QiRanger Episode 5: Band of Brothers
***
Leslie Chen continued holding Li's medallion in her right hand. Looking at the aged golden object, her eyes tracked each mark as they made their way around its circumference and connected with one another. Like many things in life, the symbol of Li's power was an analog for all things natural. The interwoven lines representing individuality and connection, isolation and community, life and death.
She closed her eyes and concentrated. The Fire QiRanger tried to hold back the tears, but could not. One small salty drop made its way to the surface of her lower eyelid and began streaking slowly down her face. The watery substance left behind a trail of residue on her soft, smooth skin. The drop completed its run, curing under her chin and then fell to the jungle floor below.
It had only been moments before that her teacher had been killed, but with the surging emotions and responsibility, Leslie found it hard to remember what Master Li looked like. His seemingly frail, yet powerful body had protected the Earth for so many years was now nothing more than a thought in her mind. Nothing was left in the real world for them to see - nothing more than ash and dust.
Despite their loss, Leslie and the other QiRangers vowed to ensure Earth's freedom. Bruch'oda may have the upper hand at the moment, but with two of the five Mystic Doors sealed, she hoped this was the turning of the tide that could once again sweep the forces of evil in the nether regions of the universe.
Sniffling back the remainder of her tears, Leslie glanced at her teammates as she rubbed the three vertical lines on the medallion with her thumb, hoping that some of its wisdom would somehow diffuse into her.
Nothing.
She really didn't expect it to but, "What the hell," she thought.
Seth, Abeu, Jayde, and Luís stood silently waiting for her next words. She didn't know what to say. Loosing a friend or a loved one was always tough, but losing someone who's mind you shared was almost as bad as being severed from the link of the Ultimate QiWarrior. In fact, it was worse because you no longer had the connection and you knew that the loss was permanent.
"We need to get going, Leslie," Seth said.
She could feel his hesitation at speaking, but she knew he was right. With his experience as a handler for the North American Security Organization, she trusted his opinion, almost feeling that it would be wiser to defer to him.
"You're right. We've succeeded in sealing the door. We need to move out and regroup. Figure out what we're going to do next."
The others begrudgingly nodded and stepped away from Master Li's remains.
"Shouldn't we." Abeu began, not really knowing how to finish his thought but submitting to the sorrow in his face as tears began streaming. The image in his mind was crystal clear, but the words escaped him. Abeu wished to pay tribute to their fallen comrade and thought they should collect his remains, taking them back to the station with them.
"No," Jayde replied putting her arms around the young man, trying to offer some sort of comfort. "He was born here and passed away the same. His body was interconnected to all living things on this planet. Removing him from it would be a greater disservice. Allowing the wind to spread his ashes to the four corners while the earth reclaims the rest is the most respectful."
Bowing his head, Abeu pretended to understand what the Wood QiRanger said, but let it pass, as he could feel the dichotomy in the team over what to do with his suggestion. Searching within his own soul, he tapped into the last remnants of the link with Master Li to try and understand what Jayde said. It was only then that he realized Jayde was correct.
"Come on," Leslie said walking towards the ancient tree. "We should clear out."
Raising her right hand to her neck, Leslie tapped the small transdermal communication device implanted on her skin. "Chen to Istanor."
She waited for a moment, hearing only dead air. Turning her head to the right, as if straining to hear a faint whisper, Leslie leaned into the absent Comm-link, hoping to get a reply.
Nothing.
"Istanor, please respond."
Still, there was nothing but silence. Leslie looked at Seth. "Maybe mine's damaged."
Seth Goldman nodded and placed his right middle finger on the Comm-link embedded on his skin. "Istanor, please come in."
Still no reply was heard.
"What do you think happened to them?" Abeu asked.
Each thought of the worse and tried not to acknowledge it. With all the advances technology gave them, the simple answer was that if no one picked up the other line, it meant only one of two things: they were unwilling to do so or that they were unable to do so. If it were the latter, the QiRangers knew they had lost a powerful ally.
"Goldman, this is LEO Operations, please respond," a voice stated through the Comm-link.
Seth wrinkled and instantly recognized the voice of that of LEO Station Security Chief Mario Tarazi. He also knew that if Tarazi was contacting them directly, something was terribly wrong. Seth Goldman responded, "Go ahead."
"Is everyone all right? We're not picking a transponder signal from Li," Tarazi began.
Leslie activated her Comm-link and answered Tarazi's question, "He's," she began, fading off right before stating aloud for the first time the fate of Master Li. Taking a deep breath, she summoned the strength to state it - solidifying his death as fact, "He's dead."
The Comm-link went dead for a moment. Each of the QiRangers started to wonder just what was going on when Tarazi spoke, "I'm sorry. That makes what I'm about to say that much more difficult."
Each began thinking the worst - with no reply from the Istanor, they were sure she met with a similar fate.
"A few minutes ago, the Istanor went down."
"What happened?" Leslie interjected.
"They were diverting the attention of the Dragon Riders, as planned, but things got out of hand. The ship took a beating, but was able to take care of the Dragon Riders with the assistance of Robert, Gary, and the Luna Space Police. However, a new Bogey came on the scene with a horde of robots. This proved too much for them and the ship started taking severe damage."
Each of the QiRangers hung on every word Mario Tarazi said while picturing the battle in their mind's eye.
"When the clearing wave came through from the Door, it took out the enemy, but the shockwave created such a distortion in the air flow, that the ship went into a flat spin."
"Then we're responsible for their deaths," Leslie thought.
The phrase echoed in each of them - at what price had the victory been? First Master Li and now the crew of the Istanor, what other innocent pawns would sacrifice their lives?
"They crashed into a small mountain range a hundred and four miles south of your position."
"How many survivors?" Jayde asked with little optimism.
Jayde and the others could tell from the pause that the forthcoming news wasn't promising. "From our scans, we detect no signs of life at the crash scene. Visual inspections concur."
"Shit," Leslie said under her breath.
Nothing was said for several seconds, no one wanting to say the first word.
"I don't believe it," Leslie said. "Someone had to have survived. Scans can be wrong. Hell, Gary would have survived that easily, not to mention Robert."
"We hope we're wrong, but being pragmatic about the situation. Gary and Robert would be the most likely candidates for survival, but we're not sure. The wreckage is spread out over a square mile and the chances of any of the crew to survive are slim to nil. We've tried contacting Dwyer and Staal, but they haven't responded. Furthermore, we can't lock onto their tracking devices," Tarazi concluded.
"It sounds like you've given up hope," Seth stated.
"Hardly," Tarazi countered quickly. "We diverted a Voytefsky en route to the Sahara to the crash site. They'll be there within the hour. Supplies are limited onboard, but there are a couple of HERCs and some triage equipment. The site is outside the safety umbrella, so they'll be vulnerable to attack."
"We'll rendezvous with them at the crash site and assist in the recovery," Leslie said.
"Once we've recovered any survivors, they'll transport you back to the station."
"Understood."
"LEO out."
The Comm-link closed, leaving the QiRangers in silence.
"All right, we know what we have to do," Leslie said.
The others nodded and pressed their hands together. Each summoned their inner Qi and allowed the power to circulate through the meridian systems until it consumed every cell in their body. In a whirlwind of multicolored light, the QiRangers teleported away from the final resting place of Master Li.
***
A little over a hundred miles from the QiRangers' previous location, Dr. Gary Staal remained unconscious in a small crater resulting from his impact with the Amazon jungle floor. Any normal human would have surely perished from such a fall - been crushed under the weight of their body thrown to maximum velocity - but Staal was cybernetically enhanced with millions of nanobots, allowing his body to adapt to any circumstance.
The small robots altered his biochemical structures during the fall and changed him from a being of flesh and bone, to one made out of diamonds. It was a memory pattern installed within his defense system from the initial testing series. While there, NASO scientists subjected him to many hazards - lightening, acid, plasma fire, and diamond-tipped drill bits. All these challenges remained in the memory cores of the nanobots- waiting to be called upon when needed.
In fact, the artificial intelligence residing in the nanobots didn't even need input from Gary to activate - it was an automatic process - where once the challenge was introduced to his body, the robotic engineers would instantly begin to alter his physiology and counteract the threat.
However, in this instance, the impact was too much for Staal and he succumbed to the blackness - but his body did not.
Slowly, he began to come around.
While the diamond enhancements protected him from direct harm, all things must submit to the laws of physics. The sudden stopped played havoc with his craniosacral system and sent his brain reeling against his skull, shocking his system. Gary felt the throbbing in his head - an incredible pounding as if one had become a nail and was repeatedly being stricken with sledgehammer.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom! When the sensation - every contraction of his heart sending blood through his body - giving him life, while causing him intense pain as the expanding vessels made their they up his neck and into his brain.
The second thing Gary sensed was a foul tasting substance in his mouth. It wasn't blood or saliva, or even some of the nasty moonshine he and Robert tried that one summer in Kentucky. No, it was something else - something moist and gritty.
Dirt.
Gary began coughing, trying to get the dirt out, which made his pounding skull that much worse. Moaning, he finally tried to open his eyes. Only once before in his life had he ever seen stars. He always thought that was just a lame expression, but when he fell off a mechanical bull one summer in Rio, he learned the hard way that it was one of the most accurate descriptions for the conditions.
He continuously blinked his eyes, trying to eliminate the bright spots clouding his vision. It took a few seconds before it did, but finally Gary was able to make out the crater and the immediate surroundings. He tried to pick him self up, but every bone in his body ached - something he was grateful for, as he knew what the alternative would be.
It took some concerted effort, but Gary was finally able to push himself up and come to his feet. The process took several seconds, and each move was coupled with a groan and deep breath. He quickly looked around, but the sudden motion played havoc with his equilibrium and he began to stumble.
"Whoa there big fella," he told himself sending his arms out to try and balance himself. Each step was an adventure, but he managed to steady himself and regain his composure. Now, he slowly continued turning his head, allowing his eyes to carefully look over the surrounding terrain and ascertain what his situation was. As his visual pass made its way to the left, Gary's heart dropped at the sight of smoke rising in the sky.
"No," he said, closing his eyes. Deep in his heart, he knew this was the inevitable result of the damage the Istanor sustained. Gary just wished he wasn't right. He went to activate his Comm-link, but as he tapped the communication device, it felt odd.
Upon inspection, Gary found the unit to be damaged beyond repair. The display unit cracked and the central processor crushed from the fall. "Great," he thought. "Not only can I not contact the others, but the Stealth Armor keying sequencer is damaged too."
"Well, no time to sit and fuddle around, I've got to get there to help the survivors," he said aloud, trying to bolster support for his notion that hopefully someone survived the crash.
Despite the intense pain, he began trekking through the jungle towards the smoke.
***
Staring at the sphere before him, Bruch'oda could not help but take a side glace at Qual'och. The once feeble cleric had once again been transformed into a mighty magical warrior, something he didn't think possible. Losing the Ru'dth in the manner he did should have severed the link between the medallion and Qual'och, but something had changed. Somehow he was able to secure the powers once more. "Perhaps the madness has already consumed him. This can only mean he is dangerous," he thought. "Regardless, it is a price that might be well worth it, if we can secure the technology and expand out presence into space." Once again, he looked at the image and stared at the contraptions. "Such things these humans build."
"Dra'isod, stand beside me," Bruch'oda commanded, no longer using a tone that invoked shame in the fierce warrior below him.
While it only had been a few moments earlier that Bruch'oda had cast a fury of electrical energy onto him, it appeared that all was forgiven, Dra'isod thought. "At least for the time being." He knew with great power came the ability to do what one wanted, whenever they wanted - this also meant those that served bore the brunt of his anger should they fail.
Dra'isod walked up the steps, approaching the image sphere. Each foot placed on the stone sent an echo into the cathedral ceiling. He made sure he took his time rising up the staircase to inspect the image, not wanting to give Qual'och the satisfaction of continuing to upstage him. Each footstep moved him closer and gave him a moment longer as he began plotting to position him, in what he was sure to be a most violent power struggle.
"How did he get the Ru'dth back?" he thought, remembering that Bruch'oda words as he awoke from the healing waters of the caverns - the vivid description of not only Qual'och receiving the powers contained in the medallion, but the violent release of energy after Kor'digh was slain. "This can't be good. Something's going on and it will jeopardize not only myself, but I fear Bruch'oda as well."
Keeping one pair of eyes firmly fixed on the sphere and the other on Bruch'oda, Dra'isod continued to wonder about Qual'och. "Those in the past that had received the Ru'dth always were mad. No matter what they tried to do to counter the artifact's power, the result was the same - utter destruction - not only for he who carried the Ru'dth but all those around as well. That's why Bruch'oda was wise in sealing the medallion for all these years."
The Dragon Warrior completed his ascent to the top tier and met Bruch'oda at the edge of the mighty staircase. His methodical climb took minutes, but Qual'och didn't want to stay too far behind. In his new form, great powers were now at his disposal and effortlessly he leapt from the floor to the dais in one easy step, showcasing his increased power and signaling a warning to Dra'isod as if to say, "You may have been the mightiest warrior, but that has changed."
"What of the QiRangers? Where are they?" Bruch'oda asked, ignoring the wizard's display of power.
It was the first time Qual'och had been silent since emerging from his exile following the defeat at the Earth Door. His mind raced, trying to find the most appropriate words, but his hesitation gave the answer away.
"You' don't know," Bruch'oda said with disgust. "For all you know they could already be approaching the ship or have left the planet in some way."
"No sire," Qual'och quickly said, "At the moment I cannot sense them, which can only mean one of two things. Either they are hiding under the energy umbrella release from the Mystic Door or that they have left the Earth. Without the ship and its technology, the QiRangers are trapped on Earth. It will only be a matter of time before the resurface and we crush them once and for all."
"What of the computer unit? Bruch'oda inquired.
Desperately trying to strengthen his position, Qual'och quietly walked behind the evil overlord, preparing to place himself between his master and Dra'isod. With each step, he inched his way closer to his goal. "As you can see, the ship is placed in a precarious spot," he started, altering the viewing sphere to depict the entire crash site. "The main body of the human craft crumbled under the force of the crash and broke apart. The area that is of importance, lies within this section," he continued, zooming in on the fuselage of the Istanor, penetrating the outer hull and into the Systems Core Room.
A slumped over body draped the computer core, washing a fine spray of fresh, red blood over the main console and monitors. Debris was laid out all over the cabin crumbled supports gave way to the mountain that had made its way into the ship. Gone was any semblance of security - the only thing that remained somewhat in tact was the computer core itself - everything else was in shambles. Fine, gray smoke trickled into the compartment from the surrounding fires, occluding the view before a gust of wind wiped the area clean.
"As you can see the ship's hull places the unit in a unique position. The slightest moment, could damage the memory files and render it useless to us. The only way to achieve our goal is to make sure Jeffery's circuits download the information directly," Qual'och concluded.
Mechanical servos were heard faintly in the distance. Their clamor clicking and clacking as the hydraulic pistons performed their work, carrying the X Bot from the dark corridor adjacent to the Throne Room into the main hall. The light from the wall sconces shone brightly on the metallic avatar's chest, highlighting the black X. With each step, his mighty weight created small cracks in the stone underfoot, yet he continued to march to the foot of the stairs. This weapon, created by the naive Gerard LaFleur and altered by Qual'och, was all the time becoming useful.
"Then what do you propose? " Bruch'oda asked, letting the slight irritation he felt begin to creep into his voice. Earth's overlord shifted his weight and peered at the powerful wizard who had now positioned himself between himself and his lead general.
"While I could teleport the vessel here, it would be at some risk. Without the support of the mountain, the fragile control boards and cables would sever. Another option would be to transfer the entire mountain here," Qual'och said slyly.
"Please, Wizard. Do not boast," Dra'isod said gruffly, no longer hiding his disdain.
Qual'och smiled at his foe, knowing full well he commanded the full powers of the Ru'dth, and with that anything was possible. For a fraction of a second he toyed with the idea of pinching closed the carotid arteries leading up to his left brain and starving the nerve center. "What the hell," he thought and with the power of a single thought commanded the surrounding tissue to close.
The effect was instant.
Dra'isod couldn't determine where the pain was coming from only that it was intense and nondescript. He winced as the sensation crept up his left neck to the base of the skull and shot into his brain. He experienced a headache like no other and started to lose the connection between his brains. He thought his blood was boiling as the pain escalated to the mighty warrior's threshold of tolerance.
Then, everything returned to normal.
"You'd be surprised at what I could achieve, if I put my mind to it," Qual'och said, winking at the Dragon Warrior.
"Stop wasting time," Bruch'oda said.
The wizard bowed humbly and continued, "Dra'isod is partly correct. The only way to be entirely certain the ship remained intact and protect our precious cargo would be to transfer the entire mountain here. Something that is neither wise nor practical. Thus the only option is to send Jeffrey to the site to interface with the system directly."
Bruch'oda looked down at the creation that motored into the Throne Room. "It isn't even alive. It only does the bidding of that it serves and with Qual'och's recent acquisition, I no longer feel as if he can be truly relied upon," he thought.
