Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.
Note: This chapter is dedicated to the memory of Jason David Frank, the amazingly-talented actor whose spectacular performances brought Dr. Tommy Oliver to life for twenty-five years, who passed away in November 2022. May he rest in peace.
Chapter 9: The Final Battle
New Tech City…
After both teams of Rangers made it back to S.P.D. headquarters, the Legacy Rangers and the S.P.D. cadets were all given a little time to recover from the beatings that they had taken during their respective fights over the course of the day. After a couple of hours, once they were all feeling better and the medical staff had confirmed that none of them had sustained any serious injuries, they all reconvened on the command bridge, where the five cadets explained what they had done over the past day.
Needless to say, Cruger wasn't happy.
"You disobeyed orders and left the Earth during a time of crisis!" he snapped, pacing up and down in front of the five cadets. "And if you hadn't managed to succeed in your 'mission,' we could easily have lost all five of you for good. This is not acceptable!" He rounded on the five cadets, folding his hands in front of him as a faint growl rumbled in the back of his throat. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"
Bridge, Z and Syd all traded nervous glances, but Jack and Sky both stepped forward almost immediately. "It was our idea, sir," Jack spoke up, tilting his head to Sky and receiving a nod in return. "We couldn't just sit back and watch; we had to try and do something to help."
"And, with all due respect, sir," Sky continued, "we didn't disobey any orders. You placed all five of us on temporary leave from our Ranger duties when the Legacy Rangers took our places, and you didn't give us any orders to carry out in the meantime. We went to Phaedos entirely on our own time."
"And," Jack finished, "we succeeded." He unslung Excelsior from where it had been strapped across his back, holding the ancient weapon in front of him. "If Thrax had figured out how to get this, he would've used it to help Gruumm destroy all of us. So the fact that we went there and kept it away from him is a good thing, right?"
Cruger's eyes narrowed, his annoyed growl growing a bit louder, but he couldn't deny the logic of the two cadets' argument. "You do have a point," he reluctantly admitted, before holding up a warning hand and glaring sternly at them. "But if any of you ever pull another stunt like that without getting my express permission first, there will be serious consequences. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir," the five cadets chorused in unison, their shoulders sagging in relief. The five Legacy Rangers, who had been leaning back against a nearby wall, weren't entirely able to suppress amused grins.
A moment later, a flare of golden light filled the Command Center, as the spectral image of the Sentinel Knight appeared before them. "I congratulate you again for your success, young Rangers," he intoned, nodding to the five cadets. "It would seem that Excelsior has been quite useful to you already."
"It has, yeah," Jack agreed, admiring the ancient blade. Despite its beauty, however, the deadly power that was contained within this weapon – a sword designed to be capable of killing anything – sent a chill down his spine, as he thought of the horror that it could unleash in the hands of someone like Thrax. "But… I don't think we're the right people to use this thing." An idea came to him, one that had been simmering in the back of his mind for a while, and he took a step forward, carefully holding the sword sideways in both hands and holding it up towards the Knight's hovering form. "Here. This was your mentor's weapon, right? Seems like it should be yours, then. And if you have it, there's no way Thrax can use it against you."
The Sentinel Knight fell silent for a long moment, clearly caught off-guard by that offer. "I… do not know if I would be able to use Excelsior's power in my current state," he admitted. "But… it cannot hurt to try. Thank you, Jack Landors." One of his translucent hands cautiously reached out, brushing the sword's hilt, before his gauntleted fingers wrapped around it. To the onlookers' surprise, he was actually able to grab it, and he lifted it in one hand as Jack let go of it.
As soon as the Knight lifted Excelsior out of Jack's hands, another blinding flash of golden light lit up the room. The two teams of Rangers flinched back, shielding their eyes, as a deep-voiced yell echoed from the Knight. A pulse of energy washed over them all, leaving their hair standing on end for a second, before a pair of booted feet slammed down onto the floor of the command bridge.
When they looked again, the Sentinel Knight was still there… but he was no longer a ghostly, ethereal spirit. Instead, he was flesh and blood, a physical being clad in gleaming golden armor and a long gold cloak. A pair of glowing green eyes still shone from the visor of his helmet, but he was clearly alive and whole once more. Excelsior gleamed in one of his hands, and the golden glyphs that were etched onto the shining silver blade were now glowing even brighter than before.
"Incredible!" the Knight marveled, looking down at himself. "I knew that Excelsior possessed immense magical power, but I never would have dreamed that it possessed enough power to restore my physical form." He looked up at the S.P.D. team, and his voice was thick with emotion when he spoke again, bowing deeply to them. "Thank you, Power Rangers of Space Patrol Delta. Thanks to your courage and determination, I have been reborn, and my master Dulcea's legacy lives again." As he rose to his feet, he waved his free hand, and a scabbard materialized at his left hip with a flash of light. He slid Excelsior into the sheath, and the ancient sword fit like a glove. "I will need a little time to fully recover my strength, but once that is done, I will be able to fight alongside you in the battle against Thrax and his allies. I must go now, but I will return soon." His eyes flashed, and he teleported away with another pulse of golden light.
"Excellent!" Cruger nodded, turning back to face the two teams of Rangers. "Now, there's something else that you should know: Kat is working on repairing the damage that Thrax has inflicted on the Morphing Grid, with the help of an ally of Dr. Oliver's."
Tommy nodded in agreement. "With any luck, they should be able to get it fixed soon."
