice, in the ancient tongue only Sharie knew.
"Who are you, strangers, and why do you come to our world? Be warned, for we do not tolerate invaders or those with dishonorable intents."
Sharie, being the only one who understood them, translated this to the rest of them before carefully stepping forward. She spoke carefully, because of it's difficult articulation, and she did not want to unintentionally speak the wrong word.
"Greetings, I am Sharie Triesta, and I speak your language, though I am the only one of this group to do so. I assure you we mean no harm. We came here on a special mission for a certain object that, according to records we have found, is on this planet and somewhere in this area."
Stone-cold sapphire eyes stared unrelentingly into her purple ones. "Before, and if, we let you go further, we need more specifics. We do not allow harmful plundering of our world. We want the truth. And also the purpose of your masks--is our air too impure for you? Be warned, we will know if you lie. Others have come and tried the same thing, but we always know."
Sharie readily translated this to her friends. Their eyes met in mutual consent to tell the truth, for none of them could see anything to lose.
Sharie turned back to the leader. She had the odd feeling that this woman had understood them, but was giving no indication that she knew. A test, Sharie thought. Still, to show respect, she plunged ahead in their tongue.
"We will tell you, since we have nothing to lose. We are in search of a crystal, a special crystal. It contains a certain kind of power, that we are in need of. A friend of ours, named Zordon, is missing, and teh power could help us find him." She was surprised that at the mention of Zordon, the woman's blue eyes softened at once.
"Zordon? You know Zordon? Of Eltare?"
"Yes, we know of him, and most of us knew him personally as their mentor. But now, he is missing."
She eyed them critically. "I wish to know more, and the purpose of your masks."
"The atmosphere of your world, for us, is beathable, but contains too little oxygen for us to use. So we need the air from these respirators." She quickly went on to explain, briefly, what had happened to Zordon, all of which she knew only second-hand herself.
"...and that is why we are here. Now, will you permit us to continue?"
The woman locked her blue eyes to Sharie's purple ones again. All of a sudden, Sharie sensed a delicate brush of another mind aginst her own. She started at first, unused to such an invasion without her permission, but then let the woman know that what she was saying was the truth. It was worth it, she reflected, for at last the woman's icy blue eyes turned warm, her voice softened, and she smiled, all her former sternness melting away.
"Please, forgive my earlier rudeness and the mind invasion, but it was necessary. I know now you are telling the truth. I am called Janna, pricenss of the Mespa region of this world. My father is Lord Dartanyon, ruler of this world."
Sharie smiled forgiveness. "What you did is understandable. As I said before, my name is Sharie Triesta. I did not mention that I am princess of Triforia, this is my brother, Trey, Lord of Triforia, this is Troy, a friend of ours, and these are the Lightstar Rangers of Earth, Carlos, Andros, Cassie, and Ashley."
Janna turned pale. "You are royalty!" she gasped. "Why are you out here, then? You should be properly greeted by my father, at the High Palace! Unless your customs dictate it otherwise, it is only proper!"
Sharie translated all of this to the others, but felt a blush heating her cheeks, Trey likewise. It embarassed them when others made a big deal of their 'rank'. It was nothing unusual, they were really no more important than the average Triforian. She decided to change the subject, once again getting the distinct feeling that the woman could understand them.
"Janna, if your people are aware of offworlders, then does anybody on your world, or you, speak the language called Standard? The rest of us here speak such."
Her eyes were now dancing with suppressed humor. "Yes, I speak standard," she said in perfect English. "I did not say anything before because it is an advantage to offworld enemies, to let them think we are still primitive savages! Not all of us do, but the royal family must learn."
Sharie sensed her friends relax as the woman spoke words they understood.
She shrugged. "I knew you understood what I translated to my friends here. I sensed it from my own mind."
Janna's eyes widened. "You are telepathic? How? I did not sense that from your mind when I brushed it."
"I have excessive abilities, and skills in it's use as well," Sharie answered with a smile. "It is sometimes easy to fool a mindprobe."
Janna made a slight bow. "Well, if you do not want to come to my father's palace to be properly honored, considering your ranks, then at least come to the communal Dining Hall. It is the only structure for miles around, since we are on frontier soil. I was there when I was alerted to strangers in the area." She shook her head. "I do not understand why you do not request the proper greetings due you. You, Lord Trey and Princess Sharie, are planetary leaders, and the rest of you are interglalactic heroes.
"We do not expect that kind of treatment," explained Trey gently. "On our world, being of the Royal Family is hardly any distinction. There is no throne room, crown of jewels, and such. And we are treated no differently than ordinary citizens. And my title of Lord of Triforia is just short of being ceremonial. Basically, my people do as they wish."
"Ah, I understand," mused Janna. "Different, but plausible. Now, will you all come to the Dining Hall? It is nearby and you may rest there before continuing your quest."
"So you will allow us to proceed?" quipped Troy.
"Yes, for I have decided that you are trustworthy, asn we have no need of the powers you describe. And if the spirit of the predecessor that held the powers dictates that they be given to Troy, we dare not interfere. Our only restriction is that you disturb the land as little as possible. The white mountain is sacred and largely unexplored. But because you are offworlders with a spirit dictating your way, you may go. Just show a little respect, if you please. Now, will you join us?"
Sharie's eyes wandered to the sky. It was getting dark, and it had been a long day. They were all tired from the last several days, she sensed, having faced battles, injuries, damage, repairs, and ghosts. Especially today. Exhausted, all of them came to a quick agreement.
"With your permission, we will join you," she said, smiling. Janna smiled back and waved her hand in the direction that they would be traveling in, then led the way deeper into the rocky cliffs and canyons, along a narrow, barely-discernable trail.
After about a quarter of a mile, they came upon a large structure, carved right into the side of a cliff. Cryptic designs decorated the cliff face, and it had been smoothly polished so the relfective surface was even more brilliant and clear. Above an arching doorway, also of stone, were unreadable letters, to all but Sharie. Absently, she told them it said, "Welcome to the Communal Dining Hall, center for the hungry and weary."
It was cool inside, but lit up surprisingly for a place carved right into a rockface. The colors were soft, welcoming, and it was a relief to the weary rangers after the blazing sun.
The establishment was not very busy, the few other natives within sight merely turning and eyeing them with frank curiosity and reservation. But with a sharp gesture, almost a command, from Princess Janna, they quickly became friendly, smiling people. Obviously, she had let them know that these were people to be treated with respect. Her followers quickly disappeared to another section of the building.
Janna led the weary group to a nearby table that could seat them all, and on comfortable, plush chairs. A young man from behind a counter came over at another sharp gesture from the woman. He knelt on one knee before the princess, hands crossed over his chest, and his head bowed.
"My lady," he murmured in their ancient tongue.
"You may rise," she bade him, and at his submissive gesture, Sharie turned red, scarcely bringing herself to translate to her friends. Never, ever would she force her people to do such an embarassing display of submission.
The young man, named Tamio, cast a quick glance at the strangers.
"What does my lady wish?" he asked of Janna.
"You will brush up on your skills at speaking Standard, Tamio," she intoned. "These strangers are not of our world, and their main language is such. Only this one--" she gestured at Sharie, "speaks our tongue. And you will treat them with the utmost respect. They are Power Rangers, and these two are royalty themselves. This is Trey, Lord of Triforia, and Sharie, princess of Triforia. They are the leaders of their world." Tamio's eyes went wide.
