QiRanger Chapter Six: Ancient Allies
***
Two weeks had passed since their latest defeat at the hands of the QiRangers. What once was a seemingly unstoppable machine of destruction moving forward over the Earth had abated. Earth's defenders had achieved what no one thought possible - turn the tide in the battle for Earth.
While the planet was still ruled by Bruch'oda and the forces of the Shadow Realm, the Humans had managed to gain two footholds on the planet and were unreachable. Furthermore, recent losses had severely crippled Bruch'oda's army. Gone was Man'uL'o who embodied the spirit of Wood. Second to fall was Dra'isod, who commanded the power of Water and Fire. Bruch'oda and the other the Dark Qi Masters were all that stood in the way of the QiRangers.
This fact began to erode the morale of the remaining Generals and Troop Captains. Without the mighty Dra'isod to lead them into battle, they were forced to rely upon Op'utd, whose skill in battle was widely questioned after his line fell in the last great battle. Always considered unworthy of his post as second-in-command, the other military commanders felt unsure that he would be able to succeed where others had failed.
News also quickly spread of the destruction of the X-Bot. Without this new ally, the forces resident on the Shadow Realm would have no way to teleport off-world and destroy the human bases in space. Their only hope would be to tighten the noose around the two planetary bases and destroy any incoming craft slated to provide supplies and weaken the human's resolve.
Speculation was also mounting within the ranks as to the fate of Xantia. For millennia, she was always seen at the side of Bruch'oda, atop his throne, but for the past two weeks, she was noticeably absent. What disturbed those in the inner circle of trust is that Bruch'oda paid no mind to it at all and Qual'och, her reputed lover, spoke nothing of her.
They were sure something had happened when the wizard reclaimed the powers of Ru'dth, but they were unclear as to what. In any case, the enormous power he now commanded, unsettled many. If it were not for Bruch'oda's visible support and trust in Qual'och, many of the top Generals would take matters into their own hands.
***
Qual'och hovered above the mat in his private quarters in the upper levels of Bruch'oda's Fortress. No longer did the meek cleric reside in the nether regions of the dark catacombs, but rather in the more prestigious rooms reserved for Bruch'oda himself and his most trusted generals. Rich with what lavish items existed in the Shadow Realm, those chosen to live here knew they resided in the inner circle of power.
Lush carpeted skins flowed over the hard tile wall-to-wall and elegant sconces illuminated the three-room suite. Qual'och's extensive library had been moved from below to his new living space and several books were laid out on glass tables, pages propped open and specific passages marked.
The mighty wizard rested in full lotus position with his hands forming three unique mudras. The combinations correlated to the three phases of life and allowed Qual'och to concentrate on harnessing his power. With each breath, Qual'och drew more energy into his soul, filling each energy center. His once weak body now pulsed with power as the wizard easily commanded everything around him.
No longer was he worried about those scheming behind his back, for he now had the ultimate power at his disposal and Bruch'oda answered to him. He was in control of the Shadow Realm and it would only be a matter of time before he would rule the Earth as well. Everyone knew that the QiRangers would strike one of the three remaining Mystic Doors they controlled. It was simply a matter of preparing their defenses and ensuring the opposing forces were prepared.
Qual'och's mind was far way from the Shadow Realm. During this meditation he searched the astral plane for answers that would guide him. However, this sojourn elicited an unexpected result.
With each meditation and exercise he performed with the Ru'dth, Qual'och began feeling more and more powerful. Initially, he thought it was just the joining of the power, but he quickly realized that it was not. In all his research, he never came across the true nature of the Ru'dth, but now, in his meditative state, it became clear.
The Ru'dth was more than just a power center; it was a being of energy. It possessed conscious thought and had its own agenda. Qual'och thought that he commanded the power, but after looking into himself, he knew the power controlled him, and now that it fully manifested, had little use for a wizard trained in the art of Qi.
This dichotomy manifested itself in two versions of the same corporeal being. One was meek appeared as the magician that was loyal to Bruch'oda and who loved Xantia. The other being on the astral plane was the embodiment of the Ru'dth, corrupt with power. This powerful foe vied for total control of Qual'och's mind and body and would not stop until it achieved that goal.
"This has gone on long enough!" Qual'och shouted. "I can no longer sit by and be silent." The purple clad wizard moved effortlessly in the astral realm towards the Ru'dth and confronted him.
Ru'dth floated in lotus as he did in the real world. The mighty warrior opened his tightly sealed eyes and transitioned his hands in to new mudras. The new formations hummed with power and glowed brightly. "Do you think you have a choice in the matter?" he hissed through his pressed lips.
"You've gone too far," Qual'och said heatedly.
"No, I haven't," he responded.
Ru'dth smiled and dropped his hands, "You foolish, pathetic man. You have no idea what the fates have called for." Small balls of energy manifested in his palms as he unfolded his legs. Floating erect, the empowered form of the Ru'dth towered over Qual'och.
"I let your mind stay on in this shell, but clearly you are unworthy of that gift."
"If it weren't for me, then you'd still be locked in the medallion. I saved you. I brought you freedom!" he cried.
Ru'dth carefully floated around Qual'och, not wanting to overstep the boundary the wizard was attempting to establish. "But only because you craved the power. Otherwise, you would have never sacrificed your lover by participating in the charade that it was for the greater good." The massive warrior-magician threw the first of the six energy balls.
Qual'och deflected the energy strike with one of his hands, sending the energy off into the blank abyss of the astral plane. Moving to the side he countered with a spell of his own.
"Gor'ahj Vin Ka!" he cried and shimmering beams of energy leapt from his fingertips.
Ru'dth laughed as the beams tickled his skin. He used his remaining energy spheres to absorb Qual'och's attack, which transformed his orbits to turn jet black. "You think that feeble attempt can hurt me?"
Qual'och quickly realized that Ru'dth was right. His attack was doing nothing more than feeding him more energy. His mind raced as he attempted to stop the power transfer, but the connection was acting like a siphon that he couldn't stop.
Ru'dth tapped into the very source of Qual'och's power and sought to make it his own.
The weakened wizard gasped as his strength slowly evaporated, "Why?"
"It is my destiny," Ru'dth began. "Your lives hold no value to me. They're nothing more than stepping stones on my way to what the prophets foretold."
Ru'dth broke the energy drain on Qual'och and let the wizard fall helpless in the astral plane. Spiraling out of control, he tried to regain his composure and level out his descent. When he finally managed to do so, he was met face to face with Ru'dth.
Staring at his opponent's eyes, Qual'och saw for the first time the true evil of the Ru'dth. He had misunderstood its purpose. He thought the power could be harnessed and used to advance Bruch'oda's goals of conquest.
He was wrong. The only conquest that interested Ru'dth resided on his own agenda.
Ru'dth spun and hit Qual'och with a reverse roundhouse kick in the gut.
The blow doubled-over the cleric and sent him flying backwards. The kick sent shockwaves through his body and the pain he experienced was line none he ever had suffered through in battle.
Ru'dth gave chase to Qual'och, closing in on him. "It was so easy to touch your mind, drawing on your distrust of Bruch'oda's Generals and your desire to be looked upon as a great warrior. As I drew you in, my power oozed from your body and captivated your beloved."
Qual'och struggled to regain control, but hearing what Ru'dth was saying distracted him. Everything he said was true. For thousands of years, he'd been looked down upon as a failure and he was willing to do anything to put an end to that. He had always known there was more to the Ru'dth than was kept in the ancient scrolls, but he never imagined it was this.
"As my power flowed through veins, your will bent. It was only a matter of time before you succumbed to my bidding."
Ru'dth channeled all his strength into his fists and swung his arms. Each hand buried them into Qual'och's torso with a resounding thud. The wizard took the blows and let out guttural grunts as his breath left his body and began floating away.
"What I didn't count on was the severing of the power so early, but by then my seed had been planted. You were ready to do anything to obtain the power for yourself."
Ru'dth flew along side Qual'och and kicked him in the midsection again.
The beating Qual'och was taking took its toll. Blood flowed freely from the wizard's lips and his ribs were nothing more than brittle pieces of bone wrapped in flesh.
"My imprint on you was complete and you knew what had to be done."
Qual'och stopped his freefall through the astral plane and came to rest his eyes on Ru'dth.
"Yes. Two lives to establish the link," Qual'och said. "You manipulated us both."
"It was easy. But your usefulness has ended. Your life ends now."
Ru'dth commanded energy to flow into his six sands and a seventh energy center overflowed from his crown. Staring at Qual'och, Ru'dth smiled and released the seven beams of energy.
Forming a rainbow of colors, the seven beams wrapped around one another and raced towards Qual'och. He tried to block the attack with a wall of Qi, but the force was too powerful and plowed through his defenses.
The energy attack ripped apart the astral projection of Qual'och's mind and shredded it into remnants of a life.
Transitioning back to his lotus seat, Ru'dth smiled, "And now for the next phase."
***
The LEO Station rotated peacefully out of harm's way in space. Since the Earth had fallen nearly a month ago, it had become the focal point of the resistance movement. While the remaining leaders of the Council of Governments made the efforts sound grander than they actually were, the propaganda machines spun the victories into tales of hope for the millions on the station and moon.
It was this mingling of the truth that set the foundation for the newly formed Earth Alliance Government. Taking root in the remnants of the COG, the Alliance included governing members from the Luna Colony and the industrial representatives on the L-5 Space Station.
With each government and human outpost getting a voice in the War for Earth, everyone became more vested in the fate of the planet. Instantly, civilians on the moon and LEO volunteered with Earth Refugees to form a Militia. Widely untrained, these heroic men and women began a crash course in military science and firearm training. Heavy machine operators were trained to pilot the HERCs from L-5 and freighter pilots had their ships outfitted with armor and weaponry. Each recruit knew not what the future had in store or when they would be called to battle - only that the time would come and they hoped to be ready.
***
Inside the Security Council Chambers the leaders of the Earth Alliance met to discuss the next stage in the battle for Earth. Widely left out of the fighting, those in charge were quite pleased at the level of skill provided by the QiRangers. What they hadn't anticipated was the loss of the Istanor, its crew, and Master Li. With the only one with first hand knowledge about the enemy dead, many had fears as to how effective Leslie Chen could lead the magical warriors.
While the circumstances of Robert Dwyer's ascension to the Metal QiRanger came at the loss of a trusted friend, the Earth Alliance Council Members found this comforting, as it gave them a foothold and voice on a powerful force to be reckoned with - but most important, it provided combat experience to a novice team.
Leslie Chen and Robert Dwyer sat next to one another at the round conference table. The room's lights were dimmed and everyone's attention was focused on General Abbey. The consummate commander worked to the room as he conducted his latest briefing. For a man that had been in charge of the North American Security Organization, selecting him as the supreme commander of all Earth's Forces was logical. General Abbey accepted he mantle with zeal and set out immediately to build the Militia. It had taken nearly the entire month, but at last he thought they were ready for their first engagement.
"Are you sure, General?" asked North American Union President Lopez.
"Sir, I have served you the longest and you know that I have never overstated the capabilities of my forces or the intelligence provided you. While we will incur heavy losses when engaging the enemy, believe me when I say, they are ready. Holding them back any longer will be detrimental to their training and cast doubt as to their abilities. They need to be deployed to keep morale up," he replied.
The yellow signal light illuminated next to the seat where Governor Caine from the United Kingdom sat. As the sole governmental representative of the European Union to escape the carnage on Earth, he was asked to serve on the council.
"Governor Caine," General Abbey acknowledged.
The light turned from yellow to green in front of Caine as he rose to speak. "Thank you, General for all your hard work. I believe I speak for everyone when I say that no one could have achieved what you have on so little time, but I worry about placing these men and women in harm's way. Time has shown us over and over, that the QiRangers are the only ones equipped to battle these monsters. What hope does the Militia realistically have to survive?" he asked.
Before General Abbey could answer, Robert stood and interjected, "Sorry to interrupt General, but I believe I can answer this question."
Abbey looked over to his friend and nodded.
"Governor Caine, it's true that the other QiRangers and I have armor that protects us from general attacks, but it does not by any mean shield us from death. Every warrior knows when they go into battle it could be the last time. The Militia knows this as well. With two of the Mystic Doors closed, we have a strong foothold on the planet, but that also narrows down the remaining strategic targets."
"Bruch'oda knows that we will strike at one of the three remaining Mystic Doors. That much is obvious. With their amassing troops for five thousand years, it also stands to reason that this is the time to heavily deploy defenses to attempt to stop us from completing the closures. Adding the Militia to our group will divert their attention and allow us to seal the doors," Robert said.
"So you're going to use them as decoys and lead them to slaughter? That's something I won't stand for," Caine said, slamming his fist into the table. "How do you plan to move them? Nine of ten transports are shot down before reaching its destination of late. Earth's skies are teeming with the Dragons. Their maneuverability can't be matched by the remaining freighters. How do you plan to safely bring them planet side, let alone get them to the combat arenas?"
"I resent your implication, Governor. As to the meat of your question, we've worked that out to provide minimal risk," Robert responded.
General Abbey stepped forward and activated the table's holographic projector. An image of a circular ring appeared and began rotating. The device began rotating and spinning on edge. "This is the TG-5, the newest in teleportation technology."
Caine leaned forward, placing his hands on the table to support him, "What is it General?"
Abbey smiled, "A mobile teleportation ring, Governor. The last few transports leaving from LEO have been carrying these rings for deployment at the two base camps. Unfortunately, only one managed to make it through and L-4 is still in the production phase of replacement units. Specs have been transferred to L-5 as well as we should have additional rings in a week."
Robert stood and walked to join General Abbey. "These units will allow direct transfer of supplies and Militia personnel to the Sahara staging ground. Since we have just the one ring in place, troop deployment will be funneled through it from LEO."
"Can we get enough people through the rings to make a difference?" President Lopez asked.
"No," Leslie answered.
The repose shocked the world leaders who had dismissed her as a quiet puppet of NASO soldiers. Quietly she stood and eyed the men and women around her. "How little they truly understand what needs to be done," she thought.
"More disks need to be sent down and deployed before a meaningful presence on Earth can be established. Until then only myself and the other QiRangers will make the dangerous trek from LEO to Earth in spacecrafts."
"Right," General Abbey added. "The Militia has already received their orders for a staged deployment. That order stands and will continue using the one ring. The QiRangers will take the next ring down in an experimental freighter from L-4. Two other Voytefsky Freighters will ride escort to ensure their safety. Once planet side, they'll mount an attack on the Water Mystic Door."
"Wouldn't it be wise for them to wait for support from the Militia before doing so?" asked Governor Caine.
"Unfortunately, that's not possible," Robert replied. "The Water Door is far beneath the sea and we don't have the number of Power Suits required to outfit an attacking army," Robert paused. "No, we will be going in alone this time."
***
Bruch'oda sat stoically atop his throne. His vacant eyes looked far past the walls of the Throne Room in the spire atop the northwest corner of the fortress. Since his mind fell to the will of the Ru'dth, he did little besides sit quietly. Even his mind was gone. The once mighty ruler of all the Shadow Realm had been relegated to nothing more than a puppet, whose very thoughts were supplied by his conqueror.
Op'utd boldly strode into the sanctum of the Throne Room and paused at the bottom of the staircase. The Army Commander looked up at his Lord and wondered, "What is wrong with him? For weeks he's just sat there quietly, not saying a word, not lifting a finger. Something is wrong."
While Op'utd's gut sensed the truth, he had no proof to act on. Knowing that the penalty for disobedience was immediate death, he decided wisely to err on the side of caution and keep his suspicions to himself.
The warrior's ornate red armor seamlessly wove around his body and protected his vital organs. Kneeling before Bruch'oda, Op'utd bowed his head and closed his eyes. Pausing for his Master's acknowledgement, he heard nothing.
"What?" he thought. "Doesn't he realize I'm here?"
Respectfully, Op'utd lifted his head and gazed at Bruch'oda. There had been no change in his expression or position since he walked in the room a moment ago.
"Sire," he said hoping to gain Bruch'oda's attention.
That verbal command alone was all that was needed to bring about a change in Bruch'oda. While Op'utd did not receive the welcome he expected, he nonetheless got one.
Bruch'oda slowly tilted his head lower, as to look directly upon the source of the vocalization. He moved no other part of his body and made no sounds. His movement was cold and calculated, devoid of all emotion. His twin onyx eyes sat in his skull and stared through Op'utd.
"Report," boomed Bruch'oda in a voice that still commanded fear in those under him.
Op'utd rose from the tiled floor and stood before his Master. "Everything is as you commanded. Our forces have been redeployed to the three remaining Mystic Doors. Sta'Vagh has prepared his troops to guard the Water Mystic Door with the assistance of the Sea Shadows and I am ready to take my place at the Metal Door."
"Excellent," Bruch'oda replied, his voice absent of all emotion. "What of the Dragon Riders?"
"They have done as you wished. Any transports seen entering the atmosphere will be destroyed. They have huddled their numbers near the Earth Mystic Door, as it serves the humans as their primary forward base of operations. A second unit has been sequestered beneath the jungle canopy near the Wood Door in case they attempt to land there."
"Good. Go now. It will not be long before they unleash their attack. The fates are in your hands now, Op'utd," Bruch'oda uttered.
The last of the Dragon Warriors looked up at his Master and nodded. "Yes, my Lord," he responded and walked out of the Throne Room.
Alone again, Bruch'oda returned his gaze ahead of him.
Sliding into this reality was Ru'dth. Always present near his puppet, Ru'dth had been observing the entire exchange between Bruch'oda and Op'utd and piping answers to the weakened mind of his slave while phased out of view. With Op'utd gone, Ru'dth returned and took his physical form next to Bruch'oda.
"And you will oversee the security of the Fire Mystic Door."
Bruch'oda turned to look at Ru'dth and replied, "Yes, Master."
***
Op'utd stood before the armory. This collection of ancient weapons called to him before every great battle. It was here that each General selected his weapon to carry into bloody combat. Time and time again, he came to this same point along the wall of weapons. Op'utd stared at the massive array of swords, spears, maces, and throwing blades.
Despite all that was available to him, he was drawn to a simpler weapon- one that required great skill and art. Reaching forward with his gloved hands, he took a hold of the Firsts of Gu'Ron.
Unlike the traditional weapons used by many, the Fists were razor sharp gloves cut out from Manzcyick. This indestructible ore native to the Shadow Realm required the bearer to be in close proximity to his opponent and repeatedly bludgeon them to death.
Op'utd slipped on the stone gloves and felt the cools surfaces meld with his skin. Closing his eyes, he could envision each of the QiRangers falling prey to his power.
"Mo'han," a voice said from behind.
"Yes?" Op'utd replied, turning to see his faithful associate Sta'Vagh.
Unlike the others, Sta'Vagh was different. While still of reptilian origin, his body was taller and more slender than the Dragons or Shadow Warriors. He fostered no arms or legs, but his body coiled around itself like a snake. Sta'Vagh's neck was craned and possessed cervical ribs that produced a hooded effect. The snake's sleek face tapered back into his hood where two crystalline eyes sat receded.
"We still cannot find any sign of her," Sta'Vagh hissed. "Bruch'oda has not even asked or spoken of her since the change."
"It's as I feared then, my friend."
"Be careful of what you speak," Sta'Vagh said. "These walls have ears."
"I know," Op'utd cautiously said. "There's no other way to explain it. They must have done away with her."
"But why? What purpose would it serve?"
"I don't know. But I suspect it has to play into Qual'och receiving the Ru'dth."
"Bruch'oda would never allow such a thing. He cares for his daughter too much to allow anything to happen to her."
"That may be true, but what if he wasn't in control?"
"Surely you can't mean," Sta'Vagh began but was interrupted by Op'utd.
"Yes. If Qual'och abused the Ru'dth's powers, as all have done before, he's capable of anything. You've seen how Bruch'oda is acting. Does it seem normal to you?"
"No and this defensive plan is too irregular as well. It smells of an amateur."
"Exactly. I'll try to see what else I can uncover. If Bruch'oda has been compromised, then we're all in danger. Qual'och must not be allowed to survive if he's crossed over."
The two warriors stood face to face and nodded, knowing that this may be the last time they see one another.
***
A week passed without incident. Ru'dth utilized the time to have Bruch'oda ready his forces for the immanent attack while the humans waited for the delivery of two new TG-5 Teleportation rings. Along with the newly modified Voytefsky Freighters, these devices forged the basis for Man's final push to reclaim their home world.
***
Michael Chen stood in front of his dresser mirror zipping up his jumpsuit. The Chinese doctor no longer wore his comfortable civilian attire, but rather the gray and black uniform of the United Earth Alliance Militia. With his hand firmly gripping the tongue of the small metallic slider, each echo of the teeth locking together reverberated in his mind.
Fully dressed in his combat fatigues, he marveled at what a change in conscious he'd have over the past few weeks. A staunch Buddhist, Mike never through violence would resolve anything. He strove to lead a simple life and practice the dharma of the Buddha.
But things change.
His home was gone.
The human race was reduced to mere millions instead of the once proud billions that previously stood upon the fertile planet below.
"No," he thought, "Violence is never the solution, but sometimes it is the only option."
His eyes glanced over to his left shoulder. Embroidered into the jumpsuit was a white winged staff with twin snakes wrapped around it - the medical division insignia.
"As least I can do some good," he thought as he ran his fingers over the stitching.
"I really wish you'd reconsider," his sister's voice carried from behind.
Mike turned around and saw his younger sister, Leslie, standing just inside the doorway to his quarters wearing a similar jumpsuit.
"As I do you," he answered.
"Come on now," Leslie began, "it's different. I never asked to be a part of this. I was chosen." The Fire QiRanger walked over to her brother and placed her arms around his hips. "I'd give it al up if I could. Each time I go down there, it scares the shit out of me. I can't bear to think of you or any of the others getting hurt."
For so long Michael had taken care of his younger sister, he had almost forgotten what it was like to have someone watch out over you. Brushing aside her dark hair from her eyes, Mike looked deeply into almond pools of consciousness.
"We all do what we must. Just as you have been chosen to lead us back to the Earth, I have been chosen to care for those in need. I'm a Doctor and I'm needed down there. When the attack begins, we're going to loose a lot of brave men and women. I'm going to see to it that they're comfortable. And if anyone can gain from my experience, then I'll treat them as well."
Leslie stared at her brother, "Just promise me you won't do anything stupid, like get yourself killed."
Cracking a half smile, Mike responded, "That certainly isn't part of my plan."
Leslie and Mike embraced quietly as the swell of emotion increased. Droplets of water manifested on the lower rims of their eyelids, just on the verge of spilling over when the Comm-link chirped.
"Dwyer to Chen, please respond," Robert said over the device.
Leslie stepped back and activated her wrist unit, "Go head."
"The ships are fueled and ready to go. We launch in ten."
