Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Saban, Disney, or any other owners of the Power Rangers series. All copyrighted material is property of its respective owners. Power Rangers, all its past and present incarnations, and all its distinctive likenesses are trademarked and copyrighted by Disney and Saban Entertainment.

Power Rangers Militia

Episode 2: Call to Arms, Part 2
Written by Database Ranger

"Welcome to the Militia Terrabase."

The doors slid open to reveal a sleek silver room with control panels lining the walls. About a dozen uniformed personnel were operating the panels, apparently working furiously on some sort of project. It all seemed very familiar to Billy. For him, the only thing missing was that funny little robot who never learned to stop worrying. But now was not the time for a walk down memory lane. He shifted his focus back to what McKnight was telling him.

"...based on the original Aquabase, this headquarters is far more advanced. It has airtight security systems to prevent any infiltration. Voice recognition, retina scan, and of course, each employee has their own unique entrance code. Here we have a much smaller, more efficient staff, headed by our foremost technological specialists. Due to our intricate global netwo-"

"This is all very interesting, General McKnight," Billy said curtly, "but time is of the essence. Please, take me to where you have been developing these new Morphers you mentioned."

"Yes, of course," replied the General, slightly flustered at being so rudely interrupted. "This way." He led them across the room to what appeared to be an elevator door and pressed his thumb up against a panel. The doors slid open and Cestria wheeled her husband into the chamber. He was still very weak, and the doctors had suggested that his movement should be limited as much as possible. General McKnight leaned towards a small microphone and placed his thumb against another panel to close the doors. "Voice recognition activate."

"Voice recognition activated," a mechanical female voice replied. "Scanning. Welcome, General McKnight. Request destination."

"Sector M-5."

"Password confirmation required."

"Armed and dangerous."

"Password confirmed. Now proceeding to Sector M-5."

They felt a quick jolt as the chamber began to move, and then another when it stopped a few seconds later. As the door slid open, the computer voice confirmed their location.

"Welcome to Sector M-5, General McKnight."

McKnight strode confidently into the room, as Cestria and Billy followed close behind. This room had a blue floor, with fewer computer consoles lining the walls. The tables were lined with mountains of lab equipment. Scanners, laser cutters, frequency modifiers, circuit boards; all things Billy had become familiar with over the course of his life. McKnight guided the Cranstons over to three figures at the other end of the room. One was a massive man with raven black hair. Despite his brutish and muscular frame, the look in his glasses-covered eyes reflected a keen intellectual mind. Next to him was a woman with similarly dark hair, as well as a strong facial resemblance. She had a lovely figure, and carried with her an air of experience. Looking into the eyes of the second man, Billy could tell that he was no scientist. Those were the eyes of a warrior that had looked long into the abyss of evil. The general introduced them.

"Mr. Cranston, this is Mrs. Angela Rawlings and her brother, Clarke Fairweather. They are the world's foremost experts on energy transformations, and between them, have designed every Morpher, weapon, and Zord in the Lightspeed Rangers' arsenal." Billy nodded to each of them as he shook their hands, acknowledging their impressive scientific achievements. Cestria gave them each a warm greeting in Aquitian handspeak.

"And this young man is Ryan Mitchell, the Titanium Ranger. Ever since his work with the Lightspeed Rangers ended, he has been aiding us in our research. He is our prime volunteer test subject and candidate for the new Morpher." Ryan leaned forward and stuck his hand out towards Billy.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Cranston. Mrs. Cranston." He greeted them both with the same military demeanor McKnight carried. It was obvious that this Titanium Ranger was not a man to be trifled with.

Mrs. Rawling turned to face McKnight.

"General, I would like to know the meaning of all this. I told you before that I was done with my work on the Militia project. Joel has an air show today and I was lucky to find a babysitter for Johnny." Cestria looked away awkwardly as Billy gently squeezed her hand. "I hope you have a good reason for keeping me from my son."

