"It's such a shame that Warp and Buzz can't be here to see the result of the trial." Booster sulked as he pouted

"Booster, buddy, they know the result, they don't have to get here for that." XR tried to assure his friend.

"Doesn't feel the way it should without them." Booster said with his arms folded. "And Mira." he looked down toward the floor. "And I don't know why they haven't waited longer."

"They waited seven months for Star Command to fly back," XR reminded his long time friend then twiddled his long mustache. "Everyone is very eager to see this guy suffer."

Zurg was in attendance behind them, a holographic figure shielding him, staring down the center of the court room, waiting, patiently, for Freeves to arrive.

"Doesn't feel right with just us." Booster said, shaking his head.

"Her majesty Queen Nova the first got a livestream set up." XR said. "So it's not just us."

"Since when, XR?" Booster asked as he bobbed his head up in alarm looking down upon him, surprised.

"In my optics!" XR turned toward Booster revealing his optic displaying that from the other end were Flyers and Grounders, patiently, watching, waiting, and Mira was among them. "Got the upgrade! Fancy!"

"Oh, hi everyone!" Booster waved back at the crowd with a smile.

"Oncoming discharge of unknown origin beside you, Booster!" XR announced.

XR and Booster looked on toward the empty gap between them as a small glowing ball appeared that grew in size and shape taking on a broad humanoid form with armor then finalized with color and joined by another ball that took shape.

"Great, we made it to the right spot!" Warp said. "How did you know it would be held in this court room?"

"A lot of important trials are held here." Buzz's voice was overheard as Mira smiled, fondly.

"Warp!" Booster hugged the two. "And his partner!"

"Oh, hello to you, too, Ranger!" Buzz said.

"Booster, the door-" Warp squeaked.

Booster let go then shifted his attention toward the doorway that opened and the defendant, who bore a big grin, was escorted in by Star Command bots.

"The court has decided your sentence, Audacity Lord Freeves."

Warp folded his arms looking down upon him with a scowl.

"And with explicit permission granted by the senate, you are to be treated by the Universal Personality Adapter, your old personality will be moved to appropriate means."

Freeves's smile faded and was replaced by confusion as the door swung open.

"A career choice was recommended by Star Command; to be an animal rescuer. Direct instructions." Two security bots floated toward the restrained lord. "Ozma Furbanna declined your involvement for Karn related purposes, so it seems. . . you will live in the back country of Morph and care for others well being. The sentence will be handed out."

The UPA was set on Freeves's head then with a single press of a button; the change was completed replaced by a confused lizard.

"Is this about a traffic ticket that I didn't pay last week?"

The judge smiled upon Freeves.

"No, no, no; this is about the rescue center that you're starting. Mr. . ."

"Sillivna La'car Diego."

"Mr Diego, you are penalized for not getting a permit first. You will get some help for that issue. This court is adjourned."

The gavel was smacked then Diego jumped, terrified, climbing up the security bot, remaining there, trembling. Warp watched as the lizard was escorted out by the security bot with his arms folded gazing on with a shake of his head while the attendees got up to their feet then walked on save for the small crowd around him. XL and XR's eyes were glued on the UPA, full of resentment and anger. Buzz looked toward the direction of his ex-partner in a short lived moment of concern that became replaced by a small smile at the distrustful features on the commander's face.

"Regret not ordering his demise, Warp?" Buzz asked as he lifted a brow.

"Can't get the feeling off that he's going to come back in the most ridiculous circumstance." Warp confessed as he got up then proceeded to walk on.

"Warp, buddy, he's not going to come back." XR promised the taller Space Ranger. "No empire, no rule over Gopata Prime, no droids; some left over anxiety about this whole mess is getting to you."

"And the personality of a capable villain is going to be stored," Booster reminded the graying Ipsedan as he pointed toward the UPA over his shoulder following behind Warp. "where it will never be able to do any manipulation to any. . . ever. . . again."

"At what cost did we have to get there?" Warp halted beside the doorway as he turned toward the others. "At what cost could it be all undone? Evil has a funny way of coming back."

"This is about Zurg." Buzz commented with a long look.

"Negative!" Warp laughed, resting his hands on his hips, smirking. "Zurg's mostly retired." Warp looked toward his companions. "He hasn't done anything remotely evil. . . has he?"

"Count messing with the production of the streaming series, mostly." XR said as Zurg silently exited the room in a rush. "It's like he has a vendetta against it!"

"Warp, my friend, Zurg is getting ready to become more powerful and more evil than before." Buzz reminded his partner. "Remember all of that time where the Galactic Alliance believed he was dead?" Booster began to chuckle, XR started to laugh, Mira giggled distantly, and XL threw his head back hollering with laughter. "He's taking his time, getting back into the feel of things, relaxing, being back at his throne, waiting for the complete removal of all the influences of Lord Freeves from his empire."

"It's is taking awhile," Booster added in agreement. "so if that old personality does escape . . ."

"Things are going to be different." XR finished, drawing Buzz's attention. "Zurg knows his style. Sending something after him. And he will find him, wherever he will be, and we won't lift a finger."

"Not a finger?" Buzz's features became written with concern as he looked toward Warp.

"Buzz, after everything that Lord Freeves did, that personality deserves it for trying again." Warp said. "Even with that assurance. . ."