"Heed their wishes, but expect to be treated as their equal. The are used to equal behiavor from all on their world. If they wish it, do not bow every time you approach them, for I can see it makes them uncomfortable. And if they wish to talk, you need not heed their words."
*Totalitarian culture?* Sharie wondered to herself. At least the seedings of it. Some things seemed suppressed.
The young man nodded, much astonished. Janna quickly introduced the others to him as Sharie quickly translated. Then Janna turned to them.
"I must retire to my rooms for a short while. If you wish, Tamio will assign you rooms to sleep in for tonight, and get you anything you wish.'
Not wanting to insult, but knowing she must say this, Sharie spoke up. "Janna, would it be taken as an insult if we were to refuse most kinds of food? I hae done tests on your vegetation, and much of it we will be unable to tolerate."
Janna looked surprised, then smiled an understanding. "No, it would not be under these circumstances. Otherwise, yes. But in this case, no. I do, however, hope that you have other means of sustenance with you." She looked doubtfully at the small packs everyone was wearing around their waists.
"We do, in the form of ration packets. Also, we need to contact, using your communications, the ships we have in orbit around this planet. Our communicators cannot get through the interference, but we need to tell them we will be staying down here tonight."
Janna readily agreed to this before making a slight bow and leaving without saying farewell. Sharie sensed that it was not the custom here for that unless the parting companies were to not see each other again for a time.
After she was gone, Tamio turned to them and spoke, in broken, stumbling Standard.
"W-welcome. I am called Tamio. You ask--I bring. Sleep rooms--this way. Or food, drink--" he gestured toward the counter. "I get for you."
"Could you show us to our rooms, Tamio?" Sharie asked politely, feeling sorry for him. He was trying, almost too much, to please them in ways that were not necessary.
He flashed her a grateful smile. "Yes--follow me." He bowed again, to her discomfort, and led them off to the side, through several doors, coming to a long hall with various doors. Though carved in stone, it was a beautiful sight, for the stone glowed colors that seemed vibrant and alive--from beige, reds, off-whites, greens, browns, oranges, even purple and pure white.
Tamio bowed again. "Forgive--space a problem. Avalible rooms--share, hope is understood."
"Of course we understand," said Cassie slowly, so her words could be understood.
"That is good." He opened a door. "For females in yellow, pink." He said to Cassie and Ashley. He led them inside a splendid room for two. Wonderful, colorful furniture lined the walls, and the canopied beds were vivid hues, one yellow and one pink. The girls gaped at the splendor.
"I will leave, how do you say--'let you get comfy'. Will be back soon."
Leaving the girls staring open-mouthed at the sheer luxury of the room that had been assigned to them, the others followed Tamio out the door and down the hall to another room.
"For men," he said to Troy, Andros, and Carlos, ushering them inside. The room was as splendid as the girls' room, but with more masculine tones of red, black, white and brown. There were three beds, again with canopies, but with a more masculine touch. One was black, one was red, and the third was a somewhat dusky, silverish color.
"Will be back shortly," said Tamio to the gaping boys. He led Sharie and Trey back out the door and down the hall.
Brother and sister exchanged glances. Why were they being singled out to occupy yet more rooms? The others were plenty big enough...
He led them to yet another door, the one at the end of the hall. Tamio stepped forward and opened it. "Your room."
Sharie felt her heart flop to her toes. Brilliant hues of purple and gold gleamed, almost bliningly, in every angle and direction. The room had both masculine and femenine touches. The splendid canopy beds were both blackish, one with gold trimming and one with purple.
"Tamio--" Sharie began, not wanting to offend, but her face was bright red. "This--is too much. We could have shared rooms with the rest. There is no need for a seperate room--"
"You are...brother, sister, no?" he said, furrowing his brows. Trey nodded.
"Our custom....related guests, families....share quarters." He shrugged. "Room to left--for re-cre-ation." he stumbled over the word. Silver buttons on wall--calls me. Princess Janna may come later. What you want...I bring. Goodnight." With one last bow, he left the room.
One he was gone, Sharie snorted. "Simply because we are brother and sister? Hogwash." Trey raised an eyebrow at her, but he thought he knew what was crossing her mind. Tamio had taken what Janna had told him quite literally, and tried to disguise the fact that he had stuck them in a royal suite, without trying to offend their sesibilities. Sharie was the type perfectly happy in a pair of ragged jean shorts and a t-shirt, and he himself preferred casual wear and hanging with his friends at times, not sipping tea and be waited on hand and foot. This room was much too grand for their tastes. Triforians were not vain like this.
They left the room, everyone meeting in the "recreation" room, which was filled with all sorts of strange devices nobody knew the use of. As they sat down, Sharie rubbed her fingers on the bridge of her nose, just above where the clear plastic fitted over her face. She was getting really tired of the mask, but, even though there was more oxygen in here than outdoors, it was still not enough.
Everyone simply stared at each other for a moment, then, to break the silence, Cassie managed, "Well, uh, *that* was interesting. First she is so *cold* to us, and then she brings us here...and still acts like royalty on Earth."
"Almost." Put in Ashley. "At least she did not make us bow to us like Tamio had to do. Mom would flip if she knew of this. And Grandma....she might try and marry me off to one of the royals."
Everyone laughed at this, save Troy, who only looked puzzled. Ashley caught his eye and grinned. "My grandmother is very sweet and all of that, Troy," she explained. "But she is very...overbearing. Even Sharie and Trey have met her. She has a hobby of matchmaking, and she took one look at those two and immediately tried to match them with several people wanting to marry. They had a hard time convincing her that they were already involved."
"Hey," said Andros, who had left the group and had crossed the room. "I found their communications systems over here." He toyed with it, then called Sharie. "Okay, genius. You can read this stuff, so help me here."
Sharie poked him in the ribs, her glare saying she was not amused. "I only took the precatuion of learning it, which is more than I can say for you," she replied a bit darkly.
"Okay, okay, sorry. Now, will you help me or leave me to suffer?"
She smiled then, not truly angry with him. That was an impossiblity. "Here, adjust this..."
"TJ here," said their teammate's voice a few minutes later.
"Hey, Teej," said Andros cheerfully. "Just calling to tell you that we are in one piece, and on the trail. Some of the natives agreed to put us up for the night, so we will be down here."
"You need anything?"
"No. We will call if we do," said Andros, a smile on his face. Ashley could not get enough of it, especially when only weeks before, he was so cold.
"Still, be careful," Jeanette's voice came over the system. "The atmosphere is not exactly friendly, you know."
After shutting off the system, they fell to discussing tomorrow's plans.
"I guess the rope was a smart thing to have handy after all," admitted Andros, looking at his thoughtfully. "It looks like we will have to do a lot of climbing tomorrow."
"I know," sighed Sharie, leaning back in her chair. "I think we should start on the East slope."
"How do you know that?" asked Carlos, coming over to sit beside her and grinning despite himself when she leaned against him.
"This," she said, indicating the next stanza.
The face that faces
The rising sun,
My heir, you are getting close,
To you and the power joining as one.
She raised her eyes. "Settle your question?"
