Trini watched as Billy went over the read-outs on the screen for the fifth time. Everything was coming out exactly the way it was supposed to, but for some reason he couldn't be satisfied with what he was seeing. "No matter how long you look at those numbers, they're going to stay the same," she said from behind him.

"A change is not a desirable outcome." Billy told her. "The data is perfectly within optimum parameters."

"Then why have you been staring at them for the last hour and half?" Trini asked, suspecting the answer.

Billy shrugged and pushed back from the console. "You're right. I've got other work in 'Tech bays."

"Cranston, you go near that 'Tech bay and I'll skin you alive. The technicians have already asked that I keep you out of their hair for at least forty-eight hours. You've made all the modifications to 'Techs that they are going to allow. If you change one more thing, they're going to lock you in a supply closet until the first mission is over."

"I'm just trying to make sure that we have the best chance possible to defeat the dragons," he told her.

"I believe you Bill, but I'm not so sure the modifications you're making now will really do that." She leaned back against one of the examination tables and hoped she wasn't wrong about she was thinking. "I think you might be trying to find something to do to keep you from dealing with something else."

Billy looked up at her, "Please enlighten me."

She smiled and shook her head refusing to drop into Billy-speak with him, "You tell me."

"I'm unsure as to what you are alluding, Trini."

"Billy, you're caught up. Tommy and Kat aren't due for their first proto-phyre session until tomorrow morning. The omni-techs are all on-line and ready to fly. The only thing missing from the base is the team leader."

"I fail to ascertain how that is germane to the situation," Billy replied.

"You're hiding from something Billy," Trini told him. "You tell me what it is."

"Trini, I'm unaware of anything about Jason that would make me want to engage in unnecessary tasks." Billy told her flatly. His eyes however, said volumes about what he was feeling.

Trini leaned over, and locked her hands on either side of his chair arms, effectively pinning him in place, "Billy, don't go there with me. I know something is wrong between you and Jason, Zack knows it- hell the whole team knows it. The only people who seem to not know that you two are having problems is you and Jason." She sighed and stood up. "I don't know what the problem is, nobody but the two of you do, but we haven't been able to get you to even discuss each other since before you left for Aquitar."

"Trini," Billy said rising from his chair, "I have no animosity toward Jason what-so-ever."

"Yeah, but there's no affection between you two any more either," she said turning her back to him. "You guys used to be inseparable, and now you haven't even spoken to each other in eight years."

"Trini…"

Turning to face him, Trini cut him off savagely, "Look you don't want to admit it that's fine with me. I'm tired of trying to reach you. You want to sit here and pout about something, that's fine." She stepped forward and stuck a finger into his chest, dropping him back into the chair. "But remember this: This new team is going to have to work together, and if you and Jason don't get whatever's eating you worked out then you're probably going to get yourselves and the rest of us killed." Turning on her heel, she walked to the door but stopped without turning to face him again, "Personally, I don't want to die just yet. At least not until we get the problems the Power created in me, Kim, Aisha, and Kat worked out." She turned, keyed the exit sequence to the lab and left without another word.


Adam looked over to where Rocky was silently lifting weights, the sweat streaming from his body in rivers that soaked his red tank top. There was a look of grim determination on his face, as he strained against the machine. For long minutes, Adam sat there watching his best friend taking his frustrations out on the chunk of metal. Finally, he broke the silence, "I take it Aisha had another rough night last night."

Slamming the weight up in a final exertion of energy- Adam noted that Rocky was chest pressing nearly three-quarters of a metric ton- Rocky looked over at him and asked, "What makes you say that?"

"The fact that you're trying to push yourself to exhaustion," he answered. Leaning against the wall he asked, "You want to talk about it?"

Rocky racked the bar and sat up, "There's not anything to talk about. She's having nightmares again." He shrugged as he toweled off, "There's not a whole lot I can do about it, except be there for her."

Adam understood what was really bothering his friend. "And the fact that you can't do anything about it, is driving you up the wall," he ventured.