"Soon has arrived, Dr. Oliver," Kat called from the hallway with a note of triumph in her voice as she strode into the command center, followed by Alpha. "It took a while, but Alpha was able to help me figure out how to carry out the restoration process and repair all of the damage that Thrax has done to the Grid." She tapped a few buttons on the bridge's central computer console, bringing up a holographic image of the Earth and a visual representation of the Morphing Grid, like a glowing green web of energy wrapped around the entire planet.
Ever since Thrax's destructive spell had stripped the S.P.D. Rangers of their powers, the damage that he had done to the Grid had been clearly visible: the energy web's normal green hue had been marred by ragged patches of a deep, sickly purple, which represented the damage done by his dark magic. Now, however, that had changed: the purple corruption of Thrax's magic had been completely washed away, and the Grid's network around Earth was a pure, unblemished green once again.
"Whoa… you guys did it!" Bridge exclaimed, his eyes wide in amazement.
"Which means…" Z murmured.
"We can get our powers back now!" Syd realized, her face lighting up with a delighted smile. The other cadets and the Legacy Rangers mirrored her excitement, grinning, high-fiving, and hugging each other.
"Nice job, Alpha," Tommy congratulated the robot, smiling warmly as he gave it a gentle hug. "I knew you could do it."
"Not a problem!" Alpha replied cheerfully. "Ai-yai-yai! It feels so good to be useful again!"
"Tell me about it," Jack quipped with a wry grin.
The teams' celebration was interrupted a few seconds later, however, when the Command Center's alarms began to blare and flashing red lights lit up the room.
"Kat, what's going on?" Cruger yelled over the din.
Kat immediately swung back to the main control console, typing a rapid series of commands as she set to work. "We're getting another energy surge from outside the city," she called over her shoulder. "And it's much bigger than the last one." Punching in a final sequence, she brought up another holographic display from one of S.P.D.'s security cameras on a beach just outside of New Tech City.
Everyone in the command room took a step forward, eyes widening as they saw the video feed that was playing out on the screen. Arcs of crackling, multicolored energy lanced down from the sky, striking the ground repeatedly and igniting a blaze of multiple explosions. As the flames died down, a mass of figures strode forth, marching onto the open beach.
"Oh… crap," Kira murmured under her breath.
"No kidding," Jen replied with a grimace.
Clearly, the Evil Alliance were holding nothing back this time. Gruumm and Thrax stood together at the front of the army, followed by Morgana, Goldar, Scorpina, and Volturus, which appeared to have healed from the damage that Jack had inflicted on it using Excelsior. And arrayed behind them was a sizable attack force of Gruumm's robotic Troobian soldiers: a dozen Orangehead robots, twice as many Blueheads, and hundreds of Krybots, all armed and ready for battle.
"Well, that's not great," Bridge remarked, wincing at the sight of so many enemies gathered in one place.
"Luckily, we've got enough Rangers to deal with them now," Tommy assured the younger man, exchanging nods with Cruger. "It's not going to be easy, but if we all work together, I think we can do this."
"Especially… whoa!" Boom rushed into the command bridge, skidding to a halt and almost falling, carrying a silver case. "With these," he finished, having heard Tommy talking as he entered the room. "Sorry to interrupt, guys, but, uh… now that the Morphing Grid's working again, the lab techs finally finished fixing these." He popped open the case and held it up, revealing that the six depowered S.P.D. Rangers' Morphers were stacked inside, now fully repaired of the damage that Thrax had done to them.
"All right!" Cole grinned, nodding to Jack. "You guys ready to get back into action?"
Jack returned the other Red Ranger's grin. "You got that right." He, Cruger, and the other four members of B-Squad quickly retrieved each of their Morphers from the case, slipping them into the holders on their belts.
"Gruumm and Thrax are expecting us," Cruger declared, a faint smile appearing on his features as he looked around at the others. "Let's not keep them waiting."
"Sir, yes, sir!" the six other S.P.D. Rangers chorused in unison, snapping to attention with confident smiles. The five Legacy Rangers didn't do the same, but they all nodded in agreement as well.
Cruger nodded. "Power Rangers – move out!"
Thrax felt a surge of malevolent joy in his heart as he stalked along the beach, leading the Evil Alliance's combined forces towards the edge of New Tech City. Earth's last defenders shall fall today, he vowed, his grip tightening on his staff. And once I have taken Excelsior from them, I will be the most powerful warrior in the universe. That damnable Sentinel Knight will finally be destroyed, once and for all, by my hand. His cold yellow eyes gleamed as he shot a sidelong glance at Gruumm, who was walking alongside him. And this so-called "Emperor" will be next.
Goldar and Scorpina had told Thrax about everything that had transpired in his absence, and he wasn't surprised that Gruumm and Morgana were planning to turn on him once their alliance had run its course, so he intended to take action first. He wasn't entirely sure if he was powerful enough to defeat the Troobian Emperor as he was now, but once he'd taken Excelsior from those damn S.P.D. cadets and claimed it for his own, the legendary blade's power would be more than enough to guarantee his victory.
Gruumm seems to want to take the Earth intact, for some reason, he mused. Curious. But it doesn't matter. Once he's been dealt with, I'll be putting this world to the torch, and it will be destroyed once and for all. I won't make the same mistake that my parents did by not finishing the job. Earth and its defenders had been a thorn in the side of every would-be conqueror in this galaxy for more than thirty years, and he had no intention of leaving it intact.