Carlos laughed, and kissed her on the tip of the nose. He could not help himself, when she looked so irresistably cute like that. Everyone else shook their heads and grinned knowingly.
Cassie stifled a yawn. "Let's hit the sack, guys," she mumbled. "I am zonked. And we should get an early start tomorrow. My only question is, how do we sleep with these masks on?"
"The rooms come with sleepwear. Attach the belts to your waists to secure it, and the masks will stay on when you sleep," Sharie yawned also. "Bed does sound pretty good right now."
Everyone headed to bed after a brief visit by Janna to wish them goodnight. As Sharie removed clothing from the replicator, she reflected they were more advanced than she had thought, to have such technology. And yet, she had seen no indication of spaceflight...
She adjusted the waistband of her nightgown, clipping on her respirator and ajusting the mask on her face as she came out of the bathroom. Trey had changed as well, sitting tiredly on his bed, looking like he was about to lose consciousness. Sharie went to him, hesistating, then quickly pushed aside her mask long enough to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. He smiled in response, pulling her in for a fierce hug before releasing her.
"Goodnight, Lalinka."
"Goodnight, Trey."
The beds were a welcome relief to their sore bodies, deep, soft, and warm, the kind that instantly transports you to dreamland. They sank in, and, exhausted, were asleep instantly.
****
The night was a long one. Not only were the rangers completely worn out, but they had a lot on their minds, from brooding over this mission to their own personal problems.
Carlos, who hated sleeping in strange places, tossed and turned for half an hour, despite the *really* comfortable bed. He did not bother Andros, who always slept like a log, but it did catch the attention of Troy, who also had a lot on his mind and could not sleep.
"Would you please not make so much noise?" he asked gently but tonelessly. "I am trying to think."
"Sorry," murmered Carlos. "I cannot exactly sleep...strange bed, this mask. Quiero a dormir in mi dormitorio." He was tired enough to unconsicously slip back into his second tongue, spanish.
"What did you say? I do not know that language."
"Oh, sorry. That was spanish, my family's other language. I said, in short, that I would rather sleep in my own bedroom." He stifled a yawn, tossing his longish hair out of his eyes. "I will try not to bother you anymore, okay? After I settle down in a strange place, I usually fall asleep, all right?"
"Understood. Goodnight, Carlos."
"'night."
A few moments later, Carlos was sound asleep. Troy shook his head, smiling to himself. Humans were a fascinating lot. These were the first humans he had ever met. Trey had told him about his adventures with the first ones he had encountedered as Earth's mysterious Gold Ranger. They had been an exceptionally kind lot, despite the planet's reputation.
Back up, rewind, he reminded himself. He *had* met one human...the one called Billy Cranston, who had come at one point to try and help Trey rejoin. He had seemed kind, smart, and willing, but Troy had not known him long enough to form a real opinion.
He was shaken out of his thoughts again when he heard muffled cries as Andros began to toss and turn, uttering strangled gasps before he sat up with a cry, his eyes wild, his pupils dialated with horror and pain. A strange word--Karone--passed his lips as his hands relfexively moved to grasp a silver-colored charm that always hung about his neck, faint tearstains on his cheeks. He shook for several moments before he began to get his bearings and realized where he was, and absorbed the fact Troy was watching him.
"Are you all right?" asked Troy, concerned.
"Y-yes," the boy in red stammered, wiping his face with his sleeve as if he was used to waking up in such a state, which he was. "J-just nightmares-- old memories. That's all."
"Will you be all right?"
"I'll be fine. Sorry I bothered you." Andros lay back down with a sigh, swallowing and willing the last of the visions of his nighmare dancing before his eyes.
"You are not bothering me," said Troy softly. He could tell that what was bothering Andros was more than just a nightmare, but he did not press the issue. He figured it was none of his business, and sensed that Andros would most likely not discuss it. Andros, despite his problems, fell asleep in short order out of sheer exhaustion, and Troy, while still brooding alternately between how strange humans were and how these powers, if gotten, would change his life, he also fell asleep.
****
Things were hardly any better in the girl's room. Cassie was troubled by something, and Ashley did not know exactly what. Cassie had been acting this way ever since this morning, when she had recieved an e-mail from her parents. Even now, she was tossing and turning, mumbling to herself, though Ashley could not hear her.
*I cannot believe this. My parents are moving to Angel Grove now, and in my mother's condition...* The thought sprang unbidden into Ashley's mind. She closed her eyes and groaned. *Oh no, not again. I hate this...*
Now *those* were her thoughts.
She hated this, hated when it happened. It was a secret that drove her insane and made her uncomfortable as hell when it happened to her. Or, when she felt, like now, that tomorrow was going to be dangerous, she was always right. It never failed.
But it was so intermittent. Oftentimes, she knew what somebody wanted before they even said it, or what they were thinking before they spoke. It was so embarrassing when she realized that sometimes she reciprocated on a request, question, or statement...before they even asked!
She never told anybody. She hated what she could do. And it really, really scared her at times, especially when she was thinking of something she wanted and somebody got it for her, without her even asking! They simply srugged it off, saying things like, "Here, I thought you'd want this."
Oh! It made her shudder with fear, and feeling like a misfit.
It had not been so unusual that she could do this with her brothers. They were triplets, right? Many multiples could do that with the siblings they had been born with. She and her surviving twin, Johnathan, still finished each other's sentences with ease, and all the remarkable things twins could do. But she had been the only one to do those types of things with others as well, no matter how intermittent. And she kept her mouth shut about it. It made her feel like a freak. She hoped nobody would ever find out--it should not happen so strongly in humans, should it? Only weird psychics could do that. And yet, Andros, an ordonary boy, could do telekenesis...
At last, torn between trying to drown out the telepathic noise she kept recieving from Cassie and her own worries, she fell asleep, her dreams were strange, of never having to speak again because whatever she thought about, happened.
****
Muffled cries and sobs intruded on his sleep like a slap in the face. Gasping, he jerked awake and sat bolt upright, his heart pounding at having come back to consciousness so fast.
*Sharie!* was his first coherent thought. He felt his heart twist to see her shaking in bed, whimpering in her sleep, and thrashing about as if desperate to get away from something. She was in the grips of a terrifying nightmare.
His heart leaped into his throat, and he jumped himself, when she suddenly let out a strangled shriek, choking out, "No! No! Don't let them hurt you, Trey, don't let them get to you! I am right over here! I am trying to get home! Please, don't die! Hold on! Please...."
Shocked to his toes by what he heard, he froze in astonishment, unable to move, as she continued railing. "Trey, I wish you could hear me. I am so close. Dark Dresden has me! He brought me with him, hoping I would see you die! Please, please get up!" her cries of anguish became more heartfelt than he had ever before heard out of her. "I love you! Don't die, please!"
Still unable to move, his mind raced. What was she talking about? He did not recall seeing Sharie when Dark Dresden held her captive those years ago. Yes, during that time he had been badly injured in battle several times, but he had never seen her there, and how could she have seen him, unless...
