Disclaimer: I am in no way affilliated 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 4: Access MemoryWritten by Database Ranger
"You fools!" The High Prince's voice reverberated throughout the Fortress of Facades. "You were there! You had the opportunity to capture the Star, and you let it slip through your fingers!" His three servants cowered on the floor, careful not to meet the eyes of their master, which were now blazing red through his golden mask of rage. "And why? Why have all these centuries of lying in wait gone to waste? Because you let an insignificant human get the better of you! A human that these new 'Militia Rangers' defeated without even breaking a sweat!" He slammed the tip of his staff against the tiled floor, sending tremors throughout the entire structure. Taking a deep breath then, he bowed his head down, as his red eyes faded, and his golden mask split down the middle, revealing first his inactive silver mask, and then his calm white mask. As his blue eyes lit up, Trilorin spoke again, his voice now far more diplomatic then it had been mere seconds before.
"However, now is not the time for pointless rage. Now is the time for thought. We need to reevaluate our plans." Walking as he spoke, the Tormenta leader moved towards his throne, which was carved to look like an immense three-headed dragon, identical to the one that headed his staff. The green, black, and violet scales of the throne perfectly matched the scaled body of the High Prince as he sat and addressed his subjects. "Well? Do you have any information for me? Any information at all about these new Power Rangers?"
"I think I may have something, my liege."
"Then speak, Lord Typhus."
"The Yellow Ranger... she seems very close to the Yellow Ranger of the Lightspeed team."
"I hope you don't intend a replicate of our last attack on the Rangers. They will very likely be on their guards now, and I doubt that they will allow another of their own to be taken. Not to mention that even the most powerful of the Lightspeed Rangers posed no challenge to them." The golden mask halves began to twitch.
"Oh no, High Prince, not at all," Typhus spoke quickly to placate his leader. "I suggest more of a recon mission. It is well known that the Yellow Lightspeed Ranger is an athlete of this planet. I think it a very real possibility that this new Yellow Ranger may be a teammate of hers."
"Very observant, Typhus. I am impressed."
"Thank you, my liege. I also observed that she was the only one of the new Rangers referred to by name during the battle. Using this information, we can infiltrate the sports team's headquarters, and look up whatever files they may have on this... Sam. With luck, whatever we find will aid us in better understanding and defeating our enemy."
"Excellent. I want you to get to work on this immediately, Typhus."
"My liege?" spoke Azala, who up until now had been bowing silently between Typhus and Anubalon.
"Yes, Azala? You have something to add?"
"I do, High Prince," the female Tormenta said respectfully. "I humbly request to be the one that retrieves this information. My skills as at infiltration are greater than those of Lord Typhus, and I feel a great need to redeem myself after failing to capture the Star."
Trilorin looked at her for a few moments before responding.
"Very well, then. I leave this task in your hands, Lady Azala. And take the Eyes of Malice with you, to use as you see fit." With that, he dismissed them.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Typhus pulled Azala aside.
"What was that back there?" he asked calmly.
"What was what?" she replied innocently, the smile on her mask seeming more prominent than usual.
"That little display. Trying to gain the favor of the High Prince?"
"Of course not."
"Then why were you so eager to take this assignment? Do you have some sort of fascination with this Ranger?"
"I have my reasons, Typhus. And I trust that you will allow me to handle this on my own." Samantha Harding set her last cardboard box down on her new bed. Looking around her new quarters, she sighed. They had all had to give up their old lives when they accepted the Militia powers. It was simply too dangerous for them to stay independent. One of their enemies could easily take them by surprise if they strayed from the Terrabase, and the city needed the Rangers ready and waiting at all times. And knowing all this didn't make Samantha's sterile new surroundings any more comforting.
She was soon startled by a knock on her door, but that was soon followed by one of the more comforting voices that she had heard since becoming a Ranger.
"May I come in?"
"Sure, Tara," Sam replied, grinning as the door slid open to reveal her new teammate. She had taken an instant liking to the cheerful Orange Ranger, who reminded her very much of her friend Kelsey.
"Need any help unpacking?"
"Sure. Pick a box."
The two girls got to work. After a few minutes of emptying boxes, Tara noticed a picture frame among the seemingly random pile of her new friend's possessions. Turning it over, she saw that it was a picture of Sam and Kelsey, arms around each other's shoulders, holding a trophy high in the air. Both of their faces radiated pride.