Thrax's thoughts were interrupted, however, when Gruumm suddenly came to a stop and held out an arm, halting the entire army's progression. The Troobian leader was looking ahead, to where a bank of fog that had obscured the other end of the beach was slowly dissipating.
As Thrax followed Gruumm's gaze, his eyes narrowed as he saw what had surprised the Emperor. A group of humanoid figures, twelve of them in total, were spread out across the open beach, blocking the Alliance's path. The mist continued to fade away, making it easier for him to see the line of figures, and he scowled when he recognized them.
Both teams of Power Rangers were lined up across the beach, the seven S.P.D. Rangers and the five Legacy Rangers standing together as a single unified front. Tommy and Cruger stood together at the center of the line, directly across from Thrax and Gruumm.
"Well, well, well," Thrax called out, sneering and trying to ignore a gnawing sense of unease in his gut as his gaze focused on Tommy. "Dr. Thomas Oliver. So good to finally meet you."
"Likewise," Tommy replied evenly, smiling faintly. "I didn't know Zedd and Rita had a kid before all of this, but it looks like you've inherited all their worst parts."
"You're right about that." Thrax smirked cruelly. "I have the combined power of both my parents, without the weaknesses that led to their destruction at the hands of your precious Zordon." He leveled his Z-tipped staff at Tommy. "You were my mother's greatest mistake, Green Ranger. It will be a pleasure to finally correct that."
Tommy's smile faded and his expression hardened. "We'll see about that."
"Indeed." Thrax nodded, chuckling as his gaze swept over the S.P.D. team. "I do appreciate your coming along as well, little cadets. I suppose the Sentinel Knight must have helped you to escape from Phaedos after I left you stranded there, but I'm afraid there won't be much that he can do to help you now."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Jack retorted, grinning despite himself. "But either way, I don't think he's the one you should be worried about right now."
"Tough talk from a bunch of powerless Rangers," Thrax shot back, his eyes flashing with anger.
"Enough," Gruumm growled, raising his own staff as his eyes blazed with crimson light. "Let us begin!"
"Sounds good," Tommy agreed. He glanced right, to his own teammates, and then left, to the S.P.D. team. "You guys ready?"
"Ready!" eleven voices chorused in response.
"Then let's do it." Tommy slipped one hand behind his back for a moment, his Morpher materializing on cue, and then flung his arms out in front of him. "It's Morphin' Time! Dragon Zord: Green Ranger Power!"
"Time for… Time Force!" Jen snapped.
"Wild Access!" Cole yelled.
"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form! HA!" Tori called out.
"Dino Thunder, Power Up! HA!" Kira added.
"S.P.D.! Emergency!" Cruger, Jack, Sky, Bridge, Z and Syd chorused in unison, Sam stepping up next to them.
A brilliant flash of multicolored light lit up the entire beach, and then faded to reveal all twelve Rangers now transformed, suits gleaming in the sunlight. The leaders of the Evil Alliance all flinched back slightly at the sight, their eyes widening in shock.
"S.W.A.T. Mode! Activate!" The five B-Squad Rangers wasted no time in triggering their upgraded forms, armored vests forming over their torsos as their Delta Enforcers materialized in their hands. With their transformation process complete, all twelve Rangers immediately shifted into fighting stances, as the leftover energy of their simultaneous transformations surged out behind them and detonated, backlighting them with a massive explosion as plumes of colored smoke burst up into the air.
Gruumm was visibly furious, but Thrax was simply dumbfounded. "But… how?!" he demanded, glaring incredulously at the S.P.D. team. "I took your powers away!"
"For a while, sure," Jack retorted, "but not for good! Because once a Ranger…"
"Always a Ranger!" the others chorused, weapons at the ready.
Gruumm snarled, his eyes blazing as he raised his staff. "Attack!" he roared.
As one, the Evil Alliance charged into battle, and all twelve Rangers raced forward to meet them as the beach exploded into a massive, chaotic melee.
Thrax went straight for Tommy, whirling his staff as he lunged at the Green Ranger. Tommy dodged and weaved through the incoming flurry of attacks, using his Dragon Dagger to parry any of Thrax's blows that came too close.
"You're no match for me!" Thrax spat, glaring wildly at Tommy. "You owe everything you are to my mother, Ranger. If it wasn't for her gifting these powers to you, you would still be just another pathetic, powerless human. And yet you continued to defy her again and again, ruining my parents' plans for the universe and dooming them to eventual destruction! For everything you did to them, I will make you pay!"
"Sorry," Tommy shot back as he ducked under another swing of the staff, "but that's not gonna happen! The happiest moment of my life was when I finally broke free of Rita's brainwashing and started using the powers she gave me to actually help people. I don't owe her anything. And there's no way I'm going to let you keep on terrorizing this planet the way she did!" He caught a scything arc of Thrax's staff with the blade of his dagger, but the angle allowed Thrax to wedge the dagger into the Z-shaped end of his staff. A single powerful twist of the alien's hands wrenched the dagger out of Tommy's hand, sending it spinning away until it landed point-down in the sand.
Tommy was far from done, however. As soon as Thrax lunged at him again, he was already leaping into the air, kicking out with both feet and rebounding off of Thrax's hastily-raised guard. While he was in the air, he spun and hooked both of his feet around Thrax's staff, performing the same trick that Thrax had used on him and twisting it right out of the warlord's hands to send it tumbling away. He backflipped away and landed lightly on his feet, already raising his guard again.