"Oh there's a lot I can do about it," Rocky said. "It's just that most of them would cause more problems than they would solve."

"Such as…?" Adam asked carefully.

"Going back to Angola and killing about half their government…" Rocky joked, but Adam wasn't so sure it was one.

"That wouldn't be a good idea, Rocko," Adam told him carefully.

Rocky shrugged and stood, "I know, but I can wish can't I?"

Adam chuckled, "You can wish pal. I'll even help you wish." What he didn't tell Rocky was that he'd probably help him carry it out, if he asked him. He remembered what 'Sha had looked like when they broke into her cell. Her captors had reduced their normally vibrant friend to a mere shell of a human being. It was obvious that she'd been abused in ways that no human being should ever be. Her emaciated form was covered in bruises and cuts, there were dark welts on her nearly naked body where electricity had been used cruelly on her skin. Adam still had nightmares about that day. Rocky just chuckled at his comment. Adam took the towel from him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm there for you man. If you need anything, just let me know- either of you."

Rocky smiled up at him, "I know. 'Sha knows it too." He sighed. "Right now, this whole mission is bringing out the worst of her memories." He shook his head, "I hate it that that it's Jason's arrival that's triggering it."

"'Sha just doesn't know him. Once she gets to know him, I think it'll pass," Adam said.

"I hope so," Rocky said. "I hope so."


Tommy, and Zack stood outside the Command Center, looking out over the changing California desert. Some part of his mind noted that the destruction of Los Angeles and the leveling of the mountain ranges to the East of the city had begun to change the environment here in the deserts. More moisture was reaching the land, and he suspected that soon the desert he'd come to love was going to disappear from this area.

To the north, they saw a small dot as it streaked toward them, growing bigger with each passing second. Checking his watch beside him, Zack said, "Here's Jason, right on time." He grinned over at Tommy.

"Hey, I was on time today," Tommy weakly protested as the jet came to hover above them.

"Only because Kat was there to prod you on," Zack grinned as he yelled over the sound of the jets rotating down. Anything else he might have said was lost in the backwash of the dust and sand as the aircraft set down on the desert floor.

Minutes later, the canopy on the jet popped as the engines slowly quieted down, and several ground crew wearing Navy uniforms moved in to secure it. They watched as a single burly form climbed down from it, and Tommy wondered how Jason was ever able to fit into the cockpit. He watched as Jason pulled the flight helmet and walked over to them grinning.

No word was spoken, none was needed, as each man swept the burly fighter pilot into their arms and embraced him grinning like mad men. Finally, Jason extricated himself and held Tommy at arms length, and Zack spoke, "I didn't think Navy pilots flew Harriers."

Jason grinned at him, "It's on loan from the Marine Corp Bro. The jarheads weren't really happy to let a squid fly it, but they eventually let me have it."

Tommy looked over his shoulder and said, "How many heads did you have to bust to get it."

Jason shook his head, "Doesn't work that way buddy. I just had to prove I could fly it." Turning back toward the Command Center, he said, "And thanks to all my years here, I can pilot just about anything I crawl into the cockpit of." Sighing deeply, he looked up at the building and Tommy could see him drink in the sight of the place. Finally, he asked, "Who's responsible for putting this place back together."

Tommy watched his friend's eyes carefully when he answered, "Billy. He bought the land a few years back and has been slowly rebuilding it for his research." For an instant, Tommy saw something very much like regret and pain flash across his eyes.

Finally, he said, "Cool. I'm glad to see he's doing well."

"Yeah, Bro," Tommy said. "He's the one who's put together this whole force. He developed the technology that's going to let us kick some lizard butt." Tommy shrugged, "Trini and Zack helped him push it through with the State Department as well as London, and Sydney."

Zack laughed, "Hey, all we did was talk. Billy's the one who's giving us the chance to survive these things."

Jason just shrugged and said, "Great, I can't wait to get started." Jason's eyes did not reflect the enthusiasm of his voice. As the three men entered the Command Center, Tommy couldn't help but get the feeling that there really was some tension between the former Red and Blue Rangers.