Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers or any of its characters
Timeframe: AU set after Idol
Pairings: Eventual Sky/Syd and Bridge/Z
It's been three years since the disappearance of an affluent SPD cadet, but when a mysterious stranger suddenly emerges to aid the SPD rangers, is he hiding something that makes the battle for Earth a bit more personal?
Hey guys, Roxie here. I'm sorry I haven't written for awhile, but I met a major block in both 1 is the Loneliest Number as well as Blaze of Glory. I planned to post this story after I finished with Blaze of Glory, but I figured now is as good a time as ever. But don't worry, I will continue updating both stories. So until I carve my way out of this unsightly block impeding my creativity, here's a little SPD fic to tame the masses until then…
Also, if anyone would like to beta for me, drop me a note in a review…
Prologue
A Silver of Hope in An Abyss of Black
The melody of blaster fire and screams of anguish permeated through the air to merge with the smoky remnants of battle. In the brilliant night sky, fighter ships labeled with the notorious insignia of Space Patrol Delta combined with the intricate patterns denoting Troobian forces to engage in a furious dance of laser fire. On the ground, the troops united in one mess of battling sides, the opposite force unintelligible from the other. Amongst the chaos and disarray of the furious skirmish on the ground, one figure stood prominent amongst the sea of black and green that was SPD and the Troobians. His pewter-colored shirt shining bright against the smoky background, the lone fighter fought off the oncoming forces while leading a group of native inhabitants across the field of battle to the shuttle that would allow them to flee from their war-torn planet.
He ushered them along, fending off the rushing adversaries with a volley of laser fire. Ducking underneath a barrage of light, he dispensed the offending Troobians with a reciprocated amount of fire. From the back, he protected the group of refugees as all around him, his fellow soldiers fell victim to the bombardment of shots whistling through the air.
As the final refugee disappeared up the hatch of the shuttle, he signaled furiously to the pilot. Slowly, the ship hovered in the air, a swarm of SPD fighters encircling its massive bulk as a shield to ward off their Troobian opponents. From the ground, a massive cannon fired off a succession of blasts, clearing away the path for the shuttle to depart. As the shuttle faded into a distant speck in the sky, the man kept his intense, solemn gaze amongst the stars, his eyes, a curious shade of blue so pale the irises were almost white, glinted with a sheen devoid of all innocence. For this man lost his naivety a long time ago.
xxx
Galaxies away, Sydney Drew stared out at the same night sky, her fingers playing with the delicate necklace hanging from her neck. Her bright blue eyes began to pool with the unshed tears. The day was the sixteenth of December, and in two days it would be three years since…no, she didn't want to remember, because that last shred of hope dangled on too fine of a string for her to remember. It was that hope that assured her that although he wasn't with them, he was still alive.
Sky Tate wandered into the lounge area to find Syd hovering by the window, playing with the familiar necklace around her neck. He knew what day was coming up, and knew she would be emotional about it. Sometimes he cursed the mutual memory they shared. Perhaps if history was different, he would still be with them. He was always the bright light that shone in their lives, and it seemed that with him gone, the light had dimmed in all of them. Silently, Sky crept up beside her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. She stiffened at the contact, before relaxing once she recognized who was beside her. With somber eyes, she gazed into the brilliant sapphire gaze of Sky Tate.
"Hey."
His mouth curved upward in one of his rare smiles, "Hey back. What are you doing out here."
Her delicate shoulders lifted upward in a languid shrug, her hand still clutched protectively around the pendant resting against the hollow of her throat. Syd sighed.
"I can't believe it's been almost three years."
A rueful chuckle burst from Sky's throat as his strong arm worked its way around her shoulders, "I know."
"I miss him, Sky."
Gently wrapping her in a hug, Sky rubbed her back soothingly, "I know, Syd. I do too. It's worse because he just left. One day he was here, and the next he was gone."
Syd nodded, her head burrowed within Sky's chest, "But why? Why did he have to go? Where did he go?"
Sky shook his head, "I don't know, Syd. I honestly don't."
As she pulled away, her hand brushed against the silver cuff still encircling Sky's right wrist, "You're wearing Dru's?"
Sky nodded, his left hand reaching out to finger the bracelet, "There's still one more out there, and until I have solid evidence he's not walking this Earth, I'll still have this to feel close to him." He gently grasped Syd's shoulders, wishing he could kiss away her sorrow, but knowing full well her heart still belonged to another; another whom they had no idea where he was or whether he still was alive.