"If the machine is to be sent," Bruch'oda said aloud, "then precautions need to be taken. We can't risk the QiRangers' interference." Moving around Qual'och, the massive Emperor of Earth walked to this trusted aide, Dra'isod. "Take your best men and see to it that no one survived. If any of the QiRangers show up, kill them."
Lifting his left head to meet Bruch'oda's stare, Dra'isod silently nodded accepting charge of the mission. With his right, he glared at Qual'och and smiled, pulling his lips back to expose his sharp fangs. "Try as you might Wizard, he will always defer to me to carry out his battles," he thought, feeling reassured that his position as head of all armies was intact.
The Dragon Warrior stepped backwards, standing up and allowing his chest to expand and reveal his true stature. "We shall leave at one, my Lord."
***
It only took a few moments for the QiRangers to traverse the hundred and four miles from the Wood Mystic Door to the crash site of the Istanor. The scene was far worse than they had imagined. Smacked into the mountain was what remained of the ship that hap carried them from space to Earth. Fragments of metal were buried in the tilled soil and human remain littered the area. As each stepped foot onto the devastated area, one single thought went through them; however, it was Luís who acted up it first.
Deep within his bowls he could feel the churning sensation, one gets when viewing death. The foul stench of decaying bodies and intestinal matter was not only strewn over the landscape for several hundred meters, but permeated the air. With each breath, the smell entered his body, causing him to convulse.
It began with a simple abdominal contraction, which he was able to control. The feeling brought tears to his eyes as he barely missed stepping on what was left of one crewmember's hand. Subsequent convulsions grew faster and more powerful until the white and yellow contents of his stomach rose up through his esophagus and out his mouth. The force at which the vomit left his body sent the liquid flying through the air, landing some three feet from Luís.
As the vile liquid splattered into the soil, chunks of semi-digested food particles ricocheted onto Abeu's boots. The combined stench of the bodies around him and Luís vomit was too much for the teen and he doubled over and threw up as well.
The combined smell from the dead bodies and vomit forced the other QiRangers to choke back their own vomit, each taking several steps away and closing their eyes.
"Get a hold of yourself," Leslie thought, trying to instill a sense of control. Throughout her years of training, she learned how to focus her mind and overcome many physical challenges. "I can do this," she asserted, knowing this was simply another challenge that her mind could triumph over.
Both Luís and Abeu wiped their vomit away and looked at the others, redness filling their faces. No one said anything and there was nothing to be embarrassed about. It was normal to become sick at such a site - to not, wouldn't be human.
"We should spread out and search for survivors," Seth suggested.
"What the ship's power core? Shouldn't we be concerned about radiation?" Jayde asked.
That thought hadn't occurred to anyone else, but the Wood QiRanger brought up a valid point.
Seth quickly surveyed the crash site. "I don't think so. The Istanor's fusion reactors were well insulated and despite the nature of the crash, I doubt the housing would have been breeched. I think we'll be all right."
His words didn't exactly exude confidence, but the others had no reason not to trust him.
"Okay," Leslie began, "let's get to it. I know there's got to be a few survivors here."
The QiRangers quickly separated and began scouring the site. Seth and Abeu headed north towards the forward section of the ship, while the others scattered and began searching the mid and aft sections. Jayde splintered from Leslie and Luís to focus on a large cross section containing several bulkheads from the ship's wing mounting point.
***
Leslie pushed through the brittle bulkhead separating two cabins in the aft crew quarters. With each room she searched, her hopes of finding someone alive diminished. Every time she found someone lying under debris, she allowed her hopes to be raised, only to be crushed when the person was void of vital signs. "Maybe he was right," she thought to herself. "I don't think there are any survivors."
The chilling thought raced through her body and brought another tear to her eye. The loss of so many dedicated and honorable men and women was almost too much for the young QiRanger from China.
"I found Rob!" Seth exclaimed through the Comm-link. "He's unconscious, but alive."
Leslie smiled, knowing at least one person would walk away from this wreck. "Is he hurt?" she asked.
After a short pause, Seth responded. "Not that I can see. He's got a pretty tough skin, but I think he just had the wind knocked out of him."
"Any sign of Dr. Staal?"
"No. Rob's the first person I've even seen intact."
Seth's choice of words word poor, but accurate. The crash ripped the ship to shreds, searing deck plates and bulkheads away from their junctions. Their jagged edges, combined with their weight, tore through most of the crew, killing them before the Istanor came to a rest.
"Notify the transport."
"On it," Set responded and closed the channel.
***
Besides Seth, no one found any signs of life. Abeu separated from his former handler and carefully made his way through the debris on what remained of the ship's Bridge. With his control over metal, the youth easily passed through obstructing bulkheads.
Unfortunately, the nerve center of the vessel was like the remainder of the ship - blood and bodies everywhere. The enclosed space heated up in the jungle, faster than he thought. Combined with the regions humidity, the smell hit him like a wall as he stepped onto the deck plating.
Abeu closed his eyes and took a deep breath though his mouth. Even circumventing his nasal passages didn't help reduce the smell here and the shattered portal offered little help.
He quickly darted his eyes about, noticing Lehet's torso against the port wall, while what Abeu presumed were his legs were pinned next to a support girder.
"Shit. Let's do it," he said, mustering the courage to see if anyone here was alive, something he knew was highly unlikely. Regardless of that fact, Abeu began methodically checking each lost soul for life.
***
Dark mist began forming around the crash site. Strands of the phantom material congealed, forming an orb-shaped mass. The orb hardened and sank into the mountainside. It then exploded, sending pieces of the blackened material outwards, revealing Dra'isod, X-Bot, and several Shadow Warriors and Dragon Riders.
Dra'isod stepped forward and smiled. "They're here." Turning to his troops, he gave but one command, "Kill them."
***
Leslie knelt beside a dead crewmember. She marveled at the young woman's composure in what were her last few moments of life. The woman's blue eyes showed no signs of fear, only strength and honor. Leslie knew that when the time came, that's how she wanted to pass.
Leslie extended her hand and draped the woman's eyes. Slowly, she let her hand fall, closing the crewmember's eyes. Throughout her search for survivors, Leslie had found no one left in tact. This special soul's vessel made it through the crash in one piece and she wanted to honor that with a moment of meditation.
The Fire QiRanger closed her eyes and cleared her thoughts. Calmness flowed over her like spring water trickling down a mountain stream. All things in the universe flowed in harmony, despite the recent losses of Master Li and the Istanor. She focused on the woman she shared space with, hoping to catch some last impression of her spirit.
What she found was more disturbing.
Leslie could feel each individual hair on her next stand on end. "Danger," she thought and immediately jumped to her left.
Crashing through the bulkhead behind her were two Dragon Riders. Each had their forearm blades extended and tore through the metal barrier as if it were paper.
Leslie looked up at the two opposing figures and began to feel the fire burn within her body. The power charged her muscles and prepared her for battle.
The closet Dragon Rider charged forward with his blade, but Leslie easily kicked it aside with her left leg and sent her right foot barreling into his abdomen. The force sent the Rider back through the opening and landing into the slate.
Left alone with the QiRanger, the other Rider wasted no time and lurched forward.
Leslie threw her legs over head, back flipping into a fighting stance.
The Rider couldn't stop his forward motion and rammed his twin blades into the deck plating where Leslie last laid.
With the Rider bent over, she repeatedly kicked the Dragon Rider in the ribs before he broke free. The Rider's right elbow came crashing down on her knee. Unable to compensate for the blow, Leslie Chen dropped to the floor, landing on her wounded knee. The force of the impact intensified the strike.
Seeing his enemy lying before him, the Rider thrust his blade at her again.
Leslie rolled aside, but was unable to get very far. She slammed into a bent girder just outside the reach of the Dragon Rider. Quickly, she tried to get her bearing and devise an attack plan. From the corner of her eye, she saw that the other Rider and joined his companion and the pair was ready to strike again.
The two warriors closed in as fire consumed Leslie. Flames danced in the irises of Leslie's eyes and began erupting through her pores. The sudden change halted the progress of the Dragon Riders, as the intense heat of the flames pushed them back.
Leslie stood and allowed the flames to wrap around her body. The bright red and orange flickering energy wove around her arms and legs and swirled over her head before hardening. Leslie brought her arms in front of her chest and crossed them. "Fire!" she yelled and spread her arms apart as the cocoon shattered revealing her armor. The Fire QiRanger quickly snapped to an attacking stance and began drawing Qi to her hands.
The Dragon Riders recovered from the suffocating heat and charged the QiRanger. The Dragon Rider to Leslie's right raised his arm and drove his blade towards her. She easily blocked the blow and grabbed hold of his arm. The added leverage allowed her to spin him around and up against the girder.
The other Rider continued his attack, but Leslie side kicked him in the chest plate. The added power of the Fire Qi cracked the Rider's armor and cast him backwards.
Turning her attention to the Dragon Rider up against the girder, she laid into him. Channeling her Qi to her left fist, Leslie broke through his armor on the first strike.
The Dragon Rider screamed in pain as shards of the protective material bore into his flesh.
Leslie drew back her arm again and sent it flying through the gaping hole she created. The gloved hand of the Fire QiRanger became nothing more than a ball of fire as it ripped into the body of the Dragon Rider and incinerated him from within. The flames consumed him in a matter of seconds and turned the once feared Dragon Rider to nothing more than ash.
Leslie turned around hearing an enraged scream coming at her from behind. It was the other Rider running towards her with both blades pointed at her.
The Fire QiRanger spun around and drew her Fire Qi into her hands and sent forth a shockwave of fire. The spiraling flames engulfed the Dragon Rider, transforming him to ash.
Leslie no more than blinked before two more Dragon Riders and three Shadow Warriors jumped down from the fuselage and surrounded her.
She tightened her right and called forth her Qi Saber. The Shining blade materialized and burst into flames. Leslie smiled beneath her helmet, ready to exact revenge on all those who had perished.
***
Dra'isod took one final look outside before following X-Bot into the Istanor's hull. While not confident his men would be victorious, he was certain they could occupy the QiRangers long enough for the robot to collect the information and leave.
"Where's the unit?" the warrior asked. He hated following anyone, much less playing nursemaid, but in a mission as critical as this, he's the only one he trusted to ensure the safety of the metallic "thing."
Not wavering from its duties, the X-Bot answered in its polished British accent, "Fifteen meters forward, two meters below."
"Good. The sooner we get the data, the sooner we can get out of here."
"I really don't understand your animosity, Dra'isod," the robot asked while knocking over a support beam.
"I understand the importance of this mission and the value you hold, but I would much rather fight along side my troops than sneak around."
"Ah," Jeffery's voice said. "You don't perceive this as an honorable endeavor."
"Precisely."
"Then it is fortunate that we are here," the robot stated standing before a bulkhead.
"The wall?" Dra'isod asked.
"In the next compartment," X-Bot said wryly. Extending both its arms, the robotic avatar carefully began cutting an opening for it and Dra'isod to pass through. The arcs from the electrical Diskharge illuminated the pair in the darkened corridor.
The slurping sound of metal being electrified filled Dra'isod's ears. The sound was quite odd, nothing he was used to in the weapons foundry. Fortunately for him, it passed quickly and the bulkhead gave way and waffled in smoke.
"We are ready," X-Bot announced and stepped through the opening. Dra'isod followed, dilating his irises to accommodate for the decreased light in the cabin.
"Great," the mighty warrior thought.
The only thing present that gave off light was the system console to the pair's left. The large unit consisted of two data ports and one keyboard station set between four monitors.
The X-Bot walked to the unit and paused before it. The shielding over the torso began to separate as Dra'isod looked on. Once opened, the inner data connectors of the X-Bot were revealed. Beside the holographic projector, twin data cables unraveled and lowered into each of the X-Bot's hands. The Machine carefully plugged each device into the reciprocal port on the ship's system and in a matter of seconds X-Bot announced, "Connection secured."
"How long before you get the data?" Dra'isod asked.
"It will take only a few minutes to counter their authentication protocols. Their security programs are quite rudimentary. I'll be able to bypass them and collect the teleportation specifications. It is unknown how large the data files are."
"Just do it quickly."
"Yes, no need to keep us waiting," a voice said from behind Dra'isod.
The mighty warrior quickly spun around and saw two figures outlined against the bright door. One had a dark tinge to it and felt unfamiliar, but the other he could sense. "Water," he thought to himself.
"Continue, I'll take care of these humans," he said, crossing his arms and allowing his hands to grab hold of the swords sheathed in their scabbards. Pulling each double-bladed weapon out, the metal slipped past the gold rim of the scabbard, making a sweet symphony of metal on metal.
Robert and Seth separated and flanked the mighty warrior. Seth summoned his Qi Saber and Shield. Guarding his body, Seth leaned in with his Qi Saber.
Dra'isod easily blocked the attack and countered with his free blade. The sword came crashing down on the Shield and Seth buckled under the force of Dra'isod's attack, not accustomed to such power.
Robert took advantage of Dra'isod's diverted attention and aimed his plasma arm at the warrior's back. Locking on, he fired. The blue pulse shot from his armored hand and flew at the Dragon Warrior.
Before the blast hit, Dra'isod spun around and absorbed the plasma bolt in his sword and redirected the energy off to the side. His eyes burned with red intensity. Roaring loudly, the beast shot ruby red beams from its sockets that superheated the air.
Robert dodged the blast as the beams melted the bulkhead behind his position.
Looking backwards, Robert looked up from his reclined position at the hole now present behind him. "Shit," he thought.
Dra'isod wasted no time in continuing the attack. He kept his other head fixed on the Water QiRanger and released a frosty mist from its mouth.
Seth blocked the cold haze with his Shield, but the freezing mist transformed his protective barricade to ice. The chill penetrated his blue armor and Seth pulled back, unsure what to do.
Dra'isod drove his sword at the Water QiRanger and shattered the Shield. Seth covered his chest with his arm, blocking the blade with his forearm. Dra'isod's blade buried itself deep into Seth's armor.
Seth could feel the cool steel sink into skin and tinge as the blade's edge pressed pass the armor and broke through the outer layers of his body. Blood began to flow freely as the surface capillaries were compromised.
Pushing outwards, Seth dislodged the blade and countered by swinging his Qi Saber at Dra'isod and sweeping the Dragon's legs.
The accomplished warrior parried the thrust and leapt over the swinging legs.
Robert took advantage of Dra'isod's position and jumped across the cabin. The black armored NASO operative slammed his body into Dra'isod and carried him through the adjoining bulkhead.
Seth turned his attention to the X-Bot, not sure what it was doing, but knowing that it couldn't be good. Before he could make a move, five Copy bots appeared between Seth and their source.
"So much for making this easy," he thought.
***
The Fortress's rock garden continues to offer peace and quiet to all those who enter. The secluded nature of the facility often draws Bruch'oda here to meditate and practice his combat skills. Because only a few corridors in the fortress reach this haven, Bruch'oda uses the garden as a sanctuary from his troubles on the throne. The sanctuary allows the Warlord the ability to unwind and ponder the possibilities out of view. This haven enables Bruch'oda to relax and do what is needed without being in constant view. It is for this reason he chooses to train Xantia here, himself.
Each warrior knows that every battle is won on its individual merit. Bruch'oda is no different. He continually trains to maintain and extend his combat skills. Not only to assist if the time was needed in the continuous battle with the QiRangers, but to fend off those who might seek his throne.
Bruch'oda artfully progresses through a complex kata. His arms and legs move in unison as he transitions between each pose. No longer in his armor, Bruch'oda continued to train in his black gi. The overlapping golden dragons appear to take on a magical appearance - flying over his shoulders and surrounding him in power.
Bruch'oda concluded his sequence and stood in the center of the garden. The mighty emperor of evil closed his eyes and entered into a meditative state. He focused on his surroundings, joining with the Qi that surrounded him. With each breath, he strengthened his muscles and added for his power.
Bruch'oda felt a presence enter the garden. The figure stepped softly on stone tablets leading from the corridors to the central ring. He took a deep breath as he finally recognized the energy signature of the person approaching.
"You're late," his gruff voice boomed.
"That is merely a matter of perspective," Qual'och said wryly.
The response startled Bruch'oda. He was sure he had sensed his daughter. He quickly spun around revealing his surprise at seeing Qual'och rather than Xantia.
"Expecting someone else?" the Wizard asked with a smirk.
"Where's Xantia?" Bruch'oda questioned, moving closer to Qual'och.
"Ah," the cleric began, "I'm afraid she will no longer be joining you."
"What?" he Bruch'oda sternly said
"I killed her," Qual'och said nonchalantly.
All signs of expression left Bruch'oda's face. For an instant he couldn't move or think. The thought that his daughter was no longer among the living was inconceivable. The mighty Warlord of Evil simply stood still completely dumbfounded.
"Or more accurately, she killed herself," Qual'och corrected himself.