Leslie closed her eyes, "Copy. Chen out."
The Comm-link signal faded and Leslie held her brother tight. "I've got to go."
"I know. I'm scheduled to teleport down in an hour to the Sahara as well."
"Then I'll see you there," she said getting in one last hug.
"Do me a favor," she asked while splitting from their embrace.
"Sure," Mike said.
"Hold onto this for me," she said while holding her brother's hand. "It's a good luck charm."
"You've got it, Sis," he said.
***
The gantry elevator slowly crept to a halt. The pistons ceased spinning and the box shuddered as the lip of the walkway met with the deck plating. In the cavernous docking area, everything echoed more than it should. The lift's doors slid apart - one pair horizontally and another vertically. Once open, she peered out and saw the rest of her team bobbing at the end of the pylon that extended into the docking collar of their Voytefsky Freighter, designated Freedom One.
Leslie Chen loosened her grip on the hand holds and floated out of the box that carried her from the living area of LEO Station to the docking Torus. Tapping her foot against the rear wall of the gantry lift, she catapulted herself forward. No longer bound by the Earthly confines of gravity, Leslie flew like an eagle in the weightless environment.
Seth Goldman hovered near one of the hand rails and tugged tightly on his grip. The Water QiRanger extended his other hand to slow Leslie's progress. The pair locked arms and swirled about until they each came to a halt.
Once secure, Leslie looked at Robert to begin the final briefing.
"All right," he began. "This is it. We're ready to make way for the planet. Freedoms Two and Three are going to provide cover for us while we take down the TG-5s."
Jayde leaned forward, "Are we sure the other ships can make it?"
"Nothing guaranteed, but the freighters' have been outfitted with additional defensive armor and weaponry. If anyone tries to take them on, they'll be in for a surprise."
"Then let's get to it," Leslie said and pushed off down the pylon's narrow corridor. Using just her fingertips, she guided herself to the ship's hard seal and pulled herself through.
One by one, the other QiRangers did the same until they were all aboard the Freedom One. Inside, they each passed into the cargo hold, located in the belly of the craft and strapped themselves in.
"Make sure your restraints are secure. We'll be coming in hot, so the transition from zero-g to earth gravity will be a little rough," Robert announced.
Each of the QiRangers took his advice to heart and pressed back into gelled cushions that would protect them. With their bindings secured, Robert notified the ship's pilot they were ready.
It was the first time Leslie had flown in such a craft. In fact, this war has seen her do a lot of firsts. When the Voytefsky's engines roared, she was caught off guard by the thunderous sound they made, even through the ship's hull. It took only a few minutes for her to become used to the deafening sound, but she wondered how the space haulers managed to live aboard such crafts for months at a time.
"Freedom One, we are cleared for departure," the Captain said over the ship's speakers as the docking clamps unbuckled.
Leslie felt the ship rise off the deck plating a float free in the LEO Torus. As the ship's maneuvering thrusters fired to orient the ship to the docking port, Leslie felt her stomach churn again. "Riding in this small craft is nothing like the Istanor," she thought. She didn't like the trip to LEO and she sure as hell was looking towards this sojourn's conclusion.
With each heartbeat, Leslie could feel Freedom One's hull vibrate. This journey would be their most perilous yet. The three Voytefsky freighters were not to take an air braking descent to Earth this time. Rather, they were going to dive straight through the upper atmosphere and level out below. The reinforced hulls were forged for this one mission. It was widely expected that upon its completion, none of the crafts would ever fly again.
As Leslie closed her eyes and meditated during the flight, Robert eyed the craft. This type of operation wasn't new to him, as he'd seen missions like this and those far worse before. But nothing in his training had ever prepared him some a task of this magnitude.
Freedom One began its descent into Earth's atmosphere. The charged gasses pressed against the exterior of the ship's hull, buffeting the craft. From Robert's position, his enhanced eye tracked the vessel's vectored approach and structural integrity.
With each bump and shimmy, the QiRangers gritted their teeth and grabbed hold of their straps. While it was unlikely that they would fling loose at this stage, no one wanted to take a chance.
"We're coming up on the halfway point," the ship's Captain announced over the Comm-link. The message was welcomed relief for the QiRangers, as the flight became bumpier and bumpier as it passed deeper into the atmosphere.
Seth had been on one drop before. During his initial operative training at NASO, all field personnel were required to make one orbital insertion to complete the process. He didn't like it then and he had no love for the process now.
"Breathe," Luís told himself. Like Leslie, the Earth QiRanger found solace in meditation. Each breath made the passage from space to Earth easier.
The QiRangers felt a jerk and then the push of gravity on their bodies several times over as Freedom One broke though the final barriers of atmosphere. Firing its engines, the craft spun itself around and began the deceleration burn. What was once an unbearable roar from the rear engine compartment grew even louder as the twin pods were thrust to maximum.
The intense strain of the burn began to take its toll on the freighter. The structural supports creaked with fatigue and bolts rattled as the craft shook violently. "Hang on," was echoed in the cargo hold over the Comm- link, something the QiRangers were very proficient at.
A few minutes later the shaking stopped. Slowly the QiRangers loosened their grips on the straps fixated near their cushioned pads. Peeling back their white-nailed fingers, the hardened fabric left deeply entrenched ridges in their palms. Pain moved up their forearms, for after such a long period of time holding onto the grips, the muscles were completely lifeless and starved of Oxygen.
Before the QiRangers could fully bring their arms back to life, the Comm- link crackled with an alert, "Freedom Three to all craft. Bogeys at ten o'clock."
"Lock and load everyone," Robert ordered.
Taking one last deep breath, Leslie ran to her post and armed the portside defense turret. Through her targeting HUD, she spotted them - a least a hundred Dragon Riders. Caressing the weapon's firing controls; Leslie removed the device's safety and lined up the targeting lead indicator on the first Dragon Rider. The green box turned red and she fired her first round.
A thunderous clap was heard as the port battery fired. Each of the modified Voytefsky freighters had been outfitted with four turrets - a pair on each side mounted forward and aft. Leslie, Seth, Luís, and Jayde operated the gunnery stations, while Robert assisted the Pilot in the cockpit.
Looking at the flat panel display before her, Leslie watched a translucent energy blast leave the trident shaped cannon fixed to the side of Freedom One. The massive unit bulged like a large boil from the rough metallic fuselage that been weathered with age and creaked as the massive hydraulic pistons moved it from each firing position.
The Fire QiRanger let her eyes drift away from the path of the plasma blast that was rocketing towards the oncoming swarm of Dragon Riders. "I can't focus on one target," she told herself, remembering Robert's tactical lesions prior to leaving the LEO Station.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the first plasma blast barely miss its intended target. Rather than becoming frustrated, Leslie Chen smiled as she witnessed the small frizzing ball of energy implode on itself and then shoot out in a massive wave of cobalt energy.
The Dragon Riders were caught unaware of the weapon's true nature and thought they had been spared, but when the energy wave erupted and consumed a half dozen Dragon Riders, they realized they were facing an entirely different type of weapon they had never seen before.
Leslie watched on her display as the six Dragon Riders' bodies were pelted with the energy from the plasma burst. Their armor and skin began smoldering instantly and in a matter of seconds, the powerful energy mixture ate its way through to their core and dissolved the creatures into nothing more than ash. Throughout the entire process, the dragons howled in agony as the Riders screamed in pain.
Leslie caught herself smiling, which disgusted her. For that split instant, she reveled in the power she possessed and the destruction at her command. "What have I become?" she wondered as she pulled the trigger again.
With each blast Leslie sent skyward, she hated what she was doing - but at the same time, realized more and more, that there was no alternative. In a time of war, casualties would be taken - and the human race had had enough. With each blast she fired, the only answer that came to her was, "What was needed."
***
None of Dragon Riders' training had prepared them for these weapons. In fact, the plasma flack cannons were new technology developed from the skunk works programs on L-4 and had never been tested in battle - so far they seemed to be doing the job. The first wave of shots easily penetrated the leading edge of the Dragon Riders' group and killed most of the attacking members.
The three Voytefsky freighters continued their descent at a harrowing rate. Each pilot swept their freighter's wings outwards to maximum to provide the greatest surface area to airbrake. The reinforced wings shook and rattled the central hull violently as the crafts slowed.
Luís looked around his station and swore he saw the hull shimmy as the charged ion gas below the ship made the flight even choppier. "God, I hope I make it through this," he thought to himself as he fired his cannon.
The flack generated from the three descending ships presented numerous problems for the Dragon Riders. Not only were they kept at bay, but the sheer number of bursts forced the Riders to shift their steeds abruptly. The large beasts traveled at such speeds to compensate for their excessive weight, so they couldn't meet the needs of their handlers and often found themselves colliding with other dragons.
That made targeting easier for the QiRangers and crew of the other ships, but only served to fuel anger and hatred in the Dragon Riders.
"Dor'Gju quil mash!" the squadron leader cried out over the exploding plasma flack. His booming voice carried far and above everything else in the air and the dragon Riders responded immediately to his call. The noble warrior sat tall in his saddle and held the reigns of his beast tightly while commanding it to veer left and avoid a flack blast.
Now that someone had risen above the clamor, the other Dragon Riders' serves settled and the Dragon Riders diverted away from the three freighters in several directions. Flying out of range of the flack cannons, gave the mighty beasts the chance to regroup and assemble for their attack. Each of the beasts drew upon the wings of one another and formed countless rows in flight. Stretched wingtip to wingtip, they went on for as far as the eye could see.
Eying the formations through their targeting computers, the QiRangers and pilots of the freighters didn't like what they saw. The sudden retreat could only mean one thing - they were regrouping and the next attack would clearly be more devastating, now that they knew about the cannons.
Luís, the Earth QiRanger, loosened his grip on the firing controls at his console. Witnessing the Dragon Riders pull back, he allowed himself to catch a much needed breath, as he continually found himself holding it while firing. "We can't have scared them off that easily," Luís sent through the Comm-link. "Although I wish we had," he secretly hoped to himself.
Leslie wished for the same thing, but knew better as well. Sighing heavily she eyed the flying line of Dragon Riders. "Just be at your ready. I'm sure they'll be turning around any moment and preparing to make another run. Keep you eyes peeled and hands on your trigger, Luís. There's no telling what they'll do now," she said over the Comm-link.
Luís nodded to himself and wrapped his hands around the controls. "Copy."
Seth and Jayde signaled they were ready though the ship's alert system. Robert smiled with great confidence at the team seated behind him. "For a group that wasn't heavily trained as combat technicians," he thought, "they're holding up better than I thought they would."
***
Hol'ush, the lead Dragon Rider looked though his tinted visor at the world beneath him. What was supposed to be a crushing blow to the humans and instantly become more difficult. Gone were the days when man and beast fought hand to hand on the field of battle. Now everything was relegated to weapons of destruction not seen before and those that allowed for great distances to be placed between the combatants. Ripping off his helmet, Hol'ush took a moment to adjust his eyes to the torrent of wind racing over his face. Letting go of his reigns, he climbed on the back of his Dragon and closed his eyes, embracing the power of the wind washing over his body. With the beasts mighty wings thrusting him forward, the squadron leader sailed through the clouds to the lead of the pack. With each flap, the Dragon built its Qi, deep within its belly. The increased power began shimmering in its Tan Tien and rumbling with power. Hol'ush's dragon was not alone in this feat - others were doing just the same.
***
"Holy fuck," Seth said to himself as he saw the Dragons' Qi increase. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."
***
Hol'ush jumped into his saddle and commanded his steed to dive below the flight path of the freighters. The other Dragon Riders followed and a column formed behind the leader. The Dragons created a spear that rocketed through the clouds and headed straight for the descending ships.
***
"Here they come," noted Robert in the cockpit.
***
With Hol'ush leading the main attack wave from below, a second group of Dragon Riders broke off from the first and headed upwards along the original flight path. Spreading out in their winged formation, the Dragon Riders soon found themselves surrounding the three crafts as they plummeted towards Earth.
***
"Where did the first group go?" Seth asked through the ship's internal Comm- link.
"I don't know. I saw them drop below the horizon," Jayde said.
"Keep an eye out for them. We're bare below," the Captain said.
"Shit," Leslie thought to herself while targeting the second group of oncoming Dragon Riders. "If we can't get a bearing on them, we'll be screwed. They'll tear through our undersides in no time."
"But I can't think about that right now," she told herself. "I have a job to do." Squeezing the trigger on her console, Leslie fired her battery and sent the plasma flack towards the oncoming group of Dragon Riders.
"Freedoms Two and Three break off and cover our belly," commanded Robert.
"Roger," said the Captain of Freedom Two.
"Wilco," sent Freedom Three's pilot over the Comm-link.
Each of the Captains in the freighters breaking away shifted their flight controls to draw their wings in. The reduced surface area caused the ships to drop like lead weights in a swimming pool. Rolling over their tops, the Captains gave their gunners chance to pick up the incoming targets and bring their guns to bear.
Not meant for that kind of acrobatic flying, the Voytefsky freighters shook more than the pilots wanted, but they were along on this mission for one reason - see to it that Freedom One made it safely to the ground.
The eight gunners on Freedoms Two and Three began opening fire and laying down cover for the ship above them. Despite the time they had already been falling through the sky, the time to the landing zone was still several minutes away. If they could just see to it for a bit longer, they would succeed in their task - all that volunteers aboard wanted.
***
The plasma flack energy waves rippled in the air. To avoid casualties, Hol'ush's wave entered into a steeper dive to get below the freighter's firing arcs. At the end of their trajectory, Hol'ush pulled back on his steed's reigns and the dragon instantly rocketed upwards towards the freighters.
With the telepathic link stronger than ever between he and his beast, Hol'ush invited the dragon to release its pent up Qi on the target before them - the dragon was ready to comply.
Heaving loudly, the dragon roared and sent the first volley of dark, molten Qi from its mouth. The others were quick to copy and the billowing beasts of destruction instantly unloaded on the freighters.
***
The gunners tried to compensate for drift as the freighters covered for Freedom One, but the pilots had to do some fancy flying to avoid the barrage of attacks. The sheer number of molten balls of fiery Qi brought a smile to Hol'ush's face, while at the same time made the number of sweat beads on the pilots' foreheads multiply.
The Voytefsky freighters were not graceful ships by any means. Each of the pilots drew in the ships' wings to 100%; a setting reserved for space flight, and increased thrust from their engines. The decreased lift in the air meant that they had to rely more on the maneuvering thrusters and less on the guiding principles of flight, but it also meant they could fly more precise, albeit choppy.
The molten balls of Dark Qi pounded into the undercarriages of Freedoms Two and Three. Sparks and chunks of armor flew free of the ships. With each hit, the newly installed armor weakened and reduced the maneuverability of the craft. No matter how hard the pilots and gunners tried, couldn't avoid all the attacks. The first few hits merely shook the freighters, but with each Qi Blast that made it through the flack umbrella, more and more damage was sustained.
Hol'ush fixated his eyes on the aft engine pod of Freedom Three. His beast complied and sent a burst of Dark Qi towards the craft to demolish its engines and rid the craft of its ability for flight.
***
Chatter from the ship's crew flew over the Comm-link as they tried to knock down the Qi Blasts. The fast talking crew made it almost unintelligible to hear what was going on, but one thing was for sure - they were nervous and things were going poorly.
"Incoming," one gunner yelled.
"It's coming up starboard," cried out another.
The pilot veered port, trying to put more distance between the blast and his ship, but it was no use. Other Dragon Riders saw to it that there would be no escape.
The first wave of blasts tore at the outer lining of the ships armor. The second made its way deeper into the structural foundations of the engine pod. When the last of the blasts tore into the fuel cells, a massive explosion consumed the aft section of the ship. The resulting force sent the freighter spinning towards the Earth.
The sheer force started pulling the wing pods apart and sending the last of the engines tearing free of their supports. Nothing could be done to save the ship - it was going to crash.
"Freedom Three's been hit. They're going down," the Captain said.
"Like hell!" Leslie yelled out.
Fire filled the Asian's eyes and burned with an intensity not seen before. Powerful Qi filled her body traversing Heart and Small Intestine Meridians. As the Fire Qi coursed through her veins, flames flickered through the pores of her skin and covered her body. Leslie Chen vanished as the fire consumed her, leaving her station empty.
She arrived moments later on the command deck of Freedom Three in her armor. "Everyone fall back to the cockpit," she yelled as the extra power in her body amplified her voice over the shaking craft. It took everything in her just to remain standing as the centrifugal force increased with each rotation.
As bolts and struts began snapping loose, the four gunners of the freighter left their positions and stumbled to reach the forward compartment on the command deck.
The ship jolted hard starboard as the undercarriage gave way. The sudden change in position took away all the footing from the retreating gunners and they fell over the railing. With nothing but blue sky and wailing winds beneath them, the four men and women hung on for dear life. As they screamed for assistance, the ship was hit by additional blasts of Dark Qi and lurched again.
Leslie fell over the main docking control computer and met face to face with the metal meshing that secured the ship's cabling. Narrowing her gaze, she grunted and craned her head backwards.
When her eyes fell upon the crewmembers, Leslie screamed. Her voice filled the cabin and rattled the walls. Red ambient energy permeated her body and began filling the area. As the crackling Qi engulfed Freedom Three's crew, they could feel their hairs standing on end.
Leslie's power increased as she drew more power from her Tan Tien and cast out a powerful Qi wave onto each of the ship's crew. The red energy pierced through cabin's walls and cradled each of the crewmembers in its warm embrace. With her mind's eye on the Sahara Staging Ground, Leslie shifted her body from her current location to the Sahara desert and took the crew with her.
***
Robert looked out his window and saw Freedom Three crumbing into nothing. "No!" she shouted as he pressed his hand onto the glass.
"Rob, we need you back here," Seth announced through the system.
With his eyes still fixated on the exploding ship, Robert Dwyer opened his Comm-link. "What do you mean?"
"Leslie went to Freedom Three to save the crew. We're short one gunner back here. And they're starting to make it through the umbrella."
A sigh of relief came over Robert. "I hope she's all right," he thought to himself while unbuckling his restraints. With the flight so choppy, most human would have a hard time navigating the floor beneath him, but for Robert it was easy. Not only did he have the ability to control the floor under him as the Metal QiRanger, but his nanobots could exert an electromagnetic field to secure surface contact as well.
The Large African-American quickly exited the cockpit and made his way aft to the gunnery stations. Doing so, he tapped his transdermal Comm-link and opened a channel to the Sahara Staging Ground. "Dwyer to Ops One. Over."
Residual charged ions still surrounded the hull of Freedom One and reduced the clarity of his transmission, but it still made it through to the ground below. Responding through the static was the base's operational commander, Colonel Richardson. "Go ahead Dwyer, this is Ops One."
Robert concluded his trek to Leslie's vacated station and sat down. Gripping the firing controls, he quickly assessed the targeting computer's data and began firing. The pulsing of the plasma cannon thumped through the thinning outer armor and resonated in his torso. "Did you receive a package?" he asked.
"You can say that. The crew arrived a moment ago and is all right. Ms. Chen is a little fatigued, but she's already standing. We've got Dr. Staal looking her over right now," Richardson said.
Robert smiled as he continued firing his turret. "Copy. We'll be joining you in a couple of minutes. Dwyer out."
Looking over his right shoulder, Seth could tell from Robert's body language that he received confirmation that Leslie was safely on the surface - something he and the other QiRangers already knew from their link. "Soon, my friend, you will be one with us," he thought.
***
Hol'ush pressed on with his steed and the others followed. Higher and higher they climbed in the sky, arcing through the clouds before coming down right on top of the two remaining freighters. As each heart beat, it drew in power from the surrounding air. No longer were these powerful beasts a dark red color - their scales shine bright crimson and shimmered with light as their Dark Qi coursed through them.
"Now!" he yelled and the Dragons following him opened fire again sending balls of molten Dark Qi raining down like hail stones through the sky. Leaving streaks of smoke behind them, the balls of fire dropped onto the dorsal plates of Freedom One and Two.
The sheer number of hits shook the crafts and severed the connecting plates for the armored sections near the wing mounts on Freedom One. With the support gone, the wing's inner housing was left exposed and vulnerable. The blow also severed the fuel line to the wing mounted engine, cutting its power and thrust. The lift now absent on that side, the craft listed starboard and began a slow spin.
Hol'ush laugh as the racing wind cascaded over his skull. It was with great glee that he continued flying his Dragon.
It would be only a matter of time before the ships would fall.
***
"Damage report!" Robert yelled. He knew it was bad, he only hoped there was some way they could salvage the ship and get it down. The Alliance was counting on them to bring these teleportation devices down to increase troop deployment. If they failed, charging the other Mystic Doors would be nearly impossible.
"Starboard wing mount damaged and engine off-line. Dorsal armor plating down to fifteen percent. Translational thrusters at thirty percent," the Captain relayed. "If I loose the wing, there's no way I can keep control, Robert."
"Don't worry. You won't," Robert vowed. He stood from his console and called over to Luís. "Mendoza! See to the safety," he began, but never finished as the ship was rocked by a huge explosion. The power of the blast was larger than anything they had felt before and didn't even feel like it was connected to the ship.
"Freedom Two's been destroyed," the Captain relayed.
Robert closed his eyes. "Fuck," he thought. "We've got to make it."
"If you can do anything about that wing, do it now. Hydraulics have failed, I can only keep this thing out of a flat spin for another few seconds," Dwyer heard from the Captain.
Pressing his hands together, Robert summoned the Metal Qi in his body to run through the Lung and Large Intestine Meridians. As the shining white light filled his body, white metal seeped through his clothes and encompassed him in a bright cocoon before shattering and revealing Robert's battle armor.
The Metal QiRanger looked through his tinted visor at his comrades, "Keep firing as best you can, I'm going to secure the wing."
There was no reply, as none was needed. The other QiRangers focused their energy not only firing their cannons at the swarm of Dragon Riders now descending on them, but also trying to cover for the vacant station. Each of them knew they could escape at any moment to the safety of the Earth below, but that would be failure - they had to keep the ship together for just a few more minutes. Just long enough to get inside the protective umbrella provided by the Earth Mystic Door.
***
Hol'ush rallied his Riders to follow him around once more. "Two down and one more to fall," he thought as light filled his eyes. "Attack!" he yelled over the roar of the wind racing by him.
Each of the hundred or so remaining Dragon Riders did so and the rain of fire fell upon Freedom One again.
***
Robert opened the service hatch leading to the ship's exterior. As soon as the door was opened, it ripped free in under the force applied by the air slipping over the ship's surface. Peeking his head through the opening, Robert quickly ducked back inside as a Dark Qi blast made it through the flack fields and slammed into the hull.
The blast shook the ship and crimped the fuselage around him. Focusing his mind, he pushed the metal back and climbed out onto the ship's exterior hull. "No sense in worrying about this old boy. It has to be done," he thought.
