Part 2
Tommy and Katherine scrambled around their tent gathering things and getting ready to go. They didn't have much, only the things that they had been given by Queen Xanya and her people.
Tommy looked over the oddly shaped sword that the Queen had giving him. The Queen had said that it was a Cresent Blade used only by the highest ranking fighters in the Keldehan military. He swung the blade a few times and then slid it into its sheath.
"Tommy are you okay with this?" Katherine asked her husband as she finished packing her backpack.
"I was just thinking about what chance of beating Nicandros we really have." Tommy said. "I mean we couldn't do it even when we had our powers."
"I know but we can't give up." Katherine said with determination. "Plus with the Rangers back on Earth and us here we might be able to succeed."
"Hopefully, but for now let's go see if the others are ready." Tommy finished as he walked through the door.
The plan had been for a small group to penetrate sneak into the castle and to get out with as much equipment at possible. They had wanted to send a larger unit but Tommy and Katherine both agreed that if they were going to do this it would be done their way. Having been Power Rangers they were both used to working with a smaller team and Tommy tried to stick with what he was comfortable with.
Everyone knew that it would be dangerous and in the end Audra, Laran and Jerrin ended up volunteering for the mission (even though Jerrin did complain about doing it.)
Tommy and Katherine entered the command tent and saw that their team was sitting there waiting for them. Queen Xanya entered the room a few steps behind them carrying a map. "I see you're all here." she said.
"We're just need to come up with a plan and then we can head out." Tommy told her.
Queen Xanya rolled the map that she was carrying out on a table and pointed to an area on it behind the castle. "There is a small entrance here." she said. "You can enter here and make your way to the storage facility. Laran will know exactly how to get there once you enter."
"Actually your majesty, you had that entrance sealed off." Laran reminded her.
Queen Xanya looked at the map again. "Well you can enter here." she said, pointing to a new spot on the map.
"I'm sorry Queen Xanya but you also had that one sealed also." Laran said.
"Okay then how about here." the Queen said indicating yet another area.
Laran shook her head and then put it down.
"Well this doens't look good at all does it." Queen Xanya said angrily.
"Yes Aron good caught quite a lot didn't he?" Laran laughed uncomfortably.
Everyone laughed except for Tommy and Katherine who were both didn't get the joke.
"You see Aron used to sneak into the castle to see the Princess. He would get caught and thrown out then we would find out how he got in and seal it off." The Queen explained.
'I wonder if the Rangers know that Aron is an alien." Tommy thought to himself.
Laran stood up so fast that she nearly fell over. "I know how we can get in." she said excitedly.
Everyone went silent and looked at her. "How is that?" the Queen asked.
"Well." Laran said nervously. "The night that the Vandairre invaded Aron and Jayna were planning on running away together. He told us how he was going to get in."
Xanya glared at Laran for what the girl thought felt like forever. "Well discuss this later." she said angrily. "But for now we need to know how he was going to do it."
"He found an entrance not that far from the princesses chamber. It's hidden behind a tree on the lower level near the wall. The vines there are so large that they cover it very effectively." Laran confessed.
"And you know exactly where it is." Xanya confirmed.
"Yes I do." Laran told her confidently.
"Then what are we waiting for. Let's get going." Jerrin said as he stood up, grabbed his bag and then headed for the tents exit.
The White Ranger had been walking with the stranger for about an hour or so. The person knew who he was but still Jason didn't feel comfortable demorphing around him. In fact he continued to deny the fact that he was Jason Oliver. After talking to the man he realized that he was telling the truth or at least had been in the Power Chamber at some time.
The suspicion that Jason felt had nearly disappeared and he felt comfortable around the stranger but it still bothered him that the man had showed up knowing so much without him and would not tell who he was other than that he had been a Power Ranger himself. Somehow Jason doubted that was the truth but he had nothing to go on. The only thing he knew was that there was supposedly a Vandairre communications center somewhere near the Power Chamber and that he had to take it out.
Jason had tried to call the other Rangers in but all he got was static. At first he was worried that something had happened to the others then he realized that they Vandairre tower was jamming communications. He agreed to go with the stranger and try to sabotage the tower. Afterwards he would call in the Rangers and the Zords to demolish the place.
"Are we almost there?" White Ranger asked.
"The tower is very close to the Command Center." the stranger told him. "We have to get in and out fast. That place'll be swarming with soldiers and we may have been able to take a few out in the desert but I highly doubt that we'll be able to handle all of the ones that will be at the tower." the stranger told him.
"So do you have a plan?" White asked.
"Not really. I figured we would scope it out until one of us saw an opening." the stranger admitted.
"Sounds like just as good a plan as any." White said.
"Here's the spot." Laran pointed out as the stood near the castles large outer wall.
Tommy was still unsure about going in without a better plan but realized that they didn't have much of a choice. He knew that they needed the weapons that were located inside. He looked over his team for a moment. It had been a while since he led anyone into something like this and the last time he did they had Morphers, Zords and advanced weapons. Now they were going in the just two adults, three teens a handful of scrounged together weapons and the hope that they wouldn't get caught.