Bruch'oda's blood boiled over. Rage filled every cell in his body. No longer would he take such crass statements from the Wizard. He needed to know what happened to Xantia and he intended to do so now. If in fact, Qual'och killed his daughter, Bruch'oda would see to it that the Wizard's life would end as well.
Bruch'oda summoned a massive ball of Dark Qi. The violent swirling mass of energy thundered under the control of its master. Screaming with rage, Bruch'oda forced the Qi to strike its target. The darkened energy mass shot forward as Qual'och stepped back to brace for the attack.
Using his command of Qi, Qual'och erected a defense barrier. Bruch'oda's Qi Strike became absorbed by the defense screen. Qual'och smiled at his new found power and commanded the Qi to return to its origin.
The Qi Strike moved just below the speed of light. The amazing speed at which the energy sped across the garden surprised Bruch'oda. The Warlord recovered his senses in enough time to jump out of the way. The Qi Strike passed him and imploded on the far garden wall, crumbling the stone and brick wall.
Bruch'oda leapt into the air and drew his right leg in front. Flexing his foot, the warrior focused his Qi to his heel and prepared to drive the weapon through his opponent.
Qual'och smiled and waved his hand, casting an invisible wave of energy at his former Lord and Master. The energy shocked Bruch'oda and threw him aside as if he were nothing more than a simple fly.
"You have no idea what power truly is," Qual'och boomed. "To have the Ru'dth in your possession all these millennia and never draw upon it was an abomination."
Bruch'oda somersaulted and landed. He allowed his body to drop to one knee and focused his thoughts on the cleric. Behind Qual'och was stone bench on the center area's margin. Bruch'oda reached out with his mind and lifted the stone structure. Pulling with his thoughts, the Warlord flung the bench at Qual'och.
Sensing the danger, Qual'och turned and caught the bench with his six arms.
Bruch'oda took advantage of the momentary distraction and charged Qual'och.
What he thought was an opportunity, was nothing more than an invitation for pain. Qual'och spun quickly, swinging the bench as if it were a bat and connected with Bruch'oda.
The bench shattered upon impact as it transferred its kinetic energy into its target. Showered with bits of granite and powder, Bruch'oda fell to the ground holding his badly beaten left side.
Qual'och smiled, letting his energy fill his eyes with power.
Bruch'oda picked himself up off the stone tiles and charged Qual'och again. He screamed with rage as the wizard blocked a quick serried of punches and landed a single kick to Bruch'oda's gut. The single kick sent Bruch'oda into the air and in the rock garden.
Bruch'oda blew the chalky dust from his mouth and pushed back up to charge Qual'och. He raced in and unleashed a barrage of punches and spinning kicks at the robed cleric.
Qual'och easily blocked each jab and kick with a single arm. With every attempt to strike Qual'och, Bruch'oda became more enraged. Punch after punch was blocked without even as much as a hint of Qual'och's weakening.
Bored of the constant onslaught, Qual'och hooked Bruch'oda's arm and tapped him on the chest. The tiny blow shattered his breast bone and sent the Warlord flying back twenty meters. Bruch'oda fell into the stone tiles lining the outer margin of the garden and spat up blood.
"You see, our failure to defeat the QiRangers last time was your fault," Qual'och started.
"What?" Bruch'oda said as blood began to spill from his lips.
"That's right," the Wizard gloated. "Everything lies within the harmony of the universe. Each of the QiRangers holds command over one of the five elements, just as your forces do. But what you failed to recognize, was that the Ru'dth was the counter to her powers."
Bruch'oda's draw dropped at his realization that Qual'och was correct.
He shook his logic aside and stood. "I don't care about that," he thought, "He killed Xantia and I must avenge her!"
"That's not this is about Qual'och," Bruch'oda boomed drawing his hands into fists. "This is about Xantia."
"If you would have unleashed the power five thousand years ago, the outcome would have been different. We would not have been banished to the Shadow Realm. We would not have been defeated!" Qual'och yelled channeling Dark Qi to his hands and firing a Qi Strike at Bruch'oda.
The black energy consumed the Warlord and shocked his body with powerful strands of electricity. Bruch'oda stood in the middle of the garden, shaking violently as the Qi Strike ravaged his body. Unable to control his body, he began screaming in intense pain.
Laughing, the Wizard extended his middle arms and cast a spell over Bruch'oda. Instantly the Warlord rose into the air while continuing to suffer the effects of the Dark Qi. Qual'och walked towards Bruch'oda with a feral grin on his reptilian face.
Standing in front of Bruch'oda, the Wizard looked at his former leader.
"What happened to Xantia?" Bruch'oda winced, trying to move air through his lungs as the electrical shocks grew with intensity.
Qual'och ceased the attack and allowed Bruch'oda to fall haplessly to the tiled floor. He stooped down and gazed at Bruch'oda.
"She sacrificed herself for me. You see the Ru'dth's powers were lost to the abyss when Kor'digh died. The only way to restore their powers was to secure the life energies of two individuals. One from the light and one from the darkness."
"Why her?" Bruch'oda struggled to get out.
"The lives had to be given freely. Xantia was easily convinced, although she did not realized that by summoning the Dor'Agha it would come at a price. Master Li was the other side of the equation and the Shadow Reaper was more than willing to take on the assignment. Your daughter loved me more than you will ever know and I used that trust to secure the Ru'dth for myself. This power cannot be lost again."
Qual'och knelt beside Bruch'oda. Grabbing a hold of his gi, he lifted his former master into the air as he came to his feet. "Don't worry. I still have a use for you," he snickered.
The Wizard placed his upper, right hand over Bruch'oda's eyes and emitted a pale purple energy wave. The light totally consumed Bruch'oda, whose body went limp under the control of Qual'och.
"Good," Qual'och said, "Good."
The wizard gently let Bruch'oda down to the stone floor. The reptilian ruler knelt and somberly looked up to Qual'och, "What is your bidding, Master?"
***
"Arrrrr!" Seth yelled while he swept his Qi Saber in front of him. The blue shimmering blade easily penetrated yet another Copy Bot and exposed its inner housing to death. The Water QiRanger continued his onslaught against the Copy Bots wielding his sword and Disk. In the past few minutes, Seth had easily dispatched several Copy Bots, but his handiwork was beginning to catch up with him.
With each robot he destroyed, Seth added to the pile of litter that filled the dark cabin. The only light being emitted was from the computer console operated by the X-Bot and the countless smaller explosions as the Water QiRanger tore through the Copy Bots. In fact, Seth's newfound proficiency with the Qi Saber and Qi Disk the sea of debris he created was actually making it harder for him to maneuver and advance towards the X-Bot. With each Copy Bot he destroyed, another manifested to take its place, thus creating an endless wall for him to breech.
"Whatever that thing is up to, it's got to be almost finished. This is hopeless," he thought to himself as he threw his Qi Disk at two new Copy Bots barricading themselves in Seth's path. Each of the robotic warriors stood tall in the ankle-deep sea of robot parts that now littered the area behind the X-Bot. The twin weapon of destruction fired their energy cannons at the approaching Qi Disk, but Seth commanded the weapon of pitch and yaw out of harms way. The circular weapon then ripped through their torsos and caused the metal combatants to explode; however, something different happened this time. A large flash of white light filled the cabin. The light was so bright; Seth had to shield his eyes beneath his visor.
After the flash, Seth peeled back his arm to see the Copy Bots beginning to implode. The crinkling sound of metal pushing in on itself filled the cabin and reverberated in his helmet. One-by-one the Copy Bots were reduced to the size of tin cans. The QiRanger reached up and caught his returning Qi Disk wondering aloud what happened, "What the.?"
"Open sesame," Abeu said from behind.
Seth turned around and saw the bulkhead wall spit apart like wet toilet paper revealing the Metal QiRanger. The white armored warrior charged through the opening to join his comrade.
"Abeu? How did you." Seth quickly asked.
"It's metal," he said energetically. "The way I figure it, we all have domain over our elements. It took more concentration than opening the doors in the bunker, but I can do pretty much anything to metal now."
Seth could sense the power and emotion from his comrade. The joy that coursed through his body was electric, so much so, that Seth could almost see the smile beneath Abeu's helmet.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Seth asked, pointing to the X-Bot.
"All right," the Metal QiRanger said. He adopted a low bow stance and drew his hands into this Tan Tien. White energy massed in the warrior's hands and churned with static energy Diskharging into the air.
Seth could feel his own body charge with power as his Water Qi was strengthened by the Diskharge from Abeu's energy sphere. Not wanting to drain any of his partner's power, Seth stepped back a few feet to ensure Abeu's safety.
X-Bot retracted his data cables and turned around. Seeing that its latest efforts to dismantle the QiRangers failed, the robot decided to take care of the situation itself. Lowering its arms, the robot fired two energy bursts at the QiRangers. The twin beams of lightening arced in the air and connected with the growing Qi Ball Abeu developed.
X-Bot attempted to cease the energy attack, but the link between the two metals drew too much power. Its internal circuits overload and melted under the intense heat. Sparks shot out from behind the holographic projector in the unit's torso as well as deep to the cervical servos.
"Now!" Seth yelled.
The Metal QiRanger released the giant white Qi Strike and metal energy erupted from his hands. The white beam hit X-Bot and destroyed him instantly. The robot's metal framework melted under the temperature and pressure of Metal Qi. As the frame of the X-Bot crumbled, the hydrocarbons separated and joined with the surrounding air molecules to create a fine mist that filled the cabin.
Seth patted Abeu on the shoulder, "Good work. Let's go help Robert."
The pair nodded and took off through the opening Abeu created.
***
Gone was the serine hillside that rose into the air from the Amazon jungle floor. The smooth granite landscape speckled with flora was replaced by a sea of debris and hundreds of bodies - both human and demon alike. The scorched earth ran dark, covered with a sea of blood. Gloom hovered over the scene as death filled the air.
Dra'isod stood surrounded by the five QiRangers and Dwyer. Looking past his foes he saw that he was the last to survive the so-called surprise attack on the QiRangers. Gone was the elite team of Dragon Riders he assembled- their bodies laying slain on the hillside. With the QiRangers focusing their attack on him, the X-Bot was either destroyed or had been retrieved since the Metal and Water QiRangers had joined the battle.
"Six against one," Dra'isod thought. "This should just about make it fair."
Each of the QiRangers held their Qi Sabers at the ready and carefully circled Dra'isod. Not a word was spoken as the two forces silently stared one another down. The demon warrior stood valiantly, using his twin-bladed swords to keep the QiRangers at bay.
"You can't win," Leslie ordered, "Drop your weapons and surrender." In her heart, she knew that was not an option Dra'isod would take, but her conscious had to make the offer. Peering through her visor, she could see the large beast become enraged.
Dra'isod turned his fire head towards the red QiRanger, "How little you understand our ways. Your predecessors knew all too well that this was a matter of honor. There is no surrender."
Dra'isod dropped his swords and launched his attack by darting at the Fire QiRanger.
Leslie reeled back, preparing for Dra'isod's attack. The mighty Dragon Warrior circled his arms and brought his blades and brought them to bear on Leslie. She drew her Qi Saber up to deflect Dra'isod's attack and channeled Qi into her blade. The glistening metal glowed red with power as it became fortified with extra power. However, even with the extra energy, it was barely enough to stop Dra'isod's progression. She threw her left leg backwards to allow herself more give and absorb the blow as the twin blades came crashing down on her.
With one QiRanger occupied, Dra'isod turned his other head towards the remaining QiRangers and fired a ray of Dark Water Qi to scatter them. The dark blue energy fanned out from his position, but each of the QiRangers managed to avoid the blast. This gave Dra'isod just enough time to spin around and bring his second blade to bear on Leslie.
With her Qi Saber blocking the first attack, Leslie left herself wide open for Dra'isod's second wave. He swept the other sword's leading edge behind her axillary's border with the right shoulder blade. The sweet spot would sever much of Leslie's rotator cuff and shoulder muscles if she could not stop it.
Leslie tried to move her Qi Saber from Dra'isod's pounding pressure, but failed. She winced as the stinging pressure gave way to a rush of pain that flowed over the area as the sword breached her armor. Crimson blood oozed from the opening as Dra'isod dug the sword deeper into the gash.
"Ahhhh!" She screamed as the blade continued to travel deeper in her and tear her muscles apart. Leslie closed her eyes as tears of pain streamed from their corners and attempted to fortifying herself with power, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't break free.
Dra'isod's face peeled back to reveal a purely evil grin.
Luís darted forward, summoning his War Hammer. The large staff and weapon shone brightly as it came into being in his right hand. Swinging the mallet wildly, the Earth QiRanger parried the Dragon Warrior's first attempt to counter. This single act was all that was needed to force the beast to release his hold on Leslie.
Wielding her blade, the Fire QiRanger freed herself.
"Not good enough," Dra'isod chortled as Leslie slumped to the ground clutching her side.
Dra'isod turned his water head towards Leslie while keeping his other set of eyes on the QiRangers. The Dragon Warrior released a torrent of Dark Qi at Leslie.
Leslie tried to jump out of the way, but the injuries she'd sustained slowed her. The Qi Strike impaled itself on her left foot and exploded in giant flash of light, sending the Fire QiRanger flying head over heals. The attack also had another effect - the armor surrounding her ankle and foot became destabilized and disintegrated. The only thing remaining was the charred remains of her flesh. "Aaaarh!" Leslie yelled as she flew into the soil a few meters away.
Luís quickly looked to see if she was all right, but as Leslie clutched her ankle and said, "I'm okay," the hesitation gave Dra'isod all the time he needed to escape the Earth QiRanger's hold. The mighty Dragon Warrior twisted his body and released a roundhouse kick that connected squarely with the yellow QiRanger's helmet.
Luís' body gave way to the incredible force of the kick soared through the air backwards. The three second journey into the air ended with the QiRanger landing spread eagle in the granite, creating a fine mist of dust around him. The loud thud of his impact echoed throughout the canyon.
"Luís!" Abeu yelled from behind Dra'isod.
Dra'isod quickly turned to face the Metal QiRanger but was stuck in the side by a plasma blast. The beam caught the warrior off guard. The precision of the strike impressed Dra'isod, as it took great skill to hit the weakest point of his armor - the seam joining his ventral and dorsal plates.
"Hey ugly!" Robert taunted as he examined the strike with his electromagnetic sensors. The readings coming back showed only that the armor's integrity had diminished but not broken. In fact, it showed that Dra'isod sustained no injuries at all. "Shit!" he thought to himself. "If this is his weakest point, then we're in for a world of hurt."
"Pathetic attempt, human," Dra'isod responded firing dual blasts from his heads. Dark Water Qi shot forward and barely missed Robert, who used his enhanced speed to dodge the blast. The fire head spat its energy towards Abeu.
The Metal QiRanger dropped to the ground and allowed the Qi Strike to pass over him. As the Fire Qi traveled by, he sensed his armor fluctuating. Closing his eyes, Abeu balanced his Lung and Large Intestine Meridians to strengthen his armor. The white armor covering his body solidified and settled after a moment. Abeu jumped to his feet and called forth his Bow. The white curved weapon materialized and he pulled back an energy arrow.
Abeu let the white engorged energy arrow slip past his fingers and fly towards Dra'isod. The brilliantly lit weapon streaked through the air leaving behind contrails, dead on for its target.
Dra'isod spied the oncoming threat and leaped into the air, allowing the arrow to pass harmlessly beneath him. Somersaulting over Luís, he landed with a definitive thud. Peeling back his thin lips, the Dragon Warrior smiled. "Better luck next time," he boomed with his gruff voice.
"No need to wait," Robert said, charging his cybernetics. Bursting forward in an amazing display of speed, he quickly covered the ground between himself and Dra'isod. As the black clad armored figure approached, Robert dug into the earth and began to tackle the Dragon Warrior. Leading with his right shoulder, Robert plowed into Dra'isod before he could escape.
Both of the warrior's eyes bulged as the air was knocked from his lungs when Dwyer's heavily armored body compressed his torso. The pair continued through the air for a few meters before Dra'isod was able to tuck his legs underneath Robert and send the NASO Operative flying off with a powerful kick.
Robert tucked his body to control his flight. His quick action allowed him to land gracefully, ready to continue the attack.
Dra'isod looked around, trying to formulate some sort of strategy that would enable him to overcome the QiRangers and escape - but none was coming to mind. "If only I could get them far enough away to teleport, I could return to the Palace," he thought.
But the attacks wouldn't cease.
Seth joined Abeu and the pair readied the Water QiRanger's Disk in the Abeu's Bow. Metal Qi swirled around the Qi Disk, supercharging the circular blade. "Go!" Seth yelled and Abeu released the weapon.
Spinning violently and almost out of control, the Qi Disk ripped through the air at Dra'isod.
The massive Dragon Warrior dropped to the ground and rolled clear as the Disk made its first pass, but Seth quickly commanded his weapon to turnabout and attack once more.