Gripping the hull with his feet's electromagnets and Qi, Robert stood easily against the pressing wind. He extended his arms and concentrated on the wing mounts. Transparent waves of energy left his hands and encircled Freedom One's wing. Commanding the very fibers of the metal that made the ship whole to stick together, Robert held the structure in place while Hol'ush and his minions continued their attack.
***
Inside, Jayde Yee fired her cannon at the seemingly endless number of Dragon Riders approaching her. "We're not going to make it," she thought. The feeling of despair came over her and traveled through the link to her two comrades next to her.
Luís and Seth didn't say a word, or for that matter think any different.
***
Freedom One continued to get pounded by the Dark Qi blasts from the Dragon riders. Robert now found himself not only trying to hold onto the wing, but extending his Qi to envelop the entire ship. Sweat poured down his face as his arms shook from fatigue.
"How much longer?" he asked the Captain.
"Just another thirty seconds, Rob. Just hold it together a little longer," he replied.
"Thirty seconds," Robert thought. "Okay, suck it up mister." Robert closed his eyes and breathed deeply drawing in more Qi to hold the ship together. White light shone from within his Tan Tien and illuminated his body as energy flew out his pores and covered the ship.
The Metal Qi solidified Freedom One and held it whole.
Robert struggled to breath and gasped for air as he fell to one knee.
A large explosion rocked the heavens and several Dragon Riders fell from the sky. The blast was nothing that Robert had heard before and was definitely not one of the plasma cannons. The thunderous claps continued to ring out as Robert looked up.
Paving a way through the Dragon Riders was a lone figure. Activating his enhanced eye, he saw the figure wore violet armor, dark skin, and long, black hair. Zooming in more, he saw this flying attacker was human and a woman. Her armor covered her torso and legs with accents on her arms. A gold belt wrapped around her waist and melted into her bare abdomen.
In each of the QiRangers minds they heard her voice, "My name is Neela. I've come to help."
Luís looked at his targeting computer and saw the flying woman approaching. "Thank God," he thought to himself as he relaxed a bit. He wasn't sure how he knew it, but he could sense her power and her thoughts.
Seth and Jayde were also confused, since they hadn't shared a link with Neela. "How is she doing that?" asked Seth.
Jayde concentrated on her targeting display and continued to fire her cannon at the encroaching Dragon Riders. "I don't know," she said aloud, "but at this point, I don't really care."
Seth and Luís silently nodded and continued to fire their weapons, trying to clear a small path for Neela to fly through.
***
Robert's mental strength was nearly depleted. While physically the strongest of all the QiRangers, due to his cybernetic enhancements, trying to focus and control the sheer amount of metal around him finally took its toll. He felt the power slipping from his body and fell onto the deck plating on top of Freedom One. With his power gone, Robert reverted back to his jumpsuit and the vessel began shaking violently.
The wing Robert had so desperately been trying to hold onto was the first thing to fly loose. The large metal blade extending from the fuselage ripped free under the force of the wind beneath the craft and tore a chunk of the dorsal armor plating too.
Barely able to breathe, Robert looked up and saw that the craft was beginning to spin out of control. Digging his right hand into the hull, and doing the same with his feet, Robert braced for the final fall to Earth.
"I can't hold it any longer," Freedom One's Captain said over the Comm- link.
"I've failed," Robert thought.
"Get out of here! Teleport down to the surface," he shouted into the Comm- link to his teammates.
"That is not necessary," Neela told them.
Robert strained to lift his head to look at the woman who spoke directly in his mind.
Neela's body flew faster and raced through the sky. Dashing between Dragon Riders, her speed created a wake of turbulence that the dragons couldn't handle. Virtually eliminating all lift from beneath their wings, the Dragon Riders and their steeds fell like lead weights from the sky.
A sweet smile graced her face and light sparkled in her eyes as she pulled up along side Freedom One. Spreading her arms wide, violet light began shining from the crown of her head and enveloped herself and Freedom One. The light was so blinding is shorted out the ship's visual scanners. Robert could feel the power penetrate is body and blind his sensitive eyes. To avoid harm, he too turned away.
Completely blinded, the QiRangers didn't see what happened next, but when they opened their eyes, they saw themselves on the ground next to the Earth Mystic Door.
***
"No!" filled the rafters of the Throne Room. The booming and thunderous roar, filled with overtones, echoed endlessly. With his eyes beaming with power, Qual'och witnessed in the glowing sphere before him the arrival of Neela. Pounding his fists into the arms of the throne, Qual'och's body became more and more rigid and filled with anger.
The mere sight of the young woman in the sphere made the wizard's blood boil. Contracting each of his muscles, the powerful beholder of the Ru'dth began to shake in disgust. "How is it possible?" his loud voice asked in the chamber, even though no one was present. "This ruins everything. She must be destroyed!"
With every breath, Qual'och amplifies his power. The ancient stone walls of the fortress begin shaking under the strain from the energy seeping from Qual'och's body. Each beat of his heart creates a wall of force that knocks into the walls, sending dust and pieces of mortar down. Guttural grunts rumble from his mouth as it begins foaming over in fits of rage. No longer can the feeble body of Qual'och contain the power of the Ru'dth.
As his saliva drips to the floor, Qual'och's hands grab hold of the chair's arms. Crumbling the metallic structure as if it were tissue, the wizard's forearms explode, sending hardened tissue everywhere. With the old skin ripping away, new and more powerful scales emerged. Red in color, the oblong scales pushed through his sinew, revealing an even more powerful form.
Gone are the feeble arms and legs of Qual'och. Thrusting threw the dead wizard's carcass was the true manifestation of Ru'dth. Standing nearly three meters in height, the red-scaled beast roared, raising his twin fists in triumph. Bulging muscles rippled over his body as dual horns grew from his temples. Long claws extended from his toes and fingers, each razor sharp. The tarnished color of his claws matched the wicked spikes dotting his back and forearms.
Now fully transformed into his true self, Ru'dth laughed. In fact, for the first time in eons, he's been free. Free of the medallion, free of the countless prisons, and free of the endless number of shells he's been forced to reside in. Now he stood atop the staircase in the great hall and relishing the moment.
Turning his eyes to the sphere before him, Ru'dth commanded the image to pause on Neela. The athletic woman's violet armor shone brightly against the blue sky she flew though. Her ribbon like black hair swept backwards as she flew. "In all this time, you've not changed. Bide your time Goddess, for our next meeting shall be your last."
***
Darkness consumed Robert. Everything was dark and the only thing he heard was the constant pounding in his head.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Went his heart and with each contraction, not only did the blood vessels expand in his head, but a burst of color flashed before his eyes. Groggily, he moaned and started to stir.
"Looks like he's coming around," a familiar voice said.
Confused, Robert still couldn't place things. The last thing he remembered was being on Freedom One and a woman. "That woman!" he thought to himself. "Who is she?"
"Rob, you coming out of it?" the voice asked again.
Lost in thought, replaying his stored visual scans of the previous battle, Robert faded from alertness. "Her eyes," he thought and zoomed in the image to focus only on Neela's eyes. "So compassionate and warm."
Robert felt a tug at his shoulder and the jarring motion brought him back to reality.
"What? What?" he asked repeatedly and slowly opened his eyes. It only took a matter of microseconds for his human eye to calibrate to the same level of protection his artificial one provided. Looking around him, he saw the voice that had been calling to him. Even though he couldn't place the voice, he knew who it was and he knew that his friend would always be there for him.
"Nice to see you awake, Rob," Gary said, "You put us through a big scare back there."
Robert passed off a weak smile and looked around. To his left sat Luís who hadn't left his side since brought into the medical tent. Sending a steady stream of Earth Qi to Robert, there was little doubt in the QiRanger's mind that his quick recovery was due to his teammate's care.
"Thanks Luís," Robert said with a raspy voice.
"De nada," the Mexican smiled.
The flaps to the tent burst open and the remaining QiRangers stormed in. Among the numerous congratulatory comments and jeers, Robert noticed two additional people. The first, he was familiar with. Michael Chen, Leslie's brother who had been assigned to the Sahara Staging Ground to provide medical support to the Militia. The second, he wasn't sure about.
Her face was familiar, but there was something different about her. Robert studied the new guest and an instant later recognized her as the woman from his memory. She no longer wore the violet armor and had been given NASO Desert Fatigues.
"I'm glad you're all right, Rob," Leslie said. "You had me worried there for a minute. We can't have both of us rushing off doing rash things now, can we?"
Robert nodded and took her hand and clasped her fingers in his. "We both did what had to be done." Turning his head to look at Neela, he posed a question to the others. "And who is our guest and savior?"
Neela stepped forward and walked around to the other side of the SmartBed, placing one of her soft hands on Robert's shoulder. "This is Neela," Leslie said.
Robert turned to face the Indian woman before him. Looking deep into her eyes, he remembered. "Yes, I remember you saying that. Who, no how did you do that?" he asked.
"For many years I've watched over the Earth. It is now time for me to serve again as I had in the past," Neela responded.
A puzzled look came over Robert's face and he looked to Leslie and the others to clarify Neela's answer. One thing Robert didn't' like was mysteries and this certainly qualified as one.
"Neela also fought in the last battle between good and evil. She helped QiRangers defeat Bruch'oda and banish him to the Shadow Realm," Leslie said.
"But how?" Robert asked. "There were six QiRangers, not seven. Where have you been?"
"Trapped in the abyss," Neela answered. "Our victory five thousand years ago came at a price. Long before your people roamed the Earth, deities ruled the planet. Two such were embodied in an eternal struggle, but maintained balance. Ru'dth, the Warrior God wanted nothing more than total domination over the universe." Neela sat next to Robert, "The only one to stand up to his attacks was the Goddess Kundalini."
"She sacrificed her physical form and trapped Ru'dth in an ancient medallion. For years she roamed the Astral Plane trying to return to Earth. In the QiRangers' darkest hour five thousand years ago, she bestowed her powers onto me to assist them. While we were successful to defeating Bruch'oda to the Shadow Realm, the medallion containing Ru'dth was also sent there. Unable to exist without her opposite, the Goddess was again sent to the abyss."
"How did she," Seth began, "or you," and quickly began flustered, "what ever, get back?"
Neela faced Seth, "Qual'och, Bruch'oda's wizard unlocked the seal to Ru'dth, but was unable to completely harness its power. With the aid of the Dor'Agha, he succeeded."
"You mean that thing allowed this Warrior god to come back?" Luís asked.
"Yes. And me as well. First only in energy, but now that Ru'dth has destroyed Qual'och, we both stand upon the Earth again."
"Great," Robert said sarcastically. "If things couldn't get any worse. So now what?"
"We complete what you have begun. The only way to defeat Bruch'oda's forces and Ru'dth is to seal the Five Mystic Doors. You've succeeded in closing the first two, but the last three will be more difficult. Not only because he knows what you're up to, but because he knows I'm here."
"Because of what happened up there?" Jayde asked.
"In a matter of speaking. We can sense one another. It will only be a matter of time before he and I must do battle and settle the score once and for all."
Ripping off the sheets to his SmartBed, Robert jumped to his feet. "Then we had better stop wasting time. Let's get to work people."
"Now just hold on a second," Gary protested, trying to hold Robert back. "You've just recovered from exhausting all your power. You're not a hundred percent. I can't let you go like this."
Skillfully, Robert diverted his friend's hands and sidestepped him. "We have no choice. We've got to go."
"Your friend is right," Neela spoke. "Make sure your strength is all that it can be, for when we enter battle, we do so not only against Bruch'oda's forces, but that of Ru'dth as well."
"She's right, Rob. Give it a rest, if only for an hour," Leslie said.
He could feel the others standing in agreement, even though nothing was said. Robert also knew they were right.
"All right. An hour then," Robert decided. "If we're going to do this, I think each of us had better build all the Qi we can."
***
Sitting next to one another, the five QiRangers held hands. Leslie held hands with Jayde and Luís; Luís with Robert and Leslie; and so on - so that each QiRanger connected with the element that fed their Qi and the one they fed. Fire gave birth to Earth, which gave birth to Metal, which gave birth to Water, which gave birth to Wood, which gave birth to Fire.
So they sat, their Qi interconnected and building. Each breath not only entered their body, but was instantly shared with the others as a circular patter of energy was established. Sitting in deep meditation like this, the QiRangers quickly realized they were far stronger than any had realized. Individually they possessed great power, but as a team, they commanded the very nature of the universe, even if they were one member short.
***
Night had fallen, but the hour had come at last. The five QiRangers and Neela stood before the Earth Mystic Door ready to enter battle for the Earth and all Humanity. Each knew no fear, only duty and honor.
"Fire!" Leslie cried out as her Heart and Small Intestine meridians exploded in a blaze of red energy that consumed her before revealing her armored form.
"Earth!" Luís yelled, energizing the Stomach and Spleen meridians.
"Metal!" called Robert and his Lung and Large Intestine meridians came to life, transforming him into his armored form.
"Water!" Seth exclaimed and his Kidney and Bladder meridians shot over his body, electrifying his soul before his transformation was complete.
"Wood!" Jayde yelled, sending energy through her Liver and Gall Bladder meridians. As the coursing green energy covered her body, she broke free and stood with the others in her armor.
"Kundalini arise!" Neela yelled. Deep in her core, Neela's Root Chakra glowed red before spinning. The energy harnessed in the base Chakra quickly grew and changed to orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet before leaving her head and showering her with power. As the sparkling shards of power descended from Neela's Crown Chakra, her violet armor appeared.
Each stood ready and knew what would come next. Standing close to one another, the QiRangers concentrated on the very elements that powered them. They let their minds drift free of their physical forms and become one with each element.
Slowly, their bodies melted away and the QiRangers became nothing more than pure Elemental Qi. The five spheres of power began swirling about over the desert floor, moving closer and closer together. They finally merged and cast a bright light in the desert.
As the light faded, it was evident what had occurred. What once were five individual forms of energy merged into one bright golden light. The golden energy sphere slowly began shifting and taking a humanoid form. As before, the QiRangers' minds melded into one. For Jayde, Leslie, Seth, and Luís this was the second time they had experienced such a sensation, but for Robert it was the first.
The QiRangers quickly came to terms with the new addition, which seemed to assimilate easier than they had thought. Robert's cerebral computer allowed him to focus on the events and experience the link without losing control. The extra guidance from the computer system was also felt by the others and calmed them as well.
Standing four meters tall was the Golden Warrior the QiRangers formed. His sleek armor covered his arms and legs and a matching breast plate covered his torso. Etched in black in the center were the symbols for the five elements with the Tao in the center. A helmet like theirs covered his head.
"We are ready," the QiDefender said using the overtones of each of the five QiRangers.
Nodding, Neela brought her hands to namaste and released a swirling cloud of violet energy that encompassed them. When it cleared, they were gone.
***
"So, it begins Goddess," Ru'dth cold, calculating voice sneered through his razor-sharp teeth. Eying the energy spheres before him, the Warrior God of the Ancients rose from his perch on the Shadow Realm's Throne and meticulously walked to the edge of the top tier.
"Sta'Vagh," Ru'dth's voice boomed in the vacant room.
The serpent warrior guarding the Water Mystic Door appeared in the central energy sphere. Surrounded by an army of Sea Shadows, Sta'Vagh hovered effortlessly in the deep ocean. "Who? What are you?" he asked, unsure of the image that now appeared before him in the darkened ocean.
Growing in size, Ru'dth's transparent image towered over the ancient ruins of the deep. "I am your Lord," his voice rang in the ocean, sending invisible waves of energy into each and every member of the army assembled dedicated to keep the Door open.
Sta'Vagh's body convulsed as he succumbed to the enormous power of Ru'dth. Using his mind to stave off the brunt of Ru'dth's power, Sta'Vagh struggled to keep himself free and independent.
Like a powerful stone wall moving at the speed of sound, Ru'dth's telepathic attacks rammed through the last defenses of Sta'Vagh's mind. The blow sent the powerful Serpent Warrior reeling backwards as he recovered from having his free will vaporized.
Looking on with glazed over eyes, Sta'Vagh stared at Ru'dth's image. "Yes, Master," he said.
"They're coming for the Door."
"We are ready, Master."
"No, you are not," Ru'dth's projection said. Clasping his hands together, white energy began swirling around Ru'dth's body. The shimmering light illuminated the dark sea bottom. Several of the Sea Shadows raised their arms to block the blinding light, but Sta'Vagh stared on with intense interest.
"Min'u tolyx va!" Ru'dth yelled. The powerful white energy shot forth from his hands and rocketed towards Sta'Vagh.
The electrical charge surrounded the serpent warrior, infusing his body with power. The magic of the ancients fused his armor and scales together as his arms doubled in size. The crackling energy forced the retraction of his long tail and spawned the growth of two legs. As Sta'Vagh's total size grew to more than seven meters, the ribs in his neck expanded forming a cobra's hood.
Once the transformation was complete, Ru'dth's image faded, but not before issuing one last statement, "Now, you are ready."
Sta'Vagh curled his fists and roared under the sea. "Take your positions," he ordered as red energy glowed from his eyes and pits.
The Sea Shadows quickly obeyed their General and swam into position. Undulating his body, Sta'Vagh moved forward and came to rest on the soft, muddy sea bottom.
In the distance, where darkness had one been, a brilliant flash of violet light illuminated the sea. Sta'Vagh smiled, exposing his twin fangs. "You are now mine," he vowed and motioned his arms forward. The legions of Sea Shadows took order and instantly swam forward, prepared to meet the QiRangers in battle.
***
A soft orange glow enveloped Neela as she drew upon the power harnessed in her Second Chakra. The power of water enabled the Indian to breathe and move easily through the sea as if she were on land. Likewise, the QiDefender drew upon its Water Qi to survive. Appearing like David and Goliath, the unlikely pair saw the ancient ruins in the distance.
"There," Seth's consciousness alerted the others through the meld.
The others knew instantly, before he even completed his thought that they had arrived at their destination. Neela knew as well, as she and Master Li had been to each of the Mystic Doors five thousand years ago.
"They know we're here," she began, sending her message telepathically. "We must be careful. Ru'dth will stop at nothing to see that we're destroyed." Readying herself for battle, Neela called forth twin blades that appeared in her hands. The scimitars were ornately decorated with carvings of Kundalini in her serpent form. As she channeled power from her First Chakra, the blade's fine lines began glowing red as it filled with Earth energy.
QiDefender nodded and called forth the Water Qi that coursed through his veins. The symbol on his armor plating glowed and cast a hue over his body. The Qi Shield appeared in his left arm and instantly changed from blue to gold. On QiDefender's right arm appeared a rack that wrapped around his forearm. The device contained the Water QiRanger's Disc in a series of tracks that ended in six arrow tips.
"Let's go," QiDefender said and began moving towards the Mystic Door.
Shielding her thoughts from the others, Neela's true feelings emerged, "You've chosen well, my friends."
Following the QiDefender, Neela quickly came along side her ally and the two raced toward the Water Mystic Door.
***
Bart'oK sped his legion of Sea Shadows towards the QiDefender and Neela. There was little doubt in his mind, that he and his fellow Sea Shadows we bear the brunt of the initial attack, and he did his best to quell his fears. For many years, he and the other Shadow Warriors remained trapped in the Shadow Realm. When they had once again claimed a foothold on Earth, each volunteered to undergo a transformation by Qual'och to serve as Dark Guardians of the Water Mystic Doors. Bart'oK's specialized gills and affinity for Water enabled he and the others to not only breathe under water, but command its very molecules.
As his group approached the QiDefender, Bart'oK yelled with his altered vocal chords, "Divert and attack!"
Hearing their commander, Bart'oK's troops did so. Half of the groups continued following Bart'oK and came to bear on the QiDefender. The other half prepared to attack Neela.
Deep inside, Bart'oK wished he was about to face the human woman, as he suspected his survival odds would be significantly better.
Bart'oK's first group of Sea Shadows braced for attack and energized their Dark Qi Stars fixed on their arms. The Stars started spinning in their tracks and became even darker. As they were released, the Dark Qi sent rippling waves of disharmony throughout the sea.
Seeing the oncoming barrage of Dark Qi, QiDefender halted his progress and brought his shield in front to protect him. Sensing the negative polarity of the Stars, QiDefender quickly blocked each of the Stars with the Qi Shield. The positive energy of the Water Qi that constructed the Qi Shield counteracted the Dark Qi in the Stars, and as each hit the shield, they fell to the sea bottom, inert.
While the polarities of the Qi may have countered each other's effect, the forceful impacts and blades of the Stars affected the QiDefender. Each blow slowly moved the Golden Warrior backwards and dented the Qi Shield. If this continued, the two sides would constantly remain in a stalemate.
The collective minds of the QiDefender were not going to let that happen.
Using Luís' Earth Energy, the QiDefender powered the Disc attached to his right arm. The yellow Energy permeated the round weapon and cascaded down the six tracks, ending in their spears. The electrical charge of the Earth Qi illuminated each tip and cast an awesome light on the Sea Shadows.
Thrusting his arm forward, QiDefender launched the first three Qi Discs powered with Earth Qi.
As they sped through the water, QiDefender instantly picked up on the fear that now penetrated each Sea Shadow.
Seeing what was coming towards them, they tried to get out of the way, but the Disc was under the control of the QiDefender and followed its thoughts, changing course as needed to hunt each of its targets.
The first of the energized Qi Discs connected with the Sea Shadows and had its desired effect - total destruction. While Metal Qi will strengthen Water Qi, Earth Qi can destroy it. The Qi Discs plowed through the protective armor of the Sea Shadows and sliced their bodies in pieces as if they were not even there. Once the Qi Disc left the Sea Shadow, latent Earth Qi remained on their lifeless bodies and continued eating away at their vary existence, until nothing was left.
Horror filled Bart'oK as he saw the Qi Disc come for him. Before it struck, he looked to see if the others were faring any better, but before he could ascertain that information, Bart'oK felt the power of Earth end his life.
***
Neela relished the feeling of being back in action after so many years of not being anything more than an astral projection. With her twin scimitars glowed fiery red, powered by the Earth Energy harnessed from Neela's Root Chakra, she faced the Sea Shadows head on.
The Orange glow from the Sacral Chakra allowed Neela to control the water surrounding her and form it into a transparent cocoon-shaped barrier. As the Shadows fired their Stars, Neela focused her positive energy to block the Dark Qi from harming her. Unlike QiDefender's Shield, Neela's cocoon not only absorbed the Stars, but rendered them harmless. Rather than dropping them to the sea bottom, the water cocoon retained each inert Star and began forming an actual shield from the used Sea Shadow Weapon.
Neela neared the first group of Sea Shadows. Whirling about her blades, she artfully began dispatching them with ease.
