Part 1
Aron stood atop the Power Chamber on and stared into the desert. The Keldehan had been feeling depressed, as though he had failed in his mission. He had traveled across countless stars to find Princess Jayna only to discover that she had been corrupted by evil and was now a willing servant of the very invaders that had attacked her homeworld and conquered much of the galaxy. Sure Aron had seen things that no one else from his planet could hope to see, sure he was now standing on the soil of another world alongside a team of the most powerful defenders of peace that the universe has ever known. It didn't matter at all to him because he had failed.
To make matters worse he knew that the people that could save her were just a few feet below him in the Power Chamber, but he wouldn't dare tell them about his mission. He could wasn't sure but thought he had a good idea of how they would react if they were to find out that an alien was living among them, using the Power that was inherited by them for his own selfish reasons. Sure they had all become his friends and to some degree family, but he just couldn't take the chance that they would take his Power Coin away and finish him off like they did all of the monsters that they were forced to battle.
Among them only one person know that he wasn't really human and he had sworn her to secrecy. Tara had kept his secret well and he knew that she would even though she continually urged him to tell them who he was. At one time he had even considered doing so and asking for their help. But then the Blue Ranger had reaffirmed his worries and made him falter. He knew that sooner or later the time would come where the Rangers would confront Jayna and that he would have to make a choice. What bothered him is that he didn't know what his choice would be. Aron loved the Princess with all of his heart, but at the same time he knew that she was sitting on the side of evil.
'How could you do it?' he thought to Jayna. 'You're mother sent you to Earth to get help and you end up joining forces with the very creatures that have enslaved your people.'
Aron pulled out the Power Coin that had become a part of him. His eyes traced the shape of the strange animal that had somehow become his symbol. There we no creatures like this on his homeworld yet he was being represented by one. He didn't mind however as he quickly learned that they bull represented two things. The first of which was stubborness which he had in spades and proved each time he renewed the vow that he would return the Princess to who she really was. It was the second meaning that bothered him. Aron wasn't so sure about his strength. What if he couldn't bring her back. Would he have the strength to punish her like he did so many of the monsters that the Rangers had to battle? What if it came down to a choice between her and the Rangers? Would he be able to forsake the woman that he loved in order to save the galaxies only hope of freedom? A question that he hoped he would never have to answer.
The young man had become so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed someone was standing next to him.
"Aron can I talk to you for a second?" came the voice.
The Red Ranger jumped a little bit from the surprise and then looked down to see Tara standing next to him. Here was the only person that knew he wasn't human. He really liked Tara. Sure she could be immature sometimes, especially when it came to her relationship with Ashlyn, The Yellow Ranger, but she had been a good friend to him and provided something that he desperately needed. Someone to talk to. "Sure Tara what's going on?
"The others are leaving now so I figured you'd like to talk." the girl said happily.
"Thank you. I really need a friend right now." Aron said.
Tara moved closer to him and put her arms around his waist, giving him a light hug. "No problem."
Aron moved back a little and looked at her for a moment.
"So how are you feeling?" Tara asked.
"Miserable. I don't know what I'm going to do." he answered.
"About what. I mean there's nothing we can do but fight off the Vandairre." Tara returned.
"Not about that. I meant about Jayna." Aron said.
"Oh" Tara sighed "The princess."
"I can't believe that she's working for Nicandros." Aron said angrily. "I mean what could she be thinking. Jaynas' always been smarter than that."
"Maybe it's some kind of spell." Tara said, trying to offer her alien friend some hope.
"What do you mean spell?" Aron questioned.
"Well I've been talking to Alpha and Kimberly. They've been telling me a few things. Might call it a crash course... Power Rangers 101. It appears that they bad guys like to place spells on people to mak them evil. That's how Jasons dad became a Ranger in the first place."
Arons attention became totally focused on Tara as she explained how several of the past villains would cast spells to make people evil.
Tommy peeked around the corner and could see that Audra and Laran were in position but Jerrin was nowhere to be seen. 'I hope he doesn't screw this up.' The former leader of the Power Rangers said. Jerrin and Tommy hadn't gotten to well since they met and it always seemed that the teen was trying to undermine him. He wasn't even so sure that he wanted to ask for Jerrins help with this but Audra had convinced him that Jerrin would do it and would do a really good job at that.