This time prepared, Dra'isod fired Fire and Water Qi from his heads at the oncoming Disk. The twin beams of dark energy smacked into the oncoming weapon and the two opposing forces erupted in a massive explosion. Dark clouds of smoke filled the air as a shockwave expanded outwards from the collision zone. The powerful energy knocked the QiRangers and Robert to the ground and released a thunderous clap into the canyon.
When the smoke and thunder cleared, Seth's Disk laid in pieces on the mountainside and Dra'isod stood tall ready to take on them all.
"Holy shit," Seth said in disbelief.
"We can do this, Seth," Leslie affirmed as she channeled additional Fire Qi to her injured foot and quickly repaired the flesh and reassembled her armor. "Let's bring it to him!" she yelled as her Qi Saber burst into flames. The red QiRanger focused her thoughts and energy and strode towards Dra'isod, ready to send the Dragon Warrior to his grave.
The other QiRangers grunted and called forth their Qi Sabers and charged them with their elemental energies. The five blades shone brightly in the afternoon light as their carriers prepared for battle.
Dra'isod's eyes narrowed as he readied his blades for the final confrontation.
Luís struck first, but the Earth QiRanger was no match for the Dragon Warrior's overpowering strength. Kneeing the yellow QiRanger in the ribs, Dra'isod skirted the Mexican aside.
Abeu attempted to strike from behind, but Dra'isod trapped his blade between his pair and quickly turned. Summoning his Fire Qi, the Dragon Warrior unleashed the Qi Strike directly at the Metal QiRanger's Tan Tien.
The blast exploded in Abeu's face and instantly tore through his armor. Sharp pain shot through his entire body as the blow sent him flying backwards.
The blow affected each of the QiRangers as if it hit them. Each of their guts ruptured and cramped with intense pain.
Dra'isod wasted no time tending to the fate of the Metal QiRanger and quickly turned his attention to the Wood QiRanger's attack.
He quickly sent her reeling back with a roundhouse kick, but couldn't recover in time for the Water QiRanger's approach.
"Abeu!" Seth cried as he brought his Qi Saber down on Dra'isod's arm.
"I've got him!" Robert cried from the side, racing towards the youth.
Knowing that their comrade would be taken care of, the others intensified their attacks on Dra'isod. But no matter what they did, he was able to counter their advances.
"We've got to think of something," Leslie thought to herself as she fired her own Qi Strike at the Dragon Warrior, only to have it blocked by his sword.
***
Robert skidded to a halt in the soft shale. With all the recent battles, he truly wasn't prepared for what greeted him.
Abeu lied in the soil before him, his armor destroyed. A gaping hole delving into his entrails existed in his belly and blood flowed everywhere. Struggling to speak, Abeu could do nothing more but look up at the black armored warrior above him.
Robert knew the look on the child's face - the look of fear - the look of death. In the months preceding the war, Robert had come to count on Abeu as a key member of his team. In fact, he took it upon himself to ensure that he always stayed behind in secured areas. He knew Seth felt the same way, but things were different now, at least for the time being.
"Please." Abeu cried, blood spurting from his lips.
Robert deactivated his Stealth Armor and kneeled beside the child. Cradling him in his arms, Dwyer tried to comfort Abeu, "Don't try to move."
Anger swelled in Robert as he could clearly see the boy starting to fade. The color from his skin was gone and his eyes began glossing over. "No!" he yelled, but Abeu's injuries were too great.
Coughing more blood, Abeu took his hand and placed it in Robert's. "Go. Help them," he struggled to say as Robert felt the warmth of blood mix with his palms. But there was something else - something foreign.
"Abeu!" Robert yelled, shaking the boy's body, trying to bring his soul back. But it was no use.
Life slipped away from Abeu Basbakar and Robert was helpless to do anything about it. The NASO Operative slowly laid his teammate on the ground and released his tears.
From the corner of his eye, he could see the QiRangers each pause - a sign that Abeu was gone from their link. He also saw Dra'isod grin and take advantage of the discordance. Sweeping their legs, the mighty warrior dropped Luís and Jayde to the ground.
Robert stood and stared at Dra'isod, who began turning the tables on the QiRangers. Clenching his fists, he knew what he needed to do and took off racing for dragon Warrior.
"You're mine!" he grittily asserted.
***
Jayde Yee leapt forward aiming her Battle Axe at Dra'isod's left head. While the beast was occupied with her teammates, the Wood QiRanger hoped that a window would open, allowing her to avenge Abeu's death.
With sweat pouring over her face, Jayde clenched her teeth and screamed in her mind. The anger fueled her body and focused Wood Qi into her arms and blades.
Dra'isod sensed the increase of energy behind him and spun around. He quickly snapped his leg into the air and caught Jayde in her midsection. The brute force of Dra'isod knocked not only the very breath from her body, but sent the QiRanger flying backwards.
Jayde grunted in pain as she landed in the mountain's soil a few meters away.
The force of the landing added another knockout blow to the tired QiRanger.
Shaking off the aches she felt, Jayde opened her eyes to see two red boots beside her. Following the legs upwards, she saw the familiar armor of Leslie Chen, the Fire QiRanger.
"Here," Leslie said as she extended her hand down to help Jayde to her feet.
"Thanks." Jayde looked on as the other QiRangers attempted to subdue Dra'isod to no avail. She shook her head, "This isn't working. There's got to be another way."
"You're right," the red clad warrior said. Turning to face the battle, Leslie's mind drifted back to her training in the ancient ways of healing. Leslie knew she was missing something but couldn't place her finger on it.
Then it came to her.
"Abeu," she said.
"What?" Jayde asked.
"Think about it. It's so simple!"
Jayde could feel and see the excitement in her friend grow with the realization. The sensation quickly spread through their link and entered her body as well.
"Just as Seth used his Qi to heal you, Dra'isod used his Fire to destroy Abeu's metal."
Before Leslie could even finish her sentence, Jayde completely understood what needed to be done.
"Then if Seth and Luís double team him, they'll cancel the bastard out."
"Right!" Leslie yelled ecstatically.
Jayde felt a wave of warmth cascade over her body. "Let's do it!"
***
Robert Alexander Dwyer charged over the mountainside towards Dra'isod. Every cell in his body became electrified as his thoughts focused on one single task: Destroy Dra'isod.
With each step, Robert's cybernetic extensions channeled power from the nanobots' fusion rectors to his body. His legs, arms, and torso began shimmering with bright lights as his speed increased to nothing more than a blur.
Dra'isod and the other QiRangers only heard the crackling sound of heat moving through the air coming towards them.
Growling, Dra'isod pushed aside Luís and Seth. "What now?"
The Water and Earth QiRangers skidded to a halt in the shale and were quickly aided to their feet by their comrades.
Drawing back his lips, Dra'isod's eyes narrowed and drew a bead on the blur approaching.
Robert smiled leaped into the air. Soaring above the battle arena, he looked down on Dra'isod. Taking the small token Abeu gave him on his deathbed, Robert drew it before him and cried out, "Metal!"
Liquid streams of metal seeped from his pores and pooled around his body while massive streaks of white energy charged his Lung and Large Intestine Meridians. The liquid metal solidified into the sleek, formfitting armor of the Metal QiRanger. Robert's medallion glowed briefly as it drifted from his hand and secured itself into his belt buckle.
Dra'isod readied his twin swords and tracked the Metal QiRanger's arc.
Fully transformed into his new armor, Robert summoned the Qi Saber and gripped it tightly in both hands.
"Pathetic humans," Dra'isod thought. "So weak and eager to die."
Dra'isod crossed his blades above and prepared to receive the new Metal QiRanger.
Robert landed in front of Dra'isod and brought his Qi Saber down. While Dra'isod was easily able to thwart the others, Robert with his enhanced body and power of Metal, crushed Dra'isod's defenses.
The Metal Qi Saber shimmered white and ripped through Dra'isod's twin blades. Shrapnel filled the immediate area and ricocheted off Robert's armor.
Dra'isod reeled back, shocked as the Qi Saber impacted his armor, shattering it completely.
Jumping into the air, Robert let loose a series of kicks, each one more powerful than the last.
Dra'isod was dumfounded by the barrage and with each blow driven backwards.
Robert's final tornado kick sent the mighty Dragon Warrior flying through the air and into the shale.
The Metal QiRanger landed and was quickly joined by his peers. The five QiRangers stood ready and prepared to finish the battle.
"Now, let's finish this," Leslie boomed with authority. Her confidence exuded over the group and her fellow QiRangers eagerly nodded in agreement.
Leslie and Jayde shared their realization with Seth and Luís. The pair nodded, understanding what needed to be done from their telepathic link. Robert was aware of the link the others shared, but being relatively new, he wasn't privy to their silent form of communication.
"What are you doing?" he asked as the two QiRangers stepped forward and began summoning their Qi. Twin balls of energy formed in their hands.
Leslie approached Robert, allowing the Earth and Water QiRangers to concentrate. "The five elements work together, each one giving rise to the next. However, a specific element can control its grandchild. Just as the Fire Qi destroyed the Metal Qi protecting Abeu, their Water and Earth Qi can countermand his Water and Fire Qi."
Robert shook his head. "I just don't get it," he thought. All his life he had trained in the arts of science. "I am science," he realized. But something changed. Abeu's gift made him more than that. For the first time in his life, he saw the universe for what it actually was - a wonderfully complex symbiosis of opposing forces and he was just now only beginning to comprehend his naiveté.
Closing his eyes, Robert attempted to "switch off" his computer systems and feel the universe. The sensation of the Metal Qi churned through his body was only the beginning. With each breath, he felt as if a great veil had been lifted and now he could finally understand. Robert opened his eyes to witness the power displayed before him.
While Seth's Water Qi circulated in his hands, the sound of crashing waves echoed in the canyon. Beside him stood Luís, whose hands embroiled the power of Earth and shook the ground with power as its rumbling filled the air.
Across the debris filed, Dra'isod groggily managed to come to his feet. Each breath was made with effort, as the blow took a lot out of him. Standing erect in front of the QiRangers, Dra'isod grunted, forcing twin streams of stem to exit his nostrils. These quaffing swirls of mist mixed with the steam coming off his chest. Where the armor had once been only charred scars remain.
"You think that will be enough, puny humans? You will never defeat me!"
The Dragon Warrior clapped his hands and thunderous waves of energy rang in the QiRangers' ears. Drawing his own Qi into his body, Dra'isod reconstructed his armor.
The Water and Earth QiRangers brought their leading legs forward and scream, "Aaaarh!"
The two QiRangers released their energy and twin beams of Qi left their body. Weaving together, the blue and yellow strands began spinning and wiping the surface of the earth clear of debris. They roared with power as they covered the distance between the QiRangers and Dra'isod.
Dra'isod snarled and cried out, "Never!" as he looked at the approaching energy blast.
Drawing inward, he channeled his own power into his hands. One hand released a volley of red energy while the other sent forth a column of blue energy. The twin strands of Dark Water and Fire Qi melded and bore down on the beams from Luís and Seth.
The two opposing forces met in the middle of battlefield with a thunderous explosion. The resulting shockwave rippled across the debris field, moving the huge remains of the Istanor and drove each party back in the shale. Dra'isod and the QiRangers tried to maintain their position, but could not. The force from the colliding Qi Strikes was too great and shale and soil began pushing up around their boots as each second found them sliding backwards.
Dra'isod's eyes narrowed as it took every ounce of strength to keep the QiRangers' attack from consuming him. With each breath he converted Air Qi into Water and Fire to be used against the QiRangers.
Likewise, sweat poured over the faces of Seth and Luís. The strain from the constant battles of the day and the Qi Strikes was beginning to show on the QiRangers as their arms began to shake.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," Seth said from under his helmet.
"Me too," Luís added, "He's so strong."
Stepping beside the Earth QiRanger, Leslie smiled, "But we're stronger."
Placing her hand on Luís' back, Leslie channeled her Fire Qi in her hand. With the contact on her teammate's back the Fire Qi was quickly absorbed into Luís' body. The resulting combination increased the Earth QiRanger's ability to generate the Qi Strike and fortified him with new power.
Taking his lead from Leslie, Robert stepped behind Seth and focused his newly found Metal Qi into the Water QiRanger's system. No longer did Seth feel tired or drained from the experience - in fact he felt alive and infused with new energy.
The fueling Qi from Leslie and Robert strengthened the twin Qi Strikes. Glowing with additional power, its force slowly began overtaking Dra'isod's defenses.
"No, this can't be happening," the Dragon Warrior thought. With each breath, he could feel his resolve fading.
Seconds passed and the QiRangers' blast began to overtake Dra'isod's. It was shortly thereafter, that their beam easily crushed through the opposing force from Dra'isod and tore into him. As a being of Fire and Water, the opposing Earth and Water energies ripped at his very cellular construct. The once vibrant warrior ceased to be filled with life and grew dark and cold. His flesh quickly solidified as the Qi from his body evaporated.
In one final push, the QiRangers sent an additional wave of Qi into Dra'isod's body. This last bit overloaded the Dragon Warrior and he exploded in a blazing display of past glory, sending chunks of his hardened body everywhere.
Seth and Luís collapsed to the ground as their armor faded away. The two QiRangers desperately sucked the air in an attempt to get more Oxygen into their lungs.
Leslie, Jayde, and Robert let their armors dematerialize and quickly helped their friends to their feet. Each of the QiRangers smiled briefly at their victory, but the moment passed.
The Comm-link in Leslie's ear chirped, "Recovery One to Alpha Team, please respond."
Leslie tapped her transdermal unit and responded, "This is Chen. Go ahead."
"Is everything all right? We just picked up a massive explosion at your location?"
"We ran into some hostiles, but took care of them. What's your ETA?"
"We're just a few minutes out. How many survivors were you able to find?"
Leslie paused for a moment before answering. "One."
"What's the patient's status," the Recovery Operator asked.
"He's fine. No injuries at all," she responded looking at Robert.
Tapping his Comm-link, Robert spoke, "This is Agent Dwyer. On your approach, did you detect any signs of Dr. Staal?"
"No sir, but we weren't scanning either. LEO lost track of his Comm-link and he hasn't reactivated his armor."
"Understood," Robert said. "When you touchdown, we'll make a few passes and then head out."
"Copy. Recovery One, out."
The QiRangers closed their Comm-links and looked at one another silently. They knew these recent victories came at a steep price. Far too many lives had been lost: Master Li, the crew of the Istanor, and Abeu.
"Did any of you by chance come across Gary?" Robert inquired.
All the QiRangers' faces became sullen.
"No." Jayde said quietly.
Robert closed his eyes and hung his head low. "I'm so sorry my fiend," he thought. For the past twenty years, he had been friends with Dr. Staal and he never imagined that Gary would never be at his side. Throughout his youth and university studies, he always maintained their friendship.
Tears began swelling in his one, human eye. "I can't believe he's gone. He's got to be out there somewhere."
"If he is, we'll find him," Leslie said in a comforting voice. The Fire QiRanger stood next to Robert and placed her gentle hand over his shoulder.
In the distance, the QiRangers could hear the familiar hum of a Voytefsky Freighter. Looking up, they saw the huge ship descending from the sky.
"Looks like our ride is here," Seth said.
Robert looked up and focused his eye on the transport. He knew the crew was at great risk for coming to get them. Flying outside the protective umbrellas was dangerous, as the ships were easy targets for Bruch'oda's forces. He was just thankful that they had made the safe journey. Hopefully, their luck would hold out just a little longer - long enough to find Gary and bring him home.
The Voytefsky extended its wings and fired the ventral thrusters. Wind swirled around the QiRangers as dirt flew around. Each QiRanger brought their hands up to guard their faces, as the craft landed and sent shale outwards from the ship's exhaust ports. The steady flow of debris was so great, that the QiRangers found refuge behind one of the Istanor's wing remnants.
The Voytefsky released its landing struts and settled into the clearing it made. Once on the ground, the crew opened the rear panel and began lowering the aft access ramp.
With the Freighter finally on the ground, the QiRangers stepped from behind their barriers and ran towards the ship.
"Come on, let's go," Leslie said.
"What about Abeu?" Jayde asked.
"We can't. We need to come back and retrieve them all when it's safe," Robert answered.
Six troopers stood atop the ramp, ready to charge down the ramp if needed.
But that was not the case. The QiRangers quickly made their way up the ramp and into the craft. Once on board, the Trooper at the entrance pushed the console to raise the ramp and notify the pilot that all were aboard.
The ship's hydraulics' whined as they brought the ramp up.
The weary QiRangers sat quietly in the cargo hold's jump seats and waited for the ship to complete its extraction mission. Bu the ship wasn't taking off, but rather just sitting there on the mountainside.
Robert looked around, hoping to find some sort of clue as to what was happening, but found nothing. Activating his Comm-link, he tapped into the ship's internal system. "Flight, what's the hold up?"
Hardly able to hold back his excitement, the pilot responded, "We've got another passenger ready to come aboard."
Robert jumped up from his seat and raced to the ramp. Looking out from the lowering plank, he saw his friend running towards him. Joy filled his body and leaked out his eye. "Thank God."
***
End of Chapter Five - Band of Brothers.
