Chapter 9 What now?
Neo Aquabase rescue ops, Earth:
"Alright time force team report to your station there's trouble on the south perimeter." Captain Grayson said looking at the main monitor once more before waiting for Wes's response.
"Right!" The voice called and ended the transmission.
Captain Grayson went back to monitoring the trouble spots while he popped a tumbs into his mouth.
"Aquabase come in." Came a slightly static distorted voice. Still the captain recognized it.
"Grayson here go ahead."
"This is megaship mark2." Leo's voice announced adding. "Carter I just talked to Ryan and they had to make an emergency landing on Oron Blue."
"Any injuries?" Captain Grayson asked dreading the words to come; if Ryan or any of the others were hurt or worse Dana wouldn't handle it well and the twins…
"From what I could see Devon was ill and Hollie had a concussion." Leo replied adding. "Still things weren't too bad."
"Alright, thanks for the update." Captain Grayson told his old friend and Leo nodded.
"Right, we're on our way there now." The red galaxy ranger replied.
"Let us know when you get there." Captain Grayson told him grimly and le nodded.
"Right."
***
Light raider, Oron Blue:
Ryan wondered if it was over, it had seemed as if the ship would never stop its shaking and shuddering. He knew that only the good parts of the shuttle were left but still it had been one heck of a bucking bronco style landing. Luckily he'd managed to roll fast so he could use his body to both cushion and shield Hollie from any falling debris. She was already in enough trouble with out anything else going wrong. Glancing down he saw she was still out so the ruby ranger simply lifted his head to gaze around them. He saw Devon slumped on his consol, obviously knocked out. Then his eyes moved to where Sarah had been flung. The young nurse lay still her head cradled on her arms as if she'd lay down to take a nap.
"Talk about a roller coaster." Cane a tired sounding voice.
"Heath your ok?" Ryan asked and the blue clad young man nodded slowly and then gave his head a little shake as if to clear out the cobwebs. "Can you check on Devon?"
"On it." And Heath was moving, heading for the slumped onyx ranger.
"Ryan?" The body atop him stirred slightly and Ryan let out a breath he'd not known he'd been holding.
"Hollie?" He asked shifting slightly so he could get a look at her face.
"Yeah, are you ok?" She moved so she could looked down at him. Her head pounded but she had to do this.
"Me? You're the one with a concussion." He said as he once more caught sight f the matting on the side of her head. The blood had at least stopped flowing.
"And you were protecting me." She said a little surprised and he found that her eyes were still off.
"How is she?" Came Sarah's voice and they slowly sat up, Ryan holding holly to him to steady her.
"Ryan I'm ok you can let go, I…" but as she tried to get free nausea hit her and she must have gone green for his hold tightened.
"Hollie," he looked to the nurse now crawling their way.
"Yeah?" The woman he held looked up at him.
"Shut up." He muttered and there was more gruffness than anything in his tone and she wanted to smile at that. She would have too but her head just hurt so much…
"Hey you two think you guys can pull yourselves apart long enough to help assess damages?" Heath asked in amusement and Ryan blushed as did Hollie.
"We're…" Hollie was trying to get up again but Ryan was still holding her, his silver eyes steady on hers even as she noted he matted part of her hair. She'd been bleeding? Great that was… Oh there it went again.
"Easy." Ryan murmured as Sarah joined them.
"Medical bay now." Sarah told her friend and looked to Devon. "You too."
***
Neo Aquabase, Earth:
Carter entered the quarters he shared with his wife. A tiny smile lit his face at the sight of Dana curled up as best she could, her body on her side of the bed by her head on his pillow which she'd shifted so it was as if she were laying on his chest. God she was so sweet, even after so much time she still loved him so much.
Silently he moved to his side of the bed and sat, kicking off his shoes he moved to lift her from the pillow and Dana stirred.
"Carter?" She mumbled sleepily and he smiled pressing a light kiss to the golden burls at her temples.
"Did you eat?" She asked and his smile widened. How many times did she ask him that? How often even in the midst of a war did she take care of him?
"Yeah I did. How about you? Did you three have dinner?" He asked as she shifted to let him lay more on the bed.
"Hmm, with Angela and Joel." She murmured happily.
"That's good," Carter began knowing she'd not take this well. "Dana I heard from Leo."
"How's Kendrix?" She asked and he pulled her tighter to him.
"Dana honey Mirinoi was taken." He said softly and that had her eyes opening wide. She moved to sit up but he wouldn't let her, holding her close to him.
"Kendrix?" She managed to ask as she felt him hold her.
"She's fine, they only lost four rangers." He said softly.
"Who?" She asked bracing for the truth.
"TJ, Maya, Carlos and Kai." He told her and Dana heard the sadness in his words and she felt her eyes filling. Her arms slid around him and she hugged him tight. She had become better friends with Leo and Kendrix but she still cared for the others. So did Carter and despite how fragile he sometimes thought she was he could be ten times more vulnerable.