Each cut from her blade infused the Sea Shadows with the power of Earth and caused them to disintegrate. The speed at which she was able to maneuver was blinding. Once she begun her attack, the Sea Shadows couldn't keep track of her location and began firing their Dark Qi Stars randomly, just trying to hit any moving target, praying it was the Indian Woman.
Neela's strategy and skill proved too much for the foot soldiers of the deep. Most of the Stars sailed off into the sea, not harming a living soul. Others did find their way into Neela's water cocoon, but the rest found themselves embedded into the armor plating of other Sea Shadows.
***
It only took a matter of minutes for the QiDefender and Neela to make their way through the numerous Sea Shadows Bruch'oda and Ru'dth had stationed at the Water Mystic Door. Reunited again, the pair swam onward towards the ruins containing the Door they intended to close. Only Sta'Vagh's enhanced form stood in the way.
As the QiDefender approached, Neela felt an increasingly uneasy feeling from the Golden Warrior. In the past, the ultimate QiWarrior faced such demons. Now the QiRangers were without their strongest ally and only half the size of the beast before them. The coalesced mind tried to steady itself, but the QiRangers were just too unsure about their skills against someone so big.
Neela positioned herself next to the QiDefender and placed her hand on his back. Tapping into her Sixth Chakra, Neela sent a calming energy over her golden companion.
"Focus. Do not worry. If the cause is just, then destiny will follow," she sent with her mind.
QiDefender reacted to the additional energy from Neela and instantly sped toward Sta'Vagh. Neela smiled and followed.
***
Sta'Vagh curled his lips around his teeth and roared, "You may have defeated my army, but you will not get past me!"
Rising up from the murky sea bottom, Sta'Vagh leapt to the top of two broken pillars marking the entrance to the Water Mystic Door. Landing on the ancient columns of stone caused them to settle deeper into the Earth's crust and create a fine mist of silt that clouded the reptilian.
Narrowing his gaze at the oncoming duo, Sta'Vagh clenched both his fists. Electrical energy began crackling from the warrior's hood, illuminating the dark sea. The blue strands of energy enveloped his body and manifested in both his fists. The bolts of Dark Water Qi transformed from erratic masses of reckless energy into two rods.
The bolt in Sta'Vagh's left hand solidifies into a long staff with a scythe at the end. In his other hand, the bolt transforms into a trident. Laughing, the water warrior spins each and connects the ends together, forming one long, deadly staff.
Staring into the deep, he saw the single golden figure getting closer. "No more waiting," he shouted and jumped from the columns. The force Sta'Vagh used to push off destroyed the ancient structures and they fell like crumbs to the ocean floor.
His giant form rocketed towards the QiDefender and Neela with outstretched arms. With the trident end facing QiDefender, Sta'Vagh shot an energy wave at the duo.
"Break!" yelled Neela into the collective mind of the QiDefender as she and the warrior spilt apart and allowed the Dark Qi to harmlessly pass between them.
The united mind of the QiRangers saw the ever growing Sta'Vagh approaching and fired its Earth charged discs at their enemy. The three yellow discs flew towards their intended target. To increase their chances of causing the most damage, QiDefender commanded the discs to split and travel on three separate arcs.
Sta'Vagh's smile grew wider as he saw the three yellow discs approaching. The large reptile extended his free hand and erected an energy barricade around him. As he raced towards the QiDefender, Sta'Vagh let the Qi Discs impact his shield. One by one the discs disintegrated, leaving Sta'Vagh unharmed.
"You're going to have to do better than that," he teased.
"He's protected by Ru'dth's magic," Neela sent telepathically. "The only way to destroy him is by direct combat."
Never taking his eyes off Sta'Vagh, QiDefender responded, "Then we'll do things the hard way."
Increasing his speed, QiDefender left Neela far behind in the ocean. The Golden Warrior was determined to make this a quick a decisive victory. Readying his Disc launcher for another attack, QiDefender channeled energy into the spear tips at the end of the launcher. Crackling with power, the six tips shone bright in the deep sea.
"We need to break through the barrier," Robert shared in the link.
"Right," Leslie added.
"I'll lead the way," Seth added allowing the QiDefender to extend its arm and bring the Qi Shield in front. With the great barrier before him, QiDefender thought for sure he'd be able to defend against any attacks.
"And I'll finish it," Luís said energizing the spears even more.
***
The Hooded Reptile extended his free hand and commanded a rush of power to surge forth at the QiDefender. The dark power pelted the Qi Shield, taking every ounce of strength the combined QiRangers had to hold steady. Wave after wave of intense power washed over the shield, slowing their progress. Finally a lull occurred in the blast. Taking advantage of the situation, the QiDefender looked over the top of his shield and saw Sta'Vagh's eyes for the first time.
The cold, distant orbits of the snake penetrated the helmet of the QiDefender and sent fear into their bodies. Shivering in the deep, Sta'Vagh took advantage of the QiDefender's weakness and resumed his Dark Qi attack.
With their minds diverted from the task at hand, the powerful energy form Sta'Vagh rocked the QiDefender. His muscles began burning with fatigue as he tried to keep the shield before him. Slowly, he could feel his power fading and the shield dropping.
Neela sensed the drain from the QiRangers and swam closer. Wielding her twin scimitars, she brought them before her and crossed their blades. "Qu'oSHla va XanJo!" she cried out. Her delicate voice traveled far in the dense ocean as her blades erupted in a fiery bolt of white energy.
The powerful beam raced from the crossed scimitars and broke through Sta'Vagh's barrier as if weren't there. The collision of her and Ru'dth's power created a huge explosion and sent both QiDefender and Sta'Vagh reeling backwards.
Tumbling over and over, Sta'Vagh desperately tried to gain control of himself, but couldn't. He was only able to stop when he collided with the rooftop of the ancient ruins. Crashing through the upper molding of the roof-line, Sta'Vagh destroyed what little of the structure that was left as his giant form passed through the stone masonry.
Breaking free of the rubble, Sta'Vagh grumbled with anger. "Damn you woman!" he shouted while standing to his full height through the remnants of the roof.
***
QiDefender fared no better than Sta'Vagh following the explosion. The Golden Warrior drew in his arms and legs to form a more compact form. "We've got to steady ourselves," they all thought and brought the Qi Shield to their feet. Placing their boots in the arm straps, QiDefender began using the increased surface area to slow its progress.
"Come on," Luís shared with the others, irritated that they hadn't overcome the explosion yet.
The extra push from the Earth QiRanger's mind was all that was needed for the others to come together and steady QiDefender. The giant form of the five QiRangers quickly came to a halt and peered at Sta'Vagh rising from the ruins.
"We've got to go this together," QiDefender said into Neela's mind.
"Agreed," she sent.
Swimming to QiDefender's side, Neela looked grossly out of place, like a small child next to a giant. "Let's go," she said and they resumed their course towards Sta'Vagh. Moving closer to QiDefender, Neela entered their mind. "I'll open his protective shield. When it cracks be ready to strike."
Even without words, Neela knew the QiRangers understood and were ready. She could see Sta'Vagh rising from the ruins and coming for them again - his staff broken in two and anger filling his mind and body. "This must be done quickly," she thought to herself.
Letting her scimitars fade into nothing, Neela began focusing her mind on the inner channels of the Kundalini. Deep in her Root Chakra, the coils of Kundalini began churning. The vibrant Earth energy glowed red in the lowest levels of her pelvic cavity. As the Kundalini continued to rise, it entered the Second Chakra. Blue energy swirled about her sacrum as it continued to rise.
QiDefender looked to his right and saw the ever increasing power from Neela and wondered what she was going to do.
The Kundalini turned yellow as it entered the solar plexus and became Fire. The area surrounding Neela began churning with electricity, hydrolyzing the molecular structure of the water and sending the Oxygen to the surface.
Sta'Vagh narrowed his gaze and fired twin blasts from his trident and scythe. The dark energy forced Neela and QiDefender to split again, but the attack didn't faze the Indian as her energy rose to the Heart Chakra and cast a green light around her.
Sta'Vagh continues firing his twin blasts of Dark Qi, but to no avail. Each streak of energy passes harmlessly by the QiDefender and Neela as they artfully dodge the blasts. Neela smiled as her energy rose past her throat and third eye and exited her head. With each of the seven Chakras fully charged, Neela swooped to a stop and brought her arms in front.
"Wu'TolkFa GeSH!" she yelled.
The combined energy from the seven Chakras formed in her hands and released in a powerful beam of energy. Powered from the very nature of her soul, Neela's Soul Blast ripped through the ocean vaporizing the sea around it. The ensuing vacuum continued to grow as the Soul Blast neared Sta'Vagh.
The Reptilian Warrior erected his powerful barricade again while he continued his assault towards QiDefender. When the Soul Blast reached the barricade the collision of opposing energies caused the barrier to solidify and encase Sta'Vagh in a cocoon.
Sweat began poring down Neela's face as she forced more and more power into her Soul Blast. "Argh!" she screamed and sent a massive burst of energy to Sta'Vagh. The power surged through the continuous beam emitted from her hands and penetrated the barrier.
Sta'Vagh was prepared this time for the Indian's power and wasn't surprised by the Soul Blast's power as it crushed his protective cocoon. He floated ready with his weapons prepared to strike. What surprised him was QiDefender coming through the broken barrier with the spikes aimed at his head.
The collective mind of QiDefender relished the stunned look on Sta'Vagh's face as they readied to skewer him.
Rushing their right arm forward, the QiRangers drove the six Earth charged spikes at Sta'Vagh's neck.
"Ha!" yells Sta'Vagh as he captures the spears in his trident. Before QiDefender can reposition himself, Sta'Vagh continues his counter attack by swiping his scythe at the Qi Shield. The curved blade quickly rose above the lip of the shield and caught its edge.
QiDefender tried to hold onto the Shield, but the pressure and leverage derived from Sta'Vagh was too great. The sharp blade of the scythe tore into the Qi Shield as QiDefender slowly succumbed to the massive power of Sta'Vagh who was nearly twice his size.
Pulling down on the scythe, Sta'Vagh ripped the Shield in half, exposing the golden armor of the QiDefender. "You're mine now, humans," Sta'Vagh hissed, pulling back the scythe.
Twisting his trident further, QiDefender's arm collapsed under the strain. The powerful blades of the trident broke through the six spears and sent them harmlessly to the sea bottom. "It ends now," Sta'Vagh eagerly said readying the scythe to strike.
"No!" Neela yelled racing towards Sta'Vagh's abdomen. With her power channeled to her leading fist, she charged into Sta'Vagh. The crushing blow cracked his ribs and bore her fist deep into her visceral organs. The force translated directly into Sta'Vagh's core and sent him flying backwards.
Tired, QiDefender dropped to the sea floor while watching Sta'Vagh plummet deep into Earth. The resulting impact stirred up a massive cloud of silt, obscuring Neela and QiDefender's view.
"We've got to strike now!" Neela screamed.
"Right!" yelled QiDefender, lifting his tired form from the slouched position it fell to. The collective minds of the QiRangers drew upon their inner Qi to give their combined form additional power. Streaks of golden Qi flowed over his armor as QiDefender took off towards the crater where Sta'Vagh fell.
***
Slowly, Sta'Vagh's mind cleared. The pain he sustained from the blow was much more than he anticipated. "They will suffer for this," he vowed, swimming upwards. With each grasp of the ancient soil, he propelled himself faster to the crest of the crater. Sta'Vagh commanded his Dark Qi to circulate within his powered form, fueling his body with even more power. The combined power from the Ru'dth and Dark Water Qi shot Sta'Vagh out the crater's mouth.
Rising high above the others, Sta'Vagh caught QiDefender and Neela by surprise. Cupping his hands together, Sta'Vagh formed a massive ball of Dark Qi. Unlike previous energy strikes, his Qi was fueled by the Ru'dth's essence. Its very appearance was darker and more volatile and rumbled with intense power.
Sta'Vagh roared as he let the Qi Strike go.
The massive energy eruption traveled far faster than QiDefender or Neela anticipated. Had Sta'Vagh's intended target been QiDefender, Earth's hopes surely would have been lost, for the human mind was grossly inadequate for tracking a weapon with such speed. Neela's mind, however, was touched by the Goddess Kundalini and was able to see the powerful ball of dark energy.
The Qi Strike's speed was too great for Neela to escape, but she knew of only one other way to avoid certain death. Bringing her hands together, Neela quickly focused her power into a single point. White energy formed a thin blade directed at the oncoming Qi Strike. Wrinkling her brow, Neela prepared for the collision that was fast approaching.
The dense matter of the sea caused the thundering approach of the Ru'dth's energy to rumble even louder than Neela thought possible. The deafening noise made her concentration falter as Sta'Vagh's Qi came crashing upon her energy blade.
The opposing powers countered one another - Ru'dth from the side of darkness and Kundalini from light. Neela's blade severed the Qi Strike into two equal halves. With the energy that held the matrix together severed, the remnants became unstable and exploded.
The combined energy of the Ru'dth and Kundalini devastated the ocean around Neela. Lit like the high noon sun, the ocean depth saw the closest thing to daylight it would ever. Shockwaves from the explosion cleared the ocean floor of debris and sent loose pieces of rubble flying in all directions. Neela's body was cast backwards by the blast, far beyond that the QiDefender could see.
"Neela!" he cried but there was little he could do.
"That's it!" Luís thought. "We end this now!"
Taking leadership of the QiDefender, Luís commanded the golden warrior to speed towards Sta'Vagh's position. Reaching out with his right arm, Luís summoned the mighty Earth War Hammer he relied upon so many times in batter.
Streaking through the water, amber light appeared next to QiDefender. Slowly the light faded and the massive form of the War Hammer hardened. Gasping its leather grips, QiDefender readied himself to deliver a blow to the massive warrior he quickly approached.
***
Sta'Vagh smiled as he peeled back his hands from shielding his eyes from the massive explosion that rocked the sea. "She is gone," he thought, not paying attention to where the QiDefender was. "Now to take care of these little humans."
Sta'Vagh turned his head to the last position he spied QiDefender and found nothing. "Where are they?" he wondered.
Time stood still for Sta'Vagh as the War Hammer came crashing down on his neck. The loud, crunching sound of metal against his fleshed traveled instantly though his body to his ears. Sta'Vagh closed his eyes as powerful waves of pain cascaded into his body.
Snap.
Crunch.
Snap.
In the blink of an eye, QiDefender had delivered a devastating blow against Sta'Vagh. Laying all his power into the War Hammer, QiDefender was able to wield his mighty weapon against the cervical ribs of his foe. Breaking the bones and sending immeasurable pain into his enemy, QiDefender pulled the War Hammer back and prepared to swing again.
Reeling from the pain, Sta'Vagh wasn't about to be surprised by another blow. Spinning around forced the weakened hood to fall over his eyes, but that didn't matter. He knew where the QiDefender had to be to deliver such an arrack and flailed his arm outwards. Sta'Vagh closed his fist and plowed his arm through the water. Channeling all his remaining strength into his hand, Sta'Vagh laid into the first thing he came into contact with.
Sta'Vagh was mighty in his own right, but with the aid of the Ru'dth, his power was greater than even he imagined. His lone fist slammed into the breastplate QiDefender. The impact flung the golden warrior backwards as the force cracked the protective shell of the QiRangers.
The collective minds of the QiRangers reeled from the infliction of such pain. As QiDefender fell back, the crack on his breastplate widened. Multicolored energetic blood seeped from the gash and each of the five QiRangers found it increasingly harder to breathe.
"We've got to stay focused," Robert shared through the link. "We can't lose site of the mission and what we must accomplish."
"He's right," Jayde spoke up. "If we fail the Earth is finished."
QiDefender's body collided with the mushy soil of the sea bottom and sunk in about a meter before coming to a halt. The impact jarred the QiRangers' combined form even more and widening the armor's tear.
Sta'Vagh's teeth glimmered in the dark sea as she saw his enemy lay helpless and wounded on the sea bottom. Brushing back his broken ribs, the giant warrior began his descent on QiDefender.
Gathering speed Sta'Vagh narrowed his gaze onto his target. Once again, he amassed a giant force of Dark Qi and infused it with Ru'dth's power. The darkened mass boiled over with power and rumbled like a freight train heading for destruction. Sta'Vagh continued to build speed and force Qi into his energy mass when Neela rose from behind a fallen column.
Her face donned with a wicked scowl, Neela brought her hands to form a diamond in front of her chest. Channeling the energies from the seven Chakra vortexes, she initiated a Soul Blast through her hands. The rainbow colored energy wave shot through the darkened sea and slammed into Sta'Vagh's back.
The powerful beam of energy froze Sta'Vagh in his tracks. Paralyzed from tremendous amount of power being thrust upon him, the giant snake could do little more than cry out in pain as his armored flesh began to sublime.
"I can't hold him for long," Neela sent to the QiDefender with her mind as she continued using all her strength to bore into Sta'Vagh.
Gritting his teeth to push past the pain filling his body, QiDefender rose from the murky soil and began swimming towards Sta'Vagh.
Seeing QiDefender rise up and approach, Sta'Vagh began flailing his arms and legs, trying to break free. "Noooo!" he cried as his pulse raced and fear entered his body for the first time.
As Sta'Vagh continued to move about, Neela struggled to retain her hold on her enemy. With every second that passed, she could feel him slipping away. "Hurry," she pleaded to the QiDefender.
Nodding, QiDefender increased his speed even more. Rushing forward, the golden warrior called for his Qi Saber and fueled it with the energy from all five elements. The large blade quickly turned from metallic to shimmering white and humming with electricity.
Staring Sta'Vagh in the eyes, QiDefender readied the Qi Saber to strike. He pulled the blade backwards before thrusting it with all his might forward into the gut of his foe. The combined forces of Neela and the QiRangers easily penetrated Sta'Vagh's outer hide. The incredible power of the Kundalini had weakened his armored flesh to such a degree, that the Qi Saber passed through it effortlessly.
Now that his hide had been breeched, Sta'Vagh tried to focus his energy on holding himself together, but with his body stabbed, found that his power was quickly being depleted.
QiDefender withdrew his sword and pulled back to a safe distance. Neela ceased her Soul Blast and watched alongside QiDefender as Sta'Vagh's body exploded in a giant fireball.
Relief fell upon the QiRangers, for their task was nearly complete. With Sta'Vagh gone they could finally seal the Water Mystic Door.
***
"No!" Ru'dth shouted from the top of the Throne Room. Shooting electrical beams from his hands, the Dark God turned the once smooth walls of stone to rubble. The debris came crashing down toe the floor below filling the air with dust.
"I can't believe they were able to defeat Sta'Vagh!"
Ru'dth's face seemed to boil over in anger. Blood vessels rose to the surface of his flesh and began pulsating with each contraction of the God's heart beat. Grinding his teeth, Ru'dth sat back in his throne with a definitive thud.
"Op'utd. Bruch'oda," he commanded and their images appeared in two viewing spheres before him.
"Yes, my Lord," responds Op'utd.
"Master, what is your bidding," answers Bruch'oda.
Ru'dth curls his fingers around the edge of the throne. "Sta'Vagh has failed and the QiRangers have sealed the Water Mystic Door. It will only be a matter of time before they come to your location. You cannot fail."
"I will not, my Lord," Op'utd pledged. "Should the QiRangers attempt to attack the Metal Mystic Door, they will not succeed. My Shadow Warriors stand ready to defeat the QiRangers and the Kundalini."
"We stand prepared as well, Master," Bruch'oda added.
"Being ready is inadequate. With their combined power, they will easily bypass your defenses and seal the door. Everything we've done thus far has been in vein. Like the seas of this planet, we must change," Ru'dth said.
***
Op'utd and Bruch'oda stood before their respective Mystic Doors - Op'utd before the Metal Door and Bruch'oda in front of the Fire. The two remaining elemental warriors of evil stood watch over their endless mass of Shadow Warriors, who stood with their crimson blades drawn.
A fine mist lowered from the heavens and covered each of the Shadow Warriors. The countless numbers of troops began convulsing under the spell cast by Ru'dth and dropped to the floor.
"My Lord, what are you doing?" asked Op'utd.
No response was given and the Dragon Warrior could only watch what happened to the Shadows.
Slowly, the coughing stopped. One-by-one, the Shadows rose from the floor, but their armor had grown fluid rather than remaining the fixed, dark color it was moments before. Each Shadow rose to new heights, standing just over two meters and increased their mass twice over. No longer were they sleek combatants used for eons by Bruch'oda to fight the forces of good - they had become something else, something more powerful and more threatening.
Op'utd smiled as he witnessed the transformation complete.
The Shadows' armor solidified with jagged edges along the knee guards and forearms. Spikes rose from the shoulder pads and torso plates. Not only would these new Shadow Warriors be armed with the crimson blades of death, but their armor would serve as weapons.
Op'utd stood pleased.
***
An energy vortex appeared near the Earth Mystic Door. Swirling sands and rushing air forced back the three Earth Alliance Troops standing guard.
"Captain, what's happening?" one of the men called out?
"Beats the fuck out of me," she shouted over the roar of the wind. "Ready your weapons!" she yelled as she hoisted her blasted in to firing position.
NASO and Earth Alliance Militia Troops gathered around the door as the wind grew worse. Lightening shot down from the sky and exploded in the sand, sending it upwards.
"Steady," the Captain shouted trying to hold back her fear. Ever since they had entered this fight against monsters, aliens, and magic nothing seemed as it was. Nothing was for certain. "Hold your fire!"
Each of the troopers tried not to hold their breaths as six energy balls began forming in the sand directly in front. The six distinct forms of energy slowly expanded to human form before dissipating, leaving behind the QiRangers and Neela.
"Medics!" the Captain cried to her support troops as the QiRangers and Neela fell to the sand exhausted.
Gary and Michael ran through the crowds of Militia and quickly tended to their friends. Kneeling besides Robert, Gary took out his portable scanner and assessed his condition. Aside from being depleted physically from the battle, he appeared safe from harm.
Robert's tired eyes looked up at his friend and he managed a smile. He extended his hand to his old friend and pulled himself to his feet. "We did it Gary. It was rough, but we did it."
"Good. I knew you could," Gary responded, tapping his friend on the shoulder before stepping over to Luís to examine him.
Turning his head towards the countless Militia assembled, Robert saw General Abbey making his way towards him. Seeing that his friends were under good care, Robert left to meet the General.
Snapping to attention, Robert said, "Sir."
"At ease, Rob," General Abbey responded.
"Mission accomplished."
"Then everything went as planned?"
Robert paused a moment before answering. "As close to plan as possible, Sir. We have a small problem."
General Abbey's face soured. "What?"
"Bruch'oda has unleashed a new power, one that we hadn't anticipated."
"God help us," Abbey muttered.
"Not exactly," Robert said looking at Neela. "How familiar are you with Indian mythology?"