***
Leslie Chen continued holding Li's medallion in her right hand. Looking at the aged golden object, her eyes tracked each mark as they made their way around its circumference and connected with one another. Like many things in life, the symbol of Li's power was an analog for all things natural. The interwoven lines representing individuality and connection, isolation and community, life and death.
She closed her eyes and concentrated. The Fire QiRanger tried to hold back the tears, but could not. One small salty drop made its way to the surface of her lower eyelid and began streaking slowly down her face. The watery substance left behind a trail of residue on her soft, smooth skin. The drop completed its run, curing under her chin and then fell to the jungle floor below.
It had only been moments before that her teacher had been killed, but with the surging emotions and responsibility, Leslie found it hard to remember what Master Li looked like. His seemingly frail, yet powerful body had protected the Earth for so many years was now nothing more than a thought in her mind. Nothing was left in the real world for them to see - nothing more than ash and dust.
Despite their loss, Leslie and the other QiRangers vowed to ensure Earth's freedom. Bruch'oda may have the upper hand at the moment, but with two of the five Mystic Doors sealed, she hoped this was the turning of the tide that could once again sweep the forces of evil in the nether regions of the universe.
Sniffling back the remainder of her tears, Leslie glanced at her teammates as she rubbed the three vertical lines on the medallion with her thumb, hoping that some of its wisdom would somehow diffuse into her.
Nothing.
She really didn't expect it to but, "What the hell," she thought.
Seth, Abeu, Jayde, and Luís stood silently waiting for her next words. She didn't know what to say. Loosing a friend or a loved one was always tough, but losing someone who's mind you shared was almost as bad as being severed from the link of the Ultimate QiWarrior. In fact, it was worse because you no longer had the connection and you knew that the loss was permanent.
"We need to get going, Leslie," Seth said.
She could feel his hesitation at speaking, but she knew he was right. With his experience as a handler for the North American Security Organization, she trusted his opinion, almost feeling that it would be wiser to defer to him.
"You're right. We've succeeded in sealing the door. We need to move out and regroup. Figure out what we're going to do next."
The others begrudgingly nodded and stepped away from Master Li's remains.
"Shouldn't we." Abeu began, not really knowing how to finish his thought but submitting to the sorrow in his face as tears began streaming. The image in his mind was crystal clear, but the words escaped him. Abeu wished to pay tribute to their fallen comrade and thought they should collect his remains, taking them back to the station with them.
"No," Jayde replied putting her arms around the young man, trying to offer some sort of comfort. "He was born here and passed away the same. His body was interconnected to all living things on this planet. Removing him from it would be a greater disservice. Allowing the wind to spread his ashes to the four corners while the earth reclaims the rest is the most respectful."
Bowing his head, Abeu pretended to understand what the Wood QiRanger said, but let it pass, as he could feel the dichotomy in the team over what to do with his suggestion. Searching within his own soul, he tapped into the last remnants of the link with Master Li to try and understand what Jayde said. It was only then that he realized Jayde was correct.
"Come on," Leslie said walking towards the ancient tree. "We should clear out."
Raising her right hand to her neck, Leslie tapped the small transdermal communication device implanted on her skin. "Chen to Istanor."
She waited for a moment, hearing only dead air. Turning her head to the right, as if straining to hear a faint whisper, Leslie leaned into the absent Comm-link, hoping to get a reply.
Nothing.
"Istanor, please respond."
Still, there was nothing but silence. Leslie looked at Seth. "Maybe mine's damaged."
Seth Goldman nodded and placed his right middle finger on the Comm-link embedded on his skin. "Istanor, please come in."
Still no reply was heard.
"What do you think happened to them?" Abeu asked.
Each thought of the worse and tried not to acknowledge it. With all the advances technology gave them, the simple answer was that if no one picked up the other line, it meant only one of two things: they were unwilling to do so or that they were unable to do so. If it were the latter, the QiRangers knew they had lost a powerful ally.
"Goldman, this is LEO Operations, please respond," a voice stated through the Comm-link.
Seth wrinkled and instantly recognized the voice of that of LEO Station Security Chief Mario Tarazi. He also knew that if Tarazi was contacting them directly, something was terribly wrong. Seth Goldman responded, "Go ahead."
"Is everyone all right? We're not picking a transponder signal from Li," Tarazi began.
Leslie activated her Comm-link and answered Tarazi's question, "He's," she began, fading off right before stating aloud for the first time the fate of Master Li. Taking a deep breath, she summoned the strength to state it - solidifying his death as fact, "He's dead."
The Comm-link went dead for a moment. Each of the QiRangers started to wonder just what was going on when Tarazi spoke, "I'm sorry. That makes what I'm about to say that much more difficult."
Each began thinking the worst - with no reply from the Istanor, they were sure she met with a similar fate.
"A few minutes ago, the Istanor went down."
"What happened?" Leslie interjected.
"They were diverting the attention of the Dragon Riders, as planned, but things got out of hand. The ship took a beating, but was able to take care of the Dragon Riders with the assistance of Robert, Gary, and the Luna Space Police. However, a new Bogey came on the scene with a horde of robots. This proved too much for them and the ship started taking severe damage."
Each of the QiRangers hung on every word Mario Tarazi said while picturing the battle in their mind's eye.
"When the clearing wave came through from the Door, it took out the enemy, but the shockwave created such a distortion in the air flow, that the ship went into a flat spin."
"Then we're responsible for their deaths," Leslie thought.
The phrase echoed in each of them - at what price had the victory been? First Master Li and now the crew of the Istanor, what other innocent pawns would sacrifice their lives?
"They crashed into a small mountain range a hundred and four miles south of your position."
"How many survivors?" Jayde asked with little optimism.
Jayde and the others could tell from the pause that the forthcoming news wasn't promising. "From our scans, we detect no signs of life at the crash scene. Visual inspections concur."
"Shit," Leslie said under her breath.
Nothing was said for several seconds, no one wanting to say the first word.
"I don't believe it," Leslie said. "Someone had to have survived. Scans can be wrong. Hell, Gary would have survived that easily, not to mention Robert."
"We hope we're wrong, but being pragmatic about the situation. Gary and Robert would be the most likely candidates for survival, but we're not sure. The wreckage is spread out over a square mile and the chances of any of the crew to survive are slim to nil. We've tried contacting Dwyer and Staal, but they haven't responded. Furthermore, we can't lock onto their tracking devices," Tarazi concluded.
"It sounds like you've given up hope," Seth stated.
"Hardly," Tarazi countered quickly. "We diverted a Voytefsky en route to the Sahara to the crash site. They'll be there within the hour. Supplies are limited onboard, but there are a couple of HERCs and some triage equipment. The site is outside the safety umbrella, so they'll be vulnerable to attack."
"We'll rendezvous with them at the crash site and assist in the recovery," Leslie said.
"Once we've recovered any survivors, they'll transport you back to the station."
"Understood."
"LEO out."
The Comm-link closed, leaving the QiRangers in silence.
"All right, we know what we have to do," Leslie said.
The others nodded and pressed their hands together. Each summoned their inner Qi and allowed the power to circulate through the meridian systems until it consumed every cell in their body. In a whirlwind of multicolored light, the QiRangers teleported away from the final resting place of Master Li.
***
A little over a hundred miles from the QiRangers' previous location, Dr. Gary Staal remained unconscious in a small crater resulting from his impact with the Amazon jungle floor. Any normal human would have surely perished from such a fall - been crushed under the weight of their body thrown to maximum velocity - but Staal was cybernetically enhanced with millions of nanobots, allowing his body to adapt to any circumstance.
The small robots altered his biochemical structures during the fall and changed him from a being of flesh and bone, to one made out of diamonds. It was a memory pattern installed within his defense system from the initial testing series. While there, NASO scientists subjected him to many hazards - lightening, acid, plasma fire, and diamond-tipped drill bits. All these challenges remained in the memory cores of the nanobots- waiting to be called upon when needed.
In fact, the artificial intelligence residing in the nanobots didn't even need input from Gary to activate - it was an automatic process - where once the challenge was introduced to his body, the robotic engineers would instantly begin to alter his physiology and counteract the threat.
However, in this instance, the impact was too much for Staal and he succumbed to the blackness - but his body did not.
Slowly, he began to come around.
While the diamond enhancements protected him from direct harm, all things must submit to the laws of physics. The sudden stopped played havoc with his craniosacral system and sent his brain reeling against his skull, shocking his system. Gary felt the throbbing in his head - an incredible pounding as if one had become a nail and was repeatedly being stricken with sledgehammer.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom! When the sensation - every contraction of his heart sending blood through his body - giving him life, while causing him intense pain as the expanding vessels made their they up his neck and into his brain.
The second thing Gary sensed was a foul tasting substance in his mouth. It wasn't blood or saliva, or even some of the nasty moonshine he and Robert tried that one summer in Kentucky. No, it was something else - something moist and gritty.
Dirt.
Gary began coughing, trying to get the dirt out, which made his pounding skull that much worse. Moaning, he finally tried to open his eyes. Only once before in his life had he ever seen stars. He always thought that was just a lame expression, but when he fell off a mechanical bull one summer in Rio, he learned the hard way that it was one of the most accurate descriptions for the conditions.
He continuously blinked his eyes, trying to eliminate the bright spots clouding his vision. It took a few seconds before it did, but finally Gary was able to make out the crater and the immediate surroundings. He tried to pick him self up, but every bone in his body ached - something he was grateful for, as he knew what the alternative would be.
It took some concerted effort, but Gary was finally able to push himself up and come to his feet. The process took several seconds, and each move was coupled with a groan and deep breath. He quickly looked around, but the sudden motion played havoc with his equilibrium and he began to stumble.
"Whoa there big fella," he told himself sending his arms out to try and balance himself. Each step was an adventure, but he managed to steady himself and regain his composure. Now, he slowly continued turning his head, allowing his eyes to carefully look over the surrounding terrain and ascertain what his situation was. As his visual pass made its way to the left, Gary's heart dropped at the sight of smoke rising in the sky.
"No," he said, closing his eyes. Deep in his heart, he knew this was the inevitable result of the damage the Istanor sustained. Gary just wished he wasn't right. He went to activate his Comm-link, but as he tapped the communication device, it felt odd.
Upon inspection, Gary found the unit to be damaged beyond repair. The display unit cracked and the central processor crushed from the fall. "Great," he thought. "Not only can I not contact the others, but the Stealth Armor keying sequencer is damaged too."
"Well, no time to sit and fuddle around, I've got to get there to help the survivors," he said aloud, trying to bolster support for his notion that hopefully someone survived the crash.
Despite the intense pain, he began trekking through the jungle towards the smoke.
***
Staring at the sphere before him, Bruch'oda could not help but take a side glace at Qual'och. The once feeble cleric had once again been transformed into a mighty magical warrior, something he didn't think possible. Losing the Ru'dth in the manner he did should have severed the link between the medallion and Qual'och, but something had changed. Somehow he was able to secure the powers once more. "Perhaps the madness has already consumed him. This can only mean he is dangerous," he thought. "Regardless, it is a price that might be well worth it, if we can secure the technology and expand out presence into space." Once again, he looked at the image and stared at the contraptions. "Such things these humans build."
"Dra'isod, stand beside me," Bruch'oda commanded, no longer using a tone that invoked shame in the fierce warrior below him.
While it only had been a few moments earlier that Bruch'oda had cast a fury of electrical energy onto him, it appeared that all was forgiven, Dra'isod thought. "At least for the time being." He knew with great power came the ability to do what one wanted, whenever they wanted - this also meant those that served bore the brunt of his anger should they fail.
Dra'isod walked up the steps, approaching the image sphere. Each foot placed on the stone sent an echo into the cathedral ceiling. He made sure he took his time rising up the staircase to inspect the image, not wanting to give Qual'och the satisfaction of continuing to upstage him. Each footstep moved him closer and gave him a moment longer as he began plotting to position him, in what he was sure to be a most violent power struggle.
"How did he get the Ru'dth back?" he thought, remembering that Bruch'oda words as he awoke from the healing waters of the caverns - the vivid description of not only Qual'och receiving the powers contained in the medallion, but the violent release of energy after Kor'digh was slain. "This can't be good. Something's going on and it will jeopardize not only myself, but I fear Bruch'oda as well."
Keeping one pair of eyes firmly fixed on the sphere and the other on Bruch'oda, Dra'isod continued to wonder about Qual'och. "Those in the past that had received the Ru'dth always were mad. No matter what they tried to do to counter the artifact's power, the result was the same - utter destruction - not only for he who carried the Ru'dth but all those around as well. That's why Bruch'oda was wise in sealing the medallion for all these years."
The Dragon Warrior completed his ascent to the top tier and met Bruch'oda at the edge of the mighty staircase. His methodical climb took minutes, but Qual'och didn't want to stay too far behind. In his new form, great powers were now at his disposal and effortlessly he leapt from the floor to the dais in one easy step, showcasing his increased power and signaling a warning to Dra'isod as if to say, "You may have been the mightiest warrior, but that has changed."
"What of the QiRangers? Where are they?" Bruch'oda asked, ignoring the wizard's display of power.
It was the first time Qual'och had been silent since emerging from his exile following the defeat at the Earth Door. His mind raced, trying to find the most appropriate words, but his hesitation gave the answer away.
"You' don't know," Bruch'oda said with disgust. "For all you know they could already be approaching the ship or have left the planet in some way."
"No sire," Qual'och quickly said, "At the moment I cannot sense them, which can only mean one of two things. Either they are hiding under the energy umbrella release from the Mystic Door or that they have left the Earth. Without the ship and its technology, the QiRangers are trapped on Earth. It will only be a matter of time before the resurface and we crush them once and for all."
"What of the computer unit? Bruch'oda inquired.
Desperately trying to strengthen his position, Qual'och quietly walked behind the evil overlord, preparing to place himself between his master and Dra'isod. With each step, he inched his way closer to his goal. "As you can see, the ship is placed in a precarious spot," he started, altering the viewing sphere to depict the entire crash site. "The main body of the human craft crumbled under the force of the crash and broke apart. The area that is of importance, lies within this section," he continued, zooming in on the fuselage of the Istanor, penetrating the outer hull and into the Systems Core Room.
A slumped over body draped the computer core, washing a fine spray of fresh, red blood over the main console and monitors. Debris was laid out all over the cabin crumbled supports gave way to the mountain that had made its way into the ship. Gone was any semblance of security - the only thing that remained somewhat in tact was the computer core itself - everything else was in shambles. Fine, gray smoke trickled into the compartment from the surrounding fires, occluding the view before a gust of wind wiped the area clean.
"As you can see the ship's hull places the unit in a unique position. The slightest moment, could damage the memory files and render it useless to us. The only way to achieve our goal is to make sure Jeffery's circuits download the information directly," Qual'och concluded.
Mechanical servos were heard faintly in the distance. Their clamor clicking and clacking as the hydraulic pistons performed their work, carrying the X Bot from the dark corridor adjacent to the Throne Room into the main hall. The light from the wall sconces shone brightly on the metallic avatar's chest, highlighting the black X. With each step, his mighty weight created small cracks in the stone underfoot, yet he continued to march to the foot of the stairs. This weapon, created by the naive Gerard LaFleur and altered by Qual'och, was all the time becoming useful.
"Then what do you propose? " Bruch'oda asked, letting the slight irritation he felt begin to creep into his voice. Earth's overlord shifted his weight and peered at the powerful wizard who had now positioned himself between himself and his lead general.
"While I could teleport the vessel here, it would be at some risk. Without the support of the mountain, the fragile control boards and cables would sever. Another option would be to transfer the entire mountain here," Qual'och said slyly.
"Please, Wizard. Do not boast," Dra'isod said gruffly, no longer hiding his disdain.
Qual'och smiled at his foe, knowing full well he commanded the full powers of the Ru'dth, and with that anything was possible. For a fraction of a second he toyed with the idea of pinching closed the carotid arteries leading up to his left brain and starving the nerve center. "What the hell," he thought and with the power of a single thought commanded the surrounding tissue to close.
The effect was instant.
Dra'isod couldn't determine where the pain was coming from only that it was intense and nondescript. He winced as the sensation crept up his left neck to the base of the skull and shot into his brain. He experienced a headache like no other and started to lose the connection between his brains. He thought his blood was boiling as the pain escalated to the mighty warrior's threshold of tolerance.
Then, everything returned to normal.
"You'd be surprised at what I could achieve, if I put my mind to it," Qual'och said, winking at the Dragon Warrior.
"Stop wasting time," Bruch'oda said.
The wizard bowed humbly and continued, "Dra'isod is partly correct. The only way to be entirely certain the ship remained intact and protect our precious cargo would be to transfer the entire mountain here. Something that is neither wise nor practical. Thus the only option is to send Jeffrey to the site to interface with the system directly."
Bruch'oda looked down at the creation that motored into the Throne Room. "It isn't even alive. It only does the bidding of that it serves and with Qual'och's recent acquisition, I no longer feel as if he can be truly relied upon," he thought.
