Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Disney.

Dissension within the Ranks

A/N: So, this past Sunday I finally got around to updating my fics after a seriously long dry spell. This is the only one I hadn't updated yet and that is because I was unsure of whether or not to continue it at all. Of the fics that I have started, I personally feel that this one is my weakest. I feel that I tried to have too many things happen in just this one fic. In that regards, I feel that this fic is kind of all over the place. Then I realized that this fic appears on the favorite stories list more times than any other fic of mine. That has to say something. So I decided to continue this fic after all despite the fact that I also happened to get my most critical reviews from this fic. Whew, that was long, now onto the story.

Chapter 22

Z was seated at Jack's bedside. She wasn't sure whether or not he'd be able to hear her, but there were things she needed to get off her chest, so Z talked to him anyways.

"Oh Jack, why did you risk your life for Syd? Don't you dare leave me! We've been through too much to have you leave me now. Everything's so hectic around here. You're unconscious. Sky's supposed to be escorted from Earth by Birdy tomorrow. If I didn't know any better, Bridge was hitting on me. I caught Syd and Sky hugging. I need you Jack. Please wake up soon," Z said.

XXXXXXXXXX

Sky and Syd were walking to the recreation room. Both weren't speaking to each other as they were too deep in thought. Syd was trying to let all that Sky had confessed to her in the infirmary sink in. Sky was trying to find some way to get Jack and Syd together. After all, Jack was the father, and it would be much easier on the child if its parents were together Sky thought. That wasn't the only thing on Sky's mind though. He was also skeptical as to whether or not Cruger would be able to stop Birdy from escorting him from Earth tomorrow. What about Chris and Simone? Would they be able to come with him in the event that he had to leave Earth?

"I'm going to put Chris and Simone to bed," Sky said.

"Ok," Syd replied.

Syd entered the recreation room to find Bridge propped up against a wall in a handstand position with his eyes closed. For some odd reason, Bridge seems to think better upside down.

"Hey Bridge," Syd greeted.

Bridge opened his eyes and saw an inverted image of Syd. He started talking to Syd while remaining in his handstand position.

"Hi Syd. Z and I were talking, and the topic of who would lead the team in the event that the leader and second in command was no longer an option. So, what are your thoughts on the matter?" Bridge asked.

"Why wouldn't the leader and second in command be an option?" Syd questioned.

Bridge started to waver a bit, so he made a few adjustments and the wavering stopped. "Well, I mean Jack is in the infirmary, and who knows how long it'll be until he wakes up. Tomorrow, Sky is supposed to leave Earth, so who does that leave to lead the team?" Bridge asked.

Syd put her hands on her hips. "Don't say that Bridge. We're supposed to believe that Cruger is going to find some way to drop the charges against Sky, so that way, he won't have to leave Earth," Syd replied.

Bridge came down from his handstand position and looked Syd face to face. "I do believe that Syd, but it's better to prepare yourself for anything rather than get your hopes up that something may happen when it might not," Bridge remarked.

Syd was sick of Bridge saying that Sky would leave Earth tomorrow. She didn't want to hear that anymore, so she left Bridge alone in the recreation room.

XXXXXXXXXX

In the command center, Cruger was trying to come up with a plan of action for tomorrow so that Sky wouldn't have to leave Earth. That wasn't the best idea, because Cruger would then be down a ranger. With Gruumm still trying to take over Earth, Cruger would need all the help he could get. Cruger growled in frustration.

"This isn't fair Kat! Sky has every right to stay here on Earth! His mind was being controlled! There has to be some way to convince Birdy to drop the charges," Cruger said.

Kat agreed wholeheartedly with Cruger. However, Birdy seemed adamant about not dropping the charges. She hated to admit it, but rules were rules. They couldn't just bend the rules for Sky because then they'd have to bend the rules for everyone. It could be argued that rules were meant to be broken, but there was no doubt that Birdy wasn't about to break any rules.