"Mrs. Rawlings, I assure you. There is a very good reason for all this. Mr. Cranston and his wife have come a very long way and warn us that a new enemy is coming. We need to bring the Militia Morphers online as soon as possible, and there is no one I trust more with this responsibility than yourself and Mr. Fairweather. I'm sorry if this has inconvenienced you, but the fate of the world is at stake here." Angela looked away, seeing the awkwardness of the Cranstons.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's alright," Billy cut her off. "It's just that... Cestria and I... we haven't been able to have children. We know your family is important to you, but right now it's more important to see that they don't get hurt by what's coming."

"What exactly is coming?" Clarke asked him. "The most powerful force this planet has seen since the destruction of Dark Spectre. They call themselves the Tormenta, and it is only a matter of time before they find us. We will need to activate these new Militia Morphers if there is to be any hope of defeating them."

McKnight headed over to a small pedestal in the center of the room. Hitting a few of the buttons lining the surface caused the pedestal top to open up, revealing a circular silver case. He opened the case and turned to face Billy.

"Here they are, Cranston. The Militia Morphers and their M-Badges." The general stepped aside to reveal the contents of the case. Lining the top edge were four small rectangular devices, each with a circular head marked with a stylized colored M. Along the bottom were four thick military badges, marked with identical M symbols. The devices and badges were paired off by the color of their symbols; green, orange, yellow, and black. In the center of the circle was one Militia Morpher and one M-Badge, each red, to complete the set. "These new morphing devices are the result of years of research, and will summon Ranger powers unlike any seen before. Unfortunately, we have yet to find a sufficient power source for them. These are my toys, Cranston. It's time for you to show me yours."

"Of course, General," Billy replied. He turned to Cestria and squeezed her hand. "Are you ready?"

"I am." She released her husband's hand as he pulled up his sleeve and faced McKnight. On his wrist was a device that seemed very much like a watch, but instead of a face, it had what looked like a speaker mounted on it.

"You see this, General? It's a modification of an early invention of mine. It was originally designed to act as a communicator, but I discovered it had the ability to teleport a subject over long distances when tapped into a proper power source. This new model, however, requires nothing more than a normal battery, and although it is unable to teleport its wearer over long distances, it is capable of teleporting small objects over short distances. I will now demonstrate." He placed his wrist close to Cestria's stomach, and hit a button on the communicator. Immediately, her stomach began to glow brightly, as did Billy's hand. In a matter of moments, the Star had materialized in his fingers.

It was an object of indescribable beauty. It was geometrically perfect, just as Billy had said, with each point the same distance and angle from the center. It seemed almost like glass, but sparkled as though a myriad of stars swirled within. And most amazing of all was the glow it emitted, a light of bluish-white, which seemed to permeate through everything. It was warm and comforting, yet somehow cool and refreshing also. And as they all gazed upon it, they felt the incredible power of it flow through them. That power was the Star.

"It's incredible."

"Fascinating."

"I don't believe it."

"Amazing."

Everyone surrounding the Star tried desperately to find words for it, but they were at a loss. Cestria began to stumble forward, and grasped Billy's wheelchair for support. He quickly wrapped his free arm around her waist and looked her in the eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes... I just need to readjust." She touched the side of her crested head lightly. The others looked on, suddenly realizing what had happened. Angela spoke up.

"You hid the Star inside your wife?"

"It was my choice," Cestria answered, not allowing Billy the opportunity. "My... bodily cavities... were more suited to the task than those of my husband. And we needed to hide the Star in a place no one would think to look."

"I understand," said McKnight. The female Aquitian was a lot stronger than she first seemed. Suddenly, alarms began going off throughout the Terrabase. A young female technician ran up to General McKnight.

"Sir!"

"What is it?"

"Orange Valley is under attack!"

"Bring it up on the surveillance cam!" He followed her to a large monitor that was centered between two control panels. Quickly tapping several buttons, the technician brought up an image of Main Street, only a few miles away. Marching among the fleeing citizens of Orange Valley was an army of undead cutting a path of destruction through mailboxes, parking meters, fire hydrants, and whatever else got in their way.

"Necrons," Billy said. "Physical manifestations of the souls of the deceased. The Tormenta use them as infantry. They are almost infinitely renewable, durable, and are capable of self-repair. It looks as though our enemies have caught up to us, General McKnight."