***
End of Chapter Six: Ancient Allies
***
Two weeks had passed since their latest defeat at the hands of the QiRangers. What once was a seemingly unstoppable machine of destruction moving forward over the Earth had abated. Earth's defenders had achieved what no one thought possible - turn the tide in the battle for Earth.
While the planet was still ruled by Bruch'oda and the forces of the Shadow Realm, the Humans had managed to gain two footholds on the planet and were unreachable. Furthermore, recent losses had severely crippled Bruch'oda's army. Gone was Man'uL'o who embodied the spirit of Wood. Second to fall was Dra'isod, who commanded the power of Water and Fire. Bruch'oda and the other the Dark Qi Masters were all that stood in the way of the QiRangers.
This fact began to erode the morale of the remaining Generals and Troop Captains. Without the mighty Dra'isod to lead them into battle, they were forced to rely upon Op'utd, whose skill in battle was widely questioned after his line fell in the last great battle. Always considered unworthy of his post as second-in-command, the other military commanders felt unsure that he would be able to succeed where others had failed.
News also quickly spread of the destruction of the X-Bot. Without this new ally, the forces resident on the Shadow Realm would have no way to teleport off-world and destroy the human bases in space. Their only hope would be to tighten the noose around the two planetary bases and destroy any incoming craft slated to provide supplies and weaken the human's resolve.
Speculation was also mounting within the ranks as to the fate of Xantia. For millennia, she was always seen at the side of Bruch'oda, atop his throne, but for the past two weeks, she was noticeably absent. What disturbed those in the inner circle of trust is that Bruch'oda paid no mind to it at all and Qual'och, her reputed lover, spoke nothing of her.
They were sure something had happened when the wizard reclaimed the powers of Ru'dth, but they were unclear as to what. In any case, the enormous power he now commanded, unsettled many. If it were not for Bruch'oda's visible support and trust in Qual'och, many of the top Generals would take matters into their own hands.
***
Qual'och hovered above the mat in his private quarters in the upper levels of Bruch'oda's Fortress. No longer did the meek cleric reside in the nether regions of the dark catacombs, but rather in the more prestigious rooms reserved for Bruch'oda himself and his most trusted generals. Rich with what lavish items existed in the Shadow Realm, those chosen to live here knew they resided in the inner circle of power.
Lush carpeted skins flowed over the hard tile wall-to-wall and elegant sconces illuminated the three-room suite. Qual'och's extensive library had been moved from below to his new living space and several books were laid out on glass tables, pages propped open and specific passages marked.
The mighty wizard rested in full lotus position with his hands forming three unique mudras. The combinations correlated to the three phases of life and allowed Qual'och to concentrate on harnessing his power. With each breath, Qual'och drew more energy into his soul, filling each energy center. His once weak body now pulsed with power as the wizard easily commanded everything around him.
No longer was he worried about those scheming behind his back, for he now had the ultimate power at his disposal and Bruch'oda answered to him. He was in control of the Shadow Realm and it would only be a matter of time before he would rule the Earth as well. Everyone knew that the QiRangers would strike one of the three remaining Mystic Doors they controlled. It was simply a matter of preparing their defenses and ensuring the opposing forces were prepared.
Qual'och's mind was far way from the Shadow Realm. During this meditation he searched the astral plane for answers that would guide him. However, this sojourn elicited an unexpected result.
With each meditation and exercise he performed with the Ru'dth, Qual'och began feeling more and more powerful. Initially, he thought it was just the joining of the power, but he quickly realized that it was not. In all his research, he never came across the true nature of the Ru'dth, but now, in his meditative state, it became clear.
The Ru'dth was more than just a power center; it was a being of energy. It possessed conscious thought and had its own agenda. Qual'och thought that he commanded the power, but after looking into himself, he knew the power controlled him, and now that it fully manifested, had little use for a wizard trained in the art of Qi.
This dichotomy manifested itself in two versions of the same corporeal being. One was meek appeared as the magician that was loyal to Bruch'oda and who loved Xantia. The other being on the astral plane was the embodiment of the Ru'dth, corrupt with power. This powerful foe vied for total control of Qual'och's mind and body and would not stop until it achieved that goal.
"This has gone on long enough!" Qual'och shouted. "I can no longer sit by and be silent." The purple clad wizard moved effortlessly in the astral realm towards the Ru'dth and confronted him.
Ru'dth floated in lotus as he did in the real world. The mighty warrior opened his tightly sealed eyes and transitioned his hands in to new mudras. The new formations hummed with power and glowed brightly. "Do you think you have a choice in the matter?" he hissed through his pressed lips.
"You've gone too far," Qual'och said heatedly.
"No, I haven't," he responded.
Ru'dth smiled and dropped his hands, "You foolish, pathetic man. You have no idea what the fates have called for." Small balls of energy manifested in his palms as he unfolded his legs. Floating erect, the empowered form of the Ru'dth towered over Qual'och.
"I let your mind stay on in this shell, but clearly you are unworthy of that gift."
"If it weren't for me, then you'd still be locked in the medallion. I saved you. I brought you freedom!" he cried.
Ru'dth carefully floated around Qual'och, not wanting to overstep the boundary the wizard was attempting to establish. "But only because you craved the power. Otherwise, you would have never sacrificed your lover by participating in the charade that it was for the greater good." The massive warrior-magician threw the first of the six energy balls.
Qual'och deflected the energy strike with one of his hands, sending the energy off into the blank abyss of the astral plane. Moving to the side he countered with a spell of his own.
"Gor'ahj Vin Ka!" he cried and shimmering beams of energy leapt from his fingertips.
Ru'dth laughed as the beams tickled his skin. He used his remaining energy spheres to absorb Qual'och's attack, which transformed his orbits to turn jet black. "You think that feeble attempt can hurt me?"
Qual'och quickly realized that Ru'dth was right. His attack was doing nothing more than feeding him more energy. His mind raced as he attempted to stop the power transfer, but the connection was acting like a siphon that he couldn't stop.
Ru'dth tapped into the very source of Qual'och's power and sought to make it his own.
The weakened wizard gasped as his strength slowly evaporated, "Why?"
"It is my destiny," Ru'dth began. "Your lives hold no value to me. They're nothing more than stepping stones on my way to what the prophets foretold."
Ru'dth broke the energy drain on Qual'och and let the wizard fall helpless in the astral plane. Spiraling out of control, he tried to regain his composure and level out his descent. When he finally managed to do so, he was met face to face with Ru'dth.
Staring at his opponent's eyes, Qual'och saw for the first time the true evil of the Ru'dth. He had misunderstood its purpose. He thought the power could be harnessed and used to advance Bruch'oda's goals of conquest.
He was wrong. The only conquest that interested Ru'dth resided on his own agenda.
Ru'dth spun and hit Qual'och with a reverse roundhouse kick in the gut.
The blow doubled-over the cleric and sent him flying backwards. The kick sent shockwaves through his body and the pain he experienced was line none he ever had suffered through in battle.
Ru'dth gave chase to Qual'och, closing in on him. "It was so easy to touch your mind, drawing on your distrust of Bruch'oda's Generals and your desire to be looked upon as a great warrior. As I drew you in, my power oozed from your body and captivated your beloved."
Qual'och struggled to regain control, but hearing what Ru'dth was saying distracted him. Everything he said was true. For thousands of years, he'd been looked down upon as a failure and he was willing to do anything to put an end to that. He had always known there was more to the Ru'dth than was kept in the ancient scrolls, but he never imagined it was this.
"As my power flowed through veins, your will bent. It was only a matter of time before you succumbed to my bidding."
Ru'dth channeled all his strength into his fists and swung his arms. Each hand buried them into Qual'och's torso with a resounding thud. The wizard took the blows and let out guttural grunts as his breath left his body and began floating away.
"What I didn't count on was the severing of the power so early, but by then my seed had been planted. You were ready to do anything to obtain the power for yourself."
Ru'dth flew along side Qual'och and kicked him in the midsection again.
The beating Qual'och was taking took its toll. Blood flowed freely from the wizard's lips and his ribs were nothing more than brittle pieces of bone wrapped in flesh.
"My imprint on you was complete and you knew what had to be done."
Qual'och stopped his freefall through the astral plane and came to rest his eyes on Ru'dth.
"Yes. Two lives to establish the link," Qual'och said. "You manipulated us both."
"It was easy. But your usefulness has ended. Your life ends now."
Ru'dth commanded energy to flow into his six sands and a seventh energy center overflowed from his crown. Staring at Qual'och, Ru'dth smiled and released the seven beams of energy.
Forming a rainbow of colors, the seven beams wrapped around one another and raced towards Qual'och. He tried to block the attack with a wall of Qi, but the force was too powerful and plowed through his defenses.
The energy attack ripped apart the astral projection of Qual'och's mind and shredded it into remnants of a life.
Transitioning back to his lotus seat, Ru'dth smiled, "And now for the next phase."
***
The LEO Station rotated peacefully out of harm's way in space. Since the Earth had fallen nearly a month ago, it had become the focal point of the resistance movement. While the remaining leaders of the Council of Governments made the efforts sound grander than they actually were, the propaganda machines spun the victories into tales of hope for the millions on the station and moon.
It was this mingling of the truth that set the foundation for the newly formed Earth Alliance Government. Taking root in the remnants of the COG, the Alliance included governing members from the Luna Colony and the industrial representatives on the L-5 Space Station.
With each government and human outpost getting a voice in the War for Earth, everyone became more vested in the fate of the planet. Instantly, civilians on the moon and LEO volunteered with Earth Refugees to form a Militia. Widely untrained, these heroic men and women began a crash course in military science and firearm training. Heavy machine operators were trained to pilot the HERCs from L-5 and freighter pilots had their ships outfitted with armor and weaponry. Each recruit knew not what the future had in store or when they would be called to battle - only that the time would come and they hoped to be ready.
***
Inside the Security Council Chambers the leaders of the Earth Alliance met to discuss the next stage in the battle for Earth. Widely left out of the fighting, those in charge were quite pleased at the level of skill provided by the QiRangers. What they hadn't anticipated was the loss of the Istanor, its crew, and Master Li. With the only one with first hand knowledge about the enemy dead, many had fears as to how effective Leslie Chen could lead the magical warriors.
While the circumstances of Robert Dwyer's ascension to the Metal QiRanger came at the loss of a trusted friend, the Earth Alliance Council Members found this comforting, as it gave them a foothold and voice on a powerful force to be reckoned with - but most important, it provided combat experience to a novice team.
Leslie Chen and Robert Dwyer sat next to one another at the round conference table. The room's lights were dimmed and everyone's attention was focused on General Abbey. The consummate commander worked to the room as he conducted his latest briefing. For a man that had been in charge of the North American Security Organization, selecting him as the supreme commander of all Earth's Forces was logical. General Abbey accepted he mantle with zeal and set out immediately to build the Militia. It had taken nearly the entire month, but at last he thought they were ready for their first engagement.
"Are you sure, General?" asked North American Union President Lopez.
"Sir, I have served you the longest and you know that I have never overstated the capabilities of my forces or the intelligence provided you. While we will incur heavy losses when engaging the enemy, believe me when I say, they are ready. Holding them back any longer will be detrimental to their training and cast doubt as to their abilities. They need to be deployed to keep morale up," he replied.
The yellow signal light illuminated next to the seat where Governor Caine from the United Kingdom sat. As the sole governmental representative of the European Union to escape the carnage on Earth, he was asked to serve on the council.
"Governor Caine," General Abbey acknowledged.
The light turned from yellow to green in front of Caine as he rose to speak. "Thank you, General for all your hard work. I believe I speak for everyone when I say that no one could have achieved what you have on so little time, but I worry about placing these men and women in harm's way. Time has shown us over and over, that the QiRangers are the only ones equipped to battle these monsters. What hope does the Militia realistically have to survive?" he asked.
Before General Abbey could answer, Robert stood and interjected, "Sorry to interrupt General, but I believe I can answer this question."
Abbey looked over to his friend and nodded.
"Governor Caine, it's true that the other QiRangers and I have armor that protects us from general attacks, but it does not by any mean shield us from death. Every warrior knows when they go into battle it could be the last time. The Militia knows this as well. With two of the Mystic Doors closed, we have a strong foothold on the planet, but that also narrows down the remaining strategic targets."
"Bruch'oda knows that we will strike at one of the three remaining Mystic Doors. That much is obvious. With their amassing troops for five thousand years, it also stands to reason that this is the time to heavily deploy defenses to attempt to stop us from completing the closures. Adding the Militia to our group will divert their attention and allow us to seal the doors," Robert said.
"So you're going to use them as decoys and lead them to slaughter? That's something I won't stand for," Caine said, slamming his fist into the table. "How do you plan to move them? Nine of ten transports are shot down before reaching its destination of late. Earth's skies are teeming with the Dragons. Their maneuverability can't be matched by the remaining freighters. How do you plan to safely bring them planet side, let alone get them to the combat arenas?"
"I resent your implication, Governor. As to the meat of your question, we've worked that out to provide minimal risk," Robert responded.
General Abbey stepped forward and activated the table's holographic projector. An image of a circular ring appeared and began rotating. The device began rotating and spinning on edge. "This is the TG-5, the newest in teleportation technology."
Caine leaned forward, placing his hands on the table to support him, "What is it General?"
Abbey smiled, "A mobile teleportation ring, Governor. The last few transports leaving from LEO have been carrying these rings for deployment at the two base camps. Unfortunately, only one managed to make it through and L-4 is still in the production phase of replacement units. Specs have been transferred to L-5 as well as we should have additional rings in a week."
Robert stood and walked to join General Abbey. "These units will allow direct transfer of supplies and Militia personnel to the Sahara staging ground. Since we have just the one ring in place, troop deployment will be funneled through it from LEO."
"Can we get enough people through the rings to make a difference?" President Lopez asked.
"No," Leslie answered.
The repose shocked the world leaders who had dismissed her as a quiet puppet of NASO soldiers. Quietly she stood and eyed the men and women around her. "How little they truly understand what needs to be done," she thought.
"More disks need to be sent down and deployed before a meaningful presence on Earth can be established. Until then only myself and the other QiRangers will make the dangerous trek from LEO to Earth in spacecrafts."
"Right," General Abbey added. "The Militia has already received their orders for a staged deployment. That order stands and will continue using the one ring. The QiRangers will take the next ring down in an experimental freighter from L-4. Two other Voytefsky Freighters will ride escort to ensure their safety. Once planet side, they'll mount an attack on the Water Mystic Door."
"Wouldn't it be wise for them to wait for support from the Militia before doing so?" asked Governor Caine.
"Unfortunately, that's not possible," Robert replied. "The Water Door is far beneath the sea and we don't have the number of Power Suits required to outfit an attacking army," Robert paused. "No, we will be going in alone this time."
***
Bruch'oda sat stoically atop his throne. His vacant eyes looked far past the walls of the Throne Room in the spire atop the northwest corner of the fortress. Since his mind fell to the will of the Ru'dth, he did little besides sit quietly. Even his mind was gone. The once mighty ruler of all the Shadow Realm had been relegated to nothing more than a puppet, whose very thoughts were supplied by his conqueror.
Op'utd boldly strode into the sanctum of the Throne Room and paused at the bottom of the staircase. The Army Commander looked up at his Lord and wondered, "What is wrong with him? For weeks he's just sat there quietly, not saying a word, not lifting a finger. Something is wrong."
While Op'utd's gut sensed the truth, he had no proof to act on. Knowing that the penalty for disobedience was immediate death, he decided wisely to err on the side of caution and keep his suspicions to himself.
The warrior's ornate red armor seamlessly wove around his body and protected his vital organs. Kneeling before Bruch'oda, Op'utd bowed his head and closed his eyes. Pausing for his Master's acknowledgement, he heard nothing.
"What?" he thought. "Doesn't he realize I'm here?"
Respectfully, Op'utd lifted his head and gazed at Bruch'oda. There had been no change in his expression or position since he walked in the room a moment ago.
"Sire," he said hoping to gain Bruch'oda's attention.
That verbal command alone was all that was needed to bring about a change in Bruch'oda. While Op'utd did not receive the welcome he expected, he nonetheless got one.
Bruch'oda slowly tilted his head lower, as to look directly upon the source of the vocalization. He moved no other part of his body and made no sounds. His movement was cold and calculated, devoid of all emotion. His twin onyx eyes sat in his skull and stared through Op'utd.
"Report," boomed Bruch'oda in a voice that still commanded fear in those under him.
Op'utd rose from the tiled floor and stood before his Master. "Everything is as you commanded. Our forces have been redeployed to the three remaining Mystic Doors. Sta'Vagh has prepared his troops to guard the Water Mystic Door with the assistance of the Sea Shadows and I am ready to take my place at the Metal Door."
"Excellent," Bruch'oda replied, his voice absent of all emotion. "What of the Dragon Riders?"
"They have done as you wished. Any transports seen entering the atmosphere will be destroyed. They have huddled their numbers near the Earth Mystic Door, as it serves the humans as their primary forward base of operations. A second unit has been sequestered beneath the jungle canopy near the Wood Door in case they attempt to land there."
"Good. Go now. It will not be long before they unleash their attack. The fates are in your hands now, Op'utd," Bruch'oda uttered.
The last of the Dragon Warriors looked up at his Master and nodded. "Yes, my Lord," he responded and walked out of the Throne Room.
Alone again, Bruch'oda returned his gaze ahead of him.
Sliding into this reality was Ru'dth. Always present near his puppet, Ru'dth had been observing the entire exchange between Bruch'oda and Op'utd and piping answers to the weakened mind of his slave while phased out of view. With Op'utd gone, Ru'dth returned and took his physical form next to Bruch'oda.
"And you will oversee the security of the Fire Mystic Door."
Bruch'oda turned to look at Ru'dth and replied, "Yes, Master."
***
Op'utd stood before the armory. This collection of ancient weapons called to him before every great battle. It was here that each General selected his weapon to carry into bloody combat. Time and time again, he came to this same point along the wall of weapons. Op'utd stared at the massive array of swords, spears, maces, and throwing blades.
Despite all that was available to him, he was drawn to a simpler weapon- one that required great skill and art. Reaching forward with his gloved hands, he took a hold of the Firsts of Gu'Ron.
Unlike the traditional weapons used by many, the Fists were razor sharp gloves cut out from Manzcyick. This indestructible ore native to the Shadow Realm required the bearer to be in close proximity to his opponent and repeatedly bludgeon them to death.
Op'utd slipped on the stone gloves and felt the cools surfaces meld with his skin. Closing his eyes, he could envision each of the QiRangers falling prey to his power.
"Mo'han," a voice said from behind.
"Yes?" Op'utd replied, turning to see his faithful associate Sta'Vagh.
Unlike the others, Sta'Vagh was different. While still of reptilian origin, his body was taller and more slender than the Dragons or Shadow Warriors. He fostered no arms or legs, but his body coiled around itself like a snake. Sta'Vagh's neck was craned and possessed cervical ribs that produced a hooded effect. The snake's sleek face tapered back into his hood where two crystalline eyes sat receded.
"We still cannot find any sign of her," Sta'Vagh hissed. "Bruch'oda has not even asked or spoken of her since the change."
"It's as I feared then, my friend."
"Be careful of what you speak," Sta'Vagh said. "These walls have ears."
"I know," Op'utd cautiously said. "There's no other way to explain it. They must have done away with her."
"But why? What purpose would it serve?"
"I don't know. But I suspect it has to play into Qual'och receiving the Ru'dth."
"Bruch'oda would never allow such a thing. He cares for his daughter too much to allow anything to happen to her."
"That may be true, but what if he wasn't in control?"
"Surely you can't mean," Sta'Vagh began but was interrupted by Op'utd.
"Yes. If Qual'och abused the Ru'dth's powers, as all have done before, he's capable of anything. You've seen how Bruch'oda is acting. Does it seem normal to you?"
"No and this defensive plan is too irregular as well. It smells of an amateur."
"Exactly. I'll try to see what else I can uncover. If Bruch'oda has been compromised, then we're all in danger. Qual'och must not be allowed to survive if he's crossed over."
The two warriors stood face to face and nodded, knowing that this may be the last time they see one another.
***
A week passed without incident. Ru'dth utilized the time to have Bruch'oda ready his forces for the immanent attack while the humans waited for the delivery of two new TG-5 Teleportation rings. Along with the newly modified Voytefsky Freighters, these devices forged the basis for Man's final push to reclaim their home world.
***
Michael Chen stood in front of his dresser mirror zipping up his jumpsuit. The Chinese doctor no longer wore his comfortable civilian attire, but rather the gray and black uniform of the United Earth Alliance Militia. With his hand firmly gripping the tongue of the small metallic slider, each echo of the teeth locking together reverberated in his mind.
Fully dressed in his combat fatigues, he marveled at what a change in conscious he'd have over the past few weeks. A staunch Buddhist, Mike never through violence would resolve anything. He strove to lead a simple life and practice the dharma of the Buddha.
But things change.
His home was gone.
The human race was reduced to mere millions instead of the once proud billions that previously stood upon the fertile planet below.
"No," he thought, "Violence is never the solution, but sometimes it is the only option."
His eyes glanced over to his left shoulder. Embroidered into the jumpsuit was a white winged staff with twin snakes wrapped around it - the medical division insignia.
"As least I can do some good," he thought as he ran his fingers over the stitching.
"I really wish you'd reconsider," his sister's voice carried from behind.
Mike turned around and saw his younger sister, Leslie, standing just inside the doorway to his quarters wearing a similar jumpsuit.
"As I do you," he answered.
"Come on now," Leslie began, "it's different. I never asked to be a part of this. I was chosen." The Fire QiRanger walked over to her brother and placed her arms around his hips. "I'd give it al up if I could. Each time I go down there, it scares the shit out of me. I can't bear to think of you or any of the others getting hurt."
For so long Michael had taken care of his younger sister, he had almost forgotten what it was like to have someone watch out over you. Brushing aside her dark hair from her eyes, Mike looked deeply into almond pools of consciousness.
"We all do what we must. Just as you have been chosen to lead us back to the Earth, I have been chosen to care for those in need. I'm a Doctor and I'm needed down there. When the attack begins, we're going to loose a lot of brave men and women. I'm going to see to it that they're comfortable. And if anyone can gain from my experience, then I'll treat them as well."
Leslie stared at her brother, "Just promise me you won't do anything stupid, like get yourself killed."
Cracking a half smile, Mike responded, "That certainly isn't part of my plan."
Leslie and Mike embraced quietly as the swell of emotion increased. Droplets of water manifested on the lower rims of their eyelids, just on the verge of spilling over when the Comm-link chirped.
"Dwyer to Chen, please respond," Robert said over the device.
Leslie stepped back and activated her wrist unit, "Go head."
"The ships are fueled and ready to go. We launch in ten."
Leslie closed her eyes, "Copy. Chen out."