To his credit, the temporary loss of his staff didn't bother Thrax in the slightest. He just snarled and lunged at Tommy, swinging a full-force punch that Tommy barely managed to block by flinging up his arms in a cross-block. The impact still sent him skidding backwards, his feet digging into the soft sand as he fought to keep his balance.
Okay, he thought to himself, wincing as he shook his arms, which were aching even through the tough fabric of his suit. This is gonna be harder than I thought.
Jack and Cole carved through the ranks of Troobian robots without much trouble, Jack unleashing a barrage of energy bolts from his Enforcer and Cole slashing and hacking with his Crystal Saber. After breaking through the first wave of enemy troops, they charged towards Volturus, having reasoned that if any of them were going to stand a chance against the restored monster, the two Red Rangers would be the most likely to have a shot at taking it down again.
"Hey, Lizard Boy!" Jack taunted as he ran towards Volturus. "Remember me?"
As soon as Volturus heard his voice, it became very clear that the monster did indeed remember Jack from their last fight. Its clawed hands clenched into white-knuckled fists, and a deep growl rumbled in the back of its throat as arcs of purple energy crackled up and down its arms.
"Yup," Cole agreed, wincing as he saw the power building up around the monster. "I'm pretty sure he… Look out!" He and Jack dove in opposite directions right as Volturus's arms snapped forward and a burst of purple lightning erupted from its fingertips, blasting into the ground where they had been and igniting a powerful explosion.
Cruger and Gruumm were furiously hammering away at each other's defenses, sword and staff sending showers of sparks and random arcs of power discharging in all directions every time they clashed. The Troobian Emperor fell back a step and flung out one arm, unleashing a blast of purple lightning from his staff, but Cruger spun to one side, deflecting the staff upwards with a swing of his sword. The blast discharged harmlessly past his shoulder as he side-kicked Gruumm in the chest, knocking the Emperor back a few steps and giving himself a little breathing room.
"You won't escape me this time, Cruger!" Gruumm spat, twirling his staff again as it crackled with energy. "You and your precious Rangers will fall today… and this world will finally be mine!"
"Not while I'm still standing, it won't!" Cruger shot back. He lunged back at Gruumm, a battle cry ringing out as their weapons clashed again and their furious combat resumed.
Across the beach, a high-speed melee fight was raging, as Kira, Z, Tori and Syd took on Morgana and Scorpina in a whirling mass of clashing blades and energy blasts. Even with the numbers advantage, the four Rangers were having trouble gaining the upper hand over the pair of female villains.
After a couple of minutes, however, an idea occurred to Kira. "Guys, cover me!" she called to the others, throwing a jump-kick at Morgana and pushing off of the older woman's blocking arm to launch herself away in a backflip.
"Right!" Tori sprang forward, her sword clashing with Scorpina's, while Z and Syd both charged at Morgana.
Kira landed neatly on her feet a few yards away, before raising her arms and crossing them in front of her face as she summoned up her hidden power. "Super Dino Mode!" she yelled, pulling her arms down and uncrossing them as she flung them out to either side. Her suit lit up with a bright yellow glow as the white patches along her arms and legs morphed into tough armor plates, edged with sharp, prominent blades, and a golden energy membrane flared to life, flowing down from her arms like a pair of wings.
As soon as her transformation was complete, Kira sank into a crouch and kicked off the ground, launching herself into the air and rocketing back towards Morgana and Scorpina, her Ptera-Grips held ready in both hands. She shot between the two of them as her comrades ducked out of the way, her blades flashing out and landing a pair of slashes to each of them as she soared past.
"Agh! Why, you little…!" Scorpina whirled, firing a crackling bolt of golden lightning from her sword that struck Kira as she came around for another pass. The impact threw the Yellow Dino Ranger off-balance and she tumbled out of the air with a cry of pain, crashing onto the damp sand.
Scorpina rushed after her fallen opponent, but Tori leapt in to shield Kira before she could get close enough to strike again. "Back off!" the Blue Wind Ranger snapped, parrying Scorpina's sword with her own and side-kicking the villainess in the gut, knocking her back.
Z and Syd, meanwhile, charged at Morgana, firing a volley of shots from their Enforcers. Morgana's blades flashed in a series of whirling arcs as she blocked the incoming bolts, before they both lit up with crackling purple light and she hurled out an X-shaped blast of energy that slammed into the two S.P.D. Rangers, blasting them off their feet and landing them flat on their backs.
Kira had scrambled to her feet by this time, and she and Tori raced back in, pressing their attack and hammering at Morgana and Scorpina's defenses. The two villains both broke away and leapt into the air, planning to gain some distance so they could regroup, but Kira and Tori jumped after them, still relentlessly attacking. At the apex of their jumps, the two Rangers each managed to land a solid hit, both their blades slashing across the stomachs of their respective opponents, before Tori's arm shot out and grabbed Kira's ankle as the Yellow Ranger let her energy-wings catch the air again, turning their jump into a glide and allowing them to swoop back down in a controlled dive.
As soon as Kira and Tori were out of the way, before Morgana and Scorpina had enough time to fall back to the ground, Z and Syd opened fire again, unleashing another full-power volley from their Enforcers. This time, the shots hit home, detonating all over the villains' bodies and searing into their armor with explosions of sparks, before they both plummeted back to earth with a pair of resounding impacts and a decent-sized explosion.