"The sar all hit at once." Carter began slowly and Dana gently kissed his jaw. Knowing he had to do this he pressed on. "They teleported as many as possible aboard the newly constructed star launcher but it was only about five thousand."
There was such anger and sorrow in his voice that she could do no more than hold him even tighter.
"Dana there's more." He said pulling back a little and forcing his own upset back, he had to tell her had to let her know all f it, that Ryan was ok. "Ryan and the others were attacked and we don't know about the damages."
"Ryan…" Dana felt her heart stop, her brother, oh God, her brother… She felt her husband lifting her so her eyes were level with his before he said.
"Dana, he's fine Leo saw him and the only one actually injured was Hollie." Carter felt her body slowly relax and he was glad she was able to handle this. Not more than eight months ago she'd have died from the news of anything happening to her brother.
"How bad?" Dana asked moving her head to look at him. He was telling the truth she could see that in his blue eyes.
"A concussion I think but we're not sure." He told her and she moved before he could blink, crushing her mouth down on his.
***
Light raider, Oron Blue:
"Well?" Ryan asked his second in command.
"Everything's working fine, the detachments were perfectly launched and now we've got two sleeping quarters, the med bay, the bridge and the hanger bay." Heath replied.
"Alright, any problems with the engines?" Ryan asked retightening a wall panel.
"No, it's all fine thanks to the move to put it beneath the bridge." Heath replied, it was funny but in his time as a ranger he'd learned to be a mechanic. They all had. "What about the area around us? Will they be after us?"
"Not if they think we're stranded, their going to need all of their forces to both hunt down the megaship and attack other worlds." Ryan replied and hit his communicator.
***
Sarah replaced her scanner in its belt scabbard.
"it's a concussion."
"I could have told you that." Hollie muttered and over in his bed Devon had to smile, at least she was herself. He had been pretty busy on the bridge but he'd still been a little concerned. He might not show it but she was sort of one of his friends and he didn't want her hurt.
"Look I can't lay here, Ryan needs help assessing the damages." Hollie was saying as she attempted to get up. Sarah just pushed her effortlessly back down as the gold clad girl was hit with nausea.
"Hollie you won't do anyone good if you collapse again." The nurse reminded her friend.
"But…"
"Listen to the general." Devon said a sigh in his voice. "She's a real bossy lady."
"How you feeling?" Hollie asked then looking at the onyx ranger.
"Not too bad." Devon admitted and it was true, his head had finally stopped pounding.
"That's good you were pretty sick." She smiled wanly and he nodded.
"Bridge to med bay come in." The sound of Ryan's voice had Hollie going on alert, was something wrong? Even as she felt her body stiffen in readiness Sarah was replying.
"Sarah here what's up?" The nurse asked looking over at Devon who smiled at her wearily.
"Just wanted to make sure everything's ok down there." Ryan replied and Sarah rolled her eyes. Gees why didn't he just come out and say he had thing for Hollie? Hello it was plain to see they had feelings for each other, kind of like the movie "The Cutting Edge.
"We're all fine." She managed to reply.
"Good, Hollie?" He asked and the girl in question rolled her eyes herself. Didn't he think she could hold her own?
"I'm here." She lifted her own unit to her lips wondering then what he'd want.
***
"How you feeling?" Ryan asked and he could hear she was annoyed and that actually made the ruby ranger smile. Whenever that happened it meant she was still herself. He'd been really worried when she'd collapsed. Gees what was he thinking? She was just one of the rangers, not his girl or anything. Wasn't she?
"I'm alive." She muttered and he wondered if she was laying down, knowing Sarah probably like she'd let Hollie chance more trouble.
"I'd hope so." He smiled a little, such a response.
"How's the ship?" Hollie then asked and he wondered how hard she'd really hit her head, she was worried about something responsible? Ok that wasn't fair he was just tired.
***
"We saved the important parts." Hollie heard him reply and felt better. If there was too much damage…
"Good, sorry I can't help but the general won't discharge me."
"I should hope not you've got a level three concussion."
Sarah broke in and Hollie rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, if you need us…" Hollie began but he cut her off.
"Nope just get some rest will you?"
"fine." Hollie sighed knowing she was outnumbered.
***
"So think we can get off this rock?" Heath
asked and Ryan thought about it a second and then moved to the computer
control, punching up a series of buttons.
"Yes but we should wait until the fighters are passed." Ryan murmured after tabulating the probabilities.
"What about Leo?" Heath asked and Ryan thought about it a minute.
"I'm going to call and tell him we'll meet them on the simearian planet, it can sustain life and right now the people will need a place to stay while we head back. Zit will keep them out of the line of fire."
"Right." Heath nodded and moved to call up a link to the other ship.
TBC
***
There it is another chapter finished. What do you think? Is ti getting cofusing/ I'm trying to keep it cut and dry anyway PLZ R/R and let me know if you have any suggestions or just to say what you think of it.