"Mitchell," the general ordered, turning to Ryan. "Get the Lightspeed Rangers and Silver Guardians on the scene. Fast." He shifted his gaze to the others. "Rawlings. Fairweather. You and Cranston get those Morphers online. If these Tormenta are as tough as Cranston claims they are, those Rangers are going to need all the help they can get."

"Come on people! Let's move! Move! MOVE!" Eric Myers hollered at the top of his lungs. Marching straight towards him was a young man in an identical blue uniform, wearing a red beret and headset.

"Eric, how are we doing? Ryan said it was urgent."

"I've got all the Guardians mobilized and ready to move out on your command, Wes," replied his dark-haired partner. The two commanders quickly surveyed their troops before stepping into their utility vehicle. Wes stuck his left arm out the driver seat window and flicked his hand to signal the Silver Guardians. A dozen utility vehicles filled with hired security agents made their way towards Orange Valley, not knowing what dangers they faced, only that they were needed.

"You know I had an air show today, right?"

"Yes Joel, we heard you the first time," Carter replied impatiently. "But you know Ryan wouldn?t have contacted us unless it was urgent."

"You're not the only one with a busy life, you know," Dana told him. "We're just lucky Kelsey isn't off on another skating tour."

"Yeah," Chad agreed. "What are the odds that her tournament would be right on the edge of Orange Valley?"

The four old friends rode swiftly down the street in their old yellow Hummer, the Rescue Rover. It had been years since they had last seen each other, but they settled back comfortably into the roles they had held during their time as Rangers. Despite marriage and his one-year-old son, Joel was still a fast-talking hotshot, with his trademark "Sky Cowboy" outfit. His light-colored cowboy hat still played off his dark skin nicely, as well has his old vest and green t-shirt.

Chad may have let his hair grow out since becoming a life-guard, but other than that, the shy Asian man seemed pretty much the same as always, sticking with the blue shirts and dark pants that he had always felt comfortable in.

Dana had fitted comfortably into pediatrics, which suited her sweet nature more than the rigorous life of a military paramedic. Her long blonde hair flew back behind her with the force of the wind, and she still wore the same light blouses and short skirts that she had in her teenage years.

Carter once again settled into the role of leader. Although he had not been involved with Lightspeed in over a year, the sandy-haired fireman had been allowed to keep his old vehicle of choice, which he was now pulling into the parking lot of the Orange Valley X-treme Tournament.

It was there they spotted the fifth member of their group, Kelsey, speaking with an unfamiliar blonde female motorcyclist. The hyperactive spandex-wearing pro skater was wearing her big friendly smile as usual, as she saw the Rescue Rover pull up and said goodbye to her friend.

"Got to go, Sam," she said before running off. "Good luck at the Motocross event!"

"Thanks, Kelse! Sorry you couldn't stay longer!" She waved as she watched Kelsey jump in the Rover and ride off. Donning her helmet, Samantha headed off to her cycle, wondering what could possibly be so important.

"So what's the deal, guys?" Kelsey asked as she shrugged into her old red Lightspeed jacket. The rest had donned theirs as well. "I thought we finished off the last of the demons when we fought Vypra and Quarganon."

"We'll find out when we get there," Carter told her. "All we know is that Ryan needs our help. Fast."

Turning a corner, they quickly found themselves in the midst of a caravan of black SUV's, all headed in the same direction. One of them pulled up alongside the Rescue Rover and lowered its passenger-side window. A familiar dark-haired head turned to face them.

"Nice of you to join us, Grayson," Eric said smugly.

"Just answering the call to arms," Carter replied.

The vehicles made the last turn onto Main Street, then screeched to a halt. Before them stood an army of skeletal creatures, all wielding weapons and appearing ready to use them. The vehicles quickly emptied, filling the street with Silver Guardians and the five former members of Lightspeed.

"What are those things?" Joel exclaimed.

"I don't know," replied Wes. "But if they're looking for a fight, we're going to give them one! Time for... Time Force!" Revealing the Chonomorpher on his wrist, he tapped it quickly, and was immediately surrounded by a whirlwind of red-tinted binary code. In a flash of light, he had become the Red Time Force Ranger.