"Things aren't going to be the same as they were before for you." Booster said.

"For the better." Buzz noted, chipper.

"How would you all feel about watching a group of cocky junior cadets get smashed at level 8?" Warp asked, darkly, almost sinister, the epitome of chaos in his features. "Programmed specifically to operate like Hornets."

"I do!"

"ME!" Additional voices beneath him cried.

"Oh, I didn't notice you there!" Warp looked down toward the ground, apologetically, stepping back. "Chlorm children, Junior Rangers, Gargantuan transfer students," he scratched his head. "how long have you-"

"Not long, Commander Darkmatter." Eon appeared from behind the crowd with a well aging smile. "This is my project; determining if size does really matter."

"That's a really good study!" Booster commented looking down upon them as Buzz folded his arms looking down upon Eon. "Compared to many others that pose much inconvenience."

"Are you doing this alone?" XR asked.

"Never truly alone in the sense of science." Eon said as Raptor Chill traded a dummy UPA for the actual one then walked away as Warp looked toward Buzz and smiled who was listening to Eon. "Even when science partners are gone; they aren't truly gone, not as long as their scientific research papers are well preserved."

Raptor Chill walked through the doorway, into the next scene, it was the Evil Emperor's throne room. Raptor Chil walked up the set of stairs then handed it over to Zurg who gazed down toward the refined device in his grasp and held it with care as he began to laugh. The mole turned away then walked down the series of stairs as the Evil Emperor leaned back against the comfortable throne.

Then Zurg turned away and walked on into the next scene, that was a chamber with a hapless space civilian. He set the hat upon the head then activated it as the restraints kept the space civilian held in place as the Evil Emperor linked his hands behind his back with a menacing laugh as the device automatically activated with the elongated claws clenching along the side of the face and electricity surged through it, shocking, jolting, causing the facial features to twitch in ways that weren't quite natural. Zurg turned toward the sight tapping his claws together in glee as the light countered against the darkness.

Within moments, Freeves lowered his head in the dark, and the device was withdrawn. Freeves groaned, coming to, his eyes slowly opening, slouched against a boulder. He looked around in uncertainty then got up to his feet gazing around the area then approached a flickering screen in the dark. Freeves picked up a rain coat then slipped it on as the rain poured upon him then placed his hand on the gently glowing green center piece of the tall podium. Freeves looked up watching as the screen changed in form, in color, sizzling, until it settled.

"Hello, Lord Freeves. This is a recording, you were transferred into the likes of a very unique specimen; antenna, green, small tube like ears from the side, humanoid in nature. Familiar to the Hemmerhold family,"

"Petra Hemmerhold." Freeves said.

"- that one, thank you."

"But you said this is a recording!" Freeves insisted.

"It is!" Zurg confirmed, happily. "Anticipating your every whim!" Zurg laughed then leaned forward. "In the next five minutes, the hunt shall begin. You are the prey, and I, Zurg, the hunter." Heat radiated from his crimson optics. "This will repeat for thirty days for mere entertainment and a hobby, intending to do a long laundry list of evil stuff to make up for that long vacation from the throne means lots of catching up to do and lots of fun to have!"

Zurg shook his hand sideways mentioning with a rat spinning in circles then he unexpectedly crushed it, intentionally, his gaze fixated on the screen remaining happy.

"It is mostly thirty days because of a very deeply personal matter." Zurg noted.

"No! No no no no no!" Freeves shook his head, looking around, horrified, desperately, seeking for the hints of programming around him. "This can't be real! This must be a simulation!"

Zurg was cheerful folding his arms as he began to continue laying what was on the agenda as Freeves paced back and forth.

"Should you fall off a cliff in your fear, I will clone you after the fact and resume the agenda." Zurg stopped with his upbeat demeanor, abruptly, becoming serious as Freeves turned back in horror toward the holographic screen. "The brain pods, the grubs, they told me everything about what you did to that Orion Darkmatter."

Zurg held up his index finger, insulted, furious then shook his helmet.

"You could have died being killed today after the hunt, pathetic, whining, pleading, but nooo. . . " Zurg's optics flashed a heated red as he shook his helmet. "You had to go there!" He wiggled his long claw back at Lord Freeves. "You had to go there."

Lord Freeves's jaw dropped.

"I'll share a secret something only Zeb Nebula and I knew. . . Intricately."

Zurg became quiet for a solid moment as Lord Freeves leaned forward.

"I . . am. . . Warp Darkmatter's father-in-law."

Zurg glared back at Lord Freeves.

"And now, this is the cue, the part where a doomed man. . ." Zurg propped forward, filling the screen, unnaturally silent then twirled his finger in a circle. "Goes out for a little RUN!"

The screen flickered off upon Zurg's unexpected hammy laugh. Lord Freeves's head bobbed up then ran off as a figure approached the edge of the boulder with a hornet holding a umbrella and a pair of red optics aiming for Freeves with a long Winchester Model Rifle 1912, he turned on his rocket boots, the hornet syncing with him, then flew on as the theme to the Galactic Netflix's show 'Buzz Lightyear of Star Command' played in the background.


A/N And now, the epilogue.

Or this chapter is more like 'revenge is a warm delightful dish'