"Was this your first win?" Tara asked, gesturing towards the photo. The blonde looked up from the suitcase she had been unloading, a small smile coming over her face as she saw the image.
"No," she answered. "But it sure felt like it. I used to ride back in high school, and after I graduated, it was my plan to turn pro. Unfortunately, things didn't work out the way I planned. I was in a really dark place when I met Kelsey. She got me back to competing, and we've been friends ever since. That trophy was a triumph for both of us. If she hadn't helped me, I don't know where I'd be now."
"Wow." The black girl looked down at the picture, then back up at her friend. "Now I see why you were so eager to help her. It sounds like she really did a lot for you."
"Yeah."
"So what was it that happened before you met Kelsey?"
Samantha was silent then. Turning her head away from Tara, she returned to unpacking her suitcase.
"You know, I think that picture would look best up on that shelf." "Why is it that every man I knock unconscious is a snorer?" Azala asked herself, doing her best to tune out the loud respiratory noises emanating from the security guard on the floor. Typing away quickly on the keyboard in front of her, she scanned through the files on the team's members. It didn't take long to find the file she was looking for.
Last Name: Harding
First Name: Samantha
DOB: 10-28-1982
Sport: Motocross
Status: Inactive
Hitting the print button, Azala took a closer look at the profile picture, then read through the rest of Samantha Harding's file.
"I knew it!" she exclaimed. "It is her. Well, it looks like it's a small world after all. Let's see what I can do to arrange a little reunion." With that, she opened the computer's disk drive and inserted the black eyepiece from the Mask of Malice. Stepping back, Azala looked on as sparks began to spread out and surround the computer. The green light reflected off her pristine white mask as the machine was transformed by the Eyes of Malice. The tower doubled, then tripled in size, and the speakers bonded to its sides. From each speaker, an arm emerged, one reaching for the flat screen monitor, the other reaching for the keyboard. Suddenly, a pair of legs shot out of the bottom of the tower, and the new creature stepped down from the desk. Once the monitor had been placed atop its head and the keyboard upon its newly formed hips, the Tormenta monster was complete.
"I am Computron," it said, as white eyes lit up behind its eyepiece. "Your prompt is my command." "Now that you have all settled in, your official Ranger training can begin," General McKnight spoke aloud to the five young adults standing at attention in front of him. Continuing, he motioned to the neatly folded clothing on the table to his right. "These are your official Ranger jackets. In the upper left pocket are your identification and key cards. Keep these on you at all times. The jackets and cards will allow you to access most of the areas of the Terrabase. Note, retinal scan, thumb print, and voice identification are still required for entry to the base itself, as well as to the more secure areas. Once you finish donning your new uniforms, Mr. Fairweather will introduce you to the new additions to your arsenal. Now that Mrs. Rawlings has left our organization, he will act as head of research and development, and he will be assisted by Mr. and Mrs. Cranston, whose knowledge of the Star and of alien technology has made them essential additions to the Militia project."
Billy blushed a bit at this statement. He had always been somewhat shy when it came to his intelligence, ever since he was a little boy. Looking up at his wife, he saw her gills flare slightly, and smiled. She was shy too. Turning back to the Ranger team, he watched them put on their new jackets from his seat. Although he no longer had need of a wheelchair, Billy still did not yet have the strength to stand for long periods of time, and required the use of a cane to walk. It would still be a few weeks before his injuries from the crash were fully healed.
The Rangers were now all wearing their jackets, cut to look very similar to their Power Ranger suits. The primary difference was the inversions of color, blue becoming the dominant and Ranger color becoming the recessive. Also, instead of their individual emblems, the five wore their M-Badges over their hearts.
"Right over here, Rangers," Clarke said as he ushered them over to a wall on the opposite side of the room. The burly scientist tapped a few buttons on the wall, causing a panel to slide open and reveal a hidden compartment. Five pairs of eyes widened as they saw the contents of the compartment. It was a weapons rack. But these were unlike any weapons they had ever seen before. "These are your Battle Weapons. Besides your M-Daggers and M-Pistols, each of you will now be able to call upon your own personalized weapon, modeled after your Milizord. Kevin, you will wield the Jet Saber," he said, gesturing to the streamlined silver sword with red hilt and a guard shaped to look like wings. "Jack, your weapon is the Tank Staff." The long green staff was modeled after the barrel of a tank at either end. "Tara, you shall receive the V-2 Launcher." He motioned to the missile launcher with the orange tip and grip. "Samantha, these are your Hummer Shields." The twin circular shields were marked with concentric circles of yellow, white, blue, and black. "And the Helicopter Boomerang Blades are Pablo's." At the bottom of the weapons rack were two small, curved, black swords.
