Disclaimer: The usual. Don't own anything you recognize.

KINGS AND VAGABONDS

By Etcetera Kit

Inside, outside – leave me alone
Inside, outside – nowhere is home
Inside, outside – where have I been?

Chapter Twenty-Five: Nowhere Is Home I

"Ready?"

Ethan James gave his former science teacher and current boss a bored look. The three of them – himself, Tommy and Trent – were about to leave the CTU building in LA. Newtech City was close and, at this hour of the morning, it wouldn't take them long to get there. All of them had gone home last night to shower and get dressed. In other words, they were all wearing suits to look impressive.

"I'm always ready – except for that explosion seven years ago."

The three of them did look intimidating if nothing else. He had chosen to wear his three-piece, navy blue with pin strips suit that he had bought in order to go undercover at a political breakfast. He had a matching tie and sunglasses. Tommy was in all-black – black three-piece suit, black shirt, black tie, black shoes – like he had an inkwell dumped on his head. Trent had a gray three-piece suit with a collarless white shirt. Details like tie pins, watches and cufflinks were also designed to exude power – most of which was either gold or looked expensive. Nothing flashy, but just enough punch to get the message across.

Trent shrugged. He had spent most of his life waffling between working for his father and writing comic books. And he and Tommy had managed to bring a lot of CTU trouble Trent's way just by being friends with him.

Tommy nodded. None of them had slept very much last night – and today was shaping up to be a long day. Conner and Kira had promised to find out all they could before the three of them arrived, just to give them all the facts so a course of action could be decided on. All the biological parents would be there – including Eric Myers who worked for the Newtech City Police Department.

He took out three ear pieces and handed them out. "These will allow us to communicate with each other," he said, letting out a long breath.

Ethan nodded and took his. These were part of the normal field equipment for CTU agents. It enabled the people at the main building to keep track of the field agents and helped to prevent casualties. He wasn't sure why Tommy wanted the three of them to be able to keep in contact, but he did it anyways. Over the years of working for him, Ethan had learned not to question his former teammate's strange methods because they had saved his life on more than one occasion.

"We're clear on the assignments?" Tommy asked. "Ethan, you'll take Dr. Manx to the main command center and take a look at their systems and technology. Trent, you're human resources—"

"Deal with the parents, answer their questions, refer any problems to you, but make sure that I keep the B-Squad rangers in the lounge until you and Ethan have a chance to talk to Conner and analyze the ultimate fate of the Earth branch of SPD." Trent gave him a 'thumbs-up.' "I have been on field assignments with you."

Tommy just smiled. "I know." He pulled out his sunglasses and put them on. Ethan suppressed a smile and followed suit, as did Trent. "Show time," he muttered.

"Conner, I don't understand why we're getting involved in this. It's between Cruger and the parents and the rest of the B-Squad."

Conner sighed and turned towards Kira. He had found her in her apartment early that morning and explained the situation. She agreed to help, especially since Doctor O was coming, but she had been reserved towards him, her attitude cool. He hadn't expected anything else.

"How bad is this?"

"You're the one that gave me Doctor O's contact information – you tell me!"

"I thought you would get him to get information – not come here to help!"

He stopped, raking a hand through his hair. "Look, it's bad. If the parents go the public with what Cruger did, then SPD will fall apart."

"You don't know that."

"Don't I? Kira, most of the people here, in this building, are underage cadets. If people find out how hard Cruger pushed the B-Squad, how he physically hurt them, then this place will empty fast and the officers and support staff will follow. No one wants their lives in the hands of a psycho."

"So you want a cover-up?"

"No. I want it handled in a manner that will not result in mass pandemonium."

"What are we supposed to do? Talk to all the parents?"

"If we have to, yes."

Kira stared at him. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"I've never been more serious in my life." He spun on his heel and headed for the lounge. Kira hurried to catch up with him.

"The others are coming?" she whispered.