"Quantum Power!" yelled Eric, activating his own Quantum Morpher. With a powerful thrust of his fist into the sky, he was rained down upon by rings of light, transforming him into the Quantum Ranger.

"Lightspeed! Rescue!" called out Carter, Chad, Joel, Kelsey, and Dana. Flipping open the panels on their Rescue Morphers, they each released a colored shield of energy. Stepping through their individual shields, they were then encased by them, forming their Rangers suits and helmets. Once their mouthpieces had flipped up and their visors flipped down, their morphs were complete. They were the Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. "Power Rangers! Rescue Ready!"

The seven Rangers took on their preparatory battle stances before diving into battle. Retirement was over.

On the rooftops high above Main Street, Typhus, Azala, and Anubalon intently watched the battle below. The Rangers were testing their opponents with their usual unarmed combat techniques. One Necron attacked Wes with his Spinal Scimitar, but the Red Ranger easily caught it and used the forward moment to flip the creature over his shoulder. Meanwhile, his powerful partner kicked another hard in the chest. The Lightspeed Rangers were holding their own as well, Carter dodging blows and chopping down hard on their necks, Joel and Chad ducking and punching the Necrons in their stomachs, while Kelsey and Dana used the combined power of their kicks to send their enemies flying.

"Those fools," sneered Typhus. "They may be able to fend off my Necrons for now, but they'll soon find my creations are not easily so defeated." He watched carefully as the Silver Guardians set up one of their assault cannons. A Necron came charging towards them.

"Fire!" Wes called to them.

The Guardians blasted straight through the Necron, who went flying to the ground.

"Good shot, guys!" He congratulated them. "That's one down. Let's keep it up!"

"Not so fast, Red Ranger," Typhus chuckled quietly from his vantage point.

To the Ranger's surprise, the Necron was down, but not out! It pushed itself back up onto its feet, despite the huge hole the blast had made in its torso. In a matter of moments, the wound had sealed itself up, leaving no trace that any damage had been done. Fully healed, the Necron continued its attack, undaunted.

"I think we have a real problem here, guys!" Wes called back to his fellow Rangers.

"You're telling me!" Eric replied, as he flipped yet another Necron over his arm. "These guys just won't stay down! Carter! Call Ryan for backup!"

"Will do!" Disengaging himself from his opponent and leaping back, he tapped the side of his helmet to open a communication link.

"Yes!" Typhus exclaimed, quickly activating the small device he held in his hand.

"Why he so excited?" Anubalon asked, in his low, guttural voice.

"Because," Azala explained patiently, "the device he holds in his hand is a tracker, one that will find out who that Red Ranger is contacting and where we can find them."

"So?"

"So, these Rangers are probably protecting the Star. And although our master's scanners have tracked the path of the Star from Aquitar to that government airfield, and then to this city, they have been unable to find the exact location of the government facility where it's being held. By tracking the Ranger's transmission, Typhus will be able to tell us exactly where to find the Star. After that, it will only be a simple matter of breaking through their defenses and retrieving the Star for the High Prince. With the Necrons keeping the Rangers occupied, this task should be no trouble at all."

"Got it!" Typhus turned to face his companions. "Let's get moving."

"I read you, Carter," Ryan said into his Morpher. "How are you guys doing out there?"

"Not good. These skeleton things just won't stay down. They keep healing themselves before we even get a chance to catch our breath. Any ideas on how to deal with them?"

"None. Just hold out as long as you can. We almost have the new Morphers up and running."

"New Morphers?"

"I'll explain it to you later, right now we just need you to keep those things busy."

"Will do. Carter out." Ryan's Morpher cracked as the communication link was broken. He looked over to where Clarke and Angela were working with Cranston. Whoever this guy was, he sure knew his stuff. It had only taken a matter of minutes to establish the Star as the new power source. There were only a few last calibrations to make, and the Militia Morphers would be ready for their first real test.

"Done," Billy announced, sounding relieved.

"Ryan, are you ready?" Angela asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Then take these," she said, handing him the Red Militia Morpher and M-Badge, "and head into the test chamber."