"When combined, the Battle Weapons form the Battle Cannon, which is capable of firing an energy beam more powerful than all five Militia Blasters put together," Clarke finished, just as alarms began to go off in the background.
"Here's your opportunity to test your new arsenal," Billy told them with a half smile. "Better get to the Terra Cruiser."
"I'll brief you all on your way there," General McKnight confirmed.
"Good luck, Rangers," said Cestria. Moments later, the Militia Rangers were on a whirlwind ride through the Terra Cruiser exit tunnel. A holographic image of General McKnight was now lining the inside of the window panels.
"The Tormenta have sent out a new monster and backed it up with about a score of Necrons," he said, as images of the battle scene appeared around them. "From the information we've gathered, I think it is safe to say that the Mask of Malice has been used again. Apparently, it works on inanimate objects as well as humans. We believe this monster to have been created from a computer. As of yet, we have no idea of its capabilities, so be careful." With that, the images disappeared. Jack snorted.
"How bad could a computer monster possibly be?"
"Well, it could infect every computer in the world with a virus that could completely disrupt every time-based device on earth, resulting in total chaos."
Every other head in the Cruiser swiveled around to stare at Pablo.
"What? Didn't anybody else watch Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad as a kid?"
The collective groan answered his question.
"Let's just keep our mind on the task at hand," Kevin said sternly. "We're almost there." Computron and its Necron soldiers stopped short when they heard the skidding of tires behind them. The spun around just in time to leap out of the way of the speeding Terra Cruiser, which quickly came to a halt. The Tormenta creations had been on their way to the plaza to terrorize the citizens of Orange Valley, but the Terrabase's sensors had picked up on them before they managed to do any damage.
"Who dares try to delete the mighty Computron?" demanded the digital destroyer as the five humans climbed out of their vehicle.
"We dare!" Samantha yelled out.
"Prepare to be rebooted out of here!" Tara cried, backing her up.
"Let's do it, guys!" Kevin shouted as they all reached for the M-Badges on their jackets.
"Armed and Dangerous," was their united call, as they tore off the M-Badges, took out their Milidisks and slid them into their Militia Morphers. Thrusting their right arms out in front of them, each was quickly surrounded by a sphere of colored light. Inside the spheres, each Ranger underwent their transformation, M-Badges becoming balls of energy that traveled up their arms and down their legs, morphing the right side of their bodies, then merging with the sphere of light and drawing all its power into them. When the spheres had dispersed, Kevin had become the Red Militia Ranger, Jack had become the Green Militia Ranger, Tara had become the Orange Militia Ranger, Samantha had become the Yellow Militia Ranger, and Pablo had become the Black Militia Ranger. Each falling into their individual battle stances, they announced themselves to their enemies.
"Power Rangers Militia!"
Breaking form, the Rangers dove into battle. Wielding their M-Daggers, they spread out and did their best to take down the Necrons surrounding Computron. Kevin managed to knock out two, one with a powerful side kick and another with a slash across the chest. However, a third managed to catch him off guard, delivering a swift upward slash with its Spinal Scimitar. The blow to the chest sent flying backwards, sparks shooting out from where the weapon had hit his suit. Although the attack had knocked the wind out of him, the Red Ranger was quickly back on his feet.
"I'd say this is a good time to test those new weapons," he said, sheathing his dagger. "Jet Saber!" As he yelled the command into his Militia Morpher, a beam of red light shot out, solidifying into a sword in his hand. As the Necron came at him again, he parried the Spinal Saber away and returned with a swift upward slash identical to the one that had been dealt to him. The only difference was that the Necron did not recover from his attack. "One good turn deserves another," the Red Ranger smirked, moving on to his next opponent.
"Tank Staff!"
Not to be outdone, the Green Ranger summoned his weapon, using it to sweep two Necrons right off their feet, then slamming the end of it right into the abdomen of another, before vaulting over its head and kicking the creature hard in the back.