"If the machine is to be sent," Bruch'oda said aloud, "then precautions need to be taken. We can't risk the QiRangers' interference." Moving around Qual'och, the massive Emperor of Earth walked to this trusted aide, Dra'isod. "Take your best men and see to it that no one survived. If any of the QiRangers show up, kill them."
Lifting his left head to meet Bruch'oda's stare, Dra'isod silently nodded accepting charge of the mission. With his right, he glared at Qual'och and smiled, pulling his lips back to expose his sharp fangs. "Try as you might Wizard, he will always defer to me to carry out his battles," he thought, feeling reassured that his position as head of all armies was intact.
The Dragon Warrior stepped backwards, standing up and allowing his chest to expand and reveal his true stature. "We shall leave at one, my Lord."
***
It only took a few moments for the QiRangers to traverse the hundred and four miles from the Wood Mystic Door to the crash site of the Istanor. The scene was far worse than they had imagined. Smacked into the mountain was what remained of the ship that hap carried them from space to Earth. Fragments of metal were buried in the tilled soil and human remain littered the area. As each stepped foot onto the devastated area, one single thought went through them; however, it was Luís who acted up it first.
Deep within his bowls he could feel the churning sensation, one gets when viewing death. The foul stench of decaying bodies and intestinal matter was not only strewn over the landscape for several hundred meters, but permeated the air. With each breath, the smell entered his body, causing him to convulse.
It began with a simple abdominal contraction, which he was able to control. The feeling brought tears to his eyes as he barely missed stepping on what was left of one crewmember's hand. Subsequent convulsions grew faster and more powerful until the white and yellow contents of his stomach rose up through his esophagus and out his mouth. The force at which the vomit left his body sent the liquid flying through the air, landing some three feet from Luís.
As the vile liquid splattered into the soil, chunks of semi-digested food particles ricocheted onto Abeu's boots. The combined stench of the bodies around him and Luís vomit was too much for the teen and he doubled over and threw up as well.
The combined smell from the dead bodies and vomit forced the other QiRangers to choke back their own vomit, each taking several steps away and closing their eyes.
"Get a hold of yourself," Leslie thought, trying to instill a sense of control. Throughout her years of training, she learned how to focus her mind and overcome many physical challenges. "I can do this," she asserted, knowing this was simply another challenge that her mind could triumph over.
Both Luís and Abeu wiped their vomit away and looked at the others, redness filling their faces. No one said anything and there was nothing to be embarrassed about. It was normal to become sick at such a site - to not, wouldn't be human.
"We should spread out and search for survivors," Seth suggested.
"What the ship's power core? Shouldn't we be concerned about radiation?" Jayde asked.
That thought hadn't occurred to anyone else, but the Wood QiRanger brought up a valid point.
Seth quickly surveyed the crash site. "I don't think so. The Istanor's fusion reactors were well insulated and despite the nature of the crash, I doubt the housing would have been breeched. I think we'll be all right."
His words didn't exactly exude confidence, but the others had no reason not to trust him.
"Okay," Leslie began, "let's get to it. I know there's got to be a few survivors here."
The QiRangers quickly separated and began scouring the site. Seth and Abeu headed north towards the forward section of the ship, while the others scattered and began searching the mid and aft sections. Jayde splintered from Leslie and Luís to focus on a large cross section containing several bulkheads from the ship's wing mounting point.
***
Leslie pushed through the brittle bulkhead separating two cabins in the aft crew quarters. With each room she searched, her hopes of finding someone alive diminished. Every time she found someone lying under debris, she allowed her hopes to be raised, only to be crushed when the person was void of vital signs. "Maybe he was right," she thought to herself. "I don't think there are any survivors."
The chilling thought raced through her body and brought another tear to her eye. The loss of so many dedicated and honorable men and women was almost too much for the young QiRanger from China.
"I found Rob!" Seth exclaimed through the Comm-link. "He's unconscious, but alive."
Leslie smiled, knowing at least one person would walk away from this wreck. "Is he hurt?" she asked.
After a short pause, Seth responded. "Not that I can see. He's got a pretty tough skin, but I think he just had the wind knocked out of him."
"Any sign of Dr. Staal?"
"No. Rob's the first person I've even seen intact."
Seth's choice of words word poor, but accurate. The crash ripped the ship to shreds, searing deck plates and bulkheads away from their junctions. Their jagged edges, combined with their weight, tore through most of the crew, killing them before the Istanor came to a rest.
"Notify the transport."
"On it," Set responded and closed the channel.
***
Besides Seth, no one found any signs of life. Abeu separated from his former handler and carefully made his way through the debris on what remained of the ship's Bridge. With his control over metal, the youth easily passed through obstructing bulkheads.
Unfortunately, the nerve center of the vessel was like the remainder of the ship - blood and bodies everywhere. The enclosed space heated up in the jungle, faster than he thought. Combined with the regions humidity, the smell hit him like a wall as he stepped onto the deck plating.
Abeu closed his eyes and took a deep breath though his mouth. Even circumventing his nasal passages didn't help reduce the smell here and the shattered portal offered little help.
He quickly darted his eyes about, noticing Lehet's torso against the port wall, while what Abeu presumed were his legs were pinned next to a support girder.
"Shit. Let's do it," he said, mustering the courage to see if anyone here was alive, something he knew was highly unlikely. Regardless of that fact, Abeu began methodically checking each lost soul for life.
***
Dark mist began forming around the crash site. Strands of the phantom material congealed, forming an orb-shaped mass. The orb hardened and sank into the mountainside. It then exploded, sending pieces of the blackened material outwards, revealing Dra'isod, X-Bot, and several Shadow Warriors and Dragon Riders.
Dra'isod stepped forward and smiled. "They're here." Turning to his troops, he gave but one command, "Kill them."
***
Leslie knelt beside a dead crewmember. She marveled at the young woman's composure in what were her last few moments of life. The woman's blue eyes showed no signs of fear, only strength and honor. Leslie knew that when the time came, that's how she wanted to pass.
Leslie extended her hand and draped the woman's eyes. Slowly, she let her hand fall, closing the crewmember's eyes. Throughout her search for survivors, Leslie had found no one left in tact. This special soul's vessel made it through the crash in one piece and she wanted to honor that with a moment of meditation.
The Fire QiRanger closed her eyes and cleared her thoughts. Calmness flowed over her like spring water trickling down a mountain stream. All things in the universe flowed in harmony, despite the recent losses of Master Li and the Istanor. She focused on the woman she shared space with, hoping to catch some last impression of her spirit.
What she found was more disturbing.
Leslie could feel each individual hair on her next stand on end. "Danger," she thought and immediately jumped to her left.
Crashing through the bulkhead behind her were two Dragon Riders. Each had their forearm blades extended and tore through the metal barrier as if it were paper.
Leslie looked up at the two opposing figures and began to feel the fire burn within her body. The power charged her muscles and prepared her for battle.
The closet Dragon Rider charged forward with his blade, but Leslie easily kicked it aside with her left leg and sent her right foot barreling into his abdomen. The force sent the Rider back through the opening and landing into the slate.
Left alone with the QiRanger, the other Rider wasted no time and lurched forward.
Leslie threw her legs over head, back flipping into a fighting stance.
The Rider couldn't stop his forward motion and rammed his twin blades into the deck plating where Leslie last laid.
With the Rider bent over, she repeatedly kicked the Dragon Rider in the ribs before he broke free. The Rider's right elbow came crashing down on her knee. Unable to compensate for the blow, Leslie Chen dropped to the floor, landing on her wounded knee. The force of the impact intensified the strike.
Seeing his enemy lying before him, the Rider thrust his blade at her again.
Leslie rolled aside, but was unable to get very far. She slammed into a bent girder just outside the reach of the Dragon Rider. Quickly, she tried to get her bearing and devise an attack plan. From the corner of her eye, she saw that the other Rider and joined his companion and the pair was ready to strike again.
The two warriors closed in as fire consumed Leslie. Flames danced in the irises of Leslie's eyes and began erupting through her pores. The sudden change halted the progress of the Dragon Riders, as the intense heat of the flames pushed them back.
Leslie stood and allowed the flames to wrap around her body. The bright red and orange flickering energy wove around her arms and legs and swirled over her head before hardening. Leslie brought her arms in front of her chest and crossed them. "Fire!" she yelled and spread her arms apart as the cocoon shattered revealing her armor. The Fire QiRanger quickly snapped to an attacking stance and began drawing Qi to her hands.
The Dragon Riders recovered from the suffocating heat and charged the QiRanger. The Dragon Rider to Leslie's right raised his arm and drove his blade towards her. She easily blocked the blow and grabbed hold of his arm. The added leverage allowed her to spin him around and up against the girder.
The other Rider continued his attack, but Leslie side kicked him in the chest plate. The added power of the Fire Qi cracked the Rider's armor and cast him backwards.
Turning her attention to the Dragon Rider up against the girder, she laid into him. Channeling her Qi to her left fist, Leslie broke through his armor on the first strike.
The Dragon Rider screamed in pain as shards of the protective material bore into his flesh.
Leslie drew back her arm again and sent it flying through the gaping hole she created. The gloved hand of the Fire QiRanger became nothing more than a ball of fire as it ripped into the body of the Dragon Rider and incinerated him from within. The flames consumed him in a matter of seconds and turned the once feared Dragon Rider to nothing more than ash.
Leslie turned around hearing an enraged scream coming at her from behind. It was the other Rider running towards her with both blades pointed at her.
The Fire QiRanger spun around and drew her Fire Qi into her hands and sent forth a shockwave of fire. The spiraling flames engulfed the Dragon Rider, transforming him to ash.
Leslie no more than blinked before two more Dragon Riders and three Shadow Warriors jumped down from the fuselage and surrounded her.
She tightened her right and called forth her Qi Saber. The Shining blade materialized and burst into flames. Leslie smiled beneath her helmet, ready to exact revenge on all those who had perished.
***
Dra'isod took one final look outside before following X-Bot into the Istanor's hull. While not confident his men would be victorious, he was certain they could occupy the QiRangers long enough for the robot to collect the information and leave.
"Where's the unit?" the warrior asked. He hated following anyone, much less playing nursemaid, but in a mission as critical as this, he's the only one he trusted to ensure the safety of the metallic "thing."
Not wavering from its duties, the X-Bot answered in its polished British accent, "Fifteen meters forward, two meters below."
"Good. The sooner we get the data, the sooner we can get out of here."
"I really don't understand your animosity, Dra'isod," the robot asked while knocking over a support beam.
"I understand the importance of this mission and the value you hold, but I would much rather fight along side my troops than sneak around."
"Ah," Jeffery's voice said. "You don't perceive this as an honorable endeavor."
"Precisely."
"Then it is fortunate that we are here," the robot stated standing before a bulkhead.
"The wall?" Dra'isod asked.
"In the next compartment," X-Bot said wryly. Extending both its arms, the robotic avatar carefully began cutting an opening for it and Dra'isod to pass through. The arcs from the electrical Diskharge illuminated the pair in the darkened corridor.
The slurping sound of metal being electrified filled Dra'isod's ears. The sound was quite odd, nothing he was used to in the weapons foundry. Fortunately for him, it passed quickly and the bulkhead gave way and waffled in smoke.
"We are ready," X-Bot announced and stepped through the opening. Dra'isod followed, dilating his irises to accommodate for the decreased light in the cabin.
"Great," the mighty warrior thought.
The only thing present that gave off light was the system console to the pair's left. The large unit consisted of two data ports and one keyboard station set between four monitors.
The X-Bot walked to the unit and paused before it. The shielding over the torso began to separate as Dra'isod looked on. Once opened, the inner data connectors of the X-Bot were revealed. Beside the holographic projector, twin data cables unraveled and lowered into each of the X-Bot's hands. The Machine carefully plugged each device into the reciprocal port on the ship's system and in a matter of seconds X-Bot announced, "Connection secured."
"How long before you get the data?" Dra'isod asked.
"It will take only a few minutes to counter their authentication protocols. Their security programs are quite rudimentary. I'll be able to bypass them and collect the teleportation specifications. It is unknown how large the data files are."
"Just do it quickly."
"Yes, no need to keep us waiting," a voice said from behind Dra'isod.
The mighty warrior quickly spun around and saw two figures outlined against the bright door. One had a dark tinge to it and felt unfamiliar, but the other he could sense. "Water," he thought to himself.
"Continue, I'll take care of these humans," he said, crossing his arms and allowing his hands to grab hold of the swords sheathed in their scabbards. Pulling each double-bladed weapon out, the metal slipped past the gold rim of the scabbard, making a sweet symphony of metal on metal.
Robert and Seth separated and flanked the mighty warrior. Seth summoned his Qi Saber and Shield. Guarding his body, Seth leaned in with his Qi Saber.
Dra'isod easily blocked the attack and countered with his free blade. The sword came crashing down on the Shield and Seth buckled under the force of Dra'isod's attack, not accustomed to such power.
Robert took advantage of Dra'isod's diverted attention and aimed his plasma arm at the warrior's back. Locking on, he fired. The blue pulse shot from his armored hand and flew at the Dragon Warrior.
Before the blast hit, Dra'isod spun around and absorbed the plasma bolt in his sword and redirected the energy off to the side. His eyes burned with red intensity. Roaring loudly, the beast shot ruby red beams from its sockets that superheated the air.
Robert dodged the blast as the beams melted the bulkhead behind his position.
Looking backwards, Robert looked up from his reclined position at the hole now present behind him. "Shit," he thought.
Dra'isod wasted no time in continuing the attack. He kept his other head fixed on the Water QiRanger and released a frosty mist from its mouth.
Seth blocked the cold haze with his Shield, but the freezing mist transformed his protective barricade to ice. The chill penetrated his blue armor and Seth pulled back, unsure what to do.
Dra'isod drove his sword at the Water QiRanger and shattered the Shield. Seth covered his chest with his arm, blocking the blade with his forearm. Dra'isod's blade buried itself deep into Seth's armor.
Seth could feel the cool steel sink into skin and tinge as the blade's edge pressed pass the armor and broke through the outer layers of his body. Blood began to flow freely as the surface capillaries were compromised.
Pushing outwards, Seth dislodged the blade and countered by swinging his Qi Saber at Dra'isod and sweeping the Dragon's legs.
The accomplished warrior parried the thrust and leapt over the swinging legs.
Robert took advantage of Dra'isod's position and jumped across the cabin. The black armored NASO operative slammed his body into Dra'isod and carried him through the adjoining bulkhead.
Seth turned his attention to the X-Bot, not sure what it was doing, but knowing that it couldn't be good. Before he could make a move, five Copy bots appeared between Seth and their source.
"So much for making this easy," he thought.
***
The Fortress's rock garden continues to offer peace and quiet to all those who enter. The secluded nature of the facility often draws Bruch'oda here to meditate and practice his combat skills. Because only a few corridors in the fortress reach this haven, Bruch'oda uses the garden as a sanctuary from his troubles on the throne. The sanctuary allows the Warlord the ability to unwind and ponder the possibilities out of view. This haven enables Bruch'oda to relax and do what is needed without being in constant view. It is for this reason he chooses to train Xantia here, himself.
Each warrior knows that every battle is won on its individual merit. Bruch'oda is no different. He continually trains to maintain and extend his combat skills. Not only to assist if the time was needed in the continuous battle with the QiRangers, but to fend off those who might seek his throne.
Bruch'oda artfully progresses through a complex kata. His arms and legs move in unison as he transitions between each pose. No longer in his armor, Bruch'oda continued to train in his black gi. The overlapping golden dragons appear to take on a magical appearance - flying over his shoulders and surrounding him in power.
Bruch'oda concluded his sequence and stood in the center of the garden. The mighty emperor of evil closed his eyes and entered into a meditative state. He focused on his surroundings, joining with the Qi that surrounded him. With each breath, he strengthened his muscles and added for his power.
Bruch'oda felt a presence enter the garden. The figure stepped softly on stone tablets leading from the corridors to the central ring. He took a deep breath as he finally recognized the energy signature of the person approaching.
"You're late," his gruff voice boomed.
"That is merely a matter of perspective," Qual'och said wryly.
The response startled Bruch'oda. He was sure he had sensed his daughter. He quickly spun around revealing his surprise at seeing Qual'och rather than Xantia.
"Expecting someone else?" the Wizard asked with a smirk.
"Where's Xantia?" Bruch'oda questioned, moving closer to Qual'och.
"Ah," the cleric began, "I'm afraid she will no longer be joining you."
"What?" he Bruch'oda sternly said
"I killed her," Qual'och said nonchalantly.
All signs of expression left Bruch'oda's face. For an instant he couldn't move or think. The thought that his daughter was no longer among the living was inconceivable. The mighty Warlord of Evil simply stood still completely dumbfounded.
"Or more accurately, she killed herself," Qual'och corrected himself.