Tommy and Thrax had now shifted into a hand-to-hand fight, and the Green Ranger was still having more trouble than he'd expected. While he did appear to have the upper hand in terms of fighting skill, Thrax's strength and durability were more impressive than he would have guessed, and the alien warlord was standing up to everything that Tommy could throw at him. Both fighters were giving it their all as they clashed again and again, trading a whirlwind of punches, kicks, knees and elbow strikes. Tommy was giving as good as he got, but he was slowly giving ground, being driven back down the beach towards where their weapons had fallen.
"Gotta admit… you're better than I expected!" Tommy panted, sidestepping a wild swing from Thrax and throwing a punch of his own, which the alien caught. They were in a stalemate for a moment, pushing against each other, until Tommy dropped back and yanked Thrax off-balance, before ducking under his guard and ramming home a knee strike to his stomach.
"You… are nothing!" Thrax hissed as he struck back, sweeping Tommy's legs out from under him with a spinning kick and then punting him away as he fell, sending the Green Ranger rolling across the ground.
Moving with the blow to reduce the impact, Tommy quickly sprang back up, dusting himself off. "All right," he muttered, already breathing heavily. "Warm-up's over, I guess." Clenching a fist, he sprang back at Thrax. They both lunged in towards each other, each swinging a full-force punch and not bothering to block or dodge. Both of their attacks struck home, each hitting the other squarely in the chest at the same moment. A visible shockwave rippled outwards from the force of the double impact, shaking the ground beneath them and blasting a cloud of sand into the air.
For a moment, it looked like neither combatant had budged an inch, but then Tommy gasped and fell back, clutching at his chest and swaying on his feet. His armored golden chestplate now had a visible crack running through it, energy crackling and fizzling over it, and he was coughing and gasping for air as he tried to get his breath back: the impact had knocked the wind out of him.
"Is that really all you've got?" Thrax mocked with a cruel grin as he straightened up, rubbing his chest where Tommy's punch had connected. "I thought the mighty Green Ranger would hit harder than that." Turning, he snatched up his staff from where it had landed and twirled it in his hands, black-and-white electricity crackling up and down its length. "But I suppose it doesn't matter… because this fight is over!" Snarling the last few words, he lunged at Tommy, the staff lashing out in a full-force swing aimed at his chest.
Luckily, Tommy was already moving. Lunging forward, he dove over Thrax's swinging staff as it whistled through the air beneath him, before going into a shoulder-roll on the damp sand. As he leapt back to his feet, he plucked his Dragon Dagger from where it had been embedded point-first in the sand, and emerald lightning crackled around the blade as he whirled back towards Thrax. Even as the warlord whipped around to face him, he struck, landing a clean hit across Thrax's chest with an explosion of sparks, before kicking the alien's legs out from under him and sending him crashing down on his back.
"C'mon!" Tommy took a step back and beckoned, ignoring the seething anger in his enemy's eyes as Thrax scrambled back to his feet. "I'm just getting warmed up."
Sky, Bridge and Jen had formed up in a loose triangle and were standing back-to-back, the S.P.D. Rangers' Enforcers and the Time Force Ranger's long-barreled blaster firing in all directions as they blasted away at the crowd of Troobian soldiers around them. The storm of energy beams scythed through the oncoming tide: armor shattered, circuitry shorted out and internal components were blasted apart, as the three Rangers raked the enemy ranks with wave after wave of fire. Any robots that got near them were swiftly taken down and blown apart with surgical precision.
"Whoa!" A pained yell caught the trio's attention as Sam was hurled through the air towards them, tumbling across the sand until he rolled to a stop at their feet. "Ow," he groaned, shaking his head as he picked himself back up. "Man, that guy hits hard!" He winced and nodded in the direction that he'd been thrown from; the three of them turned to see Goldar stalking towards them, flexing his arms and clenching his clawed hands into fists.
"Oh, great," Jen muttered, racking the slide of her blaster. "This guy again." She leveled her blaster at the oncoming alien, while Sky and Bridge quickly raised their Enforcers on either side of her. Before any of them could open fire, however, Goldar beat them to it, flicking out a hand and launching a trio of concentrated fireballs. All three struck home, detonating on impact with a trio of small but powerful explosions and knocking all three Rangers off their feet.
"Pathetic!" Goldar sneered as he stalked towards the fallen Rangers. "It's time to end this game. I'm tired of playing around with you weaklings!"
"I've got an idea," Sam murmured to his comrades as he scrambled to his feet, recovering more quickly then they did. "Charge up, and then hit him with everything you've got on my signal." Raising his guard, he stepped protectively in front of the other three Rangers. "I don't think so," he retorted. "If you want them… you're gonna have to go through me."
Goldar flashed a predatory grin. "If you say so!" He also dropped into a fighting stance, before charging again with a bestial roar. Sam didn't hesitate, springing forward to meet him. Immediately, the pair were at it again, lightning-fast blows flashing back and forth, neither gaining the upper hand.
Sky, Bridge and Jen immediately took advantage of the situation, readying their weapons and training them on the struggling pair as they charged the energy output of Jen's blaster and the B-Squad Rangers' Enforcers up to maximum, a low humming sound echoing from all three weapons as the energy built up and their barrels began to glow.
"C'mon, Sam…" Sky whispered under his breath, tracking Goldar's movements. "Get out of the way!"