His blood ran cold as he ferverently hoped it was not a suppressed memory. His injuries today had reawakened some unplesant memories, and bled afresh old hurts, that they did not care to think about. During the time she seemed to be crying out about, there were still periods she could not remember, for they were too horrifying to allow her subconscious to reveal them to her. Another thought caused even more fear and anger to race down his spine. He hoped it was not because she clearly remembered, and was not telling him! Despite the fact they had shared much, he still knew very little about her, how she had grown up, and was still a mystery to everyone. She was much too closed-mouthed for her own good, and he knew he was guilty of the same thing. Each thought that the other was too burdened to lay them further with their own troubles. No, he hoped this nightmare was something her mind had fabricated, nothing more.
She shrieked again, a wail of pure terror and torment, and sat bolt upright, her purple eyes wild and unseeing, glazed and glowing with sheer horror. "No, NO!!!" came the horrified scream.
She was shaking with agony, her face soaked with tears. She sat upright, gasping for air, her eyes still unseeing, as she cried, still in the throes of her nightmare.
The sight of it twisted Trey's heart further and unlocked his body at last. He was over there in a split second. Not wanting to startle her further-- knowing Sharie, it could be dangerous--he sat carefully beside her, laying hands gently on her shoulders and looking into her eyes. They reflected his image back at him, and did not acknowlege him in the least. Her terrifying dream still had it's grips upon her senses.
She was quiet for a moment, the tears falling unheeded down her face, then she moaned softly. "Trey, why don't you get up? There is blood soaking your tunic, running down from your head...he stabbed you in the back, why don't you move? You need help....Oh, Gods, please get up! My life is not worth it if you are not alive to share it with me!" She started to tremble again with suppressed sobs, and Trey was startled to feel tears filling his own eyes. No, no matter how dangerous this was, he had to get her out of her warped dream-world now, free her from the terror. He had only recently become aware of her frequent nightmares, since they had increased sharply since Dark Dresden's attack had almost ripped her emotionally asunder, and he was prone to them himself once in a while, but he had never seen her like this. He doubted if it was her first time, either.
He shook her gently, feeling her quiver as he pulled her close. "Come on, Lalinka," he soothed gently. "Wake up. It is only a nightmare. You must wake up..."
She gasped, and began to push him away, as if he was someone in her nightmare, forcibly restraining her. "Let me go, you *Hock'thath!* I hate you! I hate you!"
He froze, feeling a stabbing sensation deep within his soul, though he knew that her words were not really directed at him, nor had her crude language. But still, the thought of her hating him was worse, hurt worse and tore at him more than anything he could recall.
"*Sharie!*" he said a bit more firmly, shaking her, desperately trying to get her awake. "Wake up! It is a nightmare only, and no one is going to hurt you! Please, wake up!"
She gasped, and froze, still at last. She grabbed ahold of his shoulders and yanked backwards, her eyes now startlingly clear as they looked, shocked, into his own. Clear, but also livid with pain, guilt, and anguish, the tears still streaming unheeded down her cheeks.
"T-Trey?" she stammered uncertainly. Relieved, he gathered her trembling frame close, trying hard to comfort her. "It is all right, Lalinka," he murmured. "It was only a nightmare..."
"No, it was not..." she mumbled. "It was that awful day, when I saw you...you could have been killed...I am so sick of reliving that nightmare, and others like it..."
Trey felt shock stiffen him. "Lalinka, do you mean to tell me..." he pulled back enough to look into her eyes, already going empty with the shield she was obviously trying hard to pull over them, to hide her anguish from him. "...you have these horrifying nightmares often? This is not the first time?"
Looking down, refusing to meet his searching gaze, she nodded. He sighed, gathering her close, as her small frame continued to shake, but her eyes had gone dry the moment clarity had set in.
*No way,* his mind thought to himself. He was not going to let her rebury something like that. If it took the rest of the night, he was going to get it out of her.
However, she seemed almost grateful when he pulled her close again, trying to encourage her to tell him about it.
"It is nothing..." she tried to reassure him. "I have had them for so many years...they had started to fade a few years ago at last..." Until recently, anyway, her posture conveyed, but she did not say aloud.
However, she was much too tired and emotionally drained to resist his prodding that night. Little by little, he managed to get a simplified version out of her. It seemed Dark Dresden had forced her to accompany him to battle that day, and, keeping them both cloaked, had forced her to watch the events, and she herself had seen Trey cut down as he led Triforia's Army of Defense. Although he had not been morphed, he had to be dragged away by his friends. She had lived a nightmare for two days afterwards until Dark Dresden forced her to do it again, and she had seen her brother alive...
"It was one of his games of mental torture," she mumbled. "He was trying to break me, and he figured it was a good way." She did not tell him that it had almost worked, too, or that she had seen him cut down in battle, just like that, more than once. She just as preferred he did not know.
Trey was both dumbfounded and infuriated. Gods, he remembered that bloody battle with too much clarity as it was. He had been distracted by his grief at her disappearance, and had almost not cared when his enemy plunged the dagger into his unmorphed chest. And she had *seen* it....and numerous other things like that too, he guessed...no wonder she had been so badly affected earlier when he had been hurt! And no wonder for her nightmare...at least tonight. How had she hid these from him for so long?
"I don't think I am usually so noisy," she said with a weak smile when he voiced this thought. "And my mind barriers are usually up high enough so that you do not sense them. It must have startled you, hearing my scream."
Startled him? It had sent ice up his spine and goosebumps raising across his flesh. His arms around her tightened as she sniffled and laid her head on his chest. It was also not fair that, despite their problems, Sharie knew him better than he knew himself at times. She was perfectly aware when he had nightmares, though they were not as often, nor had he reacted so noisily as she had.
He was quiet for a few more minutes, until he realized her trembling had entirely ceased. He glanced down, her eyes were closed, her brown lashes long and dark upon her pale face and her golden hair tumbling onto her face. Her breathing was even at last, though still shaky.
Gently, so he would not disturb her, he moved carefully, getting up and laying her back down, straightening her tangled covers and brushing her hair out of her face. She whimpered slightly, but did not awaken. He stared for a moment and stared at her, knowing that this was the only time her emotional defenses went down completely. He ferverently hoped that there would not be a repeat performance of such magnitude again, though he doubted it. Which was very bad, since, though she was mature in most ways, dealing with her turbulent emotions in the more healthy ways was not one of them. Never wanting to hurt others, or bother them with her problems, she buried them. Neither was he, he was guilty of much the same thing most of the time, because of their inherently stubborn nature.
*Will it ever allow us to let go of the past?* he wondered tiredly, moving at last toward his own bed and tumbling sleepily beneath the covers. *Must we both be haunted the rest of our days for something that has happened, and is done with?*
He was too tired to contemplate it much further, because, unknowingly, sleep came stealing in and forced his eyes closed. His dark lashes fell to touch his brozened cheeks once more, and he was aware of nothing else.
The next thing he knew, it was morning.
****
Almost everyone was very tired the next morning when they woke up. Despite the troublesome night, they forced themselves to awaken early, grumbling, and pull on their clothes, mumbling silent complaints when they adjusted their masks, and stumbled, yawning, toward the recreation room.
The only ones who were really awake were Carlos and Cassie, whom, after tossing and turning for a short while the night before, had finally fallen asleep and had not reawakened all night long, sleeping the sleep of the dead. Everyone else had had some night trouble or other.