"Tommy is everything okay?" Katherine asked as she placed a hand on his shoulder.
Tommy his head as if coming out of a daydream and then nodded his head. "I'm fine." He walked towards Laran and looked up the side of the wall. "Where is it?" he asked, referring to the entrance that she had told them about.
Laran pointed to a small bunch of vines a few feet away from them. "Right there." she said.
Tommy cleared away the vines and sure enough he show an opening small enough to allow them to crawl through. "Good work. I'll go in first. If something goes wrong I want you guys to be able to get out. I won't know where I am when I get in there so I want Laran behind me. Then Katherine, Jerrin and Audra taking up the rear." Tommy said giving them their instructions.
Everyone nodded with Jerrin giving out a slight groan. They entered the tunnel and move down the path.
They had been sitting behind a large boulder near the communications tower for a few hours when the stranger started to see a pattern. The soldiers would walk completely around the building twice and then enter, a new set would come out after three minutes and stand in front for about five minutes before following the same pattern as the last group. They hadn't deviated at all from the time table and the stranger thought that he had figured out a way to get inside.
Jason was leaning back against the boulder only half awake and tired of waiting. He had went off by him self and demorphed only to return with his face covered by the sleeves that he had ripped off his shirt.
"Wake up kid." the stranger said while nudging the unmorphed Ranger.
Jason jumped up and looked ready to fight. "What is it?" he asked anxiously.
"I found a way in." the stranger said. "I timed them. It takes about three minutes for them to make a complete circle if we rush them at the door I think we can get in pretty fast and wreck the place before the can figure out what hit them."
"I agree. We do as much damage as we can. Try to take out whatevers jamming my communicator and then call in the other Rangers and the Zords to blow that thing to high heaven." Jason told him.
"Okay then kid do your thing. You know It's Morphin Time!!!" The stranger said.
Jason shrugged his shoulders and pulled out his Morpher "LYNX!!!" he called out. A white flash of light engulfed Jason as he transformed into the White Ranger.
"Impressive. I almost forgot what that looked like." the stranger told him. "I remember the first time I used a Morpher. I couldn't believe what I had gotten myself into."
"Look" White Ranger interrupted "while I'm all about nostalgia, I really don't think we have time for this."
The Rangers companion snapped out of his thoughts "Okay then let's go." he said as he charged towards the communications tower.
Tommy exited the tunnel followed closely by Laran. The two looked around and then signalled for the others to come out. Once they had all cleared the opening Laran took the lead and motioned them to a small room off to the side. Things were different than she remembered. The Vandairre had obviously done some redecorating but she knew the layout from haveing lived there most of her life.
"Okay where are we headed?" Tommy asked.
"Well mine and Jaynas rooms aren't that far from here." Laran answered. "That means we're headed to the other side of the castle."
"Come on Laran. You got us in on the wrong side." Jerrin complained.
"No need to worry about that now." Audra to Jerrin. "Laran what's the fastest way to get there?"
"We would have to pass right by the throne room." Laran told them.
"Damn that's not good." Tommy said.
"Is there another way?" Katherine asked.
"Not really. But it shouldn't be to hard to get by. I mean we haven't seen many aliens around." Laran said assuringly.
"Okay well let's get moving." Tommy said "Laran lead the way but stay close."
Laran headed out in from of the group and began to walk down a cooridor.
Tommy stayed directly behind her with Katherine, Jerrin and Audra following closely.
Audra looked around in amazement. She had never been inside the castle but just like every other child on Keldeha had wondered what it was like inside. She had finally made it in but wished that it had been under different circumstances. It hurt her to see what the invaders had done to it.
Things seemed pretty quiet which suprised everyone. They continued down the long hall until a pair of voices caused the group to stop in their tracks.
Tommy put one finger in front of his mouth, indicating that he wanted them to be quiet. They waited around a corner until two soldiers passed by them. Tommy grabbed the second soldier and pulled him back. When he screamed out the second turned to see that his companion was being beaten by an attacker. He started to moved in to help his comrade but Katherine let loose a devastating roundshouse kick that sent him flying towards a wall and into unconciousness.
Audra grabbed the soldier and pulled him back into a room. Jerrin and Laran followed behind with Tommy and Katherine close behind pulling the other soldier with them.
"Take their uniforms." Tommy instructed. "Laran you put on one and I'll wear the other."
"What's you plan?" Audra asked.
"We're going walk right past the throne room and they won't know any difference." I want the rest of you to wait here."
"This'll never work." Jerrin grumpled.
"Jerrin will you stop complaining so much." Audra told her friend. "You're always so negative."
"Well excuse me for being a realist AUdra." Jerrin returned.
"We all better hope this works becuase with the Vandairre you don't get a second chance." Katherine chimed in. "Now be quiet and let's help them get ready."