He nodded. "Are you going to help us or not?"

"I'm helping you."

"Then let's go."

The pair of them walked into the lounge. It was devoid of normal life. The younger cadets tended to spend a lot of time in the room, playing video games and hanging out because they couldn't drive and there wasn't a lot else to do. Someone had obviously cleared them out. However, the room was pretty full. He recognized a lot of the people in the room. In fact, he recognized all of them. Nine former rangers were here along with four current rangers. It was a potentially explosive combination.

He took a deep breath. "Thanks for coming," he started. "I'm Conner McKnight." He gestured towards Kira. "And this is Kira Ford."

The four other B-Squad rangers and Paris were clearly visible throughout the veritable crowd. Z was sitting behind the coffee table, on the floor, with her parents on the sofa behind her. Her parents were Wild Force Rangers – the Red and the White if Conner remembered correctly. Bridge was sitting next to her, his parents in an armchair near him. His mother was in the chair while his father sat on the arm – the Yellow Galaxy Ranger and the Magna Defender. Syd was sitting on another sofa between her parents – the Red and Pink Lightspeed Rangers – while Paris was standing behind them. Sky was the one with a lot of people surrounding him. His parents were the Red and Pink Time Force Rangers while his adopted father had been the Quantum Ranger. All three of them were present.

"We've been explaining what we know," Maya said softly. "And it's not much more than what you have already found."

"I don't doubt that," Conner replied.

"We need some answers now," Wes Collins, presumably Sky's father, interjected. He was definitely a businessman and a billionaire. "This mess needs to be cleared up now."

It was going to be a long morning. "Look, we can't get any more answers until…" He trailed off. How was he supposed to explain to all these people that the director CTU in Los Angeles and his former teacher and teammate was coming here in order to investigate and provide stability for the coming chaos? It was going to sound ridiculous.

"The director of the Counter Terrorist Unit in Los Angeles is coming here," Kira swiftly stepped in. "He's going to head any investigations. A lawyer is also coming with him to handle any of the legal matters."

Lawyer? He gave Kira a confused look. She mouthed 'Ethan.' He frowned for a minute, but then it clicked. While Ethan was some kind of high-powered program developer with the Galactic Space Alliance, he had started out as a law student and had graduated from law school. The white lie there was that he never took the licensing test.

Mr. Collins visibly relaxed. His wife was shooting him a look that clearly said 'calm down.' Sky, still looking bewildered and overwhelmed, visibly shook, like he had a chill that he couldn't get rid of. Conner stared at him for a minute before continuing.

"I'm not sure what we can do, but we're here to help," he offered.

"Look," Syd's father said. "This boils down to Cruger and legal matters."

That much was true. Conner wasn't sure what had happened all those years ago, but from what Z had said, he gathered that each of the other B-Squad rangers had been kidnapped and hidden from their parents. The ultimate goal of that was to bring them to SPD and make them rangers. The current B-Squad rangers hadn't been aware that was the ultimate goal – Bridge and Syd and her siblings knew that they had been required to join SPD. Z was brought in with no other viable option. Sky chose to come…

He shouldn't ask what happened, but Doctor O had told him to get the facts from the parents. It was a mixture of curiosity and orders.

"Do you mind me asking what actually happened?" He paused. "From your point of view that is."

Everyone in the room, including Kira, was staring at him. He cut his eyes to Kira, wanting to remind her of what Doctor O asked him to do – and asking her to help.

Bridge looked up from where he had been formerly staring at a spot on the floor. Conner was shocked at the haunted look in his blue eyes. Normally, he looked a little confused, but mostly happy. Now, it was like something had snapped within the Green Ranger. He looked at peace, but also like he had suffered for it. His mother put a hand on his shoulder, whispering something in a language that Conner didn't understand. Bridge didn't look like he understood it either, but he let out a long breath.

"I can show you," he whispered.