Carlos, glad to see Sharie again, immediately sought her out when he first saw her. She smiled and accepted her hand within his clasp, but he was not oblivious to the fact that something was not quite right. She looked exhausted, and her faced was flushed, and she was not meeting her brother's gaze. She seemed almost embarrassed or askance about something.
He thought about asking, then changed his mind and decided not to pry unless it became an issue. Maybe she would confide in him later, but he was not going to force it out of her.
Sharie finished going over the contents of her pack as she silently cursed herself for her childish behaivor last night. To her eyes, she had acted like an infant, unable to control her emotions enough to stay silent. When she usually had these nightmares, she swallowed her pain and went back to sleep, her practicality trying to reassure her (often unsuccessfully) that it was only a nightmare from the past. And that story Trey had managed to pry out of her last night...oh, how she wished she had never told him, she had never wanted him to know or add to his pain. Nor had she ever wanted him to know that her dreams tormented her so much. Knowing him, he would worry often now not only if she had a nightmare, but what else in her past was there that she was not telling him. All of them only knew the tiniest of fractions of what she had been through, or who she really was still. There were just too many secrets she could never reveal....
He was looking at her again, she sensed, and out of the corner of her eye, as they gathered around a table, she saw the determination in Trey's dark gaze to trap her later and try and talk to her about last night. And she would have no choice but to talk back. He was worried, she knew, he worried far too much about her as it was. Now this...
Everyone was trying to rub the last of the sleep out of their eyes as they checked everything over, making sure everything worked and their plans for the day were still the same. Finally, hoping they remembered the way, they wandered down the halls to the main dining area. Tamio, looking slightly surprised, met them.
"Is early," he said in his broken Standard. "Should still be sleep yet."
"We have a lot to do today," Sharie answered with a smile. "Soon, we must leave."
"Princess Janna be here soon," he said, waving his hand and leading them over to a table. "Bring twin, prince Judan, and father, Lord Dartanyon. She talk, he want to meet you. Really want to meet Rangers, planet leaders. This planet--get few people of importance."
"We only do our job," said Ashley, blushing and fidgeting. It was true...why should it be any distinction?
"Help others, yes?" he said, raising an eyebrow. "After meet, Lord Dartanyon say you may continue quest."
Sharie spoke in his tongue so he would more easily understand. "Thank you, Tamio," she smiled warmly. "You have been a wonderful help, and we appreciate it."
For the first time, color rose on his cheeks and his eyes sparkled. They told her how much he appreciated the compliment as he said, "They are here."
In walked a man, though simply dressed, had clothes of such finery on it was no doubt he was the man they had heard about. Behind him were Princess Janna and a young man looking like a masculine version of her, obviously prince Judan. Regally, they approached the table, everyone present doing the customary kneel, heads bowed, arms crossed over chests. With a distracted wave, Lord Dartanyon signaled them to rise. They remained standing as he passed.
Out of Earthly habit for Kings and queens, all the rangers rose to stand when the trio came to stand at the table, though Sharie had to nudge Trey before he did so. She also did it out of habit, but he did not have such compulsions.
Tamio approached and knelt before the royal Trio in the customary fashion, not moving when he felt Lord Dartanyon's hand on his head, a signal that he had found favor in his leader's eyes. "My lords, my Lady," he murmured.
"Go, Tamio, and leave us," Lord Dartanyon dismissed him with a wave of his hand. The young man bowed and vanished as quietly has he had come.
*Do they never get any respect?* the group wondered, not realizing that the hand-on-head symbol was a sign of favoritism. It sounded like Tamio had been rudely pushed aside. But what could they say, without insulting the leaders of this world?
For a moment, the Lord of this planet regarded the rangers with a usual, superior air, his blue eyes looking them over, as if judging them.
At last, he spread his arms in a majestic gesture and spoke in perfect standard. "Greetings, visitors. You are welcome here on Indri III. This is my son, Prince Judan, and as you know, my daughter, Princess Janna. May I enquire as to which ones of you are Lord Trey and Princess Sharie, both of Triforia?"
It took all of Sharie's stringent self-control not to blush. Sometimes she still did not feel that her rank should make any difference, or Trey's, even to offworlders.
Trey, although he was thinking along same lines, nodded his head respectfully. "I am Trey, lord of Triforia."
"And I am Sharie, princess of Triforia." said the girl with the golden hair.
The Royal Trio nodded their heads respectfully also.
Sharie barely stifled a frown as she suddenly felt Judan's eyes on her. His blue eyes were roving her, and she did not like it. She knew he meant no harm, but she inhaled sharply as she felt his mind trying to brush hers, trying to find out more about her. She sensed that this was probably how these people got to know one another.
Still, she hated the attempted mental invasion. She had tolerated Janna's because she had been trying to get the woman's respect. Unwilling to tolerate such a second go-around, she set up her mental shields full force, sending him a gentle, yet firm message that she disapproved of what he was doing, though she knew he meant no disrespect. She also moved closer to Carlos, telling the price that she was involved with someone else at present.
He flushed, his eyes lowered in embarrassment. He sent one more message-- an apology for the cultural misunderstanding, and the fact that he only respected her. Her final reply was that she knew such things happened, and let's just put it behind us. He smiled in reponse.
Lord Dartanyon, during this time, was continuing, "I am pleased to meet you all. My dear Janna has told me of your quest. Be aware that the white mountain is sacred to us, and mostly unexplored. We don't set foot on it. Since you are offoworlders, you may do so. Our only request is that you not show any disrespect by intentionally harming the earth if you can help it. Otherwise, you are free to go. Are we in agreement?"
Of course, they agreed. Just getting permission to explore was a great acheivement, much easier than having to sneak or fight for the right to do so.
"All right then," the leader continued. "Janna will escort you outside this establishment, but then you are on your own. I wish you luck on finding the powers you speak of. Rest assured we have no use for it. Good- bye and good luck."
****
The group of Rangers stood at the foot of the immense mountain before them. The glaring whiteness of the grand peaks radiated their blindign whiteness in the morning sun, having a profound effect on them all, even Janna and Judan, who had also chosen to accompany him.
*Now I understand why they hold it in such reverence,* Sharie thought to herself.
"This is it," said Judan. "Janna and I dare not go any closer. After this, you are on your own."
"Thank you so much," said Troy, who had been oddly silent all morning.
Sharie frowned, then spoke up. "There is one more thing you should know. Yesterday, before we came here, we were attacked by a band of pirates led by an evil man named Merdok. We chased him away, but he may come back, and try to extract revenge."
"Merdok!" gasped Janna. "That scoundrel is back around here? He proved untrustworthy a couple of years ago, so we told him never to come back. He left, but if he comes back...our weapons technology are not the best for intergalactic defense. We are capeable of limited spaceflight, but we do not wish to leave our world."
"We can handle him," said Andros. "Our powers will protect us, if necessary, and our ships are in orbit in case of defense."
Janna nodded in understanding. "Good-bye now, and good luck on your mission." They noticed when she and Judan began to walk backwards out of the presence of the mountain, for their reverence was strong. It was not until they were some distance away that they turned their backs and disappeared from sight.
In silence, the group swallowed their tongues and continued on their journey toward the white mountain. They did not talk much except for casual discussion on finding the defunct Zeo Crystal, and how they were going to retrieve it.