Ryan took off his treasured Titanium Morpher and slipped it into his pocket before picking up the new inventions and leaving the room. The testing chamber was adjacent to the main room, but he had to walk through two thick door panels to reach it. The chamber was isolated from the rest of M-5 for practical safety purposes, as were all the test chambers in the Terrabase. Once he was inside, the lights turned on and the communication screen activated so that he would be able to receive direct instruction from the others. Angela's face appeared on it now.

"All right, Ryan. We're ready. Put on the Militia Morpher and run through the morphing procedure, just like we've practiced."

"Right." Nervously, he unfolded the Velcro wristband of the Morpher and wrapped it around his right wrist. He held the M-Badge in his right hand and flipped it open to reveal a small circular computer disk. Removing the disk, he placed it into side of the Milita Morpher and called into it, "Armed and Dangerous!"

As he thrust his arm forward, the Morpher began to flicker, its M glowing bright red. Suddenly, a burst of light shot out of the Morpher and through his hand, straight into the M-Badge. Streams of red, white, and blue light shot out the sides of the Badge, curling back to form a sphere around him. Everyone in the main room held their breath in anticipation.

A figure began to appear through the blinding light of the sphere as the morph neared completion, but suddenly something went wrong. The sphere began to distort, collapsing in upon itself. The figure could be seen struggling within, fighting for control.

He lost.

Ryan fell to the floor, and the lights dispersed.

"Medics!"

Clarke and Angela each yelled for help as they passed through the two panels into the test chamber. Bending down over the unconscious Ranger, Clarke placed two fingers to Ryan's neck.

"He's still got a pulse."

"What happened?"

"The power of the Star was too much for him," Billy told them, his face visible on the communication screen. "We need to find someone else."

Deep in the Fortress of Facades, High Prince Trilorin was also watching the battle. Opposite his throne hung an enormous three-eyed mask, each eye observing a different part of the conflict. The Rangers were still holding their own surprisingly well, despite the near invincibility of their opponents. These humans were far more resilient then he would have thought. Suddenly the eyes went blank.

"High Prince Trilorin!" The images of the battle were now replaced by three new images, each showing three shadowy figures. Not even the High Prince knew what those nine figures truly looked like. Few who looked upon them lived to tell about it.

"Grand Council," he said, stepping down from his throne and falling to one knee.

"What is your progress?" The central figure of the central eye spoke with great authority.

"We have encountered only minor difficulties, Heart of the Empire. The human and his Aquitian mate have alerted the Rangers of this planet to our presence."

"As we expected. Open the chest we bestowed upon you, Trilorin."

"Yes, Grand Council." He rose, and stepped back to reach for the small treasure chest that he had placed next to his throne upon arrival. It was ornately carved with the demonic symbols commonly associated with Tormenta architecture. He could only guess at its contents.

Carefully, he traced his clawed fingers along the carvings, breaking the seal. No longer held shut, the chest lid opened and revealed its contents. The High Prince's silver mask quivered with when he saw the first of the items inside. It was only through Trilorin's powerful determination that he kept his white mask dominant.

"We give to you this Mask of Malice, for you to use at your own discretion. This is the only one of the Thirteen that could be spared. For obvious reasons, we must keep focus of the war on Aquitar, and we need most of our resources there to maintain this illusion." The item Trilorin held in his hands was a face mask of pure white. Over its eyes was another mask, an eye mask of pure black. Between the eyes was a white gem, and an identical black gem was set in the forehead. This gift was one rarely given, and in some ways was even more powerful as his own Threefold Mask. One of the Thirteen Masks of Malice.

"I thank you, Grand Council, Heart of the Empire, for the great honor of this gift."

"Do not thank us, Trilorin. This is no gift. It is a responsibility. Use the Mask wisely, and never use the Face of Malice unless the need is most dire. We trust that occasion will never arise."

"Of course, Grand Council."

"The other item we have bestowed upon you is a shielding device. Once it is activated, no one will be able to teleport to or from Earth, nor will any transmissions be made between Earth and any other planet. This should prevent those in possession of the Star from contacting our enemies destroying our grand illusion. The device is to be activated once we end our transmission, and must remain activated until the Star is secured."