The Comm-link signal faded and Leslie held her brother tight. "I've got to go."
"I know. I'm scheduled to teleport down in an hour to the Sahara as well."
"Then I'll see you there," she said getting in one last hug.
"Do me a favor," she asked while splitting from their embrace.
"Sure," Mike said.
"Hold onto this for me," she said while holding her brother's hand. "It's a good luck charm."
"You've got it, Sis," he said.
***
The gantry elevator slowly crept to a halt. The pistons ceased spinning and the box shuddered as the lip of the walkway met with the deck plating. In the cavernous docking area, everything echoed more than it should. The lift's doors slid apart - one pair horizontally and another vertically. Once open, she peered out and saw the rest of her team bobbing at the end of the pylon that extended into the docking collar of their Voytefsky Freighter, designated Freedom One.
Leslie Chen loosened her grip on the hand holds and floated out of the box that carried her from the living area of LEO Station to the docking Torus. Tapping her foot against the rear wall of the gantry lift, she catapulted herself forward. No longer bound by the Earthly confines of gravity, Leslie flew like an eagle in the weightless environment.
Seth Goldman hovered near one of the hand rails and tugged tightly on his grip. The Water QiRanger extended his other hand to slow Leslie's progress. The pair locked arms and swirled about until they each came to a halt.
Once secure, Leslie looked at Robert to begin the final briefing.
"All right," he began. "This is it. We're ready to make way for the planet. Freedoms Two and Three are going to provide cover for us while we take down the TG-5s."
Jayde leaned forward, "Are we sure the other ships can make it?"
"Nothing guaranteed, but the freighters' have been outfitted with additional defensive armor and weaponry. If anyone tries to take them on, they'll be in for a surprise."
"Then let's get to it," Leslie said and pushed off down the pylon's narrow corridor. Using just her fingertips, she guided herself to the ship's hard seal and pulled herself through.
One by one, the other QiRangers did the same until they were all aboard the Freedom One. Inside, they each passed into the cargo hold, located in the belly of the craft and strapped themselves in.
"Make sure your restraints are secure. We'll be coming in hot, so the transition from zero-g to earth gravity will be a little rough," Robert announced.
Each of the QiRangers took his advice to heart and pressed back into gelled cushions that would protect them. With their bindings secured, Robert notified the ship's pilot they were ready.
It was the first time Leslie had flown in such a craft. In fact, this war has seen her do a lot of firsts. When the Voytefsky's engines roared, she was caught off guard by the thunderous sound they made, even through the ship's hull. It took only a few minutes for her to become used to the deafening sound, but she wondered how the space haulers managed to live aboard such crafts for months at a time.
"Freedom One, we are cleared for departure," the Captain said over the ship's speakers as the docking clamps unbuckled.
Leslie felt the ship rise off the deck plating a float free in the LEO Torus. As the ship's maneuvering thrusters fired to orient the ship to the docking port, Leslie felt her stomach churn again. "Riding in this small craft is nothing like the Istanor," she thought. She didn't like the trip to LEO and she sure as hell was looking towards this sojourn's conclusion.
With each heartbeat, Leslie could feel Freedom One's hull vibrate. This journey would be their most perilous yet. The three Voytefsky freighters were not to take an air braking descent to Earth this time. Rather, they were going to dive straight through the upper atmosphere and level out below. The reinforced hulls were forged for this one mission. It was widely expected that upon its completion, none of the crafts would ever fly again.
As Leslie closed her eyes and meditated during the flight, Robert eyed the craft. This type of operation wasn't new to him, as he'd seen missions like this and those far worse before. But nothing in his training had ever prepared him some a task of this magnitude.
Freedom One began its descent into Earth's atmosphere. The charged gasses pressed against the exterior of the ship's hull, buffeting the craft. From Robert's position, his enhanced eye tracked the vessel's vectored approach and structural integrity.
With each bump and shimmy, the QiRangers gritted their teeth and grabbed hold of their straps. While it was unlikely that they would fling loose at this stage, no one wanted to take a chance.
"We're coming up on the halfway point," the ship's Captain announced over the Comm-link. The message was welcomed relief for the QiRangers, as the flight became bumpier and bumpier as it passed deeper into the atmosphere.
Seth had been on one drop before. During his initial operative training at NASO, all field personnel were required to make one orbital insertion to complete the process. He didn't like it then and he had no love for the process now.
"Breathe," Luís told himself. Like Leslie, the Earth QiRanger found solace in meditation. Each breath made the passage from space to Earth easier.
The QiRangers felt a jerk and then the push of gravity on their bodies several times over as Freedom One broke though the final barriers of atmosphere. Firing its engines, the craft spun itself around and began the deceleration burn. What was once an unbearable roar from the rear engine compartment grew even louder as the twin pods were thrust to maximum.
The intense strain of the burn began to take its toll on the freighter. The structural supports creaked with fatigue and bolts rattled as the craft shook violently. "Hang on," was echoed in the cargo hold over the Comm- link, something the QiRangers were very proficient at.
A few minutes later the shaking stopped. Slowly the QiRangers loosened their grips on the straps fixated near their cushioned pads. Peeling back their white-nailed fingers, the hardened fabric left deeply entrenched ridges in their palms. Pain moved up their forearms, for after such a long period of time holding onto the grips, the muscles were completely lifeless and starved of Oxygen.
Before the QiRangers could fully bring their arms back to life, the Comm- link crackled with an alert, "Freedom Three to all craft. Bogeys at ten o'clock."
"Lock and load everyone," Robert ordered.
Taking one last deep breath, Leslie ran to her post and armed the portside defense turret. Through her targeting HUD, she spotted them - a least a hundred Dragon Riders. Caressing the weapon's firing controls; Leslie removed the device's safety and lined up the targeting lead indicator on the first Dragon Rider. The green box turned red and she fired her first round.
A thunderous clap was heard as the port battery fired. Each of the modified Voytefsky freighters had been outfitted with four turrets - a pair on each side mounted forward and aft. Leslie, Seth, Luís, and Jayde operated the gunnery stations, while Robert assisted the Pilot in the cockpit.
Looking at the flat panel display before her, Leslie watched a translucent energy blast leave the trident shaped cannon fixed to the side of Freedom One. The massive unit bulged like a large boil from the rough metallic fuselage that been weathered with age and creaked as the massive hydraulic pistons moved it from each firing position.
The Fire QiRanger let her eyes drift away from the path of the plasma blast that was rocketing towards the oncoming swarm of Dragon Riders. "I can't focus on one target," she told herself, remembering Robert's tactical lesions prior to leaving the LEO Station.
From the corner of her eye, she saw the first plasma blast barely miss its intended target. Rather than becoming frustrated, Leslie Chen smiled as she witnessed the small frizzing ball of energy implode on itself and then shoot out in a massive wave of cobalt energy.
The Dragon Riders were caught unaware of the weapon's true nature and thought they had been spared, but when the energy wave erupted and consumed a half dozen Dragon Riders, they realized they were facing an entirely different type of weapon they had never seen before.
Leslie watched on her display as the six Dragon Riders' bodies were pelted with the energy from the plasma burst. Their armor and skin began smoldering instantly and in a matter of seconds, the powerful energy mixture ate its way through to their core and dissolved the creatures into nothing more than ash. Throughout the entire process, the dragons howled in agony as the Riders screamed in pain.
Leslie caught herself smiling, which disgusted her. For that split instant, she reveled in the power she possessed and the destruction at her command. "What have I become?" she wondered as she pulled the trigger again.
With each blast Leslie sent skyward, she hated what she was doing - but at the same time, realized more and more, that there was no alternative. In a time of war, casualties would be taken - and the human race had had enough. With each blast she fired, the only answer that came to her was, "What was needed."
***
None of Dragon Riders' training had prepared them for these weapons. In fact, the plasma flack cannons were new technology developed from the skunk works programs on L-4 and had never been tested in battle - so far they seemed to be doing the job. The first wave of shots easily penetrated the leading edge of the Dragon Riders' group and killed most of the attacking members.
The three Voytefsky freighters continued their descent at a harrowing rate. Each pilot swept their freighter's wings outwards to maximum to provide the greatest surface area to airbrake. The reinforced wings shook and rattled the central hull violently as the crafts slowed.
Luís looked around his station and swore he saw the hull shimmy as the charged ion gas below the ship made the flight even choppier. "God, I hope I make it through this," he thought to himself as he fired his cannon.
The flack generated from the three descending ships presented numerous problems for the Dragon Riders. Not only were they kept at bay, but the sheer number of bursts forced the Riders to shift their steeds abruptly. The large beasts traveled at such speeds to compensate for their excessive weight, so they couldn't meet the needs of their handlers and often found themselves colliding with other dragons.
That made targeting easier for the QiRangers and crew of the other ships, but only served to fuel anger and hatred in the Dragon Riders.
"Dor'Gju quil mash!" the squadron leader cried out over the exploding plasma flack. His booming voice carried far and above everything else in the air and the dragon Riders responded immediately to his call. The noble warrior sat tall in his saddle and held the reigns of his beast tightly while commanding it to veer left and avoid a flack blast.
Now that someone had risen above the clamor, the other Dragon Riders' serves settled and the Dragon Riders diverted away from the three freighters in several directions. Flying out of range of the flack cannons, gave the mighty beasts the chance to regroup and assemble for their attack. Each of the beasts drew upon the wings of one another and formed countless rows in flight. Stretched wingtip to wingtip, they went on for as far as the eye could see.
Eying the formations through their targeting computers, the QiRangers and pilots of the freighters didn't like what they saw. The sudden retreat could only mean one thing - they were regrouping and the next attack would clearly be more devastating, now that they knew about the cannons.
Luís, the Earth QiRanger, loosened his grip on the firing controls at his console. Witnessing the Dragon Riders pull back, he allowed himself to catch a much needed breath, as he continually found himself holding it while firing. "We can't have scared them off that easily," Luís sent through the Comm-link. "Although I wish we had," he secretly hoped to himself.
Leslie wished for the same thing, but knew better as well. Sighing heavily she eyed the flying line of Dragon Riders. "Just be at your ready. I'm sure they'll be turning around any moment and preparing to make another run. Keep you eyes peeled and hands on your trigger, Luís. There's no telling what they'll do now," she said over the Comm-link.
Luís nodded to himself and wrapped his hands around the controls. "Copy."
Seth and Jayde signaled they were ready though the ship's alert system. Robert smiled with great confidence at the team seated behind him. "For a group that wasn't heavily trained as combat technicians," he thought, "they're holding up better than I thought they would."
***
Hol'ush, the lead Dragon Rider looked though his tinted visor at the world beneath him. What was supposed to be a crushing blow to the humans and instantly become more difficult. Gone were the days when man and beast fought hand to hand on the field of battle. Now everything was relegated to weapons of destruction not seen before and those that allowed for great distances to be placed between the combatants. Ripping off his helmet, Hol'ush took a moment to adjust his eyes to the torrent of wind racing over his face. Letting go of his reigns, he climbed on the back of his Dragon and closed his eyes, embracing the power of the wind washing over his body. With the beasts mighty wings thrusting him forward, the squadron leader sailed through the clouds to the lead of the pack. With each flap, the Dragon built its Qi, deep within its belly. The increased power began shimmering in its Tan Tien and rumbling with power. Hol'ush's dragon was not alone in this feat - others were doing just the same.
***
"Holy fuck," Seth said to himself as he saw the Dragons' Qi increase. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."
***
Hol'ush jumped into his saddle and commanded his steed to dive below the flight path of the freighters. The other Dragon Riders followed and a column formed behind the leader. The Dragons created a spear that rocketed through the clouds and headed straight for the descending ships.
***
"Here they come," noted Robert in the cockpit.
***
With Hol'ush leading the main attack wave from below, a second group of Dragon Riders broke off from the first and headed upwards along the original flight path. Spreading out in their winged formation, the Dragon Riders soon found themselves surrounding the three crafts as they plummeted towards Earth.
***
"Where did the first group go?" Seth asked through the ship's internal Comm- link.
"I don't know. I saw them drop below the horizon," Jayde said.
"Keep an eye out for them. We're bare below," the Captain said.
"Shit," Leslie thought to herself while targeting the second group of oncoming Dragon Riders. "If we can't get a bearing on them, we'll be screwed. They'll tear through our undersides in no time."
"But I can't think about that right now," she told herself. "I have a job to do." Squeezing the trigger on her console, Leslie fired her battery and sent the plasma flack towards the oncoming group of Dragon Riders.
"Freedoms Two and Three break off and cover our belly," commanded Robert.
"Roger," said the Captain of Freedom Two.
"Wilco," sent Freedom Three's pilot over the Comm-link.
Each of the Captains in the freighters breaking away shifted their flight controls to draw their wings in. The reduced surface area caused the ships to drop like lead weights in a swimming pool. Rolling over their tops, the Captains gave their gunners chance to pick up the incoming targets and bring their guns to bear.
Not meant for that kind of acrobatic flying, the Voytefsky freighters shook more than the pilots wanted, but they were along on this mission for one reason - see to it that Freedom One made it safely to the ground.
The eight gunners on Freedoms Two and Three began opening fire and laying down cover for the ship above them. Despite the time they had already been falling through the sky, the time to the landing zone was still several minutes away. If they could just see to it for a bit longer, they would succeed in their task - all that volunteers aboard wanted.
***
The plasma flack energy waves rippled in the air. To avoid casualties, Hol'ush's wave entered into a steeper dive to get below the freighter's firing arcs. At the end of their trajectory, Hol'ush pulled back on his steed's reigns and the dragon instantly rocketed upwards towards the freighters.
With the telepathic link stronger than ever between he and his beast, Hol'ush invited the dragon to release its pent up Qi on the target before them - the dragon was ready to comply.
Heaving loudly, the dragon roared and sent the first volley of dark, molten Qi from its mouth. The others were quick to copy and the billowing beasts of destruction instantly unloaded on the freighters.
***
The gunners tried to compensate for drift as the freighters covered for Freedom One, but the pilots had to do some fancy flying to avoid the barrage of attacks. The sheer number of molten balls of fiery Qi brought a smile to Hol'ush's face, while at the same time made the number of sweat beads on the pilots' foreheads multiply.
The Voytefsky freighters were not graceful ships by any means. Each of the pilots drew in the ships' wings to 100%; a setting reserved for space flight, and increased thrust from their engines. The decreased lift in the air meant that they had to rely more on the maneuvering thrusters and less on the guiding principles of flight, but it also meant they could fly more precise, albeit choppy.
The molten balls of Dark Qi pounded into the undercarriages of Freedoms Two and Three. Sparks and chunks of armor flew free of the ships. With each hit, the newly installed armor weakened and reduced the maneuverability of the craft. No matter how hard the pilots and gunners tried, couldn't avoid all the attacks. The first few hits merely shook the freighters, but with each Qi Blast that made it through the flack umbrella, more and more damage was sustained.
Hol'ush fixated his eyes on the aft engine pod of Freedom Three. His beast complied and sent a burst of Dark Qi towards the craft to demolish its engines and rid the craft of its ability for flight.
***
Chatter from the ship's crew flew over the Comm-link as they tried to knock down the Qi Blasts. The fast talking crew made it almost unintelligible to hear what was going on, but one thing was for sure - they were nervous and things were going poorly.
"Incoming," one gunner yelled.
"It's coming up starboard," cried out another.
The pilot veered port, trying to put more distance between the blast and his ship, but it was no use. Other Dragon Riders saw to it that there would be no escape.
The first wave of blasts tore at the outer lining of the ships armor. The second made its way deeper into the structural foundations of the engine pod. When the last of the blasts tore into the fuel cells, a massive explosion consumed the aft section of the ship. The resulting force sent the freighter spinning towards the Earth.
The sheer force started pulling the wing pods apart and sending the last of the engines tearing free of their supports. Nothing could be done to save the ship - it was going to crash.
"Freedom Three's been hit. They're going down," the Captain said.
"Like hell!" Leslie yelled out.
Fire filled the Asian's eyes and burned with an intensity not seen before. Powerful Qi filled her body traversing Heart and Small Intestine Meridians. As the Fire Qi coursed through her veins, flames flickered through the pores of her skin and covered her body. Leslie Chen vanished as the fire consumed her, leaving her station empty.
She arrived moments later on the command deck of Freedom Three in her armor. "Everyone fall back to the cockpit," she yelled as the extra power in her body amplified her voice over the shaking craft. It took everything in her just to remain standing as the centrifugal force increased with each rotation.
As bolts and struts began snapping loose, the four gunners of the freighter left their positions and stumbled to reach the forward compartment on the command deck.
The ship jolted hard starboard as the undercarriage gave way. The sudden change in position took away all the footing from the retreating gunners and they fell over the railing. With nothing but blue sky and wailing winds beneath them, the four men and women hung on for dear life. As they screamed for assistance, the ship was hit by additional blasts of Dark Qi and lurched again.
Leslie fell over the main docking control computer and met face to face with the metal meshing that secured the ship's cabling. Narrowing her gaze, she grunted and craned her head backwards.
When her eyes fell upon the crewmembers, Leslie screamed. Her voice filled the cabin and rattled the walls. Red ambient energy permeated her body and began filling the area. As the crackling Qi engulfed Freedom Three's crew, they could feel their hairs standing on end.
Leslie's power increased as she drew more power from her Tan Tien and cast out a powerful Qi wave onto each of the ship's crew. The red energy pierced through cabin's walls and cradled each of the crewmembers in its warm embrace. With her mind's eye on the Sahara Staging Ground, Leslie shifted her body from her current location to the Sahara desert and took the crew with her.
***
Robert looked out his window and saw Freedom Three crumbing into nothing. "No!" she shouted as he pressed his hand onto the glass.
"Rob, we need you back here," Seth announced through the system.
With his eyes still fixated on the exploding ship, Robert Dwyer opened his Comm-link. "What do you mean?"
"Leslie went to Freedom Three to save the crew. We're short one gunner back here. And they're starting to make it through the umbrella."
A sigh of relief came over Robert. "I hope she's all right," he thought to himself while unbuckling his restraints. With the flight so choppy, most human would have a hard time navigating the floor beneath him, but for Robert it was easy. Not only did he have the ability to control the floor under him as the Metal QiRanger, but his nanobots could exert an electromagnetic field to secure surface contact as well.
The Large African-American quickly exited the cockpit and made his way aft to the gunnery stations. Doing so, he tapped his transdermal Comm-link and opened a channel to the Sahara Staging Ground. "Dwyer to Ops One. Over."
Residual charged ions still surrounded the hull of Freedom One and reduced the clarity of his transmission, but it still made it through to the ground below. Responding through the static was the base's operational commander, Colonel Richardson. "Go ahead Dwyer, this is Ops One."
Robert concluded his trek to Leslie's vacated station and sat down. Gripping the firing controls, he quickly assessed the targeting computer's data and began firing. The pulsing of the plasma cannon thumped through the thinning outer armor and resonated in his torso. "Did you receive a package?" he asked.
"You can say that. The crew arrived a moment ago and is all right. Ms. Chen is a little fatigued, but she's already standing. We've got Dr. Staal looking her over right now," Richardson said.
Robert smiled as he continued firing his turret. "Copy. We'll be joining you in a couple of minutes. Dwyer out."
Looking over his right shoulder, Seth could tell from Robert's body language that he received confirmation that Leslie was safely on the surface - something he and the other QiRangers already knew from their link. "Soon, my friend, you will be one with us," he thought.
***
Hol'ush pressed on with his steed and the others followed. Higher and higher they climbed in the sky, arcing through the clouds before coming down right on top of the two remaining freighters. As each heart beat, it drew in power from the surrounding air. No longer were these powerful beasts a dark red color - their scales shine bright crimson and shimmered with light as their Dark Qi coursed through them.
"Now!" he yelled and the Dragons following him opened fire again sending balls of molten Dark Qi raining down like hail stones through the sky. Leaving streaks of smoke behind them, the balls of fire dropped onto the dorsal plates of Freedom One and Two.
The sheer number of hits shook the crafts and severed the connecting plates for the armored sections near the wing mounts on Freedom One. With the support gone, the wing's inner housing was left exposed and vulnerable. The blow also severed the fuel line to the wing mounted engine, cutting its power and thrust. The lift now absent on that side, the craft listed starboard and began a slow spin.
Hol'ush laugh as the racing wind cascaded over his skull. It was with great glee that he continued flying his Dragon.
It would be only a matter of time before the ships would fall.
***
"Damage report!" Robert yelled. He knew it was bad, he only hoped there was some way they could salvage the ship and get it down. The Alliance was counting on them to bring these teleportation devices down to increase troop deployment. If they failed, charging the other Mystic Doors would be nearly impossible.
"Starboard wing mount damaged and engine off-line. Dorsal armor plating down to fifteen percent. Translational thrusters at thirty percent," the Captain relayed. "If I loose the wing, there's no way I can keep control, Robert."
"Don't worry. You won't," Robert vowed. He stood from his console and called over to Luís. "Mendoza! See to the safety," he began, but never finished as the ship was rocked by a huge explosion. The power of the blast was larger than anything they had felt before and didn't even feel like it was connected to the ship.
"Freedom Two's been destroyed," the Captain relayed.
Robert closed his eyes. "Fuck," he thought. "We've got to make it."
"If you can do anything about that wing, do it now. Hydraulics have failed, I can only keep this thing out of a flat spin for another few seconds," Dwyer heard from the Captain.
Pressing his hands together, Robert summoned the Metal Qi in his body to run through the Lung and Large Intestine Meridians. As the shining white light filled his body, white metal seeped through his clothes and encompassed him in a bright cocoon before shattering and revealing Robert's battle armor.
The Metal QiRanger looked through his tinted visor at his comrades, "Keep firing as best you can, I'm going to secure the wing."
There was no reply, as none was needed. The other QiRangers focused their energy not only firing their cannons at the swarm of Dragon Riders now descending on them, but also trying to cover for the vacant station. Each of them knew they could escape at any moment to the safety of the Earth below, but that would be failure - they had to keep the ship together for just a few more minutes. Just long enough to get inside the protective umbrella provided by the Earth Mystic Door.
***
Hol'ush rallied his Riders to follow him around once more. "Two down and one more to fall," he thought as light filled his eyes. "Attack!" he yelled over the roar of the wind racing by him.
Each of the hundred or so remaining Dragon Riders did so and the rain of fire fell upon Freedom One again.
***
Robert opened the service hatch leading to the ship's exterior. As soon as the door was opened, it ripped free in under the force applied by the air slipping over the ship's surface. Peeking his head through the opening, Robert quickly ducked back inside as a Dark Qi blast made it through the flack fields and slammed into the hull.
The blast shook the ship and crimped the fuselage around him. Focusing his mind, he pushed the metal back and climbed out onto the ship's exterior hull. "No sense in worrying about this old boy. It has to be done," he thought.