Luckily, Sam didn't disappoint. Letting Goldar drive him back, parrying the incoming attacks, he waited patiently until Goldar's growing confidence gave him an opening. Blocking a downward swing of the alien's arm, he rolled with the impact, letting it send him spinning off his feet and tumbling to the ground. As he fell, however, he made a quick adjustment to his wrist-mounted Morpher, and his hand lit up with a pulsing green light. "Muscle Mode!" he yelled as he spun back towards Goldar, rising up on one knee and slamming a full-force punch into his enemy's stomach. The impact cracked Goldar's armor with a burst of sparks, doubling him over and leaving him coughing and hacking in pain.
"Now!" Sky called out. As Sam leapt out of the way, he, Bridge and Jen all fired simultaneously. Their blasts all slammed into Goldar at the same time, tearing up the ground around him and catapulting him into the air with a roar of anger and pain.
Jack hit the ground hard, rolling uncontrollably across the damp sand until he finally came to a stop, his armored vest and Enforcer dematerializing as he was knocked out of S.W.A.T Mode. Cole was still trading blows with Volturus a few yards away, but none of his attacks were doing any damage to the monster, and after a couple of seconds it raked its claws across his torso, gouging into his suit, before blasting him with a point-blank explosion of purple lightning. The blast hurled him across the beach with a pained yell, arcs of electricity still crackling across his suit as he went down in a sprawled heap and lay there groaning, the fight temporarily beaten out of him.
"All right," Jack muttered as he pushed himself back to his feet. "Enough of this crap." He drew his Morpher and activated his other upgrade transformation. "S.P.D. Battlizer! Activate!"
On cue, RIC appeared, racing towards Jack as a compartment on the robotic canine's back slid open, releasing a device similar to Sam's Morpher that flew towards Jack and latched onto one of his wrists. Armor plates formed on his torso, shoulders, arms and legs, and a sword materialized in his hands, its blade crackling with electricity. "Battlizer: Cyber Mode! Complete!"
Volturus hissed and drew back a little, its glowing purple eyes fixed on the transformed Red Ranger, as if it could sense that he was stronger now. Its caution quickly melted away, however, and it snarled as it strode towards him again.
"C'mon!" Jack challenged, readying himself for another round. He charged back to meet Volturus head-on, dodging its first few swings and landing a series of electrically-charged slashes to its unguarded torso. His attacks did seem to be hurting it this time, judging by the pained snarls and hisses that it let out every time one of his blows made contact. Unfortunately, it seemed that even the first stage of his Battlizer didn't have enough power to break through the beast's defenses, and despite his best efforts, he still wasn't doing any real damage.
Even with Jack's newly enhanced speed, one of Volturus's attacks eventually clipped him, knocking him off-balance. It immediately took advantage and kicked him in the stomach, sending him stumbling back a few feet, before unleashing a searing blast of purple lightning from both hands. Jack's eyes widened behind his helmet, and he braced himself for the pain.
But, to his shock, the impact never came. Instead, there was a brilliant flash of light, and the torrent of purple lightning was blocked by a shimmering energy barrier that appeared between Jack and Volturus, shielding him from harm. The light faded, and a gleaming golden figure became visible in front of him: the Sentinel Knight, standing between the monster and its prey, holding one hand out to maintain the barrier. A deep-voiced yell rang out, and the blast of purple lightning rebounded off of the wall of light, tearing up the ground around Volturus and knocking the monster to the ground.
Whoa! Jack's eyes widened and he stepped up next to the Knight. "Thanks!" he commented with a wry chuckle. "Thought he had me there."
"I did promise that I would be back to help once I'd gotten used to having a body again," the Knight replied with a note of amusement in his voice, before he turned his attention back to Volturus, which was picking itself up with a furious snarl. "Right now, we must deal with this beast before it can wear us down any further."
"Well, you should be able to handle it, right?" Jack nodded to where Excelsior hung sheathed at the Knight's hip. "I took him down with one hit from that before, and you're definitely stronger than I am."
"True," the Knight agreed, "but unfortunately, it would seem that Gruumm has given this creature a power boost since you fought him before. I'm not sure if it can be defeated quite as easily this time." His eyes brightened as an idea occurred to him. "But I should be able to breach its defenses again, which will leave it vulnerable. If you and your friend can strike it with a powerful enough attack, after I've broken its guard… then that could be enough to put it down for good."
"Right!" Jack nodded. "I think I've got just the thing."
"Excellent. Then get ready!" The Knight turned and raised his guard, a note of amusement in his voice as he strode towards Volturus. "Come at me, creature. I've been dead for a long time, and I could use a good warmup."
Volturus roared, purple lightning crackling around it, and charged forward to meet him.
As soon as the pair started fighting, Jack turned and jogged over to where Cole was still getting his bearings after the powerful hit that he'd taken. "Cole!" he called as he skidded to a halt in front of the older man. "You all right?"
"Yeah, I'm okay." Cole nodded, panting as he took Jack's offered hand and let the younger Red Ranger pull him to his feet. "I heard some of what you guys were saying: so we have a plan?"
"Yep!" Jack grinned fiercely behind his helmet. "Do you have a Battlizer mode too?"
"Of course!" Cole nodded again, more eagerly this time as he realized what Jack had in mind.