"Understood, Grand Council."

"Very good. Do not fail us, Trilorin. You know the price of failure."

"I will not fail you, Grand Council."

"What happened in there, Cranston? You said the Star would be able to power the Militia Morphers properly. Why didn't it work?" General McKnight was furious. This man had promised him to get his technology up and running, and had not kept up his part of the bargain. Now, Orange Valley was under attack by the forces that he had led here. Maybe it was a mistake to allow an outsider into the Terrabase.

"I don't think it was a problem with the Morpher, General. I think it was Ryan," Billy replied calmly. He could tell that McKnight was already angry at the situation. The last thing he needed was to fuel the man's temper further.

"What do you mean? That man is capable of mastering the Titanium Morpher, a device so powerful that most humans wouldn't even be able to handle it. Are you saying that my best man is not good enough for this new power of yours?"

"That's what I'm saying."

"Well, then, let me ask you this. If he can not handle the power of the Star, then who can?"

"I don't know. We will have to run some tests to find out what it is that your 'best man' is lacking. In the meantime, I think we should worry about the problem at hand. The Rangers can't hold off those Necrons forever. We're going to need to find another way to protect the Star. I suggest some sort of energy shield. If I can calibrate such a shield to block Tormenta energy signatures, I think I can buy us some time."

"You do that, then. Fairweather! Help Cranston put up the energy shield. Rawlings! Go up to the sick bay and check on Mitchell. Run some tests and try to see if you can figure out just what went wrong. We don't have much time, people! We have to move fast!" He quickly scanned the room and spotted Cranston's wife, the alien, standing on the sidelines, watching all the action occurring around her. She was still a puzzle to him, as was Cranston's relation to Aquitar. But that was something to be sorted out later. "You!" he called out to her, getting her attention. "You have studied the Star, correct?"

"That is correct," she replied, in that oddly melodious voice of hers.

"Go help Rawlings. Maybe you can help her figure out what happened in that test chamber." The female Aquitian nodded in acknowledgement and walked quickly out of the room in the direction that Mrs. Rawlings had gone. On her way out, she looked quickly towards Billy. He looked back at Cestria and nodded, reassuring her that he would be all right on his own. He and Clarke returned to their work while Cestria hurried to catch up to Mrs. Rawlings.

McKnight turned his attention to the battle on Main Street. The Rangers still seemed to be going strong. The Lightspeed Rangers had brought out their Rescue Blasters, using both Pistol and Baton Modes to keep the Necrons at bay. Meanwhile, the Red Time Force Ranger had summoned his Chronosabers and the Quantum Ranger had switched his Quantum Defender to Sword Mode. Together they used energy slashes to hack their enemies apart. But for every Necron wounded, another had already healed itself. It was only a matter of time before the Rangers would be overpowered.

Then, for the second time that day, General McKnight heard alarms sound throughout his base. Once again, the young female technician ran up to him.

"Sir!"

"What is it this time?"

"Our system is picking up a security breach on the surface."

"Get the guards on the scene and reinforce the doors. Cranston! Fairweather! We need that energy shield now! It looks like the Tormenta have come for a visit."

Another swing of Anubalon's mighty hammer and the door was down. The Beast General roared in triumph as he charged down the corridor. Typhus and Azala followed in hot pursuit.

"Although I admire your style, Anubalon," said the female Tormenta, "I think we may need to work on your subtlety."

"Subtlety! The brute just needs to learn not to swing that accursed hammer of his every time he thinks an enemy is near. That miniature brain of his would never be able to grasp a concept as complex as subtlety," Typhus muttered under his breath. He had been the one to lead them here, and now that beast was making enough of a ruckus to bring the whole base down on their heads!

At the end of the corridor was another door, one far more fortified than the first had been. It looked like it belonged on a bank vault, rather than in a government office building. Another sign that they were on the right track.