"He's still alive, Syd. Hold onto that hope that he'll come back to us."
Wrapping her in another hug, they stared out into the night abyss, their livelihood preserved for now. But the inevitable question hung in the air: Would their forces be enough to defend the earth from the ever strengthening forces of Gruumm?
xxx
The entranceway parted as two burly Troobians marched in, hauling a decrepit figure in with them. The general lounged back against his command chair, smiling in triumph as his guards threw the prisoner at to his knees. Leaning down, the general leered down at the lowered head, heavy breaths shaking the broad shoulders.
"Lieutenant. How nice of you to join us."
The head of pale blonde hair blackened with the grime of battle and dampened with sweat lolled upward. The light blue eyes peeked out from the clammy strands falling haphazardly across his forehead, "General Falstaff."
Leaning back in his chair, the general smirked, directing his comments to the Troobian soldiers perched on either side of the lieutenant, "Who would have thought, gentleman, that the acclaimed leader of these SPD forces protecting this humble planet would now be at our mercy?" Falstaff chuckled.
"How lucky for us. Your troops will be nothing without their commander, and we will crush your pathetic attempts for liberation in one smooth stroke."
"Don't be so sure of yourself, Falstaff."
The general glanced down at the man at his feet, calm and composed despite his current predicament. Surveying the lieutenant, Falstaff couldn't help but be impressed. Despite the man's young age, he carried himself with a poise that exceeded soldiers ten years his senior. Even in his state of captivity, the lieutenant remained unruffled, an easy strength radiating from his even stare. Pity he was good.
"Oh, I am very sure of myself, Lieutenant. It is you that should not." Falstaff paced before his captive, feigning an air of amicable conversation.
"How many Narovians do you still have to evacuate from the planet, Lieutenant? Five hundred? Five thousand? And we must take into account your fellow soldiers." Stopping before the battered leader, Falstaff cocked his head in conquest, "Now how are you able to do that when you are my prisoner?" Turning to a guard, he gestured with a wave of his hand.
"Give the order." Turning to the lieutenant, Falstaff smirked, "Now, Lieutenant, you will see how futile your efforts were."
The lieutenant watched in horror as a sphere of light floated lazily down to the war torn planet. A moment later, a bright green flash permeated the dim sky, devastating all on the surface. He closed his eyes, the pain coursing through his body as what was left of the Narovian population disintegrated in a flash. He could almost hear the screams of the many people still left to vacate the planet before all was silent and the thousands of hearts ceased to beat with life. His shoulders slumping, bearing the weight of the imminent catastrophe, his head drooped down to his chest. He had failed. They were all gone, and it was all his fault. Leaning down to the lieutenant, Falstaff whispered in his ear.
"Now, you have nothing left to save. You couldn't save them just like you were unable to save your parents."
The lieutenant's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with an ivory fire. Mouth set in a dangerous line, he whispered a warning to the general, "Well, you can mark my words on this, Falstaff. I will kill the hand that destroyed them." His pale gaze locked onto the general's, unyielding and flashing with grim resolution.
"I will have my revenge."
Falstaff chuckled with heavy malice, "Yes, Lieutenant. But how are you able to do that when you are my prisoner."
In response, the lieutenant only smiled, and the simplicity of the calm gesture discerned Falstaff more than a threat ever could. With a nod to his guards, Falstaff watched with dour satisfaction as they dragged the young soldier away. But even as his broad back ensconced in the battered silver material was towed through his doors, Falstaff could only see the mysterious smile, and leaned back against his chair, wishing away the fear ebbing through his veins.
xxx
Red ranger Jack Landors ducked as the fist of a Krybot whizzed over his head. Flipping backwards, he retaliated, smacking the offending robot on the head before sweeping a leg beneath Gruumm's lackey. Extracting his D-blaster from the holster attached to his pant thigh, Jack whirled dispensing a group of Krybots with a rapid succession of shots. Backing away from his assailants, Jack jerked forward, stumbling into the glittering force shield of their blue ranger.
"Dammit, Sky! Watch where you're putting those!"
Slightly preoccupied in his current predicament, Sky blocked the fist of his attacker before wrenching the arm around in a hammer lock. Falling the Krybot with a sharp elbow to the neck, Sky sheepishly grinned at his leader.
"Sorry, Jack, I had to ward off shots from that side."
The blue ranger's eyes hardening with an instantaneous perception, he pivoted, drawing his blaster in a fluid motion as he dropped to a knee, striking a Krybot in the center of its helmet with a devastating accuracy.
