Chapter Three
By: Jeanka
One month prior to present
The committee members jumped as a medal fist slammed down on the table. "Do any of you have any idea how much your insolence cost me?" a harsh man in a cloak declared.
Without giving them a chance to answer, Admiral Veltex continued. "You let the Phantom Ranger escape!"
The members glanced at one another nervously. "My lord," one began, but immediately became silent as the Admiral raised his fist to strike at him.
"Now, I will give you one more chance. But if you fail, I will find you all useless and dispose of you accordingly," he decreed. Then, Admiral Veltex backed up and began to circle the table as he spoke. "The Phantom Ranger is not working alone. You will capture his companion. Or else."
He stopped in front of the door. Without saying anything else, he left the room. The committee members began discussing their options until they were tired. They departed until there were only two still there.
"I would think he would be shot if they could find him," the lady said as she stood.
"And it the companion is a woman?" asked the man.
The lady smiled and ran her fingers through her long blond hair. It had streaks of blue, red, purple, and brown running down it. The man stood and moved closer to her. "You would be so lucky, Zarkin," she scoffed.
"Oh no, Allyssa. She would be if I were to find her," he said with a smile.
Allyssa was the first one out of the room. "Your pride will be your downfall," she stated as Zarkin caught with her.
He gave her a cocky grin and jumped in front of her to open the Lift. Stepping aside as it opened, he said, "After you."
Allyssa shook her head as she stepped past him and entered the Lift. He came in and flicked his wrist. The doors sealed as a device appeared around his wrist. Zarkin pushed in a code into the remote device and the roof vanished.
Allyssa smiled and pulled herself through the hole and disappeared into the darkness. Zarkin followed and grabbed a mental bar in the track as the Lift began to descend. He quickly reactivated the holographic roof and climbed into the crawl space to follow his wife.
"Did you put the holographic roof back?" Allyssa asked sliding out of the tunnel into a small apartment they had created in between floors.
"Of course," he said, climbing out and flicking his wrist to have the device disappear.
"We're going to have to be more careful," she said walking up to their Synthetron as Zarkin sat on a chair at their table.
"We've only been married for a week and you're already telling me what to do," exclaimed Zarkin.
"Do you want to get caught?" asked Allyssa as she ordered her food.
"And get shot?" he asked. She sat across from him. "I'm not the only one who should be careful."
Allyssa frowned and said, "We've underestimated him again. Let's just send our report and got out of here."
Zarkin took her hand. "Darling, the triumvate asked us to do this."
"Lesary and Rance had nothing to do with sending us," Allyssa shot back. "It was all Andros."
A beeping stopped Zarkin from replying. He hissed as he stood and activated an encrypted communication channel while he morphed.
"Phantom," acknowledged Lesary.
Behind his helmet, he smiled. His identity was still a secret to almost everyone. "How can I help you?" he asked.
"We want to make a recommendation to Andros to attack Admiral Veltex," said Lesary. "Or at least, to take him out. However, Andros won't even listen to us until he believes there is enough of a threat. Can you get the information we need?"
Zarkin didn't bother looking at Allyssa before answering. At that point, he didn't care if she would be mad with him or not. "I'll get it," he promised.
Lesary smiled at him, but her voice hinted concern. "We'll be waiting for you report."
The Phantom Ranger nodded and Lesary closed the channel. "How long do you expect this to take?" asked Allyssa.
Zarkin demorphed and turned to her. "Are you kidding? We have enough information now to convince any delegate in the Galactic Council," he said.
"That may be true, but Andros won't agree to an attack without real proof of a threat. We don't have anything that would persuade him," Allyssa declared.
"Then we'll get some," stated Zarkin.
Two weeks before present
"You'd better have a superior explanation than these sorry excuses for life forms," declared Admiral Veltex as he regarded Allyssa.
"My lord, we've tapped every communication channel and security system on your ship, but they keep slipping past us. And now I believe I know why," she said quickly.
The Admiral breathed deeply to keep himself under control. "What have you discovered?"
"They must be using the Alliance's most advanced military AI and Zarkin and I have a way to shut it's connection down," she said.
Admiral Veltex looked at her coolly. "How will this capture the Phantom Ranger?" he demanded.
"Simple," Zarkin said stepping forward. Veltex snapped his attention to the young man and motioned for him to continue. "We lure him into an impossible trap and jam the AI so his companion can't communicate with him. Then, you'll have the Phantom Ranger for whatever evil propose you see fit."
For the first time in weeks, Admiral Veltex smiled. "You have done well. Go carry out your plan."
"My lord," a servant said running up to them. "The invasion plans for Pernap."
"Ah, excellent," hissed Veltx.
Allyssa met Zarkin's eyes and he grinned. That was it. Admiral Veltex was planning on attacking a protected Alliance world. Andros would have to see this as a threat and take the Admiral out.
The couple waited until they were dismissed before returning to their secret lair. "See, I told you it wouldn't take long," said Zarkin.
"One problem," expressed Allyssa. "The Phantom Ranger. What are we going to do about him? If we just leave, Veltex will suspect foul play."
Zarkin began to pace as Allyssa sat in a chair. "I will contact Lesary and tell her what we found out, and then you get out of here. I will join you when the extraction team gets here."
Alyssa nodded. As much as she didn't want to leave him, he was in a much better position to keep himself safe. He was the Phantom Ranger after all.
"Give me another week," said Allyssa. "Then I'll disappear."
Zarkin agreed.
11 days later (3 days before present)
"So, you're the Phantom Ranger," scoffed Admiral Veltex. The Phantom Ranger was hanging on a wall with steel shackles around his wrists and ankles. Veltex walked around him as the only four living members of the committee watched. Allyssa was careful not to show ant emotion.
"Let the universe know that I, Admiral Veltex, have captured the most elusive Power Ranger in existence," he exclaimed with unparalleled confidence.
"My lord," said Allyssa softly.
Veltex spun around and walked up to her. "What is it?" he demanded.
"If the Rangers learned you have captured him, wouldn't they attempt to rescue him before you take Pernap?" she questioned.
Admiral Veltex smiled. "You are right. I'll wait to kill him until we take the planet, then destroy him on the surface in front of the entire alliance. Good thinking." He turned back to the Ranger. "Your time is up, Phantom Ranger." He spit the name before leaving. Three of the members followed him.
"What have you done?" asked Allyssa as the door closed.
The Phantom Ranger's helmet turned to look at her. "Get help."
Present day
She had left the Evil creature's vessel with some stupid explanation about needing a vacation. As soon as she got out of the sector, she discovered one of his scouts tracking her. Setting down on an Alliance world, she was able to lose him and leave the planet. Just as she located the Astro Megaship and Andros, the Scout had found her and attacked her. Without much choice, she opened a channel to the Megaship. When Andros's face appeared, she begged him. "Andros, help me!"
TBC