Bruch'oda's blood boiled over. Rage filled every cell in his body. No longer would he take such crass statements from the Wizard. He needed to know what happened to Xantia and he intended to do so now. If in fact, Qual'och killed his daughter, Bruch'oda would see to it that the Wizard's life would end as well.
Bruch'oda summoned a massive ball of Dark Qi. The violent swirling mass of energy thundered under the control of its master. Screaming with rage, Bruch'oda forced the Qi to strike its target. The darkened energy mass shot forward as Qual'och stepped back to brace for the attack.
Using his command of Qi, Qual'och erected a defense barrier. Bruch'oda's Qi Strike became absorbed by the defense screen. Qual'och smiled at his new found power and commanded the Qi to return to its origin.
The Qi Strike moved just below the speed of light. The amazing speed at which the energy sped across the garden surprised Bruch'oda. The Warlord recovered his senses in enough time to jump out of the way. The Qi Strike passed him and imploded on the far garden wall, crumbling the stone and brick wall.
Bruch'oda leapt into the air and drew his right leg in front. Flexing his foot, the warrior focused his Qi to his heel and prepared to drive the weapon through his opponent.
Qual'och smiled and waved his hand, casting an invisible wave of energy at his former Lord and Master. The energy shocked Bruch'oda and threw him aside as if he were nothing more than a simple fly.
"You have no idea what power truly is," Qual'och boomed. "To have the Ru'dth in your possession all these millennia and never draw upon it was an abomination."
Bruch'oda somersaulted and landed. He allowed his body to drop to one knee and focused his thoughts on the cleric. Behind Qual'och was stone bench on the center area's margin. Bruch'oda reached out with his mind and lifted the stone structure. Pulling with his thoughts, the Warlord flung the bench at Qual'och.
Sensing the danger, Qual'och turned and caught the bench with his six arms.
Bruch'oda took advantage of the momentary distraction and charged Qual'och.
What he thought was an opportunity, was nothing more than an invitation for pain. Qual'och spun quickly, swinging the bench as if it were a bat and connected with Bruch'oda.
The bench shattered upon impact as it transferred its kinetic energy into its target. Showered with bits of granite and powder, Bruch'oda fell to the ground holding his badly beaten left side.
Qual'och smiled, letting his energy fill his eyes with power.
Bruch'oda picked himself up off the stone tiles and charged Qual'och again. He screamed with rage as the wizard blocked a quick serried of punches and landed a single kick to Bruch'oda's gut. The single kick sent Bruch'oda into the air and in the rock garden.
Bruch'oda blew the chalky dust from his mouth and pushed back up to charge Qual'och. He raced in and unleashed a barrage of punches and spinning kicks at the robed cleric.
Qual'och easily blocked each jab and kick with a single arm. With every attempt to strike Qual'och, Bruch'oda became more enraged. Punch after punch was blocked without even as much as a hint of Qual'och's weakening.
Bored of the constant onslaught, Qual'och hooked Bruch'oda's arm and tapped him on the chest. The tiny blow shattered his breast bone and sent the Warlord flying back twenty meters. Bruch'oda fell into the stone tiles lining the outer margin of the garden and spat up blood.
"You see, our failure to defeat the QiRangers last time was your fault," Qual'och started.
"What?" Bruch'oda said as blood began to spill from his lips.
"That's right," the Wizard gloated. "Everything lies within the harmony of the universe. Each of the QiRangers holds command over one of the five elements, just as your forces do. But what you failed to recognize, was that the Ru'dth was the counter to her powers."
Bruch'oda's draw dropped at his realization that Qual'och was correct.
He shook his logic aside and stood. "I don't care about that," he thought, "He killed Xantia and I must avenge her!"
"That's not this is about Qual'och," Bruch'oda boomed drawing his hands into fists. "This is about Xantia."
"If you would have unleashed the power five thousand years ago, the outcome would have been different. We would not have been banished to the Shadow Realm. We would not have been defeated!" Qual'och yelled channeling Dark Qi to his hands and firing a Qi Strike at Bruch'oda.
The black energy consumed the Warlord and shocked his body with powerful strands of electricity. Bruch'oda stood in the middle of the garden, shaking violently as the Qi Strike ravaged his body. Unable to control his body, he began screaming in intense pain.
Laughing, the Wizard extended his middle arms and cast a spell over Bruch'oda. Instantly the Warlord rose into the air while continuing to suffer the effects of the Dark Qi. Qual'och walked towards Bruch'oda with a feral grin on his reptilian face.
Standing in front of Bruch'oda, the Wizard looked at his former leader.
"What happened to Xantia?" Bruch'oda winced, trying to move air through his lungs as the electrical shocks grew with intensity.
Qual'och ceased the attack and allowed Bruch'oda to fall haplessly to the tiled floor. He stooped down and gazed at Bruch'oda.
"She sacrificed herself for me. You see the Ru'dth's powers were lost to the abyss when Kor'digh died. The only way to restore their powers was to secure the life energies of two individuals. One from the light and one from the darkness."
"Why her?" Bruch'oda struggled to get out.
"The lives had to be given freely. Xantia was easily convinced, although she did not realized that by summoning the Dor'Agha it would come at a price. Master Li was the other side of the equation and the Shadow Reaper was more than willing to take on the assignment. Your daughter loved me more than you will ever know and I used that trust to secure the Ru'dth for myself. This power cannot be lost again."
Qual'och knelt beside Bruch'oda. Grabbing a hold of his gi, he lifted his former master into the air as he came to his feet. "Don't worry. I still have a use for you," he snickered.
The Wizard placed his upper, right hand over Bruch'oda's eyes and emitted a pale purple energy wave. The light totally consumed Bruch'oda, whose body went limp under the control of Qual'och.
"Good," Qual'och said, "Good."
The wizard gently let Bruch'oda down to the stone floor. The reptilian ruler knelt and somberly looked up to Qual'och, "What is your bidding, Master?"
***
"Arrrrr!" Seth yelled while he swept his Qi Saber in front of him. The blue shimmering blade easily penetrated yet another Copy Bot and exposed its inner housing to death. The Water QiRanger continued his onslaught against the Copy Bots wielding his sword and Disk. In the past few minutes, Seth had easily dispatched several Copy Bots, but his handiwork was beginning to catch up with him.
With each robot he destroyed, Seth added to the pile of litter that filled the dark cabin. The only light being emitted was from the computer console operated by the X-Bot and the countless smaller explosions as the Water QiRanger tore through the Copy Bots. In fact, Seth's newfound proficiency with the Qi Saber and Qi Disk the sea of debris he created was actually making it harder for him to maneuver and advance towards the X-Bot. With each Copy Bot he destroyed, another manifested to take its place, thus creating an endless wall for him to breech.
"Whatever that thing is up to, it's got to be almost finished. This is hopeless," he thought to himself as he threw his Qi Disk at two new Copy Bots barricading themselves in Seth's path. Each of the robotic warriors stood tall in the ankle-deep sea of robot parts that now littered the area behind the X-Bot. The twin weapon of destruction fired their energy cannons at the approaching Qi Disk, but Seth commanded the weapon of pitch and yaw out of harms way. The circular weapon then ripped through their torsos and caused the metal combatants to explode; however, something different happened this time. A large flash of white light filled the cabin. The light was so bright; Seth had to shield his eyes beneath his visor.
After the flash, Seth peeled back his arm to see the Copy Bots beginning to implode. The crinkling sound of metal pushing in on itself filled the cabin and reverberated in his helmet. One-by-one the Copy Bots were reduced to the size of tin cans. The QiRanger reached up and caught his returning Qi Disk wondering aloud what happened, "What the.?"
"Open sesame," Abeu said from behind.
Seth turned around and saw the bulkhead wall spit apart like wet toilet paper revealing the Metal QiRanger. The white armored warrior charged through the opening to join his comrade.
"Abeu? How did you." Seth quickly asked.
"It's metal," he said energetically. "The way I figure it, we all have domain over our elements. It took more concentration than opening the doors in the bunker, but I can do pretty much anything to metal now."
Seth could sense the power and emotion from his comrade. The joy that coursed through his body was electric, so much so, that Seth could almost see the smile beneath Abeu's helmet.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Seth asked, pointing to the X-Bot.
"All right," the Metal QiRanger said. He adopted a low bow stance and drew his hands into this Tan Tien. White energy massed in the warrior's hands and churned with static energy Diskharging into the air.
Seth could feel his own body charge with power as his Water Qi was strengthened by the Diskharge from Abeu's energy sphere. Not wanting to drain any of his partner's power, Seth stepped back a few feet to ensure Abeu's safety.
X-Bot retracted his data cables and turned around. Seeing that its latest efforts to dismantle the QiRangers failed, the robot decided to take care of the situation itself. Lowering its arms, the robot fired two energy bursts at the QiRangers. The twin beams of lightening arced in the air and connected with the growing Qi Ball Abeu developed.
X-Bot attempted to cease the energy attack, but the link between the two metals drew too much power. Its internal circuits overload and melted under the intense heat. Sparks shot out from behind the holographic projector in the unit's torso as well as deep to the cervical servos.
"Now!" Seth yelled.
The Metal QiRanger released the giant white Qi Strike and metal energy erupted from his hands. The white beam hit X-Bot and destroyed him instantly. The robot's metal framework melted under the temperature and pressure of Metal Qi. As the frame of the X-Bot crumbled, the hydrocarbons separated and joined with the surrounding air molecules to create a fine mist that filled the cabin.
Seth patted Abeu on the shoulder, "Good work. Let's go help Robert."
The pair nodded and took off through the opening Abeu created.
***
Gone was the serine hillside that rose into the air from the Amazon jungle floor. The smooth granite landscape speckled with flora was replaced by a sea of debris and hundreds of bodies - both human and demon alike. The scorched earth ran dark, covered with a sea of blood. Gloom hovered over the scene as death filled the air.
Dra'isod stood surrounded by the five QiRangers and Dwyer. Looking past his foes he saw that he was the last to survive the so-called surprise attack on the QiRangers. Gone was the elite team of Dragon Riders he assembled- their bodies laying slain on the hillside. With the QiRangers focusing their attack on him, the X-Bot was either destroyed or had been retrieved since the Metal and Water QiRangers had joined the battle.
"Six against one," Dra'isod thought. "This should just about make it fair."
Each of the QiRangers held their Qi Sabers at the ready and carefully circled Dra'isod. Not a word was spoken as the two forces silently stared one another down. The demon warrior stood valiantly, using his twin-bladed swords to keep the QiRangers at bay.
"You can't win," Leslie ordered, "Drop your weapons and surrender." In her heart, she knew that was not an option Dra'isod would take, but her conscious had to make the offer. Peering through her visor, she could see the large beast become enraged.
Dra'isod turned his fire head towards the red QiRanger, "How little you understand our ways. Your predecessors knew all too well that this was a matter of honor. There is no surrender."
Dra'isod dropped his swords and launched his attack by darting at the Fire QiRanger.
Leslie reeled back, preparing for Dra'isod's attack. The mighty Dragon Warrior circled his arms and brought his blades and brought them to bear on Leslie. She drew her Qi Saber up to deflect Dra'isod's attack and channeled Qi into her blade. The glistening metal glowed red with power as it became fortified with extra power. However, even with the extra energy, it was barely enough to stop Dra'isod's progression. She threw her left leg backwards to allow herself more give and absorb the blow as the twin blades came crashing down on her.
With one QiRanger occupied, Dra'isod turned his other head towards the remaining QiRangers and fired a ray of Dark Water Qi to scatter them. The dark blue energy fanned out from his position, but each of the QiRangers managed to avoid the blast. This gave Dra'isod just enough time to spin around and bring his second blade to bear on Leslie.
With her Qi Saber blocking the first attack, Leslie left herself wide open for Dra'isod's second wave. He swept the other sword's leading edge behind her axillary's border with the right shoulder blade. The sweet spot would sever much of Leslie's rotator cuff and shoulder muscles if she could not stop it.
Leslie tried to move her Qi Saber from Dra'isod's pounding pressure, but failed. She winced as the stinging pressure gave way to a rush of pain that flowed over the area as the sword breached her armor. Crimson blood oozed from the opening as Dra'isod dug the sword deeper into the gash.
"Ahhhh!" She screamed as the blade continued to travel deeper in her and tear her muscles apart. Leslie closed her eyes as tears of pain streamed from their corners and attempted to fortifying herself with power, but no matter what she tried, she couldn't break free.
Dra'isod's face peeled back to reveal a purely evil grin.
Luís darted forward, summoning his War Hammer. The large staff and weapon shone brightly as it came into being in his right hand. Swinging the mallet wildly, the Earth QiRanger parried the Dragon Warrior's first attempt to counter. This single act was all that was needed to force the beast to release his hold on Leslie.
Wielding her blade, the Fire QiRanger freed herself.
"Not good enough," Dra'isod chortled as Leslie slumped to the ground clutching her side.
Dra'isod turned his water head towards Leslie while keeping his other set of eyes on the QiRangers. The Dragon Warrior released a torrent of Dark Qi at Leslie.
Leslie tried to jump out of the way, but the injuries she'd sustained slowed her. The Qi Strike impaled itself on her left foot and exploded in giant flash of light, sending the Fire QiRanger flying head over heals. The attack also had another effect - the armor surrounding her ankle and foot became destabilized and disintegrated. The only thing remaining was the charred remains of her flesh. "Aaaarh!" Leslie yelled as she flew into the soil a few meters away.
Luís quickly looked to see if she was all right, but as Leslie clutched her ankle and said, "I'm okay," the hesitation gave Dra'isod all the time he needed to escape the Earth QiRanger's hold. The mighty Dragon Warrior twisted his body and released a roundhouse kick that connected squarely with the yellow QiRanger's helmet.
Luís' body gave way to the incredible force of the kick soared through the air backwards. The three second journey into the air ended with the QiRanger landing spread eagle in the granite, creating a fine mist of dust around him. The loud thud of his impact echoed throughout the canyon.
"Luís!" Abeu yelled from behind Dra'isod.
Dra'isod quickly turned to face the Metal QiRanger but was stuck in the side by a plasma blast. The beam caught the warrior off guard. The precision of the strike impressed Dra'isod, as it took great skill to hit the weakest point of his armor - the seam joining his ventral and dorsal plates.
"Hey ugly!" Robert taunted as he examined the strike with his electromagnetic sensors. The readings coming back showed only that the armor's integrity had diminished but not broken. In fact, it showed that Dra'isod sustained no injuries at all. "Shit!" he thought to himself. "If this is his weakest point, then we're in for a world of hurt."
"Pathetic attempt, human," Dra'isod responded firing dual blasts from his heads. Dark Water Qi shot forward and barely missed Robert, who used his enhanced speed to dodge the blast. The fire head spat its energy towards Abeu.
The Metal QiRanger dropped to the ground and allowed the Qi Strike to pass over him. As the Fire Qi traveled by, he sensed his armor fluctuating. Closing his eyes, Abeu balanced his Lung and Large Intestine Meridians to strengthen his armor. The white armor covering his body solidified and settled after a moment. Abeu jumped to his feet and called forth his Bow. The white curved weapon materialized and he pulled back an energy arrow.
Abeu let the white engorged energy arrow slip past his fingers and fly towards Dra'isod. The brilliantly lit weapon streaked through the air leaving behind contrails, dead on for its target.
Dra'isod spied the oncoming threat and leaped into the air, allowing the arrow to pass harmlessly beneath him. Somersaulting over Luís, he landed with a definitive thud. Peeling back his thin lips, the Dragon Warrior smiled. "Better luck next time," he boomed with his gruff voice.
"No need to wait," Robert said, charging his cybernetics. Bursting forward in an amazing display of speed, he quickly covered the ground between himself and Dra'isod. As the black clad armored figure approached, Robert dug into the earth and began to tackle the Dragon Warrior. Leading with his right shoulder, Robert plowed into Dra'isod before he could escape.
Both of the warrior's eyes bulged as the air was knocked from his lungs when Dwyer's heavily armored body compressed his torso. The pair continued through the air for a few meters before Dra'isod was able to tuck his legs underneath Robert and send the NASO Operative flying off with a powerful kick.
Robert tucked his body to control his flight. His quick action allowed him to land gracefully, ready to continue the attack.
Dra'isod looked around, trying to formulate some sort of strategy that would enable him to overcome the QiRangers and escape - but none was coming to mind. "If only I could get them far enough away to teleport, I could return to the Palace," he thought.
But the attacks wouldn't cease.
Seth joined Abeu and the pair readied the Water QiRanger's Disk in the Abeu's Bow. Metal Qi swirled around the Qi Disk, supercharging the circular blade. "Go!" Seth yelled and Abeu released the weapon.
Spinning violently and almost out of control, the Qi Disk ripped through the air at Dra'isod.
The massive Dragon Warrior dropped to the ground and rolled clear as the Disk made its first pass, but Seth quickly commanded his weapon to turnabout and attack once more.