Gripping the hull with his feet's electromagnets and Qi, Robert stood easily against the pressing wind. He extended his arms and concentrated on the wing mounts. Transparent waves of energy left his hands and encircled Freedom One's wing. Commanding the very fibers of the metal that made the ship whole to stick together, Robert held the structure in place while Hol'ush and his minions continued their attack.
***
Inside, Jayde Yee fired her cannon at the seemingly endless number of Dragon Riders approaching her. "We're not going to make it," she thought. The feeling of despair came over her and traveled through the link to her two comrades next to her.
Luís and Seth didn't say a word, or for that matter think any different.
***
Freedom One continued to get pounded by the Dark Qi blasts from the Dragon riders. Robert now found himself not only trying to hold onto the wing, but extending his Qi to envelop the entire ship. Sweat poured down his face as his arms shook from fatigue.
"How much longer?" he asked the Captain.
"Just another thirty seconds, Rob. Just hold it together a little longer," he replied.
"Thirty seconds," Robert thought. "Okay, suck it up mister." Robert closed his eyes and breathed deeply drawing in more Qi to hold the ship together. White light shone from within his Tan Tien and illuminated his body as energy flew out his pores and covered the ship.
The Metal Qi solidified Freedom One and held it whole.
Robert struggled to breath and gasped for air as he fell to one knee.
A large explosion rocked the heavens and several Dragon Riders fell from the sky. The blast was nothing that Robert had heard before and was definitely not one of the plasma cannons. The thunderous claps continued to ring out as Robert looked up.
Paving a way through the Dragon Riders was a lone figure. Activating his enhanced eye, he saw the figure wore violet armor, dark skin, and long, black hair. Zooming in more, he saw this flying attacker was human and a woman. Her armor covered her torso and legs with accents on her arms. A gold belt wrapped around her waist and melted into her bare abdomen.
In each of the QiRangers minds they heard her voice, "My name is Neela. I've come to help."
Luís looked at his targeting computer and saw the flying woman approaching. "Thank God," he thought to himself as he relaxed a bit. He wasn't sure how he knew it, but he could sense her power and her thoughts.
Seth and Jayde were also confused, since they hadn't shared a link with Neela. "How is she doing that?" asked Seth.
Jayde concentrated on her targeting display and continued to fire her cannon at the encroaching Dragon Riders. "I don't know," she said aloud, "but at this point, I don't really care."
Seth and Luís silently nodded and continued to fire their weapons, trying to clear a small path for Neela to fly through.
***
Robert's mental strength was nearly depleted. While physically the strongest of all the QiRangers, due to his cybernetic enhancements, trying to focus and control the sheer amount of metal around him finally took its toll. He felt the power slipping from his body and fell onto the deck plating on top of Freedom One. With his power gone, Robert reverted back to his jumpsuit and the vessel began shaking violently.
The wing Robert had so desperately been trying to hold onto was the first thing to fly loose. The large metal blade extending from the fuselage ripped free under the force of the wind beneath the craft and tore a chunk of the dorsal armor plating too.
Barely able to breathe, Robert looked up and saw that the craft was beginning to spin out of control. Digging his right hand into the hull, and doing the same with his feet, Robert braced for the final fall to Earth.
"I can't hold it any longer," Freedom One's Captain said over the Comm- link.
"I've failed," Robert thought.
"Get out of here! Teleport down to the surface," he shouted into the Comm- link to his teammates.
"That is not necessary," Neela told them.
Robert strained to lift his head to look at the woman who spoke directly in his mind.
Neela's body flew faster and raced through the sky. Dashing between Dragon Riders, her speed created a wake of turbulence that the dragons couldn't handle. Virtually eliminating all lift from beneath their wings, the Dragon Riders and their steeds fell like lead weights from the sky.
A sweet smile graced her face and light sparkled in her eyes as she pulled up along side Freedom One. Spreading her arms wide, violet light began shining from the crown of her head and enveloped herself and Freedom One. The light was so blinding is shorted out the ship's visual scanners. Robert could feel the power penetrate is body and blind his sensitive eyes. To avoid harm, he too turned away.
Completely blinded, the QiRangers didn't see what happened next, but when they opened their eyes, they saw themselves on the ground next to the Earth Mystic Door.
***
"No!" filled the rafters of the Throne Room. The booming and thunderous roar, filled with overtones, echoed endlessly. With his eyes beaming with power, Qual'och witnessed in the glowing sphere before him the arrival of Neela. Pounding his fists into the arms of the throne, Qual'och's body became more and more rigid and filled with anger.
The mere sight of the young woman in the sphere made the wizard's blood boil. Contracting each of his muscles, the powerful beholder of the Ru'dth began to shake in disgust. "How is it possible?" his loud voice asked in the chamber, even though no one was present. "This ruins everything. She must be destroyed!"
With every breath, Qual'och amplifies his power. The ancient stone walls of the fortress begin shaking under the strain from the energy seeping from Qual'och's body. Each beat of his heart creates a wall of force that knocks into the walls, sending dust and pieces of mortar down. Guttural grunts rumble from his mouth as it begins foaming over in fits of rage. No longer can the feeble body of Qual'och contain the power of the Ru'dth.
As his saliva drips to the floor, Qual'och's hands grab hold of the chair's arms. Crumbling the metallic structure as if it were tissue, the wizard's forearms explode, sending hardened tissue everywhere. With the old skin ripping away, new and more powerful scales emerged. Red in color, the oblong scales pushed through his sinew, revealing an even more powerful form.
Gone are the feeble arms and legs of Qual'och. Thrusting threw the dead wizard's carcass was the true manifestation of Ru'dth. Standing nearly three meters in height, the red-scaled beast roared, raising his twin fists in triumph. Bulging muscles rippled over his body as dual horns grew from his temples. Long claws extended from his toes and fingers, each razor sharp. The tarnished color of his claws matched the wicked spikes dotting his back and forearms.
Now fully transformed into his true self, Ru'dth laughed. In fact, for the first time in eons, he's been free. Free of the medallion, free of the countless prisons, and free of the endless number of shells he's been forced to reside in. Now he stood atop the staircase in the great hall and relishing the moment.
Turning his eyes to the sphere before him, Ru'dth commanded the image to pause on Neela. The athletic woman's violet armor shone brightly against the blue sky she flew though. Her ribbon like black hair swept backwards as she flew. "In all this time, you've not changed. Bide your time Goddess, for our next meeting shall be your last."
***
Darkness consumed Robert. Everything was dark and the only thing he heard was the constant pounding in his head.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Went his heart and with each contraction, not only did the blood vessels expand in his head, but a burst of color flashed before his eyes. Groggily, he moaned and started to stir.
"Looks like he's coming around," a familiar voice said.
Confused, Robert still couldn't place things. The last thing he remembered was being on Freedom One and a woman. "That woman!" he thought to himself. "Who is she?"
"Rob, you coming out of it?" the voice asked again.
Lost in thought, replaying his stored visual scans of the previous battle, Robert faded from alertness. "Her eyes," he thought and zoomed in the image to focus only on Neela's eyes. "So compassionate and warm."
Robert felt a tug at his shoulder and the jarring motion brought him back to reality.
"What? What?" he asked repeatedly and slowly opened his eyes. It only took a matter of microseconds for his human eye to calibrate to the same level of protection his artificial one provided. Looking around him, he saw the voice that had been calling to him. Even though he couldn't place the voice, he knew who it was and he knew that his friend would always be there for him.
"Nice to see you awake, Rob," Gary said, "You put us through a big scare back there."
Robert passed off a weak smile and looked around. To his left sat Luís who hadn't left his side since brought into the medical tent. Sending a steady stream of Earth Qi to Robert, there was little doubt in the QiRanger's mind that his quick recovery was due to his teammate's care.
"Thanks Luís," Robert said with a raspy voice.
"De nada," the Mexican smiled.
The flaps to the tent burst open and the remaining QiRangers stormed in. Among the numerous congratulatory comments and jeers, Robert noticed two additional people. The first, he was familiar with. Michael Chen, Leslie's brother who had been assigned to the Sahara Staging Ground to provide medical support to the Militia. The second, he wasn't sure about.
Her face was familiar, but there was something different about her. Robert studied the new guest and an instant later recognized her as the woman from his memory. She no longer wore the violet armor and had been given NASO Desert Fatigues.
"I'm glad you're all right, Rob," Leslie said. "You had me worried there for a minute. We can't have both of us rushing off doing rash things now, can we?"
Robert nodded and took her hand and clasped her fingers in his. "We both did what had to be done." Turning his head to look at Neela, he posed a question to the others. "And who is our guest and savior?"
Neela stepped forward and walked around to the other side of the SmartBed, placing one of her soft hands on Robert's shoulder. "This is Neela," Leslie said.
Robert turned to face the Indian woman before him. Looking deep into her eyes, he remembered. "Yes, I remember you saying that. Who, no how did you do that?" he asked.
"For many years I've watched over the Earth. It is now time for me to serve again as I had in the past," Neela responded.
A puzzled look came over Robert's face and he looked to Leslie and the others to clarify Neela's answer. One thing Robert didn't' like was mysteries and this certainly qualified as one.
"Neela also fought in the last battle between good and evil. She helped QiRangers defeat Bruch'oda and banish him to the Shadow Realm," Leslie said.
"But how?" Robert asked. "There were six QiRangers, not seven. Where have you been?"
"Trapped in the abyss," Neela answered. "Our victory five thousand years ago came at a price. Long before your people roamed the Earth, deities ruled the planet. Two such were embodied in an eternal struggle, but maintained balance. Ru'dth, the Warrior God wanted nothing more than total domination over the universe." Neela sat next to Robert, "The only one to stand up to his attacks was the Goddess Kundalini."
"She sacrificed her physical form and trapped Ru'dth in an ancient medallion. For years she roamed the Astral Plane trying to return to Earth. In the QiRangers' darkest hour five thousand years ago, she bestowed her powers onto me to assist them. While we were successful to defeating Bruch'oda to the Shadow Realm, the medallion containing Ru'dth was also sent there. Unable to exist without her opposite, the Goddess was again sent to the abyss."
"How did she," Seth began, "or you," and quickly began flustered, "what ever, get back?"
Neela faced Seth, "Qual'och, Bruch'oda's wizard unlocked the seal to Ru'dth, but was unable to completely harness its power. With the aid of the Dor'Agha, he succeeded."
"You mean that thing allowed this Warrior god to come back?" Luís asked.
"Yes. And me as well. First only in energy, but now that Ru'dth has destroyed Qual'och, we both stand upon the Earth again."
"Great," Robert said sarcastically. "If things couldn't get any worse. So now what?"
"We complete what you have begun. The only way to defeat Bruch'oda's forces and Ru'dth is to seal the Five Mystic Doors. You've succeeded in closing the first two, but the last three will be more difficult. Not only because he knows what you're up to, but because he knows I'm here."
"Because of what happened up there?" Jayde asked.
"In a matter of speaking. We can sense one another. It will only be a matter of time before he and I must do battle and settle the score once and for all."
Ripping off the sheets to his SmartBed, Robert jumped to his feet. "Then we had better stop wasting time. Let's get to work people."
"Now just hold on a second," Gary protested, trying to hold Robert back. "You've just recovered from exhausting all your power. You're not a hundred percent. I can't let you go like this."
Skillfully, Robert diverted his friend's hands and sidestepped him. "We have no choice. We've got to go."
"Your friend is right," Neela spoke. "Make sure your strength is all that it can be, for when we enter battle, we do so not only against Bruch'oda's forces, but that of Ru'dth as well."
"She's right, Rob. Give it a rest, if only for an hour," Leslie said.
He could feel the others standing in agreement, even though nothing was said. Robert also knew they were right.
"All right. An hour then," Robert decided. "If we're going to do this, I think each of us had better build all the Qi we can."
***
Sitting next to one another, the five QiRangers held hands. Leslie held hands with Jayde and Luís; Luís with Robert and Leslie; and so on - so that each QiRanger connected with the element that fed their Qi and the one they fed. Fire gave birth to Earth, which gave birth to Metal, which gave birth to Water, which gave birth to Wood, which gave birth to Fire.
So they sat, their Qi interconnected and building. Each breath not only entered their body, but was instantly shared with the others as a circular patter of energy was established. Sitting in deep meditation like this, the QiRangers quickly realized they were far stronger than any had realized. Individually they possessed great power, but as a team, they commanded the very nature of the universe, even if they were one member short.
***
Night had fallen, but the hour had come at last. The five QiRangers and Neela stood before the Earth Mystic Door ready to enter battle for the Earth and all Humanity. Each knew no fear, only duty and honor.
"Fire!" Leslie cried out as her Heart and Small Intestine meridians exploded in a blaze of red energy that consumed her before revealing her armored form.
"Earth!" Luís yelled, energizing the Stomach and Spleen meridians.
"Metal!" called Robert and his Lung and Large Intestine meridians came to life, transforming him into his armored form.
"Water!" Seth exclaimed and his Kidney and Bladder meridians shot over his body, electrifying his soul before his transformation was complete.
"Wood!" Jayde yelled, sending energy through her Liver and Gall Bladder meridians. As the coursing green energy covered her body, she broke free and stood with the others in her armor.
"Kundalini arise!" Neela yelled. Deep in her core, Neela's Root Chakra glowed red before spinning. The energy harnessed in the base Chakra quickly grew and changed to orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet before leaving her head and showering her with power. As the sparkling shards of power descended from Neela's Crown Chakra, her violet armor appeared.
Each stood ready and knew what would come next. Standing close to one another, the QiRangers concentrated on the very elements that powered them. They let their minds drift free of their physical forms and become one with each element.
Slowly, their bodies melted away and the QiRangers became nothing more than pure Elemental Qi. The five spheres of power began swirling about over the desert floor, moving closer and closer together. They finally merged and cast a bright light in the desert.
As the light faded, it was evident what had occurred. What once were five individual forms of energy merged into one bright golden light. The golden energy sphere slowly began shifting and taking a humanoid form. As before, the QiRangers' minds melded into one. For Jayde, Leslie, Seth, and Luís this was the second time they had experienced such a sensation, but for Robert it was the first.
The QiRangers quickly came to terms with the new addition, which seemed to assimilate easier than they had thought. Robert's cerebral computer allowed him to focus on the events and experience the link without losing control. The extra guidance from the computer system was also felt by the others and calmed them as well.
Standing four meters tall was the Golden Warrior the QiRangers formed. His sleek armor covered his arms and legs and a matching breast plate covered his torso. Etched in black in the center were the symbols for the five elements with the Tao in the center. A helmet like theirs covered his head.
"We are ready," the QiDefender said using the overtones of each of the five QiRangers.
Nodding, Neela brought her hands to namaste and released a swirling cloud of violet energy that encompassed them. When it cleared, they were gone.
***
"So, it begins Goddess," Ru'dth cold, calculating voice sneered through his razor-sharp teeth. Eying the energy spheres before him, the Warrior God of the Ancients rose from his perch on the Shadow Realm's Throne and meticulously walked to the edge of the top tier.
"Sta'Vagh," Ru'dth's voice boomed in the vacant room.
The serpent warrior guarding the Water Mystic Door appeared in the central energy sphere. Surrounded by an army of Sea Shadows, Sta'Vagh hovered effortlessly in the deep ocean. "Who? What are you?" he asked, unsure of the image that now appeared before him in the darkened ocean.
Growing in size, Ru'dth's transparent image towered over the ancient ruins of the deep. "I am your Lord," his voice rang in the ocean, sending invisible waves of energy into each and every member of the army assembled dedicated to keep the Door open.
Sta'Vagh's body convulsed as he succumbed to the enormous power of Ru'dth. Using his mind to stave off the brunt of Ru'dth's power, Sta'Vagh struggled to keep himself free and independent.
Like a powerful stone wall moving at the speed of sound, Ru'dth's telepathic attacks rammed through the last defenses of Sta'Vagh's mind. The blow sent the powerful Serpent Warrior reeling backwards as he recovered from having his free will vaporized.
Looking on with glazed over eyes, Sta'Vagh stared at Ru'dth's image. "Yes, Master," he said.
"They're coming for the Door."
"We are ready, Master."
"No, you are not," Ru'dth's projection said. Clasping his hands together, white energy began swirling around Ru'dth's body. The shimmering light illuminated the dark sea bottom. Several of the Sea Shadows raised their arms to block the blinding light, but Sta'Vagh stared on with intense interest.
"Min'u tolyx va!" Ru'dth yelled. The powerful white energy shot forth from his hands and rocketed towards Sta'Vagh.
The electrical charge surrounded the serpent warrior, infusing his body with power. The magic of the ancients fused his armor and scales together as his arms doubled in size. The crackling energy forced the retraction of his long tail and spawned the growth of two legs. As Sta'Vagh's total size grew to more than seven meters, the ribs in his neck expanded forming a cobra's hood.
Once the transformation was complete, Ru'dth's image faded, but not before issuing one last statement, "Now, you are ready."
Sta'Vagh curled his fists and roared under the sea. "Take your positions," he ordered as red energy glowed from his eyes and pits.
The Sea Shadows quickly obeyed their General and swam into position. Undulating his body, Sta'Vagh moved forward and came to rest on the soft, muddy sea bottom.
In the distance, where darkness had one been, a brilliant flash of violet light illuminated the sea. Sta'Vagh smiled, exposing his twin fangs. "You are now mine," he vowed and motioned his arms forward. The legions of Sea Shadows took order and instantly swam forward, prepared to meet the QiRangers in battle.
***
A soft orange glow enveloped Neela as she drew upon the power harnessed in her Second Chakra. The power of water enabled the Indian to breathe and move easily through the sea as if she were on land. Likewise, the QiDefender drew upon its Water Qi to survive. Appearing like David and Goliath, the unlikely pair saw the ancient ruins in the distance.
"There," Seth's consciousness alerted the others through the meld.
The others knew instantly, before he even completed his thought that they had arrived at their destination. Neela knew as well, as she and Master Li had been to each of the Mystic Doors five thousand years ago.
"They know we're here," she began, sending her message telepathically. "We must be careful. Ru'dth will stop at nothing to see that we're destroyed." Readying herself for battle, Neela called forth twin blades that appeared in her hands. The scimitars were ornately decorated with carvings of Kundalini in her serpent form. As she channeled power from her First Chakra, the blade's fine lines began glowing red as it filled with Earth energy.
QiDefender nodded and called forth the Water Qi that coursed through his veins. The symbol on his armor plating glowed and cast a hue over his body. The Qi Shield appeared in his left arm and instantly changed from blue to gold. On QiDefender's right arm appeared a rack that wrapped around his forearm. The device contained the Water QiRanger's Disc in a series of tracks that ended in six arrow tips.
"Let's go," QiDefender said and began moving towards the Mystic Door.
Shielding her thoughts from the others, Neela's true feelings emerged, "You've chosen well, my friends."
Following the QiDefender, Neela quickly came along side her ally and the two raced toward the Water Mystic Door.
***
Bart'oK sped his legion of Sea Shadows towards the QiDefender and Neela. There was little doubt in his mind, that he and his fellow Sea Shadows we bear the brunt of the initial attack, and he did his best to quell his fears. For many years, he and the other Shadow Warriors remained trapped in the Shadow Realm. When they had once again claimed a foothold on Earth, each volunteered to undergo a transformation by Qual'och to serve as Dark Guardians of the Water Mystic Doors. Bart'oK's specialized gills and affinity for Water enabled he and the others to not only breathe under water, but command its very molecules.
As his group approached the QiDefender, Bart'oK yelled with his altered vocal chords, "Divert and attack!"
Hearing their commander, Bart'oK's troops did so. Half of the groups continued following Bart'oK and came to bear on the QiDefender. The other half prepared to attack Neela.
Deep inside, Bart'oK wished he was about to face the human woman, as he suspected his survival odds would be significantly better.
Bart'oK's first group of Sea Shadows braced for attack and energized their Dark Qi Stars fixed on their arms. The Stars started spinning in their tracks and became even darker. As they were released, the Dark Qi sent rippling waves of disharmony throughout the sea.
Seeing the oncoming barrage of Dark Qi, QiDefender halted his progress and brought his shield in front to protect him. Sensing the negative polarity of the Stars, QiDefender quickly blocked each of the Stars with the Qi Shield. The positive energy of the Water Qi that constructed the Qi Shield counteracted the Dark Qi in the Stars, and as each hit the shield, they fell to the sea bottom, inert.
While the polarities of the Qi may have countered each other's effect, the forceful impacts and blades of the Stars affected the QiDefender. Each blow slowly moved the Golden Warrior backwards and dented the Qi Shield. If this continued, the two sides would constantly remain in a stalemate.
The collective minds of the QiDefender were not going to let that happen.
Using Luís' Earth Energy, the QiDefender powered the Disc attached to his right arm. The yellow Energy permeated the round weapon and cascaded down the six tracks, ending in their spears. The electrical charge of the Earth Qi illuminated each tip and cast an awesome light on the Sea Shadows.
Thrusting his arm forward, QiDefender launched the first three Qi Discs powered with Earth Qi.
As they sped through the water, QiDefender instantly picked up on the fear that now penetrated each Sea Shadow.
Seeing what was coming towards them, they tried to get out of the way, but the Disc was under the control of the QiDefender and followed its thoughts, changing course as needed to hunt each of its targets.
The first of the energized Qi Discs connected with the Sea Shadows and had its desired effect - total destruction. While Metal Qi will strengthen Water Qi, Earth Qi can destroy it. The Qi Discs plowed through the protective armor of the Sea Shadows and sliced their bodies in pieces as if they were not even there. Once the Qi Disc left the Sea Shadow, latent Earth Qi remained on their lifeless bodies and continued eating away at their vary existence, until nothing was left.
Horror filled Bart'oK as he saw the Qi Disc come for him. Before it struck, he looked to see if the others were faring any better, but before he could ascertain that information, Bart'oK felt the power of Earth end his life.
***
Neela relished the feeling of being back in action after so many years of not being anything more than an astral projection. With her twin scimitars glowed fiery red, powered by the Earth Energy harnessed from Neela's Root Chakra, she faced the Sea Shadows head on.
The Orange glow from the Sacral Chakra allowed Neela to control the water surrounding her and form it into a transparent cocoon-shaped barrier. As the Shadows fired their Stars, Neela focused her positive energy to block the Dark Qi from harming her. Unlike QiDefender's Shield, Neela's cocoon not only absorbed the Stars, but rendered them harmless. Rather than dropping them to the sea bottom, the water cocoon retained each inert Star and began forming an actual shield from the used Sea Shadow Weapon.
Neela neared the first group of Sea Shadows. Whirling about her blades, she artfully began dispatching them with ease.