"V-2 Launcher!"
The Orange Ranger's weapon materialized in her right hand. Bracing it against her shoulder and steadying it with her left hand, she charged up her weapon, setting the orange tip whirling. As two Necrons charged her, she ducked down and fired off two bolts of electricity that sent her enemies to the ground, stunned and twitching.
"Hummer Shields!"
In twin swirls of lights, the shields appeared on the Yellow Ranger's crossed forearms. Swinging back her arms, she smashed the faces of two Necrons trying to ambush her, then swung her arms again to bash them in their stomachs, causing them to double over. She finished them off by slamming the shield edges down hard on the backs of their necks, knocking them flat on their skeletal faces.
"Helicopter Boomerang Blades!"
The Black Ranger caught the beam of light from his Militia Morpher with both hands, ripping it in two to form his twin swords. Parrying a Spinal Scimitar attack from either side, he then spun around, sparks flying everywhere as he slashed his attackers across their bellies.
Samantha had discovered that the edges of her Hummer Shields were almost as effective as her M-Dagger when it came to slashing Necrons, and they definitely added power to her punch. She had just sent another one of her foes sprawling when she was suddenly grabbed from behind. Looking to her left and right, Sam saw that two Necrons were holding her by her arms, rendering her incapable of using her shields. But while she was struggling to get free, she suddenly found herself reeling from a sharp kick to the chest. Gasping for breath, she looked up to see Computron towering over her. The monster picked her up by the shoulder, only to send her reeling once again with a nasty backhand.
"If you wanted something, all you had to do was ask," Sam managed to get the words out as she got back up to her feet.
"All I wanted was your attention, Yellow Ranger," replied Computron's high monotone voice. "Take a look at this!" Suddenly the screen atop its head flickered to life. As it did, Sam's eyes opened wide behind her visor.
"No," she said, stumbling backwards. "Not her. Anyone but her." Her voice sounded on the verge of hysteria as she tripped and fell back, scrambling to get away from the image on the screen. The image was a raven-haired woman with midnight black lipstick and perfect pale skin. She was stunning and beautiful, but her eyes were like dark embers, burning into Sam's soul with a fire that seemed colder than ice. Shivers ran down her spine. She was paralyzed by fear.
Taking advantage of its opponent's petrified state, the monster took out a coiled whip from behind its back that ended in a computer mouse.
"Mouse Whip!" it cried out, flinging the weapon outward so that it coiled around the Yellow Ranger. Sam struggled weakly, but her eyes were still locked with those of the raven-haired woman on Computron's monitor. The creature let out an evil mechanical laugh as it slowly pulled the Ranger closer and closer.
"Hold it right there!"
"What do you think you're doing?"
Tara and Pablo had seen what was happening to Sam and had managed to pull themselves away from the battle with the Necrons. Each now held their Battle Weapons ready, prepared to defend their teammate. But before the Orange Ranger could fire a shot or the Black Ranger throw a blade, they were each seized from behind by two pairs of Necrons.
"I'm going to show your friend here a whole new world!" Computron told them, as it held its Mouse Whip with one hand and typed away at its keyboard with the other. In a matter of moments, the flat screen monitor atop its head detached itself and landed on the ground. White bolts of electricity crackled all around the monitor as it grew into a full-sized doorway, the image of the raven-haired woman now replaced by a whirling vortex of numeric code. Picking up the now unconscious Yellow Ranger in its arms, the monster stepped boldly through the portal, ignoring the protests of the Black and Orange Rangers. By the time they had managed to break free from the grasps of the Necrons, Computron and the portal were both gone.
And so was Samantha. "What do you mean gone?" demanded General McKnight. After Sam had been captured, the Necrons had retreated, and the returning Rangers now had to explain why it was that only four of them had come back in the Terra Cruiser.
"That's exactly what happened, sir," Pablo continued. "The monster carried her into the portal, and then they were just gone."
"I'm sorry, sir. We let you down, we let the team down, and we let Sam down," Tara replied. The former Lightspeed officer did her best to keep the emotion out of her voice. Although they had only known each other for a short time, she already considered the Yellow Ranger a friend, and it always hurt to lose a friend.
"Well, I guess it's not your fault," McKnight told her with a sigh. "What we have to do now is figure out a way to fix this. Clarke?"