"It looks like we'll have to crack that electronic lock," said Typhus. "It will take some work, but-"

"DEATH HAMMER SMASH!!" cried Anublon. Not even slowing his pace, the powerful Beast General held his immense hammer low and charged it with energy. Just as he reached the door, he swung upward, and a thunderous crash could be heard as his hammer head collided with the door, tearing it off its hinges and sending it flying into the ceiling of the next room. It bounced off and hit Anubalon's shoulders as he ran on beneath it. The blow barely even fazed him, but Typhus and Azala had to leap to avoid the demolished door as it clattered loudly upon the metal floor.

"You were saying?" Azala asked her companion.

"Never mind," Typhus answered, shaking his head. Subtlety was most definitely not one of Anubalon's strong suits.

His vision slowly came into focus. The throbbing in his head had not subsided yet, though, and he tried feebly to grasp his surroundings. He seemed to be lying down, but where, and for what reason he could not say. Turning his head to the left, he saw his Titanium Morpher lying on a nearby table next to his shirt and jacket, and remembered what had happened.

"How are you feeling, Ryan?" came a familiar voice. Looking to his right, the Titanium Ranger saw Angela sitting next to him. Beside her was Cranston's wife, the alien, looking over some computer readouts.

"All right, I guess," he replied, his voice weak. "What happened? Why didn't the Militia Morpher work?" She looked back at him and grimaced.

"We don't know. But hopefully we'll find out soon. In the meantime, you should get some rest. That Morpher took a lot out of you."

"Mrs. Rawlings?" Cestria caught their attention. "I have some interesting readouts here, regarding the organic qualities of the Star. I think we should show the others."

"Of, course, Mrs. Cranston." She turned back to Ryan. "Will you be all right?"

He nodded to her reassuringly.

"Okay. We won't be gone long. Try to get some rest." The two women exited the room, leaving Ryan to himself. Looking down, he saw that numerous electrodes had been attached to his arms and chest, obviously to check his vital signs, and figure out what effects the attempted morph had had on his body. What had gone wrong? His many years with the demons, being trained by Diabolico and the others, had hardened him, made him capable of withstanding more power than most humans could. Why had this new power been too much? And if it was too much for him, than where would they find a human that could handle it? Let alone five?

Turning back to face the table, Ryan reached out to grab his Morpher. Fingering it, he remembered the rush of power he had felt the first time he had activated it. He had been full of hate then, determined to destroy his father and the Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. Things were so much different back then. He was different. The love of his family had changed, made him want to become a better person, and see to it that no one would ever had to go through what he had gone through in those demon tombs.

Off in the distance, he could hear alarms going off. Nodding to himself and gritting his teeth in determination, he strapped his old Morpher to his wrist and pushed himself up off the bed. He tore the electrodes off his skin and reached for his shirt and jacket. Duty called.

The corridors were lined with guards, all wielding sidearm weapons very similar to those presently being used by the Silver Guardians against the Necrons on the streets nearby. The laser pistols were no where near as powerful as a Ranger Blaster, but they were strong enough to stop most humans with a single shot.

It was a shame that their adversaries weren't human.

Anubalon came smashing through the guards, knocking them aside like bowling pins, while the laser blasts reflected harmlessly off his tough hide. The guards that escaped the Beast General's brute strength had to deal with Lord Typhus' rapier and Lady Azala's claws. Their weapons were smashed, sliced, and ripped to pieces, and the guards themselves were left lying on the floor in pain.

As the three Tormenta rounded the next corner in their frantic search for the Star, a laser blast hit the back of Anubalo'?s head and finally caught his attention.

"Hold it right there!" cried out a voice from behind them. Turning around, they saw a Power Ranger, clad in metallic silver, with gold lining his boots, gloves, chest and shoulders. His visor took up the entire face of his helmet, designed to look like a victorious V. In his hand, the Titanium Ranger held his Titanium Laser, and aimed it straight at his enemies. "You're not going anywhere."

"I think you're wrong, Ranger," replied Typhus, readying his sword. "You're the one going nowhere!" He lunged, and Ryan had to move quickly to transform his Laser into its battle axe form, and parried the Tormenta Lord's attack. Twisting around, he then moved to strike Azala, who easily caught the axe between here claws.