"I can't ask you to do that," Conner replied immediately, memories of honing their powers for weaponry flooding his mind. Sky nearly passing out from a nosebleed, Bridge getting migraines on a regular basis, Z actually fainting… his own re-injury of his ankle and even Syd having raw marks on her hands.

"It's not like that."

It was like Bridge was responding to his thoughts and not his words.

Conner?

Bridge? What are you doing?

Showing you what happened.

Conner felt a rush and then he landed into a memory that wasn't his own. He was in the Collins' mansion. Wes, looking twenty years younger, was holding a small child to his chest. Jen appeared from a bedroom, carrying a small duffel bag and a blanket.

"What's going on?"

"You're going away with Uncle Eric. It's going to be all right."

"Un'ca Eric?"

"Yes."

"Wes?"

"The car's still running. We've got to get as much of a head start as we can."

"We'll always love you."

The memory faded and changed. Instead of watching Sky being sent into the night by his parents, he was on Mirinoi. Mike and Maya were standing in their house – only Mike looked much younger and Maya appeared to be in good health. She was holding Bridge – he was wrapped in a blanket, holding that dinosaur stuffed animal that was in his room now.

"Maya!"

"What is it?"

"They're here!"

"Who?"

"Cruger and Manx."

"We have to hide him. If we take him to the village and let Jara hide him somewhere with the villagers. They can disguise him and keep him safe so that Cruger and Manx stop looking for him. Take him to the village. I'll hold them off here."

"Daddy?"

"I love you, Bridge. Go! They're not going to get our son."

Again, he was watching the memory change. This time, more people were gathered in the living room of a normal middle class house. He recognized Eric and Taylor Earhardt – the Yellow Wild Force Ranger. With them was Alyssa Evans. She was holding Z – at three-years-old – and looked to be close to hysteria.

"Eric, none of you can have an inkling of what is at stake here. We have to take the children away for their own good."

"Bullshit!"

"Alyssa!"

"I don't want them hurting my family!"

The living room changed. Three children were sitting on the floor playing a game. The blonde hair gave away who they were. Carter was hovering in a doorway, watching them with a grim expression on his face. He stepped forward into the room. The children looked up at him, abandoning their game.

"What's going on, Dad?"

"Listen to me. You need to use the back way to get to Uncle Ryan's house. Go now. Don't stop and talk to anyone until you get to Uncle Ryan. He's going to take you somewhere for a few days."

"Why?"

"I want you to stay safe. I know you can do this."

As abruptly as he had been thrown into the memories, he was thrown out of them. He lost his balance and fell backwards, landing on his rear end and painfully jarring the ankle that had been bothering him. People swarmed around him at once. Kira had tried to break his fall, but had caught just his arm. Bridge was on his feet.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to—"

"Can you stand?"

"Is his ankle okay?"

"Would all of you move? I'm a doctor!"

The next thing Conner knew, Dana Grayson was standing over him. She was frowning as she held out a hand to help him up. God – that was why Syd and Paris reminded him of people he had seen before, people in the archives. Syd was the spitting image of Dana. He let the former Pink Ranger guide him to a chair and sit him down. She pulled off his sock and shoe and began massaging the sore ankle.

"I didn't know memories were quite so painful," he muttered sarcastically.

"You have no idea."

All of them turned towards the door. Cruger was there with Kat right behind him.

What had happened after he entered the lounge went too fast for him to identify. Everyone in the room was on their feet in a flash. Various weapons were drawn, but all he remembered was Paris standing the lounge door with her blaster and Maya facing him with her saber. The latter didn't surprise him, but for a woman that had been in bad health most of her life, the fact that she was willing to fight, rather than lose her son again spoke volumes.

Cruger sighed. In a matter of moments, he had been arrested and placed into one of his own holding cells. He wasn't sure what charges, but Conner had seemed to think it was better to lock him up until at least the new commander arrived. Now, he was left with his thoughts…

It had made sense to him in his head – it made sense to Kat all those years ago, but now, it made no sense at all. All that careful logic, all those sleepless nights spent figuring out a plan… it was all pointless now.