"Sorry, sir. I'll do my best, but I don't have any experience in this area."
"I do."
They all turned their heads as Billy and Cestria walked into the room, the weak genius leaning on both his wife and his cane for support.
"I heard what happened and came as soon as I could," he explained. "From the looks of things, it seems like Computron has taken Samantha into his own pocket dimension."
"And how did you come to that conclusion?" McKnight answered.
"Like I said, I have experience in this area. However, I am going to need help tracing the energy signature, and a thorough description of the type of portal."
"I'll help, Mr. Cranston," Pablo volunteered. This came as a surprise to most of those present, as few had heard more than a dozen words from the quiet Black Ranger. "I've been studying monsters most of my life, and that includes portals and pocket dimensions. I also got a pretty good look at the doorway before Computron carried her away."
"Very well," Billy said, smiling. "General McKnight?"
"You have my full support Cranston. Get to work."
"Thank you, sir. Clarke? Pablo? Let's find us a Yellow Ranger." Samantha's eyelids fluttered open as she regained consciousness. Looking around, she saw that her vision was no longer darkened by the visor of her helmet. She must have de-morphed sometime after losing consciousness. Her memory was still a little hazy. She had been fighting the Necrons, and then Computron attacked her...
Her eyes opened wide as she remembered the raven-haired woman.
She tried to shake her head to clear her mind of the image that had haunted her for so long, but found that she couldn't. Something was holding her down. She tried to struggle, but found that she couldn't move an inch. As best she could, Sam tried to survey her environment. She was surrounded by panels of bluish-green light that floated in midair. She couldn't tell where they ended because they overlapped each other so many times that not one bit of sky or wall was visible. This place looked like no other place on Earth, and she began to wonder if she was even still on the same planet.
"Enjoy your rest, Yellow Ranger?" Computron asked her as it appeared from behind one of the panels. Despite having a disk drive for a mouth, the monster still appeared to be wearing a very self satisfied grin.
"What is it you want with me, cyber breath?" Sam demanded, doing her best to look the creature in the eyes, which was very hard from her lying down position. Her answer came in the form of a laugh that sounded like a squeaky printer.
"I'm going to drain your memory, Ranger. Even as we speak, the computer cables that bind you are interfacing with your neurological structure. It's only a matter of time before they've fully bonded with your brain, and then we will know everything that you know. The Star, the Rangers, everything!" Computron's mechanical laugh resumed, echoing throughout its virtual dimension, while Azala stayed hidden in the distance, watching and waiting. "I think I found something, Mr. Cranston!"
"What is it, Pablo?" Billy looked up from the table where he and Clarke had been hard at work on the dimensional gateway device. It had been years since he last had to build one, but the knowledge was still there, and with Clarke's help, they would be done in just a few more minutes.
"I think I managed to determine the frequency of the portal. Sam's Morpher is still giving off a strong energy signal, and it confirms that this is what we've been looking for." The Black Ranger had done a good job organizing the search for Sam. Considering Computron's origins, they had managed to determine the pocket dimension sub-group, and by knowing the monster's exit point, he had helped narrow down the search significantly.
"Good work," Billy told him, moving as quickly as he could to the computer console Pablo was sitting at. "Now we'll be able to make the proper adjustments to the gateway."
"And then we get Sam out of there?"
"That's right," the older man told him. He started to head back to the worktable, then paused. "And one more thing, Pablo."
"Yes, Mr. Cranston?"
"Call me Billy," he said with a grin. Pablo nodded in understanding, smiling as he turned back to his work. "How much longer?"
"Just a little more time, my lady," Computron told Azala with a formal bow. "The interface is nearly complete, and after that, it will simply be a manner of removing the information from her brain. It will be as easy as extracting files from a folder."
"Very good," said a pleased Azala. Although the smile on her mask was an inalterable one, the Tormenta Lady seemed to be bursting with excitement. Soon the secrets of the Power Rangers would belong to her, along with Samantha's mind, body, and soul. "Good work guys," he told them over the comlink. Billy was in no condition to leave the Terrabase, so he was supervising the setup of the dimensional gateway device via the headquarters' advanced communications network. The Rangers had morphed and taken the gateway to the battle scene in the Terra Cruiser, and were now almost done positioning the twin blue towers. "Now step back. I'm going to initiate the energy transfer into the terminals. This will create a temporary dimensional rift, reformatting the space between the gateway towers to match the frequency of Computron's virtual pocket dimension. After that, you will have approximately five minutes to establish Samantha's position, disengage her from all entrapments, and demolish Computron's dimensional generator, thus reverting the molecular vibration of your environment to a more terrestrial frequency pattern. Any questions?"