Each cut from her blade infused the Sea Shadows with the power of Earth and caused them to disintegrate. The speed at which she was able to maneuver was blinding. Once she begun her attack, the Sea Shadows couldn't keep track of her location and began firing their Dark Qi Stars randomly, just trying to hit any moving target, praying it was the Indian Woman.
Neela's strategy and skill proved too much for the foot soldiers of the deep. Most of the Stars sailed off into the sea, not harming a living soul. Others did find their way into Neela's water cocoon, but the rest found themselves embedded into the armor plating of other Sea Shadows.
***
It only took a matter of minutes for the QiDefender and Neela to make their way through the numerous Sea Shadows Bruch'oda and Ru'dth had stationed at the Water Mystic Door. Reunited again, the pair swam onward towards the ruins containing the Door they intended to close. Only Sta'Vagh's enhanced form stood in the way.
As the QiDefender approached, Neela felt an increasingly uneasy feeling from the Golden Warrior. In the past, the ultimate QiWarrior faced such demons. Now the QiRangers were without their strongest ally and only half the size of the beast before them. The coalesced mind tried to steady itself, but the QiRangers were just too unsure about their skills against someone so big.
Neela positioned herself next to the QiDefender and placed her hand on his back. Tapping into her Sixth Chakra, Neela sent a calming energy over her golden companion.
"Focus. Do not worry. If the cause is just, then destiny will follow," she sent with her mind.
QiDefender reacted to the additional energy from Neela and instantly sped toward Sta'Vagh. Neela smiled and followed.
***
Sta'Vagh curled his lips around his teeth and roared, "You may have defeated my army, but you will not get past me!"
Rising up from the murky sea bottom, Sta'Vagh leapt to the top of two broken pillars marking the entrance to the Water Mystic Door. Landing on the ancient columns of stone caused them to settle deeper into the Earth's crust and create a fine mist of silt that clouded the reptilian.
Narrowing his gaze at the oncoming duo, Sta'Vagh clenched both his fists. Electrical energy began crackling from the warrior's hood, illuminating the dark sea. The blue strands of energy enveloped his body and manifested in both his fists. The bolts of Dark Water Qi transformed from erratic masses of reckless energy into two rods.
The bolt in Sta'Vagh's left hand solidifies into a long staff with a scythe at the end. In his other hand, the bolt transforms into a trident. Laughing, the water warrior spins each and connects the ends together, forming one long, deadly staff.
Staring into the deep, he saw the single golden figure getting closer. "No more waiting," he shouted and jumped from the columns. The force Sta'Vagh used to push off destroyed the ancient structures and they fell like crumbs to the ocean floor.
His giant form rocketed towards the QiDefender and Neela with outstretched arms. With the trident end facing QiDefender, Sta'Vagh shot an energy wave at the duo.
"Break!" yelled Neela into the collective mind of the QiDefender as she and the warrior spilt apart and allowed the Dark Qi to harmlessly pass between them.
The united mind of the QiRangers saw the ever growing Sta'Vagh approaching and fired its Earth charged discs at their enemy. The three yellow discs flew towards their intended target. To increase their chances of causing the most damage, QiDefender commanded the discs to split and travel on three separate arcs.
Sta'Vagh's smile grew wider as he saw the three yellow discs approaching. The large reptile extended his free hand and erected an energy barricade around him. As he raced towards the QiDefender, Sta'Vagh let the Qi Discs impact his shield. One by one the discs disintegrated, leaving Sta'Vagh unharmed.
"You're going to have to do better than that," he teased.
"He's protected by Ru'dth's magic," Neela sent telepathically. "The only way to destroy him is by direct combat."
Never taking his eyes off Sta'Vagh, QiDefender responded, "Then we'll do things the hard way."
Increasing his speed, QiDefender left Neela far behind in the ocean. The Golden Warrior was determined to make this a quick a decisive victory. Readying his Disc launcher for another attack, QiDefender channeled energy into the spear tips at the end of the launcher. Crackling with power, the six tips shone bright in the deep sea.
"We need to break through the barrier," Robert shared in the link.
"Right," Leslie added.
"I'll lead the way," Seth added allowing the QiDefender to extend its arm and bring the Qi Shield in front. With the great barrier before him, QiDefender thought for sure he'd be able to defend against any attacks.
"And I'll finish it," Luís said energizing the spears even more.
***
The Hooded Reptile extended his free hand and commanded a rush of power to surge forth at the QiDefender. The dark power pelted the Qi Shield, taking every ounce of strength the combined QiRangers had to hold steady. Wave after wave of intense power washed over the shield, slowing their progress. Finally a lull occurred in the blast. Taking advantage of the situation, the QiDefender looked over the top of his shield and saw Sta'Vagh's eyes for the first time.
The cold, distant orbits of the snake penetrated the helmet of the QiDefender and sent fear into their bodies. Shivering in the deep, Sta'Vagh took advantage of the QiDefender's weakness and resumed his Dark Qi attack.
With their minds diverted from the task at hand, the powerful energy form Sta'Vagh rocked the QiDefender. His muscles began burning with fatigue as he tried to keep the shield before him. Slowly, he could feel his power fading and the shield dropping.
Neela sensed the drain from the QiRangers and swam closer. Wielding her twin scimitars, she brought them before her and crossed their blades. "Qu'oSHla va XanJo!" she cried out. Her delicate voice traveled far in the dense ocean as her blades erupted in a fiery bolt of white energy.
The powerful beam raced from the crossed scimitars and broke through Sta'Vagh's barrier as if weren't there. The collision of her and Ru'dth's power created a huge explosion and sent both QiDefender and Sta'Vagh reeling backwards.
Tumbling over and over, Sta'Vagh desperately tried to gain control of himself, but couldn't. He was only able to stop when he collided with the rooftop of the ancient ruins. Crashing through the upper molding of the roof-line, Sta'Vagh destroyed what little of the structure that was left as his giant form passed through the stone masonry.
Breaking free of the rubble, Sta'Vagh grumbled with anger. "Damn you woman!" he shouted while standing to his full height through the remnants of the roof.
***
QiDefender fared no better than Sta'Vagh following the explosion. The Golden Warrior drew in his arms and legs to form a more compact form. "We've got to steady ourselves," they all thought and brought the Qi Shield to their feet. Placing their boots in the arm straps, QiDefender began using the increased surface area to slow its progress.
"Come on," Luís shared with the others, irritated that they hadn't overcome the explosion yet.
The extra push from the Earth QiRanger's mind was all that was needed for the others to come together and steady QiDefender. The giant form of the five QiRangers quickly came to a halt and peered at Sta'Vagh rising from the ruins.
"We've got to go this together," QiDefender said into Neela's mind.
"Agreed," she sent.
Swimming to QiDefender's side, Neela looked grossly out of place, like a small child next to a giant. "Let's go," she said and they resumed their course towards Sta'Vagh. Moving closer to QiDefender, Neela entered their mind. "I'll open his protective shield. When it cracks be ready to strike."
Even without words, Neela knew the QiRangers understood and were ready. She could see Sta'Vagh rising from the ruins and coming for them again - his staff broken in two and anger filling his mind and body. "This must be done quickly," she thought to herself.
Letting her scimitars fade into nothing, Neela began focusing her mind on the inner channels of the Kundalini. Deep in her Root Chakra, the coils of Kundalini began churning. The vibrant Earth energy glowed red in the lowest levels of her pelvic cavity. As the Kundalini continued to rise, it entered the Second Chakra. Blue energy swirled about her sacrum as it continued to rise.
QiDefender looked to his right and saw the ever increasing power from Neela and wondered what she was going to do.
The Kundalini turned yellow as it entered the solar plexus and became Fire. The area surrounding Neela began churning with electricity, hydrolyzing the molecular structure of the water and sending the Oxygen to the surface.
Sta'Vagh narrowed his gaze and fired twin blasts from his trident and scythe. The dark energy forced Neela and QiDefender to split again, but the attack didn't faze the Indian as her energy rose to the Heart Chakra and cast a green light around her.
Sta'Vagh continues firing his twin blasts of Dark Qi, but to no avail. Each streak of energy passes harmlessly by the QiDefender and Neela as they artfully dodge the blasts. Neela smiled as her energy rose past her throat and third eye and exited her head. With each of the seven Chakras fully charged, Neela swooped to a stop and brought her arms in front.
"Wu'TolkFa GeSH!" she yelled.
The combined energy from the seven Chakras formed in her hands and released in a powerful beam of energy. Powered from the very nature of her soul, Neela's Soul Blast ripped through the ocean vaporizing the sea around it. The ensuing vacuum continued to grow as the Soul Blast neared Sta'Vagh.
The Reptilian Warrior erected his powerful barricade again while he continued his assault towards QiDefender. When the Soul Blast reached the barricade the collision of opposing energies caused the barrier to solidify and encase Sta'Vagh in a cocoon.
Sweat began poring down Neela's face as she forced more and more power into her Soul Blast. "Argh!" she screamed and sent a massive burst of energy to Sta'Vagh. The power surged through the continuous beam emitted from her hands and penetrated the barrier.
Sta'Vagh was prepared this time for the Indian's power and wasn't surprised by the Soul Blast's power as it crushed his protective cocoon. He floated ready with his weapons prepared to strike. What surprised him was QiDefender coming through the broken barrier with the spikes aimed at his head.
The collective mind of QiDefender relished the stunned look on Sta'Vagh's face as they readied to skewer him.
Rushing their right arm forward, the QiRangers drove the six Earth charged spikes at Sta'Vagh's neck.
"Ha!" yells Sta'Vagh as he captures the spears in his trident. Before QiDefender can reposition himself, Sta'Vagh continues his counter attack by swiping his scythe at the Qi Shield. The curved blade quickly rose above the lip of the shield and caught its edge.
QiDefender tried to hold onto the Shield, but the pressure and leverage derived from Sta'Vagh was too great. The sharp blade of the scythe tore into the Qi Shield as QiDefender slowly succumbed to the massive power of Sta'Vagh who was nearly twice his size.
Pulling down on the scythe, Sta'Vagh ripped the Shield in half, exposing the golden armor of the QiDefender. "You're mine now, humans," Sta'Vagh hissed, pulling back the scythe.
Twisting his trident further, QiDefender's arm collapsed under the strain. The powerful blades of the trident broke through the six spears and sent them harmlessly to the sea bottom. "It ends now," Sta'Vagh eagerly said readying the scythe to strike.
"No!" Neela yelled racing towards Sta'Vagh's abdomen. With her power channeled to her leading fist, she charged into Sta'Vagh. The crushing blow cracked his ribs and bore her fist deep into her visceral organs. The force translated directly into Sta'Vagh's core and sent him flying backwards.
Tired, QiDefender dropped to the sea floor while watching Sta'Vagh plummet deep into Earth. The resulting impact stirred up a massive cloud of silt, obscuring Neela and QiDefender's view.
"We've got to strike now!" Neela screamed.
"Right!" yelled QiDefender, lifting his tired form from the slouched position it fell to. The collective minds of the QiRangers drew upon their inner Qi to give their combined form additional power. Streaks of golden Qi flowed over his armor as QiDefender took off towards the crater where Sta'Vagh fell.
***
Slowly, Sta'Vagh's mind cleared. The pain he sustained from the blow was much more than he anticipated. "They will suffer for this," he vowed, swimming upwards. With each grasp of the ancient soil, he propelled himself faster to the crest of the crater. Sta'Vagh commanded his Dark Qi to circulate within his powered form, fueling his body with even more power. The combined power from the Ru'dth and Dark Water Qi shot Sta'Vagh out the crater's mouth.
Rising high above the others, Sta'Vagh caught QiDefender and Neela by surprise. Cupping his hands together, Sta'Vagh formed a massive ball of Dark Qi. Unlike previous energy strikes, his Qi was fueled by the Ru'dth's essence. Its very appearance was darker and more volatile and rumbled with intense power.
Sta'Vagh roared as he let the Qi Strike go.
The massive energy eruption traveled far faster than QiDefender or Neela anticipated. Had Sta'Vagh's intended target been QiDefender, Earth's hopes surely would have been lost, for the human mind was grossly inadequate for tracking a weapon with such speed. Neela's mind, however, was touched by the Goddess Kundalini and was able to see the powerful ball of dark energy.
The Qi Strike's speed was too great for Neela to escape, but she knew of only one other way to avoid certain death. Bringing her hands together, Neela quickly focused her power into a single point. White energy formed a thin blade directed at the oncoming Qi Strike. Wrinkling her brow, Neela prepared for the collision that was fast approaching.
The dense matter of the sea caused the thundering approach of the Ru'dth's energy to rumble even louder than Neela thought possible. The deafening noise made her concentration falter as Sta'Vagh's Qi came crashing upon her energy blade.
The opposing powers countered one another - Ru'dth from the side of darkness and Kundalini from light. Neela's blade severed the Qi Strike into two equal halves. With the energy that held the matrix together severed, the remnants became unstable and exploded.
The combined energy of the Ru'dth and Kundalini devastated the ocean around Neela. Lit like the high noon sun, the ocean depth saw the closest thing to daylight it would ever. Shockwaves from the explosion cleared the ocean floor of debris and sent loose pieces of rubble flying in all directions. Neela's body was cast backwards by the blast, far beyond that the QiDefender could see.
"Neela!" he cried but there was little he could do.
"That's it!" Luís thought. "We end this now!"
Taking leadership of the QiDefender, Luís commanded the golden warrior to speed towards Sta'Vagh's position. Reaching out with his right arm, Luís summoned the mighty Earth War Hammer he relied upon so many times in batter.
Streaking through the water, amber light appeared next to QiDefender. Slowly the light faded and the massive form of the War Hammer hardened. Gasping its leather grips, QiDefender readied himself to deliver a blow to the massive warrior he quickly approached.
***
Sta'Vagh smiled as he peeled back his hands from shielding his eyes from the massive explosion that rocked the sea. "She is gone," he thought, not paying attention to where the QiDefender was. "Now to take care of these little humans."
Sta'Vagh turned his head to the last position he spied QiDefender and found nothing. "Where are they?" he wondered.
Time stood still for Sta'Vagh as the War Hammer came crashing down on his neck. The loud, crunching sound of metal against his fleshed traveled instantly though his body to his ears. Sta'Vagh closed his eyes as powerful waves of pain cascaded into his body.
Snap.
Crunch.
Snap.
In the blink of an eye, QiDefender had delivered a devastating blow against Sta'Vagh. Laying all his power into the War Hammer, QiDefender was able to wield his mighty weapon against the cervical ribs of his foe. Breaking the bones and sending immeasurable pain into his enemy, QiDefender pulled the War Hammer back and prepared to swing again.
Reeling from the pain, Sta'Vagh wasn't about to be surprised by another blow. Spinning around forced the weakened hood to fall over his eyes, but that didn't matter. He knew where the QiDefender had to be to deliver such an arrack and flailed his arm outwards. Sta'Vagh closed his fist and plowed his arm through the water. Channeling all his remaining strength into his hand, Sta'Vagh laid into the first thing he came into contact with.
Sta'Vagh was mighty in his own right, but with the aid of the Ru'dth, his power was greater than even he imagined. His lone fist slammed into the breastplate QiDefender. The impact flung the golden warrior backwards as the force cracked the protective shell of the QiRangers.
The collective minds of the QiRangers reeled from the infliction of such pain. As QiDefender fell back, the crack on his breastplate widened. Multicolored energetic blood seeped from the gash and each of the five QiRangers found it increasingly harder to breathe.
"We've got to stay focused," Robert shared through the link. "We can't lose site of the mission and what we must accomplish."
"He's right," Jayde spoke up. "If we fail the Earth is finished."
QiDefender's body collided with the mushy soil of the sea bottom and sunk in about a meter before coming to a halt. The impact jarred the QiRangers' combined form even more and widening the armor's tear.
Sta'Vagh's teeth glimmered in the dark sea as she saw his enemy lay helpless and wounded on the sea bottom. Brushing back his broken ribs, the giant warrior began his descent on QiDefender.
Gathering speed Sta'Vagh narrowed his gaze onto his target. Once again, he amassed a giant force of Dark Qi and infused it with Ru'dth's power. The darkened mass boiled over with power and rumbled like a freight train heading for destruction. Sta'Vagh continued to build speed and force Qi into his energy mass when Neela rose from behind a fallen column.
Her face donned with a wicked scowl, Neela brought her hands to form a diamond in front of her chest. Channeling the energies from the seven Chakra vortexes, she initiated a Soul Blast through her hands. The rainbow colored energy wave shot through the darkened sea and slammed into Sta'Vagh's back.
The powerful beam of energy froze Sta'Vagh in his tracks. Paralyzed from tremendous amount of power being thrust upon him, the giant snake could do little more than cry out in pain as his armored flesh began to sublime.
"I can't hold him for long," Neela sent to the QiDefender with her mind as she continued using all her strength to bore into Sta'Vagh.
Gritting his teeth to push past the pain filling his body, QiDefender rose from the murky soil and began swimming towards Sta'Vagh.
Seeing QiDefender rise up and approach, Sta'Vagh began flailing his arms and legs, trying to break free. "Noooo!" he cried as his pulse raced and fear entered his body for the first time.
As Sta'Vagh continued to move about, Neela struggled to retain her hold on her enemy. With every second that passed, she could feel him slipping away. "Hurry," she pleaded to the QiDefender.
Nodding, QiDefender increased his speed even more. Rushing forward, the golden warrior called for his Qi Saber and fueled it with the energy from all five elements. The large blade quickly turned from metallic to shimmering white and humming with electricity.
Staring Sta'Vagh in the eyes, QiDefender readied the Qi Saber to strike. He pulled the blade backwards before thrusting it with all his might forward into the gut of his foe. The combined forces of Neela and the QiRangers easily penetrated Sta'Vagh's outer hide. The incredible power of the Kundalini had weakened his armored flesh to such a degree, that the Qi Saber passed through it effortlessly.
Now that his hide had been breeched, Sta'Vagh tried to focus his energy on holding himself together, but with his body stabbed, found that his power was quickly being depleted.
QiDefender withdrew his sword and pulled back to a safe distance. Neela ceased her Soul Blast and watched alongside QiDefender as Sta'Vagh's body exploded in a giant fireball.
Relief fell upon the QiRangers, for their task was nearly complete. With Sta'Vagh gone they could finally seal the Water Mystic Door.
***
"No!" Ru'dth shouted from the top of the Throne Room. Shooting electrical beams from his hands, the Dark God turned the once smooth walls of stone to rubble. The debris came crashing down toe the floor below filling the air with dust.
"I can't believe they were able to defeat Sta'Vagh!"
Ru'dth's face seemed to boil over in anger. Blood vessels rose to the surface of his flesh and began pulsating with each contraction of the God's heart beat. Grinding his teeth, Ru'dth sat back in his throne with a definitive thud.
"Op'utd. Bruch'oda," he commanded and their images appeared in two viewing spheres before him.
"Yes, my Lord," responds Op'utd.
"Master, what is your bidding," answers Bruch'oda.
Ru'dth curls his fingers around the edge of the throne. "Sta'Vagh has failed and the QiRangers have sealed the Water Mystic Door. It will only be a matter of time before they come to your location. You cannot fail."
"I will not, my Lord," Op'utd pledged. "Should the QiRangers attempt to attack the Metal Mystic Door, they will not succeed. My Shadow Warriors stand ready to defeat the QiRangers and the Kundalini."
"We stand prepared as well, Master," Bruch'oda added.
"Being ready is inadequate. With their combined power, they will easily bypass your defenses and seal the door. Everything we've done thus far has been in vein. Like the seas of this planet, we must change," Ru'dth said.
***
Op'utd and Bruch'oda stood before their respective Mystic Doors - Op'utd before the Metal Door and Bruch'oda in front of the Fire. The two remaining elemental warriors of evil stood watch over their endless mass of Shadow Warriors, who stood with their crimson blades drawn.
A fine mist lowered from the heavens and covered each of the Shadow Warriors. The countless numbers of troops began convulsing under the spell cast by Ru'dth and dropped to the floor.
"My Lord, what are you doing?" asked Op'utd.
No response was given and the Dragon Warrior could only watch what happened to the Shadows.
Slowly, the coughing stopped. One-by-one, the Shadows rose from the floor, but their armor had grown fluid rather than remaining the fixed, dark color it was moments before. Each Shadow rose to new heights, standing just over two meters and increased their mass twice over. No longer were they sleek combatants used for eons by Bruch'oda to fight the forces of good - they had become something else, something more powerful and more threatening.
Op'utd smiled as he witnessed the transformation complete.
The Shadows' armor solidified with jagged edges along the knee guards and forearms. Spikes rose from the shoulder pads and torso plates. Not only would these new Shadow Warriors be armed with the crimson blades of death, but their armor would serve as weapons.
Op'utd stood pleased.
***
An energy vortex appeared near the Earth Mystic Door. Swirling sands and rushing air forced back the three Earth Alliance Troops standing guard.
"Captain, what's happening?" one of the men called out?
"Beats the fuck out of me," she shouted over the roar of the wind. "Ready your weapons!" she yelled as she hoisted her blasted in to firing position.
NASO and Earth Alliance Militia Troops gathered around the door as the wind grew worse. Lightening shot down from the sky and exploded in the sand, sending it upwards.
"Steady," the Captain shouted trying to hold back her fear. Ever since they had entered this fight against monsters, aliens, and magic nothing seemed as it was. Nothing was for certain. "Hold your fire!"
Each of the troopers tried not to hold their breaths as six energy balls began forming in the sand directly in front. The six distinct forms of energy slowly expanded to human form before dissipating, leaving behind the QiRangers and Neela.
"Medics!" the Captain cried to her support troops as the QiRangers and Neela fell to the sand exhausted.
Gary and Michael ran through the crowds of Militia and quickly tended to their friends. Kneeling besides Robert, Gary took out his portable scanner and assessed his condition. Aside from being depleted physically from the battle, he appeared safe from harm.
Robert's tired eyes looked up at his friend and he managed a smile. He extended his hand to his old friend and pulled himself to his feet. "We did it Gary. It was rough, but we did it."
"Good. I knew you could," Gary responded, tapping his friend on the shoulder before stepping over to Luís to examine him.
Turning his head towards the countless Militia assembled, Robert saw General Abbey making his way towards him. Seeing that his friends were under good care, Robert left to meet the General.
Snapping to attention, Robert said, "Sir."
"At ease, Rob," General Abbey responded.
"Mission accomplished."
"Then everything went as planned?"
Robert paused a moment before answering. "As close to plan as possible, Sir. We have a small problem."
General Abbey's face soured. "What?"
"Bruch'oda has unleashed a new power, one that we hadn't anticipated."
"God help us," Abbey muttered.
"Not exactly," Robert said looking at Neela. "How familiar are you with Indian mythology?"
***
End of Chapter Six: Ancient Allies