The time was starting to get closer and Tommy didn't feel any easier and was just about to abort the entire thing when he saw Jerrin enter the room and get into position. Audra shot the late comer an irritated glance and then went about what she was doing.
Laran walked over to Jerrin "What happened to you?" she whispered in his ear.
"Sorry that thing was a lot bigger than I thought it would be. I had to make room for it." Jerrin apologized.
Tommy smile to himself as he realized that they might actually pull this thing off. He turned and moved back around the corner to find Kat. 'Now all I have to do is make sure that she doesn't kill me for leaving her out of this.' he thought.
"What is that thing?" Laran asked.
"It's the communicator that we got from that raid on the Vandairre Base." Jerrin answered. "We might be able to use it to reach Earth and get help from the Power Rangers."
"If I can get it working again. I told you to be careful with it." Audra said as finished disconnecting the power supply from its panel. "Are you guys ready."
"As ready as we'll ever be." Laran said. "The base is lost. Good thing that Tommy had Kat get the Queen out of here before the main attack for arrived.
The building shook under the force of another explosion.
Tommy ran back into the room with Kat in tow. "I don't think that we can get out that way." he said.
"What's going on out there?" Jerrin asked. "I thought you were supposed to be taking the Queen out of here."
"I did and you're lucky I came back for you otherwise you would have walked right into a trap."
"Yeah they've go the place surrounded. Kat left the hovercar just outside of this building." Tommy said.
Then what are we waiting for?" Audra asked. "I suggest that we get out of here."
Everyone nodded in agreement and started towards the door. Just as she was about to pass Tommy he grabbed Audras arm. "How is our little secret?" he whispered into her ear.
"We'll see how it goes when we get out of here." she said as she smiled up at him. The two moved off to follow the others out of the their compromised base.
"So you're serious then?" Aron asked excitedly.
"Yeah, I'm sure Alpha can tell us more about it." Tara responded.
"Then what are we waiting for?" the enthusiastic Red Ranger blurted as he grabbed Taras hand and started pulling her behind him.
Aron hadn't had much hope since arriving on Earth and had even less since meeting up with Jayna a few months ago.
It was almost is if fate were conspiring against him to have any form of hope because just at they walked in there was a beep from the communications console.
"This is the Power Chamber." Alpha replied.
"Look Alpha this is important and I have to make it quick. Can you teleport me to the Power Chamber immediately?" came a voice from the other end.
"Right away Jason." the robot responded.
Within minutes a figure appeared in the center of the room. Tara instantly recognized the man and ran to give him a hug. "How are you Jase?" she asked.
"I'm doing good especially with the news that I have. We'll have to act on it fast though." the original Red Ranger said.
"What is it?" Aron said as he speed forward and looked up at the man who's legacy he had inheritated.
"I think all of the Rangers should be here first that way I wan't have to repeat myself and the sake of time if for nothing else." Jase replied.
Tara turned to Alpha and nodded "Go ahead and call everyone else. Tell them to get here immediately."
Alpha did as instructed and in a matter of minutes all 8 Power Rangers were present.
Jarrold stepped forward "What's going on?" he asked. "Alpha said you had news for us."
Jase nodded his head "Adam and I have located one of the Vandairres central bases. As a matter of fact it's their main base on the west coast of North America. Take it out and we'll stand a good chance of stopping their operations in this part of the country."
"That's great!" Ashlyn said excitedly "Where is it?"
"Ironically it's in what used to be Californias state capitol, Sacramento at the abandoned McClellan Air Force Base." Jase answered.
"Hold on you said Adam was with you. Where is he now?" Jason asked the older man after whom he'd been named.
"He's there gathering more intelligence. We thought that one of use should get here with the information as soon as possible." the older Jason responded.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get going." Aron said. If he wasn't going to get to learn more about what might have happened to Jayna he preferred to do the next best thing and bust some Vandairre head. Plus Jason was one of the Original Power Rangers, he would know about the magic that had been used to turn people to evil. At least that was Arons logic.
"Hold on." Jarrold said. "I'm all for this but we need more information before we go on."
"Then we don't 2 of us go back with Jase and join Adam on an intelligence gathering mission. When we have what we need we'll send for everyone else."
Jarrold paused for a moment. "Agreed." he said. "Aron and Leslie, you're with Jase. Find out what you can and call us immediately. If you're found out get out of there and call for back up."
Both nodded as they stepped away from everyone else, joining Jase as Alpha prepared to teleport them to Sacramento.