All four Rangers were silent. It was Jack who finally found the words that they were all struggling to express.
"Say what?"
Cestria's musical laugh filled her husband's ears as she came up behind him.
"He said that he's opening up the gateway, which means you have five minutes to find Sam, rescue her, and defeat Computron, which will return you back to Earth."
"I knew there was a reason I married you," Billy said to his wife jokingly as he activated the gateway. The Rangers stepped back as the air between the two seven-foot towers began to shimmer and change, white bolts of light crackling. Suddenly, there was a bright flash as the bolts all met. When the light cleared, the vortex was there; the same swirling blue mass of numerical code that they had seen their teammate carried through just over two hours ago.
Looking to her left and right, the Orange Ranger took a tentative step forward, reaching her gloved hand towards the portal. She hesitated a moment, then took one step more, walking straight into gateway and vanishing in a swirl of orange light. The others looked at each other, then followed. If Tara was brave enough to save a friend, then so were they.
The three men found themselves is a world on bluish green, strange panels floating in midair all around them. Tara was right in front of them, peeking around the edge of one of the panels at something. Looking back over her shoulder at the guys, the Orange Ranger put her finger up to her mouthpiece to indicate science, then motioned for them to join her behind the panel. They did, and together looked out around the edge to the other side.
There lay Sam, lying down on a horizontal panel, wires surrounding her entire body. Only her face could still be seen, and she looked scared. Computron and Azala stood just a little farther off, watching her, waiting for something.
"So," Jack whispered. "What do we do?"
"Create a diversion," Kevin told him. "We draw them away from Samantha, so that one of us can cut her loose."
"I'll do it," Tara volunteered. "If you guys can get their attention, I'll cut her loose."
"Good," agreed Kevin. "Once you get her free, meet back up with us. Then we'll see what these new Battle Weapons can really do."
The four Rangers nodded in agreement. Tara held her position, while the guys moved over behind the two Tormenta, using the panels for cover. The three of them drew their M-Daggers, then their M-Pistols, combining the two weapons so that they were each armed with a powerful Militia Blaster. Kevin nodded, and all three aimed at Computron and fired. Only to have their blasts launched right back at them.
"Nice try, Rangers," Azala said smugly as she turned around. "Did you really think an ambush would save your friend?"
"It was worth a shot," Jack replied with a shrug.
"Fools," Computron said with scorn as it dismissed the panel it had summoned to deflect the blasts. "This is my world. I control what happens here, and I will not be so easily defeated!" As the monster typed away furiously at its keyboard, the panels shifted. The three Rangers stepped back slowly as the entire world seemed to turn against them. Suddenly panels were flying everywhere.
"Whoa, close one!" Kevin exclaimed, as one of the panels just barely missed slicing off his arm.
"You're telling me!" shouted Jack as he flipped over another.
Pablo said nothing. He just stood there while the panels whizzed by him. Azala looked at him quizzically.
"Why are you so confident, Black Ranger?" she asked.
"Because I know something you don't know."
"Oh, really? And what might that be?"
"I know what's behind you."
A sudden explosion sent Azala and Computron flying away from each other, causing the panels to halt. There, right behind where the two Tormenta had just been standing, was Tara, holding a recently fired V-2 Launcher, with Samantha standing right behind her. The look of fear was gone from her face.
"No one messes with my brain, Computron," she told the monster, which was still recovering from the Orange Ranger's point blank attack. Sam tore her M-Badge from her jacket, removing the Milidisk and sliding it into her Militia Morpher. "Armed and Dangerous!"
As the sphere of light surrounded her, Samantha felt the M-Badge travel up her arm, covering her with white and blue. The entire right side of her body was morphed blue before the M-Badge energy left her and merged with the sphere, turning it yellow. She braced herself as its power rushed into her, filling her with strength, until she had taken it all, and become the Yellow Militia Power Ranger.
By the time Azala and her monster had gotten back on their feet, the five Militia Rangers stood united, each holding their own Battle Weapon.