Carlos noticed Sharie was still trying to keep her distance from her brother, and it troubled him to see such strain between the usually inseperable pair. He fell back into step with her, wondering if he could pry the reason out of her.
But she had other ideas, taking one look into his eyes and shaking her head. She would not talk about it, so Carlos had to settle for her slipping her hand into his and pulling them both away from Trey, who had been trying to slip closer.
Brushing up on his meager skills at telepathy, he flashed at her, *At least tell me, Querida, that you are not in major trouble.*
She sighed, as if impatient, and he felt her mind thundering back into his, *No, Carlos, I am not in that sort of trouble. It is just not something to be discussed.*
Carlos mentally shrugged and left it at that. He sensed her underlying bristling, and he decided not to risk blowing her top over a trivial matter.
****
It did not take long to finally get to the real base of the mountain. The sun was nearly overhead by then, so they hustled eastward toward the side facing the sun. Restlessly, they began to climb the rather steep trail, stumbling over rocks, most fearful of turning an ankle...or worse.
****
Finally, puffing, they came to the first real flat area, though not very wide and not much room to be had. Rising above them in the noonish light was a jagged cliff, the sun flashing off the height of several yards.
"Time to climb," sighed Andros, not looking forward to this. He doubted nobody else really was, either.
Reluctantly, they dug out their climbing apparel Sharie had made sure they still had, and got ready. Aiming the tiny guns, they fired the ropes up to where they anchored at the top. After fastening the safety harness, they went two by two slowly up the steep cliff, struggling for footholds and trying to avoid heart attacks.
Despite all their training, however, there were enough accidents, slippings, and stumblings to keep the fear alive in all of their minds. Frequent cries of "Oh, my goodness!" "Look out!" "Watch out for that-- !!!" "Help!" punctuated the air before the hapless climber would regain his or her footing.
Going up two by two, Sharie and Troy made it up first, to help the next stragglers up the cliff as much as they could help. They kept a sharp eye on the ropelines, to make sure none came loose, nor the harnesses. Sharie's heart nearly choked in her throat as Carlos, about five feet from the top, stepped on a loose rock and slid six feet before he caught himself. Their mutual relief was enormous when he was safely beside her.
Once that little adventure was settled, they found themselves on a wide plain of sorts on the mountainside, and another, steeper cliff nearby. Otherwise, walking across the plain, it was a distance to the next climbable trail.
The need to explore won out, however, so they chose the long way around. The other reason, a genuine fear of falling, was mutual as well.
Carlos, bored, pulled out his copy of the stanzas and read the next one at first to himself, then out loud.
Above the plain of white,
And the snow-colored cliffs,
Search, search with all your might,
For the cave opening where the sand thickly drifts.
Sharie sighed, not having asked for the stanza yet but at least glad for something new to contemplate. Suddenly, the computer padd in her hand, and the translation in Troy's, began to glow as T'Sar's spirit became impatient again.
"What does he want?" sighed Cassie tiredly.
"Try looking up," said Ashley unexpectedly. For some reason, she blushed, but it was not really noticed as several pairs of eyes turned upward, where, faintly over the steep cliff, a cave enterance could be seen.
"Um...how do we go up?" suqeaked Ashley, though she knew the answer. She just did not want to endure it again.
"No way but the obvious," stated Andros, holding up his climbing equipment and looking at it in disgust.
"Oh, brother," muttered Carlos. "Well, let's get moving so it is over with sooner."
This time, Sharie and Ashley went up first, slipping, gasping, and holding on with all their might as they scaled the deadly-looking, steep cliff. A hot, sharp wind caused them to sweat, and in turn made their hands slippery and climbing even more difficult. Finally, though, they made it, exhausted, to the top. Relieved that it was over, they assisted the others up onto the narrow ledge.
They made it up the cliff, with no mishaps. It is funny how, just as they put them away, and it seemed that nothing more could go wrong, danger had to really strike.
Andros, who was near the edge, accidentally slipped on a loose rock that sent him skidding over the side to hurtle toward oblivion. Just before it happened, and he could fall out of range, Ashley's senses began to scream "Danger! Danger!" She turned and lunged at Andros so fast she was a blur, and she caught his hand before he fell out of range.
A second later, Carlos was by her side, catching Andros's other hand as the boy, scared to death by the suddenness of it all, dangled below them.
"Thanks," he gasped, sheet-white. "Now, think you could pull me up?" Grunting, they did so, pulling him up until he managed to sit on the edge and Ashley was kneeling beside him, hugging him for all she was worth. Everyone was flooded with relief as Andros got over his fright.
"Th-thanks," he managed again, panting. "Ash, how did you manage to move so fast?"
She blushed, not wanting to admit the real reason. "Just a feeling," she said at last. She was for once grateful this had happened, her brain warning her of impending danger. This did not happen too often, unlike her other mental skills. However, she still preferred no one know.
Sharie gave her an odd glance, looked like she was about to say something, then changed her mind. She merely turned and went to examine the cave entrance. It was rather wide, and pitch-black looking.
"How could we begin to see?" asked Troy. "The lights on our tools could not begin to penetrate this gloom."
"I think I might be able to help with that," said Trey unexpectedly. "This is one of the few spells I attempted to learn...ever. I do not like dabbling in magic, but this spell has proven helpful more than once. Golden Power Staff!" he called. The staff appeared in his hand, and Trey quickly muttered some strange-sounding words. Suddenly, a strange yellowish light, bright, glowed from a ball that appeared out of nowhere above them.
"How'd you do that?" asked Carlos as Trey sent his staff away.
The Lord of Triforia shrugged. "Just something that seemed necessary to learn. I only learned a few basic spells I thought would be necessary. I also use them as little as possible."
They started inside the cave. The glowing ball shed enough light to basically see in this gloom, but not enough to see everything clearly. They went slowly, for as often as they had been injured in the past days, they did not care to do so again. After turning dark corners twice, they came to a dead end.
"Oh, no..." moaned Ashley softly. "We must have taken a wrong turn somewhere."
"Then let's go back and try again," muttered Carlos, but no one really heard him.
A brilliant glow suddenly lit up the corridor with a spectacular light. Before the startled group coalsced a humanoid figure, blurry at first, but his features soon became clear. A handsome man he was--or at least what used to be him-- stood there, with dark hair and eyes that appeared blue, and full of kindness. Determination also showed in their depths. Sharie had an inkling of who this was.
"T'Sar?" she asked hesistantly. The figure looked at her and nodded silently, then pointed to the computer pad in her hand. "Read it," his eyes seemed to say. She quickly obliged him.
Your search is nearly done,
Behind stones, one, two three,
You will find the Zeo Crystal with the power,
And you will set me free.
Troy looked at him, as if to confirm the words. The apparition smiled at him, nodded, and promptly vanished.
"Three stones?" the boy eched weakly. "But this cave is full of rocks!"
"Do we have much choice?" asked Cassie. "Let's start looking."
The team spent the next hour turning over every stone they could find, getting more and more discouraged, and feeling defeated when they could come up with nothing.
"This is fruitless," muttered Carlos, flopping to the ground. The rest also stopped to rest fora few minutes to think of what to do next, when Cassie absently nudged a small pile of stones by her foot. They fell away, and she felt the blood drain from her face as she noticed a small, cloth- wrapped bundle. She looked at the three stones that had been covering it, and she realized she had not before seen them, they must have been overlooked....she picked up the bundle while uttering a cry.