Kidnapping…

That was what he had done. The careful legal planning to make it appear that what he was doing was perfectly within the law fell to dust. He had never used the term 'kidnapping' to himself. It was too harsh and it wasn't what he was doing. He was ensuring that Earth did not meet the same fate as Sirius. Earth was protected because of his actions.

But gazing into the haunted and pain-filled eyes of each parent and child, he realized that these people had been Power Rangers. Nothing was more important to each of them than the protection of Earth. Somehow, some way, each of their children would have realized that it was their turn to take up that legacy and become the newest rangers to protect Earth. Queen Bansheera, Ransik, the Master Org… even Scorpius and Trakeena… these people had defeated enemies equal to Emperor Gruumm. It might not have happened within his time frame, but all six of the children would have come to SPD.

How could he have been so blind?

It was simple, fear drove him. He was afraid of Gruumm, afraid of losing everything he had come to hold dear on Earth. The final destruction of his home planet haunted his dreams and even quiet moments in waking. It was childish on his part, getting what he wanted. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. He had good intentions – and had sent eight people and their children and countless others to hell to bring them about.

Cruger thought of the former Yellow Galaxy Ranger. She hadn't been involved with the experiments at SPD – that had been her husband. Kat had worked closely with Mike Corbett. The couple had been married for a few years, but hadn't had children – something they desperately wanted. Once the experiments were put on a back burner, the couple went back to Mirinoi – two years later, Bridge was born. Would she have sent Bridge, her only child, to SPD to become a ranger, where death was imminent, in order to save Earth? Would any of them?

Flaws in the old logic… flaws in the new logic… was there any way to reconcile what he had thoughts with what he now knew? No… nothing could change what he did all those years ago… nothing…

Cruger let out a long breath. He was Anubis Cruger – he had been a general in the war between the Troovians and the planet Sirius. As of five minutes ago, he had still been the commander of SPD on Earth. During those five minutes, he had been dismissed dishonorably from the organization he had served all his life and was being replaced by a human. He had tried offered his explanations, before the situation exploded, but now it was time to let the justice system and SPD run their course.

Would these five – six when Austin arrived from the Nebula Academy – continue to serve at SPD and be rangers? Would they realize that they had the power – without ranger powers – to save the Earth?

"He didn't want Earth to fall like Sirius did, so he kidnapped us in order to ensure that we'd end up at SPD and defend Earth?"

Kat nodded at Bridge. The Green Ranger was sitting close to his mother, holding her hand as if to assure her that he wasn't going anywhere. In fact, all of them were sitting closer to their parents, assuring them that Cruger was no longer a threat.

"Why didn't he tell us about Emperor Gruumm?" Maya asked.

"That would have seriously impacted things," her husband continued.

"No one responds to insubstantial threats," Wes Collins added.

"What now?" Carter asked.

"Doggie has been dismissed from SPD."

"Those court cases will be reopened." The billionaire in Wes was showing.

Kat stared at the people in the lounge. It was highly likely that all of them would be leaving SPD soon. She hadn't been placed in a holding cell – not yet. Conner wanted her to explain Cruger's side of things, although it was obvious that Maya Corbett would just as soon have killed her as talked to her – and she wasn't alone in that wish. The only thing restraining any of them was their children – and the fact that Paris had already blasted a hole in the ceiling to get people to calm down.

Her communicator beeped. Kat pulled it from her waist, reading the message. She stood up. "The new commander of SPD is here," she announced.

A man entered the lounge. He was a human in his forties with short brown hair that was spiked. He was dressed completely in black. Two men with suits and sunglasses also followed him in. McKnight jumped to his feet, heedless of the ankle.

"Doctor Oliver? You're the new commander?"

To Be Continued...