"Jet Saber!" shouted Kevin, as his weapon's blade split in two, forming right angles to the grip.
"Tank Staff!" shouted Jack, as he locked his weapon between the split blades, combining to form a weapon very much like a bazooka.
"Helicopter Boomerang Blades!" shouted Pablo, as he bent the grips on his weapons and held them so that the curved blades formed a circle.
"Hummer Shields!" shouted Samantha, as she locked her weapons on either side of the circle, forming a disk with two sword grips sticking out.
"V-2 Launcher!" shouted Tara, as she rotated the grip on her weapon, so that it was on the side opposite the arm brace. She then locked the arm brace of the V2 Launcher around the front end of the bazooka, while Sam and Pablo locked the disk onto the bottom of the brace.
"Battle Cannon!"
The weapon was now complete. The Red Ranger braced the entire thing on his arm like a bazooka, while the Black and Yellow Rangers crouched down to hold the grips on either side of the disk. The Orange Ranger held the top grip, and the Green Ranger held onto the main body of the Cannon, supporting the Red Ranger.
"Ready!"
The disk began to whirl, gathering up energy, as did the tip of the V2 Launcher, which was now pointed away from the monster. The twin barrels of the Battle Cannon were what were pointing at the Computron now, and the creature didn't look the least bit comfortable. Before he could back out of the way, the Power Rangers issued their final command.
"Fire!"
Two huge blasts of energy flew forth from the Battle Cannon, nearly knocking the Rangers down with the incredible force of the kickback. All five could feel the power flowing out of their bodies and into the attack, which hit Computron with full force, shattering its monitor and sending the monster flying as it was engulfed in a white fiery explosion.
It never stood a chance. As the Power Rangers disassembled the Battle Cannon, Computron's virtual dimension slowly dissipated, the panels of light fading away to nothing, until they once again stood on the outskirts of Orange Plaza.
"I see that you've returned, Azala," spoke a voice from behind the Rangers. Spinning around, they saw Typhus relaxing a bench, legs crossed and arms behind his head. "I was wondering how long it would be before you let these Power Rangers get the better of you."
"Did you just come here to gloat, Typhus?" Azala asked sarcastically, dusting off her purple gown as she did so.
"No, I've come to clean up your mess. Necrons?" At his command, a score of the skeletal soldiers appeared out of thin air in front of their Tormenta master. Getting up from his seat, Typhus strode confidently into the center of the group. "It's time to restart the system."
It was then that he began to bellow, the myriad faces on his skin opened their mouths wide, each one breathing forth a yellow cloud of light, crackling with electric energy. The clouds moved faster and faster, merging into an orb of energy that expanded outward, encompassing not only Typhus, but the entire group of Necrons. The Rangers shielded their eyes as the light grew brighter, until they could only see silhouettes of the figures within. Suddenly, the Necron silhouettes burst apart, crumbling away to sand. The sands and clouds mingled, flowing right back into their source, filling Typhus with soul fire. Gathering all the souls into his left hand, he released them in a beam of light directed straight at Computron. The monster, which had been lying prone up till now, arched its back at the sudden influx of power, and was lifted high into the air. There, its wounds healed themselves, its energy was restored, and its size multiplied a hundred times over, until it towered high above the Rangers.
"Guess who's back online!" laughed the massive maniacal monstrosity. The Rangers had to dive away to avoid being crushed alive as Computron's foot came down hard.
"Let's move, guys!" Kevin commanded the team, as they rushed back to the Terra Cruiser. Each Ranger took their seat and placed their M-Badge in their console, sending the sleek vehicle in motion towards the harbor.
"Summoning Fortriton," they said in unison, as the immense Carrierzord rose up from the sea. The Cruiser launched off the pier, and soon the Rangers had each taken their places in their respective Milizord.
"Milizord 1, online!" said Kevin, as his jet flew up out of the starboard deck.
"Milizord 2, online!" said Jack, as his tank launched out of the starboard hull.
"Milizord 3, online!" said Tara, as her V-2 Halftrack rolled out from the bow.
"Milizord 4, online!" said Samantha, as her Humvee sped out of the port hull.
"Milizord 5, online!" said Pablo, as his helicopter lifted up out of the port deck.