This time prepared, Dra'isod fired Fire and Water Qi from his heads at the oncoming Disk. The twin beams of dark energy smacked into the oncoming weapon and the two opposing forces erupted in a massive explosion. Dark clouds of smoke filled the air as a shockwave expanded outwards from the collision zone. The powerful energy knocked the QiRangers and Robert to the ground and released a thunderous clap into the canyon.
When the smoke and thunder cleared, Seth's Disk laid in pieces on the mountainside and Dra'isod stood tall ready to take on them all.
"Holy shit," Seth said in disbelief.
"We can do this, Seth," Leslie affirmed as she channeled additional Fire Qi to her injured foot and quickly repaired the flesh and reassembled her armor. "Let's bring it to him!" she yelled as her Qi Saber burst into flames. The red QiRanger focused her thoughts and energy and strode towards Dra'isod, ready to send the Dragon Warrior to his grave.
The other QiRangers grunted and called forth their Qi Sabers and charged them with their elemental energies. The five blades shone brightly in the afternoon light as their carriers prepared for battle.
Dra'isod's eyes narrowed as he readied his blades for the final confrontation.
Luís struck first, but the Earth QiRanger was no match for the Dragon Warrior's overpowering strength. Kneeing the yellow QiRanger in the ribs, Dra'isod skirted the Mexican aside.
Abeu attempted to strike from behind, but Dra'isod trapped his blade between his pair and quickly turned. Summoning his Fire Qi, the Dragon Warrior unleashed the Qi Strike directly at the Metal QiRanger's Tan Tien.
The blast exploded in Abeu's face and instantly tore through his armor. Sharp pain shot through his entire body as the blow sent him flying backwards.
The blow affected each of the QiRangers as if it hit them. Each of their guts ruptured and cramped with intense pain.
Dra'isod wasted no time tending to the fate of the Metal QiRanger and quickly turned his attention to the Wood QiRanger's attack.
He quickly sent her reeling back with a roundhouse kick, but couldn't recover in time for the Water QiRanger's approach.
"Abeu!" Seth cried as he brought his Qi Saber down on Dra'isod's arm.
"I've got him!" Robert cried from the side, racing towards the youth.
Knowing that their comrade would be taken care of, the others intensified their attacks on Dra'isod. But no matter what they did, he was able to counter their advances.
"We've got to think of something," Leslie thought to herself as she fired her own Qi Strike at the Dragon Warrior, only to have it blocked by his sword.
***
Robert skidded to a halt in the soft shale. With all the recent battles, he truly wasn't prepared for what greeted him.
Abeu lied in the soil before him, his armor destroyed. A gaping hole delving into his entrails existed in his belly and blood flowed everywhere. Struggling to speak, Abeu could do nothing more but look up at the black armored warrior above him.
Robert knew the look on the child's face - the look of fear - the look of death. In the months preceding the war, Robert had come to count on Abeu as a key member of his team. In fact, he took it upon himself to ensure that he always stayed behind in secured areas. He knew Seth felt the same way, but things were different now, at least for the time being.
"Please." Abeu cried, blood spurting from his lips.
Robert deactivated his Stealth Armor and kneeled beside the child. Cradling him in his arms, Dwyer tried to comfort Abeu, "Don't try to move."
Anger swelled in Robert as he could clearly see the boy starting to fade. The color from his skin was gone and his eyes began glossing over. "No!" he yelled, but Abeu's injuries were too great.
Coughing more blood, Abeu took his hand and placed it in Robert's. "Go. Help them," he struggled to say as Robert felt the warmth of blood mix with his palms. But there was something else - something foreign.
"Abeu!" Robert yelled, shaking the boy's body, trying to bring his soul back. But it was no use.
Life slipped away from Abeu Basbakar and Robert was helpless to do anything about it. The NASO Operative slowly laid his teammate on the ground and released his tears.
From the corner of his eye, he could see the QiRangers each pause - a sign that Abeu was gone from their link. He also saw Dra'isod grin and take advantage of the discordance. Sweeping their legs, the mighty warrior dropped Luís and Jayde to the ground.
Robert stood and stared at Dra'isod, who began turning the tables on the QiRangers. Clenching his fists, he knew what he needed to do and took off racing for dragon Warrior.
"You're mine!" he grittily asserted.
***
Jayde Yee leapt forward aiming her Battle Axe at Dra'isod's left head. While the beast was occupied with her teammates, the Wood QiRanger hoped that a window would open, allowing her to avenge Abeu's death.
With sweat pouring over her face, Jayde clenched her teeth and screamed in her mind. The anger fueled her body and focused Wood Qi into her arms and blades.
Dra'isod sensed the increase of energy behind him and spun around. He quickly snapped his leg into the air and caught Jayde in her midsection. The brute force of Dra'isod knocked not only the very breath from her body, but sent the QiRanger flying backwards.
Jayde grunted in pain as she landed in the mountain's soil a few meters away.
The force of the landing added another knockout blow to the tired QiRanger.
Shaking off the aches she felt, Jayde opened her eyes to see two red boots beside her. Following the legs upwards, she saw the familiar armor of Leslie Chen, the Fire QiRanger.
"Here," Leslie said as she extended her hand down to help Jayde to her feet.
"Thanks." Jayde looked on as the other QiRangers attempted to subdue Dra'isod to no avail. She shook her head, "This isn't working. There's got to be another way."
"You're right," the red clad warrior said. Turning to face the battle, Leslie's mind drifted back to her training in the ancient ways of healing. Leslie knew she was missing something but couldn't place her finger on it.
Then it came to her.
"Abeu," she said.
"What?" Jayde asked.
"Think about it. It's so simple!"
Jayde could feel and see the excitement in her friend grow with the realization. The sensation quickly spread through their link and entered her body as well.
"Just as Seth used his Qi to heal you, Dra'isod used his Fire to destroy Abeu's metal."
Before Leslie could even finish her sentence, Jayde completely understood what needed to be done.
"Then if Seth and Luís double team him, they'll cancel the bastard out."
"Right!" Leslie yelled ecstatically.
Jayde felt a wave of warmth cascade over her body. "Let's do it!"
***
Robert Alexander Dwyer charged over the mountainside towards Dra'isod. Every cell in his body became electrified as his thoughts focused on one single task: Destroy Dra'isod.
With each step, Robert's cybernetic extensions channeled power from the nanobots' fusion rectors to his body. His legs, arms, and torso began shimmering with bright lights as his speed increased to nothing more than a blur.
Dra'isod and the other QiRangers only heard the crackling sound of heat moving through the air coming towards them.
Growling, Dra'isod pushed aside Luís and Seth. "What now?"
The Water and Earth QiRangers skidded to a halt in the shale and were quickly aided to their feet by their comrades.
Drawing back his lips, Dra'isod's eyes narrowed and drew a bead on the blur approaching.
Robert smiled leaped into the air. Soaring above the battle arena, he looked down on Dra'isod. Taking the small token Abeu gave him on his deathbed, Robert drew it before him and cried out, "Metal!"
Liquid streams of metal seeped from his pores and pooled around his body while massive streaks of white energy charged his Lung and Large Intestine Meridians. The liquid metal solidified into the sleek, formfitting armor of the Metal QiRanger. Robert's medallion glowed briefly as it drifted from his hand and secured itself into his belt buckle.
Dra'isod readied his twin swords and tracked the Metal QiRanger's arc.
Fully transformed into his new armor, Robert summoned the Qi Saber and gripped it tightly in both hands.
"Pathetic humans," Dra'isod thought. "So weak and eager to die."
Dra'isod crossed his blades above and prepared to receive the new Metal QiRanger.
Robert landed in front of Dra'isod and brought his Qi Saber down. While Dra'isod was easily able to thwart the others, Robert with his enhanced body and power of Metal, crushed Dra'isod's defenses.
The Metal Qi Saber shimmered white and ripped through Dra'isod's twin blades. Shrapnel filled the immediate area and ricocheted off Robert's armor.
Dra'isod reeled back, shocked as the Qi Saber impacted his armor, shattering it completely.
Jumping into the air, Robert let loose a series of kicks, each one more powerful than the last.
Dra'isod was dumfounded by the barrage and with each blow driven backwards.
Robert's final tornado kick sent the mighty Dragon Warrior flying through the air and into the shale.
The Metal QiRanger landed and was quickly joined by his peers. The five QiRangers stood ready and prepared to finish the battle.
"Now, let's finish this," Leslie boomed with authority. Her confidence exuded over the group and her fellow QiRangers eagerly nodded in agreement.
Leslie and Jayde shared their realization with Seth and Luís. The pair nodded, understanding what needed to be done from their telepathic link. Robert was aware of the link the others shared, but being relatively new, he wasn't privy to their silent form of communication.
"What are you doing?" he asked as the two QiRangers stepped forward and began summoning their Qi. Twin balls of energy formed in their hands.
Leslie approached Robert, allowing the Earth and Water QiRangers to concentrate. "The five elements work together, each one giving rise to the next. However, a specific element can control its grandchild. Just as the Fire Qi destroyed the Metal Qi protecting Abeu, their Water and Earth Qi can countermand his Water and Fire Qi."
Robert shook his head. "I just don't get it," he thought. All his life he had trained in the arts of science. "I am science," he realized. But something changed. Abeu's gift made him more than that. For the first time in his life, he saw the universe for what it actually was - a wonderfully complex symbiosis of opposing forces and he was just now only beginning to comprehend his naiveté.
Closing his eyes, Robert attempted to "switch off" his computer systems and feel the universe. The sensation of the Metal Qi churned through his body was only the beginning. With each breath, he felt as if a great veil had been lifted and now he could finally understand. Robert opened his eyes to witness the power displayed before him.
While Seth's Water Qi circulated in his hands, the sound of crashing waves echoed in the canyon. Beside him stood Luís, whose hands embroiled the power of Earth and shook the ground with power as its rumbling filled the air.
Across the debris filed, Dra'isod groggily managed to come to his feet. Each breath was made with effort, as the blow took a lot out of him. Standing erect in front of the QiRangers, Dra'isod grunted, forcing twin streams of stem to exit his nostrils. These quaffing swirls of mist mixed with the steam coming off his chest. Where the armor had once been only charred scars remain.
"You think that will be enough, puny humans? You will never defeat me!"
The Dragon Warrior clapped his hands and thunderous waves of energy rang in the QiRangers' ears. Drawing his own Qi into his body, Dra'isod reconstructed his armor.
The Water and Earth QiRangers brought their leading legs forward and scream, "Aaaarh!"
The two QiRangers released their energy and twin beams of Qi left their body. Weaving together, the blue and yellow strands began spinning and wiping the surface of the earth clear of debris. They roared with power as they covered the distance between the QiRangers and Dra'isod.
Dra'isod snarled and cried out, "Never!" as he looked at the approaching energy blast.
Drawing inward, he channeled his own power into his hands. One hand released a volley of red energy while the other sent forth a column of blue energy. The twin strands of Dark Water and Fire Qi melded and bore down on the beams from Luís and Seth.
The two opposing forces met in the middle of battlefield with a thunderous explosion. The resulting shockwave rippled across the debris field, moving the huge remains of the Istanor and drove each party back in the shale. Dra'isod and the QiRangers tried to maintain their position, but could not. The force from the colliding Qi Strikes was too great and shale and soil began pushing up around their boots as each second found them sliding backwards.
Dra'isod's eyes narrowed as it took every ounce of strength to keep the QiRangers' attack from consuming him. With each breath he converted Air Qi into Water and Fire to be used against the QiRangers.
Likewise, sweat poured over the faces of Seth and Luís. The strain from the constant battles of the day and the Qi Strikes was beginning to show on the QiRangers as their arms began to shake.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," Seth said from under his helmet.
"Me too," Luís added, "He's so strong."
Stepping beside the Earth QiRanger, Leslie smiled, "But we're stronger."
Placing her hand on Luís' back, Leslie channeled her Fire Qi in her hand. With the contact on her teammate's back the Fire Qi was quickly absorbed into Luís' body. The resulting combination increased the Earth QiRanger's ability to generate the Qi Strike and fortified him with new power.
Taking his lead from Leslie, Robert stepped behind Seth and focused his newly found Metal Qi into the Water QiRanger's system. No longer did Seth feel tired or drained from the experience - in fact he felt alive and infused with new energy.
The fueling Qi from Leslie and Robert strengthened the twin Qi Strikes. Glowing with additional power, its force slowly began overtaking Dra'isod's defenses.
"No, this can't be happening," the Dragon Warrior thought. With each breath, he could feel his resolve fading.
Seconds passed and the QiRangers' blast began to overtake Dra'isod's. It was shortly thereafter, that their beam easily crushed through the opposing force from Dra'isod and tore into him. As a being of Fire and Water, the opposing Earth and Water energies ripped at his very cellular construct. The once vibrant warrior ceased to be filled with life and grew dark and cold. His flesh quickly solidified as the Qi from his body evaporated.
In one final push, the QiRangers sent an additional wave of Qi into Dra'isod's body. This last bit overloaded the Dragon Warrior and he exploded in a blazing display of past glory, sending chunks of his hardened body everywhere.
Seth and Luís collapsed to the ground as their armor faded away. The two QiRangers desperately sucked the air in an attempt to get more Oxygen into their lungs.
Leslie, Jayde, and Robert let their armors dematerialize and quickly helped their friends to their feet. Each of the QiRangers smiled briefly at their victory, but the moment passed.
The Comm-link in Leslie's ear chirped, "Recovery One to Alpha Team, please respond."
Leslie tapped her transdermal unit and responded, "This is Chen. Go ahead."
"Is everything all right? We just picked up a massive explosion at your location?"
"We ran into some hostiles, but took care of them. What's your ETA?"
"We're just a few minutes out. How many survivors were you able to find?"
Leslie paused for a moment before answering. "One."
"What's the patient's status," the Recovery Operator asked.
"He's fine. No injuries at all," she responded looking at Robert.
Tapping his Comm-link, Robert spoke, "This is Agent Dwyer. On your approach, did you detect any signs of Dr. Staal?"
"No sir, but we weren't scanning either. LEO lost track of his Comm-link and he hasn't reactivated his armor."
"Understood," Robert said. "When you touchdown, we'll make a few passes and then head out."
"Copy. Recovery One, out."
The QiRangers closed their Comm-links and looked at one another silently. They knew these recent victories came at a steep price. Far too many lives had been lost: Master Li, the crew of the Istanor, and Abeu.
"Did any of you by chance come across Gary?" Robert inquired.
All the QiRangers' faces became sullen.
"No." Jayde said quietly.
Robert closed his eyes and hung his head low. "I'm so sorry my fiend," he thought. For the past twenty years, he had been friends with Dr. Staal and he never imagined that Gary would never be at his side. Throughout his youth and university studies, he always maintained their friendship.
Tears began swelling in his one, human eye. "I can't believe he's gone. He's got to be out there somewhere."
"If he is, we'll find him," Leslie said in a comforting voice. The Fire QiRanger stood next to Robert and placed her gentle hand over his shoulder.
In the distance, the QiRangers could hear the familiar hum of a Voytefsky Freighter. Looking up, they saw the huge ship descending from the sky.
"Looks like our ride is here," Seth said.
Robert looked up and focused his eye on the transport. He knew the crew was at great risk for coming to get them. Flying outside the protective umbrellas was dangerous, as the ships were easy targets for Bruch'oda's forces. He was just thankful that they had made the safe journey. Hopefully, their luck would hold out just a little longer - long enough to find Gary and bring him home.
The Voytefsky extended its wings and fired the ventral thrusters. Wind swirled around the QiRangers as dirt flew around. Each QiRanger brought their hands up to guard their faces, as the craft landed and sent shale outwards from the ship's exhaust ports. The steady flow of debris was so great, that the QiRangers found refuge behind one of the Istanor's wing remnants.
The Voytefsky released its landing struts and settled into the clearing it made. Once on the ground, the crew opened the rear panel and began lowering the aft access ramp.
With the Freighter finally on the ground, the QiRangers stepped from behind their barriers and ran towards the ship.
"Come on, let's go," Leslie said.
"What about Abeu?" Jayde asked.
"We can't. We need to come back and retrieve them all when it's safe," Robert answered.
Six troopers stood atop the ramp, ready to charge down the ramp if needed.
But that was not the case. The QiRangers quickly made their way up the ramp and into the craft. Once on board, the Trooper at the entrance pushed the console to raise the ramp and notify the pilot that all were aboard.
The ship's hydraulics' whined as they brought the ramp up.
The weary QiRangers sat quietly in the cargo hold's jump seats and waited for the ship to complete its extraction mission. Bu the ship wasn't taking off, but rather just sitting there on the mountainside.
Robert looked around, hoping to find some sort of clue as to what was happening, but found nothing. Activating his Comm-link, he tapped into the ship's internal system. "Flight, what's the hold up?"
Hardly able to hold back his excitement, the pilot responded, "We've got another passenger ready to come aboard."
Robert jumped up from his seat and raced to the ramp. Looking out from the lowering plank, he saw his friend running towards him. Joy filled his body and leaked out his eye. "Thank God."
***
End of Chapter Five - Band of Brothers.