"Troy! Guys! I found something!"
She was surrounded in record time, exclaiming over the discovery. Carefully, Cassie handed the bundle to Troy, who took it after a moment's hesistation. With caution, he unwrapped it, drawing gasps from the others at what was inside. A crystal lay inside, glowing eerily silver. Basically, it's shape was narrower in the middle, and widened to two triangles at both ends. Holding it made Troy feel very strange, as he felt the power within the crystal calling to him, beckoning to him somehow.
Temporarily resisting the urge, his blue eyes glowing, he murmured, "I believe, my friends, this is what we have searched so hard for."
He was not deaf to their sighs of relief, but he did not mind the congratulations that came his way, at now being able to realize his dream. Like them, he mused, as he put the crystal away, he was very glad this adventure was mostly over...or so he thought.
They left the cave, eager to begin home, when they found themselves looking down the cliff that had almost killed Andros earlier.
"Anyone feel like going rappelling?" teaased Carlos.
Groans answered him. "Very funny, Carlos," admonished Sharie, though she gave him a half-smile. "I will go down first again, if there are no objections. Anyone want to join me?"
This time, Andros volunteered to go with her. "I would rather get it over with," he explained, and she could not blame him. Quickly tying on their harnesses, they slid down the cliff quickly. It was more fun than climbing, but their relief was still considerable when they reached the wide plain.
At last, all but Troy had come down, when out of nowhere, came an evil laugh. Those who were down whirled just in time to see Merdok the Pirate teleport in with a huge crowd of his cronies.
"Well," he stated, surveying the group before him."I should say this is a fine time for revenge. You are all here, defenseless, and not in your oh- so-powerful ships. Oh, by the way, your friends still on board your ships did not sense us coming back, for you are not the only ones with cloaking technology. I just had to get more of my fleet, the ones that had the ships," he sneered. "Now, you must die. Destroy them!" he commanded his followers. They advanced upon the rangers, who immediately activated their powers.
"It's Morphin time!" came the twin cry of the Zeo Duo as they crossed their wrists.
"Let's Rocket!" cried the Astro Team, following with the "3, 3, 5" activation of their powers. Within moments, they had morphed into Power Rangers, shocking Merdok, who tried to cover up his astonishment with a sneer.
"Merely a light show, a trick," he snapped. "Attack!"
Despite their powers protecting them, they realized that there were enough of Merdok's cronies to keep them fighting for a long while, a sizeable opprotunity for them to be overwhelmed. For now, they simply tried to hand on and defend themselves, for they did not even get a chance to reach for their weapons when they were pounced upon, save for the power staffs of the Zeo Duo.
Above them, unseen, Tro was watching. *I have got to do something, but how?* he wondered, drawing out the crystal and staring at it. *I do not know how to activate this thing!*
Suddenly, the crystal vibrated slightly and began to glow a bright silver. Troy froze as he suddenly heard a disembodied voice in his mind. *You must relax, Troy of Triforia, and focus on becoming one with the power. They will do the rest. This is your destiny.*
Troy obeyed, holding the crystal in his hands. Forcing his mind off the turmoil below,he made himself relax, focusing on the glowing crystal. Its vibration increased, and a searing fire suddenly jolted through his mind, burning his senses to the core. Gasping, he dropped the crystal, his whole body suddenly tingling with fire and eerie sensation as his body underwent this new onslaught. Suddenly, a new, inner instinct made him relax as the raging field of energy consumed his being entirely, melding, it seemed, to his soul, his inner core. He felt himself become one with the power and it's purpose, as those before him had done eons ago. His senses heightened, his reflexes enhanced. He felt his power, his being, make that vital, permanent connection with the morphin grid. Another surge of fiery energy ripped through him, completing the process, even as it took Troy to his knees in pain, face in his hands and bowed over, shaken by what had just occured to him.
Just as suddenly, the pain was gone. Troy stumbled to his feet. He saw that he looked no different, but he sure felt different, and not just because of his heightened abilities. All of his foreboding about these powers were gone, to be replaced by a new self-confidence. He realized that this was, indeed, his destiny.
Cries from below caught his attention, and he cautiously glanced downward. He saw his friends were badly outnumbered, even Sharie, with her well-known diverse fighting skills, she was having considerably difficulty keeping the pirates off her.
*Time to see what these new powers can do,* Troy thought. Doing what was suddenly second nature to him, he closed his eyes and called out, "I call upon the Nightstriker Warrior Powers!"
His hands were outstretched, and a glowing ball appeared in them, crackling with energy. Suddenly, a bolt of energy shot from the ball directly into his chest. For a moment, a sliver glow filled the air around him, then it faded.
Troy looked at himself in astonishment. His new costume was, for the most part, black, but highlighted in silver. On his chest was a silver shield, rather like the ones worn by both Sharie and Trey. Emblazoned on the chestplate was the same design as the pendant, a hand weilding a sword over a starry background. His helmet design matched what the now-empty crystal had been, narrow in the middle, but widening into a triangular shape on both ends.
Battle sounds caught his attention, letting him know once again that he was needed below.
****
Down below, the fight wore on. More and more of the cronies were overwhelming them, when suddenly they heard a new voice cry, "Sie-Kyuh!" and a whirlwind of silver enter their midst. When it came to a halt, the black-and-silver ranger stood in it's place, and they knew instantly it was Troy, coming to help them. TJ, meanwhile, had also joined in the fight. Now, with eight rangers, they welcomed the newcomers and began to fight in earnest.
Troy was still fighting when one of the pirates held him immoble from behind. He tried a new tactic that rather scared him--the psychic blade, focusing his mind energy into the head of the other guy, stabbing him with psychic thought so the guy felt incredible pain. Yelling, he let go.
"Strikestaff!" cried Troy. The weapon, about three-fourths his height, appeared in his hand. It looked like an ordinary fighting bo, but it could become very sharp at both ends. Troy used it to bludgeon his enemy out cold.
*This is *so* fantastic,* he thought, using his newfound abilities to render his opponents senseless.
Sharie was fighting when she noticed out of the corner of her eye that her brother was being ganged up upon by the enemy. She felt an icy chill run down her spine as one of them drew an energy weapon and took a fatal aim, straight at Trey's heart.
Near-panic, unwanted images flashing before her eyes, she felt instinct kick in. "Violet Rush!"
Similar to a gold rush, it had the same intent and purpose as she rushed through the pirate in a whirl of half-visible violet light. He yelled and dropped qickly, the weapon flying.
"Thanks, Lalinka," Trey called while freeing himself from his persuers, as the fight went on.
At long last, only a few remained. Bodies littered the ground. Sharie doubted they were dead, but most of them were certainly out cold.
"Give it up, Merdok, you can't win," said Troy, straightening his spine.
His cold eyes narrowed in rage. "You may have won this round, but this is far from over!" he vowed. "I will be back, and that is a promise!" Angrily, he made a gesture, and he, along with every pirate on the plain, vanished, leaving the rangers alone.
The rangers looked at each other for a moment, then demorphed. All eyes turned to Troy.
"Well?" asked Cassie. "How do you feel?"
"I feel wonderful," he admitted with a smile, his blue eyes glittering brightly. "I know for certain now this was the right choice."