Computron met the Zords head on. Summoning its Mouse Whip, the monster attacked Milizord 4 first. As the weapon made contact with the Yellow Ranger's Zord, she felt a jolt rip through her cockpit. The monster was firing electricity straight through the whip and into her Zord. Sam struggled to remain in control as the powerful voltage threatened to fry her systems. She was on the verge of losing consciousness for the second time that day when the waves of electricity suddenly stopped. She looked up, and saw that Milizord 5 had sliced the Mouse Whip with its razor sharp rotors.
"Thanks, Pablo," Sam breathed a sigh of relief through the comlink.
"You alright?"
"I'm better than alright," she told the Black Ranger. "I've got an idea. Tara, could you get Milizord 3 back down to the harbor?"
"Sure thing."
"Great. Everybody else, let's move in on Computron. We're going to short-circuit this thing!"
Milizords 1 and 5 led the charge. With their high maneuverability, they were able to strike at Computron from every possible angle. The monster did its best to strike back, but its flailing arms couldn't touch the airborne Zords. Its only chance for relief was to stumble backwards, away from the bombardment of laser fire. During a brief break in the aerial assault, Computron paused to charge up its shoulder mounted speakers and release two powerful beams of sonic energy.
"I'm hit!" Kevin shouted out. The beams had missed Milizord 5 entirely, but had managed to clip one of the wings of Milizord 1. The Red Ranger struggled for control as his Zord spiraled madly through the air. His breathing grew labored, his body shook all over. "No, not again. I've got to pull out of this. Come on, soldier. Fight it!"
Pulling hard on the control stick, he managed to pull out of the spiral and level off, letting out a huge sigh of relief.
"Kevin, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Sam," he breathlessly replied. "Now you guys better move. From what I can see, the target is now in position."
"Right! Jack, you ready?"
"Ready, Sam. Let's do this!"
Milizord 2 charged its gun barrel, while Milizord 4 charged its front grill, as they both closed in on the monster. Each unleashing a powerful energy beam, they sent Computron reeling backwards, tripping over a well placed Milizord 3 and falling into the harbor. The water bubbled and churned as the electronic creature was racked by spasms, sparks and bolts of electricity flying everywhere as its circuits were fried.
"This system is going down!" exclaimed Tara. "Activating power siphon!"
All five Milizords lined up along the piers, Milizord 1 glowing red, Milizord 2 glowing green, Milizord 3 glowing orange, Milizord 4 glowing yellow, and Milizord 5 glowing black. As Milizord 3 aimed its missile all towards the sky, the energy of all five flowed straight into it.
"Militia Missile!"
At the command of all five Power Rangers, Milizord 3's missile fired straight up into the sky, coming down on a very surprised Computron.
"NOOOOO!!!" the creature screeched as it was caught in the missile's tremendous blast. The Rangers cheered as the monster was vanquished, and the Eyes of Malice returned to its place in the Fortress of Facades. Samantha had been alone in her room since their return to the Militia Terrabase. She was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, when a knock came to her door.
"Come in."
The door slid open to reveal Tara.
"You alright?" she asked.
"Yeah," Sam sighed, sitting up in her bed. "I'll be okay. Say, thanks for what you did back there in Computron's virtual dimension. You really saved me."
"It was nothing," Tara said, shrugging it off as she sat down on the bed. "If you really want to thank someone, thank Pablo. If it wasn't for him, we might never have found you in time."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Billy even said that if it wasn't for his help, it would have taken at least another hour or two, and by then it might have been too late."
"Wow." Samantha gathered her knees up to chin, remembering how the quiet Black Ranger had saved her in the battle against the giant Computron. It was amazingly how quickly he had come to her aid, when they had barely known each other more than a few days. She smiled. "I'll have to thank him."
Tara smiled back, glad to know that her friend was alright. The smile faded, though, as she searched for the right words to say what was now on her mind.
"Sam?"
"Yeah?"
"I have a question for you."
"Shoot."
"That woman, the one on Computron's monitor. Who was she?"
The smile dropped from the blonde girl's face. Tara had a feeling that this was a painful subject, but she felt that she had to ask. Samantha was silent for a moment, wrinkles forming on her forehead. When she found her voice, it was strained.
"I don't know, Tara," she said, as the image of the raven-haired woman with the eyes of fiery ice burned through her memory. She could feel the paralysis taking over her again, and only barely sense her friend's arms surrounding her in a comforting hug. Her eyes began to water. "I honestly don't know."
Until Next Time...