A yelp permeated the air, and Sky reached out just in time to catch Sydney as the pink ranger flew backwards from a blow. Blushing as he set her upright, Sky hauled their green and yellow rangers to their feet as the pair came rolling to a stop. Regrouping, the B-Squad rangers settled into fighting stances, bracing themselves for the onslaught of the oncoming attack. To their immense surprise, the Krybots had vanished in a flash of light. Glancing around at the space devoid of their former attackers, the rangers exchanged surprised stares.
"Okay, that was weird." Syd looked at her teammates, her brow furrowed in confusion. An identical look of bemusement on her face, Z nodded her agreement.
"We've seen some peculiar things, but this one tops them all. Gruumm never backs down from a chance to wear us out. Is he feeling charitable today?"
Sky snorted, "Yeah, tell that to the millions of planets he went caveman on." The blue ranger frowned, "Something's up. Why would he call off the Krybots when he knows it's tiring us down?"
Jack shook his head, a thoughtful expression crossing his dark features, "I don't know. This doesn't seem right. We should head back to the Academy, maybe the commander knows."
Bridge remained silent, his psychic powers tingling with a sensation he couldn't recognize. It was a disconcerting feeling, almost one of foreboding, flooding his body with a chill that struck fear in his subconscious mind. Something was wrong. Not here, but elsewhere. Bridge fought to shake of the ominous sensation. Something was going to happen soon, and it was something that would toss the already disarrayed world of the SPD rangers upside down and inside out.
xxx
The darkness was suffocating as the wave of pitch gloom swept over the cell block. The only amount of light permeated through a single window, casting a thin beam across the stone floor. It was cold in the dungeons, damp liquid sliding down the rock walls to settle on the floor as the sound of drops colliding with the surface resonated through the stifling silence.
The row of cells was devoid of prisoners except one. In the corner of the center chamber, a lone figure sat, his pale eyes concentrated on the rock wall before him. The pewter colored shirt encasing his muscular torso was ripped and torn, stains of blood and grime decorating the fabric, the SPD emblem along with the badge denoting his rank hung noticeably across his breast were both faded and blackened. Languidly, he ran his hands along the thick, rough material of his pants hanging loosely on his long legs, tucked into the heavy tops of his boots. Glancing down at his chest, a medallion hung from his neck, wavering in the middle of his torn collar, a reminder of his mission of revenge and the only thing he had left of his parents.
The sound of metal sliding across the stone floor wrenched the man from his reverie, and his light blue eyes shifted to the Troobian guard smirking from the other side of the bars.
"Your dinner, Lieutenant."
The lieutenant didn't say anything, only turned his brilliant stare to the guard, his face set with an unnatural intensity, almost as if he was studying something. The guard lounged back in his chair outside of the cell. His prisoner waited. He had refrained from using his abilities during the duration of the war on Narovia, hoping to utilize them as an element of surprise. The minutes passed in eons as the Troobian slowly began to nod off, his head drooping down to his chest, and the lieutenant casually extended a hand. Unbeknownst to the soldier, the keys hanging securely on his belt quivered as the unseen force tugged them in a different direction. Unlocking from their previous position, they hovered through the air, slipping through the bars before coming to rest in the grime-stained palm of the prisoner.
Smiling in satisfaction, the man reached over the bars, slowly unlocking the cell door. The sharp sound of the entryway opening jerked the Troobian awake, but before he could utter a word, a sharp backhand silenced him. Snatching up his belt that held his all-important device hanging from a hook in the prison, he sprinted off down the corridor.
All around him, the blaring alarms assaulted his senses. Huddling off into a dark corner, he closed his pale cobalt eyes and concentrated. With a slight silver flash, he vanished, only to reappear in the flight deck of the Troobian hangar. Drawing his blaster, the lieutenant fired off a succession of shots as the surprised Troobians fumbled to draw their own weapons. Dispensing his opponents, he rushed up the ramp and into the fighter.
xxx
From the command deck, Falstaff watched as the lone Troobian fighter roared off into the abyss of space, pursued by a volley of laser fire. His eyes flicking to the soldier at his side, Falstaff smiled slyly.
"Call off the fighters. Let him go." The general sneered, "The lieutenant is heading back, and we will meet him there. Send a message to the emperor. Tell him we're coming."