XXXXXXXXXX

Back at Gruumm's ship, Gruumm, Giganis, and Morgana were concocting their next plan of attack. They were fully aware that Birdy would be headed to Earth tomorrow. What better plan than to assassinate the Supreme Commander of S.P.D.? The only question now was how to go about doing just that.

"My blaster should be able to do the trick," Giganis said. "It almost did the trick when I tried to assassinate Cruger, and surely Birdy can't be as tough as Cruger."

"Why should you get to have all the fun?" Morgana complained.

Gruumm's eyes glowed red. "Silence! I can't think with all of your bickering!" Gruumm shouted.

"I still don't get why we just don't attack them with a frontal assault?" Giganis asked.

Morgana scoffed. "Please, are you really that stupid?"

"I said quiet! If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself," Gruumm stated. "Believe me, I will."

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Kat announced the arrival of Supreme Commander Fowler Birdy over the intercom. All of the cadets and staff of S.P.D. assembled in the transport bay awaiting Birdy.

Birdy stepped out of the S.P.D. ship and all the cadets and staff saluted him. Birdy walked up to Cruger.

"I believe you know why I am here Cruger," Birdy said.

Cruger growled in response. "I do, but I will not let you take Sky away from us," Cruger answered.

"You don't have a choice in the matter Cruger. I am your superior and you'd be wise to remember that," Birdy countered.

Observing all of this from an air vent above the entrance of the loading bay was Gruumm. He had disguised himself as a lower level cadet and easily walked right into the Academy without anybody noticing a thing. He climbed into the air vents and navigated his way to the loading bay. Now that he was there, he had transformed himself back into Gruumm and had his staff in his hand poised to fire at Birdy.

"Sky is a power ranger. He's not some criminal!" Cruger shouted.

"Rules are rules Cruger. He endangered the public at large and now he has to deal with the consequences of that just as anyone else would," Birdy replied.

"You're not being fair! His mind was being controlled! You know as well as I that he would never voluntarily put innocent people in danger!" Cruger yelled.

"Watch your tone Cruger. Do you want to lose your job?" Birdy asked.

"If it means letting Sky keep his," Cruger answered.

Birdy laughed. "Cruger, your getting fired wouldn't stop me from firing Sky as well. Is that what you really want? Do you want the both of you to lose your jobs?" Birdy asked.

Cruger growled. He didn't like this fowl one bit. He hated the fact that he was his superior.

Gruumm removed the screen to the air vent and fired his staff at Birdy. Nobody saw it coming, and the next thing everyone knew, Birdy was lying on the ground flat on his back with a little bit of smoke coming off his body.

"Over there!" Bridge shouted pointing to Gruumm retreat back into the air vent.

"Help me get him to the infirmary," Kat said to some lower level cadets as they tended to Birdy.

This was déjà vu for Sky. It was all too familiar to when Dru, as Giganis, tried to assassinate Cruger. The only difference is there was a different target and a different assassin.

"He's hardly breathing," Kat announced as she checked Birdy for a pulse.

"We have to stop Gruumm," Sky said.

Cruger put his arm in front of Sky holding him back. "No! Let him go. I don't want to risk anyone else getting hurt," Cruger replied.

Sky wondered what would happen now. Would he still have to leave Earth today? If so, who would accompany him? His escort that was supposed to accompany him just got shot by Gruumm. There were so many questions racing through his mind.

Once again, I am so sorry that it took me so long to update this, so please try to find it in yourselves to forgive me. I also realize that this is somewhat shorter than my usual chapter length for this fic, but I figured that it's been so long since I updated this that you all wouldn't mind. Besides, I thought that was a fitting place to end this chapter. I still have ideas in my head about what I still want to happen with this story, and I just didn't want to get into any of those ideas yet. If you're not too mad at me, I hope you'll leave a review. I'll take constructive criticism, but not flat out flaming. Thanks for reading.