For the last time, a bluish light filled the air, and the image of T'Sar appeared once again. This time, he looked very happy and relieved. Also, to their surprise, he spoke to them directly.
"Thank you," he whispered. "Thank you for setting me free."
"I am sure it was nothing, T'Sar," Sharie tried to assure the spectre. He turned a smile on her.
"Yes, my dear, it was. I have waited a long time for the right person to come along and claim my powers. Troy was, of course, the obvious choice. The rest of you already had powers, and of course, Annika was too young. None of you are evil, and the powers are in good hands. I must leave you now, and again, I thank you all for your efforts. Good-bye." He vanished, leaving everyone staring after him in speechless wonder.
****
Only stopping briefly to tell Lord Dartanyon what had happened, they had made it back to Triforia without incident. Little Annika fairly danced with glee when she heard the news, for she was glad she had done the right thing.
"I knew it, Father!" she crowed triumphantly, imagining him in the very hot place he was most likely residing in, according to her beliefs. "I knew that it would only be used for good. I told you so!" Sharie chuckled and Annika's new brother Tasik grinned, and took her by the hand. "Come on," he said. "I bet you cannot beat me at double-dutch!"
****
Jeanette sighed in frustration and rubbed her temples. What was going on between her children had not escaped her attention. Sharie was trying her utmost to avoid her brother, and seemed upset at something. But they were both keeping strictly mum on the subject. Jeanette could only hope they had not fought. She had to remind herself that, grown up or not, they were still brother and sister, in every sense of the word....
The more Sharie tried to avoid him, the more she knew he was determined to catch her alone and pry unwanted information out of her. She was still ashamed about how she had acted in his presence the other night, and she did not care to discuss it further. She was only causing him more worry, and she wished he would forget about the incident. So she still had these nightmares, so what? It was not unusual for her to wake up several times a month shaking, sometimes tears pouring down her face. Her dreams were the only times she was unable to keep her control, her barriers, intact. She did not care to be fretted over because of this. And if her mother knew....
He did not catch her alone until the end of the next day. She sighed in defeat as he appeared out of nowhere as she sat huddled on the windowseat of her room, without even bothering to knock first.
This irritated her, and it showed in her tone. "Since when did your manners degrade so?" she asked impatiently by way of greeting. "At least I knock. What if I had been changing?"
She turned to look at him, and saw that he was half-upset, half-amused at her tone. "I used to change your diapers, Lalinka," he reminded her. "Don't give me that." He turned completely serious. "You know why I am here."
"Yes, and I do not care to discuss it," she said tonelessly.
"You did the other night," he reminded her.
"I only said the little I did because I was too upset to think straight," she mumbled, laying her head on her knees and not facing him. "What happened you do not need to know about."
"I want to know, Lalinka," he said quietly, coming over and forcing her gaze to his. "Remember what happened the last time we tried to hard to hide our feelings from one another?"
She felt her stomach twist as she saw the guilt in his eyes, and she knew that, no matter how much she reassured him, he would never forgive himself for that incident.
"I cannot," she insisted softly. "I cannot have you and mother, or anyone else, worrying about me to the point of distraction. I have had to go too long without it, Trey. Despite what you say, my feelings are beside the point, and I cannot burden you or mother, or Carlos, with sob stories if I can possibly help it. I wish you would let the matter rest."
The words *not again* seemed to ring throughout his brain as Trey almost sighed in defeat. Gods, what force had decreed she have such stubbornness beyond what most would consider normal? The last time, it had taken drastic steps to get her to open up to him, and he did not ever want to follow that route again.
"Gods, Lalinka," he almost ground out. "Are you begging for an encore? Must this lead to another arguement? Why can't you just *talk*?"
Her eyes flashed with guilt and anger. "I do not care for a repeat performance, Trey, but it would not come to this, also, if you would just drop it!"
"Lalinka...." he groaned as he put his forehead in his hand as his thoughts whirled. "How can you keep mum about something like you said you saw? Seeing me cut down in front of your very eyes was not entertainment, and you know it. I remember that day, but I had no idea you were there."
He saw momentary horror flash behind her eyes, and knew he had struck a chord somewhere. He persisted. "And you were only feet away as I lay bleeding nearly to death. How much of that can a person stand, Lalinka? Much less a child?"
She had begun to shiver violently. "Must you?" she whispered through chattering teeth. "I did not think you were capeable of such petty cruelty, Trey, to forcibly push me over the brink into insanity."
Her words stabbed into his heart and twisted it, and he visibly flinched. Gods, had he gone too far? He felt his own eyes sting as he reached out and cupped her chin, forcing her gaze to his again.
"Lalinka..." he began softly. "Why must you insist that I do not need to know these things, or that you are a stone who does not deserve the attention of others? What happened, Lalinka? You and I used to be so open with each other....why are we now so silent? I would worry about you even if I knew of no reasons at hand to be worried. I would not love you if I did not worry, Sharie, and you mean more to me than my life. *Please* do not mistrust me, Sharie. I know there is plenty you will never tell me...but gods, when you have something you need to get off your chest, *please*, all you need to do is tell me so *I* can quit worrying."
"...It....it is hard..." she mumbled after a silence, and she did not notice the tears slipping down her face. Suddenly, much like she had done the other night, her defenses fell more easily than she could have imagined, and she did not object when he scooted closer and pulled her to him. "Gods, Trey, I am sorry, I did not mean to accuse you of...what is wrong with me?"
"Nothing, absolutely nothing," he said softly, stroking her hair. "Tell me what happened, Sharie. It is the best thing you could do."
"You want to hear the full horror story?" she asked, incredulous, but the urge to get it off her chest was suddenly a little too strong for her to rebury it. "Fine. Yes, I saw you cut down, and I felt so guilty for not being able to do anything that I provoked Dark Dresden later, hoping he would beat me so much that he would kill me. If you were dead, I did not want to live."
"Gods, Lalinka, *suicide*?" He asked, horrified. "I would have never thought you would attempt..."
"That was the only time in my life I attempted such cowardice," she admitted, ignoring the tears that streamed freely down her face. "I knew you would be ashamed of me for trying such a stunt, and besides, you lived. It was replaced with determination to get away, and get back to you."
Little by little, the story came out, in all it's goriness. They were both shaking with horror and pain, and tears, by the time she clammed up again.
"So now you know," she mumbled afterwards. "Trey, please don't force me to do that again in such a manner. I promise, if I want to talk, from now on I will try harder to do it, okay? I love you and that was as bad for you as it was for me, I can tell."
He nodded almost absently as he held her tightly. At least he had her promise. "I love you, too, Lalinka," he assured her, at least grateful that they were now closer than ever. It could not be denied that an important barrier had been pulled down at last. But there was one point in which Sharie would not give, and that was telling their mother any of this. Trey agreed. He never told Jeanette much, either.
****
Troy looked at the pendant he now wore around his neck. He knew it was basically useless, now, but he desired to keep it as a momento. He had already started to use his powers to help others, and he had sworn to Trey that he would stand behind Triforia, should this world ever need his help. But he was also starting on the mission every Triforian undertook at some point or other in their lives, to go out and seek others in need of help. And he had no doubt he could do it. Time and destiny were on his side.