"Then let's bust 'em out!" Jack shifted into a ready stance again, making an adjustment to the gauntlet on his wrist. "S.P.D. Battlizer: Sonic Mode! Activate!" RIC leapt towards him, the robotic dog's body shifting form and reshaping itself into an additional layer of black-and-white armor that wrapped around Jack's body, filling him with an additional surge of power. The electric sword of his Battlizer's first form was replaced by a giant, two-handed red broadsword, with RIC's head set into the hilt.
Cole, meanwhile, grabbed the large golden buckle of his belt and popped it off, flipping it over to reveal a glowing red jewel on the inside. He flung his arms out in front of him, and the jewel lit up with a brilliant red glow. "Animarium Armor! Red Savage Warrior: power up!" Golden armor plating materialized over his arms and torso, and a pair of gleaming metallic wings unfolded from his back.
Sensing the twin explosions of energy as both Red Rangers completed their ultimate transformations, the Sentinel Knight smiled beneath his own visor. "Time to finish this," he murmured, before his eyes flashed as he blocked a downward two-fisted swing from Volturus. They continued to struggle back and forth for a moment, until the Knight's eyes flared brighter and twin bolts of emerald energy shot from them, striking Volturus in the face with an explosion of sparks.
The blast wasn't strong enough to do any serious damage, but it did knock the monster back a couple of steps and dazzle it for a moment, and that was all the opening that a master swordsman like the Knight needed. The sword Excelsior flashed out of its scabbard in a pair of blindingly-fast strikes, slicing through its armored scales again and opening a pair of gashes in an X-shape across Volturus's chest. Thanks to the energy boost that Gruumm had given it, those wounds weren't enough to disable it completely, but they were able to cut through its armor and inflict a lot of pain. Sparks fountained from the wound, and Volturus howled in rage and pain as it staggered back.
"Now!" the Knight called out as he leapt back out of range. Having been waiting for that moment, Jack and Cole both leapt straight up into the air, activating their Battlizer modes' respective flight methods.
"The Knight's breached his armor!" Cole exclaimed, raising both hands in front of him as he focused all of his power into a single point. "Let's finish this!"
"I hear that!" Jack confirmed, his visor igniting with a brilliant crimson glow. "Battlizer: full power!"
"Red Savage Warrior: Falcon Blast!" Cole yelled.
Finally, both Red Rangers' voices rang out in unison. "Fire!" Jack's massive sword blurred into motion, slashing back and forth as he unleashed four crackling shockwaves of fiery energy, while Cole unleashed a concentrated beam of red light from the large red jewel in the center of his armored chestplate.
Volturus, still reeling and off-balance from the Knight's attack, had no chance to block or dodge. Cole's beam hit it squarely in the chest, right over the X-shaped wound that Excelsior's blade had inflicted, while each of Jack's energized shockwaves slammed down on top of it, one after the next, their combined attack driving it into the ground and completely overwhelming its defenses.
Jack and Cole dropped back to Earth, landing on either side of the Sentinel Knight. They kept their guards up, ready to attack again… but there was no need. Volturus was swaying drunkenly, arcs of energy crackling randomly up and down its body as sparks and smoke poured from its wounds. It raised one shaking, clawed hand in their direction, trying to unleash one last attack, before the purple glow in its eyes faded away and it finally collapsed. As soon as it hit the ground, an enormous fireball erupted from the dragon's corpse, shaking the entire beach and completely incinerating Volturus's body.
Panting heavily, Jack and Cole high-fived, letting their armored Battlizer suits fade away as they powered back down to their normal Ranger forms. "Nice one, man!" Jack complimented the older Ranger.
"You too!" Cole replied, grinning wearily beneath his helmet.
"Take a moment to recover your strength, young warriors," the Sentinel Knight advised them. His glowing green eyes narrowed as he scanned the beach, quickly locking onto the other fight where his help would be useful. "I have one more foe to deal with."
"Full power!" Tommy and Thrax's voices both yelled out at the same moment as they each unleashed a blast of lightning from their respective weapons, Tommy's emerald green and Thrax's a mix of black and white. The two blasts of energy collided midway between them, pushing back and forth without either side gaining the upper hand, growing stronger with each passing second. Finally, the combined mass of lightning detonated, blasting both combatants away from each other.
Thrax was sent skidding twenty feet backwards by the explosion, digging in his heels and driving the base of his staff deep into the sand to keep his footing, until he finally managed to stop his backwards slide. Tommy, however, was blown clear off his feet, and tumbled head-over-heels until he slammed back down onto the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him a second time, and for a few seconds he was too stunned to get back up, just groaning and trying to get his breath back.
"Heh… heh…" Thrax was panting as well now, clearly feeling worn down by the strain of the prolonged battle, but he was still in better shape than his opponent. "What happened to all that tough talk, Ranger?" He raised his staff, focusing his power again as he stalked forward to stand over Tommy, preparing to deliver a finishing blow while the Green Ranger was still incapacitated. "Well… I suppose this is where it ends. Farewell, Thomas Oliver."
As Tommy struggled to get up, Thrax sneered, raised his staff over his head, and brought it crashing down. But halfway to its target, the staff was suddenly blocked by a shining blade that cut in under it, stopping it in mid-swing with a clang of metal on metal.
"Not this time!" the Sentinel Knight declared, slamming an open-palmed strike into Thrax's chest with his free hand and releasing a pulse of magic that flung the alien backwards. "You will never take another innocent life, Thrax. It ends here!"