"You need to do better than that, little Ranger," she said, twisting the axe aside and jumping up on the side of it lightly, before leaping again and kicking Ryan hard in the shoulder. The force of the blow sent him sliding across the floor. Not giving the Ranger a moment to catch his breath, Anubalon charged with his Death Hammer, smashing it down hard with the intent to crush Ryan's skull. A split second before the blow landed, Ryan twisted off to the side to dodge it.

Deciding to move quickly before the hammer came down again, he slid between the brute's legs, rolling quickly to return to his feet. Seeing Azala out of the corner of his eye, he flipped up and over Anubalon's shoulder, striking Typhus hard in the chest with his feet as he did so. The attack had little effect.

Realizing that these enemies would not go down easily, Ryan fled, drawing them away from the wounded guards. Looking around quickly, he spotted something that would buy him the time he needed.

Activating a door panel, he entered a large room. Once he was inside, he turned around, just in time to so Typhus and Azala flip over his head and land behind him. The giant form of Anubalon filled the doorway. He was surrounded.

"Hey, ugly!" Ryan called to him. "What's wrong, can't you fight me on your own? You need these weaklings to fight for you?"

That one hit a nerve.

"ANUBALON FEAR NO ONE!!" the Beast General roared, charging straight at Ryan. The Titanium Ranger leapt deftly over his shoulder, allowing the creature's momentum to carry him straight into the other two Tormenta. The three landed on the floor together in a jumble while Ryan ran back to the door and slammed a panel to lock it shut.

"Hyper-lift! Activate emergency evacuation procedure, now!" Very quickly the floor moved, accelerating faster and faster, carrying them up and away.

"Got it!" Billy exclaimed. Clarke turned to face the general.

"General McKnight, we have the energy shield prepared and ready!"

"Good work, you two. Activate the shield now. We don't have a moment to waste."

"Yes, sir." He hit a few buttons on the computer panel. The shield would be up and running in a matter of moments, and he couldn't have done it without Cranston's help. He still didn't know what to think of this man, but he definitely knew a thing or too about force fields and energy signatures. There was no way Clarke could have done it without him. Patting the wheelchair-bound man on the back, he smiled as he watched the shields reach full strength.

The three Tormenta landed just outside the government building, along with their adversary. Ryan had known that the hyper-lift was only intended as a freight elevator, but its emergency evacuation program had sure proved useful.

Getting up and turning around, he watched as the energy shield came up over the base. It looked as if Clarke had been up to a few things while Ryan had been recovering from the failed morph. Wincing, he grabbed his side, remembering that he was not in the best condition as he turned to meet his foes. They had gotten up as well, and were now staring at the shield.

"Looks like you've been locked out," Ryan told them smugly.

"Perhaps," said Azala. "But there is no reason this should be a total loss."

The three Tormenta advanced upon him.

"Billy, I found something interesting while comparing the physical traits of the Star with Ryan's physiological makeup. Look at this." Cestria handed her husband the printout.

"I think I see what you're getting at," he said, then turned to face General McKnight. "The Star appears to have some organic properties. We learned that while studying it on Aquitar. However, Ryan does not seem to have the genetic sequence that would be needed to bond with its power properly. That's why the morph didn't work."

"Well, Cranston. What are we going to do about that?"

"We need to find individuals that have this morphing factor in their DNA. The M-Factor is essential to activating the Militia Morphers."

"I see." McKnight turned to one of his technicians. "Tell everyone to get the genetic scanners up and running at full capacity. We need a complete scan of everyone in Orange Valley to see who has this...M-Factor. Once you find them, send out agents to retrieve them immediately. It's time to find our new Ranger team."

Once again, Ryan's vision came slowly into focus. This was not shaping up to be a good day for him, and it looked like it had just gotten worse. The being standing in front of him would have intimidated even Diabolico.

"You've done well, my minions," the High Prince spoke. His silver mask slid into place. "It looks as though the Mask of Malice has found a wearer sooner than I thought. Mwah hahahah hahahahaaah!"

His laughter echoed throughout the Fortress of Facades, and Ryan's blood ran cold.

To Be Continued...