As the soldier scampered away, Falstaff cackled. He knew that wherever he went, the lieutenant would follow, seeking his revenge on the many deaths the Troobians caused. And Falstaff would be waiting to deal the last blow of devastation.
xxx
The lieutenant barely glanced up as Sergeant Major Dex Beaumont entered his quarters. After a long flight across war torn skies, he had landed in the Theta galaxy on the planet of Elgolon where an SPD base sat, defending the small refugee planet. Stuffing garments into a large duffle bag, his eyes wandered preoccupied to the companion he knew from his days at the academy.
"So, Lieutenant, where are you heading?"
His response was a light shrug, hurriedly zipping up the bag, "The remaining Narovians are headed to a virtually unknown planet in the Sigma quadrant that has an atmosphere similar to their home planet. There is only one place that has the necessary blueprints that would help the Narovians rebuild a society. I need to get those plans and find the planet."
Dex shifted, astonishment crossing his features, "So you're going back?"
The lieutenant nodded, "Yup."
"But someone's sure to recognize you."
The pale blonde head shook back and forth, "No, they won't. I'm traveling as a refugee without papers or any other identification besides what I have for SPD. I'll be in and out before anyone notices. Falstaff let me get away, and he's sure to follow me wherever I end up going. I have to get what I need then leave before he realizes where I am. I can't put the planet in any more danger." He turned to Dex.
"Send a transmission to headquarters. Tell them I'm coming but mention that it will be brief."
"Yes, sir!" With a sharp salute Dex departed, leaving the lieutenant to finish his packing. Pausing, he sank down on his bed, running his hands through his hair, grown long through his days in battle. Once short and styled in carefree spikes sticking skyward, the pale blonde strands fell haphazardly across his forehead and curled over his ears. Absentmindedly, he scratched at the stubble whiskering across his strong jaw, contemplating his predicament. Unhooking the medallion around his neck, he pried the halves open to reveal a small picture resting within the depths. A man with hair so pale the shade bordered on white stood with his arms wrapped around a blonde haired woman. They both smiled out at the camera, the man's grin was boyish yet roguish at the same time as his pale gray eyes winked dashingly at the camera. The woman in his arms had a certain happiness about her own smile as the loving couple leaned against each other. Gently, the lieutenant ran a thumb across the old photo, the tears welling up in his pale azure spheres.
"I couldn't save you guys before. But I won't rest until your killer has paid for his crimes…"
xxx
From his command chair, Falstaff smirked, his features twisted in an expression of conquest as his fleet neared the blue and green planet, the wisps of white visible from his position outside the orbit. Joining the other ships of bearing the same insignia, Falstaff surveyed the next and last planet to be conquered. He would wait for the lieutenant then strike. The last planet free would not stay that way for long.
xxx
In the SPD command center, Dr. Katherine Manx glanced up, confusion flitting across her feline features as an incoming transmission lit up the screen before her. Her fingers flying across the keys, Kat quickly decoded the message. Her round green eyes widened as her mind registered the meaning, and she quickly rushed over to the comm. link.
"Commander, you might want to come in here. You have to see this transmission."
Dr. Manx glanced up as the doors to the command center slid open to reveal the looming form of Commander Doggie Cruger. The big, blue dog strode over to the console, taking in the incoming transmission. He stayed silent for a long while, an expression of fear clouding his face.
"This is disturbing news, Ms. Manx." Doggie sighed, his deep voice grave and unsettled, "His appearance here could only mean the worst. I fear the reason for this untimely emergence." Doggie glanced at his assistant.
"Earth may be in grave danger…"
Coming Up:
An emergence of a new figure brings questions for B-Squad
The rangers of B-Squad meet a new and formidable foe.
An unmasking brings back shadows of the past
So there you go. I think I've left you in a bit of suspense. As you might have noticed, the main character in this chapter is an OC, and I hope that hasn't turned many of you off. Rest assured, he is far from a Gary Stu and has a boatload of problems to overcome. The main events of this story as well as the developing relationships stem from his abrupt departure from SPD three years prior and the many things left unfinished with his sudden disappearance. The eventual relationships in this story are a Sky/Syd and a Bridge/Z but will make references to a Syd/OC. So there we are. I hope you all like it.
Also, as a last note, I have been nominated for two awards at Guardians of the Earth in both Best Suspense for Fiery Passions, Sparks of Love and Best Short Story for Leather, Love, and Lyrics, the first chapter in 1 is the Loneliest Number. I hope you will all vote for me when the time comes and the link is on my profile. Good luck to all nominated!
Until next time,
Roxie