Thrax was utterly dumbfounded for the second time that day, seeing his hated nemesis standing before him – no longer a disembodied spirit, but alive and in the flesh – and wielding the sword Excelsior on top of that. "You?!" he managed to splutter out incredulously. "What… you… how?!"
"Thanks for the help," Tommy spoke up with a weary chuckle, ignoring Thrax for a moment as he took the Knight's offered hand and clambered to his feet. "That was a little too close."
"Indeed. My apologies for intervening in your battle, but you seemed to need some help." The Knight's eyes burned like twin bolts of emerald fire behind his helmet as he turned to face Thrax again. "Now… let us put an end to this."
"Sounds good to me!" Tommy nodded, raising his dagger and entering a fighting stance as the Knight did the same.
"Damn it all…" Thrax hissed, taking a moment to catch his breath before raising his guard again. "If I'd only been able to get that damn sword, this would all be over already!"
"That can never happen," the Knight declared firmly, raising Excelsior and gazing upon his master's former weapon with reverence. "Only a warrior with a pure spirit and a noble heart can wield Excelsior; it would never accept someone as vile and wicked as you." He leveled the ancient blade at Thrax. "This is your final warning, Thrax! Surrender now, or we will take you down once and for all."
"You seriously think that I'd surrender to you, and your pathetic little Rangers?" Thrax let out a harsh, rasping laugh. "Don't make me laugh! I'll never stop, as long as I'm breathing. I will destroy everyone and everything on this foul planet. And I'll start with the two of you!" Roaring out a battle-cry, he raised his staff and focused his full power into it, lightning coiling and twisting around the arcane metal as he charged.
Tommy and the Sentinel Knight raced forward as well, weapons at the ready. As Thrax raised his staff to unleash his final attack, they each ducked to one side, spinning in under his guard and scoring a pair of direct hits across his unguarded torso, one after the other, with twin flashes of green and gold light. Thrax's yell turned into a strangled cry of pain, and all of the energy that he'd been building up detonated prematurely as they skidded past him, tossing him off his feet and sending him sprawling to the ground.
With the enemy army broken and routed, the Sentinel Knight and the twelve Power Rangers reconvened, forming a united line. They'd all taken some damage during the battle, but all of them had made it through without sustaining any serious injuries.
The remaining members of the Evil Alliance also picked themselves up, stumbling towards each other and forming a ragged line, but they were significantly worse off. All five of them were battered and bruised, wisps of smoke rising from scorch marks on their armor, each still trying to catch their breath after the beatings that they had just sustained.
This isn't possible! Thrax's mind was racing as he leaned on his staff, panting heavily and swaying on his feet, fighting the throbbing pain radiating from the wounds that Tommy and the Knight had inflicted on him. I had everything planned out… I accounted for every detail… how can this be happening?!
Gruumm, meanwhile, looked less angry and more resigned. "It would seem that I no longer have any need for you, Thrax," he intoned coldly. "My day to conquer this planet will come, but for now, I am done here. You are no longer useful to me, so our alliance is at an end." He grasped Morgana's shoulder with his free hand. "Farewell." With that, he slammed his staff down on the ground, and he and Morgana both vanished with an explosion of purple energy and a cloud of displaced sand.
Thrax's eyes widened in horror. "No!" he exclaimed. Damn you, Gruumm…!
Seeing their remaining enemies off-balance and weakened, Cruger's battle experience sparked him into action. "Rangers!" he called out to his comrades. "Let's finish this!"
"You got it, Commander!" Jack agreed. "RIC! Here, boy!"
Hearing Jack's call, the robotic dog burst into motion again, racing towards the Rangers. He leapt up and over them, his body transforming into his weapon form again, before dropping down to the waiting S.P.D. team. "Canine Cannon!" they chorused, aiming the powerful weapon directly at the three remaining villains. The Sentinel Knight and the Legacy Rangers stepped up around them, readying their own long-range weapons to add their firepower to the cannon's might.
"Ready!" Tommy shouted.
"Aim!" Cruger continued.
"Fire!" Jack finished, all the others echoing his yell as he pulled the trigger of the cannon. The Knight and the Legacies all fired their own weapons at the same moment; their blasts merged with the cannon's twin beams, forming a thundering wave of power that smashed into Thrax, Goldar and Scorpina, instantly overwhelming the three villains' defenses and hurling them away like leaves in a storm.
In the wake of the blast, thirteen voices rose in a series of triumphant shouts, each calling out their own title in the Power Rangers' classic declaration of victory.
"Sentinel Knight!"
"Mighty Morphin Green!"
"Time Force Pink!"
"Blazing Lion!"
"Power of Water!"
"Ptera-Power!"
"S.P.D. Red!"
"S.P.D. Blue!"
"S.P.D. Green!"
"S.P.D. Yellow!"
"S.P.D. Pink!"
"S.P.D. Omega!"
"S.P.D. Shadow!"
Finally, all thirteen voices called out simultaneously, as a final massive explosion billowed up behind them.
"Power Rangers forever! Once a Ranger… always a Ranger!"
Notes: And there we have it! I'm pretty happy with how this final battle turned out, so I hope you guys enjoyed it.
Shoutouts to RHatch89 and Sentinel of Stories for reviewing, as I always appreciate the feedback.
Next time: the finale! The fates of Thrax, Goldar & Scorpina are revealed, and the Legacy Rangers finally return to their own time. Stay tuned!